Vegetarian (or vegan) Cheeseburger Macaroni

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BBQ Tempeh —or— Mock Ribs, Not Fooling Anyone but Still Delish

 

Let’s face it, people lose their ish if you call non-meat items by their meat name, so I’m not going to pretend that your omnivore friends are gonna eat these and be all, “OMG I can’t believe these aren’t animal body parts!” They’re gonna know! But let’s also face this fact… cover most anything edible in sticky, sweet sauce and it’s probably going to taste good! So this is really for those of us who want a plant-based alternative and don’t want to buy expensive mock meats from the freezer section!

Tempeh is a good source of protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium!

Serves 2 generous portions (or 3 modest. Y’all know what a block of tempeh looks like!)

Ingredients:

• One 8 oz pack of tempeh
• 2-4 cups plain ‘ol water
• 2-3 tsp no-beef bullion (my fav is Better Than Bullion No Beef), measured to how much water your use
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also use liquid smoke)
• 1/3 to1/2 cup of your fav BBQ sauce
• Apple cider vinegar, a splash, if desired

Method:

First you’re going to simmer your tempeh to help remove the bitter aftertaste it tends to have. Cut the tempeh rectangle into two equal square halves and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover by about 1/2 inch. The amount of water will be based on the size/depth of your pot. Bring to a simmer and add your bullion based on how much water you used (bullion cubes are usually half a cube to every cup of water, whereas Better Than Billion paste is 1 tsp per cup.) Add the 3 spices to the water and simmer the tempeh for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

While the tempeh is simmering, pour about 1/3 cup BBQ sauce onto a small bowl and mix with a splash of apple cider vinegar, if desired. I find the extra vinegar tasty and it also thins out 5e sauce a little so you can brush it on the tempeh easier. This is completely optional.

When the 15 minutes is up, turn off the heat and you can now let your tempeh sit on the marinade for as long as you like while it cools and you prep the rest of your meal. You could even cover it and refrigerate overnight.

When ready, slice the tempeh squares into strips, about 6 per square. Lay the tempeh strips onto a parchment-lined air fryer tray and brush the tops and sides with the BBQ sauce. Cook at 350 for 10 minutes. Flip the tempeh and brush the other side what sauce and cook another 5 mins. If you like extra sauce like I do, mix up more as needed.

We like to serve this with two sides like Mac and cheese, steamed broccoli, baked beans, slaw, or potato salad.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes That Aren’t Gross

I can’t believe it’s been over two years since I’ve posted on this blog! It started as an experiment with a 30 day vegan challenge and now 17 years later, I’m still vegetarian and want to continue my dedication to a food blog that doesn’t take you through 15 pages of pictures, steps, and life stories in order to get to the recipe.

So to get right to the point, I wanted some higher protein options for breakfast, and I was tired of processed frozen foods, yogurt, oatmeal, and cereal. This recipe has been modified from several other recipes I found on the web. I wanted a protein pancake that didn’t taste chalky, dry, and well, like protein powder! Of course you do need to actually lined to like the powder that you use in this recipe. I used Garden of Life‘s chocolate protein powder. My wife says these taste like chocolate chip cookies!

Makes 6 pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons of Stevia
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, plus a couple splashes more if needed
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (Lemon juice or white vinegar work fine too)
• 3 Tablespoons chocolate chips

Method:

Mix the soy milk, vanilla, and vinegar together and let’s set aside for a couple minutes to curdle. This is our vegan buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together well with a whisk.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a large whisk or fork. Protein powder tends to absorb a lot of liquid and clump up easily, so mix the ingredients gently so you don’t overwork the flour. If needed, add a splash or two of milk until the batter is thick, but mixable. I like to use my whisk to sort of mash out the little clumps of protein powder, pressing the whisk down into the batter, and gently shaking it. Your batter will be somewhat lumpy, but you just don’t want any big clumps of protein powder in there.

Let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This will give you full of your pancakes. You will probably start to see you little air bubbles forming in the batter if you haven’t over mixed it, which is a good sign!

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat or a griddle to 350°. Use 1/4 cup, measuring scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the batter and poor onto your griddle. You should get six equal-sized pancakes. As soon as you scoop the batter onto the griddle, go ahead and drop 5 to 6 chocolate chips onto each one and press them down a little with your finger. Cook the pancakes for three minutes, or until you see air bubbles forming on the surface, and then flip over and cook for another three minutes on the other side.

I like to serve these with real, warm maple syrup and sliced strawberries or bananas.

Each pancake has 220 calories and 7.7 grams protein.

Vegan Brunswick Stew

My grandmother used to make the most amazing Brunswick stew with fresh veggies from her garden and BBQ from a local restaurant. After I went vegan, I had a favorite recipe I liked to use from a blog that has since vanished, so I had to come up with my own as I didn’t like the others that are out there as much. Most call for way too much sugar and BBQ sauce or for veggies that aren’t part of my Brunswick stew memories.

I would like to experiment with jackfruit instead of hearts of palm one day, but jackfruit is much harder to find where I live. I imagine you could just swap them out one for one.

Ingredients:
2 cans hearts of palm (I have made this with 1 can before, as these can be a bit pricey)
1 cup corn kernels (I like shoepeg, but any type will do)
1 1/4 cup frozen lima beans
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
15oz can tomato sauce
1 medium russet potato, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or vegan Worcestershire
2 Tablespoons molasses
3 cups water + your favorite bullion for that amount of water (I used 2 teaspoons “no chicken” + 1 teaspoon “no beef” from the Better than Bullion brand, which is my absolute favorite and packs so much flavor!)
1/2 teaspoon pork rub spice mix (totally optional, but I had a jar on hand I got for free at a local spice store… don’t worry, the spice mix is vegan!)

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and drizzle a little oil in the bottom. Sauté the onion and celery for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add the rest of your ingredients and cover the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. (If you use baby limas, look at the back of the bag and you may can reduce the cook time by half if you’re in a hurry.)

Taste for salt and pepper. I didn’t have to use any additional salt as the bullion, soy sauce, and spice mix were enough). Serve with cornbread or crackers.

Cranberry Maple Pecan Granola

This granola is very versatile. Feel free to swap out the fruit, nuts, seeds, and even spices for what you have or prefer. For example, I think a little dried ginger and nutmeg would be good for the fall and winter. You can use raisins, blueberries, cherries, or whatever dried fruit you have. Swap out the pecans for almonds, cashews, walnuts, or whatever your favorite nut is. Swap out the hemp for flax… you get the idea! 🙂

Makes about six 1/2 cup servings

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup reduced fat, unsweetened coconut flakes
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tablespoons smooth almond butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoons dried cranberries
2 Tablespoon hemp hearts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally and mashing up the almond butter with the back of a spoon, until the coconut oil is melted and the almond butter is soft and smooth.

Combine oats, coconut, salt, and pecans in a medium mixing bowl. (Set the cranberries and hemp hearts aside to add after baking.) Pour the warm maple syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

Spread in a single layer onto your cookie sheet and bake 35 minutes, stirring every 10. Now add the dried fruit and hemp seeds and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

This makes 1 9×9 pan, about 5 servings if you’re hungry  (6 if you’re not that hungry) 🙂

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but since you can do some tasks while others are cooking (or even make some of this ahead of time), it’s really not that big of a deal.  I’ll explain how to minimize your time by multi-tasking in the instructions below.

Ingredients:

6 gluten free lasagna noodle sheets (I use the Explore Cuisine Organic Green Lentil Lasagna ones)
1 recipe for tofu ricotta (follows)
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed (squeeze all the liquid out!)
8oz sliced mushrooms
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups vegan mozzarella shreds
1 recipe vegan parmesan (follows)
24 oz jar store-bought marinara sauce (because it’s one less thing to make yourself!)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Get a pot of water boiling to cook your pasta.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a little oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the spinach and heat just a couple of minutes until warm.  Your water should be boiling for your pasta now, so get that going.

While the pasta is cooking, go ahead and make the tofu ricotta and vegan parmesan (you can also make these a couple of days in advance).

When everything is ready, spoon a small amount of the marinara into the bottom of your 9×9 pan, just so you have a thin layer of sauce in the bottom.  Add a layer of lasagna noodles (3 noodles, unless you have the longer style noodle, in which case you can cut them to fit and use the “scraps” to form another layer).

Add a half of your tofu ricotta mixture, then half of your spinach/mushroom mixture,half of your parmesan and mozzarella, then a layer of sauce.  Repeat the layers once more, ending with the final sauce and cheese layer on top.

Bake 40 minutes and then let cool at least 10 before slicing.

Tofu Ricotta

14oz block extra firm tofu
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon white miso
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons dried parsley

Drain the tofu and use your hands to crumble it into a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Vegan Parmesean (from Minimalistbaker.com)
¾ cup raw cashews
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Put everything in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground.

Healing Lentil Lemon Soup

So most people think “chicken soup” when they are sick, especially with a cold or the flu.  I don’t think the chicken or the noodles have anything to do with, at least from what I’ve read!  I’m no doctor, but I think its probably the veggies, garlic, onion, and hot liquid, which opens up your sinuses, soothes your throat, and keeps you hydrated.

Regardless,  we vegans and vegetarians need something warm, hydrating, and healing when we are sick and I’m willing to bet this soup is a lot more beneficial to your body than dead meat, bleached-flour white noodles, tons of sodium, and oil.  🙂

This is one of my favorite soups, whether I’m well or not, and it has tons of healing properties!

Garlic – Tons of health benefits!  In addition to its antibacterial and antiviral properties, it boosts your immune system, reduces cold symptoms, and has disease-fighting antioxidants!

Onions – Onions contain phytochemicals, as well as Vitamin C, so they help improve immunity.  They also blast free radicals in your body, reduce inflammation, and heal infections.

Kale – A true superfood, kale is extremely high in Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-cancer nutrients.  It’s also anti-inflammatory,  great at detoxifying your body, and provides cardiovascular support.

Lemons – High in Vitamin C, alkalizing, antibacterial, and anti-cancer.

 

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced  (or one giant “elephant garlic” clove)
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 bunch of kale, stemmed and chopped (about 3 cups, packed)
1 cup brown lentils
4 teaspoons Better Than Bullion No Chicken Base
5 cups water
juice of 2 lemons (2-4 Tablespoons, depending on how much you love lemon)
salt + pepper to taste

How To:
Saute onions, celery, carrots, and garlic over medium heat with a little oil or water for about 5 minutes.

Add the remain ingredients, except the lemon and kale.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and kale and simmer another 5 minutes.

Simple.  Easy.  Healing.  Delicious.  Feel better soon! 🙂

 

 

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

P.F. Chang’s is one of my favorite restaurants and I love their vegetarian lettuce wraps (Ma Po Tofu is also awesome)!  However, I know when I go there that I’m consuming way more sodium and fat than my RDA.  The lettuce wraps have 2,390 mg sodium and 21 g fat!

I decided I wanted to make a healthier version at home that I could feel better about eating.  This also has lots more veggies, which you can feel free to add or omit according to what you have.  My wife and I love this recipe, which I’ve adapted from others I’ve found online, and it makes enough for us to both have dinner and then lunch the next day too.

What you’ll need for the sauce:

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon agave
2 teaspoons white miso paste
3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon freshly ginger, peeled and grated

For the filling:

1 Tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
12 oz  extra firm tofu
8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
8-oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely diced (or use the large grate side of a box grater)
pinch red pepper flakes, if desired

10-12 Large leaves from a head of romaine, green leaf lettuce, or (if you must) ice berg lettuce

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and set a heavy pot or iron skillet on top for about 5 minutes or so.  You can leave it longer, while you chop up all the veggies.  You want to get as much liquid out of the tofu as you can.

Once you’ve got everything ready, heat a large wok or skillet over medium heat with the oil.  Break the tofu into chunks with your hands and then crumble each chunk into the pan (think tofu scramble).  Go ahead and add the onions and bell pepper too since they take longer to cook.  Cook this mixture, stirring occasionally and breaking up any larger chunks of tofu with your spatula, for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and carrots and cook another 5 minutes.

Finally, add the red pepper flakes (if using), the sauce mixture, and the green onions and heat through another 3 minutes or so.

Serve by filling each lettuce leaf with around 1/4 cup filling, depending on how big your lettuce is.  I typically just place the bowl of filling and a separate bowl with lettuce leaves in the middle of the table and we stuff and eat them one at a time.

Beefless Veggie Stew

It’s finally starting to get cold this Christmas season.  We had a terrible drought that lasted most of Autumn and the much-needed rain has brought the chilly weather in with it.  It’s cold and dark when I get home from work now, so I love meals like a bowl of hot soup that come together in no time!  With prep, dinner is ready in less than half an hour!

I cannot say enough positive things about the flavors that the Better Than Bullion brand brings to soups, stews, and gravies.  I use their “No Chicken Base” most of the time, but their “No Beef Base” has a deeper flavor, like beef broth, for recipes like this.  It is essential to getting that good beef-like flavor here.  It’s also great in gravy and in vegan French onion soup!

Makes 5 good, fill-you-up servings!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 large portabella mushroom caps, cubed into ¾” inch pieces
2 pounds potatoes, diced into ¾” pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
2 tablespoons Better Than Bullion No-Beef Base
¼ cup tomato paste
black pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a large soup pot, cook the onions, celery, and carrots over medium heat in a little olive oil for 3 minutes.  Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Using a ladle, spoon out some of the broth into a soup bowl and whisk in the flour.  Whisk that back into the bot and let simmer another 2-3 minutes until the soup has thickened up a little.  Now you can serve!

New Blog!

Hi all,

While I’m not abandoning this blog in any fashion whatsoever, I wanted to let you know that I have a new blog, dedicated to blender recipes that take around 30 seconds each.  I hope that you will follow this new blog at http://veganwithavitamix.wordpress.com as I will be posting delicious, healthy recipes for busy folks like myself. The new blog has just been started, so there isn’t much to see at the moment, but I will be posting there more often since it’s dedicated to quick, easy recipes.

❤ Lauren