alfredo scampi pasta bake - dump dinner

 

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large pot or 9x13 baking pan

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I know this says 45 minutes but this is technically a Dump Dinner, so you can prep this meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish in 5 minutes flat. You add the pasta and broth. Top with vegetables and beans. Add some flavoring, like garlic and lemon zest and bake! 

Once it is baked add some nondairy milk and vegan cheese, if you want, and this is ready for the table. It was super fast and easy and it was really good! I used broccolini and cauliflower, but zucchini, carrots or green beans should work great, as well.

The scampi-ness is thanks to the lemon zest and nondairy milk and the Alfredo part is because of the milk and vegan cheese, if you use it. I used Follow Your Heart parmesan shreds, but the Violife would be great, too , or regular vegan white shreds - or no cheese at all.  

No fuss dinner that hardly needs prep, plus it tastes good. 

On a weeknight, that covers my bases.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• It's a Dump Dinner - so not much to it!
• Layer the pasta, broth, vegetables, beans, zest, garlic and salt.
• Bake.
• Finish with the nondairy milk and vegan cheese and bake to heat and melt.
• Serve!

 

(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.)

Alfredo Scampi Pasta Bake

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Preheat oven to 425-F

1. Pasta: Add the pasta to an oiled 9X13-inch baking pan (or equivalent). Spread evenly. Pour the broth over the pasta. 

12 ounces rotini pasta (or equivalent)

4 cups vegetable broth

2. Vegetables: Spread the vegetables and beans evenly over the Pasta.  Sprinkle with garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil or lid and bake for 30 minutes.

3 cups chopped vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, pepper)

2 cups (an 15-ounce can) white beans, rinsed

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

3. Cheese: Add the milk to the Pasta. Add the optional cheese. Return to the oven (uncovered) and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Serve. 

1 cup nondairy milk

1 cup vegan shredded white or Parmesan-style cheese (optional)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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char siu pizza

Meal 4 of the Prep Ahead, Week 3 menu was a unique pizza: Char Siu Pizza.

The pizza dough is homemade, but can certainly be store-bought. My Fridge Dough is made using aquafaba and is wonderfully crisp and tender. I have a video on making the dough, which is incredibly versatile and is ready when needed: HERE.

The toppings are what make this pizza unique. Char Siu is Cantonese barbecue that is a little sweet and a little tangy. My Char Siu is made using hoisin sauce, tomato paste, ginger and Chinese 5-spice.

Cannellini beans, shiitake mushrooms and bell peppers are quick marinated and the pizza is topped with steamed chard and shredded vegan cheese.

We loved this pizza! It is just unique enough to put some pizzazz into pizza night.

Char Siu Pizza

Makes two (12-inch) pizzas 

Refrigerator Dough

Marinade:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon sweetener

1 tablespoon tahini

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (2 cups cooked beans)

Sauce:

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon tahini

1-inch knob ginger, grated

1 bunch chard

1 cup shredded vegan cheese

1. Remove the dough from the fridge to warm while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 450-degrees F. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Place a piece on a parchment paper and push it out into a circle; the size depends on whether you like thin crust or thick crust. 

2. Marinade: Combine the hoisin, vinegar, sweetener, tahini, garlic and 5-spice in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the sliced mushrooms, bell pepper strips and beans. Mix gently and set aside.

3. Sauce: Combine the hoisin sauce, tomato paste, tahini and ginger in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

4. Steam the chard until tender. Cool enough to handle and squeeze out the liquid. Chop the chard and set aside.

5. Spread 1/2 of the pizza sauce on one of the pizza doughs. Add 1/2 cup of cheese on the pizza and 1/2 of the vegetables and beans. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove the paper and continue to bake until crisp about 8 to 10 more minutes.  Add 1/2 the chard. Repeat with the other portion of dough and toppings. Serve.

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

vegan baked chèvre cheese dip

Chèvre is the French term for goat - or goat cheese. I didn't want to name this outright "goat cheese dip" because, well, it isn't goat cheese. However, I do want to give you the idea that this cheese dip is not your ordinary dip, but is in fact funky and creamy and unique- just like goat cheese is.

This is not an aged cheese, so it is ready to bake as soon as you blend it up. However, it does have a unique component that is quite interesting: preserved or fermented beancurd. Beancurd is, of course, just tofu, but because this is a preserved ingredient it is quite on the funkier side of things.

Of course, the next question is where to get it? I've been able to get it at all kinds of Asian markets: Korean, Japanese, Thai, etc., so if you have a local Asian market, hit that up first. Get the version without the chili flakes or chili oil - just tofu, salt and oil.

