Category Archives: Vegetarian & Vegan

Homemade Magic Shell

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Veronica

Have you ever had Magic Shell? If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a Smucker’s ice cream topping that comes out liquid, like chocolate syrup, but hardens when it comes in contact with your ice cream, so that you have to tap and break it to take a spoonful of icecream. It’s so cool!

My husband is obsessed with it, but you can rarely find the peppermint kind, his favorite, so I started making it for him last year.

It is super simple to make, and you can add any extracts you like to change the flavor profile. You can also use dairy-free chocolate, such as Ghirardelli semisweet chips, and you have a vegan topping for your vegan one-ingredient ice cream. Since that ice cream is so healthy, I didn’t feel too guilty about adding some of this to the top of it and calling it my breakfast. :)

Homemade Magic Shell

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1 1/2 cups (300 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (200 grams) refined coconut oil
pinch of salt

Place the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for thirty seconds, stir, and microwave another 15 seconds. Repeat, if necessary, stirring well every 15 seconds, until mixture is melted and smooth. This can also be done in a double boiler. Stir in salt and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Mixture will remain liquid during the summer, but might solidify during the winter. If it becomes solid, simply heat it until liquid again.

Peppermint Magic Shell: add 2 teaspoons peppermint extract. I like to divide the batch in half, leaving half plain and adding 1 teaspoon peppermint to the other half.

Makes about 2 cups Magic Shell.

Recipe source: adapted from Brownie Points

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Posted in Condiments & ETC., Sweets, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged homemade, ice cream, magic shell recipe, peppermint, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Veronica

Last week, I shared the Fudge Babies recipe, divulging how late I was in jumping on the raw dessert train. Well, raw desserts aren’t the only thing I was incredibly slow to catch on to. Until this week, I also had not tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), despite seeing it on nearly every blog I frequent! I’ve been saving recipes for years, finally bought some over a month ago, and finally, finally, made something with it this week.

Quinoa is gluten-free and while it’s not a grain (it’s a seed), it is often used in place of rice and is cooked the same way. Although I’ve now enjoyed it, I still can’t tell you if I like quinoa or not, because I couldn’t identify its flavor apart from everything else in this salad. The salad itself was stupendous, so I guess if I didn’t like quinoa, I wouldn’t have liked the salad as much.

It has a pleasant Mexican flavor profile, and while carbohydrate-heavy, it is also fiber and protein-rich. It is so delicious that I am a bit ashamed to admit I couldn’t even wait to sit down and eat it from a bowl like a civilized human being. As soon as it was done, I took a taste and then stood over the pan, shoveling it into my mouth with the ginormous serving spoon. In my defense, I was stressed, approaching a certain time of month, very hungry, and found this salad to be irresistible. The perfect storm of coincidences to bring out the barbarian in me.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering and hot, add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed). Stir in the frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let the pot sit off the heat until the corn and beans are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve warm or chilled – it is delicious both ways!

Serves 4 as a main dish, serves 6-8 as a side

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 417 calories; 7 g fat; 72 g carbohydrates; 17 g fiber; 20 g protein; 10 Points Plus

Recipe source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Meatless, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged black bean, healthy, quinoa, salad, sweet corn, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Fudge Babies

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Veronica

I’ve been seeing raw desserts around the blogosphere for a while now and am kind of late in joining in on this remarkable food trend. I finally made the first raw dessert recipe I ever saved after I started seeing it in varied forms on other blogs. And I was blown. away. I’ve made other raw desserts since, and these are still my favorite.

These things are called Cocoa Nibbles on the blog I nabbed them from, but I think Katie’s name for them, Fudge Babies (same ingredients, slightly different recipe), is much more apt. Because they really do have the consistency of fudge! And they’re healthy. Gluten-free. Fruit-sweetened with no added sugars. Vegan. Simple. Easy. Perfect for a summer treat because there’s no cooking involved, and they’re served cold. And did I already say they’re amazing?

