Vegan Guacamole (Knock-offamole) Quesadillas

Yield: 4 quesadillas

I call my vegan quacamole “Knock-offamole” because it doesn’t contain avocados, not because they aren’t vegan, but because I’m either allergic to them or have developed a food sensitivity. It’s a darn shame, too, because I loved Mom’s “guac” as a kid.

My version, made with creamy fresh green peas, wouldn’t necessarily fool anyone, except in appearance, but it sure is good. And it is perfect in a quesadilla. There is something about the cool, tart and creamy filling contrasted with the crisp buttery tortillas that is perfection on a plate.

4-8 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1 recipe (approximately 2 cups) Vegan Guacamole (“Knock-Offamole”)
8-8 inch flour tortillas (whole wheat would probably be good, but I haven’t tried them in this recipe)
Garnish: vegan sour cream, grape tomato quarters, lime wedges, and/or fresh cilantro sprigs

Preheat oven to warm. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat a tablespoon or 2 of vegan butter. Spread 4 of the tortillas with about 1/2 cup of the Vegan Guacamole, stopping about 1/2-inch away from the edge. Top each with another tortilla and press gently. Filling should come almost to the edge. Saute quesadillas, one at a time, until golden on the first side, then flip and do the same on the revers. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until all of the quesadillas are made. Slice in half and overlap, cut in quarters, or leave whole and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, grape tomato quarters, lime wedges, and/or fresh cilantro sprigs.

Vegan Southwestern Ground "Beef" and Corn Quiche with Vegan Press-In Chili-Cornmeal Crust

Yield: one 8 or 9-inch quiche or four 4-inch tartlets (this recipe easy doubles and can be baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan, but adjust the baking time as the batter will be deeper and, hence, need a few extra minutes)

This rustic, but pretty, crowd-pleasing iteration of my go-to quiche is one of those “endless guises” I referred to when I posted the quiche recipe. This one is heartier because of the vegan ground beef, but it lacks greens, so be sure to serve some on the side. Expect this dish to pull a major disappearing act!

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

Vegan Enchiladas with Vegan Fat-Free Spinach-Three Bean Filling and Vegan Queso con Carne Sauce

Yield: Variable

Following the Super Bowl, if you have any leftovers of my Vegan Fat-Free Spinach-Three Bean Dip and my Vegan Queso con Carne Dip, here’s a really tasty and satisfying meal you can whip together in a flash. Note that while they look more like burritos, since they are “sauced,” I’m calling them enchiladas but I hope you’ll call them “dinner”:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a baking dish. Spoon abut 1/4-1/3 cup of the Spinach-Bean Dip into an elongated mound in the center of a tortilla (I used spinach wraps), fold one side over, fold in the ends and roll up, placing seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until you’ve used up the dip or made the amount of enchiladas you need. Then smother them with the Queso con Carne Dip, making sure to cover the enchiladas completely. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and slightly “set.” Serve with vegan sour cream and, if desired, fresh cilantro.

Vegan Grits and Black Bean Cakes with Salsa Verde

Yield: 8 appetizer servings of 1 small cake per person, or 4 main dish servings of 1 large or 2 small cakes per person

At a restaurant recently, my friend Katherine ordered grit cakes over greens. The greens were exceptional, but I had to also have a tiny taste of one of the cakes as “research.” They were very creamy–loaded with cheese–with a crispy exterior, but not particularly flavorful. Still, that did it: I had a craving for vegan grit cakes and a mission to make them tastier.

Not long after, I read a recipe for mashed plantains and, suddenly, I knew that my next experiment would be grit and black bean cakes with mashed plantains. I made a mess out of the latter, turning them into tough little pieces of leather–dog chews–because I roasted them too high and too long. I’ll post my tasty redux soon. But, in the meantime, I wanted to post the cakes, as they are sensational. Pressing panko bread crumbs directly into the cakes–how did we function previously without these crispiest of crumbs?–gives them a beautifully crunchy crust without any other binder or batter.

