Red kale, kamut and wild rice salad

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With sun-dried tomatoes and pumpkin seeds, this salad offers a lot of texture, colour, and nutrition — either as a side dish or a light lunch. Kamut is a relative of wheat. Similar in some respect to orzo, it plumps up when cooked.

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable stock
1/4t coarse sea salt
2/3 cup kamut
1/3 cup wild rice
2T sun-dried tomatoes, diced
4 cups packed red kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2T olive oil
1T lemon juice
2T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the stock and the sea salt to a light boil in a small sauce pan with a lid.
Add the kamut, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.*
Add the wild rice, cover and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the moisture has been absorbed.
Remove from heat.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the nutritional yeast.
Stir until until well-combined.
Cover and let stand 10 minutes to wilt the kale.
Toss with nutritional yeast, season to taste and serve.

*If you prefer, soak the kamut overnight, and then just cook the kamut and wild rice together, reducing the stock to 2 1/2 cups.

Green apple with salted bourbon, chai caramel and peanuts

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A traditional favourite rearranged and accented with a number of rich, complementary flavours.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bourbon whiskey (1)
1/2 cup cane sugar (2)
1t black strap molasses
2T plant-only vegetable shortening
1/4t coarse sea salt (or to taste
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 chai tea bags
1/4 cup cashew butter
1 green apple (e.g., granny smith) cored and sliced in 1/8″ slices
2T peanuts, chopped

Directions

Bring the whiskey to a simmer in a small sauce pan on medium.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Add the molasses, shortening and sea salt.
Stirring frequently, reduce the whiskey to about 1/4 cup.
Add the soy milk and the chai tea bags.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags.
Reduce, stirring frequently, on medium to a heaping 1/2 cup.
Using an immersion blender, puree the cashew butter with the reduction until emulsified.
Return to heat and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
The caramel should be a rich brown at this point. If not, continue cooking on medium-low (it will darken). Don’t reduce beyond 1/2 cup.
Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes to cool.
Puree again if necessary.
Core and slice the apple and chop the peanuts.
Plate the apples, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with peanuts.

  1. It’s very rare, but some whiskey is produced using animal products.

  2. A growing number of white cane sugars are bleached without using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar, and other unbleached sugars should be fine.

Warm kamut salad with red pepper, zucchini and kale

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A simple warm salad that goes well as a side dish. Add some walnuts or black olives for a light lunch.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup kamut berries
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
2T cooking oil
2 scallions, minced
1T fresh garlic, minced
2T fresh basil, minced
1t dried rubbed oregano
2 red peppers, 1/2″ dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large zucchini, 1/4″ slices (about 2 cups)
2 cups kale, finely chopped
1T lemon juice
1t tamari
2T nutritional yeast
2T olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

First, make the kamut.
In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring the water and 1/4t sea salt to a simmer.
Add the kamut.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the stock has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Trim the ends of the zucchini, slice in half length-wise and then slice in 1/4″ rounds.
In a large frying pan, bring the oil and 1/4t sea salt to heat on medium high.
Add the scallion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and herbs and saute for 1 minute.
Add the red pepper and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the kale and saute for 3 minutes or until the pan is starting to lightly brown.
Add the lemon juice and tamari, and deglaze the pan.
Remove from heat.
Add the nutritional yeast, olive oil and kamut, and toss to combine.
Season to taste and serve.

Orange mushroom gravy

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A simple, flavourful gravy seasoned with ginger, mustard ad other nuances. Good with roasted vegetables, tofu, tempeh and other foods. Pictured here with tofu, and roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots and potatoes.

Ingredients

1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse salt
1 scallions, minced
1T garlic, minced
100 grams cremini mushrooms in 1/8″ slices
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups mushroom stock
2T orange marmalade*
2t tamari
1T balsamic vinegar
1t prepared brown mustard
1 pinch cloves
2t fresh grated ginger
1T scant of tapioca flour dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium high in a frying pan with a lid.
Add the scallions and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms start to lose their moisture and the pan starts to brown.
Add the orange juice and deglaze the pan.
Add the renaming ingredients except for the tapioca flour and related water.
Stir until thoroughly combined.
Reduce to medium low and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup.
Whisk the tapioca with the water until dissolved.
Stirring constantly, slowly add the tapioca mixture until thickened.
Season to taste and serve immediately.

*Choose a marmalade made with organic sugar or other sugar that hasn’t been bleached using animal bone charcoal.

Roasted potato, mushroom and arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette

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A simple salad with a rich, dark flavour.

Ingredients

1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup diced white potatoes in 1/2″ dice
1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 scallion, minced
1t fresh garlic, minced
2T olive oil
2t balsamic vinegar
1/2t prepared mustard
1t nutritional yeast
2 cups packed arugula
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Toss the potatoes, mushrooms, scallions and garlic with the cooking oil and sea salt.
Roast until the potatoes are fork tender on the middle rack in a lightly oiled baking sheet (approximately 20-30 minutes). Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the potatoes as your guide.
When done, remove the potatoes and mushrooms from the oven and set aside.
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and yeast until emulsified.
Toss with the arugula.
Toss the potatoes and mushrooms with the arugula.
Let stand 10 minutes to wilt the arugula.
Season to taste and serve.

