Quesadillas & Guacamole -- VeganMOFO #12

I made a pot of delicious soup yesterday and, yes, I do have leftovers to eat.  But, I got an idea in my head that I just couldn't get out.  I needed to make a quesadilla...yes NEEDED.  I already had all the supplies here: Daiya, tortillas, vegetarian refried beans, and an avocado that was quickly becoming too ripe.  Avocados are around $2.00 each here, and I just can't let them go to waste.

Actually, I hate letting any food go to waste, especially after reading about the huge amount of food wasted in the US - food that could go toward feeding the hungry.  And, truthfully, I worked hard for my grocery money and I don't want to throw it in the trash.  Avoiding food waste also makes me get creative with my meals because I start putting stuff together that I may not have thought of before.  I put a bit of lettuce on my quesadilla tonight and I wouldn't have thought of it if I hadn't been trying to use up some leftover iceberg.

This recipe makes 2 six-inch quesadillas.

Ingredients:

• 4 six-inch flour quesadillas
• 1/2 of a can of vegetarian refried beans (the "traditional" beans have lard in them...ick)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed in a bowl
• 4 green onions, sliced into rounds (I used the white and light green parts only)
• 2-3 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup of Daiya shreds, but you can use any brand and amount that makes your happy (I used the cheddar and mozzarella combined)
• 1/4 cup salsa of your choice
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Method:

1. Mash your avocado in a bowl with a fork.  Add about half of the green onions and the salsa.  It's my guacamole cheat for when I don't plan it out better.  Add the lemon juice and mix well.  Set aside.
2. Lightly spray a nonstick frying pan.  
3. Spread half of the beans on one tortilla and half on another.  Put one of them in the frying pan, bean side up, obviously.  Sprinkle some mushrooms and green onion on the beans, and gently press them down.  Then add half of the Daiya and top with a tortilla.  
4. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then carefully flip the quesadilla over and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until your tortilla is golden and a bit crispy on each side.  Here's where I added the lettuce.  I very gently peeled the tortillas apart and slipped some lettuce inside and put it back together again.  It gives the quesadilla a nice bit of crunch.
5. Repeat the process with the other tortillas.  I've found that the easiest way to cut quesadillas is with a pizza cutter.  Serve with the cheater's guacamole. 

Garlicky Chickpea Spinach Soup -- VeganMOFO #11

After searching the internet, specifically FoodGawker, I came across a delicious-looking recipe for a chickpea garlic soup on Needful Things's blog.  It looked a bit creamy, which actually scared me a little because the recipe called for cream.  Well, eating vegan means no cow's milk, which means no cream.  So, I sent out a distress call on Twitter and had an overwhelming response from numerous tweeters (I love my Twitter peeps!).  One in particular stood out: @EpicurVegan said to try coconut milk as a replacement, which was promptly seconded by a few other folks.  If Twitter pals say it, it must be true, right?

Like the original source for this soup recipe says, it's good for cleaning out your fridge!  I used up half a bunch of spinach that was headed south and a couple of Idaho potatoes from my fridge and some onion and garlic from my counter top.  Even better was the fact that I had a can of reduced fat coconut milk sitting in my cupboard waiting patiently to be used.  I bought it on a whim and never even thought about how I would use it.  So, it was perfect! 

I definitely altered the recipe in several ways, so I will post my version here.  I added quite a bit more spice because that's just how I roll.  I loooooove spices.  I also added more garlic and tahini.  Anywhoooo, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced or roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 average-size Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and diced small (about 1/3 inch cubes)
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 TB cornstarch
• 2/3 cup reduced fat coconut milk
• 2 1/2 TB tahini
• 1/2 bunch of spinach - about 6-8 oz-, stems cut off and shredded (don't forget to wash very well!)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method:

1. Heat oil over med-high heat in a stock pot or very large sauce pan.  I used an enameled cast iron stock pot.
2. After heating for 2 minutes, I added the onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until softened.  Then add your garlic and stir again.  Cook 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in the dry spices.  Stir.
4. Add the broth and potatoes.  Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes.  Then add in the chickpeas.  Cook another 5-ish minutes.  Check your potatoes.  You want them to be fork-tender.  Not hard, but not mush either.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, cornstarch and tahini.  Once it is all combined, stir the mixture into the soup and add the spinach.  Cook about 3-4 minutes so the soup thickens and the spinach wilts.  Check the flavor and add more spices as necessary.  I added a bit more garlic salt and a dash more cumin.  We ate ours with some garlic bread because nothing goes better with a garlicky soup than garlic bread!  The crust is perfect as a soup crouton. Enjoy!!

Gingerbread Waffles -- VeganMOFO #10

Breakfast...something I don't always eat.
Waffles...something I LOVE.
Fresh ginger...something I had lying in my fridge.
Put 'em together and you get a damn fine breakfast treat. 

I slightly adapted this recipe from Vegan Brunch by Ms. Moskowitz.  I ended up adding a bit more flour and more cinnamon, a dash of ginger powder and (accidentally) more molasses.  These waffles are seriously killer.  I don't really like sweet breakfast because it gives me a tummyache, but these waffles were perfect; a hint of sweet.  I am not a big fan of syrup on my waffles, or on anything for that matter, so I just slather a little --okay, kind of a lot-- of Earth Balance on any waffle I eat.  But, actually, these gingerbread waffles needed only a smidge.  My idea smidge may be larger than yours, but you get the point.  I cut the original recipe in half, and ended up with 4 five-inch round waffles.  So, I will share the halved and altered version and you can feel free to double or triple or whatever.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain almond milk (or your fave milk)
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 TB canola oil
• 2 slightly overflowing TB molasses (I used blackstrap because that's what I had on hand)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and grated (I so LOVE my microplane for this)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground clove

Method:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.  I always use a cooking spray even though my iron says it's nonstick.  I use it before I put batter in each and every single time.  Otherwise the top of your waffle sticks to the top of your iron.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mix the milk, oil, vinegar, molasses, vanilla and brown sugar.  Mix until the color is homogeneous.  
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together until mostly smooth.  There can be some really small lumps, they'll usually dissolve as they cook.  
4. I poured 1/2 cup of batter into the center of my sprayed waffle iron and let it spread itself out naturally.  Then closed.  I had mine on setting 5 out of 8, and it beeps to let me know when it's done.  But, follow your waffle iron's cooking directions because they all cook at different times and temperatures.  Also, resist the urge to open the lid before the time is up, because it will split your waffle in half and that is definitely not good.  
5. Slather with a bit of Earth Balance and tuck in.

Comfort Food -- Vegan MOFO #9

Isn't that a gorgeous head of yellow cauliflower?  I think the farmer called it cheddar cauliflower.  To me, it tastes just a smidge more sweet than plain white cauliflower.  While this tasted fabulous raw and oven-roasted, I think I still like the white kind better.  

Everyone needs comfort food sometimes; foods that make them feel all warm and snuggly inside.  That was me today, which was perfect because I had some broccoli and cauliflower that were starting to head south, and I hate wasting food.  I also had some Idaho potatoes in my fridge that I kept forgetting about, so I made a few of them into a super yummy, salty and buttery mash.  I don't have any real recipes for this dinner, though.
What we had for dinner:

• Oven-roasted yellow cauliflower
• Steamed veggies--broccoli, yellow cauliflower, carrots
• Super yummy mashed potatoes
• Gardein Crispy Tenders with a dash of garlic salt

For the cauliflower, I chop mine into florets and spread them out on a cookie sheet.  I lightly spray them with an olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with some sea salt.  I bake them in 425 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway  through.  I like them with a little bit of char, but if that's not your thing, then take it out earlier.

For the mashed potatoes, I peeled 3 medium sized Idaho potatoes, then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.  I boiled a pot of salted water, then added the potatoes.  Cook about 8-10 minutes, or until the potato cubes are fork-tender.  Then drain and put in a deep bowl.  Add a bit of your milk of choice,  maybe 2 TB.  Add about 4 TB Earth Balance and 1 1/2 tsps of salt.  I blend mine by hand mixer, then add more salt or butter as necessary.

3-Layer Tortilla Casserole -- Vegan MOFO #8

There are some dishes that a person can't live without, and this is probably one of those dishes.  I really love the way this one turned out.  And, it is really so easy to make.  I found the basis for this recipe in a cookbook called The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard.  I only made a few changes to his version, primarily adding more spice and a bit more veg.  My husband also loved it and said I should make it again soon, and he isn't the biggest bean fan in general.  So, for me, that is definitely a success.  I used my rice cooker and made some brown rice for a side, although I suppose you could use some tortilla chips if you'd rather.  Score 1 for a healthy dinner!

This recipe makes 4 large servings or 6-8 small ones.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I had vegetable stock so I used that instead)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 2 cups diced zucchini (I used half yellow squash and half zucchini)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/3 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 3/4 to 1 cup of your favorite chunky salsa
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper to your liking
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Using a food processor, puree the beans, garlic, 1/4 cup vegetable broth and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth and thick.
3. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of broth in a large skillet (I used my cast iron skillet). Add the onion, bell pepper and zucchini and saute for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent and pepper and zucchini are softened somewhat. Be sure to stir the veg regularly so none sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the corn, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and the onion and garlic powder (if using).
5. Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pie. Spread 1/3 of the pureed bean mixture onto the tortilla.
6. Scoop 1/3 of the sauteed veg onto the beans.
7. Scoop 1/3 of the salsa onto the top of the veg mix.
8. Place a tortilla on top of the salsa, and press down slightly to even out the layer and make it smoother. Then repeat the process 2 more times. Until your casserole is 3 layers tall and looks like this:

9. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Cut into quarters and use a pie server to get the pieces out of the pan more easily. This casserole is great by itself, but it also goes really well with brown rice. Maybe next time I'll make some guacamole to put on top of the casserole when I serve it..I think that would be lovely :)