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Recipes for the Semi-Vegan

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Loaded Miso Soup

Kombu (dried kelp) Shiitake mushrooms Miso Carrots Turnips Ginger Edamame Silken tofu Scallions.

Preparation

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a bare simmer and add one strip kombu; let it soak 10 minutes, then remove it and chop; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, sauté a handful of sliced shiitakes in oil until crisp.
3. Whisk a cup of the water with ½ cup miso in a bowl until smooth.
4. Pour the miso mix into the water and add ½ pound silken tofu along with some shredded carrots, turnip and ginger, the chopped kombu and about a handful of cooked, shelled edamame.
5. Let stand long enough to heat the tofu through, about a minute. Add some chopped scallions and the crisp shiitakes and serve.

Fried Rice

White or brown rice Extra-firm tofu Snow peas Carrots Peanuts Peanut or neutral oil Garlic Ginger Soy sauce.

1. Start with about 3 cups of cooked and cooled rice.
2. Sauté ½ pound of cubed extra-firm tofu with a handful each of snow peas, chopped carrots and peanuts in 3 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil over medium-high heat, stirring more or less constantly until the carrots are just becoming tender.
3. Add a little garlic and grated ginger, followed by the rice; cook, stirring, until the rice begins to brown.
4. Add enough water to loosen the mixture a bit, then soy sauce to taste. Serve.

Tomato-Rice Soup

White or brown rice Tomato paste Vegetable stock or water Fresh or canned tomatoes Garlic Onions Celery Parsley Carrots Olive oil Collard greens Red wine.

1. Cook a few cloves of chopped garlic with chopped onion, celery, parsley and carrot in abundant olive oil until the onion is translucent.
2. Add ½ cup white or brown rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, then add a bit of tomato paste; stir.
3. Add 4 cups vegetable stock or water and 2 cups of chopped fresh or canned tomatoes; bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is half-tender, about 10 minutes for white rice, 25 for brown.
4. Add a cup of chopped collard greens and a little red wine and cook until the greens are tender, just a few minutes. Serve.

Saffron-and-Mushroom Barley Risotto

Dried porcini mushrooms Shiitake mushrooms Saffron Pearled barley Onions White wine Olive oil Vegetable stock Parsley.

1. Cook a chopped onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1½ cups pearled barley and cook, stirring until it’s glossy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add a pinch of saffron, a splash of dry white wine and a handful of dried porcini mushrooms.
4. Stir and let the liquid bubble away on medium heat.
5. Add 4 cups hot vegetable stock, a cup at a time, stirring after each addition and waiting until the mixture is nearly dry before adding the next.
6. Meanwhile, cook a handful of shiitake mushrooms in olive oil until lightly crisped; stir into the barley when it’s done and serve garnished with parsley.

Spinach and Chickpeas

Chickpeas Spinach Bread crumbs Pimentón (smoked paprika) Cumin Garlic Sherry vinegar Olive oil.

1. Cook a couple of cloves of minced garlic in a generous amount of olive oil until fragrant, and then add bread crumbs made from 4 or 5 slices of crusty bread (pulse in a food processor for best results); cook, stirring frequently until evenly toasted; remove.
2. Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté a pound of spinach, along with 1 teaspoon each cumin and pimentón.
3. When the spinach begins to wilt, add a can of chickpeas, drained (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas), and cook for 5 minutes or so.
4. When you’re ready to serve, stir in a tablespoon of sherry vinegar and sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs.

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts Walnuts Garlic Olive oil Bread.

1. Cook a pound of halved brussels sprouts cut-side down in a skillet with oil and a little water or vegetable stock over medium heat, covered and undisturbed, until brown and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. (Check occasionally and lower the heat and/or add more water if the sprouts threaten to burn.)
2. Put the sprouts in a serving bowl and drizzle with vinegar; set aside.
3. Add a handful of chopped walnuts and a couple of cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes; add mixture to the brussels sprouts.
4. Put a bit more oil and a smashed clove of garlic in the skillet, then add 2 slices of good bread, cut into cubes, and brown lightly. Toss croutons with sprouts and serve.

Sweet-Potato Stew

Sweet potatoes Apples Onions Coconut milk Chilis (dried or fresh) Ginger Vegetable stock or water Peanuts Cilantro.

1. Sauté 1 pound cubed sweet potatoes, a peeled and cubed apple, chopped onion, minced chili (dried or fresh) and minced ginger, along with a sprinkle of curry powder in a large saucepan until the onion is soft, 5 or 6 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk thinned with vegetable stock or water to about halfway up the sides of the mixture; cook until soft, then mash about half of the mixture.
3. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro and serve.

Roasted Squash with Kale and Vinaigrette

Squash (acorn, butternut, etc.) Kale Wine vinegar Shallots Olive oil.

1. Heat the oven to 425. Halve and seed 2 small-to-medium squash, drizzle with olive oil and bake until just tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, coarsely chop a bunch of kale (you want big but manageable pieces); add to squash and bake another 10 to 20 minutes.
3. While the vegetables are roasting, make a vinaigrette: combine olive oil and wine vinegar with salt and pepper and a chopped shallot in a blender until a creamy emulsion forms. The vegetables are done when the squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
4. Cut squash into 1-inch pieces, then dress the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve.