Vege-Tastic

A 6-day work week makes for a slightly exhausted Hungry Spoon.

It's rare that these 1-day weekends grace my work schedule--they're designed for our monthly Saturday programs, so they only come around once a month. And fortunately, I work with a group of sweet and enthusiastic high school students, so my work is quite fun--they keep me on my toes, and they definitely keep me energized.

Yet, walking in the door at 6pm on a Saturday, just as your work-week comes to a close, the last thing on one's mind is dinner preparation.

Thank goodness Adam can read my mind. His mind-reading talent really makes for a happy marriage.

Tonight the man whipped up a batch of vegan stuffed bell peppers. These babies were loaded with seasonings and spices. And unlike the usual stuffed veggie filling, there was no grain/carb component (rice, bulgur, etc.). Just veggies n' beans (thus leaving more room for dessert).

There is no under-estimating the vegan-licious-ness of this entree. It hits somewhere between "mind-blowing" and "epic" on the tasty-meter.

With that being said, I'm signing off for the night. Definitely need to catch up on some Grey's Anatomy via Hulu...while wearing sweatpants...and eating dessert. Sounds like a winning conclusion to a 6-day work-week to me.

Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

(adapted from a recipe in Veganomicon)

This dinner is definitely one of those "I-want-to-show-my-friends-how-awesome-vegan-food-really-is" type of recipes. It's company-worthy. And seriously vegan-licious.

Ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers, halved (with seeds and membrane removed)
• a dash of olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of finely diced carrots
• 7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• fresh parsley to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2) Place the bell pepper halves in the boiling water and cover. Allow to boil for 5 minute; drain immediately and rinse them with cold water.

3) Meanwhile, heat the dash of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and carrot for about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add the bay leaves, remaining herbs and spices, salt, tomatoes, beans, and peas. Cook for about 10 minutes until some of the liquid has reduced. Stir in parsley to taste.

4) Remove the bay leaves. Spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture into each pepper half. Bake for about 25 minutes. You will have a large amount of leftover pepper filling. It's so delicious and stew-like, I recommend just serving it as a bowl of soup when you're hunting for leftovers the next day.

Comfort Food Gets Veganized

On the menu tonight: Smoky Sauteed Collard Greens and Spiced, Smashed Sweet Potatoes.

Ultimately, it's a meeting between classic comfort foods and the genius authors of Veganomicon.

Bonus: You'll have plenty of room for dessert :)

I tried collard greens for the first time this summer, during our vacation in Asheville, NC. Tupelo Honey Cafe--a delightful little restaurant that specializes in southern cooking with local, organic ingredients--offered a three veggie entree, featuring sauteed collards. Never being one to shy away from a food I have yet to taste, I tried their collard greens and I was thrilled with the result.

It's been over a month since our travels, and I finally located a collard recipe that best mirrors my Tupelo Honey experience. The key ingredient? Liquid smoke. I was skeptical at first, most likely because I found it in the grocery store sandwiched between the hot sauces and steak sauces (need I say more?). But, one recipe of smoky sauteed collards later, and I now call myself a believer.

A quick note of the flavor of collards: Make sure you cook them down in the marinade long enough--they can have a bit of a bitter flavor prior to the cook-down. I'm sure the non-vegetarian version, which employs bacon fat as the key ingredient, boasts a bacon-y delicious flavor that masks any bitterness the greens might hold. Ah, well. Maybe in another lifetime.

As previously noted, we served our smoky collards with simple mashed sweet potatoes--recipe also courtesy of Veganomicon. Although I'm not a vegan, this cookbook alone could easily convert me. The authors (who also wrote my favorite vegan cookie cookbook) make vegan cooking easy and delicious. No hard-to-find ingredients, no soy "cheeses," and most recipes are short and simple. Love it!

So, liquid smoke in hand, and armed with a bundle of fresh collards, let's get to cooking this classic comfort dish...veganized of course :)

Smoky Sauteed Collard Greens

(A recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, by Isa Chandra, Maskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

We enjoyed these hearty, flavorful greens with mashed sweet potatoes. And a Rocky Road cookie for dessert :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. collard greens, thinly chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 TBSP olive oil

Smoky Marinade Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup veggie broth (or chicken if you're not a veg-head)
• 2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP liquid smoke
• 1 TBSP maple syrup

Directions:

1) Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

2) In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped collard greens and cook for 2 minutes. Add marinade and cook on low-medium heat until collards are tender and cooked --about 15 minutes.