National Sandwich Month...LETS EAT!!!

National sandwich month...who knew! I must say, I'm usually up to date on all of the latest food trends, hiccups, and fades, but this one has eluded me. Who doesn't love a good sandwich? Once the bee was put into my bonnet over the whole sandwich hoopla, I sat down in front of HAL [the family computer], and did a little searching. To my surprise I was over joyed to see so many selection of vegan sandwiches to choose from. What I didn't enjoy, was the abundance of meat analogs. "Chicken" tacos, "pastrami" on rye, oh and my favorite so far, "lobster roll". Are you kidding me? At last count, there are 12,000 edible plants available for human consumption. 12,000!! Before you get your girdle in a twist, not all 12,000 are available at your local green grocer, but if you think outside the box, you can really take it to the next level.

A good example of this is fellow blogger Vegan Soul Power; she has a pretty good list of basic vegan sandwiches. I'm not here to promote others but promote the idea of opening up the pantry and opening up your palate.

In my search, I came across this wonderful Indian recipe for flat bread. It's quick simple and is absolutely amazing grilled. 4 simple ingredients that take no more than 15 minutes to put together and less time to cook. Much like an artist needs to prepare there canvas to display their masterpiece, this is a wonderful starting point to take sandwich making to the next level.

Indian Flatbread

2 cups unbleached flour [not self rising]

1/2 cup chapatti flour [*fine ground wholewheat flour available in Indian or ethnic grocery stores]

2 2/3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil [neutral flavored oil]

1 cup warm [not hot] water

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl sift together dry ingredients. Mix in vegetable oil, until completely combined with the flour. Slowly add water, stirring the entire time until the dough begins to come together. [add more water if the dough seems dry] Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic [in other words, if you push on it, it bounces back]. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes or up to 4 hours. When you're ready to use, roll the dough into a log and cut into 8 uniform piece. One by one, roll each piece into a 6 inch round as thin as possible. Brush lightly with oil and set each aside. Using a cast iron or non stick skillet placed over medium high heat, place dough in skillet and cook until the bread puffs. Turn and cool 2 minutes longer until bread develops golden brown dimple. Remove from the pan and place in a clean towel to keep warm. Continue to cool the remaining flat breads and enjoy!

{psst...you can grill this bread was well, but be sure to keep close watch, it cooks very quickly}

You've got your canvas, now what can you do with it? Here are a few ideas.

Quick and easy:

Garden of Good and Evil

3 c Romaine lettuce shredded

3 ripe Roma tomatoes chopped

1 large shredded carrot

1 medium sliced cucumber

1/3 c thinly sliced red onion

2 large avocado sliced

1/2 Vegan mayo + 1 serrano chili finely chopped,

1/4 c finely chopped cilantro leaves

Toss the lettuce tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, onions together and set aside. In a small bowl whisk mayo, serrano chili and cilantro together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss dressing with lettuce and tomato mixture and divide among 4 flat breads, top with sliced avocado and enjoy!

Slow ya roll:

Kofta Balls with Creamy Curry sauce

8 oz tempeh, steamed and shredded [you can also substitute finely chopped mushrooms as well]

1 potato diced, boiled cooled

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 carrot grated

1 small red pepper finely chopped

1 1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic chopped

1/4 cup green onion chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander [powdered]

1 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper [more if you like]

Oil for frying

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to incorporate potatoes, this gives the kofta its binding power along with flour. Adjust flour as needed, add enough to bind the balls. Roll into 1 inch balls and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let kofta drain on wire rack.

Curry Sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 jalapeno pepper minced

1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp cashew cream [vegan cream substitute]

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup unsweetened vegan yogurt [coconut, soy, almond]

1 tsp tumeric

1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

In a medium sized sauce pan, heat vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until the onions become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add ginger and jalapeno pepper, cooking and additional 2 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and cashew cream. Bring to a simmer and add coriander, garam masala and tumeric. Finish with yogurt and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked kofta balls and served immediately with flat bread. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Am I blue....Blueberry that is!

In the summer, the local farmers markets carry tons of fruits, but nothing puts the glimmer in my eye more than Michigan Blueberries. Sweet, tart and oh so juicy. I have to admit, I buy 30-40lbs at a time and hoard them all winter long. What do I do with 30 lbs of blueberries....I'm so glad you asked.

Blueberries have one thing that other berries [well I guess cherries have them too]don't. Blueberries have natural pectin. What does that mean? Well, it means that they create a natural jam, no gelatin needed! But, alas, if you want to create a real delight for the palate, add a bit of Granny Smith Apple that has been shredded and tada...you've go the equivalent of culinary gold. A sweet spreadable filling, topping or what ever else you can think of to use it for.

