Portobello Shepard's Pie Revisited

A long time ago, I posted this Shepard's Pie Stuffed Portobello recipe with a not so great photo. This recipe is a revisit of that and revised here and there. It's super nom!

Portobello Shepard's Pie Revisited

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

* Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 3 large portobello mushroom caps, stems and "gills" removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 package (8 oz.) Upton's Naturals Ground Beef-Style seitan, diced*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce*
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1 lb. red creamer potatoes*
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk*
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
• 1 tbsp vegan butter*
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Boil the potatoes in salt water until tender with fork. Depending on preference, remove skins from potatoes after boiled.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
3. While the potatoes are boiling, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent.
4. Next, add the seitan and cook until it just starts to brown.
5. Add the garlic, carrots, and peas. Cook until the carrots become tender.
6. After the filling mixture has cooked, add the flour and toss the mixture in the skillet, coating all of it. Add the vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for a few minutes. The mixture should then be a thicker consistency.
7. After the potatoes are boiled, mash in a bowl with the chives, butter, and salt and pepper. Add more butter to taste, if needed.
8. Stuff the portobello caps with the mixture from the skillet. Top with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes. (Be sure to pack the mixture in so that all the gaps are filled. Top the mushrooms with the mashed potatoes liberally; you are basically sealing the stuffing in.)
9. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Broil for another 2-3 minutes until the mashed potato tops are golden. 

* Note: I used local Chicago seitan company, Upton's Naturals for my filling mixture. If you do not have Upton's, please use another mock meat crumble such as Boca or Lightlife. Worcestershire sauce is not vegan naturally, so look for a vegan variety. I found mine at the Asian grocery store with the fish sauces. Most health food stores carry it. Feel free to use whatever type of potatoes you like. I just prefer red potatoes. The non-dairy milk I used was almond milk as that is what I prefer. The vegan butter I used was Earth Balance olive oil kind.

I posted an entry a bit ago regarding all my various DIY project I do. Just thought I'd post a picture of the vegan bath bomb fizzies I made. I also made some dill pickle spears and pickled red onion. The bread and butter pickle spears and pickled garlic I made about 2 months ago were broken into this week and they were a fan favorite! Everyone loved them. ♥

Chinese Chick'n Salad

As a child in the Bay Area, I ate a lot of Chinese food. Asian culture was a huge part of my upbringing and influenced me in many ways (including minoring in Japanese in college & studying in Tokyo). My father retired when I was 6 years old, so we had many, many adventures in San Francisco's Chinatown and Japantown. We also went out to eat a lot! Our favorite spot for Chinese food was Lotus Garden in Foster City, my hometown. It was this little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant run by a small family. For appetizers, we always ordered Chinese Chicken Salad. I've never seen this dish in the Midwest. Perhaps it is just a West Coast dish? Either way, I loved this salad growing up. So, I was bound and determined to remake it vegan. Let's just say I had a lovely taste of childhood when I created this recipe! 食飯 (sihk faahn)!

Chinese Chick'n Salad

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 package (7 oz.) chick'n strips*
• 1 small head lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup napa cabbage, chopped
• 2 large green onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced into sticks
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp shaved almonds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 oz. saifun noodles*
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar*
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp peanut oil, for frying

* Recipe:

Instagram Photo

1. Heat a medium pan to medium heat. Add half the peanut oil. Fry the chick'n strips until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, green onions, carrots, cilantro, shaved almonds, and sesame seeds. Mix.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: rice vinegar, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. 
4. When chick'n is done cooking, add to the salad bowl. With the remaining peanut oil, fry the saifun noodles. They should only be in there a few seconds and immediately puff up when they hit the hot oil. Dry on paper towels to get rid of excess oil.
5. Add the salad dressing to the salad mixture. Toss in the large bowl.
6. On a large plate or bowl, lay the crispy saifun down, then top with the salad.

* Note: For chick'n strips, I used the prepackaged Gardein strips. You could also cut their scallopini's up for the same effect. Morningstar Farms also carries vegan chick'n strips one could use. For a good chick'n salad, one needs crispy noodles. If you can find crispy wonton noodles, that will also work in this recipe. Make sure your sugar is vegan!

