Epicurean Vegan

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Pita Chips

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Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganI can’t remember where I got this recipe–I thought it was from the Sonoma Diet Cookbook where I got the fabulous hummus recipe, but nope…anyway, doesn’t matter. They’re wonderful and not hard to make at all. And the great thing, is that you can make as little, or as much as you want. You can also use flavored olive oils, too. I like to use both wheat and white pitas and on one 14″x14″ baking pan, I can get 2 whole pitas. That’s 32 pitas chips on one pan.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs pitas
1/4 C olive oil
Dried basil
Garlic Salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450. Slice the pita in half, then each half into 4 triangles. Then take each triangle and pull them apart to make two triangles. You should get 16 triangles from one pita.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganPour the olive oil in a small bowl and lay the pita pieces on the baking pan, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic salt and basil.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganBake for 4 mins.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganWe’re having friends over tonight and I can’t wait to dig into these and the hummus. I also have some great black olive tapenade that my sister gave me that I think will be very tasty with these pita chips. Enjoy!

Crispy Tofu Slices with Orange Dipping Sauce

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Crispy Tofu Slices with Orange Dipping Sauce -- Epicurean VeganHoly…mackerel, I have never seen 8oz of tofu disappear so fast. This is was outstanding–I just wish I had made more! The recipe is from The Kind Diet and are so easy to make. The slightly sweet orange dipping sauce gives these a dessert, or even a breakfast quality. They practically melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS:
1-8oz pkg savory-flavored baked tofu (I used Westsoy Sesame Peanut flavored and the picture only shows about 1/4 of that)
1/2 C corn flour
1/2 C brown rice flour
Safflower oil
2/3 C orange juice
1/3 C maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the baked tofu into slices about 1/4″ thick. Mix the flours together in a shallow bowl. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer and heat over medium heat. Dip each of the tofu strips into the flour mixture, coating well on all sides. Place the tofu strips in the skillet, and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 mins per side. Transfer the fried tofu strips to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Stir together the orange juice and syrup in a small bowl. Serve the tofu strips with the dipping sauce along side.
So delicious!
There was quite a bit of leftover flour, so I saved it for another batch, but I would recommend using 2 packages of tofu because there was also quite a bit of sauce left, too. With the orange juice and maple syrup dipping sauce, it would be delish for breakfast. Or try a tamari and brown sugar combo, or teriyaki sauce…the possibilities are really endless and I can’t wait to make more!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars

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Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars -- Epicurean VeganThese are delicious! And simple to make-taking only about 10 mins to prepare. These would be great with a scoop of soy ice cream or a dallop of vanilla soy yogurt on top. These also taste great after being the fridge for a while–they’re a tasty snack that will keep you going when you’re on the run.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup rolled oats, either quick cooking or old fashioned
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup expeller pressed canola oil
5 tablespoons orange juice, divided
1/2 cup fruit sweetened black cherry preserves

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and cherries in a large bowl. Add oil and 3 tablespoons orange juice, mixing well until all ingredients are fully combined. Reserve a half cup and press the rest into a lightly oiled 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars -- Epicurean VeganMix the remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice with the cherry preserves and spread evenly over the oat mixture in the pan.

Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars -- Epicurean VeganSprinkle reserved oat mixture over the top and press down lightly with fingers.

Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars -- Epicurean VeganBake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool in the pan on a wire rack then cut into bars or squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: Whole Foods

Tempeh Spread

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Tempeh Spread -- Epicurean VeganI 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!

Tempeh Spread -- Epicurean Vegan

My Favorite Hummus and Pita Chips

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My Favorite Hummus and Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganI make this hummus all the time. It’s inexpensive, high in fiber, packed with protein and delicious! It’s also easy to change it up with other flavors such as olives, roasted red pepper or artichokes. In fact,  in one of my recent magazines, it was listed as one of the ten best foods you could eat. (For the life of me, I can’t find the magazine, but as soon as I do, I’ll post it!). This from About.com: “Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are the main ingredient in hummus. One cup of chickpeas contains 286 calories and 5 grams of fat. This is relatively low considering when made into hummus, the calories and fat become much lower per serving. Chickpeas have no saturated fat, and no cholesterol. They aid in improving blood sugar levels and help fight cholesterol. They are also high in protein, making them a perfect addition to a vegetarian’s diet or one who would like to cut back on red meat.”  Also… ” Tahini [ingredient in hummus], like chickpeas, is a great source of protein, and calcium. The fat contained in tahini is mainly unsaturated fat, rather than the more unhealthy saturated fat.”
So dig in!

INGREDIENTS
1 15-16oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1/4 C Tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 Tbs water
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs chopped parsley (I tend to leave this out)

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor combine garbanzo beans, tahini, water, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl, stir in parsley. Makes 1 3/4 C

Pita Chips: Cut pita bread in half, then cut each half into 4-5 wedges -peel apart so they are one layer. Place on a cookie sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and dried basil. For a variation, use a flavored olive oil, or one with the herbs already in it to cut back on prep time. Bake 4-5 mins at 400. They are delicious right out of the oven with a bit of hummus! (Check out this post for instructions and full recipe.)

My Favorite Hummus and Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: Sonoma Diet Cookbook

Easy, Healthy Granola

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Easy, Healthy Granola -- Epicurean VeganThis is inspired by my mom’s granola recipe, however, she uses 1-14oz can of condensed milk, so I had to come up with an alternative. There are recipes to make a dairy-free condensed milk using soy milk powder and sugar, but it looked like a bit of work, plus I couldn’t find soy milk powder. So…with the need for sugar and milk in her recipe, I decided to use maple syrup and soy milk. You can also use brown rice syrup as well. Log Cabin makes a nice maple syrup that has no high fructose corn syrup, which I like. This isn’t a super sweet granola, so if you prefer it be sweeter, add 1/4-1/2 C brown sugar to the mix or a tsp of cinnamon, which happens to be rich in antioxidants. Don’t forget, sunflower seeds, walnuts and almonds are a great source of calcium and protein. Plus, wheat germ itself is miracle-working superfood!

Check out the benefits here.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C old fashioned oats
1 C shredded coconut
1/2 C wheat germ
1/2 C chopped almonds
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
1/4 C maple or brown rice syrup
1/2 C soy milk
1/8 C vegetable oil
1-6oz bag craisins (try orange-flavored craisins–they add just a bit more sweetness)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 300. Combine oats, coconut, wheat germ, nuts and salt. Stir in syrup and soy milk and add oil and mix. Spread evenly on a large greased and foiled pan. Make sure you grease it well, or it’ll “stick something awful,” as my mom said.

Easy, Healthy Granola -- Epicurean VeganBake until it starts to brown, 45-50 mins. Transfer to a large bowl and add the craisins. Makes about 8 C. Store in an air tight container. Serve over vanilla soy yogurt, soy ice cream, in a bowl with some soy or rice milk, or just snack on it! Try other dried fruit like blueberries, apricots, apples, cherries…you name it! Enjoy!

Easy, Healthy Granola -- Epicurean Vegan

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