veganmofo - famous dude + meat(less) pies

Day 24! #vgnmf15! We are getting close to the end! Today's post is

"What would [famous person] eat if they were vegan?"

The girls and I decided to go with one of the most infamous omnivores in history: 

Henry VIII

   

The photo on the left is Henry during his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon (which lasted 24 years). The one on the right is a tad later.

Since the man was known for his opulence and grandeur, and not known for simplicity and humility, it is well documented that Henry and his rich off-springs would have indulged in eating any fish, fowl or any (and every) other animal on a spit, plate or in a pie.

Bread and wine were plentiful (and the only clean drinking supplies) and sweet confections were never far off. According to some estimates, Mr. Tudor consumed around 5000 calories per day (I think that is a low-ball estimate), however, he (as well as other affluent gentry) is rumored to have suffered from malnutrition and scurvy.

Why? Vegetables and other plant foods were considered plebian and only suited as foods for peasants.

Now, if Henry had a good head on his shoulders, instead of losing one (or another's), and had been compassionate, he would have become vegan long before he had beheaded his second wife.

Let's give the guy a break and let him have his sweets via decadent and exotic fruits, such as pepino melons, blackberries, raspberries and horned melons. All appropriate sweets, I think.

And then, for the main course, we'll go ahead and give him his bread/pie (he is English, after all) but, we'll make it with broccoli and minced savory soy curls in a velvety gravy. Let's call it Royal Meat(less) Pies, for the fun of it, and, again, for the fun of it, if you would like to hum along to "Have a Little Priest," no one would mind.

Above we have decadent fruit, wine, and huge (huge!) meatless pies stuffed with vegan meat, gravy and broccoli. The man would have nothing to complain about, I testify.

If you'd like to make your own fluffy, high-rising vegan pies, look no further than Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N), which has this really amazing biscuit (and meatless pies) recipe.

While I do not have the permission to share the actual meatless pie recipe, I do have the permission to share with you the biscuit recipe. Savvy Vegetarian shared this recipe first and she has some *sweet* variations on it that is really worthwhile to check out.

Flaky Buttermilk Herb Biscuits
Sample recipe from Everyday Vegan Eats by Zsu Dever. (Copyright Zsu Dever. Permission Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)
Makes 10 - 12 Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plain unsweetened vegan milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold vegan butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup minced parsley leaves
1 tablespoon dried chives

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450-F. Mix the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Set it aside for 3 minutes to thicken.

2.  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter. Using a pastry knife or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of peas. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture all at once. Add the parsley and chives.  Gently combine the flour and milk with your hand just until the milk is absorbed into the flour. Handle carefully to avoid tough biscuits.

3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead it 6 to 8 times or until the dough comes together.  Add more flour to the dough if it is too sticky, adding just enough flour to prevent a lot of sticking, but not too much to achieve a light, flaky biscuit.

4. Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Fold the dough in half and then in half again. Roll it out again into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick, adding more flour as needed. Repeat the folding and rolling 4 more times, for a total of folding it 5 times.
If the dough becomes too difficult to roll, allow it to relax for 5 minutes before proceeding.

5. Roll the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick one final time. Cut it into about 10 (3-inch) rounds using a floured biscuit cutter, or a floured drinking glass.

6. Place the biscuits on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 425-F. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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veganmofo - late summer + sin carne asada

Day 16 #vgnmf15 - what is your favorite late summer food? A cookout, of course! And our favorite cookout is Sin Carne Asada tacos, made with Seitan SteaK.

So, yeah, a cookout is our favorite late summer "food." Especially this cookout below.

The first step is to make a robust seitan that stands up well to grilling. Then marinate the seitan in a mojo-garlic mixture.

Next, throw those seitan steaks onto the grill with plenty of onions. Make your Arbol Salsa and Guacamole and warm your tortillas. Prepare your garnishes: lime, cilantro, crumbled vegan  cheese, vegan sour cream, jalapenos, etc.

Finally, slice the seitan, and stuff them into those warmed tortillas with all the condiments your heart desires.

You can also grill some corn on the cob, make a potato salad or a Mexican Pasta Salad (the recipe in Everyday Vegan Eats is phenomenal) and just scarf the tacos down while they last.

I usually make 2 to 3 pounds of seitan for this; our family of five will literally fight over the last few tacos, so it's always best to err on the side of leftovers. Tip: serve your tacos in small corn tortillas but double them up to help hold the tacos together.

#truthtalk  We are having this next week, too, to get one more cookout in before the summer ends.

