Meatless Mondays: Light Soba Noodles

Soba noodles have been a real favorite around here recently.  When I’m not in the mood for a dish as substantial as soba noodles with peanut sauce and shrimp, I like something lighter.  This fresh-flavored dish uses veggies to bulk up the whole-grain soba noodles, so you get a satisfying serving size while keeping your caloric intake reasonable.

This dish takes less than 20 minutes to put together (maybe 15, depending on how fast your water boils!).  It's vegan.  If you would like, you can pan-fry or broil some tofu for extra protein. Or, if it's not a meatless Monday in your house, shrimp might be really nice too.

Light Soba Noodles with Veggies

You can customize the veggies in this dish however you like – snow peas would be delicious here.  

Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 oz soba noodles

1 bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 green onion, sliced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. (If your directions are in Japanese, and you don't read Japanese, it probably says to boil them for 6 minutes.)

2. While noodles cook, heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray, and add peppers and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are cooked and peppers are tender-crisp.

3. Combine lemon zest, juice, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

4. When the soba noodles are finished cooking, drain and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the cooked vegetables, green onion and cilantro, and dressing. Toss to combine. Portion into two bowls, and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds. 

I didn't have any leftovers to test my theory on, but I think this would be delicious as cold leftovers too.  If you try it, let me know!  

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Meatless Mondays: Moroccan Mint Tofu

I know some of you are thinking "great, tofu." It's one of those foods that a lot of folks love to hate - even some who haven't ever tasted it.  If you haven't tried tofu, I'd encourage you to give it a go. I've discussed tofu before, but the basic argument is that it makes a great platform for whatever flavors you like. Here, it gets a moroccan inspired spice rub, and then is simply broiled. Because it's pressed, the texture is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. This is a fast, easy, tasty way to get plenty of vegetarian protein.

If tofu isn't your thing, I'll be writing more about gardening later this week - we're starting to move more things outdoors, and I'm really excited! I've got one tomato seedling and one pepper seedling doing pretty well indoors, and they'll stay inside for another week or two until it gets a bit warmer. I still haven't got any of my eggplant seeds to start - I might try planting a few more seeds (in our seed starters) to get one going.

Those pesky robins continue to plague our deck. I haven't managed to completely dissuade them from building a nest on our lamp...they're apparently not very bright. I'm trying to keep an eye on things and make sure none of the neighborhood birds are after our seeds or seedlings - there are a lot of birds around right now!

 This recipe is vegan, and high in protein! If you're in a rush, you could press the tofu for as little as 15 minutes, and have this dish fully prepared in about 30 minutes. If you have time, pressing for the 30 minutes I suggest will give you a slightly better texture. We enjoyed this with some baked mushrooms (just spray them with a bit of cooking spray, and bake or broil until they look delicious).

Moroccan Mint Tofu
The rub I use in this recipe was inspired by 101 Cookbooks. Feel free to add some cayenne to the mix if you want your tofu spicy.
Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 block firm or extra firm tofu, sliced into 8 pieces and pressed*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
*To press tofu, lay the slices in a single layer on a folded clean kitchen towel and cover with another folded towel. Place a baking sheet on top of the towels, and place some heavy objects (cookbooks work well) on top of the baking sheet. Press for 30 minutes or so.
1. Preheat the broiler (high). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.
2. Optionally, combine all spices and salt in a mortar and pestle. Grind until you have a fine, uniform powder.
3. Stir together oil and spices in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Cut pressed tofu slices in half and gently toss with oil and spice mixture. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Broil for 4-5 minutes, flip, then broil the other side 4-5 minutes, until tofu begins to turn golden. Enjoy!

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Meatless Mondays: Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup

I haven't posted a soup in a few weeks, even though I eat soup often.  Today, I wanted to share this delicious soup with you. It took me some time to figure out how to describe it. It is a very flavorful soup, with hints of ginger, citrus, mushroom, and coconut, but it is not assertive. There's no "kick in the mouth" about this soup - it's gently delicious.  Of course, you can make it quite spicy if you like, but I kept mine mild.

This soup starts with a simple lemongrass stock. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen. The soup is quite simple, and takes less than 10 minutes to put together (once the stock is made). It would take less than an hour to make both the stock and the soup. If you want to make this on a weeknight, but are usually pressed for time, make the stock on the weekend and you'll have a very quick dinner later in the week.

