Mike's Classic Vegan Burritos
Yields 4-5 servings
One of our favorites - easy and quick to make. I like the combination of black and pinto beans, either by using one variety of refried beans and the other variety of cooked beans. You can also cook up a batch of combined black and pinto beans and mash a portion of these to use in place of canned refried beans.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Saute onions and garlic in vegetable broth until soft. Add green chilies and chopped greens and continue cooking until greens have wilted. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa and the cooked black beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Add the can of refried pinto beans and 1/2 of the lime juice and stir frequently until mixture is uniform in texture and just brought to boil. Turn off heat and spoon onto a warm tortilla on each plate, spreading evenly across the tortilla. Add avocado slices, lettuce, additional lime juice, and salsa to taste.
(If you prefer raw vegetables to cooked, spoon on Raw Kale Salad - see recipe - on top of the bean mixture when making the burrito.)
Instant Pot Mexican Beans
Yields 6-8 servings
An alternative to the bean recipe above, easy to make using an Instant Pot pressure cooker. You can add kale salad or other vegetables to top the finished beans in a variety of Mexican dishes.
Ingredients:
Earlier in the day (I usually do at breakfast time), sort out any rocks or other debris from the dry beans and rinse beans thoroughly in warm water to remove any dust or dirt present. Add beans to Instant Pot and with enough water to cover generously - several inches of water above the level of the dried beans. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and heat until beans are brought to a boil. Turn off Instant Pot, cover loosely, and let the beans continue to soak during the day.
An hour or more before serving- drain off the soaking water and transfer beans to a bowl temporarily. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth, the chopped onions and garlic, and the can of green chili peppers to the Instant Pot and SAUTE for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the beans back in the pot along with the cumin. Add just enough water to barely bring to the level of the bean mixture. Put the Instant Pot lid in place tightly and PRESSURE COOK on high for 30 minutes.
Let the mixture go through the Natural Release process at least 10 minutes before relieving pressure fully. Add salt to taste and the beans are ready to serve. I like to use a slotted spoon to dish out, so that less liquid is transferred to your dish.
Sesame Asian Kale
Yields: 4-6 servings (adapted from Jules and Jo)
Ingredients:
Soak arame in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse arame and set aside. Heat vegetable broth and oil in large pan or wok over medium heat. Add carrots, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Toss in the arame and season with sea salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Add kale and scallions to mix and cook for 5-7 minutes until kale is slightly crunchy but cooked. Toss in sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add more sea salt and red pepper flakes if needed.
Serve warm and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored for up to 4 days.
Curried Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
Yield: 8 bowls
Ingredients:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook coconut oil or broth and curry powder and ginger, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery, and yellow onion; toss to coat; and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add chopped red pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Allow to sit for 1 minute, and skim grease from top of soup if necessary. In a blender, and working in batches of no more than 2 cups, purée soup. Return soup to the pot, and heat through. Season with lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper, and serve.
Yields 4-5 servings
One of our favorites - easy and quick to make. I like the combination of black and pinto beans, either by using one variety of refried beans and the other variety of cooked beans. You can also cook up a batch of combined black and pinto beans and mash a portion of these to use in place of canned refried beans.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2-3 garlic gloves, chopped
- 1 small to medium can chopped green chilies (mild or hot according to your taste)
- 1 medium bunch greens, chopped (kale, collards, or chard)
- 2-3 cups cooked black beans (or 1-2 cans organic black beans, rinsed)
- 1 can organic vegetarian refried pinto beans (or mash some of the cooked beans)
- 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa, plus extra for topping
- juice of 2 limes
- sliced avocado
- 2 cups chopped lettuce
- organic whole wheat tortillas ( or corn tortillas for gluten-free version)
Directions:
Saute onions and garlic in vegetable broth until soft. Add green chilies and chopped greens and continue cooking until greens have wilted. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa and the cooked black beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Add the can of refried pinto beans and 1/2 of the lime juice and stir frequently until mixture is uniform in texture and just brought to boil. Turn off heat and spoon onto a warm tortilla on each plate, spreading evenly across the tortilla. Add avocado slices, lettuce, additional lime juice, and salsa to taste.
(If you prefer raw vegetables to cooked, spoon on Raw Kale Salad - see recipe - on top of the bean mixture when making the burrito.)
Instant Pot Mexican Beans
Yields 6-8 servings
An alternative to the bean recipe above, easy to make using an Instant Pot pressure cooker. You can add kale salad or other vegetables to top the finished beans in a variety of Mexican dishes.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- 4 garlic gloves, chopped
- 1 small to medium can chopped green chilies (mild or hot according to your taste)
- 1 Cup dried black beans
- 1 Cup dried pinto beans
- 1/2-1 Tbsp ground cumin
- additional water to cover the beans
- salt to taste
Earlier in the day (I usually do at breakfast time), sort out any rocks or other debris from the dry beans and rinse beans thoroughly in warm water to remove any dust or dirt present. Add beans to Instant Pot and with enough water to cover generously - several inches of water above the level of the dried beans. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and heat until beans are brought to a boil. Turn off Instant Pot, cover loosely, and let the beans continue to soak during the day.
An hour or more before serving- drain off the soaking water and transfer beans to a bowl temporarily. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth, the chopped onions and garlic, and the can of green chili peppers to the Instant Pot and SAUTE for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the beans back in the pot along with the cumin. Add just enough water to barely bring to the level of the bean mixture. Put the Instant Pot lid in place tightly and PRESSURE COOK on high for 30 minutes.
Let the mixture go through the Natural Release process at least 10 minutes before relieving pressure fully. Add salt to taste and the beans are ready to serve. I like to use a slotted spoon to dish out, so that less liquid is transferred to your dish.
Sesame Asian Kale
Yields: 4-6 servings (adapted from Jules and Jo)
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup dried arame seaweed
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 TBS toasted sesame oil (eliminate for strict adherence to diet)
- 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 bunches of kale, stemmed and chopped
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅛ cup sesame seeds
- Sea salt to taste
- Red pepper flakes to taste
Soak arame in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse arame and set aside. Heat vegetable broth and oil in large pan or wok over medium heat. Add carrots, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Toss in the arame and season with sea salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Add kale and scallions to mix and cook for 5-7 minutes until kale is slightly crunchy but cooked. Toss in sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add more sea salt and red pepper flakes if needed.
Serve warm and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored for up to 4 days.
Curried Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
Yield: 8 bowls
Ingredients:
- 3 TB. coconut oil or vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 medium stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large or 2 medium-size red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
- 5 cups vegetable broth (or equal parts water and broth)
- 1 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook coconut oil or broth and curry powder and ginger, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery, and yellow onion; toss to coat; and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add chopped red pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Allow to sit for 1 minute, and skim grease from top of soup if necessary. In a blender, and working in batches of no more than 2 cups, purée soup. Return soup to the pot, and heat through. Season with lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper, and serve.
Savory Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
Soak kombu in bowl with enough warm water to cover until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and mince kombu and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in oil (or broth) until softened.
Add 2 cups broth, celery, carrots, cumin, cayenne, and salt and cook until carrots are tender. Add chopped red pepper and cook a few minutes longer.
Add beans to the pot along with the remaining broth, kombu, tomatoes, mirin, and tamari. Cook 30 minutes to combine flavors. Remove a portion and puree in a blender, returning to the pot to add desired thickness to the soup, Serve plain or over cooked brown rice, quinoa, or tortilla chips for added nutrition. Garnish with cilantro.
Ingredients:
- 1 strip of dried Kombu seaweed
- 1 TB. coconut oil, olive oil, or vegetable broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 medium stalks celery, chopped
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper depending on spice desired
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- (optional) 2 medium-size red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
- 6 cups cooked black beans
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth (or equal parts water and broth)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp mirin or agave nectar
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Soak kombu in bowl with enough warm water to cover until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and mince kombu and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in oil (or broth) until softened.
Add 2 cups broth, celery, carrots, cumin, cayenne, and salt and cook until carrots are tender. Add chopped red pepper and cook a few minutes longer.
Add beans to the pot along with the remaining broth, kombu, tomatoes, mirin, and tamari. Cook 30 minutes to combine flavors. Remove a portion and puree in a blender, returning to the pot to add desired thickness to the soup, Serve plain or over cooked brown rice, quinoa, or tortilla chips for added nutrition. Garnish with cilantro.
Moroccan Couscous With Saffron
Serves 6 (adapted from Alicia Silverstone recipe)
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.
Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl, and add the couscous.
Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.
Thai Curry Lentils
Serves 6 or more. We like to serve as a main dish over freshly cooked rice.
Ingredients
Rinse lentils, then let soak in water for a few minutes while preparing other ingredients.
Heat vegetable broth in large pot and add onions. Let cook until onions are golden yellow.
Add cilantro and chopped tomato and let cook for a few minutes.
Drain off soaking water from lentils and add lentis to the pot along with all other ingredients except salt.
Add just enough water during cooking to keep the mixture at the desired consistency.
