Chow Vegan

With the weather bouncing back and forth between warm and cool, I’m taking advantage of the cooler days to use the oven before it really warms up around here. Not that it ever gets that hot in Northern California, I just don’t use the oven much in the summertime. Until then, I’m enjoying these mini savory lentil cupcakes (I’ve also made normal lentil loaves with a regular square pan, if you’re over the whole cupcake thing).

I’ve come a long way with lentils. In the past, I didn’t care much for the little guys, but now, I’m liking them more and more. I haven’t advanced to cooking them myself just yet, so I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils for a fairly easy recipe.

The hardest part is mashing the lentils as I don’t have a masher and had been using a dinner fork which wasn’t quite doing the job. Frustrated, I squeeze the bejesus out of those little lentils beans with my bare hands and that actually worked out great.

Mini Savory Lentil Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 small leek, white and some of the green part, chopped
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups cooked and seasoned lentils
1/8 cup walnuts or almonds, crushed
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 cup petite peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup white corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a wok or sauté pan to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the leeks and cook until translucent then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until cooked and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the lentils. Add in the nuts, breadcrumbs, tomato paste and vegetables. Mix well.

In a well-oiled muffin pan, portion out the lentil mixture and pack into the pan, tightly pressing into the bottom. Top with ketchup. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until browned and pulling away from the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

While the lentil cupcakes are baking, make the optional mashed potatoes beet frosting. Just add a small beet to your favorite mashed potato or caulipots recipe. Pipe on the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with crushed kale chips.

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Have you ever tried black tofu? No, not blackened tofu. Not tofu with black bean sauce. Black tofu. Made from black soybeans. Though the color of the tofu is more of a greyish hue. It’s high in fiber and protein but relativity low in carbohydrates and may help reduce the risk of diabetes.

I tried a pan-fried sample at the Asian supermarket. Yes, they have food samples just like at Costco but only on the weekends and sometimes the sample person doesn’t speak English. I bought a package of the stuff home.

Instead of pan-frying though, I roasted the tofu. But I’m not convinced that’s the best preparation for black tofu. The pan-fried version seemed creamier; the roasted seemed drier.

The orange part comes from an adaptation of the Ginger Orange Stir-Fry recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Eating Appalachia. As soon as I saw Cara Cara orange in the ingredients, knew I was going to try it. It makes a beautiful vivid orange color. And it’s spicy. And it’s sweet without any additional sweetener.

I’ve made it several times now using regular white tofu and with various vegetables. I’ve even made it without vegetables, I like the sauce so much. I’ve also tried run-of-the-mill Navel oranges, it’s good but nowhere nearly as good as a sweet Cara Cara.

Below is the adapted recipe using roasted tofu. To pan-fry the tofu, click here for the original recipe.

Roasted Tofu in Orange-Ginger Sauce
Serves 2

1 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 small carrot, sliced on the diagonal
2-3 cups snow peas or other vegetable such as broccoli
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Corn starch mixed with a bit of water

Sauce
Zest of 1 Cara Cara orange
1 Cara Cara orange, juiced
3/4 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or to taste

To roast the tofu, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the oil, salt and paprika. Cut the tofu into cubes and gently toss to coat with the mixture. Place each tofu cube in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast for 15 minutes on one side, flip over and roast another 15 minutes.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Heat a wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the carrots and stir-fry a bit and then add the snow peas (if using broccoli, parboil it first). When the snow peas are crisp-tender, toss in the roasted tofu. Add the sauce and cook for about a minute. To thicken the sauce, dribble in the corn starch mixture and stir until it’s the desired thickness. Plate and serve with rice.

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Can you spot the pasta in this picture?

Is it right there in the bowl? Nope, that’s not it. It’s really King Oyster mushrooms (also known as trumpet mushrooms), thinly sliced to resemble the flat ribbons of pappradelle noodles, there’s no actual pasta in the entire dish.

At John Bentley’s, a very nice, upscale restaurant in Redwood City, CA serving seasonal New American cuisine, there’s only one entree on the menu that could easily be made vegan. It was this dish, Trumpet Mushroom “Pappardelle”.

So simple and good. I loved it so much, I had to recreate it at home. I have no idea if this is how the restaurant makes it. This is my homemade version.

For long “noodles”, I used the largest King Oysters I could find. It’ll seem like a lot of mushrooms, but it cooks down quite a bit. For the sauce, I adapted the recipe for Tomato Marina from Ani’s Raw Food Essentials.

Unlike real pasta, the mushroom “noodles” is very light. Serve it with soup, salad, or garlic bread.

King Oyster Mushroom “Pappardelle Noodles”
Serves 2 as part of a meal

4 Large King Oyster mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
6 Kalamatas olives, sliced
Fresh basil for garnish
Couple tablespoons of tomato sauce

Make the tomato sauce and set aside. Wash and slice the mushrooms thinly into the shape of a long, flat noodle. Heat a sauté pan to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook until just tender. Transfer to a bowl, add a couple tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Gently toss to coat. Add the olives and toss again. To serve, garnish with the basil.

