Salsa Verde Bean & Rice Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from This Savory Vegan

Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 6

This yummy comfort food quick vegan dish is the thing to make on a busy week day.  

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons oil OR water sauté

1 yellow onion diced

1 red bell pepper diced

3 cloves garlic diced

1 jalapeño diced, optional

1 packet taco seasoning OR 1-2 Tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning

½ block firm tofu drained & pressed

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

12 ounces salsa verde homemade or store bought

3 cups low sodium broth

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans drained & rinsed

2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped, plus more for serving

1 lime juiced, plus more for serving

2 cups cooked brown or white rice for serving (Other grains will work as well.)

Pickled Onions, optional, for serving

Scallions, corn chips, non-dairy yogurt, sliced radishes, optional, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño and taco seasoning. Cook down for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.

Crumble up the tofu and add it to the pot. Pour in the tomato paste, salsa verde, broth and pinto beans. Bring to a boil, lower the heat & simmer for 10-15 minutes - stirring every couple minutes.

Before serving add cilantro & lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

To serve, add rice to each bowl and ladle the soup over. Serve with any of the optional toppings.

For Leftovers: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to individual containers. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stove until bubbling & hot.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Iron: 3mg

Pulled Jackfruit (Vegan)

Pulled Jackfruit stacked on corn tortillas, with vegan yogurt;
purple cabbage slaw; cherry tomatoes; avocados
served along side sweet corn and grapes.

Recipe from LazyCatKitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 8-10 servings

This dinner made the husband VERY happy.  I loved it too.  It is not something to serve on a first date unless you plan to hose each other down afterwards.  Anyway, this tastes fabulous. It is so interesting to me that when prepared like this, jackfruit tastes amazingly like a pulled pork.  But no little piggy was harmed in the making of this dish. 

The thing is, this jackfruit recipe can be and should be prepared the day before you plan to serve to get optimal flavor.  The recipe below is for the jackfruit portion with suggestions about what to serve it with.  Be sure to purchase jackfruit in brine and not syrup.  I buy cans of jackfruit in brine at Trader Joe's.  

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2-3 pinches ground cloves

1 teaspoon sambal oelek (This is Indonesian chili paste that we think tastes amazing.  It can be found in the Asian section of a supermarket.  It comes in a jar.  It keeps for a long time in the fridge once open. You can substitute chili powder, if need be.)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 (20 ounce) cans jackfruit in brine

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the best flavor, prepare this a day in advance.  Drain and rinse the jackfruit.  (The jackfruit pieces will be triangular in shape.  The pointy part of the triangle is part of the core, perfectly edible.  You can mince this if you wish, but I don't bother.  I just pull the triangles apart into shreds.  The jackfruit will become quite tender like pulled pork once it's cooked. There are also little round seed-like pieces as well.  We eat them too.)  Shred the jackfruit pieces after rinsing in water.  Set aside.  

Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed pan.  Saute the onion until softened and lightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cloves to the onion mixture.  Saute for a minute or so.  Mix in the tomato and chili paste.  Now add the prepared jackfruit along with the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.  Stir well.  Season with the pepper.  Simmer the mixture gently for another 10-15 minutes.  (If it gets too dry, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water.)  Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.  Place the jackfruit mixture in the fridge overnight.

Just before you are ready to assemble the tacos/sandwiches, preheat the oven to 390F.  Spread the jackfruit mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a little browned.  

Serving suggestions:  Corn tortillas or whole-wheat flour tortillas or whole-grain hamburger buns; vegan or dairy yogurt or sour cream; purple cabbage slaw* (directions below); tomatoes; avocado chunks; Quick Pickled Red Onions; salsa; lettuces; lime wedges; cilantro; Homemade Guacamole

*Purple Cabbage Slaw:  Shred some purple cabbage into a large bowl.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the cabbage.  Sprinkle with salt, to taste.  Massage the cabbage for about 1 minute.  It will become more limp and tender.  Add some minced cilantro, if you wish.  Set this aside or chill in the fridge until ready to serve on the tacos.

Spice Cake (with vegan option*)

Yield 8 servings

Recipe from The Modern Vegetarian

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s a delicious treat, just right for a casual dinner party, a picnic or a lunchbox. Bank up some prep time by measuring out the dry ingredients twice and storing the extra dry mix so you can make this again especially quick later on.

½ cup plain, unflavored soy milk

½ cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)

6 Tablespoons molasses

6 Tablespoons canola oil or melted unsalted butter (Use oil if you wish this to be vegan.*)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and dust it with a bit of flour.  In a large bowl, whisk the soy milk, maple syrup, molasses, oil (or butter), vanilla, and the vinegar.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and the pepper.  Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula, taking care not to over mix.  Pour in the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cook, in the banking dish, to room temperature before slicing. 

Finishing Touch Options: 

·       Dust the cake with some powdered sugar (vegan)

·       Serve with Lemon Curd

·       Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipping cream

·       Serve with a dollop of Sweetened Thick Yogurt Cream**

**To make Sweetened Thick Yogurt Cream, place coffee filter in a sieve and set it over a bowl.  Put a cup of plain Greek yogurt in the coffee filter and let the yogurt set for at least 2 hours.  The whey (the liquid) will fall through the sieve into the bowl leaving a thick cream in the filter. (You can discard the whey or use it in other recipes.) Put the cream in another bowl and add 1 Tablespoon or so of real maple syrup or honey.  Mix thoroughly.  Chill until ready to serve.

Soyrizo or Sausage Kale Bean Soup

Soyrizo Kale Bean Soup served with grapes
and homemade Easy Delicious Oatmeal Bread

Recipe from Food.com

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice’s Kitchen

I first tried this soup at our local food co-op, Lost River Market & Deli.  It was just so good, perfectly spicy and filling.  It was made with Chorizo sausage.  Now, my husband can’t have red meat due to a tick bite allergy. So, I bought some Soyrizo (a meatless soy chorizo) and tried the recipe using it instead of the sausage.  Oh, YUM!!!

This is good enough for company.  Serve it with a slice of homemade bread or cornbread for a fabulous tummy-warming winter dinner.

½ lb. ground Italian sausage or Chorizo or 12 oz. Soyrizo

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

5 large cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (divided)

1 lb. kale, rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn or cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)

(To make this even more filling, you can add 1 large potato, cut into cubes, to the broth.  Add a few mushrooms too if you wish.)

Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the sausage or Soyrizo and cook, working to break into bite-sized pieces, until lightly browned.  (You might need to add more oil when using Soyrizo because there’s no fat.) Remove the sausage or Soyrizo from the pot and set aside.  (If using sausage, leave the rendered fat in the pot.)

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant.  Add the garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage or Soyrizo and half of the beans.  Mash the remaining beans with a fork or wooden spoon.  Add them to the pot, stirring to distribute. Stir in the kale.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover the pot and simmer until the kale is bright green and tender, about 10 minutes or so.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest.  Serve with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Lovely Autumn/Winter Salad

Here's the salad doubled for a crowd.  Instead of roasting the sweet potatoes,
I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and sauteed them
in a bit of olive oil and butter.  I them drained them on a paper towel. 
(You can allow them to cool and then keep them
in the fridge until you're ready to add them to the salad.)
I cut the arugula up into bite-sized pieces also for easier serving and eating.
As you can see, it makes a stunning addition to any table.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

This salad not only tastes fabulous, but it’s gorgeous to look at with the bright arugula, the golden butternut squash, creamy cheese and crusty brown walnuts.

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks (butternut squash makes a fine substitute)

3 Tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

½ cup walnuts

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used ½ teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey (I used l bit more.)

1 package of arugula or 2 bunches watercress and/or baby lettuces

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (blue cheese or goat cheese make good substitutes)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks on upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 1 Tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on upper rack, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

On another rimmed baking sheet, toss walnuts with cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Bake on lower rack, until golden, 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add watercress, and toss to combine. Serve topped with sweet potatoes, walnuts, and feta.

Green Salad with Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette & Candied Almonds

Recipe from The Best Light Recipe

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6 to 8

Our family, including our 17-month old granddaughter, Sandrita, was invited to Bob and Debbie’s for a salmon dinner and I was asked to bring a salad.  Poor Bob is allergic to garlic, so I needed to find a delicious salad dressing that didn’t have garlic.  Then, I used the veggies I happened to have in my fridge for the salad.  I added mandarin oranges and candied almonds to the mix because my hubby loves those ingredients and because the dressing has an Asian flavor.  I made this salad in the time it took Granddaddy to read some board books to Sandrita.  As you can see by the photo, the salad turned out quite pretty. 

Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette:

6 Tablespoons water

¼ cup peanut oil

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 ½ teaspoons minced shallot or red onion

1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger (do not substitute powdered ginger)

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Shake all of the ingredients together in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 7 days; bring to room temperature, then shake vigorously to recombine before using.

Candied Almonds:

3 Tablespoons sugar

½ cup slivered almonds

Place sugar in a heavy skillet.  Melt over medium-low heat.  Add almonds and stir until golden brown and coated with the melted sugar.  Immediately pour onto a piece of foil to cool.  When cool, break apart into bite size pieces.  The candied almonds can be made in advance and stored in an air tight container.

Salad:

1 bunch green leaf lettuce

1 bunch baby spinach

8 mushrooms, sliced

1 can mandarin orange slices, drained

4 baby turnips, sliced (optional)

1 zucchini, sliced

Toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl with the vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with the candied almonds.  Serve immediately.