Hungry Vegan Dinner

So, I missed another day. I doubt anyone was keeping track other than myself. I promise to do better next year! I blame wine and muscle relaxers.

I know I've mentioned the Gardein meatloaf before. It's SUPER GOOD. I have now sworn to stop trying to recreate meatloaf, because it's been done. God help me if Gardein stops making it. Anyway, let's say you have some, but want to make it fancy? Well, if you've got some frozen mixed vegetables and some leftover mashed potatoes, you're cooking with gas.

This picture looked a lot better on my phone.

Meatloaf Shepherd's Pie
makes 2 small or 1 large pie

1 package Gardein meatloaf, thawed
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 vegetable broth
1 tbsp vegan margarine
1 tsp cornstarch
 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp marjoram 
salt and pepper
splash red wine
3 tbsp vegan sour cream
2 cups mashed potatoes

Heat oven to 350°

Make a roux with the margarine and cornstarch over low heat. Whisk in the veg broth, and then the contents of the gravy packets. Crumble the meatloaf slices into the sauce. Add vegetables and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add wine and sour cream. Put into small baking dishes for individual pies, or in one big casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes, spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes turn golden. Let rest for five minutes and serve.

Feel the burn.

Kids, be careful. Hot oil + water droplets = danger.  I think I'm going to have a scar. On the bright side, my wrist is the only thing that feels burned tonight, because this turned out relatively mild.

Today I'm using Target's Simply Balanced brand meatless smoky chipotle chicken. I asked a friend what he'd make with it, and chili was a suggestion. Chili it is! I used my basics: tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, cumin. .. but then threw in an extra chipotle pepper and some cinnamon for fun.

Smoky Chipotle Chick'n Chili
makes six servings

1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
1 package Simply Balanced meatless Smoky Chipotle Chicken, thawed but not combined with the sauce, cut up into smaller pieces
2 14oz cans beans (I used pinto beans and black beans)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp dried oregano
juice of 1/2 lime 
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (about a tbsp of pepper and sauce)
1/2 cup beer or water
2 tbsp masa harina
vegan sour cream, cilantro, cheeze shreds to garnish

In a soup pot over low heat, heat a tsp or so olive oil. Cook the onion, and garlic for about a minute. Add the chicken. Cook until chicken is starting to brown, and the veggies are soft. Add beans, sauce packets, tomato sauce, corn, salt, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, and lime. Taste for heat and seasoning. Add the chipotle if you can take it. In a cup, mix the beer with the masa harina, and add to the chili. Cook for five more minutes, and serve with garnishes.

Alla Helgons Dag

Swedish meatballs are something my mother never made from scratch, but we ate a lot of it, thanks to Stouffer's. I sure did love that crap, and didn't realize how much I missed that flavor until I started thinking about recipes for this week.

Swedish Meatballs have a LOT of ingredients going on, but with some shortcuts and Trader Joe's, I was able to pare it down. Lingonberry preserves are missing from this; you are welcome to add them if you'd like, but the only jar I could find was at The Wedge, and that shit cost more than I had in my account. Also, since the meatless meatballs from TJ's are already chock full of bread crumbs, we can skip the whole soaking bread in milk and adding it to the meat part. Blech. So glad I'm vegan. I don't miss that kind of prep work AT ALL.


This wasn't my favorite shot, but I'm using it because if you squint, you can see some cuddlin' felines in the upper left.

Swedish Meatlessballs
makes 5 servings

1 large onion, finely chopped
8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
2 1/2-3 cups hot vegan beef broth (I used 2 Edward & Sons Not-Beef cubes dissolved in boiling water), mixed with a tsp of gravy browner (I picked up some Kitchen Bouquet gravy browner at the supermarket, and it has helped my beef-y recipes out a TON. Totally optional, though)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 16-oz package meatless meatballs (if you don't have a Trader Joe's, I've seen other brands at the co-op, as well as Whole Foods)
splash wine
2 tbsp pickle juice
6 oz (about half a tub) vegan sour cream
2-3 tbsp fresh minced parsley
mashed potatoes or noodles to serve, if desired

Spray a large, deep skillet with cooking spray or heat a tbsp olive oil. Add onions and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Add a splash of wine to deglaze. Whisk cornstarch into 2 cups broth until dissolved, and add to the pan. Stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and cook until gravy thickens. Throw in the meatballs.  Stir, turning the meatballs over until they are heated through. Add more broth if needed. Push the meatballs over to one side of the pan, and stir the sour cream and pickle juice into the gravy. Mix well, and then incorporate the meatballs and remainder of the gravy. Throw in parsley, combine, and serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, or by themselves. 

