Tofu Lettuce Wraps

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I received my first issue of Vegetarian Times from my sister-in-law last week and was inspired by these lettuce wraps. The original recipe calls for water chestnuts but I used shitake mushrooms instead. Other good additions would be bamboo shoots sliced up. The recipe below is from the magazine with my addition of the mushrooms and a little substitution I made. Make it with what you like!

Filling:
2 TBS olive oil or vegetable oil
1 red onion
1 package shitake mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts or bamboo shoots (optional)
1 TBS ginger*
1 TBS lemon grass
2 cloves minced or crushed garlic
1lb Xtra firm tofu
4 TBS soy sauce*
4TBS hoisen sauce*
1-2 squirts vegan chile sauce
Shredded carrot
2-3 chopped scallions (white and green parts)
Chopped mint and Thai basil

* I cheated and found a sauce at Trader Joe's called Soyaki which had all of these ingredients in it already and used that instead.

Saute mush rooms and diced onion in oil. When cooked add lemon grass ginger and garlic and cook for 3-4min. Next crumble in tofu and add sauces. Cook for an additional 5min until warmed through. At the end add shredded carrot and chopped scallions as well as mint and basil.

Optional toppings:
crushed peanuts
lime wedges
peanut sauce
chille sauce
additional mint or scallions

Serve with Boston lettuce leaves and any additional toppings so people can make their own wraps. This would be a fun and easy entertaining menu if you rounded it out with some good Asian inspired appetizers like vegetable pot-stickers or veggie sushi.

Coco-Pineapple Sundaes

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Another little Vegetarian Times idea. Pineapple+coconut sorbet+mint. The original had mangoes instead of pineapple. I think you could make a tropical sundae with bananas, pineapple and mango, but I loved this flavor combo especially with the chopped mint. Pair with tofu lettuce wraps for a light Asian inspired meal!

Spaghetti Squash and Spicy Tomato Basil Sauce

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My co-worker Liz and I both saw Rachel Ray make spaghetti squash about 2 months ago and came to work the next day excited by this new idea and ready to try it. Well Liz made it multiple times and I of course found other things to distract me until now. I have to say that this is really good and very fun to make. The squash is very healthy and not too heavy like real pasta which means you can have big honkin' portions which makes me happy!

To make squash roast one spaghetti squash halved and brushed with olive oil at 400 for about 45min to an hour. When done use a fork to scrape out inside (ohmigod it looks like spaghetti!). One squash makes enough for 3 LARGE servings.

For the sauce you can use anything you want but I think the squash needs something really savory and salty. My sauce:

2 TBS EVOO
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
3 TBS capers
Red wine
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup kalmata olives
Fresh basil


Saute garlic and red pepper to taste in EVOO for 5 min add capers and red wine and let cook down. Add tomatoes and cook on medium until thickened. Add olives and basil right before serving on top of squash.

Vegetable Enchiladas

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Enchiladas
1 small red onion
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 yellow squash or zucchini
1/2 small can diced tomatoes and chillis or jalepenos*
5 flour or corn tortillas
1 can Amy's re-fried black beans or other vegan re-fried beans
Optional: chopped cilantro, scallions, and black olives

Sauce
small can tomato sauce
1/2 small can diced tomatoes and chillis or jalepenos*
Cumin
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Hot sauce or chipotle sauce
Saute squash, onion, and peppers in a bit of olive oil until soft. when vegetables are tender about 15min add tomatoes and chiles and 3-4 TBS of chopped cilantro. Cook for 5 more min. While Veggies are cooking combine sauce ingredients to taste in sauce pan add only a small pinch of cinnamon. Bring to a light boil. To assemble the enchiladas spread a layer of beans on each tortilla and put 1/5th of the veggie mixture in each. Roll and place each seam side down in baking dish. Pour sauce on top and bake at 350 for 15-20min. When it comes out of the oven top with scallions cilantro and black olives if you like!

Caramel Popcorn Delight

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Ok so its probably no surprise that I love Trader Joe's and one of the many reasons is because they have a whole lot of vegan products and it is easy to find them thanks to the list on their website. I'm sorry if you don't have a TJs by you but don't worry you can usually find everything I use at a regular grocery store. This delicious treat uses TJs fat free caramel corn which is vegan, peanuts, and dark chocolate. This is the only vegan caramel corn that I know of that you can buy so if you are not near a Trader Joe's you will have to make your own caramel corn. I'm not sure you can even call this cooking, but it's awesome and everyone will love you if you bring it to a party!

Spread caramel corn and peanuts (optional) on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Melt 1 and 1/2 dark chocolate bars in a pan on low heat and drizzle melted chocolate over the peanut and popcorn mixture. Place in fridge for 45min and then break into chunks. Try not to eat it all.

Veggie Pizza

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Anyone who knows my husband knows he is a pizza addict. Of course with me being vegan his opportunities to eat pizza have dwindled. Now I'm no claiming that this pizza is as good as the "real thing" but the savory sauce really makes this pizza satisfying. I used Trader Joe's herb and garlic pizza dough but if you know how to make your own go ahead!Preheat oven to 425 and take pizza dough out of refrigerator for 20min. While you wait saute one package of sliced baby portabella mushrooms also called crimini. To make sauce saute 1/2 a sweet onion, add 1 small can diced tomatoes, 2 TBS sun dried tomatoes and 1 small handful chopped kalmata or black olives. When the sauce has thickened (about 15min) add 2 cloves crushed garlic, a pinch of dry oregano and 2 or 3 leaves fresh basil. You want to add the garlic at the end to make it more strong when it cooks in the oven. If you don't like the taste of fresh garlic you can omit it or put it in when you add the onions so it cooks and mellows, but I think it makes the sauce more pizza-y. Roll out dough on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam or pizza stone. Add sauce, mushrooms, spinach and any veggies you like.

*Trader Joes makes a fresh pizza sauce (in the refrigerator section) that is pretty good and makes this meal easy. Just add the sun dried tomatoes, olives, and garlic on top or combine before hand. Their Bruchetta in a jar is also a really good pizza sauce as well.