Yield 6-8 servings
A vegan Oktoberfest may sound like an oxymoron. And it’s true, wienerschintzel and bratwurst aren’t typically meat-free fare. But this autumn, thanks to a simple vegan sausage recipe (for those who love to cook)—or prepared vegan brats (for those who don’t)—everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences, can take part in the merrymaking.
If an Oktoberfest celebration is not your style, this meal nonetheless makes a tasty, healthy and hearty—but not heavy—cool weather supper. Spicy white bean-based sausages are nestled into a braise of onions, cabbage, potatoes and apples before being topped with a dollop of sour “cream”-horseradish sauce and a tangle of red apple sauerkraut, my twist on the traditional red cabbage variety.
There is nothing purist about my take on traditional German fare, yet I pay homage to the cuisine through my combinations of ingredients. Take the sausages for instance. They are vegan cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe made with my own spice mixture inspired by bratwurst and thüringer rostbratwurst.
By repeating some of the customary spices and ingredients, like coriander seeds and apples, from one component of the dish to another, I tie the flavors together while still offering plenty of harmonious contrast between tastes and textures.
Follow each recipe as-is for a satisfying four-part, one-dish Deutsch-inspired meal, or take some creative liberties of your own.
Prost!
For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:
The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes
Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011
Vegan "Pulled" Spaghetti Squash Barbecue with Vegan Cole Slaw on Vegan Creamed Corn and Chive Cakes–Appetizer Version
Vegan Creamed Corn Cakes with Chives
Yield: 8 corn cakes
You’ll love these creamed corn cakes for their ease and their “buttery” richness. Chives take them right over the top by imparting a subtle onion-y flavor and adding appealing little flecks of green goodness.
1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 cup self-rising flour
pinch garlic powder
1-15 ounce can creamed corn
about 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain would be good too, just a little sweeter)
1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives
2 scant tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 scant tablespoon of the butter. Meanwhile, place first three ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in creamed corn, soy milk and melted butter. Sprinkle in chives. Stir together until well combined, but avoid over-mixing. Return skillet to heat and add about a half tablespoon of butter. When melted, swirl to coat pan. Using a 1/4 cup measure, make three corn cakes, spreading ever so slightly if needed just to flatten tops. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side or until just a few bubbles appear, you get a nice rise, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Avoid overcrowding. This batter is fairly thick, but if corn cakes look like they are going to run together, just cook a couple at a time. Add butter to keep skillet greased as needed. If corn cakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat slightly. When cooked through, remove corn cakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter and corn cake batter.
Vegan Bloomin’ Barbecue Sauce
Yield: 2 1/2 cups
There are lots of tasty barbecue sauces on the market these days. But, even though they come in almost every flavor imaginable, there is still something more satisfying about making it from scratch. Plus–and maybe this is my imagination–it seems that, regardless of the “gourmet” ingredients in today’s varieties, they are still made for a mass market and, hence, lack as much character as I crave. My barbecue sauce is, by no means, a big risk-taker, but I think it is less homogenized than what you find on the store shelves. And, it’s a great base for other sauces with very specific flavor profiles: southwestern, Caribbean, and so forth.
Optional, but recommended: 1 small onion, finely diced and sauteed in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until golden and slightly caramelized
1-15 ounce can tomato puree
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Amino Acids
5 tablespoons sweetener (I like 1 tablespoon each of the following, but use what you have: maple syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, brown sugar)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-3 teaspoons prepared mustard
pinch of coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
pinch of freshly ground black pepper to taste
a dash or two of Liquid Smoke to taste
Stir all together and heat gently until simmering. Simmer for just a few minutes to let flavors combine. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
Vegan Cole Slaw
Yield: approximately 8 servings
For me, pure vegan mayonnaise-based slaw dressings are too creamy, and vinegar-based ones, though I love vinaigrette on salads, don’t have enough body to hold up to the slaw mix. So, I combined the two for the perfect balance resulting in a slaw for every occasion.
For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:
The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes
Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011
Vegan "Pulled" Spaghetti Squash Barbecue with Vegan Cole Slaw on Vegan Creamed Corn and Chive Cakes
Yield: 4-8 servings (depending on how hungry you are)
My pal, Katherine Jackson, requested a veg version of pulled pork barbecue. When I told her she had me stumped (because I wasn’t sure how I could shred something like seitan in a home kitchen), she suggested spaghetti squash. I thought that was a brilliant idea. And I hope you agree.
But, for me, no barbecue meal is complete without the counterpoints of crispy-creamy cole slaw and tender “buttery” corn cakes, so I added those to the mix. I think you’ll love this trifecta of tastes. Here’s to you, Katherine, for providing great inspiration!
Vegan “Pulled” Spaghetti Squash Barbecue
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spaghetti squash, roasted (see recipe below)
Bloomin’ Barbecue Sauce
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high just until simmering and carefully swirl to coat the bottom. Stir a few spoonfuls of sauce into the squash until well-coated, but not not saturated. Add squash to heated pan and gently press into one layer, filling the skillet. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes. You want it to char just slightly in some places on the bottom but not stick and burn. Stir or loosen from bottom if necessary. Turn the squash over one spoon- or spatula-full at a time and cook for another 3-5 minutes to achieve the same light char in places. Serve with additional sauce, heated, with Vegan Cole Slaw on warm Vegan Creamed Corn Cakes. (All recipes follow.)
