We Can't Say It's Cheese...Helper

We Can't Say It's Cheese... Helper

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 to 4 garlic bulbs (to taste), diced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp (or more, to taste) chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 package Boca brand, or other, vegan soy crumbles thawed if frozen 
• 1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen peas (optional)
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 container of Wayfare "We Can't Say It's Cheese" Cheddar Spread
• 1 box of pasta, (elbow or bowtie work well as gooey cheese receptacles)

Put pasta pot full of water on to boil. Cook pasta per instructions on packaging. Drain and add to large serving bowl.

Dice onion and desired amount of garlic bulbs. Heat frying pan on medium high and add a small amount of oil or vegetable stock. When pan is hot, add onions and garlic and saute until onions are browned. Add spices and stir until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Reduce heat, add soy crumbles, vegetable stock, and peas (if frozen, microwave peas until tender, then add to mixture) stirring occasionally until warmed through.

Microwave "cheese" spread, stirring, until nice and goey.

Combine ALL ingredients in large serving bowl and mix well until incorporated. Serve immediately while hot!

NOTES: 
If at any time you need more liquid  to get that ooey-gooey cheesey sauce, add vegetable stock, plain soy milk or pasta cooking water. I added approx 1 cup of hot pasta water to cut the thickness of the cheese (HA!). Add in small amount so you don't end up with a running mess! 


If you don't have all of the spices, just wing it with what you have. There's already a lot of flavor from the cheese so you can get away with less or none. You can also add more to taste - I always add more garlic to every recipe per my fear of vampires.

I microwaved the mock cheese twice at 30 seconds each, stirring between heating times.

Try adding a small amount of each group - pasta, crumbles and cheese; combining fully and then adding more. I mixed my batch in thirds for complete cheesy goo coating. 


SJM and I were both big fans of the Wayfare Cheddar Spread used in this recipe. It was good, olde tyme comfort food. While not particularly healthy - it is a good "sometimes treat" which I plan to make this Fall and Winter.

Perfect Summer Dinner: BBQ, Coleslaw, Sweet Corn

SJM & HAA Collaborative Coleslaw (German/Irish Coleslaw Compromise)

• 4 cups of finely shredded cabbage - red, green or a combination of both
• 1 cups shredded carrots
• 1/4 to 1/2 cups vegan mayo 
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl add the shredded cabbage and carrots and toss. Add vegan wet ingredients and toss. Add dry ingredients and toss. Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes minimum and serve! Cole Slaw is one of those kooky dishes that get better the longer the flavors have time to meld, so no hurry on serving!

Notes: As with potato salad, people are picky-pants about their coleslaw. It can get ugly based on shred size of the cabbage alone. Some purists (65+ Midwesterners) don't cotton to none of that basted red cabbage. My point being you can easily customize this recipe to your own tastes.
   SJM and I did a good old fashioned cabbage collab on this here pretty, little cole slaw recipe. We used the homemade garlic mayonnaise recipe from the Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. However, Vegenaise would work just as well.

E-Z BBQ Marinated Tofu on Grill

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 1 - 2 cups BBQ sauce

1. Open block of tofu and press to remove excess water.*
2. Cut tofu into slices - I cut 8 at approx 1/2" thickness, they need to be big enough to not fall through the grate on the grill.
3. Put tofu in a shallow dish or a large freezer bag and cover with BBQ sauce. Make sure every piece of tofu is covered. Marinate at least one half hour, turning and/or brushing at least once or shaking gently if in plastic bag.
4. Put tofu on grill, cook for about 20 minutes until warmed through, flipping at halfway point.
5. Plate and serve!

* Frozen tofu works the best for this recipe as it gets a spongy texture after defrosting, perfect for sucking up a marinade. Freeze tofu in package for 48 hours, thaw by placing the package in a few inches of boiling waters for roughly ten minutes. Open package and press, if needed (to press tofu, put a clean cotton cloth or several layers of paper towels on a plate, place tofu on plate, repeat layers on top, add several heavy items such as books, let sit 10 to 15 minutes). Cut tofu into strips or cubes and marinate a minimum of half an hour.

Thrift Tip: You can save the extra BBQ sauce to use again (unlike meat, tofu does not contain any dangerous bacteria, etc. - store in refrigerator until needed.

The Best Way To Cook Sweet Corn

1. Shuck corn - be sure to get all those stringy silks off the ear!
2. Fill a tall pasta pot with 1-2" of water and bring water to a boil.
3. Stand ears of corn upright in pot (it's okay if they get slightly submerged), add lid, and steam until just heated through - roughly 10 minutes. DO NOT overcook!
4. Serve piping hot with butter or margarine and salt. 

 

Death By Chocolate... Hummus

Death By Chocolate... Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas (14oz), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (MaraNatha Organic Creamy)
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted plus more to taste (Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks)
•  1/4 cup honey OR agave (Madhava Light Agave Nectar)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, pulse until completely smooth. Taste, and adjust as needed. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serving recommendation - as a dip for fresh strawberries.


Notes: Just in case you give a flying fig, I added the product name which I used behind the ingredient where applicable. 
   Be prepared for some altering after tasting - adding more chocolate chips and agave to adjust chocolate levels and sweetness to your personal tastes. 
   This is absolutely a recipe you will want to taste and adjust accordingly. This was the final appetizer I made for the art reception and again - kids and adults, omnis and veggies, all seemed to gather under a rainbow of kitten tears and hold hands over this dish. Maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic - but it was a cross-over food which I view as a success!

 

Mock Chopped Liver/Cashew and Green Bean Pate

Here's another appetizer I made for my BFFZ Tonya's (above, right) closing art reception. Shockingly, I didn't get a photo of the actual food - so here are some event pics instead. Not as good - I know!

I discovered this recipe on the Veg Kitchen website. It was posted by a user named Nava - who is a genius by my account.
http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/savor-and-flavor/snacks-and-dips/mock-chopped-liver-cashew-onion-and-green-bean-pate/

Mock Chopped Liver (Cashew and Green Bean Pate)
Makes: About 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 2/3 cup toasted cashews*
• 1 cup steamed green beans, cut into 1" lengths, or 1 cup thawed frozen cut green beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Saute the onions slowly over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned.

Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients in the container of a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, scraping down the sides as needed. Store in a jar until needed, and bring to room temperature before serving.

*I like the added flavor given by the toasted cashews, but if you're into raw cashews, by all means, use them.

Notes: For serving, I used Mary's Gone Crackers crackers original flavor. This was the most popular appetizer at the art reception. Little babies loved it, omnis loved it, and vegans loved it! Guests wanted to scoop it up and gobble it down as is without the cracker. I have never tasted liver but I am sure this is 100% healthier and maybe tastier? I can say this pate was DAMN good!

 Tonya Kehoe-Anderson (left), the artist and Cortnie Widen (right) the hostess and owner of White Rabbit. There are no flies on these girls!

Me, setting up the appetizer table in my farm apron!

Recipe Review: Get It Ripe: Sesame Kale Soba

Sesame Kale Soba 
from the Get It Ripe cookbook by Jae Steele.

• 1 large bunch green or black kale (about 8-oz/227 g) -
• 1 (8-oz/227 g) pckg soba noodles (or spaghetti noodles if unavailable - preferably wheat free)
• 3 tbsp tamari or shoyu soy sauce
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 large clove garlic, *grated or pressed
• 1/2 tsp dulse powder (optional)
• freshly ground pepper* to taste (a few generous twists)
• 1/4 cup arame (a dark sea veggie), soaked for 5 minutes until soft, then drained (optional)
• 3 tbsp unhulled sesame seeds

*You can mix it up a little by using 1 tsp grated fresh ginger in lieu of garlic or replace a touch of wasabi paste for black pepper.