Grits are often served with greens, so I wanted to create a twist; hence, the green salsa. It could scarcely be fresher, healthier or more perfectly married to the cakes. Both the cakes and the sauce took quite a bit of tinkering to get the flavor and balance just right, but I loved the result and trust you will too. They’re best served immediately after making, but would probably reheat well in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes. Heating them in the microwave renders them a little soft, but certainly still edible.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup peeled and diced onion (I used red onion)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
pinch salt
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 can black beans, rinsed, drained and coarsely mashed with a potato masher (not a food processor)
1 cup panko bread crumbs placed into a shallow bowl
canola oil (1/4″ deep in a large cast iron skillet)
Salsa Verde (below)
Recommended Garnishes: chopped fresh tomato, a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprig of fresh cilantro for each serving

In a medium saucepan over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Add onion and garlic and saute until very soft and starting to turn golden. Add water and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in grits and next 5 ingredients and simmer, stirring very frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until water is evaporated and grits no longer taste raw. Remove from heat and spoon into a bowl. Stir in mashed beans until well incorporated. Cool to room temperature or ever-so-slightly warmer. The cakes are especially easy to handle if you make the smaller version as described below, though I made the larger ones for the photo and they handled beautifully. (Note: I haven’t tried chilling the mixture. I’m not sure if the cakes would get warm enough in the center, but try it if you like and let me know how it works.) While mixture cools make Salsa Verde (below).

When ready to saute the cakes, heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Meanwhile, shape cakes using either one or two scant ice cream scoops of the grits and black bean mixture per cake. Shape each cake into a patty in your palm and then dredge in panko bread crumbs, carefully turning to coat both sides. Place into oil and cook 2-3 minutes per side. Remove cakes to a paper towel-lined plate or tray to absorb any excess oil. Keep warm in oven while you cook the remaining cakes. If cooking the cakes in batches, use a spatula to try to remove any bread crumbs from the oil in the skillet, as they are likely to burn if allowed to remain in the oil during the cooking of more than one batch. Serve warm with Salsa Verde and garnish as desired.

Salsa Verde:

3 large tomatillos halved, papery skin removed (slightly larger than a golf ball; if tomatillos aren’t available, use a medium green tomato)
.66 ounce package fresh cilantro, stems and all
3 ounces fresh baby spinach
Optional: a tiny bit of a hot green chili (seeds and membrane removed)
1 large shallot, peeled and halved (about the size of a golf ball)
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon or 1/2 of one extra-large cube
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (Ancho is particularly good)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
zest of one half of a lime
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Heat gently in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for a couple of minutes.

Vegan Spinach, Mushroom and Red Bell Pepper Tamales

Yield: 14 tamales

Everyone loves to open a package, especially an edible one. Tamales are some of the tastiest—and easiest —savory packages to prepare. If you can tie a knot, you can make a tamale.

Heretofore, daunted by what seemed like too much work with an uncertain outcome, specialty ingredients, and the astounding amount of shortening recommended for the masa dough, I was recently encouraged to give tamales a try by an article in Food Network Magazine. In it, culinary star Ingrid Hoffmann shared her recipe for shortening-free tamales in which the dough and filling ingredients are combined instead of layered with moisture provided by prepared green salsa. Rather than masa, her recipe calls for ordinary self-rising cornmeal mix and she even demonstrated how tamales can be made in tin foil if corn husks aren’t available.

Though Hoffman’s Caribbean-inspired version sounded delicious, I sought a meat-and-cheese-free version with more traditional southwestern flavors, even if the approach was not completely authentic. After one dense, dry, flavorless flop, I conducted a little more research and a little more brainstorming, ultimately creating these moist bundles, bursting with flavor, color and nutrition from lots of vegetables, including cream-style corn for extra moistness, salsa and spices. A duet of ultra-simple sauces plus a sprig of cilantro crowns the tamales in the colors of the Mexican flag.

Approximately 20 corn husks (as some may split), available at local tiendas or Hispanic markets (or 14-6×8-inch squares of foil)
2 tablespoons corn, canola or olive oil
1 cup medium-fine diced yellow onion (approximately one medium onion)
1 cup medium-fine diced red pepper (approximately one medium pepper)
2 cloves garlic
8 ounces white or portabella mushrooms, wiped clean, and chopped very fine in food processor
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
6 ounces ready-to-eat baby spinach, chopped very fine in 3 batches in food processor
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Zest of one medium-large lime (save skinless lime for white sauce)
1-14.5 ounce can cream-style corn
½ cup prepared mild green salsa (salsa verde)
Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (imparts a subtle “cheesy” flavor and a nutritional boost; available at health food and organic food stores; if omitted, you may need to add 2 additional
tablespoons cornmeal mix)
1/1/3 cup yellow self-rising cornmeal mix

Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water and separate husks into bowl, submerging them with a plate. Allow to soften for 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and starting to turn golden. Add garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and spices, and sauté, stirring frequently, for a few minutes or until garlic and mushrooms are softened and starting to break down. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients, except cornmeal mix. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Then stir in cornmeal mix until well-combined. (The latter is not very tasty raw.) The consistency should be similar to a juicy brownie batter. Tear 3-4 of the corn husks into 1/4-inch wide strips and double-knot two strips together, overlapping ends by about 1 ½ inches. Set aside. Working with one corn husk at a time, remove it from the water onto a kitchen towel, wide end up. Spoon approximately 3 tablespoons of filling (4 for really large husks) into a 1½ x 4” long log-shape in the center of the husk, starting about ¼-inch from top edge and stopping about 2/3 of the way down. Fold one side of husk snugly over filling, and repeat with the other side. Hold husk in place while you fold the bottom third up. Still holding husk to prevent it opening, slip a knotted strip under the tamale, bring ends of strip up and over the front of the tamale and double-knot to hold folded end in place. Set aside, slightly propped up if necessary to prevent filling from spilling out. (Use the same procedure if using foil, but skip the tying step.) Repeat with remaining husks and filling. When about halfway through, fit a deep pot with a steamer, run water just to the underside of the steamer, cover tightly, and place over medium-high heat. When all tamales have been tied, remove pot lid carefully to allow steam to escape and place tamales into steamer as vertically as possible, leaning them against the sides of the pot and each other. Reduce heat to medium, replace lid and steam for 30-45 minutes or until just firm. Remove lid and use tongs to carefully remove tamales to a platter or plates. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving warm with sauces and fresh cilantro. Diners should remove ties, open husks, top as desired, and eat tamales while resting on husks, but they should not eat the husks themselves.

Red Sauce

½ cup prepared mild green salsa
2 Roma tomatoes, rinsed, dried and quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Process together in the bowl of a food processor until chunky-smooth. Pour into a small dish and pass for spooning over opened tamales. You may heat sauce if desired.

White Sauce
½ cup vegan sour cream (dairy sour cream may be substituted)
Juice of one medium-large lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together until well combined. Pass for dolloping on top of Red Sauce.

Garnish: whole or chopped fresh cilantro sprigs

Vegan Tortilla Spinach Soup

Recently, I was invited to be a guest blogger on vegcooking.com. It was thrilling to be included on one of my favorite vegan websites. Just follow the link at the bottom of this post to my recipe for Vegan Tortilla Spinach Soup which was a huge hit last week at my annual “Un-birthday Party.”

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

Vegan Fish Tacos

Yield: 4 Tacos

Few things suggest summer in warm coastal areas more than fish tacos. One bite and you can almost feel the ocean breezes. For the uninitiated, a fish taco consists of a crispy-chewy fried corn tortilla folded around beer-battered fish fillets, finely shredded cabbage and a creamy sauce redolent of capers and cumin. In my vegan version, “seafood” seitan replaces the fish. While seitan cannot be described as “white and flaky” like the cod typically used in fish tacos, when all of the other components meld together with the seitan, the result is just as tasty. Though traditional fish tacos are beer battered (as in this photo), if you prefer your fried foods breaded, I include directions for breading inspired by the way my parents fry fish (see photo in the subsequent post). They dip the fillets in yellow mustard and then in flour or cornmeal. (I use Panko bread crumbs for extra crispiness.) You can’t believe how juicy and flavorful the “fish” is without tasting like a hot dog. If you choose to batter your fillets, they will feel a little “sturdy” when you remove them from the oil. However, when you bite into them, they will taste light. Don’t be put off by what seems like long instructions. These tacos are really very simple and quick once the seitan is cooked, despite the number of steps.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

Vegan "Cheese," Caramelized Onion and Fresh Spinach Quesadillas

Yield: approximately 2 1/2 cups of “cheese” spread

This recipe is a “two-fer,” as it includes both my white bean “cheese” and directions for making one of my favorite quesadillas.

Vegan block cheeses are available, but I’ve yet to find one I particularly care for other than a passable feta. So, thanks to inspiration from Jo Stepaniak’s The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with a variety of vegetables, beans, nutritional yeast, miso and other ingredients to create spreads that have a deep cheesy flavor, a nice consistency, and can often be substituted for grated block cheese. Because this particular one is made with beans, I like it especially well in quesadillas.






For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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