The reason I wanted to include a food page on my website is because I
have found, stolen, or made up quite a number of pretty amazing vegan
recipes (being vegan myself) and I want to share those with whoever is
interested. Most if not all of the recipes below are fast and
easy. As I make each recipe, I'll try to photograph it, so I can
include pictures of each dish along with the recipe. Bear with
me--it may be
a little while before they're all there. Please share your vegan
recipes
with me as well, at
rbillo@u.washington.edu . If they make their way into my
regular "repertoire" I'll include them on this page.
Click on the links below to
jump
to a particular section, or simply scroll down to browse through the
recipes.
Soups
Avocado Soup
Tomato Rice Soup with Garlic and Herbs
Salads
Avocado Potato Salad
'Cumber-Onion Salad
Kale Salad
Salad Dressing
Entrees
Alpine Goulash
French Lentil Sauce
Fusilli with pate' d'oliva and grilled vegetables
Raw Sauce
Desserts
Blackberry Sorbet
Mango-Pineapple Sorbet
SOUPS
Avocado Soup
Jonathan and I encountered this soup in a funky little restaurant
called Juicy Jones in Barcelona, Spain (the picture to the left is from
the restaurant). I decided to try to recreate it when we got
home. I've played around with various different options and this
is the one I like the best. In the picture it looks rather yellowish,
but it
looks greener and more avocado-like when you make it fresh.
Adding
more water after you blend it initially is how you avoid feeling like
you're
eating guacamole with a spoon.... not that that would be such a bad
thing!!
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
water
half a cucumber (optional)
small bunch of cilantro
juice from one lime
2 heaping Tbsp. McKay's chicken style
seasoning (or chicken-style broth seasoning)
salt
pepper
Peel and pit the avocados and place the avocado meat into a blender
with the cilantro and the lime juice (set some cilantro aside as a
serving garnish if desired). For a standard size blender, fill
with water to within an inch and a half of the top of the blender and
blend to a
puree. Place puree in other container and stir in several more
cups
of water (until you reach the desired consistency--it should be
somewhere between a puree and a broth). Chop up cucumber into
small pieces and mix into the soup (at Juicy Jones they had chunks of
avocado in the
soup, but there's kind of enough avocado already, and the cucumber
freshens
it up a lot). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled with
a
floating cucumber slice and cilantro as garnish. Serves 4 to 5
people.
Tomato Rice Soup with Garlic and Herbs
This is an adaptation of a recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
Library. It's so easy and yummy! The key is to use fresh
tomatoes, and to cook the rice separately, adding it in at the end.
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. garlic cloves, halved
(basically a whole head, plus some.... sometimes I put in 2 whole
heads)
1
small yellow onion
2 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes (fresh or
canned) ok, the fresh make the difference here...
don't use canned unless you're desparate.
3 c. chicken-style
broth
1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice
(cook
in separate pot : 1 1/2 c. water, 3/4 c. rice, add salt and bay
leaves, cook on low 45 min. or as per directions on rice package)
3 Tbsp. mixed chopped fresh parsley and
chives--again, fresh makes the difference. Dried herbs will
totally change the flavor of the soup
1 bundle fresh oregano, thyme, sage--just tie
them with string or with a twist tie, chuck them in and pull them out
when the soup is finished.
1/4 c. fruity red wine such as
Cotes du Rhone or Zinfandel
1 Tbsp. red wine vinager (or lemon juice works just
as well)
to taste salt and freshly ground pepper
Start the rice cooking at least one hour before you intend to serve the
meal. About 30 min. before mealtime, begin the following:
In a heavy saucepan over very low heat, warm the olive oil.
Add the
garlic and onion and saute', stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, herb bundle and chicken-style broth and simmer
uncovered
for 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and chives, vinager, red
wine, cooked rice and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 4-5
minutes. Ladle into individual bowls and serve immediately.
SALADS
Avocado
Potato Salad
2 lbs. small red potatoes
1/2 ripe avocado
2 medium Walla
Walla sweet onions
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
olive oil
bundle of fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Punch the potatoes with a fork (leave them
whole), and drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt.
Place in oven on a flat pan (a cookie sheet works great). Bake
for 35 to 40 min. or until soft to the center. Do not overbake.
Set potatoes aside to cool. In a blender, place the half
avocado, lemon juice, fresh dill, and 3 tsp. olive oil. Blend and then
salt and pepper to taste. Chop sweet onion, and cut potatoes as
desired ( I like cutting them in round slices). Mix potatoes,
onions, and dressing together in a medium sized bowl. Serve
chilled. Salad serves 4 people.
