Jaclyn's Vegan Yumminess

Ratatouille Riggies: Eggplant Marinara with Rigatoni and Zucchini

2010-10-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

(This picture is not my own, it's Rachael Ray's!)

Someone gave me this recipe from an issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. Last night my roommate and I were celebrating the return of our amazing friend so we all whipped this little number up together, had some wine, and danced all over our apartment. It was lovely! This recipe really surprised me with some awesome flavor. I didn't really read through the recipe before we started cooking and I think I was just expecting it to taste like plain ol' pasta with marinara and some veggies. I was wrong! The eggplant marinara sauce was AWESOME and the fried zucchini added some really wonderful flavor to the dish as well. We decided instantly that this needed to become one of our staple meals. I served this with some toasted baguette slices and some vino!

(I would like to note that I unfortunately did not take any pictures during the making of this dish simply because I forgot to... I apologize! Luckily I do have some pics of the finished product and I pulled a sweet move where I took a picture of the magazine article as well!)

Ingredients
(Serves 6)

1 lb. small, firm eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb. rigatoni rigate or other short-cut pasta of your liking
2 small, firm zucchini (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced
Flour, for coating (I think we used maybe 1/3 cup-ish)
3 large cloves of garlic, grated or chopped
1 onion, finely chopped (we used shallots just because)
A couple sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped, or a healthy tsp. of dried leaves
A few sprigs of thyme, finely chopped, or a scant tsp. of dried leaves
1 cup vegetable stock
1 large red pepper, roasted*
2 tbsp. tomato paste
28 oz. can of plum tomatoes in puree
Crushed red pepper (optional)
A handful fresh basil, chopped or torn

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Halve the eggplant and score the exposed flesh with shallow crisscross cuts. Drizzle or lightly brush the cut surface with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut side down and roast until tender, 15-18 minutes. *At this time we also threw the red pepper in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil as well, to roast it for the marinara sauce.*

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

3. While the pasta is working, season the zucchini slices with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow bowl and lightly coat the zucchini slices in flour. Working in batches, add the zucchini to the pan and cook, turning, until light golden, 1-2 minutes per batch. Add 1 clove of garlic to the last batch. Place zucchini on a plate, cover, and set aside to keep it warm.

4. In a large, deep skillet or heavy saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and some salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.

5. Using a food processor (A blender worked just fine for us), mix the vegetable stock, roasted pepper (slice it up beforehand), and tomato paste until smooth. Add mixture the the onion mixture on the stove and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in the canned tomatoes and crush with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Return the sauce to a boil for a minute or so. Season with the crushed red pepper, if using. Lower the heat to a simmer.

6. Remove the eggplant from the oven (if you haven't already!). Scoop out the flesh and place in the blender/food processor. Puree for 20 seconds and add to the marinara sauce.

7. Toss the pasta with the marinara sauce and top with fresh basil and fried zucchini slices. Enjoy!

Tofu Salad

2010-09-27T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here's a great lunch recipe for you! This is my own recipe that I have been making for probably... 4 years?! I have of course been adjusting it over time and I think it's pretty close to perfect (for me) at this point. I make this every year for the bluegrass festival I go to with my family to feed all of the vegetarians in our crew for lunch every day, and of course I also make it at home for myself! I usually just use this for sandwiches but I think it would be great on top of any garden salad or maybe even as a dip or on top of crackers. Today I made a "tofu salad melt" by toasting a few pieces of bread with a slice of Tofutti Cheese then adding a few good scoops of tofu salad and some lettuce. YUM! Also, I always make this recipe with two blocks of tofu because I find it just goes too fast when I only use one! Hope you like it!

Ingredients (These are all approximations because I just eyeball it...)
Makes about 8 sandwiches

2 blocks firm tofu
3 heaping spoonfuls Vegenaise
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 Tbs. dill (to me, this ingredient is vital!)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. lemon juice
A few good dashes of salt & pepper

1. Place tofu in a large tupperware container (unless you plan on eating all of this at once!) and mash it up with a fork into small crumbly pieces.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all together with a fork. That's it! :)

Lime-Curry Tofu Stir-Fry

2010-03-29T20:23:00.001-04:00

I just made this recipe, oh, about 30 minutes ago and I thought it was so wonderful that I just couldn't wait another second to tell the world about it (or at least the web surfers who stumble across my blog). My neighbor e-mailed this recipe to me about a week ago. She found it on allrecipes.com and knew it had my name written all over it. So, credit for this one goes to "kprzy" who submitted this recipe to the site. Anyway, the flavors in this dish are just AWESOME and so complimentary of each other. Spicy, creamy, sweet, and bold. Also, I want all of you coconut haters out there to know NOT to be afraid of coconut milk. I'm not a hater, but I know lots of people who don't like coconut and might be wary of something like this. Fear not- the coconut flavor really is super mild, and it's more the creaminess than anything else that you'll be taking from the coconut milk. Also, I think the flavors of the other ingredients kind of off-set the sweetness of the coconut anyway. Well, enough about that! You'll love this. Promise.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 (16 oz.) package extra-firm tofu,
cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp. red curry paste
1 lb. zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry until golden brown. Remove the tofu and set aside, leaving the remaining oil in the wok.

Mmm... Golden tofu....

2. Stir the ginger and curry paste into the hot oil for a few seconds until the curry paste is fragrant and the ginger begins to brown. Add the zucchini and bell pepper. Cook and continue to stir for 1 minute.

3. Stir in the lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, cocnut milk, and tofu. (Warning: It's a little scary when you dump all the coconut milk in because it's A LOT and it will appear as though all of your other ingredients are drowning in some kind of weird soup. Don't be alarmed - after about 10 minutes of simmering, it becomes perfect). Bring the coconut milk to a simmer, and cook about 10-15 more minutes. The vegetables should be tender and the tofu should be hot. Stir in the chopped basil just before serving.

I opted to serve this over rice and I suggest you do the same. I can't wait to re-experience this dish via leftovers at lunch time tomorrow!

Not-So-Dirty Rice with Cajun-Style Collards

2010-03-24T20:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a nice southern meal for y'all! Also, here's a nice little tidbit I learned while making this meal: Traditional "Dirty Rice" gets it's name from the chopped up chicken livers which look like brown flecks in the rice. Nice, huh? I think I'd prefer my rice WITHOUT livers of any kind, thank you.
Anyway, both of these recipes come from one of my newest cookbooks, "Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertston. They're listed as separate recipes in the book, but it's suggested they're served together so that's what I did. And it was a good choice. This is another meal that's slightly outside of my comfort zone... I'm not exactly sure why, but it's not something I would not normally choose. But once again, I was happy I decided to try something new! You should note however, that the collards alone would be wonderful but the rice by itself really wouldn't be that great. I thought it was a bit dry and didn't have a TON of flavor. I bet if I added some veggie broth to the mix it would have livened things up a bit. BUT, with the flavorful collards served over the top, it was awesome. You'll notice the two recipes have a lot of the same ingredients- but they took on slightly different flavors, and together, it just worked really well. Give this recipe a try! (Oh, and for the record, I want everyone to know that I really don't ever say "y'all"... I was just trying to sound authentic in the spirit of the recipe.) Ok, now for the good stuff!

