Our Veggie Kitchen

Oat Burgers with Hazelnuts

2012-11-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

We discovered these at my a family reunion last year. My wife's cousin (Jeff) brought these amazing oat burgers that may have been more popular than the regular burgers. Since discovering them I've literally made hundreds of them. For a while, I'd fill the freezer with a double batch every couple of weeks. I've made some alterations to the original recipe (which was gluten free) and the result is a great tasting burger with a wonderful texture and surprising bites of hazelnut. This is by far, my girls' favorite burger.

Oat Burgers with Hazelnuts (aka Jeff Burgers)

3/4 cups hazelnuts (or chopped walnuts)
3 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp Marmite (or beef flavored bouillon)
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1-2 Tbs vegetable oil for baking

Toast the Hazelnuts. Put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until the hazelnut skins begin to split. Take them out of the oven and allow to cool slightly. Wrap them in a hand towel and rub them together so the skins come off. Pick the nuts out and throw away the skins. Pulse in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, you can put them back in the towel and whack them a few times with a mallet or the side of a hammer.

Combine the water, onion, garlic, soy sauce, Marmite, nutritional yeast, spices, liquid smoke and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal, hazelnuts and flax seed. Set a site and allow to cool to room temperature, about half an hour. Stir vigorously to break up the oatmeal a bit. Stir in the vital wheat gluten.

Now you are going to have a thick, sticky pan of stuff, a little thicker than oatmeal cookie dough. From here spray oil will be your friend. Spray it on your hands (or whatever you use to shape the patties) on your spatula, on the chop block and anything the dough may come in contact with.

Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Divide into 12 balls (about 1/3 cup per ball). Form each ball into a patty. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 2 tbs vegetable oil. Swirl around to coat and add the patties. Bake for 20 minutes. Take them out, brush the tops with oil (or spray with cooking oil) and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze.

12 Servings: 227 cal (9g fat, 27g carbs, 11g protein)

Roasted Butternut Squash Curry Soup

2012-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

I went into the kitchen today with a plan to roast some squash. I decided I'd roast the squash and aromatics and decide from there what flavors were talking to me. The blended squash had a sweet and roasty flavor and was screaming for mustard. I sizzled some mustard and ginger in oil and blended in the last batch. This is an easy soup to make and the sweet squash with subtle hints of ginger and curry powder are perfect for a rainy fall day.

Roasted Squash Curry Soup
Roasted Veggies:
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs), cubed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
Other:
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp amchur (dried green mango) or 1/2 small lemon, juiced
Tarka*:
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs brown mustard seed (yellow is fine too)
1 tbs ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp curry powder

Roasted Veggies:
Add the vegetables and squash to one or two 9x13 casseroles and drizzle with vegetable oil. Cook in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake until the the veggies begin to carmelize in places. Remove from the oven and add the can of chickpeas to the veggies. Blend in batches with enough water to keep the blender going. Pour into a soup pot.

Tarka*:
Heat 1 tbs of vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seed until it sizzles, then add the ginger. Fry just until the ginger becomes aromatic. Remove from heat and stir in the curry powder. Add to the blender with some of the pureed soup. Pour some water into the fry pan and swirl to get the last bits of spice. Pour into the blender. Blend thoroughly.

Add the salt and amchur or lemon juice to taste. Heat to a boil, remove from heat and serve.

8 Servings: 337 cal (9g fat, 67g carbs, 8g protein)

Note: a tarka is a cooking method used to flavor Indian dals. At the end of cooking, spices are fried in oil, then folded into the dal. This worked great for this recipe. You can adjust the flavors by adding bits of the last blended batch at a time until you get the flavor you want.

Thai Peanut Sauce (Peanut Free)

2012-04-17T22:30:00.001-07:00

My wife is allergic to peanuts, which sometimes puts a damper on my Thai cravings. So, when I set out to make tofu satay, I decided to make a tahini based 'peanut' sauce. This sauce turned out to be a winner for sure. It was an amazing dipping sauce for tofu. Then, I took the leftovers, added a little water and used the rest for salad dressing. Since then, I've made two more batches for salads and we just can't get enough.

Thai No-Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup tahini (preferrably roasted)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tbs golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
1 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup water (1/2 cups for salad dressing)
1 tbs agave syrup

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

10 servings: 87 cal (6g fat, 4g carbs, 3g protein)

Perfect Light Wheat Bread

2012-01-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

My kids are hooked on the soft-puffy grocery store white bread. They've even turned up their nose on home made sandwich bread . . . especially if it has whole wheat flour. I've been working for months to find a recipe that pulls them away from WonderBread. Finally, I found it. This bread is soft and sweet and full enough to hold up to a pat of Earth Balance. It's great for pull apart rolls or burger buns or bread loaves. The real test, though, is the grocery store bread going stale in the bread drawer.

I usually double this and make one loaf of bread and one batch of buns.

Note: I've been using King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour. It is much lighter typical whole wheat flour. If you've got kids who run from anything whole-grain, this flour is well worth the cost.

Light Wheat Bread
2 cups (9 oz) unbleached bread flour
1 cup (5 oz) whole wheat flour
1.5 tsp instant yeast (see note below)
4 tsp vital wheat gluten
1.25 tsp salt
1.5 tbs agave syrup
1.5 tbs non-hydrogenated shortening or coconut oil, melted
1.25 cups unsweetened soy milk (heated to room temperature)
1.5 tsp vinegar

Note: Instant yeast has a smaller grain than standard active dry yeast, and doesn't need to be dissolved. If you're using Active dry yeast, dissolve it in the soy milk and use 2 tsp.

Mix the soy milk with the vinegar and set aside for five minutes. Stir together the dry ingredients. Add the shortening, agave syrup and soy milk. Stir with a large spoon until the flour is absorbed and the dough forms a ball (with a stand mixer, a couple of minutes on low with the dough hook). If the dough is especially tacky, add a little flour.

Sprinkle a little flour on a counter top and knead for about 10 minutes (with a stand mixer, six minutes on medium with the dough hook). The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky and pass the windowpane test. I use a stand mixer, but I always finish kneading by hand. It's easier to get the dough to the right consistency.

Grease a large bowl, add the dough and cover with plastic wrap (or a plate). Set in a warm, dry place until it doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you're thermostat is set low, or if you have a drafty kitchen, you can put the dough in a cool oven with the light turned on.

Remove from the bowl and follow these links for instructions on shaping the dough: Sandwich Loaf, or Pull Apart Rolls. For hamburger buns, follow the pull apart method with a larger ball of dough, then press the dough so that it flattens. This recipe will make 1 loaf, 12 pull apart rolls or 8 burger buns. Place rolls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or loaves in a greased bread pan. Mist the with with spray oil. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and and set aside until the dough nearly doubles in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours).

For Loaves: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-45 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after about 20 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and the internal temperature should be 180 to 190 degrees. Take out of the oven, shake out of the pan, brush the top with soy milk and cool on a wire rack. Cool at least an hour before slicing.

For Rolls: Preheat in the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush the tops with soy milk and cool on a wire rack.

Sri Lankan Curry

2011-12-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

I've been reading about Sri Lankan cuisine lately. I tried a couple recipes and finally decided to take the plunge and make something myself. This curry is a fusion of different influences. I wanted to use marinaded, fried tofu. I would be using a lot of oil to fry the tofu, so I used soy yogurt instead of coconut milk to save calories. I added coconut water to get a little of the coconut flavor and some sweetness. Finally, I added cabbage to the stir fry. The sweetness of the cabbage and the yogurt's tartness nicely complemented a very pungent curry powder. Sri Lankan food is traditionally very hot. This is not.

Marinade:
1 lb tofu, drained & sliced (4 or 5 slices)
1 1/2 cup soy yogurt
3 tbs Sri Lankan Curry Powder
1/2 tsp salt

Stir Fry:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seed
1 onion, halved & sliced thin
1 lb large mushrooms, sliced thick
1/2 small cabbage (about 1 lb total), sliced
1-2 inches ginger, cut into thin batons
1/2 cup coconut water (or 1/4 cup apple juice & 1/4 cup water)

The day before, mix together the curry powder, soy yogurt & salt. Place the tofu slices in the marinade, making sure the top has a slurry of marinade. Leave in the refrigerator overnight, turning a couple of times.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add a little more if it doesn't cover the pan. Scrape the yogurt off of the tofu slices and fry in the oil, turning once until both sides are browned. Remove the tofu, cut the slices into cubes and set aside (preferably in a warm oven).

In the same oil, add the mustard seed. When they begin to sizzle, add the onion and saute until soft. Add the mushroom and continue sauteing until the mushrooms have given off most of their moisture. Add the ginger batons, stir fry for a couple minutes, then add the cabbage. Saute just until the cabbage wilts.

Stir in the yogurt marinade, coconut water and the tofu. Bring just to a boil and simmer until the tofu is heated. Serve over rice or with naan, chapatis, etc.

