Your Vegan Mom

Weekend Lunch: Smoky Tempeh and Brussels Sprouts Sandwich

crusty bread + mayo + dijon + smoky tempeh + shredded brussels sprouts = weekend lunch

For the brussels sprouts: Cut them in half and then shred them fine with a big, sharp knife.  If you have a few shallots, sliced those up too.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add a bit of the oil of your choosing.  Throw the shredded greens (and shallots) in the hot pan with a big pinch of salt.  Give them a stir and let them really brown.  Add a glug of apple juice, turn the heat down to low, and braise them in the juice until they're soft and sweet, about 15 minutes.  When the apple juice has cooked off, and your brussels sprouts are tender, season them with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch more salt if it needs it.  

As per usual, this Saturday sandwich is totally designed to go with a beer.  

Happy Weekend!  

Roots and an Unexpectedly Delicious Sandwich

My friend, Kiley, dropped off a big bag of root vegetables that she had inadvertently stockpiled - weeks of CSA overflow.  There were turnips and rutabagas and watermelon radishes and a long bumpy piece of horseradish, but I didn't know that when I opened the bag.  Apart from the horseradish, they all looked like turnips.  

Anupy Singla's Aloo Tikki

Over the summer when Desmond's swim teacher asked him what his favorite food was, he answered, "Indian food."

I'm not sure if that is entirely true or if that was simply all he could recall eating.

Cookbook author, Anupy Singla is completely responsible for my recent obsession with Indian cooking and my five-year-old's worldly palate.  She's an Indian American Mom and former reporter who so, so successfully translates complex Indian flavors to the time constraints of the home cook without dumbing down the dishes one bit.  Her recipes are realistic and super flavorful.  

Avocado Basil Spread and My Current Favorite Sandwich

I love a good sandwich, and this is my current favorite.  You chop up a small handful of fresh basil and smash it into a ripe avocado with a little lemon juice, salt, and peper, and some walnut parm if you have it.  You thickly smear that on some excellent toast and top it with drippy slices of summer tomato and maybe another sprinkling of salt and pepper.  And you've got a meal.  It was breakfast on Monday before taking the dudes to swim lessons and lunch on Tuesday with a side of cold melon.  I think you could even stick an ear of corn next to it and call it dinner -  perfect for the sweltering days of ripe tomatoes.   

Avocado Basil Sandwich Spread
makes: a scant cup or enough to generously spread on 4 sandwiches
takes: less than 5 minutes

• 1 ripe avocado
• about 3 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1/4 cup walnut parm
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Mash that all together and spread on good bread.    

10 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup

Another bowl of green.  Under normal circumstances I would not have immediately followed the (secretly spinach hued) pistachio pudding with a creamy bowl of broccoli soup, but it's St. Patrick's Day on Saturday and my festive food plans this year are for green novelties.  Hey look how festive!  It's green!  Oh and hey I just so happen to want you to eat more green stuff.  In response to my holiday food plan, my neighbor declared, "Everything's less fun with Mom!"