Mung Bean Noodles in a Jar

 

This is an easy lunch gluten-free soup to prepare.  You can assemble it ahead and store it in the fridge.  You just pour hot water and voila you have a comforting soup for lunch dinner or break.

Mung bean noodles cook easily in hot water but you can use ramen noodles also.

Mung Bean Noodles in a Jar 

Inspired by this site.

Ingredients

• 1 bundle of bean thread noodles (Saifun brand)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp sweetener (optional)
• carrots, radishes, spinach, napa cabbage, or vegetables of your choice
• 2 1/2 cup hot water
• green onion and cilantro for garnish

Place the soy sauce, sriracha, garlic powder, ginger powder, sweetener if using, and vegetables of your choice at the bottom of a mason jar.  

Place the bean thread noodles on top of the vegetable mixture.

Replace the lid and refrigerate till needed.

Pour the hot water over the jar when you are ready to eat and mix.  

Add the green onion and cilantro and eat from the jar or transfer into a dish.

 

My craving for Pancit Malabon came when my sister Bebeng showed off the dishes she prepared for her and Kuya Jun's celebration of their wedding anniversary.  It is a popular noodle dish from Malabon, Metro Manila Philippines where I am originally from.  It is made with ground pork, garlic, achuete, fish sauce, pork rind and calamansi juice.  My younger sister Menchie joked that I could perhaps use cauliflower walnut meat for the ground pork.  I shared with her the YouTube video of my recent demo online on the use of this meat substitute which I conducted for the Plant Based Pittsburgh group I belonged to.  

I decided to give it a try.  I have expanded the use of this versatile meat substitute for another Filipino dish menudo and the Italian dish Bolognese.  Of course, it is used for making tacos as it was originally conceived to be used.  

I was happy with the result.  It has the citrusy, salty and garlicky flavor of the original.   I used lots of dry minced garlic, soy sauce instead of fish sauce and lemon juice instead of calamansi juice.  The spices in the cauliflower walnut meat enhanced the dish and helped flavored it.  It definitely took me back home to Malabon.   

Vegan Pancit Malabon

2 cups cauliflower walnut meat (recipe below)
4 tbsp Soy sauce
Lemon juice from 1 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp garlic flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup chopped celery

2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water to form a slurry
2 stalks green onions chopped
8 oz rice noodles, cooked and rinsed (I cooked mine in the Instant Pot with 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt at high pressure for 1 minute and 4 minutes natural pressure release) 

Add the cauliflower meat, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic flakes, vegetable broth and chopped celery in a skillet and heat the mixture till the broth boils.  Add the cornstarch/water slurry and stir till mixture thickens.

Add the cooked and rinsed rice noodles to the mixture.  Garnish with chopped green onions.

Cauliflower Walnut Meat

Makes about 4-5 cups

Adapted From the website Pinch of Yum

3 cups cauliflower florets 

2 tbsp chipotle peppers from can, chopped

2 cups raw walnuts

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. (You can skip this step if not baking).  

  

Place all the ingredients in a large food processor. If you have a medium sized one, do it in two batches. Pulse till the ingredients are blended and the mixture is mealy in texture. Transfer the mixture into a parchment lined pan and spread the mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes and stir half way.  (You can skip this baking step and use it as is).

 

 

This is a one pot wonder. Thanks Instant Pot.   You cook the pasta first in the pot then dump the sauce and heat it through in the same pot.  

The brown gravy is full of umami flavor from the soy sauce and enhanced by mustard and further deepened by, (surprise), coffee. All ingredients are straight from your cupboard. And no chopping.  

