Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

shitake-spinach-soup1

I love soups and make versions of this recipe often in the cold months. Sometimes I add rice noodles to this soup to make it more filling but this time I didnt. The tofu croutons are wonderfully crunchy and make this otherwise thin soup rather satisfying. We had a huge bowl for dinner and I’m looking forward to eating the left over for lunch

tofu-croutons

I love these tofu croutons in the soup, they are crispy on the outside, meaty inside absorb flavors fabulously. I also love snacking on them with some hot sauce or sriracha to dip. Toss tofu cubes in some corn starch before baking, this makes the croutons extra crisp. You could add any kind of seasoning you like to the tofu cubes; I stuck with salt and pepper. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika will all be great; add these to the tofu about 10 minutes before the end of baking to prevent the spices from burning.

shitake-spinach-soup2

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons Recipe

serves 4-6

2 oz dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 leeks, chopped thinly and washed
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
8 cups water, vegetable stock or mushroom stock
3-4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sriracha or chili paste
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, washed
Salt (keep in mind soy sauce and stock are already salty)

Soak dried shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add leeks and saute on high heat till leeks are soft. Then add ginger and garlic pastes and cook for about 2 minutes. Removed shitake mushroooms from the boiling water, reserve the soaking liquid. Squeze out some of the water and cut the larger mushrooms into half. Add the mushrooms to the leeks, ginger and garlic and saute on medium-high heat for about 1 minute.

Add 3 cups of the mushroom soaking liquid and 8 cups stock to the soup pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, sesame oil, spinach, salt and immediately turn off heat. The fresh spinach will wilt into the soup and doent need any more cooking. Taste and adjust soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice and sriracha. Serve with tofu croutons on top. For a more filling meal, add some cooked rice noodles or vemicelli to the soup. If you like thicker soup, mix 3 tbsp of corn starch with a little water and add this to the soup at the end, but before adding spinach. Bring the soup with the corn starch slurry to a boil and then turn off heat. This will thicken the soup.

Tofu Croutons Recipe

1 block (19 oz) firm tofu
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp corn startch
salt and pepper
other optional seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika

Heat oven to 375 f. Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes with corn startch, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the tofu cubes. Place on a non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment). Bake for 45 minutes or untill the tofu croutons are golden. If using any of the optional sesaoning listed above, remove tofu from oven 10 minutes before end of baking time and toss the croutons with sesaonings, return to oven. Let tofu croutons cool a little before removing them from the baking sheet. Serve with soup.

Breaded Goat Cheese Salad with Dried Fruit and Pomegranate. And Cheesy Giveaway Part 2!

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

100

This giveaway has ended. Winner announced here.

goat-cheese-pomegranate-dried-fruit-salad3 I have a great giveaway for your from Chavrie cheese! You can win an amazing fall entertaining set worth $100! All you have to do is comment to enter the giveaway. One randomly picked winner will get a beautiful bread board, $50 cooking.com gift certificate, goat cheese coupons and more!

But first, here is a quick and easy goat cheese salad for you. Crisp romaine, soft goat cheese with bits of dried fruit and crystallized ginger, fresh pomegranate seeds…all served with some oil and vinegar on the side. Simple to make, but tastes so gourmet! I love the crystallized ginger with the goat cheese and could eat that all by itself

You may want to see my post on how to open a pomegranate without making a mess

goat-cheese-pomegranate-dried-fruit-salad2

chavrie-goat-cheese Breaded Goat Cheese Salad with Dried Fruit and Pomegranate Recipe
serves 1 as an entree

4 tbsp bread crumbs, I used italian herb and garlic flavored bread crumbs
3 heaping tbsp goat cheese
1/2 tbsp chopped dried fruit, I used dried apricots and crystallized ginger
3 large romaine leaves, torn into pieces
2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds
Salt and pepper
Olive oil and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to serve on the side as dressing.

