Thai Chicken Won tons

Cooking with soy meats will allow you to make your favorite dishes the vegetarian way, and should not be intimidating.  Soy meats used to be harder to find and were usually only available at a specialty supermarket.  Nowadays, many soy meats can be found in the freezer or refrigerator section at your local grocery stores.  I encourage you to try different brands of soy products, as they do not all taste alike and you may prefer one brand to another.  Gluten free and vegan soy products are becoming easier to find as well.

This dish utilizes soy chicken strips and traditional flavors of Thailand.  Serve these won-tons as a side dish with your favorite Pad Thai, or as a sampling appetizer.  Enjoy!

Thai “Chicken” Won tons

• 5 soy vegan “chicken” strips (Morning Star or other brand)
• 1/2 c. peanut stir-fry & dipping sauce (San-J or other brand)
• * 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1 scallion, chopped
• * 1 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves
  
• * 1 c. fresh baby spinach
  
• *1 carrot
  
• 2 TBSP olive oil
  
• 20 won-ton wrappers
• dijon mustard for dipping

Directions:

Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken strips and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the heat and place the chicken strips in a bowl with the peanut sauce.  Marinate for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, blend the carrot, red pepper and spinach until finely chopped.  Using same skillet or wok, saute the chopped vegetable mixture for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

In a food processor, blend the chicken strips until finely minced.

Mix the minced chicken, sauteed vegetable mixture, chopped scallion and cilantro in a bowl.

Lay 20 won-ton wrappers flat on the counter or other surface.  Spoon 1 tsp of the mixture into the center of each won-ton wrapper.  Using a small bowl of water, lightly wet your finger tip and moisten all edges of the won-ton.  Fold the won-ton on the diagonal, making a triangle shape.  Lightly wet the opposite edges and fold into the center of the won-ton. Continue process until you have filled and sealed all 20 won-tons.

Using a steamer, steam won-tons for 5 minutes over bowling water.   If you prefer crispy won-tons (I do), heat the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil in the wok or skillet and pan fry the won-tons for 5-7 minutes, turning once.

Serve with djon mustard or your favorite dipping sauce.

Yield: 20 won-tons

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I have been waiting patiently all season for our bell peppers to transform into a rainbow like assortment, and the time has come.   Southwest Stuffed Peppers is a recipe I have been preparing for years, and each time I explore using different ingredients to create new varieties.   Each layer of this dish is seasoned well, making each bite burst with flavor.

This recipe is my all time favorite, and the leftovers make delightful lunches the next day.  You may choose to make a big batch and freeze some to enjoy at a later date (bake and let the peppers cool before placing in the freezer).  Most of the ingredients used were grown in the Midwest Vegetarian garden; however, the corn  and cheese were picked up at our local farmer’s market.   This recipe is packed with vegetables, whole grains and protein making it the September balanced meal of the month. To make this dish vegan, replace the dairy cheese with soy cheese.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers:

• *1 zucchini, unpeeled & shredded
• *4 bell peppers (any color)
• 14.5 oz canned fire roasted tomatoes with chiles
• *2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• *1 banana pepper, diced
• 1 cup fire roasted corn, frozen or fresh
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 6 tsp ground cumin
• 5 tsp chili powder
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (or shredded soy cheese)
• *2 scallions (green onions), chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• the juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 °

Cut the bell peppers in half length wise, removing all seeds.

Remove 1 c. of fire roasted corn from the freezer.  Or shuck two ears of corn and grill the cobs directly over open flames until black char marks are present.  Using a knife, remove the corn from the cob.

Drain and rinse black beans.  Place beans in a bowl and mix with 1 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of chili powder.  Mix in the following ingredients:  fire roasted corn, chopped scallion, 4 oz. of cheddar cheese, fire roasted diced tomoatoes, banana pepper, chopped cilantro, 2 tsp cumin and 2 tsp chili powder.  Add the shredded zuchinni, cooked rice, lime juice, the remaining 3 tsp ground cumin and 2 tsp chili powder, mix well.

Prepare a 9×12 baking dish with cooking spray.   Spoon the rice mixture into the pepper halves.  Place the remaining rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to create a base layer.  Place the peppers on top of the rice mixture, and top the peppers with the remaining 4oz cheddar cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

Yield: 8 servings

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Fresh Garden Salsa

Growing up in Indiana I learned quickly that the summer months bring an abundance of tomatoes.  Utilizing a variety of recipes ensures that you will still be savoring the juicy sweet flavors of the tomato when September arrives.

Salsa is a great way to get creative and enjoy your fresh Indiana tomatoes.  Salsa is definitely a staple in our house.  We top many dishes with salsa including our eggs and mixed green salads.  Over the years, I have had fun experimenting with different salsa flavors.  My husband recently took an interest in making fresh salsa, and man does he like it hot and spicy!  We came up with this recipe together, utilizing the mango to help balance out the spiciness.  Be creative and use what ingredients you love.

