2 new recipes and 1 old

I haven't posted in a few days but I have made some new dishes. No pictures- the meals just didn't seem pretty enough with my limited photos abilities.

The first and best of the recipes was the tastiest bean burger on sat thanks to gaja on the clbb. It was easy to do and so good I was licking the bowl!

5 flamingos!!

Red Lentil-Chickpea Burgers
The Healthy Hedonist
Serves 6

3/4 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 3/4 cups water
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for sautéing
1/2 cup minced shallots
3/4 pound carrots, cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
6 whole wheat pita breads
Shredded romaine lettuce
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine the lentils and the water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. The lentils should lose their individual shape and cook into one mass. Cook them as dry as possible as they can go without sticking. Stir the cooked lentils with a spoon to break them up, and pour them into a medium bowl.

Stir in the chickpeas.Warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, and 1/4 tsp salt, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, and peas, and cook until the peas are tender, 2 minutes. Stir the vegetables into the lentils along with the parsley, lemon juice, and cayenne. Stir in the bread crumbs. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or until it is cool enought to handle.

Using your hands, form the lentils into 6 tight patties and place them on a plate. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until very firm, at least 30 minutes.

Sauté the burgers: Warm a Tbsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers (these burgers are a bit delicate so do not crowd the pan). Sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn the burgers over and sauté on the other side until golden, 2 minutes. Serve each burger in a pital with Spicy Peanut Sauce, topped with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions or chives

Combine everything except the scallions in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the scallions. Store covered and refrigerated.


The second new recipe comes from the SGOTW (Sunday Game of the Week that I sometimes play on the Cooking Light Bullentin Boards. I had some leftover cabbage from Sunday's dinner and wraps/pitas from sat and mon and most of the other ingredients for this dish. This was easy to put together and DH liked it very much. It will be a repeater.

4 flamingos


Siam Stir-Fry Wraps
CL 1999 Annual p 48

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder (dh picked penzey's hot curry)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) bag cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw mix (I used 1/2 head of cabagge and several grated carrots)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced fat extra-firm tofu, diced (I left this out)
1 (3.75-ounce) package uncooked bean threads (cellophane noodles)
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
4 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas (DH had this, I used ww pita and it worked great)
Peanut Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large nonstik skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients; saute 4 minutes or until the cabbage wilts. Stir in soy sauce and next 4 ingredients; remove from heat.

2. Cook bean threads in boiling water 1 minute (it took closer to 5 minutes); drain. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each tortilla; arrange bean threads over lettuce. Place 1 1/4 cups tofu mixture over bean threads; stop each with 2 tablespoons Peanut Sauce. Roll up. Cut each wrap diagonally in half.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 halves).

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey (I used maple syrup)
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
4 garlic cloves, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Yield: 1/2 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)


And one old recipe that I had leftover- this was for DH only since it had cheese. I think I might play around with it to see if I can make it vegan. It is an unusual recipe but it has mostly items that are in the pantry so it is good for those "what am i making tonight" dinners. Tonights was used in a wrap with extra salsa to make burritos.

Easy Layered Beans and Rice
from "The Meatless Gourmet: Easy Lowfat Favorites"
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
4 sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil), cut into small pieces
1 (8-oz) can corn, drained
1 1/4 cups boiling vegetable broth
2 cups reduced-fat, meatless spaghetti sauce
1 (1-lb) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups of cooked beans)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.Lightly oil a deep 2-quart casserole or spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Spread rice in the casserole. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes. Spread corn evenly over rice. Gently pour broth over corn. Spoon half of the spaghetti sauce evenly over the corn. Spoon beans over the sauce, followed by remaining sauce. Cover tightly and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with both cheeses, and return to oven until cheese is melted and begins to brown, 5-10 minutes.

Serve-again hint: Here's everything you need for a bean and rice burrito, including the cheese. Just roll leftovers in flour tortillas, heat in an oven or microwave, then top with salsa.
Makes 4 servings.

Here's a link with suggestions and other versions-
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=78913&highlight=easy+beans

Hits and Misses for February

only one miss

Excellent- 5 Flamingos
Revolutionary Spanish Omelet with Saffron and Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce Vegan with a Vegeance
Sesame Noodles with Napa Cabbage Adapted from Veg Times by Joe at http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/
New Potatoes with Herbes de Provence, Lemon, and Coarse Salt The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Sicilian-Style Broccoli The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Fruits of the Earth Bread KA Whole Grain *toasted*

Very Good- 3-4 Flamingos- will repeat or tweak
Tex-Mex Home Fries Horn of the Moon Vegan
Jamabalaya my own recipe
Egyptian Edamamae Stew Eating Well Jan/Feb 07
Rich Tofu Creme Cheez The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook
Braised Triple Cabbage Lasagna Blue Ginger- DH didn't like but I did- I still want to tweak
Green Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic India Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook
Hominy Chile with Beans CL Mar 00
Whole Wheat Bread The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Not for us- 0 Flamingos
Incredible Almond Creme Cheeze- The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

Repeaters
Sante Fe Black Bean Topped Potatoes CL Apr 00
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice AYIVK

Scilian-Style Broccoli and New Potatoes with herbes de Provence

Two excellent recipes- they can be used together as side dishes or as a meal. Although I was concered about the herbes and spices matching, they go well together. I subbed veggie broth for most of the olive oil in both recipes. For the broccoli, I added more capers (I used some large-size capers that a friend gave me and wasn't sure that the measurements for larger sized capers would be equivalent to the reg sized.) I also easily doubled the red pepper flakes- DH and I like spicy-spicy. For the potatoes, I added a bit more herbes de Provence.

5 flamingos for taste and effort

Sicilian-Style Broccoli

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

This quick-cooking method of cooking broccoli in just a little liquid until it evaporates can be used with cauliflower as well.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 head broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup veggie broth

2 tablespoons drained capers, slightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon in a small bowl

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut off and separate the broccoli florets. Trim the tough ends of the stalks; peel, if necessary, and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and stalks, veggie broth, capers, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the hear to medium-low, cover, and copok until the broccoli is tender but still firm, 5-7 minutes.

Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until any remaining broth evaporates, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature.

Variation Instead of capers, add 2 tablespoons of dark raisins or zante currents that have been plumped in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts just before serving.

New Potatoes with Herbes de Provence, Lemon, and Coarse Salt

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

Wild herbs grow in profusion throughout Provence. Herbes de Provence is a specific combination generally consisting of rosemary, thyme, basil, savory, chervil, mint, marjoram, oregano, and sometimes lavender. If you don't have some on hand, simply use dried rosemary; it's a safe bet. Try to get tiny new potatoes that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter for this dish. If they're much bigger, cut them in half before boiling.

1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes, scrubbed and left whole

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

juice of 1/2 medium lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or medium stockpot with salted water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes, depending upon size. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the herbes de Provence, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 seconds. Add the drained potatoes, coarse salt, and lemon juice; stir well to coat. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until the potatoes are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Advanced preparation You can boil the potatoes and let them stand for up to one hour at room temperature before completing the recipe. Or you can refrigerate the boiled potatoes overnight. Bring them to room temperature and finish the recipe.

Edamame

Eating Well had two delicious sounding edamame recipes in the jan/feb 07 issue. I made the Eygptian Edamame Stew for dinner tonight. It was very good although I think that it could benefit from sitting overnight to let the flavors mingle. The lemon added at the end brightened the dish but I think that I would add a bit less next time. This is a very good quick dish to make during the work week. DH made his own hamburger and fries and we were both very happy tonight.

3 1/2 flamingos for taste and ease

Egyptian Edamamae Stew

adapted from Eating Well Jan/Feb 07

16 oz pkg frozen shelled edamame (about 3 cups)

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 large zucchini, diced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste (I forgot this!)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes or according to pkg directions. Drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Stir in edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each.

Serve over whole wheat couscous.

Why vegan?

There were many many reasons for my change from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to veganism. One was highlighted today with a call from my doctor. My cholesterol at my last blood test in Apr 06 was 201. Freaked me out a bit. Today my level was 154. This was after being vegan since 1/2/07 for a total of 5 weeks. I am sure that the 201 reading was still accurate, if not low, at the beginning of Jan- my diet was really rich (read cheese and seafood) over the summer and holidays. I am one happy camper for many reasons eating vegan!

Jambalaya

We had Chinese take out last night for Chinese New Year and I discovered that I like Moo Shi Vegetables better Moo Shi Shrimp. It was slightly less sweet but you could have knocked me over with a feather with this revelation! So tonight I decided to go with a New Orleans dish with Madris Gras this Tuesday. I usually make a King Cake (from Jambalaya Jr League cookbook) but DH didn't want it this year. I think he is trying to be good dietwise. I picked our favorite Jamabalya recipe from the cookbook with the same name. DH bought this cookbook for me on his first business trip to New Orleans almost 9 years ago. It is a great cookbook but now I have the near-vegan challenge. I decided to make two versions. Leftovers are needed in this house for lunch and for when I'm out of town. To make this dish vegan was really easy- I left out the sausage and shrimp :( and added more red pepper and onion. I love red pepper and suateed onion so that made up for the missing shrimp. I also added a dash of liquid smoke- I hope that's vegan! And I served it over steamed collards (just because I like that.) If I were to make this again, I would try adding a teaspoon or so of cajun seasoning for some added flavor and kick.

4 flamingos for taste

4 for effort (because I made two separate jambalayas)

Sausage and Ham Jambalaya
adapted from Jambalaya: A Collection fo Cajun & Creole Favorites from The Junior League of New Orleans

i large onion, cut into 1/4" dice
1 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (about 2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic
3/4 cup dry white wine plus 1 glass for the cook ;)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 + teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 + teaspoon dried basil
1/4 + teaspoon dried majoram
1/2 + teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup brown rice

extra Tabasco to shake on at the table

Saute onions and red peppers in a Dutch oven for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients (I was heavy on the spices but not enough to increase the amounts listed here. Next time I would add even more.) expect for the parsley and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and mix in the parsley and rice. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add more liquid if necessary to make sure that the rice cooks.

The best peanut noodle recipe

Thanks to Joe http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/sesame-noodles-with-napa-cabbage.html I have now found the best peanut noodle recipe. I've made several from Cooking Light, but this one had the depth of flavor and peanutty taste that I've been looking for. And it was very easy to put together. And best of all, DH loved it as well (although he didn't seem to mind that I made my serving heavier on the napa cabbage and his with more noodles!)

5 flamingos for taste and ease!

Please check out Joe's blog for this recipe- his photos are 1000x better than mine and it's his adaptation that I fell in love with.

Sesame Noodles with Napa Cabbage
(Adapted from Veg Times by Joe at http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/)

10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (I used udon)
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I may have had a heavy hand with this!)
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to the directions on the package.

In a small saucepan, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar and crushed red pepper.

Warm sauce over medium-low heat while you wait for the noodles to cook.

Place cabbage in a colander in the sink - when the noodles are ready, drain them over the cabbage so the hot water can wilt the cabbage.

Place the noodles and cabbage in a large bowl, add warmed peanut sauce and toss well to coat. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the chopped cilantro before serving.

Makes about 4 servings.