Creamy Vegan White Chili

Servings: 6 bowls
Recipe from Make It Dairy Free
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a pretty tasty chili with the bonus of having roasted cauliflower (a cruciferous veggie) as one of its stars.  Top it with some salsa and/or guacamole or just a mix of fresh tomatoes and avocado.

  
For the cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

For the chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeno, diced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
30 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
8 oz diced green chiles 
15 oz corn kernels
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 scallions chopped, for serving

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425˚F and grease a baking tray. In a large bowl, add cauliflower, drizzle with olive oil and stir. Then sprinkle evenly salt and pepper. Add to your prepared baking sheet in an even layer with the cut side facing down. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a fork pierces through easily. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and sauté 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and jalapeño and sauté 30 seconds longer. Add in cumin, oregano, salt, chili powder, black pepper and cayenne. Stir until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add veggie stock and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer. Meanwhile, to a blender, add 1 cup of beans, ¼ cup broth from soup, 1 cup coconut milk, and both cans of green chilis. puree until nearly smooth**. Add pureed mixture, along with corn and remaining beans and stir well. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir in cilantro, cooked cauliflower, and fresh lime juice. Let cook for 2-3 minutes or until everything is the same temperature. Serve with more cilantro, scallions, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.

Notes
Why does it matter the cut side is down on the cauliflower? This will increase the level of caramelization, which adds flavors to the overall dish.
For reduced spice: Leave out the fresh jalapeño and either use 2 cans of mild diced green chilis or for a really reduced spice, only use 1 can

Peanut Miso Cucumber Crunch Sandwich

Recipe from Plant Based RD
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 sandwiches

I’m not a huge fan of sandwiches, but this one is quite delish.  I love that you can make the components in advance and then, come lunch time, place them on your favorite whole grain bread and enjoy. Easy peasy, tasty, tasty.

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced 
Pinch of kosher salt 
¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced 
1 scallion, thinly sliced 
3 Tablespoon finely chopped peanuts 
Zest and juice of 1 lime 
1 heaping Tablespoon natural unsalted peanut butter 
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sriracha 
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

1 (15 oz can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
2 teaspoons white miso paste 
2 scallions, thinly sliced ,
1 clove garlic, grated 
2 Tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
Pinch of salt 
1 Tablespoon sriracha 
2 teaspoon maple syrup 
2 teaspoon rice wine or brown rice vinegar 

Slices of whole grain sourdough bread or whole wheat bread or whole wheat lavash or whole wheat pita

Add the cucumbers to a medium bowl and top with a pinch of salt, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and lime zest. To a separate small bowl add the lime juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and maple syrup and whisk together until evenly mixed. Pour the mix overtop the bowl of cucumbers then toss everything to combine and place in the fridge.

To a separate medium bowl, add your chickpeas and miso then use a fork to mash them together. When mashing, mash as much of the chickpeas as you personally like.

Add the scallions, garlic, peanut butter, sriracha, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar then stir together well to combine into a uniform mixture. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to enjoy.

To assemble a sandwich, add a few spoons of the peanut miso chickpeas onto a slice of bread and spread it out evenly. Then layer the cucumbers on top. Cover with the other slice of bread then enjoy! (I would recommend adding some of your favorite greens to your sandwich as well.) Serve with some seasonal fruit or berries for a wholesome lunch.

Nutrition: (1 of 4 servings) 360 calories; 14g fat; 3g saturated fat; 0g trans-fat; 0mg cholesterol; 700mg sodium (This could be reduced by using tamari in place of soy sauce); 50g carbohydrates; 10g fiber; 3g sugars; 12g protein 

Curry Dressing (Vegan, Gluten Free & No Oil)

Here I've made a triple batch of this scrumptious dressing.

Here's a simple veggie salad topped with Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
and drizzled with Curry Dressing,
served along with Pear Cranberry Chutney and sliced oranges.

Recipe from Monkey and Me Kitchen

Yield: 2/3 cup dressing

This is my husband's absolute favorite dressing.  And, no wonder!  It's slightly sweet, slightly tangy and full of flavor.  Of course, it goes well on any salad, but it's also delicious over roasted veggies and tofu too.  Those of you who eat poultry and pork, it would be a perfect sauce to drizzle over.  I make this often and when I do, I double or triple the recipe so that I can easily add a bit of WOW to our meals.

