Mains
How to Incorporate Beautiful (and Edible!) Flowers into your Meals
Edible flowers have long been used in cooking for decoration and flavoring. They make a beautiful garnish, but they can also be an integral part of any recipe. Different flowers bring unique flavors and colors to a dish. Some flavors are just the thing for sweet dishes, while other flowers are more suitable to savories. While some vegetable flowers and wild plant foods might require a foraging expedition or a visit to the local health food market, many edible flowers are available for convenient home delivery. Clever cooks can get flowers delivered in the evening so that they are fresh and in time for dinner.
Spinach + Beet Salad with Crispy Lentils and Coconut Curry Dressing
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make salads more funky and different…because I eat a whole lot of them. Adding a nice crispy veggie patty adds texture, taste and depth to regular ol’ salads, as well as a whole host of nutritional content. Fortunately, I had a batch of pre-made lentil burger stuff ready to rock, so I designed a dressing that complimented the flavours of the burger patty, added some steamed beets, and made this lovely salad for a special lunch guest.
Crispy Lentil Burger with Curried Avocado Mayo
You can always tell the success of your veggie burger by the amount that has (or has not) spooged out the back end after a couple bites. I’ve been feeling some serious burger envy lately, as my man has been concocting different veggie patties for himself packed with eggs and cheese, and the spooge-factor has been very low. These enviable binders, although effective, can be mimicked quite effectively using the amazing flax egg. So I whipped up these simple veggie patties to enjoy with him tonight on our lovely patio, and they successfully held their form after the telling first bites. You can never have too many varieties of veggie burgers on a vegan food site, I always say.
Chef Chloe’s Herbed Polenta Cutlets with Marsala Mushroom Ragout
Another instalment from my Cookbook Challenge and another sample of the amazing vegan recipes Chloe’s Kitchen has to offer (I also shared Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice). But that’s it- you’ll have to go buy the book yourself! This meal was proclaimed to be ‘one of the best vegan meals he’d ever had’ by my dinner guest. It is perfect for your omnivorous friends, and perfect for a Meatless Monday Meal!
Chef Chloe’s Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice
To keep with my recent pledge of delving into my cookbook collection and expanding my culinary knowledge, I decided to start with this sweet and salty Thai rice dish from Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen. This rice dish was so freakin’ delicious! It took about 1 hour from start to finish, as there are a few different steps, however you can bake the tofu and cook the rice simultaneously to save time.
Nigella’s Linguine with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic Mushrooms – Raw Vegan Style!
If you’ve never seen her in action, Nigella Lawson is the absolutely mesmerizing, gorgeous and passionate cook with a remarkable ability to make food porn borderline x-rated. Her Linguine with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic Mushrooms has long been one of my go-to recipes for entertaining because it’s super simple and addictively delicious. I usually make it with whole wheat linguine, but this version is even easier since it’s made with raw zucchini noodles, so there’s no cooking required! To make the zucchini noodles, you need a fancy piece of kitchen machinery called a spirooli (aka spiral vegetable slicer like this one), which is easy and fun to use!
Mediterranean Brown Rice Bowl with Scallion-Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Keeping with the theme of Jen’s idea for a Quickie Lunch, I made this rice bowl in about 30 minutes, and had tons left over for even quicker lunches/suppers/snacks in the future. To save time, you could omit the toasting of the pumpkin seeds but it really does add incredible flavour to the pesto. And try different nuts/seeds and herbs. All a pesto is is the combination of a nut or seed, herb, garlic and oil – the possibilities are endless!
Mexi-Curry Salad Bowl
The Vegan Project ladies, plus our friend Salsa Sam, are heading south of the border at the end of February, real south…to Mexico!
Lentil Salad with Sun Dried Tomato-Tahini Dressing
I made this quick lentil salad to accompany my bowl of Smokey Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic (which I will post later this week!). It was the perfect, protein-packed side, full of crunchy veggies (use what you have in your crisper) and tossed in a creamy, sun dried tomato dressing. If you’re cooking the lentils yourself, make sure to cook to al dente so it doesn’t become a mushy mess.
Coconut-Ginger Stir Fry With Kale and Poppyseeds
A warm and satisfying stir fry is one of a few reasons why I wouldn’t want to eat an exclusively raw diet, especially in the winter.
White Bean and Kale Stew
This stew is hearty, low in fat and full of nutritious winter veggies. The fresh herbs and lemon juice/zest add a lovely freshness that shouldn’t be omitted. This stew is also gluten free by using brown rice flour as a thickening agent. Simple one-pot dishes like these just get better over time, so doubling the recipe is recommended. AND, almost all the ingredients are organic, ringing up to around $10-$15 for the whole batch. Gotta love that!
Celery Root and Fennel Gratin
In this new year, I would like to experiment more with ingredients I often pass by in the grocery store. I received the most wonderful culinary tools (including a Le Crueset pot!) for Christmas and would like to put them to good use. I remembered seeing this Celery Root and Fennel Gratin while thumbing through the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook and connected the dots when I saw a celery root at Whole Foods last night.
Bean Power! Black Bean, Avocado and Yellow Rice Salad
How do you people not snap at the millionth time some well-meaning carnie asks you where you get your protein? As someone who has a difficult time controlling her facial expressions, I have been known to emasculate a steak-eater or two just for that question. It’s not their fault; they’ve been conditioned to believe protein only comes with a face, but it’s hard to answer the same question with a smile so damn often.
Pan Fried Oysters with Chili-Lime Pomegranate Molasses
Have you guys heard of Veganseatpencilshavings.com? It is a gourmet vegan recipe site run by our good friend Jenny Duffy, who shared her vegan plight with The Vegan Project as a guest writer. She jumped off the vegan train for a while there, but has since hopped back on and is taking the vegan world by storm!
Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole
There are many versions of vegan Mac and Cheese out there on the internet. This is a simple, no fancy ingredients version with a crispy breadcrumb topping that is a real cinch to make. This was my first time trying mustard greens (can you believe it?!) and I LOVED them! They add veggies to a rather carb heavy meal and they have an awesome tangy bite to them, complimenting this creamy casserole.
