Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan. Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the barley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups of the hot broth. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low, and simmer until most of the broth is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Pour in remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and allowing it to become absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute mushrooms in the hot oil until tender. Add garlic, and cook for about 3 more minutes. Stir in the barley mixture and parsley. Remove bay leaf, and serve.
1 eggplant
2 large potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons black mustard seed
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons caraway seed
1/4 cup soy sauce
Directions
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Cut the eggplant into 3/4 inch cubes, and immediately place into the water to keep from turning brown. Pour the oil and mustard seeds into a pot, and place over medium heat. Cook until the seeds begin to pop, being careful not to burn. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Sprinkle in the chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and caraway seed; cook for a minute or two to release the flavor.
Drain the eggplant, add it to the pot, and fry it for a few minutes. Pour in the potatoes, and soy sauce, then add enough water to cover. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until potatoes have cooked.
For those of you who don’t know me (which is probably all of you) I, like many American’s, have a background made up of many nationalities. Eight that we know of, actually. I am English, Irish, Scottish, Scotch-Irish (my family assures me this is different than simply being Scottish or Irish; however, I am suspicious that it doesn’t count as it’s own nationality, but who am I to argue with family history?) Welsh, French, German, and Dutch.
*Whew* That is a lot of cultures! It can make for a long conversation when someone asks me what my ancestry consists of, that’s for sure! That said, I certainly am happy that all of those people came together at different times in history to create my family. I am proud of all eight of my known nationalities, and I think everyone should be proud, or at least interested in the melting pot that has made us, well… us! In my opinion, cultures blending and mixing is definitely a good thing, especially so we can all try new foods!
On the topic of many cultures coming together to make one, I have a dish that is just like that. The other night I was in the mood for Italian food, or possibly Mexican, which are my personal favorite food genre’s. I decided to try something new, a totally personal dish that I didn’t just veganize from someone else’s recipe. I came up with the idea for what I like to call the “Mex-Itali Bake”. Some people might think this dish is a bastardization of two separate cultures, but I like to think of it as an homage to both! I hope you will agree.
This dish is a pasta dish, incorporating elements from both cultures into one tasty, HEARTY, vegan-licious meal. In order to make it you will need the following:
Don't forget to sub in Daiya for the Veggie Shreds!
1 box Vegan Whole Wheat or Low Carb Penne Pasta
1 Jar Marinara Sauce
1 Can Corn
1 Can Pinto Beans
1 Package or Can of Vegan Burger Replacement (If you don’t use meat substitutes, black beans would be delish!)
1 Can Green Chilli’s (If you get whole chilli’s, don’t forget to chop them!)
Several Tbs Wayfare Foods Sour Cream (Normally I prefer tofutti, but this is thicker, and helps thicken the sauce)
Vegan Parmesan
Daiya Cheddar (As you can see in the picture, I had to use Veggie Shreds, which contain Casein. Where I live, I can’t always get Diaya, so I use this in a pinch, since I am only very-nearly-vegan, but for anyone who is a strict vegan, please make sure to get a vegan alternative)
Garlic Salt
Minced Onion
Chilli Powder
(All seasonings to taste)
Although there are a lot of ingredients, assembly is really rather simple. Boil Pasta to desired texture, drain and put back in pot. Add Wayfare Mexi Cheddar, and stir. Drain all canned ingredients and add, then stir in Marinara sauce and veggie-burger. Season mixture, periodically tasting to get correct amounts. I would tell you how much I put in, but I like garlic…. A LOT. Much moreso than most people, so I will spare you from that, lol! Pour mixture into a large baking dish and top with Daiya Cheddar and Vegan parmesan. Put in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
The finished product should look something like this:
Yum!
My husband and I enjoyed this thoroughly! It was the perfect meal for a cold, rainy day. Filling, hot, and very cheesy, which is definitely a good thing. Since it’s just the two of us, we had more than half a pan left over, and I have to say it made for really good leftovers too. I love things that reheat well for lunch at work! Especially if they make my non-veg coworkers jealous.
Here is how it looks served:
Ohhhhh Yeaaaaaaaaaaah.....
Who knew a culture clash could be such a good thing? This recipe is very versatile, I think you could add or subtract lots of ingredients to make it your own. I am sure I personally will make different versions in the future. One thing I know for certain, this dish is going in the regular rotation at our house! Happy Eating!
Store bought roasted or baked tempeh and tofu can be quite expensive. This recipe is so easy to make and the flavor is fresh, spicy and delicious. You can control the heat by cutting back on the spices if you desire. From Totally Vegetarian.
That said, I certainly am happy that all of those people came together at different times in history to create my family. I am proud of all eight of my known nationalities, and I think everyone should be proud, or at least interested in the melting pot that has made us, well… us! In my opinion, cultures blending and mixing is definitely a good thing, especially so we can all try new foods!
This recipe is very versatile, I think you could add or subtract lots of ingredients to make it your own. I am sure I personally will make different versions in the future. One thing I know for certain, this dish is going in the regular rotation at our house! Happy Eating!