Mongolian Beefless Beef and Szechuan Snow Peas with Shiitake Mushrooms

One of my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants is Mongolian Tofu (formerly it was Mongolian Beef). If it's an option on the menu, I usually get it. VegeUSA makes these dehydrated beefless beef strips that I thought would be spot on for a mock Mongolian Beef recipe. They also make dehydrated chicken and duck slices. I found these products at my local Asian groceries over in the Uptown area of Chicago. I usually go to Broadway Supermarket, but Tai Nam Food Market has a large amount of faux meat products as well. I'm not sure where you could get these otherwise. I found some of their other products like the duck and pork slices on Amazon. You could probably use just slices of seitan from West Soy or LightLife Steak Style Strips. You could even do this recipe with just slices of tofu or tempeh if you have a wheat allergy or just don't dig on that much gluten.

Mongolian Beefless Beef

* Prep Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce*
• 1 tsp hoison sauce*
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar*
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine*
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups vegetarian beef slices
• peanut oil, for frying
• 1-2 oz. saifun

* Recipe:

Instagram Picture

1. Rehydrate the beefless beef slices (if you are using VegeUSA - otherwise skip this step) in boiling water. Strain.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients (first 9 ingredients) in a baking dish. Add the rehydrated beef slices (or seitan, tofu, tempeh, etc.). Cover all slices in marinade completely.
3. Marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 1 hour.
4. In a large frying pan or wok, add the peanut oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until translucent. Add in the marinated beef slices with the marinade sauce to the wok.
5. Cook for about 5-10 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for another few minutes.
6. Remove the Mongolian beef from the wok. Add a tiny bit of peanut oil and then the saifun. It should immediately puff up and get crispy. It only needs to be on the oil for seconds. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
7. Serve the Mongolian Beefless Beef over the saifun and with rice. Top with a few extra green onion slices.

* Note: Dark soy sauce is a thicker soy sauce often used in marinades. You don't need a lot of it. I found mine at my local Asian grocery. I got my vegetarian hoison sauce at Whole Foods. Make sure your sugar is vegan! Chinese sherry is basically cooking wine. You could sub regular cooking sherry instead. 


Szechuan Snow Peas with Shiitake Mushrooms

* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce*
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp five spice
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cups snow peas
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instagram Picture

* Recipe:

1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, snow peas, and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine the vegetable broth and cornstarch until no clumps remain. Add to the pan.
3. Let the broth reduce for another few minutes. Then add the cooking wine, red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, sugar, five spice, salt, and pepper. 
4. Cook until the sauce is thick.

* Note: Chili garlic sauce is often found at Asian restaurants and grocery stores. You can usually find it in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Beefless Beef Stroganoff

As I mentioned in my recipe post of country fried steak with gravy, I only used half a can of Worthington Multigrain Cutlets for that recipe. The other half I saved in the fridge and made this recipe with a few days later. I didn't want to just coat and fry the cutlets, so I thought the seitan steaks chopped up would be good in a beefless beef stroganoff.

Again, I'm not aware of any seitan steak products like these. Most seem to be made like crumbles or pieces. For this recipe, you could easily use West Soy seitan pieces. You could make your own seitan cutlets to achieve the same results in this recipe (and you would have leftover seitan for something else). Here is my seitan cutlet recipe.

Beefless Beef Stroganoff

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 can (4) multigrain cutlets, drained, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package (8 oz.) ribbon noodles* 

* Recipe:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add noodles and cook until slightly al dente (around 8-10 minutes).
2. In a large frying pan, heat oil and saute onions and seitan until the seitan starts to brown.
3. Add the mushrooms and sautee until soft.
4. Combine the milk and cornstarch.
5. Add half the green onions and cook until soft. Once soft, add sour cream and milk mixture.
6. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer until thick.
7. Add noodles directly from the boiling water to the stroganoff. Stir until completely coated. 
8. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve.

* Note: For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti. I like almond milk, but feel free to use whatever non-dairy milk you enjoy. For ribbon noodles, I used Eden Foods Organic Spinach Pasta Ribbons. Traditionally, stroganoff is made with egg noodles and these are somewhat similar.

Country Fried Steak with Gravy

As I mentioned in my review of Chicago Health Foods store, I go there somewhat frequently. Worthington brand vegetarian foods is kind of a retro company... it's been around for decades and is owned by Loma Linda Foods. A lot of their products are not vegan and you usually just don't see them in stores. Chicago Health Foods store carries a few of their canned items and several frozen items. The multigrain cutlets are vegan, so I thought I would check it out. First, these are basically seitan steaks in a can. Second, canned seitan? Yeah... I mean, I guess it could be worse! So, I thought the best way to tackle canned seitan would be by making a country fried steak and breading it. I will also be posting a recipe for beefless beef stroganoff that I made with these multi-grain cutlets too. Now, I have to say, as far as canned seitan goes, this is really good! It was awesome in both dishes I made (I used half a can per dish). So, breaded or non-breaded, I enjoyed it. I imagine it would be really good breaded sort of like katsu or pork tenderloin and put in a sandwich too. Oh, and despite in the picture on the can the cutlet is breaded, it is not. It is seitan steaks in juice. Just FYI.

