Category Archives: vegan

Chickless Pot Pie Trisha Yearwood

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1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup small diced potatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup butter substitute, such as Earth Balance
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup almond or soy milk
Two 9-inch deep dish, unbaked pie crusts, lard free

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter substitute until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, celery seed and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out. Slowly stir in the broth and then add the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained vegetables.

Roll out one of the unbaked crusts and place in a 9-inch-deep pie plate. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top. Seal the edges and cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook’s Note: Line a jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with foil and place the pie on that before cooking. It will keep any filling from dripping into the oven and burning.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chickless-pot-pie-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Basic Instant Gluten from http://veganguineapig.blogspot.com/

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1/2 cup instant vital wheat gluten flour
1/2 cup water

In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat gluten and water until it becomes elastic. The original directions say to knead for 5 minutes but I never knead it longer than 1 (out of pure laziness, but I like the texture better too). Cut into you desired shapes and sizes.

Faux Chicken

2 cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 heaping teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

In a medium sauce plan, bring all of the broth ingredient to a boil. Add prepared seitan into broth. Reduce heat and cover with lid. Let simmer for 50-60 minutes stirring every 10 minutes, until broth has reduced completely. (watch it closely I’ve had cooking times range from 20 minutes to 70 minutes). Use chicken immediately in your dish of choice or store in the refrigerator (for up to 6 days) or the freezer (for up to 6 months)

Ridiculously Easy Southwestern Coleslaw

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southwestern-coleslaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 medium cabbage
2 carrots
1-2 hot chile peppers, thinly sliced or chopped
5-6 tablespoons salsa verde
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegan mayo or lite silken tofu
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or other sweetener)
1/4 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

  1. Remove and discard the core of the cabbage, and cut cabbage in half. Use a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the cabbage and carrots. Place in a serving bowl along with the sliced chile pepper.
  2. Whisk all remaining ingredients together until smooth. (If you’re using silken tofu, you may need to blend it in a small blender or food processor.) Add the dressing to the cabbage and mix well. Add salt to taste. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Check seasonings before serving and add more salsa, lime juice, cumin, or salt if necessary.

Impromptu Mushroom Gravy – Fat Free Vegan

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My mushroom gravy is always an ad lib affair; I don’t think I ever make it the same way twice. Here’s the basic recipe, but the amounts of herbs should be adjusted as necessary. This time I kept them light so that they didn’t compete with the timbales’ seasoning.

1/2 onion, minced
10 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sherry (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons unbleached flour (substitute with arrowroot for gluten-free)
1/4 cup plain soymilk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium-sized non-stick saucepan, saute the onion until light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of water, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add the vegetable broth, herbs, nutritional yeast, sherry, and soy sauce. In a bowl, whisk or blend (with a hand blender) the soymilk and flour together until smooth. Add it to the saucepan and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

No-fu Love Loaf from Let Them Eat Vegan

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Many vegan versions of meatloaf are made with tofu, veggie ground round, tvp, or even seitan. Those tofu-averse will be happy to know there is no tofu or veggie meats in this loaf. This savory version uses only lentils, cracked wheat, oats, and chia seed, along with a mix of seasonings to make it all magically come together!

IMG_0625

  • 1/2 cup brown (green) lentils
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup bulgur (toasted cracked wheat) (for gluten-free version, use certified gf steel cut oats)
  • 1 cup water, boiled
  • 1/4 cup natural ketchup
  • 1 cup rolled or quick oats (ensure gf certified for gluten-free)
  • 3 tablespoons tamari (use wheat-free for wheat/gluten-free version)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons ground white chia (or can use flax meal)
  • 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (see note for gf version)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini or sunflower seed butter
  • 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground fennel (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    Topping

  • 3 – 4 tablespoon natural ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional) OR 2 tsp vegan bbq sauce (optional)
  1. Combine the lentils, vegetable stock, 1⁄3 cup of water, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until just about tender. Once done, add the bulgur and boiling water, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for another 8 to 9 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil an oven-proof glass loaf pan and line the bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment paper to cover (place it in to protrude along the short ends of the pan; this helps for easier removal of the veggie loaf from the pan). Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl.
  3. Once the bulgur is cooked, remove the bay leaf and add all the remaining ingredients (except topping). Stir very well. Transfer the mixture to prepared pan and pack it in. Spread the topping mixture over the top.
  4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or so, before cutting to slice and serve. Serves 5-6.

DMV notes:

Note–next time I will add onions and garlic.  Thought there was too much molasses and of course there was I misread and used 2 tbsp, I will use the correct amount nextime. I will use bulgar not groats as well.

Dreena’s Notes

Allergy-Free or Bust! Despite its not having any tofu, tempeh, or TVP, I cannot technically categorize this recipe as “soy free” because of the inclusion of tamari and vegan Worcestershire sauce. These are important seasonings in the loaf. That said, to replace the Worcestershire for a gluten-free version, use instead an extra 1⁄2 tablespoon of wheat-free tamari, along with an extra 1⁄2 teaspoon of molasses, and 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.

Savvy Subs and Adds: If you’d like to add some veggies to the loaf, try adding 1⁄2 cup of seeded and finely chopped green pepper, or 1⁄4 cup of finely chopped celery (stir into the mixture with the seasonings).

Serving Suggestions: Rosemary Gravy is excellent with this loaf, but this dish is equally delicious served with condiments as a burger of sorts: Pop slices of the loaf into pita or a folded tortilla, along with ketchup and vegan mayonnaise (or “Almonnaise”). (Susan’s note: Try it with my Impromptu Mushroom Dressing orTofu-Cashew Mayo.)

Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Roasted butternut squash and carrot soup

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1 butternut squash cut in half
3 carrots cut in pieces
2 cloves garlic cut in half
1 onion diced
1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
medium piece of orange zest, no white
salt and pepper
4-6 C water
1 tsp soup base

Place squash with seeds left in it’s easier to remove them after roasting, carrots and garlic on lightly greased baking sheet, roast in 350 degree oven until squash is done, 30-50 minutes. In the meantime put olive oil in dutch oven add onion and cook until translucent add spices and cook for a few minutes. Remove squash add to the onion along with carrots and garlic. Add water, soup base, salt and pepper along with orange zest. Bring to a slow boil, then turn down to a simmer and allow to cook 20 min. Remove orange zest then whirl with emersion, adjust seasoning and serve. Would be nice with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and some toasted pumpkin seeds

Seitan Scaloppine with Lemon-Olive Sauce

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I used Imagine Foods’ No-Chicken Broth to mimic the taste of chicken, but any vegetable broth may be used.

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth (or other vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons tahini or cashew butter

1 tablespoon unbleached flour
1 lemon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
10 green olives, pitted and sliced
1 1/4 cups No-Chicken Broth
2-3 tablespoons white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper
additional vegetable broth, as necessary

Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil about 10 inches long. (See tips below for a foil-free way of making the scaloppine). Begin heating water in a steamer.

In a large bowl, mix the vital wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and basil. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the broth and tahini (or cashew butter). Stir the wet mixture into the dry until well blended. Knead gently 10 times. Quickly divide dough into 4 equal pieces.

Take a piece of dough and shape and flatten it into a thin oval cutlet. Place it on a sheet of foil, a little higher than center. Fold the bottom of the foil over to meet the top, and then fold the two edges over about 1/2 inch to form a seam. Continue folding the foil by half inches until it reaches just above the cutlet. Flatten the cutlet down a little more, and then fold the left and right edges in the same way until the packet is snug around the cutlet. Repeat with all pieces of dough.

Place the packets flat into the steamer and cover. Steam for 25 minutes. Keep packets sealed until you’re ready to use them.

Spray a non-stick skillet (or some other non-iron skillet) with olive oil. Begin heating it as you prepare a plate containing the flour sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, unwrap each cutlet and lightly dredge each side in the flour and then place in the skillet. Cook until brown and then turn over and brown other side. Remove to a plate.

(If you’d rather not use any oil at all, skip the flouring of the cutlets and just brown them alone. Your sauce may not thicken unless you add a little flour to it later.)

Add the garlic and lemon slices to the pan. Cook until the lemon slices have softened, 2-3 minutes, and then remove them from the pan, leaving the garlic. Add the olives, broth, wine, and lemon juice and cook on medium heat until the liquid starts to reduce. Remove the garlic, add salt and pepper to taste, and return the cutlets to the pan. Turn them over to coat with the sauce. Simmer briefly to warm them through, and if the sauce becomes too thick, add a little broth to thin. Stir in the parsley, and remove the cutlets to plates. Spoon some sauce over each cutlet and garnish with lemon slices.

Tips for Moister Cutlets:

I found two different tricks that resulted in a cutlet that was a little moister. Unfortunately, one of them requires an extra step, simmering the seitan in broth for a few minutes after it comes out of the steamer. If you’d like to do this, just put the cutlets in a skillet, add broth to about halfway over them, and simmer, turning, for 3-5 minutes. The cutlets will absorb a lot of the broth, so be ready to add more as necessary. Once they’re done, remove them from the broth and proceed with the recipe.

No extra step is required for the other technique; in fact, it’s simpler than the original recipe, though you will need a large steamer and plates that will fit inside it. Instead of wrapping the cutlets in foil, place them on the largest plate that will fit in your steamer. (If you have a double-level steamer, you can place two cutlets on smaller plates on each level.) Cover with an inverted plate of the same size, to keep water from dripping directly onto your cutlets. Steam for 25 minutes. Your cutlets will be a little lighter in color but will have a moister texture. This is my preferred way of making these cutlets!

Makes 4 servings.

Mushroom Ragout

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2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh sage, minced
6 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
8 ounces porcini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
8 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water (try flour instead of corn starch)
2tbsp. parsley

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Stir over medium heat until slightly golden. Add the onion, shallots and sage, and stir until the onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add all the mushrooms and the soy sauce. Continue cooking until the liquid from the mushrooms cooks off, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Add the starch mixture and boil for 1 or 2 minutes more, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste and parsley. Serve over toast points as an appetizer, over rice or pasta as a main course.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes