Chipotle Corn and Kale Salad

Yesterday was one of those days where I opened up the fridge, looked at the minimal amount of ingredients that I had on hand and thought, “What can I make with this?”. The result was a deliciously satisfying kale salad with a slight kick from chipotle vegenaise. Since I made this on a whim, I didn’t use any measurements for the salad dressing. If you’re having trouble making the dressing, less is always more when you start off. You can always add more if you feel that the dressing is lacking a certain flavor or ingredient, but it’s almost impossible to take away an ingredient once you’ve added too much of it. That being said, this is a very simple and easy salad to make and doesn’t take much time at all. Makes 2 servings.

What you will need:
2 small ears of corn or 1 big ear
1/2 bunch of kale (about 1/2 lb.)
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
lemon salted, raw sprouted seeds from Plant Kingdom Bakery
extra virgin olive oil
apple cider vinegar
stone ground mustard
Chipotle Vegenaise
Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the ears of corn for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rip the pieces of kale into bite size pieces (no need to use a knife!) and add to a mixing bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and an even smaller drizzle of Bragg’s liquid aminos. Add two generous spoonfuls of stone ground mustard and chipotle vegenaise each, then “massage” the dressing into the kale. Massaging the dressing into the kale will make it more tender and easier to eat. Then, carefully remove the kernels of corn from the cob with a knife and add to the salad along with chopped orange pepper, thinly sliced red onion and lemon salted raw sprouted seeds. Mix all ingredients together and serve in salad bowls.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup with Truffle Butter- Soup Week!

The combination of heavy whipping cream and truffle butter makes this soup sinfully delicious and rich, while oyster and shiitake mushrooms make it hearty and filling. Enjoy as a side or as a main course. Makes about 6 servings.

What you will need:
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms
1/2 lb oyster mushrooms
1/2 lb enoki mushrooms
5 tbsp truffle butter from Ohio City Pasta
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
a touch of olive oil
6 tsp Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base
6 c water
1c heavy whipping cream

In large pot, heat truffle butter on medium low heat until melted. Meanwhile, remove stems from shiitake mushrooms and discard. Remove any bad parts of the stem from the oyster mushrooms and chop up the remaining parts of the stem. Chop the mushroom caps into 1/4 inch chunks, leaving any of the smaller, bite sized mushrooms fully in tact. Add all oyster and shiitake mushroom pieces to the pot, as well as the thyme and rosemary sprigs, and a touch of olive oil (if needed) and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened. Add the enoki mushrooms for the last few minutes of cooking. Then, add water and mushroom bouillon base and stir. Continue to cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the heavy whipping cream, stir, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes. Remove thyme and rosemary sprigs and serve.

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Vegan Corn Chowder- Soup Week!

Tis the season for sweet corn! Well, at least it is in northern Ohio! The sweetness of sweet corn and red bell pepper really complements the touch of smokey, spiciness in this chowder that comes from sriracha and liquid smoke. If you are planning on making this chowder, please use fresh ears of corn. Frozen or canned corn just won’t cut it, and the corn cobs are what makes the flavor of this broth. This also makes for an amazing chilled soup. Makes about 4-6 servings.

What you will need:
food processor and large pot
6 ears of corn on the cob
3/4 red pepper
1/2 onion
3 c vegetable stock
1/2 c almond milk
1 1/2 tbsp earth balance
a couple drops of liquid smoke
sriracha to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roast all 6 ears of corn for 30 minutes. While they’re roasting, chop the red bell pepper and onion. Once the corn is done, carefully remove the kernels from 5 of the ears of corn with a knife and set aside in a bowl (I’ll tell you what to do with that 6th ear in a minute). Add the corn cobs to the pot, along with chopped peppers, onions and vegetable broth and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, take the kernels from the 5 ears of corn and add to the food processor along with almond milk. Pulse and blend until creamy and smooth, about a minute or more.

Once the broth and veggies have cooked for 20 minutes, use tongs to remove the corn cobs and discard them. Remove the corn from the remaining corn cob and add it to the pot along with the corn and almond milk mix from the food processor. Add just a couple of drops of liquid smoke and sriracha to taste, just for a little kick. Stir and continue to cook on medium low heat for another 5 minutes. Pour into bowls and serve with bread or a tasty cheddar jalapeno scone, like I did.

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Creamy Asparagus Bisque- Soup Week!

This week at The Veggie Slaughterhouse is soup week! You’ll be feasting your eyes (and maybe eventually your stomachs) on different chowders, bisque’s, savory soups and more- all week long. Today’s recipe is for hearty asparagus bisque. Goat cheese, butter and heavy whipping cream really give this soup a rich, savory taste and a smooth, creamy texture. Makes about 2 servings.

What you will need:
food processor and sauce pan or pot
1 lb asparagus
1 c vegetable broth
3 tbsp butter
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
2 garlic cloves
2 oz goat cheese

In a sauce pan on low heat, combine vegetable broth and butter. Meanwhile, remove the hard, whitish ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set aside. Cut or break the remaining pieces in half and combine in the food processor with heavy whipping cream and garlic cloves. Blend until creamy and very smooth, about a minute. You will need to add some of the vegetable broth from the saucepan to help make it smooth. Combine the ingredients from the food processor in the saucepan, as well as the asparagus tips, and stir in the goat cheese. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the asparagus tips are soft. Pour into bowls and serve with whole grain bread.

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Toast- Farm to Table Fine Dining in Cleveland, Ohio

Tucked away on one of the side streets of the Gordon Square Arts District in Cleveland, Ohio, stands a 100 year old building, that up until April of this year, has been vacant for decades. It is now home to Toast- a small plate, fine dining restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio. Yesterday was my second time being there, and I have to say, from a vegetarians point of view, they do not disappoint (they didn’t disappoint my meat eating boyfriend, either). Their farm to table philosophy means an ever changing menu with all of the freshest, local ingredients.

The atmosphere is laid back and very friendly, and the service is on point. The bartenders are very knowledgeable on their wine and spirits, and will gladly help you pair wine with your meal.

We started our meal with cheesy pimento poppers in a cilantro, cucumber sauce (not pictured), and moved on to the corn n’ carrot stuffed pepper (pictured in the middle), stuffed with local barley, braised carrots, spiced apple and delightfully crispy cornbread. I nearly jumped for joy when I noticed the kale salad on the menu. Not only that, it was covered in creamy kimchee and paired with fried peanuts and pickled fennel. A lot of flavor packed into a simple salad. The meat eater sitting next to me decided on a vegetarian dish (meaning I could snag a bite- yes!) of sweet corn gnocchi with braised greens, oyster mushrooms and garlic.

While we were waiting for the food to come out, we decided to get a glass of wine to go with our meal. We chose, but the bartender suggested that we go for something with a little more depth in flavor to go with our meal. He poured two glasses of AnneAmie Pino Grigio, and I have to say, it was a great choice.

If your looking for a great place to eat with great atmosphere and unbelievably tasty, local food, Toast is the place to go.