Kimberly Steele's Blog, page 5

Daily Vegan Lunch for 5 December, 2013: Unchicken Fried Rice

I swear, this is my last unchicken recipe of the year. For some reason, the stores in my area have been putting unchicken on sale so I had a lot to use up — then I made up my own tofu unchicken recipe with vegan mayo so it might seem like I’m unchicken obsessed.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cooked white rice, refrigerated at least 8 hours or frozen and thawed

1.5 tablespoons oil (canola, corn, or peanut oil works the best)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1.5 cups finely chopped carrot

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1.5 cups green onion, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

4 – 5 Gardein Chicken Tenders or 2 cups other veggie meat or protein (seitan, tempeh, smoked tofu, etc)

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Thaw unchicken pieces on the countertop for 2 hours or microwave them for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

In a microwave-safe bowl or container, combine chopped carrot, peas, and corn. Fill with water until vegetables are covered. Microwave for 5 minutes on high. Alternately, cook veggies in water on the stovetop until it reaches a boil, turn heat down to medium, cover and allow to cook 10 minutes.

Drain the vegetables, set aside.

Chop the green onion and set aside and prepare rice, soy sauce, chopped unchicken pieces, vegetables, and sesame oil at stoveside.

In a large pan, heat oil until it reaches the smoking point. For this reason, DO NOT use a Teflon or non-stick coated pan as non-stick pans leach toxic chemicals into food when extremely hot! I use a cast iron pan.

Add the unchicken and stir-fry about 30 seconds. Unchicken will brown.

Add the vegetables, stir fry another 30 seconds.

Add the rice and soy sauce, stir fry about 1 minute until some of the rice browns.

Add the onion and sesame oil to finish; take the pan off heat source. Stir to incorporate.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 4 December, 2013: Unchicken Udon

Udon is the fastest meal in the East or the West. It is a street food in Japan. I like udon because the noodles don’t need cooking — they only need to sit in hot water long enough to separate. Even the frozen or dry ones don’t take very long.

2 packages dry, frozen, or refrigerated udon (I used refrigerated)

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin (sweet cooking wine, alternately, use any dry white wine and add a couple teaspoons of sugar)

2 tablespoons sake

1.5 cups green onions, chopped

Salt to taste

4 – 5 Gardein chicken tenders or 2 cups any vegetable protein (seitan, tempeh, smoked tofu) cut into bite sized chunks

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare veggie chicken by baking at 400 for 20 minutes on a cookie sheet. Turn over and let them cook for 5 more minutes.

Finely chop green onions and set them aside.

Mix broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a pot on the stove and heat until nearly boiling on medium-high heat.

Remove noodles from packaging and drop them directly into the broth. Frozen or dry noodles will take up to 4 minutes longer than refrigerated ones.

If using refrigerated noodles, turn off the heat immediately. For frozen or dry, wait until the noodles are al dente.

Add onions and mix.

Top the soup with pieces of unchicken or other veggie meat.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 3 December, 2013: Teriyaki Unchicken Salad

INGREDIENTS for 2 salads or one huge salad:

5 – 6 cups salad greens

2.5 cups tofu unchicken pieces

Teriyaki dressing, to taste

TERIYAKI DRESSING INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice or other vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

2 tablespoons sugar or 1 tablespoon agave nectar

2 teaspoons sesame oil or regular oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the tofu unchicken according to this recipe or use a store-bought unchicken, seitan, tempeh, or other veggie protein.

Combine teriyaki dressing ingredients in a small pan on the stovetop on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients dissolve. Once it heats up, about 3 minutes, stir until the dressing thickens.

Mix the tofu unchicken and salad greens in a bowl and top with teriyaki dressing to taste.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 2 December, 2013: Homemade Tofu Unchicken and Soba Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

1 package firm tofu

Tofu slurry

3 bunches soba noodles

1.5 cups broccoli stalks, julienned or shredded (I used my julienne peeler)

3/4 cup green onion, chopped

1 cup dried shittake mushrooms, soaked to reconstitute (will approximately double in size by soaking) or 2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms

1.5 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

TOFU SLURRY INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon peanut butter or tahini

1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sesame oil or cooking oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Take tofu out of packaging, drain, and put into a large, sealable container.  Put tofu into the freezer and freeze overnight.  Tofu will become much larger and will look kind of ugly the next day.  Take the tofu out of the freezer and let it thaw on the countertop for 8 hours.  Alternately, microwave it for 10 minutes at half-power.  Once the tofu is thawed, squeeze it out like a sponge.  Notice the texture is completely changed.  Tear the tofu into bite sized pieces.  Mix the tofu slurry ingredients — peanut butter, vegan mayonnaise, etc — in a small bowl.  Mix the bite sized tofu and the slurry together in a bowl, tossing gently to coat.  Transfer the coated tofu to a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10 – 15 minutes or until tofu browns.

