Category: Vegan Beans and Legumes

by betsy

Cajun Red Bean Quesadillas with Remoulade Sauce and Praline Pecans

[Photo Note:  Yea!  As promised I purchased a new camera yesterday, and  I’m enjoying familiarizing myself with my brand new Nikon CoolPix S6200.  At right  is the first photo I took with it…what do you think?  I love the white balance feature for starters.  So crisp and clean…not blue or yellow.]

I may have mentioned that I was weened on the New Orleans French Quarter.  My parents honeymooned in NOLA, as did my husband and me.  In between, my folks took my sister and me as often as possible for long weekends when we were growing up.  In more recent years, we have enjoyed spending several days there just before Christmas, one of the most temperate times of year in the Quarter.  Food has always been one of the biggest draws.

Last week I was with my parents at Ochsner’s Hospital for some surgery my father needed.  The hospital is in Metairie, a few minutes from the Quarter, so I didn’t make it there.  But the hospital overlooks the Mississippi River where I walked on the bike/jogging path along the levy.  Since most of my meals at the hospital consisted of hummus, salads, and/or Boca burgers, I came home craving a taste of one of my favorite places on earth.  In response, I created this dish.

This recipe combines my love of Cajun/Creole cuisine with that of my native Texas in the form of a crunchy quesadilla.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Remoulade Sauce:

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons catchup

1 teaspoon Dijon or just plain yellow mustard

1-2 tablespoons roughly chopped drained capers (I love capers, but they can quickly overwhelm; so make sauce ahead with just 1 tablespoon, taste when you’re ready to serve, and add another tablespoon if desired)

In a small bowl or cup, completely combine all ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

 

Praline Pecans:

1 tablespoon vegan butter

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika or to taste

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon natural sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt vegan butter.  Add paprika and salt, and stir constantly for a minute or two.  Add dissolved sugar and toast, stirring for another couple of minutes or just one minute if including nutritional yeast.  If incorporating the nutritional yeast, add and continue toasting and stirring for another minute or until pecans are lightly toasted.  Reduce heat if necessary to prevent overcooking pecans.

 

Quesadilla Filling:

2-15.5 ounce cans red beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup red onion cut into 1/4-inch dice (if you’re not a fan of the “bite” from raw onion, just soak the diced onion in unsweetened soymilk for 15-20 minutes, rinse and drain)

1 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram

Optional: pinch of garlic powder (you may want to add if your brand of cajun seasoning doesn’t included granulated garlic or garlic powder)

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients.

 

To Make Quesadillas:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons vegan butter, divided

4-8 inch whole wheat tortillas

Garnish: 4 sprigs fresh basil, marjoram, or oregano

In a large cast iron skillet, heat/melt 1 tablespoon each olive oil and vegan butter over medium-high.  Spoon 1/4 each of the filling over half of two of the tortillas.  Fold remaining halves over, and place both into the skillet.  Cook for a couple or until golden brown and toasted.  Flip and cook another couple of minutes on reverse.  Remove to serving plates and cover with foil to keep warm.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Garnish each with 1/4 of the Remoulade Sauce and 1/4 of the Praline Pecans.  Note:  I like to cut each quesadilla in half, overlap them slightly on the serving plates, garnish and serve.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

Vegan Turkish Chickpea and Beet Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

I had a dual inspiration for this salad: the wildly popular Beet Muhummara in my Blooming Platter Cookbook and an eye-catching bunch of white beets grown at my favorite local farmer’s market, Stoney’s.  Essentially, I used similar ingredients to the Muhummara—beets, cumin, walnuts, etc.—combined into a salad with the addition of chickpeas.  True to their description, the white beets tasted just like their red relatives, but without the counter-, cutting board- , and lip-staining properties.