Place a large pot of water on high heat to boil. Meanwhile, wash the kale thoroughly, remove the ends of the stems and discard, then chop kale to preferred size.

Add the noodles to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.

Stir in the kale, and continue cooking until noodles are al dente, then drain and transfer noodles and kale to a large bowl and set aside.


Combine the tamari or shoyu, oil, garlic, dulse, and pepper in a small bowl, mix well, then pour on top of noodles and kale.


Toss gently with the arame ans sesame seeds, and serve.


Makes about 3 servings. GF, NF

Notes: Fascinating food fact about little old me - I love soba noodles. I love to eat with chopsticks (it makes me feel dexterous). I love kale. I love starting sentences with "I". Try adding shiitake mushrooms and/or extra firm tofu for some extra protein and heartiness. You can use the sauce topping as a marinade for the mushrooms and/or tofu. Dulse powder and arame can be difficult to find, so I have thus far made it without and it is still very good and healthful. This is fantastic served cold for lunch too. In addition to a bunch of tasty recipes this book contains very useful information regarding a vegan lifestyle - a good read in every respect!

 Shootin' the shiitake while the mushrooms marinate in the sauce.

What to Bring to the Cookout: Vegan Diner: Garlic-Dill Potato Salad

This recipe can be found in the ultimate vegan comfort food  cookbook Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. Steve Legato contributed photos that make you want to try and make every recipe immediately.

Garlic-Dill Potato Salad

(makes 4 servings)

• 2 pounds small red potatoes
• 1 cup Garlic Mayo (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add potatoes and cook until just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle. Dice into large chunks.
   In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, fresh dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the diced potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat with the mayonnaise mixture. Give the potato salad a few good stirs, as it helps the salad become thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   Serve the potato salad right away, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Homemade Garlic Mayo
(Makes about 2 cups)

• 1 (12.3-ounce) package extra-firm silken tofu, preferably the Mori-Nu brand
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Puree tofu mixture until ultra smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl or blender as necessary. Make sure that there aren't any little bits of unblended tofu.
   Taste the mayonnaise, and adjust seasonings to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for an hour, if possible, to let the flavors meld before using.

I made this recipe for a small, intimate weenie roast and it seemed to please both the omnis and the vegans. We also had...

 Broccoli slaw topped with crunchy chow mein noodles made by Big D (back left), baked beans, Kettle Chips - lightly salt and salt and pepper flavors, and garlicky chip dip.

Fixin's for Chicago style hot dogs! Mustard, onion, relish, tomato, pickle spear, celery salt, and pepperocinis. The blasphemous natural ketchup is mine. I know, I know, it's a sin to put ketchup on a hot dog. I'm a sinner!

I asked Chickie Jay to write down the meal stuffed into a bun known as the Chicago style dog. Who can remember all that? I kept referring to this list as reference material like a chump.

 
In addition to vegan hot dogs we also served Field Roast Sausages - Smoked Apple Sage. HO-LEE K-RAP these are good eatin'! If you are very careful you can slide them up a roasting stick (the long way) and warm them over a cracklin' campfire.
http://www.fieldroast.com/products/food-service/field-roast-sausages/

Recipe Review: BIG VEGAN: Three-Nut "Cheese" Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa

Recipe from the BIG VEGAN cookbook by Robin Asbell - more than 350 recipes No Meat/No Dairy ALL DELICIOUS.

Three-Nut "Cheese" Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa

Nut "Cheese"

• 1/3 cup/40 g macadamia nuts
• 1/3 cup/40 g raw cashews
• 1/3 cup/40 g slivered/flaked almonds
• 1 acidophilus capsule (make sure it is dairy free)
• 1 tbsp cold-press corn oil
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Salsa 

• 1 large mango, diced
• 1 large jalapeno, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro/fresh coriander
•  1/4 tsp salt

• 2 scallions/spring onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup/7 g cilantro/fresh coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Eight 6-in/15-cm whole wheat/wholemeal tortillas 

1. To Make the Nut "Cheese": Put the nuts in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the nuts, then puree them with 1/2 cup/120 ml fresh water in a blender or food processor. It make take some scraping down and repeating to get it smooth. Add the contents of the acidophilus capsule and puree to mix. Transfer the mixture to a glass or ceramic bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap/cling film, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. It should form some bubbles and smell cheese-like.

