October 1, 2008 18:11 - Vegan MoFo with the Vegan Coach - Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Have you heard of Vegan MoFo? Brainchild of Post Punk Kitchen it stands for Vegan Month of Food. Clever.
I've decided to add my name to the hat, which means that I'll be trying my hardest to blog every weekday for the month of October. For anyone who has ever blogged before, you might realize how VERY difficult this could prove to be. It's a lot of work, but I'm bound and determined to join my fellow vegan bloggers out there to bring veganism to the masses! (Go Team!) :O)
So, what will I write about every Monday through Friday in October?
I thought it might be fun to report on every single solitary dinner Jeff and I have during the month. Even if we go out to eat. Even if it's just hummus and pita bread. Yes, even if it's just a cashew chocolate shake. Of course, it's USUALLY a healthy meal, but I'm not perfect. And it's important for you to know that even those who know how to cook (and enjoy it) sometimes just drink beer for dinner. (That was a joke. Sort of. I usually eat pretzels with my beer.)
So without further ado...
DINNER AT SASSY'S - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST
Since we're just coming off a one-day fast, we had to keep things very simple. So for dinner, I heated up some leftover Cream of Cauliflower Soup.
Since I made the soup a couple of days ago, just before our fast, I was trying to use up what I had in the fridge so nothing would go to waste.
Good news: I had a big beautiful head of cauliflower.
Bad news: All I had was a big beautiful head of cauliflower. Oh, and 4 small cloves of fresh garlic.
Of course, I didn't realize my recipe would be part of a blog for you, so I didn't keep track of the amounts of ingredients I used.
But here's a general idea of how I created this delectable concotion.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 small cloves garlic
6 cups veggie broth
1 large head cauliflower, washed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 - 1 cup cashews
Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Nutmeg
Cayenne pepper
Maple Syrup
Nutritional Yeast
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add minced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Do not burn the garlic.
2. Carefully add veggie broth to the pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Add coarsely chopped cauliflower to the pot, cover, lower heat, and let simmer until tender (about 15-20 minutes).
4. Add walnuts and cashews to a blender. Remove cauliflower from the broth with a slotted spoon, along with about 2 cups of the broth, and add to blender. Process until completely smooth.
5. Pour blended ingredients back into pot. Add remaining ingredients, to taste, and stir or whisk to incorporate.
6. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a touch of nutmeg.
Since we were keeping it simple, we added a nutritious bar (called a BG Bar) made by Simplexity to round out our meal. They're filled with high-quality, organic ingredients and fortified with sprouted grains, greens, and blue green algae. It has a faaaaantastic flavor, with a texture reminiscent of almond butter. Yummy.
Happy cooking!
Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Soup
October 2, 2008 17:12 - Vegan MoFo - Creamy CocoNut Spread
Today Jeff and I went out for eats since our fridge was completely cleared out (due to our recent fast). I'll tell you about the delicious adventure in a minute, but first I want to share this yummmmy recipe for Creamy CocoNut Spread.
Jeff actually tossed this creamy scrumptiousness together one day as I rolled my eyes since EVERYTHING he just happens to throw together tastes scrumptious. Grrrrr....
This recipe contains three little ingredients that amount to one humongo taste. It's incredibly simple to make.
Creamy CocoNut Spread
1 part coconut oil
2 parts organic peanut butter
2 parts agave nectar
THAT'S IT!
Stir it together in a bowl, and then slather it on toast, crackers, your favorite bars -- basically anything you spread peanut butter on.
Now, you can certainly make a batch ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until ready to use. However, you may have to let it sit out on your countertop for a few minutes to soften.
Creamy CocoNut Spread completely satisfies your sweet tooth. But what I love most is since the spread is stuffed to the gills with healthy fats, it helps to quench your appetite.
Delicious, filling, healthy, and sweet. You really can't beat the combo. Thanks, Jeff.
Creamy CocoNut Spread
Now, back to what we had for Linner (lunch and dinner combined).
We went to one of our favorite restaurants here in Reno called Dandelion Deli. If you haven't been there, you simply must check it out. Although it's not totally vegetarian, their vegan food and desserts rival anything else I've taste in this town. Such a delight. And their food is made with love -- you can tell from the first bite. Anthony, the owner, runs a tight ship. The food and service are top notch.
Today I had a yummy Lentil Barley Loaf with mashed potatoes and creamy brown gravy, served with a cup of minestrone soup. Jeff had Lentil Dal with Basmati Rice, Chapati (Flat Indian Bread) and a green salad. Of course, we couldn't pass up their mouthwatering vegan cupcakes for dessert with a cup of strong black coffee. OMG! Heaven on earth, for sures.
Must run.
Have a fabulous day!
Dandelion Deli is located at 1170 South Wells in Reno, Nevada. 775-322-6100
October 3, 2008 18:40 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Sandwich
We had a very casual dinner tonight by feasting on a mouthwateringly messy Vegan Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Sandwich. There are lots of little flavor surprises in this sandwich that I think you'll enjoy.
When at our local co-op yesterday, we picked up a gorgeous heirloom tomato. We've entered heirloom season, and if you can get your hands on one of the plethora of heirlooms out there, nab it. Now normally, I'm not a fan of raw tomatoes, but heirlooms are special with a taste that is kinder and gentler than your average tomato. Plus they're juicy without zounds of seeds pouring out.
When you purchase avocados, be sure to buy them firm and green. Then allow them to ripen on your countertop. This will ensure your avocado is not purchased bruised from another shopper's pinching fingers, or from falling off the grocery shelf onto the floor.
How do you know when your avocado is ripe? First of all, the skin will turn a dark green color. Next, cradle the fat end of the avo in the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze. When you can feel it give slightly, your avo is ripe. Ripe avocado meat is very easy to "smoosh" with a fork. After spending some time with an avocado in various stages of ripening, you'll eventually come to understand when it is ripened to your tastes.
Here's the recipe for this very simple and yummy sandwich. Enjoy!
DINNER AT SASSY'S - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd
Vegan Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Sandwich
Serves 1
1-2 slices veggie bacon (I like Fakin' Bacon')
2 slices yellow onion
1/2 ripe avocado
1 thick slice tomato, preferably heirloom
2 slices of your favorite bread (I recommend Ezekial Sprouted Bread), lightly toasted
1 Tablespoon vegan mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise)
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 slice dill pickle, diced
Dried minced garlic, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Give a medium frying pan a quickie spritz of spray olive oil. Warm over medium heat. Add bacon and onion slices. Cook until browned and slightly crispy, turning once.
2. Remove avocado meat from the skin with a spoon, place into a small bowl, and smoosh with a fork.
3. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, ketcup, Dijon, pickle, garlic and pepper.
4. Assemble sandwich: On one slice of toast layer bacon, onion and tomato. Spread the smooshed avocado on the other slice of toast. Top with dressing. Place two sandwich halves together and devour. :O)
Serve with crispy organic french fries.
Happy cooking!
Bacon, Tomato and Avocado Sandwich
October 6, 2008 20:12 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Chicken Divan Soup
Today I created a yummy concoction: Vegan Chicken Divan Soup. This kick starts another week of blogging about everything Jeff and I eat for dinner Monday through Fridays throughout the month of October.
Today was a beautiful, sunny day in Reno, Nevada. But as the evening set in, a chill permeated the air. This means it's finally time for soup season. Whoo-hoo!!! I love, love, love soups, not only because they warm you to your kissers, but they're just so easy to make.
Vegan Chicken Divan Soup is very loosely based on my recipe for Vegan Chicken Divan (which our guests promptly devoured at a dinner party last night). Both dishes contain broccoli, vegetarian chicken strips, and Cream of Mushroom soup. The Divan also contains vegan cheese, which I used up in last night's dish, so when making the soup I had to rely on other ingredients to try to capture that cheesy note.
Beyond that, many of the ingredients were lifted right from the Broccoli "Vegan Flavor Matches", which are the ingredients that match broccoli perfectly. (The Vegan Flavor Matches found throughout VeganCoach.com are very, very helpful, especially when making a soup.)
Since I was barely hanging on to consciousness due to an extreme hangover (oy, the wine was flowing last night!) and complete exhaustion from a very late bedtime, I didn't keep track of the amounts of each and every ingredient. But you may know how it is when you make soup -- a little of this and a little of that. You'll have to experiment on the amounts until it tastes juuuuust right for your taste buds. Of course, I'll share amounts of ingredients that my hungover brain can actually remember. ;O)
DINNER AT SASSY'S - MONDAY, OCTOBER 6th
Vegan Chicken Divan Soup
Serves 6
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups broccoli crowns
1 package (6 ounces) Yves Chicken Strips (or faux chicken of your choice), cut to bite-sized pieces
1 cup vegan Cream of Mushroom soup (Imagine makes a good one)
2 Tablespoons vegan mayo
Bragg's Liquid Aminos, to taste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup diced pimentos
1/4 - 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Garlic and onion powder, to taste
3/4 cups sesame seeds
1/3 cup bread crumbs
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Pure maple syrup, to taste
Apple cider vinegar, to taste
Garlic and onion powder, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Bring veggie broth to a boil and add broccoli. Cover, lower heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place the following ingredients in a blender: Mushroom soup, mayo, Bragg's, vinegar, pimentos, nutritional yeast, garlic and onion powder, and sesame seeds. Process until completely smooth and thickened.
3. Add mushroom soup mix to the pot of broccoli, along with the vegan chicken strips.
4. Flavor soup with remaining ingredients. Bring soup to a light simmer, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Vegan Chicken Divan Soup is warm and cozy and rich and mouthwateringly good. Serve with crackers.
Happy cooking!
Vegan Chicken Divan Soup
October 7, 2008 21:03 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Spicy Green Beans
Today Jeff and I chowed down on some Vegan Spicy Green Beans. I LOVE PF Chang's Szechuan Asparagus, so my goal was to make something similar with my green beans. They didn't turn out exactly how I had them pictured, but they're yummy nonetheless.
Since I'm short on time (sweet Jeff is waiting patiently for me to finish working for the day), let's cut to the chase and see how the recipe came together:
DINNER AT SASSY'S - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7th
Vegan Spicy Green Beans
Fresh green beans (about 1 large handful per person), cleaned, ends trimmed, and steamed for 10 minutes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 green onions, white parts only, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ginger (if you have fresh ginger, use it)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce), to taste
1 teaspoon granulated sweetener
1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. After steaming green beans for 10 minutes, heat a pan or wok with sesame oil. Add steamed beans to the pan (be careful of getting splattered with hot oil!). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until beans start to brown.
2. Push beans to the side of the pan. Add green onions, garlic, ginger and Worcestershire sauce to pan. Let cook for 2 minutes. Stir into green beans.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste test. Tweak flavors.
I served our green beans with a mound of couscous flavored with veggie broth, Earth Balance and nutritional yeast, and a green leafy salad with avocado, red peppers, cukes, and Sassy's Seedalicious Topping.
See you tomorrow. :O)
Happy cooking!
Vegan Spicy Green Beans
October 8, 2008 20:40 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Glazed Carrots
This pretty little side dish, Vegan Glazed Carrots, looks beautiful on any fall table. And they're superbly quick and easy to make, and taste sweet and yummy.
Let's get started -- Project Runway is about to begin. :O)
DINNER AT SASSY'S - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8th
Vegan Glazed Carrots
Serves 2
4-5 large carrots, ends trimmed, sliced into coins
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance (non-dairy buttery spread)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup, Agave nectar, or brown rice syrup
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon dill weed
Sea salt, to taste
1. Steam carrot coins for 20 minutes or until softened.
2. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, melt Earth Balance. Turn off heat and add maple syrup, Bragg's, dill weed and salt. Stir to combine. Add steamed carrots to the saucepan and stir to cover carrots with sauce. Place carrots in a baking dish and place in oven.
3. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until hot.
I served my carrots with a veggie burger complete with vegan cheese slice, avocado, grilled onion, sauerkraut, lettuce, and a big juicy slice of an heirloom tomato. Oh, and don't forget the crispy onion rings and dill pickle.
Happy cooking!
Vegan Glazed Carrots
October 9, 2008 15:53 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Southwestern Quinoa Wraps
Today I'm sharing the brunch that Jeff and I had; namely, Vegan Southwestern Quinoa Wraps. As you may remember, this week (in celebration of Vegan MoFo) I'm blogging about the dinners we're eating every Monday - Friday during the month of October.
However, Jeff and I will be going out for eats tonight before we head downtown to volunteer at our favorite community theatre, Bruka. By the way, if you're looking for something fun and interesting to do with your spare time, get involved in your local community theatre. The people are amazing, salt-of-the-earth types, and you'll have a blast. You MAY even be cast in one of the shows, like yours truly...
(Sassy in her first play, hoping she doesn't faint.)
ANYway, back to brunch. ;O)
If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a HUGE fan of quinoa. This whole grain (well, technically a seed) is CHOCK FULL of vegan protein, and fills you up without weighing you down -- gotta love that. I focused on bringing in flavors that reminded me of my favorite Southwestern dishes, including salsa, black olives, red pepper, onions, and avocado.
Mmmmmm, I'm drooling.
Here's how this recipe came together in record time.
DINNER AT SASSY'S (well, technically brunch)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9th
Vegan Southwestern Quinoa Wraps
Serves 2
1 cup quinoa, unrinsed
2 cups veggie broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Tamari soy sauce
1/2 - 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tortillas (I like spelt)
2 slices vegan cheddar or American cheese (optional)
2 large romaine lettuce leaves
1/3 cup black olives, quartered
4 Tablespoons salsa (I like Pace organic)
1/2 avocado
1. Heat a dry frying pan and add unrinsed quinoa. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Add veggie broth, cover, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add onion and red pepper. Cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add Bragg's, syrup, oregano, and spices. Stir to mix.
3. Scatter cheese (optional) over tortillas. Heat tortillas in a 300 degree oven for about 5 minutes.
4. Place 1 tortilla on a plate. Add 1/2 the quinoa mixture, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1/2 the black olives. Roll tightly. Add 2 Tablespoons salsa and 1/4 of the chopped avocado. Repeat with 2nd tortilla.
Serve with a glass of calcium-fortified OJ and a cup of hot and steamy organic coffee.
Happy cooking!
Vegan Southwestern Quinoa Wraps
October 10, 2008 19:16 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Pizza
Tonight I was SO in the mood for Vegan Pizza. I never know when the pizza mood will strike, so I always have pizza crusts ready to go in my freezer for these pizza emergencies.
For years, when I wanted pizza I would purchase a vegan cheese to grate and sprinkle over my pizza. But vegan cheeses (meaning no casein) can be hit or miss, usually miss. And vegan cheese is usually made with soy (which I'm trying to avoid as much as possible), preservatives, and can be high in fat and calories.
So this isn't any old vegan pizza.
For this pizza, you'll actually create your very own soy-free white sauce to be poured over the marinara. Then simply top with your favorite ingredients, and 15 minutes later you have a piping hot, rich-tasting pizza with absolutely no guilt whatsoever. Whoo-hoo!
This sauce was created using the techniques you can learn in my upcoming book Get Sauced With Sass, which teaches you how to create unique vegan sauces from scratch.
Notice how I didn't say this recipe is for a "cheese sauce". That's because it doesn't taste like cheese. But that's okay. This white sauce is made with ingredients like white beans (a wonderful source of calcium and protein), cashews (a healthy fat), and nutritional yeast (a yummy source of Vitamin B12). These and other ingredients combine to make a unique and rich-tasting sauce that is so flavorful, you simply won't miss the cheese.
Use your favorite marinara, toppings, and pizza crust (I like Vicolo Cornmeal Pizza Crust).
Enjoy!
DINNER AT SASSY'S - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th
Vegan Pizza White Sauce
Yield: Approximately 2 cups
Note: Sorry to say, I didn't keep track of the amounts of every ingredients today. I've included amounts as I can best remember. Please use your best judgment and experiment with the ingredients to find a flavor that works for you.
1 can (about 1 1/2 cups) Great Northern Beans, rinsed well and drained
1 cup cashews
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like plain almond milk)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle chile flakes
1/2 - 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 - 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS ARE ADDED "TO TASTE":
Lemon juice
Onion powder
Garlic powder or garlic granules
Oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Water, to desired consistency
1. Place all ingredients in a blender, using only enough water to enable easy blending. Process until completely smooth. Add water to desired consistency.
2. Cover your pizza crust with marinara. Spoon or pour white sauce over the marinara. Top with your favorite ingredients.
I topped mine with onion and green olives. Jeff opted for onion, green pepper, heirloom tomato, and a crumbled veggie burger.
3. Cook on a pizza pan at 425 degrees for 15 minutes (or follow pizza crust package directions).
Please note: The white sauce will change color from off-white to light tan.
Serve with a leafy green salad tossed with Sassy's Seedalicious Topping for a well-balanced meal.
Happy cooking! See you next week.
A Slice of Sassy's Vegan Pizza
Jeff's Vegan Pizza Pie
That's amore! :O)
October 13, 2008 16:50 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Rice & Aduki Beans with Broccoli
Today's dish, Vegan Rice and Aduki Beans with Broccoli, is actually the vegan dinner Jeff and I had on Saturday night. But since we're on a quickie 2-day fast, I must share this delectable dish with you today. It's going to be tough to talk about food -- one of the biggest no-no's when you're fasting -- but I have made a committment to blog every Mon-Fri this month, so blog I must.
This is one of those meals that was put together with some key ingredients which were in my refrigerator on Saturday night.
First of all, you may remember that I shared a recipe for a vegan white sauce that we topped our pizzas with for our Friday night dinner. Since there was some leftover sauce in the fridge, I heated it up and poured it over some steamed broccoli. OMG!
Next, we had just cooked up a batch of brown rice combo (brown rice/barley/red lentils), and some aduki beans that very day. Tossing this brown rice mix together with the beans, along with fun little surprise ingredients, kept the dish interesting. There was really no rhyme or reason to the ingredients I added -- just really what I was in the mood for. The finished dish was QUITE delectable.
Here is how the yummy recipe came together...
DINNER AT SASSY'S - MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th
Vegan Rice & Aduki Beans
Serves: 2
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2-3 Tablespoons brown rice, or a rice combination
4 Tablespoons aduki beans
1/3 cup tomato, chopped
1/4 cup water, or to desired consistency
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 Tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspooon cayenne pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, cover, turn heat to very low and simmer until warmed throughout.
Serve with a lightly toasted tortilla and lightly steamed broccoli with a comforting sauce. Follow this link to make the creamy vegan white sauce I used, or get some ideas from previous VeganCoach.com sauce recipe blogs.
Happy cooking!
Vegan Rice & Aduki Beans w/Broccoli
October 14, 2008 19:18 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Sausage, Biscuit and Gravy
Vegan Sausage, Biscuit and Gravy was actually a meal we had last Sunday. Since this is the 2nd (and last!) day of our quickie fast, I was sure to take a picture of our Sunday brunch to fill the food gap the fast would cause. I'm so smart. ;O)
After spending time at a friend's baby shower Sunday AM (Congratulations Rachel and Mike!), I was driving home wondering what to make for brunch, surely one of the most special meals Jeff and I share together on a weekly basis.
I had removed a roll of vegan sausage from the freezer 2 days before, so that was surely going to be part of the meal. What else was I hungry for? Something sinful tasting would fit the bill. Maybe some biscuits. Ooooh, and some gravy! With my mind made up, I walked in the front door, turned on the oven, and got to work.
First off, I made my favorite EASY Sweet Biscuits, which take about 5 minutes (if that) to put together and about 15 minutes to cook. The recipe is from Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer's How It All Vegan.
While the biscuits cooked, I tossed together a super simple gravy.
And while that simmered, sliced half the vegan sausage roll into 4 thick slices and browned them in a small frying pan.
Here are the two recipes you'll need to create this yummy meal.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14th
Vegan Sweet Biscuits
Serves: 8
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Sucanat
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup Earth Balance
1 cup non-dairy milk
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sweetener, and baking powder. Stir in the margarine and milk and mix together until "just mixed." Drop by heaping Tablespoons onto lightly oiled cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 12-18 minutes.
Allow biscuits to cool slightly -- the longer they cool, the easier they will be to slice. Use one biscuit per person. (Leftover biscuits are excellent covered with jam and served with tea.)
Easy Vegan Gravy
Serves: 2
This recipe isn't an exact science. Just add the flavors that you like to the flour/water combination.
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon water
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Mushrooms, chopped (optional - I didn't have any on hand)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour, or flour of choice
2 cups cool water (or veggie broth)
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
ADD YOUR FAVORITE FLAVORINGS, SUCH AS:
Ground sage, to taste
Thyme, to taste
Oregano, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Heat olive oil and 1 teaspoon water in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic (and mushrooms if desired) to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add flour to the pan and stir until the oil and water have been completely absorbed. Let cook for a few minutes to bring out the flavor of the flour. Whisk in cool water, and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until thickened.
2. Remove lid and add Bragg's, nutritional yeast, and flavorings of choice. Keep warm on very low heat, covered, until ready to serve.
TO ASSEMBLE
Slice a Sweet Biscuit in half and place on a serving plate. Place a slice of sausage on each biscuit half. Cover with 1/2 the gravy. Repeat with another biscuit. Serve.
As always, since there are two of us over here, today's blog is based on a meal for two. Gravy recipe can be doubled, although you may not need as much water (or veggie broth).
Serve with steaming hot organic black coffee. Yummmmm.
Enjoy!
Vegan Sausage, Biscuit and Gravy
October 15, 2008 20:13 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Tempeh Barbecue Pockets and Cranberry Beans From Hell
Today's blog is all about my experience making Vegan Tempeh Barbecue Pockets and Cranberry Beans From Hell. You're probably wondering why someone with my sweet and cheery disposition would label any food as being from Hades. But you'll soon learn why.
To begin with, this meal is not my most proud moment. I certainly wouldn't share it with you, except I promised to blog about EVERYTHING Jeff and I eat for dinner every Mon-Fri for the month of October.
So, here goes...
Being in the mood for some sort of pizza snack prompted me to create these little Tempeh Barbecue Pockets. But as you can see by the name, they're far from being pizza-like. I was watching the Presidential Debate while I cooked tonight, and sort of lost my way. (p.s. PLEASE VOTE!)
DINNER AT SASSY'S - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th
As I mentioned, tonight our dinner consisted of Tempeh Barbecue Pockets, a lentil/rice dish, and cranberry beans. Since I had been watching the debates, I did not notice that the entire meal was made up of legumes! There's nothing inherently wrong with legumes, but I was saddened to realize there was no veggie present. SO unlike me. If I had NOT been watching the debates, I would have cleaned my beautiful spinach and had a fresh and yummy spinach salad.
But I was drawn by the lure of the pretty cranberry beans...FROM HELL!
Okay, enough bitching.
For now. ;O)
What you'll need to make these Tempeh Barbecue Pockets is:
6 tortillas
3 cups Creamy Barbecue Sauce (below)
8 ounces tempeh
Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or tamari soy sauce
Veggie Broth
FIRST: Simmer 8 ounces of tempeh in 1 1/2 cups veggie broth for 15 minutes. Grate.
SECOND: Make the sauce. Here's how the sauce recipe came together:
Vegan Creamy Barbecue Sauce
Yield: About 3 cups
1 cup cashews
1 cup water
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 garlic clove
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth.
THIRD: Assemble the pockets...
Cut tortillas in half. Spread 1 Tablespoon sauce over tortilla half.
Scatter 2 Tablespoons cooked tempeh over the sauce.
Drizzle Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or tamari soy sauce) and 1 Tablespoon sauce over the tempeh.
Fold tortilla half in half to form a pocket. Repeat for each half. Lightly coat with olive oil.
Cook pockets at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Drizzle with remaining sauce. Forming the letter "S" for Sassy is optional. :O)
Now, onto the Cranberry Beans From Hell...
Jeff was SO excited when he brought these home. He figured they'd be a great addition to my blog. Thanks, my sweet. You're a doll.
My, aren't they pretty? YES! I was soooo excited to play with them.
Little did I know it would take me about 30 minutes to get the beans out of the shells. And another 20-25 minutes to simmer them (with a clove of garlic and some peppercorns) until they were al dente.
Since I didn't realize how LONG it would take to prepare these little guys, the rest of my meal proceeded to get cold. Fortunately, one of the presidential candidates shined brightly and helped to soothe my frayed cooking nerves. Ahem.
Sorry, but the amount of work it took to make these suckers edible was just SO not worth it.
But I DID serve them after all, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Not as tasty as I had hoped.
Vegan Tempeh Barbecue Pockets, Lentil/Rice Mix, and Cranberry Beans
The pockets are tasty. The rest of the meal? Mediocre, at best. But I'll be back tomorrow to redeem myself.
Never give up! Never surrender!
Happy cooking!
October 16, 2008 20:27 - Vegan MoFo - Lunch at Sprouts in South Lake Tahoe
Today Jeff and I went for lunch in our favorite little restaurant in South Lake Tahoe, Sprouts.
Tahoe is about 90 minutes from our cozy home in Reno. It amazed us when we realized we hadn't taken a drive to visit the lake since March. The drive is gorgeous, as you weave through the Sierra Nevad Mountains -- we always feel like we're getting away from it all. And at the end of the beautiful drive is an adorable little restaurant Sprouts we've been frequenting since moving to Reno in 2001.
Sprouts is a very cool place. It's owned by an adorable couple, and staffed by cute college-age girls and guys who are always friendly and prompt.
You place your order at the counter, and they bring your food out to you as it's prepared. This means that you usually receive your beverages first, then your soup or salad, and then the main dish which makes it a relaxing dining experience.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17th
To be technical, we didn't have dinner. It was a late lunch. But the food is always so delicious and filling that it pretty much takes care of our eating needs for the rest of the day. In other words, we're not actually having a dinner tonight.
Instead, I'm making dessert!
Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes from the book...
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
.
These cupcakes are sooooo good -- the taste always reminds me of traditional vanilla wedding cake. I'll post pictures of them tomorrow, if there are any left. ;O)
Anyway, back to Sprouts. :O)
Here's what Jeff and I happily munched out on:
Vegan Hot Chocolate
Vegan Vegetable Lentil Soup
This soup was full of big chunks of veggies floating around in a lentil-laced broth. Tasty!
Vegan Couscous Hummus Burro
This is one of our favorite wraps. Filled with couscous, hummus, red onions, and tomatoes. Then it's topped with cukes, green onions, and lots and lots of black olives. Delicious!
Vegan Tempeh Hummus Burro
Our other all-time favorite wrap from Sprouts is this delightful concoction of chunks of tempeh, basmati rice, wilted spinach, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, salsa, and lots of flavorful hummus. Sound divine? IT IS!
