curried chicken-free salad sandwich

 

Overview

Time: 35 minutes
Dishes: bowl, air-fryer

Heads Up! mango chutney and curry powder

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This sandwich filling is a regular meal at our house. In fact, I find that I make this meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish it at least every three weeks, and that is saying something since I don't remake many things, always looking for something new. 

This reminds me of the Whole Foods curried tofu they used to sell, and since we liked that a lot, I decided to remake it at home. 

It is sweet and tangy and crunchy. It has almonds and raisins and mango chutney. The mango chutney can be very sweet, so use the amount that suits your taste. If the dressing is too thick, thin it with some plant milk. This will depend on how thick the chutney is.

You have your choice of Air-fried Soy Curls, Savory Tofu or Sauteed Gardein scallopini. I haven't tried it with chickpeas, but they should be sauteed, too, if you use that.  

Fresh, homemade curry powder does wonders (and smells amazing) so I do recommend you make a batch of Curry Powder (make Zsu's Curry Powder HERE), instead of the stale jar hanging in the back of the spice rack. 

Throw this between bread, inside lettuce leaves, on top of crackers, or roll in a tortilla. Either way, chances are good you, too, will make it again.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Make the protein first.
• Make the curry powder, too, if you can.
• Make the dressing while the protein cooks.

 

Curried Chicken-Free Salad Sandwich

Makes 4 servings 

moderate (Preparation time for the protein kicks it to moderate) 

 

1. Protein: Prepare one of the proteins of your choice:

4 cups chopped air-fried soy curls or

4 cups cubed, air-fried Savory Tofu, or

4 cups chopped Gardein slices, sautéed

2. Dressing: Combine in a medium bowl:

3/4 cup vegan mayo

1/4 to 1/2 cup mango chutney

2 tablespoons vegan milk (optional, to thin dressing)

1 tablespoon mild curry powder, Zsu's Curry Powder or store-bought

1/2 teaspoon salt

3. Add the Protein to the Dressing. Also add:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup minced scallions

1/2 cup toasted almond slices

 

4. Serve: Stir very well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill if not eating right away. Serve in pita, in tortilla, in lettuce leaves, on bread or on crackers.

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan beef and barley stew

Overview

Time: 6 to 8 hours slow cooker or 30 minutes high pressure cooker
Dishes: Instant Pot or slow cooker and medium pot 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Whenever I see a photo of a beef stew, the beef gets lost in my mind, but the stew itself looks really great, and I always wind up wanting to make it vegan. This is an easy meatless, vegetarian and vegan version for the slow cooker, but my mini Instant Pot does not seem to be getting hot enough during slow cooking, which is odd, but if you find the barley not cooked by hour 6 or so, pressure cook it for 15 minutes and it'll be just fine. I suspect the regular Instant Pot (and, of course a typical slow cooker) would work just fine. 

I used hull-less barley in this dish, but since pearled barley is faster to cook and more popular, I recommend that. I used Beef Not! by Dixie Foods (a textured soy protein which I like a lot) but you can use Gardein or even substitute green beans or kidney beans. The flavor is in the broth so you can get away with using a different protein. 

Surprisingly, my son-in-law loved this dish! He, and even my son, went back for seconds. They are a bit on the choosier side and it was nice to see them both really digging this meal. 

I would classify this as an Easy dish, but there are a few more ingredients being used that kick it to Moderate. I tried trimming the ingredients list but the broth really needs the flavors and it is worth it to see your boys devouring barley!

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Heat the pot. Add the vegetables as they are chopped. 
• Follow recipe otherwise. It is straightforward.

 

Vegan Beef and Barley Stew

Makes 4 servings 

easy/moderate (ingredients list kicks it to moderate)

Slow Cooker Recipe. Pressure cook option possible; high pressure, 30 minutes.  

1. Sautee: Heat a pot or Instant pot over medium heat (Sauté function if using Instant Pot). Add the oil, onion, carrot, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker, if not using Instant Pot.

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 small onions, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

5 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2. Add the tomato paste, vegan beef option and barley. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.  

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/3 cup Beef Not strips or 1-pound vegan beef (like Gardein or seitan)

1/3 cup pearled barley

3. Add the broth bullion, water, tomato, tamari and wine. Cover and cook on high until the barley is tender 6 to 8 hours.

1 tablespoon Better Than Bullion or equivalent

3 cups hot water

1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomato

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons red wine (optional)

4.Serve: Season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

1/4 cup minced parsley

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan fish cake num pang

There's banh mi and then there's Cambodia's version of the perfect sandwich: num pang.

They both have a lot in common, but there are a few subtle differences, as the owner of New York's Num Pang describes in his interview HERE, including the subtle differences in bread, ingredients (fresh vs. leftover) and toppings.

