Stir Fried Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

FILLING

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

MASHED POTATOES

• 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, thoroughly washed
• 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
2. Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add add desired amount of vegan butter (2-4 Tbsp), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
3. While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9x13 pan. An 8x8 won’t fit it all but close!).
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until lightly browned and caramelized - about 5 minutes.
5. Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).
6. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.
7. OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, add 2-3 Tbsp mashed potatoes and stir. Alternatively, scoop out 1/2 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken.
8. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
9. Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.
10. Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.

https://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/

Edamame Dip

Ingredients

12 to 16 ounces shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup, packed, roughly chopped fresh cilantro, including stems

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, roughly chopped

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lime or lemon juice

1-2 teaspoons salt

5 shakes of Tabasco (less or more to taste)

3 drops of dark sesame oil (more to taste)

Steps:

Bring 2 quarts of well salted water (2 Tbsp salt) to a boil. Add the shelled edamame. Return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until cooked through and tender. Drain with cold water.

Place drained cooked edamame in a food processor. Pulse several times. Add the chopped cilantro. Pulse again. Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until well puréed. Add more water if you want a smoother consistency. Adjust seasonings (salt, Tabasco, lime, sesame oil). Serve with pita, chips, crostini, Makes about 2 cups.

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Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pound kale, well rinsed

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt

4 Tbsp tahini (use tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, not raw)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3-4 Tbsp water

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

STEPS

1. Using a sharp paring knife, cut out the rib of each kale leaf. Discard or compost. Slice the leaves roughly 1/2-inch thick.

2. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

3. Add the kale to the sauté pan. Even if you have a pretty large pan, the kale will be practically falling out of it. Put in as much as you can and use tongs to turn over and mix with the oil and onions. After a couple minutes the kale should wilt a bit so you can add the rest of the raw kale. Cook, turning the kale leaves over occasionally until the kales leaves have wilted and are tender. Sprinkle a little salt over the kale leaves while cooking.

4. While the kale is cooking, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and dark sesame oil. Add more salt and sesame oil to taste.

5. Once the kale is done, toss in the sauce, reserving a little to drizzle on top.

Serve, topped with a little sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.

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Sweet-Potato and Parsnip Purée

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and parsnips and boil gently until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor.
Add butter and purée until smooth. Add milk, brown sugar, and salt and blend well. Season with pepper. Serves 4.

Gourmet | January 2001

Green Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
3 cloves garlic, still in their peels
2 jalapenos
Salt
3-4 large Anaheim chiles
12 corn tortillas
Canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Sour cream
Cilantro

You can substitute prepared canned tomatillo salsa verde for the tomatillo sauce (you'll need two cups), and canned whole Anaheim green chiles for the chiles (remove the seeds and stems if still in the chiles).

Preparation
Prepare the tomatillo sauce. Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse off the tomatillos. Cut them in half and place them cut-side down on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the garlic and jalapeños on the pan with the tomatillos. Broil on the top rack on the oven for 5-7 minutes until the tomatillos are lightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool to touch. Remove garlic from the garlic skins, discard the skins. Cut open the jalapeños and remove and discard the seeds and the stems. Place tomatillos, cooked garlic, the jalapeños, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a blender, pulse until well puréed. Set aside. (You can make several days in advance and store in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the Anaheim chiles. If you have a stove-top gas burner, you can roast the chiles directly over the flame of the burner (see How to roast chile peppers over a gas flame), otherwise use a broiler and broil the chiles in a roasting pan, turning them until they are blackened all over. Place the blackened chiles in a small brown paper bag. Close the bag and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Then remove the chiles from the bag and peel off and discard the blackened skin. Slice open the chiles and remove and discard the seed pod, any seeds (they're hot!) and the stems. Slice the chiles into strips.

Cook the tortillas. Heat a couple tablespoons of canola or grapeseed oil in a frying pan (cast iron works well) on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add a corn tortilla to the pan. The tortilla should sizzle as it hits the pan. Turn it over and let it cook until little pockets of air start to bubble up in the tortilla. Then use a metal spatula to remove the tortilla from the pan, shaking off any excess oil, to a plate lined with paper towels. Continue to the tortillas this way, adding more oil as needed, separating the tortillas that are cooling with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a little of the tomatillo sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. One by one, place a little grated cheese and a strip or two of green chiles in the center of the tortillas, roll them up, and place them in the casserole. Once you have filled the casserole with the rolled tortillas, spread the remaining tomatillo sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F, until cheese is melted
Serve with sour cream (thinned with some water) drizzled over, and some chopped fresh cilantro. Also good with it is thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been sprinkled with cider or white vinegar and salt. Makes for excellent leftovers, will keep in the refrigerator for days. Serves 4-6.

