Vegan Meatless Taco Filling

I didn't think I could love taco night more than I did but I made up this filling and now I do:

Tasty Taco Filling
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp mushroom soy sauce (find it at your local Asian market)
1 tsp paprika

All in food processor, pulse, scraping the sides as needed.
It should be lumpy, not a paste, do not over-process.

Taco filling, sandwich spread, spoon on pasta, over salad, add to soups, casseroles; Add a spoonful any where you want a BLAST of flavor.

The Condiment Chronicles :: Vegan Mayo De-Classified

The word is out. The mystery is solved. The myth de-bunked. You CAN make delicious mayo at home, cheap, without bothering any hens! (graphic)

Who knew it was this easy? Vegan Epicurean knew!

After reading the article with the original recipe about what she did, Here's what I did:

I went to BigLots and got a $2 bottle of canola oil, so this was REALLY cheap. I used one cup of oil (50c) and a 1/2 cup of soy milk ($3.50 for a 1/2 gallon, even cheaper when I make the soymilk myself) and the price of the spices and salt. That isn't very expensive to make over a cup of mayo.

Vegan Mayonnaise on the Cheap!

1 1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup plain soy milk (very slightly sweet so I left out the sweetener called for in the original recipe)

1/4 tsp vinegar

1 tbs lemon juice 

1/2 tsp salt

Put all in blender with whatever seasonings you want (I used 1/2 tsp dried mustard but you should adjust the salt, sweetness and tartness to your personal taste. It's only as good as you spice it)

If you have a high speed blender you should be able to whip this up in about 30 seconds. With a regular blender, you may have to mix longer.

Makes about a cup and a half of mayo

Scrape the mayo into a jar with a tight lid and store in the fridge. 

I will let you know how long it stores sometime in the future! It should last as long as the milk is good and when it's mixed with vinegar, salt and oil I think the milk should last a while in the fridge. We'll see. Let me know if you find out first!

Vegan Rice Pudding With Raisins

This is  my own recipe, not one that I am testing for the Blissful Chef, so I can share it with you.

I've love rice pudding so I veganized the old recipe.
Rice pudding is very versatile and can be served as a warm, filling breakfast, a side at brunch and you can serve it warm or chilled as a dessert.

Coconut rice pudding


3 c cooked br rice
1 c coconut milk
2 c water
2 tbs raisins
pinch salt (optional)

1 shot maple syrup

All ingredients except maple syrup in large saucepan.
Simmer, stirring almost constantly until very thick. Reduce heat to low, put on a lid and let it cook for about ten minutes.
Add maple syrup, stir and serve.
Adjust the sweetness to your tastes.

Makes three 1+ cup servings.

I like it just as it is but you may want to add more syrup, your favorite vegan margarine and/or milk, fruit, etc.

Rice pudding is a traditional dish that the whole family can love and a delicious way to use up leftover rice.  I used last night's dinner rice, a mixture of short grain brown rice and wild rice.
I used fresh coconut milk which is the water and soft meat of a young Thai coconut blended together.

Steamed Collard Greens

2 cups collard greens, diced
2 tbs chopped onion
4 tbs finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 cups water
2-3 grinds of pepper

Cook all together in saucepan until well reduced.
Drain and use the liquid as broth.

Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Southern Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits













Pre-heat oven to 450F

2 cups flour
4 tsp aluminum free baking powder 
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

4 tbs olive oil

1 cup chilled vegan buttermilk (1 cup chilled vegan milk of your choice, add 2 tbs vinegar or lemon juice, stir well, allow to thicken in fridge about 10 minutes)

In a chilled bowl mix dry ingredients well.
Cut in oil until it's a crumbly texture. Use a cold fork, you fingers will make it too warm and you won't get the crumb-like texture you want.
Add chilled buttermilk and stir until a thick dough forms.
Turn out on a heavily floured board and sprinkle flour on top then fold dough over onto itself. Continue to sprinkle and fold until you have a workable dough that you can roll out and cut. Don't over work.
Roll out to about an 3/4" thick
Cut with a 2" biscuit cutter and arrange on dry baking sheet with the circles barely touching each other.
Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.

This recipe made 14 biscuits.

Really easy, really good, 100% veganized for your convenience.

Next time I will use 3 tbs oil and 1/4 tsp salt, but these are DEE-LICIOUS! I'm going to serve them with vegan gravy and steamed collard greens.

Kasha and Bowties

1 c raw kasha (whole buckwheat groats)
1 c uncooked bowtie pasta (farfalle)
1 tbs olive oil (for frying)
1 med onion, chopped
about 8 med brown mushrooms, chopped
1.5 c vegetable broth, boiling in lidded saucepan

Boil and drain bowties. Set aside.
Heat oil in skillet add chopped onion and mushrooms and saute until soft and translucent.
Ad kasha and stir constantly until it begins to turn brown and smell toasty.
Pour sauteed kasha mixture in to boiling broth.
Lid saucepan and lower heat to simmer.
Simmer until liquid is absorbed.
Add bowties.
Stir and serve.

