Harvest Tempeh "Chops"

This is a veganized and scaled down version of an old family pork chop recipe.

one 8 oz pack of tempeh
soy sauce
liquid smoke
fresh ground pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
thyme
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup of cranberries
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar

serves 2-3

Slice the tempeh into 2 or 3 squares and coat with soy sauce, a couple drops of liquid smoke on each piece, and season with fresh pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. Let marinade for an hour, or all day while at work. Preheat oven to 350. Brown the tempeh in an oiled skillet over medium heat. Combine the apples, cranberries and sugar and place in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the tempeh on top, then cover with apple cider and bake, uncovered for one hour. Best served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Green Apple Risotto

A fun alternative to traditional bread stuffing!

Start to finish in 45-60 minutes.

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. chopped shallots or red onion
1 c. shitake or other flavorful mushrooms, sliced
1 c. green apple peeled and diced
1 c. arborio (aka risotto) rice [can sub barley or other grain, if desired]
¼ c. dry sherry [can sub broth w/ a little vinegar mixed in]
2 tsp. poultry seasoning OR ½ tsp. each: thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary
¼ tsp. cayenne powder [optional]
6 c. un-chicken or light vegetable broth, heated
2 Tbs. unsweetened soy milk, yogurt, buttery spread, or your favorite cream substitute
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast OR your favorite parmesan substitute

Optional garnishes

¼ c. fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
¼ c. almonds or walnuts (Marcona almonds pictured)
¼ c. fresh chopped apple sprinkled with lemon juice

1. In a Dutch oven or other large pan, heat olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add shallots and sauté until golden, 5-8 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, apple, and Arborio rice, sautéing until rice is translucent.

4. Deglaze the pan with sherry or broth/vinegar mixture.

5. Add dried spices and stir to coat.

6. Begin adding heated broth, 1 cup at a time, to rice mixture and stir until the liquid is nearly absorbed. (I find the easiest way to do this is to microwave the broth in a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout.)

7. Continue to stir and add broth until the rice is tender. (It usually takes about 4-5 cups, but I always heat up extra just in case it’s needed. You can save whatever you don’t use.)

8. Remove from heat and stir in ‘cream’ and nutritional yeast.

9. Transfer to individual bowls and top with parsley, nuts, and diced apple, as desired.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Healthy Apple Casserole

3 apples chopped
1/4 cup of pecans
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of oat flour (or rolled oats ground in the blender)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of orange juice

Combine the apples, pecans, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Place them in a casserole dish. Then combine the oat flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then spread the flour mixture on top of the apples. Then very slowly pour the orange juice over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

COCOA APPLE CAKE

Decorate w/ a drizzle chocolate ganache or apple cider
icing or both!!
Very impressive when cooked in a decorative bundt pan!

1/2 cup applesauce
1 NRG egg replacement, prepared as directed
1 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
1 cup margerine
1/2 to 3/4 cup soymilk
1 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 Tbs baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup chocolate bitties
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan.

"Sour" soymilk by adding vinegar to milk, set aside
(it will foam up).
Sift together dry ingredients, in separate bowl:
flour, baking soda, cocoa, cinn. and allspice. Set
aside.

Whip margerine until fluffy. Add sugar and whip.
Add vanilla, NRG and applesauce. Continue whipping and
add 1/2 cup of soymilk, slowly.
Slowly add in dry ingrdients. If you add this slowly
enough, you do not have to overmix batter, and it will
become super-fluffy, like mousse! Go ahead and try to
resist eating the batter!
If batter is too dry, slowly add a bit more milk.
Fold in apples and choc. bits.

Pour or spoon batter into prepared pan, careful to not
deflate batter.
Cook at 325 for 60-70 mins, or until knife/ toothpick
comes out clean. Do not overbake. (The cake may seem
to fall in the center near the end of cooking time,
but its okay.)

When cooled, dust with powdered sugar, icing or
chocolate ganache drizzled.

Cider Icing
Mix 2 Tbs. apple cider w/ powdered sugar until able to
be drizzled over top.
or
Chocolate Ganache
Melt choc bits w/ a Tbs of margerine, drizzle over
top.

Apple Frushi

3 cups short-grain white rice, or other sushi rice
3 cups water
4 Tbsp apple juice
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 apples, of different varieties
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 package "party sushi" soy wrappers (there's a variety pack without the non-vegan pink ones)
dipping sauce of your choice

Place the rice in a saucepan and cover with water. Swish it around and drain the water (carefully!). Repeat until the water runs clear. Drain water a final time, and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. After five minutes, add the 3 cups water and let sit for another 5 minutes.

Heat the saucepan over high heat, and simmer (on low) and cover for 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time! Do not stir! Do not pass go!

