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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Vegetable Chower

Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients:

1/2 Onion (yellow or white)
1 Carrot
3 Celery Stalks
2 White Potatoes (skinned and cubed)
1 Broccoli Stalk
1/2 can Corn
10 shrimp (Raw. I use frozen and raw with shells on)
2 cups Milk
1 Veggie Bouillon Cube
Salt
Maragine
Garlic
Flour (with milk) for thickening

Instructions:

1. Chop onion, celery, carrots and garlic and put it into a pot with some margarine or butter
and sautee. Add some salt to help release the water in the vegetables.
2. After the onions are cooked, or somewhat cooked, add 2 cups of milk, diced potatoes, chopped
broccoli, 1 veggie boullion cube and mix together. Cook for 20 minutes maybe, or until potatoes
are soft.
3. While it cooks, de-shell and de-tail the shrimp that you have thawed out if needed
4. Make a rue with flour and butter/margarine on medium heat. Cook out the flour, you want a
nutty fragence. 1 minute.
5. Add rue into the soup and stir in, make more rue if it isn't thick enough. Add more milk if there isn't enough liquid in comparison to all the veggies.
6. Add frozen or canned corn, and shirmp. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimps are cooked and turn the proper colour. Don't add the shrimp if you want it to be vegetarian.

Spicy Black Bean Burrito

Spicy Black Bean Burrito

Ingredients:

1/2 can Black Beans
1-2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup your favourite rice
Salt
Pepper
Water

Avocado
Tomatoes
Sour cream
Large Wraps/Tortilla
Maragine

Sweet Potato Chips:
1 sweet potato
1 tablespoon Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of chili pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil 1/4 cup of your favourite rice.
2. Chop up some tomato, and make a quick guacamole with some mashed up avocado and salt, and maybe lemon juice.
2. In a frying pan, fry black beans, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, chilli powder, cumin in some
margarine. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. After awhile once it is cooked, add some water and mashed it up with a hand masher. (a fork could maybe do) Add water bit by bit.
3. Once mashed up, fold in the cooked rice.
4. Take a wrap and layer on your black bean/rice mixture.
5. Put guacamole on top, tomatoes, and sour cream.
6. Fold it into a burrito. (http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ss/burritofold.htm)
7. Fry in a pan on both sides. I cook the side with the opening first to seal it shut.

Sweet Potato Chips

1. Slice sweet potato into discs.
2. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 chili pepper (if you want spicey chips), and a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Put in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Consider broiling at the end for 5 minutes for more crispyness.

Chickpea Curry

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper (Sometimes I will do orange instead)
1 Onion (white or yellow)
1 Garlic Clove
1 can Cocunut Milk (or 1/2 can)
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (mostly for colour)
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt
Olive Oil
Water

Instructions:

1. Dice up a red pepper, green pepper, and onion. Mash up some garlic. Add these elements into a frying pan, in perhaps some margarine. Add some salt to help release the water in the vegetables. Add 1 can of chickpeas. Then cover with water so everything is submerged. Cook on
medium heat.
2. After a while, the chickpeas will soften, you will see the skin start to peel off a bit. And the water will evaporate.
3. Once the water has evaporated, it is time to add the spices. Put in 1 tablespoon curry, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
(you can add more if you want it hotter but I really recommend this amount) and at least 1/2 can of coconut milk. (I usually don't shake the can up and just add the creamy half floating on the
top and chuck the rest)
4. Let that cook down, so the coconut milk and spices reduce and become sticky. Once sticky, add in a little olive oil and mix it together. (oil isn't necesarry but maybe helps bind it and give
it a little shine)
5. Serve with basmati rice.

Vegetarian Curry Pad Thai

Vegetarian Curry Pad Thai
Ingredients:

1/2 pack of pad thai noodles
1/2 pack (250 grams) firm tofu
1-2 cup fresh bean sprouts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt
Oil or margarine for frying

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder

Garnish:
1 or 2 green onions
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts - just a small pile to put on top
1/2 lime or lemon, cut into small wedges (lemon is probably better because it is sweeter)

Instructions:

1. Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok (or big frypan) will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Chop 1 green onion, and 1/4 cup of peanuts into small pieces. Leave to the side for the end.
3. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and curry powder; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet. Marinate tofu in this over night.
4. Fry 1 egg scrambled on the side, with maybe some salt. Don't overcook it because you are gonna add it in later. I just like to make sure it is fairly cooked before going in. Break it up, or cut it into strips/ribbons of egg.
5. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat until it is hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the tofu with some crushed garlic (when you remove the tofu from the marinade, remember to save the sauce on the side). When tofu starts turning golden brown, add in noodles
and remaining marinade. Let the noodles soak up the marinade. Add a little extra water if needed.
6. Add the chopped bean sprouts and egg once the noodles are pretty well cooked, and cover with a lid. Leave until the bean sprouts are cooked.
7. Add chopped green onion and peanuts on top as garnish. Add lime or lemon wedges on the side. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients:

