This Week's Menu

We're seeing green here at Well on Wheels headquarters... that is, St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish.  This week's menu features a traditional Irish side dish, Colcannon, made by combining mashed potatoes with chopped greens.  Any kind will do.  I used parsley, green onion and kale, but you can do this with green cabbage instead.

I was also making butternut bisque soup today, so I decided to throw in a bit of the squash, too, turning the potatoes a bright chartreuse color.  I kinda liked the glowing quality of the end result.  The Colcannon was served with pan-fried tempeh and a tahini mushroom gravy.

Also on the menu was a Teriyaki Seitan Stir-fry with broccoli, carrots and red onion.  I love the color contrasts, as well as the sweet and spicy flavors.  For textural interest, I tossed some roasted salted peanuts on for a finishing touch.

The final item on this week's menu was a Stewed Black Beans with Dirty Rice and Cumin Spiced Zucchini and Yellow Squash.  I've been doing variations on enchiladas the past couple of weeks, and this was sort of a deconstruction.  A delicious deconstruction.

This Week's Menu

I've recently been playing around with various combinations of colorful quinoa after discovering a box of black quinoa at my local health food store recently.  The black quinoa look similar in size and color to poppy seeds, which is slightly smaller than the more common white quinoa.  They take a little longer to cook (otherwise, you end up with a slightly crunchy pop when you bite into them).... but I'm liking them.  This week I decided to try mixing black and white quinoa for a paella.

I sauteed some sliced Tofurky Italian sausage in a pan, then added chopped onion, carrots, and mushrooms.  I finished it off with a can of Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes, some sliced kalamata olives, green peas, and a squeeze of lemon.  The flavor combination was slightly smoky and savory.  I topped the dish with a fan of steamed asparagus which made a nice color contrast.

The second meal this week was Black Bean and Garnet Yam Enchiladas since a client requested something Mexican.  I topped the enchilada with some homemade sauce spiced with chili powder, paprika, onion powder and cayenne pepper, and paired it with Cumin Spiced Zucchini which had been broiled in the oven.

The final entree was a simple tofu tir-fry since I found some baby bok choy at my health food store and thought it would be perfect with the plump snap peas that are coming into season soon.  Sesame seeds make a nice garnish for this dish.
 

This Week's Menu

This week the birds started singing their pre-spring songs and I started thinking about pre-spring veggies... asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts.  I also tossed in some spices and made some soups to warm things up since, despite the warmer weather, it's still getting pretty chilly at night.  That didn't stop me from making a bunch of salads, however.  It seems I can't get enough of avocado lately.

The first entree featured Pan-Fried Tempeh with Wild Rice Pilaf and Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus and Cauliflower.  Roasting these veggies brings out their natural sweetness.  My favorite part are the crunchy little edges, or even entire leaves of Brussels sprouts that verge on being overdone.  Super sweet treat!

Entree #2 was a Mediterrannean Pasta tossed with Toasted Pine Nuts, Sundried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Cannelini Beans, Fresh Basil and Baby Spinach.  A generous drizzle of olive oil and sauteed garlic add depth of flavor to the dish.

The last entree is kinda summery, but I was being hopeful.  I like Barbecue Tofu any time of year, and paired with Mashed Potatoes and Dijon Green Beans, it made me dream of sultry afternoons followed by relaxed dining al fresco.  Ahh... that is the life.

My Tale of Two Salads began with a Red Leaf Lettuce Tossed with Tahini Dijon Vinaigrette plated in a bowl lined with Cucumber Rounds and Cherry Tomato Halves.  Simple, delicious and beautiful.

The second salad was inspired by the first, and included cucumber triangles, tomato wedges, lovely red leaf lettuce, and more of that savory dressing, this time enhanced by horseradish.  Yeah, a little spice is what we all need.

And then there's soup.  This one was a hearty Minstrone featuring broccolini, baby spinach, potatoes, carrots and fire-roasted tomatoes in the mix.  Perfect for after a hike.

This Week's Menu

This week's menu is inspired by the tropics, and my memory of clean air, warm sunshine, tantalizing spices, and fresh fruit every morning.  I recently returned from a much-needed mini hiatus to the warmer climes of Nosara, Costa Rica, one of the world's five Blue Zones where people live longer and healthier.  This was like a literal and figurative oasis in the middle of winter which, although it has been a mild one, was nice to retreat from temporarily.

So I added a little spice in the form of cumin and chili powder to meal #1 which consisted of Fire-Roasted Tomato and Green Chili Black Beans, Spanish Rice, and Cumin Spiced Oven Roasted Yellow and Green Squash.  It felt like the middle of summer in the Well on Wheels kitchen.

Meal #2 was another spicy dish, this time flavored with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.  I've made this before with tofu and tempeh, but this week I featured seitan as the protein for the Teriyaki Stir-fry with Broccoli, Carrot, and Peanuts on Brown Rice.

The third entree this week reminded me that it's still the middle of winter, and therefore comfort food was in order.  This came in the form of Pan-fried Tempeh with Mashed Potatoes and Kale and Crimini Mushroom Gravy.  A perfect way to take the chill of a cold January evening.

This Week's Menu

The Well on Wheels test kitchen was all abuzz this week with pungent aromas and exotic flavors.  After the holidays, I must confess that I get a little burnt out on food, so in times like these I poke around my spice jars for inspiration.  This week I came up with a winner in paprika.

