• Fresh Chinese noodles
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 block extra-firm tofu (7 oz), sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, sliced at an angle
• 1 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch bok choy, roughly chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger or jarred ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons asian hot sauce

Instructions

1. Deep fry or shallow fry tofu until crispy on the outside.
2. Boil noodles just until al dente. Drain.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok until very hot.
4. Cook each kind of vegetable separately, removing when cooked but crispy. Add more oil as needed.
5. Lower heat and prepare sauce by adding garlic and ginger to wok, cooking for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and hot sauce.
6. Add noodles, vegetables, and tofu to sauce. Stir and cook until noodles absorb some of the sauce and everything has combined.

• 1 eggplant
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste (coarse, freshly ground pepper is good here)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place eggplant on it and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, turning every 15 minutes until skin is black all over.
3. Remove eggplant and let cool.
4. Cut eggplant in half and remove soft flesh.
5. Add olive oil and garlic to bowl of chopper. Pulse until garlic is minced.
6. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until desired texture. Adjust seasonings and add more olive oil or cream cheese to adjust consistency.

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 bottle Guinness
• 1 stick melted butter, cooled slightly
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream (I used low-fat)
• raspberry jam for filling and powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer, mix together the beer, butter, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time and sour cream. Mix until well combined.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Add batter to cake pan.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fork come out clean.
7. Cool and serve with jam and dust with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. Whisk with the mixer.
4. Add buttermilk and mix until combined.
5. Remove from bowl and place on a floured surface, kneading a few times.
6. Shape into round and place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Slash top of dough with a sharp knife.
8. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake for another 15 minutes until dough sounds hollow when tapped.
9. Cool on wire rack.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/brown-irish-soda-bread/feed/ 0 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/beef-or-vegetarian-guinness-stew-your-choice/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/beef-or-vegetarian-guinness-stew-your-choice/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:25:04 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=22 Sometimes there’s no substitute for the flavor meat brings to the table. This seems to be especially true for soups and stews where the meat has a big chance to shine with its luscious goodness melting into the broth.

This past St. Patrick’s Day I made a beef and Guinness stew, and I also spun it off into a vegetarian tempeh version that had quite a bit of flavor in its own right.

I served it with a brown Irish soda bread and Guinness, as usual!

Here’s how I did it.


Ingredients for Both Dishes

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2″ chunks
• 1 large potato, cut into 1″ chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 bottle Guinness
• 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon, No Beef Base, Vegetarian
• salt and pepper to taste

Additional Ingredients for Beef Version

• 1 pound chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Additional Ingredients for Vegetarian Tempeh Version

• 1 8oz package tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Additional 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon, No Beef Base
• Additional 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preparing the tempeh and meat

1. Mix flour on a large plate with salt and pepper.
2. Dip tempeh in water and dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
3. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil and 1/2 of the butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven until hot.
4. Fry tempeh until brown on all sides. Remove from pan and turn off heat.
5. Dredge meat in remaining flour.
6. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in another large pot until hot.
7. Sear meat allowing it to brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

Instructions

1. Returning to the pan where the tempeh was fried, heat the excess oil on moderate heat.
2. Add mushrooms and onions and a pinch of salt until they’ve given off their liquid.
3. Add carrots and potatoes, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute to meld the flavors.
5. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and the spices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Remove 1/2 of the vegetables (make sure to remove 1 of the bay leaves) and add it to the meat pan on medium heat.
7. Add the tempeh back to the pan that contains only vegetables.
8. Add 1/2 bottle of Guinness to both pans and scrape off all of the bits from the bottom of the pans.
9. Add 1/2 of the water to each pan with the bouillon. Add the additional bouillon and tomato paste to the vegetarian version.
10. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 1/2-2 hours until meat is very tender. Season with additional salt and pepper and serve.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/beef-or-vegetarian-guinness-stew-your-choice/feed/ 6 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/tuna-mayo-sandwich/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/tuna-mayo-sandwich/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:26:43 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=21 A tuna sandwich can be a simple yet protein-packed meal. Here, I’ve fancied it up a bit with a caper and tarragon mayonnaise. The capers give a nice acidic, almost lemony, taste. An ever-so-small amount of cayenne pepper just gives a hint of a kick. And the ripe tomatoes…they really make the sandwich. Sweet and juicy.