2. The next day, stir in the oil, lemon juice, and salt, then refrigerate.


3. To Make The Salsa: Put the mango in a medium bowl and add the jalapeno, onion, lime juice, mint, and salt. Toss to mix and refrigerate until needed.

4. When the nut "cheese" is cold, mix in the scallions/spring onions, cilantro/fresh coriander, and chili powder. Divide the mixture among four of the tortillas and top them with the remaining tortillas.

5. To cook, preheat a large cast-iron frying pan on high heat. When it is hot, put one quesadilla in the pan, and cook it for about 2 minutes per side, until it is dappled with brown spots and the "cheese" is heated through. Transfer it to a cutting board and slice the quesadilla into six wedges. Repeat with the other quesadillas. Serve hot with the mango salsa.

Notes: YUMMY! I really enjoyed making my own cheese for this dish. Making food from scratch and knowing exactly what is going into my food is becoming increasingly important to me. Having complete quality control makes me feel good about what I make and serve. This was a fun and tasty meal - the mango salsa was a really fresh taste explosion! The quesadillas were good ole fashioned, messy fun-to-eat. Having yeasty nuts brewing made me feel especially fancy and pro-style! Also, saying nut-cheese is just juvenile giggle time!

Recipe Review: BIG VEGAN: Tortilla Soup with Mock Duck & Chipotles

This recipe is from my favorite new cookbook: BIG VEGAN by Robin Asbell published by Chronicle Books.

Tortilla Soup with Mock Duck and Chipotles

• 1  tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 oz/225 g Mock Duck (page 38) or chicken style seitan, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 qt/960 ml Basic Vegetable Stock (page 49) or mock chicken stock
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed
• 1/4 cup/45 g quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tbsp chopped chipotle chile in adobe sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Six 6-in/15cm corn tortillas
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup/15 g cilantro/fresh coriander
• 1 large lime, cut into wedges, for serving

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and stir for 5 minutes or so, lowering the heat to medium. When the onion is soft, add the mock duck, garlic, cumin, and cloves. Stir for a few minutes.

2. Add the stock, sweet potato, quinoa, chipotle, and oregano and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. When the quinoa is throwing off its tiny white halos and the sweet potato is tender, reduce the heat to low.


3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5. Stack the tortillas and slice them into strips 1/4in/6 mm wide. Place them on a baking sheet/tray and drizzle with the canola oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes until the strips are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Serve the soup topped with the cilantro/fresh coriander and tortilla strips, with lime wedges for squeezing over the soup. 

NOTES:    
  Working with mock duck for the first time was a little unsettling. It is almost too like poultry - pimply goose skin and all - and it sort of plops meat-like out of the can. I gagged a few times, to be honest. It is delicious if you can get past that resemblance!
Out of my four taste testers, two thought there was too much clove flavor in my soup. I suggest a very conservative, small pinch. 
   I took the lazy route and used store bought, tortilla chips for the crispy topping. Next time I will set aside more time to make the lower fat homemade version detailed in the recipe.
This was a fun recipe to make and I think meat eaters would like the mock duck, so it would be good for a mixed crowd meal.
   This cookbook has been my go-to for the past few weeks. I really like the recipe page set-up, with ingredients on the left in a green box and instructions to the middle/right. The recipes I've made thus far have been quick, easy and tasty. In my opinion, it  would be a good cookbook for any vegan to have in their arsenal.

Sandwiches Are Magical!

