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Sassy's Vegan "Egg" McMuffins
August 6, 2007

Sunday brunch time again. This week I made my favorite tofu scramble breakfast recipe: Vegan Sassy McMuffins. I grew up eating Egg McMuffins, so when I went Vegan I needed to come up with a recipe that could capture all the flavor elements I had grown to love. And "Sassy Macs" were born.

I try not to make these too often -- maybe once every 3-4 months or so. Why? Because they're made up almost entirely of pre-packaged foods, which I don't feel are the healthiest foods we can eat. But once in a while they really hit the spot. And make for a special treat.

The first thing you'll do is whip up a batch of Vegan Tofu Scramble. After that, it takes just minutes to build your breakfast sandwich.

Over the years I've made a LOT of tofu scramble recipes. I'd like to share with you my personal recipe -- which I've tweaked over the years for both nutrition and ease. Although you can add just about any veggies to your vegan tofu scramble, I've discovered that for Sassy Macs it's best to just keep it simple.

SASSY'S VEGAN TOFU SCRAMBLE
(Makes 4 Sassys Macs)

1/2 Onion, chopped
1 pound Firm Tofu
6 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (for color)
Garlic Granules, to taste (I use about 1 tsp,)
Onion granules, to taste (I use about 1 tsp.)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Drain tofu in a colander, using clean hands to squeeze and crumble to desired "scramble size". Place tofu in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with a fork, mashing ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Heat 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute until transluscent. Add tofu mix to pan and combine with the onions, distributing evenly. Cook until bottom of tofu browns and flip with a spatula (not all in one piece, of course). Brown the other side. It may be necessary to flip a couple more times, depending on your tastes.

While the tofu cooks, cut open 4 english muffins and toast lightly.

Assemble sandwiches -- each muffin will get 1 slice of vegetarian canadian bacon and 1 slice of non-dairy cheese of choice. Spoon cooked scrambled tofu onto each sandwich, and top with reserved 1/2 lightly toasted muffin.

These can be deliciously messy, so eat it with your hands (sandwich style), but serve with a fork to "pick up the pieces".

Don't forget the organic coffee. Yum!

Vegan Sassy McMuffins

Happy cooking!

Vegan Guacamole
August 7, 2007

Don't you just LOVE guacamole? It's just so tasty and rich and comforting. And it's SOOOOO good for you! The best part is that it's easy to whip up -- it takes just minutes!

Some people shy away from guacamole because they have heard about the fat content of avocados. But the fats in avocados aren't your average run-of-the-mill fats that one tries to avoid -- such as those found in processed and pre-packaged foods. The fats found in avocados are super duper good for you. Since they're a whole food, they contain a full spectrum of nutrients that help to make the fats a very healthy addition to your diet. Some studies have shown that eating avocados actually helps to lower your cholesterol! Whoo-hoo!!!

The basic ingredients of guacamole include avocado, onions, garlic, tomato and lime or lemon juice.

Here's how I made mine with the ingredients I had on hand. As always, feel free to play with your food, adding your favorite flavors of Mexico to design your very own vegan guacamole recipe!

First, I removed the meat of 2 Haas avocados from their skin. The easiest way I've found to do this is to FIRST remove the little nubby thing that you usually find at the end of your avocado -- this will ensure it doesn't accidentally end up in your vegan guacamole!

Next, you're going to cut into the avocado so you have 2 halves -- do this by cutting from top to bottom on both sides of the avocado. Then holding both halves give it a little twist just before you pull the 2 halves apart. You should be left with the pit on only one side of the avo. Remove the pit and toss. Using a spoon, scoop out to avocado meat and place into a bowl, mashing it with a fork until desired consistency.

Then you'll stir 1-2 Tablespoons of lime or lemon juice into the avocado -- not only for flavor, but to keep the pretty green color intact.

