Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Mayo

Nothing is easier to make than a batch of oven fries. Cut up potatoes, put them in the oven, take them out of the oven. Voíla!

In this recipe, the sweet potatoes are tossed in a bit of oil and spice to add a subtle spice to the sweet flavour of the potato, and they are served (if you like) with a super-simple spicy mayo dip (because if you aren’t going to deep-fry your potatoes, you should at least serve them with mayo, right?).

We like to eat these as a side dish with all manner of entrees, from burgers to baked tofu to chili. It’s a fun and simple way to enjoy what is, in my humble opinion, one of the best winter vegetables out there.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Serves 4

1 large sweet potato, about 1 lb.
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Cut potatoes into long, thin strips. Try to make them as even as possible so that they will all finish cooking at the same time.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, oil, and chili powder.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 – 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. (20 minutes should be long enough for them to cook through, 30 minutes should make them a bit crispy on the outside. Test a few with a fork to make sure they are done).

Sriracha Mayo
Makes ½ cup

½ cup mayo or vegan mayo (I really like vegenaise)
½ Tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh chives (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.
2. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days.

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

Basil-Balsamic Baba Ganoush

I brought home a bag of baby eggplants the other day to make the eggplant and goat cheese pizza that I posted last week, but it soon became clear that I had too many eggplants for just one culinary project. Falling back on an old standby, I decided to whip up a batch of baba ganoush, a Mediterranean dip similar to hummus that I like to use as a dip for veggies and crackers. It also makes a great addition to sandwiches and wraps.

I roasted my eggplants and then opened my cupboards, and found that I was missing two out of the five ingredients for this extremely simple recipe. Time to improvise! I substituted balsamic vinegar for lemon juice, basil for parsley, and pine nuts… well, those I just threw in for fun. In the end, I had a dip very much like baba ganoush but different enough from the original recipe that I thought I should share it with you. I hope you enjoy it!

Basil-Balsamic Baba Ganoush
Makes about 2 cups

1 lb. eggplant (about 1 medium eggplant or 3 baby eggplants)
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place face down on a cookie sheet. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and the flesh is soft and browned. Let cool.
2. When the eggplant is cool, scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a blender or food processor.
3. Add other ingredients to blender (or food processor) and pulse until smooth.

Adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles

Fresh Summer Salsa

Yum! As I’ve said before, making fresh salsa is one of my favorite things about summer. Ripe tomatoes, cilantro, some spice, and the coolness of cucumber all come together in a fresh, flavorful condiment that can be used in so many things that it’s almost mind boggling. For some ideas, go here.

Salsa is a fun thing to make, I think, because it is so delicious, so versatile, and rather impressive-sounding (“yes, I make my own salsa…”) but it is extremely easy as long as you have the right vegetables on hand, and a food processor. A food processor is a must here to get the veggies chopped finely enough and consistently enough without your salsa-making adventure lasting until next September. A good food processor can usually be obtained for $30 – 40 (in the United States) and it’s a good investment for salsas, falafel, latkes, and many other dishes.

This salsa is a variation on the recipe that I posted last summer. I didn’t have as many tomatoes around the house this time, so I substituted other vegetables in their stead. I also blended the salsa a little bit less, creating a texture more like pico de gallo than bottled salsa. This particular incarnation was also somewhat reminiscent of a Latin-inspired bruschetta, and went very well on thin slices of garlic-infused baguette. I suspect that an unflavored baguette would treat it just as nicely.

Another Summer Salsa
Makes about 4 cups

1 cup red onion, cut into quarters (1 large onion)
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed (about 1½ cups)
1 bell pepper, veins and seeds removed and cut into quarters
2-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 scotch bonnet chile (or other chile), chopped with veins and seeds removed
1½ cups cucumber, cut into large chunks (about ½ a cucumber)
3 cups cherry tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt, preferably kosher or coarse salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapenos into food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped (about 10 seconds).
2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, cumin and lime juice and pulse until finely chopped and well combined (about 10 more seconds).  It’s important to do this in two steps so that the harder veggies (onions, peppers) can be finely chopped without turning the softer veggies (tomatoes, cucumber) into mush.
3. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with tortilla chips, on baguette slices, in tacos or burritos, on salads, in eggs or tofu scrambles and in any other dish you can imagine. It will keep in the fridge for about a week (theoretically; that is, if you don’t eat it all up first).

No-Fail Fruit Salad

There’s nothing like fruit salad on a hot summer’s day. It’s refreshing yet filling, and it’s a great way to take advantage of all of the great fruits that come available at this time of year.

This recipe can be used with any fruits you like. The dressing is versatile enough to tackle anything from berries to apples to tropical fruits. Unfortunately, even with the touch of balsamic vinegar in the recipe, the fruits start to brown within about 30 minutes – so make this salad just before you intend to eat it. I find that a half batch a nice meal for two people, and a full batch is great for dinner parties and potlucks.

For potlucks, you can assemble the dressing at home and then bring the fruits with you and toss it all up just before eating time. If you want to eat the salad all week at home, you can mix up the dressing and then toss a bit of it with freshly chopped fruits just before eating. The dressing will keep for about a week in the fridge.

No Fail Fruit Salad
Makes 4 – 6 large servings, or 8 – 10 small ones

6 – 10 cups fruit (depending on how saucy you want your salad to be)
(I used: 2 cups banana, 2 cups pineapple, 2 cups strawberries)

¾ cup vanilla yogurt (or ¾ cup plain yogurt and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla)
1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
¼ tsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tablespoons poppyseeds

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla (if using), syrup, vinegar, cinnamon, and poppyseeds.
2. In a large bowl, combine chopped fruit.
3. Toss fruit with dressing and serve.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I don’t like to brag, but these may just be the best muffins that I have ever made. They are light, moist and bursting with a sweet lemony flavour, while the blueberries provide an occasional mellow, fruity balance. They also rise nicely, creating perfectly golden brown tops on moist, cakey muffin bottoms.

The yogurt in these muffins acts as a replacement for most of the oil that you would find in traditional muffin recipes, making them lower fat without losing the muffins’ moist texture. This does mean that the muffins lack a certain non-stick quality, though, so paper or silicon liners are highly recommended.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Lower Fat)
Makes 12 Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
¾ cup plain (nonfat) yogurt
1 cup soymilk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons safflower oil (or other light tasting oil, like corn or canola)
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
¾ cup blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place paper liners in a standard muffin tin (or grease the muffin tin well. Spray with oil and sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking). Set muffin tin aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix up dry ingredients (including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground flax seed) and combine them well.
3. Next add the wet ingredients (including yogurt, soymilk, vinegar, oil, lemon zest, and blueberries) and combine them well with the dry ingredients.
4. Fill up the muffin tins with the batter (fill them almost all the way up to ensure good muffin tops) and bake for 18 – 20 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before removing from muffin tin or liners. The relative lack of oil makes them especially sticky when they are still warm, but they should come out with no problems once they cool down.

Adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles

Chili Lime Popcorn

Another post about popcorn? I know, I know, but what did I tell you? I’m a sucker for the stuff! Did you know that popcorn was eaten by Inca people on long trips because it doesn’t spoil, is light and compact, and then expands to be quite filling? I think that’s true. In any case, this new recipe is truly delicious.

Chili Lime Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn, unpopped
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika or chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pop popcorn in an air popper or on the stove.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine. When it is melted, stir in the lime juice and the hot sauce. This is important since pouring these directly on the popcorn will cause it to shrivel and give poor distribution.
3. Pour butter mixture over popcorn, sprinkle with paprika/chili powder, salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.

Tofu Jerky

This is a healthy, savoury vegetarian snack that is perfect for road trips or camping because it takes a long time to go bad. (I once drove to Vancouver with a friend, left half the tofu jerky in her car for a week and then happily ate it on the way back home. I’m not sure that I can recommend this course of action specifically, but should it keep through a weekend camping trip or road trip). I mentioned to my partner that I was planning to make tofu jerky for an upcoming camping trip and he said, “Would you be mad if I pretended I was going camping and got you to make some tofu jerky, but then I didn’t actually go camping?” I laughed and told him that I would make it this weekend. And I did.

Don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients. The main things are the tofu and soy sauce. If you don’t like or don’t have some of the spices, just omit them or replace them with ones that suit you better. Pressed tofu works best for this recipe, but you can use regular firm or extra firm tofu as well. Medium, soft and silken tofus will all fall apart.

Tofu Jerky

1 package (400g) pressed tofu
3/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (or 1/4 cup additional soy sauce)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut tofu into slices, as thinly as possible. Arrange in a reusable plastic container that fits them snugly (about a 4 cup container).
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, water and spices.
3. Pour the sauce over the tofu, and then fill the container up with water until the tofu is fully covered. Put the lid on the container and shake until the tofu is well coated.
4. Marinate the tofu 8 hours or overnight (it can be left for a few days if you don’t get around to it).
5. Preheat the oven to 200F.
6. Arrange the marinated tofu on a lightly greased baking sheet, making sure that they are in a single layer. (This may take more than one baking sheet).
7. Bake the tofu for 3-5 hours, or until desired toughness is reached. Turn the tofu every 20 minutes at first, and then every half hour. (If desired, you can baste tofu with some of the sauce for the first few turns to up the flavour, but this will increase baking time since the tofu won’t dry out as quickly).
8. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Rosemary Garlic Popcorn

My mom has an intense appetite for popcorn. If we go to a movie together, there is no question that we are getting a large bag of the stuff, and she makes it for almost every home theatre experience . So I come by my own passion for popcorn honestly. Years ago, when my roommate began dating a chef who showed me how to add more than just butter and salt to my favourite snack, I was set on a path that has led to many experiments, most of them successful. Here is the latest favourite.

Rosemary Garlic Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn, unpopped
2 Tbsp. butter or vegan margarine
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crumbled
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Pop the popcorn. It should yield about 4 cups.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter or margarine.
3. Pour melted butter or margarine over the popcorn and sprinkle on the spices, being careful to distribute everything evenly.
4. Toss the popcorn to coat evenly and enjoy!

Fried Tofu with Wasabi Mayonnaise

I used to live in a house with five other people and we would compete with each other for the ultimate fried tofu recipe. This is mine, although I have to admit that it’s a little different every time. Play around with the spices until you find what suits you. If you can’t find nutritional yeast, substitute flour and increase the spices.

Fried Tofu

1 lb. tofu, cut into thin strips
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or additional soy sauce)
1/4 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground peppers
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1. Heat the olive oil in a good large non-stick pan. Add the tofu in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. If it won’t fit, cook the tofu in batches because it needs to be touching the bottom of the pan to absorb all of the flavour.
2. When the tofu starts sizzling, add the soy sauce, Worcestershire (if using) and hot sauce. Flip the tofu several times to let it absorb the liquid on each side.
3. When the liquid is absorbed, add the spices and flip the tofu until the spices stick.
4. Serve immediately. This recipe is good as a side dish, a snack, or on salad. (If you are using it for salad, cut the tofu into cubes instead of slices).

Wasabi Mayonnaise
So good. So easy to make.

1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
1/2 tsp. prepared wasabi

1. Mix the mayonnaise with the wasabi. It’s just that simple. Reduce the wasabi if you are going to let the mayo sit for awhile since the flavour will grow.