Tomato Sauce
Makes about 1/2 cup
1 cup tomatoes (use cherry or roma)
1 small Medjool date
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Pit and finely chop the Medjool date. Cut the larger tomatoes in half or quarters. Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until chunky smooth.

This post contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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With Halloween just about here and pumpkins everywhere, I made pumpkin lasagna cupcakes. Basically, it’s the same recipe as my vegetable lasagna cupcakes but instead of tomato sauce, it’s pumpkin puree. Spicy pumpkin puree.

Have little ghosts and goblins not into spicy? Just tweak the seasonings. I made a batch there were half spicy and half not spicy. It’s easy to do when lasagna is cupcake style.

Pumpkin Lasagna Cupcakes
Makes 12

24 wonton wrappers
1/4 cup of your favorite cheese

Pumpkin Filling
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable Filling
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
3 baby yellow squash and/or zucchini, peeled, washed and sliced crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Tofu Ricotta
8 ounces firm tofu with water squeezed out and crumbled
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, ginger, and soy sauce. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and Sriracha sauce. Mix well.

To make the vegetable filling, heat a wok or sauté pan to hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds, add the squash and cook for a minute or so then add the mushrooms and cook for another minute until the vegetables are tender. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Next, make the tofu ricotta. Crumble about 3/4 of the tofu in a bowl, add the basil, olive oil, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth but still slightly lumpy. Crumble in the remaining 1/4 tofu, mix to combine and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin pan with oil. Layer a wonton wrapper in each cup, gently pressing down on the bottom and up the sides of the cup.

Divide the tofu ricotta in half. Using the first half, distribute evenly on top of each wrapper. Layer the vegetables next using the same distribution method. Top with the pumpkin then cheese.

Place a wonton wrapper on top but going in the opposite direction. Repeat the layers of the ricotta, vegetables, pumpkin and finally a sprinkling of cheese on the very top.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the wontons wrappers are golden. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving.

Variation
For a non-spicy pumpkin filling:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Related Posts
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After reviewing Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm, grilling is now officially my favorite way to prepare tempeh. It’s got a nice smoky taste with just a touch of spiciness, takes a bit of prep work but it’s well worth it. If you’re not familiar with tempeh cooking, you may not know that you need to steam or boil it first to remove some of its bitter flavor.

Grilling Vegan Style covers that information and more with a whole chapter devoted specifically to grilling tofu, tempeh and seitan. For this recipe, I simmered the tempeh in vegetable broth for 10 minutes (besides removing the bitter taste, also to soften it and allow the marinade to soak in) and then marinated overnight before grilling.

I served the tempeh sliced into thin strips alongside grilled vegetables. There’s really no better way to say so long to summer and hello to fall.

Tex-Mex Tempeh for Two
2 servings

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari preferred)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon adobo (from a can of chipotles in adobo), or your favorite vegan salsa
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
Canola oil, for oiling the grill grates

In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic, oregano, cloves, and adobo. Arrange the tempeh in the dish, turn to coat all over with the marinade, cover and chill, turning halfway through, for 2 hours or overnight.

Grease the grates with the canola oil, then preheat the grill to medium. Grill the tempeh, flipping it once, until browned and hot throughout, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to plates and serve.

From the book Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2012. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

Disclosure: I received the book free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the book expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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I’ve fallen behind on so many things lately but at least on one thing, I’ll be on time and well prepared. A tasty Fourth of July meal of mini sloppy joes and fries. Easy and quick to make, you’ll be out of the kitchen and relaxing in no time.

For an extra flavorful filling, I went with a combo of Turtle Island’s Smoky Maple Bacon Tempeh and soy chorizo. With such strong flavors already, I didn’t bother to add any more spices (you could if you wanted to or if you’re using just plain tempeh).

If you’re lazy like me, grab a pack of Trader Joe’s mini hamburger buns and a bag of Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Seasoning and you’re all set. If you’re the baking type, Vegan Dad has a great whole wheat hamburger bun recipe here. And if you don’t want frozen fries, here’s for my recipe for Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips.

Mini Sloppy Joes
Makes about 8 mini sandwiches

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 package soy chorizo
1 package Turtle Island Smoky Maple Bacon Tempeh, crumbled
4 ounces tomato sauce (1/2 of an 8 oz. can)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
1 package of Trader Joe’s mini hamburger buns

Heat wok or skillet to hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the onions and garlic, cook until translucent. Add the carrot and cook another minute or so.

Add the soy chorizo, breaking it up with the spatula in the wok, stir to combine. Add the tempeh and continue to stir until well mixed. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve on toasted mini buns.

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Another cookbook in for a review and getting a lot of action is The Tipsy Vegan: 75 Boozy Recipes to Turn Every Bite into Happy Hour by John Schlimm. I must confess I’m not much of a drinker but cooking with booze sure sounded fun. And adventurous. So let’s belly up to the bar and on to the kitchen.

