california dog

Veggie dogs have come a long way since we first went vegan. I remember the rubbery, tasteless veggie dogs of yore, but I know that all things start somewhere, as did veggie dogs.

Nowadays there are all kinds of veggie dogs, commercial, homemade and even carrot dogs. So, this post isn't about how to make a homemade dog - it is about how to dress your dog.

It turns out that there are a variety of regional dogs, from Italian Dogs to Chicago Dogs and this California Dog.

California Dogs come dressed with avocado, basil crema, carrot, roasted corn, lettuce, cucumber, jalapeno and vegan bacon - or as I like to refer to them - smoky, baked tofu (excuse me for being tired as all get out over "bacon").

Since throwing this together is easy, why not take your dog around a block you haven't circled, yet?

California Dog
Makes 4 sandwiches 

Basil Crema:
4 tablespoons nondairy sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped basil leaves 
2 scallions, chopped 
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper

Topping:
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 carrot, finely shredded
2 slices vegan bacon, fried and chopped

Other:
4 dog buns, toasted
4 veggie dogs, pan fried or cooked

1. Sauce: Combine the sour cream, basil, scallion, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Cook the dogs in a 1/4 teaspoon oil, if desired. 
3. Assemble the sandwiches: toasted bun, sauce, veggie dog, avocado, lettuce, corn, cucumber, more sauce, carrot, bacon and jalapeno. Serve immediately. 


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

veganmofo - lime-maple roasted sweet potato tostada

Day 28 of #vgnmf15 asks which do we prefer? tacos or burritos?

I choose...tostadas! Yes, I'm going to be "that person," the one who has to be stubborn and contrary. But if you really think about it, tostadas are a bit of both, but look much prettier. If you consider, a tostada is actually a large one-serving nacho plate. No need to share with anyone.

I made these Lime-maple Roasted Sweet Potato Tostadas with Black Bean Mash, Avocado and Pickled Jalapenos and they were awe-some! Indeed, the recipe has quite a few components, but nothing too difficult or hard to do. Just follow the recipe in the order written and you'll have this dish done in about 30 minutes.

The pickled jalapenos were really tasty, but my jalapenos were very spicy this time around; it is difficult to tell when you'll get a batch that is out-of-this-world hot and when the batch is mild. I recommend pickling Fresno peppers instead if you are not a spice-head like me. Fresnos are ripe New Mexico-type chiles and are much milder than jalapenos.

Of course, if you want to be a stickler about following directions, stuff the toppings into a tortilla and roll or fold.
I'm good either way.

 

Lime-maple Roasted Sweet Potato Tostadas

Makes 8 tostadas

Pickled Jalapenos:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup minced cilantro

2 medium jalapeno or Fresno peppers, sliced very thin using a mandoline

1 garlic clove, minced

Sweet Potatoes:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

1 tablespoon mince garlic

1 tablespoon neutral oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

Sea salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Beans:

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (15-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup water

Sea salt and black pepper

1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

Other:

3 tablespoon oil

8 (5-inch) corn tortillas

1 medium ripe Hass avocado, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Jalapenos: Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, oregano and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well to melt the sugar and salt. Add the cilantro, peppers and garlic. Set aside to pickle for at least 20 minutes. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

2. Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Combine the potatoes, garlic, oil and 1 tablespoon lime juice on baking sheet. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Stir in the rest of the lime juice and the maple syrup. Continue to bake until the syrup is thick and absorbed, about 5 more minutes.

3. Beans: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and cook until becoming golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and water and cover. Cook until the onions are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the cheese, if using. Stir to combine and melt the cheese. 

4. Tortillas: Heat the oil (3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet. Add a tortilla and cook until almost crisp, about 1 minute, turning once. Set aside to drain. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. After the sweet potatoes are cooked, bake the tortillas on the oven rack until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

5. Assemble: Spread beans on a tostada, top with sweet potatoes. Add a few slices of avocado tossed with the lime juice and seasoned with salt and pepper. Top with pickled jalapenos and serve. 

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

oolong banh mi burger - vegan mofo chopped

Day 11 #VeganMoFo is brought to you thanks to Vegan MoFo Chopped Edition 2014! Check the deets HERE.

Vegan MoFo Chopped! is similar to Food TV's Chopped! show (HERE), except we get all cruelty-free ingredients and we have a heck of a lot more time to complete the challenge than the show's participants, although, that is partly because we have to procure all our own required food stuffs instead of having them be conveniently supplied by the host.

MoFo Chopped! Cat Chef

Check out these ingredients: (thanks, Jess!)

Jalapeño
Radish
Oolong Tea 
Fresh Prune Plums

As I am sure many a Chopped! contestant has thought...wtf?!?

Since I have this Burger Extravaganza theme this MoFo, my ingredients had to fit into my burger theme, and therefore, I decided early on, no matter what the mystery ingredients turned out to be, my submission would be a Burger.

My offering: Oolong Banh Mi with Grilled Plum Sauce and Pickled Jalapeños and Radishes  .

