Gnarly Dining

SO MANY FLAVORS! This is a super filling recipe that can also be served over rice (or riced cauliflower/broccoli) or any other grain. The flavor is really rich and can pair nicely with tempeh, but feel free to add any vegetable based protein. 

Ingredients:

1 red onion, diced

3 inches of ginger, peeled and minced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 sweet potatoes, cubed

4 Tbs of peanut butter

3 Tbs of tomato paste

Large can of garbanzos (drained and rinsed)

Large bunch of greens (chard, collards, etc.) shredded into 2 inch pieces

4 cups of vegetable broth

Steps:

In a large pot, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. After a few minutes, when the oil is hot add the coriander, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir and let temper for a few minutes to become super aromatic. Add the diced onion and stir well. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the onion starts to wilt and become a bit more translucent.

Add the garlic and let sauté for another 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn it. Add the 4 cups of vegetable broth and turn up too high. Add the sweet potato and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, add the tomato paste and peanut butter and let sit for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice to make sure nothing is getting stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Once the sweet potato has softened, transfer all of this to a blender or food processor. Blenderize until smooth. You can leave it a little chunky, but you’ll have some texture from the remaining ingredients, so feel free to make it silky smooth.

When the stew is in the blender, add 1 tsp of oil to the pot and heat over low-medium heat. Add your greens, the garbanzos, a pinch of salt and stir well. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until the greens are wilting. Add the blenderized stew over the greens/garbanzos and stir well. Once everything is mixed well, the dish is done, dude!

I put this over broccoli rice and added some marinated tempeh (liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, red curry paste). Its pretty awesome!

Enjoy!

This is an amazing recipe that I found from a vegetarian cookbook in my local library. The recipe couldn’t be easier- charchari (or chorchorri or chadachadi) dishes are meant to simmer down. The rule is- no stirring! You just need to plan ahead. This dish takes about 45 minutes to simmer off all the liquid using high medium heat. If you have the heat set lower, it can take well over an hour. So this isn’t the best dish if you are looking to eat quickly. This recipe will serve 2, especially when you add some charred marinated seitan on top!

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 large or 3 medium purple eggplants, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tsp coriander seed, crushed

1 tsp cumin seed

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp asafetida powder (look for it in your local indian grocery store!)

4 cups vegetable broth

black pepper to taste

optional- 1 cup frozen green peas

Steps:

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add all of the spices and stir them around in the oil. 

When the spices are really aromatic or the cumin seeds are jumping around, add the cubed eggplant. Add some black pepper on top, if desired.

Add the vegetable broth, turn up the heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. The broth doesn’t cover all of the eggplant, but you can see it in between the cubes.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to high medium (6/10). It should stay at a pretty good rolling boil. DO NOT STIR. Just let the broth reduce completely. DON’T STIR. Don’t do it! Do less!

Once all of the broth has reduced, you’ll start to hear the eggplant sizzling. Let it cook for another 3-5 minutes. If you want to add the frozen peas, add them here- they don’t need much time to cook. You’ll get a charred layer on the bottom. Turn of the heat and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. Then (finally) you can stir the dish. The cubes of eggplant will break apart into this wonderful thick stew-like consistency. Divide into two bowls and add the seitan. Amazing.

-Enjoy!

Hi all! Here is a quick little recipe that tastes great and has hardly any calories. You can adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the amount of curry paste. This makes enough for 4 or more servings if you are drizzling it over tofu, but it would also make a great marinade or dressing.

Ingredients:

1 bunch cilantro (~2 cups)

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

2 garlic cloves

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp green curry paste

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

Steps:

Try to remove as much of the stems from the cilantro as you can, but don’t drive yourself nuts

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Let it blent for 3-5 minutes or until smooth. You’ll have to stop and push some of the ingredients down that have traveled up the sides.

Thats it! Pour it over grilled tofu, marinate some seitan in it, or use as a dressing. You can add more water to make it thinner. If you want it to be really right, substitute more oil for some of the water, but it really isn’t necessary!

After nearly 20 years of making hummus, I am finally starting to make my own baba ghanoush.  I’ll be honest- I wasn’t a huge fan of it to start.  I’d skip the baba for hummus, dolmas, falafel, or tabbouleh.  But I’ve recently rediscovered it and have been pretty psyched to eat it.  Turns out it is really simple to make at home.  If you have a gas range (or a grill), this recipe will create a nice smokey flavor.

Ingredients:

Flesh and seeds of 1 medium to large purple eggplant

3 Tbs quality tahini (I like the Soom brand)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

splash of olive oil

salt to taste

Steps:

Char the outside of the eggplant by sitting it on top of your gas range and exposing it directly to medium low flames (video of technique can be found here).  Let the skin turn black, crispy, and charred.  It should take 3-5 minutes each side.  Continue rotating until all sides are cooked. Set aside to cool for 10-15 mins.  Seriously, quit burning your hands... just let it cool down.

Once the eggplant is cool, slice through the skin lengthwise with a sharp knife.  There is no need to cut through the whole eggplant.  Peel the stem and charred flesh off the eggplant and discard.  The flesh should be soft and juicy.  Chuck all of the flesh and seeds into a blender or food processor.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, cumin, olive oil, and two pinches of salt.  Blend with just enough force to thoroughly mix up all ingredients. Alternatively, you can do this by hand to get a more rustic and chunky baba.  Adjust the acidity and saltiness by adding more lemon juice or salt, if needed.  If you want the baba to be thinner, you can add more olive oil (or water if you are trying to keep calories down)  

The smoky sweet flavor is great as a dip, on falafel, in burritos, on sandwiches, and however else you can think of eating it.  The texture is best when it is room temperature, so let it warm up if you keep in in the fridge.  

Next time a small child asks for his “baba”, you know what to give him!

Enjoy!

This recipe is so delicious and satisfying!  It is really easy to make and is so good for you.  The original recipe actually came from a copy of Readers Digest, but I’ve modified it since (full disclaimer- I’m not the RD reader in the house).  You may need to go out and purchase extra greens to make this soup, but it works with any greens that you’d like to use.  I usually will season and sear up some tofu or seitan to serve along with it.

Ingredients:

2 Vidalia onions, diced

3 cups water 

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup quinoa

2 bunches of leafy green vegetables (I usually will use one bunch of collards and one of kale, but chard or any other green will work great), remove tough inner stems

1 lb spinach leaves (fresh or a large package will work)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt/pepper/other spices as needed

Steps:

Heat a little olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the diced onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to become translucent, then turn heat to low.  Continue to cook for about 30 minutes. Stir frequently.  Add 1/4 cup water to pan if onions are sticking or burning. When they are finished cooking the onions will have a deep caramelization and the kitchen will smell amazing.

In a separate large pot combine the water and broth and bring to a boil.  Add quinoa and lower heat to a simmer.

After about 5 minutes of simmering, begin to add the greens.  Add a handful or two at a time. Stir well and let the greens begin to wilt when submerged in the broth. Continue to add all of the greens and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

When the onions are finishing caramelizing, add them to the greens.  Liquify the soup by transferring everything to a blender or using an immersion/stick blender (I prefer the latter- less cleanup!)

Add lemon juice and give it one final mix.  

If you desire, adjust the amount of salt/pepper or add some cayenne if you want it to pack a little punch.

-Enjoy!

Super fast and easy salsa! These flavors are reminiscent of summer, but are great any time of year. You should be able to find tomatillos in the produce section of your favorite coop, natural foods store, or (when in season) farmer market.  They are often found near the hot peppers.  If you are unfamiliar with tomatillos, they are husked fruits that look like little green tomatoes, but are actually a nightshade.  Make sure you peel off the husk and rinse them in water before using them in recipes. 

Ingredients:

5 medium or 8 small tomatillos, husk removed and rinsed prior to quartering

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 whole garlic cloves

1 poblano or hot pepper of your choice

1 bunch of cilantro- stems removed

1 Tbs of canola oil

1 Tbs of agave

1-2 tsp of salt

Black pepper to taste

Steps:

Throw the ingredients into a food processor.  The order doesn’t matter too much, but I throw a few tomatillos at the top to help push down the cilantro. 

Blend! If you want chunky salsa (like the photo above) you’ll want to be either pulsing the food processor, or running it for a short time (30-45 seconds, depending on your model).  Make sure you stop occasionally and push down any food thrown up onto the sides.  If you want a smoother, more fine salsa (similar to salsa verde), blend longer, typically for over a minute.  Your preference!

This can be served right away or chilled in the refrigerator.  Make sure to mix again with a spoon prior to serving to distribute the liquid and the chunks evenly!

Enjoy with chips, on a burrito or salsa, over grilled tofu, or in place of traditional salsa in any dish!

This recipe is great! The basic recipe is for a fried chicken style wing, but you can also do barbecue and hot wings!  The recipe isn’t hard, but it is involved and there is a decent amount of prep involved.  So plan ahead! They are great with Mac’N Cheese or any side dish of your choice.  I like using Gardein chicken scallopini patties for the meat- I think they are the easiest to shape.  I’ve used beyond meat strips- the case is good, but they have an easier time falling out of the skin.  You could use tofu, but I think it would be too mushy.

Ingredients:

1 package of rice paper wraps

1 package of Gardein Chicken Scallopini patties

Deep bowl of warm water

Plain soy or almond milk- enough to fill a wide shallow bowl about an inch deep

Flour- (unbleached all purpose is fine)- enough to fill a second wide shallow bowl about a half inch deep

Seasoning: I usually make my own seasoning, but you could use any “Fried Chicken” seasoning package.  My seasoning is: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup Kentucky Kernel seasoning flour, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup panko break crumbs, 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp sage, black pepper.  If you run out, its quick to throw together some more!

Steps:

Take the gardein chicken patties out of the freezer and let them defrost.  You'll be tearing a portion of a party off to make a wing. You can combine pieces if needed.  Form a log shape about the size you want your wing to be.  Somewhere around 2x4x2 inches would be great.

Spring roll wrappers will be the "skin". Dip a wrapper in warm water for maybe 8-10 seconds, until it starts to feel a little soft. Lay it flat on a cutting board and fold up the piece of chicken patty like a burrito.  For those of you who aren’t comfortable with burritos, put the patty about 1 inches from the edge of the wrap closest to you with the widest dimension facing horizontally.  Fold up the side facing you over the chicken.  Then fold over the left and right sides.  Try to keep the side seams at a 90 degree angle to the bottom edge.  Now fold/roll the meat to have the last edge (the one furthest away from you) cover the other sides.  It should look like a tiny burrito.  Set this aside on a clean, dry plate.  Make about 6 of these and them move on to the next steps.  

You'll have three bowls for the breading- flour, milk, and the breading. 

Once the chicken has been rolled into a tiny burrito in the rice paper wrap, roll the wrap in the flour. There should be some flour that sticks to the wrapper. Set it aside to dry and keep rolling up the others, dipping it in flour until all the chicken is used up.  Then go back and make some more wraps, & repeat the dipping in flour until all the chicken is gone.

Then dip the floured wing into the milk and then immediately into the breading. Roll it around to make sure the breading coats it well. Set aside until all are breaded.

You can cook them either by throwing them into a deep fryer or using a pan with some oil over medium high heat (my preferred method- cast iron is great here). Turn to cook all sides, let it cool.

If you want to make wings with barbecue or hot sauce, roll the wings in the sauce after the flour step, don’t dip in milk or breading.  You can fry the same way (it’ll get a bit messy) or bake them in the oven for 20 mins @ 450, turning once halfway through.

This is a really simple recipe that reminds you of indian food, but can be made with just a few ingredients you likely have around the house.  You can make this fancier (and more authentic) by adding garam masala, ginger, and cilantro.  You can spice it up by adding chiles or hitting the final product with a couple shots of your favorite hot sauce.  This is quick to make and tastes pretty excellent!

Ingredients:

Rice- your favorite type, enough to yield 3 cups when cooked

1 block of tofu, cubed

12-16 ounces of frozen spinach (one package)

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed

2 tsp curry powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2-1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Black pepper, to taste

Steps:

Start cooking the rice- use a rice cooker, stove top, oven, or whatever is your method of choice.

Brown the tofu in a little oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Using cast iron is best because the tofu won’t stick.  If you are using steel cookware make sure the tofu is dry before cooking it, otherwise the browned surface will stick to the pan.  A nonstick pan will likely work well, but I don’t have them.

In a wok or deep frying pan sauté the garbanzos over medium heat.  Let them cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often.  You want them just to start to brown.  Add the curry powder and stir about 5 minutes in.  Your kitchen should be smelling great right now.

Once the garbanzos are starting to brown add the frozen spinach and garlic.  It’ll take about 10 minutes for the spinach to thaw out.  If you want to use fresh spinach, it will take less time.

Add the browned tofu to the pan with the garbanzos and spinach.  Add the salt and pepper and stir well.

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Whoa... its been a while.  The blog isn’t dead.  Just busy with work, finishing school, touring with bands, and finding new jobs.  

Here’s a great recipe to bring us back! I tried to replicate this amazing dish served by the Natt Spil in Maidson, WI. If you ever make it to the city- try it!

