Trashy Vegan

Fancy-Trashy Enchiladas

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:55:37 -0400

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 60 minutes (30 in the oven)

FEEDS: 4

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb kale, chopped coarsely
1 package of “soyrizo” (or your favorite veggie meat—this stuff was great though)
1 can of mild white beans (like white kidney beans, navy beans, etc.)
1 large can of enchilada sauce (or make it yourself if you really want to, I guess)
8-10 small tortillas
Optional garnishes: sliced black olives, vegan cheese, chopped green onions, vegan sour cream, etc.

STEPS:

Pre-heat your oven to 400F.
In a large skillet, fry up the garlic and onion in a little olive oil until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the “meat” and fry until it’s browning—another 5 minutes.
Throw in your kale and beans, and cook until the kale wilts—5 more minutes, maybe less.
Now, prepare a glass baking dish (~9x13). Pour half the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish.
Take a tortilla and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the soyrizo-kale-bean mixture into the middle of the tortilla. (Don’t overfill or they’ll come apart). Then fold the sides of the tortilla in toward the middle—folding it in thirds. Place the tortilla folded-side down into the baking dish (this will help them keep their shape).
Repeat until the tortillas/filling are all gone. Then pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top.
If using, sprinkle vegan cheese and black olives on top of your enchiladas. Bake for 30 minutes or until the “cheese” melts and the sauce is bubbly.
Voila! When they come out of the oven, let them cool a few minutes and dig in. Serve with rice if you’d like. Garnish with green onions, vegan sour cream, etc.

Polenta with Red Onions, White Beans, Chard, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:23:00 -0500

This meal is simple and it’s healthy. If you’d like to make it a little more hearty, you can top it off with a chunky tomato sauce.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

FEEDS: 4

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 package of precooked polenta (comes in the tube in the refrigerator section; I use Italian or sun-dried tomato flavor)
A few tablespoons of olive oil
1 red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 lb chard (or another mild green)
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
2 cans of white beans (or another mild bean, like cannellini), drained and rinsed
Salt and fresh-cracked pepper
8 oz julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Cruelty-free goat cheese or vegan parmesan crumbles (optional)

STEPS:

Slice the polenta into circles about an inch thick (don’t go too thin or they’ll fall apart while cooking; don’t go too thick or they’ll take too long to heat through!)
Thinly slice the red onion, mince the garlic, and de-vein and chop the chard. Set them aside and keep them separate.
In a flat frying pan, in a little oil (enough to thinly coat the pan and keep the polenta from sticking, but not so much that the polenta will get greasy), fry the polenta over medium heat, about 6 minutes on each side.
While the polenta is frying, in another pot (a stock pot works best), fry the onions and garlic in a little olive oil, about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and lose their bright color.
Add the vegetable broth, chard, sun-dried tomatoes (optional), and beans to the onion pot. Cook everything for another 5 minutes or so, until the chard is wilted and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the browned polenta with the bean/chard mixture scooped on top. If you’d like, top with vegan cheese substitute (like a vegan parmesan), nutritional yeast, or cruelty-free goat cheese (which we occasionally find here and use).

Trashy Vegan Pot Pie

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:59:08 -0500

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 60 minutes

FEEDS: 4+

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

2 vegan pie crusts, defrosted (to defrost, place the crusts in the fridge at least 2 hours before you start, or set them out on the countertop at least 1/2 hour before)
1 large white or yellow onion (about 1 cup of chopped onion)
1 green bell pepper (or substitute an equivalent amount of another mild, crunchy veggie like celery)
7 tablespoons of margarine
1/3 cup of flour
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup soy milk (or almond milk)
1 3/4 cups veggie broth (or water + buillon)
3/4 cup of frozen corn
2 cups frozen “meat” in bite-size pieces (I recommend something “sausage” or “chicken” flavored—I used Field Roast vegan sausage, chopped into little pieces; you could even use pre-fried tofu or tempeh if you wanted to)

STEPS:

Preheat the oven to 425F and grease a pie dish.
Lay one of the defrosted pie crusts on the bottom of the greased pie dish and set the second one aside for later.
Dice the onion and finely chop the green bell pepper. Set the bell pepper aside.
In a large pot, melt the margarine.
When it’s melted, add the onion and flour, and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for a minute or two, until it’s all bubbly.
Quickly add the milk substitute and veggie broth. Keep the heat steady and stir constantly for two minutes or so, until the mixture thickens (like gravy).
When the mixture is thick, remove from the heat and add everything else.
Pour the mixture into the first pie crust and cover the rest with the second pie crust. Pinch the edges to keep everything inside.
Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. At that point, pull it out, cover the edges with aluminum foil so they don’t burn, and stick it back in for another 10-15 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Let it sit 10 minutes before eating.

Bagels with "Lox"

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:32:00 -0500

If you’re not an East Coaster, you might not even know what I’m talking about. But I grew up with a Jewish Bubby who fed me plenty of bagels and lox. The spread included deli-fresh bagels, capers, red onions, cream cheese, and yummy lox (smoked salmon). Of course, most of this isn’t vegan. Almost none of it is. But in my quest for trashy alternatives to childhood classics, I’ve come up with a veganized version that gives you the same flavors without the cruelty (or the cholesterol). Plus, it couldn’t be easier.

In this recipe, I use the smoky flavor of tempeh bacon (chilled, if you like) to replace the lox. I know it sounds weird, but just try it my way. It’s a little brainstorm I had. And it works!

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

(Note: If you are prissy-trashy and you want the tempeh bacon chilled, allot extra time. Fry the tempeh ahead of time and refrigerate overnight.)

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

FEEDS: 4

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

A package of tempeh bacon (Try Tofurky or Light Life. In my experience, marinated tempeh is easy to find in the veggie section of a good grocery store like our local favorite, Hyvee. If you can’t find your tempeh pre-baconed, you can make your own “facon” by marinating plain tempeh in liquid smoke/soy sauce mixture, though you’ll have to add time to your recipe. There are plenty of recipes online for marinating your own tempeh bacon. But I’m all about the store-bought shortcut.)
4 bagels (Store-bought bagels are usually vegan—just check the label. I use Thomas’ because there is no such thing as a deli in the Midwest. There’s also some debate about what flavor works best. I like plain. W loves her everything bagels. And perhaps the classic would be sesame or garlic. Your choice. But go savory, not sweet.)
Veggie cream cheese (This should be easy to find—the Tofutti brand is great.)
1/2 red onion
A few teaspoons of capers (optional)

STEPS:

Prepare the “facon” according to package instructions. (Just fry it in some veggie or olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side. If you are really into the authenticity, you can chill the tempeh bacon, but we just use it still-warm.)
Meanwhile, toast the bagels and dice up a little red onion (a little goes a long way.)
Assemble your “bagels and lox”: Use the bagel as your foundation, spread some cream cheese on top, add a couple of strips of tempeh bacon as your lox, and then sprinkle on capers and red onion. Voila! It’s like you’re in NYC. Even though you’re in Missouri.

3-Bean Vegan Chili

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:59:00 -0400

Chili is a classic, but some recipes take forever and have tough-to-find ingredients. In this simple version, I use mostly canned ingredients for a quick and easy chili fix.

FEEDS: 4

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30-35 minutes (or more if you let it simmer—feel free to start in advance)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced/diced
1 large zucchini (or 2 little ones), halved lengthwise and then sliced finely
Coarse salt
Cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder (regular or ancho or smoky)
1 tablespoon cumin
3 cans of beans, drained (I recommend a combination of different flavors—I used kidney, white, and chickpeas, but you could also use black beans or pinto beans or black-eyed peas or whatever. Even a can of corn in there would be fine. Just use 3 cans of whatever.)
1 28 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes for a smoother chili)
1 cup veggie broth
A liberal splash of hot sauce (I recommend Cholula)
Optional ideas for garnishes and extras: cilantro, vegan sour cream alternative, vegan cheese alternative, spaghetti (we call that “Cincinnati chili”), or corn bread

STEPS

Saute the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onions start to soften.
Add the zucchini and season with salt and cayenne (to taste—careful with that spicy cayenne.)
Stir the mixture and let it fry for 3-5 minutes more, until the zucchini starts to soften.
Add your spice mixture, the chili powder and cumin, and stir in for a minute or so, until it becomes fragrant.
Add your beans, tomatoes, veggie broth, and hot sauce and simmer for at least 20 minutes—the longer, the better.
For a thicker chili, simmer without the lid and boil off some of the liquid; for a thinner chili, simmer covered to trap the liquid. You can also add water or veggie broth as you go. Voila! Perfect chili.

So-Easy Jambalaya

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:59:03 -0400

PREP/ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: ~25 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 box of jambalaya mix (I used Zatarain’s because I’m a sucker for commercials with saxophones, but you could use any equivalent)
Veggie broth or bouillon
1 package of tempeh (~10-14 oz)
1 can of diced tomatoes (~15 oz)
Green onions (optional, garnish)

STEPS:

On the back of your jambalaya mix, it will say, “Bring X cups of water + X tablespoons of oil to a boil.” Do that. But instead of water, use veggie broth.
While that’s getting hot, quickly slice your tempeh into 1/2” rectangles (and then in half for bite-size pieces).
When your broth/oil is boiling, add the contents of the box and, instead of meat or seafood, your tempeh. (Don’t worry; the tempeh doesn’t need to be pre-cooked. It will cook nicely and absorb the flavor of the jambalaya mix while the pot simmers).
Add your can of tomatoes too.
Let the whole thing simmer, covered, for whatever time is on the box. Mine was 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom.
When your rice is tender, you’re done! Top with diced green onions if you’d like, or don’t.

