Appetizers Archives - Page 7 of 9

Edamame Guacamole

September 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I think I may have just replaced my favorite guacamole . . . well, maybe I won’t go that far, but this is pretty darn delish. The addition of edamame is ideal–for taste and for the fact that there are 16 grams of protein per cup of these cute, little soybeans. This is great for dipping or for using as a sandwich condiment . . . or grab a spoon and start eating—I won’t judge! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
1 C edamame, thawed if frozen
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/3 C white onion, chopped
1/8 C lime juice (you may need a little more for thinning the dip)
1 C packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
Throw it all in the food processor! That’s about it. You can add more lime juice if it’s too thick. Enjoy!

Hard Cashew Cheese

September 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When I made this block of cheese, I was wondering what in the world am I going to do with that much cheese?! It wasn’t hard to figure that out once I tasted it. Eat it! The recipe is from The Vegan Table and her Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese recipe, but with just one alteration: agar flakes. You can find these flakes in the Asian section of most grocery stores, but be prepared to spend a little. One 1-ounce package (you’ll need 1-1/2 packages) is about $8. But, it does make one big block of cheese. I’m sure halving the recipe would be fine.

I think this recipe is an excellent base for a block of cashew cheese, but we found that it just needed a little extra punch. Next time I will add some vegan Worcestershire sauce and perhaps some minced onion. It needed just a bit more saltiness. It’s a delicious mild cheese and easy to slice and would be fantastic on sandwiches or even on nachos. Really, anything you can think of needing some cheese, melted or not, this would work—even shredded.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 C raw cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper|
3-1/2 C nondairy milk
1 C agar flakes
1/2 C canola oil
1/4 C light (yellow or white) miso
2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind–just don’t let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, agar flakes and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

With the food processor running, gradually add milk mixture to cashew mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice. It won’t take long for the sauce to start thickening up. Transfer to a mold. I used a glass bowl, but plastic would be fine, too. In fact, it may work better.

Let it harden in the refrigerator for a few hours—after 3 hours, it still wasn’t quite ready, so I left it over night.

It did not stick to the sides of the mold at all, but there was a tiny bit of liquid on the bottom acting as a suction and the cheese wasn’t budging. I inserted a straw in the middle of the cheese, took it out, creating a hole and then turned it upside down over a cutting board. It came right out. With a plastic mold, you could probably squeeze the sides enough to loosen it enough. Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

July 20, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I needed to come up with an appetizer to feed a crowd, so I came up with my own vegan version of stuffed mushrooms. They were pretty easy to make and were gone in no time. Another great ingredient to add is a couple of Field Roast Italian Sausages–just thaw, chop and add to the food processor with the bell pepper.

INGREDIENTS:
About 30 mushrooms, washed and stems reserved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper
5 green onions
3-4 Tbs Earth Balance margarine, divided
1/2 C bread crumbs
6″ of a garlic scape
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 C vegan mozzarella (like Vegan Rella), shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. Saute the mushroom caps in 2 tablespoons of margarine until they just begin to brown on each side. Then set aside.

Chop up the mushroom stems, red bell pepper, green onions and scape. Here’s a scape:

Add all four to a food processor and chop up until fine:

Transfer to the same pan that you used to saute the mushrooms caps in, and saute the pepper mixture in 2-3 tablespoons of margarine for 3-4 minutes. Add bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Remove from heat. Stuff each cap with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the pepper mixture and a medium pinch of cheese.

If you are making these ahead, you can stuff them and refrigerate them, but add the cheese just before baking. Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Garlicky Hummus with Toasted Pine Nuts and Olive Oil

July 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is probably my new favorite hummus. I love how smooth it is and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and drizzled with olive oil is certainly the way to go. You can make it spicier by adding a teaspoon of cumin or some cayenne.

