Dinners Archives - Page 22 of 31

Amazing Mac ‘N Cheez Sauce

January 7, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Guess what? You’ll never guess where this recipe came from! That’s right . . . how’d you know? The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. All right, I have one more recipe from the book in the queue, then that’s it. Promise. I just can’t help it; these recipes are amazing. As vegans, we all know how difficult it can be to find tasty “cheese” so when you find what works—go with it. This sauce is delicious, creamy and ready in less than 10 minutes. I added some vegan Worcestershire and some light miso, but feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking because it’s a pretty basic sauce. You can serve it over pasta, potatoes, or other veggies.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C flour (any kind)
1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika, sweet, hot, smoked or regular
2 C nondairy milk (I like almond milk)
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp prepared mustard, any variety (I used Dijon)
Optional: 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire, 1 Tbs light miso

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, combine the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Gradually whisk in the nondairy milk, olive oil, and mustard. Combine well, then add the optional ingredients, if using. Cook over medium heat stirring with a whisk constantly until the sauce is smooth and thick. Enjoy! Oh, and when it comes to leftovers, like most nondairy cheese sauces, I recommend heating the sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Otherwise, it gets dried out.

Product Review: Nate’s Meatless Meatballs (Meatball Sandwiches)

January 4, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I was never a meatball sandwich kind of gal—something about eating balls of meat that didn’t quite appeal to me. The men of my household, on the other hand, seem to gravitate toward these kinds of cancer-licious subs (or at least, they used to). Here we are coming up on a year of veganism and this is the first time I’ve made “meatball” sandwiches. I’ve made seitan meatballs before, which are pretty damn good, but this time, I needed something quick, so I went with Nate’s Zesty Italian Meatless Meatballs. Of course, I forgot how much I paid for them since I bought them (frozen) last week, but I’m pretty sure they were under $4 for 12 oz.

So here’s what I did:

Opened a jar of marinara sauce, poured it in a pan and then dumped the meat-free balls in.

Let simmer about 10-15 minutes. Toast some French rolls for a couple of minutes under the broiler and bada-bing, you’re done.I recommend using your absolute favorite marinara and/or adding some spices because the “zesty Italian” I was expecting wasn’t all that zesty. They needed some kick–not that flavorful. With that said . . . they were very “meat-like”, but without the grossness of real meat. 🙂 The consistency was much like beef and they certainly didn’t have a weird “fake” taste. Quite satisfying.

I sliced them in half using tongs and a serrated knife–you can try doing this while they are frozen. They stack better in the bread if sliced.

Layer on some vegan mozzarella on the rolls, then some sliced “meat” balls and then some more cheeze—that easy.

Angel Hair Pasta with Mushrooms and Ricotta

January 2, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This is so light and flavorful that The Husband is already looking forward to the leftovers. The original recipe is from the latest issue of Sunset Magazine, but I made lots of changes. So really, I guess that means I was inspired by the recipe . . .

INGREDIENTS:
6 oz angel hair pasta
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt, to taste
1/2 C vegan ricotta (recipe below)
1/4 C toasted croutons, crushed (I made my own—see below)
1/3 C flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 Tbs olive oil, divided

Ricotta:
14 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1/2 C to 1 C fresh basil leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs lemon juice

Croutons:
2-3 slices French bread, toasted, then chopped and crushed

DIRECTIONS:
To make ricotta: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. You’ll only need about 1/3 to 1/2 C, so either refrigerate the rest for a few days for another meal, or freeze it.

Cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain. Heat 2 Tbs of the olive oil and add the mushrooms; cook until browned. Add the leeks and garlic and cook about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt. Toss the pasta with the mushroom mixture, reserved pasta sauce and remaining 2Tbs of olive oil.

Top with little dollops of the ricotta and some parsley. Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Tarts

December 30, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I was inspired by Veggie Test Kitchen’s Mini Pizza Tarts back in November and bought some 4″ tart pans. Well, I finally got around to making some tart pizzas and they were a huge hit! I love that these are so versatile—you can make pizzas, savory or sweet tarts, or even breakfast quiches. I have some leftover dough, so I think I know what I’ll be making for New Year’s Day breakfast. 🙂 The recipe is for about 9-10 tarts, so feel free to halve the recipe, or freeze the leftovers for future, fabulous tarts!

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
3 C flour
1-1/2 C Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C ice water

The rest: (optional)
Sliced mushrooms
Potatoes (I nuked 3 small red potatoes, then diced them up)
Pesto
Tomato, diced
Spinach
Almond feta
Vegan mozzarella, shredded
Olives
Artichokes

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. For the dough, place the flour and margarine in a food processor and pulse several times until the dough is crumbly. While the machine is running, pour in the water and combine about 30 seconds until the dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into about 9 equal pieces and roll out thin. I lightly sprayed the tart pans with cooking spray, then line the inside of the pan with the dough.