Check the rice after 10 minutes by pushing it away from the wall of the pan with a rice paddle. If there's still water, let it simmer more; if not, let it sit (no heat) for 10 minutes.

Add the apple juice, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan, and heat over high. Stir rapidly, and once it starts to bubble, pour evenly onto the cooked rice.

Now it's time to cool the rice. You can just leave it covered on the counter for forever, cheat and put it in the fridge, or charge one of your unwitting roommates with the duty of fanning it.

Once the rice is cool enough to handle, core the apples and slice into eight wedges each. Slice each wedge in half lengthwise (the non-symmetrical way). Lay out a soy wrapper on a sheet of plastic wrap. Place a quarter of the rice on it, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, and press and spread the rice around until it evenly covers the wrapper.

Now here comes a decision. Do you want inside-out rolls? If you do, flip the plastic wraps/rice stuff over. If not, well, don't do anything. Take off the sheet of plastic wrap facing you, and line up you apple slices along one side of the rectangle. Overlap them, and if you have extra apple, eat it =) Take a ½ tsp of the pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle evenly over your apples.

Roll up your sushi by picking up one end of the plastic wrap (the one with the apples) to press the rice. If you have a sushi mat, that's great, if not, we're using plastic wrap. Slice your rolled sushi into… sixths. Eighths. Whatever you want.

Arrange all pretty on a plate and serve with your favorite fruity dipping sauce. I ate them plain =)

Apple "Pad Thai"

Not too authentic, but you'll like it anyway.

8 oz rice noodles, ¼" width
½ cup teriyaki sauce (I used SoyVay Island Teriyaki. It has pineapple juice!)
½ cup apple juice
juice of one lime
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 apples, finely diced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 shallots (about 1.5 inches diameter), finely diced
½-1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Heat water in a saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, add the rice noodles, and turn down to low. Stir, and simmer for 5 minutes or until noodles are cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Combine the teriyaki sauce, apple juice, lime juice, and tomato paste in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add apples. Let brown, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Add carrots and onion, and sautée until everything is a little browned and cooked through.

Add the noodles to the pan, and add the sauce mixture immediately after. Stir to coat and loosen noodles; simmer at medium heat for 5 minutes. In the last minute, add chopped cilantro. Serve!

Scotch Apples

(Original vegan adaptation of Scotch Eggs)

1 pkg of vegan soysage (I use 14 ounce Gimme Lean "tube")

8 small Lady apples or equivalent (egg size)

1 block of favorite vegan cheddar style "cheese"

2 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh chopped organic

2 Tablespoon Onion, grated organic

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground organic

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground organic

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar, organic

1 Tablespoon Vegan Worchesterhire Sauce (The Wizard's Organic recommended)

1/3 cup Whole wheat flour, organic

1/3 cup Oatmeal, rolled organic

1/4 cup bread crumbs, organic

1/4 cup corn meal, organic

1/2 cup (or to taste) Scotch 12 year single malt whiskey

Vegan butterscotch sauce for garnishing

Combine soysage, parsley, onion, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, whole wheat flour, oatmeal & Scotch in a bowl. Stir well until all ingredients are blended into a uniform consistency.

Roll mixture into a flat rectangle (like rolling out cookie dough). Divide mixture into 8 equal parts (cut down the length of the rectangle & then cut those pieces into fourths - half & half again is easiest method for me).

Core each apple to remove seeds & other center inedible parts.

Cut vegan cheddar "cheese" into pieces that will fit into hole left by coring process.

Put 1 cheddared apple in the middle of each 1/8 piece of soysage.

Wrap soysage around the cheddared apple to completely enclose it in the soysage covering, pressing all edges together for a completely smooth seal.

Mix bread crumbs & cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Roll each soysaged apple in the bread crumb/cornmeal mixture until coated.

For prettiest Scotch Apples, deep fry or pan fry in enough oil to cover 1/2 of the Scotch Apple and turn when bottom is golden brown, removing when whole Scotch Apple is uniformly golden brown.

For healthiest Scotch Apples, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C) & bake for approximately 20 minutes until each side is golden brown (turning 1/4 turn every 4 - 5 minutes).

Serve whole, sliced in rounds across the apple ("cheese" in the center) or in quarters lengthwise ("cheese" on top of slices).

Garnish: Artistically drizzle vegan butterscotch sauce on a plate & over the whole or sliced Scotch Apples.

