Vegetable Bake with Crispy Topping

You may recall that I made it through MoFo2012…...that’s Vegan Month of Food, for those of you ‘not-in-the-know.’ I powdered through 30 days of complete vegan foods and only cheated a few times…mostly because of my love affair with feta cheese. There is not a Greek salad on earth that stands a chance with me in the room.

I also am happy to say that I followed the MoFo (that’s ‘Month of Food’) rule to post 20 times during the month. Let me tell you, it was difficult! I work two part-time jobs, still have a kid at home, have a husband who works a demanding job and also travels….meaning, I have a LIFE! But I did it! You can read all about my vegan journey by clicking over on the October 2012 link in the right hand margin. The recipes there are excellent, plus I share what it was like to ‘go vegan’ from a carnivore’s point of view.

Have I become a vegan? Well, probably not. But I have become super aware of the food on my plate. I just wondered what it would feel like to get the beef off of my buns, so to speak. Plus, my cholesterol is sky high……I am at the point of doing whatever it takes (besides meds… I refuse at this point…. I am probably labeled “uncooperative” in the file at my doctor…. Sigh…. )

Let me stop rambling about cholesterol and share a very interesting recipe I found during my MoFo (that’s ‘Month of Food’) experience. See here for the original recipe.

Here’s what you need:

4 C cooked vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, frozen peas)

1 C soy milk

6 T Nutritional yeast (found in health food stores. Gives food a cheesy flavor)

1 T Earth Balance non-dairy butter

1 ½ T cornstarch

2 t Dijon mustard

¼ t garlic powder

½ t salt

½ C mashed chick peas

½ C oats

1 t dried herbs (like basil, oregano)

2 T Nutritional yeast

2 T crushed walnuts

Here’s what you do:

Steam the veggies till tender. Set aside. To make the sauce: melt the butter. Whisk in the milk, 6 T nutritional yeast, cornstarch, Dijon, garlic powder and salt. Stir till thick and pour over veg.

To make the crumbly topping: Mix the chick peas, oats, herbs, 2 T nutritional yeast and nuts. Sprinkle over vegetables. Bake at 350 until brown, maybe 20-30 minutes. Broil for just a minute if you want a crispier top.

(printable recipe)