Archive for March, 2011

potato soup – easy and vegan

Posted on: March 31st, 2011 by yum vege 1 Comment

This potato soup is really delicious, yet unbelievably easy! This soup is finished with a food processor/hand blender, so everything can be chopped into big pieces, to be pureed later.

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 T. vegan spread, such as Earth Balance
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot.
  2. Cook on a medium boil until potatoes are cooked.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Using a hand (wand) blender, or a food processor, puree the soup to be nice and smooth.

There, now you’ve got another simple potato recipe. It’s great in so many ways!

bulgur wheat – how to cook

Posted on: March 27th, 2011 by yum vege No Comments

Bulgur is a light and fluffy grain. It has been eaten for centuries, especially around the Mediterranean. It’s tasty with a little vegetable spread on top, but also underneath dishes that have a bit of liquid to soak up. As it is very quick cooking, (it is partially cooked before drying) so it’s great in a “hurry up” situation when you still want to eat healthy. It comes in different grinds – course, medium and fine. Medium is probably the most adaptable, in Yummy’s opinion.
There is no reason not to start eating bulgur as one of your grains!
Try bulgur instead of rice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup bulgar wheat
  • 2 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions:

  1. Place the bulgur into a bowl.
  2. Add the boiling water.
  3. Give it a quick stir, then leave alone.
  4. Between 15 and 25 minutes the bulgur will be tender, depending on the coarsness of the bulgur. Medium will be done in about 15 minutes.
  5. Squeeze out any extra water from the bulgur.
  6. You can use the bulgur unheated now, or heat it before serving, depending on your wishes.

There, now you’ve got another yummy grain to make. It’s great in so many ways!

chocolate pudding (vegan) – EASY

Posted on: March 25th, 2011 by yum vege No Comments

Vegan Chocolate Pudding!! I’ve been trying to make this for years. Finally, a brainstorm – let’s try a thickening agent to help with the process of firming up the pudding. Without the thickening agent, the result is a very thin or non-set pudding. This recipe works wonderfully, solves all the problems and is absolutely scrumptious. Enjoy!! We know you will.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Cook & Serve Jello pudding – (it’s easy!! and delish). We used the large 6 1/2 cup servings box.
  • 1 T. arrowroot dissolved (stirred or shaken with tight lid) in 1/2 cup cold soy milk
  • 2 /12 additional cups of plain UNSWEETENED soy milk

Directions:

  1. Pour dry packet ingredients into sauce pan and add 2 1/2 cups of the soy milk.
  2. Heat on medium, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes.
  3. Pour the arrowroot and soy milk mixture into the pudding.
  4. Continue to cook on heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.
  5. Pour into bowls and refrigerate.

There you go. Eat it hot or cold. Try it with vanilla pudding too. You can even make pudding pie now.

greek yogurt and garlic dip (tzatziki)

Posted on: March 24th, 2011 by yum vege No Comments

We received this Tzatziki recipe from some old friends, Soula and Eddie Vetter, and yes they are Greek. They very kindly sent us their family recipe book to take recipes from. There will be more, but this is the first. Greek yogurt is preferred, and it seems that it is getting easier to find as time goes by. But use any plain yogurt you have – it will still be fine. Hey Eddie, you still got that Rickenbacker Bass?

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. plain yogurt (preferably Greek style, if available)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, cored (to remove the seeds), finely diced
  • 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced – please do it yourself, that store bought minced garlic is not good!
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix the minced garlic with a little salt, and add the oil and vinegar.
  2. Next add the yogurt and mix well.
  3. Finally, stir in the cucumber and mix well.
  4. Put a folded paper towel on top of the dip and put it in the refrigerator.
  5. The paper towel will drain any excess water.

Serve cold! This dip will last several days in the refrigerator, and seems to get better tasting as a few days go by……..Great with pita bread, or fresh vegetables.

lentil stew with potatoes, carrots and mushrooms (vegan)

Posted on: March 22nd, 2011 by yum vege No Comments

This is our version of lentil stew. This is the kind of dish that can live with many little variations. See what is in the refrigerator – it may go well added to this as well. Or just make it as we do – it’s really really good! Thanks to our friend Matt, as he introduced us to lentil stew a while ago, and got this ball rolling!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups baby bella or white mushroom, coarsely chopped into quarters
  • 2 medium boiled potatoes, cubed
  • 3 medium peeled carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1 T. chopped onion or shallots
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pre-cooked lentils
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable broth
  • 1 T. Margarine

Directions:

  1. Boil the potatoes and carrots, until cooked.
  2. While they are finishing their cooking, heat oil in large skillet and begin cooking the mushrooms
  3. After the mushrooms have started to cook, becoming softer and smaller, add the carrots and onion (or shallots), and continue to cook until all the ingredients are nice and soft.
  4. Add the pre-cooked lentils, boiled potatoes, vegetable broth and season to your taste with salt, pepper and the herbs de Provence.
  5. After the stew has been stirred together, add the margarine and mix it in.

This stew is great over rice, or bulgur, or wide noodles.


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