epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Isn’t it pretty? They’re very yummy, too. The lemon flavor is subtle and not over powering–which is good, too, so if you want a bit more lemon flavor, add another tablespoon of lemon juice and more lemon zest. Also notice that the 1/4 C of butter (Earth or Smart Balance) needs to be melted and then cooled, so I recommend doing this step first so it has time to cool down. The recipe makes 10 small muffins, but I decided to make 6 large muffins. I haven’t tried this recipe as a bread loaf, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. The recipe does suggest that if you like fresh ginger, substitute the poppy seeds with 3 tablespoons of peeled, grated fresh ginger. Another variation would be to add about a cup of dried or fresh blueberries or strawberries.

Also, I thought it would be delicious to prepare a lemon or raspberry glaze to drizzle on top….1 cup icing sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or raspberry flavoring), dash of dairy-free milk for drizzle consistency.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbs poppyseeds
2 large eggs (I used Ener-G egg replacer)
1 C rice or soy milk ( I used soy milk–I find it cooks better because it’s thicker)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C margarine, melted and cooled (Again, I used Earth Balance sticks)
2 Tbs chopped lemon zest (from 3-4 lemons, but I got that much from just 2)

DIRECTIONS:
Position the oven rack in the center and preheat to 400. Coat muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and poppyseeds. Mix together with a whisk until blended. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, soy milk, lemon juice, margarine and zest until well blended. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined, taking care not to overmix the batter. It should look lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full. Any cups that are not filled with batter should be filled halfway with water to allow for even baking. Bake muffins until golden brown adn tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 mins. Let cool for about ten minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Recipes for Dairy-Free Living

A New Take on Guac

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I wanted to spice up some old favorites. I love the different flavors in this guacamole and chances are, you have all the ingredients already. The idea came from Whole Foods, but I made some variations.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Med ripe avocados
1/2 C diced water chestnuts
1/2 red onion, diced small
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot sesame pepper oil
2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro leaves
3 Tbs lime juice
Sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Mash up the avocados and then add all the other ingredients. Mix well and enjoy!

Like my other guacamole recipe, I like to use a pastry blender to mash the avocados. It works beautifully, even when the avocados aren’t quite ripe enough.

Tempeh Spread

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I spent one day experimenting with tempeh for quick and easy appetizers and I love what I came up with! It’s also very versatile, so feel free to add your favorite other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz pkg tempeh, original
1 small carrot, grated
1 small red onion, diced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbs vegetable stock powder
1/4 C Veganaise
Parsley, garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the tempeh into small cubes and steam for about 10-15 mins. In the meantime, add carrots and onion to a food processor and chop up until they are very fine. Scoop out into a large bowl. Add the steamed tempeh to the food processor and chop up until fine as well. Combine the tempeh in the bowl with the carrots and onions and add the lemon juice, celery salt, curry powder, vegetable stock powder and mayo. Mix well. Scoop into pre-made phyllo shells and garnish with some parsley.

I halved the batch and after chopping up about a cup of mushrooms and 1/2 C of spinach leaves in the food processor, I added them to one half of the batch for a variation. They’re both delicious! You may want to add more spices to taste. Enjoy!

Christmas Bourbon Balls

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Who said Christmas cookies had to be sweet and innocent? And…who said you just had to make these at Christmas? Well…I just tend to make them that time of year. Keep them away from the kiddies though, but chances are, they won’t like the flavor of them as much as us adults! They’re also non bake, so they’re pretty easy.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C finely crushed vanilla wafers, about 26
1 C plus 1/2 C powdered sugar
2/3 C walnuts, chopped
1/2 C candied cherries, chopped
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
5 Tbs Bourbon
1 Tbs water
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl combine crushed vanilla wafers, the 1 cup powdered sugar, walnuts, candied cherries and cocoa powder. Stir in bourbon, water and light corn syrup until well mixed. Chill the mixture about 30-60 minutes. Shape the mixture into 1″ balls. Place in an airtight container; let balls stand (ripen) for 2-3 days. Before serving, roll them in the additional 1/2 C powdered sugar. Makes about 24 balls.

