Category Archives: Mains

Homemade Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burger Patties

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Last summer, a lovely food cart – A La Cart – appeared downtown Benicia at the Farmer’s Market every Thursday night. I was delighted to find out they had a completely homemade veggie burger served on delicious whole grain bread with caramelized onions and mixed baby greens. I got one and was in heaven! After talking to the owner for a little while, I decided to go home and attempt my own version.

Excuse the somewhat ugly cell phone camera picture. It was too delicious and I couldn’t wait long enough to take pretty pictures.

Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burger

Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes 6-8 patties.

Ingredients

  • 10 oz extra firm tofu, sliced and patted dry (I recommend WildWood)
  • 10 oz cooked quinoa (You can use any color, but I used white)
  • 8 oz raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth. Scrape down sides occasionally.
  2. Divide into 6-8 equal portions and use your hands to press and form round, slightly flat patties.
  3. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Arrange patties on the skillet, cover and cook. Once they are browned, turn it over and continue to cook until browned on both sides, approximately 5 minutes each side. Make sure it is completely done inside as well, so be sure to not have your temperatures too high on the pan.
  4. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and buns. (I served mine with toasted multi-grain bread by Alvarado St Bakery, caramelized onions, quick homemade pickles, a little ketchup, mustard, tomato and lettuce.)

Nutrition for 1 patty (1/8th of the recipe) (approx): 330 cal, 18g fat, 29 carb, 5 fiber, 15g protein

101 Cookbook’s Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

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Since the weather is cool, I tend to gravitate toward warm, cozy soups.The warmth of this soup is intensified with the deep flavors of the curried brown butter and spicy kick from the curry and red pepper flakes. It’s amazingly delicious and I could not recommend it more. Even people who aren’t big lentil or curry fans found this soup tasty.

My slight modifications and recommendations:

  • I used whatever lentils I had on hand (brownish). You don’t need to go out of your way to get green lentils unless you just want to.
  • I didn’t use the coconut milk. I didn’t think it needed it, so I subbed a bit more broth in it’s place.
  • Serve it with a crusty bread or naan. Delicious!
Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

Image by 101 Cookbooks

 

Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 45 min. Serves 4 to 6

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups good-tasting vegetable broth or water
  • 1 1/2 cups green (or any color) lentils
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
  • Fine-grain sea salt
  • 1 bunch fresh chives, minced (optional)
  1. Combine the 2 tablespoons butter, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions soften, a couple minutes. Add the vegetable broth and lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender. This usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, but can take as long as 50 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, warm the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it brown. When it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, stir in the curry powder and sauté until the spices are fragrant, less than a minute.

When the lentils are finished cooking, remove from the heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, and puree with an immersion blender. You can leave the soup a bit chunky if you like, or puree until it is perfectly smooth.
  3. Stir in the spiced butter, taste, and add more salt, if needed, typically a couple of teaspoons if you used water instead of a salted broth. Serve drizzled sprinkled with chives and crusty bread or naan.

Recipe modified from a recipe from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

 

Nutrition for 1/4th of the recipe (approx): 401 cal, 15g fat, 47g carb, 22 fiber, 19g protein

Quick Quinoa Kale Bowl

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Quinoa Kale

I call this my “power meal”! It’s an all-in-one meal and a power house of healthy ingredients, quinoa, kale, avocado. It’s high in protein, low in bad fats, high in good fats and straight up FILLING and DELICIOUS. Oh, and to make it even better… It’s super quick and easy!

I usually keep all the ingredients on hand and make more than I need and eat this for dinners and lunches for a few days. It’s my new favorite meal!

Here’s how I do it:

Quick (15 min) Quinoa Kale Bowl

Serves 2

  • 2 cups kale, cleaned & coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup cooked black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 2/3 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions on the package (any color will work, I usually use red)
  • 2/3 cup pre-made fresh pico de gallo
  • 1/2 cup lowfat mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 avocado, cut into cubes
  • Sea or kosher salt to taste
  1. Make the quinoa according to packaged directions. Heat your beans (on the stove or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes). Steam the quinoa (in a steamer or 2 minutes in the microwave, covered)
  2. Divide all ingredients except avocado and salt into two bowls and stir until just combined. Season to taste, top with fresh avocado, and serve.

