Vegan Pasta e Fagioli Soup (and my gardener's lament: winter poison ivy!)

Dear Soup, Thank you for always reminding me there are better days ahead. Soups are mainstays around here, especially with snow on the ground and temps hovering in low twenties to single digits tonight, plus more cold on the horizon this week. And poison ivy. (Yup.) I've probably made six batches of this already this winter. It involves a food processor and a soup pot. That's it. Comes together in approximately five minutes and is satisfying, warm and delicious. Here's my take on this soup, which was originally inspired by this.

Here's how I made my Vegan Pasta e Fagioli:

4 carrots

1 leek

6 cloves garlic

1 celery stalk

1/2 onion sliced thin

2 bay leaves

1/2 head of cabbage

1 can of cannellini beans (drained, rinsed)

1 can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup ditalini pasta (cooked in separate pot, then added to soup just before serving)

2 T. nutritional yeast

1 qt. veggie stock

olive oil

thyme

oregano

red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

Add chopped veggies--carrots, leeks, garlic to food processor, pulse about ten times. Prep the soup pot with the olive oil over medium heat, add chopped veg. Cook till just tender. Add remaining ingredients and broth and seasonings, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer two hours over low heat. Serve with a side of your best homemade bread. (Mine is Jim Lahey's --I made the ciabatta version).

After a visit with the folks at Urgent Care yesterday for a infernal outbreak of poison ivy, I am now awaiting an agonizing three weeks for this painful mess to clear up. Or longer. Why does Mother Earth require such an evil, toxic plant? What purpose does it serve? I've been struck by this havoc on only a handful of times in my life because I am so gawdawful afraid. Sounds impossible. But trust me when I tell you: only to me, the Master Gardener, and in winter no less. And above is the culprit. 

Our home is undergoing a transformation of sorts in a few weeks which will finally rid us of these old railroad timbers and be replaced with a more substantial wall of stone. (That will hopefully outlive us and beyond.) 

So I found myself outside on a warm-ish day earlier last week in a bit of a snit over the demise of some cherished plants I couldn't bear to lose. I've spent fifteen years tending and planting, so obviously there are plants I want to keep. Out with the shovel and buckets and pots. Everything's dormant, ground was soft, sun was out: perfect. Until later that night when I woke with what I imagined to be some sort of bug bite. Then to the next afternoon when my arm reached up to scratch my wrist (pulling the long sleeve back and discovering to my horror what really had happened). OMG. WTH? Could this be? . . . is this? Noooooo! 

And then began the seven stages of grief: shock, denial, guilt, anger and bargaining, depression and loneliness to reconstruction (the UC visit) and finally acceptance. Yes, I accept that I have the rash of the spring and summertime, of gardeners, campers, hikers and landscapers, the poisonous fury of: Leaves of Three Let it Be! Ah, but what about the roots? 

I had come in contact with said dormant plant--through the roots. I had oh-so carefully lifted plants and divided, setting each clump aside. Gloves and long sleeves. I have replayed this moment back through my mind a hundred times: as I reached under one of my plants, I, on an exposed part of my wrist must have come in contact with the worst plant root on the planet, unbeknownst to me. 

I am more allergic than most and so, this lovely little visitor and its prescribed remedy dosed out (the horrid steroid treatment) is, well. . . It's hell. The rash has traveled from my left wrist, up my right arm, to my abdomen, and leg. There's a perfect dot-to-dot landscape you can follow if you wanted. I can see the entry at every point. It's like an incredibly cruel irony and one I will face with tears, determination, agitation and regret. As for the remainder of the plants. They'll be destined for demolition. 

Vegan Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas and Eggplant

I steered toward cozy, comfort food last night. My kitchen provides a respite for the chaotic world outside the door, and in our own personal lives. With my Spice Tiffin and my mother's vintage copper bottom pot at hand, I was able to whip up a wonderful, aromatic, flavorful, smooth not too-spicy-but-just-right curry. I added a touch of coconut milk to the dish just before serving. There's something magical about the addition of coconut milk to curries. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's a fine balance of how the flavors meld together before and after--the after being much, much better. This dish took me about 30 minutes give or take. I used my new favorite cookbook for inspiration: America's Test Kitchen Vegan for Everybody. 

