Portobello, Leek and Walnut Turnovers for the Virtual Vegan Potluck!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Happy Virtual Vegan Potluck! Welcome, welcome! I’m pleased to be participating for the second time. For more appetizer ideas, check out the Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips I submitted last year.

These delectable turnovers are a big hit at potlucks; everyone will think you slaved for hours over the dough when in fact using regular store-bought sliced bread is the secret time-saver. Be sure to choose soft bread. The mustard and thyme pair really well with the mushrooms, leeks and walnuts.
Portobello, Leek and Walnut Turnovers
by Earthgiven Kitchen

2 cloves garlic, minced (about ½ tbsp)
1 leek, finely diced and washed well (about 2 cups chopped)
3 tbsp vegan margarine
6 cups chopped Portobello mushrooms (or other mushroom variety)
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup vegetable broth (I use homemade broth)
½ tbsp mustard
¼ cup vegan cream cheese
½ cup walnuts, chopped
24 slices of soft bread (I used whole wheat)
coconut oil (optional)

Melt the margarine on a large pot on the stove set to medium heat. Add the garlic and leek and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, stir and cook another 5 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts for a few minutes on a stove-top pan or broil in the oven. Add the thyme, broth and simmer on medium heat until nearly dry, then add the mustard and cream cheese and stir. Stir in the walnuts and remove from heat.

While the veggies cook on the stove, take out the bread and roll flat with a rolling pin, then trim the crusts off. I enlist my kids for the rolling, which they love to do. Save the crusts to make breadcrumbs or croutons later. Keep the bread in plastic wrap or under a kitchen towel so that it doesn’t dry out.

Fill a bowl halfway full with water; this will be used to keep your fingers wet while you form the turnovers.

Mound a small scoop of the veggie filling in one corner of the bread slice. With wet fingers, fold the bread into a triangle and press the edges firmly to be sure that they are tightly sealed. Repeat with the remaining bread and filling. Optional: brush the outsides of the turnovers with melted coconut oil.

Arrange turnovers in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until golden.

Serve warm with mustard or your favourite dipping sauce.

Makes 24 turnovers. Depending on how full you filled the triangles, you may have filling leftover. It makes awesome filling for grilled cheese the next day! Just add some Daiya or your favourite cheesy spread and you’ll have a gourmet sandwich, bonus!

Thank you to An Unrefined Vegan and Vegan Bloggers Unite for hosting and coordinating this great celebration of vegan eating!

If you liked this recipe and want more Earthgiven Kitchen goodies, you can subscribe to this blog with the doohickey near the top right of the sidebar or like me on facebook here:

Stick around and enjoy more potluck fun…..

Go Back and see the hot spinach and artichoke dip from Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes!

Go Forward and see the Muhammara from Anne Sture Tucker!

For a list of all VVP participants, click here.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Lemon and Cilantro

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I love to throw sweet potatoes into everything from burgers to burritos to blondies. I recently took my favourite lemony lentil soup recipe, added sweet potatoes, altered a few other ingredients, and came up with what I think is the most delicious soup ever!

It’s perfect to make in large batches as per the recipe below and either feed a whole crowd or make and freeze some for later. I almost always have a container of this lentil sweet potato soup in the freezer. Whenever I know I’ll have a hectic schedule the next day, I’ll move the soup from the freezer to the fridge and by the next day it’s defrosted and ready to take a few minutes to warm on the stove for a quick and easy dinner.

This recipe is adapted from A Quiet Soup from Orangette blog who in turn adapted it from “In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite” by Melissa Clark.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Lemon and Cilantro

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
a few grinds of black pepper
pinch of cayenne or chipotle pepper, optional
6 cups vegetable broth (learn how to make your own here) or water
2 cups red lentils, washed and picked through for stones
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (save a few sprigs for garnish)

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onions and garlic and cook a few minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne/chipotle if using and cook another few minutes.

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne/chipotle if using, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, the lentils, sweet potato and carrot and stir. Lower to the heat to a low simmer and partially cover pot. Continue to cook until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste, and add more seasonings if desired. If it looks too thick, add some more broth or water, stir and heat through. I like Orangette’s idea to use an immersion blender to puree until about half is smooth, so it’s just a bit chunky. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. I garnish the soup with a sprig of cilantro, drizzle it with olive oil and serve with crusty bread.

