Showing posts with label kalamata olives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kalamata olives. Show all posts
Thursday, October 31, 2013
CREAMY CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM & QUINOA SOUP AND ROASTED LEEK & CAULIFLOWER PASTA
I apologize for not blogging for so long! Since (Canadian) Thanksgiving, we've had lots of family staying over, in and out, and I've been just keeping up with work and day-to-day stuff. Consequently, I've done more quantity cooking than innovative cooking, and made many dishes from leftovers and/or foods that need to be used up. But I did make a few dishes which were tasty enough to jot down (and take some pictures), and I'd like to share two of them with you today. One is based on chanterelle mushrooms, which are in abundance here right now, and the other on one of my current favorite vegetables-- leeks. Leeks are so delicious, and not only in soup! When roasted, they are out of this world!
The first recipe is a soup I made with chanterelle mushrooms picked here on Denman Island, BC. If you don't have chanterelles, use any favorite mushroom instead.
BRYANNA'S CREAMY MUSHROOM AND QUINOA SOUP
Serves 6 (Can be GF and/or Soy-Free)
Light and a bit sohisticated, but satisfying.
3/4 lb. mushrooms (preferably chanterelles, but use whatever variety available to you), cleaned
3/4 lb. mushrooms (preferably chanterelles, but use whatever variety available to you), cleaned
1 Tbsp oil or vegan butter (try my homemade vegan palm oil-free Buttah)
salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped vegan "ham" OR 1/4 cup vegan bacon bits soaked in 1/4 cup very hot water
(For GF and/or Soy-Free, you may have to use homemade Shiitake "Bacon", chopped)
3 Tbsp dry sherry (or non-alcoholic white wine)
1 Tbsp unbleached flour (can be GF)
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh)
4 cups "chickeny" vegan broth + 1 extra tsp. broth paste or powder (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)
1 cup whole cooked or canned white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked or canned white kidney or cannellini, rinsed, drained and pureed with a bit of the broth until creamy (use a hand/immersion blender or regular blender)
NOTE: Other beans you could use would be Great Northern or small white beans
To Finish:
1/2 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Creamer (or other favorite non-sweet vegan creamer)
2 cups cooked quinoa (or 1/2 quinoa and 1/2 medium bulgur or millet)
Slice the mushrooms. Heat the oil or butter in a large heavyskillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt lightly, and turn the heat down to medium-high. Saute until the mushrooms exude their juice. Add the onion and garlic and keep sauteing (adding small squirts of water as needed to keep from sticking). When the onion is soft, stir in the flour until well mixed. Stir in a little of the broth to distribute the flour throughout the mixture. Scrape all the contents of the skillet into a soup pot with the remaining ingredients (EXCEPT for the creamer and quinoa). Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
BRYANNA'S GARLICKY ROASTED LEEK AND CAULIFLOWER PASTA WITH KALAMATA OLIVES AND CREAMY LOWFAT PASTA SAUCE (can be GF and/or Soy-Free)
Serves 6
The roasted vegetables add so much flavor to the simple sauce and pasta-- you'll be amazed! Not much oil is needed for roasting the vegetables and the sauce is very low in fat, BTW.
Make ahead and set aside: 1 recipe Bryanna's Low-Fat Quick Creamy Sauce for Pasta (recipe here)
NOTE: Use the wine option in the recipe (can be non-alcoholic) and also the miso option. Use the tahini also, if possible.
3 large leeks, or 4 medium leeks
12 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
about 8 oz. of cauliflower, trimmed and sliced to make about 4 cups
olive oil
salt
1/2 to 1 cup of vegan "Chickeny" broth (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
12 oz. dry farfalle (butterfly or bowtie pasta-- can be GF variety)
salt and pepper
Go Veggie! Soy Parmesan or other favorite vegan parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut off the very dark green parts of the leeks (I save them to add to other soups) and trim away the root ends. Cut the white parts in half lengthwise and clean them thoroughly under cold running water. Place them cut-side-up in a large baking pan oiled with olive oil. Nestle the garlic slices around the leeks. Spray with olive oil from a pump-sprayer and sprinkle with salt.
Place the cauliflower slices in another oiled baking pan and spray with olive oil from a pump sprayer. Sprinkle with salt. Add 1/2 cup of the broth. Place both pans, uncovered, in the hot oven.
While the vegetables roast, heat salted water for the pasta in a large pot. When it boils, add the pasta and cook about 10 minutes, or until "al dente".
Keep an eye on the vegetables. I stirred the cauliflower around a bit-- the broth should evaporate and some of the cauliflower will brown, but add more broth if necessary to tenderize it. I didn't stir the leeks-- they gave off enough juice to keep them moist and brown them and the garlic nicely, as you can see below.
