Easy Indian Mung Beans

I call this picture "I'm tired of cooking all day and just want to document the food in the quickest way possible". I bought a bag of mung beans a couple of years ago but rarely use them as I don't see them often called for in recipes. I'm trying to make more of an effort to use what I have in my pantry so went searching for a mung bean recipe.

I was not expecting to enjoy this dish. It seemed so simple and too bean-y. But it was actually really good! And I'd make it again. I might even buy more mung beans to make it again and that's saying something.

To make up for my mung bean photo, check out my cute nails!!! My friend did these for me.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Zucchini and Chickpea Pancakes
Lemon Curried Lentils and Potatoes
Dal Makhni
Pink Beans with a Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce

Easy Indian Mung Beans
Adapted from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth

Serves 4

1 cup dry mung beans
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp coconut oil (or other oil)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp lemon juice

In a large pot, put the mung beans, ginger, coconut oil, cumin, coriander, jalapeno and water. Bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for 45-50 minutes (or until beans are tender). Once tender, take off the heat and stir in the sea salt and lemon juice.

Curried Pumpkin Hummus

I love a good hummus. And this is a really really good hummus. I kept seeing pumpkin hummus on blogs (mind you this was back in the fall) so one day when I had an open can of pumpkin, I knew what I had to do with the leftovers.

I didn't taste the pumpkin, but I loved how creamy the hummus was and it had a really great flavour from the curry powder, cumin, garlic, almonds and tahini. The original recipe doesn't have any oil, and I tried to make it that way but it just wasn't coming together in the nice smooth way that I like. So I added a tablespoon of oil and it was perfect.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Hummus
Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Hummus
Sweet Potato Black Bean Salsa

Curried Pumpkin Hummus
Adapted from Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Makes about 3 cups

Scant 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked 8 hours, cooked and drained (or 2 1/2 cups cooked, rinsed and drained)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/4 cup raw almonds
3 tbsp tahini
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

In a food processor, add all the ingredients. Process until smooth.

Zucchini and Chickpea Pancakes

I've seen chickpea pancakes around the blogosphere (can't remember where now though) and they always looked so good. And this one used up some of that CSA zucchini I keep on mentioning. I love how easy this is. Like a frittata or omelette but vegan. Usually I would use tofu to make something like this so the chickpea flour was a nice change. To make it a meal just add some steamed or roasted vegetables on the side, or cut it up into pieces and put it on a salad. Ooo now that I'm thinking about it, I bet a peanut sauce for dipping would be just excellent. (And I think this is the last zucchini recipe for a while.)

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Healthy Baked Zucchini Fries
Swift, Delicious Bean Salad
Pink Beans with a Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce
Sunflower Lentil Pie

Zucchini and Chickpea Pancakes
Adapted from Just Hungry

Makes 2 large pancakes, which make 2 main dish servings or 4 appetizer/side dish servings

4 cups grated zucchini (about 3 zucchinis)
Some cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
Olive oil for cooking

Put zucchini and cilantro into a large bowl; add the salt, garam masala and the chickpea flour. Mix well - the moisture that comes out of the zucchini may be enough to turn this into a batter, but if not add a tiny bit of water, just so that it turns moist but not runny.

Heat up a small (8 inch / 20cm) non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add some olive oil and spread around. Put in about half of the batter and spread around to form a circle. Cook for about 5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until it’s cooked all the way through. (You can slice into the middle a bit to see if there’s any batter oozing still; if so, cook a bit more.) Repeat for the other half of the batter.

Cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: If you want a crispy outside, use more oil in the pan; if you want it soft (and less caloric) add less.

Seitan Black Bean Corn Burgers

I don't always have the most success with meatless burgers (well not that I ever had success with meat burgers as I did not enjoy them and never made them). They always fall apart when I'm pan frying them, or dry out too much if I bake them. But I think I'm starting to find my burger groove! I try not to use too much oil when cooking, but you need to make sure you have enough oil in the pan so that the burgers don't stick and fry up nicely, making them easy to flip and less likely to fall apart.

These burgers were really flavourful with the smoked paprika, cumin and chili powder. And yes I talk about how I hate beans but I do really enjoy black beans, especially in a form like these burgers. I loved eating these burgers with pickles. But then I'm also really obsessed with pickles recently. In particular the Steinfeld Kosher Petite Dill Pickles. (Not that they're paying me to promote them I just really love them.)

