Creamy BBQ Pasta

The weather has turned cold around here, and autumn is upon us in all of its chilly, rainy glory. So it’s comfort food for us, the kind that warms you up and makes you happy to be watching the rain fall outside.

This pasta is creamy, tasty comfort food at its best and (thanks to the yogurt, which cuts down on the cheese and eliminates the need for cream) it’s also not terribly unhealthy. The BBQ sauce and peppers provide a little taste of summer to a dish that we will be eating all winter long.

Creamy BBQ Pasta
Makes 2 Large Servings

1 cup dry whole wheat pasta, a short variety like penne or macaroni
3 cups water
½ teaspoon oil
1 cup bell pepper chopped (about 1 medium pepper)
½ cup cooked pinto beans (canned beans work fine)
½ cup corn kernels
1 clove garlic
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon prepared BBQ Sauce (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add pasta and stir a few times to prevent sticking. Boil about 8 minutes or until pasta is the consistency you like. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the peppers and saute on medium heat until they are softened and the edges are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, peppers, corn, beans, garlic, yogurt, cilantro, and BBQ sauce. Mix well.
4. Stir in the cheese, and serve immediately.

Fiesta Macaroni Bean Salad

We had friends over for dinner last night, and we decided to mark the closing of summer with all of our favourite summer foods. Baked beans were there, along with corn on the cob, and rosemary roasted potatoes shared the oven (and our plates) with fabulously simple roasted asparagus – but this pasta salad was the star of the show.

I love it because it has the creaminess of a mayonnaise-based pasta salad, without either the flavour or the texture of the mayo taking over the dish. The whole wheat pasta, along with generous portions of beans and veggies, add texture and flavour that is sometimes lacking in pasta salads.

I should be up front with you, though: this recipe is not mine. It comes to you (only very slightly modified) from La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer (who also co-wrote How it All Vegan and The Garden of Vegan, the books that taught me how to cook and how to be vegan. I still use a lot of those lessons, even as I’ve added some dairy and the occasional egg back into my diet). All three cookbooks are favourites of mine; worth checking out both for their basic recipes and for their more elaborate dishes (like this one). My only complaint is the portion estimation. Every recipe in La Dolce Vegan claims to make “2 large or 4 small servings.” While the recipes vary, I find that most make 6 – 8 servings, but maybe that’s just me.

Fiesta Macaroni Bean Salad

3 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta (macaroni or fusilli work well)
6 cups water
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 large carrot, grated or diced (about ½ cup)
1 small bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cups kidney beans or pinto beans (or 1 – 19oz. can, drained)
1 cup corn kernels
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup mayonnaise (I really like vegan Vegenaise)
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce, or to taste
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

1. In a large pot, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 – 8 minutes. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to avoid sticking. Set aside to cool.
2. When the pasta is completely cool, toss it together with all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few hours first. Keeps well for a few days in the fridge.

Artichoke Heart and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Heading out on one last picnic before the weather turns cold? Or maybe you need something to munch on at work or school? Wherever you enjoy it, this easy spread makes a nice, healthy treat that works equally well as a sandwich spread or a dip.

The texture of the spread is similar to hummus, thanks to the white beans that provide its base, but the flavour is something else. The artichokes lend a creaminess that balance the rich flavour of the sundried tomatoes, while the garlic steps in with its own unique kick.

I especially liked this as a dip for veggies and pitas, and in veggie sandwiches (with cucumber, tomato, and spinach). I hope that you will enjoy it, too!

Artichoke Heart and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Makes 1½ cups

1 cup white beans (such as cannellini beans or navy beans)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup artichoke hearts
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until creamy. (I like my Cuisinart immersion blender for things like this. It is a bit of an investment, but I got it as a gift a few years ago and I use it almost every day for blending dips, spreads, smoothies, and soups).
2. Serve with veggies or crackers, or as a spread in sandwiches.

Adapted from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Tacos: Rice, Beans, and Greens

These tacos represent a coming together of some of our favorite side dish recipes. The flavours in each (garlic in the spinach, cumin in the rice, rich dark beer in the beans) come together for a satisfying, complex mouthful of taco goodness.

