Broccoli_Killer

Walnut-Pine Tapenade

A vegan version of a Mediterranean classic! This savoury, textural olive-nut dip is a wonderful with appetizers, on bread or toast, stuffed into mushrooms, or used in a calzone stuffing with veggies and/or mushrooms

Vegan, rich in nut protein and naturally cholesterol-free


Easy to make
Prep time 15-ish minutes (if using pre-chopped nuts)
Serves: approx. 12 - 15

Can be served cold or room temp as a dip/condiment
(or hot, when it's used in baked foods.)


Tools:
-- Mixing bowl
-- Mixing spoon
-- Food processor

Ingredients:
1 cup olives (pitted)
1/2 c ground pine nuts
1/4 c ground walnuts
1/4 c oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 - 2 fresh cloves, mashed)
1/2 tsp drilled dill
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1.) Rinse the brine from the olives
2.) Put the olives in the food processor, and mash them up
until they are a rough paste (with a few chunks)
3.) Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl

Voila !

-- Store the tapenade in the fridge, in an air-tight container,
or in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap.


(I used green olives for mine)





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Paris Mushrooms stuffed with Tapenade and Celery

Textural tapenade with crispy celery bits and savoury baked mushrooms are a delicious way to add a little pizzazz to your table! A wonderful appetizer for a special occasion, or serve alongside pasta, potato, lentil, couscous, or rice dishes.

Vegan, rich in nut protein and naturally cholesterol-free


Easy to make
Prep Time: 20 min.
Baking time: 20 - 25 min

Serve hot

Tools:
-- knife
-- teaspoon
-- baking dish/tray

Ingredients:
6 large mushrooms
12 teaspoons of tapenade
6 teaspoons diced celery (with some leaves)
dried chives and shallot chips for garnish
spoonful of oil

Directions:
1.) Rub a spoonful of oil onto the bottom of a baking dish/pan
2.) Carefully remove the stems from the washed mushrooms
3.) Place 1 tsp of tapenade into each mushroom, and gently press it down with the back of the spoon
4.) Cut 3 of the stems in half, and insert a half-stem into each of the mushrooms 
     (towards the side, rather than the center)
5.) Add a teaspoon of diced celery, and gently press down with the back of the spoon, to secure the pieces.
6.) Add another teaspoon of tapenade, and garish with a few pinches of chives and shallot chips.
7.) Bake at 165°C for about 20 min. (they should be light brown and sizzling)
8.) Remove from the oven and add another pinch or two of garnish





 

This is mainly for inertiastar
and anyone else who has basil in need of something good.

Ingredients

* 2 cups fresh packed basil leaves (packed means, stuff them into a measure cup and press them down with your hand; it's not a precise measurement)
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup pine nuts (if you don't have pine nuts, you can use walnuts or hazelnuts)
* 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 tablespoon of prepared minced garlic)
* 1 tablespoon "fruit fresh" or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Fruit fresh is available at most grocery stores where canning supplied like pectin and pickling salt are sold. It is basically a form of citric acid / vitamin C, that helps prevent the pesto from turning brown upon exposure to the air.
* 1/4 cup Olive oil. It should be the "extra virgin" variety, not the ordinary cooking olive oil. If it is extra virgin, it will say that on the label: see the photo for an example of extra virgin (at left) next to cooking olive oil (at right).

Makes about 1 cup or prepared basil Pesto!



And that is it! You're done! It should look like the photo at right -->

Secret Tip:

Adding 1 teaspoon of sugar or Splenda to the batch really seems to bring the flavor alive. Try it and see!

The pesto will keep in refrigerator for about a week, or you can freeze it and it will last for 3 to 6 months.

This is modified from a James Martin recipe and makes for a delicious light lunch.

( Tomato and Sweetcorn SoupCollapse )

Cross-posted to Wheat-Free Veg and veggie_diaries

Hey all. I'm gonna try to get some recipes posted now that my exams are over, but this post is really just to show off my new blog...

Wheat-Free Veg is about my life as a vegetarian trying to go wheat-free. I'm posting reviews of wheat-free products - which will, of course, also be vegetarian - and I'm hoping to get a few recipes up soon.

If you're interested, please check it out!

Sweet Potato Cookies
(makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:    

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated, raw sweet potatoes

Directions:
1.Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt into medium bowl.
Set aside.

2.Cream butter or margarine with the sugar in a large mixing bowl.

3Mix in lemon peel, nutmeg, honey, & egg.
Then stir in the grated sweet potatoes.

4.Blend the flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture.

5.Place rounded teaspoons of the cookie dough
onto an ungreased cookie sheet (1/2 inch apart).

6.Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 7 minutes.
Remove cookies from sheet and put on a cooling rack.

4 medium sized Yukon potatoes (or potatoes of choice), quartered or cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 - 2 carrots, chunked
vegetable buillions (approx. 1 1/2 cubes)
1/2 packet of onion soup mix
curry powder
1/2 cup of soy milk
1 tbsp of corn starch
salt to taste

Heat up a pot of water, add chopped onions. Let simmer at medium-high heat for 10 min. Add vegetable buillions (I use the instant stock mix, approx. 2 tbsp), half packet of onion soup mix, potatoes & carrots. Let simmer for 15 min. then add curry powder. Keep adding until it's just right for you. Cover pot & simmer for 30 min. on medium heat. Add soy milk & corn starch. **To avoid floatin chunks of corn starch, use a bit of cold water to dissolve starch, mix with finger, then pour into pot. Stir. Add salt to taste.

Serve over a bed of rice & lima beans (optional).

My friend and I are lacto-ovo vegetarian, and we are both seriously considering the switch to veganism. However, we go to a small school (less than 2000 students), and there aren't necessarily that many choices for students on a meal plan. We will, however, be living in a house with a kitchen, and we will be able to cook a few times a week. Our concern is getting enough to eat while maintaining good nutrition. What advice can you offer us?

As for a completely different question, does anyone know of anywhere other than peta2 where I could find a vegetarian themed desktop wallpaper?

I really enjoy reading Brad Nelson's "Marriott in the Kitchen" blog, and have syndicated it here as marriottkitchen. You may not always be interested in reading along, but this morning's post features some great recipes for this season's tender asparagus!

http://www.chefblog.marriott.com/default.asp?item=2182629