Fried Zucchini from the Garden

Since moving to Michigan, I have been having a blast with the garden.  There is always something coming out of it - even this late in the season.  About a month or so ago, there was some really cold weather that affected our zucchini and summer squash plants, our cucumbers and acorn squash plants.  They had produced for a couple weeks, then finished.  I was pretty disappointed in the harvest , and had been making all kinds of great plans for the harvest.  Then last week as I was making my rounds throughout the garden, I noticed that the plants were reflowering and teeny tiny baby squash were emerging from the flowers!  I was so surprised and happy!  We also have okra plants that my Hubby has been convinced were planted too late and will amount to nothing.  I have told him to be positive and that they will produce, even though I know nothing of the plants and despite the fact that his father used to grow them for income back in the Dominican Republic.  And imagine my surprise and happiness in noticing that those same okra plants that had flowered and done nothing about a month ago, have again flowered and teeny tiny okra are beginning to grow!  I really hope they continue to grow and produce, even if we only get a handful.  Our Japanese eggplants are re-growing again and are only a couple inches long right now, so I'm really hoping for some more nice, sunny weather.  Until then, I decided to make some fried zucchini to celebrate the new crop of squash and will hopefully be posting more about the delicious veggies from the garden.


Fried Zucchini:

Crispy, Salty Goodness!

Serves 2-3

1 large or 2 small zucchini, washed well and sliced into 1/4" circles

Wet Mix:
1/3 cup unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 generous pinches cayenne pepper, optional

Dry Mix:
1 cup unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 generous pinches cayenne pepper


1.  Place the sliced zucchini on a small plate and set aside until ready to use.
2.  Place the wet mix ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together until a batter forms.  Set that next to the zucchini. 
3.  In a second small bowl, add your dry mix ingredients and whisk together until all the ingredients are well combined. 
4.  Place a large saute pan over medium heat and place about 1/4" canola or other no-taste oil inside the pan.  Allow the oil to heat as you begin to prepare the zucchini. 
5.  Get two large clean plates ready.  Cover one plate with multiple layers of paper towels and set aside.  The second plate will be the place you put your dipped zucchini slices on. 
6.  Take a few of your zucchini slices and dip them in the wet mix.  Keep one hand for the wet mix and the other for the dry mix.  Using the wet hand, swish the zucchini around until they are well coated.  Now drain off any excess liquid and place them one at a time into the spiced flour mix.  Using your dry hand, toss them around until they are completely covered with the flour.  Shake off any excess flour.  Place the finished zucchini slices on the clean plate.  Continue to do this until the oil is hot. 
7.  Place the coated zucchini slices into the oil and allow them to fry for several minutes on each side, until they are golden and crispy.  Once they are cooked on both sides, transfer them to the plate with the paper towel and immediately sprinkle them with a little bit of the sea salt.  Continue dipping the zucchini and frying them until all have been fried.
8.  Try to wait at least a minute for them to cool before popping them in your mouth - I know it's almost impossible, but it really burns when the water inside the cooked zucchini squirts your tongue!  So yummy, crunchy and delicious! 


Enjoy!

Koko

Fresh Artichoke with Garlic Butter

I am seriously in love with fresh artichokes!  There is just something about them that hits the spot every time!  The first time I ever had them fresh was when I was in culinary school here in NY.  I know it's really sad.  After having moved here, I was so surprised by how many things I have never tried, or how many things I had these strange pre-conceived notions about.  I'm now wondering what it is that I really ate while growing up, besides all the fresh fruits and veggies from the garden.  Hmm...  Anyway, as soon as I tried an artichoke for the first time, I was amazed and couldn't believe how tiny the heart was, and what it took to get to it.  No wonder artichoke hearts are so damn expensive! 

The first time I brought them home for the Hubby was when I made one of my monthly trips to Trader Joes (it's just so far away from us!).  I usually avoid TJ's produce section like the plague because 99% of the time it is not very fresh.  And the thought of buying pre-chopped onions, celery, carrots, etc. is very nauseating to me.  I get that people are super busy living in Manhattan and nyc in general, but it takes 30 seconds, if that to chop a stalk of celery!  And maybe costs like 50 cents or less for the amount that they are charging $3.00 for.  I know, a little ridiculously impassioned, but I have always felt like that.  Anyway, when I discovered the artichokes in the produce department, I checked them over very very thoroughly and found them to be quite fresh, I bought 6 of them for like $3.50.  I steamed them and made a light dinner of toasted fresh baked baguette, sliced vegan cheeses, gourmet olives, etc.  I thought it was the most amazing, simple, delicious dinner.  Then I made a super simple vegan garlic butter to go along with the artichokes and presented it with a flourish.  I was very proud of myself!  And Hubby's reaction?  ...   Yum.  Give me some more, I'm still hungry.  There wasn't any more of course.  Then, that's it?  Oh man it was so good I want some more.  Next time I'll make all 6 of them and he can eat the remaining 5!



