Tess Challis's Blog, page 7

The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Menu

Hey sweet peas! How's November treating you? If you're like me, you've already begun to think about the deliciousness that is Thanksgiving. Mmmm, nothing satisfies like a well planned Thanksgiving dinner! And in my world, that dinner has been a vegan one for the last 20 years. Granted, I didn't always host my own vegan dinners, but over the last 10 years (ever since I moved to Colorado), I've had a vegan Thanksgiving dinner at my home. Most years, we invite good friends over and they all bring vegan dishes to share. Many of my friends aren't vegan (or even vegetarian!), but they're all cool enough to be psyched to have a delicious meal with friends and not care that it's animal-free.

So, what does a vegan eat on a day that is usually all about eating turkeys? PLENTY. We eat a-plenty. In fact, I always try to get in a good workout the morning of, so that I can give myself room to enjoy all that amazing food!

On Thanksgiving this year, there will be a dozen of us gathered at my home. Several vegetarians, three vegans (myself, my daughter, and a friend), and a few meat-eaters. We don't really do much other than talk, laugh, and eat. For us, it's a day of homey kitchen fun, warmth, laughter, and damn good food.

So, I know what you're thinking now... "Enough talk! Tell me what you eat! I want details. Specifics." Yes, I hear you, and I shall comply! Here goes...

Our Vegan Thanksgiving 2011

* Tofurky: Yes, tofurky. I do realize many people mock the idea of having a "fake turkey" but really, I don't think of it that way. First of all, it's DELICIOUS. And secondly, it's REAL food, not fake. In fact, if it tasted like turkey, I personally wouldn't like it! But it's made from real foods like tofu and garbanzos, and makes for a great main dish that's easy to put together. I like to baste my tofurky roasts with a mixture of orange juice, olive oil, and tamari and add lots of trimmings to the pan - potatoes, lots of garlic cloves, sliced onions, and carrots. And oh mama! When the roast is done, you have all those yummy caramelized veggies on your plate.

* Some kind of warming winter soup must make an appearance, and this year I think that soup needs to be my Carrot Ginger Lime Soup from my newest book . But, since I love this recipe so insanely much, I also shared it here. You must try it! Pictured below.



* Garlic Mashers: Basically, my yummy mashed potato recipe from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth

* What goes on the mashed potatoes and tofurky? Why, none other than my pride and joy, Scrumptious Shiitake Gravy. Seriously, even if you eat meat and hate mushrooms, you'll want to eat this stuff with a spoon! The recipe is also from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth, but also on my blog here.

* Another huge crowd-pleaser is my recipe for phyllo wrapped asparagus. Trust me, you'll have stalkers if you serve these (pictured below). Again, this is a recipe from my first book that I also shared on my blog here.



* This year, I'll be making the Roasted Rosemary Butternut Squash from Radiance 4 Life . I made this for a cooking class last weekend, and everyone wanted seconds (and thirds, but at that point, it was gone!)

* Cranberry sauce of some form must happen. I'm sort of traditional that way. Sometimes, I cheese out and buy pre-made organic cranberry sauce, but this year I'll be making this recipe from VegWeb. I've tried it before, and it's really unusual and delish!

* My recipe for Roasted Cauliflower actually won an award! It's CRAZY good. It's in the sides chapter of Radiant Health, Inner Wealth and also here on my blog.

* Warm bread of some kind is a must, so this year I will be making a whole grain cornbread. YUM.

* My friend Elaine is bringing one of her magic salads (her salads are unreal!) this year, but normally I make either my Spinach-Strawberry Salad (pictured below and SO good!) or something along those lines.



* This year, a friend is making the citrus beets with maple glazed pecans from my book Radiance 4 Life. SO glad I invited her! I'm literally drooling, thinking about this one.

* Finally, we always make sure to have some ridiculously delicious desserts on the table. I'll be making a pumpkin pie (using my recipe from RHIW) with the beautiful local organic pie pumpkin I picked. Woot! Also, I think we'll make some Apple Puffs with Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce (also from RHIW and pictured below) just to round things out. They're easy to make, but sooo impressive and delish!


Well, that's about it! I feel like I'm forgetting something, but if so, I have a feeling we'll somehow have enough to eat! So, howzabout it? Let us know what's on YOUR menu this year!!

And THANK YOU to Olga Vasiljeva and Michelle Bebber for their beautiful photographs!

Scrumptious Shiitake Gravy: A Vegan Gravy That Even Omnivores Flip For!

