Author: lisaandfrancescook

Avocado Pistachio Pesto

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What is a dip for vegetables, a spread for burgers and sandwiches and a sauce for pasta? Avocado Pistachio Pesto – that’s what! I could even see using it on top of grilled fish or chicken. This simple-to-make, beautifully vibrant pesto is delicious in so many ways. So make a bunch and use it liberally. And the added bonus of many vegan meals is that they are extremely budget-friendly. And who wouldn’t want a delicious meal that doesn’t break the bank?

When making a dish with a few ingredients, always choose the best quality that you can find and afford. And that is especially true when using olive oil. I use a few trusted brands and I especially love the flavored olive oils. Baking cakes with olive oil not only makes them taste rich and flavorful, but they hold up beautifully as well. And there is no tedious creaming of butter and sugar or remembering to leave the butter out so it is malleable.

Don’t misunderstand. I love a really good unsalted butter slathered on freshly baked bread. And there are some cakes and cookies that just would not be the same without it. But if you haven’t tried a top quality olive oil, you don’t know what you are missing.

When ripe, avocados are creamy and rich tasting, while also being a healthy fat that packs a punch of anti-oxidants and vitamins. When combined with pistachios, lemon, basil, EVOO and mint, you have a party going on. This Avocado Pistachio Pesto will keep for a few days in the fridge if covered with a layer of EVOO. Anytime you take some pesto, fill in the gap with EVOO and the pesto will stay a beautiful green and will retain its vibrancy.

I paired my Avocado Pistachio Pesto with a red lentil pasta and some frozen, thawed baby peas. But any kind of pasta that you like will work. Throw together a quick, colorful salad and you have a great meal. So don’t wait. Make this today!

Recipe

Yield: About 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup of raw pistachios, lightly pan-toasted

2.5 large, very ripe avocados

2 ounces of fresh basil leaves, thick stems removed

5 large garlic cloves

Juice of half of a lemon or more to taste

3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

About 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh or frozen mint leaves

Lemon EVOO or other quality EVOO that is bright and with a bit of an edge (I actually used two different olive oils in making this.)

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a strong blender or food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in the olive oil until you get a consistency you like. Don’t be afraid to use the EVOO. The sauce will thicken some over time. How thick you make it is personal taste. When using it with pasta, I also add about a cup of the pasta water to the sauce when ready to serve.

Easy Chicken Stir-fry

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Work has FINALLY begun on a long-overdue renovation. We had naively thought that we could remain in our apartment while most of it was ripped apart. Not and keep our sanity! Thankfully, we live in a neighborhood with lots of new and beautiful rental apartments. Since we have been owners for 40 years now, there was some sticker shock to get past before we actually could sign a lease for 6 months.

Hopefully by moving out, not only do we retain our sanity, but the work can progress more quickly. But what this means is that we have been packing up most of our place and several decades worth of treasures for the past few weeks. We are living out of a small corner of our apartment until the movers come in the next two weeks.

So I am keeping the cooking as easy and painless as possible. Eating out or ordering in not only is expensive, less healthy, but also generally less enjoyable. So we accommodate. We have definitely been drinking down our wine cabinet much faster than usual! Less to pack, right?

I saw that the New York Times was featuring a recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan last week. This ubiquitous Americanized Cantonese dish seemed like a good choice for an easy weeknight dinner. But when I decide to make something I found online, I always check out anywhere up to 5 versions of the dish and pick and choose what I like.

The version I ended up with came from The Forked Spoon. I made a couple of minor changes to this Chicken Stir-fry, but mostly followed it. This could easily be made vegan by simply substituting the chicken with vegan “chicken,” the broth for vegetable broth, and use a vegetarian Oyster Sauce. I served it over rice and had a simple, delicious, satisfying, and healthy one-pot meal.

Now I happen to find chopping and prepping vegetables relaxing. But I completely understand that if you are busy working and rushing to get a nice meal on the table, you just might not feel that you have the time. These days you can always find sliced mushrooms and carrots and even minced garlic in your grocery. Some stores even sell, pre-sliced chicken breast ready for fajitas and stir-fry’s. I don’t generally buy them because they are a) more expensive and b) more likely to have E.coli or salmonella. But we all make choices every day of convenience vs. cost etc. So no judgement.