As a note, I'm not sure what you could use to replace these Worthington cutlets. I'm not aware of anything quite like them that isn't something like a Gardein chick'n patty. All seitan products I know of are crumbles and pieces, not cutlets. You could do this if you make your own seitan, though! Here is my recipe of cutlet-style seitan.

Country Fried Steak with Gravy 

* Prep Time: 1 hour
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for country fried steak):

• 1/2 can (4) multigrain cutlets, drained
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 1-2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 egg replacers, follow box directions*
• peanut oil, for frying*

* Ingredients (for gravy):

• 2 tbsp peanut oil, from frying cutlets
• 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp soy butter*
• 3/4th cup non-dairy milk
• salt and pepper, to taste 

* Recipe (for country fried steak):

1. Prepare butter milk by combining the milk with vinegar. Let stand in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Soak the cutlets in the butter milk for a minimum of an hour, the longer the better. 
2. Using 2 bowls, add half of the flour and spices to each. In a third bowl, mix the eggs according to box directions. Set up bowls in a line: flour, eggs, flour.  
3. Add enough oil to a frying pan to come up half an inch and bring to medium to high heat.  
4. Once oil is hot, place cutlet in first flour bowl and coat completely, shaking off excess. Then place it in the egg bowl, again coating completely and shaking excess. Place in final flour bowl, once coated, shake excess and place in oil. Repeat for each cutlet. If the egg mixture seems too thick, add a little extra water to thin it out. 
5. Cook until each cutlet is golden brown. Place on a wire rack with a paper underneath it to catch excess oil (or place on plate with paper towels to drain oil). 
6. Reserve about 2 tbsp of oil for gravy, keeping the dripping from the dredge. 

* Recipe (for gravy): 

1. In the frying pan you used to make the country fried steak, add the flour to reserved oil from frying and whisk together until slightly thick. It should be a pudding consistency. If it is too thin, add more flour a teaspoon at a time until thick.  
2. Add butter and allow to melt.  
3. Whisk in milk. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat and allow to thicken. If too thick, add more milk, constantly whisking until the gravy is slightly thinner than desired. Do this because it will thicken as it cools. 
4. Pour over mashed potatoes and country fried steaks. Serve with greens.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I used almond milk. Feel free to use whatever kind you wish. For egg replacer, I used Enger-G. Peanut oil has a high heat capacity and it is really great for frying things. If you have a nut allergy, you could still use regular vegetable oil. For soy butter, I used Earth Balance with olive oil.

For sides to this recipe, I made mashed potatoes and greens. I have recipes for these on Vegan Miss: mashed potatoes & greens.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

I've never had a "real" Monte Cristo Sandwich but I've had them many times at the Chicago Diner. This is my ode to the sandwich! Also, the vegan turkey meat recipe is the same I posted recently for the California Reuben Sandwich.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

* Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

* Ingredients (for vegan turkey meat):

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 cup vegetarian "chicken" broth*
• 1/2 (14 oz.) firm tofu package
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp mesquite liquid smoke*

*  Ingredients (for sandwich):

• 2 tbsp vegan butter*
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 4 pieces sourdough bread
• 1 tbsp olive oil, optional
• 1/2 package (5.5 oz.) vegan ham slices*
• 2 slices vegan muenster cheese, per sandwich*
• several slices vegan turkey meat, per sandwich 
  
• Dijon mustard, to taste
• vegan mayonnaise, to taste*
• powdered sugar, to top, to taste

* Recipe (for vegan turkey meat):

1. In a large bowl, add the vital wheat gluten.
2. In a food processor, add all the wet ingredients and nutritional yeast including the tofu and spices.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the wheat gluten. Mix well with a spoon then kneed with hands. 
4. Roll into a log that is 2.5 - 3 in. wide. Loosely roll foil around the seitan log and twist both ends like a tootsie roll.
5. Place in a pot with several inches of water. Have something holding it from the bottom so it is not touching the water (ex: a deep cookie cutter).
6. Steam for 1 hour.
7. When done steaming, take out of pot, allow to cool. When cool, slice thinly like deli meat.

* Recipe (for sandwich):

1. Melt butter in a large skillet. In a bowl, combine the corn starch, milk, flour, and salt. Mix until lumps are gone.
2. In a small baking pan, pour the french toast batter. Coat each side of the toast and fry in the pan until golden on each side. Once one side is fried, flip and fry the other side with the muenster cheese on top. Cover with lid to melt.
3. Fry the ham slices and several slices of turkey meat until slightly crispy. Add olive oil to the pan if the butter from the french toast runs out.
4. In a small bowl, combine equal parts mustard and mayonnaise.
5. Spread over one piece of french toast, pile on the ham and turkey, and top with the cheesy french toast. Cut in half. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with hash browns or breakfast potatoes.

* Notes: For vegetarian "chicken" broth, I used Frontier brand I got at my local health food store in bulk. Agave nectar is a honey replacement. You can find it in the organic section of your grocery store usually or with the honey. Liquid smoke gives a "meaty" smoky flavor to foods. I use it often in southern greens recipes to replace a bacon feel. For vegan butter, I used Earth Balance. I used soy milk for non-dairy milk but feel free to use whatever you please. For ham, I like Lightlife Smart Deli Ham. Chicago has a great cashew cheese company called Ste Martaen that has a muenster cheese. If you can't find it, use some other kind of white cheese whether is be Daiya or Follow Your Heart. Lastly, for vegan mayonnaise I used Earth Balance with olive oil.

California Reuben Sandwich

The California Reuben sandwich is similar to a traditional Reuben, but instead it usually uses turkey meat and coleslaw rather than corned beef and sauerkraut.

California Reuben Sandwich

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
* Ingredients (for vegan turkey meat):

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 cup vegetarian "chicken" broth*
• 1/2 (14 oz.) firm tofu package
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp mesquite liquid smoke*

* Ingredients (for sandwich):

• 2 cups pre-made coleslaw bag (cabbage, carrots, etc.)
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise*
• 1 tbsp vegan sour cream*
• 1 tbsp sugar*
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp celery salt
• pepper, to taste
• Russian dressing, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• several slices vegan turkey meat, per sandwich
• several slices vegan muenster cheese, per sandwich*
• several slices sourdough bread

* Recipe (for vegan turkey meat):

1. In a large bowl, add the vital wheat gluten.
2. In a food processor, add all the wet ingredients and nutritional yeast including the tofu and spices.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the wheat gluten. Mix well with a spoon then kneed with hands. 
4. Roll into a log that is 2.5 - 3 in. wide. Loosely roll foil around the seitan log and twist both ends like a tootsie roll.
5. Place in a pot with several inches of water. Have something holding it from the bottom so it is not touching the water (ex: a deep cookie cutter).
6. Steam for 1 hour.
7. When done steaming, take out of pot, allow to cool. When cool, slice thinly like deli meat.

* Recipe (for sandwich):

1. To make coleslaw, combine the coleslaw veggie bag, mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, white vinegar, dried mustard, celery salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Toast one side of the bread in skillet and then flip. Add the cheese and cover with lid to melt.
3. Slice vegan turkey and fry slightly in olive oil.
4. To build, spread the Russian dressing on one slice of toasted bread and top with coleslaw. Add fried turkey slices and the other piece of toasted bread with cheese. Cut in half. Serve with fries or chips.

* Note: For vegetarian "chicken" broth, I used Frontier brand I got at my local health food store in bulk. Agave nectar is a honey replacement. You can find it in the organic section of your grocery store usually or with the honey. Liquid smoke gives a "meaty" smoky flavor to foods. I use it often in southern greens recipes to replace a bacon feel. For vegan mayonnaise I used Earth Balance with olive oil. The sour cream brand I used was Tofutti. Make sure your sugar is vegan! Chicago has a great cashew cheese company called Ste Martaen that has a muenster cheese. If you can't find it, use some other kind of white cheese whether it be Daiya or Follow Your Heart.

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.  

Stuffed Zucchini Cups, Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction, & Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

Ah, Valentine's Day. To me, I always think Italian food is the way to go for this holiday. Last year, I made a lovely dinner of raw kale salad, spaghetti and heart-shaped meatballs, and tiramisu. This year, I changed the tiramisu recipe to a raspberry version that is heart-shaped. Who doesn't love cute lovey-dovey food on this holiday?!

