DDD #154 – Vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2020

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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 Orange Olive Oil Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups good quality olive oil

3 vegan eggs

1 1/3 cups vegan milk

2 TBS orange zest

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 325 degrees & put the top shelf in the middle of the oven.

Combine all the ingredients & pour into a greased 9″ spring form pan.

Bake for 55-70 minutes or until it is golden on top & a toothpick comes out clean (maybe a few crumbs but not wet).

Allow to cool.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar & maybe more orange zest.

Enjoy!

DDD #75 – Vegan Spicy Citrus Black Beans

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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 above to watch the video.

These are as easy as putting everything into a slow cooker & walking away.  I did not even pre-soak the beans.  You could speed this process up either by using canned beans or soaking dry beans overnight or quick soaking them or cooking them on a higher setting – or by doing it stove top.  These are mildly spicy & mildly citrusy.  You could ratchet either of those flavors up or down – according to your preferences.

Vegan Spicy Citrus Black Beans (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Stove Top)

Feeds 6 with rice

INGREDIENTS

1 lb dry black beans

5 cups water or stock (1 cup only if using drained, canned beans)

Juice of 2 limes

juice of 1 large lemon

juice of 1 large orange

6 garlic cloves – minced

2 (or more or less) chipotle chilies in adobo – minced

1 onions – diced

3 serrano (or jalapeno) peppers – minced (or to taste)

1 TBS  ground cumin

2 TBS dry oregano (or fresh – chopped)

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dry sage

1 tsp of salt

Squirt sriracha

Garnish – cilantro & cooked rice & maybe citrus wedges to squeeze

DIRECTIONS

SLOWCOOKER

Put it all in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Cook uncovered longer if they are too wet – add water if they are too dry.  If they seem too runny – maybe puree a small amount of the beans & return them to the pan.

STOVE TOP

Put everything in a very large stock pot & bring to a boil & simmer until the beans are tender (90 minutes or more or until the beans are tender).  Boil longer if they are too watery.  Add water if they get too thick.  If they seem too runny – maybe puree a small amount of the beans & return them to the pan.

INSTANT POT

Put it all into the Instant Pot & cook on manual for 25 minutes.  Drain in a colander if they are too wet.  Add water if they get too dry.  If they seem too runny – maybe puree a small amount of the beans & return them to the pan.

All of these methods will go much faster with beans soaked overnight and, in the case of canned beans, the only times required is maybe an hour to let the flavors meld.

Garnish with cilantro & serve with rice.  Maybe squeeze a bit of lemon, lime or orange juice onto the beans.

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

This is a really easy salad – especially if you buy already roasted beets or, like me, roasted them ahead & had them all ready.  I used this ancient grains mix (above) but any grain you prefer could be used – like the quinoa below.

I made the dressing but you could use any dressing you prefer.  I had the gorgeous bottle of blood orange olive oil from my friend, Alyse, but regular olive oil is fine.

How to roast beets:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash beets well.  Coat with a thin layer of olive oil & wrap in foil.  Cook, undisturbed, for at least 45 minutes (it could take much longer for big ones), until a knife pierces one with little resistance. They may cook at different rates.  Remove the skin on each when they are done by just pushing it off under running water.

Vegan Protein Salad Bowl – Chickpeas & Roasted Beets, Ancient Grains (Quinoa, Amaranth & Millet) with Orange Tahini Dressing & Chia Seeds

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

4 beets – roasted (as outlined above), peeled & sliced

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas – drained

1 cup of dry grains – cooked as per directions

1/4 cup parsley – chopped

Chia seeds (quantity up to you)

for the Orange Tahini Dressing (makes more than you will need for these two servings)

3 TBS tahini

3 TBS fresh orange juice

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 TBS maple syrup or agave nectar

1 TBS olive oil (infused with orange if you have it but not necessary)

1 tsp orange zest

1 garlic clove – minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Plate the bowls by putting some grains, sliced beets, chickpeas & parsley in each bowl.  Drizzle with dressing to taste.  It does not need much.  Sprinkle with Chia seeds.  Toss.

Devour!

