Asparagus Avgolemono Soup

This soup is so easy and super delicious. It comes from the Moosewood Collection, perfect for a simple spring or summer lunch or light dinner. We served it with assorted fruit and it would pair wonderfully with a Melon or Chardonnay.

Ingredients
1 quart vegetable broth
¼ cup orzo or similar small pasta
2 cups asparagus cut into 1½- to 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

Instructions
In a soup pot, bring the broth to a boil.
1. Add the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about 4 minutes for pastina and 8 minutes for orzo.
2. Add the asparagus and dill and simmer until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 minutes.
3. While the asparagus cooks, in a bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice.
4. When the asparagus is tender, whisk a ladleful of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture.
5. Lower the heat and slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup in a thin stream, stirring briskly all the while.
6. Continue to stir until the soup is thickened somewhat and heated through, a couple of
7. minutes. (Constant stirring and low heat prevent the eggs from curdling.)
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

Seriously. This salad is delicious. No doubt about it. There is nothing else to say. Just try it and thank me later. It comes from Veganomicon. Back to eating, bet you wish you were too.

1 mango, peeled and diced small
1 red pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it
1 cup chopped scallion
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (a 15-ounce can)

Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans. Serve immediately or let it sit for a bit to let the flavors meld.

Asparagus and Lemongrass Risotto

Shhhh...no one will suspect this is vegan unless you tell them. The actual description of this recipe in Veganomicon is perfect:  This is a luscious, creamy asparagus risotto with a decidedly Thai twist. It's delightful served garnished with chopped roasted peanuts and a twist of lime.  We serve it with Red Thai Tofu for an unforgettable night. 

Lemongrass Broth:
3 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 small stalk lemongrass
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Risotto:
1/3 cup cooking sherry
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons peanut oil or 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 cup basil leaves (Thai, if you can find it), sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
6 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chile (anaheim, jalapeno or serrano) sliced very thinly (or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice
Chopped roasted peanuts and lime wedges, for garnish 

Prepare the lemongrass. Peel away and discard any brown stems from the stalk. Slice stalk in half lengthwise and cut into 3” to 4” lengths, then julienne.


Give garlic and ginger a good whack with a clever or back of a spoon.

Tip: Make a mini-bouquet garni of the lemongrass, garlic & ginger (i.e. wrap them in a small piece of cheesecloth, tying with kitchen string.

Place all broth ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain broth, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Pour broth back into pot, cover and simmer over as low a heat as possible to keep warm.


Slice asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding any tough parts from bottom of e stems. Separate tips from stems and place each in separate bowls.


In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, saute asparagus in 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable broth over medium heat until bright and crisp tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add basil and mint, saute for 30 seconds, remove from heat and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable broth to pan. Saute shallots and garlic, stirring occasionally, until shallots are very soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in serrano and rice, saute for about 6-8 minutes, until rice smells slightly toasted. Add sherry and stir constantly until liquid is absorbed.

Now, time for relaxation and stirring. Get a glass of your favorite beverage, turn on some soothing music, or a good movie. Ladle about 1/2 cup of broth at a time into rice, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed. Stir and cook until the rice is creamy but center is still somewhat firm.

When broth is almost gone, stir sugar and lime juice into remaining broth before adding it to pot. You may add more water or vegetable broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed. This will take about 25 minutes.

Stir asparagus stems into risotto and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until asparagus has reached desired tenderness.

Garnish each serving with asparagus tips, chopped roasted peanuts, and lime wedges. 
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Romaine Salad with Fresh Strawberries and Strawberry Tarragon Dressing

This salad is one of our absolute favorites. The recipe comes from the Forks over Knives cookbook, compliments of Chef Del Sroufe. The dressing is the key with flavors of strawberries, balsamic, shallot and tarragon. It is so delicious that you could pour it over ice cream!

Salad

1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried & cut into 1" pieces
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half

Dressing

4 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh ground white pepper
1/2 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tsp salt

Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl

Puree all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth & creamy, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.

Toss the salad with just enough dressing to taste or serve dressing on the side so each person can enjoy as much or little dressing as they would like.


Variations: Avocado or Goat Cheese could be added as well.