Soak shiitake mushrooms for at least 20 minutes in water to reconstitute.  Save soaking water for later if desired to append the amount of vegetable broth.  You can also use fresh shiitake (or any variety) of mushrooms.

Prepare broccoli shreds and onion.  Boil soba in water for 2 minutes or just until the noodles go from straight to al dente.  Drain soba and set aside.

Prepare broth by mixing in soy sauce and sugar and heating on the stove or in the microwave until sugar dissolves.

Assemble a bowl by layering cooked noodles, mushrooms, broccoli shreds and onions, and baked tofu pieces in a bowl.  Pour a half cup of broth on it to serve.  (Makes 3 servings)

Daily Vegan Lunch for 1 December, 2013: Unchicken and Greens with Sesame-Miso Dressing

FOR ONE SALAD

4 – 5 cups salad greens

1.5 cups raw broccoli

3/4 cup chopped green onion

2 Gardein chicken tenders or other veggie unchicken

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons miso, any color

2 teaspoons sugar or 1 teaspoon agave

1 tablespoon agave

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon tahini

Bake unchicken on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flip and cook 5 minutes more or cook according to package directions.

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.

Assemble salad (greens, broccoli, and onion) in a bowl.  Mix by hand.  Chop baked unchicken into bite sized pieces place them on top of the salad.  Add dressing to taste and toss.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 30 November, 2013: Reuben Lentil Casserole with Mashed Potatoes

This was a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups cooked lentils mixed with 1 cup vegetable broth OR 2 cups prepared lentil soup, I used the former

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

2.5 cups mashed potatoes

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fry the onions in 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat until translucent, set aside.

Mix cooked lentils with 1 cup vegetable broth.

In a 9 x 9″ casserole dish, pour the layer lentils or lentil soup. Spread sauerkraut on top of the lentil layer, then onions, then spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, whipping them with a fork if necessary. Drizzle or spread the sauce over the top of the assembled casserole.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 29 November, 2013: Angel Hair Pasta with Peas, Spinach, and Pine Nuts

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

6 cups cooked angel hair pasta or about half a box

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen spinach

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

liberal black pepper

1/2 cup pine nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, cover and set aside.

Dry roast the pine nuts in a shallow pan by spreading them out in the pan and turning the stove’s heat to medium. In about 5 minutes, the pine nuts will become fragrant. Stir them around and roast about 1 more minute. Take them off the heat and set aside.

Defrost the spinach and the peas in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little water, drain if necessary. Fry the garlic in 1 teaspoon of the oil on medium heat in a shallow pan. Add the defrosted spinach, and peas to the pan.

Put the spinach mixture in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add the noodles, pine nuts, and remaining oil to the noodles and vegetables. Pour or squeeze the lemon juice on the noodles and add the pepper. Mix well and taste test. If it needs salt, add that and remix.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 28 November, 2013: Poor Woman’s Tofurky with Sourdough Stuffing

I love Tofurky, however, they are $14 and fairly small so I made this seitan roast because I had to feed a crazy large crowd. Luckily this recipe made so much that my husband and I got to eat a mini rendition of the roast before the big day.

SOURDOUGH STUFFING INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups onion, chopped

7 cups sourdough bread, I used homemade

1.5 cup shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in water if from dry

3 – 5 cloves garlic (about 1.5 tablespoons) minced

2 cups celery, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, finely chopped

1.5 cups walnuts, optional

2 cups plus up to 4 cups more vegetable broth

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground or whole fennel seeds

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups vital wheat gluten flour

3 cloves garlic, chopped roughly

1/4 cup tahini

2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon sage

Additional oil and soy sauce, for basting

Here is the what the vital wheat gluten flour package looks like:

DIRECTIONS:

For the sourdough bread stuffing, pulse the bread in a blender or food processor until it is almost completely crumbs. In the bottom of a large pot, spread walnuts over the bottom and set heat to medium. When the walnuts become fragrant, about 5 minutes, add the onion and the oil and fry until onion is translucent, another 3 minutes. Add all herbs and spices (sage, paprika, thyme, taco seasoning, and fennel) to a well in the center of the mixture and allow to sauté about 30 seconds. Chop mushrooms into fine bits and add them along with celery, carrot, and garlic. Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and simmer until carrots reach al dente stage, up to 20 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs to the pot. Add more broth a half cup at a time until the mixture is thick but not dry or runny.