The Culmination of An Entire Day of Preparing Falafel Dinner

Ah, the Chick Pea. Also known as Garbanzos, these tasty legumes are full of fiber and oh-so-versatile. They are the main ingredient in hummus and I love me some delicious chickpea curry (chana masala) but many people don't know that they are the major component in falafel.

Yesterday was Falafel Appreciation Day so we had falafel for dinner last night.

Soak and sprout 1 cup of dried garbanzo beans. This takes four days. If you don't have the time you can just soak them over night. When you are done you should have about 3 cups of soaked/sprouted beans.

Do yourself a favor and do not use canned beans. Or any canned food for that matter. They line the cans with BPA and that leaches into the canned food causing all kinds of problems that we won't get into here. It's cheaper to buy dried beans and very simple to soak and sprout them. Do it. You will feel more self sufficient, create less waste and you will thank yourself later. Soaked and sprouted beans are more nutritious and easier to digest. You will have less bean related gas if you soak and sprout beans before cooking.

Use those beans to make Falafel!

These are baked falafel. Crisp on the outside, warm and soft inside.

Because they are baked, they are very low fat. You can also fry these in oil for a crispier (greasier, heavier) product. A sort of "happy medium" can be reached by baking them in advance and gently heating them in a lightly greased skillet before serving.


Sprouted wheat flat bread, falafel, tomato, onion, vegan yogurt sauce and red lettuce came together and made my mouth very happy.

The money shot:

What did you do for Falafel Appreciation Day?

Super Easy, Super Cheesy Dairy Free Multi-Purpose Un-Cheese Sauce

I'm making steamed brocolli for dinner tonight so I made a vegan cheese sauce. I know I posted this recipe before but I've been making it and tweaking it each time and I think this is about the best it's ever turned out so I'm posting this new, updated version of multi-purpose cheese flavored sauce for making vegan macaroni and cheese, for pouring over vegetables, great on baked potato, nachos, quesadilla, in casseroles... I even put it on vegan pizza the other day, fantastic!

Super Easy, Super Cheesy Sauce

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika (optional. Makes it more orange colored)

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs ACV

2 cups water

Everything in the blender except 1/2 cup water.

Blend until liquefied.

Pour mixture into a saucepan

Put last 1/2 cup of water in the blender carafe, swirl it around and pour that in the saucepan, too. (nothing goes to waste around here)

This is the hardest part.

Put the saucepan of liquified ingredients on low-med heat and stir constantly until it reaches the desired thickness, about 10 minutes.

This mixture will continue to thicken even after you are done cooking. Behold the power of Oatmeal!  Store in the fridge in a covered container and add more water as needed to thin.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I managed to make them semi decent. The photo doesn't look to good but they were tasty as heck. The boy didn't like the peanut butter filling.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

2 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 3oz bars of vegan chocolate.  I used Endangered Species, one cacao nibs and one coffee beans. The bat and the tiger, I can't remember which was which.

Mix peanut butter,  yeast and sugar. Spread them on a plate about a 1/2 inch thick and put in the freezer to let it get a little hard. You will cut it in pieces later to put in the center of the cup.

Melt the chocolate. I used an old enamel pot and submerge it halfway in warm water. The chocolate melts slowly but it doesn't scorch that way.

Pour chocolate into glass custard cups, enough to cover the bottom
Take your hardened peanut butter mixture and cut off a piece the size you want. I went with about a 50c piece.

Place it on the chocolate in the cup.
Pour the rest of the chocolate on top
Pop it in the fridge for an hour or more so it sets up.

When you are ready to eat them, fill a pan with 1" of warm water and put the cup in the water. Leave it for a minute or two and the peanut butter cup should pop right out with the help of a bread knife.

Vegan Pancake Dinner on International Pancake Day!

In honor of International Pancake Day we had pancakes with cauliflower salad and steamed yams for dinner last night.















That is pineapple chutney on top of the pancakes.

This is for all of you who think vegans can't eat pancakes. Another myth exploded into a million delicious pieces.

Leave a comment below and let me know how you like YOUR vegan pancakes!

Raw Vegan Grilled Vegetables

Raw Vegan "Grilled" vegetables

thinly slice:
seeded yellow bell pepper
1/2 seeded jalapeno
1 seeded tomato
coat with a mix of 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs olive oil, sprinkle of cumin and sprinkle of dried cilantro
Put coated veges in dehydrator until they begin to soften.
Remove from dehydrator before they start to get crisp.
May be re-warmed in dehydrator in a shallow bowl before serving.
















Serve as a side dish or in wraps with spicy walnut meat.

Raw Vegan Spicy Walnut Filling

Spicy Walnut Filling:

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 seeds from 1 jalapeno (a pinch of cayenne will do)
1 tsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
Pulse in Food processor until lumpy consistency is achieved. Do not over process, it should be a lumpy texture, not pasty.

Makes and excellent taco filling or salad topping.

Vegan Pizza!

I made a yeast pizza crust from the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill flour bag, but I used whole wheat flour and I add 1 tbs garlic powder (not garlic salt) to the recipe.

I rolled the crusts out super thin for a change, I usually make them thicker. Both are good :)

Crust drizzled with olive oil.















