Leela's Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes & Cooking Hints

Individual Serving Microwave Brownies

2010-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, I was feeling like some brownies, so I tried these two recipes from chow and I'm publishing the one I like better.

We tried these two recipes:

I liked the Microwave Brownie in a Mug (single serving) Recipe one. I added some instant coffee and probably a bit more salt.

The other one (Microwave Chocolate Mug Brownie Recipe) it was hard to tell because I over cooked it. It was still bubbling after 60 and 75 seconds so I cooked it for 45 more seconds and it was a bad idea. Though its bubbling I think I should have stopped. Perhaps we'll do another taste off again.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs water
Few drops vanilla extract
A dash salt
A pinch instant coffee powder (optional)
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbs granulated sugar
2 Tbs all purpose flour

Steps:

In a 12 ounce cup, add oil, water and vanilla extract. Whisk well with a fork
Add salt, instant coffee powder and cocoa powder. Whisk well with a fork
Add sugar. Whisk well with fork
Add flour. Whisk well with fork
Microwave for 75 seconds (will be cooked through, some say cook for 60 seconds to create a gooey brownie)
Will be HOT, be careful removing from microwave and let it cool a bit
Serve warm with some type of topping - ice cream, whipped cream, etc.

Copyright 2005-2010 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Bread Machine Chapatis

2010-03-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups chapati flour (atta)
1/4 tsp salt (I think I did more, since I just threw some in there)
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
3/4 cup water

Steps:

Put this all in the bread machine in dough cycle and knead for 10 minutes.

I have a Breadman TR440

the first time I used the 1 lb dough cycle through the MIX and KNEAD cycles 2x. Immediately after the first time kneading stopped, I restarted it and stopped it after the 2nd KNEAD and let it sit for 30 minutes.
the second time I used the 2 lb dough cycle through the MIX and KNEAD cycle. It went for longer than the required 10 minutes so I stopped it around that time of the cycle.

Let rest for 30 minutes
Knead again.
Pull off balls of dough, roll into balls, flatten, roll into thin tortilla like chaptis. Needs to be 1/16 of an inch.
Heat pan to Medium high heat
Put chapati on the pan
Wait till there are light to medium brown specs and circles on the bottom
Flip over and let it cook to brown a few specs
Take pan away, and put near/on heat and let it puff up.
Put in a plate and cover up to keep warm and soft.
Serve fresh with curries.

2010-01-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

Foods I want to research:

Kombucha
Kefir

Coconut milk kefir
Water kefir

Miso
Coconut milk yogurt
Healing properties of mehti, ragi powder, turmeric, sabudhana (sp?) etc other indian things random people mention to me - mostly my mom.
earth balance soy free spread
coconut milk
coconut milk ice cream

Food questions: Maple Syrup

2009-12-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

I've been researching Organic Pure Maple Syrup, how its made, in order to come up with the things that I want to be concerned with in the production of Maple Syrup before I buy.

Based upon what I read here are the questions I've come up with (Can you describe their collection process from start to finish, and that I would like to know details about what the food is in contact with)

Do you use pesticides, fertilizier or any other intervention?
Do you tube or tap your maple trees?
If you tube, do you use BPA free tubes?
What process do you use for converting from sap to syrup? Do you use reverse osmosis?
Do you use a filtration process, and if so what type do you use?
If you do filter, how do you clean your filters?
How do you store your reverse osmosis filters and how to you clean them?
What metals/materials are in contact with the sap/syrup in the sugar house?
Are there any additives in the syrup?
How do you keep the foam under control (bacon fat, butter, organic safflower oil, other)?

Some articles:

Some places to buy: (I haven't asked these questions above of these yet)

Leigh Mae's Lentil Parsnip Soup

2009-12-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 c red lentils soaked in 1 Tbsp of lemon juice overnight
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium parsnips, sliced
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 cups apple cider
1 cup water / veggie broth
1 small head of garlic (3 largish bulbs)
To taste:

cilantro leaves
salt
pepper
ginger
curry powder

Extra: 1 cup or more of water

Steps:

soak lentils overnight with lemon. rinse.
caramelize onions
add parsnips
add carrots
add cider
add lentils and garlic
add water or broth
bring to a boil
let simmer until all vegetables are tender
add salt, pepper, ginger
blend in food processor or blender
add extra liquid if needed to thin out to texture you want
Serve with Cilantro

Copyright 2005-2009 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Eggplant towers

2009-09-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

breaded eggplant
ricotta
pesto
steamed broccoli chunks - 1 inch or less
tomato sauce (homemade is best)
mozzarella cheese

Steps:

Pre-heat oven 350
Stack in order listed 2 or more times
Bake until cheese is melted and eggplant is cooked.
Serve warm.

Allergy free Frosting for Vegan Cake

2009-09-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1.75 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance Shortening
1/4 cup Fleishmann's UNSALTED Margerine
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Hemp Milk (Living Harvest ORIGINAL)

Steps:

Put it all in one bowl, stirred it up with a fork until mixed well.
It was enough for one 9 inch layer cake.

I've never made frosting before but decided to make frosting for my daughter (3) because she really wanted some after seeing it on other kids birthday cakes. We've been to LOTS of birthday parties lately.

I decided to use 1/2 EB Shortening and 1/2 Margarine because at least the Shortening doesn't have any transfats. I don't have a choice on the Margarine because of her allergies. I might try shortening only sometime but I need to research it more.

Her allergens: Dairy, Soy (Except soy lecithin and soybean oil), Eggs, Nuts, Peanuts, Sesame

Vegan Calzone

2009-09-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Pizza crust
Tomato Sauce
Fillings (chopped spinach, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes)
dash of oregano
dash of olive oil
nutritional yeast

Steps:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
Spread the pizza crust to a thin (1/4 inch)
On half of crust you spread tomato sauce
Put toppings on evenly
Sprinkle oregano
Sprinkle olive oil all over
Sprinkle Nutritional yeast
Bake at 450 for 8 minutes or until crust seems done
Serve with a bowl of spagetti sauce for dipping
For little kids, make sure the insides are cooled down enough by cutting in half.

Vegan Bisquick Pan Shortcake (1/2 recipe)

2009-06-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 1/3 c. Bisquick
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1/2 c. unsweetened Hemp milk (Living Harvest brand)

Steps:

Mix all ingredients
Press into ungreased pan and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve with strawberries.

Vegan Pancakes

2009-05-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or regular, I haven't tried it yet)
1 tablespoon organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 mashed banana
1 cup rice milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed oil)

Steps:

Start heating up your pan at a medium heat to cook pancakes
Combine the 4 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a bowl.
Add wet ingredients (vanilla, banana, rice milk, oil) to mixture.
Mix until smooth.
Oil pan if needed.
Spool batter onto pan. I made them about 3-4 inches diameter.
Flip when you see bubbles popping in middle of pancake and the edges are starting to get solify.
Check pan temperature after each batch. You might need to reduce temperature and then raise it again.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Breadman TR444: Light Whole Wheat Bread

2009-04-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: (for 1.5 lb loaf)

1-1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup gluten
1-1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Steps:

Add all ingredients to Bread Pan in the order given
Bake on 1.5 lb, "White Light" Setting

Notes:

4/11/09 - First time trying this. Outside crust was a bit too crusty. Inside was airy. The top was in fact two bit holes as I cut into them. Surprised me. Taste was good. Wish it was either a bit more dense or crust was more light.
4/11/09 - I used Vital Wheat Gluten when it asked for Gluten. I wonder if it is the same.

Vegan Corn Chowder

2009-01-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
salt to taste
3 medium potatoes sliced/chopped small
vegetable broth
2 cups sweet corn (if frozen, defrosted)

Steps:

Saute onions, garlic until translucent
add rosemary, thyme, salt
saute for 1 minute
add potatoes, saute for a few minutes
add broth to cover and give more space
Boil until potatoes are tender
add corn
Boil further until corn is tender and potatoes are fully tender
Reserve 1/2 of potato/corn mixture
Using hand blender, blend in the pot
Add back reserved mixture and blend a little if you want
Salt further to taste

Black Eyed Peas - Indian Style

2009-01-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped (optional)
3-4 Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp garam masala (chana masala if you have it or Leela's special chana masala mix)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Coriander powder
2 pinches of red pepper
1.5-2 Cans Black Eyed Peas (15-16 oz size), drained and rinsed OR frozen black eyed peas of same quantity - thawed and boiled until tender
1 Tbsp sugar
salt to taste
2 Tbsp dried or fresh grated coconut

Steps:

Saute onions (optional) until translucent
Add tomatoes to pan and cook until tomatoes are ALMOST completely cooked
Add all spices and saute for 1 minute
Add black eyed peas
Cook until black eyed peas are tender and blended with tomatoes and tomatoes are completely cooked
Add sugar (note you might want to add half and modify to taste after you add the salt (last step). It shouldn't be too sugary, just a tiny bit sweetness in your mouth.
Add coconut and stir thoroughly
Add salt to taste

Serve hot with Methi Parathas, Chapati's or rice.

Kicked up a notch Lentil Soup

2009-01-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

About 4 cups water
1/2 c red lentils
1/8 c Israeli Couscous
1/8 c Barley
1/4 c Quinoa
2 bouillons Vegetable Broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp rosemary (powdered) or a sprig of fresh rosemary
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small carrot, sliced thin (optional)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped in small 1/4 inch cubes (optional)
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt to taste

Steps:

Put everything (except lemon juice and salt) into a container and boil until everything is cooked.
Add lemon juice and salt at end
Serve.

Options to serve with: Grilled Cheese

Look at Tania's Lentil Soup for a different alternative for a red lentil soup

Copyright 2005-2009 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved. All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Upma

2009-01-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Upma (Savory Whole Wheat Upma)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Olive Oil (save 2 Tbsp)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 small onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
salt to taste
1 cup Sooji
2.5 cups water

Steps:

Dry saute Sooji in a pan until light brown - constantly stirring.
Heat up 1 Tbsp oil in a pan
Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to temper them (they will start popping)
Add pumpkin seeds and let them brown for a second (they will puff up and brown a little)
Take this mixture and put aside (leave as much of the oil behind as possible)
Add 1 Tbsp oil and reheat
Add onion, saute on low-medium heat until translucent
Add tomatoes, saute until tomato chunks have disintegrated
Add salt and mix through
Add water and let water heat to a simmering boil
Check saltiness of water (should be a bit salty for the Sooji to go in)
Stir water continuously and slowly drizzle all Sooji into the water.
Add in the spice/pumpkin mixture and stir to thoroughly spread out. The Sooji granules will be obvious.
Stir until the grains of Sooji are puffed up - look closely and they don't look white any more. They are one blended group.
Add some oil (to taste, doesn't have to be whole 2 Tbsp) and stir thoroughly.
Serve with Potato Curry if desired or with spicy South Indian Powders, pickles or alone.

Brocolli Rabe (Rappini), Fettucini, Fingerling Potatoes

2008-12-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

DRAFT:

The meal a few nights ago consisted of Brocolli Rabe, Fettucini and Fingerling Potatoes

Brocolli Rabe Vegetables

Ingredients:

a big bunch of Brocolli Rabe

1 Carrot - THICK (1/8 inch) 1.5 inch long match sticks

1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper - THICK 1.5 inch long match sticks

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 Tbsp pine nuts per person or pumpkin seeds

Fresh grated parmesan per person

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Chapatis... Parathas...

2008-12-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to make Chapatis because my daughter LOVES them and being a toddler its hard to get her to eat anything she doesn't like.

I made chapatis from this recipe on the Manjula's kitchen web site. I made them twice thus far. First time I didn't do everything the right way. The second time, today, I followed the recipe pretty close to original. They came out much better, almost perfect. I made a double batch. The trick for me was to figure out how thick to make them and surprisingly the timing of when to flip. If you let it crisp up too much before flipping they won't puff up. I liked the visuals on the youtube video. Would give this recipe a thumbs up.

I also tried to make the spinach paratha's from Manjula's Kitchen last night. My daughter asked for the white chapatis so she wasn't as much of a fan but my husband loved them. Ok, so first, they came out pretty good but they took a long time and were hard to make. Probably because it was the first time ever I made such things. They tasted good and were moist. I think the two things I need to try differently next time - I didn't make the spinach dry enough. Maybe put a little bit less in each paratha and also maybe less oil in the chapati part itself. But maybe if it were dryer I don't need to worry about the latter. Would give it a thumbs up as well.

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Tonight's dinner - 12/09/08

2008-12-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

I have frozen Surti Papdi Lilva so I am trying this recipe in approximation:
http://simplyaroma.blogspot.com/2008/12/avarekai-usali-surti-papdi-lilva-usal.html

Also making rava dosa: http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/rava-dosa/

And potatoe curry from last night and

tomato pappu - masoor dhal

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Quinoa Salad

2008-12-08T22:22:00.001-08:00

I made a Quinoa Salad on a whim and it was yummy so my husband asked me to post it so I would remember.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 Carrot, cubed

1 Zucchini, cubed

1 Bell Pepper, cubed

Handful parsley, chopped

Pine nuts and raisins to dress

Dressing:

1 Tbsp Mustard

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/8 cup Truffle Oil

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar

4 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Steps:

Cook Quinoa according to package instructions
Steam vegetables in microwave or stovetop
Make dressing by whipping all ingredients in list together by whisking in a big bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste.
After everything is cooked, stir Quinoa with vegetables and dressing
When serving add raisins and pine nuts to taste

Zucchini Bread

2008-11-15T10:42:00.001-08:00

I made this Zucchini bread recipe. The only substitute I made was grapeseed oil for butter because I need to eliminate all dairy.

I baked convection oven at 375 for 45 minutes. When I checked 40 minutes I think it was all ready. I should have taken it out then. So its a bit more brown than I like.

Update: I think it took 1 hour or so. It came out good, would have been better with butter I think. I will try it sometime with a shortening that might be richer.

Baking is still new to me.. I'm still learning.

Haven't tasted it yet. Will do and update.

Vegetable Chili

2008-11-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Vegetable Chili

Ingredients:

Large onion, chopped
1 garlic, chopped finely
1/2 carrot, grated
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 zucchini, grated
1 large portabello mushroom, chopped
2 tsp cumin
32 oz Kidney Beans (2 cans of 16 oz)
8 oz Pinto Beans (1/2 can)
8 oz Garbanzo Beans (1/2 can)
16 oz tomato sauce (2 cans of 8 oz)
16 oz died tomatoes (1 can)
chili powder to taste
salt to taste

Steps:

In large pan, add oil to cover bottom, add onions and garlic and saute on low for about 10 minutes so the onions don't burn and instead carmelize a bit.
add carrots, saute for a few minutes
add red pepper, saute for a few minutes
add zucchini, saute for a few minutes
add mushrooms, saute for a few minutes,
add salt and cumin and blend everything in pan and let saute for a few minutes
add beans, tomatoes, stir thoroughly and let simmer for 15 minutes until all flavors are blended.
add chili powder for adults.
Serve with corn bread.

Review:
Mom, Dad and daughter loved it.

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Tania's Lentil Soup

2008-11-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

About 4 cups water
1/3 cup of brown rice
1/3 cup red lentils (adjust each according to how gloppy you like it)
some rosemary (1/2 sprig of fresh stuff if you have it)
1/2 small onion diced
1 tsp veggie boullion (or chicken)
diced tomatoes (1 or 2 whatever)
zucchini if you want
some salt to taste at the end

Steps,

Put everything (except salt) into a container and boil until everything is cooked.
Salt at end.
Serve.

Baked Apples

2008-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Baked Apples

Ingredients:

Apples, cut in half, seeds, stems scooped out
Agave Nectar
Oats
Cinnamon

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400.
Put apples in baking pan skin side down, cut the bottom to keep them from wobbling if you want.
Put Oats in the scooped out centers.
Sprinkle Cinnamon over the top of the oats and the top surface of the apples.
Pour Agave Nectar all over the tops of the apples and mix it into the oats a bit
Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes or until fork tender. This will depend on the types of apples.
Serve hot with more agave nectar and pour coconut milk on top.

Alternatives: mix oats with coconut oil and some pumpkin or sunflower seeds and raisins to make a nice stuffing.

Eggplant dip

2008-11-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Vegan Eggplant Dip (Baba ganoush without the Tahini, sesame)

Ingredients:

Medium sized Eggplant
2-3 cloves of Garlic
chunk of Ginger to grate

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Roast the eggplant on the stovetop to blister the skin.
Put cloves of garlic into a some foil with some olive oil. Put into the oven.
Bake eggplant in the oven until you can pierce right through the eggplant - do i for 1/2 hour and then 10 minute increments.
After eggplant has baked, peel off all the skin using tongs or fork. This is a bit messy.
Open up foil pack, take skin and tip off of garlic.
Add garlic and eggplant innards to food processor.
Grate about 1/4 inch of ginger with microplane or micrograter and add to food processor.
Process until smooth
Taste and add more ginger or if you want salt.
Serve with pita bread.

YUMMY!

Vegan Mango Agar-Agar (Jello)

2008-10-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Vegan Mago Agar-Agar (Jello)
Junnu Gadda Halwa (Telugu)

Ingredients:
1 part agar-agar - broken into small pieces - (HINT: find in Indian store)
3 part water
2 part mango pulp
1 part sugar

Steps:

Melt in microwave - 1 agar-agar to 1 water ~ 1 minute. Do for an additional minute at a time until all melted
Add mango pulp - heat in microwave until blended
Add 2 water - heat until boiling and let cool down a bit
Add sugar - heat until melted
Put in mold and let set - usually takes about 8 hours

ALTERNATIVE:

This is my mom's recipe. The original version is with milk. My mom suggested it can be made with rice milk but the proportions are not real clear to me right now so I'll have to ask her.

Yummy vegetable Succotash

2008-09-25T22:43:00.001-07:00

YUMMY Vegetable Succotash? Got this idea from a friend (Thanks Jenifer) who made a recipe last weekend at a party. It was yummy so I went to the farmer's market and got similar vegetables.

Vegetable Succotash

Ingredients:

baby potatoes - medium pieces
baby zucchini - slices 1/4 inches
red onion - thin slices
baby pattypan squash - cut up into medium pieces
olive oil - 4 Tbsp
salt, pepper
Penzey's Herb mixture (will get specific name later)
Penzey's Chili mixture (will get specific name later)
Fresh chives, chopped up for garnish

Directions:

Steam potatoes for 4 minutes (I did it for 5 and I think it was too long for the size pieces I did)
Heat up oil to a high heat but not smoking and add potatoes, salt, pepper, some seasonings let brown on all sides and remove from oil
At same time, steam pattypan squash for 1-2 minute if they are hard.
Add to oil zucchini and pattypan squashes, add salt, pepper and seasonings to get lightly browned and tender.
Add zucchini and pattypan squashes to the potatoes.
Serve warm
I was on the phone so I forgot that you could add corn - I was planning to use frozen organic corn.

