Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls...

Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls 

The Region - The Caribbean
The Book - Caribbean Vegan
The Author - Taymer Mason
The Recipe - Plantain Balls
Page # 64
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - About 35 minutes

We’re kind of going backwards today, I started with a Caribbean dessert earlier this afternoon and now I’m brining you a Caribbean appetizer. This recipe comes once again from Taymer Mason and her lovely book Caribbean Vegan, and it pretty much caught my attention from the get-go. I mean plantains mashed up with vegan ham rolled into balls and breaded? Yum!  I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, I mean I really, really love plantains

Despite loving plantains I have to admit I’m usually pretty uncreative when it comes to cooking them. I pan fry them or deep fry them and that’s about it. In this recipe the plantains are mashed with cinnamon, cayenne, and minced up vegan ham. Then you take tablespoon sized blobs, and roll them into a mixture of salt, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Then you bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. They’re a little mushy though so it can be hard to roll them into a proper ball. The best thing to do is scoop some up and plop it down in the breading and then roll it around in there until it forms a ball shape. It actually works out better then you might think.

Unlike a lot of other ball recipes these come together in a snap thanks to their not being very many ingredients, and they cook quickly too. However I think their best feature is their unique flavor, and their subtle blend of sweet and savory. Definitely a nice appetizer.

Lastly Taymer recommends serving them with Caribbean pickle which is a mixture of habanero pepper, onion, cucumber, lime juice and herbs, but I didn’t have any cucumbers and so instead I just made a spicy style Thousand Island dressing to dip them in. This worked out really great though I’m sure the Caribbean pickle would have been even better. Next time I suppose.

Vegan Mofo #23 - Celine & Tamasin’s Bean and Nut Burgers...

Vegan Mofo #23 - Celine & Tamasin’s Bean and Nut Burgers 

The Book - Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
The Author - Celine Steen & Tamasin Noyes
The Recipe - Bean and Nut Burgers
Page # 108
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 30 minutes

These are super simple burgers that are quick and easy to whip together making them perfect for a midweek or busy weekend meal. They also utilize simple pantry-staple ingredients and emphasize whole foods which I like. The majority of the burger is made from either black or cannellini beans and walnuts. Then you add in your onion powder, garlic, cayenne, sea salt and black pepper. Some breadcrumbs - I used home made - and Barbeque Sauce - I used a store bought BBQ sauce as I didn’t have time to make it from scratch. Also I wanted to use cannellini beans rather then black beans but didn’t have any so I used navy beans - another white bean - instead and they were delicious. White beans are a little more subtle in flavor then black beans and that’s what I was looking for. I wanted a bean and nut burger that didn’t taste like ground up beans and nuts. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just I wasn’t in the mood for that sort of flavor. These burgers with their addition of BBQ sauce really fit the bill, and even my husband who’s a bean and nut hater loved them.

I served my bean and nut burgers on a pretzel roll, with a smear of Dijon Mustard, Vegan Mayo, and extra BBQ, then topped them off with tomatoes, bibb lettuce, red onion slices, and pickle. So delicious! I highly recommend making them if you have this cook book, and if you don’t own a copy of “Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day” yet then you need to pick one up! So far every sandwich I’ve made from this book has been spectacular, as well as fairly quick and pretty easy. It’s the perfect go-to book when you’re in a rush but want some home cooked food rather then take-out.

Gluten-Free Fettuccine With Broccoli Rabe and Ramps...

This was the final dish I made with the last of my bounty of ramps. I really hadn’t wanted to use them in another pasta dish, but my husband loves pasta and seeing as how I had a huge bunch of broccoli rabe and a large quantity of ramps that needed to get used, on a day that I didn’t have a lot of time I figured this would have to do. Though it wasn’t how I originally intended to end my love-affair with ramps it was nonetheless delicious! Everything about ramps is delicious, and if you love pasta as much as my husband does you will surely love this dish.

It has a unique blend of flavor thanks to the sour lemon, the tart tomato, the delicate ramp and the slightly bitter broccoli rabe. I’d never actually eaten broccoli rabe before though I’d seen it a million times. I only had it because I’d picked it up on a whim when I saw it on sale and I thought ‘why not?’ I was surprised at how much I liked it. Perhaps not as much as Broccolini (my absolute favorite) or regular broccoli, but enough to know that I’ll be buying many more bunches over the coming months so I can experiment with it. What I like most about this dish is that it comes together fast, and is super simply yet has an air of sophistication about it. You’re not just sitting down to another plate of spaghetti you’re sitting down to a meal! And while I’ve listed the breadcrumbs as being optional I highly suggest you use them, they add that little extra something that everyone needs in their pasta.