This soup photographed really well, I think. But here's a secret: in person, it's a lot more...neon. Blame the turmeric combined with the slightly green stock, but it's an almost hilariously day-glow bright soup. Somehow, that just didn't translate to the photos (not that I mind!).

The soup and stock are both vegan.

Lemongrass Stock
Yield: about 1 quart of stock

INGREDIENTS
3 fresh lemongrass stalks,  roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt
6 cups water

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients in a stock pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes.
2. Place a strainer over a large bowl, and strain out the vegetables. Use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze the stock for later use.

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe Lemongrass Stock (about 4 cups)
Juice of one lime
1 14.5 oz can coconut milk (light or regular)
pinch cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 block of tofu, about 6 oz, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs - cilantro, thai basil, or parsley work well
1 tsp salt, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine stock, lime juice, and coconut milk in a pot over high heat. Stir in cayenne, turmeric, and coriander. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and add tofu and mushrooms.
2. Simmer 5 minutes or so, then stir in fresh herbs and salt. Taste and adjust salt and heat to your preference.

We enjoyed this soup with some quick naan for dipping. This simple soup is one we'll be making again - I've been contemplating a chicken version too.

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Meatless Mondays: Cucumber and Peanut Salad

For Meatless Mondays, I usually try to feature a main-course type dish that's either vegetarian or vegan. Today, I'm going to break with that convention a bit, because I want to share this salad with you. It's more of a side than a main course, but would work well paired with a soup.  It's quick and simple to prepare, and the flavors meld beautifully: sweet cucumbers with licorice-y fennel and crunchy roasted peanuts.

Salads like this are essential spring and summer dishes for me. Simple vegetables, served cold, are the perfect complement to sweltering evenings. It always amazes me how a few unassuming ingredients can combine into something so delicious. 

The recipe uses salt to draw out some of the water of the cucumbers. Don't worry, this salad isn't very salty - you will rinse the salt off of the cucumbers before combining them with the other ingredients.

You might notice that there are some pretty little herb plants sitting behind this salad. I saw them at the grocery this weekend and couldn't resist - at less than $3 each, these thyme and oregano plants were an easy addition to our gardening plans.

This recipe is vegan-possible: some vegans don't consume honey, but agave nectar or another sweetener can easily be substituted.

Cucumber and Peanut Salad
I call for persian cucumbers here, which are smaller and sweeter than regular cucumbers and seedless. Feel free to substitute regular cucumbers if you cannot find the persian variety; whether or not you remove the seeds is up to personal preference. 
Yield: 6 side-dish servings

INGREDIENTS
6 persian cucumbers (about 4 cups chopped)
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fennel seeds
2/3 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

DIRECTIONS
1. Slice the cucumbers into half-moon shapes, about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a colander and toss with the salt. Place the colander in the sink, and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. While the cucumbers sit, combine honey, lemon zest and juice, and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. To crush peanuts, place in a zip-top baggie and roll with a rolling pin a few times.
3. Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly, and drain well. Place in a mixing bowl. 
4. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and fennel seeds, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Pour this hot oil over the cucumbers, and toss to combine.
5. Add lemon dressing and toss again. Stir in the peanuts shortly before serving.

In other somewhat-related-to-gardening news, we're having trouble with a few birds trying to build a nest on our deck - on top of a light that is far too small, so their nests keep falling apart, covering our deck in mud and sticks. I'm not sure how to convince them to give it up, because it's clearly a poor choice of location, but I'm getting tired of cleaning up after them constantly! I think they're robins. Any ideas?

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Meatless Mondays: Pepper and Mushroom Pasta Salad

Last week, when I gave you my favorite method for roasting peppers, I promised this pasta salad. Although this week is going to be much more garden-focused than usual, I couldn't wait to share this recipe with you!

This is another recipe I like to make for lunches all week - it makes a lot of food, and is delicious hot or cold. It comes together quickly once the peppers are prepared - if you're crunched for time, use jarred peppers, or frozen roasted peppers (like I do - roast a bunch, then freeze them to have them on hand). Once the peppers are done, this barely takes more time than cooking the pasta - about 20 minutes.

This recipe is vegan, and thanks to the combination of pasta and beans, a source of complete protein. (It's also a fantastic source of flavor!)

Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Pasta Salad
Use any variety of mushrooms you like - a blend of wild mushrooms is fun, although I most often use regular white button mushrooms. I drain a can of chopped tomatoes for the tomato juice here - you need pure tomato juice, not a flavored/spiced version like V8.
Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
12 oz whole wheat pasta shapes (twists, shells, etc.)
10 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and sliced into strips
2/3 cup rasins
1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp tomato juice
1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper, or to taste
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Be sure to salt the water.
2. While pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray, and add mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms until they give off their juices, then transfer mushrooms and any of their liquids to a large mixing bowl.
3. In that same mixing bowl, add roasted peppers, rasins, and beans. Stir to combine.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, tomato juice, salt, and pepper.
5. When the pasta finishes cooking, drain well. Then add the pasta to the large mixing bowl, and pour on the dressing.  Stir to combine, then gently stir in basil and green onions. Enjoy hot, and refrigerate leftover in individual servings for quick lunches.

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Meatless Mondays: Roasted Eggplant and Tempeh

Roasted eggplant is one of those foods I never get tired of. I like oven-roasted veggies in general, like these potatoes, but eggplant probably tops the list. This recipe pairs a sweet and garlicy sauce with some simple roasted ingredients for a dinner that's big on flavor but not on fussy. 

Tempeh is a vegan protein source made from fermented grains, usually including soybeans. It has a nutty taste that mixes well with roasted veggies. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, and it's both organic and affordable - look for it near the tofu.

Unlike most of my other Meatless Mondays series posts, this one takes a bit longer, because the veggies have to roast. I'd allow an hour or so for preparing and cooking this dish.

This dish is vegan-possible, because the feta cheese I used on top is not vegan, but the rest of the dish is vegan.  Simply omit the cheese or use a vegan substitute.

Roasted Eggplant and Tempeh
I used butternut squash here, cubed and frozen when squash was in-season. You can substitute the squash of your choice, or sweet potatoes. Be sure to cut the vegetables and tempeh to similar sized chunks (about 1 inch cubes), so they cook evenly. Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 8-oz package tempeh, cubed
Zest of one orange
Juice of one orange
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Combine eggplant, butternut squash, and tempeh in a large mixing bowl. Combine orange zest and juice, salt, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and maple syrup in a smaller bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour about 2/3 of this sauce over the vegetable mixture, and toss to combine.
3. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, arrange the vegetable mixture in an even layer. Bake about 30 minutes, stir, and bake 15 to 30 minutes longer, until it begins to turn golden brown.
4. Place the roasted mixture into a large serving dish, drizzle with the remaining sauce, and top with the cilantro and feta cheese. Serve family-style. Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Weeknight Calzones

 You don't have to order delivery or settle for frozen to have great food on a weeknight. With a small amount of forethought and a bit of preparation, you can make weeknight dinners that are as good as delivery, arrive on the table quicker, and are better for your health.

These calzones require a bit of advanced planning, because they use frozen pizza dough. I suggest preparing a few batches of our favorite pizza dough, freezing them in individual rounds (each recipe yields two dough rounds, or two pizzas), so you can thaw them for weeknight use. With the dough already prepared, these take about 30 minutes to get on the table. 

Calzones are great because they are so easily and endlessly customizable. Each one can have totally different fillings, making it a great choice for people with different preferences. They're also a great way to use up leftovers, when you have a quarter of a bell pepper, a handful of mushrooms, two bites of spinach, and no idea what to do with it. Here I propose a veggie version of the hearty handpie, but meats are certainly a common filling option as well. Feel free to experiment!

I used parsley from our windowsill garden in these. It tastes much stronger than the parsley from the store (which usually tastes like almost nothing...), so a little went a long way. 

As I have made them, these are vegetarian (cheese being decidedly un-vegan). There is a moderate amount of cheese in the filling; if you like very cheesy things, add some extra mozzarella on top of the veggies before sealing up the calzone.

Weeknight Calzones
These are easy to customize, and each individual calzone can have different fillings. Use any vegetables or meats you like. 
Yield: 4 individual sized calzones

INGREDIENTS
1/2 recipe whole wheat pizza dough (or one pizza's worth of dough of your choice)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded asiago or parmesan cheese
a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc.)
Veggies of choice for filling, or:
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced spinach leaves
Pizza sauce, to serve

DIRECTIONS
1. Thaw the pizza dough if frozen. (You can do this in the microwave, at 50% power, in 30 second increments until the dough is about room temperature.)
2. Place a pizza stone on a rack at the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, asiago or parmesan cheeses and fresh herbs in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. Divide dough into 4 portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough into a roughly circular shape. (If your dough is sticking too much, lightly flour your work surface. I usually don't find this necessary.)
5. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto one half of the dough round (leaving a border, as pictured), and add desired toppings (but make sure you don't add so many you can't close the calzone!). Fold the un-topped half of the dough over the toppings and pinch the edges together tightly.
6. Poke some holes in the top of the calzone with a fork (so steam can escape).
7. Place the calzones on the pizza stone (or use a baking sheet) and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. 
8. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve with pizza sauce.