Nutrition (approx): 300 cal, 7g fat, 43 carb, 9 fiber, 16g protein

Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom Bourguignon

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I have just 2 things to say.

  1. THANK YOU, Smitten Kitchen, for this recipe.
  2. GO make this recipe. NOW.

This is one of the richest, warmest, most satisfying vegetarian hearty meals I’ve had in a long time. And with the randomly weird, cold and rainy weather we’re having today here in the SF Bay Area, there’s no better time than now to pass this recipe along to you, my fabulous readers. It’s satisfying, homey, comfort food at it’s best!

I put mine with fresh, whole wheat noodles (from Whole Foods by Marin Pasta Works) and I used half portobello mushrooms and half “chef’s mix”. I really liked the variety. I think I wouldn’t have liked it as much with just all portobellos, so having the variety of texture, flavor and sizes of mushrooms really worked for me.

Mushroom Bourguignon Recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Image by Smitten Kitchen

My Thanksgiving Feast

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Want to see what I ate this “Turkey Day”?

Tofu Turkey

Yup. That’s a Tofu Turkey. Complete with drumsticks and all. I didn’t want to spend the $40 at Whole Foods for a Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey that is indeed shaped like a turkey versus the more reasonable Tofurky brand vegetarian turkeys that are loaf-like. If I had a had a whole family of vegetarians, I would have, but it’s just not worth it for just me.

Instead, I make-shifted (is that a word?) my own. I got the cheapest on the shelf – a $5 Quorn Turk’y Roast and two vegetarian chicken drumsticks from a Chinese vegetarian store in Oakland (I don’t know the name. My sister picked them up for me). A few toothpicks later and – voi la! A tofurky!

My husband looked at me like I had grown a second head when I showed him. Then we proceeded to laugh our heads off a how ridiculous it looked. It tasted good, though.  Don’t be jealous. You know you want one for yourself.

Edit to Add: My sister gave me the info for the Chinese or Vietnamese market in Oakland that sells the faux products – Layonna Vegetarian Health Food Market. Check it out if you’re in the area. Lots of great faux meat products. The drumsticks are fabulous. The faux salmon… Well, it’s ‘ok’, but it’s still fun for a very random change of pace.

Slow Cooker White Bean Vegetarian Chili

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This is easy-shmeasy. I loved it. My husband (aka meat eater) loved it, too. Score! It was so yummy, we didn’t take any pictures. (Fail!) The way I see it, recipe = 1, no pictures = -1, so the end score = nill. I’ll take that and post it anyway….

Edit on 11/26. I made a second batch and took pictures this time. Here you go!

Vegetarian White Bean Chili

The seasoning measurements are all approximates. Feel free to play with the seasonings. I just kept dumping and tasting until it tasted the way I like it. Enjoy.

Slow Cooker White Bean Vegetarian Chili

2 servings

  • 1 can white beans, drained
  • 1 cup fire roasted salsa
  • 1 clove (or 1 t) garlic, minced
  • 2/3 cup faux ground meat crumbles (if frozen, defrost first)
  • 2/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 t oregano
  • 1/8 t ginger
  • 1/4 t cayanne pepper
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 2 Tbsp jalapeno, minced
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • Salt & Pepper

Throw everything into a crock pot. Turn it on. Let it cook for about 4hrs on high, 6hrs on low or until hot and bubbly. Eat.

Nutrition: 210 cal, 3.5g fat, 30g carb, 9 fiber, 3g sugars, 18g protein

Protein. That’s what’s for dinner

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Ever get a big craving for protein? A hot, ‘meaty’ meal? That was me just yesterday. I felt like I could eat an entire tofhorse. ;)

Here was the resulting dinner. It was the most “atkins-esque” dinner a vegetarian can possibly have. It isn’t pretty (especially in this photo since this was snapped on my cell phone), but it was tasty and satisfied the craving.

Egg whites, pan fried tofu, and veggie burger patty. The end.

