Everyday Vegan
Cooking and Nutrition

It is getting warmer outside, and as summer is approaching it is the perfect time to make some wraps. And these Vegan Buckwheat Asparagus Wraps fit the bill. They are easy to make, light yet filling, and absolutely scrumptious thanks to the tender in-season asparagus and the chewy buckwheat. OMG! You are going to love these.

If you have never cooked with buckwheat before, you are in for a treat. Contrary to what you may think, buckwheat is not actually wheat. And for those who are sensitive to gluten, buckwheat is gluten-free (but please note this recipe is not gluten-free).

Buckwheat is high in fiber, and has a delicate flavor. You may have encountered toasted buckwheat, better known as kasha, which has a nutty flavor. However, for this recipe, I recommend buckwheat so you do not overwhelm the flavor of the asparagus.

And, sigh, my favorite vegetable, asparagus. It is in-season right now, and at its juiciest and most inexpensive too. Splurge for the organic, since the flavor is just so much better than conventional -- plus, it's just a one-season-a-year splurge and SO worth it. Yummy.

To Make Buckwheat:

Give the buckwheat a quick rinse. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 cup buckwheat. Stir. Cover, lower heat, and cook until al dente (tender, but with a bite), about 7-10 minutes. Turn off heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. You should end up with a filling that is slightly sticky and will hold its shape well once rolled into the tortilla.

Vegan Buckwheat Asparagus Wraps
Serves 2

1 cup raw untoasted buckwheat, rinsed and cooked (see instructions above)
8 asparagus spears, cleaned, tough ends snapped off, gently steamed until juuuust tender
2 Tablespoons vegan mayo (I like Vegenaise)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes (or onion powder, to taste)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tortillas

Step 1: Make buckwheat. Flavor as desired (I kept it simple with a little Braggs, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper). Keep warm until ready to use.

Step 2: Steam asparagus. While asparagus cooks, whisk remaining 5 ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 3: Lay tortlla on a large plate. Spread 1/2 the mayo mixture (or to taste) over the tortilla. Spoon 1/2 the cooked buckwheat down the center. Top with 4 steamed asparagus spears. Roll tightly. Repeat with the other tortilla.

Serve with a crisp green salad tossed with Sassy's Seedalicious Topping. By the way, follow this link to see one of the first VIDEOS that I have created for VeganCoach.com.

Vegan Buckwheat Asparagus Wraps

Happy cooking!

xoxo

May 24, 2009 14:21 - Vegan Asparagus Hollandaise Wraps

Well, it has been a while since I blogged about some of the yummy vegan vittles I've been creating in my kitchen lately. I've been soooo busy working behind the scenes on my new weight-loss course Get Down With Sass!. If you are looking to lose a few pounds (or more!), then you're going to love this course. Stay tuned!

Today's recipe, Vegan Asparagus Hollandaise Wraps is incredibly delicious. Likely one of my favorite dishes of late because it uses asparagus, which is in season. Asparagus season doesn't last very long -- blink and you'll miss it. So be sure to take advantage of organic asparagus because not only does it taste at its freshest and most tender now, but you will find it fairly inexpensive too.

Here are the major ingredients you will need to pull this recipe together:

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, or rice medley (mine contains equal parts brown rice and wild rice with some lentils and barley thrown in for good measure)
Vegan Hollandaise Sauce (below)
6-8 asparagus spears, cleaned, fiberous ends snapped off, and steamed for 10 minutes or until tender
Ripe Tomato, chopped with seeds removed
2 tortillas

Step 1: Add 1 1/2 cups cooked rice to a large frying pan with the following ingredients:

1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Squirt of Bragg Liquid Aminos
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Add some water to the mixture, cover, and heat on a low flame until warm. At this point I'll turn the heat to verrrry low and place the 2 tortillas in the pan right on top of the rice, then cover. This will warm the tortillas nicely.

Step 2: In the meantime, make the Hollandaise sauce. This recipe is from the fantastic book Garden of Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos (or Tamari)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In a small saucepan, whisk the nutritional yeast, flour, and salt together. Add the water, oil and Braggs, and stir over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in mustard and simmer on low heat until you are ready to serve.

Step 3: Keep rice and hollandaise sauce warm while steaming the asparagus. I usually leave the steaming of veggies for the last step to avoid overcooking. When the asparagus is ready to go, you want everything else ready to go too. Since asparagus comes in all different thicknesses, be sure to keep an eye on yours so it keeps a crisp bite to it and doesn't get soft and soggy.

