Steam-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As the farmer’s market season winds to a close, I enjoy perusing the late season offerings before they go away for another year. Among the winter squashes and root vegetables available this time of year you can sometimes find some nice brussels sprouts.

I like to prepare these simply in order to let their natural flavor (stronger in fresh sprouts than in frozen) shine through.

These are called steam-roasted because the added water and foil allow them to steam during the first half of the cooking, and the uncovered second half lets them crisp and brown up. This allows them to have nice caramelized exteriors while still being tender and fully cooked on the inside—the best of both worlds.

Steam-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Steam-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts

2 Tbsp oil

2 tbsp water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp lemon pepper

dash of dill weed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sliced in half

Wash the brussels sprouts. Cut off any tough ends and slice each one in half vertically. Toss with oil and seasonings.

Flipping and checking

Spread sprouts out on a baking sheet cut-side down in a single layer. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and then bake for about another 12 minutes. Flip a few to check the undersides for done-ness. If they are sufficiently brown, then serve and enjoy.

 

By the way, you can buy brussels sprouts on the stalk if you want to. They do look more impressive this way. It can extend the prep time considerably though, and I find it fairly difficult to hack the sprouts off that tough stalk. It’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re getting a good deal, too, because the stalk is included in the weight. It’s up to you, though--conquering the big stalk at least once is kind of a fun adventure.

On the stalk

Vegan Zucchini Bread

This holiday season I chose to attend several local holiday craft fairs. They're fun and festive, get you in the holiday mood and are a good source of inspiration for gifts and treats. I say inspiration because I usually browse rather than buy at them--price inflation can be fairly significant and there's rarely anything vegan among the edible offerings.

At any rate I usually leave with a couple of unique but inexpensive ornaments and a craving for the traditional treats I've been seeing and smelling all day, in particular the little loafs of various holiday breads lined up in a row.

So I decided to make my own vegan version of my favorite, zucchini bread.

Vegan Zucchini Bread

Vegan Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

Dry ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

¼-1/2 cup oat bran

¾-1 cup sugar or sweetener

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

dash cardamom

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼-1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

½ cup applesauce

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp almond extract

2/3 cup soy milk

2 cups shredded zucchini

Chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Shred your zucchini using either the top disk of a food processor or a box grater.

Mix the dry ingredients together. (Use the higher amount of bran if making the sugar free version to improve the texture)

Stir together the wet ingredients.

Mixing the batter

Combine dry and wet mixes together and stir in the zucchini, taking care not to over-mix. 

In the loaf pan

Pour batter into two parchment lined 7 by 3 inch loaf pans.

Pecan-topped version

Sprinkle the top with the pecans if using. 

 

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F, rotating halfway through.

In the oven

Variations:
Dried fruits such as raisins or dried cranberries can be mixed in with the batter. So can nuts, shredded coconut or chocolate chips

Other dessert-friendly shredded vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, or beets, can be substituted for the zucchini. So can shredded apples or pears.

Easy Lemony Glazed Carrots (Low-Cal)

This is a nice way to make vegetables more interesting without adding a bunch of calories. The tangy, lemony sauce is a good balance for the sweetness of the carrots--a better one, in my opinion, than the super sweet and buttery traditional version of glazed carrots.

I like having cooked vegetable dishes like this in the fridge; I find I’m more likely to eat healthy when it’s convenient and already prepared.

Lemony Glazed Carrots

Easy Lemony Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots

Sauce:

½ cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar or sweetener

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp turmeric

a dash of cinnamon

a dash of ginger

Salt and pepper (optional)

Directions:

If you’re using big carrots, slice them into coins or sticks. If you’re using baby carrots then just leave them whole.

Steam the carrots until tender (about 10 minutes). You can cook the carrots by an alternate method such as roasting, sauteing or microwaving if you prefer.

Lemon Sauce

While the carrots are cooking, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened. You can use either the stovetop or microwave for this.

When the carrots are done, transfer them to a serving bowl and pour the sauce on top. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper if you wish; the lemon makes it taste fine with no salt though.

