cleaneating

Thanksgiving

A salad my niece made, with vegan dressing. 

A salad my niece made, with vegan dressing. 

Thanksgiving? But, you say (I can hear you), it's almost Christmas! The excuse of my life, but I have been busy. In any case, if I post my dishes from Thanksgiving I can hopefully help you bring some ideas for Christmas dinner to the table (quite literally).

This was my first major food holiday being vegan, and it went quite well. My sister-in-law and niece (who's becoming quite the chef/baker) intentionally made some vegan dishes which was amazing! I didn't anticipate getting stuffed to the gills, like I usually do, but I did so I count that as a success!

 

 

 

 

Dish #1: Whole roasted parsnips (from Kirsop Farm). I rinsed, cut off the ends, tossed in sunflower oil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and ground rosemary (grown by my friend Maggie, dried and ground by myself; super fresh). I actually roasted these in our toaster oven (out of necessity, because holiday baking), so it was good to know that it works. 

Roasted Parsnips

Roasted Parsnips

Dish #2: Butternut squash wedges (squash from Alvarez Farms). I peeled the squash (tip: using a carrot peeler works a lot better than using a knife, like I'd been doing for years!), cut it in half and deseeded it, and chopped it into wedges (think potato wedges, but you just have to work with the contours of the squash). Then I tossed the wedges in sunflower oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and freshly chopped sage. I baked them for about 45 minutes and accidentally broiled them for half the time, which worked out well as it gave them some crispness. 

Pre-baked. 

Pre-baked. 

Mmmm.

Mmmm.

Dish #3: Lime Cheesecake, from The Splendid Table website. I'm still trying to perfect my vegan cheesecakes. My goal is to get them as smooth and creamy as Liberation Bakery, so I'll just keep buying theirs at the Ballard Farmers Market for motivation and, of course, for deliciousness.   

This crust has so many good flavors going on. 

This crust has so many good flavors going on. 

Freshly poured, before freezing. 

Freshly poured, before freezing. 

Yum. 

Yum. 

Chai Banana Latte

Most of the time hot tea hits the spot for me (yes, even in the summer) but sometimes in colder weather I really miss a creamy chai latte, a London Fog, or even a regular latte or mocha.

A while back at the end of a summer season, I was talking to someone who was trying to stop drinking coffee. They were talking about how it would be fairly easy until that switch into autumn when they would be craving those creamy lattes, which got me thinking about how strong seasonal marketing is for us consumers. Half the time (if not more) we don't even realize that we're being preyed upon and made to want to buy things. Companies plant and culture seasonal cravings in us, usually for their products specifically (like pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint bark) but also for broader categories (like turkeys and rosé and egg nog). If someone was marketing water to us in the summer time, we would all be drinking more of it. But instead, we're being encouraged to drink more addictive substances like sugar and dairy products. I think the first step in combatting this mindset is to realize that the marketing is happening and to be aware of it. Once you take a step back, you can recognize it for what it is and you can work against it. So, this recipe is my way of pushing against it: creating a healthy alternative that's not padding some corporation's pockets.

I came up with this recipe when I was visiting Michigan in April. I had some Maté Chai with me from Shen Zen Tea and my aunt and I were craving chai lattes and were trying to figure out how we would make something similar with no dairy and no sugar. So, my mind immediately went to the one item that I used to sweeten everything: bananas. Brilliant! So we steeped some tea, got some almond milk, and the rest is history. 

Ingredients:

2 banananas

1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (flax, almond, hemp, soy, coconut, hazelnut, etc.)

tea of your choosing brewed strong but not long (I can't get enough of Shen Zen Tea; their Masala Chai, Maté Chai, London Fog, and Lemon Turmeric are all great for this recipe)

1 t ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, or pure vanilla extract (whichever spice or flavor complements your tea)

Brew your tea so that it's strong, but remember that black tea shouldn't be steeped any longer than six minutes. Combine bananas, non-dairy milk, and ground spices in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour equal parts of the banana mixture and tea into a cup and mix with a spoon. If your tea is not piping hot, you may need to heat your drink in a small saucepan before consuming. 

Variations on tea and spices: Earl grey tea with pure vanilla extract. Masala chai tea with ground cinnamon and cardamom. Lemon turmeric tea with ground cardamom (which is pictured; I also added a little bit of Old Growth Heirloom Pu-erh for caffeination). 

Chai Banana Latte. 

Chai Banana Latte. 

Lemon Turmeric and Old Growth Heirloom Pu-erh teas.

