Spicy Beef and Spinach Lasagna...

It’s been unseasonably cool here the past week. Mostly the days are warm but in the evening it cools considerably and there’s a good breeze. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I love cooler weather - fall is my favorite time of year - but this kind of weather really makes me want to eat ‘out of season’ you know? The other day when it was particularly grey and quite cool I suddenly felt in the mood for lasagna. I have about a million different lasagna recipes in my arsenal but I didn’t want to use any of them. Instead, I wanted to get creative, so I took a look around and found a package of Beyond Meat Feisty Beef Crumbles that I’d bought when they were on sale but never used. I don’t normally buy these kinds of things but since they were new, my husband and I thought we’d try them out but I just never knew what to use them in, until I realized they would be perfect in lasagna.

Since I was only making a lasagna for my husband and I, and I only had one package of beef and one package of cheese I made a small one using my 8x8 baking pan. You could probably double the recipe for a larger lasagna if you needed to, but this dish is super hearty and filling, we only ate one slice each which is a real anomaly for us - especially my husband who’s been known to turn into Garfield at the site of lasagna. This recipe exceeded my expectations and I was quite happy with the end result. So next time you need to make a really hearty, meaty, cheesy lasagna for the omnivore in your life give this one a shot - provided they don’t mind a little heat of course!

Spicy Beef and Spinach Lasagna 

6 Square Lasagna Sheets (8x8)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion Diced
8 Cloves Garlic Minced
*** 1 Package Feisty Beyond Meat Beef Crumbles thawed (Or your favorite vegan beef)
1 ½ tsp Crushed Fennel Seeds
14oz Can Diced Tomatoes
8oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp Capers
3-4 Tbsp Minced Pepperoni Peppers
10oz Fresh Baby Spinach
*** 1 Package Daiya Mozzarella Shreds (Or your favorite vegan Mozzarella)

Tomato Sauce for Topping 

1 8oz Can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
4oz water
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp minced pepperoni peppers
½ bunch minced parsley
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 tsp Dried Basil

Noodles 

- Set a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. When boiling add the lasagna sheets and boil for 5-6 minutes until the sheets become soft and pliable. They don’t need to be fully cooked. Drain them, and rinse them.


Filling 

- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 5-6 minutes until softened.

- Add in the crushed fennel seeds and the beef crumbles. Saute for 5 minutes, until crumbles have browned.

- Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, capers, red pepper flakes, and Pepperoni Peppers. Simmer for about 10 minutes then remove from the heat.

Sauce 

- Heat the olive oil in a small pot on the stove. Add in the garlic and saute for 4 minutes until golden.

- Add in all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Then decrease the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

- Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

Assembly

- Preheat oven to 350'F

- Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan. Layer in 2 of the lasagna noodles. Cover the lasagna noodles with enough spinach to cover them. Layer in enough of the meat filling mixture to cover the spinach. Then sprinkle enough of the cheese over the filling to cover.

- Layer 2 more lasagna sheets overtop, and repeat with remaining spinach, meat filling and cheese.

- Layer the last 2 lasagna noodles on top. Cover the top with the tomato sauce, and then cover in foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Alternately you can bake the lasagna without the sauce and spoon the sauce over top after it finishes baking.

- Once finished remove from the oven, garnish with fresh minced parsley, then cut and serve! Preferably with a nice side salad.

*** Note - Just because I used Beyond Meat crumbles and Daiya Cheese doesn’t mean you have to. Use whatever you favorite vegan meat and cheese are, though if you use a plainly seasoned vegan beef you may want to add a bit more heat to the dish, it’s up to you. Something to keep in mind that this dish is gluten-free and soy free - as long as you use gluten-free lasagna noodles -because both beyond meat and daiya are gluten and soy free products. If you're using other vegan products and gluten or soy is an issue you'll have to read the labels to make sure.*** 

Brussels Sprout and Red Potato Hash...

This breakfast was born out of a strong desire to ‘change-things-up.’ I’ve said before that I’m not typically a breakfast person, or a morning eater, but for some reason this week I’ve been craving a large morning meal. Monday I had scrambled Chickpeas - have you done this? It’s delicious. Tuesday it was leftovers from Monday night. Yesterday it was pancakes. Today I really felt like a scramble, but I wasn’t really in the mood for tofu. I wanted something quick and easy that I could whip up in no time that was savory. Except, so many of my favorite cook books include savory breakfast recipes that contain spinach, and peppers - neither of which I had. So I had to start thinking about what I did have, and suddenly that 2lb pound bag of Brussels sprouts in the fridge, and the 5lb bag of organic red potatoes sitting on my kitchen counter started calling to me.

Originally I was calling this a scramble, but since nothing gets scrambled per-say I suppose it’s more of a hash. Whatever you decide to call it, it’s amazingly delicious. It was a super savory way to start my day and came together really quickly. The vegan sausage is totally optional but makes a nice addition. I strongly suggest using your own homemade sausage as opposed to store-bought - as I did, I had one homemade seitan sausage leftover in my fridge and what a way to use it up! - that’s just me. I prefer the taste of home-made, but whatever floats your boat. The salsa too is optional and not imperative, if you don’t have it don’t sweat it. It’s just that the hash might get a bit dry unless you add a bit of extra oil, and the salsa’s a nice way to moisten it up, plus it adds a kick of extra flavor. Also a great way to use leftover salsa that’s been kicking around your fridge.

