French Inspired "Venison" Seitan Casserole

Yesterday was Litha, or Summer Solstice. I made lots of delicious food and sweets, but one of the dishes I want to share most with you is a French Inspired Casserole. The Original Recipe calls for Venison but I used Gardien Beef Tips, though you could easily use homemade seitan (I would have, if I'd had any prepared.)  The dish is super rich, and flavorful and tastes wonderful alongside roasted tomatoes with thyme, charred asparagus and soft bread for sopping up excess sauce. It's a fairly simple recipe though does require some advanced prep.

French Inspired "Venison" Seitan Casserole.

1 Yellow Onion
4 Cloves
8 Juniper Berries Crushed
8 Black Peppercorns Crushed
1 1/2 Cup Red Wine
2 Celery Stalks
2 Carrots
2 Bay Leaves
6 Whole Garlic Cloves sliced
Zest of half a lemon
5 Sprigs Rosemary
2 Packages Gardien Beefless Tips (or Equivalent amount of homemade Seitan)
All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Earth Balance
4 Shallots Sliced
2 Cups Brown Stock
2 Tbsp Raspberry Jam
1 Heaping Tbsp Marmite
1 Vegan Beef Bouillon Cube (Optional but recommended)


- First defrost Tips or Seitan (if frozen) Place seitan in a large bowl.

- Quarter the Onion and stick a clove in each quarter. Place the Onion Quarters into the bowl with the seitan.

- Add Juniper Berries, Crushed Pepper, Chopped celery Stalks, Chopped Carrots, Sliced Garlic, Bay Leaves, Lemon Zest, and Minced Rosemary from the five sprigs to the bowl. Stir with a large wooden spoon to combine.

- Place a medium sized sauce pan on the stove. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and add in the Marmite and Bullion Cube. Whisk until the marmite and cube dissolve and you have a nice brown liquid. Add in 1 cup of the red wine, and raspberry jam, whisk to combine and lower the heat. Simmer for five minutes.

- Pour the stock/wine mixture over the beef and veg in the bowl. Stir to combine and make sure everything gets nice and covered. Place the bowl in the fridge and let marinate overnight.

- After the stew has marinated. Melt the Butter and oil in a large fry pan on the stove. remove the Onions from the bowl discard cloves and slice onions thin. Slice the shallots as well. Add both onions and shallots to the butter in the pan, fry until brown.

- Place the Tips or Seitan in a zip-lock bag and dump in enough all purpose flour to cover all the pieces. Shake the bag around to make sure evenly coated.

- Once onions are cooked place them in a well oiled cast iron casserole dish.

- Use the same pan to fry the floured seitan. Fry until brown, and add it to the Casserole.

- Add the remaining veg to the casserole. Then strain the marinade into the casserole through a fine mesh sieve. Discard bay leaves, peppercorns and juniper berries. You can season to taste with additional pepper and salt if you like but it should be salty enough.

- Bake in the oven at 350'F for 1 1/2 hours until tender and marinade has reduced by half. Serve with roast tomatoes, asparagus, a salad and soft bread like pita.

PS: Sorry for the poor picture quality I was more interested in eating, drinking and being marry to care much about photography.

Vegan Mofo #21: Seitan aux Pruneaux d’Agen...

I came across this recipe in Joanne Harris’s book “The French Market” and found it interesting. The original recipe calls for Rabbit which I have no idea how to veganize since I’ve never eaten it before but I thought seitan would make a good stand-in. I love the idea of cooking savory dishes with fruit, and so the combination of seitan and prunes really got me thinking. A bit of Googling told me this is a pretty popular recipe in Southern France where Prunes from Agen are a pretty big deal. I like interesting culinary traditions so I was excited to give it a try. Obviously the original recipes call specifically for prunes from Agen but you can use any large plump pitted prunes, California Plums are what I used and it worked out great. I know it probably sounds weird to you, but give it a try, you might be really surprised.

Seitan with Prunes 
(A.K.A Seitan aux Pruneaux d’Agen) 

2 Tbsp Nondairy Butter
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 C Brandy
2 Stalks Celery Diced
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
2 Cups Red Wine
1 ½ lb’s Beef Style Seitan
25 Pearl Onions
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
20 Agen Prunes (or Large Dried California Plums) Halved
Sea Salt and Black Pepper as Needed

- Heat a small pot of water over high heat, when boiling add the onions. Boil 1 minute then drain and drop into a bowl of iced cold water to blanch. Slide off the skins and put the onions aside.

- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Melt 1 Tbsp of the nondairy butter and cook the seitan until brown on all sides. In batches if necessary. About 8-10 minutes. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

- Heat the remaining nondairy butter in the pan and add the peeled onions. Saute for 5 minutes until golden, add the garlic and celery. Saute another 3-5 minutes until celery is soft.

- Pour the wine into the pan, and add bay leaves, thyme, and the browned seitan back with it. Let come to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

- Add in the Brandy, the Prunes, liquid smoke and season with salt and pepper as desired. Let simmer another 20-30 minutes.

- Remove from the heat, taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve with mashed potatoes and peas as I did, or whatever your favorite side dish. Some crusty bread wouldn’t hurt either!

*** Note - Unfortunately this recipe is my best approximation as I didn’t actually write anything down while cooking. Since I made this several days ago I’m relying solely on memory here.*** 

Vegan Mofo #13: Avocados Stuffed with Peruvian Chicken Mayonnaise 2 Ways...

When we were in Peru last September we ate a lot of really good vegan food. Vegan food is not as easy to come by in Peru as it was for us in other places in Central/South America but when you can find it, it’s very good. We enjoyed a lot of simple stews, lima beans, butter beans, corn, and definitely avocados. We took full advantage of the popular ‘plate of the day’ set up that most Peruvian restaurants have around lunchtime. Usually for a few bucks you get a nicely portioned meal with all the staples.

We didn’t have a Vegetarian version of Chicken Mayonnaise while we were in Peru, but I found a recipe for it in a Peruvian cook book that I found intriguing. There is certainly no shortage of Avocados in Peru, and they’re a lot bigger then the ones you buy around here. Anyway, since avocados are one of my favorite foods, and everyone loves a good ‘chicken’ salad, I thought I’d try my hand at making a more compassionate, chicken friendly version of this dish.

I think this would make a great starter to a dinner party, but it’s just as easily enjoyed as a main course along with a side salad. You’ll be surprised at how filling these little avocado boats are!

Avocados Stuffed with Peruvian Chicken Mayonnaise 2 Ways

Beyond Meat Version 

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Ripe Avocados Peeled, Sliced in Half, Pits removed
1 Box Beyond Meat Chicken Strips Diced
1 Small Carrot Minced
1 Celery Stalk Diced
4 Green Onions Sliced
4 Kalamata Olives Minced
½-1 tsp Smoked Sea Salt
1/3 Cup Vegan Mayo
Black Pepper to taste
Strips of Red Bell Pepper to Garnish (Optional)

Chickpea Version 

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Ripe Avocados Peeled, Sliced in half, pits removed
1 15oz Can Chickpeas rinsed and Drained
1 Small Carrot Minced
1 Celery Stalk Diced
4 Green Onions Sliced
4 Kalamata Olives Minced
½-1 tsp Smoked Sea Salt
1/3 Cup Vegan Mayo
Black Pepper to taste
Strips of Red Bell Pepper to Garnish (Optional)


Instructions - Beyond Meat Version 

- Heat the Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced beyond meat and cook for 6-8 minutes until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and place into a large mixing bowl.

- Add the carrot, celery, and half the onion. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the carrot is soft. Add a dash more oil if needed. When the veggies are soft remove from the pan and place into the bowl with the beyond meat.

- Add the remaining raw onion, olives, smoked salt, pepper, and vegan mayo to the bowl, stir thoroughly to combine.

- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

- Spoon the beyond meat mixture into the center of each avocado half. Place the halves on a serving plate, and garnish with red pepper strips. Add a dash of sriracha if you like things spicy!

Instructions - Chickpea Version.

- Place the drained, rinsed chickpeas into a serving bowl and mash with a potato masher. You do not need to mash every pea, just get a somewhat mashed consistency.

- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and half the onion. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the carrot is soft. When the veggies are soft remove from the pan and place into the bowl with the mashed chickpeas.

- - Add the remaining raw onion, olives, smoked salt, pepper, and vegan mayo to the bowl, stir thoroughly to combine.

- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

- Spoon the chickpea mixture into the center of each avocado half. Place the halves on a serving plate, and garnish with red pepper strips. Add a dash of sriracha if you like things spicy!

Summer Leek and Lemon Noodle Soup...