Place the bread crumbs in a small skillet and toast on low heat till bread crumbs are lightly browned. Turn off heat. Mix goat cheese (make sure its cold) with chopped dried fruit. Take 1 heaping tbsp of the goat cheese mixture. Using your fingers form the goat cheese into a ball and then flatten it into a disc. Gently press the goat cheese disc into the toasted bread crumbs. Make sure all sides are coated. Repeat with the remaining goat cheese and bread crumbs. You should have 3 breaded goat cheese discs.

Place the torn romaine lettuce in a plate. Arrange the goat cheese discs on top. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, salt and pepper. Serve oil and vinegar on the side for dressing the salad.

Cheesy Giveaway Part 2! Win this bread board with dip bowl and much more!

Win a Gourmet Fall Entertaining Set (Value $100)One lucky winner will get:

-Williams-Sonoma Cherry Wood Bread Board with Dip Bowl (in the photo above)
-Dried fruits
-Crystallized Ginger
-Chavrie Coupons – Free Cheese, of course!
-Cooking.com Gift Certificate for $50.00
-Chavrie recipe cards (dips, quick tips and wine suggestions)

How to enter

-leave a comment here

To increase your chances of winning, also do one or more of the following. You will be counted as many times!

-blog about this giveaway on your blog and link to this post

-use the ‘share’ button below to share this post with friends

-tweet about this giveaway

US residents only please!
Contest ends Thursday, Oct 29th 11.30pm EST
One random winner will be announced on the 30th!

Curried Pumpkin Cashew Soup with Cilantro Gremolata

Posted on October 18, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

pumpkin-cashew-soup1

We spent the evening by the fireplace, cozying up, watching the rain, and listening to old songs. Dinner was by the fire place too - a silky pumpkin and cashew soup, scented with fennel and coriander and finished with a little fresh orange juice. This was a filling, warming, comforting meal; perfect for a dreary fall day.

cilantro-gremolata

The soup is topped with a gremolata. Now traditional Italian gremolata has parsley, garlic and lemon zest – all minced and mixed together. I changed it up a little to match the soup. The soup has curry flavors, ginger and a touch of orange juice in it. To complement the soup, my gremolata has cilantro, ginger and orange zest. Just put a spoon of gremolata on top of the soup before serving. It really perks up the flavors.

A note on what pumpkin to use for this soup: Pie pumpkin is the best. Pie pumpkins are smaller and rounder than carving/halloween pumpkins. You could also use butternut squash instead of pumpkin.

You can easily veganize this recipe if you wish. Just cut out the milk and use more vegetable stock. The cashew nuts will ensure the soup is creamy even without the milk.

curried-pumpkin-cashew-soup

See the pepitas in the picture below? I toasted up the seeds from the pumpkin and served it as another topping for the soup. You could skip the pepitas if you wish and serve the soup with just the gremolata and some good crusty bread for dunking.

pepitas-bread-and-pumpkin-soup

Curried Pumpkin Cashew Soup Recipe
serves about 3
1 pie pumpkin (about 2 lbs)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 small onion
3/4 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp cumin or coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne powder
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup water. Use more for thinner soup.
1/2 cup cashew nuts
4 tbsp orange juice
Olive oil
Salt
French baguette or other crusty bread to serve with soup

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. (Discard the fibrous insides, but you could save the pumpkin seeds to toast – about 45 minutes in a 300 F oven). Sprinkle a little salt in the cavities of the pumpkin. Drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil into the cavities. Place the cut pumpkin halves, cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or till the pumpkin flesh is soft.

While the pumpkin in roasting, roughly chop the onion and mince ginger. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a deep pan. Add fennel seeds. When they start sizzling, add onion and ginger. Saute on medium heat till onion is translucent. Then add cumin or coriander powder, turmeric and paprika or cayenne. Cook on medium for about 2 munites.

