Spinach, Basil Pesto, & Ricotta Lasagna

For ricotta, I usually use a tofu mixture. I saw Tofutti made a vegan ricotta which I'd never heard of store bought vegan ricotta before. I thought I'd make a lasagna out of it! Maybe next time I'll make a pasta. Overall, the Tofutti ricotta turned out lovely in this lasagna. I think I may prefer it over a tofu mashed ricotta mixture. It gave it a more authentic feel.

Spinach, Basil Pesto, & Ricotta Lasagna

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 hour
* Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1/2 container (5 oz.) fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto*
• 1 tub (16 oz.) vegan ricotta cheese*
• 1/3 cup vegan Parmesan* 
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
• black pepper, to taste 
• 1 jar Italian herb tomato sauce
• 1/2 - 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat 350 degrees.
2. In a big pot of boiling water, add a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil and cook 4 sheets of lasagna noodles at a time.
3. Combine the spinach, pesto, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, oregano, thyme, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, tomato sauce, and ricotta mixture. Repeat layering this way and finish the top with just a layer of noodles and tomato sauce. Bake for 35 minutes uncovered.
5. Add the mozzarella shreds to the top of lasagna and bake for another 10 minutes.

* Note: I made the pesto fresh from scratch, but you can opt use store bought. The ricotta cheese is from Tofutti. The vegan Parmesan I use is Galaxy brand. Lastly, the vegan mozzarella shreds I used was Daiya. 

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of El Nuevo Mexicano

El Nuevo Mexicano is my go-to restaurant for some vegan Latino food. Of course, there is also several other places one could go like Quesadilla Mexican Vegetarian Cuisine and La Cocina. El Nuevo has vegan menu options throughout (marked "V") and they use Daiya cheese as well as local seitan heros, Upton's Naturals (chorizo seitan and chicken variety).

For appetizers, one could start with guacamole and chips. When I went, I asked them to make vegan quesadillas for an appetizer (as they had regular on the menu and I knew they had vegan cheese) and these were good although it's a lot of Daiya. I'd recommend splitting with a friend for sure!


Entree's include:

• Enchiladas with seitan chorizo, potatos, and carrots with tomatillo salsa and topped with Daiya cheese. Side option of quinoa or white rice and beans.
• Flautas filled with veggies, seitan chorizo, and Daiya. Served with chipotle and tomatillo sauce, spring salad with mango and jimica, and white rice or quinoa.




Flautas


• Chimichangas vegano: Flour tortillas stuffed with seitan chorizo, mango, plantain, bell pepper, onions, almonds, and raisins then flash fried. Served with chipotle peach salsa and spring mix of mango and jimica. Also served with yams roasted with agave nectar and dusted with chile powder.

• Fajitas with a mixture of vegetables. Served with pico de gallo, guacamole, and tortillas. Ask for no sour cream.
• Quesadilla vegano: tortillas stuffed with veggies, seitan chorizo, Daiya cheese, mango, plantains, and pico de gallo. Served with a spring mix of mango and jimica.

Of course, there are the tasty margaritas too! Can't forget those.

The quinoa that came with the entrees was spiced like Mexican rice so it has a kick to it, be warned! I prefered the white rice instead. It is nice they offer another type of grain other than rice, though. I do like that the entree's generally come with a spring salad mixture of mango and jimica. It gives the meal some lightness to it, especially if one gets the fried entree's. The flautas were really good, although I am not a huge fan of chipotle! The other picture at the top I don't think is listed on the menu. They use Upton's Naturals chicken style seitan that is marinated and put into the mini tortillas with some vegetables. I really liked these! I just wish I could find it on their menu online. Perhaps it was a new item when I went there.

Pricing is a bit on the moderate side especially if one gets appetizers and drinks. I would prepare to pay at least $60 for a total bill of two people with appetizers, entree's, and drinks. If you want a nice Mexican dinner, though, I very much recommend El Nuevo Mexicano!

