Lunch For Tomorrow

Ancient Harvest Quinoa, spinach, string beans, and shrimp with a little diced garlic thrown in for good measure (cooked in broth).

Roasted Eggplant Soup

I had an eggplant that was just dying to be used before it went bad. Rather than the usual baking, I decided to make a soup and I was definitely not disappointed. Delicious, creamy AND low in calories/fat. This recipe is modified from one I had found in Bon Apetit. I apologize for the crappy pictures but the lighting in my kitchen was pretty terrible.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Ingredients
* 1 lb Eggplant, quartered
* 3 medium Tomatoes, whole
* 1 small Onion, sliced
* 2 tbsp Olive Oil
* 4 cups Vegetable Broth
* 6 cloves Garlic, whole
* 1 tbsp Thyme, Fresh
* 1 tsp Salt
* 1 tsp Paprika
* 1 tsp pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 3.5 cups broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in more broth. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt, paprika and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Makes 4 small servings.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 122 * Calories from Fat: 69.4 * Total Fat: 7.71 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 9.62 g * Fiber: 2.35 g * Sugars: 4.2 g * Protein: 2.93 g

Ewww....polenta?

It's been far too long since I posted a recipe on her...and one with pictures? Say it isn't so! I have been on a healthy kick though and that is always a plus. Although I have not been as strict in the 21-day vegan challenge as I was hoping, I have greatly improved my eating habits. I'm trying to let my body decide when I'm hungry or full. I'm trying to re-learn all those cues lost to so many of us thanks to the conditioning of the current food industry.

At Trader Joe's this weekend (I'm officially and completely obsessed), I picked up a roll (are they called rolls?) of polenta with the intent of trying it, loving it, and adding it to my repertoire of go-to meals. I was not disappointed, as much as the texture freaked me out when first out of the wrapper. Also, I was not expecting it to spew polenta juices as me as I unknowingly pierced the plastic with my heavy-durty knife. But I survived and cooked an amazing, vegan meal that was utterly satisfying and a great first experiment with polenta. My solution for when trying anything new? You can't go wrong with layers of spinach and mushrooms!

Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious and I would most definitely make it again - maybe mix up the assortment of veggies used as a topping.

Spinach and Mushroom Polenta Bake



Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Roll of organic, pre-cooked polenta (cut into 1/4 inch thin slices)
- 8 cup (or 1 bag) Fresh Spinach
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup Onions (diced)
- 8 Baby Portabellas (or white button) mushrooms (halved)
- 4 tbsp Eggplant Garlic Spread*
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste


* Here's the thing, you can probably use tapenade, or even hummus, or nothing at all! I just got this amazing spread I wanted to try out and it helped add a touch of flavor to the mix.

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400
2. Cut polenta, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Set garlic, onions and mushrooms aside.
3. Lightly sautee the polenta in 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.
4. Sautee garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil and add diced onion. Cook until onion becomes translucent and add sliced portabellas.
5. Season mixture with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6. Add in spinach and stir well.
7. In the meantime, lightly coat a 10 inch square pan with olive oil.
8. Layer the bottom with the polenta and top with your spread.
9. Cover the layer with the cooked spinach/mushroom mixture.
10. Cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Serves 2 people as a hearty entree.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 434 * Calories from Fat: 154 * Total Fat: 17.0 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 58.4g * Fiber: 7.7 g * Sugar: 10.3 g * Protein: 11.5 g

Southwestern Couscous

I made this delicious dish for lunch tomorrow. I had planned on fancy Cajun-rubbed portabella mushrooms with an avocado cream...but alas! My Vegenaise was expired! I then had to scramble to make sure I had some proper food for tomorrow...a more official start of my cleanse.



Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup uncooked couscous (I used tricolor)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used water with 1/2 a garlic bouillon cube)
- 1 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
- a dash of ground cumin
- 1 15oz. can of black beans
- salt/pepper to taste

Now...here is where things got a little fun. Since this was a last minute plan, all I could add to this was fresh avocado. In the future, I would certainly make sure I have some corn kernels, green onions, or peppers on hand.

