Sun-Dried Tomatoes are like Vegan Beef Jerky.

Vegan Thanksgiving Cake

So this is pretty crazy. I saw this recipe online and decided it was just wacky enough that I'd need to make it vegan. Of course, I'd have to make it a little more culinary since 1) I'm a masochist and 2) I watch too much Iron Chef America. Anyways, let's go through what it ended up with in it. (Sorry for the poor formatting. Blogger is a bit unforgiving and hard to work with...)

• Sweet Potato Puree

• Chipotle Pepper

• Adobo Sauce

• Butter

• Cinnamon

• Fresh Nutmeg

• Brown Sugar

Mashed Potatoes •

Butter •

Garlic •

Chives •

• Celery Root

• Green Apple

• Fennel Bulb

• Butter

• Apple Cider

• Non-Dairy Creamer

• Celery Salt

• Salt & Pepper

Cranberries •

Orange Peels •

Vanilla Bean Powder •

Water •

Maple Syrup •

Salt •

• Mushroom Gravy Mix

• Dehydrated Mushrooms

• Water

Dried 12-Grain Bread •

Dried Herbs (Thyme, Majoram, Sage, Rosemary, etc) •

Celery •

Onion •

Chopped Brazil Nuts •

Raisins •

Toasted Fennel & Coriander Seeds •

Cayenne •

Melted Butter •

Vegetable Stock •

• 1 Field Roast

• 1 Tofurkey

(There's only one picture, but each roast got its own pan and layer in the cake.)

Then I took all the ingredients and started the layering.

Tofurkey, Celery Root Puree

Tofurkey, Celery Root Puree, Stuffing, Celery Root Puree, Field Roast

I coated the Mashed Potatoes on the sides, capped it with the Sweet Potatoes, and spread (what was left of) the marshmallows on the edge.

I finalized the beast with the Orange Cranberries and toasted the marshmallows (with a kitchen lighter, hahaha!)

She's a beaut, isn't she? Tastes just as good as it looks. I poured the Mushroom Gravy over a slice on the plate and enjoyed it alongside a frosty Virgil's Root Beer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yuba Wrapped Eggplant w/ Sticky Date Rice & Lemongrass Cilantro Relish

This was very tasty. I came across a big sheet of yuba which is basically the skin that forms on top of soy milk when it is boiled. Its dried out and is used to wrap things in or fried and used as a garnish for a crispy texture in a dish. Its also referred sometime as tofu paper. Here's how it went down.....

Eggplant

1 eggplant sliced lengthwise

1 big sheet of yuba

2 Thai Chilies

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

1 stalk of lemon grass

splash of mirin

salt

olive oil

pepper

Slice the eggplants and cover with some salt and let sit for a while. This helps pull some of the bitterness out of them. After they sit for about 25 minutes pat them dry with a paper towel. Then marinate them in chopped garlic, chilies, shallots, lemongrass, mirin, and olive oil. While them are marinating get the rice cooking and the yuba cut into squares.

Rice

Sticky rice

Dates

Siracha

Garlic

Rice vinegar

Sesame oil

salt

pepper

Cook the rice with all the ingredients above still its tender and sticky as hell.

Relish

Lemongrass

garlic

ginger

shallots

cilantro

Thai chili

salt

white pepper

Chop up lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallot, chili, and cilantro. Mixed well, season and reserve.

For completion:

Remove eggplant from marinade and wrap tightly in the yuba. Get a bit of olive oil hot and fry the the wrapped eggplant in a pan until its golden brown and crispy on each side. Finish them in the oven until the eggplant is cooked through for about 7 to 10 minutes. Serve with hot rice and cold relish.

Chickn n' Waffels

So a while back we did soul food and it was fun and Delicious. I didn't have time to plan anything out so I wanted to revisit the theme once more for now and make another dish. I landed on chicken and waffles because its an awesome combo to re-invent for the vegans out there.

I didn't make the waffles because after making a buckwheat waffle batter my waffle press was no where to be found. So luckily I found some trader Joe's Waffles in my grandmas freezer and toasted them in the toaster. They worked fine but still not homemade.

But the chicken seitan consisted of:

gluten flour

garlic

onion powder

thyme

hot sauce

water

soy sauce

lemon juice

tapioca starch

Black pepper

Nutritional yeast

Paprika

Ground Mustard

This all got mixed, shaped and boiled for about an hour in better than bouillon, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and water. When it was done I soaked the seitan in hemp milk, hot sauce,thyme garlic, and black pepper for like an hour. I then dredged it in a mixture of flour salt and pepper and fried it in a pan until it was lightly golden and finished it in the oven for about 7 minutes. It seems like alot of work but it was well worth it. ( Sorry about not having exact amounts I made it awhile back).

Buffalo Seitan Salad

If the picture looks as if a massacre has just occurred, it portrays the correct idea. Jen and I couldn't get enough of this tasty recipe. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was deep fried. Anyway it was our first time working with seitan and we were very happy with the results. Just add the buffalo bits (recipe below) to some greens and add carrots and bleu cheese dressing for a spicy tangy good time.

1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil sufficient for frying
1 pkg. vegan chicken or 2 pkgs. seitan

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the margarine, hot sauces, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring often, until the margarine is melted. Lower the heat and keep warm while preparing the “wings.”
• Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. • In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat enough oil to fry the “wings.”
• Tear the vegan chicken or seitan into “wing”-size pieces. Dredge in the flour mixture. Fry until browned, flipping halfway through. Drain on paper towels.
• Toss with the prepared sauce.

(all credit due to www.vegcooking.com)

Also when shopping for ingredients at the friendly local neighborhood Whole Foods, Jen approached a salesperson and asked where she could find the seitan. He responded, "In my country, seitan is the Devil." Basically Jen asked where she could find the devil. He then pointed us toward the delicious ingredient and we went on our merry way.