Caution: Tuna can be high in mercury.
Check out Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna with “minimal mercury.”

Ingredients

• 1 can of tuna
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons capers in vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced tomatoes and pickles
• bread of choice

Instructions

1. Combine mayonnaise, capers, mustard, tarragon, cayenne, and salt and pepper in small bowl.
2. Mix tuna with mayonnaise and assemble.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/tuna-mayo-sandwich/feed/ 1 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/spicy-vegetarian-chili-over-baked-potatoes/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/spicy-vegetarian-chili-over-baked-potatoes/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:39:22 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=19 Spicy vegetarian chili is a dish that I make regularly because it’s so easy and healthy, and it cleans out my refrigerator. I very roughly chop everything producing a chunky stew. Serve it over a baked potato or in a bowl and use whatever vegetables and beans you have on hand. It’s foolproof.

Vegetarian Chili Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
• 1 12 oz package Yves Meatless Ground Round Original (Substitute other vegetarian ground beef, omit, or use real beef. Brown first if using beef.)
• 1 tablespoon Mexican-style chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 14 oz canned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can rinsed kidney, black, or other beans
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushrooms with a pinch of salt and fry until mushrooms have given off their liquid and have begun to brown.
3. Add onion, peppers, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened.
4. Add garlic, zucchini, meat, and spices. Cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly.
5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, water, and salt and pepper.
6. Reduce heat and cook covered for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/spicy-vegetarian-chili-over-baked-potatoes/feed/ 0 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/crispy-skinned-baked-potatoes/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/crispy-skinned-baked-potatoes/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:16:47 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=16 I love baked potatoes, complete with butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. Here’s a version I adapted from a technique I saw Alton Brown do on Good Eats, one of many things I’ve learned from that show.


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Wash potatoes and prick them deeply all over with a paring knife.
3. Roll them in extra virgin olive oil.
4. Place in oven directly on rack.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and then flip over.
6. Bake for an additional 30 minutes until crisp and golden.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/crispy-skinned-baked-potatoes/feed/ 1 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/pickled-red-peppers/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/pickled-red-peppers/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:31:44 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=14 I’ve been experimenting with pickling recently. It’s one of those things that I’d never attempted and didn’t know the first thing about. I’ve done jalapeños with carrots and most recently red peppers. Here’s the incredibly easy technique and recipe. The peppers are great on a crusty roll with a creamy cheese (we used Danish Havarti) and crispy lettuce.

Ingredients
• 6 red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch long strips
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, halved
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns

Instructions

1. Bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer until peppers are softened but still intact, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Fill jar with vegetables and top with liquid. Refrigerate and enjoy!
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/pickled-red-peppers/feed/ 0 http://www.flexitarianfood.com/vegetarian-stuffed-pepper-recipe/ http://www.flexitarianfood.com/vegetarian-stuffed-pepper-recipe/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:23:48 +0000 Rachael http://www.flexitarianfood.com/?p=3 I recently discovered that my local produce shop has $1 grab bags of vegetables that are close to being too overripe to use. After coming home and seeing all of the peppers I snagged, it was the perfect opportunity to make a vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe. I opted to use Tofurky Italian Sausage, but you could easily use tempeh or vegetarian ground-beef crumbles or even the real thing. Experiment with different peppers, too. The orange ones were significantly sweeter and more flavorful than the green peppers. I served it with a simple green salad with a vinaigrette.

Ingredients
• 6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 grated zucchini
• 14 oz canned plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup liquid reserved from can of tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• dash cayenne pepper, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
3. Sweat the onions over moderate heat with a dash of salt until translucent.
4. Pulse the sausages in a food processor until roughly minced.
5. Add the sausage, mushrooms, garlic, zucchini and spices to the onions. Sprinkle with salt and cook until mushrooms and zucchini have given off their liquid.
6. Stir in tomatoes and rice and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes have been integrated into the filling.
7. Remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese.
8. Line a baking dish with liquid reserved from the can of tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Place peppers onto baking dish and spoon filling into peppers until it reaches the top of each pepper.
10. Cover the peppers and baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each pepper.
12. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until cheese is brown.
]]> http://www.flexitarianfood.com/vegetarian-stuffed-pepper-recipe/feed/ 0