Monday, December 12, 2011

Serrano 'Cheddar' Corn Roll Meatless Meatball Sliders

Making sliders is fun.... but eating them is MORE fun! Who doesn't love adorable tiny meatless meatball sandwhiches? What a blast this delicious dinner turned out to be.
The rolls can be as spicy as you want them to be - it all depends on you! You can use the pepper of your desire: serrano, jalapeno, habanero, even ghost peppers if you're terribly brave. We even added a tsp of some very hot habanero sauce to a batch. Feel free to play. As always on Livin La Vida Vegan we encourage experimentation. Cooking is more art than science. Feel, taste, smell and create!

Making rolls takes a couple of hours so be prepared to start this meal ahead. You won't be standing in the kitchen for two hours because it will take your dough time to rise. I suggest a meditation with the dough as it rises. Focus your attention on your breath, let thoughts of abundance rising within your vibration rise as the dough rises, as your breath rises. What does abundance mean to you?
       ~ Sample meditation:

As I breathe in my chest rises filling my heart chakra with Love and abundance that expands to all corners of the universe. As I exhale the unlimited potentiality and radiance swelling within my chest is released. The pause between is an opportunity to let go of any hindrance I may have to receiving or experiencing abundance. The circle of breath, of life resonates in each breath. 

As you begin to shape the rolls remember the nature of this circle of abundance 

Rolls
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup agave (optional)
Egg replacer (equivalent to 2 eggs)
1/3 cup soy-free earth balance
2 1/2 tsp active yeast
3 cups spelt flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tsp Bragg's Amino Acids
4 serrano peppers minced - keep seeds if you want to increase the heat of the rolls

'Cheddar' baste
nutritional yeast flakes to flavor, soy-free earth balance
Combine your dry ingredients - 1 cup of flour, yellow cornmeal and yeast
In a saucepan heat almond milk, soy-free earth balance, agave, braggs and peppers (with seeds optional) let the mixture heat for about five to ten minutes on medium high heat, ensure that the milk does not boil, if it looks as if it may boil lower the heat. Once you have heated the mixture allow it to cool to about 125 degrees. If you do not own a thermometer you can stick your pinky finger in and gage if the mixture is 'warm'

Combine the wet mixture with the dry ingredients. Whip up your egg replacer so that it is thick and frothy. Then stir it into the mixture.  At this point you should slowly mix in the rest of the flour - keeping some reserved to roll out the dough in. You can add some more almond milk into the mixture a little at a time if it is too thick. If you are using a mixer you can beat the dough at a high speed for a short period of time. Once all of the ingredients have been combined it is time to knead your dough. This is fabulous fun. Enjoy this moment. I find spicy things are better when you reflect on things which you are passionate for. Your dough should be elastic and formed into a ball. Take a bit of coconut oil and grease the inside of your mixing bowl and let the dough rise for an hour or so. It should be somewhere warm. I cover the mixing bowl with a wet towel so that it doesn't dry out.

Once your dough has risen you've got another fun opportunity to meditate with food! You get to punch your dough down and and flatten it. You could use this time to let go of any anger or frustration or focus your attention on becoming strong and charging the dough with powerful force.

Be sure that the area you are working on has been well floured. After you've beat your dough a bit cover it and let it sit for about fifteen more minutes.

Roll your dough out but not too thin... you can cut your dough with a round cutter to make a biscuit shape or you can just tear the dough and roll little dough balls. I prefer to roll them into balls rather than rolling the dough and cutting it! It is great fun.

Next you should put the rolls onto a baking sheet, I grease mine with coconut oil first. Leave them be for about fifteen minutes before you bake them.





To make these rolls ''cheddar'' combine melted soy-free earth balance with nutritional yeast flakes until you get the desired 'cheesy' flavor. The baste should be thick enough to create a nice coating on the rolls. I brush them a few times during the baking process. The oven should be pre-heated to 375. Bake for about 15 minutes - keeping an eye on them towards the end. Remove them when they are golden.

As you baste you can channel the 'cheesy' delight of laughter at silly jokes... think of the cheesiest things you can. It is easy to be guarded to become cynical and often in life there are moments that we tend to diminish because they are ''cheesy'' - romantic gestures, loving statements - open your heart and melt as the butter does......