Directions:
- Bring broth to a boil and stir in the couscous.
- Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add beans and the other vegetables. Toss to coat.
- Fluff the couscous well, and add to the bowl with the dressing/beans.
- Mix well (breaking up any couscous chunks) and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:
1 large portion or two side servings.

Vegan Apple Crisp

Today I made apple crisp for my work Christmas party tomorrow. I also put together a small batch for my landlord as a little Christmas gift. :)

I love this recipe because it's super easy and utterly tasty. The worst part of the deal is peeling and coring the apples. :/



Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. rolled oats
2 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. 100% vegan buttery spread
6 c. your favorite apples (washed, peeled and sliced)
1 tbsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the vegan butter spread. Then set aside while you prepare the apples.
Combine the apples, vanilla and 1/3 of the dry mixture. Spread on the bottom of a large baking dish. Then cover with the remaining crumbs and press down gently.
Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes, until the apples are tender.

I usually also add almonds for garnish but avoided it this time in case anyone has an allergy...and also I don't have any almonds at home right now. :P

Red Hot Pumpkin Soup

Since I had about 1/2 a can of pumpkin left after making the cookies in the last post, I decided that rather than wasting it I would whip up some pumpkin soup. I didn't want to lose the pumpkin flavor completely but I also don't like sweet soups so lo and behold, another Violette original! I wouldn't try this one unless you actually enjoy the flavor of pumpkin. :)

Red-Hot Pumpkin Soup


Ingredients
1 tsp. margarine
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 can of pure pumpkin (unsweetened)
1/2 can vegetable broth
1 tsp. red chili paste
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. all-purpose seasoning
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup water

Directions
Place margarine in a medium sized pot and let it melt.
Add the onions and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the veggie broth and stir.
Stir in the pumpkin.
Add the dry spices, as well as the curry paste and keep stirring.
Once the spices have been mixed in, add the water.
Let cook for an additional 5 minutes and serve,

Baby Cabbages!

So I might be in the minority here but I love Brussels sprouts. Even when I was a kid, they were a veggie I thoroughly enjoyed.

After dinner, I was still kinda unsatisfied so I made some traditional Brussels sprouts, and am eating them up right now. :)



Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
10-20 Brussels Sprouts (cut in half)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 cup vegetable broth
a dash of your favorite all-purpose seasoning (my fave is George Washington brand)

Directions:
Cut the Brussels Sprouts up and coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray.
Throw the sprouts in the pan flat-side down.
Once the spouts start to get a bit darker, throw in the garlic.
Let it all cook up, and the sprouts get all nice and blackened. Toss them around and let them mix in. Add seasoning.
Pour the broth over the sprouts and let it reduce so that there is no liquid left in the pan.

Serve piping hot as a side or as a yummy snack!

Indian-Spiced Kale with Chickpeas

I stole this recipe from my co-worker's deliciousness blog, and it was sure yummy!

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable (or other) broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions:
Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or any large pot) over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute.
Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. (I also added a touch of paprika for spice)
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.



I served this with some quinoa and it was utterly delicious. Great as a main dish OR a side!

I Return...With Eggplant

It's been a while since I've last updated and frankly, it's because I haven't really been cooking...at all. Recently though, I did come into some fresh produce that inspired me to start whipping things up again. I miss cooking. I miss creating delicious dishes. Last night, I decided to remedy that and I made myself a delicious, huge, and simple dinner.

Cheesy Eggplant Rounds

Ingredients:
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chives
1 small eggplant, raw
1/4 cup of light mayonnaise

Directions:
Slice eggplant into four 1-inch slices.
Spread mayonnaise on both sides of eggplant rounds and arrange them on cookie sheet.
Sprinkle each slice with some Parmesan cheese and chives.
Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes.

I know the picture is kinda fuzzy but I love the detail.


My dinner last night...the brown stuff is AMAZING tamari-sesame dressing.