Cake and Cumin

This recipe is another delicious use for tempeh. We actually made it into tempeh chili/black bean tacos, but putting this mixture in a tortilla, which was awesome. A note… it is a bit involved and takes about 2 hours, but most of that time is inactive.

Tempeh Chili with Black Beans

2 heads garlic, to roast

2 tbsp. evoo

3 cups crumbled tempeh

2 onions, chopped

1/4 cup honey

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp dried sage

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups chopped tomato

2 cups vege stock

1 can black beans

salt and pepper

1 cup radishes

1 cup cilantro

Slice one side of the garlic open (keeping it together in the bunch). drizzle evoo and salt on the tops of the garlic. place them open side up and roast on 375 for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp evoo in a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until it is crisp (about 5 minutes). take tempeh out and put it to the side.

In the same pot, put 1 tbsp. onion, stir until soft. then add honey and turn the heat to medium/low. cook for about 20 minutes until caramelized stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots, chili powder and sage. them add tomato paste, tomatoes, stock, beans and tempeh. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until liquid thickens and beans are tender (I simmered for about 30 minutes. it will be longer if you use dried beans). Flavor with salt and pepper.

Squeeze the finished roasted garlic into the pot and stir well. Before serving add cilantro and radishes.

*adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

HUGE box this week… literally. The contents are: tomatoes, beets (with large beet greens), kale, collards, swiss chard, carrots, romaine, asparagus, mint, and broccoli.

This week the plan is actually pretty simple. All the greens (asparagus, chard, kale, broccoli, and collard greens) will be sauteed as sides.

The beets, carrots, tomatoes, mint and peas from this past week will all go into a tagine.

The carrots did come with nice greens on top. Anyone know if you can do anything with carrot greens?

The Smucker Farms CSA box this week had some new great stuff! The contents: strawberries, garlic scapes, spring onions, beets with beet greens, cilantro, shelled peas, sugar peas, and broccoli.

So here the plan-

Pizza with spring onions

mango, corn, cilantro salsa with pita chips

Curried tofu with broccoli, sugar peas, and some shelled peas as well

Israeli couscous with tofu, mushrooms, garlic scapes, asparagus, and peas (exact kind of peas TBD)

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese, arugula and candied walnuts

Spring Green soup

Sauteed beet greens

And the strawberries, as usual, will be eaten as a snack

To be honest, the garlic scapes threw me a bit and with this being the third week of spring onions, I was a bit challenged to find something new and exciting to do with them, but I think the week ahead looks delicious.

From last week, I’ve still got the dilly radishes to make and below is a picture of dinner last night- pecan encrusted trout, arugula salad and asparagus spring onion risotto.

I LOVE these Friday baskets. Every day I sit and imagine what could be in my basket when I get home. Today, our basket was filled with great stuff! Red lettuce, kale, chard, shell peas, strawberries, radishes, dill, and spring onions. Here’s what I plan to do with it…

tonight: Chili tempeh black bean tacos with left over radishes and spring onions from last week (recipe and pics to come in the next day or two)

for the week:

Tuna cooked on a salt block with sauteed kale and chard

Asparagus spring onion risotto

dilly sauteed radishes

toasted almond, sauteed shelled peas, and dill pasta with spring onion vinaigrette

The red lettuce will be our lettuce greens (unimaginative but necessary) and the strawberries… well, I doubt I’ll get a chance to do anything with those before the fiance devours them.

Thanks Smucker Farms!

This recipe is easy and flavorful and uses VERY few pots and pans.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

*makes about 8 burritos

3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

½ onion, chopped

2 cups (1 can) cooked black beans

1 tsp. ground cumin

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

8 flour tortillas

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

Saute sweet potatoes and onion in 1 tbsp. oil. When tender, add black beans, cumin, cinnamon, and salt.

Heat over to 350 degrees.

Divide bean mixture and cheese among the tortillas and roll up. Place in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with salsa, cilantro, and/or sour cream.

*taken from the cookbook, Simply in Season

This is another tagine recipe that is just crazy delicious! It has middle eastern flavors with a bit of an Indian twist and then tastes fresh with the addition of the cilantro and parsley. For this recipe, I do recommend a tagine if at all possible. A tagine also makes this a great one-pot meal.

North African-Spiced Vegetable Tagine

2 tbsp. olive poil

½ tsp turmeric

3 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 large fennel bulb, cut into ½ inch wedges

1 ¼ lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

2 cups chopped peeled turnips

4 carrots, cut into sticks

1 cup vege broth

1 cup frozen baby peas

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. lemon juice

heat oil in the tagine. Add turmeric, cumin and paprika. Cook, stirring until spices foam.

Add in the cilantro, parley, garlic and tomatoes. Stir. Add fennel, potatoes, turnips, carrots, and brother. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender (about 30 min). Add peas. Then add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

This is literally the easiest recipe I have ever made and it is super delicious. It is a great, light springtime pasta recipe and you can basically use whatever fresh or frozen veges you have lying around.

