Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Cherry-Zucchini Bread March 3, 2013

Filed under: Breads — epicureanvegan @ 8:23 pm
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Sorry for my absence. We were all hit with a pretty nasty cold and it’s taken a couple of weeks to return to normal. The break did, however, give me way too much time to veg out and thanks to Hulu and PBS, I watched all three seasons of Downton Abbey. (If they keep killing off beloved characters, I’m going to have to stop watching; my heart can’t take it). Anyway, I’m back in the kitchen and it feels great. We spent the afternoon with our friends (both human and animal) at Beakon Hill Farm and Education Center. Their newest residents are a trio of adorable lambs. They took them in when they were just less than 24 hours old and have been bottle-feeding them for weeks. Randy and Teresa are such amazing people and are working toward making Beakon Hill a non-profit. It is home to some of the most wonderful animals: goats, horses, alpacas, hens, roosters, ducks, and many more.

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The Eighth Grader bottle-feeding one of the lambs

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Shiro’s just like a puppy, but with horns. His latest game is to push against you with his head.

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 Zee Man liked to follow us around as we shoveled poop from the pens . . .

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So I figured I’d bring along this amazing bread to share (with the humans) of Beakon Hill. The recipe is adapted from Hell Yeah it’s Vegan, because I made a few changes and added some ingredients. That’s the beauty of making two loaves; share the love!

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 2 loaves)

4-1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer

1/2 C warm water

1-1/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C applesauce

1/2 C canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 C zucchini, grated

2 C flour

1 C whole wheat flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 C dried cherries

1/8 C chia seeds (optional . . . I was out of them, but I would have definitely put them in if I had any)!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8x4x2″ loaf pans and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the egg replacer and warm water. Add the brown sugar, canola oil, vanilla and applesauce. I don’t usually keep applesauce on hand, but we definitely have plenty of apples, so I just pureed two apples in the food processor.

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Add the zucchini and blend until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and chia seeds (if using). Little by little, add the dry ingredients to the batter.

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Fold in the dried cherries. Divide the dough between the two loaf pans.

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Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until done in the middle (check using a toothpick or knife).

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Let them cool on a rack and lay a piece of foil loosely over the top to keep in the moisture while they cool. Slice and enjoy!

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Me holding Worf, the rooster.

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Zucchini, Tomato & Ricotta Tart January 12, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers,Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 10:00 am
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This was so good and so easy to make! Yes, I know, puff pastry—even though it’s vegan—isn’t the healthiest of foods, but once in a while, it’s okay. In fact, it’s downright fun to come up with recipes using it. This is the perfect time to break out the mandolin slicer (if you’re brave enough). I’m still too freaked out to use it after my mishap with it.  Anyway, I used my go-to ricotta cheese recipe which makes more than what you need for this, but the rest will freeze well or keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s great mixed in some cooked pasta with veggies, or small batch of a stuffed shells. You can also just halve the recipe if you’d like. This dish works as a main meal, or cut into small squares, is ideal as an appetizer. Check out these other tart recipes: Savory Vegetable Tart and Savory Asparagus Tart.

INGREDIENTS:

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

2 tomatoes, sliced thin

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Ricotta:

14-oz tub of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 tsp basil (sometimes I use fresh basil–about a cup)

1 tsp rosemary (Again, you can use 1 Tbs of freshly chopped rosemary)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 C nutritional yeast

Optional: 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegan mozzarella, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to fit an 11″x17″ cookie sheet. It’s ok if the edges go over the side—just tuck them in. Stick with a fork in several places.

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Bake for 7-10 minutes (check it to make sure it’s not browning). You want it just toasted:

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To make the ricotta, combine all of the ingredients (except the cheese, if using) in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in the cheese.

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Spread about a cup or so of the ricotta onto the puff pastry. You can use as little or as much as you’d like. Top with the tomato slices. I got about 9 slices, so I spaced them evenly on top.

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Next, layer on the zucchinis. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the crust brown the zucchinis are tender.

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Transfer to a large cutting board, then cut and enjoy!

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Cashew Stir-fry with Noodles July 31, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 9:42 am
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Sorry for the absence…I haven’t been making new dishes over the last couple of weeks, but instead, have been relying on some old favorites like enchiladas, creamy cashew pasta, and tofu sandwiches. We are leaving Wednesday for Santa Fe and Taos, so it was a good time to use up the veggies in the fridge. I’m excited to bring you lots of wonderful vegan food and news from New Mexico. It’s been ten years since we’ve there and we’re  looking forward to going back. Of course, any road trip is not complete in my household without an accident/injury a day or two before leaving. (Last year, the Eighth Grader got his two front teeth knocked out during a trampoline incident. We were supposed to drive to Southern CO for a wedding. It didn’t happen. Spring Break this year was altered after the kid’s appendectomy). It was my turn, I guess. I got a little too excited trying out my new mandolin slicer Sunday night…

I should have seen it coming. I’ve heard the horror stories associated with the mandolin, but I bought one the other day anyway. First time I use it, I slice a pretty large chunk off my right pinkie finger. I’m lucky though, it could have been worse. I was millimeters short of taking off bone and nail! Yikes. Good thing I married an Eagle Scout. He kept me calm and got it wrapped up. I ended up going to urgent care yesterday morning and they cleaned it up good, wrapped it, and I have to go back today to have it looked at. The doc said it will take several months to heal. :-(  The mandolin is in timeout.

Had I not been an idiot and lost part of an appendage, I probably would have used it to make this stir-fry, but I decided to stick with a good old-fashioned knife. It was slow-going, but I had some help. I picked up some East-West Stir-fry Sauce and these awesome ramen noodles from Hakubaku. Both were outstanding. The sauce had a mild flavor with just a tiny bit of zip. I used about 1/2 the jar, but feel free to use as much or as little as you’d like.

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium zucchinis, cut into sticks

6 mushrooms, quartered

6 celery stalks, sliced

1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 can bamboo shoots, drained

6 green onions, sliced thin

1-2 handfuls of cashews

3 Tbs freshly grated gingerroot

1 jar East-West Stir-fry Sauce

9.5 oz Hakubaku noodles

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the zucchini, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until they begin to get tender, about 7-9 minutes.

Add the bamboo shoots and ginger. Cook another 5 -7 minutes.

The noodles will take four minutes to cook in boiling water, so when you toss them in to cook, add the mushrooms, green onion, and cashews to the skillet. Cook 2 minutes…then add the sauce. Stir well to combine and saute to heat the sauce.

Drain the noodles and serve them topped with some stir-fry. Enjoy!

 

 

Field Roast and Veggie Tacos May 18, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 3:10 pm
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I’ve used Field Roast in breakfast burritos, so why not tacos? ( As you can see, I had a taco fiesta foul with one of the shells, but it worked out ok. :) ) Somehow, zucchini reproduced in my fridge so I had to use some of them up—they’re ideal for tacos.  I also had some chipotle-flavored olive oil from Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Company—the perfect opportunity to use it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

4 Field Roast Chipotle-flavored sausages, thawed and crumbled

4 medium zucchinis, cut into sticks

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Corn taco shells

All the other fixins (optional): Daiya cheese, Tofutti sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and salsa

DIRECTIONS:

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions, and cook 4-5 minutes.

Next, add the zucchini, peppers, and Field Roast. You don’t necessarily have to add the sausages at this point since it’s only a matter of heating them through, but I like to get the flavors incorporated with the veggies early on.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, or until tender. I like to cover and let the steam help cook the veggies. Serve with your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!

 

Quinoa-Mandarin Stuffed Peppers April 28, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 6:04 pm
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The Seventh-Grader was nice enough to share his cold with me. I can’t remember the last time I was out of commission with a cold, and I don’t plan to let this one win. So far, I’ve kept it somewhat at bay with lots of juiced veggies and kale. Never under estimate the healing powers of vegetables. That may be why I was drawn to making these. Bell peppers, particularly orange and yellow ones, are packed with vitamins C, A, and B6. (Although the heating process will deplete them a bit). But I’m certain they still retain many of their healthy benefits. These also have mushrooms which are a great source of B vitamins, selenium, vitamin D, and potassium. Now on to the zucchini…these guys have tons of vitamin C and A which are actually anti-inflammatory agents. Zucchinis are also high in fiber—an added bonus! And let’s not forget that quinoa is an ideal source of protein, too! Let the healing begin!

Oh, and remember Operation Save Basil from October?

I’m happy to report that it has bounced back beautifully. It looks like there’s room to add another basil plant, but for now, I’m thrilled the basil’s back, baby!

INGREDIENTS:

3 large bell peppers (preferably orange, red, or yellow) sliced in half and innards cleaned out

1 C quinoa

1-15oz can mandarin oranges (look for no sugar added), juice reserved

1 C water

1 tsp tamari

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 C slivered almonds

1 C mushrooms, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced then quartered

1/2 C fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

1 C almond milk

2 Tbs arrowroot

2 Tbs nutritional yeast

2 Tbs yellow miso

dash of nutmeg

dash of garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

Begin with the quinoa: Combine the quinoa, reserved Mandarin orange juice, water, and tamari in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Let simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic in a skillet. Add the slivered almonds and cook them for 5-7 minutes, stirring often.

Add the zucchini, mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook another 6-8 minutes on medium heat.

Once the veggies are tender, remove from the heat and stir in the oranges and basil.

Stir in the cooked quinoa and evenly fill the pepper halves.

Sometimes I pour about 2 cups of water in the bottom of the pan before covering with foil. This will help soften the peppers without overcooking the filling. I think this is especially important when using cheese or fake meats in the filling. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients over high heat, stirring constantly. After a few minutes, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Don’t worry about getting the sauce thickened; it’s meant to seep and ooze into the filling. :-)

Ladle the sauce over the peppers and enjoy!