Don't forget to check out the Meatless Mondays page for more great vegetarian and vegan meal ideas!

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Meatless Mondays: Simple Carrot Soup

Today's post isn't my own recipe, but it is one that I make over and over, and I wanted to share it with you. Although I try to give you plenty of original content, sometimes a recipe is great just how it is, so I link to it instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. This simple carrot soup is one of those great recipes. And it takes about 30 minutes to make, so it works even on a weeknight.

This is a recipe I turn to every time I have more carrots than I know what to do with. We can buy a pound of organic carrots for less than a dollar, so we usually buy at least one pound a week. They don’t spoil fast, and so sometimes we build up a bit of a backlog of carrots. Not that I mind, not at all! The carrots just find their way into soup. (OK, maybe I help them into the stockpot. Still.)

The best thing about this soup recipe is that the leftovers are endlessly customizable. A few things we like to stir in (in various combinations):

Toasted sesame oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Cumin
Curry powder
Ground ginger
Fresh ginger
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Sesame seeds

 A few notes on the recipe: First, you don't need to peel the carrots, just trim off the tops. I've made the soup with peeled carrots and unpeeled carrots, and I don't notice any difference, so save yourself the work. Second, I cook the onion until it starts to smell a bit sweet, then add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. I don't toss garlic in with onions to cook, because the garlic usually starts to burn by the time the onion is done, so I cook the onions, then add the garlic. Finally, I always make this with water, not veggie stock, because I don't want the stock to interfere with the flavor. I add between 1 and 2 tsp of salt to the final soup, and it usually takes several tastings to get the salt level just right.

We eat this as a side-dish more often than as a main meal. Because it is mostly vegetables, with a bit of oil, it's usually not substantial enough on its own (although it is filling). Pair it with some kind of protein, and perhaps some bread for dunking to create a complete meal.

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Meatless Mondays: Quinoa Salad

 

We had a great weekend, including our first 5k trail race (which was MUCH more difficult than I imagined!), and my first feature on foodgawker!  If you're here because of that post, welcome! Settle in, and have  a look around.

When preparing for the week, I find it helpful to cook a few large-batch recipes on Sunday afternoon. That leaves me with most of my lunches and dinners already prepared for the week. This quinoa salad is one of my favorites. It is simple to prepare, provides two vegan sources of complete protein (quinoa and edamame), and the leftovers are very tasty. It can also be doubled, tripled, or whatever you like very easily.

If you haven't tried quinoa before, I encourage you to do so! It boasts a pretty solid nutritional profile,  and is a fun change-up from brown rice. For carb-based salads, I prefer whole grain salads to pasta salads (like wheat berry or quinoa salads) because I find they keep me much fuller and provide steadier energy. This salad is a great place to start.

This recipe is vegan (although, be sure to check your mustard ingredients, and note that some vegans do not consume honey). I used some leftover roasted bell peppers instead of fresh bell peppers, but I recommend fresh if you have them.

Quinoa Salad
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
For Salad: 
1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup raisins
1 oz pumpkin seeds

For Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp honey dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. (I combine 1 cup quinoa with two cups of water in my rice cooker.)
2. While the quinoa cooks, combine remaining ingredients for salad in a large bowl. Stir to combine, and set aside. Combine ingredients for dressing in a smaller bowl, whisk together, and add to the salad bowl. Stir to combine.
3. When the quinoa is finished cooking, add it to the salad ingredients, and stir to combine. This salad can be served hot or cold. For easy lunches, portion leftovers into individual containers in the fridge - then just grab one to take for lunch.

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Meatless Mondays: Tofu Falafel

Today's recipe is a take on a middle eastern classic: falafel. Traditionally made with a garbanzo bean/chickpea base and deep fried, this version uses tofu as the base for extra protein, and the falafel balls are baked, rather than fried. The result is a lighter variation on the classic that is simple to make at home. Also, this Meatless Monday recipe is vegan!