Makes about 16 cups (8 large servings or 12 – 14 smaller servings).

This recipe has been shared with Wellness Weekends and Healthy Vegan Fridays blog linkups.

Creamy Red Pepper and Hemp Heart Hummus

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

I wasn’t a fan of red pepper until it became obvious when my daughter was a toddler that it was one of her favourite foods. I then looked for new ways to incorporate the healthy veggie into more recipes and grew to like it more myself. She loves red peppers so much she’ll eat them raw like an apple. (Only red ones though, don’t even think about offering her a green one). Despite not being the biggest red pepper fan myself, I LOVE the addition of red pepper to my usual hummus and lately I’ve been making it more than my traditional hummus (recipe here). I’ve also added in the olive oil to the puree instead of drizzling on top as per tradition, which makes for a creamier, more decadent hummus. In the summer, I love making this hummus with peppers freshly picked from my garden.

Red Pepper Hummus
One 540 ml can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
half of a red pepper, cored and roughly chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
1/3 cup hemp hearts
1/3 cup filtered water
1/2 – 1 tsp cumin (to taste)
Herbamare seasoning or sea salt to taste
about 1 tbsp hemp hearts and about 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a food processor until well blended and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. For serving as a dip, sprinkle with hemp hearts and garnish with chopped parsley.

It’s wonderful as a dip with veggies and crackers or on a sandwich with your favourite fixings!

This recipe has been shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays and Gluten Free Fridays.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and the Virtual Vegan Potluck

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Welcome! Thanks for joining us for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. What’s the Virtual Vegan Potluck you ask? It’s a world-wide online vegan recipe-palooza! There is lots in store for you today with 105 participants, so do come in. It’s a rainy day out there, let me take your umbrella and coat. I made some hot hors d’oeuvres just for you. Have a seat, but mind the cat hair.

My kids call these Kentucky Fried Tofu. They also make a nice light main course.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips

One package of firm or extra firm tofu (454 g)
approximately 1 1/2 cups of Sesame Lime Marinade (below, or use your own soy sauce-based marinade)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper to taste
coconut oil

Sesame Lime Marinade

2/3 cup sesame oil
2/3 cup Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 tsp agave or maple syrup
1/2 – 3/4 cup filtered water

(also used to marinate my BBQ Veggie & Pineapple Kabobs)

Rinse the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and press to remove excess liquid. Move to a cutting board and slice into strips. I make mine into 24 thin rectangles pieces (8 pieces long and 3 pieces deep; see photo).

Make the marinade: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. For this recipe, measurements need not be exact, so adjust ingredients to your taste (like more lime or less ginger). For a more intense flavour, use less water. Marinate the tofu strips until ready to use.

Make the breading: Combine the nutritional yeast, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Heat some coconut oil on a frying pan on high. Dredge the tofu pieces in the cornmeal mixture so it’s covered on all sides and carefully drop into the fry pan. Fry on each side until crispy and brown. When frying in batches, keep the just-fried tofu warm in the oven or warming drawer until you’re ready to serve.

Makes 24 pieces. This recipe is gluten-free.

Serve warm with your favourite dipping sauce. We like Saigon Soul Food’s Tamarind Ginger sauce, an Ontario product which happens to be vegan.

Check out some other Virtual Vegan Potluck participants:

Thank you to potluck creators and hosts Vegan Bloggers Unite, An Unrefined Vegan, Vedged Out and Jason and the Veganauts!

This is also Vegan MoFo post #20 and my contribution to the Wellness Weekend blog hop.

Pizza Bagels

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

These are my kids’ favourite after-school snack these days and they’ve made appearances at weekend brunches. You probably don’t need a recipe to figure this one out, but here it is just in case…
Pizza Bagels

whole grain bagels
pizza sauce (try my BBQ sauce here)
Daiya shreds
Italian seasoning
your favourite pizza toppings

Slice bagels in half and place cut-side up on a cookie sheet. Spread on pizza sauce, sprinkle on Daiya, Italian seasoning and your favourite toppings. In the photo above, I’ve used Fieldroast Smoked Apple Sage sausage and fresh basil.

Broil under medium heat for a few minutes until the Daiya is golden and bubbly but watch it doesn’t burn. Serve warm and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Scones and Vegan Clotted Cream

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

I recently hosted a tea party to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend. We both love tea and sweets and opportunities to speak in fake British accents so we had a jolly good time!

On the menu:

Pumpkin spice scones

Crumpets

Clotted cream and strawberry jam

Cucumber sandwiches

Gingersnaps

Fresh strawberries

Assorted teas

The gingersnaps, crumpets and jam were store-bought to save on time. The gingersnaps are Nyakers brand and they were thin and crispy, just right for dunking in tea. They were also perfect as the base for pumpkin pie crust instead of graham crackers that I made the next day. I can’t recall the brand of the vegan crumpets but found them at FreshCo.

The sandwiches were filled with Tofutti Garlic and Herb Better Than Cream Cheese, baby spinach and cucumbers. The scones were an adaptation of the sweet potato biscuits that I’ve been making for years (see below). Being October, I thought pumpkin would be a nice variation.

So, what is the difference between a scone and a biscuit anyway? It seems there is a fine line between the terms but biscuits are more of a savoury dinner food (often accompanied by gravy) and scones are a bit sweeter and more of an accompaniment for tea or breakfast. In the UK, biscuits are more what we think of as cookies in North America, and as we were having as proper an Enligh tea party as we could, scones they were. I used 2 tbsp of sugar for a not-too-sweet scone since I knew I’d be slathering them in jam, but you may want to increase to 3 tbsp to have them taste more like dessert.

Pumpkin Spice Scones

1/3 cup soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsp dry sweetener
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp chilled vegan margarine
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Pour the lemon juice or vinegar into the soy milk and let sit for a few minutes to make a buttermilk. Meanwhile, add all dry ingredients in a food processor and mix well. Add the chilled margarine until it resembles coarse meal. Add the pumpkin purée to the buttermilk and mix well. Stir the wet mixture into the flour mixture, careful not to over-mix. Drop large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Makes 6-8 scones.

Variation: Sweet Potato Dinner Biscuits: Substitute sweet potato purée for the pumpkin purée (you can use a small jar of baby food to save time) and use 2 tbsp of dry sweetener and omit the cinnamon and nutmeg.

I was enchanted with the idea of making my own vegan clotted cream. The inspiration came from Steph’s Cup of Tea blog though I’ve changed the measurements to be have more a cream cheese taste.

Clotted Cream
6 tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
4 tbsp vegan margarine
2 tsp agave or maple syrup

Blend in a food processor, taste and add more sweetener if desired. Use as a spread on scones or muffins.

Happy birthday, Melanie!

Rising Moon Ravioli and Pumpkin Parmesan

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Ravioli has always been one of my most favourite foods, going back to my childhood when ate plenty of Chef Boyardee’s beef ravioli from a can (((shudder))). Thank goodness that fluffy pillows of pasta with a creamy filling can be not just vegetarian but vegan.

Spoiler warning: I don’t have an original recipe for ravioli from scratch. As much as I love preparing food, homemade ravioli from scratch wouldn’t be my favourite use of time in the kitchen, when there’s excellent frozen organic, vegan ravioli to be bought. The brand is Rising Moon Organics and their Spinach Florentine ravioli is delicious! They have other flavours of vegan organic frozen pastas though I have only come across the Spinach Florentine ravioli so far. If you have more patience than I do and are up for making your own ravioli from scratch, I see Vegan Dad has a recipe here that looks great.

Tonight’s ravioli was a delicious meal by adding onions, spinach, mushrooms and broccoli and serving it with tomato sauce topped with fresh basil and my homemade Pumpkin Parmesan! It gives a great “cheesy” taste and lovely texture to all kinds of pastas.

Pumpkin Parmesan

pumpkin seeds
nutritional yeast
sea salt

Measure equal amounts of pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast (nooch). Toast the pumpkin seeds by broiling in the oven for a few minutes or in a pan on the stove on medium heat; careful the seeds don’t burn. Combine the seeds and nooch in a food processor until pulverized. Add a dash of sea salt, to taste.

Note: The pumpkin seeds can be swapped for nuts (walnuts are great) but pumpkin seeds are awesome for the zinc and iron they contain and since I get plenty of nuts in my diet, this Parmesan is a great way to add in a seed I don’t eat as regularly. Plus, being nut-free, I can use it in my kid’s lunches for school.

It would also make a great popcorn topping!

I am submitting my Pumpkin Parmesan to the Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekend blog hops.

Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

For someone who loves salad as much as I do, I haven’t posted very many salad recipes yet and I’ll have to remedy that!
This recipe was adapted from Oh She Glow’s Spring Salad with Strawberry Lemon Basil Dressing. I started making it in August when I had lots of fresh strawberries and basil in my garden. I love balsamic vinegar and use it in most of my salads. We’re past strawberry season in Ontario but I’ll keep buying organic strawberries from the grocery store for this recipe as it’s become my favourite salad dressing!

Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup fresh strawberries
1/4 cup packed fresh basil, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp agave
Herbamare or sea salt + black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until pureed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with your favourite greens. I love this dressing over a spinach salad with fresh strawberries and toasted pecans.

Roasted Garlic, Cauliflower and Cashew Soup

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Cauliflower is a chameleon in this recipe; this soup is so creamy and delicious you can close your eyes and be convinced it’s a comforting bowl of buttery mashed potatoes, with none of the guilt! Enjoy with a piece of your favourite artisan bread for a light meal or the start of a vegetarian feast.
Roasted Garlic, Cauliflower and Cashew Soup

1 head of garlic (about 6 cloves)
the florets of 1 large head of cauliflower
1 medium potato, diced
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/8 cup canola oil
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cashews, soaked at least one hour, then drained
1/8 cup fresh chives, minced
olive oil for drizzling

Prepare the garlic for roasting by chopping off the tip and peeling off the outer papers. Set on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Wrap in the aluminum foil. For a step by step guide with photos, see http://www.wikihow.com/Roast-Garlic.

Spread the cauliflower florets and potato on a baking pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and turn to coat. Place the foil-wrapped garlic on the pan along with the veggies and roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are tender and the edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, cook the onion in the canola oil in a large pot on medium-high heat until translucent. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the soft roasted cloves into the pot, along with the cauliflower and potatoes. Add the cashews and 3 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for about ten minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until pureed. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. The soup will be very thick; add more broth and blend again if you want the soup thinner (I like it thick and creamy, almost like mashed potatoes). Serve drizzled with olive oil and chives.

I am submitting this recipe for the Gluten-Free Fridays, Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekend blog hops.

Farewell to summer: BBQ Veggie and Pineapple Kabobs

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Fall is upon us and I am in denial. I’m one of those people who absolutely love summer: the blazing heat, fresh berries in my garden, and eating outdoors. Here is a recipe for vegetable and pineapple kabobs that we enjoyed all summer and plan to enjoy at least a few more times before it gets too cold for BBQ.
BBQ Veggie and Pineapple Kabobs

one red pepper
18 firm baby bella mushrooms
one zucchini
one cored pineapple

Chop the pepper into large pieces, about one square inch. Slice the zucchini into pieces about half an inch thick. Place the vegetables in a bowl and pour in marinade until the vegetables are just covered (the pineapple doesn’t get marinated). Refrigerate for at least one hour. When you’re ready to start the BBQ, chop the pineapple into large chunks. Skewer the vegetables and pineapple, about two pieces each, on a bamboo or reusable metal skewer. Coat the grill in canola oil and barbecue the kabobs on the grills for several minutes on medium heat, turning every minute or so and watching carefully so they don’t burn. Enjoy warm.

Makes 6 kabobs.
Sesame Lime Marinade

1/3 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 tsp agave or maple syrup
1/4 – 1/2 cup filtered water

Combine all ingredients well and refrigerate until ready to use. For this recipe, measurements need not be exact, so adjust ingredients to your taste (like more lime or less ginger). For a more intense flavour, use less water.

Makes a tasty marinade for vegetables or tofu.

I am submitting this recipe to Allergy Friendly Friday, Wellness Weekend, Gluten Free Fridays and Healthy Vegan Fridays blog hop.