Better than Ever Black Bean Burgers

This, hands-down, is our family’s favourite veggie burger. It’s easy to make, tasty, holds together well and you can make extra and freeze them if you’d like. Yum!

Makes 4 servings

1 can (14 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon tahini
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Place black beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork to a chunky consistency.

Grind oats into a coarse flour using a blender or food processor and add to bowl with beans. Add remaining ingredients (except buns) and combine until a thick batter is formed.

Place bean mixture in refrigerator to chill and to allow flavors to meld for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Place a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Using your hands, divide bean mixture into four portions and form each portion into a patty.

Place patties in skillet and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side until patties are crisp and lightly browned. As an alternative, bake burgers in preheated 350-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes on each side.

Serve burgers on toasted buns and top with trimmings (ketchup, vegenaise, mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomato) as desired.

Nutritional Information per serving (with bun): 337 calories, 18 g protein, 14 g fibre, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 56 g carbohydrates, 356 mg sodium

from Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny

Fatoush with Feta

This is our version of Fatoush – a Middle Eastern salad – which is one of our favourite summer meals. Normally made with toasted pita bread, we’ve defaulted to using a baguette (white, multigrain or whole wheat) instead so we don’t have to turn on any appliances on crazy hot days.

The only prep required for this recipe is cutting your bread into 1/2-1 inch chunks earlier in the day, tossing it into a bowl and letting it go stale for a few hours at a minimum. You don’t want your pieces any smaller or your bread any fresher as it will go soggy when you add the dressing.

Makes 3 large (meal-size) servings

1/2 large white, whole wheat or multigrain baguette
1 can (540 ml) no-sodium-added red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
1 English (seedless) cucumber, with peel, cut into chunks
2-3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
juice from one lemon (roughly 3 T but more is fine)
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta

As mentioned above, cut up the baguette and place in large bowl to let dry.

When ready, add kidney beans, cucumber, onions, parsley and olives.

Mix lemon juice and olive oil together, add to salad and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let sit if possible. The longer it sits, the more the flavours will meld and the baguette will soak up some of the dressing.

Before serving, add the crumbled feta and toss well again.

Nutritional Information per serving: 525 calories, 22 g protein, 12 g fibre, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 65 g carbohydrates, 614 mg sodium

Masala Tofu Scramble

There are some meals that simply don’t photograph well. This is one of them. We’ve been having this scrumptious tofu scramble for months as a quick dinner on busy nights and I’ve tried to get better pictures but alas, the meal that tastes sooo good looks like a mess on camera. Oh, well. Trust us. It’s delicious.

It’s also incredibly kid-friendly but depending on how much tolerance your kids have for spice, you may want to start out with half a pepper (which they can still pick out) and work your way up.

Makes 2-3 servings

1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1- 2 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon kala namak (optional)
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Press tofu between two plates to get rid of any extra moisture. Crumble tofu with clean hands in medium bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add cumin. When seeds start to sizzle (30 seconds), add onion, ginger, chilies, and turmeric. Cook until browned, 1–2 minutes, stirring as needed to keep from sticking.

Add tofu and mix well until everything turns yellow (from the turmeric) and mixture is warmed through.

Add salt, kala namak (if using, it will give the scramble an egg-like smell and taste – we omit) and cilantro. Mix well.  Serve with toast spread with vegan margarine (our choice), a warm roti, or rolled in a wrap.

Nutritional Information per serving (based on 3 servings, toast counted separately): 238 calories, 17 g protein, 0 g fibre, 15 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 352 mg sodium

From Vegan Indian Cooking by Anupy Singla

 

 

Lemon-Grilled Tofu and Bulgur Salad

There is nothing like successfully veganizing a much-beloved recipe. This one, originally found in an issue of Clean Eating, had become one of our go-to meals for spring and summer and I was not at all happy about leaving it behind after becoming veg. But then I wondered if I could successfully replace the chicken with tofu and lo and behold, huge hit, and it’s once again on our roster. Yay!

Makes 4 large meal-sized servings

1 package (12 oz) extra-firm tofu
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup dry bulgur wheat
Zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup almonds, slivered
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

Press the tofu between two plates and get rid of any extra moisture. Cut into eight slices. In a plastic bag, mix oil, red pepper flakes, cumin and lemon juice. Add tofu and massage gently until evenly coated. Marinate in fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or pan to medium high heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring broth to boil. Remove from heat, add bulgur and lemon zest, cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes, until bulgur has absorbed all of the broth.

Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in almonds and mint, and season with salt and pepper.

Place tofu on grill or pan and cook for about 5 minutes each side. In our case, we use a George Foreman grill and cook it for 8-10 minutes without turning.

Let sit and cool slightly. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces and toss with bulgur mixture. Serve warm or place in fridge and serve cold.

Nutritional Information per serving: 393 calories, 20 g protein, 9 g fibre, 20 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 35 g carbohydrates, 74 mg sodium

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

We made this on Friday night and it was sooo good. A huge hit with the whole family. It’s easy to make (with a little advance preparation), easily changed (switch your grain, switch your lettuce, switch your beans, etc) and the dressing is incredible – and oil-free which, I think, is a huge thing because it still tastes rich and thick and creamy. Anyone who thinks they’ve grown tired of balsamic dressings has not tasted this one. Cannot recommend this recipe highly enough and it’s definitely going into the regular spring-summer rotation here.

Makes 4 servings

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa **
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 (15 ounce) can no-sodium added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Optional add-ins: roasted garlic, baked tofu or tempeh, grape tomatoes, avocado, shredded carrots, sprouts
1 recipe balsamic vinaigrette (below)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup cashew pieces (soak for at least an hour in water to soften if you can)
2 Tbsp chopped shallot
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
few pinches freshly ground black pepper

Place the cashews and shallots in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to get them chopped up, then add everything else and blend till smooth, scraping down the sides a few times. Blend for a full 5 minutes to get it smooth and creamy, otherwise it might be grainy. Comes out thin so chill for at least 5-10 mins before using. The original recipe calls  for 3/4 tsp salt and we cut it down to 1/2 and didn’t notice a difference.

Nutritional Information per serving (without add-ins and based on 1/4 salad with 1/4 dressing): 290 calories, 12 g protein, 11 g fibre, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 49 g carbohydrates, 493 mg sodium

** Easy-Peasy Quinoa

This will make roughly 4 cups. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in a air-tight container. Mix 1 cup of uncooked quinoa (rinsed in a fine-meshed sieve for 2 minutes to remove the bitter coating) with 2 cups water, bring to a boil then lower heat and cook uncovered for roughly 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the grain is tender and water’s been absorbed.

From Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Black Olive Tapenade

Although I don’t consider this recipe particularly kid-friendly, my kidlet insisted I include it as she loves olives and has been clamoring for us to make some tapenade ourselves ever since we had it in France AND she heard that I used to make it all the time before she was born.

This is a really simple and very forgiving recipe and it makes a lot of tapenade  – which will keep for up to a month in the fridge when covered properly.

Makes roughly 4 cups

1 pound or 2 cans of pitted black olives
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
2 medium garlic cloves, slightly crushed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice or more to taste

Place the first four ingredients and 1/4 cup of oil in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Slowly add the remainder of the oil, pulsing until nicely chunky.

Spread on fresh bread or crackers or mix with cooked pasta and enjoy!

Nutritional Information per 2 tbsp serving: 55 calories, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 186 mg sodium

Best Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Turns out we have two favourite mac and cheese recipes.

Kidlet and I like both this one and Lulu’s Mac & Cheese from Peas and Thank You but my husband loves this one.

His comment on eating it was “how does it taste so cheesy when there’s no cheese in it”? High praise from a guy who has since decided that nutritional yeast flakes are the best thing since sliced bread – although he also swears they really need a new name 🙂

Makes 6 servings

1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
3 cups unsweetened fortified soy, almond, or rice milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch pan.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, make a roux (paste) by whisking the margarine and flour over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add nondairy milk, yeast, tomato paste, salt, and garlic powder to the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning to taste and stir in lemon juice and agave. Toss noodles with the sauce and transfer to the prepared pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the pasta and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving: 445 calories, 15 g protein, 10 g fiber, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 71 g carbohydrates, 485 mg sodium

Adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

Slow Cooker Aloo Gobi

This dish is so rich and tasty and gets rave reviews from everyone who tries it. There’s a bit of prep involved in cutting everything up but once it’s in the slow cooker, you can just sit back and relax.

Although the tomato is optional, we prefer it to include it and when cooking for kids, if they’re adventurous, I use 1 chili and if they’re not I omit the chilies. Because it cooks for so long and at such a low heat, even the 1 chili will make it spicy enough. And of course, if you’re just cooking for adults and they like spice, feel free to add more – I’ve made it with three and that was more than spicy enough for my husband who LOVES heat.

