Archives for April 2010

Vegan Enchiladas

April 16, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These were yummy and satisfying! I used stir-fry seitan, but you can use sliced portobello mushrooms or Boca Meatless Crumbles. To clear out the sinuses, puree some chilies in adobo sauce (comes in a 7-oz can) and mix in with the meat-of-choice. I used about 6 tablespoons and the Husband and Fifth Grader found it a little too fork-curling hot, so next time, I’ll use only 1-2 tablespoons–just depends on what you like.

INGREDIENTS:
16-oz seitan, sliced portobellos, or Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles
1/2 large onion, chopped
12 small flour or corn tortillas
2-1/2 C mix of vegan Monterey Jack cheese and vegan Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Tofutti sour cream
1-2 avocados, diced
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 recipe enchiladas sauce:
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs flour
1/4 C chili powder
2 C vegetable broth
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 pkg. enchiladas spices or recipe (below):
1 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Start with the enchiladas sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan, stir in flour, then chili powder (if you need to make your own chili powder, combine 3 Tbs paprika, 1 Tbs cumin, 2 T oregano, 1 tsp cayenne, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt). Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, cumin and oregano. Simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375. Sautee meat-of-choice with some olive oil until browned. Whether you use seitan, portobellos or ground crumbles, they only take about 10 minutes. Stir in spices. Add onion last couple of minutes of sauteeing.

Spread about a 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan. Fill each tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture and 1-2 Tbs of cheese. Be sure to save about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of cheese to spread on the top. Fold each tortilla and place into the pan. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve hot and top with a dollop of Tofutti sour cream, avocados and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Smoky Tempeh Marinade

April 16, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Nope…that’s not cubed steak.

This is a great marinade for tempeh and veggies. I chopped up some tempeh, mushrooms and onions, combined them in a large zip lock with the marinade for about 24 hours (you can easily just do an hour) and sauteed them up. The recipe is super versatile–crumble up the tempeh into small pieces and toss with a salad–both with greens or a taco salad–mix into a bean dip, or make tempeh burgers. If you don’t want too much of the smokiness, marinade for just 30 minutes–that would still give it a nice, subtle flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon ginger
Splash of water
1 pkg tempeh, cubed

Remove tempeh and other veggies with a slotted spoon and discard the marinade when ready to saute.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: Factory Farming Campaign

Sesame Noodles With Tofu Steaks

April 13, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This recipe has so many of my favorite ingredients: tofu, sesame and bok choy. It’s a hands-on meal from start to finish, but it definitely isn’t complicated. The tofu is wonderful and the recipe for it would be perfect for tofu sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into 12 equal slices
7 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola or sunflower
3/4 pound udon or soba noodles
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed well but not trimmed
1 scallion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:
Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, and keep the water at a boil while you prepare the tofu.
Lay the tofu slices on one half of a clean cloth towel. Fold the other half over the tofu and gently press down to extract any excess moisture. ( I pressed the whole block, then sliced it)
Place 6 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the mirin, honey, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Warm a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the neutral oil. Let it heat for 30 seconds. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the pieces over, pour on the soy mixture, and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened, another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until done. Drain the noodles, and transfer them to a large bowl.

Add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, and remaining soy sauce, tossing the pasta to blend well. Return the pot to high heat and add the bok choy and 1 cup of water. Cover the pot and steam until the bok choy is crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes.

Serve the noodles topped with greens and tofu, sprinkled with scallions. For some crunch, I suggest sprinkling chopped peanuts on top. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Peter Berley

Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, and keep the water at a boil while you prepare the tofu.
Lay the tofu slices on one half of a clean cloth towel. Fold the other half over the tofu and gently press down to extract any excess moisture.
Place 6 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the mirin, honey, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Warm a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the neutral oil. Let it heat for 30 seconds. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the pieces over, pour on the soy mixture, and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened, another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until done. Drain the noodles, and transfer them to a large bowl.
Add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, and remaining soy sauce, tossing the pasta to blend well. Return the pot to high heat and add the bok choy and 1 cup of water. Cover the pot and steam until the bok choy is crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Serve the noodles topped with greens and tofu, sprinkled with scallions.

Product Review: Smart Deli Baked Ham Style

April 12, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love it when I can find a tasty meat alternative that when you compare the nutritional facts to regular meat, the veggie comes out on top! I had always been a bit skittish around fake deli meats, thinking they were going to smell and taste like my dog’s rubber chew toys. I finally took the big step a while back and tried Lightlife’s Smart Deli Baked Ham and it’s quickly landed a spot on my weekly grocery list.

One 5.5 oz box will run you about $3.40 and give you 12 slices. They taste much like deli ham, but less salty. Sandwiched between two pieces of whole wheat bread, I layered on some Veganaise, 3 slices of these “veggie protein slices”, spinach, a couple of avocado slices, and a tomato slice or two. Delicious!

Here’s a list of ingredients:

Water, wheat gluten, soy protein isolate, evaporated cane juice, less than 2% of: tapioca starch, natural flavor (from vegetable sources), autolyzed yeast extract, natural smoke flavor, sea salt, carrageenan, potassium chloride, tomato pulp, soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), citric acid, fermented rice flour, salt, xanthan gum, paprika oleoresin (for flavor & color).

Now for the good stuff: (this is for my non-vegan friends who visit my blog to prove that I don’t sit around eating blocks of tofu wrapped in lettuce).

I serving size is 4 slices and you’re looking at 70 calories, compared to 91 calories for just 2 slices of regular ham. Smart Deli Ham has…drumroll please…just 1 gram of fat per 4 slices! while our beloved Miss Piggy has 4.82 grams–1.6 of those grams are saturated fat. While SM has 390 mg of sodium for those 4 slices, regular ham passes on a whopping 730mg of sodium–and that’s just for 2 slices! And for all those worried us vegans do not get enough protein, let me assure you that one serving gives you 12 grams of protein compared to only 9.3 grams for only 2 slices of Babe. And one last thing…Smart Deli ham is naturally cholesterol free, while the other has 32mg of the nasty stuff.

(It’s the little things in life that get me excited…) 🙂

Check out more products by Lightlife who uses organic ingredients and does not use soybeans that were produced using biotechnology. Gotta love it.

Stuffed Shells

April 10, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Ricotta what?! Who needs ricotta? These stuffed shells are outstanding and the tofu mixture can easily be used for lasagna. If you don’t have fresh basil, use 1-1/2 tablespoons of the dried variety. In the past, I’ve also added about 6 large spinach leaves after processing everything else. Great way to get some added calcium and veggies. Also, if you don’t have any French or Italian bread, make garlic toast easily with leftover hamburger or hot dog buns. I had some whole wheat hamburger buns in the freezer, so I thawed them briefly in the microwave, spread them with some Earth Balance and sprinkled them with garlic salt. Pop them in the oven under a high broiler while the shells cool after baking.

INGREDIENTS:
1 12-oz pgk. jumbo pasta shells
1 14-oz pgk. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 jar marinara sauce (I like Newman’s Own)
1/4-1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 C fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded and divided

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Add tofu, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice to a food processor and process well until the mixture resembles ricotta cheese. Stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

Cook shells according to package instructions, but subtract a couple of minutes–you want the shells very al dente so that they do not split. Pour a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking dish. Stuff each shell (about 43 of them) with 2-3 tsp of tofu mixture and place in pan. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and enjoy!

Garlic-toasted hamburger buns

Sweet and Sour Seitan

April 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is a really quick and easy meal to throw together–less than 30 minutes. Tofu can easily be substituted for the seitan and other vegetables can be added as well. The original recipe calls for frying the seitan in 2″ of oil, but I’m not a fan of deep-frying so I sauteed the seitan instead, which worked out great. This recipe makes quite a bit if you use 2 packages of seitan–it’ll feed 4-6. For a small crowd, I’d do just 1 package and halve the other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages seitan cut into bite-sized chunks
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup water
Peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 green pepper cut in chunks
1 red pepper cut in chunks
1 onion cut in chunks
1 can pineapple chunks (drain, but reserve 1/4 C of juice)
Jar (11.5 oz) of sweet and sour sauce (I like Kikkoman’s brand)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together flour, water, cornstarch, salt and baking soda in medium bowl.
Stir seitan into batter until well coated. Heat 2-3 Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet. Add seitan. Because of the batter, the pieces will stick together–use a metal spatula to turn sections of seitan and cut apart later. Cook until golden brown, then remove from heat; keep warm.

Combine green pepper and onion and sauté for 5 min. Add pineapple and reserved juice, and sweet and sour sauce. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Pour over seitan–I recommend not adding the seitan to the pan because the coating may come off. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegweb

Pita Quesadillas with Cilantro Hummus

April 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I was thumbing through the latest issue of Vegetarian Times and when I saw this recipe, I decided right then and there to try these. I happened to have all the ingredients, even adding some Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack cheese and between that, the roasted red peppers and cilantro, it made a delicious, quick and easy lunch.

INGREDIENTS:
Hummus:
1/2 C cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled (I used minced)
1-1/2 C cooked chickpeas (or 1 15oz can, rinsed and drained)
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs olive oil
Quesadillas:
4 7″ whole-wheat pitas, split crosswise
4 jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
1-1/2 C baby spinach leaves
Optional: Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack, shredded (I did little slices, but shredding it would have been better)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. To make hummus: Process cilantro leaves and garlic in food processor until chopped. (I added the garlic later since it was already minced). Add the chickpeas, lime juice, oil, and 1/4 C water; puree 3 minutes, or until creamy.

To make the quesadillas: Place 4 pitas halves on baking sheet. Spread each with 1/2 C hummus. Top with peppers, spinach, cheese (if using) and remaining pita halves. Bake 10 mins, serve and enjoy!

Cheezy Sauce

April 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Yep…here is yet another “cheese” sauce–this one quite impressive from Veganomicon. The ingredient list is relatively small and the flavor is not soy sauce-y like most (’cause there isn’t any in this recipe)! It’s quite simple to make and can be used on nachos, pastas, baked potatoes and as a dip for veggies. I think this sauce tastes closest to real cheese and I’ll certainly try it on other food. Like most “cheese” sauces, I recommend not microwaving any leftovers, but rather reheating it on the stove. Also, it does help to have the ingredients measured out and ready to go before starting…and of course, I went to my go-to ingredient for added creaminess…Tofutti sour cream!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C vegetable broth
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 tsp salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper (I did 4 pinches)
1/8 tsp turmeric
3/4 C nutritional yeast
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
Optional: 1/4 C Tofutti sour cream
Optional: Vegan Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk until dissolved. Preheat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 mins, stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3-5 mins; if it doesn’t, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more mins. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty the vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. (If using the sour cream, add it now). The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm and enjoy!

Product Review: Amy’s Roasted Vegetable, No Cheese Pizza

April 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I was excited to try this pizza since I’ve had good luck with other products from Amy’s Kitchen. A no-cheese pizza is a hard thing to make–and to make it tasty is a whole other ball game. This certainly isn’t a home run–more like a ground double. It wasn’t bad.

First of all, let’s check out the ingredients: (VEGAN) ORGANIC WHEAT FLOUR WITH ORGANIC OAT BRAN AND WHEAT GERM, ORGANIC ONIONS, FILTERED WATER, ARTICHOKES, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORGANIC ROASTED RED PEPPERS, ORGANIC TOMATOES, ORGANIC SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, ORGANIC AGAVE NECTAR, BALSAMIC VINEGAR, SEA SALT, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, ORGANIC GARLIC, ORGANIC LEMON JUICE, YEAST, SPICES. CONTAINS WHEAT.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size: 0.33, Servings Per Container: 3, Serving Weight: 113 g

Calories: 270, Calories from Fat:80

Total Fat: 9g 14%, Saturated Fat: 1.5g 8%, Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg 0%

Sodium: 490mg 20%

Carbohydrates: 42g 14%

Fiber: 2g 10%

Sugars: 5g

Protein: 6g 0%

Organic: 85%

Vitamin A: 6%, Vitamin C: 20%

Calcium: 2%, Iron: 4%

I paid about $4.50 for this single-serve pizza, which is a bit on the high side, but that is also the price we pay for organic and having to not wait more than 10 mins for it to cook. The toppings left much to be desired.

I desired more toppings.

They tasted good–just wanted more of them. The “sauce” is some type of vegetable, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was–cobweb-like onions is all I can think of to explain it. It satisfied my hunger, but it was just, ok. The lack of toppings really killed it for me. The crust was good, however–not soggy or chewy like some frozen pizzas. Definitely take the few extra minutes to bake it in the oven–I can’t imagine how terrible it would taste coming out of the microwave!

Check out (better) vegan products from Amy’s Kitchen–they do have some winners!

Roasted Veggies and Baked Tofu with Sesame-Ginger Rice

April 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This was one of those “clean-out-the-fridge” meals that despite the different flavors, meshed extremely well together. I had an abundance of fresh vegetables in the crisper (I swear they multiplied in there) and some baked tofu. Add some pilaf and there you go–an easy, satisfying and healthy meal.

INGREDIENTS:
Any veggies you want. I cut up (thickly): asparagus, red onion, green and yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms. If using potatoes, I recommend cooking them a bit first since they take longer to cook. Other ideas: zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, or brussel sprouts. I coated them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, dried thyme and dried rosemary.

2 pkgs Westsoy Baked Tofu, Italian Garlic & Herb flavor
1 C snow peas, cut into 1″ pieces
Near East brand Sesame-Ginger Pilaf

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with foil and placed prepared vegetables on the pan and bake for about 20-25 mins. Potatoes can take about 40-45 mins. The rice took about 20 mins and in the meantime, I diced up the tofu and added it to a large skillet over medium heat and a tiny bit of olive oil. After a couple of minutes, I added the snow peas. Saute until tofu is golden brown. Enjoy!