sandwich | Epicurean Vegan

Vegan Herbed Cream Cheese January 20, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers,Dressings/Condiments — epicureanvegan @ 2:26 pm
Tags: condiment, dip, easy, fast and easy, nondairy, sandwich, spread, tofutti, Vegan, wrap

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 . . .

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!

Chickpea Salad February 28, 2012

Filed under: Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 5:23 pm
Tags: Chickpeas, fast and easy, garbanzo beans, gluten-free, on the go, salad, sandwich, soy-free, vegan tuna salad, wrap

I got this recipe from Luminous Vegans who called it “Chick-Peace Salad.” Great name—I didn’t want to steal it, so mine’s just plain old Chickpea Salad. Regardless of the name, it’s a delicious vegan version of tuna salad. LV added crumbled up nori to the mix to give it that tuna taste, but I didn’t have any. I still think it had amazing flavor without it. I did add some carrots and parsley. Just because. I also used Earth Balance’s vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free mayo that my good friend, Angela of The Veracious Vegan turned me on to. It’s fabulous!

I also served the salad on Food For Life’s brown rice tortillas.

I have to say, they’re ok. Heated up, they’re better, but you have to eat it fast before it gets crispy and falls apart. I’m wondering if steaming them would be better, or make it worse. The taste is chewy, but crunchy at the same time. Is that possible? Apparently so. Anyway, they’re not horrible, but they made eating this sandwich a bit tough because they tend to crack and split.

INGREDIENTS:

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1-2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

2 Tbs vegan mayo

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Veggies, crackers, tortilla, etc

DIRECTIONS:

Mash the chickpeas. I used a pastry blender. You can also pulse them in the food processor.

Stir in all of the other ingredients and combine well. I layered the salad on some lettuce inside one of the tortillas and added some sliced cucumber and tomato.

This salad would also be great on crackers, or sliced veggies. Enjoy!

Comments (13)

Tofu “Egg” Salad January 25, 2012

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 9:54 am
Tags: Big Vegan, sandwich, tofu, tofu egg salad, Vegan egg salad

This recipe is from Big Vegan. And it is big. It has over 350 recipes, most of which look and sound fantastic. When it comes to lunch, I seem to struggle finding something besides a mixed greens salad, or leftover pasta. And frankly, I’m not wild about leftovers anyway. So this I can get in to! This “egg” salad (I hate putting things in quotes, but egg salad is what this salad resembles) needs to be prepared ahead of time, so I recommend making it the night before or early in the morning–you’ll need some time. But it’s worth it. I served it on toasted bread with lettuce and avocado. The recipe calls for 12 ounces of firm tofu, but I recommend using 14-16 ounces because the recipe makes quite a bit of sauce—great for a few lunches.

INGREDIENTS:

12-16 oz firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 Tbs olive oil, plus 1/8 to 1/4 C

Salt

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 C fresh parsley

12 oz silken tofu

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 Tbs Dijon mustard (I used just 2 tsp and I think it came out perfect–depends on how much you like mustard)

1 tsp dried basil

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 large green onions, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

1/4 C sunflower seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. Crumble the tofu into a bowl and combine with the celery salt, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper. Lightly oil a baking sheet (I used foil and oiled that). Layer the tofu on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then use a spatula to turn the tofu. “Turning” crumbled tofu is about as easy as giving a cat a bath. Just move it around so it doesn’t stick and burn. Bake another 10 minutes.

While the tofu is baking, however, start on the sauce. In a food processor or blender, mince the parsley, then add the silken tofu. Process until smooth, then add the basil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt; combine well. While the machine is running, add the remaining oil. The recipe calls for a 1/4 cup, but I reduced it to an 1/8 cup.

While the tofu is cooling (which should only take about 10 minutes or so), you can chop up the veggies and toast the sunflower seeds. Combine the sauce, carrots, green onion, celery, and tofu in a large bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Enjoy on bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, or on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

America’s Top Ten New Sandwiches-Veganized! And my Contribution February 18, 2011

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 1:56 pm
Tags: Namely Marly, sandwich, veganized sandwich

300th Post! Woo-hoo!

Last month, Endless Simmer did an article on their top ten new sandwiches, and as you can guess, none of them were vegetarian, let alone vegan. Big surprise. So Marly of Namely Marly, posed a fantastic challenge to food bloggers, to veganize these cancer-licious sandwiches. I rarely turn down a challenge to veganize a recipe, so I went with #8: Crispy Drunken Chicken Sandwich. Check out my veganized version as well as another version from Veggie Num Num. Thanks, Marly for this really fun challenge and putting it all together. I’m excited to see the rest of the healthier versions of all the sandwiches in the coming weeks!

Comments (5)

“Tuna” Salad Sandwich August 11, 2010

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 12:15 pm
Tags: sandwich, tempeh, tuna

This recipe is from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone who says this recipe doesn’t exactly replicate tuna, but isn’t necessarily trying to. It has a taste all its own and she’s correct. It’s delicious in its own right. I recommend making this ahead of time as it requires steaming tempeh and marinating onions, as well as chilling time—all worth it.

INGREDIENTS:

1-8oz pkg tempeh

1 red onion, minced

1/4 C umeboshi vinegar

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped (I used a full carrot as I usually don’t have a use for 1/2 a carrot)

1/2 C frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/3 C frozen peas, thawed

1/2 small cucumber, chopped

1/4 C chopped kosher dill pickles

1 Tbs Vegenaise

1/2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs chopped fresh dill, or to taste

1 Tbs drained capers (I left these out–not a big fan)

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Optional ingredients: I added about 2 tablespoons of Tofutti sour cream for extra creaminess and also some salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut tempeh in half and steam for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the onion and boil for 10-15 seconds. Used a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer onion to a mixing bowl. Keep water boiling on the stove. Add the vinegar to the onions and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Blanch the celery, carrots, corn, and peas in the reserved boiling water for 10 seconds each, scooping them into a mixing bowl as each veggie is done. Set aside to cool.

Drain the marinated onions on a sieve, and rinse quickly under running water. Squeeze the excess liquid from the onions, and add to the bowl with the vegetables. Cut the cooled tempeh into small cubes, and add to the bowl along with the cucumber, pickles, Vegenaise, mustard, lemon juice and dill. This is also were I added the sour cream and salt and pepper. Serve topped with capers and parsley. (I stirred parsley in with the other ingredients). Enjoy!

Comments (1)

Epicurean Vegan

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