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.

 

Vegan MOFO: Monday Mash-up–JL's Soy Curls Salad

 I met JL Fields at the first ever Vida Vegan Bloggers Con in Portland in 2011, lounging by the pool (although she had her laptop with her, so I'm not convinced she was doing much lounging).

Since then she has really taken off with veganism not only as her lifestyle, but her life's work. Please visit her blog...she has co-authored a book, writes daily about food and for Vegan MOFO 2013, is video-blogging nearly every day. (JL Goes Vegan: Food and Fitness with a Side of Kale)

Last week I watched her prepare Soy Curls Salad, and was inspired to make it since I had all the ingredients in the fridge and pantry, and I always take that as a I sign I should make the recipe!

Please visit her post to see the recipe and watch her make this very easy and (for some) comfort food salad.

My experience:
JL's Soy Curl salad couldn't be easier to prepare! Simple chopping or pulsing in a food processor gets your main ingredients chopped nicely (rehydrated soy curls, grapes and nuts.)

I substituted walnuts for her pecans since that's what I had on hand.

"Chicken" salad was never big in my family, so I didn't have any kind of family recipe to fall back on, or even a memory. I did remember that in my 20s (when still eating chicken), I had made a chopped chicken dish with curry....so I added about 1/2 tsp curry to this after I added the mayo and I really liked the added zing.

You can serve this on a bed of greens, in a sandwich or wrap as JL demonstrates or just eat plain.

I enjoyed this use of Soy Curls. I was also introduced to them in Portland at the same time as JL. They are a simple product (non-GMO) full of protein that you can put your own touch on in a number of ways.

Visit Butler Foods to discover where you can buy them in your area or online. I still like to order mine from Food Fight Grocery in Portland.

Vegan MOFO: Wicked Wednesday–La Cucaracha Shake

La Cucaracha in Spanish means "The Cockroach." So why in the world did I name this shake after an insect? Since this blog is vegan, you know it's not because there are any actual cockroaches in the recipe.

I came up with this adult version of a chocolate shake many years ago while on vacation with some friends. We had a little non-dairy ice cream on hand, some Oreos and some Kahlua. What could be more natural than to put all this together? I think the peanut butter is a recent addition, well, just because I love peanut butter and chocolate.


La Cucaracha? I think the crumbled Oreos look like crushed cockroaches, I guess. Sorry. It sounded exotic.

I've been told the song "La Cucaracha" is all about stomping on cockroaches. Or more metaphorically, about stomping out an oppressive regime.

La Cucaracha (adult version)
Makes one shake 
(Why would you want to share?)

1 cup            vanilla non-dairy ice cream
1 Tbs            chocolate syrup (or 1/2 Tbs cocoa)
1/2-3/4 cup   non-dairy milk
1 Tbs            Kahlua
1 Tbs            peanut butter

Oreo crumbles*.

Mix all items in a blender, pulse 'til mixed. Add more ice cream if you like a thicker shake. Leave out Kahlua if you are sharing with anyone under age 21. Top with Oreo crumbles.

* To make this gluten/wheat-free, either leave out the crumbles or use a gluten-free or wheat-free chocolate cookie. Newman's makes a wheat-free Oreo-like cookie (it's not GF).

No actual cockroaches were harmed in the making of this recipe or blog post. Nor do I advocate stomping on cockroaches. I don't think I've ever stomped on a cockroach in my life. I have been known to find a cricket (that was driving me mad) that had found its way into my bedroom and gently carry it outside. True story.

Vegan MOFO: Love Me Tender Taco Tuesday–No Peppa Srira-cha-cha-cha

 (No-Tomato Sauce with oregano and basil for Italian sauce)

I've been trying to go nightshade-free for a few months now. Some camps believe that plants in the nightshade family can cause problems–inflammation, leaky gut, achy joints, etc. These foods include tomatoes, potatoes (sweet potatoes are not in the nightshade family), peppers (chili, bell, etc.) and eggplant. Spices include red pepper, paprika and cayenne (curry often includes these spices). Black pepper is not in the nightshade family.

I have found a few recipes online for "No-Tomato Sauce" which are pretty basic and start with carrots and beets as their main ingredients. From there, you can add the appropriate spices to make it taste like a pizza or spaghetti sauce or in this case, a hot sauce. No, it doesn't taste exactly like sriracha, but it's a nice way to get a bit of heat into your tacos without the chili. I had just come to love putting sriracha sauce in so many things–tacos, tofu scramble, mac n' cheese. This is a nice alternative.


No-Peppa Srira-cha-cha-cha Sauce

Base recipe
1/2 cup chopped beets
1 cup chopped carrot
1 tsp ginger juice*
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (or any hot peppercorn)
1/2 cup water

More water as needed

Add for heat:
Ginger juice
Natural horseradish

Blend base recipe ingredients well in a blender, food processor or Vitamix. Heat in saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer until veggies are cooked, about 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Here is where you need to experiment to find your own degree of heat and flavor...

Per 1/4 cup of the base recipe, I added another 1/2 tsp of ginger juice and/or 1/2 tsp horseradish, and stirred. You can add more as you like. I found the ginger to make it a "sweet-hot" and the horseradish, a hot-hot. Add water as needed for the consistency you like. I had simmered mine down a little thicker than I wanted, and just added some water to get it more like a hot-sauce consistency. I'm not a "nose-running" hot spicy girl, so I probably went easy on the hot part...

I'm keeping the rest of the base recipe in the fridge and I'll add the hot stuff as I need it. Of course, with different herbs, you can make this a tomato sauce or ketchup. More on that later as I experiment.


*Ginger Juice by the Ginger People. Available at Amazon and plenty of other places.
I think I got it at Whole Foods. I love the ease of use. Just Ginger and Citric Acid. Refrigerate after opening.

Vegan MOFO: Mash-it-up Monday–Copenhagen Clockwwatcher

 This Mash-it-up Monday sandwich is my mom's creation. She came up with this incredible mash up of flavors when she and my dad owned a small "Northern European" restaurant in Stockton, California. (St. George and the Duck on St. Mark's Plaza, in case anyone was wondering.)

I have veganized her Copenhagen Clockwatcher, which is much easier to do these days than back when she created it (ca. 1977) when there was no such thing as vegan mayo or vegan cream cheese. Or if there was, no one in our family was aware of it. There was one tiny health food store in town and only crazy people shopped there.

The Copenhagen Clockwatcher

Makes one open-faced sandwich

1 slice of bread toasted (Traditionally, my mom used a light rye. You can use a GF bread.)

Vegan Mayonnaise

Vegan Cream Cheese

Chopped Peanuts

Chopped Tomato

Directions

Lightly toast your bread. (opt.)

Spread a medium-thick layer of cream cheese on your bread.

Spread a medium layer of mayo on top of the cream cheese.

Layer your chopped tomatoes over the mayo. (You may need to dry your tomatoes a little if they are watery.)

Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the tomatoes.

Broil or toast for 5-10 minutes or heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Eat! (Knife and fork work better than hands with this sandwich.)

Vegan MOFO: Soupy Sales Saturday–Super Simple Swanky Salad

This is another of my mom's creations from her restaurant back in the late 70's. She called it the "Marseille." (All the dishes were named after cities in Europe.) I've photographed two versions since Vegan Blue Cheese is not always available, but try and find it if you can.

I'm calling this super simple, well, because it is so easy to prepare. You can very easily impress your vegan lovely with this salad. Basically, you are plopping prepared marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts/pieces on top of a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle on the blue cheese. Done!

Super Simple Swanky Salad (aka The Marseille)

Serves 2-3

1 jar marinated mushrooms

1 jar/can marinated artichoke hearts or pieces

2 Tbs vegan blue cheese crumbles

4 cups lettuce mix of choice

Directions

Drain both jars, saving liquid.

Cut up artichoke hearts or pieces into smaller sections if needed.

Divide lettuce on 2-3 plates, sprinkle on mushrooms and artichokes in a pleasing manner. (That's the swanky part.)

Pour some of the marinade on salads as dressing.

Sprinkle on vegan cheese.

Serve.

Easy Tomato Sauce

I have to admit, I'm not really a fan of tomato sauce anymore. Somewhere in my 40s my digestive system began having a difference of opinion with my palate. This is sad, especially since a nice marinara sauce on pasta used to be a stand-by for me at non-veg restaurants. But alas, wheat pasta is a no-no these days, too!

But, I do still serve a red sauce to my family, and especially to my daughter, who loves her pasta with either red sauce, pesto or just veg butter and yeast.

Since no one here really eats a lot of red sauce at any one time, we ended of up wasting most of any jar we would open up for either a meal or a snack. I dislike wasting food and I dislike wasting money even more!

I think I have finally found a solution to my problem! After buying a pressure cooker recently, I realized I could easily make a simple red sauce with the canned tomatoes I have on hand and dried and fresh spices. I could control the sugar and the oil. And, I had just purchased a box of vintage jam jars and lids at a garage sale (thinking I would make some jam from the crazy cherry-plum trees that line out driveway). I soon realized, though, that those jars were the perfect size for how much red sauce we might use, even over the course of a few days. (Experience has borne this out. They are perfect!)

I whittled down a recipe I found on the internet (she must have been making pasta sauce for a huge Italian family) and simply put this in my tiny jars (which have sort of been sterilized), let them cool, and then stuck them in my freezer to pop out only when needed.

