Cajun-Spiced Portabellas

CAJUN-SPICED PORTABELLAS

Yesterday’s mushroom dish was based on Kristen Suzanne’s “Cajun Portabellas With Wild Rice” recipe from her Easy Raw Entrees. Although I usually like to make a recipe according to the original the first time around, except perhaps for making a smaller quantity for just the two of us, but in this case I nervously cut way way down on the amount of oil required for the recipe – and ran into a bit of a problem. I corrected it another way, but neglected to write down the exact amounts of ingredients, changes in procedure, etc. (I’m naming the dish slightly differently since I took liberties with the recipe.)

A small problem with raw recipes is that most raw chefs use a lot of oil and/or nuts and seeds, and as you know I don't usually do that. I have tried the recipes at first with a little of the oil, to get the 'right' taste, but generally find away around that afterwards for successive 'repeats' of the dish. I just don't see the need for all that fat as well as all those calories - but that's just me.

Anyway, here goes:

CAJUN-SPICED PORTABELLAS (Raw - but don't run away!)

Okay, here’s a rough idea of what this dish was about:

Portabella mushrooms cut into strips, salted and left to marinate in olive oil for a while. Chopped tomatoes. A mix of spices, onion powder, garlic powder, and various herbs. After tossing the drained mushrooms with the spice mixture, they were placed on dehydrator sheets for about an hour and a half, at which time I deviated yet again from the recipe and added the tomatoes, mixing them in with the mushroom slices, and dehydrated for about another half hour. A squeeze of lime finished it off. I doubt that they are like what Ms Suzanne intended, but they were very very good and I will make these again and write down exactly how I did it for this blog.

With the Cajun-Spiced Portabellas we had some old faves: Avocado and Strawberry Salad plus a side dish of thinly sliced (raw) green beans with red bell peppers and a little green onion - all very tender and delish. We finished up with berries - strawberry and blueberry. I can never get enough berries.

Thanks for listening! ;-)

Aparagus & Tomato Pasta, Three Thai Dishes

ASPARAGUS & TOMATO SHELL PASTA

There has been some lovely asparagus in the market lately, both the green kind and the purple. Being a little conservative for colour for this dish, I chose the green and teamed it with some lovely little grape tomatoes, basil, and green onions to mix with baby shell pasta. It was so good.

The recipe is just about what I've said above:

Shell pasta for two persons (I use about 100-120 grams or 3-4 ounces)
1 slice of onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
pinch of crushed chiles - or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
half a bunch of fresh basil, lightly chopped
2 green/spring onions, chopped
basil sprigs for garnish

While the pasta water is coming to the boil and the pasta is cooking (according to package instructions), put the onion and garlic in a little water in a skillet (large enough to contain all the ingredients in the recipe) and cook until soft.

Add the asparagus, tomatoes and chopped basil with the seasonings and stir over medium-high heat until the tomato skins start to look as if they are loosening up a little. Stop there. Don't overcook. If the pasta is not ready, remove the vegetables from the heat until the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables in the skillet, toss them together and return to the heat if necessary for a moment or two to make sure everything is heated through. Remove from heat, stir in the green onions and transfer the pasta to a warmed serving dish. Garnish.

It doesn't get much simpler than that :)


THREE THAI DISHES



I've also been playing around at making more Thai food - we both love it! This one in the photo above is EGGPLANT WITH BASIL. I usually like to add a little cubed tofu to this dish as well as the red bell pepper.

And this one . . .



. . . is a SWEET POTATO AND POTATO COCONUT CURRY. Tofu goes nicely in this one too.

And then there was the day I made (dah-dah dah-dah!) . . .



TOM YUM SOUP! This was my first time of making it, and I think I got a little carried away, putting in enough vegetables and tofu to make it into something approaching a stew rather than a soup. That is, however, easily corrected.

