epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Hash Brown Casserole

March 31, 2010 by epicureanvegan

There so many different versions of hash brown casseroles that I want to try, but this one is pretty dang good that I can’t see venturing to make too many other recipes. This was also very easy to make and perfect for Easter brunch which is just a few days away. The recipe calls for vegan sausage, so I used Tofurky Italian Sausage that is seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Feel free to change it up, using your favorite vegan meat. Leftovers are perfect for wrapping up in a tortilla with a bit of salsa and vegan cheese–make several and store in the fridge to grab and go. (Also check out Version II).

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 lb. vegan sausage, crumbled (I used 2.5 Tofurky sausages, using the food processor to crumble it quickly)
5 Tbs margarine, divided
6 green onions, sliced
4 Tbs flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs oregano
3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Lightly oil a 9×13″ casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Gently toss the hash browns and vegan sausage together and place in the casserole dish.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 Tbsp. of the margarine and sauté the green onions for 1 minute.

Whisk in the flour, creating a roux, and cook for 1 minute, or until browned. Gradually whisk in the broth, nutritional yeast, oregano, and soy milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (the sauce shouldn’t be so thick that it sits on top of the casserole instead of steeping through).

Season with the salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the casserole.

In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp. margarine and toss with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is browned. Let cool for 5 mins and then enjoy!

Recipe Source: Vegcooking

Potato-and-Artichoke-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

March 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Oh man…these are a mashed potato-lover’s dream. And portobellos?! Forget about it…I’m sold.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice (about 4 small potatoes)
1 Tbs vegan margarine, like Earth Balance
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
Salt and ground black pepper
1-1/2 C canned or cooked frozen artichoke hearts, finely diced (I used canned)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 C minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh minced thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
4 large Portobello mushroom caps, lightly rinsed, patted dry, gills removed
1/2 tsp sweet paprika

DIRECTIONS:
Steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 mins. Transfer the steamed potatoes to a large bowl. Add the margarine, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well, then add the artichokes. Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of oil over medium heat (I did this while the potatoes were steaming). Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 mins. Add the garlic and cook, uncovered, 1 min longer. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 mins to blend the flavors. Stir the onion mixture into the potatoes and mix until well blended.

Carefully spoon the stuffing mixture into the mushroom caps, packing them tightly and smoothing the tops. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the prepared baking pan and drizzle with the remaining Tbs of olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly with foil, and bake until the mushrooms have softened and the stuffing is hot, about 20 mins. Uncover and cook until the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 mins longer. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

Taco Salad

March 28, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is a light and easy meal that only takes about 10 mins to pull together. I’m loving these Meatless Ground Crumbles from Boca! They are perfect for this meal. If you don’t have taco seasoning, it’s easy to make your own–below is a recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg (12 oz) Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles, cooked according to package instructions
Lettuce
Vegan cheddar, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Salsa
Tortilla chips or strips (found with the salad dressings and croutons)
Tofutti sour cream or vegan ranch dressing
Taco seasoning:
1 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Layer lettuce (I used a combo of spinach and romaine), ground crumbles, cheese, tomato, avocado, salsa, tortilla chips or strips and vegan ranch or Tofutti sour cream and enjoy!

Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks and Peas

March 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This risotto from The Kind Diet, definitely takes some time to prepare, but is well worth it. I don’t recommend making this for a side dish unless the main meal is fast, easy with little hands-on time. Otherwise, this makes a great main dish served with garlic bread or toast.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbs olive oil
3/4 – 1 C oyster mushrooms, or 1 C button mushrooms, sliced
2 pinches of fine sea salt
1/2 C thinly sliced leeks (about 1 large leek)
1/2 C fresh or thawed frozen peas
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4-1 C onion, chopped
1 C arborio rice
1/2 C white wine or mirin (I used 3/4 white wine and 1/4 mirin)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs of the oil in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and stir until the mushrooms soften. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and saute for 1 minute, or until the leeks soften. Add some water to the pan, 1 Tbs at a time, if the vegetables become dryer or start to stick to the pan.

If you are using fresh peas, blanch then for 1 minute in a small pot of boiling water, and then add them to the sauteed vegetables. If using thawed frozen peas, just mix them straight into the sauteed vegetables. Remove from the heat and set aside. (I transferred them to a bowl).

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and when the onion begins to sizzle, add a dash of salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 1-2 mins. Stir in the rice and toast the grains until they are opaque, about 2-3 mins. Stir in the wine and cook until it is evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin adding the warm water by ladlefuls, stirring it into the risotto, and adding more liquid only when the previous addition has been absorbed.