VARIATIONS:

I used tempeh, but I’m sure you could use another protein, especially those of you who cut back on soy—a simple can of beans would work, or you could use seitan (I would pre-fry that to keep it from getting mushy). You could even get the packaged vegan sausage that I love and use for other recipes and throw that in.

"Bean Wolf"-Whole Wheat Pasta with White Beans, Greens, and Veggie Sausage

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:20:00 -0400

FEEDS: 4

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 red onion (medium)
3-6 cloves garlic
1+1/2 15 oz cans of great white northern beans (or cannelini beans or another mild bean)
1 bunch of chard
1 cup vegetable broth (or water + bouillon)
10-16 oz (whatever one package is) of Italian seasoned veggie sausage (I recommend Field Roast or, if you can’t find that, Tofurky)
16 oz (1 lb) of whole wheat pasta
Vegan shredded or shake-on cheese (optional)

STEPS:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, slice the sausages into 3/4” circles and saute them over medium-high heat in some olive oil, until they’re crisp on the outside and hot in the middle. Take them out of the pot and set aside for later.
Thinly slice or dice the red onion and garlic and saute them in a large pot (the same one you used for the sausage is ideal).
When the onions are soft (after a couple of minutes), add the vegetable broth, chard, and beans. Simmer, half-covered, until the chard wilts and the beans are hot (just a couple of minutes).
When the sauce mixture is hot, add your pre-fried veggie sausage and reduce heat to low, just to keep everything warm.
By now, your pasta should be cooked. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour the beans, greens, and sausage mixture on top. Delicious! Serve with vegan “cheese” (optional). If you like it a little spicy, garnish with crushed red pepper or peperoncinis.

Trashy Tacos: Take 2

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:38:00 -0400

The good ol’ beans n greens taco recipe, logged under “healthy-trashy,” is definitely a must-try. But it’s a more mild… greener taco recipe. These tacos are max trashy and might remind you more of the taco dinner your mom used to make when you were a kid. (Like, the one that came from the box.) But trust me… this recipe is cheap, simple, and it’s delicious. And because you don’t use any of that nasty red meat—and you introduce some fresh produce—it is relatively healthy.

FEEDS: 4

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 box “taco kit” or equivalent (includes: a packet of seasoning, some sauce or salsa, and the tortillas, either hard or soft)
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
1-2 cans of unseasoned pinto beans (if 2, use an extra seasoning packet)
Your favorite taco fixins—salsa, vegan sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc.

STEPS:

Dice the bell pepper and onion.
Fry the onion and pepper in a little oil in a large, non-stick skillet. Start with just the onion, and when it’s about half-done, add the bell pepper. Saute it all until it’s tender-crisp.
Add the can of beans and mix everything together quickly.
Add the seasoning packet and 1/2 cup water or veggie broth. (3/4 cup liquid if using 2 packets.)
Let this mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and evaporates a little.
Scoop the mixture into tortillas and serve with your favorite taco toppings. I recommend a side of rice with this one too.

Vegan Nutella S'mores

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:33:00 -0400

(No campfires required!)

So, I just made a batch of vegan nutella (see my recipe here), and I was trying to think of creative ways to spin it. And I came up with this… I certainly didn’t invent s’mores, but this is one vegan treat idea I couldn’t pass up posting. I mean, just look at that picture! You could eat the computer.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Graham crackers (just check the box—most graham crackers are already vegan, even the cheap store brand ones.)
1 batch of vegan nutella (link to recipe above)—or just use some dairy-free chocolate, whatever suits you. (NOTE: If you are super trashy, use peanut butter and Hershey’s syrup mixed together, but don’t say I told you to, because that’s trashy even for me.)
Vegan marshmallows (I recommend Sweet & Sara’s—we can get them at the local Hyvee, and they are AMAZING!)

STEPS:

Preheat the broiler in your oven to 525F.
Lay a graham cracker on a cookie sheet.
Spread some nutella on the cracker.
Top it off with a marshmallow.
Put everything under the broiler until the marshmallow is golden-brown, about 2 minutes.
Voila! Delicious s’mores!!

Trashy Pad Thai with Baked Tofu

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:21:00 -0400

This is one I’ve been perfecting for almost as long as I’ve been cooking vegan meals. I started two years ago with Isa Chandra’s old recipe, but I found all kinds of issues with it… not enough sauce, too sweet, too spicy, weird/expensive ingredients (tamarind concentrate? dried Thai peppers?). Over the years, I’ve invented my own version of Pad Thai that uses way easier ingredients and is much quicker. And it always gets the seal of approval from my dinner guests. A major crowd pleaser! Without further adeiu, Trashy Pad Thai…

FEEDS: 4

TOTAL TIME: 30-40 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

-SAUCE INGREDIENTS

3/4-1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup lime juice
A 6 oz can of tomato paste (or, if you’re trashy, 6 oz ketchup! It works, but if you use ketchup, reduce the sugar, because it makes things sweeter)
2-3 tablespoons of sugar (more to taste)
A squirt of hot sauce (Frank’s is fine, but Sriracha is best if you have it)

-EVERYTHING ELSE

1 lb of rice noodles—any kind you like
1 package (~14 oz) extra firm tofu
Some soy sauce to marinate the tofu (1/8 cup)
1 small-medium red onion, diced
1 tsp minced ginger (from a jar is fine—that’s what I do)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-3/4 cup bean sprouts
5-10 green onions, white parts chopped, dark green parts discarded
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

STEPS:

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. (Taste this mixture and adjust it as you like it).
Towel dry the tofu to get rid of excess moisture and chop into 1/4” thick rectangles. Brush the rectangles with a little soy sauce, put them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the rectangles once after 15 minutes.
Prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions. Strain and set aside when they’re done.
While the tofu is baking and the noodles are steeping, chop up all your veggies. Put the garlic and onion together, and, in a separate bowl, put the bean sprouts, green onion, and cilantro together. (You don’t have to use cilantro if you don’t like it).
In a large stock pot, fry up the onions, garlic, and ginger until the onions are soft.
Stir your sauce mixture and pour it on top of your fried onions. Let it cook for a minute or so, until it’s bubbly and heated through.
Dump in your strained noodles and mix around until they’re covered in sauce.
Add the rest—bean sprouts, green onions, and cilantro. Put your finished baked tofu in too. Stir everything up, and you’re good to go.

Just for Fun: Homemade Nutella

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:18:00 -0400

Now, to be honest with you, I’m not a huge fan of nutella in the jar, and it has skim milk in it, so it’s not vegan. It always tastes sickeningly sweet to me. But I wanted a fun project to do on the summer solstice, and I knew I could make a better vegan version of this chocolate-hazelnut spread, inspired by my bestie (here’s a plug for her kick-ass blog), who made something similar to this for Mother’s Day brunch. Plus, bulk hazelnuts were on sale at Hyvee.

I know it’s not very trashy to do all this work, but honestly, it’s not so bad, and sometimes you need a little project. And besides, your trashy kitchen must-have, the Magic Bullet, practically does all the work for you!

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes (30 minutes just letting the hazelnuts roast)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

2 cups of bulk hazelnuts
1-2 teaspoons of vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
Tiny pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon)
Magic Bullet! (or blender or food processor)

STEPS:

Set the oven to 350F.
Roast the hazelnuts on a large cookie sheet until they’re dark brown, about 30 minutes. Shake them around once in the middle.
When the hazelnuts are done roasting, take the bitter skins off. A bunch of recipes will tell you to use a kitchen towel to “rub” the skins off. In my experience, not only does this method not do the job, but it makes a huge mess of your towel, and you drop sh*t everywhere. Here is my tried and true method; it works best when the hazelnuts are still hot! First, shake the whole cookie sheet around a lot. The skins will naturally slough off some of the hazelnuts through this friction. Pick the already skinned ones out and throw them in your Magic Bullet cup. Then pick your hazelnuts up one by one—starting with the ones that are just partially skinned from shaking—and use your thumb and pointer finger to pinch the hazelnut, pulling the skin off. Repeat this process—shake things around again and see what happens. Yes, it’s kind of annoying, but it works, and you’ll get into a rhythm and get it done. Another secret: if you leave a few stubborn pieces of skin attached, it won’t really hurt anything, but you do want to get rid of as many as possible.
Put the peeled, roasted hazelnuts in your Magic Bullet and grind for about 5 minutes (give that Bullet a break every 60 seconds or so, because it gets hot). Slowly, the hazelnuts will form a creamy butter as the natural oils leach out of the nuts. If your Bullet keeps getting stuck, or if things seem to be dry, add a teaspoon or two of vegetable or canola oil, and the process will speed along. Your final “nutella” will also be more spreadable if you add a tiny bit of oil.
Now that you have a hazelnut butter, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a teeny pinch of salt. Blend some more, until your “nutella” is smooth.
Refrigerate until you’re ready to use. I think this spread is great with fruit like strawberries in the summer. My best friend also proved that it is awesome on waffles at breakfast. Enjoy!

Greek Salad

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 09:20:00 -0400

Okay, I’m not a huge salad fan. I love raw veggies, but all that weird, flavorless iceberg garbage is always getting in the way. So here’s a special salad recipe I’ve adapted based on the amazing food W & I ate in Greece last summer. This is super healthy and super delicious. I could eat it every day! HINT: It’s a huge hit with guests, too.

FEEDS: 4

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

3-4 large, high quality heirloom tomatoes, diced into large cubes or rectangles.
1/2 medium red onion, chopped finely
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced and/or one green pepper, finely chopped
15 or so kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
~2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon’s worth)
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Cruelty-free goat’s milk feta (optional)

STEPS:

Start with your bed of tomatoes and mix in the red onion, cucumber/green pepper, and olives. Toss everything together.
Cover your mixture with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss some more.
If it looks dry for your taste, add a little more oil, carefully of course.
Take a bite and see how it tastes. I think the natural flavors of these delicious veggies make the salad perfect the way it is, and I don’t use anything else. But if you’re a big fan of vinegar, you can drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top.
If you’re using some goat’s milk feta, put it on top right before you’re ready to eat so it doesn’t get soggy.
If you’re having a super fancy day, you could finish things off with capers (for those who love salt) or fresh dill. But that kind of stuff isn’t necessary.

MEAL OPTIONS: If you want to make this into a more filling meal, put the “salad” inside some pita bread with hummus. Delicious, quick, and simple.

Trashy Curry in a Hurry

Sat, 21 May 2011 20:20:00 -0400

Making curry paste from scratch is time-consuming, expensive, and messy. This recipe starts with a store-bought curry paste (cheaper and less annoying), and then builds in lots of other foundation ingredients to make it pack as much flavor as possible.

Honestly, I don’t know how I first came up with this—I was trying to make a tasty curry base from stuff in my fridge and pantry—but it’s really good. It’s the best curry I’ve ever had, and that ain’t no joke. Try it my way and you’ll never turn back.

FEEDS: 4+ (an army)

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25-30 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 cup of dry rice or quinoa, prepared according to instructions
Optional: 1 package tofu, pressed and drained, then fried separately (This is for tofu lovers; this curry is great with just veggies, and if you don’t do soy, just leave it out)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2-3 teaspoons of minced ginger (I just use the ginger that comes in jars because I hate peeling and mincing the root)
2-3 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon—or however much of your favorite bouillon would make 2-3 cups of broth
2-3 tablespoons of your favorite mild curry paste (I use Patak’s)
2 cans of coconut milk (light is fine)
A little lime juice
1 yellow onion, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 red pepper, diced
1 28 oz can of tomatoes, drained
1 cup of frozen peas
1-3 teaspoons of maple syrup (may not be necessary)

STEPS:

Start the rice or quinoa. It takes the longest.
If you’re using tofu, drain it, cut it into rectangles, and fry it in a nonstick skillet or wok. Go about 3-4 minutes on each side at high heat in a bath of sesame or vegetable oil.
While the tofu is frying—or not—cut up your veggies. (If you don’t like my suggested veggies, you can sub stuff. Potatoes or sweet potatoes are a source of protein and also great in this recipe, though I didn’t use ‘em this time.)
In a large stock pot with just a touch of oil, fry up the garlic, ginger, bouillon, and curry paste, just until it’s all mixed together.
Add the onions and mix it all together, coating the onions. Fry about 2 minutes. (You can add a splash of water to deglaze the pot if necessary—don’t let it stick.)
Add the cans of coconut milk and a generous squirt of lime juice and stir well. Bring to a simmer.
When it starts to bubble, add the red peppers, broccoli, tomatoes—everything but peas. (Add your pre-fried tofu too if you’re using it.)
Taste your curry and make sure it’s seasoned right. If it’s too spicy or too acidic, or if you just like a sweetness in your curry, add a little maple syrup by the spoonful. If you want more spice, a dash of cayenne or hot sauce. More acid, lime juice. More salt, bouillon.
Let it simmer for 5 or 10 minutes. (If you want, you can leave this on the stove on low heat for a while, and it’ll be fine.) When you’re ready to serve, add the peas and just let them steam for two minutes or so. Don’t let them get soggy.

As soon as it’s heated through, you’re ready to roll. Serve over the rice/quinoa.

Leftover Veggies Pasta Salad

Tue, 17 May 2011 10:06:00 -0400

I love making pasta salad because it keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, and it makes a great lunch. Plus, it’s pretty healthy, and you can use veggies you have leftover from the week. My version of pasta salad uses a foundation of tomatoes and beans, which add texture and protein (complete protein when combined with the whole wheat pasta!). This time, I also ended up using red peppers, red onion, and broccoli, but you could really substitute whatever veggies you like or have lying around.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 10-15 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 lb of pasta (I used Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat Veggie because I was feeling so snobby today.)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 (15 oz) can of unseasoned beans (Cannellini or great white northern beans are ideal, but you can substitute kidney beans or pintos if you like. I’ve tried all these, and they all come out tasty.)
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 cup olive oil
5+ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper, and/or garlic salt to taste
Cruelty-free goat feta (optional—we have a great local farm called Goatsbeard, and I like to support my local cruelty-free farmers)
Annie’s Goddess Dressing (optional—but if you’ve never tried this stuff, you have to get it. It’s delicious!)

INGRDIENTS-VARIATION:

INSTEAD OF OIL & VINEGAR: If you don’t have or don’t like oil and vinegar, you can also cheat and use a vegan grocery store dressing—a vinaigrette or an Italian dressing would work best.

STEPS:

Boil the pasta in a large pot according to package directions, drain, and return to the pot. SPECIAL TRICK: When you have the pasta in your strainer, rinse with very cold water. This will cool off your pasta and reduce your refrigeration time exponentially.
Meanwhile, chop and dice all your veggies.
Once the cooked pasta is drained and in the pot, add the veggies and stir well, evenly distributing them.
Add the canned beans and canned tomatoes and stir again.
Liberally coat this mixture with 1 cup olive oil. Remember that it’s going to dry up in the fridge. Stir all that oil in and add 5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Now stir it up again. Stir stir stir!
Taste your mixture. Add oil or vinegar as you see fit. (I usually like mine a little vinegary, so I go up to 10 or so tablespoons of vinegar. I also add some more oil by the “glug” if things are starting to look dry.)
Taste again and adjust with salt (I use garlic salt!) and fresh cracked pepper.
If you’re using feta, sprinkle it over the top.
Refrigerate this mixture in whatever container you’ve got, or cover the pot with saran wrap and lid it and put it in the fridge. You should refrigerate at least a couple of hours, until cold.

When you pull your pasta salad out of the fridge, remember to take a bite and re-season with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper—it will probably absorb a lot of the oil and vinegar and dry up while it’s refrigerating. Top your delicious pasta salad with goddess dressing at the table if you’re so inclined. Otherwise, enjoy your protein-packed pasta with no extras.

Healthy-Trashy: Delicious and Nutritious Tacos

Mon, 09 May 2011 12:45:00 -0400

I love greens in a taco, and this recipe uses chard, which is a mild, tasty veggie that’s cheap at my local farmer’s market. And I just learned that it’s a super food! It’s high in vitamins A, K, and C and full of fiber and protein.

Anytrashy, you know I’m no health nut. But this stuff is delicious! And I *am* a trashy calorie-counter (it’s summer!), so I know chard packs plenty of bang for its caloric buck.

If you don’t have chard on hand or find that it’s expensive in your area, you can also try other greens in this recipe. Spinach or kale will work, but they’ll be a bit more bitter (try adding a few drops of lemon juice to your pot to cut the bitterness with acidity). Same for collards or turnip greens. The milder the better for this recipe.

Without further adeiu, here is a super-easy, super-yummy, and apparently super-healthy taco recipe.

FEEDS: 4

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

About a pound of chard
1 red onion (a pretty big one)
6 cloves of garlic (a little less if you’re not a garlic lover like me)
2 15 oz cans of unseasoned cannellini beans (you can also use navy beans or great white northern beans, and I bet pinto or black-eyed peas would even work in a pinch)
1/2 cup of vegetable broth (I use Better than Buillion, and it’s great—you can even use a tad more to add extra flavor in your favorite recipes)
Your favorite corn or flour tortillas in taco size
Salsa, hot sauce, and/or vegan sour cream (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

STEPS:

Remove the chard leaves from the stalk and discard the stems. (Use the same preparation as you would for kale).
Coarsely chop or rip up the chard leaves. Set aside.
Dice the red onion and set aside.
Thinly slice the garlic and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions in a teeny bit of vegetable or olive oil until they’re almost completely soft.
Add the garlic and saute a minute more.
Add the greens, beans, and veggie broth, and let cook for five minutes or so, until the greens are wilted and the beans are hot.
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas according to package directions (throw them in the microwave with some paper towels, or put them on a dry skillet over high heat for just a few seconds on each side, until brown spots appear).
Put your greens mixture into your tortillas, and you’re ready to roll.

Serve with salsa or hot sauce or veggie sour cream or cilantro or all of the above. I used Tofutti Better than Sour Cream and Cholula, the best hot sauce ever! I like to use cilantro too, but I was all out.

A Trashy Classic: 20-Minute Pasta Puttanesca

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:39:00 -0400

This is an original adapted from many much more involved recipes that call for blanched vine tomatoes and anchovies and all kinds of crazy, expensive, sometimes non-vegan stuff. After a lot of experiments, this is my perfected gift to you, and all of these ingredients stay fresh in your pantry for weeks. It’s a great back-up plan when you’re having guests.

FEEDS: 4 (cut it in half if you want)

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 lb pasta (I recommend penne rigate, rotini, or spaghetti)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (use more or less depending on your feelings about garlic)
One 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (or, if you like a thinner sauce, use crushed tomatoes)
One 6 oz can of tomato paste
~40 kalamata olives, chopped coarsely
~3.5 oz jar of capers, drained (or keep the juice if you love salty flavors)
3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (you can add another 1/4 teaspoon if you like it hot)

STEPS:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and, when it’s ready, cook the pasta according to the box instructions. When it’s done, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, chop the olives, mince the garlic, and drain the cans to get ready. Keep everything separate.
Fry the garlic in a little olive oil in your pan.
Once the garlic is brown, dump in the can of tomatoes. Let cook for 5 minutes, until heated through.
Add all the other sauce ingredients—tomato paste, chopped olives, capers, and red pepper flakes.
Mix the sauce well, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. When it’s done, combine with the pasta and serve.