In the meantime, chop your tomato.

Step 4: Assemble your wraps. Lay tortilla out on a plate, fill with 1/2 the rice mixture on half of the tortilla, lay 1/2 the asparagus spears on top, fold tortilla in half, cover with desired amount of Hollandaise sauce, and sprinkle with chopped tomato. Repeat for 2nd wrap.

Vegan Asparagus Hollandaise Wrap

Happy cooking!

xoxo

Today's yummy spotlight was on Asparagus. By using the information found within the pages of the Vegan Coach website, you too can create quick and easy vegan meals without recipes! Ideas for flavorings in this meal were inspired by the Asparagus "Vegan Flavor Matches" -- they make cooking a breeze.

April 16, 2009 15:13 - Vegan Rice and Beans Rollups

Vegan Rice and Beans Rollups - When you have some brown rice and beans on hand, these funky rollups are just the thing to make. A tasty mix of brown rice and kidney beans are flavored to perfection, rolled up in Swiss chard leaves, and topped with a creamy brown rice sauce and dolloped with salsa. They are positively addicting.

The tangy Southwestern flavors will continue to call to you after you've cleaned your plate, but since they're filling and satisfying, you will find that it's nearly impossible to binge (whew!). :O)

So let's get started...

Here are the major ingredients you will need:

Cooked brown rice or rice combo (I used a mixture of brown rice, wild rice, lentils and barley)
Cooked kidney beans
8 large Swiss chard leaves, stems cut off
Tangy Rice Sauce (recipe below)
Salsa (I like Pace Organic)

Now, you can certainly use another whole grain besides brown rice, such as quinoa, millet, or buckwheat.

And you can use any other type of bean that you have on hand too. But the flavors for the Tangy Rice Sauce were chosen from the Kidney Bean Vegan Flavor Matches so the flavors would all meld together. So if, for instance, you want to use black beans, then I recommend you use the recipe below as a sort of jumping off point, using the flavors you like best from the Black Bean Vegan Flavor Matches instead (follow the link above).

The first thing you will do is create your Tangy Rice Sauce.

Vegan Tangy Rice Sauce
Makes aprroximately 2 cups

1 cup brown rice/brown rice combination (if you have decided to use a different whole grain for your filling, use a cup of that grain instead)
1/2 cup cashews, roasted (you can also use raw but may need to tweak the flavors of the completed sauce a bit)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon chili powder blend
1 cup water, add slowly until desired consistency is reached

Place ingredients in a blender, adding water slowly, and blend until completely smooth and pourable. Set aside.

Now, let's make our Rice and Beans Rollups...

Step 1: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make your filling with 2 1/2 cups brown rice and 2 cups kidney beans, flavoring it with ingredients you love, or follow my list of ingredients (below). Divide the mixture up into 8 equal parts right there in the pan.

Step 2: Place a little salsa in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. On a large plate, lay out one Swiss chard leaf. Place 1-2 Tablespoons of rice/bean mixture onto the middle of the leaf. Roll up, starting at the large end of the leaf. This can be a little messy, and you may have to tuck the sides in as you roll. Perfectionism here will drive you crazy, so just go with the flow and have fun with it. Place roll seam-side down in the dish. Repeat until all roll ups are complete.

Step 3: If your Tangy Rice Sauce has firmed up a bit at this point, add just a touch more water and blend until pourable. Pour over rollups to completely cover. Dollop with salsa.

Step 4: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated throughout. Carefully transfer rollups to a plate -- 2 rollups per person.

Please note: When you place your rollups in the oven, they will look very pretty and colorful. By the time the cooking is complete -- wellllll, not so much. But don't judge a book by its cover. This dish is delectable perfection, even though it's a bit homely looking.

Vegan Rice and Beans Rollups

Happy cooking!

xoxo

p.s.. If you would like a little assistance with flavoring your filling, here is what I used:

Rice and Beans (Filling)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice/brown rice combination
2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Bragg Liquid Aminos, to taste
Nutritional yeast, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Step 1: Heat olive oil and a touch of water in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until transluscent. Add remaining ingredients.

Step 2: Remove a small amount of this rice/bean mixture and mix with a small amount of your Tangy Rice Sauce and a bit of salsa. Do the flavors match to your liking? You may need to tweak the flavors a bit to balance sweet, sour, salty, bitter/pungent, and spicy.