Unfortunately, I had already packed up my Shaoxing Wine and dry Sherry, so I had to use more broth instead, but it was not a huge miss. And when I went to the store, they had beautiful, fresh Sugar Snap Peas but no Snow Peas. Moo Goo Gai Pan calls for white button mushrooms, but I prefer Baby Bella mushrooms. But you do you. These and other small changes are why I chose to call this an Easy Chicken Stir-fry rather than Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Whatever you call this dish, just enjoy it. It comes together quickly and is bright and colorful with tender chicken and crunchy vegetables. If you are hoping for spicy, this dish is not your jam. But if you are looking for tasty and comforting – look no further.

Recipe

Yield: 4 servings with rice

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil (I like avocado oil for its high burn point)

2 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce

1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil

¾ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or Amino Acids

2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce (There are Kosher and Vegan brands available)

2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine – (substitute with dry sherry or additional broth)

3 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry

2 tablespoon oil – divided

4 large cloves garlic – minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root – grated

5 stalks green onions (scallions) – chopped and divided

10 ounces Baby Bella or white button mushrooms – sliced

2 carrots – sliced

1 cup Sugar Snap or Snow Peas

1 (5 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots – drained

2 (5 ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts – drained

Sesame Seeds – to garnish

Directions

Prepare the chicken– Slice the chicken against the grain into pieces approximately 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl and combine with the oil, cornstarch, and salt. Use your hands to coat the entire surface of the chicken with a thin layer of cornstarch. This step will keep the chicken moist and tender. (Some people use egg white instead of oil, but this achieves the same level of tenderness.)

Mix the sauce– Add all ingredients for the sauce (sesame oil, low-sodium chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch) to a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.

Cook the chicken– heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom is white and no longer translucent. Carefully flip each piece of chicken over and cook the other side for an additional 20-30 seconds. Immediately remove to a clean plate (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point – but that’s ok).

Cook the “holy trinity” of Chinese cooking – Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic, ginger and half of the green onions to the pan. Mix to combine and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Cook the remaining vegetables– Add the carrots and mushrooms to the skillet, mixing well to combine. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables start to turn soft, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts, mixing well to combine. Continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Add the sauce and return the chicken. Give the sauce a final stir to dissolve the cornstarch and pour directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Add back the chicken and the remaining half of the green onions. Mix well to combine and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve immediately over rice and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

Breadsticks in an Hour

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Crispy on the outside, chewy/soft on the inside and ready to eat straight from the oven. Breadsticks in an Hour is the perfect accompaniment to soup, salad and pasta.

I am in the midst of packing up our apartment for a long overdue renovation. We will be in temporary digs for about 6 months. So, as a result, I am keeping things simple. But we are bread people. There, I’ve said it. I never understood the fad of not eating carbs. We eat them daily and both my husband and I are slim.

Since we are under a severe freeze warning this week, following a snow and ice storm, all I want for dinner is some good hot soup and bread for dinner. Although, honestly, I’m in the mood for homemade soup and bread anytime of the year. And you will find many wonderful examples on my blog.

Not only do I want to keep things simple after a day of packing and lugging boxes, but many of my things are already packed up. So I have to come up with things that are still available to me until we actually move in about 10 days. And between the weather and moving, we are not rushing out to the store when I am out of something.

One day last week, it was 4:00 and we were having pasta for dinner and I realized that I didn’t have any bread. I know that for many people this is not a serious problem. However, I REALLY wanted bread with my dinner. So I went online looking for a quick recipe that didn’t require either a long rising or baking time. I came across a recipe here. It looked easy enough and I had all of the ingredients. I thought how bad could it be? I have made it twice now, tweaking it some, and I am sharing the results with you.

The way that I made the Breadsticks in an Hour yielded about 18 to 20 breadsticks. I used different flours each time and both versions had their merits, although the one I am showing here was the favorite. They freeze well and add just the right accompaniment to pasta, soup and salads. This is a recipe that will be made on repeat throughout the year.

In addition, the Breadsticks are fun to make and would be a great small project to do with kids. While I made this using a stand mixer, you could make them entirely by hand. The kneading would take a bit longer. I added rosemary and garlic powder to the dough, but you can make them with just some flaky salt on top, sesame seeds or any other dried herb or grated cheese. As they are shown here, the Breadsticks in an Hour are vegan and Kosher.