I wanted to try making it for myself and I chose to make a vegan fish cake for the bulk of this sandwich.

I was inspired by the Jazzy Vegetarian's (Laura Theodore) Not So Crabby Cakes recipe, which I took for a test run last year and simply adored!

For this version of fish cakes I used tofu, bread slices, hearts of palm and dulse.

The toppings are homemade chili mayo, pickled carrots, cilantro and cucumber slices.

If I could have made homemade bread using my Refrigerator Dough aquafaba recipe, this sandwich would have been even better, but as it was, it was pretty fantastic.

You can air fry these babies or pan-fry them, as you wish, but don't skip on the toppings - they really do make this sandwich authentic and amazing.

And now for the winner of the Vegan Air Fryer cookbook, by JL Fields: it is the comment made by....

Natalie Cartledge! Congratulations! Contact me at zsu at zsusveganpantry dot com.

Vegan Fish Cakes Num Pang
Makes 4 sandwiches

Pickled Carrots:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup grated carrot

Fish Cakes:
3 slices bread
3/4 container of firm tofu, pressed 10 minutes
1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm
1/2 cup parsley
2 scallions
2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dulse
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Zest of 1 lime
Panko crumbs, as needed

Chili May:
1/2 cup firm tofu
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (or sambal oelek)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Other:
4 crusty burger buns, toasted
Sliced cucumbers
Cilantro

1. Carrots: Combine the sugar, vinegars, water and salt in a mason jar. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrot and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
2. Cakes: Add the bread to a food processor. Pulse until ground. Remove and set aside in a large bowl. Add the tofu, hearts of palm, parsley, scallion, ginger, oil, coriander, dulse, cornstarch and zest to the food processor. Pulse into a coarse grind. Add to the bowl with the bread and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside to firm up for 20 minutes. 
3. Sauce: Combine the tofu, water, garlic chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small blender. Blend until very smooth, adding a little water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat or preheat the air-fryer. Divide the fish cakes mixture into 4 portions and press into a patty. Dredge the cake in panko crumbs and fry in oil or air-fry until crisp.  
3. Assemble the burgers: bottom bun, sauce, cilantro, cucumber, cake, carrot and top bun. Serve immediately. 


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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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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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

back to basics - homemade soy yogurt

Everyday Vegan Eats has been out for about a week now and I hope you have seen the recipes from the cookbook floating around the web. Don't forget to enter the giveaways for the book on Tami Noyes' site and Robin Robertson's site before they end today.

Since the book is hopefully in a few hands by now, I'd like to post a few recipes that didn't get into the book. These recipes are important in the sense that having the ability to make them at home is not just beneficial economically, but also gives us the chance to make these basic recipes ourselves, controlling the quality as well as the ingredients.

I speak of dairy substitutes: soy yogurt, vegan sour cream and vegan cream cheese.

While developing recipes for EVE, I realized how important it is to be able to make these basics ourselves, in case they are hard to attain or, just simply, are more desirable as homemade products.

I did a lot of research regarding the dairy equivalents of yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese and had a few epiphanies. From these revelations I realized that I could make a really excellent vegan sour cream and vegan cream cheese using vegan yogurt. The only catch is that homemade yogurt is the best.

There are a few commercial vegan yogurts on the market, but the only one I would recommend is the Whole Soy brand, in terms of texture and flavor. Since Whole Soy has just returned to the market, I haven't had the chance to test the sour cream and cream cheese recipes using Whole Soy yogurt, but I did have the chance to try my recipes using the other brands on the market, unfortunately, with dismal results.

Another issue regarding store-bought yogurt, beside flavor and texture, is the difficulty in finding a brand of plain vegan yogurt that is unsweetened. That is the best kind to use in savory dishes and since good brands are few and far between, homemade is your best bet.

Conclusively, the best vegan yogurt is one you make yourself. The good news is that it is easy! All you need is soy milk with sugar content of 6 grams (this is the optimal sugar content to help feed the live cultures) and a small container of plain yogurt from the store. Any brand will do as long as it contains live cultures: almond, coconut or soy, it matters not.

After you make your first batch of yogurt you will make any subsequent homemade yogurt using your own homemade yogurt to start a new batch. In addition, yogurt you make using your own yogurt will get better and better with every batch!

Let's get started!

You will need:

• 1 quart soy milk with 6 grams of sugar at least
• large pot
• thermometer - I use an instant read thermometer
• fine-mesh strainer
• store-bought plain yogurt with live cultures (you will use 1/4 cup)
• bowl with plastic wrap
• warm place to incubate yogurt, such as dehydrator
• cheesecloth or nut milk bag

STEP 1 - HEAT MILK

Transfer your milk to a large pot. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Boil the milk for two minutes and remove from the heat.