4 Servings: 319 cal (19g fat, 16g carbs, 14g protein)

Sri Lankan Curry Powder

2011-12-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is a mix of several Sri Lankan Curry Powders.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder
2 tbs whole coriander seed
1 1/2 tbs whole cumin seed
1 tbs whole fennel seed
1 tbs whole fenugreek seed
1 tbs peppercorns
4 dried red chilies
1 small stick cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
30-40 curry leaves (2 sprigs)
3 tbs uncooked rice

Spread the whole spices on a cookie sheet and heat in the oven set to 200 degrees for about an hour. Stir once or twice while cooking. Allow to cool, then blend the spices in batches in a coffee grinder.

Fresh Tomato Season pt 1: Roasted Tomato Soup

2011-09-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I found myself with 120 lbs of tomatoes (Thanks MoonTime Farms). Among sauces, soups and salsa, I made Roasted Tomato Soup. The recipe that follows is the bulk, all fresh tomato version of the Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe I posted last year.

Roasted Tomato Soup
20 lbs tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
6 red peppers, seeded & chopped
24 cloves garlic, 4 oz
3 lbs onions, chopped
1.5 cups basil leaves
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 tbs salt
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Tomatoes: Core each tomato and cut each in half. Place the tomatoes cut-side down on cookie sheets or glass casseroles. Bake in batches for about 20 minutes, until the skins begin to wrinkle. As the tomatoes come out of the oven, pour them(including skins) and liquid, in batches, into a blender. Blend each batch and push through a strainer into a 4-gallon stock pot.

Veggies: Combine the red peppers, onions and garlic into 2 glass casseroles or 2 large cookie sheet and toss with the olive oil. bake in the oven, tossing once, for about 20 minutes, until the onions begin to carmelize. Blend, in batches, adding a little of the vegetable broth and the basil. Push through a strainer into the stock pot. Add a little of the broth to the cookie sheet/glass casserole and scrape with a spatula to get the tasty bits cooked to the bottom.

To Cook: Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by almost half, or about 2 1/4 gallons (18 pints). I used two 2-gallon stock pots and cooked it down until nearly all the soup fit into one pot, with a few cups remaining. I think I simmered the soup for about 3-4 hours. Stir in the sugar and salt to taste.

To Store: Now you have 2+ gallons of soup. You can feed a hungry baseball team, refrigerate for lunches, freeze it, or some combination thereof. If you have a pressure canner, you can make it into 18 pints (1 batch in a 23 qt canner or 2 batches in 16 quart canner). I used the USDA guide for soups (published by Presto here), processing pints at 11 lbs pressure for 60 minutes.

18 Servings: 204 cal (5g fat, 39g carbs, 8g protein)

Chickpea Parsley Soup

2011-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

I started clearing out my winter garden beds this weekend. All I had left was a few broccoli florets, some greens and tons of broccoli. My goal yesterday, then, was to utilize six bunches of parsley in an afternoon's worth of cooking.

First, I made a double batch of my Gramma Louise's Spaghetti Sauce. This is my all time favorite sauce. Since my original post, I've made a couple changes. It was originally a meat sauce, so I used ground seitan. It really doesn't need it. You can get a meaty texture just by pulsing the sauce in batches in a blender. I make a double batch and divide it into three portions, about five cups each.

While the pasta sauce was simmering, I made a big batch of Greek Pesto. It's an intense pesto with lots of lemon & miso and parsley, oregano and basil. I've made quite a few pesto variations. Overall, I've only been marginally happy. With this pesto, I cut way back on the nuts and it made a big texture difference. I'll be using this recipe as a starting point in updating my other pesto recipes this summer.

Finally, I made Chickpea and Parsley soup. I knew the flavor was good, but I was afraid of a baby puke texture and color. By adding a carrot and by thoroughly blending all but one can of beans and half the parsley, I ended up with a terrific texture and a beautiful golden hued soup.

Chickpea Parsley Soup
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium carrots, finely grated
1 bunch parsley, divided
3 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained (about 5 cups cooked beans)
3 cups water
1/2 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbs miso
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until they soften. Turn heat to low and add the garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions begin to brown, around 10-15 minutes. Cooking the onion, red pepper flakes and garlic slow like this will release a mild, roasted flavor from the garlic and caramelize the onion.

Add 2 cans of chickpeas, carrots, and half the parsley. Cook until the parsley is wilted and the carrot shreds are soft. Add the water, lemon juice & zest, and miso. Blend thoroughly in batches, if necessary.