Stuffed Zucchini Cups

* Prep Time: 10 minutes

* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

* Ingredients: 

• 2 large zucchini
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small green pepper, finely diced
• 1 package (8 oz.) vegan ground crumbles*
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato basil pasta sauce*
• vegan mozzarella, to top*
• vegan Parmesan, to top (optional)*
• sea salt, to top (optional)*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
   
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions with salt and pepper until translucent. Add the garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, and crumbles. 
3. Cook for about ten minutes until the crumbles are brown. Add the basil, parsley, and oregano and keep cooking for another two minutes.
4. Cut the zucchini in about one inch pieces. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the insides of the zucchini being careful not to take out the bottom. 
5. Fill the zucchini with the crumble mixture and top with pasta sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
6. On a lightly oiled cookie sheet, bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes. When done, top with a bit of sea salt.

* Note: For ground crumbles, I diced up a package of Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan. You can get it around the Chicago area at Whole Foods or otherwise online. If you can't find Upton's, you can use Boca crumbles or Yves brand. The pasta sauce I used was Whole Foods 365 Organic brand. I used Daiya vegan mozzarella. The Parmesan and sea salt are optional, but I would suggest Galaxy topping for vegan Parmesan. 

Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction

* Prep Time: 45 minutes

* Cook Time: 15 minutes

* Ingredients (for ravioli filling):

• 2 anjou pears, finely diced
• 1 whole shallot, sliced
• 1/4 package (2 oz.) vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup tofu ricotta*
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella*
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for dough):

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil, for boiling water
• pinch of salt, for boiling water

* Ingredients (for reduction):

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
• 1 cup white wine*
• salt and pepper, to taste

 * Recipe (for filling):

1. In a medium skillet, cook the pears and shallots for about 10 minutes over medium heat until they are soft. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. 
3. When pears are cooked, add to the bowl and mix well.

* Recipe (for dough):

1. Mix the all-purpose flour, the semolina flour, and salt well in a medium bowl.
2. On a clean counter space, create a mound with the flour mixture. In the center, create a well. In the well, put in the olive oil and water. 
3. Slowly start to mix and then knead dough until smooth.
4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until slightly thin.
5. Cut the dough with a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.
6. Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough.
7. Using water, wipe the edge of the dough. Top with another heart-shaped dough piece. Press the edges with a fork.
8. In a medium pot of boiling water, add the salt and olive oil, then cook the ravioli until the float (only a few minutes). Let cook for one minute after they start to float. Do not overcrowd the pot with ravioli or else they will stick together.

* Recipe (for reduction):

1. In a medium skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat.
2. Add the butter, white wine, sage, salt, and pepper. Reduce to half.
3. Stir in the parsley once reduced.

* Note: For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The tofu ricotta recipe was taken from the Veganomicon cookbook. See recipe here. For vegan mozzarella, I used Daiya. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Lastly, make sure your white wine is vegan!

Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for lady fingers):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk*
• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted*
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow box instructions)*
  

* Ingredients (for custard filling):

• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

* Ingredients (for coffee mixture):

• 1/2 cup espresso*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Grand Mariner  

* Ingredients (for topping):

• fresh raspberries
• raspberry jam
• cocoa powder, to dust
• powdered sugar, to dust
• shaved dark vegan chocolate, to top

* Recipe (for lady fingers):

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Make sure no lumps are in the batter.
4. In an oiled medium baking dish, add the batter in a level fashion.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick can come out clean from the center of the cake.

* Recipe (for custard filling):

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. Whisk together until no lumps are found.
2. In a small pot, add the custard mixture and heat on medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Turn to low to medium heat and cook for about five minutes. It should look rather thick (rather than runny).
4. Set aside until needed for building process.

* Recipe (for coffee mixture):

1. Combine freshly made espresso with Grand Mariner.

* Recipe (for building):

1. Using a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each heart in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one heart on a plate. Top with a layer of raspberry jam and then custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 one more time.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with fresh raspberries, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and shaved chocolate. 

* Note: Make sure all the sugar in this recipe is vegan. You can find marked vegan sugar at health food stores. I used soymilk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The sour cream was Tofutti brand. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener used to replace honey. One can find it near the honey in the green/organic/natural section of your grocery. I have an espresso maker, so I just made my espresso for this. They do make powdered espresso that I'm sure you could add water to. It would be in the baking section of your grocer.