English Muffin and Avocado Delight

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I’m really not sure what to call this–“delight” is really an understatement. I needed a snack that was fresh and flavorful, so I scoured my kitchen for ideas. I had avocados that I was needing to make something with and voila! And idea was born…The avocado paired beautifully with the roasted red pepper and balsamic vinegar. Plus, ot was so easy to throw together.

INGREDIENTS:
1 English muffin, sliced in half and toasted
1 small tomato, sliced or for even more flavor, a slice of roasted red pepper
1 small avocado, sliced
1-1/2 tsp hummus
Balsamic vinegar
Spinach leaves, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Spread hummus evenly on both slices of English muffin. Top with a tomato slice and 2-3 avocado slices. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar. It’s that easy! My tastebuds were loving me! Enjoy!

Hurry Up Alfredo

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This comes from Lauren Ulm’s cookbook, Vegan Yum Yum and is by far the best non-dairy “cheese” sauce I’ve tasted yet! The only thing I changed was adding 1/2 C Tofutti sour cream which made this sauce perfectly creamy!

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 C small pasta
Sauce:
1 C soy milk
1/3 rounded raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 C nutritional yeast
3 Tbs tamari (or soy sauce)
2 Tbs Earth Balance (or Smart Balance) margarine
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch salt
Black pepper, to taste
2-4 garlic cloves
I added 1/2C Tofutti Sour Cream and used SMOKED paprika and WOW! It was so creamy and flavorful!

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add noodles. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Meanwhile, to make sauce, mix all sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. When noodles are finished, drain and return to pot. Add as much sauce as you’d like and heat and stir. (What I did is transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and heat–this is also when I added the Tofutti sour cream. Then I just ladled the sauce on a serving of pasta). Top with Rice Parmesan and enjoy!

Note: for leftovers, I don’t recommend microwaving them. Keep sauce separate from pasta leftovers and reheat sauce in a pan over the stove and nuke the noodles. Sauce gets too dried out otherwise.

Recipe source: Vegan Yum Yum

Queso is Back!!

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Finally! I have found a queso I can eat!! You’d never know this is dairy-free! It makes about 4 cups, so it’s perfect for a get together.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 C minced onion (I just chopped them really fine)
1/4 C oat flour or finely ground old fashioned oats ( I ground the oats)
2 Tbs Tahini
1/2 nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 C soy milk
1 tsp maple syrup
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies, drained (I diced up half a large Anaheim pepper)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oat flour, tahini, nutritional yeast, soy milk and maple syrup. Stir in the tomatoes and mix well. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly. When mixture starts to bubble, add the chilies, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne and salt. Continue to cook, stirring for about 10 mins. Stir in lemon juice. The recipe recommends adding more soy milk if it is too thick, but I added 1/2C Tofutti sour cream, because, well, I just love that stuff and it made it very creamy and delish! I also transferred it to my electric fondue pot to keep warm. Love it! Hope you enjoy it!

Recipe Source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

Grilled Portobellos with Rosemary-Roasted Vegetables

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The great thing about portobello mushrooms (besides their great flavor) is that they’re so versatile and can be grilled, baked, sauteed–you name it. I added balsamic vinegar and burgundy wine to this recipe, but you can certainly leave them out–I just find that both of those go beautifully with mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped (a little more would have been good)
1/3 C olive oil (I used a 1/4 cup + 1-2 Tbs)
2 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh rosemary or other herb leaves (I would increased this to at least 3 Tbs)
Salt and pepper, ground
1 large tomato, chopped
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/4C balsamic vinegar (optional)
1/8-1/4C Burgundy wine (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 and heat your grill (if using). In a large bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, 1/4 C of olive oil, the rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. (I added the balsamic vinegar here).Toss to coat the veggies with oil, then spread them in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and lightly browned, about 25 mins. (18-20 mins was perfect). Reduce oven temperature to 275. Add the tomatoes to the roasted vegetables, stirring to combine and return to the oven to keep warm. (I just turned the oven off and it stayed plenty warm in the oven for the tomatoes). Brush the mushrooms with the remaining olive oil and grill until tender and lightly charred on the outside, about 5 mins per side. (At this point, seeing as it’s in the single digits here in Colorado, I decided not to brave the snow-piled deck to do some bakyard grilling. I opted to lightly saute the ‘shrooms in the Burgundy wine). To serve, arrange the portobello caps gill side down and top with the roasted veggies. (I served them gill side up and filled them with the veggies). They were delicious! I’m sure grilling would add a whole new flavor, so that it why I chose the wine to give it a bit more jazz.I served these with the Tarragon Pasta Salad and together, they make a great meal, especially for the coming spring and summer. But beware, if you’re not used to eating that amount of veggies in one sitting (namely, my husband) don’t go to a 2 1/2 hour movie afterwards…poor guy. Luckily, veggie gas tends to be less offensive. Otherwise, eat up and enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegan Planet

Thai Peanut-Burger Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These require a little bit of (easy) prep work and they’re well worth it! I also think they’d taste great as the next day’s cold lunch.

INGREDIENTS:
Burgers:
1/2 C chopped red onion
1/2 seeded and chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 C unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
8 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed (I recommend squeezing all the water out, too)
3 Tbs smooth peanut butter
2 Tbs chopped fresh Thai basil or cilantro leaves
2 Tbs tamari or dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp Asian chili paste
Salt
1/2 C dry bread crumbs (I had to use about a cup)
flour tortillas or pita bread
Shredded romaine lettuce
Spicy Peanut Sauce:
1/2 C smooth natural peanut butter
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/4 C tamari or other soy sauce
1/4 C water, or more as needed
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp Asian chili paste
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger and peanuts. Pulse to blend, leaving some texture. Add the tofu, peanut butter, Thai basil or cilantro, tamari, chili paste and salt to taste and pulse until mixture is well combined. Shape the the mixture into 4 large or 8 small patties (I advise going for the smaller patties–they are much easier to handle because they will fall apart if too big) and coat evenly with the bread crumbs. (Here, I recommend shaping the patty with hands and leave in your hand and thoroughly sprinkle with bread crumbs, then flip to other hand and sprinkle the other side with bread crumbs). Arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake turning once, until browned on both sides, 25-30 mins. (15 mins on each side was just about right. This is where you’ll be glad you did small patties because they’re hard to keep together if they’re too big). While these are baking, make the peanut sauce: In a small bowl or food processor, combine peanut butter, garlic, tamari, water, vinegar, chili paste, and sugar until well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. (Use at once or refrigerate until ready to use). Stir in the cilantro just before using. Will keep for 4-5 days. It makes 1 cup, but I doubled it since I’ll use it on baked tofu, tempe, steamed veggies and even sandwiches.

Okay…to assemble cut the burgers in halves or thirds, if necessary, so that they roll up easily. Place them end to end on the lower third of the tortillas. Top with the lettuce and drizzle with the peanut sauce (it goes a long way, so you don’t need a ton) and roll up. Serves 4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegan Planet

Herb-Roasted Potatoes

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These are great for a side dish or if you’re like me, just to have a plateful! Feel free to vary up the spices to your liking; this is a basic recipe for roasting potatoes. The options for seasonings are pretty endless.

INGREDIENTS:
10 small russet potatoes, scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into large wedges
1/3 C olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs garlic salt
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine oil and potatoes, toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine garlic salt, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, pepper and lemon juice. If you want a spicy kick, add 1/4 tsp cayenne red pepper. Combine well, pour over potatoes and coat thoroughly. Line a large baking sheet with foil and evenly spread potatoes on pan. Bake for 30 mins. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

A New Take on Guac

Tempeh Spread

Christmas Bourbon Balls

English Muffin and Avocado Delight

Hurry Up Alfredo

Queso is Back!!

Grilled Portobellos with Rosemary-Roasted Vegetables

Thai Peanut-Burger Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Herb-Roasted Potatoes

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