As I stated before, I love blueberries. In my house there are two things that must be made with the summer crop of blueberries. Blueberry pie with coconut whipped cream, and blueberry bars. Blueberry bars are a staple for lunches, midnight snacks, and end of a meal treat. these bars are easy and simple to make. For the base of the bar you can use, a sugar cookie dough, pie dough of for those who want to be a bit more creative, a classic graham cracker crust.

Filling

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup shredded green apple, squeezed to remove water

2 ½ cup fresh whole blueberries

½ cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Topping

1 cup flour

½ cup vegan margarine

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegan sugar or beet sugar

¼ cup chopped almonds [optional]

In a medium sized sauce pan, place 1 cup of blueberries in the pan, and mash lightly. Add sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Stirring from time to time, reduce to a jam like consistency. Remove from the head and add shredded apple, remaining blueberries sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine.

For the topping base dough, cut the margarine into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use.

Now its your turn. Press the dough of your choice into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan evenly. Prick lightly with a fork and bake in an 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Just in case...here is my favorite dough.

This pastry is wonderful for pie crust, quiches and fruit bars. It holds up well and has a wonderful texture. Simple, easy, and quick to put together.

2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

¾ cup vegan margarine or ½ cup vegan shortening, and ¼ cup vegan margarine

Ice water as needed

Have all ingredients ice-cold. Sift flour and salt. Blend the shortening or margarine into the flour, add enough water, very slowy, to hold dough together. Chill half an hour or more. Roll ¼ to 1/8 inch thick and line desired pan.

Yield: 2 8” pie pans or one pie

Vegan BBQ?

Its summertime, and the living is easy...but not for the average vegan. It happens at least once during the summer; your asked to a backyard BBQ, and you end up eating tired lettuce, and pasta salad. Yawn. Do people really think we're all rabbits? Well fret no more my friend, fret no more. I've come up with some great dishes to help ease the hunger pangs in your stomach, and not a meat analog in sight!

You have to realize, that most new vegetarians and vegans grab the fateful crutch of meat analogs. Fake burgers, fake chicken and now, curse the evil day, fake fish. I'm sorry, wasn't the entire reason you became vegetarian of vegan, was to stop eating animals? Why continue to go through the motions by eating a synthetic and sometimes chemically designed product. YUK! Eat the real deal, your mouth will thank you later.

Few things to put on your shopping list, a must have for the summertime vegan.

1. Jack Fruit-makes a wonderful and flavorful BBQ for sandwiches. Okay, it looks like pulled pork, but its not synthetic.
2. Tofu-ah our friend the soybean give us so many gifts. This wonderful flavor sponge, if marinated for at least 8 hours, will explode in your mouth with flavor
3. Mushrooms-big ones small ones, caps, buttons, you name it. The meaty the better, they grill up wonderfully and much like tofu, they are a magnet for flavor.
4. Pineapple-pineapple you say? While everyone else is noshing away on carne asada, grab a golden ripe pine apple, red, green and orange peppers, some garlic, onions, and Serrano Chiles, and you have got good eats my friend. Throw some Mexican spices and herbs in, and top it with a bit of cilantro and lime tofu cream.
5. Anything you can put on a stick. Seriously. If you can thread it on a skewer and season it well. Its a beautiful thing.
6. Exotic vegetables-go out side of your comfort zone and throw things on the grill that makes others go hmmm. Japanese sweet potatoes, Chinese squash, Indian eggplant. How about a little corn fungus...huh?

Don't just stop with the grill, change it up in the salad, sides and apps department. Can you choke down another fruit or vegetable plate? How does roasted red pepper mousse sound, or sunflower seed pate? Maybe a fruit salsa with homemade plantain chips. Cowboy caviar, that's beans my friend, beans, as well as corn and other nibblets.

Labor day is just around the corner...whats going to be on your picnic table?

Where there's Sugar I'll Travel

I'm often referred to as the Angry Vegan. Yes I know there is already quite a few of us prowling the internet, but, I'm here to put my own spin on things. Although I don't have many followers, for those of you who peek in from time to time, I have had my head buried in books for the past several months in pursuit of a degree in nutrition. Yes, you heard right, nutrition. How, might you ask, can I be seeking out a degree in nutrition, when I post such unhealthy items? Well my friends, I'm hoping to keep the flavor factor, and kick up the nutrition!

That being said, I'm in the process of making a wonderful cookie. My version of a Linzer Torte. This wonderful Viennese confection, is piled high with sugar, eggs, both raw and cooked, tons of butter, heavy cream...the list goes on. I've managed to trim the sugar, create a much healthier filling, loosing some of those pesky saturated animal fats and still keep the flavor.

Dessert is one of the few things in life that we should never deprive ourselves of. Sweets at the end of a meal, signal the body that we are done, and digestion can begin. Far fetched fact, but I'm going with it.

