VegMoms

Monday’s Speedy Vegan: Yellow split pea dhal has to be one of the most gourmet, least expensive meals on the planet. This one dish meal is inspired by a dhal recipe in one of my favorite all-time cookbooks (just veganize any meat recipes), The More With Less cookbook, written in 1976 by the Mennonites and Doris Janzen Longacre.

(Serve as a stew with vegan naan to dip or on a bed of rice)

Dhal

2 c. dried yellow split peas, prepared by quick method on package.

4.5 c. water

Add:

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1.) Bring all ingredients above to a boil in a large pot.

2.) Simmer 20-30 minutes. Add a little more water, if necessary, to keep a soupy consistency.

3.) When peas are soft enough, mash some of them with a wooden spoon on the side of the pot (or use an immersion blender) to the consistency of baby food, leaving some split peas whole. 

4.) Add in cubed (raw) tofu. Heat until tofu is warm. Turn off heat and let sit on warm burner while you prepare the topping.

5.) Meanwhile, for the topping, saute one whole onion (sliced thinly) in a pan with 1 TB vegan margarine or olive oil until soft. At the last minute, add a handful of fresh spinach and sprinkle with dashes of salt and pepper. Lay on top of dhal as a healthy, delicious topping.

(serves 6-8)

Monday’s Speedy Vegan: This stir fry recipe was inspired by necessity. We were low on groceries and had very few veggies in the house, a block of tofu, lots of fruit and nuts and some rice. Necessity is the mother of invention, and I’m sure glad I invented this sweet dinner treat.

Fruity Stir Fry 

2 cups red cabbage, shredded

3 carrots, thinly sliced (I used a food processor)

4 celery stalks, matchstick sliced

2 clementines, peeled and spilt into individual slices

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup walnuts

1 lb. extra firm tofu block, cut in 1-inch cubes

For the marinade, stir together in a medium size bowl:

1/4 cup light vegtable oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup shoyu (or soy sauce, low sodium preferred)

2 TB mango nectar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Spray cast iron skillet lightly with oil. Saute vegetables until tender, leaving garlic and walnuts to add in last. Once garlic and walnuts are in pan, only heat until garlic is lightly browned.

2. Add in fruits and tofu.

3. Pour marinade over veggies, fruit and tofu. Let simmer over med-low heat until tofu is warmed.

4. Serve with basmati rice.

Monday’s Speedy Vegan: I sat enraptured for an hour last month listening to Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders, as guests and callers sang the praises of garlic. (Listen here: http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_080905k.cfm). From cold and flu cures to love potions and hundreds of ways to flavor a meal with this funny little bulb, it became clear to me that garlic is beloved around the world.

Unlike the centuries old writings about garlic’s health and healing properties, however, my relationship with garlic is only about a decade long. People with Norwegian heritage like myself tend to shy away from strong, spicy flavors like garlic. My Italian husband, however, couldn’t imagine life without garlic. He cooks everything with it, has sprinkled it on his dogs’ food, and once tried to eat an entire garlic head raw to ward off an oncoming cold (Keyword: Once. That didn’t turn out so well). 

Here’s a secretly speedy vegan recipe that relies heavily on garlic (the bottled, chopped version for speediness). No one will know this is a 30-minute recipe — by look and taste, it’s gourmet.

Secretly Speedy Garlic Tofu on Wilted Spinach (serves 2)

1) Preheat oven to 400. Spray a glass baking dish or pan with sides with high-heat cooking spray.
2) Slice 1 lb. extra firm tofu diagonally, then down the middle to form four triangles.
3) Coat the tofu slices with a blended (simply with a whisk or fork, no blender needed) marinade of:

2 T. red curry paste
1 T. soy sauce
2 t. lemon juice
1 t. olive oil
1 t. bottled crushed garlic

4) Place tofu in dish or pan. Bake 15 minutes. Flip. Bake 15 minutes more.
5) Meanwhile, place 2 lb (2 bags) of prewashed, fresh spinach in your cast iron skillet. drizzle about 1/2 t. olive oil on top, and a light scattering of bottled crushed garlic. Stir to coat spinach with oil and garlic. Wilt on medium heat.
6) Place spinach on two plates. Place tofu over spinach. For a nice touch, cube some pineapple onto of tofu. For a heartier dish, serve over basmati rice.

copyright Dana Villamagna, 2008