epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Tofu in Tahini Sauce

November 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 4

I know, a very monochromatic meal! The recipe called for mixing half the sauce with the rice, or other accompaniment, but feel free to omit that step, especially for a less beige result. I also recommend adding some steam asparagus and/or mushrooms, or broccoli. This is simple and the sauce is rich and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1-14oz pkg firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbs olive or peanut oil
1/3 C chopped peanuts, cashews, or a combination of both
Toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
1/4 C soy sauce
1 Tbs tamari
1/4 C tahini
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sesame oil
1/2 a small white onion, chopped
1/3 C water
Salt, to taste

Accompaniment:
1 C Arborio rice (risotto)
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1-1/2 C water

DIRECTIONS:
I recommend making the sauce first so that you don’t have to pan-fry the tofu at the same time. In a food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients and puree until smooth. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine the water, margarine, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover tightly with a lid for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil. Slice the tofu into 7-8 steaks, then slice each diagonally in half. Add to the pan and fry each main side until golden brown.

Pour sauce over tofu and coat each piece of tofu.Remove from heat and stir in nuts. If using, add steamed (or roasted) veggies of your choice. Serve over rice, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Epicurious

Latin-Inspired Coleslaw

November 3, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 3

I have become enamored with coleslaw this year. I guess it’s because we’ve received so much cabbage from our CSA, and before, I never really gave cabbage that much thought. I’ve made regular coleslaw and Asian coleslaw, so of course, it was only natural to make a Mexican-style one. This is great on its own, or wrapped in a tortilla.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 C fresh cilantro, slightly chopped
3 large green onion, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 Tbs pimento, diced
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
1/2 C Vegenaise
1 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp Ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C vegan cheddar shredded (or vegan pepper jack for an added kick)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, cilantro, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, Vegenaise, almond milk, lime juice, liquid smoke, pimento, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add the sour cream mixture to the cabbage mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in cheeze. Enjoy!

It’s Election Day!

November 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 2:

In the spirit of Election Day, I thought I’d bring up politicians and veganism. You wouldn’t exactly say they go hand-in-hand, but you might be surprised. We already know that Bill Clinton has joined the veg side, but what about other current leaders?

Dennis Kucinich, House Representative, US Congress, Manmohan Singh, 14th and current Prime Minister of India, Coretta Scott King, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, current President of India, Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya, former President of Zambia, Andrew Bartlett, Senator in Australian Parliament, Bernie Goetz, NYC Mayoral candidate, Wilson Goode, former Mayor of Philadelphia, Dr. Janez Drnovsek, 2nd President of Slovenia, James G. Abourezk, US Congressman, Sofia of Greece, Queen of Spain, Anne Campbell, British Parliament member.

And what about some of these oldies: Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Annie Besant, political activist in England and India, Andrews Jacobs, US Congress, Sir Stafford Cripps, British Labor Party politician, General William Booth, British Founder and 1st General of Salvation Army, Lamartine, French writer, poet and politician, Martin Luther, German theologian, Augustinian monk and ecclesiastical reformer, Willem Drees, former Dutch politician and Prime Minister . . .

So how does veganism and politics collide today? Obviously through legislature and activism—mostly animal rights and the practices of meat and dairy producers. But what about food in general and world hunger? Did you know that there is enough grain grown in the world to feed the world? But 40% of it goes to feeding the animals that will eventually be slaughtered. Whether we like it or not, we need politicians to make change.

Regardless of your candidates’ diet choices, make your voice heard and VOTE today!

“Cheddar” and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

October 30, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Like the Party Cheese Ball, people will not be able to tell this is vegan! I love this dip and I guarantee, so will your guests (that is, if you don’t eat it all yourself)!

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Tofutti cream cheese
1/4 C Tofutti sour cream
1/2 C plain soy yogurt
2 C vegan cheddar, shredded (Daiya brand)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 (I recommend 10-12) oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and minced
Dash of salt

DIRECTIONS:
Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, and yogurt in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheddar, garlic, scallions, tomatoes, and salt. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with crackers, chips and veggies. Enjoy!

Recipe: adapted from Beyond the Moon Cookbook

Feast On This!