Stirring in the lemon sauce

Note: The sugar free version of this recipe (using a sweetener such as stevia or splenda) is very good, and so low calorie it's virtually equivalent to eating plain vegetables—just tastier.

Tasty and healthy

Double Cucumber Hummus Wraps

This is a nice warm weather meal for those days when you don’t want to be slaving away in a hot kitchen. These wraps are both refreshing and filling. The lemony marinated cucumbers add a particularly nice zing.

Note: I needed about 1 ½ large cucumbers to produce the 2 cup chopped and ½ cup sliced cucumbers called for in the recipe.

Double cucumber hummus wrap

Cucumber-Hummus Wraps

Lemony Marinated Cucumbers:

½ cup cucumbers, sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp water

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Cucumber-tofu sauce:

1 12 oz package firm silken tofu

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cups cucumber, chopped into ½ inch dice

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

4 whole grain flatbreads

About ½ cup hummus, homemade or store-bought

Fresh greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce, etc.

Directions:

Marinated cucumber slices

Whisk together lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Add cucumber slices. Let marinate while you prepare

the rest of the ingredients, tossing occasionally.

Cucumber Tofu Sauce

To make the cucumber-tofu sauce: puree tofu with lemon juice, seasonings, and 1 cup of the chopped cucumbers until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in remaining cup of chopped cucumbers. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

To assemble: Spread 1-2 tablespoons of hummus in an even layer over each flatbread. Place a layer of marinated cucumber slices on top (shake off any excess marinade). Lay a strip of greens down the middle, and top with a few spoonfuls of cucumber-tofu sauce. 

Flatbread spread w/ hummus

A layer of marinated cucumbers

Greens in the middle

Ready to roll up

Fold up the sides and enjoy!

Makes 4 wraps with plenty of sauce leftover.

Rolled up and ready to eat

Variations:

Fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, or peppers can be added to the marinated cucumber mixture.

Different kinds of olives, capers, or artichoke hearts would make flavorful additions as well.

Fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon and/or dill could be blended into the cucumber sauce for a Green Goddess effect.

A different bean spread, such as a white bean-herb puree, could be substituted for the hummus.

Hummus-Cucumber sandwich

This wrap can be made in regular sandwich form, as well.

Note: The cucumber tofu sauce from this recipe also makes a good substitute for both tzatziki in falafel or gyro sandwiches and for raita in Indian meals.

yum

Refreshing Quinoa Salad

This is nice salad, both refreshing and substantial. Since it is served cold, it’s good for travel or picnics. I like to make up a big batch when I’ve got a busy couple of days coming up, and grab quick leftovers all week. You can vary it by adding in different vegetables and flavorings. Sweet onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers and various fresh herbs would be good choices. Nuts can be added for crunch.

Quinoa and Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups dry quinoa

3 ¼ cups water

½ tsp salt

¼ cup lemon juice

2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 large (or 2 small) cucumber, chopped

1 bunch chives, chopped

a handful of dried apricots, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

additional salt, pepper, and/or lemon pepper to taste

Directions:

Place quinoa, water and salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and stir in lemon juice. Re-cover, remove from heat and let sit for five more minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, chop vegetables and rinse and drain beans. Sauté garlic and spices in oil for a few minutes.

Fluff quinoa and stir in garlic-spice mixture, beans, cucumber, chives and apricots. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve chilled.

Easy Vegan Potato Salad

I tried a new method for potato salad this time, and found it both easier and nicer in texture. The technique is to use a thin-skinned, waxy potato such as Red or Yukon (no russets), leave the peel on, cut them before cooking, and steam instead of boil. This gives you firm, intact chunks that don’t dissolve into mashed potatoes, and also saves you the difficulty and danger of peeling and cutting a bunch of boiling hot potatoes.  Immediately tossing the potatoes with the lemon juice while hot helps them absorb the tangy flavor, preventing blandness and allowing you to use less dressing

.

