'fixins' salad

from the ppk forum, a wonderful sounding 'salad' that seems like a fantastic idea for topping burgers!

Fixins" Salad - lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, oil & red wine vinegar. - from jamboxrock

spicy chickpea tacos

We thought this recipe, adapted from one posted on the blog Veggie Terrain, was fab! I made a few adjustments - my notes are in italics, below. Note that the post below this one is actually for the chickpeas alone. I had had this recipe bookmarked for MONTHS and finally got around to it. Now I'm sorry to have waited.

Recipe: Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos
(recipe inspired by Happy Herbivore)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 Tbsp. tamari
2 tsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (see below for recipe)
crunchy blue corn taco shells I used regular, since our local market didn't have blue. we also thought that this recipe might work well as a lettuce wrap.
lettuce
tomato, diced
2-step guacamole (mashed avocado + minced garlic & Kosher salt) I skipped both garlic and salt, and added about 1 T of vegannaise. I'm sort of a purist when it comes to guacamole.
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1.) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.) Spray a cooking pan with olive oil & set aside. I didn't bother - these will crisp up just set on the oven rack.
3.) In a large bowl, whisk tamari, lime juice, and taco seasoning together.
4.) Add chickpeas to bowl, tossing until well-coated.
5.) Place chickpeas on pan in an even layer, spray lightly with oil, & bake for 20-25mins. or just toss in a bowl with about 1 T of oil (my mr. mister sucks)
6.) Remove from oven, assemble tacos (lettuce first!), & serve.

Recipe: Taco Seasoning
(recipe from allrecipes.com)

2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt this is not needed - we thought the chickpeas were way too salty (but then, we don't normally add salt when cooking.
2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1.) In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store in a sealed container.

© 2007 - 2008 http://veggie-terrain.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved.

Added to this was some chipotle/mayo/tofutti sour cream mix (about 1 chipotle minced fine with a T or so of the adobo sauce, mixed with 1/4 c or so of vegannaise & sour cream), and Mike used salsa. We thought it was great, and will certainly make it again - super fast, very tasty and fun.

date-walnut-coconut truffles

I found this on the wonderful Weekend Warrior blog, thanks to her posting at ppk! I have been looking for something like this - now I have to go get some dates RIGHT now :) (well, ok, tomorrow - stores are closed today).

1 c. chopped dates
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

Place dates in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir and let cool.
Combine cooked dates and walnuts in a food processor. Roll the mixture into balls and cover in shredded coconut. Place on wax paper and store in the freezer.

Makes about twelve 1-1/2 inch truffles.

How simple can it get! These look so good, too.
Follow-up notes: it wouldn't hurt to add a bit more sweetness to these, maybe by mixing in a handful of chocolate chips (er well, there go the health benefits :). A good add might be some puffed grain cereal for crunchiness.

chocolate pudding!

1 (12 oz.) package of Mori-Nu silken tofu (Firm)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

In a small food processor, blend the tofu until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill several hours, if you can - it thickens a bit. that's it!

This is copied from Millennium Hippies - I'm so grateful she shared this luscious and super-easy pudding, because it's whats for dessert tonight! (afternote: I am cutting the amount of sugar (original calls for 1 c, but it's a bit too sweet for me). I'm thawing out some puff pastry & will make little cups by tucking pastry squares into cupcake tins for baking. topping them with a sliced-up strawberry (maybe some with bits of banana? we'll see.

Follow-up note: This is such an easy and elegant recipe. I wouldn't hesitate to serve it to guests.

Also: leftover asparagus quiche from Veganomicon, after seeing a pic of it posted at the PPK forum, yumm-ish. we both felt that needed something, and think that 'something might just be more tomato. it's a time-consuming recipe, but it makes a ton. great piecrust, too. Afternote: I made a superquick 'sauce' for this by taking about 3/4 of a gargantuan organic tomato and chopping it up, then briefly cooking it with some sauteed onion and garlic. it adds just what's needed! I think a light bechamel with a touch of mustard would also do well here.

Soy mayonnaise

posted by Smoothie at the Postpunk forum!

1part soymilk.
1 part neutral oil
some vinegar (a splash)
some salt

put soymilk in blender. blend for a minute on it's own, then add oil slowly while still blending. add vinegar. it will thicken after a while. add salt. eat with a spoon.

:) I think I'll skip that last bit! but someone else also said, add a chipotle, and that sounds like a potentially viable alternative to our sour cream/mayo/chipotle base for pizza - I'll definitely be trying this.

cheeze (like cheddar)

I haven't tried this yet, but will as soon as I can get some agar flakes. I like that this makes just a small batch because frankly, I have yet to really like (or even just like) a vegan cheese. It doesn't help that I used to be a total cheese snob, having grown up in part in Switzerland!

