Buffalo Chik'n Salad

I've never been a huge fan of salads, but I'm always up for a challenge, so I decided that I need to work on that. Enter: buffalo chik'n salad. In the words of a ridiculously-annoying-piece-of-shit-actor, "WINNING!" I have made this salad 3 times in the last week, so I think that says something.

I'm a recent fan of buffalo sauce, as I always thought I wouldn't like it. I tasted it once about a month ago, and I try to use it every chance I get. I use the bottled stuff, which appears to be much lower in calories than if I'd made it myself. The brand I got has 5 calories per tablespoon, so that's not bad at all. You can do the (chicken) chik'n a couple different ways, but I chose to brush the sauce onto the patty in between flippings. You can also cook the chik'n, and coat it in sauce at the end. I've done it both ways, but I like the first method better. It seems to allow the flavor of the sauce to cook into the chik'n better.

As for salad dressing, that's up to you. I prefer to blend a little vegan ranch with a tiny bit of avocado and drizzle it over the salad. It was awesome. But, you can do whatever your little heart desires.

Serves 2 as a main

What I used:

• 2 Gardein Crispy Chik'n Filets
• 3-4 TB bottled buffalo sauce
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4-1/3 cup red onion, diced

What I did:

1. Heat a grill pan (or non-stick skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the chik'n filets. Cook about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook another 3 minutes, then carefully brush some buffalo sauce on the tops. 
2. Turn heat down a bit to medium. Use tongs to very carefully flip your chik'n filets over. They will sizzle and pop. It's supposed to. Now, brush the top with sauce. After about 2 minutes, flip the filets again. I end up flipping the filets a couple times, brushing sauce on each time.
3. Carefully transfer the chik'n to a cutting board and slice into strips.
4. Get 2 plates and toss together the lettuce and spinach equally on each plate. Top it with the onions and tomatoes and then add the chik'n strips on top. Dress however you want.

Easy Weeknight Dinner - VeganMoFo #8

Recently, the fella and I discovered that Gardein has started making these Crispy Chik'n Filets, so (of course) we had to get them. I decided after a long day at work that I needed to make an easy dinner. I baked up the filets with some spices (poultry seasoning, garlic salt, pepper). I made some spaghetti with jarred sauce (again, I added some spices) and mixed in a boatload of Parmela (vegan parm). Add a bit of homemade garlic bread, and you have a super easy, quick meal.

Now, I'd like to do a quick review of the Gardein Crispy Chik'n Filets.

Flavor: Yummy. I thought it tasted better than real chicken. Then again, I haven't eaten an animal in years, so I don't know. My Mr. is an omni, and he absolutely loves them. Between these and the Gardein crispy tenders, I just may be able to convert him. I digress. The flavor is excellent, and the breading has a nice flavor. I do love adding some poultry seasoning to mine, along with a little pepper, but we also liked them without any additional seasoning.

Texture: Nice and crispy breading outside. Slightly flaky "meat" inside. The chik'n looks like white meat chicken. NO GRISTLE! Ahhh, the joy of meat replacements. No guessing about the weird chewy bits.

Sauce: We didn't use it. I stuck with my old standby sauce that we both like.

Ease: Basically, these are the easiest part of dinner. You just pre-heat the oven, cook these for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 8-10 minutes. So damn easy.

Now comes the obligatory message about this review:
I bought the product myself. Gardein has not asked me to do a review. I really like the filets and I highly recommend them.

HAPPY MOFO!!!

Vegan Curry Empanadas

I had a brain explosion a few days ago and decided that I needed to attempt something mind-bendingly tasty. This is the result. Handheld curried goodness. I baked mine because I hate frying and at least pretended that it was healthier. Then I remembered how much fat is in the empanada dough. Oh well, dears, you should make this anyway! It tastes like heaven in a pie-like crust. Make this shit already.

Makes at least 6 empandas depending on the size and how full you fill them. I made 6 that were cut about 6 inches in diameter before folding. The dough makes enough for several more, but I stopped at 6.

Empanada dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup fat (I used 5 TB shortening and 3 TB vegan butter)
• 1/3 tsp baking powder
• 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup ice water

1. Combine all ingredients except the water in your food processor and pulse until it looks like pebbles. Then add the water 1/4 cup at a time, pulsing until the dough just holds together. It took me 3/4 cup, but your flour may be drier and need just a smidge more. 
2. Once you get to that point, I gently smooshed the dough together and cut it into 2 balls.Touch it as little as possible. Flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Flour your counter and roll each ball out to 1/4 inch thickness. I used a 6-7 inch diameter bowl, flipped it upside-down and cut around it with a knife. 
4. Fill them up, then seal the edges by pushing the edge together like this:
Press the edges together Then fold it over like so:
5. I lined my baking sheet with a piece of parchment and sprinkled it with a little flour for good measure. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you're assembling the empanadas. I melted a tiny bit of vegan butter with a dash of curry powder and brushed it on each of the empanadas before baking. Cook about 20 minutes in the middle of the oven, then turn on the broiler for about 3 minutes to brown up the top a bit. The end result should look something like this:

I know you need to know what I did to make the filling, so here it goes!


Okay. So, you need some stuff.

Filling:

• 3 small red potatoes, diced quite small
• 1 cup of cauliflower florets, cut about the same size as the taters
• 2 large white mushrooms, chopped small
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup red onion, finely diced
• about 6 ounces faux ground beef (I used LightLife Smart Ground Original)
• curry powder
• turmeric
• coriander
• salt and pepper
• 2 TB soy sauce 
• 1-2 TB oil or vegan butter

What you should do with it all:

1. Boil some water. Add the potatoes and cauliflower until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet with the butter/oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the vegan beef, onions, and garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes, then add the cauliflower, peas, mushrooms and potatoes, and the rest of the spices and soy sauce. Add the spices until you're satisfied with the flavor. I think I cooked mine about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you roll out your empanada dough. It should look like this: 

Okay. So, these are pretty time consuming. I'll give you that. But, they are SOOO worth the effort.

                       

Vegan Sausage Hashbrowns

If you come here often, you probably already know that I love hashbrowns. Who doesn't? Well, I decided the other day that I really needed hashbrowns, but I really wanted a little extra kick to it. What better way to make breakfast than to make it all in one dish? Dudes. Adding sausage to the hash was a stellar idea. I'm totally hooked on LightLife Gimme Lean Sausage, and find excuses to use it whenever possible (it just made an appearance on some pizza recently,too).

This is just a 1-person serving. You can do the math to double or triple the recipe. I'm feeling too lazy to do it for you. Come on, cut a chickpea some slack. I'm a hard-working librarian again.

What I used:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns (I use frozen to save me some time. Feel free to use fresh)
• 1/4 tube of Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage, broken into bite-sized pieces
• 2 TB diced bell pepper
• 3 TB diced onion
• pinch fennel seed, crushed
• pinch red pepper flake
• pinch sage
• pinch garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp oil 

What I did:

1.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add all the ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and peppers are soft, the sausage is browned, and the hashbrowns are golden. NOM NOM NOM

Vegan Grilled Cheese...Only Better

I was on twitter a few days ago, and my pal @Whitrae mentioned a sandwich that she made. It sounded bizarre, but being a curious chickpea, I had to make it. It was a Daiya, Tofurky and Tofutti grilled cheese. Odd, yes. Delicious, hell yes. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to make a grilled cheese as it is one of my oldest comfort food indulgences, and this really switched it up...in a good way.

Here's my version of Whitrae's comfort food favorite:
Slather the outsides of your bread with some Earth Balance. On the opposite side of one slice, spread some of the Tofutti cream cheese. Top with some Daiya cheddar and minced onion, then add a few slices of Tofurky (I used the thinly-sliced hickory smoked turky). Top with more cheese then the other slice of buttered bread. Then just make it like a regular grilled cheese in a skillet. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

And don't forget to thank Whitrae for her awesome idea. :)

Chicken Ranch Wrap of Destiny!

Last week I got some absolutely fabulous large spinach wraps/tortillas, and I decided that since Gardein products are on sale at my grocery store, I'd go ahead and do a little experiment for dinner tonight. I've used the Gardein crispy tenders for all sorts of yummy meals (they're extra tasty with some mashed potatoes), so I felt confident making them into a tasty wrap tonight. Served with some sauteed zucchini, red onion and mushrooms, the wraps were quick, easy and filling dinner.

I just cooked the tenders in the oven, according to the directions on the package (430 degrees, cook about 22 minutes, flipping once during cooking). On the spinach wrap, I piled on lettuce, red onion, diced tomato and some ranch dressing. I usually make my own by just throwing some mayo, vinegar and spices together until it tastes good. Another rocking sauce combo for the chicken wraps is a blend of ranch and bbq sauce. Whatever way you choose, I'm sure you'll dig it. OH, and I make a tasty homemade Caesar dressing, which I also think would be spectacular next time I make the wrap.

I have nothing left to say, except that you should totally try making Gardein into some wraps. I don't think you'll regret it.

Vegan Chicken Tacos - Vegan MoFo #27

You know how it is...sometimes you just NEED tacos. Today was that day. I decided to take a chance and try something new. I wanted to make an attempt at chicken tacos, but I was skeptical that they would work out. I'm a pro at making tvp tacos, tempeh tacos, chickpea tacos and even steak tacos, so I thought I needed to enter the final frontier in vegan taco-making. Haha. Tonight, I made the yummiest vegan chicken tacos. They were perfectly spiced using my own taco seasoning blend that I make regularly, and use in all sorts of dishes. No need to buy those little packets from the store anymore...some actually have powdered milk in them and all the ones I've seen have MSG. No, thanks.

The chicken analog I used was the Gardein Scallopini breasts. What I did was put a dab of coconut oil in my nonstick skillet and heat it over medium heat. Once hot, I added the scallopinis and cooked about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then I removed them and chopped them into bite-sized pieces on my cutting board. Next, I added the chicken back to the skillet, along with some chopped red onion and a little red bell pepper. After cooking about 6 mintues, I added 1 TB of my taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup medium salsa. Stir well, and cook another 5-8 minutes, until everything is married. Or blended. Or whatever. See how freaking easy that was? Too easy.

I loaded my tacos with some Daiya cheddar, romaine, red onion, and tomato. The topped it with a little vegan sour cream and some taco sauce. OMFG. So fucking good. You should really make them.

By the way, this should serve 2-4 people. We eat a lot of tacos, and didn't have any sides, so it only served 2 people. Should you add beans and rice, I bet you could serve 4 people.

My Super Comfort Food Meal - Vegan MoFO #19

Once in a while, I just crave comfort food. We all do. Two of my very favorite foods that I used to love as a kid were coleslaw and mashed potatoes. They always made any bad day into a good day. So I had to make them yesterday. I decided, also, that I wanted to try making a vegan bbq chicken dish that I actually could enjoy. I'm a picky chickpea when it comes to my faux meats. I never much enjoyed actual meat and was really scared to try the fake stuff. But, my dears, I have found that I love Gardein chicken. At least, the ones I've tried so far. Those have inspired confidence and make me want to try more. Not for every meal, mind you, but every once in a while.

The coleslaw was incredibly easy to make, as was the chicken. I just used one 8-oz bag of pre-cut cabbage/carrot mix. Then added about 1/3 cup plus 1 TB vegenaise, a splash of white vinegar, a little celery salt, sugar and salt and pepper. I don't know how much sugar I used, maybe a few TB. See, I grew up on southern style coleslaw...it was sweet and tangy. So, I just kept adding sugar until it tasted right to me.

To make the bbq chicken, I sauteed a bag of Gardein scallopini breasts in a smidge of coconut oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. It only takes about 6 minutes total. Then, after it was cooked through, I brushed some BBQ sauce on the tops of the breasts (hahaha). I immediately turned the heat to med-low and flipped them over so the sauce side was down. Then brush more sauce on the top and cook for a few minutes more. The sauce on each side soaks into the chicken and makes it awesome. It tastes best in a bit with a little mashed potato and a little sauce from the coleslaw. Or maybe I'm just weird. Whatever. It tasted ultra to me. And if you are one of those people whose foods can't touch and can't be eaten in the same bite, I pity you. I am a food mixer from way back. Class of 81, yo.

Hahaa. There's the proof. Also, isn't it spooky how much that looks like actual chicken?

Vegan Steak Tacos...Impossible?

Impossible? No way. Insanely easy and tasty to boot.

I had a craving for tacos today...what a surprise! Not. But, as much as I love tempeh, I'm kind of burnt out on tempeh tacos. A girl needs variety. I was kind of at a loss as to what sort of meat I wanted for the bundles of yum. Lightbulb! I remembered seeing Gardein had a steak substitute called Beefless Tips last time I went through the frozen aisle. I hadn't ever tried any of their other meats besides the Crispy Tenders and the Scallopinni, both of which I enjoyed, so I went ahead and grabbed a bag of the beef. I was seriously skeptical, but I needn't be; they were excellent cooked up with a little onion and taco seasoning.

I also had a ton of small, ripe cherry tomatoes from my garden, so I made my own fresh guac. I diced 2 small avocados, a handful of finely chopped red onion, halved about 15-20 small cherry tomatoes, about 1 TB of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt. Stir well, but gently, and let marinate for about 30 minutes, covered. It was delicious, especially paired with the slightly spiced beef.

The beefless tips do need to defrost about 15-20 minutes before you'll be able to cut through them. They come in chunks, so I quartered them to make them into strips of steak.