Here is the long and short of the recipe:

Be warned this recipe is not for the faint of heart, but the results are phenomenal and well worth the time and effort. People will ask....."What bakery did you buy these from?"

A few things you will need:

1. A scale to weight your ingredients
2. A stand mixer
3. Good set of cookie cutters
4. A non stick rolling mat (this can be purchased from Jo Ann Fabrics, Wal-Mart or any good craft store that carries Wilton supplies)

So let’s begin. For the cookies you will need:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

7.5 oz vegan margarine

3 oz vegan sugar or Florida crystals

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Equivalent of 2 eggs (Enter-G egg replacer works the best) be sure to follow the directions and beat for required length of time to insure that the mixture is emulsified

12 oz of unbleached flour

For the filling you can substitute any berry of your choice. Blueberry, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, you decide.

Filling

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup shredded green apple, squeezed to remove water

2 ½ cup fresh whole blueberries

½ cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Topping

1 cup flour

½ cup vegan margarine

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegan sugar or beet sugar

¼ cup chopped almonds

The Dough:

Cream together the margarine, sugar, salt, and extract until the mixture is smooth.

Add egg replacer and beat well. Add flour. With a plastic spatula or scraper, carefully blend into a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 30-45 minutes, until you are ready to roll it out and press it into your cookie sheet.

The topping:

For the topping sift the flour and sugar together, stirring in the almonds. In the same manner as for the base dough, cut the margarine into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use.

The Filling:

In a medium sized sauce pan, place 1 cup of blueberries in the pan, and mash lightly. Add sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Stirring from time to time, reduce to a jam like consistency. Remove from the head and add shredded apple, remaining blueberries sugar, lemon juice, and salt.

With your oven preheated, place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a cookie sheet. If you have one, use one with high straight sides. Roll your dough out, be gentle it can be soft, and press it into the pan. Prick with a fork lightly. For you over achievers out there, you can place a thin layer of almond paste on the bottom layer of the torte, chill for 15 minutes and then place your fruit filling on top. Generously sprinkle your crumb topping over the fruit filling. Bake in the lower half, not the bottom, of your oven to insure that you have a nicely browned and firm crust. Bake 25-35 minutes or until the topping is nicely brown and the edges are firm. Remove from the oven, and while still hot, run a knife along the edges to insure there is no sticking to the sides of the pan.

Here comes the hard part, let them cool completely before slicing, and when you do, run a sharp knife under warm water, to get bakery perfect slices. Dust with powdered sugar [if you like], grab your favorite beverage and enjoy. These bars are made to share, so make a friend or two, they'll wonder what bakery you scooped them up from.

Color Me Ginger

There is something about the peppery taste of ginger and the deep richness of molasses. When they come together its culinary magic. On my bookshelf I have a wonderful cookbook that was created in the early 1900's as a welcome gift to new immigrants to America. The writers of the cookbook wanted it to be an introduction to American style foods. This way, our visitors from abroad, would be acclimated to a new culture. The book is immense. 550 pages of recipes and how to's. From hosting the perfect dinner party, and making baby food, to canning and preserving your spring, summer and fall harvest.

That being said, you can guarantee that there is nothing in the way of vegan fair in this book. What I've done is go chapter by chapter picking out my favorite recipes and "veganizing them" For this recipe I beg of you to use fresh ginger as well as powdered. For an added touch, top them with chopped candied ginger and vanilla butter cream.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup soymilk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup black strap molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground ginger or 1/2 inch of fresh ginger minced

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1 cup of beet sugar

1/4 cup silken extra firm tofu blended + 1 tbsp oil whisked in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add tofu and oil mixture until blended. Add molasses and mix until combined. Sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture with milk. Mix until just combined. In paper cup lined muffin tin, fill cups 3/4 of the way full and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick when removed is clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove. Ice with vanilla butter cream frosting and top with chopped candied ginger pieces.

Vanilla Butter Cream

1/2 cup vegan shortening

1/2 cup vegan margarine

3 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar sifted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat shortening and margarine together until light and fluffy; add confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Beat 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temperature before using and beat slightly to achieve a spreadable consistency.

If it looks like meat, and its supposed to taste like meat...why am I vegan?

I had an epiphany the other day when a friend asked me how I liked being vegan. I replied "I love it!" Next she asked, "If you don't eat meat, then how do you get your protein?" I often sigh, take a cleansing breath and begin to go on about the numerous forms in which protein can be obtained in plant and grain forms. Most listeners look puzzled, get a glazed look in their eyes and ask, but do you eat fake meat? For the first time I actually took in those two little words. Fake meat. I never thought about it before, but if my whole reason for being vegan is that I don't believe in the practice of killing animals for meat and eating their by products, why would I want to eat fake meat?