3 Tablespoons tahini
2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons tamari
1 teaspoon miso
1 teaspoon curry powder
1-2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  For best flavor after refrigeration, remove from the fridge and allow to sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature before serving.

Nutritional Info:  (2 Tablespoons serving) 67 calories; 4.4 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 5.5 g carbohydrates; 0.9 g fiber; 2 g protein

Thai Kabocha Squash Curry (Vegan)

Here you see Thai Kabocha Squash Curry served with brown rice. 
Also pictured is a bowl of fresh plums with
Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt and Lemon Poppy Seed Granola. 

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life (Nisha Vora)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6

Kabocha squashes are turning up at the grocery stores and I couldn’t help myself, even though it’s still summery outdoors.  But what a treat this was!  Good enough for company, as I like to say.  This was full of flavor and definitely comforting, so perfect for autumn/winter time.  And, it freezes well.  Rainbow Plant Life comes through again.  All of the recipes I’ve tried from Nisha’s YouTube channel/blog have been excellent.

Ingredients

1 medium kabocha squash

½ -1 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1-1½ Tablespoons coconut oil* (or oil of choice)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

Kosher salt or sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced

1-2 Thai bird’s eye chili peppers, thinly sliced* (optional)

¼ cup red curry paste (use less to make it less spicy) (I used 1/8 cup.)

1 (13.5 ounce) can “lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk (I used full fat coconut milk because that’s what I had on hand.)

1 Tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, or coconut sugar

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium tamari** (gluten-free soy sauce)

1 Tablespoon white or yellow miso paste*** (optional but recommended)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained) or about 3 cups cooked chickpeas

1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

For serving: white or brown rice or grains of choice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Use a large, sharp knife to slice the kabocha squash in half. Once sliced in half, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lightly brush each squash half with a bit of oil (coconut oil or avocado oil) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the squash halves, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Roast for 40-45 minutes until the flesh is very tender. If your squash is large, bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin, and discard the skin. Place the kabocha squash flesh in a blender and add ½ cup water (or vegetable broth) and puree until very smooth. You should end up with approximately 3 cups of liquid. (I added 1 cup of veggie broth to make it less thick.)

While the kabocha squash is roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers, and measure out the spices and other ingredients.

Heat a Dutch oven or a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 min, or until they are very tender and lightly browned.

Add the garlic, ginger, chile peppers (if using) and the red curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables in the aromatics. If you aren’t using a nonstick skillet, you may need to add a tablespoon of water to prevent the mixture from drying out and burning.

Pour the pureed kabocha squash sauce into the pan, then add the lite coconut milk, tamari, miso paste (if using), maple syrup, and turmeric, and black pepper to taste. Stir or whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Add the canned chickpeas and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the curry has become thick and creamy, and the veggies are fully softened.

When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve with white rice or grains of choice.

Notes

*If you are sensitive to spicy food, omit the chile peppers. Alternatively, you can use a less spicy pepper, such as a jalapeño pepper.

**Tamari is gluten-free but soy sauce is not, so if you use soy sauce, just keep in mind that the recipe won’t be gluten-free.

***The miso paste adds a deep, complex umami flavor. If you don’t have any, you’ll want to add a bit of salt at this stage.

****331 Calories per serving

Curried Broccoli Chickpea Salad (Vegan)

Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 generous servings

What a treat this was!  This salad was absolutely delicious and good enough for company.  It's easy to make and tastes great after it has a while for the flavors to meld, and that means it's perfect for food prep day.  As you can see in the photo, I served the salad over some greens.  I actually forgot to put in the chickpeas, so I served it along side some Trader Joe's Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce.  In my defense, we had spent the afternoon working on taxes and so my brain was a bit frazzled.  Ha!

For the salad:

1 head of broccoli, very finely chopped*

1 cup shredded carrots (about 3 small carrots or 2 large)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup toasted* sliced almonds (can also use chopped roasted almonds)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 bunch green onions, chopped OR 1/2 red/purple onion, minced

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 large lemon, juiced

3-5 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing (I used 4 Tablespoons.)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

½ Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, add finely chopped broccoli, chickpeas, carrot, cranberries, green onion, and cilantro. Set aside.

Make the dressing by whisking together the following ingredients in a small bowl: tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, maple syrup, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper. Immediately drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle almonds on top and toss a few more times.