Vegan Potato Salad made with red potatoes

 

Easy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs thin-skinned potatoes, scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

2 ribs celery, chopped

about ½ cup vegan mayo, store-bought or homemade (more or less to taste)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp dill weed

¼ tsp mustard powder

¼ tsp celery seed

1-2 tsp sugar or sweetener

salt, pepper, and/or lemon pepper or other salt free seasoning to taste

Optional Add-ins: mustard, relish, onions, cucumbers or pickles, fresh herbs such as parsley or chives, or more unusual vegetables, such as zucchini, artichokes, olives, water chestnuts--whatever you like

Directions:

Steam your prepped potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.  Place hot potatoes in a large mixing bowl (heat-proof would be best).  Pour lemon juice/vinegar over them and stir briefly. Let potatoes finish cooling.

Meanwhile, chop celery and whisk dressing ingredients together. When potatoes are cool, stir in celery and dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add more vegan mayo if salad seems overly dry.

Serve immediately or chill for a few hours.

Variations:

Cauliflower based "potato" salad

You could substitute steamed cauliflower for part or all of the potatoes for a lower-glycemic salad. Cooked cauliflower tossed with a dressing this way actually has a pretty nice texture.

Some people prefer different dressing bases for this kind of salad. You might like to try vegan sour cream or soy yogurt in place of the vegan mayonnaise. For a low-fat base, you could also try soy “buttermilk”: soymilk mixed with a little lemon juice and left to sit a few minutes to curdle. Or perhaps a combination thereof.

The seasonings can of course be altered to taste.

Other root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or beets, can be mixed with the potatoes for color and nutrition.

This was pretty nice addition to a Memorial Day meal. We also had chili, coleslaw, and roasted fresh corn.

Roastin' Ears, baked husk and all

 

Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

This was tonight's dinner. I liked the warm spice mix, but if you don't have some of them, feel free to simplify or substitute. In this kind of recipe, some people like to pre-saute the onions and garlic and/or toast the spices in a little oil before assembling in the slow cooker.  I don't usually bother, but go ahead if you want to.

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook the soup entirely on the stove top. It will probably take an hour or so.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

 Ingredients:

2 cups dry red lentils

1 ½ cups chopped onion (about 1 medium-large)

2 ½ cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice (2-3, depending on sides)

1-2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp fenugreek

1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

¾ tsp salt (more to taste)

2 tsp low sodium vegetable broth powder (I used Vegebase), optional

2 bay leaves

1 small piece kombu

6 ½ cups water, veggie broth, or a combination thereof

2 tsp oil

4-5 dried apricots, chopped (optional)

2-3 pieces candied ginger, chopped (optional)

2-3 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Place all ingredients except lemon juice, in order*, in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, until lentils are soft and sweet potatoes can be easily pierced by a fork. Stir after an hour of cooking, and about once an hour for the rest of cooking time. Before serving, stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with biscuits or flatbread for dipping.

* It's important that the spices not be on the bottom, because they can burn, and that the water is on top of the spices so that they dissolve. Otherwise you don't have to be too obsessive about the order. The general order of lentils/beans, then vegetables, then spices, then water/broth will serve you well in this kind of recipe.

Vegan Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

 This was fun. I thought it was quite flavorful, and a good use of frugal, healthy ingredients.

Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauce

Vegan Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

Filling:

1 cup dry lentils

1 cup dry brown rice

½ large onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp curry powder

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt, pepper, and lemon pepper to taste

¼-1/2 cup small dried fruit such as currants, raisin or dried cranberries

Sauce:

¾ of a 14 oz can cranberry sauce

1 6 oz can tomato sauce

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp soy sauce

Directions:

Core the head of cabbage, and boil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove cabbage from water and let cool.

Cook lentils and brown rice according to your preferred method (I usually go with 20 minutes of simmering for the lentils and 30-35 minutes for the brown rice), using the cabbage water if you like (it has flavor and nutrients). Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic with the curry powder and cinnamon.

Sauteing the vegetables

 Peal off leaves of cabbage and set aside for stuffing.  Chop up the inner leaves that are too small for rolls as well as any that are hopelessly broken, and add them to the frying pan with the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes.

Mash about ¼ of the lentils (this will act as a binder). Mix in the rest of the lentils, the brown rice, the onion mixture, and the rest of the filling ingredients.  Adjust the flavoring, particularly salt, to taste.

