January 21, 2014
By: Megabeth
Category: Recipe
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I totally sailed through preparation of this dish. I sliced the eggplants, potatoes and onions and then used my dicer-chopper device. I prepped all of the spices in a small bowl and just dumped them in. I also used pre-sliced jalepenos because, well, they were easy. The rice was thrown into the rice cooker when I uncovered the eggplant and it was done at the same time as the eggplant and potatoes.
A recipe note: I opted to use white pepper instead of chili powder because I’ve cooked a lot lately with chili powder and wanted to alter the flavor profile a little bit. Try it with chili power, I’m sure it will come out nicely!
Recipe: Slow-cooked Eggplant and Potatoes
By: Megabeth
Summary: A flavorful eggplant and potato dish with a blend of Indian spices
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, stem end removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice (approx. 10-12 cups)
- 3 white new potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 jalepeno, seeded and minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine everything but the salt and parsley into slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 2 hours. Stir once after about 45 minutes.
- After 2 hours, cook uncovered on low for 30 minutes. (If the mixture does not have a lot of liquid, then leave the cover on.)
- Add the salt and parsley. Serve over a fragrant rice such as basmati or jasmine.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 2 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan
Number of servings (yield): 4
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January 05, 2014
By: Megabeth
Category: Main Dishes, Recipe, Sandwiches
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I’ve had this recipe on my “to do” list this summer and finally got around to trying it out. I’m glad I did. It was very easy to make and is really a unique play on a BBQ with southwestern flavors.
The recipe is pretty forgiving as I was missing some of the ingredients, including the chipotle pepper in adobo. Instead I used an adobo chili power and a dash of cayenne in the mayonnaise. And, instead of sliced jalapenos I used a hot jalapeno pickle relish which ultimately added a further depth of flavor.
Summary: A spicy vegan sandwich with bold flavors.
Ingredients
- Marinated Portabellos
- 3-4 small portobello mushrooms (Megabeth adjustment: I bought presliced portobello mushrooms to save some time.)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Sandwich
- 2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, seeds removed (Megabeth adjustment: use a dash cayenne and 1 teaspoon adobo chili power if you don’t have chipotles.)
- 1 cup refried beans (Megabeth note: Check to make sure they are vegetarian.)
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 4 pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced very thinly (Megabeth adjustment: I used 4 Tablespoons jalapeno pickle reslish)
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 1/2 lb shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
- 4 crusty French or rustic-style sandwich rolls, or sandwich buns
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms first. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, oregano and cumin.
- Coat the mushrooms with marinade and let stand for 20 minutes. Warm a skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, cooking for 5-7 minutes on each side. You can also cook these over a BBQ. Once cooked through, remove from heat.
- To make the chipotle mayonnaise, pulse the vegan mayonnaise and chipotle peppers (or the seasoning if using) in a food processor until smooth. Warm the refried beans either in the microwave or on a stovetop, adding a little water if necessary to create a spreadable consistency. Have ready the tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, lettuce and red onion rings.
- Slice each sandwich roll in half horizontally, and, if desired, remove some of the bread inside to allow more room for the filling. Toast or grill each roll half until hot.
- Assemble sandwich by spreading the inside of a roll with chipotle mayonnaise, then topping that with the refried beans. Stack on the bottom half a generous layer each of eggplant, tomato, avocado, shredded lettuce, jalapeno and some onions. Top with the upper half of the roll.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
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December 29, 2013
By: Megabeth
Category: Recipe
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Golden baked eggplant layered between four different types of cheese is not necessarily a diet dish but it’s comfort food at its finest. (To be honest, I did use a low-fat ricotta but its benefits were immediately cancelled out by the rest of the cheese.)
I made a roasted garlic pasta sauce the night before I made this. I’m glad I used it as it added a more homey flavor.
This eggplant parmesan was also much appreciated as lunch leftovers the next day.
Summary: Served with a homemade tomato sauce, this eggplant parmesan was divine!
Ingredients
Eggplant:
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- Cooking spray
Filling:
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining ingredients:
- 1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce (or use my roasted garlic pasta sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Instructions
- To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish.
- Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish.
- Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess.
- Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
- To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).
- To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce.
- Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina.
- Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina.
- Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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November 24, 2013
By: Megabeth
Category: Recipe
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See that picture above? First, I’ll apologize for it being a little blurry. You see, I had to take it quickly because I had a line of hungry people behind me. But, I wanted to show you, my dear Veggin’ readers, the spread of food that we had where everything was vegetarian for Thanksgiving…except for the turkey. We managed to please all the omnivores, carnivores, flexitarians, 10-year-old picky eaters and vegetarians in the bunch. (We didn’t have any vegans, but I know with a few quick and easy switches, they would have left the table full and satisfied!)
This feast was accomplished with some quick planning and a few simple switches such as using vegetable broth instead of a meat based broth. Checking to make sure the stuffing didn’t have any meat products in it. And, cooking a variety of flavor profiles and interesting combinations such as a vinegary celery root salad and a creamy green bean casserole. (Because it’s not Thanksgiving until you’ve eaten half a container of fried onions…) And, having a vegetarian gravy option available. (It also helped having the 10-year-olds pitch in with some of the cooking so they were more interested in trying the final product.)
Also, I tried for the first time Gardein breaded turk’y cutlets. It comes with a vegetarian gravy that had a nice peppery flavor. I sauteed the cutlets in some olive oil. I’d have to say it’s a winner hands-down over Tofurky. While I usually don’t need a meat substitute, this was a good substitute for turkey.
Vegetarian recipes featured above:
And, here are some previous columns you can peruse providing even more vegetarian Thanksgiving tips, tricks, ideas and recipes.
Other Thanksgiving posts featured on Veggin’:
I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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