I heated a skillet over medium-high heat and gave it a light spritz of cooking spray. Once hot, I added the steak and let it cook about 3 minutes, then I added in 1/4 cup diced red onion. I added about 1 1/2 tsp of my homemade taco seasoning to give it a bit of spice. I cooked it all together, stirring occasionally, for about 8 more minutes. The steak was firmed up a bit and was beginning to crisp on some of the edges.

Stuff the taco shells with some guac and your steak and you're good to go. I ate 3 (though, I admit, the last one was a bit small) and I'm not ashamed of that.

Spectacular Vegan Spaghetti with TVP

I have finally, and fully, accepted that I love TVP. I have seen the light. It can really take on some great flavors. And, it works excellently as a replacement for ground meats, especially ground beef or turkey. The texture is similar, and easily fools unsuspecting folks...not that I'd know... ahem.

So, I've really been wanting some spaghetti lately, and with my recent fascination with TVP, it seemed only natural to add it to my sauce and veggies and see how it worked out. Oh, baby. It was so so so terrific. My tastebuds were in love from the second it touched my tongue. Add a little garlic bread and you are in business. Holy hell, I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow.

Makes enough for 4 servings as main course...or if you are a glutton, maybe just 2 servings. I dunno. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb spaghetti or other noodles
• 1 cup TVP/TSP
• 3/4 cup plus 3 TB vegetable broth
• 1 TB Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 jar of your favorite sauce (or homemade. I used Bertolli Tomato Basil sauce today to save time)
• 1-2 TB olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, cubed
• 1 small yellow squash, cubed
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (I had orange as it was on sale)
• 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch sugar (optional)
• salt and pepper as needed

Method:

1.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti to the package's directions. While the pasta is cooking, get started on step 2 and 3.
2. Combine vegetable broth, Braggs, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, and cracked black pepper in a small pot with a lid. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the TVP until no dry spots remain. Set pot aside while the TVP re-hydrates.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, squash. Saute about 5 minutes, then add the mushroom, garlic, and rehydrated TVP. Cook about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the sauce. Let it all simmer together over a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, so the flavors meld. Adjust your seasonings and add the sugar (if you're so inclined). 
5. Serve the sauce over your noodles, duh. I always make some garlic bread with pasta, and you should, too. Really. If you don't, you're wasting a perfectly good combo of sauce and bread.

TVP Tacos - Vegan & Fabulous

TVP (textured vegetable protein, though there is also TSP, which is soy protein) is something I've been sort of wary of. Call me crazy, but it looked like pebbles. Why would I want to eat pebbles? Alright, so I used it twice before: Shepherd's Pie and Winter Stew, both of which were excellent. I had actually forgotten that the TVP was in my cupboard, hidden behind some dried beans and pasta. I am a forgetful chickpea sometimes. Now where was I? Oh, yes, I have hardly used TVP before. I'm seriously skeptical of meat replacements, in general because I never really liked meat too much. But, I am coming around a bit.

If you've been here before you may notice that I have a fascination (also read: addiction) with tacos. They're one of the best foods ever created, hands-down. Name a better food? You can't, can you? Ha. I win! So, anyway, when I was deciding what I wanted for dinner, I found the TVP along with some crunchy taco shells and half a jar of salsa. Thus, my TVP taco recipe was born.

And for those of you following the VegNews meat photo debacle, these photos are mine and they are 100% vegan!!

Anywhooo, here's my recipe. It makes kind of a lot...more than I anticipated, actually. I'd say it makes about 10-12 tacos depending on the size of them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup TVP/TSP
• 3/4 cup plus 3 TB veg broth
• 1 TB Braggs aminos
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup chunky salsa of your choice (I maybe used a bit more)
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (I used an orange one since it was on sale)
• 1 1/2 TB Meg's Taco Seasoning or your favorite spice blend
• 1 TB olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. In a small pot, bring the broth, Braggs, garlic powder and onion powder to a boil with the lid on. Once boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the TVP until you don't see any dry spots. Let set aside for about 8 minutes while the TVP re-hydrates. 
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and bell pepper. When the onion is translucent (5-6 minutes), add the taco seasoning, salsa, and re-hydrated TVP. Mix well.
3. Heat through, about 7-8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. It should look like this:

No matter how you assemble your taco, you have me to thank! Hahahaha. I'm kidding. Sort of. Mwaahaaahaaaaaa!