The first step in any cooking direction I take when it comes to making curry is to add spices to warm oil. I always include brown mustard seeds. They impart a tart component that, once cooked down, evolve into a creaminess. Well, to my mind they do. Then you add a bit of this and that from the spices you see here. My general ratio is more of the Sweet Curry spice to the rest (I get mine at Penzey's)--and I add based upon my preferred tastes for the evening. I wanted a garam masala boost to this dish: warm cinnamon and cloves permeate this on the front end, but once I added in my second favorite curry seasoning: The Now Curry (again, from Penzeys), it came together very nicely. My motto in curry is: More is Better. I keep tasting until I find the right heat, flavor combo. Taste. Taste. Taste.

I only needed half an eggplant for this. I find I dislike the taste of eggplant heavy flavor. I bet that's why I love the addition of coconut milk to this curry.

The flavor boosters go in next: minced fresh ginger, garlic and onion (diced, not minced). Then the other veggies I have on hand: eggplant, sweet potato, some green pepper, a handful of green beans. It then is up to you as to whether or not you want to add a can of diced tomatoes. I usually do. I had a splash of veggie broth left over from the other night, and about a half cup of it was added, plus a little water. Then I added about a third of a cup of coconut milk and that's when the flavors really did their thing. 

We are experiencing our second flood in our community in fifteen months. I look at the map of the rest of the country and it's as if there is the vortex here in the middle that keeps circling around our state just daring us to keep dry. The photos above were taken on our single sunny day we had on Tuesday as the waters on the Meramec River began rising. 

She hates this weather. 

Meantime, I baked more vegan chocolate chip cookies. My End of World plan for survival. 

Vegan Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas and Eggplant

3 T. olive oil

1 T. vegan butter

1" minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves minced

1 onion diced

1 t. brown mustard seeds

2-3 t. curry powder

1/2 t. tumuric powder

2 t. garam masala

salt and pepper to taste

1 medium sweet potato cut into half moons

1 green pepper chopped

1/2 medium eggplant chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 can chickpeas

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup or more veggie broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup lite coconut milk

Over medium heat, add oil and spices. When mustard seeds begin to pop, add the rest of the veggies. Simmer for about five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer together about 20 minutes. Taste as you develop the flavor. If mixture becomes too thick, add more broth or coconut milk. Serve over rice.  

Gluten Free Mexican Casserole with Pickled Onions

This dinner should be called, "my-kitchen's-calling-me" casserole. 

Here' how this awesome vegan (oh and did I mention it was gluten-free, too?) casserole came about.

 I made a lovely pan of veggies and beans to use as my filler: onion, garlic, green pepper, mushrooms, black beans, corn and a can of tomatoes, plenty of cumin and oregano--spice it up to your heart's content. *I have a special Penzey's blend I use, too. Let this mixture simmer for a bit (let the juices reduce, too), and while it simmers, make the pickled onions: red onion slice thin, juice of one lime with a pinch of sugar and some salt and white vinegar--enough to cover the onions in a bowl. Set this aside. When you've finished the pickling stuff, begin layering the casserole by using a square dish, spread a bit of salsa over the bottom to begin with, then cover this with corn tortillas (you'll have to break a few in half just to fill in the corners well. In between the three or four layers you make, add a smattering of vegan cheeze in between for good measure, then top the casserole with a bit of the cheese and bake at 375 until bubbly, about 30 minutes. While this bakes, make your rice and guacamole you'll be serving with it on the side. This has been on our table at least once a week for the past few weeks now. 

You can see here what I'm talking about with the whole "layering" thing. Just keep layering until you run out of filling. You'll want to keep room at the top so while it bakes, you don't have oven spillage.

This is delicious and makes for an even better left over.  

Vegan Feel-Good Chili with Everything (cooking to help heal--isn't that what all cooking is anyway?)

I needed to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen. It began like all chili making endeavors: a glug of oil, spoonfuls of cumin, coriander, some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, salt and the pile of veggies I had carefully spent the last half hour chopping and mincing. I literally just kept pulling out veggies from the crisper and methodically went through them with the knife: zucchini, onion, carrot, garlic, green pepper, celery. Then poured in a can of black beans and a can of kidney beans, then two cans of tomatoes--one sauce, one diced. And finally, added a bag of my favorite vegan crumbles (Beyond Beef). With the aroma of cumin and my heavy-handed scoops of some favorite chili blends (okay, it's Penzey's), my kitchen began to heal my soul. 

Low and slow--the way all chili should be cooked, the way all souls should heal. 

Quickly, while one eye was on the pot of chili, I whipped up a batch of brownies, too. 

Easy Vegan Veggie Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust (comfort food cooking. . . simple knitting)

I will give this pot pie recipe one thing, and that is, it came together in a snap. My prep work consisted of pulling a puff pastry sheet out from the freezer and putting it in the fridge while I went about sauteing an onion, some mushrooms and garlic, adding a can of tomatoes, then opening a bag of veggies, pouring in some ready-made potato leek soup (oh the horrors! but hey, that's life right now) and a smattering of seasoning, close it up with the pastry top, bake: ta-da! 

Vegan Buffalo Chik'n Chickpea Salad with Fresh Peaches (from the sewing room. . .with love, Frankie)

This dinner salad is quick, cool, yummy, satisfying and PERFECT for when it's Hot as Hades like it's been here in Missouri. And folks, it's been that way for a looong time now. I am no fan. 

It's a good thing I love salads for dinner and would eat them every night if I could. 

What attracted me to the recipe I riffed on was the inclusion of peaches.

 Peaches and Dinner=Love. 

Vegan Summer Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter (. . . feeding my "inner fashionista" hand sewing Alabama Chanin and joining Sew-a-longs)

The tomatoes have been piling up here. I had to do something. So I did Italian of course. Not that I needed a recipe to create a perfect fresh tomato sauce with pasta dinner. I didn't. But I believe anything Italian made well can be made even better with little pearls of wisdom from Marcella Hazan. Made with 2 lbs. of heirloom tomatoes, a half stick of vegan butter, an onion (peeled and cut into quarters), five cloves of garlic and cooked this according to Marcella at "a very slow but steady simmer for 45 minutes . . . until the fat floats from from the tomato". Her basic sauce omits the garlic and I can appreciate that option. But as far as I'm concerned, it's not really edible Italian Sauce without the garlic. I tasted the sauce while it was simmering without the garlic, it was "okay". As the sauce simmered, I thought it needed some umph: so I also added a fresh zucchini, a carrot, some celery and a can of garbanzo beans. This was a scrumptious meal. 

And an even better leftover the next night. 

I also added fresh basil and oregano from the garden, too--but toward the end of cooking. 

Finally, I hit it with some balsamic vinegar. Perfecto!

Vegan Quinoa Tacos with Black Beans, Corn and Guacamole (the veggie plot is ready. . . tomatoes beckon, asparagus not so much)

I blame this meal on Hillary. And the media. If I see her one more time ordering "that" food, I swear. Were there moments when I was ready to cave-in, get the car and go forth in dark sunglasses to my favorite lunch spot? Absolutely. But cooler heads prevailed and my own food pantry beckoned, and here's what we had instead. (Let's hope the media can spend the next year and a half focusing on something more relevant than Hillary's attire and sunglasses at a "refueling" stop from her campaign bus.) 

Don't. Get. Me. Started. 

This dinner came together in a snap and was only a two-pan clean-up. I love quinoa. Maybe even more than rice. (I've been known to combine the two!) I've been cooking a lot more lately with grains. Or at least trying to incorporate more of them into our dinners. I would typically go with lentils in my vegan taco dinner--but this proved a very worthy dinner entree. The next day, we had them for lunch--cold. No re-heating necessary. Really good. Tons of protein, fiber and iron. Skip to the bottom for the recipe.

Vegan Eggplant Almond Enchiladas from Moosewood (a puppy drama moment involving chocolate...gaahhhh!)

I swear, if it weren't for the Moosewood cookbooks in my collection, some nights, there'd be no dinner. I mean that literally. When the pull of kitchen apathy strikes, or major puppy trials--I find inspiration in their recipes. These eggplant almond enchiladas have earned a place in our dinner rotation (when I can find a "decent" eggplant in the middle of the country, in the middle of winter/early spring!). Say what you will of the combo eggplant/almonds--it works and it works deliciously. I'll tell you up front, there are a few pots and pans needed to bring this delicacy to the table in all its glory--small price to pay to do this right. You'll make your own enchilada sauce (which is no more than cumin/garlic enhanced diced tomatoes), then there's the toasting of the almonds, and the eggplant filling--which from a "throw together" standpoint is really not that big a deal, I mean you're already in the kitchen, right. Make it worth while and bring your cooking self out. 

Spicy Fried Buffalo Cauliflower N' Kale Wraps (The Blurry Puppy. . .PLUS: Cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi's "Plenty More" and etc.)

