Minestrone Soup (Vegan / Vegetarian)

Ingrid's Notes:

• This is yet another recipe from Kurma's cookbook. I tried making it today...It is such a delicious soup! (See below for the original recipe and text from the book)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
There are many varieties of this world-famous Italian soup. This one--"Minestrone alla Milanese"--is practically a meal in itself. Serve it with fresh bread and salad. For best results, start the soup well in advance of serving time and cook slowly.

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME: 2 hours 50 minutes
YEILD: enough for 6 to 8 persons

2 tablespoons (40 ml) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1 cup (250 ml) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried borlotti beans or kidney beans, soaked overnight in cold water
2 tablespoons (40 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon (20 ml) chopped fresh parsley
8 cups (2 litres) water
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium zucchinis, sliced
2 cups (500 ml) shredded cabbage
3/4 cup (185 ml) fresh peas
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (20 ml) rice-shaped pasta (Risoni) or broken spaghetti
1/2 cup (125 ml) parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the asafoetida in the hot oil until it becomes aromatic, and then add the tomatoes, drained soaked beans, basil, parsley, and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft, stirring occasionally
2. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for another 1/2 hour. Add the potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, peas, salt, and pepper. Ten minutes later add the pasta. After 10 minutes, if the potato, zucchini, cabbage, and peas are tender, turn off the heat. If the soup becomes too thick, add hot water as required. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes; then add the parmesan cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the individual soup bowls. Serve hot.

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)

Corn Chowder (Vegetarian)

Select corn with fresh, dark-green husks and pump yellow kernels. Boil the corn in unsalted water for exactly 8 minutes, as excessive cooking toughens the corn.

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME: 30-40 minutes
YIELD: enough for 6 persons

6 cups (1.5 litres) Root Vegetable Stock or water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into tiny 0.5 cm (1/4-inch) cubs
1 bay leaf
2 cups (500 ml) cooked corn kernels (about 3 medium ears of corn)
50 g (1 3/4 ounces) butter
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) black pepper
1/4/teaspoon (1 ml) nutmeg
2 tablespoons (40 ml) plain flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt, or as desired
1/2 cup (125 ml) sour cream
2 tablespoons (40 ml) chopped fresh parsley

1. Boil the stock or water over high heat in a heavy 4-litre/quart saucepan. Add the potatoes and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to moderate and semi-cook the potatoes.
2. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, coarsely mince the cooked corn kernals in a food processor or blender until they are half-pureed. Add the pureed corn to the nearly cooked potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture into a bowl. Cover and keep hot.
3. rinse the saucepan, add the butter and melt over moderate heat. Add the asafoetida, pepper, nutmeg, and the flour. Cook the flour in the butter until it darkens a shade or two. Add the potato-and-corn mixture into the butter and flour whilst stirring with a whisk.
4. Bright the soup to a boil over moderate heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the salt, sour cream, and parsley. Serve in pre-warmed soup bowls with a spoonful of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley.

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingrid's Notes on this recipe:

• Watch out for the different kinds of sour cream in the market. Be careful not to purchase the ones with gelatin (extracted from animal tissue or bones). See the definition of gelatin on Wikipedia.
• I have also served the soup with small round french bread and sour dough with the inside hollowed out. Remember to use small breads...people can't finish the whole thing if you picked a regular bowl-sized bread to serve the soup! :P
• Oh, and you might be able to find "asafoetida" powder under the name "hing" in the market. I personally have never seen "asafoetida powder" being sold anywhere in the US. So try "hing".
  

(Keywords: vegetarian, soup, corn)

Biscuit (Vegetarian)

I remembered that my sister made biscuits with this recipe last year...

BAKING TIME: 15 minutes
YIELDS: about 10 regular size biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups milk

1. Preheat the oven with 350 degree F
   
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter with 2 knives as for pastry
3. Add milk and mix
4. Roll out the dough to about an inch thick
5. Cut the dough in rounds, preferably with a cone (like a round shaped cookie cutter). Use a cup instead if you don't have one.
   
6. Brush over the top of the dough rounds with melted butter
7. Bake about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven
   

Keywords: vegetarian, pastry, bread, dinner roll, breakfast

The Stand (Laguna Beach, CA)

I went to Laguna Beach with the intention to find this other vegetarian restaurant that I read about, but it turned out that it doesn't even exist. But after asking around, the local people directed us to a take-out place for vegan and natural organic food, called "The Stand".

It is a small stand at the corner of the street, one block from the beach. They don't have indoor seating, but they do have some outdoor tables near the cashier counter. Their food ranges from burritos, sandwiches, tamales, salad, pitas, soups, shakes, vegan cookies, to even freshly squeezed organic juice (including wheat grass juice!). I liked this place because the food there was vegan. They didn't seem to use any garlic or onion because even their salsa use celery instead.

