DAVEGAN: Food for Thought

I’m getting pretty excited about Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope we can all gather together this year in the spirit of compassion and thanks.

Check out these links to read some of my tips for making it through the holiday and if you need some recipes, I’ve got a few to share. 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil

5 large onions, chopped

1/4 cup instant espresso powder

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup dried oregano leaves

2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree

1/4 cup agave syrup

6 large garlic cloves, minced

7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained

2 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder

Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Assorted toppings: vegan sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, sliced jalapeños, or shaved dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, agave syrup, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside. Could also be served on top of polenta or couscous.

These are easy, delicious, and also grain-free, if that’s a concern.

active time: 5 minutes bake time: 12 minutes per pan yield: 16 cookies

Ingredients

170 grams (1 1/2 cups) finely ground almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder, homemade (see recipe) or grain-free store-bought

100 grams (1/3 cup) dark maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the almond flour and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until a sticky dough holds together.

Drop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. For crisp cookies, press down the dough lightly with the at bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup. (If the glass sticks to the dough, lightly wet bottom of the glass.) For softer cookies, don’t press down the dough.

Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Allow the baking sheet to cool, and repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes 1 ½ cups/6 servings

Ingredients:

1½ cups steamed cauliflower florets* ½ cup unflavored almond milk 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons hemp seeds ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Shot of hot sauce, to taste ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

Directions:

Place the cauliflower in a blender, along with the almond milk, grapeseed oil, apple cider vinegar, and hemp seeds. Blend for a full minute, or until completely smooth and creamy. Add the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, hot sauce, along with the sea salt and black pepper, then blend to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add the chives and blend briefly just to incorporate, without processing the chives too much. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl or a resealable container, and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill before serving. It will keep, refrigerated, for 1 week.

Serving suggestions: This dip is especially good with fresh vegetables, particularly broccoli and carrots. It may also be enjoyed with roasted sweet potato fries or roasted carrots.

*You can also use frozen cauliflower that has been thoroughly defrosted.

Spring is around the corner. No, seriously, it HAS to be right? Here's a recipe for those fleeting cold days. One more hot meal and then let's put winter to rest, OK?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cubed butternut squash

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 large leek, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain plant-based milk (I unsweetened plain almond milk)

1/2 cup flour (I used oat)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt & pepper to taste

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

10 sheets phyllo dough*

DIRECTIONS

Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then add the parsnips and carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the butternut squash, pour in 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Next add the mushrooms and leek and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/2 cup of flour, thyme, oregano, salt & pepper then stir together until vegetables are evenly coated.

Pour in the remaining 2 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth and 1/2 cup almond milk then bring to a low boil. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes, while continuing to stir every minute or so. Add the chickpeas to the mixture, stir together and turn heat to low.

Preheat the oven to 350°F then grease a 9 x 13” dish or six, 8 ounce coquettes. Pour in the vegetable mixture and set aside.

Roll out the 10 layered sheets of phyllo dough so that it is a long rectangle and then place it on top of the 9 x 13” dish to create a crust. If you’re using individual coquettes, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into separate squares large enough to cover the tops of each. Brush the tops of the dough with olive oil or melted vegan butter and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes then serve.

Notes

If storing for left overs, try to keep the phyllo crust separate from the filling. Otherwise, it will become soft and doughy. Phyllo dough is much lighter than your typical pot pie crust so if you prefer something a little thicker, you can always top it with a homemade crust or use a puff pastry instead.

"This deeply savory, slightly tangy, and aromatic condiment can be folded into or sprinkled onto your food for a big hit of flavor. It's 100% vegan and designed to take the place of Parmesan in a pasta dish, but it's also great sprinkled on salads, sandwiches, roasted meats, grilled fish, burgers, or pizza.

Why this recipe works:

Olives, rosemary, miso, and lemon zest combine salty, aromatic, and tangy/funky flavors to bring a big boost to savory dishes.

Dehydrating the ingredients not only concentrates their flavor, but also improves shelf life, creating a condiment that can be stored at room temperature for months."

Ingredients:

1 pound (500 grams, about 3 cups) high quality pitted green olives (such as Manzanilla), drained and dried on paper towels

2 ounces (60 grams, about 5 tablespoons) white miso paste

1 ounce (30 grams, about 4 tablespoons) fresh zest from 3 to 4 lemons

1 ounce (30 grams, about 3 sprigs) fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 225°F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a very rough puree is formed, about 15 short pulses, scraping down sides as necessary. Transfer mixture to a parchment or Silpat-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in a thin, even layer.

Transfer to oven and cook until fully dehydrated and crackly, 4 to 6 hours. Let mixture rest in the oven with the door left ajar until completely cool, about 1 hour.

Transfer mixture to a food processor and process until a rough powder is formed. Store mixture in a sealed container in a dark, cool place for up to 2 months.

