Brussels, Lentils, Rice and Dip!

Pan-seared Brussels

This is our favorite brussels recipe. It's so simple that it's a cinch to add as a side to any meal.

• wash the brussels
• slice off any remaining stem
• slice in half length-wise
• add evoo to a pan over medium heat
• add brussels flat-side-down when the oil is hot
• cover the pan and let sear. check back frequently to prevent burning
• remove from heat, sprinkle with salt, and serve!

The searing adds amazing flavor. This may already be well-known in the brussel-enthusiast world, but I discovered it by accidentally burning some.

Lentil and Rice Pilaf

With this recipe we tried to emulate a lentil-rice pilaf from the legendary, local Neomonde Cafe. It's still missing something, but we came pretty close and learned a bit about preparing the dish. It's simply boiled lentils, boiled rice, baked onions, salt, cumin, and evoo.

Spicy Spinach-Artichoke Dip

We had a half-can of artichokes and a half-bag of frozen spinach, not to mention a hankering for some good ol' spinach-artie dip. We tried to find the recipe we used last time (and LOVED), but weren't successful, so we made up our own!

thaw the spinach (we did it in the microwave) and squeeze out the excess water

arrange the spinach and chopped artichoke hearts in an oven-safe dish

brown a clove of minced garlic in evoo

whisk 1 T of cornstarch into 1/4 C soy milk

add another 3/4 cup of soy milk to the cornstarch mixture

add the soymilk/cornstarch to the garlic pan while whisking

let the mixture bubble and thicken; then add about 1/4 cup of nooch and whisk again

add, to taste, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and good quality hot sauce (Tabasco is not the best option here) and whisk to combine.

when satisfied with the taste and thickness, pour the sauce over the veggies and combine

bake, uncovered, at 400 for about 12-15 minutes

enjoy with pita, chips, crackers, or veggie sticks!

Delicious Archives, Part Two

Minestrone Soup

Yum, soup!  This recipe looks good.  Lots of flavor and color and texture made this version really yummy.

Pesto!

We once made so much pesto that we didn't need to consult a recipe anymore.  We LOOOOVE pesto!  Love it.  Put it on pizza, pasta, veggies, a spoon . . . we'll eat it.  Yum!  This recipe looks good.  We've never made pesto with pine nuts (I think they cost about $25/lb), but we have used almonds with great success.  Basil also can be expensive.  I think we could benefit from a humongous basil bush!  Mm, pesto.  Try it!

Banana-Wheat Germ(???) Muffins (Veganomicon)

We're not 100% sure which type muffins we made, but we do remember this: they were good!  Also, we love using reusable silicone baking cups.

Pasta Genovese, Tofu Cutlets, and Stir-fry

Pasta Genovese has become one of our favorite dishes.  It's so simple, and it's easy to double or triple so we have enough to last all week (we like to cook a lot on the weekends so we can have an easy dinner after work).  Here's the recipe we found.  Here's what you do:

• boil water and put 15 minutes on a timer
• add the potatoes right away
• add the pasta when 10 minutes remain
• add green beans with six minutes left
• drain, toss with pesto, and dinner is on the table!

Tofu cutlets are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  We don't remember where we found this particular recipe, but a Google search turns up tons of results.

Stir-fry is a great way to use up odds-and-ends veg, and that's just what we did here.  We had some yellow squash, onions, and carrots and Michael (being the sauce master he is) stirred up a fabulous soy sauce creation to give them some pop.

 

A close-up of the pasta genovese and a cutlet or two; I think we doubled or tripled the amount of pesto with the next batch of genovese.  Did I mention how much we love pesto???

Delicious Archives

Here are a few of our favorite creations from the past several months of cooking together. We've had a blast devouring (ha, get it??) Veganomicon and as many vegan websites we can find (and, of course, the delectable end results). Happy cooking!

Braised Seitan with Brussels, Kale, and Sun-dried Tomatoes (Veganomicon) with

Brooklyn Deli Macaroni Salad (Veganomicon) lurking in the background

There's so much flavor in this dish!!! It's absolutely delicious. We didn't want to stop eating it!

Almond-Quinoa Muffins (Veganomicon)

With excellent flavor and texture, not to mention the incredible health benefits of quinoa, these muffins were a hit!

Pizza (crust: Alton Brown; toppings: us)

We LOVE to experiment with pizzas. Alton Brown's pizza show inspired us to "go pro" with a pizza stone and peel. Here's one with tofu, onions, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheddar-style daiya. We like to use Alton's crust recipe, but we usually use whole wheat bread flour or a combination of whole wheat and AP flour. Note: this particular crust was a bit more raised than it usually is. That was probably due to the pancake mix that we accidentally used instead of the AP flour. ;)

Spinach Linguine With Basil-cilantro Pesto & Artichokes (Veganomicon)

Ok, I'm not sure if any picture could convey just how delicious this dish was. It was--no lie--one of the best dinners we have ever had.

Baked Tofu with Backyard BBQ Sauce (Veganomicon), Lemony Roasted Potatoes (Veganomicon), Brussels Sprouts Two Ways (us)

This was our "Chelsea's birthday" menu for 2010. YUM - everything turned out so well. We each collaborated on the Veganomicon recipes and made our favorite fresh brussels recipes, both incorporating balsamic vinegar.

Baked Kale Chips (allrecipes)

Chelsea's mom found this recipe, and we all loved it. Those green leafy vegetables are a great source of nutrients, and this recipe is a great way to enjoy them. The kale really shrinks and gets dry and crispy in the oven. They're just as addictive as potato chips, but they can be enjoyed with far less guilt!

Potato Latkes (Veganomicon)

These latkes were fairly simple to make (though time-consuming since each batch took several minutes to cook) and so delicious. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they're a great addition to any meal! We often use chooseveg.com for inspiration. Here's another latke recipe that looks good!