This can feed two people, or maybe just one very, very hungry person. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprout and Red Potato Hash

1-2 tsp Olive Oil
12 Small Brussels Sprouts Halved (or 6-8 Large ones quartered)
3 Small Red Potatoes Diced
½ Red Onion Diced
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Vegan Italian Sausage homemade or store-bought. (I Used Homemade Seitan Sausage)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Dried Basil
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp Chili Powder
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Siracha to taste (I used about 1tsp)
Water as needed
2-3 Tbsp of your Favorite Salsa

- Heat the Oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Preferably cast iron if you have it because it gives the best sear. When the oil is sizzling drop in the brussels sprouts and diced potatoes. Let cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then flip with a spatula and cook another 2 minutes. This may take a couple of minutes longer depending on your pan and on how hot it gets. If your Sprouts and potatoes aren’t getting golden, and even a bit brown they need to cook a bit longer. 2 minutes in my cast iron is about all it needs but it may be different for you.

- When your veg is nicely seared lower the heat to medium and add in 1 cup of water. Cover the pan with a lid and let steam for 5 minutes. Check for doneness by poking the veg with a fork and if they’re not quite tender enough let steam another 3-4 minutes.

- Once veg are tenderized to your liking remove them from the pan and drain off all the excess water.

- Return the pan to the stove and add the red onion. You may want to add in a little splash of oil or water to get things going here, but if’s not necessary in a cast iron pan. Saute the onions for 5 minute until they begin to soften and golden. Add in the garlic and vegan sausage if using saute another 2-3 minutes.

- Add in the Oregano, Basil, Smoked Paprika, Salt, Pepper, and chili powder. Stir to combine. If you didn’t use any oil or water in the previous step you may need to add a bit now as the spices can dry things up.

- Add the Sprouts and Potatoes back into the pan and stir to coat evenly with spices. Saute for about a minute just to marry the flavors then fold in the siracha and salsa if using.

- Transfer to a plate, and serve with extra Siracha, salsa, or even a diced avocado if desired. Enjoy!

NOTE: Though my version of this hash was not gluten-free you can easily make it so by using a gluten-free vegan sausage or omitting the sausage altogether.

Summer Leek and Lemon Noodle Soup...

I don’t know about where you live but the weather here has been weird lately. One day it’s hot, humid and sunny as the tropics and the next day it’s cool, windy, overcast and drizzly. Now since I’m a Vancouver girl a drizzly or even a full on rainy day doesn’t get me down - even if it’s in the middle of summer - because it reminds me of home. For me rainy days are days to laze on the couch and read a good book with the windows open so that you can listen to the rain splatter against the pavement. Rainy days are days to get things done that you never seem to get around to when the weather is nice - like organization or hard-core baking. Rainy days also mean soup. Now, it wasn’t exactly cold today, but it was cool and so I really felt like a bowl of soup. Really there’s nothing better then a steaming bowl of soup on a grey day, is there?

Of course even if the temperature is a little cool, it’s still the middle of summer, so I didn’t think a thick hearty soup would be appropriate. I was craving something ‘chicken-noodle’ style, with lots of broth and wholesome veggies, but I also wanted it to represent summer. I wanted a fresh and light soup that you could really eat anytime of year and feel good about. Lemon, summer savory, and tarragon all give this soup that summery feel, and they paired extremely well with the leeks I had in my fridge. The great thing about this soup is that it’s pretty quick and easy to prepare and if you really want to utilize summer’s bounty you can substitute fresh herbs for the dried.

Summer Leek and Lemon Noodle Soup

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Large leeks cleaned and sliced
3 Stalks Celery Diced
4 Carrots Diced
10 Garlic Cloves Minced
4 C Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 ½ C Water
*** 2 Bunches Soba Noodles
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 ½ tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Thyme
1 tsp dried Tarragon
1 tsp dried Summer Savory
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Dried Rosemary
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/4 C Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s

- Heat the olive oil in a medium-large sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add in the celery and carrot and saute for 3-5 more minutes.

- Add in the vegetable broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes then add the basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon, summer savory,. Smoked paprika, ground ginger, rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes.

- Add in the Soba noodles and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes until the noodles are soft.

- Turn off the heat and stir in the Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s and the Lemon Juice. Let stand ten minutes and serve dished up into large bowls.

*** Note - Packages of Soba Noodles usually come separated into bundles. Each small package has about 3-4 bundles of noodles, and each large package has about 8 bundles of noodles. I just grabbed two bundles and didn’t exactly measure the dry weight. Though if your noodles don’t come packed in bundles I would say somewhere between 4-6oz would be appropriate for this soup. Also if you would prefer you can use a gluten-free noodle instead of the Soba to make this gluten-free*** 

Kyleigh’s All-Time Favorite Salad Dressing...

Some days all I want is a big green salad. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Some lettuce, onion, and maybe a bit of tomato or some dried cranberries will do, with a light sweet garlicky vinaigrette. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all those big honkin’ salads that are complete meals in themselves and contain upwards of fifty ingredients, but when I’m really craving greens, I go for simple more often then not, and while I love all those rich, elaborate, and creamy salad dressings too a lot of times I just want a dressing that tastes ‘clean’ without having to sacrifice on flavor.

This is the perfect summer salad in my opinion, clean and simple, but it’s also the perfect winter salad. It’s great for serving alongside heavier meals like Spaghetti and bean balls, in rich tomato sauce, or for serving next to a big ‘ole bowl of chili, or as a component to a large holiday dinner such as Thanksgiving. It’s a great starter salad, because it’s so delicious, yet it’s flavor won’t overwhelm the main course.