Fried wild rice and cabbage salad with mushrooms, walnuts and scallions

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A good side dish for dinner or for lunch, this is a salad with a lot of flavor and texture.

1/2 cup water
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
1/4 cup wild rice
2T cooking oil
2 scallions, minced (4″ of green reserved for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms, 1/4″ slices
2 cups shredded cabbage (I used coleslaw mix)
1T apple cider vinegar
1T tamari
1T olive oil
2T nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Bring the water and 1/4t coarse sea salt to a boil in a small sauce pan with a lid.
Add the wild rice, cover and simmer or about 40-50 minutes on low until the water has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and set aside.
While the rice finishes, make the mushrooms and cabbage.
In a large frying pan with a lid, bring the cooking oil to heat with 1/4t of coarse sea salt on medium-high.
Add the scallion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes (until the pan starts to brown).
Add the cabbage and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the vinegar and tamari and deglaze the pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and fry for 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is lightly soft but still chewy, stirring frequently.
Return head to medium high, add the wild rice and the olive oil and saute for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand to cool 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and chopped walnuts.
Stir to combine.
Garnish with scallions and serve.

Potato and cabbage soup with roasted portobello mushroom slices

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Thickened with sesame and tapioca and garnished with scallion, parsley and nutritional yeast, this is a flavourful and rich soup with lots of body.

Ingredients

2T cooking oil, divided
1t coarse salt, divided
3 scallions, minced (reserve 4-6″ of green for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1T lemon juice
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large white potato (about 1/3lb or 2 cups) in 1/2″ dice
2T sesame seed butter (thick tahini)
2 cups shredded cabbage (I use coleslaw)
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, divided
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 large portobello mushrooms (about 200g), 1/2″ slices
2T tapioca flour dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water.
2-4 sprigs flat leaf parsley

Directions

In a large pan with a lid, bring 1T cooking oil with 1/4t coarse sea salt to heat on medium high.
Saute the scallions for 2 minutes.
Saute the garlic for 1 minute.
Add the potatoes and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan.
Add the stock, bring to simmer, cover and reduce to low.
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Add the sesame seed butter and 2T of nutritional yeast.
Puree the soup until smooth.
Add another 1/4t sea salt and the cabbage.
Return the soup to a simmer, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes until the cabbage is lightly tender.
While the soup cooks, make the mushrooms.
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Clean, stem, and slice the mushrooms and toss the slices in 1T cooking oil and 1/2t coarse sea salt.
In a lightly oiled roasting pan, roast the mushrooms until they brown (about 20 minutes), turning once. Ovens vary; use the colour and tenderness of the mushrooms as your guide.
When the cabbage has softened, whisk the tapioca and water.
Stirring continuously, slowly add the mixture to the soup until thickened.
Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to cool.
Season to taste.
Ladle out and garnish with the remaining nutritional yeast, then the mushrooms, and finally the scallion and parsley.

Wilted spinach, wild rice and red pepper salad with black sesame seeds

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A simple side dish with lots of texture and colour. Add a couple tablespoons of dried cranberries or some sliced pear for a little extra flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup wild rice
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 cups packed baby spinach greens
1 large red pepper, cored and thinly sliced (1/4″)
1T olive oil
1/2t sugar*
2t lime juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2T black sesame seeds
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the water to a boil with the sea salt in a small sauce pan with a lid.
Add the rice, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes (or until the water is absorbed).
Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes covered to fluff.
Whisk the oil, sugar, and lime juice with 1T nutritional yeast.
Toss with the spinach, red pepper and remaining nutritional yeast.
Add the wild rice and toss to combine.
Let stand 10 minutes to wilt the spinach.
Season to taste, plate and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

*Not all cane sugars are manufactured without the use of animal products. Organic cane sugar, beet sugar, and otherwise unrefined sugars are typically fine.

 

 

Soft wheat and cabbage with ginger and garlic

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A very simple side dish based on an Ethiopian dish. Trade the wheat for potatoes and add some carrots for a more traditional version.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
1/2 cup soft wheat berries
2T plant only margarine
1/2T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, minced
1/4t dried ground cumin
1/4t dried ground turmeric
2 cups shredded cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
1/2t white vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring the water and 1/4t sea salt to a light boil.
Add the wheat, reduce to low, cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 45 minutes give or take).
Remove from heat and set aside.
When the wheat is done, in a large frying pan on medium low, bring the margarine to heat with the sea salt.
Add the spices and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the cabbage and the wheat, and stir to combine.
Add the vinegar.
Fry for 7-10 minutes or until the cabbage is lightly wilted, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and serve.

Spinach and walnut pesto

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A simple, rich pesto heavy on the greens. Pictured here with seitan, sauerkraut and kamut.

Ingredients

2T olive oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
2T walnuts
1 cup packed spinach
2t lemon juice
1/2T fresh garlic, minced
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

In a food processor, grind the walnuts with the oil and sea salt.
Add the remaining ingredients, and puree until smooth.
Let stand 20 minutes, season to taste, and serve.