Category Archives: Main Dish

January 18, 2012 · 2:30 pm

SABRINA NELSON’S BERBERE STEW

Last year I attended the Healthy Lifestyle Expo.  Jeff and Sabrina Nelson (of VegSource) founded the Healthy Lifestyle Expo as a means to share the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.  Through plant-based eating Sabrina has been able to overcome significant health challenges (click here for her inspirational story).  The Nelson family has done so much to educate others and to further exposure for this way of life.

The last morning of the Healthy Lifestyle Expo began with cooking demonstrations and Sabrina shared her recipe for Berbere Stew.  I was struck by the simplicity of this one pot meal and how tasty it was.  Needless to say I have been eating a lot of Berbere Stew since returning from the conference.  The BBQ sauce makes it taste like baked beans and it is soooo good over brown rice.

I happen to like the Berbere spice, but if you are unsure how your children will react to it, make a batch without it and go from there.

Thanks for such a great recipe Sabrina!

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups red lentils
2 jars Muir Glen Portobello Mushroom Sauce (or other fat free, low sodium pasta sauce)
2 empty Muir Glen bottles worth of water
½ cup BBQ sauce of choice
1 Tbs Berbere spice (Sabrina’s favorite Berbere spice is available here.)
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Pour all of the ingredients into a rice cooker.

Press button to cook on “brown rice” setting.

Sabrina uses the Zojirushi rice cooker which takes about 90 minutes to finish cooking, and then it automatically goes into a “warming” setting.

The stew actually improves over time and tastes even better the second day when the flavors have had time to intensify.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.


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January 5, 2012 · 2:30 pm

COOKING WITH SIRICA – Barbecued Portobello Sandwiches

Another great recipe post from Sirica…

Even before my husband and I went vegan we avoided certain animal products, pork being at the top of that list.   So one of the dishes that I truly have missed is a pulled pork sandwich with lots of creamy coleslaw and pickles. A couple of months ago I was craving BBQ so I started working on this recipe and after a few attempts, it is perfectly delish and vegan!

SANDWICH INGREDIENTS – Serves 2-3***
2 portobello mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and thinly sliced
½ white or yellow onion thinly sliced
1 Tbs. olive oil
½ – ¾ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Amy’s BBQ sauce, some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and a little maple syrup)
2-3 sandwich buns Earth Balance butter spread

***Note: Since writing up this recipe, I have experimented with this dish and have added a handful of diced baby bela mushrooms (or crimini) to the mushroom onion mixture. Made a huge difference, much more meaty texture!

COLESLAW
3 cups green cabbage shredded
1 cup red cabbage shredded
½ cup carrot shredded
1 Tbs. red onion diced
1 Tbs. red bell pepper diced (optional)
½ cup veganaise
½ tsp. of Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 Tbs. vinaigrette dressing (I like Girard’s light champagne dressing)
½ tsp. agave nectar or sweetener of choice (maple syrup would work also)
Salt & pepper to taste
 

Depending on your preference you can either remove the gills from the mushrooms or leave them. Stem and thinly slice mushrooms.

Thinly slice onion.

Sauté onion and mushrooms in olive oil on medium for 10 minutes till tender. Pour out any excess moisture/water from pan before adding BBQ sauce.

Add sauce and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until thick. Be careful to add the sauce slowly, you can always add more later.

While mushroom onion mixture is simmering, prepare coleslaw. Combine Vegenaise, mustard, lemon juice, vinaigrette and sweetener of choice, adjust according to your liking. Toss dressing with cabbage, carrot, onion and bell pepper.

Toast buns under broiler for a minute or two then top with Earth Balance butter spread.

Assemble sandwich on plate with a good serving of mushroom mixture on bun topped with coleslaw. Serve with more coleslaw on the side with a few pickle slices.

Enjoy!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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December 17, 2011 · 2:30 pm

QUICK MEAL – Embellished Amy’s Chili

During the holidays I think we are all struggling to get healthy meals on the table as we run from errand to errand and holiday pageant, to holiday music production, etc…I know I am.  An easy solution is to buy some pre-made meal items and “healthy” them up a bit.

A tried and true brand is Amy’s Kitchen.  There are so many of their products that I really like (Their black bean enchiladas are awesome).  My meat-loving boys also love their Vegan Chili, which is saying a lot.

The other day I made a pot of Amy’s vegan chili in 5 minutes flat and embellished it in an attempt to bring the total sodium level down.  I warmed all of the following in a pot and that served as dinner:

I served the chili with a choice of either tortilla chips or sliced bell peppers (my choice) and Tapatio sauce on the side.  The chili pictured above was also served atop polenta.

What are your favorite FAST meals this time of year?  Any tricks to share?

image of canned chili courtesy of amys.com

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November 21, 2011 · 12:01 pm

SRC – Rosemary Root Veggie Pot Pie (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

As I mention a moment ago in my post for Cherry Oat Scones,  I was fortunate enough to be asked to post twice for this month’s Secret Recipe Club reveal today.

The second blog I was assigned was A Couple In the Kitchen.  I love the tag line for their blog, “The couple that sautés together, stays together.”  How much fun is that?!?!?!  It sounds like this couple has a blast together in the kitchen.  While looking through their blog I was really excited to see that they participate in Meatless Mondays.  I had a tough time choosing which recipe I would make, but I narrowed the field down to two… Spicy Chickpea and Carrot Tangine or Rosemary Root Veggie Pot Pie.  Ultimately I chose to make their Rosemary Root Vegetable Pot Pie because I have been meaning to veganize and gluten-free-ize (totally not a real word, but you know what I mean) a pot pie for a long time.

Since the Couple in the Kitchen used puff pastry, I knew that I would need to come-up with a vegan/GF savory pie crust and I did so pretty successfully.  My goal was to reduce the overall fat content in the recipe and up the protein content.  I also added some peas to the veggie mix since I am partial to peas in pot pie.

The end result was really REALLY tasty, but I did learn a few things that I will take with me the next time I make this (there will definitely be a next time).  I had way too much filling for my family of four, so next time I am going to use a total of 4 cups of veggies (and will add sub in some parsnips for some of the potatoes) , but I will still make the same amount of sauce because I wanted the filling to ooze more than it did this time.  I will also add 1 more cup of liquid to the sauce next time (equal parts broth and non-dairy milk) to make it a bit more loose (It was pretty darn thick, but that is probably due to the fact that I used GFree flour vs. wheat flour…adjustments always have to be made when converting recipes to GFree).

To view the original recipe click HERE.  

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
3 Tbs. flax meal
¼ cup + 2 Tbs warm water
1 cup gluten free flour mix
1 cup almond flour
¼ tsp Herbamare
¼ cup Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread or Earth Balance vegan butter spread
 
FILLING
4 cups of chopped fingerling potatoes
2 cups chopped baby carrots
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, with leaves removed from the stems
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt to taste
Small splash olive oil
 
SAUCE
2 Tbs. Earth Balance vegan stick butter
1/2 of a finely chopped onion
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup gluten free flour
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk)
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1 pkg. Trader Joes Organic Baked Savory Tofu (7 oz), chopped into ¼ – ½” cubes 
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Non-dairy milk for brushing tops of pies
 
~

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the crust begin by making your flax egg by combining the flax meal and warm water in a small bowl.  Set the bowl aside to allow it to congeal.

Combine the gluten free flour mix, almond flour, and Herbamare in a mixing bowl.  Once well mixed, cut in the coconut spread with a pastry cutter.

Once the coconut spread is completely cut into the flour mix, add in the flax add and mix until the dough forms a ball that easily stays together.  If your dough is too dry add some water (I didn’t need to).  Place the dough in a bag and put it into the fridge to rest and cool.

In a large bowl, toss the chopped potatoes and carrots with the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and some salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-45 minutes until tender.

When there is about 10 minutes of roasting time remaining, melt the butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and celery until softened, then add the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown.

Slowly stir in the vegetable stock and milk, and cook, stirring often, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and add them to the gravy along with the peas and chopped pressed tofu; mix well. Cover and turn off the heat until you are ready to fill the pies.