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Mushroom Pecan Burger
Black Bean Confetti Salad
Triathalon Tostadas
Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt

Seitan Black Bean Corn Burgers
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes about 10 burgers

1 cup seitan
14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup ground whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp high heat vegetable oil for pan frying

1. Add the seitan to the food processor and process until finely chopped (a few remaining bigger chunks are okay).

2. Add the beans, and process until finely chopped (you may still see the occasional bean piece). Remove this mixture to a mixing bowl.

3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, bread crumbs, flour, corn, paprika, cumin, and chili powder to the seitan/bean mixture and mix well with your hands or a spoon. Adjust the mixture with salt, to taste, or add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet. It should be moist but not gloppy. For example, if you stuff your 1/4 cup measure with it, you should have to pry it out. If it glops out by itself, it's probably too wet.

4. Heat the oil n a pan over medium-high heat.

5. Begin forming patties (1/4 cup of mixture per patty). Make them thin to avoid a too-mushy center. You can form all of the patties ahead of time and place them on wax/parchment paper, foil, etc.

6. Fry patties four at a time, or however many reasonably fit into the pan until dark brown on either side.

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

I love a nice big salad that's both delicious and filling. And that's exactly what this salad is. There's a grain - okay a seed (quinoa), protein (chickpeas), and lots of vegetables (lettuce, onions, roasted mushrooms). This is all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. It's so simple and such a great base salad to add whatever you have around or are craving. The balsamic dressing was good but my favourite balsamic dressing is the one from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, with a few modifications.

I went to Manning Park for work yesterday which was really exciting because I got to see lots of snow! And practically froze my toes off. Note to self, do not wear rain boots in the snow. Snow is my favourite so I was so happy to get to be around it if even for a short while! I love how trees look covered in snow. Snow snow snow.

I had to take a quick photo with my iPhone!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Autumn Panzanella
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, DIll and Lemon
Portabello Salad with Mustard Dressing
The Diva Salad

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Serves 4

4 cups mushrooms, halved
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
8 cups chopped or torn romaine lettuce
2 cups cooked chickpeas
Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and spread out evenly on the baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on how roasty you like your mushrooms). Ideally you want to time it so the mushrooms will be warm when you eat the salad.

If you will be eating the whole salad in one sitting, mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If not, keep the ingredients separated and use 1/4 of the ingredients for 1 serving of salad. Just before serving, add the dressing and toss to coat.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

1/4 cup raw cashews
1 small shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper

Place the cashews, shallot and garlic in a food processor or blender and pulse to chop them. Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend for at least 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides often, until completely smooth. It's really important that you blend for the full time, otherwise your dressing may be grainy. Transfer the dressing to a container and chill until ready to serve.

White Bean & Walnut Bruschetta

Okay I know I said several times how much I don't like beans, but now I keep posting bean recipes I like. Because I do like some beans or like them in some forms. I just can't imagine being a person who would enjoy some beans poured on top of a salad with nothing else done to them. But made into bruschetta like this? Yes yes yes. The vinegar, tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, thyme and fresh basil do something magical to the beans. I didn't want to share the leftovers with E. We ate it on top of some zucchini garlic bread I made, which I will post about soon.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Black Bean Confetti Salad
Back On Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad
Triathalon Tostadas
Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt

White Bean & Walnut Bruschetta
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Makes 4-6 servings

Crusty bread, sliced
1 cup cooked navy beans
2 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cup tomatoes, minced
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bread slices on baking sheet and bake for 3-4 minutes to slightly toast. Remove from oven, but keep temperature at 425F, and let bread cool while preparing bean mixture. In a bowl, mash 1/2 cup beans with vinegar. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine well. Once bread is cool, spoon mixture onto bread slices, portioning mixture as desired. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the topping is warmed through. Do not over bake, since the beans can dry out.

Black Bean Confetti Salad

I don't know if I should really call this "confetti" salad as I was silly and bought only red bell peppers, instead of a mix of red, orange and yellow. But I trust that you will have more foresight than me and will get a colourful mix! But regardless of the lack of confetti spirit, this is a really delicious salad. I love the flavour, with the lime, cumin, and cilantro. It makes a TON so I would recommend halving it unless you have a lot of people to feed. We ate it as a salad on its own, and also stuffed it into quesadillas with cheese and tomato paste. I know I talk a lot about disliking beans, but this is one of the ways that I love them.

