Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Almond Cheeze Log February 8, 2011

Filed under: Appetizers,Dressings/Condiments — epicureanvegan @ 6:31 pm
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This fluffy, mild cheeze is outstanding. I originally posted the recipe for it back in December. I’ve made it a few times since then, and this time, made a log out of it and brought it to my neighbor’s Super Bowl Party. It was a hit. I use the cheese as a pizza topping, sandwich spread, and pasta topper. Just this morning I made breakfast tarts using it. I recommend making a double batch at a time since it does take a while—but I guarantee you’ll love it!

The guys were (almond) Cheeseheads for the day!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C blanched almonds

1/4 C lemon juice

3 Tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled (I used minced)

1-1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecloth (a thin cotton napkin works great, too)

Toasted walnuts or pecans

Agave nectar

DIRECTIONS:

First, to blanch the almonds, add them to a small sauce pan and fill with water, just to cover the almonds. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pinch the skins between your finger and the skins will slide right off. Dry them off well.

Place almonds in a medium bowl and cover with 3″ of water; soak for 24 hours. Drain and rinse twice with running water. Next, puree the almonds, lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, garlic, salt and 1/2 C of cold water in a food processor until smooth.  Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon mixture into cheesecloth.

Bring the corners and sides of the cheesecloth together and twist around the cheese, squeezing out any excess moisture. Secure with a rubber band. I have found that a cloth napkin works really well for this—even better than cheesecloth.

Chill 12 hours or overnight. Discard any excess liquid—I squeezed a little more out. After it has chilled, spoon it onto a layer of plastic wrap and form a roll, or log.

Unwrap and roll it out onto a plate. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts or pecans on top and then drizzle with agave. Serve with crackers or Grannie Smith apple slices. I love this recipe (from Vegetarian Times) and even though you have to soak and chill a lot, it’s worth it.

 

Buttered Party Mix November 16, 2010

Filed under: Snacks,Vegan MoFo — epicureanvegan @ 3:39 pm
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Vegan MoFo, Day 16

So easy! And a great way to grab some protein. You can sub in pecans if you’d like—I’m just not a big fan. These are for an artist reception at the Northern Colorado Writers Association that is tonight. I’m also bringing my favorite hummus. The artist happens to be my mother-in-law, watercolorist-extraordinaire.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbs Earth Balance margarine, melted

1 Tbs garlic salt

1/2 tsp cayenne, or more for taste

1 C raw, unsalted cashews

1 C raw, unsalted walnuts

1 C raw, unsalted almonds

1/2 C sunflower seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 and line a baking sheet with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the nuts, garlic salt and cayenne. Add the margarine and thoroughly combine. Layer onto the lined baking sheet and bake for about a half an hour. Stir and flip over the nuts. I know, that’s not easy, but you’ll be able to tell which side is which since the cooked side will be dry-looking. Bake another 20-30 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to an air tight container if not eating right away. Enjoy!

 

Sauteed Tofu with Shallots, Almonds, and Amaretto August 6, 2010

Filed under: Breakfasts,Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 5:02 pm
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This recipe, from Vegan Planet, was certainly yummy, but it struck us as more of a breakfast than a dinner meal. The tofu had a pancake-like texture and the amaretto gave it a sweet, syrup-y taste. It was delicious, but I could see serving it for breakfast or brunch, rather than dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

1-16 oz (I used 14 oz) pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 1/4″ thick slices

1/4 C all purpose flour

Salt and black pepper

3 Tbs olive oil

4 shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 C vegetable broth

1/4 C amaretto or other other almond-flavored liqueur

1/2 C slivered almonds, toasted

1 Tbs minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Dredge the tofu in the flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until brown on both sides, 2-4 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, transfer to a plate; set aside.

Add the shallots to the skillet, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and liqueur and heat almost to boiling. Reduce the heat to low, return the tofu to the pan, add the almonds and parsley, and simmer to infuse the tofu with the flavor of the sauce and heat through.

Serve hot and enjoy!

 

Rosemary Roasted Almonds April 2, 2010

Filed under: Snacks — epicureanvegan @ 1:12 pm
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My neighbor brought these over the other night and I loved them! There are so many reasons to eat almonds: vitamin E, protein, zinc, iron, and monounsaturated fats. They make the ideal snack because just a handful will satisfy your hunger in between meals. The recipe calls for 2 cups of almonds, but I had about 2-1/2 cups, so I added the extra–they came out perfect! Eat ‘em while they’re warm, too.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp chile powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

Dash of ground red pepper

1 (10-ounce) bag whole almonds (about 2 cups)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange nut mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 325  for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature.

Recipe source: Cooking Light

 

Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries and Almonds March 11, 2010

Filed under: Sides — epicureanvegan @ 5:50 pm
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This is one of my favorite side dishes.

Quinoa is not a grain, but actually a seed, but certainly looks, cooks and tastes like a grain. It’s even called a “supergrain” because of it’s many benefits and easy digestibility. Quinoa is packed full of protein, magnesium, and fiber. Research has also found that eating this fabulous seed…can help prevent breast cancer, diabetes and insulin resistance. So dig in!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in broth and salt and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cranberries, cover again and continue to cook until liquid is completely absorbed and quinoa is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Toss with almonds. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Whole Foods

 

Chocolate Truffles February 14, 2010

Filed under: Desserts — epicureanvegan @ 5:04 pm
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Oh my…these will be the perfect ending to your Valentine’s Day dinner!

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 C Vegan chocolate chips, such as SunSpire brand

8 oz Tofutti cream cheese

3 C Confectioners’ sugar

1-1/2 tsp Vanilla

Stuff to roll them in: sweetened cocoa, sprinkles, confectioners’ sugar, toasted coconut, finely chopped nuts, or cinnamon and sugar.

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips. In a food processor, cream the cream cheese, about 1 min. Add the confectioners’ sugar, about a cup at a time. Combine until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the food processor and blend until well combined.

Transfer to a bowl and chill for 1 hour.

When ready to make, shape into 1″ balls and roll in your favorite yummies, such as sprinkles or nuts. Chill for another hour before devouring!

Another suggestion would be using just a cup of chocolate chips and adding 1/2 C of peanut butter and melt together. Enjoy!

Recipe source: veganchef.com

 

Easy, Healthy Granola January 21, 2010

Filed under: Breakfasts,Snacks — epicureanvegan @ 3:38 am
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This 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.

Bake 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!

 

 
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