Stuffing the cabbage

Stuff the leaves. Lay a cabbage leaf out flat, and place 1-3 tablespoons of filling, depending on leaf size, near the stem end. Fold in sides and roll up, starting with stem. Place finished rolls seam-side down in slow cooker, piling up in multiple layers. Sprinkle any remaining chunks of cabbage over the top.

In the slow cooker

Mix together sauce ingredients. Pour over rolls in slow cooker.  Add 1-3 cups of water (the cabbage water works fine) until the liquid covers rolls.

Set slow cooker on high and cook for 2-3 hours.

Makes 12-18 rolls (depending on size). Serve with a steak knife, the cabbage remains a little toothsome.

Variation:  For a richer, sweeter sauce, add an extra can of cranberry sauce and omit water.

First Layer of Cabbage Rolls

Salsas and Salads and Slaws, Oh My!

The sun is shining, the veggies are growing, and it is officially the Season of Salad.  It’s a great time to turn over a new leaf on getting plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and to pull out the recipes that taste great without heating up the house. Here are some of the fresh summery dishes I’ve been enjoying lately.

Pico de Gallo (mild)

This is a mild fresh salsa that’s really healthy and refreshing.  It’s also a pretty painless way to get some extra veggie servings in without even noticing.

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium sweet white onion, chopped

¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice

salt and pepper to taste {can substitute lemon pepper or similar low salt seasonings)

Just chop everything up and mix it together. Simple as that!

Serve it with chips or use it as a topping or condiment.

Note: if you can’t get sweet onions, use regular and add a couple teaspoons of sweetener.

Variations:

Spicier Pico de Gallo: add one or two hot peppers of your choice, seeding or not according to the heat you want (leaving some or all seeds in = much hotter).

Mango Pico de Gallo: Add one chopped mango or similar fruit (peach, pineapple or kiwi might be nice). This is a nice sunny version.

Italian Pico de Gallo:  Don’t like cilantro? Try using fresh parsley or basil instead.

More potential add-ins to toss in: beans (black are particularly nice), bell peppers, chopped avocadoes, various crunchy fresh veggies such as celery or even some steamed veggies such as asparagus tips.

The sky’s the limit. However, I admit the basic version is the one I use most often.

Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

Guacamole

3-4 medium avocadoes

1/3 cup Pico de Gallo or other chunky fresh cut salsa

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice (or more to taste)

pinch of cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Halve the avocadoes and scoop out the flesh. Add the lemon juice and mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and adjust to taste.

Variations: Any of the Pico de Gallo variations will work here. The mango version is particularly nice.

You can also make a lower fat version by extending the avocados with pureed peas or other green vegetables, in which case I would probably add some onion and garlic powder to jazz up the flavor.

Foolproof trick to keep guacamole from turning brown:  The discoloration is from oxidation, which means the avocado is reacting to oxygen in the air.  Therefore if you block the air, it won’t happen. What you do is when you’re ready to store your leftover guacamole, spread an even layer of refried beans or other thick spread on top, making sure there are no gaps and the guacamole is completely covered. Then put a lid on the dish and put it in the fridge.  When you’re ready to eat either scrape off the bean layer or eat it as a layer dip.

Guacamole with its blanket of refried beans

Coleslaw

1 lb shredded cabbage and/or other coleslaw veggies

2-3 tbsp dried fruit, chopped if large (cranberries and apricots are good choices)

1 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger, optional

Dressing:

1/3 cup Nayonaise, Vegenaise or homemade vegan mayo

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp sweetener of choice (equivalent to 2 packets)

a generous dash of dill

a dash of mustard powder

1 tbsp oil (optional—I often leave it out to save calories)

Stir together dressing ingredients in large bowl until homogenous. Add cabbage and toss very thoroughly until completely moistened—keep stirring a little longer than you think you should. The trick to great coleslaw that isn’t soggy is to use a smallish amount of dressing but have it very well distributed and absorbed.  When you first start stirring it will look too dry and like you need to add more dressing, but after a few minutes of thorough mixing it will start to look better and you’ll glad you didn’t add too much.  There’s nothing worse than a few soggy leaves swimming in a sea of goop.

