This weekend I had a vegan "tuna" salad sandwich from one of the many excellent mobile food carts in Austin. In fairness, it has been years since I had real tuna salad. But I always really liked it, and was a little nervous that the imitation wouldn't live up to the memory of the real thing. I was especially surprised it wasn't fake meat used to simulate the tuna; it was chickpeas.
The sandwich was amazing. It used vegan mayonnaise, but it wasn't heavy. And it even tricked me into enjoying celery! I knew I had to recreate it. Only something mighty tasty can convince me not only to eat celery, but to actually buy some. If only it was sold by the stalk; I don't know what to do with the rest of it.
Ingredients:
2 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 Tbps vegan mayonnaise (regular mayonnaise would be fine, but not as tasty!)
4 tsp brown mustard
a few Tbsp celery and red onion
dill
black pepper
Mash the chickpeas to desired consistency. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Eat with a spoon, or on a slice of toasted bread with a tomato. Or make it un-vegan and add some cheese.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Grease Bomb!
I can't really believe that I'm posting this recipe. It's pretty embarrassing. It's not even really a recipe, but a sandwich invention that I first starting having at Jack in the Box.
I know, I know. Terrible. I used to eat there all too frequently, and invented this sandwich after I became a vegetarian and my options were limited. It was usually difficult to order something that wasn't on the menu, and after getting a lot of blank stares I decided to make it myself at home.
Like all of the sandwich recipes I post, this one can be modified in endless ways. I bet some ham would be really tasty, too.
The sandwich is simple: a croissant, with a fried egg (or scrambled is tasty, too), a hashbrown, and some cheese. Now, when I make them, I purposefully go as low-brow as possible. It is the only time *ever* that I will buy those disgusting Kraft singles cheese products. But it melts so well! And it just seems to work together. Of course, you could class up the grease bomb by adding some fancy cheese. Havarti would be *amazing*.
And grease bomb is the official name of the sandwich, by the way. Once you try it, you will know why.
I know, I know. Terrible. I used to eat there all too frequently, and invented this sandwich after I became a vegetarian and my options were limited. It was usually difficult to order something that wasn't on the menu, and after getting a lot of blank stares I decided to make it myself at home.
Like all of the sandwich recipes I post, this one can be modified in endless ways. I bet some ham would be really tasty, too.
The sandwich is simple: a croissant, with a fried egg (or scrambled is tasty, too), a hashbrown, and some cheese. Now, when I make them, I purposefully go as low-brow as possible. It is the only time *ever* that I will buy those disgusting Kraft singles cheese products. But it melts so well! And it just seems to work together. Of course, you could class up the grease bomb by adding some fancy cheese. Havarti would be *amazing*.
And grease bomb is the official name of the sandwich, by the way. Once you try it, you will know why.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Lentil and Millet (Curry/Chili) Soup/Stew
I think this is only the second recipe I've posted on here that I came up with entirely from scratch. Most of the recipes that I post come from other vegetarian blogs, and while I might make a few changes, the recipes aren't *mine*. I should really get better at writing down what I'm doing while I cook, because sometimes I can't remember exactly what I've done.
This was intended to be a curried lentil soup. The end result was definitely closer to a stew. I thought it still tasted of curry, but Spencer thought it was more like a chili. It doesn't matter, because it is so unbelievably tasty! This is a soup that could be modified in so many different ways. I added millet at the end to try and complete the protein. I don't know if it worked, but it was very filling.
Ingredients:
2 cups dry lentils
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1/2 an onion, diced
~1/2 c millet (hulled)
water
olive oil
red curry powder
garam masala
coriander
cayenne pepper
fenugreek seeds
salt
I'm still experimenting with all of these spices; I really think whatever you had one hand would be tasty. But if you've never tried some of these spices, you really should. A lot of grocery stores have spices in bulk now, and that's a great way to try a new spice.
The first step is to cook the lentils. I used french green lentils, but really any variety other than red lentils would work fine. The red lentils cook a lot faster, and don't hold their shape as well. Different lentils will take different amounts of time. Just add the lentils to ~6 cups of boiling water, and boil until they're tender, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. You want them to be tender, but not mushy. They will get some additional cooking time in the soup.
Saute onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil, along with the spices. The fenugreek seeds must be toasted a little bit in order to bring out their flavor, and I think the other spices benefit from this too. It really brings their flavors out, and creates a really flavorful base for the soup. If the spices stick to the bottom of the pan while the onions are cooking, you can add a splash of vinegar to deglaze the pan.
Add the entire can of crushed tomatoes along with the coconut milk; no need to drain. Bring everything to a boil, add the lentils and the millet, and cover. The millet will expand quite a bit as it cook, so you may need to add some water as you go to prevent the soup from being *too* thick.
Another helpful tip is to add a small sprinkle of salt along with each ingredient added. Then you don't have to add a lot of salt at the end, and it helps bring out the flavor of everything as it cooks.
This only needs to cook until the millet is soft. If you didn't add the millet, just cook until it is hot and all of the flavors are mixed.
