Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Almonds and Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds give this robust dip an exciting Middle Eastern flair. Serve this with toasted pita wedges as your guests arrive. The dip stays good, refrigerated, for a week.
Makes Heaping 1 Cup
1/2 Cup Whole Almonds
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
1 Red Bell Peppers, Roasted (or 1/2 Cup Jarred Roasted Red Pepper)
5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley, for Garnish
In a medium skillet over medium heat, dry toast the almonds until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Dry toast the sesame seeds until lightly golden, about 1 minute or so. Set aside.
Place the pepper in a food processor along with the almonds, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sprinkling black pepper, and the cayenne. Process until smooth.
Add the sesame seeds and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and serve sprinkled with parsley.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe and roasted cherry tomatoes make an exciting vegetable dish in the colors of Christmas. Your kitchen will smell heavenly as the tomatoes roast with rosemary and garlic. A quick dip in a pot of boiling salted water takes the bitter edge off of the broccoli rabe.
For a change, pair the tomatoes with other vegetables, such as spinach.
Serves 4
Roasted Tomatoes
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced Plus 2 Whole Cloves, Peeled
4 Fresh Rosemary Branches
Broccoli Rabe
2 Bunches Broccoli Rabe (1 1/2 Pounds)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Whole Garlic Cloves
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Spread the tomatoes on a small baking dish (8x8 pyrex is ideal).
Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a sprinkling of pepper, and the sliced garlic. Tuck the rosemary among the tomatoes. Roast uncovered, for 1/2 hour, until the tomatoes are shriveled and juicy. Discard the rosemary.
Meanwhile, cut off the hard stems of the broccoli rabe. Blanch the greens in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a bowl filled with cold or ice water to stop the cooking.
Drain the greens and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Smash the whole garlic cloves. Warm the oil with the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately add the greens and stir to heat through and combine. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Gently stir in the tomatoes. Serve immediately.
From The Healthy Hedonist
Spinach Salad with Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette and Smokey Shiitakes
This salad always gets rave reviews for its rich flavor. Serve it as a starter to or with the tempeh croutons as a light lunch. The shiitakes shrivel and crisp as they roast until they taste almost smoky.
Dressing:
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon shoyu
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 bunch spinach (about 3/4 pound), washed and stems removed or 8-ounces baby spinach (10 cups)
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 orange, cut into segments or supremed (see note page 80)
Prepare the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and shoyu. Place them on a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, tossing once, until browned and crispy. Set aside in a small bowl.
Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, shoyu, mustard, and smashed garlic. Whisk in the oil until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Dry toast the pine nuts in a heavy bottomed skillet, until just golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Place the spinach, red onions, orange segments, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Serve the salad sprinkled with pine nuts.
To crush garlic and salt together, mince the garlic, leave it on the cutting board, and sprinkle the salt on the garlic. Use the broad flat side of a knife to mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Alternatively, mash the garlic and salt together easily in a mortar and pestle.
Note:
A word about spinach: For a beautiful stemless salad, you may consider completely removing the stems; simply chop off the stems where they meet the leaves. Alternatively, for a more elegant look, hold each leaf of spinach and pull back on the stem to remove it.
Make sure to wash the spinach properly! There’s nothing worse than biting into grit, no matter how delicious the salad tastes. Even when spinach comes packaged as “thrice washed,” in my experience the leaves always need additional washing.
Salmon Burger with Cucumber Mustard Sauce
You don’t see salmon burgers on restaurant menus very often, but they are a fabulous way to eat this rich and healthful fish. Subtle with fresh herb flavor, this quick and easy burger is equally delicious with or without a bun. The sauce is wonderful on poached salmon as well.
Cucumber Mustard sauce:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded and cut into small dice (about 5 – 6 tablespoons)
olive oil for sautéing
4 whole grain buns, optional
Prepare the burgers: Chop the salmon by hand into very small pieces. Place it in a bowl, and stir in the tarragon, dill, shallots, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into four patties and refrigerate until ready to cook. You can prepare this up to 1 day ahead.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, shallots, dill, vinegar, olive oil, and cucumber. Set aside
Warm about 1 tablespoon olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Add the burger patties and sauté until they are cooked through with a little pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.. Serve on or off the bun, slathered with the Cucumber Mustard sauce.
Recipes from The Voluptuous Vegan
French Lentil Soup
This is not a regular lentil soup. The lentils are small, but the flavor is big. It’s easy to make, and the fresh herbs and reduced red wine scent your kitchen deliciously while it cooks. It’s an absolute favorite in my household.
You can substitute brown lentils, but the French Lentilles du Puy make this hearty soup surprisingly light.
Serves 4 to 6
1 cup French lentils, sorted and washed
Bouquet garni of 5 fresh thyme sprigs, 3 rosemary sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and 5 flat leafparsley stems
6 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into small dice (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained, or 2 medium size fresh tomatoes, peeled and
seeded
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups thinly sliced chard leaves (half the leaves of a 1-pound bunch)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Place the lentils in a medium pot. Add the bouquet garni and water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Discard the bouquet garni.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté over medium low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions are softened and begin to brown.
Add the red wine, turn up the heat, and cook for a few minutes uncovered, until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Cook a few minutes more, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
Add the tomato mixture to the pot with the lentils along with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer a few minutes to marry the flavors. Adjust the salt to taste.
Add the chard leaves, rosemary, and thyme and turn off heat. Let the chard leaves sit in the soup for five minutes before serving. The hot soup will wilt the leaves sufficiently.
Note: For minimum waste, buy tomato paste in a tube. That way you can use what you need and store the rest conveniently in the refrigerator.
Gingerbread
This is gingerbread! Dark and moist, it scents the house with wafts of spice. Although you can use a 9-inch springform or cake pan, my favorite way to bake this cake is in individual baby cake molds (3-inch cheesecake molds are great for their easy release); they’re simply irresistible this way. If you do use individual molds, do not fill the pan more than halfway, since the wet batter rises quite a bit while baking.
Serves 10
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted coconut (or canola) oil
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup coconut milk or original flavored soymilk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Chopped Orange segments for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350˚. Oil a 9-inch springform pan or a cake pan. Line it with a parchment circle. Alternately, oil and line with parchment paper ten 3-inch individual cake molds.
In a medium bowl sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk to combine. In another medium bowl combine the oil, maple syrup, soymilk, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the ingredients are emulsified (you can do this in a blender).
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, whisking together just until all the liquid ingredients are absorbed. The batter will be quite wet.
Pour the batter into the oiled pan or pans and place on a middle rack in the oven. Bake about 55 minutes, or until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you are using individual cake molds, put them on a baking sheet for easy removal. The baby cakes take a little less time to cook, so start checking after 35 minutes.
Serve the cakes warm or cool. Sprinkle chopped orange pieces around the plate.