Makes approximately 15  rolls.prep time: 2 hours.cook time 15 minutes

Meatless meatballs:

Marinade
1 tbsp vegan worcestire
1 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp braggs amino acids
1/4 cup organic no sugar added catsup
1/2 cup water



Marinade your meatballs while your dough is rising. Once the dough is in the oven place them in a skillet with a bit of white wine and continuously toss the balls every few moments. After you remove the rolls from the oven put the meatballs on a low broil to give them a somewhat hard exterior. Do not broil for very long.


Chipotle Aioli Sauce

Combine veganaise with a scoop of your favorite chipotle salsa, nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice

Assemble your sliders with one glorious meatless meatball, a dash of chipotle aioli sauce and then top with fixings according to desire. We placed one spinach leaf and a little sliver of onion and tomato on ours. We served these along side of some fingerling potatoes in a white wine rosemary sage sauce and carmelized brussel sprouts.




Friday, December 2, 2011

Pumpkin Coconut Tiramisu

I saw a link on Vegan Coloradocal for Vegan Pumpkin Tiramisu by Chef Chloe and was thoroughly inspired. The following recipe is my adaptation.

Ingredients

CAKE:
 1 bag of Classic Vanilla Cake Mix
 (1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup water, Ener-G egg replacer for 3 eggs )
I doubled the water as the mix was too thick for my liking


PUMPKIN FILLING: 
1 Pie Pumpkin - should yield - 10 oz pumpkin
2 tbsp soy-free Earth Balance
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp Agar-Agar
1/4 cup So Delicious Nog (Coconut Milk)


ESPRESSO LIQUEUR:
5 tbsp instant organic espresso
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup amaretto
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water
1/4 Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate Chocolate Bar
1/2 Crystalized Ginger in Dark Chocolate Bar



Preheat your oven to 375.
Put a bit of water in the bottom of a baking dish.
Cut pie pumpkin in half and smear 1 tbsp of earth balance on each half.
Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and place the halves face down in baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour.



While the pumpkin bakes prepare cake mix and bake in non-stick cake pan.
While cake is baking prepare the espresso liqueur soak

Bring water to a boil and dissolve espresso and the sugar in the boiling water.
Stir constantly. Let the mixture boil for several minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from the stove and let the mixture cool and thicken further.
Once the mixture has cooled and thickened stir in the amaretto and the rum.
Pour most of the mixture into the bottom of the cake pan, saving some to pour over the top of the cake later.
Use a cheese grater to shave the chocolate bars into a bowl. Once mixed together place half of the chocolate on top of the espresso soak in the pan. Save the rest of the chocolate for later. Place the cake back in the pan on top of the espresso soak. Place cake in warm oven (the oven should still be warm from use earlier - do not 'cook' the cake again, just warm it in the oven)

Pumpkin Filling




Yum! Macaroons!
Scoop all of the pumpkin into a blender with nog and the bag of Hail Merry's Raw Vegan Macaroons and puree.
On the stove bring the water to a boil and stir in agar-agar. Turn the heat down and let simmer for five minutes. Let cool for five minutes and combine with pumpkin mixture. Place in the refridgerator to set about 1 hour.












When pumpkin mixture is set, cut the cake into squares. Sprinkle reserved chocolate over half of the cake. Layer pumpkin mixture on top of the chocolate and place naked cake on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve!



We created this to serve at dinner with my Father for Thankgiving. Don't forget that the state of mind that you are in is an important ingredient. I highly recommend adding a heart full of gratitude to this recipe. It tastes delicious.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Sushi and Herbed Cream Cheese

I was craving some fresh herbs. I was craving sushi.

So I gathered some organic fresh herbs, vegetables and some tofutti cream cheese and went to town.


















 I began the evening with chopping the fresh herbs. The aroma of sage and rosemary and thyme inspired a bit of Simon and a bit of Garfunkle... and I found myself longing for parsley.... but I was glad that I chose basil instead.

I sprinkled chopped red pepper on the cream cheese and a dash of garlic powder and sea salt as well. After a bit of whipping.......




For this roll I soaked slivers of daikon for several hours in a mixture of lemon juice, umeboshi plum vinegar, braggs aminos, sriracha and a bit of mirin. I sliced the delightful rainbow carrots you see pictured above and placed them inside as well. I also added a sliver of cucumber and some of my fresh herbed cream cheese.


I am a yogaholic.... so Im a fan of stretching beyond your comfort zone. I have tried to experiment with a variety of different ways to fill my sushi rolls beyond rice. This roll was a result of that experimentation. What I do to create this roll is boil a few beets with a bit of miso in the water until they are nice and soft and ready to mash. I drain the water and then let the beets 'air' dry with a bit of sprinkled oregano. While the beets rest a bit before the next part of their journey I bake a sweet potato with basil and sea salt and a few teaspoons of a sauce "Steviyaki" I purchase at a local restaurant called Tokyo Joes. It is a teriyaki sauce made with stevia and is one of my favorite condiments.

When the sweet potato is soft and mashable I mix the beets with a tiny bit of potato for the perfect consistency to fill the sushi roll. I place the beet mash in the same position that rice would go in the roll. For the filling of this roll I used avacado, mango, green onion sweet potato and sesame seeds.

Unfortunately I did not get any great pictures this time around of the beet sushi rolls.... but I make them regularly - so one day soon I will post an update of the picture. I had a disaster that involved a hungry cat that jumped up and smashed the roll to pieces before it had been cut....so I improvised to recreate another roll from the leftover similar ingredients - but alas, while it tasted delicious. It was not a pretty sight.


This roll was nice n hot. I sprinkled some dried thai chili seasoning over the rice and added jalapeno, mango, avacado, some krispy gardein strips and instead of  herbed cream cheese some hickory smoked 'we can't say its cheese' spread. I finished it off with a good strong squeee or two of 'Ass Reaper' hot sauce.








Monday, August 1, 2011

Sweet and Spicy Black Bean and Lime No-Meatballs

These no-meatballs were bold. I started dreaming about this recipe weeks ago when I began trying to plan the menu for our November wedding. I decided to experiment with making a sauce for the no-meatballs we are planning to serve at our wedding. They turned out perfectly! They could be served as a main course or an appetizer. They are versatile!


They would go splendidly over a bed of yellow saffron rice.


Ingredients:


 1 bag of No Meatballs:
I prefer Nate's Savory Mushroom. Im a fan. Of the mushroom. Love the flavor...and of Nate's GREAT company! They also confirmed they use non-gmo soy!
1 Shallot
1 tbsp Organic chopped garlic
Evoo - enough to coat the pan





Sauce:

1/4 box of organic vegan refried beans
2 tbsp chili seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 jar Crofters Black Currant jelly
3 tsp Braggs Amino Acids or tamari
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 mushroom bullion
1/2 cup Coyote Trail salsa









For the 'stock' of the sauce I chopped the bunch of green onions up in a fine mince. I placed the minced onions in just enough water so that they could float around. I turned the water on low and let it simmer until there was a rich aroma and the onions were soft and clear and had created a broth. I added the half of a mushroom bullion to the water and stirred it until it was dissolved. With an immersion blender I pureed the onions. Then I added 1 and a half cups of water and the box of black beans, and the rest of the ingredients. I turned the pot on low and let it simmer until the sauce had grown thick.

While the sauce simmered......

I threw the shallot and the garlic and evoo in a skillet and let the garlic brown and the shallot turn clear. When the pan was prepared with the perfect sizzle I tossed the bag of no-meatballs in and rolled them around until they turned a golden brown.


Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the finished meatballs right now - technical difficulties... but I will try to get them uploaded eventually. Instead... please accept this picture of a satisfied taste tester.








~ note ~ As with all of my recipes any measurement is a guestimate - so please experiment to find your perfect flavor and consistency.

I did play around with the thickness and amount of water in the sauce... so you may want to add the bean mix and add water slowly....... as you want a thick jelly like substance for this sauce.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Creamed Green Chile Quinoa

Delightfuly easy. Hearty and Flavorful.


I know... you're starving now and surviving off of rice cakes because it has been so long since I have posted any recipes! Oh I am so very sorry! I've been a little bit on the lazy side with cooking since the childrens are on vaca in FL.... and I have also been experiencing technical difficulties with my camera phone - and I really should be more motivated to shoot some pictures of my cooking with my beautiful Nikon camera that my Lover gave me..... but as I said just a moment ago - I've been rather lazy. It's been a lazy Spring folks. Apologies!



So on to the quinoa. You know how I feel about Quinoa. This glorious grain is just an essential ingredient in the vegan diet! Complete protein folks.






Ingredients:



~ mixture of peppers: Pasilla, Poblano, Jalapeno and Thai Chiles
~ 2 yellow bell peppers
~ 2 tsp liquid smoke
~ dash of smoked sweet paprika
~ dash of cayenne
~ 1 tbsp dried red chile flakes
~ 3 green onions chopped
~ 1 stalk of celery
~1 bunch of fresh basil
~ Vegan Sour Cream
~ Vegan bouillon
~1 tsp chopped garlic
~1 tbsp vegan butter
~Quinoa





Once again - the measurements of this recipe will be guestimated. I encourage you to start slowly and add ingredients until you've found the perfect flavor for you.






I prepared this dish by placing several hot green chiles (my Lover would say - there is no such thing as a 'hot' GREEN chile....) and two wimpy yellow ones on my cutting board chopping them to bits while I cackled...... I scooped the entire contents of my chopping block into a sauce pan - including the seeds. Seeds really do give any pepper dish more heat and a developed complex flavor. I highly recommend keeping those seeds around. I added chopped green onion, 1 tbsp of vegan butter, and a tsp of chopped garlic. I turned the peppers on a medium heat to brown them and soften them a bit.

While the peppers were heating up I chopped up some celery as well as some fresh basil. I put some water on to boil (I would guestimate about 4 cups) Once the water was boiling I tossed a boullion cube and the 2 cups of Quinoa into the water and let it boil with the lid off for about 5 minutes before turning it down to simmer.


I returned to my hot pot of peppers and took it from the stove to cool a bit. After it had cooled slightly I put all of the peppers into the food processor and turned it mostly to puree with a few 'chunks' left in it.


Then when the Quinoa had thoroughly cooked I added the peppers and continued to cook it until the consistency was thick. About 5 minutes before I was done cooking this pot of chile I put in the chopped basil and the chopped celery and stirred in half a tub of vegan sour cream......



Voila!




Is so good. Is really good. Is really good for real.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Coconut Walnut Shrimp and Carrot Ginger Rawsghetti










Deliciousness!!! So easy to make as well.



I apologize for the lack of measurements - this recipe was all about taste, smell and intuition. So trust yourself and I encourage you to find your inner chef voice!



The vegan condensed milk was a pleasure to create. I was worried.... but it turned out to be delightful.






I found this lovely product at whole foods which I added to water with a bit of coconut crystals for sweetness, although it probably did not require much sweetener. The coconut crystals are a sugar alternative and they are naturally low on the glycemic index which is great for weight control and maintaining glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes.




I would guestimate that I started with 2 cups of water and reduced the liquid to about half its original volume. I squeezed half of the bag of the coconut into the water just as it reached the boiling point and then turned it down to simmer and reduce. I added a splash of sesame oil and a tablespoon of Braggs. When I was happy with the texture - which should be THICK! Think... just a little thinner than condensed milk consistency. I slipped it into the refridgerator while I made the rest of the dish. The milk definitely thickened up when placed in the fridge.






Bake the Vegan Shrimp/Calamari according to directions.



While they are baking you can make the Rawsghetti and puree your walnuts.



Add about 1/2 cup of walnuts to your food processor and puree. Set aside.






Rawsghetti Noodles:


Daikon and Golden Delicious apples.


Spiralize the daikon and the apples. Our Daikon made the longest noodles!




My Father was intent on having my dog learn how to jump rope with one..... she just stared at us like we were crazy. No jumping daikon noodles was accomplished.


Spiralizing is a great deal of fun. Just look at how beautiful this apple looks... like art~!




I like my noodles crips crunch and raw - but some people prefer a consistency closer to a cooked pasta. If you would like to get a little closer to this consistency you can soak your veggie noodles in some warm water (I suggest flavoring the water with miso)








Rawsghetti Sauce:



Combine the following to your liking

(I suggest more carrots than other ingredients








Carrots

Fresh English Peas

WOW what a flavor

Mirin

Rice Vinegar

Umeboshi Plum Vinegar

Ginger

Braggs or Tamari

Slightly warmed coconut oil
just at the melting point where the oil is still slightly light in color and not see through

spring onion

celery

miso
ensure your miso is JUST miso and doesnt contain bonito or dashi
(this is a fish base that is quite common in miso)


Combine above ingredients in a food processor and run until pureed. Voila! Delicious raw and healthy!


Now that you are about ready to dish everything out and serve it up - go ahead and pull out the 'condensed milk'. Stir in your walnut puree and spoon it over your calamari and shrimp. Top with a few chopped walnuts.




Friday, May 6, 2011

Vegan Tikki Masala Socca 'Pizza' with Carmelized Curried Apples and Shallots













This was such an amazing dinner! It turned out to be quite delicious. Even my carnivore husband who was dreading the meal (after he heard the word apples combined with pizza) - said how wonderful it was.......


The entire kitchen filled with the aroma of the tikki masala sauce. There is a warmth in the air the richness of the scent was delightful.


I was very excited to try the recipe because Tofu Tikki Masala is one of my all time favorite dishes! I used to visit this Tibetan restaurant that made amazing Tikki Masala... but alas - authentic Tikki Masala has a great deal of cream.


Socca is so versatile. You can do just about anything with it... make wraps, make crisps... make a pizza! The flavor of the socca is sprouted grain earthy and goes well with just about anything you can imagine... you can go incredibly creative or just keep it simple. I want to try socca dessert crisps next!


For the socca - you do need some time to let the batter sit. It creates the perfect opportunity for you to take some space and silence in your busy schedule. Sit with your socca batter. If you do not wish to meditate in loving kindness or to sit in peaceful awareness I recommend reading a poem to your socca batter. The recommended time for sitting is 2 hours, but the longer it sits the better the flavor...... so perhaps you could set your batter near a speaker and play a nice symphony to it. Invest yourself in this creation and BE with your batter. At least for a nice pause.... you don't have to sit with your batter for 6 hours straight ;)


Socca

2 cups chickpea flour

3 teaspoons sea salt

3 tbsp EVOO

4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tbsp freshly chopped basil leaves

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional)

1 spring onion chopped and crushed

2 cups water

a few tablespoons of Earth Balance soy free butter - or vegan butter


In a bowl combine your dry ingredients and slowly whisk in warm water until all of the lumps have dissolved. Stir in 3 tablespoons EVOO. Then set your bowl to rest for at least 2 hours. You can let socca sit for up to 12 hours.....Your batter should be runny and slightly less thick than pancake batter. Just before you cook the socca add the onion and basil to the batter.


When you have spent enough time saturating your batter with Love and you believe your batter is ready to be transformed into socca......put your oven on 475 and place a delightfully seasoned cast-iron skillet in the oven or you can use a pizza pan or round pan - Let the oven heat the pan for at least 15 minutes before you open the door. be sure to oil the pan well with a high temperature oil and set back into the oven for a couple of minutes before pouring the batter.



Pour your batter into the pan and bake it for approximately 15 minutes or until the pizza crust is firm. In a seperate pan melt a wee bit of Earth Balance soy free butter - or vegan butter - just enough to brush over the top of the crust. Set your broiler on high and place the crust back in the oven. Broiling is dangerous business and takes concentration and attention. Be sure to keep an eye on your socca pizza crust as to not burn the crust! Just let it brown a bit....



Tikki Masala

{Please understand that these measurements were not exact... when creating the sauce I just sort of combined, smelled tasted it to perfection - so play around with your flavor}

1/2 lb of cashews

1/2 box of garden tomato soup
2 garlic cloves minced

cumin

coriander

ground cardamom

paprika

a dash of cloves

garam masala

1 small can (or half an 8oz can) of lite organic coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh english peas

for a creamier sauce you can add a bit of tofutti cream cheese



In a saucepan combine all of the above listed ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Once the cashews have cooked a bit use an immersion blender to grind pease and cashews into a delicious pulp. Test your sauce and bulk it up with tomato sauce if it needs to be heartier or add more spices if it is bland.




Toppings!



tempeh sausage

carmelized curry apples

Manzanilla (a green olive) slices

shallots and

mozzerella style daiya (Im not a huge daiya fan, but everyone in my family loves it.... I prefer to make my own "cheese" but for the sake of time I went with the daiya)



Carmelized Curry Apples and Shallots

You will get no attempts at measurements or time here... just sheer guidance on how to intuitively create this delish topping.



In a skillet warm some vegan butter

While it heats - slice as thinly as possible some green granny smith or a more sour type apple and shallots.

Throw the thin slices in the pan and cook until brown and soft..

splash in some braggs

some curry powder

a dash of agave (optional)




Dress your socca pizza and pop it in the oven on broil again..... just to melt the daiya and heat the ingredients evenly.


Cut and serve!