Recipe: Buffalo Tempeh Dip

The NFL season is heating up in the race for playoff slots. Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Whether you eat it on a football Sunday or with your family while anxiously awaiting the holiday's main feast, the season is ripe for snack foods that warm the eater against the dropping temperatures outside. Chicken wings don't comply with our vegan diet, but this Buffalo Tempeh Dip has all the same fiery qualities that I love so dearly.

Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb. tempeh
4 oz. Daiya Brand Sheddar Style Shreds
4 oz. Daiya Cream Cheese Style Spread
6 oz. Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
3/4 C. Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Place tempeh into a pot and cover with water to cover. Over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer. Reduce heat and maintain a low simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the tempeh from the pot and allow to cool enough to handle. Once cooled, dice the tempeh into small 1/4" cubes and place them into a large mixing bowl.

Crumble the Cream Cheese Style Spread into the bowl, then add all remaining ingredients. Stir the mixture until everything is thoroughly combined.

Transfer the mix into a 8" x 8" casserole dish and level with a spoon. Cover the casserole dish with foil.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, removing the foil after 30 minutes. After removing the dip from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes or more.

Jess and I enjoyed this Buffalo Tempeh Dip while we watched football with Reis this past weekend. We ate it with celery sticks and water crackers, but you could use any of your favorite dippers: tortilla chips, pita chips, any variety of cracker, or most any veggie you could think of. Cauliflower strikes me as a particularly promising option! Enjoy!

Book Review: Eat To Live Cookbook

Eat To Live is a book that Jess read when she first became vegan. It also is the book that her mom read that set her on her vegan-ish journey (she is 95% vegan). So, they were both really excited about the Eat To Live Cookbook coming out. Jess grabbed it off of the shelf the first time she saw it. With a $30 price tag, she probably should have looked through the book a bit more before buying it (her own admission).

The book starts off with a brief introduction to the "nutratarian" way of eating. It's basically a summary of the original Eat To Live book without all of the scientific details. Jess really enjoyed reading this. She felt that it was easy to understand and that it paints a clearer picture to the layman than Eat to Live does. Dr. Furman suggests eating a whole foods, plant based diet with a large amount of leafy greens. He does allow small amounts of dairy and meat, but advises that they be used as condiments rather than the main dish. There is a separate and small section of recipes that include these items at the back of the book. Jess and I, of course, payed this section no mind.

When it comes to the heart of the book (the recipes), the handful that we tried were hit-and-miss. They seem to suffer from the same malady that plagues most cookbooks published by doctors and nutritionists rather than chefs and connoisseurs; the recipes place all emphasis on being healthful and occasionally forget about what qualities are required to make a delicious dish. In addition, some of the recipes are bewilderingly non-traditional. Don't get me wrong, I love to be experimental and try new things, but some of the serving suggestions in the Eat To Live Cookbook were just a bit too much. How about serving Spaghetti Squash Primavera over shredded lettuce? We tried it out of curiosity. You should not. I will say, though, that the lettuce at least added some texture to the primavera which was mushy and texture-free when cooked as the book directed.

There were recipes that we enjoyed quite a bit. "Cheesy" Kale Soup has earned a spot in our favorite recipe binder, in fact. The great recipe to lackluster recipe ratio was just too low for our liking, though, and along with the expensive nature of a lot of the recipes (cashew butter and Mediterranean pine nuts are priced at a premium!) we couldn't continue with the cookbook as long as we had planned.

We would have loved to suggest purchasing the Eat To Live Cookbook as we would love to suggest all of the vegan books and cookbooks out there, but unfortunately we cannot. There are other cookbooks available that offer more delicious food while being just as healthy. The original Eat To Live is great and one of the formative books to Jess's veganism, so if you're looking for some vegan reading and don't absolutely need the new recipes go ahead and pick that up instead.

Recipe: Peanut Soba Noodles

Jess and I make a trip up to Ithaca, NY every month or two. We pick up some grocery items that can't be found in Corning and stop for a bite to eat at one of the many veg-friendly restaurants, such as the famous Moosewood. One of the items we pick up nearly every visit is a container of Macro Mamas' peanut noodles.

Here I create peanut noodles that don't require my wife and I to travel 45 minutes. This dish is absolutely delicious and goes together quickly and easily.


Ingredients:

1 package (~10.5 oz) soba noodles
1 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
6 green onions, sliced thinly

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like crunchy variety for texture)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1-2 Tbsp Siracha hot sauce (depending on your taste)
sesame seeds

Cook soba noodles according to package directions, running under cold water afterward to halt cooking.

Place noodles in a large mixing bowl along with carrot, peppers, and green onion.

In a second bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients to create the dressing. Pour the dressing over the noodles and vegetables.

Toss it all together, sprinkle a few pinches of sesame seeds on the top, take a bite, and imagine you've been whisked away to the magical land of Ithaca.

(Also, baking some tofu to throw into the mix would be a pretty tasty decision, too, but baked tofu is a post for another day.)

Recipe: Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”

This is probably the unhealthiest meal I have ever prepared. I got the original (non-vegan) recipe from an old boss of mine. I honestly don’t know if the original was better or worse, but he even went as far as to top it with crushed Cheese-Its! I often bring this dish to parties with omnivores. No one ever knows that it’s vegan unless they know that I brought it. It’s always a huge hit!

There isn’t a picture with this recipe because I didn’t want to be tempted to eat it. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I have to face the dreaded scale! Next time we make this, we'll be sure to update this post, though!

Ingredients:

1 lb macaroni
1 stick Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/4 - 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper (depending on your taste)
3-6 Tbsp flour
1 pint of soy creamer
1 bag of Daiya cheddar or mozzarella style shreds
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the macaroni al dente and transfer to a greased 9" x 13" casserole dish.

Melt the Earth Balance in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.

Add salt, thyme, and crushed red pepper. This may seem like a large amount of salt, but it is needed to counter the sweetness of the soy creamer. Taste the sauce while putting it together and add more salt or crushed pepper if needed.

Add the flour and cook until thickened and bubbling – about 4-5 minutes. Stir constantly under low flame. Don’t let it brown or burn.

Add slowly, but stir voraciously at first, the soy creamer. Keep stirring until all of the creamer is in. Increase the heat to medium flame and bring to a simmer.

Add the Daiya to the sauce and continue to stir over heat until it has melted. The sauce will separate easily at this point, so stirring constantly is important.

Pour into the casserole dish over the cooked macaroni and stir until the sauce covers the pasta evenly.

Cover the casserole with bread crumbs. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy! (But in moderation, Hahaha.)

Recipe: Corned Seitan

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. That means it’s time to celebrate the sliver of Irish blood that courses in my veins. I may not have matured all that much, but I’ve matured just enough so that I won’t be taking the day off from work to drink it away with my friends like I have in prior years. So, instead of overindulging in holiday appropriate beers and liquors, I overindulge in holiday appropriate foods.

Nothing says St. Patty’s Day like corned beef and cabbage (besides perhaps soda bread, but I have to save something to post for the holiday next year). So, I’ve come up with this recipe for the vegan-friendly alternative, corned seitan.



This seitan would go outstandingly roasted up with some cabbage, or sliced thinly and put onto some rye with some sauerkraut for a fantastic vegan reuben.

Ingredients:

1 c. vital wheat gluten
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash clove
dash allspice

1/4 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)
1/4 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. gin
2 Tbsp olive oil

Firstly, this can be cooked in a couple different ways. You can either simmer the seitan in a pot of water, or if you have a steamer basket it can be steamed. In my experience simmering will provide a lighter, less dense texture—that my wife prefers—while steaming makes the seitan a bit meatier—which I prefer. So, get a pot of water on the stove on high to come to a boil—three inches deep or so if you plan to simmer, only about one inch deep if steaming.

While the water is heating, combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly (I sieve all ingredients through a mesh colander too, just to ensure there’s no clumps). In a second bowl, mix the wet ingredients and stir together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until uniformly moistened. Knead the mixture for 2 minutes. Then form into a loaf-like shape and wrap into either some cheese cloth.

If simmering, drop the wrapped seitan into the water and simmer for 40 minutes. If steaming, set the wrapped seitan onto the steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.


Once the 40 or 30 minutes are up, remove the seitan and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Unwrap the seitan and cut it up in thick slices for the dinner plate or thin slices for sandwiches.

Hope you enjoy! May the road rise to meet you!

Recipe: Deviled Spuds

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted any recipes. This one is pretty cool, though, so it will hopefully make up for the lull in posted content.

Deviled eggs have been a staple of dish-to-pass occasions since the days of ancient Rome (according to Wikipedia) and command a passion from fans unmatched by most other dishes. What other foods can brag that there are serving platters in thousands of kitchens designed specifically for them?

Unfortunately, though, egg stuffed with more egg isn’t very vegan friendly. This recipe instead opts to use potato in the place of the eggs, but keeps all the deviled flavors that are found in the traditional egg dish.



Ingredients:

6 egg-sized potatoes, peeled and halved
1/4 c. vegenaise
1 Tbsp sweet relish
1 Tbsp grated onion
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper
Paprika or chili powder, for garnish

Put potatoes into a pot of salted water. Bring pot to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Carefully strain potatoes from the water.

Once cooled, gently scoop a yolk-sized piece of potato from the center of each potato half. A melon baller worked perfectly when I made my test batch.

In a mixing bowl, mash all potato “yolks” until as smooth as possible. Add all additional ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly.

Place the potato shells round side down on a platter and lightly salt the upright side of each. Fill each potato shell with a scoop of the mashed potato mixture.

Dust with the paprika. Serve cool.

UPDATE: After posting this recipe to reddit, user smallwhiteflower had a great suggestion. Check out their comment here.

Recipe: Josiah's Simple Gazpacho

Jess and I stuck to a raw diet for a few week period. We've gone back to cooking some of our foods, but our brief raw experiment allowed me the opportunity to make one of my favorite soups that I usually only make in the hottest months of summer. This gazpacho, we found, is just as tasty even in the chilly months of winter!

Ingredients:

5 medium tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 medium cucumber, finely diced
1 large carrot, grated
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cumin
3-4 dashes hot sauce
3-4 drops liquid smoke (optional)

Cut the tomatoes into large pieces (knife precision will not matter on the tomatoes). Place the tomato and garlic into a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to meld together.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Tofu Scramble Mix and More

On those lazy Sunday mornings, absolutely nothing beats a plate of warm, comforting tofu scramble.

When Jess and I first started in on our veganism, we would make tofu scramble using a pre-packaged seasoning mix. They’re excellent, but after a short while I realized that these packets are priced at a premium from a mix of seasonings that I already have in the pantry. I’ve made up this recipe as a pretty close approximation of the marketed tofu scramble seasoning mixes.

Tofu Scramble Mix:

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup nutritional yeast
4 Tbsp onion powder or dried chopped onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1-1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1-1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper

Just combine all ingredients in a large canning jar (or comparable sealing container). Shake it up until everything has dispersed evenly within the jar.

Now, whenever you’re in the mood for some tofu scramble, it’s as easy as combining 1/4 to 1/2 cup--depending on your tastes--of the Tofu Scramble Mix with a 16 oz. package of tofu, mashing it all up together, and heating it on the stove.

Personally, though, I think it’s pretty important to doctor it up a bit with some veggies. Here’s how I like to prepare my scrambles.

Tofu Scramble:

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 cup white mushrooms, diced small
16 oz. firm tofu
1/2 cup Tofu Scramble Mix (from above)

1. In your largest frying pan, heat olive oil over medium flame. Add the onion, pepper, and mushroom. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are all well softened.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash together the tofu and the Tofu Scramble Mix until they resemble the consistency of scrambled eggs.

3. Add the seasoned, mashed tofu into the frying pan along with the vegetables. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.

The scramble should now be ready to serve up with some tasty whole grain toast and whatever else floats your breakfast boat.

If you’re looking for a change of pace--or just have tofu scramble leftovers--you can create another dish with your tofu scramble. Yes, tofu scramble is both delicious and healthy, but it is also incredibly versatile. How about breakfast burritos? Simple. Slap a few spoonfuls of tofu scramble onto a tortilla with some vegan “cheese”, salsa, and a dollop of vegan “sour cream.” I bet you haven’t had breakfast pizza since you’ve gone vegan, have you? Well, it can happen. I’ve the recipe to prove it.

It’s important to note, though, that this breakfast pizza takes all the healthy qualities of your tofu scramble and blots them out with plenty of high calorie carbohydrates and oils. It’s delicious and worth making from time to time, but don’t go eating it every morning. Also, is is a pretty fluid recipe. It’s your pizza. Feel more than welcome to make any additions or substitutions that you feel necessary.

Breakfast Pizza:

Ingredients*:
1 prepared pizza crust
1/4 cup veganaise
1/2 batch of Tofu Scramble
1/4 cup Bac-Os or other vegan “bacon” bits
3 to 4 oz. vegan “cheese” (we use and love Daiya brand)

*I made up the ingredients list for a medium sized pizza of 12”. Adjust quantities as needed for different sized pizzas.

Onto the pizza crust, spread each of the other ingredients evenly onto the crust in the order listed. Bake the pizza according to the instructions listed on the pizza crust packaging. Usually this should be in the ballpark of baking at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chocolate Apple Chipotle Chili OR The Cure for the Common Chili

What do you do as a vegan when participating in a friend’s chili cook-off party? What do you do when you know a number of people in attendance think more meat makes a better chili? Blow their minds with some creative deliciousness, that’s what!

A friend of ours held a Mad Men / chili cook-off party this past weekend. So, we put on our finest 60’s era business executive/housewife attire, placed a pot of chili in the car, and drove across town to get our party on. After the drinking of much scotch and other equally classy beverages, of the six chilis in the informal competition... there was a four way tie for first place. But our Chocolate Apple Chipotle Chili was one of the four, at least. And with no meat. Go figure!

Before making this recipe, keep in mind that I made this for a large party of people, so this is going to make one big batch of chili. If you’re just looking to make dinner for your family you may want to consider halving--or perhaps even quartering--the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 medium apples, peeled and diced (I used Gala because we had them on hand)
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes, hand crushed*
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz. vegan dark chocolate (80% cocoa or higher)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

*If you are adamantly opposed to getting your hands dirty by hand-crushing your tomatoes, you can use cans of diced tomatoes. Be aware, though, that the texture just won’t be the same.

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, apple, and garlic to the pot along with a heavy pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften.

2. Add chipotle peppers with their sauce, bay leaves, chili pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes, stirring.

3. Add tomato and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the chocolate and sugar, stirring until they have dissolved completely into the chili. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

It’s all ready! Enjoy it with some vegan corn bread or some tortilla chips.

Recipe: Leek, Potato, and Celeriac Soup

This soup is very simple and very delicious. The addition of celeriac (also known as celery root) adds some amazing character that does wonders for the dish. If you can’t get your hands on some, though--or you desperately need a way to put a dent in a potato surplus--you can substitute the celeriac with additional potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
3 large leeks, chopped and washed
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
6 cups water
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2”
1 celeriac (approx. 1 lb.), peeled and diced 1/2”

Ingredients ready for the stockpot.

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic along with a healthy pinch of salt. Saute about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the leeks are translucent.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until potato and celeriac are tender.

3. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Add salt to taste. By either transferring soup to a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the soup. It can be blended until uniformly smooth, but I prefer to only blend about half of the soup so that there is still some hearty potato and celeriac pieces to bite into.

There! The soups all ready. See! Told you it was an easy recipe!

Bowl up the soup and dig in with a nice piece of multi-grain baguette.