Spicy Polenta Cakes

Casually browsing my cupboard last night, I stumbled on a bag of polenta that I had forgotten about. I've never cooked, let alone eaten polenta before, but I do love corn. How can anyone not, really? Well, I remembered seeing a few recipes over the last couple years for something called polenta cakes, so I decided to make my own vegan version featuring some Daiya Pepperjack. It was a total experiment...I was skeptical that they would work. But, they did....at least, they did with some toppings. I made some homemade black bean and corn salsa and then cooked up some yummy spicy tvp. They were both mega awesome on the pan-fried polenta cakes. Even better? Putting both toppings on one cake, like this:

The polenta cakes take a little prep time, first cooking the polenta and cheese and then refrigerating for about an hour to firm up, then finally pan-frying the tasty cakes. I suppose you might be able to bake them, but I wanted them cooked up quick and crispy. I used a circle cookie cutter to cut them out, but you could use a glass or cut them in squares with a knife.  

This recipe makes about 12 three-inch circle cakes.

Making the cakes:

• 1 cup dry quick-cooking polenta (if it doesn't say quick, you're in for a long time of whisking)
• 1 1/2 cups veg broth
• 1 1/2 cups water (or you could use more broth)
• heaped 1/2 cup or a bit more Daiya Pepperjack
• 2 TB nooch
• salt and pepper to your liking
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• hot sauce (optional)

1. Heat broth and water in a large pot over high heat until almost boiling. Add paprika, chili powder, a few dashes of hot sauce, and the garlic powder. Then, turn the heat to medium low and whisk in the polenta. 
2. KEEP WHISKING until the polenta is very thick and creamy. You don't want any lumps. It will take about 5 minutes of nonstop whisking if you use the quick cook. I've read that the regular stuff can take up to 20 minutes of whisking. 
3. Now, whisk in the cheese and nooch. Keep on stirring, kiddos, until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat and remove from the burner. 
4. Quickly line a 9x13 inch sheet pan (or a baking dish) with some plastic wrap and give it a spritz of cooking spray. Now, smear the polenta onto the baking plastic. Try to make it into an even layer, like so.

5. Spritz the top with a little more spray, then cover the polenta with more plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40-60 minutes.The polenta will be quite firm. 
6. Cut the polenta. Now, heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add some oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan), and ease a few cakes into the pan. Cook about 3-4 minutes, then very gently flip the cakes. Cook another few minutes, until each side is golden and a bit crisp. Sorry, I was busy...no pictures. Remove the cooked cakes and put them on a plate while you cook up the rest. 
7. Top those bugger with some yummies. We used the spicy tvp and homemade salsa, but you could use bean and veggie chili, more cheese, whatever. Make it yours!

Here's my super simple salsa recipe:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed (I prefer fresh, but it is winter here and no corn can be found)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 cup diced bell pepper
• salt
• juice of half a lime
• 1 cup diced tomato (today was a mix of cherry tomato and roma)

1. Mix everything together and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Spicy TVP recipe:

• 1 cup dry tvp
• about 1 1/4 cups veg broth (I didn't measure, but this seems about right)
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 TB taco seasoning powder
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup hot salsa
• hot sauce
• scant 1/4 tsp liquid smoke (optional, but recommended)

1. Mix tvp, dry spices, onion and broth in a small pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed.
2. Once the liquid is almost entirely absorbed, add the salsa, hot sauce and liquid smoke. Turn heat to low and let everything simmer together for at least 5 minutes, but probably a little longer to let the flavors merge. Done!

Lasagna - Finally!

Resistance is futile.

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to attempt vegan lasagna. Why? Because I'm picky as hell and I was scared that I'd never make one half as good as the old dairy version I used to make. My biggest fears revolved all around the dairy aspects: 1) I used ricotta in the old recipe, so I was scared to try tofu ricotta. 2) As much as I love Daiya, I was scared it just wouldn't be as good as real mozzarella in this dish. I'm pleased to announce that I am really excited with how this lasagna turned out. And, while it wasn't 100% like the original, it was still awesome all the way around. We loved it.

For this one, I did take some shortcuts as I was absolutely starving! I typically take the time to make my own marinara sauce, but this time I used a garden veggie jarred sauce. I also used the no-boil lasagna noodles. I probably won't use them again, as they just weren't the same. But, they were quite convenient. I also made some simple tvp "meat" for texture that resembled the meaty version most of us grew up with - the recipe is below somewhere.

Anyway, I did use tofu, which is something kind of rare in my kitchen. I have a long history of not enjoying tofu as much as your typical veg-head seems to. It's okay on occasion, but not something I can really get behind. I'm coming around, though. I altered this recipe to make the ricotta, and I'm pretty pleased with it overall. Here is my version of the recipe:

• 2/3 of a block of well-drained tofu (extra-firm)
• 1 1/2 TB tahini
• 1 1/2 TB lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 TB minced red onion
• 3 TB nooch (nutritional yeast)
• 1 1/2 tsp white miso
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 TB dried parsley
• some salt & pepper to your liking

 Throw everything into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. How easy was that? Set aside until you start assembling the lasagna.

The lasagna was super quick to put together since I didn't have to boil the pasta. I did take a few minutes to make some tvp "meat." I used about a cup of tvp crumbles, put them in a small pot (with a lid), covered with some veggie broth and turned the heat up to medium-high. Add some all-purpose seasoning, a pinch of cumin and 1/4-1/2 tsp liquid smoke. Stir well and cover. Cook about 5 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. I mixed about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce into the tvp and cooked a couple minutes over low heat to blend the flavors.