INGREDIENTS:
4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed (I added one more)
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil, plus some to drizzle
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste. Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and drizzle on some olive oil. Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. Makes about 3 cups. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Simply Recipes

Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

June 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These have always been a favorite of mine and are great for a big crowd. I won’t lie—there is a bit of prep work. Fortunately, you can chop up ingredients either earlier in the day, or even the day before. It also doesn’t hurt to enlist some help. The recipe is inspired by The Vegan Table, but I deviated off her recipe a bit and made some changes. These are definitely worth the work and can be served as an appetizer or light meal (depending on how many you put away)! 😉

INGREDIENTS:
20 rice paper wrappers
8-oz rice noodles
14-oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into strips
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into strips
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 can water chestnuts (I steamed them for about 10 minutes, but that’s optional)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 C fresh mint leaves
1 cup chopped peanuts
2 avocados, sliced thin (optional)
Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1/2 C peanut butter
1/4 C water
3 Tbs tamari soy sauce
2 Tbs lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs ginger, minced

DIRECTIONS:
Saute the tofu in a pan with a bit of oil:

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water. In a pie plate or other large plate, add some warm water and place a rice wrapper in it–let it absorb the water for about 30-45 seconds. Lay it onto a clean, dry surface and add another sheet to the plate of water so it’s ready to go when you’re done making the first roll.

Layer on noodles, carrots, tofu, cucumber, peanuts, water chestnuts, avocado (if using), 2 small basil leaves, and one mint leaf.

I found that it’s best to tightly fold over one side (top), then fold each side (on the left and right), then fold remaining side (bottom). Place onto a large platter. I got roughly 18 rolls.

Peanut Dipping Sauce:
Blend all ingredients. I used a food processor. The sauce is a little thick for my taste, so I added some more water. I think it’s easiest to spoon the sauce onto the rolls, otherwise, the innards will fall out. Slice in half to serve as appetizers or enjoy as they are!

Sauce recipe: The Vegan Table

Savory Tofu Spread

June 16, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Yum. That’s all I really have to say. Okay, really yummy. This is now one of my new favorite appetizer spreads–you would think this is loaded with cream cheese or goat cheese–it’s so creamy and flavorful. Like cookie dough, I’d like to just eat it with a spoon.

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium yellow onion, roughly cut (not sure what this looks like, so I just chopped it up–going in a food processor anyway).
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
3/4 C vegetable broth, divided
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
12 oz extra firm tofu (not silken)
1/4 C light or white miso
1 tsp lemon juice (optional–I added it for a little extra flavor)

DIRECTIONS:
In a saute pan, combine onion, garlic, salt, and 1/4 C vegetable broth until onion starts to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, basil, oregano, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 cup vegetable broth.

Cover and cook until liquid evaporates and onion and garlic are very soft and light brown, about 20 minutes (for me, this took only 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Add the tofu, miso, and cooled onion mixture to a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. This is where I added the teaspoon of lemon juice. Makes 2-1/2 cups.

Serve with crackers, hearty bread like toasted slices of a baguette or vegetables. Enjoy!

Recipe source: The Vegan Table

Asian-Inspired Lettuce Wraps

May 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This meal reminds me of Thanksgiving—lots of prep and then devoured in ten minutes! Not that the prep time took all day–more like 20 minutes, just lots of chopping. The recipe is from The Vegan Table cookbook, but I made a few minor alterations and added some ingredients. Despite the prep work, I’ll make these again and again.

INGREDIENTS:
4 Tbs water, divided
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs finely grated or minced ginger
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I used 1/2 of one)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 pkg (16-oz) extra-firm tofu (I used just a 14-oz pkg)
1 Tbs chili paste
2 Tbs light brown sugar
2 Tbs light miso paste
2 tsp sesame seeds
10 Boston bibb or butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry
10 basil leaves (I accidentally left these out)
2 small cucumbers, peeled and julienned (I found that one was plenty)
Optional ingredients:
1 can bamboo shoots, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
5 mushrooms, diced (these also make up for the 2 ounces of tofu I didn’t use)
Drizzle sauce:
1/2 C soy sauce
1-2 Tbs rice vinegar

Light miso paste

Chili paste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 tablespoons of water in a saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for 2 minutes, until they softened. Add red pepper and carrot and cook another minute. This is where I added the bamboo shoots. Meanwhile, crumble the tofu in a separate bowl until pretty small–like bread crumbs (I diced it up ). Add to pan and cook for 10 minutes, thoroughly combining with vegetables (this is also where I added the mushrooms and green onions).