Easiest Ever Trashy Brownies

Mon, 02 May 2011 16:44:00 -0400

If you’ve ever tried to make vegan brownies from scratch, you already know it sucks. Most of those from-scratch vegan brownie recipes using mashed bananas or apple sauce or flaxseed are a huge hassle, and they can get expensive, and they come out wrong. Lame!

This recipe, on the other hand, truly couldn’t be simpler or more delicious, and everyone loves it. I stole this idea from a friend, actually, who told me you could make “weight watcher brownies” with canned pumpkin. So I did this experiment, and voila. Someone recently asked me the best and easiest vegan dessert recipe, and this just might be it.

One warning—these are definitely chocolate lovers’ brownies! They’re rich and moist, a lot like fudge.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

BAKING TIME: ~40 minutes (according to package instructions)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

A vegan brownie mix from the grocery store—standard size (~20 oz). Check the ingredients list for one with no milk, which often comes in the form of butterfat or casein. If you can, choose a mix with chocolate chips in it, or add chips yourself. My favorite vegan brownie mix is Ghirardelli Double Chocolate—and if you’re ever looking for vegan chocolate chips, Ghirardelli semisweets are the best.
1 or 2 standard cans of pumpkin (15 oz)
Peanut butter (optional, see variation below)

STEPS:

Preheat your oven to the temperature suggested on the back of your brownie mix box (usually 350 or 375F).
Empty the brownie mix into a large bowl.
Add only one can of pumpkin and mix well. Usually one can does the trick, but you may need a bit more… (See step 4)
Take a look at your brownie batter. It should be wet enough that all the dry mix is incorporated easily and completely. If you think your batter is too dry, add a little more pumpkin (by the tablespoon). When you’re all done, just put some plastic wrap over your remaining pumpkin and save it in the fridge for another day.
That’s it! You don’t need any eggs or oil or water or anything. Bake this batter according to the directions on the box, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I recommend using the 8x8 or 9x9 square pan—whatever the smallest suggested pan is.

VARIATIONS—FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER LOVER:

If you love peanut butter, take three or so tablespoons of creamy PB and smear it on the top of your brownie batter after you pour it into the pan, giving it a marbled effect. Bake just the same. Your brownies will have a nice hint of PB flavor.

DELICIOUS!

Mom's Trashy Vegan Nachos

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:09:00 -0400

FEEDS: 4 (hungry people)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

An oven pan lined with aluminum foil
A package of your favorite tortilla chips
Your favorite vegan meat alternative in a 12 oz package (I used Boca Vegan Crumbles)
A cheap packet of taco seasoning (68 cents at Schnucks!)
A can of pre-seasoned pinto beans (chili-style works)
A can of diced tomatoes
Vegan cheese alternative (like rice mozzarella)
Optional: Canned/jarred jalapenos
Optional: Vegan sour cream alternative (I recommend Tofutti)

STEPS:

Preheat the broiler and empty the bag of tortilla chips into the aluminum foil-lined pan (the foil will save you LOTS of mess). Set the pan aside.
Brown the meat alternative crumbles in a large pan with a teeny bit of vegetable or olive oil, until heated through.
Add the seasoning packet and 2/3 cups water. Let it simmer for a minute or so, until it bubbles.
Add the seasoned beans and the can of tomatoes and mix it up. Keep heating for a couple of minutes, just until everything’s hot.
Now dump your pot full of beans and crumbles onto the pan of chips and sprinkle the cheese alternative on top.
Put the whole shebang in the oven under the broiler and leave it there ‘til the cheese melts. Serve with the sour cream (optional) and salsa. You can also try putting canned jalapenos on top if you dare!

Trashy Chocolate-Banana Milkshake

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:13:00 -0400

Okay, this is a relatively “healthy” version of a milkshake that I guess is sort of more like an extra-rich chocolate smoothie. Instead of using ice cream or even dairy-free ice cream as a base, it uses frozen fruit. And if you’re a trashy calorie counter, this little doozy’s only got about 160 of them: 100 for the banana, 50 for the almond milk (use unsweetened Almond Breeze, 40 cal per cup), and 10 calories for the cocoa powder. A fun trivia fact is that I adapted this recipe from one passed down to me by the one-and-only beautiful poet Carolyn Forche.