That being said, this recipe can look a little intimidating given all of its various elements. Each of the recipes are quite easy, and I’ve included instructions for timing everything so that it takes the least effort and all comes together at the same time. If you are short on time or energy, though, you can use store-bought prepared beans (I especially like Trader Joe’s canned “Cuban Black Beans” but any brand of baked beans should work if you can’t get those). You’ll need about 2 cans.

This recipe can be easily doubled and is great for a fun, laid-back dinner party. Have your guests make their own tacos from the ingredients you’ve prepared. The different elements keep well in the fridge for about a week. Just keep them in separate containers and put tacos together whenever you want them.

Tacos: Rice, Beans, and Greens

10 small flour tortilla shells or taco shells
1 recipe cumin garlic rice (below)
1 recipe beer-stewed beans (below)
1 recipe garlic greens (below)
1 cup salsa, store-bought or homemade
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
1 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese, shredded (optional)
1 avocado, sliced (optional)
hot sauce to taste (optional)

1. Put the rice on first, because it takes the longest and doesn’t need supervision.
2. Next, work on the beans. They are better the longer they simmer. When they are done (if you aren’t), just turn the heat off and put a lid on the pot.
3. Do the spinach last, because it doesn’t take long and it shouldn’t be over-cooked.
4. Gather the rest of the ingredients, and put together your tacos as you eat. Enjoy!

Cumin-Garlic Rice
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2¼ cup water (or follow instructions on your rice cooker)
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Put all ingredients in rice cooker and cook according to manufacturer directions for 1 cup of brown rice. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can find instructions for cooking brown rice in a pot here.

Beer-Stewed Beans
(Adapted from Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas)

4 cups pinto beans or black beans or kidney beans (cooked or canned)
1 cup tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup beer (preferably a dark beer)
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup cilantro, minced

1. Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Garlic Greens
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
10 oz. fresh spinach or other greens (collards, kale, chard, bok choy, etc.)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or red wine vinegar or white wine

1. In a large pot or wok, heat oil and add garlic, sauteeing until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
2. Add spinach and vinegar or wine, and cook until spinach is bright green, and has reduced to about a quarter of its original size (about 5 minutes).

Healthier Falafel

Sorry I’ve been away so long. It’s been a crazy few months around here, but I’m back now and I have a delicious falafel recipe ready and waiting for you.

So, I’ve been making falafel at home for years – or rather attempting it. Until now, the texture had never been quite right and I couldn’t figure out how to make a satisfyingly crispy falafel without deep frying. Those days are over. Today, I managed baked falafel that was perfectly crispy, soft on the inside and bursting with flavor, and I knew that I had to share my newly discovered tricks with you.

The first trick is to use a food processor, not a blender. Blenders tend to require a lot of liquid in order to blend the falafel, and this can lead to falafel that lacks texture and falls apart when you try to shape it. A food processor, on the other hand, chops the dry ingredients finely with very little liquid, leaving you with nicely textured falafel that is easy to work with.

The second trick is heat. The falafel is baked at a moderate heat for 10 minutes, to make sure it’s cooked through. Then, the heat is turned up to make the outsides crispy and brown. Just make sure you watch the oven closely while you’re cooking or you may end up with charred falafel instead.

We like to eat falafel stuffed into a pita with some combination of lettuce, red onion, tomato, cucumber and maybe even hummus or tahini, just like the falafel that’s served by street vendors everywhere. It’s also great as a side dish, with a grain salad (like this or this) and a green vegetable, as pictured below. However you serve it, it’s a delicious meal rich in protein and fibre, and it makes great leftovers. Enjoy!

Healthier Falafel
Makes 24 small falafels

2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (or a 19oz. can of chickpeas, drained)
½ cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. cumin
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. water
1½ tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup flour (for a gluten free version, use chickpea flour)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin, and parsley until the chickpeas are finely chopped, the texture of coarse bread crumbs.
3. Add the water, lemon juice and oil and pulse a few more seconds, until well mixed.
4. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and mix with flour, adding 1 Tbsp. at a time until the mixture sticks together.
5. Form mixture into small balls, wetting your hands periodically to keep it from sticking to you. Press the balls  into patties and place on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake 10 minutes, and then turn the oven up to 450F. Bake 10 more minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Curry Tofu Sandwiches with Cilantro Bean Spread

A friend emailed me awhile ago asking for recipes that she could take to work. I’ve been on the lookout for such recipes myself and the result has generally been hearty salads (like this or this or this) and sandwiches. To make your searching easier, I’ve added “Lunchbox” as a tag on this site. This category includes hearty, one-dish meals that are easily transportable, (usually) don’t need to be reheated, and make enough to last at least most of the week.

