Great Northern Falafel

One type of bean that I always keep in the cupboard is great northern. They're by far the cheapest beans regardless ofr where I go grocery shopping. This version of a falafel is little mushier than traditional garbanzo falafel. All of the flavors are still there, though. I drizzled a lemon tahini dressing and a cucumber mint dressing over the pitas. Super tasty!

White Bean Falafel

2 cups cooked or canned great northern beans

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

2 tbs whole wheat flour

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for frying

Combine beans, onion, garlic and spices in food processor. Pulse ingredients until well incorporated. Don't over process, you don't want it to be too mushy. Put processed ingredients into a large bowl and add flour, salt and pepper. Incorporate well. Add more flour if your mixture is too mushy. Take tablespoon sized portions and roll into balls. Fry in olive oil until golden brown all over. Serve in a pita, duh. Deez balls are also great on salads.

Cookout Fare

This summer, Tybrus and I hosted a cookout. We're not much for dinner hosting mostly because iwe don't own a kitchen table.Plus, we have a really hyper puppy with the force of a truck.  It was a new experience, and it inspired me to hunker down and buy a table. Eventually. We served traditional cookout foods: seitan ribz, potato salad, spinach dip and my friend Jess even made her famous pasta salad. It's official title is "that pasta salad that starts fights." Sure, this happened in July and not during Vegan MoFo, but it's not too late to get outside and fire up that grill one last time before we get to frigid temperatures. 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Thick-Ass Peanut Butter Frosting

I recently got contracted to make cupcakes! Well, I have been before, but this was the first time I got paid for it! Thus, my culinary career begins! (Not.) Two of my friends recently celebrated their three-year anniversary. Or maybe, it was four. Well, obviously we're not that close of friends. But, if you ask me to bake for you, I don't care how well we know each other- I'll do it. And, it will be delicious. The cake and frosting recipe were both from VCTOW. Why would I use another? I started out ambitious with the frosting by piping it, but that shit is exhausting.

Vegan Mofo: Breakfast Taters

First off, I'd like to apologize for all of the super awful pictures I've been sharing with you lately. There seems to be something wrong with my Canon Rebel XS. Every time I attach my flash to it, the flash doesn't go off. Has this happened to anyone else?

Terrible and unappealing images aside, these potatoes were  fantastic! I did standard potato spices: garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper and some nooch. The city I live in is partaking in the Occupy movement that began on Wall Street. Saturday was my morning to make breakfast for everyone! I served this and someone brought instant grits to serve with it. This made for some full and happy protesters.

Also: A friend and I made cat signs. Here are some of our catchy slogans.

1. Anar-kitty: Smash Catipalism!
2. We ain't kitten around!
3. Wall Street Fat Cats
4. We are the 99 purr-cent!

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Uninspired Mac 'n Cheez

This mac 'n cheez was uninspired because I've made it a thousand times before. I used the recipe from Vcon, but added a heaping tablespoon of tahini to make it richer. Mac 'n cheezes are great for dinner after a long day at work when you don't feel like being on your feet for another hour to make dinner. Steam some veggies to go with it, or if you're real patient, bake it with bread crumbs atop.

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Mock Beef Lettuce Wraps

I have become completely obsessed with lettuce wraps after trying the delicious Hoisin Mustard Tofu Lettuce Wrap recipe from Appetite for Reduction. They're light, but oh, so filling, and they have the most wonderful texture. Crunchy lettuce, rich fillings. Nom! Lettuce wraps are best, in my opinion, when flavored with Asian spices.

Mock Beef Lettuce Wraps
1 tbs canola oil
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs minced ginger
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cracked red pepper
1 cup TVP
1 tsp Not Beef Better Than Bouillon paste
6-8 piece of iceberg lettuce

In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until they become translucent. Add bell pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add spices and cook and additional 2 minutes. Add TVP and stir to coat in spices and veggies. Add bouillon and water, and cover. Cook until TVP has absorbed all of the broth. Fill lettuce pieces and roll up. Serve with peanut dipping sauce. I used San-J's Spicy Peanut Marinade. Yum!

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Curried Corn Chowder

One of the best things about Fall is being able to eat soup again. Soups are versatile, and I've been trying to create more of my own recipes for them. Curry and corn go surprisingly well together because of how sweet the corn is. I used soy milk to make my soup creamy, but I recommend using coconut milk if you've got it. 

Curried Corn Soup

1 tbs oil

2 stalks celery, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

2 small potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

3 cups frozen corn kernels

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy milk or coconut milk, or more depending on how creamy you want it

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the celery in oil for about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and garlic and saute for another 3 minutes. Add spices and coat the celery, carrot and garlic with them. Add potatoes, carrots and brother and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork. When the potatoes are done, remove pot from heat. Add soy milk and blend with an immersion blender. You don't to blend too much, just enough to make it slightly creamy. Stir and return pot to heat for about 2 minutes. 

Vegan MoFo Day 1: Orzo in a Butternut Sauce

Hello all! Let us embrace the awesome that is October. Fall is here, leaves will soon be red, pumpkins are at their peak and VEGAN FRIGGIN' MOFO. There are countless other reason why October is near and dear to me, but for now, let's focus on the good eats. I've been trying to hit up the farmer's markets in my town as much as possible before they disappear until Spring again. Last week, they finally started selling squash! I opted for some butternut instead of pumpkin because my bag wasn't big enough to carry one. It resulted in a tasty orzo recipe with a rich butternut sauce! I certainly prefer standard pastas to orzo, but this was a nice way to force me out of culinary snobbery.

Butternut Squash Sauce
1 small butternut squash
3 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 box of orzo
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs Earth Balance
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and dice your butternut squash. Put in a 9x9 casserole dish and combine with olive oil and garlic. Salt and pepper it, and roast it for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your orzo according to the package. When the squash is finished, add it and the remaining oil in the casserole dish to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor, minus the soy milk. Blend while adding the soy milk in a steady stream. You can add more or less soy milk depending on who thick you want your sauce.

Vegan MoFo: An overdue Thanksgiving Meal

I had to get this post in before this glorious month of vegan eatery is finished. I told you guys before Thanksgiving what my menu was and I stuck with it, right down to the last crispy onion atop my atop my green bean casserole.

Aside from the dessert, a double-layer pumpkin cheesecake from Fatfree Vegan, my entrée and side dishes all came from Rhymes With Vegan. A "turkey" roulade made from seitan and tofu, a green bean casserole with a homemade, soy milk based cream of mushroom soup, and a corn pudding, or scalloped corn. I also used her recipe for Grandpa Earl's stuffing. Bangin'!

Some thoughts- We all know the most glorious thing about a Thanksgiving meal is the abundance of leftovers. What to do with those leftovers? Tybrus made a quick Tofurky fajita dinner one evening that was wonderful! He seasoned the leftover tofurky with lime, chipotle powder, and cumin.

Vegan MoFo: Dill & Mint "Chicken" Salad with Grape Tomatoes

I got the idea for this dish when I glanced through an issue of Simply Delicious. I found a recipe for Chicken Salad with Pear Tomatoes and Tarragon. I was intrigued with the lack of mayonnaise in this chicken salad, vegan or not.

As a youngin' the only parts of a standard chicken salad I didn't enjoy were the grapes, typically added for sweetness. I tended to want a more savory salad. This recipe subs grapes for tomatoes, which reserves some sweetness but in a savory way. I used grape tomatoes instead of pear ones; clever, I know.

I also subbed dried mint for tarragon. For one thing, I have never cooked with tarragon and am not really all that familiar with its flavor. I've heard it has a licorice taste. Bleh. I thought mint would pair nicely with the tomatoes and poultry spices.

"Chicken" Salad with Grape Tomatoes and Mint

1 1/2 cup TVP chunks

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbs Bragg's liquid aminos

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half

2 large bunches scallions, sliced, white parts included

2 tsp dried mint, crushed between your fingers

1 tsp dried dill

Some thoughts: This salad would go wonderfully over a spinach salad. I know firsthand. Also, you could try blending it briefly in a food processor.

Vegan Mofo: Nog

Ah, liquor. This fall, I generally avoided liquor, especially dark ones, because it was so god damned hot. Rum is one of those perfect winter time liquors because it wraps you in a force-field of drunken warmth that freezing temperatures simply cannot penetrate. A rum blanket, if you will.

Rum 'n Nog

1 oz dark spiced rum, like Captain Morgan, or something
1/2 cup-3/4 Silk Nog
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 nutmeg

Combine all ingredients.

Some thoughts: I used Silk Nog, but I definitely prefer Rice Dream Nog. It's spiced and flavored much better. Silk Nog just tastes reminiscent of egg yolks. Bleh. Also, I recommend doing a cinnamon sugar mixture for a little sweeter confection.

Vegan Mofo: Word Play

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?
Dairy products. I wasn't sure I could completely avoid using Parmesan cheese or using milk for cereal. But, I did! Hooray for me.

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?
There were a few vegetables I didn't really enjoy as a child like brussel sprouts and cabbage. I now love both!

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?
I'm pretty excited about all vegan food.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?
Toss up between plain old water and coffee. Usually Sumatra.

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?
I don't go to a lot of vegan food gatherings. I usually only bring food to family dinners where I need to otherwise I won't have anything to eat. My favorite story about this is when I brought a vegan broccoli and cheese casserole to Thanksgiving dinner with my boyfriend's family. When I went back for seconds, it was gone! His family demolished it! And, no one knew it was vegan.

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
I don't like mixing fruits with dishes that are intended to be savory.

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?
Ramen noodles. Steamed rice and frozen veggies. Baked goodies.

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?
Hummus and seitan.

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?
Soy and rice cheese.

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?
I snack to a fault. Lately it's been mostly fruits and veggies with some kind of bean dip.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
Mushrooms, olives, bell pepper, onion, and tomato slices. Artichokes are welcome, too.

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?
Mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, kale... And, strawberries, honey crisp apples, clementines, red grapes...

What is the best salad dressing?
As long as you put Annie's Goddess dressing on it, it's perfect. But, I usually like green salads with grape tomatoes, chickpeas, and red onion.

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
Chickpea salad. Or, if it's for breakfast, margarine and homemade blueberry preserves.

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?
I don't really have a standard soup I make when I'm sick because I'm so rarely sick. The last soup I made due to illness was about a year ago and it was a chickpea and tempeh stew in a tomato base.

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?
Red velvet with a Tofutti cream cheese frosting!

What is your favorite kind of cookie?
Chocolate chip coconut. Or, Molasses.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?
Tofu stir fries. Generally really easy and yields a lot of leftovers.

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?
My boyfriend is not a fan of eggplant or any kind of sweets. Also, no one in my family will humor tofu.

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?
In the morning, about ten minutes. Usually just to make coffee. In the afternoon, I usually just microwave leftovers, so another ten minutes. For dinner, I can spend up to three hours preparing, cooking, and cleaning.

Vegan MoFo 2: Paella or a Risotto? You tell me.

I must confess, I did not make this dish today or even this month. Not even last month. I made it when I decided to try chard for the first time this past summer, when it was still in season. I opted for rainbow chard because, seriously, it's such a beautiful green. The inspiration for this dish was similar to both risotto and paella- I hydrated the rice with broth instead of water, I threw fresh veggies in to steam and cook within the rice instead of serving it on top, and it had a creamy consistency that typically characterizes those two dishes.

This recipe is my favorite kind. It involved throwing in a random assortment of vegetables that can be found in any vegan's fridge. Rice dishes are a great, one-pot way to use up a good deal of produce.



Random Dinner/Lunch Rice

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bunch rainbow chard, leaves chiffonade and stems diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp paprika
1 tbs Bragg's liquid aminos
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried paprika

Saute onion and garlic in 2 tbs olive oil on medium heat in a small pot until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes give off juice. Add brown rice and broth, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook rice for about 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for peas and cook for another fifteen minutes, covered. Add peas and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, yes, covered. Serve with some kind of legume or tofu.

Vegan MoFo!!!!!1: Chili Dawgs, Dawg

Finally, an entire month dedicated to the delicacy that is vegan food. I'm happy to announce that I've been cooking quite a bit lately (so has Tybrus!) I am, however, a little sad to admit that I haven't been getting pictures of the food and I certainly haven't been taking measurements to give you folks an accurate and full proof recipe.

This meal came to be when I bitched for three days straight about wanting a hot dog heaping with chili and topped with lots and lots of coleslaw. Tybrus was kind enough to oblige me as a post-work surprise. It was delicious. Tybrus' cooking strength really is cooking comforting, sports bar junk food. For example, hot tempeh wings and anything barbecued.

I would also like to tell everyone about a vegan mayo break through: Spectrum's vegan eggless mayo is the forkin' stuff. It doesn't have that gross Miracle Whip dressing taste and is the perfect topping on any sammich (or in this case coleslaw.) I'm a mega-mayo-snob so the fact that I praise this product should speak volumes.

