Tag Archives: gluten-free

Apr 03 2012
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Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes

Nacho Mac&Cheese: Not your Ordinary Mac and Cheese.

This was an evening when the man-meat and I just wanted to chill out so we made something super fast. Brent prepared the pasta (as I’ve noted in previous posts, I can’t be trusted with parts of a meal that require patience) and I added a tablespoon of olive oil and about 2 cups of chickpeas (1 cup of dry beans, soaked or 1 can, drained) and fried them lightly with some chili powder.

To this I added a tin of diced tomatoes. I used a tin of “Rotel” mild with diced green chilis.

After this was looking and smelling amazing we shredded some basil (cilantro would have been better but we didn’t have any) into it and then added the cheese. You can also add some nutritional yeast for a flavor boost and nutrients.

This cheese is called “Ste. Martaen” and we used their pepperjack variety. I don’t like this cheese for eating: I find the texture disturbing. It’s great for cooking since the flavors are fabulous and it melts well. It’s made with an agar base (that’s a seaweed based gelatin, very sustainable and low calorie) As you can see, we’ve got a cheesy mass of chickpeas and tomato that’s still very low in calories, cholesterol free and high in nutrients like protein, vitamin C, and fiber and we haven’t even added the quinoa pasta yet!

This is the finished product. We devoured it and vowed to make it again. The creamy sauce was spicy and cheesy and the bite of the peppers was balanced by the smooth chickpeas and mellow tomato.

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

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Mar 30 2012
4 Comments
Snacks

Pumpkin Seed Salad Sandwiches

I was never a fan of tuna salad: a lot of the ingredients creeped me out, particularly tuna and mayo. Mayonnaise is a creamy mix of oil and eggs which never comforted me conceptually. This was even before I became obsessed with microorganisms starting in high school, afterward, anything containing animal products, mixed up and possibly left out for hours and hours at room temperature turned my stomach. Even so there are a lot of things about tuna salad that I like, other than the promise cruelty and fishy smells. We decided to make pumpkin seed salad sandwiches for dinner today taking all of the things that are awesome about tuna salad and omitting the parts that stink… literally. We combined the following in a food processor:

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds (soaked 8 hours)

1/2 cup of flax meal (more if you want a dryer mix)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 generous tbsp tahini

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 dash hot sauce

juice from 1 lemon

I ran my food processor until the mixture was still chunky but relatively uniform and then I added a generous bunch of dill. I ran it until the dill was all mixed in and then added 2 stalks of celery that Brent chopped.

We put it on some bread that we toasted with some Follow your Heart gourmet cheddar cheese. This cheese was okay. The texture was pretty good and the flavor was reminiscent of the cheap orange cheddar that I was never particularly fond of anyways. It got soft when toasted but didn’t really melt like dairy cheese.

Back to the issue at hand, we smothered our sandwiches with our lemon dill spread and I have to say they were fabulous. If I had this to do over again, I might add a few tablespoons of veganaise  but it doesn’t need it. I might also try substituting sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds but that’s also an arbitrary change.

We also included some sprouts that we started on Sunday. They’re usually ready by Thursday and make a difference for any wrap, salad, or sandwich by adding texture and spice. I also found some delicious multi-grain bread at a local farmer’s market so the guy was able to have a simple sandwich for the first time in a while. It was definitely a welcome change.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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Mar 29 2012
1 Comment
Main Dishes, Recipes

Tofu Burgers with portobello mushrooms!

I’ll make just about anything into burgers. I just like the format. In this particular case we tried using a beloved burger recipe as a stuffing for portobello mushrooms. Whether you want patties or stuffed ‘shrooms, all you need to do is gather the following:
12 oz silken tofu
2/3 cup quinoa flakes (rolled oats work too)
1 tbsp flax meal
2 small carrots, grated
2 small stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
tamari or soy sauce to taste

I shredded my carrots and celery in my food processor. I put everything into a bowl with the tofu and then Brent went to work mooshing. Watch him showing this future burger mix who’s the boss. You can also use a food processor but Brent is an expert moosher. Add more quinoa flakes if you find they’re not firm enough.