 

Cabbage and Portobello Tacos April 5, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 5:49 pm
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Sorry for the absence! I’m back and ready to cook! These veggie tacos were certainly well-received last night by the family. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had much time to cook for them lately, but whatever the reason, they made this vegan trio happy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil

3 large portobello caps, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium zucchinis, cut into matchsticks

3 C red/purple cabbage, sliced into wide strips

Corn taco shells

Seasonings: (mild)

1 Tbs chili powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

The rest (optional): fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, salsa, or avocado slices

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions, zucchini, and cabbage; cook 10-12 minutes, or until they begin to soften and brown. Combine the seasoning ingredients and add to the pan along with the portobellos.

Thoroughly combine everything. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook the mushrooms until they soften and reduce in size, 7-9 minutes. You may want to cover the pan and let them cook.

Serve in warmed corn taco shells and top with any of the optional ingredients. This is a fabulous (and quick) gluten & soy-free meal! Enjoy!

 

Gluten-Free Tetrazzini-Stuffed Peppers March 28, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 2:57 pm
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The Seventh Grader wanted spaghetti for dinner; I wanted stuffed peppers. We compromised, which turned out to be a very delicious compromise! You’ll only need 4-5 ounces of spaghetti to fill 6 halves of peppers, but I used 8 ounces and had some leftover tetrazzini for a future lunch. Otherwise, I find 3 ounces of dry pasta, useless. I made these gluten-free by using quinoa pasta, and rice flour, but feel free to use any variety you’d like.

INGREDIENTS:

8-oz quinoa spaghetti

3 bell peppers, cut in half, stems removed and cleaned out

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 C onion, diced

1/3 C rice flour

2 C almond milk

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1 Tbs onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 C panko

Daiya cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375. Break the spaghetti into thirds and cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onion and zucchini; cook until softened.

In a blender, combine the rice flour, half of the almond milk, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Blend until smooth. Add the sauce to the veggies and over low to medium heat, stir, adding the rest of the almond milk. This should only take a few minutes.

I used kitchen scissors to cut the drained spaghetti a bit more, then added it to the sauce. Combine well.

If you’d like, sprinkle some Daiya cheese in the bottoms of the peppers, then stuff with the spaghetti mixture. Top with some panko, then cover with foil.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy! 

 

Vegan Scalloped Yams and Zucchini March 10, 2012

Filed under: Dinners,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 2:07 pm
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I found myself with several yams and sometimes, I don’t always know what to do with them. So why not scalloped potatoes? I threw in some zucchini and onions, and topped it with some Daiya and panko. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

2 large yams, peeled and sliced thin

1 small onion

1 medium zucchini, sliced, then quartered

1 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp garlic, minced

2-1/2 Tbs arrowroot

1/4 C nutritional yeast

2 C almond milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 C panko

Daiya cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Boil the yams in a large soup pot for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until softened. Add the seasonings.

Whisk together the milk, arrowroot, and nutritional yeast. Pour it into the skillet with the onions and zucchini. Stir continuously until the sauce begins to thicken.

Layer half of the yams into an 8″ baking dish. Pour half of the onion mixture on top and spread evenly around. Layer on the rest of the yams, then the mixture. Top with some cheese.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the panko and bake another 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Stuffed Portobellos and Steamed Bok Choy February 25, 2012

Filed under: Dinners,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 3:34 pm
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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 zucchini, diced

1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Daiya cheese

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!

 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread November 27, 2011

Filed under: Breads — epicureanvegan @ 9:48 am
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This fabulous recipe is from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking. The original recipe doesn’t include the chocolate chips, but I thought it would be a great addition. Because of this, I reduced the amount of granulated sugar a little to 1-1/2 cups. That may seem like a lot of sugar still, but this recipe makes 2 loaves. Patrick-Goudreau also notes that you could reduce the oil (1 cup) by using 1/2 oil, 1/2 unsweetened applesauce. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with this delicious bread!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbs ground flax seed

1/2 C water

1 C canola oil

1 Tbs white distilled vinegar

2 C granulated sugar

2 C grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 C flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 C chocolate chips (Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet chips are vegan)

1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 C raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease two 8x4x2″ loaf man, 4 mini loaf pans or 2 muffin tins. In a food processor, combine the flax meal and water and blend until thick and creamy. You can also an electric mixer (which I did). Add the oil, vinegar, and sugar, and combine. Stir in the zucchini and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the nuts, raisins, and/or chocolate chips, if using. I left out the nuts and raisins. Stir into the zucchini mixture. Divide the batter evenly into the two loaf pans (or pans of choice) and bake for 60-70 minutes. (40-45 mins for mini loaves; 30-35 for muffins).  Enjoy!

 

 
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