We leave this weekend for a week in Victoria, BC and a week in Seattle! We’re very exited to get away and looking forward to spending time in two places we’ve never been. I’ve done a lot of research on places to see, places to eat, but it’d be great to get some recommendations!

So, how about it? Any recommendations?

A BIG thank you goes out to Luminous Vegans for this outstanding recipe. When I saw it a couple of weeks ago, it immediately bookmarked it. This also reminds me a bit of the Sweet Potato Ravioli I made a while back, which was also a favorite. Everyone loved this—a keeper for sure. The only thing I did different was made a full box of jumbo shells (about 40 shells), otherwise, I followed the recipe as it was. These are not overly squashy tasting, thanks to the amazing cashew cheese. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use, which is a time saver, but not a must. From start to finish, it took me about an hour and a half of (easy) prep and cook time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box jumbo shells

1 large butternut squash

1/3 C chives, chopped

1/3 C basil, chopped

salt and pepper

1 jar marinara sauce

Cashew Cheese:

2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs almond milk (I did add about another tablespoon)

1 tsp tahini (I accidentally used a tablespoon, hence, the extra almond milk, but it all worked out)

1/2 Tbs onion powder

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut the butternut squash in half. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Oven temps and cooking times vary, so check after 30 minutes; the squash should be tender and soft.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine all of the cashew cheese ingredients and puree until smooth. Pretty easy. In a medium bowl, combine the chives, basil, squash and about 1/2 to 3/4 C of the cashew cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Of course, while all this is going on, boil the shells (10-15 minutes). Once drained, stuff each shell with the filling. Don’t get too heavy handed—you can always add more to any of the shells.

Layer on the jarred marinara sauce. I used about 3/4 of a jar. The rest will be great for a quick spaghetti lunch this week.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Every week, when I’m writing up a grocery list, I always ask for dinner suggestions. It never fails. “Tacos.” It’s become a joke around here. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest for Oven Tacos, I knew my hegans would be very happy with a vegan version. These were definitely a hit. I had to laugh when the original recipe said that after the ground beef is cooked (yack!) “drain the liquid.” Oh, just say what it is! Grease! Melted animal fat! Ahhh . . . I love it; being vegan means never having to say, “drain the liquid/grease/fat.” Speaking of which, the Boca crumbles have zero fat, I use “no fat” refried beans, and there is no fat in the tomato sauce. Obviously, these aren’t totally fat free, but can you imagine the fat content alone in the original ones? Yikes! So, not only are these amazing, they’re actually healthy for you. I’ve discovered these great whole grain taco shells that really are delicious. Psst . . . by the way, this makes A LOT. I made 13 tacos and had some filling left over, so I recommend either serving these to a crowd, or freezing half the filling for the next taco night.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag Boca Crumbles

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 Tbs olive oil

1  15-oz can no fat refried beans

1 small can diced green chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1  8-oz can tomato sauce

Daiya cheese shreds

13-14 taco shells

Toppings:

green onion, sliced

sliced black olives

fresh cilantro, chopped

diced tomatoes

guacamole or diced avocado

salsa

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add the Boca Crumbles and cook 4-5 minutes, or until they are heated through. (No need to drain any “liquid”)! In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the seasoning mix with 1/2 to 3/4 C of water;  stir into the Boca mixture. Next, add the tomato sauce, green chilies, and beans. Combine well over medium-low heat.

Fill the taco shells with the mixture. I wanted to leave plenty of room for toppings, so I filled them about a third of the way up, but feel free to use as little or as much as you want. Like I said, I made 13 tacos—enough to fill a 9×13 baking dish, so if you’re making more, you’ll want a larger dish. And be careful, they break easily with the thick filling inside (especially after they’re baked). Sprinkle with some Daiya cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes. The bottom portion of the shell (that has the Boca filling) will have the awesomeness of a soft taco, but the flavor of corn. THEN, the top half is crunchy—best of both worlds!

Load them up with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

This is what rennet looks like. Or should I say, this is what cheese looks like before it’s processed. 

A vast majority of cheese—both domestic and imported—is made with rennet, an enzyme in the lining of a calf’s stomach (lamb for sheep cheese, baby goat for goat cheese). Although, rennet is now being made from the stomachs of pigs, too. Nice huh? Bet many of you didn’t know that. Rennet is used to coagulate dairy products and even though there are non-animal sources of rennet, most cheese companies use the real thing. Via The Natural Connection, this is what a Kraft cheese representative said:

“Kraft Domestic Swiss Cheese (any Kraft Swiss not labeled “Imported” from a foreign country) is made with microbial rennet. Apart from Kraft Domestic Swiss Cheese, it is almost impossible for us to assure you that any hard cheese product which you might purchase from Kraft or any other American source is absolutely free of animal-derived enzymes.”