 

 

Vegan Spicy Szechuan Orange Beef & Wide Rice Noodles

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

So – the other day I found this amazing new beef replacement at Silom Thai Market.  If you live in LA & you want something that will fool folks they are eating sliced steak – RUN to Silom & go to the center freezer aisle in the middle of the store.  Dig around the freezer-burned packages in the cardboard boxes & find this stuff below.

It is SO convincing – once you load it with yummy flavors like this Szechuan dish.  I served this beef over wide rice noodles (above) that I buy fresh at Bangluck Thai Market.  The two stores are only a few blocks apart in Thai Town & both have their treasures & are worth adventuring into.  If you don’t want or can’t find noodles – rice or whatever will do just as nicely.  This cooks up in just a few minutes & the ingredients are not exotic.   It is a great entry-level Chinese dish.

Vegan Spicy Szechuan Orange Beef & Wide Rice Noodles

Serves 2

Sesame oil

7 or more ounces vegan beef

12 ounces cooked wide rice noodles (or pasta or cooked rice)

1/2 red bell pepper – sliced into thin strips

2 jalapenos – diced (optional)

1/4 onion – diced

1 cup orange or tangerine juice (I freeze juices in 1 cup quantities for future use in recipes)

2 dry red chilies – split (these add a lot of heat & should not be eaten when the dish is finished)

1 TBS liquid aminos (or soy sauce or tamari)

1 tsp Szechuan pepper corns (anise) – crushed in a mortar & pestle or pre-ground

2 TBS hoisin sauce

2 TBS dark soy sauce

2 TBS sambal oelek

1 tsp agave nectar

3 garlic cloves – minced

1 TBS minced fresh ginger

GARNISH – sesame seeds & sliced scallions

DIRECTIONS

Sear the beef in a TBS or two of sesame oil.  Set aside.

In the same pan, heat another 1 -2 tsp sesame oil & saute the red bell pepper, onion & jalapenos.

Then add the juice, Szechuan pepper, hoisin, sambal oelek, dary soy, liquid aminos, ginger, garlic, and agave.  Heat on high until it thickens a bit.  Add the meat and noodles – if you are using them. When the ingredients are well combined & warmed through – serve with sesame seeds & scallion slices.

Vegan Spicy Orange & Sriracha Glazed Tofu with Pomegranate Seeds

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

I have done a zillion 90210 interviews recently – building up to the 25th anniversary of when the pilot aired.  Above are a few recent photos from a 90210-inspired shoot.

And here are two of the interviews – HERE at TEN MINUTE INTERVIEWS –

–

and HERE  at COMPLEX.

Tonight is the Lifetime movie about the show at after it – there will be an interview special – in which I took part.

That said – let’s get into this dish.  The glaze is the shit & would work on most things from shrimp to vegan or real chicken or, as here, on tofu.  I could not figure out what to do with the tofu first.  Should I bread & fry it?  I tried that & it just seemed like a bad thing to add all those calories.  So – after half-frying half the tofu – I baked it all at about 400 for thirty minutes – after coating it in some glaze – like you see below.

Ultimately – you could just throw the uncooked tofu into the glaze & warm it that way.  I feared the tofu would be too mushy & break apart and – since I didn’t try that version – I cannot tell you what happened.  So – it is up to you.   You could BAKE IT first, or FRY IT – or just use it plain.  Or – do what I did, coat it with glaze & just bake it a bit to add some texture.  Your call.  Whatever you decide – the glaze is easy & comes together fast.  If I were to make it again – I would cut the sugar in half.  If you like spicy-sweet, go with the full 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  It is pretty spicy – so if you are sensitive to heat – lessen the sriracha.

I added pomegranate seeds because I have a shitload left over from my AMAZING Burnt Eggplant with Pomegranate Seeds & Cucumber – or Really Fancy Baba Ganoush – seen below – which was INSANELY addictive.  The seeds are pretty but don’t add much to the tofu dish so blow them off – if you feel inclined.  They are critical & amazing in the baba ganoush, though!

Vegan Spicy Orange & Sriracha Glazed Tofu with Pomegranate Seeds

Serves 2 – with rice or in lettuce wraps

INGREDIENTS

1 lb extra firm tofu – cubed

Panko (only if you are frying – in which case you need oil, too.)