You'll notice the ingredient list is kind of long. I thought about trying to simplify it - about what, if anything, could be omitted. But all of the ingredients contribute to a complex and layered flavor, and I don't think they dish would be as satisfying if I simplified things.

I call for tahini, which I discussed in my hummus post. If you don't have tahini, and don't want to buy it just for this recipe, I think peanut butter would be a fun twist. But tahini is more classic, and really delicious, so it's worth giving a try.

Finally, a word on tofu. Tofu is a staple in many vegetarian dishes and diets, because it is a source of complete protein derived from plants. It doesn't have much flavor of its own, but readily absorbs flavors from whatever marinade, sauce, or other ingredients it is combined with. I call for extra-firm tofu here. If you cannot find extra-firm, I would suggest using firm tofu, but pressing it before use. To press, place the block of tofu on a plate (I usually put a few paper towels under it), place another plate (turned upside down) on top, and place a somewhat-heavy object on top of the plate - the sides of the block should bulge somewhat, but not split. Leave the tofu like this for 30 minutes, then drain the water from the plate and proceed with the recipe. Pressing tofu removes some water, so it better absorbs flavors and has a better texture.

Many people hesitate to try tofu, but I promise it is good - the whole secret is that you must give it flavor, since it has so little of its own. All of the spices, herbs, and oils in this dish do just that. 

To serve these, you can serve them with a few sauces, as I did, or on top of a salad, or stuffed into a pita as a sandwich. I put them over hummus, with greek yogurt mixed with some extra chopped herbs on top. (Note that the yogurt is not vegan.) If serving them on a salad, a tahini-based dressing would be a great topping.

(The parsley in this recipe, and that photo, is from our windowsill garden!)

Tofu Falafel
This recipe was inspired by the Moosewood cookbook. It should take 30-40 minutes to prepare, start to finish.
Yield: 20 falafel balls, serves 3-5 (depending on your appetite!)

INGREDIENTS
1 block (16 oz) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed dry with paper towels
1/3 cup finely diced onion (about 1/4 a medium onion)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
hearty pinch of black pepper, or to taste
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp tahini
juice of 1/2 lime
tiny pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mash the tofu with your fingers. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
2. Line a baking sheet with a silpat liner, parchment paper, or spray it with cooking spray. Scoop heaping tablespoons of mixture into your hand, roll into a ball, and place on the baking sheet. (I used a 1 1/2 tbsp scoop for this, so the falafel would be uniform).
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the falafel are golden on the outside. Serve as desired - with sauces, on a salad, or in a pita sandwich.

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Meatless Mondays: Buttery Black Lentils

Today's recipe uses the flavors of Indian cuisine to liven up lentils. It is not, however, a curry; it relies on ginger, garlic, butter, a bit of chili powder, and some garam masala for flavor, and is overall mildly spiced. The meal is ready to serve in about 30 minutes. It serves 4; we eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Garam masala is a spice blend used in some Indian cuisine. Like curry powder, there are many different versions. For this recipe, I prefer a sweeter, more delicate version, like one that uses a lot of coriander. You can certainly blend your own garam masala (try googling for recipes).

I used black beluga lentils here, which cook faster than most other varieties of lentils. They are also fairly high in protein. If you can't find beluga lentils, you could use French/De Puy lentils, or  regular green or brown lentils, but the cooking time for the lentils will be 10-15 minutes longer.

Lentils don't require pre-soaking, so they are a good idea for a weeknight meal. To prepare them, you want to sort through the lentils, looking for any small rocks (which will be about the size and shape of the lentils), and remove the rocks. Then, place the lentils in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. When cooking the lentils, you don't want to add any salt, or anything acidic, until the beans are done cooking, to avoid making them tough.

I'm deeming this recipe vegetarian, but vegan-possible: to make it vegan, substitute either your favorite butter substitute (like Earth Balance) or extra virgin olive oil for the butter. That's it!

Buttery Black Lentils
While the lentils cook, cook some brown rice or quinoa to serve the lentils over.  Grate the ginger and garlic on a microplane grater to create a fine paste.
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup black beluga lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger, divided
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2-1 tsp pure chili powder - either hot, like cayenne, or mild, like ancho - to taste
1-6 oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup light coconut milk, plus a bit more to serve
1 tsp garam masala
Chopped cilantro, to serve
Cooked rice or quinoa, to serve

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring the water to a boil in a pan. Add the lentils, half of the ginger, and the garlic, and simmer, covered, over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but still firm.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, and add the onion and remaining ginger. Sautee until the onion begins to take on some color, 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. When the lentils are done cooking, stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and salt. Heat to a simmer, then stir in the butter mixture, garam masala, and coconut milk.Taste, and adjust salt and chili powder to your liking.
4. Serve over hot rice or quinoa, drizzled with a little more coconut milk, and topped with chopped cilantro.

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Pumpkin Gnocchi

Today marks the first post in my Meatless Mondays series - vegetarian meals that you can prepare on a weeknight. Gnocchi probably aren't the first thing that come to mind when you think of simple, weeknight meals - more likely, they conjure images of an Italian grandmother slaving all day in the kitchen. But really, they can be quite simple to make, especially if you think a bit outside the traditional.

These gnocchi are made with canned pumpkin, so there is no cooking, mashing, or cooling prior to starting to make the dough. You could make them with basically any mashed root vegetable or squash, as long as you let the mashed veggie cool before you start the dough (otherwise, it will cook the egg).  I'd like to try a sweet potato and parsnip version sometime soon.

Once you have the gnocchi made, you can serve them several ways. Pictured is how we ate them, with a sage cream sauce (recipe below). You could also just toss them with a bit of melted butter and parmesan. Or brown them in a pan with a bit of olive oil.

You can always only make a half batch of gnocchi, if you only need to serve 2 and don't want leftovers. I plan to brown the leftovers with some kale for lunch.  But this recipe makes 4 servings, because that uses up the whole can of pumpkin, which I find convenient.

Pumpkin Gnocchi
For a more traditional shape, you can roll each gnocchi over the tines of a fork before boiling if you like. 
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 14.5 oz can pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2-2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Set a large pot of water on to boil. Salt the water.
2. Combine pumpkin, egg, and 1 cup of flour in a bowl. Stir until combined. Stir in the second cup of flour. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour if needed. The dough should be soft, but not overly tacky.
3. Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, flour a work surface, and roll the dough out into a snake shape. You can decide how thick or what size you would like the gnocchi to be. Using a sharp knife, cut the gnocchi to your desired size. (I rolled out the dough to about 1 inch diameter, then cut every 1/2 inch or so. I didn't roll them over a fork, like I mention above, because that is time consuming.)
4. Place the cut gnocchi into the boiling water using a slotted spoon, and cook until they float, about 2-3 minutes. While you boil the first 1/4, roll and cut the next portion. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon.

To brown the gnocchi, heat some oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat, and transfer the cooked gnocchi directly to the skillet. Or remove them to the sauce below.

Sage Cream Sauce
Made without any actual cream, this sauce works beautifully on pumpkin gnocchi. 
Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp dried rubbed sage

1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup white wine (or vegetable broth)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk except skim)

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sage and shallot, and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in wine or broth and milk, and bring to a boil.
2. Add cooked gnocchi to the sauce, and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

We ate this over crispy kale. To make crispy kale, combine 2-3 cup chopped or torn kale leaves in a skillet with about 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Cook about 5 minutes, until crispy. (Source)

This meal should come together in around 30 minutes - not bad at all for a weeknight!


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Meatless Mondays Series: Introduction

For the next few weeks, I plan on doing a "Meatless Mondays" series of posts. This series will feature recipes that are vegetarian, and sometimes vegan or vegan-possible (a few simple swaps makes it vegan).  Although I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, many people are.  Others simply want to reduce their meat consumption or branch out and try new things. There are as many reasons to go meatless as there are people who do so - environmental, ethical, health, preference - you get the idea!

The recipes in these posts will be simple enough to make on a weeknight, since this is meatless Mondays, not meatless rainy Saturday afternoons. I'll try to stick to ingredients that are pretty widely available, or suggest a substitute ingredient. The ingredients will be real, whole foods, and the end results will be delicious. Finally, these recipes should pack in the nutrition - although I'm not a nutritionist/dietitian/etc., I'm pretty sure eating your veggies is good for you!

If you're looking for some recipes to get you started, I've posted a few options already. Check these out: (both are vegan)
Curried Peanut Soup
Simple Avocado Soup

And one more promise: they won't all be soups! I find it's easiest to toss some veggies in a pot with beans and call that a vegetarian dinner, but I want these recipes to be exciting. Maybe even a bit adventurous. To expand your palate and culinary horizons, without expanding your waistline or breaking the bank.

The first recipe in the series will be coming up on Monday! 

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