Ethiopian Spiced Chickpeas With Collard Greens and Quinoa

April 13, 2011 Leave a comment

2 cans chickpeas
1 bunch collard greens, chopped into 1/8 inch strips
1 large sweet onion, diced small
4 large carrots, diced small
12 ounces low sodium organic vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 bottle dark beer
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 box quinoa – cooked based on instructions on box and set aside.

1) Coat bottom of large pot with olive oil on high heat.  Add onions, carrots and all spices.  Stir to evenly cover vegetables with spices.  Cook on high heat, stirring often for 3 minutes, reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

2) Add the tomato paste and stir into mixture.

3) Add chickpeas, beer and vegetable broth.  Stir. When mixture boils, reduce heat to medium/low.

4) Add collard greens and stir to incorporate.  Cook for 5-10 minutes until greens wilt down, but are still green and slightly crunchy.

5) Pour pre-cooked quinoa into pot, stir and turn off heat.  Serve with a great dark beer!

Filed under Events, Greens, Quinoa, Spices, Stews Tagged with , , , ,

Vegan Brunch

April 8, 2011 Leave a comment

Makes me want to move to Vancouver!

Check it out:

Vancouver Vegan Brunch

I’m going to play around with some brunch recipes of my own.  Will try a Vegan French Toast this weekend.  Will let you know how it comes out.

Filed under Breakfast Tagged with

Conversation With Random Woman At Whole Foods

March 29, 2011 Leave a comment

I was pushing my cart through an aisle at Whole Foods when a random woman started a conversation.  Here goes:

Woman: Excuse me, but do you know if the vacuum sealed packages of chicken really last longer?

Me: I’m sorry, I wouldn’t know – my wife and I don’t eat meat.

Woman: That’s so good, but why don’t you eat meat?  I don’t think chicken is as bad for you as meat.  Why wouldn’t you at least eat chicken?

Me: It isn’t…(I’m interrupted)

Woman: Oh – it is probably a health thing right?  I bet you lost a lot of weight since you stopped eating meat!  Did you?

Me: Some but that isn’t why I stopped.  Do you want the real answer, because people often ask me the question but don’t want to hear the details?

Woman: Yeah, I mean, sure.

Me: Rather than try to explain it all while we’re on-line here, I suggest you buy some books including Eating Animals and Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Woman: Thanks so much.  But how do you know the authors are telling the truth? I’m actually a librarian, and that is a big thing for me, making sure the authors know what they’re talking about.

Me: Lets put it this way – some of what they’re saying has got to be true because that’s a dead animal in your shopping cart, right?  They don’t make that part up.  It was living, and now it’s not, so that’s kind of hard to make up.

The end.

Filed under Life, Shopping Tagged with , , ,

Vegan Jerk Collard Greens With White Beans

March 27, 2011 Leave a comment

2 green bell peppers, diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 peeled carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (include seeds)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 bag prewashed spinach
1 bunch collard greens, stalks removed, cut into strips
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
pinch of cayenne
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Coat the bottom of large soup pot with olive oil. Heat on high.
2) Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, green bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat all vegetables with spices.
3) Add orange juice, apple juice, agave, soy sauce, and vinegar.  Stir.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium/low heat.
4) Add the spinach and collard greens and stir often until spinach and collards have wilted down.
5) Add beans, stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve on top of quinoa (cook quinoa based on instructions on box).

Filed under Greens, Spices, Stews Tagged with , , ,

Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 26, 2011 Leave a comment

Vegan Cookies

1 and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bran flour
1/4 cup flax meal
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sliced, chopped almonds
1/2 cup light agave syrup
1/8 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil (or olive oil – not extra virgin)
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch salt
1/4 cup vegan Sunspire carob or chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees
2) Line a metal baking tray with parchment paper
3) In one bowl mix whole wheat flour, bran flour, flax meal, coconut flakes, almonds, salt and chips.
4) In another bowl mix agave, maple syrup, oil and vanilla.
5) Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient and thoroughly mix.
6) Press together 1/2 balls of the batter and space about 1/2 inch apart on parchment paper.
7) Bake for 11-14 minutes.