The add ins are up to you. I was lazy and used prepared vegan meat but chopped vegetables like cauliflower or carrots combined with walnuts is a good whole food plant based option.  (see here)

Instant Pot Wide Noodles with Easy Brown Gravy

Pasta in Instant Pot

16 oz wide noodles (note 1)

4 cups water

1 tsp salt

Easy Brown Gravy (double the recipe if you want sauce drenched pasta)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup non dairy milk

4 tbsp soy sauce or to taste

1 tbsp Dijon mustard or more to taste

2 tbsp dry onion flakes or powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp cornstarch 

2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)

Add ins

1 cup vegan meat, chopped or sliced (note 2)

1 15 oz can green peas, drained and rinsed

Place the noodles, water and salt in the Instant Pot.  The noodles do not need to be all covered with water.

Cook the noodles at high pressure for 1 minute for al dente or 2 minutes for softer noodles.  Allow for natural pressure release for 5 minutes then quick release.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl then add to the cooked pasta in the pot. You can add the vegan meat at this point.

Put the Instant Pot in the saute mode and heat the sauce and pasta with continuous stirring till the sauce has coated the pasta.

Add the peas.

  

Notes

1. I used store bought wide egg noodles.  You can buy egg free wide pasta ribbons from Walmart. see here

2.  I used Honest Pastures (order here) seitan based Jackfruit Beaf Ribz.  I have also used Gardein beef crumble available in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can also use a whole food alternative, cauliflower walnut meat (see recipe here) .

Instant Pot Haluski

Fish fry during lenten season evokes memories of haluski as a side dish and that means cravings for this comfort food.  I decided to make it in the Instant Pot to satisfy this yearning. 

Most haluskis are swimming in butter but I skipped that and I was still happy. The cabbage is a bit soft but I actually did not mind it.  It was indeed comforting since my friend Margaret who is recuperating from surgery loved it.  She was delighted and excited when I told her about it during my visit. She emailed me later she just had to have it when I left.

Complete your fish dinner with this easy and delicious comfort food.

Instant Pot Haluski

1 lb egg noodles
1/2 head Cabbage, cored and quartered
1 onion, chopped
4 cups water
1 tsp salt

Place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot.  It is all right if not all noodles are covered with water.

Put vent in sealing position and cook mixture at high pressure for 1 minute. Naturally release pressure for 5 minutes then quick release.

Season haluski with salt and pepper to your taste.

Vegan Shitake Ramen Pho (Vietnamese Soup)

This is an easy, delicious soup prepared in the microwave. This was inspired by the one from The Pioneer Woman show on TV.  I substituted shitake mushrooms for the beef used in the original recipe. The umami generated by the broth from the dried shitake mushrooms is incredible you will not miss the beef.

Vegan Shitake Ramen Pho

1-2 servings

4 dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups water
1 lime
1/2 onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup Julienned carrots
1 star anise, optional
1 package ramen noodles (only noodles will be used)
1/2 cup spinach leaves

Add the shitake mushrooms in water in a medium bowl and microwave for five minutes. Take out from the microwave and allow the mushrooms to soak for 20 minutes. Take out the soaked mushrooms and slice in strips. Return them to the broth in the bowl.

Zest only half of a whole lime then cut in half and juice half of it. Add the juice with the zest into the bowl with the mushrooms. Cut the other half in wedges and set aside.

Add the onion slices, minced ginger, sriracha, soy sauce, julienned carrots in the bowl.

Add the ramen noodles without the seasoning to the bowl.

Microwave the mixture for three minutes.

Add the spinach at the end.

Microwaved Gluten Free Bean Thread Noodles

This is an easy noodle dish to accompany your stir fried or steamed vegetables or dumplings or any meat dish for that matter.  It takes three ingredients and 10 minutes cooking in the microwave.

It uses Saifun or bean thread noodles from the Asian Store. The noodles are made from mung bean, starch, potato starch and water.  It is a good gluten free noodle dish and serves as another option aside from rice sticks noodles. It is glassy looking and has a slippery texture when cooked. It absorbs easily the soy sauce or other sauce you add to it. The bean thread noodles come in bundles.  I used all three bundles from the packet I bought but you can just use one packet and adjust the amounts of the other ingredients accordingly.