So if you are new to bread baking or an old hand at it, these are a great addition to your repertoire. Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed.

Recipe

Yield: 18 to 20 long breadsticks

Ingredients

1.5 cups of warm water (warm to your finger tips)

1 Tablespoon active dried yeast or instant yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried, crumbled rosemary (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary)

3/4 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder

3+ cups of flour (I love Bob’s Mill Artisan Flour. I also used about 2 Tablespoons of Janie’s Whole Kernel Bread Flour. The first time I made these, I used only the Whole Kernel Bread Flour.)

EVOO (About 1/4 cup in total) (Try to use a good, flavorful EVOO. I like Mediterranean Blend or the oil left from making Garlic Confit.)

Flaky Salt for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. I like my oven to be good and hot when I bake bread.

If you are using Active Dried Yeast (as I do), then place the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Stir it through and allow to stand until bubbly. My house has so many yeast spores around that this only took about 5 minutes. If you are using Instant Yeast, you can skip this step.

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 cups of the flour, the salt, dried herbs and seasonings, if used. Give it a quick mix with a spoon or spatula to distribute everything. Add your Instant yeast, sugar and water OR the yeast/water/sugar mixture once proofed.

On the lowest setting, start to mix everything together. Once the flour won’t fly out of the bowl, turn the mixer up to the second level and keep it going until a soft dough just clears the sides of the bowl and is only very slightly sticky. If necessary, add another one to 2 Tablespoons more of flour. This only took about 4 minutes.

Allow the dough to rest in the bowl, covered with a towel, for 10 minutes.

Spread EVOO in a half-sheet pan and a quarter-sheet pan. (I use a silicone brush).

After the dough has rested, add a little EVOO to your counter surface or silicone mat. Press the dough out with your hands into a rectangle that is about 16-inches by 7-inches. You don’t have to be perfect! I use a silicone mat with a ruler on it, to make it simple for me.

Since I am using a silicone mat, I use a large plastic knife to cut my dough into strips about 1 to 1.5 inches in width. I do the cuts vertically along the short end. The dough is stretchy so your breadsticks will end up longer then the 7-inches.

Then give each strip a few twists. Again – we are not going for perfectly even. Some bits will be a little thinner and some fatter. Place the twisted strips onto the baking sheets about 1/2-inch apart. If an end is too thin, I just tucked it under a bit. I love the knobs and twists that get a great crisp on the outside, with a lovely chewy, soft inside.

Brush the breadsticks with EVOO and sprinkle with Maldon Flaky Salt (widely available) or sesame seeds. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes. They will poof up some.

Place the breadsticks in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. As soon as you remove the breadsticks from the oven, brush with a little more EVOO and sprinkle on a few more flakes of salt.

My current oven can only accommodate one pan, so the other pan got an additional 18-minute rest. I didn’t notice any difference in the two pans after baking.

To freeze: Just place in a freezer bag. Re-warm, thawed breadsticks in a 350 degree F. oven for about 3 minutes.

Vegan Egg Salad

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Normally, I take vegan recipes on their own merit rather than comparing them to their non-vegan counterparts. However, if you didn’t watch me make this Vegan Egg Salad and I simply served it in a sandwich, you very likely would assume that you were eating real eggs. I have also served this as a luncheon salad over lettuce and other than it doesn’t look quite exactly like non-vegan egg salad, the taste was the same.

I have no problem with real eggs. No animal had to die to give them to me and they are nutritious powerhouses. But I actually have come to prefer my Vegan Egg Salad over non-vegan egg salad. And I get all the protein with less fat.

Tofu sucks up flavor like a sponge. So in and of itself, there isn’t much of a flavor profile. Squeeze out the excess liquid and add your seasonings of choice and now we’re talkin’. There are different levels of tofu – everything from Silken tofu to extra, extra-firm. And different brands. Find a brand that you like and use the extra-firm for this recipe.

This recipe is my favorite version, but feel free to change it up. Use fresh dill instead of parsley or cilantro or a combination. If you absolutely have no fresh herbs in the house, use some dried dill. The one ingredient that you must have to pull this off is Kala Namak or Black Salt. It smells god-awful. But it is that sulphurous smell that when used with tofu, fools you into thinking you are eating eggs. Thankfully, once it is mixed with the other ingredients, that awful smell dissipates. You don’t need a lot, but if you are looking to make tofu scrambles or chickpea omelet or fritatta, you’ll want this on hand. It’s available online and in spice shops and some ethnic grocery markets.

So if you are looking to add some delicious and easy vegan alternatives to your weekday meals, this Vegan Egg Salad is a great way to start. The measurements are a guide. Depending on where you live, tofu may come in slightly different weights than I get. Don’t get bogged down with that. You may like more -or-less – pickle. Make it your own. Give it a try. This will hold up well in the fridge for several days, although you may need to mix through or pour off any liquid that might form at the bottom.

This is great to take on picnics because unlike things made with real eggs and real mayonnaise, Vegan Egg Salad won’t spoil as quickly.

Recipe

Yield: About 4 cups

Ingredients

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14 ounces of extra-firm tofu, pressed or squeezed of its liquid (Since the tofu will be broken up anyway, just go ahead and squeeze the liquid out with your hands.)

2 to 3 scallions or 1/2 of a small onion, chopped

2 to 3 T chopped pickle of choice (I like gherkins for this, but you do you.)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon Kala Namak or Black Salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (Parsley, cilantro, dill or a mix)

1/2 of a small carrot finely grated or to taste

1/8 teaspoon of ground turmeric

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 rounded Tablespoons of your favorite vegan mayonnaise or more to taste

Directions

Squeeze as much liquid out of the tofu as you can. Crumble the tofu into a bowl.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Mitzapuny Soup

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Mitzapuny Soup is unpretentious comfort in a bowl. It fills the stomach and satisfies the soul. There won’t be any beauty awards given for Mitzapuny Soup. But if you are looking for something that is easy to make and will ward off any damp or chill, then look no further. I came across it in my Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene. It’s a wonderful cookbook with great recipes and stories. While out of print, it is available online if you look for it. I have made a few adjustments to her recipe. But don’t I always?!

The name comes from the Yiddish word martzpunis, which over the years has come to mean something special or extraordinary. Origins of words and how they morph over time is an interesting topic for a doctoral thesis and martzapunis would be right up there. Apparently, it was the name of some exotic fruit, which of course would be rather extraordinary in some shtetl in the Pale of Settlement. I can’t even find it on Google!

This meaty, split pea, bean and barley soup uses ingredients that would have mostly been available in the dead of winter. And if meat was scarce and your purse was almost empty, the frugal housewives made Mitzapuny with beef bones that the butcher would give you for nothing or just a kopeck or two. Try finding soup bones today that don’t cost as much as actual meat!

While you could make this soup completely meatless, you would really need to up the ante with the onions, salt and pepper. I would also probably add a turnip in addition to the carrots and celery and would cook this in a vegetable stock instead of plain water.

However you choose to make this soup, now that winter has settled in for the next several months in most of the Northern Hemisphere, make a big pot soon. Serve it with your favorite bread or rolls and gather in your friends and family for a big bowl of old-fashioned comfort food. And give everyone a good laugh while you are at it when you tell them the name.

I served our Mitzapuny with a dark pumpernickel that I baked earlier in the day.

Recipe

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

12 cups of water (You could use part beef or vegetable broth, although it was unlikely that would have been how my grandmother made it.)

2 to 3 pounds of soup meat (I like beef shank or short ribs, but my grandmother might have used deckel or flanken, trimmed of most visible fat. The bones in the shank and short ribs add flavor and in the case of the shank – marrow.)

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 to 5 large, fat carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks or rounds

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1.5 cups of green split peas, sorted

1 cup dried lima beans, sorted (baby lima beans, regular or Christmas Lima Beans, which is what I had on hand)

1/2 cup hulled barley (you could use pearled barley but it is not as nutritious nor as flavorful IMHO

Kosher salt to taste (you can always add more but you can’t remove it!) How much you use will also depend on whether you: salted your beef (or bought kosher meat) and if you used salted broth or stock vs. plain water

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

If you did not buy Kosher meat, I highly recommend that you liberally salt the meat you did purchase overnight in the fridge, covered or in a plastic bag. This not only keeps in the flavor of the meat but will prevent it from drying out.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place your beef shank or other meat, meat side up on a foil covered pan. Sprinkle with fresh-cracked black pepper. There is no need to add salt if you salted your meat overnight or if you are using kosher meat. Roast for 15 minutes. Then turn the meat over and roast for 12 more minutes. Turn them on their side and roast for about 8 to 10 more minutes or until well-browned. Set aside.