1 cup orange juice

zest & juice of one orange

1/4 cup (or less) brown sugar

1/4 cup (more or less according to taste) sriracha

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

4 garlic cloves – chopped

1 TBS ginger – grated or minced

2 TBS cornstarch whisked into 2 TBS water

GARNISH – sliced scallions, pomegranate seeds and then cooked rice or lettuce leaves for serving

DIRECTIONS

OK – here you need to decide what you are doing with the tofu.  Are you just going right outta the package or fry it or – as I did – toss it with some panko & some (only a little) glaze & bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes?  I don’t think it makes a massive difference – except fr the effort and, in the instance of frying, the calories.  You could brown it in a frying pan with a little olive oil – to add texture.  Blow off the panko – really – unless you are frying it.  These are your decisions to make and that decision is the hardest part of this recipe.  If you are in a hurry or are lazy – just use the naked tofu.

Prep your tofu.  I tossed mine in a bit of glaze & baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Make some rice or prep some lettuce leaves for wraps.

To make the glaze – heat the orange juice, zest & juice of one orange, brown sugar, sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, garlic cloves and ginger and bring to a boil.  Add the cornstarch/water mix & the glaze should thicken up in less than a minute.  Add the tofu & heat through.

Serve either on rice or wrapped in lettuce with a sprinkle of scallions & pomegranate seeds.

Awesomely Easy 3-Ingredient Fresh Raw Cranberry Sauce

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

OK – I am not a fan of cranberry sauce but I always serve some at dinners during the holidays.  Experience has proven that my homemade efforts are never as popular as that ring-marked canned gelatin shit so, for years now, I have just given in & served that crap up & nobody has ever complained.

Then, this Thanksgiving, I was at a friend’s house & when dinner was served, this gorgeous stuff was among the selections.  I could not resist taking a small dollop of this scarlet creation.   See it there with my other vegetarian delights?

And it was SO DELICIOUS that I had to ask my friend BJ, who made it, for the recipe.   She obliged & I am now sharing it with you here.  If you own a blender or food processor – this takes less than 5 minutes.  Are you ready?

Awesomely Easy 3-Ingredient Fresh Cranberry Sauce

1 package fresh cranberries (I tend to freeze the cranberries ahead of time but this is not necessary).

1 navel orange – cut into segments.  I remove the pith but use the rest of the orange including the rind.  (You might see some pith in the image below.  I suggest removing all that white stuff as it is the bitter part.)

¾ – 1 cup sugar, to taste

24 hours prior to use in a food processor combine cranberries, orange segments and sugar.  I break it up into 3 batches as you want the orange and cranberry to be finely chopped.

Put in a non-reactive bowl overnight in the fridge.  I stir in the morning and taste for tartness.   If necessary add some more sugar, stir and place back in the frig.  Approx one hour prior to serving remove from fridge.

See?  No cooking required!

Wheat Berry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette – in a Mason Jar

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

 

This is a very easy recipe & you can tweak it any way you desire.   Lose the cheese for a vegan version or add other veggies or pomegranate seeds or nuts.  Go crazy!  The jar is a nice way to bring the salad to work or a picnic.

Wheat Berry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette – in a Mason Jar

Feeds 2 well as a main course or 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS

Orange Vinaigrette

2 cups cooked wheat berries

1 cup cooked (or canned) black-eyed peas – rinsed

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dry fruit)

1/2 cup red cabbage – chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese – crumbled

1/2 cup red onion – diced

1/2 cup fresh mint – chopped

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Toss that salad!   Add dressing in small increments until you get it like you like it.  MMMMM!

Orange Vinaigrette

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

Orange Vinaigrette

2 oranges – zest & juice

2 TBS white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)

2 TBS honey (or agave nectar – if you are vegan)

1/2 cup good quality olive oil

S&P to taste

Shake all the ingredients up.

Vegan Orange Mango Chili Chicken with Broccoli & Snow Peas

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

OK – before I get into this awesome & easy recipe – I want to humbly & graciously thank everyone who read my outpouring recently in Up & Down & Life in The Vagina Monologues.  Even though I could not will myself NOT to write it, writing it was very painful (but very cathartic) & I am very grateful for all the support that resulted from folks reading it.  I was especially impressed by how many MEN read it – all the way through – and wrote me privately to thank me for publishing it.  Women thanked me, too.  And I am moved by all your kind words – all of you.

