Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Impossible Review

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Okay.  We’re going to get rather close here on the food blog because this food product changed my life.  I know that’s dramatic.  I’m sorry.  But hear me out.

If you are a new vegetarian struggling to stay away from the foods you know you want to avoid, if you’re a lifelong vegetarian/vegan and you want to indulge in some filthy junk food, this stuff is for you.

I used to be a fan of the Beyond Burger company.  Then they changed their recipe and added something to it that made it have a very strange lumpy texture.  I am disappointed because I liked the original formula/recipe/whatever it was.

If you want to know a little bit about me, there is a very specific craving I get every now and then.  I used to have double quarter pounders with cheese, plain, from McDangles and I loved them.  I was never a big meat eater, and since it’s been about 4 1/2 years since I’ve eaten beef on purpose (Taco Bell sometimes trolls me), I don’t exactly think I want to go back to it.

The Impossible Burger has been at Burger King for a while now and I’ve been so excited for it to come to stores.  Now that it has, I’m the happiest camper.

For dinner tonight, I made myself a double quarter pounder with cheese (Daiya American slices), and made my mom a regular quarter pounder.  My mom isn’t vegetarian, and regularly eats beef.  She said this was better than she ever expected it to be.

The cavewoman in me is mighty pleased.  10/10 I highly recommend this.

A caveat: as a treat.  Because this is essentially 12 dollars a pound where I live and that, my friends, is hella gross.  But I did buy four packs of it, three of which went into my freezer for later.

Last thing: I hope you’re all doing well.  The world is very uncertain nowadays, but we can keep working toward peace and understanding within each other.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Stuffed Peppers with Bulgar

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Small update: I bought a house.  I’m still learning the limitations of my kitchen and the space I have at the moment, but I’ll be up and running better soon.  This recipe is pretty flexible.  You can use just about anything in it you’d like to.  I went for a rather basic approach this time around.  Bulgar wheat for the grain, black beans and TVP for the protein, and corn to round it out with a bit of sweetness to offset the heat of the chipotle powder.  This whole thing comes together within half an hour and is perfect for meatless Mondays if you’re trying to reduce your consumption of meat.

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers, cut in half, or you can leave them whole and just cut the tops off.
3/4 cup TVP
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup bulgar, cooked (I made mine like pasta, and just drained through a fine mesh sieve)
1 tsp garlic and onion powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp Better than Bullion paste (no chicken veg base) Or you can use vegetable stock, or just water.
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

Optional bread crumb toppin: 1 heaping cup of panko bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter (I used Country Crock’s vegan butter).  Toast breadcrumbs in a skillet till golden brown, set aside.  I shredded in some Violife parmesan cheese as well.

Method:

Cook the bulgar and set aside.  In a large skillet, dissolve bullion paste in 1/2 a cup of water and add the TVP.  Allow this to cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed into the TVP, adding more water as needed to keep it from sticking.  Add in the remaining ingredients except the peppers and topping (if using) and mix well.  Cook for about five minutes until everything is fragrant and heated through.

In a shallow baking dish, spread peppers out so they are laying cut side up.  Fill each pepper half (or if you’re using the whole pepper, fill it entirely), leaving a little room at the top for the breadcrumb topping, if using.  Sprinkle with topping and bake at 375* F for 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are a deep golden color and the peppers are just starting to soften.

This recipe freezes well, and leftover filling can be used for multiple dinners as well.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Lentil Quinoa Patties

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A quick note before we get to the recipe: these patties are basic for the reason they can be used in many different ways.  You can easily customize them.  I will probably use some for taco “meat” later this week, and I’ll probably use some as “meat” for a spaghetti type sauce.  I wanted to have something basic and easy to make so I can have it on hand in case I needed to make something quickly.  These patties also freeze fairly well, but they will be crumblier once thawed out.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked green/brown lentils (I cooked mine in Better than Bullion’s vegetable base)
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (Again, cooked in Better than Bullion’s vegetable base)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp oil of choice
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mash the lentils most of the way, leaving some for texture.  Stir in the quinoa, gluten, oil, and salt and pepper if using.  You can also use a gluten free binder if you’d prefer.  The gluten just helps hold the mixture together.  Measure out 1/3 cup portions onto a parchment lined baking sheet and form into rounds.  Bake at 375* F for 12 minutes, then flip and finish baking for another 7-10 minutes until both sides are slightly golden and the patties don’t squish when lightly pressed.  Cool completely on a wire rack for maximum crispiness.  Store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Dressing for the salad above (not pictured, it wasn’t pretty):

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash each of garlic and onion powder, black pepper
Splash of water to thin it out if desired

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the salad.