I'm submitting this salad to Ricki's Wellness Weekend.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Spicy Potato & Corn Salad
Rainbow Rice and Beans
Mediterranean Pepper Salad
Tabbouleh

Black Bean Confetti Salad
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and well-rinsed
4 bell peppers, a mix of colors, chopped into a small dice
1 medium onion, chopped into a small dice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of two limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

Mix beans, bell peppers, onion and cilantro in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk remaining ingredients into a vinaigrette. Ideally, you’ll have a 1/2 cup of dressing. Pour it over the bean mixture, toss it well and adjust seasonings to taste.

Asparagus and Chickpea Stir-Fry with Hoisin Sauce

So many vegetarian stir fries use tofu as the protein (or tempeh - when will I begin to love you), so I was really excited that Janet had the idea to swap out tofu for chickpeas in this one. Spinach, asparagus and cashews are combined with the most perfect mix of lime, basil and hoisin sauce. I did not know those 3 things would be so delicious together but yum. I still see asparagus in the grocery store but you could use broccoli instead.

I was just looking to see if hoisin sauce is vegan (I think it is), and found out that literally translated, hoisin means "seafood". This may explain why when we go to Chinese restaurants, E's dad always tells me that the hoisin sauce has fish/seafood in it and E always shakes his head and says no this is hoisin sauce it doesn't.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pureed Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew with Chickpeas
Thai Chick-Un Pizza
Swift, Delicious Bean Salad
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon

Asparagus and Chickpea Stir-Fry with Hoisin Sauce
Adapted from the taste space who adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Serves 4

1.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or a 19 oz can, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cashews
1 bunch of spinach (300g), coarsely chopped
zest and juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

Have all your ingredients prepped and within arms reach of the stove. Heat olive oil in a large pan, or wok over medium high heat. Once hot, add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt to taste. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, cashews, and spinach and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Add the chickpeas to the pan, stir for about a minute until the chickpeas are warm. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while.

Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Taste and add a bit more salt and/or lime juice if needed.

Spicy Potato & Corn Salad

I love potato salad, as I'm sure most of us do. I don't eat it often and never make it though, as I don't want to eat tons of mayonnaise. But this potato salad has no mayonnaise and just 2 teaspoons of oil. And I love that it has beans, chipotle peppers, cilantro and of course my favourite corn.

It's a nice twist on traditional potato salad and makes a great meal salad. I liked eating it warm better than cold. It's too bad I didn't post in the summer when corn was in season! But I've added in instructions for using frozen corn which I'm sure would be just as good.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Know Your Roots Salad
Back On Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad
Quinoa Corn Salad
Spiced Squash, Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

Spicy Potato & Corn Salad
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Serves 6

3 ears corn, shucked (or about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used red, white and blue)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 canned chipotles, mashed into a paste
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp agave
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic, grated on a Microplane grater or minced very finely
2 cups pinto beans, cooked (a little less than 1 cup dry or a 16 oz can drained and rinsed)
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Mixed greens, for serving

Prepare your steaming apparatus while you prep your veggies.

First, if using fresh corn, steam the corn for about 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and set aside until cool enough to handle. If using frozen corn, warm it in the microwave or on the stove with water, drain, then set aside.

Place the potatoes in the steamer, and steam for 7 to 10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender enough to pierce with a fork, but not falling apart. Remove from the steamer and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together vinegar, chipotles, oil, agave, water, and salt. Grate in the garlic.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it from the cob: Place it directly in a large mixing bowl, pointy side up, and use your chef's knife to cut down the sides. Once all the corn is in there, just break it up with your fingers. If using frozen corn, add the drained corn to the mixing bowl. Fold in the cooled potatoes, pinto beans, and red onion.

Add the dressing and toss to coat. Mix in the cilantro and taste for salt. Add more chipotle if desired. Either serve immediately over mixed greens, or if you want it cold then chill until ready to serve, then serve over mixed greens.

Back On Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad

While I usually love highly flavoured dishes, I quite enjoyed the mild flavours of this wheat berry salad. And also, why do I not eat wheat berries more often?? They might be my favourite grain. I love the chewiness. Anyway, I know summer is disappearing (or has disappeared? we've had so much rain here recently) but I would happily enjoy this salad all year long. Chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, parsley and green onions, nice and simple, and tasty.