Add the dried fruit (which adds great texture and flavor) and ginger if using. Keep chilled.

Variations:

There are a lot of vegetables that can be made into a slaw both on their own and in combination, including: different colors of cabbage, broccoli slaw (which is made from shredded broccoli stems), shredded carrots, daikon and other radishes (yum!), tough greens such as kale, onions, zucchini and frankly pretty much any vegetable that can be shredded and eaten fresh. Some flavorings might need to be adjusted to bring out the best flavor in alternate veggies (see carrot salad below).

The dressing can be replaced with pretty much any type of tangy salad dressing, bottled or homemade. It’s probably best if it’s a little on the thick side, but it doesn’t have to be creamy—a vinaigrette will work too. Use 1/3 to ½ cup dressing for a pound of shredded veggies.

Tricolor Coleslaw with dried cranberries

Carrot-Cranberry Salad

1 lb shredded carrots
1/3 to ½ cup dried cranberries (or more if you like)

Coleslaw dressing (above) minus mustard

An extra 4 tsp (2 more packets) sweetener or sugar

A generous dash of cinnamon.

Stir together dressing, then add rest of ingredients. Adjust sweetener and amount of fruit to taste.

Carrot-Cranberry Salad

Cauliflower salad

Here’s a salad I made for the 4^th. It’s a basic creamy potato salad style dressing that’s tossed with steamed cauliflower instead of potatoes.  It went over pretty well.  The original idea comes from Hungry Girl. I veganized it and adjusted it some based on personal taste. One touch I particularly liked was that the dressing was extended with a couple cups more cauliflower, pureed. That made it lower in fat as well.

I’d never had steamed cauliflower cold and tossed with dressing before. It was surprisingly good that way, although of course not an exact match for potatoes. A combination of half cauliflower and half potatoes might be something to try.

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

Dessert Salsa/ Fruit Salad

This is basically just a typical fruit salad that has been chopped more finely than usual in order to imitate salsa visually, and so that it can be scooped up on sweet cinnamon chips. It’s a fun presentation.  The salsa can also be served up on waffles or pancakes or even on top of grilled pound cake for a kind of mock bruschetta.

3-4 Cups mixed fruit, chopped finely

½ tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tbsp sweetener

1-2 tbsp jam or preserves (flavor of your choice)

1 ½ tbsp chopped crystallized ginger

a dash of cinnamon

A handful of flaked coconut (optional)

2-3 mint leaves, chopped finely (optional, mainly for looks)

Chop everything up and mix it together, adjusting sweetness and flavoring to taste. Serve with cinnamon chips (below).

There are a lot of good fruit choices for this. I think that tropical fruits and berries are particularly nice. The important thing is to incorporate some contrasting flavors and colors.  A combination of red, white and green would look the most like regular salsa.

The fruits I used in the picture are mango, pineapple, green apple, coconut (is coconut a fruit or a nut, anyway?) and boysenberry preserves to bind it together.

Other fruits that would be awesome include kiwi, peach, strawberry, pomegranate arils, mandarin oranges, blueberries, apricots, other kinds of apples and asian pears (what a great texture those would have!).  Canned or frozen fruit is fine too as long as it’s well drained.

Dessert Salsa

Baked Cinnamon Chips

2-3 whole grain tortillas

oil or cooking spray

cinnamon and sugar or sweetener

Preheat to 350 degrees F.

Cut the tortillas into eight wedges each.  Lightly spray 2 cookie sheets.  Spread wedges out on sheets, keeping them from touching or overlapping. Give the tops of the wedges another light spritz of cooking spray and then sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crispy but not burnt.  Watch closely if you’ve got an erratic oven.

Variation: Use different flavorings to make a savory chip.  One of my favorite versions is to brush the wedges with lime juice and sprinkle them with garlic salt before baking.

Baked Cinnamon Chips (with salsa)

Well there you have it: no less than six recipes for nourishing summer fun. Stay cool out there…and full of veggies!