tempeh bourgignon
November 19, 2011
In my pre-vegan days I gravitated to the sublimely saucy French fare like Beef Bourgignon, Coq Au Vin, and Bisque de Langouste. The base of most of these stews is, of course, meat, chicken, and fish so adieu, adieu to yieu and yieu and yieu. I was thrilled when I tripped over this recipe for Tempeh Bourgignon in the Moosewood Cookbook. They hit the nail on the head when they say that not only is tempeh low in fat and high in fiber and protein, it also has the wonderful ability to soak up flavours. You mean like mushrooms, red wine, garlic, and thyme? I say bring on the tempeh in this bourgignon classic.
3 tbsps olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
4 cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped
8 oz tempeh, cut into cubes
1/2 cup red wine
15-ozs of stewed tomatoes
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsps minced fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley for garnish
In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the olive oil and cook the onions until tender and browning. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and salt and saute until the garlic is fragrant, about another 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, fennel, and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms being to release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Deglaze with the red wine. Let simmer until the wine reduces slightly. Add the tomatoes and tempeh and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the dijon, thyme, additional sea salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. When the stew is done, stir in chopped parsley and serve over garlic smashed potatoes, with a crisp kale salad on the side.
3 sisters chili
June 20, 2010
I just bought the new Moosewood Cookbook which is great – recipes that are accessible, easy, and tasty. Last night I decided to try something new from it. Sammy wanted burritos with ground beef and cheese. I wanted burritos with vegetables and greens. So we did it all. I made Moosewood’s North-South Chili to throw in mine but decided to tweak the recipe a little by using sweet potatoes instead of squash (out of necessity) and by adding corn (out of desire). As it cooked away I decided it should be called 3 Sisters Chili in honour of the wisdom of many of our aboriginal peoples who planted beans, corn, and squash together in a symbiotically supportive micro-ecosystem. If its good to plant them together, I’m guessing it’s good to eat them together!
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1/4 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups diced, peeled winter squash or sweet potato
2 cups diced red or orange pepper
1 cup water
15 ounces red kidney beans or other dried beans, cooked and drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn, cut off the cob
ground black pepper
chopped scallions and/or cilantro
1. Warm the oil in a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, squash or sweet potato, bell peppers, and water. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
3. Add the beans and tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. Add the corn and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.
5. Serve topped with scallions and/or cilantro, if you wish.
quinoa and sweet potato
May 2, 2010
I was at my new favourite cafe the other day – it’s called The Rooster Coffee House and it’s fabulous. Well worth a trip to Riverdale if you’re in the general Toronto area. Anyhow, back on topic, I was sipping a soya milk latte with my mom and noticed in their stack of books the new Moosewood cookbook called Cooking for Health: more than 200 new vegetarian and vegan recipes for delicious and nutrient-rich dishes. Naturally I asked to borrow it. I posted their super yummy Pear and Thyme Vinaigrette the other day. Today I’m posting a quinoa and sweet potato dish that is pleasing to the eye, taste-buds, nose, soul, and stomach. You gotta try it out. And I just had it for lunch so I can testify to the fact that it’s as good, if not better, the next day so make lots.
3/4 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes
1 2/3 cups water
2 cups lightly packed finely chopped greens (chard, spinach etc.)
2 tbsps toasted pine nuts
1/4 currants
1 tbsp minced green onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper
1. Rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer to remove any residue of the grains’ bitter coating.
2. Warm the oil in a covered pan. Add the onions and salt and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the onions are transparent, about 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, water, and drained quinoa, cover, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Just before removing from the heat, stir in the greens, pine nuts, currants, green onions, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
arugula with grilled asparagus pear and thyme vinaigrette
April 26, 2010
I just discovered this recipe in the (relatively) new Moosewood Cookbook called Cooking for Health. It was so good I made it two nights in a row and drizzled it liberally on an arugula salad with grilled asparagus and grilled pear. It’s sweet and thyme-y, and packed full of nutrients, particularly with the pear and apple sauce. The recipe calls for a raw pear, but since I was grilling pear for the salad anyway, I used grilled pear which was really nice – added sweetness with a little smokiness from the BBQ.
1 ripe pear, cored and chopped (and grilled)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 tbsps apple or pear juice (I used apple sauce)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
generous dash of ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced
maple syrup (I used about 1 tbsp)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a little water or juice. This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. If the chilled dressing congeals, bring it to room temperature before serving.
v:gourmet 