1/2 block Firm Tofu
1/2 can Kidney Beans
1 cup frozen Peas and Carrots (you could use fresh...)
1/2 Onion (white or yellow)
2 Cloves Garlic
Soy Sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup
Pepper

Potato Topping:

4 potatoes
Margarine
Salt
Water (or milk...)
Sour Cream (If you want them extra creamy)

Instructions:

1. Boil 4 medium sized potatoes.
2. Crumble 1/2 block of Firm Tofu into a dish. Cover with soy sauce so that all the tofu has some on it and turns brownish. Marinate this over night if possible. (Instead of doing this you could use ground round or whatever... but I never do. I always just crumble tofu and add soy sauce for my fake ground beef)
3. Fry tofu with diced onions, and garlic. Add a dash of pepper. Once the tofu starts to brown. Add 1/2 can of kidney beans, 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots or however much you wish, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, and then 1-2 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce (you can get this vegan if you wish, the normal stuff has anchovie paste in it)... I never measure the worcestershire sauce... I just add and taste it.
4. Mash potatoes in a pot with some margarine and add salt to taste. Add water (or milk) to help the mashing process. Maybe 1-2 cups. Add it bit by bit until you get the consistency that you want.
5. Take a square casserole dish, like 9 x 9 inches. Fill the bottom with the tofu and beans mixture and flatten. Then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of that and flatten. Score the top of the potatoes with a fork to make it look all pretty.
6. Put in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Flip it to broil for 5-10 minutes at the end until the top gets slightly brown. (the scoring with the fork will make this more noticeable).

Vegetarian Bean Chili

Vegetarian Bean Chili
Ingredients:

1 can Mixed Beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, etc)
1/2 can Black Beans
1/2 can corn (or frozen)
1 can Tomatoes
1 Onion (white or yellow)
1 Red Pepper
2-3 Celery Stalks
2 Cloves Garlic
2 teaspoon cayenne/chili pepper (1 teaspoon if you want it less hot)
1 + 1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 + 1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 veggie cube

Instructions:

1. Crush garlic, and dice 1 onion, 1 red pepper and a couple celery stalks.
2. Toss these elements into a big pot with some margarine in the bottom. Add a little salt if you want, helps release the water inside the vegetables.
3. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
4. Put in 1 can of diced tomatoes.
5. Add spices. 1 veggie cube, 1-2 teaspoon of chili pepper (don't do too much if you don't like things hot), 1 + 1/2 tablespoon of cumin, 1 + 1/2 tablespoon of coriander, 1 tablespoon brown sugar (I like things that are spicey and sweet, you can leave this out if you wish), dash of pepper
6. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Add in 1 can of mixed beans, 1/2 can of black beans (if they aren't in your mixed beans), and 1/2 can of corn.
8. Simmer for 20 more minutes.
9. I recommend letting it sit/simmer off the heat for a bit with the lid on. This will give the flavours a chance to blend and mingle, and get all happy.
10. Top with shredded cheese and green onion if you wish.
11. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips... and sour cream! My favourite!


Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Kalamata Olives

Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Kalamata Olives

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (I have bought pitted ones at Loblaws)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onion/scallions, finely chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 medium garlic clove, minced/crushed
Zest of ½ lemon and juice of the whole lemon
1 tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olives, carrots, cilantro and scallions. To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until emulsified. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Grapefruit, Avocado and Spinach Salad

Grapefruit, Avocado and Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Grapefruit
1 Avocado
1 bag of Spinach (baby is better if you have it)
Olive Oil
White Vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Pepper (A lemon pepper works well too)

Instructions:

1. Scoop out avocado and cut into segments. Salt slightly.
2. Cut grapefruit into segments, BUT save excess juice. Squeeze extra juice from the grapefruit carcass into a bowl with the excess juice.
3. Take excess grapefruit juice, and make it into a grapefruit vinegarette. Add a little white vinegar if you don't think you have enough grapefruit. The grapefruit is meant to serve as the acid (vinegar) of the vinegarette. Add 3 times the amount of olive oil. Ratio (3 to 1, oil to vinegar). Add a little sugar to taste, maybe a spoonful. Then a little salt and pepper to taste. I think I've used lemon pepper before and that worked pretty good.
4. Dress spinach or baby spinach with the dressing. Place chunk of avocado and grapefruit on top.