Ingredients:

2 medium turnips, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 8 ounces)

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and tops slivered

1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated (or 1½ teaspoons dried ground turmeric)

4 cups filtered water

4 to 5 tablespoons mellow yellow miso paste (preferably non-GMO)

1 package 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles

1/3 cup green onion or scallions, finely chopped

A few handfuls microgreens, to serve

Directions:

Place the cubed turnips, sliced mushrooms, and turmeric in a large soup pot; cover with 4 cups filtered water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer; cook for roughly 15 to 18 minutes (until turnips are tender, but still have a bit of a bite).  Add 4 tablespoons of miso paste to a bowl, ladle 1 cup of the broth into the bowl and whisk until dissolved. Return mixture to soup pot; taste and adjust by adding more miso if need be.

Bring roughly 3 quarts of water to boil in a large pot; add soba noodles and cook according to instructions on the package.  Drain and rinse with cold water, use your fingers to separate noodles if need be. 

To serve, divide the noodles among soup bowls and ladle the vegetables and broth over top.  Finish with a sprinkling of sliced onions and microgreens.  

To store, combine leftover soup and noodles in a container with a fitted lid.  To reheat, gently bring to soup to desired temperature. (If heated too fast, on too high of a flame, miso can loose some of its nutritional integrity.) 

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 large can (46 oz) V8 juice

10 whole tomatoes, peeled and cored (about enough to fill a 1-gallon freezer bag, whole)

2 cups soy or almond milk

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable base

1/4 cup white onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

6 or 7 large basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Begin by sauteeing the chopped onion and the minced garlic in the olive oil. When they are softened but not brown, add the tomato/vegetable juice and the tomatoes (frozen is fine — no need to defrost if they are just out of the freezer).

Let that simmer until the tomatoes are warm and beginning to break down in the tomato juice.

Add the vegetable base, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne, and simmer for 20 minutes. Finally, add half of the basil, chopped, and the soy or almond milk. With an immersion blender, puree until smooth. 

Serve with another sprinkling of basil on top.

Allegedly, these are "these are the best vegan cookies ever made in the history of vegan cookies." I might have to agree...

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups oats (quick cooking or rolled)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup peanut butter (or Sunbutter if allergies are a concern)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup nondairy milk

4 teaspoons ground flaxseed meal

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oats and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together oil, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, nondairy milk, flax seed and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture, half at a time.

Spoon about a tablespoon of dough on the cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Halloween! It's unusually cold this year, so warm, Fall food sounds just perfect.

Ingredients:

1 pound peeled and cubed Gold Nugget squash (or butternut, or pumpkin)

1 cup water

2 ounces brown sugar

1 fresh lime leaf (or 1 dried Persian lime, or a piece of lime zest 2 inches long)

1 tablespoon lime juice 

Large pinch ground cumin (less than 1/4 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon ground sumac

Salt

Pepper

In a saucepan that can accommodate the squash in a single layer, bring the squash, sugar, and water to a boil, with the lime or lemon leaf. Lower the heat and continue cooking very sedately for from 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water has almost evaporated. Shake the pan gently every now and then to prevent the squash from sticking to the bottom. 

When the liquid starts to turn syrupy, add the lime juice, the large pinch of cumin, and the sumac. Shake the pan gently again and tilt to spoon the juices over the squash pieces. Season with salt and pepper, and taste. Cook some more until all the liquid disappears, taking care not to scorch. 

Transfer the squash to a serving dish (use a spatula, so the squash is not...squashed— it is very soft). Eats at once.

Note: There is no oil in this recipe. The squash is so soft and satisfying that nothing more is required for richness. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

3 cups grated carrots (just under a pound, peeled before grating) 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1 cup golden raisins 1 1/2 cups water 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup ground nuts (any combination of almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews…) 1/2 cup applesauce

For the glaze:

1/4 cup coconut oil 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine the carrots, brown sugar. raisins, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to medium low. Let the carrot mixture cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover the pot, and let the mixture cool for about an hour.

2. When the hour is nearly up, preheat the oven to 325°F. Oil a 10-inch bundt pan.

3. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground nuts in a large mixing bowl. Fold the cooled carrot mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in the applesauce until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick, when inserted in the cake, comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack 30 to 40 minutes, then gently turn the pan over and breathe the cake out.

While the cake cools, make the glaze:

4. Combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisking constantly, bring just to a boil. Remove from heat, and pour the glaze over the cake.

Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes one 10-inch bundt cake

Ingredients:

5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed 1 cup brown or green lentils, washed and picked over 3/4 cup dry steel cut oats 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound cremini mushrooms, divided 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock 1/4 cup red wine 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very soft to the touch. Set aside to cool.

In a medium pot, combine the lentils, oats, bay leaf and salt with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf and drain mixture into a colander or sieve.