RECIPE TIME: 5 minutes or less

(Remember to throw a banana in the freezer a few hours before, though. I just keep ripe bananas in there all the time because they never go bad in there, and there are lots of recipes that can use a frozen/thawed banana.)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 ripe banana, peeled and stuck in the freezer for a couple of hours (or overnight)
1 1/4 cups soy or almond milk (don’t use rice, it’s too thin and tastes weird)
1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Hershey’s! Don’t use a Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this one)
A Magic Bullet! If you don’t have one of these, I highly recommend you get one. It’s quick, easy, clean, and doesn’t require the mess and hassle of other blenders/food processors. Plus it is CHEAP. An essential component of any trashy kitchen.

STEPS:

Slice up the frozen banana.
Put it in the Magic Bullet cup with the almond milk and the cocoa powder. Make sure you put in the cocoa powder last so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Blend for about one minute, or until the mixture is smooth (check for lumps of banana with a spoon).

Stick a straw in it, and you’re good to go!

VARIATIONS:

If you like a smoother shake, add a little more almond milk.
If you like a thick shake, use less almond milk.
If you’re not a chocoholic like me, you can half the cocoa powder or substitute a small amount of vanilla extract (at your own risk!).
If you don’t like bananas, try another frozen fruit like strawberries. It’s also really easy to buy bags of pre-frozen berries in the grocery store, which last forever in your freezer.

Trashy Mac and Cheese

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:31:00 -0400

WARNING: This recipe looks way more complicated than it is—trust me.

Okay, so, if you’re a former-cheese lover like me, you already know that it’s incredibly annoying to try to find vegan mac and cheese recipes online or in vegan cookbooks. Most of these recipes are super-involved and expect you to create your own time-consuming, custom cheese sauce using a messy food processor and a variety of expensive and hard-to-find ingredients. They also typically use nutritional yeast as the primary flavor ingredient, and there are people out there who hate the taste of the stuff. (Personally, I don’t mind nutritional yeast, and I use it from time to time, but my partner W *hates* it, and so does my mom, so I get it.) This is not to mention that nutritional yeast, I’m pretty sure, doesn’t taste much like actual cheese. So what’s the point?

So here is my “trashy” version of the recipe, which doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel, but basically adapts a classic mac and cheese recipe to incorporate a vegan cheese alternative rather than trying to make something taste like cheese from scratch.

Without further adieu, Trashy Mac:

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
BAKING TIME: 30 minutes
FEEDS: An army! So cut in half if you’re so inclined.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 pound of macaroni (I often use plain old grocery store brand pasta to save money, but if you insist on using something different because you’re a classy kind of trashy, the best alternative I’ve ever found is Tinkyada brown rice pasta, and if you’re a Missourian like me, you can get the stuff pretty cheap at our favorite employee-owned local grocery store, Hy-Vee.)
1/2 cup of vegan margarine
1 white or yellow onion
3 cloves garlic (I use 3 because I looove garlic, but if you’re iffy, or if you’re one of those freaks who smells when they eat garlic, use less or omit the garlic.)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp paprika
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond/soy milk (unsweetened Almond Breeze works great)
1 cup soy creamer or another cup of almond/soy milk if you don’t have creamer (it’ll be okay!)
3-4 cups of your favorite vegan mozzarella cheese alternative, grated. (I recommend Vegan Gourmet or Teese. Cheddar flavor is tempting, but trust me, it gets easily overwhelming! Go for the mild flavor of mozzarella. You can also try half and half cheddar and mozzarella if you really love that smoky-salty flavor.)
Dash of cayenne or hot sauce
Black pepper to taste
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained (or use a can of whole tomatoes if that’s what you have lying around and just slice them)
A 9x13” baking dish or equivalent

STEPS:

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
Prepare the macaroni. Don’t salt the water because this recipe doesn’t need any extra salt—trust me! Whenever it’s done, drain it and set aside.
While the macaroni is boiling, chop the onion and garlic.
Melt the margarine in a large pot.
Add the onions and garlic to the margarine and cook over medium-high heat until the onions get soft, about 5 minutes.
While the onions are frying up, mix together the flour, dry mustard, and paprika.
When the onions are soft, add the flour mixture and stir around until there are no dry lumps.
Add the milk/creamer to the mix and stir with a whisk until everything thickens up, another 3 minutes or so.
Once the mixture is thickened, throw in your vegan cheese, reserving just a handful for later. Stir in the cheese, and when everything is melted, your cheese sauce is done.
Taste your cheese sauce and add cayenne, black pepper, and/or hot sauce to the mixture to get it how you like it. I usually just throw in about 1/8 tsp of cayenne OR a few squirts of Frank’s hot sauce and then also use about 1/4 tsp of black cracked pepper.)
When you’re satisfied with your cheese, add your drained macaroni to the pot and stir it all together, covering the pasta with cheese sauce.
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and add the can of tomatoes on top. Then sprinkle with that extra handful of cheese.

Throw that baby in the oven for a half an hour, and voila, you’re in business. I recommend serving the vegan mac and cheese with a rich and savory green veggie like spinach or kale.