I don’t know about where you live but the weather here has been weird lately. One day it’s hot, humid and sunny as the tropics and the next day it’s cool, windy, overcast and drizzly. Now since I’m a Vancouver girl a drizzly or even a full on rainy day doesn’t get me down - even if it’s in the middle of summer - because it reminds me of home. For me rainy days are days to laze on the couch and read a good book with the windows open so that you can listen to the rain splatter against the pavement. Rainy days are days to get things done that you never seem to get around to when the weather is nice - like organization or hard-core baking. Rainy days also mean soup. Now, it wasn’t exactly cold today, but it was cool and so I really felt like a bowl of soup. Really there’s nothing better then a steaming bowl of soup on a grey day, is there?

Of course even if the temperature is a little cool, it’s still the middle of summer, so I didn’t think a thick hearty soup would be appropriate. I was craving something ‘chicken-noodle’ style, with lots of broth and wholesome veggies, but I also wanted it to represent summer. I wanted a fresh and light soup that you could really eat anytime of year and feel good about. Lemon, summer savory, and tarragon all give this soup that summery feel, and they paired extremely well with the leeks I had in my fridge. The great thing about this soup is that it’s pretty quick and easy to prepare and if you really want to utilize summer’s bounty you can substitute fresh herbs for the dried.

Summer Leek and Lemon Noodle Soup

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Large leeks cleaned and sliced
3 Stalks Celery Diced
4 Carrots Diced
10 Garlic Cloves Minced
4 C Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 ½ C Water
*** 2 Bunches Soba Noodles
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 ½ tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Thyme
1 tsp dried Tarragon
1 tsp dried Summer Savory
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Dried Rosemary
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/4 C Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s

- Heat the olive oil in a medium-large sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add in the celery and carrot and saute for 3-5 more minutes.

- Add in the vegetable broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes then add the basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon, summer savory,. Smoked paprika, ground ginger, rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes.

- Add in the Soba noodles and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes until the noodles are soft.

- Turn off the heat and stir in the Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s and the Lemon Juice. Let stand ten minutes and serve dished up into large bowls.

*** Note - Packages of Soba Noodles usually come separated into bundles. Each small package has about 3-4 bundles of noodles, and each large package has about 8 bundles of noodles. I just grabbed two bundles and didn’t exactly measure the dry weight. Though if your noodles don’t come packed in bundles I would say somewhere between 4-6oz would be appropriate for this soup. Also if you would prefer you can use a gluten-free noodle instead of the Soba to make this gluten-free*** 

Irish Dingle Pies...

Dingle is a town in Country Kerry, Ireland, situated on the Dingle Peninsula on the Atlantic coast roughly 50km southwest of Tralee. From all I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place, a with lush, rugged and spectacular coastline, unfortunately I never got to see it for myself. When we were in Ireland my husband and I traveled to 14 different cities starting in Dublin, then going North, then west, then south, until arriving back in Dublin to head home. While we had originally planned to go to Dingle, and wanted to very much, it proved to be just a little to far south for us to reasonably fit it into our schedule. So I’ll have to wait until my next visit to see it for myself. In the meantime however I can make these delicious, traditional Dingle Pies!

These pies are traditional in Dingle particularly on special occasions such as Lammas Day which marks the first day of the harvest. Though these pies are normally made with mutton - ew! - recipes abound with multiple variations. Some with more ‘meat’ some with more vegetables, some with gravy and some without. Sometimes the pies are made in individual serving sizes, sometimes they’re made as one big pie from which you can take a slice, and sometimes they are made in individual dishes with the pastry only on the top. It really depends on who’s making the pie, I guess.

Now originally I wanted to make these the traditional way by making six small individual hand pies. However I was in a bit of a rush, and I’m no expert with shortcrust pastry so after many minutes of frustration and swearing down at the pastry, I decided to do myself a favor and take the easy route.  So instead of making six pies I made one, and yes it kind of looks like a pot pie, but it doesn’t really taste like a pot pie, not the kind of pot pie you get in America anyway. In fact this reminds me of something German from my childhood. It’s reminiscent of some kind of pie my mother or Oma, - or even my grandmother - might have made. So even though I’ve never been much of a fan of pot pies, or savory pies in general I found these Dingle pies immensely satisfying, and I hope you do as well!

Now, I list the gravy as being optional and it is. If you choose to make six small pies it’s not exactly necessary though it’s recommended if you want a juicer pie. If you choose to make the big pie I definitely recommend it, and in either case trust me when I say you’ll definitely want to lather some gravy over the top of the finished pie. Small or big, that shortcrust pastry is just begging to be drenched in gravy!

Irish Dingle Pies 

Filling

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1lb Irish Style Seitan finely chopped
3 Celery Stalks Chopped
3 Carrots Chopped
1 Large Onion Chopped
2 Red Skinned Potatoes Chopped
Celtic Sea Salt and Black Pepper
1-2 Tbsp Almond Milk
Vegan Gravy (Optional but highly recommended

Crust

2C Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1C Vegetable Shortening
1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Quick and Easy Pan Gravy 

½ Yellow Onion Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic chopped
1 ½ C Vegetable Broth
1/4C Red Wine
2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
1/4C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp Ground Thyme
½ tsp Dried Sage


To make Crust 

- Combine Flour and salt in a food processor. Cut in the vegetable shortening with a knife and process until the mixture resembles crumbs.

- Stream in the cold water and process until a dough forms.

- Remove the dough from the food processor and kneed for 2-3 minutes, then wrap in a plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To Make Filling 

- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, potato and seitan. Saute for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are beginning to get soft.

- Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle

To Make the Gravy 
Adapted from Robin Robinson’s Pan Gravy recipe in “Party Vegan”

- Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until beginning to get soft. Add garlic, thyme, and sage and saute another 5 minutes.

- Add the flour, and mix together. Cook for 1 minute then add 1 cup of vegetable broth.

- When the mixture begins to thicken stir in the red wine, remaining broth, Bragg’s. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

- Transfer to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Assembly 

- Preheat Oven to 350'F

- Remove the dough from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Remove roughly a third of the dough and set aside to make the pie lid.

- Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface. Once rolled out to desired size and thickness press the dough into a greased pie plate.

- Place the filling inside of the pie crust and top with a quarter of the gravy.

- Roll out the leftover dough to make a top crust. When it’s reached desired size and thickness carefully lift the dough and place it overtop of the pie.

- Press the edges of the dough together and roll the dough up to make a nice tight lip.

- Slice two or three holes in the top crust to let steam escape and brush with the almond milk, then place in the oven. Bake for 35-55 minutes until the crust is golden. Then remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

- Serve drizzled with gravy, and a nice side salad.

Alternately, 

- If you want to do it the traditional Dingle way. Roll out the dough, and using a small plate cut out six circles. Re-rolling the dough as needed to make the circles.

- Divide the filling evenly between the six circles. Top with a couple of tablespoons of gravy if desired.

- Roll out the remaining dough and using a slightly smaller plate cut out six circles to make lids.

- Place each lid circle and lay each on top of the crust with the filling. Dampen the edges of the crust and bring the edges of the pastry up around the meat, pleating it to fit the lid. Draw a slice through the top of each pie to let steam escape. Then cook as directed above.

Irish Seitan and Guinness Stew With Champ...

The Irish have a long standing tradition of cooking meat in beer. Soups, stews, casseroles you name it, there are a whole slew of Irish recipes that use stout - typically Guinness - as a flavor enhancer. They’re certainly not the only culture to use beer as an ingredients in their dinner, however I think they make better use of it and get more creative with it then some. This particular recipe appealed to me because it was cold and rainy all day yesterday, which made me want something hearty, chewy, heavy and comforting. While this dish may not be one of those extremely clever uses of stout that I just mentioned it is super satisfying. Flavor wise it’s reminiscent of a more traditional beef stew but with a subtly sweet edge a slight acidic tang, and robust undertones of roasted barley and hops. There’s something really pleasing to my palate about this combination, and the smell of simmering beer made me feel ‘home-sick’ for Dublin. Don’t be surprised if as you’re cooking this stew you begin having daydreams of cobble stone streets, and rowdy overflowing pubs.

Now my version of this recipe differs a little from those that you might find in Ireland because rather then strain out the leeks, onion, carrot and celery after a long cooking time I leave the vegetables in. Traditional recipes also use bacon as a flavoring agent. I originally considered using  a vegan bacon substitute in this recipe to achieve the same effect, however I opted to use liquid smoke instead. It's cheap, fast, effective and imparts the perfect smoky-bacon flavor. Of course if you prefer you could use whatever vegan bacon you like, 4oz is the typical amount called for.

Lastly, Guinness - of course - is the recommended kind of stout to use for this dish, however since Guinness - like so many other types of beer and wine - is filtered through the bladders of fish it’s avoided by those who are vegan for animal-rights reasons. In that case any Irish stout will do, but if you’re a little less strict about it then Guinness works perfectly. The Irish say that Stout Beer and Beef are natural partners - which I suppose is why they’re paired so frequently in Irish cooking - but really, you don’t know the magic of stout until you’ve paired it with a good, chewy, home-made Seitan! Forget about beef, Seitan and Stout were meant to be together and I mean that.

