Drawn to Food

Chocolate hummus: vegetarian

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c milk

coarse salt to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients but milk in a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to chop the beans up. Gradually add milk and process till smooth.

Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt.

Serves 4: 150 calories per serving or 600 for the whole batch.

Yummy. This is a tasty dessert and will satisfy your sweet tooth for sure. You can make it vegan by using almond or coconut milk.

We use Irish Sea salt in most of our recipes, it’s very coarse and has a very delicate way to bring out the flavor in food.

Perfect served with raspberries.

String bean and apple sauté: vegan/vegetarian

Ingredients:

2 tbsp honey (maple syrup for vegans)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
juice of one lemon

1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 large apple cut into bite size pieces (peeled optional)

1/4 c cashews
salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl mix honey, lemon juice and sesame seeds for dressing. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot or skillet, sauté green beans and apple in oil, stirring often until beans start to brown (about 15 minutes). Add honey dressing and cashews, stir well, and shut off heat.

Serves 2: 262 calories per serving or 524 for the whole meal.

The combination of the honey, lemon and apple give this dish a lot of flavor. Frozen string beans can be used as a substitute, but you would need to cook it long enough so the moisture evaporates and then the string beans can brown.

Pairing:

“Prosecco – This Italian sparkling wine will bring out sweetness of the honey and apple. Clean and crisp this wine will not overpower the subtle flavors of the sauté. Serve cold in a champagne flute.”

– Damian Kelley

Lentil broccoli slaw: vegan

Ingredients:

juice of two lemons
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
salt to taste
red pepper flakes

2 c cooked lentils

1 bag of broccoli slaw
1/2 c chopped parsley
1/4 c chopped mint
1/4 c chopped chives
1 container of clover sprouts
1 medium avocado, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 c cashews

Directions:

Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl for the dressing.

Boil a medium pot of water add the lentils and cook till tender. (Depending on the type of lentils it could take from five to twenty minutes. Taste them every 5 minutes till done). Drain and rinse with cold water.

Add the remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Add the lentils and the dressing. Toss and serve.

Serves 4: 192 calories per serving or 771 calories for whole salad.

We really love the dressing for this salad with the mint and parsley flavors. I had a little tomato left over from the day before and added that. You can substitute toasted pine nuts or almonds for the cashews.

I used red lentils for this dish and it was not the best because they got soft very fast. They tasted great, but it was not as pretty as it could be with green lentils. Next time I will use them.

Pairing:

“Wine – Big rich buttery California Chardonnay – Let’s face it, broccoli and wine is a tough one! However, a big buttery Chard will hold up without tasting bitter or overpowering the dish with high acidity. Not to mention they go perfect with lentils and cashews. Serve chilled in a white wine glass.”

– Damian Kelley

Portobello mushroom sandwich: vegan

Ingredients:

2 large portobello mushroom caps
1 tbsp olive oil
2 rolls sliced in half and toasted
1 large tomato sliced
2 tbsp thousand island dressing

Directions:

Brush mushrooms with olive oil and grill or broil for 5 minutes on each side, till they start to brown. Place on roll, add a slice of tomato and top with 1 tbsp of dressing.

Serves about 2: 430 calories per serving, 860 calories for the meal.

We used ciabata rolls for this recipe which are high in calories. You can use any kind of roll or hamburger bun. Also to keep it vegan you would need vegan dressing. If you are ok with eating mayonnaise, it would be vegetarian. You can make a quick thousand island dressing by mixing a tbsp of mayonnaise, a tbsp of ketchup and a tsp of sweet pickle relish.

Pairing:

“Beer – Dark Belgian Abbey Tripel (Or Quad if you’re feeling frisky!)
These high ABV Belgian beers are a great compliment to a savory sandwich. Tight carbonation due to bottle fermentation offers a very smooth mouthfeel. Hints of clove and banana bring out the tang of the dressing. Serve chilled in a tulip glass.

“Wine – Syrah – I tend to lean towards Rhone Valley when I think Syrah. Although, Arizona is producing some killer Syrahs. The spice notes will allow the savory mushroom flavors to be realized in every bite. Serve cellar temp in a red wine glass.”

– Damian Kelley

Soba noodle salad: vegan

Ingredients:

3 tbsp ponzu sauce
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp ginger minced

2 ounces of soba noodles
2 carrots peeled into ribbons
2 green peppers cut into thin strips
chives cut in about three inch pieces

Directions:

Mix ponzu, vinegar and ginger in a bowl for the dressing.

Boil a medium pot of water and add the soba noodles, carrots, peppers and chives and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl, add the dressing and serve warm.

Serves about 2: 142 calories per serving or 284 for whole meal

This meal is quick and easy. I got this recipe from Forks over Knives Summer 2020. I think the dressing needed some garlic, I might add that next time. Also top with sesame seeds for some crunch, one tbsp is 30 calories.

Pairing:

“Cocktail – London Mule – Use a heavy botanical gin as opposed to a London Dry gin for an herbal explosion!
Ingredients: 2 oz Gin, 4-6 oz Ginger Beer, 2 dashes orange bitters, lime wedge

Method: Add gin and ginger beer over ice to a copper mug. Stir. Add bitters. Stir. Squeeze and drop lime wedge. Serve in a copper mug.

Wine – Chenin Blanc – This crisp dry white will enhance the freshness of the dish. Subtle citrus and high acidity will enhance the fresh vegetable flavors. I’m seeing this combo in a picnic basket! Serve chilled in a white wine glass.”

