Party Food!

Summer is here and you know what that means... party time! Heat up those barbeques for some veggie burger madness. It is my goal to have a wine and cheese party at some point this summer with the most amazing cheeses ever, Dr. Cow and Ste Martaen.

Below is a list of some Vegan Miss party food recipes:

• Animal Shaped Chick'n Nuggets
• Baked Crab Rangoon
• BBQ Seitan
• Cheese Sticks
• Coleslaw 
• Eggless Egg Salad
• English Muffin Pizzas
• Fried Pickles  
• Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts
• Jello Mold
• Mystery Cheese Ball Spread
• Pickled Fried Green Tomatoes
  
• Potato Skins
• Raw Kale Salad
• Salmon Mousse Mold
• Shaved Golden Beet & Mustard Green Salad
• Shrimp Canapes
• Sonoma Chick'n Salad
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Stuffed Zucchini Cups
• Stuffed Bacon and Cheese Veggie Burgers
• Tempeh Crab Cakes 
• TSP Burgers

For the burgers and crab cakes, I would make them small in size so they are like sliders.

Looking for some retro cocktails? Check out this book, Highballs High Heels: A Girls Guide to the Art of Cocktails. I have it and it's divine! If you need some fancy, vintage invitations to send out (you know, by snail mail like they used to), you must get them from Fenderskirts Vintage Imagery & Stationary. And, of course, there is always Etsy for all your other needs. xo

Lumpia

Growing up, I had a Filipino nanny named Luz for ten years. As I didn't have grandparents, she was very much like a grandmother to me (I brought her to Grandparent's Day every year at school too). One of my favorite memories is learning how to cook from Luz. This recipe, modified vegan, is a favorite childhood food of mine. Lumpia are a lot like egg rolls, but they are long and thin. They are so good, you could just sit there and eat one after the next, haha. I ate them with vinegar as a kid. Luz taught me many other things other than cooking. Most importantly, she taught me one of the best qualities a person could have in life: Remember to laugh. She was always smiling, laughing, and in a good mood. I keep a framed picture of myself and her on my desk so I can see her everyday. :]

Lumpia

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

• 1/2 package (8 oz.) firm tofu, pressed and drained, mashed*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
• 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 1 small green pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts, finely diced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil + more for frying
• salt and pepper, to taste
• lumpia wrappers*
• sweet and sour sauce, to taste, to dip*

* Recipe: 

1. In a deep fryer or a large deep frying pan, add the vegetable oil and bring to medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the lumpia wrappers and sweet and sour sauce.
3. Separate the lumpia wrappers (be careful, they are very thin) and add 2 tbsp or so of the mixture into the center of the wrapper creating a line form across the wrapper.
4. Fold over the two right and left sides of the wrapper onto the filling. Roll the lumpia wrapper like a rug from bottom to top. Use water to seal the end of the wrapper to the roll.
5. Fry the lumpia until golden brown on all sides.
6. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

* Note: Instead of tofu, one could use finely chopped ground seitan, just veggies, or even tempeh. It is traditionally filled with ground meat. Lumpia wrappers are easy to find at most Asian grocery stores. A variety of sauces could be used for dipping. I made a homemade sweet and sour sauce, but a sweet chili sauce would be good as well as a soy sauce or vinegar sauce. 


This is a good picture instruction guide for rolling lumpia.

Sonoma Chick'n Salad

I never really cared for chicken salad prior to being vegan as I did not like mayonnaise. As such, I decided to spruce things up a bit with a vegan Sonoma chick'n salad. This is really easy and quick to make. Perfect for a summer picnic.

Sonoma Chick'n Salad

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

• 1 (8 oz.) bag chick'n strips*
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise*
• 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, sliced in half
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Fry the chick'n strips over medium heat until cooked, about 10 minutes. Chop them up into bite size pieces.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients then add the chick'n. Mix well and serve.

* Note: For vegan chick'n strips, I used MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Chick'n Strips. For vegan mayonnaise, I used Vegenaise with grapeseed oil. 

Chocolate Beetle Cupcakes w/ Bloody Cherry Butter Filling & Chocolate Dirt Frosting

Well, I wanted to make a Halloween dessert and I saw this beetle cupcake idea on Craftster. I figured I could make some vegan cupcakes and go from there. These turned out wonderful, but they're timely to make. Give yourself a few hours to make them leisurely. I modified the cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (which if you do not own, you have to). The frosting recipe is the exact one out of the book. I figure let the experts in baking give me their recipe - it would turn out much better than my own. This didn't let me down!

Chocolate Beetle Cupcakes w/ Bloody Cherry Butter Filling & Chocolate Dirt Frosting

* Prep Time: 1-2 hours
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for chocolate cupcakes): 

• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup sugar*
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp chocolate extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

* Ingredients (for chocolate buttercream frosting):

• 1/4 cup margarine, softened*
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* Ingredients (remaining):

• 1 9 oz. jar cherry butter*
• 1 box food dye (red, blue, green, yellow)
• 7-8 Oreo cookies (or other vanilla cream sandwich cookies)*
• 1/2 8.8 oz. box marzipan*
• gold luster dust, to taste*

* Recipe (for chocolate cupcakes):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and milk. Set aside.
3. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and combine well.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl including vinegar milk mixture and beat until foamy.
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until no lumps remain.
6. Pour into lined cupcake tray three-fourths of the way full in each.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely.

* Recipe (for chocolate buttercream frosting):

1. Cream together margarine and shortening until combined.
2. Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
3. Next, add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time adding soy milk as you go. Mix between each 1/2 cups of sugar.
4. Add the vanilla extract and combine until fluffy and no more lumps are seen.

* Recipe (for rest of cupcake):

1. In a bowl, combine cherry butter with red food dye. Add as much red food dye as necessary to make it "blood red".
2. Using a melon baller, scoop the center out of the cupcake and take out some of the middle. Be sure you don't go too far down so as not to get the bottom of the cupcake.
3. Add 1-2 tsp of cherry butter to the center of the cupcake. Replace the top back on the cupcake.
4. Frost with the buttercream frosting.
5. In a blender, combine Oreo cookie tops (not the side with the centers) until they are thoroughly pulverized. Put the cookie dirt in a small bowl.
6. Roll each frosted cupcake in the cookie dirt and pat more with your hands. Shake the cupcake to take off stray cookie dirt.
7. In a bowl, add 5-10 drops of all four food dye colors. Mix. Add the marzipan and mash with a fork until combined.
8. Follow the directions here to make beetle marzipan figures.
9. Dust each beetle with gold luster dust.
10. Top each cupcake with one beetle.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I used almond milk. Use any sort of non-dairy milk you prefer. Make sure your sugar is vegan. For margarine, I used Earth Balance soy-free variety. The cherry butter was a brand I found at Whole Foods called American Spoon. The Oreo type cookies I used were Back To Nature Classic Creme Cookies. For marzipan, I use Stramondo brand. Luster dust is edible glitter, more or less. You can find it in the baking section of JoAnn's or Michael's craft stores. You should use a paint brush to apply it, but I didn't have one handy so I just brushed with my fingers.


Have a spooky Halloween!

Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are a great source of protein, calcium, and dietary fiber. I'm a huge fan. When I was in Hawaii, I had some roasted macadamia nuts with fresh herbs at 22 North restaurant. So good! This inspired me to make my own from my organic balcony garden. I didn't have fresh sage or oregano, otherwise I would have used it.

Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts

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

• 2 cups salted macadamia nuts*
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a small baking pan, combine all ingredients with hands until mixed.
3. Cook for about 30 minutes until the nuts have a nice brown.
4. Serve hot. 

* Note: One could use unsalted and add their own salt level to the dish or not have it at all.

This is a great quickie recipe and the fresh herbs bring out a lovely elegance. I would use this for finger food if company is coming over or an appetizer with drinks.

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

I am by no means a master baker. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good home baker, though! My frosting skills are not exactly the best, though. Any tips? I leave the pretty looking cupcakes up to local favorites, Canary Confectionery & the Mixing Bowl Bakery. This cupcake is inspired by my friend who really likes ginger. Lemons seem to go well with ginger, so I kind of just went with that theme. The cupcake is filled with lemon curd while the batter has fresh grated ginger, limoncello, and lemon zest. The frosting has limoncello and lemon zest and topped with chopped crystallized ginger.

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 25 minutes
* Ingredients (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 3/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 "eggs", prepared by box instructions*
• 3 tbsp limoncello*
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled vinegar
• 2 oz. vegan cream cheese*

* Ingredients (for lemon curd):

• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with water until smooth
• splash non-dairy milk

* Ingredients (for frosting):

• 6 oz. vegan cream cheese
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2-3 tbsp shortening
• 3 tbsp limoncello
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• crystallized ginger, to taste, minced, to top

* Recipe (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

1. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixer. Add in the milk mixture and combine well.
3. If mixing by hand, combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Add the wet to the dry, then the milk mixture. Combine well.
4. Place batter 1/2-3/4th full in each cupcake spot on the tin.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

* Recipe (for lemon curd):

1. Over medium heat, combine the first four ingredients. Stir occasionally until smooth and bring to boil, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the milk and stir over heat.
3. Set aside and let cool. It should have a thicker consistency once cooled.

* Recipe (for frosting):

1. Combine all ingredients but ginger and mix well. It shouldn't have a soupy consistency. If it does, add more sugar.

* Recipe (for cupcake construction):

1. Once cupcakes are cooled, dig a small well out of the middle with a melon baller.
2. Fill the well with lemon curd and place the top back on the cupcake.
3. Frost and top with minced crystallized ginger.

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan! For vegan butter and eggs, I like Earth Balance soy free variety and Ener-G for egg replacer. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that you can find in most alcohol sections of a grocery store with specialty stuff like bitters. Feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used hemp milk. For vegan cream cheese, I used Galaxy brand.

English Muffin Pizzas

One of the Vegan Miss Facebook fans asked me to post a kid-friendly healthier recipe. This is pretty basic, but replacing pizza dough with English muffins is a nice health switch-a-roo. I used whole wheat muffins to up the health factor ante. To make it more adult-like, one could replace the pasta sauce for vegan pesto or an exotic oil (porcini mushroom oil with added spices is divine). 

English Muffin Pizzas

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp pasta sauce*
• 4 tbsp Daiya mozzarella cheese* 
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 2 English muffins, split in half

* Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put two tablespoons of pasta sauce on each piece of English muffin.
3. Top with half a tablespoon of Parmesan on each piece of English muffin and then one tablespoon Daiya.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the Daiya is golden brown.

* Note: I used organic mushroom pasta sauce. Pick whatever you fancy in a sauce! Daiya is found in most health food stores nowadays. For vegan Parmesan, I prefer Galaxy brand. Make sure your English muffins are vegan! 

Fennel, Artichoke, and Eggplant Caponata

This was a very nice dish! Someone had request on the Vegan Miss Facebook that I do a dish with fennel and artichoke, so I thought a caponata would be nice. I did not use olives as I dislike them. Feel free to add if you wish. I chose fresh herbs for flavor, but to save time you could use dried versions.


Fennel, Artichoke, and Eggplant Caponata

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 1/2-3/4 medium eggplant, peeled, diced small
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced small
• 1/2 can (15 oz.) artichoke hearts, finely chopped*
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce*
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tsp sugar*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp celery tops, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• sliced baguette, toasted

 * Recipe:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and allow to sweat.
2. Next, add the garlic, green onion, celery, fennel, eggplant, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce, vinegar, capers, pine nuts, sugar, and salt and pepper. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are all tender.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add the remaining ingredients except the bread. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Serve at room temperature or warm with toasted baguette slices.

* Note: Feel free to use fresh prepared artichoke hearts. For the sake of time, I used canned ones. Add more tomato sauce if you feel it is necessary. Lastly, make sure your sugar is vegan!

Dishes Men Like: Mystery Cheese Ball Spread, Imperial Salad, & "Beef" and Mushroom Casserole

Ah, Dishes Men Like. I decided to give another few recipes a whirl out of this book. Honestly, I am floored with how good they turn out despite a) 1950's food in general was never deemed all that good and b) it's veganized 1950's food! This salad dressing was very tasty, the cheese ball actually tasted like bleu cheese, and the casserole was a huge hit.


Mystery Cheese Ball Spread

* Prep Time: 1 hour - 24 hours
* Cook Time:  5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 6 oz. package soy bleu cheese*
• 4 oz. vegan cream cheese*
• 1 tsp white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce*
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Combine the bleu cheese, cream cheese, onion, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour, up to 24 hours.
2. Form the mixture into a large ball. Roll around in mixed up parsley and walnuts. Serve with crackers.

* Note:  For soy bleu cheese, I used Sunergia Soyfoods. You can order it online. For cream cheese, I used Tofutti. For Worcestershire sauce, I used The Wizard's organic brand.




Imperial Salad

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

• 1/4 cup vegan sugar*
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• water
• 3 strips veggie bacon*
• 4 tbsp salad oil
• 1 large head of lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, diced

* Recipe:

1. Combine the first seven ingredients in a measuring cup; add water to fill up to 1 cup mark.
2. In a small skillet, fry up the bacon in the salad oil until tender.
3. Chop the lettuce and place in large bowl. Add onion.
4. Tear the bacon into small bits.
5. Stir contents of the cup; combine with fried bacon and oil.
6. In a small sauce pan, heat the mixture and simmer. Do not bring to boil.
7. Pour over the lettuce and onion. Serve immediately.