Sandwiches are just about the perfect cooling hot-ass  Summer day lunch, aren't they? They work at the beach, at the pool, at the shooting range, in a cage, in a cave. (I don't know your struggles. No judgement). Vegan sandwiches are fast, easy and require no heating up of the house with the stove. Here are some products (which I personally use and in no way getting compensated for promoting) and foods I like on my sand witches:

• Vegenaise - How much do you l-o-v-e this product? You omnis might want to give this one a try too! We switched to this mayo alternative years ago simply because it was a healthier choice and haven't looked back at Hellmann's (Best Foods to you non-Mid westerners) since! Follow Your Heart brand has also joined the NON-GMO Project which gets big points with this little lady. http://www.followyourheart.com/
• Smart Deli Roast Turkey Style veggie protein slices - Okay, they sound and look gross. I try not to use super-processed convenience food too often, however I do enjoy these deli slices on occasion - mostly for a quick, easy, protein source. No, they don't taste or look like deli meat, but they have a similar texture.  http://www.lightlife.com/
• Udi's Millet-Chia Bread - I recently became obsessed with this bread. It is both delicious and healthful! I like mine toasted, then cooled for a crunchersons sandwich. It is also gluten-free. Could it get any better? Also very good as toast points with a tofu scramble. http://udisglutenfree.com/
• LOTS of vegetables - avocado slices, kale, baby lettuce, spinach, sprouted anything, bell pepper slices, cucumber slices, tomato slices! YUM! I try and add the rainbow to my sandwich - no, not make it gay! Add a vegetable of every color of the rainbow for maximum vitamin (pronounced viiit-ah-min in the English style) power punch!
• Hummus - preferably homemade or if not, Oasis hummus from our local falafel joint here in Iowa City. Since I am trying to eat a low fat diet too, I have been making my own hummus which has less olive oil, for a taste treat I get a container of the Oasis deliciousness. Hummus is also good on a sandwich as it is a little sticky and keeps the veggies from sliding around as much. 
• Pickles - Current favorite = Brooklyn Brine Co. NYC Deli Pickle. This is a pickle spear on a whole other level! Chickie J got a deal (Groupon, maybe?) where we got three jars in the mail and NYC was gone almost upon delivery. I love a good pickle finger spear with my sandwich! http://brooklynbrineco.com/
• Mustard - Check the ingredient list carefully as some mustard's are not vegan Big D's homemade is my very favorite - we even went to the mustard museum where he got some supplies! Annie's has some good choices as does Organicville.

What do you like on your sandwich? Any wack-a-doo combination you enjoy? Any product recommendations? If you were to have a sandwich named after you - what would it be called and what would it consist of?

You're in the 'sack!

Welcome to FEEDSACK!

Yes, it is another food blog. If you hate food and fun and hilarity stop reading right now.

Oh, did I mention it is a vegan food blog. Have you punched my image in the face? With love? Please continue...


I forced myself on pain of death to write five goals/aims/statements for my blog. Also, maybe the following will convince you that I serve up pure comedy gold, eat more than twigs and dirt and am not a judgy-wudgy bear.


1. Make and share edible, if not outright delicious, vegan dishes accompanied by witty text and food pron photos.
2. Experiment with new (to me) ingredients, recipes and eateries then review them in a hilarious way. Did I mention I am not a comedy writer? Hilarious!
3. Encourage mingling between humans and apes... wait... what? I mean, encourage all of the peoples who are interested to try vegan food. If they want to - nobody is holding a gun to your head here except R.Kelly and that is completely unrelated. Unless you are allergic to cherries.
4. Offer entertaining ideas, recipes and moral support for vegan hosting. If I can get my dad (who eats hamburger for EVERY MEAL) to attend (and claim to enjoy) vegan holidays then I am basically an all-powerful magician. Trust, y'all - it can be done.
5. Post slightly erotic photos of me and my hot friends eating food thus garnering a wide food fetish base and millions in advertising.

If the spirit moves you, I'd admire you to leave nice comments, ask questions politely and compliment me freely. Rudeness will not be tolerated under any circumstances.