While the tvp was cooking, I sauteed up some diced bell pepper, diced onion and sliced mushrooms. Oh, and a little garlic, too. I meant to add some chopped zucchini, but in the rush, I totally forgot. Once that's done, you're ready to start making the lasagna.

I used a deep casserole to bake it. Since I used the no-bake noodles, I poured some sauce on the bottom of the pot, then added a layer of noodles. On top of that was a thin layer of sauce, then a little veggies and a smidge of the tvp meat. Top with noodles, then sauce, then little blobs of the ricotta I made. More sauce, then noodles, the rest of the meat and some more ricotta, a little more sauce. Noodles, sauce, veggies, topped with lots of Daiya. Something like that. I just made sure to use some sauce on all of the noodles to make them moist. Now, I should have told you that you should carefully press each layer to make sure everything is smooshed down and not airy between the layers. I added some garlic salt and a bit of pepper to the top of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes at 420 degrees. Then uncover and cook another 8-10 minutes so the cheese will melt and brown slightly.

Sorry I don't have an exact recipe, but I was in a rush and starving, so you'll just have to forgive me! This one made 4 MASSIVE servings of 6 normal ones.

Before...

And after :)

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!

Shepherd's Pie or Something Like It

I should let you know up front that I have never, nor will I ever eat a "true" shepherd's pie, so this recipe is what I'd like to imagine they are really like...you know, vegan and cruelty-free and junk. And healthy. Okay, okay. You got me. I like to splurge in my mashed potatoes. I love me some Earth Balance in my taters (I blame my mama because she always made buttery mash). Otherwise, this is some healthy shit. And tasty as hell. During this session of honesty, I will tell you that I actually meant to add some lima beans and peas to the stew-filling stuff, but I completely forgot. Maybe next time.

I basically made a smaller and altered version of my recipe for winter stew and topped it with mashed potatoes. Sounds easy, no? It doesnt? Well, forget you. It is easy.

This recipe makes enough to serve 3-4 as a main dish. I cooked mine in two 7-inch Le Creuset baking dishes I got on clearance at TJ Maxx because I am frugal. Or cheap. Or whatever. They were perfect for what I needed them for and they are bright green, which is my favorite color. You can cook them in whatever you want, so long as it's oven-safe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups already cooked mashed potatoes (I added a handful of Daiya cheddar to mine-YUM)
• 1- 8oz can plain tomato sauce
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 medium idaho potatoes, peeled and diced to 1/4 inch bits
• 1/4 large white onion, diced
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 3-4 TB tvp granules
• 1 1/2 TB minced garlic
• 4oz button mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 1/2 TB Braggs liquid aminos
• lots of fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Add oil to a soup pot over a medium heat. Once hot, add your spices and onions. Stir well and cook until onions are softened, 5 minutes. Then add the garlic. Stir and cook 2 minutes. 
3. Turn your heat down a smidge to just under medium heat. Add all of the other ingredients except the mashed potatoes. Stir very, very well. Put the lid on your pot and cook, stirring every 5 minutes for approximately 30 minutes. If for some reason, yours gets too dry, add a bit more broth and stir. 
4. Your stew-type filling should be done by now. You'll need to test by checking the doneness of the potatoes. I like my lentils with some texture, but if you like them mushier, cook it longer with more broth. You should be tasting this anyway to make sure you like the spices and such.

5. Pour your filling into 1 large or multiple smaller baking dishes. Cover with the mashed potatoes. You can try to be artsy, like my lovely pattern that I have been told looks like intestines, or you could just smear the potatoes over the filling. Whatever floats your boat, dooood. 

6. Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Then, I turned on the broiler for 3 minutes. Why? It just seemed like the right thing to do. Get off my lawn. Be prepared to burn your tongue at least once. It smells so good, that you will quite literally be unable to wait for it to cool before tucking in. I ate mine with a bit of garlic bread. Mega yum. And incredibly filling. 

Winter Stew

Stew. I needed it. It is brutally cold here, and the only solution is a thick, hearty, delicious stew. I was introduced to a similar stew when I visited a friend a few weeks ago, and I pretty much turned into a vegan piggy when I ate it. Thus, I knew I would have to try my hand at it when I got home. The stew is based originally on the Cholent recipe in Veganomicon, sorry I can't remember the page, and I am far too lazy to get up and find it. Haha. C'mon, it's early morning. Cut me some slack. I am unaccustomed to blogging so early!

I suppose you could really add in any veggies and this stew would work. Also, I used some frozen veg, but only lima beans and peas. The other veggies were fresh. I'm not generally a fan of frozen veg, but I do often use frozen peas and corn in dishes (never alone). So, there you go. Do whatever you want. I do recommend that you eat the stew with some nice hearty bread. Mega yum.

This is enough for 3 large bowls, but you can do maths to figure out a larger batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 small potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 small carrots, peeled, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 onion, cut to your liking
• 1/3 cup TVP (I used the granules because I can't find the chunks)
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 1 cup or so of cooked chickpeas (I had some that needed using, so I threw them in)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp or less fennel
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2-3 tsp Braggs liquid aminos

Method: 

1. Get a dutch oven or large soup pot out and heat over medium temperature. Add the oil. When hot, add in the onion and the spices. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Then add your garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
2. Add in the other ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Check the doneness of the potato and carrots and the seasoning. Turn to low and simmer about 10 minutes more. In the last few minutes, I removed the lid and let it thicken up a bit more. 

See! So easy and tasty. Your tummy will thank you!