What's In Season, Early Spring Edition Part 2

I love watching the world awaken this time of year. The trees budding, the birds coming back north, little bits of grass bursting from the ground. Everything about it makes me smile. Here are a few more tasty dishes to create with what is currently springing forth from mother earth.

Creamy Kale Pasta

3 cups Cooked Pasta (any small noodle will do, but I like Bow tie for this dish)

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 bunch Kale, chopped into small pieces

2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino Acids

1/4 cup Vegetable Broth

1 cup Soy Milk

2 tbsp Earth Balance

1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Yellow Mustard

A dash or two of Hot Sauce

Saute the kale in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, being sure not to burn it. Kale needs to cook slowly. Add the amino acids and vegetable broth and let cook another 8 to 10 minutes. Toss the pasta with the soy milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, and mustard until well combined. Stir the pasta mixture into the kale and heat through. Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce when serving.

Rhubarb Short Cakes

4 stalks Rhubarb, rinsed and chopped

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Cane Sugar

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

5 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup Cane Sugar

1 tsp Salt

3 tbsp Coconut Oil

2 tbsp Earth Balance

2/3 cup Soy Milk

Place the rhubarb, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook down until the rhubarb is tender and the liquid is thick like syrup.

Preheat oven to 450 and lightly grease a cookie sheet. Blend together the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the coconut oil and earth balance with a fork or pastry blender. Add the milk and form a nice a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Drop by the tbsp onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle with a touch more sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Top the shortcakes with the rhubarb sauce and enjoy.

Samosas

1 cup All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Cold Water by the tbsp to form the dough

1/4 cup Coconut Oil, for frying

2 tbsp Coconut Oil, for sauteing

2 large Potatoes, diced and boiled

1/2 cup fresh Peas, par-cooked

1/2 a medium Onion, diced

2 hot Chilies, diced

1 tsp Ginger, ground

1 tsp Coriander, ground

2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Cut the 2 tbsp coconut oil into the flour and salt. Add the cold water by the tbsp until a soft dough forms. Let the dough rest cover with a damp cloth for at least 20 minutes. 

Saute the onion in 2 tbsp coconut oil for 5-7 minutes. Add the chilies, ginger, coriander, garlic, garam masala, salt, and turmeric to the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and peas and heat another 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat. 

Heat the 1/4 cup coconut oil to 350. 

Separate the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them out into small circles. Spoon the filling by the tbsp into the center of each circle and gather up the edges and seal them together. Fry each until golden brown, remove from oil, and allow to drain on a baking rack before serving.

Fava Bean Spread 

2 cups Fava Beans, shelled, soaked, and cooked

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 tbsp Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Tahini

Sea Salt to taste

Place beans, oil, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini in food processor and blend until smooth. Add sea salt to taste blending as you go. Serve with warm pita bread, bruschetta, with veggies, or spread on your favorite sandwich.



I hope you enjoy this enstallment of What's In Season. Also, I'm running a contest over at the Season of The Vegan Facebook site. If the FB site gets 100 "likes" by April 16th one lucky person will recieve a Season of The Vegan t-shirt of their choice from my Cafe Press store. So, "like" SoTV on FB and then "share" SoTV with your friends so we can make it to 100!

New post up at TDIV

Hey Folks! Just wanted to let you all know my new post is up at TDIV.  It's a Top 5 Items for Every Vegan Kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Plus, later this week I'll have the next enstallment of What's In Season up here, so stay tuned.

Stay tuned...

Hey folks! Sorry I've been MIA as of late. We're in the middle of a big apartment makeover. Carl, ripped the carpet out of half of the apartment yesterday, if that gives you any idea how into Spring Cleaning we're venturing.

I'm hoping to add a second installment of What's In Season this weekend. Also, stay tuned for my Top 5 Kitchen Items Every Vegan should own over at This Dish Is Veg next week.

What's In Season, Early Spring Edition

VegNews' 10 Spring Produce Stars, is an awesome list of delish! I spend all Winter dreaming of the fresh veggies of Spring. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to create with the produce on the list.

Spring Greens Salad with Warm Asparagus Dressing

Mixed Spring Greens
8 spears Asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 Button Mushrooms, sliced
6 Black Olives, sliced
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 tbsp Vegan Bacon Bits

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Saute the asparagus for 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, olives, salt, and pepper. Continue to saute, stirring often for 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender and the mushrooms have begun to brown. Add the remaining oil and let heat for 2 more minutes. Pour the warm dressing atop the greens and sprinkle with the bacon bits.

Arugula Pesto

1 large bunch Arugula
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Toasted Pine Nuts
1 tsp Sea Salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste in achieved. Note: You may add more oil if you want a thinner texture. Serve over pasta or as a dip with vegan cream cheese and toasted pita bread.

Crazy Crunch Salad

1 bunch Radishes, sliced

2 stalks Celery, chopped in ¼ in pieces

1 cup Walnuts

½ cup Vegan Mayo

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Dill

1 tsp Sea Salt

Combine all the ingredients and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve chilled.

What are some of your favorite early Spring treats?

  

St Patrick's Day

Being that I'm part Irish, St Patrick's Day is near and dear to my heart. In fact the first time I ever made a vegan meal was for a St Patty's Punk Rock Celebration nearly nine years ago. Here are a few of those recipes.


Irish Stew

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 large White Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
4 Carrots, diced
3 ribs Celery, diced
6 large Russet Potatoes, diced
3 cups Seitan, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
6 cups Vegetable Broth
a couple dashes of Liquid Smoke
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat in an 8 qt stock pot. Add the carrots and celery and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least 1 hour before serving.



Colconnon

6 Russet Potatoes, chunked
1/2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 bunch Chives, diced
1 medium White Onion, minced
3 tbsp Earth Balance
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 head of Green Cabbage, chopped
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Boil your potatoes in a large stock pot until fork tender. When draining them, do not rinse the potatoes, you want as much starch to remain as possible. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the soy milk, chives, onion, and Earth Balance, until smooth and set them aside.  In a large skillet saute the cabbage in the olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper until tender. Mix the potato mixture and the cabbage together and enjoy.


If you have left over Colconnon the next morning. Make a batch of Bubble and Squeak for breakfast.


Bubble and Squeak

Leftover Colconnon
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
a few tbsp All-Purpose Flour

Depending on how starchy your Colconnon is you may not need the flour to hold the cakes together. Heat the oil to medium-high in a non-stick skillet. Form the Colconnon into cakes, if they aren't holding together add a bit of flour until you get a nice dough formed. Fry the cakes until golden brown on each side.
  
May the Luck of the Irish be with you throughout all your days! 
 
  

Spring is in the air...

This is a great article from VegNews about what is currently in season. 10 Spring Produce Stars. I'm planning a recipe dump for this Friday. There will be an amazingly hearty St. Patrick's Day Menu as well as some of my favorite treats to make with the produce listed by VegNews.

Quick Update

I'll be finishing up a great post filled with great St. Patrick's Day treats later this week. Keep an eye out for my Top 10 Vegan Food Product post on This Dish Is Vegetarian this week as well.