Vegetarian Times Issue: August 1, 1998   p.35

This chickpea pesto makes a delectable filling for mushrooms or it can be served in the traditional manner by stirring it into warm pasta.



Ingredient List Serves 4 to 6

• 2 Tbs. pine nuts
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
• 2 cups lightly packed basil leaves or a mix of basil and parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbs. chickpea cooking liquid
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)
• 12 to 16 medium to large mushrooms, or about 24 small mushrooms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Toast pine nuts in dry skillet until aromatic and lightly colored. Be careful not to overcook. Combine pine nuts and chickpeas in food processor and grind. Add herbs and garlic and purée to a thick paste. Add chickpea liquid and process until blended. Add oil and process until incorporated. Add salt and mix. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
2. Remove mushroom stems and reserve for another use; clean mushroom caps. Fill caps with a tablespoonful (use a teaspoon for small mushrooms) of pesto.
3. Place mushrooms in a baking dish. Bake until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Very large mushrooms may take longer to cook.

You can link to the recipe on the Vegetarian Times website here.

I made this for the New Year's Even party and these were a hit among vegetarians and non! They were pretty easy to make too.

Vegetarian Times Issue: December 1, 1998   p.61

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 16-oz. can garbanzo beans, reserve liquid, rinse and drain
• 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
• 1 large or 2 medium seedless cucumbers, unpeeled
• Mint sprigs for garnish

1. In food processor, combine garlic and garbanzo beans; process until beans are coarsely chopped. With motor running, add olive oil and lemon juice through feed tube; process until almost smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary. Add sesame oil and salt; process until well blended. Stir in olives and mint. Cover; chill at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
2. Attractively score cucumber lengthwise with tines of fork. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Using a metal measuring teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out a small indentation in each cucumber slice and spoon heaping teaspoon hummus into each cucumber cup.
3. Arrange on serving platter. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 hour before serving. Garnish platter with mint sprigs if desired.

You can link to the recipe on the Vegetarian Times website here.

This was one of the appetizer recipes I used for New Years Eve, you can see the blog post here. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the mint but it actually just left a really nice aftertaste making you feel like your mouth was fresh. I'm a fan.

1 large bunch of chard (I substitute Kale sometimes), stems removed
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-ounce cans, rinsed
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (I do 3 cloves)
Salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 white onion, chopped (I substitute scallions)
1 bell pepper, diced into 1/2 inch squares
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small dried red chile
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I substituted 1 can diced tomatoes with juice)

Boil or steam the greens until wilted, then chop coarsely and set aside. Cover the chickpeas with cold water and gently rub them between your hands to loosen the skins.  Tip the bowl so that the skins flow off, drain.

Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth or mince it with a knife. Add the dried spices, 1 teaspoon oil to moisten the mixture, and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and parsley.  Pound until a rough paste is formed.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, thyme, and dried chile. Cook for 7 minutes, then stir in the garlic paste, chickpeas, and 1/2 cup water or bean broth. When the onion is soft, add the tomatoes, greens, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and another 1/2 cup water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve.

This recipe is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. Another favorite of mine!

If you ever need to trick your kids, or even yourself, to eat spinach... this is the way to do it!

From my Vita-Mix recipe book.

1 cup water
1 cup soy milk
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 cup frozen, unsweetened strawberries
2 bananas, peeled, frozen

1. Place all ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Select variable 1
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase the speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached.

See relevant blog post here.

This is from the Vita-Mix recipe book.

2 oranges, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetner, to taste
4 cups ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High
4. Use tamper to press ingredients into the blades
5. In about 30-60 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and four mounds should form
6. Stop machine. Do not over mix or melting will occur. Serve immediately.

See relevant blog post here.

This recipe is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well in a fine sieve
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or to taste
salt and freshly milled pepper
1/2 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, thinly sliced into rounds
2 cups finely sliced spinach leaves
1/4 lb feta cheese, finely diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped


Put the quinoa and 2 quarts water in a pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  While it's cooking, dice the vegetables and cheese.  Drain, saving the liquid.  Measure the liquid and add water to make 6 cups if needed.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and chile. Cook for about 30 seconds, giving it a quick stir.  Add the cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently.  Don't let the garlic brown.  Add the quinoa water and half the scallions and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the quinoa, spinach, and remaining scallions and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the feta and cilantro.  Season the soup with pepper and garnish with the chopped egg.

Click here for relevant blog post.

This recipe comes from "Nuevo Tex-Mex: Festive New Recipes from Just North of the Border" by David Garrido and Robb Walsh. Garrido is the chef/owner of Garrido's restaurant in downtown Austin and is the former Executive chef at Jeffrey's.

Recipe:
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
6 tomatillos, husked and quartered
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock (we used veggie stock)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt

In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 tbsps of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring for about 6 minutes, or until light brown.  Add the serrano, garlic, tomatillos, anchos, guajillos, lemon juice and chicken stock.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the chiles are soft.
Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender, add the cilantro, and puree until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and season to taste with salt. (We didn't see a need to strain it.)
In another medium skillet over high heat, heat the remaining 2 tbsps olive oil and carefully pour in the strained sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it comes to a boil.  Use immediately as a sauce for cooked dishes, or chill and serve as a table sauce.  It will keep, tightly capped, in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Click here for relevant blog post.

This recipe is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

1 large or 2 medium eggplants, about 1 1/4 pounds
3 garlic cloves (which is a lot in my opinion)
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 large lemon
salt
extra virgin olive oil
chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425F.  Slash the eggplant in several places so it won't explode.  Put it in a pan and bake until it's soft to the point of collapsing, 30 -40 minutes.  Peel the eggplant, then puree it in a blender or food processor with the garlic and tahini.  Season with lemon juice and salt to taste.  Mound the puree in a bowl and make a depression in the top with the back of a spoon.  Pour olive oil into the hollow and sprinkle with parsley.

See relevant blog post here.

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, crookneck, or pattypan squash
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch scallions, including half of the greens, chopped
2 tablespoons raw white rice
1/2 cup chopped parsely
6 cups basic vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon curry powder
salt and freshly milled pepper
lemon juice

Saute the onion and squash in oil over medium-high heat until they've begun to color, about 10 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon curry powder.  Add the scallions, rice, and parsley.  Add the vegetable stock and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes.  Let cool briefly, then puree.  Taste for salt and season with pepper and add lemon juice to taste.
Thin the soup if desired with coconut mil, rice, or almond milk and garnish with cilantro leaves and diced jalapeno.

This recipe is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

See relevant blog post here.