Vegan Hamburger Soup
I got inspired to make a vegan version of hamburger soup by my friend Katherine who shared this recipe from allrecipes.com on her Facebook page. It sounded delicious and easy to make – she has two young children and they liked it too! So with a couple packages of veggie ground leftover from an event, this was the perfect one pot meal!
Butternut Squash and Potato Gratin
I was inspired to make a savoury fall dish using mostly local, organic ingredients, by Jessica’s Halloween 100-Mile Potluck at ethicalDeal.com. This dish doesn’t meet all requirements but it does come pretty close. Most of these ingredients are grown locally, seasonally and organically.
Simple Macrobiotic Rice Bowl with Rainbow Chard
Lately, salads are just not cutting it for me. With the grey skies and cold weather, my body seems to be requesting more hearty, salty and warm fare that will fill me up and make me feel comfortable. Homemade hashbrowns are exceedingly successful at meeting this criteria, but in an effort to stay on track with my nutrient to calorie ratio, I’ve been busting out the rice bowls. Yesterday, Choices had two bundles of rainbow chard on for $3, so my post-yoga lunch craving was a no-brainer.
Vegan Cassoulet in the Slow Cooker
My first memory of cassoulet is watching the legendary Miss Julia Child prepare one on a Saturday morning. Cassoulet is french for casserole, usually comprised of white beans, ham or sausage, chicken and french herbs. This vegan, whole food version is very flavourful while being low in fat and cholesterol. It’s a win-win!
Smoked Tofu Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce
The flavours in this salad are out of this world! Creamy peanut sauce, exotic coconut and crunchy beans, married perfectly. Kind of like an Indonesian Gado Gado salad minus the egg, it has definitely ensured repeat appearances in our home.
Wild Mushroom Risotto, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Green Beans
This meal was soooo good! The corn turned out better than expected (it was my first time doing corn on the bbq), the beans were light and crunchy, and the risotto, well, it was sublime.
Italian Veggie Pasta Salad
I love pasta salad! This one is full of veggies and definitely a complete meal. It also makes A LOT. I love making lots of food at one time, partly because it’s just easier and I have no problem eating one thing for a few days, and partly because my boyfriend is an eating machine. The recipe can easily be cut in half if you don’t need a bucketful.
Vegan Salade Nicoise
A typical Salade Nicoise is comprised of boiled new potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, steamed green beans, tomato and topped with tuna and anchovies, then drizzled with a vinaigrette. Purists from the Nice region in France state that no cooked vegetables are to be used in a traditional Salade Nicoise. Either way, the vegan-version was bound to have modifications. This is our take on a great, big salad, that is sure to impress. A mixture of grilled veggies, raw veggies, and a topped with a fresh herb dressing, even Elaine Benes would be be proud.
Quinoa Slaw
This slaw is full of so much friggin’ fibre! It’s a bit of a mashup between a quinoa side dish and a classic coleslaw – minus the creamy dressing. And it’s bright colour is not only beautiful but really good for you too! It’s really fresh and light, and keeps really well so I recommend making a ton and snacking on it for a few days. Tip: A small electric chopper is really handy for this dish. I chopped about a thousand vegetables in 10 minutes!
Open-Faced Tacos
I made these this weekend for brunch and they were just perfect! The combination of the crispy corn tortilla, just cooked veggies and creamy melted daiya on top was delicious. I always like to have a package of corn tortillas, and a can of refried beans (Eden Organic Spicy Pintos are my fave) on hand. Toss in any veggies you want and you have the fixings for several meals, with endless possibilities.
Homemade Falafel Lettuce Wraps with Zesty Tzatziki
My dear sister Lindsay recently completed her first Wild Rose Detox, so we enjoyed a flurry of preparation and cooking to get her ready and keep her on track. Our biggest success was the following falafel recipe from the cleansing cookbook (with some modifications) that I’ve been wanting to make for years but was intimidated for some reason (possibly my strong reverence for falafel balls). Shame on me! It was simple, and now I’m a falafel making machine. I whipped up the tzatziki myself, and used dill instead of mint, which turned out just lovely with the warm salty balls. Mmm-mm!
Vegan BBQ Series | Grilled Marinated Tempeh with Summer Vegetables
I finally got my own barbeque, and I am happier than a pig in sh*t! I purchased the Weber 100 from Home Depot for $149. It was easy to assemble and heats up in mere minutes. Grilling vegetables is such a fabulous way to enjoy the season’s harvests, and I find the simpler, the better when it comes to flavouring or marinades. You don’t want to mask those fresh flavours at their peak.
Vegan Sausage and Peppers with Polenta
I am on huge soy chorizo kick lately! On a recent trip to Portland, I stocked up on vegan goods that I haven’t been able to find here in Vancouver, including a variety of vegan chorizo substitutes (you may remember my gnocchi with chorizo-style seitan). This dish I whipped up last night uses Trader Joe’s soy chorizo, although any vegan sausage or soy ground would be fine. If you’d like to avoid soy altogether, try a sturdy legume like chickpeas, black-eyed peas or adzuki beans. This soupy-stew is a tad spicy but is nicely balanced with the sweet potato and corn. It is deliciously paired with crispy pan-fried polenta, full of flavour and surprisingly light. Serve with a fresh green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette for a perfect summer meal.
Mexican Vegan Helper
There’s something so comforting about the combination of noodles and cheese, and many may be ashamed to admit having enjoyed some Hamburger Helper at some point in their lives. Perhaps because it brings back memories of childhood, or a more innocent time when we just ate the yummy things put in front of us without thinking about their composition.
You may not believe it, but it IS possible to make a vegan version of Hamburger Helper, and this one has a Mexican kick. The Pepper Jack Daiya sauce is gooey and good, and the veggies and whole wheat pasta make this version a lot healthier than its nostalgic counterpart. (And yes, we are aware the title sounds funny.)
Gnocchi with Chorizo-Style Seitan
Last week the boy and I took a little trip down the stunning Northwest Coast, stopping in Cannon Beach and then cutting over to the vegan motherland, Portland, Oregon. Now I could go on (and on) about all the reasons why I love this culture-rich and vegan-friendly city, and probably will in a couple more posts in the future. However, the most exciting part of visiting Portland is the all-vegan strip mall on SE Stark Street that houses Sweet Pea Bakery, Herbivore and Food Fight Grocery. Here are a few must-tries: The Bacon-Scallion cream cheese and macaroni salad from Sweet Pea and JJ’s Sweets Cocomels (the fleur de sel is sublime) and Upton’s Naturals Seitan products from Food Fight. And that’s just what I’ve tried so far!
Julie Beyer’s RedLentilDelicious Soup
Not long ago, we had the pleasure of doing Julie Beyer’s Whole Food Challenge, which included devouring some of her amazing (and amazingly good for you) recipes. Her RedLentilDelicious Soup was one of our favourites, and she’s letting us share the recipe with you!
Vegan BBQ Series | Grilled Vegetable Salad, Garden Fresh Herbs and Vegan Beer Sausages
Grilled vegetables are so delicious and easy to prepare. I like them best tossed with kitchen basics such as olive oil, salt and pepper. I don’t actually own a BBQ, but I did find a neat little disposable hibachi at Wonderbucks for $5 (better deal than on the commercial!). I was skeptical, but the saleswoman assured me with her first hand experience of it and gave me some tips for lighting. The ‘Lil “Tail” Gator‘, worked like a charm! No more annoyingly large barbecues at your next tailgate party. 
Thai Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
A long-time supporter (and friend) of The Vegan Project, Krystle Charlton, contributed this next recipe after repeated requests from us to share her amazing dishes we are always seeing on her facebook page. She just made this one up the other night to satisfy her craving for portobello mushrooms and coconut milk. All this amidst an exciting hockey game, and she forgot to take a picture. So I made these last night so I could capture its essence on my iphone and, was very impressed!
Bhutanese Red Rice Pilaf
A couple weeks ago, Whole Foods had a sale on red rice, also know as Bhutanese rice, in the bulk section. Although I didn’t know anything about this grain, I love experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients – you never know what you’ll come up with! After some internet research, I came across this recipe, and with a few modifications, I had a delicious vegan side dish full of iron, B-vitamins, fibre and calcium!
Quinoa Burgers
I recently picked up one of my favourite cook books to date, Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. Fancied up comfort food is my specialty and diners are my weakness, so I snatched this book off the shelf at Chapters and headed to the kitchen to test it out. My first go was this quinoa burger recipe. I don’t make burgers very often, and thought that should change with the summer bbq-ing season not far ahead. I chose this one in lieu of the other two burger recipes in the book (Mushroom Burgers and Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers) simply because I had all the ingredients on hand.
Butternut Curry with Lentil Flatbread
Fortunately for me, my colon hydrotherapist was running 15 minutes behind last night, so I had to sit in the waiting room and flip through the old naturopathic magazines. I found a recipe for a lentil flatbread, and was inspired by its simplicity, especially since my belly has been giving me grief lately and I’ve found ease with less ingredients in my dishes. There is a ton of fiber in this meal, so if your tubes are a little plugged up, this is a delicious way to get things moving.
Loaded Veggie Dog
I am not a fan of fake meat, in part because it’s really processed. However, when I’m having an emotional upset that can only be resolved by stuffing my face with a hot dog, I can justify almost anything, except meat of course.
The best veggie dogs I have found (and the only ones that don’t resemble pink styrofoam) are the Yves Bavarian Veggie Sausage. They also don’t make my tummy ache, which is nice. This loaded dog is a somewhat healthy version of your standard pimped-out hot dog. It has some nutrition, but mostly it’s good old fashioned comfort in an organic bun.
Totally Radical Pizza with Homemade Sauce
I was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the other day and realized how long it’s been since I had a good slice of pizza. So I pulled my sprouted grain tortillas out of the freezer, grabbed a couple juicy tomatoes and got to work on a homemade pizza sauce that I found in raw executive chef Ani Phyo’s ‘Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen’. When it was ready, I warmed it quickly in hopes of preserving all the enzymes. This recipe is raw for the most part, sufficiently filling, and totally righteous!
Spanish Tapas at Home
Above: Marinated Artichoke Salad
As you already know we LOVE Spanish tapas, especially from our favourite Vancouver Spanish Restaurant La Bodega, which Jessica G recently reviewed here. Well, as I was perusing through Taste Magazine available at your local BC Liquor Store, I came across recipes for Patatas Bravas and Mushrooms with Parsley Sauce, the very items we love at La Bodega! Added a quick marinated artichoke salad to the menu and a crusty loaf of bread and we brought the delicious tastes of Spain right into our home.
Aromatic Curried-Chili Fusion
Chili cross-bred with curry…sounds kind of weird hey? This quirky fusion (a PPK remix) initially sounded a bit conflicting, but coconut milk, thai red curry paste and kidney beans in the same ingredient list piqued my playful curiosity. I’m glad I took the chance, because this dish has become a recurring hit, and it is deee-licious.
Sesame Soba Noodle Stir Fry
Talk about alliteration!
I made this the other night for the boy and I, and we loved it! It’s packed full of veggies that, of course are interchangeable, and has a really simple homemade flavour base (I’ve never been a fan of store bought sauces.) I forgot how easy a stir fry can be to make and how it just gets better the more you add. I mixed in a box of Buckwheat Soba noodles because I’m a noodle maniac, but brown or jasmine rice would be lovely as well.
