30-Minute Vegan Dahl (Dhal/Dal/Daal)

    There comes a time when you realize that you've been using a recipe religiously for years.....but have yet to share it with all your friends. So greedy, right? Well, thanks to my friend Nicole who asked for my Dahl recipe the other night, I've taken the recipe off my fridge to share it with all of you wonderful people!

     I guess part of the reason it has taken me so long to publish this recipe, is that Dahl really isn't the prettiest of dishes. A delicious ladle-full of yellow slop anyone? But served with rice, chapati or naan and perhaps some other dishes like aloo gobi or a vegetable curry and you can have a pretty darn tasty meal.

     Dahl is a thick stew made of split pulses, typically split red lentils, that originates from South Asia. Variations of this dish can be found throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. This version, being vegan, omits some traditional aspects, like Ghee, a type of clarified butter commonly used in India. But rest assured, this recipe is still just as delicious!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 x 1 cup portions (as a main) or 8 x 1/2 cup servings (as a side)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
• pinch of red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (can put through the food processor)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger (about a 1/2" knob)
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt (reduce if using tomato juice, as appropriate)
• 2 cups dried red lentils 
• 4 cups water (or part tomato juice)
• Juice of half of a lemon, to finish (optional)

Preparation

1. In a medium pot, heat oil with chili flakes and cumin seeds over medium heat. When warm and fragrant, add onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger.
2. Sauté for 3 additional minutes, meanwhile, rinse red lentils under cold water. Add spices and salt to the pot. Then stir in the lentils. One the lentils are coated with oil and spices, add water (or tomato juice) and stir. 
3. Cover and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, uncover and reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are cooked and the majority of the water is absorbed (will continue to thicken as the dahl cools).
4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon.
5. Serve with rice or naan

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame-Soy Vinaigrette

       I'm not sure if you guys are aware of this, but my favourite type of food is Asian food. Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, you name it, it's all tasty. As the weather has been getting warmer, I've been craving many of my favourite summer dishes, cold soba noodle salad being one of them. So today I bring you my favourite "pasta salad" with an Asian twist. 

       I've been making this recipe for ages, and in general it's a real crowd pleaser. It was only recently though that I decided that it was about time I measure out exactly what I'm putting in it so that I can share this lovely salad with all of you!

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3-6

Ingredients:

• 9oz/250g buckwheat soba noodles
• 1-2 Tbsp peanut oil 
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 
• 1/8 tsp or a pinch of chili flakes
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 large carrot, fine julienne or shredded (or spiralized!)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds, white and/or black

Preparation: 

1. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook soba noodles until al dente, about 5-8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, start mixing up the dressing: in small measuring cup or bowl, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and chili flakes. Chop onions and shred, grate or fine julienne carrot. 
3. When pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water, then put in large serving bowl and gently mix with peanut oil to stop them from sticking.
4. Poor vinaigrette over noodles along with onions, carrots, cilantro, and 2 Tbsp of the sesame seeds. Toss and mix.
5. Let cool for at least one (1) hour in the fridge before serving. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp sesame seeds before serving.

Toasted Walnut and Beet Salad

     Beets are one of those vegetables that I don't often get to cook at home (mostly because I'm too lazy to clean them) but that I commonly eat when I am visiting my parents'. I've been in North Bay for just over a week and I think that we've had beetroots five times. So needless to say, we all love beets. 

     Beets are a carb-loaded winter vegetable that can be enjoyed boiled or roasted, hot or cold, plain or dressed. This salad isn't too sweet, and has a lot of zing! and crunch, walnuts are great for crunch.This salad can be made with roasted or boiled beets, it's completely up to you. If you are making a big batch of beets, you can also use plain leftover beets to make this salad.

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

• 6-8 medium beets, stems and ends removed
• 3/4-1 cup (3 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, coarse or smooth
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Cook beetroot; while cooking you can prepare steps 3 and 5.
• Roasted: wrap in tinfoil and bake at 400°F for about 60 minutes or until tender.
• Boiled: cook beets in boiling water for about 60 minutes.
2. Let the beets cool, then peel and cut into thick slices.
3. Toast walnuts in the oven at 400°F for about 8 minutes on a baking sheet (or in a pan on low heat for 5 minutes).
4. Slice onions and place in a small bowl to marinate for 10 minutes in the 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar.
5. To prepare the dressing, whisk together all other ingredients in a small bowl. 
6. When all ingredients are prepared, mixed together the beets, walnuts, onions (you can also add the leftover vinegar), and the dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve cool or at room temperature along side your favourite main, I served mine with veggie pot pie. 

King Oyster Mushroom "Scallops"

I can't remember the last time I ate a scallop. Probably before highschool. But I do remember the last time I had king oyster mushrooms. 
These mushrooms vary in size, but they usually dwarf all other mushrooms in the market, maybe not portabello. Unlike portabello, though, these mushrooms are all stem with very little cap. All the better for making vegan scallops with!
I've done a simple preparation here, but the next time I make them I'll definitely be wrapping them with tempeh or eggplant facon. 

Serves: 2-4

King oyster mushroom "scallops" with garlic spinach, pan fried dumplings and a side of rice.

Ingredients

4 king oyster mushrooms
4 tbsp white wine
1 tbsp miso (scant) or alternatively a couple tsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Thai basil or other fresh herbs, chopped or ribboned (optional)

Preparation

Trim the ends off the mushrooms, then cut into 3/4"-1" disks. Set aside in tupperwear.
In a small bowl whisk together miso and white wine until smooth.
Poor the marinade over the mushrooms. Close the container and shake to coat the mushrooms. Let marinate for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil on medium.
When up to temperature, place the oyster mushroom disks face down in the pan. 
Let sear for about 5 minutes per side until both faces are golden brown.
(When you flip them, additional water may be released for the mushrooms. This is okay, the liquid will cook off as you sear your mushrooms.)
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
When golden brown on both sides, remove mushrooms from heat.
Plate and garnish with chopped basil.

Enjoy as an appetiser or as a side, or you can toss them into a stir fry or pasta dish.

Southern Comfort Food

I absolutely love comfort food! A few nights ago, we whipped up a batch of mac 'n' cheese with some garlic collard greens, sweet potato mash, vegetarian chicken fingers (store bought) and some tasty biscuits.
We've made mac 'n' cheese many times, however the recipe below is are go-to. It's rich and creamy, and really easy to make. As for the collard greens, the trick, as we've found, is to steam them, then quickly sautée in warm oil with garlic.
This meal is perfect for when you're having a craving for southern dinner food. All the goodness, but without all the animal products and butter! Yum!

Mac 'n' Cheese

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 pound or 450g of pasta, cooked al dente

1 1/2 cup water

3/4 cup plain soy milk, or dairy-free milk

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt + more to taste

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Put all ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth.

Taste for seasoning.

In a large pan, on medium heat, add all the cooked pasta to the cheesey-cheeseless mixture.

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper and salt if needed.

Add the remaining uncooked sauce to any leftovers so that tomorrow's leftovers will be as creamy as tonight's.

Garlic Collard Greens

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

1 large bunch of collard greens

olive oil, about 1/8 to 1/4cup, enough to well coat the bottom of your pan

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced

pinch of red chili flakes

salt to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat olive oil with the garlic and chili peppers on low heat for 10-15min.

Wash the collard greens and cut into 1" strips.

Steam all the collards in a steamer basket in a covered pot with an inch of water at the bottom.

Steam for about 5 minutes, until bright green then drain, trying to remove as much water as possible.

Toss the collards in the warm olive oil mixture and sautée on low for 3 minutes. 

Mix the collards with the lemon juice and serve.