You can brown the meat in the pot instead of in the oven. However, I find this a tedious process and one that invariably spatters grease all over my stove. I also find that when I brown the meat in the oven, I really don’t have to skim the soup liquid – another tedious process. And almost all of the excess fat remains on the foil which I simply discard, instead of either having to clean the pot in between or later skim off.

Place the lovely, roasted meat into the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot (6 or 7 quart enameled cast iron is best.) Rinse very well the split peas, beans and barley. Then add them and all of the remaining ingredients into the pot with the meat.

Cover everything in the pot with your liquid of choice. You want the liquid to be about 2-inches above the other ingredients.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure that your liquid hasn’t all evaporated. You can add additional liquid to keep things from drying out. By this time, the split peas have become mush and the beans, barley and meat are tender.

The soup should be thick and will continue to thicken as it sits. The barley will add a creamy thickness to the soup. Exactly how thick you like your soup is between you and you.

If you made the soup ahead and are reheating it, you will likely need to add some additional liquid. This soup does freeze well so don’t be afraid to make a big batch. Winter has only just begun!

Zucchini Raita

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We are in the midst of packing up our apartment ahead of a long-awaited major renovation. Our building and location is wonderful, but we became acutely aware during the pandemic that our place could be more useful for the way we live now. More homebodies who arm-chair travel these days, we spend a lot of time in our kitchen cooking up meals for ourselves and friends and family when we are lucky enough to have them visit.

Packing is tedious and tiring, but I have also discovered some treasures that I had completely forgotten I had. With a 39-year marriage, you tend to collect a LOT of stuff. Many things we bought ourselves, but then there are the things inherited. Some have actual dollar value, but their value to me is in the memories they evoke. Memories of my childhood or people who are now gone from this earth. I am definitely not ready to Marie Kondo-ize them (although I have heard that now that she has children, she doesn’t do it either!)

All of this is a prelude to saying that I am looking for healthy, relatively easy dinners that nourish my body and soul. Thankfully, my husband is sharing in making the dinners these days. After a day of packing, I am looking forward to making my khichari. I have store-bought naan and my cranberry chutney. I’ll simply roast up some sweet potato and cauliflower, but I also wanted a raita tonight. I know, you are probably saying to yourself that this doesn’t sound simple or easy. However, it really only requires some chopping and mixing things together with the right ingredients, which I almost always have on hand.

Do I absolutely need raita? No, but I do love left-overs for lunch. This Zucchini Raita is from Madhur Jaffrey. She claims it is one of her favorites and I completely understand why. It is cooling and mellow with just the right amount of bite. Unfortunately, my cookbook was already packed up. But thankfully I was able to find it online. It’s good enough that it is worth repeating here. Raitas are wonderful with just about any South Asian dish – meat -based or vegetarian.

As always, I make a few tweaks of my own to the recipe either in content or in the directions. One change I make to the original recipe is that I use dried curry leaves. Fresh ones are not readily available here and I prefer the dried to frozen ones, which I have also used.

For two other examples of raita, try:

Ground Lamb with Potatoes and Yogurt Relish

Eggplant Raita Middle Eastern Style

Recipe

Yield: About 3 cups

Ingredients

2 medium size zucchinis (courgettes) or 1 large one (about 10 oz.)

1/2 teaspoon salt + more, if necessary, to taste

1 medium onion

3 tablespoons of light olive oil or avocado oil

1 1/2 cups (350 mls) plain natural whole-milk yogurt (Not Greek yogurt)

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds

A generous pinch of sugar

6 to 8 fresh, frozen OR dried curry leaves

2 Serrano chilis, thinly sliced (seeded if you wish to cut down on the heat)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

A few fresh cilantro leaves for garnish and I like to sprinkle on a bit of Rajasthan Chili powder

Directions

Coarsely grate zucchini, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and allow to drain in a colander for half an hour.

Stir the yogurt with a fork or spatula in a bowl until creamy and smooth.

Finely slice onion into half-moons.

