To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Click the image below to watch the video & please subscribe to my channel.
Vegan Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Brown Sugar Tofu & Chili Oil
Serves 2 very well
INGREDIENTS
for the chili oil
1/2 cup oil
3 star anise pods
1-2 TBS chopped fresh ginger
2 TBS crushed red pepper
2-4 garlic cloves – minced
3 scallions – chopped
for the dressing
2 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS rice vinegar
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos or tamari
2 TBS brown sugar
for the soba salad
7 oz soba noodles – cooked & drained
1/2 – 1 pound tofu (I used pressed tofu)
2 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp S&P
1 TBS sesame oil
Mixed chopped vegetables. I used:
1/2 cucumber
4 radishes
1/4 red bell pepper
1 cup purple cabbage
2 scallions
(you could use edamame, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, green beans or whatever you like)
Cilantro
Sesame seeds
Lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
Cook the noodles & set aside.
Whisk the dressing together & set aside.
Heat the oil for the chili oil in a pan. Add the star anise & crushed red pepper. Add the ginger & scallions. When the scallions are soft & just starting to brown – add the garlic & heat for one minute. Put the oil in a storage container to cool. You won’t need all the oil for this recipe & the leftover should keep in the fridge for several days.
Heat 1 TBS sesame oil. Add the brown sugar & salt & pepper. Add the tofu & heat until the sugar caramelizes onto the tofu. Set aside.
In a bowl – toss the noodles with the tofu & veggies. Add some dressing (not all of it) and a drizzle of the chili oil. Start very light with both the dressing & the chili oil & add more to taste.
Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro & serve with lime wedges.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Click the image below to watch the video.
Vegan Vietnamese Fresh Salad Rolls
Ingredients:
1 package clear edible rice spring roll sheets (Here on Amazon)
FILLING OPTIONS:
1 package vermicelli rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
Tofu or other protein
Basil – fresh (Thai sweet or hot basil is nice, too, if you can find it)
Mint – fresh
Cilantro – fresh
Butter lettuce, washed and separated into leaves – ribs removed
Carrots, peeled & cut into very thin matchsticks
Cucumber, peeled and cut into very thin strips
Avocado
Purple cabbage
Bell pepper strips
Asparagus
Mango
Papaya
Sprouts
Micro greens
Be sure you have the type of wrappers pictured below (or another brand) and not egg roll or wonton wrappers. Those are an entirely different breed & need cooking.
Directions:
Prepare the noodles & vegetables in advance – being sure they are washed & dried. Have a large bowl of warm water ready for dipping the spring roll wrappers.
1 Dip a sheet of spring roll wrapper into water very quickly, no longer than a second or two (or they will get too soggy) and lay flat on a work surface.
2 On one edge, lay a small handful of noodles, some basil & mint leaves, some pressed tofu, some cucumber & carrot strips, purple cabbage, avocado & some micro greens (or whatever fillings you are using) – being careful not to overstuff the wrapper.
3 Roll up burrito style, tucking in the sides, then continue to roll up-but not too tightly or the spring roll wrapper will tear.
You will, no doubt, need a few attempts to get one right. Be patient – it gets easier. Be prepared to throw a bunch away or to settle for some funky shaped rolls! They should be served fairly quickly after preparing them. Too much time in the fridge after assembly will dry them out. These can be filled with nearly anything so feel free to get creative!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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My original post for shawarma (May 30, 2014) only presented the recipe as a traditional pita sandwich. But – today on my Youtube channel (www.VideoVegan.com) – I offered the idea of making tacos. They are a revelation! I recommend them very highly! Click the image below to watch the video & please subscribe to my channel.
OK! There are not a lot of foods I really miss since I gave up meat 25 years ago but gyros & shawarma are two things definitely on the “miss list.”
I used Beyond Meat vegan chicken & I recommend it very highly – though you can use another brand. At any rate – whatever you use – the longer you marinate if for the better – overnight being optimal.
I made the garlic paste (or a version of it) that they serve at Zankou chicken, here in LA. It is a bright, white paste that has a bit of a gritty texture & seems to be just mashed garlic. I was HORRIFIED to discover – it does have a lot of garlic but it has even more OIL! It is basically an aioli. Or a mayonnaise. Damn. So – it is not a guiltless pleasure but you don’t need tons before you run the risk of setting things ablaze just by breathing your garlic shit storm on them – so do not sweat the calories too much.
Mmmm! Tzatziki!
There are a lot of ingredients in the chicken marinade but only the cardamom is remotely exotic & you probably already have most of them in your cabinets – so do not be intimidated. If you do not have or cannot find ground cardamom – never fear! Substitutes: equal parts ground nutmeg and cinnamon OR equal parts ground cloves and cinnamon OR nutmeg OR cinnamon
Garlic Paste (Toum)
This makes quite a bit but it should keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 small potato (I used a Yukon Gold) – boiled until soft & cooled
1 full cup garlic cloves (peel fresh ones & do not use the pre-peeled cloves as they have been frozen & are not as flavorful)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil (or sunflower oil)
DIRECTIONS
In your food processor, pulse the garlic, potato, lemon juice & salt until they are pureed. You might need to scrape the sides of the bowl down a few times. Then, VERY SLOWLY drizzle the oil in as the pureed is being spun about. Do this in a very slow & steady stream. Lots of recipes suggested it should take ten minutes. I got it done in under five but if you add the oil too fast – it will not emulsify properly. Check it as you go & if it begins to separate – stop adding oil & keep processing it until it comes together again.
That’s it! You MIGHT want to experiment with an increased quantity of potato & a lesser quantity of oil. I think I will the next time.
Tzatziki
Makes about 1.5 cups
INGREDIENTS
6 oz vegan yogurt
1 TBS lemon juice
1 garlic clove – minced
1/4 – 1/3 cucumber – peeled & diced
pinch of salt
1 tsp or more fresh dill – chopped
DIRECTIONS
Mix that shit up! Add water if you think it is too thick – but not a lot.
Done!
Tahini Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
DIRECTIONS
Whisk it together. Use thick or water down to drizzle on your shawarma.
Vegan Chicken Shawarma (for Pita or Tacos)
Serves 2 or 3
INGREDIENTS
Flour tortillas (for tacos) or pita bread or wraps or naan
9 oz vegan chicken
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 TBS smoked paprika (or regular)
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS ground cardamom (or substitute from the note above)
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS ground coriander
1 tsp pepper
Olive oil
juice & zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup yogurt (optional) – but adding the yogurt makes a far more mellow marinade so I recommend using it unless you love heavily spiced food
Mix the spices in a large glass container with the vinegar, lemon juice & zest, 2 TBS olive oil & yogurt (if using). This is pretty thick stuff. Feel free to thin it with water if you like. Add the chicken & marinate it for at least an hour or overnight. Try not to use a plastic container as it could get stained or left stinky from the spices.
When you are ready to eat – heat a little olive oil in a pan & heat the chicken. Allow the marinade to come away as you likely won’t want as much in the actual sandwich. When it is warm, assemble the tacos or wraps. Slather some garlic paste on the bread or tortillas & layer the ingredients on top. Add some tzatziki or tahini sauce or hummus & chow the fuck down!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Reposting this now here because there is a video to accompany it. Please consider following me on my channel there.
I have posted several variations of cauliflower rice over the years – most of which can be found HERE. This one is likely the richest of the lot due to the added lite coconut milk. Still – if you consider that it isn’t really rice but, rather just grated cauliflower, that added decadence of the coconut milk & curry paste are not that bad.
Cauliflower rice is easiest if you have a food processor with a grating blade. If not – you can grate the cauliflower with a box grater or other grater – but raw cauliflower tends to pop all over the place & can get rather messy.
I’m not sure if some of my earlier cauliflower rice recipes had the added step of steaming the cauliflower & squeezing out the water – but – that is a step not necessary for cauliflower rice. I think that step only matters if you are going to make cauliflower pizza dough or cauliflower tortillas – as seen below.
This dish is quick & easy & very tasty. And good for you!
Vegan Spicy Thai Red Curry & Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4 or more as a side
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower – grated in with a food processor or a manual grater
Coconut or other cooking oil
1 red bell pepper – diced
1 onion diced
1-3 jalapenos – minced (use more or less according to your taste for heat)
1-6 cloves of garlic – chopped (use more or less according to your taste for garlic)
In a very large saute pan, heat about 1 TBS oil & add the cauliflower. Saute on high for 5-7 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.
In the same pan, add about another TBS of oil & saute the red bell pepper, onion & jalapeno until they get soft – maybe 5 minutes. Add the garlic & stir for a minute & then add the curry paste & coconut milk & amino acid (or soy sauce) & agave. Incorporate & then add the cauliflower rice. Stir in some cilantro & combine. Garnish with additional cilantro & lime wedges & serve.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
Reposting this recipe because I have a video to accompany it. Please – subscribe to my channel on Youtube. Www.VideoVegan.com.
I used a 12oz package of Beyond Meat chicken strips – because they are the best on the market. If you cannot find them – use the brand available to you – preferably not breaded.
This recipe is really just for a marinade (not totally necessary) & for the peanut & coconut sauce. You can whisk each together in bowls & heat the chicken in any pan on the stove. So easy & REALLY delicious!
Vegan Chicken Satay with Peanut & Coconut Sauce
Depends on the amount of “chicken” you use & appetites – but 1 or 2
INGREDIENTS
for the chicken satay
Beyond Meat chicken strips (or other vegan chicken) – in the quantity you require
Cooking oil or cooking spray
for the marinade (an optional step – you can skip the marinade if you want to but it does ratchet up the flavors)
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 shallots – minced
1-2 serrano or jalapeno peppers – minced (seed them for less heat)
Whisk ingredients together & put the chicken in it. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes – or overnight. I did this in a Ziplock bag.
for the peanut-coconut sauce
Whisk everything together. Adjust the peanut butter to coconut ratio to suit your tastes. I put mine in an old pickle jar so I could give it a good shake before using it.
for the chicken satay
Heat some oil or cooking spray & dump the chicken & marinade into a pan. Heat through.
Plate the chicken & drizzle with a light bit of the peanut-coconut sauce (reserve some because there is a lot of sauce).
Serve with rice & garnish with extra sauce, cilantro & lime wedges.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Reposting this recipe because I have a video to accompany it. Please – subscribe to my channel on Youtube. Www.VideoVegan.com.
This is yet another SUPER easy one – even if you make the enchilada sauce yourself – and can be made in a slow cooker or stove top. The benefit of the slow cooker is that the flavors get to meld better but – if you are in a hurry or don’t own a slow cooker – this can be done on the stove.
I made the red enchilada sauce myself & I recommend it very highly because 1) it was easy 2) less processed food it better for you & 3) self-satisfaction. So – I really recommend you try to make it – though jarred or canned enchilada sauce will do.
I included a picture of taco seasoning in that image above but I was so pleased with my homemade enchilada sauce – I could not bring myself to add this MSG chemical powder to my soup – so ignore it. As I was cooking the soup I added an additional can of black beans – not shown there.
Also – I thawed & shredded the Beyond Meat chicken. Look how convincing it looks (above)!
This makes a lot of soup but – it is so hearty & delicious – I ate almost half of it myself, last night – without any garnish of any kind. Just naked outta the pot. But – why not? There is no added fat in this (except a little olive oil in the enchilada sauce) – just proteins & produce & spices – so feel free to eat it like you are competing in a grudge match with Takeru Kobayashi. I did – and I feel no shame. Zero fucks were given.
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
Makes just over 2 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS flour
6 oz. tomato paste
4 TBS chili powder (NOT cayenne pepper)
1 TBS dry parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups vegetable stock
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil over high heat & whisk in the flour. When it thickens, add the stock in increments, letting it thicken each time before adding more. When the stock is incorporated, add the spices & tomato paste & whisk to combine. Cook until it has the thickness of tomato sauce. Add water if it gets too thick. Set aside.
Vegan Spicy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce – for the Slow Cooker or Stove Top
Serves 4 as a main course – more as an appetizer
INGREDIENTS
2 cups red enchilada sauce (recipe above RECOMMENDED or store bought)
9-12 oz vegan chicken (I always use Beyond Meat – which comes in 9 and 12 ounce packages)
1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans black beans ( I used 1 can of black beans & 1 can of mixed beans) – not drained
10 oz corn (I used organic frozen)
1 (7 oz) can green chilies (I used mild)
2 cups vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 red (or other) onion – diced
1 bell pepper – seeded & chopped
1-2 jalapenos – seeds & diced (optional – omit if you do not like spice)
2 TBS chia seeds (1000% optional but they are good for you & I had some so…)
GARNISH OPTIONS: vegan sour cream, avocado, cilantro, chopped tomato, lime wedges, hot sauce, grated vegan cheese or tortilla strips (Recipe: Heat your oven to 350. Spread the thinly sliced corn tortilla strips in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking oil. Bake the strips 10-15 minutes until they are crispy. Try not to overcook them (they should not be browned). Remove from oven & set aside. OR – buy some.)
DIRECTIONS
Make the enchilada sauce – if you are doing that.
Dump everything in either a slow cooker & leave it on high for about 5 hours OR stick it all in a large stock pot & heat until the veggies soften & the soup thickens a bit (30-60 minutes). In either case – if it gets too thick – add some water. If it is too thin – cook it down a bit more. See? Crazy fucking easy!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Hey, everybody! DDD #14 is up!
My Cool Vegan Cashew & Cranberry Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado!
And I offer my rebuttal to the slut shaming I experienced Wednesday for referencing my #BOOBS. Apparently, the word #boob is tasteless & inappropriate & I am a vulgar hussy. My thoughts on this & more. Plus a blooper!
Enjoy!! Click the link for the video & please subscribe. Happy Cinco de Vegan Mayo!
OK – I am not sure what the weather is like where you are but here in LA – it is hot as a muthafuckah! It is pushing 100 degrees! Just brutal. I don’t have AC & cooking is just impossible in this weather. So – I whipped up these cool & vegan bad boys! They are kind of like a taco-wrap hybrid. I used these little flour tortillas – right from their home in the cool of my fridge. I am not positive they are vegan – so if you are vegan – use a tortilla you know suits your diet.
And I used that Beyond Meat vegan chicken. The coupon above is good until the end of May 2014 – so print a few out & go get some of this awesome stuff! If you let it sit on the counter a few minutes – it will defrost enough so that you can cube it up & by the time this all comes together – the chicken is thawed completely but still CHILLED! Perfect!
Cool Vegan Cashew & Cranberry Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado
Feeds two very well
INGREDIENTS
1 9 oz package of faux chicken – thawed
1 avocado – peeled & seeded & cubed
Fresh lime juice
1/3 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup (or more) cashews
2 celery stalks – diced
1/2 small cucumber – diced
2 mini sweet peppers (or half a bell pepper) – seeded & diced
1/4 cup purple cabbage – chopped
1/4 cup cilantro – chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins or other dried fruit)
1/2 tsp cumin
Pinch of salt
Pepper to taste
Flour tortillas or other wrap (even lettuce)
DIRECTIONS
Prep the avocado & squeeze lime juice all over it.
Now – just mix everything up in a big bowl. Season to taste. Eat with lettuce cups or as wraps or as little flour tortilla tacos.