Oooohh…how decadent and delicious is this gravy? Very. Thelast time I included this in a cooking class, the students were actually eatingit by the cupful! This is divine served over baked or mashed potatoes, crunchytempeh, noodles, grains, pan-fried tofu, or an empty cup. Don't let the longlist of ingredients fool you—this is actually quite simple to make. And sooooooworth it!

P.S. Slather this on your entire Thanksgiving. Except for the cranberry sauce....wait, I take that back. This is craycray good on every. Single. Thing. Recipe from Radiant Health,Inner Wealth


Scrumptious Shiitake Gravy

1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom capsOne medium yellow onion, minced
½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine (1 stick)
¼ cup tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce
8 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ cup EACH:white wine or sherry, rice flour, and nutritional yeast powder
1 cup water
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaf
3 cups nondairy milk, plain and unsweetened
4 teaspoons dried onion granules
2 teaspoons organic sugar or sucanat
2 tablespoons vegetarian chicken seasoning or "Chicky BabySeasoning" (recipe in my books)
1½ teaspoons sea salt (or less if you prefer)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or freshly ground to taste)

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the mushrooms and onion inabout 3 tablespoons of the margarine over medium-high heat until the onions aresoft and just beginning to brown. Be sure to stir often during this process. Ifthe pan becomes dry, add more margarine as needed.
2. Add the tamari, garlic, and wine and stir well. Sautéfor another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the rice flour andnutritional yeast and stir well to make a smooth base (aside from the lumpymushrooms and onions, that is). This is your "roux." Add the water slowly,stirring constantly, until the base is as smooth as possible.
4. Add the remaining items, one at a time, stirring well tocombine. Simmer gently over medium-low heat to marry the flavors for about15-20 more minutes. You will want to stir the gravy often during this time tomake sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of your pan. Serve hot or warm.Enjoy your gravy, you lucky baby.

Makesabout 6 cups; 30 minutes or under! GF/Purple (according to the healthguidelines in mybooks )

Perfect Polenta - Quick, Easy, and Vegan!

This is a very quickand simple version of the Italian classic. Granted, this is a majorshortcut compared to the traditional method which takes an hour or more tocook. However, this version is still delicious and makes homemade polentaaccessible for people who wouldn't otherwise try it. As this is also a kidpleaser, many parents I know (including myself) have made this a staple intheir repertoire. There are several ways to serve this, so you will want toread through this recipe entirely before you begin. A delicious variation (ifyou will be serving it as firm, pan-fried polenta) is to stir additions intothe polenta while it is still creamy. Rosemary, fresh or roasted garlic,organic lemon zest, and sautéed, sliced mushrooms all work beautifully forthis.


Creamy Polenta with VariationsRecipe from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth
1 cup dry polentameal
3¼ cups water
2 tablespoonsnon-hydrogenated margarine
3 tablespoonsnutritional yeast powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt(or less if you prefer)


1. Place the polentaand water in a medium saucepan and whisk (with a wire whisk or fork) to removelumps. Cook over medium heat, whisking continually, until it begins to thicken.Stirring the polenta constantly will prevent it from spattering, clumping, andother forms of disorderly conduct.2. Once it begins tothicken a bit, turn the heat down to the lowest setting your burner can manage.Continue to cook, whisking very often, until it is thick (usually about 5-10minutes).
3. Stir in themargarine and allow it to melt. Once it has melted, mix it in well. Finally,add the nutritional yeast and salt. Stir the mixture until everything is wellcombined.

Serves 4-6; 30 minutes orunder! GF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my books )
To serve creamy style :
If serving the polentaimmediately, it is delicious just plain. However, you can top it with tomatosauce or soy cheese. If desired, you may add just a little more water to theportion you will be eating as creamy polenta. If you are reserving some polentato make "firm style," do not add any extra water to that part.
To serve firm style:
Option 1 : Place the cooked, warm polenta in plastic wrap and roll it up into alog formation (like you see instores). After it has chilled in the fridge for several hours (or overnight)and become firm, it can then be cut into rounds. Sauté the firm polenta roundsin a little oil or margarine over medium heat until golden on both sides (about3-5 minutes on each side). Option 2 : You can press the creamy polenta into a pan. Cover and refrigeratefor several hours (orovernight). Once it has chilled and become firm, you can cut it into squares (or fun shapes usingcookie cutters). Finally, pan-fry the shapes in a little oil or margarine until golden on both sides.

New Giveaway!!

Well, hello there, lovelies! And how are you on this fine and fanciful day? Thanks so much to all who participated in my last giveaway...you guys really made it fun!! And the winner, Janet, is super excited about her new Japanese books by Miyoko Schinner.

So, today - being the new day that it is - brings with it the promise of yet another giveaway. When I was in San Francisco this month, speaking at the World Veg Fest, I met the nicest lady. (Well, I met a crap-ton of nice ladies - it was VegFest after all!!) But this particular nice lady was the owner of Animal Matters, the makers of a children's game called Fur and Feathers. She was even nice enough to offer to watch my booth while I was speaking. I didn't even have to ask! So, she gains major bonus points in my book for being a sweetie - and if I didn't know already, I would have discovered this fact by playing this board game. It is, simply put, pure awesomeness.

My daughter is flat-out addicted to it and wants to play it with me, her friends, and pretty much anyone she can grab off of the street. (We live on a friendly street.) You win the game by saving animals (via the "Choices Cafe," "Animal Shelter," or by rescuing animals from the farm). I think my daughter's exact words upon first playing this game were: "I really love this game for two reasons... for one, it's fun. For two, it's vegan-friendly. Not just vegetarian-friendly, but VEGAN-friendly. Like, you can get pretend vegan pizza."

So, now that you want to win one really, really bad, you're in luck. Because we're gonna give one away!! (and again, so sorry to our friends out of the U.S., but we can only ship prizes within the U.S.) So, here's what you have to do for your shot at this awesome prize:

1. "Like" our pages on Facebook: Both the Radiant Health, Inner Wealth page and also the Animal Matters page
2. Follow this blog, where we will announce the winner on Wednesday, November 9th. To follow, simply scroll down the right side and click to "Join this Site"
3. Reply to this blog post and answer the question "What's your favorite vegan comfort food from your childhood?" (It can either be a dish that was originally vegan or one that you've veganized)

Thanks so much for playing...and let the awesome Fur and Feathers games begin!!

Vegan Japanese Book Giveaway Winner!

FUN! So, I just picked a winner at random for the Vegan Japanese Book Giveaway on my blog. And the winner is... "Janet at the Taste Spice." Congrats, Janet!!! You will love Miyoko's books. Send me your mailing address and we'll get those sweet babies mailed out to you pronto!

And stay tuned, friends...I'm cooking up another giveaway that will begin very soon! This time it's for the funnest, bestest kid's game ever, Fur & Feathers! Details soon. Thanks for stopping by...and let's all go to Janet's house for sushi and Japanese croquettes!!!

Green Bread (the ultimate vegan garlic bread!)

Manyyears ago, I was cooking for a family of four. Whenever I would make them this,their young son would do a happy dance and sing of his love for what he called"green bread." Needless to say, this is a big hit with kids! Also keep in mindthat you do not need to use all of this spread right away. It freezessurprisingly well, and also keeps in the fridge for at least a week.
Recipefrom Radiant Health, Inner Wealth
Photo by Michelle Bebber

Green Bread
½ cup(1 stick) non-hydrogenated margarine10large cloves garlic, peeled (if it seems like too much, it's almost enough)2tablespoons (lightly packed) fresh parsley ¼ cup(tightly packed) fresh basil1scallion (green onion), trimmed (use both white and green parts)¼teaspoon sea saltZe Bread: about 10 large slices of crustymultigrain or sourdough bread
1.Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a food processor, combine the margarine, garlic,parsley, basil, scallion, and salt until thoroughly "greenified" (and no chunksof garlic or scallion remain).2.Spread this generously on the bread slices—don't be shy! Bake just untilgolden browned (be careful not to over-brown) and serve immediately.
Serves about 10; 30 minutesor under! Blue according to the guidelinesin my books)

Giveaway Time!!

Greetings, sweet ones! As many of you know, I just returned from my trip to California. There were many great aspects to my business/pleasure trip, but one of the best was meeting so many fantabulous people! One such human was Miyoko Schinner, whom I met at the San Francisco World Veg Fest (we were both speakers there). And you know what's really cool? I've been an admirer of her books for about twenty years (ever since I became vegan) and found out that she's an absolute foodie soul sister. Not just that, she's the queen of vegan Japanese cuisine and just a really sweet, lovely person. Oh, and also - her vegan recipes ROCK!

