Rhymes With Vegan

Episode #3 - CHILL

Rhymes With Vegan Episode #3 - CHILL from rhymes with vegan on Vimeo.

tofu scramble with browned potatoes and "holiday" sauce

minneapolis has this quaint little breakfast cafe, just a few short blocks from my house, that hasn't changed since the 1960s. the food is local and organic and the people who serve it up are just as organic as the grub. :) anyway, they have this one "earthy" breakfast that i decided i needed to recreate in my own kitchen. now, absolutely no disrespect to this great little neighborhood joint and its "earth" breakfast, but i think the one i made would give it a serious run for the money!

                         tofu scramble with browned potatoes and  'holiday' sauce

                        (a little play on hollandaise since it was valentine's day)

4 large russet potatoes - peeled and julienned (large)

1 package of wildwood super firm tofu

1 red pepper - diced

1 large shallot - minced

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 tbsp tamari

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup earth balance

1 lemon

2 tsp flour

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 onion boullion cube - crushed

1 tbsp fresh dill - chopped

fresh parsley

olive oil

salt and pepper

heat a large skillet to 350, add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp earth balance, julienned potatoes, red pepper flakes and garlic. cook until potatoes begin to brown, then flip. brown the other side to your liking and then set aside in the oven to stay warm.

to the same skillet add 1 tbsp oil, your tofu (crumbled into large pieces), red pepper, shallots, tamari, turmeric, onion powder and salt and pepper. fry up until it forms a nice golden "scramble".

in a small saucepan on medium heat, add the remaining earth balance and begin to whisk. add your red wine vinegar, squeeze of 1/2 lemon, dill, onion boullion and slat and pepper. whisk it all together for about 3-5 minutes. gently add your flour and continue whisking until it become creamy and smooth. 

serve on the side or over your tofu scramble and browned potatoes...garnish with fresh parsley.

enjoy!

stroganoff

there were very few meat dishes i even liked as a child (i guess i was always a vegetarian in my heart!). however, i love, love, loved my mother's beef stroganoff. it was, hands down, THE best! thus, it just had to be made available to vegans and vegetarians. i refuse to live my life without it! now, you too can make this up for mom and WOW her with the rich, creamy flavors.

stroganoff , done right

2-3 cups egg-free noodles

1 package seitan – sliced into bite size pieces

2 packages of cremini mushrooms –sliced

2 cloves garlic – minced

1 large leek – sliced

1 cup dairy-free sour cream

2 cups non-beef or veggie broth (try to find the Better Than Bouillon brand, if possible for the veggie broth)

2 handfuls of fresh green beans

1 handful fresh parsley – chopped

2 tsp tamari

1 tsp bouquet gravy darkener/thickener

2 tbsp flour (for thickening)

½ cup white wine (any kind will work)

olive oil

salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add 2-3 cups of noodles, a dash of salt and olive oil.  Bring to a boil until al dente, drain and set aside.

In another small skillet boil ½ cup water and add your green beans until tender to the bite.  Drain.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 tsp of tamari.  Toss together to let flavors marry.

Heat a large skillet and add 2 tbsp olive oil.  Add your seitan, garlic and leeks.  Let the seitan brown a bit, 8-10 minutes.  Keep stirring to get all sides browned.  You can now add your mushrooms.  Stir until mushrooms are slightly limp. 

You can now sprinkle your flour and stir in until a paste is created.  Add your heated broth, tamari and darkener and stir until it begins to thicken.  Now add your wine, salt and pepper and stir again.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until wine has reduced.

Once reduced to your desire, fold in your dairy-free sour cream and chopped parsley.

Serve over noodles, with a side of steamed green beans and a glass of white wine.

Enjoy!

 

"steak" sandwiches, with creamy horseradish sauce, shoestring fries and vegan au jus

 

my partner, colleen, worked at a restaurant years ago and has never been able to forget this one steak sandwich they made. of course, i just had to figure out a great, healthy, vegan alternative to it ( i love a good challenge!). well, much to colleen's delight...i mastered it (she hasn't stopped telling people about it).

here it is folks!

"steak" sandwiches with creamy horseradish sauce, shoestring fries and vegan au jus

 'steak' sandwiches

2 packages of seitan - drained, and cut into bite size pieces

1 red bell pepper - sliced

1 yellow bell pepper - sliced

1 yellow onion - sliced

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 small shallot - minced

1/4 cup red wine

3 tbsp tamari

olive oil

1 large baguette

 

creamy horseradish sauce

1/4 cup veganaise

2 tbsp horseradish

salt and pepper to taste

 

shoestring fries

4 russet potatoes - sliced thin, into "shoestrings"

4 cups canola oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley - rough chopped

salt and pepper to taste

 

vegan au jus

1 cup veggie broth - use the "better than bouillon" brand (trust me!)

2 tbsp tamari

1 clove garlic - minced

1 small shallot - minced

first thing you want to do is marinate your seitan.  in a large bag or bowl combine your seitan, wine, tamari, garlic and shallot.  let sit and marinate for 1/2 hour.

for your au jus, mix together in a small saucepan the broth, tamari, garlic and shallot. heat on medium until a boil, for approximately 5-7 minutes.  you can then set to the side to cool for serving.  you want to serve your au jus at a medium heat to help soften the baguette when dipping. 

in another small bowl, mix the horseradish and veganaise together...salt and pepper to taste, and put into fridge to keep chilled for when the sandwich is ready to be built.

begin to heat your oil in a large pot.  you want to get the oil to 375 degrees.  once you have hit that temp, throw a small handful of the thinly sliced potatoes in and fry until golden brown.  drain on a paper towel and keep in warmed oven until ready to serve.  be sure to salt and pepper the fries as soon as they come out of the fryer.  when serving, sprinkle the fresh parsley for garnish.

in a skillet, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil.  add your marinated seitan and begin to brown.  once they have lightly browned on all sides, add the peppers and onions and stir fry them until they are slightly wilted but still a bit crisp to the bite. 

slice your baguette in 1/2 and then into 1/4 length portions.  smother the creamy horseradish onto each bottom of baguette.  pile each with a heaping mound of the "steak" and peppers.

serve with the fries and the warm vegan au jus...oh, and a good pinot noir!

 enjoy!

 

creamy, brandied yum

what was my thinking behind this, you ask?
hmmm...i guess i see a lot of cooking shows or menus where brandy/whiskey/wine is being used and i thought, well just cuz we're vegans doesn't mean we need to miss out on liquor induced food!!!

creamy brandied yum

1 package extra firm tofu (wild wood, if you can find it)
4 russet potatoes
1/4 cup silk creamer
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup tamari
3 cloves garlic - minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

after slicing the tofu into decent size pieces, you want to let the tofu marinate in the tamari, minced garlic and a bit of the brandy (all of the tamari and 1/4 cup of the brandy) add a touch of salt and pepper, but not too much, as the tamari has sodium in it already.

while that sits in the fridge for about a 1/2 hour, peel your potatoes, and then slice them length wise into 1/4 inch slices.  heat a skillet to about 350, add 2 tbsp of olive oil.  once the oil is heated, add your potatoes and begin to brown them on both sides.  once they are browned, set aside (in a warm oven if possible to keep until the rest is finished).

take the marinated tofu and put into a heated skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil...begin to brown.  once they begin to get a bit browned, add the rest of the brandy.  cook until the liquor reduces.  add your cream and let cook until that reduces as well.  once they get to a light brown color and slightly crispy consistency, it's time to plate.

chop fresh parsley for garnish and color.

serve with a dark beer and any light, crisp, green salad (or steamed veggies). this is such a rich dish, the salad helps balance things out!

enjoy!

potato puff cakes

this recipe was inspired by spending the holidays with my partner's family. they are of Scandinavian descent (i'm very Irish!), and my partner always told me about the potato pancakes her folks would make her as a child (she thinks they are gross, by the way). that version is essentially a basic pancake batter that includes raw, shredded potatoes. the pancakes are then grilled and served like a traditional pancake, with butter and syrup, and all the fixings.

anyway, since I thought it would be a good time, I challenged my partner's father to a "potato pancake throw down." all the kids found this about as exciting as opening their christmas gifts, so they were asked to serve as judges. once blindfolded, each was offered a sample taste of pancake. i was the unanimous winner! (sorry, Guy!!!)

so, here's my unique take on the potato pancake .

this is the order of how things should go:

1. potato cakes - into fridge
2. marinate mushrooms
3. caramelized onions
4. beer batter
5. fry the cakes
6. veggie medley
7. serve

use the beer batter recipe e from my previous blogs. click here.

use the mashed potatoes recipe from the tofu cutlets recipe (click here), just exchange the chives with shallots, add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

use the caramelized onions recipe from the tofu cutlet recipe as well (click here).

after you've made your potatoes and they have cooled a bit, you want to create 1 inch think and 3 inches in diameter, "cakes." lay each cake down on a parchment covered cookie sheet. put in refrigerator and keep there for approximately 1-2 hours, or until ready to coat and fry. (you want to get them pretty cold so that they will maintain their shape in the deep-frying process).  if you want, you can freeze them as well...the key is to get them pretty cold.

ready for frying? ok, heat oil to 375 degrees, coat a cake one at a time in the batter and lay into the deep fryer, very gently. fry for about 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown.  remove from fryer and set upon a towel to absorb excess oil. serve with a dollop of dairy-free sour cream and the caramelized onions.

2 large portabella mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus spears
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
2 tbsp tamari
1/4 cup red wine
salt and pepper
olive oil

de-stem the mushrooms, and dig out the insides.
slice each mushroom in 1/2. put the mushrooms, garlic, shallots, tamari, red wine, salt and pepper into a large bag to let marinate for 1/2 hour.

while that is marinating, prepare the asparagus by cutting off the tough ends. slice the red pepper into small 1 inch strips.

once the mushrooms have marinated for approximately 1/2 hour, heat a skillet with some olive oil, sauté up the mushrooms (including remaining marinade). add the asparagus and peppers in the last 5 minutes. you want the peppers and asparagus to retain their color and be crisp to the bite. salt and pepper to taste.

serve with your potato puff-cake, and your friends will love you forever.

enjoy!

  (That's Guy (my partner's dad) and I in the midst of our throwdown!)