– Damian Kelley

Lentil soup: vegan

Ingredients:

8 c water
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 bay leaves
1 eight oz. can of tomato sauce
3 carrots, cut in small circles
1 bag of green lentils, 14 to 16 oz.
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put water into a heavy, large sauce pot* and add all of the ingredients. Cover and turn heat to medium high until the soup starts to boil. Turn down heat to low and simmer covered for about one hour. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.

The lentils will begin to break down and the soup will get thick and take on a nice rich, brown color.

Before serving remove the bay leaves.

Serves about 8: 270 calories per cup.

This soup is a family hand-me-down from my greek ancestors. It is hearty and gratifying. After you put the soup in a bowl add 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of vinegar, adding 40 more calories. Traditionally served with feta cheese and olives to make it authentically greek, it is so versatile that sometimes we add peanuts to the soup, sometimes we add salsa.

If you see tiny white sprouts as you are cooking the lentils, do not be concerned. As the lentils cook and separate, the little sprouts come out of the lentil.

*It is best to cook the soup in a heavy pot as it can burn. If you don’t have a heavy pot, check it more frequently and stir often.

Mini bell pepper salad: vegan

Ingredients:

1 bag of mini bell peppers
1 mango cut into square pieces
1 1/2 c grape tomatoes cut in halves
1/4 onion chopped
1/2 green cabbage cut into bite size pieces
1 cucumber cut in slices
1/2 avocado cut in square pieces

juice of one lemon
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey for vegetarians)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash peppers, remove stem area and seeds and cut into bite size pieces. Place all of the fruits and vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Stir together lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle over salad, mix and serve.

Serves 2: 297 calories per serving, 594 total calories for the whole salad.

This is a variation of a dish from Forks over Knives magazine Summer 2020. In their recipe they stuff the peppers with all the other ingredients.

That just seemed like too much work, and I decided to just cut up everything. It is a very healthful salad and it is tasty, but i felt the peppers were too chewy. When I do this again I will first sauté the peppers in a tbsp of olive oil (that will add 60 calories to each serving) and then add them to the salad.

I also made the mistake of adding some dill, which I am eliminating from the recipe. It was too overpowering for the delicate flavors.

Chinese style string beans: vegan

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sesame or olive oil
1 lb of string beans, with ends and stems trimmed off
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp ginger minced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

In a large sauce pot sauté string beans and onion until the beans get browned and start to “blister up” about 15 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and stir, cook for about two minutes. Turn off the flame and add red chili flakes, soy sauce and sugar. Add salt if needed.

Serves 2: 225 calories per serving, 450 total calories for the whole batch.

This dish really has an authentic chinese restaurant flavor with a nice amount of heat. If you can’t get fresh beans, frozen works well, you just have to cook them a bit longer as the water they produce needs to evaporate before they can begin to brown.

Serve with 1/2 c rice or noodles for another 100 calories. Jacob adds 1/4 cup of peanuts for 207 calories more.

Pairing:

“Beer – Traditional Chinese Lager – Gotta keep it simple here. Soy, ginger, and red chili have a lot of flavor, the crisp lager will cleanse the palette and keep these clean flavors popping. Serve ice cold in a frozen pilsner or pint glass.”

– Damian Kelley

Hummus, barrata and fig jam: vegan and vegetarian

Hummus Ingredients:

1 can chick peas (garbanzo) drained and rinsed
3 tbsp tahini
3 cloves of garlic
juice of one lemon or orange
1/4 of the above fruit including the peel
1 tsp cumin

Directions:

In a food processor add all of the hummus ingredients and pulse till well mixed. This will give you a bit of a dry chunky hummus. To avoid extra calories and if you want it smoother, add some of the bean liquid and pulse again. Add salt as needed.

If you don’t mind extra calories you can add 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Eat one serving of hummus with 2 ounces of burrata cheese, 1 tbsp of fig jam and an english muffin.

Hummus alone serves 4: 159 calories per serving, 636 total calories for the whole batch. If you add oil up each serving to 200 calories. Vegan

Meal calories: oil free hummus, burrata, fig jam and english muffin: 481 calories. Vegetarian

Yummy. We got this idea from a local restaurant, Ocotillo. They add a little more flair to their servings with a bit of cooked squash and some grilled bread, from a local baker, Noble, and ginger in the fig jam.

We find it just perfect to use english muffins or toast. The combination of the ingredients is amazingly delicious. If you have never had burrata cheese, it is a soft mozzarella outer layer with cream and soft cheese in the center.

There are so many ways to make hummus. Try it with a half an avocado, or add a cup of fresh spinach. Sometimes we like it a bit spicy so we add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce. Have fun with it.

Pairing:

“Wine: Pinot Noir – I would go with an Oregon/Washington Pinot for this dish as California styles tend to be more fruit forward. The smokiness will be an excellent compliment to the sweetness of the fig and the richness of the burrata.

Beer: Belgian Wit or Bavarian Hefeweizen. These bright and crisp styles are a great compliment to any Middle Eastern mezze dish. Lemon and clove will really bring out the natural flavors in the hummus.”

– Damian Kelley

Peanut sauce: vegan

Ingredients:

1 c water
4 tbsp peanut butter (preferably all natural)
1/2 tbsp molasses
juice of one lemon
two cloves of garlic minced
tabasco sauce to taste

Directions:

In a heavy, small sauce pan add all the ingredients and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Add salt if needed.

Serves 2: 225 calories per serving, 450 total calories for the whole batch.

This is our favorite peanut sauce. My Indonesian mother-in-law gave me the recipe. It’s great served on boiled mung bean sprouts. I put a pot of water to boil, add the mung bean sprouts and just bring back up to a boil, stir and drain.

We ate these with the mung bean sprouts and a cup of soba noodles tonight. Total calories per serving 384.