Fresh Garden Salsa:

• * 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cored
  
• * 1 small garlic clove
• * 1/2 jalapeno pepper (put the whole pepper in for more heat)
• * 1 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves
• * 1 banana pepper
• * 1 green pepper
• 1/2 white onion
• juice of one lime
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• few grinds of salt

Directions:

Place the garlic clove and onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the salsa becomes the consistency you prefer.  Pour into a glass jar with lid or bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 3 cups

* items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Homemade Marinara Sauce

I am excited to share my first recipe using some of our canned goods to make a homemade marinara sauce.  In the canning process, the flavors of Indiana tomatoes are captured for the coming seasons.  However, I could not wait any longer and had to break the seal for this recipe! If you do not can your own tomato products, not a problem!   I have listed substitutions that you can buy conveniently at your local grocery store.

Homemade Marinara Sauce:

• *1 quart of homemade canned tomato chunks (or 32 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic, onion & green pepper)
• * 1/2 c. of homemade canned V-12 tomato juice (or store bought)
• * 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
• 2 TBSP tomato paste

Directions:

Heat the tomato chunks over medium low heat in a sauce pan to slowly reduce down the liquid.  Stir in 1/2 the tomato paste and 1/2 the tomato juice.  Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Once the liquid has reduced again, add the rest of the juice, paste, and chopped basil.  Do not let the sauce come to a boil as it might burn. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 additional minutes or until ready to serve.   Toss with your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Yield: 3 c.

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Olive Tapenade

Several years ago, my husband traveled to New Orleans for his first visit and fell in love with the famous muffaletta sandwich.  His favorite part of the sandwich, surprisingly, was not the meat but the olive tapenade spread.   I decided to create my own olive tapenade, which we both enjoy so much that we use it in many dishes.  Spread it on a sandwich, endive leaves or on top of a crostini!

The garlic used in this recipe was recently harvested and dried by my grandmother.  She gave us plenty to use throughout the winter months so we are storing some of the garlic in our cool basement and the rest in the freezer.

Olive Tapenade

• 1/2 c. kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 c. green olives, pitted
• 1 TBSP  sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil), chopped
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp capers
• 1 garlic clove, minced
•  1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• * 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• few grinds black pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor or mini chopper.  Process to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture becomes a coarse paste (about 1 minute). Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Yield:

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Fresh Veggie Fettuccine with Marinara

Can a fettuccine dish really be made without using pasta?  The Midwest Vegetarian thinks so!  This is a fresh, healthy, and light spin on an Italian comfort food.  The best part is the veggies are served raw, saving you more time to spend with your loved ones rather than in the kitchen slaving over a hot oven.

Fresh Veggie Fettuccine:

• * 2 small zucchini
• * 2 small yellow summer squash
• * 2 carrots
• * 1 red bell pepper
• * 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1/4 c. parmesan, freshly grated (optional)

Directions:

Wash all veggies. Cut the ends off the zucchini and squash.  Using a potato peeler, thinly slice both veggies length wise creating long/wide noodle like pieces.  Do the same with the carrots, creating long pieces.  Take the bell pepper, cut in half and clean out seeds and membrane.  Slice bell pepper into thin julienne style pieces.  Stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up.  Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut the basil leaves into thin strips.

In a sauce pan over medium, heat the marinara sauce until hot but not boiling.  Ladle the sauce into 4 individual bowls.  Top the sauce with the raw veggie “noodles”.  Sprinkle with grated cheese (leave off for vegan diners) and basil strips.  Enjoy!

Yield: 4

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Canned Goods

Canning is a way of preserving your fruits and vegetables after the year’s harvest.   This is a folkloric activity that has been performed for generations, and is thought to be a lost art.  Our family tradition originally began in Sweden where my great-great grandmother canned out of necessity and then brought her techniques to America.  The secret recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, and now my mother has passed them on to me.  These delicious jars full of tomato chunks, tomato juice, pickles, green beans, salsa, beets and jams make wonderful gifts and are always appreciated.

Growing up, the month of August was always the prime canning time for my mother, and this year I joined in on the fun in hopes of keeping the family tradition alive.  I was given a pressure canner and several boxes of jars from my aunt last fall, and looked forward to putting them to use this year.

This season, my mother and I have canned tomato chunks, which makes a great base for chili or vegetable soup, as well as V-12 tomato juice, which makes a flavorful tomato sauce or the perfect bloody mary cocktail.   The tomato juice is wonderful by itself.  My grandfather drank a glass of tomato juice that my grandmother made every morning for 51 years!  All the items used to make these delicious canned goods are grown in our gardens.   Store bought canned products are convenient, however the taste does not compare!

We look forward to preserving more items each weekend throughout the rest of the season.  I relish the time spent with my mother, learning directly from her and look forward to sharing our folkloric tradition with my children some day.  Although I can not share the secret recipe with you just yet (it may be released some day in my cookbook), I will share several recipes throughout the fall/winter months using these products.