For me, the perfect sandwich is one that tastes great, won’t get soggy, and packs a lot of make ahead ingredients that I can slap together in a hurry before heading out the door. This sandwich meets all criteria. Placing the tomatoes between the tofu and cheese will prevent them from making your bread soggy (and thickly spread beans and chutney help, too, even if you omit the cheese). Plus, the bean spread and tofu can be made ahead of time so that you have quick lunches all week.

This recipe pulls together a few recipes from elsewhere, including a bean spread modified from an old edition of Vegetarian Times. I also used the Curried Tofu recipe from Veganomicon but you can use any premade baked tofu if you prefer (Pete’s “Thai Tango” would be especially good), or just chase 16 slices of extra firm tofu around a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic and a few tablespoons of curry powder. I’d love to hear about your variations.

Curry Tofu Sandwiches with Cilantro Bean Spread
Makes 8 Sandwiches

1 recipe cilantro bean spread, below (3 Tbsp. per sandwich)
2 – 8oz. packages baked tofu, cut into 16 slices (2 slices per sandwich)
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced (½ tomato per sandwich)
1 cup mango chutney (2 Tbsp. per sandwich)
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese, optional
16 slices good quality, whole grain bread

1. Spread one slice of bread with bean spread and one slice with chutney.
2. Layer cheese (if using), tomatoes, and tofu on the beany side and then close the bread with the chutney side. (The bean spread offers the best sogginess protection if you are omitting the cheese).
3. Enjoy!

Cilantro Bean Dip
Makes 1¾ cups

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 scallions (green onions), white, light green and dark green parts, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup white cannellini beans or other white beans
1½ Tbsp. lime juice
½ tsp. cumin

1. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil and saute garlic and jalapeno until garlic is translucent. Add scallions and saute until bright green and browning on the edges, being careful not to burn them.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

P.S. This recipe produces a thick consistency best suited to a spread. If you want a dip instead, add 1 cup of plain yogurt (soy if you prefer) and eat it with crackers, chips and/or veggies.

Big Pot of Chili + Corn Tortillas = 2 Meals in One!

Time is getting tight around here, so when I looked into the fridge and discovered nothing for lunch and nothing for dinner, I knew I had to make something that I could eat all week for both meals without getting completely sick of whatever it was I was eating. In the end, I made a big pot of chili and then turned half of the chili into enchilada filling the next day. It worked perfectly, because I really only had to make one meal but the chili and enchiladas were different enough from each other that I didn’t feel like I was constantly eating the same thing. Of course, you can make just the chili or just the enchiladas if you would prefer. Either recipe would also freeze well for later.

This recipe works especially well if you let the chili sit in the fridge overnight before attempting enchiladas. That way, it has some time to thicken up. If you don’t want to, though, it will probably work out fine to do both recipes the same day.

This chili is another variation on my basic chili, this one designed to blend into a creamy, smooth filling for enchiladas. The addition of spinach and molasses also adds iron (and deliciousness) to the dish.

Chili
Makes 12 – 15 servings, or 6 – 8 if you use half in the enchiladas

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
4 large potatoes, chopped with the skins on (about 3 cups)
1 – 28 oz. can tomatoes, with liquid
3 cups beans (you choose: pinto, black, kidney, chickpeas) (2 – 15 oz. cans, drained)
2 cups frozen spinach (or about 8 cups fresh, stemmed)
¾ cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped (optional)
1½ Tbsp. chili powder
1½ Tbsp. cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1 cup vegetable broth

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add garlic, onion and peppers, sauteeing until onions are translucent.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. (Add broth gradually and only if needed. The chili should be thick like a stew, not thin like a soup).
3. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Serve garnished with Monterey Jack cheese (or plain yogurt) and hot sauce, if desired.