{Kindle edition of Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N)  is up for grabs in this week's giveaway. Enter HERE. Both international and domestic contest!}

Sin Carne Asada Tacos
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Marinade:
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles
½ teaspoon sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 pounds SteaK Seitan

2 onions, cut into ¾ -inch thick rings
Oil for the grill, as needed

Other:
Small (3-inch) corn tortillas, as needed
Arbol Salsa, recipe below
Guacamole, recipe below
Vegan cheese, crumbled
Vegan sour cream
Pickled jalapenos
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

1. Marinade: Combine the oil, juices, tamari, scallions, garlic, chiles, salt and black pepper in a blender. Blend well and transfer to a large baking dish. Add the seitan and mix well to coat. Set aside to marinate overnight.
2. Heat your grill or grill pan. Oil the grates or pan. Grill the seitan, basting with the sauce as needed, and onions until lightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface and cut into slices. Heat the tortillas on the grill, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. 
3. Place two tortillas on top of each other and fill with seitan, onions and choice of toppings. Enjoy!

Arbol Salsa
2 to 6 dried arbol chiles
2 California chiles (also known as dried Anaheim peppers)
2 medium ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges
½ medium onion, cut into ½-inch slices
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Sea salt and black pepper
2 to 3 splashes sherry vinegar

1. Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the chiles. Heat the chiles in a pan (or grill pan)  until soft and lightly colored. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to rehydrate for 20 minute. Drain the chiles and transfer the chiles to a blender. 
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the tomatoes, onion and garlic until lightly charred. Transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender. Peel the garlic and transfer to the blender. 
3. Blend the mixture until smooth. Season with salt, black pepper and vinegar. Blend again and adjust seasoning. 
4. Salsa will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. 

Guacamole
5 medium ripe Hass avocado, mashed 
1 small ripe tomato, diced
3/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl using a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and lime juice.


 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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veganmofo - kitchen tour

#vgnmf15 Day 13 is all about touring our kitchen.

Here goes! And since this is a tour, I will let the pics speak. I introduce you to the kitchen that created, wrote, tested and edited two vegan cookbooks:

Back of my kitchen:

Front of my kitchen:

Side view of the kitchen:

My kitchen cookbook library is not part of the kitchen, but I do need to do research, right? Of the 300 cookbooks shown, 250 are vegan and the rest are non-vegan, for research. The small tabs on the bottom of the books is my system of categorization.

Note that this did not happen overnight. It has been in the making over the past 15 years.

Please understand, I feel it is my moral obligation to support vegan cookbook authors. That is exactly what I tell my husband. #truthtalk

The left side of the shelves:

The right side of the shelves:

If you haven't entered the contest to win Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) yet, head over to Tuesday's post HERE. Good luck!

veganmofo - fave cookbook

Day 12 #vgnmf15 asks us the question: "What is your favorite cookbook?"

Let's see...that could be Tamasin Noyes' Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day or American Vegan Kitchen?

or perhaps, Isa's Vegan Brunch or Isa Does It?

maybe, it's Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet or More Quick Fix Vegan?

While all the above named books will be on many mofo lists, I tell you truthfully that the one that I turn to almost day in and day out is Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N), by moia. And now that Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) is finally in my grubby little hands, I actually have TWO faves:

Let me show you why Everyday Vegan Eats is such a daily-used book in our house.

The night before last we enjoyed this recipe from EVE, Lima Bean Bake (page 184). We served it with the Garlicky Greens (page 196) - this time made of kale and watercress, and crusty bread to sop up the delicious gravy.

This is a quick-to-assemble dish that bakes in the oven for a few hours. Yeah, I know, we fired up the oven in the summer for this dish...and it was so worth it!

And then there's this pasta dish, Coco Loco with Dulse and Kale (page 146). I would start with about one tablespoon of dulse if you've never had sea vegetables before, but our family is up to about a quarter cup of dulse in this really tasty dish.

This dish marked the first time my kids asked for dark, leafy greens and it was thanks to this recipe, oh, about eight or nine years ago. We still love this really quick-to-make meal.

This next particular dish is one of my absolute favorites! It is Tandoori Tofu and Vegetables (page 124) and is served with naan (page 126) and raita (page 126). A complete Indian feast, all in this cookbook!

Of course, the bakery section is not anything to sneeze at; it has the recipe that produces the tallest vegan biscuits you've ever made, the softest chocolate chip cookies, the fudgiest brownies, the flakiest scone, and the crispiest Apricot and Raisin Rugelach (page 228), plus a whole lot more in this one chapter alone.