Garden Vegetable Curry

The most frequently asked questions I get are “What does a vegetarian eat, salad and pasta?” and “How do you get your protein?” My sister had a great suggestion for me to share a balanced vegetarian meal each month in hopes of creating new cooking ideas for those unfamiliar with a vegetarian diet.  My main source of protein comes from soy, whole grains, dairy, nuts, eggs, beans and legumes.

My sister introduced me to Indian food several years ago.  I fell in love with the spicy flavors, and variety of vegetarian cuisine available.  Most recently during her travels she sent a jar of her favorite curry paste home for me to try.  The paste has the right mix of spices and oil to create a rich curry sauce.

We harvested our first two ichiban eggplants this week.  Ichiban or Japanese eggplant are a skinny smaller version of the Italian eggplant.  The Italian eggplants are tougher and require a 30 min. salting process before cooking.  Ichiban eggplants do not require this process and the skins are softer making them easier to eat.

Our homegrown vegetable selection is in abundance, making it the perfect time to prepare and share my garden vegetable curry.   This recipe is my first featured balanced meal of the month.  I hope you will sample this one!

Garden Vegetable Curry:

• *1 ichiban eggplant, chopped (or 1/2 Italian eggplant)
• *1 zucchini, chopped
• *1 yellow squash, chopped
• *1/2 red bell pepper
• *1/2 orange bell pepper
• *1/2 yellow bell pepper
• *20 green beans, cut in thirds
• *1 carrot, diced
• *2 tomatoes, diced
• *1/2 hot chile pepper (add more for extra heat)
• 1 potato, diced
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 8-10 button mushrooms, diced
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 4 oz. masala marinated baked tofu
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. curry paste (Patak’s brand is great)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 4 TBSP plain yogurt (or soy yogurt)
• 3 c. cooked brown rice

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the pre-baked chopped tofu with your favorite store bought gluten free masala simmer sauce and cover with plastic wrap.  Marinate the tofu in the refrigerator over night or for at least a couple of hours.  Masala flavored tofu can also be found pre-marinated in some specialty grocery stores.

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat.   Sauté the onion, garlic, potato and carrot for about 5 minutes.  Add the curry paste, garam masala, chile and all the veggies to the pan (excluding the tomatoes and peas).  Stir well making sure all ingredients are coated well with curry paste.  Strain the tofu from the liquid and add to the pan.   Cover and cook  until vegetables are tender, stirring often (about 30 minutes).

Add the chopped tomatoes and frozen peas to the pan.  Cook for additional 5 minutes.  Stir in the yogurt until heated through, do not bring to a boil.  Serve over a bed of brown basmati rice and enjoy with your favorite naan (Indian bread-not gluten free).

Serves 6-8

*items from Midwest Vegetarian garden

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Spicy Green Beans

Green beans are an easy item to grow by seed in your garden and will be enjoyed all season long.  Last season we grew climbing beans along our fence row and trellis, which produced a plentiful crop.  This year we grew bush beans and have been very happy with the harvest.

Garden tip: Remember not to touch your beans when they are wet (after a rain shower or morning dew) as they can form a fungus and hurt your crop.
Green beans are another versatile green vegetable that are delighted by most.  My husband loves spicy foods, so I tried to create a healthy yet bursting with flavor dish.  He always requests this recipe.

Spicy Green Beans:

• * 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
• 2 young garlic cloves, minced
• 1  TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• few grinds of salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP general tso sauce
• water & salt for boiling
• water & ice for chilling

Directions:

Place green beans in deep saucepan.  Fill with enough water to cover the green beans and add salt.  Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  Cook green beans until they are bright green and tender (about 5 minutes).  Drain water and place green beans in a bowl filled with ice water.  This will stop the cooking process and help preserve the bright green color.  Once the green beans are cooled, remove from the water and pat dry with a towel.

Heat oil in the same saucepan over medium heat.  Sauté  the garlic in the oil (about 3 minutes).   Add green beans, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook until tender (about 5 minutes).  Add general tso’s sauce and cook for additional 2-3 minutes.  Enjoy.
Serves 2
* items from Midwest Vegetarian garden
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Garlicky Swiss Chard

Sowing seeds, watching them sprout and nurturing their growth is a gratifying experience.  This week my grandmother harvested young garlic and baby swiss chard.  The flavors are a less potent version of the original.  I was given a bag full of goodies to experiment with.  I sampled a few grape tomatoes this week from the farmers market, and added them into the mix.  Usually I would add grape tomatoes from my garden, however, they are still green on the vine.  Sauté these items together and you have a simple, healthy and delicious recipe.

Garlicky Swiss Chard:

• 2 bunches baby swiss chard
• 3 cloves young garlic minced (or 1 full grown clove)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6-8 grape tomatoes, halved
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• pinch of salt
• few grinds of black pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes to infuse the oil.  Add the baby swiss chard and allow it to wilt down.  Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, sauté additional 3 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2

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