I suspect that for real success, the mouth-feel, meltiness, and flavor balance have to be perfectly balanced. I didn't just like cheese - I loved great cheese, and used to seek out artisan cheeses. I was known to spend a fair amount of money on cheeses. I don't want to go there anymore. No more very high fat content, sodium, and then there's the fact that it's a cow (or goat) product. I get that it's unethical but am somehow not as convinced of this (or it doesn't have quite the ethical urgency for me, yet), so I suppose the whole cheese thing is much harder for me than any kind of meat.

I would basically prefer never to eat a cheese analog if it means having to eat something that tastes like (searching here for the equivalent mouthfeel) savory jello that's somewhat reminiscent of velveeta. Velveeta is satan's spawn to this vegan. I mean, 'cheese food'? Please. Still, I've been ok without cheese (mostly) for more than a year now. I haven't broken down and bought white Vermont cheddar, or any wonderful, aged stilton, no asiago or parmigiano reggiano. But as I write these words, I can taste them. I don't think I'm easy to please in this.

We've tried the new Teese, and were not impressed (see above, but wetter). I want to try 'teesely) but have no great hopes. Meanwhile, here's a recipe found on the Bullets of Love blog, which itself was adapted from here. I so appreciate the generosity and willingness (no, passion!) to experiment of my fellow bloggers, and it's looking like bullets is no exception! another blog added to my Google Reader feed...

3/4 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp agar flakes
1/4 cup raw cashew pieces
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp tahini
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt

"Place the water and agar-agar flakes in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and
simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Place in a
blender with the remaining ingredients, and process
until completely smooth.

Pour immediately into a lightly oiled, 3-cup [1 cup, really]
rectangular mold, loaf or other rectangular container.
Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. To
serve, turn out of the mold and slice. Store leftovers
in the refrigerator."

Thin crust pizza dough

Heidi notes: Peter's recipe says the olive (or vegetable oil) is optional. I use it every time - always olive oil, not vegetable oil. I love the moisture and suppleness it adds to the dough, and it makes your hands soft too.

4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.

3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.

5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American "kitchen sink" approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.

8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press) - reprinted with permission

and copied from the 101 bakers' site. I already have Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor, though not the Breadmaker's Apprentice or one he apparently did on pizzas - I can highly recommend his work.

chickpea salad sandwich

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup nayonaise or veganaise
dash of cayenne
sea salt, pepper - to taste

mash chickpeas, add all else & stir it up. put on bread with lettuce & tomato.

posted at ppk by greenisgood

Vegan Mayo

Courtesy of My Vegan Cookbook! Having managed to drop and break a very large & nearly new jar of vegannaise several days back (shifting stuff round in the fridge to get to other stuff) I will just have to live without 'til we get back to whole foods in several weeks - or make my own. Might be worth a try.

• 1/2 14oz Block Silken Tofu
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Champagne Vinegar or White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 2 Teaspoons Sugar

Place tofu, salt, onion powder, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, corn starch and sugar into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into small sauce pan and cook until thickens, stirring and mashing downward (to get rid of lumps) constantly with a rubber spatula on medium heat.

Black Eyed Pea, Rice, & Mustard Green Stew

All credit here to the blog More to Love Vegan, which really IS more vegan to love, not to mention an absolutely delightful writing style (and don't I just sound veddy veddy!) I can't wait to try this. I'll have to sub out the 'chicken' stock since I have no 'chickenish' flavoring and only our own wonderful veg stock - maybe I can put in some sage, etc.

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 bay leaves
2 celery ribs, diced
3 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups black eyed peas (from 1 cup that has been soaked for at least 8 hours)
1.5 litres massel "chicken" stock
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 bunch mustard greens
1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wide soup pot over medium heat until it becomes fragrant

2. Add the onions, bay leaves, celery, garlic, thyme, chile flakes, smoked paprika, cumin and celery leaves.

3. Cook stirring occasionally, until the onions have browned, about 20 minutes.

4. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the beans (drain them first if you used soaked dried) and the 1.5 litres of stock

5. Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper

6. Cut the mustard greens off at their stems and wash them. Add directly to the beans and let simmer for approximately 3 minutes.

7. Make your final seasoning adjustments.

8. Add a few spoonfuls of rice to each bowl and top with the stew. Serve with tabasco or hot sauce of choice.