For my pies I used a mini pie pan from Sur La Table.  To prepare the pie dough for my molds I removed the dough from the fridge and rolled half of it out to about 1/8 of an inch thick.  I then used the pie mold cutter and prepared the bottom halfs of each pie.  I repeated the step with the remaining pie dough and prepared the top pie shells for each mold.  I had enough pie crust and filling left that I used a bread pan and made a pot pie casserole of sorts.

Brush the tops of the pies and casserole with some So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk and put them in the oven for 15-25 minutes.  The individual pies cooked in 15 minutes and I left the casserole in for 25 minutes.

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October 21, 2011 · 1:30 pm

COOKING WITH SIRICA – Fideuà

Thanks to Facebook, my high school friend Sirica and I reconnected over our mutual passion for plant-based living.  For three years Sirica was my buddy in High School German.  She is THE reason I survived that class…so much so that when she graduated (she was one year ahead of me) I didn’t take German my Senior year.  Our teacher had his quirks for sure; using a book from 1960 (a German exchange student in the class informed us that, “No one speaks like this in Germany anymore”) and leaving the doors open EVERY day of the year (It actually gets pretty darn cold in Northern California), not to mention the fact that he was excruciatingly strict (despite my nerdy tendencies and every effort I could NEVER get above a B+ in that class!!!…apparently that still bothers me).  I actually look back at those memories and laugh.  Funny enough I know Herr Stride liked me…I think a large reason was the fact that we shared the same heritage in that we were both Norwegian and German.

I love having Sirica back in my life!

Sirica is a stay at home mom with two sweet boys, is a lover of food and wine, and has dreams of having a gourmet kitchen someday on an organic farm with a really cute farmer by her side…her hubby John.  She loves listening to music, reading her Bible, playing with their chocolate lab and being outside with her family.  She is passionately committed to sharing her joy of cooking with others and hopes to inspire them to enjoy the benefits of a plant based whole food lifestyle.  On the rare occasion that she gets time alone, you can find her curled up on the couch with a couple of cookbooks.

I am hopeful that this is the first of many Guest Blogs from Sirica on Veggie Grettie…I have already dreamed-up her regular Guest Blog title…get ready for “Cooking With Sirica.”

____________________________

The first time I saw this recipe in Vegetarian Times magazine, I passed on making it because we normally don’t eat soy-based fake meat, but after a second look I decided to give it a try and boy am I glad I did! It is one of the tastiest dishes we have ever made and a real treat to enjoy on special occasions. With all soy products, I recommend using organic and non-GMO. Don’t miss the garlic aioli, it is a fantastic compliment to the crispy texture of the baked topping.

Fideuà is a Spanish dish typically made with thin noodles instead of rice which is found in another popular Spanish dish, Paella. And since I love paella, I knew this would be a hit with my family. Below you will find the original recipe from Vegetarian Times along with my changes.

INGREDIENTS – Serves 8
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
  • 8 oz. angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch lengths (2 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 cups sliced wild mushroom mix (such as cremini, button or oyster mushrooms)
  • 1/2 8-oz. pkg. soy chorizo chopped (1/2 sausage)
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 8-oz. can sodium-free tomato sauce (I used TJ’s Tomato Basil Marinara)
  • 2 cups mushroom broth or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 8 oz. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
     

PREP INGREDIENTS

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in wok, paella pan, or large skillet over medium heat. Add pasta, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and opaque, stirring constantly. Transfer pasta to paper-towel-lined plate to drain.


Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pan, and heat over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.

Stir in mushrooms, soy chorizo, bell pepper, 2 Tbs. parsley, garlic, and smoked paprika (if using), and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in tomato sauce.

Add pasta, broth, and 1/2 cup water (I used rice milk instead to add a little creaminess), and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add asparagus, and cover; simmer 3 minutes (I added the asparagus after simmering for 20 minutes to really thicken up the sauce and because I used gluten free pasta which takes a little longer to cook).

Preheat oven to broil. If using wok or skillet, transfer pasta mixture to 10-inch or larger round cake pan. Place paella pan or cake pan under broiler, and broil 3 to 4 minutes, or just until pasta is crisp on top. Watch carefully—it burns quickly.

To serve, top with garlic aioli (recipe below) and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. parsley.

Garlic Aioli

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I like veganaise)
  • 3 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

First Fideua picture courtesy of Vegetarian Times Magazine

Remaining pictures courtesy of Sirica

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October 7, 2011 · 1:30 pm

THAI PIZZA – Vegan and Gluten Free

Way back in the day I was a devotee of the California Pizza Kitchen.  I would always order one of two dishes…either the Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce or the Thai Chicken Pizza.  The other day out of no where I had a hankering for the Thai Pizza, but the “Chicken” no longer appeals to me, so I subbed it out with broiled marinated tofu and it was just as good…actually better!

.

INGREDIENTS – serves 4

Premier Japan Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce (MILD)
OR
San-J Gluten Free Thai Peanut Sauce (SPICY)
.
PB2 (optional)
1 block tofu (firm or extra firm)
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup shredded carrot
2 packed cups shredded green or purple cabbage (or combo of both)
½ onion thinly sliced into half moons
Mozzarella Daiya
Chopped peanuts
Sami’s Bakery millet and flax pizza crust

~

Crumble the block of tofu and place it into a glass Tupperware container.  Pour in either the teriyaki or peanut sauce and mix well to marinate (use enough to coat well).  Allow to marinate 1 hour to overnight.

After marinating, broil the tofu on a lightly (VERY lightly) greased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes.  Once broiled, set the tofu aside.

Preheat the oven (and your pizza stone if you have one) to 475 or 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven is preheating, clean and chop the veggies and cilantro.

Sauté the onion and cabbage in either some water or a tiny amount of olive oil.  Once the cabbage and onion has softened (5-7 minutes), add in the carrot and sauté a few minutes longer.  Remove from heat when the sauteing is complete.

Assemble the pizza by spreading the crust with either the teriyaki sauce or Thai peanut sauce.  I used the teriyaki sauce and added in some PB2 to make my own peanut sauce since my daughter is not a fan of spicy food.

Top the crust and peanut sauce with the cabbage, onion, and carrot mixture.

Now top the pizza with the broiled tofu, Daiya cheese, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until browned to your personal taste.

I served the pizza with the spicy Thai peanut sauce on the side for dipping.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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September 26, 2011 · 11:00 am

SECRET RECIPE CLUB – Stuffed Bell Peppers (Vegan and GFree)

I was excited when I was assigned Allie’s Clean Plate Club for September’s Secret Recipe Club.  Allison describes herself as an Illinois farm girl stuck in the craziness of the West Coast…I am a wannabe farm girl also in the craziness of the West Coast, so we are a good match.

Allie’s Clean Plate Club has a nice variety of recipes, but her Stuffed Green Peppers called to me.  I have been wanting to make a vegan version of stuffed peppers for a while now and this month’s assignment gave me the last push that I needed.  Allie mentioned in the post that this was the first recipe she made for her husband when she met him at the ripe old age of 23.  I love the nostalgia!  It brought me right back to the same time in my life when I was trying new recipes on my husband and all of the nervous energy that went into planning and preparing those first home cooked meals together.

Since I veganized the recipe I did change more than a few of the ingredients, but for the most part, the recipe is very true to it’s roots.  Click here for Allie’s original recipe.

I want to quickly highlight the changes I made… I replaced the beef with Portobellos and tempeh, upped the amount of onion, used vegan Worchestershire (and doubled the amount), used veggie broth in lieu of water (for added flavor), used vegan cheese, and I used pasta sauce instead of tomato soup since that is all I had in the house at the time.

Overall I was happy with the result.  The next time I make these (I plan on adding them to the dinner rotation), I think I will double the rice since my vegan meat wasn’t as dense as beef would have been.  I may also add in some oatmeal or almond flour to bind the filling together more.  As it was, the flavor of the filling was great…I really enjoyed spooning it onto my gluten-free bread.  I even had enough filling left over that I froze some to use as vegan “meat” sauce the next time I make pasta.

