Vegetable Dip

Looking for something to do with the vegan sour cream you have left over from making Rajma Masala with Spinach?  Or, do you simply enjoy dipping chips, veggies, and other things into vegetable dip? 

Naturally, we answered "yes" to both of those questions; so, we made an easy-peasy, party-friendly vegetable dip: just mix together whatever's left of your 12 ounce container of vegan sour cream with one packet of vegetable soup mix. 

Voila!

Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread

This toasty, colorful spread goes great with a nice loaf of bread or pita.

Spread and bread.

Recipe: 
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread

• 2 - 3 whole roasted red peppers with seeds removed (fresh or from a jar)
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor.  Purée to a smooth consistency, and season to taste.  

Yields 1 cup of spread.

Comments:
Taste:       

This spread has a pleasantly complex yet earthy flavor.  The roasted peppers and toasted nuts go well with the honey, and the spices add just a touch of heat.  I could have processed our spread a little more, I think, since it wasn't completely smooth; on the other hand, you might like a little bit of texture.     

Accessibility:     

I used leftover jarred roasted red peppers that we had purchased to make Orzo Pilaf.  They were easy to find but perhaps difficult to use up all at once.  If you don't have honey I do recommend that you still stick with another liquid sweetener, as granulated sugar could make the spread too grainy.   

 Ease of Preparation:    

Food processors are wonderful. 

Non-vegan friendliness:   

This would be a great dish to make for non-vegan friends and family.  It's a tasty spread that you could serve alongside hummus.   

Pea Pesto Crostini

Last night, we hosted four of our friends for dinner and a game night.  We'd been trying for months to find a night when all seven of us were available, so it was great to finally get everyone together and we had a lot of fun!  The menu was pretty disjointed--it didn't stick to any particular cuisine--but we still ate quite well.

Here's what we had:
Appetizers: Chunky Guacamole and chips; Pea Pesto Crostini
Main Course: Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce served over brown rice; Asian Slaw
Dessert: Hot Fudge Sundaes with Fudgy Brownies

I'll blog about the Pea Pesto Crostini here, and then I'll do a separate post for the Asian Slaw and the Hot Fudge recipes. 

Pea Pesto Crostini

Recipe:
Pea Pesto Crostini

Pea Pesto:

• 10-ounces frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• olive oil
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

First, prepare the pea pesto.  Process the peas, garlic, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a food processor until well combined.  Then add the olive oil and process until the mixture becomes smooth.  Season the pesto with additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.  Set aside.  

To prepare the crostini, lightly drizzle or brush olive oil over the baguette slices and toast the bread.  Top each slice with pea pesto and tomato halves and serve.

Comments:
We've made these crostini several times before and they're always a crowd-pleaser. 

Taste: or 

They taste incredibly fresh and delicious.  They're a great, non-messy appetizer.    

Accessibility:  

We had most of these ingredients before going grocery shopping.  They're all quite standard ingredients, so you should have no trouble finding them.

Ease of Preparation: 

This recipe couldn't be much simpler: you put ingredients in a food processor and you're done.    

Non-vegan friendliness: 

I've served this to many non-vegans and they all raved about it.  In fact, we ended up making it as part of dinner last night because Rachel was SO excited to have it again.  Last night we had the vegan pea pesto detailed here in addition to a non-vegan version (the bread crumbs were replaced by Parmesan cheese), so it's also a flexible dish. 

Curried Carrot Dip

Tonight was carrot night.  Simon and I made a carrot-ginger soup and a carrot dip.  The dip was much better than the soup, in my opinion, so I'm just going to include the recipe for the Curried Carrot Dip here.

Recipe:
Curried Carrot Dip

• 1 pound carrots, washed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup roasted walnuts
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

First, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Boil the carrots for about 10 minutes, or until soft.  Drain.

Next, blend the walnuts in a food processor until crumbs form.  Add all other ingredients and process until smooth.  You may have to process in batches.

Refrigerate before eating to cool off the dip.  Serve chilled with toasted bread, pita, or crackers.

Comments:
The ingredients come together into a pretty smooth, substantial, and satisfying dip.  The curry flavor isn't overpowering; instead, it adds just the right amount of spice.  And hey, there's even a little protein in there from the walnuts. 

I could see this dip being very good with a little honey added for sweetness, or a little cumin added for additional spice.  Next time, I might try one of these variations. 

Fajitas and Chunky Guacamole

The countdown to "winter break" has begun!  I only have three more days of work and three more dinners with Simon and Rachel before I head home for a little over a week to spend time with my family.  As a result, this week is officially Use-Up-Things-In-The-Kitchen Week.  Despite this restriction, tonight's dinner set a tasty tone for the short week.

Rachel, Simon, and I made Chunky Guacamole and Fajitas tonight in order to use up the corn tortillas we bought for our Potato and Kale Enchiladas.  Observe: 

Chunky Guacamole

Fajita Filling

Dinner!

Recipe:
Chunky Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Slice the avocados vertically.  Remove the pit and scoop out the avocado into a bowl.  Mash up the avocado a bit, leaving some chunks.  Then add the remaining ingredients, stir, and enjoy with tortilla chips...or atop fajitas! 

Recipe:
Fajitas

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1.5 onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•  2 - 15.5 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 cups frozen corn
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• corn or flour tortillas
• toppings of your choice

First, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper and sauté until the onions begin to look golden and the peppers are tender.  Add the beans, corn, and spices and heat until warm.  Serve over tortillas and top with any fajita toppings you like, such as tomatoes, onions, salsa, or guacamole.

Comments:
Both of these recipes are really quick and easy to make.  I've made this guacamole many times before and it's always a hit.  The fajitas are a great non-vegan-friendly dish because they're so customizable--Simon and Rachel both put shredded cheese on theirs. 

Teaser for Wednesday's dinner: The ingredient to be used up is carrots!