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Showing posts from December, 2018

Morrocan Stew - Vegan

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This is a sweet and very spicy broth flavored with influences from the middle east and the indian subcontinent. It also has a little touch of good old fashioned chicken soup to it. There is no actual chicken involved, of course. 6 stalks celery, sliced 1 medium onion, diced 1 lb bag baby carrots 1 poblano, diced 6 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno, sliced 1 serrano, sliced 1 can chick peas, plus brine 1 can black beans, plus brine 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 2 tbls sriracha 2 tbls white vinegar water to cover 1 bunch parsley 2 tbls nutritional yeast 2 tsps paprika 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsps celery seed 1/2 tsp cayenne powder 3 tsps salt 2 tsps black pepper In a large stock pot sweat off your celery, carrots and onion in the oil and 1 tsp of the salt. Do this for 5 minutes, then cover and let cook down for 5 more minutes. The veg should've released a lot of their water. Add wine and cook off uncovered for 5 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except

Pasta in Light Asian Cream Sauce - Vegan

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Craving something creamy to cover your pasta? Try this easy technique to get the texture and flavor of a creamy pasta sauce without the dairy. It also packs plenty of protein power to satiate your hunger. This is pretty light as far as creamy pasta goes. It's not a super thick or rich sauce. It sits somewhere in the middle between an alfredo and butter sauce. If you're like me and you only like tofu when it's fried, this method will open your mind to other tasty uses for it. It makes a great sauce base. While it doesn't add flavor, it does provide body and creaminess. It also holds onto other flavors quite well. Ingredients 1/2 block silken, firm tofu 1 can garbanzos, including the can brine 2 tbls asian chili garlic sauce 1 tbl sriracha sauce 1 tbl nutritional yeast 5 cloves garlic, sliced 1 inch ginger, minced 1 shallot, sliced 1 pint mushrooms, sliced (i used cremini) 1 jalapeno, minced 1 poblano, sliced 1 cup greens of choice (i.e.chicory, endive, k

Vegan Garlic Chipotle Stew

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I read an op ed piece on yahoo about garlic broth. It intrigued me. As someone who adores garlic, I liked the idea of a very garlic forward broth base. Garlic and chipotles are definitely the two main flavors here. The garlic flavor is pronounced, yet mellow thanks to a host of complementary supporting players. It features both mexican and asian influences, but its soul is 100% vegan. But what really makes this dish interesting is that it does double duty. Not only is it a stew, but it also makes an incredible sauce for moistening and flavoring veggie steaks and burgers. Ingredients 13 cloves garlic 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/2 a poblano, diced 1 jalapeno, diced 1 habernero, minced 2 chipotles, plus 2 tbls adobo sauce 1 tbl sriracha 1/2 pint white mushrooms, sliced 1/2 can garbanzos, plus all the can brine 1 can black beans, plus brine 3 tbls olive oil 1/3 cup white wine 1 lime, zest and juice 2 tbls nutritional yeast 2 cups water 2 tsps celery seed 2 t

Michelin Starred Canned Tomatoes?

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On a recent episode of Masterchef Professionals 2018, renowned chef Marcus Wareing had a skills test that involved creating a spicy curried tomato sauce to accompany monkfish tail. I was stunned to see him use canned tomatoes for his sauce base. When you pay to dine at a Michelin starred eatery you do not expect canned tomatoes in the sauce. If they were used because the skills test only allowed limited time to create the dish, why not provide the chefs with fresh pre-stewed tomatoes? They were given freshly roasted onion. So why not also use pre-stewed, fresh tomato? I'm a home cook and I make every effort to avoid canned tomatoes because they taste like canned tomatoes. A cooking competion as high caliber as Masterchef Professionals and a chef with the reputation Marcus Wareing enjoys has no business using canned tomatoes in any way shape or form. It destroys all credibility.

Crispy Flax Flatbread

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This is a modification of a standard flatbread recipe. It includes the addition of ground flax seed and nutritional yeast. It's then brushed with olive oil and topped with some scrumptious stuff before baking off in a hot oven. Dough 2 cups flour 1/4 cup nutritonal yeast 1/4 cup ground flax seed 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 3 tbls olive oil 2/3 cup water Toppings Sliced red onion Sliced garlic Cooked vegan sausauge, crumbled Parsley leaves Salt and pepper Olive oil for brushing dough To make the dough either use a stand mixer or do it my hand in a large bowl. Add all dough ingredients except water. Add water and mix. You want to make a fairly dry, dense dough that still balls together. Add additional water in small increments until dough just barely comes together. Knead for 10 minutes. Shape into a disk and cover in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Dividie dough disk into 6 equal triangles. Dust work surface lightly with flour. Flatten each into 1