I bought a 2 week unlimited yoga pass and am heading to my 4th class in 5 days! I'm really enjoying it so far and am trying out different types of classes. I like both the more "exercise" type classes like hot yoga, and the relaxing classes like hatha. The teacher yesterday was describing deep breaths as yawning in and sighing out, and it makes more sense to me now.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Greek Barley Salad
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill & Lemon
Tabbouleh
French Barley Salad

Back On Track Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad
Adapted from Oh She Glows who adapted from Alive Magazine.

Yield ~8 cups

Salad
1 cup dry wheat berries
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 English cucumber, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, diced with large stems removed
4 green onions, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste

Dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, soak the wheat berries overnight in cold water. The next day, drain the wheat berries and place in a medium sized pot, covered in 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the diced vegetables (cucumber, red pepper, tomato, minced garlic, parsley, green onions). Add in cooked and drained chickpeas and stir.

In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, fresh lemon juice). Set aside.

When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into the salad. Add the dressing just before serving and stir well. Now season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

Rainbow Rice and Beans

I made this rice dish with the idea that it could be a stand alone meal. And I didn't find it to quite be what I wanted, maybe not flavourful enough. But it is a great side dish. A great accompaniment to a larger meal, like a potluck. While it wasn't a favourite of mine, other people enjoyed it so I'm sharing it here. To make it again, I think I'd double the spices.

Miss Abby.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Quinoa Corn Salad
Greek Basmati Rice
Warm Roasted Pumpkin & Shallot Salad
Greek Barley Salad

Rainbow Rice and Beans
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum and Oh She Glows

Serves 3 as a main, or more as a side dish

1 cup brown basmati rice, dry

1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (about 15 oz or 1 3/4 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
2 medium carrots, shredded

Spices:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Start the rice with two cups of cold water.

When the rice is almost done cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add spice mix and saute until spices begin to bubble up a little bit, being careful not to burn.

Add beans, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer on low, covered, until rice is done. Add peas, carrots, and corn and for a few moments until defrosted. Add rice to pan, stirring well to mix in beans and veggies and coat with sauce.

Triathalon Tostadas

These triathalon tostadas are outstanding. A few months ago I tried this two-week wellness solution cleanse. It's not one of those cleanses where you eat nothing but soup or take pills. It's basically a really healthy vegan diet with LOTS of fresh vegetables, minimal processed foods, no alcohol or caffeine, etc. Anyway, I made a ton of recipes from The Two-Week Wellness Solution cookbook and I fell completely in love with these tostadas. I didn't take photos of most of the things I made during that time because I made so many things, but I just had to take a photo of this and share it with you guys. It's super tasty, healthy, and filling. To me it tasted like a healthy dorito. I'm not sure whether that will sound appealing to you but even if it doesn't, I'm sure you will enjoy this dish. An oven crisped corn tortilla is topped with a black bean mixture (lime, cumin, onion, garlic), quinoa, fresh vegetables (carrots, green onions) with lime juice, and topped with avocado.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt
Garlicky Broccoli, Corn and Bean Burritos
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Frijoles, Etc. Casserole

Triathalon Tostadas
Adapted from The Two-Week Wellness Solution

I used 3 large corn tortillas, and they were a bit awkward to eat since they were so large. But if you can't find small corn tortillas the large ones definitely work.

Serves 3

Un-fried Crunchy Tortillas
6 6" or 3 large (10"-12") round corn tortillas
1/2 tbsp oil

Quinoa Layer
1/3 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup water
1/4 tsp sea salt

Black Bean Layer
15 oz can black beans (1 3/4 cups cooked beans), drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 large cloves garlic, minced

Vivacious Veggies
1 cup grated carrots
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 avocados, peeled and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush or spray the tortillas lightly on both sides with the oil. Lay them out on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oven. Flip each tortilla over and place back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes (or until they are crisp and lightly browned).

2. Put the quinoa and water in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until all of the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Once done, stir in the 1/4 tsp sea salt and set aside.

3. Put all of the "black bean layer" ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend well until very smooth. Transfer to a small pan and heat over low until warm, stirring occasionally.

4. In a small bowl, toss the carrots and green onions with lime juice. Set aside.

5. To assemble, place the tostada shells on plates and spread with some of the black bean mixture. Next, add quinoa and then the veggies. Garnish with avocado chunks.

If you're not going to eat everything right away, store the ingredients in separate containers.

Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt

This past week has been so busy! I've been trying to finish up my reports which are due next week (for a certification exam in October). And we've done some out of town field trips this week (Squamish and Sechelt, for those of you that know the area). Time has been flying by! E has been cooking a lot of the meals recently which has been amazing. These tacos I made a couple of months ago though, and they started my love for Appetite for Reduction. I remember reading the reviews before buying the book and someone complained about there being a whole chapter for salads. But they're meal salads, which I'm always looking for recipes for. They include protein, grains and tons of vegetables and I love them. I'll be sharing some of them soon.

This taco filling is really flavourful. I was skeptical of adding in olives with black beans and salsa verde, but it works really well. These are actually the first soft tacos I've ever made at home. I've made burritos many times but not cute little tacos like these. I used regular 2% yogurt for the sauce, but use soy yogurt to make these vegan.

I'm going to go pick up my CSA vegetables now. I can't wait because we're getting tomatoes this week!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Garlicky Broccoli, Corn and Bean Burritos
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Lentil Veggie Burrito Casserole
Refried Beans

Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

1 tsp olive oil
2 zucchini (1 lb), small dice
2 jalapenos, seeded, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 oz salsa verde
19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and jalapeno to the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Saute for about 7 minutes, until the zucchini is lightly browned. Add the garlic, olives, cumin, and coriander, and saute for 2 minutes more.

Add the salsa verde and black beans. Cook for 5 more minutes; the salsa should reduce a bit so that it's juicy but not soupy.

Place the tortillas in a moist paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Serve with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt and chopped green onions.

Garlic-Lemon Yogurt

1 cup 2% plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, grated with a Microplane or finely minced
zest from 1/2 lemon
juice from 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
1/2 tsp agave nectar

Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Pureed Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew with Chickpeas

The first time I made this soup, I was very silly and added the full amount of lime juice. Have I not learned to only add a little bit of the required citrus, taste, then add more if necessary?! Adding too much citrus can really ruin a soup, and then you have lots of sour soup to eat. So the next time I made it, I added half the amount and extra peanut butter, and it was perfect. And I love that it's a nice thick soup. Try the soup before adding the lime, it's really good like that too.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Ginger
Curried Chickpea Soup
Cocoa-Coconut Chili
Curried Split Pea Soup

Pureed Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew with Chickpeas
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water
5 tbsp grated ginger
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (optional)

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, sweet potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, salt, cumin seeds, ground coriander, and paprika, and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add stock, water, and 2 1/2 tbsp ginger. Stir to combine and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes or longer, until sweet potatoes have completely softened. Stir in remaining ginger and peanut butter. With a blender, puree soup until it is smooth. Stir in chickpeas, and lime juice (if using).

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

So you know how I said I was going through baking withdrawal? Well I am definitely making up for it this weekend! So far I've made really crunchy granola, double chocolate avocado muffins (cupcakes masquerading as muffins!), no bake chocolate peanut butter chews (not a baked good but it still counts to me), and carrot cake power scuffins. This morning I started the sponge for a yeasted fruit bread, and will also be making the Elvis fluffernutter cake. AND I'd also like to make a couple more things - I'm thinking espresso chip oatmeal cookies, lazy samoas, and/or kitchen sink chocolate biscotti (all from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar). I'll be giving a lot of this stuff away, though I also need to restock my freezer with healthy snacks for the week!

Now to balance out all those baked goods with something healthier - this spaghetti squash with roasted tomatoes. I'd say this is a great accompaniment to a meal, but I wouldn't want to eat it for a main course. It's something a bit different with a nice presentation and decent flavour (and healthy!), but not so super amazing that I want to eat a lot of it. E liked it though. One of my friends really loves roasted tomatoes, so I was interested to see how the roasted grape tomatoes would turn out. I definitely prefer them raw. Cooked tomatoes are just not my thing! I do think this dish is a great way to eat beans though.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Garlicky Broccoli, Corn and Bean Burritos
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Pan-Roasted Cauliflower
Carrot Slices in Dill Sauce

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection

1 spaghetti squash (2 1/2 lb/1.25 kg), halved and seeded
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp chile pepper flakes
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) white kidney beans or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400F. Bake the squash cut side down on greased baking sheet or parchment paper until flesh is tender when pierced, about 1 hour. Using fork, scrape strands into bowl; stir in half each of the salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a 9x13 (3L) glass baking dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, oil, vinegar, hot pepper flakes and remaining salt and pepper. Roast in 400F oven for 30 minutes. Stir in beans and parsley; roast until beans are heated through and tomatoes are shriveled, about 10 minutes. Mound squash on platter; spoon tomato mixture over top.