Split Pea Burgers & My Eco Craft

About a month ago, I bought some dried split peas and had no idea what to do with them, but I wanted to try them out. Well, I threw them in the cupboard and forgot about them until earlier today when I stumbled upon Alton Brown's recipe for split pea burgers, so I knew I had to make an attempt at them. As always, I have a serious inability to follow recipes. I always have to give them my own spin and make changes based on my tastes as I am a picky chickpea with particular tastes. And, I have to say, I rocked this recipe out. It was a serious hit at my house. As you can see in the photo, I made some baked tater tots. What you can't see is the amazing queso dip I made to dip the tater tots into. WHOA. Seriously yum.

Makes 4 average-sized burgers

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 TB olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 ounces sliced mushrooms
• kosher salt to your tastes
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dried split peas
• 1/4 cup raw brown rice
• 3/4 tsp coriander
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs plus 2-3 TB for coating the burger before cooking
• 2 TB vital wheat gluten

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, bell pepper and some salt. Let them cook about 4 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms and garlic and cook another 4 minutes. 
2. Then add the peas, rice, broth, and spices and stir well. Turn heat to medium-high until the mix starts to boil. Then turn to medium-low and simmer about 40-50 minutes, or until the rice and peas are softened. Be sure to stir ever 5-10 minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the pan. There should be no liquid left when it is done.
3. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the mixture into a food processor. Whir a few times, until the mix is chopped, but NOT pureed. I think I whirred it about 7-8 times total. 
4. Pour the mix into a large bowl. Use a large wooden spoon to stir the 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and the gluten into the bowl. It should start solidifying almost instantly. Just mix until you can't see any dry breadcrumbs. Then put the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour the rest of the bread crumbs onto a small plate. Then remove the peas from the fridge and cut into 4 equal-sized pieces. Shape the pieces into round patties. Then, carefully set the first patty on the bread crumbs. Flip to coat the other side, too. Once they are all coated, you'll want to heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray the skillet with a little cooking spray.
6. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side, or until the breadcrumbs are browned and the patties are cooked through.

I liked mine with some Vegenaise, raw onion and mustard, but you should dress the split pea burgers however you like. Though, my way is far superior. Hahaha.

And now, for my Eco-Craft:

A couple years ago, I made someone a scarf with this outrageously pink yarn, and had half a skein left over. I threw it in the closet and totally forgot about it until last night when I went looking for something else. I thought, "Hey, I should make something with this." So, I decided that instead of tossing out the obnoxious-colored yarn, I will make a dog/cat blanket. And, I am thinking that I'll donate it to the local animal shelter. They are always in desperate need of blankets and towels to line the cages and give the animals a little comfort. I don't know if the yarn I have will run out before I'm done, so it may end up being several different colors. But, who cares if it helps the animals!?!
What I am getting at though, is that instead of tossing out your old yarn, or other leftover crafting supplies, put it all together and make something else with it! Reduce your waste. So, here is what the blanket is looking like so far:

Have a kickass day!

Tempeh Tacos & A Tip

Tempeh Tacos! Quite possibly my new most favorite taco. Yes. Definitely my most favorite taco. And as a taco junky, I do know what I'm talking about. I am becoming a quite connoisseur, if you will. Ah, whatever. You don't care. You're just thinking, "Damn, Chickpea, get to the recipe already." And I will. I will. But, I feel like a little chitchat first! Deal with it.

I really wasn't sure how I should even approach a tempeh taco. I've never eaten them, and I didn't feel much like copying someone else's recipe, so I made this up. And, now, I'm basking in my genius. I don't know about all the brands of tempeh out there, so I can't vouch for how the rest would turn out, but I do know that I LOVE the Organic 3-Grain Tempeh from Trader Joe's.

It has excellent taste (I actually munched some raw) and is cheaper than the LightLife original. So, whenever I trek down to TJ's, I always buy 4-5 packages. For this recipe, I first cubed the tempeh then roughly chopped it down with my santoku knife. There were some small chunks and some single grains. Here's the photo of what it looked like before I started cooking:

So, I think I'll get to the recipe now.

UPDATE 7.1.11:

I made a very tasty discovery. I've been cubing my tempeh and steaming it before adding it to my sauteeing veggies. It calms the bitterness of the other brands of tempeh. I'm totally hooked on the LightLife original tempeh lately since I started steaming it. We love it so much this way. Anyway, after steaming, break up the chunks somewhat before adding it to the veggies. Then mix everything else together.

This makes enough for 6-8 tacos.

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package of tempeh of your choice, chopped or crumbled
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups chunky salsa, medium heat
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 TB Meg's taco seasoning or your preferred brand
• scant 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to your tastes
• cooking spray

Method:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the tempeh and cook about 3 minutes. 
2. Then add in the pepper, onion, garlic, and spice mix. You may need to spray a little more oil to very lightly coat everything. Stir around and cook7-8 minutes, until the onions are transparent-ish.
3. Now add the water and salsa and mix well. Let the whole mix cook another 4-5 minutes. 