Steamed Artichokes with a Vegan Garlic Butter



2 fresh artichokes, bottom trimmed & pointy ends snipped with kitchen scissors

Garlic Butter:

2 tablespoons earth balance

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

sea salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

pinch black pepper

1.  Place a steamer basket in a medium sized pan.  Cover the bottom of the pan with water and place the trimmed artichokes on top of the steamer basket.  Cover tightly with a lid and steam until artichoke can easily be pierced with a fork, about 30-45 minutes.  Remove from pot and allow to cool for several minutes before handling.

2.  Prepare the garlic butter: in a small pan over medium heat, add the oil and earth balance.  Once the earth balance melts, add the minced garlic and cook until golden.  Immediately remove from the heat or it will burn - it will still continue to cook even once the heat is off. 

3.  Add the salt, parsley and black pepper and season to taste.

4.  To eat, remove each artichoke leaf and dip in the garlic butter.  Use your teeth to scrape off the "meaty" portion on the bottom of the leaf.  Continue with the remaining  leaves.  Once you get closer towards the center, the majority of the leaves can be eaten almost in their entirety.  Once you reach the very center, the artichoke heart, it will be protected by a group of fine hairs.  You cannot eat these.  Use a spoon to scoop out all of the hair, leaving behind the heart.  This is the best part, so dip it in the butter and thoroughly enjoy!

Enjoy!

-Koko 

Vegan Shrimp Sushi

Sometimes my husband really surprises me with the food items he likes and really wants me to cook for him.  Of course, being Dominican, most of the time he craves Spanish food.  Which is great for me, because I love learning about his food and culture.  But he has been on this sushi kick lately, which is just very funny to me.  I'm not even sure where he tried it the first time, but I decided to make it once and he ate like literally 4 whole rolls of it.  I was stunned, even more so when several weeks later, asking him what he wanted for dinner, his response was "sushi".  Hmm.  I'm very glad he likes it because it is such fun making and of course eating!  It is also such a pretty procedure, and I have never taken pictures of the process, which I thought would be fun this time around.  So, enjoy the nice pictures and make some.  It is sooo delicious.  Maybe I'll make it again for dinner tomorrow!


Vegan Shrimp Sushi:

Topping the nori with the seasoned rice.


Seasoned Rice:

1 1/2 cups sushi rice
3 cups filtered water

4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons agave
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Suggested Fillings:
peppers
scallions
vegan shrimp
carrot shavings

Suggested Toppings:
pickled ginger
shoyu or tamari
wasabi paste


1.  Rinse the rice well.  Place in a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Once the water boils, lower flame to low and place the lid on top of the pot, with a small space for the air to vent.  Cook rice till completely cooked through, about 15 minutes. 
2. Once the rice has cooked and the flame has been turned off for about five minutes, add the rice vinegar, agave and sea salt.  Stir well to coat.
3.  Allow the rice to cool slightly.  I like to use it when it is still warm, but not hot, or it will kind of "melt" the nori. 
4.  Place about 1 cup of the prepared sushi rice in the middle of the nori, and press out with dampened hands, leaving about 1" from the top without rice.  Place goodies like veggies and vegan shrimp in the center of the rice, being careful not to overload even though it may be almost impossible not to. 
5.  Roll the nori roll tightly toward the end, sealing the nori with some water. 
6.  Place the nori seam-side down while preparing the rest of the rolls.  Using a sharp knife, slice the nori into bite sized pieces, wiping off the knife after every pass through the roll.
7.  Arrange on a plate and garnish with your favorite toppings.  


The giant mound of rice & all the goodies ready to go.




Rice pressed out, about 1" bare at the top.




The veggies and vegan shrimp




Beautifully rolled up!




Sliced, Topped with wasabi & pickled ginger.  Yum!!



Enjoy!

Koko

Mini Onion Cheese Tarts with Heirloom Tomatoes

This is definitely something that was time consuming but oh so worth it!  