Don't forget Swedish Fish for dessert!

Cheezy Apple Roll-ups

This is a recipe that you'd find in one of those housewife magazines. I have friends that feel they need to confess because they occasionally buy Real Simple. Seriously? I'll see your Real Simple, and raise you a Taste of Home, Southern Living, and Woman's goddamn Day. I love those things. Maybe it's the Minnesotan in me that was fascinated with Grandma's baking off the back of the box, but those rags are great for fun ideas. This is a good one for kids, a football appetizer, or to have on the side with a bowl of one of the soups I made this month.

This reminds me of apple pie with a slice of cheese on it, which is SO GOOD. 



Cheezy Apple Roll-ups
makes 8

1 tube Pillsbury Crescent dough (it's vegan!)
1/4 recipe sharp cheddar from Artisan Vegan Cheese, before it's firmed up, or 3/4 cup Daiya cheddar shreds, or whatever vegan cheddar cheese you like
1 apple, cored and finely diced
1 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the margarine. Sprinkle the diced apple with cinnamon, and cook over medium heat until golden. Set aside.
Roll out the Crescent dough, and separate. Spread cheeze on each triangle, and dot with apple bits. Roll up from the wide end, as shown.




This picture blows, but you get the idea.

 Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, and serve.

And the winner is...

Today was Iron Chef at Animal Rights Coalition. I worked really hard all week, spent an outrageous amount of money, and ended up making The Beast. Some of you may remember that I've made it before, and it has always been a hit at Thanksgiving dinner. It turned out to be even more delicious with the addition of a vanilla-cardamom cranberries layer. Those who have experienced the Beast had plenty of helpings, which (almost) made up for the fact that none of my friends showed up. I'm not too worried about being all sour grapes about it on here, because none of them read my blog either. I need new friends.

So, I forgot my camera, but got a few shots with my shitty phone.

A blown circuit made the crockpot pointless, but despite being lukewarm, I ran out of extra gravy pretty fast. Well, and people were doing shots of it.

So, who won? My girl Kaylyn!!! I became her vegan mentor a ways back, and have watched her grow into a beautiful vegan flower. So proud of you!

Now, since you're all dying for the recipe...

The Beast
makes one deep dish 9x9" casserole, or one 9x13" (single layer)

Gravy:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp margarine
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
couple dashes white pepper
1/2 tsp granulated onion, or toasted dried onion
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 can pumpkin puree
2 or more cups vegetable broth
salt, to taste

Whisk the oil, margarine, and cornstarch into a roux over low heat. Add everything else, and slowly pour in the broth, stirring, until thickened and the consistency you want. Remove from heat. Salt to taste.

Potatoes:
3 or 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp margarine
unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
roasted garlic, if desired
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried rosemary

Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Pass through a ricer or use a masher like this one so you don't get gummy potatoes (I also like it a little chunky). Stir in margarine until melted. Slowly add milk, whipping the potatoes to a spreadable consistency. Add some garlic, and rosemary. Stir.

Stuffing:
1/2 of a 12-oz bag bread cubes for stuffing (I mixed sage & onion with cornbread), or homemade 
2 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
any additions you like in stuffing: hazelnuts, almonds, dried cranberries, apples, etc
1 tsp poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, or whatever you'd like to add if using plain bread cubes
1-1.5 cups hot vegetable broth 

Cook the onion, garlic, and celery over medium heat in the margarine until soft. Pour over the bread cubes. Slowly add hot broth and stir until it's moist but not wet. Fold in any add-ins you like.