I served this with Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend (I made it with veggie broth and olive oil instead of butter as in the instructions). This blend has Israeli couscous, orzo, dried red bell pepper, dried spinach, split baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa.

Mushroom Soup

2008-07-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium shallot chopped
1 garlic clove
2 cups mixture of mushrooms (portabello, crimini, regular, etc) chopped roughly
1 tsp rosemary
1 veggie bullion
salt and pepper to taste
milk as needed to make soup creamy

Recipe:

Saute shallots and garlic together in some olive oil
Add mixture of chopped mushrooms, pinch of salt and saute until tender
Add rosemary
Add veggie bullion
Add milk, heat (to make vegan, add soymilk or rice milk)
salt and pepper to taste
Use a hand blender or blender to make a smooth soup
Serve with croutons and a salad.

This recipe is very forgiving. Just experiment with the amount of mushrooms, milk, etc etc.
Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking. All Rights Reserved.

All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Granola bars

2008-07-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Granola Bars:

Ingredients:

1 c rolled oats & multigrain barley etc
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c dried coconut
agave nectar
pumpkins seeds
sunflower seeds
mini chocolate chips (allergen free from Enjoy Life)
sunflower butter
You could also add dried cranberries or other fruits as well.

Recipe:

Mix all ingredients (with hand) in a bowl, add enough agave nectar to make it sticky
Spread ingredients in a 8x8 pan (in my case I only had a round 9 inch pan) to the desired thickness
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

They came out a bit hard so next time I'm going to try less time or less temperature

Split Moong Dhal Dosa (Pesarattu)

2008-07-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Split Moong Dhal Dosa (Indian Pancakes - Pesarattu)

Ingredients

1 c Split Moong Dhal
1/2 c Long grain rice (uncooked)
1 c water
2-3 chilies (small) or 1/2 large chili
1 Tbsp grated fresh coconut (or dried coconut)
1/2 onion diced
Cilantro or Parsley leaves chopped
salt to taste
Extra water

Recipe

Soak moong dhal and rice together with water for 45 minutes or more
Drain all water
Blend dhal, rice and chilies in blender (add water if necessary) until smooth batter (the consistency should be a little coarse but not completely smooth)
Add coconut, onions, cilantro and salt and mix or blend to mix through
Heat up pan on high heat
Spread batter by pouring in the middle and immediately swirl spoon in a spiral to make the batter thin on the pan (about 1/8 ro 1/16 inch thick)
Add some oil to the edges
Flip as soon as you can lift the dosa off the pan
Cook both sides until it is light brown
Serve with coconut chutney (search for recipes online)

Broiled BBQ Eggplant

2008-07-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Broiled BBQ Eggplant

Ingredients

Eggplant
Olive oil
Barbeque Sauce

Recipe

Slice Eggplant 1/2 inch thick
Brush both sides with olive oil
Spread on a pan
Broil on each side for 10 minutes
Brush with barbeque sauce on one side and broil for 2-3 minutes
Flip over, and brush barbeque sauce on other side and broil for additionally 2-3 minutes

YUMMY!

2008-07-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Made these today:

Sweet Potato Pancakes:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/pancakesandwaffles/r/bl21102c.htm

BUT, replaced milk with rice milk and used Ener-G egg replacer for the 2 eggs.

They were very tasty but the insides - I had a hard time getting them to cook.

I tried chocolate chips on one batch but they didn't go, so I wouldn't recommend those.

But they were really tasty.

Mexican Wraps with Easy Rice & Black Beans

2008-06-21T22:27:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

2 Garlic and herb wrap
4 Tbsp (approximately) Black bean and jalapeno refried beans (from Whole Foods)
Handful of Spring Salad Greens
Fresh Guacamole (mix all and let sit for a bit)

Avocado (1/2)
Tomato (1/2)
Red onion (diced very small - 1 Tbsp or so)
Lime juice (2 Tbsp)
Crushed Garlic (2 cloves)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Quick Black Beans & Rice (see recipe)
Mexican cheese if desired
Makes 2 wraps

Steps:

Spread 2 Tbsp refried black beans on the wrap
Add handful of greens
Add 1/2 Guacamole
Add Easy Rice and Beans - as much as you think the wrap needs
Wrap
Enjoy!

