Noodles Mock Thai

Want a quick, easy, delicious meal? here it is! Grasshopper discovered a new use for a vinaigrette salad...turn it into a delightful thai dish with noodles. The lentil/mung bean mix is pre-cooked, and the vinaigrette from the salad give this dish a sweet taste.
Inspired by finding prepackaged food bags with large bags of dried lentils to buy and donate to the local food bank. Grasshopper is comforted that these wonderful vegan proteins can be nutritious and affordable for all.

Noodles Mock Thai 

Carrot salad
2 grated carrots
2 diced celery stalks
1 cup cooked lentil/mung bean mix - see December 2012, Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Perfect Combo
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Mix together, add to cooked kamut or any whole grain spaghetti noodle and that's it! Warm it all up in a skillet.

Love Grasshopper

Grasshopper's Vegan Pizza

This culinary treat was inspired by the creative kitchen at a wee cafe in Toronto. Vegan delights abound in many torontonian foodplaces. Grasshopper has incorporated their olive tapenade idea as a base, but has chosen a navy bean tapenade instead to ensure protein. Toppings remain the choice of the cook as always, and pesto is a delight. Prep time can be done a day or two before, which includes making the bean tapenade (can keep in the fridge up to a week as a fabulous dip) and the chapati  (the crust). Grasshopper prefers to use light spelt flour for chapati, and you will need a large cast iron frying pan. A pita bread is a suitable substitute for chapati if pressed for time.

Grasshopper's Vegan Pizza 

Navy Bean Tapenade     
     3/4 c cooked navy beans or black bean 
     1 garlic clove chopped
     1 Tbs chopped parsley
     1 Tbs chopped basil
     1/4 tsp salt
      1/4 tsp black pepper
      1 Tbs balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Mash all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chapati      (makes enough for two chapati = one serving)
       Chapati consists of flour and water, and is measured more by feeling the texture. That's all it needs besides the love and patience to watch them puff up in the cast iron pan. 
        For 2 chapati you will need about 3/4-1 cup of flour.  Place 2 chapati-size mounds of flour in a mixing bowl, add water slowly until a soft, pliable dough can be kneaded. Add more water if it is too firm, and more flour if it is too sticky. On a floured surface, knead the dough briefly, then separate into pan-size little balls. With a floured rolling pin, roll the balls out to from a large circle of dough.
       Cook in a medium cast-iron frying pan (no oil). When one side gets a little brown, flip it, and begin pushing down on the dough. (Grasshopper uses the flipper) this pushing down helps move the air pockets around which cooks the middle of the dough. Flip it one more time when brown, then remove from pan, and cook the next one.

Toppings - suggestions only
pesto
julienne sliced green string beans
finely chopped or grated cauliflower
mounds of chopped frozen spinach
sliced tomato
chopped mushroom

Assemblage
   Preheat oven broiler to 375*.  Place the chapati on a large baking sheet, spread the tapenade liberally onto the chapati being careful to coat right to the edges (otherwise they may burn) Add toppings. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until toasty. keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Serve as is, or fold over like a calzone.

Love Grasshopper

Spicy Chick Pea Deep Dish Bake

   The fall season brings us wonderful opportunities to marvel at the bounty of local fresh vegetables and herbs, and a good reason to put on the oven, warm up the house, and enjoy a baked casserole. For Grasshopper, chick peas have always held an untapped culinary mystery and so kitchen experiments on the art of alchemizing the chick pea with veggies began. Hence the discovery of how well the magical chick pea mashes and tastes with cooked squash was born.
    It is the adaptability, taste and texture of the chick pea that make it so accessible as a baking ingredient. Once cooked, Grasshopper often will mash 75% of the pot when warm as they get very creamy this way. The other 25% is left whole just for variety's sake in other recipes. They freeze well both ways, and having a store of mashed chick peas is always handy for a quick protein addition to a meal, be it hummus, Roasted Snack Beans, or adding to a soup.
   This mashed chick pea recipe has gone through a few incarnations, starting out as being baked into a simple legume loaf, Grasshopper wanted to create a complete meal, so cooked and drained seasonal vegetables are added. The ingredient list may appear daunting however the squash and non-starch veg were pre-cooked, (any veg leftovers will do, or frozen) and the spices create this wonderful deep-dish meal to enjoy with a bottom and top chick pea crust that tastes like a falafel,  sandwiching veggies. Mmmmm.
 