INGREDIENTS – serves 4
4-6 Bell Peppers (I used red, yellow, and orange)
FOR THE “MEAT,”  2 Portobello mushrooms & 8oz. tempeh
½ onion, diced
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. Wizards Worchestershire sauce (vegan & GF) 
2/3 c. uncooked rice (I used 1/3 cup & plan to double it next time)
1/2 c. vegetable broth
2/3 c. shredded Daiya cheese
Pasta Sauce
salt and pepper to taste

~

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds. Cook the peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes.  Note: Once you add the peppers to the boiling water, the water will cool down and stop boiling.  You will need to wait for the water to boil again and then set the timer for 5 minutes.

Remove peppers and drain in a colander over the sink.  Drain the peppers upside down in the colander; otherwise the water will just sit in the bottom of the pepper and not drain out.

Place the drained peppers in your baking dish and sprinkle salt inside of each pepper and set aside.

Loosely chop the Portobello mushrooms and place them in the food processor.  Process until they resemble the texture of ground beef.  Do the same with the tempeh (I crumbled the tempeh as I put it into the processor and then processed it further).

In a large skillet, sauté the Portobellos, tempeh, and onions for 5 minutes until the liquid cooks off.

Stir in the tomatoes, rice, water and Worcestershire sauce.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

Fill the prepared bell peppers with the mixture and top each off with the pasta sauce.

Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes.
Allie likes to serve these Stuffed Peppers over mashed potatoes…I served mine with a nice slice of Millet and Flax Italian bread from Sami’s Bakery.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.  

 

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August 12, 2011 · 1:30 pm

MEXICALI CHOP – With Crunchy Tortilla Strips

I came upon this recipe for Mexicali Chop Salad recently on Vegetarian Times website and thought I would share it with you.  This recipe is courtesy of Real Food Daily…a restaurant I have yet to try, but hope to soon!  I think this salad would make a wonderful meal paired with my Baja Corn Chowder and topped off with my Mexican Wedding Cake Bites.

Ann Gentry who is the chef-owner of Real Food Daily in the Los Angeles Area wrote this about her recipe, “When Real Food Daily first opened, I used to sneak away to a nearby Mexican-inspired restaurant for a black bean–and-corn salad with guacamole, chips, and a beer.  One day, I realized I could make my own version.”

Extra Dressing will keep for one week in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS – Serves 8

TORTILLA STRIPS

1 1/2 tsp. canola oil

3 6-inch corn tortillas

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. maple crystals or sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

 

DRESSING

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Pinch cayenne pepper

 

SALAD

1 head romaine lettuce, sliced (8 cups)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)

1 avocado, diced (1 cup)

3 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)

1 cucumber, seeded and diced (1 cup)

1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed corn kernels

3/4 cup cooked pinto beans

1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed, drained, and sliced

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1. To make Tortilla Strips: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush oil on tortillas. Cut in half, then cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Spread on baking sheet. Combine chili powder, maple crystals, and salt in bowl. Sprinkle chili powder mixture over strips. Bake 15 minutes, or until crisp. Cool.

2. To make Dressing: heat oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar, and salt in saucepan 2 to 3 minutes over low heat, or until garlic begins to sizzle.

3. Blend remaining Dressing ingredients with garlic oil in blender until smooth.

4. Toss together all Salad ingredients with Tortilla Strips and 1/4 cup Dressing.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

Top image of Mexicali Chop courtesy of kathrynlovett.com

Image of Ann Gentry courtesy of VegNews.com

Bottom image of Mexicali Chop courtesy of VegetarianTimes.com

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June 7, 2011 · 1:30 pm

EGGPLANT PARMESAN – Vegan & GFree

I saw the most beautiful eggplants at the market a while back and they inspired me to create a vegan gluten-free Eggplant Parmesan.  When I was younger I was not a big fan of eggplant, but my love for them has developed full force.  I really like the substantial nature (dare I say “meatiness”) of eggplants and their chameleon ability to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with.