We left completely satisfied, as always. The sun was still shining as we drove back down the mountain, and started to set as we were nearly home. Have you ever seen a Nevada sky around sunset? It's quite breathtaking. In fact, I'll leave you with one amazing sunset photo we took about a year ago. It's quite awe-inspiring.
Beautiful Reno Sunset
I must now frost my cupcakes and scarf one down with some Nighty Night tea.
See you tomorrow. :O)
p.s. Sprouts is located at 3125 Harrison Ave in South Lake Tahoe, California. Phone: (530) 541-6969
October 17, 2008 19:31 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Rice
Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Rice was our dindin tonight. Very flavorful, and VERY filling. Jeff gave the meal a "10", which always makes this cook a happy camper. :O)
In looking through my fridge, I could see that I had some leftover brown rice, a bunch of fresh spinach, some green onions, and some garbanzos we cooked up that is slated for my delectably creamy hummus. These ingredients smooshed together would be PERFECT with a sauce of some sort.
So, using the techniques taught in my upcoming book Get Sauced With Sass -- in which you'll learn how to create vegan sauces from scratch without a recipe -- the creamy and tasty sauce came together quickly and easily. And it wasn't long before Jeff and I were happily munching away on our yummy Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Rice dish.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th
Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Sauce
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Process all ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. You may remove the sauce to a small saucepan to gently warm, if desired. If using a Vita-Mix blender, simply process on high until warmed.
Note: You will likely not use this entire recipe for this meal. If you have leftover sauce, simply refrigerate to be used with another dish.
Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Rice
Serves: 3
2 cups brown rice, or whole grain of choice (I had on hand a combination of wild rice/brown rice/lentils)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
2 green onions, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 green onion, chopped (for garnish)
1. Place some water (about 1/4 cup) in the bottom of a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the brown rice, garbanzos, green onions and garlic. Heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout. Add cumin and Bragg's, and stir to mix.
2. Add about 1/4 cup water and the chopped spinach. Cover, lower heat, and simmer in the water until spinach is wilted. Remove cover.
3. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to mix. Heat gently until warmed through.
4. Makes enough for 3 servings. Spoon rice onto serving plates. Cover with desired amount of Peanut Butter Coconut Sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion.
I served our Vegan Peanut Butter Coconut Rice with leftover Tempeh Barbecue Pockets from Wednesday's blog (Jeff's new favorite taste sensation). If you don't have these on hand, you can serve your dish with warmed tortillas or a slice of whole grain bread.
Vegan peanut Butter Coconut Rice
p.s. Here's the photo I promised of my pretty little Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes topped with Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
Vegan Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcakes
The frosting is EASY to whip up and is adapted from The Vegan Chef Beverly Lynn Bennett's divine recipe. Simply beat together 1/2 cup Earth Balance, 1/4 cup non-dairy milk, 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
And the cupcakes are from the book:
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
So delish!
Have a fabulous weekend. See you Monday!
October 20, 2008 21:15 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Tomato Basil YumYums
Okay, so Vegan Tomato Basil YumYums may not sound very hoity toity, but the flavor is simply yummy. What else could I call these delectable little morsels?
Firstly, it's imperative that you use the freshest roma tomatoes you can find. And fresh basil too. The flavor of these yumyums depends on it.
And these are so very easy to put together. If you blink, you may miss these quick instructions.
Ready?
DINNER AT SASSY'S - MONDAY, OCTOBER 20th
Vegan Tomato Basil YumYums
Fresh roma tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Slice tomatoes to desired thickness and plate. Chiffonade basil and lay on top of tomatoes (be sure to watch video below if you don't know how to chiffonade). Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Add pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and sea salt (to taste) to a small grinder (I have one grinder for coffee, and one grinder for nuts, seeds, etc.). Process for 5-10 seconds until pine nuts are chopped. Sprinkle pine nut mix over tomatoes. (You can double the amount of pine nut mix depending on the number of tomatoes you use.)
I served our Vegan Tomato Basil YumYums with a big raw Spinach Caesar Salad and some creamy homemade hummus with crackers. A deliciously healthy, easy & light vegan dinner.
Vegan Tomato Basil YumYums
* Here's how to chiffonade basil...
October 21, 2008 21:17 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Pizza Burgers
Tonight I made Vegan Pizza Burgers. Our beautiful friends Jamie and Tommy gave us some deeeelicious roma tomatoes straight from their garden. I've been patiently waiting for them to ripen, and the time has come. As you may have noticed, yesterday's blog included tomatoes, and today's will too. Thanks, Jamie and Tommy!
Jamie and Tommy
Our Friendly Tomato Providers
I've made Vegan Pizza Burgers many times before, and each and every time I create a different yummy cheesy sauce for the top. As it turns out, I was not very happy with my cheesy sauce today because, well, it just didn't taste cheesy enough for me. Jeff on the other hand absolutely LOVED this recipe and said he appreciated the unique flavor. Go figure!
Of course, being the very picky and ANAL cook that I am, I do not want to share this recipe with you because it didn't cut the mustard for me. Since I promised to blog about every single dinner I have in the month of October (good or bad!), I am sharing this experience with you.
Everyone has their bad days, right? RIGHT!?!? ;O)
I served our pizza burgers with a leafy green salad tossed with Sassy's Seedalicious Topping for a well-balanced meal.
Vegan Pizza Burgers
Happy cooking!
October 22, 2008 19:01 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Pasta Pomodoro with Tasty Brussels Sprouts
DINNER AT SASSY'S - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22nd
Today's dinner, Vegan Pasta Pomodoro with Tasty Brussels Sprouts, came together fairly quickly. And that made me happy because Jeff and I were positively famished.
This is a simple meal to create; however, it's important you do the steps in the proper order so you're not sitting around waiting for one dish to cook while the other one is getting cold.
Before you begin, you'll need some Vegan Parmesan. You can use the store-bought stuff, but I like to make my own because it's easy and I actually prefer the taste. Make a batch every once in a while, and store it in the fridge. It will keep for 7-10 days, but will usually disappear MUCH faster than that. :O)
To make Vegan Parmesan, add almonds to a small pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, and when the almonds are floating, turn off the heat and drain the almonds. Let cool in strainer. Then remove the skins by pinching one of the ends of each almond until the skin pops off. Add blanched almonds to a food processor (or blender) with 1/2 the amount of nutritional yeast as the amount of almonds you used. (For instance, if you used 1/2 cup almonds, use 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.) Sprinkle with sea salt, and process until the almond/yeast mix resembles parmesan. Taste, and add more salt, if desired.
Okay, now that you're armed with your favorite Vegan Parmesan, it's time to make the meal.
Step 1: Clean and prepare your Brussels sprouts to be cooked. By following the link I just provided for you, you'll learn how to select your Brussels at the grocery store, how to clean, prep, cook AND flavor them to perfection.