Serve immediately with fresh squeeze of lemon or place in the fridge for later. Salad will keep well up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes:

*I blanched the broccoli putting it in boiling salted water for 2 minutes and then plunging it in ice water.  I drained the broccoli and patted it dry (so the dressing would stick) and then proceeded with the recipe.  I find blanching broccoli takes any bitterness away.  It also brightens the green which is quite appealing to me.

*If you are making this for a party with several other dishes, it will most likely serve 6 rather than 4 people.

*To toast almonds: Add sliced almonds to a pan and place over medium heat. Use a spatula to stir the almonds; stirring every 30 seconds or so until they are nice and golden brown, about 5 minutes total time. If pan begins to smoke, make sure to reduce the heat to prevent burning.

Nutrition Information: (1 of 4 servings)

Calories 434; Calories from Fat 159; Fat 17.7g; ; Carbohydrates 56.4g; Fiber 14.9g; Sugar 15.6g; Protein 15.8g

Cilantro-Lime Cashew Cream (Vegan)

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 2 cups

I love this sauce!  And, there are at least four more sauces using soaked cashews on the website where I got the recipe. Serve this as a dip for quesadillas, or spoon into burritos, dollop on top of tacos or on top of a Buddha bowl.  Use as a spread for wraps or as a spread for sandwiches in lieu of mayonnaise.  As you can see, I drizzled it over this salad plate.

1 cup raw cashews, soaked* in cool water for 8 hours

½ cup water (or more)

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

¾ - 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers**

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.  Add the cashews and the remaining ingredients to a high speed blender.  Blend for 2 minutes.  (If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a food processor and process for 4 minutes.)

Taste the sauce and adjust*** any seasonings to your liking. 

Store in the fridge in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid for up to 1 week.

*Soaking the cashews will make them soft and easy to turn into a smooth sauce.  If you are in a hurry, you can cover the cashews with boiling water and allow them to soak for 1 hour.

**If you like things hot and spicy, leave the seeds and membranes in the peppers when you add them to the blender.  If you prefer a milder sauce, use only one pepper and remove the seeds and membranes.

***To make it spicier, add another jalapeno.  To make it saltier, add more salt. For a more cheesy/umami flavor, use more nutritional yeast.  To add more acidity, add more lime juice.

Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing/Sauce/Dip/Spread

Recipe from Paleo Gluten Free Eats

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This spread, dip, dressing, sauce is so good and so handy to have in the fridge to brighten up any dish.  We just polished off the last batch and I’ll definitely be making another batch pronto.  We especially enjoyed it as a spread on a wrap made with whole-grain flatbread with roasted asparagus, scrambled eggs, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber and hot sauce.  I served the wraps with roasted potatoes for an absolutely fabulous brunch fit for a king.

1 large avocado, pitted and peeled

1 handful fresh cilantro (about ½ cup) (You could substitute fresh basil for the cilantro, if you wish.)

¼ cup olive oil

2-4 Tablespoons water

Freshly squeezed lime juice from one lime

1 large clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon sea salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add more water to thin, if desired.

Curried Tofu/Tempeh Banh Mi

Recipe from Vegan Richa

Husband-Tested (and adapted) in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 3

While on vacation in Barcelona, my husband and I found a newly opened deli called Ferment9.  It was a beautiful, locally-owned shop full of fermented foods.  We visited the shop more than once and each time I ordered their Banh Mi with Tempeh.  It was just the best sandwich ever.  Now, this recipe, while not exactly like Ferment9 sandwich, comes pretty close.  The original recipe from Vegan Richa (one of my favorite websites/YouTube channels) calls for tofu, but I had tempeh in the fridge, so I used that.  By the way, as much as I love bread, next time I make this, I’ll use a bread that’s not so thick because it can overwhelm the flavors of the sandwich.

Pickled Veggies

½ cup brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup hot water

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2/3 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrot

½ cup sliced cucumber

½ cup shredded or thinly sliced daikon radish or regular radishes, shredded

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced* (You can omit this OR use jarred pickled jalapeño in the sandwich when you assemble it.)

Sauce

¾ cup full fat coconut milk

½ teaspoon flour (whole-wheat or rice flour)

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Tofu/Tempeh

Oil, for searing

14 oz. firm or extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 20 minutes) OR 1 package tempeh (steam for 10 minutes, then pat dry with clean towel)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

3 Tablespoon coconut cream (scoop from a can of full fat coconut milk)

2 teaspoons minced lemon grass (optional)

For Serving

Fresh cilantro or mint or both

Lettuce or crunchy baby greens

Sriracha or Sambel Oelek (optional)

Bread or baguettes (You could even use a lightly steamed collard leaf as a wrap for this sandwich instead of bread.)