When I first ditched bottled salad dressing’s - years ago, before I ever went vegan or vegetarian - this was the first homemade dressing I came up with, and it was a hit with everyone. Since the day I first served a salad with this dressing to someone other then my husband I have been frequently told by people that they ‘love my salads’ and that I ‘make the best salads’ I don’t know about that, but it’s nice knowing that I’m at least capable of making something satisfying that a wide range of people can enjoy and appreciate. I hope you enjoy this simple dressing too.

Kyleigh’s All-Time Favorite Salad Dressing

4-6 Garlic Cloves
7 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Red Raspberry Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp Water - to thin and dilute as needed.
1 tsp Sugar - more or less to taste
A pinch of Black Pepper, Dried Basil, and Dried Oregano to taste

- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic cloves and toast until golden brown on both sides, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning or sticking.

- Remove the garlic from the pan and place in a food processor. Add Oil, Vinegar, sugar, and spices. Blend until completely smooth. Taste for flavor and then add water as needed, adjusting oil, vinegar and spices as you see fit.

- Pour over a a big ‘ole green salad and enjoy!

PS: You could use this dressing on virtually any kind of salad but my favorite types of greens to use with this dressing are Bibb, Green Leaf, Romaine, Iceberg and Spinach. Typically I use Romaine more often then not. You also have an endless amount of ‘add-in’ options such as tomato, red onion, green onion, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, olives,  bell pepper, red cabbage, chopped veggies, apples, pears etc.. though I like to keep it simple leaving it around 3-4 ingredients at most.

PPS: If you like you can make this sugar-free by leaving out the sugar, or by adding in another mild flavored sweetener of your choice. 

Wild Ramp Pesto...

So, the other day I mentioned that one of the things I did with my bounty of ramps was make a pesto. It may not have been the most original idea out there, but since I’d never used ramps in that way before and since I’m a big lover of pesto I thought why not? Sounded like the perfect dish to me.

Initially I wasn’t sure if I should leave the ramps raw or cook them first. Amongst ramp pesto lovers there seems to be quite the divide. Some prefer raw, some prefer cooked. After tasting one ramp raw, I decided to go the ‘mostly’ cooked route. Ramps are very pungent, and while a few raw ones here and there probably taste great, I thought it would be a bit too over powering to have them all raw. So I decided to blanch 18 and leave 2 raw and honestly I think it worked out great. 2 raw ramps were enough to give the pesto that oomph without giving it any ugh factor. At least in my opinion, but if you like a little more pungency feel free to use more then 2 raw ramps. Use them however best suits your taste, but definitely use them, and definitely use them to make pesto, because this is without a doubt one of the best pesto’s I’ve ever eaten! And I’ve eaten a lot of pesto in my time.

Wild Ramp Pesto 

20 Ramps - 18 Blanched, 2 Raw
2 Garlic Cloves
2/3 C Walnuts
2/3-3/4 C Olive Oil
Dash of ground Thyme
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste
½ Tbsp Dried Oregano
2-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
½ bunch Parsley

- Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Trim the roots off the ramps and when the water is boiling add the 18 whole ramps into the water. Boil for 1-2 minutes until ramps are soft. Immediately drain, and then plunge into a bowl if ice water to stop them from cooking.

- Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs.

- Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and raw ramps to the processor, pulse until combined.

- Add the blanched ramps to the food processor along with the thyme, sea salt, black pepper, oregano and parsley. Pulse until creamy and smooth. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as needed.

- Enjoy over your favorite pasta. I used Gluten-Free Rice Spaghetti, and it tasted fabulous. It’s also great garnished with a handful of halved cherry or grape tomatoes!

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw...

This salad recipe is partly inspired by the one my friend J brought to Easter this year, and partly inspired by the delicious kale salads I ate at Choice Health Bar in Lahaina, when I was in Maui in October. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, tangy and spice. The sweet coming from the dried fruit, the tang coming from the mayo, and the two vinegars, and the spice coming from smoked paprika, pepper, allspice, clove and curry powder. It may sound like a strange combination but trust me when I say they work in perfect harmony together. Paired with earthy hemp and sesame seeds this salad is a powerhouse of awesome flavor, and it got gobbled up faster then anything else when I made it for Earth Day.

One important thing to note about this salad is that, par usual I didn’t really measure the spices as well as I should have. You see I started off with a certain measurement, either 1/4 or ½ tsp and then kept adjusting from there. Unfortunately I neglected to write down what the final mastermind became for some of the spices. With the ingredients I’ve noted as (to taste) I suggest erring on the side of caution and going with the conservative measurement first, then tasting and adjusting to suit your preference. With the garlic and curry powder it’s also important to keep in mind that you want enough of each of those flavors to taste them, but not so much that either one of them is overpowering. You want to shoot for a mild garlic flavor and a mild curry flavor. In fact as you prepare the salad keep in mind that the flavors should be working together not fighting one another, meaning no one flavor should really overshadow the others. Instead they should be layered together to enhance the dish as a whole. With that in mind, you can’t go wrong. I know I at least will be making this salad - or some variation of it - for years and years to come!