After the rice has cooked for 20 mins, season to taste with salt. The total cooking time should be 25-30 mins. The risotto will be creamy, but the rice should retain some firmness. Add the sauteed vegetable mixture to the risotto and stir together until hot. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

March 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This recipe, from Vegan Planet, is great for leftover sweet potatoes, but if you don’t have any, it’s certainly easy enough to make this recipe. Just peel and dice 2 medium sweet potatoes, layer onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and cook for 15-20 mins at 375.

You can also serve this hash in a flour tortilla with some salsa and vegan shredded cheese…yum!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-sized ones)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 frozen veggie burgers, thawed and chopped or crumbled (6oz of Boca Meatless Crumbles would work well, too or 2 Tofurky Italian sausages–basil and sun dried tomato flavor, diced)
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
Salt and ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 mins. Add the potatoes, veggie burgers (I zapped the burgers in the microwave for about a minute–I’d go with 30 seconds, then chop or crumble them), cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 mins. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegan Planet

Hummus and Kalamata Olive Pizza

March 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Being a vegan, you can say good-bye to pizza. Well…traditional pizza, that is. But…vegans say hello to healthier pizza. I had a similar pizza while in Estes Park, CO when we got away for Spring Break, so here is my version. The Kalamata olives are wonderful on this pizza and the Husband kept sneaking them while I was making this meal, so if they look sparse, it’s his fault! Add some tofu feta if you’d like. Also, I strongly recommend using chopped fresh spinach–if using large leaves and you take a bite, it could be like pulling a tablecloth out from underneath a set of china and having it go horribly wrong. Chop it up.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 tsp yeast
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1-1/2 C hummus
1 C chopped fresh basil
3 C chopped fresh spinach
3/4 C chopped walnuts, toasted
1-6oz jar Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
2 roma tomatoes, diced
Balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Dough:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine flours, yeast, salt and rosemary. Add 1-1/4 C of hot tap water and olive oil. Mix well and shape into a ball. Knead for 5 mins, then let rise in a warm place for 15 mins. Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

Grease a large baking sheet and place dough in it. (I did slice off a small section to make a separate pizza for the 5th Grader, so the one you see on the large pan below is minus that…this makes a good-sized pizza, so making smaller ones would work well). Stick dough several times with a fork and bake for 4 mins.On baked crust, spread hummus first, then layer spinach, basil, olives and tomatoes.

Bake again for 8 mins. Before slicing, add toasted walnuts.

After serving, but before devouring, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Seitan Meatballs

March 22, 2010 by epicureanvegan

One bite and these “meat”balls were an instant favorite that I’ll be making often. They’re actually quite easy to make and prep time was only about 10 mins at the most. The recipe is from Vegetarian Times and includes a sauce recipe, which I didn’t have time for, so I just used jarred sauce. Already looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow…

INGREDIENTS:
1-16-oz pkg. seitan (I used 2-8oz pkgs of Westsoy’s beef-style seitan–in the red box)
1/2 C pecans
1/2 C whole wheat breadcrumbs (used regular–couldn’t find whole wheat)
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C chopped fresh basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs)
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp egg replacer powder
16-oz pasta
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray (I used foil and sprayed that–baked-on cooking spray is a pain to scrub off of baking sheets)! Crumble seitan in food processor . Add pecans; pulse to blend.

Transfer to a bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, 1 Tbs olive oil, and soy sauce. Whisk egg replacer with 1/4 C water until frothy; fold into seitan mixture.

Shape mixture into 18 (I got 20) balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush with remaining 2 Tbs oil.

Bake 20 mins, turning once, or until crusty and lightly browned. I didn’t bother turning them and they turned out great.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and divide among serving bowls. Top with sauce and meatballs. Enjoy!

UPDATE: These made GREAT meatball sandwiches!

Cranberry Muffin-Bundt

March 22, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The original recipe is called Low-Fat Vegan Coffee Cake but it really has more of a muffin-like texture, consistency and taste. “Coffeecake” just doesn’t seem to fit. It’s not to say it’s not delicious because it’s extremely tasty and moist. Plus…prep time was about 10 minutes and only required one medium sauce pan! How easy is that?! This would be great for dessert, brunch (Easter is coming up…) or just good ‘ol teatime.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup vegan margarine
2 cups applesauce
1 cup flour
1-1/2 cups wheat bran flakes or oat bran (I used the flakes and broke them up just a little bit)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional-but I used walnuts)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ square baking pan. I obviously used a bundt pan–I think it makes a much prettier presentation. In a medium-large saucepan, combine the margarine and applesauce over medium heat and heat until margarine is melted. Remove from heat.