And did you know that there is only ONE vegetarian Parmigiano-Reggiano? In fact, most imported cheeses use rennet, too. So just buy cheese without rennet, you say? Good luck finding out just which cheeses are rennet-free based on their labels. Companies are not legally bound to disclose their source of rennet. If you’re lucky, the label will specifically state that their products contain a non-animal rennet, or say “suitable for vegetarians.” Another way is to buy certified kosher cheese.

And what kind of cheese do you think restaurants use? Most serve cheap, bulk cheese. Kraft, most likely. Find out next time you think you’re ordering a “vegetarian” meal. Chances are, it’s not vegetarian at all.

One thing that I think is very important for people to know, is that the dairy industry is just as cruel as the meat industry. How do you think cow’s milk is obtained? By keeping cows perpetually pregnant. The calves that are born are immediately taken from their mothers, often killed on the spot, and their stomachs are harvested.

First, I encourage you to kick the dairy habit, but if you don’t, at least know what’s in it. Here’s a list of dairy companies and whether or not they are vegetarian.

(Newborn calves are often thrown into a wheelbarrow and taken to a cage to await execution)

Lettuce wraps are a favorite around here, especially since we can be picky and add what toppings we want. Oh, and they’re fresh and easy to make. I suggest having all of your ingredients out, ready to go, and even chopped before anything else; it just makes life easier. I was inspired by a Vegetarian Times recipe, but I made lots of changes by adding ingredients and omitting some. That’s the beauty of these . . . they’re so versatile.

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

2 8oz pkg. tempeh, broken into chunks

5 large mushrooms, diced

1 can water chestnuts, chopped (I didn’t have any, but I would have used them if I did, so these are certainly optional)

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs fresh garlic, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-1/4 C vegetable broth

1/4 C fresh mint, chopped

1/8 C lime juice

1 Tbs tamari

1 Tbs toasted brown rice vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp sriracha

1/4 tsp brown sugar

Sauce:

1/8 C lime juice

1/8 C water

1/8 C sugar

2 Tbs tamari

1 Tbs brown rice vinegar

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbs yellow  miso

salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings:

2 carrots, shredded

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into strips

Fresh basil, sliced into strips

1 C green onions, sliced

1 avocado, sliced into thin strips

1/2 C chopped peanuts and slivered almonds (also chopped)

12-16 large lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. To make the filling, pulse the tempeh in a food processor. Depending on your preference, you can pulse it until you’re left with course pieces, or process it a bit more like I did. It can be difficult to get a consistent texture if you want larger pieces.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tempeh (and water chestnuts, if suing) and broth. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high, and cook ten minutes. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients and heat thoroughly.

Since you were so efficient in your prep work . . .  ;-) you’re ready to fill the lettuce wraps! Place a scoop in the center of the lettuce leaf and add your favorite toppings, and drizzle with about a tablespoon of the sauce. Enjoy!

What better way to welcome spring than making a big bowl of potato salad?! We Coloradans have had enough of cold weather although we should be careful what we wish for because we’ll be in the mid-80s this week. Oh well, much better than snow.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs red potatoes, cubed

2 tsp Better than Bouillon paste (optional)

6 celery stalks, sliced

1 C green onions, sliced

1/2 C parsley, minced

Sauce:

1/2 C vegan mayo

1/3 C vegan sour cream

2 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs garlic powder

3 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 C dill, chopped

1/2 C chives, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

I whisked together the bouillon paste and water in a large pot for some added flavor, but this is certainly optional. Bring to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until they are softened, but still firm. However, you may decide to cook them longer to make a softer salad, just keep in mind, that you could end up with a mashed potato salad, which isn’t the end of the world; it’ll actually make the salad even creamier (which is actually how mine turned out). It’s all a matter of preference. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the celery, green onions, and parsley; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, Dijon, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir in the dill and chives.

Once the potatoes are where you want them, drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the celery mixture.

I suppose you could actually combine the celery mixture and the sauce together first to save a step, as well as save the potatoes from being stirred too much. Either way, you get the idea. Fold in the sauce and chill for at least 2 hours, then enjoy!

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times, but I made just a few alterations. The original recipe is called “Kung Pao Sliders,” but I’m not sure where the kung pao is because they weren’t spicy at all—the recipe only calls for an optional pinch of cayenne. The recipe also says it makes 16 sliders and I sliced the tofu the same way and ended up with just 14. Next time, I’ll actually just cut large slabs instead of using 2 per slider, because they were pretty small. If you want them to have more of a kick, I suggest adding more cayenne, or some sriacha to the slaw mixture. Ok, with all of that out of the way, I have to say, these were quite delicious. The slaw is really flavorful and any leftovers would be great eaten alone, or on some rice or noodles. I made some fries to go with them and it was a great meal. (I guess you can call it “Frasian” dining . . .)

