lentil lemon and garlic soup

ingredients:
2 lemons, juiced
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 cubes of vegetable bouillon optional (i used it in this recipe to add more flavor)
5 oz of diced carrots
5 oz of diced celery
5 oz of diced onions
** i just bought the mirepoix mixture at trader joe's and used it for this recipe... it's a quick and easy soup starter**
5 cloves of minced garlic
4 tbs olive oil
1 1/2- 2cups of cooked lentils
1 large potato, pealed and diced
paprika
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
hot sauce (i used sriracha) 
cilantro for garnish (you can also use parsley, basil, etc.)

directions:
1)  heat olive oil in a large pot, on medium high heat
2)  saute carrots, onions, and celery for 6-8 minutes
3) stir in diced potatoes and garlic. cook for about 5 minutes.
4)  add broth (at this time, you can add the vegetable bouillon) and stir occasionally.  cook until the potatoes are close to tender
4) add lentils and lemon juice. cook for 5 minutes.  at this time, season with salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
5)  transfer soup into a food processor or blender and puree soup.
6) transfer puree back to pot and simmer on low for another 5 minutes.
7) ladle into a bowl. garnish with cilantro, olive oil, paprika, and lemon slices.
** soup goes well with garlic bread**

mushroom and "beef" stroganoff

my mom used to cook a delicious beef stroganoff when i was growing up. this recipe is a mixture of my mom's recipe with a twist of my own added ingredients. 

ingredients:
*trader joes beefless strips, cut into smaller pieces

* 12 oz tofutti sour cream 

*1/2 medium onion, sliced
*4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
* cremni  mushrooms, sliced
*1 vegetable buillon, chopped
*2 tbs of canola oil
*2 tbs of vegan butter
* red pepper flakes
*1/4 cup sherry
* 1 tsp soy sauce
* pasta noodles, cooked

directions:
1) in a large pan, heat canola oil and butter on medium high heat.
2) saute onions for 3 minutes and then add the garlic.  cook for another 2 minutes.
3) add "beef" and chopped buillon and sherry.  cook for 7-9 minutes. when "beef" is cooked, stir in soy sauce.
4)  season with salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.
5)  add pasta noodles and mix well. then add sour cream and mix until all the noodles are covered evenly.  cook for another 2-3 minutes.  enjoy!

mushroom soondubu jjigae (korean hot pot soft tofu stew)

i first tried korean hot pot soup a couple of weeks ago at a korean hole in the wall restaurant in milpitas. they actually had a mushroom vegan version. it was delicious!!!

here is my take on korean hot pot soup. i had it today for dinner and surprisingly it turned out pretty good... considering that this was the first time i've made it! a very comforting dish on a cold evening.

                                                      ingredients:

2 packages of soft tofu
tofu broth seasoning
7 oz enoke mushrooms
1 small package of beech mushrooms
1-3 tsps red chili powder
4 cups of vegetable broth
chopped green onions
sesame oil


directions
1)prep and clean mushrooms. to make sure all the dirt is out, i personally like to soak the mushrooms in water a couple of times until the water is clear. set mushrooms aside.
2) bring vegetable broth and tofu broth seasoning to boil in a medium pot.
3) add tofu and break apart in pot. cook for about 5 minutes.
4) add mushrooms and chili powder. simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5) remove from heat. garnish with green onions and drizzle with sesame oil.

vegan sayote (chayote) guisado

i grew up on this dish. topped over hot rice, this dish is comfort food to me.

guisa is a general term in ilocano/tagalog that means to saute in tomatoes, onions, and garlic.  there are many varations to this vegetable dish. sometimes my parents would cook it using other vegetables like beansprouts or cabbage.   pork or shrimp are usually sauteed into this dish as well.

grilled portobello mushroom salad

this is a basic and versatile grilled portobello mushroom recipe that can be tweaked for any meal.

ingredients:
1-2 portobello mushrooms
salad mix
ailoli sauce with chopped tomatoes
**see previous blog post for aioli sauce recipe**

marinade ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs garlic salt
1-2 tsp red pepper
3 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
** prepare marinade in a shallow bowl.**

directions:
1) clean mushroom caps and marinate portobello mushrooms for an hour. i like to place the mushroom cap face up and pour the marinade over it.  this way, the marinade soaks in the cap.
2) heat grill on medium heat.
3) when grill is hot, brush with olive oil and grill mushrooms for 5 minutes on each side.
4)  slice mushrooms and place over salad mix.  top with aioli sauce and chopped tomatoes.

lemon garlic aioli sauce

 Ingredients

*1 cup of veganiaise mayonnaise

* 3 tsp lemon juice
* 1tsp olive oil
* 4-5 minced garlic cloves
* salt and pepper to taste

 i used a magic bullet of mix all the ingredients together.  you can also use a food processor or blender.  chill then serve cold.

grilled artichoke with vegan lemon aioli sauce

i've never been a fan of artichokes until last year and for that reason, i've never attempted to cook the vegetable unless it came from a can.  artichokes can be intimidating to work with because of the way they look.

for dinner, i decided to grill up some artichokes. i was inspired by luna park restaurant in the city.  their grilled artichokes were the bomb!


artichoke marinade ingredients:

*4-6 artichokes
* garlic salt
* garlic powder
*red pepper flakes
*black pepper
* 1/4 cup-1/2 cup white vinegar
*1/2 cup-1cup soy sauce
*1/4 cup olive oil

vegan lemon ailoli sauce
*1 cup of veganiaise mayonnaise
* 3 tsp lemon juice
* 1tsp olive oil
* 4-5 minced garlic cloves
* salt and pepper to taste
** mix all ingredients to make sauce**

directions:
1) steam artichokes for 30-45 minutes.   how to prepare an artichoke:
http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/how-to-prepare-a-fresh-artichoke/
2)  while steaming the artichokes, prepare marinade in a shallow dish.
3) after artichokes are steamed, cut them in half and marinate artichokes for 2-3 hours.

4)  heat grill on medium high.  grill artichokes cut side up for ten minutes then flip artichokes over and grill for five minutes.


my favorite part... peel leaves off and dip into aioli sauce and scrape of the meat with your teeth!  enjoy!