Step 2: As mentioned above, you have some options when it comes to cooking your Brussels. Choose one that you like best:
Baked Brussels Sprouts
Boiled Brussels Sprouts
Braised Brussels Sprouts
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts
I chose to steam my Brussels, which is my favorite way to cook them. Read through the different techniques and give your favorite a go, or try a new technique just for fun.
Step 3: 10-12 minutes before your Brussels are done, boil a pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add a bit of salt followed by the pasta. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente (follow package directions for perfectly cooked pasta of choice).
Step 4: As your pasta and Brussels cook, coarsely chop a tomato or two (or more) and some fresh basil. Coarsely chop a large clove of garlic, and mince another one -- I enjoy the varying tastes of the two different chops of the garlic.
Step 5: When the pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add some Earth Balance, the garlic, tomatoes, basil, sea salt and a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and the Earth Balance is melted. Taste and tweak flavors, if needed.
Step 6: When your Brussels are ready, flavor them with your favorite ingredients from the
Brussels Sprouts "Vegan Flavor Matches" which match your Brussels perfectly. I chose to use Earth Balance, garlic, sea salt, some of my Vegan Parmesan (since it includes almonds, which is a flavor match for Brussels), and a dash of freshly ground black pepper.
Vegan Pasta Pomodoro with Tasty Brussels Sprouts
Have fun, and remember to play with your food!
See you tomorrow.
xoxo
Sass
October 23, 2008 14:31 - Vegan MoFo -- What's in the Vegan Coach's freezer?
I thought it might be fun to show you what's in the Vegan Coach's freezer. Since Jeff and I are going out for dinner tonight before we head over to volunteer at one of our local community theaters, I won't be able to blog about my dinner tonight. Of course, I'll take photos of our restaurant-prepared vittles and post them tomorrow.
But in the meantime, let's peer into the depths of my freezer.
Just so you know, this isn't my brilliant idea. It was the brainchild of Billy over at this blog: Vegan Talk. Great idea, Billy! I was "tagged" by the Grow Peace blog.
The vegan blogging community is huge and growing bigger every day. How cool. And, dear visitor, you certainly have a lot of fun blogs to choose from out there. I SO appreciate that you check mine out once in a while. Thank you! (big hug)
So, are you ready?
Here goes...
The Vegan Coach's Freezer
a. COFFEE! Must have my LEGAL drug every day. Currently, we're making Equal Exchange fair trade and organic French Roast coffee. There's another coffee I found recently that I love made right here in Reno: Blind Dog Coffee, owned by Mark who is a super cool guy that I met one day at Whole Foods when he was giving out samples of his delicious organic coffee. Yum!
b. A smattering of frozen fruit and veggies. I don't use these very often.
c. Ezekial sprouted bread -- Cinnamon and Raisin, my favorite. I toast this and have it as part of my breakfast every morning with chunky peanut butter and jelly. Love it.
d. Various small bags of obscure flours that I very occasionally use, such as soy flour, tapioca flour, gluten-free flour, and also some xanthum gum.
e. A bag of frozen broccoli crowns. I normally wouldn't have this in my freezer since I rarely use frozen veggies, but I overbought for a recipe recently. So there it sits.
f. Tomato paste. Have you ever opened a can of tomato paste and you use just a little bit -- what do you do with the rest? I USED TO put the leftovers in the fridge, but it just sat there unused until I had to throw it away. Now I measure the leftovers out in general Tablespoon measurements (doesn't have to be exact) and wrap each Tablespoon of tomato paste in some plastic wrap. It's SO convenient to just pull out a Tablespoon or two when I need it for a recipe. No more waste!
g. Frozen bananas, ready to go for a smoothie or shake. When your bananas are super ripe, PEEL THEM, and then wrap them in plastic wrap. Place in freezer until ready to use. Not exactly sure how long these keep. When they start to look freezer-burned or nasty, I throw them away. But I usually use them before that happens. ;O)
h. Phillo Dough.
i. Nuts. I learned long ago that it's best to keep certain foods in the freezer to prolong their life. This includes nuts, seeds, grains, and flour. So I used to have all these little annoying bags of these ingredients all over my freezer. Then one day Jeff put his fabulous organizational skills to good use. He put all the nuts into one big bag. All the seeds into another big bag. Same with the grains. Same with the flours.
I simply can't tell you how EASY it is now to find the ingredient I'm looking for. Thanks, Jeff! :O)
j. Bag of grains, along the same lines as the nuts in category "i" above.
k. My favorite pizza crusts EV-ER. Vicolo Cornmeal Pizza Crusts are fabulous to have on hand in case of a pizza emergency, which usually happens when Jeff and I get home late after a night out on the town. Some day my dreams will be answered and there will be an all-night vegan pizza parlor we can call. But for now, I'm happy these yummy crusts are out there!
l. Bag of seeds, same as the nuts in category "i" above. Although you can't see them, I also have a large bag of different types of flours.
You may notice that my freezer is missing the usual fun frozen foods that many people keep around. I stopped doing this long ago. Why? Because it's WAY too easy to fall into the trap of eating these foods instead of creating fresh veggies, beans, grains, etc. Although occasionally I'll get a hankering for some special treat. And in these cases, I make a purposeful stop at the store to pick it up. When it's too much work, it's no longer fun food -- suddenly, those veggies or beans or grains in my fridge look MUCH more convenient, ya know?
I recommend you save the frozen meals and treats for a special occasion. Just my 2 cents for the day.
So there you have it. Hope it was fun, or at the very least educational.
Now, it's my turn to tag 5 vegan blogs:
Urban Vegan
Hungry Hungry Veganos
Vegan Soapbox
Peace by Pastries
Hooray Vegan
Enjoy!
October 24, 2008 19:14 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Brussels Sprouts Risotto
In the mood for something rich tonight so I made Vegan Brussels Sprouts Risotto. I served it with a delicious green leafy salad with a creamy Tahini dressing. The combination of the two is truly heaven.
I don't normally eat white rices since they're pretty much devoid of the good nutrition we need to be healthy vegans. But once in a GREAT while (every 9 months or so) I create a risotto, which was one of my favorite foods before going vegan. When the craving calls, I usually answer it. Then I'm good for another 9 months. ;O)
Vegan Brussels Sprouts Risotto turned out quite heavenly. If you like Brussels, make this risotto. The Brussels sort of melt in with the rest of the risotto -- it's like buttah! Very delicious, and oh-so-sinful tasting.
My salads are usually topped with a very simple and healthy dressing made of extra-virgin olive oil, some lemon juice, Sassy's Seedalicious Topping, and some herbs.
But lo and behold, I was out of olive oil today -- very strange indeed.