Spaghetti Squash
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a baking pan. Split spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds and stringy pulp and discard (compost!). Place squash halves face down on the baking pan and roast in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack, let sit until cool enough to handle and then scrape flesh out of shell in a flaking motion using a fork creating “shreds.”
Bloomin’ Barbecue Sauce
Optional, but recommended: 1 small onion, finely diced and sauteed in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until golden and slightly caramelized
1-15 ounce can tomato puree
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Amino Acids
5 tablespoons sweetener (I like 1 tablespoon each of the following, but use what you have: maple syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, brown sugar)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-3 teaspoons prepared mustard
pinch of coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
pinch of freshly ground black pepper to taste
a dash or two of Liquid Smoke to taste
Stir all together and heat gently until simmering. Simmer for just a few minutes to let flavors combine. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
For the Vegan Cole Slaw recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:
The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes
Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011
Vegan Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Streusel
Yield: one 5-8″ loaf
Bananas intended for morning smoothies ended up in one moist and delicious breakfast quick bread. A peanut butter streusel was just the little extra somethin’-somethin’ it needed to set it apart from ordinary banana bread which is admittedly hard to beat.
Batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
(or substitute 2 cups white whole wheat flour for both flours) ½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla would be good too)
3 very ripe bananas, peeled and pureed or mashed well by hand
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract
Streusel:
2 tablespoons crunchy “natural” peanut butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oatmeal
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 5 x 8” metal loaf pan with non-stick spray.
To make batter, place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in oil, soy milk, banana and extract(s). Stir together just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Spoon batter into pan and gently smooth top.
In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients with your fingers. Sprinkle streusel over the top of the banana bread and, using the palm of your hand, gently but firmly press it into the surface of the batter. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or nearly clean. There should be no raw batter clinging to the pick. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Run a knife around edges, remove from pan onto a plate or your hand and then invert with streusel side up onto rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Vegan Wheat Berry, Caramelized Onion, Dried Cranberry and Hazelnut Salad
Yield: approximately 4 cups or 8 servings
I am addicted to a wheat berry salad I discovered recently on the deli bar at our local Farm Fresh grocery store. I nabbed some one day when I had neglected to take my lunch to school. For some reason, I love to scoop it up with All Bran crackers. (Have you tried them yet? Mmm…)
Each time I purchase the salad for my lunch, I try to analyze what’s in it which is no small feat considering I’m usually wolfing it down. Finally, this weekend, I set about to recreate it. My recipe comes very close, except for the addition of hazelnuts which seemed like the perfect finishing touch to me. Besides tasting so good, making my own salad saves drive-time and money, though I suspect I have not had my last taste of the inspiration dish.
The only downside to wheat berries is the long hands-free cooking time, but you definitely don’t want to serve them undercooked, though they will be chewy regardless. And this salad is so worth any extra effort. Therefore, the day before you plan to serve it, start the berries soaking in 2 cups of water. Twelve hours later, they will be softened and ready for cooking.
1 1/4 cups wheat berries
2 generous cups water
Soak berries in water for 12 hours, drain, and proceed with recipe.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, very finely diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, very finely diced
generous 3 cups of vegetable stock
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider, fig or red wine vinegar (I used fig because I had some on hand)
zest of 1/4-1/2 of a large orange (you just want a barely perceptible hint of orange)
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (dry toast in a skillet over medium-high heat for a very few minutes, just until lightly toasted)
approximately 1 tablespoon or so of snipped fresh chives
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Add onions and saute, stirring frequently until they just start to turn golden. Add celery and red pepper and continue sauteing and stirring frequently until it softens. (Note: you may alternatively add uncooked red pepper at the end; the crunch and brighter red color is a nice contract with the other ingredients.) Stir in soaked and drained wheat berries. Add stock, stir well and cover with a lid or foil and simmer, lowering heat to medium if necessary, until tender and liquid is absorbed, probably about an hour, but start checking at 45 minutes. Add warm stock or water if liquid evaporates before berries are tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Stir in dried cranberries and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together olive oil, vinegar and zest, pour over berry mixture and toss gently to coat. When mixture cools to room temperature, stir in hazelnuts, chives, and red bell pepper if you chose not to add it with celery. Adjust seasoning if necessary. This salad is best served at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Pet Handicap Ramp
I thought that vegan readers and other dog lovers would appreciate this photo of our new pet handicap ramp and short story: our 16 year old mutt, Webster, has pretty severe arthritis in his hips, despite chiropractic care, Glyco-Flex, Tramadol, Fish Oil (sorry!), etc. He still loves to walk–almost as much as he loves to eat–though it’s slow going and our house-sitter refers to the way his hips give out as causing him to “bounce” along.
Our house is built on pilings, so there is no way in except up a few stairs. Traversing the stairs has become a challenge for Webbie, some days more than others. Though I can pick him up because he only weighs 50 lbs. and change, he really doesn’t like it.
So, after a recent incident almost causing Web to injure himself, Doug Barnes, a retired neighbor and genius wood-worker agreed to build and install this beautiful ramp system at an unbelievably reasonable price. Webster can now live out his last days with something closer to the independence he has always enjoyed.
Thanks, Doug!