Pickle the vegetables.  Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and maple syrup in a shallow container with a lid.  Mix well.  Add the veggies and press down to submerge them.  Close the lid and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Make the sauce.  In a medium saucepan, mix together the coconut milk, flour, sea salt, garlic powder and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer 2-3 minutes to thicken, then take off the heat.  Set aside while you sear the tofu/tempeh.

Sear the tofu/tempeh. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Place the tofu pieces or tempeh pieces in the skillet and allow the pieces to sear (brown) on one side and then flip the pieces over to sear the other side.  Meanwhile, measure out the curry powder, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic powder, coconut cream and lemon grass (if using) in a small bowl. When the tofu/tempeh is browned on both sides, add the curry powder mixture. Using a spatula, flip the tofu/tempeh over so that each piece is coated in the curry powder mixture.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Assemble the sandwich: Drain the pickled veggies.  Toast or grill the bread, if desired. Place some greens/lettuce on one slice of the bread.  Place the tofu/tempeh on top of the greens. Drizzle with the sauce.  Add some pickled veggies, then cilantro/mint and jalapeno, if using.  Add some sriracha or sambal oelek for additional heat (optional).  Serve.

Nutritional Information: (for 1 sandwich, includes tofu with whole grain mini baguette) 369 calories; 44 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 13 g fat (5 g sat. fat); 642 mg sodium; 221 mg potassium; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugars; 223 mg calcium; 3.2 mg iron; 4750IU vitamin A; 2.4 mg Vitamin C

Vegan Okonomiyaki Vegetable Pancake with Pickled Ginger Salad

Recipe from Good Eatings

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 2-4 people

This is a vegan version of the popular Japanese vegetable pancake called Okonomiyaki. Being a pancake, it is traditionally made with eggs.  But with chickpea flour, a little rice flour and some raising ingredients (baking powder/baking soda), this pancake words quite well.  Using chickpea flour adds protein to this dish.  Adding vegetables to the pancakes makes them even more nutritious and the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro boosts the flavor for sure. (If you don’t care for cilantro, you can omit it.) You can change up the vegetables if you wish, but the cabbage is a great base and so I would recommend leaving that in.  The Pickled Ginger Salad is scrumptious on its own, but creates a nice kick to the pancakes.  To save yourself time in the end, make the salad in advance.  You can also measure out the dry pancake ingredients and keep them in a glass jar in the fridge until you are ready to make the pancakes.

For the salad:

¾ of a large cucumber (seeded, if using a large cucumber) or 2-3 small ones, cut into small cubes

12 radishes, cut into small cubes

¼ cup pickled ginger, finely chopped

A big handful of cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 large lime, juice only

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

2-3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sea salt, to taste

For the pancakes:

1 cup cabbage, finely sliced

½ large carrot, julienned or shredded using the bigger holes of a grater

1-2 spring onions, cut into strips roughly 2 inches long or 1 thick slice red onion, diced

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1½ cups chickpea flour

½ cup rice flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ cup water

1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

Oil for pan frying the pancake, about 1 Tablespoon

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Serve with: vegan creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)

Prepare your salad by mixing all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and giving them a good toss to combine. Set aside while you make your pancake.  For the pancake, prepare the vegetables and then set them aside as you make the batter. Mix all the dry ingredients for the pancake in a large mixing bowl and then add the minced garlic and ginger to it. Then pour in the water and soy sauce as you whisk to combine it with the dry ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Fold in the vegetables as well as cilantro. Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil. Pour one quarter of the batter trying to distribute the vegetables even in terms of what ends up in the pan and what stays in the bowl. Then even the mixture out in the pan and cover with a lid. Lower your heat to medium and then let it fry under the lid for about 5 minutes. (Bubbles will appear on top of the batter.  At that point, carefully lift one side of the pancake to see if it’s browned.  If so, flip the pancake over.) Then fry on the second side for about 3 minutes or until slightly browned. Repeat with the rest of the pancake batter making 4 pancakes in total. You could keep the pancakes on low heat in the oven as you finish the rest of the pancakes. Serve with a dollop of vegan creme fraiche or sour cream onto each piece and/or the pickled ginger salad.