October 28, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The United Nations Environmental Program’s Report

You’ve probably heard about their report, or at least got wind of it on blogger sites. It has created quite a debate among vegans, carnivores, environmentalists, and everyone in between. The report, issued this summer, suggested people move to a plant-based diet to save the world from hunger, poverty, and global warming and other environmental issues. This isn’t something we haven’t heard before—there are have been numerous studies showing the same results. The University of Chicago’s findings in 2006 also showed that a vegan diet is healthier for people and for the planet.

Professor Edgar Hertwich, one of the lead authors of the UN report said:

“Animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as [burning] fossil fuels.”

According to the report, the production of dairy products, consumes 70% of global fresh water, 38% of land use and 19% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The report sparked some debate all over the internet world, particularly on the Guardian and it was mixed, but what I found so disheartening, were the amount of people making idiotic jokes about the situation: “Never mind i will just move onto Kangaroo meat…” So many people just don’t care. Telling people that something they love (something we have been eating for generations) is not good for you or for the environment, brings out the worst in people.

What I hope people see is that we’ve been brainwashed into eating animal products and it’s a matter of becoming aware. I strongly urge to read the report HERE.

So I began this post Thursday afternoon and then . . . we decided to go see a movie. Waiting for “Superman“. It has absolutely nothing to do with food, let alone vegan food, but it has to do with something that is also very important to me: public education. I had to share this with all of you.

Davis Guggenheim, director of An Inconvenient Truth, brings us this documentary about the US’s failing pubic schools and the possible reasons why. It’s a very powerful film that left The Husband and I dumbfounded, furious, and feeling very lucky that our son is able to attend an amazing public school. Millions of kids and families aren’t so lucky. Check out the trailer and please go see it. We even took The Sixth Grader—a great age for kids to see this movie. I think it opened his eyes to the realities that so many other kids face.

Person of the Year

As if just for me, VegNews features Bob Harper on the cover of their latest issue and . . . name him Person of the Year! Woo hoo! As you may recall, I had blogged about my favorite trainer not too long ago and here he is. Also, on VegNews.com, it appears that his cohort, Jillian Michaels, who is not a vegan, is now endorsing So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage. She says avoids eating beef and chicken because of slaughterhouse practices, which I commend, but how is pork, dairy and other animal products different? And why do they promote Jennie-O products on the show? I’m guessing it’s a contractual thing, but it’s too bad. In this case, I say preach what you practice.

“Truely man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.”

-Leonardo da Vinci

Product Review: Amy’s Non-Dairy Pizza with Rice Crust

October 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I cruised the frozen section of my favorite health food store for something new to try that promised to be vegan deliciousness. I came across Amy’s Gluten-Free and Non-Dairy Cheeze Pizza with Rice Crust. Sounded promising, especially since Amy scored with the non-dairy mac and cheeze. I decided to overlook the $6.99 price tag and give it a try.

I preheated the oven to 425, as instructed and inspected the 7″ pizza. It looked enticing with more cheese than I was expecting—most frozen pizzas can be sparse on the toppings, as was the case with Amy’s No Cheese Pizza.

The instructions suggest baking the pizza for 8-10 minutes, then “carefully remove pizza directly under the broiler. Broil for 45-60 seconds, just enough to melt cheese.” Well, this isn’t easy to do. I don’t recommend holding it up to the broiler–too hot. So I left the pizza on the rack, closed the oven door and let the broiler work its toasting/melting magic. The results were less than stellar. It’s pretty hard to melt the cheese without burning the crust in the process.

(Yes, the above pic is the baked pizza–I know, kind of hard to tell . . . see burnt edge of crust).

Anyway, I never let a little charred bread get the best of me, so I sliced it up and dug in. Drumroll, please. . .

It didn’t move me. I did not do my happy vegan food dance that I am known to do when yummy vegan food leaves me speechless. This left me wanting some flavor. I was tempted to sprinkle on some Daiya cheese and throw it back in the oven, but after spending $7, I wasn’t going to add more to it by using up some of my coveted vegan shreds. (The back of the box even says, “And of course you can add your own favorite toppings!”) Not for that price. The crust was ok–a little too soggy in the middle. There just wasn’t any flavor—nothing. Pretty disappointing, especially for the cost. Oh well. So far it seems Amy can’t quite master the vegan pizza—but I will say, that’s not an easy task. However, I wonder since they use Daiya in the mac and cheeze, why can’t they use it for the pizza?

Click HERE for a list of the ingredients.

GORP Cookies

October 26, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Easy, somewhat healthy and delicious! Need I say more?

INGREDIENTS:
1 C Earth Balance margarine, softened
1 C brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp almond milk (or 1 tsp almond milk and 1 tsp vanilla)
1 tsp baking soda
2 C flour (or 1-3/4 C flour and 1/4 C wheat germ)
1 C raisins
1 C peanuts, roasted and unsalted
3/4 C dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli Semi-sweet chips)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add milk (and/or vanilla) and baking soda. Mix in flour (and/or wheat germ). Stir in peanuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.

Drop a tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking racks–makes 45-48 cookies. Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll-ups

October 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is an easy twist on a classic. I’ve seen these done where you place the roll-ups on the side so the cute, frilly side of the noodle faces up, but I could just see things going wrong for me, so if you’re feeling brave, by all means, go for it!

INGREDIENTS:
My go-to tofu ricotta:
1 14-oz firm (or extra firm) tofu, drained and pressed
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 C fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

The rest:
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
18 lasagna noodles
3-1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced very thin
10 mushrooms, sliced very thin
8-0z vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 jar marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure you don’t cook them all the way—it’ll be easier to use them if they’re very al dente. Crumble tofu into a food processor. Add nutritional yeast, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Puree well. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup of vegan mozzarella.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic. Add the zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook just another 2-3 minutes.

Put a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan (I forgot to do this, but its no big deal). Use a spoon or rubber spatula to spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on a lasagna noodle. Next, layer on some spinach, zucchini mixture (only about 8-10 pieces) and a little cheese.

Carefully roll up noodle and place in the pan.

Once all 18 noodles (one of mine was broken, so I have 17) pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Mushroom Garlic Bisque

October 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I had a feeling I was going to like this mauve-colored soup because it not only has mushrooms, but wine as well. Yep, I love it. This comes from a cookbook that I’ve recently rediscovered—I’ve had it for years. Beyond the Moon Cookbook is all vegetarian, so I had to veganize the soup, which was no problem. Served with some rustic bread, this soup was ideal for a chilly fall evening.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C dry red wine
1-1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered (about 6 cups)
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1-1/2 C onions, chopped
10 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-1/2 C fresh bread crumbs (I used an olive loaf and chopped up about 1/2 of it)
1 C Tofutti sour cream
2-1/2 C almond milk
2 Tbs tamari
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
Dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, heat 1-1/2 cups of the wine and add the mushrooms .

Simmer, partially covered, until the mushrooms have absorbed all wine, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet and add the onions, garlic, and thyme until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Puree the onions in a food processor.

Add the bread crumbs, sour cream, and three-quarters of the cooked mushrooms.

(fresh bread crumbs)
Process until smooth.

Stir the puree into the soup pot with the left over mushrooms. Whisk in the milk, tamari, salt, basil, pepper, remaining 1/2 cup red wine, and 2-1/2 cups of water. Heat until warmed through, stirring often. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

October 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The Sixth Grader helped me make pancakes—he’s actually quite a seasoned pancake-flipper and was very explicit in his instructions. He wanted to make sure I told all of you the importance of not pressing down on the pancake once it is flipped; you lose all fluffiness. These are simple to throw together and if you’re lucky enough to have a Pancake-Flipper pro, breakfast is done in no time!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
3 Tbs baking powder
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 C vanilla almond milk
4 Tbs vegetable oil
Cooking spray
Earth Balance margarine
Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk in milk and oil and combine until smooth.

Spray a skillet or flat griddle and heat on medium heat. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 C of batter to make each pancake. A good rule of thumb when making these is to wait until air holes/bubbles form before flipping. Flip and cook until golden brown (and remember, no pressing down with the spatula)!

I typically keep them warm in the oven until finished, then smother with some Earth Balance and maple syrup and enjoy!

Makes about a dozen pancakes.

*I don’t recommend this batter for waffles. We tried that the next morning and it didn’t work to swell.