There are hidden gems in this seemingly only transitional cookbook, so you should really check it out. Not only are the recipes delicious, but they are also as authentic as it gets in the vegan realm. Really good vegan versions of old favorites, as well as creative original dishes.

As for Vegan Bowls, which just arrived this Friday evening, in addition to the previously mentioned reasons (#1, #2, and #3) I offer up reason #4 why I love this book: it is versatile.

Out of the 97 recipes in the book (87 are bowl meals, 10 are basic recipes), 83 are gluten free or have gluten free options and 91 are soy free or have soy free options. You can also easily substitute store-bought commercial vegan protein choices (such as Beyond Meat or Tofurkey) in many of the recipes.

** 23 recipes are both GF and SF without any substitutions
*** this is NOT a nut free cookbook as nuts are used in sauces, used as extra nutrition or used for texture in many recipes


How about a peak at the contents of the Grilled Chapter?

Here are a few highlights from Vegan Bowls.:

There you have it. My two favorite cookbooks to date!

If you haven't entered the contest to win Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) yet, head over to Tuesday's post HERE. Good luck!

veganmofo - book/film inspiration + schnitzel (chickpea brine)

Day 7 mofo challenge is brought to you by the compassionate side of the Von Trapp family. Again, I was assisted by my teen girls to plod my way to this musical inspiration, The Sound of Music.

We are pretty big into musicals at the Dever household and it's pretty unusual to not hear at least one family member singing. As I write this, my youngest is busting out a Sweeny Todd song as she is getting ready for work.

So, we could have chosen other musical inspirations, but collectively we went with The Sound of Music, as much for the musical itself as for the inspired meal from it: the schnitzel.

Some might remember from last year when I was in my burger throes and made like 20 really kick-butt creations, that the Schnitzel Burger was the first in that list - another one on a homemade bun.

That was all fine and tasty, but then the magic of the chickpea brine was brought to our arena and now the Schnitzel needs a remake.

A regular schnitzel is made using an egg bath which actually adds a unique texture to the breading. It isn't really like breading with just a sticky substance (such as flax or cashew milk) that is then dredging in bread crumbs. The egg bath for this dish puffs up and creates a tender, fluffy texture.

I wanted to see if the magical chickpea brine would enhance the texture of the breading, so I made one batch with the whipped brine and another with just starch+liquid combo, acting as the glue that binds.

Verdict: the chickpea brine produced a noticeably different texture! The breading was indeed lighter and fluffier than the one without. I believe the schnitzel pictured above had some of the breading fall off a bit [which is where there is no fluffy breading], but you can see where the breading adhered that it is puffed up, just as in the egg-based schnitzels. Score!

To fix the falling off dilemma, I wound up chilling some of the cutlets in the freezer for about 10 minutes to help make them stick  to the seitan; that worked well, so chilling it first will be my procedure hence forth.

As for the seitan, I used the Simple Seitan from Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N), but instead of making cutlets, I cooked the gluten as a roast and sliced the seitan about 1/4-inch thin. This resulted in a really crisp, but fluffy coating.

All in all, definitely the way to go when you splurge and make a schnitzel. Reminded me of my days in the restaurant [minus the cruelty]. Yippee!

Schnitzel [using chickpea brine]

Makes about 6 cutlets

½ cup dry fine bread crumbs

½ teaspoon paprika

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup chickpea brine

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pound seitan loaf (Everyday Vegan Eats has a great one!), cut into ¼-inch slices and gently squeezed of excess moisture

Neutral oil for frying

Lemon slices

1. Combine the bread crumbs and paprika in a shallow pan (cake pans are awesome). Season with salt and black pepper. Add the ¼-cup flour to a separate shallow pan and season with salt and black pepper. Whip the chickpea brine into stiff peaks using a stand mixer, if possible. Gently fold in the 2 tablespoons flour. 

2. Dredge each seitan slice first in the flour, then in the chickpea mixture and finally in the breadcrumbs. Set the cutlets in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the breading to adhere.

3. Heat ¼-inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 popcorn kernels. When the popcorn  pops, the oil is at the correct temperature.

4. Cook the cutlets in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the skillet; cook the cutlets in batches. Drain the cutlets on paper towels.

5. Serve with lemon slices.

 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

veganmofo - weird combo + artichoke dip pizza

Day 4 of #vgnmf15! We are asked to share a weird food combo.

