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.

Shake Ya Basil - Health(ier) Pesto

 Shake ya basil, don't you be hurtin' nobody. Dip ya pesto, work ya pesto. This is what I would serve Jay-Z, R. Kelly and Lil' Kim for appetizers. If R. Kelly wants to pee on his, so be it. I don't know his life! But seriously folks, you can use the strong flavors of basil and garlic to sneak in extra nutrients.

• 1 large bunch basil - roughly 3 cups
• 4-6 kale leaves, stemmed
• 1 avocado
• 6 tablespoons walnuts
•  2- 4 garlic cloves
• 1 - 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 squeeze lemon 
• A liquid such as: vegetable stock (low sodium); plain soy, almond or rice milk; water
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional - added omega 3!)

*for a lower calorie version replace some of the olive oil with vegetable stock, plain soy milk or water in a pinch.

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse, occasionally wiping down edges until desired texture is achieved. Taste and adjust as needed. For a dip, thicker is better; for a pasta sauce you may want to add a liquid to make it runnier. The water you boiled the pasta in is good for this in a pinch - but vegetable stock is my first choice.

Notes: I just made this up on the fly so the ingredient amounts are really flexible. Taste frequently and adjust! Basil and garlic - I add about 4 or 5 large cloves - completely mask the kale and avocado so you can be pretty liberal in adding them. The squeeze of lemon keeps the pesto from turning brown and helps you absorb the nutrients in the kale. I've made this with as little as 1 tablespoon olive oil, so if you want to cut some fat, try subbing one of the other liquids listed - again, veggie stock is my first choice.

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!

 

Fakey Eggy Byte Baby Sandwich Appetizer with Homemade Mayo

For these fakey eggy appetizer sandwiches I combined two recipes and some touches (of evil) of my own.  This looks SO like real egg salad thanks to the coloring of the turmeric and the secret ingredient of Hell fire.

For the dressing I used the extra homemade garlic mayo from Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson  I had made for the potato salad we had at the weenie roast the previous weekend.


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.

The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitution by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman is and UH-MAH-ZING resource I recommend to every vegan cook. It is chock-a-block with resources, information and recipes, including this one...


Traditional "Egg" Salad

For Eggs:

• 20 ounces (567 g) extra-or super-firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Add-Ins: chopped celery, pickle relish, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh green onions

To Make The Eggs: Mash half of the tofu in a mixing bowl with the turmeric until it resembles crumbled egg yolks and the turmeric is well incorporated. This is the "egg yolks." Cut the remaining tofu into tiny cubes. This will be the "egg whites." Combine the whites and the yolks and mix in the dressing. Add optional 
add-ins, with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: Egg salad needs that sulfurous Hells Bells smell, right? The secret ingredient is... black salt - which is actually a depressing pinkish/grey and it is PUNGENT. Add small amount, mix, then taste adding more if needed.
I added some very finely chopped celery for crunch and put green onions on top as a garnish.
To serve this as an appetizer I got some baby bread slices (wheat and rye), added a small amount of extra mayo - you could use Veganaise too - to aid in the sticking to the bread, put on a dollop of eggy mix and topped with some sprouts and thin slices of green onion.
For the gluten-free crowd I put the mix on a nice leaf of lettuce.