This was intended to be a curried lentil soup. The end result was definitely closer to a stew. I thought it still tasted of curry, but Spencer thought it was more like a chili. It doesn't matter, because it is so unbelievably tasty! This is a soup that could be modified in so many different ways. I added millet at the end to try and complete the protein. I don't know if it worked, but it was very filling.
Ingredients:
2 cups dry lentils
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1/2 an onion, diced
~1/2 c millet (hulled)
water
olive oil
red curry powder
garam masala
coriander
cayenne pepper
fenugreek seeds
salt
I'm still experimenting with all of these spices; I really think whatever you had one hand would be tasty. But if you've never tried some of these spices, you really should. A lot of grocery stores have spices in bulk now, and that's a great way to try a new spice.
The first step is to cook the lentils. I used french green lentils, but really any variety other than red lentils would work fine. The red lentils cook a lot faster, and don't hold their shape as well. Different lentils will take different amounts of time. Just add the lentils to ~6 cups of boiling water, and boil until they're tender, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. You want them to be tender, but not mushy. They will get some additional cooking time in the soup.
Saute onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil, along with the spices. The fenugreek seeds must be toasted a little bit in order to bring out their flavor, and I think the other spices benefit from this too. It really brings their flavors out, and creates a really flavorful base for the soup. If the spices stick to the bottom of the pan while the onions are cooking, you can add a splash of vinegar to deglaze the pan.
Add the entire can of crushed tomatoes along with the coconut milk; no need to drain. Bring everything to a boil, add the lentils and the millet, and cover. The millet will expand quite a bit as it cook, so you may need to add some water as you go to prevent the soup from being *too* thick.
Another helpful tip is to add a small sprinkle of salt along with each ingredient added. Then you don't have to add a lot of salt at the end, and it helps bring out the flavor of everything as it cooks.
This only needs to cook until the millet is soft. If you didn't add the millet, just cook until it is hot and all of the flavors are mixed.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Quinoa Garden Cakes
I actually got this recipe from the Whole Foods website. We had lunch one day at Whole Foods, and I found so much inspiration in their various "salad" bar offerings. I couldn't find any of the recipes on their website of things I had tried, but I did find this recipe. It is now my favorite way to eat quinoa. I have recently started to look into the actual nutrients behind all of this healthy food I've been preparing. I know it's good for me, but I don't really know why. Apparently, quinoa is a complete protein. For vegetarians, this is like a miracle food. (Also, it doesn't look like it, but it's actually pronounced KEEN-wa. I know, I know. It sounds silly.)
Anyway, if that's off-putting, then just take away from this that these little cakes are super tasty! They're also very easy, and can be easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here's the ingredients from the original recipe. Note - I have never followed this recipe exactly.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup grated yellow squash, seeds removed
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Zest of 1 large lemon
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
First things first, you have to rinse the quinoa well. I actually had to buy a mesh sieve specifically for this purpose, as my colander has holes that are too big. This is a necessary step, and if you skip it, the quinoa is very bitter. It might even be bad for you, I don't know. After the quinoa is rinsed, add it to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all of the water is absorbed. So easy! The quinoa will be light and fluffy. You will need to spread it out on a plate or cookie sheet to let it cool a bit. I know you're not supposed to do this, but I usually put it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it off quickly. There will be an egg added to the mixture, and you don't want the quinoa to be so hot that it cooks the egg.
The various vegetables are the part that you can play with. I have always used a full package of frozen spinach (seriously, frozen spinach is the best. It is so easy, very cheap, and there's a lot of spinach packed in those little boxes). I've never tried it with the squash, but I bet that would be really good. And I've tried it both with and without carrot. I like the addition of it, even though I don't like carrot really. It adds a bit of sweetness, and it's a good way to trick myself into eating what I normally find a vile and invasive vegetable. I've also never actually measured the vegetables, and I don't think it's really necessary. You might end up with more or less cakes at the end depending on how many vegetables you use, but the ratios are very forgiving.
I do not think the red onion or the garlic are optional. And you really need the lemon zest.
The next step is to just mix together all of the ingredients. The flour, baking powder and egg help the mixture stay together. The dill is tasty, but other spices could be tried also.
I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion out the cakes onto a well-greased baking sheet. This is important so they don't stick to the sheet, and then burn. There's no other oil in the recipe, so they will not come out super greasy. The 1/3 cup measurement is a good size, and it helps to keep all of the cakes a uniform size. They're baked at 400 degrees, so any difference in size really affects how they cook. After the cakes are portioned out, use a glass to squish the cakes down. They should end up being 3-4 inches in diameter, and not too thick. I think the recipe makes about 11 cakes if you use the same measurement that I did.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning them over once half-way through. They should be crispy and cohesive. I like them plain, but serving them with some yogurt mixed with some lemon juice is also very tasty. And a good way to use the lemon that you zested earlier!
