Kimberly Steele's Blog, page 29

Daily Vegan Lunch for 26 April, 2013: Herbed Potatoes, Carrots, and Tofu

I wish I could claim I ate these potatoes with a lovely, healthy salad on the side for a perfect whole meal. Uh, I didn’t. I just ate them on their own microwaved at work and my husband finished off the rest later that night. Maybe next time I’ll get around to making that salad…

INGREDIENTS:

9 small Yukon gold potatoes, 4 medium-sized Russet potatoes, or any other potato, washed with skins on

2-3 carrots, chopped

1/2 block firm tofu (about 1.5 cups) cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Chop potato, carrots, and cube firm tofu. Mix them and place them in a large casserole dish. Drizzle oil, herbs, and salt over the top and then toss them to mix. Put in the oven for 30 minutes, then stir and unstick any potatoes that are clinging to the bottom of the casserole. Bake 30 more minutes until vegetables and tofu begin to brown.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 25 April, 2013: Sweet Potato Pancakes

3 words: pumpkin pie pancakes!

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3.5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

2 cups plant milk like soy, almond, or hemp or just water

1 tablespoon oil

FOR FLAXSEED EGG

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)

6 tablespoons water

Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Make flaxseed egg by combining 6 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons flaxseed in a food processor or whip it by hand, set aside. The mixture will thicken over a period of 20 minutes. Mix flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Add soy or other plant milk, oil, mashed cooked sweet potatoes, and flax seed egg and mix well.

Heat a griddle or large flat pan on the stove to medium heat. Lightly coat with oil using a spray or by wiping the griddle before hand with a paper towel dipped in oil. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto an oiled griddle or waffle-maker. Allow to cook until lots of bubbles appear. The edges will lift easily to reveal browned pancake underneath. Flip them and brown on the other side.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 24 April, 2013: Kale and Sundried Tomato Quinoa or Brown Rice

It is just as good using brown rice:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa or 1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups broth if using quinoa, 2.5 cups if using brown rice

1/2 an onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

1 tablespoon oil

4 cups curly kale, massaged and torn into very small pieces

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

Cook quinoa or rice in broth. I use a rice cooker because it is much easier, however, if you don’t have one, put rice and broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low-medium and cover. Quinoa will take about 25 – 30 minutes to absorb the water, brown rice about 40 – 50.

Fry onion in oil in a large pan over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Turn up heat and add rice or quinoa, tomatoes, and kale. Toss to heat through.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 23 April, 2013: Tofu Enchiladas With Broccoli

These are a based on a recipe from the amazing cookbook called Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler. Yes, this cookbook will change your life! I actually got to meet Louise at her cooking demo at Naperville Veggiefest 2 years ago and she signed my copy of the new edition of Tofu Cookery! I gave my old Tofu Cookery book to a friend who is interested in trying new ways of cooking tofu. Win!

INGREDIENTS:

1 package firm tofu, about 2.5 cups, frozen for 24 hours then thawed

2 cups fresh chopped broccoli, cooked in microwave in 2 cups water for 4 minutes

FOR THE TOFU:

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 13.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

3 teaspoons agave nectar or 1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons taco seasoning (generic mixture of cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder)

1 cup vegetable broth

Anywhere from 5-8 corn or wheat tortillas (depending on their size) I used whole wheat tortillas from Trader Joe’s

1/2 cup chopped onion for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare tofu — it will end up tasting very much like cheese — by mixing together soy sauce, peanut butter, garlic and onion powder into a slurry. Rip the tofu into small chunks and lay it on a baking sheet. Drizzle the peanut butter sauce over the tofu, tossing it around to distribute the sauce if necessary. Bake the tofu at 350 for 10 minutes or until the tofu begins to brown.

Fry the onion over medium heat in a saucepan until it is translucent. Add all other sauce ingredients and mix well. Heat through and then take off the stove.

Pre-cook broccoli in the microwave and drain the water off, set aside.

Assemble enchiladas by spreading a cupful of the sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Lay one tortilla in the sauce, wetting it on both sides. Fill the tortilla with a tablespoonful of the tofu mixture and a tablespoonful of broccoli in a line down the middle and then roll into a tube. To evenly divide my tofu and broccoli, I lay the tofu and broccoli out on a cutting board and portion it into equal parts according to how many tortillas I’m using before I make the enchiladas.

Repeat the tortilla-rolling for all of your tortillas. Pour any remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with onions. Bake in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 22 April, 2013: Hand Rolls with Sesame Worchestershire Sauce

Yay vegan Worchestershire sauce! However, if you aren’t as lucky to have a store selling it in your area, here is Martha Stewart’s recipe for vegan Worchestershire sauce. I love Martha.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sweet potato, peeled and precooked in the microwave for 4-5 minutes

4 sheets nori seaweed sheets, split in half

2 cups brown rice

1/4 cup rice or apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 teaspoons agave nectar and 1/2 teaspoon salt or 1/4 cup prepared bottled sushi seasoning/dressing

1/2 a cucumber, julienned

SESAME WORCHESTERSHIRE SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegan Worchestershire sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 teaspoons agave nectar

DIRECTIONS:

Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Pre-cook potato and slice it into strips. Prepare rice by mixing vinegar, salt, and agave nectar together and pouring this over rice and mixing well or just use the bottled seasoning, which is what I used this time. Julienne the cucumber and set all ingredients in a work area for fast assembly. I use a cutting board and lay everything around it.