Heat oil in smallish frying pan. Throw in the curry leaves and mustard seeds.

When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onion and Serrano chilis. Sauté the onion and chilis until translucent and tender.

While the onion and chilis are frying, squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the zucchini. The zucchini will clump up a bit.

Gently separate out the clumps before adding it to the onion and sauté the onion and zucchini for about three minutes. Add a generous pinch of sugar to the mixture and stir through. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool before stirring through the yogurt.

Taste and add extra salt, sugar, and black pepper according to taste.

Vegan White Bean Chorizo Soup

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Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters and from Terror Organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.

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As soon as the weather turns chilly, I love to make White Bean Soup with Pesto and Chorizo. However, increasingly I find myself making vegan dishes with meat only for Shabbat. I do this for our health (and my heart health is amazing according to my recent check-up!), the planet, and because they can be very delicious and satisfying. Also, there have been huge strides in plant-based meat substitutes. I will not use any vegan meat substitutes unless they pass muster with my husband – a former big meat eater.

So when I recently found a plant-based chorizo in my grocery store, I got pretty excited. I wanted to see if with a few changes I could make a delicious version that was vegan. Vegan White Bean Chorizo Soup is wonderful. While I don’t deny that vegan chorizo lacks that oily spiciness associated with meat-based chorizo, in a dish like this it was great. And they absolutely nailed the spices. So I simply used a flavorful and high-quality olive oil to give the dish that oily punch.

Now I happen to love to cook up my own beans. And when I do, nothing is wasted, since I use the cooking liquid in place of or in addition to a good vegetable or chicken stock. An absolute favorite white bean is the cannellini bean. It always cooks up to be meaty and tender and is readily available. However, you could use a navy or Great Northern bean instead. And while not a white bean, a borlotti or cranberry bean would also be delicious here. And, yes, canned beans work well here too, especially if you are short on time.

Since neither my husband nor I enjoy spicy/hot foods, I am always careful to pay close attention to what I add to a dish to achieve the fullest flavor. I like well-seasoned (not overly salted, though) foods with just a good under-tone of spice. And especially when I am preparing vegan dishes, I want the maximum flavor that I can get so that you never miss the meat.

In addition to an improvement in plant-based meat substitutes, non-grain-based pastas have improved. I used to find them rather gummy and mushy. Recently, however, we have started using red lentil pasta. Now, I would never stop eating wheat-based pastas, but sometimes and in certain dishes, this is a really nice alternative. And it is an inexpensive way to get a good hit of protein and fiber. This has become a go-to “pig-out” comfort food since I can eat as much as I want without any heavy feeling afterwards. And while I did not make a scientific study of this – I have seen zero weight gain when I do this.

But I digress. This simple, hearty soup is a one-pot wonder of a complete meal. But if you wish to make the dinner a bit more special, enjoy it with a nice glass of red wine and a good crusty bread or focaccia. If you have the time and feel so inclined, a crisp green salad would go well too, although it honestly isn’t needed. Vegan White Bean Chorizo Soup makes great left-overs so don’t hesitate to make a big pot.

Recipe

Yield: 4-6 generous servings

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons EVOO

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 cup chopped fresh fennel or celery

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 – 15 oz. cans cooked white beans like Cannellini OR 5-6 cups cooked white beans

4 cups Vegetable Stock, preferably unsalted and/or the cooking liquid from your beans (If you are only using the cooking liquid from the beans, add 2 vegan bouillon cubes of the flavor of your choice when you add the liquid and some additional water)

1 teaspoon (or to taste) Kosher salt and about 25 cracks of fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup broken up uncooked thin red lentil spaghetti

6 ounces (or more to taste) good quality vegan pesto (look for one where basil is the first ingredient and where it uses olive oil and preferably has pine nuts or walnuts)

10 ounces crumbled vegan chorizo (Cook according to package instructions)

If you are into plant-based cheese, you can garnish with some freshly grated “parmesan” or a drizzle of a good olive oil

Directions

In a 6 quart stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 Tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, fennel or celery, garlic and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion has softened.

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano and continue cooking for another 6 or 7 minutes.