While the lentils and oats are cooking, finely chop half of the mushrooms and set aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms into quarters. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and soft. Add the chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent. Lower heat to medium and add the lentil and oat mixture, followed by the vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, soy sauce, paprika, and parsley. Taste and add salt if needed. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add a few grinds of black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel sweet potatoes with your hands and place in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a smooth paste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Evenly spread the lentil mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. (For thicker layers, use a 9x9-inch pan.) Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges.

Makes 6 servings

Additional Notes:

Both the filling and the roasted sweet potatoes can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days before assembling and baking.

This recipe freezes well; after assembling, cover and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake uncovered at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling at the edges.

Leftover mashed potatoes can be used in place of the sweet potatoes.

Use tamari in place of soy sauce and double-check that you are using gluten-free oats if serving this to gluten-free guests.

Happy Friday! Admittedly, this is a somewhat fancy dish, but sometimes you have to turn things up a notch and it's good to have options.

As a side note, this recipe features fennel which is an easy herb to grow if you are into gardening and is also a great host to swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. This is either good, if you're try to attract them, or a drag when they eat it all up.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup white wine

2 fennel fronds, with stalk

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, or about four seedheads of fennel

1 celery stalk

2 whole cloves of garlic in their skins

20 black peppercorns

20 coriander seeds, toasted

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon sugar

1 pound fresh button or small portabello mushrooms, de-stalked

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice (about 2 teaspoons)

Salt to taste

Directions:

Use a wide saucepan that will accommodate the mushrooms in a single layer. Combine the water, wine, fennel fronds, fennel seeds or heads, celery, garlic, peppercorns, coriander, bay leaves, and sugar in the saucepan. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the button mushrooms, topside down, and lower heat to medium-high. As they cook, they exude a lot of liquid: when the caps start to fill with mushroom juices (in about 10 to 12 minutes), flip them. Cook another 12 to15 minutes or until a tested mushroom is tender. 

After the mushrooms are cooked, and the pan juices are reduced by half, taste, and add salt. Still over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the lemon juice. This will cause the sauce to emulsify. Taste again. The result should be salty-sweet-sour in equal proportions.

Turn the mushrooms and their sauce into a shallow bowl and serve at once, with bread for mopping (or a spoon, for the Paleo-people). They are very good the next day, too, at room temperature.

Hot, cool, crisp, soft. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, its EASY too.

Ingredients:

potatoes, cayenne, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, garlic, spinach, shallots, plain soy yogurt, cilantro

Directions:

Cut 1¾ pounds (800g) large starchy potatoes into big pieces and cook in a large pot of salted water for about 15 minutes, till approaching tenderness.

Peel 5 large shallots and halve them lengthwise.

Drain the potatoes, then put them in a bowl, add the shallots, and toss with half a teaspoon of cayenne, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of crushed garlic, and a teaspoon each of ground cumin and turmeric. Add 2 teaspoons of sea salt flakes and 4 tablespoons of oil (peanut or olive), then transfer to a roasting pan and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until crisp.

Wash a couple of large handfuls of spinach. Put them in a pan over moderate heat, cover with a lid, and leave for a minute or two to wilt.

Toss with the crisp potatoes, a little soy yogurt on top, and roughly chopped cilantro.

Servings: 2 to 3

As the leaves begin to turn and the blustery Fall wind picks up, it's time to dig out the old soup recipes from last year. This one is extremely simple, but packed with flavor!

Also, I know I've been out of touch for a while, so I'm sorry for the lack of posting. Hopefully, this Fall will see a turn in the workload so I can get back to cooking (and posting!) Thanks so much for reading.

Ingredients:

4 cups fine-grained winter squash, such as ‘Butternut’ or ‘Blue Hubbard,’ roasted and mashed

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1½ cups diced onion

3 cloves garlic, chopped

garam masala powder (start with 1 Tablespoon; I used 3 Tablespoons; see note below about this spice blend)

¾ cup canned light, unsweetened organic coconut milk

3 cups vegetable broth (or water)

cilantro for garnish, chopped

Directions:

Roast and mash the squash ahead of time. (To roast: Simply halve the squash, scoop out seeds, and place halves, flesh side down, on a baking sheet in a 375F oven until soft. Then scoop and mash the cooked flesh, discarding the skin.)

Saute the diced onion and chopped garlic in olive oil until soft.

Add the garam masala and cook a little longer. (Enjoy the fragrance!)

Measure out the 4 cups of squash into a soup pot, and add spiced onion-garlic to it.

Add coconut milk and broth (or water). Note: I like a thick soup, but you may wish to dilute further. Also: Some squash are drier, some moister, so adjust for that as well to preferred consistency.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 45 minutes or longer.

Cooled to at least warm, then puree with an immersion blender right in the pot, or ladle into a blender in batches until all the soup is pureed.

Garnish with cilantro at serving time.

Homemade vegetable stock is incredibly easy to make, only requires some vegetables scraps and time, and will make your soups and grains taste better.