soy-free Archives - Page 2 of 2

Chickpea Salad

February 28, 2012 by epicureanvegan

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
1 carrot, shredded
2 Tbs vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Veggies, crackers, tortillas, 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!

Vegan & Soy-Free Ricotta Cheese

February 27, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you! Having to give up soy is a little less traumatic now that I’ve come up with a delicious soy-free ricotta cheese. After I made the switch from no wheat and no soy, The Seventh Grader wanted stuffed shells. Of course. And . . . like the power of suggestion, I wanted stuffed shells in the worst way. So I couldn’t use my go-to riotta cheese, nor use regular jumbo shells. Thankfully, I found these “Grand Shells” from Tinkyada.

The ingredients are simple: brown rice, rice bran, and water. They’re a little smaller than the typical flour-based jumbo shells . . .

. . . but it’s not a big deal. They also don’t fold over like regular shells do either. Again, no biggie. Also, cooking these are a bit different. Bring water to a boil, add the shells and cook 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the shells sit for 20 minutes. The shells definitely aren’t mushy like some brown rice pasta can be. In fact, they’re pretty al dente—almost too much. If you want them a little softer, I’d leave them for 25-30 minutes. Overall, very impressive! I thought they were delicious.

So onto the ricotta. This recipe makes quite a bit—great for a big pan of lasagna. Feel free to half it for a small portion, otherwise, it makes almost 4 cups.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C blanched almonds
1 C cashews
1 C cold water
1/8 C olive oil
3-4 Tbs lemon juice
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 C fresh basil
1 Tbs fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 C vegan mozzarella cheese shreds

DIRECTIONS:
I threw the cashews in a bowl of water while I blanched the almonds. Soaking the nuts are not necessary, unless you have the time and want a really smooth ricotta. Add them to the food processor.

Add the water, oil, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. This may take a few minutes to get it real smooth, especially if you opt not to soak the nuts overnight, which I did not. It just depends on your preference. I happen to like the nutty texture.

Next, add the basil, rosemary, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Blend until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese.

I had some jumbo shells as well as tofu-ricotta in the freezer, so for the guys, I made them regular stuffed shells. Since I don’t have celiac disease and not concerned with cross-contamination, I combined both in the pan.

Layer on some sauce and Daiya cheese and you’re good to go. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 375.

Enjoy!

Vegan & Soy-Free Ricotta Cheese

This recipe makes quite a bit---great for a big pan of lasagna. Feel free to half it for a small portion, otherwise, it makes almost 4 cups.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 C blanched almonds
1 C cashews
1 C cold water
⅛ C olive oil
3-4 Tbs lemon juice
⅓ C nutritional yeast
1 C fresh basil
1 Tbs fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
⅓ C vegan mozzarella cheese shreds

Directions

I threw the cashews in a bowl of water while I blanched the almonds. Soaking the nuts are not necessary, unless you have the time and want a really smooth ricotta. Add them to the food processor.
Add the water, oil, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. This may take a few minutes to get it real smooth, especially if you opt not to soak the nuts overnight, which I did not. It just depends on your preference. I happen to like the nutty texture.
Next, add the basil, rosemary, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Blend until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese.
I had some jumbo shells as well as tofu-ricotta in the freezer, so for the guys, I made them regular stuffed shells. Since I don't have celiac disease and not concerned with cross-contamination, I combined both in the pan.
Layer on some sauce and Daiya cheese and you're good to go. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 375. Enjoy!

Stuffed Portobellos and Steamed Bok Choy

February 25, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Portobellos are such a versatile fungi.

They make great burgers, a main stir-fry ingredient, and of course, an ideal vessel for other veggies. I wanted to make something wheat and soy-free, which is tough as a vegan, but these really fit the bill. But what to have with them? Before, I would have served bread, but since I that’s out, I decided to steam some bok choy. By the way, you’ll be seeing more wheat and soy-free recipes (although I may use miso from time to time) on my blog, as I am working on eliminating these from my diet. Why? Well . . . you see, I have endometriosis, something I’ve had to deal with for the last seven years, and I’ve now opted to treat it with diet, herbs and acupuncture. Endo is an inflammatory disease, so processed flour aggravates it. It’s also said that estrogen feeds the disease, so there goes soy with its natural estrogen!

TMI? Sorry. I won’t go on about it, but I wanted to explain my reasoning for my decision and to also let other women know that it’s possible to live with endo and not rely on drugs and/or surgery (at least, that’s my plan). Otherwise, I want to make clear that I have nothing against soy. In fact, it’s worth pointing out that Dr. Neal Barnard has determined that soy consumption is not only safe, but highly encouraged. Oh, and I want to make clear, I’m steering clear of wheat, not necessarily gluten. There’s a difference between the two, so fortunately, whole grains aren’t out of the picture for me, just processed wheat.

So, on to the recipes!

INGREDIENTS:
4 portobello caps, washed and stems and gills removed
1 box Near East Long Grain & Wild Rice Mix
1 small red onion, diced
1 small zicchini, diced
1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegan cheese shreds

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the rice mix according to the package instructions. This will need to cook for 30 minutes. When the rice has about 6 minutes of cooking time left, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the red onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the zucchini and cook another 3 minutes or so.

Stir in the cooked rice and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Place the portobellos upside down in a large baking dish. Sprinkle some Daiya cheese on the bottom and fill each mushroom cap evenly with the rice mixture, piling it high.

Pour a little water into the bottom of the pan. This will help steam the mushroom caps. Bake for about 15 minutes, then top with a little Daiya cheese and bake another couple of minutes.

While these are baking, I got started on the bok choy.

I think this veggie is so underrated. Low in calories, this lightly sweet and crispy veggie is loaded with vitamins C and A as well as calcium. I cut up some mushrooms and together, steamed the veggies with some (soy-free) Earth Balance for about 7-9 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tomato and Cheez Souffle

March 2, 2011 by epicureanvegan

We’ve all heard about disasters involving souffles, but this is one souffle that’s pretty difficult to screw up. This comes from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and it really can’t get any easier than this. The recipe calls for a 2-quart baking or souffle dish. A square 8″ baking dish is 2 quarts, but I soon realized that the sides need to be higher. I ended up using less bread and tomatoes, but the same amount of sauce. Next time I’ll use a bigger baking dish, but it still came out amazing. The taste and texture is a lot like lasagna and I think adding some spinach and mushrooms would be ideal!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 C water
1/2 C roasted red peppers (skins and seeds removed) or pimento pieces (I used a mixture of both)
1/2 C raw cashews
3 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs nonalcoholic white wine (I used white cooking wine)
1-1/2 tsp onion powder
1-1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Black pepper, to taste
6-9 slices whole-wheat or rice bread (easily make it gluten-free)!
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the bread and tomatoes. Lightly oil a 2-quart souffle dish. Layer 2-3 slices of bread on the bottom, followed by sliced tomatoes. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on top and repeat layers two more times.

Bake until lightly puffed and golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. It’s that easy!

Tomato and Cheez Souffle

We've all heard about disasters involving souffles, but this is one souffle that's pretty difficult to screw up. This comes from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and it really can't get any easier than this. The recipe calls for a 2-quart baking or souffle dish. A square 8" baking dish is 2 quarts, but I soon realized that the sides need to be higher. I ended up using less bread and tomatoes, but the same amount of sauce. Next time I'll use a bigger baking dish, but it still came out amazing. The taste and texture is a lot like lasagna and I think adding some spinach and mushrooms would be ideal!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1-1/2 C water
½ C roasted red peppers (skins and seeds removed) or pimento pieces (I used a mixture of both)
½ C raw cashews
3 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs nonalcoholic white wine (I used white cooking wine)
1-1/2 tsp onion powder
1-1/4 tsp salt
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp garlic powder
Black pepper, to taste
6-9 slices whole-wheat or rice bread (easily make it gluten-free)!
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the bread and tomatoes. Lightly oil a 2-quart souffle dish. Layer 2-3 slices of bread on the bottom, followed by sliced tomatoes. Pour ⅓ of the sauce on top and repeat layers two more times.
Bake until lightly puffed and golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. It's that easy!

Product Review: Solterra Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pizza

February 3, 2011 by epicureanvegan

First I saw “Vegan Cheese Pizza”, then I saw it’s made with daiya cheese and I knew, this pizza had to be mine. Well, mine and the kid’s. We are always on the lookout for vegan pizzas, but I think we’ve had pretty good luck so far with the Tofurky one. From Solterra, this gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free 8″ pizza will run you $4.99 at Whole Foods (and probably at least a buck cheaper in other places) and offers a unique way of cooking it. You leave the pizza in the packaging, just peel back the front/top paper to reveal a plastic window over the pizza.

At 450 degrees, place the pizza directly on the oven rack and bake for only about 5-7 minutes. After about 6 minutes, it didn’t look done, but I think it was–just was hard to tell through the plastic.

I ended up burning the edges quite a bit, so I just cut those off–the rest of perfect. In fact, it was pretty darn good! We liked the thin crust and of course, the daiya cheese.

I would certainly buy this pizza again and next time, I won’t over cook it! Solterra’s products are all gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, with several products that are dairy-free as well. Click HERE for nutritional information.

Product Review: Lillabee Classic Yellow Cake Mix

November 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 8

I picked up this dairy-free, gluten-free cake mix in Boulder a while back. In fact, Lillabee is a Boulder-based company. In addition to having no dairy or gluten, this cake mix is soy-free and all natural, meaning non-GMO. When I picked up a bag, I didn’t realize that the recipe requires 2 eggs, but thankfully, Ener-G Egg Replacer came to the rescue!

Lillabee’s aim is to provide delicious baked goods you make at home that are allergy-friendly. Other products include: Fudgy Brownies, Anytime Muffins, and Perfect Pancakes/Waffles.

So included in the bag is a sugar mixture (about a cup’s worth), the baking mix and directions:

Required ingredients: 2 eggs (3 tsp egg replacer + 4 Tbs water), 6 Tbs Earth Balance margarine, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 C non dairy milk, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and an 8″ cake pan or muffin pan. It was a breeze to throw together–about 5 minutes using the mixer, then 45 minutes in the oven.

It smelled quite delish as it baked! I let it cool for about an hour and then sliced it up. It was wonderful! Very sponge-y and sugary and quite delightful. You can also add things to the batter before baking it, like blueberries, or other fruit.

So where can you find this decadent vegan dessert? If you live in Boulder (or close by) you can purchase it at Dish Gourmet and Caffe Victoria. But you can also order directly from Lillabee. I was very impressed and next time we’re in Boulder, I will definitely pick some more up.

Chickpea Salad

Vegan & Soy-Free Ricotta Cheese

Stuffed Portobellos and Steamed Bok Choy

Tomato and Cheez Souffle

Product Review: Solterra Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pizza

Product Review: Lillabee Classic Yellow Cake Mix

Categories

Archives

Popular Posts