Everyday Vegan
Cooking and Nutrition

The name of this blog is Everyday Vegan Cooking and Nutrition. As you may have guessed, this means that within the pages of this blog (and my site VeganCoach.com) I teach you how to make everyday vegan food.

Sure, sometimes I get a little fancy. But for the most part it's just straight-ahead vegan dishes without too many bells and whistles. You know, the stuff most of us eat on a daily basis. ;O)

But that doesn't mean that these dishes are missing flavor. And a perfect example is my latest and greatest created-in-10-minutes creation I'm calling Vegan Toasted Sesame Stirfry.

This dish is just SO easy to throw together, yet it has a delightful flavor. The secret is in letting your broccoli get a little browned which really works with the toasted sesame oil flavor.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves...

The two main ingredients in this dish are tempeh and broccoli. Be sure to steam your tempeh in a small pot with about 1 cup of veggie broth for added flavor.

And of course, you'll want to clean your broccoli before using it.

Hope you enjoy this very quick and easy (and quite yummy) little recipe.

Vegan Toasted Sesame Stirfry
Serves 2
Recipe can be doubled.

6 ounces tempeh, steamed for 15 minutes in veggie broth
1-2 heads broccoli

Add the following ingredients to taste:
Non-dairy butter (I like Earth Balance)
Natural peanut butter
Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Toasted sesame oil
Lemon juice
Pure maple syrup
Sea salt
Almonds, coarsely ground

********************** 1. Cube the steamed tempeh. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets.

2. Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Heat 1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, then add cubed tempeh and cook for a few minutes until tempeh starts to brown.

3. Add broccoli, cover, and heat until broccoli is bright green and juuuuust tender (5-7 minutes). Be sure the broccoli gets a little browned on the underside which should happen fairly quickly in the medium-high heat of the pan.

4. Clear a space in the center of the pan and add the remaining ingredients. Remember, you can always add more! Stir the mixture together, taste. Adjust ingredients as desired.

5. Plate. Sprinkle with ground almonds.

Vegan Toasted Sesame Stirfry

Happy cooking!

Today's spotlight was on Broccoli. 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 the Broccoli Vegan Flavor Matches -- they make cooking a breeze! :O)

August 10, 2008 10:23 - Vegan Chicken Divan

Here's an idea for a delectably delicious, easy vegan meal called Vegan Chicken Divan. Growing up, this was one of my all-time favorite meals mom would make and so I just HAD to veganize it.

Imagine a dish made with broccoli crowns and chicken-flavored seitan, a delightful mix of vegan cheddar cheese, vegan mayo, lemon juice and non-dairy milk, covered with no-cream of mushroom soup, and topped with crispy french-fried onion rings. Sound easy? IT IS. And the results are very yummy.

And the dish comes together in MINUTES. After heating in the oven for 45 minutes, your Vegan Chicken Divan is ready to inhale!! ;O)

Vegan Chicken Divan makes an excellent and fun Sunday dinner, but it's so quick and easy you can make it any night of the week.

Click here to view my quick and easy recipe for Vegan Chicken Divan. I think you're going to love it.

Vegan Chicken Divan

Enjoy!

p.s. For more delectable dinner ideas, visit the VeganCoach.com Vegan Entrees page. :O)

August 15, 2008 13:39 - Vegan French Dip Sandwich with Au Jus

If you were a non-vegetarian at some point in your life, you most likely had a French Dip Sandwich. Personally, I used to LOVE them. But just because you're veg, doesn't mean you have to miss out on this delectable meal. In fact, you might like this Vegan French Dip Sandwich even better than the original!

This sandwich is super duper easy to toss together, so it's perfect for a busy night. Jeff and I enjoyed it with a crunchy green salad, and we walked away from the dinner table VERY full and satisfied. In fact, Jeff gave this sandwich a score of "10", which is rare and only reserved for those dishes he thinks are super duper uber scrumptious.

I think the most important part of the sandwich will be the bread you choose. I went with a sourdough baguette. But you can use any crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside baguette or roll you prefer.

I hope you enjoy this quick, easy and fun meal.

Vegan French Dip Sandwich
Serves 2
Recipe can be doubled or tripled...or more!

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium green pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 medium onion, sliced into strips
8 ounces seitan, thinly sliced
Non-dairy mozzarella or cheddar cheese (or both), sliced or grated (I like Follow Your Heart brand)

Vegan Au Jus
2 cups vegetable stock, salted
1-2 teaspoons vegetarian worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper

**********************

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add green pepper and onion to the pan and saute, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Push peppers and onion to the side and add seitan slices. Sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper and a touch of sea salt. Brown both sides of seitan. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

2. In the meantime, slice each baguette in half, being careful to leave one edge uncut so the baguette stays together once filled. Open baguettes and place face down in a toaster oven or regular oven, or face up on a low-heat grill. Toast the outside of the baguettes until warm and crisp.

3. Make the au jus: Place all ingredients in a small pot and heat, whisking occasionally, until hot.

4. Place the baguettes face-up on a serving plate. Add cheese slices (or grated cheese) to the bottom half of each baguette. Cover with seitan slices, followed by the pepper/onion mix. Close baguette.

5. Pour au jus in a small bowl and place on plate. Serve with a crisp green salad tossed with Sassy's Seedalicious Topping .

Vegan French Dip Sandwich with Au Jus

Happy cooking!

August 17, 2008 15:35 - Vegan Sausage Gravy-Smothered Polenta

Sunday brunch. It's the highlight of the week in our home, when Jeff and I listen to A Prairie Home Companion radio show as we enjoy a long and lazy meal together.

Because this time is so special to us, I always strive to come up with new and unique brunch meals that we can enjoy. I usually start with an idea of what flavor(s) I'm hungry for, and the meal sort of builds from there. And that's how my latest creation, Vegan Sausage Gravy-Smothered Polenta came into existence.

My body was craving something rich-tasting, but since I'm smack-dab in the middle of preparations for our yearly trip to Burning Man, time is at a minimum. Scouring my cupboards/fridge, I found a tube of polenta, some tempeh, and creamy mushroom soup leftover from my recent Vegan Chicken Divan recipe. My wheels a'spinning, our brunch came together in no time.

While there are some preparatory steps, I think you'll find the recipe as a whole to be quite simple. And very delicious.

Vegan Sausage Gravy-Smothered Polenta
Serves 2
Recipe can be doubled

8 oz. tempeh, cut in half
1 cup veggie broth
Olive Oil cooking spray
1 (18 oz) tube polenta, sliced into 10 rounds
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2-3 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 cups vegan creamy mushroom soup (Imagine makes a good one)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
Parsley flakes, to taste
Vegan parmesan cheese, to taste

**********************

1. Boil veggie broth in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Place tempeh halves in broth, turn heat to low, and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Remove tempeh and allow to cool briefly. Crumble tempeh.

2. While tempeh cooks, lightly coat a large frying pan with cooking spray. Add polenta slices and cook over medium-high heat until warmed throughout, flipping once. Remove to a serving platter.

3. Wipe frying pan clean with a damp cloth. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add crumbled tempeh, sage, thyme, rosemary and Bragg's. Brown tempeh, stirring occasionally.

4. Add mushroom soup to tempeh and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

5. Pour tempeh mix over polenta rounds. To garnish, sprinkle with paprika, parsley flakes and parmesan cheese.

6. Place Sausage Gravy-Smothered Polenta onto serving plates, and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish serving plates with paprika and parsley flakes. Serve with a glass of orange juice and a steaming cup of organic java.

Sausage Gravy-Smothered Polenta

Happy cooking!