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

It's been a busy October already here at Well on Wheels headquarters, which is why this "weekly meals" post will cover about two weeks' worth of photos from a couple of menus.  My favorite meal is the one at the top of this post, which was a substitute entree for a client of mine who is doing a raw food cleanse.  I love the complimentary colors of the luscious red pepper and sundried tomato marinara contrasted with the vibrant green spiralized zucchini and fresh basil chiffonade that's topped with a creamy cashew cheese sauce.  Not only does it look gorgeous, but the flavors were outstanding.     

It seems so long ago, but summer still lingers on with warm temperatures and sunshine during the day.  So I'm still including some seasonal warm weather veggies like zucchini in my menus.

The meals from two weeks ago included a spicy Jerk Tempeh with Red and Green Peppers and Brown Rice.  This always makes me think of tropical island breezes, crystal blue water, and bright sunshiny skies, which we haven't seen much of this season.  And so, they appear here in food form.

The second entree is a simple preparation with a ton of flavor.  Dijon Glazed Portobello Steak combines with a rich Mashed Sweet Potato and Yam with Coconut Cream and Steamed Broccoli.

Entree #3 for the week packed a little spicy kick.  Peanut Sauce is something I can eat nearly every day, and it paired really well with the veggies in this meal:  Baked Tofu with Cabbage and Carrot Slaw on Brown Rice.

This week's menu returns to the seasonal theme with zucchini.  This entree features a similar sauce to the raw meal at the top of this post, but uses roasted red peppers as the base.  The sauce accompanies a Baked Zucchini Boat with Cumin-Spiced Brown Rice and Black Bean Stuffing.

The second entree is a vegan take on a comfort food favorite, Stroghanoff.  I used tempeh and mushrooms in this preparation, and thickened the creamy sauce with tahini instead of the traditional yogurt.

The final entree of the week is one that had me swooning since I was able to enjoy a little leftover for lunch today.  The Millet and Red Lentil Patties with Coconut Curry and Stringbeans make for a hearty meal that is not only satisfying, but pretty decadent as well.

Mine tasted best eaten while sitting out on the back deck in this rare 70 degree October weather.

On the Menu

This has been a whirlwind of a week as I get ready to teach classes for the fall semester, so this post is more of a recap of meals prepared over the last couple of days.  Lots of good ones, nonetheless.  Whenever people ask me the secret to good vegan food I always say, "sauces."  Once you master 4 or 5 key combinations, immediately your repertoire expands exponentially.  Such is the case with three items on the menu this week.

One of my favorites is peanut sauce.  Whoever thought to combine peanut butter with soy sauce (or in my case, wheat-free tamari) and turn it into a savory, spicy, silken concoction was a genius.  I love it on noodles, on rice, in a stirfry, or even for dipping summer rolls.  This week I poured it over  Baked Tofu, Wilted Cabbage and Carrots, and Brown Rice. delish.

Sauce #2 features Dijon mustard.  I pan-fried some tempeh then drizzled a sweet and spicy mixture of Dijon, agave syrup, lemon juice and olive oil over the top for an added layer of flavor.  This was served with Mashed Garnet Yams and Pan-fried Zucchini.

The other entree I made this week I also did a variation on for dinner tonight:  Spinach and Chickpea Coconut Curry.  At home I substituted Cabbage, Yellow Squash, and Green Beans since this is what I picked from the garden.  Instead of Chickpeas, I found a can of chili beans in my pantry.  The color was a little, shall we say... bold, but they were nonetheless good.  I tossed this heavenly stew with some leftover rice noodles for myself, and in 15 minutes it was ready to enjoy.

Here's the final dish, in progress, in case you'd like to follow along at home:

Start by sauteeing some veggies in olive oil.  I used onion, yellow squash, cabbage, and green beans.

Once the veggies have softened, add your spices and fresh ginger.

Next, stir in a can of full fat coconut milk.  (yup, go for it!)

Simmer for a few minutes to reduce the sauce and blend the flavors.  Then add your chickpeas (or in my case, chili beans), rice, noodles, or whatever else you want to put in the bubbling cauldron.

And there you have it.

This Week's Menu

Entrees this week were a mix of hot and cold, in keeping with the weather which ranged from scorching heat wave to rainy fall chill.  I hope everything meshed with the schedule.

For the early week heat wave:  A Mock Chicken Salad with Cool Cucumber, Tomato and Quinoa and Greens

For the midweek cooldown:  Baked Tofu on a Bed of Penne with Basil, Sundried Tomatoes, and Snow Peas

For the chilly rainy comfort food meal:  Baked Polenta with "Sausage" and Mushroom Ragout and Zucchini Spears

This Week's Menu

Whole Foods recently posted an article about the health benefits of black beans and some creative ways to add more of this mighty legume into your diet... even in brownies.  I decided to go the more traditional route this week by making a black bean chili for my clients.

