Crispy Smashed Rosemary Potatoes

Is there anything better than a good roasted potato?

I love, love, LOVE any potato recipe that doesn’t require frying. These baked crushed red potato recipe is unreal and I ate 10 out of the 12 potatoes in just one sitting. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. Topped with some chickpea gravy or vegan cheddar and you’ve got yourself an insanely delicious dish that any carnivore would be happy to eat. Plus, smooshing potatoes is fun!

12 red potatoes, boiled

2 tbsp olive oil

Rosemary, salt and black pepper to taste (I used ALOT of each!)

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Using the bottom of a cup or bowl, smash the boiled potatoes onto a greased baking sheet while they’re still hot
• Drizzle the olive oil over the tops of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt, rosemary and black pepper
• Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes

Apple-Picking & Apple Burritos!

Now that September is coming to an end, I can FINALLY fully embrace fall.

I snickered when Shipyard Pumpkin was out before my pool closed. I groaned in disgust when all things Halloween and autumn started popping in local stores.

But now’s the right time. The weather is fully cooling off, I’ve bought myself some fabulous new boots, broken out the sweaters and of course, gone pumpkin and apple-picking.

Apple-picking is somewhat of a tradition (OK, it’s only our second year) among the girls at work and we returned to the orchards this past weekend. Arikka and I were ambitious with our apple recipes and we each brought home a whopping 12.2 pounds of apple, to which we paid a mere $15. It’s always a fun experience and picking the apples is just as fun as eating them.

One of my co-workers, Peter, actually came up with the idea for these apple burritos when he’d had one too many beers at Red Sox game. It turned out to be brilliant though and these burritos are perfect for breakfast or dessert. How awesome is it when a drunk idea actually turns out to be a sober success?!

4 whole wheat tortilla/burrito wraps

2 apples of your choice, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

• In a saucepan, cook apples in orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and sea salt over medium heat for 2 minutes
• Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook, partially covered for 5 more minutes
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg and cook on medium heat for a few more minutes, stirring continuously
• Add cornstarch and water and pecans and stir together for another minute, so that most of the liquids are gone and the mixture is sticky
• Remove from heat, add maple syrup and pecans and stir until combined
• Wrap up into burritos and serve!

(cool tree at the orchards at Tougas Farm)

 

 

Tempeh & Corn Chili

File this one under “food that looks so much like real meat it’s creepy”.

I an enamored this this chili. It’s hearty and spicy, and the mix of corn, beans, tempeh and veggie gives it such a wonderful texture. So many flavors in one little bite!

The end result of the crumbled tempeh resembles ground hamburger meat, which is something I generally don’y enjoy. But once in awhile, I don’t mind the faux-meats, and in this dish it’s especially delicious. This stew really wouldn’t be the same without it.

3 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups fresh or frozen corn

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup cooked black beans

1 cup vegetable broth

1 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled or diced

1 cayenne pepper minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

• Saute onion, peppers and cayenne pepper in olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat for minutes
• Add tempeh, salt, paprika and black pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring
• Add corn and black beans and cook for 2 more minutes
• Add tomatoes, veggie broth and hot sauce and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to meat/low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes

Chickpea Gravy

Gravy. Yet another dish I HATED even during my pre-vegetarian life.

It always smelled funny and looked like dirty water to me. I skipped over any gravy at the Thanksgiving table and just didn’t want any brown mess tampering with my delicious potatoes.

That being said, I had read some recipes for chickpea gravy that sounded scrumptious. I was also prepping to make some smashed potatoes (stay tuned for that recipe) and figured this might be the prime time to give vegan gravy a go.

And I’m SO thrilled that I did. The aroma, creamy consistency and savory spices made for a melt-watering sauce. It was actually really easy to make and barley to 15 minutes to whip together. A must try!