Here's the recipe I came up with. Of course, like any good cook, you can add things you like. But if you suddenly find yourself trying to feed a veg'n and all you've got in the pantry is some old cheesey or meaty jar of sauce, you can whip this up in an instant for a fresh "chef made" taste. (You don't really even need to pressure cook this, you could also just blend fresh or canned tomatoes and your herbs. Really. It works. I've done it.)

Simple Tomato Sauce
(Make this "Raw Vegan" by using fresh tomatoes and no bay leaf)

3 cans tomatoes (I used diced)
1 can water
1 small can tomato paste or sauce
1-2 tbs dry veggie stock
1-3 tsp of fresh or dry herbs/spices: basil, oregano, chives, onion
1-2 cloves fresh garlic or 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Optional:
Some red or white wine, vodka, veggies, olives, etc. Saute some onions first in oil or water.

Instructions:
Fresh raw: Just blend this in a blender. Serve.
Cooked on stove: combine all in a pot, simmer til hot or longer if you really want to reduce it and blend the flavors. Take out bay leaf before serving. (I used my pressure cooker. Around 15 minutes at pressure. Natural pressure release. Open lid away from you.)

I poured my sauce into small jam jars that I had boiled to sterilize. Since I wasn't being extra careful, I froze them instead of considering them "canned." Don't over-fill if you are freezing to allow for expansion.

Serve over regular pasta or rice or corn pasta for a fully gluten-free experience.

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!

Soy Chorizo Corn Chowder

My niece posted a conventional Chorizo Corn Chowder recipe on her Facebook page, and I knew this would make a truly great vegan offering since I could use the vegan (and soy-based) Soyrizo product. I was right...this is really good. (Thank you Anne!) I've tweaked her recipe a little for what I had on hand. I've nearly doubled the recipe since you will not be able to stop eating it and it's perfect for one package of the Soyrizo.

1-2 Tbs olive oil (or water for lower fat)
1 red pepper (I didn't use a pepper, but 1/4 tsp chili powder)
1-2 onions chopped
Salt and pepper

2 bags frozen corn (or equal amounts fresh)

6-8 cups veggie stock
1 package Soyrizo (vegan soy chorizo)
3-4 potatoes, cubed

1 cup milk alternative

Optional toppings:
Chopped Cilantro
Vegan margarine
Tortilla Chips
Vegan sour cream

• Saute onion and red pepper (if using) with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add veggie stock, one bag of the corn, Soyrizo and potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Scoop out about half the potatoes with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
• Use an immersion blender or transfer carefully to a blender and blend to desired chunkiness.
• Add the last bag of corn, the potatoes you took out and the milk. 
• Simmer all until warm, but do not boil.
• Top with desired toppings or set several out for your guests to choose. This would also be great with a nice crusty bread or a corn bread.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
(Sorry for being inexact--I never really measure!)

1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup to 1 cup milk alternative
1/2- 1 fresh orange
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/4- 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice (or combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
1 Tbs agave nectar (a couple of dates would work, too)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Blend and enjoy! 
Grate a little nutmeg on top if you like. 
Fancy version: vegan whipped cream on top!

You can make this with almost any mixture of fruits. I happened to have mango on hand and thought the orange would really brighten it. I've also made it with just pumpkin and milk.

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.

Chavomondo Milkshake

Raw version, serves 1-2
1/4 cup almonds (soak first if you like)
7 oz water
1 avocado
1-2 Tbs raw cacao powder
1-2 Tbs raw agave nectar
2-3 ice cubes

Optional ideas
cinnamon
nutmeg
mint

Soak almonds first in water for an hour, if you like, then drain. Place in blender with 7 oz water and blend until smooth. You can now choose to strain out the almond pulp if you want a very smooth milkshake or keep it in for more fiber and protein.

Add avocado, cacao and agave nectar, blend until very smooth.

Ahh...chocolatey raw goodness! (This doesn't have to be raw. You could use any prepared non-dairy milk, regular cocoa powder and any kind of sweetener. I can see this being very tasty with coconut milk, a little mint at the holidays or even cinnamon and nutmeg.)

Avocado Smoothie

Makes 2 smoothies
1 avocado
1 cup non-dairy beverage
1-2 tbs agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla

Whir in a blender. Drink up! Oh...the smoothness...the richness!

Chocolate Cranberry Blossoms

This is a recipe from the blog of Meghan Telpner, Making Love in the Kitchen. It was fairly easy to make, although I have some suggestions after trying this myself. (Just melt the coconut oil and mix with chocolate. Take it off the heat very quickly. Mine cooked too long and got fudge-y.) This was my first attempt at a confection like this.

