Lentil and Barley Stew

Prep:  50 Minutes  Cook:  40 minutes  Makes:  4 servings

2 tablespoons each:  vegan "butter", extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/3 cup pearled barley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary (sometimes use oregano)
Freshly ground pepper
1 large carrot, peeled, shredded

1.  Heat butter and oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion; cook, stirring until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add celery; cook until softened, 5 minutes.

2.  Add tomatoes, water, lentils, barley, salt, rosemary, and pepper to taste.  Heat to boil; reduce heat to simmer.  Cover; simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are almost tender, 25 minutes.  Add carrot; cook until the barley and lentils are tender, 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information
Per serving:  330 calories, 14 gm fat, 5 gm sat. fat, 15 mg cholestorol, 46 gm carbohydrates, 12 gm protein, 601 mg sodium, 13 gm fiber

Roasted kale

Ingredients

2 bunches kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional yeast to taste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 100 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 5g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

Vegan Brownies

Ingredients:
12 oz. silken tofu
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. agave syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
1.3 c. flour
1 T. oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Combine all ingredients together until just blended.
- Pour batter into parchment paper-lined glass bake dish (11"x7" works well).
- Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Slice into squares.

Mashed White Beans and Cauliflower with Leeks

Mashed White Beans and Cauliflower with Leeks

(makes 18 1/3-cup servings, 6-1/2 cups)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium fresh leeks, ends trimmed
8 ounces cauliflower florets
6 cups cooked white beans
1-1/2 cups fat-free low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth (Note:  try less...this amount is too much and made them too watery...add slowly to desired consistency)
3 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise then cut crosswise into thin, 1/4-inch half-moon shapes. When oil shimmers, add leeks, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and use a spatula to scrape up the golden bits. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes and set aside.

Meanwhile, place an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place cauliflower in a steam basket and nest in pot. Cover and steam until fork tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine leeks, cauliflower, and beans in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add broth, parsley, and kosher salt and puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Serve warm or room temperature. Can be made up to 5 days ahead. Store refrigerated in an airtight container and reheat before serving.

Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories: 100
Fat calories: 10
Total fat: 1 grams
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 180 milligrams
Total carbohydrates: 17 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Sugars: 1 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Vitamin A IUs: 4%
Vitamin C: 10%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 15%

Chickpea and Potato Soup

Chickpea and Potato Soup

Ingredients (use vegan versions (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=15403.0)):

    1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
    2 medium russet potatoes, chopped to 1/2" cubes
    4 cups water  (maybe 6?- also can use veg broth instead of bouillon cub)
    1 vegetarian bouillon cube (I like Knorr)
    3 cloves garlic
    olive oil   
    2 medium carrots, chopped to 1/4" cubes
    small handful (1/4 cup) mixed greens
    salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chickpeas and potatoes in 4-qt. soup pot with water. Add bouillon cube.  Coat garlic with olive oil and roast in oven until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Boil chickpeas and potatoes for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Squeeze softened garlic into pot.  Add carrots to soup.

3. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes.  Add greens during the last ten minutes of cooking, along with salt and pepper, to taste.  Enjoy!

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 1 hour
'

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Roasted Chickpeas

Oven roasted chickpea nuts - An easy vegan snack recipe idea with lots of protein. Great for vegetarians too! These crunchy roasted chickpeas are low-fat and high in protein, which makes them perfect for an easy and simple vegetarian and vegan snack idea. Kids will love these too! Chickpeas are a good source of iron for vegetarians and vegans.

Ingredients:

• 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive, safflower or sunflower oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• extra salt, to taste

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Gently pat rinsed chickpeas dry, then toss with oil to coat well.
Arrange chickpeas on a single layer on a baking tray. Sprinkle well with garlic powder and salt, and any extra seasonings you like.
Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until crunchy, gently shaking once or twice to turn.
Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired, before serving.
 
I recommend enjoying your roasted chickpeas when they're fresh out of the oven, as they have a lovely crunchy and warm texture, but they're great when cooled too. Enjoy your baked and roasted chickpeas!
 
Makes three servings.
Nutritional information, per serving:
Calories: 187; Total Fat: 4.5g; Saturated Fat: 0.6g
Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 783mg; Total Carbohydrates: 30.6g
Dietary Fiber: 5.9g; Protein: 6.7g
Vitamin A 1%, Vitamin C 9%, Calcium 4%, Iron 10%

"Creamy" White Bean Soup

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to saute) - or use veggie broth to saute
    1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    4 medium carrots, sliced
    3 small celery ribs, sliced
    5 garlic cloves
    1-2 tablespoons dried basil or oregano
    4 cups vegetable broth
    2 (15-ounce) cans white beans
    1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    1 cup kale, chopped  (I use A LOT more)
    salt, to taste (optional)
    pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, then add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and basil; saute until the onion is translucent.

2. Add the broth, beans, and nutritional yeast; increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.

3. Turn off heat and blend with stick blender. If using a regular blender, blend soup then return to pot. (The blended beans is where the "creamy" comes in. I leave some soup unblended to add texture. To use a regular blender, let the soup cool some and then transfer a portion of the soup to the blender. Be careful and don't add to much to the blender because you might get burned from it splashing up!)

4. Add kale and turn back on the heat for 4 minutes.

5. SERVE! Season with salt and pepper.

I always double this recipe as it goes quickly in this house.

Source of recipe: modified from multiple recipes I saw online.

Makes: 3 to 5 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/skillet_gnocchi_with_chard_white_beans.html
From EatingWell:  January/February 2009
In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.
6 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 325 Calories; 7 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 8 mg Cholesterol; 55 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 616 mg Sodium; 360 mg Potassium
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.