Black Bean Soup

I am not sure what I did wrong here, but this was just not good. It was bland and very watery.

Black Bean Soup
(http://goodthingsgrow.com)

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 garlic cloves
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
cotija cheese, for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the black beans, lemon juice, and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the water reduces to the point where it barely covers the beans, about 45-55 minutes. Check the water level, adding more if the soup is cooking down rapidly. I wanted my soup to be thicker, so I didn’t add anymore water than what I originally put in.

Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor. If using a food processor, transfer the soup back to the saucepan. Reheat before serving. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Shiitake Mushroom and Potato Enchiladas

These turned out to be pretty good! I used vegan Monterey Jack cheese,  and the kind I used didn’t melt very well. But it still tasted good! Liam doesn’t like mushrooms, so he picked those out. I really liked the corn and potatoes. The enchiladas kind of fell apart when I was serving them, but that’s okay.

rating: 8

Shiitake Mushroom and Potato Enchiladas
(www.realsimple.com)

serves 4
time needed: 45 min.

Ingredients:

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups grated Monterey Jack (about 8 ounces)
1 14-ounce can green chili enchilada sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 corn tortillas, warmed
fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 400° F. Combine the mushrooms and 2 cups boiling water in a small bowl and let sit until softened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop; reserve the soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and potato and cook, tossing often, until the potato begins to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the corn, mushrooms, 1 cup of the soaking liquid, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of the Monterey Jack.
Spread ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dividing evenly, roll up the mushroom mixture in the tortillas and place seam-side down in the dish. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Monterey Jack. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the Monterey Jack is melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

Spaghetti Squash with Almonds

This recipe was SO good, and I have to say that I now LOVE spaghetti squash! I have only had it prepared a couple of times, but this way has been the best so far. The lime juice and the almonds MAKE this dish. The roasting of the squash does take some time, so this is not a last minute dish (unless you cook your squash in the microwave instead!). Toby, who is not a fan of squash, had second helpings of this!

rating: 9

Spaghetti Squash with Almonds
(Real Simple, Oct. 2011)

serves 4
time needed: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the cut sides with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and turn cut-side down. Roast until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, spread the almonds on a second rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the lime juice, honey, cumin, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

4. With a fork, gently scrape the strands of squash flesh into the bowl and toss with the lime juice mixture. Sprinkle with the almonds and scallions.

BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches

This sandwich turned out okay, but one of Toby’s comments was that the texture of tempeh doesn’t really work in this sandwich. Hmm. It’s a very easy recipe to make, but yeah, I’ve had better BBQ sandwiches.

rating: 7

BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches
(http://ohmyveggies.com/)

makes 4 sandwiches
time needed: 1 hour, 5 min.

Ingredients:

8 oz. tempeh, cut into thin strips
3/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of sugar
salt + pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
olive oil mister or cooking spray
4 hamburger rolls

Directions:

Spread 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce on the bottom of a small baking dish. Add tempeh and top with remaining barbecue sauce. Gently toss to coat. Let marinate for an hour, stirring after 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in cabbage and set aside.
Spray a medium skillet with oil or cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add tempeh and sauce; cook until heated, about 5 minutes. Serve on rolls with slaw and additional barbecue sauce (if desired).

Matzo Ball Soup

I have made matzo ball soup before, and it was good (first time I ever had it), but this, this soup is GREAT. The broth in this soup is so much better than the other. Little pieces of the dumplings blend into the broth, and it all makes for a yummy soup. My kids, surprisingly, did not care for the matzo balls, but they really liked the broth. This would rank in my top 5 of favorite soups EVER. And it’s vegan! The only bad thing about this soup is that it can’t be made in the spur of the moment. You have to make the matzo balls the day before and let them sit in the fridge overnight.

rating: 9.8

Matzo Ball Soup
(http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/)

Prep time: 8 hours 30 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 9 hours 10 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

12.5 oz silken tofu
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil, separated
1 c matzoh meal
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp onion
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic
¼ tsp celery seed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped into half-circles
2 celery stalks, chopped into half-moons
1 handful fresh dill, chopped (I used dried)
6 cups vegetable stock (I used veggie chicken broth)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a food processor, blend together tofu and ¼ cup oil.
Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in matzo meal, nutritional yeast, salt, baking powder, onion, pepper, garlic, and celery seed.
Place dough in an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight.
In a large pot, saute onion, carrot, and celery in 2 Tbsp olive oil until soft.
Add dill and stock and set aside.
Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form mixture into 2″ balls.
Drop balls into broth.
Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Coconut Corn Salad

This was surprisingly REALLY good! I wasn’t sure how it would go over with the family, but everyone really liked it. And it’s fast and easy! I am glad I’ve found another good way to prepare fresh corn. PS: I totally forgot to take a pic of the dish I made, so I am using the photo from the original source.
rating: 9

Coconut Corn Salad
(http://www.101cookbooks.com/)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ears of corn, shucked
fine grain sea salt
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup / 1 1/2 oz / 40 g big coconut flakes, well toasted
1 cup / 3 oz / 85 g sliced almonds, well toasted
3 tablespoons chopped red onions
big squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn, sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and stir well, you want all the corn to be coated. Cook for just a minute, until the corn looses its raw edge, stir in half the thyme, and then transfer the corn to a large serving bowl. Just before you’re ready to serve, add most of the coconut flakes, most of the almonds, the rest of the thyme, red onions, and citrus juice. Stir well. Taste, season with more salt, to taste, and serve topped with the remaining coconut and almonds (and another jolt of juice if needed!).

Cinnamon-Strawberry Cake

I thought this would be a nice, light dessert to make on a weeknight. Well, I found out that Livvy doesn’t care for strawberries. Liam still doesn’t go crazy over sweets like I do. And Toby, well, he had a beer. This was okay, but I have to say that the almonds were just overpowering. That’s all I tasted!

rating: 5

Cinnamon-Strawberry Cake
(www.health.com)
Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, quartered
1/2 tsp cinnamon
store-bought angel food cake
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the cinnamon; let sit until juicy, about 20 minutes. Cut the cake into 12 slices. Top with strawberries and juices and almonds.