Creamy and Super Amazing Hummus

This recipe is just so SO great that I don't want to change anything in sharing it with you. So here is a direct copy/paste from Jonah Lisa Land blog

MAKES: about 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS:
- one 15 oz can organic chickpeas
- 1/4 cup organic tahini
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.  You can spend the time taking the little skins off each chickpea but it's pretty time consuming and not so much creamier that I think it's worth it.  This recipe gets pretty creamy even without that step.

Combine the tahini and the lemon juice and blend until smooth and frothy.  This is the key to getting it creamy, by the way.  You have to combine these 2 ingredients first, essentially cream the tahini, or it just won't blend perfectly with the chickpeas.

*Note: I use a blender because I have a rockin' good one and only a little mini prep food processor.  The down side is there's always a little of the good stuff down at the bottom that's impossible to get out.  You should use whichever appliance you have that you feel is best suited for this.

Add the garlic and salt and blend again.

Now add in the chickpeas about 1/3 of the can at a time and blend until smooth.  Try to get as few skins as possible, this will also help with the texture.  Scrap down the sides of the blender and push the chickpeas down to the bottom as needed.  Once you've got all the chickpeas blended in, add the olive oil and turn on the blender and just leave it for a few minutes.  I like to add in a little water too, to get the consistency just how I like it.

Basic Veggie Tomato Barley

I love this recipe, which came from my love for pasta with a hearty sauce. In an attempt to pull more grains into my diet, I decided to swap the barley in place of the penne noodles. The result was fantastic!


MAKES: roughy 4-6 servings of about 1+ cup each

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup barley prepared according to directions on the bag, except remove from heat about 2 mins before its done.
- 2T olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 small-medium zucchinis, sliced round and cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped. I used a mandolin to julianne my carrots, shredding from the bottom fat end of the carrot to get short pieces.
- Salt to taste - maybe 1-2 tsp. This really depends on the type of pasta sauce you're using.
- 1 small bunch of your favorite herb(s). Try and use one that compliments your sauce the best.
- 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained.
- 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce - I used a merlot sauce.

DIRECTIONS:
1 - sauté garlic and onions in oil until soft
2 - add chopped zucchini an carrot and simmer, covered, until they have reached your desired crispness. I cooked about 6-8 mins.
3 - add pasta sauce, beans, barley, salt, and herb of your choice. Stir. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 10-12 mins.
4 - serve immediately with an herb garnish of your choice.

Chunky Broccoli (and more!) Soup

MAKES: 6 bowls

INGREDIENTS:
- 6 cups vegetable stock or broth (i used a combo of both since that's what I had on hand)
- 1 rounded cup raw cashews
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cubed
- 1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon course sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper


DIRECTIONS:
1 - Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside. 
2 - In a large pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the veggie stock/broth for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat (stirring frequently so it doesn't burn on the bottom). Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. 
3 - Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Remove the pot from the heat and puree about half of the soup in the blender. We pureed a little less to keep it extra chunky. Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well. Serve. 

Southwest Vegan "Mac & Cheese"

MAKES: 7 servings when used as a side

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small box whole wheat or similar macaroni, dry
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup spelt flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 15 oz canned kidney beans
- 28 oz canned tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn
- 1 tsp sirracha sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro



DIRECTIONS:
1 - Cook macaroni according to package. Set aside
2 - Combine yeast, flour, salt, garlic, mustard, and water and whisk until smooth. Add the olive old and heat over medium heat. Whisk until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat. 
3 - Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, macaroni. Put back over leow head and add in cornstarch and spices and continue to cook until thick and heated through. 


**Recipe only slightly adapted from Calorie Count site: http://caloriecount.about.com/vegan-southwest-mac-cheese-recipe-r30888

Pasta essentials...for me

These are two things I like to keep in the cupboard at all times for a quick spaghetti meal:
Vegan Grated Parmesan Flavor by Galaxy Nutrition Foods
and... Organic Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta, gluten free!

Fajita-Seasoned Veggies & Beans

MAKES: 4 servings without rice and 6-8 servings with the rice

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 can Chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
- 1 zucchini quartered and slided in 1/4 inch chunks
- 1 yellow pepper chopped (pieces should be similar in size to the zucchini)
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 can of fajita season & sauce (i made this dish while staying in London, UK so I'm not sure what the american equivalent is, but I used "Mexican Discovery" brand)
- 2 cups of brown rice, cooked according to directions
- Guacamole (optional)


DIRECTIONS:
1 - Begin cooking the rice, according to your directions.
2 - Chop the onion, zucchini and yellow pepper. Open the canned beans and rinse.
3 - Heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok, over medium-high heat. Toss in the chopped veggies. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the beans. Pour the Fajita Seasoning over the veggie and bean mixture. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
4 - Pour in the Fajita Sauce and bring to a light boil, then remove from heat.
5 - Put a small scoop of rice in your bowl and cover with about 1/2-3/4 cup of veggie/bean mixture. Break chips over top and top with a large spoon of guacamole. Garnish with cilantro.

Black Bean and Plantain Quesadilla

Makes: 4 quesadillas
INGREDIENTS:

- 1 ripe plantain
- 1 T olive oil 
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tomatos, seeded and chopped 
- 1 - 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- salt to taste 
- 4 medium whole wheat tortillas
- 8 oz shredded Almond brand Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- salsa for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

Wash plantain and, leaving it in the skin, cut it into fourths crosswise. Simmer pieces in boiling water for 20 minutes. While the plantains are simmering, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion (and jalapeno if using) until tender. Add the cumin, chili powder and tomato and simmer another minute or two. Add the black beans, and salt the bean mixture to taste, stirring until bubbly.

Drain and peel the plantains. I used a fork and tongs to handle them, they are hot! Put them in a food processor with about 1-2 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray or oil a large baking sheet. Spread two tortillas evenly with 1/4 of the mashed plantains. Top each with 14 of the beans and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro. Bake about 15 minutes or until heated through and golden. Fold the quesadillas in half before serving. Serve with salsa on the side. 

Adapted from: http://www.vegetarianunderground.com/2010/05/black-bean-and-plantain-quesadillas.html

Bombay Burger Over Spinach

Sometimes, you just want to throw something together. This is a dish you can certainly throw together quickly and still enjoy! Feel free to add all the things you love to this dish. If you have any ideas on how to make it yummier (yet still simple), feel free to share!

MAKES: up to 4 burgers. Ingredients below could make all 4 burgers.

INGREDIENTS:
- Box of frozen Veggie Burgers (I used Dr. Praeger's Bombay Curry Veggie Burgers)
- 1 red onion
- 2 Bags of spinach (depending on how many people you are feeding, determines how much you need)
- (optional) Sriracha sauce
- (optional) edamame, cooked according to package

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Heat the burger in microwave for about 1 min 30 seconds.
2 - In a frying pan, brown both sides of the burger on high. Takes about 4-5 minutes
3 - Layer the fresh spinach on the plate and top with the burger
4 - Chop 1/2 red onion and sprinkle chopped onion over the burger and greens.
5 - top with sriracha