These dishes are keepers here. Actually, we love Thai spices and like to flavour all kinds of things with them. My problem, however, is being able to get fresh kaffir lime leaves (although I keep a good supply of dried ones up the cupboard) and fresh lemon grass, not to mention fresh Thai basil, which is so important to the taste. It's a bore to have to substitute other things :(

Now that spring is here I'm looking to more and more lovely vegetables to put into my stir 'fries' and curries. I remind myself that they have snow out west!

ASPARAGUS 2 WAYS: Raw Asparagus & Tomato Curry; Spicy Asparagus Stir-fry

Sometimes we have great produce at the Farmers' Market, sometimes not so good. It all depends on the weather, right? But this last while we have been pretty lucky. Recently we had some great stuff available (see above) which we carted back home. Then the question comes: What to make with all this delightful produce! This is what we came up with in our house.

RAW ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO CURRY



Before you run away, remember that asparagus is very VERY tender when eaten young and fresh, and of course tomatoes only need a little coaxing to render up their wonderful juices and flavours. Okay - with me so far?

This recipe is adapted from one by Kate Wood in Eat Smart Eat Raw. Since tastes differ and, in any case, we tend to cut way WAY down on or cut completely out added oils and unnecessary oily ingredients, we didn't try this recipe as originally intended. Instad we came up with the following:

For The Sauce:

4 sundried tomatoes, soaked
3/4 lb tomatoes
1 stick celery
1/4 pound carrots
1 or two thick slices of onion, to taste
1 red thai chili
2 Tbsp garam masala, or to taste
a little liquid (soaking liquid from the sundried tomatoes will do fine)

For the Vegetables:

1/4 lb carrots, peeled into long 'noodles' with a vegetable peeler
1 bunch young asparagus (around a dozen stems), cut into bite-sized pieces
4 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb spinach, finely shredded
2 tsp pumpkin seeds/pepitas
1 ounce sprouts (I used mixed 'salad sprouts') - and save a few more for garnish

I made the sauce first, putting everything into the blender, adding as much of the tomato-soaking liquid as was needed to make blending possible. This should be a nice smooth puree.You can chill this, but I preferred it at room temperature..

Next the vegetables. The only trick here is the carrot preparation, and that's easier than it looks. Simply use a vegetable peeler and peel thin strips down the carrot to make 'noodles'. When you can't peel any more, chop the tiny nub that's left as best you can and start on the next carrot.

See them below:



Add all these lovely carrot 'noodles' to the rest of the veggies, mixing them into a bowl. Then dump in the sauce.



The sauce is wonderful, but you may want to taste for more seasoning. It can be as salt and/or as spicy as you want it to be.

After adding the sauce, few stirs to coat all the vegetables with the great curry flavours..

That's it. It is easy and it tastes - well - WONDERFUL! Try it :)


For my next trick, I'll just give you my standard

SPICY ASPARAGUS

(serves 2 for a light meal)

This is cooked, I assure you, although 'stir-fried' is an exaggeration, since I prefer to stir-steam (you know what I mean).



This recipe was inspired by a very similar one in Madhur Jaffrey's _World Vegetarian_ cookbook. The dish is from Hong Kong.

In this version, oil is at a minimum and the flavours at a maximum ;=) Since this was for a light meal I used only one bunch of asparagus for the two of us. Obviously, all measurements are to taste, but if you really don't like spicy food this just won't taste the same without lots of ginger, chillies and garlic.

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
A little water or stock to 'sautee' the vegetables - or you can use a little oil if you prefer
3 thin slices of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 or 2 dried hot red chillies, crumbled
2 Tbsp (or so) vegetable stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional for those cooking low fat)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds for garnish and flavour
springs of cilantro for garnish and flavour

Soak asparagus in cold water to keep crisp while chopping the other ingredients. Put stock (or oil) in skillet/fry pan over high heat and stir in ginger, garlic, and crumbled chillies. Stir well and then add asparagus pieces (well drained) and stir quickly to coat with spices. Add the extra stock, soy sauce, sugar and salt and when it comes to the boil (almost immediately!) turn the heat to low and cover for about four minutes, being careful not to let it burn. Remove cover. Asparagus should be almost but not quite cooked - in the Chinese way. The liquid should be absorbed, but if not let it evaporate over the heat. Add the sesame oil (if used) and stir. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve over steamed brown rice.

Note, timing is approximate and depends on the weight of your pan and the heat of your stove. The point is: don't let is burn, don't let it go limp, whatever you do. The vegetables should be hot but not losing their very crisp texture.

Enjoy!

.

Red River Raw Borscht, Cauliflower Salad, Tomato Plate, Kale and Apple Salad

If you've been reading this blog at all, you know that my dh and I love beets - hot, cold, pickled, in soup, in salads, however they come and the redder the better. Recently I made a raw beet salad - and was absolutely amazed at how good it was. And I have tried a few raw soups with similar success. But raw borscht??? I didn't think so. I did, however find a recipe for a raw borscht with garlic and dill and a cup of soaked-overnight almonds (which would have 'creamed' it), and, of course, cabbage and beets in Brigitte Mars's Rawsome! and thought, well, it can be done. So I turned to my previous variations on conventional cooked borscht, thought of some amendements, and within minutes had a raw version chilling in the refrigerator. My dh pronounced it excellent, and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly too.

RED RIVER RAW BORSCHT

3/4 pound red beets, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic
two large handfuls of fresh spinach (I'd have preferred beet greens, but it's early in the year for that)
1-1/4 cups cranberries (I used some I'd frozen earlier)
zest, juice and chopped flesh of 1 orange (blood orange, if you have it)
4 sundried tomatoes, soaked and chopped (soaking liquid reserved)
large handful dulse, lightly rinsed, chopped (other sea vegetable would be good, but I was keeping with red.)
1-1/2 tsp miso
2 or 3 dashes cayenne (optional, but it gives it a nice extra zip)
enough water to blend the ingredients and to reach the desired consistency

Set a few cranberries aside for garnish, if you wish, and put the rest of the ingredients with the soaking liquid from the dried tomatoes and a cup or more of water into a blender. Puree well, adding more water as needed. Add any extra water to bring to your preferred thickness. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Regrigerate until needed, for a cold soup, or serve at room temperature.

Garnish with cranberries and, if you like, fresh herbs, etc. Serve chilled with freshly ground black pepper.

And - oh yes, the name of the soup? My very first taste of borscht was in the late '40s and came from the kitchen of a lady who had migrated to Manitoba from the Ukraine. The soup was strong (not, I imagine, vegetarian!), chunky, full of many wonderful things, and was like no soup I'd ever eaten before. I loved it! This soup is named in honour of that long-ago hospitality. Thank you, Mrs B.


And now for some raw vegetable dishes we've been enjoying - nothing tricky, nothing fiddly, but all fresh and delicious!




CAULIFLOWER SALAD

This was pretty simple and almost embarrassingly easy, but it was good enough to pass on for a quick and easy dish to add to any array of salads or to have alone with some chunky French bread if you prefer. The addition of the sea vegetable adds a dimension I wouldn't have believed. Lovely :)

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 or 3 green/spring onions, cut across into chunky rounds
handful of dulse, lightly rinsed and chopped into small pieces
a couple of handfuls of 'baby' carrots
1 or 2 tsp Bragg's Aminos / All-Purpose Soy Seasoning, or low-sodium soy (not strictly raw)
Zest and juice of one lime

Whisk the last two ingredients together and pour over the vegetables. Toss to lightly flavour all the vegetables with citrus and the soy. Serve with more lime wedges if you wish.


And sometimes the simplest methods sometimes escape me when I'm hassled for time. This is one of those. Tomatoes are great, just sliced and passed at the table, of course. When I'm thinking ahead even half an hour (an hour if I can), however, I like to increase the flavour a little this way (not a great photo or a very classy presentation, but you get the idea):



TOMATO PLATE

1 large tomato or as many as you wish to serve, thinly sliced
2 thin slices of onion, separated into rings or half-rings
sea salt
large handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime
freshly ground black pepper
ground cummin to sprinkle to taste

At least half an hour before serving, sprinkle the tomatoes in a bowl with a little salt, layering with the onion and, if you wish, a little of the chopped cilantro. Squeeze a little lime juice over the lot.

