March 30, 2011April 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Spicy Spiked Skillet Chili

Yield: 4-6 servings

If you live in a part of the world where temperatures have dipped–or never rose to begin with–this ultra-simple, ultra-satisfying chili will warm you from the inside out. However, if you live in warmer climes, a bowl of this spicy soup just might get a little perspiration going and cool you down–nature’s own air conditioning.

The most difficult part of making this dish is waiting while the chili simmers for 25 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, but into 1/4-inch dice

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces tempeh

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon smoked, sweet or spicy paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1-15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice

12 ounces light beer or non-alcoholic beer (see note below)

1 tablespoon miso paste (any kind)

1 tablespoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar

(Note: you may substitute 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for the miso paste and the brown rice syrup.)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup frozen corn

1-15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Optional garnishes: dollops of my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese,” dollops of vegan sour cream, and cilantro sprigs

Optional accompaniment: Frito Scoops for “Frito Chili Pie”

Heat oil to shimmering in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Crumble tempeh into the pa, add all spices and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or just until tempeh starts to brown. Add all remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until all flavors have married. Serve hot garnished as desired.

Note: According to Ali Tadayon in “Beware the Beer: Is Yours Vegan,” found in the Vegan Mainstream e-newsletter, not all beer is vegan, as it may include albium (derived from animal blood), isinglass (derived from the swim bladders of fish), gelatin, charcoal, pepsin, lactose, and even insects. She recommends the following vegan-approved beers: Amstel, Corona, Heineken, New Belgium Brewery, Pabst Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and Tecate over these non-vegan ones: Castle Rock Brewery, Guinness, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Red Stripe.

March 25, 2011April 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Creamy Spiked Spinach, Mushroom and Tempeh Marinara

Yield: 4-6 servings

I can’t think of a time when we’ve visited my husband’s family in Philadelphia that his mother or big sister, Tina, didn’t make Creamed Chipped Beef for breakfast on the Sunday morning of our departure (fondly known by some as S*** on a Shingle). I’ve never partaken of it, of course, usually choosing something like a bagel, soymilk and juice instead.

But a couple of weekends ago, I decided to create a vitamin- and protein-packed dish of a similar texture–if not flavor–to enjoy over the communal toast or hashed brown potatoes. Joe’s family is incredibly solicitous when it comes to my diet, so there was tempeh aplenty, courtesy of Joe’s little sister, Terri Ann, and homemade marinara sauce or “gravy” with no meat or cheese, courtesy of Tina. Since both had gone to some trouble, I wanted to be sure that their efforts weren’t wasted.

The recipe that follows is what resulted and it is delicious for a hardy brunch or dinner. I like it served over grilled ciabatta or something similar, though you could certainly serve it over pasta or polenta.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces tempeh, any flavor

2 tablespoons steak or grill seasoning (I used steak seasoning with a lot of cardamom seeds and ground it in my spice grinder)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried oregano

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick

12 ounces lite beer or non-alcoholic beer (see note below)

1 cup homemade or prepared marinara sauce

1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

1 teaspoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar

8 cups lightly packed baby spinach (no need to stem or chop)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons soy creamer

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Heat oil to shimmering in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute, stirring, for one minute. Season with salt and pepper, and add garlic and continue to saute, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Crumble tempeh into the pan and sprinkle with steak or grill seasoning, basil, marjoram, and oregano. Continue sauteeing for about 5 minutes or until tempeh just barely starts to brown. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until they release their moisture and it begins to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, Liquid Aminos, and brown rice syrup, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 more minutes. Stir in spinach just until uniformly wilted, but still bright green. Stir in 1/4 cup soy creamer and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Whisk together flour and remaining 2 tablespoons of soy creamer to make a paste, and stir into the tempeh mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, just to make sure that the flour no longer tastes raw. Serve hot over grilled ciabatta, pasta or polenta.

March 21, 2011March 22, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chorizo, White Beans and Spinach Valencian

Yield: 4-6 servings

My good friend and dance teacher, Brent Dunn, has been gradually learning the “Vegan-ese Waltz.” Recently, he turned me on to Trader Joe’s vegan chorizo. ¡Delicioso! It’s rich red spicy goodness doesn’t cry out for much to become a meal. But I was obsessed with combining it with the flavor of orange, having been at a party Friday night hosted by my friend who went to college in Spain and was regaling us with a tale of a trip to Valencia. Here’s my spicy Valencian ode (almost as spicy as the story she told!):

1 tablespoon hazelnut or walnut oil (olive oil or canola oil would work fine)

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large cloves, garlic, minced

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch slices and then cut in half

12 ounces vegan chorizo, casing removed

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (be sure it’s smoked)

1-15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1-15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup cream sherry (contains no cream; refers to a slight sweetness)

Zest of one medium-large naval orange

1/4 cup minced parsley or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons plain soy creamer

1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced black olives (choose a meaty variety; brine-cured preferred)

Optional accompaniment: sliced bread, brushed with hazelnut oil (or olive oil) and grilled

Optional garnish: finely chopped hazelnuts

Heat oil to shimmering in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute, stirring, for one minute. Season with salt and pepper, and add garlic and continue to saute, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add bell pepper, and continue sauteeing for about 3 minutes. Crumble chorizo into the pan and sprinkle with paprika. Continue sauteeing for about 2 minutes or until heated through. Add the beans and do the same. Add stock, tomatoes and sherry and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach just until uniformly wilted, but still bright green. Stir in zest, parsley and soy creamer and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove from heat, stir in olives, garnish if desired, and serve hot.