Again, this was a recipe from Tybrus so I have nothing for you, folks. I'll be more prepared next time around.

Vegan MoFo Post 4: Hodge Podge

I feel like one big failure this month. It's already the 29th of October and I've only watched 27 horror movies (I will post the final count, I know you're just dying) and only posted 4 Vegan MoFo entries. What can I say? It was a mildly hectic month.



Ah, fall. Finally, it's cold enough outside that I voluntarily seek refuge from the cold in a sweltering kitchen. Generally speaking, I think posting chili recipes is utterly pointless so I'm not gonna! I made this with the essential baking dish of cornbread. Cornbread on crack, that is.



This conrbread recipe was the one found in La Dolce Vegan and I was not very happy with it. While the outer texture was very nice, it was still gooey in the middle and it was a little bland.



All this meal made me crave was some pad thai. Just your standard seitan stir fry served atop some rice noodles. Complete with brocoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and makeshift teriyake sauce.



I imagine Isa Chandra Moskowitz had envisioned greater things for her Mac Daddy recipe, but that is all irrelevant now. I present: TVP Helper!



The face of instant-one-pot-meal joy. That's right, I'm putting this stuff in boxes and packets and slappin' this face on it to make a killing. Our slogan: Remember when you were 5 years old at the dinner table denying that mass of macaroni and and mysterious creamy sauce with bits of crumbly brown matter swimming in it that mom would force upon you? We forkin' do!

Vegan MoFo Post 3: Trip to Columbus

For my upcoming birthday, my mother decided to take me to Columbus for a day of vegan bakeries and thrift store shopping. We even stocked up on obscure kitchen goods at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. The first restaurant we went to was Dragonfly. We made it in time for the brunch special which included the buffet, (about five or six options of plates of cold stuff), and one entree. This was really expensive and the tab was about $45 for my mom and I just to eat there.

The second place we went to was Pattycake Bakery. Oh. My. GAWD. I only spent about $15 there but I should've stocked up on vegan baked goods. The cool thing about this particular bakery is that you can order stuff off the website. My mother, who I hail as a baking jedi, was seriously impressed with this place. 'Nuff said. On with pictures of the nomz!

Black Bean Salad, Sesame and Collard Pasta Salad, and Cashew Rice Salad

Mixed Greens Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing



Concord Grape Pancakes

Sundried Tomato and Cauliflower Omelet

Whoopie Pies, a delicacy

Cookies, more Whoopie Pies, Spelt Fudge Brownies..



Lovely Lemon Cupcakes


sdkjfhdshjkshgkj. Cheese Cake.

Vegan MoFo Post 2: A Tale of Two Pastas

Kale and Walnut Pesto

This was the first time I've ever had/prepared/cooked homemade pesto. It certainly won't be the last. Pine nuts are too expensive and generally I only keep dried basil in the kitchen. Here is the product of one cheap vegan.

Kale Walnut Pesto:
1 large bunch of kale
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped rather finely
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (you could use soy Parmesan)
salt and pepper to taste

Note: I wanted my pesto to be greener after adding the nutritional yeast, so I added a couple handfuls of spinach, as well.

Seriously, do I need to give instructions for how to prepare a pesto sauce? Blend, god damn it. Then serve over 2 cups of pastaof your choice. I chose brown rice rotini.

Artichoke Chik'n Penne

This was beautiful. I could probably eat this multiple times a week for the rest of my life and not be bored with it or dwell on the repercussions of my carb consumption. Noms.

Artichoke Chik'n Penne:
2 cups penne pasta
1 8 oz jar artichoke hearts
2-3 cloves garlic
1 package Light Life chik'n strips
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs basil
salt and pepper to taste

Drain the artichoke hearts and saute the garlic in the juice from the jar. when garlic starts to brown add artichokes and lemon juice. Saute for about 5 minutes then add remaining ingredients. Serve over pasta. Add a few dollops of Earth Balance to your pasta so the noodles aren't so dry.

Vegan MoFo: Post 1

We've been eating good in this ol' efficiency apartment o' mine. I issued a verbal memo to my coworkers that if they have any cravings this month whatsoever for a baked good of any kind to let me know. This is the product of said memo:

German Chocolate Cupcakes- sheer decadence

A coworker of mine recently began eatin' veg'n and requested that I make some cupcakes. I was pleased when my coworker admitted to making his 'o' face while licking the wrapper. Cupcakes never really receive a higher rating than that.