A couple months back my mom sent me several pounds of baby onions from my Grandfather's garden back in Michigan.  Have I ever mentioned that my mom has this amazing organic garden in Michigan and is constantly overnighting me things when they are in abundance?  Well, this year my grandpa had tons and tons of these baby onions, and supposedly once you pick them, you are supposed to let them sit in the garage or some other cool place on top of newspapers until the skins completely dry out.  Once this happens, you can store them in the large mesh onion or other fruit bags and they will keep for a long period.  I still have about half a pound, although they are now in my refrigerator.  I did keep them in a bowl on the counter for a good couple months (trying to remind myself to use them!) and true to my mom's word, nothing happened to them.  They remained super fresh.

I got the idea for this recipe from my friend Brittany who made mini butter tarts (with real dairy butter) and was kind enough to share her recipe with me, which I easily converted to vegan.  So, with lots of patience and excitement (initially!)  I decided to make these bad boys and was happily rewarded when Hubbs decided to eat over 12 of them in one sitting (no joke!).  Glad he liked them, but kind of wish I had someone a little girly or foodie over so they could ooh and ahh over them like I did.  I had a great time making these, but likely will not again unless my little niece or mum help me.

Mini Onion Cheese Tarts with Heirloom Tomatoes:



The gorgeous end result!



Yields: 24 mini tarts, with a small amount of dough leftover

Butter Crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup chilled earth balance

3 tablespoons ice water, or as needed

Seasoned Onions:

10-12 mini onions, ends removed, and first tough layer removed

2 tablespoons earth balance

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch sea salt and black pepper

Remaining Toppings:

Baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced

Fresh basil, Chiffonaded

Daiya, as needed

1.  Prepare the dough.  Place the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Whisk well together.  Add the earth balance and gently incorporate with hands, being careful not to over-mix and make the dough too tough.  Add the ice water, starting with the 3 tablespoons, mixing, and adding more as needed.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill out in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator after about half an hour.  It should be relatively firm, but still pliable.  If it is too firm, allow it to sit out for about 5-10 minutes before proceeding.  Dive the dough into 2 pieces (it's easier to work with).  Cover the half you are not currently working on back in the plastic wrap.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

The dough rolled out

4.  Sprinkle your work surface with flour and sprinkle the top of the dough as well.  flatten lightly with your hand.  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough evenly and use a cookie cutter or other round object, also dusted in flour to cut out the pieces needed for the tarts.



The circles for the tarts cut out.

5.  Lightly oil a mini muffin pan with spray olive oil or whatever you have on hand.  Press the cut out pieces of dough into the pan, being sure to press into the edges.  




The dough all pressed into the pan!



5.  Partially bake the dough base in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and golden.

6.  Meanwhile, in a saute pan add the earth balance over medium heat and allow it to both melt and become hot.  Once it is hot, add the dried thyme and let it sizzle for a minute or so.  Add the onion slices, separating into rings as you place them in the pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, stirring frequently, just until the onions begin to soften - you still want them to have texture.  Season to taste.

7.  Remove the baked crusts from the oven and add several of the onion slices, followed by two slices of the heirloom tomatoes, a couple pieces of daiya and bake, just until the daiya melts. 

8.  Once the tarts cool slightly, top with the basil pieces.  Be sure not to do this when the tarts are still hot or the basil will shrivel and turn brown right away.

Here are those yummy onions!

Enjoy!

-Koko

Homemade Hummus

Snack time!  Seriously!  Lately at my new job we have not had enough coverage in my department, and I have been having to cover the shifts, which means no break and long hours.  Since there are always customers around and I am working with food, I can't just stop and grab something to eat - it doesn't look good.  So, I came home from work yesterday super hungry, and since it was Hubbs' day off he didn't want to cook, so I had to throw something together really quickly.  I was looking through my fridge and found some cooked chickpeas and immediately thought hummus!  It's been a while since I've made it - I usually make the recipe out of the Candle Cafe's cookbook  - it is delicious and perfect every time - with my modifications of course!  I was too lazy to do that though, so I just improved this recipe and it turned out really nicely.  The only thing I did was toss the chickpeas into a pot of boiling water briefly to heat them up - hummus is much much much better when it is made when the chickpeas are hot.  While they were heating, I put all of the other ingredients in the food processor.  Once the chickpeas drained, I added those to the processor and blended everything. 

I was feeling hungry and lazy, but you can be really creative with this recipe.  You can roast a pepper, skin it and add it to the mix.  Or roast a head of garlic, squeeze out the bulbs and add it.  Or roast a tomato with some garlic and herbs and add it to the mix.  Or add a ton of garlic, lemon, parsley and finely chopped carrots.  Or add some sour cream and dill!  Yum - seriously the possibilities are endless!  Try whichever one suits your fancy at that moment.  Even kalamata olives!  Or chipotle peppers!

Homemade Hummus:

Creamy, Tasty, Spicy Goodness (That's cayenne & olive oil on top!)

Yields: about 3 1/2 cups

3 cups cooked chickpeas, preferably still warm

1/4 cup tahini

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon cumin

2 pinches cayenne

3/4 cup filtered water, or as needed



1.  Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, but leave 1/4 cup of water on the side in case you don't need it.  Pulse until the mixture is completely smooth and silky, adding more water as needed to achieve your desired consistency.  That's it!

2.  Eat immediately.  Serve with raw baby carrots, celery sticks, raw broccoli or cauliflower, or be bad and eat it with chips!

Enjoy!

-Koko

Leftover Pizza Dough: Snack Pizza

I usually don't have any pizza crust leftover when I make homemade pizza, but I did for some reason this time.  I'm pretty sure it's because the Hubby insisted on having his pizza be super thin-crust, but it actually turned out well.  A couple days later I noticed that I still had a chunk of pizza dough leftover in the fridge and most certainly did not want to throw it away after all the work and time it took to make in the first place.  So, I decided to make it into a snack pizza of sorts.  I also didn't want it to be like "regular" pizza, in that I didn't want it to have marinara - I wanted it super crispy, so that's how I made it.  It hit the spot and was nice and simple.  I dipped it in some leftover marinara sauce and it was darn tasty.  I'm sure I could have chosen to be more creative and make some form of calzone or something, but truth be told, this was much quicker and easier.  Next time though!

Leftover Pizza Dough: Snack Pizza

Yields:  A Snack Pizza!

Prepared Pizza Dough

Toppings of choice:

Chopped Green Peppers

Chopped Onions

Diced Seitan

Sliced Green or Kalamata Olives

Daiya or other vegan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degree.  Lightly oil a pizza pan or baking tray with spray oil and set aside.

2.  Place the remaining dough onto the prepared baking tray and spread it out as thinly or thickly as you would like. 

3.  Place the crust in the preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the crust is partially baked.

4. Top the partially baked crust with your cheese, then with the remaining chopped veggies of your choice.
5.  Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is baked all the way through, the cheese is melted and the veggies are softened. 
6.  Let cool for a couple minutes and cut into pieces.  Dip in a prepared marinara sauce if desired.  I usually have some of that leftover as well when I make homemade pizza.

Enjoy!

- Koko

Vegan Blue Tortilla Chip Nachos

When is the last time you had nachos?  Before today, I think it has been at least 2-3 years.  2-3 years is a bit extreme when I think about it.  Why haven't I had them in so long?  That's an equally good question, and one I don't know the answer to.  When one of my coworkers and I were working last Monday, we were talking about what she and another coworker had to eat for lunch the Saturday before.  She somewhat nonchalantly said "nachos".  I was like "nachos"!?   Yum.  It's just something I haven't thought about in a long time.  But suddenly, I had to have it.

I luckily had most of the ingredients on hand, went home and whipped it up in under 5 minutes.  Popped it in the oven and had "dinner" within an additional 5.  It was seriously so good.  Salty, fatty, melty goodness, dipped in delicious spicy salsa and cooling sour cream.  It was good and settled a crazy craving I had, and now I think I'm good for another 2-3 years.  Next craving!


 Vegan Blue Tortilla Chip Nachos:

Vegan Nachos!!  Blue Tortilla Chips, Beefy TVP, Melty Daiya!

Ingredients:

Blue Tortilla Chips
Taco-Style TVP or Trader Joe's Chorizo
Shredded Daiya
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Red Onions
Sliced Olives
Avocados (I didn't have any, but they would be delicious!)

Salsa and Sour Cream (vegan obviously!) on the side to dip the chips in

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2.  Scatter a heaping amount of chips across the tray.  Sprinkle the daiya across all the chips, followed by the tvp or chorizo.  (I put my onions on before baking because they become a little less spicy.  I put the tomatoes and olives on after it was finished baking, and if you are using the avocado, I would put that on once the nachos come out of the oven too.)
3.  Bake the nachos for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tvp/chorizo is heated through. When the nachos come out, sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes and the sliced olives.  And avocado, if desired. 
4.  Serve with sour cream and salsa and chow down with a friend or significant other.

Enjoy!