Sweet Potato Mash

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 medium-large sweet potatoes or garnite yams

3 cloves of garlic

water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup molasses, or to taste

pinch of allspice or asian 5-spice

1/2 tbsp paprika

scant 1/4 cup margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large covered pot, bring salted water to a boil. 

Wash the sweet potatoes and cut into 1" chunks. Husk and remove the ends of the garlic, keeping the cloves whole. Add the garlic and the sweet potatoes to the boiling water.

Boil for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to mash.

Reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid, and drain the rest.

In the pot, mash the sweet potatoes adding the spices, and the margarine and cooking water until a smooth texture is obtained. You may also use an immersion blender to quicken the process.

Season with salt and pepper and serve along side your mac'n'cheese, collards and biscuits.

Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a complete or high-quality protein, possessing all essential amino acids in the proper proportions and it's also a great source of carbohydrates, making this grain-like seed an excellent choice for vegetarians. I've used quinoa many times as a rice substitute in dishes like stir-fry and even in sushi. My most recent quinoa side dish was a warm, vegetable-packed, quinoa salad, which I served with yummy fried okra and tofu. This salad is very light, so it is ideal for the summer and although I initially served it warm, it is also excellent as a cold salad.

I've used red quinoa, but both red and white quinoa cook the same and can be used interchangeably. The instructions might seem a bit long, but really you are just making quinoa and cooking some vegetables. Not that difficult really, I've just tried to line everything out timewise for you.
For those really hot summer days, forget the baking, and barbecue the vegetables! After the vegetables are grilled, cut and toss with the quinoa in the same fashion.

Serves: 8-12 (as a side)

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable broth + 1/2 cup water
A pinch of red chili flakes
3 medium cloves garlic
1/2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 portobello mushroom
1 medium yellow pepper (orange or red works too), halved
4-6 spears of asparagus
3 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 green onion, greens and whites separately chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts (other nuts or seeds can be used)
1/8 cup fresh basil, ribboned
1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 tsp sesame oil, divided
1/4 tsp ginger powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a medium pot, cover quinoa with cold water, and let soak for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and cut vegetables. Place garlic (in their husk), quartered zucchini, portabello, yellow pepper halves (center down) and the asparagus spears on a large baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in the oven, set to 400°F and cook until vegetables are tender, up to 30 minutes depending on your oven.

After quinoa has soaked, rinse with cool water using a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Transfer quinoa back to the pot, and add the 1 cup of liquid, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, a pinch of red chili flakes, the whites of the chopped green onion and a good grind of black pepper.
Put pot on medium heat uncovered. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook covered for 30-35 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a medium serving bowl, combine the other 1/2 tsp sesame oil with 1/8 cup of olive oil, the vinegar, the ginger powder, and a bit more pepper. Stir, then add in basil, green onion tops and pine nuts.
As the vegetables are nearing completion, you can take them out of the oven one at a time and begin adding them to the salad.
Remove the garlic first, it can be removed after about 20 minutes if you are ready. Depending on how cooked it is, you can either mash it in the bowl with the olive oil, or if it is more cooked, you can give it a rough chop, then add it to the bowl.
Remove the zucchini and slice about 1/4" thick, add to salad bowl.
Next, remove the pepper from the oven, remove its skin, chop the flesh into small squares, then add to the bowl.
Finally, remove the asparagus and the mushrooms, chop and slice and add to the salad.

After about 30 minutes of cooking, when the quinoa has absorbed all the water, remove the pot from the heat and let steam for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes of steaming fluff up the quinoa and let it cool slightly before transferring it to the salad bowl.

In the quinoa pot or another pan, quickly wilt the kale, by stirring the kale on medium heat until bright green and slightly soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add kale to the salad bowl. Stir and combine. 
Add the remaining 1/8 cup olive oil to the salad, mix again. 
Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Glazed Radicchio

This slightly bitter friend is a great accompaniment to pasta, especially pasta primavera, or served with tapas. The best method of preparing radicchio so that its bitterness does not over power you palate is to soak it, but then again adding a glaze helps too.

