Creamy Caesar Salad Veganized!

Yesterday I posted about my new found love -Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing -but I have to share my 'winged it' caesar dressing I made today because I think I love it just as much. Although some of the ingredients are similar to the ranch, it tastes very different and you won't miss the parmesan cheese typically found in caesar after making this! ..plus it's packed with B12 :)

1 cup vegan mayo (garlic flavour works well!)
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, rinsed
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (give it the cheesy flavour, add more if you want!)
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon of either prepared brown mustard OR mustard powder is fine
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Blend together in a food processor until smooth. Some cashew chunks will remain but gave my salad a good nutty flavour. Adjust the flavours as necessary to taste ..to me a caesar dressing can never be too lemony! If you want it cheesier tasting, load up on the nutritional yeast.

I didn't have any miso or vegetarian worcestershire on hand but have heard adding in a teaspoon of one or the other gives a vegan caesar the kick it needs to make up for the anchovy taste. I've never tried any of the vegan parmesans but it's an option too. Next time I'll give those all a try but for today I was happy to get what came as a result of whipping this together.

Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing

Following a Vegan diet has been far easier than I thought it might be but there are a few things that I miss! I made an attempt at recreating a ranch dressing/dip vegan style and after a few taste tests and alterations I managed to get one that my son loves to dip his cheeseless pizza into :)

1 cup vegan mayo (grapeseed flavour is good!)
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews, rinsed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice (lovvvve Strubbs)
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

I should write ish after each of these ingredients because I did adjust afterwards with a little more of each of the spices ..but this is a good base then do whatever tastes best to you. To make it more of a dip than a dressing just change out the almond milk for more vegan mayo.

Blend everything together in a food processor until it's smooth but note you'll probably end up with a few chunks of cashews through it ..but does it really matter?! We now have VEGAN RANCH DRESSING!! Adjust as necessary to taste. Too thick? Add some more almond milk. Too thin? A little more mayo will thicken it up. Hooray for being able to eat creamy dressing again!

Veggielicious 2013

If you've never taken part before, it's only fair to share with my fellow veg-heads this little thing called Veggielicious, powered by The Toronto Vegetarian Association. It's a two week celebration of compassionate cuisine where a number of local vegetarian restaurants participate; thirty locations were featured in the 2012 event. Veggielicious is almost here, meaning the opportunity to try some amazing Vegan eats in and around the GTA. Check out the site http://www.veggielicious.ca/ to find out which restaurants will be offering prix-fixe meals and other great deals then set yourself up for a few Date Nights between November 15th and November 30th 2013 to give a few of them a try.

ps Kelly & Erinn of Kindfood in Burlington will be featuring their Happy Buddha Bowl and Green Smoothie for $15, Dine In or Take Out!

Greek Spanakopita Pie

• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tpsp olive oil plus 1/4 cup olive oil for brushing
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 8 sheets phyllo pastry 

Sautee spinach for 3 minutes; drain and chill under cold water. Drain again; squeeze out moisture otherwise you'll end up with a soggy crust.  

In saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat; cook spinach, onions and dill, stirring, for 2 minutes or until onions are softened. Transfer to bowl; let cool. Stir in feta, ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Place one sheet phyllo into greased 9x9 baking pan, keeping remainder covered with damp cloth to prevent drying out. Brush lightly with some of the olive oil; top with second sheet and brush lightly with oil. Repeat for a third sheet and fourth sheet.

Spoon filling into the pan, spreading evenly. 

Top with the fifth sheet of phyllo, brushing with olive oil then repeat for sixth, seventh and eighth sheets. 

Bake in 350°F (190°C) oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden.

I served it to my family with tzatziki and greek salad :)

Peas And Paneer Cashew Curry

When I'm short on time I'll make curry ..in a hurry. I cheat by using a pre-made block of paneer and I pick up samosas or naan from my favourite local vegetarian Indian cuisine restaurant. You could veganize it by using firm Tofu in place of the paneer, drained and pressed. The dinner I made tonight (in the photo) takes all of fifteen minutes to put together start to finish.. which is exactly how much time I had to make something before getting my son off to baseball this evening!

