Baked Vegan Crab Cakes with Artichoke Hearts

 
Recipe from Nisha Melvani of Cooking For Peanuts
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes about 12 patties

This was a big hit with the hubster.  I liked these little patties because they were easy to make and perfect for food prep day.  We had them served along with rice and a salad for dinner and then I ate a couple each day for my lunch.  

14 oz. marinated artichoke hearts (from a jar or can)
15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ medium zucchini, grated using largest holes on a box grater
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400F.  
Pulse the chickpeas and artichokes in a food processor until roughly chopped, but still slightly chunky.  Transfer to a large bowl.
Gently squeeze the zucchini to remove excess water.  Add the grated zucchini, panko, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice and Old Bay Seasoning to the chickpeas and artichokes.  Mix well to combine.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, form about 12 patties.  Place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.  Flip them over and bake an additional 10 minutes more.  Set aside to firm up for about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information: (1 of 12 patties) 209 calories; 12.6 g fat; 1.3 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 18.4 g carbohydrates; 3.8 g fiber; 1.8 g sugars; 3.5 g protein

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from GimmeSomeOven

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 8 generous servings

It wasn’t autumn, but the tail end of winter when I made this soup.  It couldn’t be easier to make because it’s done in the slow cooker.  The hubby really liked it because it’s a bit sweet due to the sweet potato.  I liked it because it’s filling, satisfying, and full of good-for-you veggies.  The recipe author has several adaptions (stovetop, Instapot, gluten-free option, a cream sauce option, adding chicken option, etc.) I do think the soup would look even more beautiful using wild rice and not a wild rice blend, but I used what I had. 

6 cups Homemade Vegetable Broth

1 cup uncooked wild rice

8 oz. baby bell mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 small white onion, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1½ Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk.)

2 large handfuls of fresh kale, thick stems removed, roughly chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Place the vegetable broth, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay Seasoning in a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, or until the rice is cooked and tender.  Remove the cover and add the coconut milk and fresh kale.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well.  Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes, or until the kale has wilted and has turned a rich green.  Serve hot or allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

By my calculations, 1 of 8 servings equals about 167 calories and 3.4 grams fiber.

NOTES:

To make this even more convenient, you can prep the vegetables the night before and store in the fridge.  I chopped up the celery and carrots and put them in the fridge.  I sliced the mushrooms and stored them in the fridge covered with a cloth.  I peeled and chopped up the sweet potato and stored them in  the fridge in water. This keeps them from discoloring.  The next morning, all I had to do was chop up the onion and garlic, which I did while my coffee percolated. J

I prefer using Homemade Vegetable Broth because it’s cheap, easy to do and I can control the salt content.  If you prefer using a box of broth which equals 4 cups, you can add 2 cups of water to the soup instead of opening another box.

Old Bay Seasoning can be found at most grocery stores.  You can make your own.  Here’s a recipe I found on the web, but I’ve not tested it. 

Homemade Old Bay Seasoning Mix Makes about ¼ cup Recipe from Linda Larsen, About.com Not-Yet Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen 1 Tablespoon ground dried bay leaves* 2 teaspoons celery salt 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground celery seeds ½ teaspoon ground white pepper ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves ⅛ teaspoon ground mace ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container and store in a cool place. Use with seafood or chicken. *Note:  You may have to grind dried bay leaves yourself. Be sure to use dried bay leaves, not fresh, because they grind more easily, and completely grind to a powder.

Old Bay-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves
4

Recipe from Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

There’s no need to peel the sweet potatoes.  Just give them a good scrubbing. This is one dish that’s really quick to make.  This side goes well with roasted chicken or pork, seared steak, or sautéed shrimp.  Roasted sweet potatoes make a great snack or breakfast addition too.  Another delicious way to use Old Bay Seasoning is to use it to make Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with Herb DippingSauce.  

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes extra-virgin olive oil and Old Bay Seasoning. Bake until potatoes are deep golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Homemade Whole-Grain Crusted Baked Fish Sticks with Herb Dipping Sauce

Serves 4

Recipe from Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Once you’ve made these homemade fish sticks, you will never again consider eating frozen fish sticks in the box.  These are great and deserve to be in your regular meal rotation.  To make these even more healthful, use whole-wheat Panko crumbs and replace the mayo with non-fat plain Greek yogurt. 

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups whole-wheat Panko crumbs or whole-grain bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning or other favorite seasoning

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ pounds tilapia or cod fillets

½ cup light mayonnaise or  non-fat plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 475, with racks in top and bottom third. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil; set aside.

To make fish sticks, cut fillets in half lengthwise and then again crosswise.

Place egg in a wide shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine panko, Old Bay, and oil. Dip tilapia into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish; season with salt and pepper. Serve fish sticks with sauce and lemon wedges on the side.

Homemade Fish Sticks & Herb Dipping Sauce with
mashed sweet potato & sauteed snow peas and peppers