The best type of appetizer - easy and insanely delicious.
18 asparagus spears
1 8-ounce package tempeh or tempeh bacon
18 spring roll wrappers
olive oil
goddess salad dressing or homemade tahini sauce
Note:You can use premade tempeh bacon or make it.I used plain tempeh, sliced long-wise into 18 strips, and tripled the amount of an online marinade (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/06/tempeh-bacon-recipe-vegan-facon-makes.html).
Dip one spring roll wrapper at a time into a bowl of water, just until pliable.At the center of each wrapper, place a strip of tempeh bacon.On it, place one asparagus spear, snapping off the woody end so that the length of the asparagus matches that of the tempeh strip.Roll the spring roll wrapper around the tempeh and asparagus and place on a well greased cookie tray.Use a liberal amount of oil, which helps the wrappers not stick and also helps the bottom of the wrapper get crispy during the baking process.Bake for 15 minutes.Serve with goddess dressing or homemade tahini sauce.
Wearing gloves, slice most of the way down the length of one side of each jalepeno, leaving the stem attached.Remove the seeds and rinse the inside of each pepper.Stuff each jalepeno with mashed avocado.Pour milk into a small bowl.In another small bowl, combine nutritional yeast, seasoning blend, and salt.With one hand dip each pepper into the milk.With your other hand, roll each pepper in the nutritional yeast mixture.Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
The peppers are still quite hot the first day.If refrigerated overnight, the heat mellows, but the peppers soften.If serving the following day, reheat for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown.
Use your favorite potato salad recipe.Chop the ingredients smaller to fit the smaller scale of the new potatoes.This is a great make-ahead travel recipe.The potato skins stack and you can place the filling in a plastic bag.When you arrive at your destination, cut a corner off of the plastic bag and squeeze the filling into the shells.
12 new potatoes
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup vegan mayo
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (for color, optional)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup pickle relish
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegan bacon bits (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (optional)
paprika (optional)
Steam or boil new potatoes.If boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.If using red, white, and blue new potatoes, the blue new potatoes require extra cooking time.When the potatoes have cooked, remove them from heat and allow them to cool.While they are still warm, cut them in half, lenthwise, and scoop out the potato pulp with a melon baller or cookie scoop.Chop the potato pulp and place it in a bowl.To the bowl, add the mayo, celery, bell pepper, onion, black olives, vinegar, salt, dry mustard, and pepper.Gently fold the ingredients until well blended.Place the shells on a serving tray and fill with the potato salad mixture.Top with vegan bacon bits or finely chopped parsley or paprika.
1/2 package firm tofu, frozen, thawed, and squeezed
4-5 tbs soy sauce
2 tsps liquid smoke(less if you don't want smoky bacon)
2 tbs nutritional yeast
canola/safflower/sunflower oil
2 slices packaged vegan cheeze OR 4 tbs nutritional yeast mixed with water and a sprinkle of salt (thick sauce)
Tofutti (or tofu) sour cream
2-3 green onions, sliced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes, dry, and rub with olive oil, and salt. Place potatoes on baking sheet, and bake at 425 for about one hour, or until thoroughly cooked. If you want to do a quicker version, you may cook the potatoes in the microwave. Leave the oven on (or turn it on, if you used the microwave method, and turn to 450). While the potatoes are baking, prepare your bacon. Heat canola/safflower/sunflower oil in nonstick pan. Chop the frozen, thawed, and squeezed tofu into small cubes/pieces. Add the tofu to the oil, and occasionally stir around until totally fried, golden, and crispy. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, liquid smoke, and some pepper (this is the "bacon" recipe from vegweb, that I modified). After the tofu is done, take the pan off the heat, and add the liquid mixture. You need enough to cover every piece. If you need to cook off some liquid, put the pan back on the heat for a few seconds. After most all of the soy sauce mixture has been absorbed, sprinkle in the 2 tbs nutritional yeast, and stir around. Put this off to the side.
Continue to check your potatoes, and once they are done, set them off to the side (off of the pan, for quicker cooling) and let them cool enough to handle. You may chop your green onions while you wait, or mix up your nutritional yeast sauce, if you are using that for the cheeze.
Once you are able to handle the potatoes, slice them each in half, lengthwise. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the very middle of the potato, and save it for later.For crispier skins, scoop out more potato. I like to leave about 1/4-1/2 inch of potato along the edges of the skin. Spray a bit more olive oil onto the tops of the potatoes, and sprinkle with pepper (you may also sprinkle with salt, but I usually have a good layer on the outside). Place the skins back in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn over, and bake 10 minutes more.
Once they are done, and crispy, take them out, and assemble! Once again, leave the oven on, and turn to broil. Add a piece of vegan cheeze slice, or about 1/2-1 tbs nutritional yeast sauce to each potato, and place in broiler for a couple of minutes. You may also use vegan sprinkles, or whatever cheeze you like. Take the pan out, and add a generous sprinkling of tofu bacon crumbles, a dollop of "sour cream," and a sprinkle of pepper, and green onions. Yum!
It sounds weird... but it's not, I swear. Totally regular salsa here. Mostly.
1 cup finely diced watermelon
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1.5 Tablespoons lime juice (fresh!)
1 small shallot (1-1.5" dia), minced
1 jalapeño, seeded/deveined, minced
dash of salt
Of course the directions are... combine everything in a medium bowl. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving with chips.
If you're worried that the watermelon will be too sweet/fruity for salsa, you can use the parts closer to the rind to make it more tart... and eat the rest of the watermelon :)
Mix 1 T braggs in 1c measuring cup, fill up with water and slowly add to wheat gluten mix until doughy. You wont use all of the water (I like to have extra water just in case)
Place seitan in large pot of water, boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and squeeze out extra water.
cover rimmed baking sheet with 1T olive oil and juice from half of a lemon. rip off pieces of seitan, stretch out to make chicken strip shapes and put on pan. cook at 350 for 15 minutes uncovered, flip seitan, cook for 5 more minutes while getting broccoli ready. add broccoli, 2T black peppercorn, more olive oil and more lemon juice, cover with tin foil and bake for 10 more minutes at 400*
Pasta: A couple handfuls of fettuchini noodles A bunch of water!
Boil pasta while making the sauce. Monterey Jack Alfredo Sauce:
1 package silken tofu 6 cloves garlic 1/2 c nutritional yeast 3T olive oil 1 C cashews 1/2 of a lemon juiced 1T tahini 1t onion powder 1t mustard 1/2 c unflavored soy milk
Blend all ingredients. Heat in sauce pan.
Parmesan: 1/4 c nutritional yeast 1/4 c almonds
Blend
To serve, place pasta on dish, top with chicken and broccoli, pour sauce over, sprinkle with parmesan.
1/2 cup whole unsalted cashews, soaked 8 hours (or overnight) 1/3 cup flour half a sheet of nori, finely chopped (optional) 3/4 tsp salt large pinch of pepper large pinch of paprika 1/3 cup water oil, for deep frying
Heat oil to 180 C / 350F. Drain the soaked cashews.
Mix flour, nori, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. Add water and whisk until smooth. Stir in cashews. Drop one at a time (so they don't stick together) into hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
This is a vegan version of the Americanized version of Sweet & Sour Pork. If you want a more authentic Chinese version, don't make this one.
For the Sweet & Sour Sauce: 1 440g (15oz.?) can of pineapple rings in juice (NOT syrup!) 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar* 1/4 cup water 3 Tbsp ketchup 3 Tbsp brown sugar 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp grated ginger 1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set aside pineapple rings, combine remaining ingredients (including pineapple juice...there should be 1/2-2/3 cup of juice), and simmer or microwave until thickened. You can add some red food coloring if you want that unnaturally bright color you see at restaurants. *Disclaimer: This sauce is a little more sour than sweet. If you want it sweeter, decrease the vinegar and/or add more sugar to taste.
For the "Pork": 360g (0.75lb) seitan (I used the whole batch of this recipe: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7545.0) 3/4 cup self-raising flour 3/4 cup water 1/2 tsp salt flour, for coating oil, for deep frying
Cut seitan into 1-inch chunks. Fill a pan about 3 inches deep with oil and heat to 375 F/185 C (if you happen to have a deep frying thermometer. Otherwise, just guess). Whisk together the self-raising flour, water, and salt. Toss seitan pieces in flour, then dip in batter and fry in batches until golden, about 2-3 mins per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
For the rest: the pineapple rings that you set aside while making sauce 1 green bell pepper 2 carrots Rice, for serving
Roughly chop the pineapple and green pepper and slice the carrots. Stir fry on medium-high until hot but barely cooked. Spoon veggies over rice, top with "pork", and pour sauce over all.
scant 3/4 cup diced yellow onion 1/3 cup finely diced celery (about one stalk) 4 slices Yves' Deli-Style "Ham", diced 6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine 6 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp powdered sage 1 lb. Dutch creamer potatoes (or any other variety), cubed 4 oz Tofutti cream cheese (1/2 container) 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soymilk 2.5 cups water plus 1.5 packets (12 g) konbu dashi stock seasoning (or 2.5 cups liquid konbu dashi stock*) 2 cups diced oyster mushrooms fresh chives, for garnish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soymilk and cream cheese - there will still be little bits of cream cheese, but it should mostly mix. Set aside.
Sauté the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp of the Earth Balance over medium-low heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the sage and "ham" and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the rest of the Earth Balance and flour to make a roux. Once the flour has been lightly toasted, add the water, dashi seasoning, and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer (and stir often to prevent the flour from burning), until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the soymilk/Tofutti mixture and oyster mushrooms. Return to a boil and then simmer for about 10 more minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the soup is thick. Add salt to taste, and garnish with chives.
For an even "fishier" flavor, you can add flaked dulse to taste at any point in cooking.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix wet ingredients in a 1c measuring cup. Slowly pour liquid into dry until doughy. Put seitan in a pot of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain seitan and squeeze out extra water. Rip seitan into long bite sized strips. Bake uncovered in pan with olive oil and lemon juice at 350* for 15 minutes, flip seitan, bake for another 15 minutes.
Tzaziki sauce:
3/4c sour cream, nayonaise or yogurt 1/3c chopped cucumber as much garlic as you can handle juice from half of a lemon salt
French fries: 2 potatoes canola or vegetable oil
Slice potatoes into french fry form. Fry in oil. Dry on paper towels to take out as much oil as possible.
Sandwich (put together in this order): Pita bread French fries Seitan Tzaziki sauce Tomatoes chopped
Vegan Chef Battle was started as a fun way to explore the different tastes and textures of vegan cuisine. Based on a theme ingredient, each month participants create original dishes that highlight the unique properties and flavors of the theme ingredient.
Generally, Battles are started on the first of the month, with two weeks for participants to mail in entries. Then entries are posted and a poll is created so that you can try recipes and vote for your favorites!
Rules 1. All entries must contain the theme ingredient and be vegan. This mean no animal products of any sort--meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, honey, etc. 2. Dishes need to be original recipes. You can use existing recipes as a starting point, but you must make unique changes to truly recreate the recipe. Please give credit to recipes that help you out! 3. Pictures are great but not required. I will post recipes with pictures ahead of those without. 4. Limit is two entries per person per battle.