THANK YOU!  And if you liked that blog post – have you heard?  I wrote a novel – in much the same voice but, I hope, far funnier!  🙂

www.BathingBook.com  I hope you read it!!!!

OK – so, now we move on to food!  This could be made with real chicken – just be sure to cook it all the way through.

This is easy & yummy & you can add any vegetables you like.  I just happened to have snow peas from my Healthy Vegan Chinese Chicken Salad with Spicy Asian Dressing and I almost always have broccoli around.

I used my favorite brand of vegan chicken – Beyond Meat – seen above along with a coupon to get some FREE!   Look HERE to find out who carries it near you.

This is very easy & very healthy & you can whip it up in the time it takes to make the rice.

As to peeling mangos – check out a video or tutorial HERE or you might just end up with mango mush & juice.

Vegan Orange Mango Chili Chicken with Broccoli & Snow Peas

Feeds 2 VERY well

INGREDIENTS

Rice

9 oz vegan chicken

1 TBS low sodium soy sauce

1 TBS sesame oil

1 mango – cubed

1 orange – juice & zest

1-2 TBS low sodium soy sauce (additional)

1-2 TBS sesame oil – (additional)

1-2 TBS olive oil

1 shallot or 1/2 red (or other) onion – diced

20 snow peas – but into strips (or not – if you prefer them whole)

2 cups broccoli – cut into tiny florets

2 TBS chili sauce (sambal oelek or sriracha)

DIRECTIONS

Get your rice cooking as per directions

Thaw (1 minute in the microwave or 30 minutes on the counter) the faux chicken.  Cube it up & then toss it in its bag with 1 TBS each or soy sauce & sesame oil.  Set aside.

Zest the orange.  Set zest aside & cut the orange in half.  Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or other large saute pan over med-high heat.  Add the shallot (or onion), orange zest, snow peas & broccoli.  Saute for 3-5 minutes or so or until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add the chicken, additional soy sauce & sesame oil & the chili sauce & the juice from the orange.  Stir & heat through.

Once the sauce thickens – in just a few minutes – stir in the mango.  Once it is all warm – serve that shit up over some rice.

Then – go to AMAZON & read the reviews & maybe buy my book!

And thanks again for all the kind words on my Up & Down & Life in The Vagina Monologues!

Cinnamon-Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Irish Raisin Bread with Orange & Fig Jam

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

So, yeah – it was St. Patrick’s Day – for what felt like a week.  By the actual day – it seemed obscene to mention it.  But it is seldom, if ever, obscene to mention melted, cheesy goodness!!

Here is what I had around – post festivities:

Leftover Irish Raisin bread

Leftover Cinnamon-Apple cheddar cheese

Orange-fig jammy spread

Awesome GMO-free, $7 a pound butter

And a powerful amount of indulgent self-pity.

No photos of the leftover cheese exist except as it sits on the bread in the pan – here:

My self-pity is very hard to photograph, though I assure you it exists.  I won’t get into what prompted it but I will say that this incredible sandwich went a long way in eliminating it.

The cheese sounds odd but you only taste cheddar at first.  Then – you think, “Hey!  Am I tasting cinnamon?”  And, as you swallow to consider that question – a delicate essence of apple haunts you.  Really quite nice.  But any cheddar will do.

I used this yummy orange-fig spread (usually found near the expensive cheeses) but any regular jam would do.

So – here’s whatcha do –

You slice up some bread & cut the cheese thin.  Melt some butter in a frying or grill pan over medium heat & maybe spread some on the bread.  Put a slice of bread & cheese in that bad boy.

Then slap some jammy goodness on the other piece of bread & put it, jam-side down, on the cheesy slice.  Maybe add some butter to the top.  Cover the pan to assure your cheese melts.  In a minute or two – press it together with a spatula & flip it.  Cook each side as long as it takes to get it to the golden-melty place you desire.

If your cheese is stubborn – a minute in a hot oven might fix that.

Slice it up, shove it your face & remember how much tastier it is than that wacky boiled meat people get into this time every year!

Slainte!

One Pot Spicy Vegan Orange Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

This really is about as easy as a soup can be.  It comes together in about 20-30 minutes total & is powerfully flavorful.  There is no dairy of any kind so it is as guiltless as it is delicious.  A really wonderful, winter warmer!

One Pot Spicy Vegan Orange Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes – peeled & cubed

1 onion (I used a red one) – chopped

4 garlic cloves – chopped

Olive oil

Juice of 2 oranges

1-3 chipotle peppers (or to taste) in their adobo sauce – chopped

6 cups stock

1 tsp ground coriander

S&P to taste

Garnish ideas: avocado, arugula, black and/or white sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Heat about 1 TBS olive oil in a deep stock pot.  eat the onions & garlic over medium heat until just tender, trying not to brown them.  Add the stock, orange juice, chipotle peppers, coriander & sweet potatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer for about 15 minutes or so – or until the sweet potatoes are very soft.

I used an immersion blender to puree the soup but, if you do not have one, puree the soup in a blender.  Season with S&P.

Garnish as you like & commence indulging yourself!

Super Easy Spicy Vegan Orange Chicken

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

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.

~

In case you haven’t heard – I wrote a HILARIOUS novel!!!  Read all about it HERE.

I am not vegan but these Trader Joe’s faux meats are so inspiring to me!  (UPDATE – Beyond Meat vegan chicken is even better!) I mean, if you CAN eat vegan easily & deliciously, why wouldn’t you?  It isn’t like you can’t just go eat a burger or sushi tomorrow.  In fact, a carnivorous friend of mine is on that VB6 (Vegan Before Six) diet and dropped thirty pounds effortlessly.  Who among us wouldn’t like to a lose a few pounds while still feeling like the meals have been decadent?

Anyway – as I  said before, I am not typically a fan of seitan or tempeh or the other faux meats out there unless they are used sparingly & in busy dishes like vegetarian chili or pasta with a meat sauce.  One exception is soyrizo – which tastes pretty great but is very specific & can be overpowering.

However, my recent efforts with this brand of fake beef resulted in two of my new favorite meals – the Jameson Whiskey Spicy Vegan Beef Bourguignon and  the Mongolian Beef – seen below respectively.

This Spicy Vegan Orange Chicken takes about twenty minutes & is better than take-out.  You might serve it with steamed broccoli or garlicky green beans and maybe use another variety of rice or quinoa.  But try it because it is an easy, guiltless, guilty pleasure.  Or – use real chicken – if you are a sissy.

Super Easy Spicy Vegan Orange Chicken

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Rice (optional) – I bought mine already cooked at the local Thai restaurant

2 (8 oz) packages vegan chicken strips (or similar quantity of real chicken strips)

2 TBS cornstarch

2-3 TBS olive oil

Zest & juice of two oranges

2 TBS minced ginger

8 garlic cloves – minced

1 cup soy sauce

1-2 TBS crushed red pepper (or to taste)

3/4 cup brown sugar (or more, to taste, if you like it on the sweet side)

Scallions as garnish

DIRECTIONS

If you are not cheating like I did (by buying cooked rice at a take-out joynt) – get your rice cooking.  The rest should be done even before the rice is.

Zest & juice the oranges & set those aside.

Coat the chicken in cornstarch.  Add the olive oil to a large saute pan & fry the chicken (vegan or otherwise) until it is browned on the outside.  If using real chicken, be sure it is cooked through.

Remove the meat & set aside.  If the pan requires it, add a bit more olive oil.  Add the crushed red pepper, ginger, garlic & orange zest & stir for 30 seconds or so.  Add the soy sauce.  Measure the orange juice.  If you have less than one cup – top it off to bring it up to a cup with water.  Add that to the pan.  Add the sugar & bring to a boil over high heat.  If it doesn’t thicken very quickly (less than 5 minutes), simply take 1 tsp cornstarch & 1/4 cup water & blend them together & add to the sauce.  It should thicken (at a boil) almost immediately.  Lower to medium heat & add the chicken.  If the sauce is too thick, add water.  If it is still too thin, cook until it thickens.  Serve with rice & sliced scallions as garnish – and with whatever veggie you prepared.  I went purist & just ate this like you see with no veggie.  It made for a pretty dense meal so I really suggest adding steamed broccoli, at least.  Enjoy!

Orange Chipotle Beef “Barbacoa” Tacos for the Slow Cooker

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

OK – first of all – I put “barbacoa” in quotes because I cannot get a definitive explanation of the term.  Some loosely define it as the origin of the word “barbecue” and that the meat must be slow cooked over an open flame or buried with coals.  Other explanations involve what part of the cow the meat is from – and some even say it must include goat brains.  While I used none of this

and, frankly, can’t imagine eating that no matter WTF it tastes like – I used this

which was about 9 pounds of chuck roast that I got at the AWESOME Super King for $3 a pound!  I sure wish I ate meat because, if you know where to buy it, it is outrageously economical.

Anyway – I marinated the meat for two days, grilled it to a nice char on a barbecue & then slow cooked it overnight.  I served this at my Cinco de Mayo party.  I also served:

Grilled shrimp tacos

Queso

BlackBeans

Yellow Rice

Hominy & Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Guacamole

Salsa

52 tacos (half potato & half jalapeno) from a place called House Of Tacos (because I had a Groupon)

My Chipotle Lime Roasted Potatoes

Every possible taco topping

And my friend Rose’s watermelon & feta salad

I had WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much food!!!

More food got sent home with people than was consumed all day.  Still – two things were repeatedly commented upon: this beef recipe & my Hominy & Cauliflower Mac & Cheese (which I will post at a later date).  My boyfriend Miles said that this beef might be his favorite thing I have ever made.  I cannot vouch for it because I do not eat meat but it fucking smelled incredible!  It isn’t a difficult recipe but it does take some planning ahead – what with two days (not really necessary) of marinating & an additional overnight in a slow cooker – plus grilling in between.  The grilling is critical, I think, for the smokiness it adds & because it cooks off a good amount of the yucky fat on the meat.  This recipe if for a large slow cooker quantity of meat (I cooked 9 lbs of chuck roast).  You can reduce the recipe or, once it is done, freeze a bunch for another time.  This meat might go nicely on a pizza or in a Mexican-style lasagna or on pasta.  Some folks were dumping queso on it which seemed to me to be very like a Mexican Philly cheese steak.  So – this meat would make a great sandwich, too.  Don’t be shy!  Experiment!

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Orange Chipotle Beef “Barbacoa” Tacos

INGREDIENTS

9 pounds of chuck roast or brisket

For the marinade

2 12oz cans orange juice concentrate

10 cloves garlic

1 12oz can chipotle peppers in adobo

1 TBS dry oregano

2 TBS cumin

For the slow cooker

1 12oz can orange juice concentrate

1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo – minced

1-2 bunches of fresh cilantro – minced

1 red onion – diced

6 cloves garlic – minced

1 TBS salt

juice & zest of 4 limes

6-8 cups stock

GARNISH – juice of 1/2 – 1 orange & 1 TBS chipotle powder (powder – not more peppers)

TACO ingredients – beyond the corn tortillas – the rest is a matter of taste.  Use any of the following: shredded lettuce, shredded red or green cabbage, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped scallions, sliced radishes, shredded carrots, guacamole, salsa, grated cheese, canned green chilies, diced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, Mexican crema or sour cream & hot sauce.

DIRECTIONS

For the marinade

Blend the marinade ingredients in a food processor.  Coat your meat & store in the fridge in some kind of Tupperware for as long as possible.  I marinated mine two days before grilling it & putting it in the slow cooker.

For the grill

I am no grill master.  I have an old Weber & just heated the coals until they were ready & flopped the marinated meat on the rack.  I grilled it, turning it often, until it was fairly black on the outside.  How cooked it is inside doesn’t matter.  You will cook the bejesus out of it in the slow cooker next.

For the slow cooker

Add the meat to your slow cooker.  Add all the slow cooker ingredients (which – minus the stock – you can puree in a food processor or blender) & cook on high for a solid 4-6 hours.  I then left mine on low overnight.

The next day, take the meat from the slow cooker and, in a bowl or on a cutting board or in the sink on a cutting board (that is what I did), shred the meat up with two forks or a knife & fork.  Toss any obvious chunks of fat (or feed them to your dog!).  When all the meat is shredded, pour the remaining juices out of the slow cooker (maybe through a colander to catch smaller bits of meat) and then return the wet beef to the slow cooker.  Squeeze the juice of 1/2 – 1 orange into the meat & add the chipotle powder.  Stir to blend.  Leave on warm – stirring occasionally – until ready to serve.  If it gets dry – just add a tiny bit of water or stock – but this shouldn’t be an issue.  Mine stayed moist all day.