We took this to the beach today with Cilantro-Avocado Potato Salad (minus jalapenos)

All Rights Reserved. All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Rustic Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2008-06-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

I made this soup a while ago and had a craving for it so I made it again this week.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion - diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 medium butternut squash - cubed
2 apples - cubed
1/2 cup cannellini beans (cooked)
1.5 cup veggie broth (or more as needed)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp curry powder OR

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2-4 cloves
2 cardamom

salt to taste
I want to try it with ginger next time but I forgot that this time

Steps:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.
Add cinammon & curry powder, let the flavors develop (just about 30 seconds) by mixing the spices into the onion/garlic mixture.
Add butternut squash and saute until squash is almost tender
Add apples and saute until both squash and apples are tender
Add cannellini beans and saute tender (usually they are already tender, don't need much here)
Add salt to flavor (HINT: I add a bit of salt after each vegetable - onion, squash, apples so it helps pull out the moisture at each stage)
Add veggie broth
Let flavors mix until the broth comes up to a boil
Blend in pot with a hand blender. (You can use a blender or a food processor as well).

Serve hot with sunflower seeds or croutons as garnish.

Alternatives to try sometime - roast the butternut squash

Ratatouille

2008-06-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Zucchini
Red Peppers
Tomato Sauce
Cannellini beans
Italian Seasoning (heavy on oregano and basil)

Steps:

Sauté Onions and Garlic until translucent
Add Carrots, let cook for a little to get it a bit tender, giving it a head start because it is a tough vegetable
Add Zucchini, Red Peppers, sauté until all vegetables tender
Add Tomato sauce and Cannelini beans and Italian seasoning to the mix and let it cook a little until the tomato sauce is a bit cooked.

Serve with or over whole wheat pasta.

Quick Black Beans and Rice

2008-06-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Quick Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Organic Jasmine Rice (from Trader Joe's)
2.5 cups water or broth of your choosing
1 cup Frozen Vegetable Hodge Podge (from Trader Joe's) (broccoli florets, carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, water chestnuts, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, red peppers and onions)
1/2 cup Frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup Black Beans (cooked)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt (to taste)

Garnish/additions:

avocado
Mexican cheese blend

Steps:

Add ALL ingredients above list (NOT garnish) to rice cooker and cook.
Stir 1/2 way through to let everything blend in.
Serve with Mexican cheese sprinkled on top (for vegetarians, leave off for vegans)
Sprinkle with avacado pieces

Enjoy!

TRIED: Buckwheat waffles

2008-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

We tried this today:

http://waffleparty.com/2007/11/27/buckwheat-oat-applesauce-vegan-waffles-recipe-wp9-version/print/

Replaced Soy milk and water with Rice milk.

Replaced sugar with Blue Agave Nectar

The recipe took about 6-7 minutes for each batch in our waffle maker and they were bit too crispy on the outside for me. They tasted pretty good but I like a more consistent waffle.

Hubby and daughter liked the waffles.

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking.

All Rights Reserved. All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Easy Black Bean soup

2008-02-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic (optional to make 1 or none)
1 large carrot, grated
1 can black beans (drained)
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp cumin
salt to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil for sauteeing vegetables

Ripe Avacado to garnish or mexican cheese to top
OPTIONAL topping: scallions

Recipe:

Heat olive oil to medium heat
Add chopped onions and saute until translucent (about 30 sec to 1 min)
Add cumin and saute for about 20 seconds
Add carrots, a pinch of salt and saute until tender (about 5-10 mins)
Add black beans and stir until mixed
Saute for about 5 mins to blend/mix
Add vegetable stock
Stir and let boil for about 10 minutes until all the flavors blend
Blend with hand blender or in a regular blender
NOTE: If the soup is too thick, add some more broth until it is the consistency you want.

Serve with slices of avacado or with cheese as topping.

OPTIONAL topping: chopped scallions

UPDATE: 2/2/08: I added a bunch of fresh spinach to this recipe today. I added it after the carrots and it was very good. I liked that it was something green and also had iron.

Butternut Squash recipes: Butternut Squash with apples and lentil rice AND roasted vegetables with Butternut Squash

2007-03-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

I asked Chris to get a small Butternut Squash for me and there was only one - it was about a FOOT tall, so we had butternut squash out our ears. I created two recipes I'll share:

Menu:
Savory Butternut Squash with apples
lentil rice
Serve two together on a plate next to each other.

