Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Tempeh Lettuce Wraps May 14, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers,Dinners,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 10:25 am
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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.

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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.

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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!

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Veggie Bowties with Mushrooms and Walnuts May 7, 2013

Filed under: Desserts,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 9:58 am
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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.

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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!

 

Vegan “Buttermilk” Cornbread (And more snow on the way) April 30, 2013

Filed under: Breads — epicureanvegan @ 11:58 am
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When I made chili and cornbread last week when it was snowy, I figured it was going to be the last hurrah for cold weather and it’d be a while before I’d be making chili again. Wrongo, Bucko. The forecast is calling for another 3-6 inches! What in the hell is going on with Colorado weather? We had just put away the plastic sheeting and boards we used to cover the veggie boxes, so now we have to drag them out again. Amazingly, my peas have survived the previous onslaughts of snow . . .

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As has the spinach and kale . . .

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I’m really not happy about this weather, but at least it’s expected to be gone by Friday. It does give me an excuse to whip up some of our new favorite soup for tomorrow night’s dinner. I’m also thrilled it will be gone for the weekend since we are headed to Boulder for a weekend getaway which will include another amazing dinner at The Black Cat. So if you’re experiencing the same discombobulated weather, I think you’ll enjoy this delicious cornbread. The Eighth Grader found this recipe and together, we veganized it, made a few changes, and he threw it all together. Easy to make and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 C Earth Balance

1/3 C sugar (we cut the original amount in half)

3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 Tbs warm water

1 C almond milk + 1-1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (to make the “buttermilk”)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 C cornmeal

1 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar; combine it well with the butter. Add the egg-replacer, the milk/cider combo, and the baking soda. Combine well, then whisk in the cornmeal, flour, and salt. You’ll have a thick batter.

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Pour into a lightly greased, 8″ baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Slice and enjoy!

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Cashew Alfredo and Roasted Asparagus April 8, 2013

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 10:42 am
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The Alfredo recipe is from The Kind Life and is probably the best vegan Alfredo sauce I’ve tried thus far. The taste and consistency is perfect. The only thing I added was some nutritional yeast and some sliced mushrooms. Paired with the asparagus, it was a fantastic meal!

INGREDIENTS:

Alfredo:

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

1-1/2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 C nutritional yeast

4 C pasta (I used 16 oz of orecchiette, a.k.a “suction cup pasta)

1 to 2 C mushrooms, sliced

Asparagus:

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed

1-2 Tbs olive oil

Salt

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl, coat the asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt; set aside. To make the sauce, grind the nuts in a blender until you reach 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 and mushrooms. It won’t take long to thicken up and stir it often to keep it from burning.

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Transfer the asparagus to a baking sheet and as soon as you add your pasta to a pot to boil it, throw the asparagus in the oven. Incidentally, they’re both take about 14 minutes to cook.

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Turn the asparagus halfway through—about 7 minutes. Cook another 7 minutes.

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Perfect!

Drain the pasta and serve with sauce ladled on top. (The Eighth Grader cut up his asparagus and added it to the pasta and loved it). Enjoy!

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Roman Pasta Soup with Potatoes March 28, 2013

Filed under: Soups — epicureanvegan @ 12:44 pm
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This is definitely a carb-lover’s soup! You certainly don’t have to use pasta and potatoes, but I think they work really well together in this soup. I used to make this soup a lot about ten or twelve years ago, but sort of forgot about it, especially since it used real bacon, but like most meat dishes, this one is easy to veganize. It’s incredibly easy to make and versatile, too. I think some chopped kale or mushrooms would be great additions.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 veggie bacon slices, diced

1 large onion, chopped

1/3 C fresh parsley, chopped

8-9 C vegetable broth

3 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

2 C pasta shells, uncooked

Black pepper, to taste

Daiya mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions and veggie bacon and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cook another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the pasta and cook 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Season with black pepper and serve with Daiya cheese on top. Enjoy!

 

Field Roast and Avocado Burritos March 19, 2013

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 7:37 am
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Yikes, it’s been a while. I have so many new recipes on my list to make, but I’ve been so busy with various different projects, that throwing together a simple favorite has been all I’ve had time for. I’ll get back into the swing of things. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be emerging from the cold and depressing days of winter! We even got our garden started this weekend. (I’ll be bringing you Garden Watch soon). In the meantime, here’s a fast and simple meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs chipotle-flavored olive oil (or regular)

1/2 C yellow or white onion, chopped

1/2 C red onion, chopped

4 Field Roast Sausages, Italian Seasoning flavor, crumbled

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

4 Flour tortillas

Other (optional) burrito fillings: vegan sour cream, salsa, cilantro, diced tomatoes, Daiya cheese

 

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DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until they soften. Add the Field Roast and cook over medium heat until heated through, again, for 5-7 minutes.

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On a warmed tortilla, layer on some sour cream, Field Roast mixture, avocados, and any other burrito fillings you want. Roll up and enjoy! (See, I told you it was easy)!

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Quinoa Pasta with Kale and Mushrooms February 18, 2013

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 11:35 am
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This is a very quick and healthy lunch. It’s also a good idea to munch on if you’re feeling under the weather since it has immune-boosting ingredients like kale, mushrooms, garlic, and pepita seeds. Regardless, it’ll hit the spot!

INGREDIENTS:

8-oz quinoa pasta, veggie curls (I used Ancient Harvest brand)

2-3 C chopped kale (I used red kale)

2 C diced or quartered mushrooms

1/2 C green onions, sliced

1/2 C pepitas seeds

1 Tbs olive oil or 2 Tbs Earth Balance

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. You don’t want to overcook quinoa pasta, as it tends to get mushy if you do. Drain and set aside.

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Using the same pot, heat the olive oil or Earth Balance and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the kale, mushrooms, and green onions and cook 5-7 minutes, or until they soften.

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Once the veggies are cooked down a little, stir in the pasta and pepita seeds. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

 

Fruity Snack Balls February 1, 2013

Filed under: Snacks — epicureanvegan @ 11:42 am
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These are such a great snack and take minutes to make! I LOVE these (and so will kids). They come from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores and the only thing I added was about 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. I try to throw chia seeds in all kinds of dishes, especially breakfast/fruity/smoothie things. Check out these 10 reasons you should eat them. You can use just about any dried fruit or nuts for these, such as apricots, apples, raisins, even dried blueberries. I also think mixing in a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter would be dee-licious! The original recipe says it makes a great crumbled cereal topper as well. The recipe also says it makes 2-1/2 dozen, but I got exactly 2 dozen–just depends on how small you make them.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 C unsweetened shredded coconut

3/4 C dried cherries

1 C dried mango

1/2 C dried cranberries

1 C sliced raw almonds

2 Tbs chia seeds

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DIRECTIONS:

Toss the first four ingredients into the food processor and blend for a full minute.

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Add the almonds and blend again for another full minute.

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I then transferred the mixture to a bowl and stirred in the chia seeds.

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Take small handfuls and squeeze, then shape into a ball. Repeat. Enjoy!

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Quinoa with Dried Apricots and Black Beans January 22, 2013

Filed under: Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 8:29 am
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The next time someone asks you, “Where do you get your protein?” you can (politely) point out this dish as one of numerous options. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 amino acids essential to human health. It offers up roughly 8 grams of protein per cup and also passes along calcium, iron, folate, manganese, and other vitamins. Black beans also carry nearly 15 grams of protein per cup, so add some veggies and you have healthy lunch!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 C red quinoa, rinsed and drained

1/2 C regular quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 tsp Better than Bouillon paste

1-1/2 C water

1 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1 C green onions, sliced

1 C dried apricots, chopped

1/3 C pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp lime juice

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 Tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the bouillon and water; bring to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cilantro, green onion, apricots, pepita seeds, salt, lime juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

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Once the quinoa is finished, add it, along with the black beans to the bowl.

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Combine well and enjoy! (You can also chill it in a covered dish and serve cold).

 

Vegan Herbed Cream Cheese January 20, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers,Dressings/Condiments — epicureanvegan @ 2:26 pm
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I think non vegans would find it pretty hard to know this is nondairy. (And when is it not fun to fool omnivores)? This is a Tofutti cream cheese-based dip/spread, but you could easily reverse the ratio of cream cheese and sour cream in this recipe and make it a sour cream-based one. It works great as a dip, dolloped on a baked potato, cracker spread, bagel topper, or sandwich condiment. It was ideal for veggie wraps . . .

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INGREDIENTS:

12-oz container of Tofutti cream cheese

1/4 C Tofutti sour cream

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbs dried minced onion

1 tsp salt

2 large green onion, sliced

1 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container and keep chilled until using. Enjoy!

 

 
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