Creamy Tahini Harissa Artichoke Dressing

Recipe from Cooking For Peanuts 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes about 1½ cups

This is one dynamo of a salad dressing.  It’s full of smoky, tangy and slightly sweet flavor that will make your salads sing. I recommend doubling this recipe so you’ll have plenty for a week’s worth of salads, veggie dishes, sandwiches or grain bowls.

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
2 Tablespoons tahini
¼ cup jarred artichoke hearts, drained
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast or 1 Tablespoon yellow or white miso**
2 teaspoons harissa (I use mild) or harissa seasoning***
2 teaspoons maple syrup or date syrup or 1 pitted date, plus more to taste 
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons water to thin, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add water to make it the consistency you like.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 3 servings)
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | 
Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes: 
If you can’t find Harissa paste or Harissa seasoning, you can make your own: Harissa seasoning:  1 teaspoon smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon cumin + ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne + salt to taste. 
Reviewers suggested omitting the salt and using miso instead (in addition to the nutritional yeast.)

Vegan Baked Dumplings

Servings 4

Recipe from Monica Davis of The Hidden Veggies 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This recipe (and other versions of it) kept popping up on social media. The pictures made my mouth water, so I gave it a shot.  We thought it was terrific tasting. I thought it was tremendously easy to put together on a busy day. I served it with some brown jasmine rice and grapes on the side.  The recipe calls for red curry paste, which can be spicy and as you know, the husband can’t handle the heat, so I used a mild harissa paste.    

Sauce

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk

¼ cup hot water

2 Tablespoons red curry paste or harissa paste (I used mild harissa paste.)

3 Tablespoons Soyaki sauce*

3 cloves minced garlic

½ teaspoon sea salt

Vegetables

½ cup red pepper diced

½ cup mushrooms sliced

2 cups kale chopped small

Dumplings

1(16-oz) package vegetable dumplings (I used Trader Joe’s Frozen Thai Vegetable Gyoza.)

Optional Garnish

1 Tablespoon cilantro or parsley

1 Tablespoon green onions

1 Tablespoon crunchy chili onion oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

2. Pour a can of coconut milk into the bottom of a baking dish. Then, add 1/4 cup of hot water to the can and pour it into the dish to extract all the coconut milk from the can. 

3. Add the red curry paste or harissa paste, the Soyaki sauce*, minced garlic, and salt. Stir with a whisk until well combined.

4. Add approximately 2-3 cups of your preferred vegetable. (I used baby bok choy, mushrooms, and red peppers.)

5. Place the frozen vegetable dumplings on top of the sauce and veggies, then spoon a little sauce over the top of them or flip them over to make sure they get a little coating of the sauce.

6. Cover tightly with parchment and foil and bake at 400°F (204°C) for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

7. Garnish with crunchy chili onion oil, fresh cilantro or parsley, and/or fresh green onions. Serve hot in a bowl by themselves or over rice or over rice noodles.

Notes:

*If you don't have Soyaki sauce, you can use 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon of coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil as an alternative.

This recipe is quite forgiving, so feel free to swap out the vegetables and make it your own.

Be sure to cover the dumplings while they are baking to prevent them from drying out.

If using more frozen dumplings than stated or if adding frozen veggies, bake the casserole for an additional 5-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition

Serving: 4 dumplings with sauce | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 887mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2835IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron:5mg

Creamy Harissa Butter Beans

As you can see, the hubster loved it
and licked his plate clean.

Recipe from Sweet Greens Vegan

Makes 2 generous servings 

(I highly recommend doubling the recipe because it's just terrific.)

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Beans and greens may sound a bit boring, but THIS beans and greens dish is out of this world delicious.  This is quick and easy enough to make on a weeknight.  I was sorry I didn't double the recipe because we ate it in one take and now I don't have leftovers for lunch.  Live and learn.  Well, you and yours will absolutely love this dinner.  

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) butter beans*, rinsed and drained 
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced (I used ¼ of a red onion.)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1-2 Tablespoon harissa**
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetable broth (or more)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Handful of shredded kale or spinach
Kosher or sea salt, to taste (I used ½ teaspoon.)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon.)

Instructions:
Be sure to have all the ingredients prepared and at the ready.  This dish comes together quickly.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced shallots and cook for just 1-2 minutes. Next, add minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained butter beans and harissa paste, followed by the coconut milk and veggie broth.
Stir in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. 
Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes so that it begins to thicken.
Add the shredded kale and let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the kale is wilted and the stew has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and enjoy with toasted sourdough bread.

Notes: 
*If you can’t find butter beans you can use chickpeas, cannellini beans or navy beans instead. (I buy butter beans, Bush brand, by the case on Amazon.)
**Harissa is a condiment paste made of peppers, garlic, spices, etc. It can be pretty hot and spicy, however, I buy a brand called Mina Harissa Mild, and my husband, who is a panty-waist when it comes to spice, can handle it just fine as you can see in the picture. 

Harissa Curry Dressing (Vegan)

I like to keep delicious sauces/dressings on hand in the fridge
to drizzle over roasted veggies, proteins, beans, grains, and salads.

Here's how it looks just after mixing the few ingredients.

Recipe from Alexandra Andersson

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

For the quickest dressing ever that tastes great on just about anything, make this!  

1/2 cup hummus (homemade or store bought) 
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 Tablespoon maple syrup 
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder 
1/4 Tablespoon harissa paste 
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

Measure all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.  (You can add a bit of water to get a thinner consistency if you wish.) Store in the fridge.

Homemade Spicy Harissa Mayonnaise (Vegan)

Recipe from Food52 Vegan Cookbook

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 1 cup

This spicy spread is not for the faint of heart or pantywaists.  But if you like your sandwiches, wraps or roasted veggie fries with a little kick, you will love this just like I do.  In fact, if you taste it “straight”, it might seem a bit much, but partnered with good sandwich fixings, I think the heat is definitely the right amount. You will need a good high power blender or food processor to make this.  And though it only takes a couple of minutes to make (I’m not kidding) you will need to soak the cashews for at least 3 hours or overnight to soften them up enough for a smooth mayo.  So, it does take some planning.

1 cup (130 grams) cashew pieces, soaked in water for at least 3 hours or overnight and then drained.

½ cup (120 ml) water

2 Tablespoons harissa paste

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Put all the ingredients in a high power blender or food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.  If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in a bit more water while the motor is running.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutritional Info: (By my calculations using Calorie King app) 1 Tablespoon = 47 calories; 3.1 mg calcium; 0.3 grams fiber; 1.5 grams protein