Gluten-Free Fettuccine With Broccoli Rabe and Ramps 

1 lb Gluten-Free Fettuccine (or your favorite gluten-free pasta)
10 Cloves Garlic Minced
2 Bunches Ramps trimmed, green and white parts (about 20)
4-5 Tbsp Non-dairy butter
1/4-1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Large bunch Broccoli Rabe
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
3/4-1 C dry white wine
3-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice + 1 Tbsp
1 Bunch Parsley Minced
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Italian Style Gluten Free breadcrumbs (optional)***

- Cook Pasta according to package directions

- Trim the stems from the broccoli Rabe and cut it into roughly 1 inch pieces.

- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and boil for 3-5 minutes until rabe is bright green and stems are tender. Remove rabe with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Reserve the pot of boiling water to cook the pasta.

- Melt the non-dairy butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ramps, and the red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant and ramps begin to soften. About five minutes.

- Strain the canned tomatoes through a mesh sieve over a bowl. Gently pour the liquid from the drained tomatoes into the pan with the non-dairy butter, garlic and ramps. Stirring slowly and constantly until fully combined. About 1-2 minutes of stirring should be sufficient.

- Add in the reserved tomatoes, ½ C of White wine, and lemon juice. Stir the ingredients until fully incorporated - about 1-2 minutes - and then bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced slightly. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

- Add the Broccoli Rabe to the Sauce and cook until heated through.

- When Pasta has finished cooking, drain and return to the pot. Pour over the remaining 1/4-1/2C of the White Wine, the extra tbsp of lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Give the pasta a good stir to incorporate.

- Pour the Sauce over the pasta, and add in the minced parsley. Stir to evenly distribute sauce over the pasta.

- Arrange pasta into bowls or on plates and garnish with a little extra parsley, some fresh cracked pepper and a good sprinkling of Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs.

*** Note - If you can’t find Gluten-Free breadcrumbs it’s easy to make your own by pulsing your favorite gluten-free bread into fine crumbs in your food processor. If you can only find plain gluten-free breadcrumbs it’s easy to make them Italian style. Just stir in dried Oregano, Basil, Rosemary and Thyme to taste, and voila! This dish can also be made soy-free if using a soy-free non-dairy butter*** 

Coconut ‘Shrimp’ Tacos with Fried Plantains and Collard Greens...

Ah - I’ve been trying to post for the past two days and was unable to due to some sort of technical difficulty that appears to now be sorted out. This is the recipe I’d planned to post Tuesday, and since I haven’t been able to post in a couple I’ve got a nice backlog of posts waiting to be published. So stay tuned for all the delicious treats I have in store!

As winter is slowly coming to it’s end for another year I find I too am gradually moving away from the cozy, comforting meals associated with the colder months. It seems to always happen this way, about a month or so before the true end to a season my body is already geared up to enter the next phase. While I’m still enjoying soups, and other wintery treats, for the most part my heart and tastebuds are set on spring and summer.

Now before I was a vegetarian, shrimp was always a food I associated with spring, and especially summer. Coconut shrimp in particular, and over the course of the weekend I found myself longing for that sweet, crisp, coconut flavor. Of course I had no desire to eat actual shrimp, and no intention of doing so, but I wanted to find a way to recreate that flavor and texture, and I wanted to enjoy it wrapped in a summery Caribbean inspired kind of taco.

I have to say that despite some of my reservations while cooking, this dish turned out phenomenally and totally satisfied that tropical flair I was craving. Of course these little tempeh bites taste nothing like what I remember of shrimp but that’s not the point, the point is the fried coconut! Combined with the plantains, the collards, the coconut milk drizzle and the mango salsa this dish was heaven on a plate!

Now to put this whole thing together it does require a bit of work. There are several steps you have to go through to make the different taco components but it is so worth it, and if you prepare ahead of time it actually doesn’t take that long. So give it a go, really in the grand scheme of things it’s not a lot to ask for some good homemade coconut ‘shrimp’ tacos! Enjoy, and stay tuned for the salsa recipe which I plan on posting tomorrow.

Coconut ‘Shrimp’ Tacos with Fried Plantains and Collard Greens

Coconut ‘Shrimp’

1 lb Tempeh cut in cubes
1 15 oz can coconut milk
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried dill
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp kelp granules
½ C Panko Breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs if you're GF)
3/4 C Coconut Flakes (I used unsweetened)
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning Blend (or to taste)

Taco Fixin’s

1 Bunch Collard Greens chopped in bite sized pieces.
Whole Wheat or Corn Tortillas
1 Recipe Sweet Shredded Fried Plantains (Recipe Follows)
Roasted Vegetable Mango Salsa (Recipe to come)
Diced Avocado
Diced Green Onion
Coconut Milk Drizzle (Optional)

Sweet Shredded Fried Plantains

3 Plantains
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Cajun spice blend
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Water if needed

- First prepare your tempeh. If you’re working with two 8oz blocks of tempeh as I was cut each block horizontally into 6-8 slices. Then slice vertically in half or in thirds depending on how big you want your cubes. Place tempeh into an airtight container when cubed.

- Mix together the coconut milk, garlic powder, dill, kelp, and hot sauce. Pour over the tempeh. Close the container give it a good shake until all the tempeh is covered and then place in the fridge and let marinate for 1-2 hours.

- After the tempeh has marinated mix breadcrumbs, coconut flakes and Cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl. Grab a tempeh cube from the marinating dish give it a shake to remove any excess coconut milk then roll it in the breadcrumb mixture until it’s breaded on all sides. Set aside and repeat until all cubes have been breaded. Reserve the marinade mixture if you want to make a coconut drizzle.

- Once all of your tempeh has been breaded you can cook it 1 of 2 ways. The first way being to fry them. If you have a deep fryer just pop them in there for a few minutes until they’re golden brown. Then remove them and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. If you don’t have a deep fryer you can fry them in about a ½ cup of coconut oil or nuteral vegetable oil in a large frying pan, until golden brown. If however you’re like me and like to try and keep on the healthier side of things you can bake your coconut tempeh in the oven.

- Preheat your oven to 400'F (200'C) lightly grease a baking sheet then place your tempeh cubes on it. Spray the top of each cube with a tiny bit of non-stick spray then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven turn each cube over and return to the oven to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Smaller cubes will cook faster and larger cubes will take longer so times may vary.

- While your tempeh is cooking you can work on your plantains. Grab 3 large, green plantains. Cut off the ends and peel. I find the easiest way to be running the tip of a knife down two sides then just dig in with my nail and roll the peel off.

- Once the peel has been removed take a vegetable peeler and run it along the plantains like you would to peel a carrot. You’ll get nice long thin strips of plantain, continue until all plantains have been turned into strips. You’ll probably be left with a core of plantain that your peeler can’t turn into strips, and that’s okay just cut it into thin rounds and toss it in with the strips. Waste not want not right?

- Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once melted add the plantains and stir until all strips are coated. Add in the cinnamon, sugar and Cajun Seasoning. Stir again until thoroughly coated and then cook on medium heat until plantains are golden brown and soft. About 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so no plantains stick to the bottom, and you may need to add more oil, or water. I added in about a 1/4 of water because I didn’t want to use more oil, and it worked brilliantly. When plantains are finished remove them from the heat and if you like you can drain them on a paper towel. I personally didn’t bother draining them.

- To make your collards just add an inch of water into a pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add your chopped up collards and steam for 3-5 minutes until they’re bright green and wilted. They shouldn’t be mushy but soft, with still a bit of texture. Remove them immediately from the steamer basket and place onto a plate or in a bowl.

- To make the coconut drizzle all you have to do is stir 1-2 packets of stevia into the reserved coconut marinade along with 1-2 tbsp flaked coconut. Set aside, until ready to use.

- To assemble your taco place one tortilla on a plate. Layer on some collard greens and then a generous spoonful of shredded plantains. Top with 4-5 cubes of coconut tempeh, and a bit of coconut milk drizzle. Top with diced green onion, avocado, and a generous spoonful or two of roasted vegetable mango salsa. Wrap up tight and enjoy!

*** Note - This dish can be made Gluten-Free if using Corn Tortilla's and GF Breadcrumbs***

Marinated Stuffed Mushrooms...

For the mushrooms lovers out there I’ve come up with another great stuffed mushroom recipe. It’s funny, considering I spent almost my entire life hating the fungi family I sure can’t seem to get enough of them these days. I’m still finicky over them of course, preferring certain kinds over others, and I’m pretty particular about the methods in which I like them prepared but I’d say all in all I’ve really come around.

I think these mushrooms in particular have a very intricate blend of flavors, the secret of which I’m sure is all in the marinating. It had never really occurred to me to marinate a mushroom unless I was planning on grilling it. That is until about a week and a half ago, when I ate a salad that had about a handful of cold balsamic marinated mushrooms in it. In the past that would have turned me off, popping a whole virtually naked mushroom into my mouth just wasn’t appealing to me. However my burgeoning affection for mushrooms convinced me to give the salad the benefit of the doubt. And who knew a small raw cremini mushroom could taste so good drizzled in a little bit of vinegar? Well, that got me thinking that those marinated mushrooms would probably be even better, stuffed and baked and I was right!

These little guys really are delicious, and they’re versatile too. Serve them as an appetizer a side, or over a plate of salad or greens. I chose to serve them over a bed of kale gently sauteed in a bit of garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. It was fantastic!

