Vegan MoFo Archives - Page 3 of 3

Seitan Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce (and a Field Roast Sausage Thrown In)

November 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 9

That’s right, I had to throw in a Field Roast Mexican Chipotle sausage link—I had a lonely one in the fridge, and these are enchiladas, after all. It was the piece de resistance. This recipe is based on one my sister used to make all the time, but with *gasp* chicken and *gasp* again, half-and-half, so I was determined to veganize it. If you’re not big on seitan, try some other filling options: ground meatless crumbles and refries, portobellos and onions, or bell peppers and zucchini. Either way, I think you’re love the creaminess and cheezyness of this classic dish.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs. seitan, beef or chicken style, chopped into 1″ pieces (or other filling of choice)
1 Field Roast sausage link, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled
1-4oz can diced green chilies
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1/8 C almond milk
1 C fresh cilantro
1 C black olives, sliced
3 green onions, sliced (white and greens parts)
1-1/2 C vegan cheddar and/or vegan Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
2-16oz jars of 505 Green Chili sauce, choose your level of hotness
11 flour tortillas (I know, I tried to make it an even number, but it just didn’t happen)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine seitan, Field Roast, chilies, cilantro, sour cream, almond milk, and 1/2 C of the cheese. Pour 1/2 of on jar of the green chili sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan. Spread evenly. Fill each tortilla with about 3-4 tablespoons of the seitan mixture and fold over to make a burrito.

Lay folded side down.

Sprinkle a little cheese on the enchiladas, then layer rest of green chili sauce on top–spread evenly. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top, then layer on green onions and olives.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy!

Product Review: Lillabee Classic Yellow Cake Mix

November 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 8

I picked up this dairy-free, gluten-free cake mix in Boulder a while back. In fact, Lillabee is a Boulder-based company. In addition to having no dairy or gluten, this cake mix is soy-free and all natural, meaning non-GMO. When I picked up a bag, I didn’t realize that the recipe requires 2 eggs, but thankfully, Ener-G Egg Replacer came to the rescue!

Lillabee’s aim is to provide delicious baked goods you make at home that are allergy-friendly. Other products include: Fudgy Brownies, Anytime Muffins, and Perfect Pancakes/Waffles.

So included in the bag is a sugar mixture (about a cup’s worth), the baking mix and directions:

Required ingredients: 2 eggs (3 tsp egg replacer + 4 Tbs water), 6 Tbs Earth Balance margarine, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 C non dairy milk, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and an 8″ cake pan or muffin pan. It was a breeze to throw together–about 5 minutes using the mixer, then 45 minutes in the oven.

It smelled quite delish as it baked! I let it cool for about an hour and then sliced it up. It was wonderful! Very sponge-y and sugary and quite delightful. You can also add things to the batter before baking it, like blueberries, or other fruit.

So where can you find this decadent vegan dessert? If you live in Boulder (or close by) you can purchase it at Dish Gourmet and Caffe Victoria. But you can also order directly from Lillabee. I was very impressed and next time we’re in Boulder, I will definitely pick some more up.

Cheddar and Green Chili Bread with Cream Cheeze Spread

November 7, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 7

I love making bread and sometimes I’m in the mood to put the time and effort into kneading, rising, kneading, rising it, but there are days I just can’t be bothered with that. And today, I had a weird inclination to combine green chilies and cheeze and this quick, simple bread magically appeared in my oven. It was that easy. Great served with veggie chili!

INGREDIENTS:
Bread:
3 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs dried minced onion
4-oz can diced green chilies
2 Tbs olive oil
1-1/4 C almond milk
1-1/2 C vegan cheddar, shredded (or vegan pepper jack cheeze)

Spread:
4-oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 Tbs fresh cilantro, minced
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp lime juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9″ loaf pan. In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, minced onion, and salt. Add the cheese and chilies. While the machine is running, add the almond milk and oil. Combine thoroughly and then transfer to the loaf pan. Use a spatula to even it out.

Bake 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick or knife in the center to assure it’s done. It smells wonderful as it bakes! To make the spread, combine all ingredients well. Spread some of the cream cheeze mixture onto a warm slice of bread—it’ll melt in your mouth!

Enjoy!

Easy Flatbread

November 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 6

How many times have you gone to make a panini or quesadilla and you find there’s no bread? Happens all the time, right? 😉 Well, have no fear, an easy and tasty flatbread is here! The original recipe, from Vegan Planet uses cumin, but I decided to use garlic salt and dried basil. It also called for frying them in a pan, but I opted for baking them.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C water, or as needed (I needed just a smidge less)
Olive oil for brushing
2 Tbs sesame seeds
Garlic salt
Dried basil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Using a mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add the water little by little until the dough holds together. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and set aside. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

Shape the dough pieces into balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to 6″ in diameter. Brush lightly with oil, the sprinkle with sesame seeds, garlic salt, and basil. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes.

The Sixth Grader made a type of grilled cheese with Tofutti slices:

The Husband made a couple of quesadillas in the oven using Daiya cheese, onions, and salsa:

And I went with the panini maker using roasted red pepper, Vegan Rella, and some jarred olive tapenade:

Enjoy!

Feast On This!

November 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 5

A Vegan Thanksgiving

I’m coming up on a year of being vegan. I actually went veg after Thanksgiving last year. Not because I wanted to gorge myself one last time on some poor dead bird, but because I didn’t discover Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet, until after T-Day. I felt her book did a fantastic job of explaining the concepts of veganism in all aspects: health of your body, the health of the environment, and the health of animals. I read the book in a day and as they say, the rest is history.

