Food Frenzy!

I know, I know. It's been awhile, friends. 

Charissa's counting down the days to baby numero dos's arrival, and I am just laying low, a little busy with family stuff and a little blog-lazy. However, I have a remedy! It occurred to me that I had a lot of recipes and food pics not yet posted on my camera.

Some of them go back over a year, so I'm a little hazy on all the right ingredients and exact recipes.  

Bear with me as I try to recall and/or send you the links to similar concoctions. 

Veggie/Nut Burgers

There are so many variations to raw veggie/nut burgers, and you don't have to tie yourself down to one recipe if you don't have all the ingredients. The secret's in the herbs/seasonings, so be sure to google search the ingredients you do have and try to make it work. 

I have a weakness for mustard and horseradish...so the burgers often get topped with either/or. 

Zucchini Pizza (with or without goat cheese)

Crust: Pie crust or tortilla of your choosing

toppings: tomato sauce, onion, zucchini, basil, goat cheese, sea salt and pepper

Bake crust (350F) till just golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

Add toppings. Eat raw or put in oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

These are our garden's zucchini yield. Yummo!

Lentil Loaf

With mixed greens and mashed sweet potatoes. This meatless loaf is quite possibly one of the tastiest I've ever made. The ketchup just seals it makes it taste like good home cookin', because, well, it is.  

Asian Quinoa Salad w/ Pineapples and Chick Peas (not in recipe)

Love Pie (or cupcake, as it were)

Orange Pineapple Smoothie

(That's it. Add 2 peeled oranges, 2 cups pineapple and ice if desired, but no extra water. Blend)

Bananas and Date Sauce

Training for race? This will get you fueled and fired up. 

Veggie Lasagna

(Lacto-vegetarian recipe)

Chocolate Lara Bar

Chocolate Rawspberry Tarts

(Basically the larabar recipe molded into mini cupcake tins and topped with a raspberry)

If this wasn't directly helpful, maybe it whet your appetites and/or gave you some ideas for future meals.

Salud!

Avocado Reubens

Okay, you can laugh at me. 

Wait, I haven't told you for what yet. 

So these first two pictures are of the first sandwich I made, and the last two are of the second. 

Can you tell the difference?

The second one's a little sturdier, toastier and, perhaps, more photogenic. 

A photogenic sandwich. Wow. That's what our blog posts have come to. 

But you know what I mean, right? 

Okay, NOW you can laugh . . .

Here's the recipe for this absolutely delicious lunch that serves 2.

Ingredients

4 slices good quality rye bread

Thousand Island Dressing (see recipe below)

1 firm avocado, halved, pitted, removed from skin and thinly sliced

Sea salt and ground pepper

1/2 cup sauerkraut

1 firm tomato, thinly sliced and patted dry with paper towel

Directions

Lightly toast bread and spread all slices with dressing. Place sauerkraut on bottom slices. Distribute avocado slices evenly on top of sauerkraut. Season avocado with salt and pepper. Top avocado with tomato and bread. Cut sandwich diagonally and serve with extra dressing on the side.

Thousand Island Dressing 

1 cup vegan mayo

1/2 cup ketchup

3/4 cup dill pickles diced

Pepper

1/4 cup pickle juice

(Mix all ingredients in a container. Serve.)

Recipe credit: Roberto Martin, "Vegan Cooking for Carnivores." 2012

Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are such a delightful treat around here. You can stuff the wrap with whatever your heart's desire. Then add a little dipping sauce and this can be an appetizer or main course. 

Rice wrappers are one of the most unique food inventions I've ever come across. These buggers will wrap and stick like glue with just the littlest bit of water.  

Odd, they say each package holds "approximately" 12 wrappers.
 I've never had one with less than 15!

I've found pie dishes with about a cup of water work best to soak the wrapper for about 5-10 seconds before stuffing it.

Place the damp wrapper on a cutting board or dry surface . . .

. . .and stuff it!

Since we try to eat lighter and raw as often as possible, I stuffed the rice wrappers today with whatever veggies I had in the fridge: avocado, green pepper, red onion, shredded carrots, celery, and cilantro.

Then you wrap it up like a burrito...the bottom part folds over the veggies, then bring up the sides and roll it away from you nice and secure. 

You'll see what I mean about how easy it is as it sticks together.

I had enough veggies for about 9 wraps 

(Hmmm, I spy only 7. Someone dove in early!).