So, we've decided to do a giveaway of her two books (pictured in her mitts) right here, right now! The contest ends on October 26th and the winner will be selected at random. Please and sorry, only U.S. residents may enter. How to enter? Do these easy peasy THREE things:

1. Reply to this blog post with your answer to the question "What is your favorite vegan Japanese food?"
2. Follow this blog, if you aren't already (scroll down & click to "join this site")
3. "Like" my facebook page and Miyoko's facebook page, where we'll be announcing the winner on October 26th. You must pay attention, as we will not hire a private investigator to find you if you win!

Good luck, and now let's all go eat vegan sushi!!!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Shake

As you may have guessed, this richie rich is slightly more decadent than most of the other breakfast drinks in my books and on my blog. However, it still contains loads of nutrients and is very filling. This also works well as a meal in itself anytime you're hungry and want something quick and satisfying. And gooooood.


From Radiant Health, Inner Wealth


2 frozen bananas

2 tablespoons natural, creamy peanut butter
1-2 cup(s) nondairy milk* (see note at the bottom of this page)
1 cup nondairy ice cream (vanilla)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (you may omit if using sweetened milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not artificial vanilla)
Place the bananas, peanut butter, and a little of the milk in your blender. Blend until the bananas are smooth. Add all of the other items and just enough of the milk to blend. Serve immediately.

Serves 2; 30 minutes or under! GF/SF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my books )



*The less liquid you add, the richer and thicker it will be. I give an estimated amount here, as it will depend on your blender and size of the bananas as to how much milk you'll have to add. Simply start with the lesser amount given, and add a little more at a time until you have just enough liquid to blend with.

Black-eyed Peas with Kale

This is one of those dishes I could practically live on—it's light, easy to throw together, satisfying, and soooo yummy. This entrée works best with soaked peas, so you may want to plan ahead for maximum goodness.
Recipe from The Two-Week Wellness Solution.  (and incidentally, this is an all-time favorite recipe amongst my fans and readers - I hope you fall madly in love with it too!)
• 1½ cups dry black-eyed peas, soaked in water overnight (or 8-12 hours)
• ½ cup diced onion
• 3½ cups liquid vegetarian "chicken" broth (if you have my books, you can use "Chicky Baby Seasoning" to make broth - just use one tablespoon of the seasoning per 1 cup of water)
• 4 bay leaves
• 4-inch piece of kombu
• 2 cups (packed) kale, preferably lacinato (cut into thin ribbons)
• 6 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons each: sea salt, nutritional yeast, and olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• To Taste (optional): hot sauce of your choice (habanero, tabasco, etc.)

1. Drain the black-eyed peas to remove the soaking water and then rinse them.
2. Place the beans in a pressure cooker (or regular pot with a tight-fitting lid). Add the onion, broth, bay leaves, and kombu and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the black-eyed peas are tender. This will take about 15 minutes in the pressure cooker (after the top begins to spin) or 45 minutes in a regular pot.
3. Once them beans is finally done, drain off most of the excess liquid. Remove the bay leaves and kombu. Next, stir in the kale and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the kale is wilted. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the salt, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and lemon juice. Top with some of the hot sauce (if using) and serve.
Serves 4/GF/SF/Green

Fatoush Salad

photo by Olga Vasiljeva
After eating this for years in restaurants, I finally came up with a recipe of my own for this fresh and delightful salad. This version is lower in fat and slightly more minty than the other kinds I've tasted. If you don't care for mint, simply replace it partially (or fully) with parsley. Recipe from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth.

4 tortillas (or pita rounds), cut into 1½-inch pieces1-2 tablespoons olive oil, regular or extra-virgin

Dressing:                                  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil                       
• The fresh juice of 1 large lemon         
• ½ teaspoon sea salt                           
• Fresh ground pepper to taste                                   
• 1 tablespoon zatar (optional, but fabulous)   

Salad:
• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups diced (or very thinly sliced) cucumber
• ½ cup minced fresh mint 
• ¼ cup chopped scallions (green onions)        

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the tortilla or pita strips in a single layer onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Brush them with the 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
2. Bake the strips until they are golden brown and crisp. Set them aside.
3. Whisk the dressing together and set it aside.
4. Next, place the tomatoes, cucumber, mint, and scallions in a medium-large bowl.
5. Add the tortilla or pita strips to the salad and top with the dressing. Gently combine everything until thoroughly mixed and serve.
Serves 3-4; 30 minutes or under! GF (with gluten-free tortillas)/SF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my books)