Vegan Recipes for Mini -- No fake stuff!!!

[Clementine]

Chickpea Potato Curry: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chickpea_potato_curry/

(Use olive oil to make it vegan. You can probably reduce to 1 TBSP if you want to go lower fat.)

Quick and easy chickpea curry with Yukon Gold potatoes, stewed tomatoes, cumin, ginger, coriander and garbanzo beans.

    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

    2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
    Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
    One 14 1/2-ounce can fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes with chiles (See Muir Glen. If you can't find canned tomatoes with chiles you can add half a 4-ounce can of diced green anaheim chiles to a 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes.)
    6 baby (new) Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered
    1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
    2 Tbsp unsalted butter (or ghee if you have it, or you can sub olive oil)
    2 teaspoons minced ginger
    1-2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1 teaspoon ground coriander
    1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)

Method

1 In a large pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and ginger until the onion begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the salt, cumin, coriander and cayenne, stir to combine and cook for another minute or two.

2 Add the remaining ingredients, stir to mix and simmer vigorously for about 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more salt to taste.

Serve the curry in bowls over rice. Great accompanied with plain yogurt.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

[Clementine]

Lentil Artichoke Stew: http://support.cancerproject.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=3121.0\

I cook the lentils for about 5-10 minutes before adding the tomatoes and lemon juice. I find that otherwise it takes them forever to soften up. I usually serve it over whole wheat couscous.


Makes 6 servings

1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup dry (uncooked) red lentils (3 cups cooked)
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
2 24-ounce cans chopped tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), undrained, or 6 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (1 9-ounce frozen package or 1 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Heat broth in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dried lentils, bay leaf, and water to pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add lemon juice, tomatoes and their liquid, artichokes, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add salt and black pepper, or to taste.

[Clementine]

Black Bean, Pasta, and Artichoke Heart Medley: http://www.sharp.com/nutrition/bean-pasta-artichoke-medley.cfm

You could also serve this over brown rice, couscous, or any other grain if you don't want to do pasta.


Ingredients

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup sliced green onions
    1/2 teaspoon oregano
    1/2 teaspoon basil
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 garlic clove, minced
    2 14 1/2-ounce cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
    1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
    4 cups hot cooked pasta (any shape)
    1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté 5 minutes. Add oregano, basil, salt, peppers, garlic and tomatoes; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add beans; cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Combine bean mixture, hot cooked pasta and artichoke hearts in a large bowl. Toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

[Magic Microbe]

Potato leek soup. Use veggie broth and no milk or cream.

[Clementine]

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223163

Sub vegetable broth (or water) for chicken broth to make it vegan. I usually use a bit more of each of the veggies and bump up the spices, but it comes out fine if you just follow the recipe. I generally serve over whole wheat couscous as the recipe says, but have also had good luck serving it in or next to roasted acorn squash.


Ingredients

    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed zucchini
    1 cup chopped onion
    1/2 cup chopped carrot
    1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
    1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
    2 tablespoons raisins
    1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
    1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
    3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
    1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
    1 1/2 cups water
    1 cup uncooked couscous

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in broth and the next 9 ingredients (broth through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

While the chickpea mixture simmers, prepare couscous. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve the stew over couscous.

[Clementine]

Skillet Gnocchi with White Beans: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/skillet_gnocchi_with_chard_white_beans.html

I like this better with baby spinach than with chard. Also, I find it takes longer to brown the gnocchi than this recipe says. You can top with just a bit of parmesan -- i.e. leave out the mozzarella --  to reduce your cheese consumption or use nutritional yeast topping to make it vegan.

Ingredients

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
    1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1/2 cup water
    6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
    1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
    1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.


Tips & Notes

    Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.

[merigayle]

i rarely ever use fake stuff, unless DH requests it.

[MiniDriver]

Thank you!  I've just started looking over the nutritionmd.org site, and it's terrific.  I'm also reading the Engine #2 Diet.  Rip Esselstyne is totally hot, btw.

One of my challenges is that I'm only cooking for me (and sometimes my husband), so I need things that are easily portioned and frozen.  I'm happy to eat the same thing over and over for a few meals, so I usually prepare a few six-serving meals on Friday or Saturday and portion and freeze until I'm ready to eat.  Beans freeze very well, potatoes not so much. 