Soy Curls (if using them; you can also use Tofurky or seitan for this layer):
1 bag Butler's Soy Curls
2 cups hot not-chicken broth (I use Edward & Sons)
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Hydrate the curls in a bowl with all the other ingredients for about ten minutes. Drain, and sear in a pan for a couple minutes until brown. Set aside.

Cranberries:
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch cardamom

Mix that up in a bowl.

Crust:
1/2 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (or your own homemade puff pastry; one sheet)
non-dairy milk for brushing.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 375°
Spray a deep 9x9" casserole or a 13x9" roasting pan with cooking spray. If using a deep dish, you'll want to repeat the layers, so divide everything accordingly. 
Spoon about 1/2 cup or so of the gravy in the bottom. Add your stuffing layer, packing it down to make a firm base. Next is the cranberries. You can either blop it all over, or spread it out in an even layer. Next, make a layer of soy curls. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the whole thing with a rubber spatula. Spoon about a cup of the gravy over this. If you're deep-dishing, you should have saved half of everything. Repeat your layers. 

Roll out the puff pastry to fit your dish. Lay it over the top, and crimp the edges, or tuck it in. Brush with non-dairy milk. Make two slits in the top with a knife. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Lest rest for ten minutes, and serve with extra gravy.

The latest contender.

I'm starting to feel really competitive. Like, bloodthirsty competitive. I actually contemplated not posting anything the rest of the week - not even pictures - because I don't want to give any indications about what I'm up to. How sad is that? I've won Iron Chef before, and I should be willing to deal with someone else getting the glory.

But dammit. I wanna win!

This is something I often make with the Gardein beefless tips. I figured, if I can make the curls taste like chicken, why can't I also make them taste beefy? I can do it with seitan and TVP. Soy Curls are really just whole grain TVP, anyway.


Soy Curl Stroganoff

Making this, I got all fancy with the ingredients, and should have just stuck to how I normally do it. Should I enter this on Saturday, I'll go back to the basics. Oh, and use the right kind of noodles.

Iron Chef Week!

Saturday is our third Iron Chef competition at Animal Rights Coalition. I have participated in the first two (winning the first one!), and I plan to compete this time as well. Those of you in Minnesota should come; while they are full on competitors, we need people to come eat and donate, for that picks the winner!

The secret ingredient is: Butler's Soy Curls.

This week, I'll be trying a few of the ideas rolling around in my head, coming to a decision, and entering what I think is the best one in Saturday's competition. I won't be posting recipes (but still blogging with pictures!) until after Saturday's event. To warm up, I made a small pot of soup this morning.

This isn't Iron Chef-worthy, and really easy. Carrots, celery, onion, parsley, basil, Soy Curls, noodles, and broth.

Allez Cuisine!

Me and baking. A love story.

Like any love story, there is a conflict. Some hellish mountain to be traversed. With baking, there are many heartbreaks: veganizing cake mix, making pie crust, and making up recipes for something as simple as cookies. Back when I used eggs, I made up cookie recipes all the time. Now, I have to figure out which egg sub will work for which recipe, and through much trial and error, I might come up with something that kind of works. Then I go cheat on baking and use a recipe from VCIYCJ because Isa is much better than I am at these kinds of things. Sorry, baby. I have NEEDS.

Today started out rough. The dough looked a little too moist, and I know from experience that oatmeal cookie dough should be pretty dry. I baked the first batch, and they weren't bad; just a little too spread out and doughy in the middle. I added more flour and oats, and they came out great. I also used more brown sugar than white because I ran out of white, and it ended up being a great idea! They formed an almost toffee edge around each cookie. YUM.



Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 2 dozen big cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 medium overripe banana, peeled and squished
2 tsp good vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/3 cups old fashioned oats (not the quick ones!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°
Cream together the margarine, sugars, banana, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, flour, and oats. Add to the wet ingredients, and combine. Fold in the raisins and chips. Drop scoops onto parchment-lined cookie sheets (I use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop, but I don't fill the scoop up all the way). Leave about 1.5" between cookies. Flatten the tops with a spatula or your (clean, duh) hand. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Lazy Thursday

With the exception of three loads of laundry done around 1:00pm, today was all about relaxing. Curled up with Bowie in the crook of my arm, I watched Damages, did some shopping in the Kindle store, and then popped in Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so I could drool over Daniel Craig. I knew I had to cook something, but I wasn't hungry. Not until the smell of slow cooking vegetables and gravy drifted to my nose, that is.

