epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Personal Pizzas

February 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

You can easily make your own dough or use a prepackaged kind, but those typically have egg or milk in them. I have a very basic recipe that I use when I don’t have a lot of time, but if you’re in a pinch and don’t mind a tiny trace of milk, Jiffy makes a good pizza dough mix. When the weather is warm, we love to throw these on the grill.

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
2 1/2 C flour
1 C hot tap water
2 Tbs quick, dry-active yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (optional)
The Rest:
Rice mozzarella cheese
1 onion, sliced
black olives
artichoke hearts, diced
3/4 C walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine all dough ingredients and let rise for about an hour. Punch down and knead for 5 minutes.
Caramelize the onions in olive oil and balsamic vinegar–it will take about 10 mins. In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet, about 5-7 mins on medium heat.
Divide dough into 4 small sections, roll out each one to about 6″ in diameter. Butter up a large cookie sheet or pizza pan and place the rolled out pieces on the pan. Stick each piece with a fork several times and bake for 4 mins.
Then layer on the toppings. I start with a tiny bit of rice mozzarella, onions, olives, artichokes, more cheese, then sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 12-15 mins.

I then like to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top before devouring! Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

February 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I found this recipe online from Vegetarian Times and I love that there is no oil and no need for egg-replacer. These are by far, the Best. Blueberry. Muffins. Ever. I added the crumb topping because really, that’s like icing on the cake . . . only sweet topping on the muffin!

INGREDIENTS:
Muffins:
1/4 C Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C apple sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C almond milk
2 C fresh blueberries
Crumb topping:
1/4 C sugar
1/8 C flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs Earth Balance butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine all the muffin ingredients, except the blueberries. Mix well. Fold in the blueberries.

Either use muffin cups, or spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Evenly fill each muffin cup (12). To make the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well using a fork. Generously sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the crumb topping.
Bake for 30-33 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Marinated Tempeh with Vegetables

February 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is just a great basic marinade that would work with seitan, tofu, or even as a stir-fry sauce and takes no time at all to throw together.

INGREDIENTS:
8oz tempeh, sliced into 16 triangles
3 Tbs minced ginger
4 Tbs Tamari
3 tsp brown spicy mustard
3 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs mirin
1 Tbs Ume plum vinegar
4 Tbs water
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, quartered
(asparagus would be good, too)!

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together the ginger, tamari, mustard, sesame oil, water, mirin and vinegar in small bowl. In a medium-sized baking dish, combine the tempeh and vegetables and then coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove foil, stir the tempeh and veggies and cover again; bake for another 12-15 mins. If you have more time, marinate the tempeh and veggies in the refrigerator for about an hour before baking.

Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil and Tomato

February 1, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is a fast and easy side dish from The kind Diet that is very flavorful. For variety, I sometimes omit the basil and add grated ginger root instead. This also makes a light, refreshing lunch or snack. I really like the Arborio rice (risotto rice)–it’s a great change from regular white rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C Arborio rice
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 pinches of fine sea salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
1/2 C (or as much as you want) tomato, diced
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:
Place the unrinsed rice in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until mostly tender but still a little firm in the center of the grain. Drain off any excess water and transfer rice to a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice (grated ginger if using), salt and pepper. Mix well and addd the tomatoes and sprinkle basil (if using) on top. Toss to combine and serve. Makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce and Homemade Pitas

February 1, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Damn, I’m good! (I love when I can say that about a recipe I made)! I decided to make gyros with these fabulous vegan pitas and they were outstanding! Over the years, I had been working on perfecting my tzatziki sauce recipe and for non-dairy, it’s pretty darn good, if I may say so myself. 🙂 Also…use leftover sauce for dipping veggies and/or veggie chips and crackers. (Check out my other version using Field Roast).

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
8-oz Tofutti sour cream
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dill weed
1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 large cucumber, peeled and shredded
Gyros:
2-8oz pkgs seitan, stir-fry style (Westsoy-red box)
1/2 large red onion, sliced very thin
1 Tbs canola oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne
The rest:
pitas
tomatoes, sliced thin
mustard greens and kale, chopped into 1″ pieces

DIRECTIONS:
To make the sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients, except for the cucumber. Put the shredded cucumber in a fine mesh strainer, cover with plastic wrap and with your hand, press down on the plastic to squeeze the water from the cucumber. Then add to the rest of sauce and combine.

For the gyros:
In a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the seitan and cook for about 3-4 mins, stirring often, until seitan browns.

Combine the cumin, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl, and then add to the skillet. Stir and coat the seitan onions well and cover. Simmer on low heat for 3 mins. It’s that easy!
Fill the pitas with the seitan, tomatoes, greens and tzatziki sauce. So delicious!

My favorite seitan for this recipe:

Homemade Pita Bread

February 1, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This comes from my friend at Kitchen Challengers and I made it vegan. You might think making your own pita bread would be a hassle (or a pain in the ass) but actually, it was quite easy and what a huge difference! They were soft, fluffy and not one bit dried out like store-bought pitas. Go for it! Check out my gyro recipe using these pitas.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm soy milk
olive oil to coat bowl

DIRECTIONS:
Mix yeast and warm water, set aside for about 10 mins until it bubbles. Fit a dough blade into the mixer and combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the milk and the yeast mixture while continuing to turn the flour. Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball–for me it took about a minute. The dough will be a bit sticky, so plop it onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Shape into a smooth, pretty ball. Place in a very large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat all side of dough and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.

When dough has at least doubled in size, punch it down and tear off handfuls of dough. You can make anywhere from 8-12 pitas. I made about 10 by rolling out a pieces to about 6-7″ in diameter on a very lightly floured surface. Rolling is also a great way to rid the dough of air bubbles. Place rolled out sections on lightly oiled cookie sheets, cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let rise for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 500. I baked the pitas in batches (4, 4 and 2). After the first minute in the oven, the dough will begin to rise. Brush the top with olive oil and bake for another 5-8 mins. I know that’s a big spread of time, but every oven is different. Mine baked in about 7-1/2 to 8 mins. The tops will get a beautiful golden brown. Just keep an eye on them.
Let cool completely and store in large Ziploc bags–don’t slice until you get ready to use them. I found that after you slice one in half, place it in the microwave for 15-20 secs and then slice carefully down the middle to open up the pocket and fill. Enjoy!

Seitan Piccata with White Wine and Capers

January 30, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I LOVE this recipe! It is so full of flavor, easy to make and absolutely delicious. My husband has already claimed the leftovers for his breakfast tomorrow!

(Update: I made this with a sliced Field Roast and it was wonderful!)

INGREDIENTS:
6 large pieces plain seitan (about a pound–I used Westsoy in the blue box and just broke it up into small pieces)
Whole wheat flour for dredging (about 3/4 C)
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C diced shallots
1/2 C diced onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 C drained capers
1 C dry white wine
1/4 C lemon juice
1 C vegetable broth
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
4 Tbs soy margarine (Earth Balance)
1 C chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Dredge the seitan in the whole wheat flour, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add the seitan and saute until crisp and tender, about 30 seconds per side.

Transfer seitan to a plate. Heat the remaining 2 Tbs oil in the same skillet. Add the scallions, onions, garlic, and capers and saute, stirring frequently, until softened, 1-2 mins. Add the wine, and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Whisk in the lemon juice, and cook until sauce has reduced a bit more, 1-2 mins. Whisk in broth and the all-purpose flour and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 min to thicken. Whisk in the margarine, parsley, salt and pepper.

Pour over seitan and serve immediately. (I added the seitan to the pan and coated it with the sauce). This sauce was so rich and lemony…enjoy!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

Fresh and Healthy Soft Tacos/Burritos

January 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When I don’t have a lot of time but I want my family and I to have a satisfying, healthy dinner, this is one of my go-to meals. I typically have the ingredients all the time and with so many different ingredient options, it’s easy to make the whole crew happy! Packed with protein and veggies, it’s a great option for lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C cooked rice
1 can refried beans
1/4-1/2 C salsa
vegan cheese, shredded
diced avocado
sliced green onion
cilantro, chopped
Small flour tortillas
Tofutti sour cream
Other tasty options: diced or shredded cucumber, sprouts, lettuce

DIRECTIONS:
Combine cooked rice (I use Minute Rice), refries and salsa in a medium pan, heat on low-medium heat. Stir until heated through.

Separate other ingredients into small bowls and I like to start with the sour cream, then layer the beans/rice mixture, then top with cheese, avocado slices, etc. on a warmed tortilla.

Voila! You’re ready to eat! Served with a salad, this is a quick, delicious and healthy meal. Enjoy!

A Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

January 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This comes from my friend over at Tried and Tasted Recipes Even though the original recipe isn’t vegan, it was super easy to veganize–and so delicious! I of course, added 1/3 C of Tofutti sour cream for extra creaminess and mushrooms and green onions and she added peas and carrots (another great variety).

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces fettuccine, uncooked
1 1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium vegetable broth
4 teaspoons flour
1/3 cup Tofutti cream cheese
3 tablespoons Rice brand parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 C nutritional yeast (optional)
1/3 C Tofutti sour cream (optional)
5 mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 green onions, sliced (optional)
Handful of frozen peas and carrots (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package instructions. At this time, I sauteed the mushrooms and green onions in a small skillet.
Meanwhile, combine broth and flour in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese spread, 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese, the nutmeg and pepper; cook 2 min., stirring constantly with wire whisk until mixture boils and thickens. I had trouble getting the sauce to thicken, so I added a tiny bit cornstarch/water mixture and presto! It thickened immediately. If using, add nutritional yeast and stir to combine. I then removed it from the heat and stirred in the sour cream.
Drain pasta. Toss with sauce (and veggies, if using) Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley.
I served this with leftover salad from the previous night and some fabulous olive bread!

Serves 4.
Enjoy

Vegan Ranch Dressing

January 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is a great version of dairy-free ranch dressing. It’s perfect for salads, but if you want it thicker, such as for a dip, I would add about 1/4 – 1/2 C of Tofutti sour cream and use less soy milk.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C Veganaise
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
6-8 Tbs almond milk
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to a pourable jar and keep refrigerated up to 4-5 days. Enjoy!

Personal Pizzas

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Marinated Tempeh with Vegetables

Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil and Tomato

Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce and Homemade Pitas

Homemade Pita Bread

Seitan Piccata with White Wine and Capers

Fresh and Healthy Soft Tacos/Burritos

A Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

Vegan Ranch Dressing

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