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. ♥

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of The Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe

Popeye Cake

A few months ago, local punk rock baking heroes, Bleeding Heart Bakery, opened their new bakery and cafe in West Town. Prior to this, the company had only been a bakery. I've always been a big supporter of this place because: 1. it's local and they get a lot of exposure on the Food Network competing in challenges, 2. because a lot of their stuff is vegan, & 3. it's the only punk rock bakery I know of! The past two birthdays I have gotten my cake from Bleeding Heart. One was a vintage poodle design and the other was of my oldest cat, Popeye, who has only one eye. Both were completely delicious and filled with raspberry jam and yummy icing. They stood 3 layers tall and man, that was a lot of cake I ended up freezing! While it may be a bit pricey to order one of their cakes, it is most definitely worth it as they are genius bakers and designers. One day I was having coffee with a friend at their old location and someone came to pick up their cake. It was a gigantic life-like heart that bled raspberry jam. Amazing.

If you can't tell, I really like Bleeding Heart so I was excited to try out the new cafe that has a number of vegan options on their menu. I mean, a vegan s'mores pancake?! Yes! It exists here. The inside of the cafe is rather big and has a 1950's diner feel to it along with their signature artwork of "punk rock" themed things like skulls and slogans like, "Shut Up And Bake!", in the typical tattoo font (if you have seen the owners, you will understand the theme - they are literally quite the colorful bunch!). Oh, and if you are wondering why Bleeding Heart decided to branch out to savory food, it is because one of the owners, Chef Michelle, has a background in savory cooking despite being a baker and wanted to broaden her career horizons (she was on Food Network's Chopped twice in the last year). The service was kind of slow and we waited for 20 minutes or more for our food, but the atmosphere and quality of the food did not disappoint. 

The Farmers Skillet

For brunch, I had the farmers skillet and my friend had the housemade vegan biscuits and gravy. We split an order of roasted potatoes too. The farmers skillet had mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and twice-baked tofu, all topped with wild mushroom gravy (which I added) and homemade fresh toast. I really enjoyed this skillet. It was reminiscent of a tofu scramble sans the scramble-y part. The bread was really delicious. I'm a sucker for homemade fresh bread. The carrots were a little underdone, but otherwise I would order this again. The roasted potatoes I believe were supposed to come with it, but didn't, so I ordered them on the side. These were really tasty. They were roasted with herbs and had just the right crunchy consistency on the outside.

Housemade Vegan Biscuits & Gravy

My friend's housemade vegan biscuits and gravy were super yummy too. The wild mushroom gravy has a lot of depth to it and is not just a simple black pepper gravy. The biscuits were fluffy and combined nicely with the gravy. Since it was made vegan, my friend got a big pile of twice-baked tofu which tasted great, but it was just way too much tofu. If they take away half the tofu from this dish and add roasted potatoes to it, it would be a winning brunch in my opinion. I left them a comment card which says just that!


If you check out their drink menu, you'll notice all the specialty coffee drinks have titles referring to A Clockwork Orange which I thought was cute. My friend and I both got the Agent Orange Mimosa (it's spiked with vodka as well as Prosseco and fresh O.J. and has muddled oranges) and they were really good (although probably not worth $10, but hey, it was a splurge brunch). 

Not vegan but cute!

As far as other vegan options on the brunch menu go, there are a couple skillets one can get with tofu including the seasonal squash and the roots (root veggies). As I mentioned, there are s'more pancakes as well as "plain jane" vanilla bean pancakes and seasonal fruit pancakes. Sides include apple slaw, roasted potatoes, and caramelized grapefruit. There are, of course, baked goods up at the bakery counter one can get. They always have a variety of vegan cupcakes, cake balls, donuts, fruit bars, and brownies. Bleeding Heart also carries fresh bread that they sell at this location.

So, everyone in Chicago, go check out Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe in West Town and have a really awesome punk rock brunch. Eat or die! xo

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 Thanksgiving Feast: Part One

This feast will be posted in four parts. There will be several sides, a main entree dish, and of course, dessert. Enjoy! Happy Tofurky Day. :D

Wine Dijon Brussel Sprouts

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

• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, halved, ends trimmed
• 1/2 white onion, small
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 dry white wine*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 1-2 tbsp dried cranberries

* Recipe:

1. Heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once hot, cook the onions until translucent. 
2. Sautee the brussel sprouts until almost tender.
3. Add the thyme, mustard, wine, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes or so.
4. Toss in the almonds and cranberries and cook for another couple minutes.
5. Brussel sprouts should be cooked through and a fork can easily pass through.

* Note: Make sure your wine in vegan on Barnivore.


Glazed Pearl Onions

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 cups pearl onions, skin peeled
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Combine the broth, molasses, vinegar, soy butter, salt, and pepper in a small pot. Cook over medium heat and reduce.
2. Add the onions once the sauce has started to reduce. Cook until a fork can go through them.
3. Top with parsley.

* Note: For soy butter, I used olive oil based Earth Balance. This recipe was modified from Food Network Magazine in their 2011 Thanksgiving edition.


Purple Mashed Potatoes

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 - 2 lb. purple potatoes, washed, skin removed
• 2 tbsp soy butter
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp vegan sour cream*
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk*
• 3 tbsp shallot, carmelized, to top
• chives, to top

* Recipe:

1. Boil potatoes in water until tender.
2. Mash potatoes with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Top with caramelized shallots and chives.

* Note: For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti. The non-dairy milk I used was Silk soymilk, but feel free to use any type you wish.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

It is soup season at long last. My favorite of all seasons! Time to take out those crock pots, everyone.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

 * Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 hour
* Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger root, minced
• 1 leek, white parts, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• 1/8 tsp ground marjoram
• 1/8 tsp ground fennel
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine*
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• vegan sour cream, to top, to taste*

* Recipe:

1. In a large pot, melt the soy butter and add the onions. Cook until translucent.
2. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and leeks. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the carrot, butternut squash, potatoes, bay leaves, and vegetable broth. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the root vegetables are soft.
4. Add the spices, wine, and milk. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. In batches, puree the soup. Enjoy with a dollop of vegan sour cream.

* Note: For soy butter, I used Earth Balance olive oil based brand. Make sure your white wine is vegan. I used Earth Balance unsweetened soymilk for non-dairy milk. For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti brand.

In the picture, it's not quite as orange-ish as it should have been because I only used one butternut squash, therefore I upped it to two. I also cut the cayenne in this because I found it a bit too spicy for me. The bread in the picture is homemade whole wheat rolls made via this recipe (made vegan, of course).

Ginger, Carrot, Beet, & Sweet Potato Soup Revisited

Every week, I get a box of organic vegetables from Door-To-Door Organics delivered to me (they even carry Upton's Naturals seitan which can be sent to your house too). Last week, they gave me beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes. I already had ginger and the rest of the ingredients, so I thought back to one of my first recipes on this blog back in early 2009. I remade it with better pictures this time, though!

Ginger, Carrot, Beet, & Sweet Potato Soup

* Prep Time: 15 minutes

* Cook Time: 45 minutes

* Ingredients:

• 1 large beet (diced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 of a medium onion (chopped)
• 3-4 large carrots (diced)
• 2-3 small sweet potatoes, diced 
• 1/3rd small ginger root (minced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger
• dash of onion powder
• dash of garlic salt
• dash of all-purpose seasoning
• dash of oregano
• dash of dried dill weed

* Recipe:

1. Add olive oil and all the spices to medium pot. Add chopped onions and sautee until translucent.
2. While onions are cooking, peel the beet, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Dice all.
3. As the onions begin to cook, add the garlic and ginger root to the pot.
4. Add the carrots, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Put the beets and sweet potatoes in and the vegetable stock. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.
6. When done cooking, put in a blender to make a puree. Serve hot.

* Note: I did not throughly puree. I wanted a few chunks of vegetables in there.

This is a great cold weather soup. The combination of ingredients doesn't make it too earthy (as beets tend to taste in soups), but hearty instead.

Bangers and Mash with Mushy Peas & Onion Gravy

Last year, I went back to London and dined at a newer restaurant, Zilli. I had bangers and mash there as well as at manna restaurant. I preferred manna's to Zilli's, but either way, I was inspired to make my own. The mushy peas are not traditional as they should be soaked overnight. This is a quick version.

Bangers and Mash with Mushy Peas & Onion Gravy

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
* Ingredients (for bangers and mash):

• 1/2 VM's "My Mom's Mashed Potatoes" recipe
• 4 vegan sausages*

* Ingredients (for mushy peas):

• 8 oz frozen peas
• 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• pinch sugar*
• 2 tbsp soy butter*

* Ingredients (for onion gravy):

• 1/4 small yellow onion, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour*
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup white wine*
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water

* Recipe (for bangers and mash):

1. In a grill pan on medium heat, place the vegan sausages and cook each side turning over every few minutes. Cook for a total of about 10-15 minutes. 

* Recipe (for mushy peas):

1. In a small pot, add peas and water. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and butter. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.
3. Mash the peas when done cooking.

* Recipe (for onion gravy):

1. Add olive oil to a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
2. Next, add the flour and combine well with the onions. Put in the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thick.

* Note: For vegan sausages, I used Field Roast brand. I would say the Smoked Apple Sage would be the best to use for this recipe. Of course, one could always use Tofurky or others. Make sure your sugar is vegan! For soy butter, I like the olive oil based Earth Balance. I used whole wheat flour because I was out of all-purpose flour. Feel free to use whatever you wish. Lastly, make sure your wine is vegan. Frey and Bonterra (their whites are vegan, but their red wine is not, to note) are vegan. 

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.

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.

Shephard’s Pie Stuffed Portobello

This recipe was a spur of the moment thing this week. It was really good! These were accompanied by my really awesome vegetable soup I made earlier this week and a salad.

Shepard's Pie Stuffed Portobello

* Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
* Cook Time: 25 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 large portobello caps, stems & "gills" removed
• 1 8-10 oz bag of frozen peas and carrots
• 1 lb red creamer potatoes, peeled & quartered
• 1 8 oz Upton’s Naturals Ground Beef seitan*
• ½ onion, diced
• Pinch of salt (to sautee onions)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup vegan cream of mushroom soup*
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegan soy butter*
• ½ cup almond milk*
• 2 tbsp dried or fresh chives
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese, as need*
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking seitan)
• Salt & pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. After potatoes are peeled and quartered, place the potatoes and garlic cloves in a sauce pan with water at least an inch above potatoes. Salt and bring to a boil.
2. Once the potatoes are soft enough to stick a fork into and they break apart, remove from heat and strain the water. In the sauce pan or a separate bowl, add the boiled potatoes, soy butter, almond milk, and chives. Mash to a smooth consistency.
3. While potatoes are boiling, start to prepare the filling. Heat a skillet with the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and pinch of salt; sweat until the onions are translucent. Next, crumble the seitan into the skillet and brown. Time to add the peas and carrots. Add the peas and carrots to the skillet and cook until tender.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
5. In a cup, mix the cornstarch and cream of mushroom soup until the cornstarch is evenly mixed. Add to the seitan mixture and stir until even coated. Cook for just a few minutes until the soup has thickened and remove from the heat.Using a spoon, start stuffing the mushrooms with the seitan mixture. 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. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top and place in the oven to 10 minutes on the top rack.
6. After 10 minutes, place the oven on broil and let the tops brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
    

* 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. For cream of mushroom soup, I used Imagine Foods Natural Creamy Portobello Mushroom soup. For soy butter, I used Earth Balance. Feel free to use whatever type of non-dairy milk you want. I just keep almond milk at home over soy milk, etc. Lastly, for vegan Parmesan I used Vegan Topping by Galaxy Nutritional Foods. You can find the soup, soy butter, and cheese at your local health food store or places like Whole Foods.

Southern Food Gone Vegan

For this blog post, I made quite a variety of different southern foods (of course, gone vegan). This posts includes recipes for country fried seitan steak, my mom's mashed potatoes, southern greens, biscuits and gravy, and coconut rum cake. A lot in one post, but I had a theme going on!


I also forgot to mention regarding my travel abroad in the summer that I attempted to find a vegan restaurant in Brussels, Belgium, but it was only open for lunch! Disappointing, I know. It is called Den Teepot and is only open from 12-2 p.m., Monday-Saturday. The downstairs is a small, natural, health food store. I ended up getting some sushi instead that night in Brussels.


One other important thing to note before moving on with the recipes is that this week (Oct. 24-31st) is the 5th annual World Go Vegan Week! So, for all you fellow vegans out there, Happy National Vegan Week! Eat with plant-based pride. :D


Country Fried Seitan Steak


* Prep Time: 24-36 hours
* Cook Time: 3 hours
* Ingredients (for seitan):

• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp red wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seed
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten flour  
• 10 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce 

* Ingredients (for country fried seitan steak):

• seitan steaks
• 1 cup bread crumbs*
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning*
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• flour*
• almond milk* 
• vegetable oil

* Recipe (for seitan):

1. Combine wheat gluten and nutritional yeast flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a blender.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well. Let the wheat gluten mixture rise for a few minutes.
4. While you wait, add the vegetable broth and soy sauce into a big pot. Mix. Do not turn on stove yet.
5. Form the wheat gluten mixture uneven semi-round masses. You want it too somewhat resemble a "steak" for the rest of the recipe.
6. Put the seitan into the pot and now turn on the stove to medium heat. Place pot cover on, but allow some room for the steam.
7. Cook for 2 hours, rotating the seitan here and there.
8. To store, keep the seitan in the broth mixture and refrigerate.

