As a first time vegan I have learned that planning makes all the difference!
There are so many bland and boring vegan recipes out there, so for a holiday dinner one needs to do some real searching on the net and in cookbooks to find the true recipe gems. That is, if you don't already have some killer vegan recipes to begin with.
I didn't , and after searching for a long time, this is what my menu will be this year (I'm posting this in case any of you are looking for vegan recipes too.
REC: Cabbage rolls
These tasty little cabbage parcels are filled with a vegan loaf mixture made from nuts, beans, and rice. It makes a fantastic healthy vegan centerpiece dish during the holidays.
This dish can be made in advance and refrigerated; it reheats well.
makes 10 cabbage rolls
1 cup walnuts
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
18 to 20 large cabbage leaves
1 cup tomato-vegetable juice blend
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the walnuts into very small bits. Pour out the walnuts into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the garbanzo beans and brown rice to the bowl of the food processor and process until the mixture forms a coarse mash. Add to the mixing bowl along with the oat bran, marjoram, thyme, onion powder, soy sauce, and mustard. Using your hands, knead the mixture well until it is thoroughly mixed and holds its shape. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (the leaves should be limp enough to roll but not cooked through). Drain the leaves thoroughly.
Divide the bean and rice mixture into ten equal pieces. Form each piece into a tiny round loaf.
Place a cabbage leaf on your work surface (if there is a rip in the leaf, cover it with another small cabbage leaf; if the leaf has a tough middle stem that won’t roll, cut it away and overlap the remaining leaf). Place a loaf at one edge of the cabbage leaf and roll it up, folding in the edges as you go. Repeat with the remaining bean and rice loaves.
Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in an oiled baking dish. Use a knife to shred the remaining cabbage leaves and pieces you have left over. Sprinkle the shredded cabbage over and around the cabbage rolls.
Mix the tomato juice and lemon juice together and pour evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake the rolls for 45 to 50 minutes, until gently brown on top.
*****
As side dishes, I will make bakes sweet potatoes and Green Beans with Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds. The dressing is made from champagne vinegar, mustard, and shallot and a drizzle of walnut oil. I don't have a recipe for the green beans (I had it at a friends house) so I just wrote down the ingredients and I need to wing it. The recipe is from an old Martha Stewart magazine which I don't have, but I figured - how hard can it be?
Link to cabbage rolls:
http://shmooedfood.blogspot.no/2009/11/cabbage-rolls.html
My dessert will probably be a sorbet of some kind because I love sorbets and it can be made in advance.
http://shmooedfood.blogspot.no/2009/11/cabbage-rolls.html
There are so many bland and boring vegan recipes out there, so for a holiday dinner one needs to do some real searching on the net and in cookbooks to find the true recipe gems. That is, if you don't already have some killer vegan recipes to begin with.
I didn't , and after searching for a long time, this is what my menu will be this year (I'm posting this in case any of you are looking for vegan recipes too.
REC: Cabbage rolls
These tasty little cabbage parcels are filled with a vegan loaf mixture made from nuts, beans, and rice. It makes a fantastic healthy vegan centerpiece dish during the holidays.
This dish can be made in advance and refrigerated; it reheats well.
makes 10 cabbage rolls
1 cup walnuts
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
18 to 20 large cabbage leaves
1 cup tomato-vegetable juice blend
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the walnuts into very small bits. Pour out the walnuts into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the garbanzo beans and brown rice to the bowl of the food processor and process until the mixture forms a coarse mash. Add to the mixing bowl along with the oat bran, marjoram, thyme, onion powder, soy sauce, and mustard. Using your hands, knead the mixture well until it is thoroughly mixed and holds its shape. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (the leaves should be limp enough to roll but not cooked through). Drain the leaves thoroughly.
Divide the bean and rice mixture into ten equal pieces. Form each piece into a tiny round loaf.
Place a cabbage leaf on your work surface (if there is a rip in the leaf, cover it with another small cabbage leaf; if the leaf has a tough middle stem that won’t roll, cut it away and overlap the remaining leaf). Place a loaf at one edge of the cabbage leaf and roll it up, folding in the edges as you go. Repeat with the remaining bean and rice loaves.
Place the cabbage rolls seam side down in an oiled baking dish. Use a knife to shred the remaining cabbage leaves and pieces you have left over. Sprinkle the shredded cabbage over and around the cabbage rolls.
Mix the tomato juice and lemon juice together and pour evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake the rolls for 45 to 50 minutes, until gently brown on top.
*****
As side dishes, I will make bakes sweet potatoes and Green Beans with Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds. The dressing is made from champagne vinegar, mustard, and shallot and a drizzle of walnut oil. I don't have a recipe for the green beans (I had it at a friends house) so I just wrote down the ingredients and I need to wing it. The recipe is from an old Martha Stewart magazine which I don't have, but I figured - how hard can it be?
Link to cabbage rolls:
http://shmooedfood.blogspot.no/2009/11/cabbage-rolls.html
My dessert will probably be a sorbet of some kind because I love sorbets and it can be made in advance.
http://shmooedfood.blogspot.no/2009/11/cabbage-rolls.html