Give the tomato mixture a couple of gentle turns in the bowl during the next half hour or so (being careful not to break up the tomato slices).

Arrange the slices of tomato and onion on a plate, add freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle or two of ground cummin and the rest of the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Everyone knows how much I love eating kale. It's full of good things, including loads of calcium, but it's also so good in flavour. There are different kinds of kale, but this lovely green curly kale is what is available to me now. I'm always making salads from it these days, and I just vary the ingredients and the seasonings to make it a little different each time.



KALE AND APPLE SALAD

1 head of kale
1 or 2 slices of onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sweet red apple
small handful of raisins
raw cider vinegar, to taste
tsp raw agave syrup
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice to taste
sprinkle of Braggs Aminos, to taste (optional) - or you could use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
dash or two of cayenne (optional)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Strip the leaves only from the kale stems, wash, and tear into small pieces and place in a large bowl. 'Massage' these with your hands, deliberately bruising and wilting the leaves for a few minutes, until they take up less volume in the bowl and have turned darker green (as if lightly cooked). Don't worry about overdoing this - this pseudo-cooked texture is nice - taste a little as you go along!

Chop the onion, garlic and add to the kale when it is ready. If you're not going to serve immediately, chop/slice the apple just before adding the dressing - to avoid having the cut apple go brown - or sprinkle it with a little lemon juice meanwhile while it waits. Add the raisins.

Mix together the cider vinegar, agave syrup, lemon or lime juice, Braggs or soy sauce with the cayenne, if using.

Pour this dressing over the rest of the ingredients and toss. Serve in your favourite salad bowl (if you're not already using it!) with other salads or as a first course.

You'd be amazed at how lively we feel with eating so much raw food (although we're not 100 per cent raw - and our condiments are not yet completely raw) - and it certainly saves a lot of time in the kitchen! Next acquisition will be a dehydrator - than watch out!!!!!

RAW TOMATO SOUP

Okay, here we go, guys! It's letting me upload one photo (only one, it seems, although I tried for another for a 'soup show' item, as it were). So this keeps me happy for now - Yesssssssss!!!!!

RAW TOMATO SOUP

NOTE: not all my condiments are strictly raw - eg. the soy sauce and nutritional yeast, but I see them used in raw cookbooks.
I adapted this from recipe from a Tomato Soup in Kate Wood's _Eat Smart Eat Raw_ book.

6 tomatoes
1-1/2 sticks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried basil
2-1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp low sodium soy
a handful of parsley
juice and zest of half a lemon (or more to taste)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
4 rehydrated sundried tomatoes
and as much water as I needed to make it work
fresh black pepper to taste
more salt, if you like, to taste

GARNISH: Well, maybe a little parsley and a twist of lemon? I also rehydrated a little wakame for garnish (that's the funny dark green circle of love around the lemon and lemon zest) - love any excuse for using sea vegetables! - but you can skip these if you like.

Chop what needs to be chopped and dump everything except the garnish in the blender, puree and chill. Garnish and serve. Delish!

Curried Vegan 'Chicken' in Tomato and Coconut Sauce

First, dear friends, a warning: This recipe has no added fat - UNTIL you add the coconut milk! You can indeed make it without the coconut milk, you could fake up the coconut milk with a little coconut extract and a soy product which has less fat in it, or you can indulge. In lieu of vegan chikken I often use tempeh or pressed and marinated tofu, but this looks more authentic and the texture is pleasant.

CURRIED VEGAN 'CHICKEN' IN TOMATO & COCONUT SAUCE (SRI LANKA)

This dish was inspired by one from, I believe, Charmaine Solomon many years ago now. Her original recipe was of course not vegan in any way. I have tweaked it to suit our tastes as well as veganizing it :) Note: the dish is from Sri Lanka, and although it doesn't have the couple of dozen red chillies that I am told would have been in the original, it is still HOT and SPICY.

For two persons:

1/2 pkg fake chikken strips (or more if you're hungry), cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
10 curry leaves (these are an aromatic leaf, used in some curries; I get mine dried)
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne or ground chillies (ADJUST to taste and expectation)
1 tsp ground coriander seed (or a little more if you really love this taste)
1/2 tsp ground cummin
1/4 tsp ground fennel
2 tsp paprika
salt to taste (1/2 tsp to 1 tsp, but remember the chikken strips are salty and so might the tomatoes be)
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 a 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes, with juice (sodium-reduced if possible)
5 cardamon pods, gently hit to slightly split them
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 big strips lemon zest or 1 stalk fresh lemon grass if you have it
1/2 can thick coconut milk
GARNISH: Lemon or Lime wedges, cilantro (coriander leaves), etc.

Over medium high heat, in a pan to hold the whole recipe: Cut the fake chikken into bit-size pieces and set aside.

Put the ingredients up to (but not including) the tomatoes in a little stock and let them soften and mix their flavours. Stir well.

Now is the time for the rest -

Add the tomatoes, whole spices and lemon zest (or lemon grass), lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan for around 10 or fifteen minutes or so.

Add the pieces of fake chikken and make sure the pieces are well coated. Warm them through. Then, shortly before serving add the coconut milk and stir BUT do NOT cover the pan while you warm the dish (the dish will otherwise curdle).

Serve with rice and appropriate accompaniments and enjoy!

Wild Rice with Tomatoes and Chard

I have actually turned over a new leaf, as it were (lettuce?), and am going to post here even if I have to be boring and show you my mistakes, my leftovers, and my days when I don't eat as well as I should. This next meal was a bit heavy in grain, but it had lots and lots of greens in it and I just adore yellow vegetables so . . . .



WILD RICE WITH TOMATOES AND CHARD

We love wild rice, and we mix it half and half with brown long-grain rice and have it with almost anything we would use rice for - not all the time, but often. A couple of days or so ago I had some leftover 'wild' rice (well, wild and brown) - plus half a bunch of chard in the crisper, half a can or plum tomatoes with juice - guess where I'm going with this!

Reminder: We cook for two. (Hence the leftovers too.)

1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Half a large can of Italian plum tomatoes (around 12 or 14 ounces), roughly chopped
1 tsp oregano
good pinch of crushed dried chilies
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy
half a bunch of chard, chopped (stems thinly sliced)
1-1/2 cups or so (I didn't really measure it) of pre-cooked rice - half wild rice and half brown long-grain rice

Soften the onion and garlic in a little water or stock in a large skillet or with the sliced chard stems. Add the tomatoes, oregano and chilies and simmer for a little while until it all starts to look a little less than raw. Add the rice and keep stirring until all is coated in the mixture. Add the chard leaves and keep turning them to wilt them. Make sure the rice is hot and that the chard is dispersed throughout the rice and tomato mix. Taste for seasoning and serve.

We hadn't finished the menu yet, however - we had some with the Sweet Potato and Carrot Stew 'Pie' of my last post (Blogger is giving me a problem today, as you might have realized, hence separate posts). And of course we preceded with a salad -



Gotta show you our salads - no matter how mundane - because it helps me to be pleased that I'm eating my raw greens (I used to hate salads!).

And oh yes, we finished up with some fresh fruit as usual. Who'd want to eat pastries when there's fresh fruit in the house!!!

See ya later!

Sardinian Cauliflower Soup With Tomatoes And Pasta

I've never been to Sardinia, but if the cuisine is anywhere as good as this soup suggests, then I would probably eat myself into bliss. I know I loved the food in another not-so-far-away island, Sicily - but that was in my pre-veggie days (I still ate f*sh back then).

Anyway, this soup, I am told, is typical of Sardinia. I found the original recipe, which I have modified, in Donna Klein's wonderful Vegan Italiano - or I should say my husband did. He loves this soup!

We first made it from a head of cauliflower, lots of garlic, crushed red pepper flakes (or live chilies), Since we don't use oil in cooking (get enough of that from the fruits, grains, beans and veggies we live on), it all goes into the pot along with around four or five cups of water or vegetable broth and cooks until the cauliflower is done - in pre-cut florets, that's around 10 minutes. At that point the soup is pureed, tasted for seasonings (some lovely fresh-ground pepper comes into its own here), and returned to the pot along with that pasta to be heated through. But wait, there's more!

The next time we made it we added 14 ounces stewed canned tomatoes (half of one of those big cans that I'd opened for something else!) and some fresh chopped basil to the puree. At the end we added cooked pasta (some brown rice elbow macaroni) to make it into an even heartier soup. Deeeeeee-lish!!! (The little bits on top are vegan bakon bits.)

BUTTERNUT TOMATO SOUP

Here's a lovely soup adapted from Barnard and Kramer's _How It All Vegan_. We had it yesterday - absolutely delicious. We made this in this size, thinking it would be good for the two of us, but we have enough left for another day.

BUTTERNUT TOMATO SOUP

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled & cubed
1/2 cup water
14-ounces canned tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup soy milk
2 green onions, finely chopped for Garnish

‘Saute’ the garlic and ginger in a little water on medium heat until the garlic is softened. Add the wuash, tomatoes, water, pepper and salt (if using) and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is cooked through.
Blend half the vegetables with the milk in a blender, return to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes.
Garnish and serve.

JAZZY GREEN BEANS & TOMATOES OVER POLENTA

But first things first. This is our lovely beagle Made' - she is nearly 10 and I've been off the air, as far as this blog and most other things are concerned, for the last couple of weeks because she's not been well. After x-rays, ultrasounds, specialist exams, etc., she had surgery (we took her down to Toronto on Monday) yesterday - removal of the soon-to-perforate gallbladder. She came through it like the trouper she is, but she's not out of the woods yet. We're also waiting on some four biopsies. We should, however, if she recuperates at the expected rate, be able to travel down to collect her in a couple of days - well, sometime over the weekend anyway. (Photo shows her poor little shaved tum - her pre-summer bikini wax, if you prefer.)

But of course we have been eating at the same time as worrying and fretting and staying awake at nights, although it has been mainly quick and easy food, comfort food, nothing much worthy of reporting here. Still, if you're interested in what two devoted animal guardians do between stressing about the fate of one of their lovely companions, here it is:

This should have been a fairly easy thing to give you, since I wrote it down at the time and copied it onto my computer, but I have just succeeded in erasing the whole recipe. Would ya believe!!!!!! Nevertheless, here it is as I remember it now (sigh!).

JAZZY GREEN BEANS & TOMATOES OVER POLENTA


You'll need the following:

Prepare first-
1 cup polenta prepared according to package directions, poured into a pie plate and kept warm. (I always say 'according to directions' because that makes it not my fault if this stuff doesn't turn out right. Frankly, I find a proportion of 3 to one for water and polenta works fine. I use water (not 'milk' or stock), I add no oil or salt, but I do like to stir in some finely minced/mushed garlic when it starts to thicken. You must please yourself how you like it.)

4 or 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and then chopped finely (reserve the soaking liquid)
4 or 5 sundried tomatoes, soaked and then chopped (reserve the soaking liquid)
Half a pound of green beans, cut into quarter-inch rounds, blanched for two or three minutes and set aside

a couple of slices of a large onion, finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5 large mushrooms, sliced

1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
dash of cayenne pepper
4 canned tomatoes (pureed to make a sauce)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste

In a skillet, 'saute' the onion, garlic and fresh mushrooms in a little water until the onions are translucent.
Add the fresh tomatoes, basil, cayenne pepper, the sundried tomatoes and the soaked mushrooms and as much of the soaking liquid for the above as you need to continue to cook the stew, another ten minutes maybe.
Cook until all is nicely blended and then add the green beans, pureed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a few more minutes until it all tastes just wonderful. Taste again to be sure (any left?).

