Vegan Pozole (Mexican Hominy Soup)

 Vegan Pozole (Mexican Hominy Soup)

Ingredients

2 tsp neutral oil

1/2 onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely diced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

4 cups water

1 1/2 tsp veggie better than bouillon (or use half water, half broth of your choice) 

1 14 oz. can hominy, white or yellow

1 14 oz can kidney (or black or pinto) beans

Optional garnishes:

sliced cabbage

sliced radishes

sliced green onions

sliced fresh jalapenos

avocados

cheese

sour cream

lime wedges

Heat the oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Saute the onion until soft, 8 minutes or so. 

Add garlic and stir for one minute, then add the dry spices, the chopped chipotles, and the tomato paste. Stir for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook for 15 minutes or so over low heat, covered. Remove the lid and cook for 5 additional minutes.

Add the water and bouillon (or water and broth). Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. If using bouillon, stir to dissolve it in the soup.

Drain and rinse the hominy and add it to the pot. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. 

Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes more, uncovered.

Top with desired garnishes

Chipotle Chili

Here is another simple chili recipe using tempeh, butternut, black beans, and chipotle. I really like these chopped chipotles because they are super easy to use.

Chipotle Chili

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz Tempeh, diced about pea-sized

1/2 of a small Butternut Squash, diced (1 1/2 cups, approx)

1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1 15 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup or more Veggie Broth

1 TBSP Chili Powder

2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano

Chipotle in Adobo to taste. 1 tsp or more depending on how spicy you like it. I used about 1 TBSP and the chili was quite spicy. 

Fresh Cilantro, optional garnish.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until pretty soft, 8 minutes or so. Add the garlic and spices and stir for about a minute, then stir in the tempeh. Let it cook over medium or medium low for about 10 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Stir in the tomatoes, with the juice, the broth, the chipotles, and the squash. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Next add in the beans and more broth if the chili is too dry. Simmer, uncovered, until the squash is soft. Taste and add adjust seasoning, if needed. I did not use any salt, but now is the time to add it if it needs it.

Spinach, roasted butternut, pomegranate salad with cashews and maple mustard balsamic dressing

Spinach, roasted butternut, pomegranate salad with cashews and maple mustard balsamic dressing

I made this salad last night for dinner and it was really good. I will try to document amounts here, but you can use whatever amounts of each ingredient that you like. Also, any nuts will probably work. I have a lot of cashews on hands, so that is what I used. Ditto the salad greens. I had spinach, so that is what I used, but anything you like will work.

For the salad:

Salad greens of choice

Cubed butternut squash, roasted at 375 for about 25 minutes until soft and beginning to brown

Pomegranate seeds

Cashews, roasted in a dry non-stick pan over medium-ish heat until brown

For the dressing (this is amount made enough for at least two plate-sized salads):

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp Maple Syrup

Pinch Garlic Granules

Salt and Pepper

I layered my salad on big plate : spinach, then squash, then pomegranate, lastly cashews and drizzled the dressing over it all.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

I love casseroles. And rice. And broccoli. So here we are. I used to make this with a ton of cheddar cheese and butter, but I thought there would be no reason I couldn't make a vegan version, and here is my first attempt. The main 'problem' was that there was way too much sauce, but that will be easily remedied next time. This go around I just scooped the stuff into the baking dish with a slotted spoon, leaving the extra sauce behind, and it turned out great.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

2 tsp or so olive oil

1/2 cup green onions (or onions, or shallots) diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic

salt

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup vegetable broth (this amount reduced from my original try)

1/2 cup plain non-dairy milk (this amount reduced from my original try)

3 tbps nutritional yeast (or to taste depending on how 'cheesy' you like it)

3 cups steamed broccoli

3 cups cooked brown rice

2 Tbsp cashew parmesan

Sweat the onions in the olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped or pressed garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, then stir in the flour. Cook and stir for about a minute or so. It will get gloppy, do not be concerned. Stir in the almond (or other) milk and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, stir in the nutritional yeast, then simmer for a little while to reduce a bit.

 Combine the rice, broccoli, and sauce in a mixing bowl.  Scoop into a baking dish that has been lightly oiled, and sprinkle the top with cashew parm. Bake at 350 until hot and brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Vegan Cashew Parmesan 'Cheese'

There are tons of recipes out there for vegan cashew parm.  If you haven't tried making it yet, it's super easy and delicious. The basic recipe is simply cashews, nutritional yeast, and salt. I like to add garlic granules to mine. You could also add onion granules and dried herbs to suit your taste.

Vegan Cashew Parmesan 'Cheese'

3/4 cup raw cashews

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (or more to taste)

1/4 tsp garlic granules

1/2 tsp salt

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. I like to use this on top of (and inside) casseroles and gratins and on top of zoodles with marinara.

Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash

Finally something autumnal! The weather has cooled off at last, and I got lots of squash and some sage in the CSA this week, so I present stuffed squash. I used delicata, but you can use any winter squash like acorn or pumpkin or butternut...


1 delicata squash
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I cooked mine in broth with sauteed onions and garlic)
2 Tbsp garbanzo beans (I used the rest of the can to make hummus)
2 tsp chopped fresh sage, or to taste
salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp Cashew Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Combine the cooked quinoa, garbanzo beans, and sage in a small bowl Season as desired with salt and pepper and cashew parmesan. Stuff the squash halves, mounding the stuffing as needed and sprinkle with a little more cashew cheese. Bake until the squash is tender and the top is browned, 20-25 minutes.

Mushroom and Tempeh Goulash

This is my second foray into tempeh land, and it was every bit as successful as the tempe chili that I posted earlier. I used elbow macaroni for this but it would work well with zoodles for sure, or any other pasta-type food that you enjoy. I used a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes for this dinner. You could use all fresh if you have enough, or all canned if that's all you've got. I forgot to weigh the fresh tomatoes, so, as usual, amounts below are approximations.

Mushroom and Tempe Goulash

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz. tempeh, diced approximately the size of peas, or whatever size you would like to eat

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all, pureed with a stick blender

3 cups or so sliced mushrooms. I used a combination of crimini and button, use one or both or whatever you have

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup broth if needed

salt and pepper to taste

elbow macaroni or other pasta-type product of choice

Sweat the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the tempeh and a pinch of salt. Cook while you chop the tomatoes and mushrooms. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 8 minutes to break up the tomatoes. The sauce seemed very dry to me at this point, so added about 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Stir in the herbs and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Meanwhile cook or otherwise prepare your pasta. When ready, stir into the pan with the sauce and serve.

I served this with cashew parmesan and it was delicious!