'Cumber-Onion Salad
Easy, easy, easy, and one of the greatest summer salads, especially
when you have fresh garden veggies!
1 Walla Walla sweet onion
1 Large cucumber
2 Large ripe tomatoes
2 Lemons, freshly squeezed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
dill (fresh, if you have it)
Chop onion, cucumber and tomato, toss together with other ingredients,
and serve. We love to make this salad when we eat corn on the
cob. Yummmmmm!
Kale
Salad
I think we learned of this recipe from my mom one Thanksgiving.
Since kale is one of the most healthy things on the planet, this
salad makes for one delicious way to get it into your diet. Plus,
the color of this salad is stunning!
2 bunches of kale
2 pkgs. cherry or grape tomatoes (more tomatoes always makes it
more fun, too!)
1 c. sunflower seeds (or heck, make it 2 c.--the more the merrier!)
1/4 c. sesame seeds
4 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chop the kale very fine (to save yourself about 2 hrs. just whiz it in
a food processor, it works great!) Wash and cut the tomatoes in
half and mix in with chopped kale. Roast the sunflower seeds
in a dry frying pan over meduim heat, stirring constantly until brown.
Pour immediately out of hot pan into salad bowl. For a
particularly
cool effect, pour on top of chopped kale, and it will sizzle for you
a bit (...small pleasures, you know!) Mix rest of ingredients in
separate small bowl and whisk with fork until well blended. Pour
into salad and mix well. Room temperature is best for this salad.
If you are making it early, keep in fridge until an hour or so
before
the meal. Serves 4.
Salad Dressing
This recipe makes quite a bit of dressing--perfect for a big salad for
company. If you have leftovers, it keeps quite well in the fridge
for a week or so.
1/2 c. dark olive oil
1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice (or any
citrus juice)
a splash of balsamic vinager
1 to 4 cloves garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
leaves from one bundle of
fresh basil (yes, the fresh basil is
MUCH better!)
Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend
until smooth. You can also just chop the basil and garlic, rather
than blending, for a chunkier dressing. Toss with salad
before serving, or serve on the side.
Seasonal options:
for summer salad (with tomatoes, cukes, etc.) add
about 1/4 c. tomato substance--this can be anything from V8
juice,
to canned tomatoes, to fresh tomatoes, to leftover raw sauce (see
recipe
below)
for winter salad (with mandarin oranges, grapefruit,
cranberries, etc.) add a cup of frozen rasperries instead of tomato
stuff.
ENTREES
Alpine
Goulash (backpacker's fare)
I'm adding this kind of as a joke, but actually, this is quite an
amazing
meal when you're out in the wilderness. I've even been tempted to
make
it at home when I'm feeling particularly lazy, although I've never
actually
done it!! So we admit that it's kind of crazy to pack in fresh
avocados,
but what can I say--it's REALLY GOOD!! When it comes to
backpacking,
you trade the luxury of a light pack for other kinds of luxuries--in
this
case, a darn good meal.....
Backpacker's Pantry meal "Santa Fe Black Beans and Rice"
Just Corn
Just Tomatoes
Just Carrots
Just Bell Peppers
1 fresh, ripe avocado
Start with "Santa Fe Black Beans and Rice"--a freeze-dried meal from
Backpacker's
Pantry, which you can buy at REI and possibly other places as well.
Follow
instructions on package, except that before you pour the boiling water
into
the package, add a handful of each of the following: Just Corn,
Just
Bell Peppers, Just Tomatoes, and Just Carrots. (The 'Just
Veggies'
brand of freeze dried food is available at Whole Foods, REI, and other
locations.)
Right before eating, add a fresh avocado, cut up however you like
it.
Yes, we pack in fresh avocados, so call us mad if you want!
French Lentil Sauce
This recipe is from The Voluptuous Vegan, a must-have cookbook.
I got my copy at the local bookstore, but you can also find it
in the usual places on the web. We serve this sauce over brown
rice and it is quite amazing. It's another one of those staples
that we eat around here a lot. The thing that makes it so stellar
is the fresh herbs, so don't skimp there--make the effort!
1 c. French lentils
5 c. water
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
small bundle of fresh thyme
4 sprigs of sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. estra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
Sort through the lentils and wash them in cold water. Tie the
rosemary, thyme and sage with a twist tie or a piece of string.
