Lentil Croquettes with Tahini Dressing

Lentil Croquettes with Tahini Dressing

1 C dry green lentils, cooked (about 2+ cups when cooked)
1 1/2 C of mashed potatoes (about three medium potatoes)
1/2 C finely diced onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 egg, beaten

1 C bread crumbs for coating the croquettes
Oil for frying (I used organic expeller pressed canola)

1/2 C tahini
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4-1/2 C or more of warm water

Cook lentils by boiling in water with a bay leaf, until soft. Drain, discard bay leaf, and add to a large bowl.

Peel and dice potatoes and boil in salted water (if you don't have leftover mashed potatoes) until cooked. Drain and add to the bowl with the lentils.

Add the remaining croquette ingredients and mash with a potato masher. Mix well until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour your breadcrumbs into a pie dish or onto a plate. Form small patties, about two inches wide and 3/4 in thick. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, over the dish, lightly coating the croquette. In a large fry pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Carefully place the croquettes in the heated oil and fry on each side until golden brown. I made five croquettes at a time, while each batch was cooking, I prepared the next five. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. (At this point, the croquettes can be refrigerated or frozen for a later time. Bake at 350 degrees until heated)

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing. The tahini will get very thick at first. Gradually add the water in small amounts until the dressing is the consistency that you prefer. Taste to see if you need more salt. I use Soom Tahini.

Fettuccine with Greens and Sun Dried Tomatoes

The sauce for this dish is truly one of my favorites. It's rich, garlicky and fool proof. If you're a vegan who misses fettuccine Alfredo, you must try it. Seriously.

1 lb fettuccine
1 bunch of large greens, approximately 4-5 leaves of tuscan kale, swiss chard or red chard
1 8oz jar of julienne sun dried tomatoes in olive oil (drained)
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Sauce
2 C whole unsalted cashews (raw, not roasted)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 C white miso
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
3/4 C vegetable broth or water


Cook fettuccine according to package directions. In the meantime, prepare the sauce and the greens.

You will need a food processor or a very good blender for the sauce. Add the cashews, garlic and miso to the processor. Blend together, gradually adding the olive oil, then the broth or water. Set aside.

Prepare the greens by removing the stems and setting the leaves aside. Remove and discard the thicker parts of the stems if they look tough, then finely dice the thinner stems on an angle. Add to the saute pan with the three cloves of diced garlic and the three tablespoons of olive oil. Saute on medium heat until the stems start to become tender. Roll the leaves to resemble a cigar. Cut across the roll, angling the knife if necessary to cut across the veins, making thin "ribbons." Add to the pan with the sun dried tomatoes and saute until the leaves are wilted. Add the sauce, heating just enough to "activate" the miso. Heating the sauce too high/too long will kill the healthy bacteria.

Toss the cooked fettuccine with the sauce and serve. Serves 4-6.

The sauce recipe makes about 2+ cups and can be used with many combinations of pasta and veggies.

Tabouli

I think it's safe to say that spring has finally arrived, after the winter from you know where. One of my favorite salads in warmer weather is Tabouli. During the summer months, the ingredients are found in abundance. Tabouli is great to pack for lunch or take along to picnics and BBQ's. I tweaked the traditional recipe by adding some quinoa to boost the protein.

Tabouli

2 C chopped parsley

1 C chopped mint

1 lg cucumber, finely diced

1 lg tomato, finely diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

1/2 C bulgur wheat

1/2 C quinoa

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

water for preparing the bulgur and quinoa

In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with water and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. drain the quinoa in a strainer and return to the pan. Bring the quinoa and 3/4 C of water to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa has sprouted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a small glass bowl, combine the bulgur and 1/2 C of hot water. Cover and let sit until all the water is absorbed.

While you wait for the quinoa and bulgur, prepare the rest of the salad. Finely chop all the ingredients and place in a large mixing bowl.

Make the dressing in a small bowl or use a small mason jar. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake well.

When the bulgur and quinoa are cool, combine all ingredients well.

Makes about 8 cups.

Notes: If you don't rinse the quinoa, it will have a bitter taste. If you can't eat bulgur because of the gluten, use all quinoa. 1 C of quinoa will require 1 1/2 C of water.

White Bean and Kale Soup

This is a great soup to make at any time of the year, but the flavors are excellent during the summer when tomatoes and kale are fresh from your garden or local farm stand. 

White Bean and Kale Soup

1 1/2 C dried white beans (cannellini or navy) *see prep method below

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 C diced onion

3 lg cloves of garlic, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1 bunch of kale (about 6-7 leaves) chopped

2 lg tomatoes, chopped

5-6 carrots, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

salt and pepper

1 pkg vegan Italian style sausages, sliced 3/4 inch thick (I used Field Roast brand)

Two easy ways to prepare the beans. You can soak them in a glass bowl overnight, covered with a few inches of water OR you can do the quick method. Put the beans in a large pot, cover with a few inches of water, bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cover the pot and let the beans sit for an hour, then drain. (Don't forget to rinse and check the beans carefully before soaking)

In a stock pot, add the oil, onion and garlic, and saute over medium low heat until the onions become translucent. Add the carrots, beans and bay leaf, then cover with water. (About an inch or two above the beans) Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for an hour.

At this point, I remove about 2 cups of the soup and puree it in my processor, then return it to the pot. You can use a blender or skip this step altogether. It makes the soup's texture a little richer.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the kale and tomatoes and simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the sausage and simmer for a few more minutes until the sausage is heated. 

If you'd like to make the crusty olive and sun dried tomato bread in the photo, go here for the recipe!

Serves 6

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wraps

1 TBS chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

3 TBS soy sauce or tamari

1/4 C hoison sauce 

2 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS cooking sherry

8 oz extra firm organic tofu

2 tsp canola oil

2 TBS grated ginger

4-5 scallions, greens and whites separated and finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 C chopped peanuts

1/2 C diced water chestnuts

lg head of Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Slice tofu into thin layers (or crumble) and allow to drain on paper towels for about 15-20 minutes. You can also use a cheesecloth or a clean dish towel to squeeze the water out by twisting, or a tofu press.

In a medium size bowl, combine the chili sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoison sauce, vinegar and sherry. 

When the tofu is drained, crumble it into the sauce and stir well, breaking up any large chunks. Set bowl aside.

Add the canola oil to a large saute pan. Heat pan over medium high heat and add the white scallions, red pepper and ginger. Saute until the pepper begins to soften and the scallions start to become translucent. Add the tofu and sauce, stirring to mix well. Cook for another minute or two, until the tofu has had a chance to heat. Stir in the green onions, water chestnuts and peanuts.

Arrange lettuce cups on plate and add a few spoonfuls of filling to each. You can also serve the filling in a bowl and allow people to fill the cups themselves.

Makes about 12-16 lettuce cups.

Notes: Don't be lazy about draining the tofu. Squeeze out as much water as possible or your filling will be mushy. I grind a large batch of peanuts in my processor and keep them in an airtight container so that I have them handy.