Cajun-Style Collard Ingredients
(Serves 4)

1 1/2 lbs. collard greens
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 celery rib, minced
1/2 large green pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. file' powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the collards in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes (while this is cooking you can prep the rest of the ingredients and get your rice ready to go). Drain. then coarsely chop and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, file', and cayenne. Add the collards, season with salt and pepper to taste. and stir to coat the collards with the onion mixture. Simmer until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Serve hot!

Ingredients for Not-So-Dirty Rice

(Serves 4)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 small green bell pepper (or the other half of the large pepper used in the collards!) seeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups vegetarian burger crumbles (I used Smart Ground)

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 cups freshly cooked long-grain white rice

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, burger crumbles, Tabasco, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Stir to combine and heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then serve hot.

Roasted Asparagus Risotto

2010-03-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

This is another recipe I chose in my quest to try new and exciting things. My neighbor tells me about the awesome risotto she makes all of the time, so it's been something I've wanted to make for a while. I thought it was just a fancy word for just plain ol' regular rice, and I was very poorly mistaken... If you're craving something creamy, and flavorful, and rich, then you really need to give this a try. After my first bite, I was hooked. I LOVE it with the roasted asparagus used in this recipe, and I'm excited to try it with other flavors as well. This recipe involves a lot of stirring and standing over your oven, but it seemed like it cooked fairly fast to me so it wasn't a big deal. I just served this with some garlic bread and it was plenty filling. I can not WAIT to make this again and I think this would be something perfect to cook for company. YUM!! Oh, and this recipe is from Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano.

Ingredients

(Makes 4 Main-Dish or 6 Side-Dish Servings)

3/4 lb. medium asparagus, trimmed

2 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 to 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, heated to a simmer (I used Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base)

Salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425. Lightly oil a baking sheet with sides.

2. Place the asparagus o the prepared baking sheet and toss with 1/2 tbsp. of the oil, coarse salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer, Roast 10 minutes, or until just tender and slightly browned (YUM), turning once. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

3. In a large deep-sided nonstick skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until softened but not browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

4. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until almost all the wine has been absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the simmering broth by 1/2 cup, cooking and stirring after each addition until it is almost completely absorbed and the rice begins to soften, about 15 minutes after the first addition of broth (This may seem a little complicated, but trust me, you'll get the hang of it).

5. Add the reserved asparagus, salt, and pepper and another 1/2 cup of broth, stirring constantly until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cup as needed, continuing to stir constantly until the mixture is creamy, the rice is tender yet firm to the bite, and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and serve at once.

Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies With Lemon Glaze

2010-03-17T20:57:00.001-04:00

So at the beginning of this week I went through my recipe books and chose some things that I wouldn't normally choose in an effort to expand my horizons. So far, everything has worked out really well! I wrote out a list, bought all the ingredients I'd need for the week, and every day I've been making something new and exciting. This is the first recipe I tried, from Isa & Terry's Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (which of course, is an AWESOME recipe book). The old Jaclyn would have picked something chocolatey and decadent, but I'm a changing girl, so I went with the opposite. Turns out, they're awesome!!!! Matt and I both have loved munchin' on these little chewies all week. And the Lemon Glaze definitely isn't a must, but I highly recommend it. Compliments these guys perfectly. I bet you'll love them too.

Ingredients
(Makes 2 Dozen Cookies)

1/3 cup nondairy milk
1 tbsp. ground flax seeds (I ground up a bunch a while ago in a coffee bean grinder and I've kept it stored in my freezer - good for recipes like this and to toss in to smoothies and salads and such)
1/3 cup canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (I only had light which worked, but I think they would have been prettier if I used dark)
1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. finely shredded orange zest (FYI I love zest)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup finely shredded carrots, lightly packed (I recommend using a food processor for this task)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I forgot to add these to my grocery store so my cookies went nutless...Haha!)
1 cup raisins
Lemon Glaze (See recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the nondairy milk, flax seeds, oil, brown sugar, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to moisten ingredients and fold in carrots, coconut, walnuts, and raisins. Dough will be sticky and moist.

3. Drop generous tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each plop. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the edges are brown and the tops are firm. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks to complete cooling.

Lemon Glaze

(You could probably halve this recipe and be ok)

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (Yes! More zest!)

Wisk together all of the ingredients. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit of soy milk or water. You should be able to drizzle it on the cookies from a fork.

Enjoy!!

Portobello Stroganoff

2010-02-23T19:03:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while since my last post, but believe me, I'm still at it!! I think lately I haven't been trying too many new recipes, but instead turning to my old favorites when I get home from work every night. BUT, I still love vegan cooking and baking more than ever and I'll forever be flipping through my cookbook collection in search of new tasty recipes to try and share with my peeps.
Anyway, I recently recreated a recipe I've made several times from Vegan With A Vengeance called "Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff". You may notice the "Seitan" is missing from the title of this post, and that's because instead of the usual seitan I use to make this recipe (which really, is equally as delicious) I tried it with Gardein's Beefless Tips. And just as a side note, I'd like to mention that Matt and I are seriously LOVING all of Gardein's stuff - especially the Crispy Tenders and Chick'n Good Stuff (and I'm not being paid to say this - however, Gardein, if you're listening, I'll take some free samples). Anyway, our grocery store just started carrying this line and we've been pretty excited about it all.
Back to the recipe! This, of course, is really yummy and earthy and hearty. And honestly, if you're feeling lazy or lacking ingredients, this recipe would be awesome without Beefless Tips OR Seitan. Just the mushroomy goodness over some pasta would be a great meal!

Ingredients
(Serves 6)

1 or 2 packages of Gardein Beefless Tips OR 3 1/2 cups seitan, slice in to thin, wide strips
2 tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 cups cold water or vegetable broth
8 tsp. olive oil
1 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, quartered and sliced into half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 portobello caps, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1 cup Burgundy cooking wine (I used Marsala)
1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup plain soy milk
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound wide noodles (I used Publix brand Eggless Noodles)

1. Dissolve the cornstarch in the 2 cups of water and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil in a skillet iver medium-high heat. Add the shallots and onions, saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cremini and portobello mushrooms, and thyme. Saute for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet with the remaining 2 tsp. of olive oil, just long enough to coat it. Add the seitan or beefless tips and saute over medium heat for about 25 minutes (or 10 minutes for the beefless tips), until it's browned and crispy.

4. Add the salt, wine, and paprika to the mushroom mixture. Turn the heat up to high to reduce the liquid, about 10 minutes.

5. Lower the heat to medium-high, add the arrowroot/cornstarch mixture, stir well, and let the sauce thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast and mix well until it is dissolved. Add the soy milk and mustard and bring the heat down to low; be very careful not to let it boil because it can make the soy milk and mustard bitter. Add the seitan/tips and peas; cook for 10 minutes.

6. Divide the noodles into bowls and mix with the stroganoff. It is best to mix immediately so that the pasta doesn't stick. Enjoy!!

Lasagna Stoup

2009-11-18T16:23:00.000-05:00

This recipe is actually a Rachel Ray recipe that I (easily) veganized. I think it's a great recipe for households with vegetarians and non-vegetarians trying to live in harmony OR for omnivores who are looking for some healthy alternatives. I say this because I'm well aware that not all things that are vegetarian/vegan taste as awesome to omnivores - especially any kind of mock "meat" or "cheese". But I have found that veggie grounds (among many other things!) are an excpetion to that. Whether it's spaghetti sauce or taco salad or whatever, veggie grounds are SO easily disguisable that no one will have to be scared that they're eating something vegetarian... We all know how frightening it can be! AND it's super delicious. I make this pretty often because it's easy, yummy, and makes great left-overs. And as a side note, you'll find that your left-overs will no longer be "stoup" - the lasagna noodles suck up all the liquid and it kinda just becomes plain ol' lasagna - but still very good!!

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
2 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. veggie grounds (I usually use Smart Ground but YvesVeggie Ground Round is just as great. Really, just get whatever your grocery store has!)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
32 oz. vegetable broth
28 oz. Italian crushed tomatoes
1 lb lasagna noodles, broken into jagged pieces
1 cup basil leaves, torn (or however much you happen to have in your garden!)
Salt and pepper

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. And the veggie grounds and season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.

2. Stir in 2 cups water, the broth, and the tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve in big bowls and enjoy!

East Coast Coffee Cake

2009-11-14T13:31:00.002-05:00

This recipe is, of course, from one of my favorites; Vegan Brunch. Matt and I recently had a day off together, and this doesn't happen very often so I decided to make something special for breakfast. I didn't feel like going to the store and so I just flipped through my recipe books until I found something that I had all of the indredients for. I really don't have a lot of personal experience in making or eating coffee cake, but I figured it had to be delicious so I gave it a whirl! OF COURSE it turned out AWESOME and the two of us literally finished off the whole batch in less than 24 hours.

Isa mentions lots of great variations for this recipe, but again, I was just going with what we had on hand. Lucky for us, we had a jar of homemade blueberry jam from Matt's grandmother so that's what we used... and it was perfect.

Ingredients
Serves 8

For the topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 tbsp. more if needed

For the cake:
3/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
(3/4 cup jam)

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Lighlty grease an 8-inch round springform pan or 8-inch square pan (I used a glass brownie pan and it worked fine). Measure out the milk for the cake and mix in the tsp. of viegar; set aside to curdle. Then begin preparing the topping.

2. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drizzle in the canola oil by the tablespoonful (you can eyeball it). Use your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form. Alternate swishing and adding canola oil until all the oil is used and large crumbs have formed. Some of the topping is still going to be sandy and that's fine, just so long as you have mostly nice big crumbs. You can add another tablespoon or two of oil if needed; it varies. Your topping should look something like this:

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk mixture, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix it until smooth.

4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Splotch the jam, if using, all over the batter with spoonfuls and use a knife to swirl into the batter. Add the crumb topping and pat down lightly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.

Let cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving (This is the hardest part!). Sift a few teaspoons of powdered sugar over the top once cool. Enjoy!

Tempeh Helper

2009-11-10T19:26:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from Isa's Post Punk Kitchen Blog. I'm not going to bother re-typing the whole recipe, but I DID want to share with everyone how wonderful it was. When I first saw this recipe, I knew it was something that I had to make. I even e-mailed the recipe post to Matt just because I knew how much it would excite him. We both love homey recipes that remind us of stuff that we used to eat growing up, so I knew this would be perfect. And it was! Here are some more photos of my Tempeh Helper adventure:

Here's my Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce...

...And here's everything else!

Fire Pit Dogs!

2009-10-22T10:59:00.000-04:00

This isn't really a recipe but I thought I'd share it anyway because I think it's a fun meal idea. It's finally starting to cool off down here in the south, and we've been having some reeeeally pleasant 60 degree evenings. We thought it would be a good time to take our fire pit out and spend some time out in our yard enjoying the perfect weather. Matt picked up these awesome things (I have no idea what they're called) so that we could roast some veggie dogs and veggies over the fire. It worked out great!! I also made some rice (inside the house) to have as a side.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

2009-10-13T18:38:00.003-04:00

This is another great recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Anyone who loves the chocolate/peanut butter combo will love this decadent treat. This is definitely a "I can't believe it's vegan" recipe, but honestly, I think all of my dessert recipes are! Every time I've made this recipe I've doubled it because I've found that it just spreads way to thin in the 9 x 13 pan that the recipe calls for. Of course it makes the bars much more dense, but that's how I like 'em! I'd recommend doing the same or making the recipe as it is but using a smaller pan.

Ingredients

2 cups crispy rice cereal, crushed

1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. Earth Balance butter, melted, divided

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips (I just use a whole bag)

1. Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (but don't forget this is a no-bake recipe so any big clumps of butter aren't just going to melt in to the bars, they're going to just sit there and be gross - so spread evenly!)

2. In a large bowl, combine the cereal, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup of the butter, and vanilla. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan.

3. In a small saucepan (or double boiler) melt the chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter, stirring constantly, Remove from the heat.

4. Spread the chocolate mixture over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours to set. (I recommend keeping these in the fridge so that: A. You can eat them faster, and B. They won't get all melty).

View Nutritional Info

Herb-Scalloped Potatoes

2009-10-05T19:20:00.002-04:00

Before I went vegan, I used to love those boxed scalloped potatoes. And up until I discovered this magnificent recipe, I was checking the ingredients on all of those creamy potato boxes hoping that maybe, just maybe, there would be a way to recreate it. It never dawned on me that it's possible to make scalloped potatoes from scratch! And then, Veganomicon came in to my life and I discovered a scalloped potatoes recipe that is just as delicious and creamy as the kind mom used to make. I make this side a lot, and I think if you give it a try, you will too! Mmm Mmm Mmm!

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 lbs. white potatoes (3 average sized) scrubbed & sliced into 1/8" thick disks
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast or flour (I highly recommend nutritional yeast for this)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400*. Lightly grease a 9 X 13-inch glass baking dish or ceramic casserole pan

2. Layer the potatoes in the pan, allowing them to slightly overlap. Lay them across the short way first, overlapping a little less than a half of each potato slice. In each subsequent row, overlap the potatoes by about one-quarter of each potato slice. It should look something like this:

3. Pour most of the vegetable broth over the potatoes, reserving about 3 tbsp. (no need to be exact). Pour the soy milk and drizzle the olive oil over potatoes, making sure to coat each one. If you need to use a little more than 1 tbsp., that's ok.

4. Scatter the minced garlic over everything, then sprinkle 2 tbsp. of the nutritional yeast over all the potatoes. Drizzle the remaining vegetable broth- try not to wash all the nutritional yeast off the potatoes; you just want to get it moist, so drizzle slowly. Then sprinkle with the last tbsp. of nutritional yeast, the herbs, and the salt.

5. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, and voila! Enjoy your delicious, flavorful, soft and creamy, homemade scalloped potatoes.

View Nutritional Info

Jerk Seitan

2009-10-03T13:57:00.009-04:00

Good news! I FINALLY have a computer! And you'll be happy to know that although I haven't been able to post these last few months, I HAVE been cooking up a storm and taking lots of photos. I thought I'd kick off with something really great and unique, so I chose Jerk Seitan. I've never had Jerk Chicken (I think it's usually chicken?) so I don't really know what to compare this to, but if you're looking for something with lots of flavor and kick, this is the recipe for you! It's sweet and spicy and tangy and just overall... yummy. I used my favorite and perfect seitan recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance, and the Jerk Seitan recipe is actually from the same book. I think this is a great recipe if you're getting sick of eating the same ol' thing every night, and you have some extra time to whip up something special. I served this with coconut jasmine rice and sauteed spinach. I can assure you this will certainly impress whoever it is you're cooking for!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Marinade

1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped

3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tbsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. ground or freshly grated nutmeg

Seitan

2 cups seitan, cut into thick strips

2 tsp. olive oil

1 onion, thickly sliced (about 1 cup)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thickly sliced

1. Prepare the marinade by pureeing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until relatively smooth (it's ok for it to be a little chunky, and don't be alarmed with how gross it will look...).

2. Place the seitan in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over it. Mix to coat. Cover and let marinade for an hour.

3. In a large skillet, saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Remove the seitan from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Saute for 10 minutes, until the seitan has browned to your liking. Add the remaining marinade and cook for about 2 minutes to heat the sauce through.

As I mentioned before, I served this with Coconut Rice (also a recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance) and sauteed spinach. I did this because it's what Isa suggested! Ladle a little extra sauce over each survey and enjoy this super flavorful dish!

View Nutritional Info

Keep 'em Coming!

2009-08-14T10:20:00.003-04:00

Lately I've been receiving comments on some of my posts from different people and I just wanted to say how happy it makes me feel!! I wasn't sure how easy it was for anyone other than my friends and fam to find this and I'm thrilled that people seem to be stumbling upon it. Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I value input from EVERYONE so please don't hesitate to post comments! It seriously makes my day. I've been using a temporary computer the last few months which has made it difficult for me to stay organized and post as much as I'd like to, but I promise there is a lot more to come. Please keep reading, and please let me know what you think! Oh, and anyone who leaves a comment is invited to my house for a delicious homemade vegan dinner followed by a dance party.

Cookies 'n' Cream Cupcakes

2009-08-13T11:41:00.009-04:00

This recipe is, of course, from Isa's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I made these cupcakes for Matt's best friend who drove all the way down to South Carolina to visit us for his birthday. I had made these cupcakes before and knew that no sane person would turn them down. Matt's (non-vegan) friend of course loved them so they were a success! This is a definite "I can't believe it's vegan!" recipe, as is every single cupcake recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. Well, I haven't made them all yet, but I plan to. We LOVE LOVE LOVE cupcakes, and I'm telling you, these Cookies 'n' Cream cupcakes are like little cakes of delicious gold. MMMM wish I had some more right now!!!

Basically, the Cookies 'n' Cream recipe is just an adaptation of the plain ol' Chocolate cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream frosting recipes. (Which, I might add, are seriously delicious without any fancy adaptations - Especially the frosting... holy crap). Here we go!

Your Basic Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla (I recommend almond - it seriously compliments the chocolate flavor)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup (about 10 cookies) of coarsely chopped vegan chocolate cream-filled cookies (I used Newman-O's)

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and line muffin pan with liners.

2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle (I know it sounds gross, but just do it.) Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and the other extract, is using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are ok). Mix in the chopped cookies.

3. Pour into liners, filling three-quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted if clumpy

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

1/2 cup finely mashed sandwich cookie crumbs

6 cookies cut in half for garnish

1. Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the mashed cookies to combine.

Generously frost each cupcake once they are COMPLETELY cool ( I know, it's hard to wait). Top off each cupcake with a cookie half and ENJOY! If you're like me, you'll be dreaming about swimming in gallons of this frosting for weeks to come.

View Nutritional Info

Creamy Vegan Casserole

2009-06-22T17:53:00.011-04:00

I originally got this recipe from www.vegweb.com maybe a little over a year ago. Since then, I have been making this recipe about once a week with some adaptations and variations of my own. I finally have it pretty close to perfect so I thought I'd share this week-night favorite.

Ingredients

Serves about 6

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

10 0z. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

4 tbsp. Earth Balance

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth OR 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes* + 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup soy milk

1 cup frozen peas

4 tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 tbsp. marsala or red cooking wine

1 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. herbes de provence

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

Dash of black pepper

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 14.5 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and mashed with the back of a fork

1 cup French Fried Onions

8 oz. pasta of your choice (I like to use little shells)

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13" glass baking dish with oil.

2. Boil water and cook pasta until al dente.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. Earth Balance in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. Add the soy sauce and saute for a few more minutes, until vegetables are tender. Set aside.

4. In a large stock pot, heat remaining 3 tbsp. of Earth Balance over medium-high heat. Add the flour, soy milk, and vegetable broth or can of tomatoes. Whisk for about 7 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Add the nutritional yeast, marsala, lemon juice, garlic powder, herbes de provence, basil, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk to combine.

5. Add the chickpeas, sauteed vegetables, peas, and cooked pasta. Combine.

6. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

7. Uncover and sprinkle the French Fried Onions over the top. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the top of the casserole is golden brown.

* I think the can of tomatoes is great in this recipe. It creates a light tomato-cream sauce for the casserole. However, the casserole tastes great with just the plain ol' vegetable broth as well. I just go by what I happen to have in my pantry. I've also used vegetable broth and then thrown in a chopped up tomato which is just as good. This recipe is very easy to adapt!

View Nutritional Info

Stuffed Shells with Pesto

2009-06-22T17:23:00.012-04:00

This recipe is a pretty big deal because it's my favorite. And it's Matt's favorite too!! We get all giddy at the thought of stuffed shells and when they come out of the oven... Well, it's very exciting. This isn't something we have too often because the amount of basil needed to make the pesto is not always readily available – or affordable. BUT, as luck would have it, Matt came home with a whole grocery bag FULL of fresh basil. Apparently a friendly neighbor had a basil plant that was out of control and needed to be trimmed down. So, this meant only one thing- STUFFED SHELLS!!

I got the recipes for both the pesto and the basil-tofu ricotta filling from one of my old favorites, Vegan With A Vengeance.

Classic Pesto Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

½ cup walnuts

3 cups packed basil leaves

3 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

1 ½ tsp. coarse salt (I recommend using about half this amount)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

½ cup nutritional yeast (optional – but I'd never leave it out!)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1. Toast the walnuts in a toaster oven at 350* for 5 minutes or on a baking sheet in a conventional oven for 10 minutes, turning once. This step really is necessary! You'll appreciate the toasty flavor.

2. Combine the walnuts, basil, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender* and process while you add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice, and pulse to combine. The sauce should be the consistency of a slightly grainy paste, not a puree. I like it to be a little thinner so it's easier to spread it on the shells so I add a little more olive oil until it's the right consistency.

*For the longest time I made the pesto with a blender, and it sucks. It takes forever and it's extremely frustrating. However, since my awesome neighbor let me borrow her food processor, making pesto is SO much easier. It's really just a joy!

Basil-Tofu Ricotta Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

1 pound firm tofu, pressed

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. salt

Dash fresh black pepper

Handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1. In a large bowl, mush up the tofu with your hands (I use a fork) until it's crumbly.

2. Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Mush with your hands again; this you want to get it very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese (again, I use a fork and it works just fine).

3. Add the olive oil, stir with a fork. Add the nutritional yeast and mix all ingredients well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Stuffed Shells with Pesto Ingredients

Classic pesto recipe

Basil-Tofu Ricotta recipe

½ box of jumbo shells

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil.

2. Boil water and cook shells until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water so they're easier to handle.

3. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of Basil-Tofu ricotta into each shell (enough to fill it). Place each shell with the open side facing down on the baking dish.

4. Smear about a tablespoon of pesto on to each shell. It's not going to look pretty, but it's tasty.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and ENJOY!

This time, I threw some cherry tomatoes into the mix just to add some more color and flavor. I also doubled this recipe because Matt can easily take down about 20 shells at dinner and it's nice to have some left overs the next day! Mmm Mmm Mmm!

View Nutritional Info

Zucchini Weenies

2009-05-23T19:35:00.011-04:00

This is my mom's recipe, veganized. These little weenies are like gold and they are the perfect hors d' oeuvres for any occasion. I can honestly say that I have never met ANYONE who didn't LOVE these things. I'm telling you, this is a sure way to make lots and lots of friends. I was sooo happy the first time I made these with vegan ingredients and discovered that they are just as yummy - maybe even yummier - than the original version! This was another dish that I shared with my neighbors and they were devoured.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Vegenaise

1/2 cup Parma

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 zucchinis, sliced

1. Preheat oven to BROIL. Place zucchini slices on a cookie sheet.

2. Spread the basil mixture on each slice of zucchini. Place in the oven and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on these suckers because they cook fast!

Enjoy!

Tofu Omelet with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Cheesy Sauce

2009-05-23T18:34:00.012-04:00

This is the first thing I've made from my new cookbook and let me tell you, these things knocked my socks off! The thought of a vegan omelet ever being a possibility (and a delicious one at that) was something I never imagined in my wildest dreams! This recipe makes me feel as though anything is possible. I was so excited about this that I wrapped up and omelet and ran it over to my neighbor to see what she thought. I started thinking maybe I just forgot what a cheesy omelet tastes like so I wanted to get the opinion of someone else. And guess what?? She liked them too!! She actually really enjoyed it and said that she couldn't even tell it was vegan. Can you even believe it?? AND, she had just had eggs for breakfast! Isa, I don't know how you do it, but you are AMAZING. And so are these yummy omelets.

Tofu Omelets

(Makes 4 omelets)

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. silken tofu, lightly drained (not the vacuum-packed kind) or soft tofu; Nasoya brand is recommended

2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. fine black salt, plus extra for sprinkling*

1/2 cup chickpea flour (I found this at the natural food store)

1 tbsp. arrowroot or cornstarch

1. Chop up the garlic, if using, in a food processor (I used a blender). Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, turmeric, and salt. Puree until smooth. Add the chickpea flour and arrowroot and puree again for about 10 seconds, until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides so that everything is well incorporated.

2. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray. (The less oil the better for the nice brown speckles we're going for.) ALso, make sure that you use a large skillet, as you need room to spread out the omelet and to get your spatula under there to flip.

3. In 1/2 cup increments, pour the omelet batter into the skillet. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to spread the batter out into about 6-inch circles.

4. Let the batter cook for about 3 to 5 minutes before flipping. The top of the omelet should dry and become a matte yellow when it's ready to be flipped. If you try and it seems like it might fall apart, give it a little more time. The underside should be flecked light to dark brown. Flip the omelet and cook for about a minute on the other side. Keep warm on a plate covered with tinfoil as you make the remaining omelets.

5. Fill omelet with the filling of your choice, then fold it. Once the omelet has been filled, sprinkle with a little extra black salt, since some of its flavor disappears when cooked.

*I had a pretty hard time finding this stuff, but I knew it was vital to the recipe so I searched high and low until I found it. The best place to get it would be an Indian Grocery store but obviously those are hard to come by. I ended up finding it at a kitchen specialty store and it was part of a salt sampler with like, 5 other salts. When I opened the package and tasted it I could not BELIEVE how much sulfury, eggy flavor it had. This stuff is the key! Oh, and FYI the salt is pink in color, not black.

Mushrooms and Spinach Filling

This is just the filling I chose and I prepared it the way it was suggested in the book. Here's what I did while my omelets were cooking:

Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute 4 cups sliced mushrooms in 2 tbsp. olive oil. After about 5 minutes, when mushrooms are soft, add 2 minced garlic cloves and about 3 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme. Saute about 3 minutes more, add fresh black pepper and a few dashes of salt to taste. Stuff into omelets and divide 2 cups chopped fresh spinach among them. The spinach will wilt in the omelet. Top with Cheesy sauce (recipe follows).

Cheesy Sauce

Makes about 3 cups - You'll probably want to cut this in half if you're only planning to use it for the omelets

2 cups vegetable broth (or water)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

A pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)

1/4 tsp. salt

A few dashed black pepper

1/8 tsp. turmeric

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. yellow prepared mustard

1. Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until the flour is dissolved (a couple of lumps are okay).

2. Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and garlic and gently cook the garlic for about 2 minutes, stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

3. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth mixture, turmeric, and nutritional yeast and bring the heat up to medium. Use a whisk to stir pretty constantly. It should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't them turn the heat a bit higher.

4. Once bubbling and thickening, stir the sauce for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. It should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt, turn the heat off, and cover to keep warm until ready to use. The top might set a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm.

I can't wait for my next omelet!!!

Vegan Brunch

2009-05-14T21:07:00.004-04:00

I'd like to announce that today I came home to my copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new book, Vegan Brunch. I spotted it leaning against my door and scooped it up, brought it inside, tore open the box, and poured over every page. Just as I was cleaning up the pool of saliva on the floor below me, Matt got home and was almost equally as excited. He expressed his excitement by yelling out the names of recipes in between profanities and kicks. Anyway, this book looks awesome and it's filled with new and exciting recipes and tons of beautiful pictures. Isa has done it again and I just can't wait to start trying these recipes!!! I'll have more to share very soon!

Yay I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spicy Tempeh and Broccoli Rabe With Rotelle

2009-05-14T20:42:00.007-04:00

Here's another one from Veganomicon. Tonight is only the second time I've ever made this recipe but it was thoroughly enjoyed both times so I thought I'd share. Perhaps my favorite part of this recipe is the tempeh-fennel seed combination. It's awesome and it reminds me of the sausage on these frozen pizzas I used to eat way back in the day. I think I'll make a pizza sometime using tempeh prepared in the same way it is in this recipe. It's phenomenal!!

Ingredients

1/2 lb. spiral pasta

Spicy fennel tempeh:

1 15 oz. package tempeh, cubed

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. vegetable broth

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tbsp. fennel seeds

1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Broccoli rabe:

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 bunch broccoli rabe (1/2-3/4 pound), tough stems trimmed, chopped coarsely

2-3 tbsp. white wine, water, or vegetable broth

2 tsp. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Boil water and cook pasta. Drain and toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Keep covered in a large bowl or the cooking pot. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the tempeh and broccoli rabe.

Prepare the tempeh

1. Place the tempeh in a large, nonstick skillet. In a measuring cup, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, and red wine vinegar. Pour over the tempeh, stir, and cook over medium heat until the liquid starts to simmer. Cover and steam the tempeh for 8 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

2. Transfer the tempeh to a bowl and crumble about half of the cubes with the back of the spoon.

3. Wipe down the skillet to remove any leftover tempeh sauce, return the skillet to medium heat, and add 2 tbsp. of oil. Add the tempeh and stir-fry for 4 - 5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Remove from the heat, add to the pasta, and keep covered.

Prepare the broccoli rabe:

1. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan and add the garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle, stir and cook it for about a minute. Add the broccoli rabe, stir to coat it with the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and cover the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of the white wine and steam for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the broccoli rabe is bright green and its stems are tender.

2. Remove the cover and continue to saute for an additional minute or two, until any excess liquid is evaporated. Pour the cooked broccoli rabe onto the tempeh and pasta, sprinkle with red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything to mix.

Southern Fried Tofu

2009-05-05T20:16:00.009-04:00

This is one of our weekly staple meals. It's kind of a pain to coat each individual piece of tofu and then brown it on all six sides, but it really is well worth it. To me, this recipe tastes and smells a lot like Shake N' Bake. And because it's "Southern" it's perfect for us South Carolinians! Who said you need pigs' feet and ox tail soup to eat a southern meal?! (Ew.) Anyway, I believe that this is a recipe vegans and omnivores would enjoy. I got the recipe from Vegan Vittles: Second Helpings.

Firstly, let me just say, please don't be scared about this long list of ingredients. I find that one batch of this seasoning will make two recipes. So I always mix the seasoning in tupperware and then throw it in the fridge after I'm done with it until my next hankering for some Southern Fried Tofu and it's so nice and easy to have it already made. Perhaps one day I'll even double the seasoning which would be genius.

Ingredients

(Serves 3-4)

Tofu

1 lb. firm regular tofu (sometimes I use "Spicy Tofu" when our grocery store has it), rinsed and patted dry

Seasoning

1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. dried mustard

1/4 tsp. ground rosemary

1/4 tsp. ground celery seeds

Coating

2/3 cup plain soy milk

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup flour, as needed

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Tofu: Cut the tofu horizontally into three equal slabs. Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it gently all over with your hands to extract as much moisture as possible.

For the seasoning mix: Combine all ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl (or tupperware!) Stir until blended.

For the coating: Combine the soy milk and lemon juice in a small bowl, and stir well. Place the flour in a separate small bowl.

1. Cut each slab of the pressed tofu into 4 triangles, making a total of 12 in all (I usually just cube the block of tofu). Working with one piece at a time, dredge the tofu in the flour. Shake off any excess. Next, dunk the tofu in the soured soy milk. Immediately dredge the tofu in the seasoning mix, making sure it is well coated all over.

2. Coat a large, heavy skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil, and place it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tofu pieces in a single layer. Cook until the bottoms are well browned. Turn the pieces over and cook each side until well browned.

3. As soon as you remove the tofu from the skillet, place it on a plate lined with paper towels to blot off any excess oil and keep the surface of the tofu crisp.

Enjoy!!

Quick Puff Pastry Pizza

2009-04-29T19:55:00.012-04:00

This recipe is adapted from Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano. I made this last night for the first time and was sooooo pleasantly surprised at not only how quick and easy it was, but how incredibly delicious it was. I'm excited about this recipe because there can be so many variations to it. Really, it's not so much a recipe to me as it is the ingenious idea to use frozen puff pastry for pizza dough. YUM. Seriously.

Obviously you can use whatever toppings you like. I'm just going to list the ingredients exactly the way I made it.

Ingredients

(serves 4-6 as a main dish or 8-12 appetizer servings)

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (about 8.5 oz.) thawed

All-purpose flour for dusting

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets

1 cup sliced bell peppers (left over from Seitan Pepper Steaks!)

1/2 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half

salt and pepper

3/4 cup pizza/marinara sauce (I used marinara because it was all I could find in the grocery store and too lazy to make my own)

Dried oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 400*.

2. Unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle (we felt the pizza crust was a little too thin so be conscious of this as you're rolling). Place onto a nongreased baking sheet and fold over the edges to form a rim. Prick everything but the rim of the pastry with a fork. Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes or until beautifully golden.

3. While the pastry is baking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Throw in the broccoli and salt and pepper and cook until the broccoli is bright green and softened. Add the grape tomatoes and cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat.

4. Spread pizza sauce over the pizza crust and add the sauteed veggies. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper, and then drizzle with a little olive oil. Marvel over how beautiful and fresh it looks just as I did. Bake for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Serve at once.

Spicy Seitan "Pepper Steaks"

2009-04-28T20:58:00.012-04:00

This is one of our FAVORITE recipes. And it's a real treat because we don't have seitan very often because it's a bit time consuming to make. This isn't really a recipe I would expect omnivores to make just because seitan is one of the "weird" things us vegans eat. The first time I had it I really didn't like it (I thought it tasted like play dough). But THEN, Isa Chandra Moskowitz came into my life via her recipe book, Vegan With A Vengeance and I discovered the best seitan recipe everrrrrr. In my opinion, the bottom line with seitan is as follows: Don't even bother trying it unless you're willing to make it from scratch. And then enjoy because it will blow your mind the way it does mine every time I have it.

First we'll start with the seitan recipe (FYI it's pronounced "say-tan", emphasis on the "say")

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup cold water or vegetable broth (I always use broth)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a Microplane grater

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Broth

12 cups water or vegetable broth (I always use 12 cups of water and about 3 big tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1. In a large bowl, mix together the wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast, and all-purpose flour. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients through the lemon zest.

2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until spongy and elastic. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes.

At this point it should look something like this:

3. While the dough is resting, stir together the ingredients for the broth in a large stockpot (do not boil at this time).

4. Roll the dough into a log shape about 10 inches long and cut it into 6 pieces of roughly equal size. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the broth be very cold when you add the dough, which makes for a nicer texture and ensures that the seitan doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil.

5. When the broth has come to a boil, set the heat to low and simmer for an hour, turning the pieces every now and again.

6. Turn off the heat and let the broth and seitan cool for at least 30 minutes (I'm usually a little too impatient to wait the full 30 minutes and it's ok). However, if you let it sit and cool in the broth, it will be firmer.

When it's finished, it should resemble this:

I use half of the seitan from this recipe to make my pepper steaks. I put the other half in tupperware and cover with the broth it was cooked in. It will be good for up to 5 days. Usually I will just stir fry the left overs and it's delish.

Now, for the "Pepper Steak" recipe (Note: I keep putting "Pepper Steak" in quotes because it's not really like a steak. For some reason this is just what we call this recipe. I guess because it has peppers and little steak-like strips.) Anyway, I originally got this recipe from vegweb.com (which is an AWESOME source for vegan recipes) and have made a few of my own adaptations.

Ingredients

(Serves 4-6)

Half of the seitan from the above recipe cut into 1" strips

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup onion cut into half rings

2-3 cloves of garlic pressed or chopped

1 tsp. fresh ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 dashes chili garlic sauce (or whatever hot sauce you prefer)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 bell peppers (I usually get a red, yellow, and orange)

2 tbsp. corn starch

1/4 cup cold water

2 tbsp. soy sauce

4-6 cups cooked rice

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salt and pepper and seitan strips. Saute strips for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned.

2. Add garlic and ginger and saute for another minute or two. Add the vegetable broth and then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Mix in the tomatoes, peppers, cayenne, and hot sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes uncovered.

4. Mix together the corn starch, cold water, and soy sauce. Bring pepper mixture to a boil and add corn starch mixture. Stir until thick. Serve over rice.

Shepherd's Pie

2009-04-24T21:06:00.010-04:00

This is not your typical Shepherd's Pie. It may even anger some people because of how non-traditional it is. But it doesn't anger me at all. In fact, just the opposite - it pleases me immensely. So I will continue to use this recipe and I will continue to call it Shepherd's Pie. The recipe is straight from Skinny Bitch In the Kitch. FYI, the Skinny Bitch books are not only filled with useful information, but they're also hilarious. I even find myself laughing out loud at recipes. It's nuts!

Anyway, this is what I made for dinner tonight. And it's awesome. I also made cupcakes and homemade applesauce because I'm a maniac. More on those tomorrow.

Ingredients

(Serves 6 to 8)

1 tbsp. refined coconut oil (I used plain ol' olive oil)

2 shallots, thinly sliced (I used a little onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used... just kidding!)

1 tsp. herbes de Provence

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup lentils

About 3 cups vegetable stock

2 tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 bunch (about 1/2 pound) chard (I used collards. I've also used kale in this recipe and I think all are good) leafy parts only, cut into 1/2-inch strips

6 cups mashed potatoes (I usually cheat and use the boxed which works just fine but I went the extra mile and made homemade mashed potatoes this time)

I was extra excited about this recipe tonight because most of my ingredients came straight from the Bluffton Farmer's Market which opened on Thursday! Yay!

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the garlic, herbes de Provence, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the shallots are browned. Add the lentils (side note - I used to be a lentil-hater and this recipe changed my mind) and 2 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender and the stock is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes (it usually takes me a good hour). Stir in the lentils and transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish, spreading it evenly.

3. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the chard (or green of your choice) and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until your greens are tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 4 minutes.

4. Add the greens to your casserole dish spreading it evenly over the lentils. Top with the mashed potatoes.

5. Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until thoroughly heated through and the potatoes are slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm and ENJOY!! We did!

Thanks, Kate!

2009-04-24T09:55:00.003-04:00

I just want everyone to know that my BEAUTIFUL header was made by my talented, gorgeous, and awesome sister, Kate! If you ever need anything awesome made for your website she's the person to ask!

Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

2009-04-22T18:14:00.005-04:00

This is the dinner I chose to make for my family when I went home to visit last week. I didn't want to scare them away with tofu or seitan or nutritional yeast or anything crazy like that so I stuck with something EVERYONE loves. You'd have to be nuts to think that pesto is anything less than divine. However, this is a basil-cilantro pesto which I know may not be agreeable to everyone but I promise, it's awesome. I had never made it before and was nervous that the cilantro could easily take over but it really didn't. It was delicious and everyone loved it. Oh, and I got this recipe from one of my absolute favorites, Veganomicon.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 (I doubled it because I was cooking for 7 people)

1/2 pound spinach linguine

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. white cooking wine, vegetable broth, or water (I used white wine)

1/2 tsp. salt

Several pinches of ground black pepper

1 recipe Basil-Cilantro pesto... See below

1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half (don't use the jarred kind in oil, it's too oily for this! Get the kind that comes in brine)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While your water is boiling, make the pesto. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once you've added the pasta, proceed with the rest of the recipe.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat (I used a wok-style skillet and found that it worked really well). Saute the onion in olive oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add the white wine, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Lower the heat to low. At this point, the linguine should be done.

3. When the linguine is done, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it to the pan in batches. This is so you can use the pasta water to thin the pesto out a bit and make sure everything gets coated. After each spoonful of pasta, add a bit of the pesto, and using the pasta spoon, saute to coat. If at the end it seems dry, just add a little more pasta water.

4. Add the artichoke hearts and toss to coat. Cook gently over low heat just until the artichokes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!

Basil-Cilantro Pesto

(It's a good idea to make this while the water for your pasta is boiling)

Mmm....