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Curried Split Pea Soup

Ingredients
16 oz dried split peas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced small
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
1 carrot to grate in at the end (optional)

Spice Blend
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
generous pinch cinnamon

Preparation
Saute the onions in the olive oil at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Saute 2 more minutes.

Add the water and stir well. Add the splitpeas. Cover and bring to a boil.

Bring heat back down to medium, let soup simmer for about an hour, until peas are tender. Grate in the carrot and serve. You can garnish with fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.

Isa/Postpunkkitchen.com

May Kaidee Pad Thai

Ingredients
1 tablespoon peanut oil
carrot, onion, tomato
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 egg
pre-soaked glass noodles
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Toppings:
bean sprouts
chopped spring onion
roasted peanuts
chili flakes
lime juice

Steps
Fry and small handful of shredded carrot and onion and chopped tomatos in oil. Add one large spoonful of cooked tofu, garlic and raw egg. When the egg is cooked on the underside, break it up and add a portion of noodles.

Mix well together to combine the flavors and season with soy sauces and sugar. Add toppings and serve. Serves 1.

Joanna McGowan
May Kaidee Cooking School - Bangkok, Thailand

Tom Yam Soup

Ingredients
2 kaffir lime leaves
galangal
fresh lemongrass
shredded carrot
onion
tomato
tofu
dark soy sauce
light soy sauce
mixed veggies (cabbage, etc)
sugar
spring onion
coriander leaf
lime juice
Tom Yam chili paste
coconut milk

Steps
In the wok, boil a soup bowl of water per serving. Add two crushed kaffir lime leaves, two bruised slices of galangal and two inches of bruised lemongrass for flavoring. Add one tablespoon of shredded carrot and onion and chopped tomato, then add one tablespoon of prepared tofu and one handful of mixed vegetables. When boiling, add one dessert spoonful each of dark and light soy sauces and one teaspoonful of sugar. Turn off the heat when the vegetables are tender and before the water is all gone. To finish, add one tablespoon of mixed, chopped spring onion and coriander leaves, one teaspoon of lime juice, one teaspoon of Tom Yam chili paste and one dessert spoon of coconut milk.

Variation
For Tom Kah soup, reduce the water and add more coconut milk.

Joanna McGowan, July 2008
May Kaidee Cooking Class - Bangkok, Thailand

Swiss Chard

Ingredients
1 lb swiss chard (1 bunch)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Steps
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Wash chard leaved in several changes of cold water.

Pull the stems out of each leaf and cut stems into 1/2 inch chunks. Dry the leaves on paper towels or spin in a salad spinner.

Put the stems in a 2 inch deep baking dish that is large enough to accommodate all the chard leaves later (I use an 8 by 8 pyrex). Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Roast in the middle of the oven until the stems are tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Pile the leaves on top of the stems. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Toss with tongs and return to the oven. Roast until the greens wilt, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cream, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven until cream is bubbly and Parmesan is melted. Serves 2.

Beyond Salmon

Spinach with Sesame and Garlic

Ingredients
3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 lb fresh spinach, large stems removed, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds*

Steps
Put 2 Tbsp of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat; a minute later add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is completely wilted. Turn heat to low.

Stir in the sugar and soy sauce and cook for a few more moments. Turn off the heat; add salt to taste. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold, drizzled with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

* To toast sesame seeds, heat a stick-free skillet on medium high. Add raw sesame seeds and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir. The seeds will make a popping noise and jump up, almost like popcorn. They will toast very quickly, so stir constantly until they begin to brown and smell like they are toasted. Remove from pan into a separate bowl as soon as they are done.

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Roasted Garlic

Steps
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

4. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

Eat as is (I love straight roasted garlic) or mash with a fork and use for cooking. Can be spread over warm French bread, mixed with sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes, or mixed in with Parmesan and pasta.

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Roasted Baby Carrots

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of 5 inch long baby carrots, carefully washed, greens cropped to 1 inch above top of carrot
1 red onion, peeled, cut into 8 wedges
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Gently toss together the carrots, red onion, rosemary to coat with the olive oil. Lay out on a rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes on middle rack or bottom rack, until well browned. Serves 4.

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Baby Bok Choy with Cashews

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions, including green ends
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, larger leaves separated from base, base trimmed but still present, holding the smaller leaves together
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Salt
1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews

Steps
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy. Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover, and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)

2. Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.