For the seitan, chill a large mixing bowl, the vital wheat gluten flour, and the spoon you will use to mix it in the freezer. Also use cold broth and chilled beans if possible. The reason is because seitan is much easier to handle when it is cold because once it is warm, the gluten gets firmer and more obstinate.

In a blender, combine chilled broth with garlic, tahini, beans, oil, sage, and soy sauce. Blend until beans are completely pureed. In the large chilled bowl, pour in the vital wheat gluten flour. Make a well in the center of flour. Add the white-bean broth slurry. Stir until just mixed.

On a cutting board, roll the seitan dough into one oblong rectangular-ish sheet for a large loaf and one smaller oblong sheet for a mini-loaf or 2 equal sheets for 2 equal loaves.

Lay about 1.5 cups of stuffing in the center of the loaf.

lay stuffing in loaf center

Turn the loaf over and seal up the edges with your fingers by pinching. Use a little water if it doesn’t want to stick.

Put the remainder of the stuffing in a casserole dish.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put the stuffing in the oven. While it bakes, oil a pan or a cookie sheet very generously. Bake the loaves for 25 minutes. Take them out of the oven and baste them with a tablespoon of oil and soy sauce each, return to the oven for 20 more minutes.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 27 November, 2013: Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Cranberry-Apple Compote

Oh how I love mashed potatoes.  Who doesn’t, right?  Actually, when I was a kid, I thought they were gross.

PERFECT MASHED POTATOES:

6 – 8  red or russet potatoes, peeled and chopped OR 12 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled.  Yukon gold are smaller in general and you need more of them, however they cook much faster than red or russet potatoes.

Enough water to cover

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon salt

up to 2 cups almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and chop potatoes into small pieces.  Have a colander at the ready next to the sink.  Put in a large pot and then put that pot on the stove and turn the heat to high.  Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes.  Bring the potatoes to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium-high and allow them to cook for anywhere from 10 – 25 minutes depending on type of potato and how large or small you cut your potato chunks.  When the largest potato chunk reaches the fork-tender stage, immediately take them off the heat and drain them in the colander.  Add the potatoes back to the pot you cooked them in.  DO NOT allow the potatoes to cool or they will get gummy, shiny, and weird.  They will still be tasty and perfectly safe to eat, however, they won’t be quite as good.  I have learned this lesson the hard way.  Add the oil and blend the potatoes with a beater or a potato masher if you have one.  I just use the electric beater.  Add about 1/2 cup of almond milk as you beat and keep adding 1/2 cup at a time until potatoes are fluffy and creamy.  Salt to taste and beat until salt is incorporated.

HEARTY SAGE GRAVY:

1/2 cup vegetable oil, I used canola

1/2 cup white flour, for gluten free version, use chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon sage

3.5 cups vegetable broth

Prepare vegetable broth, mix it with sage, and set it by the stove.  In a pan, stir oil and flour together with a wooden spoon until they make a goopy, wet paste that is called a roux.  Turn the heat to medium or medium-high (I turn it to medium high because my stovetop is weak) and stir intermittently for about five minutes.  The flour mixture will start to darken.  Now you should stir it almost constantly until it becomes a caramel mocha latte color.  As soon as the color is sufficiently brown, add the sage broth.  If you’ve got a powerful stove, turn the heat off.  If your stove is like mine (wimpy) turn the heat to medium or low-medium.  Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and take off the heat.

CROCKPOT CRANBERRY APPLE COMPOTE:

You could add lots of cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg to this recipe, however I’m more a fan of very simple fruit compotes with not much going on, so I saved the spices for the pumpkin pie and apple-cherry pie this Thanksliving.

1 bag cranberries, about 2 cups

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

3/4 cup dark brown sugar or 3/4 cup white sugar plus 2 teaspoons molasses

Prepare apples.  Wash cranberries.  Add apples, cranberries, and sugar to a crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 26 November, 2013: Red Vegetable Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon oil

1.5 cups onion, chopped

1 cup green part of leek, chopped

1.5 cups cooked white beans (or 1 can, drained)

2 legs celery, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, chopped (1.5 cups)

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

2 cups pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce from a can

6 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, sauté onions and carrots on medium-high heat until translucent.  Add leek, beans, celery, and zucchini and sauté until zucchini becomes tender, about five minutes.  Make a well on the side of the pot and add cumin, thyme, sage, and paprika.  Sauté 30 seconds.  Add broth and tomatoes and cook for twenty minutes more or until carrot softens to al dente texture.  Salt to taste.