August 21, 2020August 22, 2020 by betsy

Cuban-Asian Fusion Nachos + Hot Chili Oil Hack (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

These deliciously different–but not bizarre–nachos substitute plantains for corn chips and infuse the tasty black bean topping with a hint of coconut milk, orange, and spice from my new obsession: Sizchuan Hot Chili Oil. No one will judge if you drizzle more of the addicting oil over the top.

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1-15 ounce can seasoned vegan black beans, including juice

3 ears grilled corn, kernels cut from cob

1 cup lightly packed baby spinach or kale leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Sea salt to taste

1/4 to 1/3 coconut milk (I use lite, but regular is more flavorful)

1 generous tablespoon Sizchuan Hot Chili Oil, made with blood orange-infused olive oil (see my hack below)

2 servings packaged plantain chips

Toppings: white vegan cheese like mozarella, halved tri-color cherry tomatoes, vegan sour cream, minced cilantro

In large skillet over medium heat, dry saute onion, stirring frequently, until starting to soften and color. Add all remaining ingredients, except chips and toppings, and cook, continuing to stir frequently, until onion is softened, greens are wilted, mixture is heated through, and flavors are married. Divide chips between 2 plates, spoon half of bean mixture over each, top as desired, and serve immediately.

Note: After topping with cheese, you can run nachos under broiler or pop into mic for 30 seconds before adding remaining toppings.

Hot Chili Oil Hack

1-8 ounce jar Lao Gan Ma: Spicy Chili Crisp (I purchase at Kroger or online)

4 to 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and softened by heating for 30 seconds in microwave

1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil

1/4 cup blood orange-infused olive oil (or another 1/4 cup oil + zest of 1/2 large orange

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste

Decant Spicy Chili Crisp into a larger jar, stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and chill. Stir before using; heat if desired. Delicious on virtually everything savory.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegannachos #plantbasednachos #veganasianfusion #plantbasedasianfusion #vegancubanfusion #plantbasedcubanfusion

August 16, 2020August 16, 2020 by betsy

Thai Coconut Cauliflower Curry–Quick & Lite (vegan and plant-based)

Yield: 4 servings

Hot Chili Oil is my new obsession. I made this curry as light–and tasty–as possible so I can spoon more of the peanuts in hot chili oil on top.

The dish is a sweet-spicy-salty celebration, both creamy and crunchy.

16 ounces bagged cauliflower hash (Kroger) or riced cauliflower
1-20 ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice (not syrup; do not drain)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small chunks
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1-15.5 ounce can lite coconut milk (or regular for more flavor and fat)
2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce or more to taste (sold as vegetarian in Asian markets)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai red chili paste (e.g. Taste of Thai brand)
Sea salt to taste
Garnish: lightly roasted and salted peanuts heated with a generous amount of Hot Chili Oil to taste + fresh cilantro
Accompaniment: cucumber and onion salad (slice and combine vegetables with rice wine vinegar, sugar/granulated stevia blend/agave and sea salt to taste; I recommend red onion if available)

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, combine all ingredients except garnishrs and accompaniment. Heat over medium-high until simmering. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until vegetables are cooked through. Serve garnished with cilantro and peanuts in hot chili oil accompanied by cucumber and onion salad alongside.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganthaicauliflowercurry #plantbasedthaicauliflowercurry #veganthai #plantbasedthai

August 15, 2020 by betsy

Crispy Baked Cauliflower (with option to bathe in Hot Chili Oil) [Vegan & Plant-Based]

Yield:. 1 to 2 servings (depending on how hungry you are and whether you serve anything alongside)

1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used Walton Farms no-calorie)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Approximately 25 cauliflower florets

Hot Chili Oil (see back below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place mayonnaise in a shallow carton or bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients except cauliflower in a small deeper carton or bowl. Add cauliflower florets about three at a time to mayo and coat well using fingers. Drop into flour mixture, shake to coat, and place a couple inches apart on lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining florets. Bake 15 minutes, turn, and bake 15 more minutes. Serve with sauce of choice or, do as I do and dip each floret quickly into hot chili, place on serving plate, sprinkle with sliced green onion and peanuts and serve immediately with chopsticks.

Hot Chili Oil Hack: purchase a prepared product, but decant into a larger jar, and add lots more oil, 5 large cloves sliced garlic softened for 30 seconds in microwave, and salt to taste. I love a neutral oil, but, when I discovered I was out, I learned that blood orange-infused oil is absolutely lovely with the chilies.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegancrispybakedcauliflower #plantbasedcrispybakedcauliflower

July 12, 2020July 12, 2020 by betsy

Fried Wontons (vegan and plant-based)

This is less of a recipe and more of a mini advertisement for Nasoya brand wonton wrappers, which are vegan and available at mainstream grocery stores, and a method for using them. They are about 3-inches square, handle beautifully, taste delicious and have a lovely texture.

To make 2 appetizer servings of 3 each, or a total of 6, you only need about 3 tablespoons filling. For these I used mashed roasted butternut squash, sliced green onion, and just a drop of soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Go easy on the ginger as it easily overpowers.

Simply lay the wontons out flat on a plate or baking sheet, and wet all 4 edges of the first wonton wrapper by dipping your finger in a cup of water and running it around the edges. Place about 1 teaspoon filling in the center, bring corners together at the top, and pinch the 4 seams with dampened fingers to seal. Repeat until all filling is used.

Deep fry for about 1 1/2 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve with duck sauce.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganwontons #plantbasedwontons

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 by betsy

Chinese Black Bean Dip with Baked Wonton Chips (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

I love to eat like it’s happy hour even when it’s not. That is, I love appetizers. They are always the most enticing items on restaurant menus and, Even before the pandemic, I loved My own versions even more. The same goes for this brand new black bean dip with its Chinese flavors. It is sure to make any hour and every guest happy!