Press down along the edges to cut the dough and pull away from the pan.

Stick each crust with a fork a few times, then bake for 8-10 minutes. For mine, I spread on some pesto, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, almond feta. The guys added some potatoes and vegan mozzarella to theirs.

Bake for 22-25 minutes and enjoy!

Boca Enchiladas

December 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When we first went vegan, the thought of having Mexican (or Italian) food again seemed like a pipe dream, but I think that some of my favorite meals have been just those—thanks to yummy meat and dairy alternatives. Lucky for me, too, because the Husband loves enchiladas and if I didn’t come up with a veg-based one, he wouldn’t be fun to live with. 😉 I’ve also made a seitan version, and these Boca Crumbles ones are pretty darn delish, too. I made a pretty big batch so feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller crowd.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
1-12 oz bag Boca Crumbles
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
1-4 oz can diced green chilies (I used mild)
3-10 oz cans enchiladas sauce (I used Old El Paso–mild)
20 LaTortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas (Love these!! They’re a cross between a corn and flour tortilla and come in white and yellow corn—see below)
1 pkg Vegan Gourmet Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded + 1/2 C Daiya cheddar, shredded, mixed together
1 C black olives, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced (both green and white parts)
Optional garnishes: Tofutti sour cream, cilantro, diced avocados

DIRECTIONS:
Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the bell pepper and onions; saute until softened. Add the Boca crumbles and cook until heated through; stir in the green chilies.

I think it helps to steam the tortillas first, but only do a couple at a time, as the bottom ones will stick if there are too many on top. In a 15″ pan (I made the mistake of using a smaller pan, so I had to use 2 pans) pour 1-1/2 cans of the enchiladas sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place 2-3 spoonfuls of the Boca mixture into the steamed tortillas; add some cheese on top.

Tightly roll up the tortillas and place, fold down, into the baking dish.

Once each tortilla is rolled, top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the olives and green onions on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro and/or any of the optional ingredients. Enjoy!

Pesto and Almond Feta Pizza

December 26, 2010 by epicureanvegan

After the craziness of the holidays, a quick, easy meal is a welcome reprieve. I usually have homemade pesto in the freezer, so it paired perfectly with the almond feta I made a few days ago. I had one flat bread left and a loaf of French bread which made the perfect pizza “dough.” You’ll love the softness of the cheese and the absence of all grease–this is probably my favorite kind of pizza.

INGREDIENTS: (For 3 pizzas)
3 flat breads or 3/4 of a loaf of French bread
1 C basil pesto
1-1/2 to 2 C almond feta
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 C black olives, sliced
Shredded vegan mozzarella, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. On each piece bread, layer 1/3 C of the pesto, then equally divide the rest of the ingredients among the pizzas.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the feta begins to brown. Enjoy!

Field Roast-Stuffed Bell Peppers

December 16, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These are one of my favorite things to make, especially since the the filling can be changed to suit your tastes and what you have lying around the kitchen. I used Field Roast’s Chipotle flavored sausages which has great flavor and seasonings, that there was no need to add any spices. These were creamy, spicy and filling. The recipe is for 4 bell peppers, but I had 3—luckily, the stuffing makes a great breakfast burrito filling.

INGREDIENTS:
4 bell peppers, any variety
1/2 C arborio rice
1 C vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Field Roast sausages, chipotle-flavor, crumbled
1 medium onion, diced
1-1/2 C mushrooms, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 C vegan cheddar, shredded
1/4 C Tofutti sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable broth and arborio rice; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Slice the very tops off of the bell peppers and clean out the innards; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions and Field Roast and saute until the onions start to soften and brown, then add the mushrooms and tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine the cheese and sour cream and then stir it into the Field Roast mixture.

Spoon the Field Roast mixture into the peppers—firmly pack it in. Place into a 8″ baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes and enjoy!

Creamy Veggie Bake (Made possible by Green Buffalo Food Co.)

December 13, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When one door closes, another one opens. In this case, when one CSA ends, another comes! We had our last week of our CSA this last Monday, and luckily, I met another food delivery company in my area, at an event for our Writers Association. Green Buffalo Food Company delivers organic, locally-grown/raised food right to your door. I was very enticed by the fact that they don’t require a contract–just weekly or bi-weekly delivery and we can tell them what we don’t want in our delivery. I have 3 butternut squashes on my counter, so I can wait on getting more. Oh, and fruit! It includes fruit!

We received our first delivery today and let me tell you . . .I get excited over home-delivered organic vegetables! Christmas came early.

Isn’t it a gorgeous box of produce?! (potatoes are in the bag). Organic is of course wonderful, but it isn’t always the prettiest—or the very large, so I was very impressed with what we got. And everything is packed so carefully and sweetly (which is fitting because Ali and Ryan, who own GBF, are incredibly lovely people). (sorry, that’s a lot of adverbs). I was giddy with vegan excitement as I perused through the box, wondering what to make for dinner. I had to refrain from using everything—reminding myself that it needed to last the week. I opted for a vegetable bake that didn’t use up everything and certainly didn’t disappoint.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic
1 large zucchini, sliced, then quartered
2 C mushrooms, quartered
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-8oz pkg. tempeh, cubed (small)
2 small broccoli heads, florets only
1/2 C almond milk
1 pkg Silken tofu
1/2 C nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 C vegan cheddar (I used a combo of cheddar and mozzarella)
1/2 C bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet heat olive oil and garlic. Add the zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and tempeh. Saute on medium heat until they just barely begin to soften. Add mushroom and saute another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the tofu, nutritional yeast, almond milk, garlic salt, and pepper in a food processor. You can also just whisk it in a bowl; stir in the cheese.

Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish and layer half of the sauce on bottom. Add the vegetable mixture, then top with the rest of the sauce. Stir around to combine everything.

Cover and bake 40 minutes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake another 10 minutes.

Let sit for about 5-8 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

December 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I lost my pasta maker. You’re probably wondering, how on earth do you lose a twenty-five pound kitchen appliance? Well, if I knew that, it wouldn’t be lost, right? 😉 Somehow, it didn’t make the one mile move to our new house a year ago—and we didn’t use movers; just us. Apparently, the pasta maker in question ran away with my Chantal soup pot because it’s missing as well. Not sure what kitchen conspiracy happened, but I’m hopeful that someday, both (and whatever else was in the box) turns up. So I don’t recommend making ravioli without a pasta maker, otherwise, the process is a lot harder than it needs to be. The taste however, was well-worth the work. There’s nothing like fresh pasta.

INGREDIENTS:
Pasta Dough:
1/3 C nutritional yeast
2 C flour
1 Tbs olive oil
Dash or two of salt
1/2 to 3/4 C water

The rest:
1-1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 C chopped spinach
1 C vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 jar marinara sauce

Yummy, gluten-free sauce.
In a food processor with the sharp S blade, pulse the nutritional yeast a few times to make a fine powder. Then switch to the plastic dough/bread blade.

Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine. While the machine is running, add olive oil and water to form an elastic-y dough.

Roll out small pieces of dough at a time into a long rectangle. I used a pizza cutter to slice into squares. Place some spinach, 2-3 mushroom slices and a pinch or two of cheese.

I then folded over one side and pinched the edges.

To seal the edges, I used the pizza cutter to the three sides.

I ended up with 18 pretty ugly raviolis that I placed on floured waxed paper, otherwise, if they sit too long, they will stick to the surface and it would be a terrible mess.

I boiled about 3-4 raviolis at a time, then transferred to an oiled, glass dish. Be sure to turn the ravioli once to cook the tops and bottoms—about 1 minute per side.

Brush the tops with olive oil as well. Ladle sauce over individual servings and top with any remaining vegan mozzarella. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

December 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This was probably one of the strangest meals I ever made. Not in a bad way, just a strange process. This recipe is from my friend over at Kitchen Challengers and I finally got around to attempting it—I had never made gnocchi before, but have always wanted to, plus, I needed to veganize the recipe, which wasn’t hard. I suggest making the dough ahead of time and perhaps even having some help once it comes time to boil these squash pillows. The results were fabulous! I love squash, and combined with the seasonings and some vegan mozzarella, the gnocchi was savory and delish!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs butternut squash (I used one large and one small)
1 Tbs olive oil
1-1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer powder + 2 Tbs water
1-1/4 C flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C Vegan Parmesan
5 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
1/4 C Vegan Rella

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Cut the squash in half, clean out the seeds and place in a baking dish with 1/2 C (I used about a cup) of water. Bake for 45 minutes. Using tongs, I transferred the squash to a cooling rack.

Once they have cooled enough to handle, scrape out the squash into a bowl and mash them. I used a pastry blender.

Mix in the egg replacer, flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper and vegan Parmesan. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. I did this step earlier in the day, so it sat in the fridge for a couple of hours. I think the longer the dough chills, the easier it is to use later.

Boil 6 quarts of salted water. So here comes the fun part. The recipe recommends using a pastry bag and kitchen scissors to create the gnocchi. It gave me a good excuse to head over to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick one up—I had been needing one anyway. I’ve also seen it where the dough can be rolled out by hand and cut into pieces. Either way will work . . .I’m sure. 😉

So squeeze out 1/2″-1″ “dumplings” and cut into the boiling water. You can cook about 20-30 at a time and within 2-3 minutes, little water-logged Cheetos, will rise to the surface—one by one. Using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, fish them out and transfer to a large bowl of ice water.

After a few batches, I then transferred them to a bowl lined with paper towels. You will probably have to add more ice to the water once or twice until you have made all the gnocchi.

In a large skillet, melt the margarine and add the sage and gnocchi until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with mozzarella. Enjoy!