Main

Deconstructed Falafel

Like falafel, but much less messy and much less work.

Ingredients	Step
3 c. chickpeas (2 cans, 1 c. from dry)	Pat dry.
2 T. oil	Heat in a large frying pan, then add chickpeas and saute for 10 minutes.
2 t. cumin powder 2 t. paprika (part smoked) ¼ t. cayenne ¼ t. salt	Combine, then toss with fried chickpeas.
1 T. lemon 1 T. oil ¼ t. black pepper	Blitz dressing together.
8 c. arugula	Toss with dressing.
3-6 pitas	Serve chickpeas in pita with dressed arugula, tomato, tzatziki, peperoncini, etc.

Source: Cooking Light (May 2013), as "Fried Chickpea and Arugula Pita Sandwiches with Lime Tzatziki"

Beef Brisket Seitan

Shreddable texture. Slather in BBQ sauce, serve as a pot roast simmered with vegetables and rosemary in a roux-based gravy, or pull it apart to make tacos or beef barley soup.

Cheap Worcestershire sauce tends to be vegetarian (but check it for anchovies). Browning sauce can be found in the gravy aisle.

I think we should add some yellow mustard powder next time. Maybe in the dry rub?

This seitan recipe uses the Instant Pot, and its results are more consistently good than I've gotten from baking, boiling or steaming.

Ingredients	Step
180 g (1½ c.) vital wheat gluten	Measure into large bowl. Set aside.
140 g (5 oz.) tofu, wrung dry ½ c. dark beer or water ½ c. water 3 T. tamari 2 T. olive oil 2 T. miso paste 4 t. onion powder 2 t. garlic powder 2 t. Worcestershire sauce 2 t. browning sauce	Whiz together in food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down as needed.
	Scrape tofu mixture into gluten. Stir together until dough forms. Let rest 15 minutes to hydrate.
	Process in food processor for 2-4 minutes, until the dough is sticky, stretchy, glossy, and slightly warm.
2 t. smoked paprika 2 t. sweet paprika 2 t. onion powder 1 t. celery salt 1 t. black pepper 1 t. thyme yellow mustard powder?	Lay down a 18-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil on the counter. Top it with a similarly sized sheet of parchment (just so the aluminum doesn't touch the acidic food for hours). Measure the ~3 T. of dry rub spices onto the parchment, then stir the spices together.
	Form the dough into a loaf-like shape that will fit in your pressure cooker, then plop it on top of the spices and roll it around so all sides are covered in the dry rub.
	Tightly wrap the dough in parchment and then in foil, locking the ends tight. Then use a second 18-inch sheet of aluminum foil to wrap the loaf even more securely.
	Place trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add water to just underneath the height of the trivet. Place the package on top of the trivet, and pressure cook on high for 90 minutes, then natural release the pressure for 30 minutes.
	Remove the package from the Instant Pot after 90 NR 30, and let it cool on the counter until it can be handled comfortably. Refrigerate overnight as a loaf if you want to use it whole, or shred it immediately (shredding warm is easier).

Source: Skye Michael Conroy's Crafting Seitan: Creating Homemade Plant-Based Meats

Sweet and Tangy Braised Chickpeas

Hearty and delicious. Serve with bread or cornbread, and/or over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or polenta/grits.

Cheap Worcestershire sauce is often vegetarian (check the label for anchovies).

In this recipe, I like to use the Better than Bouillon paste because it can make arbitrarily volumes of stock, and because the water can enter the pan already hot from being boiled in the kettle.

Ingredients	Step
	Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4 T olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced	Heat oil in a large, deep cast iron skillet with oven-safe lid, then saute onion.
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced	Add garlic.
2-3 carrots, in ¼-½" chunks 1-2 c. other chopped vegetables (e.g., celery, fennel, winter squash, cabbage, parsnip, potato, cauliflower) 1 t. salt ⅛ t. red pepper flakes black pepper to taste	Saute vegetables. Season.
4 T. tomato paste (half a can) 1 T. brown sugar	Add and cook until well-incorporated.
3 c. vegetable stock ⅓ c. red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 2 t. Worcestershire or soy sauce 3 cups chickpeas (1 cup from dry, or 2 rinsed cans) 1 bay leaf	Bring to simmer, then cover tightly with lid and transfer to oven.
possibly: 1 c. vegetable stock	Braise for 60 minutes, then check and add 1 c. additional broth if necessary. Braise for another 30 minutes (for 90 minutes in total).
	Discard bay leaf and season to taste before serving.

Source: Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen)

Blackeyed Peas and Collards

This is my one-and-only collards recipe. A great way to ring in the new year in Southern style, or to use up CSA collards. Pairs nicely with cornbread.

Ingredients	Step
1 onion, diced oil	Saute in Instant Pot.
3 cloves garlic, minced	Add garlic toward end of sauteeing.
1⅓ c. dry blackeyed peas (rinsed) 4 c. vegetable broth	Stir in.
2 t. smoked paprika 2 dried bay leaves (1 if fresh) ½ t. black pepper 1 T soy sauce 1 dash liquid smoke (3 is too many) 1 T. apple cider vinegar / red wine vinegar 2 T. tomato paste 1 T. brown sugar (optional)	Incorporate some or all of these spices.
1-2 bunches collards, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces	Lay on top of beans-and-broth mixture (don't stir — we want the beans submerged and the collards on top).
	Pressure cook on high for 16 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves, stir, taste, and season with salt and other seasonings.

Draws on: Kristen Chidsey and Minimalist Baker

Egg Drop Miso Soup

The easiest meal in the world. Packs a boatload of delicious nutrition in 10 minutes of prep.

This gave me the most dreadful stomach ache with soy-based miso, but the chickpea miso works great.

Ingredients	Step
1 qt. stock	Heat the stock in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil.
3 eggs	Blend together in a separate dish.
¼ c. miso	Measure the miso into a separate dish. Retrieve a bit of the heated stock, and loosen the miso into a dissolvable texture.
	While stirring the boiling stock, slowly pour a thin thread of the egg mixture into the stock. Once it's all in, let the egg cook for a minute. Then stir in the loosened miso.
chives or green onions	Cut with scissors atop the soup bowls to add a bit more flavor and garnish.

Based on: Aveline Kushi, via South River Miso

Pamela Toman

Deconstructed Falafel

Beef Brisket Seitan

Sweet and Tangy Braised Chickpeas

Blackeyed Peas and Collards

Egg Drop Miso Soup

Categories

Featured Ingredients