Oregon Apple-Cranberry Sauce

 

 

I used organic cranberries from Bandon, Oregon and a Jonagold apple from Hood River, Oregon in this yummy cranberry sauce.

We will enjoy this tomorrow with Vegan Spatzle With Spinach Cashew Cream Sauce
 and Winter Squash (recipe found in Main Dishes)

 

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, washed

1 cup coarsely shredded, sweet apple

3/4 cup evaporated cane juice

2 cups water

1 whole cinnamon stick

 

Place all ingredients in a 3-4 quart sauce pan.  bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until most of the cranberries burst.  Remove the cinnamon stick.

Remove from heat and cool.  Refrigerate for up to five days.

 

Makes 3 cups.

 

2 tablespoons is 36.5 calories

1/4 cup is 73 calories

 

Vegan Vanilla Caramel Sauce

 

 

We took a drive out to apple and pear orchards in Hood River, Oregon yesterday.  It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day and a great drive along the Columbia River. 

We drove the entire Fruit Loop and came home a variety of apples, pears, cider and hard cider.

http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/index.html

 

The cider is fresh from Mt. View Orchards.  You can watch them press the cider and in the orchard under the trees.

http://mtvieworchards.com/

 

The hard cider is from Fox Tail Cider (right next to Smiley's Red Barn.

They make 7 varieties of hard cider on site.  You can taste one for $1.50 or all seven for $8.00.  Once you pick your favorites you can buy by the glass, or take a home a 32 or 64 ounce growler.    The 32 ounce is $14.00 and the 64 ounce is $20.00.  They offer $2.00 off when you return to refill your growler.

They also have a lunch menu- it is small and simple but hit the spot.

http://foxtailcider.com/

 

http://www.smileysredbarn.com/

 

So doesn't a really good apple deserve a nice caramel sauce?  My friend Glenn (he owns Le Mieux Foods) makes a great Caramel de Beurre - French Salted Caramel Sauce.  It has lots of butter and cream.

While I know my caramel sauce pales in comparison to his, it helps me stick to my vegan diet.

You can purchase Glenn's caramel sauce at any Made in Oregon store or online.

http://www.madeinoregon.com/French_Salted_Caramel_Sauce.html

 

 

The recipe:

 2 cups evaporated cane juice

12 tablespoons Earth Balance cube margarine

1 cup non-dairy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla (real, not imitation)- I used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

 

In a large 3-4 quart heavy bottom pan, melt sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until an amber to brown color.  This will happen very quickly.  It will go from melted to burned in a matter of seconds.

Stir in margarine until melted.  The mixture will bubble up a bit. 

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in non-dairy cream.  It really bubble up a lot when you  do this.  Don't scrape the sides of the pan.   This is why you need a large pan.

Stir in the vanilla.

Pour into a glass jar without scrapping the sides of the pan.  Let cool to room temp (3-4 hours), then cover and refrigerate.

This is a pourable sauce.  if you wish a thicker sauce, decrease the cream a bit.

 

Makes 3 cups.  It has 55 calories per tablespoon.

 

 

Portobello Mushroom Soup

Portobello Mushroom Soup

 

 

 

Portobello mushrooms are crimini mushrooms grown up.  They have a musty, earthy flavor. Some people call them 'meaty', but this is a vegan blog....

The longer portobellos are cooked the chewier they become.  So in a soup, they really do give some substance.

I used a cup of white wine in this recipe and it gives the soup a fabulous flavor.  I know that people are often quite surprised that a vegan would consume anything with alcohol.  My stance is that that it doesn't contain meat, dairy or eggs, so.... alcohol is vegan isn't it?

Also, I have had several people ask why I use SoDelcious Coconut Milk in my recipes- I am allergic to almonds and soy.  I can have wee bits of soy, but have to watch it.  The other non-dairy products do nothing for my taste buds.

Summer is not quite over, but here in the Pacific northwest it is cool and rainy today- a perfect day for soup.  Move over Campbell's, McFarlane's Mushroom is here!

 

2 cups diced onion

6 cups chopped portobello mushrooms (bite sized pieces)

1 cup white wine (I used Chateau St. Michele Riesling)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used SoDelicous Coconut Milk- the 45 calories per cup variety)

6 tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch

 

Spray a large pot with spray olive oil.  Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté over high heat until the onions are translucent.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan.  Boil for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the parsley.

Add the broth and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with the non-dairy milk and stir into the soup.  bring to boil stirring constantly.  Boil for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and enjoy.

 

Makes ten cups with 75.4 calories per cup.

 

 

 

Vegan BBQ Seitan"Pork"

 

 

 

We made our faux meat from Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten.  Vital wheat gluten is about 75% protein and is a nice alternative to soy products.

Wheat gluten, is also referred to as seitan, wheat meat, gluten meat, or simply gluten.  It has a firm texture and takes on the flavor of the spices and other ingredients.   Of course, this is not a viable product for those who are gluten intolerant.

 It is surprisingly simple to make, but takes a little time.  I made the seitan on the weekend.  Tonight it came together as a very quick and simple meal with the addition of BBQ sauce.

 

Many thanks to my son, Thomas, for photographing tonight's dinner.

 

Now for the recipe:

 

6 cups water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark molasses

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

 

Bring to a boil in an 8 quart pot while you prepare the seitan.  The seitan will expand when it cooks, so be sure to use a large pot.

 

2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

 

2 cups water

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

 

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

Add the liquid smoke to the water.  Add the water mixture to the dry mixture.  Stir quickly.  It comes together in a gelatinous, wet glob very quickly.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon of vital wheat flour on a clean dry surface.  Dump the mixture on to the surface and knead for 1-2 minutes.

Cut into 8 pieces and flatten as much as you can.  It is very elastic so don't worry about the shape very much.

Place the pieces into the boiling pot.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for one hour.

Remove from the pot, drain and refrigerate over night.    A plastic zipper bag work great for this.

The flavors will develop while refrigerated.  At this point it is great cut up on a salad, in a sandwich or stir fry.

 

This makes 8 generous servings.  Each serving has 120 calories, 23 grams of protein and 3 net carbs.

 

For our BBQ 'pork' version, cut into narrow (1/4-1/2 inch strips) and heat in your favorite BBQ sauce.

 

We had this with coleslaw on a piece of Dave's Killer Bread.  Yum!

 

Braised Broccolini and Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

 

 

 

Broccolini (broccolette)  is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a  hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli.  The stems and the florets are edible.  It has a milder flavor than broccoli.  Some say it tastes like a cross between broccoli and asparagus.  Both broccolette and broccolini are brand names.  (broccolette- EarthBound Organics; broccolini- Mann)

We love it braised with fresh tomatoes and lemon juice.

 

1 pound fresh broccolini (or broccolette), washed

1/2 cup water

2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes cut in half

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Coat a large skillet with spray oil.  Heat over high heat and then add the broccolini.  Place a lid on the pan.  Turn every 1-2 minutes or until the florets begin to brown on the edges.

Add the 1/2 cup water and turn heat down to medium.  When the water has evaporated add the tomatoes and lemon juice.

Turn the heat to high and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes are beginning to cook.  The broccolini should be aldente, depending on the size of the stalks.

Remove for the pan and enjoy.

Makes four generous servings at 52 calories each.

 

 

No-Fat Roasted Vegetables

 

 

 

Typically roasted vegetables are coated in olive oil to help them brown a bit.  I substitute spray olive oil and avoid the avoid the calories.  If calories are not an issue for you, go ahead and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil instead of the spray oil.

I always select vegetables for their color.  A colorful dish is one loaded with vitamins.  The staples of my roasted vegetables are sweet onions (usually Vidalia or Walla Walla), mushrooms and red sweet peppers.  Then I add whatever vegetables I find at a good price in my local produce market.  I stick with the non-starchy vegetables.  As much as I love potatoes they are pretty high on the glycemic index and not good for the blood sugar.  Sweet potatoes, however are lower on the glycemic index and add a nice color.

In the photo, the roasted vegetables are on the right side of the plate.  On the left side is my mushroom ravioli.  I sauteed some halved baby heirloom tomatoes with some fresh oregano, chives and parsley and then tossed with the cooked ravioli.

 

The basic recipe:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a large roasting pan with spray oil.  Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces and toss in the pan.  Coat the top of the vegetables with more spray oil.  Bake for 20 minutes and then stir.  Bake another 20 minutes or until desired done to your liking. 

 

The calorie count varies based the vegetables you choose. The roasted vegetables in the photo include the following:

onion

mushrooms

sweet red pepper

an orange carrot

a purple carrot

eggplant

brussel sprouts

 

Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadilla

 

 

Sweet potatoes have been in the spotlight as a 'super food'.  The contain antioxidants, they are low glycemic, high in beta carotene and have antinflammatory properties.

Once only found under marshmallows at the holidays, sweet potatoes now take center stage in every day cooking.

This recipe for quesadillas is loaded with nutrients from the sweet potatoes and black beans.  I used a low carb tortilla to keep the glycemic index low.

 

1 1/2 cups diced onions

2 cups diced mushrooms

1/2 cup diced red sweet pepper

2 cups diced sweet potato

1 1/2 cups rinsed black beans

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar (or other non-dairy cheese)

12 La Victoria 6 inch low carb tortillas

Optional condiments (non-dairy sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc)

 

Coat a skillet with spray oil.  Over medium high heat, saute the onions, mushrooms and peppers.  When the onions begin to brown add the sweet potatoes, water, and seasonings.  Cover the skillet and turn down to medium.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

For each quesadilla, lay a tortilla on a griddle or skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup cheese and 3/4 cup of the sweet potato mixture.  Add a second tortilla.  When the bottom begins to brown, turn over and brown on the other side and until cheese melts.

Cut into 2-4 wedges and serve.

 

Makes six quesadillas at 331 calories each.

 

Alternatively, use a larger tortilla and make into a burrito