I had always heard about Chicken Paprikash, but I've never made it, and yet that didn't stop me from pondering, "I wonder if I could make Tofu Paprikash."  So that was my mission.  I found a chicken recipe in Real Simple magazine which I tweaked a bit and came up with my own combination of savory-spicy-sweet that I think was a winner.  I started by sauteeing red, yellow, and orange bell pepper with some sliced onions in olive oil.  When those softened, I added mushrooms, garlic and sundried tomatoes to the mix.  The last step is to stir in some vegan yogurt, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and paprika, then season with salt.  I used So Delicious plain coconut milk yogurt, which has a slightly sweet undertone.  The sauce cooked for a few minutes until thick and bubbly, then I poured it on top of baked tofu and fettuccini pasta.

Another test recipe this week was Millet and Sunflower Seed Patties with Roasted Garlic Aioli.  Both required several steps in the prep arena, but once they were out of the way, the process went pretty quickly.  If you've never roasted garlic, I highly recommend it, because after doing it once you'll think to yourself, "why don't I make this every day?"  Just lop the top off a bulb of garlic, drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil, wrap it in a little foil pouch, then bake at 400 degrees for about a half an hour.  You'll smell it when it's done... just be careful to let it cool before squeezing out the garlic goodness.

The last entree I've made several times for a client who had eaten Pecan-Crusted Seitan at Candle 79 and wanted me to give a try making it.  She said mine came out just as good, if not better, than the original.  The crust is made with a combination of pecans, rosemary, and tarragon, then it's topped with a citrusy tomato marinara.  I served it with a Potato Turnip Mash and Stringbeans.  It's a pretty and tasty combination.

This Week's Menu

The Well on Wheels kitchen was cooking up some spicy dishes this week.  Our clients' favorite was the butternut squash risotto that had a little bit of kick from some curry and some creaminess from coconut milk.  This is a luscious twist on a traditional Italian side dish, and I think it works perfectly during a change of seasons and on chilly evenings.

The curried butternut squash risotto was served with oven baked tofu and vegetable mallum.  In this case, the mallum (or "mix up") was a saute of string beans with shredded coconut and turmeric.

The next entree featured southwestern flavors of cumin and chili powder.  They were used here in Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes topped with Campari Tomato Salsa and Cumin Scented String Beans and Carrots on the side.  This was all topped wit some leaves of fresh cilantro.

The third entree featured an Indonesian Peanut Sauce seasoned with chili powder.  This was tossed with steamed tempeh, broccoli and rice noodles.  In addition to the peanut butter, there was a little added creaminess from coconut milk in this sauce, making for a rich and comforting dish.  

Weekly Menu

This post represents a recap of meals for the past two weeks.  It's been a busy time here at Well on Wheels headquarters, doing some holiday planning, testing recipes, expanding services, taking on new clients, and training chefs.  The Fall Menu promises to be warm and comforting.

Pan-freid Tempeh with Mushroom Gravy, Colcannon, and Carrots

Spicy Peanut and Basil Tofu Saute with Brown Rice

Hearty Black Bean and Fire-roasted Tomato Chili with Brown Rice

RAW Red Pepper Romesco with Dijon Greens

This Week's Entrees

Baked Tofu Piccata with Quinoa and Yellow Cauliflower

Pan-fried Tempeh with Smoked Paprika Cashew Cream and Sriracha, 

Mashed Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts Amandine

Baked Tempeh with Harissa, Garlic Greens and Quinoa

On the Menu

It's been another couple of busy weeks at Well on Wheels headquarters, and so this post will be a summary of menus offered during that time.  As we transition to cooler weather, seasonal veggies such as butternut and acorn squash and Brussels sprouts make an appearance.  Hooray!  I welcome their return (more so than the cold)!!

Baked Tofu with Mushroom Gravy, Steamed Asparagus and Quinoa

Pan-fried Tempeh with Broccoli and Carrot Sautee on Quinoa

Maple Glazed Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash with 

Wild Rice and Red Bean Pilaf and Toasted Pine Nuts

RAW Special:  Zucchini Lasagna with Macadamia "Rawcotta" 

and Sundried Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara

This week's entrees

Baked Tofu with Dijon Glazed Brussels Sprouts and 

Cinnamon Spiced Baked Butternut Squash

Pumpkin, Spinach and Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice

Baked Polenta with Portobello Mushroom Sauce, 

Escarole and White Beans, with Toasted Pine Nuts

This Week's Menu

Even though the thermometer outside says something like 82 degrees, it's really fall, and many of my favorite veggies of the season are beginning to make an appearance at the grocery store and on my menus.  So this week I was inspired to make use of the giant head of cauliflower I found perched proudly in the produce aisle.

The first entree uses cauliflower in an unusual way:  cutting it into thick slices and panfrying the slices until caramelized.  This process brings out the cruciferous vegetable's natural sweetness, and when combined with a savory basil cashew cream sauce, the flavors balance perfectly.

The second entree filled the kitchen with aromas of southern style crispy chicken (in a good way), which brought my client in for a peek to see what was cooking.  I combined the baked tofu cutlets with colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and kale, and some blanched carrots.

The third entree featured panfried tempeh and more cold weather veggies.  These were dressed in an agave Dijon mustard glaze for a nice boost of sweet and spicy to balance the bitter greens.  It was a simple presentation which packed a surprising flavor combination.