Serve over triangles of polenta with a nice crisp salad.

ROTINI WITH BROCCOLI & TOMATOES

This recipe is adapted from one by Jennifer Raymond in Neal Barnard’s _Eat Right, Live Longer_ (1995), p. 318. The original served twice the number of people, had less roasted red pepper, proportionately, and contained tahini and olive oil. (I am experimenting with cutting all oils out of all recipes right now.) The cooking instructions are changed to allow for no oil and for my hang-up about keeping fresh tomatoes actually tasting fresh :)

ROTINI WITH BROCCOLI & TOMATOES

Serves 3 or 4.

6 ounces rotini pasta (I used the tricolour kind, because I wanted to make it pretty)
2-3 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
1/4 tsp crushed red chilies (or more to taste)
Abt. 3/4 pound broccoli (half a bunch), cut into florets
Abt. 2 large tomatoes, diced (my single tomato weighed in at ca.12 ounces)
1 cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (if you use canned, save the liquid)
1/3 cup roasted red peppers (mine from a jar purchased for the recipe)
1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp (or to taste) freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Prepare your vegetables.

Put the water on for the pasta and then cook it according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a skillet set over medium-high heat, add the broccoli, garlic and chile flakes with abt 1/3 cup of water, mix very well to coat the broccoli with the flavours, reduce heat a bit and cover. Steam for around 3 minutes or until the broccoli is _just_ tender, no more.

While the pasta is cooking and the broccoli is steaming, puree the garbanzos, red peppers and lemon juice in a blender until smooth, adding a little water (or reserved bean liquid from the can) if needed to make it possible to blend properly. It will be a delightful pinkish colour! Set aside.

When the broccoli is done, remove it from pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the pan with a couple of Tbsp water, cover and cook around 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the tomatoes and stir very well, carefully reheating the broccoli but not letting it overcook. Broccoli should be still a little resistant rather than soft.

Stir the garbanzo mixture into the cooked pasta. Spread the coated pasta on a serving dish and sprinkle with pepper. Add the broccoli-tomato mixture to the top.

Serve NOW! :) Truly delicious!

TOMATO CABBAGE SOUP

I make this soup fat-free (although die-hards are welcome to sautee the onions in a couple of Tbsp of oil if they must) and simmer for a bit longer than the stipulated time, since I think the longer these things cook the nicer they are. But for a Quick Fix soup, the time stated here is the one to follow.

TOMATO CABBAAGE SOUP (QUICK AND EASY FIX)

This recipe is easy and can be quickly made - It’s slightly adapted from Sarah Kramer’s _La Dolce Vegan_.

1 small red onion, minced
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp paprika, or to taste (we added a little more)
1 -14 oz can diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups cabbage, very finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
salt, if you use it, to taste

Put all ingredients, except for the vinegar and maple syrup, into a soup pan and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat so that the soup ingredients simmer gently. After around 20 minutes, Stir in the vinegar and syrup. Salt if you like.

There ya go - a tasty, nutritious, easy soup that will serve a couple of hungry people or twice as many for a first course only.

Serve with a nice hunk of homemade wholewheat sourdough bread.

Can be kept in the fridge for a few days, but not recommended for freezing :( Definitely a keeper!!

TUSCAN-STYLE BEANS WITH TOMATOES

(Serves 4 as a main dish, up to eight as a side dish)
A Quick Fix.

While this dish is traditionally made with cannellini beans, we use navy beans or northern beans, according to what we have cooked and ready. We make it without olive oil to sautee the garlic, etc. for another fat-free dish which is also quick and easy.

4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 cups (two cans, if you prefer them, but rinse and drain) white beans, cooked and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, homemade if you have it
14-ounce can of tomatoes, chopped, including juice
a good pinch of dried sage or use four or five fresh sage leaves if you have them handy
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the garlic in a very little water for a few minutes to soften in a large pot, then add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer - without a lid - for 20 minutes or so, until thickened nicely. Give it a good stir now and then while it does this. When the mixture is lovely and moist but no longer runny it's done. Easy and delicious.

RATATOUILLE

For lunch today we had some Tuscan-style white beans (recipe to follow) accompanied by this fat-free ratatouille - which is quick and easy and cooked on the stovetop.

You'll need -
2 onions, chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large eggplant, diced
14-ounce can of tomatoes, with juice, crushed
1-1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs such as organo, thyme, basil, parsley
Several good turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
1 large bell pepper (I like the red ones), diced
salt to taste

Cook the onion and garlic in a large pot in around 1/2 cup water on medium-high heat, until soft (maybe 5 minutes) then add the diced eggplant, tomatoes and herbs, salt and pepper and stir well. Reduce heat somewhat and let it cook covered (stir frequently, though, so it doesn't stick) for around 15 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

Add the other ingredients and stir well, and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes, or until the zuccini is tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Serves 8.

GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS & TOMATO

GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS AND TOMATO
This is easy, and it can be made no fat, which is the way we do it.
It makes a tasty side dish or a light lunch with rice.

To Serve Two (Can be doubled or tripled for more):

1/2 lb fresh green beans - trim but leave whole
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 oz sliced fresh mushrooms, your choice
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Add beans to boiling water and cook until barely tender over
high heat - around 4 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook your onion in a little stock or water
until softish and then add the mushrooms and tomato and
stir until the mushrooms have released their liquid, around 5
minutes. By now your beans will be more than ready.

Add the drained green beans, salt and pepper (if used) and
toss beans in the mushroom mix until beans are reheated.
Serve warm.

Tastes even better than the sum of its parts! :)

CURRIED BEAN, TOMATO & MUSHROOM SOUP

Keeping to the chosen theme, here's a soup we had last evening from the freezer. We enjoy this soup as a start to a meal or, with homemade bread or a salad, as a light meal in itself.

CURRIED BEAN, TOMATO AND MUSHROOM SOUP

1 cup of a mix of beans (kidney, garbanzos, turtle), cooked and drained
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 lb (125 g) small mushrooms, sliced
1 can tomatoes, crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp (or to taste) commercial curry powder (or better still use your own homemade mix)
2 or 3 Tbsp chopped parsley or herbs of choice

Combine all ingredients in a large pan and cook until done, around 40
minutes, add more water and reheat if soup has become too thick, adjust
seasonings (salt and pepper), and stir in herbs. Soup freezes well.

GREEN BEAN AND POTATO CURRY

OK, this was for lunch yesterday - served with a side salad only - made from scratch. I didn't have green beans in the fridge after all, so I substituted yellow wax beans and it turned out just fine :)

This is an easy fix, although it does take a few minutes for those vegetables to cook. It reheats very nicely the following day.

(If you’re really really in a hurry, you can use canned tomatoes (although they won’t look as pretty as the fresh sliced ones), canned or frozen green beans, and ginger and garlic out of a jar. The vegetables will take less time to cook, especdially if you cut the potatoes into a smaller dice. Making it from scratch, obviously, tastes nicer.)

GREEN BEAN AND POTATO CURRY (INDIA)

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp crushed red chilies - or use whole fresh ones, to taste
3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp salt or to taste
1-1/2 tsp fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper - or to taste
1/2 lb fresh green beans, cut in 1-inch lengths
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1-1/4 cups water
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, finely chopped fresh green chilies

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the cumin seeds and mustard seds together with the chilies, stirring well. The seeds will start to pop - stand back! Quickly add the tomatoes (which will stop those seeds from flying out of the pan) and stir for about 3 minutes or so.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except for water and garnish, to the pan, stirring well for about five minutes.

Add the water and reduce the heat, simmering for 12 to 15 minutes or until everything is nicely tender but not mushy.

Turn out onto a platter, garnish, and serve with hot boiled rice.

Very easy and very good.