A quick run-down of my process:

I decided on a banh mi burger because the ingredients are so obviously begging to be banh mi. ( At this point I was wondering just how any Asian dishes there would be. No matter. )

• I made a tofu-gluten burger infused with oolong tea and minced jalapeños.

• I pickled jalapeños, radishes, slivers of onion and carrots with vinegar and oolong tea.

• I grilled plums to add to the burgers and make a sauce to be basting the burgers.

The oolong tea falls somewhere between the strong and bitter black tea and the much milder green tea, so the tea infusion used in the burger itself and the pickling veggies had to be strong enough to impart enough flavor without being overwhelmed by the more assertive jalapeño and radish.

Because banh mi has a sweet component, the plums were perfect, especially after grilling, which enhances the plums' sweetness, and after a few minutes of macerating in brown sugar.

Result: Flavorful and delicious; all four of the basket ingredients prominent without overshadowing each other and the burger was as close to perfect as I dare admit.

OOLONG BANH MI BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Oolong Banh Mi Burger with Plum Sauce and Pickled Jalapeños and Radishes

Makes 6 burgers

 

2 cups hot water

4 oolong tea bags

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

7 ounces (about ½ a (14-ounce) package) firm tofu, pressed 15 minutes

½ cup vital wheat gluten (stirred before measuring)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 medium jalapeño, minced

4 fresh prune plums (or purple plums), cut into ½-inch slices

1 tablespoon brown sugar

6 (4-inch) rolls, split and toasted

Pickled Jalapeños and Radishes, recipe below

Cilantro, optional

1. Steep the tea bags in the hot water for 10 minutes. Remove the bags and discard.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the tofu, crushing it with your hand. Stir and cook until the tofu is dried out and is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add ½ cup of the tea infusion and cook until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Cool the tofu completely.

4 Combine the cooled tofu, cooled onion, gluten, salt,  jalapeño and 6 tablespoons of tea infusion in a medium bowl. Knead until gluten strands form, about 4 minutes. Form the mixture into 6 thin patties, about the size of your rolls.

5. Spray a baking sheet with oil, arrange the burgers on a sheet, add ¼ cup water around the burgers, cover tightly with foil and bake in a 300-degree F oven (no need to preheat) for 30 minutes. Uncover, flip the burgers and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

6. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Toss the sliced plums with 1 teaspoon oil and grill until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the plums to a large bowl and toss with the brown sugar. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes. Set aside 6 slices for the burgers and transfer the remaining plums to a personal blender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt.  

6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add a few tablespoons of sauce to each burger, cook for 1 minute, flip, add more sauce, cook for 1 minute and flip. Cook again for 1 more minute to sear the sauce onto the burgers.

7. Make sandwiches by adding a burger to each roll, a grilled plum slice and plenty of pickled veggies. Add a few sprigs of cilantro, if using.

 

Pickled Jalapeños and Radishes

8 radishes, sliced thin

2 small carrots, julienned

¼ small onion, sliced thin

¾ cup oolong tea infusion (from the burger recipe above)

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon natural sugar

¾ teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to pickle. This will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

As promised, the winner of my copy of Vegan without Borders by Robin Roberson is comment number...

out of 47 comments.....

The next giveaway will be on Tuesday because I couldn't host a giveaway for a taco cookbook on any other day besides Tuesday...

anyway, the winner of this giveaway is....

comment number...acording to random.org...and next time I will be doing this via rafflecopter...heading into the new era, my friends....

the winner is.... number seven, Amelia. You are the winner. Congratulations! I'll be in touch! Thanks to everyone who entered and come back for more mofo fun.

green chili + contest winner

We are all familiar with the red version of chili, laden with hearty beans, red chili powder and, typically, a beef alternative such as ground TVP or ground soy. This version is heavy and satisfying, especially come the cold winter days.

My Chipotle Chili below is a great example:

Chipotle Chili

Little known, at least by me, is the lighter, fresher adaptation of the red chili: the White Chili, or sometimes referred to Green Chili or Chili Verde, for all those Spanish speakers out there.

In this chili, instead of beef, chicken is used, instead of red chili powder or chilies, green, fresh chilies are utilized. And, instead of kidney beans, white beans are included.

I decided to green this up something good and used poblanos, Anaheim and jalapeno peppers. I also made use of other essential chili components: green onions, cilantro and lime juice. 

This was so good! And so easy to make with the help of your food processor. The veggies are first sweated (covered and cooked) to allow them to soften, but not get any color, and then the chili, including the rest of the ingredients, are cooked for about 20 minutes.

Serve and devour anytime of the year. In fact, right about now is a good time. 

Do you have a favorite style of chili or, like me, have only been privy to the red one?

Cost Breakdown

peppers: $5

onion, garlic, broth mix: $1

beans: $8

seasoning, lime, cilantro: $1

Total to make 8 servings:

$15.00

Green Chili

GREEN CHILI PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Let's not forget about the drawing for Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! from the Blog Tour Post. There were 58 entries. According to Random.org, comment number...7...who is: Cabby! is the winner! Please contact me by tomorrow (Nov. 3) midnight-or-so at veganaide(at)yahoo(dot)com. 

Thanks and congratulations.

For those who didn't win this time, check out the other great bloggers participating in the Blog Tour and have more chances to win. And, well, if you can't wait, go grab your own copy! I promise you won't regret it!

T.G.I. Friday's make over

T.G.I. Friday's is, you guessed it, another casual dining experience, which offers up a bunch of animal-based menu items, with not a vegan meal in sight. Last time I gussied up Friday's, I covered Potato Skins, fried Mac and Cheese, and Jack Daniel's Sesame Chicken. It went well. Now I decided to make over their Dragonfire Chicken. I'm a sucker for cool-sounding menu names, and this one had me all fired up. 

This chicken dish is Friday's low-calorie item, although it still comes in at around 750 calories. I'm not here to fix calorie content, however, so that is not the issue. It's the dead animal on the plate that I'm gearing to replace. Back to the dish. It is marinated in a sweet, parsley-jalapeno sauce, grilled, topped with their spicy kung pao sauce and served with pineapple pico de gallo, mandarin oranges and rice. What? No cheese? Don't all casual dinning restaurants smother everything in cheese? Not this one; which probably accounts for the lower calorie content.

Since the chicken is marinated, I looked to tofu as the replacement. I pressed the tofu (with a Tofu Xpress) for a little amount of time before marinating it in the first of two sauces. The tofu soaked up enough of the marinade to make it matter. I grilled the tofu, spread some of the second sauce over the top and served it up with the pico de gallo. 

This sounds like a simple dish, and it is, but it is packed with flavor. From the marinade all the way to the pico de gallo, this dish packs a punch. The marinade is sweet, the sauce is deliciously spicy and the tartness of the pico makes for one harmonious plate. This is a great dish. The rice is an appropriate choice to balance all the loud flavors, and it is even served with some broccoli.

Cost Breakdown

tofu: $2

rice: $1

pineapple, tomato, lime, cilantro, onion: $3

oranges, parsley, jalapeno: $.75

oil, sugar, vinegar, tamari, garlic, ginger: $2

broccoli: $3

Total for 4 servings:

$11.75

Their cost per serving: $7.99

Make Over cost per serving: $2.95

DRAGONFIRE TOFU PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

7-layer mexican salad

Lunch time can be quite a fiasco at our home, especially if we don't plan the menu out properly. The kids want food they like and I want to make something that is unusual but still healthy. Clearly with all of the tumult we needed to come to a compromise. Lunch should be easy, quick and a no-brainer. Discussion should not even have to take place, and arguments should be as far removed as the moon.

To make everyone happy, including the cook, be that person child or adult, the kids and I wrote down 30 dishes they liked enough to agree to and I agreed were healthy and fast. We have put those meals on rotation during the week for lunch and it has worked beautifully. This can be an effective way to by-pass all the hastle of picking and choosing what to make for lunch for anyone, families or singles, homeschoolers or out of the home workers. It just makes sense. Since the breakfast repertoire of most folks tend to be varied between 5 to 10 kinds of dishes at the most, choosing between 30 lunch items is different enough to satisfy most people and consistent enough to make deciding lunch much simpler.

7-Layer Mexican Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing. This one became a favorite after the girls had it at a sleepover on the U.S.S. Barry  (Girl Scout adventure). The key to this salad is to have the proper proportion of topping ingredients to lettuce. Too much lettuce ruins the entire experience. My salad has avocado, tomato, black beans, carrot, onion, vegan cheese, peppers. The dressing is about 2/3 vegenaise and 1/3 homemade salsa. You can use whatever topping you prefer, just make sure to keep the lettuce at bay: about one (toppings) to one (lettuce) ratio.

Cost Breakdown

avocado: $2

tomato: $2

beans: $2

carrot: $.50

lettuce: $2

cheese: $1

pepper: $1

salsa, vegenaise: $2

Total to make 6 servings:

$12.50

southwest wheat-meatloaf

This recipe, Southwestern Wheat-Meat Loaf, is out of American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes. This was terrific, held together and the flavors were wonderful, but the gravy she recommends you serve with it, Jalapeno Gravy, is worth its price in gold. I exaggerate not when I say we were all licking our plates. Just make sure to toast your flour with the nutritional yeast when making the roux. A golden roux (cooked for about 5 minutes) with the nutritional yeast and the adobo sauce combination gives this gravy such a unique and lovely smoky flavor.

 Outstanding.

I served it with garlicky Swiss chard and mashed potatoes. There was hardly anything left over to put away. Saved fridge space.

Cost Breakdown

TVP, gluten, seitan, flour: $4

oil, veg. broth, nutritional yeast: $2

potato, chard: $6

spices, chipotle: $1

onion, pepper, jalapeno,garlic: $2

tamari, corn, ketchup: $1

Total to make 5 servings:

$16.00