Vegans Bite | a veritable wonderland of recipes, tips, and tricks for veggielicious veganing

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Vegans Bite a veritable wonderland of recipes, tips, and tricks for veggielicious veganing

Jun26

Ive been CHOPPED (but vegans chop more compassionately so itscool). Posted on June 26, 2012 by Laura Marie

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Awwww. well, the first vegan/chopped challenge has come to an end, and Im sad to say I didnt win. but it was lots of fun.

I was thinking that I should try to create the other 2 dishes I was considering for the contest (but knew would come in well over 40 minutes), just to see what happens with them.

The first was a chilled minted pea soup w/ blackberry drizzle in an edible chocolate chili bowl and my other idea was a chocolate curry with stuffed paratha and a blackberry chutney.

To be honest though, I have no desire to make chocolate bowls or chocolate curryever.  I dont even like chocolate.   The stuffed paratha though might be a keeper and I am very fond of pea soup.

The winner did a lovely job with her mock salmon! Big ups to her and all the other entries and winners.  See the complete post of the winners and runners up with their lovely entries here.

Thanks to all who helped me brainstorm, ate my food, and of course to my photographer/sous chef Derek for all the wonderful dancing.

Jun25

(virtual) Vegan Chopped!! Gemelli w/ Mint Pesto HerbedBeanballs Posted on June 25, 2012 by Laura Marie

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Remember that time that that I didnt blog for like six months and then one day I didlike nothing ever happened?

So, everyones favorite vegan chefs over at the PPK proposed a challenge to all of us wanna be cheffers. May I present (virtual) vegan CHOPPED! Like the famous cooking show, each contestant is presented with weird ingredients that dont seemingly go together well, a pantry full of kitchen staples, a course specification, and a time limit.  Now since this is a virtual competition, were on the honor system here. Were being judged by creativity, presentation, and taste (or what youd guess it would taste like, rather).

MYSTERY INGREDIENTS:  fresh blackberries, mint, (canned) black eyed peas, bittersweet chocolate

COURSE: entreé

TIME: approximately 40 minutes

(v)V.CHOPPED!!

My entry:

Gemelli with Mint and Herbed Beanballs:

Gemelli pasta w/ a fresh mint pesto accompanied by herbed beanballs in a sweet sour balsamic reduction on bed of toasted pistachios

Ingredients:

1lb gemelli

1/2c toasted chopped pistachios

fresh or frozen petite pois

for the pesto:

lots of fresh mint

olive oil

garlic

nooch

edamame

walnuts

salt

for the beanballs:

black eyed peas

vital wheat gluten

water/almond  milk

nooch

tarragon (my favorite secret weapon!)

rosemary

thyme

salt

pepper

garlic

onion

for the reduction:

balsamic vingear

bittersweet chocolate

fresh blackberries

hot sauce

ketchup (dont doubt me on this one)

cayenne powder

chili powder

Method:

Its a little tough to write and cook and guess and create and measure and cross your fingers all at the same time. Luckily I had the help of D, my favorite  kitchen elf, to at least keep track of the ingredients I used and the order of the steps I took. Exact measurements would have to come from a second (or 3rd) go at this recipe. My apologies! Besides, cooking is so much more fun on the fly anyways If youre brave enough to attempt a recipe like this, Im sure youre brave enough to wing it.

1) Cook pasta al dente. Set aside. Blanche peas.

2) put all ingredients in food processor for pesto. Process until you have a creamy paste, adding olive oil and/or water as needed to thin it out.

3) mash beans. add a bit of oil and seasonings to get a crumbly but moist texture. Add VWG and knead until gluten activates.  Form into balls and fry in olive oil in cast iron over med low heat, turning so they brown on all sides ( you could also bake but it will take longer).

4) while doing this, make the reduction. Bring vinegar to a simmer adding in chocolate and berries (2:1 ratio vinegar:chocolate). Stir often. When berried begin to break down, add hot sauce, cayenne, ketchup, and chili powder to taste. Remove from heat when sufficiently thickened. DO NOT BURN CHOCOLATE!

5) Mix pesto, peas, and pasta together.

6) to plate: a scoop of pasta sprinkle with a few pistachios for crunch. place beanballs on a bed of pistachios and top with a drizzle of the reduction and a small mint leaf. Garnish with a few blackberries and mint leaves because theyre pretty, dammit!

7) eat and amaze people with your weird food combination!

*** I bet this would be lovely paired with a refreshing summer cocktail of muddled fresh mint leaves, blackberries, simple syrup/sugar, and vodka/gin.  CHEERS!

Feb27

TOUM me or not toum me. that is thequestion. Posted on February 27, 2012 by Laura Marie

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Ive been testing some more recipes for culinary goddess Terry Romero for her upcoming international cookbook Vegan Eats World and stumbled upon Toum. I had no idea what it was, so that usually makes me want to make it even more.  Come to find out, toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce that is often served with veggies, bread, or as a dip for some type of kebob.  Its similar in theory to the more familiar aioli and the less familiar Greek skordalia (which was coincidentally the very first recipe I tested for this cookbook months ago).

Toum is not for the meek. It is not the condiment to use before a big date. Actually, you may not want to consume toum if you have to see other people at all for the next 48-72 hours.  Since after tasting it, it will be impossible to never make it again, my suggestion would just be to feed it to everyone you know. Then youll all have dragon breath together.

This creamy white puree has about 18-20 cloves of fresh garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and the secret thickener *drum roll please*, a touch of potato.  Oh and it only makes about 3/4c.and you could probably eat it all in one sitting.

I cant wait to experiment with this on more than just pita! Steamed green beans immediately come to mind, as does using it as an international helper for a roasted red pepper, arugula, basil, and grilled eggplant sangweech.  Something fun and funky with pineapple may be in its future as well.

So if you come across some toum, by all means eat it. On everything. When the cookbook comes out, make it. 4 lyf.  But for the love of everyone you know, please  make sure you have some gum.

Feb25

Holy !@*#! I ate pizza!:( Posted on February 25, 2012 by Laura Marie

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Yup, I did it. I ate pizza.

It wasnt one of my shining moments, but damn it was good.  Now thats not me in the photo, thankfully there is no photographical record of this event, but after much internal quandary I felt it was important to share this information with well, the world or whomever may read this.

Why? you might ask. Well, Ill tell you. It was 3am on a Saturday night and I found myself in the North End shuddering at the thought of only french fries in my Jameson filled belly. I was hungry, dammit! And if youre gonna screw up and eat pizza, the North End is an admirable place to do so.

Yes, I now realize I did indeed have options that didnt present to me at the time.  I could have ordered with no cheese.  I could have gotten some type of cheeseless calzone.  I could have gone home at 3am instead of out for pizza. Or I could have just enjoyed having a great pizza and gone back to my vegan diet the next day as if nothing had happened.

I chose the latter.

The reason I share this, despite potential jeers and heckles from the vegan police, is because I am still vegan. That was weeks ago, and it didnt turn me back, so to speak.  I am so much more mindful of the food I consume now than I ever have been.  My body is healthier. My mind is clearer. My heart is more compassionate.

Pizza didnt break me. I accepted the choice I made and carried on.

Traditionally being vegan is all or nothing.  I challenge that and say that there is a middle way. The slope is not slippery. Hell, its not even a slope.  So if you recklessly eat some cheese, dont jump ship, (wo)/man. If you have to change your online dating profile to read mostly vegan instead of strictly vegan, yeah. you might get kicked out of some clubs, but are you doing this for yourself or to be a member?

I say youre still doing good things.  Just keep on keepin on.

Feb25

Mangez Plus PetitDejuener! Posted on February 25, 2012 by Laura Marie

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Well, thats kind of a lie.  If I wanted you to eat more French breakfast, Id merely be pushing black coffee and a chunk of crusty baguette with a bit of jam (which also sounds quite delightful actually).  This misnomered breakfast (which in France is actually called pain purdu, or lost bread), may not actually be french, but serving it à votre amis will make you feel like a vegan Jaques Pepin.  Its perfect for a weekend brunch but also quick and easy enough for a weekday if youre ambitious enough for anything more than running out the door 10 minutes late with a banana in one hand and a coke zero in the other.

So start working on your bad french accents and get your rear out of bed and into that kitchen!

*this recipe was partly inspired by a recipe I found online that seems to be from the cookbook How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard Sarah Kramer.  Im not really sure though. You should check out that cookbook anyways though. You can never have too many veg recipes!*

eggfreedom french toast

makes 2 servings, (2 slices each)- feel free to half or double as the case may be:  approx. 20 minutes

ingredients:4 slices of bread (I like to use Jessicas Brick Oven French Toast Bread with its beautiful swirls of goodness, but if its not available in your area any bread will do thoughcinnamon bread would be lovely as well!)1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or plain with a drop of vanilla extract)4t flour2t nutritional yeast1/4t cinnamonpinch of salt2t golden flaxseed (optional)powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)1T or more earth balance/cooking spray combo

note:  if you want to serve the lovely salad featured, its simply 1/2c baby arugula topped with fresh orange segments (from 1/2 orange), 1T sliced almonds, and 1T dried cranberries.  Super easy, super tasty healthy, and it makes the dish look like fashionweek à Paris.

method:In large measuring cup, whisk together everything but the bread until there are no clumps.  Pour it out into a shallow bowl.  (An 11x7 or 12x8 casserole dish works great. In a pinch, a pie plate will do too, but youll have to soak in batches)Soak the bread for at least 2-3 minutes per side- the longer you soak, the yummier it will be, but dont let it get too soggy or itll be a PitA to cook.  If youre using them, make sure you have good  flaxseed coverage on each slice.Melt half of the earth balance in a 10 cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 slices of the soaked bread and let cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).  Flip over and do the same for the other side, adding more earth balance or cooking spray (depending upon your caloric needs for the day) if needed. Repeat with the other 1/2T earth balance and remaining 2 slices of bread.Sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or warm maple syrup and earth balance.  Garnish with fruit salad.

Now eat and go back to bed, mon petit chou.  Youve worked hard, but not really at all.

Bon Appétit! Jan28

A winter reprieve- Herbed Penne with Lemon, Garlic, andCapers Posted on January 28, 2012 by Laura Marie

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This winter thing, yeah- its really getting old.  It has been relatively mild for New England this year, so I cant complain too much, but Im pretty certain that restless spirit of mine rears her little head around this time every year whether its 40 degrees or 14.   Maybe its the greyness, the lack of vegetation, the calm after the holidays, or a delightful cocktail of the above, but Im finding myself daydreaming about all things spring related.  Im mapping out plans for my tiny raised bed garden (that I generally neglect and destroy).  Im growing all kinds of (legal) windowsill herbs.  Ive also been finding myself creating wildly unseasonable meals.  I do love eating in season, but com on, son,  you can only eat cabbage and onions for so long and still keep your friends.

So I present to you this: a crazy fresh zingy springtime recipe from the depths of winter.  Perfect eaten steaming out of the pan, at room temperature, or if youre really getting nostalgic, chilled as a pasta salad of sorts.  You could use any type of pasta for this, but I prefer penne here. I like to be surprised by the bites of caper that get trapped inside and the lovely herbs that adhere to the groved exterior.

Measurements are approximate for this one, so tweak as you see fit to your taste. It was another 2am-Im-not-writing-anything-down creationwhich means its a really quick dish to put together as well.

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