Ingredients:

1 block of the firmest tofu you can find, cubed

3 peppers (I use red, but any color will do)- diced

6 cloves of garlic- minced

5-6 inches of ginger- peeled and minced (add more depending on your love of ginger!)

3 Tbs soy sauce (not low sodium- I tried it once and the results were flavorless)

3 Tbs Mirin (aka rice wine vinegar)

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs dried Thai Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Rice of your choice- 2-3 cups cooked

Steps:

Start cooking your rice as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Sauté the papers over medium-low heat with some extra sesame oil.  Try not to let them burn, but we want the pepper to get soft.  It’ll take 20-30 mins for them to cook.

In a separate pan, brown the tofu with a little sesame oil over medium high heat.  Hit the tofu with a couple splashes of salt and pepper.

Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil together in a dish. Set aside. The name “3 cup tofu” comes from the recommendation of 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of mirin, and 1 cup of sesame oil.  You can try this if you’d like, but that seems like a tone of oil to me!

Once the peppers are done (a bit wilted and soft) add the combined liquids and Thai basil.  Stir it well, then add the garlic and ginger.

Continue to stir well so that the liquid will reduce, but the ginger and garlic won’t burn.

Stir in the tofu to the peppers to coat with the combined liquids.  If you want more flavor in the dish, add an extra Tbs of soy sauce and Mirin.  You likely don’t need the extra sesame oil.  Add any salt and pepper needed.

Serve over the rice and crush it!

-Enjoy!

Summer is around the corner.  This is a really quick and easy recipe for a basic coleslaw (variations included below).  I think coleslaw may be a bit underrated- as a kid it was some weird side dish that I never ate.  Now, I think it is a great dish to go with burgers and veggies off the grill, a summer salad, and a great topping for sandwiches.  Give it a shot!

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cabbage (I used green, but red cabbage gives the dish a great color)- sliced into strips and separated

3 carrots- peeled and shredded

2 stalks of green onion (or you could use half a red onion)- diced

1/2 cup vegenaise

1 Tbs of your favorite mustard (coarse ground for me)

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar (white will also be fine)

As much black pepper as you like

1/2 tsp chili powder (doesn't add any kick, but mellow out the sweetness a little)

Steps:

Put the shredded cabbage, carrots, and onion in a large dish.

In a separate bowl combine the vegenaise, mustard, vinegar, pepper, and chili powder.

Add the wet stuff to the veggies and toss to combine.  Add salt if needed.  Chill in the fridge before serving to keep it crunchy, or eat right away!

This is the basic recipe.  You can really get creative with variations.  For spicy coleslaw, add 1 tsp-1Tbs of sriracha (depending on how hot you want it).  Adding a tsp of curry paste (be sure to mix it in well to the liquid portion so that it is well dispersed) gives it a sweet and spicy taste.  Change the veggies to include thinly sliced asparagus, peas, corn, black beans, or whatever you have in the kitchen.  You'll be surprised how good some of the combinations turn out!

-Enjoy!

Woah... its been a really long time. Sorry to the half dozen people who look at this site occasionally.  Here's a super easy recipe to get us started again.

Ingredients:

5 carrots, sliced

1/2 onion, minced

2 stalks of celery, split and sliced

6 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of water

1 package of Beyond Meat, cut in to small cubes (I used the grilled variety since there will be no need to season it before cooking)

1 tsp thyme

2 cups (ish) of cooked orzo

S&P to taste

Steps:

Simmer the carrots, onion, and celery in a large pot with a splash of olive oil.  Let it cook for about 5 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook the orzo.  I typically make a full box and then add as much orzo to fill out the soup at the end.

Add the broth, water, and thyme.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  The carrots will need about 15-20 minutes to soften.

After about 10 minutes of simmering, add the Beyond Meat.

Add the cooked orzo at the end to reach your desired thickness.  

Serve with some toast and enjoy!  The leftovers are great, but won't last long! You may find that the orzo will absorb some of the broth once it cools- if so, add some more water before reheating.

Enjoy!

The title pretty much sums it up.  Easy dish made with only a few ingredients.  Feel free to add some hot sauce or sriracha.  It is great as a side dish, but it would also work well served over grilled tofu.

Ingredients:

Can of black beans, rinsed well with cold water

1 and 1/2 cups corn (about 2 ears worth off the cob, but frozen will work well too)

1 avocado sliced in small cubes

1 tsp Liquid Smoke

1/2 tsp coriander

Large pinch of coarse kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

Splash of olive oil

Steps:

Add the splash of olive oil to a small cook pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Add the black beans and stir.  Heat for 3-5 minutes.

