A New Staple Cookbook: The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook

I’ve been looking to expand my cookbook selection and was lucky enough to stumble upon this little gem, The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook by Robin Robertson. The title appealed to me because my family isn’t fully vegetarian, but we do eat mostly vegetarian meals. By that I mean, that I cook vegetarian/vegan options on the weekdays and usually the weekends end up being a free-for-all. I can’t imagine a life without the occasional burger or sushi, so we just limit our meat intake to one or two meals a week. That being said, it’s been a tough road of trial and error learning to cook vegetarian/vegan meals. Some have been great, so good that I would take it over the juiciest steak any day, but unfortunately some have been so bad that I yearned for a nice cardboard box to chew on in exchange. I’ve had this book for a few weeks now and have the opportunity to read it cover to cover several times and have made quite a few dinners from it as well.  While the overwhelming majority have been good, there are a few bland ones and one that was actually dangerous. That’s right, I said dangerous. It was the Chipotle-Glazed Portobello Fajitas on page 154, where the recipe said to use “one 6-ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce”.  Um..no, don’t do it! However, the happy ending to this story comes when I get all in a huff, track down this Robin Robertsons website and send her an email informing her of the severe gastro-intestinal distress this nightmare of a recipe caused. I did not expect her to return an email, it just made me feel better to give her what for.  Imagine my surprise, when just a few hours later I got a lovely, apologetic email with the recipe correction and the promise to notify her publisher. What a class act! So, it turns out you are only supposed to use 1, or 2 peppers if you are feeling really adventurous; never the whole can.  This being the first recipe that I had made I was fully ready to light this book afire until I received that email detailing the mistake and the correction (Thanks again Ms. Robertson!), but after that I felt a little better about diving back in. So, don’t let this experience put you off, just remember to update your copy on page 154.  Two of my very favorite recipes in the book are Vegetarian Scrapple (sheer genius!) and Oyster Mushroom Chowder. These healthy and delicious alternatives to my favorite country girl comfort foods have long made up for “the chipotle fajitas incident”.  I live in the city now, but these dishes take me right back to my roots in rural St. Mary’s County where Scrapple and Oyster stew are old-fashioned staples. There are at least two dozen more recipes that I intend to plow through and in the end, this book has some really great vegetarian alternatives for people who like to eat meat.

Oyster Mushroom Chowder

The creamy oyster mushroom has a slightly “seafood” taste and a texture similar to oysters. Kelp flakes, or ground kelp, are available in shaker containers in natural food stores. Sprinkled on the chowder, it makes a lovely garnish while adding a nutritious taste of the sea.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 large white potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or l/8 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 8 ounces oyster mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• Kelp flakes (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, stock, thyme, salt, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potato is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the soup and stir in the soy milk. Heat to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring to thicken. Slice or quarter any larger mushrooms, leaving the smaller ones whole or halved. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet, add the mushrooms, sprinkle with the Old Bay seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the soup, taste to adjust seasonings, and serve. Garnish with kelp flakes if desired.

Serves 4

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Crockpot Mushroom, Wild Rice, Lima Bean Soup

This recipe has been modified from the original Butterbean Soup with Portabellas and Wild Rice to use the items I had in my pantry and give it a bit more flavor because I found the original to be a bit bland.  While my recipe is no longer fat-free thanks to the addition of a bit of olive oil, it is still vegan and delicious. I’ve been addicted to my crockpot lately and relied on that to slow cook my soup while I was at work and I walked in to a delicious warm meal on a bitterly cold day; a real treat. I also paired mine with a bit of sourdough garlic toast for dinner and then poured the remaining soup over the leftovers from the Wild Mushroom Risotto for lunch today and it is amazing! I’ll break my recipe down to show the steps that I took to prep the night before I began cooking.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Dry lima beans (could substitute butter beans, navy beans or whatever you’ve got in your pantry).

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups water

6 oz mushrooms, sliced ( I used plain old buttons, but cremini would be great).

1/4 cup wild rice

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

1 tsp soy sauce

1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 – 2 tbsp cumin (to taste)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp smoked paprika

*My family loves smoky, spicy flavors and they really paired well with this dish, but if you prefer you can crank up or turn down the heat by adding or omitting the cayenne

Day 1 (the evening before I planned to serve the meal)

Place the dry beans in a large bowl and fill with water, then set aside to soak overnight. Next, saute the onions in 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft and translucent Add the garlic to the onions and continue to saute for another minute or two, until the onions begin to brown and the garlic/onion mixture is fragrant. Fill your crockpot (I used a 4qt and had plenty of room) with the water, onion/garlic mixture, wild rice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sage, and rosemary and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

In the morning, add the beans and mushrooms to the crock pot and cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. After 8+ hours have passed, give the soup a stir and use a potato masher to soften the beans and thicken the soup. Finally, add the remaining spices, top with a swirl of olive oil and serve.

It’s an easy, filling and healthy soup perfect for a cold winter’s day with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of wine. Enjoy!

