Simple Vegetarian

Ligonberry Syrup

Ingredients:

• 8oz frozen ligonberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar

Place the ligonberries and the water into a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, stirring as it heats. Add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves.

Reduce the heat until it reaches a quiet simmer. Stir it as it simmers until about half the water boils off -- about 25 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the stove and cool it quickly; placing the saucepan in a larger bowl of icewater works well.

Mahammura

Mahammura is a easy Turkish meze. It's a slightly sweet, spicy red pepper and walnut dip that's incredibly delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Red Bell Peppers
• 1 Cup Walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
• 1Tbsp Minced Garlic
• ½ Tsp Sea salt
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp Ceyanne Pepper
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Lemon Jiuce
• 2 TBSP Pomegranate Molassus

Start by roasting and peeling the bell peppers via your favorite technique.

Set the roasted peppers aside to cool. In the meantime, put the rest of the ingredients into your food processor in order, blending them as you go. Add the peppers for last and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for two hours or until chilled.

You're looking for a slightly firm texture. If the mixture seems runny, add additional walnuts. It will set as it cools in the fridge, so you're looking for yoghurt firmness rather than hummus firmness.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large white onion
• 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 medium red bell pepers
• 1 small can diced green peppers
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 2 quarts vegetable stock (or equivilent combination of soup starter and water)
• 8-16 oz water
• 1 bag of tortilla strips or chips
• 1-2 cups crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Chop the onion finely and the peppers coarsely. Hold the water in reserve and cook the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for eight hours, stirring occasionally.

A significant amount of liquid will boil off during this time. Taste the soup as it cooks; if it starts to get too "tangy" add water to taste.

To serve, fill half of each bowl with tortilla chips then add soup. Garnish with queso fresco to taste.

Vegetarian Mongolian Beef

Serves 3-4 adults

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon mined garlic
• 3/4 cup low-salt soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2-7 dried thai chili peppers
• 1 package Trader Joe's Beef-Less Strips
• One medium red bell pepper
• One small sweet onion

Mix the soy sauce, hoisin, garlic, and cilantro in a medium mixing bowl. Add the "meat" and dried chili peppers. Thoroughly coat the "meat" and let it soak for 5 minutes while you finish the prep.

As a general rule of thumb, start with two dried chili peppers for "one star" spice levels. Add a large chili pepper for each additional "star" you'd like.  This more or less approximates the spice scale for middle America. If you want authentic spicy, just go nuts with them.

Cut your onion in half. Chop one half finely and the other half coarsely. Chop the bell pepper coarsely.

Sautee the onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes over medium heat; it should be just long enough for the onion to start to get soft. 

Add the sauce/meat mixture and simmer for about ten minutes or until the smaller bits of onion are mostly dissolved into the sauce.

Serve over rice.

Cuban Black Bean Tacos

Makes ~18-20 Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Sweet Onion
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 3-4 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 3/4 Cup White Wine
• 3 Cans Black Beans
• 18-20 small white corn tortillas
• 1-2 Sliced Limes
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

Chop the peppers and onion. Sautee peppers and onions with garlic in olice oil until the onions begin to turn translucent. 

Drain about half the liquid from the canned black beans and stir them into the vegetables.

Add wine and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the liquid is mostly evaporated.

Serve 2-3 tablespoons of beans in each tortilla. Add a squeeze of lime juice and cheese (if not intended to be vegan)