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Strawberry-Pear Tarts

February 23, 2011 by epicureanvegan

For about a month, I’ve had some puff pastry in freezer because I accidentally bought it, thinking I was getting phyllo sheets. So, instead of letting it continue to sit and freeze, I decided to make these tarts. Now, even though puff pasty is vegan, it isn’t the healthiest stuff out there and we probably shouldn’t gorge on this stuff on a regular basis—vegan or not. It’s a treat and that’s okay. And these treats you’ll love—not too sweet and ready to eat before you know it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 pear, peeled, sliced thin and cored
6 strawberries, sliced
2 Tbs brown sugar
2-1/2 Tbs vegan margarine, melted and divided
1/3 C walnuts, chopped
4-4″ tart pans

DIRECTIONS:
To thaw puff pastry, remove from bag and place on counter. It will thaw in about 40 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400. Unfold pastry sheet and place the bottoms of the tart pans on it, cutting around the circles.

Place bottom of pan and cut out dough back into the tart shell. In a medium bowl, combine the pears, strawberries, brown sugar, walnuts, and two tablespoons of melted margarine.

Divide the fruit mixture evenly among the 4 tart pans. Roll out the extra dough and using a cookie cutter, cut out a heart or other beautiful shape you wish to make. Place on top of each tart. Brush the cut-out with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of melted margarine.

Bake for 20-22 minutes and enjoy!

Strawberry-Pear Tarts

For about a month, I've had some puff pastry in freezer because I accidentally bought it, thinking I was getting phyllo sheets. So, instead of letting it continue to sit and freeze, I decided to make these tarts. Now, even though puff pasty is vegan, it isn't the healthiest stuff out there and we probably shouldn't gorge on this stuff on a regular basis---vegan or not. It's a treat and that's okay. And these treats you'll love---not too sweet and ready to eat before you know it.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 pear, peeled, sliced thin and cored
6 strawberries, sliced
2 Tbs brown sugar
2-1/2 Tbs vegan margarine, melted and divided
⅓ C walnuts, chopped
4-4" tart pans

Directions

To thaw puff pastry, remove from bag and place on counter. It will thaw in about 40 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400. Unfold pastry sheet and place the bottoms of the tart pans on it, cutting around the circles.
Place bottom of pan and cut out dough back into the tart shell. In a medium bowl, combine the pears, strawberries, brown sugar, walnuts, and two tablespoons of melted margarine.
Divide the fruit mixture evenly among the 4 tart pans. Roll out the extra dough and using a cookie cutter, cut out a heart or other beautiful shape you wish to make. Place on top of each tart. Brush the cut-out with the remaining ½ tablespoon of melted margarine.
Bake for 20-22 minutes and enjoy!

Vegan Shepards Pie

February 22, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This is actually easier to make than you would think. You can nuke 2 large potatoes, or use frozen ones (thawed, of course). I used edamame for some added protein, but feel free to use peas if your prefer. Easier, healthier, comfort food.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag Boca Crumbles
1 small onion, diced
1-1/2 C cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 C edamame, thawed if frozen
1 C vegetable broth
2 C mashed potatoes
1/4 C almond milk
2 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded
Vegan margarine

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat the vegetable broth and add the onions and Boca crumbles. Cover and let simmer over a low-medium heat, season with salt and pepper; stirring occasionally. After about 10 minutes, add the mushrooms and edamame. Cover again for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the potatoes, milk, mozzarella, chives, parsley, and garlic in a mixer and cream until slightly smooth.

Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish with a little vegan margarine. Pour the Boca mixture into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Next, layer on the mashed potato mixture and spread evenly over the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Vegan Shepards Pie

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 bag Boca Crumbles
1 small onion, diced
1-1/2 C cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 C edamame, thawed if frozen
1 C vegetable broth
2 C mashed potatoes
¼ C almond milk
2 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
½ C vegan mozzarella, shredded
Vegan margarine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat the vegetable broth and add the onions and Boca crumbles. Cover and let simmer over a low-medium heat, season with salt and pepper; stirring occasionally. After about 10 minutes, add the mushrooms and edamame. Cover again for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the potatoes, milk, mozzarella, chives, parsley, and garlic in a mixer and cream until slightly smooth.
Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with a little vegan margarine. Pour the Boca mixture into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Next, layer on the mashed potato mixture and spread evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cake (and don’t give away your heart . . .pan)!

February 14, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yesterday as The Husband and I were moseying through an antique shop, he asked me, “Did you get me anything for Valentine’s Day?” Having not even thought about this (card company) holiday, I truthfully answered, “Uh, no.” He suddenly looked relieved. “Good! I didn’t get you anything!” Frankly, I was relieved, too. I told him I’d bake him something. So when I got to that today I realized I no longer had my red, ceramic, heart-shaped pan anymore. I think I Goodwilled it because I never used it. I was quite disappointed, as it would have been perfect for this cake. Oh well. The sentiment is still there! This recipe is essentially the same as my muffin recipe from a year ago, but I used raspberries instead of blueberries.

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1/4 C vegan margarine
1/2 C apple sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C almond milk
2 C fresh or frozen raspberries (If using frozen, thaw and drain liquid)
Crumb topping:
1/4 C sugar
1/8 C flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs vegan margarine

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine all the muffin ingredients, except the raspberries. Mix well. Fold in the raspberries.

To make the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well using a fork.

Lightly grease an 8×8″ baking pan. You can also use a bundt pan, just remember to put the crumb topping on first, before pouring in the batter.

Top with crumb topping and bake for 30-33 minutes.

Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cake (and don't give away your heart . . .pan)!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Cake:
¼ C vegan margarine
½ C apple sauce
½ tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
½ C almond milk
2 C fresh or frozen raspberries (If using frozen, thaw and drain liquid)
Crumb topping:
¼ C sugar
⅛ C flour
¾ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs vegan margarine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine all the muffin ingredients, except the raspberries. Mix well. Fold in the raspberries.
To make the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well using a fork.
Lightly grease an 8x8" baking pan. You can also use a bundt pan, just remember to put the crumb topping on first, before pouring in the batter.
Top with crumb topping and bake for 30-33 minutes.
Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Chickpea Burgers with Ricotta Sauce

February 9, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I saw this recipe in the January issue of Shape magazine and knew it’d be a great one to make. I had to make some alterations to veganize it and to just make the process easier. The recipe is for 4 burgers, but next time, I’ll make 3. They were a little wimpy as 4 and since there’s 3 in my little vegan family, it’ll just work out better. The recipe also called for panko breadcrumbs, but I forgot to pick some up, so I went with regular bread crumbs. Not a big deal, but I’ll seek those out next time, too. These are pretty simple to throw together and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 C chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp Ancho chili powder
Black pepper
2 tsp egg-replacer powder + 2-1/2 Tbs water
1/4 C +2 Tbs panko or regular bread crumbs
1/3 C ricotta (I had some of my go-to tofu ricotta in the freezer)
2 Tbs plain nondairy yogurt
Whole wheat buns
Cucumber, sliced
Tomato, sliced
Spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Place the top oven rack 8-10 inches from the broiler heat. Preheat oven broiler to high. In a small bowl, whisk together egg-replacer powder and water; set aside. In a large bowl mash the chickpeas a little with a fork; add the parsley, garlic, and spices; season with black pepper.

Stir in the egg-replacer and 2 Tbs of the panko or bread crumbs. Pour remaining bread crumbs onto a plate and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray. As you shape into 3 (or 4) patties, dredge them in the bread crumbs and place onto the baking sheet.

(I also should have chopped the parsley more)

Broil for 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta and yogurt in a food processor or blender.

Serve burgers on the buns with the ricotta sauce, tomato, spinach, and cucumber. Enjoy!

Chickpea Burgers with Ricotta Sauce

I saw this recipe in the January issue of Shape magazine and knew it'd be a great one to make. I had to make some alterations to veganize it and to just make the process easier. The recipe is for 4 burgers, but next time, I'll make 3. They were a little wimpy as 4 and since there's 3 in my little vegan family, it'll just work out better. The recipe also called for panko breadcrumbs, but I forgot to pick some up, so I went with regular bread crumbs. Not a big deal, but I'll seek those out next time, too. These are pretty simple to throw together and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ C chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp Ancho chili powder
Black pepper
2 tsp egg-replacer powder + 2-1/2 Tbs water
¼ C +2 Tbs panko or regular bread crumbs
⅓ C ricotta (I had some of my go-to tofu ricotta in the freezer)
2 Tbs plain nondairy yogurt
Whole wheat buns
Cucumber, sliced
Tomato, sliced
Spinach leaves

Directions

Place the top oven rack 8-10 inches from the broiler heat. Preheat oven broiler to high. In a small bowl, whisk together egg-replacer powder and water; set aside. In a large bowl mash the chickpeas a little with a fork; add the parsley, garlic, and spices; season with black pepper.
Stir in the egg-replacer and 2 Tbs of the panko or bread crumbs. Pour remaining bread crumbs onto a plate and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray. As you shape into 3 (or 4) patties, dredge them in the bread crumbs and place onto the baking sheet.
Broil for 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta and yogurt in a food processor or blender.
Serve burgers on the buns with the ricotta sauce, tomato, spinach, and cucumber. Enjoy!

Thai Green Curry Chickpea Burritos

February 7, 2011 by epicureanvegan

When we were visiting my sister in Northern California recently, she made us these fabulous burritos. The ingredients are from Trader Joe’s, so I was sure to pick the items up before returning to Trader Joe’s-less Colorado. 🙁 Taste of Thai makes a green curry paste though that could be substituted in with some coconut milk. However, a sub for the Cumin and Chickpea mix also required for the recipe, was hard to locate. So if you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, or have a generous relative to send you TJ loot, this recipe is for you. Are you listening, sis? 😉

INGREDIENTS:
1-12 oz jar Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce
1-8 oz pkg Cumin and Chili Chickpea mix
1 medium zucchini, sliced, then quartered
1-15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Flour tortillas
Optional: Tofutti sour cream, fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
I sauteed the zucchini and can of drained chickpeas for about 3-4 minutes. Add the bag of seasoned chickpeas and jarred curry sauce. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes.

Serve in a flour tortilla with sour cream and cilantro and enjoy!

Plum Crock Cheez

February 1, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Today’s high is a whopping -4 degrees. School was even canceled. So not only is it a great day to be in the kitchen (later I’ll be baking something delish–stayed tuned), but thanks to the snow day, I’ll be home to watch Oprah and her vegan challenge! Since the crock cheez was such a big success, I decided to make it again, but follow one of the variations listed in the cookbook (The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook). This one is actually called, “Plum Good Crock Cheez” and uses umeboshi plum paste. It is outstanding! It tastes very similar to the original version, but with a tangier, sweeter punch. I’m not sure which version is my favorite!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (8oz) firm tofu, drained
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbs umeboshi plum paste
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

DIRECTIONS:
Cut tofu into large cubes. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water—just enough to cover the tofu. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well. I used a fine mesh strainer to ensure any small pieces didn’t fall through. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator until it’s easy to handle. Crumble it up into a food processor and add the other ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping the sides, if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for several hours to overnight. Enjoy!

Plum Crock Cheez

Since the crock cheez was such a big success, I decided to make it again, but follow one of the variations listed in the cookbook (The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook). This one is actually called, "Plum Good Crock Cheez" and uses umeboshi plum paste. It is outstanding! It tastes very similar to the original version, but with a tangier, sweeter punch. I'm not sure which version is my favorite!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

½ lb (8oz) firm tofu, drained
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbs umeboshi plum paste
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dry mustard

Directions

Cut tofu into large cubes. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water—just enough to cover the tofu. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well. I used a fine mesh strainer to ensure any small pieces didn’t fall through. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator until it’s easy to handle. Crumble it up into a food processor and add the other ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping the sides, if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for several hours to overnight. Enjoy!

Amazing Mac ‘N Cheez Sauce

January 7, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Guess what? You’ll never guess where this recipe came from! That’s right . . . how’d you know? The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. All right, I have one more recipe from the book in the queue, then that’s it. Promise. I just can’t help it; these recipes are amazing. As vegans, we all know how difficult it can be to find tasty “cheese” so when you find what works—go with it. This sauce is delicious, creamy and ready in less than 10 minutes. I added some vegan Worcestershire and some light miso, but feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking because it’s a pretty basic sauce. You can serve it over pasta, potatoes, or other veggies.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C flour (any kind)
1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika, sweet, hot, smoked or regular
2 C nondairy milk (I like almond milk)
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp prepared mustard, any variety (I used Dijon)
Optional: 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire, 1 Tbs light miso

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, combine the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Gradually whisk in the nondairy milk, olive oil, and mustard. Combine well, then add the optional ingredients, if using. Cook over medium heat stirring with a whisk constantly until the sauce is smooth and thick. Enjoy! Oh, and when it comes to leftovers, like most nondairy cheese sauces, I recommend heating the sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Otherwise, it gets dried out.

Eggplant Parmagiano Stew

January 6, 2011 by epicureanvegan

It’s soup season and this chili-like stew is delicious and satisfying. It also comes together rather quickly, so from start to finish, it takes only about 35-40 minutes. The stew and Parmesan recipes come from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, which is shaping up to be my latest obsession. The Husband and Sixth Grader even rank this as one of their favorite soups. And the Parmesan?! It’s fabulous—ideal with this stew as well as with pastas and anything needing Parmesan cheese. It’s also a great source of protein and B vitamins with the almonds and nutritional yeast.

INGREDIENTS:
Stew:
8 C vegetable broth (I used 4 C of low-sodium broth to not overdose on the salt)
1-6oz can tomato paste
1 Tbs crushed garlic
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and diced
2 C finely chopped, packed kale
1 large onion, chopped
4 C drained cooked or canned white beans (2-15 or 16oz cans)
1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp oregano
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
Salt, pepper, and cayenne

Parmezano Sprinkles:
1/2 C blanched almonds
2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 tsp light miso
Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

The beautiful eggplant I got from Green Buffalo Food Co. on Tuesday.

DIRECTIONS:
I made the Parmezano Sprinkles earlier in the day, so I’ll start with those. To blanch the almonds, place them in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then drain them; rinse with cold water. When pinched between your fingers, the skins will slide right off. Dry off with a paper towel and place the almonds in a food processor; grind to a fine powder. Add remaining ingredients and pulse several times to incorporate everything. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator; will keep for a month or so and can be frozen. (This is fabulous on steamed veggies, particularly kale)!

To make the stew, combine the broth, tomato paste, and garlic in a large soup pot. Add the eggplant, onion and kale. The kale has to be finely chopped, so I recommend using your food processor for a real time saver. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender, but still firm.

Transfer 2 cups of the broth, 2 cups of the beans, nutritional yeast, and oregano in a blender and process until smooth.

Pour it into the soup pot and mix well. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of beans and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and simmer uncovered until the beans and tomatoes are heated through. Garnish with the Parmezano Sprinkles and enjoy!

Crock Cheez

January 5, 2011 by epicureanvegan

When I tell people I’m vegan, a lot of them will say that they could probably give up meat, but cheese?! Are you kidding? They just can’t give up this coagulated, compressed, salty, melty product of milk. I can understand; back in the day, I was definitely a cheese-whore. But thanks to The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, I can go back to my cheese-whoring days of yore. If you don’t already have this cookbook, run, walk, bike, drive (carpool, if you can), ride the bus . . . to the nearest locally-owned and operated (if possible) bookstore and buy it! Either that, or visit me often, because rest assured, I will be making (and posting) every recipe from this cookbook throughout the coming months. I am amazed at how delicious (and easy!) these recipes are. I know . . *eye roll* . . .there may be a few cheeze recipes that won’t fool you skeptics out there, but that’s okay, I’m aware that some fake cheese taste, well, fake. It’s gonna happen, but I’m finding that there are enough out there to make up for those few. This crock cheeze is absolutely amazing! It tastes incredible. The cookbook also list several different variations of this recipe that I will definitely try–watch out for those posts. 🙂 I made it shortly before dinner and I wanted to eat just that on crackers, but my family would have gone hungry . . . I don’t know that I would have shared.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (8oz) firm regular tofu, drained and pressed
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs Tahini or raw cashew butter (I used tahini)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbs light miso
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

I love Denver Tofu (not just because I live in Colorado) but because it really is outstanding.

DIRECTIONS:

Cut tofu into large cubes. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water—just enough to cover the tofu. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain well. I used a fine mesh strainer to ensure any small pieces didn’t fall through. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator until it’s easy to handle. Crumble it up into a food processor and add the other ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping the sides, if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for several hours to overnight. This is a pretty important step, like with the Party Cheese Ball and the Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. The flavors really need a chance to mesh and mingle. That is, if you can wait that long. 🙂

Product Review: Nate’s Meatless Meatballs (Meatball Sandwiches)

January 4, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I was never a meatball sandwich kind of gal—something about eating balls of meat that didn’t quite appeal to me. The men of my household, on the other hand, seem to gravitate toward these kinds of cancer-licious subs (or at least, they used to). Here we are coming up on a year of veganism and this is the first time I’ve made “meatball” sandwiches. I’ve made seitan meatballs before, which are pretty damn good, but this time, I needed something quick, so I went with Nate’s Zesty Italian Meatless Meatballs. Of course, I forgot how much I paid for them since I bought them (frozen) last week, but I’m pretty sure they were under $4 for 12 oz.

So here’s what I did:

Opened a jar of marinara sauce, poured it in a pan and then dumped the meat-free balls in.

Let simmer about 10-15 minutes. Toast some French rolls for a couple of minutes under the broiler and bada-bing, you’re done.I recommend using your absolute favorite marinara and/or adding some spices because the “zesty Italian” I was expecting wasn’t all that zesty. They needed some kick–not that flavorful. With that said . . . they were very “meat-like”, but without the grossness of real meat. 🙂 The consistency was much like beef and they certainly didn’t have a weird “fake” taste. Quite satisfying.

I sliced them in half using tongs and a serrated knife–you can try doing this while they are frozen. They stack better in the bread if sliced.

Layer on some vegan mozzarella on the rolls, then some sliced “meat” balls and then some more cheeze—that easy.

Strawberry-Pear Tarts

Vegan Shepards Pie

Raspberry Cake (and don’t give away your heart . . .pan)!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Chickpea Burgers with Ricotta Sauce

Thai Green Curry Chickpea Burritos

Plum Crock Cheez

Amazing Mac ‘N Cheez Sauce

Eggplant Parmagiano Stew

Crock Cheez

Product Review: Nate’s Meatless Meatballs (Meatball Sandwiches)

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