I simplified the preparation of this dish and just relied on the addition of dry minced garlic from a bottle. One can add ginger powder if you wish but the garlic is sufficient.

This is an easy, delicious and highly satisfying dish to prepare.  Perfect accompaniment to any meal, Chinese, American etc. Next time you need a side dish in your meal, try this.

Microwaved Gluten Free Bean Thread Noodles

• 1- 5.29 oz packet Saifun or Bean Thread Noodles ( three bundles) (from Asian Store)
• water
• 2-3  tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2  tsp dry minced garlic (I used McCormick brand)
• 1/8 tsp ginger powder (optional)
• black pepper to taste

Place the three bundles of bean thread noodles in a microwave safe bowl.  Add just enough water as to cover the top of the bean thread noodles so that the noodles are submerged.  Microwave for 10 minutes at 100 percent power setting. I used a 1100 watt microwave oven.  You know it is done when the noodles absorb the water and plumped up and get soft and edible. Drain. 

Add the soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger powder if using and black pepper to the noodles and mix.

Serve with any steamed vegetables or stir fried vegetables.  

Microwaved Udon Noodles and Bok Choy Bowl with Sweet Spicy Sauce

I am sharing with you how easy and fast it is to prepare an irresistible noodle bowl in the microwave using a packet of udon and a vegetable of choice, which in this case is bok choy.  I actually microwaved the two separately but you can do them together since they have the same cooking time.  I wanted to be sure that my vegetable, bok choy, was not overcooked so I would stop and test their doneness, thus I preferred to cook it separately.

I have introduced udon noodles in this blog in a past blogpost on the Udon Shiitake Mushroom Soup recipe. In this past recipe, I used frozen udon noodles which came in separate small individual bundles of four.  The only thing I find inconvenient in using them was I had to freeze them and my freezer was always full.  When I saw udon noodles in 7.2 oz packets similar to the looks of Ramen noodles at the Asian store, I bought several with different flavor packets like, oriental, chicken, beef and shrimp.  In this recipe, I just used the noodles and saved the flavor or soup base for later use.  I was particularly concerned with the presence of monosodium glutamate as one of the ingredients in the flavor or soup base. 

You do not need these flavor packets in this recipe since you will be using a sweet spicy sauce with a Korean flavor that is very addictive.  For the sauce, I used the one I adapted from the recipe for this dish, Soba Noodles with Spicy Sweet Gochujang Sauce, I published previously in this blog.  I used less Gochujang sauce for the sauce for this recipe and substituted ketchup and sriracha for some of the amounts of Gochujang I used in the past recipe.  If you are wondering which of the two noodles, udon or soba, I prefer, I would say udon would be my choice.  It is not as slippery to eat as the soba noodles. But both are good.

This noodle dish is very addictive.  It is very versatile.  You can use any vegetables you want and also if you like add some meat or seafood. 

Microwaved Udon Noodles and Bok Choy Bowl with Sweet Spicy Sauce

1 generous serving

• 1-7.2 oz package udon noodles (from Asian store)
• 1 bok choy or other vegetables of your choice
• sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 recipe Sweet and Spicy Sauce (recipe below)

Place the udon noodles in a bowl.  Add about 1 cup water or enough to cover the noodles.  Microwave for 3 minutes. I used a 1100 watt oven.

Cut the bok choy in half and place in a bowl with 4 tbsp water and microwave for three minutes. 

Sweet and Spicy Sauce 

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/4 tsp sriracha 
• 1 tsp Gochujang sauce
• 1 tsp dry garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

Mix all the sauce ingredients with a fork.  

Assembly

Place the drained udon noodles and bok choy in a bowl.  Add the sauce to the noodles and  mix.  Sprinkle sesame seeds if you like.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Black Bean Soup

There are black bean soups and there are black bean soups.  This one is healthified with the superfood spinach, carrots, celery and onons that have been added to the black beans.  This is an easy hearty soup made flavorful with the various spices used that are all found in your spice rack.  A couple of cans of staples in your cupboard with nutritious vegetables and spices and you are good to go for a hearty, healthy, easy and comforting soup for this cold wintry weather.  You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a family. This is a generous two nutritious, delicious serving recipe.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Black Bean Soup

• 1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook for 6 hours at low or 3 hours at high setting.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Serve over brown rice or with corn chips.

Halal Cart Flavored Cauliflower and Turmeric Brown Rice

I had Halal Cart Chicken twice when I was in New York City recently.  This is a vegan take on this my favorite New York cart food using cauliflower instead of chicken.  The Halal Cart chicken or cauliflower is not complete without the fragrant delicious Turmeric Rice.  I opted to use brown rice instead of the traditional basmati or extra long-grain rice to make this must-have accompaniment to the halal court inspired vegan version.  

When this is served in the styrofoam containers by the cart vendors, a side of lettuce with tomatoes, doused with white sauce or hot sauce, (which was over the chicken and rice also) goes with the order.  For the white sauce I used Ranch dressing which I have a vegan version of in this blog.  You can add sriracha to the dressing to make it a bit spicy but not quite as hot as the hot sauce they pour over the chicken.  

The list of ingredients for this vegan recipe which I obtained from the one for Halal Cart Chicken, copy cat version, featured in this site is short but still gives that bold spicy flavor.  The list of ingredients for the turmeric rice is also short but full of the characteristic flavor identified with this popular accompaniment to the Halal meats.   

Halal Cart Flavored Cauliflower

Adapted from this site

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 whole head of cauliflower, cut into chunks including stem and leaves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water (optional)

Heat the oil at medium heat in a saute pan and then add the coriander powder and oregano.  Heat the spices till they shimmer.  Add the garlic and continue to heat till the garlic is cooked.  Add the cauliflower and lemon juice and continue to cook with stirring till the vegetable is cooked but still crispy.  Add vegetable broth or water if necessary.

Turmeric Brown Rice

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 4 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan and add the spices.  Heat the spices with stirring till they shimmer and give off their aroma.  Add the rice and stir until they are coated with the oil mixture.  Heat for about 4 to 5 minutes till the rice is toasted or lightly brown.  Add the broth and allow the mixture to boil and then cover the sauce pan and simmer for about 45 minutes till the brown rice is cooked.

Assembly

Place the rice on a plate and top it with the cauliflower.  Serve with a side of lettuce with tomatoes salad doused with Ranch dressing (vegan version recipe is here).  You may add sriracha if you want to the dressing. Top the cauliflower and rice with the dressing also.

Spicy Tofu

I just came back from a visit to the Big Apple staying close to Time Square. Despite being already there we just soaked in the excitement and chickened out of witnessing the ball drop at Time Square. We were kept busy figuring out subway routes and walking all over I do not think we would have had the stamina and controlled bladder to wait for that ball drop as a couple millions did.

We went to innumerable shows and a couple of operas. We saw two ultra irreverent Broadway plays Rotten Something and the Book of Mormon and the sweet touching story of Carole King, The Beautiful. We saw two operas, Nabucco and Romeo and Juliet which were both wonderful according to my husband and which I missed despite being physically there. I was too tired I slept through both of them. 

We ate at several places, fancy or otherwise. No I never slept through them. I tried to eat plant based whenever I could and usually most restaurants would offer tofu to satisfy vegans. Some of the tofu dishes I ate were so so but one was haunting, namely the Spicy Tofu I ate it at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

I just had to have it when I came home. I luckily found a recipe for a marinade for spicy tofu in this site.  I used an adapted version for this dish I had developed a craving for. The site used the marinade to ultimately barbecue the tofu but I skipped the marination and grilling and used the marinade instead as the sauce for this stir fry version. Oh my. Irresistible.

