Recipes from Vegetarian Vegan Cooking Classes

Enjoy this simple no-frills and healthy black bean soup.  You can start the soup by soaking the dry beans overnight to use in the soup , or you can just open a couple of cans of beans .  Buying dry organic beans is definitely a less expensive way to go.  Growing your own beans and drying them is better yet!  Whatever works for you! INGREDIENTS: 2 cups of black beans (soaked overnight or from a can) 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 5-6 cups of water 2 teaspoons basil (see below**) METHOD: If using soaked beans, drain and rinse the beans and put them in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and all the other ingredients and simmer for 4 hours, covered.  Add more water if needed.  If using canned beans, use slightly less water and simmer for about 30 minutes until all vegetables are tender.   Press the soup through a sieve or whirl up in a blender with a little extra water. De...

No Frills Healthy: Lentil Patties Lentils are legumes I love!  Not only do they appear on Dr. Michael Greger's Daily Dozen app for must-eat-daily-for-health but they have a history in my family-- at one time my "little brother" (always!) was one of the foremost brokers of lentils in the world, traveling to almost every continent to meet with buyers and sellers of lentils.  This little legume packs a lot of nutritional power, and has been around for centuries as an abundant, accessible source of great protein and fibre for the world's people.  Like other legumes (think soybeans and chickpeas and black beans for example), there are hundreds of ways to prepare it along with other delicious and healthy vegetables. The recipe for Lentil Patties below is definitely stripped of any glamorous culinary additions, such as hot spices and exotic oils.  Very plain jane, but as such, well digested.  This series of No Frills Healthy recipes is an attempt to re-introduc...

One time I was visiting a friend and opened her fridge to see a bowl of the most beautiful red and blue salad-- strawberries and blueberries.  I have made this simple, delicious, healthy fruit salad many times over the years.  It is particularly delicious if made with fresh organic home-grown sun-ripened berries and eaten under an umbrella on the deck-- but it is actually just as healthy and delicious when eaten anywhere, and store-bought ripe organic berries are a fine choice! Please add one or two of your own favourite seasonal fruits/berries if you wish. Opt out of strawberries if you are allergic to them (that is definitely NOT the idea here) and pick another colorful berry or fruit that agrees with you. I have offered a vegan version to make this a jelled salad using powder made from the sea vegetable agar agar (do not buy flakes, only powder for this recipe). STRAWBERRY-BLUEBERRY SALAD (Vegan Jellied version) INGREDIENTS: 2 Cups  fresh Strawberries 2 ...

This recipe is simple and is suitable to a diet where poured oils are restricted.  It's about as vegan as you will ever see in an "Irish" recipe.  My grandmother used to make a similar potato soup, and I miss her and the soup.  Happy St Patrick's Day! Oil-Free Potato Soup Recipe INGREDIENTS: 4 large Potatoes 2 large Onions 2 cups/473 ml. Water 1 teaspoon/ 5.92 g  Salt 1 tablespoon/8 g  Whole Grain or Gluten-free Flour 2 cups/475ml. Non-Dairy Milk METHOD: Dice potatoes and onions into small pieces  Mix all ingredients (except Milk) in a blender and add the potatoes and onions Cook, stirring occasionally When the veggies are fork-tender, add the milk. Warm to just about boiling (but do not boil) Cooked barley and/or mint give it a delightful flavour and texture. (My Grandmother added black pepper). Nutrition for One Serving (1/4 of the Recipe): Note: Values are approximate and based on common nutritional data. Calories: ...