Pav Bhaji.

Indian cravings call for a spicy mashed vegetable curry (bhaji) served with "buttered" bread (pav). Pav Bhaji is a popular street food in Mumbai which is a potato based curry that is mashed up with a variety of veggies, spices and tomato until it becomes thick and saucy. I like to leave some of the vegetables chunky in mine. The recipe I use calls for cauliflower as one of the ingredients but I didn't have any so I used a 1/2 bag of "mixed vegetables including lima beans" that I found in my freezer. Worked in a pinch with the potatoes and 1/2 bell pepper I had. The curry is eaten with buttered buns which I didn't have (shame!) so I made do with pita breads spread with Earth Balance vegan margarine. I served it with mango ginger chutney, chopped red onion and a squeeze of lemon. This was SO DELICIOUS. I have to remember next time not to wear a white shirt when eating this!

Here's a link to the recipe. Don't forget to sub Earth Balance for the butter!

Pita Pizza.

This is a result of using what you have. Pita bread + Daiya vegan cheese + red onions = delicious and crispy pizza.

Persian Red Lentil Dip

Made a yummy dip today with red lentils. The recipe calls for sweet potato but I didn't have any so I used a regular potato and added some cumin and lemon for a different flavor profile. It is really yummy. Recipe here. Oh, and before you ask, I have no idea if this recipe is really persian!

Tofu Jambalaya

I usually make this with Tofurky vegan sausage but didn't have any so I substituted tofu. I sauteed the tofu a bit in olive oil, smoked paprika, liquid smoke and cayenne for some extra flavor. Worked out deliciously if I do say so myself!

Jambalaya

4 TB olive oil
2 links Tofurky Italian sausage, sliced into chunks OR cubed extra firm tofu
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you don't want it too spicy.)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot at medium heat and saute sausage chunks or tofu until browned. Remove sausage and set them aside. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic to the pot and saute until slightly softened. Stir in rice and vegetable broth. Add tomatoes to the pot with the juice. Add spices and browned sausage. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Chili Dog Craving.

Was craving chili dogs today so instead of buying one of those high sodium vegetarian chilis in a can, I made it from scratch which is sooo much better.


A Lightlife Smart Dog covered in chili, chopped onion and Daiya vegan cheese. This was so sloppy, it had to be eaten with a knife and fork. It was really good and satisfied the craving. I now have lots of chili leftovers that I can use for chili fries or taco salad or a baked potato topping.


Vegetarian Chili

3 TB olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 TB ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water (or more)
1/3 cup Textured Vegetable Protein (you can find TVP at health food stores or latin markets. It's called "carne de soya")
2 TB tomato paste
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until soft. Add spices and tomatoes and stir. Add water and bring to a boil. Then add dry TVP and stir. The hot water will re-hydrate the TVP and it will look like ground beef. Add tomato paste and stir to dissolve the tomato paste. If the chili looks too thick, you can add a little more water. Turn heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add kidney beans and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. The longer the better. Season with salt and pepper.

A Dang Good Sandwich.

Veggie ham, Daiya vegan cheese, tomato, sauerkraut, red onion, piccalilli, vegan mayo/ketchup on german sunflower rye. This was amazing.

In To Lunch.

I haven't been out and about too much as I've been in search of a new job. So in between bouts of internet job searching and creative thinking time (painting or jewelry making), I whip up small meals for lunch and enjoy them here at home.


Yesterday I had this. Foul Muddammas (fava beans cooked with garlic, olive oil, lemon), za'atar dip (jordanian thyme, sesame and sumac with olive oil) and whole wheat pita. I know it's a bit of a beige looking meal but it was nothing but delicious, I tell you!


Today's lunch was more colorful. This is the Two Bean Salad with Tarragon Dressing from Vegetarian Times magazine. This was really delicious and quite filling too. Recipe here.

Kidney Bean Curry

Indian curry tonight! I used a channa masala recipe but substituted kidney beans for the chickpeas. Deliciousness!