Vegetarian Lentil Loaf and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

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Lentil Loaf

When I’m in need of some real ‘comfort’ food – something with sustenance and will make me feel full and satisfied, I almost always turn to this easy, ‘meaty’ recipe for vegetarian lentil loaf (‘meatloaf’) with mashed cauliflower  “potatoes”. With its high protein and fiber, combined with low calorie content and tons of flavor, what’s not to like? Even my meat eating husband will make a meal out of this lovely little loaf (thanks, mom, for showing me the recipe!). Serve it up with some steamed green beans and you have the perfect all-American dinner. Plus, it makes great leftovers (a sandwich, maybe?). I even think it might taste better after sitting overnight after the flavors have really mixed. Try it out and enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil (“Meat”) Loaf

Serves 8

  • 2 cups water
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup lowfat cheese (2% cheddar or mixed), shredded
  • 2 egg whites (or 1 egg), lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I usually use Trader Joe’s “traditional” marinara sauce)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I use Trader Joe’s)
  • 2 Tbsp ketchup
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Bring water and a dash of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of the water is evaporated. Drain and lightly mash lentils
  3. Stir in onions, oats and cheese. Add egg, marinara sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  4. Spread mixture into a non-stick or greased loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Mix barbecue sauce and catchup together and spread over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until edges look dry, firm and golden brown.
  5. Cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of the pan, slice and serve.

Nutrition: 190 cal, 5g fat, 27g carb, 9g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 11.5g protein

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (“Potatoes”)

Serves 8

  • 2 heads cauliflower florets (approx 4 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp fat free milk (plus more as needed)
  • 2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
  • 1 Tbsp light butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  1. Place cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle water over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes, until very soft.
  2. Drain and use a paper towel to press out access moisture, taking care as the cauliflower will be very hot.
  3. Place cauliflower in a food processor with garlic. Process until lightly pureed. Add sour cream, milk, cream cheese and butter. Continue to process adding additional milk as needed until they reach a desirable consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition: 35 cal, 1g fat, 5g carb, 1.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 2.5g protein

Egg Drop Soup (aka Egg Flower Soup)

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There’s just something about a yummy soup on a cold rainy day that just does it for me. I’m always looking for new soup recipes – ones that are choc full of healthy veggies and that are filling. Egg Drop soup has the added benefit of having a ton of protein and is lowfat. It’s also (almost) fully customizable. You can add in whatever you’d like – more or less vegetables; and if you prefer to add some faux meat, you may.

I made it for dinner for my husband and me a few nights ago. We licked the bowl clean – no leftovers. Yumness.

Egg Drop Soup

Makes 4 servings.

  • 4 c plus 2 Tbsp no chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 t fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 oz extra firm tofu, cubed
  • 1/3 c carrots, chopped
  • 1/4 c corn
  • 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 c snow peas
  1. Bring the 4 cups broth, ginger and soy sauce to a full boil. Make a slurry of the remaining 2 Tbsp broth and cornstarch by mixing in a small bowl until combined. Slowly pour into the broth and stir until thickens, slightly – 2 or 3 mins.
  2. Add carrots, corn and tofu to the soup. Boil 5 minutes.
  3. While the broth is at a full boil and while stirring in one direction, slowly pour in the egg whites. The egg will spread and feather.
  4. Add snow peas, green onion, salt and pepper.

Nutrition: 103 cal, 2.5g fat, 8.5g carb, 1.6g fiber, 2.9g sugars, 11.7g protein

Vegetarian Thai Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yum Gai)

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I went to a local Thai restaurant not too long ago and they had the most amazing Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup. I’ve had Chinese Hot and Sour Soup before and thought it was “ok”. I have this crazy thing for lemongrass flavor, so Thai Hot and Sour stole away my heart.  I had a bunch of leftover Thai ingredients from a dinner I made a few nights back and didn’t want all my yummy Asian produce to go to waste. And what better way to use a whole slew of leftover produce but a soup? Per my usual style, I browsed some recipes, then made up my own.

With the vegetables, you can pretty much use whatever you prefer. I listed what I used in my soup, but feel free to make it your own way. You really can’t go wrong with a soup like this, so get the ‘base’ down and then modify to your heart’s content!