Spicy Chick Pea Deep Dish Bake
Crust
1 1/2 c  cooked and mashed chick peas
1/3 c  pumpkin seed (grasshopper pre-soaks and drains these for 5 hours)
1/2 c  cooked and mashed squash
1/3 c  parsley
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c  olive or coconut oil
1/2 c   buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2  tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger, or a thumb-nail size of grated ginger root
1 tsp caraway seed
1 very large (or 2 medium) grated garlic clove

Veg Filling
Cook any non-starch veg combo and drain moisture out onto a paper towel.
 1 c  spinach
1/2 c peas
1/2 c green beans

Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Pre-heat the oven to 375* F.
 Oil a 9 or 10 inch square baking dish, or pie plate, or line with parchment paper. 
Spoon and spread about 1/3 of crust batter on the bottom. Pre-bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Cover this layer with the drained veg mix. Spoon and spread the rest of the crust batter evenly over the veg to form the top crust.
Bake in oven until top crust is brown and your kitchen smells divine, 45 min- 1 hour.

Love Grasshopper

Summer Bean Medley Salad

      Grasshopper enjoys conserving energy, both personally and environmentally. On hot summer days the last thing anyone would ever want to do is heat the living space up by putting the oven on, or cooking  beans for hours! Grasshopper saves these tasks for those fall or spring days when it's too early to put the heat on, but the mornings are quite cold from the evening's temperature drop. then a cooking spree happens!
    The bean medley for this favourite summer staple is a variation on Grasshopper's earlier post from December 2012, Lentil Mung Bean (LMB) Perfect Combo with the addition of adzuki beans for more colour and variety. Soak for a good 24 hours for best results, then please refer to the cooking method described in the 12/03/12 post, regarding changing the cooking water. It's that white frothy stuff you want to get out of your cooking water, so you can digest these beans easier. Cooking time must be very slow, never a rolling boil,  and will be done anywhere between 15-35 minutes depending on the age of the beans that you've used. Don't take your eyes off of these tiny morsels, or you'll have floating skins and mush! Try to mash an adzuki to see if it's done. It'll take the longest.
    Soaking pumpkin or sunflower seeds in water in the morning is enough to prepare them for a lunch or evening salad. The salad improves in flavour as it marinates. Grasshopper makes it in the morning, and by evening the flavours have infused.
    Summer brings us so many shades of colour and taste in our herb and vegetable gardens. There is not a real recipe to this salad, as Grasshopper creates a new salad depending on what the season and gardens bring to us. This bean medley provides a base to your taste. Make your vinaigrette as you prefer and add vegetables that you enjoy that are in season. Let it all marinate until you are ready to eat. These are suggestions that have worked for Grasshopper and guests. The salad denies a 'crunchy chewy' factor  (without hard, raw veg ) so you and your guests can enjoy large helpings of this wonderful vegan protein.

Summer Bean Medley Salad 
   cooked french lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans - enough to feed you and your guests
  a handful of raw, pre-soaked pumpkin and sunflower seeds (about 5 hours)
  sliced red onion
 toss with any chopped garden herbs - thyme (definitely)
                                                     fennel, parsley, cilantro, coriander, basil
vinegar or lemon juice (suggestions are coconut, balsamic,  apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice )
organic olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
vegetables (suggestions are  cooked diced string beans, sliced raw mini zucchini, roasted                   red pepper)

Love Grasshopper  

Grasshopper's Gluten-free Eggplant Patties

  This recipe takes a bit more time than Lucia's Eggplant Burgers, because of the cooking method, but the eggplant will have absorbed less oil because they are baked first. It is remarkable how buckwheat flour blends beautifully with the subtle taste of eggplant, creating a wonderful gluten-free delight.
     Grasshopper keeps this a simple recipe for people with food sensitivities, but is not hesitant to replace some of the flour with  soaked and ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or hemp seed for a protein boost. Also, the preference is to let these patties  remain as a veggie side dish, not on a bun, and serves them with a lentil -type salad in the summer time like the next post- Summer Bean Medley Salad
     Other optional additions would be finely chopped jalapeno peppers.