For the very adventurous, I have found a recipe online for making it at home. I just recently found it and so haven't tried it, yet, but I am planning on making it because I like to know that the tofu I use is non-GMO; these bottles don't state that.

Recipe for making homemade Fermented Bean Curd.

The tofu itself, once preserved, is very soft and aromatic:

You won't use much of the stuff because it is very potent, but you can always adjust to your taste. The first time I made this dip I used 1/3 cup of it. While I liked it, I imagine it would be a bit over the top for others.

All you do is blend the ingredients and bake.

While the dip was baking I roasted off some potatoes to use as the dipping agents - air-fryed with a teaspoon of oil; they came out crisp and flavorful. Easy roasted potato recipe.

Serve the dip with some radishes and pickled onions (or raw onions) and you have a very elegant dip to serve to guests - or to enjoy on a night to yourself.

Vegan Baked Chèvre Cheese Dip

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup plain unsweetened nondairy soy or almond yogurt

2 to 4 tablespoons preserved or fermented tofu

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

1 garlic clove

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (optional)

Olive oil (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Add the yogurt, tofu, tapioca, garlic, salt, onion and xantham gum (if using) to a blender. Blend very well until very smooth. Transfer to a small (about 2 cup) baking dish and drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil. 

2. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

3. Make the salad by combining the radishes, parsley and onion. Add the salad on top of the dip. Serve with crackers, raw vegetables or Roasted Russet Potatoes (recipe below).

Roasted Russet Potatoes

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into wedges, about 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Preheat an air-fryer to 360-degrees (or an oven to 400-degrees). Add the potatoes, paprika, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and oil to a large bowl. Toss well. Add the potatoes to the basket of the air-fryer in a staggered crosshatch pattern (like building Lincoln Logs) and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, shaking the basket after 10 minutes and then after 15 minutes.

2. If baking in the oven, bake on a baking sheet until crisp, about 30 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

umami burger

After making Wednesday's Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese, I wanted to have something to put it on, so I came up with this Umami Burger. Umami is our other taste, besides salty, sweet, bitter and sour, and roughly translates to mean meaty or savory. It is the same depth of flavor that is in greens, tomatoes, soy sauce and miso.

This is a simple burger, but it is packed with chard (or kale), beans, miso and garlic and is then topped with the Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese, jalapenos, a grilled tomato and soy curls bacon bits. My husband thought that a few pickle slices and some vegan mayo couldn't hurt, either. 

First thing to do is make the bacon bits - or you can use any bacon you like: barley, tempeh, tofu, seitan, mushroom, etc. If you need some good bacon recipes, Baconish has you covered. 

If, however, you have the dregs from the bottom of your soy curls bag (or you have some TVP or whole soy curls, which you can grind into bits), then make the bacon first. It's pretty easy.

Then make the burger by pulsing the ingredients in your food processor and then giving it a few minutes' knead to develop the gluten. If you'd rather not use the gluten, then use quick oats. Bake the patties and cool about 30 minutes before using. 

Then, grill the thick tomato slices, grill the patties and top with the cheese and bacon bits. Add jalapenos and pickles and serve right away. Enjoy!

Umami Burger

Makes 5 patties

Burger patties:

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans

1/2 cup packed chopped steamed greens (squeeze excess water from greens before measuring)

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten or 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons dark miso (not mellow white miso)

Sea salt

For serving:

Thick cut grilled tomatoes

Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese, sliced

Bacon Bits (recipe below) or other vegan bacon

Burger buns, toasted

Jalapeno slices

Pickle slices

1. Preheat the oven to 300-degrees F. Add the beans, greens, gluten, garlic and miso to a food processor. Pulse twenty times to break up the beans and miso. Transfer to a large bowl and knead until gluten threads form. Add salt to taste. Divide the mixture into 5 portions and form each portion into a 2-inch in diameter patty. 

2. Place the burgers on a baking sheet and add 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15 minutes. Flip and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to firm up, about 30 minutes.

3. Heat a medium grill pan over medium heat. First grill the tomatoes, about 3 minutes per side and keep warm. Spray the patties with oil and grill them for 5 minutes. Warm the cheese slices in a separate skillet to begin melting them. 

4. Flip the burgers and add the warmed cheese and then add the grilled tomatoes. Cover the pan and continue to grill for another 5 minutes or until the burger is marked and the cheese melts. 

