Porcini-and-Pecan Pâté

I just made this and it is BIG winner; knock your-socks-off good! I did not have the sun dried tomatoes or miso but clearly that didn't deter the taste for me.  I used fresh rosemary and will serve with thin crisp rosemary Wasa crackers.


    Ingredients
        1 cup pecans
        1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
        1 cup boiling water
        1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed
        2 tablespoons tamari
        2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
        1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (see Note)
        1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
        1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
        1 teaspoon light miso
        2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves
        Salt
        Toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions

   1. Put the pecans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 1 hour.
    2. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Rub the porcini to remove grit; transfer them to a small bowl. Reserve the soaking liquid.
   3. Cut the portobello caps in half and, with a sharp paring knife, trim off the dark gills on the underside of each one. Slice the caps into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
    4.  In a bowl, whisk together the tamari, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, rosemary and miso. Add the sliced portobellos and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
     5. In a small saucepan, combine the soaked porcini and sun-dried tomatoes. Slowly pour in the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the tomatoes are tender, about 4 minutes.
    6.  Drain the pecans and transfer them to a food processor. With a slotted spoon, transfer the marinated portobellos, porcini and tomatoes to the processor; puree to a coarse paste, adding about 1/4 cup of the porcini cooking liquid. Add a little more of the porcini liquid if the mixture is too thick. Season lightly with salt.

    7. Transfer the pâté to a crock and serve with toasted baguette rounds.


Make Ahead
The pâté can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.
From Food & Wine

Baked Spring Rolls

Easy Baked Spring Rolls

Sambal Oelek is a very hot paste made from chile peppers, vinegar, and salt. Reduce it or eliminate it if you don't like spicy foods, or replace it with any chili sauce or red pepper flakes.

1/2 head Napa Cabbage (about 8 ounces cored and shredded) 1 carrot 1/2 tablespoon sambal oelek (or other chili paste, to taste) 6 ounces extra-firm tofu 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 24 spring roll wrappers (I used 4x4-inch wrappers)

Cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise and cut out and discard the hard core. Slice two of the quarters thinly, and reserve the other two for another use. Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks about 1-inch long. Mix the cabbage with the carrot in a large bowl and stir in the sabal oelek (chili paste). Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch thick slices. Lay them out on a double-layer of paper towels. Top with another double layer of towels and gently press down on each slice with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Remove from paper towels and cut into tiny, 1/4-inch cubes. Place into a medium-sized bowl. In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour over the tofu, stirring gently (I used my hands) to distribute the sauce without breaking up the tofu. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place one spring roll wrapper on your work surface with a corner toward you. (Keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent them from drying out.) Place a heaping tablespoon of the cabbage mixture in the center and top it with a line of tofu cubes. Bring the bottom corner over the filling and the two sides in, forming an envelope-like packet. Moisten the top corner with a little water and roll up from the bottom, pressing the edge to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake for 6-9 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a sweet and sour dipping sauce such as Apricot Duck Sauce.

Servings: 6 Yield: 24

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per 4 spring rolls): 97 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 154.8mg sodium, 62.9mg potassium, 18.9g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, less than 1g sugar, 3.2g protein, 1.9 points.  From non-fat vegan

Burritos with Spanish Rice and Black Beans

Spanish Rice with Black Beans

This is a mildly seasoned dish, so you fire and spice lovers will probably want to increase the amounts of jalapeno peppers and chipotle powder.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green or yellow pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 – 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and finely diced (add more or less to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned fire-roasted, liquid reserved)
• 1 1/2 cup black beans (or 1 15-ounce can), rinsed well
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (or other pure, mild chili powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a deep, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add the pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. If it becomes too dry, add a little vegetable broth or reserved tomato juice. Check the flavor, and add salt and additional seasonings to taste.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Nutrition (per serving): 172 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 89.9mg sodium, 324.8mg potassium, 34.7g carbohydrates, 5.9g fiber, 2.6g sugar, 6.2g protein, 4.9 points. 
From fat-free vegan kitchen

Red Lentils

Serves 4

Ingredients:

    ½ cup red lentils
    2 cups vegetable broth
    1 tsp turmeric
    1 tsp cumin
    1 whole tomato, chopped (with juices)
    3 ounces tomato paste
    2 whole garlic cloves, minced
    1 small onion, diced
    1 tsp paprika
    1 tbsp ground ginger
    a dash of cayenne pepper
    1 tbsp coriander
    2 tsp garam masala

Instructions:

In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic in 1/4 cup water until translucent.

Add spices, except garam masala and coriander, and cook for 2 minutes, adding more water if necessary to prevent sticking, burning or drying out.

Add lentils, broth, tomato paste, tomatoes and coriander. Cover and turn heat to high.

Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are cooked (they will expand and turn orange).

Add garam masala and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.  From Happy Herbivore

Basalmic Beets & Strawberries on Spinach

You can eat this as an entre, place it on top of salad or use it as a side dish.


4 beets - red or gold
10 strawberries, rinsed and quartered
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Place beets in boiling water with the skins on and cook for about 45-60 minutes, until you can pierce a knife through the beets. Place beets in a colander and rinse with cool water. Remove the skins. Slice beets and set aside. Quarter the strawberries and place in a non-stick pan with the beets, strawberries and basalmic vinegar over low heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the balsamic vinegar is reduced and has a thick syrup coat over the beets and strawberries. You may enjoy this hot, or refrigerate until needed.

My version:
I put the beets on top on spinach, sprinkled toasted sunflower seeds and fresh mint that grows in my windowsill.

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

This aromatic, creamy soup with a Thai twist is made with carrots and sweet potatoes, which are rich in alpha and beta carotene, antioxidants that turn into vitamin A in the body. Carrots and sweet potatoes are also good sources of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and other heart-healthy nutrients. Studies have shown that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Some laboratory studies have found that vitamin A may enhance the immune system, slow tumor growth, shrink tumors and make some cancer treatments work better.

 
 Servings: 6
       
Ingredients

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 tablespoon ginger, minced
    1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
    1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
    2 teaspoons curry powder
    4 kaffir lime leaves
    1 stalk lemongrass, tender parts only, cut into 2" pieces
    6 cups vegetable stock, unsalted
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if using salted stock, reduce added salt)
    1/4 cup light coconut milk

Directions

    Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.

    Add onions and ginger, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

    Add carrots and sweet potatoes.

    Cook until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add curry powder, mix well, and cook 1 minute to develop flavor.

    Add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, vegetable stock and salt.

    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

    Stir in coconut milk and cook 2 more minutes. Remove kaffir lime leaves.

    Puree soup in batches in a blender (I fill the container just below the halfway mark), being careful to remove the stopper in the cover to prevent hot soup from splashing.

    You can also puree the soup in a food processor. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. This soup will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

A delicious Asian inspired noodle salad which incorporates our beloved Plain Jane Peanut Butter. A great balance of protein, fresh veggies, and carbs.
Bon Appétit
Ingredients:
serves 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes

• 8 ounces fresh Chinese noodles (substitute 1/4 lb of your favorite noodle or pasta)

For the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh ground chili sauce (we like Sriracha), more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes (rice wine vinegar works too)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or Agave
• 3 tablespoons warm water

To Assemble:

• 2 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced fine
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil (substitute with mint or cilantro leaves)
• 8 scallions, sliced in long thin strips
• 2 jalapeño peppers diced (remove seeds to lessen heat)
• 1 to 2 red chilies minced
• 1/2 cup crushed peanuts

Preparation:

1. Prepare noodles according to package.
2. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water.
3. Let noodles sit until thoroughly chilled. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, sesame seed oil, garlic, brown sugar (or Agave), and water.
5. Whisk until blended. Add drained noodles to bowl.
6. Add bell peppers, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil leaves, scallions, jalapeños, and chilies (if using).
7. Lightly toss to combine.
8. Serve immediately, topped with crushed peanuts and Salt and Pepper to taste.