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw

4 ½ C Shredded Kale
3 Carrots Grated
1/4 C Raisins
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
3 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
½ C Chopped Green Onions

½ C Non-dairy Mayo
1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Umeboshi Plum vinegar
 2-3 Packets Stevia (to taste)
½ tsp Ground Allspice
3/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
3/4 tsp Dried Oregano
½-3/4 tsp Ground Thyme (to taste)
½ tsp Garlic Powder (to taste)
½-3/4 tsp Curry Powder (to taste)
Dash of Cinnamon and Cloves (slightly less then 1/8 tsp each)
Black Pepper to taste

- The easiest way to shred kale is in a food processor. Just pop it in and pulse a few times until you have fine shreds. Don’t puree it! If you don’t have a food processor just slice it thin with a knife.

- Once the kale has been shredded place it in a bowl with the grated carrot, cranberries, raisins, seeds, and onions.

- Combine all dressing ingredient in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as needed. For an additional kick you can always add a pinch or two of Cayenne pepper! Enjoy!

Mediterranean Scramble...

My husband and I are suckers for a good tofu scramble. I think in the beginning we were both a little bit skeptical but we quickly came to the realization that tofu scrambles are the way to go. They look like scrambled eggs and taste a million times better, plus they’re so versatile. You can literally add anything in that you like.

I generally only make scrambles for special occasions, - I don’t know why since they’re so darn good! - and typically I only make one of two versions that have become my go too scramble recipes. One is just a basic garden scramble that I came up with. The other is a slightly sweeter tad spicier scramble that includes vegan chorizo, sort of meant to be like a Mexican Eggs and Chorizo sort of thing. Both are wonderful - I’ll have to post the recipes some time. - However when my husband requested a scramble for Easter breakfast, rather then the quiche I’d originally planned I decided to stick with the Mediterranean theme we’d set for dinner.

When I started out I just had a vague idea of what I wanted. Sausage and peppers to start, seasoned with Greek spices, but beyond that I didn’t really have a clue as to what I was going to do. So I picked through my cabinets, sorted through my fridge and pilfered my brain of every tiny bit of it’s culinary knowledge and Greek inspiration. What I ended up with was so utterly mind blowing that neither my husband nor I could resist the urge to utterly gorge ourselves silly. Everything about this scramble is perfect! The flavors are subtle and play off each other beautifully, the aroma is heavenly, and the entire dish transports you to a new level of culinary bliss. It must also be said that long ago my husband happened upon the realization that if you add a bit of ketchup to a tofu scramble it makes it taste all the more like eggs. Both of us know people who actually eat ketchup on real chicken’s eggs and both of us have always found this utterly sickening. However, ketchup on a scramble makes total sense and over time I’ve picked up this habit as well. Although, this is one scramble that definitely doesn’t need it. I gobbled my plate up as was, without making any alterations. If you like Mediterranean flair, and both Greek and Italian spices I strongly suggest you give this scramble a try, you won’t be sorry!

Mediterranean Scramble

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb Firm Tofu (Pressed and Drained)
1 lb Vegan Italian Style Sausage (I used Field Roast)
1 C chopped Mixed Peppers (I Used Red and Orange)
1 Small Yellow Onion Diced
10 Cloves Garlic Minced
10 Sun-dried tomatoes chopped
2 Large handfuls Baby Spinach
10-15 Kalamata Olives Halved
½-3/4 tsp ground Fenugreek ***
½ tsp ground Fennel ***
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 ½ tsp ground Thyme
1-2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp Dried Crushed Rosemary
1/8 Ground Turmeric
Dash of Dried Dill
Dash of Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/8-1/4 C Nutritional Yeast
Water as needed

- Put tofu in a tofu press - or wrap in a towel and place between two heavy objects - and press for about 2 hours.

- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Slice Italian sausages into thin rounds and fry in the oil until nicely browned on both sides. Roughly 5-10 minutes. You can add a bit more oil or water if needed. Once browned, remove to a plate and set aside.

- Heat remaining tbsp of oil in the same pan. - No need to clean it out. - Add garlic, onion, and peppers and saute over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until flagrant, and onions are translucent and peppers are soft.

- Drain tofu and crumble into the pan. Alternately if you want large pieces you can cube it using a knife rather then just crumble it.

- Add in all your spices. The fenugreek, fennel, cumin, thyme, oregano, rosemary, turmeric, dill, smoked paprika, sea salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Adjust for personal taste preferences and color and stir until everything is well combines and tofu has taken on a yellow color. If the pan seems dry you can add in a bit more oil or water to de-glaze and moisten it, as needed.

- Add in the cooked Italian Sausage, Spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and saute over medium for 2-4 minutes until tofu and sausage are well heated through and spinach has wilted. Add in the kalamata olives, saute another minute then taste for flavor, adjust as needed and serve.

*** Note - Both Fenugreek and Fennel may only be sold in seed form. If this Is the case no worries, just grind the seeds yourself in a spice or coffee grinder. It works perfectly. I actually have a coffee grinder for just this purpose. Also fenugreek may not be in everyone’s average grocery store depending on where you live. However grocery retailers such as Whole Foods, as well as specialty and spice shops, typically carry it. You could also check out your nearest Mediterranean, Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, or even Chinese Grocery as Fenugreek is used in all of these cuisines. Trust me when I say it’s worth your looking for!***


*** Note - Can be made Gluten-Free by using a GF Vegan Sausage*** 

Classic Greek Salad with Fantastic Tofu Feta...

