Heart of Palm Ceviche WFPB Oil Free

I made this WFPB and oil free ceviche today and it’ll definitely be a regular chez Hickman! I added some diced jicama and thinly sliced radish. Delicious! 

Original recipe here:

The Yummy Vegan Blog

Baba ganoush

 Baba ganoush 

Made some baba ganoush for snacks today, too. Yums. 

(Recipe adapted from Robertson, Robin. Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes. Vegan Heritage Press, 2008, p. 98.)

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants 

1 large clove garlic 

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1/4 cup tahini 

3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

A couple handfuls of fresh cilantro 

Method:

Roast eggplants in the oven until they look all wrinkled and slighted deflated. (I puncture the skin of the eggplants with a knife a few times, rub olive oil all over the outside of the eggplants, and then roast at 400F for about 45 mins.) Scoop flesh out of eggplant once cooled a bit and place into food processor. Put the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. YUM! 

Jicama and Radish Salad

This is so, so yummy! So light and refreshing.
I think I found this recipe in Food Network magazine.

Jicama and Radish Salad

1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

about an equal amount of radishes, cut into matchsticks or shredded

3 or so scallions, sliced into tiny rounds

cilantro and mint, both chopped fine - about 1/4 cup each

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over jicama, radish, scallion, mint, cilantro mixture in a big bowl. Mix well. 

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Yesterday, I just ate some leftovers. Today, I made another really delicious dinner - vegan shepherd's pie from Julie Hasson's Vegan Casseroles book. Buy this book! Recipes use whole food and all look so amazing that I had a hard time deciding what to make first!
Shepherd's Pie won because there was some debate over Christmas as to what the entrée would be for Christmas dinner. So, I've had visions of shepherd's pie swirling in my head. heh.
This was a little labor intensive, so definitely a weekend meal, but SO WORTH IT! Yum yum yum. And, it turns out I learned something new - oat flour is magic! It thickened the delicious gravy called for in this recipe like a champ. Such a yummy and simple gravy too! I'll definitely be spreading it over mashed potatoes and such.
Here's a pic of the lovely gravy cookin' away and the final product ...

Shepherd's Pie with Lentils and Herbs

(based on that found on p.74 of Vegan Casseroles)



  Ingredients:

Topping:
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes
3/4 cup plain unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons nooch (aka nutritional yeast)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used some granulated garlic.)
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh black pepper to taste

Filling:
1 cup brown lentils
olive oil
1 yellow or sweet onion, diced
(original recipe calls for 5oz mushrooms, but I omitted since mushrooms are the one food I do not like!)
2 carrots (I used 4 small carrots), finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas (I heated mine in the microwave before tossing them in)
1 recipe Good Gravy! (recipe below)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Good Gravy!:
1/2 cup Oat Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oat Flour)
6 tablespoons nooch
3 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons vegan "no-beef" beef flavored bouillon paste (such as Better Than Bouillon brand)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
First, make the gravy. In a large saucepan, whisk together the oat flour and nooch. Whisk in the soy milk until the mixture is very smooth. Whisk in the granulated onion and garlic. Add the bouillon and pepper, whisking well. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and while continuously whisking, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and continue whisking until the sauce thickens (for about 5 minutes).
Next, preheat the oven to 425F.
Prepare the lentils and potatoes. Put lentils and potatoes in pots and cover with a few inches of water. Bring pot with lentils to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 25 minutes. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain lentils and potatoes. Return potatoes to pot.
Mash the potatoes with a  masher and add the soy milk, nooch, vegan butter, garlic, salt, and pepper.
In a large skillet prepare the filling. Add the olive oil and cook over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until garlic fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the Brussels sprouts and carrots and cook until both are just tender. (I added a little water and covered the pan to cook them.) Stir in the lentils, gravy, rosemary, thyme, peas, salt, and pepper and mix well without smashing the lentils.
Grease a 13 inch x 9 inch pan. Scoop gravy mixture into pan and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Be sure to spread the potatoes all the way to the edges to try to avoid the gravy mixture from bubbling over. Bake for about 25 minutes - until the potatoes begin to brown.

Fancy Raw Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream and a Summer Salad

Fancy Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water overnight (or at least for 10 hours), drained, and rinsed
2 cups almond mylk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
seeds from one vanilla bean (I just throw the whole bean in my Vitamix)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chia seeds

Method:
Place all ingredients except the chia seeds in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 10 hours. Serve chilled with fresh organic fruit. Makes 6 servings.

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Mango and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(I think this is my favorite salad - ever!)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
6 cups fresh spinach
2 cups arugula
2 large mangos, peeled and cubed
2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped
Method:
Whisk together the balsamic, agave, thyme, salt, and pepper and add olive oil while whisking. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve topped with pistachios.

**Both of these recipes are from RAW FOOD COOKBOOK & DIET: 75 Easy, Delicious, and Flexible Recipes for a Raw Food Diet (by Rockridge Press) [Available on Amazon to download to your Kindle!]

BANDHAKOPIR DALNA (BENGALI CABBAGE CURRY)

I made this last night. It's one of my favorite cheap recipes because, if you already have the spices, you really just have to buy a head of cabbage (uber cheap at less than $3) and some ginger. I usually skip the potatoes and serve this over basmati rice with some sour cream on top. Yummmmmmmmmmm.

Ingredients:
1 lb cabbage, sliced finely
2 potatoes, cut in small cubes
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp turmeric
1 1/4 to 2 tsp green chili paste (I substitute with THAI KITCHEN brand green curry paste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 inch ginger grated
1 tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Method:
♥ Fry cubed potatoes in hot oil in a wok until lightly browned. Remove from oil and keep aside.
♥ To the hot oil add cabbage. Sprinkle with salt.
♥ Stir and cover. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove cover.
♥ Add the turmeric, chili paste, cumin, coriander and ginger. Stir and fry until the spices are well blended with the cabbage.
♥ The cabbage should be nearly cooked at this stage.
♥ Add 1/2 cup water and add potatoes. Adjust salt and add sugar to taste.
♥ Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked and there is practically no gravy in the pan.
♥ In a frying pan, heat butter. Add the bay leaves and garam masala. Stir fry a couple of minutes and pour over bandhakopir dalna.
♥ Stir the cabbage and remove from heat.
Recipe Source: http://festivals.iloveindia.com/durga-puja/cabbage-curry.html