INGREDIENTS:

Sliders:

1 14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, patted dry

4 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce (I used tamari)

2 Tbs natural cane sugar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch

(I also added 1 Tbs yellow miso)

slider buns

Slaw:

3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

2 Tbs vegan mayo

2 Tbs creamy peanut butter

5 tsp natural cane sugar (I reduced this to 2 tsp)

2 Tbs rice vinegar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 medium carrots, julienned* (I recommend 2 carrots, as there was a lot of slaw left—unless you’re fine with that)

2 medium (I recommend small ones) zucchini, julienned*

1/4 C dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Optional: sriacha or other hot sauce for some heat

*Another option is to use a peeler and make ribbons of carrots and zucchini—this can be much easier than julienning them.

DIRECTIONS:

I recommend making this a couple of hours ahead of time to allow the tofu to marinate and give yourself plenty of prep time. The recipe says to cut the tofu into 8 slices lengthwise; halve the slices to make 16 pieces. I did the best I could. (Again, next time I’ll make larger cuts)

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cane sugar, toasted sesame oil and cornstarch. (This is also where I added in the miso). Pour about a third of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and place the tofu squares in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the tofu to coat it.

Cover and chill while you prepare the slaw. Basically, whisk together all of the slaw ingredients (minus the veggies and peanuts) in a large bowl. Stir in the carrots, zucchini, and peanuts. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and transfer the tofu to the sheet. The recipe says to drain the tofu, but I just poured the marinade over the tofu.

Bake 20-25 minutes, then flip and bake 15-20 minutes. I reduced the times a little from the original recipe because mine seemed to bake pretty fast. Every oven runs different, so just check them often to make sure they’re not burnt to a crisp. On to assembling them . . .

Add about 2 Tbs of slaw and you’re ready to eat! Enjoy!

I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Sunshine Award from V 8 Mile who has a great vegetarian/vegan blog. Be sure to check it out. This is such a great way to get connected with other bloggers and see what they’re cooking up. V 8 Mile lists some other great blogs and I’m looking forward to checking them out. So thank you, V 8! I appreciate the nomination! Now, onto the Sunshine Award questions . . . (which I may have, kind of, sort of deviated from the normal ones):

1. What is one of your favorite quotes?

I have so many, but I love this one from the late, the great, Dr. Seuss. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ The Lorax

2. What is your favorite time of day?

Early morning, around 6:30. The sun is beginning to warm everything up and it’s just a new day that can be whatever you want it to be.

3. What is your favorite holiday?

I have to agree with V 8 Mile on this one . . . I love Halloween. There are so many reasons why. For one, I love the fall time and even though we routinely get dumped on with snow—at least it seems that way—there’s just something about it. Costumes, party food, carving pumpkins! You name it!

4. What is your passion in life?

Everyone should know what their passion in life is (ideally, the sooner the better)! You may even have more than one. I love writing, art, music, veganism, creating anything with my hands, and helping those in need (both human and animal). I recently came across this amazing TED Talk  from Kathleen Taylor called, “Rethinking the Bucket List.” I love what she had to say. It’s worth the 10 minutes of your time. I also just attended the Northern Colorado Writers Conference and our keynote speaker was Andrew McCarthy—-yes, the cutie from “Pretty in Pink.” He’s also a writer and said that each and every one of us are creative and every time we don’t honor that, and plop ourselves in the front of the TV and veg, our creativity rots. So true.

4. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage?

What?! I’ve never heard of such a thing! Ok, so I sure like my vino, but I also love an almond milk latte . . . or a hot mug of vegan chai . . . while we’re at it, my least favorite is water, but, for the last month, I make sure I drink 64-100 ounces of water a day. My trick? Warm lemon water. First thing in the morning, I heat up some water and fill up the large Nalgene bottle—even before my coffee! Using this method, I’m usually able to knock out 64 ounces before noon. (Your skin will thank you).

5. Where are you on Facebook and Twitter?

I know, not a very deep question, but hey, we’ll get it out of the way. Twitter (I tweet very little, however): @EpicureanVegan and my Facebook page can be found HERE.

6. Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

Well, alive and healthy for one—or is that two? All right, so I hope to be making a living as a writer and illustrator, and/or owning my own vegan store (which by the way, may or may not already be in the works ) Really, all I can ask for is happiness and good health for my friends and family.  And lots of good, cheap wine.

7. Do you have a unique way of eating food that isn’t common?

I don’t know if it’s unique or not (The Husband calls it weird), but I like to slice an avocado in half, sprinkle a little salt on top and eat it out of the rind with a spoon.

8. What are the last four books you’ve read?

Well, that’s easy . . . (Thanks, Goodreads)!

*Just finished Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

* The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Quest for the Courage to Settle Down, by Andrew McCarthy

* The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller

* Bucking the Sun, by Ivan Doig (My all-time favorite author, by the way . . . in case you wanted to know)

9. How did your blog come about?

In November of 2009, I had picked up Alicia Silverstone’s cookbook, The Kind Diet (who hasn’t?) and began my vegan journey. Then in January 2010, while laid up after having my appendix out and nothing else to do but feel like a bloated whale on the couch, WordPress beckoned to me and Epicurean Vegan was conceived. (That sounded so romantic, huh?)

10.) What are your (vegan) “junk food” weaknesses?

Oh, man, Amy’s Kitchen makes this incredible mac and cheese that is gluten-free, vegan, and soy free that is absolutely to die for. Those darn things have 520 calories and a bit o’ fat and sodium. It’s ridiculous, but so good. I actually had to wean myself off of them and I haven’t had one in probably eight months, but I know how to get them! (At least they’re organic and non GMO, right?)

Now, on to my nominations . . . (Check them out!)

That Was Vegan?

Gypsy Roller’s Veggie Kitchen

The Cruelty-Free Review

JL Goes Vegan

Change for a Year

In Fine Balance

Luminous Vegans

Healthy Girl’s Kitchen

My Good Clean Food

Vegan Circles

]]> http://epicureanvegan.com/2013/05/08/sunshine-award/feed/ 2 epicureanvegan sunshine-award http://epicureanvegan.com/2013/05/07/veggie-bowties-with-mushrooms-and-walnuts/ http://epicureanvegan.com/2013/05/07/veggie-bowties-with-mushrooms-and-walnuts/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 16:58:24 +0000 epicureanvegan http://epicureanvegan.com/?p=6161 ]]>

This always makes for a great, quick lunch—or even a few lunches. I love veggie pastas and this one, from Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, is made up of spinach, beets, and red bell pepper. Aside from the wonderful flavor, it doesn’t hurt that there are 8 grams of protein per serving (1/4 C), as well as vitamin C and iron.

INGREDIENTS:

8-oz vegetable bowtie (farfalle) pasta

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 C mushrooms, sliced

1/2 C walnuts, chopped

2 Tbs Earth Balance

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. In the meantime, melt the Earth Balance over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the walnuts and saute them 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown; season with salt and pepper. Combine the mushroom mixture with the pasta and if needed, season with more salt and pepper. Enjoy!

First, I had to snap a few pictures this morning of the snow because by tomorrow, most of it will be gone. This is a photog’s dream and the time I love snow—so beautiful.

So anyway, as you probably know, I go through phases when I discover certain meals. For example, when I discovered stuffed peppers, I made about 10 different versions . . . same with frittatas and tofu scrambles. Now I’m on to my latest obsession: Ravioli. At least I have the process down to a science so preparation goes a lot smoother. I was hankering for some of this Alfredo sauce, but I was also craving ravioli. Typically, I don’t like to pair ravioli with a heavy sauce, but to hell with rules; this was too good not to try. I changed up the dough a little because I didn’t have enough semolina flour and it worked out nicely. These are stuffed with tofu ricotta and fresh spinach—a fabulous combo. For a more in-depth description on using a ravioli plate, check out this version.

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

1 C semolina flour

2 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp salt

1 C almond milk, warm

2 Tbs olive oil

Filling:

14-oz pkg. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1/3 C Daiya mozzarella (optional)

2 C chopped spinach

Sauce:

1 C raw cashews

2 Tbs pine nuts

1-1/2 C water

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/16 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1 to 2 C mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Start with making the dough. In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. Create a well in the middle and slowly pour in the almond milk and oil. Using a spoon, or your hands, combine well. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic, and set aside.

Next, throw together the ricotta. Combine all of the ingredients, except the spinach and cheese, in a food processor and blend well. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the spinach and cheese. Set aside.

Next, roll out the dough. I used my pasta maker, but you may certainly use a rolling pin. Lay one long sheet over the ravioli mold and fill each pocket with just over a teaspoon of filling.

Lay another thin sheet of dough over the top, press down and use a rolling pin to seal the edges. Again, refer to this post on how to use a ravioli plate. Place the raviolis on a baking sheet and repeat the process until you have used up all of the filling. I had just a small amount of dough left, but not much. I had 75 raviolis when it was all said and done. Cover and set aside.

Time to make the sauce. Using a blender, grind the cashews and pine nuts to a fine powder. Add the nutritional yeast, water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until completely smooth—about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium saucepan and whisk over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes; stir in the black pepper. I sauteed the mushrooms first, then stirred them into the sauce.

Keeping the sauce warm on very low heat, bring a large pot of water to a boil. I cooked about 12-15 raviolis at a time for about 4-5 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, place them in a strainer. Serve immediately, or lay them out on a large pan, otherwise, they’ll stick to each other. You can drizzle a little olive oil on them as well, to keep them separated. Ladle on some sauce and enjoy!