Oh, wait, that was me. 

Then I made the dipping sauce.

Here's what I threw in the blender:

1 TBS lemon juice and lime juice

1 cup liquid aminos (or whatever kind of soy sauce you use)

1/2 cup water

2 cloves garlic

A small nob of ginger, peeled

1/2 cup cilantro

A squirt of sriracha, as desired

2 TBS organic peanut butter

I tell you what, this dipping sauce really highlighted the celery in the spring rolls for me. It was so savory, tangy and fresh. 

In the past I've added hemp seeds, almond butter (a little more filling) and cabbage. The sky's the limit. You can add meat and even fry these bad boys up.

This recipe took me all of about 20 minutes; to cut the veggies up, wrap 'em, and blend the sauce. 

Not bad.  

Yup, somebody had a bite or two too.  

Potato Latkes

Not only did I get a yummy dish, but an educational one. Did you know latkes date back to the Maccabees and are entrenched in Jewish history?  

Latke means "little oily thing."  They are a part of Hannakah cuisine which dates back to 171 BC. The Maccabees derived the affinity for eating things cooked in oil after winning the battle over the Syrian-Greeks. When they reclaimed and cleansed the Jewish Temple they rid it of the idols. Then, using a golden menorah,  they lit it inside the temple with a little purified olive oil. According to tradition, the oil lasted for eight days, a miracle, and which is exactly the time it took to press fresh oil. And thus, the commemoration continues to this day. 

Are potatoes the only thing we can fry up to be latke-like? According to Ms. Glazer:

In fact, nowhere does it say that you can't forgo the potatoes altogether and make your latkes out of zucchini, beets, carrots or other vegetables. Because when all is said and done, it is not the potato per se that should take center stage on Hanukkah. What facilitated the Miracle of the Oil was not the pancake but the little olive, whose oil played an integral part in various ceremonies in the Temple, including anointing royal personages. Indeed, the word "Messiah" is derived from the Hebrew word Mashiach -- "anointed one." 

Fascinating. 

Finally, Glazer rounds off the history lesson with the health knowledge of the ages: 

"In biblical times, pure olive oil also enjoyed widespread use as a remedy for wounds, sores, chills and aching throats, ears and muscles. Long before we knew that it contained healthful monounsaturated oils and helped lower cholesterol, olive oil softened the cracked hands of the shepherd and the shoemaker, protected the tender skin of babes and relieved the tired traveler -- and, no doubt, the Maccabees as well."  (Glazer, "The Little Pancake with a Big History." Los Angeles Times, 2008)

Now that you know all this, there's no need to feel guilty about eating fried anything anymore, right?  

Well . . . let's just say that a little oil, as the Maccabees realized, goes a long way. Enjoy. 

Vegan Potato Latkes

 Ingredients

4 large unpeeled russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, and grated.

1/2 large white onion, grated

1/4 cup organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

High-heat oil such as safflower or grapeseed oil (OR OLIVE OIL), as needed.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the grated potatoes, onion, flour, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.  Toss the mixture gently with your hands until all the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil into it. 

While the oil is heating, shape about a 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into a small disk. Carefully place the potato cake into the pan and fry until crispy on the one side.  Work in batches and fry as many cakes as you can per batch without crowding the pan. 

Gently press down on each cake while it is cooking.  Flip the latkes only when one side of each is sufficiently crisp and dark brown, about 5 minutes.  

When the latkes are done, season them again with salt and pepper and place them on a paper towel-lines baking sheet to drain excess oil.  

Top with any number of things: Sour Cream, Applesauce, diced tomatoes, etc.  

Recipe courtesy of Roberto Martin, Vegan Cooking for Carnivores, p. 54

Just a side note: I only used 2 medium sized red potatoes, and made my latkes a lot bigger than what the recipe called for. It was fine for the three of us, whereas the recipes states it will yield 30 latkes. 

That's a latta latkes!

Mac N' Cheese

Hold on to your bonnets, bloggers, as Get Dense will be rapid firing some fantastic recipes out to you in the next couple of days. Some of these delectables are variations of vegan, raw and gluten free, but ALL of them are DEEE-licious. Here's a teaser:

Now here's a mac n' cheese I wouldn't hesitate to serve to a variety of foodies, as it looks gourmet and the sauce is oh-so-savory and luscious. It's also gluten-free and vegan. (Though, not nut-free so beware.)  Unless someone told me they were allergic to any of these ingredients, I wouldn't even tell them what was in it. (I'm learning the "don't ask, don't tell unless I gotta" policy in the cuisine departamento.) People will like, if not love it. It also helps that it took me all of about 15 minutes to prepare.  

