Main Dishes

Israeli Couscous with Kale and Mushrooms

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads , , , ,
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
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Israeli Couscous with Kale and Mushrooms

Pearl pasta with lots of sautéed mushrooms and healthy greens. A main-course dish.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable broth divided
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup Israeli couscous
  • 5 cups sliced mushrooms button or cremini
  • 6 cups chopped kale
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs tamari
  • 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp white miso
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts toasted
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, add 1½ cups vegetable stock, bay leaf, and couscous. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
  • While couscous is cooking, in a large saucepan, heat ¼ cup of vegetable stock over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add kale, garlic, tamari, nutritional yeast, and remaining ¼ cup of vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until kale is wilted and tender.
  • Add cooked couscous to mushroom and kale mixture. Add in miso, lemon juice, toasted walnuts, and black pepper; stir until combined. Serve hot or at room temperature.

“Possible” Burgers

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches , , , ,

Everyone loves a burger, and veggie burgers are readily available these days. But they’re not always the healthiest item. The main ingredients in the Impossible Burger are water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, and sunflower oil. Fourteen grams of fat. Similarly, the popular Beyond Burger is made mostly of water, pea protein (a peas-mung bean-rice blend), expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil. Twenty grams of fat. They look, cook, and taste like a beef burger but neither contains any actual vegetables. Still, they are an appealing alternative to those who are transitioning to a plant-based way of eating.

I’ve tried many veggie burger recipes, and this is one that I like. It holds its burger-patty shape, it’s 100% whole foods no oil, and it tastes great!

veggie burger
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Refrigeration Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
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Dave’s “Possible” Burger

My favorite plant-based burger recipe. Makes 8; great for prep.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: burger, vegan
Servings: 12

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon ground flax Dissolve in 1/4 cup water.
  • 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice short-grain has extra starch
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 15-oz cans beans black or pinto, drained and rinsed.
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1/2 large onion chopped
  • 6 cremini mushrooms about 1/2 cup, chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 2 jalapeno peppers Remove seeds and membrane.
  • 2/3 cup ketchup, barbeque sauce, or tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine the ground flax with 1/4 cup water and set aside. This is a flax "egg."
  • Place 1 can of beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork, breaking them into pieces.
  • Add the oats and rice.
  • Put the other can of beans, the celery, onion, walnuts, mushrooms, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to the beans.
  • Stir in the flax egg.
  • Add the remaining seasonings and mix thoroughly.
  • Divide into 12 and form into patties.
  • On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, bake at 375 for 12 minutes on each side. Or panfry for 7 minutes per side.
  • Store in fridge or freezer.

Notes

Who is Dave, you ask? I don’t remember where I got this recipe, but it’s a keeper!

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes, Sauces and dressings , , , ,
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
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Bolognese Sauce for Pasta

Wonderful, flavorful sauce for any kind of pasta.
Course: Main Course, Pasta, Sauces and dressings
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 12-oz package pasta, any kind whole grain is best
  • 1 green bell pepper, chunked
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chunked
  • 1 small zucchini, chunked
  • 4 oz cremini mushrooms, chunked
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chunked
  • 2 stalks celery, chunked
  • 1 large onion, chunked
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 15-oz can tomato puree
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Add vegetables, peppers through garlic, (in small batches) to the food processor. Pulse until they are minced but still chunky.
  • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables, stir, and cook until all moisture is cooked out and vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and wine. Simmer another 5 minutes.  Add tomato puree and spices, stir and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Cook the pasta per package directions.
  • Mound the pasta on plates and ladle on the sauce. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan.

Notes

Since the vegetables are minced in the food processor, they are all about the same size and will cook quickly.
Try not to omit the fennel seeds — event that little bit adds a lot of flavor!