Ingredients

2 grapefruit sized heads of radicchio 
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbsp honey
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Wash outside of radicchio and cut each into eight wedges. Place radicchio in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak a minimum of 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a anti-stick pan on medium-high heat, bring balsamic vinegar with honey to a boil, then reduce heat. 
Simmer on medium-low for around 15 minutes (or more) until the balsamic is reduced to a maple syrup like consistency. 
Remove from heat.
After radicchio has soaked, let dry on a cloth for 3-5 minutes.
Preheat grill.
When dry, brush wedges with olive oil. 
Put radicchio on the grill, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Be mindful not to overcrowd as the vegetable can become soggy. (If you don't want the tips burning, you can wrap the tops with tinfoil so that they are not on the direct heat.)
Grill for 5-10 minutes, such that the core is just soft.
Remove from heat and brush or pour on balsamic reduction.
Serve and enjoy!

Red Potato Salad

Big fans of garlic here! big fans. The first few times we made this recipe, or a more pungent version, we woke up tasting it. Not exactly the kind of properties you want in a potato salad. No worries, we've scaled it down 3 or 4 cloves :). 

The perfect accompagniment to a burger or
marinated tofu with a side of sautéed greens

If there is one thing I've learned when using raw garlic in cold dishes, it is to let it sit before adding more garlic or serving. As a salad or a sauce sits, the garlic flavours intensifies. So, whenever using raw garlic, taste and season before and after refrigerating. 

By letting the oil, garlic and
herbs sit for a while, the oil
absorbs the flavour of all the
 fresh ingredients, making for
a tastier salad

Ingredients

• 10 medium red potatoes, cut into large chunks 
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp red onion, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as my favourite, thyme
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• 1tsp sea salt* + extra to taste
• 4 Tbsp white wine vinegar 

Preparation

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for about 10 minutes, until just cooked. 
2. While potatoes are cooking, in a medium mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup olive oil with garlic, onion, salt and herbs (see picture aside).  PRO TIP: Slice the garlic in half, prior to mincing and remove the very center structure of the garlic. This little nubbin gives the garlic that spicy sulfurous property, and as tasty as it is, it can leave you tasting like garlic for hours.
3. When potatoes are ready, rinse with cold water in a colander then toss in mixing bowl with garlicky mixture. 
4. At this point add the vinegar, and more oil and salt as needed. 
5. Refrigerate until cooled. Adjust seasoning as needed. 
6. Serve and dig in!

* fun fact: Although health Canada has rules that all " table" or household marketed salts need to be iodized, many salts, including, but not limited to, finishing salts and sea salts tend to not be iodized. So, take a look at the labels before you buy your sea salts. Although goitre isn't that common in Canada or the US, those not consuming adequate amounts of iodine, especially the elderly can be at higher risk of mild or moderate iodine deficiency, and thus goitre.  

A Side of Rustic Roots

Man, the aroma of this dish in the oven is amazing! These fall/ winter vegetables are perfect baked in a duch oven, but I've also baked them in a Pyrex dish for more caramelized roots.
Did I mention that all you have to do is cut a few vegetables, toss with olive oil and spice and cook? One of those dishes that you can throw in the oven while you work on something else, in my case it was studying for nutrition class.

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

3 medium large carrots, scrubbed clean and chunked
20 fingerling or baby potatoes, scrubbed clean
10 crimini or button mushrooms, washed
1 large onion, chopped into large wedges or 5 peeled shallots
1 head of garlic, whole cloves crushed
Olive oil to coat
3 tsp French herbes, or a blend of your favourite
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Place all vegetables in your ditch oven, coat with olive oil and add seasoning. Mix until well combined.
Place lid on Dutch oven and place in oven.
Turn oven on to 400 deg.F.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Like I said, you're going to smell it.

Pretzels

These pretzels are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. It's a good thing that this recipe is so easy to make because these pretzels are quite addicting! This recipe is diverse and can be used to make bread sticks or twists and can be stuffed with garlic, herbs or cheese.

Makes approximately 24 medium pretzels
Preheat oven to 425F

Tasty goodness

Ingredients

1 tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups hot tap water
olive oil and course sea salt

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
Add hot water and knead well, will take about 5 minutes.
Stretch, roll and sculpt into desired shapes.
Place on greased baking sheet or baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Brush olive oil on top of the pretzels and grind or sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425F

Enjoy guys!

Creamy vegan Coleslaw

Rich and delicious.  Your friends won't believe you when you tell them that this pretty dish has no animal products in it! I used to make my slaw with green cabbage, but the purple variety is so vibrant, it's hard to resist.

I rushed a bit taking this photo...I was a bit hungry. Would have been much prettier on a white plate. Oh well, tastes the same.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 medium purple cabbage, chopped (of green)
2 large carrots, grated
4 inches of a leek, cut in half lengthwize then sliced into moons
1 cup vegan mayo
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar (use 1 tsp if you use a green cabbage, purple is a bit sweeter)
2 tbsp pickle juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparations

In large bowl, combine and mix all the vegetables
Mix remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl, taste for salt and pepper. If it does't taste galicy enough, hold out on adding more, the flavour intensifies as in sits.
Incorporate dressing with the cabbage and vegetable mixture as desired.
Cover and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Onion Rings

Crunchy, delicious and oil-free. We made these onion rings were with the largest red onions we could find and are they are absolutely scrumptious. All the goodness without the grease.  An added plus, the batter stays on these onions! (unlike restaurant onion rings where, after one bight, you are left with no onion and a whole lot of breading). The breading process, like any, can get quite messy, but the end result is worth it. Best served fresh, these tasty morsels won't last long.

They look crunchy, don't they? Makes most restaurant onion rings look tiny in comparison.

Ingredients

1 large red onion

5/8 cup or 1/2 cup + 2 whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup cold unsweetened soy milk
1 tbsp apple cider

2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preparation

Tried to take the picture of my set up before my hands got too battered. I'm no the cleanest cook in the kitchen :)

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice red onion into 3/4" slices, reserve large and medium rings, saving smaller segments for later use.
In a shallow dish or bowl combine flour, cornstarch and liquids and mix well, removing all clumps.
In another bowl, mix coating ingredients: breadcrumbs, yeast, salt and garlic powder.
With a fork, coat onion ring in batter, coating evenly, and let excess drip off.
Transfer to bowl with coating and coat completely.
Place onion ring on prepared baking sheet and repeat.
Bake for 18 minutes, flipping after 9 minutes. Check doneness before removing (I suggest nibbling on one).
Best served immediately.

Want an easy dipping sauce? I mixed about 1/4 cup vegan mayo with a tsp wasabi, a tsp ketchup, 2 tsp Dijon mustard,1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Chilled it for 10 minutes to let the garlic powder work its magic. Delicious.

Enjoy guys!

Biscuits

This biscuit recipe is quick and easy and can really add a little extra to last night's leftover soup. We've also used this dough for a quick Friday night pizza crust. If you enjoy a heartier pizza crust, then I'd give this a try. It doesn't need much kneading or any rising time at all, and if you have extra dough you can just make biscuits for left-overs or nibbling. Great with chopped garlic, cheese, herbs or all of the above, this recipe is very versatile  I've also given the sweet variation of the recipe if you are feeling more the sweet tea biscuit route rather than the soup dipping, margarine slathering route.