Let simmer 30-40 minutes until lentils are cooked. Add salt to taste if desired.
Serves 6 (adapted from Alicia Silverstone recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 cubes
- 2 cups yellow onion, large dice
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 cubes
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into 3/4 cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter (or coconut oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.
Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl, and add the couscous.
Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.
Thai Curry Lentils
Serves 6 or more. We like to serve as a main dish over freshly cooked rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) dried lentils, stones picked out
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed well and chopped
- 1 large tomato
- 1 can lite coconut milk
- 1 medium can tomato sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ginger (fresh or ground)
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- salt to taste
Rinse lentils, then let soak in water for a few minutes while preparing other ingredients.
Heat vegetable broth in large pot and add onions. Let cook until onions are golden yellow.
Add cilantro and chopped tomato and let cook for a few minutes.
Drain off soaking water from lentils and add lentis to the pot along with all other ingredients except salt.
Add just enough water during cooking to keep the mixture at the desired consistency.
Let simmer 30-40 minutes until lentils are cooked. Add salt to taste if desired.
Soba Noodles with Sundried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives
Serves 4
Ingredients
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to water if desired and cook noodles about 3 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cool water and set aside.
In large skillet or pot, saute shallots, red onion, and garlic in vegetable broth (and optional olive oil) until soft.
Add chopped sundried tomatoes and olives and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
Add noodles back to pot and mix thoroughly with the cooked vegetables. Add salt and pepper if desired, and serve right away.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dried Soba noodles
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 oz sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for 20 minutes and chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- salt and pepper to taste
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to water if desired and cook noodles about 3 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cool water and set aside.
In large skillet or pot, saute shallots, red onion, and garlic in vegetable broth (and optional olive oil) until soft.
Add chopped sundried tomatoes and olives and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
Add noodles back to pot and mix thoroughly with the cooked vegetables. Add salt and pepper if desired, and serve right away.
Sweet and Sour Eggplant
Servings: 2 - So double the recipe for extra.
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 lb. Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cubed
· 1 red bell pepper and one green bell pepper. Can add one jalapeno for spice.
· 3 tbsp soy sauce (for gluten free use a certified GF tamari sauce)
· 2 tbsp brown sugar
· 2 tbsp rice vinegar (for gluten free use a certified GF vinegar)
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, jalapeno pepper works well instead)
· 2 tsp cornstarch
· About 1 cup vegetable broth
· 1 tbsp sesame seeds per serving
· Salt and pepper to taste
· 2 cups cooked long grain rice
Directions
Place the cubed eggplant in a mixing bowl or on a bed of paper towels. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and let stand.
After about 30 minutes, water droplets will form on the surface of the eggplant.
Rinse salt from the eggplant thoroughly and pat dry.
Seed the bell peppers, then cut it into long thin slices. Cut the slices in half.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Reserve.
In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch with 1 tbsp water till dissolved.
Add cornstarch mix to reserved liquid and mix well.
Saute eggplant in vegetable broth for 4-5 minutes, then add peppers and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Pour the reserved sauce over the top of the eggplant and peppers. Stir the sauce with the vegetables till they are evenly coated. Continue to stir till the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Spoon over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Delicious! – Just like the restaurant version without the oil!
Servings: 2 - So double the recipe for extra.
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 lb. Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cubed
· 1 red bell pepper and one green bell pepper. Can add one jalapeno for spice.
· 3 tbsp soy sauce (for gluten free use a certified GF tamari sauce)
· 2 tbsp brown sugar
· 2 tbsp rice vinegar (for gluten free use a certified GF vinegar)
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, jalapeno pepper works well instead)
· 2 tsp cornstarch
· About 1 cup vegetable broth
· 1 tbsp sesame seeds per serving
· Salt and pepper to taste
· 2 cups cooked long grain rice
Directions
Place the cubed eggplant in a mixing bowl or on a bed of paper towels. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and let stand.
After about 30 minutes, water droplets will form on the surface of the eggplant.
Rinse salt from the eggplant thoroughly and pat dry.
Seed the bell peppers, then cut it into long thin slices. Cut the slices in half.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Reserve.
In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch with 1 tbsp water till dissolved.
Add cornstarch mix to reserved liquid and mix well.
Saute eggplant in vegetable broth for 4-5 minutes, then add peppers and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Pour the reserved sauce over the top of the eggplant and peppers. Stir the sauce with the vegetables till they are evenly coated. Continue to stir till the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Spoon over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Delicious! – Just like the restaurant version without the oil!