0 Veggie Might Top 5 Reasons I Love New York A Recipe

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Today, my Fair Readers, is the 15th anniversary of the day my pal JBF dropped me, my two milk crates of books, and my dreams in front 201 W. 91st, New York, NY. Our journey originated in Orlando, took side trips to our respective familial homes in North Carolina and Virgina, and ended with JBF settling in Princeton, NJ and me in the Big City. Fifteen years, three apartments, and 17 roommates later, I’m still here and loving New York.

Top 5 Reasons I Love New York

1. Each neighborhood is like its own little city. Residents get to know their neighbors, the best places to buy groceries, which laudromat gives the most time per quarter, and the coffee shop with the most lenient WiFi/purchase policy. New Yorkers are as proud of and loyal to their neighborhoods as Europeans or South Americans are to their countries during the World Cup. HELL’S KITCHEN RULZ!!!1!!1!

2. Public transportation! Not only does the MTA get you from point A to point B (most of the time), it’s a world-class entertainment venue. Nowhere else can you learn cutting-edge modern dance moves, stay abreast of the hottest indie music, and have your picture made for $2.15 a pop.

3. Governors Island, the car-free, bike-loving island oasis in New York Harbor. Governors Island is dotted with art installations, criss-crossed by bike paths, and inviting for a picnic or just chilling.

4. The food, of course. In one afternoon, you can grab brunch at one of a million amazing restaurants, pick up your fresh produce at the farmers’ market, snag a homemade popsicle from a street vendor, and hit the Mexican/Korean/Indian/West African/Chinese grocery for the spices and miscellany needed to make a delicious home-cooked supper.

5. Dinner parties/potlucks/game nights in cramped apartments with brilliant friends and home-cooked food. No one who lives in New York on a work-a-day budget can afford to eat out all the time, so the best way to socialize and economize is to cook for each other. Juggling plates while 4-to-a-couch with a few folks on the floor is part of the charm. Karaoke is a bonus.

Happy anniversary, New York. I made you this mushroom quinotto.

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If this post tips your canoe, swim on over to
Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
Butternut Squash Risotto
Swiss Chard with Mushrooms

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Quinoa-Millet Mushroom Risotto (Quinotto)

adapted from Viva Vegan! by Terry Hope Romero
serves 4

Note: The recipe calls for white wine, but I used a substitution of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. I used a blend of quinoa and millet because I was low on the big Q; go all the way with one or the other and my blessing. I also tossed in a few beet greens, which go nicely with this dish, but I would advise against going overboard with the greens. The mushrooms should be the star.

1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in a mesh strainer
1/3 cup millet
1/2 cup apple juice + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or 1/2 white wine)
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
3 cups hot vegetable broth or stock
1 cup beet greens, shredded (or any leafy green)
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

Instructions
1. Brush or wipe dirt from mushrooms and slice into matchsticks. In a large saucepan, sautee mushrooms in half the olive oil over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Put mushrooms in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining oil and sautee shallots and garlic for 5-7 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add quinoa and millet to onion/garlic mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until grains become golden.

3. Add apple juice + vinegar to deglaze the pan, and stir. Add dried spices and jalapeño and cook for another minute. Stir in mushrooms.

4. Here comes the real stirring: pour in about 1/4 of broth to grain/vegetables. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and, stirring frequently, allow grain to absorb the broth. Then add another fourth of the broth, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until all the broth is absorbed and the grains are light and fluffy, about 30-35 minutes.

5. Salt and pepper to taste along the way. Cover and allow quinoa/millet to rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle with lime juice, toss in beet greens, and fluff with a fork. Serve with fresh cilantro. Your guests will be impressed that you made such a brilliant, flavorful, earthy dish in such a tiny kitchen.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
282 calories, 7.7g fat, 5.15g fiber, 7.6g protein, $1.31

Calculations
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms:: 64 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.00
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil: 180 calories, 21g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
3 shallots: 90 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, 6g protein, $0.60
2/3 cup quinoa: 417 calories, 6.7g fat, 8g fiber, 16g protein, $0.97
1/3 cup millet: 251.7 calories, 2.7g fat, 5.6g fiber, 7.3g protein, $0.28
1/2 cup apple juice + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar: 57 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.41
1/2 tsp dried thyme: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1/2 tsp dried oregano: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 jalapeño pepper: 4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.16
3 cups hot vegetable broth: 60 calories, 0.3g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.57
1 cup beet greens: 8 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 1g protein, $0.16
1 tbsp lime juice: 4.75 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.05
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
TOTALS: 1128.5 calories, 30.7g fat, 20.6g fiber, 30.3g protein, $5.24
PER SERVING (totals/4): 282 calories, 7.7g fat, 5.15g fiber, 7.6g protein, $1.31

0 Veggie Might Go Vegan—Seitan Carolina BBQ Bites

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Vegetarians and vegans, it’s that time of year again: the one in which you stand around a spread of food, where spicy wings and barbecue pork abound, and wonder what you can eat.

Oh sure, dips are generally a safe bet—hummus, salsa, guacamole—and someone almost always sets out a platter of crudité. But sometimes we want to eat barbecue too.

Fear not, good veg. Seitan is here to liven up your Super Bowl and any other party. Not that Satan. This seitan: the wheat gluten meat substitute that’s easy to make and darn tasty.

Seitan is chewy, flavorful, and shockingly close to the real deal. (Too close for some vegheads.) Add some good ol’ Western North Carolina BBQ sauce and you’ve got football food that would make any tailgater proud.

I usually make seitan from a knead-and-boil recipe. This version, adapted fromVeganChef.com, found through FatFreeVegan’s blog, is much less time-consuming and just as delicious. I also whipped up my own BBQ spice blend to give it an extra punch.

Remember the Fake Meat Novelty Warning: whenever serving fake meat, always make enough to go around. I made these seitan bites for a potluck a few years ago and they were a hit with the veg and nonveg alike. The recipe below is easily scalable.

This Super Bowl Sunday, feast in the knowledge that you, too, fair vegetarian/vegan, can have delicious barbecue. Now go forth: hang out with good friends in front of a giant television, surrounded by delicious grub you can eat with your hands.

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If you like this, you might enjoy

• BBQ Slaw, Ya’ll
• Don’t Fear the Bean Curd (Tofu)!
• Seitan (Make Your Own Meat)

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Seitan Bites
Yields 32 pieces; approx 8 pieces per serving
Adapted from VeganChef.com via FatfreeVegan.com

1 c vital wheat gluten
1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp Smokey BBQ spice mix (see below)
1 c vegetable stock
canola oil

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish with oil. (Cooking spray works too.)

2) Combine vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and spice blend in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

3) Add vegetable stock and stir with a fork until combined. Dough will be pretty wet.

4) Knead for 2–3 minutes. Turn out dough into baking dish and spread evenly.

5) Cut dough into 32 pieces like this:

6) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Coat the top lightly with a bit more oil. Then, caully, using a spatula, flip the seitan over. Bake for 15 more minutes.

7) Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut again and serve with BBQ dipping sauce.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
187.5 calories, 2.19g fat, 2.25g fiber, $0.66

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Smokey BBQ Spice Mix
Yields about 2 tbsp

1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
scant 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all spices together and store in an airtight container until use.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
Negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.10

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Western North Carolina BBQ Sauce (vegetarian)
Yields about 2 cups
Adapted from Yadkin Co. Ladies Extension Cookbook

1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c water
1 onion, minced
2 tbsp maple syrup or molasses
1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
2–3 dashes liquid smoke
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

1) Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

2) Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

3) Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Pucker up and serve with fake meat of your choice.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving:
36.25 calories, .08g fat, .25g fiber, $0.18

Calculations (Seitan Bites)
1 c vital wheat gluten: 480 calories, 2g fat, 1g fiber, $1.27
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes: 210 calories, 2 g fat, 8g fiber, $1.00
2 tbsp Smokey BBQ spice mix: negligible calories, fat, and fiber per serving, $.10
1 c vegetable stock: 20 calories, .1g fat, 0g fiber, $.19
canola oil: 40 calories, 4.67 fat, 0g fiber, $.08
TOTALS: 750 calories, 8.77g fat, 9g fiber, $2.64
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 187.5 calories, 2.19g fat, 2.25g fiber, $.66

Calculations (WNC BBQ Sauce)
1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar: 50 calories, 0g fat, and 0g fiber, $.16
1/2 c ketchup: 116 calories, .5g fat, .5g fiber, $.37
1 onion: 20 calories, .1g fat, 1.5g fiber, $.25
2 tbsp maple syrup: 104 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.50
1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.06
2–3 dashes liquid smoke: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.04
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
1 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 290 calories, .6g fat, 2g fiber, $1.32
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 36.25 calories, .08g fat, .25g fiber, $.18

0 Veggie Might Market Finds Green Garlic and Garlic Scapes Pesto

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

New York City has a farmer’s market network that reminds me of an urban library system. The Union Square Greenmarket is the main library—the big one with the lions out front, where you can find everything but can be overwhelmed by choice. Then there are neighborhood branches scattered throughout the five boroughs that get less glory, but provide amazing service to the local communities.

My neighborhood market is perfect: between five and eight vendors, just enough variety to keep things interesting but never overwhelming, and prices that are competitive with—often cheaper than—the local groceries. For the most part, the farmers who frequent my local branch keep it simple—nothing too out of the ordinary. If I want wacky veg, I go to Union Square.

But every now and then, I get a surprise.

My last few visits I’ve been a skosh obsessed with something I’d never seen or tried before: green garlic. When I approached the table last Wednesday, I thought the giant green stalks with white bulbs were spring onions. That’s not what the sign said, so I asked the farmer. “Nope, green garlic,” he said with the slightest of smiles.

“How do you use it?” I asked. I’d already decided to buy it—might as well get the skinny from the source.

“Just like you would regular clove garlic, though you don’t have to smash this. Just slice it and eat it. It’s milder and sweeter than regular garlic.”

“Can you eat the stalks?”

“Yeah, but you’ll want to cook them—maybe sauté them like scallions.”

Brilliant. I love discovering new vegetables. That night I made green garlic mashed potatoes to raves. While prepping dinner, CB and I each tried a piece of it raw. It was strong at first bite, like garlic would be, but immediately became milder, though I don’t know if I would call it sweet. CB claimed, as I suspected he would, “Yeah, I could eat this like fruit.” Dude loves garlic.

I started putting green garlic in everything—eggs, stir-fry, salad, sandwiches—sautéing the stalks as instructed. As my obsession grew, my supply dwindled. Saturday, I went back and, to my great joy, found more green garlic and, this time, garlic scapes.

So pleased I was with my score, I practically danced all the way to brunch, demanding my fellow diners to “smell this—it looks like an onion, but you use it like garlic!” and “check it, scapes! They’re the shoots from garlic before it’s harvested!” I’m so much fun.

Taking inspiration from dearest A’s garlic scape exploits, an amazing black bean salad recipe from 101 Cookbooks that darling S made for me last summer, and the fact that I’ve read, like 15 pesto recipes in the past week, I created what might be the greatest dressing for bean salad ever in the history of bean salad: Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto.

Pesto means “to pound” or “crush”, as with a mortal and pestle. Most people know the classic Genoese pesto (basil, garlic, salt), but you can make pesto from any herb crushed with garlic and salt; in days gone by I’ve made pesto from cilantro, arugula, and stinging nettles.

Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto is my masterpiece. It is easily one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. Light enough to be a salad dressing, it would also easily stand up to pasta.

I tossed the pesto over 3 cups of black beans and served it on a bed of arugula. It was amazing—tangy, spicy, and garlicky but not overwhelmingly so. For as long as green garlic and scapes are available at my neighborhood market, this dish will be in heavy circulation.

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If you like this recipe, you may also like

• Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
• Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
• Pasta with Nettles, Sorrel, and Lemon

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Black Bean Salad with Green Garlic and Scapes Pesto
Serves 6

pesto
1 bulb green garlic (white part only), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 dried red chilies, chopped (or 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
2 tbsp almonds, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp sea salt

salad
3 cup black beans, cooked (or 2 15 oz cans)
6 cups arugula or salad greens of your choice

Note: I used a food processor to make the pesto. If you have a mortal and pestle, I salute you.

1) Rinse, soak (3 hours or up to overnight), and cook (about 45 minutes) 1/2 cup of dried black beans, which will result in about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans. - OR - Open a couple of cans of black beans, rinse well, and set aside.

2) Haul out the food processor. Coarsely chop all vegetables and nuts before putting them into the food processor.

3) Whiz together green garlic, scapes, parsley, red chilies, almonds, lime juice, olive oil, agave nectar, and salt until fully combined and the desired smoothness is achieved.

4) Toss together with black beans.

5) Serve on a bed of arugula or any salad green of your choice.

6) Text, email, facespace, tweet, or call everyone you know and tell them how fabulous your dinner is.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
147 calories, 9.3g fat, 2.2g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.63

Calculations
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans: 330 calories, 3g fat, 7.5g fiber, 7.5g protein, $.35
1 bulb green garlic: 4.2 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.30
1/4 cup garlic scapes: 8 calories, 0g fat, .75g fiber, .5g protein, $.32
1 tbsp fresh parsley: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
3 dried red chilies: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
2 tbsp almonds: 104 calories, 10g fat, 2g fiber, 4g protein, $.34
2 tbsp lime juice: 9.5 calories, .03g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.10
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil: 360 calories, 42g fat 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.24
1/2 tbsp agave nectar: 30 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein $.08
1/2 tsp sea salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.02
6 cups arugula: 37 calories, 1g fat, 3g fiber, 4g protein, $2.00
Totals: 882.7 calories, 56g fat, 13.3g fiber, 16g protein, $3.79
Per Serving (totals/6): 147 calories, 9.3g fat, 2.2g fiber, 2.7g protein, $.63