I started out with something easy and somewhat familiar – The Tippler’s Hot + Sour Soup (page 31). It’s hot! As in spicy, not just temperature-wise and it’s sour too. Just like eating in a Chinese restaurant, although the restaurant version is highly unlikely to be boozy. Homemade is way better especially with the rice wine addition.

Next, I made Spicy Sesame Noodles Tie One On with Chopped Peanuts + Basil (page 124). I couldn’t find the extra thin fresh rice noodles called for in the recipe so I ended up using a slightly wider noodle. Still very good – the noodles are coated with an Asian-flavored rice wine dressing and served at room temperature.

Bruschetta on a Bender (page 21) is an interesting departure from the standard tomatoes with basil topping. Fresh thyme replaces the basil, mix in a fruity red wine or dry vermouth with the tomatoes and you got a nice little party going on for your taste buds.

sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Sherry Bomb! Patats Bravas (page 14), another party starter, wasn’t quite as successful as the bruschetta. The flavor of the Spanish tapas of potatoes tossed in a spicy dressing was fine. Where I fell down was at the end of the recipe, where it said to “serve hot.” Did that mean serve right away or heat it up somehow? There was no further direction. I tried it both ways, heated was definitely better.

Cozy Tofu Under Black Bean Sauce (page 112), a main dish for a lushy lunch. Crispy, pan-fried tofu topped with a dry sherry black bean sauce. So good served with rice and Asian greens, I’ve since made the sauce several times. My favorite of the recipes I’ve tried so far, I haven’t even gotten to the recipes with beer or hard liquor.

There’s so much packed into this little gem of a cookbook – from the clean, one-recipe-per-page layout with gorgeous photos to the fun and witty writing. Each of the eight chapters begins with a cocktail recipe, and covers everything from “Plastered Party Starters” to sloshed soups, salads, sides, and boozy brunch, lunch and supper to “Drunken Desserts.” Now, you can have your booze and eat it too.

Cozy Tofu Under Black Bean Sauce
Makes 3 to 4 servings

1-pound block of extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 6 slices and pressed to remove excess water
4 cloves garlic
1-inch chunk of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Canola oil for frying

Prep the seasonings for the sauce: peel the garlic cloves and the ginger, then quarter the ginger. In a food processor, mince the garlic and ginger. In a small sieve, rinse the black beans until the water runs clear. Add them to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

In a medium bowl, stir together the water, soy sauce, sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended.

Generously film the bottom of a heavy 2-quart saucepan with the canola oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the black bean mixture until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan. Whisk the sauce occasionally while bringing it to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside.

Generously film the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet with the canola oil and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Blot up any excess moisture on the tofu with a paper towel before placing it in the skillet. Fry the slices on both sides, turning them only when the underside are golden and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes total.

Reheat the sauce and serve the tofu, pouring the sauce over it. This pairs extremely well with rice and broccoli, or any other steamed vegetable of your choice.

From the book The Tipsy Vegan by John Schlimm. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2011. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

Disclosure: I received the book free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the book expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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Trying out a package of Vegan Kung Pao Chicken from Vegetarian Plus, I went the way of the fusion food truck. Rather than just plopping it atop of rice, I made Kung Pao Tacos.

One of the best things about the whole mobile fusion food thing is the flavor combination of various cuisines in an easy to eat format. That and having food come to you. But for those of you still waiting in the wings for foodie trucks to appear in your neighborhood, this post is for you.

Nestled in an organic corn tortilla, the veggie chicken pieces are topped with fennel cole slaw, roasted peanuts and cilantro, for an explosion of savory, spicy and tangy flavors.

Despite being frozen, Vegan Kung Pao Chicken can easily be mistaken for an order from a Chinese restaurant. Made from soybean fiber and protein and covered with Kung Pao sauce for a shiny, lacquered look. The texture is meaty and firm to the bite with a spicy-sweet taste.

Easy and fairly quick to prepare, it’s almost like having your own personal food truck in the kitchen. Order up!

Kung Pao Tacos
Makes 6-8 tacos

1 box Vegan Kung Pao Chicken
1 package of 8 corn tortillas, 5 1/2 inch in diameter
Fennel cole slaw or your favorite cole slaw
Roasted unsalted peanuts
Cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges

Heat up the package of Kung Pao Chicken. For this recipe, it’s best to go with the stove top method of preparation as listed on the back of the box.

To serve, cut the Kung Pao Chicken into smaller bite-sized pieces and place in a warmed tortilla. Top with the fennel cole slaw, peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Fennel Cole Slaw
1 small fennel bulb
1 small carrot
1 small lemon
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim off the top of the fennel, leaving just the bulb. Halve the fennel to remove the core, and then thinly slice. Peel and shred the carrot.

Grate about 1/4 teaspoon of the lemon zest and juice half of the lemon. Whisk together with the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.

Add the fennel and carrots to the dressing and toss to mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Disclosure: I received the product free of charge from the company to review. The opinions and experience with the product expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

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