Easy Peasy White Beans with Autumnal Veggies

Actually, it's even easier than it looks. (What? I'm talking about food, for heaven's sake!) Beans, spinach, sweet potatoes, garlic...what more could you need or desire for a delicious, nutritious, easy meal on a busy weeknight? Now take your head out of the gutter and start cooking, why don't you?






Easy Peasy White Beans with Autumnal Veggies
Ingredients
~ 1 large sweet potato (or two small ones)
~ 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 red onion, chopped
~ 2 generous tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, marjoram, tarragon, parsley
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 1/2 cup white wine
~ 1 lb. chopped, frozen spinach
~ 1 15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini)

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ On a baking sheet, coat the sweet potato cubes in a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing once around the middle of the roasting time, until brown and quite tender, but not falling apart. Remove from the oven and set aside.
~ In a large, deep skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until just starting to brown.
~ Add the garlic, mushrooms, and dried seasonings; cook another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have given off most of their liquid.
~ Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, and cook another minute.
~ Add the spinach, and cook another 5-10 minutes, until you have a thick stew.
~ Stir in the beans and the roasted sweet potato, cook another minute or two until everything is heated through, and taste for seasoning.
~ Serve over rice or couscous.

Super-Fantastic Noochtastic Kale

You know you've been meaning to, anyway, and here is the perfect way to do it! This is my long-established, go-to approach to leafy greens, and while it hardly qualifies as a "recipe," it's so delicious that I figured I'd finally type it up for the Good of Humanity. (It's also MoFo, and I need fodder for blog posts, dammit!) This works well with spinach, collards, chard, or whatever greenery strikes your fancy, but I think that the sturdiness of kale (i.e. "Nature's Wonder Food") is particularly toothsome when coated in garlic and nooch. So no more excuses: get out your wok and get ready for a massive infusion of iron and B vitamins. Whoo-hoo!


Super-Fantastic Noochtastic Kale
Ingredients
~ 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 big bunch kale, cleaned and chopped
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. kosher salt
~ ⅓-½ cup nutritional yeast (or more, depending on your nooch jones)
~ Healthy shot of hot sauce (optional; I like Frank's)

Directions
~ In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for a minute or so.
~ Add the salt, and begin adding kale in batches, stirring until it just wilts.
~ Continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly (you can add a little water if it starts to stick).
~ Stir in the nutritional yeast and hot sauce (if using) and cook another minute, making sure that all the greens are coated.
~ Remove from heat and serve immediately.

"Chicken" Pot Pie

My belief that any foodstuff is better when encased in pastry is well documented; hence my abiding love for the pot pie. There's something wonderfully homey about a ginormous casserole on a chilly evening, and this quintessential comfort food seemed appropriate this week, since the dreaded First F$#%ing Cold of the Season has officially arrived. In fact, as I type this, my heroic partner is bustling about in the kitchen making soup, noochy kale, and - YES! - biscuits, all while delivering medicinal draughts of hot gin and lemonade. (If it's good enough for Dickens, it's good enough for me.)

Anyway, I made this pie on the weekend, and it provided enough food to sustain our hungry household for several days: "indeed, as Mrs. Cratchit said with great delight...they hadn't ate it all at last!" On the whole, this is a go-to recipe for when you're craving a plateful of that "Mummy loves you" feeling - a feeling exacerbated by the addition of mashed potatoes or champ, glazed carrots, and/or sautéed green beans. (Would Mummy lie to you? About food? Exactly.)

"Chicken" Pot Pie
The Filling
Ingredients
~ 3 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 cup raw cashews
~ 1 tbsp. No Chicken bouillon
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 cups chopped onion
~ 1 cup sliced carrots
~ 1/2 cup diced celery
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each: sage, marjoram, thyme, parsley
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 3 cups sliced mushrooms
~ 1.5 cups cubed vegan "chicken" (Gardein, TJ's, soy curls, seitan, etc.)
~ 3/4 cup frozen peas

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a 9 x 13" casserole with cooking spray.
~ Combine the soy milk and the bouillon and heat to nearly boiling; add the cashews and soak for at least an hour (the longer the better). When the cashews are nice and soft, puree the mixture in a food processor and set aside.
~ In a large, deep skillet, sauté the onions, celery, and carrot over medium heat for 5 minutes.
~ Add the garlic, dried seasonings, mushrooms, and seitan, and cook about 5-7 minutes more, stirring frequently to make sure things don't stick.
~ Stir in the pureed cashew mixture and the peas, cook another minute or two, and transfer to your prepared casserole.
~ Set aside to cool while you make...

The Topping
Ingredients
~ 2 cups all-purpose flour
~ 1/2 cup cold vegan margarine or shortening (I use a frozen stick of Earth Balance)
~ 8-12 tbsps. ice water

Directions
~ Put the flour in a mixing bowl, and cut or grate in the cold margarine or shortening. Mix with your fingers until you get a texture like course crumbs.
~ Add 8 tbsps. of the ice water and mix; add as much additional water as necessary to make a rough, slightly sticky dough.
~ Form the dough into a ball, then turn it out onto a floured board, and use a rolling pin to shape it fit your casserole dish. Carefully transfer the pastry on top of the filling, crimp around the edges to seal, and poke a few holes in the top with a fork.
~ Brush the top with a little plain, unsweetened soy milk, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
~ Allow to sit briefly before serving.

Risotto with Roasted Squash, Spinach, and Saffron

Happy MoFo, MoFoers (and non-MoFoers)! Sorry to arrive a bit late to the annual party, but things are kind of cuckoo-bananas around here this fall. Even so, I'm going to keep my hand in, and try to post at least once or twice a week (and with all the amazing vegan bloggers participating - over 700 this year! - I'll never be short of inspiration). And so, without further ado...I give you a hearty, filling risotto: just what the doctor ordered on a chilly autumn evening. We happened to have butternut squash on hand, but acorn, pumpkin, or even sweet potato would do as well; it's really the saffron that gives it that certain special something. Since this recipe has an orange vegetable and leafy greens, we had it as a one-pot dinner, but it would also make a nice side dish for a more elaborate meal like a Sunday dinner or - GASP! - Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner.

Risotto with Roasted Squash, Spinach, and Saffron
Ingredients
~ 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
~ 6 cups strong vegetable broth
~ 1 tsp. saffron threads
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 cups chopped onions
~ 2.5 cups arborio rice
~ 1/2 cup dry white wine
~ 1 8 oz. package fresh baby spinach, chopped (about 4 cups)
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
~ 1/3 cup vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ On a baking sheet, coat the cubed squash in a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, tossing once around the middle of the roasting time, until the squash is brown and quite tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
~ Pour the stock into a pot and place over medium heat. Keep it very hot while you cook the risotto, but be careful to reduce heat if it comes close to a boil.
~ Toast the saffron by placing it in a metal spoon, then set it over a low flame to toast until fragrant. Add the toasted threads to the simmering broth.
~ In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until softened but not browned, about 7-10 minutes. Depending on how salty your stock is, you may or may not want to add a teaspoon of salt at this point.
~ Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the rice. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes, until the grains are coated and giving off a toasty aroma.
~ Add the wine, stirring constantly until it has been absorbed and making sure to scrape up any bits that have stuck to bottom of the pan.
~ Ladle in about a cup of the stock, and stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Continue this way until all of the stock has been added and the rice is creamy, but still has a bit of a bite to it.
~ Stir in the roasted squash and the spinach, and cook another minute or two.
~ Add the Earth Balance, the vegan parm or nooch,, and a few grinds of black pepper.
~ Mix thoroughly, remove from heat, and serve immediately.

Kale and Tempeh Coconut Curry

Yet again, I tender my apologies for being the World's Worst Blogger, but this whole coursework thing translates to a lot more time reading than cooking (or even thinking about cooking). That said, we still need to eat, and we don't want to get rickets or scurvy or that wholly-imaginary-but-nevertheless-dreaded Vegan Brain Fog I keep hearing about. So last night I stopped dallying with my new boyfriend, Geoffrey Chaucer - see above for his picture; he is SO HOT! - long enough to whip up this quick, easy, veggie-packed curry, which not only kept body and soul together, but was pretty tasty, too.

The super settee, back I went to my joly lovere; ther is namoore to telle.

Kale and Tempeh Coconut Curry
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. canola (or other) oil
~ 8 oz. tempeh, cubed
~ 1 tbsp. soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos, if you're a hippie)
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 1 tbsp. each: chopped garlic, grated ginger
~ 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
~ 1 large (or two small) sweet potato
~ 1 large head kale, cleaned and chopped
~ 2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
~ 2 tbsp. mellow white miso
~ 1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste
~ 1- 2 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste

Directionsuce.
~ Cook the sweet potato in the oven or microwave until it's cooked enough to cut into chunks, but not falling apart. (It took about 8 minutes to nuke a gibloodynormous specimen; your mileage may vary with a less gargantuan tuber.) When it's cool enough to handle, cut it into 1" chunks and set aside.
~ Toss the tempeh cubes with the soy sauce, then add the olive oil to a large, deep skillet and sauté for a few minutes over medium high heat, until lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
~ Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and bell pepper to the skillet, and cook about 5 minutes.
~ Add the sweet potato and the kale - you'll probably need to do the latter in batches - and stir until the kale just wilts.
~ Combine the coconut milk, miso, curry paste, and heat until nearly boiling. Add to the vegetables, turn the heat to low, and cook another 10-15 minutes.
~ Add the tempeh cubes and the hot sauce, stir to combine, and serve hot over rice, noodles, quinoa, couscous, or whatever wacky grain takes your fancy.