Eggplants are also nutrition powerhouses.  Just one look at their deep purple color and you know that you are dealing with some major phytonutrients.   Eggplant is loaded with fiber and is a good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium, and Manganese.  For more nutrition information about eggplants click here.

INGREDIENTS

½ recipe of gluten-free ITALIAN breadcrumbs
1 large eggplant
¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
½ cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
olive oil
salt for sweating the eggplant
1 jar Gia Russa Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
¾ cup Daiya Mozzarella
1/3-1/2 cup So Delicious UNSWEETENED Coconut Milk
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
 

Turn the oven on to 400°

Slice the eggplant into ½” slices.  Sweat the eggplant by salting them and placing them on a cooling rack (with a towel on the counter under the rack in order to soak-up liquid).  Allow the eggplant to sweat for 10-15 minutes.

Rinse the eggplant and pat off the excess water.  It is alright if the remain slightly damp.

Put the flour in a gallon bag.  Drop the slices of eggplant into the bag one at a time and coat them with the flour.

Pour the milk into a small shallow bowl.  Place another bowl next to the milk bowl and fill it with all but 1/3 cup of the breadcrumbs (which you will reserve to use as a topping).  Dip the floured eggplant into the milk one at a time and then cover the dipped eggplant in breadcrumbs.

Coat a pan in olive oil and bring the heat to medium / medium- high.  Gently place the prepared eggplant into the pan and cook 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and browned.

While the eggplant is browning, place the Daiya, So Delicious UNSWEETENED Coconut Milk, and nutritional yeast into a small sauce pan and whisk over low heat.  The sauce should melt down and become spreadable.  Keep the sauce on warm until you are ready to use it, but stir it periodically to make sure it does not burn.

Pour 1/3 of the pasta sauce into a small casserole dish.  Place a layer of the eggplant on top of the sauce and cover it with half of the cheese sauce.  Pour another third of the pasta sauce on top and layer with the remaining eggplant.  Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top and cover with the reserved breadcrumbs.  The remaining pasta sauce will be used for serving.

Place the casserole into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes covered.  Uncover the casserole and cook for another 15 minutes.

Warm the remaining pasta sauce and drizzle it over each individual serving.

I loved this so much that I ate it over raw zucchini noodles (click here to see how to make them) for lunch for the next three days!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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May 20, 2011 · 1:30 pm

GUEST BLOG – Ezogelin Corbasi by Natalie of Cook Eat Live Vegetarian

I am in love with Spain.  Two summers ago my family and I spent a month in Southern Spain.  It was such an adventure.  I fell in love with the people, the food, and the general way of life.  When I came across the food blog “Cook Eat Live Vegetarian” I was so excited…great vegetarian food based in Andalucía Spain!  Every time a new post arrives in my inbox I turn into a giddy school girl because I know the food will be amazing and I know I will get to see pictures of my beloved Spain. 

Cook Eat Live Vegetarian is the brainchild of Natalie Ward. Natalie lives in Andalucía with her partner Allen (The Washer Up).  They used to own and run a restaurant there called Santiago del Calvario which they sold last year to their good friends.

When they ran the restaurant Allen was in the kitchen and Natalie was front of house. They designed the menus together and have always been slightly obsessed with food. Now that they sold the restaurant, Natalie is in their kitchen cooking every day and Allen does the washing up!

They started their blog to share their enthusiasm for fantastic food with a world flavor. Using seasonal produce, grown locally where possible, they aim to excite with global vegetarian cuisine. Their inspiration comes from the fruits & vegetables they see growing while walking the dog in the “campo” in the morning  and they hope to share some of the beauty of Andalucía in the process.  Although Natalie is vegetarian, The Washer Up isn’t, so occasionally she shares some recipes that can be adapted to include meat and fish but the majority of the recipes are for fabulous meat-free dishes from around the world that have even the most stubborn carnivores drooling and singing your praises.

 I know you will enjoy this soup…it is so tasty.  I was drawn to all of the flavors in this soup, but especially the sumac.  During my last trip to Northern California to see my parents we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Dish Dash, and they use a lot of sumac.  This inspired me to buy some sumac from Penzey Spices, however I had yet to use it until I made this soup.  My family enjoyed the soup so much that my five year old declared, “This dinner is awesome!”  This recipe can be a bit spicy for little ones, so I add extra broth (see notes within the recipe below).

