Versatile Quick Red Bean Dal

I thought I’d share a recipe from my Summerfest demo – the Quick Red Bean Dal from Vegan Fire & Spice.

To show the versatility of the Quick Red Bean Dal, I first prepared it as a main dish over rice (see photo). I then spread some onto tortillas with some curried mashed potatoes made from any leftover potatoes (see photo of a potato dosadilla from Quick-Fix Vegetarian in my February 21 post. The combination is heavenly comfort food with an Indian twist.

The tortilla is then folded in half and toasted on both sides in a skillet. You can then serve the “dosadilla” on a plate with a knife and fork for a lunch or light supper, or you can cut it into wedges and enjoy them as fun snacks or appetizer “pick-up” food.

Here is the dal recipe and the dosadilla variation:

Quick Red Bean Dal
2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Place the kidney beans in a bowl and mash with a potato ricer or stick blender. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ginger, tomatoes, curry powder, coriander, cayenne, and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add the reserved beans and water and simmer until the mixture is hot and the flavors are well blended, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.
Serves 4

Dal-Potato “Dosadillas”
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced scallions or onion
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste)
4 whole wheat tortillas
Quick Red Bean Dal (recipe above)

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the scallions and cook until softened. Add the potatoes, and curry powder and cook until well mixed and hot.
Spread the potato mixture evenly over each of the tortillas. Spread a thin layer of dal over the potato mixture. Fold the tortillas over and place them in a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-heat. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, turning once.
Keep them warm while you cook the remaining dosadillas. Serve them whole to be cut with a knife and fork, or cut them into wedges to eat out of hand.
Serves 4

Oprah’s Vegan Challenge

I’m so happy to see that Oprah is going vegan—for 21 days, at least — in what she’s calling a “21-day cleanse as a way to jump-start an inner makeover.” In this plan, she has eliminated animal products from her diet and has invited her fans to join her. How cool is that?

Helping her to do this (by cooking amazing vegan meals for her) is my good friend, vegan chef extraordinaire, Tal Ronnen (in photo). Way to go, Tal! (See his bio on Oprah’s blog.)

Best of all, it actually seems like Oprah “gets” the reason why many of us are vegan. In her blog, she writes: “How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?”

I also think it’s great that Erik Marcus at Vegan.com is pitching in to help those who are taking Oprah’s vegan challenge and are new to veganism. During the next three weeks, his VegTalk podcast is going to offer daily guidance and support to new vegans. On the May 21st podcast, Erik recommends his three favorite cookbooks for new vegans and I’m honored to report that two of them were my own Quick-Fix Vegetarian and Vegan Planet, along with that other bastion of vegan recipes, Veganomicon.

Here’s hoping that Oprah’s 21-day vegan challenge is a catalyst for getting more and more people to go vegan and the beginning of a new era for veganism and all that it represents. What do you think?

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Couldn't let Cinco de Mayo pass without posting a recipe in honor of the occasion. This rich creamy soup has a refreshing note of lime and is especially good made with homemade salsa. To save time, you can use a bottled salsa and instead of making your own tortilla strips, simply garnish with some corn chips.

Contest Count-down: If it's May 5 that means there's only 5 days left to send me your lovely Couscous Cake photos. It's your chance to win a cookbook and go down in couscous cake history! (For contest details, check out my April 10th post.) Go to the contact page of my website to e-mail your submission.

Creamy Tortilla Soup

This recipe is from my book, Quick-Fix Vegetarian.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato salsa
3 1/2 to 4 cups vegetable broth
2 ripe Haas avocados
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 corn tortillas

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup of the salsa and 3 cups of the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Halve and pit one of the avocados and place it in a blender or food processor. Add the soup mixture and process until smooth. Transfer back to the pot, add the lime juice and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, and remaining broth, if needed. Simmer over low heat while you toast the tortillas.
Lightly brush the tortillas with oil and cut them into thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide by 2-inches long. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the tortilla strips and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes.
Just before serving, halve, pit, and dice the remaining avocado and stir half of it into the soup. To serve, garnish the soup with the remaining diced avocado, remaining 1/2 cup salsa, and the tortilla strips.

Serves 4

Craving Couscous Cake

I discovered a great post and photo of my Pumpkin Couscous Cake from Vegan Planet on To Live and Eat in LA — a blog that I very much enjoy reading. All the talk about couscous cakes reminded me of how much I like making (and eating) them!
I started making couscous cakes many years ago when I was cooking without flour or sugar. This cake couldn’t be easier to make – it’s basically just couscous and fruit juice. Really. I discovered that, by simply cooking couscous in fruit juice instead of water, it took on a mildly sweet flavor that was both delicious and satisfying. Over the years, I’ve made this cake using apple juice, white grape juice, and pineapple juice. You can also add bits of fruit, nuts, and even melted chocolate to the couscous mixture. When you press the couscous evenly into a springform pan and chill it in the fridge, it comes out looking almost like a cheesecake, although it tastes more like bread pudding. You can garnish the cake with fresh sliced fruit or a pureed fruit topping (or nuts or chocolate, depending on the flavor combination). You can find a recipe for Pineapple Apricot Couscous Cake from Quick Fix-Vegetarian, in my January 16 post.