Marinated Stuffed Mushrooms

16-20 Cremini Mushrooms

Marinade

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp crushed Rosemary
1/4 tsp ground Sage
6 Sprigs fresh Oregano minced
4 Cloves Garlic finely minced
A pinch of Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Stuffing

4 Garlic Cloves
½ Large Red Onion
1 Large Carrot peeled chopped into thirds
1 C Soft Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
½ C Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Vegetable Broth
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp crushed Rosemary
1/4 tsp ground sage
1-2 tsp dried basil 1/8 tsp white pepper
sea salt to taste.

- Combine all marinade ingredients in sealable container, and add mushrooms. Shake well and place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours, returning once ever hour ro so to give the container a shake.

*** Note- Feel free to use Fresh chopped Rosemary if you have it on hand. I didn’t and so I used crushed but fresh always lends a bolder flavor ***

*** Note- Making your own soft whole wheat breadcrumbs is super easy. All you need to do is put a couple of slices of whole wheat bread into a food processor and process until it’s a fine powder. Super simple and a lot better then buying the pre-packaged kind, though if you wish you could use that instead. Though it won’t be quite the same. ***

- Pre-Heat oven to 400'F/204'C. Add a little water (or olive oil if you desire) to a small pan, and saute garlic and onion over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent and garlic is fragrant. Just use the tiniest amount of liquid for this because you don’t want the stuffing to be ‘wet’

- When the garlic and onions are ready transfer them to a food processor, along with all other ingredients
except Panko Breadcrumbs. Process until mixture is smooth and paste like. Moist but not wet. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Stir in Panko by hand.

- Grease baking sheet with a little non-stick cooking spray. Then begin stuffing your mushrooms with your filling. Gently fill them as full as you desire without bursting them. Then line them up on the baking sheet and put them into the oven.

- Bake roughly 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and the top of the filling is a nice golden brown. Serve over a bed of sauteed greens and enjoy!

*** Note - How big your mushrooms are will determine how many you can fill. My mushrooms were rather big so I only had enough filling for about 16 if your mushrooms are considerably smaller you could get 20-30 out of the filling. I recommend medium sized mushrooms, not to small not to big.***

Sweet and Savory Stuffed Mushrooms...

I believe I mentioned previously that I’ve never been a fan of the mushroom, and yet I’ve been working on trying to overcome this distaste. I’m always on the search for a new way to dress up and incorporate mushrooms into my food without feeling too overwhelmed by them. I’ve had a few hits and a lot of misses but, this recipe in particular I think goes a long way in helping to increase my affection for fungi. This recipe originated as a crust I used to encase large Portobelo mushrooms before baking. It works wonderfully that way, and has a texture reminiscent of breaded chicken.

But, it wasn’t until I was scrambling to find an acceptable stuffed mushroom recipe for the graduation party that I decided to try it as a stuffing instead. My thinking being that if it tasted good on the outside of a mushroom it stood to reason that it would taste great on the inside of a mushroom as well. Turns out I was right, and the mushrooms were a big hit, even with me. They’re not too mushroomey or too chewy, and they have a wonderful blend of sweet, and savory with a hint of garlic, onion, and salt. If even I, the most skeptical of mushroom eaters, enjoyed them then I’m sure you will as well.

Sweet and Savory Stuffed Mushrooms

Roughly 24-30 Baby Portobelo Mushrooms

Filling -

2 C Pecans
4 Tbsp Agave Nectar
4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
4 Tbsp Italian Style Bread Crumbs (Whole Wheat Preferably)
4 Tbsp Earth Balance
1/2 C Chopped Green Onions
Sea Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

- Pre-heat oven to 400'F (204'C) Remove stems from mushrooms and discard.

Note - Instead of throwing them into the garbage consider putting them into a zip-lock bag or container and keeping them to chop and add to rice dishes, soups or stir-fry’s. Or freeze to use later for making your own soup stock. Or as my husband does you can simply eat them then and there.

- Run mushrooms under cold water, then very gently rub dry with paper towel or cloth to remove dirt, and grime. Set aside.

- To make filling place all ingredients into food processor and pulse until completely broken down, and combined. The mixture should resemble a paste or dough.

Note - If you have a very small food processor as I do you may need to do this in batches. Half the recipe and make it in two stages.

- Once filling has been made, gently stuff into your de-stemmed mushrooms.

- Place mushrooms on a greased cookie sheet, and bake in oven for roughly 20 minutes. Until mushrooms have softened and darkened, and filling is golden on top.

- Enjoy as an appetizer or a side dish.

Note - If your breadcrumbs of choice contain salt, or have a distinctly salty nature you may want to omit the sea salt. Also the filling recipe makes a fair amount, so if you have extra mushrooms you can stuff them as well. If you don’t have extra mushrooms you can save the filling, buy more mushrooms and make them the next day. (As I did) or you can simply over-stuff your mushrooms. Either way I’m sure the excess filling won’t go to waste.