The Stand
Natural and vegan food

238 Thalia St.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949)494-8101

Open everyday, 7am - 7pm

Baked Cheesecake (Vegetarian)

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
BAKING TIME: at least 1 1/4 hours
REFRIGIRATION AND SETTING TIME: 24 hours
YIELD: one 20 cm (8-inch) cheesecake

Crust
1/4 cup (60 ml) softened butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla essence
1 cup (250 ml) unbleached plain flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder

Filling
500 g (17 1/2 ounces) ricotta cheese
500 g (17 1/2 ounces) softened cream cheese
1/3 cup (85 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
2 tablespoons (40 ml) arrowroot powder, or 1 table spoon (20 ml) cornflour
1 1/3 cups (335 ml) fresh cream
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) pure vanilla essence

1. To prepare the crust: cream the butter and sugar and add the vanilla. Sift the flour and the baking powder. Combine the flour mixture with the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Pat it into the bottom of a buttered 25 cm (10-inch) cheesecake pan.
2. To prepare the filling: place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a beater until light and fluffy. Do not over-mix. Spoon the mixture into the pan on top of the uncooked crust.
3. Place in the middle of a pre-heated 180 degrees Celcius / 355 degrees Farenheit oven and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until lightly golden brown on top. The cake is done when the entire surface is golden brown.
4. Remove the cheesecake from the over; allow it to cool. Refrigerate it for at least 20 to 24 hours before serving. Decorate it with cream and fruits if desired.

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ingrid's Notes:

• Cornflour = Corn starch
• Alternatively, I used crushed graham crackers with butter to make the crust:
• 2 cups (500 ml) graham cracker crumbs, coarsely ground
  1/3 cup (85 ml) melted butter
• To prepared the crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press the crumb mixture into the base and 2.5 cm (1-inch) up the sides of a 20 cm (8-inch) spring-form pan. Chill the base for 1/2 hour.

Happy cooking!

(Other Keywords: dairy, vegetarian, cream cheese)

Alfredo Sauce (Vegetarian)

I'm a newbie in alfredo sauce making. But it turned out pretty good :)

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes or more
YIELDS: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup or less butter
2/3 cup or more heavy cream (can be heavy whipping cream)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
a pinch of pepper
fettuccine noodles, gnocchi, or any other pasta noodles

1. Cook the fettuccine, gnocchi, or other noodles according to the package direction. Fettuccine or pasta noodles usually takes me 12-20 minutes to cook in boiling water (with a pinch of salt). Gnocchi would take from 2-10 minutes to cook (with a pinch of salt as well). When all the gnocchis are floating on the top of the water surface, they are ready.
2. Heat and melt the butter in a sauce pan.
3. Mix the heavy cream with the melted butter in the sauce pan and start stirring to prevent burning and sticking. Turn the oven to low heat.
   
4. Add the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper into the sauce pan. Keep stirring until everything is mixed smoothly and blended.
   
5. Remove the sauce pan from the heat. Add the noodles into the sauce pan to toss until the noodles seem well-coated with the sauce.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ingrid's words of advice:

• The more heavy cream, the more watery the sauce is. So you can add more heavy cream if you like more watery sauce.
• Remember to use low heat and stir! You don't want to have burnt alfredo sauce...

(Other Keywords: vegetarian, dairy, main entree, main dish, Italian)

Orange Cheesecake (Vegetarian)

I got this on a vegetarian cookbook called Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. It's a great vegetarian book :). A lot of his recipes information on the restaurants can be found on http://www.kurma.net/.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
CHILLING TIME: at least 12 hours
YEILDS: one 20 cm (8-inch) cake

Crust
2 cups (500 ml) biscuit crumbs, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ginger powder
1/3 cup (85 ml) melted butter

Filling
350 g (12 ounces) cream cheese
3/4 cup (185 ml) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated orange rind

1. To prepared the crust: combine the biscuit crumbs, ginger, and butter. Press the crumb mixture into the base and 2.5 cm (1-inch) up the sides of a 20 cm (8-inch) spring-form pan. Chill the base for 1/2 hour.
2. To prepare the filling: beat the cream cheese until smooth and gradually add the condensed milk, lemon juice, and orange rind, beating thoroughly. Alternatively, the ingredients can be combined in a food processor.
3. Pour the mixture into the crust, smooth it out, and chill to set.

Decorate the cake with the whipped cream and orange segments, or as desired.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ingrid's experience on this recipe:

• When I made this cheese cake, I wasn't sure what they meant by biscuit, so I simply crushed the graham crackers to crumbs and mixed them with melted butter to make the crust.
• Orange rind is optional, in my opinion. I didn't have an orange, so I grated lemon rind instead. I suppose you can mix some kind of strawberry flavored powder into the cheese cake filling to make it strawberry flavored, and so forth.
• My cheese cake turned out soggy even after I refrigerated for 12 hours. My suggestion (if the same thing happens to you): put it in the freezer for about 1 hour before serving. Remember not to leave it in the freezer for too long unless you want stone cake :)

(Keywords: dairy, vegetarian, cream cheese, dessert)

First post

This is the first post for Green Ingredient! We hope to organize and share vegetarian and vegan recipes through this blog. Vegetarians and vegans deserve yummy food too! If you have any recipe, or even, if you know of a good vegetarian/vegan restaurant that you stumbled upon the other day, and you would like to share the goodies, please e-mail green.ingredient@gmail.com so that we can get it posted and spread the veggie love!

Cheers. Veggies unite :)