-Koko

-K

Seitan Empanadas, Sauteed Kale, Pan Fried Yucca, Simple Salad

Today was my day for Spring Cleaning!  Time to go throughout the house and organize and clean everything, getting rid of things we haven't been using and use up the things that are getting a bit old.  I went through both the refrigerator and freezer.  The fridge was fine - just a little unorganized and messy, but nothing in particular that had  been in there for a while.  The freezer was an entirely different story.  I feel like I use it a lot when I have great intentions of saving something to use it later, but then it gets pushed to the back and forgotten about.  So, I went through it and discovered several things:
1.  I still have tons of homemade freezer jam - at least 5 pint containers (yikes, what am I going to do with all of those!?)
2.  I still have two small bags of homemade Monster cookies my Mum made for the Hubby and I the last time I visited her (which was definitely last year some time!).  Mum made them using white sugar, which the Hubby and I never eat, so we found them way too sweet (sorry Mum!) and couldn't eat them, but didn't want to throw them away because of all the love and effort she put into them.  But, after finding them a year later, I thought it was time to let them go.
3.  There was a bag of ground almonds I had left over from a Friday Night Dinner at the Natural Gourmet Institute a long time ago that I didn't want to get rid of, and after using it on everything I could possibly think of, I tasted it and it was quite freezer burned!  Sad!
4.  Lastly!  There was a package of Goya Discos para Empanadas (Goya pastry circles, specifically used for Empanadas and other appetizers) that was hanging out in there for about three months.  That could be used up though, so I took it out of the freezer, let it thaw on the counter until completely thawed, and made the filling for empanadas, using up come ground seitan I had left over from when I made tacos.  These took a while to make, but were so worth it, and now that I know how easy those discos are to work with, I'll definitely buy them again, but this time, use them much sooner!

Seitan Empanadas:



Seitan Empanadas, Garlic Sauteed Kale, Pan-Fried
Yuccs, Salad with Carrots, Scallions & Croutons


 Yields 10 Empanads, plus 1 cup additional filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup small diced onion
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 orange bell pepper, small diced, about 1/2 cup
1/2 green bell pepper, small diced, about 1/2 cup
1 small jalapeno, minced, about 2 tablespoons
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups small diced seitan
4 tablespoons chopped pimento stuffed olives (about 12-14 olives)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon boullion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3-4 tablespoons vegetarian oyster mushroom sauce
1 tablespoon vegan parm

10 pre-made empanada shells
1/2 " no-taste oil, such as canola or vegetable

1.  Place a large wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow the oil to become hot and add the onions, scallion, green and orange bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic cloves.  Saute for several minutes until softened.  Add the seitan and cook for several additional minutes.
2.  To the veggie-seitan mixture, add the olives and all the spices, stirring to coat.  Add the oyster mushroom sauce and the vegan parm and stir well to coat.  Continue cooking the mixture the flavors have melded and some of the liquid has cooked off.
3.  Turn the heat on under the pot with the oil to medium high.  Allow it to become hot. 
4.  In the meantime, place one of the pre-made empanada shells on your cutting board. Lightly roll them out with a rolling pin, just to enlarge them slightly.  Place a couple tablespoons of the filling in the center and bring the top portion of the dough to the bottom, pressing the edges together until the empanada is securely sealed.  Repeat with remaining filling and shells. 
5.  Once the oil is hot, carefully place 2 empanadas at a time into the oil, cooking for about 30-60 seconds per side.  All you want is for the outside to become nice and golden.  If the outside is browning too quickly, turn down the heat. 
6.  Remove the empanadas from the oil with either a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the oil and serve.  You don't need a dipping sauce because the center is so flavorful.

Enjoy!

-K

Spicy Chorizo Quesadillas

I've been really busy lately, teaching several classes in the past week and a half  and have really not had a lot of time to cook or experiment at home.  Most of the "meals" I've been making have not really been meals, but rather snacks.  Today has been no different.  I still have a half of a package of that chorizo left that I picked up from Trader Joe's and really need to use it up.  When I bought it I thought for sure I could use it up in one meal, but the chorizo has a strong flavor and spiciness on its own and you really don't need a lot of it.  So with that thought in mind, and a desire to make something as easy and quick as possible, I came up with quesadillas.  I still have some daiya left from a block I bought at work and should probably also use that up, so the spicy chorizo quesadilla was born.

The Hubby loved it and ate two whole quesadillas, which amounts to about 16 slices!  Have I said yet that my Hubby is a previous baseball player and is easily a foot taller than me and eats so much sometimes I can hardly believe it?!  When his Dominican cousin comes over (who is 6" 5"!), forget about it - I can never make enough food to fill their bellies!  Here is the recipe I made, which comes together and cooks very quickly.

Spicy Chorizo Quesadillas




Cheesy Melty Spicy Quesadillas! 