Without further adieu . . .

Vegan Mac N' Cheese

The ingredients: (Serves 3)

1 1/2 cups dry shell or elbow pasta, cooked until al dente according to the package directions. I used a brown rice elbow pasta which was gluten free.  Also, I salted and put olive oil in as directions allowed, as this (the broth) is another ingredient for the recipe anyway.

5 ounces vegan cheddar cheese, grated. I picked mine up already shredded at the health food store . . .BUT I learned that some of the larger grocers that have health food sections carry this stuff even cheaper!  At least that's the way it is around here. 

1 cup cashew cream (See below on how to make.)

1 cup broth from cooked pasta, or vegetable broth (Not pictured.)

Salt and pepper. I use Sea Salt. Or Celtic sea salt. Or Himalayan sea salt. And just run of the mill (ha, get the pun?) pepper.  



A word about the cashew cream . . .
Okay, so most vegans or raw foodies will buy their nuts raw and in bulk so they can soak them as needed.  Well, nuts can get pretty expensive, and since this is a vegan recipe anyway, I opted for the Aldi's brand cashews, which are roasted and sea salted. See below. $10 for this, which will go a long way. (Unless my husband and son don't stop eating them from the container!!!)

Anyway, I really wanted to make the cashew cream since many recipes call for it. Plus, as you will see, an option in this recipe is to heat the cashews anyway (which many know is a raw food NO-NO. Gasp!). But sure if it doesn't taste great either way. Maybe one day when we're rich, we'll get us some reeeeal raw nuts. In the meantime, here goes somethin':

Cashew Cream Recipe

2 cups raw organic cashews (pfft, or not raw)

2 1/2 cups water

Soak the cashews in water overnight or bring the cashew and 4 cups of water to a simmer.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow the cashews to soak 1 hour. Drains and rinse cashews. 

So here's what I did. I just soaked the cashews overnight. By morning, much of the salt had come off. I drained and rinsed them.

Next, place cashews into the jar of a blender and add 2 1/2 cups of water. Blend until completely smooth, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the jar with a spatula.  It should be the consistency of heavy cream.  It can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 2 months. Makes 5 cups.

Okay, got that? Super easy...throw soaked cashews into blender with water and waa-la, cashew cream.

Back to the Mac n' Cheese . . .

Now, throw all the above ingredients together in a saucepan (except salt and pepper) and stir with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted and the ingredients are well incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

And there you have it. My family absolutely loved it.

One thing I would do in the future is, if I made this as a main course, I'd double the recipe to serve 3-4. But as a side for three people it worked well.  

Recipe (with my own tweaks) courtesy of Roberto Martin, Vegan Cooking for Carnivores, pp. 154, 206

Burgers and Fries

This recipe is very forgiving, as you will see. 

For all the health nuts out there, this is a nut burger with sweet potato fries. This dish is mostly vegan (minus the goat cheese I added, and the baking of the fries).

Below's the recipe (courtesy of the New York Times. Who knew?), but in bold I'll let you know what I did.  

NUT BURGERS

1 medium onion
1 cup walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or other nuts, preferably raw (I used raw pecans since I had them on hand.)
1 cup (raw) rolled oats or cooked short-grain white or brown rice (I used barley flakes.)
2 tablespoons ketchup, miso, tomato paste, nut butter or tahini
1 teaspoon chili powder or any spice mix you like (Italian seasoning)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg (Ground flax instead)
2 tablespoons peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn.

1. Grind onion in food processor. Add nuts and oats, and pulse to chop, but not too finely. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Process briefly; don't grind too finely. Add a little liquid — water, stock, soy sauce, wine, whatever — if necessary; mixture should be moist but not loose.
2. Let mixture rest a few minutes, then shape it into 4 burgers. (Burger mixture or shaped burgers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.) Put oil in nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet and turn to medium. When oil is hot, add burgers to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until browned, then turn with spatula. Lower heat a bit and cook 3 or 4 minutes more, until firm. (No cooking since I didn't use egg.)
3. Serve on buns with mustard, ketchup, chutney or other toppings.
Yield: 4 servings.

I built the burger like so: Ezekiel bread slice, avocado, nut burger patty, fresh sliced tomato, sliced red onion, goat cheese, alfalfa sprouts, vegenaise and dijon mustard on top slice of bread. 

MMmm-MMmm! 

And for any of you wondering, yes, that is veganaise on the side to dip my fries into. In my less healthier days, I used to dip french fries in mayo . . .and ice cream.  

I buy the soy-free vegenaise and I seriously can't tell the difference. All natural ingredients and herbs make it taste just like mayo. 

And before anyone thinks I'm finishing this post without offering the sweet potato fries recipe (like I did yesterday), fear not. 

Sweet Potato Fries

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled (2 medium potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
• Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks, and toss with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until the "fries" are tender and crisp, about 30 minutes.

Season with additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: Food Network, Kellie Krieger

Some of you might be wondering what's with all the cooking of the potatoes and such. Well, I'm back in transition mode after a less than healthy August, (I gained over 10 lbs in less than two weeks due to higher caloric and sodium intake . . .and margaritas. Nuff said.), and I'm gearing up for another fast in two weeks. So, if you're like me, sometimes you gotta start somewhere, knowing that you're headed to healthier pastures. Plus, on the good/better/best scale, the sweet potato fries fall somewhere in the good to better side in that they are baked. Also, I used himalayan salt (tons of trace minerals) to season, and cooked it for a little less time than this recipe called for, so they were a little crunchy on the inside.

Salud!

Steak N' Fries

You heard right. 

Steak and fries for dinner tonight.

And it's all vegan.  

(Recipe courtesy of the Jazzy Vegetarian.)

For my hubby, son and me, I bought two large organic portobello mushrooms. They were so filling, we couldn't even finish them. One mushroom per person is a more than adequate serving size, especially with side dishes. 

Clean the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Do not submerge in water. Remove stems.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and olive oil for the mushrooms to be set on.

Prepare cap coating by combining 3 TBS Veganaise to 1 TBS of Dijon mustard in bowl. Mix thoroughly. See below.

Spread coating mixture generously on top of caps.

Next, you have some freedom on the crust you'd like to adhere to cap. I made mine out of 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans. But the Jazzy Vegetarian suggests corn flakes. You could also use panko bread crumbs.  

Anyway, whatever you decide, grind it up in food processor or blender and add 2 tsp of Italian herbs/seasoning and 1 tsp sea salt to mixture.

It should end up looking something like this.  Because I used nuts, the mixture was already a little oily. But if you use a bread/grain based crust, you may want to add a TBS of olive oil and mix till nicely coated.  

Then coat the mushroom caps. It should easily adhere to veganaise mixture (See below).

Actually, and I learned the hard way, if you flip the mushroom over and spread about a tsp of olive oil and a tsp of tamari sauce (or liquid aminos or soy sauce) on it BEFORE coating with the veganaise mixture, you may save yourself from a mess and more handwashing. But whatever.  But please do add the olive oil and tamari at some point. It will infuse with the mushroom while baking and really add a ton of flavor. 

Tent the mushrooms with aluminum foil over the top.

Put in preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Then uncover and let it bake for 10 more minutes. 

Remove from oven, let sit for five minutes then slice and serve.  

These were so flavorful and delicious. We served with a few other sides of sweet potato fries and greens. Bit for an alternative to the all American meal, consider this savory number.

Crispy Portobello Steaks

Makes 4 servings

In this recipe, a savory, crunchy coating perfectly complements the meaty texture and mouthwatering taste of portobello mushrooms. The method was inspired by my grandma’s trick of using mayonnaise to keep chicken moist when baking. Please see note below for a low-fat version of this tasty recipe!
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
3 cups cornflakes
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄8 to 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup vegan mayonnaise (see NOTE below)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Rinse the portobello mushrooms briefly and pat dry with a clean dish towel, taking care not to break them.
Put the cornflakes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and process to form crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Put the vegan mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Lay a mushroom upside down on a large plate. Sprinkle 1⁄2 teaspoon of the tamari over the gills, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. (For a lower-fat version, omit the olive oil from this step).
Turn the mushroom over and spread one-quarter of the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top. Spread one-quarter of the cornflake mixture evenly over the top, patting it down firmly and not leaving any holes or gaps. Put the mushroom in the lined pan, right-side up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tent the baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F, remove the foil, and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are fork-tender and the coating is crispy.
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. Cut the mushrooms into thick diagonal slices and serve immediately.