Juice of 1 small-medium lemon, about 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon tamarind syrup or pomegranate molasses (available at Middle Eastern markets or online)

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Approximately 1 1/2 cups grated beets (unpeeled); about 6 small beets, grated in a food processor (I used white beets because our farmer’s market was very excited about having grown them this year, but use any color you have)

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onions, green parts only

1/2 cup walnut pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, tamarind syrup, garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine grated beets, chickpeas, spring onions and walnuts.  Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to coat.  Check for seasoning and adjust as desired.  Serve immediately or, preferably, chill for at least an hour for flavors to marry.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

Vegan Penne Pasta with Fresh Peas, Smoked Paprika, Walnuts and Cream

Yield: 4 servings

This flavorful and pretty pasta dish was inspired by the popular Italian favorite made with peas, ham or prosciutto and cream.  I simply cleaned it up and veganized it, substituting smoked paprika for the pork and unsweetened soymilk for the cream.  I added walnuts for additional flavor, texture and nutrition and a little lemon zest to brighten, lighten and freshen the dish even further.  I hope you love it.

Note: I created the recipe and photographed it in May when “May peas” were in our farmer’s market.  But then I got consumed by other obligations and never posted.  I really hope you can still find fresh peas in your area.

Approximately 1/2 cups fresh peas (I used May peas from the farmer’s market)

Sea salt to taste

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta (11-12 minutes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onions (a ratio of about 3:1 white to green parts)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/2 unsweetened soymilk + extra if desired

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Zest of 1 medium lemon

Place peas in a 2 quart saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and place over medium high heat, loosely covered.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, adding more water if too much evaporates.  Meanwhile, heat a pot of generously salted water to boiling.  Add pasta, stir, loosely cover, and simmer for 11-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente.  Reduce heat if necessary.  (I confess, that I NEVER use as large of a pot or as much water as recommended.  It seems unnecessary and wasteful, as long as the pasta has room to agitate.) 

While peas and pasta cook, heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently for a couple of minutes.  Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent from cooking too fast.  Add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for another minute.  Then stir in peas.  Sprinkle with flour, stir to incorporate, and then stir in soymilk until it reduces down.  Drain the pasta, reserving about  1 and 1/2 cups.  Stir in the pasta and then add the pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce to the desired consistency.   (Leftover reheating note:  this pasta seems to absorb a lot of the moisture when refrigerated, so save some of the pasta water to add to your leftovers when reheating.  Plain water can’t as successfully be added, as it lacks the starch from the pasta that helps thicken the sauce to the desired texture.)  Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, nutritional yeast and a pinch of black pepper.  Stir until incorporated.  Fold in walnut pieces and lemon zest.  Check for seasoning and adjust as desired.  Serve immediately.  (Reduce the heat at any time that the mixture appears to be cooking too fast.)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

Annie’s Vegan Herbed Cucumber and Chickpea Salad

Yield: 4 servings

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I had the most lovely lunch with my magnificent friend Ann Dearsley Vernon.  A few years back, she retired after a three decade career as Education Director/Education Director Emerius of the Chryser Museum.

If possible, her calendar is fuller now than then.  Everyone loves to be in the company of this bright, beautiful, disarming, elegant, tough, and witty 73 year old.  So, in addition to a slate of social engagements, she is a highly sought-after speaker, event chair, judge and, otherwise, active volunteer committed to a number of causes near and dear to her heart, from art education to civil rights to the YWCA and more.

In my case, we were combining business with an opportunity to catch up.  The only thing that has slowed down this powerhouse in the last two years was, unbeknownst to her, congestive heart failure due to heart damage sustained during a childhood bout with rheumatic fever.

Barely 9 months ago, Ann had a heart pump known as the LVAD (left ventricular assist device) installed.  Though it dramatically changed her life in some ways, it also saved it.  Henceforth, she will forever be joined to a computer and set of batteries neatly tucked into a compact black shoulder bag that operates the pump through a wire that enters her body beneath a sterile dressing.

I had the honor of interviewing Ann about her experience with this revolutionary “HeartWare” device for an article in the Top Docs/Women’s Health issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, to be published later this summer illustrated by captivating paintings she has created about her journey (think Frida Kahlo meets Marc Chagall).  (I’ll be sure to post a link once it hits the stands.)

So, though she’d been jurying an art school exhibition for 3 hours, she breezed home, fetched me from her garden, and nonchalantly put together a perfectly light and perfectly delicious lunch to enjoy while we talked…and talked…and talked.

While she didn’t write down how she made this bean salad—that’s not her way—she described what she did and I tried to duplicate it.  I used chickpeas, as that’s what I had, but her version featured creamy cannellini beans.  Either way, it’s absolutely addicting.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas (or cannellini beans), rinsed and drained

Approximately 1/2 cup finely sliced spring onions (I like a ratio of 2/3 white to 1/3 green parts of the onion)

1 medium cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds scooped with a spoon and discarded, then each half slit lengthwise in half again, and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (I used a ratio of 1:1 basil and oregano, but some parsley would also be good, so use whatever you have)

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, gently toss together chickpeas or beans, spring onions, cucumber and herbs.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.  Drizzle dressing over, toss gently again, check for seasoning, adjust as desired, and serve immediately or chill until serving time.  Toss again before serving.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

Vegan White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas with Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

Yield: 4 servings

What’s a gal to do when she needs to use her last little bit of Kale Pesto but is craving Southwestern food?  Make White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas, of course!

With its hazelnuts and orange zest, this one of my kale pestos seems a little Italian.  So, I mixed it with cannellini beans and lightly caramelized onions (I’m usually too impatient to make true caramelized onions), and seasoned the mixture with a hint of dried oregano and smoked paprika.   This creamy and tasty filling is the perfect consistency for a quesadilla filling. 

For the salsa, I combined sliced black olives and vine-ripened tomatoes, a combo that could lean towards either Italy or the Southwest.  So to nudge it toward The Boot, I sprinkled it with just a bit of balsamic vinegar. 

Since kale is more of a cool weather veggie, and tomatoes like it warm, if tomatoes aren’t yet available in your farmers market, I would suggest substituting sundried tomatoes chopped a little more finely than the diced ones called for in the recipe.  And, whatever you do, avoid the temptation to purchase sliced black olives in a can.  They taste like what salt water would taste like if it was chewable.  Instead, purchase olives whole from your grocery deli and slice them yourself. 

Hurry and make this dish before this winter’s kale is all gone!  You’ll have a new favorite in your repertoire.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, halved and then sliced

1  to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup Vegan Kale, Toasted Hazelnut, and Orange Zest Pesto

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vegan butter

4- 8 inch whole wheat tortillas (I buy a spelt four variety at Organic Depot that I love)

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa (recipe follows)

Approximately 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown.  Lower heat to prevent burning if necessary.  Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds.  Stir in beans, pesto, oregano, and smoked paprika, and heat through.  Scrape into a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out skillet and heat/melt 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and vegan butter over medim-high.  Meanwhile spread half of each of the 4 tortillas with 1/4 of bean mixture.  Fold remaining half over and press gently to seal.  Cook two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown and toasty.  Keep warm while your repeat with the remaining quesadilla ingredients.  To serve, cut each one in half, overlap one half on the other, top with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1/4 cup of the salsa, and 1 tablespoon of the fresh basil or cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (if tomatoes aren’t in season when kale is in your neck of the woods, substitute sundried ones)

1/2 cup sliced black olives (avoid using canned!)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

For 150+ more seasonal recipes, many with a flare for fusion, dip into The Blooming Platter Cookbook!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

One Green Planet’s April Fool’s Day Tribute Includes Vegan “Knock-off-amole” aka Fresh Pea Guacamole from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

This recipe seemed like the perfect “fooled you” dish.  And One Green Planet must have thought so too, as they published it today as one of their April Fool’s Day features!

My “Knock-off-amole” is so named because it is a delicious and nutritious guacamole “knock off” made with fresh green peas instead of avocado.  And like every good art teacher knows, green and red are complementary colors, making each other “pop,” so the chopped tomato and diced red onion look glisteningly gorgeous in this Mexican-Southwestern dip.

There is nothing non-vegan or unhealthy about traditional guacamole; to the contrary avocado is high in “good” fat.  So it wasn’t for those reasons that I sought a convincing substitute. 

No, sadly, it was because I developed a food sensitivity or allergy to avocados in my twenties.  It was a tragic day, as I was born in Texas, and loved my mother’s guac.  However, even the tiniest bit left inside a veggie sushi slice even afer the avocado has been picked out does a number on me.

So, craving my Mama’s guacamole and perusing the farmer’s market last spring, it suddently occured to me that their beautiful fresh green peas might make a fine substitute.  Indeed!  Though no one will necessarily think they are eating avocado, they won’t care because it tastes so good and is deliciously respectful of its namesake.

Therefore, whether you are an avocado lover or not, I know you’ll enjoy this fresh take on an old favorite.  Click HERE for the luscious recipe at One Green Planet.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

White Bean and Pesto Tart from The Blooming Platter Cookbook is Featured on the Happy Cow

On February 20, my White Bean and Pesto Tart from The Blooming Platter Cookbook was a “Meatless Monday” feature on The Happy Cow, but I somehow neglected to share it with you.  My apologies! 

This lovely and healthy tart is super-simple, yet special enough for company.  It’s perfect for a spring brunch or luncheon.  But you won’t want to wait for company to come! 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
by betsy

Vegan Coconut Dal with Tomatoes and Funengreek (Methi)

Yield: 6 servings

I have been absolutely wild for Indian food ever since I discovered it while living in Nashville in the late 1980s.  I treated myself to a huge Indian buffet for lunch on more Sundays than I can count.  My heart would start beating faster at the first whiff of those heady aromas, heck, at the first glimpse of the restaurant’s sign.  Ever since, I’ve sought out my beloved Indian cuisine from New York to London and points in between.

It’s unthinkable now, but when we first moved to Virginia, there were no Indian restaurants, so I taught myself how to cook some of my favorite dishes using one of Julie Sahni’s cookbooks.  Now I feel confident enough to create my own recipes, and this sumptuous rendition of Coconut Dal is my newest creation, just a week or so old.  Enjoy!

1 pound orange lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained

4 cups water or vegetable stock

1-15.5 ounce can coconut milk

Pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 of an Annaheim pepper, seeds and pulp removed, finely diced

2 medium cloves garlic, finely diced

1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, and very finely chopped

1 tablespoon vegan buter (I like Earth Balance)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons funengreek (methi) seeds, ground (I use a coffee grinder devoted to spices)

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 small-medium fresh tomatoes, diced (about 1 cup)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sea salt to taste

Accompaniment: cooked basmati rice, roasted and lightly salted cashew halves and pieces, cilantro sprigs

In a two-quart saucepan combine, dal, water, cocont milk, and a pinch of salt.  Cover and bring to a gentl boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until tender.   Lentils will break down and become creamy.    The ideal consistency should be a little “soupy,” rather than porridge-like, so add additional water or vegetable stock if desired.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Add the cinnamon stick and cumin seeds and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds.  Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until transluscent.   Add the Annaheim pepper, garlic, ginger, and vegan butter, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.   Stir in coriander, funengreek, and turmeric and saute, stirring, for about a minute.

When lentils are tender, remove the cinnamon stick from the onion mixture, and stir the latter into the lentils.  Turn off the heat, adjust the seasoning with ground spices and/or salt if desired (not cumin seeds at this point, as they need to toast), and gently stir in tomatoes and cilantro.  Serve immediately over basmati rice, sprinkle with cashews and cilantro, and serve immediately.  Alternatively, I like to serve a shallow bowl of the dal with a scoop of rice in the center like an island, garnished with cashews and cilantro.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Print Friendly, PDF & Email