Tag Archives: vegan

Apr 04 2012
5 Comments
Cooking, Recipes

Fantastic Falafel

I talk to myself when I’m driving. Here’s what I said to myself on my drive home from work: What will I have for dinner? Hmm. There’s eggplant in the fridge. And there’s tahini. I can make baba ghanouj. But then I have to pick up pita bread. Oooh! Falafel! I’ll make falafel!

And so I did.

I tried making falafel once before, and I was also recently very intrigued by Christie and Brent’s Pakora. I really wanted something simple and fried — been craving fried stuff lately — so I decided to try improving on the recipe I used before, which was straight from the good folks at Bob’s Red Mill.

Melissa’s Fantastic Falafel (that’s not too braggy, right?)

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I added a hefty 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh cilantro, minced
2  garlic cloves, minced
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water
oil for frying

I put all my dry and fresh ingredients into a bowl.

I added the water, mixed it all together, and this lovely ball of dough formed. After my traumatizing baking experience over the weekend, I was cautious with adding the water, and found that 1/3 cup was the perfect amount I needed (probably due to how I measured the flour).

I wanted the dough to sit for awhile so the flavors could meld together, so while it was chillin’ like a villain, I made my baba ghanouj.

Melissa’s Baba Ghanouj for People Who Live Alone

1 eggplant, roasted and skinned, but keep the skins on if you want
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp tahini
1tsp lemon juice
fresh parsely leaves from 3 sprigs or so

Stick all that stuff in a food processor. Tip – you might want to mince the garlic. I didn’t. You may also want to cut down on the garlic. Let me just say that I have kickass breath right now. Hhhaaahhhhh. See?! That, along with the fact that this only serves one, is why I named the recipe the way I did.

Going back to my falafel dough, I formed some falafel balls, rolled them in some sesame seeds, and then fried them until they were golden brown — about 2 -3 minutes on each side turning 3 times for luck. These look fine but were kind of a fail: my intention was to make falafel ‘bites’ so I should have formed smaller balls. *pause for laughter* Tip: You can bake instead of fry if you wish.

Oh hi! It’s my face! If you had been here after I took this first bite, you would have heard me exclaim a bunch of “OH MY GOD”s. Finally: falafel that I can be proud of! It is 300% better than my last attempt. If my favorite falafel place ever closes, I won’t cry because I know I can make some that are just as tasty.

Happy happy happy! –Melissa

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Apr 03 2012
8 Comments
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 31 2012
3 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes

The Enigmatic Butter Bean

Butter beans are new to me. I was desperate for something ‘meaty’ to eat this past week: I realized that I was eating a lot in the way of cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage, but not much in the way of beans or legumes or soy protein. I explored my parents’ pantry and found a can of butter beans. Hmm… what can I do with this?

At the risk of sounding like a complete bonehead, I was shocked when I saw the butter beans out of the can. I mean, there’s a picture of the beans ON the can… but I still wasn’t prepared for what looked like mutant, non-green lima beans.

I sauteed the beans – they heated up really quickly and also got mushy pretty quickly. But they are meaty and have a nice texture – a little crunchy on the outside and quick to pick up the flavor of the garlic I cooked with it. I added some tomato paste and ate it with some garlicky fried rice and fresh grape tomatoes and cucumber:

I had leftovers, but I was already bored. So, the next day, I made myself a butter bean burger. I added a little flax meal, nutritional yeast, fresh chopped parsley, and herbs de provence, mixed in a little water, and then mashed it into a burger patty and pan-fried it in safflower oil. I had a ripe avocado, so I mashed it into a spread with some cilantro, and topped my burger with it:

I still had a chunk of beans leftover, so for my next dinner, I cooked some whole wheat pasta in a tomato pesto sauce that I made. I topped it with the beans and some Parma and capers:

One can of butter beans. Three hearty and satisfying meals. I like this bean and I look forward to cooking it in many other ways… including making a butter bean cookie! Nah, I had the worst baking experience today (will blog about that later) so I don’t think I will be making cookies anytime soon. But, just so ya know, butter bean cookies are a thing!

Hope you’re having a great weekend! –Melissa

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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 28 2012
3 Comments
Recipes, Snacks

The Lazy Vegan: Frozen Pizza and Ranch Dip

Confession: I eat pizza about once a week. Regular, dairy cheese pizza. I know, I know. That’s not very vegan of me. But it’s one of the few non-vegan eats that I will allow myself to enjoy, guilt-free.

I had seen Tofurky brand pizza in the frozen section of WFM. I stared at it during several visits before I finally decided to try it out. What really sold me on it was that they use Daiya ‘cheese’ in their products. When I first tried it, I was floored. I can’t help but associate Tofurky with, well, Tofurky, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Tofurky pizza is delicious! Yes, it’s easy to make your own pizza and we encourage it. But sometimes, you just need something you can take out of a box, pop into the oven, and then devour 15 minutes later. Tofurky pizzas come in three varieties: cheese, pepperoni, and Italian sausage with fire roasted veggies (above). I have tried all but the pepperoni, and that’s next on my list. I don’t know what the secret is to Tofurky pizzas (other than the genius use of Daiya ‘cheese’), but they are tasty and satisfying and need no other spice or sauce to be edible. Unfortunately, they’re not gluten-free. Sadface. In addition, the cost is a little absurd, but still very sensible in the grand scheme of things. Also, ZERO CHOLESTEROL. I love being able to brag about that.

Switching gears, I have recently had a serious craving for ranch dressing/dip. There are a lot of fabulous freshly tossed salads in our work cafe, but I can’t enjoy them because the dressing is ranch or ranch-based. I finally opened up my brain and decided to make my own dip. I have two versions. They’re both really easy to whip into shape, and I have no shame in admitting that I am guessing the proportions in the recipes below — the post is titled The Lazy Vegan, after all. Screwing these up is near impossible.

Vegan Ranch Dip #1, pictured above

1 c Tofutti Sour Supreme
1 tbsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsbp dill

Vegan Ranch Dip #2

1 c vegan mayo – I use Earth Balance
1 tbsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsbp dill
soy or almond milk, as needed for creaminess – I used about a tsp

Enjoy with veggies or chips! Oh, delicious. I’m going to go make myself some dip right now! –Melissa

 

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Mar 27 2012
4 Comments
Main Dishes, Recipes

Easy Veggie Paella

To an omnivore, this is vegetable rice. To a vegan, this is paella. I’m using olives in this recipe as my interpretation of mussels: they’re black (who really cares about mussels… I love the color contrast) and have to be pitted before you can eat them just like you have to shell a mussel… kind of. The Brussels sprouts are just there for fun and tofu makes a nice addition if you’re feeling like it. I would marinade it in lemon juice and cumin with a touch of syrup but we decided on skipping the tofu tonight. We started with the following.
6-10 Brussels sprouts (quartered)
1 cup of dry white wine
3 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup black olives
1/4 white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 lbs of peas
Sweet paprika
1 1/2 cups of long grain
1/4 teaspoon of saffron
1 1/2 liters of vegetable stock (from bouillon cubes is fine)
2 tablespoons of minced parsley
I would start by mixing the saffron into the broth and bring it to a boil. In our kitchen, cooking rice and pasta is Brent’s job. He’s much more patient than I am and makes lovely rice and pasta. I stir it too much and end up with a mooshy sticky mess. Add the rice and stir once. Lower the heat and let it boil without stirring. While this was happening, there’s plenty of time for chopping up the veggies and cooking them. Now that the rice is cooking, on to the veggies!
Warm the wine and olive oil with the parsley, paprika, onion and garlic at low heat. Let them simmer until the onion starts to become translucent and then add the peas, olives and bell pepper. When that’s simmered for about 5-8 minutes and the bell peppers are starting to get soft, add the sprouts and toss lightly until they’re just past the bright green stage.
When the top of the rice starts to dry, plop the veggies onto the rice (except for a handful of Brussels sprouts if you want something really pretty). Let them cook for other 10 minutes. Stir the veggies under the rice, using a spatula. Arrange the sprouts on top.
Note on ingredients: the “peas” we added weren’t peas at all. I bought them at my farmer’s market and asked when I paid for them what they were. The guy told me “peas” but they are definitely broad beans. They’re a fine substitute for peas but next time I’ll use the real thing.
EAT IT! This is a fast delicious healthy meal that is sure to please. It’s also got a stunning mix of colors that’s sure to impress whether you fuss over it and arrange the veggies or not.
This is Christie and Brent, 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 25 2012
2 Comments
Main Dishes, Recipes