I like my home made vegan pizza sauce-less so it is topped with sliced tomatoes, basil, grilled onions, green olives, chopped seitan nuggets, chopped pickled garlic and cashew sour cream.















Bake 15 minutes at 425F, until crust is browned and crispy. Don't bake too long or the crust will be like a cracker.

Nom.

White Bean and Avocado Fajitas Vegan Lunch or Dinner Idea

Cooked white beans seasoned with olive oil and salt
Sliced ripe avocado
1 or 2 tortillas
Put one tortilla in a medium hot, dry skillet. Fill with beans and avocado on half of the tortilla. Fold the other half over and heat about 4 minutes on each side.

Shown with sauerkraut, lemon jalapeno pickles and cashew sour cream.

Curried Vegetables Vegan Dinner Idea! Easy Cheap Recipe

This recipe is great because you can use whatever veges you like or whatever you have. I especially like to use about a 1/2 cup each carrot, parsnip, cauliflower and kale or collard cut into either ribbons or confetti.

Curried Vegetables

2 cups chopped mixed vegetables.
1 cup water
some olive oil if desired
2 tsp curry powder
Salt if you need it

Heat vegetables in water on high heat until the water is bubbly
Stir in the olive oil and curry powder
Put heat on low and put a tight lid on the pan
Let it steam until the vegetables are soft, stir occasionally and add more water if needed.


Serve with rice, flat bread, noodles, etc.

Use leftovers for a vegan pizza toppings!

Raw Vegan Fermented Cashew Sour Cream or Yogurt Recipe

This recipe changed my life!
Blend a cup of soaked cashews (or any other nut you like) with enough water to make a thick paste about the consistency of sour cream. More water if you want a thinner kefir, yogurt or buttermilk consistency
Put the nut paste in a jar. Leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the jar because it will GROW.

Put the jar in your dehydrator (remove the trays) with a loose lid. Set it at about 95F. (This can be done in any warm place but it may take longer. See note below)

Leave it over night and it should look like this in the morning:

















See the bubbles? It's alive!















Stir it down and add salt or other seasonings if you like. I like it plain.
Store covered in the fridge almost indefinitely. Use just like you would sour cream in just about any recipe, as far as I know.
The longer you let it set the more sour delicious it gets.

I like to take a jar of this on road trips with me. It tastes better every day!

Note for those of you who don't have a dehydrator: If you don't have a dehydrator keep it in a warm place and it will ferment, it just may take a bit longer. My MIL preheats her oven to the lowest temp, turns off the oven then puts the jar in a water bath in the oven overnight and that method works for her. I also know someone who uses a heating pad on low heat in a box. A home yogurt maker might work, too.

Today's Green Smoothie

Red lettuce and some kale (2 hands full total)
2 bananas
4oz raw cranberries
2 tbs flaxseed
RenewMe!
Water

Blend.














Kitteh



















I've still been drinking green smoothies, just not blogging about them. I need to get in the habit of posting the daily smoothie photos. I think it's a good exercise.
I like to have one every day. It makes me feel grounded. Like, no matter what else happens all day, at least I had my smoothie!

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili Recipe!

I was inspired by A Life Less Sweet to make this chili.



















Sweet Potato Chili

You will need

1 med onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced
1 medium carrot, chopped small
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
1.5 cup water or vege broth

Spices:
1tsp coriander
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
.5-1 tsp red chili flakes (or more, adjust to your taste)
.5 tsp salt
1 tbs ACV


What you will do:

Brown the onion in .5 tbs (as little as you can get away with) of vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance) or oil.

Add chopped veges and water and let simmer until veges start to get soft.
Add spices and stir. Add a little more water if necessary
Cover and let cook, the longer the better, keep an eye and don't let it burn.

Serve with a green salad, rice, quinoa, beans, tortillas and chopped fresh tomato and onion.

This recipe freezes well so don't be afraid to double or triple it and save yourself some time in the future!

How to cook Perfect Rice on an Electric Stove

This works for white rice or quinoa.


Perfect Rice

Put one cup rice or quinoa in a large sauce pan or pot.
Add 2 cups cold water
Bring to a boil
Turn the burner off but leave the pan on the burner and put a tight lid on the pan.
Leave the pan for 20 min or longer, no worry of it burning and you have perfect rice whenever you need it!
Fluff, reheat if necessary and serve with curry, chili, beans, gravy, or use for stuffing, vegan meatloaf or patties, soups, salads, sidedishes, breakfast dinner, lunch, brunch or just a snack!

PS: You must use an electric stove. I don't know how to make perfect rice on a gas stove :)

Sweet Potato Parsnip Curry

Warm, slightly spicy, sweet and comforting.

Cube sweet potato and parsnip.














Place in a sauce pan with enough coconut milk to cover.

I add a little water too, because the coconut milk is very rich. I use about 1/4 cup water for every cup of coconut milk.

Stir in 1 tbs or so of Mae Ploy Yellow curry paste and cook over medium heat.















Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.
Simmer until the vegetables are soft and the coconut milk starts to thicken.
















Shown with quinoa and roasted fennel.