I had to make this soup when I read the story behind it. It sounds like an ancient myth but is actually from the 20th century. I love a tragic love story that includes a recipe don’t you?……

Ezo-gelin translates as Ezo The Bride. The origin of this soup is attributed to an exceptionally beautiful woman named Ezo, who lived in the village of Dokuzyol near Gaziantep in the early 20th century. Legend has it that Ezo, with her rosy cheeks and black hair, was admired by travellers along the caravan route who stopped to rest in her village. Many men longed for her hand in marriage and Ezo’s family hoped to secure a worthy match for their daughter.

Unfortunately, Ezo the bride, didn’t have much luck when it came to finding marital bliss. Her first husband was in love with another woman and she divorced him on grounds of maltreatment. Her second marriage took her to Syria where she became homesick for her village and had to deal with a difficult mother-in-law who couldn’t be pleased. It is for her, the story goes, that Ezo created this soup. After bearing 9 children, poor Ezo died of tuberculosis in the 1950s and has since become a Turkish legend, depicted in popular films and lamented in folksongs. Her name lives on in this popular soup, which is now traditionally fed to brides to sustain them for the uncertain future that lies ahead.

It kind of reminds me of Princess Diana’s story with the husband in love with another woman and the very difficult mother-in-law. Maybe they should have fed it to Kate before her wedding to William!!

I love the idea of a tradition where the modern brides in Turkey are fed a soup with a story to prepare them for their married life ahead. It’s in stark contrast to the custom in the UK where the bride dresses up as a tart in a veil with  L plates stuck to her drinking as many shots of Tequila as possible while watching a slimy male stripper with a can of squirty cream. Give me the soup any day…..

The original soup contains bulgur wheat which I have replaced with quinoa to keep it gluten-free. Sumac is a crushed dried berry used in Middle Eastern cooking. It is sold in powdered flakes and has a smokey, spicy, lemony flavour. See picture below. If you don’t have any leave it out, just make sure you have the lemon wedges to squeeze over and fresh mint for the top.

EZOGELIN CORBASI- Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint & Sumac

INGREDIENTS – serves 4-6, vegan, gluten-free

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  •  1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 tbsp tomate frito (tomato paste)
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1  tbsp dried mint
  • 150 gr (1 cup) dried lentils, red lentils if possible
  • 50 gr (1/4 cup) wholegrain rice
  • 50 gr (1/4 cup) quinoa or bulgur wheat
  • about 1 1/2 quarts veg stock (or a mix of water & stock) – GRETCHEN USED 2 1/2 quarts
  • 1 tbsp sumac (optional)
  • salt & black pepper
  •  fresh mint leaves, chopped for garnish
  • sumac for garnish (optional)
  • lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots & celery with a pinch of salt for 4 or 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Then add the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika, chilli flakes, cayenne, tomato & tomato paste and cook for a further 5 minutes

Add in the lentils, rice & quinoa (or bulgur wheat) and stir to coat in the tomatoey spices. Add the veg stock/water, season well with salt & black pepper, add the dried mint and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes everything is tender.  AT THIS POINT GRETCHEN TURNED OFF THE HEAT AND ALLOWED THE SOUP TO SIT COVERED FOR AN HOUR.  IT THICKENED-UP A LOT.  SHE THEN ADDED THE EXTRA QUART OF STOCK TO TEMPER THE SPICINESS AND ALLOWED IT TO COME BACK TO A BOIL.

If you like you can remove a ladleful of the soup and blend it until smooth, then add it back into the soup. This gives it a smoother thicker consistency. Add the sumac, taste for seasoning, add more salt or mint if necessary. Bring back to the boil.

Serve in warm bowls sprinkled with chopped fresh mint leaves, a little sumac and some lemon wedges to squeeze over.

I would think this soup could be a good hangover cure for the bride recovering from a few too may tequilas as well.  Just remember poor Ezo….

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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