Vegan MOFO Psychedelic Sunday Rockin' Mockin' Toona

Psychedelic Sunday is so named because of a new book/cookbook I am reading called "Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure." It's not vegan, but it does have many vegan or vegetarian recipes or recipes that can easily be made vegan. I've been having an issue with what seems to be known as "Silent Reflux." My doctor thinks its GERD, but I'm not convinced. My first line of defense is usually "what am I eating that could be causing this?" or "what else can I eat that will help me?" Dr. Jamie Koufman believes that a low-fat, low-acid, alkaline diet will help this condition.

Rockin' Mockin' Toona is my version of her "Marc's Tasty Tuna Salad." Well, in fact, it's not even close to her version cause it's MY version of tuna salad!

Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see all the versions of things you can make with this basic vegan "Tuna" salad.

For all you non-vegan folks who might be making this for your loved one (or the one you want to love!), just think what a great picnic lunch this would make! And if he/she is gluten-free, too, definitely make it a salad on a bed of lettuce or stuffed in a tomato or on some nice GF bread.  (Just maybe take an enzyme tablet in case the garbanzo beans decide to create a little uncalled-for music!)

Rockin' Mockin' Toona Salad

1 can organic garbanzo beans
4 stalks celery, chopped finely (about 2/3 cup)
1-2 spring onions, chopped
2 Tbs pickle relish
1 Tbs lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
2 tsp kelp granules*
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs mustard
2-4 Tbs vegan mayo

Alternative options: tomato, bread, corn chips, lettuce, meltable vegan cheese.

*I was out of kelp granules, which I think helps to give it a "fishy" tuna taste. Instead, I had some toasted nori snacks on hand and I carefully chopped up 4 of the little sheets. I think you could also chop up a regular sheet of sushi nori and get the same result. I kept a little to garnish with.

1. Strain and rinse garbanzo beans under cold water. Shake dry and pat with a towel to dry a little more. Too much liquid and you will have a runny salad. Chop them in a food processor or by hand with a masher until they are about the consistency of tuna flakes. Put in large bowl.

2. Add celery, onions, pickle relish, lemon juice, kelp granules, garlic powder and salt to the bowl and mix thoroughly. You can leave out the lemon juice and/or the garlic if you know it causes reflux.

3. Add mustard and mix.

4. Add mayo one tablespoon at a time and mix well. This is high in fat, and you really only need just enough to make it a nice spread that holds together. Depending on your own tastes, you may like 1-4 tablespoons. I like it with 2.

Serving suggestions:
Here's where the fun begins...

1. Just eat it right now! Out of the bowl!
2. Chill and eat later.
3. Stuffed Tomato: Slice a tomato in half and scoop out a little from each half. Fill with Toona Salad. Guaranteed to impress your vegan. Serve on a bed of lettuce or a few pretty lettuce/kale leaves. Garnish with sprinkles of kelp or chopped nori. (Note: Tomato is not usually reflux-friendly.)
4. Make a sammy! Any old bread will do, but to make it special, try toasting the bread! Or lightly frying in a pan. My DH loves his Toona Sandwiches with crumbled corn chips, olives and pickle slices inside the sandwich!

5. Toona Melt!! I've never actually had a real Tuna Melt before, but this Rockin' Mockin' Tuna Melt is pretty darn tasty. My version: Toast a nice piece of bread that has been lightly buttered. Spread with Toona Salad and top with your favorite Daiya Cheese. Broil in a toaster oven until cheese is melted. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, chili powder (watch out for reflux) or curry.

Winter White Chili

Gluten-free

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles (opt)
• 1-4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can each great northern beans, white lima beans
  and navy beans, rinsed
• (or use 2 ¼ cups dried beans, soaked)
• 4 cups reduced-sodium broth
• 1-2 cups diced soy strips
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped up
• salt, to taste (after beans have cooked)
  
  Add after cooking:
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in beans, cauliflower, soy strips and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add soy strips and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more.  Add cider vinegar. Serve.
   
   
2. Pressure Cooker method: Use dried beans. Soak in water the night before, pour off water and rinse before adding to soup. Cook onions in oil in bottom of pressure cooker, add garlic, stir, add herbs and spices. Add other ingredients, cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes, slow release.
   
   Either method: For a thicker soup base, use an immersion blender in the pot or take some out and blend it.

Easy White Beans

I bought a pressure cooker earlier this year and I've been having a lot of fun with it. I had to be convinced that it would not fulfill my mother's stories of her mother exploding a pot in her kitchen.

Jill Nussinow, the Veggie Queen, has a great pressure cooker cookbook out and this is based on one of her recipes.

These days, however, I don't always follow recipes, but just throw in some soaked beans, the right amount of water, some veggie broth powder, some onions and garlic and there you go, you've got tasty beans. On this day I added some spinach at the end to wilt it and tossed it over some pasta.

Yes, this is where I get my protein. (One of the many places...)

New Year's Black-Eyed Peas

This is my own creation after reading a number of recipes. No, I didn't make any cornbread, but next time I will.

I didn't measure a thing, so this is all approximate.

First I soaked overnight about 1.5 cups of the black-eyed peas I found in my pantry. (That was lucky!)

Then I drained off the water, rinsed and added enough water to cover by an inch, added about 3TBS of no-salt veggie broth powder, 2 tsp salt and simmered for about 30 minutes.

Next, I sauteed some onion (1 whole) and garlic (2 cloves minced). To that pan I added about 2 cups of the beans, some of the simmering broth, a little white wine and some veggie bacon bits (to add that Southern hamhock flavor without killing a pig).

And, heat it all up....serve and EAT!

I had beans left over, I could have added it all to this pan.

Someday I'll remember to take a picture before we eat it all!

Ingredients
1.5 cups black-eyed peas
2 tsp salt
3 TBS veggie broth powder

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 TBS veggie baco bits
1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine

What else would have been good?
Sauteed Mushrooms
Serve it on brown rice
Serve it on corn bread