Easy Enchilada Casserole is on a ROLL!

This is an easy thrown-together, fun to play around with variations on favorite in the Alldestroyers household. It’s basically decadent layers of cheese, beans, tomatoes, peppers and whatever else your heart desires baked up to bubbly perfection. Brent and I decided to start with 2 different kinds of beans: black and kidney.

We decided to make this a 2 layer casserole: cilantro lime black beans and soysausage chipotle red beans. It was that simple.

In the glass baking dish we made 2 layers of tortillas with a layer of Daiya in between to make serving easier.

We cooked the 1 cup of black beans (soaked overnight in 3 cups of water, we kept the water for this step) adding 1 minced jalapeño, juice from 1 lime, a splash of tequila and a handful of cilantro leaves.

The red beans got a similar treatment with a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, a minced soysausage and that’s all she wrote. She being me, I’ll let you in on a secret… I’m going to write some more. We simmered the beans until they were mostly dry and then it was time.

We assembled the casserole by pouring the beans into the first layer of tortillas, pouring some enchilada sauce over it. You can make your own or buy it. We were feeling lazy after being all industrious with the beans so we bought cans of sauce. We poured the next layer of beans, the rest of the sauce and smothered it with more Daiya.

Thirty minutes and 350C/180F later the saucy adultery of the casserole began.

This is a great family friendly meal. We hope you get to try it and love it as much as we do… and the leftovers. I love leftovers.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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Mar 24 2012
3 Comments
Cooking, Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower

If you’re a fan of Top Chef and/or live in Chicago, chances are high that you know who Stephanie Izard is. I had the pleasure of dining at her very much non-vegan restaurant Girl and the Goat several months ago. All the dishes, meaty or otherwise, were very delicious and satisfying, but it was the Roasted Cauliflower that I loved the most. Fortunately, the recipe is actually posted online. Unfortunately, it is vegan un-friendly. So, I turned it veganese, using ingredients I had on hand.

Roasted Cauliflower
4 cups sliced cauliflower
olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp crunch ‘butter’ (I used a hell of a lot more than 1 tsp… oops)
2 tbsp Parma Vegan Cheese, original
1 tsp capers, drained (optional)

Crunch ‘Butter’
4 oz softened vegan butter
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
2 tbsp Parma Vegan Cheese, original
2 tbsp bread crumbs

I heated up the oil in a pan and then added the cauliflower. I sauteed the cauliflower on all sides and then added some salt. Then, I added the water and let the cauliflower continue to cook.

When the cauliflower was cooked, I added a generous amount of the crunch butter. I didn’t do this on purpose. I just didn’t read the recipe very well. I don’t feel as gross as I would if I had used regular instead of vegan butter, but I still feel kind of barfy. Only use a teaspoon!

Stephanie’s recipe calls for pickled peppers. I didn’t have any, so I substituted with some capers. Then, I turned off the heat and mixed in some Parma.

This dish was delicious! I went way overboard with the butter, but I can easily mix in more vegetables for a better balance. I’m really glad that I was easily able to veganize this dish. Be sure to read Stephanie’s recipe first; you might have different ideas for veganizing the dish. She also adds pine nuts and mint to hers, which I would have done if I had them!

Here’s to cauliflower aka ‘little white trees!’  —Melissa

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