Salisbury.Fake food

Product Review – No Evil Foods

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Hello, friends!  We are rounding out March with a product review that comes from a suggestion by my brother.  He is neither vegetarian or vegan, but he saw these at his Kroger and tried them.  I snagged some while I was down there the last time, and I made them this week.  I made the Comrade Cluck into a rather decadent barbecue macaroni and cheese with Follow Your Heart Provolone and nutritional yeast and Sweet Baby Ray’s.  The Stallion I diced up and fried before I put it on a tortilla pizza with some Daiya mozzarella and a nutritional yeast/herb blend.  Both were excellent.

Comrade Cluck, the chicken substitute, has a similar flavor to Tofurky’s deli slices.  There are some subtle differences and I think that comes from the other ingredients No Evil uses, like organic shoyu (soy sauce).  The color is darker than I expected, and that came from the soy sauce, I think, but all in all, it’s a solid meat substitute.  I will say that I burned it on accident because I wasn’t sure how long to cook it for, even though the package thoughtfully provided me with instructions.

This gets a 7/10.

The Stallion has a characteristic flavor of seitan, that vital wheat gluten almost aftertaste.  But the Italian flavors come through, too.  The use of fennel helps counteract that bite of the wheat gluten.  I think it’s better as part of something, however, as I was a little underwhelmed with it by itself.  More pizza for me!  Or toss it with pasta and peppers.

This gets a 6/10.

With all the new meat substitutes, it’s becoming more and more important to me to make sure I am eating the fresher vegetables and the whole foods.  The substitutes are more like a special occasion type item.  I always look forward to the new things, and my brother keeps sending me the new items he finds at his store.  It makes a difference to know my brother cares about how I eat.  He still makes fun of me for it sometimes, but I know he does so out of love, hah.

I hope you’re all staying healthy and safe.  This is a weird time to be alive, and quite frankly I’m tired of hearing about this virus stuff, so I’ll leave it there.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food

Rye Bread

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If you’re after a hearty brown bread, this is it.  I’ve made a lot of bread in my life, and this is by far my favorite in terms of flavor.  I admittedly underbaked mine, so I recommend going to 40-45 minutes when baking, but the result is a chewy, delicious bread.

Another note: the coarseness of the rye will rip the gluten strands during kneading, but that’s why we add extra all purpose flour.  You could do this with bread flour, but I’d test the dough after the 3 cups are added.  You could also add in 2 tbsps of vital wheat gluten if you don’t have bread flour, but I didn’t use it in this recipe because I don’t know who all has such an ingredient.

The coarser flour tends to hydrate faster since there’s not as much gluten in it, so combining the white and the rye flour helps balance.  Test your dough after adding three cups and add in the fourth cup during the kneading process if you notice it’s still too wet.  I think in total I had 4 and 1/3 cups flour.  It might be different for you, though.  The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.

Ingredients and Method:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp yeast (active dry)
2 cups warm water
2 scant tsps sugar

Combine these into a large bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar and yeast.  Let sit for 10 minutes–really do let it sit for ten minutes.  The yeast needs time with this type of bread.

2 tbsp melted butter (I used plant based)
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 cups rye flour
3-4 cups all purpose flour

Stir in flours, salt, and butter, and mix until a dough forms.  Once dough forms into a ball, move to a well floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to the surface.  This part could also be done in a stand mixer, but as I make bread by hand, I don’t have time measurements for how long to let it go in a mixer.  The dough should spring back when gently pressed.

Set dough in a bowl in a warm place, loosely covered, until doubled in size.  Since it’s a heavier bread, it’ll take longer than an hour.  Mine took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Gently fold dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface, floured if dough is tacky, and divide into loaves.  Grease loaf pans and let rise again for 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400* F in the last fifteen minutes of the rise time.  Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 375 to finish baking.  This bread will take a bit to bake.  I recommend checking it at the half hour mark, but it’ll probably take closer to 45 minutes.

Remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  Makes 2 loaves.

Salisbury.Fake breakfast, food

Sorghum Goji Berry Pancakes

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Note: These pancakes are a little drier than normal ones, but that’s what toppings are for.  I used butter and syrup, which worked fine, or you could use stewed berries or whatever you like for your pancakes.

Ingredients:

2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups plant based milk (I used soy)
2 tbsp neutral flavored oil
1/2 cup dried goji berries
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the goji berries, and stir through.  Add in the milk and oil, then stir till everything is just combined.

Heat a tablespoon of butter, vegan or otherwise, in a small frying pan.  Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, scoop about a 1/3 cup of the batter into the frying pan.  Cook until the bottom is set, and small bubbles form on the top.  Flip and cook for about a minute, two minutes more, and remove to a plate while you cook the rest.

This batter made 7 pancakes, which is indeed an odd number, but you could use a 1/4 cup when cooking and make more.  Or, double the recipe.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within three days.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Vegan Lasagna Roll-Ups

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Hello!  This week? Lasagna roll ups!  These are about the same amount of work as a traditional lasagna, but they’re individually portioned, making for easier serving and portion control.  Serve with salad for a complete meal.  See my notes at the bottom for clarification on ingredients.  Otherwise? Let’s get you rollin’.

For the tofu ricotta:

1 block of firm tofu, drained and pressed*
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp plant milk (I used oat)
1 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder
1/4 tsp citric acid*

For the “meat” sauce:

1 cup of TVP*
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp of dried basil
1 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper

Boil water and prepare 6 lasagna noodles according to package directions, cooking to al dente.  The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

In a food processor, crumble the tofu and then pulse for about ten times.  Add in the remaining ingredients and process till the mixture is smooth.  Adjust for seasonings if you want more salt or more pepper, or add in more nutritional yeast if you’d like.  Honestly, this “ricotta” is the closest tasting to actual ricotta I’ve had yet, so I recommend making it as listed above.  Once it’s combined with the sauce and the pasta, the flavors work really well together.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the TVP and the vegetable broth and allow to rehydrate for about ten minutes.  Add in about 3/4 of the can of tomato sauce, and add in the remaining ingredients.  Combine, and set aside.

For the rolling, I used a baking sheet to hold the pasta so I wouldn’t make a mess on the countertop, but you don’t have to.  You’ll need a smaller baking dish for this, since there’s only six servings in this recipe.  I recommend glass.  If you want to make more, simply double the recipe and use a bigger baking dish.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pot.  Take one noodle and lay it flat on the baking sheet (or countertop).  Spread the ricotta down first, using about 1/3 of a cup per noodle.  Spoon on some of the sauce, again about a 1/3 of a cup.  Roll from the bottom up, and place in a well greased baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining pasta till all is used.  You might have some ricotta left over.  Simply store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.  Use the remaining tomato sauce in the can by mixing it with any leftover sauce in your mixing bowl.  Spoon onto each roll up.

I put some Daiya mozzarella style shreds on top of my roll ups, but you don’t have to.  Bake at 375* F for about 25-30 minutes.  Serves six.

You could also get this prepared and then freeze until ready to use.  I’d recommend only for a maximum of three months, though.

*Notes*

Ricotta:  Draining and pressing the tofu is a big step for this.  I usually don’t press my tofu, just squeeze as much water out as I can, but for this I pressed it.  Doing so gets rid of even more excess water and won’t make the tofu runny.  I also used citric acid because I didn’t want the flavor of lemon in my ricotta.  You absolutely don’t have to go out and buy citric acid to make this.  Use a tablespoon of lemon juice, or two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar instead.

Sauce:  Instead of TVP, you can use frozen “beef” crumbles, such as Gardein, etc.  Brown the crumbles first, though, before mixing into the sauce.  You can also use a jarred sauce you know you like instead of making the sauce above.  Personally, I don’t enjoy chunky sauces.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Roasted Poblano and Split Pea Soup with Sunchoke

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A few notes before we get started:

  1. You can roast the poblano in the oven at 400* F for about 10-15 minutes, or until the skin is blistering.  You won’t have the same char effect as you would if you held it with tongs over the gas stove.  The main reason for roasting the pepper is to remove the skin anyway.  Or as much of it as you can.
  2. You can leave out the poblano entirely if you’d prefer to have it less spicy.
  3. This soup thickens quite a bit after it’s cooled, and oddly looks like custard once it’s been in the fridge.  To reheat, simply add enough water to reach your desired consistency and either reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave.  This soup will also freeze for up to 1 month.

Let’s get into it.

Ingredients

2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock — I used Better Than Bullion vegetable base NOT their vegetarian chicken broth base.
1 1/2 cups split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 poblano pepper, minced once it’s been roasted and peeled
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, but it adds a bacony flavor to the soup)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Taste for salt, add if needed along the way.  I didn’t need any extra salt with the Better Than Bullion paste.

Method

Bring stock to a boil in a large pot.  Add in all of the remaining ingredients and lower to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until peas are starting to mush together, almost like mashed potatoes.  I know it sounds gross, but it’s what I’ve got.  Puree part or all of the soup, or leave as is.  This serves four in normal portions, three in not normal portions.

For the sunchoke — otherwise known as the Jerusalem Artichoke:

This works for any size sunchoke, but I recommend only preparing as many as you plan on serving.  Clean thoroughly before placing on a baking tray.  Pierce with a fork a few times, and then bake at 375* F for half an hour.  The fork should go through easily, but don’t go all the way through.  Once sunchokes are fork tender, smash with the bottom of a glass and sprinkle salt and pepper on top, adding a small bit of butter as well, if desired.  Put back in the oven for another 7 minutes before removing the tray and flipping the sunchokes over (carefully), and finish baking for the remaining 7 minutes.