I have a real passion for Greek Cuisine. I’ve mentioned my love of it before, and being part Greek myself this should come as no surprise. However despite my undying love for the aromas and flavors of Greek culinary tradition Greek food isn’t something I often prepare myself. Nor would it seem is it a culinary delight I seek out at restaurants these days. When I lived in Vancouver I frequented several different Greek restaurants on a regular basis. There were tons to choose from but I had my favorites, they made my favorite dishes like tzatziki, pita, rice pilaf, souvlaki, moussaka (though no one can compare to my grandma’s moussaka) dolmathes and so on just right. When I moved to Chicago the number of palatable - In my opinion - Greek restaurants severely diminished and the few that I enjoyed never could quite compare to my favorites from back home. I don’t know why but for a city that has a decent sized Greek community I find the food to be rather lackluster at most of the Greek restaurants I’ve been to here. There seems to be a fundamental difference between how Greek food is prepared in Chicago and how it’s prepared in Vancouver which I assume comes down to differing culinary and regional trends and traditions that develop as a result of diaspora. Traditions after all, often change when people leave their homeland and are forced to adapt to new ways of life in another country.

So this is one of the main reasons I stopped eating Greek food out, the other main reason is that I became vegan and as much as I love Greek cuisine it is by no means vegan friendly. Vegetarian friendly yes, most certainly, but not vegan friendly. Why I don’t cook Greek food at home more often is something of a mystery. It’s not as though I haven’t got the skill or the resources to do so. I guess it’s just one of those things, but I digress...

All last week I was having a wicked hankering for Greek food. It happens like that sometimes, all of a sudden I’ll get a taste for a certain ethnic cuisine and that’s all I’ll want to eat for days. One of the dishes in particular that I was craving, is a long standing favorite of mine. Just a super simple but delicious Greek Salad. I stopped eating Greek salad when I moved to Chicago because the restaurants here don’t make it right everyone’s got their twist on this classic salad and it drives me nuts. People are always throwing romaine lettuce into it, which I absolutely do not understand. The dressings are never right, there’s never enough garlic, and different places like to throw in other random additions that in my opinion just don’t belong. Kalamata olives, squid, sun-dried tomatoes, radishes - you name it and I’ve seen it stuck in amongst the lettuce leaves. I’ve made it at home several times in the past of course but when I went vegan that option went out the window too. A Greek salad just isn’t a Greek salad without the feta, in my opinion anyway, and since my husband doesn’t like olives there hardly seemed a point in making a salad in which the two most important ingredients were absent.

What about tofu feta? You might ask. Of course I was aware of tofu feta. I’d heard about it, I’d heard about people making it. I’d seen recipes in books on how to make it, but honestly none of the recipes I ever saw sounded like they’d be anywhere close to real feta, and while that may be fine in some instances it is certainly not fine within the context of a Greek salad. Tofu, or tofu tasting things do not belong. I just never saw how it would work or how it would be edible, particularly for me since I’m not a big fan of tofu to begin with.
That craving just wouldn’t let up though, and so I spent a day debating, deliberating, pondering and contemplating just how I could make tofu into feta cheese and have it not only be adequate but damn near amazing. The only other time I’ve tried to replicate the taste of feta was last summer when I veganized my mom’s recipe for spinach and feta stuffed peppers. I thought back to that recipe and came to the conclusion that the same basic principals should work again, if given the right amount of time and with the right technique. So I began, and what I ended up with turned out to be so mind-blowingly fantastic I can’t even begin to put it into words.

This recipe is super simple, all it takes is patience and time, and the result is phenomenal. Never again will I long for the days of cow’s milk feta. Never again will I even consider it for a second. Not only did the end result of this not taste anything even slightly resembling tofu, but it tasted exactly like what I remember feta to taste like. It was so damn good that when I went to go taste test it I ate a handful of it straight out of the container, by itself! For a tofu evader like me that’s freaking huge! It really made the salad, which of course was fantastic and totally satisfying!

So without further adieu here are my recipes for tofu feta, and a traditional Greek Salad - traditional at least where I’m from - I hope you enjoy them, and as far as the tofu is concerned I highly recommend using a tofu-press if you have one. See the note for more details. The press really is amazing, I’m just saying!

Fantastic Tofu Feta

1 lb Extra Firm Tofu drained and pressed for 2-4 hours
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Dried Dill
1 ½ tbsp Dried Basil
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
4-6 tbsp Caper Liquid
Black Pepper to taste
Sea Salt - start with ½ tsp and go up until you reach the desired saltiness

- When you press your tofu, try to make sure as much water comes out as possible. Your block of tofu should become extremely condensed, to the point of being almost half of it’s original thickness. It should not be really wet, slippery or slimy. This is how you know it’s been pressed long enough, and trust me when I say this level of pressing is what goes along way in helping the tofu actually taste like real deal feta. Take the time to do it right if you can otherwise the end result will not be as wonderful.

- Once tofu has been pressed crumble it into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and stir until well combined. Taste for salt and seasoning and adjust as needed. Place in an air-tight container and let marinate overnight. 12-24 hours is good, keep in mind the longer you allow it to marinate the stronger the flavor will be, thus the more feta-like it’ll be. I highly suggest at least a 12 hour marinade. Make the feta a day in advance, and actually the longer you leave it in the fridge the bolder the flavor becomes. It should last you up to a week in the fridge, and I think it tastes best at 2-3 days but a 1 day marinade is totally sufficient for this purpose.