STEP 2 - COOL MILK

Cool the milk to about 110-degrees F, but no more than 112-degrees or less than 100-degrees. Cooling the milk will take about 15 minutes.

STEP 3 - STRAIN MILK

Strain the cooled milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. This step will produce a smooth final yogurt, removing any soy milk skin that developed as the milk cooled.

STEP 4 - CULTURE MILK

Whisk in the 1/4-cup yogurt and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.

STEP 5 - INCUBATE MILK

 Place the bowl in a warm spot, one that will keep the inoculated milk at a steady 110-degrees F for 9 hours. 6 hours. [I found 9 hours made the yogurt too tangy - start checking it at 6 hours and see if you'd like more tang.] A dehydrator or the Instant Pot 7-in-1 (which you can use to prepare it from start to finish0 works beautifully. Check out some other warm spots at the end of the post.

After 6 hours your yogurt will look like this. If you tip the bowl you can see the whey and the curds separate somewhat. You will be able to make thicker yogurt when you begin using your own homemade yogurt for the culture.

STEP 6 - CHILL YOGURT

Transfer the yogurt to a container and cool the yogurt in the refrigerator. The chilling will thicken the yogurt a bit more. Chill for at least a few hours.

STEP 7 - STRAIN YOGURT

When chilled, remove 1/4 cup of the yogurt and set aside to culture your next yogurt. Drain the yogurt for 20 minutes through 8 layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag by transferring all of the yogurt to the cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Place the nut bag over a strainer and the strainer over a bowl. 

HOMEMADE SOY YOGURT PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

There you have it. Homemade soy yogurt. Whisk the yogurt using a whisk before storing in the fridge to use as needed. 

You will need homemade yogurt to make vegan sour cream and vegan cream cheese. Those posts will be coming in the following weeks.

As a gentle reminder, the giveaway for Tamasin Noyes' and Celine Steen's new cookbook, Vegan Finger Foods, will be ending May 29, so make sure you have entered HERE.

Warm Places to Incubate Yogurt

Yogurt incubates best at 110-degrees. If all else fails, get a yogurt maker.

Here are a few ideas for an ideal environment to incubate yogurt:

 ~ A yogurt maker! ~ Dehydrator set to 110-degrees. ~ Oven that maintains a 110-degrees with the aid of a pilot light and oven light. ~ Oven that maintains a 110-degrees with the aid of 2 tea candles. Light 2 new tea candles after 4 hours. ~ Place an electric heating pad set to medium between two bath towels on the counter; place the bowl on the towel and wrap another bath towel over the bowl to make a warm nest. ~ Transfer the yogurt to 2 (1-quart) jars; place jars in 3-inches of hot water in an ice chest; reheat the water as needed.

If any of these warm places are less than 110-degrees, the incubation will take longer, about 1 to 2 hours more. Do not let the yogurt incubate for longer than 10 hours, though; it begins to develop a yeasty flavor.

tater tot casserole

Alas the first chosen winner for Vegan Sandwiches Save The Day never responded and therefore some other lucky person is the new winner! 

Laurie is the new winner!

Laurie, please contact me to own your very free new cookbook 

by Tami Noyes and Celine Steen!

veganaide (at) yahoo (dot) com

In other interesting development, below is Tater Tot Casserole, Duggar style, just a lot healthier. 

Tater Tot Casserole is amazing because you can utilize whatever protein you'd like for the bottom layer: soy curls (thanks, Dorian!), TVP, ground seitan, tofu, marinated, grilled and diced, or tempeh. I used Soy Curls, rehydrated and sauteed with onion and garlic. The sauce is a creamy "chicken" style gravy. The whole thing is slathered with tater tots and baked to golden crispiness. 

It is as easy as you want it to be and it is sure to be the favorite of any kid. Throw some veggies on the side to make it a complete meal. 

I've blogged about Tater Tot Casserole before, but this time, I am taking the time to write up the recipe.

Cost Breakdown

Soy Curls: $3
onion, flour, spices: $.75
almond milk: $1.50
tater tots: $3
Total to make 5 servings:
$8.25

RECIPE UPDATE: this dish has been tested and revised and will be featured in the upcoming cookbook "Everyday Vegan Eats," by Zsu Dever.

dan dan noodles

Dan Dan Noodles is a Chinese Sichuan dish consisting of noodles, preserved vegetables, pork, green onions, chili oil and Sichuan peppers in a spicy broth.

As I researched this very traditional dish, I found that the Sichuan peppers are a must and a highly sought after ingredient. It is supposed to be a 'peppercorn' so spicy that it numbs the mouth and tickles the tummy. So, off I went eagerly in search of this supposedly elusive, and at times banned, "peppercorn." The peppercorn is really the outer part of a tiny fruit. I was able to find it at a small Oriental Market in our town (I believe the ban on importing it is no longer in effect, but don't quote me.).