Half block of paneer, cubed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 can of coconut milk
1/4 cup of vegetable stock
2 tbsp yellow curry paste
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups of frozen peas
Pinch each of curry powder, cumin and white pepper
1/2 cup cashews

Pan fry the paneer in the vegetable oil until all sides are golden (about 5 minutes) Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the coconut milk, vegetable stock, curry paste and spices and bring to a boil. Add in peas and brown sugar, let simmer for five minutes. Add in cashews and let simmer for another five minutes before throwing the paneer in. Stir and serve ..then you're done!

I dish it out over basmati rice and in tonights case it was the microwave ready in two minutes kind! Not recommended as the real stuff is best but for the time I had it was ideal. The store bought naan and/or samosas enables me to fake a hearty homemade meal in minutes flat.

All Heated Up For Cinco de Mayo!

I've posted about Che's Burrito Lounge in Hamilton's Hess Village before but in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo I'm adding some new pics. If you still haven't been I'm telling you you're missing out on some super fresh, made from scratch, full of flavour eats. And if you'd like to heat it up habanero style be sure to ask for the Super Hot Sauce; it's made with love!

  

Love.. The secret ingredient in the Super Hot Sauce Saney made for me :)

'Sew Hungry' ~Ottawa Street May 3rd 2013

I'm a believer in supporting the little guys, the independent business in our community but when thirty-nine Food Trucks from Hamilton and our surrounding area line up along Ottawa Street it makes it really difficult to choose just who you're gonna buy from. I'm drawn to The Portobello Burger in particular as they offer all Vegetarian/Vegan grub but so many of the other guys have Veggie Tacos, Gourmet Grilled Cheese and Veggie Sandwiches that cater to vegheads like me as well as a ton of deserts to choose from various trucks. Here you'll see my Eggplant Parm and Kale Salad. I left there feeling 'Sew' full that I couldn't manage to fit in that cupcake I had my heart set on devouring from Sweetness Bakery; maybe because I had stuffed my face with Tiny Toms Donuts after hoovering back my lunch! To read more about the event see The Spec's article with a description of each vendor and if you're from the local area and didn't get out to this one you might want to check it out next time!

Kale Salad and Eggplant Parm from The Portobello Burger

Tiny Tom's Donuts

Burrito Brothers ..on TV!

Pretty cool stuff! My friend Saney and her co-owners of Burrito Brothers in Brantford were spotted in this OLG commercial today; she's famous now!!

If you're in the Brantford/Ancaster/Hamilton area this restaurant is definitely worth making time for. There are a number of Vegan/Vegetarian options and everything is made with LOVE. I ate my food so quickly when I was there that I forgot to take a picture to blog about! ..so another post about this fantastic little gem will follow sometime soon. Check them out on Twitter @BurrittoBrobrant or 'Like' their Facebook page to learn more about them ..but first watch this commercial then go in and ask them for their autograph! Sooo proud!!

Vegetarian Chili

Such an easy thing to throw together on a cold night! We have it over rice or baked potatoes and melt cheese on top. I add Hot Sauce to my bowl; the green one from Che's in Hess Village if you're reading from Hamilton, Ontario! I like it hotter than the rest of the family. My non vegetarian husband frys ground beef in a skillet on the side and pours my chili on top to suit his meat eating needs. This chili freezes really well and on nights when I want home cooked but not home to cook it I'm glad to pull this out for dinner. Eat it with beer. Most things just taste better with beer :)

Ingredients


2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

2 cans whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped

1 can white kidney beans, undrained

1 can red kidney beans, undrained

1 can navy beans, undrained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons Club House Tex Mex Seasoning

1 tablespoon Club House Cajun Spice

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the garlic, onion, and celery in the pot until tender. Mix in the green, red and yellow bell pepper. Season with chili powder. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, kidney and navy beans with liquid, and corn. Season with tex mex spice, cajun spice and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about an hour stirring occasionally.

My Own Made Up In A Panic About A Picnic Creamy Eggless Potato Salad

I'm so excited to see my girlfriends today. The five of us have been besties since childhood and today we're meeting up with all of our children and husbands for a picnic in the park. Among us all we have vegetarians, an egg allergy, a nut allergy and they're all skinny minis who are calorie conscious sooooooo, when I offered to make the salads up for this lunch I had to become a little creative. I've made a green salad with strawberries and blueberries (no walnuts for this occasion) a bean medley salad and I've just tackled a made up on the spot eggless potato salad that actually turned out pretty amazing! I may just scoop a little dish out on the side before I go to keep for myself for tomorrow ;) Hoping they all like it too; I got up at 7am out of potato salad worry to make it!
Vegetables:
Approx 20 fingerling potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 quarter each of red, yellow, orange and green bell pepper cut small or one whole of any of those colours
3 stalks of celery cut small
2 green onions finely chopped
Dressing:
1/2 cup Veganaise
1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Dill Relish
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Spicy Brown Mustard (Gulden's) or any prepared mustard will work
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Dressing: Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and let chill in the fridge until the potatoes are cool and ready.
Vegetables: Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes or until they soften (but not mushy)
Drain in a colander and while they are still hot, add the chopped peppers on top to let the steam soften them a little while the potatoes cool.
Once cool, transfer the vegetables to a serving dish, toss with celery, green onion and dressing. Let it chill in the fridge approximately 1 hour before serving to let the flavours blend.

Taco Salad

Baby Romaine + Avacado + Monterey Jack Cheese + Salsa + Tortilla Strips + Ranch Dressing equals my pretty Taco Salad

Not Just Any Ordinary Corn On The Cob

When I was a teenager we had students from Mexico stay with us one summer. They knew ahead of time they'd have to adapt to a vegetarian diet and as it turned out they liked most of the dishes we made; corn on the cob was one of their faves for a side veg. The first time we served it to them we put out salt, pepper and butter, ..but they asked for mayonnaise and cayenne pepper! That opened our eyes to just how versatile cob corn can be and because of them I've tried other ways to top it since then. Regardless if you boil, steam or grill it these 'butters' all taste uniquely awesome!

Cheesey Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened; 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese; 1 clove garlic, minced; and 1 tbsp minced fresh basil.

Curried Olive Oil with Butter:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp butter, softened; 1 tbsp minced fresh coriander; 1 tsp curry paste; and 1/2 tsp lemon juice.

Mustard Butter:
1/4 cup butter, softened; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; and 3/4 tsp parsley

Smoky Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise; 2 tsp barbecue sauce; and 1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper

Lemon Pepper Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1 tsp each grated lemon rind and lemon juice; and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Mediterranean Olive Oil: 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 4 tsp minced sun-dried tomatoes; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; and pinch each salt and pepper.

Asparagus Mushroom Tomato Alfredo Tortellini

I get inspired to cook new dinner ideas just by browsing the frozen food section at the grocery store ..but then go home and make it all from fresh. This one went over well with the kids; cheese tortellini, asparagus, mushrooms and grape tomatoes with my homemade white wine alfredo sauce. So simple. And most importantly, no chemicals, preservatives or ingredients I can't pronounce!

Dinner Quick Style!

Last week we had 20 minutes from the time we got home til we had to leave for baseball & soccer, both kids games starting at 6pm. I had cut up veggies in the fridge, beefless vegan strips in the freezer & tortillas and in no time flat dinner was served ..And it wasn't something take out. Fed my family in a hurry and with real food (*pride) It's just taken me all week to find time to brag about it here ;)

Veggie Chicken Enchiladas

In spirit of Cinco de Mayo I'm posting what I believe to be an awesome Veggie Chicken Enchilada Recipe. Change it up; there's so many ways to do it. I throw in bell peppers when I need to use them up. I'll serve it to my fam usually with some spanish rice and avocado :) A quick fast variation of this is to just wrap up refried beans and cream cheese in a tortilla, cover with enchilada sauce and salsa, smother it with pizza mozzarella and bake until the top browns. Literally a 20 minute meal from start to finish done that way!