Lemon Turmeric and Old Growth Heirloom Pu-erh teas.

Mango Daal

Mango daal over rice. 

Mango daal over rice. 

This is such a warming dish that's great for fending off those late fall/early winter chills. You know, that time of year where your body isn't quite used to the cold weather yet, but you've finally gotten used to wearing sweaters and winter jackets. Caution: this recipe is for internal use only.

I became interested in cooking Indian food when I took a Food and Culture class as an elective in college and my group picked India as our country of interest. There are so many different cuisines within this largely-populated country, as many curries and seasoning blends as there are families in India, and so many spices and ingredients utilized that it was (and still is) endlessly fascinating to me. Since that time, I generally have most spices needed to prepare an Indian dish in my spice drawer at all times. And the great thing is that many Indian dishes are plant-based and pack a lot of flavor.  

Display of color: garlic, red lentils, red pepper, mango, turmeric, and ginger.

Display of color: garlic, red lentils, red pepper, mango, turmeric, and ginger.

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils (rinsed thoroughly and drained)

1-2 T coconut oil

1 large onion (diced)

4 cloves garlic

1 T fresh ginger (approximately) 

1 T fresh turmeric (approximately; or powdered if you absolutely have no way of getting a hold of fresh)

1 t ground cumin

1 T ground coriander

salt (to taste)

mild to spicy red pepper (depending on your heat preference)

1 large or 2 small mangos (peeled and diced)

sprigs fresh cilantro

2 cups rice (any type; I used basmati this time), rinsed thoroughly and cooked

Rinse and drain lentils and add to a pot with about 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding more water if needed for desired consistency. Salt to taste. Note: red lentils don't keep their shape, at least for me, so I've stopped trying to come up with a way to keep them whole during the cooking process. In this recipe, they will cook down to a sort of thick sauce, perfect for spooning over rice.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a large pan then add onion and cook until softened. Add ground cumin and coriander at any time. Prep garlic, ginger, and turmeric then finely mince them altogether on a cutting board. Add to onion mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes. Finely chop red pepper (or if you have no access to fresh peppers, use dried chiles or cayenne powder) and add to mixture, cooking for about a minute. Stir in the lentils and combine thoroughly, then add diced mango. Taste for salt content; the right amount of salt will make the spices pop and give the dish amazing flavor. 

Prepare rice at any time. I have been cooking my rice like pasta lately. Boil about 3 times as much water as your desired (uncooked) rice amount, add salt, then add rinsed rice and cook uncovered for 10-30 minutes (depending on which type of rice you're using). Brown rice takes 30 minutes, and white basmati rice takes 10-15 minutes. Drain using a strainer then put it back in the pan, covering to lightly steam until ready to use. 

Spoon lentil/onion/spice mixture over rice and top with fresh cilantro. 

Basmati rice and mango daal.

Basmati rice and mango daal.

Cornbread with Cranberries

I made this amazing cornbread using the Magic Skillet Cornbread recipe from The Vegan 8. I used almond flour because I didn’t have pecans, used kuzu root starch instead of tapioca starch, and added fresh cranberries from Bloom Creek Cranberries. So tasty and only sweetened with a tiny bit of maple syrup! 

Yum.

Yum.

Fresh out of the oven. Cast iron with parchment paper is the best way to bake.

Fresh out of the oven. Cast iron with parchment paper is the best way to bake.

Veggie and Bean Pot Pie

Did you know that purple carrots have more nutrients and antioxidants than regular orange carrots? You probably did, cuz you're smart.

Did you know that purple carrots have more nutrients and antioxidants than regular orange carrots? You probably did, cuz you're smart.

Purple carrots from my garden! I was finally able to harvest some. 

Purple carrots from my garden! I was finally able to harvest some. 

Autumn is in full swing here in the PNW with spatterings of blustery days and my perpetual hot tea by my side. Gone are the summer days where a nice mix of fresh veggies with beans would fill me up for dinner; heartier meals are required. 

When I stopped eating meat, I discovered this Thyme and White Bean Pot Pie recipe from The Minimalist Baker and it was immediately added to my list of go-to recipes. With this last round of modifications to the recipe, I even found myself going through a split-second ingredient check in my head a couple times to make sure I was really supposed to be eating what I was eating.

Sidenote: Do any newer plant-based eaters/vegans still stop mid-bite in a slight panic because you think you might have eaten something that you're not supposed to be eating anymore? Kind of like you think you may have accidentally "relapsed" without being conscious of the act until you're on the second or third bite. I only do this rarely now, but when I do it's when I'm eating something phenomenally delicious...like this pot pie. 

Back to the recipe...so, here it is with my alterations and modifications.

Ingredients:

  • Filling:

1 onion (diced)

1lb carrots (diced into small pieces that will cook rather quickly)

1 heaping cup green beans (chopped into pieces about 1/2 inch long)

1 cup fresh or frozen peas (optional)

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups veggie broth

2 t fresh thyme

15oz canned or cooked beans (rinsed and drained; any kind of beans will do)

salt and pepper to taste (smoked salt if you have it)

  • Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 t salt

4oz vegan butter

4-7 T cold water

Carrots, onions, and beans sautéing. Beans are purple too; snagged those from Alvarez Farms. 

Carrots, onions, and beans sautéing. Beans are purple too; snagged those from Alvarez Farms

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat stock pot on medium heat and add onions and carrots. (You can add oil if you're worried about the veggies sticking to the pan, but I just add a little water if that starts to happen.) Cook until carrots are soft (5-7 minutes) and season with salt and pepper. Add green beans and peas in at the end and cook just until the peas are thawed (if frozen) or slightly cooked. (The peas are optional only because I was going to add them but forgot to buy them at the store. I love peas in pot pie, by the way.) Sprinkle flour in and stir thoroughly, then gradually add the veggie broth making sure to scrape the bottom. Add thyme and beans. Lower heat and let simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep covered while preparing the crust.

Filling after the flour has been added.

Filling after the flour has been added.

For crust, stir flour and salt together in a bowl. (I use whole wheat flour and it turns out great, but you can also use regular flour.) Measure your vegan butter using a kitchen scale (or if your vegan butter has ounce markers on the package like real butter, use those). Add vegan butter to the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter until you have a crumb-like mixture. Then add the water one tablespoon at a time and incorporate thoroughly until you have a nice dough that's not too sticky. Form the dough into a ball, transfer to a clean floured surface, and roll to about 1/8 inch thickness. (Here are some tips if you're not used to working with dough: It works best to roll the ball of dough out with the rolling pin a bit then flour the rolling pin so that the flour actually sticks, then roll the dough out some more. After that, flip your dough over and lightly flour the surface underneath. Continue rolling and lightly flouring as needed to keep dough from sticking and until you've reached the desired thickness.) 

Pre-oven.

Pre-oven.

Pour filling evenly into either a 12-inch round oven-proof dish or cast iron pan, or a 9x12 baking dish and gently lay your crust on the top. I sprinkled a bit of smoked salt on top (an idea that I stole from one of our favorite restaurants). Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned. And then eat the whole thing by yourself in 2 1/2 days.  

 

Pot pie perfection.

Pot pie perfection.

Vegan Pâté

Vegan Pâté

Vegan Pâté

So, the other day I was recipe-searching online and discovered that there's such thing as vegan pâté (and, yes, I'm gonna spell it that way every time...in case you were wondering). Vegan pâté! Mind blown.

 I started looking for the perfect recipe and I was either missing ingredients, didn't like the combinations of ingredients, or didn't like the texture shown in the pictures. So I just started writing down ingredients that I liked and made my own conglomeration from about seven different recipes.

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts (soaked for at least 2 hours)

1lb cremini mushrooms (common brown mushrooms)

1/2 large onion

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

3 T fresh parsley

1 T fresh thyme

2 T fresh rosemary

2 T white miso

1 T soy sauce 

2 T lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (whichever one you have on hand is fine)

1 T nutritional yeast

2 T dulse flakes (optional; I just like to throw these into everything)

2 garlic cloves (or 3 or 4 or 10...can you tell I love garlic?) 

salt (to taste)

veggie broth (to help blend)

Soak the walnuts at least 2 hours (I soaked mine overnight), drain, and rinse. Put all the ingredients into a blender. You may have to divide your batch, depending on the size of your blender; alternatively, you can use a food processor but make sure you use a spice grinder for grinding down the flax seeds. Add veggie broth as needed to bring it to the consistency you prefer and to help mix your ingredients, especially if you have a cheap, weak blender like I do. 

You can dip crackers in it or spread it on bread for snacks or breakfast. I got my crackers from Breadfarm at the Everett Farmers Market. I couldn't decide between the two kinds they had, so I did what any reasonable person would do: buy both. I still can't figure out which ones I like best. And, let's be honest, I'm pretty sure I made the pâté as a way to utilize the crackers instead of the other way around.