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta

approximately 1 cup of any or all of the following ingredients (frozen or fresh): Cauliflower, broccoli, peas, carrots, corn, asparagus.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

Boil pasta, when it is approximately half way done, add in vegetables (things like cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli first, vegetables that cook or heat faster like corn and peas a few minutes later). When pasta and veges are cooked, strain and then put in a large bowl or back into the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.

Mix the “dressing” into the pasta. Stir so it is thoroughly mixed.

Serve warm and with a bit of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

For those of you who feared you would need to miss out on brunching tomorrow because of Passover, you are wrong. Check out this guest post by Merav Fine!

Let them eat Bry (or Brie, or Brei…)

I don’t like Passover food in general. It’s bland, and breadless… it makes me sad for those on the Atkins/South Beach Diets.

I have one major exception to this distaste, however, and that is MATZAH BRY.

Matzah Bry is amazing for several reasons.

1- It makes matzah palatable (you heard it here first)

2- You can make it sweet OR savory

3- It’s breakfast

4 It’s lunch

5- It’s BRUNCH

6- It’s a great way to soak up the Mimosas you’re washing it down with

Below are 2 of my favorites. Keep in mind that you can always leave out the extras (cheese, leeks, bananas, etc) and just top with salt and pepper or just sugar.

Banana and Maple Syrup Bry

Ingredients:

3 matzahs

1 ripe banana

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 pat butter or margarine

Directions

1. Heat skillet, add pat of butter when hot

2. Soak 3 matzahs in cold water (fully submerged) for 5-7 minutes. Remove and drain in colander. Set aside.

2. Mash banana in a bowl.

3. Add 2 eggs and syrup and mix with bananas.

4. Add matzahs and combine

5. Pour into heated skillet and press down (similar to a frittata)

6. When edges brown, flip over (it will come apart, but that’s ok)

7. Drizzle with some more syrup and serve!

Cheddar Leek Bry

Ingredients:

3 matzahs

1/2 cup cheddar

1-2 leeks

2 eggs

1 pat butter or margarine

Directions

1. Heat skillet, add pat of butter when hot

2. Soak 3 matzahs in cold water (fully submerged) for 5-7 minutes. Remove and drain in colander. Set aside.

3. Grate 1/2 cup cheddar, chop leeks

4. Add 2 eggs to leeks and cheese

5. Add matzahs and combine

6. Pour into heated skillet and press down (similar to a frittata)

7. When edges brown, flip over (it will come apart, but that’s ok)

8. Serve!

I LOVE my tagine. A tagine has been one of those kitchen gadgets that I have had my eye on  for years and this year for Hanukkah I received it as a present from my mother. I have been experimenting with lots of tagine recipes and trying to find good ones that are vegetarian. Below is a great one that you don’t even need a tagine to make.

Tagine of Spring Vegetables with Spiced Tomato Broth and Couscous

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 think slices fresh ginger

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 small eggplant, cut into ½ inch slices

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices

½ cup sliced radishes

1 cup oyster mushrooms (ends of stems trimmed)

1 cup frozen pearl onions

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garam masala

2 cups mustard greens, roughly chopped

couscous, cook according to directions on the label

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saucepan, simmer vegetable broth, peeled garlic cloves, ginger, coriander and cumin for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the garlic and ginger, chop finely and return to the pot. Add tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle eggplant with salt and let stand for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel.

While eggplant is sitting, blanch carrots and cauliflower in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Toss carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, radishes, mushrooms, pearl onions, and cherry tomatoes with minced garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle with garam masala and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, add the mustard greens, toss and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

To serve, put couscous in a bowl, then some veges, then pour some broth over it.

Enjoy!!

*adapted from epicurous

2 years ago when my boyfriend and I started dating, I thought that his being a vegetarian would literally lead to the end of our relationship. I didn’t eat fish (I am still a VERY picky fish eater), didn’t eat lentils, didn’t eat tofu, and certainly didn’t eat tempeh. Granted I mostly lived off of takeout anyway, the idea of both starting to cook more and cooking vegetarian just seemed like a mountainous obstacle.

Tempeh, I feel, is a particularly difficult ingredient to work with. When I first tasted it, I didn’t like the texture or the taste and had no idea what to do with it. I’m still learning good tempeh recipes but the one below is simply delicious.

Tempeh Eggplant Pot Pie

2 cups dived eggplant (~1 small eggplant)

1 package tempeh, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tsp. fennel seeds

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 package Pillsbury flaky homestyle biscuits

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

grease a 9-inch square or rectangular pan

Steam eggplant and tempeh for 10-15 minutes until eggplant is soft and translucent.

Heat oil in a large sauté or sauce pan and sauté celery and onions until soft. Add fennel seeds and vinegar, sauté for another minute. Add tomato sauce and cooked tempeh and eggplant. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put mixture into greased pan. Stretch each biscuit and place on top of the mixture (if biscuits are not thin, they will not full cook through. The entire mixture should be covered by the biscuits. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

*taken from epicurious, although altered a bit