Greek Salad

5 Medium Tomatoes cut into chunks
½-1 Small Red Onion sliced paper thin (to taste)
1 15 oz can Black Olives drained
1 large Cucumber Peeled and cut into chunks
1 large Green Bell Pepper cut into chunks
1 recipe Tofu Feta

Classic Greek Dressing

1/3-1/2 C Olive Oil
1/3-1/2 White Vinegar
2 tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Dried Basil
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 Packet Stevia (optional)
3-6 Cloves Garlic finely minced (or to taste)

- Combine Chopped Tomato, red onion, pepper, olives, and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle tofu feta over top. You may not need or want to use the entire batch, that’s up to you. I used about 3/4 of a batch.

- Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Then pour over salad. Again depending on how much salad all your veggies yield you may not need to use the entire dressing. I used roughly two-thirds of it.

- Let the whole thing marinate 1-3 hours in the fridge. As with the tofu the longer you let it marinate the stronger the flavor will be. The raw onion and garlic also mellow out a little the longer they sit marinate in the dressing which is nice.

- When ready serve as an appetizer or side dish to a wonderfully home-cooked Greek feast! And enjoy!

PS: Stay tuned for more Greek inspired recipes!

*** Note - You don’t need a tofu press to press the water out of tofu, however I strongly recommend it. A lot of people argue that using a kitchen towel and a heavy object works just fine, I can’t attest to that personally because I’ve never had any success with that method. Try as I might a heavy bottomed frying pan on top of my block of tofu didn’t press out all that much, and because of the differing in size between the pan and the tofu it never sat level. If I tried to force more water out by pressing the pan down on the tofu all I succeeded in doing was squishing or crushing my tofu but it still contained water. The great thing about the press is that there’s a plate in place held down by a spring that’s forcing constant pressure onto the tofu so that water seeps out. The tofu retains it’s rectangular shape because of the box surrounding it and you don’t have to fuss or fight with it to get the water out. Put it in, set it up and leave it along for 2 hours. It’s a thing of beauty, and it works fantastic. Now that I have one I don’t know how I ever survived without one. It makes eating tofu a lot tastier, and I tend to avoid it less now. A press costs about $35 and in the grand scheme of things it really isn’t all that much money, certainly not if you’re going to get your money’s worth.***

Broiled Vegetable Pizza Sauce...

Everyone it seems love pizza, and I am certainly no exception. There’s just something so overwhelmingly satisfying and comforting about it. It’s become something of an ingrained cultural ritual for most people. We eat it at parties, and family gatherings. We pick it up when we get off work late, or grab a slice to eat on the go at lunch. It was a favorite childhood food for most of us enjoyed at all the best occasions and celebrations. We eat it when we have late night cravings and enjoy it cold the next day for breakfast - or at least I do - Then there are some days where you just want some of that greasy oozy-gooey goodness.

These days I don’t eat as much pizza as I used to. Partly because I don’t consider it to be a particularly healthful food, - not the way most restaurants make it anyway - but also because I’m just the type of person that enjoys constantly engaging in new culinary experiences. As much as I love it I couldn’t eat pizza all the time, and I’ve never been the kind of person who only ate one kind of pizza and that was it. I find that very boring. Not to mention limiting. I prefer to constantly change things up. I despise limitations. I relish freedom and choice, and am always looking for ways to fully take advantage of both, especially in the kitchen. So these days when I do eat pizza I take great pleasure in making my own. I love coming up with new combinations of ingredients and seeing how they work together.

My favorite kinds of pizza are the kind absolutely loaded up with veggies, I also appreciate creative sauces. Classic marinara is fine, and certainly has it’s place, but I like my pizza sauce to have a little more pizzaz. I love pesto on pizza, I also love a good garlic cream sauce on pizza, roasted tomato sauces are good too, as is a good sweet and smokey barbeque sauce. So the last time I decided to whip up a few of my own pizza creations I thought why not try my hand at making a nice delicious pizza sauce?

The following recipe is what I came up with after a little bit of thought. I love broiled veggies so much, and thought they'd be wonderful blended into a sauce, lending it a sweet yet robust flavor. I was very happy with the finished product, and the great thing about it is that while there are several steps involved it is very easy. This sauce recipe makes enough for at least 3 14 inch pizzas with still a bit leftover. A great idea for the remaining sauce If you don’t want to freeze it is to heat a bit in the microwave and then drizzle it over the finished pizza. Or heat some to use as a dipping sauce. Super tasty! Another nice thing about this sauce is that it’s very versatile. You can literally pile any kind of veggies you like on top of it and it’ll go remarkably well. I used sweet potatoes and beets sliced thin on one pizza. Tomatoes, zucchini and asparagus on one, and spinach, onions, and peppers on another. Experiment and see what you like best.

Broiled Vegetable Pizza Sauce

3 Medium Sized Tomatoes on the Vine (it’s okay if they’re a bit overripe)
½ a large Vedalia Onion (or other sweet onion)
1 Large Red Pepper
6-8 cloves garlic
1 tsp Agave nectar (or to taste)
1 tsp lime juice
Fresh parsley, oregano, and basil to taste
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste

- Set Broiler to high.

- Slice tomatoes, and red pepper in half and lay on a lightly greased broiler pan. Slice your onion half in half again and place it on the broiler pan along with the other vegetables.

- Broil vegetables until skins are blackened. You don’t want them to be entirely black and burnt, just charred a bit. Remove from oven, place onto plate or into bowl and stick in the freezer for a quick cold shock, about five minutes.

- While vegetables are in the broiler, brown garlic cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat. about five or so minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

- Remove vegetables from freezer, skins should easily peel away from the tomatoes and pepper. Discard, along with the outermost layer of onion. Place vegetables into a highspeed blender. If there is juice remaining on the plate or in the bowl you used to hold the vegetables when putting them in the freezer pour that into the blender as well..

