Braised Chard with Tomatoes and Olives

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)
1 1/2 lbs. Swiss chard (about 2 bunches)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I used coconut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
Several grinds black pepper
1/3 cup chopped dry oil-cured black olives

Coarsely chop the chard, removing the stem ends if they are tough. Place chard in colander and rinse - do not dry; water should still cling to the leaves.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan that has a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium heat and add the garlic.  Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, but do not brown.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, then add the salt and pepper.  Pile in the chard, stir briefly, and cover.  Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.  Stir halfway through the cooking time to bring some of the tomatoes to the top.  Add the olives, stir to incorporate, and serve.

Barley Cannellini Bean Stew with Broccoli and Tomatoes

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

2 Tbsp. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
One 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dried cannellini beans
3/4 cup uncooked barley
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (I used 1 Tbsp. dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion for several minutes, then add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, and beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, put the barley in a small pan with a tight-fitting lid.  Add 2 cups hot water, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. 

Add the barley to the soup, along with its soaking liquid, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 20 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in the broccoli, carrots, oregano, salt and pepper, plus 2 cups of hot water, and cook 20-25 minutes longer, until the vegetables and beans are tender.  Serve immediately.

(Makes a lot!  Very tasty.  May want to use canned beans; I found the dried beans took a long time to soften.)

Spicy Sweet Potato Stew

(recipe origin unknown)

2 Tbsp. olive oil (I used coconut oil)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (or leave seeds for heat)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2-3 cups vegetable stock
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Two 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, chopped if needed
Two 14.5 oz. cans small red beans or white beans, drained
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. orange peel, grated (I omitted this)
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add jalapeno and spices and stir 1 minute.  Add broth and potato.  Cover; reduce heat to medium and simmer until potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes with their juices, and beans.  Simmer uncovered until chili thickens and potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.  Mix in cilantro and orange peel  Squeeze in the lime.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bund Gobhi Aur Aloo Ki Subzi (Spicy Cabbage-and-Potato Curry)

(recipe from Saveur magazine)

3 Tbsp. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
3 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, sliced 1/2" thick
2 Indian or regular bay leaves
1 small red onion, quartered and cut into 1/4" wedges
1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced 1/4" thick
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1" pieces
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1-2 minutes.  Add chile powder, turmeric, chiles, bay leaves, and onion; cook until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and salt; cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Baked Macaroni & "Cheese"

(recipe from VegNews magazine)

4 quarts water
1 Tbsp. sea salt
8 oz. macaroni
4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces
2 Tbsp. and 1/3 cup margarine (I used coconut oil)
2 Tbsp. shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. paprika

In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.  Add macaroni and cook until al dente.  In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 Tbsp. margarine to a medium-fine texture.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil.  Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne.  Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated.  Spread mixture into a 9x12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.

(This "cheese" sauce is delicious!  I made this with gluten-free pasta and omitted the breadcrumb topping.  Baking really dried out the dish, so in the future I'd probably just serve after tossing the sauce with the pasta.)