Oven Roasted Asparagus

I had a craving for asparagus after reading this nytimes recipe for health. Olive oil, lemon, and thyme made a simple but tasty marinade. Made with garlic mashed potatoes and tofu baked in sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic.

Vegetable Tofu Tagine

A tagine is a popular stew from Northern Africa named after the clay pot in which it's traditionally cooked. This is my attempt to recreate the vegetable and couscous tagines I had while visiting Morocco many years ago. I also wanted to finally make use of a box of risotto-style couscous that's been sitting in my pantry forever! I used the vegetables I happened to have at the time, but I think green beans and cauliflower would have been great in this also.

Veggies:
1 zucchini, chopped into half moons
3 carrots, chopped into half moons
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Spices:
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Handful of fresh cilantro

1 box of pearl couscous
1 package of extra firm tofu

To prepare the tofu, we preheated the oven at 375 degrees, pressed and sliced the tofu into triangles, marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic powder, and baked for 30-40 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.

For the couscous, I followed the directions on the box. Since it was the larger pearl couscous, it required 10-15 minutes of simmering like pasta. I started with the vegetables, adding a little olive oil to a medium sized pot over medium-high heat, then the onion and garlic, then the carrots and zucchini. Next I added 2 1/2 cups of veggie broth and the couscous last. After the stew to came to a boil, I covered and simmered for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure it wasn't sticking to the bottom of the pot (which it did). I served it up with the baked tofu in a fancy design!

Tempeh Bolognase Pasta

I haven't posted in a while because I'm being treated for an ulcer which sadly means boring, bland foods. Here's something Simon made for himself the other night. Another great use of Vegan with Vengeance's sausage tempeh crumbles, this time sauteed with a can of diced tomatoes, served over whole wheat spaghetti, and topped with kalamata olives!

Stir-fried Rice in a Spicy Peanut Sauce

Main:
1 cup of brown rice, cooked
1 head of broccoli, chopped into crowns and steamed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 container of extra firm tofu
handful of freshly diced cilantro

Sauce:
1 cup of veggie stock
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider, white wine, or rice)
1 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes (add more or less for desired hotness)

We started by adding the rice and water to the rice cooker, and prepared the tofu by draining, pressing, and marinating it with some soy sauce, garlic, and chili pepper flakes. We like to bake our tofu nowadays so we also preheated the oven and baked the tofu on a lined cookie sheet for about 30 minutes.

Next we prepared the sauce by bringing a cup of water to a boil, then added 1/2 a cube of organic herbed vegetable stock into a quart sized measuring cup. We added the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and red paper flakes, stirring well.

Then we steamed the broccoli crowns and started to stir-fry the sliced onions and carrots with the sesame oil in a skillet. Once the onions looked soft we added the garlic and ginger for a few more minutes, then the steamed broccoli and finished rice. After a few minutes we added the sauce over medium heat until it began to simmer, then turned the burner off. We combined with the baked tofu and fresh cilantro and devoured!

Spiced Coconut Carrot Soup

This is a thin soup, but the number of carrots can be adjusted for a thicker puree. It's the combination of coconut milk and yummy spices that make this so delicious, we'll definitely make it again! Inspiration and spice mixture came from this recipe. Here's how we made it:

Main:

5 carrots, chopped or shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk (not lite!)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Spices:

1 tablespoon curry
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped onion to a soup pot and cook over high heat until onions are soft. Add the garlic and carrots for a few more minutes, then stir in the spices, quickly followed by the stock and coconut milk (I usually get "lite", but the flavor of this recipe really depends on full fat/calorie regular coconut milk). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Blend in a blender or food processor, return to the pot and add the chopped cilantro.

Coconut Date Balls

Happy Easter! I made these for Simon today, they're similar to a treat my mom used to make for me when I was a kid. Raw, simple, and the only way I'll eat dates!

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup dates (pits taken out)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (plus extra for the coating)

In a food processor, first blend the almonds to a fine meal, then add the dates a few at a time. Next add the coconut flakes and vanilla extract and pulse a few times. Place the mixture in a small bowl and mix using hands. Form one inch balls and roll into the extra coconut flakes. Place onto a parchment lined container and refrigerate! DELICIOUS!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

"Two great tastes that taste great together."

I tried a few different versions, using this recipe and this recipe as guides. In the end, I found that the peanut butter cups tasted best with no other added ingredients besides a dash of vanilla extract. Most chocolate already has enough sugar and plain peanut butter is delicious as is, why add more fat and calories? The hardest part was getting the chocolate to envelope the peanut butter on the sides, so I settled for a layered effect.

Here's what I used (makes 12):

1 + 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips, melted in a double boiler
(Optional: add 1-2 tablespoons of soy milk to the melting chocolate for a fudgier texture)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First I melted the chocolate in a double boiler and combined the peanut butter in a bowl with the vanilla extract. I used a muffin pan and 12 liners, pouring roughly a teaspoon of melted chocolate into each one and used a spoon to make sure it evenly covered the bottom surface. Then I added a tablespoon of peanut butter, slightly flattening and centering it. Last I poured about a tablespoon of the melted chocolate on top, smoothing it over and adding a little swirly texture for fun. After about an hour cooling in the fridge, they're ready to eat!