Curried Vegetables

This is just a big dish of whatever vegetables you want covered in a curry spice mix. You can eat this over rice or another grain, dip them in hummus, put them in a pita with other delicious things like tomatoes, hummus, chutney & lettuce. Or just eat them straight up. I'm listing the vegetables I used, the point is to fill up a baking dish with vegetables you like. In this recipe I bake the vegetables but this would be a good dish to make in a pressure cooker as well.

For the Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 orange pepper, you guessed it - coarsely chopped
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 yellow squash, coarsely chopped
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small chunks
2 carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

For the Curry Sauce

1/2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. tomato sauce or strained tomatoes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garham masala
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Clean and chop all of the vegetables into chunks and place them in a large baking dish.

2. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and then pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to combine.

3. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and toss and then bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until just fork tender).


This makes about 10 side dish servings of vegetables.
Photo to the left - Indian Tacos: Caramelized onion & tahini spread, curried vegetables, cilantro chutney and curry kraut on a pita. 

Baked Adzuki and Vegetable Wontons

As I've said before, I love appetizers that you can dip in some kind of sauce. I like wontons with sweet chile garlic sauce, which can be found in the Asian section of most large grocery stores. Just be sure to check the label because some brands may contain fish or oyster sauce. Also check the ingredient list on the wonton wrappers you purchase because some brands contain egg. I used Wing Hing brand pot sticker wraps and Mae Ploy brand sweet chile sauce.

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 a medium red onion, minced
3-4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. baby bella or button mushrooms, diced
1/2 c. cooked adzuki (also called aduki) or small red beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. vegetarian hoisin sauce (or vegetarin stirfry sauce with 1/8 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder)
1 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 12 oz. package of pot sticker wrappers
2 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
Black or toasted brown sesame seeds
Sweet chile garlic sauce for dipping

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line at least 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly oil them and set aside. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat and saute all of the vegetables until soft, abotu 5-7 minutes.

2) Once the vegetables are soft add the adzuki beans, hoisin sauce and shoyu or tamari. Toss to incorporate.

3) One by one, wet the circumference of a pot sticker wrapper with your finger dipped in water. Place about 2 tsp. of the filling mixture on the bottom half of the wrapper. fold the top half of the wrapper down over the filling, using your fingers to force the filling to stay inside. Seal the wrapper by pressing down on the edges with a fork.

4) Place all of the wontons onto the prepared baking dishes as you complete them and then brush the non-dairy milk over the top of each wonton (I just use my fingers dipped in the milk to do this) and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

5) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until just golden brown. Place on a serving platter and serve with sweet chile garlic sauce for dipping.

This makes abotut 8-10 appetizer servings.

Spicy Asian Slaw

I can't deny my love for spicy, tangy food. Added to that fact, cabbage has been my favorite vegetable this winter. I'm not saying it's my favorite vegetable of all time, just that I am using it a lot this winter and am really enjoying it. It's inexpensive, super healthy and very versatile. This slaw takes about 1 minute to make if you use the pre-cut slaw mixture, and it makes a nice lunch on its own or could be used as a side with any Asian inspired meal. The spice in this slaw comes from Sriracha sauce, an Asian (I think it's originally Vietnamese) hot sauce that can be found in almost any grocery store.

1 lb. thinly sliced cabbage, either one of those pre-shredded slaw bags from the store or slice your own
A pinch of sea salt, about 1/4 tsp. or so
2 heaping Tbsp. Veganaise
As much Sriracha hot sauce as you want, I use a lot because I like it spicy
Several dashes of rice wine or brown rice vinegar (about 2 tsp.)
A small drizzle of toasted sesame oil, maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp.

1. In a large bowl toss the cabbage with the pinch of sea salt and set it aside.

2. In a smaller bowl whisk together the other ingredients.

3. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and toss to combine.

This makes about 2-4 servings.

Baked Samosas

Samosas are an Indian pastry with a savory filling, usually some mixture of vegetables or ground meat. They are usually deep fried but they can easily be baked. I make a quick dipping sauce to go along with this, but you could serve them with a chutney if you'd prefer. I hate to brag again, but these are fantastic - even my kids loved them.