Add 2 cups of the cooked beans and one cup of the stock or bean cooking liquid. Then season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon or to taste of black pepper. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

If you are using an immersion blender, you can blend the mixture, with the heat turned off, immediately. You want it mostly smooth but don’t go crazy if there are some bigger bits. If you are using a blender or food processor, you must let the mixture cool down or you will have a mess. This will also need to be done in batches. See how much easier it is with an immersion blender?!

Add the remaining beans and the rest of the stock. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary and add the pasta. Stir. Cook the pasta for about 8 to 10 minutes in the pot of soup.

Add the chorizo and the pesto. Stir through. The soup should be thick, but still soup.

Serve with a dollop of pesto and a good glug of a flavorful EVOO or vegan grated cheese. Leftovers will keep and they will thicken some. It’s up to you if you want to thin it out with some additional stock. I LIKE thick soup.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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Who doesn’t love a good cookie? Whether you are team crisp cookie or team meltingly rich cookie, my blog has options to please everyone. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies are for team meltingly rich cookie. They are both tart and sweet in every morsel. And by using both dried and fresh/frozen cranberries, these cookies have just the exact right amount of chew that allows you to savor each bite.

I came across this recipe one day while scrolling through cards on my phone. The cookies looked so inviting that I decided to give them a try. If I am being honest, I am more team crispy and spicy cookie, but it’s the holidays and I wanted to make these as a treat for my husband and to give away. I did, however, make a couple of small changes to the original recipe. Don’t I always?!

Until about two years ago I refused to eat white chocolate. I wouldn’t even taste it! My father was in the candy business. So at a pretty early age, I came to appreciate the pleasure of very dark chocolate. White chocolate wasn’t even chocolate, using only the cocoa butter without the cocoa solids. And so much of what is on the market is filled with all kinds of other non-chocolate things.

White chocolate will never replace a really, really great piece of dark chocolate. It won’t have that perfect snap and just a hint of bitterness. But, I have come to appreciate that it does have its place.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies are so much more than just white chocolate, however. The ratio of cranberries and white chocolate to cookie dough is quite stunning. When I first mixed up my batter, I thought that there was no way that the cranberries and white chocolate would combine with the dough. And it barely did – which proved to be just right.

The orange zest is the perfect foil to bring out the best in the cranberries. It lends just a dash of citrusy brightness to the cookies. And the red of the cranberries against the white of the dough and chocolate make them perfect for Valentine’s Day. But don’t wait until then to try them.

NOTE: to keep any soft or chewy cookie from getting crispy, place a slice of bread in the tin with the cookies. Pretty much any bread will work. I usually use a slice of challah since I always have it around.

Recipe

Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 Tablespoons or 1.5 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp grated orange zest

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour, or use your favorite GF flour, measured correctly

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cups white bar chocolate coarsely chopped or broken

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not defrost if using frozen), coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries (preferably sweetened with juice)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Beat in the zest and vanilla extract. (I used a hand mixer.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined and dough comes together.

Using a stiff spatula, stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips just until incorporated.

Shape into 1-inch balls (a small cookie scoop makes it easy) and place 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges (My cookies took about 18 minutes, but ovens vary).

Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Now enjoy!

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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There’s a chill in the air and “warm and cozy” is what I crave. The aroma of fresh-baked goods and a pot of garlicky beans are comforting. And we all increasingly need comfort these days. There is a certain madness going on in the world – a madness I had never hoped to see play out again. But as I said in my previous post, we still need to eat and sustain our energy for whatever is coming our way. Pumpkin Protein Muffins come with all of the flavors associated with fall in a package that also happens to be healthy.

Lumpy and bumpy with dried cranberries and toasted pecans, I look forward to eating Pumpkin Protein Muffins with a good cup of coffee each morning. These are a riff on my Banana Protein Muffins and Apple Protein Muffins (they appear in the same post as the Banana Protein Muffins). Each muffin is a mini-cake – only better.

Normally, I absolutely hate recipes (Ina Garten, I mean you!) that only use a partial can of something or a teaspoon of some obscure ingredient. However, while you will have some left-over pumpkin puree from this recipe, I use mine up in vegetable or meat stews and chilis. It adds creaminess and a very subtle depth of flavor.

The state of the world is leaving me bereft of words, so I’ll just go right into the recipe. The muffins should keep for about 5 days well covered. However, they also freeze beautifully.