Makes 6 servings of roughly 1 large cup each

1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups/1.89 L)
1 large potato (russet or yellow), peeled and diced (about 2 cups/473 mL)
1 medium yellow or red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
1 (2-inch [5 cm]) piece ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, minced or grated
1-4 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) cumin seed
1 tablespoon (15 mL) red chili powder
1 tablespoon (15 mL) garam masala
1/2 tablespoon (15 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) turmeric powder
3 tablespoons (50 mL) vegetable or canola oil
1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped

Put all the ingredients except the cilantro in the slow cooker. Mix well.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Mix once or twice during cooking, especially in the beginning. Eventually the cauliflower will release enough liquid to prevent anything from sticking to the sides of the slow cooker.

Add cilantro. Mix well but gently so as not to break up the cauliflower. Serve with roti, naan or basmati rice.

Nutritional Information per serving: 163 calories, 5 g protein, 5 g fiber, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 654 mg sodium

From Indian Slow Cooker by Anoopy Singla

People’s Choice Veg Chili

I make this chili all the time for my husband’s book club (This Ain’t Jo’ Mama’s Book Club) and the guys adore it – the meat version anyway. But with the Super Bowl upon us last night, I decided that I missed this chili and that there had to be a way to make a vegetarian, or even vegan, version. And there is. The husband declared it incredible. Several times, actually, and the kidlet gave it a big thumbs up although she’s not a huge chili fan. The husband even suggested we make this the next time he hosts the book club and not let the guys know until the end of the evening. He actually thought it was good enough they wouldn’t even notice the difference. High praise indeed.

This was my first time using TVP (textured vegetable protein) and I have to admit I was really nervous. I was not looking forward to making a whole slow cooker of something that might be completely inedible and certainly not during the Super Bowl. Not only was it delicious, with a rich meaty texture, but we started thinking about all the other things we could use it in, especially tacos. So watch for that experiment.

Makes 6 servings

1 pkg (14 strips) tempeh bacon
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups dry TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp fancy molasses
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) maple baked beans or beans in tomato sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each pepper and hot sauce

In a medium bowl, reconstitute TVP using 1 1/4 cups boiling water and set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil and cook tempeh bacon, 3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Roughly chop and set aside.

In the same large pan, cook chopped onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Add reconstituted TVP and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the onion and TVP are nicely browned.

Slow Cooker Method

Place tempeh bacon and TVP/onion mixture in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, stir well and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.

Oven Method

Place tempeh bacon and TVP/onion mixture in dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Cover and bake in 300F oven for 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 1 hour longer or until thickened.

Nutritional Information per serving: 378 calories, 27 g protein, 18 g fibre, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 59 g carbohydrates, 468 mg sodium

Adapted from Canadian Living

 

Slow-Cooker Spiced Peas and “Paneer”

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I was very sick over Christmas and it’s taken me until now to get my energy back but I’m hoping to start posting more regularly again.

This is not the world’s easiest slow cooker dish and requires some prep and separate baking but the results — judging by the reaction of husband and kidlet — are worth it. They both gave it a huge thumbs up and both wanted to take the leftovers to school and work.

Makes 8 servings of 1 cup each (8 cups)

1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and roughly chopped (2 cups)
1 2-inch piece ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed
1 16-ounce bag frozen peas (2 cups)
3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (4 cups)
2 green Thai, serrano or cayenne chilies, stems removed, chopped
1 black cardamom pod
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
3 1/2 cups boiling water
1 12-ounce (340g) package extra-firm tofu, baked and cubed (see below for instructions)

In a food processor, process the onion, ginger and garlic into a paste. Put this mixture in the slow cooker.

Add the peas, tomatoes, chilies, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala, coriander, red chile powder, salt and tomato paste.

Pour the boiling water slowly over all the ingredients. Mix gently.

Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.

Add the baked tofu** and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with brown or white basmati rice, roti or naan.

Note: Chopped tomatoes, boiling water and baked tofu are essential to getting this recipe right.

Nutritional Information per serving: 147 calories, 10 g protein, 4 g fiber, 5 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 352 mg sodium

** Baked Tofu

Set an oven rack at the highest position and preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick strips. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon garam masala over one side of the tofu strips. Place the tofu unseasoned side down on the baking sheet. Spray lightly with oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip, sprinkle with 1 teaspooon garam masala and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then slice into cubes and add to the slow cooker.

From Vegan Indian Cooking by Anupy Singla