- Add garlic and herbs, agave, and lime juice. Blend on high until everything is combined and smooth. Add a little sea salt and black pepper.
- Next spread a generous amount of sauce onto your prepared pizza dough. Everyone likes a different amount of sauce so that is up to you. I personally like very saucy pizza, since I don’t eat cheese on my pizza the extra sauce gives it that extra oomph. Make sure to spread the sauce evenly then assemble your pizza toppings as you like and bake according to recipe directions.

So there you have it, a quick and easy pizza sauce that’s delicious and gives you the added satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself from scratch. Nothing better then that.

And incase you are curious about the pizza I have pictured here, it’s a very simple concoction that was absolutely heavenly. I used Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s pizza crust recipe from "The Vegan Table" topped it with my Broiled Vegetable sauce, then arranged thinly sliced tomato, and zucchini on top. Added sauteed red peppers, and red onions then finished it off with some shaved asparagus, some chopped green onion and some freshly cracked black pepper. Delicious!

Also my apologies for not actually taking a picture of the sauce on it’s own, that was very neglectful on my part.

*** Note - While my sauce is gluten-free, soy-free and oil-free. My pizza was not gluten-free or oil-free. I always brush my crust with a bit of olive oil before baking to get it a bit crispy, you don't have to. Also it is very easy to make gluten-free pizza and you can even buy pre-made gluten-free crusts or pre-made gluten-free pizza dough mix at many grocery and health food store chains. ***

Triple Tomato and Farro Soup...

Last week I bought a 3 pound bag of Farro. Over the past year I’ve come across a handful of recipes that call for it, and I’ve always been curious to try it. Yet somehow it just never came to pass. Then by chance while I was out grocery shopping I saw Costco had a huge bag of it for a relatively cheap price. I eagerly grabbed it up. Though I have a few recipes in which I could have first used this interesting grain, I decided to come up with one of my own. It’s been cold here lately, snow and icy wind, you know the typical Chicago winter, and so I wanted soup. Not just any soup mind you, but something hearty and tomato based. I was really craving tomatoes, and since I know tomatoes and rice go well together I thought why not Farro? Of course I also wanted to make this dish oil-free, relatively low-sodium, and low in fat, so after a bit of playing around this is what I came up with.

It turned out so much better then I initially expected, and though the picture doesn’t in anyway do it justice - remember that bad lighting in my kitchen? Well it really makes any food with a yellow, orange or red tint look ugly, - you will have to just trust me on this. This soup is pretty damn phenomenal and it really hits the spot on those long cold winter nights. It’s especially good if like me, you are an avid tomato lover. This soup is loaded with rich acidic tomatoey goodness, I couldn’t stop myself from eating two bowls, and my husband went back for thirds!

As for the Farro, never having had it before I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, or even if I’d like it, but that’s me, always taking a chance on food. I’m glad I did though, because I quite liked it. Farro has a consistency sort of like rice, but chewier, and the flavor reminds me of barley. I can’t wait to start experimenting more with it.

Triple Tomato and Farro Soup

1 Large Onion chopped
10 Cloves Garlic minced
1/4 C Vegetable Broth
2 C Carrot Juice ***
1 1/4- 1 ½ C Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
½ C Red Lentils
1 28oz can Diced Tomatoes with Juice
6oz Tomato Paste with Italian Herbs
½ tsp Crushed Rosemary
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
1/8 tsp Saffron Threads
1 1/4 C cooked Farro ***
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp White pepper (or to taste)
1 15oz can Stewed Sliced Tomatoes with Italian Herbs with Juice
1-2 Chopped and Seeded Fresh Tomato for Garnish (Optional)

- Combine Onion, Garlic and 1/4 C Vegetable Broth in pot on medium-high heat. Saute until fragrant and onions become translucent. Between 7-10 minutes.

- Meanwhile combine 1 1/4 Farro and 2 ½ C water in another pot on high heat. Bring to a boil, let boil for five minutes and reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cook farro till al dente and liquid is absorbed. If farro is cooked and not all liquid has been absorbed strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside until ready to add it to the soup.

- Stir carrot juice, vegetable broth and red lentils into the pot with the onions and garlic. Bring to a boil and let boil for five to ten minutes. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato paste then reduce heat and let simmer for another 20-25 minutes until lentils are tender and are beginning to break down. Stir in rosemary, smoked paprika and saffron.

- Remove soup from heat and puree in a blender. If you prefer a chunkier consistency blend half, for a smoother texture blend the whole pot. Once blended return the soup to the pot on low heat, and stir in the cooked farro, basil, oregano, lemon juice, white pepper, and 15 oz can of sliced tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes or until farro and sliced tomatoes are heated through.

- Garnish with some chopped tomato, fresh chopped basil, or parsley and serve, perhaps with a slice of rustic gluten-free or gluten-full bread. Enjoy!

*** Note - Farro may not be easy for some people to find - I got mine at Costco, but the Whole Foods in my area also sells it - or it may be expensive in your area, if this is the case feel free to use rice instead. Also farro is a wheat product, if you are gluten-intolerant this soup can easily be made gluten-free by substituting brown rice or quinoa for the farro. ***

*** Note - I recommend using Organic Carrot Juice if it’s available to you. I also strongly recommend that you choose a commercial carrot juice that only contains carrots and perhaps water. There shouldn’t be any added sugar, sodium or anything like that. Boathouse Farms makes a good carrot juice if you can find it. Of course if you are lucky enough to have a juicer - I’m not - then you could simply juice your own! ***

Ancient Inca Tri-Quinoa Stew...