Unusually Yummy Tofu Stir-Fry

Yes, I know what you're thinking: what kind of helpless, hapless hippie needs a recipe for a tofu stir-fry, right? But the fact is - as many a vegetarian can attest, having been obliged to make do with the pedestrian version offered by many restaurants as the sole concession to the non-carnivorous - all stir-fries are not created equal. This very quick, very easy meal is a case in point and (as M. Tofu reminds us in his passionate, Gallic way) has the additional benefit of being trés nutritif. It derives its particular yumminess from the combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, and from the simple, extra step of frying the tofu separately, then setting aside to be added to the veggies at the last minute, thereby ensuring that it retains crispiness and structural integrity, and that you will have a happy mouth and tummy. Everyone's a winner!

Unusually Yummy Tofu Stir-Fry
Ingredients
~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
~ 4 teaspoons cornstarch
~ 1/2 cup vegetable broth
~ 1 tbsp. agave nectar
~ 2 tsp. sesame oil
~ 1 tbsp. canola oil
~ 1 heaping tbsp. each: minced garlic, freshly grated ginger
~ 2 large carrots, juliennned
~ 2 cups mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
~ 2 cups broccoli florets
~ 3 cups bok choy, cut into bite size pieces
~ 4 large scallions, thinly sliced at a diagonal
~ 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)

Directions
~ Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and pat dry. Sprinkle the tofu evenly with 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch.
~ In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, agave, sesame oil and remaining cornstarch. Set aside.
~ Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat.
~ Add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
~ Transfer the cooked tofu to a plate, then add the garlic and ginger to the wok and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
~ Add the carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli; stirfry for about 5 minutes.
~ Add the bok choy, scallions, and red pepper flakes, and continue cooking about 3 minutes more, until the greens are just cooked.
~ Add the tofu cubes and the broth mixture and cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. (This should only take about a minute or two.)
~ Serve hot over short grain brown rice.

American Chop Suey

American Chop Suey, for the uninitiated, is one of those working-class New England staples, ubiquitous on diner menus and harried weeknight meal plans. I imagine this is because it's A. cheap, B. fast, C. filling, and D. pleasing to even the most childish of starch-loving palates.

My mother made this dish pretty often when I was small, and continued to do so well into her career as World's Most Compulsively Over-Feeding Nana, when her refrigerator often held a big Tupperware container of the stuff for after-school noshing. I have no idea from whence the appellation "chop suey" came, and had never given it much thought, but Wikipedia tells us that the dish does appear in other regions, where it is "sometimes known as American Goulash, Macaroni Goulash, or Macaroni and Beef," the last of which seems uninspiringly literal-minded.

Since we are currently heading into yet another busy school year, I've been brainstorming meals that can be prepared in large batches and fed off during the week. Casseroles and stews are obvious choices, but it recently occurred to me that a humongous batch of ACS might fit the bill perfectly. And so it proved! Aside from replacing the hamburger with a more compassionate and less disgusting alternative,  I kept things pretty old school, and the results were received so enthusiastically that all those hoped-for leftovers disappeared much more quickly than planned. (Dammit.) The first lesson of the semester? Always make twice as much as you think you'll need; that's why Mother Nature invented the freezer.

American Chop Suey
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 onion, chopped
~ 1 large stalk celery, diced
~ 1 carrot, small dice
~ 1 green bell pepper, diced
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, oregano, chili powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: basil, parsley, marjoram
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 1 tbsp. each: vegan Worcestershire sauce, HP Sauce, hot sauce (I like Frank's)
~ 1 package Trader Joe's "Beefless" Ground Beef or 1 package Nate's or TJ's veggie meatballs, baked and mashed
~ 3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or jarred; your choice)
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
~ 1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained according to package directions

Directions
~ Boil and drain the elbow macaroni, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
~ In a large skillet, sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until soft (about 10-12 minutes).
~ Add the salt, oregano, chili powder, basil parsley, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the ground "beef," and cook another minute or two.
~ Stir in the marinara sauce and the nutritional yeast, and combine thoroughly.
~ Turn heat to low, and continue cooking another 5 minutes.
~ Remove from heat, stir into cooked, drained macaroni, and serve hot. To keep that Mom's Diner vibe going, we had ours with green beans and corn on the side, but it's so filling that a green salad is really all you need.
~ So what are you waiting for? Eat, eat; you're skin and bones!