Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

Recipe adapted from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/thai-lettuce-wraps/

Ingredients for Filling:

2 8-oz. pkg. plain tempeh, broken into chunks

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 Tbs. minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ cup lime juice

2 shallots, chopped

1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 tsp. sriracha

1 tsp. light brown sugar

Toppings:

Peanuts (ground into small pieces is best)

Raw green beans (chopped)

Carrot (shredded)

Cucumber (shredded)

Plus:

1 bunch of romaine lettuce

Sriracha, for serving,

Peanut sauce, for serving

Directions:

To make Filling: Pulse tempeh in food processor until coarsely crumbled. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add tempeh and broth, cover, and cook 
5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in remaining filling ingredients.

Wash and dry the individual lettuce leaves. Fill the lettuce with filling, then top with toppings and serve dipping sauces on the side.

Summer Couscous Salad with Halloumi and Chickpea Cutlets

adapted from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2394/summer-couscous-salad
Chickpea cutlet recipe here: (TBD)

INGREDIENTS:

1 package far east plain couscous plus water or vegetable broth for cooking
1 recipe chickpea cutlets:(TBD)
chickpeas left over from chickpea cutlet recipe, drained and rinsed
1-2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 package cherry-sized tomatoes,  sliced in half
1 small red onion
250g pack halloumi cheese , sliced

dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 small limes)
2 large garlic cloves , finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
½ tsp sugar

Instructions:

Cook the couscous according to package directions (does not take very long, so you do not HAVE to do this first).
Make the chickpea cutlets according to the instructions linked above.
Meanwhile, add all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in the chickpeas and follow with half the dressing. Mix well.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and zucchini slices over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Now put the tomatoes cut-side down into the pan, and cook for another couple of minutes until tinged brown on the underside. Top the couscous with the veggies.
If the pan is dry, pour in a little more oil and heat it up, then add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them over from time to time, until crisp and sizzled brown. Cut the chickpea cutlets into strips. Pile the halloumi and chickpea cutlets on top of the couscous and veggies, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve as soon as possible.

Jerk Soy Curls with Caribbean (Cauliflower) Coconut Rice & Beans

Recipe from: http://quicheaweek.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/jerk-seitan-andor-tofu-over-caribbean-rice-and-beans/

The first step is to prepare and marinate the soy curls. The marinade is homemade, so I recommend making a night ahead and marinating the soy curls overnight to have it ready the next day.

Marinade ingredients:


2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
juice from two limes
3 tsp brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 a medium sweet onion
2 green onions, sliced a little past where it turns green
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 (or a whole) scotch bonnet (or habanero) pepper, carefully deseeded and chopped

~3 cups Butler soy curls

Directions for marinating soy curls:
Soak the soy curls in water or veggie broth for 10 minutes. Drain and press most of the liquid out.
Combine all the ingredients above except for soy curls in a food processor and process (I used my Ninja).
Add prepared soy curls to a tupperware and pour marinade. Mix to coat.
Store in the fridge, covered, for at least a couple hours (preferable overnight).

Ingredients for "rice":


one small head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 medium-large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger (I used jarred ginger)
3/4 cup lite coconut milk
3/4 cup vegetable stock
juice from 1 lime
1 scotch bonnet (or habanero) pepper, intact
1 15oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
green onions for garnishing (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the soy curls over medium heat with any excess marinade until it begins to brown.

Meanwhile, make the "rice".

Process your cauliflower florets until they are the consistency of rice. Set aside.

Spray a wok or a big pot or a skillet or something with some cooking spray and saute the onions, garlic, and ginger until softened. Add the coconut milk, stock, lime juice, pepper, and cauliflower. Cover and bring to a boil. Take down to a strong simmer and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the cauliflower, 15-20 min. It still might be a little sloppy and that’s cool too. Add the kidney beans and cook a bit. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Remove the pepper. Add the pineapple and stir. Top with green onions before serving.

Black Bean "Hummus"

from http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/03/12/black-bean-hummus/

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 small jalapeño pepper, seeded

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, process cilantro, tahini, water, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, black beans, garlic and jalapeño until combined. Scrape down the bowl and continue to process until the hummus is smooth and creamy.
Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.