When the pumpkin is done, scoop the flesh using a spoon (hold the hot pumpkin with oven mitts or let it cool before handling). Discard the pumpkin skin. Place the pumpkin flesh in the pan with the onion and spices. Pour in sugar, milk, water or stock and cashews and let the soup simmer for about 3 minutes. Then pour into a blender and blend into a smooth puree. Stir in orange juice and mix well. Serve with cilantro gremolata.

Cilantro Orange Ginger Gremolata Recipe
4 tbsp cilantro finely minced
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp orange zest
Salt

Mince cilantro and ginger very finely. Mix minced cilantro, ginger, orange zest and salt together.

Easy 5-Minute Mozzarella Fondue

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

easy-fondue1

There is a proper way to eat fondue – dont double dip, the fondue fork shouldnt touch your mouth, transfer dipped food from the fondue fork to a plate and eat it with another fork, dont drop stuff into the fondue pot…

Then there is our ‘throw-all-the-rules-out’ method of eating fondue. We dont have a fondue set, so we put the fondue in a soup bowl and used bamboo skewers. We double dipped like crazy. Several apple cubes were lost in the fondue pot/soup bowl. At the end we wiped the bowl clean with our fingers. So much fun!

The best part – 5 minutes is all it takes to make this fondue – easy and fuss free.

easy mozzarella and alouette cheese fondue

Here are some fondue dipper/dunker ideas for you..

What to dip in fondue

lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus (pat them try before serving, if the veggies are wet, fondue wont stick to them)
lightly grilled eggplant or zucchini (my favorite)
roasted fingerling potatoes
button mushrooms
crusty bread
cubed apple, tossed in a little lemon juice to prevent browning
sliced fresh figs
pretzel sticks, tortilla chips, pita chips
cooked (al dente) tortellini, patted dry

easy-fondue2

Easy 5-Minute Mozzarella Fondue Recipe
serves 1-2

1 garlic pod minced
1/4 cup white wine
a pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup Alouette cheese spread (recommended: garlic and herb or savory vegetable). Scroll down to see how you can win Alouette cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
anything from the “what to dip” list above to serve with fondue

Heat a small, deep non-stick pot. Add garlic and wine and bring wine to a simmer on medium heat. Once the wine begins to bubble, whisk in nutmeg and Alouette cheese spread and let it melt. Then add mozzarella cheese. Keep stirring with a whisk till the mozzarella melts, about 1 minute. If the fondue is too thick, add milk (one tablespoon at a time) while whisking on medium heat till desired consistency is reached.

Serve fondue with cubes of crusty bread, apples, steamed vegetables or anything from the “what to dip” list above. To reheat fondue, return it to a non stick pot on medium heat, whisk in a little milk if needed.

Like this recipe? Want to win the Alouette cheese I used in this fondue or two other cheese?

A cheesy giveaway! Win a free coupon for one of these cheeses!

1.Soft spreadable cheese (used in the fondue recipe above) 2.Baby Brie 3.Crumbles

How to enter

You can do one of three things to enter this giveaway:

-Leave a comment. Tell me what is your favorite cheese and how you like to eat it
-Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to this post
-Tweet about this giveaway

Do all 3 of the above and you will be counted 3 times!

Contest will close at 11.30pm EST on Friday, Oct 2nd ’09. Three winners will be announced on Saturday, Oct 3rd ’09.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. WINNERS ANNOUNCED HERE.

Monica Bhide’s Basmati with Pine Nuts, Pomegranate and Mint

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

basmati-with-pine-nuts-pomegranates-and-mint3

This picture goes to Jugalbandi’s Click. This month’s theme is heirloom.

How gorgeous does this rice dish look?! This recipe for basmati with pine nuts, pomegranate and mint is from Monica Bhide’s book ‘Modern Spice’.

Check out my guest post about this dish on Monica’s site.

