MUSHROOM BUTTER MASALA [VEGAN]

If you've been to an Indian restaurant, chances are you've seen butter masala on the menu. It's a rich and delicious gravy curry with a sauce made creamy through the addition of milk or cream and butter. This vegan mushroom butter masala is a spicy, creamy and a delicious dish that is the perfect accompaniment for steamed rice, flatbread, or even dosas.

Serves: 3-4
Cook time: 30 minutes

ingredieNTS

• 10 ounces, mushrooms, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 green chilis chopped
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 big or 3 small tomatoes
• 7 cashews
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander leaves, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick pan. Add onion, garlic, green chili and ginger and sauté until translucent. Add a pinch of salt while sautéeing so that onion cooks faster.
2. Add the mushroom and sauté until it develops some color.
3. Meanwhile, grind the tomatoes and the cashews together adding a little water to form a smooth paste.
4. Add this ground paste along with red chili powder, garam masala powder, and turmeric powder to the cooked mushrooms and onion and bring it to a boil. Adjust the salt and water for desired consistency. This might take about 4 to 5 minutes
5. Add the non-dairy milk and again bring to a boil. Finally, add the dried kasuri methi/fenugreek leaves, mix well, and cook for one minute or until you get the desired consistency.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
7. Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/mushroom-butter-masala/

TAHINI-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH LEMONY HERB OIL [VEGAN]

Dinners, in the traditional sense, are usually centered around one main dish. For a stunning centerpiece that looks as amazing as it tastes, you have to try this roasted whole cauliflower. Along with being absolutely gorgeous, it is craftily spiced, rubbed down with a nutty tahini coating, drizzled with lemony herbs, and eventually garnished with roasted almonds.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium-sized cauliflower
• A handful of toasted almonds

FOR THE BAHARAT SPICE BLEND:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 5 cloves
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

FOR THE TAHINI COATING:

• 3 tablespoons tahini
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baharat spice blend (see above)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE LEMONY HERB OIL:

• A bundle of parsley
• A bundle of cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• A pinch of salt

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE BAHARAT SPICE BLEND:

1. Toast peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cloves on a hot dry pan, until fragrant. Remove the pan from heat, then grind the spices in a mortar. Add rest of the spices and mix together.

TO MAKE THE TAHINI COATING:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Add more water if the mixture seems too thick, it should be spreadable.

TO MAKE THE LEMONY HERB OIL:

1. Blend all ingredients into a smooth, pesto-like paste.

TO MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER:

1. Preheat oven to 390°F. Brush cast-iron skillet, or other oven-proof dish with olive oil.
2. Remove the green outer leaves from cauliflower. Level the stem so that cauliflower stands up.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook cauliflower for 7 minutes. Drain and pat it dry.
4. Spread tahini mixture all over the cauliflower with your hands. Roast cauliflower in the oven for 45 minutes or until it can be pierced with a fork. Increase oven temperature to 435°F and bake cauliflower for additional 5-10 minutes, until small brown spots start to appear.
5. Drizzle cauliflower with some herb oil and garnish with toasted almonds just before serving.
6. Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/tahini-roasted-cauliflower-with-lemony-herb-oil/

NAAN BREAD [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

This recipe for naan is so pillowy, you'd never guess that it's gluten-free. These breads are best served while still fresh and warm, ready to eat with your favorite curry or biryani recipe. Of course, they're so good, that you might just want to make a batch to snack on.

INGREDIENTS

For the Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup homemade non-dairy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Garnish:

• 1/4 cup olive oil, for brushing
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds or cumin seeds, for sprinkling

PREPARATION

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture and use a spatula or clean hand to form the dough. If you are using a different all-purpose gluten-free flour than indicated in the note, the wetness of your dough might be different. Add 1 tablespoon of extra milk at a time, if necessary, to form a slightly sticky dough but not too wet. Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 5 hours. The dough should smell yeasty at the end of the fermentation.
2. Lightly dust a working surface with some gluten-free flour and transfer the yeast dough onto the surface. Roll the dough gently to form a smooth ball and then flatten the ball to form a disc.
3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a small smooth ball. Use a rolling pin to form each ball into an oval-shaped disc, approximately 1/8-inch thick.
4. Lightly brush a thin layer of olive oil on top of the naan and sprinkle with sesame seeds or cumin seeds.

For the Stove-Top Method:

1. Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat. When the pan is smoky hot, lightly brush some oil and place the flattened naan dough into the pan, one at a time. Cover with lid and reduce the heat to medium. Cook each side for 1-1/2 minutes. Repeat the process until the dough disks are finished.

For the Oven Method:

1. Set the oven to broil. Lightly grease a metal baking sheet. Place a few dough disks on the baking sheet and keep them 1/2-inch apart. Place the baking sheet on the top rack. Bake each side for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes depends on your oven setting. When you see the dough is forming large bubbles, it’s ready to flip to the other side.

NOTES

This gluten-free naan is best when served hot. They can be kept in a freezer up to a month. Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave oven to regain the soft texture.

Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/naan-bread/

SWEET POTATO MAC AND CHEESE WITH SPINACH [VEGAN]

In this mac and cheese recipe, sweet potatoes serve as the base to make the cheesy orange sauce that we all know and love. The spices and mustard balance out the sweetness, to create the ultimate mac.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 cups cooked)
• 1 pound dried pasta shells
• 1/3 cup vegan butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons white miso
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Poke a few holes with a fork into sweet potatoes and wrap them in foil. Bake until cooked through, about 60 minutes. When sweet potatoes are cooked and slightly cool, scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. Set flesh aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium pot, melt the butter. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes until mixture thickens. Stir in half the non-dairy milk and continue stirring another 2 minutes or so as mixture continues to thicken. Stir in sweet potatoes. Add in remaining milk, garlic, mustard, miso, cayenne, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, and salt. Continue cooking another few minutes until a thick sauce consistency is reached.
4. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Place cooked pasta into the sauce pot. Over low heat, pour blended sauce over pasta and stir well. Stir in baby spinach and cook about 2 minutes until pasta is warm and spinach is wilted.
5. Serve with freshly ground pepper.
6. Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/sweet-potato-mac-and-cheese-with-spinach/

Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 18-20 cookies

Ingredients: 

• 7 tbsp Earth Balance butter + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used organic)

• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or use white sugar)

• 1 flax egg: (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour (I processed 1 cup certified gf rolled oats into flour)

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour (add 2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour if you want a thicker cookie)

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

 1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the flax egg and set aside.2. With an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the Earth Balance and oil until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Beat in the flax egg and vanilla extract.3. Beat in the remaining ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.4. With wet fingers, shape balls of dough and place on the baking sheet. The dough will be very sticky but don’t worry! No need to flatten the balls down! Bake for about 10-11 minutes until slightly golden along edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack for another 10 minutes.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 7 tbsp vegan butter + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or 1/2 cup vegan butter)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cane sugar (or use white)
• 1 flax egg: (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the flax egg and set aside.

2. With an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the Earth Balance vegan butter until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cane sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Beat in the flax egg.

3. Beat in the remaining ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Shape balls of dough and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes (or up to 14 mins on a Silpat mat). Allow to cool for 5 mins. on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack for another 10 minutes.

Note 1) For a crispier cookie edge, use 7 tbsp Earth Balance and 1 tbsp olive oil. I preferred cooking them this way. They also spread out a bit more. Alternatively, for a softer cookie, use 1/2 cup Earth Balance and no oil.

Note 2) To retain the crispy factor of the cookies place them in the freezer after cooling in a container or baggie. It was the only method I tried that kept the crispiness of the cookies! Simply thaw on the countertop.

Source: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/08/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/