Place the lentils in a saucepan with the water bay leaf, and herb
bundle. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a
simmer and cook, partially covered, for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the
lentils are tender. Add salt to taste (or wait to add salt until
the next step)
Remove 1 1/2 cups (approximate) of lentils with broth and blend smooth
in a blender (watch out for explosions--hot things don't appreciate
being blended and they retaliate.... yes, I know by experience!)
Pour
blended mixture into a small saucepan with the oil and red pepper
flakes.
Whisk as you heat the mixture to make sure the oil completely
works
its way into the lentils. This may seem like a superfluous step,
but it's fast and it really helps the consistency of the final sauce.
This
is the point at which I usually add the salt.
Return the lentil puree to the pot with the whole lentils. Simmer
together or 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Add more
salt if necessary, and add pepper to taste.
Serve hot over rice or pasta. For an extra flavor, add a
bundle of minced kale when the lentils are about half cooked.
This recipe serves about 4, but I almost always make a double
recipe because it's ideal for leftovers. We just put the whole
pot in the fridge
and leave the herb bundle in there until it's all gone. You do
have
to pick out the bay leaves before you eat it.
Fusilli with pate' d'oliva and grilled vegetables
16 oz. of fusilli, or your pasta of choice. (I usually use whole
wheat pasta, or spelt pasta, both are very good)
4 c. pitted kalamata olives
2 peppers--just splurge and get the cool colors, ok?
2-3 zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 eggplant
5 roma tomatoes
1 Walla Walla sweet onion
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 c. to 1 c. of pine nuts
olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut all the veggies in big pieces that will work well on the grill.
It will look like an enormous amount, but they shrink drastically
once they are grilled. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with
salt and pepper and let stand to marinate for 30 min. or more.
Grill
as desired on an open flame grill. When veggies are finished,
place
in container covered with foil so they remain warm. Cook pasta as
directed on the package. While pasta is cooking, whiz olives in a
food processor or blender. Roast pine nuts over medium heat on
the
stove, stirring constantly until they reach desired color. After
straining the pasta, toss together with olive paste and grilled
veggies.
Sprinkle roasted pine nuts over the top and serve immediately.
Serves
8 (or serves 4 and you have great leftovers--our favorite
method.....)
This recipe also works great with brown rice instead of pasta.
Raw Sauce
This recipe is thanks to our vegan friends Lori and Steve. We
basically don't know what we ate before we had this meal to fall back
on!! We make it at least once a week in our house, if not more
often. The leftover sauce keeps great in the fridge, and can be
added to
a number of different dishes for a bit of freshness and flavor--for
example, Salad Dressing (see recipe above) or mix with black beans to
put over rice, or for nachos.
1/2 a blender full of fresh tomatoes (4-8, depending on size)
2 carrots
1 pepper (preferably red)
1 cucumber
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic
1 full bunch of cilantro or basil
1/2 c. pitted olives
salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut off stems and undesired parts of vegetables and remove lower stems
of cilantro or basil. Then basically chuck everything in the
blender and..... BLEND!! Serve over steaming pasta or rice
(it's important to have the raw sauce all prepared before the pasta is
cooked so that you can pour it directly over the hot pasta right when
it
comes off the stove. Then you have a hot meal without cooking the
sauce.
Oh, and definitely top it with some roasted pine nuts!
DESSERTS
If you're vegan (or even if you're not), and you don't have an
ice-cream freezer, just go and buy yourself one right now, ok?
These desserts are too easy for words, and yet SOOOOO delicious!!!
Blackberry Sorbet
Fill blender nearly full with blackberries, add the juice of one lime,
and sugar to taste (usually I put about a cup, or sometimes more if
the berries are really tart) Blend and freeze in ice cream maker.
If
you prefer to not have blackberry seeds in your sorbet, you can
optionally
strain the blended mixture through a cheesecloth before freezing.
Mango Pineapple Sorbet
Fill blender half with peeled, pitted mango, and half with cut and
trimmed pineapple (make sure to get the really big spots out of the
pineapple. Add the juice of one lime, and 2 c. sugar. Blend
and freeze in ice cream maker.
You're getting the picture with the sorbet thing, right? Just
use any fruit you have in your house! It's ALL GOOD! Don't
forget the lime juice. Also, if you add fresh mint into the
blender, it gives a nice twist.