Anyway, if that's off-putting, then just take away from this that these little cakes are super tasty! They're also very easy, and can be easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here's the ingredients from the original recipe. Note - I have never followed this recipe exactly.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup grated yellow squash, seeds removed
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Zest of 1 large lemon
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
First things first, you have to rinse the quinoa well. I actually had to buy a mesh sieve specifically for this purpose, as my colander has holes that are too big. This is a necessary step, and if you skip it, the quinoa is very bitter. It might even be bad for you, I don't know. After the quinoa is rinsed, add it to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all of the water is absorbed. So easy! The quinoa will be light and fluffy. You will need to spread it out on a plate or cookie sheet to let it cool a bit. I know you're not supposed to do this, but I usually put it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it off quickly. There will be an egg added to the mixture, and you don't want the quinoa to be so hot that it cooks the egg.
The various vegetables are the part that you can play with. I have always used a full package of frozen spinach (seriously, frozen spinach is the best. It is so easy, very cheap, and there's a lot of spinach packed in those little boxes). I've never tried it with the squash, but I bet that would be really good. And I've tried it both with and without carrot. I like the addition of it, even though I don't like carrot really. It adds a bit of sweetness, and it's a good way to trick myself into eating what I normally find a vile and invasive vegetable. I've also never actually measured the vegetables, and I don't think it's really necessary. You might end up with more or less cakes at the end depending on how many vegetables you use, but the ratios are very forgiving.
I do not think the red onion or the garlic are optional. And you really need the lemon zest.
The next step is to just mix together all of the ingredients. The flour, baking powder and egg help the mixture stay together. The dill is tasty, but other spices could be tried also.
I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion out the cakes onto a well-greased baking sheet. This is important so they don't stick to the sheet, and then burn. There's no other oil in the recipe, so they will not come out super greasy. The 1/3 cup measurement is a good size, and it helps to keep all of the cakes a uniform size. They're baked at 400 degrees, so any difference in size really affects how they cook. After the cakes are portioned out, use a glass to squish the cakes down. They should end up being 3-4 inches in diameter, and not too thick. I think the recipe makes about 11 cakes if you use the same measurement that I did.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning them over once half-way through. They should be crispy and cohesive. I like them plain, but serving them with some yogurt mixed with some lemon juice is also very tasty. And a good way to use the lemon that you zested earlier!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
It's been about 4 years since I've had my favorite sandwich. It was from a cafe in Milwaukee called Comet, where my best friend and I would spend hours and hours doing absolutely nothing. This sandwich, a cranberry-orange juice, and her company were all I needed to make a perfect afternoon.
I've wanted to re-create the sandwich for a long time, but until today I had never tried. It's not that it seemed complicated; I was just worried that it wouldn't be perfect.
But it was! I think the only difference was that I used wheat hoagies instead of white. It was *amazing*.
Please use this as a springboard for other tasty sandwiches. I would have played with the ingredients some, but this was time for replication, not experimentation.
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
hoagie-style bun
1/2 can of artichoke hearts (the cafe served them whole, but I quartered them for easier eating)
mayonnaise
oregano
2 slices provolone cheese
slightly grilled red onion slivers
romaine lettuce (I couldn't remember if the cafe used romaine or spinach - as soon as I tasted it I knew I had chosen correctly)
Toast the bread, add all the ingredients, and toast some more until the cheese is melty. Then stuff it in your face! I didn't remember the cranberry-orange juice accompaniment until just now, and I wish I gotten the stuff to make that also. I felt like I was back in high school in the best way possible.
I've wanted to re-create the sandwich for a long time, but until today I had never tried. It's not that it seemed complicated; I was just worried that it wouldn't be perfect.
But it was! I think the only difference was that I used wheat hoagies instead of white. It was *amazing*.
Please use this as a springboard for other tasty sandwiches. I would have played with the ingredients some, but this was time for replication, not experimentation.
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
hoagie-style bun
1/2 can of artichoke hearts (the cafe served them whole, but I quartered them for easier eating)
mayonnaise
oregano
2 slices provolone cheese
slightly grilled red onion slivers
romaine lettuce (I couldn't remember if the cafe used romaine or spinach - as soon as I tasted it I knew I had chosen correctly)
Toast the bread, add all the ingredients, and toast some more until the cheese is melty. Then stuff it in your face! I didn't remember the cranberry-orange juice accompaniment until just now, and I wish I gotten the stuff to make that also. I felt like I was back in high school in the best way possible.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tastiest Seitan Ever
I've tried a couple of seitan recipes, and was sort of unhappy with the amount of work that was required, and how inconsistent the end products were. I found this recipe here, on the Post Punk Kitchen forums. What first attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it doesn't need to be steamed; simple baking is all that's required. After I made it for the first time, I decided I would never again make seitan any other way. Not only is this recipe very easy, the flavor of the seitan is amazing.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Barley Butternut Risotto
I've had a bunch of barley sitting on my shelf for over a month now, and I had no idea what to do with it. I found this recipe online, and bought a huge butternut squash specifically for it. I made a few changes from the recipe, and it turned out really great.
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
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