Recipe:
Butternut Squash with apples

Ingredients

Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed into 1/4 inch squares, about 4 cups worth
2 Apples, peeled and cubed into 1/4 inch squares, about 4 cups worth
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp Butter
Salt to taste
Little curry powder
2 tsp Rosemary leaves (dried)
3 tsp Thyme leaves (dried)
3/4 c Raisins and Currants ( I used golden raisins, regular raisins and currants)
Optional: Slivered Almonds (with 1/2 Tbsp Butter)

Steps

Heat up oil and 1/2 Tbsp butter in a large pan
Add onions and carmelize over low heat for 5 minutes (could start this wihile cutting the apples)
Add butternut squash and salt, let cook until somewhat tender (not fully cooked)
Add rosemary, thyme and curry powder
Add Apples
Let cook until butternut squash and apples are tender
In a separate pan, melt butter and roast almonds - use as garnish for dish

Recipe:
Lentil Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup Brown lentils - soaked 1/2 hour (HINT: Or if in a pinch, put in water and heat in microwave for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup rice
1 cube vegetable bullion (can add more spices if you don't have this)
1 Tbsp curry powder (I used a chana masala mix i had at home)
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp red pepper (can be more to taste)

Steps

Put all of the above in a rice cooker and add appropriate amounts of water and cook until done
Fluff with a fork when done

Menu:
roasted vegetables with Butternut Squash (in wraps)

Recipe:
Roasted vegetables with Butternut Squash

Ingredients

ALL of thse cubed 1/4-1/2 inches:

1 small Butternut squash
2 Yams
1 medium carrot (HINT: I used baby carrots so I don't have to peel)
1 large portabello mushroom
1 large zucchini

several cloves of garlic (skin still intact) to taste
Olive oil
1 Tbsp Rosemary (can add more to taste)
1 Tbsp Thyme (can add more to taste)
HINT: You can add other vegetables you have, for example, red onion, summer squash, etc

Steps

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, convection
put all Ingredients in a large bowl
Toss to coat all vegetables with herbs and oil
Place into pans in only one layer thick
Bake for 20 minutes (stir once to make sure all sides are browned)
Remove skins on garlic and stir

Serving Suggestion

Serve on a high protein wrap bread with a layer of Sun Dried Tomatoe and Basil hummus, baby spinach, Annie's creamy artichoke paremesan salad dressing (it can be anything slightly creamy), roasted vegetables and optionally cheese

Silken Tofu Chapati's

2007-02-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, I had heard of making Chapati's from Silken Tofu and the "raving" of their softness convinced me to try it. When my parents were visiting, we decided to give a try. Out came the KitchenAid Mixer which we rarely used (so we have to find excuses to make use of it and here was a good one) and out came the tofu and chapati flour (Atta). The recipe from a little reasearch I said suggested for 1 box of the tofu, you would need about 2+ cups of Atta. We (My mom and I) decided to go half and half and see where it took us. The recipe I believe said to remove the "water" from the silken tofu, we didn't do that, but the first batch, just squeezed out the water. In went the tofu into the bowl, mashed up with the dough hook. Then we added 1/2 cup of atta until 1 cup and then 1/4 cup at a time after that. It ended up taking us 2 cups of atta for 1/2 a box of tofu and a pinch of salt.

The chapatis came out soft and tasted good. And there is an added bonus that they are high protein (for the low carb/high protein/diabetes conscious).

To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of chapati's. I prefer them with flavorings in them, so I will be trying this in the future with vegetables in them.

Copyright 2005-2008 LeelaVegCooking.

All Rights Reserved. All the contents and photographs, unless otherwise declared, are the property of Leela Obilichetti. All materials contained on LeelaVegCooking website are protected by United States and International Copyright Laws, and should not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission. Reproduction, modification, display and distribution of LeelaVegCooking's content is illegal and strictly prohibited.

Thai chili basil tofu with vegetables

2007-02-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

I bought basil from Trader Joes on a whim thinking I would use it for Italian food but I have given up milk products for a week so that idea didn't work. So I looked at the ingredients in the pantry and looked up some ideas, and created a Thai chili basil recipe. Later on, I also found a bottle of Thai chili paste with basil hidden in the back that seemed apropos for this recipe.

HINT: Don't put fresh basil in the fridge - it becomes black and molds. Leave it outside and use it up quickly.

Here is the recipe - it came out really yummy if I do say so myself

Ingredients:

5 spice Nasoya tofu - 1/2 inch cubes
3-4 Garlic cloves, chopped/crushed
1 Portabella mushroom - 1/3 inch pieces
1 BIG stuffing mushroom (its those white mushrooms sold loosely - BIG ones - about 2-3 inches wide) - 1/3 inch pieces
1 Yellow Bell pepper, 1/2 inch slices
2 cups Broccoli florets (look for a HINT later on)
(hint: if you have broccoli stems, peel, slice into 1/4 inch thick slices to add to stir fry)
1 large Carrots, sliced at a diagnol - about 1/4 in thick
1/2 cup fresh basil roughly torn
2 Tbsp Thai chili paste with basil (to taste)
2-4 Tbsp Light Soy sauce (to taste)
Cashew nuts (to taste)
Oil for stir frying (Vegetable oil of some sort)