I can tell you honestly that if you crave drinking buffalo hot sauce straight from the bottle like I do, you will LOVE this wrap (though I don't recommend doing so, nor have I ever personally--but the thought has crossed my mind). In the midst of a mini-cold snap here, we had a hankering for some cold weather food favorites. Dr. Thyme and I went on our first date centered around food and the food of choice (way back before the vegan in us had emerged) was hot and spicy chicken wings. I had claimed I could tolerate any heat--the hotter the better. Spicy/Fried food lover, meet Mr. Fried Cauliflower. No one would be the wiser. And let me tell you, it even crunches like the other. (Only nothing was hurt during the creation of this meal.) I can't take credit for this fried cauliflower anomaly. The first I'd read about "frying" cauliflower was in Alice Water's cookbook, Chez Panisse Vegetables. (Or maybe one of her other cookbooks, but I do know it was Ms. Waters who has enlightened me on the matter of so many other vegetable cooking matters as well.) This recipe and making of this will require a bit of prep, and it is a little messy, but comes together in a jiff, so don't be all, I can't do this recipe with all those bowls and pans and stuff! Uh, yes you can.

Super simple and incredibly filling and tasty. Serve with a side of homemade fries. 

Vegan Asparagus and Roasted Cauliflower "Quick" Pizza (A girl walks into the botanical garden with her camera and. . . )

Pizza always works in this house. I'll whip up a batch of pizza dough in the bread machine to make the task of having to knead and rise the dough less cumbersome (not that there's anything wrong with hand kneading--but just not right now), thereby allowing more free time for me to either traipse through the yard, walk the dogs or dig up weeds, knit, hike, run--you get the picture. I found the perfect pizza dough recipe on the King Arthur site. At three in the afternoon--(I realize this is late in the day for deciding on pizza, but my dinner planning skills are on hiatus), I placed the ingredients in the bread machine, programmed it for the "dough" process, removed it from the machine, split it in half, prepared one pie for use immediately, and the other was put in the fridge for later. So easy. So quick. My kind of spring cooking. Plus dinner for another night, too!

Vegan Chicken Noodle and Double Dumpling Soup (wellness, my ankle and new stuff. . . )

The biggest decision I had to make in creating this amazingly restorative soup was which pasta noodle would best suit the desired outcome. I didn't want anything puny. I wanted robusto. I had some wide Italian non-egg noodles lying around and thought they'd fit the bill perfectly. To add a bit of incredibly over-the-top mouth feel to the dish, I'd decided it wouldn't hurt if some dumplings joined the fray. This was probably my best cure-all soups I've made in years. Here's why I needed said soup. 

*Jump to the soup at the bottom of the post to avoid my ramblings. 

BBQ Portobello Kimchi Burger (And. . . The Lampshade-Cone-on-My-Dog Saga)

So far in my lifetime, I've survived without ever having tried Kimchi. Well. That's now changed. Kimchi is a Korean condiment much like ketchup is to us. (Or so I've read.) It's fermented cabbage with spices and whatnot, and a flavor that is somewhat hard to describe (sour-ish, tart, spicy, bitter--but in a good way.) It made this burger taste out of this world and has become a new family favorite for all things needing "just a little bit of something" on it. The Kimchi in our neck of the woods comes in "spicy" and "mild". I went with "mild"--though now that we've been initiated, I'd go for spicy next time. I cannot tell you the number of times I've walked right by this little jewel of flavor in my produce section. I've picked it up maybe a dozen times and hemmed and hawed and thought, "I know I've read about this, but what exactly am I to do with it?" I am now Kimchi inspired.

Vegan Spinach, Tofu, Chard and Herb Pie (Don't Fear the Filo)

Food encased in dough. I'm in. I came across this recipe for Herb Pie in my cookbook, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamini (one of my most treasured cookbooks) and wanted to re-create his version (omit the cheese, eggs) and still have a delicious dinner with bragging rights. And I think I have. First, a word about my love/hate relationship with filo. It scares me. I could have just as easily substituted this recipe by using a myriad of other options reserved for food filling: the puff pastry, a regular pie pastry, a crumble-topped affair, to name a few. 

