Aloo Chole

Recipe adapted from: http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2005/11/22/chole-with-potatoesaloo-chole/

Ingredients:

1 1-lb bag of dried chickpeas
(cooked according to package directions - this usually involves soaking in water overnight and then boiling)
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Tbsp ready-made chana masala powder (any brand)
3 tsp - garlic-ginger-cilantro paste
1 tsp each - red chilli powder, salt and turmeric
1/4 tsp each - mustard seeds and cumin seeds
cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat one teaspoon of peanut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add and toast mustard seeds and cumin, wait till they start to dance; then add ginger-garlic-cilantro paste and onions, saute for few minutes until onions soften.

Grab a few handfuls of cooked chickpeas and mash them until they are a smooth paste.
Add the ingredients - potatoes, tomatoes, chickpea paste, chana masala powder, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric, along with 2 cups of water (you can add up to 1 cup more if needed). Cook them covered for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are slightly tender.

At this stage, stir in chickpeas. Turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the curry thickens.

I served this with rice and naan.

"Skinny" Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Tomato and Vegetarian Chicken

Recipe adapted from:  http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/03/skinny-spaghetti-squash-alfredo.html

Ingredients:
1 medium-large spaghetti squash
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance margarine)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese (I used shredded)
few shakes red pepper flakes
few shakes italian seasoning
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 large tomato (or 2 small, or 4 little)
1 package Quorn chicken tenders (or other vegetarian chicken)

Directions:
Roast the squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut squash in half, and scrape out the seeds and gooey bits. Place sides face down in a baking pan with sides, filled with 1/2-1 inch of water. Roast for 30-45 minutes.

While the squash is roasting:
- Chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces
- Cook the veg chicken in a frying pan until browned and cooked through
- Make the sauce:
---melt the butter in a saucepan, add garlic and cook for a few minutes.
---add the flour and wisk into a paste
---add the milk and wisk until combined well over medium heat
---once hot, add cream cheese and spices and wisk until combined well
---take off of heat and mix in parmesan cheese

Remove all of the flesh from the squash with a fork - it will be a spaghetti consistency.
In a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9):
layer squash, some of the sauce and chicken and tomatoes. Then layer with the remaining squash, sauce, tomatoes and chicken. Stir until mixed well and spread evenly in the dish. Top with parmesan cheese, and place under the broiler (low) for up to 5 minutes - until cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Vegan Red Beans & Cauliflower Rice

Recipe from: http://quicheaweek.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/vegan-red-beans-and-cauliflower-rice/

Ingredients:
for red beans:
2 tablespoons of vegetable stock or water
½ medium onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced small
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
2 15oz cans of red beans, drained from their goo (I used 1 can of kidney and 1 can of small red beans)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon creole/cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ - ¾ tsp salt
1 cup (dry) textured vegetable protein, hydrated with veggie broth

for cauliflower rice:
½ medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Directions:
In a large pot, heat up your vegetable stock or water over medium heat.
Cook the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until they’re soft. Add the can of diced tomatoes and both cans of red beans, stir.
Add in the paprika, oregano, cajun seasoning, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then down to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Uncover, mix all about, adjust the seasonings as you see fit, and add the hydrated TVP. Bring to a boil again then down to a simmer, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings if you need to.

Make your cauliflower rice while your beans are simmering:

Put the onion, celery, and garlic into a food processor and pulse a few times til minced. Heat a tablespoon or two of water in a wok over medium heat. Add the onion/celery/garlic mixture and saute for 10 minutes or so.

In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower florets until the pieces are rice kernel sized. Add the cauliflower to the skillet, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste.

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.

Healthy Vegan Chili

Recipe is from: http://86lemons.com/fat-melting-veggie-chili/

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2½ cups diced red onions
1 cup diced carrots
2 bell peppers, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 (10 oz) bag frozen corn

2 Tbsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. chili powder
4 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeños
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 (14.5 oz) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans
1 (15 oz) black beans
1 (15 oz) can Adzuki beans (I used white northern beans instead)
2 Tbsp. chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste

optional:
1 to 2 cups vegetable  broth or vegetable juice (You can also just use water.)


Directions:
STEP 1
In a large, heavy-bottom pot, warm the oil and sauté the onions, carrots, peppers, and sweet potatoes, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

STEP 2
Stir in the cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic and jalapeño and cook a few more minutes until fragrant.

STEP 3
Add the tomatoes, beans, oregano, chipotle in adobo, tomato paste and cinnamon. At this point, you can add a little vegetable broth, vegetable juice or water if you like your chili a bit thinner.

STEP 4
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stir in the corn; cook 5 more minutes, until corn is heated through. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Vegetarian (Gardein) Chicken Parm

Recipe from: http://www.gardein.com/recipe_detail.php?r=79

Ingredients:
1 package Gardein Chikn Scallopini (In this recipe you bread/fry it yourself. You can also skip this by getting the Gardein cutlets which are already breaded and come with sauce. But doing it yourself is better)


white all purpose flour
1 whole egg
bread crumbs

2 cups tomato sauce of your choice
~1 cup canola oil for frying
7oz | 200g dried spaghetti noodle of your choice
2oz | 50g olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
to taste: salt, black pepper

Directions:

for the spaghetti, bring to the boil heavily salted water. (follow cooking instructions on the box).

In a large flat bottom bowl (large enough to fit the scallopini) whisk the egg until smooth.
Dust the scallopini in flour, shake off excess flour and roll in whisked egg. gently roll in the bread crumbs and fully coat the scallopini.

Add canola oil (at least 1/4" of oil) and preheat pan to a medium heat. pan fry the scallopini for about 90 secs each side until golden brown.once golden, spoon enough sauce to cover the scallopini and top with the mozzarella and parmesan. keep the rest of the cheeses for the pasta. bake at 375°C until cheese is melted and lightly golden (about 5-10 mins).

once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, return to heat and add sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper.neatly arrange the noodles in the center of both plates, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. top with the gardein™ chick´n parmesan and garnish with a sprig of herb.

tip: do not rinse pasta under cold water, this rises off the starch and lowers the quality of the dish.

Thai Green Curry Lentil and Potato Stew

adapted from a recipe from the trader joes vegetarian cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Trader-Joes-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/1612431097/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

(Note: The original recipe called for 1/2 package of lentils, so I doubled it in order to use the whole package since I didn't have a plan for the rest and didn't want to waste them)

Ingredients:
2 small yellow onions
olive oil
1-2 tsp minced garlic (jarred)
1 package trader joe's cooked lentils
2 medium sized potatoes
2 jars trader joe's thai green curry simmer sauce
4 medium sized tomatoes

for serving:
Trader joe's frozen thai jasmine rice (comes in a box with 3 individual bags of rice)

Directions:
Chop onions. In a large pan, cook onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onions start becoming translucent. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Microwave the potatoes until they are starting to get soft (this is necessary or else you will be simmering FOR EVER). Add potatoes, lentils, and simmer sauce to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft enough to eat. While simmering, chop tomatoes (remove the seeds). Add tomatoes to the pan and simmer (covered) for 5 more minutes. Serve with rice.

Enchiladas with Black Beans and Rice

These are SO GOOD.
adapted from: http://www.motherthyme.com/2012/10/black-bean-and-rice-enchiladas-with.html

shown here served with avocado and salsa

Ingredients:

For Enchilada Sauce:
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For Enchiladas:
2 cups cooked brown rice (save yourself time and buy one of those microwave pouches of already cooked rice. I bought seeds of change brown rice and quinoa with garlic).
15.5 oz. can black beans - drained and rinsed!
1 cup corn (I used some thawed frozed corn)
1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 cups Mexican cheese
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe above)
10 6" flour tortillas (I found slightly larger tortillas - maybe 10 inch? package of 8, and the filling fit perfectly in 8 of them)


Instructions

For Enchilada Sauce:
In a small bowl wisk together tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cayenne, pepper flakes, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt and cumin until blended and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir in flour until flour dissolved. Gradually whisk in tomato mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir until sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.Makes 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce.

For Enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray non stick cooking spray on a 9"x13" casserole dish and set aside. (I ended up using 1 9x13 pyrex dish plus another 8x8...probably because I had larger tortillas)
In a large bowl combine rice, black beans, corn, salsa, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Stir until combined.
Divide mixture between each tortilla. Wrap each tortilla and place seam side down in casserole dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top.
Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NOTES:
To reduce the fat/calories, next time I may half the canola oil and flour (just because the sauce was VERY thick, and I think it would have been fine a little bit thinner). Also might be worth trying low fat or fat free or whole wheat tortillas, low fat cheese, or no-sodium products to make it a little healthier. I'm also wondering if reducing the salt in the sauce will make any difference.

Ryan's Ghost Pepper and Jalapeno Salsa

adapted from: http://www.insanechicken.com/blog/ghost-pepper-salsa-recipe/

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes * , peeled and chopped
1 can plain diced tomatoes (optional - see below)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small/medium yellow onion, chopped
jalapenos, chopped (Ryan used 4)
ghost peppers, chopped (fresh - Ryan used 3)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
small amount of water (optional)

*We only had 3 small/medium tomatoes from the garden plus some cherry tomatoes. we used these plus a can of plain diced tomatoes. If you have enough fresh tomato you can omit the canned. The canned added a significant amount of liquid so adding water was not necessary. I would wait til all ingredients are added before you decide whether more moisture is needed.

Instructions:
First, peel the tomatoes. To do this, bring a pot of water to boil. cut a shallow "X" pattern on the bottom of each tomato. Drop into boiling water for about 30 seconds until skin starts to wrinkle. Take out and place in a bath of ice water. Then peel the skin off and chop into chunks. (Very small tomatoes will only take a few seconds in the boiling water).

Add chopped tomatoes to a pan with all other ingredients. Turn up heat until bubbling then turn to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Add salsa to food processor or blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate.

Falafel Pie

adapted from : http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/2012/03/falafel-pie.html

Ingredients:

1 cup falafel mix
1/2 cup water
hummus
1 or 2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 or 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
tahini

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the falafel mix with water and press into the bottom of a pie pan or a square baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
While falafel is baking, slice tomatoes and cucumber.
When falafel is done remove from over and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread a layer of hummus over the falafel. Then add tomatoes and cucumber. Drizzle tahini over the top. Slice and serve.