June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 by betsy

Chinese Black Bean Dip with Baked Wonton Chips (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

I love to eat like it’s happy hour even when it’s not. That is, I love appetizers. They are always the most enticing items on restaurant menus and, Even before the pandemic, I loved My own versions even more. The same goes for this brand new black bean dip with its Chinese flavors. It is sure to make any hour and every guest happy!

I recommend starting with the amounts of ingredients listed and then intensifying any of the flavors that you choose. Be careful with the ginger, as it can be overpowering and quite spicy.

1 15.5 ounce can unseasoned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 thinly sliced green onions, save a little for garnish

Garnish: 1 teaspoon Everything Bagel seasoning or white and black sesame seeds (Everything Bagel seasoning may seem out of place, but I love it because it contains sesame seeds along with dried garlic and onion)

Accompaniments:

Prepared vegan chili sauce and a few roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts

Baked Wonton Chips (recipe follows )

place everything except green onions, garnishes, and accompaniments in food processor and blend and tell smooth. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with reserved green onions and everything bagel seasoning. Serve with chili sauce for drizzling and Baked Wonton Chips for scooping.

Baked Wonton Chips

10 -3″ vegan wonton wrapper squares (I use Nasoya brand, halved diagonally)

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Place triangles of dough close together on baking sheet, spray very lightly with vegetable oil, and sprinkle with just the barest hint of sea salt. Bake for approximately 5 minutes or until golden.

#veganwontonchips #plantbasedwontonchips #veganchineseblackbeandip #plantbasedChineseblackbeandip #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

May 29, 2020July 7, 2023 by betsy

Tastiest and Healthiest Dark Red Kidney Bean Veggie Burger (vegan & plant-based)

You need no other veggie burger recipe. Enough said!

1-15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups loosely packed prepared broccoli slaw mix

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/4 cup Chipotle – lime peanuts or your choice of nut

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (most organic varieties are vegan)

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Place all ingredients in a large food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely minced and mixture comes together almost like a dough. Shape into four patties about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate, covered, or cook immediately. Oil skillet or grill pan and top side of patties with non-stick spray. Cook two to three minutes on each side over medium high heat or until golden brown and heated through.

Serve with or without a bun (I like to go bunless over a bed of greens), topped as desired. My toppings of choice include cegan mayo, a mild vegan jalapeno sauce, pineapple-mango salsa, and a halved cherry tomato.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veggieburger #veganburger

January 13, 2019December 28, 2019 by betsy

The Jazzy Vegetarian’s Vegan Miso-Parsley Hummus

Yield: 4 servings

Laura Theodore, aka the Jazzy Vegetarian, is hitting all the high notes and winning awards and accolades in the process. From her latest vegan cookbook, to the Jazzy Vegetarian on public television, to her podcast radio show, to her pop-up restaurant, this vibrant recording artist never misses a beat. She is everywhere: from Netflix to CBS to HBO, just to mention a few forums where she has been featured.

Her recipes are simple and straightforward; the resulting dishes colorful and flavorful. In fact, I gifted good foodie friends with one of her cookbooks, Vegan-ease this Christmas. Like me, they like to use recipes as a starting point for their own iterations, and no better place to start than with Laura’s, though her recipes are perfectly balanced as is.

When her latest cookbook, Jazzy Vegetarian’s Deliciously Vegan hit the stands, I had promised to participate in a “blog tour,” but life got in the way. So, better late than never. Today, I finally had an opportunity to return the favor to this energetic and supportive member of the vegan community, for years ago, she interviewed me on the Jazzy Vegetarian Radio when my cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes was published.

Says Laura of her quick and easy recipe featured here, “Miso provides texture and taste to this hummus without adding any oil, keeping it a light and low-fat option for a satisfying snack.”

True confession, I added a tablespoon of oil because I love the mouthfeel of a hint of oil, but I also love Laura’s idea of using good ‘ole tap water for most of the moisture. Also, though I know the prevailing wisdom is to make a recipe as printed the first time and then adjust, I didn’t have any chickpeas on hand, it is pouring rain here, and I didn’t want to run into the grocery store. So, I made it with the edamame which I had in the fridge. Yum. And I used my food processor rather than blender.

Also, because my hummus was leaning in an Asian direction–and because I have been cooking and developing award-winning recipes for a very long time–I made a couple of other alterations: I added 2 large cloves of garlic, minced, and, over the top, I drizzled about a tablespoon of my Blooming Platter Mayo (basically, a white tangy “sauce”) and another of Asian Sweet Chili Sauce for color and zing. I think Laura would approve of my “jazzing up” my version just a little.

But, I guarantee that her unadulterated Miso-Parsley Hummus would be delicious as is:

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Chef’s Note: For a more lemony taste, add 1 more tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Add a bit more water, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

January 4, 2019January 4, 2019 by betsy

Creamy Vegan Middle Eastern Black-Eyed Pea Dip or Spread

Get your good luck on…any day of the year!

Though I created this recipe for New Year’s Day, it is too tasty, quick, and healthful to only roll out once a year.

I am happy to share black eyed peas like you’ve never had them for good luck throughout the new year and great taste in the present moment:

Creamy Vegan Middle Eastern Black-Eyed Pea Dip or Spread

1/2 red or yellow onion, diced
1-15.5 ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
Pinch sea salt
8 ounces tofu, silken (dip) or firm regular (spread), patted dry
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Everything Bagel seasoning

Barely cover the bottom of a large skillet with water and saute onion, stirring, with a pinch of sea salt until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add black eyed peas and continue sauteing until onion is soft and water is evaporated. Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Serve garnished with a sprinkling of smoked paprika and, if you have on hand, a few pomegranate seeds. Serve with pita points, regular or fried, pita or bagel chips, or raw vegetables.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

April 23, 2018April 23, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Chipotle Baked Bean Open-Faced “Sammie”

This quick stir-together is an homage-with-a-twist to my late mother who would make Baked Bean Sandwiches with leftover baked beans on toasted bread. On a trip to England, I learned this is quite British, but I am not sure if she knew. She was just a thrifty, inventive cook.

It is better made with baked beans that have actually been baked to develop that thick, caramelized ever-so-slightly molasses-y “tar” around the edges of the pan, but straight out of the can works too.

Besides not serving the filling on ricecakes, which were as yet uninvented when I was a kid, Mother didn’t use the chipotle, cream cheese, spinach, or cilantro garnish and you don’t need to either. It is a winning combination regardless.

Yield: 2 servings (easily multiplies)

1 cup leftover vegan baked beans OR 1-8 ounce can vegan baked beans (sold as vegetarian), with a little of juice drained off

3 celery hearts, diced

Optional, but recommended: 1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegan mayo ( I recommend my tasty Blooming Platter version at 10 vs. 100 calories)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Adobo sauce from a can or jar of Chilies in Adobo (careful–this packs some heat!)

2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese

2 brown rice cakes

Approximately 16 baby spinach leaves

Garnish: vegan mayo and cilantro sprigs

Combine beans with celery, green onion, mayo, and chilies with Adobo. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each ricecake, top with about 8 baby spinach leaves, half the bean mixture, a dollop of mayo, and a cilantro sprig. Serve immediately.

January 15, 2018January 15, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea (or Bean) Salad Burgers
with My Secret Binder: Brown Rice Cakes!
Leftover Bean Salad Never Looked or Tasted So Good!

If you have one of “those” bean salads hanging around in your refrigerator–you know, tasty enough, but not exciting enough to eat over and over again–STOP! Don’t throw it out or force yourself to eat it as is.

Instead, make my newest “burger” creations. These could not be quicker, easier, nor tastier.

With a salad similar to the lovely one below in the fridge leftover from my mother’s New Year’s Day tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck–it was good, but unremarkable enough that I didn’t photograph and post (such salads are a dime a dozen)–it suddenly occurred to me that I could use it as the basis for a bean burger. But I didn’t want to use the traditional high calorie binder of nuts or flour or even oatmeal because I didn’t have any. But I did have brown rice cakes (vastly superior in flavor and texture to the white rice ones, as I recently discovered).

Hattie B's Black Eyed Pea Salad | Life, Love, and Good Food

(photo credit: Sheila Thigpen on Epicurious)

Perusing my pantry, it occurred to me that rice cakes might be just the perfect moisture-absorbing binder I sought. It turns out that one rice cake per one cup of salad binds perfectly, lending a lovely–I’d say ideal–texture. Of course, it will depend on the moisture in your salad, so be prepared to add more or perhaps even less.

And for an exterior with an irresistible crusty crunch, I experimented with plain, unseasoned yellow cornmeal. It was perfect.

Regarding presentation, more Snow Days, courtesy Winter Storm Grayson, than we have had since I begin my teaching career 15 years ago meant that my weekday lunches looked a little different than they do on my art room desk at school. For the nicest presentation, go for height and color contrast. I made my cakes small-ish and thick-ish, akin to a crabcake. And I stacked two on a nest of fresh baby spinach, topping them with a little vegan sour cream and cranberry relish–red is the complementary color of green–leftover from Christmas, finishing with a sprinkling of roasted and lightly salted pepitas. The combination earns an A+ according to my stringent rubric.

(Note: certainly, you can serve this burger on a bun if you choose, but I prefer mine open-faced, as bread just provides too many calories and not enough nutrition in my diet of around 1,500 to 1,700 calories per day. Keeps me in fighting form!)

I hope you agree.

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea (or Bean) Burgers

Yield: 4 patties

2 cups black-eyed pea or any bean salad

2 brown rice cakes crumbled (may require more or less depending on moisture in your salad)

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

Vegetable oil

Optional accompaniment: baby spinach or your favorite greens

Vegan sour cream or your favorite sauce

Vegan relish or salsa (I used cranberry relish leftover from Christmas)

Optional garnish: roasted and lightly salted pepitas or your favorite nut or seed

In a food processor, pulse bean salad until it is finely minced and just starting to hold together. Crumble 1 1/2 rice cakes into the processor and continue to pulse until the mixture begins to come together almost like a cookie dough, but with lots of texture and flecks of color. Add the remaining rice cake or more if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Remove mixture to a bowl and, using a scoop or spoon, compact 1/4 of the dough into a patty about an inch tall. Set on a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture to make 4 patties. Place yellow cornmeal in a shallow bowl and lay each patty on top, patting the cornmeal onto all the surfaces, flipping for a nice even coating top and bottom. Heat a very thin layer of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium (or at whatever temperature gives you a nice sizzle). Carefully place each patty into the pan, cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned on the first side, flip, and cook 3 more minutes or until lightly browned on the reverse. Serve on a bed of baby greens, drizzle with vegan sour cream or a favorite sauce, top with a dollop of relish or salsa, and sprinkle with the nut or seed of your choice.

November 30, 2017December 1, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

Yield: approximately 10 1-cup servings

I am happy to share another recipe that uses a traditional holiday ingredient–pumpkin–in a dish that bears no resemblance to Thanksgiving or Christmas foods. I love holiday food as much as the next gal, but enjoy a break in between.

As a chili recipe, I don’t think this one needs a lot of preamble. However, I would say that what sets this recipe apart from the thousands of chili recipes out there, if I do say so, is the beautiful and careful balance of flavors–tangy, hot, sweet, and ever-so-slightly bitter–and textures–chewy, silky, and creamy. The velvety pumpkin soothes the acidity of the tomatoes and chilies in a magical way.

Plus it is bursting with healthful ingredients. And the whole pot is under 2,000 calories or less than 200 calories per 1 cup serving. That’s a whole lot of low calorie, low fat goodness.

Warm up with a cup!

Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

Note: All cans should be approximately 15 to 15.5 ounces:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper diced (yellow, orange, or red)

3 to 4 celery hearts, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 chili in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 cans beans, rinsed and drained, any kind (I like a tri-bean mix plus cannelini beans)

1 can corn, drained

Optional: 1/2 bunch cilantro, tied with kitchen twine

1 can pumpkin puree

1 can green enchilada sauce, medium heat

1 package taco seasoning

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 ounces beer or nonalcoholic beer

12 cups lighty packed baby kale (I don’t remove stems, but you can)

Up to 1 cup water

Optional garnishes: vegan sour cream, vegan grated cheese, sliced green onion, fresh or pickled sliced jalapeno, sprigs of fresh cilantro, roasted and lightly salted pepitas, corn chips, etc.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot like a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and a pinch of sea salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then, simply add all remaining ingredients, except kale, bring to a light boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add water to think if necessary. Remove cilantro. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in handfuls of kale and allow to wilt. Serve in cups, mugs, or bowls garnished as desired.

July 17, 2017July 17, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Thai Green Bean Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings

A gift of green beans freshly picked by good friends from their organic home garden inspired this simple recipe.

I love Sichuan green beans in Chinese restauants, but I was craving peanut butter, so I nudged these in a Thai direction using ingredients I had on hand. So quick and easy. Oh, and addicting.

You will love the way the sauce bathes the beans, marrying the two textures to become one luscious concoction. I like to eat them with chopsticks out of a simple white bowl.

4 cups raw green beans, trimmed and, if desired, halved

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Juice of 1 medium lime

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut or any granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Thai Style Red Chili Powder [I love this spice, but if your grocery store doesn’t carry it, a Thai chili powder ground in a spice grinder or little more sriracha (see below) would do just fine]

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 drops sriracha

Optional (but I like): 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Garnish: finely chopped peanuts or cashews

Steam green beans for 8 minutes for al dente and 10 if you prefer them a little softer. Meanwhile whisk together remaining ingredients, except garnish, in a small bowl. Transfer the beans immediately into a skillet or wok set over medium to medium-high heat. As you gently stir fry them, drizzle them with the sauce. Continue cooking and stirring for about 2 minutes or until sauce is well distributed and beans are desired degree of doneness. Adjust temperature if necessary. Serve topped with finely chopped peanuts or cashews.

July 12, 2017 by betsy

White Bean, Sweet Potato, and Black Olive Burgers

I confess that this post is more of a general idea and place to start than a bona fide recipe.

These White Bean, Sweet Potato, and Black Olive patties were delicious and I wish I could share the recipe. I just don’t know what amounts of ingredients were used because of the permutations this dish went through.

Still, the combination and end result was too satisfying not to share, even without specific proportions. And I discovered a brilliant ingredient to help veggie patties hold together without egg. So, I encourage you to start with these ingredients, have some fun, and create your own patties. And please write down your amounts so that YOU can share with US.

These particular patties began their lives as a scrumptious salad that a friend brought to a potluck I hosted. She is a vegetarian foodie who specializes in flavorful vegan salads; this particular one called for:

Cannellini beans (canned), rinsed and drained

Salt-cured black olives

Olive oil

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh sage leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

She tossed it all together and it was lovely, but there was some left over, so she put a carton of it in my fridge. I enjoyed a bit of it that way. But,then, another day, wanting to use some raw spiralized sweet potato I had on hand (a sensational new ingredient in local grocery stores), I folded in a healthy amount of that. A favorite Thanksgiving recipe from the past calls for sweet potato and cannellini beans, so I knew I liked that combination. I then added a bit more lemon, sage, and a bare hint of maple syrup to balance the lemon. My riff on Trish’s salad did not disappoint.

But now I had even more salad. I love leftovers as much as the next gal but I was beginning to tire of it. So, really tasty though it was, I decided that I wanted a new iteration to enjoy. It occurred to me that the mixture might make delicious patties, but it would need to stick together a bit better.

Having used both old fashioned oats and nuts of various types in my Blooming Platter Burgers, I added some oats and raw cashew pieces. And having used coconut flour in another recipe, I knew that it was especially good for absorbing moisture, so I added a bit of that. What a great addition both for texture and taste: the natural earthy hint of sweetness complemented all of the rest of the ingredients.

If I had to guess, I would say that I added about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of oats, cashews, and coconut flour to about 1 ½ cups of the bean-olive-sweet potato mixture, formed it into four patties, about 1-inch thick, and pan fried both sides over medium to medium-high heat for a couple of minutes in a skillet liberally coated with non-stick spray. As you can see in the photo, I dressed it simply with baby greens, a dollop of vegan mayo, and a decorative squirt of sriracha.

So, start with these or similar ingredients, don’t forget the coconut flour, strive for a consistency similar to firm cookie dough, and make some bean burger magic of your own.