Serves 3-4 as an appetizer

6 Burrito size tortillas

2 cups daiya, shredded
1/2 medium onion, small diced (1/2 cup)
1 small green pepper, small diced (1/2 cup)
1 small red pepper, small diced (1/2 cup)
1 small roma tomato, small diced (1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 package Trader Joe's soy chorizo
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch sea salt

To serve:
Guacamole
Vegan sour cream
Salsa

1.  Start by shredding the daiya, or if you purchased it already shredded, place it in a large bowl. 
2.  Chop all the veggies - it is very important to chop them as small as you can so that each bite will have an equal amount of veggies, cheese and chorizo.  Place in the bowl with the daiya.
3.  Add the chorizo, black pepper, red pepper flakes and sea salt.  Using your hands, toss all the ingredients together until well combined.  It should have turned a light red color from the spices and oil in the chorizo.
4.  Heat a large pan over low-medium heat.  Spray or drizzle a tiny bit of oil over the surface of the pan - this is to help the quesadilla turn golden, but  isn't necessary. 
5.  Place one tortilla directly on the pan and spread 1/3 of the veggie cheese mix evenly over the surface, being careful not to place it too closely to the edges or it will burn.  Place the second tortilla over top, pressing firmly so it adheres. 




Cheese Chorizo mixture spread on top of tortilla in pan on stove

 6.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt and the side cooking begins to turn golden.  Carefully flip, making sure to place your hand on the uncooked side to make sure none of the ingredients come out when it is flipped.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and the outside is golden.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
7.  Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges, serving immediately.  Set up small bowls of the guacamole, salsa and sour cream to serve.


One of these days I would really like to try again to make homemade vegan cheese.  I have several of the uncheese cookbooks and made a few of the cheese recipes when I first became vegan.  It is such an interesting thing to be able to make your own vegan cheese!   I've been telling myself this for weeks now - most of the recipes are made by dissolving agar into water and then blending it with cashews and other ingredients to give it the desired flavor.  One day soon I am going to try it again.  Maybe over the next couple days because I do miraculously have three days off in a row, which never happens!  A mini vacation!

Enjoy!

-K

Vegan Egg Rolls

I love egg rolls.  But they of course usually have eggs either in the filling, the shell or both, and generally have some form of meat inside, usually pork.  Yuck!  So, what else to do but make them myself?  So much better for you because you can control the ingredients, and so much more delicious for the same reason.  I have made these several times before, but I have never written down the recipe.  I usually just take whatever vegetables I have on hand that follow the egg roll theme and prepare them all before cooking and seasoning them. 

The last time I visited my parents, where all of my extra kitchen stuff is stored, I took almost a whole suitcase of stuff back home to ny with me, and I intend to keep doing this until all the stuff I love and want is in the same place I am.  Anyway, the last few years when I lived at home through my late teens, my parents would always buy me kitchen stuff for Christmas - it's all I ever wanted.  Every time I go back home, I keep finding new things I had forgotten I even had and getting excited all over again to discover them.  The last thing I found was a salad shooter.  I had never even used it back home, so I brought it here and have been using it pretty frequently.  Of course it does a lot of great things and is smaller and easier to clean than a food processor, so I have been mainly using it to shred things, such as the carrots and cabbage for this dish, but also for the hash browns I made for breakfast a couple days ago.  If you don't have a salad shooter or food processor fitted with a shredding blade, you can definitely use a hand held box grater - it will just take a little more time. 

The other great thing about this recipe is that it freezes well.  If you have a pack of vegan egg roll shells that contains 24, you can double the recipe, make the rolls and freeze them.  The easiest way to do this is to put them on a sheet tray lined with waxed paper with a small amount of space between them and freeze them for several hours, or until nice and firm all the way through.  Then you can remove them from the sheet tray and place them in a Ziploc bag, label them and keep them frozen for several months, although I am sure they will be long gone by then!

Egg Rolls: (Egg Free of Course!)



Perfectly Browned Outside, Warm & Delicious Inside!

