Post number 13 for VeganMoFo.
Hot chocolate is another one of things that I look forward to during Autumn. While it has been very warm during the days, the evenings have been cool. The colder air has put us in the mood for hot chocolate. My favorite element of our hot chocolate is the subtle undertone of heat. It is not very sweet and I have found that the beauty in this drink is the cocoa, vanilla, and cayenne. In playing with the recipe, I have learned the sweeter the drink, the less of the flavors that you taste. Have no fear, if you do not like spicy foods, you can leave out the cayenne.
So here is my take on hot chocolate.
Rich and Creamy Spiced Hot Chocolate
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c mimic creme (soy creamer would work here as well)
2 Tbsp vegan gluten free chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Mayan cocoa (includes cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. If you don't have this you could add in more cinnamon and cayenne pepper to your cocoa to taste.)
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Vegan marshmallows (Dandies or Sweet and Sara)
Place the almond milk and mimic creme into a small saucepan. Heat slowly on med-low heat. Add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Then add in the vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, and whisk vigorously until the cocoa dissolves. Add in the agave nectar and take a small taste to see if it is sweet enough to your liking. Don't forget that the sweeter you make it, the less you will taste the flavors.
When hot enough, pour into a mug and top with several vegan marshmallows. Enjoy your warm beverage!
Post number 12 for VeganMoFo.
John and I seriously heart tempeh reubens. Whenever they are on a menu, we order them. Once I see it, I cannot really eat anything else and I just want the reuban. After going gluten free, I thought I was going to jump for joy and hug the owner when a local vegan friendly restaurant carried gluten free and vegan tempeh ruebans. Luckily, I behaved myself. I truly enjoy the flavors, especially the sauerkraut! Those that know me, know that I am a lover all salty picked foods.
We usually make tempeh ruebens, but we decided to try it out with tofu this time. It just so happens that I had a gluten free vegan ryless rye bread from the Gluten Free Galley and I just had to have a rueban (don't forget that they have a vegan/gluten free box!)! The bakery really does a great job of getting that rye flavor while still having a gluten free bread (note that rye is not gluten free).
This sandwich did not disappoint. It was warm, delicious, and rye-like with the caraway seeds in the bread. We served it up with purple sweet potato fries, and a salad. The meal was so good and I had to walk away after one sandwich because I knew that I would be too full if I ate a second. Needless to say, I had delicious leftovers!
Tofu Ruebans (4 sandwiches)- 1 lb of tofu
- Braggs liquid aminos- spray bottle
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground pepper
- Olive oil spray or vegan butter
- Sauerkraut
- Thousand Island dressing- vegan/gf
- 8 slices of vegan cheese
- Gluten free bread
Drain the tofu and cut into slices. Spray a baking dish with olive oil spray and place the tofu slices in the dish. Spray the slices with about three squirts of the Braggs, sprinkle with a little garlic and onion powder, and pepper to taste. Flip the slices and repeat. Bake in the oven at 400 for about 10-15 minutes on each side until they get a bit crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat a flat skillet to medium and prepare your bread slices by spraying or buttering one side of each piece. Lay 4 of the pieces of bread on the skillet buttered side down. Spread a dab of the dressing, then the cheese, then the sauerkraut, then 2-3 slices of the tofu, then another dab of the dressing. Top off with a slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook for a couple of minutes and then flip. Cook on the other side a couple of minutes and remove from the skillet when the cheese has melted and the bread has browned to your liking. ENJOY!
Post number 11 for VeganMoFo.
As you know from my recent posts, we went to Asheville last weekend. One of our stops included a meal at Rosetta's Kitchen. We did not get pictures of our food because we were in a hurry to get on the road. I had a yummy Pad Thai bowl with peanut butter tofu and John had a plate with peanut butter tofu, mashed potatoes and gravy, and greens. His plate was not gluten free, so I could not try it. I was a bit disappointed that the dish was not gluten free, so when we got home I decided to try and make it myself. I have never tried it before, but I felt confident that I could replicate the meal and possibly even make it better!
So, I came up with a recipe for the a peanut butter tofu and got to work. The result was a delicious and hardy meal. John said that it was better than the one he ordered, but he was probably being nice. I only have mine to go off of and I loved it. I could not get enough of the peanut butter tofu! The greens and the mashed potatoes were awesome as well. It almost made me want to open a vegan and gluten free down home cooking restaurant. Almost.
Baked Peanut Butter Tofu
- 1 lb of tofu
- 1/4 c nutritional yeast (also known as nooch)
- 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter
- 3 tsp low sodium gluten free tamari
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water
Drain the tofu and wrap it in two paper towels. Place the wrapped tofu on a plate and top with a second plate. Use a weight to press down the plate and let the tofu sit for 15-20 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, make the sauce. Mix the peanut butter in a bowl and pour about 1/4 c of the warm water over the peanut butter. We use fresh ground, so it is a bit harder than the kind in a jar. Mix the two until creamy. Add in the tamari, rice vinegar, and agave. If the mixture is too thick, use more of the water. Set the sauce aside.
Preheat the oven to 420. Meanwhile, place the nooch on a plate. Unwrap the pressed tofu and cut it into about 1 inch cubes. Roll the cubes in the nooch and place them in a baking pan sprayed with olive oil spray. When they are all coated, place the tofu in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu and let it bake on the other side of 15 minutes. Then add the sauce making sure that each piece gets coated. Bake for another 15 minutes, turning once. The tofu will get a little crispy and smell wonderful! I cannot wait for the cold weather so I can have this meal again!
Sauteed Greens
- 1/2 c onion, chopped
- 1 bunch of swiss chard, leaves washed and chopped and stems set aside
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 clove of garlic
Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably an iron skillet. When hot, add the onion and red pepper flakes and saute' for 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute' for 3 minutes. While cooking, chop the stems small and add to the pan to saute' for an additional 3 minutes. When stems are tender, add in the chopped chard and cook until the leaves wilt. Serve hot.
Mashed Potatoes - 3 large potatoes
- 3 Tbsp soy sour cream
- 1 Tbsp Earth Balance (vegan butter)
- 1/4 or more nut or soy milk
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Wash the potatoes. Leaving the skin on, chop the potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a soup pot and cover with cold water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Allow the potatoes to cook, checking them for tenderness. When the potatoes are tender, turn off the burner, drain, and place back in the cooking pot. Place back on the burner, turned of. Add the non-dairy milk and Earth Balance and begin to mash. Add in the soy sour cream and powders and mash until you reach a desired creaminess. Serve this with your favorite vegan and gluten free gravy!
Post number 10 for VeganMoFo.
This is not another post about restaurants in Asheville...although I could continue to post about all of the lovely food. I think you get the point for now. John and I are home, settled in, and have gotten back into cooking. I enjoy eating out, but I prefer meals that we make. Maybe it is because I can always trust our kitchen the most.
We had some red wine in the refrigerator that had been used for cooking and for an occasional glass by John, so I thought I'd use it this week. One of my favorite sauce recipes uses roasted red peppers, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and wine. I had all of those ingredients and decided to whip up a sauce. The only trouble was that I thought I had the right kind of tomatoes and more wine. Needless to say, this recipe did not come out as good as it normally does. We also had some elephant garlic and a mega shallot. Usually we have smaller garlic cloves and shallots.
Needless to say, I am going to post the recipe the way I usually make and love this dish. Keep in mind that the pictures mirror the what I made this week (with the mega garlic and shallots, less wine, and the wrong kind of tomatoes). Normally, the sauce would be smoother and there would be more of it. I served the sauce over gluten free pasta, with a slice of gluten free/vegan garlic bread, and a spinach salad with turnips and carrots.
Roasted Red Pepper and Wine Sauce
- 2 tsp of olive oil or olive oil spray
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped small
- Small hot pepper, seeds removed and chopped small*
- 8-12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, chopped fine
- 1/2 to 1 cup red wine
- 8 oz of crushed tomatoes, no salt added
- 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
- pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil. Saute' the shallots, garlic, and hot pepper in a skillet until the shallots are translucent. Add the roasted red pepper and cook for a few minutes. Then add the wine and crushed tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Season with pepper and the herbs and cook a few minutes longer. Serve over gluten free pasta.
*If you do not prefer spicy foods, then leave this ingredient out
Post number 9 for VeganMoFo.
Every visit that I have ever had to Asheville has included a trip to Laughing Seed Cafe'. It was among the first all vegetarian restaurants that I had visited. From the first bite, it didn't disappoint. There is usually a wait to be seated, so I'd say they are a pretty popular place. In thinking back through all of the meals I have had, I cannot think of a time where I disliked my food. In fact, I can only remember loving it!
This particular visit was no different and we had a delicious meal. My only complaint is that they have a couple of items marked on their menu as gluten free that are not acceptable for those with Celiac Disease. I plan on sending them a friendly email to inform them of this so that none of their gluten free patrons get sick.
Now that is out of the way.....our meal this past weekend was awesome! John ordered a local beer and I ordered a juice for our drink. The cafe' had several appetizer specials and we ordered the sushi fresh vegetables. With the sushi, they served a homemade pickled ginger. John and I both agreed that it was the best pickled ginger we had ever consumed. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Unfortunately, we forgot to get a picture of the sushi before we started chowing down.
For our entrees, we ordered the Sloppy Jo which is a sweet and tangy tofu bbq with a tahini mustard sauce. They put the sourdough roll on the side for John and served it with a salad, pickle, and tortilla chips. We also ordered the Shiitake Corn Cakes which are made of organic potato, shiitake mushrooms, corn, and cashews served on a bed of greens with a basil-vinaigrette, hericots verts (green beans), and toasted almonds. This is all topped with their smokey tomato jam and cashew cream.
We had not ordered in the past and our conclusion was that we would order them again. We loved them! I especially enjoyed the corn cakes with the cashew cream and vinaigrette. And I can't forget the toasted almonds. I think I could eat their cashew cream every day! John's favorite was the Sloppy Jo. He liked the tangy bbq flavor and the heartiness of the Jo.
I can hardly wait until our next visit to Laughing Seed!
Post number 8 for VeganMoFo.
Our weekend trips to Asheville are always focused on fitting in as many vegan/vegetarian restaurants as we can during our stay. The city has an abundance of all vegetarian restaurants and even if we ran out of options, many of the omnivore restaurants have vegan options. I am continuously amazed walking around the city and seeing so many restaurant boards that will have *vegan* highlighted.
In an effort to eat in as many of the vegetarian restaurants as we could, we prioritized the places we wanted to visit and it just so happened that we had to miss out on some places. High up in our priority list was Firestorm Cafe' & Books. The fare is mostly vegan with the only non-vegan option on the menu as a dairy milk creamer. Everything else is cruelty-free! They also can serve most of their menu gluten free because they make their own gluten free bread in-house. Yum!
The cafe' carries ome gluten free desserts and we ordered several of those. Oddly enough, we forgot to take pictures of them. Instead they were devoured! We ordered a blondie with chocolate chips and a blueberry coffee cake. They were just heavenly!
As for the meal, we ordered two sandwiches and split. We had the TLT- Tempeh, Lettuce & Tomato and vegan mayonnaise served with salt and pepper chips and the Maple BBQ made up of maple baked tofu, spinach, red onion served with a small salad with Goddess dressing.
They were both scrumptious, just like the menu said they would be! It is hard to say which one I liked more. I love a TLT and I also like baked tofu. The sandwiches were too different to compare. My recommendation would be to order both of them during your visit.
Post number 7 for VeganMoFo.
John and I decided to have a weekend away in Asheville, NC. We found a green B&B that understood vegan/gluten free food and was close to downtown. We booked a room and headed to Asheville on Friday morning. We took our time and left later in the morning. We were not in any hurry to rush. It was our weekend and we wanted to relax. Our first meal in Asheville was dinner on Friday night and we decided that it was time to try Plant, the new vegan restaurant that opened in Asheville in late summer. I had contacted the restaurant in advance and learned that many of their dishes were gluten free. With that confirmation, we were off to have a nice, relaxing evening of delicious cruelty-free fare. I could hardly wait!
The restaurant was easy to find and had a nice modern decor inside. The kitchen was open, so you could see the chefs working tirelessly on their vegan creations. Every seat in the restaurant was taken. We arrived right before the rush and avoided waiting, but I'd recommend reservations in the future. The hostess seated us and provided us with a one page menu and a corresponding drink list.
Now it was on to the good part- VEGAN FOOD! John ordered a local beer and I ordered an iced mint tea. As a starter we ordered the cheese plate. It was composed of the homemade almond cheese with herbs sprinkled on top served with black garlic oil and vinegar, apples, olives, pea shoots (or some kind of small green), and shredded carrots. We were both impressed by the cheese plate. The almond cheese was soft and spreadable. It was delicious on the apple or eaten with the olives. The cheese is versatile enough to be eaten with a sweet or savory accompaniment.
For dinner I ordered the black pepper tofu which came with a jasmine rice and kaffir lime cake and a saute' of zucchini, and exotic mushrooms with spinach on top. I do not know the name of the mushrooms, but I had never had them before. To date they are my favorite mushroom. They had a nice chewy texture and a smooth flavor that is hard to describe. I asked the waitress the name and of course forgot it since. The rice cake was crispy and flavorful and I could have eaten a dozen of them. Luckily, they only put three on my plate!
John had the sweet corn risotto. It was a grilled tempeh with a green chili cream sauce, and a zucchini, cremini, red pepper, and okra mixture (which they called risotto) with spinach on top. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors in his dish. The creme sauce was rich, yet not over powering. It worked well with the "risotto" mixture. He absolutely loved it and wished he had had a full other plate of the delicious entree. I wished the same for mine.
The portions were not large, but we left feeling satisfied and happy. We decided to pass on dessert as we had picked up raw, vegan, gluten free macaroons as the co-op that we wanted to try. We headed out to a local coffee shop and enjoyed a hot cup of apple cider and enjoyed our raw dessert.
The night was a delicious success. I will recommend Plant to vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. It is a place for anyone who would like a bit of upscale dining with a lot of flavor and creativity!
