Vegan MOFO: Love Me Tender Taco Tuesday–CocoBacoAvoDilla

 

Este no es su mama la quesadilla!

(This is not your mama's quesadilla!)

It's kind of like a quesadilla, kind of like a BLT. It's good with just the cheese, better with the bacon, and best with the avocado. Avocado makes everything right, doesn't it? Do yourself a favor and order some Coconut Bacon from Phoney Baloney. Keep it in the pantry, but not in really easy reach, 'cause they are too easy to eat as a snack. Top shelf. The one you need a stool for. Because you want to save them for stuff like this...or anything else you suddenly think of that "bacon" might taste good on. No I haven't tried it on ice cream yet...but hey, thanks for the idea!

CocoBacoAvoDilla
Makes 1 serving

1 tortilla (flour or Gluten-free*)
1 Tbs  Phoney Baloney Coconut Bacon
1/4 cup shredded Non-dairy Cheese (I like Daiya or Trader Joe's Mozzerella)
1/4- 1/2 avocado, cut in slices

Hot sauce optional.

Directions:
Place cheese shreds on half the tortilla. Cover with coconut bacon. Place in microwave or toaster oven unfolded. Cook until cheese melts (about 1 minute in micro, about 5-7 minutes in toaster oven toast setting). Before folding, place avocado on the cheese/bacon. Fold in half, cut into four triangles.

 (These are shown made with the wheat flour tortilla.)

Be sure to check out Phoney Baloney's website/blog and Facebook page since there are nice photos and great ideas about how to use this product. Can anyone say "vegan bacon donut"?

*Today I used Engine 2 Plant Strong Brown Rice Tortillas as well as regular white wheat flour tortillas. The brown rice tortillas are OK, not great. I haven't found a nice, soft vegan, gluten-free tortilla anywhere. (Planning on making my own--maybe that's next week's post!). I guess am getting used to the harder rice tortilla and and it's not bad for a quesadilla, just a bit chewy. Found at Whole Foods.

 

Holiday Herbed Cheeze Ball

My sister used to make the greatest herbed cheese when my parents had a restaurant in Stockton, CA. I think we used it as a spread in a sandwich. (The restaurant was "St. George and the Duck" at St. Mark's Plaza for those who might remember it!) I was eating cheese in those days, still not realizing all that my dairy allergy entailed.

Fast forward to today, when I am a vegan with fond memories of herbed cheese and a longing to be able to eat a cheese ball at a party!

I've put them all together here. It might look fancy, but it's quite simple. You do need to plan ahead a little if you want to make it into a ball (it needs to firm up in the fridge), but you can even make and eat it in 10 minutes if you want to use it as a dip or spread. (Although the flavor is enhanced if you let it sit for a few days to really infuse the cheese with the herbs.)

You can use fresh herbs, but I've made mine with what I've got in the spice cabinet. All measurements are estimates since I just throw in what I think will work. You can adjust to your own tastes and contents of your spice cabinet!

Herbed Cheeze Ball
(Vegan, Gluten-free)

1 8 oz container non-dairy cream cheese
3 Tbs white wine (adjust amount for firmness)
1-3 tsp dried parsley
1-3 tsp dried rosemary
1-3 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-4 Tbs dehydrated onion flakes (these will help to firm it up)

Coating (if you are making a ball)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Serve with crackers. (Serve with gluten-free crackers if you've got GF friends. I like rice crackers.)

Instructions:
Put the first seven ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork. You are done now if you want to serve it as a dip or spread right away or you can let it sit in the fridge.

To make the ball:
Place the mixture in the fridge for 1-3 days to firm up. The longer it sits, the more the flavors develop. If you have used the dehydrated onion flakes, they will help soak up the wine and make it firmer.

Just before serving (or the day of the party), take the mixture out of the fridge. With clean hands, roll it into a ball shape (this is the messy part), and then either:

1. Roll the ball in the chopped nuts, covering the ball well. Place on your serving tray.

or

2. Place the ball on your tray and arrange cranberries in two lines over and across the ball, like a ribbon on a package. You can even place a row along the bottom edge. Carefully apply chopped walnuts in the areas between the cranberries.

A note on serving: when I made this for a party at someone else's house, I put my "naked" cheeseball on a small circle of cardboard covered with tinfoil. That way I didn't have to apply the nuts to it on a big plate that wouldn't fit in my fridge. I could still fit it in a container (wrapped loosely in tinfoil) and I dressed my plate once I was at the party.

Easy Garden Wrap

My daughter attended a school with a terrific garden program from Kindergarten through 5th grade. The amazing teacher, Laurel Anderson, made sure the kids weren't just planting seeds or watering flowers. She had them FIXING and EATING the food that they grew. Once a week for two years, I had the pleasure of helping out with my daughter's class. Each week's class ended with a snack made by half the group and served to everyone. Because gardening is not just about plants. It's about food, cooking, sharing, serving, enjoying, discovery, health and community. Laurel got all that in in a 50 minute class.

