I wish that my meals looked as good as they taste.
How can I convince you that nutritious, yummy vegan meals are satisfying and delicious when they look so awful in photographs?
Food photography is indeed an art unto itself; an art which I have not mastered and do not see doing so in the near future.
However, making this stuff look good must take a talent far beyond my reach so I will have to ask you to indulge me; trust me, this food is great, not just nutritionally balanced but tasty!
When I make a meal like this I consider all the nutritional elements and the flavor notes, as well.
Some ingredients just lend themselves to certain herbs and spice combinations. Sometimes it’s nice to think outside the proverbial box and combine the unexpected.
And getting over the notion that you need a pound of flesh at every meal will liberate you to introduce your palate to flavors and textures that will seduce into a new way of eating.
It will also allow you to obtain necessary nutrition and micro-nutrients from foods which you haven’t been eating.
For my main meal of the day I consider a few things: I like to eat a lot of vegetables, I need to incorporate a healthy fat, and I like to make sure that there is protein.
Herbs and spices are important to healthy body function and can help fight off disease and increase overall wellness.
This recipe includes fresh ginger and garlic as well as crushed red pepper and red chili paste.
Coconut oil and avocado help provide that creamy mouth feel which leads to satiety and provide a vehicle for fat soluble nutrients.
Ingredients
1 TBSP coconut oil
2 TBSP red chili paste (or to taste)
1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
fresh ginger to taste, sliced
2-3 Cups of broccoli
1-2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup pinto beans
1 avocado sliced, for garnish
Method
In a frying pan, saute coconut oil, garlic, ginger, red chili paste and crushed red pepper.
Add the broccoli and spinach and allow to cook; Just a few minutes on high.
Add 1/2 cup of pinto beans and allow to cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
I came across this recipe in March 2010 Food and Wine magazine.
Chef Mehmet Gurs has created a nice twist on traditional chick pea hummus.
I went crazy with the cilantro and added avocado, also, I substituted vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make this a vegan treat.
I used a whole wheat tortilla to create a balanced hot meal for Meatless Monday!
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups water of vegetable stock
1 cup green lentils (about 6 ounces)
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
Pita chips, sliced fennel and red bell pepper strips, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine the water/ stock, green lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and boil the lentils over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and let the lentils cool slightly.
Transfer the cooked lentils to a food processor. Add the chopped garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Scrape the hummus into a bowl, stir in the cumin and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro and season with salt and cayenne. Garnish the hummus with paprika and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Serve the lentil hummus warm or at room temperature with pita chips and vegetable crudités.
MAKE AHEAD
The lentil hummus can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before serving.
This dish is easy, inexpensive and full of vegetable protein and nutrients.
This was filling and truly delicious. It is definitely something to keep in the fridge for a snack or meal.
My little one loves pancakes. She is not a vegan and regularly extols the virtues and pleasures of butter, whipped cream and cheese.
I will let the photos speak for themselves.
Although I did not eat this meal the smells were intoxicating; partly due to my obsession with quality, fancy, organic, exotic vanillas.
Fresh quality ingredients are the key to the best dishes and I just try to bring out the best in creative combinations.
Hashbrowns
3-5 medium sized yellow organic potatoes
Peel and place in the food processor and shred, or grate on a hand held grater.
The most important thing is to make sure that the potatoes are thoroughly dried before you cook them.
I patted mine with a few rounds of paper towels then placed them into a hot skillet with about 2-4 tablespoons of butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract
Method
Place a pan to medium heat.
Combine the 4 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a bowl.
Add the buttermilk and vegetable oil and vanilla to your mixture.
Mix until smooth.
Now the pan should be ready for your batter, so spoon one pancakes’ worth of the mixture into the pan.
Flip [carefully] when you see bubbles in the middle of the pancake, or if the edges are looking stiffened.
Repeat until the batter is gone, and try not to eat them all while you’re cooking them.
These pancakes were so light and fluffy and they had a crispy “edginess”.
I woke to a cold and snowy day and considered the possibilities.
I had thoughts of stew, like when I was a child. The kind that came from a big pot on the stove which mom made in the morning anticipating children who would be stuck in the house all day; a snow day.
Well, since becoming a vegan it is dishes like these that I miss the most; the kind which come from big pots and are swimming in gravy.
Then I considered, “what was my favorite part of those meals?” The pearl onions!
I loved those sweet slippery gems. For that matter I loved all the veggies and remember pushing dark beef bits to the side.
The gravy would be the tough part. I’ve kind of avoided this kind of thing as I am not a big fan of “substituting” processed fake meat products for meat.
This was really easy, just a bit labor intense.
I started by boiling the pearl onions; skin and all, in water for about 3 minutes.
Remove them and run cold water over them then cut off the root end. Gently squeeze and the “pearl” pops out.
Set those aside and prepare the mashed potatoes and keep them warm until you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
6-7 carrots chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic sliced
4-5 cups of baby bella mushrooms halved
3-4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp vegetarian stock / bouillon
5-6 cups of water depending on your desired thickness
1 cup of peas
1-2 cups pearl onions (depending on your preference)
Pinch or so of dried Tarragon
Method:
Put the oil in the pan and start adding garlic and carrots
Allow them to sauté, add the tarragon
Add the mushrooms and the pearl onions and allow to continue cooking
Mix the water and the cornstarch and add to the pan
Add the vegetarian bouillon
Add more water if necessary
Allow to cook until everything is tender and serve over mashed potatoes.