Yields 11-12

12 egg free egg roll wrappers

2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cups shredded cabbage, about 1 medium head
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, about 3 medium
1/2 cup snap peas, julienned
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons shoyu/tamari
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Shred the carrots and cabbage first.  Place the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and once the oil heats, add the cabbage, carrots and julienned snap peas.  Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage wilts and becomes about half the size.  This may take about ten minutes.  Add in the scallions and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. 
2.  Add in the shoyu or tamari, sherry, mirin, sea salt and black pepper.  Stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated.  Continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until some of the wetness in the cabbage evaporates.  Turn off the heat and place the hot cooked cabbage mixture onto a sheet tray in an even layer so that it cools quickly. 
3.  If you plan on cooking the egg rolls today, now is the time to get a medium pot out and fill it with about an inch of no taste oil, such as canola.  Do not turn on the burner quite yet, just have it ready.
4.  Get an assembly line ready: have your cooked cabbage mixture, the egg roll wrappers, a small bowl of cold water to seal the wraps, a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture into the shell, a towel to put beneath the wrap and a clean baking tray that has been lined with waxed paper. 
5.  Let's get started on the fun part!  Place one of the wraps with a corner pointing towards you - it should look like a diamond.  Dip your fingers in the water and trace your wet fingers along the four corners of the wrap - this will help the wrap seal once it is rolled up.  In the very center, place a little less than 1/4 cup of the filling.  Use your hands to mold it into a rectangle shape.  Starting at the bottom corner of the diamond, roll towards the center of the filling and tuck under the filling.  Bring the two sides in and tuck them in as well.  Now, start rolling the wrap towards the other end, folding  in the sides as you go, and remembering to keep the whole thing nice and tight.  When you're done, it should look like an egg roll!  Of course, they will only get better the more you make and boy are they delicious!
6.  If you are going to cook them today, heat the oil you prepared in step 3.  Turn the heat on medium.  The oil is ready when you drop a piece of the cooked cabbage in the center and it immediately comes to the surface and starts bubbling. 
7.  CAREFULLY place the egg roll into the oil - the oil will start bubbling like crazy - this is normal.  Allow the egg roll (or rolls- you can cook two at a time - any more and the temperature of the oil will decrease too much and your rolls will be oily) to cook for a couple minutes on each side, or until the outside is nicely golden.  If your rolls are getting brown too quickly, turn the temperature down. 
8.  Drain these bad boys on paper towels and serve immediately with additional shoyu or tamari and duck sauce.  These are seriously damn delicious!
9.  If you want to freeze these, follow the instructions in the introduction.



All of the Egg Rolls, Prior to Frying



Enjoy!

-K

Vegan Mozzarella Sticks!

Vegan Mozzarella Sticks!  The best and least healthy thing in the world - something that makes me deliriously happy!  I used to love the ooey gooey cheese sticks when I was a kid and definitely ate them far too often.  I can't remember how many years it's been since I've had them - high school was probably the last time!

I am so lucky to work in a vegan bakery within an extremely vegan friendly kitchen.  Our chef allows myself and others in our department to purchase items from the kitchen at her cost, which is a considerable discount  when you consider the price at retail.  So, I recently purchased a one pound chunk (there is no better word!) of daiya mozzarella style vegan cheese.  I had such grand ideas of things to make with this cheese, but truth told, once I purchased it, it seemed like too much and I rarely seem to use "cheese" anymore on anything I cook.  I've started getting nervous about it going bad, and even though I bought it at a nice discount, it wasn't free and I definitely don't want to throw it away.

I was talking to a coworker about my dilemma, and she came up with an entire list of suggestions, like lasagna, stuffed shells ... and ... mozzarella sticks.  I was so overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of cheese that it hadn't occurred to me to make any of those things, even though I have tried the vegan cheese sticks before and had success with my recipe.  So cheese sticks here we come:

Vegan Mozzarella Sticks:

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Wet Batter:
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tablespoon arrowroot or tapioca starch
1 tablespoon corn meal
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Breadcrumb Mix:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1.  Slice the cheese into rectangular sticks and set aside.
2.  Prepare the wet batter.  Place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together until smooth and no lumps remain.  This mixture will be very thick.
3.  Prepare the herbed bread crumb mixture.  Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and mix with hands until the herbs and spices are evenly distributed.
4.  Set everything up in an assembly-line production style:  the mozzarella sticks, the wet batter, the bread crumb mixture and a clean plate to put the finished sticks on.
5.  Place the mozzarella stick in the wet batter and coat all sides. Immediately dunk the wet cheese stick into the bread crumb mixture, and working quickly, coat all sides in the herbed mixture and place the finished cheese stick onto the clean plate.
6.  Repeat with remaining ingredients until all the cheese sticks are coated in both the wet mix and the bread crumb mix. 
7.  Place the entire plate of cheese sticks in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or until the outer crust firms and is no longer soft to the touch.  This is a very important step - if you do not do this, the outer coating will fall off as soon as it hits the oil and the cheese will burn all over the pan and oil and just creates a terrible mess - I made this mistake the first time because I was feeling lazy about waiting while the cheese sticks  were in the freezer.
8.  Place about an inch of no-taste oil like canola or vegetable in a small sauce pot and heat over medium-high heat until a piece of bread crumb immediately starts bubbling and comes to the surface.
9.  Fry these in batches and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Watch these very carefully as they like to stick to one another and they take only about 30-40 seconds.  As soon as they are lightly golden, take them out or the cheese will start exploding out the sides.
10 .  Eat these with a nice warm dish of marinara sauce - homemade hopefully!  So delicious!