Recipe:

Heat wok up and put oil in to a medium-high temperature. Make sure wok is well coated.
Add 1/2 garlic and tofu
Allow bottom side to brown, stir gently eery 30 seconds or so to move pieces around so they don't stick to the bottom.
After a minute, add 2 Tbsp of soy sauce
Keep stiring until almost all the sides are browned.
Remove from the wok and put aside

Add some more oil to wok
Add garlic, carrots, broccoli stems, mushrooms
HINT: Meanwhile, put the broccoli florets in a bowl with a little water (2 Tbsp or so) and put in microwave for 2 minutes to soften. They will be tender and bright green and won't need to cook in the wok as long.
Stir vegetable mix for about 2 minutes until it starts to get tender
Add bell pepper and fresh basil
Stir vegetable mix for 2 minutes, until vegetables are almost tender (a little crisp still)
Add Tofu and Broccoli florets
Add Thai chili paste with basil and soy sauce and stir for another few minutes until everything is well coated
Add cashew nuts
Stir fry until almost at the texture you like it (HINT: Remember that everything will cook after the stove is turned off)

Serve with fresh hot white or brown rice.

Sweet Honey Tempeh

2007-01-13T23:26:00.000-08:00

Menu:
Sweet Honey Tempeh
Soba Noodles
Stir fry

Sweet Honey Tempeh
This is a main dish I made up after being inspired by something I tried in a Houston restaurant years ago. Its easy, slightly sweet high protein vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

1 package Tempeh
Sauce

Honey
Mustard
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Hot mustard sauce package from chinese takeout (or mustard)
Hot sauce to taste

Recipe:

Cut Tempeh pieces to 1 inch by 1/2 inch rectangles
Put oil in the pan to coat bottom
Add tempeh and fry them lightly and
Mix sauce ingredients (above)
Add Sauce mixture to frying Tempeh
Stir fry until slightly brown and remove from heat

Cook Soba Noodles

2 rolls of soba noodles

Stir Fry

Garlic

Mushroom

Carrots

Chinese Brocolli Greens
Stir fry with stir fry sauce and hoisin sauce

Will serve 2 for dinner with extra leftovers for 1 more meal

2007-01-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

Mexican Broccoli & Mushroom Frittata

Ingredients:

Chopped Broccoli
Chopped Mushrooms
1 clove garlic
Salsa (Paul Newman's HOT salsa)
Eggs and Egg Beaters
Milk
salt
pepper
oil to saute
Mexican blend cheese

Hints:

Select a pan which you can cook the vegetables and eggs and then put into the oven to bake.
The amount of vegetables and eggs depends on how big you want to make this. For two people, you could use 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 2 Tbsp salsa, 1 Egg and 1/2 cup egg beaters and 1/4 cup milk, for example

Recipe:

Whip up eggs, egg beaters and milk
Pre-heat oven to 350
In Ovensafe pan, heat oil, Saute Broccoli, mushrooms and garlic until tender
Add Salsa to taste (see above for measurement hints), stir
Add egg mixture
Pull egg mixture away from bottom of pan to side with spatula to allow eggs on top to reach the bottom of pan and do this until most of the liquid eggs are thick (but not completely firm)
Take pan and place into center of oven for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are almost firm.
Add cheese and allow to bake for 5 more minutes until cheese melts

Serve hot or cold with a salad (Spinach salad is nice with this)

Notes:

High protein, low-carb. Use lowfat cheese and will be really low fat!

2007-01-13T22:55:00.002-08:00

Brussel Sprouts cooked in tangine sauce and lemon juice

2007-01-13T22:55:00.001-08:00

Tofu marinated in Trader Joe's Tangine sauce and lemon juice

Acorn Squash stuffed with apples

2007-01-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

Acorn Squash stuffed with apples

Ingredients:

1 Acorn Squash
1 small Onion - chopped
1 clove Garlic - crushed
2 Apples - peeled and chopped
hand full of chopped cashews and almonds
(optional)
hand full white raisins and currants (optional) (if hard, soften
by soaking in hot water, drain before using)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Penzes chicken rub seasoning
1 Tbsp oil for frying
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Recipe:

Cut acorn squash in 1/2 length wise, scoop out all seeds and membranes
Place squash fading downwards into a casserole dish
Microwave for 5 minutes

in saute pan, heat oil, add onions and saute for a few minutes
add apples and garlic and saute for a few minutes (until apples are tender)
add cashews and almonds
add raisins and currants
add salt, pepper, and seasoning
Stir and remove from stove.

Add cheese into stuffing mix
Divide up stuffing between thetwo acorn squash halves
Place in a oven safe pan facing up
Bake in oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and the acorn is soft ( use the tip of a fork or a knife to pierce the acorn squash to see if it cooked

Serve hot