Tag Archives: vegan

MUJADARRA

 

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VIBES: Sheila E “A Love Bizarre”

This is a new weekly staple at our house. Im so into easy recipes with minimal ingredients. I pretty much always have lentils, brown rice and onions on hand and that’s the basis here. You could serve this as a side dish or a main course. I like to serve it with a quick pickled cucumber salad. It would be nice with a spiced roasted chicken and some sautéed greens, but I’m perfectly happy with a bowl of this on its own.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups water

1 cube knorrs vegetable bullion

1 cup french green or brown lentils / rinsed

1 bay leaf

kosher salt/ fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large purple onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley or mint)

lemon wedges for serving

 

Bring water and bullion cube to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. You can also use chicken or vegetable stock. Add rice, lentils, and bay leaf and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice and lentils are tender, 35–45 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit 5–10 minutes (there should still be some broth remaining). Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Set rice mixture aside.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cumin seeds and toss to coat. Cook, stirring often and adding water to pan as needed to prevent burning, until onions are golden brown and soft, 20–25 minutes.

Mix half of onion mixture and half of herbs into rice mixture; season with salt and pepper. Top mujadarra remaining onion mixture, and remaining herbs, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

WARM LENTIL SALAD + ARUGULA

VIBES: WU TANG CLAN “HEATERZ”

I have a slight obsession with all things lentil. Ive had this dish countless times at one of my favorite spots; Lucky Strike.  One day I realized I just needed to learn how to make it at home. A super healthy quick meal. Add grilled fish or chicken for another layer of flavor.

WARM LENTIL SALAD + ARUGULA

1 cup  green lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 cups  water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (dried is ok too)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
Crunchy sea salt, for serving
Fresh arugula, washed and chilled.

In a medium saucepan bring lentils water and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until almost tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp of salt and cook another 5 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

While lentils cook, warm 1tbsp oil in a skillet over medium low heat.Add onions, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme,1/8 tsp salt, and cook until vegetables are softened. About 8 minutes.
Prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, remaining salt, water and olive oil. Whisk until it emulsifies.

Drain lentils in a colander and discard the bay leaf. Dump into skillet with vegetables, add vinaigrette. Cook over low heat stirring gently until heated through. Add splash of red wine vinegar and serve warm over a bed of fresh arugula. Top with a pinch of crunchy sea salt.

Recipe adapted from (Patent and the Pantry)

MISO SOUP

VIBES: CHANGING FACES feat JAY Z + R KELLY “ALL OF MY DAYS”

This is a super quick vegetarian miso soup.  Typically you’d make a dashi broth, which involves using shavings of preserved/fremented fish flakes. I wanted to create a completely vegan version, so here we are.  5 ingredients, fantastic.

QUICK MISO SOUP
-4 cups water
-3 tbsp white miso paste
-1 sheet kombu (dried seaweed)
-2 green onions washed, stems trimmed and chopped
-1/3 cup cubed tofu (firm)
Heat water in medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Add kombu and simmer for 10 minutes. The water should be just ready to boil but without bringing it to a full boil. In the meantime mix the miso with a few tbsp of water to create a loose paste and prevent clumping. Remove from heat and add miso and tofu, let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to combine. NOTE: DO not boil the miso it will strip the nutrients. Taste and add more miso if needed. Add salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes to taste. Add green onions and serve.

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VEITNAMESE SUMMER ROLLS

VIBES: The Smiths – This Charming Man

These are A M A Z I N G. Summer rolls. So fresh and so cleanclean.

Vegetarian Vietnamese Summer Rolls 

-1 Cup shredded carrot
-1 Cup shredded purple cabbage
-1 Cup shredded cucumber
-2 avocados halved and sliced into strips
-handful of cilantro leaves
-4 rice paper wrappers

Slice, shred or julienne carrot, cabbage and cucumber. Slice avocados. (You can hand chop, use a mandoline or one of these amazing julienne peelers) Soak rice paper wrappers in warm water until pliable- about 2 minutes) Transfer the rice paper to a dry cutting board. Layer sprigs of cilantro first, followed by carrots, cabbage, cucumber and avocado on top of the rice paper. Tuck top and bottom ends over the vegetables and then roll like a burrito, the rice paper should stick and hold together. Serve with dipping sauce of choice, I like sweet chili sauce. Makes 4 summer rolls.

BLACK BEANS + YELLOW RICE



VIBES: LEE FIELDS “Honey Dove”

I sort of made these up based on all the bean recipes I’ve collected form latin friends, moms and grandmothers over the years. Its also probably loosely based on the recipe on the back of the Goya can. This is one I’ve been making forever, and its slightly different every time. This is one of those recipes you learn once, then instinctually change it as you go to suit your own tastes. Taste as you go, and you’ll be fine.

BLACK BEANS
-2 TBSP olive oil
-1 large onion chopped
-1 green pepper chopped
-2-3 cloves garlic minced
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 13 oz can of black beans (use dried beans if you have time, the texture will be way better)
-2 cups vegetable stock or water
-1 TBSP Homemade Sazon  or 2 packets Goya Sazon
-1TBSP apple cider vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Handful chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Add garlic, swirl around in pan for another minute. Add onions and peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add Sazon and stir to combine. Add beans and liquids. Liquid should just cover beans, you can use water or broth. Cook down for about 30-45 minutes, longer if you’re using dried beans. If you’re using dried beans you’ll want them to be tender, add more liquid if needed until you have tender beans and a thick sauce. When beans are close to done, mash a few to thicken the sauce. Add the apple cider vinegar and cook for another few minutes. Add chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust salt/pepper as needed. Serve over rice with fresh sliced avocado.

YELLOW RICE
-4 Cups Water
-2 Cups long grain rice
-1 TBSP Olive Oil
-1TBSP Homemade Sazon or 1 Packet Goya Sazon

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over high heat, stir to combine. When water begins to boil, reduce to low, cover and cook until liquid has evaporated (about 20 minutes) Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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SUMMER CORN SALAD

VIBES: TOTO “GEORGY PORGY”

The motivation here was to cook something for the Fourth of July without actually having to cook. This combo of ingredients really just happened because I had this stuff in the fridge. (and I liked the color combos) You could easily swap the cilantro for basil, or add black beans. Lemon instead of lime. You get the picture.

FRESH SUMMER CORN SALAD
-4 ears of corn on the cob, cooked
-1/4 cup small red onion diced
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro
-1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
-Handful of cherry tomatoes halved
-Juice of one lime
-drizzle of olive oil
-splash of apple cider vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste

Shuck corn, removing husks and silks. Bring a large (5.5. quart) pot of water to a rolling boil. Add corn and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, chop and dice onion, bell pepper, tomato and cilantro. When the corn has cooled, cut off the cob. Combine all the veggies in a bowl and add lime juice, olive oil, splash of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss together and serve.