Fudge Babies

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½ cup raw cashews (or any other nut you love)
1 ¼ cups Medjool dates, chopped
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Optional add ins: vanilla, 6 leaves mint, chopped; ¼ – ½ tsp chili flakes; 1 tbsp chopped candied ginger; 1 tbsp raw cocoa nibs; 2 tsp freshly grated orange rind; ½ tsp cinnamon, or play with other spices of your choice

In a food processor, process the nuts, dates and cocoa until you have what looks like a fine meal. Sprinkle with optional add-ins, if using, and continue to process until the mixture comes together as a ball that rolls around the edge of the processor bowl. The “dough” is ready when, if you pinch some and press it between your fingers, it sticks together readily and looks a bit shiny. (If you are using regular dates, the mixture might be too dry to produce this type of dough, in which case you can sprinkle up to 2 teaspoons water and proceed as above).

Pull off pieces of dough and roll into truffle-like balls, placing on a plate. Go ahead and eat one while they’re room temperature and give a little sigh of pleasure. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. They are much better cold, as they firm up considerably and will attain the texture of a dense fudge.

Makes 16 fudge babies

Per fudge baby: 61 calories; 2 g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 1.3 g fiber; 1 g protein; 2 Points Plus

Recipe source: slightly tweaked from The Copycat Cook, while the name came from Chocolate-Covered Katie, who uses a similar recipe.

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Sugar-Free, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged candy, dessert, easy, fudge babies, healthy, Larabar, raw, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Bean Curry

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Veronica

I have secrets. Delicious secrets. There are many recipes I’ve made, a few that I’ve won ribbons for, that I’ve never shared. (Not on purpose, mind you, I just forget!) But I can hide this one from you no longer. I stumbled across this old picture in my Garam Masala post while I was indexing all my recipes, and since it seemed so bright and cheerful I thought it would be a nice one to share with you now that the weather is bright and cheerful.

This was one of the first Indian dishes I ever made. In fact, I think it was THE very first. I can still remember the delicious flavor and how taken I was with the dish at first bite. I know it seems strange to use black-eyed peas in a curry dish, but I promise you, it works. I may keep secrets, but I wouldn’t lie to you. This curry is fantastic!

Bean Curry

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1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
3/4 cup half and half
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken broth
1 can black-eyed peas, lightly drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; saute 5 minutes or until translucent and slightly browned. Stir in garlic and grated ginger root; stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add tomato; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in turmeric, cayenne, salt, paprika, and garam masala; stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add half and half, stock, and black-eyed peas. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro. Serve immediately with rice, chapati, or naan. Although it doesn’t show in the picture, the curry has plenty of sauce to go over your rice. I recall draining it off for this plate to make a better picture. That doesn’t count as a lie…does it? ;)

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving (calculated with 1 cup white rice): 188 calories; 9.5 g fat; 23 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 5 g protein; 10 Points Plus

Recipe source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

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Posted in Indian, Meatless, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged bean curry, Indian, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Veronica

My Dad used to make what I thought was one of the most delicious meals ever out of torn Ezekiel bread pieces, a sliced banana, and natural peanut butter all mixed up in a bowl together and drizzled with honey. Sweets were a rarity in our home so when he let me try this, I was thrilled because I felt like I was eating dessert. This was how I was introduced to the trifecta of banana, peanut butter and honey and I’ve been a fan ever since.

I first made these muffins in miniature form almost a year ago when I had a single overripe banana and wanted to use it in something before it started growing white stuff. (I’ll include that recipe too for those interested.) It was only natural for me to reach for the peanut butter and honey, and I was really pleased with the result. I’ve made many subsequent batches, adapting it on a larger scale to make the standard dozen since the small batch doesn’t last long enough to suit us.

This is a straightforward recipe, no fancy ingredients, naturally sweetened, and it’s all mashed and mixed together in one bowl using a single fork. The result is a moist and flavorful muffin with the perfect balance of banana, peanut butter and honey.

By the way, these healthy, low-sugar muffins are dog tested and approved! My Jessie is such a treat snob that when she approves something I’ve made, you can bet your pup will most likely dig it too. For doggies, you can bake them up in mini-muffin tins, depending on the dog’s size. Or just share yours, which is what I like to do. That way I feel justified when I reach for a second one, since I didn’t eat all of the first. :)

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

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3 medium overripe bananas
¾ cup peanut butter
¼ cup honey
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers or spray with oil.

Peel bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork (you should have about 1 ¼ cups of mashed banana), then mix in the peanut butter with your fork until well blended. Next mix in the honey and once the mixture is uniform in color, stir in the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Measure in the flour and baking soda, and stir with your fork just until mixed. The batter will be thick but try not to overwork it to get it mixed. It’s OK if a few lumps remain. Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter between muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle nuts in the middle of each muffin (nuts will spread out as the muffins bake). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and remove to cooling rack. Leave in tin for five minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Per muffin: 196 calories; 9 g fat; 26 g carbohydrates; 2.4 g fiber; 6 g protein; 5 Points Plus

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Bites

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1 medium overripe banana
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12 mini muffin cups.

Mash the banana in a medium bowl an stir in the peanut butter, honey, and buttermilk. Stir in the remaining ingredients just until moistened. Divide between muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes (or until done) and remove to cooling rack. Leave in tin for five minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Makes 12 mini muffins.

Nutrition Info (per muffin): 66 calories; 3 g fat; 84 mg sodium; 77 mg potassium; 9 carb; 1 g fiber; 2 g protein; 2 Points Plus

Recipes by Veronica Miller

**Veronica’s note: to make these into vegan muffins, replace the honey with agave nectar, the buttermilk with non-dairy milk, and the baking soda with baking powder. I have done this and they are equally delicious, though I do prefer the honey flavor with banana and peanut butter.**

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Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dog Treats, Lighter Fare, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged banana, diet-friendly, dog friendly, dog muffins, dog treats, honey, honey banana peanut butter muffins recipe, low-sugar, mini, muffins, natural, naturally sweetened, peanut butter. Bookmark the permalink.

Dilly Cucumber Salad

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Veronica

I remember as a little girl, whenever my Grandma Millner would visit, our refrigerator would smell faintly of onions and vinegar because she’d always have a big bowl of cucumber salad stashed in there. Back then, I remember eating it without complaint, but I wasn’t all that impressed with it. I think I may use more sugar than her, because I’m practically addicted to the recipe I use now, and you all know how much I like my sugar!

This is a wonderfully cold, crisp, sweet, and briny salad to serve during the warmer months, and a great addition to a potluck or barbecue. It reminds me of a better and fresher version of bread and butter pickles, though not quite as sweet. This makes a huge bowl so feel free to cut the recipe down if you don’t think you’ll need this much. Enjoy!

Dilly Cucumber Salad

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4 cucumbers
1 large white onion
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 teaspoons salt

Wash cucumbers well (I get them wet and rub a little dish soap over them to get help get the wax off, then rinse them very well with warm water). Cut cucumbers in half, then lay flat side down and slice; place slices in a very large bowl. Next, cut the onion in half lengthwise. Place halves flat-side down, cut in half again lengthwise, then slice very thin width-wise; add to the cucumbers. Measure in remaining ingredients, stir well, and refrigerate overnight before serving. Stir once or twice if you can. The salt will cause water to come out of the veggies and by morning, the liquid will be filled up to the level of the veggies. Serve cold with a slotted spoon.

Serves 16.

Per serving: 52 calories; 0 g fat; 293 mg sodium; 145 mg potassium; 13.1 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 1 g protein; 1 Point Plus

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Posted in Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged barbecue, cucumber salad, dill, dilly, Memorial day, recipe, red pepper, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake Pops

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Veronica

Chocolate Covered Katie will be doing a “Hug A Vegan Dessert” post featuring all vegan dessert recipes submitted to her (click here for details!), and while I’m not vegan, I do enjoy vegan foods quite often, and I took this on as a challenge to create something fun and so delicious that anyone, regardless of dietary choices or restrictions, could enjoy.

Since I’ve had cake pops (and cake balls and cupcake bites) on the brain lately, I decided that’s what I would veganize. It needed to be done, don’t you think? Who says we need butter and eggs to make a delicious cake pop? This recipe proves you don’t! And you don’t even need any strange or fake ingredients to get your dairy and egg-free cake pops groove on. This recipe consists of common, every day ingredients, or those that you can easily find at any supermarket without looking in any special sections.

And.

They are delicious! In a side-by-side comparison I have to admit I do slightly prefer the taste of regular cake pops, but I donated most of this vegan batch to be served at a sister’s housewarming to non-vegan guests and they were none the wiser, all enjoying them thoroughly. These have more of a homemade taste and aren’t as sweet, but there was nary a complaint and I even overheard the children begging for seconds. I ate six of them myself, so that should give you an idea of how much I liked them since I pretty much blew my entire weekly Weight Watchers Points Plus allowance on them.

One reader recently left a comment on my cake pops post asking if they were any good because I failed to mention that in my post. What? Me, forget to rhapsodize about how great cake pops are? How did that happen? I couldn’t believe it! Well, let me ameliorate that omission right here and now.

They. are. so. good. The center is more dense than cake and the frosting, being mixed in, gives it a little bit of a truffle-like consistency (but still with the taste of cake), and the chocolate shell gives it more of a candy feel. A cake pop is like the perfect blend of cake and candy. And that is just what these are. Cake-candy perfection.

Need I say more? Let’s do this!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake Pops

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1 recipe Wacky Cake, prepared with Dutch process cocoa powder
1 recipe Shiny Chocolate Icing, prepared with Dutch process cocoa powder
1 (12 oz) bag Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sprinkles/nonpareils/cookie crumbs/other decorations of choice
50-70 lollipop sticks
Foam board

Optional packaging supplies:
50-70 clear treat bags
Curling ribbon or twist ties

**Veronica’s notes: I used only 2/3 of my Wacky Cake for this and still got more than 50 cake pops, so unless you need enough to feed an army, feel free to enjoy some of the cake before making it into cake pops. If you do use the entire cake, you may need a second bag of chocolate chips. Also, many canned frostings are naturally vegan, so if you prefer, you can save yourself a step and purchase a can of dark chocolate frosting to use in this recipe. **

Pull off chunks of cooled cake and process them in a food processor in batches until fine crumbs, putting the crumbs in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the icing and mix up with your hands until the icing is completely incorporated. You will most likely need more, but it is better to start with less than to add too much right off the bat. I added more after taking this photo, using about a cup total, and I should have used a little more–the dough was a little stiff and should have been less thick.

Roll into balls the size of walnuts (a small cookie scoop works well for portioning–mine fits a tablespoon of dough) and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate two hours or overnight.

Gently melt chocolate with the oil in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using the microwave, stir every fifteen seconds after an initial 30 seconds. Once chocolate is mostly melted, remove from heat and stir, stir, stir, until the residual heat melts the rest of it. Don’t overheat your chocolate or it will become too thick to dip your pops.

Check out the ingredients-Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips are naturally vegan and have a delicious chocolate flavor with underlying floral notes.

Remove cake balls from refrigerator and dip one end of the lollipop sticks into the chocolate, then insert half way into each ball. Once there are sticks in all the balls, place the tray in the fridge and take them out one by one to dip so they stay cold during the dipping process.

Take each by the stick and dip into the chocolate, tapping off excess, apply sprinkles if you wish, then insert into foam block to set up. Repeat until all pops are dipped.

I was multitasking on Saturday. Behind the cake pops are two round cakes, wrapped until I had the time to frost them, two sticks of butter waiting to be turned into frosting, and cake tops in a small bowl, waiting to be turned into more cake pops once the icing was made. I never waste cake!

Most sprinkles are naturally vegan. I checked the labels on my entire sprinkles collection and found no animal products listed in the ingredients, inlcluding in the mini candy-coated chocolate drops in the Chocolate Accents jar.

Place your foam block in the refrigerator or freezer to set the chocolate. Once it’s hardened, you can arrange them on a platter or package them individually by slipping a small plastic treat bag over the top and tie it with a ribbon. The chocolate coating on these melts at a lower temperature than regular candy coating, so store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

OK, Katie, I’m reluctantly posting a picture here of me hugging my vegan dessert, just for you! I even kept my face makeup free because I’m lazy in keeping with the all-natural theme here. :)

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Posted in Cake & Frosting, Candy, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged chocolate, chocolate covered katie, recipe, vegan cake pops. Bookmark the permalink.

Wacky Cake {Vegan}

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Veronica

Wacky Cake (also called Crazy Cake), so named because it uses vinegar and no eggs, is perhaps the first cake I ever baked, and the only recipe my Mom really passed on to me. The first time she told me about it I was a little girl, and she fondly recalled baking it when she was a little girl at a time when I was lamenting the lack of eggs in the house. I immediately asked if she still had the recipe, because anything that had chocolate in it and had such a cool name had to be good. I was the designated family baker even at the age of nine, and I baked up this cake that night, much to my family’s delight.

It became popular during the depression, when eggs and butter were rationed and hard to come by, and many of us continue to enjoy it today because it is economical, delicious, and easy to make! I’ve made this cake many times over the years, including as the base for my vegan Mounds Cake, and was just about to use it as the base in another recipe when I realized I should probably give it a post of it’s own so I can link to it each time I post a recipe that uses it, rather than typing it out each time.

Many recipes for Wacky Cake make an 8×8″ pan, but this one will give you a 9×13 pan (or two 9″ round layers) full of chocolatey goodness. I’m also going to include a yummy vegan frosting recipe that goes really good on this cake. The cake is great just with a dusting of powdered sugar (I really like to eat it a little warm like this), but the shiny chocolate icing really puts it over the top. Enjoy!

Wacky Cake

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3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cocoa powder*
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 cups cold water

*I use Dutch process cocoa powder because it makes a darker cake with more intense chocolate flavor, but you can use any kind you wish. Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder is available in most supermarkets, which works well here.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside. Sift all dry ingredients together into a large bowl.

Make three wells and put the oil in one, the vanilla in another and the vinegar in the last. Is this really necessary? I don’t know, I’ve never disobeyed the recipe. I like to think of it as keeping history alive. Our foremothers made Wacky Cake this way, so who am I to change it now?

Pour water over it all and mix until well blended. Look at all the bubbles as the vinegar interacts with the baking soda! This is the kind of science I can get behind.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on a wire rack. Frost or sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. I love how dark it gets while baking–the magic of Dutch process cocoa!

You wouldn’t believe how moist and delicious a vegan cake can be! This is one of my hubby’s faves.

Now let’s frost Dennis’ piece…

Shiny Chocolate Icing

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1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cocoa*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or nondairy milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugars, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa in a medium sauce pan. Whisk in the coconut milk. Stirring constantly, heat over medium until it gets thick and starts to boil. Continue stirring and boil for 1-2 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in oil and vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature, then spread over the top of your cooled cake.

*Again, I used Dutch processed cocoa, but regular is fine.

Recipe source: I apologize to the originator of this recipe! I did not copy the source and since I changed it, I couldn’t locate it by entering the recipe words into Google. The original was very similar but called for water instead of milk. Both work great but I like using coconut milk.

Usually it’s a little thicker like real frosting, but I made this one a little thinner like a glaze, plus I put it on a slightly warm cake which made it run a little more.

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Posted in Cake & Frosting, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged chocolate, crazy cake, frosting, glaze, shiny chocolate icing, vegan, wacky cake. Bookmark the permalink.

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with Pesto Hummus

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Veronica

Another mouth-watering Mediterranean sandwich, bursting with fresh flavor! This recipe comes from the lovely Debbi, who was inspired by a Panera sandwich. I haven’t tried the original, but I know I like this one!

I messed up my bread (only about half my loaves ever come out right–I’m still learning) and it baked up pretty flat and wide instead of round, but if done properly with enough flour (I’m always scared to add too much), you will have a nice sandwich bread.

I know this recipe seems like a lot of work for a sandwich, but if you break down the process into steps, it’s not so bad. Make your bread one day, and make your hummus while you’re roasting the eggplant the next. Plus, it makes lots of sandwiches!

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with Pesto Hummus

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Tomato Basil Bread
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 – 115 degrees)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour (I used AP)

Pesto Hummus
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (water reserved)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and cooled

Garlic-Roasted Eggplant (optional)
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb. eggplant (about 2 globe or 4 Italian)
Kosher salt
8 fresh thyme sprigs

Make the bread: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in basil, Parmesan cheese, tomato paste, sugar, oil, salt, pepper flakes and 2 cups of flour. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 – 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Punch down dough, knead for 1 minute. Shape into a round loaf. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled about 1 hour. With a sharp knife, cut a large X in top of loaf. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Make the hummus: In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Add in reserved bean water slowly until desired consistency is reached.

Make the eggplant: Mix the minced garlic and oil together in a small bowl and set aside. Slice the eggplant into rings and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Place in a colander and allow to drain for 30 min. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Over the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant to extract the salty juice and wipe them dry with a paper towel. Brush each half thoroughly with the garlic olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes-1 hour. The eggplant will collapse and the bottoms will be a deep brown caramel color. Let cool considerably before handling, at least 20 min. Gently turn the cut side up. If serving as a side dish, serve with a lemon wedge for squeezing or drizzle with vinaigrette. If using in other recipes, scoop the flesh from the skin with a spoon.

For the sandwich: Spread two slices of tomato-basil bread with Pesto Hummus, then top with lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and Garlic-Roasted Eggplant (if using).

Recipe source: adapted from Debbi Does Dinner and Fine Cooking

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Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Mediterranean, My Favorites, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged homemade, light, Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich recipe, Panera, Pesto Hummus, tomato basil bread, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Veronica

This spicy vegan dip originates in Syria and I didn’t discover it until my friend, Pia, introduced me to it. It’s her favorite dip and she recommended it to me when she found out I enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine. I knew it was right up our alley simply because it’s spicy, and since I’d seen some of the pomegranate syrup the recipe calls for at a market attached to our favorite Lebanese restaurant, I snapped a bottle up next time we were there and set out to make this dip.

It is great simply as a dip, but I’m also going to include a “recipe” for a veggie wrap that I’ve incorporated it into for quick lunches. The first time I served this to my husband, he raved, and it wasn’t until afterward that I realized he had eaten an entirely vegan meal with no complaints. Score!

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)

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1 (12 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs — 1/2 cup (I turned pita bread into crumbs in the food processor)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses/syrup/concentrate
1 tablespoon sriracha hot chile sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop the peppers roughly and place them, along with all the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil, into a food processor or blender. Pulse to roughly chop the ingredients, then slowly pulse in the olive oil. Try not to purée the ingredients too much. You want the dip to have a little texture. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve as a dip or spread with pita wedges, vegetables or kebabs.

*Veronica’s notes: the original recipe calls for four fresh red peppers which you roast before processing. Click the recipe source link below for instructions on this if you would like to do it this way. The original recipe also calls for red pepper flakes instead of sriracha, so that can be used in place of sriracha if you desire. As for the pomegranate syrup, my bottle is actually a pomegranate juice concentrate and I know that Pom is now selling this so you might be able to find it where Pom brand pomegranate juice is sold if you don’t have a market that sells ethnic foods in your area.

Recipe source: Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More

Muhammara Veggie Wrap

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

You will need:

Muhammara
Black beans
Parsley
Fresh baby spinach
Shredded carrots
Tortilla, flat bread, or pita bread*

Spread muhammara down the center of your tortilla or bread, then sprinkle on some beans, a little parsley, a handful of spinach and shredded carrots. Wrap tightly and cut in half to serve.