As a note, when you remove from oven, they will be soft, but as soon as they cool they harden up and are delicious!

Filed under Cookies, Desserts Tagged with , , , ,

Vegan Pizza

March 25, 2011 Leave a comment

It is interesting because when I first became vegan one of the foods I missed the most was pizza.  I had to figure out ways to fill the craving and from the local pizza place that amounted to whole wheat salad pizza (which is actually great, but doesn’t hit the same spot as a warm, cheesy slice), or a marinara slice which is effectively bread with red sauce.

There is a health food store near where I live that sells a vegan pizza at the prepared counter – it is the closest thing I’ve found to a real slice.  They use vegan cheese…not bad, but still eh…

So when I read this article today in the Village Voice I became excited:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2011/03/battle_of_the_v_2.php

I know where my next outing is going to be!

Filed under Pizza, Restaurants Tagged with , ,

Vegan Black Bean Dip

March 24, 2011 Leave a comment

1 can black beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds in if you like it hot)
1 shallot chopped

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is a chunky dip. Serve with tortilla chips!

Filed under Side Dishes Tagged with , , ,

Vegan Vegetable Soup

March 24, 2011 Leave a comment

1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 fennel bulb and fronds, chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 leaks, only use the lower 1/3 of the leaks, chopped
1/2 cup chopped collard greens
1/2 cup chopped kale
3 large red potatoes, chopped in eighths
2 chopped garlic cloves
4 baby bok choy, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can white cannellini beans, rinsed.
Water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Coat bottom of large soup pot with olive oil and heat high.
2) Add onion, carrots, celery, fennel, parsnips, leaks, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder.  Cook on high for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3) Add potatoes to pot.
4) Fill pot with enough water to just cover all the vegetables and bring to a boil.
5) Turn down heat to low/medium and add the kale, collard greens, beans and bok choy.  The water level should just cover everything. If it doesn’t, add a little more water.
6) Cook for another 30 minutes uncovered.  If the mixture is boiling furiously, reduce heat to a simmer.

Serve with some delicious bread and a DogFish Head 60 Minute IPA.

Filed under Beer, Soups Tagged with ,

Tofu Alternatives?

March 24, 2011 Leave a comment

I just read this great article about vegan chef, Tal Ronnen in the Detroit Free Press.

His recipes are outstanding and according to the article he is working on vegan recipes for the Wynn Hotel (as a side-note, the Wynn is an absolutely stunning hotel and in my opinion on the classier side for Vegas – definitely worth a visit). The article focuses on protein alternatives to Tofu.

Here’s one of Tal’s recipes that they published in the article for Quinoa, Avocado and Sweet Potato Timbale with Roasted Tomatillo Dressing.

I plan to make this over the weekend.

Enjoy!

Filed under Cookbooks, Grains, Ingredients, Quinoa, Restaurants, Tofu, Vegan Chefs Tagged with , , , ,

Vegan Chili

March 23, 2011 Leave a comment

Vegan Chili

1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 green bell pepper, diced
2 large sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (include seeds)
1 bag frozen corn
1/2 bottle beer (any good ale)
16 ounces crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup organic, low sodium vegetable broth
4 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more if you like spicy)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons organic ketchup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Coat bottom of pan with olive oil and heat high.
2) Add onions, green and red bell pepper, garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, jalapeno and cumin.
3) Cook on high for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
4) Add beer and cook until liquid is boiling.
5) Reduce heat to medium and add crushed tomatoes, ketchup, vegetable broth and hot sauce. Stir to incorporate.  Cook for 10 more minutes.  If mixture is boiling too furiously turn down heat slightly.
6) Add beans and corn.  Stir to incorporate.  Reduce heat to low and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes.

Serve with:
Chopped red onion
Chopped cilantro
Chopped green bell pepper
Favorite store-bought salsa
Guacamole
Wedge of lime

Filed under Meals, Spices, Stews Tagged with , ,

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