Being Beautifully Vegan
This time of year makes me yearn for simple, clean tasting food. Maybe it’s all the excess, the richness, the overindulgence that’s on the horizon? I don’t know, but my response it to streamline menus and make food that focuses on just a few plant-based flavors. It’s also an easy time to create vegan meals, with fall fruits and winter vegetables both peaking in perfection.
Of course the soup pot is on the stove, making a delectable blend that’s thick with plump leeks, lush Carole potatoes and fat carrots. Split pea soup is another favorite in fall, along with Tuscan white bean and kale soup, fragrant with garlic. So are the following newer recipes I’m experimenting with these days. Let me know what you think!
Squashy Vegan Splendor
This vegan entree tastes smoky and complex, thanks to the hit of miso. Nobody will know it’s there, but it offers the umami richness that vegetables usually lack. You can of course use any kind you want, but it’s really good with brown rice pasta.
Brown Rice Pasta With Winter Squash
1 tablespoon fruity olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 large bulb fennel, chopped
1 teaspoon stemmed and chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced sage
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons miso
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
2 cups diced winter squash (1/2 inch)
8 ounces dry brown rice rigatoni or penne pasta
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta. In a wide, shallow pan, cook oil with onion, garlic, fennel, rosemary, sage, and salt over medium high heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Mash in the miso and add the paprika and winter squash and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until squash is tender. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and toss with sauce. Serve hot, garnished with pumpkin seeds and parsley. Serves four.
End Of Autumn Enchiladas
These hearty enchiladas freeze beautifully, so you can package extras up in smaller servings and tuck them away for a rainy night. Use whatever combination of vegetables you want, though I always include onions, garlic, and peppers. I love chewy yellow corn tortillas, even though they aren’t as easily wrapped, but here again, you can please yourself!
Vegan Green Chile Enchiladas
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 ancho chiles (or your favorite), chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup small sweet-spicy peppers (Peppadew), chopped
4 cups kale or chard, in thin ribbons
3-4 cups tomatillo salsa verde (green sauce)
12 (or more) 6-inch corn tortillas
1 cup cilantro, stemmed
1 cup cooked pinto or black beans
2-3 limes, cut in wedges
In a wide shallow pan, cook oil, half the onion, the garlic, the anchos,and the sea salt over medium high heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add the celery and half the small sweet peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened (5-6 minutes). Add the kale, stir to coat, cover pan, reduce heat to low and cook until kale is slightly wilted (3-5 minutes). Pour 1 cup green salsa into a 9 x 13 baking dish, then pour the rest into a wide, shallow bowl. In a dry iron frying pan, warm tortillas over medium high heat, then dip in green sauce and stack on a plate. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 cup vegetable mixture, adding some cilantro and beans. Roll each one up and place it folded side down in the baking dish. Cover with the green sauce left in the bowl and bake at 350 degrees F. until hot through (about 30 minutes). Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4-6.
Nutty Hummus
I’ve been playing with this basic idea for a couple of years now and it just keeps getting better. Make it with black beans and mild chiles, with mung beans and sesame seeds and ginger, with walnuts and creamy white beans…it’s all just delicious!
Almond Hummus
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 lemon, juiced, rind grated
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/3 cup water
In a food processor or blender, grind nuts to coarse meal. Add chickpeas, cumin seeds, lemon rind, garlic and sea salt and process to a smooth paste. Add nutritional yeast and smoked paprika, process briefly, then slowly add oil and lemon juice while machine is running. Thin with water to desired consistency, adjust seasoning if needed and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.
Not Hummus, Not Pesto…
This cross between hummus and pesto can be made with almost any combination of nuts and/or seeds and beans, and also tastes great with cilantro or roasted peppers instead of basil. Humpesto is an awesome sandwich spread, great on crackers or roasted vegetables, and also lovely on hot rice….
Basil Humpesto
1/4 cup raw walnuts or hazelnuts
1/4 cup cooked white Italian cannellini beans
1/2 lemon, juiced, rind grated
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups basil leaves, stemmed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
1/3 cup water
In a food processor or blender, grind nuts to coarse meal. Add beans, lemon rind, garlic, basil and sea salt and process to a smooth paste. Add nutritional yeast and pepper, process briefly, then slowly add oil while machine is running, thinning with water to desired consistency. Adjust seasoning if desired and serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.