Add the remaining ingredients, combine well and pour into prepared baking pan. I had to shake the pan to even out the batter. It should resemble oatmeal.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, however, I ended up baking mine for 45 mins before an inserted knife came out clean. All ovens run differently, so just keep an eye on it. Leave in the pan and place on a rack to cool before removing from the pan.

Top with confectioners’ sugar, of desired. (I say yes–it’ll look pretty) Enjoy!

Enjoy!

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

tasty, easy and moist!, March 15, 2009
Guest erineedwards

“I thought this cake was very simple to prepare and my family loved it, including our picky toddler!I reduced the sugar by half, only using 1/2 cup and found it was still very sweet. I also subbed oatmeal and oat flour for the recommended oats or wheat germ or whatever it called for, I don’t recall. I did add raisins and walnuts.I baked it as suggested but found in my 8 inch round glass dish I needed to cook it about 20 minutes longer than suggested!”

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

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Product Review: Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles

March 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These have been sitting in my freezer for a couple of weeks and so I finally got around to using them. I decided to make tacos with the crumbles and typically, I would add 1/2 a large onion, chopped to the pan, but I forgot. Oops. (I guess I was too focused on the review)!

The crumbles come out of the bag resembling frozen, cooked ground beef and breaks up easily in the pan. The back of the packages recommends adding to a skillet, sprayed generously with cooking spray. I used a Tbs of olive oil. Within 10-12 minutes, the crumbles were heated through and gave off an almost sweet, cinnamon-y smell. But the crumbles didn’t taste like it–in fact, there wasn’t much taste to them. I certainly recommend using a taco seasoning when making tacos–or any other seasoning when using these crumbles–they’re kinda bland. Fortunately though, they also don’t taste fake, or rubbery like some vegan meat. Overall, I was very impressed.

For around $4 for 12-oz, “ground beef” tacos are back, baby!

The tacos didn’t taste “altered” at all. Packed with Tofutti sour cream, vegan cheddar, diced avocado, lettuce and salsa, these were delicious, satisfying and very meat-like.

And here comes the really good part: These meatless ground crumbles have only 0.5g of unsaturated fat per serving–that’s 90% less fat than ground beef!! Not only that, there are 13 grams of protein per serving! It seems like a no-brainer.

As we were chowing down, we were listing off the different meals we could use these bodacious crumbles in:

Burritos

Lasagna

Enchilades

Tostadas

Chili

Taco salad (the back of the package features a recipe for this)

Really….these crumbles would work for anything requiring ground beef.

Check out Boca’s site for more info and ingredient list.

Hoisin-Glazed Tempeh with Green Beans and Cashews

March 18, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is from Vegetarian Times and if you don’t have a lot of time, it’s a fast and easy meal. I made a few minor changes to the recipe like doubling the tempeh and sauce ingredients, plus I served it over rice that I seasoned with sesame seed oil and ground ginger. (I’ll list the original recipe–decide for yourself if you’d like to double it). If you’re not a big fan of tempeh, tofu would work great. The sauce itself is a great basic stir-fry sauce for any of your favorite stir-fry ingredients. I think mushrooms or bamboo shoots would have been a great addition to this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
4 tsp hoisin sauce
2-1/2 tsp rice vinegar, divided
1 Tbs soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1-1/2 Tbs minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp)
1-8oz pkg tempeh, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1-12oz pkg frozen whole baby green beans (I used just 10 ounces of cut green beans)
1/3 C roasted, unsalted cashews (I used 2/3 and roasted them self in a dry pan over the stove–cheaper)!
1-2 C cooked rice seasoned with 3-4 splashes of sesame seed oil and 1/8-1/4 tsp ground ginger (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together hoisin sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/2 C water in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat skillet or wok over medium heat. Add oil, then ginger and garlic. Stir-fry 1-2 mins or until garlic turns pale gold. Add tempeh and hoisin sauce mixture to pan. Stir to coat tempeh. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 2 mins, or until sauce begins to thicken. Stir in green beans. Cover, and simmer 4-5 mins, or until beans are hot, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp of rice vinegar. Serve topped with cashews.

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole

Potato-and-Artichoke-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Taco Salad

Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks and Peas

Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

Hummus and Kalamata Olive Pizza

Seitan Meatballs

Cranberry Muffin-Bundt

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