Smoked Tofu and Kale Quesadilla with Daiya Pepperjack Shreds
In case you didn’t already know, Daiya recently released a new flavour of vegan cheese – Pepperjack! We are extremely excited about this! I treaded lightly into my experimentation with this new flavour. I wanted to get a feel for it first and access it’s spiciness factor before going head on into more complicated recipes. The shreds are a bit larger than the cheddar or mozza varieties and i’d rate the spice factor at a 5, maybe 6. Keep in mind though that I like really spicy, burn your tongue kinda spice so…
Chana Masala with Homemade Roti
This Chana Masala recipe was a combination of different versions I found on the internet blended with my desire to have yummy curried chickpeas in a timely fashion. Perhaps not so timely if you soak and cook your own chickpeas, but so much better for you and full of flavour! I like adding green to everything, so I added peas and spinach, but feel free to add any veggies you want. A leafy green is nice because it wilts in nicely and frozen veggies can be so handy sometimes.
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup has always been one of my favourite one-pot-meals. There are so many variations of this global staple, but my number one flavour combo is when black beans are combined with exotic spices and a little heat, creating a sumptuous union. Now, this soup does take a while to complete, though the prep is minimal. It’s perfect for making on a Saturday morning while you do some things around your house and when you’re done, the soup is done. You will see pumpkin pie spice blend on the ingredients list (kinda weird, I know) as it happened to have all the sweet, fragrant spicing I was looking for in one package. And lastly, this soup is cheap! It couldn’t have cost more than $6 to make with the beans ringing in at $2.16.
Corn Pasta with Fennel, Cannellini Beans and Capers
I recently discovered corn pasta and was very pleased with how it turned out. It cooked to al dente in 7 minutes, tasted great and it’s gluten-free! I paired it with a fresh fennel-tomato-caper sauce with cannellini beans tossed in for added protein, and kept the seasoning simple with a bit of garlic, s&p, fresh parsley and some capers for a little tang. The result was fresh and flavourful, and came together in under 30 minutes.
Curried Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Greens
I know, I know, another quinoa recipe? We’re going quinoa crazy over here at The Vegan Project! But seriously, it is so friggen cheap, versatile and so easy to make that we just can’t help eating it at least 2-3 times a week. What makes this quinoa salad special is the aromatic coconut oil in the vinaigrette combined with fragrant madras curry powder. The greens are once again tenderized by the massaging technique as well as the warm quinoa poured over top. Fresh lemon flavour and cayenne pepper give it a tangy heat, making this salad very appealing to the senses. Makes about six cups.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large chard leaves (or kale/spinach), torn into bite size pieces and stem removed
1 celery stalk, finely diced
For the dressing:
1 roma tomato, finely diced
2-3 tablespoons sweet onion, finely diced
juice and zest of one lemon
2-3 teaspoons curry madras curry powder
1/4 coconut oil
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional)
1 inch piece of ginger, minced (I didn’t have any, but I think it would be really nice in this dish)
Method:
Place quinoa and two cups of water into a small saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed. In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. In a large bowl add, diced celery, chard, chickpeas. Add the vinaigrette and mix well. Get right in there with your hands and rub the chard and toss everything together. It can be a very soothing and meditative experience to get more intimate with your food. Add the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste.
~The Vegan Project
Quick Quinoa Salad
Inspired by an informational afternoon with Adam Hart and his Power of Food workshop this past Sunday, I’ve been eager to jazz my recipes with his top two Superfoods. Hemp hearts and quinoa…boy were we happy to hear that he considers these two staples some of the healthiest foods on the planet!
So after teaching a yoga class, and less than two hours before taking one myself, I wanted a quick, energy packed mini-meal that could digest quickly and power my asanas. With my pre-cooked quinoa on hand and an arsenal of key ingredients, I threw together the following dish in less than 3 minutes. Yes, I timed it. I wanted to make sure the clever alliteration of the title was valid, alright?
Ingredients: (for 1)
3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
1 stalk of chopped celery
1 tbsp of organic hemp oil
2 tbsp of hemp seeds
1/4 chopped avocado
1/4 cup of dulse, ground in coffee grinder
1/2 lemon
cracked salt and pepper
Method:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients, pouring oil and squeezing lemon last. Mix thoroughly and top with s&p. Adjust to taste.
The dulse is rich in nutrients, and adds an earthy, salty flavor. The celery gives it some crunch, and the quinoa and hemp hearts are both COMPLETE PROTEINS…So important for all you vegans out there!
Thanks for a great time Adam Hart!
~The Vegan Project
Rubbed Kale Salad with Marinated Vegetables
I don’t know if you all understand what a magical technique it is to rub fresh kale with oil and salt to soften, as the base for an incredibly delicious and nutritious salad. We recently featured Jen’s Super Powered Sesame Kale Salad, which is where we first learned of this brilliant tenderizing technique. It’s such a great way to incorporate raw greens into your diet. Yesterday, Capers on Robson had 2 bunches of Kale on sale for $3 (deal!) so I just had to make another kale salad. This time though, I was pressed for time, so I also purchased some marinated vegetables from the deli; roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes and kalamata olives. Tossed in some fresh avocado and a handful of hemp hearts and I had a really easy, super yummy meal!
Tomato and Sweet Pepper Bisque and Grilled Daiya Sandwich
I’ve been going through a lot of changes over the past couple of weeks and am finding these last few months of winter exhausting. While I was working over at Jessica’s place this morning, I felt myself in dire need of some comfort – a warm hug from mom at just the right moment. Unfortunately, my mom didn’t happen to be standing outside the door with open arms (but wouldn’t that have been cosmic if she had?) so I jumped in the kitchen and started to prepare the next best thing: tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Israeli Couscous Salad
This salad is light and fresh, and I love the size of israeli couscous, or Ptitim. The toasted almonds give this dish a smokey crunch, while the turkish apricots round out the fresh lemon flavour with their sweetness. Super easy to make and feel free to substitute the parsley with different herbs such as mint, basil or tarragon. If you don’t have green onions, sub 1/4 cup of chopped red onion or shallots. Get creative!
Ingredients:
1 cup israeli couscous
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 roma tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup parsley, choppped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2-4 dried turkish apricots, chopped for garnish
Method:
Place the israeli couscous in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and cook about 8-10 minutes or until tender (like pasta). Drain and rinse under cool water.