                                                                   Ingredients

• 2 veggie chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch strips or use Gardein Chick'n Strips instead
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 5 small chile peppers, diced (optional)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded stretched pizza Mozzarella cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute veggie chicken and onions until veggie chicken is evenly brown. Stir in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, stewed tomatoes, chile peppers and broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove veggie chicken from skillet. Meanwhile, allow skillet mixture to simmer and reduce to about 2 1/4 cups. In a medium bowl, combine veggie chicken and about 1/4 cup skillet mixture (just enough to make a paste like mixture). Mix together with half the chopped green onions. Pour remaining 2 cups of skillet mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. In a second skillet, heat cream over low heat, being careful not to boil. Dip tortillas in the warm cream to soften and coat. Spoon about 1/3 cup veggie chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Top veggie chicken mixture with half the shredded cheese, and roll up tortillas. Place rolled tortillas in baking dish, seam side down, and drizzle with enchilada sauce. Cover with remaining shredded cheese, and sprinkle remaining chopped green onion over cheese. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Vegetarian Coconut Tempeh 'Chicken'

I took the easy way out today and used a Clubhouse Thai Coconut Chicken (vegetarian) mix to make dinner tonight. I added in a few tablespoons of peanut butter, teaspoon ish of brown sugar and a vegetable bouillon cube to two cans of coconut milk. I let it simmer while I stir fried the veggies in a bit of peanut oil (broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, mushrooms and carrots) In a separate frying pan I heated through a package of Turtle Islands Tempeh Coconut Chicken. I served it all with brown rice, green onion and crushed peanuts. The whole dinner maybe took me a half hour to make; less time than if I had placed a take out order (I had cut the vegetables up earlier in the day) Super quick, super easy, they've all been fed AND everyone liked it. Mission Accomplished.


- Posted from Jennifer's iPhone

Vegan Beef With Broccoli Coconut Curry

1 can of Coconut Milk
1 head of Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
10 White Mushrooms, quartered
1/2 pkg of Vegan Gardein Beefless Tips
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Red Curry Paste
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/2 Vegetable Stock Cube
1/3 Cup of Water
3 tbsp Crushed Peanuts
Dash of Salt
Cooked Jasmine Rice

In a medium size pot, add in the can of coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, vegetable stock cube, water and salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer about 3-4 minutes to thicken.


In a frying pan, saute mushrooms in vegetable oil until soft. Add in broccoli and vegan beefless tips, cook until broccoli is tender crisp.

Add vegetables with vegan beefless tips to the curry sauce and let boil for  3-4 more minutes, until the broccoli softens a little bit more and the vegan beefless tips absorb the curry.

Serve over jasmine rice with crushed peanuts.

...And thats all there is to it!

Broccoli And Cheese Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 bunches broccoli, trimmed and coarsely chopped (2 1/2 lb.)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded marble cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Working in batches, purée soup in food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, and heat over low heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle each serving with 1 Tbs. cheese.

Asparagus Soup With Parmesan Crisps

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs. unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 lb. fresh asparagus (36 to 40 medium-size spears), tips reserved, stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, divided
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/3 cup low-fat milk or heavy cream
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Divide Parmesan cheese into 6 mounds on baking mat, and flatten using back of spoon. Bake 3 to 4 minutes, or until cheese melts into lacy rounds. Cool completely. Remove from baking sheet with spatula; set aside.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add broth, asparagus stalks, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook asparagus tips in boiling, salted water 2 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
4. Purée soup in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan, and stir in milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with asparagus tips and Parmesan crisps.

Corn Chowder with Green Chiles

INGREDIENTS
2 fresh, mild green Mexican (Anaheim) or poblano chiles roasted & peeled
2 Tbs. corn oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
3 cups corn kernels, scraped from the cob (about 6 medium ears), fresh or frozen
3 cups milk
12 to 14-oz. russet baking potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/2 cup whipping cream
Pinch white pepper
About 1/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), dry-roasted, optional

INSTRUCTIONS
1. To prepare chowder: Heat oil and butter in large, heavy saucepan over medium. Stir in onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. In blender, purée 1 cup corn with 1 cup milk. Pour mixture into pan and add remaining milk with remaining corn, potato and 11/2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until potato is tender. Adjust heat, if necessary, to keep soup from boiling. Stir in cream and heat through. Add more salt, if desired, and pepper. Ladle into shallow bowls. Top with green chiles. Scatter pepitas over soup, if using. Serve hot.