epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Feast On This!

December 10, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Wow…Friday already?! That was fast. . .

Staying Vegan (.com)

I’ve recently discovered this Staying Vegan, a blog dedicated to giving you tips and tricks to staying on the vegan path. You can meet (and see) Jason Doucette, owner of Staying Vegan everyday on videos he posts–giving advice and tips on living as a vegan, in a non-vegan world!

He gives practical, thoughtful, and oftentimes, clever answers and advice to everyday vegan dilemmas such as, finding vegan products in a small town, what to say to meat eaters who say they “love animals”, and vegan kitchen essentials, which leads to. . .great recipes and other advice for the vegan chef in you.

Check out Staying Vegan and once you do, I’m sure you won’t hesitate to sign up for his newsletter!

Do you find that it’s had to stay vegan? What are some frustrating issues that you encounter often from being a vegan?

How to Raise a Vegan Mini-Me

Well, I don’t know if I really have the answers to this, but I think I’ve learned a few things along my vegan journey. My son went vegan shortly after turning 11, so weaning a kid off animal products at that age, could be like starting World War III, but lucky for me, my kid takes after his mother. 🙂 I was never a big meat eater as a child, and neither is The Sixth Grader. That helps. So here are a few things I’ve learned as a vegan parent:

1. Cook Good Vegan Food. Easy, right? It really is, actually. Today, meat and dairy alternatives are so much better than they ever used to be and make cooking veg a lot easier than you think. However, I would introduce these “alien” foods little by little—don’t want to induce shock. When making things with ground beef, try subbing half the meat with Boca Crumbles, then every time you make junior’s favorite tacos, add more of the plant-based crumbles. Do the same with dairy: Make a mixture of almond milk and cow’s milk in a container for their morning cereal, and slowly convert it completely to almond milk. This may take a couple of weeks. Wean. . .think wean. My suggestion, is not to make it a big deal. Don’t go saying, “Guess what? Mommy’s going to make Tofu Steaks for dinner! Yea!” Won’t work; they’ll hate it before they even try it. Also, don’t try to focus on veganizing their favorite meals because it could backfire. Perfect it first, before surprising them with it.

2. Let the Kiddo be the Cook. Or at least be the sou chef (if knives aren’t involved). Whether it’s once a week, every two weeks, or once a month, let the kid pick out ingredients to make a meal for the fam. The main rule: ingredients have to be plant-based. Take them to the farmers’ market or Whole Foods and let them have a gander—rule number one won’t be a problem. There will be plenty to choose from. I think that when kids know they can be part of something and to also know a little of what to expect, they’re putty in your hands. Being able to create a meal for the family (with your help, of course) give them so much confidence and pride, they’ll probably forget that it’s vegan. Not only that, what a cool activity to do together that gives you chance to instill healthy eating habits!

3. Watch Food, Inc. This one is great for kids 5th grade and up. They “get it.” Watch it with them, then talk about it. Even though it’s not about veganism, it raises poignant questions regarding animal consumption and where it comes from. The Sixth Grader said that this movie really pushed him to go veg. For the reader, try The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Young Reader Edition. I have not read this version, have you? What did you think?

4. Try a Heaping Scoop of Guilt. That’s right. Mom’s are awesome at this. Or maybe what it is, is just tugging at your kids’ heartstrings. Take them to an animal sanctuary/rescue. Yea! Field trip! Kids love this stuff, especially when animals are involved. This is a perfect opportunity to explain why and how these animals came to be at the sanctuary. I’m sure those in charge of the sanctuary are great when talking to kids about their fabulous organization and would gladly help you out.

5. Be the Coolest Lunch Lady Ever. Pack your kid’s lunch and be the envy of all grade-schoolers everywhere and let your kid help! Ask for their suggestions, then of course, compromise (because you’ll have to), but also let them pick something out. Again, like dinner, it has to be plant-based and preferably healthy, but it gives them a little bit of power. And change it up every so often; the same-o, same-o gets boring and thrown in the trash. The Sixth Grader gets a sandwich with Smart Deli meat, a Tofutti cheese slice, tomato and spinach. He picks out his favorite soy yogurt and other snacks, such as peanut butter pretzels and trail mix. Make it a team effort and they’ll look forward to their vegan lunch everyday. Maybe you can make their favorite chili Sunday night and send it with them all week, or vegan mac n’ cheese.

6. Don’t Give Up, But Don’t Be a Nag. They’ll come around. Kids learn from their parents’ actions and will see from you, that being a vegan works. Cut them slack though, because otherwise, they’ll fight you the whole way. If you include them in the process, they’re more apt to be open to it—they may even teach you a thing or two!