To me, "weird" food combo is very relative and what might be weird for me, might not be for you. So, at the risk of not following the rules, I will first list a few combos that I think are a little odd, and then I'll get down to business.

Seaweed and Coconut Ice Cream
Nutritional yeast and Chocolate
Pickles with Vanilla Frosting
Almond Butter and Vegenaise Sandwich
Applesauce on Pizza
Caramel Sauce and Ketchup
...you get the idea.

Now for the story behind what turned out to be my actual post.

My daughters and I were brainstorming together for the prompts for VeganMoFo. When the prompt for Day 4 popped up, my youngest teen offered her opinion of what a "weird" food combo is:

Artichoke dip and Pizza

At that point her older sister googled "artichoke dip + pizza," switched the results to "images" and turned the computer to face her sister. No words were needed, as the entire screen lit up with images of pizza with artichoke dip on them. Not as "weird" as she had thought!

[I advocate using Goodsearch instead of Google, though, since you can donate to a good cause each time you search, such as for Farm Sanctuary.]

Although we had a good laugh, it did offer a good opportunity to share this Artichoke Dip Pizza with you, which appears in Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N) and first appeared on my publisher's site, Vegan Heritage Press.

The absolute "weirdest" part of this story is that the pizza below is her FAVORITE pizza and we make at least once a month on Pizza Night, but, more often, twice a month! I'm thinking the name threw her; the book has it as Spinach-Artichoke Pizza, which is how she has come to know it.

For this special mofo, I went ahead and renamed it to keep with the theme ;)

Artichoke Dip Pizza
Makes 2 (9-Inch) pizzas
From Everyday Vegan Eats by Zsu Dever. ©2014 Zsu Dever. Used by permission from 
Vegan Heritage Press.

1/2 (10-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 pound pizza dough
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)


1. Preheat the oven 450°F. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Squeeze the excess moisture from the thawed spinach and transfer it to a food processor. Add the cream cheese, scallions, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper, to taste. Process into a paste, scrapping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
3. Squeeze the excess moisture from the artichokes, chop them and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well and set aside.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. On parchment paper or a lightly floured, clean dry surface roll out one of the dough pieces into a 9-inch circle. Spread 1 tablespoon of oil on a baking sheet. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet.
5. Spread half of the spinach mixture over the dough using an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon. If using, sprinkle half of the cheese over the spinach. Add half of the artichoke mixture.
6. Bake the pizza for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Slice and serve hot. Repeat with the other pizza dough.

announcing "vegan bowls"

I am so, SO excited to announce that the final cover for my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N), is official and the book is at the printers! The book is currently on sale and ready for pre-order at the ridiculously low price of $10 plus change on Amazon (not sure how long that'll last!).

Vegan Bowls came about while I was writing Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N). During my work on that project, while I was writing, and rewriting and developing and correcting, I realized that we were ordering take-out a lot more than when I had a more luxurious amount of time to cook.

This turn of events that I had taken for granted surprised me as I have/had been a homeschooling mom of three for 15 years, with the option to begin dinner at 4 or 5 or 6 - solely dependent on my whim and the circumstances. All of a sudden, I needed dinner on the table even before I realized dinner-time had already arrived.

Turns out, I not only needed dinner on the table quickly, but it needed to be a complete meal. That's where bowls came to the rescue. Bowl meals are complete meals served in the convenience of a bowl.  That means starch, vegetable and protein, all in one serving vessel.

After much recipe research and development, I am proud to deliver this collection of around 99 delicious COMPLETE meals in a beautiful volume, published by Vegan Heritage Press.

To give you a little idea of the recipes offered in Vegan Bowls, here are some tease shots:

I'll be posting recipes from Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) in the coming weeks and will, of course, have giveaways for this book and other books I happen to love. Stay tuned!

I hope you will see why I'm so crazy excited about this book - flavorful recipes, great tips on getting you in and out of the kitchen in record time, all while preparing healthy, complete meals!

artichoke roll

Lobster Roll is a popular sandwich in the northeastern U.S. It is a mayo-based filling in a soft, toasted and buttered bun.

Remaking this sandwich is easy and quick and produces a wonderful vegan version of this classic filling. I use artichoke hearts (or hearts of palm) and just a touch of dulse seaweed flakes.

Toss the sauteed artichokes with lemon and vegan mayo and you have a delicious filling that is a welcome alternative to tofu, beans or other vegan meats.

It is important to serve the filling (at room temperature or chilled) on the still-warm, buttered rolls; it really is best tasting that way.