I am entirely pleased with the outcome of my soup. It’s warm, comforting and, in my humble opinion, has a comforting authentic flavor. I’ve been taking 2nds and 3rds… “Just one more taste” ever since I ate it for dinner. I can’t wait to share it with the rest of my family who are going to taste my leftovers tomorrow.

Another great benefit is that it’s a very low fat and low calorie dish. I did my own nutritional calculations, so though I can’t guarantee they are 100% accurate, they’re pretty close and can at least give you a guideline (nutrition values are below, under the recipe).

A few things to note before you get started about the ethnic ingredients, especially if you’re not used to working with them…

  1. Thai Bird Chilies (aka “Thai Chilies” or “Birdeye Chilies”) usually come in red or green and are about 1 inch long. The number of chilies you use determines the “star” rating of heat. I used 3 and it was ‘medium’. I probably could have gone for 4. I like a little nose drip with my hot and sour soup. These chilies are very hot. In fact, you may want to wear gloves when chopping them. My left thumb was burning for hours after holding the chili to chop it with my right. I also scratched an itch on my cheek and had a red ‘burn’ for a few hours as well, no thanks to the chili juice. But don’t let this scare you. They are an essential flavor (aka – the “hot” in “hot and sour”) to this soup. Just proceed with caution.
  2. Fish Sauce is a staple flavor in most Thai dishes. There are some vegetarian options out there at specialty stores or you can make your own. In a pinch, you can use a bit of seaweed for that “sea” flavor, but I would use that as a last resort.
  3. Lemongrass. Do not eat the lemongrass. I don’t even want to tell you my story of when I tried to serve my husband (then boyfriend) lemongrass finely sliced in a salad. It was bad. It’s a flavoring. Don’t. Eat. The. Lemongrass. I’m sure you all know this already, but in the event you didn’t. I needed to at least let you learn from my bad experience and warn you. Strip the outside layers off, wash it well, then get the flavor out of it by using the flat side of a knife or a rolling pin and pound it a few times. Then, slice into 3″ pieces and throw it into the soup. I know there are ways to use the actual lemongrass in recipes but I haven’t figured that out yet.

Vegetarian Thai Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yum Gai)

Serves: 4-appetizer, 2-meal

  • 1 t oil (I always use olive because that’s what I have closest to the stove)
  • 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups vegetarian chickenless broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 stock lemongrass, pounded and cut into 3″ pieces
  • 14 oz whole tomatoes, drained (not rinsed), cut into large chunks (approx 1/2 a large can)
  • 1 to 6 red or green Thai chilies, seeded and finely minced
  • 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh peas
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms (I recommend Shitake or Chinese black)
  • 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
  • 2/3 cup extra firm tofu, cubes
  • Any additional vegetables of your choosing, such as red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, broccoli, etc. (I would have used these if I had some on hand)
  • 2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce (you can buy or make your own. Fish sauce is a “staple” flavor’
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3-4 lime leaves (optional)
  • 1 t Basil, minced, plus additional for garnish (optional)
  • 1 t Cilantro, minced, plus additional for garnish (optional)
  • Bean sprouts for garnish (optional)
  1. Prepare all your ingredients by chopping, dicing, mincing, etc. Pound the lemongrass with a rolling pin or the flat side of a knife.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium/large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally until translucent.
  3. Add broth, water, lemongrass, lime leaves (if you have it) and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Let boil 15-20 mins.
  4. Add chilies, carrots and peas. Bring back to a boil and let simmer at a low boil for another 10 minutes
  5. Add mushrooms, tofu, green onions, vegetarian fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, basil and cilantro. Bring back to a boil and let boil approx 5 mins. If there doesn’t appear to be enough broth, add 1/2 cup of water at a time bringing it back to a boil before serving.
  6. Serve being mindful to not serve the lemongrass or lime leaves Garnish with bean sprouts and additional basil and cilantro before presenting.

Nutrition for 1/4 the recipe, when making it as an appetizer for 4:
140 calories, 4g fat, 20g carbs, 8g protein, 4g fiber