I made the Dan Dan Noodles using seitan and a vegetable broth souped up with chili oil and flavored with ginger, garlic and sherry. I went in for the winning shot and added plenty of Sichuan peppers, and eagerly awaited the promised elation that accompanies these peppercorns slamming against the palate. I awaited the fire that consumes your mouth and leaves it tingling ...and then....

Not much. Tingle, yes. But no fire. I figured I hadn't added enough peppercorns, so I added more and more until my plate had more ground peppercorns than seitan. 

What a let down. I suppose this happens when the reality doesn't live up to the expectations. Therein lies your lesson; be on the lookout for the Sichuan peppers and if you find them, add them to your Dan Dan Noodles. However, in my opinion, the peppers, while being truly exotic, detracted from the flavor of the dish, so don't hold off making this in hopes of attaining some miraculous flavor component; you might be as disappointed as I was. 

I made the noodles without the peppers and very little chili oil for the kids so I know the dish without it is really tasty, but if you can get your hands on them, go for it - there really is nothing like tasting a traditional ethnic dish with all the unique flavors it is supposed to posses. Just don't set yourself up for failure - keep your expectations in check. 

Cost Breakdown

stock, tamari, peanut butter, vinegar: $3

chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, Sichuan peppers: $1

garlic, ginger, preserved veg: $1

seitan, sherry: $2

noodles: $2

Total to make 5 servings:

$9.00

DAN DAN NOODLES PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

FNF - bacon corn muffins with savory cream cheese frosting

Hey, y'all! 

Hope everyone has had a fabulous holiday season so far - there is more to come, with Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Yule tidings, Christmas and many others I am sure I am ignorant of, to my detriment. Here's wishing everyone a joyous season. Winter has always been a favorite time for celebrations, given that the days are shortening, they are colder and bleaker and not much of anything happening out of doors, unless the proper preparations are taken and everyone gets bundled up. So what better time throughout the ages to throw a party? I hope to have much more coming up on this topic. 

For now, I am more focused on returning to this well-known, time-honored tradition of blogging, and what better way to get back in the blog-mood than with a Food Network Friday, hosted by our very own lovely Tamasin Noyes of American Vegan Kitchen fame, over at Vegan Appetite. 

[And if you don't have a copy, this is the best season ever to get one!] 

{And again, if you are craving some blog love from said Tami, get on board Food Network Friday yourself - she has tons of it to give out.}

What do my eyes behold, when I finally mosey on over to VA, but Bacon Corn Muffins. In my opinion, you could just call them Bacon Muffins and leave it at that. As anyone who has been a slave to Food TV knows, meat + cake is all the sickening rage nowadays, especially using bacon. Naturally, this  is the perfect recipe to duplicate, not only for the morbid curiosity it evokes (think: car crash rubberneckers) but for the sheer need to veganize the stupid thing! 

Two things need attention in this recipe: the egg and the bacon.

(1) The Egg: Super easy, folks! Ignore it. Forget about it. Useless and unneeded addition P.R.ed by the Egg Board. The starch in the muffin is enough to bind it. Think of it this way-- as long as you have starch in a dish, one egg = 1/4 cup of liquid. I upped the 3/4 cup of milk to 1 cup and called it a day. Enough of this nonsense!

(2) The Bacon: Lots of fun here! You can use my Tofu Bacon recipe and then crispen it in some oil, use Fakin' Bacon tempeh, or what I did... used 2 links of Tofurkey Italian Sausage.  I diced 2 links up, fried them until crisp in olive oil and, after I removed them from the heat, added some liquid smoke. 

Now came time for the most important decision making part: what hot sauce to use. Oh, the possibilities.. the recipe author, Brian Boitano, gives no direction here! Louisianan hot sauce, Tabasco, Harrisa, Chipotle, Habanero, Frank's or..... Sriracha?  Yeah, well, I figured I'd go with the vegan masses and used Sriracha. In fact, I have never seen a condiment more embraced than Sriracha by the vegan community. I wonder if any of the other bloggers used the same?

Verdict: Loved the muffins. Weird. But true. The frosting was way too much, and the family was scrapping it off the little tykes. Just a thin covering would have been enough, not the called for 8 ounces for the 24 mini or 12 regular sized muffins.

Since a muffin does not make a meal, I also made Senate Bean Soup, with navy beans, some of the same Italian Sausage and a few veggies. According to legend, this soup has been on the menu at the U.S. Senate restaurant for over 100 years. It's been a long time coming in become vegan itself. 

Vegan Bacon Muffins Recipe

US Senate Bean Soup Recipe