One Wild Chick Soup

The flavour of this soup is really wonderful. It's a vegan version of chicken noodle soup (minus the noodles, though of course you can add those in). The recipe calls for wild rice but as wild rice is really expensive, I just used brown basmati and it was still delicious.

After a week of being home, I think I'm pretty much back to feeling normal. We didn't experience much jet lag on our trip to Turkey and Greece, but coming home was quite different. I finally took our photos off the camera this morning so if there are any good ones I'll share some here!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Vegetarian Pho
Curried Chickpea Soup
Curried Split Pea Soup
White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

One Wild Chick Soup
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Makes 6-7 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried sage
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp nutritional yeast

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rice, salt, pepper, dry mustard, dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sage, and stir to combine. Cover and let cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add chickpeas, stock, water, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45-55 minutes, until rice is fully cooked. Puree a portion of the soup (I did about 1/4 of it) and stir it back in. Stir in the nutritional yeast and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and serve.

Garlicky Broccoli, Corn and Bean Burritos & Spicoli Burgers

Burritos are one of my all time favourite foods. I could eat them everyday and cannot imagine when I would get tired of them. I don't make them often though because when I'm doing meal planning for the week, I try and choose things that would be good to take as leftovers for lunch. While burritos for lunch would bring me much happiness, they just aren't as easy to eat or as easily reheatable as other things.

These burritos and burgers are another two delicious gems from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan. The burritos combine things I wouldn't have thought to put together - curry powder and hoisin sauce - and result in something really flavourful. There's lots of garlic, broccoli and corn too. I added some cheese on top but next time would definitely omit it.

And the burgers, well I'm sure many of you have heard of the spicoli burgers. I had the recipe for them long before I had the book yet it took me forever to make them. (Probably due to my fear of falling apart veggie burgers.) But I finally made them and they're really good. Much softer than other veggie burgers I've had before, and perfect eaten over spinach and drizzled with balsamic maple sauce. I'm only sharing the burrito recipe today. I'm sure you can find the spicoli burger recipe online (or better yet, buy the book - it is amazing and you will not regret it).

If these sound good, you might also like:
Black Bean & Scrambled Egg Enchiladas
Maple Baked Beans
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Southwest Brunch Bake

Garlicky Broccoli, Corn & Bean Burritos
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Makes 4 servings

14 oz (398 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1 clove garlic, quartered
1 tsp curry powder
4 10-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheese (optional - I wouldn't add it next time)

1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups broccoli (florets and stalks), chopped
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a food processor, combine beans, vinegar, soy sauce, water, garlic, and curry powder and puree until smooth. In a frying pan on medium-low heat, add oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss, then cover and cook for 1-2 minutes (reduce heat and/or add a few drops of water if needed to prevent garlic from burning.) Add broccoli, then hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes to lightly steam broccoli. Stir in corn, then remove from heat (do not overcook, as ingredients will be heated again in burrito).

On a flat surface, spoon 1/4 of bean mixture down center of each tortilla, leaving 1 inch space on top and bottom. Top mixture with 1/4 of sauteed veggies. Fold bottom edge over filling and roll up, tucking in the sides as you go. Place burritos, seam-side down, in 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, sprinkling on cheese in last 3-5 minutes (if using).

Curried Chickpea Soup

Though I'm pretty picky with my soups, making soup makes me feel really happy and peaceful. I love that I can just quickly and unevenly chop up vegetables, throw them into a pot with spices and herbs, simmer away and have delicious smells emanate. I love seeing the floating vegetables and bobbing bay leaves. Ahh soup, why can't you always be as delicious as this curried chickpea one?


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Curried Split Pea Soup
Thai Coconut Corn Stew
White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

Curried Chickpea Soup
Adapted from Rebar

Serves 8

8 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
8 garlic cloves
3 tbsp minced ginger
1 jalapeno peppers, seeded (more if you like it spicy)
1 red pepper
6 ripe tomatoes
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
3 cups canned chickpeas
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add onion, 1 tsp salt and bay leaves. Saute until the onions are soft and golden. Meanwhile, place the garlic, ginger, jalapenos, pepper and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables form a rough puree. Set aside.

2. Add all the spices to the sauteed onions and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable puree and another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and simmer until small blobs of oil pool on the surface. Add the chickpeas and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook several minutes, then add the coconut milk. With an immersion blender or regular blender, puree a portion of the soup to thicken it. Simmer and season to taste with salt and crackked pepper. Add chopped cilantro just before serving.

Black Bean & Scrambled Egg Enchiladas

I'd like to commit to making every single recipe from a cookbook. Or maybe a few cookbooks. I know there are groups about that (like TWD which I was part of before). Being part of a group like that is great because it forces you to make dishes you otherwise might not or might not make time for. So I guess what I'm saying is that I want to try making everything in Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection. I love that it has a variety of dishes, some with interesting twists like these black bean and scrambled egg enchiladas, the recipes are all fairly simple and easy to accomplish on a weeknight, and the ingredients are all really easy to find. Has anyone else made anything from this book? Have people outside of Canada even heard of it? Anyway, I'm not formally committing myself to it right now but perhaps soon.

At first I didn't want to make these enchiladas because while I do like scrambled eggs, I knew we'd have leftovers and the idea of reheated scrambled eggs does not appeal to me. I'm really happy I made it, as it was delicious, but I was right about reheated scrambled eggs not being good. I think this dish is best served to a large group where it will be finished in one night. I liked that it was something a little different than other enchiladas I've made.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Lentil Veggie Burrito Casserole
Frijoles, Etc. Casserole
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Southwest Brunch Bake

Black Bean & Scrambled Egg Enchiladas
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4.5 oz/126 mL) chopped green chilies, drained
1 tbsp lime juice
12 eggs
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter
8 large (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese

Enchilada Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
680 mL tomato sauce (my can might not have been exactly 680 mL, something around 680 though)
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't add it but would next time)

Enchilada Sauce: In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; fry onion and garlic until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth, chili powder, oregano and sa< bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Set aside.

In bowl, combine beans, chilies, lime juice and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce; mash with fork. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat together eggs, 1/4 cup water, half of the green onions, the salt and pepper.

In skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook eggs, stirring, just until softly set but still moist.

Divide bean mixture among tortillas, spreading evenly. Spoon egg mixture along bottom third of each; roll up tortilla. Trim ends; place, seam side down, in greased 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Spoon 3 cups of the remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in 375°F oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. After removing from the oven, top with remaining green onions. Serve with remaining sauce.

Cocoa-Coconut Chili

I've been trying to update my blog everyday to get through the backlog of food I have to blog about, but I should realize that I won't really have time to update on weekends. I need to save the posts and space them out so as not to overwhelm people during the week! So my trip to Trader Joe's was a success of course. I wish I could say I came home with a virtuous bunch of food but I wasn't comfortable bringing back refrigerated or frozen stuff, since I didn't know how long it would take to cross the border. And they have so many different fun treats so I had to try some!

Mostly I bought junkfood and trail mix (which I guess the kinds I bought are kind of junkfood). I'm really looking forward to trying the garlic basil pasta and lemon pepper papparadelle! The box mac & cheese is for E as he loves trying different ones. The Blenheim California apricots are not good. I'm sticking with the Turkish ones from now on. I don't love dried apricots (or fruit) to begin with but want to start eating them more often for a small source of iron.

Onto the recipe! I've mentioned before that Eat, Drink & Be Vegan is one of my new favourite cookbooks right? It's an outstanding cookbook. I have so many new favourite dishes from it. One of them is this cocoa-coconut chili. I was super intrigued by it - cocoa + coconut in a chili?? Sounded weird but also so interesting. And it turned out really delicious. I'm not a big chili fan but really loved this.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Curried Split Pea Soup
Thai Coconut Corn Stew
White Bean & Roasted Garlic Soup
Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Cocoa-Coconut Chili
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Makes 7-8 servings

1 tsp oil
2 cups onion, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, diced (I used about 8 ribs)
1/2 cup red or yellow bell peppers, diced
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp mild chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 cans (796 mL) diced tomatoes
1 can (398 mL) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (398 mL) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (398 mL) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (398 mL) light coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup frozen corn kernels

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions or garlic starts to burn. When onions start to soften, add cocoa and stir for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, beans, coconut milk, and coconut, and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn kernels, and cook another 5 minutes to heat through. Remove cover to let liquid reduce if desired.