Of course it would have been much easier to make the pesto in a food processor but it wasn't available to me so I spent ten hours trying to make it in a blender. It came out a little chunky, but it really didn't matter.

Ingredients

makes about 1 cup (Again, I doubled this)

2 cups of loosely packed basil leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (I used non-fresh...)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients but olive oil in the food processor or blender and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Or, if you're using a blender, just add it at the end. Blend until smooth and do your best to get rid of the chunks.

I served this with steamed broccoli and roma tomatoes (to give my dish a little more color!)

I just steamed the broccoli in a large pot, then when it was bright green I strained the water and set the broccoli aside. I then heat up some olive oil and garlic and when the garlic became fragrant I added the broccoli. Then I tossed that around with some salt and pepper, threw in the tomatoes, and that was it!

This meal got all thumbs up from vegans, omnivores, and vegetarians alike!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-10T21:04:00.002-04:00

This recipe is from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking. First of all, this cookbook is AMAZING. (Thank you Mom and Dad for such a great Christmas gift!) It is full of decadent deserts, mouth watering breads, and finger lickin' pastries and treats! Anyway, in this cookbook many of the recipes are made with Ener-G Egg Replacer. I haven't always had success with this stuff but as I learned from this book, blending it with water is absolutely KEY. It will do its job flawlessly. So don't leave this step out!! Anyway, these cookies are awesome, totally awesome. They're a hit everywhere I bring them. They're the perfect "I can't believe it's vegan!" treat. No one would ever guess! They taste just like those yummy Tollhouse cookies I used to bake with my mom. I baked these tonight for my neighbor who offered to watch our pets while we're in New Hampshire for the week. I know she and her husband will love 'em.

Ingredients

4 1/2 tsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 3 eggs)

6 Tbs. water

1 cup non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened (I always use Earth Balance and it's awesome)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose fliur

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 to 2 cups nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional) - I used walnuts!

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick cookie sheet.

2. In a food processor or blender, whip the egg replacer and water together, until it gets thick and creamy. Remember what I said about this step!!

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add the egg replacer mixture to this wet mixture, and thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the wet mixture until it begins to form a dough. When it is almost completely combined, stir in the chips and nuts.

4. Spoon on to the cookie sheet (I use an ice cream scoop for this!) and bake for 8-10 minutes (it takes 12 minutes for me), or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes, move to wire racks to cool completely.

Super Yummy Vegetable Soup

2009-04-09T19:40:00.003-04:00

This soup is one of my own personal creations. There's not a whole lot to it and I probably make it a little differently every time depending on what I have stocked in my kitchen. I made this for dinner last night for two reasons:

1. It was unseasonably cold for a South Carolinian April day.

2. I lost basketball brackets for March Madness (who knows why I participated in the first place). We decided the winner gets a free lunch from each of the losers. As I didn't want to spend any of my hard earned money on yucky fast food, I offered to cook for the winner. My boss won, and he requested some of my homemade soup.

Anyway, here's a basic outline of my recipe (and I hope this makes sense as it is the first recipe I've ever written... let me know if I left anything out!):

Ingredients

(Serves A LOT... Dinner for two, lunch for three, and then dinner for two more - you do the math.)

6-8 small red potatoes, or 1-2 Idaho potatoes, sliced into chunks

2 Tbs. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow summer squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced (perhaps my favorite veggie... I don't know)

2 carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 heads bok choy - leafy parts cut into small strips and set aside, the rest (the stalk?) cut up into chunks (this is not something I normally use... but I used it last night so it's included here)

1 14 oz. can chic peas / garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 14 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes

1 cup pasta (last night I used elbows because they're Matt's fave)

1 cup frozen peas

2 1/2 quarts vegetable broth (I used about 3 big Tbs. "Better Than Bouillon" Vegetable Base and 10 cups of water)

2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

...I think that's it.

And look how beautiful all of my ingredients look!

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, "stalky" parts of bok choy, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes or until carrots start to become tender.

2. Add the vegetable broth (or in my case, water and vegetable base). Turn the heat to high. Throw in the potatoes, squash & zucchini, chic peas, tomatoes, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil.

3. Once the soup is boiling, add the pasta. Turn down the heat a bit and allow pasta to cook. Once the pasta is al dente, add the frozen peas. When the soup comes back to a boil, add the leafy parts of the bok choy. Once the bok choy is wilted, the soup is ready!

I usually serve this with some crusty bread but unfortunately I forgot to get any at the grocery store. I know this recipe makes A LOT of soup but it's a good thing. In college I would make this amount of soup for myself (and maybe a roommate or two) and it would last a week. Just today I read an article about how it saves money and energy to make more food than you need. This recipe is a prime example! And apparently, a good way to pay off lost bets.

Savory Tofu and Vegetables Over Tomato Couscous

2009-04-08T17:00:00.004-04:00

This is what I made for dinner last night. This recipe is awesome because not only is it soooo delicious, but it's super easy, cheap, and healthy. What more could you ever ask for?? I got this recipe from an issue of Vegetarian Times probably over a year ago. I clipped it and pasted it to some construction paper and it's been with me ever since.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts (YUM.)

1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. black pepper, divided

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 medium carrots, thinly sliced ( 1 1/2 cups)

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup whole wheat couscous

2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Combine artichokes & liquid, tofu, cumin, and 3/4 tsp. pepper in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook about 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. You'll be surprised how quickly this happens- luckily I had a stirrer on site to watch over this carefully as I prepared the veggies. Once the liquid has evaporated, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, leeks, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook about 10 minutes (it was more like 7 for me) or until carrots are tender and leeks are lightly browned.

3. Meanwhile, bring tomatoes and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Add the couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

4. Add the chopped garlic and reserved tofu mixture to the skillet. Cook 3 minutes over medium heat, or until heated through. Serve tofu and vegetables over tomato couscous.

Like I said, this recipe really is super easy and despite its relative simplicity, it's packed with flavor. I think the tomato couscous alone is awesome - and there's nothin' to it!! 4 thumbs up in my house!

Per request, here's the nutritional info for this one:

Per serving: 372 cal; 18 g prot; 16 g total fat (1.5 g sat. fat); 47 g carb; 0 mg chol; 310 mg sod; 10 g fiber; 9 g sugars

Welcome!!!

2009-04-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!!

I've created this blog to share some of my vegan recipes, tips, techniques, and insights. I'm hoping this will also be a place to not only share with the general public but more importantly with my friends and family who are curious about what goes on in my kitchen. I still have a lot to learn and skills to perfect so we'll just see where this takes me! And please, bear with me - I haven't the slightest clue how to make my blog beautiful and exciting. Hopefully it will come to me.

Thanks for taking a look, and hopefully you will soon be impressed!