Biscuits

Cooking Time: 15min, Preheat Oven to: 450°F

Ingredients 

4 cups flour, white, whole wheat or a combination
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1/2 tsp vinegar

Preparation

Mix all dry ingredients. (Add in optional dry ingredients, see variations)
Cut in margarine (like you were making a pie crust), be very gentle to not over mix.
Add milk and vinegar just to moisten. Gently combine.
Drop large blobs by the tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. OR roll the dough out with flour to 1" thick and cut with a round cookie cutter or an upside down drinking glass for round, formed biscuits.
Bake at 450°F for around 15 minutes or until golden.
Enjoy!

Variations 

Sweet Tea Biscuits:

scant 1 cup brown sugar
1 cup orange peel, or mixed peel or raisins or currents or dried fruit of choice
       Add to dry ingredients

Biscuit Pizza Crust:

3 cloves minced garlic
herbs of choice
       Mix in additional ingredients with the dry goods.
       Roll out onto large baking sheet, forming a thick outer crust if desired. Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F, dress as desired than bake for a minimum of 10 more minutes, or until everything is cooked.

Back to the Basics

There are a few recipes that come in handy a lot in our household, the first being risotto and the second being  good old Caesar salad, vegan style.

There are many vegan caesar dressing recipes that miss the mark out there. They can easily be too liquidy, or sadly just not garlicy enough. This recipe however, is neither. The perfect amount of garlic and salt, this dressing only gets better the longer it waits for you in the fridge.

Vegan Caesar Salad

Ingredients 

In a mason jar combine:

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp soy milk

3-4 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise preferably, but vegan sour cream or cream cheese work too)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 cloves minced garlic 

1/4 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Shake and or stir to combine. 

Best served on kale with fresh croutons and thinly sliced fried tofu chips*.

To make tofu chips: Thinly slice tofu and fry at medium temp. Drizzle with soy sauce and cover with yeast, and any other desired spices such as pepper, Provençal, or Italian spices.
To make fresh croutons: cube bread, drissle bread with olive oil and sprinkle with spices, salt and pepper. Toast on a low temperature until dried and crouton-ey. 

Risotto Base

Risotto is one of those versatile dishes that can be paired with a variety of vegetables. In the photo above, we had prepared  an acorn squash and kale risotto.  Risotto also pairs well with roasted vegetables, like cauliflower and garlic, pepper and tomatoes or zucchini. Vegetables can be cooked prior cooking the rice or with the rice. Mushroom Risotto is our all time favourite, and one of the most flavourful and easiest risotto dishes (photo below) If you're making mushroom risotto, cut up dried mushrooms and reconstituting them in the broth and pair with fresh fried mushrooms, which can be cooked along side the rice. Its important when preparing the risotto to have a ratio of one part 'goodies' to one part rice, so don't be shy with those mushrooms!

Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a side

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced 

olive oil to coat

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 3/4 cups hot water, can be added to broth to dilute it

1 onion chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup white wine (or water to make harvest rice, which is alcohol free)

About 2 cups vegetables of choice, ie. mixed mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, etc.

Preparation 

In a small sauce pan, heat broth and water to a boil, reduce heat and keep warm.

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. 
Sauté onion until transparent (~3 min) (if using mushrooms, sauté now for an additional 5 minutes).
Add rice, stirring to coat grains in oil, let toast for around 3 minutes, until slightly transparent, then add wine, stirring until almost no liquid remains.

Add broth to rice, one ladle, or 1/2 cup at a time, while mixing often. When almost no liquid remains, add more broth, and repeat until there is no more broth and the rice is cooked. 
While adding liquid, you may spice your risotto to your liking, we enjoy thyme (at least 2 tsp dry), however, do not add salt and pepper till the near end as to not over salt the dish. 
Cooking the rice should take 18-20 minutes, and should produce creamy but not mushy rice, that still has a bit of a crunch in the middle.

If you desire a creamier product, you may wish to add some soy milk instead of the last 1/2 cup liquid, and vegan cheese, such as Daiya, at the end.

If the risotto sits for two long it may become stiff and less creamy, to avoid this add 1-2 tsp lemon juice at the end of the cooking process.