Rhymes With Vegan

the best damn 1 skillet breakfast burrito

last saturday i woke up absolutely starving! i debated about going out for breakfast, but then i thought, why do that when i could make something so much better at home. i was craving something warm and wonderful, something bursting with flavor, but also with a kick. the result was the best damn breakfast burrito i have ever had... hands down. it'll rock your world.

"best damn one skillet breakfast burrito "

1 tube gimme lean sausage
4 white potatoes, peeled and julienned (larger julienne, if possible)
1 package super firm tofu (preferably Wild Wood)
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
hot sauce (of your choice)
dairy free sour cream
olive oil
earth balance
fresh cilantro

start by heating a skillet and adding your 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp earth balance, potatoes and garlic.  sprinkle a little salt and pepper and let brown on each side at 350 degrees.  set in oven to keep warm in a separate pan.

in the same skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 of the gimme lean sausage package.  fry up until golden brown.  add the red pepper flakes.  set aside in same pan as the potatoes...be sure to keep i a warm oven.

again in the same skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil, red pepper, onions.  toss that around for about 5 minutes, then add your tofu (be sure to have broken into medium size pieces), garlic powder, turmeric and tamari.  fry up until a golden color erupts.  salt and pepper to taste.

in a damp towel, wrap a few flour tortillas and pop into either the oven for 5 minutes or into the microwave for 1 minute.

start building your burrito by layers...potatoes, then tofu scramble, then the mock sausage.  throw on a little hot sauce, a dollop of the dairy free sour cream, fresh cilantro and WOW...you'll be one happy camper.  (I packed mine so high, i could barely close it)  of course, you can layer it however you see fit.

serve with a bloody mary...(coffee optional)

enjoy!

rwv recipe cards

* appetizer *

artichoke dip

fillo wrapped asparagus

* breakfast *

'morning after' breakfast

one skillet breakfast burrito

tofu scramble with 'holiday' sauce

* dessert *

 chocolate mousse w/vanilla whipped topping

 OMG bars

* grilling *

tofu/seitan kabobs with chipotle bbq sauce

grilled szechuan tofu w/ broccoli slaw and toasted almonds

* main course *

beer battered tofu cutlets

creamy brandied yum

maple glazed tofu cutlets with almond quinoa

mee kah teeh

no-chicken chimichangas

no-chicken pot pie

potato puff cakes

seitan, wine and herb marinated over risotto

shepherd's pie

stroganoff

* pasta *

capellini pasta with basil and tomatoes

pasta bakE

3 pepper pasta

red wine pasta with asparagus, leek, and garlic

* pizza *

bianca pizza

pizza a la margherita

taco pizza

* salad *

spring sumi salad with tofu and almonds

* sandwich *

grilled PB sandwich

chick salad sandwich

'steak' sandwiches

* sauce, dressing, dip *

beer batter breading

caramelized onions

garlicy croutons

holiday 'hollandaise' sauce

horseradish sauce

roasted garlic and basil aioli

tofu rub

vegan au jus

* soup, stew, chili *

beer 'cheese' soup

green chili

lentil soup

no-chicken noodle soup

potato leek soup

pozole

tortilla soup

white 'chicken' chili

* vegetable, sidedish *

brussel sprouts

cranberries

edamame with toasted sesame oil

grandpa earl's stuffing

green bean casserole

green beans with carmelized onions

shoestring fries

smashed potatoes with chives 

veggie medley

help me name these bars... please!!!

next to cheesecake (vegan, of course!), these bars are my favorite sweet to satisfy my tooth. i have to admit, it's not actually my recipe. my partner, colleen, makes them.

anyway, they are gooey and delicious and yummy and...well, you get the picture! unfortunately, no one in my circle of peeps (not even my partner!) has been able to come up with a clever, appropriate name to capture their true essence. so, we're asking all you good folks to lend us your brains. give us as many or as few ideas as you can come up with, and in the next few days, we'll post the winner. oh yeah, and be sure to make the bars yourself so you can really immerse yourself in the naming process. they'll take you less than 15 minutes to throw together. have fun!

ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup light karo corn syrup

2 TBSP earth balance

1.5 cups peanut butter creamy works best)

approximately 5 cups rice krispies

1 12 oz. bag of Guittard semi-sweet choc chips

 

combine sugar and karo in a large saucepan over med-high heat. stir together. then add earth balance. as soon as mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat off. add your peanut butter and stir in thoroughly until mixture is smooth. then add your rice krispies. stir until krispies are covered. add mixture in a greased square pan. smooth out. heat bag of Guittard choc chips in microwavable dish until choc is creamy and smooth. put choc on top of the smoothed mixture in your pan. let cool and serve. enjoy!


update: and the winner is....OMG bars

congrats to Sammy for winning the title! and thanks to everyone who submitted an idea. this is the first of many naming contests to come.

the awesome thing about Sammy's great name for these bars is its versatility. sure, OMG could mean Oh. My. God! but, the G could stand for gooey, or goddess, or goodness, or gosh, or gawd, or great, or groovy, or golly, or... ok, clearly i'm starting to push it. plus, we loved that Sammy actually screamed out Oh My God and woke her kitties up in the process. now that's somethin'!

anyway, when the cookbook comes out, Sammy (you rockgirl!) will get full props for giving these bars such a perfect name.

peace.

red wine and herb marinated seitan with wild rice risotto and brussel sprouts

as a result of my recent pneumonia diagnosis, i have been watching bad tv for hours upon hours (and i mean REALLY bad tv, like marathons of stalker films on Lifetime). i have finally had the energy to throw myself back into the kitchen to get cooking!  i was craving something very rich since I had practically starved myself during this bout of sickness (you know, starve a fever, feed a cold...). this, my friends, was the result.

red wine and  herb marinated seitan w/ wild rice risotto and brussel sprouts

2 packages Seitan
3 cloves garlic
2 large shallots
½ cup red wine

¼ cup tamari

1 cup wild rice (cooked)
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cups brussel sprouts
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6-8 cups of broth (veggie or no-chicken stock)
fresh rosemary
fresh tarragon
fresh flat leaf parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper

first off you want to get your seitan marinating....the longer it marinates, the better it tastes!  chop up 2 cloves garlic, 1 shallot and a handful of rosemary and tarragon.  in a large plastic bag put your seitan, garlic, shallots, herbs, red wine and tamari.  add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and set in the fridge until we're ready to cook it.

the risotto takes the longest to make so you want to start that next.  in a medium saucepan you want to heat your broth and keep it warm. in a skillet, saute your sliced mushrooms until they are tender and brown.  set to the side.  in another saucepan saute your garlic and the remaining shallot in olive oil.  once the shallot is translucent add your arborio rice and saute for approximately 3-5 minutes.  add 1/2 cup of red wine until it evaporates.  you can now begin to add your warm broth, 1 ladle full at a time.  stir the rice until the liquid is gone and add another ladle full.  you will continue this process until the rice has become thick and creamy.  once the rice is cooked, add in your cooked wild rice and the cooked mushrooms.  add salt and pepper to your liking.

for the brussel sprouts (this can be done while you are cooking the risotto) trim the ends of each and slice in 1/2.  spread into a baking dish, add your olive oil and be sure each one is coated.  add your balsamic vinegar and coat evenly.  sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, depending upon your oven.  the sprout is done with you can pierce with a fork easily.

for your seitan, once they have marinated for a good 40-60 minutes, heat a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil.  add 2 cups sliced red onion.  fry until the edges begin to brown. then add all of your seitan as well as the remaining marinade.  fry the seitan pieces until they are browned a bit on each side.

serve on top of the risotto with the brussel sprouts on the side.
sprinkle some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for color and taste.
a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
serve, as always, with a big glass of your favorite wine.

enjoy!

beer battered and stuffed...tofu, that is

Another crazy "i need to make more entrees" moment, brought to you by RWV...

peach and walnut pilaf stuffed tofu with creamy julienne potatoes

tofu pockets
1 large pack of extra firm tofu
1 can peaches
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1 tbsp minced shallot
3 cloves minced garlic
Broth (whatever kind you prefer)

breading for tofu
¾ bottle of light beer of your choice
Couple of handfuls of flour
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1tbsp Garlic Powder
1 onion bouillon
1tsp Hungarian paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

rice filling
2 cups of white or brown rice
4 cups water or stock
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1tbsp Garlic Powder
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large shallot, minced
1 can sweet peaches

creamy julienned potatoes
5-6 large white potatoes - julienne
earth balance
1/2 cup tofutti cream cheese
1/2 cup tofutti sour cream
2 onion bullion cubes - crushed
1/2 red onion - caramelized in earth balance

julienne your potatoes, put into a bowl and add the sour cream and cream cheese.  you may need to warm up the cream cheese to get it to spread over the potatoes evenly.  lay the potatoes in a shallow baking dish.  caramelize your red onions and sprinkle on the top of the potatoes.  bake in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender and browned.

while the potatoes are baking you can begin creating rice stuffing for the tofu. begin by boiling water for your rice and follow the directions per the package for 2 cups or rice, only substitute broth for the water for more flavor. set to the side.  in a skillet add 2 tbsp olive oil, bring to a heat.  add the garlic, shallots, walnuts and peaches, saute for 2-3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent.  add the cooked rice and saute for another 3-4 minutes until all of the flavors have combined together.  add salt and pepper to taste.  set to the side to cool.

Now, for  the tofu pockets.  cut the tofu in 1/2 and then again into quarters, preferably in a triangular shape.  you want a place to carve out part of the tofu so you can stuff it.  i prefer using a melon baller to scoop out an area to stuff.  (put the carved out pieces into a baggie and save for a tofu scramble on Saturday morning!)  replace the scooped out portions with the garlic and peach rice.  pack it in pretty good so that it's not easy to fall apart.

time for deep frying!

dip each stuffed cutlet into the batter, set into the deep fryer and deep fry for approximately 5 minutes.  let cool and drain on a paper towel.

once potatoes are finished, serve each cutlet with a good heaping of the creamy julienne potatoes, garnish with fresh chopped flat leaf parsley and a big glass of red wine.

enjoy!

promo vid

this is a little promo video i put together to get the word out about rhymes with vegan.check it out...


Rhymes With Vegan Promo Video from rhymes with vegan on Vimeo.

bare cupboard challenge

You know those days when you come home from work, you're too tired to battle the grocery store, and there's seemingly nothing to eat in your cupboards? Panic sets in, you open the fridge and cupboards over and over again, expecting some miracle to appear. Inevitably, those same, sad ingredients stare you back in the face... a bag of carrots begging for moisture, a wilting stalk of celery, a sad loaf of soon-to-be-molding bread... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Call me crazy, but I love those kind of food challenges. The reality is that most of us don't have the time to climb these kind of mountains, so I've come up with a recipe that's simple and easy and can be made with many of those ingredients that we normally don't think of as exciting. 

  

  Lentil soup with red wine and garlic croutons

2 cups dried lentils

3 1/2 cups broth (2 garlic boullion, 2 veggie, 2 cups water)

1/2 cup red wine (cabernet sauvignon is a good choice)

3 carrots - chopped

3 celery stalks - chopped

1/2 tsp celery salt

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together, bring to a boil on medium heat, then let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are softened and have a velvety texture.

For the croutons , chop up some old baguette into small bite size pieces.  Drizzle with garlic infused olive oil (if you don't have any, chop up some garlic cloves and let sit with olive oil in a bowl until the oil begins to taste of garlic) salt and pepper to taste and toss into a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  Be sure to shake the croutons 1/2 way through to be sure they don't burn.

Serve with croutons on the top and garnish with a bit of fresh parsley.

Enjoy!!

the bridge

The headline: critter-free cooking. The story: a local woman starts her own vegan cooking show. Hmmm... sound familiar? It's "Rhymes with Vegan," what else? :)
'The Bridge', a local newspaper in the Twin Cities, did a two-page spread on "Rhymes with Vegan," and featured it in the "Chow" section of their January edition. A local reporter and photographer covered the latest filming of the show, and chatted with Meagan about her plans and goals. In addition to a great story, the article includes two of Meagan's favorite chili recipes. Check it out!

Interview with meagan

chili recipes

more juicy tomatoes

 
on christmas day the minneapolis star tribune published a blurb about 'rhymes with vegan' in the 'taste' section of this metropolitan newspaper. feature writer kim ode wrote about the 'rhymes with vegan' website and show, saying, " Good production values, great music and Holtgrewe's engaging manner combine to make this a local asset." juicy tomatoes once again.

"morning after" breakfast

I had some friends over last night to ring in the new year. Admittedly, I think we were all a bit over served. Ha!! To help cure the pain of our hangovers, I whipped up this "morning after" breakfast. Watching all my peeps clink together their bloody beers, lift their forks, and dig into these amazing flavors piled high on a giant platter was a pretty amazing way to start off 2009. Cheers everyone! And happy, happy new year!!!

 

 

 

 "morning after" breakfast

1 TUBE GIMME LEAN SAUSAGE STYLE
5 RED POTATOES – SLICED (1/2 IN THICK)
½ YELLOW ONION – CHOPPED
3 CLOVES GARLIC – MINCED
2 CANS NAVY BEANS
1 LARGE CAN STEWED TOMATOES
2 CUPS TOMATO JUICE
1 TSP HOT SAUCE
LARGE HANDFUL OF CILANTRO – ROUGH CHOPPED
1 TBSP CHIVES – CHOPPED
2 TBSP FRESH PARSLEY – CHOPPED
6 TORTILLAS – WARMED
½ TSP RED PEPPER FLAKES
OLIVE OIL – GARLIC INFUSED
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

GARNISH

DAIRY-FREE SOUR CREAM
FRESH CILANTRO
FRESH PARSLEY


PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.

IN AN OILED SKILLET, ADD YOUR POTATOES, ONIONS AND GARLIC.  CONTINUE TO COOK UNTIL SLIGHTLY SOFT.  PUT POTATOES ONTO A COOKIE SHEET AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES, OR UNTIL SOFT AND GOLDEN BROWN. 

WHILE THE POTATOES ARE IN THE OVEN, MAKE SMALL 1 IN. “MEAT”BALLS AND ADD TO 375 SKILLET. BE SURE THERE IS STILL ENOUGH OIL TO KEEP THE BALLS FROM STICKING.  ONCE THEY BEGIN TO GET BROWN, ADD YOUR TOMATOES, BEANS, HOT SAUCE, CILANTRO, PARSLEY AND CHIVES.  ADD SALT AND PEPPER AND CONTINUES TO COOK UNTIL THE BEANS HAVE SOFTENED AND THE FLAVORS HAVE MELDED TOGETHER.

TAKE A LARGE CLOTH, MOISTEN WITH WATER, WRAP YOUR TORTILLAS AND HEAT IN THE OVEN OR MICROWAVE UNTIL STEAMING.

PILE EACH TORTILLA WITH LAYERS OF THE BALLS, BEANS, POTATOES, FRESH CILANTRO, DAIRY-FREE SOUR CREAM and HOT SAUCE.

Enjoy!