Shape into patties. Heat a skillet or grill and grill the burgers until each side is crispy and golden brown.

We decided to use it as a stuffing for portobello mushrooms and that’s just another option. We baked some portobellos drizzled lightly with balsamic vinegar at 350C/180F for 10 minutes.

We then stuffed each mushroom cap with the burger mix and baked an additional 20 minutes.

We topped with cheese and baked another 10 minutes. This is Heidi Ho organics, chipotle cheddar. We liked that it was low calorie (about half that of dairy cheese) and it had a nice chipotle flavor but it wasn’t particularly cheesy and didn’t melt like some other vegan cheeses. This didn’t stop us from eating the entire block. It was tasty, just not cheesy.

These burgers were definitely a hit. We ate all three and then fried up the rest of the burger mix and dipped it in buffalo sauce. They came out crispy and tender. Double win! If you try it, let us know what you think. Until then, stay tasty!

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

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Mar 26 2012
4 Comments
Recipes

Pakora: chickpea fritters… basically.

Brent and I decided to try and recreate another of our favorite take-out dishes last night. This one was not quite as successful as our <a href=”https://turningveganese.com/2012/03/20/tofu-mahkani-quick-and-easy/”>previous endeavors</a> but we learned a lot so it’s okay. We were interested in making pakora so with some inspiration from <a href=”http://ellesite.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/guilt-free-pakora-vegan-indian-food-made-healthy/>Elle’s Diary</a> we decided to craft our own and bake them instead of traditional frying.

First I shredded 5 medium carrots and a large zucchini in my food processor. I added the folloring:
2 cups chickpea flour
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp gram masala blended spices
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter
soy milk

We mixed it together with the shredded veggies and added soy milk until the texture was like a thick batter. I spooned them onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. We baked them at 350C/180F until they began to brown at the edges and were firm to the touch, about 35 minutes.

While we were waiting, my handsome partner in criminally fun cooking prepared two sauces for dipping: mint chutney and tamarind. For the tamarind he combined:
maple syrup
thawed frozen tamarind
chili paste

For the mint chutney, he put the following in the food processor:

1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water, or as needed
 
The dipping sauces were an enormous success. The pakora on the other hand, needed some work. I think the next time we make this dish we’ll add a shredded onion and maybe a potato or eggplant to the veggie mix. We’ll also add a little baking soda and use a cast iron skillet to bake them since sticking to the wax paper lined baking sheet was a problem. The flavors, however, were good and this high protein addition to a traditional Indian meal will be welcome even before we work out the kinks. We’ll be revisiting this particular awesome dish again and we’ll keep you posted.
This is Brent and Christie, signing off!
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Mar 23 2012
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Thoughts

Cooking Challenge: Aftermath

This particular marvel is the transportation of a Melissa-style cooking challenge into breakfast: omnivores team made corned beef and cabbage and the vegan team made corn, beans and cabbage.There wasn’t enough corn, beans and cabbage to reheat and just make leftovers so we decided to make it into a tofu scramble instead. Image

I’m a sucker for runny eggs… or silken tofu in my tofu scramble. We included all of the typical seasonings in our tofu scramble: nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, nutmeg and turmeric powder. The beans and corn were already seasoned with coriander and a few others and it ended up making the breakfast awesome.

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We also browned some potatoes, squash and mushrooms that were leftover too. There’s a real reason why I’m posting this particular brunch. There was something easy about meat: you could put it into just about anything. You could put it on sandwiches, into a soup, with eggs, whatever… I don’t want anyone to think that vegan food doesn’t have that same kind of versatility – it definitely does.

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You don’t even have to be that creative. We used to call eggs with whatever you had for dinner the night before thrown in “trash can eggs” because that was the only other logical place for the leftovers. Personally I opt for stomach in this particular case.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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Mar 22 2012
8 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Stuffed Peppers and Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Stuffed peppers or chiles rellenos are pretty popular here in South Florida but I don’t like what a lot of them are stuffed with so I’m presenting you with a light flavorful version that’s vegan and gluten-free. Recognize!