Add chili paste and stir to combine. To make sauce (not the drizzle sauce) place brown sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and dissolve over low-medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in miso paste and sesame seeds. Add to tofu mixture and combine well.

To make sauce: combine soy sauce and rice vinegar. To make wraps: trim edges of lettuce leaves to make them uniformly circular. Add a basil leaf and a julienned cucumber to each “cup”, add tofu mixture and drizzle with soy sauce/rice vinegar sauce. Enjoy!

“Bacon” and Water Chestnuts

May 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is one of my most favorite appetizers and is originally made with real bacon, but ick…no more! So I used tempeh bacon and Smart Bacon from Lifelight. I loved this alternative and I’m so excited that the appetizer that my mom makes every Christmas can be made vegan!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans whole water chestnuts, drained
1 pkg tempeh bacon or 1 pkg Smart Bacon or 1/2 of both
1/2 C ketchup
1/2 C granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. If using tempeh bacon, cut each slice into 1″ pieces. Toothpick a water chestnut and attach a piece of tempeh bacon under it. Sometimes the tempeh fell apart, so I think it might work better placing the tempeh on the top of the water chestnut. Place in a 8×8″ pan. If using Smart Bacon, slice length-wise and wrap the water chestnut with it, securing it with a toothpick. You can also halve the slice, so using a quarter of the whole entire slice. Make sense?

Combine the ketchup and sugar together in a bowl. Spoon about 1/2 tsp of sauce over each water chestnut.

Bake 40-45 minutes and enjoy. . . I guarantee you will!

Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Cream Cheese

May 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The zucchini cakes are from my new favorite cookbook, The Vegan Table (thanks, sis)! and they’re wonderful! You can shred the zucchini in the food processor, but I found just grating it with an upright cheese grater worked just fine. I made about 22 or so cakes, but you can easily make larger ones–up to you. I decided to throw together the herbed spread with some sage as a garnish, but the cakes are delicious by themselves, too!

INGREDIENTS:
Zucchini cakes:
2-1/2 C peeled and grated zucchini (about 5 small-size zucchini)
2 Tbs Earth Balance, melted
1 C breadcrumbs, seasoned or plain
1/4 C minced yellow onion
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 C all purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying
Herbed Cream Cheese:
4 oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs almond milk
Sage leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Spread zucchini on a kitchen towel, and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel to wring out as much liquid as possible. You may need to do this twice with two different towels. (This is very important to do, otherwise, the cakes will be too wet).

In a large bowl, combine zucchini and Earth Balance. Stir in breadcrumbs, minced onion, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Coat your hands in oil and shape mixture into patties. Coat each patty in flour. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Fry patties until golden brown on both sides. (About halfway through, I wiped out the skillet to remove some of the charred bits).

To make spread:
Combine all ingredients (except sage) with an electric mixer. Either using a spoon, or a pastry bag, put a dollop on each patty and garnish with a sage leaf.

Enjoy!

Creamy-Apple Horseradish Dip

April 30, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is the other great recipe from my fabulous neighbor, also from the VeganChef. The apples and horseradish make a great combination and you can add more horseradish if you want more of a kick. This is great on crackers and veggies. Thanks, neighbor!

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup walnuts
4 apples, peeled and cored
2 T. lemon juice
2/3 cup plain soy yogurt
2-3 T. prepared horseradish, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a non-stick skillet, place the walnuts, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, grate the apples into a bowl, drizzle them with the lemon juice, and toss well to prevent the apples from turning brown. When the walnuts are cool, place them in a blender or food processor, and finely grind them. Add the walnuts and remaining ingredients to the grated apple and stir well to combine. Taste, season with a little salt and pepper, and add more horseradish if desired. Transfer the dip to a glass bowl. Serve with crackers, chips, sliced bread, or an assortment of raw vegetables.

Yield: 2 Cups