* Note: For vegan sugar, I used Florida Crystals. For veggie bacon, I used Lightlight. 




 "Beef" and Mushroom Casserole with Sour Cream

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 40 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 bags of Gardein Beefless Tips*
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup vegan sour cream*
• 4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz. cooked fusilli noodles or cooked rice

* Recipe:

1. In a large skillet, add the olive oil and heat. Add the beefless tips and brown for a few minutes. Remove the meat and add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent.
2. Blend in flour, add sour cream, and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
3. Return meat to pan, add remaining ingredients, mix well.
4. Turn into greased casserole dish, bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve over noodles or rice.

* Note: Gardein is a great brand you can find just about anywhere now. This recipe called for steak so this is what I used instead. It turned out amazing. For vegan sour cream I used Tofutti.

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.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have to say, this dip is addictive. It was SO good!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 oz. vegan Parmesan cheese*
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 jar (14 oz.) plain artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2/3 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise*
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese*
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded*

=

* Recipe:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients except the last in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Put the mixture into two ramekins.
4. Bake the dip for 20 minutes.
5. While it is baking, add shred the vegan mozzarella cheese.
6. Take the ramekins out of the oven and top each with the shredded cheese.
7. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted or turned a golden brown color. 

* Note: For vegan Parmesan, I used Galaxy topping. The sour cream I used was Tofutti. Mayonnaise was Vegenaise. The cream cheese and mozzarella were Follow Your Heart.

Super Bowl: Pulled Pork Sandwiches & Loaded Nachos

I do not follow football, but I do cook! These are a few things I whipped up just in case other people actually watch football and would like to eat vegan grub. Also, check out Mercy For Animals blog post on what one can conjure up for the big day: Score Big by Hosting a Vegan Super Bowl Party.


Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Bourbon BBQ Sauce

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes (without cooking seitan - make ahead of time)
* Ingredients (for pulled pork):

• seitan pieces, cooked according to these directions, pulled a part
• 2 tbsp brown sugar*
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• hamburger buns, for sandwiches

* Ingredients (for bourbon BBQ sauce):

• 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 5 tbsp bourbon*
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp tobasco
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tsp butter, softened*
• 5 tbsp brown sugar*
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

* Recipe (for pulled pork): 

1. Make the seitan according to the directions given in a previous post. Squeeze the juice that the seitan cooked in out of the seitan pieces.
2. In a bowl, pull a part the seitan so it resembles "pulled pork". 
3. In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients (aside from the buns!). Throw it in the bowl with the seitan and mix well. 
4. Place the seitan mixture in a pot on low-medium heat. Let the seitan brown a bit (not a lot) so that the spices set in on it sort of like a rub, if you will.
5. Keep warm while you make the BBQ sauce.

* Recipe (for BBQ sauce):

1. Chop up the onions and mince the garlic. In a small non-stick pan, cook the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and put on a medium sized pot on the stove. Add the onions and garlic. Stir on low-medium heat until reduced, about thirty minutes.

* Recipe (for sandwich):

1. Mix the BBQ sauce with the seitan.
2. Put pulled pork on hamburger buns, serve. 

* Note: For the bourbon, make sure it is vegan on Barnivore. I used Earth Balance for the butter. For the sugar, make sure it is vegan!

Loaded Nachos


* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes (with cheeze sauce)
* Ingredients (for nachos):

• 1 (14 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans, warmed
• cheeze sauce, cooked according to these directions
• 1/2 package (4 oz.) Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled*
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• several dollops vegan sour cream*
• 1/2 jar salsa*
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced thin
• tortilla chips, to serve

* Ingredients (for guacamole):

• 2 avocados, pits remove
• 3-4 limes, squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 one poblano pepper, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup, fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste

* Recipe (for seitan):

1. Crumble your seitan and mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder with it.
2. Brown in a non-stick pan on medium heat.

* Recipe (for guacamole):

1. In a bowl, mash the avocados and add the lime juice. Mix.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

* Recipe (for building nachos):

1. Lay chips on plate.
2. Layer order: seitan, beans, cheeze sauce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, garnishments.

* Note: 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. I used Tofutti vegan sour cream. For salsa, my favorite brand is Green Mountain Gringo with medium spice.


For good measure, you could also make my cheeze stick recipe, my chili cheeze fries, stuffed crust pizza, deep dish pizza, stuffed cheese and bacon burgers, or horseshoe sandwich dishes! Phew, so much vegan fast food!