Sugar Cookie and Fruit Pizza

Kids, finish up your spinach, because this dessert is worth it! Parents, it’s not exactly healthy, but you can load it up with tons of fresh summer fruits, at least! This beautiful sugar cookie fruit pizza recipe is made from packaged rolled-out sugar cookie dough, a layer of cream cheese and topped off with some sweetened fruit. Vegans, try this lighter vegan fruit pizza recipe which is just as quick and easy to prepare, using vegan ingredients. My friend Stephanie also makes a similar recipe using peanut butter cookie dough for her incredibly lucky kids, and drizzles her fruit pizza with chocolate sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 18 -ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 16-ounce can sliced light peaches, drained (reserve juice)
• 7 large strawberries
• 1-2 kiwis
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar

Preparation:

Fresh Garden Broccoli Stir-fry Over Quinoa Pasta

© 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

It seems like just yesterday I bought teeny tiny broccoli plugs for 25 cents each from a farmers market vendor. They looked so small and helpless I couldn’t believe they’d survive the rabbits and other predators of tender young plants. The first week I bought four plants, and they did so well in the garden that the next week I bought four more. All have survived and grown huge and one has just yielded a large head of broccoli. It may be just a broccoli plant to you, but to me it was a gardening milestone. The broccoli got planted. The broccoli survived. The broccoli will be eaten by me and not the rabbits! I was practically hysterical with glee. I couldn’t decide if I should do something simple or fancy with this ultra-fresh vegetable but decided I really wanted to focus on tasting, not disguising, the broccoli. I made a simple but delicious stir fry with artichoke hearts and lemon zest adding a special punch. Since I have lemon thyme and chives growing in the garden, I added some of those herbs, too.

The Ancient Harvest quinoa spaghetti that we used is gluten-free, and although we’re not intolerant of gluten, this noodle has become a favorite of ours. The noodles are bright yellow and have a very good texture and taste. I think the only thing in the dish that wasn’t gluten-free was my husband’s home-made seitan sausage, and that could easily be substituted with cashews, mushrooms or beans.

© 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Ingredient list

• broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• garlic, minced fine
• vegan sausage or substitute a gluten-free item
• artichoke hearts
• shredded carrot
• Quinoa pasta
• lemon zest
• lemon thyme
• chives
• fresh ground black pepper
• crushed red pepper

First, I steamed the broccoli gently in a covered wok until almost tender. Then I removed the cover and added some oil to the wok, and added finely minced garlic to cook for a minute. Thin slices of homemade seitan sausage were stir-fried in, then artichoke hearts, shredded carrot, lemon zest and lemon thyme. The cooked veggies were placed on top of quinoa spaghetti, and crushed red pepper, fresh ground black pepper and chives were added.

Garden tour (of our garden) on July 20.

Dill © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Basil © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

This has been eaten. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Three kinds of lettuce. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

One of the tomato plants. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Tumbling Tom. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Swiss chard. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Asian lily. © 2009 Andrea’s easy vegan cooking

Simple Salads

This is probably already making the rounds on blogs and in forums but in case you’ve yet to see it, I thought I’d get up a quick post about this Mark Bittman article, 101 Simple Salads for the Season. The first third or so of the list is vegan and there are a number of good ideas there I want to try. Tonight we made numbers 1 and 3 on the list and both were outstanding. For #1, we used nectarines from our CSA instead of peaches or watermelon, cherry tomatoes, Thai basil, orange champagne vinegar and olive oil. You might think mixing nectarines with tomatoes is odd but I thought it interesting that I didn’t notice a strong nectarine taste, it just made the tomatoes taste sweeter.
We also made the simple cucumber salad with red onion (both also from the CSA), and a whole grain yellow mustard instead of Dijon. Very yummy.

Strawberry Daiquiri Sorbet

Prepare for strawberry nirvana, my friends. As promised, I ventured away from ice cream and into sorbet. I searched around for recipes and found two basic methods, one which required making a simple syrup (sugar cooked in water) and one which required no cooking at all. I decided to go for the latter and make things simple. The rum adds a nice subtle touch here–this recipe is not particularly boozy (there are young kids in the house, after all). You can probably make this with slightly thawed frozen berries, but I have not tried it. I hope it works, though, because it would be a real tragedy to only get this sorbet once a year.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries hulled (around 6 cups)
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp rum

METHOD
1. Place strawberries, 2 tbsp of lime juice, sugar and rum in a food processor. Process for about 5 mins on high, until smooth. Taste, and add more lime juice, if needed.
2. Place in a ice cream maker and churn as per the directions.

NOTE
You can make this right away, or you can put the mixture in the fridge to chill (you might want to do this if your ice cream maker is not super cold (at least -18 degrees Celsius). Or, you can place the ice cream maker back in the freezer and take it out to churn every few minutes. The sorbet will be quite soft (but should not be liquid) when done, and will firm up overnight in the freezer.

Five-Star Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe

Greek quinoa salad recipe with traditional Mediterranean ingredients including feta cheese, kalamata olives and fresh herbs. You could easily make this vegetarian quinoa salad recipe vegan by omitting the feta cheese or using a vegan soy substitute.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you may use any flavor you prefer)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• juice from one lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced if desired
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

In a medium-large saucepan, cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15-20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Gently toss the quinoa together with the remaining ingredients, except feta. Pour the olive oil mixture over the quinoa.

Add more salt and pepper to taste and gently stir in the feta cheese.

You may also add any additional vegetables that you like, such as lightly steamed broccoli, snap peas or diced bell pepper.

Nutritional data:
Calories: 399; Calories from Fat: 163
% Daily Value:
Total Fat: 18.1g 28%
Saturated Fat: 4.7g 23%
Cholesterol: 17mg 6%
Sodium: 225mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates: 46.7g 16%
Dietary Fiber: 5.6g 22%
Sugars: 3.0g
Protein: 12.6g
Vitamin A 18%, Vitamin C 24%, Calcium 15%, Iron 20%

Fire Roasted Vegetables en Croute

This dish came together from a desire to clean out the fridge and a need to make Son #1 a vegan pizza for a birthday party he was attending. I originally intended to just make pizzas for the rest of the family, but as I started grilling I decided to go more stromboli style and I’m glad I did. The drizzle of BBQ sauce brings it all together and takes the dish out of Italian territory and more into some ambiguous fusion zone. The veggies here are just suggestions since there was no coherent plan behind the dish. I think some eggplant and zucchini would fit in well. The roasted tomatoes are essential, though–they add great flavour and make a kind of sauce when you mix everything together.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 recipe pizza dough
- 1 cup white beans (cannelini) tossed with 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 medium red potatoes, grilled (cut in half, toss in olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for about 15 mins, mostly on the skin side, until soft)
- 1 roasted green pepper (roast on high heat until all skin is blistered. Skin and de-seed when cool)
- 12 medium cremini mushroom, grilled (toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, grill cap side down for about 5-7 mins over medium heat (until they release their water)
- 6 cloves roasted garlic (wrap unpeeled garlic in foil, roast over medium heat for about 15 mins)
- 1 large cooked carrot (grilled, steamed, whatever–mine was leftover in the fridge)
- 2 medium roasted tomatoes (place on grill and roast for 15 mins over medium heat–skin will blister and tomato will begin to release water)
- 1 tsp basil
- salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Mix beans with paprika and set aside. Cook whatever veggies you are using on the grill. Dice everything except the mushrooms (leave whole) and mix together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and adjust basil and paprika to your liking.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a pizza stone in it.
3. Let mixture cool to room temperature (stick in the fridge to speed it up).
4. Proceed as per the instructions (starting at step 5) for my stromboli recipe. You really can pile the veggies up here, so go for it! Stuff that thing full!
5. When baked, drizzle slices with BBQ sauce and serve.

Vegan Chocolate & Strawberry Crepe Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Raw Pasta with Spinach/Cilantro Pesto

Say hello to the star of the show ladies and gentlemen! WOW! Now, I have made some tasty meals in my day, but this is one of the top 5 ever! Not just top 5 while trying to eat more raw foods, just top 5 out of everything ever! Please go make this, you will be licking the bowl clean, I promise! It is a raw pasta made from zucchini strips drenched in a thick, delicious pesto made from bright cilantro and spinach, but with a deep garlic ‘cheeziness’ from the nutritional yeast. The marinated bell peppers and onion add a warmth and a tang that compliments the heavy pesto sauce perfectly. The zucchini strips are so mild you really do feel like you are eating a big bowl of pasta. It is STELLAR!