The Cookie Exchange: 4 Dozen Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

My mother has decided to begin an annual tradition of exchanging cookies. The idea is that everyone brings four dozen cookies and we all eat lunch, sample the cookies and play games to spend time with friends and kindle that Christmas spirit. The challenge is that we are a motley crew and among us we have meatatarians, country girls, gluten-free gals and some weirdo vegans (ie, mom, and yes that is a tongue-in-cheek reference).  Everyone is short on time and funds during the holidays and some of us (ahem) are just challenged in the baking arena, so coming up with an easy, low-cost DIY gluten-free, vegan cookie recipe was tough.  Luckily I found a good recipe base online and with just a few simple modifications I present to you:

The No-Bake Gluten-Free, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter “Cookie”

*The term cookie is used loosely here because there isn’t any actual cooking involved This recipe makes 48 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar in the Raw

1 Cup RICE DREAM Rice Drink, Enriched Original, Organic

1 Cup Hershey’s Cocoa, Special Dark

5 Cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats

1 Cup Smart Balance Light Butter

1 Cup Natural, No-stir peanut butter

2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

Place oats, peanut butter and vanilla into a large bowl. Next, combine sugar, milk, cocoa powder and butter substitute in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently and allow to boil for about one minute, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined, thick and bubbly. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oats mixture and stir well. Really work to combine the mixture quickly because it will thicken and begin to solidify as it cools. Form about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time in your hands like little burger patties and then place onto waxed or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Once you have formed all 48, place into the fridge to cool.  You can dust with powdered sugar once cooled to make them look a bit more festive, as in their natural state my daughter and I decided that they look a bit like reindeer poo Enjoy!

Sunday Morning: Chocolate Covered Banana Pancakes

When I cook I draw inspiration from flavor combinations that I know I enjoy. I usually have a set of ingredients that I know taste good together and then I build them I cook them in new and imaginative ways. This morning I woke up craving a frozen chocolate covered banana, like the kind you get at summer carnivals. I knew that I had some bananas that were well past their expiration, so voila! Chocolate covered banana pancakes were born. I tested them out on my picky, vegetarian 13-year old daughter and her best friend/neighbor. These are definitely the tastiest pancakes I’ve made to date. I used 1/2 cup of whole wheat white flour and 1/2 cup of unbleached all purpose flour, which I thought gave them a nice texture, but you can use whatever flour you’ve got. I used raw sugar, but again, white is fine. Also, I used 1/4 cup of egg replacer, but for anyone wanting to use farm fresh eggs, just use one large. Finally, I use light vanilla soymilk, but regular moo juice works great too.  Here goes:

Chocolate Covered Banana Pancakes Recipe

1 cup flour (1/2 whole wheat white, 1/2 unbleached all purpose)

1 tbsp. sugar (raw or white)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup egg replacer, egg whites, or 1 egg

1 cup light vanilla soy, regular soy, or straight moo juice

2 tbsp vegetable oil (1 for the pancake batter, 1 to keep your nanercakes from sticking)

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark choc., don’t use milk choc.; it’s too sweet)

You’ll have two bowls, one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet.  Mix the flour through the salt into one bowl. In the second bowl, pour in the milk and the bananas and mash with a fork or potato masher. Mix in the rest of the wet ingredients and add the chocolate chips last. Grab your pan and put a bit of the oil in and heat over medium heat. Add a 1/4 cup of batter and watch for the bubbles.  The bubbles will start on the outer edges and work their way to the middle. Once the bubbles show in the middle, flip your pancake and lightly brown. Lift the edge of the pancake and once it looks golden brown, scoop it up, put it on a plate and yell “It’s nanerpuss”! Proceed to dance around the kitchen and enjoy.

I spray a pump or two of fake butter on mine, but the girls enjoyed them plain. I think a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar would also be tasty, but they are so sweet and good I think that syrup would be overkill. I hope you enjoy these delicious pancakes as much as we did. Feel free to comment on recipe adjustments if you think it needs any, and be sure to let me know if you liked them too. Happy Sunday!

What do you mean marshmallows aren’t vegetarian?

So, who knew…marshmallows contain animal bones, organs, and animal skin (a.k.a. gelatin). Ewww!  My mother is currently obssessed with Vegan marshamallows and even sent me a link to her favorite purveyor of these tasty treats, Sweet & Sara so that I can remember to get these for her birthday.  Sara, a vegan, had a craving for rice crispy treats and developed her own recipe for home-made vegan marshmallows. What really sets Sara’s marshmallow’s apart are the flavors: vanilla, toasted coconut, cinnamon pecan and strawberry. You can buy them online direct from Sara herself or at many local health food stores, as I am sure I will do for my mother’s birthday. However, since this is my blog on saving money and doing it your self, here is a recipe for some plain, old-fashioned vegan marshmallows to make at home direct from the Vegan Marshmallows blog:

The blog details the recipe with photos, information on where to buy the ingrediants, alternates to corn syrup and flavored marshmallow recipes. I’m intrigued by the Vegan Smores and will commit to making those this fall and posting my opinion and photos of the final products. Enjoy!