The other half of my dynamic duo sliced 3 peppers in half and removed the seeds and white ribs carefully with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile I microwaved the following in a microwave safe dish:
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (rice is fine too but cook the rice and bouillon separately from the rest of the seasonings and combine before stuffing)
5 sun dried tomatoes, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stick of celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1/4 onion, diced
1 cube of veggie bouillon
1/2 cup of chopped pecans (walnuts are fine but pecans are more “Southern” and the sweetness will help balance the chipotle cream sauce. Did I mention there’s chipotle cream sauce involved in this recipe? Yeah, awesomesauce. )

Microwave, stirring between 2 minute intervals until all the water is absorbed. Taste it and add salt and pepper to taste. When it’s ready, stuff your peppers with it! Bake in a 350C/180F oven for 35 minutes.

So I really like creamy sauces but don’t like the calories or indigestion that dairy so faithfully delivers so I use silken tofu for a lot of things that should be creamy. I combined the following in my blender for a spicy sauce that compliments the savory peppers perfectly.


1 box silken tofu (I use MoriNu)
juice from 1-2 limes
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (this makes it REALLY spicy, like sweating while you’re eating it spicy. Most people will like the spice that 2-3 individual peppers plus a spoon of the liquid from the can.)

I blendend it until it was smooth and creamy and then plated it with some fresh cilantro, a dash of hot sauce, some smoked paprika and one of my peppers.

This is one of those really pretty dishes that’s almost too easy to make. It’s also high in protein and low in fat, hey whatcha think about that!?

This is Brent and Christie, signing off!

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Mar 19 2012
4 Comments
Desserts

Coconut Lemon Custard PIE!

I got some Meyer lemons at our local market. Is there anything these crazy Floridians won’t grow?
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Anyways, Meyer lemons look like lemon colored oranges and tastes like a lemon would if it wasn’t acidic… at all. They’re mildly fragrant and delicious. I decided to make them into a lemon coconut pie. This is what I started with:
6 Meyer lemons
1 1/2 cup of shredded coconut (unsweetened)
4 tbsp coconut sugar
1/3 cup of cashews
1 box of silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract (optional, if you don’t have coconut sugar)
1 tsp of arrowroot starch
1 tsp of vegetable gelatin
1 pinch of salt
I combined the lemon juice (be careful to exclude seeds and any rind from the mix as it will make the pie bitter… like mine was /sadface) tofu, half the coconut, cashews, vanilla extract, sugar, starch, gelatin and salt.
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I blended them until they were smooth and then poured them into a saucepan and heated it to marry the flavors. While I did this, I adjusted the seasonings. After it was steamy and warm, I poured the mixture into a springform pan over a crust in the style of Melissa’s previous raw cheesecake experiments  using another 1/2 cup of coconut in addition to the nuts and dates.
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I sprinkled the remaining coconut over the top and put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes and them moved it to the refrigerator. The texture was light and smooth.
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I did get a little too much of the rind from the lemons into the custard and it made the end product slightly bitter but it didn’t stop us from devouring most of it.
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The coconut and lemon were complimented beautifully by Melissa’s date crust. WIN!
This is Christie, signing off!
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Mar 18 2012
5 Comments
Snacks

Fruity Popsicles!

I love good food. In order to keep fitting into my same pants, I also exercise regularly. Those of you who have a rigorous work out routine, might have noticed that you can find yourself ravenously hungry within the hour after a strenuous exercise session. Fortunately most of my vigorous activities occur between the end of my work day and dinner so I’m mostly safe there but when I get home from the gym and have to wait to eat I like to have a snack that won’t spoil my appetite for something else nutritious later or ruin all of my hard work with empty calories. Notice, our hero has found a solution!
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A good 6 popsicle mold costs $10-15 at your local home goods store and is a great way to create such a snack. I just get whatever fruit is in season, slice it if necessary (or even puree it in the blender), pop it into the mold and fill it up the empty spaces with coconut water (something that <a href=”http://nevadagirls.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/im-throwing-my-hat-in-the-air-whos-that-girl/>NevadaGirl</a&gt; also champions as a delicious post workout hydrator).I don’t endorse any particular brand. I just look for the best bang for my buck.
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This style of popsicle will replenish some electrolytes, a little sugar, give you a little fiber and some vitamins to help you recover from your exercise session in the form of a cool refreshing snack. The combinations are endless so you’ll never get bored.
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Blueberries and kiwi is my favorite, but mixed berries and lime mango are close second place winners. If you want a protein pop, use soy milk instead of coconut water (in your blender with carob or chocolate powder if you’re so inclined).
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Chocolate blueberry, banana, or cherry pops are irresistible as far as I’m concerned. Heck, how about all three? Have a happy work out, folks!
This is Christie and Brent, signing off.
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Mar 16 2012
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Cooking, Main Dishes