One of the last meals we shared, and apparently one of the class' favorites, was the "Garden Wrap." It's presented here in a regular tortilla, but if you are gluten-free, you could use a rice wrap, nori or even just roll this up into a big piece of lettuce.

My daughter requests this dressing now. Laurel's original dressing called for yogurt, but I've veganized it to a soy or other-based yogurt with no problem. And because we now grow our own herbs at home, I can make this myself in the blink of an eye.

 

A wrap lends itself to any ingredients you have on hand.

These are my daughter's favorites. 

Harmony Garden Wraps

  Dressing (blend in blender)

• 1/2 cup plain soy or other yogurt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 handfuls of French sorrel (or other herbs- any bitter lettuce works)
• 1 bunch chives
• Herbs/salt – to taste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup -- 1/2 cup oil (optional)

Wrap Instructions:

• Spread dressing on tortilla.
• Sprinkle on sunflower seeds.
• Grate a little carrot over it.
• Add washed spinach/lettuce.
• Roll it up carefully.
• You can eat this whole, cut it in half or into little wheels if you are serving as an appetizer. 

That's a wrap!

Cultured Kitchen Cashew Cheese

I have fond memories of eating smoked cheddar cheese on crackers with my dad, who passed away just over nine years ago. I keep searching for a vegan version of that flavor and texture to get a little bit of that memory back. I found something new to try on a recent vacation.

Cultured Kitchen of Sacramento offers several vegan cashew cheeses and one is called "Smoked Cheddar." To be honest, it doesn't really hit the mark for what I remember, but it is a very tasty product and I am enjoying it thoroughly.

It comes in a tub and is more of a cheese dip or spread than anything you can slice. The ingredients are simple: raw cashews, cold smoked paprika, coconut aminos, Himalayan sea salt, spices and active cultures. It's vegan, raw and gluten-free. For now it seems to be available only in the Sacramento, Ca area and in a few stores and at local farmers' markets. I found it on a weekend trip while shopping at the Gluten-Free Specialty Store. This is an easy product to just set out with crackers or crudites.

Muhummara (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)

I sadly accidentally erased my original post about this dip. 

You can see the version I started with at Epicurious. 

 Muhummara (Muhammara)

• a 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 2/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (GF crumbs or ground Corn Thins)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 cup oil or none!
• toasted pita triangles as an accompaniment
  (GF: tortilla chips, rice crackers, veggies, etc.)

*available at Middle Eastern markets. Reduced pomegranate juice will do or agave syrup.

Mix it all up in a blender/food processor and you have it! 

If you use the oil, add that after mixing other ingredients and drizzle while it blends.

This is very tasty and bright.

BBQ Tofu "Wings" & Vegan Ranch Dressing

I got inspired to make something for Superbowl Sunday that was semi-traditional, but easy. I got the recipe for the BBQ sauce off the internet, but when I looked up BBQ Tofu (for how long to bake the tofu) in my Veganomican, I realized the recipe came straight from there! These are tasty, especially if you haven't eaten BBQ much since it's usually just slathered on poor little dead animal parts. The "wings" here are a nod to our "new" 1959 Shasta Travel Trailer, which, sadly, has lost her wings. We'll get them back for her! I'll post recipes shortly.

This is what our girl could look like once we are done. Notice the shape of her wings on the top left.

Vegan Gourmet Tostada Part II

 Another easy tostada to make:

Chive-talkin' Tostada

Makes one

Corn tortilla
Tomato Sauce (I used my own Green"Red" Sauce)
Daiya Cheese (mozzarella)
Chopped walnuts
Chopped fresh chives
Chopped fresh basil
Cut up cooked yam or sweet potato

Layer on the ingredients. Putting the cheese on last helps it all to stay on the tortilla. Toast in oven or toaster oven until cheese is melted.

Easy Gourmet Vegan Tostadas, Part I

 Pictured is a daiya cheese, pine nut, taco sauce and kale tostada.

I love fixing these quick and easy lunches for myself. I make one or two depending on how hungry I am. Make a bunch and cut in quarters for an easy appetizer. 

Pining for Pesto Tostada
(Makes one whole tostada or 4 quarters)

One corn tortilla
(I use Food for Life sprouted corn tortilla.)

1-2 TBS vegan pesto sauce
1-2 TBS shredded vegan cheese
1 TBS pine nuts

Spread pesto on tortilla. Sprinkle on pine nuts, then sprinkle cheese on top.

Toast in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes until cheese has melted. Cut into quarters to consume!

Truth be told, I don't measure the ingredients, I just put on what I think looks good.

Disclosure: I receive no compensation from the companies mentioned. I just happen to buy these things and like them.

Update: I also like Daiya Cheeses and they melt very nicely.

Chapter 7-The Recipes

Chapter 7a Breakfast

Chapter 7b Appetizers

Chapter 7c Entrees

Chapter 7d Salads

Chapter 7e Soups

Chapter 7f Baking

Chapter 7g Sweets

Chapter 7h Misc