We wound up serving the sandwich with the Creamy Tomato Soup from Everyday Vegan Eats (page 48). I had forgotten just how insanely good that soup is.

Artichoke rolls with Creamy Tomato Soup (EVE, page 48)

Artichoke Roll
Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (12-ounce) jars artichoke hearts or pieces (or hearts of palm, chopped), rinsed
¼ teaspoon dulse seaweed
¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, minced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and ground black pepper
¼ to ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
Soft buns, such as veggie dog buns, toasted and buttered

1. Heat the oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add the artichokes, dulse and Old Bay. Cook, stirring as needed, until golden brown and lightly charred, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove and set aside in a large bowl  to cool slightly.
2. Add the celery, parsley, lemon, salt, black pepper, and mayo to the bowl. Combine gently, taste and adjust with salt, pepper and mayo.
3. Serve the filling in the toasted, buttered buns. 



 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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meatball banh mi + vegan fish sauce

By now, if you haven't heard of the Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich, you have been missing out on a fantastic sub - which is basically what it is, a sub sandwich with an Asian twist and, most notably, fish sauce.



Banh Mi can be composed of sliced meats, tofu, pate or, as in the case of this recipe, meatballs.

Banh Mi Burgers from EVE, page 90

There is a great Banh Mi burger recipe in Everyday Vegan Eats (page 90) and I participated in last year's Vegan MoFo with a different burger and now I offer this magnificent vegan meatball Banh Mi.

All three components of the sandwich can be prepared ahead of time and reheated when needed.

An essential components of any good banh mi is fish sauce. I've searched up and down for a good vegan fish sauce recipe, but they are typically nothing more than soy sauce and sugar, unfortunately without the culinary funk that is so distinctive of the original.

During recipe development of Vegan Bowls, I needed a good replacement for fish sauce to make the dishes truly great. Ultimately, the recipe for vegan fish sauce became part of the recipes themselves, and the actual vegan fish sauce recipe was skipped.

Since Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) is ready for pre-order (currently at the low price of $10+change from Amazon), I wanted to share the sauce recipe with you.

I've developed two versions, one that uses doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, and the other that uses liquid from jarred capers. The capers idea originated with my spilling a bottle of capers on the counter and a little bell going off. Then one of my fabulous testers, Liz of Cooking the Vegan Books, confirmed my hunch that she, too, has used it as a sub; I instantly knew I was on the right track as she is a globetrotter and quite familiar with authentic Asian cuisine.

Following the vegan fish sauce recipe is the Meatball Banh Mi recipe, a fusion of Italian and Vietnamese. Since the banh mi itself is a fusion of French and Vietnamese, because of the French influence during its colonization period, it only makes sense that influences from other countries are a good fit for a banh mi fusion.

Zsu's Vegan Fish Sauce

Makes ¼ cup

Version 1:

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

2 teaspoons caper brine liquid

½ teaspoon sea salt

Combine the water, tamari, caper liquid and salt. Mix well to combine. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Caper brine liquid is the liquid from a bottle of capers.

Version 2:

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon doenjang

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Combine the water, tamari doenjang and salt in a small blender. Blend well. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Doenjang is Korean fermented soybean paste. It is available on Amazon.

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Meatball Banh Mi

Serves 4

Sauce:

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 small onion, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (18-ounce) jar whole tomatoes

1 ¼ cup vegetable broth

Slurry of ½ cup vegetable broth mixed with 2 teaspoons tapioca starch

2 tablespoons Zsu’s Vegan Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

Pickles:

½ cup hot water

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 medium onion, sliced

2 small carrots, cut into julienne slices

6 large radishes, cut into julienne slices

Meatballs:

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 medium onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium zucchini, grated (about 14 ounces)

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained, minced

2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 cup oat flour

½ cup chickpea flour

½ cup vital wheat gluten

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Hoagie rolls, toasted

Jalapenos slices, cilantro sprigs

Sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and oregano. Cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 30 more seconds. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 25 minutes. Blend the sauce using an immersion blender and add the slurry, fish sauce and sugar. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside, but keep warm.

Pickles:

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a quart mason jar and mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar and mix. Add the onion, carrots and radishes. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Meatballs:

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the zucchini, water chestnuts, oyster sauce, sugar, flours, gluten, tapioca, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Form the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake the balls for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

3. Transfer the baked balls to the sauce, return the sauce to simmer and cook the balls until tender.

Assembly:

Serve the balls on the toasted hoagie rolls, garnished with cilantro, jalapeno and pickled vegetables. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.  

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.