4. Taste and adjust spices...then dig in. 

I have been really digging the cheeseless taco lately. I decided to sub homemade guacamole in place of the cheese, and it works especially well with these tempeh tacos. Soooooo good. Don't get me wrong, I emphatically love Daiya cheddar, but it is more of a splurge item for me.Well, I hope you dig my most magnificent taco creation.

My REUSE Suggestions for Plastic Bags:

If you don't happen to have a bunch of reusable tote bags, you have probably accumulated a massive number of plastic bags from grocery stores and retailers. Sure, you could put them in the recycling bin, but why not find other ways to use them? 

• Donate them to your local public library. A lot of people forget to bring bags with them when they pick up some books. This will save the library money because they won't have to order more, and it helps your fellow community members who maybe forgot their bags.
• Reuse them on your next shopping trip.
• Use them in boxes you're packing to mail. This saves you from buying bubble wrap and it really does work to protect your package.
• Pop one in your pocket when you're heading out to walk the dog. You never know when you may need it. Trust me on this one!
• Carry one on nature walks and pick up any garbage you see along the way. There will, inevitably, be some...sadly.
• Fill them with your spring cleaning donations to Goodwill/Salvation Army. They can even re-use those bags for their customers' purchases.

Taquitos (That Will Blow Your Mind to Bits)

Back in ye olden days, I used to make a stellar taquito. Yeah, it's probably not "traditional" or anything, but it is absolutely fucking delicious. I didn't know if I could veganize it to my satisfaction, being the picky chickpea that I am. So, as I lay in bed falling asleep last night, I vowed to give it my best shot. Lucky for me, and you, I got it right on the first try. I rock at veganizing my old recipes!

There's this silly notion out there that vegan food is always healthy. I promise you that this is NOT the case. Case in point: these taquitos. They can't possibly be healthy with all that cheese! But, they are so yummy that you will surely thank me. And if you don't, well, forget you. You should be thankful when people offer you such wonderful recipes for free!

 

This recipe easily makes 12-15 taquitos depending on how full you fill the tortillas. I find that I am quite full if I eat 4. So, either have friends or save your leftovers. They are excellent re-heated in your oven the next day for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. I haven't frozen them, but I imagine they would hold up and need to be cooked for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven (but don't quote me since I've never had to freeze them before). Anyway, I'm not feeling chatty. On to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 15 flour tortillas (buy the 6-inch size tortillas)
• 6 oz Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, which is a 3/4 the 8oz package
• 1/2 bag Daiya cheddar
• 1/2 bag Daiya mozzarella
• 2 Gardein scallopinis
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 TB garlic, minced
• 1 TB olive oil, along with a little olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup salsa verde
• 1 TB Braggs
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and scoot the mix to one side of the pan.
3. Spray a bit of cooking oil on the empty side of the pan and put the 2 Gardein scallopinis on to cook for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the onion, pepper, garlic around.
4. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, cheese, salsa verde, spices. Set aside.
5. Spray the tops of the Gardein scallopinis. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Scoop the onion mixture out into the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Remove the Gardein and dice into tiny bits. Then add to the bowl. Use a potato masher to really combine all of the ingredients until it looks something like this:

7. Heat your tortillas on a plate and cover with paper towel. Use the microwave for about 20 seconds. This will keep your tortillas from breaking when you roll them. One by one, you need to scoop some filling onto the tortilla (probably a bit less than 1/4 cup on each one) near one end. 

8. Start rolling the taquito from the filled end. The empty side of the tortilla will need to end up rolled up underneath the filled taquito, if that makes sense. This will hold the taquito shut while cooking. 

9. Lightly spray the tops of the rolled taquitos with the olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with a large grain salt. I use kosher salt. 
10. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the filling is probably coming out the ends :)

They're perfect served alone or with salsa or vegan sour cream. Maybe even guacamole. How should I know what you like?

Chickpea Ballz!

Chickpeas. Ballz. Pasta. You literally cannot go wrong. Or, I should say, I couldn't go wrong since I'm the lovely lady who made it all. Okay, okay, I didn't make the pasta from scratch, but I did make the marinara. Yes, I was a marinara virgin. And, get this, I didn't use any recipe. I'm full of awesomeness!

I got the idea for the chickpea balls from Veganomicon, which has a recipe for beanballs and spaghetti (pg189) using kidney beans, which I don't really love. So, being the thinker that I am, I decided that chickpeas would be about 100 times better along with some extra spices. So, I set to work making a most tasty ball. But, what to serve with chickpea ballz? Pasta! What else? Haha. I had 2 jars of marinara in my cupboard, but I really wanted to test my kitchen skills and make my own. So I did. And, I could not believe how easy it was. And, get this: I actually used whole wheat penne...and liked it. I never used to like whole wheat pastas! Maybe I am growing up after all? NAH.

Chickpea Ballz Ingredients: (mine made 19 ballz)

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 TB Braggs liquid aminos 
• 1 1/3 TB steak sauce
• 1 TB or more minced garlic (I ran out of fresh and so used jarred)
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 10 leaves fresh basil, minced-ish
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 slightly heaping cup vital wheat gluten

Chickpea Ballz Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet and then set aside.
   
2. I threw my chickpeas into a food processor and pulsed a few times until there were no whole chickpeas, but a they were also not pureed, either.
   
3. Remove from the processor into a large bowl. Add in oil, Braggs, steak sauce, garlic, lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, dried and fresh basil. Mix/mash together with a fork.
    

4. Now use your hands to mash in the bread crumbs and gluten until well combined. Let set a minute or two for the gluten to start bonding a bit. I mashed mined down in the bowl. I don't know why, I'm just giving the facts!
   
5. Now, use your paws to scoop out enough to make the size of a walnut in its shell. Maybe 1 1/2 TB? I don't know. Then squeeze the chickpea mix into a ball and set on the oiled baking sheet. Be sure to make them all roughly the same size so they cook about the same amount of time.
   
6. Once all the ballz are made, you'll bake them for about 15 minutes. Then use tongs to flip them over and cook another 8-10 minutes. You want them lightly browned. 

The ballz are great solo, but they are also great either dipped in a little steak sauce or into some marinara, like so: 

Marinara Ingredients:

• 1 - 14oz can diced tomatoes, partially drained
• 1- 8oz can plain tomato sauce
• 1/2 of a 4-oz can tomato paste
• 1 TB oregano
• 1/2 TB basil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• lots of pepper
• some garlic salt
• 1 TB garlic powder
• 2 TB Braggs liquid aminos
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 TB sugar

Marinara Method:

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This cooks your tomatoes down a bit to make them more sauce-friendly.
2. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in the tomato sauce.  I also added all of my spices except the salt and the Braggs. Stir again to make sure the spices are incorporated.
3. After about 5 minutes, I whisked in the tomato paste and Braggs. Let simmer away for another 5 minutes. Then taste test! I needed to add sugar to mine as it seemed too acidic. So, I added 1 TB at a time and a bit of salt to the mix. You can add any other spices or herbs you'd like. See!!! It is so easy a child could do it. Well, not really that easy, but you get the picture.

Chickpea Veggie Burger

Yesterday was one of those days where I just wanted old-style comfort food.  Though, I should add, that even when I ate meat I hated hamburgers.  I used to crave the Boca Vegan burgers, but I have moved on from the frozen aisle and will be attempting more veggie and bean burgers in the coming months.  This particular burger was a little softer than I would've liked, but it tasted excellent! I highly recommend some plain old yellow mustard on this burger.  It just goes perfectly.  Though, you can do whatever you want.  I ate mine with a healthy dose of mustard, some Vegenaise, romaine lettuce and red onion and served on a vegan onion bun.  SO good! And they go perfectly with my Baked Onion Rings!  
Two suggestions:

• Add some bread crumbs for a bit more texture.
• Don't puree the bean/veg mix.  I pureed mine accidentally because I wasn't paying attention. Oops.

My recipe makes 2 normal-sized patties or maybe 4 mini burgers.  You could pan-fry them, I suppose, but I baked mine in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3-4 TB yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3 TB wheat gluten
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then add the garlic and red pepper.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.  Then remove from pan and let cool somewhat.  I put mine in the freezer about 5 minutes. 
3. While the onion/peppers are cooling, get your food processor out.  Add the chickpeas, salt and pepper.  When the onions/peppers are cooled a bit, add them to the food processor.  Whir a few times to chop the goods.
4. Add in the wheat gluten and whir a bit more.  If you're adding breadcrumbs do it now.  You can puree if you want, though I won't be doing that next time because I'd like a bit more texture.  
5. Remove half of the mixture from the processor and shape into a patty.  Then do the other half, duh.
6. Put the patties on the prepared baking sheet and cook on the middle rack for about 12 minutes.  Then flip and cook another 6-8 minutes. The patty should be browned and somewhat firm.  Serve on a nice tasty bun with some fixins!  Enjoy :)

