Spring Garden!

It's finally that time of year again! We made our trip to home depot and the garden center yesterday and bought all the herbs we could ever need or want!

Of course, Tyson is helping me again =)

 

Another pretty flower pot like we planted last year.

 

Lamb's ear, marigolds with snap pea plants, rosemary, catnip, strawberries, and curly parsley.

 

 Sage and cilantro.

 

German thyme, English thyme, and aloe.

 

 The hen and chicks I planted last year, going strong, with the wildflowers that came back again.

 

 

Peppermint. They got their own big pot this year since it grew like weeds last year.

 

The oregano that came back in the big long pot on the left. In the first pot is some chili and jalapeño peppers, and basil behind that.

 

 The aloe from last year that has gotten huge!

 

Our cute little seed pots we got from Target =)

Rustic Pasta

I really like this pasta dish. It doesn't call for very much pasta because the cabbage takes the place of a lot of the noodles. It's different from your normal spaghetti dish, but very good. This is from The Kind Diet.

Rustic Pasta

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/4 lb pasta, long or short shape, as you prefer

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, diced or thinly sliced on a diagonal

1/4 cup shoyu

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

5-6 Tbsp marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and add the pasta; cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.

 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.

 

3. Add the celery to the skillet and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder, then add the cabbage; sauté for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer. 

 

4. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two and serve.

Note: The first time we made this recipe it was extremely salty, so this time we cut the shoyu in half and only used 1/8 cup. We used regular shoyu, so it might not be as salty if you use low-sodium.

Potato and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe is by far one of the best we have made yet. It was so simple and so delicious. We had it with a giant artichoke on the side which made a perfect meal. This recipe is from the 1000 Vegan Recipe book.

 

Potato and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 Tbsp vegan margarine

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 1 1/2 cups canned or cooked frozen artichoke hearts

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

4 large portobello mushroom caps, lightly rinsed and patted dry

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

 

Directions:

1. Steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the steamed potatoes to a large bowl. Add the margarine, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well. Finely chop the cooked or canned artichoke hearts and add them to the potatoes. Stir to combine and set aside. 

 2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, uncovered, 1 minute longer. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir the onion mixture into the potato mixture and mix until well blended. 

3.  Use the edge of a teaspoon to scrape out and discard the brown gills from the undersides of the mushroom caps. Carefully spoon the stuffing mixture into the mushroom caps, packing them tightly and smoothing the tops. 

 

4. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the prepared baking pan and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly with foil, and bake until the mushrooms have softened and the stuffing is hot, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately. 

 

Note: We used canned artichoke hearts, fresh thyme and regular paprika. Spectacular! =)

Cornbread

We made these into muffins instead of regular cornbread. They were insanely delicious, and went so well with the sweet potato lentil stew!!

Cornbread

serves 12

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum or maple syrup

1 1/4 cups soy milk (or soy/rice blnd)

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a 9"x9" (or similar size) baking dish or 12-cup muffin tin. Combine the sorghum, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix just until well combined. 

 

2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread or a muffin comes out clean. They will be golden brown when done.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

Wow. Amazing. This is definitely one of the best lentil dishes we have made yet. Extremely flavorful and very filling. It can be served alone as a stew, over rice or couscous, or with the delicious corn muffins we made to go with it. The sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes was complimented perfectly by the corn muffins. Both recipes are out of Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet.

 

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne

fine sea salt

2-3 medium swet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes

7 cups vegetable broth

1 cup brown lentils

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings; try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors. 

 

2. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft. 

 

Note: We used grape tomatoes that we already had in the fridge instead of regular sized tomatoes. We also used green lentils and left out the coriander, since it's not my favorite spice, and added fresh parsley for a substitute.We didn't skin the potatoes either.

Vegan Cardamon Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing these cookies are. The flavor of cardamon and cinnamon along with the coconut oil are sinfully delicious! This recipe is from karmachow.com, Tony Horton's chef's website.

 

Vegan Cardamon Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt or oat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

2.  Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add wet mixture to dry and stir together with a wooden spoon until combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

3. Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

 

Note: I used oat flour insead of spelt. I haven't used spelt before, but I really like the nutty flavor that oat flour has. I used coconut milk instead of soy milk and actually didn't have enough agave to fill the 2/3 cup measure, so I substituted maple syrup for the rest, and they came out wonderful!! =)

 

 

Ratatouille

This is a classic vegetable stew type dish that is sometimes used as a side dish, but there are beans added to this recipe to make it more of a main course. We ate ours over some brown rice penne! It's a very colorful dish with a nice refreshing taste! =)  Another one from 1000 Vegan Recipes.

 

Ratatouille

Makes 4 to 6 servings

 

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought, or water

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

  

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans. Add the salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, stirring, for 5 minutes.

 

2. Add the broth, marjoram, and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.