Truffle Mac 'n Cheese Stuffed Heirloom Tomato

When I see fancy adult mac 'n cheese on menus, it's always some kind of truffle mac 'n cheese. So, I thought, why not make that vegan. To be honest, this cheese sauce was pretty good compared to my other disastrous vegan cheese sauces I have made in the past. I was starting to think I'd never get a good mac 'n cheese sauce down. This was a very tasty dinner!

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

Truffle Mac 'n Cheese Stuffed Heirloom Tomato

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 40 minutes
* Ingredients (for mac 'n cheese):

• 1 (13.25 oz) box whole wheat elbow noodles
• 5 tbsp vegan butter*
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp sweet rice flour*
• 2 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated*
• 3 tbsp dry white wine*
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/2-1 tsp white truffle oil*
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for breadcrumb topping):

• 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs*
• 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to taste
• 5 heirloom tomatoes (or more)*

* Recipe:

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

1. In a pot, cook the elbow noodles in salted water until al dente. Strain, run cool water over then, set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a deep skillet, add 1 tbsp of the vegan butter and cook the onions until translucent over medium heat. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another few minutes until garlic browns. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 4 tbsp of vegan butter to the skillet and the sweet rice flour. Whisk the butter and flour mixture with a whisk (easier than using a fork or spoon).
5. When combined, slowly add the 2 cups of non-dairy milk a little at a time, stirring with whisk continuously.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and continue whisking. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce to low heat (continue whisking so not to get clumps). The sauce should be thick and similar to regular mac 'n cheese sauce at this point. 
7. In a bowl, add the cooked noodles. Laddle the cheese sauce a bit at a time to the noodles and mix until well combined. Add as much of the cheese sauce as desired, but not too much as to make it soupy. Add the onions and garlic and mix.
8. In a smaller bowl, combine the topping ingredients (exclude the tomatoes). Add enough olive oil just to make the crumbs stick.  
9. Cut the top of each tomato and take out the core. Add the mac 'n cheese to the tomatoes then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
10. Place tomatoes on a small baking dish. Also place the tomato tops in the dish, but not on top of the stuffed tomatoes yet. Drizzle everything with a bit of olive oil.
11. Put in oven and let bake for about 5-10 minutes until you notice the breadcrumbs starting to brown. Remove from oven and using a fork, add the tomato tops back to the tomatoes covering the breadcrumbs. Return to the oven and let bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes seem soft and baked. If it seems like it is taking a while, put the oven on a high broil and broil for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes look done.
12. Top the baked tomatoes with vegan Parmesan, sea salt, and fresh chopped basil.

* Note: For vegan butter, I used Earth Balance olive oil version. Sweet rice flour can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. You could try using regular all-purpose flour in this, I would imagine, but the sweet rice flour is good because it has a gelatinous effect that will make the sauce more "cheesy". For non-dairy milk, I used almond milk as that is what I prefer. You could use ground nutmeg, I just happened to have it fresh. Make sure your white wine is vegan! White truffle oil is something that a little goes a long way. Be sparing. Some Italian breadcrumbs contain dairy in them so be sure to check the label. I used Whole Foods brand. Originally, I was going to make this with panko breadcrumbs, but I was out. I still think it would have been better with panko! You may need more tomatoes than what I suggest here. I only made 2 at the time and then two mini bowls baked (using only half of the cooked noodles and a lot of cheese sauce left over). You could make a casserole if you just don't want to keep putting it in tomatoes. 

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.

Spinach & Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe was an accident. Not planned, just happened! I love it. It was very good and tasted a lot like real fettuccine alfredo which I miss dearly.


Spinach & Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo 

* Prep Time: 30 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 10 oz. each of dried porcini & dried chanterelle mushrooms, rehydrated, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk*
• 2-3 tbsp vegan butter*
• 1/2 lb. fettuccine pasta, cooked slightly under
• 1 cup spinach, cut chiffonade
• 7 oz. silken tofu
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/8 cup vegan Parmesan*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Soak the mushrooms in the milk for 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the milk. Slice the mushrooms thin.
2. Cook the pasta until slightly underdone. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. In a food processor, blend the tofu, milk, nutritional yeast flakes, and Parmesan.
4. In a medium pan on medium heat, melt butter with salt. Saute mushrooms and garlic until tender.
5. Add the spinach and basil to the pan until they are wilted.
6. Next, add the tofu mixture, parsley, and pasta water to the pan. Cook low until it starts to thicken.
7. Toss with fettuccine noodles.
8. Serve with cheezy garlic bread.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I like almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you would like. For vegan butter, I prefer Earth Balance olive oil based. Lastly, for vegan Parmesan, I like Galaxy brand.

Valentine's Day: Raw Kale Salad, Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs, Tiramisu, & Caprese Martinis

Below are my recipes for a complete Valentine's Day meal. Romance your love with this tasty, cruelty-free dinner!

Raw Kale Salad

I love the raw kale salad at Whole Foods. I may, in fact, be obsessed with it. This is my recreation of it and it tasted just like it!

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch kale, washed, cut 
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1/2 medium tomato, diced, optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Divide the cut kale into two salad bowls.
2. Top each bowl with 1 tbsp cranberries and 1 tbsp pine nuts. Add half the tomatoes to each bowl (optional).
3. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. Add more olive oil or lemon juice to taste, if desired.
5. Top the salad with the dressing. Enjoy!

  
Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs


* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for pasta sauce):

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, heavy pinch
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 fresh medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine*
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 2 packages Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled*
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow according to box directions)*
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs*
• 1/4 cup olive oil, for frying, add more if needed

* Ingredients (for pasta):

• 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked by box instructions
• fresh Italian parsley, to top
• fresh basil, to top
• vegan Parmesan cheese, to top

* Recipe (for pasta sauce):

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil and salt until the onions have sweat.
2. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, basil, and wine. Cook down until wine is reduced to half. This step may take about twenty minutes.
3. Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper. Simmer for about ten minutes.

* Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
3. While the oil is heating, shape the meatballs into heart-shapes.
4. On a plate, add the bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
5. Cook in the skillet until golden brown.

* Recipe (for pasta):

1. To assemble, place cooked pasta on a plate. Top with the sauce and meatballs.
2. Add the parsley, basil, and Parmesan to the pasta plate. Buon appetito!

* Note: Make sure your red wine is vegan on Barnivore. I used Our Daily Red organic, vegan red wine. Upton's Naturals is a local Chicago seitan company. They sell their faux meats here in Chicagoland. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles,Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. Vegan Parmesan brand I use is Galaxy topping. 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 the bread crumbs, make sure to check they are vegan. Oftentimes, they will contain dairy. I used the Whole Foods brand, 365.

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 almond milk*
• 2 tbsp soy 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 almond 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):

• 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 round cookie cutter (or a round form), cut out circles from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each circle in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one circle on a plate. Top with the custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with 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 almond milk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. For soy butter, I used Bestlife which I found at my local Jewel. 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 Follow Your Heart 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.

 Caprese Martinis


* Prep Time: 6-12 hours
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 3/4 cup vodka
• kosher salt
• 8 grape tomatoes
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 bunch fresh basil
• 4 small vegan mozzarella balls*

* Recipe:

1. Put tomato slices in a large glass container or pitcher. Add the vodka (make sure it covers the tomatoes) and a pinch of salt. Let infuse for 6-12 hours at room temperature. Strain the vodka, then chill until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, prick the grape tomatoes with a skewer (or toothpick); toss with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature.
3. Drain the grape tomatoes, reserving the vinegar. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
4. For each drink, drizzle some balsamic syrup into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Muddle 2 to 3 basil leaves with a splash of tomato-infused vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add another 1 1/2 oz. tomato-infused vodka and 1 cup of ice; shake and strain into the glass. Skewer 2 marinated grape tomatoes, 2 basil leaves, and a mozzarella ball on a cocktail pick (or toothpick) and set in martini.

* Note: The caprese martini recipe was taken from Food Network Magazine March 2011 edition. To spare some time, one could just add squeezed tomatoes to the vodka instead of infusing. For the mozzarella balls, I used Soy Kaas as it is easy to form into a ball because of its texture.

Haluski

Never posted this recipe. It is a popular Polish recipe and big in Pittsburgh. 
Haluski

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 45 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage
• 2 cups noodles (of choice)*
• 1 1/2 cups onions
• 4 tbsp soy butter
• 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp paprika (or more to taste)
• salt, to taste
• fresh coarse ground black pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain.
2. Cut the cabbage up any way you like, slices or shredded. Do the same with the
   onions. I prefer sliced onions & shredded cabbage.
3. Heat a large pan on medium-high heat.
4. When the pan is hot, add butter/oil combo.
5. When the butter & olive oil are hot, add cabbage and onions and saute for a few
   (about 5-10 minutes), then add garlic.
6. Turn down the heat to medium and cover the pan.
7. Let this cook until the cabbage is soft, about 5 more minutes.
8. Add the butter/oil combination as you need it.
9. Add the cooked noodles.
10. Mix together with salt, pepper, and paprika.

*Notes: I use vegetable spirals.