Vegan Stuffed Green Peppers

Vegan Stuffed Green Peppers
Serves 4 

1-2 T olive oil
1 C chopped white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 C sliced button mushrooms
1/2 C sliced celery
1 package of Trader Joe's Beef-Less ground beef (12 oz.)
1  28oz. can of diced tomatoes
1  6oz. can of tomato paste
1 T vegan worcestershire sauce
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 C brown rice
water for cooking rice
4 green peppers
Panko bread crumbs for topping


Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the brown rice according to the package directions. While the rice is cooking, in a saute pan heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and celery. Saute until the vegetables are tender, between 5 - 10 minutes. Add the package of "beef-less" ground beef and stir into the vegetables. Once the "beef-less" ground beef and the vegetables are well combined, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder. Gently simmer. Once the rice is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture. Cut the top off of the green peppers and fill each with the mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Lightly oil a baking dish. Place the peppers open side up on the baking dish and bake covered for 30 - 35 minutes.

You can see where I got the idea... ;-)

Mushroom, Leek and Cashew Risotto

I was up north recently and my sister made this risotto for the entire family. It's a real mix, the family that is, and although we are certainly not hard to please, most include meat and dairy in their daily diet. 

But this dish was loved by all. 

Now... my sister... she rarely follows a recipe. She's a brilliant cook and often uses recipes more as a guide than anything else. So instead of veggie broth, she used mushroom, she excluded the wine and made a few other changes. Since then, I've made it exactly how it reads and my conclusion is you can't go wrong with this recipe. If you use the same basic ingredients and follow the instructions, you'll be a happy vegan.

The recipe comes from the cookbook, Seasonal Harvest Recipes. My understanding is that this is not a vegan cookbook. However, it was written to inspire us all to plant a garden or search out fresh local vegetables, so there must be a lot of vegetable recipes in it.

The book is the result of an organization named Grow Benzie, in Benzie County, Michigan. The group defines itself as a farmstead where people can a cultivate a piece of land in a community garden or take classes on growing and cooking food. I think you'll enjoy this one...

Mushroom, Leek and Cashew Risotto

1 1/2 C brown rice

3 3/4 C vegetable stock or a mixture of stock and dry white wine in the ratio of 5:1

1 T      walnut of hazelnut oil

2         leeks, sliced

2 C      mixed wild mushrooms (such as morels), trimmed and sliced

1/2 C   cashew nuts

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 T      fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 C   pumpkin seeds

salt and ground black pepper

fresh thyme leaves and lemon wedges for garnish

Place the brown rice in a large saucepan, pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for about 30 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice grains are tender. About 6 minutes before the rice is cooked, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the leeks and mushrooms and fry over a gentle heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cashews, lemon rind and chopped thyme to the leeks and mushrooms, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess stock from the cooked rice and stir in the mushroom-leek mixture. Turn into a serving dish. Scatter pumpkin seeds over the top and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Marinated Mushrooms

My daughter and I were at Whole Foods when she decided to make a salad. One of the choices at the salad bar were marinated mushrooms. They were so good, I had to try my own hand at this appetizer. 

For this recipe I used a balsamic vinegar from Fustini's Oils and Vinegars. These vinegars and oils are famous here in Michigan, and for good reasons. They are amazing! At Fustini's  they have a wide selection of aged balsamic vinegars and the freshest extra virgin olive oils you can find. They import their products from artisans and small batch producers worldwide to their shops which are located in quaint cities like Traverse City, Petoskey, Holland and Ann Arbor. But you don't have to travel to any of these locations, because you can purchase these fine products on line. The website for Fustini's is: 

http://www.fustinis.com/

I plan to serve this taste treat on New Year's Eve... a great start to a healthy year. 

Onward 2011!

2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
1/2 C. white truffle extra virgin olive oil, or a good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 pound small button mushrooms, stems trimmed (if they are large, half or quarter so they are uniform in size)

1/4 C chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 t fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 t fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 T fresh chives, finely chopped

1 T Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar, from Fustini's Oils and Vinegars

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic. Increase heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and Italian parsley; stir often and sauté until mushrooms are golden, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool  and transfer to a container; cover and chill until cold. (Can be made 2 days ahead) Drain mushrooms before serving.

What I'm taking to Thanksgiving dinner

After a long conversation, it was decided that I should bring an hors d'oeuvre. That made my decision easy. This recipe is a hit wherever I take it. Thanksgiving here we come!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Stuffed Artichoke Hors d'oeuvre

1 can of whole artichoke hearts
2 T olive oil
2 T onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1/2 C. packed baby spinach leaves, chop finely
6 T diced oyster mushrooms
1/8 t sea salt
3 T panko bread crumbs
fresh lemon

Drain the can of artichoke hearts and cut them in half. Scoop out the center of each half and mince the center leaves that you've removed. Set aside. Dry the in-tack artichoke hearts with a paper towel so little moisture is left.

In a saute pan, add the oil and heat to medium low. To that, add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the spinach, chopped artichoke, mushrooms and sea salt and saute until the mixture is cooked down nicely (only a few minutes). Finally, add the bread crumbs and heat through.

Scoop out enough mixture to fill each half of the artichoke hearts. It will work out perfectly if you don't overfill. Set the stuffed artichoke hearts onto a baking sheet and broil until the tops are nicely browned. Squeeze lemon over the top of them when they come out.

Serve

Marnie's Pasta

My mother is visiting... so much fun! She's an amazing cook and hasn't missed a beat with my vegan diet. She whipped this up for dinner last night and the entire house smelled like the finest Italian restaurant you've ever been to. Another feature of this dish is how easily it can be adapted. With a little Parmesan cheese and shrimp the rest of my world was happy. Thank you Mom!!

Marnie's Pasta

3 cloves of garlic, sliced in half
1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. of button mushrooms, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 pound of whole wheat spaghetti

Serves 4
Simple & Quick

Begin by cooking the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. In a saute pan, slowly simmer the garlic cloves in the oil for about 5 - 10 minutes. Be careful not to brown too much. Remove the garlic and some of the oil. The garlic can be discarded. Reserve the oil for later. On low, brown the mushrooms for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes and heat through. When the pasta is done, add it to the saute pan along with the reserved oil. Toss to coat and serve.

So yummy!!

Vegan Risotto Cakes

This recipe isn't low-fat or fast, but it's fun to make and really delicious... so it's worth it... right? I didn't take my own picture because I was so excited about eating it, I forgot! (I'll make it again and post a pic... I promise). In the meantime, the picture above is from the food network website.

The recipe was inspired by a couple of things... a dish I had at an Italian restaurant years ago (I've dreamed about it ever since) and some freshly picked ripe tomatoes that my sister-in-law gave me.

Buon appetito!


Risotto:
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 T thyme, finely chopped
1 C Arborio rice
1/4 C chardonnay wine
lemon
salt and pepper
1 box of No-Chicken Broth, 32 oz.

Heat the broth in a pan and keep warm on the stove top. In a medium size sauce pan, add the oil and heat over medium low. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and saute until slightly softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and rice and stir so the rice is coated. Add the wine and stir for a few minutes until the alcohol is cooked out. Now begin adding the broth, one or two ladles at a time. Stir the rice and as the rice absorbs the broth add more. Stir constantly and repeat the process of adding more broth as needed until little or no broth is left. This process will take approximately 25 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Finally, give it a liberal squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to taste.


Sauce:
2 t white truffle oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 large ripe tomato, skinless, seeded and chopped
1 T tomato paste
2 t chardonnay wine
salt and pepper to taste

Warm the truffle oil in a saute pan and add the garlic. Saute only until it becomes aromatic. Add the tomato and tomato paste and cook until it pulls together and becomes slightly thickened. Add the chardonnay and cook 2 minutes more. Season to taste.

Making the cakes:
oil for frying
Panko bread crumbs


Using a 1/4 C measure, measure out the risotto and press into cake like shapes. Dip the cakes in panko bread crumbs covering completely. Heat the oil in a saute pan and lay the cakes into the oil. Cook until browned and flip over browning the other side. Serve with a small dollop of tomato sauce.

Stuffed Artichoke Hors d'oeuvre

Before my switch to a plant-based diet I use to love making hors d'oeuvres. I had a long list of favorites. I would get excited about buying the ingredients, making the recipes and sharing them with family and friends. But since I no longer eat meat or cheese (the usual suspects in those recipes), I’ve had trouble finding appetizers that EVERYONE will enjoy.

Well… I’ve come up with a winner. It's elegant and delicious, easy and fun to make, and it may become my “go to” recipe. You'll have to try it and tell me what you think!

1 can of artichoke hearts
2 T olive oil
2 T onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1/2 C. packed baby spinach leaves, chop finely
6 T diced oyster mushrooms
1/8 t sea salt
3 T panko bread crumbs
fresh lemon

Drain the can of artichoke hearts and cut them in half. Scoop out the center of each half and mince the center leaves that you've removed. Set aside. Dry the in-tack artichoke hearts with a paper towel so little moisture is left.

In a saute pan, add the oil and heat to medium low. To that, add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the spinach, chopped artichoke, mushrooms and sea salt and saute until the mixture is cooked down nicely (only a few minutes). Finally, add the bread crumbs and heat through.

Scoop out enough mixture to fill each half of the artichoke hearts. It will work out perfectly if you don't overfill. Set the stuffed artichoke hearts onto a baking sheet and broil until the tops are nicely browned. Squeeze lemon over the top of them when they come out.

Serve

Stuffed Sweet Onions

I was snowed in (along with half the nation) and I faced either cleaning the house or coming up with a new recipe. Take a guess at how I spent my day...

This dish was inspired by the vast whiteness surrounding me, a few leftovers in my refrigerator and my husband’s love for onions. He's always loved onions, which is great because onions are good for you! Evidence suggests that onions are effective against the common cold, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other diseases. They contain anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anti-cancer, and antioxidant components such as quercetin. Regular consumption of onions has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. So make a point to eat more, and you can begin by trying this recipe!

Sweet Stuffed Onions

Serves 4

4 sweet onions, unpeeled
olive oil for drizzling
½ cup brown rice, cooked according to directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup diced celery
4 ounces shittake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 cups loosely packed spinach
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Panko, whole wheat

First, get the onions started. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the top off of the onions and a small part of the bottom so that it sits flat. Put onions on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake the onions for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the onions are tender. Remove and let cool a little.

While the onions are cooking, cook the rice according to directions.

Just as the rice is finishing and onions are cooling saute the garlic, celery, mushrooms and tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water and the spinach cooking until the spinach is wilted. Combine the veggies, rice and spices and stir to combine.

Remove the skin from the onion and make a large X in the center of the top of the onion with a sharp knife. Remove most of the center leaving enough onion to retain the shape nicely. Chop a little of the roasted onion (2 T.) and add it to the rice mixture, reserving the rest for another day.

Stuff each onion with the rice mixture and top with panko. Broil the onions until the panko is browned. It's yummy!