The first photo shows another variation using mangos (recipe below) — at the last minute I sprinkled some brown sugar on top and ran it under the broiler to caramelize a bit. It was so good! Next time I may use coconut milk and a little palm sugar instead of the mango juice and millet instead of couscous. It’s fun to experiment.



The second photo shows a slice of Couscous Breakfast Cake with Pear and Dried Plum Compote from Vegan Planet. The recipe for this one follows the mango version. A slice of this cake is great for breakfast or brunch. If you like dense bread puddings that aren’t too sweet, you’ll love couscous cakes.


Mango Couscous Cake
This is the easiest version of couscous cake there is, with a minimum of ingredients and a minimum of fuss. To dress it up, you could spread a thin layer of mango puree under the sliced mango and add some finely minced candied lime peel or crystallized ginger to the couscous mixture. It’s also great topped with a sweet cashew-coconut cream sauce or vegan whipped cream.

2 cups mango juice
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 fresh ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped

Bring the mango juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous, sugar, and ginger and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes or until the juice is absorbed.
Press the mixture evenly into a lightly oiled 8-inch springform pan (or individual springform pans). Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up before serving.
Serves 6


Couscous Breakfast Cake with Pear and Dried Plum Compote
Couscous cake is great for breakfast or brunch because it can be made the day before. Made with fruit juice, the cake is dense and moist without being too sweet – a great way to start the day. For a sweeter cake, add a little maple syrup or natural sugar. This recipe is adapted from Vegan Planet.

2 1/2 cups apple juice or pear juice
Pinch salt
2 cups couscous
Pear and Dried Plum Compote (recipe follows)

1. Place the juice and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the couscous. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Lightly oil an 8-inch spring form pan and spoon the couscous into it, spreading it evenly. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to press the couscous firmly into the pan. Cover the cake and refrigerate it several hours or overnight to make it easier to slice. To serve, cut into wedges and spoon some of the compote on top.
Serves 6

Pear and Dried Plum Compote
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
4 ounces dried pitted plums (prunes)
2 ounces mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups water
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the pear slices, dried plums, dried mixed fruit, sugar, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, cinnamon stick, allspice, and nutmeg. Stir in the water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the pear slices are soft and the dried fruit plumps up, about 15 minutes.
2. Set aside to cool then transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or until ready to use. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving. When ready to serve, return to room temperature for best flavor.
Serves 6

Quick-Fix Veg*n

I’ve had several people ask me if the recipes in my book Quick-Fix Vegetarian are vegan, and I’m happy to say “Yes! the fast-and-easy recipes in Quick-Fix Vegetarian are vegan. I’m sorry for any confusion and I hope lacto-ovo-vegetarians and omnivores, too, will discover how delicious (and quick) these recipes are. I’ve been very pleased with the great compliments Quick-Fix Vegetarian has received. Here are a few:

Thankfully, Robin Robertson understands that recipes don’t need to be complicated, voluminous, or inaccessible to be delicious....The simplicity of these 150 recipes is what makes them perfect.
--VegNews Magazine

If you think being vegetarian is boring, then read this book! It’s full of mouth-watering recipes that are quick and easy to prepare, making it a perfect introduction to vegetarian living.
--TheVegetarianChannel.com

People who rarely cook but wish they could put more time into homemade meals will find Quick-Fix Vegetarian a genuine treasure.
-- Vegparadise.com

Most people live a hectic lifestyle these days, and any quick-and-easy vegetarian cookbook is greatly appreciated.
--Vegetarian Journal

Mini-Marathon: Six Recipes in One Hour

This morning was crazy. I’m up to my eyeballs in work, but a newspaper reporter and photographer were due at my house at 10am for an article about my recent winning of a PETA Proggy Award for Quick-Fix Vegetarian as Best New Cookbook– here’s the link for all the winners: http://www.peta.org/feat/proggy/2008/index.asp

In addition to actually combing my hair and tidying up the kitchen, I needed to prepare some recipes from the book to be photographed for the article. Since I couldn’t decide which one or two recipes to make, I ended up making six of them. Here’s the best part: all six recipes took me only an hour to make. I’d say the “quick-fix” recipes are living up to their name. Here are the recipes I made this morning and their photos.

Artichoke-Hummus Wraps with Spinach Tortillas

Hummus wraps are an ideal fast food lunch idea, made even faster when you have some rich, creamy hummus on hand. Make your own or buy some ready-make at the supermarket. If spinach tortillas are unavailable, regular flour tortillas may be used.

1 cup prepared hummus, store-bought or homemade
4 spinach flour tortillas
1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, well drained and chopped
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 carrot, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spread about 1/4 cup of the hummus on each of the tortillas. Top with the chopped artichokes, followed by the lettuce and carrot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tightly roll up the tortillas. To serve, cut in half and arrange on plates.
Serves 4

Corn Chowder with Limas

This luxurious corn chowder includes lima beans as an homage to succotash. Because baby limas are smaller than the larger ones, they take less time to cook. To cut cooking time further, heat the vegetable broth in the microwave for 5 minutes while the onion and potato are cooking.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 white potato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen baby lima beans
3 cups frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups soy milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped pimientos, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and potato, cover, and cook until softened, 5 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the limas and corn and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in the soy milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup right in the pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir back into the pot. Reheat soup if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with pimientos.
Serves 4

Apricot-Pineapple Couscous Cake

This couscous cake is one of those easy and versatile recipes that lends itself to a variety of toppings, from sliced fresh seasonal fruit, to a fruit coulis, to toasted nuts and a drizzle of chocolate.

2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup couscous
2 dried apricots, snipped into tiny pieces
1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pineapple Apricot Sauce (recipe follows)

Bring the pineapple juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous, apricots, pineapple, sugar, and cinnamon. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the juice is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Press the mixture into a lightly oiled 9-inch springform pan. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To serve, cut into wedges and top each slice with a spoonful of the Pineapple Apricot Sauce.
Serves 6

Pineapple Apricot Sauce

This luscious sauce has a glorious golden color and tastes more complex than it is. It’s a perfect match for the Pineapple Couscous Cake (above), but it is also terrific on pound cake or ice cream, or as a dipping sauce for fruit. Instead of apricots, you can substitute dried mangoes or peaches for yummy results.

1/2 cup dried apricots
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup crushed pineapple

In small saucepan combine the apricots and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove cover, lower heat, and simmer until the apricots are soft and the liquid reduces slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from stove and allow mixture to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender or processor and puree until smooth. Add the pineapple and blend again until smooth.
Makes about 2 cups

Five-Minute Slow-Cooker Chili

Using chunky salsa eliminates the need for vegetable chopping and helps keep the prep time to a minimum. You can literally put this chili together while walking out the door. Come back a few hours later to a luscious meal. Garnish with cooked corn kernels or diced avocado.

1 (24-ounce) jar chunky tomato salsa
2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pour the salsa into a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in the chili powder and ketchup. Add the black beans, kidney beans, water, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and slow-cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve 4 to 6

Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli

This satisfying dish that is loaded with flavor and nutrients. Instead of making this recipe with sesame paste, try it with creamy peanut butter instead – it’s even more kid-friendly that way! (You can then sprinkle on some crushed peanuts instead of sesame seeds as garnish.)

2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
3 tablespoons mirin or sake (or just a little extra soy sauce and water)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
8 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces linguine
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Put the pasta water on to boil in a large covered pot. In a small bowl, combine the sesame paste, brown sugar, mirin, and hot red pepper flakes until well blended. Stir in the tamari and water until blended. Set aside.
When the water comes to a boil, salt it and add the linguine. Cook the linguine until it is al dente, about 10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets and cook until just tender. When the noodles and broccoli are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with the sesame oil and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved noodles and broccoli, and the sauce, and toss to combine and heat through. Serve hot sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Serves 4
Variation: Substitute asparagus or green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces, for the broccoli.

Chocolate Cherry Truffles

These rich-tasting truffles look adorable when presented in little foil or paper candy cups. Use a high-quality cocoa for best results. Sweetened dried cranberries may be substituted for the cherries, if desired. Peanut butter can be used instead of almond butter.

1/4 cup sweetened dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup almond butter or peanut butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup pure unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating of choice: cocoa, ground toasted almonds, toasted coconut
Place the cherries in a heatproof bowl and cover with 1/4 cup boiling water to soften. Place the cherries and their soaking liquid into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the almond butter and process until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Blend well, then transfer to a bowl.
Shape a small amount of the mixture into a ball, rolling with your hands into a 1-inch ball. Repeat until the mixture is used up. Drop the truffles, two or three at a time, into a shallow plate containing either cocoa, almonds, or coconut, depending on your preference. Roll the truffles in the coating, covering completely and pressing the coating lightly onto the truffles. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3 dozen