The chili is simple, warm and comforting, with lots of diced tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms and corn.  I spice it up with a bit of cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper.  It's always a favorite on a cold, rainy day.

A couple of clients have been asking for tempeh, so for another meal this week I made Tempeh Crabcakes.  These tender little patties get their seafood flavor from dulse flakes, and even omnivores comment that they taste pretty close to the real thing.  I think it's the squeeze of lemon that does the trick.

For the third meal, I made a spicy tofu stir-fry with broccoli, carrot, and snow peas.  The sauce gets its flavor from hoisin, a Japanese barbecue sauce, mixed with tamari, mirin, and agave syrup.  Chopped peanuts, ginger and fresh basil add some crunch and zip.  It's a perfect balance.

This week's menu

This week's theme was variety.  I was working with a core menu of seasonal ingredients, but had clients with different food preferences.  Because my menus can be customized to suit individual tastes and dietary needs, I was able to make modifications to each dish while also maintaining a balance of delicious flavors, colors and textures.

One entree was Baked Tofu with Curried Butternut Squash Risotto, Toasted Coconut, and Brussels Sprouts.  The risotto is a heavenly, almost decadent, accompaniment to this meal and while one of my clients enjoys its creamy, coconutty taste profile (as do I!), another client requested something lighter, so I made a Mashed Butternut Squash instead.

Another entree this week was Triple Green Tofu made with Asparagus, Green Beans, and Broccoli.  For my client with an aversion to green beans, I substituted zucchini.  Anything green in this stir-fry works well, since it all gets tossed in a sauce spiced with red pepper flakes that adds a refreshing little kick.

The last entree was Broccoli Rabe, White Beans and Marinara with Fresh Basil on Baked Sundried Tomato Polenta.  I like polenta as an alternative to the ubiquitous pasta, and I think the sundried tomatoes add a nice tanginess.  Bitter greens are the way to go as we transition to a new season!

This week's menu

I recently shared my recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Coulis with a student and since it came out so delicious, I decided to make it for a client this week.  It's probably one of the easiest sauces to make, and yet the flavor is so rich and decadent.  It goes nicely with Cumin Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Baked Zucchini Boats, which is how I served it this week.

The second meal was Cornmeal Crusted Tofu Cutlets with Quinoa and Broccoli with Cauliflower Cream.  I had been wondering what to make with cauliflower since it's in season right now, and remembered this luscious sauce (I guess I must be feeling pretty saucy this week!).  The cauliflower is cooked until fork tender, then pureed with nutritional yeast, miso, rice milk, and a little olive oil and sea salt.  You'd never know it's as healthy as it is.

The third entree was Curried Chickpea and Cashew Quinoa Pilaf with Stringbean Amandine.  The quinoa pilaf is modified from a recipe that called for couscous, but since I can't eat wheat I substituted the quinoa, which I think tastes even better.  There is kind of a sweet-spicy-savory-flavor combo with a nice balance of natural sweetness from raisins and spice from curry powder, cinnamon and turmeric. Perfectly sublime.

This week's menu

I've been making a lot of tofu scrambles this week, inspired by a recent recipe created for the Superbowl.  One was southwestern style with red and green peppers, mushrooms, and onions and seasoned with chili powder.  Another was tofu florentine with spinach and mushrooms.

For one of my clients this week I chose a mix of zucchini and yellow squash seasoned with nutritional yeast and oregano.  All of these were served with a generous side of curried homefries.  This makes a perfect breakfast-for-dinner entree, but really, I could eat it any time of the day.

Another entree this week was a Spicy Triple Green Tempeh Saute with Brown Rice.  The three green veggies were broccoli, asparagus, and green beans, and the spicy sauce included red pepper flakes, tamari, sesame oil, mustard, and Thai chili sauce.

The final meal was a hearty Green Lentil with Sauteed Greens and Maple Glazed Butternut Squash. [apologies for the glowing orange orbs of butternut squash in the photo] The squash was baked in the oven and caramelized on one side, then it was topped with maple syrup for a few more minutes in the oven to form a glaze.  This is a simple, yet satisfying dish inspired by seasonal staples.

This Week's Menu

This week I was asked to do an interview on vegan food for the Journal Inquirer.  For the photo shoot, I decided to prepare one of my "signature dishes," Tofu Piccata with Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes.  It's a customer favorite at the Shoreline Diner and Georgie's Diner, where I've shared my recipe, but the best way to get it is served fresh.  And so I decided to treat my clients this week to this rich and savory meal.

The piccata sauce is made with rice milk thickened with cornstarch and flavored with fresh squeezed lemon and Dijon mustard.  Capers add a tangy burst of saltiness.

The second entree was Baked Tofu with Maple-glazed Parsnip and Sweet Potato, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Broccoli.  I've made this with butternut squash but wanted to try something a little different this week; plus the parsnips looked good.

The third entree featured Baked Sundried Tomato Polenta with Tempeh, Kale and Fire-roasted Tomato Saute.  I think it worked pretty well as comfort food.