You can buy Monica’s book, ‘Modern Spice’ here:

Curried Tofu Salad with Carrots and Jicama with Cumin Vinaigrette

Posted on September 6, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

curried-tofu-salad1

This salad is crunchy, healthy, filling and cumin scented all at the same time. And you can change it up or customize it however you wish. You could use baby corn, red peppers, arugula or cucumbers in this salad. Also try using tempeh or seitan instead of tofu.

curry-marinated-tofu-and-chopped-jicama,-carrot

Marinate tofu in curry powder and corn startch and pan fried it till crisp. I marinated the tofu over night, but you could skip the marinating if you are in a hurry. Use a good curry powder that you enjoy, it will make all the difference. Served the tofu on top of romaine lettuce, jicama and carrots.

cumin-vinaigrette

The cumin vinaigrette is easy and delicious. Just whisk together lemon juice, olive oil cumin powder and chopped cilantro.

curried-tofu-salad2

curried-tofu-salad3

Curried Tofu Salad with Jicama and Carrots
serves about 2 as an entree
1 block firm tofu
2 tbsp corn startch
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 smal jicama, cut into match sticks
1 large carrot, cut into match sticks

Drain the tofu and pat dry. Wrap it in several layers of paper towels, place a plate over the wrapped tofu and place a few cans (tomato, beans, soup cans etc) over the plate. Let the tofu compress this way for atleast an hour to get all the moisture out of the tofu. Then cut tofu into pieces. Toss with corn startch, curry powder, turmeric and salt. I marinated the tofu over night, but you could use it right away if you are in a hurry. Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry the tofu till its golden on all sides. Serve tofu pieces over lettuce, jicama and carrots.

Cumin Vinaigrette

4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp mango powder (amchoor), substitute with extra lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt, pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Keep chilled. Serve with curried tofu salad.

Crispy Polenta with Morel Mushrooms and Broccoli

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

polenta-with-morels-and-broccoli2

This is a great meal for a week night. Its filling, tasty, and doesnt take too long to make. I used store bought polenta to speed things up. If you havent tried morel mushrooms, you absolutely must! They are earthy, incredibly flavorful and have a great texture. Fresh morels are only in season very briefly in the spring. But you can buy dried morels all year long. I used Melissa’s brand morel mushrooms. They are little expensive but well worth the splurge. Chanterelles or porcini mushrooms will also be great in this recipe.

dry-and-soaked-morels

Here is a trick for getting extra flavorful sauce: Instead of soaking the mushrooms in water, soak them in half water and half vegetable stock. Then use this liquid to make the sauce.

store-bought-polenta

Saute soaked morels and broccoli and set aside. Then make a sauce with the morel soaking liquid, vegetable stock, a little wine and a few spoons of any soft, creamy cheese. I used Emeril’s vegetable stock which I received from foodbuzz. For the cheese, I recommend Alouette cheese spread for a wonderful creaminess. You could also use cream cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese or heavy cream. Store bought polenta makes this recipe easy to pull together. Just cut up the polenta into rounds, dredge in flour and pan fry till its crispy and golden.

garlic-and-thyme

Garlic and thyme add great flavor tot his dish. This photo goes to Jugalbandi’s Click event, this month’s theme is allium.

polenta-with-morels-and-broccoli1

You could add the sauteed vegetables back in sauce and then top the polenta with it. Or..

polenta-with-sauce

…top the polenta rounds with the vegetables and pour the sauce over.

Crispy Polenta with Morel Mushrooms and Broccoli Recipe
serves 3-4
1 tube (1 lb) store bought polenta
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn startch
2 tbsp oil

Cut the polenta into about 3/4th inch discs. Mix the all purpose flour and corn startch together. Dredge the polenta rounds in flour. Pan fry them till golden brown.

1 cup vegetable stock + 1 cup water
1 oz dried morel mushrooms
2 cups broccoli florets
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 pods gralic, minced
4 tbsp white wine, optional
Salt and pepper
4-6 tbsp alouette cheese spread or any soft cheese or heavy cream
3 tbsp butter or oil

Bring the stock and water to a boil. Turn heat off and add the dried mushrooms to the stock. Let it soak 20 minutes. Squeeze out the mushrooms, reserving the stock.

Heat butter or oil in a pan. Add the broccoli and soaked mushrooms, saute on medium for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook another minute. Then add the wine if using, salt and pepper and cook on high for 1 minute. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid and the cheese spread. Simmer on low for a few minutes till the mixture thickens. Serve over crispy polenta rounds.

Chipotle-Lime Grilled Squash with Kalyn’s Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

grilled-zucchini-squash-and-creamy-tomatillo-sauce

Call me crazy..but I grilled outdoors on a blazing hot, 98 degree day. I could have made my no-cook double layer summer vegetable sandwich instead, stayed indoors and stayed nice and cool. But I was really, really in the mood for some grilled summer squash/zucchini skewers with chipotle and lime.

When the wonderful Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen posted a recipe for creamy tomatillo dressing, I simply had to make it and serve it with grilled zucchini. Kalyn’s Café Rio inspired tomatillo dressing is tart, creamy and refreshing. But let me tell you about the chipotle lime grilled squash first.

thread-squash-on-skewer

Use both yellow squash and green zucchini for colorful skewers. Red onion goes well with the squash and is always wonderful on the grill. Red onion is one of my favorite things to grill – it gets sweet and roasted and incredibly flavorful. Cut the squash and onion and thread them alternatingly on soaked bamboo skewers.

Then grill the skewers on an outdoor grill. Towards the end, baste the skewers with a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, chipotle powder, cumin and salt. Chipotle powder burns easily, so only baste in the last minute or so of grilling.

grill-and-grilled-lime

Meet my grill. We got an incredible deal on it a few years ago in Sears. Among the many things we’ve grilled, we really like grilled limes and they go great with this dish.

tomatillos

grilled-tomatillos Now, onto Kalyns creamy tomatillo dressing. This is really easy to make. You’ll need a couple of tomatillos. Remove their husk and wash away the sticky coating on the tomatillos. Pat them dry. Then throw the tomatillos on the grill. When they are soft and blistered, put them in a blender.

add-lime-and-ranch-powder

Add some cilantro, garlic, a Serrano chili (Kalyn uses jalapeno or Tabasco sauce), lime juice, a packet of ranch dressing mix and a cup each of milk and mayonnaise.

creamy-tomatillo-sauce

Blend everything together and your sauce is done.

grilled-squash-with-tomatillo-dressing

Served chipotle grilled squash with creamy tomatillo sauce and grilled limes.

Chipotle Lime Grilled Squash recipe with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
makes 4 skewers
2 squash (preferably 1 yellow squash and 1 green zucchini)
½ medium red onion
¼ tsp ground chipotle
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
four 12 inch bamboo skewers

Soak the skewers for 15 minutes in warm water. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.

Heat an outdoor grill to about 350f.

Cut the squash into rounds (about 8 rounds per squash). Cut the onion into chunks. Thread the squash and onions onto the skewers alternatingly – about 4 pieces of squash and 3 pieces of onion per 12 inch skewer.

Mix chipotle powder, cumin, lime juice, olive oil and salt together. Place squash skewers on the grill and grill each side till browned. Brush the chipotle-olive oil mixture on the grilled squash in the last 1 minute of grilling.

Serve with creamy tomatillo sauce.

Kalyn’s Creamy Tomatillo Sauce recipe inspired by Café Rio
about 2 ½ cups (you’ll have left over sauce)

2 large or 4 small tomatillos
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 serrano chili (Kalyn uses jalapeno or Tabasco sauce)
1 packet Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise

Toss the tomatillos in 1 tso of oil and grill on an outdoor grill or in the oven till soft and blistered. Place the tomatillos along with all other ingredients in a blender. Blend into a sauce. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve.

If you want to use prepared/bottled ranch dressing, use 2 cups of the prepared dressing instead of the ranch dressing mix, milk and mayo. If you don’t have tomatillos, Kalyn recommends using store bought salsa verde.

Veggie Belly

Vegetarian recipes, everything from easy to exotic

Category Archives: Entrees & Mains