Chickpea Cutlets - Review

Alright, not the best photo ever, but it was tasty.  The food, not the photo.  I have been wanting to try making these Chickpea Cutlets from the Veganomicon (by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) cookbook for a while.  So, I've had the cookbook about 3 years, but why did I never attempt them?  Because I didn't know what the hell vital wheat gluten was.  Also, I couldn't find it.  Yesterday, I was determined to get my paws on some gluten, so I set out to 2 different health food stores.  Alas, I found it!  $5.00 for 10 ounces...ouch.  But, I wanted to make the cutlets, so I had to buy it.  And, now that I have tasted the heavenly goodness that is the chickpea cutlet, I can say that it was definitely worth the $5.00 price tag. 

I made the cutlets according to the directions on page 133 of Veganomicon, except for 2 small things: a) I did not use the lemon zest as I didn't have a lemon. And b) I added one more small clove of garlic.  I used cooked chickpeas that did not come from a can (yes, I've turned into a bean soaker), and it was amazingly good.  I also made the mustard sauce that is recommended on page 204 of Veganomicon.  Though I thought it was quite tasty, I think I'll stick to dipping in a bit of steak sauce. 

Veganomicon offers two methods of cooking: frying or baking.  I chose to bake mine.  You may or may not realize that I'm frightened of hot oils, so I rarely fry.  Plus, I didn't really want greasy dinner last night.  Baking the cutlets takes about 28-30 minutes total, which was perfect time for me to make some mashed potatoes to accompany the cutlets.  I chose garlic mashed potatoes this time, which I haven't made in months.  Yes, months.  It was all so tasty that I scarfed down 2 whole cutlets and a small mound of potatoes.  So, what I am getting at here is that you need to make these!  They're full of flavor and have a nice, chewy texture.  And, get this! You get to use a steak knife to cut them!  Exciting, no?

Coconut Bacon BLT!

WHOA! My most favorite meaty dish ever was the BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato), which I have not had in a billion eons.  So, recently, I tried tempeh bacon in Boston (which was quite lovely), but, I decided today to try a recipe I've seen bandied about a lot recently on the internet: Coconut Bacon.  Who would've ever thought that coconut could be a suitable bacon substitute?  I sure as hell hadn't thought it.  But, my friend on Twitter, @VeganGoodThings wrote this killer recipe for coconut bacon.  So, being the BLT lover that I am, I tried it out.  And I love it.  I like the crispiness and the slight maple flavor. 

I made 3 small changes to the original recipe:

• slightly less maple syrup
• instead of tamari, I used Braggs Liquid Aminos because that's what I had handy
• I sprinkled mine with a bit of salt before baking

It was shockingly good and made my house smell super yummy for hours afterward.  So, it is official, I'm a coconut bacon convert.  Though my favorite is still the tempeh bacon, the coconut bacon is simple and tastes lovely.  I think it would be good sprinkled in other dishes, like pastas or salads, or maybe even in some couscous dish.  Whatever you do with it, enjoy it. 

Comfort Food -- Vegan MOFO #9

Isn't that a gorgeous head of yellow cauliflower?  I think the farmer called it cheddar cauliflower.  To me, it tastes just a smidge more sweet than plain white cauliflower.  While this tasted fabulous raw and oven-roasted, I think I still like the white kind better.  

Everyone needs comfort food sometimes; foods that make them feel all warm and snuggly inside.  That was me today, which was perfect because I had some broccoli and cauliflower that were starting to head south, and I hate wasting food.  I also had some Idaho potatoes in my fridge that I kept forgetting about, so I made a few of them into a super yummy, salty and buttery mash.  I don't have any real recipes for this dinner, though.
What we had for dinner:

• Oven-roasted yellow cauliflower
• Steamed veggies--broccoli, yellow cauliflower, carrots
• Super yummy mashed potatoes
• Gardein Crispy Tenders with a dash of garlic salt

For the cauliflower, I chop mine into florets and spread them out on a cookie sheet.  I lightly spray them with an olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with some sea salt.  I bake them in 425 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway  through.  I like them with a little bit of char, but if that's not your thing, then take it out earlier.

For the mashed potatoes, I peeled 3 medium sized Idaho potatoes, then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.  I boiled a pot of salted water, then added the potatoes.  Cook about 8-10 minutes, or until the potato cubes are fork-tender.  Then drain and put in a deep bowl.  Add a bit of your milk of choice,  maybe 2 TB.  Add about 4 TB Earth Balance and 1 1/2 tsps of salt.  I blend mine by hand mixer, then add more salt or butter as necessary.