Vegan – Page 2 – KellyintheKitchen

100th recipe! and, Roasted Garlic Refried Black Beans.

Published on December 31, 2012December 2, 2013 by KellyInTheKitchen5 Comments

Happy 100th recipe from KellyintheKitchen! And just in time before the new year. These humble yet flexible refried black beans perhaps aren’t high-brow enough to be deserving of posting-milestone glory, but look beyond their simplicity to see the awesome possibilities. They work great as enchilada or taco filling, a topping for rice, a spread on top of toast, omelet filling or a side for scrambled eggs…the list goes on. My recipe includes ham, but these also make great vegan beans, sans ham of course. They are incredibly versatile. I ate them with a scoop of Greek yogurt and scallions on top and it was great. These are smart to have around. Happy 100!

INGREDIENTS

3 cloves garlic, with peels still on
olive oil
1/2 red pepper, diced
4 scallions
1 cup diced ham (optional)
2 cans of black beans (one can drained and rinsed, the other with the liquid)
dash of seasoning salt (I used Pilsen Latino Seasoning from the Spice House) – optional
salt and pepper

Just the Recipe link: Roasted Garlic Refried Black Beans

DIRECTIONS

First, dry roast the garlic in a pan over medium low heat. Once they’re tender and soft, set the cloves aside until they’re cool enough to peel.

In another pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the red pepper. Once it’s softened, add the peeled roasted garlic and scallions and, if you’re not doing vegan beans, the ham. Stir around to crisp it up a bit, cooking for about 3 minutes if you’re using ham, or about 1 minute if not.

Add the black beans and go at the whole thing with a potato masher. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and if you want, a pinch of seasoning salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through. Add a splash or two of water if you want a looser texture – I left mine as they were and they were great. Then serve them however you like! I gave ’em a good dollop of Greek yogurt and an extra sprinkle of scallions and was good to go. Enjoy!

Roasted Carrots.

Published on November 29, 2012November 29, 2012 by KellyInTheKitchen5 Comments

Nothing fancy here, just an easy side dish. But there’s something kind of magical that happens when you roast carrots this way. They develop a silky texture with a warm, rich flavor that’s both sweet and savory. I love these—if you’re not usually a cooked carrot fan, make these and you will totally rethink your stance on the vegetable. They go great with baked chicken, lamb steaks, pork chops, and almost any other simple main dish you can think of. And the added perk that makes me even more excited about this recipe is the garlic cloves: after the carrots are done and the cloves are softened in the oven, toast up a piece of crusty bread, slather it with some good butter, and then spread the garlic all over that baby. Just don’t try to kiss anyone afterwards. Or alternatively, make them eat some garlic, too.

INGREDIENTS

6-10 whole carrots, washed and dried
olive oil
salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic, skin on, crushed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a pan or baking dish, toss carrots in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drop in the garlic cloves.

Bake until tender and slightly caramelized. Yum.

Vegetable Stock.

Published on November 12, 2012October 7, 2017 by KellyInTheKitchen1 Comment

Homemade vegetable stock: SUCH a helpful ingredient to have around. I make this stuff in huge batches and keep it in my freezer for whenever I need it, which is as least once a week. I always cook couscous and quinoa in stock to boost their flavor, and it’s also fantastic for sauces, soups, and cooking veggies. Also, it’s practically free. Here’s why: in a freezer bag, I save up all of my otherwise-throw-away-able bits of carrot peel, onion skin, garlic skin, celery leaves, herb stems, whatever I’ve got around, and once the bag is full, I’m ready to make a gorgeous pot of stock out of things I would otherwise have tossed. So why not recycle by making your own stock? It tastes great, has no preservatives and no sodium, and it’s free. The ultimate homemaker’s trick!

INGREDIENTS

enough frozen vegetable bits to fill a pot – I use onion skins, garlic skins, carrot peels, and celery leaves
seasoning to taste – I try to stick with the Scarborough Fair rule of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, but I was out of rosemary. Instead I used a bit of marjoram, just because I felt like it.
3 bay leaves
a palmful of peppercorns
Note: I go back and forth about salting my stocks. It’s a saltiness control thing. Stock absolutely needs salt, but then stock is also an ingredient in other dishes that get their own salt. Skipping the salt in your stock means you’ll have more control over the final dish’s saltiness. Does that make sense? Pun very much intended, salt is just a matter of taste. Add it, don’t add it, we’ll all survive.