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are always a favorite for us, with their yummy, saucy, filling goodness. If rolling enchiladas seems like too much for you, you can take the easy way out and simply layer the ingredients. Put one third of the sauce on the bottom of a large greased casserole dish, then a layer of tortillas, layer of filling (all of it), ⅓ more sauce, half of the cheese, another layer of tortillas, the rest of the sauce, the rest of the cheese – done! Then you can pretend it’s extra fancy by calling it “Enchilada Lasagna”! (This sauce is adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

Chili Enchiladas
Makes 10 Enchiladas, Serves 4 – 6 people

10 small corn tortillas
4 cups chili (recipe above)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (optional)

Enchilada Sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 cup tomato puree (1 large or 2 small tomatoes, blended)
½ cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F, and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
2. Start by making the enchilada sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Combine onions with remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Remove from saucepan and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened. Set aside.
3. Blend chili slightly so that the liquid is thickened but the chili is still chunky. A hand blender is especially good for this but you could use a conventional blender or food processor as well. Set aside.
4. Spoon half of the sauce into the baking pan.
5. Now assemble the enchiladas. Add about ¼ cup of chili filling and 2 Tbsp. of cheese to each tortilla and roll it, placing it seam side down in the pan. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled.
6. Spoon remaining sauce on enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 20 – 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Omit cheese for a vegan dinner.

Spinach and Black Bean Quesadillas

It would seem that grad school has managed to shift the focus of this blog specifically to vegetarian recipes that are quick, easy, and relatively cheap. This one is all three and was also really delicious. This recipe only makes one quesdadilla (half of which is shown above), but you could easily multiply the filling to make massive amounts and then make quesadillas (even more easily) all week. You could also easily make this recipe gluten free by using corn tortillas, or vegan by omitting the cheese and substituting extra filling.

Spinach and Black Bean Quesadillas
Serves 1 – 2

2 – 8″ whole wheat tortillas
1 cup frozen spinach (or about 4 cups fresh)
½ cup black beans
2 – 4 cloves garlic (I used 4, but not everyone loves garlic as much as I do)
¼ tsp. chili powder
½ shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. In a large non-stick pan, cook the spinach, beans, garlic and chili powder until the spinach is either thawed (if frozen) or cooked down (if fresh).
2. Spread spinach mixture on one tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with the other tortilla.
3. Rinse out the pan.
4. Cook the quesadilla in the same pan for about 3 minutes on each side, using two spatulas to flip it.
5. Cut into wedges and serve. Garnish with salsa or hot sauce if desired.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I know that every practically every vegetarian already has their own hummus recipe, and that some people are even tired of hummus (gasp!), but if you don’t fall into one of those two categories, be sure to try this recipe which (in my humble opinion) is bursting with flavour from the red pepper and a few extra spices while still tasting like hummus – good old vegetarian comfort food.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Makes About 2½ cups

2 cups chickpeas (or one 15oz. can, drained)
1 roasted red pepper (about ⅓ of a typical jar, or roast one yourself)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
½ cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
¼ tsp. paprika (optional)

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients.
2. Process until smooth, adding more olive oil if necessary and adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Garnish with parsley and paprika, if desired.

Two Vegetarian Chili Recipes: Super Chili

So, if you want to fancy things up a bit, here is my “Super Chili” recipe, which is essentially the basic chili with a whole lot added in. I’ve garnished it here with some Avocado Cream, which is delicious and super easy to make, but you can leave it out if you like.

Vegetarian Super Chili
makes 6 – 8 servings

1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2-6 cloves garlic, minced (you decide)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 large bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ Tbsp. olive oil
1 – 28oz. can diced tomatoes (or 3½ cups chopped tomatoes and ½ cup water)
2 cups black beans (or 1 – 14oz. can)
2 cups kidney beans (or 1 – 14oz. can)
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup corn
1 large potato, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup frozen spinach (or 4 cups raw spinach, cooked down)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. maple syrup

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté garlic, onion, jalapeño, bell pepper and carrot until onion is soft. If you are using fresh spinach, add it and cook it down after cooking the onion.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, spinach, potatoes, broth, spices and syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency is reached, about 20 minutes.

VARIATION: Slow Cooked Super Chili: Throw all of the ingredients together into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

Avocado Cream
Makes 4 – 8 servings

1 avocado
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. lime juice

1. In a bowl, mash the avocado.
2. Add the yogurt and lime juice and mix.
3. Serve immediately