Spicy Tofu

Adapted from this site

• 3 tbsp soy sauce. 
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger. 
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili paste or cayenne
• 1 tbsp sesame oil.
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 block (12 - 14 oz) firm tofu, cut into one inch cubed
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, steamed in microwave

Mix all the ingredients except the tofu and vegetables in a saute pan. Allow the mixture to boil gently and then add the tofu.  Stir carefully at low heat till the tofu absorb marinade. Add the vegetables and stir carefully till the vegetables are heated through.

Serve over rice.

Soba Noodle Bowl with Sweet Spicy Gochujang Sauce

This noodle bowl will warm you up during this frigid weather.  The Chinese use spicy food both to warm and cool themselves. This fits the role of the former and it did just that yesterday morning. At breakfast at that. Plus two servings because it was addictive.

This is not a Chinese dish but a Korean one using this ethnic group's popular condiment, gochujang sauce, which I have featured in past blogs, here and here . I also used soba noodles, which is of Japanese origin, that I have used in preparing soba noodle soup with tofu in a previous blog. In this recipe soba noodles are eaten dry without any broth.  They are instead just coated with the delicious spicy sauce.  This sauce is the heart of the dish and has great flavor so any type of noodles would work. You can substitute Ramen like the ones you buy in packets for a few bucks for a dozen or so.  Just skip the flavor packet and substitute the sauce with the gochujang.  You can also use linguine or spaghetti.

You will enjoy this morning, noon or night or in between as a snack.  Asians whether Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese or Koreans love to eat savory noodle dishes, dry or as soups, for their afternoon breaks.  You would too since this is so addictive you would not be able to wait for dinner to eat it. 

Soba Noodle Bowl with Sweet Spicy Gochujang Sauce

Inspired by this, this and this past blogs

2 servings

• 1-3.5 oz bundle soba noodles (The Hana brand I used came in 3.5 oz bundles), prepared according to the package
• vegetables of your choice, (I used microwaved carrots and broccoli)
•  Sweet Spicy Gochujang Sauce (recipe from this and reprinted below)

Distribute the soba noodles into two medium bowls.  Add one half (start with less) of the Sweet Spicy Gochujang Sauce to the soba noodles in each bowl and mix till the noodles are coated. Top with the cooked vegetables of your choice.  The soba noodle bowl can be eaten either cold or warm.

Sweet Spicy Gochujang Sauce

recipe from this 

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp gochujang sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/3 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (Note 1)
• 1/2 tbsp dry garlic flakes (Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (Note 2)

Notes

1.  You can adjust the amounts soy sauce and maple syrup and other ingredients for that matter according to your taste.

2.  You can use 1/2 tbsp fresh minced garlic and 1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger.  I am pretty lazy and opted for the dry ones.

Black Beans Butternut Squash Brown Rice Bowl

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of beans and rice during the cold days we have had lately.  Just thinking of it makes make mouth water.  I added butternut squash and spinach to the beans to increase the nutritional value of the dish as well as its taste and texture.  I used black beans but any other type will do. The fresh garlic with the vegetable broth are all you need to make this wonderful one pot meal full of robust flavor as you eat it with rice or quinoa. The butternut squash adds some sweetness and pairs up well with the spinach and beans.  It is an easy quick meal to prepare.

Black Beans Butternut Squash Brown Rice Bowl

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat the coconut oil in a saute pan to medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook till the onion is translucent and the garlic slightly brown but not burnt.  

Add the vegetable broth and butternut squash to the onion and garlic mixture and heat through till the butternut squash is soft but not mushy.  

Add the black beans and the spinach leaves and heat through till the spinach is cooked and the whole dish heated through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the brown rice in a bowl and ladle the black bean butternut squash mixture on top.  Enjoy.

Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I have been trying to come up with a good butternut squash soup that would make me happy and the recipe below is the one.  It is simple to prepare and with very few ingredients.  It is also vegan and healthy for you. I love not only its delicious rich taste but also its creamy texture.  The green chilies gives it a robust taste with hardly imparting heat. It adds that flavor that lifts the soup to another level together with the cumin powder and coconut milk.  The role of the cumin is to give the soup a smoky flavor without being spicy while the coconut milk gives it its creamy texture.  The lime squeezed over the soup before relishing it is a must.  It gives it a sparkling refreshing taste. Perfect for any gathering when you want a soup for the appetizer.  So good and easy to prepare.

Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1-4 oz can green chilies
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk from a can
• 1-2 limes cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray a pan with cooking spray.  Place the butternut squash and add salt and black pepper. (Note 1). Spray with cooking spray if you wish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth in a Vitamix Blender or any blender and add to it the rest of the ingredients except the lime wedges.  Blend till smooth.  You can change the variable setting of the Vitamix blender to 10 and blend for 5 minutes till you see steam coming from the vent of the cover.  You can also transfer the blended mixture into a pot and heat on a stove.

Serve with slices of lime.   You can also use cilantro as an optional topping but the lime is a must.

Notes:

1.  You can also cut the whole unpeeled butternut squash lengthwise and put the cut side down in a pan and bake for 35 minutes or till skin is brown.  Cool and remove the seed and discard.  Scoop the flesh of one of the halves and use for the recipe.

Vegan Sweet Potato Spinach Omelet

Yes, one can have an omelet without the eggs.  I had posted an eggless version before but this present one has a better texture and taste due to the rice flour used. The old version used whole wheat flour which is healthier but it had a certain taste and did not have that moist crispy texture that rice flour gives.  One can use any vegetable combination and for this one I added the superfood sweet potatoes to the ones I used before, spinach and red pepper. I shallow fried this but one can bake it if you prefer. Delicious. Ditch those eggs. You will not miss them.

Vegan Sweet Potato Spinach Omelet

2 servings

• 2 tbsp rice flour (I used Mochiko brand sweet rice flour from the Asian store)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 6 tbsp non dairy milk 
• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp sweet peppers, cubed
• 1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
• cooking spray or 2 tsp coconut oil

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and mix with a fork.  Make a well in the middle of this mixture and add the milk.  Blend the mixture thoroughly.  Add the vegetables.  

Add the coconut oil to the small saute pan or spray with cooking spray and heat at medium heat.  Place the vegetable/batter mixture in two batches for easy flipping.  Cook till the batter is crisp but not burnt and the vegetables and the batter are cooked through. 

Serve with sliced tomatoes and baguette slices.  You can also eat the omelet with catsup of your choice.

Vegan Mixed Vegetables with General Tso's Sauce

This is the vegan version of one of my favorite Chinese dishes, General Tso's Chicken.  I have posted before a similar dish, Cauliflower with General Tso;s Sauce, in my blog but using a different concoction of the sauce than the one I used for the recipe below.  When I prepared this Mixed Vegetable version I used instead a sauce very similar to the ones I have utilized for my Slow Cooker Healthier General Tso's Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with General Tso's Sauce (One Step).  The sauce has the magic ingredient, orange marmalade, that gives that sweet subtle citrusy taste that makes it extra delectable and more addictive.

I served this dish yesterday during a Plant Based Potluck gathering at McGinnis Specialty Store organized by Karen Novak and Sally Lipsky and everyone liked it.  The colorful vegetable dish glistened with the thick delicious sauce. You can use any combination of vegetables than the one I used or you can concentrate on one for example carrots and have a wonderful side dish next time you have a holiday party.  This recipe will surprise your guests that vegan dishes can go Chinese deliciously.

Vegan Mixed Vegetables with General Tso's Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (start with 1 tbsp and increase later for more heat if you prefer)
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade 
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional and amount depends on how sweet the orange marmalade)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 2 carrots, peeled, sliced and cooked in the microwave
• 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, cooked in the microwave

Place the vegetable broth in a large saute pan and add the ginger and garlic. Allow the mixture to boil till the ginger and garlic are cooked.