Scheherazade's Delight

A Memorable Introduction to an Arabian Nights Entertainment

Bed grain of choice (2 cups of organic brown rice or 1 cup of cous cous
or equivalent of your favorite, i.e. quinoa, basmati, etc)

4 Tablespoons of organic soy margarine (Earth Balance recommended)
4 Apples, sliced thin (blend of favorite crisp varieties is best for interesting taste combo)
2 Onions (medium or my favorite for added green color is one medium sized sweet onion & 2 large green onions), chopped
2 Bell Peppers (small - one red & one orange for added color), chopped
1/2 cup Currents (convenient option is raisins)
1/3 cup Cashews, raw - pieces
1/3 cup Almonds, raw - shaved or slivered
1/3 cup Walnut, raw - pieces
1 Tablespoon Curry powder

Rinse chosen grain well in cold water & drain. Boil water in 2 quart pot (twice the amount of grain, i.e., 4 cups for brown rice or 2 cups for cous cous). Pour chosen grain into boiling water & bring to a boil again. Lower heat & simmer covered for 30 - 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Place 4 Tablespoons of organic soy margarine in a large skillet. Add bell peppers, onions, apples, currents or raisins, cashews, almonds, walnuts & sprinkle curry evenly over ingredients. Saute, stirring regularly until ingredients are blended & of your desired
consistency (crunchy to mushy ... I prefer a slight crunch)

Spread chosen grain in a casserole or other "Arabian" looking dish. Cover with sauteed ingredients.

Optional:
Vegan Eyeballs (Arab countries consider certain animal's eyes a
delicacy when served with grain dishes ... I find this option much more
appetizing & definitely a more humane & colorful garnish) - take a green pimento olives & wrap in soy cream cheese shaping an "eye ball" shape ... arrange fresh parsley around the edges of the dish placing vegan "eye balls" artistically embedded into the parsley wreath. Carrot "flowers" (see garnish cookbook), Mandarin orange "butterflies" (back to back placement) or other appropriate garnishes add to the overall effect of the dish.

Place completed dish in the center of the table (lazy susan if available).

Present to your special Scheherazade, Sultan or group of enthusiastic vegan gourmet groupies.

Other suggestions: serve with light sprouted salad, arabian coffee/tea (hot or cold/plain or sweetened/soy creamer or not ... per personal preference) & arabian pastries with sugared dates for dessert.

Serves: 8 determined dieters, 4 average avatars or 2 eager epicures

Uber Fantastic--Can't Live Without--Baked Apples

4 apples (I recommend golden delicious)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1.5 T nutmeg
1/4-1/2 crushed walnuts (depends on how much you like nuts!)
2 T soy butter (I like the creamy Earth Balance)
Vanilla soy milk (I use Silk)

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, core and slice your apples, place in a container with a lid. Add walnuts, brown sugar and nutmeg and shake until well coated. Place into a greased baking pan and add soy butter. Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on how smushy you like your apples. Serve immediately with a little soy milk for cream.
If you dice the apples this makes a wonderful ice cream topper!
Enjoy and bake often :)

Apple Stuffing & Seitan Roast

If you are feeling seitanically inspired you can stuff the stuffing into the seitan to make a roulande. Be very sure to seal the roast completely so that none of the cooking broth seeps in and makes the stuffing soggy. In flipping the roast you will need to be careful not to pierce the puffing seitan so the use of parchment paper is advised to assist in flipping. Though simply serving them side by side is acceptable as well.

This recipe is based on Bryanna Clark Grogan's "Pork Tenderloin" and you will know this by her distinctive cooking method. The adaptations to the ingredients are mine.

Combine:
2c Vital Wheat Gluten
1/2c Chickpea or Soy Flour
3T Nutritional Yeast
2t Onion Powder
2t Garlic Powder
1t Sugar
1t Pepper

In a blender puree into a liquid the following:
1/2c Water
1/2c Apple Juice
1/2c Apple Sauce
1 1/2c Cooked Canillini Beans
2t Olive Oil
1T Tahini

Mix the wet ingredients to the dry until incorporated fully. Kneed 15 minutes. Allow the seitan dough to rest 1 hour covered. Kneed 15 minutes then form into a roast shape and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

Pour over the roast:
2c Boiling Water infused with:
Fresh herb sprigs: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage
1t Paprika
1t Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 before turning down to 200. Bake for 3 hours covered. Carefully flip and bake covered in a 325 oven for 30 minutes. Gently flip the roast, bake 30 minutes. Repeat until the liquid has all been absorbed. Remove the lid or foil for the last time if desired.


Savory Apple Stuffing
3c Diced Bread cubes - Sourdough
1t Olive Oil
1/2c Onion, diced
1/2c Celery, diced
1/2c Carrots, diced
1c Apple, peeled, cored & diced
1/2c Earth Balance Margarine
1T Sage, dried ground
2t Rosemary, dried diced
1/2t Salt
1t Nutmeg, fresh ground
1/2c Vegetable Broth

Saute the onion, celery and carrots in oil until tender on medium high, approximately 5 minutes. Add in apples and saute 1 minute more. Add margarine and spices. Once margarine is dissolved add in the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Pour carefully over the bread crumbs until just moist, stirring to combine.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Serve with the Apple Roast Seitan.