Irish Seitan and Guinness Stew

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb Irish Style Seitan Chopped into cubes
1 Small Yellow Onion Roughly Chopped
1 Large Leek Sliced
3 Carrots Roughly Chopped
3 Stalks Celery Roughly chopped
6 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 1/4 C Water + 1 Vegan Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Bottle of Irish Stout Beer
1/4 C Earth Balance
8oz Cremini or Baby Bella Mushrooms Quartered
3 Large Shallots cut into quarters or sixths
1/4 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
Celtic Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
Sliced Green Onions to serve (Optional)
Minced Fresh Parsley to Serve (Optional)

- Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high and add the carrot, celery, onion, and leek. Saute for five minutes until the vegetables are bright and just beginning to become tender.

- Add the minced garlic, the stock, the stout, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes.

- Meanwhile melt the Earth Balance in a frying pan. Add the cubed seitan, quartered mushrooms, and chopped shallots. Saute over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until seitan is nice and brown and shallots and mushrooms are tender.

- After 20 minutes add the browned seitan, mushrooms, and shallots to the pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

- After 10 minutes add the flour and stir to combine. Simmer for five minutes to let thicken and then add the liquid smoke and simmer an additional five minutes.

- Remove from the heat and let rest for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Then serve in large bowls with a heaping scoop of Champ and garnish with Fresh parsley and green onions.

Typically and Irish Seitan and Guinness Stew would be paired with a hearty scoop of Mashed potatoes smothered in butter. However I decided to jazz things up a little and so rather then serve my stew with plain old mash, I decided to make Champ. Champ is a traditional dish that’s basically a glorified form of mashed potatoes. It’s a common side-dish in Ireland and is typically paired with stews, sausages or other grilled meats. It’s most associated with Northern Ireland but you can find it all over the country. What makes it different then a traditional dish of mashed potatoes is that the potatoes are mixed with fresh spring onions that have been simmered in milk, and often other fresh herbs are thrown into the mix for good measure. Chives, Parsley, and Basil are all common addition, and even green peas can be thrown into the mix. For my version of Champ I decided to keep it basic and traditional, after all it was going to be soaked and smothered in Seitan and Guinness stew anyway. Make sure each serving of champ is accompanied by a good dollop of non-dairy butter, as the traditional way of eating champ is to make a well in the center, fill it with butter, then dip your champ as you eat. Yum!

Champ

6 Medium Sized Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
4 Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes peel left on and cubed
1 Bunch Green Onions
1 1/4 C Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp Garlic Powder
½ Tsp Celtic Sea Salt
1/4-1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Earth Balance to serve
Fresh Minced Parsley to serve

- Fill medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

- Once boiling add the potatoes and cook until fork tender and soft. Once desired doneness has been reached drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

- While potatoes are cooking simmer the green onions and the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until onions are bright green and tender.

- Add the simmered milk and green onions to the potatoes, season with garlic, salt and pepper and then mash, or use an electric hand mixer to whip the potatoes into a creamy consistency.

- Serve alongside Seitan and Guinness Stew, and garnish each serving with a generous dollop of Earth Balance and a sprinkling of fresh minced Parsley.

Franco-Moroccan Inspired Eggplant, Squash and Tempeh Crumble...

Who doesn’t love a good crumble? On a crisp fall evening there are few better ways to end the night then with a warm homemade apple or plum crumble. Am I right? But, have you ever had a savory crumble before? Have you ever eaten crumble for dinner? Yeah neither had I, until I came across a savory crumble recipe in Beatrice Peltre’s ‘La Tartine Gourmande’ that caught my interest. I was so intrigued by the idea that I did a little internet research and as it turns out crumbles in general are thought to be of British or Irish origin, and have always been made in both sweet and savory varieties, although the sweet versions are far more common. Interestingly crumbles didn’t become a popular or widespread menu item until the second world war, when strict rationing of flour, sugar and butter made it nearly impossible for people to make pies since pie crusts require so much of the three rationed ingredients. Instead some ingenious people decided to make the pie filling and throw a crust-like mixture on top, and since it was so easy, and cheap to make it really caught fire. Cool right?