Shepherdless Pie: for St. Patrick’s Day

Back when I was a little kid of 19 years, I used to get shepherd’s pie at my university cafeteria the week of St. Patties and wanted to recreate something like it, only vegan and gluten-free for this St. Patrick’s day. What’s more Irish than potatoes and veggies baked up to steamy perfection? Probably beer and leprechauns but I haven’t brewed beer in years and hear that leprechauns are tricksters. You’ll need the following to prepare this dish.
5-6 fist sized potatoes
1/2 cup of soy or almond milk
1/2 cup of shredded “cheese” (we used Daiya)
1 tbsp vegan butter

2 cups water
1 medium onion
4 large carrots
3 stalks of celery
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of frozen peas or chopped broccoli
1 cup dry lentils (we used French lentils)

1 vegan sausage, diced (optional)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cube of veggie bouillon
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


To start Brent washed, cut the eyes out and wrapped 5 fist sized potatoes in tin foil. We used Yukon gold but any sort will do. He put them into the oven to bake for 50 minutes at 400F/200C. While that was happening we cut up the garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Those went into a pan with a little olive oil to saute lightly.

 
We prepared the lentils in the microwave with 2 cups of water and the veggie bouillon. I like French lentils because they’re smaller and cook faster. They’re also a fabulous color and have a great hearty texture and delicate aromatic flavor. When the lentils are done you’ll want to check on the potatoes.
 
Make sure that they’re tender before taking them out. I mashed them (skin and all) in a big bowl with almond milk, “cheese”, nutritional yeast and Earth Balance buttery spread. I added a little salt and pepper to taste.

The lentils went into the fry pan with the rest of the veggies, sausage (if you’re using it) and added the spices. The sausage is really for flavor and this dish already has plenty so we’re not using any. I stirred them until they were fragrant, checked the salt and pepper and then dumped them into a large glass baking dish. I smothered them with the mashed potatoes and baked at 350F/275C until the potatoes were brown on top.
 
We served this with some bonus cheese and hot sauce but it didn’t really need it.
Check out this happy satisfied face.
 
This is Brent and Christie, signing off!
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Mar 15 2012
5 Comments
Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Smoked Pumpkin Seed Spread

Thursday nights are raw nights at the Alldestroyers’ household (Alldestroyers is an anagram of both our last names, I’m a nerd. Don’t judge me). Today I  decided to finally try making my own spicy spread, trying to replicate smoked salmon but without the fishiness.

We started our sprouts in advance and started soaking the pumpkin seeds the morning of this dinner.

Otherwise, I started with the following:
1/3 cup of shelled pumpkin seeds, soaked 6 hours in distilled water
1 tbsp of tahini
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
juice from 1 lemon as needed
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I ended up using chipotle to add spice since it’s also smoked)

We put it in the food processor and monitored it while Brent got the rest of the materials we needed to make salad rolls.

Overall they were a hit. Not fishy at all and definitely smokey and satifsying. I think we ate 4 rolls between us. Considering that this was after a grueling double session of Brazilian jiu jitsu, this is really saying something.
We put asparagus, home grown sprouts, carrot, cucumber, spinach into these wraps along with our awesome smoked pumpkin spread. We dipped them in raspberry salad dressing and the combo was faboo! Check out my customer appreciation photo: it was so good it actually blew Brent’s shirt off.

There’s a good chance I’ll use this recipe again to serve on crackers with “cheese”, as a dip for veggies, or as a regular sandwich spread.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off.

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