Additionally, I’ve styled this as a one pot recipe. Any method that dirties fewer dishes is a plus in my book!

Recommended Tools

I’ve mentioned it before, and I can’t stress it enough, if you chop a lot of vegetables, you’re going to want a mandoline. I linked to a couple of fancier versions in the Cheater Chickenless Noodle Soup recipe, but the one I use at home is much more basic:

And then there is the immersion blender. This thing is so. useful. I use it all the time, and it is so much easier and less messy than a traditional blender. If you don’t have one, you need to get one:

Recipe

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Colcannon Soup (Vegan)

This vegan colcannon soup is a hearty, satisfying winter soup hiding a lot of cabbage and an unrivaled depth of flavor.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Irish

Keyword comfort food, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

• Immersion Blender

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 a green cabbage
• 2 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, undrained
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-4 cups water
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Scrub and slice or dice the potatoes. Shape doesn't matter since they'll be blended later. No need to peel.
• Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork soft all the way through.
• While the potatoes boil, dice the onion and finely chop the cabbage.
• Drain the potatoes and leave them in the strainer.
• Add the cooking oil to the pot followed by the onions, cabbage, and thyme.
• Sautée the cabbage and onions until the cabbage is fully softened, stirring frequently to evenly coat with the oil and evenly sautée. About 10 minutes.
• Return the potatoes to the pot with the cabbage and onions, and add the vegetable broth.
• Add enough water to bring the level of liquid almost level with the vegetables in the pot.
• Simmer 5-10 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, blend together the cannellini beans (with the aquafaba – liquid from the can), nutritional yeast, and butter until smooth.
• OPTIONAL: For a chunkier soup, remove some of the cabbage and potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir back into the soup after blending.
• Pour the blended bean cream into the simmering soup and use an immersion blender to blend it all together until reaching the desired consistency. I like to leave mine just a little bit chunky, but others prefer it completely smooth – especially if you have picky eaters in the house! If necessary, add more water during blending to thin out the soup.
• Season to taste with black pepper and salt.

The post Colcannon Soup (Vegan) appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

So here is MacGyver’s Guest Post, Sweet and Spicy Swiss Chard Wraps:

This recipe is broken up into three segments, the filling, the sauce, and the wraps:

Sauce

You can cheat and just buy the Asian style sweet chili sauce that comes in a jar.  Most grocery stores carry it, and you can get higher quality versions in Asian food stores, or you can make an authentic version of it yourself ensuring you know exactly what is in it.

It’s pretty easy and the ingredients aren’t hard to find or exotic by any means.  First off, I don’t normally use any real premeasured amounts in my cooking.  So all measurements below are estimates and should be adjusted to suit your tastes.

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Vinegar – Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Vinegar work best, avoid distilled or balsamic
• 1 Cup Sugar (aim for ethically sourced brands)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• 2 Tbsp ketchup or 1 tsp tomato paste (DO NOT use ketchup with high fructose corn syrup)
• 1 Tbsp garlic (minced preferred, but can use powdered as well)
• 2 Tbsp ginger root (minced preferred, but can used powdered as well)
• Thickening agent (a roux made from arrowroot powder or cornstarch mixed with water, or use agar agar)
  • If you use agar agar, just add with rest of ingredients and simmer for 4 minutes as directed below.
  • If you use roux, stir in slowly to thicken to desired consistency.  Don’t use too much or it will change the taste profile of the sauce.

Sauce Directions:

Vinegar to Sugar is a ratio of 1 to 1.  So 1 cup Vinegar to 1 cup sugar.  You can make however much you need or make a large amount and save for later.

1 Mix in sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.

1. Turn heat down and stir in chilli powder, red chili flakes, garlic, ginger root, and thickening agent.
2. Simmer for 4 minutes.
3. 4.  If you used agar agar to thicken, place the sauce in the refrigerator or freezer to cool until it starts to thicken around edges.  Stir again before adding to roll-ups.

Filling:

You can put whatever you want in them.  We’ve used them as substitutes for tortillas, for a Mexican twist to a burrito (though without the Asian sauce).  I use them often to wrap up leftovers – rice and beans, quinoa, veggies, or some combination.

For the recipe pictured here, something more fresh and spring-roll-like, use crispy salad fixings like cucumbers, romaine, radish, carrot sticks, celery, shredded broccoli, bell peppers, pea pods, green beans, green onions, etc. sliced into thin sticks 2 – 3 inches long.  Avocado as a great addition, and so are certain fruits like slices of apple or mango.  Unless you’re ready for a messy meal, avoid juicy fillings like tomatoes.

It is also nice to add some sushi rice or other sticky rice to these rolls.

For the wraps pictured here, we also sliced and baked extra firm tofu in strips the size of fat French fries:

–          Drain and gently press the moisture from one package of extra firm tofu.

–          Slice into extra large “fries.”

–            Carefully roll them through any powdered seasonings you like (such as kelp flakes, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, ect).  I used TVP crumbles (TVP = textured vegetable protein, makes for a very crispy coating) seasoned with a little garlic.

–          Bake at about 350 for 10 minutes or until light brown or to desired crispness.

–          You can also marinate your tofu by placing it in a sealed container with the marinate of your choice overnight (after draining and pressing).  Some tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and garlic, maybe with a touch of orange juice, might make a good marinate.  Teriyaki is another option for this.

Wraps:

There are several kinds of large leaved greens that will work as wraps:  Swiss chard, Cabbage, Collard Greens, or Kale for starters.  You can use any, as long as the leaf is larger than your hand (palm to fingertips).  You may even want to use a couple different types at a time, layering them before rolling them.

You can usually find larger leafed varieties at farmers markets, so best try there first.

I prefer using Swiss Chard for these.  It is less bitter than some of the others and the color adds a bit of flare to the wrap.  You can also cut the stalks you chopped off into sticks to add to your fillings, which we did here.  Otherwise it makes a great addition to the pile of scraps in our freezer for our homemade vegetable stock.

Preparing the Leaves:

1.  Start by chopping the bottom of the stalk from the base of the leaf.  Make sure you clean them well.  Many times dirt can get trapped in the crevices of the leaves and you don’t want to spend all this time preparing them just to bite into a gritty leaf.  It would be like sharing a bag of chips at the beach with your 3 year old.
2. Steam them for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the stalks.  Make sure not to over steam them or the leaves themselves will fall apart as you try to roll them. .  Steam those with larger stalks longer or put them at the bottom of the pile in the steamer.

–          Don’t have a steamer?  Pile them on a large plate, splatter water in between each leaf, and microwave them for 3-5 minutes, longer if needed.

1. This step is the most important:  You will need to rip the backbone out of the leaf.  This can be tricky without tearing the leaf, but the tips below should help you do it like a pro after a couple tries

• Make a slit in the base of the stalk (as pictured).  If the stalk is somewhat rounded, don’t cut flat across the stalk, make more than one slit as needed.
  
• Before pulling and ripping the stalk from the leaf, put your hand down around the stalk (as pictured) making sure you put enough pressure down where the stalk branches out like veins into the leaf.
  
• You don’t need to remove the entire stalk.  Just the part which gives it most of its strength.  You also don’t need to pull it off all the way to the tip of the leaf (and trying to do so will tear the leaf)
  
• Hold up the leaf by the stalk (after steaming it) and you will notice right away at what point the stalk no longer supports the leaf or you may be able to simply look at it and tell where it isn’t worth pulling it off.  When the stalk is about the same size as those branching off into the leaf, you can stop there.

  2.  Dry each side of the leaf off before adding fillings.

The secret art of filling and rolling your wrap:

1.  Place fillings in wrap.
2. Pour 2 tbsp (or desired amount) of sauce over fillings.
3. Wrap

There is a big trick to this (another one)….add fillings moderately.  Add too much and you won’t be able to close it.  If you have ever eaten at Chipotle or Moe’s you’ve seen them wrap the ginormous burritos.  The secret is in the method.  When starting to wrap it, the fillings shouldn’t be in the center of the wrap.  They should be towards the butt of the leaf where you chopped off the stalk.  This is where you will start to roll it.  Also make sure the leaf is face down, stalk up.  So you’ll be putting fillings on the side you cut and ripped the stalk from.

Fold the sides over your fillings.  Wrap over the end, slightly squeezing and folding the leaf under the fillings, then wrap the sides up and roll it.  Don’t just roll it down to the end.  Roll it by pulling the remaining leaf under and keeping the roll tight.  When it starts to cool, this will ensure the wrap sticks together and doesn’t unfurl.

Finally, arrange it all artfully on a plate and soak up the adoration and praise from your happy, healthy family.

Bonus Tip for Packing Lunches:

Want to send you kids with a salad, but don’t have a salad bowl or are afraid the dressing will drip out of the container?  Wrap it up in a large romaine leaf by put several small horizontal slits down the spine of the leaf so you can roll it.  Wrap it properly and everything should be contained in the wrap.  No forks necessary.

The post Sweet and Spicy Swiss Chard Wraps appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

The beer sauce on this Stir Fry is incredibly versatile.  Beer sauced broccoli is a favorite in our house; the sauce is a quick and easy vegan dinner idea that can be used for stir fry and pasta dishes alike.  You can put it over nearly any vegetable you want, but I find that it goes best with cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, rapini, and greens of all kinds – kale, collars, chard, cabbage), and mushrooms.  It is amazing with mushrooms!

This is also a sneaky vegan recipe.  As in, it wasn’t designed to be vegan, but it just so happens to be.  A delicious, plant based dish to please any skeptical omnivore (especially one who likes beer!).

The amounts in this recipe are designed to feed a family of four with leftovers (to put in thermoses for lunches the next day!).

Ingredients

Vegetables of your choice.
1 large Onion
2 cups diced mushrooms (or more, if you like!)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or substitute 2 tbsp high heat oil like avacado, palm, or grapeseed)
1 – 2 tbsp sesame oil (optional, for Asian style stir fries)
***
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2 12oz bottles of beer (3 cups)
3 tsp vegetable or mushroom bouillon granules (OR substitute 2 tbsp BBQ sauce OR 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos OR replace 1/3 of the beer with vegetable broth)
1 1/2 tsp dried Thyme (3 tsp fresh)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
4 tsp maple syrup (or brown sugar)
4 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

Directions

1.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

2.  Put your rice or noodles on to boil (or in the pressure cooker, etc.) or prepare you potatoes.  Bake tofu (if desired).  This is an excellent topper to this dish.

3.  Stir together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

4.  Heat the vegetable broth in a large wok or skillet to sautée the vegetables.  Add the garlic and the toughest vegetables (onions, broccoli, cauliflower, halved brussels sprouts, kale, chard, or collard stems, etc.).  Stir fry over high heat for 3 – 4 minutes.  Keep just enough broth (or oil) in the pan to keep the vegetables from sticking.

5.  Add the mushrooms and any other fast cooking vegetables (chard, greens off the stem, bok choy, asparagus) and stir fry for another 2-4 minutes, until all the vegetables are just softened.

6.  Move all the vegetables to a serving dish (or get a separate saucepan).  If you’re making an asian-style dish, drizzle the sesame oil over the veggies.

7.  Stir sauce mix well and add it to the pan.  Cook on high heat, stirring continuously, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in vegetables (and optional tofu) until well and evenly coated.

8.  Serve over rice (for asian style), noodles (for european style), or potatoes (for US style).

Let me know if you try it!

The post Beer Sauce Stir Fry appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

These Falafel patties are a great flexible option. You can make them work with a variety of sides just by adjusting the side dishes.

Baked Falafel Patties
INGREDIENTS
– 1 16 oz jar chickpeas/garbanzo beans (same thing)*
– 1 medium onion
– 2 tbsp teff flour (or any flour of your choice)
– Oil appropriate for cooking (high heat) like grapeseed
– Spices**:
– 2 cloves garlic
– 1 tbsp cumin
– 1 tbsp cilantro
– 1 tsp tumeric
– 1 tsp fenugeek
OR whatever spices you prefer/have handy

*I find that it’s a big money saver to buy dried beans in bulk and reconstitute a whole bunch in the pressure cooker (or slow cooker) then can and/or freeze them. Also saves us from worrying about BPA lined cans, but canned chickpeas will work just as well.
** Since I knew I was making gravy, I went with more “American” spices, to a degree.  For a traditional mediteranean flavor use lots of cilantro and parsley, preferrably fresh, numeric, and coriander.

DIRECTIONS
1  Dice up the onions and mince the garlic. Let both sit for at least 5 minutes to maximize nutritional value.

2.  Preheat the oven to 450 (or save a little power and don’t preheat).

3.  Blend everything but the flour and oil in a food processor. It should be a rough paste.

4.  Stir in the flour.

5.  Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of the oil.

6.  Form the paste into patties roughly the size of small hamburgers and place them in the dish.

7. Mist, sprinkle, or brush the tops of the patties with oil.

8.  Bake until the patties are just starting to brown on top. Flip them over (they should be browned on the bottom).  Bake 10 more minutes.

9.  Enjoy!

This recipe calls for boiling the potatoes because of the way things played out when I made it, but making it with roasted potatoes and a little rosemary takes it up to an unbelievable flavor – perfect for Thanksgiving.

Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
All amounts are flexible based on amount you want to make/have on hand
– small red potatoes (the smaller the better)
– garlic powder
– 1/4 c (or less) almond milk (unsweetened)
– 1/4 c (or more) Nutritional Yeast

DIRECTIONS
1 Wash your potatoes, but don’t peel them – there are tons of vitamins and minerals in the skin. Chop the potatoes into 11 inch chunks (or whatever, the smaller the chunks, the faster the boiling time).

2. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender (no need to bring the water to a boil before adding the potatoes).

3. Drain the soft potatoes, sprinkle generously with garlic powder and nutritional yeast.

4. Mash with a potato masher (or your chosen mashing instrument), adding almond milk as needed to reach desired consistency.

5. Serve!

Sauteed Kale
INGREDIENTS
Amounts are flexible based on taste and how much you want to serve.
– 1 bunch fresh Kale (collards, mustard, turnip, or similar greens work, too), chopped to bites size.
– 1/2 a medium onion, diced and allowed to sit at room temp 5 minutes
– 2/3 cup roughly chopped mushrooms (I prefer shitake, but almost any mushrooms will do).
– garlic powder to taste
– 1 or 2 tbsp grapeseed or other high heat oil OR vegetable broth for sauteeing

DIRECTIONS
1 Sautee the onions and mushrooms in only as much oil* or vegetable broth* as is necessary to keep them from sticking until the onions begin to grow translucent.
2. When the onions start to become translucent, add the Kale to the pan.
3. Stir everything together in the pan, adding a few drops of oil* or broth* as necessary. I also like to add a splash of water to help wilt the kale.
4. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper to taste.
5. As soon as all of the kale has wilted, the dish is ready to serve! Don’t overcook, this is a fast dish!

* For lower fat, sautee in vegetable broth instead!

The post Baked Falafel Patties, Kale, and Vegetable Gravy appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

       Yesterday was Food Day! Did you eat ethically for the day?  If you missed it, try it out today; it’s easier that you think. Forego meat for a day – I have loads of delicious cruelty free recipes on my Recipes page.  Buy Fair Trade/Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, and tea.  Visit a Farmer’s Market. Switch to veggie broth.  Easy steps!

      I didn’t get to do quite as much for Food Day as I would have liked because we’re TAD, but I did what I could:  I ordered my Fair Trade Chai Tea Latte with soy milk instead of inhumanely obtained cow’s milk.  And when we went out to dinner, I hit the jackpot.

       How yummy does my dinner look?  No meat, and possibly no dairy (depending on how the babba ganoush was made), and totally delicious.

      Even Punky embraced Food Day with meat and dairy free penne marinara.

      How did your Food Day go?

The post Ethical Eating Out: Food Day appeared first on Urban Earthworm.