Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oi
• 1 package gnocchi, (16 ounces)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chopped kale, large rid removed and leaves finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• pinch Italian seasonings
• pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil for the gnocchi.
2. Prepare the kale.
3. Chop the onion and mice the garlic.
4. Heat the oil a large skillet.
5. Add the chopped onion and saute until glassy.
6. Add the minced garlic and lightly saute.
7. Add the prepared kale and cook until wilted.
8. Add the drained beans, canned tomatoes, Italian seasonings, cayenne and salt and pepper as desired.
9. Cook the gnocchi in the salted water – it only takes a few minutes until they are floating.
10. When the gnocchi are cooked (floating) drain off the water.
11. Serve the gnocchi with the kale and bean mixture, or mix the two altogether.

Notes:

As a short cut, one could also use beans in tomato sauce and of course, not drain them.
The recipe was adapted from
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/skillet_gnocchi_with_chard_white_beans.html

It was quick and easy to make and very satisfying. The flavors were lovely. We did not have the pickled lemon, just used fresh. We’re looking forward to the spring when we  can have fresh favas from the garden and will be enjoying this recipe more often.

Barley is one of our favorite grains, and we tend to forget to use it.  The recipe quite easy to make, we only changed the mushrooms to fresh shiitake, as oyster mushrooms were not available and the shiitake were. Otherwise we followed the simple instructions and really enjoyed the meal. We had a nice crop of fava beans (broad bean) this year and froze quite a few servings, so this will be one recipe we will have more often, especially in the fall and over the winter. Do give this recipe a try, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fava beans, out of the pods
• 1 lb. potatoes (ones that remain solid when cooked)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 package (3/4 pound) smoked tofu wieners
• 1 tablespoon soy margarine
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
• dash nutmeg
• splash of Tabasco (optional)
• few chopped chives as garnish

Directions:

1. Clean the potatoes and cook in boiling, lightly salted water.
2. When cooked, cut into bite sized pieces.
3. Blanch the fava beans and pop them out of the skins. Set them in a bowl to await use.
4. Slice the tofu wieners in small diagonal rounds.
5. Warm a large frying pan, and melt the soy margarine.
6. Saute the chopped onion, then add the sliced tofu wiener pieces.
7. Add the fava beans and cut potatoes and continue to saute on a low heat.
8. In a bowl, mix the soy yogurt, the vegetable bouillon powder, a dash of nutmeg and optionally some Tabasco as well. This will be a fairly thick mixture, if you wish it to be thinner add a bit of soy milk or water.
9. Pour the yogurt mixture over the fava beans, potatoes and sliced tofu wieners.
10. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Serve warm garnished with a few chopped chives.

The recipe is from the new cookbook “Salad as a Meal – Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season” by Patricia Wells (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2011). Of course, we adapted the salad dressing to be vegan by using soy yogurt instead of cream. It was a delicious salad that we really enjoyed. It looks like this is just the end of the fresh asparagus season, perhaps you still can get some nice fresh asparagus, if so do give this salad a try.

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup prepared fava beans
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons soy milk to thin the vegan cream cheese
• dash Tabasco
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Prepare fava beans by blanching them and then removing the skins.
2. Place the vegan cream cheese in a medium bowl.
3. Add the soy milk and mix with a fork to make a thinner consistency.
4. Add the vegetable bouillon powder chives and basil.
5. Season to taste with a dash of Tabasco and salt and pepper.
6. Spread the vegan cream cheese mixture over the flour tortillas.
7. Sprinkle the fava beans on top and roll the tortilla up.
8. We enjoyed them cold for lunch, you could also warm them up in the oven if you prefer them warm.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and most green parts, sliced in rings
• 6 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 cup soy yogurt
• 2 teaspoons powered vegetable bouillon
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 lemon. juiced
• 6 ounces fresh fava beans, shelled
• 12 fresh asparagus, cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces
• 12 ounces bow tie pasta
• 6 ounces smoked tofu pieces

Directions:

1. Blanch the fava beans and remove the outer skins.
2. Clean and slice the asparagus.
3. Slice the leek in thin rings.
4. Chop the mint.
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
6. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan.
7. Add the sliced leek and saute.
8. Add the so yogurt, wine and vegetable bouillon to make the sauce.
9. Steam the asparagus pieces until they are al dente.
10. Cook the bow tie pasta in the boiling water until al dente.
11. Add the chopped mint at the last minute to the sauce and mix well.
12. Season to taste with a bit of salt, freshly ground pepper and perhaps a dash of cayenne.
13. Add the smoked tofu pieces to the sauce and continue to warm.
14. Drain the pasta when it is cooked. Return the pasta to the pot.
15. Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well.
16. Add the fava beans and asparagus.
17. Gently mix the pasta and place in a serving dish.
18. We garnished the meal with chopped chives and a few fresh mint leaves.

Notes:

You can use any vegan meat alternative like fake bacon or tofu hotdogs, instead of the smoked tofu.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces shelled fava beans (broad beans), blanched and skins removed
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
• 3 oranges, peeled and sectioned

for the dressing:

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Blanch the fava beans and remove their skins.
2. Place in a medium bowl.
3. Chop the walnuts and add to the fava beans.
4. Remove the peel from the oranges and cut the sections from the orange. Cut each section in half.
5. Add the orange pieces to the beans and walnuts.
6. Make the salad dressing by combining the ingredients.
7. Add a bit to the salad and ix lightly, reserving the rest of the salad dressing to be served individually at the table.
8. We enjoyed this tasty salad on a bed of iceberg lettuce.

Notes:

If fava eans are not available, you could substitute lima beans or edamame.

This recipe made delicious burgers. We did a few adaptations in order to veganize the recipe. We used “No-Egg” egg replacement, and rather than rice crumbs we used bread crumbs. The rice crumbs would be good for those who have gluten intolerance, however they are not to be found here in Holland. So we used regular dried bread crumbs. We really enjoy fava beans (broad beans), and are aware of the amazing health benefits from favas. In fact, we are so fond of them we grow a lot of our own garden. Our favorite are the ones that have bright green beans. This recipe was very easy to make and was particularly nice with a squeeze of lime or lemon. I hope you try them and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups macaroni (we used corn macaroni)
• 2 cups fava beans, peeled and blanched
• 6 nice green asparagus spears

for the pesto:

• 2 large handfuls arugula, cleaned and spun dry
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3-5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or pine nuts)
• pinch salt
• splash lemon juice
• pinch Cajun seasonings (optional)

Directions:

make the pesto first:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Place in a bowl until later.

and then:

1. Prepare the asparagus by cutting the tough woody end off, then slicing on the diagonal about 1 inch pieces.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.
3. Cook the asparagus until al dente.
4. Remove from the pot of water and place in a bowl.
5. Put the peeled fava beans in the same boiling salted water and cook until al dente (when they begin to float – about 3 minutes or so).
6. Remove from the water and place in a bowl.
7. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the macaroni.
8. When the macaroni is cooked, drain off the water.
9. Add most of the pesto and mix well.
10. Gently add in the asparagus and fava beans.
11. Serve the macaroni with dollops of pesto.

Notes:

Any macaroni is fine. We were happy to find this unusual biological corn macaroni at a health food store.