Summer Chowder with Fresh Chives and Tarragon

Fresh, light, and floral- perfect way to kick start summer.

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound summer squash (I used three small yellow squash and 2 medium zucchini), cut into rounds
16 ounces frozen organic corn kernels, if you have fresh that will work too
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth broth
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
3/4 tablespoons tarragon, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
Lime, cut into wedges

In a stock pot over medium heat saute the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add in the summer squash and saute for another 4 minutes. Toss in the corn and continue sauting for another 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk and broth, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add in the chives, tarragon, and salt. With a lid over top simmer for 15 minutes, until the squash is soft and the corn cooked through. Carefully transfer to a blended and blend to desired consistency. Squeeze juice from a lime wedge over top of each soup bowl before eating.

Serves 4-6

GF Vegan Meatloaf Cupcakes

It's hard finding a suitable meatloaf recipe when you're a vegan. Every now and then you just really want comfort food with all the ease of tossing ingredients in a bowl, mixing it up, and 20 minutes later you've got dinner for days. Enter in this meatloaf. My friend Erica made it and packaged me up an entire container worth for lunch and dinner as I was pulling a 15 hour day at school, 9 of those hours being a clinic shift. This meatloaf got me through those 15 hours. Literally. Not even a week later I harassed her for the recipe so I can replicate it at home.

What's the deal with the cupcake sized meatloaf you may ask? Well, it's super convenient. You don't have to slice the meatloaf up to serve and it's already divided out into little portions for tomorrow's lunch and such. Ideally a normal size muffin tin is the way to go, but since I only had a mini muffin tin I just went with it.

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 8-ounce package organic tempeh
3 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce (found at Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds + 6 tablespoons warm water- combine and let rest for 5 minutes until thick

Ketchup topping:
2 tablespoons remaining tomato paste
2 tablespoons maple syrup
*Or use store bought ketchup

Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a muffin tin by spraying it with nonstick spray.

In a pan over medium heat saute the garlic, shallots, and bell pepper in some oil until translucent, about five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a food processor add the tempeh until it is ground into little pieces. Poor the ground tempeh into a mixing bowl and add in the cooked vegetables, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and dried herbs- stir until well combined. Add in the chia mixture that has congealed in the water- this is your egg replacer. Mix in the remaining ingredients: oats, sunflower seeds, and parsley. The mixture will be very thick, so use your hands to make sure everything is well incorporated. If you need to you can add a splash of water to get it to mix better, maybe a tablespoon or so.

Mix together the ketchup ingredients if you aren't using store bought. Honestly, it's convenient just making it yourself since you'll have leftover tomato paste anyways. 

Using your hands, press the meatloaf mixture into the muffin tin. Spoon over the ketchup mixture before baking the meatloaf in the oven for 23 minutes, 15 or so for a mini muffin tray. Allow to cool for five minutes before serving.

I served my meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.

Recipe from Fork and Beans

Simmered Collard Greens

This past weekend my mom and I took a mini vacation to Orlando to spend some much appreciated quality time together. We mostly spent our trip lounging at the pool, soaking in as much sun as we could get between the reliable afternoon rain showers of Florida Summers. I took her to Ethos Vegan Kitchen, my all time favorite vegan restaurant in the entire continental United States, where I was inspired by yet another one of their dishes. I had the most yummy simmered collard greens that accompanied my main dish of BBQ 'Chikun' with mashed potatoes and gravy. Apparently what they're saying is true: Collards are the new Kale. I've made collards before, but I've never had them simmered so simply. I thought they were drool-worthy. So the day we got back I ran out to the store and bought a bundle of collards and simmered away.

1 bunch collard greens
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth*
Seasonings (optional)*

Remove the stems from the collards and rip the greens into smaller pieces.

In a pan over medium heat saute the garlic in the olive oil until fragrant. Add in the greens and vegetable broth and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours with a lid over top. Strain out any remaining liquid before serving. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

*The broth you use will determine the flavor profile of these collards. I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base which has great flavor.

*A lot of people enjoy adding red pepper flakes or hot sauce to their simmered collards, but I loved how I had them at Ethos, so flavorful and simple, so I did without.

Quick Stuffed Mushrooms

You won't come across an easier stuffed mushroom. You can practically whip these up in your sleep. This is what drew me to the in the first place. I had 25 minutes before I had to run to the gym and was able to get these guys made and just popped them in the oven when I got home. Yeah- my kind of recipe!

2 boxes 1-inch mushrooms with stems, about a pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
4 tablespoons plant-based butter
1 cup white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
1 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs (I only had GF on hand and it worked perfectly)
1 bunch (3 ounces) chives, minced

Preheat oven to 350° F. Carefully remove the stems and place them in a bowl, as you will be using them later. Using a damp clean kitchen towel rub the tops of the mushroom caps to remove that thin layer of skin and/or any dirt. Then toss the caps in the olive oil, and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Spray a glass dish with non-stick spray and bake (tops up) for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Place the hot mushroom caps onto a plate to cool and set aside- do not throw away the mushroom liquid that was released during the baking process, we will be using this!

Rinse your stems to remove any dirt, then roughly chop. Add the plant-based butter to a pan over medium heat and melt, then add in the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, or until they start to turn slightly brown. Add the chopped mushroom stems into the the pan with the onion-garlic mixture, saute for another 5 minutes. Next add in the white wine and saute until the wine is almost cooked. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, chives, and reserved mushroom liquid.

Stuff mushrooms, then bake for 8-10 minutes, until warmed through and the tops start to turn golden brown.

*I had a lot of extra stuffing leftover, you can always freeze the stuffing and thaw it for future stuffed mushrooms. Or just bake it and eat it like a holiday stuffing.

Recipe from Sublime Restaurant Cookbook