pages

Mar 27, 2021

sriracha buffalo sandwich

   


Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: medium pot, medium bowl, small bowl, baking sheet


Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I have had a hankering for Buffalo-style sandwiches ever since living in Miami and having them at a nightclub waaayyyy back in my younger days. It was served on a bun with slaw and mayo. I made this sandwich with those flavors in mind, but, of course, upped it with Sriracha. 

If you like some other hot sauce, this recipe should be able to support it, no problem.

You might be wondering why air-fry/pan fry the reconstituted Soy Curls and then broil them? Valid question! When the curls first reconstitute they are packed with moisture. You could squeeze them out first and skip the air-frying, but you would also be skipping a lot of bonus flavor and texture. I advise against it. 

Use the Savory Soy Curls recipe HERE and then make your Sriracha Buffalo sandwiches. 

The slaw does well with either mayo or yogurt add it adds the welcome heat relief. We loved these quick sammies and it satisfied my craving for those long-ago flavors.

Side Note: Work is walloping me, since I am also taking a certification course and volunteering for a high school girls hackathon (Contact me if you know a high school girl who would like to participate. It is Pacific time, but it is virtual. I can send you an e-Flyer). Bear with me while I finish the Winter recipe zine. I hope to have it done in the next few weeks.  

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!






Speedy Cooking Tips:

  • Prepare your Savory Soy Curls
  • Gather your ingredients.
  • Make the sauce.
  • Start the slaw.
  • Broil the Curls.
  • Finish the slaw. 






(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)





Sriracha Buffalo Sandwich

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday


Preheat broiler to high.


1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 - 1/2 cup Sriracha

1/4 cup agave

1/4 cup lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger

3 cups chopped, Savory Soy Curls

4 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 small head or bag slaw mix) 

1 small carrot, shredded (skip if using slaw mix)

1/4 small onion, grated

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup vegan mayo or plain, nondairy yogurt 

2 green onions, minced

4 burger buns

1. Cooking Sauce: Stir together ketchup, Sriracha, agave, juice, garlic and ginger in a medium pot. Remove and set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixed sauce. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Soy Curls, mix and transfer to a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until lightly charred. Set aside. 

2. Slaw: Mix the cabbage, carrot, onion, lemon juice, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. 

3. Topping Sauce: Mix the vegan mayo or yogurt, 2 tablespoons reserved Cooking Sauce and green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning.       

4. Serve: Toast the buns well. Divide the Soy Curls among the buns, add the Slaw and the  Topping Sauce to the Curls. Serve.        


 



© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.








Pint It!




vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

Mar 20, 2021

spring equinox - winter wrap up


Hello, hello Dear Readers! Happy Spring Equinox!


Since it is the end of the season, I am releasing my third free meatless, vegetarian and vegan zine, this one for Winter 2021. You can head to the  ** free zine **  page above (Link HERE) and download your zines for free. Printing instructions are in the pdfs; it is an easy way to have fast and easy recipes at your fingertips.

I am listing the past season's post in order of popularity, as indicated by page hits. Thus they are:

1. Kettle Goulash came  in at the top of the heap! And that makes sense, because this Hungarian classic is rich and delicious - and really easy to make. 

2. One Pot Chili Mac is a Dump Dinner and I love it! I love chili mac as it is, and making it into a Dump Dinner is the answer I didn't know I was looking for. A lot of people thought so, too, as it was the second most popular this season.

3. Pot Roast Charcuterie  was a wonderful weekend meal that brought the family together. I know it might seem like we should all eat a meal together every day, with four adults in the house, even that is asking for a lot. Once a month will do me fine, given how quickly time flies, anyway.   

4. Mexican Breakfast Burrito was a terrific way to start our day - even though it lead to some heated sweet potato debate. Of course, we were debating as we were eating.  

5. Stroganoff Burrito was an interesting way to serve Stroganoff and it truly worked! This one is packed with mushrooms and sauce.  

6. I was very excited to share Knoephla Dumpling Soup with you! If this rich and hearty soup slipped by you, make sure to get it on your menu. Simply delicious.   

7. I was a little surprised to find that Indian Butter Seitan was not more popular. I know its meat equivalent is certainly so - and this version is so easy and tastes so amazing. I do hope more folks catch it on the rebound. 

8. Tex-Mex Tortilla Bake is most definitely a dump dinner and very tasty, indeed! It's fast, healthy, easy and tasty - not much more to it than that. 

9. Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew is definitely the sleeper of the recipes. I know the butternut squash part of it can throw some people, but I promise - if you try it, you won't be disappointed. 

10. Stromboli  can be many things - you can make it like a pizza, with sauce and cheese, or make it like a hoagie that is baked. I went for a combo of the two with this one. 

11. One Pot Tetrazzini was as close as we are getting to a dump dinner, but because some attention was needed, I didn't feel right casting it as a Dump Dinner. Still, very easy, fast and delicious.

12. And the new kid on the block is Pot Pie Pizza . As the name implies, it is a combination of a pot pie with pizza. Another perfect winter dish. 

Along the season I shared some staple recipe with you: Simple Seitan Loaf, Savory Tofu and Savory Soy Curls

The only thing left to do is get the pdf, figure out what you haven't made, yet, and start creating your menu. 

For more inspiration, see the Winter Solstice - Fall Wrap-up HERE.

Enjoy!



Download Winter 2021 zine HERE






Pin it!

(coming, too)



Mar 13, 2021

ratatouille pasta

 

Overview

Time: 55 minutes 
Dishes: large skillet, medium pot


Hello, hello Dear Readers!

When my son told me that he had a hankering for Ratatouille, I thought - great, I can make that. 

Then he told me he had made it before - the authentic way, and I thought - hey, I can do that. 

Then he told me it took him 3 hours to make, and I thought - yeah, um, no.  

Although I agree with him wholeheartedly that Ratatouille should be made properly - cooked so that all the vegetables sing in harmony but each keep their integrity; not be overcooked but be properly cooked to perfection. However, I could not devote 3 hours to it. 

After preparing the dish, while complaining that it was not layered properly in thinly cut disks, he managed to keep shoveling the pasta into his mouth, so I will follow his actions and not so much listen to his gripes. In the meantime, my husband was head down into the bowl of pasta and by the time I got back to the kitchen there were only a few lingering squash pieces left in the pan. 

In order to cook the dish properly, you have to cook it in stages, very much like the Hungarian Lecso or the Spanish Sofrito. Only after the current layer is partly cooked, do you add the next ingredient. The ratatouille is then braised in broth and finally baked in the oven.

It sounds complicated, but take a look at the recipe - it is easy to prepare and the instructions are clear. 

Don't miss out.     

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!



Speedy Cooking Tips:

  • Gather the ingredients.
  • Chop the onion first and add to the  pan.
  • Then mince the garlic and add it. 
  • Chop the squash and eggplant while the onion cooks.
  • Chop the tomato while the squash cooks.
  • Cook the pasta while the ratatouille bakes.
  • Save some cooking pasta water in case the ratatouille is too dry, but it shouldn't be needed.



(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)




Ratatouille Pasta

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday/weekend


Preheat oven to 400-F


3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 medium summer squash (18 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice

1 medium eggplant (14 ounces), cut into 1-inch dice

2 medium tomatoes (15 ounces), chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

12 ounces pasta 

1/4 cup minced parsley 


1. Onion: Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chili flakes and garlic. Cook until the onion is golden, covered, about 8 minutes. Stir as needed.  

2. Squash: Add the squash and eggplant to the Onion. Cook until squash is starting to brown, 4 minutes. Stir as needed.   

3. Tomato: Add the tomato and paste to the Onion. Mix well. Cook until the paste is browning, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.    

4. Broth and Bake: Add the broth to the Onion. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400-F. Uncover and transfer to oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Alternately, transfer to an oven-safe dish to bake.  

5. Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

6. Serve: Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss with Pasta. Serve.       





© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.






Pint It!








vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

Mar 6, 2021

pot pie with pizza crust

  


Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large pot, baking sheet, oven 


Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I heard of the idea of using pizza dough as the crust of a pot pie, so when I first made this meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish, I made a pizza crust (baking it into the pan first) and then adding the pot pie filling and baking it a bit more. Well,.. it didn't turn out quite as I intended, but the flavors were great and my son-in-law asked me to make it again.

This time I just baked the crust as a pizza crust, topped with some vegan cheese, and served it along side the pot pie. This turned out to be faster, not as messy, not as soggy, but still very tasty. 

Although you might expect the crust to be on the bottom of the pot pie, it turns out better as more of a top to the pot pie. Roll the pizza dough into a regular pizza-looking crust, or cut into circles and then top them on to bowls of the pot pie. 

My husband, however, defied my logic and added the crust to the bowl, topped the crust with the filling and then used a knife and fork to eat it. He liked it that way, so I say more power to him.

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!



Speedy Cooking Tips:

  • If dough is refrigerated allow it to warm first.
  • The pizza takes about 15 minutes to bake; start there.
  • Make the filling while the crust bakes.
  • Finish with the nondairy milk while the cheese melts, if using.
  • Serve the crust with the filling - under, over or next to each other.
 



(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)





Pot Pie with Pizza Crust

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

Preheat oven to 450-F


12 to 16-ounces pizza dough

4 to 6 slices vegan cheese (optional)

1 teaspoon olive oil

10-ounces vegan chicken-style strips or Savory Tofu

1/2 onion, chopped fine

3 medium carrots, sliced thin

2 cup chopped green beans or zucchini

1/2 cup corn or peas (optional)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth Mix or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bullion

2 1/2 cups unsweetened, plain nondairy milk


1. Crust: Allow pizza dough to come to room temperature, if chilled. Roll out to 12-inches. Place on a baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned. If adding cheese, bake for 10 minutes, add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and cut into wedges. 

2. Protein: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the protein and cook until browned, using a lid, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Chop when cool, if needed.

3. Vegetables: Add the onion, carrot, green beans and corn to the now empty skillet. Cook over medium heat, using a lid, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed:

4. Gravy: Add the flour and broth mix to the Vegetables. Mix well and cook 3 minutes.

5.  Add the milk to the Gravy, 1/4-cup at a time, while stirring until smooth, to prevent lumps. Add the chopped Protein. Season to taste. Bring to simmer and cook until Vegetables are tender. Serve with the Crust on top or as a side. 





© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.








Pint It!


vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based