When I was a little girl, my mom made Swanson pot pies in the oven all the time. She would always turn mine over onto a plate, and I often protested, "I want to eat it out of the little pan!" I guess she worried I'd burn myself or make a mess, but it wasn't until I was a grownup that I baked one up in my own oven and ate it out of the aluminum pan that I realized that I liked it all over the plate. It reminded me of my mom.

I searched all over the place for little pie pans yesterday, but none were quite deep enough, so this one was made in a standard pie plate, so it serves more than just one person. With a salad and a veggie side, this could serve four.I am far too lazy to deal with making pie crust, so I opted for puff pastry for this one. Pepperidge Farm makes a vegan puff pastry, albeit completely hydrogenated and non-organic. Since I buy a package of the stuff maybe once a year, I figure I'll live.


Just out of the oven


 

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie
makes one standard pie or four mini-pies

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp margarine
1 cup not-chicken broth (I use Edward & Sons Not Chicken cubes. 1 cube in a cup of boiling water)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cashew cream or soy creamer 
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley 
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup chicken flavored seitan (I used some Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, thawed and cubed)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350°

In a saucepan, heat the margarine until melted. Add onion, celery, and garlic and stir, lowering the heat. Cook until soft. Stir in broth, and increase heat. Whisk in the cornstarch. Stir over a low boil until thickened. Add seasonings, cream, and wine. Stir in chicken seitan and vegetables. Heat for about two minutes, and then pour into a pie pan that's been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. 

Roll out the piece of puff pastry to fit the pie pan. Brush lightly with some melted margarine. With scissors or a pizza cutter, cut into a circle. Lay the pastry over the pie, buttered side down, and crimp the edges. Brush the top with non-dairy milk. Bake 30 minutes or until golden. Let rest five minutes and serve.

I would do anything for love...

...or for vegan meatloaf that isn't mushy.

This time, I came close. I have yet to find that perfect balance of meatiness and loafiness without just serving up a pile of beany-flavored mystery goop. This time it actually held its shape and baked through, but I'm going to add flaxseed to the recipe to see if that helps bind it better. Even without it, it turned out pretty swell.



Vegan Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes
serves 6

1/2 pkg (7 oz) Gimme Lean hamburger
1/2 pkg Gimme Lean sausage
5 slices bread, soaked in water and strained
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/2 tbsp bouquet garni
1/2 can tomato sauce for meatloaf (I used Hunt's)
couple dashes of salt, a few twists of pepper

Preheat oven to 375°.
Smush all that up in a bowl. Drop into a roasting pan, form into a loaf. Dribble some diluted barbecue sauce over the top. Lay strips of Fakin' Bacon or Tofurky's smoky maple tempeh bacon across the top. 

For potatoes:

2 large red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
dash coarse salt

Toss everything to coat in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes around the meatloaf. Bake for an hour, uncovered, or until meatloaf is done and potatoes are tender. Turn the potatoes occasionally while cooking.

Mac n' Cheese, Cheese n' Mac...

Good for a meal, great for a snack!

You know that a week of comfort food can't happen without a big ol' dish of baked macaroni and cheese, and vegans don't get off the hook, either. While I got over most cheeses and cheesy dishes, I never quite got past mac & cheese. It's the one thing you want when you had a shitty day at work, or when you've overindulged a bit and it's 2:00am. I got by with noochy sauce for a while, then Follow Your Heart, and then Daiya happened, and mac & cheese actually became something that I'd thought I'd never experience again. You know the stuff. That Velveeta-y, creamy orange deliciousness. Nothing fancy. No Vegan Master Chef-type ingredients. Just simple and good.