Chop the roasted garlic and slice the roasted leeks:
When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the drained pasta pot, along with the roasted vegetables, olives and the pasta sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in shallow pasta dishes with vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top.
Enjoy!
Stir in the creamer and the cooked quinoa. Taste for salt. Serve hot.
Note: If leftover soup gets too thick, add a bit more creamer or any plain nondairy milk.
*****************************************************************
Serves 6
The roasted vegetables add so much flavor to the simple sauce and pasta-- you'll be amazed! Not much oil is needed for roasting the vegetables and the sauce is very low in fat, BTW.
Make ahead and set aside: 1 recipe Bryanna's Low-Fat Quick Creamy Sauce for Pasta (recipe here)
NOTE: Use the wine option in the recipe (can be non-alcoholic) and also the miso option. Use the tahini also, if possible.
3 large leeks, or 4 medium leeks
12 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
about 8 oz. of cauliflower, trimmed and sliced to make about 4 cups
olive oil
salt
1/2 to 1 cup of vegan "Chickeny" broth (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
12 oz. dry farfalle (butterfly or bowtie pasta-- can be GF variety)
salt and pepper
Go Veggie! Soy Parmesan or other favorite vegan parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut off the very dark green parts of the leeks (I save them to add to other soups) and trim away the root ends. Cut the white parts in half lengthwise and clean them thoroughly under cold running water. Place them cut-side-up in a large baking pan oiled with olive oil. Nestle the garlic slices around the leeks. Spray with olive oil from a pump-sprayer and sprinkle with salt.
While the vegetables roast, heat salted water for the pasta in a large pot. When it boils, add the pasta and cook about 10 minutes, or until "al dente".
Keep an eye on the vegetables. I stirred the cauliflower around a bit-- the broth should evaporate and some of the cauliflower will brown, but add more broth if necessary to tenderize it. I didn't stir the leeks-- they gave off enough juice to keep them moist and brown them and the garlic nicely, as you can see below.
Chop the roasted garlic and slice the roasted leeks:
When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the drained pasta pot, along with the roasted vegetables, olives and the pasta sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in shallow pasta dishes with vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top.
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
"VEGAN SANDWICHES SAVE THE DAY" BLOG TOUR FINALE: PROTEIN-HAPPY QUINOA WRAPS
I had a really difficult time choosing which recipe from Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes' new book, "Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!" This book has energy! And its contents will fuel you through your day, morning, noon or night-- 101 new, original recipes that are not only plant-based, but seriously yummy.
Was it to be Berry-Stuffed French Toast Pockets for a luxurious breakfast? Or perhaps an elegant lunch of French Tofu Salad with Grapes on baguettes with arugula or Tofu Pomegranate Pockets? Or a supper sandwich such as the German stuffed buns, Bierocks; or Portobello Po' Boys; or mile-high Dagwood's Special Sandwiches? Honestly, you are spoiled for choice with this book.
In the end, I opted for a delicious-looking wrap that would fit well into our pre-Christmas low-fat, high-fiber eating regime-- Protein-Happy Quinoa Wraps. I had most of the ingredients, and would only have to deviate slightly by using chopped green olives in place of a couple of tablespoons capers, dark raisins instead of golden, and 8-inch whole grain flour tortillas instead of white 10-inch ones. (I live on an island-- can't run to the store whenever I like!) I'm sure you could use a gluten-free wrap instead.
I made cooked the quinoa and made the sun-dried tomato and olive tapenade in the morning so that, as the recipe mentions, it would have time to develop flavor. When the quinoa was cool, I quickly made the quinoa and bean filling, sliced the raw veggies and set everything aside, covered, until lunchtime. Since I had smaller tortilla wraps than were called for, I made 3 wraps instead of 2 to share with my husband for lunch. (He is quite happy to take the rest for a work lunch tomorrow.)
The sun-dried tomato and olive tapenade really added a depth of flavor to the mild, nutty quinoa salad, and there was plenty of crunch and a little bit of chile heat there, too. Very filling, satisfying, healthful and delicious.
Congratulations to Celine and Tamasin for this creative take on this worldwide favorite, the sandwich!
PROTEIN-HAPPY QUINOA WRAPS
Yield: 4 wraps, generous 3/4 cup (100 g) tapenade
(From Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! Fair Winds Press, 2012)
For tapenade: (Note from BCG-- Make at least 2 hours ahead of serving)
1/2 cup (28 g) minced sun-dried tomatoes (moist
vacuum-packed, not oil-packed)
1/4 cup (25 g) minced (pitted) kalamata olives
2 tablespoons (15 g) chopped capers
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For filling: (Note from BCG-- good idea to make this an hour or two ahead, as well)
1 ½ cups (355 ml) vegetable broth
1/2 cup (84 g) dry quinoa
1/4 cup (30 g) packed golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1 ½ tablespoons (15 g) minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Fine sea salt, to taste (I used 1/2 tsp.--BCG)
Cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons (15 g) roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup (197 g) cooked cannellini beans
2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon (2 g) minced fresh basil
For wraps:
Four 10-inch (25-cm) flour tortillas
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips
1 small cucumber, cut into strips
To make the tapenade:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few
times, but leave it chunky. Chill for at least 2 hours to let the flavors
develop.
To make the quinoa:
Bring the broth to a boil in a medium size pot. Add the
quinoa and cook for 8 minutes. Add the raisins and cook for 2 to 4 minutes
longer, or until the quinoa is cooked and the telltale tail appears. Drain in a
fine-mesh sieve. Set aside to cool completely.
In the meantime, prepare the dressing by combining the
vinegar, lemon juice, oil, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper,
pepitas, and beans in a large bowl. Add the quinoa mixture, parsley, and basil
to the dressing and stir until well coated. (Note from BCG-- If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until serving time.)
To assemble the wraps:
In the middle of each wrap, spread 3 tablespoons (25 g) tapenade. Top with a generous 1/2 cup (120 g) quinoa filling. Divide the red bell pepper and cucumber among the wraps. Fold the ends in and roll closed.
In the middle of each wrap, spread 3 tablespoons (25 g) tapenade. Top with a generous 1/2 cup (120 g) quinoa filling. Divide the red bell pepper and cucumber among the wraps. Fold the ends in and roll closed.
Enjoy!
Friday, September 7, 2012
LEMONY GREEK-INFLUENCED POTATO SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES, WHITE BEANS, OLIVES AND FENNEL
Last Sunday I realized that I (gulp) hadn't made a potato salad yet this summer! What is wrong with me? I've made all sorts of grainy/beany/vegetable-y/fruity salads this summer, but no potato salads. I needed to take something to a potluck meeting the next day (and DH needed something portable to bring for lunch)-- potato salad would be just the thing, I thought. So,while we were walking our new doggy resident, Pheobe (see picture below), through the winding, up-and-down path in the woods, I was devising a new potato salad in my head. I wanted it to be a-meal-in-itself, not too high in fat, to be lemony and have some Greek components, including something with a pleasant crunch (I thought that fennel would work well here, with it's pleasant anise-like fragrance). As soon as we got home, I set to work on it with what I had in the house, scribbling down ingredients, measurements and instructions as I went.
Pheobe and the cats waiting for dinner
The happy result was the following recipe, which DH and the potluck-ers all heartily enjoyed, and I hope you will, too.
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S LEMONY GREEK-INFLUENCED POTATO SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES, WHITE BEANS, OLIVES AND FENNEL
Serves 12 (approximately)
 |
| Fennel bulbs |
1/4 cup dry white wine OR dry white vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups coarsely chopped fennel bulb
One 19 oz. can white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups sliced marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup whole pitted kalamata olives (smallish ones)
1/2 cup chopped green onion bottoms or chives
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed OR 1 tablespoon dried
handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley
Lemon Salad Dressing (see below)
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (preferably reduced-fat) OR my homemade low-fat vegan mayo (hemp version here and new VEGG [yolk substitute] version here) OR Tofu Mayonnaise
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Lemon Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Scrub the potatoes, but don't peel. Cut into 3/4" chunks (more or less) and steam, pressure-steam or micro-steam them until just tender-- not mushy. (Pressure-steaming or micro-steaming are the most energy-efficient [and nutrient-saving] methods, BTW. Regular steaming is preferable to boiling because it conserves nutrition and uses less water, and.thus, less energy to heat up the water.) Place the potatoes in a colander rinse briefly and let drain.
When well-drained, place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the wine and salt. Add the fennel, beans, artichoke hearts, olives, green onions, dill and parsley, and toss gently.
Mix up the Lemon Salad Dressing and toss it with the salad. Then fold in the mayonnaise, mixing evenly. Taste for salt and add a liberal grinding of pepper and the zest and juice of the lemon. Mix well.
It's best to let this sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, so that the potatoes soak up some of the flavorful dressing.
| Nutrition Facts (calculated using Reduced-Fat Vegenaise-- it would be lower in fat and calories if you use my lowfat vegan mayo, or the Tofu Mayonnaise, and slightly lower if you use the Spectrum reduced-fat mayo) |
| Nutrition (per serving): 417.9 calories; 28% calories from fat; 14.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 772.1mg sodium; 1648.2mg potassium; 62.0g carbohydrates; 12.6g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 49.4g net carbs; 14.8g protein; 8.7 points. |
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)