Nasturtium Soup

I’ve enjoyed being introduced to a different set of recipes by following The Vegan Nigerian blog, and there was a link to her bitter greens soup today. I don’t have an African grocer in the area, so I looked up substitutions for bitter greens. This is often how I proceed with my cooking, as, though my pantry is well-stocked, it is not all-encompassing. 

Nasturtium and dandelion leaves came up, among others, so I wandered around the yard picking a colander-full, adding a few leaves of mustard, parsley, and young rutabaga while I was at it. 

She called for red bell pepper and scotch bonnet pepper; I found partial jars of roasted yellow pepper and pickled jalapeño peppers on the top shelf of the refrigerator. It’s always a win to empty that catch-all a little bit. 

I used a small yellow onion instead of a red one, and I added two cloves of garlic because I like it. Hers called for a starchy African yam, and I found a substitute in ground oats. It was mostly used as a thickener. My dollop of vegetarian soup base was generous enough to preclude any additional salt. I used coconut oil for sautéing the onions and garlic. I am going to serve it on brown rice with a side of mashed sweet potatoes.

Vegan Frittata

This couldn't be easier. Chop up some onions, zucchini, and broccoli and saute in olive oil in an oven-worthy pan like a cast iron frying pan. Add some chopped vegan sausage (I used original Tofurky) and chopped tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Pour on two containers of Just Egg (shake it well before using). Bake in the same pan at 375F for a few minutes and then sprinkle on shredded vegan cheese. I used Violife parmesan. Bake another 15-20 minutes or until it is set. It might take less time in your oven.

Use a knife to loosen the edges and then cut it into wedges. I ate mine on a toasted bun. It sets up and can be reheated later.

Vegan Western Omelet with Garbanzo Flour and Just "Egg"

Breakfast was hearty this morning when I simplified and added to a vegan chickpea or garbanzo beans flour recipe I found online for a vegan omelet. You can change it any way you'd like, subbing different vegetables and assembling it how you wish. If you have any problems with the flipping, just call it a scramble. It will taste the same.

I used a little of the Just Egg product, found in many grocery stores near the animal eggs. It is a yellowish liquid in a plastic bottle that has a date on it. Be sure it is not out of date. You can use it within a week for a few different recipes. Try french toast, a scramble, or a frittata. It is made mostly of mung bean protein with a coagulant that lends an egg-like texture, and it is not seasoned, so you can use it in a variety of ways. It also comes frozen in premade folded pretend eggs for breakfast sandwiches.

My partner took a bite before I had a chance to take my photo, and he is the one who dubbed it a western. It has no ham substitute, and my pepper was red, not green, and there were no onions due to the current salmonella outbreak, but you can call it a western if you'd like and style it however you'd like.

Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scapes grow up from the center of hard-neck garlic plants in the spring. Break off the curling round stems with small protuberances on top when they are young and tender; otherwise, they turn into flowers and seeds. They have a mild garlic flavor and can be used raw like chives.

An old friend posted a garlic scape pesto recipe online. In the refrigerator I had a small bag of scapes I'd picked, so I quickly veganized it and made some. We've been eating it on Yeasty Cheeze Crackers and now we are about to eat some on pasta.

Theirs called for pine nuts; I had Brazil nuts, plus I added some seeds. Theirs spoke of parmesan; I used a combo of nutritional yeast flakes and light miso. Theirs named canola oil; I substituted olive oil. Other than that, it is just the same! 

Toast the nuts and seeds in a pan and add to everything else in a processor. Maybe you should cut up the scapes first; I didn't, so I ended up adding more oil and changing processors before it all came together.

Dosa Vegan Crepes

Dosa vegan crepes are pretty easy to make if you have the right equipment — like a cast iron griddle and a blender. Dosas are slightly fermented pancakes made of soaked and blended white rice, a type of lentil, and a few fenugreek seeds. 

See how they are full of holes? That’s just from the fermentation; no baking powder or baking soda or yeast is needed. I suppose right before cooking you could add some salt, but not before, as it might inhibit the fermentation process. Usually I eat these with savory fillings and sauces, but this morning I spread them with vegan cream cheese and some raspberry jam and topped them with maple syrup and Soyatoo whipped cream

Dosa Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1 cup red lentils (usually urad dal or black lentils, but these work)
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
Water to rinse, soak, blend

Method
Rinse the rice and soak overnight in three cups water. Rinse the lentils and fenugreek seeds and soak overnight in three cups water. In the morning, drain them separately and blend them separately with enough water to make the blender go around. Blend until nearly smooth and just a little gritty. Mix them together in a glass bowl, crock, or enameled pot. You want to end up with a pourable batter on the thick side. Cover with a dish towel and let ferment for eight hours. The time could vary depending on the room temperature. You can add some non-iodized salt if you’d like.