Plate Lickin' TVP Lasagna

Alright, alright. I was going to try to wait until my actual birthday to have my favorite dish ever: classic spinach lasagna, but 1) tofu ricotta and 2) tofu fuckin' ricotta. Also, 3) this merely presents the opportunity for someone to take me out to dinner for my birthday and allows me to sit on my ass for an entire day. I used the tofu ricotta recipe from How It All Vegan! truly a staple in this kitchen. I made a layer that had sauteed cherry tomatoes, TVP, and mushrooms. Nomz!

Banana Walnut Muffins

So I'm sure you're not supposed to cook with two week old bananas, but I did any way. And, guess what? It was forkin' delicious. I used a go-to recipe for banana nut bread on VegWeb and instead of throwing it in a loaf pan, I threw it in a muffin pan. These were great for mornings when I have class and function for a solid 5 hours merely on coffee and cigarettes, with maybe the occasional bag of Fritos. Perfect on the go breakfast and totally nutritious.

Lentil Couscous Curry

At a glance, it would appear that someone has relieved there bowels atop my plate of dry coucous. Meanies! Well, fret not interweb fewd junkies; it's curried red lentils. This recipe was retrieved from VegWeb and is a very flexible recipe. However, it's not a very photogenic one. I used carrots and a green bell pepper in mine. I should've mad emore curry sauce because my couscous was a little dry.

Homemade Falafel Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

What a horribly nutritious meal. Falafel balls made from scratch? Tzatziki sauce made with cucumbers grown from my man's mother's garden? I told you, we eat good.

Vegan MoFo is Upon Us!

.. and, I am damn excited. October is the ideal month for me for the following reasons: 1) an entire month dedicated to the delicacy that is vegan fewd nomz, 2) my birfday is this month, and 3) HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEN. This means that I have thirty one days to cram as many horror movies into one month as humanly possible. From 80's horror to 90's, from 70's exploitation to Universal Monsters, from Japanese horror to.. You get the idea. I admit, I've cheated and already gotten a head start on my horror movie intake. What can I say?

I haven't posted a lot of late and not due to lack of cooking. If you haven't noticed it's late September which means I've been back in school for almost a month. And, it's kind of kicking my ass. Also, when I've been cooking, it's been evening time meals where I'm trying to relax. Taking pictures of my food has been the last thing on my mind when a big plate of tastiness is sitting in front of me. Anyway, without further ado, here is what I've been cooking up.
















This was my second illness soup: Asian Mushroom Noodle Soup. It was inspired by a recipe I found in one of my mom's many low-carb cookbooks. One thing I will never submit to is this low-carb craze we find ourselves in. Carbs 'til death! The recipe in the book called for pork, so I subbed seitan. This recipe is really basic and really anyone could make it on the fly. It incorporated cabbage, carrots, button mushrooms, and wheat spaghetti noodles. (Soba noodles would've been MUCH better, though.) This was a really healthy meal and even the sodium content was very mild.















Remember that tempeh stew I made like, a post ago? The left over tempeh was used to make these: Tempeh burritos. I didn't do anything special. I steamed tempeh with some soy sauce and then topped it with some homemade peach mango salsa. Does anything sound more elegant than 'peach mango salsa'? I think not.
















This hearty red lentil pasta sauce is one of my favorites that I've made recently. Next time, though, I'd rather make it with a different pasta, one that holds sauce a bit better. This is a great alternative to those fatty fake meat grounds that you usually throw in your pasta sauce to make spaghetti.















About a year ago, I couldn't stand the taste of tahini. I would avoid making homemade hummus just to avoid it. I found it impossible to cook with and even more impossible to scarf down. Tahini is definitely an acquired taste, but once you do acquire it, you're hooked. Using tahini in sauces and such is all about combining it with the proper amount of water. Tahini has a very potent nutty flavor and needs water to counteract it and tone it down. I love love love this recipe for soba noodles with tahini sauce! This was my first time cooking soba noodles and I couldn't stop snacking on them while I waited for the rest of my meal to finish cooking. Such an awesome flavor. A note: I think next time I make an alfredo sauce I will mix equal parts tahinia and water to the garlic, soy milk, margarine mixture. Tahini with the right amount of water has a bit of a cheesy quality that is absolutely delicious.