I am really impressed at how these turned out! Simple, understated and delicious.
Ingredients:
2 C dry navy beans
6 C water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 C chopped white onions (about 1 onion)
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jar strained tomatoes
2-4 tbsp maple syrup (high quality, #2 grade amber)
1/4 C fancy molasses
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1/4 C dijon mustard or reg mustard or combo
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Soak the beans, drain and cook using methods of your choice. Here is a link to very detailed instructions if needed at Vegan Coach. Set beans aside until ready to use or prepare other ingredients while beans are cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
3. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof pot with tight fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook until tender. Mix in garlic, and cook about 2-3 mins. Add beans, give them a good mix. Remove pot from heat and add in the rest of the ingredients, give a good stir.
4. Cover and bake 3-3.5 hours in the preheated oven, stirring frequently and adding water if necessary. Remove cover, and continue baking 30 minutes.
_______________________________________________________________________
Joanna's Hummus
I really love the lemony flavour and always get rave reviews from family and friends. This recipe halves perfectly when you only need a small portion.
4C canned (drained) or cooked drained chickpeas
2 lemons, zested and juiced
4 tbsp tahini
1/4 -1/2 C olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
salt & fr gr pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in the food processor, just use 1/4 C olive oil at first you can add more as your mixing it, and give it a whiz until desired consistency adding more oil if needed.
_______________________________________________________________________
Curried Lentil Soup
A wonderful fall soup to warm you, nourish you and boost your immune system.
1/4 C Olive oil)
2/3 C finely chopped onion
2 C sliced cremini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp finely grated peeled ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 C lentils, picked over and rinsed (I use gr lentils)
4-5 C homemade veggie stock (recipe follows)
2 fresh, blanched, peeled tomatoes, chopped
2 C spinach
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in heavy saucepan, add onion sprinkle with salt and saute a few mins, add mushrooms and saute with onions until almost all moisture is gone and both are lightly browned. Add garlic and ginger and cook while stirring for 1 min, add curry and cumin cook stirring for 30 seconds. Add lentils, stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 mins, until lentils are tender.
Stir in tomatoes and spinach and simmer uncovered for about 2 mins until spinach is tender. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Homemade Veggie Broth
1/4 C Olive oil (optional)
5-6 dried mushrooms
1 onion coarsely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic (optional)
2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
2 carrots, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
4 kale stalks and any other dark leafy greens: swiss chard, beet tops
Handful of spinach
5-6 sprigs of thyme
6 sprigs of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
Put all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring everything to a boil, skimming the scum/foam off the top of the stock as it forms. Cover with lid and simmer for an hour. When done strain with a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Now your stock is ready to use in your favourite recipes or put in the freezer. Makes about 4.5L depending on how big your pot is.
 | |||
| Curried Lentil Soup & Broiled Eggplant & Feta Toastie |
_______________________________________________________________________
Spaghetti and No-Meat Balls
This meal is well worth the effort, it is so yummy and true test of deliciousness is that my 2 fussy eaters gobbled it all up.
Ingredients for the meatballs:
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely diced onion
pinch sea salt + 1/2 teaspoon and more to taste
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 (350g) package extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 large egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley or basil
pinch of oregano (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat flour + 1 tbsp seasoned flour
Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their juices and are lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to the work bowl of a food processor. Add the tofu, egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pulse to combine. Add the bread crumbs and parsley/basil/oregano and pulse to combine again. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Put w.w. flour and seasoned flour in a bowl. Moisten your hands with water and form the tofu mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Lightly coat the balls in flour and put them onto a baking sheet or large plate.
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the balls and cook them until browned all over, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Add the tomato sauce to the pan and simmer until the balls are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta (I used brown rice spaghetti).
Simple and Quick Tomato Sauce:
1 large can organic plum tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
6 large basil leaves
Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to form a rough puree with flecks of basil.