I recommend starting with the amounts of ingredients listed and then intensifying any of the flavors that you choose. Be careful with the ginger, as it can be overpowering and quite spicy.

1 15.5 ounce can unseasoned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 thinly sliced green onions, save a little for garnish

Garnish: 1 teaspoon Everything Bagel seasoning or white and black sesame seeds (Everything Bagel seasoning may seem out of place, but I love it because it contains sesame seeds along with dried garlic and onion)

Accompaniments:

Prepared vegan chili sauce and a few roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts

Baked Wonton Chips (recipe follows )

place everything except green onions, garnishes, and accompaniments in food processor and blend and tell smooth. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with reserved green onions and everything bagel seasoning. Serve with chili sauce for drizzling and Baked Wonton Chips for scooping.

Baked Wonton Chips

10 -3″ vegan wonton wrapper squares (I use Nasoya brand, halved diagonally)

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Place triangles of dough close together on baking sheet, spray very lightly with vegetable oil, and sprinkle with just the barest hint of sea salt. Bake for approximately 5 minutes or until golden.

#veganwontonchips #plantbasedwontonchips #veganchineseblackbeandip #plantbasedChineseblackbeandip #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

June 16, 2020June 16, 2020 by betsy

Won Ton Cups (vegan and plant-based)

I just discovered Nasoya brand vegan wonton wrappers in Harris Teeter! They are cut into perfect little squares that make the cutest cups for the Asian salad of your choice.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Layer 2 wonton wrappers on top of each other with one turned 45° to create eight points. Press into cups. Bake 10 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool.

#VeganWontonWrappers #veganwontoncups #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

January 13, 2019December 28, 2019 by betsy

The Jazzy Vegetarian’s Vegan Miso-Parsley Hummus

Yield: 4 servings

Laura Theodore, aka the Jazzy Vegetarian, is hitting all the high notes and winning awards and accolades in the process. From her latest vegan cookbook, to the Jazzy Vegetarian on public television, to her podcast radio show, to her pop-up restaurant, this vibrant recording artist never misses a beat. She is everywhere: from Netflix to CBS to HBO, just to mention a few forums where she has been featured.

Her recipes are simple and straightforward; the resulting dishes colorful and flavorful. In fact, I gifted good foodie friends with one of her cookbooks, Vegan-ease this Christmas. Like me, they like to use recipes as a starting point for their own iterations, and no better place to start than with Laura’s, though her recipes are perfectly balanced as is.

When her latest cookbook, Jazzy Vegetarian’s Deliciously Vegan hit the stands, I had promised to participate in a “blog tour,” but life got in the way. So, better late than never. Today, I finally had an opportunity to return the favor to this energetic and supportive member of the vegan community, for years ago, she interviewed me on the Jazzy Vegetarian Radio when my cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes was published.

Says Laura of her quick and easy recipe featured here, “Miso provides texture and taste to this hummus without adding any oil, keeping it a light and low-fat option for a satisfying snack.”

True confession, I added a tablespoon of oil because I love the mouthfeel of a hint of oil, but I also love Laura’s idea of using good ‘ole tap water for most of the moisture. Also, though I know the prevailing wisdom is to make a recipe as printed the first time and then adjust, I didn’t have any chickpeas on hand, it is pouring rain here, and I didn’t want to run into the grocery store. So, I made it with the edamame which I had in the fridge. Yum. And I used my food processor rather than blender.

Also, because my hummus was leaning in an Asian direction–and because I have been cooking and developing award-winning recipes for a very long time–I made a couple of other alterations: I added 2 large cloves of garlic, minced, and, over the top, I drizzled about a tablespoon of my Blooming Platter Mayo (basically, a white tangy “sauce”) and another of Asian Sweet Chili Sauce for color and zing. I think Laura would approve of my “jazzing up” my version just a little.

But, I guarantee that her unadulterated Miso-Parsley Hummus would be delicious as is:

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Chef’s Note: For a more lemony taste, add 1 more tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Add a bit more water, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 by betsy

Vegan Edamame Buddha Bowl (only 25O calories per huge serving)

Yield: 1 large serving; easily multiplies

Dinner on Friday night was delicious, nutritious, beautiful, and almost more than I could eat…but only 25O calories.

We had considered Chinese takeout, but I didn’t want to get back out after walking the dogs. So with Asian cuisine on my mind, I did a mental scan if what was in the fridge and created this satisfying and beautiful bowl.

Be sure to enjoy it with chopsticks; it is so much more fun that way.

1/2 cup shredded cabbage and carrot slaw mix (12.5 calories)

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup frozen, shelled edamane, thawed (110 calories)

1-8 ounce package Shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained (20 calories)

2 tablespoons vegan Fish Sauce (sold as vegetarian in Asian markets–20 calories)

1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Blooming Platter Mayo (20 calories)

2 tablespoons Asian Sweet Chili Sauce (60 calories)

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro + 1 spring for garnish

Barely cover the bottom of a large skillet with water. Saute cabbage and green onion, just until slightly tender, but still bright in color. Add edamame and do the same. Add all remaining ingredients in order and heat through, stirring until hot and well-combined. Serve immediately in a bowl garnished with a sprig of cilantro.

September 23, 2018September 30, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Edamame Hummus Taco

Such a tasty, satisfying lunch that needs no preamble:

Warm a taco shell (I like corn or a corn-flour combo);
Spread with 2 tablespoons edamame hummus;
Top with shredded cabbage;
Drizzle with vegan mayo (I love my 10-calorie/tablespoon Blooming Platter Mayo) whisked with soy sauce, Thai sweet chile sauce, and sriracha; and
Top with 2 carrot chips and 4 or 5 wasabi roasted almonds (I buy Kroger brand).

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn