Spinach Hummus

So if you know anything about me, then you probably know I like hummus. A lot. About a year ago I made a blog on Tumblr devoted to posting pictures only of hummus (you can check it out here!), and I was shocked how quickly it became popular. It was really nice knowing I'm not the only one with a love for hummus. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make my own very often, since my blender was rubbish and I didn't have a food processor. But now that I have a food processor, you can expect many hummus recipes in the future!  

You should be able to throw all the ingredients in at once and have a perfectly good hummus, but I've learned to use a specific order that seems to make it the smoothest. First, blend the tahini and lemon juice; then add olive oil, water, garlic, and salt and blend; next, add and blend garbanzo beans; and finally, blend in spinach (or roasted red peppers or whatever extra flavor you choose).

Spinach Hummus

• 1 (14.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh spinach

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate before serving. 

Makes about 2 cups

VeganMoFo Days 19, 20, and 21: Spinach Tofu Frittata

I'm very disappointed in myself for going several days without posting here (and for my last several posts being incredibly lame). I am so busy, it's not even funny anymore. I cannot wait for this month to be over and for things to start calming down again! Today was the first time I had the opportunity to cook an actual meal, with a side dish and everything, in what feels like forever. I made stuffed peppers using this recipe, only I used barley instead of rice, and dried herbs instead of fresh (fresh herbs are one thing I really miss about summer); I added some diced onions to the filling too. As a side dish, I made this frittata, mostly because I was looking for a creative way to add protein to my meal. I used Isa's recipe for Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata from her book Vegan With A Vengeance as a general guideline, but I changed it enough that I feel okay posting it online. It was absolutely wonderful. I'd never had a frittata before I was vegan, so I'm not sure how close this is to the real thing, but even if it's not, it's still a great dish. It works well as a side, but I could imagine it'd be good for breakfast too.

Spinach Tofu Frittata

• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu (about 14 oz), drained and pressed
• 3/4 tbsp soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg's
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 package frozen spinach (about 5 oz), defrosted with excess liquid drained
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) In a large bowl, crumble tofu with your fingers, squishing it until it looks sort of like ricotta cheese. Add soy sauce, mustard, and nutritional yeast and mix well.

3) In a non-stick skillet (if you have an 8-inch oven safe skillet, use that! If not, that's fine), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft and slightly transparent.

4) Add spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, turmeric, and lemon juice and remove from heat.

5) Add onion mixture to tofu and stir to combine.

6) If you used an oven-safe skillet, then place tofu in the skillet and firmly mash it down. If you used a regular pan, then place the tofu in a pie dish and firmly mash it down.

7) Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Set oven to broil setting and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 4

And here is a photo of my kitten Boo, because he is cute.

VeganMoFo Day Fifteen: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheeze

Today I spent three hours in driver's ed, then immediately two hours afterwards driving, so again I didn't really have any free time. However, I did get to make this for lunch, and it took surprisingly little time to make. It was very good, probably one of the best vegan mac & cheeze recipes I've made (and I've made a lot!). It almost tasted a little too bland though, so I'd add a bit more of the flavorings than called for (nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt & pepper, etc.). Still, overall, this sauce was great. I also cooked some spinach with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic, because that always is good with macaroni.

RECIPE HERE

VeganMoFo Day Nine: Curried Autumn Vegetables

Finally, I was able to cook again today! I made this for lunch and it was pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. My mom added extra broth to hers and made a soup, and it actually turned out really well. 

Curried Autumn Vegetables

• 1/2 butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup broth, plus more as needed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder
• dash cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed

1) Heat broth over medium heat until boiling in a non-stick pan. Add potatoes and squash and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft, adding more broth as needed.

2) Add garbanzo beans, pepper, carrots, garlic, and onion and cook for several minutes, until carrots are soft, again adding more broth as needed.

3) Stir in ginger, curry, cayenne, coconut, tomato sauce, and spinach and cook until tomato sauce begins gently bubbling.

4) Serve as is or over rice, quinoa, or other grain, or spread on a buckwheat pancake (I'd post a recipe for those if I had one, but I use a pre-made mix)

Serves 4

VeganMoFo Day Two: Tofu Scramble for One

I'm on to day two! This is so exciting, now that I've actually had time to think about and plan my VeganMoFo. I still don't really have a plan I guess, but a better idea. Anyway, this morning I made some fabulous tofu scramble. I remember when I was little, the first thing I ever learned to cook was scrambled eggs. My dad and I would always cook it together, and it pretty much just ended up being him cooking and me eating parmesan cheese. But now that I'm vegan, I make this meal instead, and, honestly, I like it much better. I sometimes add vegetables, such as carrots or peppers. If you want a gluten-free version, just make sure that the broth is gluten-free or use water.

Tofu Scramble for One

• 1/5 block of tofu, drained & pressed
• 2 tbsp vegetable broth, vegan chicken broth, or water
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (you can adjust the amount depending on how much you like the flavor of nutritional yeast)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• handful of spinach, stems trimmed

1) Heat broth in a non-stick pan over medium heat until boiling.

2) Using your hands, crumble tofu into pan. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

3) Reduce heat and stir in nutritional yeast until completely absorbed (you can add more broth if needed, one teaspoon at a time). 

4) Stir in salt, pepper, and spinach, and cook until spinach is slightly wilted. 

5) Serve immediately. Very good topped with ketchup and with a side of toast!

flickr

Veggie & Tofu Stir-Fry in Spicy Peanut Sauce

There's a music festival I go to every summer that has a a vegan food stand with a meal very similar to this one. I didn't go the festival this year and especially missed going to lunch there, so I recreated the recipe.

Veggie & Tofu Stir-Fry in Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water

• 1 cup broccoli, broken into small pieces
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 cup snap peas, cut in half
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cups spinach

• 1 package of tofu, drained and pressed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• several tbsp olive oil

    sauce ingredients:

• 1 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1) Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add quinoa and let simmer for 12-14 minutes.

2) In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients until smooth.

3) Heat one or two tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. 

4) Add tofu and cook for several minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Don't be afraid to cook the tofu for a long time; just don't let it burn. Set aside when done.

5) Heat one more tablespoon of oil in an 8 quart pot over medium heat.

6) Add all veggies except spinach and cook until soft. Add spinach and cook for one minute, or until wilted.

7) Add peanut sauce, quinoa, and tofu to veggies and stir well. Keep on stove for several minutes, until hot. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

View more photos here