While the couscous is cooking, toast the almond slices in a dry skillet over medium-high heat till golden around the edges-watch carefully! Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together tomato, green onion, lemon juice and zest, salt. pepper, olive oil and cumin. Add drained and rinsed couscous and stir gently. Add chopped parsley and toasted almonds and stir to combine. Distribute into two bowls and top with chopped turkish apricots. YUM!
~The Vegan Project
Blueberry Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal
Truly the breakfast of champions! This hearty and delicious meal will give you slow releasing energy all day long. The blueberries are bursting with antioxidants (which fight off signs of aging!) and the walnuts and flax provide nearly a days worth of Omega-3s. The high fiber content helps get things moving, and the maple syrup gives you the warm, comfort feeling of home-cookin’ in all its wholesome goodness.
Quick n’ Easy Pesto Avocado Rice Bowl
Most of you know, if there’s one thing we love here at The Vegan Project, it’s ‘quick and easy’. But if there’s another thing we love (and there are lots of things we loooove) it’s wasting as little as possible. That’s precisely why we try to construct as many yummy dishes as possible using what we already have…oh, and we are also kind of cheap, so there’s that too.
This recipe was so simple I almost hesitated to post it. But that is part of our mission: to make delicious vegan food easy and accessible. So, using stuff that was already sitting in my fridge, I created the following rice bowl. Despite how easy it was, it’s turned out to be a VERY satisfying dinner!
Ingredients: (for 1 quick meal)
1 cup of cooked organic brown rice
1/4 cup of homemade pesto (I used this soaked almond version)
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
About 1/6 of a pkg of SoyaNovu Smoked Tofu chopped into cubes
1/4 semi-ripe organic avocado
A handful of garlic sprouts
A dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
Mix rice, pesto, tofu and pumpkin seeds together until they’re creamy and blended well. Then add the sprouts, but make sure you pull them apart and disperse evenly so they don’t get all bunched together. Top with avocado and s & p, and enjoy!
This dish gets points for its vegan protein and fibre content, as well as its high alkalinity… and impressive yum factor!
Love,
~The Vegan Project
Lauren Mote’s Winter Squash Lasagne
Who is Lauren Mote?
Lauren Mote has been an intricate part of the food and beverage industry for over 10 years. Spanning her knowledge and enthusiasm between Toronto and Vancouver, she has devoted her expertise to Le Select Bistro, Lumiere, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, Hawksworth Catering and Chow Restaurant.
Lauren is an accomplished writer, the founder/editor of Poivre Media Company, and recently added both Certified Sommelier and Niche-Beverage Consultant titles to her resume, while launching her newest company, Lauren Mote Productions.
Also an award-winning mixologist, Lauren is currently at the helm of The Refinery’s critically-acclaimed cocktail program. The Refinery is quickly becoming one of several Canadian establishments well-known for its contribution to contemporary cocktail culture innovation. What Lauren’s program is most known for are cocktail construction styles as well as homemade bitters, vermouths and alcoholic tinctures – totaling 23 as of today.
Lauren’s specialties move across edible borders – she is an avid vegetarian and cook, and has developed some super innovative and healthy recipes that embrace contemporary vegetarianism for her site www.laurenmote.com and others including The Vegan Project.
Lauren’s Winter Squash Lasagne Recipe
I may not be a raw-vegan anymore, but it’s important to note that my life is 70% vegan. I still create innovative dishes all the time. What I noticed from my time spent during specific diets like raw and vegan was that I was anxious to create, and while not having access to particular ingredients, it made the quality level and my imagination level high.
This recipe was created a couple of days ago, and celebrates the flavours of winter comfort foods and flavours. It is most certainly rich and delicious.
Bechamel Sauce:
1L Unsweetened Almond Milk
4 tbsp Spelt Flour
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
4 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt
1.5 cups seed/nut topping**(recipe below)
Method: On Medium heat, cook olive oil, minced garlic and spelt flour together – this is the base for a roux. Add the almond milk and thyme sprigs, and whisk ingredients together. Cook gently over medium heat for about 25 minutes – gradually as the water in the almond milk evaporates, the roux will work to thicken the sauce. Salt should only be added towards the end of cooking, and just enough to balance the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for the squash puree.
**Only once you’re ready to build the lasagne should you add the seed/nut topping to the sauce and stir to really thicken – this gives the illusion of a super rich cheese sauce. Amazing. Feel free to blitz this mixture after removing the thyme sprigs to give a smoother consistency, I did.
Squash:
1 medium Winter Squash
1 medium Leek
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 cup Almond Bechamel Sauce**
Fresh Sage
Method: Peel and chop squash and large pieces of leek. Add both with some olive oil, salt and pepper to a roasting pan, and throw in a 400F oven for 30 minutes. After roasting, reserve the leek pieces for another use. The squash should be fork soft at this point. **Add squash to a saucepan on low heat with 1 cup of almond bechamel sauce, and puree with a hand-blitzer. Stir in chopped sage.
Vegetables:
1 LB Kale
1 LB Spinach
1 clove Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp Dry red chillies
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Blanch vegetables in salted water, sautee with garlic, salt, pepper, and chillies.
Noodles:
1 box Organic Brown Rice Lasagne Noodles
Method: Follow cooking instructions.
Seed/Nut Topping:
200g Raw Pumpkin Seeds
200g Raw Sunflower Seeds
200g Raw Almonds
200g Raw Walnuts
200g Raw Cashews
Salt
Sage
Method: Natural oils will seep out of the ingredients with the introduction of heat in the food processor. Blitz all ingredients together until the desired crumb consistency is reached.
Build:
Using a medium 1-2″ deep pan, rub with a bit of olive oil.
Start with a layer of squash, then vegetables, then noodles. Repeat.
At the top, pour the almond milk bechamel over the lasagne, make sure to cover everything in the pan!
Top the lasagne with the seed/nut topping and throw uncovered into the oven for 25 minutes on 400F or until top is browny-gold.
When you take it out, it’s nuclear hot. Rest it for 10 minutes then consume!
Ukrainian Christmas!
Long live the extended Orthodox holiday season! For those of you who may not know, the Orthodox religion celebrates Christmas on January 6/7th instead of the 25th, following the gregorian calendar of yore. Quite a few members of our little group have some Ukrainian in them, among other things, thus, we all grew up a on pierogies and cabbage rolls, and look for any excuse to indulge on the dairy heavy cuisine of our ancestors. Our challenge this was to satisfy our friends with a vegan Ukrainian Christmas Feast that could hopefully be comparable to Baba’s. Those were big orthopedic shoes to fill but I think we did it!
Festive Cashew-Portobello Roast with Wild Mushroom-Miso Gravy
Here’s the recipe we submitted for the CBC Radio 3 vegan holiday recipe challenge:
Spicy Eggplant Bolognese with Crispy Sun Dried Tomato Polenta
This is the ultimate winter comfort food dish. The spicy eggplant bolognese sauce is rich and savoury, while the fried polenta slices are crispy and golden on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Spaghetti Squared in a Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
I often make this Tomato Basil Cream Sauce that I got off the Become the Voice website, that she got from Vegan Yum Yum (kinda like the recipe telephone game). Well, not much has been lost in translation here. I follow the recipe almost exactly because it is divine! I did however have a spaghetti squash laying around, coming close to the end of its days, so I incorporated it into the mix for a new and improved version. The slight sweetness from the squash complemented the tanginess of the fresh tomatoes perfectly. Thank you to both the websites above for introducing a new family favourite into my life.
Ingredients:
I medium spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
1/2 box of spaghetti (mixed with the squash is enough for four servings)
2 ripe roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2-3 tablespoons water or wine, to thin out (I’ve also used vodka in the past)
1 large handful of fresh chopped basil leaves
Method:
Preheat oven to 375F
Place spaghetti squash on a baking sheet, rind up, and bake for about 40 minutes.
In a blender place the tomatoes, cashews, tomato paste and water and blend until very smooth.
Cook spaghetti according to directions.
In a large skillet saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden, careful not to burn. Pour the sauce from the blender into the pan and bring to a simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may add water/wine/vodka now to thin if you like.
When the spaghetti squash is done, take your fork and scrape out the ‘noodles’ form stem to stern and add them to the pan, along with the cooked spaghetti noodles. Toss to coat, add the fresh basil, cracked pepper and salt. Serve immediately (it’s best when warm). Enjoy!
~The Vegan Project
Wild Rice Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
These portobello mushrooms are stuffed with a mixture of wild rice, reconstituted dried lobster mushrooms and tomatoes, and herbs de provence for that french flair. The result is earthy and sumptuous, and just ‘meaty’ enough for that non-vegan dinner guest. Pairs perfectly with these roasted veggies and your favourite robust red.
Ingredients:
2 portobello mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth and de-stemmed (dice stems to add to filling)
1/2 cup wild rice blend
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vegan margarine
1/2 cup dried lobster mushrooms
1/2 dried tomatoes
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons herbes de provence
1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Chili flakes to taste
A sprinkling of Vegan Parm
Method:
Preheat oven to 400F
In a small saucepan bring to boil rice, water and vegan margarine. Reduce and simmer until all water is absorbed (about 40 minutes).
Rub portobello mushrooms with a bit of olive oil and place on a baking sheet and pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. You can leave the oven at this temp.
Place the dried lobster mushrooms and tomatoes in a small bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Remove from liquid (don’t throw this out! You need it to moisten rice mixture later) and dice.
Saute diced shallot in olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced stems, lobster mushrooms and tomatoes, herbes de provence, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the wild rice is done, add to skillet and stir until mixed. Add chopped parsley. Now add the leftover liquid from earlier until mixture is well moistened, not soggy. Scoop 1/2 cup or so of the rice mixture into each cap and sprinkle vegan parm on top. Bake for 20 minutes and serve fresh out of the oven.
Enjoy!
~The Vegan Project
Anthony Sedlak’s World Famous Burger – Veganized!
Hey, it’s vegan Jessica again! I spent this past weekend with my family at our cabin on Saltspring Island where forced some delicious vegan food on my relatives. I made Jen’s Chili Non Carne, which we enjoyed again and again all weekend, the Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Avocado Icing, and this next recipe, which is a vegan take on Food Network chef (and local hottie) Anthony Sedlak’s World Famous Burger. Check out my mom’s funny blog post on a cooking class she took with him.
Anthony Sedlak’s World Famous Burger (Veganized) with Homemade BBQ Sauce and Cabbage Celeriac Coleslaw
Be warned: The BBQ sauce is quite labour intensive but it’s worth it! The original recipe contains Worcestershire sauce, which was omitted to make it vegan.
BBQ Sauce
1 head garlic
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into large slices
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
½ cinnamon stick
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup bourbon, plus a splash to finish sauce
2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp molasses
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
Preheat oven to 400F. Slice ½ inch off the top of the garlic. Place Vidalia onion slices and head of garlic (cut side up) on separate pieces of aluminum foil. Drizzle each with olive oil and salt and pepper, and wrap tightly. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, let cool, and squeeze out roasted garlic cloves. Discard skin. Maintain oven temperature.
Meanwhile, in a medium oven proof saucepan, simmer cider vinegar with bay leaves and cinnamon stick until liquid has reduced by half, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon.
Add ketchup, bourbon, chipotle peppers in sauce, molasses to reduced cider vinegar. Stir to combine. Add brown sugar, cumin, coriander, pepper and paprika. Stir to combine. Add reserved roasted garlic and onions. Puree with a hand-help immersion blender until smooth.
Transfer mixture to preheated oven and let sauce reduce 20 to 30 minutes, or until slightly charred around edges. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper and a splash of bourbon.
Cabbage Celeriac Coleslaw
½ head celeriac, peeled and julienned
¼ head cabbage, core removed and julienned
1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup Veganaise
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
chopped cilantro for garnish
salt and pepper
In a large bowl, toss celeriac and cabbage with salt. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse and drain. In a small bowl, soak red onion in water for 10 minutes, then drain.
In a large bowl, toss celeriac, cabbage and red onion together.
In a small bowl, combine Veganaise, cider vinegar, grainy mustard and cumin. Add dressing to coleslaw and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
Burger Assembly
I used barbecued portobellos (marinated in olive oil, salt and pepper) for the patty, but your favourite vegan patty will do. Spread BBQ sauce on toasted buns, place patty, put coleslaw on top (I sandwiched the coleslaw between two portobellos). Serve with fries.
Deeeelicious!
~ The Vegan Project
Sesame Ginger Fried Rice with Smoked Tofu
As you may or may not know, I (Jessica) am probably the least vegan of the VP bunch. Since we started this thing back in September 2009, I’ve kept a vegan kitchen at home, while wavering to the vegetarian side (gasp) while dining out. I’m also the least culinarily (new word) gifted, opting most of the time to make sandwiches, stirfries and veggie ground round pasta. But enough self deprecation.
Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce
The Vegan Project was recently asked to review a book! Jessica was sent a copy of Melisser Elliott’s hot new book, The Vegan Girl’s Guide To Life. I was browsing through it the other day at J’s house, going straight to the recipe section (of course), and had to snatch it up to try some of Elliott’s unique creations, with the promise that I would return it soon for a complete review. My first attempt was a pasta dish that sounded right up my alley: creamy cashews blended with fresh lemon juice and zest-yes please! This recipe calls for asparagus, which I didn’t have, so I substituted spinach instead, everything else is the same.
Warm Lima Bean Salad on a Grilled Portobello
This dish is great as an appetizer or a light supper. The bright citrus dressing, creamy lima beans, and delicate tomatoes perched atop the smokey grilled portabella make this dish as beautiful as it is delicious.
Warm Lima Bean Salad on a Grilled Portobello
This dish is great as an appetizer or a light supper. The bright citrus dressing, creamy lima beans, and delicate tomatoes perched atop the smokey grilled portabella make this dish as beautiful as it is delicious.
Ingredients:
1 ripe firm roma tomato, chopped and seeded
¼ cup canned lima beans
1 chopped green onion
Small handful chopped white onion
1 portabella mushroom cap, trimmed of stem
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Grill Portobello cap on a grill pan (or a non-stick pan) for 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
Warm lima beans in a bowl (30 to 45 seconds in the microwave should be fine.)
Mix tomato, white onion, green onion, and warmed lima beans in a bowl.
Dress lima bean salad with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon and lime juice.
Season with salt and pepper
Place warm salad on top of Portobello cap and serve!
*Courtesy of Jenny Duffy
~The Vegan Project
BLT w/ Creamy Mustard-Dill Sauce and Homemade Curly Fries
As far as the fake meat debate goes, I’m skeptical. The long list of suspicious ingredients in the super-processed wannabes makes me nervous. So, you’re not going to find any ‘facon’ in this BLT! It’s made with beets, which, when fried, take on a crispy/chewy balance that resembles bacon in a non-creepy fashion.
Cajun Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers are beautifully colourful and have such a great blend of flavours. The sweet corn balances out the hot and smokey cajun spices perfectly. They are pretty filling on their own, but made with smaller peppers or cut in half, could be a lovely first course at a dinner party.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry red quinoa
4 large peppers, similar in stature (cut off the tops and chop up to add to the filling. Scoop out the seeds and white lining to make a little bowl.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 crimini mushrooms, finely diced
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup canned corn
1 cup black beans
2 teaspoons cajun spice mix
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350F
In a small pot mix 1/2 cup of dry red quinoa with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, saute the onion and garlic on medium heat with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, pepper tops and cajun spice mix and let cook for 10 minutes or so. When the quinoa is done, fluff it up a bit and toss it in the pan and mix well. If your pan will fit the black beans and corn, go for it and mix it all up. If not, put everything in a large bowl (including cilantro) and mix well. Place the peppers in a square baking dish (this helps to keep them close together to avoid falling over) and stuff the peppers right up to the top. If there is any mixture left over, eat it! Bake for about 30 minutes, but of course times may vary according to pepper size. Remove from the oven and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top. You might want to let them sit for 5 minutes as they are really hot coming out of the oven.
Enjoy!
~The Vegan Project
Open-faced Creamy Bacon and Tomato Mushroom Melt over Toasted Ancient Grain Bread
This hearty open faced sandwich is perfect for brunch or even a light supper. The creamy, cheesy mushroom sauce is savoury and comforting, and is a perfect counterpoint to the bright and fresh tomatoes and smoky tempeh bacon. Putting the salt and pepper directly on the tomatoes brings out their lovely, rich flavour.
Ingredients:
1 firm ripe organic roma tomato
1 cup sliced mushrooms
6 slices Turtle Island Foods Smokey Bacon Tempeh
Two thick slices organic Ancient Grain (whole grain) bread
1 heaving tablespoon Asano Miso
1 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks (vegan butter)
Handful of Daiya cheddar shreds
1 tbsp minced garlic
A splash or two of almond milk
Salt and Pepper
Method:
Melt earth balance in a pan on high heat. Add chopped mushrooms and brown til golden.
Turn pan to medium heat and add garlic. Sweat garlic and mushrooms for 2 minutes.
Mix in miso and Daiya shreds. Add a splash of almond milk to bring the sauce together. Turn down to low heat let sauce thicken, stirring occasionally.
Toast bread in toaster.
Brown tempeh in non-stick pan.
Slice tomato and place on toast. Salt and pepper the tomato slices to taste.
Place tempeh on tomato slices.
Smother entire sandwich with the creamy mushroom sauce.
Enjoy!
*Courtesy of Jenny Duffy
~The Vegan Project
Cranberry and Fennel Vegan Sausage
This recipe is a variation of The Post Punk Kitchen’s legendary vegan sausage recipe. We thought some poultry seasoning and dried cranberries would give this version that holiday feel. The backbone of the vegan sausage is the vital wheat gluten and mashed beans. From there the possibilities are endless! Check out these ones at the PPK sausage forum.