Raw Pasta with Spinach/Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

2 LARGE zucchini (I really mean LARGE, like the size of your lower arm.) peeled into thin strips with a potato/vegetable peeler (once you peel down to the seedy center, just set the centers aside for use in a green juice later, don’t peel them)

1 large red onion, sliced into paper thin strips
2 bell peppers, sliced into paper thin strips
drizzle of olive oil
juice of one lemon

2/3 cup ground raw pine nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped very small
1 bag of baby spinach leaves, chopped very small
3 cloves garlic, diced very small
juice of 2 small lemons
pinch of salt and pepper
olive oil

- Set the zucchini strips aside

-Combine the red onion strips and bell pepper strips in a bowl and toss them with the juice of one lemon and a small drizzle of olive oil and allow to marinate for 1 hour

- Combine the pine nuts, nutritional yeast, spinach, cilantro, garlic, juice of 2 lemons, salt and pepper (I don’t have a food processor so just chop everything very well!)

- Into the pine nut mixture drizzle in olive oil slowly while stirring until everything is combined and to the consistency that you like. I prefer mine fairly thick, but loose enough to cover my veggies.

- Combine the marinated onions and bell peppers with the zucchini slices and top with the pesto sauce. Enjoy!

New Dessert: Vegan Tofu “Tiramisu”

Swiss Chard With Raisins, Garlic and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

First, I should mention that I’ve never really liked Swiss chard. It’s just too beety tasting, and I’m not thrilled with beets. That said, I will eat these things if I come upon them at the table. My son and d-i-l in Seattle are very fond of Swiss chard and when they cook it it always tastes much better than I think it will. It tastes good, and makes me think I don’t dislike it after all. But it’s not something I would buy on purpose at the store. I’d rather have kale.

The garlic is added to the wok.

However, this year when we planted the garden – a garden that will be beneficial mainly to our renters since we’ll be gone before most of it is ready to eat – I decided to plant Swiss chard because it grows fast, and the thought that I might be able to actually eat something from the garden other than lettuce, was enough to get me past my true feelings. Well, yahoo, the chard is indeed ready, and today I gathered a huge bowlful of thinnings. (The pole beans are also doing well and who knows, maybe we’ll get a few of those. And the broccoli plants have tiny broccoli heads forming. And the Tumbling Tom tomato is covered with green cherry tomatoes, so there’s a glimmer of hope that we might get to harvest something besides Swiss chard before August 15.)

The Swiss chard gets stir-fried in the wok.

Anyway, faced with this giant bowl of fresh greens, I had to cook something. I made a simple dish from the chard with crimini mushrooms, lots of garlic, raisins and toasted pumpkin seeds, and it wasn’t too bad. It was seasoned with Shark brand sriracha. (I read that Shark sriracha is a more traditional chili sauce than the commonly used rooster brand. It’s what is used in Thailand, and unlike Rooster sriracha, it has no preservatives. Now if only it didn’t have 20% sugar. In Australia, my husband was able to find chili sauce that contained neither preservatives or sugar, but we haven’t found anything like that here. If you know a good brand, please let me know.)

This is a very flexible recipe, and in keeping with that theme (and because I didn’t measure), I’m going to be a little vague with ingredients and cooking directions. It’s the basic idea that counts.

Swiss chard with udon noodles

• about 2 cups crimini (or whatever) mushrooms, sliced
• handful of raisins (1/4 cup?)
• olive oil
• lots of fresh garlic, minced fine (at least 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• handful of grape tomatoes, halved (I would have added these but we didn’t have any!)
• BIG bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems, roughly cut
• 10 ounces udon noodles
• fresh ground black pepper
• handful of pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds), toasted
• chopped green onions might be nice added at the end, though I didn’t add any

1. First toast the pumpkin or sunflower seeds in a wok until browned and fragrant. Set aside in a small bowl.
2. Cook the udon. Drain it, rinse it well with cold running water and drain again. Place it in a bowl and toss with toasted sesame oil.
3. Cook the mushrooms and raisins for a minute or two in oil in a wok. As they begin to soften, add the garlic and cook for a minute. (Add a little more oil if needed.)
4. Mix in the sriracha and tomatoes, then add the chard and stir fry briefly until the chard is wilted, mixing ingredients together.
5. Add the noodles to the wok and toss for a minute until noodles are heated.
6. Place in serving bowl and grind pepper over the noodles.
7. Sprinkle the toasted pumpkin seeds over all.

We had our chardy noodles with Basic Oven-Baked Marinated Tempeh from Crescent Dragonwagon’s “Passionate Vegetarian.”