Finely chop the remaining parsley. When the soup is blended, add the chickpeas and parsley to the last batch and pulse to roughly chop the last can of chickpeas. Return the soup to the stove, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Alternately, you can add the last can of chickpeas and remaining parsley to the blended soup in the pan and roughly mash with a potato masher.

4 Servings: 422 cal (12g fat, 62g carbs, 19g protein)

Cashew Cream Sauce with Sun Dried Tomatoes

2011-04-10T21:36:00.001-07:00

I took my first outdoors, after 6pm picture of the year. It was a beautiful, warm spring-is-finally-here sort of day. Much of the day was spent in the green house repotting sage and echinacea and snapdragons and tomatoes and peppers and nasturtium and three tiny lavender that I'm not giving up on. And dinner was a perfect cap to the day. I had grilled asparagus and cantaloupe and bread and pasta.

This pasta sauce is striking. It's got canned and sun-dried tomatoes with plenty of thyme and miso and a squeeze of lemon juice. For some time, I've wanted to create a sauce that had the strong flavor of sun dried tomatoes without being overpowering. After a few test batches, I came up with this.

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
1 lb dried pasta
3 cups boiling water
1/3 cups raw cashews
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tbs miso
6.3 oz oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained (4 oz drained)
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
15 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

Bring a pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, combine all ingredients except the can of diced tomatoes in the blender. Add three cups boiling water and blend thoroughly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add the undrained can of diced tomatoes and pulse for a few pulses. Pour over the cooked, drained pasta and let set for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.

5 Servings: 536 cal (16g fat, 84g carbs, 16g protein)

A note about blenders and hot water: I have a KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender.
It's a monster: heavy duty, huge capacity and blends everything--and i love it. But I've also had a $20 Oester and a stop-gap $7 blender off brand blender. They all do the job. There are two keys with blenders and hot liquids. First, Take the center piece out of the lid and cover the lid with a paper towel. When you blend hot liquid, it builds up pressure and will explode. With the center piece out, there's no pressure. Second, don't overfill your blender. I try to keep the blender no more than 1/2 to 2/3 full. Smaller batches always blend better anyway.

Channa Saag (Chickpeas & Greens)

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

My sister was in town last weekend and I wanted to treat her to a nice Indian meal. Since she detests anything spicy hot, I went with Moong Dosas, roasted potatoes, mango chutney and Channa Saag. I love cumin and spinach together and the spices and textures blend perfectly together in this dish.

I make this quite often when I'm planning an Indian meal. It's pretty quick to make, it reheats well and it tastes really good. Except for a few grams of fat, it's also quite healthy.

Channa Saag
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin seed
3 tomatoes, grated
3 10 oz packages spinach, thawed, drained & chopped
15 oz chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 oz coconut milk (1/2 of a small can)
1 cup soy yogurt

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seed and cook until the seeds begin to pop. Stir in the onions and saute until they begin to caramelize. Add the peppers and garlic and saute until the garlic is aromatic. Add the remaining ingredients (salt to taste), and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer

6 servings: 246 cal (10g fat, 29g carbs, 10g protein)

Chickpea Alfredo

2011-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite "this-couldn't-possibly-have-beans-in-it" cream sauce. I made it this time with asparagus & carrots, but its amazing with cauliflower and really good with zucchini as well. At some point, I'm going to make this sauce with zucchini ribbons instead of pasta. That should be a treat. The sauce really complements veggies and tastes amazing.

Chickpea Alfredo
15 oz can chickpeas
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups BOILING water
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbs miso
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 small lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and blend. It's important that you use boiling water or the cashews won't cream up and the sauce will be gritty. Also, I use an extra large blender, so you may need to do this in a couple batches. And, finally, don't be afraid to add a little extra water. If you're combining it in a hot pan, you with pasta, the pasta will absorb some, and it will cook off a bit in the pan.

This makes a lot of sauce. Easily enough for a pound of pasta loaded with veggies, but it's great just poured over veggies. If you don't use a whole batch, I'll bet it freezes nicely.

5 Servings: 249 cal (13g fat, 27g carbs, 8g protein)

Three Bean Salad

2011-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl is about to start. I'm not hosting a party this year, so my focus is on food I can make ahead of time and whip out for dinner during half time. I made a three bean salad to add a healthy aspect to a mostly junk food day. It's easy to make, relatively healthy, and is great for a side or a light lunch.

Here's my menu:
Vegan Explosion Queso
Seven Layer Dip (beans, quinoa cooked in salsa, queso, letuce, tofutti sour cream, olives & tomatoes)
Tofutti CheeseSteak for dinner
Tots (with queso! I can't wait!)
Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
1 can (15 oz) green beans
1/2 purple onion, quartered & sliced thin
1 tbs fresh oregano, minced
1/2 small lemon, juiced

combine the vinegar and sugar. Microwave until the sugar fully dissolves and the vinegar is clear (a couple minutes, stirring once or twice). Stir in the olive oil and spices and set aside. Combine the three beans, the chopped onion, lemon juice and oregano in a large bowl. Pour in the vinegar & oil mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight), stirring several times. Refrigerate, if marinating longer than an hour. Take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

8 servings: 217 cal (8g fat, 32g protein, 6g protein)

Taco Burger

2011-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

On of my goals for this year is to stop buying Boca Burgers. So I've been tossing around some homemade burger ideas and made three this weekend. Two were really really good. One needs work. My youngest loved the All American Incrediburger from American Vegan Kitchen. And my middle girl loved my first attempt at a Taco Burger. It was good enough to warrant a second batch and, with a little tweaking and a can of olives, I'd arrived at success. I succumbed to family choice and left out a little corn, but I think it would be a welcome addition.

Taco Burgers
1/3 cup bulgur
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbs taco seasoning
1/2 tsp marmite (optional but good)
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6 oz tempeh
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1/2 can (15 oz) refried beans
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce (optional)
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1 cup vital wheat gluten
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2-3 tbs vegetable oil (for cooking)

Cook the tempeh in boiling water for 10 minutes, then let cool in the refrigerator until it is room temperature. Grate and set a side. Meanwhile, mix the bulgur, taco seasoning and marmite in boiling water. Set a side for twenty minutes, until cooled to room temperature (while preparing the other ingredients).

When cooled, add the bulgur, tempeh and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine then knead in the bowl with your fingers or a spatula for 3-4 minutes, until the gluten activates (the dough will get firmer and a bit elastic).

Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat 400 degrees. Divide the dough into 10 balls. Form each ball into a patty. The dough will be a little elastic, but should hold its shape without too much trouble. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 2-3 tbs vegetable oil. Swirl around to coat and add the patties. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning after 10-15, until the patties are browned on both sides. Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze.

10 Servings: 149 cal (5g fat, 12g carbs, 15g protein)

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On a side note, I made a couple of recipes from American Vegan Kitchen this weekend. I made the All American Incrediburger and it truly was. She includes a method for baked and steamed and, I must say, the steamed are something special, one of the few homemade burgers my youngest will eat. I Added double batch of beer battered onion rings (and zucchini chips) and was in comfort food heaven. . . Oh Damn, I forgot to make Fried Avodado Wedges.

Taco Seasoning

2011-01-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been making my own taco seasoning ever since I discovered that my favorite blend used whey. Since I use it in several posted recipes (Beans & Bulgur, Confetti Pasta Salad, Taco Burger ... tomorrow's post), I thought I should just post it. This is a mild, not spicy blend, so feel free to add more cayenne if you'd like.

Taco Seasoning
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Combine all the spices. For the oregano, I pour the leaves into my palm and grind them into a powder with my thumb. Add the spices to a fry pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes, until fragrant. Allow to cool and store.

Makes about 5 tbs.

Instant Mac and Cheese

2011-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been over a month. Life has been a crazy zoo lately and mine has included the typical holiday craziness, year end work craziness (i'm an accounting geek) and two weeks of sick craziness (including a quarantine request from the health department, shortly after the doctor stabbed my brain *see below*). In all this crazy craziness, this blog has taken a back burner.

I though I'd get back into the swing of things with a little bit of a re-post. Last year, I came up with a super delicious Mac & Cheese powder, that is still super delicious. But I've tweaked the preparation so that it's rich & creamy, not at all gritty and microwaves in ten minutes. I've been making a double batch and storing the powder in the pantry.

Mac & Cheese Powder
1/2 cup cashews, roughly ground in a spice grinder
1/4 cup oats
2 tbs soy milk powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tbs lemon pepper (add more salt if its salt free)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric

Combine all ingredients and, in batches grind in a spice grinder. After each batch, pour into a sifter and sift/shake into a container. It's important that the powder be fine. Store in an air tight container. And, remember that it takes just as long to make one batch as it does to make two ... or three. Also, cook up a single serving and test for salt, as different lemon pepper brands have different salt levels. Once you've made a batch, it's easy to repeat and makes for a quick meal.

Single Serving - Microwave
1/2 cup dry macaroni or small shells
1 1/2 cup water (see note)
1/4 cup mac & cheese powder
1/2 tbs Earth Balance or vegetable oil (optional, but makes it creamier)

In a 3 cup bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together. Microwave on high until the mixture comes to a boil (2 minutes in my microwave). Stir again and microwave on medium-low (4 on my microwave), so that it simmers, but doesn't boil over. Remove, stir and let rest for a couple minutes (so your tongue doesn't blister). It may take a little testing to adjust the time & power setting to your microwave, but after that, it'll cook unmonitored.

Note: Originally, the water amount was mistakenly written as 1/2 cup.

Four Servings - Stove Top
2 cups dry macaroni or small shells
4 cups water
1 cup mac & cheese powder
2 tbs Earth Balance or vegetable oil (optional, but makes it creamier)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked. Remove from heat, adding a little water, if necessary, and stir. Serve with vegan dogs, tater tots, or other decadent childhood treats.

Each Serving: 349 cal (12g fat, 49g carbs, 13g protein)

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***Whooping cough is a highly contagious infection characterized by a long, dry coughing fits. The kind where, days after you've pulled a stomach muscle, you're ready drown in a puddle of your own tears. The kind where you're willing to run naked through a field of roses just on the off chance that a thorn brushes that throat tickle that won't relent. And, strangely, you feel pretty good about half the time so you go stir-crazy cooped up at home because the health department nurse called and asked very nicely that you stay home from work for another week ... and called again just to make sure you didn't you didn't ignore your request (maybe she knows my doctor). And they give you drugs to kill the infection and drugs to help you sleep ... and to test for it, they take a cotton swab, attach it to a six inch toilet snake ... suggest that "you might feel some pressure ... have the nurse "brace" the back of your head ... and cram the whole thing into your nostril, through your sinus canal and lodge it into your brain ... then they twist, just until your eye bulges (like that guy from the Maltese Falcon) and you're ready to confess to being the other guy on the grassy knoll ... Whooping cough is unpleasant.

Mixed Mushroom Stuffing

2010-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I usually make a couple different stuffings for Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception. I made Italian Sausage Stuffing and a mushroom stuffing. This time of year, in Oregon, you can get chantrelles for under $10 per pound and I used half a pound (torn apart instead of chopped) and added some shiitake and oyster mushrooms for a good variety. I added loads of basil & parsley and some rosemary and some water chestnuts for a little crunch. This mushroom stuffing was seriously good, the best one I've made for sure.

I know Thanksgiving is over, but Christmas is right around the corner and, really, when is a bad time for good stuffing?

Mixed Mushroom Stuffing
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (chantrelles, shiitake, morrel, etc)
1 lb button mushrooms, divided
1 carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
1/2 tbs fresh rosemary, minced (maybe 1/2 tsp minced)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
12 oz stuffing cubes

For the mushrooms, chop or slice the wild mushrooms and slice half the button mushrooms. Finely chop the remaining button mushrooms. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery until the onions have softened. Stir in the garlic and carrot and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms, in batches (unless you have a very large saute pan) until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the sherry and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until the mushrooms have fully released their moisture, about 20 minutes. A few minutes before they're ready, stir in the basil, parsley and rosemary. Season with salt & pepper, if necessary.

When the mushrooms are done, toss the stuffing cubes with 1 cup of vegetable broth until the moisture is absorbed. Mix the stuffing cubes in with the mushrooms. Pour into a 9x13 casserole, pressing stuffing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.

8 Servings: 262 cal (4g fat, 47g carbs, 10g protein)

And the Winner is . . .

2010-11-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of VeganMofo, and the American Vegan Kitchen give-away. Over a hundred people left comments on the blog while more than twenty left comments on Facebook. I was truly amazed at how many people were interested. I'll make sure that I do more give-aways in the future.

But for now, the winner, with the 53rd comment on the blog is . . . LazySmurf. So send me your contact information, and I'll get the book mailed right out. Thank you LazySmurf and everyone who participated, and thank you Tamasin for providing a such a wonderful cookbook. For those of you that didn't win, the American Vegan Kitchen is a great cookbook. Its inexpensive, and available on-line. Mine's already littered with bookmarks.

Holiday Feast

2010-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

We had our Thanksgiving feast yesterday, so we could celebrate with one of our good friends. And calling it a feast may have been an understatement. I had a batch of Italian Sausage seitan in the freezer, so I made Sausage Stuffing and another, Wild Mushroom Stuffing. We had a double batch of Zucchini Fritters that were perfect with fresh Pull Apart Rolls and Cranberry Sauce. We snacked on Artichoke & Spinach Dip and Baco-Bacon Dip and filled our plates with green bean casserole and mashed potatoes with two kinds of gravy.

It was a great mix of old favorites and new recipes. I've made mushroom stuffing before, but the one I made yesterday was my favorite by far. And I made a holiday gravy with a hint of cranberry to go with the fritters that will also get a post in the next few days. But everyone's favorite was the pull apart rolls. They were fluffy and sweet and prefect with a zucchini fritter.

Vegan Stuffing Cubes

2010-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

I did a little (very little, actually) poking around, and I wasn't able to find any stuffing cubes I knew to be vegan. It seems bakeries toss together their day old bread, so your favorite baguette is probably still mixed with some milk-enriched wheat or, at least a little egg wash. And the commercial varieties I looked at seemed to have possibly vegan/possibly not dough conditioners. Why do you need a conditioner to make stale bread? The good news is, stuffing cubes are easy to make and you can use your favorite vegan bread, whatever that may be.

On a side note, I'll be doing the drawing for a copy of American Vegan Kitchen this weekend, so If you haven't signed up, just leave a comment on this post. There's over 90 comments so far and, I'm betting we can get to a hundred!

Vegan Stuffing Cubes

Cut a one pound loaf of bread and cut into slices (if necessary), then stack the slices and cut each stack lengthwise and widthwise. TaaDaa, Cubes! Now, to dry them out, just arrange the cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake them at 300 degrees 30-40 minutes, tossing every ten minutes, or so. I bake at 300 degrees because I want to dry the cubes out without toasting them, but a hotter oven will do it faster, just be more attentive.

I did a little before and after weighing, and the bread I used (homemade, but stupid-easy no knead bread) lost about 1/3 of its weight from baking. So, a pound of bread makes about 10 oz of croutons. Now, go forth and make tons of yummy vegan stuffing.

Chick'n Burgers

2010-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter just recently went vegan from being vegetarian. And since then we've been shooting through Boca burgers. So I set my sights on something similar to the Chicken Boca, something breaded and chicken-y and something that could be easily pulled out of the fridge, microwaved and eaten for lunch.

After some trial and error, I arrived at this recipe. I tried some with & without breading, some baked and some fried. This recipe isn't the closest to Boca, but it's definitely the best. It's got a great texture out of the freezer (even better than fresh) and, even microwaved, it's got a thin, crispy layer. The problem is, we're still shooting through Boca burgers because I can't keep these in the freezer. . . I think she's sneaking them out for her friends.

Chick'n Burgers
15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup bulgur
1 1/4 cup chicken flavored broth, boiling
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 tbs vegetable oil, for cooking
Spices:
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small bay leaf, crumbled
1/4 ~~cup~~ tsp black pepper

In a bowl, combine the bulgur and boiling broth. Set aside for 20-30 minutes, until the bulgur has softened and cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, pour the drained chickpeas into a bowl (a pie pan works great) and smash with a fork into a coarse meal. Combine the spices and nutritional yeast in a spice grinder and grind. Add to the chickpeas along with the cooled bulgur & broth, the grated onion, minced garlic and 1 tbs vegetable oil. Stir to combine, then add the vital wheat gluten and mix to combine.

Put a cookie sheet into the oven and preheat 400 degrees. Knead the dough for a few minutes (maybe 5), and divide into 8 balls. Form each ball into a patty. The dough will be a little elastic, but should hold its shape without too much trouble. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add 3 tbs vegetable oil. Swirl around to coat and add the patties. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15, until the patties are browned. Serve hot, or refrigerate/freeze.

8 Servings 213 Cal (8g fat, 23g carbs, 15g protein)

Featured Blog: Cranberry Orange Bread

2010-11-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

I've started featuring some of my favorite blogs each month. And as a part of that, I'll help promote new bloggers, something I found valuable when I first started. This month, I'm featuring Alexandra Caspero of Delicious Knowledge. She's a dietitian and posts a mix of nutrition & exercise and a variety of recipes.

Also, If you've got a new (at least 3 months old) blog, send me a message. If I feature your blog, it'll be on my featured list for a month, on my blog roll for another month, and I'll post and review one of your recipes.

Cranberry Orange Bread

I was set to cook something else from her blog, until she posted this Cranberry Orange Bread. I made it today and I'm glad I changed my mind. This recipe is a keeper. It's quite different from most sweet breads. It is more savory, not as sweet and the mix of cranberries and oranges (always a winner) were perfect complements.

The dough has a consistency more like cookie dough than, say, banana bread, but it baked up fine. I used half white & half whole wheat. Next time I think I'll stick with white. Also, I used pistachios instead of walnuts because I hate walnuts.

Thousand Island Dressing

2010-11-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law makes thousand island dressing with vegenaise & catsup that's pretty tasty but it's way over the top calories wise. I like my salad dressings to be in the 5-6 grams of fat per serving, and this is no where close. I found that I could get the creamy texture with strained soy yogurt and a little olive oil. The result is probably not the same as Thousand Island (I really don't remember for sure), but the flavor is good, its good on salad (and tots!!) and it's really low-cal.

Thousand Island Dressing
1 cup soy ~~milk~~ yogurt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs Ketchup
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs minced shallots
1 Tbs Minced Pickle

Layer a piece of cheesecloth in a strainer and let the soy yogurt drain for 20-30 minutes. Sometimes I get impatient and wrap the yogurt in cheesecloth and gently squeeze. This works but is a little messy. Combine the strained yogurt and other ingredients in the blender and blend thoroughly. If you'd like it a little chunky, withhold the pickles and shallots, blend everything else, then add the pickles and shallots and pulse to desired consistency. Leave the dressing in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

28 cal (2g fat, 3g carbs, 1g protein)

No Tuna Sandwich

2010-11-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

We spent the last couple days in the hospital while my youngest had her appendix removed (a kid should never be sick like that). She's back now and recuperating and playing with her sister. So I won't have a picture today. The sandwich I made today is surely worthy of a quick post.

I'm always looking out for another sandwich, so when I found No Tuna Salad in the American Vegan Kitchen, I new I had something to try. I's made with Soy Curls. They rehydrate while you chop the onion, celery, etc., so it's fast & simple. . . and so delicious.

If you'd like a chance to win American Vegan Kitchen, there's still time. Just comment on this post or click on the link on the left. You can get a second chance to win by commenting anywhere on the Facebook Page. I'll be drawing the winner sometime after Thanksgiving.

Vegan Turkey Gravy

2010-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Each Thanksgiving for the last few years, I've made VeganDad's Seitan Turkey, not so much for dinner, but for day after sandwiches. Outside of my Sausage Stuffing, Turkey sandwiches were my favorite, and VeganDad got me through my first meatless Thanksgiving.

It struck me this year, that I could make gravy as well. I took VeganDad's 'turkey' spice combination and began playing with proportions. After a couple batches and a tester who's acutally had turkey in the last three years, and I arrived at a winner. If you like VeganDad's turkey, you'll like this. If you haven't had his turkey seitan, I highly recommend it.

Vegan Turkey Gravy
3 cups water
3 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
6 tbs flour
1 1/2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Combine the nutritional yeast and spices and set aside. Melt the margarine in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for a couple minutes, allowing the flour to cook a bit. Add the spice mix, stir and cook for a minute longer. Remove from heat and add in the water and liquid smoke. Return to heat and bring just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly, probably 5-10 minutes Test for seasoning and serve.

This gravy is especially good with a few dried cranberries stirred in.

6 servings: 88 cal (6g fat, 7g carbs, 2g protein)

Featured Blog: Cornbread

2010-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I first started going vegetarian; starting with picking out the chicken, then cooking my exact same repetoir only sans meat, and eventually learning about gelatin and caesin and all the different places you can find beef tallow and other parts. Until I found the on-line vegan community, my diet was all about becoming more restrictive. But once I started finding vegan cooking blogs, I started to discover the wondrous depth and breadth of vegan cuisine.

So, with my site update, I added a section called 'featured blogs.' These are simply blogs that I enjoy reading. Blogs that have influenced or inspired me. And, as often as I can, new blogs that could use some exposure. So, each month, I'll feature three (probably) different blogs. I'll share a nugget that they've posted and, in some small way, I hope to honor the author. Because there are some amazingly gifted and dedicated bloggers that are exposing the world to some amazing vegan food.

And my first featured blog is:
Vegan Food; More Than Tofu and Sprouts!
And her Green Chili Cornbread

Tofu Mom's blog is one of the first blogs that I started following. She's the self proclaimed Paula Deen of vegan cooking (definitely in a good way). She knows her way around comfort food and I've used many of her recipes. The recipe that I chose to cook is Green Chili Cornbread, made with green chilies and creamed corn. I must admit that I prefer it without the chilies, but I love the cornbread, the delicious creamy texture and crispy crust. So, if you're in the mood for cornbread, this recipe is a must try.

And, incidentally, Tofo Mom will be doing thirty days of gravy for VeganMofo. Take that Paula Deen!!