So I turned to one of my favorite salad dressings I used to make on a regular basis, lifted from John Robbins' incredible book:
May All Be Fed: 'a Diet For A New World : Including Recipes By Jia Patton And Friends
The first half of this book explains how we can make a difference to the world's hungry by switching to an animal-free diet.
The second half of the book has some of the BEST recipes. This is one of the first cookbooks I had as a vegan, and my cooking style sort of followed suit, with an emphasis on whole foods and very little pre-packaged and processed junk.
You'll find the recipe for this faaaaantastic and tasty dressing below.
Here's how my Brussels Sprouts Risotto came together in about 15 minutes using my fabulous pressure cooker. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can find directions below the recipe for regular stovetop cooking.
By the way, the Brussels Sprouts "Vegan Flavor Matches" helped guide me in choosing the flavors that would match my Brussels perfectly.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24th
Vegan Brussels Sprouts Risotto
Serves 4
3 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (do not rinse)
12 Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
1/2 cup non-dairy parmesan cheese -
(I make my own - recipe below*)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 teaspoons Earth Balance (non-dairy buttery spread)
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (dried is fine)
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Step 1: Bring veggie broth to a boil in the pressure cooker. Add rice, top with Brussels halves, cover and bring to high heat. Lower heat to retain pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Quick release the cooker.
Step 2: Stir in remaining ingredients. I like to do this one ingredient at a time, stirring very well after each addition. This helps to make your risotto very creamy, and breaks up the Brussels sprouts.
* If you don't own a pressure cooker: Pour about a Tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan placed over medium-high heat. Add rice, and stir until rice is thoroughly coated with oil. Add veggie broth to the saucepan in 1/3 cup increments, stirring constantly until rice has absorbed the broth. Then add 1/3 cup more broth and stir once again until rice has absorbed the broth.
Continue in this manner in 1/3 cup increments until you have added 3 cups total broth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth and the Brussels. Lower heat, cover, and cook until Brussels are very tender, about 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir until rice and Brussels are both very tender. Add more liquid if needed. Then follow Step 2 above.
Vegan Brussels Sprouts Risotto
John's Tahini Dressing
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup tahini
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup water
Combine ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth. Toss salad with dressing and Sassy's Seedalicious Topping. Oh, my stars! SO GOOD!
Yummy Green Leafy Salad w/Tahini Dressing and Sassy's Seedalicious Topping
* To make a Vegan Parmesan, add desired amount of almonds (I usually use 1/2 cup) to a small pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, and when the almonds are floating, turn off the heat and drain the almonds. Let cool in strainer. Then remove the skins by pinching one of the ends of each almond until the skin pops off.
Add blanched almonds to a food processor (or blender) with 1/2 the amount of nutritional yeast as the amount of almonds you used. (For instance, if you used 1/2 cup almonds, use 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.) Sprinkle with sea salt, and process until the almond/yeast mix resembles parmesan. Taste, and add more salt, if desired.
Happy cooking! See you next week.
xoxo
Sass
October 27, 2008 20:54 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Hot Dogs
DINNER AT SASSY'S - MONDAY, OCTOBER 27th
Tonight, at Jeff's request, we had Vegan Hot Dogs for dinner. It really doesn't get much easier than this. And the fact that these dogs are NOT made of lips and assholes like traditional hot dogs, makes them all the more delicious. ;O)
To be honest, I've never really liked the taste of hot dogs. Which is why you won't find them on my vegan menu very often. But approximately once a year Jeff gets a MAD craving, so...
I chopped some onion and heated in a small saucepan with a bit of water in the bottom. When the onion became soft and transluscent, I added sauerkraut and heated until warmed.
We stuffed the dogs into sprouted grain hot dog buns, and topped the whole shebang with some relish and mustard (me) and ketchup (Jeff).
I served our vegan hot dogs with a nice big green leafy salad tossed with Sassy's Seedalicious Topping, as usual.
A very quick and fun vegan dinner.
Vegan Hot Dogs w/Green Leafy Salad
Happy cooking!
xoxo
Sass
October 28, 2008 20:07 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Pesto Rice
Add fresh vegan pesto basil to your favorite rice mixture and you've got Vegan Pesto Rice. It's a tasty way to decorate your rice and change things up a bit.
Pesto is normally made with dairy parmesan cheese, but it's easy to make it vegan without relying on pre-packaged foods like vegan parmesan. You'll simply use nutritional yeast, which is packed with the B-vitamins that are so important to a vegan diet.
I used fresh basil plucked from my indoor basil garden -- it's SO AMAZING to have fresh basil whenever I want it. But since I don't have the time or the desire to actually keep up a garden with dirt and watering and fertilizing and whatever else an indoor garden needs, I use an Aerogarden. It's quite an amazing appliance.
This dinner comes together VERY quickly...
...if you have the necessary ingredients.
Here are the major ingredients you'll need for this dish:
DINNER AT SASSY'S - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28th
Vegan Pesto Rice
Serves 2
2 cups cooked brown rice, or your favorite rice mixture
(mine included lentils, wild rice, and barley)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
The remaining ingredients are added "to taste":
Nutritional yeast
Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Lemon juice
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Prepared Vegan Basil Pesto (see note above)
Step 1: Be sure to have your cooked brown rice and prepared Vegan Basil Pesto ready to go. The Tahini Dressing is optional, but recommended.
Step 2: Add cooked rice, bell pepper and zucchini to a small saucepan with a bit of water. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and heat until warmed throughout.
If desired, pour tahini dressing over the pesto rice. This is not a vital step, but adds nicely to the flavor.
I served my Vegan Pesto Rice with lightly steamed cauliflower tossed with a bit of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, nutritional yeast, sea salt and pepper.
Yummmmmm!
Vegan Pesto Rice
Happy cooking!
xoxo
Sass
October 29, 2008 19:32 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Pesto Seitan Farfalle
Must make this blog about Vegan Pesto Seitan Farfalle quick -- a Halloween party is calling my name. :O)
This dinner took about 1/2 hour to put together from beginning to end. It's not terribly difficult, and the results are INCREDIBLE. Very yummy for the tummy. In fact, even AFTER I was full I couldn't stop eating.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29th
First, make your pesto.
Here's an easy and yummy recipe for you...
Sassy's Vegan Pesto
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 bunch basil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine in a food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached. Tweak the ingredients to your liking, if desired. Set aside.
(You may or may not use this entire pesto recipe. If not, refrigerate leftovers.)
Vegan Pesto Seitan Farfalle
Serves 4
8 ounces seitan strips (or buy seitan and cut into strips)
Bragg's Liquid Aminos, to taste (about 2 Tablespoons)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (or so) farfalle pasta
1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
Step 1: Fill a large saucepan with water and turn the heat on high.
Step 2: While waiting for the water to boil, place a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add about 1/4 cup water to the pan. Place seitan strips into the pan, breaking strips up into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with Bragg's, sea salt and pepper.
Cover, lower heat, and let cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. It's okay if some of the seitan sticks to the pan -- will help to make a yummy side of Swiss chard (below). Set aside.
Step 3: While waiting for your seitan to brown, add pasta to boiling SALTED water. Follow package directions to cook -- it usually take about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot.
Step 4: To the pot of drained pasta add browned seitan and pesto (to taste). Stir over low heat until warmed throughout. Place on serving plates, and scatter tomatoes on top.
I served our Vegan Pesta Seitan Farfalle with sauteed Swiss chard. If you would also like to do this, here is my recommendation:
After seitan is browned, remove to a plate and add about 1/4 cup water to the pan. Bring to a simmer.
Add coarsely chopped Swiss chard to pan along with the following ingredients...
...TO TASTE:
Lemon juice
Garlic granules
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Stir over low heat until chard is softened and wilted. Remove with tongs to serving plate.
Vegan Pesto Setian Farfalle
Must run to have a GHOULISHLY good time.
Happy cooking!
xoxo
Sassy
October 30, 2008 19:16 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Tacos
Dinner tonight? Vegan Tacos! I needed something easy peasy and fun to help ease our hangovers -- the Halloween party last night was QUITE the bash. Whoa.
It's easy to veganize traditional tacos to make Vegan Tacos. They take just minutes to prepare.
DINNER AT SASSY'S - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30th
Vegan Tacos
Serves 2
1/4 cup powdered taco seasoning - Simply Organics makes a good one
12 ounces vegetarian "ground beef" - I like Lighlife's Smart Ground
5 ounces Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese (or your favorite vegan cheese), grated
1/2 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded - Tacos are one of the FEW times in my life when I'll actually use iceberg lettuce since it's not very nutritious - but it really makes tacos taste yummy.
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 ripe avocado, coarsely chopped
8 yellow or blue corn taco shells
Salsa - I like Pace Organic, mild
Step 1: Preheat oven for taco shells (read package directions). While oven heats, add about 1/2 cup water to a large frying pan along with taco seasoning, and stir to mix. Add veggie meat, breaking up any large pieces. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes. When "burger" is warm, it should still be a little moist. Add more water during the heating process, if needed.
Step 2: While burger heats, prepare cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Arrange in small piles on a large plate.
Step 3: When Steps 1 and 2 are complete and everything is ready to go, pop the taco shells into the oven and cook for 3 minutes or so (remember, follow package directions). Watch carefully so they don't burn.
Step 4: When taco shells are ready, remove from oven. Plate taco shells and allow each person to build their own tacos. Top with salsa.
Vegan Tacos!
Fun!! Happy cooking. :O)
xoxo
Sassy
October 31, 2008 15:18 - Vegan MoFo - Vegan Survey
Well, kids, this is the last blog for the month of October. Today I'll share my responses to a Vegan Survey that has been making the rounds of many of my fellow Vegan MoFo blogs.
I always find it a lot of fun to read surveys like this. Hope you enjoy it as well.
1. What was the most recent tea you drank?
Traditional Medicinals' Nighty-Night just before bed last night.
2. What vegan forums do you post/lurk on? If so, what is your username? Spill!
I used to hang out on the Vegan Tribe on Tribe.net, but that's all discombobulated now. So I've been doing a little peeking into PPK (Post Punk Kitchen) which is how I discovered Vegan MoFo (Month of Food) for the entire month of October. Hope you've all enjoyed my entries. :O)
3. You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
My delectable Italian Stuffed Shells.
4. How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
1 at the most. I'm just SOOOO busy right now, furiously working behind the scenes on Get Sauced With Sass. It goes on sale...NEWSFLASH...Monday, November 17th, 2008! Whoo-hoo!!
5. Besides your own, what is the most recent one you've read?
Vegan YumYum.
6. If you could hang out with a vegan blogger that you haven't met, who would it be, and what would you do?
I'd need to explore FAR more blogs before I answer this question.
7. If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy - tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
Tempeh, all the way. It's the most nutritious, and you can do SO MUCH with it.
8. If you had to use one in a fight, which would it be?
Tofu, because it's squishy and mostly gross.
9. Name 3 meals you'd realistically make with that tough protein of choice!
10. What's a recipe in vegan blogland that you've been eyeing?
Chocolate Covered Mini Donuts over at Vegan YumYum.
11. Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them?
I used to have a shirt that said "Shiitake Happens." Jeff had one that read "Tofu You!" But specifically vegan? Hmmmm, I don't think so.
12. Have you made your pilgrimage to the 'vegan mecca' yet? (Portland, duh)
Yes, for a personal chef convention. But I didn't come across ONE vegan restaurant. Of course, that was a few years ago, and I didn't have time to venture away from the downtown area. But I did LOOOOVE the downtown Portland library. Gorgeous.
13. What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
1994. So I must have been 28. (No, I'm NOT afraid of stating my age!) I'm still vegan, so I guess it stuck. :O)
14. What is the worst vegan meal you've had? Who cooked it?
Probably me! Can't remember, there have been MANY bad ones over the years. You just dust yourself off and give it another go.
15. What made you decide to blog?
I felt it would be a great addition to my VeganCoach.com website to showcase the everyday meals I cook for Jeff and myself.
16. What are three of your favorite meals to make?
- Quinoa with Spinach, and some sort of quick and easy homemade creamy sauce;
- Rice and beans with a veggie side -- if you have the rice and beans cooked and ready to go, there really isn't a meal that can come together faster;
- Pizza, with ready-made crust and homemade cheese sauce.
17. What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
TIE:
My delicious Vegan Stuffing
or
My faaaantastic Vegan Scalloped Potatoes.
18. Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant? How many times have you ordered it?
Whenever we visit San Francisco (which is often) I eat Herbivore's Shawarma. OMG! It's soooo good.
19. What do you think the best chain to dine as a vegan is?
Herbivore, hands down.
20. My kitchen needs...
Not much. But I would actually like a bigger kitchen! Does that count?
21. This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen...
Hmmmm, I think I like them all. Now cilantro? That's an ENTIRELY different story.
22. What's for dinner tonight?
Not sure. It will be quick before we head out the door for the night. Probably cauliflower, aduki beans, and whatever else I can find in my fridge that needs to be eaten up.
23. Compose your perfect vegan sandwich, right now.
Oh, there are too many options. It would likely include faux bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato, and avocado, with a dressing made of Vegenaise, Dijon mustard, chopped pickles and a little ketchup.
24. Add a question here!
What's your costume for Halloween? I'm a playboy bunny and Jeff is Hugh Hefner. Although I've heard this year one of the most popular costumes will be Joe the Plumber! :O)
Wishing you a spooktacular Halloween!
Hugs,
xoxo
Sassy