For the Samosas
1-2 tsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 a medium onion, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/4 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 c. frozen or fresh diced potatoes, thawed under hot water in a strainer and drained well
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed under hot water in a strainer and drained well
1 tsp. vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

For the Dipping Sauce
3/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. mango chutney (optional)
1/2 tsp. curry powder

1) To make the sauce whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Preheat the oven according to the package directions for the puff pastry you are using. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly oil it, and set aside.

3) Preheat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Toast the seeds until they are lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

4) Add the onion, jalapenos, spices, and salt. Saute until the onions are soft, about 5 more minutes.

5) Add the drained potatoes and peas and saute until warmed and mixed through with the onions, peppers and spices. Then add the vegetable broth and tomato paste and stir until incorporated with the vegetables.

6) Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the fresh cilantro.

7) Flatten the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the pastry into 4 long strips lengthwise and then 6 long strips widthwise so that you end up with 18 squares.

8) Fill each square with about 2 tsp. of the filling and then fold the edges in and crimp the edges closed to form a ball. Gently squeeze the ball in your hand to round it out and then flatten it a little bit between your palms. Repeat until your dough is used up placing the finished samosas on the prepared baking tray.

9) Bake the samosas for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with the dipping sauce.

This makes about 4-6 appetizer servings and would be very easy to double for more.

Baked Kimchi Wontons

This is my new favorite appetizer. And may I just say, Asian cultures make the best appetizers in the world (sorry Americans, Italians, and Mexicans). I don't want to toot my own horn, but these are amazing.

1 package extra firm tofu, crumbled
3 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
3/4 c. minced Kimchi, homemade or store bought
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 a medium red or white onion, minced
8 oz. crimini or shiitake mushrooms, diced
About 18 oz. eggless pot sticker wrappers, about 1 1/2 packages
2 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (or black), to garnish, optional
Sweet chile garlic sauce for dipping

1) Crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl with your fingers and then smash it up with a fork or potato masher. Mince and add the kimchi and the shoyu and set aside.

2) Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan and add the scallions, minced onion and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

3) Add the sauteed vegetables to the tofu mixture and mix well.

4) Take a wonton wrapper and wet the entire circumference with your finger dipped in water. Add about 2 tsp. of the tofu mixture to the bottom half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the mixture, forcing the mixture to stay in the wrapper, and seal the edges by pressing it down with a fork. Repeat until the mixture is used up.

5) Place the finished wontons onto the prepared baking sheets. Rub the tops of the stuffed wontons with a finger dipped in non-dairy milk and then sprinkle the sesame seeds over the tops of the wontons.

6) Bake for 15-20 minutes until just golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with sweet chile garlic sauce for dipping.

This makes about 10-12 appetizer servings.

Quick Pickle Red Onions

I eat these like popcorn when I make them. Even if you don't want to make them to eat as a snack on their own, they are great on tacos, wraps, sandwiches or salads. In my opinion, these have just the right balance of tangy, salty and sweet. I love them on corn tortillas with Black Beans, Guacamole, and Scotch Bonnet Salsa.

1 c. cold water
1 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. unrefined sugar
1 large or 2 small red onions

1) Whisk everything but the onions together in a glass container large enough to hold the liquid and the onion (I use a pyrex 4 c. measuring cup)

2) Slice the onion into thin strips. You could do rings, or any shape you want, I just think strips are the easiest shape to deal with.

3) Place the onions into the liquid and weight them down with a small glass or ceramic object (such as a small plate, bowl or lid). Let the onions sit at room temperature in the liquid for 1-5 hours.

4) Drain the onions in a strainer and briefly rinse them off in cool water. Store the onions in a glass container in the fridge for at least a week, maybe longer.

This makes about 2 c. of onion pickles depending on the size of your onion. The photo to the right is of my taco spread with pickled red onions.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

My Mom-in-law, Karen,  made some delicious stuffed peppers spiced with cumin and cinnamon when we were visiting for Christmas, and they were so good it inspired me to experiment (I'm copying the quinoa, greens and mushrooms from her recipe, and I guess I'm also bragging that my Mother-in-law makes delicious vegan food for us when we visit).