5. Make the burgers by adding them to the bottom of a toasted bun. Top with bacon bits and jalapeno slices, and pickles, if using. Top with the burger buns and serve. 

Bacon Bits:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup soy curl grounds (from the bottom of a bag or ground soy curls)

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon neutral oil (optional)

1. Combine the water, tamari, Worcestershire, smoke, yeast, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and add the soy curls. Mix well, remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Add the hydrated curls to a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until almost crisp. Add the oil and stir about 20 minutes into the baking time.It is important to stir every 5 minutes to avoid burning the curls. 

2. The bits will become more crisp as they cool. Store in airtight container as soon as cooled. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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chipotle firm vegan cheese (aquafaba recipe)

Someone ask me if there was a way to make the cheese in my new book without oil (the Everyday Cheese that appears in Aquafaba) and while I've been experimenting with it, I wanted to try a different version - one with a different flavor and a firmer texture.

I came up with a funky, Gouda-type cheese with a kick: Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese.

This is about as firm as I could get the cheese using agar and no nuts, and unripened. This cheese is ready as soon as it cools down. If you want to age it, I am sure it will get more firm. You could put it in your fridge (wrapped in paper towels for a few days, is a method Sky Conroy recommends and I think I will try it with these cheeses) to age and dry out a bit. It should certainly become more firm, but if you want something quick, here it is.

The flavor is dark, deep and funky (like cheese) and it melts if you give it enough time and moist heat. I have placed a slice directly onto the pan to warm up and then, using a spatula, placed it on the burger or bread (for grilled cheese - really nice!) and then continued to cook it until it melted. Use a lid and a few teaspoons of water in the pan to provide that moist heat.

The cheese is simple to make, but you will need non-dairy yogurt. If you make your own, you are ahead of the game, but if you buy commercially made yogurt, try not to use the coconut-based one because your cheese will taste like coconuts.

First, combine aquafaba and agar and set it aside to soften. Make sure to mix it well, not like the picture.

Because I wanted to make this either soy-free or nut-free and with little fat, I am using yogurt as the base of the cheese. The yogurt also supplies vegan lactic acid, which gives cheese tang, but if you have some vegan lactic acid hanging around then add 1/2 teaspoon of that as well.

Blend the rest of the ingredients...

...cook the agar and aquafaba mixture until the agar dissolves, and add the mixture. Whisk well and cook until the temperature reaches at least 195-degrees F - about 5 minutes.

Stir constantly to avoid burning to the bottom and transfer to a mold or container.

Now, admittedly, the photo below (and the first one above) was the very first version of this cheese. I wasn't satisfied with the texture and made it a few more times before I settled on the recipe below. The one pictured is a bit softer than I liked and the recipe I am actually sharing is for one that is firm, but not so firm that you feel like you are eating one of those agar plates from high school microbiology. Fun vision, right?

Oh and hey! If you by chance got this far in the post, and by chance purchased Aquafaba, and by chance are enjoying the recipes, and by chance wouldn't mind, could you scoot over to Amazon and leave feedback? Only, if you don't mind. The link to the book is right HERE.

Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese - aquafaba recipe
Makes 1 block

1/2 cup aquafaba**
3 teaspoons agar powder

1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy milk
1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt (not coconut)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon vegan lactic acid (optional)
2 teaspoons dark miso (not mellow white miso)
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo puree


1. Combine the aquafaba and agar in a medium saucepan. Mix well and set aside to soften. 
2. Combine the milk, yogurt, yeast, starch, salt, garlic, lactic acid, miso, Worcestershire and chipotle in a blender. Blend very well. Set aside. Have a 2-cup mold ready for the cheese.
3. Heat the saucepan of aquafaba over medium heat. Bring to boil and cook for 1 minutes. Slowly add the blender mixture to the aquafaba mixture while stirring with a whisk. Whisk until smooth and bring back to boil. Once boiling, switch to a spatula and cook the mixture for 5 minutes. The cheese should reach 195-degrees F for the agar to completely dissolve. 
4. Immediately transfer the cheese to the mold and cool. Once cool place in the refrigerator to completely chill and firm up. Remove from the mold and slice and serve.  



** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.



© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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pantry+ caprese sandwich

There is a restaurant in San Diego that serves a Caprese Sandwich that I have been eyeing. It's actually pretty simple: fresh mozzarella slices are marinated in olive oil with garlic and capers. Of course, the rub is that it is not vegan. In cases such as these we again turn to the Great Sandwich Remake!

What makes this sandwich even more special is that it is a Pantry+ recipe, to boot! (Find the limited pantry list HERE.)  It requires only 3 pantry items and 5 fresh items. Rejoice!

Caprese Sandwich.

Equipment:
Bowl
Toaster
Medium pot

Pantry ingredients are:
Capers
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

Fresh ingredients are:
Basil
Tomato
Bread
Garlic
Fresh vegan mozzarella

Ah! I hear the breaks screeching to a halt. What about the fresh vegan mozzarella?!

Yes, you definitely need that for a caprese anything! Fortunately, it really isn't that difficult or time consuming to make. Or even buy.

But, I did make my own and it turned out really good!

I've collected a few great looking recipes, so go forth and make a batch!

Fresh Mozzarella Recipes from around the web:

Buffalo Mozzarella from DIY Vegan by Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman [AMAZON]. Recipe is available on Dianne's Vegan Kitchen. [Incidentally, I bought this book and it is very good.]

Easy Buffalo Mozzarella by Miyoko Schinner on Artisan Vegan Life. [Of course, I bought her Artisan  Vegan Cheese [AMAZON] and her Homemade Vegan Pantry [AMAZON], too, both great books.]

Fresh Mozzarella by Jay Astafa (video by Jay).

If you really don't want to make it, you can even buy Follow Your Heart block mozzarella [AMAZON] and use that. The texture and flavor of that version is highly appropriate in this recipe.

Now that you are comfortable with your ability to make fresh vegan mozzarella, let's turn it into a slammin' sandwich.

Marinate those babies:

Yes, I used a ton of garlic! It's good for you!

Um, yeah, that's about it. Toast your bread lightly and build your sandwich right away, while the bread is still warm (it's better that way.)

Naturally, use a good crusty bread for this. When ingredients are limited, quality counts so don't gyp yourself; bake or buy some delicious bread.

A word about the balsamic reduction. It is really, really good! Grab a sauce pot and reduce the balsamic vinegar by half. Make sure to turn on your stove fans because it does get sour before the sweet.

Caprese Sandwich (a Pantry+ recipe)
Makes 4 sandwiches
Pantry list is HERE.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons capers, drained
4 balls of fresh vegan mozzarella, about 6 to 8 ounces
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices freshly lightly toasted bread, still warm
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 4 slices each
8 leaves fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic reduction*

1. Add the oil, garlic, and capers to a medium bowl. Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick slices and add to the bowl. Season with black pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients gently and set aside until needed (or at least 5 minutes).
2. Add 2 slices of tomato to each of 4 warm toasted breads. Add 2 leaves of basil. Season with salt if the cheese is not too salty. Divide the cheese evenly over the 4 sandwiches and drizzle with the reduction. Add the other bread slices and serve immediately. 


*Balsamic Reduction

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Add the vinegar to a medium saucepan. Turn on the oven vents; the vinegar smell will be quite strong. Bring to a boil, reduce to a strong simmer and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Transfer to a mason jar set on a kitchen towel and allow to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container in the pantry. 


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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veganmofo - grilled cheese and tomato soup

Day 26 #vgnmf15 prompt (and I quote:)

"It’s cold and rainy and there’s a snow drift outside your door! 

What are you going to make using the ingredients you have?" 

Check your pantry and fridge; do you have vegan cheese, bread, canned/jarred tomatoes and chips (optional)? Good! Then you have all the fixings for grilled cheese and tomato soup. Bonus ingredients are basil (dried or fresh) and vegan butter.

Since I am in San Diego, there is no chance that a snow drift would be outside my door, but for the sake or argument (and fun), so be it. Also, that snow drift is only outside my front door and not the back, so I am able to retrieve some fresh basil from the backyard that is in a *greenhouse* (called San Diego).

Thus you can see that I am all set to make this fabulous sandwich and soup. Of course, if you don't have access to a greenhouse, then use dried basil, as I often do, given the laziness of *some* people.

I made the soup using my recipe from Everyday Vegan Eats, which is really a fabulous cream of tomato soup and I highly recommend it.

As for the grilled cheese, let's not mess around and let's get serious. Let's make real grilled cheese - a sandwich that has melty, gooey cheese in between perfectly grilled bread. And, mind you, this sandwich is all vegan.

Few tips and tricks:

*mix your vegan cheeses - each brand has a different attribute - capitalize on them
*use low heat and a lid on your skillet when cooking the first side
*cook the flip side uncovered

If you go all crazy bad-ass with the cheese and add a ton to the sandwich then....

*add 1 tablespoon water to the skillet, cover with a lid and tilt the skillet to melt all the cheese (tilt to avoid getting the bread soggy)

Are you all cozy now? Sometimes we pretend it is all cool and windy outside and make this duo. This game is played quite often at our house.

Don't miss the Giveaway for Vegan Bowls right HERE. Contest ends Monday 9/28 at midnight!

Grilled Cheese Guidelines


Vegan butter
Slices of bread (2 per sandwich)
Vegan cheese (see note)

1. Butter one side of each bread slice. 
2. Combine 2 to 3 different types/styles of shredded (or grated) vegan cheese. Mix well.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add the slices of buttered bread, top with mixture of cheese and add the top slice of buttered bread (butter side up). Cover with a lid and cook until the bottom slice of bread is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Flip the sandwich and cook, uncovered, until golden brown. Reduce heat if the bread is cooking too fast, 
5. If the cheese is not melted, add a tablespoon of water to the skillet, tip the skillet to avoid making the bread soggy, cover with a lid and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve.

*note- use a mixture of shredded or grated vegan cheese. finely grate block cheese. mix well to combine.


 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

chile relleno! vegan!

If you've been under a boulder the past few weeks, you would not be up to date on the epic chickpea brine discovery, so I'll give a quick run-down for you.

Some clever genius has discovered that the annoying foam that our beans produce during cooking can whip up into vegan egg whites. Let that sink in. What have you missed eating or making since you've become vegan? Chances are good, they contain some sort of egg product: macaroons, angel food cake, floating islands, among other sweets that conventionally are either made completely of eggs or contain a significant amount of eggs.

While I haven't tested this using freshly cooked bean liquid, this process has been proven to work with canned or boxed chickpeas or white beans. Although I've been cooking up batches of beans using my Instant Pot, for this special occasion, I purchased a box of chickpeas. A few, actually.

I'm not sure exactly who came up with this first - - you know the type, looks at the liquid drained from beans and thinks, "hmmm, that looks like egg whites!" but I am grateful. I will try to give credit where I think it might belong. If you know of someone who also came up with this at about the same time (it's possible - two different people invented calculus at the same time while occupying two different parts of the world), I'll add them to the list.

Plant Revolution (French)
Vegan Cookery

Since my facebook page has blow up with all kinds of vegan delicacies using bean liquid, I, of course, could not be left out of the fun.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. Photo courtesy of Somer McCowen

Vedged Out: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Floral Frosting: Macaroons
Seitan is My Motor: Marshmallows

Unlike my fellow bloggers and FB friends, my mind instantly flew to making Chile Rellenos, a chile stuffed with cheese and battered in an egg-flour mixture before being fried. That's right, not being one with much of a sweet tooth, I was itching to try my hand at making a fluffy, crispy stuffed pepper, Tex-Mex style.

The recipe below is my first attempt at making the rellenos; let me tell 'ya, they kick some royal Tex-Mex butt. Some tweaking with the ratio of whipped bean brine to flour would make this even better, but for the debut, this was an amazing Chile Relleno.

CHILE RELLENO PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Chile Relleno

Serves 4

Sauce: (optional)

1 (15.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups vegetable broth

Chiles:

4 medium to large poblano peppers

1 cup shredded vegan cheese (combination of different varieties is best)

4 (4-inch) wooden skewers

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Oil, for frying

Batter:

1 1/4 cups chickpea or white bean brine (liquid from 2 cans of beans)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Sauce: (Optional) Combine the tomatoes and broth in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sauce until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Blend using an immersion blender and keep warm.

2. Chiles: Cook the peppers over a flame or directly over the stove top burners, until charred well. There is no need to completely char the peppers. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with a lid. Steam the peppers for 20 minutes.

3. Peel the peppers using your hands. Do not rinse under water.  Make a slit down the side of the pepper about 2-inches long. Remove the seeds as much as possible, but leave the stem intact. Add about ¼-cup cheese inside the pepper and close the pepper using a skewer. Clean and stuff all the peppers and roll each pepper in the flour. Set aside.

4. Heat about 2-inches of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add three popcorn kernels to the oil; when the kernels pop the oil is ready.

5. Batter: Add the batter to a large bowl and using an electric hand mixer beat the brine until thick and stiff, about 4 minutes. Add the paprika, salt and black pepper. Whisk until the flour is incorporated.

6. Place a pepper into the batter and using a spoon coat the pepper on all sides. Fry the pepper in the hot oil until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain the pepper on paper towels and season with salt. Serve with the sauce.

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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