Spread 1/2 cup the rice mostly on one side of the split nori and lay a couple of sweet potato slices and cucumber shreds. I like to spread it in a diagonal blob so that way the bottom of the roll is not as heavy as the top. You can fill the roll with anything you like: carrots, avocado, and lettuce come immediately to mind but I used sweet potato and cucumber at this time. Drizzle in about a tablespoon of Sesame Worchestershire sauce and roll into an ice cream cone shape in your hand.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 21 April, 2013: Nooch No-Parm Toast with Mushrooms and Zucchini

If you miss eating cheese or are trying to stop your cravings for it, this is a great recipe.

To make 4 pieces of toast for 4 open-faced sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise like Nayonnaise or Follow Your Heart

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup chopped onions (optional)

4 slices bread

4 slices tomato

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini, chopped or sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Mix vegan mayo, nutritional yeast, and onions (if using) in a small bowl. Heat the oven broiler and toast bread in a broiler-proof pan on both sides. Alternately, pre-toast bread in a toaster. Spread toast with nutritional yeast mixture on one side and broil until browned and bubbly, about 1-2 minutes. Broil mushrooms and zucchini at the same time by putting them to either side of the pan while you toast the bread. Put a slice of tomato on the browned nutritional yeast toast and broil for another two minutes.

Serve with the vegetables spooned over the toast. I also made this sandwich with just the nooch mixture and tomato. I’m sure it would be nice with a sprinkle of oregano & basil or herbes de provence type seasoning or with eggplant, peppers, or other vegetables.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 20 April, 2013: CPK Style Pizza With Sweet Potatoes

I love California Pizza Kitchen though it is unfortunate that so many of their pizzas have nasty bovine secretions and pieces of the absent referent on them. I believe they invented the weird, seemingly American custom of eating salad on top of pizza?

INGREDIENTS

1 pizza crust, from pre-made dough or store bought

2 cups marinara or plain tomato sauce mixed with 1.5 teaspoons salt and 3 teaspoons sugar

1.5 teaspoons taco seasoning (generic blend of cumin, chili, and garlic powder)

1 can refried beans or 1 3/4 cups fork-smashed pinto beans

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cooked in the microwave for 4-5 minutes

1 cup chopped black olives, drained

SALAD INGREDIENTS

4 – 5 cups romaine lettuce or other salad greens, shredded or thinly sliced

1 cup cashew cheese from the Stuffed Mushroom recipe, thinned with 1/4 cup water

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup onion, minced

Roll out or lay out crust onto pizza pan. Mix marinara or tomato sauce with taco seasoning and refried beans and spread the bean/tomato mixture over the pizza. Distribute sweet potato and olives evenly over pizza and bake in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes or until the edge of pizza seems crispy.

Take the pizza out of the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes. Make the salad dressing by mixing cashew cheese, water, 2 cloves minced garlic, and onion together in a small bowl. Shred lettuce and then toss it with dressing to coat. Then serve with the salad on top of the cooled pizza.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 19 April, 2013: Pizza With Sweet Potatoes #1

INGREDIENTS:

Pizza crust for one pizza

3 cups marinara sauce or canned tomato sauce with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed in

2 teaspoons taco seasoning (any generic mix of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder)

1 sweet potato, peeled and cooked for 4-5 minutes in the microwave

1.5 cups of any pre-packaged vegan sausage, I used Yves pepperoni

1 cup drained black olives

DIRECTIONS

Roll out dough onto pizza pan — in this case, I made one batch of pizza dough and used half, storing the other half in the fridge for the following day — or use a pre-made crust. Mix sauce with taco seasoning and spread it on the pizza dough evenly. Top with vegan sausage, potato, and black olives. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

Kiki Lulz April 2013

Daily Vegan Lunch for 17 April, 2013: Kale Cabbage Cashew Slaw With Walnut-Tomato Sauce

KALE SLAW INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup cashew cheese from Stuffed Mushroom recipe, thinned with 1/4 cup water

4 cups curly kale, massaged and torn into small bits

3 cups white cabbage, julienned

1/2 cup chopped green onion, chives, or 1/4 cup minced onion, any kind

WALNUT TOMATO SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup tomatoes

3/4 cups walnuts

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

1 clove garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the curly kale, white cabbage, and green onion in a large bowl. Thin cashew cheese by mixing it with water until it is the consistency of salad dressing. Combine bowl of kale/cabbage/onion with dressing, toss well.

Combine walnuts, tomatoes, sauce, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until just blended.