Pinto Beans in Red Wine Sauce

I've never been a big user of mock meats in my vegan cooking, I think because I started out as a cook studying macrobiotics, in which the simplest foods are always preferred.   Occasionally I'll turn to tempeh for its strong flavor and "meatiness", but there's always a bit of precooking and marinating involved.  For heartier dishes I like to use beans because of their flavor, texture, and protein content.  There's no duplicity with beans--what you see is what you get.

Today I wanted a hearty meat-and-potatoes type of dinner, so I cooked up some pinto beans, which are great at soaking up whatever flavors you cook them with, in red wine with vegetables.  Instead of adding tomato paste to my red sauce I kept it AR friendly, using a sweet potato puree for its rosy color and thick sweetness.  To give a compliment to this hearty sauce I added some cooked portabello mushroom caps (otherwise known as vegan steak).  With a bed of brown rice or pasta, this filling dish will put some meat on your bones!

Ingredients:

1 cup broth
1 large carrot or two smaller carrots sliced into rounds
1 large potato, cubed
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 large portabello mushroom caps, sliced into strips

Directions:

In a large covered saucepan, simmer carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaves in broth for about 10 minutes until tender.

In a separate pot boil sweet potato until very soft and then mash finely or puree in food processor.  Set aside.

Add wine, beans, sweet potato puree, garlic, and salt to carrot and potato.  Return to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or more, until sauce reduces and becomes thick.

Meanwhile, cook mushrooms in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat, using a little olive oil if needed.  Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin releasing their liquid.

Combine beans and mushrooms and serve over brown rice.  Garnish with a little fresh parsley if on hand.

Pasta with Pistachio Mint Pesto

I've gone dark for a while, but that doesn't mean I've stopped working the vegan love.  My boyfriend cooks most of the week now (and he's a great vegan chef in his own right) since I started working full time.  Because it's important to eat hours before bed when you have AR, we always eat between 6 and 7pm--most nights I'm not home in time to cook for us.  But believe me, there are no complaints here--I'm very lucky to have someone putting a hot dinner on the table when I walk in the door!

A day off gives me the opportunity to experiment with new dishes (and give my beloved cook a break), and today I made a pistachio and mint pesto that was dangerously good over spaghetti.  Nuts are a big part of our diet, and I like to work them into any recipe I can, as well as snack on them constantly.  The pistachio is a nut I've admittedtly neglected, and it really deserves better respect since it packs in A, B, C, and E vitamines, lutein, and antioxidants aplenty.  They also have been shown to lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good.  AND they are good sources of fiber and protein.

Once again, granulated garlic in this recipe cuts out the garlic juice that's problematic for those with AR, and I've been going with brown rice pasta lately to avoid gluten ('cause all the celebrites do it, you know?).  Fresh mint is essential to do this right, and the nutritional yeast gives it that gooey, cheesy flavor that makes it indulgent.  If you can find shelled pistachios, bonus for you!  I could only find the shelled ones, so we had a race to see who could shell the most nuts in a minute.  I won, of course.  But it was a win-win situation.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shelled, roasted unsalted pistachios
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
bunch of fresh mint
1-2 T nutritional yeast
pinch of salt

12 oz brown rice spaghetti or other pasta

Directions:

Cook spaghetti in salted water according to package directions.  Brown rice pasta usually takes about 15 minutes boiling over medium high heat.

Pulse pistachios in food processor, adding in garlic, mint, nutritional yeast, and salt until you have a coarse puree.

Stream in 1/4 -1/3 cup olive oil and pulse to mix in.  You might need more or less, depending on how dry you want the pesto.

Drain spaghetti and toss in a large bowl with pesto, reserving a little to top off each serving.  Garnish with extra pistachio nuts.  Try not to eat to much.

North African Chickpea Soup

In vegan cooking, especially low acid cooking, it’s important to have a special ingredient to make something a little nicer.  Don’t get me wrong—I love beans and rice; but on a low-acid diet you can’t just throw in some onions and peppers to jazz it up.  You have to get a little more creative.

Saffron is an ingredient that can do this.  It’s expensive, but well worth the initial investment.  I made this chickpea soup or something like it for some time without putting any in, until I finally got up the courage to add it to the grocery list.  Now that I have it, this soup is one of my favorites, and I’m never going back.  Sure, it’s good without the saffron—but those beautiful little red threads meld perfectly with the allspice, cumin, and chickpeas and make this soup like nothing else I’ve cooked.

My boyfriend thought it tasted like chicken, and I can see where he’s coming from, but with all due respect to our feathered friends it’s much more complex than that!

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
4 slices of peeled, minced ginger
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp allspice
generous pinch of saffron, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup quinoa
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add ginger and carrot and cook for a few minutes, up to 5.
3. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, allspice, saffron, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick and cook for about 30 seconds,  until aromatic.
4. Add chickpeas and stir to coat them with the spices.
5. Pour in stock and quinoa, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add chopped kale in handfuls and gradually stir in.  Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until kale is tender
7. Add salt to taste.

Mushroom Hot Pot

Now that Fall is upon us in the northern hemisphere it’s time to make some soups and stews that we banish during the hot, summer months.  One of my favorite mixes of flavors is coconut-lemongrass-lime, so I love this low-acid version of a mushroom hot pot that eschews the onion, peppers, and tomato found in the traditional Vietnamese version.  The star anise is the surprising star of the show here, so don’t neglect to add it if you can find some!  It livens up the taste with a hint of tart licorice that won’t upset a delicate stomach.

I like to serve this with a variety of steamed vegetables and toasted nuts, either on the side or thrown right in.  Fresh basil and bean sprouts are a great addition if you want a more “authentic” version.

Ingredients:

4 cups veg broth
1 T cornstarch
1 T toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
2 T minced lemongrass
1 T minced ginger root
2 star anise
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 lb mixed mushrooms (white button, shitake, portabello)
2 T low sodium tamari
pinch of ground black pepper
15 oz can lite coconut milk
juice of 1/4 lime
Salt to taste

cooked brown rice
toasted cashews
steamed kale or other greens
sliced, steamed carrots
diced celery

Directions:

1. Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat.
2. Pour broth in large bowl, setting aside 1 cup.  Whisk cornstarch with 1 cup broth until dissolved and then pour mixture into larger bowl of broth, stirring well.  Set aside.
3. In large, preheated pot, saute ginger and lemongrass in toasted sesame oil for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Pour in broth mixture and add mushrooms, granulated garlic, star anise, cinnamon, tamari, and black pepper.  Stir until it’s thickened a little, about 10 minutes.
5. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook covered for 1/2 hour.  (Meanwhile, cook rice, prepare veggies, toast cashews, or whatever floats your boat.)
6. Add coconut milk (don’t forget to shake it before opening the can!), lime, and taste for salt.  Serve with rice and top with other accoutrements.

Walnut Miso Noodles

This is a great fallback recipe because it’s a relatively quick fix and uses ingredients I usually have on hand.  That being said, it’s also beautiful, delicious, and will make you look like a pro at the same time.  Win-win!  It was inspired by a noodle recipe of Heidi Swanson’s over at 101cookbooks.com, where there’s a lot of inspiration to be had, if only for the food porn.  In my version of this recipe, I left out some ingredients and substituted others to make it vegan and low acid.  I also changed some of the vegetables to keep it seasonal.

I’ve been experimenting lately with granulated garlic, using very small amounts because it has a powerful taste.  Because it has no juice it won’t set your stomach on fire like the fresh stuff, which you have to use a lot of to get the same amount of flavor.  And I’m all about flavor.  It came out tasting so good I can’t wait to make it again!

Ingredients:

4 oz soba noodles

1 head broccoli florets

Walnut Miso Dressing:
   
    1/2 cup toasted walnuts

    1/4 cup olive oil

    1/4 tsp granulated garlic
   
    2 T white miso paste
   
    2 T dry white wine (I use sauvignon blanc)

    1 T honey
   
    1/4 cup room temperature veggie broth (or less)

1/2 bunch of kale, torn into pieces and steamed

1 carrot, sliced in rounds and steamed

extra toasted walnuts


Directions:

1. Toast walnuts over medium high heat in a heavy skillet or pan for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and toasty looking.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a food processor, mix toasted walnuts, oil, granulated garlic, miso paste, wine, and honey.  Add broth slowly and mix on high until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
3. In a large pot, cook soba noodles 7-8 minutes in boiling salted water.  At the last minute (60 sec) toss in broccoli florets.  Drain and toss with 3/4 of the dressing in a large bowl, saving some for dolloping on top.
4. Toss dressing with noodles and serve in bowls topped with steamed carrots, kale, more toasted walnuts (always toast extra ‘cause they’re so good), extra dressing or any other vegetables or fresh herbs you have on hand.

Pasta E Fagioli

One thing you really miss when you commit to a low acid diet is cooked tomatoes.  You fear that you will never be able to eat Italian food again!  In reality, Italian cooking can be done without tomatoes quite nicely, but nothing ever really makes up for the color.  Yesterday I was contemplating making a pasta e fagioli soup, which would be sad without its reddish-orange broth, and I had an idea.  Why not substitute pureed sweet potato for the called-for tomato sauce?  The color and gentle sweetness of the sweet potato make it a viable substitute.  Yams are perfectly welcome too.

Lo and behold, it turned out better than I could have possibly hoped, with the pasta, vegetables, and beans suspended perfectly in a slightly thick and sweet reddish-orange broth.  I bet I’m not the first to think of this, and maybe I picked it up unconsciously while thumbing through a cookbook or surfing the net.  Never underestimate the power of hypnotic suggestion!

One big factor in the deliciousness was my homemade stock, which you are probably sick of hearing about by now.  But it’s so easy!  Just save up all your leftover vegetable and herb stems, or any leftover vegetable matter, in a sealed container in the freezer for up to a week.  Once you’ve stockpiled enough trimmings, stems, and stalks, (which won’t be long if you’re on a plant-based diet!) boil in a stockpot for 30 minutes and then strain the liquid into a large bowl(s) to cool.   Use hot or store in jars in the fridge, and you’ll notice the rich taste of your own broth is a little different every time, and a perfect compliment to the foods you like to make.  It took me years to try this, but now I’m never going back.  You really get your money’s worth out of your produce this way.

We’ll be eating this rich, filling soup for days.  I went a little crazy with the herbs but they really help bring out the flavor, since onions and peppers are off limits.  Dry sautéing the carrots and celery is an option if you want no fat in it.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole-wheat pasta (chiocciole)

1 large sweet potato, cubed

1 T olive oil

2 medium carrots sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 stalks celery trimmed and diced

1 tsp garlic powder (or less)*

2 tsps dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

2 tsps marjoram

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

salt to taste

2 cups kidney beans

4 cups vegetable stock

2 cups frozen sliced green beans

chopped cilantro for garnish

nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil salted water for pasta and cook 11 minutes or according to package directions.  Drain, without rinsing, and set aside.
2. Boil water in a small pot and cook cubed sweet potato 5+ minutes, until very soft.  Put softened cubes into food processor, puree, and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.  When heated up add carrots and celery and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, until softened but not cooked through.
4. Stir in herbs, spices, and salt and sauté briefly for 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Add beans, vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in pasta, pureed sweet potato and beans.  When mixed well let simmer for 5 more minutes or until heated through and veggies are soft.
7. Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro (or any fresh herb you like).  I liked it with a bit of nutritional yeast sprinkled over like grated cheese, but hey, we all are different.

*Note on the garlic powder: it seems to me the juice of the raw garlic is what aggravates acid, and the dehydrated version eliminates this and allows you to use much less.

Ayurvedic Lentils and Brown Rice (Kitchari)

Last night we went out to dinner to a French restaurant with friends who were visiting town.  Today we both felt the difference eating all that butter and cheese makes!  I also had mussels and frites, since these are two of my weaknesses.  So, today I made a recovery meal, something with ingredients that would help us detox (is this really a word?) and get back into balance. I made a version of an ayurvedic dish called Kitchari.  Kitchari is used in traditional Indian medicine, or ayurveda, for fasting—and sometimes I like to do a kitchari fast for a day and resume my usual diet thereafter.  I really do it because I like the way it tastes, and I think the medicinal spice and herb blend I’ve learned is delicious.  This is fasting for those who don’t want to feel deprived, and I definitely like to eat.  A kitchari fast is also easier for someone with AR, since dry fasting and juice fasting can be harsh on a sensitive stomach.  Most of the recipes I’ve seen for kitchari call for mung beans, which need soaking, and because this was last minute I used dried green lentils, which cook up nicely in 30 minutes.  If you have time to soak mung beans overnight, you should try it because they work beautifully here too.  They have a more delicate taste than lentils do.