I tried to rationalize this in numerous ways; first I thought about the transitional stage of the former carnivore who has decided to travel to the dark side and become vegetarian. It can be hard to cut things out of your life cold turkey so a tofu dog, a few slices of faux lunch meat here and there can fill a much needed void, but what about the rest of us. Those who have been walking the walk and talking the talk for quite a few years. Whats the rational?

About a year [maybe less] ago, I decided to stop buying commercially made faux meat products. I figured if I was going to eat the stuff it would be in my best interest to make it myself. No funny chemicals or unknown spices. I could adjust it to my liking and manipulate it as needed. What I found is that I didn't like taking hours to make the stuff and when I did, although it was delicious, I realized I could have spent the same amount of time creating something without trying to mimic the very food I was trying to avoid. I mean vegan ribs? Come on. I've even seen web post where they suggest that you use popsicle sticks to mimic the actual bone. Isn't that going just a bit too far?

If you haven't noticed by now, when you wander down the frozen food aisle there are now entire sections devoted to vegetarian cuisine; diet meals, faux breakfast muffins, cakes, cookies, pizzas, I could go on and on. What was a healthy way to live has now been dragged down to the commercial nutritional version of the 7th circle of hell; fake buffalo wings and all.

What went wrong? Are we buying this stuff so we can sit with our non vegan friends and munch on a simulated version of what they're eating so we don't feel like hippie freaks? Or are we doing it because secretly we aren't really vegans at all?

I've been accused of taking up the green banner, putting pet friendly, pro animal liberation stickers on my fuel efficient car so that I can shake my finger at the rib munching, gas guzzling, carnivore masses, telling them how much healthier I am and how they are killing animals needlessly and the earth for future generations. But if I'm eating faux meats, am I any better? The amount of energy it takes to process something, anything be it corn, wheat, take your pick, to recreate something that looks like a chicken nugget can't be much less than what it would take to process a piece of meat. I would be interested to have the facts and figures to see where the two meet.

I know that in the past I have posted recipes for faux versions of our four legged and two legged friends, trying to mimic the elusive flavors of smokey ribs, the ocean like aroma of tuna fish, and even the pull of BBQ pork, but no more, I'm shaking off the shackles of commercial meat substitutes and stepping up to the challenge of taking the world of vegan cuisine by storm. With veggie peeler in hand I ask my fellow vegans...are YOU up to the challenge?

PHOTO: Gerald Martineau - The Washington Post

Vietnamese Mint

Summer is in its last throws and its time to bring in the final harvest. During the summer we were privy to fresh tomatoes, basil, eggplants, raspberry, blueberries and much more, but one plant in particular was abundant to a fault; our Vietnamese mint. I grabbed my two girls and headed to the yard to pull in as much as we could possibly handle at one time; so I headed into the kitchen washed the leaves, and began to pick the leaves clean.

I have to tell you that the fragrance is intoxicating. Its a blend of cilantro and mint with a slight twist. Absolutely delightful. My mind was reeling at what could possibly be created. I wanted to create recipes that weren't overwrought with tones of steps or even more ingredients. Simply clean and easy to do was my goal.

The depth of flavor we manage to create is astounding The salts should be used more for finishing a dish than actually cooking with it; by doing this you can experience various levels of culinary delight.

You can find Vietnamese Mint in Asian grocery stores, but coriander can be used as a substitute as well as fresh ginger for the galangal called for in the sauce recipe. Grab a box of good kosher salt, your food processor or blender, and let Spice it up!

Vietnamese Mint Sauce

6 large cloves of garlic chopped

3 tbsp of chopped galangal or ginger

1 stalk of fresh lemon grass chopped

3 cups of loosely packed Vietnamese mint

1 Serrano chili

1 tbsp ground chili paste

1 1/2 tsp palm sugar [you can substitute brown sugar]

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup neutral flavored oil

In a food processor of blender, combine the first 8 ingredients and pulse to just bring the together. With the machine running slowly add in the oil. The mixture should be somewhat chunky and the oil and vinegar evenly dispersed.

Vietnamese Mint Salt

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

2 tbsp dried red chili flakes

zest of 1 lime

1 cup packed Vietnamese mint leaves

In a food processor, pulse together all the ingredients. Once combine, spread the mixture on a unlined cookie sheet an

place in a low (100 degrees) oven for 20 minutes to allow the mixture to dry out a bit. Remove from the oven and continue to dry at room temperature for 40 minutes. Store in an air tight container.

Chipotle, lime and cilantro salt

1 cup kosher salt

1 dried chipotle pepper roughly chopped

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

zest of one lime

Following the directions for Vietnamese Mint Salt.