Add the corn, liquid smoke, coriander, salt, and pepper.  Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes or so (if using frozen corn, cook until corn is warm- you may want to add at the same time as the black beans).

Turn off the heat and add the avocado.  Mix and allow the avocado to heat up (about 2 mins) before serving.

Enjoy!

This is a bit fancy, but still a totally easy recipe.  It will take a little time to prepare, so plan a head.  The sauce is rich and thick and adds some sweetness to the dish.  You can grill and prepare your tofu any way you like.  I usually rub spices (cumin, chili powder, ginger, salt, pepper) and sauté it in olive oil.  A spicy tofu would pair nicely with the pepper sauce, so feel free to bring on the hot peppers.  For everyone who doesn't like spicy food, you can prepare the tofu with more savory spices like thyme, oregano, and garlic and it will also turn out amazing!  This recipe will serve 2-4 people, but its so good it will likely only make it for 2.  So double or triple it to serve to friends.

Ingredients:

2 red peppers, whole

1/2 yellow onion, split into layers

1 garlic clove

Olive oil

1/2 tsp thyme

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 block of firm tofu, prepared as you like

Grain- rice, quinoa, couscous prepared as directed

Steps:

Heat oven to 400.  Brush olive or vegetable oil on each pepper and put on aluminum foil.  Add the onion and garlic clove.  Put on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or so.  Turn the peppers and onion every 20 minutes or so.  The garlic and onions may finish cooking before the peppers, so remove them once they are nice and carmelized (a little burnt is fine).  You want the skin of the peppers to char and become black.  Once the peppers are getting wilted and the skin is black they are done.  Let the peppers cool.  Once cool, you can slip the charred skins off, leaving the soft flesh of the pepper behind.  Open the peppers and use a knife to remove any seeds.

While the peppers are cooking, prepare your grain of choice and tofu.  Grilled tofu is fantastic here, as it highlights the grilled taste to the peppers.

Once the skins are removed, put the peppers into a food processor.  Add the onion and garlic as well.  Also add the thyme, 1 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (I start with a pinch of kosher salt and a few turns from the pepper mill, then adjust the final product).  Blend until smooth.  If the peppers turned out bitter (overcooked) you can add 1 tsp of sugar and blend again.  If you want to make the dish really spicy- add some sriracha, hot sauce, jalapeños, curry paste, etc and blend.

Assemble the dish by starting with a bed of grain, add the tofu, then top with some of the grilled pepper sauce.  

The dish is really great.  Timing can be tough because the peppers take a while.  Alternatively, you can prepare the peppers in advance (or cheat and buy roasted red peppers in a jar).  

Enjoy!

Vegan honey-mustard sauce.  This was easy.  Too easy.  Its great as a dipping sauce nuggets, Beyond Meat, tofu wings.  You could also use it to make a salad dressing (but I would probably cut it with a little water to thin it out).  If you want to fancy it up, try adding a tsp of lemon juice, or some freshly minced garlic!  Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and it will last a couple weeks.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mustard (2/3 should be coarse ground dijon, 1/3 should be yellow)

3 T agave nectar

2 T olive oil

Steps:

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor. Whip it up!

Enjoy!

This was my attempt to recreate the chick pea salad from Philly's Blackbird Pizzeria.  It is so good and somehow has a fishy taste.  I think I'm pretty close with the fourth version of this recipe.  The first three went in all sorts of crazy directions including kelp salt, nori flakes, and other disasters.  This final recipe is really easy and it takes about 5 minutes to make.  Its great with pita chips, toast, sandwiches, whatever!

Ingredients:

1 can of chick peas, drained, rinsed, and dried

2 T of celery, coarsely minced

2 T red onion, coarsely minced

1 T yellow mustard

1 T Vegenaise

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp dill

Pinch salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

After patting the chick peas dry with a paper towel, put half the can into a food processor, while setting the other half in a small mixing bowl.

Add the celery, red onion, mustard, vegenaise, old bay, celery salt, salt, and dill (AKA- all the other ingredients) to the food processor.  Blend at high speed for a minute or so (the result should be well mixed and smooth)

Pour this over the chick peas in the bowl and mix well.

If you want it to be a bit thinner, you can add more vegenaise.  If you want it chunkier do not add the onions and celery to the food processor.  If the final product is too watery, your chick peas were likely still wet.

-Enjoy!