Anyway, crumble for dinner? I’d never considered such a thing before, but all this information really got me interested in trying one out for myself, the only thing I had to figure out was what kind of crumble to make. Peltre’s recipe used eggplant and squash and had a gluten-free crust and I liked the idea of those things. Eggplant and squash I both had on hand and they fueled my daydreams of warmer more hospitable climates such as those in the Mediterranean, the South of France, Africa and The Middle East. So I took that inspiration and ran with it, combining a mixture of Middle Eastern and French elements to form this super savory, slightly tangy, a tad sweet, flavor packed and decadent crumble. I kept the idea fo a gluten-free crumble topping because, well why the hell not? But I added cooked amaranth and nutritional yeast to make it a bit more substantial and to give it that creamy cheesy flavor that savory crumbles are suppose to boast.

I had no idea how this experiment was going to work out, but in the end I was more then surprised. This was definitely one of the most surprisingly delicious meals I’d made in some time. No matter how odd you might think the idea of a savory crumble is, the bottom line is that this worked. Plain and simple, it was so delicious that there’s no doubt you’ll go back for seconds! I know this recipe has a few steps, and it requires you to dirty a few different dishes but trust me when I say every ounce of effort is so worth it! So expand your horizons and give it a try.

Franco-Moroccan Inspired Eggplant, Squash and Tempeh Crumble 

For the Tempeh 

1lb Tempeh
1 Tbsp Fennel Seed
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Ground Mace
1 ½ C Water + 1 Beef Bouillon Cube
3/4 C Red Wine

For The Crumble Topping 

2/3 C Finely Chopped Walnuts
1/3 C Millet Flour
1/4 C Brown Rice Flour
4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/4 C Amaranth Cooked in 3/4 C Water
1 tsp Ground Cumin
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
4 Tbsp Earth Balance
½ Bunch Parsley Minced

For The Crumble Filling 

1 Medium Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and chopped. Roughly 4 C
1 Medium Eggplant chopped. Roughly 4 C
4 Tomatoes Blanched, peeled and chopped
1 Large Yellow Onion Chopped
2 Stalks Celery Chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
8oz Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Dried Rubbed Sage
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/3 C Chopped Sun-dried tomatoes
6 Tbsp Capers with liquid

To Make the Tempeh -

- Mix 1 Beef Bouillon cube with 1 C of water.

- Crumble the Tempeh into a large pan, and add all the spices. Cover with the water/Bouillon mixture and the red wine. There should be enough liquid to cover the tempeh but it depends on the size of your pan. If it doesn’t quite cover add up to ½ C more.

- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium or medium-low until all or most of the liquid has been absorbed by the tempeh. Roughly 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

To Make the Filling - 

- Heat the olive oil in the same pan you used to make your tempeh mixture. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute for roughly five minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and salt and cook for another two minutes.

- Add the blanched chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste, the chopped eggplant and the cubed squash. Stir to thoroughly combine, then cover. Over medium-high heat let the mixture come to a roaring simmer, let simmer for 5 minutes then stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer the mixture for another 25 minutes. Make sure to check frequently to make sure the liquid doesn’t evaporate and the filling doesn’t burn. If it is looking too dry add a quarter cup of water.

- After 25 minutes add the tempeh mixture into the pan, along with the sage, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir well to combine and simmer an additional 10 minutes until squash is nice and tender.

- Remove from heat, and spoon the mixture into a large greased casserole dish.

- To Make the Crumble Topping.

- While your mixture is simmering combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

- Melt the Earth Balance in the microwave, and add it into the dry mixture along with the cooked amaranth. Mix until nice and crumbly.

To Assemble and Bake.

- Preheat the oven to 400'F

- Spread the crumble mixture evenly over top of the filling in the greased casserole dish. Then place the casserole dish uncovered into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Then enjoy with a nice salad and a glass of sangria!

*** Note - If you need this to be soy-free you can replace the tempeh with Seitan. However if you need this to be soy and gluten-free you can try replacing the tempeh with a bean of your choosing. Either chickpeas or something hearty would be my suggestion.***

Memories of Ireland, Potato and Leek Soup

When my husband and I were in Ireland in 2009 we ate a ton of Potato and Leek soup, we probably ate it once everyday, served with a few slices of thick dark bread. It was the main staple of our diet on that particular trip, and not because we were vegetarian - at the time neither of us were - but because it was cheap, abundant, delicious and filling. My husband and I have never been the kind of people that travel for the food. We don’t seek out exotic culinary delights, or spend copious amounts of money on fine dining. When we travel we spend our money on seeing and doing amazing things, because if you’re not going to get the most out of your trip then what’s the point in going right? Which explains the potato and leek soup. You see, it’s a pretty standard offering in most pubs and restaurants in Ireland, and when we were there you could get a nice hearty bowl of it with bread for between four to six euro, four to six pounds if we’re talking about Northern Ireland. That makes for a pretty cheap lunch or dinner for two people while traveling and because potatoes are so heavy one bowl really is sufficient. If you’re extra hungry you might want to throw a three euro side salad into the mix, but it still keeps the cost pretty low.

We traveled to fourteen different cities in Ireland, and we ate Potato and Leek soup all the way from Dublin to Belfast, to Derry, to Galway, to Killkenny, to Cork, to Waterford, back to Dublin. No matter where we went the soup was always phenomenal, and I just fell in love with it - as I did so many other things about Ireland. After we returned home, despite having eaten it every day for the duration of our trip I wanted more potato leek soup. So began my mission to make a potato leek soup from scratch that was just as good as those I’d sampled in Ireland. For the past 2 and a half years I’ve failed at every turn and I have tried so, so many recipes. Whether the recipes be vegetarian or vegan I was never able to find a good recipe, not online and not in any cook book. Every recipe I’ve tried the soup was too bland, too thick, too much potato, too much thyme. The consistency was never right, the flavor was never spot on, it was never quite rich enough or creamy enough, and for a while I thought all was lost.

Then Friday I woke up to cold weather as one so often does in Chicago at the end of November, and I found myself with a hankering for potato and leek soup! I looked through a handful of my cook books trying to find recipes for said soup that I hadn’t yet tried, but to no avail. Nothing was catching my eye. After some moments of impatient contemplation I realized I didn’t really need a recipe at all. All I needed was my own creativity and knowhow, and so I went to the kitchen and set myself to work, with nothing to guide my endeavor except countless memories of Irish pubs and magical landscapes.

After having tried so many recipes - some from very renown people in the culinary profession - I had no hope that my little effort would yield anything palatable, but I had to try, and in the end, when I tasted what I had created I knew I had come as close to the perfect Irish bowl of potato and leek soup that I ever would. This soup turned out so rich and creamy, and bursting with flavor. It is everything a good potato and leek soup should be, and it’s fairly quick and easy to prepare. If you’re a potato leek soup fan I urge you to try it, and serve it a long a nice thick slice of pumpernickel bread.

Memories of Ireland, Potato and Leek Soup

2 Tbsp Earth Balance or other Vegan non-dairy Butter
1 Very large leek, washed and sliced.
3 medium sized Yukon Gold Potatoes skin on chopped
2-3 Celery Ribs chopped
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Thyme
½ tsp Sage
½ tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 ½ C Vegetable Broth
1 ½ C Water + 1 Vegan ‘Chicken’ Bouillon Cube
1 Bunch Parsley Minced
2/3 C Cashews + additional 1/3 C Cashews as needed
1 C Water
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp White Miso

- Melt Earth Balance in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Add in the leek and celery. Saute for 4 minutes then add in the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and sage and saute another 4-5 minutes until leeks are tender and bright green.

- Add in the potatoes, the vegetable broth and the water with the bouillon cube. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a good simmer. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Around the last five minutes of simmering add in the white pepper, smoked paprika, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine.

- While the soup is simmering combine the cashews, the water, the lemon juice and the white miso in a high speed blender and process on high until completely smooth. About 1 minute. If the mixture looks a little to watery you can add in up to another 1/3 cup of cashews for a thicker cream.

- Remove the cashew cream to a measuring cup and set aside. It should have yielded roughly one and a half cups of cream.

- No need to clean the blender out, instead remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard then transfer the hot soup to the blender being careful not to spill any or burn yourself. Once all of the soup is in the blender blend on high until completely smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot.

- Stir in 1 cup of the cashew cream. Stir in minced parsley, and season with any additional salt and pepper.

- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with an additional swirl of the cashew cream, and a few twists of a black pepper mill. Enjoy!

PS: You can make this soup oil-free by using water to saute instead of earth balance. You can make the soup soy-free by using a chickpea or barley based miso instead of a soy one, or just leave the miso out altogether.

PPS: If you’ve never been to Ireland you really must go. It is one of the most spectacular places I have ever been! 

Vegan Mofo #16 - Colleen’s Muffuletta Sandwich...

Vegan Mofo #16 - Colleen’s Muffuletta Sandwich 
The Book - Color Me Vegan
The Author - Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The Recipe - Muffuletta Sandwich
Page # 245
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 40 minutes, but most of that time is inactive.

Who doesn’t love roasted vegetables? I know I freaking love them! There is something so amazing about them. You don’t need sauce, or dressing you just pop an assortment of veggies into the oven with a little olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and something absolutely wonderful comes out. It’s easy, clean, delicious and oh so satisfying. That’s how I felt about this sandwich. It’s full of super simple ingredients and doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to throw together and yet it’s so mind-blowingly good.

Though I’d of course heard of Muffuletta sandwiches before I’d never actually had one before making Colleen’s version. Originally I hadn’t intended to make this sandwich for Mofo, but just before Thanksgiving I was starting to feel burnt out on sandwiches, specifically the really heavy ones and I was just craving something simple. I also had some homemade white Panini rolls left over that I needed to use, plus a sad looking zucchini and a small eggplant. I had all the making’s of the Muffuletta and so there was no better time to give it a try, and you should too.

So first things first you need to roast up some veggies. You need a zucchini, an eggplant, a sweet onion, a red bell pepper and a tomato, or a couple of bell peppers and tomatoes if you like a little extra. You slice them thin toss them with oil, salt and pepper and let them do their thing in the oven. Meanwhile you make a Tapenade of green olives, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, celery, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, green onions and a little more salt and pepper.

Then when the veggies are ready you spread the Tapenade over both sides of your bread of choice - a thick crusty bread or some homemade rolls would be best - layer in your veggies and chomp away. Colleen recommends that you refrigerate the Tapenade for an hour or two to let the flavors meld but I didn’t bother, and it tasted great just as it was. A perfect late afternoon lunch or light dinner.

Baked Sunchoke Sandwiches with Five Spice Slaw...

I’ve been rather neglectful of the blog of late I know, and for that I’m sorry. It’s just that a multitude of other things have accumulated and I’m finding it very difficult at the moment to divide my time. I know I last left off with updating about my vacation to Germany but I thought since it’s been such an awful long time since I posted a recipe I should take a few moments to do that instead.

In truth I haven’t been cooking much, or rather I have been but I’ve been making very simple food, nothing worthy of blogging about. This dish however I made just before going on vacation and it was simply superb! Really it’s perfect for a hearty lunch or a light dinner, because really, who doesn’t love a big ‘ole sloppy sandwich every once and a while? And, how often do you get to use sunchokes? Not often enough in my opinion, so I hope you enjoy, and I promise to get back to posting regularly again.

What I like best about this sandwich is the subtle hint of anise from the five spice powder. You get this great punch of Asian flavor combined with the unique taste of sunchokes, fantastic combination, trust me!

Baked Sunchoke Sandwiches with Five Spice Slaw 

1 lb Sunchokes,
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 French Baguette
Sliced Tomato to serve
Thai chili sauce to serve (optional)

Five Spice Slaw 

2 Carrots Grated
2 Celery Ribs diced
1 Red Bell Pepper diced
4 Garlic Cloves minced
Green Onions to taste
1 ½ C Red Cabbage finely shredded
½ C Non-dairy Mayo (I like Earth Balance)
1 ½ tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Coconut Amino’s or Soy Sauce
1 ½ tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder or to taste
Sea salt Black pepper
1 Packet Stevia or to taste (Optional)
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Bunch Cilantro Minced

- Pre-heat oven to 400'F

- To make the Sunchokes make sure you rinse and clean them very well. They tend to be quite gritty. What I like to do is soak them in a big bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Then I scrub them good and give them a rinse.

- After they’ve been washed you want to slice them relatively thin. You can do it with a mandolin or a knife, whichever you prefer. No need to peel the chokes as long as you wash them well.

- Next spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Then spread the sunchoke slices out in a single layer. Depending on the size of your pan you might need to do this on two pans. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste then place in the oven.

- Bake at 400'F for 10 minutes a side, or until the sunchokes have turned a nice golden color. Be careful not to burn or crisp them. You still want them a bit soft.

- Once done remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

- To make the Five Spice Slaw mix together carrots, red pepper, red cabbage, celery, cilantro, garlic and green onions in a big mixing bowl.

- In a small bowl whisk together the Mayo, sesame oil, coconut amino’s or soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice powder, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and stevia to taste. Taste for flavor and adjust seasonings as needed.

- Pour the dressing over the Slaw and mix to thoroughly combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed.

- To assemble your sandwich slice the Baguette in half crosswise, then make a slit lengthwise down each half.  Layer in the baked sunchokes, top with a few slices of tomato, and a heaping amount of slaw. Then drizzle a little Thai Chili Sauce over top if desired, and enjoy!

PS: Gluten-Free if using Coconut Amino's or GF Tamari. Soy-Free if using Soy-Free non-dairy Mayo