How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet (18 page)

Vegan
Side Dishes

This section includes mouthwatering recipes that can be served as appetizers, with an accompanying side dish, or teamed up with a entrée. Anyway you choose to serve them, they are guaranteed to please.

HOLY MOLY HUMMUS

Savour this creamy, smooth Mediterranean dip made from chickpeas, one of the most nutritious beans of all, and garlic, known for its medicinal properties and lovely scent. A snap to make, it can be a fantastic accompaniment for your favourite vegetables, crackers, chips, or bread. You can alter the taste of this recipe by changing the beans. Try black beans and sun-dried tomatoes for a treat! Check out the kids’ version of hummus on
NUTTY HUMMUS DIP
.

1 small onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic (more if you dare), minced

splash of olive oil

2½ cups cooked
or
canned chickpeas

(garbanzo beans)

¾ cup tahini

1½ tbsp Braggs
or
soy sauce

½ cup lemon juice
or

¼ cup water + ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)

1 tsp cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

In a small saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in a splash of oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. In a blender or food processor, blend the sautéed onions, chickpeas, tahini, Braggs, lemon juice, parsley, jalapeno, cumin, cayenne, and salt until you reach the desired consistency. Makes approx. 2 cups.

GORGEOUS GUACAMOLE

A smooth, silky, scrumptious, and spicy spread.

3 avocados

¼ cup lime juice

1 medium tomato, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

¼ cup chopped hot banana peppers (optional)

½ cup red onion, chopped

1 tsp pepper

Scoop out avocados into a medium bowl. Add lime juice and mash together with a fork. Add the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and banana peppers, onions, and pepper. Stir together. Makes approx. 1½ cups.

FRESH TOMATO SALSA

Enjoy these three deliciously spiced, addictive salsas. These are essential dips for corn chips; they also make great toppings for burgers, burritos, or even on top of a salad instead of dressing. Luckily, the following recipes are no bother to whip up.

4-6 medium tomatoes, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic

3-6 sprigs cilantro

3 sprigs parsley

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp flax oil

2-4 hot peppers (you decide the heat)

1 6-oz can tomato paste

¼ cup red onion, chopped

½ cup olives, chopped (optional)

1 tsp Paprika (optional)

In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, oil, peppers, and tomato paste until well mixed. Spoon into a small bowl and add onions, olives, and paprika, and stir well. Makes approx. 2 cups.

BEN’S BLACK BEAN SALSA

2 cups cooked
or
canned black beans

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup corn niblets

¼ cup red pepper, chopped

¼ cup yellow pepper, chopped

1-3 tbsp lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

3-6 sprigs cilantro, minced

salt (to taste)

In a medium bowl, stir together the beans, jalapenos, tomatoes, avocado, corn, peppers, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro. Add salt to taste. Makes approx. 2 cups.

SWEET GINGER-BLACK BEAN SALSA

1 cup cooked
or
canned black beans

½ medium red pepper, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, roughly chopped

½ small red onion, roughly chopped

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp garlic-chili flax oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped

½ tsp sweetener

½ tsp salt

4-6 sprigs cilantro

In a blender or food processor, blend ¾ cup of the beans, red and jalapeno peppers, onions, lime juice, oil, ginger, sweetener, salt, and cilantro. Blend on high until well mixed. Pour into serving bowl and add remaining ¼ cup of beans. Stir together. Makes approx. 2 cups.

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP

Combine iron-packed spinach with the unique flavour of artichokes to create this elegant dip. This dish will impress the most gourmet of diners at your next soirée. Serve with chips, crackers, or pita bread.

½ cup fresh spinach

¾ cup soy Parmesan cheese

2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup grated soy mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a blender or food processor, blend the spinach,½ cup of Parmesan, artichokes, pepper, lemon juice, and mozzarella until well mixed. Spoon into a lightly oiled casserole dish and top with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

JB’S SWEET DILL CARROTS

In order for JB to lend his moniker to any recipe, it must first reach the highest criteria of sweetness, oranginess, and dill-ectability. These carrots have achieved the highest stature in all of these criteria.

6-10 medium carrots, sliced

1 tbsp dried dill

1 tbsp sweetener

1 tbsp margarine, flax oil, or olive oil

In a medium pot or a steamer, steam the carrots until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Place the carrots in a small bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir together until well incorporated. Makes 2-4 servings.

JANA’S HONEY LEMON CARROTS

This side dish is a lovely complement to
Jana’s Healthy Rice
.

½ cup water

5 medium carrots, sliced

¼ tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the carrots and simmer until carrots are almost cooked.

Stir in the lemon juice, honey, rosemary, salt, and pepper and simmer on low heat for 5 more minutes.

Makes 2-4 servings.

ROASTED GARLIC POTATOES

These tasty spuds, spiced with garden herbs, will feel right at home alongside breakfast, lunch, or dinner entrées.

4-5 medium potatoes, cubed

cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp sage

2 tbsp rosemary

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cubed potatoes in a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Lay evenly onto a cookie sheet or lasagna pan and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are golden brown and can be easily pierced with a fork. Makes 4-6 servings.

MASHED GARLIC POTATOES WITH KALE

Easy to make and delicious to taste. This side dish is sure to be a hit.

3-4 medium potatoes, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups kale (about 4-5 stalks), chopped

½ cup soy milk

2 tbsp flax oil

2 tbsp Braggs

pepper (to taste)

In a large pot of water, boil the potatoes until they can be pierced easily with a fork. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil on medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the kale and cover pan with lid. Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until kale becomes soft. Set aside. When potatoes are ready, drain and place them in a large bowl. Mash together with milk, flax oil, Braggs, and pepper. Stir in the kale mixture and mix together well. Makes 4-6 servings.

TANYA’S SWEET MASH

This mashed delight adds glamour, diversity, and colour to the often-repetitive list of potato dishes. Surprise your guests with a sweet version of a classic favourite.

1 large Kuri squash, peeled and quartered

2 medium potatoes, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbsp Braggs
or
soy sauce

2 tbsp flax oil

In a medium pot of water, boil the squash, potatoes, garlic, and onions until you can pierce the squash and potatoes easily with a fork. Drain the water, then add the Braggs and oil to the pot. Mash together until you reach the desired consistency. Makes 4-6 servings.

DIJON SCALLOPED POTATOES

The rich and flavourful seasoning of this recipe will make leftovers a thing of the past. The addition of the spicy Dijon mustard will delight sophisticated palates.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

2½ tbsp olive oil

cup flour

½ cup vegetable stock
or
water

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 cups soy milk

½ tsp salt

tsp pepper

1 tsp Braggs or soy sauce

3-6 stalks green onions, chopped

6 medium potatoes, sliced into coins

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onions and turmeric in oil on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Mix in the flour, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, resulting in a dry mixture. Slowly stir in stock, mustard, milk, salt, pepper, Braggs, and green onions. Stir until well mixed and there are no flour lumps. Set aside. Place sliced potatoes into a lightly oiled 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.