Product Review: Daiya Jack Style Wedge Cheese

Daiya, the vegan shredded cheese geniuses, came out with a new line of wedge style cheeses not too long ago. I got the jack style wedge from Vegan Essentials. Honestly, I was never a fan of jack cheeses when I ate dairy, but I thought I'd give this vegan version a try. I tried a piece raw and it had a really strong flavor that hit my tongue. I wouldn't recommend just slicing off a piece and eating it. I melted some on a Boca patty the other day for lunch and I really enjoyed that. Much better when melted. It melted really well - much, much better than some vegan cheeses tend to do. That strong flavor subdued a bit once it was melted too. Also, I freeze most of my vegan cheeses because I don't get around to using them quick enough usually, and the Daiya wedge freezes nicely just like their shredded varieties. Freezing it didn't effect its taste or melting capabilities. Overall, I'd be open to try the chedder wedge for things like sandwiches. Not sure if I would personally like the havarti style. The new wedges are nothing too ground breaking, but it's always nice to see new vegan products coming out.

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.  

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of LooseLeaf Lounge

A few months ago Mercy For Animals worked with LooseLeaf Lounge to create a new vegan menu. This cute cafe already had a great veggie sandwich, the Original Vegan (tomato focaccia, basil pesto [w/o Parmesan], artichoke hearts, black olives, cilantro, spinach, tomato, and red onions). In addition to this sandwich, they added:

• Chorizo Wrap: flour tortilla, Upton's Naturals chorizo seitan, romaine, avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic hummus and Daiya mozzarella
• Vegan Grilled Cheese: pumpernickel, romaine, buttery spread, garlic hummus, onion, tomato, and your choice of Daiya cheddar or mozzarella
• Ground Seitan: pumpernickel, Upton's Naturals ground seitan, romaine, avocado, tomato, red pepper, basil Vegenaise, and Daiya mozzarella
• Portobello: rosemary ciabatta, portobello marinated in a balasalmic & basil vinaigrette, with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and mozzarella (sub Daiya)
• Eggplant Delight: white ciabata, organic eggplant marinated in a red wine vinaigrette, with basil thyme, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Served with spinach, tomato, red onions, and mozzarella (sub Daiya).

In addition to sandwiches, LooseLeaf also has salads such as mixed greens, Asian, and hearty veggie. There are also a number of vegetarian soups, though not all are vegan. Vegan soups include miso, lentil, and hearty vegetable. 

I tried the chorizo wrap. It came with a choice of veggies or chips. I got the veggies. The wrap was pretty good. It was pressed such as a panini which toasted the wrap and melted the cheese, adding a nice touch to the ground seitan. I'm not sure the hummus was really needed, though. I didn't feel it and it didn't seem to add anything. Overall, I'd get it again, but I'd love to try a different sandwich. Will be back soon!  

Mushroom & Kale Pizza with Truffle Oil

This is a beautiful and elegant pizza. If you don't have truffle oil, you could sub this for extra virgin olive oil. I would recommend adding more exotic fresh mushrooms on this as well. I only had cremini and shiitake in my fridge, otherwise I would have!

Mushroom & Kale Pizza with Truffle Oil

* Prep Time: 50 minutes
* Cook Time: 15 minutes
* Ingredients (for dough):

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp yellow cornmeal & flour (used to dust counter to roll out dough)

* Ingredients (for topping):

• 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup dinosaur kale, chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese*
• 1 tbsp white truffle oil*
• vegan Parmesan, to taste*

* Recipe:

1. In a separate bowl, combine water, sugar, and active dry yeast to activate yeast and let sit for at least 5 minutes.  
2. In a mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix on a low setting using a bread hook. When the yeast is ready, add it to the mixer with the olive oil. Let the dough form in the mixer until it forms a uniform ball and starts to climb the bread hook. (If you do not have a mixer, then combine the dry ingredients with the bowl of yeast, kneed until smooth.)
3. Remove and let stand for about 45-50 minutes or until it doubles in size. (You want the crust to be more fluffy for your end product, so you should allow more time for the dough to rise.)
4. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
5. While dough is rising, sautee onions over medium heat in olive oil until caramelized. 
6. Stretch the dough to fit a round pizza baking pan. Lightly dust with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Make the middle dough thinner in order for the outside dough to be thicker (for thicker crust).
7. Add about half the vegan mozzarella, the caramelized onions, kale, vegan Parmesan, then mushrooms. Top with the remaining mozzarella and drizzle with truffle oil (including over crust).
8. Bake for 15 minutes.

* Note: For vegan mozzarella, I used Daiya. You could opt to leave this pizza cheese-less too if one wanted. Truffle oil is something where a little goes a long way in taste and flavor. Be sparing. You may even need to use less than what I suggested. I drizzled from the bottle. For vegan Parmesan, I used Galaxy topping.

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of Munch

Outside

Vegan Chicago is a vegan network for like-minded folks to get together and have fun on various outings like dining at restaurants or bars. I've been to a few events in the last couple years. Truthfully, big social events like that are just not my thing. I'm much more of a lone wolf, if you will. But, I saw that they were having a dine-out at a newer vegetarian restaurant in Oak Park, IL (suburb just outside Chicago) called Munch. I was excited to see this as I have been looking for an opportunity to go out there and check it out. My friend who lives in Oak Park came with and we had a great time trying several items off the menu. Here are some photos from the meetup on Vegan Chicago.

Spicy "Beef" Nachos

To begin, we had the spicy "beef" nachos made vegan. It was topped with Daiya and Upton's Naturals chorizo. It could have been a bit warmer, but there were probably 30 people at this little cafe so I don't blame them for the heat factor. It was a pretty filling appetizer so I would get again. The radishes were a bit confusing, though. I'm not sure why they were on the nachos.

Vegan Lasagna

Soup of the Day

For entree's, my friend had the vegan lasagna with the soup of the day. I had a bite of each. The soup was excellent. Perfect for a fall day. The lasagna was also very good! I would definitely get this again as it looked like a filling entree portion. I ordered the Philly "steakless" sandwich. They use Upton's Naturals gyro style seitan which one can only get wholesale through the company. I've had it before by ordering bulk and freezing with the Chicago Vegan Co-Op. I really love Upton's Naturals wholesale products (even more than the retail seitan they have). You don't see it too often in restaurants, so I was really excited to see it on Munch's menu. I'm also glad that they're supporting a local vegan company like Upton's. The sandwich was a bit salty for my taste. Again, this could be because they were rushing to fill so many orders. It was filled with Daiya and sauteed mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. The side I got was sauteed greens. These were really exceptional. I'm a bit of a dark leafy green freak (I eat raw kale salad 4-6 times a week), so I always go for the greens when I see 'em on the menu. The meal was so big, I took half the sandwich home for later. We were much too full for dessert, but the cafe offers vegan milk shakes, cookies, and brownies. 

Philly "Steakless" Sandwich

It's great to see new vegetarian restaurants popping up all over the city. I mentioned in a previous post about other places that have opened: Urban Vegan Chicago, the various new Native Foods Cafe locations, Quesadilla Mexican Vegetarian Cuisine, and Earth's Healing Cafe (raw). New York Deli has started serving a permanent vegan menu at their place too. Items include a vegan chick'n parm, vegan gyro, SLT (seitan, lettuce, tomato), the John Lennon (hummus sandwich), and vegan desserts.

Product Review: Candle Cafe Frozen Meals

Candle Cafe is a well-known vegan restaurant chain in NYC. I've been hearing rave reviews about this place for years, but I've only been to NYC very briefly. When I first heard they were releasing their new line of vegan frozen meals, I was pretty excited. Amy's, Kashi, and other brands only go so far after you've had them a few times. As a student, I live off a lot of frozen food (hellloo Gardein and Boca). My local Whole Foods had all 4 types they have released: Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Suace, Macaroni & Vegan Cheese, Tofu Spinach Ravioli, and Ginger Miso Stir-Fry. 

The first meal I tried was the Ginger Miso Stir-Fry. It was just kind of your average frozen stir-fry. I wouldn't call it anything terribly special. I enjoyed the tofu that was added to it so it wasn't just all vegetables and rice. The portion is rather small, so I would say if you are having this for dinner, to eat something else with it or have it as a light lunch.

Next, I tried the Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce. I really enjoyed this one. The lemon caper sauce is fantastic with a great lemony, tang taste. It compliments the rice and seitan very well. The seitan reminded me a lot of Match Meats, though. If you've ever had their chick'n or crab and you try this frozen meal, you'll see what I mean. That would be my only complaint for this one.

I split the Macaroni & Vegan Cheese with a friend one night as a snack. I was very surprised to see what looked like to me as Daiya on it. I checked the ingredients and then read the ingredients on my bag of mozzarella Daiya and found they were the same. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it is Daiya. This was really disappointing for me because I was excited to try a "new" product. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it melted kind of the way Daiya does too - not in a "creamy" fashion, but more of a lumpy fashion when you just pour some shreds over whatever you are cooking. This really isn't the most desired effect you want for mac 'n cheese. My opinion is just go for Amy's vegan mac 'n cheese if you are going to buy a frozen variety. For me, Amy's has a more creamy taste and despite it also has Daiya in it, it works better. If you are concerned about calories, though, Amy's does have more so opt for Candle Cafe.

Lastly, there is the Tofu Spinach Ravioli. I loved this one too. It also has what looks like to be Daiya on it, but that's okay as it is not meant to be creamy like a mac 'n cheese. The ravioli's were tasty and the marinara with cheese complimented them very well. I would definitely pick this one up again for a light dinner.

Overall, I enjoyed the Seitan Piccata and the Tofu Spinach Ravioli the most. I would buy these guys again. The other two, I was not that impressed by. Also, all three are pretty low in calorie content (200-300 calories) so they do make for a good lunch or small dinner.

Homemade Grilled Potato, Onion, & Cheeze Pierogies with Kielbasa

Well, I finally broke down and bought myself a grill pan. I've been meaning to add this item to my kitchen for a long time. Naturally, I am now obsessed with it. The next few posts may all involve a grill pan, be warned!

I ran out of all-purpose flour as I was making this, thus the added whole wheat flour. Please make with whichever flour you choose, though. This recipe is rather involved as one should really freeze the pierogies overnight before you cook them. Luckily, this recipe makes a lot and you'll have plenty pierogies left over in the freezer for a later date to bake, boil, or fry up! They would go wonderfully with a combination of some vegan sour cream, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and minced chive.

Homemade Grilled Potato, Onion, & Cheeze Pierogies with Kielbasa

* Prep Time: 2 hours to make pierogies, then freeze overnight
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for pierogi dough):

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 2 "eggs", prepared via box instructions*
• 1/8 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water

* Ingredients (for rest of pierogi filling):

• 1/2 recipe of VM's "My Mom's Mashed Potatoes" sans rosemary
• 1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar Cheeze*
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

* Ingredients (for rest of recipe):

• 2 vegan kielbasa sausages*
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely sliced
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe (for pierogies):

1. In a mixer, combine all ingredients for pierogi dough.
2. Form dough into disk and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Just before your hour wait is up, in a medium skillet on medium-low heat, add the olive oil. Sautee the onions until translucent and soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Take out of fridge, dust counter with flour, and roll out dough with a rolling pin.
5. Roll out dough to about a quarter of an inch thick and cut into four pieces. Roll each piece out until it is just a couple millimeters thick. Cut circle with cookie cutter that is about two inches wide.
6. When done making mashed potatoes, add the cheeze. and cooked onions. Mix well.
7. Place about a tsp of mashed potato mixture in the center of circle.
8. Dip finger in cold water and wipe more than half around of the edge of the circle.
9. Fold over and press all the air out sealing the edges. Use a fork to crimp the edges.
10. Freeze overnight. Freeze on a wax paper on a baking sheet so they do not stick. Once frozen, one can place them in a freezer ziplock bag. The recipe makes about four dozen pierogies.

* Recipe (for rest of recipe):

1. Heat grill pan on medium heat. Add the kielbasa and cook for about 10 minutes, turning each side every few minutes.
2. While the kielbasa are cooking, combine one tbsp olive oil with the onion in a medium bowl. Coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. When the kielbasa are done, set aside. Add the onions onto the grill pan. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. Coat about a dozen frozen pierogies in one tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Take the onions off the grill pan and add the pierogies. Cook each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
6. While pierogies are cooking, slice the kielbasa and dice the onions.
7. Combine the mustard, vinegar, remaining olive oil, and parsley in the medium bowl. Add the kielbasa and onions. When the pierogies are done on the grill, toss them into the bowl. Mix well.
8. Serve and enjoy.

* Note: For soy butter, I prefer the olive oil based Earth Balance. For egg replacer, I use Ener-G. The vegan sour cream I used was Tofutti. One can find Daiya at most health food stores now or online. Lastly, the vegan kielbasa I used was Tofurky brand. Personally, I find them rather dry but with the dressing they were not that bad.

Chick'n Scallopini with Wild Mushroom Risotto

Tasty and a perfect romantic dinner. ♥

Chick'n Scallopini with Wild Mushroom Risotto

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 45 minutes
* Ingredients (for risotto):

• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 5 oz. bags dried wild mushrooms, dehydrated, sliced
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon, follow directions
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil, chiffonade 
  
• salt and pepper, to taste
• vegan Parmesan, to taste* 

* Ingredients (for chick'n):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Gardein chick'n scallopini patties*
• 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup pinot grigio white wine*
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
• 2 tbsp Daiya mozzarella, split between scallopini*
• 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
• basil, chopped, to top 
  

* Recipe (for risotto):

1. Dehydrate the wild mushrooms in boiling water until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove mushrooms and slice, reserving water to make broth.
3. With mushroom water, add the cube of bouillon and the amount of remaining water needed for two cups. Bring to boil.
4. In a skillet, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and sautee onions with salt until translucent and soft.
5. Add remaining oil and cook the garlic and mushrooms, about 5 minutes.
6. Next, add the rice, parsley, rosemary, basil, vegan Parmesan, remaining salt, and pepper. Sautee until rice starts to brown, stirring constantly. Add a ladle full of broth at a time, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed.
7. Repeat the process until all the broth has been used.

* Recipe (for chick'n):

1. Add oil to skillet and caramelize onions.
2. Next, add garlic, thyme, and scallopini. Cook through until scallopini is golden brown. Add wine to deglaze.
3. As wine is cooking down, add lemon juice. Allow the sauce to cook.
4. Remove scallopini and slice in thin strips.
5. Top with sauteed onions, wine reduction, Daiya, and bake to melt cheese at 200 degrees.
6. Remove and place atop risotto.
7. Sprinkle basil over dish.

* Note: For vegan Parmesan, I use Galaxy brand. Gardein is a great mock meat company that you can find in most groceries. Make sure your wine is vegan! Daiya is a tapioca based cheeze product that has become readily available at most health food stores. You can also find it online. 

Recap: The Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown

This weekend was the Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown. All proceeds from this event went to Mercy For Animals life-saving work to help promote veganism and reduce the suffering of farmed animals in the United States. Each team or contestant had to use Upton's Naturals seitan (any one of their varieties) in their dish as they were hosting this event. The event was held at the Funky Buddha Lounge here in Chicago on July 23rd. The turnout was incredible! Over 200 people showed up to support the competitors, MFA, and Upton's Naturals. Vegan Miss competed with one of my favorites, my deep dish vegan pizza. My friends and I spent the whole day before making pizza after pizza; in total, fourteen! So much pizza! We had quite the assembly line after a while going on in the kitchen. ;]

Though Vegan Miss did not place, two of MFA's great volunteers, Meagen and Blythe, won third with their cheeze and seitan ravioli's. A company called the Rootsy Vegan won first place with their jerk seitan which was really good. Dishes of the day were a "beef" curry with raita and rice, seitan tacos with a mango salsa, empanadas (won second, very tasty - indeed!), corn bread muffins with seitan and a glaze, seitan and pasta, and others. Kelly Peloza of the Vegan Cookie Connoisseur and Seitan Beats Your Meat was competing too - right next to VM! Congratulations to all the winners and great job to all contestants! We all worked really hard.

I very much enjoyed this event and the preparations I had to make ahead of time. We made business cards, a sign, a new blog layout, and did a little antique shopping to decorate the table. Alas, there was to be a flier with the recipe instructions, but time became an issue and it was never printed.

Many, many thanks to Chicago Soydairy for helping this blog doll out with a massive amount of Teese mozzarella. Could not have done it without them! 


Photo Credit: Louis McGill

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)