Turn off the heat and add the ingredients except the vegetables and mix them with a whisk till they are blended. Allow the mixture to boil gently till the sauce thickens to the consistency you desire.

Then add the carrots, cauliflower florets, zucchini and green beans to the sauce in the saute pan.  Heat it through till the sauce coats the vegetables.  I prefer my cauliflower and zucchini still crisp. Garnish with green onions and serve over brown rice.

Vegan Lemon Coconut Truffles

I had a white chocolate lemon truffle this weekend during the Masterworks Concert held in Harrison City. They served desserts prepared by the wife and other relatives of Dennis, the president of the Board of Directors of this Choir. They were mouthwatering including the white chocolate lemon truffle I just mentioned.  Here are some pictures from the concert.

I did not have white chocolate but I had fresh lemon so I researched the web to see if there is an ingredient I can substitute for the white chocolate.  I thought of coconut butter which I have used previously in the past, here and here.  Lo and behold I found this website with a recipe for lemon coconut truffle.  It entailed both coconut oil and coconut butter.  The latter is expensive so I decided to use my favorite ingredient, sweet potatoes which I have used before in some dessert recipes, here and here. So instead of using a half cup of coconut butter, I only used 1 tablespoon and used half a cup mashed sweet potatoes to give the truffle body. I still used coconut oil and also used a lot more sweetened coconut flakes than the original recipe.

This truffle has a tart lemony taste that is pleasing and enticing.  The texture is soft but has body to it. It could be one of the desserts you can have these coming holidays.

Vegan Lemon Coconut Truffles

• 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp coconut butter, melted
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips or dried fruits like raisins or cranberries or nuts (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cool in the refrigerator.

Roll into balls.

Mixed Vegetable Fritters

I always wanted some kind of portable veggie bites to take with me when I have a back to back schedule in the morning and I need to eat lunch in between errands.  I found that need fulfilled by these delicious fritters, especially if they are baked since they are easier to handle and not that greasy.  The fried ones are of course more moist and has that added flavor from the coconut oil I used.

I obtained the recipe from the registration table during the International Women's Club meeting I attended this month.  The dish was called Mixed Vegetable Fritters and the author was Medhu Doshi.  Since I was late, the breakfast buffet table was almost empty and I am not sure if this dish was served that day.  I liked the list of ingredients featuring lots of vegetables and decided to try it.  I made modifications with the recipe based on what ingredients I had.  I also experimented with baking a batch of the fritters versus frying them.  I actually liked them prepared both ways. The fried ones were pillowy and moist but the baked ones, as expected was not oily and easier to handle when eaten by hand.

I would like to point out that the rice flour was an excellent binder.  It made the fritters moist and flavorful. You do not need eggs.  I highly recommend its use. The recipe also called for chickpea flour which I did not have and used instead all purpose flour. Instead of coriander in the original recipe, I used green onions.

I love these fritters and will be my go to food on the run.  It is delicious and healthy too! They could be one of your holiday appetizers.

Mixed Vegetable Fritters

• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 inch daikon radish, peeled (you can substitute plain radish)
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup rice flour (I used Mochiko brand sweet rice flour)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup water or more

If baking:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 13 x 9 cookie pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Place the 4 first ingredients in the Vita Mix blender or high power blender or food processor in the sequence given or you can chop them by hand.  

Transfer the chopped vegetables into a medium bowl and add the spinach, green onions, rice flour, all purpose flour, turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Add the water slowly to the mixture till it has the consistency of mashed potatoes.  You might need to add more water.

Take two tablespoon of the mixture and form into patties.  

If baking:

Place the patties in the sprayed pan and spray  the patties with cooking spray and bake for 30-35 minutes till brown. Flip halfway during the baking process.

If frying:

Heat 4 tablespoon coconut oil or other oil in a saute pan and shallow fry the patties till the fritters are slightly brown. Flip when one side is browned.
You can also deep fry in a 350 degree fryer.

Eat with catsup with or without Sriracha.