Next, I chopped about 1/4 cup of onion. Although I had tomatoes on hand, I wanted to use them for garnish, so instead I chopped 1/4 cup red bell pepper to add a little color and a fabulous flavor. The addition of chopped jalapenos added just the right kick. And a sprinkling of cumin pushed my guacamole over the top. Salt and pepper finished it off.

Guacamole is the perfect addition to any meal -- most especially when you want to tame some spicy flavors to balance a dish.

Vegan Guacamole

Happy cooking!

Vegan Open-Faced Tempeh Reuben
August 13, 2007

Caramelized onions. Tasty sauerkraut. Delectable tempeh. Tangy dressing. What's NOT to love about a a Vegan Open-Faced Tempeh Reuben?

Over the years I've tried MANY reubens, and this is by far my absolute most favoritest reuben EV-ER. I think you'll love it too.

Your main ingedient? Tempeh. Sure, you can use seitan (wheat gluten) which comes a little closer to the actual consistency of corned beef, but it's not NEARLY as good for you as tempeh.

Tempeh is a delectable soy food made from the whole soy bean and is minimally processed. It's also fermented, which is the absolute best way to enjoy your soy! Fermented products are an excellent source of pro-biotics (good bacteria you need). Tempeh is also packed with protein and B vitamins (although is not a reliable source of B12, as we're sometimes led to believe).

To prepare your tempeh, steam it for 20 minutes and it's ready to be sliced and used in your sandwich. I like to slice my tempeh in half both horizontally and vertically to end up with 4 thin slabs. If you have time, quickly brown in a little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to up the flavor quotient a bit, although this step isn't vital if you're in a rush.

What brings this sandwich to the tallest heights are the caramelized onions. OMG! If you've never made caramelized onions before it's SUPER DUPER easy -- but will take you about 15-20 minutes, so you can do this while your tempeh steams. Simply add a small amount of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to a pan, add thinly sliced onions (to taste), and sprinkle with sea salt. For 2 sandwiches (8 ounces of tempeh) I'll caramelize 1/2 an onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the onions are browned.

Of course, a reuben wouldn't be a reuben without sauerkraut! Sauerkraut is also a fermented food, which your body will absolutely love you for! When the onions are ready, simply push them to the side and warm the sauerkraut in the same pan.

Now, all you need is a dressing. Typically, a reuben is made with Thousand Island dressing, which is difficult (impossible?) to find vegan. But just make your own! It's easy and painfree. :O)

Here's a recipe for Vegan Thousand Island Dressing that I think you'll enjoy:

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing

3 tablespoons Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup minced dill pickle
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Mix in a bowl. That's it!

To assemble your Reubens, place 1 slice of your favorite bread (Rye or Pumpernickel is good, but any ol' bread will be fine), on a plate -- you can toast it first if you prefer. Place 2 slabs of tempeh across bread, cover with sauerkraut and caramelized onions, and dollop with dressing. Repeat. Serves 2. Be sure to serve with a knife and fork. Devour!

Open-Faced Tempeh Reubens

Happy cooking!

Today's spotlight was on Tempeh. By using the information found within the pages of the Vegan Coach website, you too can create quick and easy vegan meals without recipes! Ideas for flavorings in this meal were inspired by Tempeh's "Vegan Flavor Matches" -- they make cooking a breeze!

Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout ("Ragu")
August 16, 2007

Searching for a vegan chunky tomato-based sauce?

Here's what I whipped up the other night...

I was in a massive rush, and my refrigerator had been emptied of all my cooked-and-ready-to-go rice and beans (due to us porking out on them all week). But I found a roll of polenta in my cupboard!

Polenta is best made fresh, but these little rolls of polenta really do the trick if you don't have time to spend stirring your polenta while it cooks, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours! Plus, these little packages are pretty darned close to the real thing in terms of whole foods, so here's one pre-packaged food I'll use occasionally.

Here's what these pre-packaged polenta rolls look like, and you can find them in most natural foods stores -- and some mainstream groceries these days. Yay! (I've recently discovered the official name of these rolls are Chubs -- tee-hee)...

I have always made tomato-based sauces to top my polenta, but wanted to do something chunky this time.

Since I had both tomatoes and mushrooms on hand, I decided to make a Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout (pronounced "Ragu", which in all actuality is a chunky, meaty tomato sauce).

Begin by sauteeing a couple cloves of garlic and an onion in a little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Next, add some de-stemmed and chopped cremini mushrooms (use your fave mushrooms here), and Italian herbs like oregano and basil. I like to add wine to my Italian sauces because it adds such a delectable flavor, so pour in about 1/4 cup of white wine. (If you don't want to use alcohol, use veggie broth.)

After simmering that together for a few minutes, add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of diced tomatoes. And what the heck (I thought), how about 1/4 cup more wine? It couldn't hurt! :O)

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. You can simmer covered or uncovered -- covered will make a more "wet" sauce, and uncovered will make it more dry and chunky due to evaporation.

Slice your polenta into 1/2" rounds and lay decoratively on serving plates. Cover with your Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout.

Serve with whole-grain crusty bread and a super duper uber nutritious green, such as Swiss Chard or Kale.

Simple, quick and delicious!

Vegan Tomato Mushroom Ragout

By the way, use your Ragout on any of your favorite Italian dishes, including pasta and to make delectable bruschetta. You can also add some white beans to "up" the nutritional value of this yummy sauce.

Happy cooking!

Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling
August 20, 2007

Well, it's scorching hot here in Reno, Nevada. So I decided to give my stove a break and make one of my favorite raw vegan recipes -- Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling.

Imagine a creamy filling made with macadamia nuts and pine nuts, sandwiched between juicy roma tomatoes, and topped with a tasty vegan basil pesto. They come together in a snap and are SO yummy AND good for you! You're going to love love love these delectable morsels!

Begin with the ripest roma tomatoes you can find (although when heirloom tomatoes are in season use them -- you'll nearly faint away from the sheer scrumptiousness of it all!). You may have to let them sit on your countertop for a few days to ripen to perfection -- once refrigerated, the ripening process stops (as is true for all veggies). Slice the romas into 1/2" to 1" slices, depending on your tastes.

Now, the filling is what makes this dish sing. OMG! Macadamias and pine nuts add lots of healthy fats that your body is likely craving -- not all fats are created equally, so be sure to lovingly welcome these healthy fats into your diet. Fresh lemon juice adds Vitamin C. Nutritional yeast provides the all-important Vitamin B12 that Vegans need. And sea salt provides iodine -- always purchase iodized sea salt to ensure you're keeping your thyroid in balance.

The basic recipe simply calls for 1 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts (although you can use raw cashews if you can't find raw macadamias). You'll likely find them to be expensive, but splurge if you can -- this isn't an everyday meal, just a delicious and healthy occasional treat. Soak the macadamias in fresh water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place macadamias in a food processor with 1/4 cup pine nuts. Add a clove of garlic, and process into a fine meal.

The flavorings you add to the food processor at this point are very basic -- lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and nutritional yeast, all to taste. Always remember you can add more, but it's impossible to take it away.

If you have some sweet corn on hand, stir some kernels into the filling by hand to add a nice contrast to the creamy consistency. You can even add some chopped green onions, to taste. Feel free to experiment and have fun with this raw adventure!

Spoon the filling onto a slice of tomato, and cover with another slice. Repeat for the rest of the tomatoes. Voila! Your Vegan Tomato Stacks With Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling are ready to devour.

Unless you want to bring it up a notch...

...in which case you can cover them with a yummy and savory vegan pesto. Follow this link to discover Sassy's Vegan Pesto, a healthy addition to any meal!

Serve with a big ol' salad for a tasty, nutritious and fun summer vegan meal.

Vegan Tomato Stacks With
Creamy Macadamia Nut Filling

Happy no-cooking -- enjoy your cool kitchen!

July 2007 «  » September 2007

 
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