* Recipe (for country fried seitan steak):

1. Combine the bread crumbs and all the spices in a bowl. In another bowl, place the flour. Lastly, place the almond milk in a third bowl.
2. Dredge the seitan steaks in the flour, then dunk in the almond milk (make sure all the flour was saturated), then in the bread crumb mix. Repeat with all the steaks.
3. Wrap the now seasoned steaks in tin foil and put in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours but preferably up to 24 hours. This helps the seasoning stick better when you fry it.
4. Heat up a semi-deep skillet with vegetable oil. Once hot, place steaks in the skillet, enough that they all fit (if you have to do batches, do that). Fry each side until golden.

* Note: For bread crumbs, I used Whole Food brand crumbs. Any brand is fine, but check to make sure it's vegan. I can't stress this enough. You'd be surprised just how many bread crumb brands contain milk. Old Bay Seasoning is a poultry and seafood seasoning that is often used in making crab cakes and fried chicken, etc. The seasoning itself is vegan, don't worry! It is just a nice extra touch to add to this seasoning to give the flavor profile an extra uumph. You can find it in the spice section of most grocery stores. I used plain old all-purpose flour for this, but feel free to use whole wheat flour (especially if you use whole wheat bread crumbs, which I did not). The same goes for the almond milk. Feel free to use soy or rice or even hemp! Almond milk is just what I keep in my fridge. :]

My Mom's Mashed Potatoes

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 40 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 8 (or more!) red creamer potatoes*
• 7 tbsp soy butter
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• fresh rosemary, to garnish

* Recipe:

1. Place washed potatoes in a pot of water and boil until tender.
2. Once tender, strain the potatoes until warm (but not cold or extra hot!).
3. Place potatoes in a large bowl and mash with fork until thoroughly mashed. Add in the butter and spices. Combine until well mixed. Taste to see if you need any more butter or other spices. It should be buttery and one should get a hint of that garlic salt and nutmeg.
4. Garnish with fresh rosemary.. 

* Note: Feel free to use any type of potatoes, but I find these to be the most tender and tasty for this recipe.

Southern Greens

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

• 1 bunch collard greens, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 tbsp soy butter
  
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke*
• 1 cup vegetable stock

 * Recipe:

1. Wash the collard greens and chop them up into bite site pieces. Set aside.
2. Heat up skillet with the olive oil. Place the onions in and let them sweat until they start to get translucent. Add in the garlic and then the butter. Now add in the collard greens.
3. Once all vegetables are in, add the spices, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, and vegetable stock.
4.  Let simmer until most of the liquid is gone. I prefer my greens a little crunchy, so I let them become almost over done. It is up to the chef as to when one wants to stop cooking. If you prefers them just tender, watch the greens until you can pierce with a fork.

* Note: Liquid smoke is used to give it the greens an almost bacon-y feeling. Obviously, we are not using bacon, so look for Colgin's Liquid Smoke in your grocery.

Biscuits and Gravy

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for biscuits):

• 2 cups flour*
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
  
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
  
• 3/4 cup almond milk (+ 1 tbsp)*
• 1/4-1/3 cup soy butter
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar*
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

* Ingredients (for gravy):

•  3-4 tbsp soy butter
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup Upton's Naturals Italian Sausage-Style Seitan (1/2 package), crumbled well*
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 4-5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-1 1/2 cup almond milk, more to taste*
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground corriander
• 1/4 tsp ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

* Recipe (for biscuits):

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in one bowl. Place in the fridge.
2. Combine the almond milk and the vinegar in a bowl. Place in fridge and let sit alone for at least 5 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  
4. Combine the almond milk mixture with the dry mixture, then add in the butter. Do not over kneed! Combine to get most (if not all) of the lumps out but don't go over board. Only use a fork!
5. Place in the fridge until the oven is ready. In the mean time, grease a baking sheet.
6. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp almond milk with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
7. Form the dough into small balls and place on baking sheet. With a brush, lightly brush over the dough. This will give it a golden look when it comes out of the oven.
8. Bake for 8-12 minutes. Some ovens take longer. Check on them after 8 minutes and see where they are at. The biscuits should look golden brown with firm tops.