4 cups vegetable broth

1/3 cup chickpea flour

1/3 cup cooked chickpeas

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

• In a frying pan over medium heat, cook olive oil and garlic for 2 minutes
• Add chickpea flour, salt, paprika, dry mustard and black pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring
• Add chickpeas and 1 cup veggie broth and continue stirring over medium heat for 3 minutes
• Add another cup veggie broth and cook for 3 more minutes
• Repeat until broth is gone
• Once gravy is absorbed and creamy, pour into blender and pulse until chickpeas are blended

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Peppers

Who knew cilantro pesto would be just as delicious as the basil version? This pasta salad is great cold, and if you sub the whole wheat pasta for some zucchini/squash noodles, it’d be completely raw!

1 lb whole wheat organic pasta of your choice, cooked

1 large bunch fresh cilantro

2 bell peppers of your choice, chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 large cucumber, seed, peeled and chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

1/2 cup raw walnuts

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

• Toss together pasta, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion
• Pulse cilantro, jalapeno, walnuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and black pepper in a food processor until blended
• Slowly pour in olive oil and continue pulsing until creamy
• Mix in cilantro pesto with pasta and let chill in the fridge for a bit

Raw Beet Ravioli Stacks with Basil Pesto

Raw food is highly photogenic. They showcase the veggies at their peak of freshness, in their most glorified state. These beet ravioli stacks are gorgeous to look at, and delicious to eat.

2 large beets, sliced super thin with a mandolin (you can use sweet potato slices too if they’re more accessible)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup baby spinach

1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked for 4 hours

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

FOR THE PESTO

1 large bunch fresh basil

1/4 cup walnut

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 clove garlic

• Toss beet slices, olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt together in a ziploc bag. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour
• For the filling, pulse all ingredients EXCEPT spinach and olive oil in a food processor for a few minutes
• Slowly add in olive oil and pulse until chunky, but mixed
• Rinse out food processor and pulse pesto ingredients EXCEPT for olive oil for a few minutes
• Slowly add in olive oil and pulse until it reaches a creamy consistency
• To assemble stacks, top one beet slice with a spinach leaf, then a tbsp or so of pumpkin seed mix, then repeat the layer and finish with another beet slice
• Repeat until mixture is used (our beets were so big, we didn’t use all the slices) and top with basil pesto
• Makes 10-12 stacks

 

Cheddah Broccoli Soup

Because there’s not actually real cheddar in this soup and even if there was, my Boston accent would pronounce it this way.

This “cheddah” soup is legit. I doubt ANYONE could taste the difference if I gave them a bad-for-you, sodium-riddled dairy version and paired it against this one. And this one’s got a teensy amount of salt, homemade veggie broth, fresh organic vegetables and that infamous Daiya cheese wedges.

I don’t know what in the hell Daiya did to make their cheese wedges so damn delicious, but it’s downright addictive. I was never a huge fan of their shredded cheeses, but their wedges are unreal. The flavors are somewhat similar, but the texture, consistency and melt-ability are indescribable. If you’re newly vegan and finding the transition to life without cheese difficult (I faced the same dilemma), then you MUST try this cheese. Trust me.

5 cups vegetable broth

4 cup finely chopped broccoli florets

1 package cheddar Daiya cheese wedges, shredded (or 2 cups of your fave vegan cheese shreds)

2 carrots, grated

2 cups coconut milk

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cayenne pepper, minced

• In a large saucepan, cook onion and cayenne pepper in olive oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes
• Add flour, salt and black pepper and stir together for 1 minute
• Add veggie broth, coconut milk and nutritional yeast and bring to a boil
• Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes
• Add broccoli and carrots and cook at medium heat for 15-20 more minutes
• Pour half of coup into a blender and pulse until creamy
• Return all contents to medium heat, add cheese and cook on medium heat for 5-7 more minutes, or until cheese is fully melted

 

 

Raw Corn Tortilla Quesadillas

Amazing raw food strikes again.

These quesadilla tastes nothing like it’s actual dairy-filled, cooked counterpart, but it’s almost better. The raw version is on a whole different level, and has so much depth and flavor it’s ridiculous. The tortillas themselves were the hard part for me, but after visiting Rawbert’s Organic Garden in Beverly a few weeks ago, I was compelled to make some myself. They weren’t too difficult to construct, and luckily, corn was on sale at the farm that week. You can use any toppings/stuffings you’d like, but some version of “cheese” is necessary. And I definitely recommend throwing some avocados or guacamole in there too. Make sure to make the layers of tortillas thin on the dehydrator or they’ll come out too thick and won’t even fold (I learned that the hard way).

Enjoy!

TORTILLAS

3 cups fresh corn kernels

2 cups chopped summer squash

1 cup ground golden flaxseed

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

CASHEW CHEESE

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 6 hours

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

TOMATO GUACAMOLE SALSA

2 tomatoes, chopped and mashed with a fork

2 avocados, mashed

1/2 cup red onion, minced

1/4 tsp black pepper

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS

Shredded zucchini or summer squash

Chopped spinach

Diced bell peppers

• For the tortillas, pulse corn and summer squash in a food processor until mix
• Add remaining ingredients and continue to pulse until a sticky, creamy consistency is reached
• Spread on dehydrator sheets (THIN!) and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 3-4 hours on EACH side
• Meanwhile, blend all “cheese” toppings together in a blender until a creamy sauce is produced
• Mix and mash together all ingredients for salsa
• When tortillas are done, spread cheese on the bottom of one side, and top with desired toppings
• Spread salsa on opposite side, and then fold together

 

Sweet Potato & Peppers Breakfast Hash

This was originally meant for a breakfast hash, since I always complain about only eating toast, bagels or other refined carbs for a morning meal (shame on me!). I’ve been good about getting in more smoothies and veggie/fruit-based muffins lately, but this sweet potato hash is a welcome change. It’s very filling and keeps you satisfied well past lunch. I ended up eating alot of it for dinner as well, and it’s sweet and savory flavor makes it great for any time of day.

4 sweet potatoes, cubed

2 bell peppers (whatever colors you want)

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cayenne pepper, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp oil, salt, paprika and black pepper
• Lay on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes, turning halfway through until browned
• 10 minutes before sweet potatoes are done, cook onions and cayenne pepper in remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes
• Add bell peppers and continue stirring for 5 more minutes, until softened
• Add vegetable broth, and stir for 1 more minute
• Remove sweet potatoes from oven and add to frying pan
• Stir potatoes, peppers and onions together for a few more minutes, then serve

 

Kick-Ass Tempeh & Black Bean Burgers

Does it still freak any of you out when you create/cook a vegan meal that tastes JUST like meat?

I tend to feel slightly guilty when I eat a really great veggie burger or seitan because I always think I enjoy them more thoroughly because they’re so reminiscent of their animal unfriendly counterparts. Is that un-vegan of me? To enjoy the “meaty” texture of veggie-based meals so much?

Whatever the case, these hearty, tempeh burgers definitely kick ass. The flavors literally burst with every bite and it’s the most meat-ish bean burger I’ve ever tasted. The guilt of consuming such a beefy looking burger quickly diminishes when you sample how amazing they are. They hold together extremely well and taste just as good reheated, which is sometimes an aspect I find lacking in other burgers I’ve made. Try them out!

1 8 oz package organic tempeh (I found a barley/grain one that was delish)

1 cup black beans, cooked

1 green pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 cup fresh organic non-GMO corn

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup wheat gluten

1/4 cup chipotle hot sauce (BBQ sauce or any other spicy sauce is fine)

1/4 cup vegetable broth (plus more if mix is dry)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying

• In a frying pan over medium heat, saute red onion in 2 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes
• Add green pepper, corn, salt and black pepper and cook for 5-7 more minutes
• Meanwhile, pulse tempeh, black beans, hot sauce and dry mustard together in a food processor until blended
• Add bread crumbs, wheat gluten, veggie broth and HALF of onion/corn mix and pulse for another minute
• Remove from food processor and stir in remaining onion/corn mix
• Form mix into patties and cook in olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side