“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

December 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This was probably one of the strangest meals I ever made. Not in a bad way, just a strange process. This recipe is from my friend over at Kitchen Challengers and I finally got around to attempting it—I had never made gnocchi before, but have always wanted to, plus, I needed to veganize the recipe, which wasn’t hard. I suggest making the dough ahead of time and perhaps even having some help once it comes time to boil these squash pillows. The results were fabulous! I love squash, and combined with the seasonings and some vegan mozzarella, the gnocchi was savory and delish!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs butternut squash (I used one large and one small)
1 Tbs olive oil
1-1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer powder + 2 Tbs water
1-1/4 C flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C Vegan Parmesan
5 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
1/4 C Vegan Rella

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Cut the squash in half, clean out the seeds and place in a baking dish with 1/2 C (I used about a cup) of water. Bake for 45 minutes. Using tongs, I transferred the squash to a cooling rack.

Once they have cooled enough to handle, scrape out the squash into a bowl and mash them. I used a pastry blender.

Mix in the egg replacer, flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper and vegan Parmesan. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. I did this step earlier in the day, so it sat in the fridge for a couple of hours. I think the longer the dough chills, the easier it is to use later.

Boil 6 quarts of salted water. So here comes the fun part. The recipe recommends using a pastry bag and kitchen scissors to create the gnocchi. It gave me a good excuse to head over to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick one up—I had been needing one anyway. I’ve also seen it where the dough can be rolled out by hand and cut into pieces. Either way will work . . .I’m sure. 😉

So squeeze out 1/2″-1″ “dumplings” and cut into the boiling water. You can cook about 20-30 at a time and within 2-3 minutes, little water-logged Cheetos, will rise to the surface—one by one. Using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, fish them out and transfer to a large bowl of ice water.

After a few batches, I then transferred them to a bowl lined with paper towels. You will probably have to add more ice to the water once or twice until you have made all the gnocchi.

In a large skillet, melt the margarine and add the sage and gnocchi until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with mozzarella. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff

December 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I saw this recipe this morning from Healthy Exposures and I knew I had to make it. It calls for some roasted red pepper hummus and I actually had some in the fridge, so it just had to happen. It also has two of my favorite ingredients: mushrooms and kale. I was sold. I doubled the recipe, as originally, it’s for 2 servings. The fennel, I believe, was key. It gave the dish that stroganoff-beef taste, which surprised me, as I’ve only used fennel in chai flavoring. Be sure to check out Healthy Exposures’ yummy vegan recipes, (plus this original recipe),wonderful photography and her beautiful horse, Teddie. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
14-oz whole wheat pasta
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced (I added this)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 C sliced mushrooms
6 large kale leaves, thinly sliced (I tore them up)
1/2 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C reserved pasta water
2 Tbs white bean flour (I used garbanzo flour since that was all I had)
4 Tbs roasted red pepper hummus
1 Tbs pub-style Dijon mustard
2 Tbs nutritional yeast

Cook pasta until al dente. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add the garlic and onions. Saute until the onions begin to brown. Add the mushrooms, kale, fennel, salt, and pepper.

Okay, I went a little nuts with the kale, but I LOVE kale so much, I could not be stopped. Add 4 Tbs of water and cover until kale cooks down. In a small bowl, whisk together the pasta water, flour, hummus, Dijon, and nutritional yeast. Once the kale mixture has cooked down, add the liquid mixture to it and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens.

I then served this over individual servings of pasta and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. It was phenomenal! We all loved it. Enjoy!

My Cure-All Vegetable-Miso Soup

December 3, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Well, curing colds is the idea. If anything, this soup is hearty and flavorful. It’s also packed full of immune-boosting ingredients. The Husband was struck with a cold for two weeks, then after four days of wellness, got hit again. The Sixth Grader is now catching on to this cold business. I’m a firm believer that fresh fruits and vegetables are the best remedy for the cold. Unfortunately, the Husband didn’t load up on them when he was sick . . .hmmm. . . Twice, I did feel it coming on, and both times I ate a big bowl of steamed kale. Cold symptoms gone. I make the kale a regular thing for me now—at least three days a week and even for breakfast. So last night my sniffling, coughing guys were asking for me to make the colds go away, so to the kitchen I went and for a appetizer, I made them split an orange bell pepper, which is loaded with beta carotene, vitamin A and antioxidants.

INGREDIENTS:
4 C low-sodium vegetable broth
3 C water
2 C red potatoes, diced
1 large leek (loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, chromium and selenium)
2 tsp garlic, minced (also loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, chromium and selenium)
1 C carrots, sliced (get your beta carotene, Vitamin A and antioxidants)
2 C button or shiitake mushrooms, quartered (packed full of nutrients–long list–plus some fiber)
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (high in fiber and protein)
1/2 C yellow miso

Optional: 1 C kale or spinach

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the vegetable broth and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes, carrots and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes and then add the garlic and beans. Simmer again for another 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are soft, but still with a bit of a crunch. Stir in miso and mushrooms and simmer 5 minutes. It’s that easy!! Serve with a little extra love and it’s sure to cure colds! Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed and Cranberry Bread/Cake

November 30, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 30!!

Well, it’s the final day of Vegan MoFo! I can’t believe I blogged everyday this month except for one stinkin’ day! Oh well—it was definitely a fun challenge, but I’m a little relieved at the same time.
This cakey bread is not overly sweet since I just used agave as a sweetener, so icing it will definitely give it more of a sweet punch. You can also make this in a 9×5 loaf pan, or two smaller loaf pans, making it more of a bread than a cake. I like having options. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C almond milk
1/3 C poppy seeds
3/4 C agave nectar
3/4 C Earth Balance, softened
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 Tbs water
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 C flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C dried cranberries

Icing:
About a cup of Confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a bundt pan. Whisk together egg replacer powder and water; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the milk. Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the poppy seeds; set side. In a large bowl, cream together butter and honey until smooth, then add egg replacer. In a small bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Take half of the flour mixture and add it to the butter mixture and combine well. Add milk mixture, then the rest of dry ingredients. Stir in the cranberries. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Turn oven down to 300 and bake another 7-8 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

Let it cool slightly on a rack, then transfer to a large plate.

To make the icing, combine sugar and lemon juice, add more of either ingredient to reach desired consistency. Once bread is cool, or just slightly warm, drizzle with icing. Enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Beyond the Moon Cookbook

Porcini Mushroom Pasta with a Cream Cheese Sauce

November 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 29

I can’t believe I went this far into Vegn MoFo and missed yesterday! It was a busy day of Christmas shopping then an evening of margaritas and a taco bar at the neighbor’s. We made tacos with Boca crumbles, Tofutti sour cream, Daiya cheese, vegetarian refries . . .it was great! So tonight, I went with something easy and quick. The recipe came with the Pappardelle’s pasta, but I made some alterations.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz porcini mushroom fettucini
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C green onions, sliced or 1 large leek or 1/c C yellow onion (I used green onions since I had a ton left over from last night’s taco bar)
3 oz Tofutti sour cream
3 Tbs Earth Balance
1/3 C almond milk
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced onion or 2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to instructions. In a medium saucepan heat Earth Balance and garlic. Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes; add green onions. Saute another 3-4 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and mix until thoroughly melted and combined.

Add almond milk and combine well. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper.

Ladle over individual servings of pasta and enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls

November 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 27

I had such high hopes for this dish, but frankly it was a disaster. Well, the journey to the end result, that is. The first red flag was that the cabbage had been sliced, so the leaves weren’t very usable. So I opted for romaine leaves and the second red flag was that they had gotten frozen in the fridge, so some of them were damaged. Did that stop me? Of course not, but it wasn’t without some colorful language. It was like a horror movie. I knew I should have turned around from the ominous signs in the kitchen and got the hell out of there. But I stayed. I fought. And crawled out from the carnage a hour later. There had to be a easier way. Iceberg lettuce. I think that would have worked so much better. No horror movie re-enactments necessary. They may not be pretty, but the taste is incredible!

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 C rice, uncooked
1 C vegetable broth
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 small onion, diced small
1-1/2 C shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 Apple-Sage Field Roast sausages, torn into small pieces
1/3 C walnuts, chopped
8-10 large iceberg lettuce leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:
1/2 tsp dried marjornam
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 green onions, or 1 large leek, chopped
4 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C vegetable broth
1/2 C sherry
2-4 Tbs flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300–just to keep stuff warm. In a medium skillet, cook the rice in the vegetable broth. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and garlic. Add bell pepper and onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the Field Roast and shiitake mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms soften, then stir in the cooked rice.

So here is where the Wes Craven-esque stuff started to happen. I couldn’t get the cabbage leaves apart in one nice piece. I was able to get a few unscathed leaves, so I steamed them for just a couple of minutes to soften them a little. I didn’t have enough, so I pull out some (half-frozen) romaine lettuce which wouldn’t cooperate and roll up well.

I did the best I could . . .

