Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole

Unless ketchup counts, I don't really eat enough vegetables, which doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who also never eats meat or dairy. I decided to make this casserole because I realized I was living off of bread and Daiya for the past two days and that can't be good. This meal was the best way I could think of to break my vegetable fast: it's mostly veggies, which is healthy, but it also has a carby/cheesy topping, which makes it taste good. This is also just the thing to use up any stale bread and/or unused vegetables laying waste in your fridge, so get creative with the filling and use whatever you have on hand.

Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole (serves 4-6)
Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

For The Filling:

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups kale, finely chopped
2 cups broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup parsnip, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

For The Topping:

3 slices of bread, roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegan cheese
1/2 cup firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion in the oil until translucent. Add remaining filling ingredients, stir, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the topping ingredients until smooth (it should look like a ball of stiff dough).

Place cooked veggies in the prepared dish, top with the topping, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

NB: I definitely used a way-too-small pan to cook the vegetables.

Food Finds: Raw Pizza

After work on Friday, I felt like I was on some sort of healthy kick (which for me typically lasts about 24 hours and occurs maybe 2-3 times a year), so I decided to treat myself to some take out from Gorilla Food Cafe. It's all raw vegan stuff, so if you order pizza and cake, it's still healthy right? Well, here is what my first foray into raw pizza looks like.


Verdict: quite yummy. The stuff in the middle is olive tapenade. You can't go wrong with a huge pile of olive tapenade.

Chana Masala

Having just moved to New York City two weeks ago, I’ve had to tweak my spending habits. Gone are the days of vanilla lattes from Starbucks and impromptu purchases of Marie Clare and Glamour during my waits for the train. I’ve also had to kick my tendency of thinking, “oh, I’ll just grab something from that vending machine/street cart/cute bistro,” when hunger strikes. To try to save money in one of the most expensive cities, I’ve started making a more concerted effort to plan ahead when it comes to meals. My weekly grocery list focuses food that is easy to make, easy to eat at desk, and, more importantly, delicious.

Smitten Kitchen recently posted a Chana Masala recipe. The pictures alone made my mouth water. Although the initial investment in spices was steep (I might have inadvertently cringed as I slid my $20 over to the cashier at Spice Corner, it was well worth it. My formerly empty pantry is now beginning to fill with cooking essentials, and the spices gave an authentic heat to my first attempt cooking an Indian meal.

Chana Masala (serves 4-6)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil (I used sesame)

2 small onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced

1 tablespoon coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon amchur powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 15 ounce can whole tomatoes, diced, juices reserved

2/3 cup water

2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas

salt, to taste

1/2 lemon, juiced

Rice or yogurt, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper, cooking over medium heat until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium low. Add spices, and cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and juices, then water and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered. Stir in salt and lemon juice. Serve over rice or topped with plain yogurt.

My trusty wooden spoon, after meeting turmeric for the first time.