June 19, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Green Bean and Apricot Salad with Tempeh "Bacon" and Cashews in a Light Vegan Asian Dressing

I love those vegetable side dish recipes that, with the addition of a tasty protein, become a full meal, though, in this case, a very light summery one.

Essentially I added cooked tempeh “bacon” pieces and lightly salted and roasted cashews to my Vegan Fresh Green Bean and Peach Salad with Light Vegan Asian Dressing.

I’m a little embarrassed, but I ate an entire half recipe for lunch. The slightly chewy green beans and smokey tempeh bacon, the sweet juicy peaches, and the crunchy cashews made for quite a texture and taste sensation. And the tempeh wasn’t entirely cool when I added it to the salad, so I found the temperature contrast very appealing.

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

June 10, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Guacamole (Knock-offamole) Quesadillas

Yield: 4 quesadillas

I call my vegan quacamole “Knock-offamole” because it doesn’t contain avocados, not because they aren’t vegan, but because I’m either allergic to them or have developed a food sensitivity. It’s a darn shame, too, because I loved Mom’s “guac” as a kid.

My version, made with creamy fresh green peas, wouldn’t necessarily fool anyone, except in appearance, but it sure is good. And it is perfect in a quesadilla. There is something about the cool, tart and creamy filling contrasted with the crisp buttery tortillas that is perfection on a plate.

4-8 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1 recipe (approximately 2 cups) Vegan Guacamole (“Knock-Offamole”)
8-8 inch flour tortillas (whole wheat would probably be good, but I haven’t tried them in this recipe)
Garnish: vegan sour cream, grape tomato quarters, lime wedges, and/or fresh cilantro sprigs

Preheat oven to warm. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat a tablespoon or 2 of vegan butter. Spread 4 of the tortillas with about 1/2 cup of the Vegan Guacamole, stopping about 1/2-inch away from the edge. Top each with another tortilla and press gently. Filling should come almost to the edge. Saute quesadillas, one at a time, until golden on the first side, then flip and do the same on the revers. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until all of the quesadillas are made. Slice in half and overlap, cut in quarters, or leave whole and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, grape tomato quarters, lime wedges, and/or fresh cilantro sprigs.

May 23, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri (A Restaurant Redux)

The filling I used to stuff the peppers in my Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri is also delicious simply served hot or gently reheated in a ramekin sans peppers.

May 22, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Peppers Stuffed with Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri (A Restaurant Redux)

Yield: 6 generous servings

This beautiful meal-in-one dish is the result of wanting to rescue a restaurant meal. This restaurant, one of our Top 5 in the area, always has a couple of vegan dishes on its seasonal menus, but this spring’s choices are virtually devoid of protein. However, they happened to have some chicken-flavored vegan strips last night so I asked the chef to just surprise me. He is very young, very nice, very interested in learning more about vegan cooking and very accommodating. For instance, he also had some soy milk leftover from a special brunch and made me a custom order of fried dill pickle strips–to die for! I haven’t had those in years.

The meal however, missed the mark in that the individual ingredients didn’t come together as one dish. Essentially, he just piled the vegan chicken strips, flavored with a hint of chili sauce, and some nice sauteed veggies into lightly roasted bell pepper halves over a bed of cous-cous. After the dill pickles–oh, and their addicting bread–I only had room for one of the FOUR stuffed pepper halves, bringing the rest home with me.

I knew that I would let the dish spoil in the refrigerator if I didn’t do something with it, as there just wasn’t much that was compelling about it. So, after I walked the dogs, I set about on a Restaurant Redux. I simply cooked a spaghetti squash, made one of my favorite white vegan “cheese” sauces, and stirred both together with the chicken strips, veggies and cous-cous. The portions at this restaurant are enormous, so I had some broccolini and sweet potato cubes from a meal there a few days earlier and I stirred them in too, measuring it all carefully so that I could reproduce the recipe. I ended up with enough filling to refill the remaining 3 pepper halves plus 3 more. But, it seemed to need just a little spice to make it extra-special. Some paprika did the trick.

The filling is so creamy, scrumptious and satisfying that you will have to keep reminding yourself that it is a gloriously healthy melange of all the protein, vitamins and micro-nutrients that anyone could want in a single meal.

