Tag: vegan

Vegan Deli Sandwich “Meat” Recipe

There are several vegan sandwich meat recipes online, and I have been trying a few of them. I was so happy to find a more affordable option than the expensive commercial varieties available at our supermarket. In addition to price, I like to know what ingredients are in everything I serve, and I can say that this recipe passes my fussy standards.

Ingredients:

Note: Make the marinade first to allow flavors to blend while you slice the tofu.

A 1Ib block of super-firm tofu (squeeze out the excess water before you begin. There won’t be much with this variety of tofu, but any excess water will dull the flavor of the marinade).

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. “Better Than Bouillon” vegetable seasoning

1 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

Set marinade aside and slice the drained tofu very thin. I used a cheese slicer to do this, but you could use a thin sharp knife instead.

In a large skillet, spoon in enough marinade to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer the slices and spoon a portion of the marinade over each layer. Top with any leftover marinade.

Turn heat on LOW and allow tofu to simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Do not let it boil, and do not stir. Tofu is very delicate and will easily break apart. I used a turkey baster to occasionally drip marinade over the top layer and a silicone spatula to lift slices to get some extra marinade between the layers of tofu as it cooked.

When done, remove from heat, but allow the tofu to cool in the pan to absorb as much flavor as possible. Tofu will suck up that marinade like a sponge. When ready, create your sandwich. Pile the deli “meat” on as thick as you desire. Makes a hearty, savory vegan sandwich, toasted with a slice of your favorite vegan cheese (we like smoked provolone). Add toppings: tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles, and your favorite condiments. Tofu deli meat will keep in the frig for several days. Enjoy!

For more recipes and plant-based tips visit https://www.vegtutor.com

Zip-zap Crockpot Stew for Those Extra-busy Days

Crockpot Stew

Some days are just so jam-packed that if you don’t make dinner in the morning it’s not going to happen at all. I hate the four o’clock feeling of not having an answer when people start asking “What’s for dinner?”. . . especially when I still have two more hours of work ahead before I can even think about dinner. When you are facing one of those busy days, then your crockpot (slow-cooker) can be your best friend.

I confess that this recipe, at the start of one of those hectic days, was also the result of discovering that I had mistakenly bought a big bag of potatoes when I already had one at home. . . oops! So right after breakfast (If I had been planning ahead I could have cleaned and chopped all the vegetable the night before) I began scrubbing potatoes and peeling carrots and onions (because those are the primary ingredients in any good stew). Then I chopped a wedge of raw leftover cabbage, 1 cup of chopped celery, and put everything in the crockpot with 6 cups of water and a packet of onion soup mix, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and some extra seasonings (You can be creative here).

For protein I added a can of seasoned black beans and about 8 ounces of frozen peas. To thicken, add 1/4 cup pearl barley. All these ingredients and the amounts are flexible as are the seasonings; I was flying by the seat of my pants and in a hurry, but it worked, so feel free use what you have on hand and experiment if you are adventurous.

INGREDIENTS:

4 – 5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch

I large onion, peeled and chopped 1-inch

1 cup of fresh cabbage, chopped 1-inch

1 cup celery, chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

6 cups water

1 packet onion soup mix

1/4 cup barley

1- 15 ounce can seasoned black beans

8 ounces frozen peas

(I would have added some dry red lentils also, if I had thought of it. They would have added more protein and creaminess to to stew)

Seasonings I used, but you can vary these if you prefer:

1 1/2 Tbsp. dry parsley, 1 tsp. ground thyme, 1 bay leaf

METHOD:

I did not pre-steam any of the ingredients because this recipe will slow cook for hours. Simply throw all ingredients into the crockpot, stir, cover, and set on low for 6 – 8 hours. Then dash off to your next project.

At the end of the day, you will be welcomed by the savory aroma of a healthy dinner already made (and an answer to everyone’s questions), and that is a satisfying feeling. You are on top of things — you can do this!

Sample the stew about 15 minutes before serving. Add salt or Braggs Amino Acids and pepper to your liking. (If you have any bits of leftover cooked vegetables in the frig, the perfect time to use them up is now. Add them, stir, and allow them to heat up and flavors to mingle for about 15 minutes).

Serve with a simple side salad and some rolls or breadsticks. It’s a no stress, no mess dinner and only one pot to wash!

Easy Vegan Polenta Pie

This recipe was inspired by one I saw on plantbasedonabudget.com (Easy Spinach Pie). I did a little substituting and greatly shortened the description (I believe it shouldn’t take longer to read a recipe than to prepare it), so you can get right to making this delicious pie. It would be the perfect savory vegan addition to any brunch or a covered-dish dinner. It’s so colorful, easy to prepare, requires only simple ingredients, and needs no baking! I topped each serving of my pie with deli-bought bruschetta which provided added color and flavor. Perfect!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps. olive oil

2/3 cup diced onion

1 cup diced orange, red, and yellow sweet peppers (any combination)

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 packed cups chopped kale (ribs removed)

6 grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

6 cloves pressed garlic

3 cups water

2 1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. tarragon or Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. mustard powder

3/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups cornmeal

To Prepare:

Grease a 9-inch pie dish

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Add onion, mushrooms, and peppers. Cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, kale, tomatoes, and crushed red pepper, then cook for another 2 – 3 minutes until kale wilts. Remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan add the water and spices. Boil and slowly stir in the cornmeal. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture boils and bubbles. Remove from heat. Pour the vegetable mixture into the cornmeal and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Pour the entire mixture into the prepared pie pan and press down firmly and evenly. Allow the pie to cool and set for at least 10 minutes. Then slice and serve. Top each serving with deli-bought (or make your own) bruschetta.

One pie serves 8.

Mediterranean Hummus Platter

I saw this on a friend’s Facebook Page and thought it was such a beautiful presentation that I had to share it with you all. I just know you will want to take this to your next potluck dinner or party.

Courtesy of Nourished with Alice Group page on Facebook.com

It’s so simple to prepare!

Spread hummus on a platter.

Top with a variety of colorful mediterranean vegetables, such as:

red onion, cucumber, grape or cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, orange bell pepper, and fresh oregano.

Serve with crackers or pita bread.

Alice has more delicious recipes on her Facebook Page, Nourished with Alice Group. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us, Alice!

Barley Mushroom Casserole (Tsar-kasha)

Because I am working on a new book series for middle grade children that focuses on early 20th Century eastern European immigrants to North America where life was hard and childhood was short, I currently have a special interest in Russian/Ukrainian cuisine. Both of my grandfathers worked in the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania during that era, so some of these recipes have been passed down through the generations. I am resurrecting a few favorites from my childhood and experimenting with them to fit a meat-free plant-based lifestyle.

This is a simple Russian/Ukrainian peasant recipe that I have adapted from the original to be vegan. I am including the original ingredients in parentheses so you can choose the version you prefer. This was an easy recipe to adapt because it was already vegetarian. I just made a few minor adjustments to make it vegan.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or 6 Tbsp butter)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms (these were traditionally hand-picked in the forest, but you can just use sliced white mushrooms from the grocery store as I did here)

3 cups water

1 cup regular barley

3 tsps instant vegetable bouillon granuals or “Better Than Bouillon-No Chicken Base” (or instant chicken bouillon or regular chicken broth)

1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

In a large pot combine the onion, oil, garlic, and mushrooms. Cover and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, just until the onion is tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook until barley is tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed.

Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

This simple recipe yeids 8 -10 side dish servings or 4 – 5 maindish servings.

My mother would have served this with ground redbeets mixed with horseradish, but I really dislike that concoction. I served it with a side of whole cranberry sauce instead and roasted vegetables. Serve as you like.

If you are interested in learning about the early 1900’s coal mine experience as seen through a child’s eyes, then please check out my new book, “Peeling Potatoes: Katie’s Story” on Amazon. Available in Paperback or eBook: https://amazon.com/dp/B0B4KTJL3F

Hippy Chick Hummus Restaurant

I really, really wanted to like this place. They serve healthy vegan, locally sourced food with an emphasis on green sustainability throughout this casual restaurant. These things, as well as the food, mean a lot to me. The decor is colorful and quirky. I’m always on the lookout for good vegan food, and I love things that are different. Hippy Chick Hummus looks like a fun place to grab a quick bite to eat while shopping or sight-seeing in town, but that was not my experience. This is my honest review:
interior view

Perhaps Hippy Chick Hummus is a little bit too casual for me. I did not appreciate the panhandler who wandered in through the open door and approached each table asking for money, and then sauntered up to the register to ask for money there as well. The open door again — an invitation for flies that had to be batted away from our food as we ate. We could have sat outside at a sidewalk table and enjoyed the traffic noise and exhaust, but we chose the lesser of two evils.

Falafel Wrap and Falafel Salad

The food was fresh and locally sourced. Servings were large. The falafel is their own unique recipe, a bit different and air-fried which makes them lighter and drier. The flavor was just okay, but could have been greatly improved if they served both items with more of the lemon tahini dressing (a lot more). The food was pretty dry with such a skimpy amount of dressing. You can ask for more dressing with an upcharge (who charges for more salad dressing?). The oily dressing on the side — I couldn’t identify a flavor. I poured it over the entire salad, but there was just no flavor to that dressing.

Finally, the ginger-lemonade. I wouldn’t recommend it. Have you ever tasted a sour beverage with no sugar, but hot ginger instead? It is an awful combination that burns your throat and overwhelms everything else. Fortunately, I had a packet of stevia with me, but that lemonade was painful to drink. As I said, I really, really wanted to like this place, but sadly couldn’t. Maybe you would feel differently. We did notice a lot of take-out orders being picked up while we were there. That could be a clue.

Exterior view

Hippy Chick Hummus, 237 N. Market St., Frederick, MD, Phone: 240-815-7175

Easy Barbeque Vegan Burgers

What will you serve at your Memorial Day Picnic?

This delicious Barbeque Vegan Burger recipe is something you can make ahead, freeze, and then pull out as many as you need. The recipe makes 10 super-size burgers, as you see here, or you can make them smaller to fit the average hamburger bun. You can even prepare them ahead! These were made to perfectly fit a large multugrain roll. The recipe takes about 10 -15 minutes to put together and is so simple you will make them often.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can fat-free refried beans

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup (leftover) cooked rice (white or brown)

1 cup chopped walnuts (not too fine)

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

Extra barbeque sauce to top burgers after baking

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper

  • In a large bowl, partially mash the black beans.
  • Add remaining ingredients, mix well and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes (or cover and refrigerate overnight and continue forming and baking the burgers the next day). Allowing the mixture to sit awhile will help bind the ingredients together and makes it easier to form the burger patties.
  • Form rounded 1/2 cup portions of mixture into burger shapes and place on the parchment lined pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, turn over and coat each burger with a layer of your favorite barbeque sauce
  • Bake for another 15 – 20 minutes. (Adjust baking time according to the size of your burgers)
  • Serve with your favorite burger toppings and more barbeque sauce if desired.

Happy, healthy summer eating!

New! About Jayne M Booth, Author of “SMASHING IDOLS: Transform Your Body, Mind and Spirit with a Plant-Based Lifestyle.”

Jayne M Booth has always loved reading and writing. At 16, she started working as a waitress at Percy Brown’s Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She is a certified Health Minister. She helps individuals enjoy a healthy whole-food plant-based lifestyle. She likes to paint, dance, hike, and read to anyone who will listen. Read full interview…