Tag Archives: vegetarian

Smoked Tea Lentil Soup

Low Calorie, Soups, Vegan, , , , , , , , , , ,

Lapsang Souchong is a smoked black tea.  I think of it as the scotch of tea.  It is intensely smokey and rich and lends an amazing flavor to this hearty lentil soup.  I happened to have leeks and swiss chard in the fridge when I made this, but you could substitute onion and spinach.  This soup freezes well, so when I make it I make a large batch and freeze it in individual lunch-size portions.

Smoked Tea Lentil Soup

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Smoked Tea Lentil Soup

A hearty winter soup with an unusual twist from the smoked tea.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1/2 leek sliced in thirds lengthwise and then cut crosswise to create small pieces (just slicing crosswise to create half moons would create a stringy texture in the soup)
  • 1/4 small onion finely diced
  • 1/4 small fennel bulb finely diced
  • 1 rib celery finely diced
  • 1 carrot finely diced
  • 3-4 leaves of swiss chard stems removed and finely chopped, and leaves finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 TBSP herbs de provance
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves removed
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup dry green or brown lentils rinsed and drained
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 8 oz can diced tomatoes or 4 large roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 cup strong brewed lapsang souchong tea
  • 1 TBSP sherry vinegar
  • 2 TBSP italian parsley chopped

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium heat.
  • Add leeks, onion, celery, carrot and swiss chard stems (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes until vegetables to begin to release their liquid.
  • Add herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Add lentils, bay leaf and broth and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
  • Cover and simmer for ~30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to see if more liquid is needed. If soup begins to get too thick, add water or more broth to thin it out.
  • When lentils are cooked and vegetables are soft, remove soup from heat and stir in the tea, sherry vinegar and parsley. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
  • Serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Low Calorie, Salads, Vegan, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I ordered a red cabbage from Amazon fresh and I received two.  That’s a lot of cabbage.  After unsuccessfully trying to give one away, I decided to try to come up with some salads to make use of my abundance of cabbage.  

Last weekend, because I was making falafel, I decided to check out a nearby mediterranean market, Goodies.  Though I had sent my husband there in the past to get bulgarian feta (which, after trying once I decided was the only feta that I would ever eat again) I had never been inside myself.  The market was great, with all kind of interesting ingredients that aren’t readily available at my usual grocery destinations.  I got some sumac, which I have used on hummus, as well as some pomegranate molasses.  The pomegranate molasses are basically a reduction of pomegranate juice, kind of like a balsamic reduction, but fruitier.

The molasses are key to this recipe, which is now going into my regular salad rotation. 

red cabbage salad

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Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

A delicious and unusual winter salad.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP pomegranate molasses
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium apple julianned*
  • 1/4 small red cabbage finely shredded
  • 1/2 cup of pecan pieces toasted
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds optional
  • 6-8 mint leaves coarsely chopped
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Combine first three ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.
  • Toss dressing with remaining salad ingredients, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

I use the julianne attachment on my mandoline to do this.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , ,

Is there anything more delicious and decadent than deep dish pizza?  This pizza is a bit of work, but definitely worth it.  This pizza is an adaptation of the America’s Test Kitchen recipe.  You make the dough, the sauce, and add plenty of delicious fresh veggies.  I sometimes also add veggie pepperoni slices.  It’s a great Saturday or Sunday night dinner and leftovers make a great Monday lunch.

 deep dish pizza

cut deep dish pizza

pizza in progress
 

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Vegetarian Deep Dish Pizza

The ultimate deep dish pizza: a buttery crust loaded with veggies and tomato sauce. This can be made vegan by omitting the cheese or substituting a vegan cheese.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup fine cornmeal like masa harina
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 TBSP melted margarine or butter
  • 2 TBSP softened margarine or butter
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 3/4 cups homemade tomato sauce or jarred pasta sauce.
  • 2 cups assorted vegetable toppings such as: thinly sliced zucchini thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced bell pepper, fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, pickled hot peppers, fresh basil, etc.
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Combine flour, cornmeal, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor fitted with dough attachment. Pulse to combine ingredients.
  • Add water and melted margarine and process until a ball of dough is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
  • Remove ball of dough from mixer or processor and knead for 1 minute by hand, then place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
  • If making your own tomato sauce, prepare that while the dough is rising.
  • For any raw vegetables that you are using in the pizza (for example, zucchinni, fresh tomato, onions), place them in a large strainer and sprinkle generously with with salt. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside so that vegetables can release some of their liquid.*
  • When dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle and spread with softened butter.
  • Fold rectangle of dough into thirds like a business letter, and fold in thirds again. Shape dough into a ball and return to oiled bowl to let rise again for 40 minutes to an hour.
  • While dough is rising for the second time, preheat oven to 425.
  • When dough has risen, roll out into circle large enough to line a cast iron skillet or 9 inch round cake pan.
  • Press dough into bottom of pan and up the sides of the pan to form a deep crust.
  • Sprinkle dough with shredded cheese (if using) and top with 3/4 cup of tomato sauce.
  • Arrange vegetables on top of sauce in layers, sprinkling with pepper and salt (omitting salt on the layers of raw vegetables that have already been salted).
  • Top pizza with remaining tomato sauce.
  • Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes until crust is firm and sauce is bubbling.
  • Let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

*This step will go a long way toward keeping your pizza from being too watery.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen