January 6, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Smokey BBQ Chex Mix (Never fear, this addicting mix does NOT taste like BBQ potato chips!)

After creating my Vegan Asian Chex Mix (read: culinary cocaine–sorry!), I was on a roll!

If you’re interested in how this amalgamation came about, keep reading. If not, just skip straight to the addicting recipe below.

Scanning my spices for one that would be delicious but that I hadn’t seen used in a Chex Mix–which is not to say that it hasn’t been–I lit upon smoked paprika, an all-time favorite.

That led me in a BBQ direction (but not like BBQ potato chips of which I’m not fond). Not wanting the flavor profile to scream BBQ, I chose not to add any BBQ sauce to the melted butter, but I thought that maybe an ingredient used in BBQ sauce might be the ticket, deciding upon mustard as a nice substitute for the tanginess of Worcestershire Sauce, which is not vegna but is one of the traditional ingredients in the vintage Chex Mix recipes.

And that, in turn, led to Corn Chex because corn cakes are so delicious with all things BBQ. But I combined the Corn Chex with Rice Chex because, I don’t know, it sounded southern? Ditto the pecans. As for the Cheerios, I added them because they are a traditional part of the mix, so to speak, and a nice shape and flavor contrast.

And, finally, I decided to provide a little contrast to all of the tangy, salty deliciousness with just a hint of maple syrup because BBQ sauce often has a hint of sweetness for balance, and maple syrup is so delectable with corn cakes.

In my mind and mouth, it all ties together beautifully. See what you think…I ended up having to package it and give it as some belated New Year’s gifts today lest I founder myself. See this post for a pretty packaging idea.

6 ups Corn Chex

6 cups Rice Chex

2 cups Cheerios (not the whole grain variety which are fairly highly sweetened)

1 cup smoked almonds

1 cup lightly roasted and salted peanuts

1 1/2 cups lightly roasted and salted chashews

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

1 cup vegan butter, melted

2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos

1 teaspoon mustard (I used stone ground)

1 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (I use Lawry’s brand)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Optional: 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a large roasting pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients except maple syrup (avoid adding it during the baking period, as it will cause the mixture to burn because of the sugars). Drizzle evenly over dry mix and combine, using your hands, trying to coat every piece with the butter mixture. Place pan in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring really well from the sides and corners to the center, every 1o minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with maple syrup, and stir well to combine. To cool, spread mixture out in a thin layer on kitchen counter or baking sheets lined with paper towels or brown paper grocery bags. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers or in ziplock bags inside airtight containers for extra protection for about a week.

January 6, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Trade Council Announced

I receive lots of vegan–and other–news via email every week and ararely, if ever, share it here. But this press release was of particular interest to me and I thought, perhaps, you…

Formation of the Vegan Trade Council Announced

Group to Represent the Interests of the Vegan Product Industry

Washington, DC, January 5, 2015 – The formation of the Vegan Trade Council, an industry association to represent the interests of vegan product manufacturers, was announced today. Alan Nemeth, a professor of animal law at the American University Washington College of Law and the University School of Law is leading the formation of the trade group.

Nemeth said that the vegan industry is at the point in its maturity where it can join together in a trade association to provide assistance to members of the industry and to promote its products broadly, and that the establishment of a trade association for the vegan industry will provide further support to the growth and mainstream acceptance of vegan products, through both advocacy and public relations.

He stated, “The dairy, beef, pork, poultry, and seafood industries all have trade associations and high-powered lobbyists to represent their interests legally, legislatively, in the development of regulations, and in the promotion of their products in the press and in the marketplace. These trade associations are effective, because they represent the views and dollars of their entire respective industries. The vegan food industry currently has no such trade association and subsequently has no coordinated representation to help build public relations and promote plant-based interests nationwide. As such, the animal-based product industry has no vegan trade contemporary to argue the vegan industry’s positions with regard to issues such as public health, the environment, the Farm Bill, agricultural livestock, school lunches, dietary alternatives, and so on. It is time that the vegan industry gets a seat at the table.”

The recent legal issues faced by Field Roast and Hampton Creek further highlighted the need for an industry-wide organization to speak on behalf of an industry that is rapidly gaining traction. When Pinnacle Foods purchased Gardein, a maker of plant-based meat, poultry, and fish alternatives earlier this year, its CEO Bob Gamgort said, ” [w]e believe that plant-based protein is at the tipping point of becoming mainstream.” And as the industry grows, the importance of a trade association grows in tandem.

Outreach to the vegan community has begun as the Vegan Trade Council begins to build its membership and support base. The organization will be based in the Washington, DC area. The Council can be contacted through www.vegantradecouncil.com.

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 by betsy

Pringles Can Packaging–Perfect for Edible (Vegan) Gifts

I’m all about recycling, reusing, and reducing, so this idea of unknown origin–maybe Pinterest?–for packaging edible gifts really appealed to me. It’s ingenious!

Not much of a Pringles fan myself, I taught a student last year with an obsession. So, she would give me her cans when finished, which I would rinse before using, sometimes packaging food gifts inside food storage bags tucked into the cans or, in the case of cookies, just stacking them inside in a neat column.

In need of such a can this morning, I found that I had one left over which I used for the gift depicted here. Inside the wrapped Pringles can is Vegan Asian Chex Mix for Angela Phillips, one of the best yoga instructors around. But anything cylindrical will work, e.g. coffee cans or, what my husband and I seem to generate plenty of: cardboard oatmeal cartons and nut tins.

Be advised that, though scrapbooking paper seems ideal, it is not tall enough for a Pringles can. So, use wrapping paper or even a wallpaper scrap as I did here. To wrap, simply cut the length of paper you need (be sure to measure, as it takes more than you would think), secure one edge from top to bottom with cellphone tape, wrap the paper tightly around the can (I lay it down and roll it), and secure the opposite edge top to bottom with more tape.

Then decorate any way you like. Wrapping ribbon around the can would be the easiest, but the lids aren’t particularly attractive, so I tied a bow and then taped the ends on the underside of the lid. The bow is snugly secured when the lid is snapped onto the can.

The gift tag I made using card stock I had on hand–heavy weight scrapbooking paper actually does work well for this–and a bird template that I had cut to make bird ornaments. You simply trace, cut, punch a hole near the back of the neck, write your message on the reverse, and thread ribbon through to tie it on to your package.

Never again be left with only expensive “specialty store” options for edible gifts from your kitchen!

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Lemon Spice Bundt Cake

I don’t know about you, but I am still in gift-giving mode; just didn’t get it all done before the holidays due, in large part, to the passing of our dearly beloved Great Dane, Huff.

In fact, some of the important people who were still on my list were the docs and staff at Independence Veterinary Hospital. So, I woke up this morning and made this luscious Lemon Spice Bundt Cake whose batter is almost as delectable as the baked cake.

No sugar? No problem. I make this cake with molasses, maple syrup, and cola (choose an organic brand) for extra moisture and depth of flavor. Love the caramely-y hnotes of the cola.

If you don’t keep pumpkin pie spice on hand, which I do, as I think it’s balance of spices is hard to beat, just combine ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg to equal the amount of spice called for in the recipe, using more cinnamon and ginger than the other two.

My husband, who is not much of a sweet eater, thought it smelled heavenly lying in bed.

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I actually use white whole wheat)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (that sounds like alot, but this is a deeply spiced cake)

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon Five Spice Powder (for a hint more complexity of flavor)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup vegetable oil (a nuetrual flavored one, like canola)

1 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup cola (organic)

Zest of 1 large lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a bundt pan. (I use a non-stick bundt pan sprayed with nonstick spray and no flour. But if you are a “greased and floured” kind of baker, go right ahead. The ridges in my heart-shaped bundt pan make flouring a chore and it works fine without.) Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. make a well in the center and add all wet ingredients plus lemon zest. Whisk just until smooth. Transfer batter into prepared pan, gently smooth top, and bake in the center of oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely or serve slightly warm. Wrap well to store.

January 2, 2015January 7, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Asian Chex Mix

Somewhere, deep in south central MS, my mother is feeling a sharp pain in her side.

From her perspective, in matters as important as food, tradition should rarely be tampered with, and that includes her “Texas Trash,” aka Chex Mix. But, alas, her daughter is an endless culinary tinkerer and so, having had my annual fix of Mama and Papa’s vintage “Trash” over the Christmas holiday, I came home wanting to give some food gifts to my treasured local freelance clients and wanting just as much to try a new Chex Mix riff I’d been fantasizing about. Airplane travel lends itself to such ruminations.

Though there are some four or five bastardizations–to my mother’s way of thinking–on the back of the Rice Chex box, I had in mind an Asian-inspired version that would borrow the ground Nori sheets from my delectable Vegan Hurricane Popcorn with a Twist. Not knowing how the recipients would feel about seaweed in their Chex Mix, I went easy, creating just a subtle hint. But if a pronounced flavor is more to your liking, use an extra sheet–or two–of Nori.

Consider yourself warned: this stuff is habit-forming. Even my husband–who prides himself on not eating snack foods, yet his normal non-vegan diet is far from anything to brag about–loved it. And its addictive qualities cannot be traced to one ingredient; rather to the contrasts of textures and shapes and, most especially, to the way the seasoning seeps into and adheres to certain tidbits more than others–creating a buttery richness here and a tangy saltiness there–so that no two bites taste quite the same.

Note that, as with all baked goods, the cooling process is just as important as the baking itself, so be sure not to shortcut my quick and easy instructions.

Once cool, the mix can be beautifully stored for keeping or giving in cans–coffee, nut, Pringles, etc.–wrapped in decorative paper. For the uncoated cardboard-lined cans, like the Pringles ones that students give me, I like to place the mix in a resealable sandwich bag first. Actually, I do it for all for extra insurance.

Go ahead, just try and resist!

12 cups Rice Chex (1-12 ounce box)

2 cups Wheat Chex

5 cups “Sesame Nut Mix” (I use this Kroger brand mix of sesame sticks and roasted and salted peanuts and cashews; if your grocery store does not sell something similar, just combine roughly equal amounts of the three key ingredients; substitute crispy noodles from the Asian food aisle or even thin pretzel sticks of you can’t locate sesame sticks, and add a drop or two of sesame oil to the butter mixture if desired.)

1 cup vegan butter, melted (I use Earth Balance, but this is a good opportunity for me to tout my vegan friend and fellow blogger and cookbook author, Bryanna Clark Grogan’s, homemade palm oil-free “Buttah”)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (feel free to use a “lite” variety)

2 to 3 sheets Nori, one sheet at a time torn into small pieces and ground in a spice grinder until very fine, but not quite a powder)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

3/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (I use Lawry’s brand)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 3oo degrees. In a large roasting pan, combine cereal and sesame nut mix. Stir soy sauce, Nori, nutritional yeast, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional red pepper flakes into melted butter. Drizzle evenly over dry mix and combine, using your hands, trying to coat every piece with the butter mixture. Place pan in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring really well from the sides and corners to the center, every 1o minutes. To cool, spread mixture out in a thin layer on kitchen counter or baking sheets lined with paper towels or brown paper grocery bags. Cool completely. Store in airight containers or in ziplock bags inside airtight containers for extra protection for about a week.

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Chili–For Good Luck and Great Taste!

Happy New Year, all !

You still have time to shop for groceries and make this simple and simply delicious chili for dinner…and you’ll be glad you did.

When I was visiting my parents and sister in MS over Christmas, they were enjoying a batch of legendary chili shared with them by our longtime family friend, Anne Crumbley.

The base looked delicious–a little less “tomato-y” than some–so, though it was made with meat, I sampled just a little of the base and knew I had to have the recipe, which my mother happened to own in her impressive files.

The secret ingredient? Picante sauce! My secret ingredient for even more mellowness? Tofutti cream cheese! But, you can omit if you prefer.

Yesterday, for my New Year’s Eve post, I shared some of my black eyed pea favorites from the past, but I wanted a new black eyed pea recipe–not to mention lunch–to celebrate 2015. Considering lots of options, from some kind of fritter to gumbo to black eyed pea sausage–all of which I still want to try–it suddenly occurred to me that I could substitute black eyed peas for Ann’s black beans. Holy Moly!

I tweaked her recipe only slightly in order to add a bit more “umami” depth and richness since I would most certainly not be using meat, and I hope you love the results as much as I do.

Top your chili with whatever you choose. I like sour cream and sliced scallions; but Ann also recommends Fritos. I cannot be trusted with an open bag of those, so I never buy them. But if you can, more (will)power to you!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

Sea salt

2 large cloves minced garlic

12 ounces soy crumbles, tempeh, or your favorite ground “round” substitute (tempeh is typically sold in 8 ounce packages so use 1 or 2 for 8 or 16 ounces; don’t feel you need to split a package)

1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika (or chili powder; Ann’s recipe calls for the latter, but I was out of it

and I loved the smoked paprika)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

1 teaspoon Liquid Aminos

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked black eyed peas ( 1 used frozen, thawed, but you can substitute an approximate 15 ounce can, rinsed and drained, or beans cooked from the dried state)

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup picante sauce (I used Pace brand)

Optional but recommended: 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)

Recommended toppings: vegan sour cream (I use Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream), sliced scallions, sliced black olives, roasted pumpkin seeds, sliced jalapenos, etc.

In a large heavy pot (like a Dutch oven) or even a wok, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue sauteing, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add soy crumbles, smoked paprika nutritional yeast, cumin, oregano, sugar, Liquid Aminos, and pepper, and cook, breaking up crumbles, until heated through and all ingredients are well combined. Add black eyed peas and heat through, stirring frequently. Then add broth and picante sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing heat as necessary to insure that chili does not stick on the bottom. During the last 2 minutes, melt in the vegan cream cheese. Serve chili in mugs or bowls, topped as desired or allow guests to top their own from a toppings bar.

December 31, 2014January 3, 2015 by betsy

New Year’s (Vegan) Blackeyed Peas Three Ways–A Trifecta of Flavor!

There’s nothing wrong with a big pot of–if you’ll pardon the pun–garden variety black-eyed peas, or Hoppin’ John, for that matter. Tried and true.

But if you’re looking for something a little different to do with your blackeyed peas, making them into more of a meal, try this trifecta of flavor from The Blooming Platter, all of which elevate the humble pea to a glorious meal.

First up is a whimsical vegan take on crabcakes and tartar sauce from my Blooming Platter Cookbook, generously published by One Green Planet. It hardly gets more festive or tasty than this. Look at all of that red and green yumminess!: Vegan Black-eyed Pea and Spinach Cakes with Sun Dried Tomato Tartar Sauce.

Next up is a little kicked up southern comfort and colorful whole grain extravaganza including good luck and good-for-you greens: Vegan Blackeyed Pea Pilaf Over Collards with Green Tomato Salsa and Roasted Pecans.

Finally is another “southern” dish–southern Indian! The title is a mouthful, so to speak, but I wanted to reference all of the ingredients that make this dish addicting: Vegan “Southern” Indian Cilantro-Scented Cardamom-Coconut Cream Blackeyed Peas, Peppers & Spinach.

Happy New Year!

December 24, 2014December 30, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Corn Maque-Choux

Having stayed in the New Orleans French Quarter with my family over Thanksgiving, I returned home with Corn Maque-Choux on my mind. None of the versions that tempted me on menus there were vegan, so I was obsessed with giving it a try in my own kitchen.

Though corn is quite the summer vegetable, I was craving this Cajun mainstay, so I used frozen corn, and it was delish. Many versions of this recipe abound so, after consulting several, I just started cooking from memory.

I rather like my take on this standard: slightly spicy from dried pepper flakes and a hint of smoked paprika, in addition to the requisite fresh thyme. Plus, with it’s flecks of red bell pepper and green onion, it looks very festive for the holidays.

Plannig to make it a while ago–but becoming sidetracked–and having already purchased the produce, I realized I still had it on hand, yet I am heading out of town on Monday. So, I had to use it up and, in a flash, realized that the Maque-Choux packaged in small glass canning jars that I happened to have would make a very festive food gift for guests at a luncheon I was privileged to attend at noon. (Stay tuned for recipes from close friend Trish Pfeifer’s inspired meal.) So, I went into high gear, also making a Vegan Fresh Fennel and Cranberry Chutney and bird ornaments from recycled Kleenex boxes–tucking all three with alittle tissue inside holiday gift bags–before going to yoga at 9:30 (okay, I was late: 9:40!). Thank goodness Minnie wakes me up early!

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bell peppers, diced (I used a red and an orange, but both red or 1 red and 1 green is nice too)

Sea salt

4 celery hearts, diced

6 green onions, sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

2-12 ounce packages frozen corn (about 5 1/3 cups)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plain coconut creamer

1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring occastionally, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add celery, and do the same. Stir in green onions and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, for another minute or two. Add corn and cook, still stirring occasionally, until defrosted and heated through. Sprinkle with pepper, smoked paprika, dried pepper flakes and flour, and stir to combine. Drizzle creamer and soymilk over the top and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until flour no longer tastes raw and mixture is thickened. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve or spoon into an airtight container(s) and refrigerate.

December 22, 2014December 21, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fennel and Cranberry Chutney

Today, I woke up and suddenly realized that–having been preocupied for the last week–I had a little leftover fresh produce in the fridge, but I’m headed out of town for a week, and it would spoil before I returned.

Invited to a Christmas luncheon at noon, I decided to whip together a couple of things to give as gifts to the other guests. Fortunately, I had a set of 4 ounce canning jars that were perfect filled with the chutney, tucked into small gift bags with an additional jar of Vegan Corn Maque-Choux, a little tissue, and simple little bird ornaments that I also whipped together using recycled Kleenex boxes with beautiful patterns.

It was a busy morning, as I still got to yoga at 9:30 (well, 9:40!), and to the lovely luncheon at the home of close friend, Trish Pfeifer! (Stay tuned for some of her delcious recipes!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 cups diced fresh fennel (1 bulb + a little bit of the stalks)

Sea Salt

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)

In a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, fennel, and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 mintues or until softened. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add cranberriesa and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add water and vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until most of moisture is evaporated, or about 10 minutes, lowering heat if necessary. Stir in wine, and let simmer, still stirring frequently, for anoter 10 minutes or until thick and pulpy. Adjust salt, sugar or vinegar if desired. Remove from heat, let cool, place into an airtight containers(s), and tie with ribbon and a star anise, if desired.

December 21, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Spiced Cranberry-Orange Tarts in Phyllo Shells

My dear artist friend, Sheila Giolitti’s, cranberry tarts were delicious at an intimate Christmas luncheon I was privileged to attend yesterday. Try these festive two-bite desserts at home: the filling was basically homemade cranberry sauce–just use the recipe on the back of the bag of cranberries–with orange zest and spices–use ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves or whatever you liked–spooned into purchased and baked phyllo shells (buy them frozen; most brands are vegan, but check the ingredients). Flaked coconut was the perfect snowy topping.