Lemon-Basil Potato Summer Casserole

Lemon-Basil Potato Summer Casserole

Takes about 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 zucchinis, sliced into rounds

2 ½ lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced longwise into rounds

4 medium tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds

1 tbsp olive oil

Marinade:

Zest of one lemon

Juice of two lemons

1 cup tightly packed basil, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup water

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

½ cup white wine

½ tsp salt

Toppings:

¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the potatoes in a bowl with ½ tbsp of olive oil (alternatively you can lay them out on a pan and spray them with baking spray) and then lay out on a baking pan.  Do the same with the zucchini in a different bowl and pan.  Roast potatoes for about 20 minutes and zucchini for 10 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are baking, mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.

3.  Remove potatoes from the oven and increase the temperature to 450 degrees.  Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, begin to layer them with the zucchini and tomatoes in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or two 9 x 9 inch pans.  Layer like a lasagna with potatoes first, then zucchini, then tomato rounds.  Everything will not match up perfectly but that’s ok.

4. Pour the marinade over the casserole and cover the pans with aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes at 450 degrees.  When the casserole is removed from the oven, top with roasted sunflower seeds.

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Veggie Enchiladas

Beany Enchiladas

Takes about 1 and 20 minutes

Serves 6

Enchiladas will win anyone over.  The sauce on these babies is delicious.  In my family, there is never agreement over whether to make food spicy or mild.  I personally only like very light spice (I can’t stand very strong spicy foods).  I have tried to solve this delimna by creating an optional chili sauce to go with the enchiladas.  You can increase or decrease the spiciness of this side sauce depending on your taste.  This recipe looks like a lot of work but it really isn’t that bad.  It goes pretty fast.  If you are a fan of vegan cheese, you can cut some up and bake it on the top of the enchiladas but they do not lack anything but not having cheese.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp cinnamon

Chili Sauce:

1 dried chipotle pepper (more if you like it super hot!)

2/3 cup boiling water

Filling:

3 cups cooked black-eyed peas, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans or a mix

1 (15 oz) can white hominy or yellow corn

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

8 tortillas

½ cup roasted pepitas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan.  Add the garlic and sauté over medium high heat for about 2 minutes or until garlic is aromatic and lightly browned.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

3. Allow chili pepper to soak with the boiling water in a separate bowl for about 20 minutes.  At the end of the 20 minutes, remove and cut up the chili pepper into very small pieces.  Reserve 2 tbsp of the water that the chili was soaked in and pour out the rest.  Add ½ cup of the tomato sauce to the chopped chili and 2 tbsp soaking liquid.  Stir well and set aside to serve with the enchiladas.

4. Mix all the filling ingredients together and stir well.  Yep, it’s that easy!

5. Use either two 9-inch square baking dishes or one 9x13-inch baking dish.  Assemble enchiladas by laying tortillas on a flat surface and putting a line (one large spoonful) of filling across the middle of the tortillas.  Roll the tortilla up and place in the baking dish.  Continue this until all the tortillas are used up.  Cover the enchiladas with the sauce, spread evenly over the top.

6. Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the tops with the pepitas and serve.

Baked Polenta with Leek-Tomato Sauce

I love leeks, with the result being that I try to stick them in just about everything.  Leeks go amazingly well with both polenta and red peppers.  This dish is extremely colorful - yellow, green, and red.

Baked Polenta with Leek-Tomato Sauce

About 3 hours from start to finish, much inactive

Serves 3 as a main meal, 5-6 as a side

Ingredients:

Polenta:

5 cups water

1 1/3 cup coarse corn meal

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, chopped and washed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 roasted red or yellow pepper, diced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp dried rosemary

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp molasses

1 tsp dried tarragon (optional)

1. In a pot, bring the water to a boil.  Add the garlic, olive oil, and salt.  Slowly stir in the corn meal.  Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently until polenta is thick and smooth.  Pour polenta into a 10 inch pie pan (or other shallow dish).  Let set for at least 45 minutes or overnight.

2. Once polenta has set, cut it into thick slices (like a pie).  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat polenta slices in olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then flip slices with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes.

3. While polenta is baking, make the sauce.  Heat the olive oil in a pan and once hot, add leeks.  Saute for a minute or two and then add garlic.  Saute for another minute, then add the diced tomatoes and the roasted red pepper. 

4. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes to bring out the juices from the tomatoes and peppers.  While the sauce is cooking, add the lemon juice, rosemary, salt, molasses, and tarragon.

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Vegetable Paella Recipe

Hello Everyone.  I am making my recipe debut to prepare for writing my own vegan cookbook.  Well, I'll jump right into it.  This make a beautiful vegan paella.

I have been to Spain and I have to say that the food is not often very vegan friendly.  Luckily, I was saved a few times when I was able to find vegetable paella.  Paella is versatile and pretty much any vegetable you have can be substituted in for the ones listed.  Peas and tomatoes tend to be fairly standard but almost anything will work.  If you want to make this with the traditional Valencia rice, more power to you.  I have found that cheap medium grain rice works great and doesn’t break the bank (especially after buying saffron).  You are also more likely to have it sitting around your house.  Vegan sausages are by no means required for making paella but they do add a little something extra.

Vegetable Paella

Takes about 50 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 carrot, peeled and diced

5 mini sweet peppers or 1 large bell pepper, diced

5 – 6 oz (approximately) fresh or frozen green peas

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable broth (boullion cubes or soup base is fine)

2 vegan sausages, diced (optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ cup medium grain white rice

1 scant tsp paprika

1 pinch saffron

¼ tsp annatto powder (optional)

1 tomato, sliced into wedges

½ tsp salt

1 lemon, sliced into wedges for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in a paella pan or a 10-inch/12-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add carrot and green peas.  Saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the peppers and garlic and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes or so.

3. Add in the rice and dry roast for the vegetables and oil for about 2 minutes.  Add in vegetable broth, paprika, saffron, annatto powder (if using), and salt.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

4. Meanwhile, if you are using the vegan sausage, pan fry it in a different small skillet with a small amount of oil until it is lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Arrange the tomatoes in a wheel around the top of the paella and intersperse with vegan sausage (if using).  Cover the skillet with tin foil and place in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes or until all the water is used up.

6. Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool briefly before serving.  Serve with slices of lemon.  Squeeze lemon over the rice before eating.