Mexican Quinoa Casserole

The vegan Daiya-brand cheese doesn't melt too well....

After weeks of procrastinating, last night I finally prepared this Spicy Mexican Quinoa Casserole. I found the recipe on TakePart.com, which posts meat-free recipes as part of the popular Meatless Mondays campaign, but the recipe is originally from another blog, The Iron You.

My overall take? This dish is healthy (quinoa is high in protein and in fibre!) and simple to prepare. Its required ingredients are not obscure, and the dish is such that you can easily modify and adapt it, adding or subtracting spices and produce to accommodate your preferences or to make its flavors reflect a different cuisine (e.g., use a curry spice mixture, subtract the cheese [or use paneer] and jalapenos, and perhaps add some cauliflower or okra...and you've got an "Indian" Quinoa Casserole!).

The real test of a recipe is whether or not it becomes a part of your repertoire. I do not think I will be making this again anytime in the near future; the recipe, if followed precisely, is a bit bland for my tastes and not "spicy" as the title states. A major issue was my decision to use vegan cheese substitute as opposed to dairy cheese.

Alicia Silverstone's Vegan Thin Mushroom Pizzas

So I had been incessantly renewing my borrowed library copy of Cher Horo...I mean, Alicia Silverstone's vegan cookbook "The Kind Diet," and as I am want to do with books in general, and any pursuits that I adore, including tackling recipes, it took months of having the book in my possession before I actually followed through with dog-earing the book and committed myself to making one of the compassionate Clueless star's dishes.

Silverstone's Thin Mushroom Pizzas (with Tofu Cream) was an excellent choice. It has enough prep involved that you are indeed actually making a yummy vegan dish, but is not too time-consuming (for those pressed for time), as the "crusts" are Ezekiel's small-sized tortillas. The pizzas are super savory, unami-packed, with a refreshing lemony zing from the Tofu Cream and the fresh basil topping. The recipe, which I followed faithfully, is linked in the text above. As Silverstone comments in the recipe's blurb, this pizza will be savored by vegans and omnivores alike (provided that they aren't freaks who dislike mushrooms!) One word of advice; be very careful when crisping the pizzas in the broiler. They WILL be done in a few minutes, and if you broil them for too long, they will make a popping sound, indicating that they are burnt or near-burned.

Tofu Chili

Chili's only drawback is that it's not so photogenic!

Vanilla Tofu Pudding

In this vegan dessert, the lightness of vanilla pairs well with milky silken tofu. Just as with "real" pudding, a delectable skin forms atop the pudding as it cools in the fridge. I enjoyed my treat with chopped dates, slivered almonds, and cinnamon; I found the combination rendered the pudding similar in taste to rice pudding (hmm, perhaps a vegan rice pudding will be up here soon...). However, you can have your way with the pudding: top it with carob chips, sprinkle it with cocoa powder, or eat it with fresh sliced strawberries.

Vegan "Chicken" Salad

Don't mock me!

When my boyfriend proclaimed that he had eaten delicious vegan chicken salad from an unknown prepared foods company that sells its products at a corner store in Sunnyside, Queens, I was inspired to put the block of firm tofu sitting in my fridge to use for such a dish. I made the vegan chicken salad pictured above using a recipe from a food and health blog that I trust: Eating Bird Food. The site's blogger, Brittany Mullins, based her recipe on Whole Foods' version of the salad. Both my boyfriend and I were very pleased with the results: the savory salad may not have the texture of chicken, but the tofu - often described as a blank slate in the food world - soaks up the flavors of the spices, lemon juice, and tamari (which can be substituted with soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos) and the sliced almonds add a nice crunch! In fact, this salad tastes even better the next day, as the tofu pieces are more flavorful when given the time to marinate.

Triple Berry Lemon Vegan Cake

For the 4th of July, I had my heart set on baking. As I try to eat healthy as a norm and confine my consumption of treats such as ice cream and baked goods to special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, etc.), I rarely bake. However, in spite of my commitment to "clean" eating, I actually love baking and all of the associations that come with the ritual as well as its yieldings, from the comfort of a simple vanilla-frosted plain cupcake to a trendy, pastel-hued French macaron. Baking can be fun and silly (think Funfetti mix) or elegant and refined (a classic creme brule). It can yield the most visually appealing of gastronomic creations -- smooth, spongy surfaces of cupcakes toped with a perfect tubed spiral of frosting -- or goods that were made with scant regard to aesthetics, but baked with plenty of love and the ideal combination of pleasure-inducing ingredients, such as mom's peanut-butter/chocolate-chipped cookies. 

I knew that my Independence Day treat had to contain the cliche patriotic berry medley of strawberries and blueberries, possibly blackberries or raspberries if I was feeling adventurous, and also not be extravagantly unhealthy (no cheesecake!), so I found a recipe that matched my criteria in this vegan Lemon Berry Cake (from the visual knockout of a blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake.

This was the first time I baked with berries, let alone vegan, and I'd say it was a success. The cake was  very moist, probably due to the high concentration of fruit in the batter. While the recipe called for plenty of vanilla in addition to lemon juice, the latter overwhelmed the former. If I were more knowledgable with regard to baking, I'd tweak this recipe in the future so that the vanilla stands out more, probably by using less lemon juice. Otherwise, the cake was delicious and a hit with those with whom I shared it.

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Eggplant & Cinnamon-Cumin Dressing

Vegan Banana Ice Cream

I haven't posted much in the past few months, not only because I was too busy to blog, but also because I was often too pressed for time to prepare interesting dishes! I will more than make up for it now that the semester is over.