The sauce I use for this recipe can be used for many other things: a marinade for roasted or grilled vegetables or tofu, salad dressing, something else? The stuffing for these peppers could also stand alone as a pilaf of sorts. In fact, my two and 6 year old daughters spooned it up like I had just given them dessert (how lovely to hear your kids ask for more quinoa with beans and vegetables!). My picky eldest daughter turned her nose up at it, however, I know she would have liked it if I could have gotten her to try it. There is enough filling for 10-12 pepper halves (5-6 peppers) depending on how full you stuff them and how large they are. I only had 4 peppers (8 halves) and so I saved the extra stuffing to eat as a salad for lunch later on.

These peppers are quite beautiful and could serve as a main dish with a vegetable side and a salad. They could also be used as a side dish for a meal with soup or pasta.You could also choose to top them with vegan cheese or some bread crumbs.

For the Peppers and Stuffing

4-6 bell peppers, a variety of colors (try to get ones that will make nice big cavities for the stuffing)
1 c. quinoa (I used a mix of red and brown this time), rinsed and drained well in a fine mesh strainer
2 c. vegetable stock, water, or a combination (I used 1 c. of each this time)
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
8 oz. crimini/baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 medium-small zucchini squash, diced
1 small bunch greens such as kale, watercress, collards, baby spinach, washed & chopped
2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
1 c. cooked navy beans
1/3 c. pinenuts
1/3 c. sundried tomatoes, diced
4 dried mission figs, diced

For the Sauce

3 Tbsp. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or less, if you want)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced

1) Cook the quinoa according to package directions, but err on the shorter end of the suggested cooking time. Most quinoa suggests a 10-15 minute cooking time, I would go with around 12 minutes so that it's still a bit moist but not too soupy. Once the quinoa is done cooking, remove it from the heat and set it aside.

2) As the quinoa cooks, slice the peppers in half lengthwise to make two flat pepper "boats." I like to leave the stems on and try to cut through them because they look pretty when the stems are in tact, but you could remove them. Use a paring knife or spoon to scrape out the seeds and ribs from inside the pepper halves.

3) Preheat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook the onion until it just begins to brown (7-10 minutes) and then add the diced mushrooms and zucchini. Continue to cook the mixture until the zucchini until they are softened (about 5 more minutes). Then add the greens and saute until they are just wilted, anther 2-3 minutes, and remove the pan from the heat.

4) As the onions and other vegetables cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the minced fresh basil, cooked beans, pinenuts, diced sundried tomatoes and died figs into a large bowl.

5) Once you are done sauteing the onions, mushrooms, zucchini and greens, add them to the large bowl with the beans and other vegetables. Add the cooked quinoa. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir to mix well.

6) Use a large spoon to stuff the mixture into the hollowed out peppers, pressing the stuffing deep into the peppers. Place the stuffed peppers carefully into a large baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes while covered. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until browned on top.

This makes 8-12 bell pepper halves.

Cornbread Stuffing

When we lived in Chicago we had an apartment in the East Rogers Park neighborhood just down the street from The Heartland Cafe, which remains one of my favorite restaurants to this day. The other day my husband reminded me of the Cornbread Stuffing that used to be on their menu and I had to try to recreate a vegan version of it because it's been over 5 years since I've had it. I often used to order a side of the cornbread stuffing and a side salad for lunch, and now I can recreate that wholesome lunch anytime I want.

I suggest vegetables to use, but you could replace ingredients as you like. If you don't want hot peppers use a green bell pepper or diced zucchini. You could add corn kernels, black beans, cilantro, whatever you want. It would be nice topped with some salsa or avocado slices as well. I suggest using water or vegetable broth for the liquid or a combination. I do this because sometimes I have a little vegetable broth left over in the fridge and cooking grains is a great way to use it up as well as flavor your dish.

When I used to order this at The Heartland, it came looking like it had been scooped with an ice cream scooper, so that is one good way to serve it. You could also pour it into an oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish and let it thicken in the fridge and then cut slices and pan sear them to serve. 

