more vegan blogging goodness

i got a nice note from another vegan blogger (who incidentally works at angelica kitchen, whose cookbook i am currently obsessed with after receiving it from my sis). check out carmichael's blog here.

quinoa patties

i can't take credit for veganizing this recipe, but wanted to share it nonetheless. it comes from my sister, elaine, who is currently obsessed with this grain.

2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup fresh cilantro (or basil)
½ cup diced onion
½ cup cooked and drained black beans
1 t. seasoning salt
3 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced green onion
Bread crumbs as needed (approx. ½ to ¾ cup)
Canola oil and butter, mixed

Blend garlic, nuts, cilantro or basil, onion, black beans, and salt in a food
processor. Mix quinoa, red pepper, and green onion in a bowl. Add the
blended mixture. Add bread crumbs gradually, enough so the mixture
holds together. Form into patties, whatever size you like. Roll the
shaped patty in the crumbs to create a seal and crust. Heat a skillet
over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil and butter in equal
parts; cook patties about 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned.
Serve on buns with your favorite condiments, or with baked fries, or
on top of brown rice.

notes: make quinoa an hour or two before making patties - it needs to be somewhat cooled or the patties won't stick together. adding a little olive oil will help warm quinoa patties stick together better. if you don't have time to make the quinoa in advance, you can just skip making the patties and just eat the mixture as it is - it's quite delicious that way too.

you can use garbanzos instead of black beans - i did this and it had a nice flavor.

carrot ginger muffins

undecided on whether to make carrot raisin muffins or gingerbread this evening, i settled on a compromise that combines the two. here's the vegan version i came up with:

2 cups flour
3 t. baking powder
Egg substitute for 2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup unrefined sugar
4 T. Earth Balance (or soybutter of your choice)
2 large carrots, shredded
3/4 cup soymilk
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3 t. dry powdered ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. vanilla
Optional: 3/4 cup raisins and/or nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble earth balance/soybutter into small pieces and let soften. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder with the soybutter, using a pastry cutter or fingers to break down the butter into fine pieces mixed with the flour. Add sugars, ginger, carrot, soymilk, egg substitute, vanilla, and spices to the mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add raisins or nuts if using them. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool.

tagliatelle w/ mushrooms and chive cream sauce

this is not only a veganized recipe, but also a hybrid of two recipes i found online.

1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms (i used cremini and oyster)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup soy cream
2 T. torn fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
nutritional yeast or other thickening agent (optional)
1 package dried tagliatelle (i recommend trader joe's sprouted wheat pappardelle)

For chive oil:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 t. red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 large bunches chives, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Half fill a large saucepan with water. Season with salt and/or oil and bring to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
3. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan.
4. Sauté the shallot for 1-2 minutes to soften.
5. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden.
6. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
7. Add the soy cream and simmer for 3-4 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened.
8. While sauce is simmering, process all chive oil ingredients in a blender until creamy and no lumps are present.
9. Stir chive oil into mushroom cream mixture and cook until heated through. Add nutritional yeast flakes (or other thickening agent of your choice) as desired to thicken the sauce to desired consistency.
10. Drain the pasta.
11. Stir the basil into the mushrooms and season well with salt and black pepper.
12. Fold the tagliatelle into the creamy mushroom chive sauce, then serve immediately.

vegan artichoke pesto

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
about 1 c. loose basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

process artichokes, nuts, yeast and garlic until a paste is formed. add in lemon juice, then slowly add in olive oil w/ motor running. finally, add basil leaves and pulse until leaves are broken into smallish pieces. add salt and pepper to taste. serve w/ pasta, or on lightly toasted baguette slices for a quick hors d'oeuvres idea.

serving suggestion: goes very well w/ tofurkey's italian sausage. i sauteed the sausages in a bit of olive oil to make them warm and crispy and then mixed them into a batch of whole wheat penne, along with the pesto.

veganizing the world...

one recipe at a time.

since becoming vegan, one of my favorite things to do is to find non-vegan recipes and veganize them while maintaining the quality and flavor integrity of the original recipe. this blog will be a place for me to share the veganized versions of said recipes, as well as recipes for my original creations.