Enjoy!

-K

"Shrimp" and "Crab" Wontons

Two of my favorite things to experiment with are seitan and wontons.  Baking, boiling, frying, simmering, stewing seitan - these methods all make me incredibly happy.  The same goes for wontons; stuffing, steaming, boiling, frying.  Yum!

A friend and coworker of mine was coming over and we were planning on a wonton making party.  I went to this amazing place called May Wah in Chinatown on Hester Street in Manhattan, which is nothing less than a vegetarian's paradise.  They sell everything from soymilk and tofu to vegetarian duck, salmon and everything in between.  And it all looks crazily real.  When I was there I couldn's pass up the vegan crab steaks and the vegan shrimp (one of my favorite things when I ate seafood).  On the way home I couldn't help poking the contents of the packages because they looked so realistic!  The plan was to make vegan shrimp wontons and crab rangoon, another thing I used to love getting at chinese restaurants back in the day.

Armed with two recipes for the "real" crab rangoon and shrimp wontons, I set to work creating vegan versions, which ended up being incredibly delicious.  When the Hubby came home from work and I told him I made shrimp wontons (remember he isn't vegetarian), he was so excited!  He inhaled about a dozen of the crab rangoon and two or three of the shrimp wontons before asking if I was sure there was really shrimp in the wontons.  Of course I couldn't  keep a straight face and admitted it was vegan shrimp.  He said they tasted amazing, just didn't have the texture of "real" shrimp, which I thought was just fine.  Here are the two recipes I came up with, along with a dipping sauce I made for the shrimp wontons.

Vegan Shrimp Wontons:

Wonton wrappers
1 16 oz. pkg. frozen vegan shrimp, thawed (see picture below)
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon shoyu
3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon arrowroot

1.  Place thawed vegan shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Remove and place in a medium sized bowl.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients: the mirin, shoyu, toasted sesame oil, black pepper, chopped scallions and arrowroot, stirring until completely mixed together - this is very important because the arrowroot needs to coat everything thoroughly so the ingredients stick together.
3.  Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Using a pastry brush or your fingers, dip in water and outline the four sides of the wonton wrapper.  Press two corners together, forming a triangle.  From here the design is up to you.  For these, I generally then take the two corners of the triangle, dot it with a little water and press them together.  While you are preparing the remaining wontons, be sure to cover the finished wontons as well as the unused wontons with a damp paper towel.
4.  Shrimp wontons are best either steamed or boiled.  Boiling is much easier and faster, so I generally choose that method.  These only need to be boiled for a matter of minutes until they float to the surface and the wonton wrapper looks cooked.  Drain and serve with the soy/ginger/garlic dipping sauce, outlined below.

Garlic Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup shoyu
1/4 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

1.  Mince the garlic and ginger - this is done easiest on a zester grater.  Place in a small bowl along with the shoyu, water and pepper flakes.  Stir until well combined.  Season to taste and remember that the garlic flavor will intensify as it sits, so be careful not to add too much.


Vegan Crab Rangoon:

Wonton wrappers
8 oz. tofutti non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese
1/2 8 oz. pkg. frozen crab steaks, thawed (see picture below)
1 teaspoon minced red pepper
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon shoyu
1 scallion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
black pepper to taste

1.  Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator to allow it to soften while preparing the rest of the recipe.
2.  Place half of the package of the thawed crab steaks in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped in uniform size.  (The rest of the crab steaks can be re-frozen.)  Remove and place in a medium bowl.  Add the softened cream cheese, red onion, Worcestershire sauce, shoyu, scallion, garlic and black pepper.  Mix well until all ingredients are coated in cream cheese.
3.  Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Using a pastry brush or your fingers, dip in water and outline the four sides of the wonton wrapper.  Press two corners together, forming a triangle.  While you are preparing the remaining wontons, be sure to cover the finished wontons as well as the unused wontons with a damp paper towel.
4.  There is no way around it, crab rangoon are best fried.  Place about 1/2" no taste oil such as vegetable or canola in a sauce pot over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot and ready (a small piece of filling will immediately sizzle and come to the surface), drop a maximum of 4-5 wontons in the oil, being sure they do not migrate toward one another.  Cook until golden brown on each side and drain on paper towels.  These are best served with a store bought duck sauce.  Best served piping hot!

                               Vegan Crab:                                                                    Vegan Shrimp:

 

Enjoy!

-K