Recipe

Yield: 12 standard size muffins

Ingredients

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup lightly pan-toasted and coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup brown sugar (I like to use dark brown sugar but light is fine)

1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses

1 rounded teaspoon sweet hawaij or pumpkin seasoning

2 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

1 cup natural ground almonds or almond flour

3/4 cup of blanched almond flour

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly (I prefer refined coconut oil, but virgin coconut oil also works

Directions

Heat the oven to 400° and line the wells of a standard muffin tin with parchment paper or foil muffin cups or spray well with a vegetable spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flours, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, peanut butter powder and protein powder. Add in the dried cranberries and lightly pan-toasted and coarsely chopped pecans. Mix through. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, add in the melted coconut oil, brown sugar and eggs and whisk everything well to combine. Then add in the pumpkin puree and molasses and continue mixing until there are no lumps and everything is well incorporated.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix through thoroughly but only until everything is just combined. Do not over-mix. You will have a fairly thick batter.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill the muffin cups almost to the top.

Bake for 5 minutes at 400° F then reduce the heat to 375°F . Bake for another 5 minutes. If your oven is like mine, I turn my baking pan around at this point and continue baking at 375 degrees F for another 10 or 11 minutes. (Total baking time is about 20 minutes. Ovens vary.) The tops should spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Now enjoy!

Vegan Orange “Chicken”

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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It can be difficult these days to write about anything so mundane as what to make for dinner. These are very troubled and disturbing times across the world and here at home. But eat we must. So I am especially happy when I can pass on something that is visually striking, quick to make, nutritious, delicious and riffable. Vegan Orange “Chicken” fits the bill on all levels.

I have used a chicken substitute here, which is the absolute fastest method. However, this can just as easily be prepared with pressed extra firm tofu. Check out the preparation for using tofu on Pick UP Limes. And frankly, the sauce, which I got from the blog Pick Up Limes is good enough for those of you who prefer to use real chicken. If you are unfamiliar with this blog, which is also on YouTube, and are thinking of trying some Vegan recipes, this is a great place to start. Everything I have made from here has worked as written and has been delicious.

While the world is going to hell in a handbasket (I never quite understood that phrase, but I love the way it sounds), we still have to nourish our bodies and those of ones we love. Even if you work full-time, this dish is put together in under 30 minutes, especially with a few shortcuts. Give it a try.

Recipe

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

For the stir-fry

3 to 4 Tablespoons neutral oil (I like Avocado)

10 to 12 ounces of vegan diced chik’n (There are a number of brands out there now)

About 6 cups of broccoli florets (about 10 or 12 ounces or 1,050 gr, if buying it pre-cut) (IF you wish to use some other firm vegetable or even a mix of vegetables, go for it.)

2 to 3 scallions, cut on an angle, white and green parts

1 mandarin orange, peeled and broken into segments

For the sauce

1 cup (240 mL) orange juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp (10 mL) sriracha hot sauce 

2 Tablespoons (30 mL) sodium-reduced soy sauce or Amino Acids

½ Tablespoons (3 g) freshly grated ginger

½ Tablespoons (7 mL) rice vinegar

1 Tablespoons (8 g) cornstarch 

½ Tablespoons (7 mL) agave or maple syrup, plus more to taste 

Directions

Follow the package instructions for cooking the vegan chik’n. In my case, I heated on medium high heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok. Non-stick is best or a well-seasoned cast iron pan. I poured in the diced chik’n pieces, carefully breaking them into pieces, if frozen together. I cooked the pieces, stirring frequently, for half the amount of time stated on the package.

After 8 minutes (according to my package) I added another Tablespoon of oil and threw in my broccoli florets. I tossed everything through the oil and cooked for another 5 minutes.

While the vegan chik’n and broccoli is cooking, I prepared the sauce in a large measuring cup (or medium bowl). After whisking together the sauce so that there are no lumps of cornstarch, I poured it over the stir-fry mixture, mixing it through. I also added my mandarin sections. The heat was turned up to high and the sauce was brought to a low boil. If you don’t get the sauce hot enough, it won’t thicken. I continued cooking and coating everything with the sauce for 5 to 7 more minutes.

When I was ready to serve, I plated cooked brown rice (any rice will do) and generously ladled out the Vegan Orange “Chicken” over it. I scattered the cut scallions and enjoyed!