I’ve learned over the course of a year, that converting recipes to a healthier, yummier (vegan) version has been quite easy, so I have no fear when it comes to making a vegan Thanksgiving. In fact, besides the dead bird, most of the traditional dinner is comprised mostly of veggies. Yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing, that green bean casserole, cranberries . . . c’mon, all that can easily be made vegan.

Cloe Coscarelli has a few ideas on how to have a thankful holiday vegan-style with Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Toasted Hazelnuts, and Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

I’m not sure what I’ll be bringing to the table yet, but those recipes look outstanding.

What’s your vegan Thanksgiving look like?

The UNhappy Meal

For many, many reasons, please, please do not feed your kids McDonald’s (or any fast food for that matter). San Francisco (who leads the nation with the Meat Free Mondays campaign) agrees with me and has banned the ~~fat farm~~ fast food joint from putting toys into their Happy Meals. In an effort to combat childhood diabetes and obesity, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors made the bold move on Tuesday and “i’m lovin’ it.”

“This is a challenge to the restaurant industry to think about children’s health first and join the wide range of local restaurants that have already made this commitment.”

Eric Mar, SF Supervisor

By December 1st, Micky D’s has to either make their Happy Meals contain 600 calories or less, include fruits and vegetables, and the beverage without excess fat and sugar, or the toys are history. McDonald’s was pissed.

“We are extremely disappointed with today’s decision. It’s not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said in a statement. “Getting a toy with a kid’s meal is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald’s.”

Oh, boo-hoo. Get over it and start thinking about the kids that eat this crap. They need to take this as an opportunity to help feed kids a healthier meal. This reminds me of the segment in Food, Inc., where a family of 4 could only afford to eat off the McDonald’s Value Menu and were slowly becoming diabetic, obese and just plain unhealthy.

I’m anxious to see how this plays out if other cities will follow suit.

Source

“Dear Lord, I’ve been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas turkey before us… a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent bird… a social being… capable of actual affection… nuzzling its young with almost human-like compassion. Anyway, it’s dead and we’re gonna eat it. Please give our respects to its family.”

-Berke Breathed, Bloom County Babylon

Tofu in Tahini Sauce

November 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 4

I know, a very monochromatic meal! The recipe called for mixing half the sauce with the rice, or other accompaniment, but feel free to omit that step, especially for a less beige result. I also recommend adding some steam asparagus and/or mushrooms, or broccoli. This is simple and the sauce is rich and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1-14oz pkg firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbs olive or peanut oil
1/3 C chopped peanuts, cashews, or a combination of both
Toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
1/4 C soy sauce
1 Tbs tamari
1/4 C tahini
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sesame oil
1/2 a small white onion, chopped
1/3 C water
Salt, to taste

Accompaniment:
1 C Arborio rice (risotto)
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1-1/2 C water

DIRECTIONS:
I recommend making the sauce first so that you don’t have to pan-fry the tofu at the same time. In a food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients and puree until smooth. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine the water, margarine, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover tightly with a lid for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil. Slice the tofu into 7-8 steaks, then slice each diagonally in half. Add to the pan and fry each main side until golden brown.

Pour sauce over tofu and coat each piece of tofu.Remove from heat and stir in nuts. If using, add steamed (or roasted) veggies of your choice. Serve over rice, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Epicurious

Latin-Inspired Coleslaw

November 3, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 3

I have become enamored with coleslaw this year. I guess it’s because we’ve received so much cabbage from our CSA, and before, I never really gave cabbage that much thought. I’ve made regular coleslaw and Asian coleslaw, so of course, it was only natural to make a Mexican-style one. This is great on its own, or wrapped in a tortilla.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 C fresh cilantro, slightly chopped
3 large green onion, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 Tbs pimento, diced
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
1/2 C Vegenaise
1 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp Ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C vegan cheddar shredded (or vegan pepper jack for an added kick)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, cilantro, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, Vegenaise, almond milk, lime juice, liquid smoke, pimento, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add the sour cream mixture to the cabbage mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in cheeze. Enjoy!

It’s Election Day!

November 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 2:

In the spirit of Election Day, I thought I’d bring up politicians and veganism. You wouldn’t exactly say they go hand-in-hand, but you might be surprised. We already know that Bill Clinton has joined the veg side, but what about other current leaders?

Dennis Kucinich, House Representative, US Congress, Manmohan Singh, 14th and current Prime Minister of India, Coretta Scott King, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, current President of India, Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya, former President of Zambia, Andrew Bartlett, Senator in Australian Parliament, Bernie Goetz, NYC Mayoral candidate, Wilson Goode, former Mayor of Philadelphia, Dr. Janez Drnovsek, 2nd President of Slovenia, James G. Abourezk, US Congressman, Sofia of Greece, Queen of Spain, Anne Campbell, British Parliament member.

And what about some of these oldies: Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Annie Besant, political activist in England and India, Andrews Jacobs, US Congress, Sir Stafford Cripps, British Labor Party politician, General William Booth, British Founder and 1st General of Salvation Army, Lamartine, French writer, poet and politician, Martin Luther, German theologian, Augustinian monk and ecclesiastical reformer, Willem Drees, former Dutch politician and Prime Minister . . .

So how does veganism and politics collide today? Obviously through legislature and activism—mostly animal rights and the practices of meat and dairy producers. But what about food in general and world hunger? Did you know that there is enough grain grown in the world to feed the world? But 40% of it goes to feeding the animals that will eventually be slaughtered. Whether we like it or not, we need politicians to make change.