Southwestern Skillet

I've never actually had a traditional Southwestern skillet before, vegan or otherwise. I'm not a huge fan of spicy foods, Tex-Mex-style food, and I never ate eggs prior to being vegan. My friends wanted to try and make this for a brunch, so behold the Southwestern Skillet.

Southwestern Skillet

* Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for potatoes):

• 5-6 red potatoes, cleaned and cubed
• 1/2 medium red pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium green pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp parley
• salt & pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to coat entire bottom of skillet

* Ingredients (for scramble):

• 1 package (16 oz.) firm tofu, water pressed out
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded*
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 medium tomato, diced

* Ingredients (for sausage):

• 1 box (8 oz.) vegan sausage crumbles*
• 1 tbsp olive oil

* Recipe (for potatoes):

1. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, and peppers, and sautee for 1 minute.
2. Add potatoes and seasonings. Cook until brown and tender.

* Recipe (for scramble):

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Sautee onions until soft.
2. Add garlic, crumble tofu into skillet, and add spices.
3. Slightly brown tofu and add diced tomatoes. Sautree for 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked.
4. Top with cheese and cover with lid to melt.

* Recipe (for sausage):

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the sausage crumbles with olive oil and cook until brown.

* Recipe (for assembly):

1. Assemble by layering potatoes on the bottom of a plate then the sausage and "scrambled egg" and cheese.
2. Top with salsa and chili peppers if you like spice. Serve with a side of toast. Perfect for brunch for two or as hangover food!

* Note: For cheese, I used Daiya cheddar shreds. One could shred other brands by hand. The sausage crumbles were Upton's Natural's brand that I chopped up fine. One could use Boca crumbles, Yves, or Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage in replacement. Lastly, feel free to add some veggie bacon to this too such as Yves Canadian Bacon or Lightlife Smart Bacon.  

Meatout 2011: Chick'n Bacon Ranch Sandwich & Greek Salad

 
Meatout is a worldwide event run by FARM that takes place yearly. From their website, "On (or around) March 20, thousands of caring people in all 50 U.S. states and two dozen other countries get active to host educational events for Meatout- the world's largest grassroots diet education campaign. Activists distribute free food, educate their communities, and ask their friends, families, and neighbors to "kick the meat habit” and explore a wholesome, compassionate diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains." 


As a part of the activism for Meatout, they have asked me and many other bloggers to hold an e-event by posting a special recipe on their blog today, March 20th. In honor of this, I decided to make a rather simple but delicious meal.


Chick'n Bacon Ranch Sandwich

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Ingredients (for sandwich):

• 1 Gardein Chickn Scallopini patty*
• 2 slices of Lightlife veggie bacon*
• 1 romaine lettuce leaf
• 1 slice of vegan cheese*
• 1/4 of avocado, sliced
• 1 bun*
• 1 tbsp vegan ranch (or to taste)

* Ingredients (for ranch):

• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise*
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or to taste)*
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp garlic red wine vinegar

* Recipe (for ranch):

1. Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

* Recipe (for sandwich):

1. In a small skillet, fry the chick'n patty until golden brown on each side.
2. In the same skillet, fry up two slices of veggie bacon until slightly crispy on each side.
3. Again in the skillet, toast the insides of a sliced roll until crispy.
4. Construct the sandwich by bottom bun, lettuce, chick'n, bacon, and cheese. Microwave the sandwich so the cheese melts. Add the avocado and ranch. Top with the remaining half of the bun.

* Note: Gardein is a great all vegan product that can be found in most grocery stores now. I used the Chick'n Scallopini because I wanted to have a "chick'n breast" on my sandwich. One could also have used a Boca chickn patty or another brand. Lightlife makes a vegan bacon that is pretty good. Again, one can find it in many grocery stores. For cheese, I used a local brand of vegan Muenster. The company is called Ste Martaen and they have a great line of cashew cheeses here in Chicago. They also happen to co-run the vegan food truck which is awesome! The bun I used was a ciabatta bun, but feel free to use a hoagie roll or something else. For vegan mayonnaise, I prefer Vegenaise over other brands. Their dressing mayonnaise works so well to make ranch. Lastly, for the milk, feel free to use any non-dairy milk.


Greek Salad

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: n/a
* Ingredients (for salad):

• 1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup black olives
• 1/3 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium vine tomato, chopped
• 1/3 large cucumber, chopped
• 2 tbsp soy feta*

* Ingredients (for dressing):

• 4-5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, juice squeezed
• 2 tbsp garlic red wine vinegar

* Recipe (for salad):

1. Chop all the vegetables and combine well in a bowl. Take half the vegetables and place in one bowl, the other half in another bowl.
2. Top with 1 tbsp soy feta on each bowl.
3. Lastly, add the salad dressing to each bowl.

* Recipe (for dressing):

1. Combine the oregano, salt, pepper, lemon, and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive until combined.

* Note: For soy feta, I used Sunergia Soyfoods brand. It's pretty good. Feel free to skip this part if you don't want to order it.

Potato Skins

Okay, so these might have been better for my Super Bowl post, but still good! They take a bit of time to make, but you can't resist the taste.

Potato Skins

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

* Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

* Ingredients:

• 6 medium to large russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan bacon, chopped*
• 3/4 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded*
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• salt and pepper, to taste

 * Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Clean potatoes and wrap in foil.
3. Bake potatoes in oven for one hour.
4. After one hour, remove from oven and open foil to vent.
5. Once cool to touch, slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the center leaving about a quarter of an inch of skin and potato.
6. Turn up oven to 450 degrees.
7. Brush inside and outside of potatoes with oil.
8. Place potatoes scoop side down in a baking pan or baking sheet with a wire rack so the potatoes have a place to drip the oil.
9. Bake for ten minutes.
10. While baking, fry the bacon until crisp.
11. Flip the potatoes over so the skin side is down. Bake for ten more minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top each with bacon and cheese. Broil until cheese has melted.
13. Mix the sour cream with the majority of the chives. Reserve about a tablespoon to top later.
14. Top with sour cream mixture, the remaining chives, salt, and pepper.
15. Optional: For the scooped potato remains, one could make mashed potatoes. Check out my recipe here: My Mom's Mashed Potatoes.

* Note: For vegan bacon, I used Upton's Naturals vegan bacon. Alas, one can not buy it in stores. It is for food vendors only, though I get it through the Chicago Vegan Co-Op. One could use Lightlife brand instead. For cheddar cheese, I used Teese brand which is made by Chicago Soydairy. For those outside Chicago, one can get it online. Other brands like Follow Your Heart or Soy Kaas would do just fine. The sour cream I used was Tofutti.

Alexis' Purple Potato Gratin & Joe's Stuffed Bacon & Cheese Vegan Veggie Burgers

Alexis' Purple Potato Gratin & Joe's Stuffed Bacon & Cheese Vegan Veggie Burgers

 

* Prep Time: 1 hours
* Cook Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour
* Ingredients (for purple potato gratin)

• 6-8 purple potatoes (roughly 2 lbs)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour or wheat flour
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3-4 slices cooked faux bacon, diced*
• 2 Cups cheddar cheese, Daiya brand*
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese*
• Salt & pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for stuffed bacon & cheese vegan veggie burgers)

• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein), rehydrated with water or vegetable stock as directed by the package
• 4 large button or crimini mushrooms, diced to small bits
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (plus extra to dredge)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp arrow root
• 1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp catchup or tomato paste (to give moisture)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
• 3-4 slices vegan bacon
• Olive oil (to cook burger in frying pan)

* Recipe (for purple potato gratin):  

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Peel potatoes and cut away any bad spots and rinse of any peels or dirt from peeling.  Slice potatoes into a disc shape no more than 1/4" thick.
3. Dice the onion and leek and sautee in a skillet with the olive oil.
4. While this sautee's, toss potatoes with the flour, vegan parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to coat. Mix in the onion and leek and then cook the bacon.
5. Once the bacon is cooked, chop, add to the potato mixture and then add to a casserole dish.
6. Pour the almond milk in to the casserole dish containing the mixture.
7. Cover the potatoes in the Daiya and spread evenly.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. 
9. Remove and let cool til it is warm enough to eat.

* Recipe (for stuffed bacon & cheese vegan veggie burgers):   

1. In a skillet, prepare the bacon and set aside to cool. Once cool, chop to small pieces.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the black beans and give it a light mash to open up the beans.  Add the TVP, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, and catchup and mix well.
3. Stir in the flour, cornstarch, and arrowroot and mix as even as possible. (You wont be able to get every little piece, but just do your best.)
4. Take a large tablespoon and scoop out enough to patty flat. 
5. Add 1 tbsp or so of the Daiya and bacon.
6. Take another scoop of the burger mixture (about half as much as previously) and add to the top.
7. Patty down to enclose the "cheese" mixture.
8. Once you have finished pattying out your burger, lightly dredge in flour and add to a shallow skillet or griddle that has been lightly oil.
9. Cook until both sides are browned.   
10. If you would like to grill these burger, preheat oven to 225°F and prepare as above. Bake patties until they are firm and have lightly brown.  This will hold them together so they wont break a part and fall into the grill. Add to the grill and cook until brown to your liking.
11. Topping Suggestions: Add some slices of vegan bacon, vegan cheese, and mushrooms and onions sauteed in a little vegan butter. Top with a little mustard on a toasted Bun. Top with standard burger toppings such as lettuce, onion, pickle, vegan mayo, catchup, and mustard.
    

*Notes: For the faux bacon, I used Lightlife Smart Bacon. Daiya is a great vegan cheese brand that uses tapioca instead of soy or rice. I used Galaxy brand vegan parmesan cheese. 

This food was for a vegan BBQ at my place. I also made a pineapple upside cake and curry chikin salad on mini toasts. Those recipes came from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Vegan Table cookbook.

• Pineapple Upside Down Cake: 5/5 (so delish!) 
• Curry Chikin Salad: 4/5 (some people loved it, others weren't so keen on it)
  

Maple Faux Bacon Cupcakes

Maple Faux Bacon Cupcakes

* Prep Time: 15 minutes

* Cook Time: 15-20 minutes


* Ingredients (for maple faux bacon cupcakes):

• 4 1/2 tbsp of soy butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 egg replacer (follow box)
• 5 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup minced faux bacon, cooked according to package*

* Ingredients (for maple frosting):

• 4 tbsp soy butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• clear/white sprinkles, sprinkle to top each cupcake
• coarse grain sea salt, sprinkle to top each cupcake

* Recipe (for maple faux bacon cupcakes):

1. Cook faux bacon in a fry pan. Mince 1/3-1/2 cup, leave 5-6 pieces uncut. Break those pieces in half. Set aside.
2. Beat the soy butter, the cooking oil, and liquid smoke fat until light and creamy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat well until combined.
3. Add the egg replacer and beat until incorporated.
4. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and powder together in separate bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Combine with soy milk, mix well.
6. Fold in minced bacon and combine.
7. Scoop into cupcake papers and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

* Recipe (for maple frosting):

1. Combine butter and maple syrup until well combined.
2. Add powdered sugar until it becomes smooth.
3. Top each cupcake with a sprinkle of clear/white sprinkles, salt, and half a piece of faux bacon.

* Notes: I used Lightlife Smart Bacon.