DIRECTIONS

Put all the veggie leftovers and the flavorings in a Dutch oven or large pot. Cover with cold water.

Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook 2-3 hours.

When the stock is done, turn off the heat and let it cool a little bit. Then use a mesh strainer to strain everything out.

You’re left with a giant bowl of super flavorful, glistening amber vegetable stock—lucky you. I reserve a few cups of it to keep in the fridge for use in the next week, and then I pour the rest of the stock into ice cube trays to freeze. I pop the stock cubes out of the trays and keep them in a bag, so I can use exactly the right frozen portion whenever I need them in the next few months. Unendingly convenient, this is definitely one of my favorite recipes!

Green Chile White Chili.

Published on September 22, 2012September 22, 2012 by KellyInTheKitchen4 Comments

Say this 5 times fast: red leather, yellow leather. Kind of hard, isn’t it? Now try this: green chile white chili. A lot easier. You have now mastered step 1 of any recipe: being able to say its name. Congratulations. Here’s some more good news: there are only 3 real steps in this recipe, and once its done, the longer this chili sits in the fridge, the deeper and richer the flavors are. So make a big pot and have some for dinner, and then save the rest in the fridge for a week’s worth of awesome chile chili lunches. Green chile white chili, green chile white chili…

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, chopped
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tomato paste
2 cans green chiles, diced
3 cans white beans (pinto, great northern, etc.)
4-6 cups water, broth, or stock
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnishes: sour cream, cheese, lime juice, green onion

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Then add the garlic, oregano, cumin, and tomato paste. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Pour in the green chiles, beans, and water/broth/stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, uncovered.

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. That’s all! Probably one of my easiest recipes.

Top your big ol’ bowl with shredded cheese or sour cream, a squirt of lime juice, and a sprinkling of chopped green onion. Yummy.

Impostor “Egg” Salad.

Published on August 15, 2012August 14, 2012 by KellyInTheKitchen1 Comment

Vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike: I swear to you, this is really yummy. I like to eat vegan whenever I can, and for me, it often comes down to convenience. What I love about this tofu “egg” salad recipe, inspired by Healthy Happy Life, is that it’s just as easy–if not easier–than making egg salad with actual eggs. Observe: I steamed the tofu for a couple minutes, put it in the fridge to cool while I went for a quick run, and by the time I came back it was a matter of about 5 minutes before I was chowing down on a fast and easy–not to mention healthy—weeknight dinner. This definitely falls into the “I’d never haven guessed it was vegan!” vegan recipe category, so no matter who you are, there’s no excuse not to give it a try!

INGREDIENTS

12 oz extra firm tofu, sliced
1/3 cup vegenaise or mayo
1-2 stalks celery, sliced (I didn’t have any tonight, but normally I would add some celery)
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 small green onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
chives for garnish

DIRECTIONS

The first step is optional, but I think it makes a difference in texture and is totally worth the extra time: Steam the tofu for 5-7 minutes, then place in the refrigerator and chill completely.

Now, whether you’ve steamed the tofu or not, pat it dry and cut it up until you reach your preferred egg salad-esque texture.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the chives. Stir to combine.

Serve as a wrap or sandwich on toasted bread, or with crackers. Garnish with chives and enjoy your egg-less impostor egg salad!

Baba Ganoush.

Published on August 12, 2012August 12, 2012 by KellyInTheKitchen7 Comments

I’m no farmer and I don’t know anything about the seasonality of produce. Visiting most American grocery stores, the average shopper would have no idea when various fruits and veggies were in season, because stores sell pretty much everything, all year round. And while it can be nice to have fresh avocados in winter and apples in spring, there’s really nothing as good as in-season local produce, picked by farmers and eaten by me on the very same day! On Saturday morning at the farmers market, I saw more eggplants in more different varieties than I even knew existed, so my keen non-farmer Spidey Sense tells me it must be eggplant season in the midwest. I picked up a nice big one and made this classic Middle Eastern roasted eggplant spread. Go get your own before the season passes!

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp hot paprika, plus more for dusting
salt and pepper to taste