You can visit her blog at this link to see the recipe. (And find all the other goodness she has there!)

http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2011/03/14/spike-march-break-monday-with-chocolate-and-rum/

Changes I made:

• I used agave syrup instead of honey.
• Be sure to "just" melt the coconut oil and mix in the chocolate, do not overcook, it will become very thick and not pourable.
• I was only able to make six Blossoms, but maybe I could have made the 12 if the chocolate had stayed pourable. It still worked and they tasted great.

This is a perfect recipe to try if you are hoping to impress a vegan. We so rarely get to eat desserts that we haven't made ourselves because they contain dairy, egg or other animal products. This is even gluten-free. I think you could even use all raw ingredients and melt the coconut oil in a bath of hot water to keep it "legally" raw.

The green you see here is a chocolate mint I have growing in my yard. I didn't use it in this recipe, but thought it would make such a pretty addition.

Tornado Soup

It's called Tornado Soup because I made this on the day a tornado touched down in Santa Rosa, about 10 miles from where I live. And because you whir it up like a tornado in a blender. And it's so fast to make!

Makes 2-3 Servings
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup water or non-dairy milk of choice
2 tbs powdered veggie stock
1 tsp salt
2 green onion, chopped (One for the recipe, one for garnish)
1 cup spinach
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 Tbs dried basil
1/4 cup peanut butter
Optional:
1/4 cup coconut cream or milk
few drops of hot sauce
1 Tbs soy sauce

Just put all these ingredients in a blender (a Vita-Mix works really well, of course) and blend until smooth. This could easily be a raw recipe using fresh ingredients. I heated mine in the microwave by the cup before I ate it. You can also heat the whole recipe on the stove or whir for 5 minutes in a Vita-Mix to get it hot.

You could also make this in a pot on the stove and use a hand blender to get it creamy.

This is a nice cup of zippy soup to warm you on a cold, tornado-y day!

Mixed-Berry Smoothie

Serves 3
8 oz soy or other non-dairy milk
1 banana
1 cup mixed frozen berries
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs agave nectar
Optional:
2 tsp maca powder
1 Tbs ground flaxseed
1 Tbs cocoa powder
Blend all ingredients. Serve.

Stir-fry

I hadn't made a stir-fry in a long time and this one came together so nicely! I already had some rice made and had plenty of veggies in the fridge. This is a throw-it-together dinner if there ever was one.

Cooked Brown Rice
Firm tofu (cut in triangles)
Sugar snap peas
sliced carrots
chopped or torn kale
olive oil
coconut oil
sesame seed oil
soy sauce
ginger powder
garlic powder

I browned the tofu in some soy sauce (I use reduced sodium wheat-free Tamari) with a little olive oil. I could have used some coconut oil here for more flavor. Set it aside. Then in true stir-fry fashion, I fried the carrots first (longest to cook), then the snap peas, then the kale, all the while throwing some garlic or ginger powder on top, along with a little sesame oil. (I made this dish without the usual gresh garlic and onions since a family member is having a sensitivity.) Once the kale had reduced volume, I threw in the rice. It was sticking to the pan a little and that's when I realized I could be using some coconut oil for a real zip. Get it all heated through, put the tofu back in, heat a little longer and serve.

This 'n That Tomato Soup

Some beautiful heirloom tomatoes called out to me at Andy's Produce the other day, and I figured I could create a nice soup in my new VitaMix blender (thank you Santa).

Again, this is all approximate, I just threw things in. You could also do this in a regular blender, I think and then heat it up on the stove.

8 oz soy milk
3 big heirloom tomatoes
1 TBS no-salt veggie broth powder
2 TBS peanut butter
1 onion
1 TBS soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried garlic powder
1TBS agave nectar
1TBS olive oil (opt.)

Sliced spring onion for garnish

Throw it in, whir it up! Heat or serve cold.

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.

Chef A.J.'s Rockin' Smoothie

My daughter actually likes it! AND she knows it has spinach in it!

Vegan Chef Abbie Jaye presented this at the McDougall Vegan Celebrity Chef Weekend in Santa Rosa in June. These are not her exact measurements, but how I tend to throw it all in the blender. Blend well after each addition. This tends to make enough for two--or one very large one.

Chef AJ's Rockin'
Blueberry Smoothie

8 oz non-dairy milk
5-6 dates
1-2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
4-6 oz pomegranate juice
1 tbs cocoa powder
1-2 tbs ground flax seed
(my addition)

Blend like crazy...
I tell you no lies...
This smoothie will make you happy, healthy and wise!

UPDATE!!
AJ sent me her original recipe for this Smoothie...

Nutrient Rich Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients:

6 ounces of unsweetened Almond Milk
4 ounces of Pomegranate Juice
6 ounces organic baby spinach
1 banana, frozen
Dates (or date paste) to taste
3 Tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a high power blender and process until smooth.

Chefs Notes: When available, AJ likes to use 1 cup of blueberries and one cup of cherries.