Serve without intending for leftovers.  They don’t hold up well in the fridge after 2 days.

Salisbury.Fake dinner, food

Seitan Roast with Sides

Hello!  Happy new year!  I hope you are doing well, and I hope your food goals are going well, too.  If you’re participating in Veganuary, congratulations, I hope you succeed.  I also like to remind myself that when I’m trying a new thing and I have a slip up, it isn’t the end of everything and I just pick up where I left off.

This post is a long one, but I wanted to start the year out with a bang.  It’s all mostly recipes with a few notes for one or two of the recipes.

That said, let’s just get right in to the recipes.  Seitan roast, warm fennel and apple salad, ginger carrot and red cabbage salad, and a pomegranate reduction for the roast.  There’s also peas on the plate, but I just steamed those.  If you need a recipe for steamed peas, please let me know.

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Seitan Roast

Note: if using plain vegetable broth/stock, add in more salt than you think you might need.  Seitan is very easily bland, so adding in about 2 teaspoons of salt will help make it not be bland.  I know that sounds like a lot, but you’re making up the difference from a bullion cube or paste.

Ingredients

Dry:

2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten (no substitutes, sorry 😦 )
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (see note if using vegetable stock instead of water)

Wet:

2 cups warm water
2 tbsp oil of choice (I used olive)
1 heaping tbsp bullion paste or 2 bullion cubes (I use Better than Bullion No Chicken base)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or regular white vinegar)
1 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener

Method

Whisk dry ingredients together to distribute everything equally.  In a separate bowl (or, like I do, use a glass measuring cup), mix together the wet ingredients.  There will be separation of the oil, so don’t worry, it’s normal.  Add your wet to your dry and stir to combine.  A soft dough should begin to form.  This will be wet, but it shouldn’t be shaggy (where it easily pulls apart and stringy).  Once you get a ball to form and all of the vital wheat gluten is mixed in, start kneading inside the bowl.  Knead for about 2-3 minutes, or until it becomes a bit firmer.  You shouldn’t be able to pull it apart very well at all at this point.  Let the dough rest for about five minutes.  Press the dough into a rectangle (I did this on a baking tray for easy counter clean up) and then roll into a log.  Wrap in parchment as tightly as you can without ripping the parchment.  Roast at 325 degrees F for one hour in a roasting pan  with 1/4 cup of water in the bottom.  I used foil balls to elevate the seitan above the water so it wouldn’t soak into it.  It will act as steam though, so it will evaporate a little as the seitan cooks.  Let cool for about half an hour so the seitan can set.  If it gets too cooled down, slice the seitan and then warm in a skillet with some butter or oil till golden brown.

Freeze leftover seitan in portions for up to 3 months.  Leftovers can be used for anything you’d like, really.

Warm Fennel and Apple Salad

Note: Slice the apple while the shallot is browning in order to lessen the oxidization of the apple.

Ingredients

1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
Juice of 1 orange
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter (or use oil).  Cook the shallot till it browns, then add in the fennel and apple.  Cook down for about 5-7 minutes, flipping every now and then to ensure even cooking.  Add in orange juice and salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

Ginger Carrot Red Cabbage Salad

Note: This is a small batch worth because I didn’t want to make too much since it’d be me eating most of it.  To make a full head of cabbage, just double the dressing recipe.  I know it might not seem like enough, but trust me, it will be.

Ingredients

1/4 of red cabbage, shredded
1-2 carrots, shredded

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a medium bowl, toss together the carrot and cabbage.  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Pour over the carrot and cabbage and toss until salad is coated.  Set in the fridge until serving.

Pomegranate Reduction

In a small saucepan, bring 8 ounces of pomegranate juice and 1/2 tsp of maple syrup to a rapid boil, then lower the heat to a simmer until liquid reduces by half.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.  Spoon over seitan roast at the table, or can be used before slicing the roast.

Salisbury.Fake baking, dessert

Vegan Brownies

A couple of notes with this recipe, and then I’ll let you get right into it.

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photo by c.m.k.

This has a couple of add-ins, and while I know not everyone is fond of add-ins, I recommend you include them.  These brownies are super rich and need something to balance that out.

The main fat source is vegan butter.  I don’t recommend substituting anything for it.  Coconut oil will not have the same consistency required for this recipe.

And with that? I give you brownies.

 

Ingredients:

10 tbsp butter (used earth balance)
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 cup flour
3 flax eggs
3 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup chocolate chips/chunks

Method:

Melt butter with cocoa powder, white and brown sugar till grainy. Add in the flax eggs and mix till gloopy. Add milk and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix till combined. Pour into greased baking dish, or parchment lined dish, and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

These will be gooey, but 100% worth the wait.  The cinnamon balances out the super sweetness of the rest of the ingredients, so I strongly suggest using it.  A little goes a long way.

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photo by c.m.k.