Lastly, if you're ever in Chicago, take the Red Line up to the Morse/Lunt stop and have a delicious meal at The Heartland Cafe right outside the Lunt exit, you won't regret it!

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 scallions, diced
1/2 a red onion, diced
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano or anaheim pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, cut into thin rounds
1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced
4 c. water or vegetable broth or a combination
1 1/2 c. coarse cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. vegan cheese (optional)

1) Prep all of your ingredients by chopping the vegetables and measuring out the liquids, spices and cornmeal.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add all of the chopped vegetables. Saute until softened, about 10-15 minutes. When the vegetables have softened remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

3) Once the vegetables are done cooking heat the water and/or broth in a large soup pot (a 4 or 5 quart pot would be large enough). When the liquid comes to a boil slowly add the cornmeal and spices as you whisk constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to whisk the mixture for 8-10 minutes until it is thick and creamy. (Note: I recommend not cooking the vegetables at the same time as the cornmeal because the cornmeal needs to be whisked constantly or it will bubble and splatter all over the place).

4) Once the cornmeal is thick and no longer crunchy add the sauteed vegetables and stir to incorporate. Then add the vegan cheese if you are using it and continue to stir until the cheese is melted.


5) Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture thicken, it should be almost the consistency of a wet cornbread.

I'd say this makes 6-8 large servings.

Marinated Roasted Portabello Mushrooms

Normally when I come up with what I think is a great recipe I preface my description with something like, "I don't want to brag but..." Not so in this case. I'm bragging, this recipe is excellent.

Once these mushrooms are marinated you could grill or roast them. They can be sliced and added to a salad of mixed greens with canillini beans, red onion and avocado (using the left over marinade to flavor a vinaigrette). They can also be used as mushroom burgers or breakfast bagel sandwiches. The flavor is very rich and savory, you won't be disappointed. This recipe is for 2 mushroom caps, but it could just as easily be doubled or tripled for more.

2 large portabello mushroom caps
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a small baking dish and whisk together with a fork or small whisk.

2) Remove the stems from the mushrooms and clean any dirt or debris off with a dry cloth or paper towel. Coat the tops of the caps with the marinade and then set them under side up in a baking dish and spoon the marinade into the cap (tilting the dish to get nice big spoonfuls if need be). Let the mushrooms sit in the marinade at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

3) Turn the mushrooms back over (stem side down) and cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.

This makes 2 servings.
Photo to the left: Roasted Mushroom bagel sandwich with mixed greens and shallots sauteed in a little vegetable broth.

Cauliflower Subji

 In Indian cuisine subji is a spiced vegetable dish. Subji can be saucy or dry, this dish is a dry subji. The only thing I don't love about Indian food is how complicated it can be to cook authentic Indian cuisine. To me the work is worth it, but I thought that maybe everyone doesn't want to hunt down specialty Indian grocery stores and spend hours in the kitchen crushing spices and following dozens of steps for a recipe. This dish is very simple and quite good, even my husband who claims he doesn't like cauliflower likes it. I am listing several of the spices as optional just to make the recipe as simple as possible - you need the curry powder but for the optional spices just use the ones you already have and leave out the ones you don't have. If you decide you want to cook more Indian food at home then you can go out an purchase more spices, but don't do it just for this recipe.

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (if you want it to be lower fat, replace some of the oil with vegetable broth)
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric (optional)
1/4 tsp. garam masala (optional)
1/4 tsp. cumin (optional)
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into florets.

2) In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil and spices and set aside.

3) Place the cauliflower in a baking dish and toss with the oil and spice mixture to evenly coat.

4) Cook the cauliflower for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F. Then remove the baking dish and use a wooden spoon to toss the cauliflower pieces around. Bake for another 10 minutes or until tender.

This makes 4 servings.

Cauliflower Subji topped with Miso Lemon Tahini Sauce

Indian Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

These are delicious and healthy. You can use the yellow sweet potatoes or orange yams. My favorite way to serve these is with Mango Chutney Barbeque Sauce for dipping. The recipe is for 1 sweet potato, so if you want to make more just add more spices. You should use one large baking sheet per potato to make sure they won't be crowded, otherwise they'll turn out mushy rather than crispy.

This batch was made with 2 large yams.

1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and sliced into thin fries (try to get one that's short and fat)
Extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. corriander

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it and set it aside.

2) Peel the sweet potato, slice it into thin slabs, and then cut the slabs into thin fries.

3) Place the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and toss with a little olive oil and the spices, making sure to distribute the spices and oil evenly on the fries.

4) Place the fries evenly about on the prepared baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes and then toss them with a spatula. Bake for another 5-7 minutes or until they are starting to become crispy and just starting to blacken at the very edges, be careful not to burn them.

 Use one sweet potato or yam for 1-2 people, and one tray per yam.

Pasta Salad

I like to have things like this around to pack in lunches or have for little snacks. Add whatever vegetables you and your family like - tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, olives, artichoke hearts, thinly sliced carrots, mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, beans, cooked lentils, sunflower seeds, fresh parsley sun dried tomatoes...you get the picture.

!Warning: This is delicious.

1 lb. spiral pasta shapes (I like the tri-colored ones)
1 recipe Simple Vinaigrette (with a little vegan pesto stirred in, if desired)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (or 1 shallot)
1 c. broccoli, cut into very small pieces (or cauliflower)
 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
1/2 c. sliced kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2) As the pasta cooks make the vinagrette in a small bowl, and chop the vegetables and place them in a large bowl.

3) When the pasta is done drain it and rinse with cold water.

4) Toss the pasta and vinagrette with the vegetables in a large bowl and chill for about 1 hour before serving.

This makes about 6-8 servings (depending on how much you eat in one serving).

Paprika Potatoes with Kraut

This is for those "meat & potatoes" people that don't like the meat part. I'm starting to notice I've got a lot of potato recipes so I must really like potatoes, but right now this is my favorite way to eat them. I first made another variation of these where rather than sour kraut I added some malt vinegar at the end and that was good too, so if you don't like (or have) kraut you could try that.

2 lbs. fingerling or new potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, quartered lengthwise & sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 c. Wild Fermented Sour Kraut, or a good store bought brand

1) Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 5-7 minutes depending on their size. Then drain them and set them aside to cool a bit.

2) As the potatoes cool, slice the onion & pepper.

3) Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the onion and a sprinkling of sea salt. Toss the onions to coat and let them cook until soft, about 7 minutes.

4) As the onions soften slice the potatoes into 1/2" thick rounds and then add to the pan along with the peppers, paprika, and sea salt and pepper to taste.

5) Continue to saute until the potatoes are fully cooked and the peppers are softened, about 7 more minutes, and then add the sour kraut and toss to incorporate. Test for salt & pepper and add more if necessary.

This makes about 8 servings (depending on how much you eat in one serving).

Spring Rolls with Peanut Lime Dipping Sauce

I think spring rolls might be the ultimate appetizer. You can put anything you want in them, they're fresh and full of vegetables, you can dip them in any different kind of sauce (anything involving sauce is tops with me). Plus they're fun to make and kids love helping. One of the best and easiest ways to get my kids to try new foods is to have them help me make it. It's so easy for kids to help put the filling into spring rolls - you can even let them choose the fillings they like best. You should tailor this recipe by putting you your favorite vegetables (cabbage, mung bean sprouts, sliced avocado, kim chi, carrots, red or green onion, etc.), this is just how I like them.

For the Peanut Lime Dipping Sauce:
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. chili garlic paste (or Asian hot paste, start with 1 tsp. if you're sensitive to spicy food)
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 tsp. pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1" knob of fresh ginger, grated

For the Spring Rolls:
2 oz. mung bean thread noodles or very thin rice noodles
1 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 Tbsp. mushroom flavored soy sauce (or more shoyu)
8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 a red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves (about 1 c.)
About 1/3 recipe for Baked Tofu or 4-5 thin slices
10-12 sheets spring roll wrappers (rice paper)

1) For the dipping sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2) Place the shoyu or tamari and mushroom flavored soy sauce in a bowl and add the thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms. Toss to cover the mushrooms with the sauce and then set aside to marinade as you prepare the other ingredients.