 * Recipe (for gravy):

1. In a skillet, add the soy butter under medium heat. Place the onions in the pan and stir-fry until translucent. Add the garlic, sausage-style seitan, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until tender.
2. Add in the flour. The vegetable should look like a flour-y crumbled mess. This is good right now!
3. Next, add in the almond milk. If you do this step the other way around (adding the milk before flour), you'll get a lumpy disaster. Not good.
4. Add in all the spices and mix well. The gravy should be relatively thick, but not too much so. It also should not be like a dressing, thin. If too thin, combine a little more flour in a bowl, add soy milk, mix well (get those lumpy's out), then put it in the gravy. If too thick, add more almond milk.

* Note: It is incredibly important that the ingredients of the biscuit dough stay very cold before going in the oven. This is how they become fluffy. Make sure the dough stays in the fridge until you are ready to bake it! For the biscuits, I used all-purpose flour. Again, please use any non-dairy milk you prefer (for both biscuits and gravy). Instead of vinegar, you may also use 1 tbsp of lemon juice, if that is easier. For the gravy, I used a local Chicago seitan company called Upton's Naturals. If you have a grocery near you that carries flavored seitan, use that. Tofurky makes an Italian sausage that would work in this recipe. Just cut it up into tiny pieces.
 

Coconut Rum Cake (with Coconut Frosting)

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
* Ingredients (for coconut rum cake):

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz silken tofu
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1/4 cup coconut rum*
• 2 cups vegan white sugar*
• 1/2 cup soy butter

• coconut shreds

 * Ingredients (for frosting):

• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup soy butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with water)
• 1 1/2 cup coconut shreds
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp coconut extract

* Recipe (for cake):

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine coconut milk, vanilla extract, tofu, rum, and soy butter in another bowl. Mix well. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Combine well until no lumps are present.
3. In two greased baking pans, place half of the batter in each tray.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
5. Cool to frost. 

* Recipe (for frosting):

1. Combine coconut milk, butter, shortening, extracts, and salt in one bowl. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with just enough water to make it dissolved entirely when you mix. Add this to your wet ingredients.
2. In another bowl combine sugar and coconut shreds. Add the wet ingredients. Mix well.
3. Put covered in fridge until ready to frost your cake.

* Cake Assembly: 

1. Take one cake and frost it entirely. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake and now completely frost this second cake. Cover the layered cake with coconut shreds.

* Note: For rum, I used Malibu Coconut rum. You can feel free to exclude this from your recipe if you choose. Make sure you are using vegan white sugar! Whole Foods carries marked vegan white sugar, but if all else fails, use raw cane sugar.

Phew, done typing all those recipes! I hope you try some out and enjoy them! In other news, I adopted a new kitten about a month ago and named her Lucy. She is 100% blind (missing both eyes) and is very sweet and active. Popeye, my other blind cat (3/4th blind or so), has gotten used to her and they play with each other now. My house is one blind kitty central! ♥ to special needs pets. 


A couple weeks ago was Chicago's annual vegan celebration, Chicago VeganMania. It is an all day, free event where vegan vendors, musical artists, restaurants, authors, doctors, etc. come to sell their things or speak about whatever it is they do. It is an event you don't want to miss as a vegan in Chicago. This year's was super fun! I got the shirt I've wanted for a while, screen printed by the talented Dan Dunbar, which says, "Vegan Cupcakes, Fuck Yeah!". After the event, Mercy For Animals held the official after-party which I spent over a month helping to plan. It was at the Funky Buddha Lounge. Good times raising money to help the animals.

Lastly, I started using Chicago Vegan Co-Op and I received my very first order on Saturday. I bought Upton's Naturals gyro seitan, pastrami seitan, bacon seitan and Ste Martaen (another local Chicago vegan company) colby and smoked gouda cashew cheeses, along with a spinach quiche from them. My freezer is packed! I'll be eating sandwiches for months (not complaining). Check out the co-op if you live in the Chicago area. The picture is of Upton's Naturals pastrami and bacon with Ste Martaen colby cheese on fresh French bread from Whole Foods.