Vegan Latkes and Veggie Beer Sausage
I love fried potatoes! Especially in the form of a latke. I made a batch the other night and grazed on the leftovers for a couple of days. The night of, I served them with pan-fried Veggie Beer Sausage and dollops of dijon and non-dairy sour cream. This meal is NOT low fat. But it is super awesome and delicious!
Mushroom and Cauliflower Quinoa
Quinoa was considered the ‘mother of all grains’ by the Incas. I might have to agree. It is extremely high in protein, and a complete one at that, and an excellent source of dietary fibre. It cooks with the same ratio as rice, though way easier in my opinion, and shares its ability to be combined with almost anything, sweet or savoury. Cauliflower, mushrooms and thyme cooked to a golden brown coat the quinoa seeds in an abundance of earthy flavours.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 mushrooms, diced
1 cup cauliflower, diced
4 sprigs of thyme, whole
1 lemon. juice and zest
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Combine water, quinoa and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes. Take off heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Saute the diced onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-low heat in a large frying pan. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms. After 5 more minutes, add the garlic. Add the whole thyme sprigs and cauliflower, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat till everything is golden. Towards the end squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and scrape up all the bits off the bottom. Now add the lemon zest, parsley and cooked quinoa and toss around in the pan. Drizzle with some olive oil if needed and serve.
~The Vegan Project
Five Spice Lettuce Wraps
I’ve been wanting to make some lettuce wraps ever since Janine shared her recipe with us from her vegan week. Then last weekend I attended an event where there were lettuce wraps served (which were OK), and that sealed the deal that I must create my own version. The five spice really makes these lettuce wraps make you go mmm! Use conservatively as it is pretty potent.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
A creative (and healthy!) vegan version of the classic comfort food we all grew up on.
Rainy Day Spinach Drizzle
Puttering through the kitchen looking for something to make for lunch so I don’t have to venture out on this dreary Vancouver afternoon…
Decided to cook some long grain brown rice. Have some left over veggies and a can of artichokes to throw on top. Need a sauce….
This is what I came up with and it is SO GOOD!
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup water
4 cloves garlic
1 cup or more of fresh spinach
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (raw un-sulphered)
1 teaspoon raw vegan parm (found at karmavore, nutritional yeast would sub fine though)
Lots of cracked pepper
Generous pinch of sea salt
Blend until nice and creamy. Simple, delicious and raw! I’m drizzling it on top of brown rice, canned artichokes, yellow pepper, cucumber and more chopped spinach. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for little extra Vitamin B1 or Thiamine, natural mood booster. Enjoy!
Love,
The Vegan Project
Gardener’s Pie with a Cucumber & Fennel Salad
Tonight’s dinner was inspired by a dear friend Steve’s Cucumber & Fennel Salad combined with a Shepherd’s Pie recipe found here (i’ve renamed it ‘gardener’s pie’): http://www.ivu.org/recipes/main/lentil-shepherds.html (I definitely added mushrooms-about 2 cups chopped portobellos, mixed frozen veggies and lots of fresh thyme. Also added Tofutti cream cheese to make the potatoes extra creamy, and a few dashes of hot sauce in the lentil mixture)
Garnished with paprika and fresh thyme sprigs.
I decided to pair this comforting dish with something light and fresh. I was reminded of my friend Steve’s Cucumber & Fennel salad and knew it would be perfect! It’s simple and flexible:
1 Fennel bulb w/ tops thinly sliced and about 1 cup of the tops chopped
1 long english cucumber thinly sliced on diagonal
2 lemons juiced and zested
about 1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Now just layer….cucumber, fennel, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 of the olive oil, some fennel tops and salt and pepper.
Repeat and then let it sit for a bit and enjoy!
The zest really makes this dish-don’t skip!
Love The Vegan Project xo
Lasagna to Dai-ya for!
I really felt like some oozy, gooey homemade lasagna today. So, I defrosted a block of Daiya and popped over to IGA to pick up some ingredients (I’m pretty sure I saw Lou Diamond Phillips picking up a few things as well!)
Mediterranean Pizza
Tonight we had a meeting with our talented graphic designer Sabrina Modder to discuss the layout of our website. We told Sabrina that we would make a vegan dinner for her. On the menu – a Mediterranean Pizza on Trader Joe’s vegan whole wheat pizza dough, and a salad with a lemon dijon thyme vinaigrette.
On the way to Sabrina’s we got a bit sidetracked at the Ukranian deli near her apartment. Jessica impulsively bought a jar of pickles, and we picked up dessert – a pure bar of dark chocolate with strawberry and cracked green peppercorn.
The mingling Mediterranean vegetables on the pizza were so flavourful together that we didn’t find ourselves yearning for cheese at all.
Mediterranean Pizza and Salad with Lemon Dijon Thyme Vinaigrette
Pizza
1 package Trader Joe’s Vegan Whole Wheat Pizza Dough or any vegan whole wheat dough
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp banana peppers, chopped
10 kalamata olives, pitted
3 artichoke hearts (non-marinated), chopped
1/2 Cipollini onion, or any sweet onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced thinly
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
4 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 basil leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
sesame seeds for crust garnish
Prepare pizza dough according to directions. Preheat oven. Saute zucchini, onion, and mushrooms, and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. Set aside. Begin assembling pizza. Add the remaining tbsp olive oil, basil, and all veggies onto the prepared pizza dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds and one more swig of olive oil and bake in the oven until crust is lightly browned. This pizza is piled high and may require a fork and knife to enjoy.
Salad with Lemon Dijon Thyme Vinaigrette
Dressing
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Juice from one lemon
Leaves of 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, chopped
1.5 tsp brown rice syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
1 head of romaine, torn
2 small Persian cucumbers, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Let sit for a while in the fridge so the flavours mingle.
Combined salad ingredients, toss with dressing and enjoy!
Suggestion: For additional protein try adding chickpeas, toasted nuts of your choice, or hemp hearts.