Blueberry Oatmeal Waffles

Isa Chandra should be nominated for a nobel prize with what she's done for the Vegan movement. These waffles are a prime example as to why. The texture is incredible. Crispy from the oatmeal, carmelized from the blueberries that slightly burn during cooking, moist from the applesauce and the nutty flavor of almond milk. This is sure to be a big hit at your brunch or any morning you want a bit of decadence. This recipe makes 6- 8 inch waffles.

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries






Sift flour, baking powder, salt and allspice into a mixing bowl. Mix in the oats. Make a well in the center and add applesauce, milk, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Stir with just until combined.


Let batter rest for 5 minutes or so, it will thicken a bit. Fold in the blueberries. Don’t worry too much about the blueberries bleeding into the batter, it’s no biggie.


Cook in waffle iron according to manufacturer directions. In a 8 inch waffle iron, use a heaping 1/2 cup of batter. Remember to spray or brush the iron with oil in between each waffle. (They will stick if you try to cook without oil.)

Vegan Lasagna

A vegan lasagna sounds completely ironic but this recipe is amazing. Don't tell your guests that it is vegan, just call it vegetarian and they will love it! It is adapted  from Rip Esselstyn and the Engine 2 Diet. The recipe serves 10 so make it when you want to impress a crowd. 

The key to making this great is to ensure you have thoughtfully chopped the ingredients into small pieces. They will melt in your mouth and no one will notice there is no cheese. 

1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
14 oz frozen corn or 2-3 ears shucked
1 package Silken Lite tofu
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
2 jars Muir Glen pasta sauce
2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1-2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
4-6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup raw cashews, ground (roasted, unsalted are ok too)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the silken tofu by wrapping in paper towels. 

Peel and boil the sweet potato for about 10-15 minutes and tender enough to mash with a fork. While it's cooking, get started on the rest.

Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. You can use olive oil or canola oil but it's not required.

Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid.  Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan.

Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl.

Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.

Add the tofu to the vegetable boil. You can break it up directly in the towel or break it up in the bowl. Mix into vegetables. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble the vegetable lasagna :

• Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce.
• Add a layer of noodles.
• Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy.
• Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles.
• Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce.
• Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles.
• Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes.
• Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Best Hummus Ever

This hummus is the most creamy, velvety, delightful that you will find. A creation of the master Ruth Reichl and definitely one of her finest! 

There may seem like a lot of steps to this recipe but it is absolutely worth it. Serve with crudites, crackers, use in salad dressings, on sandwiches, or wraps. It will keep for a couple of days but is best served immediately.

1½ cups dried chickpeas (the smallest you can find)
1 tablespoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ to ½ cup raw (as opposed to roasted) tahini - the best you can find.
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 garlic cloves 
salt, to taste
olive oil, to taste
parsley, to taste
cumin, to taste

1. Put the chickpeas in a colander and go through them carefully, discarding small stones and broken peas.

2. Wash the chickpeas, and put them in a bowl with enough water to allow them to double in volume. Stir in a tablespoon of baking soda and soak them overnight.

3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a large pot. Cover with about 5 cups of water (the water should be about 2 inches above the beans) and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, cover, and cook over low heat until the chickpeas are very soft; it should take about two hours. If the water cooks away, add more. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.

4. Rub the chickpeas between your fingers under cold running water to remove the skins. Put on some music; it’s a time-consuming process.

5. The chickpeas should be cool now. Make sure they are very cool or the texture will be too starchy. Put them in a food processor with the garlic, and lemon juice, a quarter cup of the cooking liquid and the tahini. (How much you use will depend on your taste; traditionally you’d use about half a cup, but I find that makes the sesame flavor too dominant for my taste.) Process for 4 or 5 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy, with the dreamy texture of just-made frozen custard. It should be very soft and smooth. If it’s too thick add more liquid. Add salt to taste.

Now’s the fun part. You have just created a lovely canvas. Top it with a glug of good olive oil, some chopped parsley, a smattering of ground cumin. Or toast some pinenuts in butter and top the hummus with that. Add cayenne, zatar, chopped onions or some pomegranate seeds. Be creative, or just revel in the best hummus you’ve ever had on its own.