3) Fill a sauce pan with very hot water and add 2 oz. of bean thread or very thin rice noodles and let them sit in the water for about 8-10 minutes until softened. Drain with a fine mesh colander and then place the colander over the pan you used to soak them so they can drain.

4) As the noodles soak in the hot water slice your peppers, get the cilantro washed & ready to go and slice your baked tofu into long thin strips.

5) Once you have everything ready to go, take the mushrooms and pour the excess mariade from them over the noodles that are resting in the colander over the pan and toss them around with your hand to coat them in the marinade.

6)Take a large baking dish (like a 9x13 one) and fill it about 1/2 way up with very hot water. Then dampen a dish cloth and hang it lengthwise over the edge of your counter so that half of it is on the counter and the other half is hanging down.

7) To assemble the spring rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the hot water and leave it in there for 30-60 seconds or so, until it's fully hydrated and no longer hard. Then carefully take the wrapper out of the water, place it on the dampened dishtowel making sure to flatten it out, fold the edge of the towel that's hanging down up over the wrapper and pat it a little to remove the excess moisture, and then pull the towel off and let it hang over the edge of the counter again while keeping the wrapper on the other half of the towel.

8) Place a small handful of the noodles onto the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper and then top the noodles with the mushrooms, peppers, tofu and cilantro. Note: once I put the noodles on the wrapper I usually put the next rice paper wrapper into the hot water to let is soak so it's ready when I want to make the next spring roll.

9) Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling and pull down to secure and roll it about 1/3 of the way up. Then fold in both sides and continue to roll the rice paper until completely sealed and set on a serving platter. Note: if you are making a lot of spring rolls it's a good idea to keep a damp cloth over the completed spring rolls so that they don't dry out and stick together.

This serves 4-6 as appetizers.

Colcannon

I would not even know this dish existed if my friend Kara hadn't mentioned she was going to make it from items received in her CSA box. Colcannon is an Irish dish with potatoes and greens and I guess at some point people started adding all sorts of other good things in there. I'm sure glad I found out about it because, YUM!

2 lbs. potatoes, gold or red skinned
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, any color
1-2 c. hearty greens such as cabbage, kale, collards or chard, de-stemmed and chopped into bitesize pieces
Sea salt
Black pepper
3 Tbsp. vegan chive & garlic cream cheese, or vegan sour cream plus 2 Tbsp. chopped chives
Plain soy milk to thin, probably about 1/2 c.

1) Cut the potatoes into 1" chunks, place them in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring them up to a boil, add 1 tsp. of sea salt, and let them cook for 15 minutes. Once they're done drain them and return them to the pot.

2) As the potatoes cook, add a little olive oil to a saute pan and caramelize the sliced onion over medium high heat. This will take about 15-17 minutes and once it starts to brown you should stir it frequently to avoid burning. When the onion is almost finished cooking add the chopped greens for the last 3-5 minutes to wilt and soften them.

3) Once the potatoes have been drained mash them up really well with a potato masher and then add the remaining ingredients (except for the soy milk) and stir together.

4) Add the soy milk 1/4 c. at a time and stir to incorporate. Once the potatoes reach a nice creamy consistency you can stop adding the soy milk.

This makes about 6 servings.

Simple Baked Tofu

Baked tofu is a good thing to know how to make because it's super easy and you can use it for so many different things. You can add slices of baked tofu to sandwiches, wraps or salads. You can put it in nori rolls with rice, carrots and cucumbers. You can add it to stirfry or noodle dishes. Or you can do like my kids do and eat chunks of baked tofu like you think they're chicken nuggets. You can marinade the tofu in whatever you want in order to get different flavors, complicated or simple. So take this recipe and use the method to make whatever flavor of baked tofu you want. When you bake tofu it takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you use and it also gets a firm and smooth texture.

1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch chunks (I usually do rectangular cubes)
About 1/4 c. shoyu or tamari

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Rinse the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into desired shapes - get crazy, go for triangles or diamonds if you want.

3) Pour the shoyu or tamari into a little bowl and proceed to dip each hunk of tofu into the shoyu making sure to coat each side. Place all of the coated tofu onto the baking sheet spaced evenly apart.

4) Bake the tofu for 25-30 minutes. That's all.