April 17, 2011 Recipe #12: Baklava

My parents came to visit on their way down to Pompano Beach. They usually travel down this way, by car, three times a year and we usually get together for a bit of lunch before they reach their final destination! So I began brainstorming of what to make for lunch.... I decided on Greek! Vegan Greek! The menu consisted of: homemade hummus and vegan tzatziki sauce served with lightly toasted pita wedges. a traditional greek salad (no lettuce) with a vegan feta cheese substitute, and fresh fruit! Of course we can't forget the dessert! Vegan Baklava! Another great recipe included in The 2011 Cookbook Challenge!

"Hello Ladies! Fresh baklava!"
Quoted from My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Lunch turned out great and everything was delicious! I was in heaven over the baklava! Let's just say it was definite sweet tooth satisfaction! The vegan recipe actually called for agave nectar in the sweet syrup, but I decided to use honey instead. I know it's not considered vegan, but I use it anyway :) I also used raw sugar in the syrup, rather than the granulated sugar the recipe called for. I chose to make this recipe with only two types of nuts: almonds and walnuts. Perfect! Next time though, I think I would try more of a variety - maybe hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, and walnuts. Yum! I also used a soy-free non-dairy butter to brush over the phyllo dough.

Now one major change I made, which really made a difference on the sweet tooth scale! I ended up halving the recipe (half the phyllo dough, which was only a quarter of the package I purchased; half the butter, 8x8 pan instead of 9x13) BUT I used the full amounts of the syrup and nuts... which meant OVERLOAD! This made the baklava very rich but I seriously loved every bite of it.

However, I will be making this recipe again without halving any of the recipe, just to see how it compares!

This recipe is a definite keeper so let me know if you are interested in getting your hands on this recipe!

Hummus: How do you eat it?

For all those who like hummus... how do you eat it? With fresh vegetables? Pita chips? On a pita sandwich? Or maybe even by itself?! Ha!

Well... let me tell you... I LOVE hummus! And I found a great recipe in Veganomicon that I insist on sharing with you all! This is a classic recipe that is just perfect with fresh veggies! I also used this hummus recipe in my Too Good-To-Be-True, Healthy Nori Rolls! Yum, yum, yum!

Veganomicon's Hummus Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas (I used slightly more than this, one 15-oz can and one 19-oz can)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup water
• Pinch of coriander
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Paprika (optional)

Directions

1. Puree half of the chickpeas and olive oil in a food processor by pulsing serveral times and stirring a few times in between.
2. Add the remaining chickpeas and olive oil, as well as the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, water, coriander, salt, and pepper.
3. Pulse several times and stir, until the desired creamy consistency.
4. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with paprika.
5. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with fresh vegetables or pita chips or use as a spread on a sandwhich.

To the cooks of Veganomicon, Isa and Terry: Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes!!

Super Bowl XLV Hors d'œuvre Night!

What's better than hors d'œuvres for Super Bowl Sunday?! Woohoo! Although the Pittsburgh Steeler's didn't quite make the spotlight, we still had a nice and fun dinner watching the game, especially those commercials!

The Super Bowl XLV Menu:



Tuscan Bean Dip with Assorted Fresh Vegetables

Loaded-Veggie Nori Rolls

My Crazy-Healthy Experimental Nori Rolls

Baked  Spring Rolls

Homemade Nutella Spreads with Assorted Fresh Fruit
Front: Hazelnut Nutella
Back: Almond and Cashew Nutella



#1 Tuscan Bean Dip by Food Network

  Ingredients

• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 (15-oz) can cannellini (northern) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2-1 tsp sea salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Fresh vegetables for dipping: carrots, celery, red and green bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli

Directions

1. Heat oil and garlic in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir garlic until golden, about 3 minutes.
2. Pull skillet from heat; stir in rosemary and cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, add the beans, salt, cayenne pepper and rosemary oil. Process until smooth.
4. Scrape the puree into a serving bowl.
5. Serve dip with fresh raw veggies!

This bean dip is so delicious! A friend brought it over one time and I just loved it! I used to be all over blue cheese when fresh vegetables were near, but I'd never go back after trying this bean dip! I also never cared for rosemary until I tried this dip. Let me tell you, fresh rosemary is very different than dried, and it adds a wonderful flavor to this bean dip! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Yum!

 

#2 Loaded-Veggie Nori Rolls

  

#3 My Crazy-Healthy Experimental Nori Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 nori sheets
• 1 recipe Veganomicon's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
• Sun flower seeds
• Carrots, julienned
• Cucumber, julienned
• Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Avocado, thinly sliced
• Alfalfa sprouts

Directions

1. Using a bamboo mat, place a nori sheet on top of it, add approximately 1/4 cup tomato dip on 2/3 of the nori sheet (closest to you). On top of the dip (on the closest part of the nori sheet to you), sprinkle sunflower seeds on top, then top with remaining ingredients. Be sure not to pile too many veggies on top, as it will be difficult to roll!
2. Take the end of nori closest to you, and begin to roll up and over the vegetables. Use the bamboo mat to tighten that portion of the roll. Continue to roll (with the use of your bamboo mat) until the entire sheet is rolled up. Place on a plate, allowing the nori roll to soften, while you continue making the next rolls.
3. When all 4 nori rolls are made, starting with the first one made, wet a knife and cut each roll into 6-8 pieces. Wetting the knife aids in the slicing process. 

I won't be posting Veganomicon's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip recipe unless it is requested. Unfortunately, I didn't really care much for it. I would like to try this same nori roll with hummus next time, maybe some pine nuts, and fresh basil! I will post this if I do! 

 

#4 Baked spring rolls (Click to view original recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chop suey vegetables, drained
• 1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 16 rice paper wrappers (can purchase at an Asian market)

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet with olive oil and add the first six ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetable are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beans; heat through.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar and cayenne until smooth; stir into the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from the heat.
3. Fill a large bowl with warm water. One at a time, dip the rice paper in the water for 20-30 seconds until it becomes soft and flexible. Lay on a flat surface. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the bottom third of the rice papper; fold sides toward center and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers and filling. Spray the tops of the spring rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

These spring rolls were DELICIOUS! I highly recommend them! The only issue I had was with the rice paper wrappers...  I had made all of the rolls early in the day, so I refrigerated them in a tupperware container. As they sat in the fridge, each roll clung to one another, so when I went to take them out of the container they were stuck together! The rice paper is very delicate once it gets soft, so it tore easily when I tried to separate them all. Due to this issue, we had to eat these rolls with a fork, but this didn't take away from the delicious flavor at all! I will definitely be making these again!


#5 Wings from Frankie's Wings & Things

Of course when you have appetizers, and you're around David, you can't forget the wings! These are great but unfortunately I didn't get to have any this time around due to my recent vegan choices. They smelled delicious though, as always! My saliva glands were going crazy when I was serving them LOL! 

 

#6 Homemade Nutella Spreads (Click to view original recipe)

Hazelnut Nutella:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
• water (optional)
• Assorted fresh fruit for dipping: sliced banana, sliced granny smith apples, sliced braeburn apples, strawberries, green grapes 

Almond and Cashew Nutella:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almonds, blanched
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup (scant) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Assorted fresh fruit for dipping: sliced banana, sliced granny smith apples, sliced braeburn apples, strawberries, green grapes 

Directions

1. Place the nuts in a food processor and process until the nuts start to clump together in a ball, at least 5 minutes, if not more.
2. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is well combined.
3. Drizzle in enough oil to make a spread. If the consistancy is not right after the addition of oil, add a bit of water (I had to do this for the hazelnut spread).
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Serve with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or spread on bread!

The homemade nutella spread was posted from One Perfect Bite, who seems to always be posting fun and exciting recipes!

Hope you like the menu! Some of the hors d'œuvres were a little time-consuming, but all worth it! Enjoy!

 

 

Eggplant and Chickpea Curry

In the mood to try something new, I came across Healthy Girl's Vegan Indian Eggplant Curry. It looked good and I had all of the spices that needed to go into it (minus the fenugreek, which is more of an optional flavor), so I gave it a shot and it was delish! I added a little protein into the dish (chickpeas!) so it could be a more nutitionally-balanced entree! I served this with sticky brown rice for David and he enjoyed it! I plan to make this again this week! Yum!

Eggplant and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, eggplant, peppers, chickpeas, salt, turmeric, coriander and cumin and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 70 minutes.
4. Serve immediately or reheat before serving.
5. Optional: Serve over brown rice.

 

Rachel's Loaded-Veggie Sushi Rolls

Saturday night we decided would be sushi night! But I really had an urge to try making sushi myself! I got a few pointers from VegWeb's Healthy Avocado Sushi with Brown Rice on how to make the sushi rice. Healthy Vegan Recipes has a great video which shows you how to roll sushi and I recommend watching it if you're a beginner! Here's what I came up with!

Rachel's Loaded-Veggie Sushi

Ingredients

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• 5 nori (seaweed) sheets
• Assorted vegetables*: Avocado, thinly sliced; Scallions; Red bell pepper, thinly sliced; Bean Sprouts; Zucchini, julienned; Carrot, julienned
• Low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
• Pickled ginger (optional)
• Wasabi (optional)

Directions

1. In a small pot, bring the rice and water to a boil. Once boiling, stir rice once, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 50 minutes.
2. When rice is finished cooking, transfer to a bowl. Gently stir in the vinegar until it is well-mixed into the rice (rice will stick together). Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and allow rice to sit for 10 minutes, letting it cool, before making the sushi rolls.
3. Here is where the video will really help you: Using a bamboo mat, place a nori sheet on top of it, add 1/5 of the rice on 2/3 (closest to you) of the sheet. On top of the rice (on only the closest part of the nori sheet to you), stack the vegetables in a thin row on top of each other. Take end of nori closest to you, and begin to roll up and over the vegetables. Use the bamboo mat to tighten that portion of the roll. Continue to roll (with the use of your bamboo mat) until the entire sheet is rolled up. Place on a plate, allowing the rice to soften the nori, while you continue making the next sushi rolls.
4. When all 5 sushi rolls are made, starting with the first sushi roll made, wet a knife and cut each roll into 6-8 pieces. Wetting the knife aids in the slicing process or else the rice will stick to the knife, making it difficult to cut.
5. Serve with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi. Yum!

*Note: I did not put amounts for the vegetables I used because it is really all your own preference! You really don't need a lot of veggies to make one roll, let alone the 5 rolls I made, so I highly recommend these few friendly tips before preparing your own sushi and deciding on amounts:

1. Warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STUFF YOUR SUSHI ROLL. Stuffing your sushi roll makes it very difficut to roll up and slice. Yes, I am speaking from experience but was not about to take a picture of the disaster!
2. Wrap sushi roll as tight as possible with bamboo mat. The tighter your roll, the easier it is to slice.
3. Wet knife before slicing sushi roll into pieces (the rice sticks to the knife, making it difficult to cut).
4. Don't forget to have fun!

Enjoy!

Grilled Jamaican Jerk Tempeh with Veganomicon's Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

We had a delicious dinner Sunday night, with the wonderful company of David's mom (eh-hem, a.k.a. Bella's grandma)! David and I decided we wanted to grill... but what to grill? Well, we love Jamaican jerk chicken, but since I haven't been in the mood for meat, I decided to try out this marinade with tempeh. Oh my goodness, it was DELICIOUS! I have to give a big thank you to a recipe contributor of Allrecipes who created this fabulous marinade! I wouldn't change a thing about it. It is so flavorful! 

This time I steamed the tempeh for 10-15 minutes before putting it into the marinade. The tempeh did not have the slight bitterness that I tasted from my first experience with tempeh when I boiled it. I'm not saying that boiling doesn't work, but that steaming the tempeh seemed to work out better for me. I marinated the tempeh in the Jamaican jerk marinade for 24 hours. The tempeh really soaked up all of the flavors so nicely! I had leftover Jamaican jerk tempeh tonight that I was craving all day!

Jamaican Jerk Tempeh

Ingredients

For the marinade (click for original recipe):

• 1 bunch (6-8) green onions, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

For the tempeh:

• 1 (8-oz) pkg tempeh, quartered diagonally, steamed for 10-15 min and cooled

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor. Process for 15-30 seconds.
2. Place the tempeh in a ziplock bag, plastic container, or 8"x8" glass dish.
3. Pour approximately 1/3 of the marinade into the bag, container or dish (whichever you prefer). The remaining marinade can be saved for another use - it freezes well!
4. Marinate the tempeh, in the refrigerator, for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs. The longer the tempeh marinates, the more flavorful it will be!



I love the colors in this salad! Deliciously beautiful!



Since we planned on making such a great main dish, I wanted to find a fun side dish recipe. I took a look in Veganomicon and saw their recipe for quinoa salad. Yum! And geez-oh-man, was it ever so good!

Veganomicon's Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango (with a few minor changes!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup red quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch scallions, choppped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. In a small pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the mango, red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro.
3. Stir in the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt.
4. Add the quinoa and stir until well-combined.
5. Fold in the black beans.
6. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Best when served at room temperature for more flavor.
7. Serves 4-6. 

By the way, David and his mom both enjoyed the amazing Jamaican jerk chicken with delicious sides of Veganomcon's quinoa salad, my mom's famous roasted potatoes (which I need to blog about sometime), and grilled veggies with our favorite Bone Suckin' Seasoning! Yummy!!

Dreena's Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes

I saw this recipe posted on Dreena's Vegan Recipes and just knew I had to try it! If you love trying new foods and flavors, you will LOVE her blog. This is also where I got the recipe for  raw brownies, which, if you haven't tried them yet, they are fantastic! Really, you have no idea what you're missing out on :)

I just love sweet potatoes, and they fit so wonderfully in this stew! The flavors are amazing too! I'm not used to trying all of these ethnic flavors, but it has been a positive experience! I had never tried the coriander and turmeric spices before, but the combination of all of the spices in this recipe was delicious. I also found the addition of cinnamon a little odd, but it really makes the overall flavor of the stew that much better!

Thank you Dreena for posting another fabulous recipe and allowing me to blog about it!

Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes (Original Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• Few pinches cayenne pepper
• Ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 (small/medium size) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 (12-oz) bag fresh spinach

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the oil, spices and salt for 1-2 minutes. 
2. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Stir through, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are fully dissolved.
4. Add the fresh ginger and spinach, stir through until the spinach leaves are wilted, and serve.