Assemble tacos & devour!

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Caramelized Fennel & Spicy Orange-Glazed Albacore

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

Holy crap!  I could live on this mashed cauliflower dish!  I added 1/2 cup heavy cream to this but I do not think that is necessary.  Butter or a little milk (even plain soy milk) would likely be cool.  And wowza!  Are they easy.  I added caramelized fennel just to get fancy & it added a really nice flavor but caramelized onions or roasted garlic or goat cheese or any number of additions could take this dish in a multitude of directions.

As to the albacore – I buy it like this at Trader Joe’s.

Two decent sized slabs of tuna for just over $5.  Can’t beat that!  The problem is, I find this to sometimes be a tad fishy so I intentionally cook the bejesus out of it.  I cook it until the fat bubbles out of it.  At that point – it is virtually indistinguishable from some dry chicken breast.  At least – for me – it is because I haven’t eaten actual chicken breast in like 25 years.  Dry chicken might not sound appealing to you but I gave up meat to avoid giving my money to factory farms (and savage, MASS cruelty), not because I don’t like it.  I miss things like the awesome hotdogs at Costco, chicken piccata, rare steak and bacon.  So – I eat veggie dogs and Bacos in a jar & I try to make chicken piccata from this overcooked fish thing.  I used it here to simulate a glazed chicken dish & it works for me.  You might want to use actual chicken or salmon, if this albacore isn’t available to you – or if my description above was a bit on the soft sell side.

These flavors worked really well together & it was a very filling while still pretty healthy dinner.  But, whether you make the funky chicken albacore or not – TRY THE MASHED CAULIFLOWER!

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Caramelized Fennel & Spicy Orange-Glazed Albacore

INGREDIENTS

For the spicy orange-glazed albacore

2 pieces of albacore (or chicken breasts or salmon)

2 TBS butter

juice & zest of 2 oranges

2 TBS honey

2 TBS Dijon

2 tsp (or to taste) crushed red pepper

S&P to taste

For the cauliflower mashed potatoes with caramelized fennel

1 head cauliflower – cut into florets

1 bulb fennel – shaved very thin

2 TBS butter

1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk or soy milk)

1 TBS horseradish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

For the Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Caramelized Fennel 

Boil water & add the cauliflower & cook until soft.  Maybe 15 minutes.  Turn off heat & let cauliflower sit in the hot water.

Slice the fennel very thinly – reserving the dilly tops for garnish.  Melt the butter in a saute pan.  Saute the fennel, stirring constantly over medium heat – just until it begins to brown.  Remove from heat.

Drain the cauliflower & put it, the heavy cream, horseradish, and 1/2 of the caramelized fennel in a food processor & puree until smooth.  Add a little water to thin them if you desire.  Reserve some caramelized fennel for garnish.

Taste & add S&P to taste.

For the spicy orange-glazed albacore

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a saute pan.  Add the orange juice & zest, honey, Dijon & crushed red pepper & saute over medium heat until it thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon.  Add S&P to taste.

Coat the top of the fish with the glaze – reserving a little extra for garnish.  Bake the fish for about 20 minutes or until done.  I then turned the broiler on & put the fish near the flame for several seconds, watching VERY closely, until the glaze bubbled & boiled.

To serve – put a generous helping of the cauliflower puree on two plates.  Top with the cooked fish & then garnish with the reserved orange glaze, caramelized fennel and maybe some of the chopped dilly tops of the fennel and lots of freshly cracked pepper.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi with Three Sauces: Orange Cream, Pumpkin-Sage & Pistachio Pesto

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

Tweet

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

I used a 29 oz can of pumpkin for this recipe & it made a BOATLOAD of gnocchi.  Gnocchi is pronounced “Nyawkki,” for those that are unsure.