Yesterday was a relatively chilly day, it was also a rather busy day for me, coming at the end of a busy weekend. I wanted something warming, and hearty for dinner that wouldn’t take all that much effort or time on my part, and I wanted to incorporate Quinoa. I’ve been really craving this delicious little grain over the past few days, and as I never seem to eat enough of it, I really wanted to make a dish that would showcase it prominently.

For those of you unfamiliar with Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) it is a grain like crop, hailing from the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru, where it was domesticated for human consumption roughly 4000 years ago. Quinoa is a very nutrient dense food, containing all the essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein! It’s also a good source of fiber, calcium, phosphorus and iron. The Incas held this crop as sacred and referred to it as the "Mother of all Grains" and is it any wonder? A 100g serving of Quinoa contains 7g of fiber, 14g of protein, 35% Iron, 55% Magnesium, 65% phosphorus, 33% Zinc, and many B Vitamins as well as Vitamin E. Amazing! Quinoa was also called the "Gold of the Incas" because they recognized and utilized it’s value. Inca warriors would often sit down to a big dish of Quinoa just before battle because they believed this grain made them strong and powerful.

What I really love about quinoa - aside from it’s delicious flavor of course - is it’s versatility. You can use it in any way that you’d traditionally use rice, barley, cous cous or other grains. I’ve seen people make Greek Dolmas with Quinoa, and it’s becoming more and more popular to make sushi with it as well. You can steam or stir-fry veggies to spoon over top of it, use it in stew, soup or chili, toss it into salads or even eat it as a breakfast porridge instead of oatmeal as the Inca did. Quinoa is also very quick to cook, in roughly 20 minutes you can have a big steaming pot of it ready to go. Personally I like to cook mine in low-sodium vegetable broth - as I do with rice and cous cous - but water is totally fine too. So if you haven’t tried quinoa you absolutely must, and if you have tried it an liked it you should try to make it a staple in your diet for it’s wonderful health benefits! Just make sure you rinse your Quinoa first to remove any bitter residue.

As for this stew, I wanted something with a South American flair that would compliment the Quinoa’s region or origin, but at the same time I wanted a stew that was lightly seasoned. Too often our food is overly spiced and so the natural flavors don’t get the chance to truly shine through. In this dish I wanted to be able to taste the nuttiness of the Quinoa, the sweetness of the corn, the tanginess of lime and the acidity of the tomatoes. However if you want the stew to be a little more spicy or a little more sweet or a little more tart feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your preference, oh and while I’ve listed the avocado as being optional I definitely recommend it. It pairs so beautifully with the stew and lends a wonderful mouth feel to have creamy raw avocado mixed in with your hot grainy stew. Although a dollop or two of guacamole would probably be just as good if you’d prefer.

Okay, before I get to it let me just say that I know this is going to look like a lot of ingredients but trust me when I say this dish is actually really simple and comes together very easy. You hardly have to do any chopping and most of the cook time is spent with you just sitting around waiting for the stew to finish simmering. There Is so much you can do in that downtime. Shower, read, check your e-mail you name it. It’s the perfect after work dinner. Throw everything in a pot and go!

Ancient Inca Tri-Quinoa Stew

1/4 C Vegetable Broth
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
10 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Large Red Onion
1 Orange Bell Pepper
6-10 Baby Bella Mushrooms chopped
½ C White Quinoa
½ C Black Quinoa
½ C Red Quinoa
3 ½ C Vegetable Broth
1 ½ C Corn Kernels
1 15 oz Can Black Beans
1 28oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3 tsp Chili Powder
3 tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1/8 tsp White Pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Black Pepper to taste
3-4Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Bunch Cilantro minced
Sliced Avocado (Optional but highly recommended)

- Pour quarter cup of vegetable broth and 2 tbsp of lime juice into a soup pot. Add minced garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute on medium until veggies are soft and translucent. About 5-7 minutes, sprinkle with black pepper to taste, add in mushrooms and saute another 3-4 minutes.

- Add all quinoa to the pot along with the fire roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 ½ C vegetable broth, bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes then reduce heat and let simmer for 35 minutes.

- Add in Corn kernels, black beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, white pepper, and smoked paprika and let simmer another 15-20 minutes.

- By now Quinoa should be fully cooked and expanded and the amount of liquid in the pot should have decreased some. If this is not the case then let simmer an additional ten minutes. Otherwise add in Cilantro, the last 3 tbsp of lime juice, and agave nectar. Stir to combine, simmer for 5 minutes and then serve.

- Garnish with half a sliced avocado per bowl, and serve with a side salad or a hunk of cornbread. I decided to serve mine with cornbread. The basic recipe for which I got from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s book "The Joy of Vegan Baking" However I added in a 1/3 C of minced cilantro and 2 Tbsp of minced Jalapeno for a little Latin kick.

***Note: I realize not all of you may have access to so many different types of Quinoa, so if you don’t, don’t fret. It’s perfectly all right to use whatever kind you have and I don’t think the flavor of the stew will suffer for it. Although Black Quinoa is my absolute favorite so if you can find it I highly recommend you grab some! Also you can use any bell pepper you have, I would have used red but orange was the only kind I had at the time.***