Now for a few catch-up posts on dishes and food-related stuff since the last update.

Let's begin with bananas. Bananas are delicious, no? Well, in an effort to preserve quickly-browning bananas, I often slice them up and pack 'em into a plastic container, which I put in the freezer. People often freeze fruit to use for smoothies, but I'm not really into those. I find that, while delicious, smoothies like most liquid calories don't really keep me satiated. However, when frozen, these banana "chips" make for delectable nibbles. There is something about freezing this fruit that makes its sweetness extra-concentrated. 

Knowing how delicious frozen bananas are, I had always wanted to give vegan banana ice cream a go. Finally, about a week ago, I tried it, and it did not disappoint. Recipe after the jump!

Kale and Chickpeas

Smoky Spanish Tomato Soup

Ever since my trip to Spain, I have been into all things Spanish. This includes wanting to make gazpacho, which I tried for the first time in a little cafe in Barcelona. The only thing in my way of whipping up this cold, tomatoey concoction was my lack of a food processor. I finally procured one of these bad boys during the holidays, and was on my way to finally making some gazpacho.

Today I had all of the proper ingredients in my possession to make rustic gazpacho. But then I started to question my decision to settle on this dish. After all, it is January, and this soup is traditionally consumed in Andalusia during the hot summer months. On the other hand, I thought, I really do like this soup and it is quite healthy, too: who cares about the weather or what so-called tradition dictates? Plus, I have some nice sherry vinegar -- a key ingredient for authentic gazpacho -- in my cupboard that's just waiting to be used.

Well, in the end, gazpacho did not win. For now, I have put off preparing it until my part of the Earth warms up a bit. But it took another recipe to really confirm my decision. When I saw the now defunct Gourmet Magazine's recipe for Smoky Spanish Tomato Soup via epicurious, I had a near religious epiphany that left me with no doubts: this was my soup! It's Spanish, it's tomato-based, and it's served hot! What more could I ask for?

Like Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens, this tomato soup has a smooth texture and creamy taste with containing any dairy. Bread crumbs (I used small bits of ciabatta bread) blended with the tomato mix in the food processor give the soup a heartiness, making it suitable as a modest meal on its own. I also topped the soup with pulled pieces of the bread for presentation and because who doesn't like dipping chunky, crusty bread in soup? The recipe calls for sweet pimenton (Spanish for smoked paprika) but I only had smoked hot paprika and substituted with it.

The result? An incredible smoky flavor that adds so much body to the soup.

Smoky Spanish Tomato Soup adapted from Gourmet


Ingredients:


4 1/2 lbs of tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
roughly 1 teaspoon of sweet (or smoked hot) pimenton
3 large garlic gloves, peeled
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
approximately 1/2 cup of coarse bread crumbs (I eye-balled this and it turned out fine) plus more for garnish
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper


Preparation:


1. Cut an X on the bottom of each tomato. Then blanch the tomatoes.  Peels and seed tomatoes, then coarsely chop them.


2. Cook onion and bell peppers in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a wide 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pimentón, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, crush garlic to a paste with cumin using a mortar and pestle (or crush cumin with side of a heavy knife, mince and mash garlic, and stir together). Stir garlic-cumin paste and bread crumbs into tomato mixture. Purée soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth and return to cleaned pot. Thin to desired consistency with water and season with the sea salt and black pepper. Top bowls with ripped pieces of bread/bread crumbs and serve!

Creamy Banana Kale Smoothie

This attractive green drink is as delicious as it is nutritious. With super-veggie kale and creamy sweet-tooth-satisfying banana, this smoothie, the recipe for which comes from Whole Living magazine's website, is great as a pre-workout energizer or a mid-afternoon snack.

Creamy Banana Kale Smoothie
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of curly green kale, loosely packed & stems removed
1 1/2 banana, frozen
1 1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of ice

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add water to thin the consistency if desired.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens

This recipe was printed in the January 2012 edition of Martha Stewart Living. It is the creation of NYC vegetarian chef Amy Chaplin. Not only is the recipe vegetarian, but it's vegan; it contains no animal products, period. I was initially attracted to the recipe because the accompanying photograph in the magazine depicted a smooth, green soup, but I can assure you that the soup is not only aesthetically pleasing but also tasty and healthy. Cauliflower makes the bulk of the ingredients, as well as other vegetables, garlic, some olive oil for sauteing, and a bunch of delicious dill. The prep and cooking are pretty easy.  Just make sure you have a blender or food processor so you can puree the soup to its final state of creaminess.

Speaking of creaminess, the soup is thick and looks like it was mixed with cream, but it's completely dairy free; its full-bodied texture gives you the contentedness that comes from enjoying a hearty bisque on a cold winter evening sans the guilt.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

sea salt

1 medium head of cauliflower (about 3 lbs), florets and stems cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 to 9 cups)

4 1/2 cups of water

1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

5 large kale or collard leaves, or a combo, tough ends removed and leaves roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook onion, covered, until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 more minutes. Add cauliflower, and pour in water until it reaches just below the top of the cauliflower.

2.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of dill. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in greens and simmer for 3 minutes.

3.  Let the soup sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of dill. Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor until very smooth, adding more water (about 1/2) if it's too thick. Return to pot and reheat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the bowled soup garnished with dill, black pepper, a drizzle of oil, and a pinch of salt.