Sabih and Zhough: 'Jerusalem' Cookbook Inspired (And. . . For the Love of Book Fairs and Great Finds)

Sabih was never going to be something I just thought, "Oh, how about Sabih tonight?" Yes, if I'd had the chance to bond further with my Croatian born grandfather, perhaps a food trip or two would have been in order (I happen to know he loved food as much as my father did and as much as I do)--I may have encountered something akin to this dish on one of our excursions. But perhaps not. This is, according to my cookbook Jerusalem, a dish not from Jerusalem, but "developed by Iraqi Jews settling in the 1950s in the city of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv". Who knew? Ottolenghi says this eggplant/pita (yes I made my own spelt pitas to go with this) with yummy filling is "exciting street food". Well, for me, this dish is seasonal and super flavorful and exciting vegan dinner food. Made with eggplants I bought local-- because I can't get an eggplant to grow to save my life--combined with the other components (pictured below) and the husband and I were smitten throughout the entire meal. Here's a link to the full recipe. I added some left over vegan meatballs to this, just in case you wondered what that other non-eggplant looking item on the pita was. They, by the way, made a devilishly good addition to the sabih. In most instances the dish is served with hard boiled eggs. 

Smoky Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with Fresh Basil (Plus: It-Took-Me-Two-Nights Crocheted Farmers Market Bag)

If I get to a point where the dish rack has to be relocated to accommodate tomatoes on the kitchen counter, then this happens. I guess I could have made salsa, but that's usually what I want to do come September when the prospect of losing my plants to an early frost (and visions of us starving during a cold winter) sets in. 

Does the world need another pasta salad recipe? I think yes! I have a trick to making a dizzying good pasta salad, I always add a squeeze or two of Dijon mustard and tomato paste to the mix. I love Dijon mustard. Any interpretation of "pasta salad" works--to me, it's all in the dressing. And based upon your own particular preference, adding more acid to the salad or more oil is completely fine. Just taste as you make.

Mejadra (from Jerusalem: A Cookbook)

I guess my love of onions--fried, thank you, is what brought me to this dish. The basic components of the meal are lentils and rice. Don't underestimate what you can do with these two mandatory vegan kitchen ingredients. Paired with coriander seed, cumin seed, cinnamon, allspice and turmeric--and what you have is an incredibly flavorful dinner. 

I had no idea how much I missed fried onions. I was scooping up handfuls of the things as they came out of the pot faster than I could make them, then cursing myself for doing so because this just meant my cooking time kept getting extended. 

Vegan Buffalo Chicken "Potato" Pizza (Winter Food for Snowy Days, Blog Changes and. . . Veggie Seeds Now Sprouting!)

When my hot sauce cravings call, I try to answer. I found myself facing a dinner crisis yesterday afternoon. I'd been fiddling around with my blog all morning. Here it was now three in the afternoon already: what's for dinner?! Husband's favorite pizza is Jim Lahey's Pizza Patate. Anytime I ask, what kind of pizza he'd like? Pizza Patate! is nearly always the answer. I admit my admiration for this pizza as well, but the challenge for me as the cook and overall "health keeper of the house" has always been what to serve with this pizza. (Potatoes on dough does not a dinner make. To my mind, at least.) A nice salad usually suffices. But this time, I wanted to go bigger with bold flavor, but not so bold as to require a third or more a cup of hot sauce! My dilemma was solved with creating a roux for the hot sauce thereby using less of it, while not sacrificing any of the Buffalo flavor. 

The Best Meatball Pizza Ever (Or. . . how my search for a lesson on "short row knitting" lead to Peter Reinhart's lesson on "pizza". It was a Good day.)

I'm not new to the homemade pizza making world. It's our second favorite food group next to chocolate. And while I try not to make pizza night an every night affair (I easily could), when I do throw down for some pizza crafting time, I am always amazed at how different the crusts seem. It's one of my favorite searches--like for the next best chocolate chip cookie--I've made over a dozen of each (pizza crusts and cookies), and after each try I tell myself, "That's it!". Invariably, I forget what and where it was I'd found said "it" recipe, and find I'm at it again with a whole new recipe search. 

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Melts (I've put my hormones on "notice". . . and pass me more hot sauce, please!)

If anyone ever tells you menopause is "easy", turn around and smack them. I am on the door step of fifty. The. Door. Step. I am not ever going to state exactly when this milestone hits. That little blog section of mine entitled Almost Fifty will quietly be switched to something like On Death's Door. It will be quiet and uneventful. You might notice it one day and be shocked to see such a dramatic "label" within my search box. But it will appear and the day will have passed and all will roll on as it has: Sporadic postings of food and life ramblings. The usual. But with a tad more urgency perhaps. 

The whole idea for the Vegan Buffalo Chicken thing came about because I was a ravenous, menopausal mess. I wanted really BAD food, but in a good, vegan way. (We all know being vegan is not a panacea for all of life's ills, but just knowing we're at least trying by sticking to the whole "only plants" theme does ease the mind a bit, especially when you're talking about one of my past life loves: buffalo spice anything!)