Grasshopper's Gluten-free Eggplant Patties
makes 6-8

2 medium small eggplants (about 1 3/4c cooked)
about 3/4-1c dark buckwheat flour 
dash of salt, to taste
1 tbs oil to fry

Preheat oven to 400*F. Wash and de-stem eggplant. With a fork, prick the skin of the eggplant all around, then bake whole on a baking dish for about 45 minutes, or until completely shrivelled and soft. When cool enough to handle, scrape out the eggplant pulp into a food processor, add salt and flour, then pulse until a pasty dough is formed. Depending on the size of the eggplant you may adjust the flour measurement, so that it will have the consistency of a stiff, sticky batter, and  fry up smelling just like a pancake.
Heat oil first at a medium temperature in a cast-iron skillet. This step is important so as not to absorb too much oil into the burgers. If a drop of water sizzle in the pan, it is ready. Shape the mixture into the fry pan, cook until golden on both sides, and let drain on a paper towel.
 Love Grasshopper

Eggplant Burgers

Ah, food in Italy tastes so much better than any north american equivalent that Grasshopper has experienced. Initially terrified to get enough vegan protein in a western country, Grasshopper learned that being a vegan in Italy is possible, and many italians are embracing a plant-based diet. Eggplant is avoided by many, as it is a nightshade plant which are known to cause inflammation in the gut in some people. However, when they appear at the market in the summer, they are unresistable and make the perfect meal to share with non-vegan guests on account of their 'meaty' texture. Although not very high in protein, one gram per cup, these burgers can be served as a side dish, accompanied by a serving of nuts, a simple bean salad, or a high protein bread.
  Grasshopper learned this simple recipe from Lucia, called Melanzane Burgers, and was amazed how wonderfully delicious they are. Lucia served them with her favourite tomato sauce, but the superior taste admits to being able to alone.

Lucia's Eggplant Burgers

One medium sized eggplant
1/2-1 cup bread crumbs (may substitue with oats, or cornmeal)
dash of salt
olive oil for frying

Wash, then cube the eggplant. Saute until soft in a covered cast iron fry pan with oil. In a food processor, pulse the eggplant with salt and bread crumbs. Clean the frypan, then coat with  oil, then form patties out of the eggplant mixture. Fry till both sides are golden.

Love grasshopper

Winter's Beanloaf

Grasshopper woke one morning with a strong craving for winter comfort food. A hearty baked loaf reminiscent of a traditional meatloaf with ketchup. Mmmm. Tomato is generally avoided by grasshopper, as it is an inflammatory food, but some believe that baking it won't create as much inflammation. Purchasing an organic ketchup will do the trick, or just leave it out of the recipe.

The base requires a 12 hour pre-soak of navy bean and whole peas then cooked till the navy beans are soft, adding fennel seed and bay leaf while cooking . The whole peas will split, but won't be mushy, adding a nice chewy texture to the beanloaf.
A traditional loaf will often include a grain as a binder, but grasshopper chose to keep it simple, and used presoaked flax seed which takes 6 hours. The flax seed makes the loaf rise slightly and creates a soft, fluffy texture. Slices can be frozen for later use, if there's any leftover?? oh so good!!

Winter's Beanloaf
     a combo of navy bean and whole dried peas (enough to fill a loaf pan) - presoaked, rinsed and cooked with one tbs fennel seed and 3 bay leaves, and drained
     1Tbs flax seed presoaked in 1 Tbs of water for 5-6 hours
     1 portabello mushroom sliced
     2 celery stalks sliced
     2 garlic cloves grated
     1 Tbs chopped onion
     a thumbnail of fresh ginger root grated
     a dash of balsamic vinegar
     spice combo- 1 tsp himalayan salt 
                          1 tsp black pepper
                          1 tsp fennel seed
                          3 tsp herbes de provence
                          1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbs fresh
     1/4 c organic ketchup

Using a food container with a lid, add the balsamic vinegar and sliced mushrooms, secure the lid, and give a good shake to coat the shrooms. In a small frying pan, sautee the sliced portabello in a dab of olive oil until cooked.  In a food processor, grind legume mix  (remove bay leaves first) till navy beans are pureed. Add chopped celery, garlic, ginger root, onion, spices, and flax seed. Blend well. Add the shrooms and pulse till partially chopped.

Spoon mixture into a well-oiled loafpan (glass works great), drizzle ketchup on the top to cover mixture. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes, or until brown and smelling divine.