I served the kitchari with a side of steamed greens but this is an unneeded embellishment.  I also use my own vegetable stock (‘cause when you start making it yourself you want it in everything!) but water would totally work instead.  To make it fat free leave out the olive oil and it’s just as good.  Best of all (and you thought it couldn't get better, right?), it's even more tasty when reheated.

Kitchari

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 T fresh chopped ginger)

2 T shredded coconut

handful chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)

3 bay leaves

2 T olive oil

1 cup green lentils

1 cup long grain brown rice

4 cups vegetable broth (or water)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cardamom

pinch of salt and black pepper or to taste

Directions:

1. Put ginger, coconut, cilantro, and broth in food processor (or blender) and liquefy.  Set aside.

2. Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  When hot place bay leaves in dry and let sit about minute until they become aromatic.

3. Add oil, lentils, and brown rice to saucepan and mix well, coating everything thinly with oil.  Mix in ginger-cilantro-coconut mixture.

4. Immediately add broth and spices, bring to boil and then let simmer for 35-40 minutes, making sure the rice is fully cooked and adding more broth if needed.

5. Serve hot and garnish with cilantro if desired.

Sweet Kale Salad

 

I’ve learned to use the term “sweet” in yoga to describe the long, slow, mellow stretches at the end of class.  They round out the class nicely because the strong, more cardiovascular poses can get you a bit worked up.  It’s the same thing with this kale salad.  Like the intense poses, kale is so good for you with all its vitamins and minerals (including calcium!).  It’s also a more alkaline food, so it won’t stir up the out-of-control acids in your body, which is exciting.  The intensity of all this goodness needs to be tempered, and a sweet, smooth dressing made with honey will mellow things down.  The dressing is also great because it comes out a light green color, making a nice contrast to the dark green kale and the other intensely colored veggies.  If you want to cut back on fat grams you can reduce or replace the olive oil with vegetable broth.  Keep in mind—it’s still not fat-free because of Mr. Avocado there—but I won’t hold it against him.  He’s a really good fat once you get to know him.

To make this salad into a main course, which is what I do, add a cup of cooked brown rice, wheatberries, or other larger sized grain into the mix.  Brown rice will taste great with the dressing too, and having some starch in there will calm acidy stomachs.  Just remember to make it before you start the salad, giving it a chance to cool down, even if you have to stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Sweet Kale Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1 rib celery, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
2 T white wine (or 2 T lemon juice if you can tolerate it)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T avocado
2 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

a handful of sliced almonds

1/2 bunch kale (lacinato or dinosaur!)

4 carrots, thinly sliced

1 small bulb of fennel, transparently sliced

1 avocado (what is left after making the dressing), cut into small cubes

1 cup brown rice, wheatberries, or other larger grain


Directions:

1. Make the dressing by putting all its ingredients in a food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Adjust honey, salt, and pepper to taste.

2. Warm a heavy pan or skillet (cast iron works best) over medium low heat.  When pan is hot throw in sliced almonds and toast for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Pour almonds into a small bowl and set aside.

3. Wash and de-stem the kale, ripping the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces.  Place kale in large salad bowl and pour over it half the dressing.  Soften the kale by gently working the dressing through it with you hands so that all the leaves are coated.  Let it sit for a few minutes.

4. Add sliced carrots and fennel to the bowl of kale and toss until mixed.  To make the salad into a main course, as I have here, add cooked brown rice or wheatberries and toss.

5. Add cubed avocado and toasted almond slices and give it one last gentle toss.

6. Serve with a few toasted almond slices or the left over fennel fronds as garnish.