I placed each roll in a 9×13″ pan, covered with foil, then placed them in the warm oven. To prepare the sauce, heat the margarine in a small saucepan, add the leeks or green onions. I had about 3 shiitake mushrooms leftover, so I diced them up and added them then, too. Combine the flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then whisk into the saucepan. Immediately add the broth and sherry and whisk thoroughly. Add more flour, if needed, to reach a desired consistency. Serve with rolls with sauce ladled over them.

So the end result was good, but the process was so much more painful than it needed to be. Have you ever tried a similar recipe? Have any suggestions?

Pineapple Salsa

November 26, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 26

Happy Black Friday. As for me, I’m staying far away from the maddening crowds; safe at home.

My mom made this salsa—the recipe is actually from a friend and it won first place in a recent salsa contest. One bite and you’ll see why!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can pineapple rings, drained
1 medium red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of a bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1 chili pepper of choice, such as an anaheim

DIRECTIONS:
Grill the pineapple rings about 5 minutes on each side. Chop up and combine with the other ingredients. So easy! Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy.

Vegan Thanksgiving Brunch

November 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 25

Happy Thanksgiving!

About a week and a half ago, we had our first vegan Thanksgiving dinner, so today, we had our first vegan Thanksgiving brunch. As much as I love vegan food, particularly breakfast foods, today wasn’t all about the food. The last few months for us have given us many reasons to be thankful for what we have. Earlier this month we lost a friend to cancer. She left behind a husband and two young daughters. Another friend is battling leukemia, while a blogging friend shared her own family’s tragedy of nearly losing her nephew to drowning. Unfortunately, it often takes these situations to make us appreciate what we have, one of which, is our health. So it was a day of thanks and remembrance—served with delicious vegan food!

The star of the show was Stuffed French Toast:

INGREDIENTS:

1 loaf French bread, sliced 3/4″ thick
8-oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 C walnuts, chopped

Batter:

3 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer + 4 Tbs water
1/2 pkg of Silken Tofu (which worked perfectly since I used the other half to make the hash brown casserole)
1 C almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Cream together the cream cheese and pineapple. Stir in the walnuts. If making this step the night before (like I did), add the walnuts the next day, just before using. Otherwise, they’ll get too soft. To make the batter, combine the egg replacer powder and water in the food processor and process until fluffy. Add tofu, milk and vanilla; combine well and transfer to a shallow bowl. Basically, create sandwiches with the French bread and the cream cheese filling.

Dip each “sandwich” in the batter to cover each side. Preheat a flat griddle on the stove and use some cooking spray. Brown each side as if making a grilled cheese. I then transferred them to a plate in a warm oven until ready to eat. Top with some Earth Balance and syrup.

I also made my favorite hash brown casserole:

I also made vegan cheese danishes that I made before, but this time, used cranberries for the filling.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz Tofutti cream cheese
1/2 can cranberry sauce with whole berries
1 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs Earth Balance, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS:
Cream everything together. I used the food processor, but I recommend using a mixer—I pureed it a bit too much.

Click HERE for the danish recipe.

We also had a great fruit salad with an agave-lime dressing. (I’ll get the recipe posted soon)

For dessert, my mom made Vegetarian Times’ Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Isn’t it gorgeous?! My mom has always made beautiful and delicious pies. The taste and consistency was outstanding and sure tasted like pumpkin pie to everyone. It was the perfect ending to a perfect brunch.

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving has been filled with thanks, love and amazing food!

Wild Rice-Stuffed Portobellos

November 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 24

I have been dying to make these for a while now. They did not disappoint. I used about 2 cups of cooked wild rice for five mushrooms, but the recipe makes enough for six. Also, I recommend using vegetable broth when making the rice—keep in mind, the rice will take about 45 minutes to cook. Typically, I steam or slightly saute the mushroom caps before stuffing them, but this time I decided not to—and I’m glad. They came out perfect; not soggy or too soft. When looking for portobellos for this dish, try to pick out ones that are very bowl-shaped. They’ll flatten a little as they bake, so the curvier, the better. (I like that, curves are good)!

INGREDIENTS:
6 portobello mushrooms, stemmed and de-gilled
2 C wild rice, cooked
1 red bell pepper, diced small
3 large green onion, diced
1/2 a can of artichoke hearts, diced small
1 Tbs Earth Balance
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 C vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a large skillet, heat the margarine and garlic until hot. Add bell pepper, green onions, and artichokes. Saute 3-5 minutes and add rosemary, salt and pepper.

Saute another 5-7 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Add the cooked rice to the bowl and combine the two mixtures.

Place the portobello caps on the baking sheet—upside down. Sprinkle some vegan mozzarella inside the caps, then spoon the rice mixture into each cap evenly.You can season with some more salt and pepper, if you’d like.

Top with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!