3 large bell peppers, any color or a combination, halved, stemmed, seeded and lightly blackened under the broiler (they should still hold their shape nicely)
Creamy White Vegan “Cheese” Sauce (recipe follows)
1 spaghetti squash, halved, seeds and pulp removed, and microwaved flesh side down in 1/4 cup salted water in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes (I cook each half separately; you may bake if you prefer)
1 cup homemade chicken-flavored seitan or other chicken flavored strips like Meal Starters
2 cups cooked mixed veggies, seasoned according to your taste, cut in bite-size pieces (mine were from two restaurant meals and included squash, eggplant, a little onion and spinach, sweet potato cubes and broccolini)
3/4 cup cooked cous-cous (quinoa or another small grain or pasta like pastina or orzo would be nice too)
1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoky paprika (or to taste)
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
garnish: optional balsamic reduction (I really liked a little drizzle on my version) plus sprigs of fresh herbs (cilantro from our garden tasted nice with mine) and/or lightly toasted pine nuts or bread/cracker crumbs

Place roasted pepper halves in a lightly oiled microwave- or oven-safe baking dish. Combine vegan “cheese” sauce with remaining ingredients, mixing gently but thoroughly. Spoon into pepper halves, mounding the top. Reheat in microwave if necessary or keep warm in a preheated oven until serving time. Garnish as desired with balsamic reduction, herbs, pine nuts or crumbs.

Creamy White Vegan “Cheese” Sauce

1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup flour, any kind (I used whole wheat)
or 1/4-1/2 cup roasted and lightly salted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cornstarch or kuzu
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons light miso
1 teaspoon onion powder or to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
coarse sea or kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and heat gently over medium-high heat for approximately 4 minutes, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens and flour no longer tastes raw.

Source for Vegan “Cheese” Sauce: Slightly adapted from Jo Stepaniak’s The Uncheese Cookbook.

April 30, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Indian Pigeon Peas over Fragrant Vegan Rice

Yield: 4 servings

A recipe in a culinary magazine inspired this fragrant, tasty and beautiful dish, perfect for when fresh produce is not at its peak. After reading the recipe I cut it out, but misplaced it. So I didn’t have the option of consulting it while cooking. However, I’m pretty sure there were not tomatoes in the original, but I had a leftover cup and I’m always in search of ways to add color and nutrition to the food I enjoy. As for all the rest, I seem to recall that coriander and cumin were among the spices used. But I can’t even remember if it called for coconut milk. Regardless, I love my version and hope you will too.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or, in a pinch, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or, in a pinch, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin)
1 small chili pepper, seeds and membrane removed, very finely chopped (or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes–NOT chili powder)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 can coconut milk (not Cream of Coconut; I use “lite”)
1 can pigeon peas, drained (rinse and then drain if desired)
1-2 teaspoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
coarse sea or kosher salt, if needed (go easy on additional salt)
Fragrant Vegan Rice (see recipe below)
Garnish: cashew halves and pieces and/or finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil until shimmering. Add corriander and cumin seeds and stir fry just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chili pepper, onion and garlic and saute until softened. Stir in turmeric until completely distributed. (Note: if using the ground spices, add after onion has softened slightly.) Stir in tomatoes and coconut milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/3-1/2 and thickened. Stir in peas and heat through. Stir in vegan butter just before serving. Check for salt and add only if needed. Serve over Fragrant Vegan Rice garnished with cashews and/or cilantro.

Fragrant Vegan Rice

2 cups water
coarse sea or kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon, broken in half
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (you may use pods, but I like the seeds for a change, as they disperse throughout the rice)
2/3 cup basmati rice

In a large saucepan, bring first 4 ingredients to a boil, stir in in rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-10 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed/evaporated. Check periodically to make sure that rice isn’t sticking but, otherwise, leave undisturbed.

April 24, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Red, White and Green Orzo (Quick and Easy!)

Yield: 4 servings

My fellow teacher friend, Betsy Morris, is married to a farmer in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach. At various times throughout the year, she will generously bring a basket full of fresh produce to school to share with our faculty and staff. This week, she gifted us with beautiful thin asparagus, my favorite kind. I whipped up this quick and tasty dinner when I returned home from seeing our school’s wonderful production of “Guys and Dolls.” I was ravenous, but it was late, so this light dinner did the trick. Basil would be delicious in this dish, but it’s not quite fresh basil season in our area.

3 cups generously salted water
1 cup orzo
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, and cut into1-inch pieces
1 cup grape tomato halves
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup coarsely chopped smoked almonds

In a medium-large pot, bring water to a boil. Stir in orzo, cover loosely, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add asparagus and saute until lightly browned on some surfaces. Add tomatoes and just heat through. Add drained pasta, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and heat through. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl or individual serving bowls. Top with smoked almonds. (You might want to pass the smoked almonds separately for each person to sprinkle onto his or her serving which, in case there are leftovers, will prevent the almonds from becoming soft.)