At any rate – this recipe will produce three cookie sheets of raw gnocchi – like this:

I would say each of those sheets represents four very healthy servings.  You might want to cut this recipe in half.  Not wanting to turn orange from pumpkin consumption, I opted to freeze the bulk of these.  To do that, I put the entire cookie sheet in the freezer & when the gnocchi were frozen solid, I chipped them off the cookie sheet & put them in individual zip lock bags – each containing a single serving.  To cook frozen gnocchi – put them in boiling water directly from the freezer & boil until they float to the top.  If you let them thaw first, they will become a gooey mess.

Another note, these gnocchi are vegan.  In the past, I have made potato gnocchi & they required eggs.  These do not & I like any opportunity to skip the use of eggs & dairy (though there is lots of dairy in two of the sauces).  However, the resulting gnocchi were more dense than the potato variety – even though I was careful not to over flour them & even rolled & cut the dough while it was still a bit tacky.  I am not sure if that is true because of the lack of eggs or maybe the wet pumpkin just combines differently than baked potato – but – just know these are pretty substantial – maybe even a tad chewy.  I will make potato ones soon, which come out a bit lighter.

As to the sauces I made – I wanted to avoid the traditional fried sage & brown butter sauce, mainly because it is how pumpkin things are always served.  These sauces might have photographed better with a white gnocchi beneath them (especially the green pistachio pesto which wasn’t pretty on the orange gnocchi) – so do not be thrown by the images here.  I must confess, I underachieved in the photography department here partly because I had color combos that were not ideal and, primarily, because I had three different gnocchi to photograph & I wanted to EAT them before they got cold.  I had my friend Mike taste all three sauces with me.  He liked the lemony pistachio pesto & the orange cream best.  I thought the orange cream was a tad sweet, despite the fact that there is no sugar added.  Maybe the California Cutie I used was too sweet for this recipe – and a regular orange would have been better.

I liked the pumpkin cream sauce but, in the future, will add much more fried sage (which I can eat like chips).  I liked the pistachio pesto – but I think it might be better served with a more neutral flavored gnocchi.  All the sauces are VERY easy to make & all would do well over pasta – so – if they sound good to you but an hour of rolling gnocchi does not – just open a box of penne or something & use the sauces on that.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi

INGREDIENTS

1 29 oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 1/2 – 6 cups flour

1/2 tsp each of S&P

DIRECTIONS

On a floured surface or in a bowl – combine the ingredients, adding flour incrementally just until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead the dough for several minutes until it is soft & pliable.

OR – stick everything in your bread machine & run it on the pasta dough cycle.  This is what I did.

Divide the dough onto sections about the size of a child’s fist & roll each out into snakes that are about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut the snakes into pieces (under an inch) and either use them as they are or roll them over fork tines to get a texture or use this awesome tool I got on Amazon for a few bucks.

Let them rest on a lightly floured surface (or refrigerate) until you are ready to cook them.

To cook – simply boil water, add gnocchi & boil until they float to the surface.  Drain & top with your sauce & devour!

Orange Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 orange – zest & juice

2 TBS butter

3/4 cup vegan heavy cream

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Zest the orange – set zest aside.  Juice the orange – set juice aside.

Heat the butter in a sauce pan & add the zest – reserving some for garnish later.  Let this cook on medium heat until it begins to thicken.  Add the cream & cook until it begins to thicken.  When it reaches a consistency you like – add S&P.

Pumpkin-Sage Sauce

INGREDIENTS

olive oil

2 TBS butter

20 fresh sage leaves

1 small onion – diced

3 cloves garlic – minced

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup vegetable (or other) stock (I use water & veggie bouillon)

1/2 cup vegan heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Heat  butter with a little olive oil in a frying pan.  When hot – add the sage leaves & fry for a minute of two – until they begin to brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Add onion & garlic to the pan & saute until they soften.  Add the pumpkin, stock & cream & simmer until it thickens.  Reserve the fried sage to top the gnocchi as garnish.

Pistachio Pesto

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil

2 garlic cloves

3/4 cup shelled, roasted pistachios

1/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese

1 TBS lemon juice

1/4 olive oil

1 tsp each S&P (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients in a food processor to create a paste.  Add water if you feel it is too thick.

To assemble your gnocchi, just top hot gnocchi with either the orange cream garnished with orange zest or the pumpkin-sage sauce & the crumbled, fried sage or with the pistachio pesto with some crushed pistachios as garnish.  Get likkered up & gorge!

PRINT THIS RECIPE