3. Gently mix in cashews. Serves 4.

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Simple Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps
1. Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

2. Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
15 large button mushrooms, wiped clean
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 block of low fat cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Italian style bread crumbs

Steps
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a tin foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel then carefully remove stems. Add the mushroom stems, bell pepper, onion and garlic to a food processor and mix until chopped finely. Combine mushroom mixture in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mozzarella, basil, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season if needed. Scoop filling into mushroom caps. Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan on top of each mushroom and place on baking sheet. Bake uncovered in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

For The Love Of Cooking

Spicy Corn Fritters

Ingredients

Fritters
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water
2 cups of corn kernels, (see steps for cutting corn from a cob) cut from 3 large cobs (or frozen corn, defrost and drain first)
4 large scallions or green onions, finely sliced (about half a cup)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Grapeseed, canola, or peanut oil (a high smoke point oil) for frying

Dipping Sauce
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large clove garlic, minced

Steps
1. Make the dipping sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high, let boil for 5-10 minutes or so, until the mixture becomes somewhat syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool. The sauce should continue to thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little water to it to thin it out a bit.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground coriander, and ground cumin in a medium bowl. Add egg, lemon juice and water. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir until just combined.

3. Heat a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot (shimmering not smoking), spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons worth of fritter batter into the pan to form one fritter, patting it down with the back of the spoon as soon as it is in the pan. Work in batches. Leave about 1/2 inch between the fritters in the pan. Let cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping the fritters when they are nicely browned on one side. When browned on the other side, remove the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

Add oil as needed to keep the bottom of the pan well coated. Note that the fritters will likely splatter a bit as you are cooking. So, either use a screen splatter guard, or wear long sleeved clothes while you cook.

Makes approximately 16 fritters. Serve immediately with the sweet chili dipping sauce.

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7-Layer Bean Dip

Ingredients
2 cups of refried beans (15-ounce can or homemade)
1 teaspoon of chipotle powder, Tabasco chipotle sauce, or adobo sauce, more to taste (or plain chili powder to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped green Anaheim chiles (canned) OR a Tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 hot house tomato, cut in half horizontally, seeds and juice gently squeezed out and discarded, chopped
1/3 cup of sour cream, or if you can get it Crema Mexicana (Mexican sour cream)
1/2 small can of sliced ripe black olives

Steps
1. Heat the refried beans in a medium sauté pan or cast iron skillet. Stir in enough water to get a creamy, easily dip-able consistency, about 1/4 of a cup. The taste of refried beans is greatly enhanced by bacon fat; we'll add a teaspoon to canned beans or a tablespoon or more to taste if we are making the beans from scratch. If you don't have bacon fat, you can cook up a strip of bacon, chop it up fine and add that to the beans. If you are trying to avoid pork, note that most canned refried beans are made with added lard, so check the ingredients. You can use olive oil instead, to help the consistency of the beans.

2. Mix in the chipotle chili powder (or Tabasco, or adobo, or regular chili powder) and cumin to taste. Note that the avocados and the sour cream will cool down the spiciness of the beans considerably, so you can afford to be a bit more spicy than you might think. Stir in salt to taste, depending on how salted your refried beans are to begin with, and depending on how salty the tortilla chips are that you are serving with the dip.

3. Once the beans are hot and bubbly, spread them over the bottom of a warmed serving dish. Immediately add the shredded cheese so that the heat from the beans helps melt the cheese. (The cheese doesn't need to be completely melted, but even if it is just a little, it will help the dip stay on the chip.)

4. Layer on the chopped green chilies, chopped avocado, chopped tomato. Spoon on the sour cream (or crema Mexicana, crema fresca, or even cream fraiche). Top with sliced green onions and olives. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Serves 8.

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Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 large tomatoes, quartered
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges or 4 or 5 slices
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick wedges
6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups or more of vegetable broth
4 cups of finely chopped kale
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz can of Great Northern white beans, drained

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (reduce heat by 25°F if using convection oven). Brush rimmed baking sheet with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

2. Cut squash and carrots into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in food processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Can be made a day ahead. Serves six.

Adapted from Bon Appetit
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Yam Souffle

Ingredients
4 large yams (approx. 4 pounds)
3T butter
1/2 c heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites at room temp.
Pinch cream of tartar

Steps
Bake yams at 375 for 30 minutes. Prick and bake 30 more minutes or until very soft.

Scrape flesh into a bowl, mash with the back of a spoon and season with salt and pepper. They can be prepared up to this point a day ahead.)

Heat butter and cream in saucepan just until the butter melts. Stir into yams and add egg yolks.

Beat egg whites with pinch of salt. When frothy, add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the yam mixture.

Spoon into buttered 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish. Smooth the top and score it lightly. Optional: sprinkle with brown sugar.)

Bake at 475 for 15-20 minutes, until yams are puffed and lightly browned at the edge.

Gourmet Magazine
October 1984