This one sounds appealing:

Mexican Skillet Pie

Makes about 12 servings

This stovetop entrée requires a very large skillet (14" or larger). If you don't have a skillet this large, you can assemble it in a 9"×13" baking dish and bake it at 350°F for 30 minutes.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1 1/2 cups water-packed roasted red peppers (about 6 peppers), divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
12 corn tortillas
1 15-ounce can corn, drained
3 green onions, chopped
2 15-ounce can vegetarian chili beans

Combine garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup roasted peppers, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and cumin in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Heat water in a 14" or larger skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, then arrange tortillas on top (there will be several layers).

Spread chili beans evenly over tortillas and top with remaining 1 cup roasted peppers, corn, and an even layer of the garbanzo mixture.

Cover skillet and cook over medium heat until hot and steamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.


Sort of a yummy lasagna-like substance.

[merigayle]

see Forks Over Knives, they were part of that documentary.

are you on pinterest? go here: http://pinterest.com/merigayle/main-course-recipes-i-have-made/

These are all ones i have made (atleast the ones i remembered to put there, and i usually comment about how they were)

I find a lot of recipes on Fat free vegan's blog, amazing stuff on there.

[onawhim]

Spicy greens with bulgur from http://thym-thym.blogspot.ca/2009/02/kitchen-la-cuisine.html


- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tsp cumin, freshly ground
- 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
-1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp fine bulgur
- 1 spinach bunch
- 1 arugula bunch
- 1 tbsp cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- Salt, Black Pepper

Wash the spinach and arugula. Drain off the excess water and put them in the basket section of a steamer. Cover and steam over simmering water until the greens just start to wilt, but still have their vibrant green color, about 5 - 7 minutes. When cold to handle, squeeze the water out of the greens and chop roughly. Set aside.

In a pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook on a medium heat until translucent but not brown, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pound the garlic with turmeric, cumin, and pepper flakes to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the garlic paste to the onions and stir to incorporate. Add The tomato paste and the stock and bring to a boil. Add the bulgur and stir again. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered until the bulgur is tender, about 15 minutes, depending on the variety of your bulgur.
Uncover the pan and add the steamed greens and the herbs to the sauce. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

[Clementine]

One of my challenges is that I'm only cooking for me (and sometimes my husband), so I need things that are easily portioned and frozen.  I'm happy to eat the same thing over and over for a few meals, so I usually prepare a few six-serving meals on Friday or Saturday and portion and freeze until I'm ready to eat.  Beans freeze very well, potatoes not so much. 

Yes. I'm usually just cooking for myself and eat the leftovers for a few days. I've always found that vegan recipes are safe in the fridge for a week or so and reheat really well. (Whereas, I'm not a big fan of re-heated meat.)

[Clementine]

I posted a couple of tofu recipes here: http://chrunners.net/forum/index.php?topic=70397.msg1540462#msg1540462

Try them even you think you don't like tofu. Coating the tofu cubes with cornstarch/cornmeal and pan frying makes them a great "intro" tofu. (Maybe more oil than you want though?)

[MiniDriver]

see Forks Over Knives, they were part of that documentary.

are you on pinterest? go here: http://pinterest.com/merigayle/main-course-recipes-i-have-made/

These are all ones i have made (atleast the ones i remembered to put there, and i usually comment about how they were)

I find a lot of recipes on Fat free vegan's blog, amazing stuff on there.

I loved Forks over Knives, that's what inspired me.  Along with the hotness of Rip.

I'm not at all active on pinterest, but I'll check out your page.

Clementine, I love tofu.  I like making scrambled tofu with onions, peppers, tomatoes and sometimes papaya with sazon goya and hot sauce for kick.    Thanks again for your research.

[Clementine]

Boyfriend-Approved Spicy Black Bean Burgers: http://www.eatliverun.com/boyfriend-approved-spicy-black-bean-burgers/

I think merigayle originally posted this recipe, but it's good. I often skip the bun, top with avocado slices, and eat with a fork.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 T ground flax + 3 T water
1 jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
2 T tomato sauce
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp cumin
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
avocado for topping
olive oil (or canola oil)  for frying burgers

Directions:

Seed and roughly chop jalapeno. Add it and the garlic cloves to a food processor (or high speed blender) and mince finely. (Alternatively, you could chop them yourselves very finely but it's just easier at this point to throw them in a food processor.)

Add one can of beans to the jalapeno/garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.

In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax and water. Let sit for five minutes.

Transfer the mixture in the food processor to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, tomato sauce, flax and corn. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining black beans.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.

Serve burgers with avocado slices, sriracha and ketchup.

[MiniDriver]

Great ideas!  I think I'll make the Mexican Skillet Pie and Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie (from Meri's Pinterest) this weekend and see how DH likes them.  There will be plenty of leftovers for me to eat throughout next week (unless DH loves them and then I'm screwed).

[merigayle]

Check out Fat Free Vegan's page, almost everything from there has been a mega success. The tofu stuffed shells on pinterest are really good too, probably going to make them for my party this weekend

[rocketgirl]

Black Bean, Pasta, and Artichoke Heart Medley: http://www.sharp.com/nutrition/bean-pasta-artichoke-medley.cfm

This sounds good.  I may even have all the ingredients in my pantry.

[witchypoo]

three bean chili (this makes, like, 80 gallons)

3 cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
a blob of tomato paste
veggie stock (about 1 cup)
1 vidalia onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
2 chipotle peppers w/adobo, chopped (minimum)
1 T cumin
2 t oregano
2 bay leaves

dump all into a stock pot.  stew over medium heat until it starts to bubble, then reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked.  serve with cornbread or rice.  don't swallow the bay leaves.

[MiniDriver]

Witchy, that's very similar to a recipe I make every three weeks at least, but I add rice directly to the mix and more stock so it's more of a chilli soup.    I use the diced tomatoes with chilis, to make it even spicier.

I think I'll buy some broccoli slaw so I can make this in a pinch:

Broccoli Slaw Stirfry with Tofu

This is a “dry” stir-fry that doesn’t have much sauce, so it’s best served over seasoned rice or pasta. If you have all your ingredients and cookware prepared, you can have it on the table in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Tofu

    14 ounces extra-frim tofu, cut into small cubes
    2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    1/4 cup rice wine (may substitute pale dry sherry, vermouth, white wine or dry cider; for non-alcoholic substitute, try 3 tablespoons apple juice and 1 tablespoon vinegar)
    2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

Stir-Fry

    1 medium onion
    1/2 red bell pepper
    2 cloves garlic
    1 teaspoon minced ginger root
    1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
    1 12-ounce package broccoli slaw
    2 tablespoons water
    1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
    additional 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, or to taste

Instructions

    Combine the tofu, sliced garlic, rice wine, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Seal bag and turn gently to coat the tofu with the marinade. (You can also do this in a large bowl, carefully stirring the tofu to coat.) Set aside as you chop the vegetables and heat the skillet.
    Begin heating a large, non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat (make sure you have a lid for this pan nearby). While the pan is heating, remove the root and stem ends from the onion, cut it in half top to bottom, and cut each half into thin vertical slices. Slice the bell pepper thinly, and mince the garlic and ginger.
    When the pan is hot, drain the tofu, keeping the marinade in a large bowl. Place the tofu in the skillet and cook, turning every minute or so, until it’s beginning to brown on most sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the tofu to the large bowl with the marinade, stir gently, and cover with a plate.
    Add the onion to the hot pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add the broccoli slaw and two tablespoons of water and cover quickly. Steam for 2-3 minutes or until slaw is slightly tender but still crisp. Add the tofu and marinade to the skillet along with the sesame oil and additional soy sauce, and stir well. Heat for just a minute or two and serve immediately.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 3
Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving, using a total of 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce): 212 calories, 61 calories from fat, 7.8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 643.6mg sodium, 301.9mg potassium, 26.9g carbohydrates, 5.8g fiber, 3.6g sugar, 17.9g protein, 6.7 points.

I might beef it up with some peanuts and dried cranberries.

[Clementine]

This sounds good.  I may even have all the ingredients in my pantry.

That is exactly what I love about that recipe. Pick up some green onions and you're good to go. Or sub a regular onion and it's entirely from the pantry.