Vegan Macaroni & Cheese
serves 4 hungry vegans

8 oz brown rice pasta elbows
4 tbsp margarine, divided
1 cup Daiya shreds (cheddar)
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
dash paprika
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°, coat a 1-qt casserole with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook macaroni until al dente (follow the directions on the package). Strain, return to the pot.
Heat 3 tbsp margarine in a separate saucepan until melted. Add the cheese, milk, paprika, and garlic. Stir until everything melts together. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low, and keep stirring (mixture will thicken and become very smooth). Remove from heat, and stir into hot macaroni. Mix well, so all the noodles are coated. Dump it into the prepared casserole. Toss the breadcrumbs with the last tablespoon of (melted) margarine. Spread evenly over the noodles. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let it rest for 5 minutes before digging in.

Crisis averted!

Somewhere in the black hole that is my kitchen, there is a paddle attachment for my ice cream maker. I see it all the time, acknowledge its existence, and move on to other things. Of course, when I need it, I can't remember the oh-so-clever place that I stored it. It would make too much sense to store it with, I don't know...the rest of the attachments for that machine, or maybe in the drawer full of Cuisinart blades, stand mixer hooks and whisks, bread machine paddles, and sushi mats? NOOOO. I put it somewhere that I would see it every day. Only I don't. So, when I got home at 10:30 tonight to make ice cream, I had a small panic attack as I turn my kitchen upside down trying to find the damn thing. Ah, but I found the Robo-Stir, which I wouldn't have purchased if it wasn't 75% off, and now I know why. It doesn't do anything like the commercial. It sits in the bowl, and it vibrates. That's it. 

So, I used a gadget I could find. My fucking arm. 



It's not 100% frozen solid like it would be close to had I used the right attachment, but I was getting tired. For the record, it's Jell-O vanilla cook & serve pudding made with almond milk, chilled, and then ice creamed. Some twat on Facebook tried to tell me that thickeners weren't needed when making ice cream because "freezing it thickens it." In a polite way, I told her to eat a bag of dicks with her boring ass ice cream; the rest of us were going to make it from pudding, and enjoy delicious, rich, creamy ice cream that has a mouthfeel more like cream and less like...well, ice. So there you go.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
serves 6

1 4.6 oz box Jell-O vanilla Cook & Serve pudding (it's vegan!)
3 cups vanilla almond milk (soy just doesn't set right)
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract (Trader Joe's)

Prepare as directed on the box, only add the extract. Chill in the fridge until cold and set. Make it into ice cream in your ice cream maker THAT HAS A PADDLE.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp margarine
1 cup cashew cream, coconut cream, or soy creamer
1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water, and margarine. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes (it'll bubble a lot). Very carefully, add the cream and vanilla in a slow stream and stir stir stir. Cook for another couple minutes. Remove from heat, cool for a few minutes. Serve over ice cream.

Skol!

This week will be dedicated to comfort foods, more specifically, quick comfort foods. That means I'll be taking a lot of shortcuts, but to me, that's what comfort food entails. When you want to be cozy and warm, with one of your favorite foods, shouldn't it take the least amount of time from fridge to bowl? Exactly. Needless to say, I'm kind of leaving Engine 2 on the sidelines until MoFo is over.

This chili came together so quickly, I call it Halftime Chili, because you could make it during halftime. As long as you use already cooked or canned beans, and a chili seasoning packet, you're in and out of that kitchen pretty quick. What took time was baking the cornbread (by the way, Betty Crocker's cornbread muffin mix is vegan, but it's kind of sweet and not so good).

Halftime Chili

6-8 servings

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups cooked beans, or two cans 

         I used a can of chili beans (pinto, kidney, black) and a can of garbanzos

1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilies (Can I just say, "those yummy Muir Glen tomatoes?")

1 12-oz pkg burger crumbles (I used Lightlife's Smart Ground Mexican Style)

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp barbecue sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 envelope chili seasoning

1 tbsp dark cocoa powder

ground chipotle (if desired), to taste

shredded vegan cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro to garnish

Cook onion, pepper, and garlic in oil until soft. Throw in everything else up to the chipotle, plus a splash of water and cook, stirring, for about five minutes.  Serve hot with cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions, and cilantro with a wedge of cornbread. Pop open a beer. 

GO VIKES.