Vegan Tuna Salad with Seaweed and Chickpeas

I love tuna salad. Before I was vegan I would eat tuna straight from the can. Since going vegan, I have made many different versions of "tuna" salad. With nuts, with seeds, with tempeh, and all are tasty. This one, though, is a bit healthier than previous mayo-laden versions. Enjoy!

Soup and a Sandwich! Slow and Low Onion Soup & Oil-Free Egg Salad Sandwich

Everybody knows soup and sandwiches go together like peanut butter and jelly! Both of the recipes below definitely stand on their own without depending on one another, but because they both are great make ahead recipes, it makes it a snap to plan a few combo meals throughout your busy week.

Pumpkin Curry Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Today I had the honor of appearing on the Jane Velez-Mitchell show, Lunch Break Live! I was invited to showcase how easy it can be to make a quick vegan meal, and to promote my appearance at the CA Vegetarian Food Festival next weekend. 

With the first day of fall just a few days behind us, I wanted to use pumpkin. But, man, oh man, it has been at least 80 degrees out lately, so baking, or pumpkin spice anything just didn't sound good. So...I came up with a no-cook pumpkin dish that can provide all that fall flavor without having to turn on the oven (or turn to a latte!)

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese & A Giveaway!

If you know anything about me, you know I love me some Follow Your Heart. From Vegenaise to Creamy Garlic Dressing, to Vegan Scrambled Eggs, to Provolone Slices...I love it all. So, I was super excited to get a sample of the new Smoked Gouda Slices and the Parmesan Shreds to play around with in the kitchen.

No Tuna Salad (and a Giveaway!)

I can't believe it's already May, and next week I will be heading up to Portland for the Vida Vegan Conference.  Nothing makes me more excited than knowing that by this time next week I will be surrounded by "my people" and living it up vegan-style with hundreds upon hundreds of like minded friends, some of which I've met, and some whom I've never met before.

I can't wait to hop on that plane, train and bus, to get to my apartment for the week.  As soon as I get there I plan on meeting up with the girls I am staying with, heading to Julie's cart, Native Bowl, for my favorite Mississippi Bowl, and then heading to Food Fight to stock the fridge for the week!

Oh and the food I will eat, and the drinks I will drink!  Debauchery is not even close to a good enough word to describe my plans.  So, stay tuned for quick updates throughout next week as I photograph and eat my way through Portland.

I have been so busy this week, getting stuff done at work, and at home, so I have been making easy to throw together meals, like sandwiches and salads.  This No Tuna Salad is one of my favs.

What is your favorite quick and easy meal to throw together when you are busy?  Leave your answer in the comments section below and I will pick one of them at random on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9 am PST to receive a signed copy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.

And the winner is: #27! Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack And I plan on making that delicious sounding wrap today while packing for the VVC!  I also agree that once you find a sauce you love, putting it on "everythaaaang" makes perfect sense!

No Tuna Salad (from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet)

(makes enough for 4 sandwiches)
8 ounces soy tempeh, crumbled into teeeny tiny pieces*
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

*Some folks find that if they steam the tempeh prior to crumbling it, that it mellows the flavor a bit. If you are the type that is tempeh hesitant, frightened or just plain old don’t like tempeh, don’t give up on this salad. Steam your block of tempeh by cutting the tempeh in half and steaming in or over simmering water for 20 minutes. Some folks even say that this helps make the tempeh more digestible.

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can use this on a sandwich, or on a bed of greens for a no-tuna salad.

If making a melt, preheat your cast iron skillet or pan. To get the best browning without added fat and calories, spray the pan with nonstick spray, then cook until browned, applyin pressure from the top with a spatula, spray the top with cooking spray, then flip, and apply pressure until browned. 

Cookin' Crunk: A Book Review

Cookin' Crunk by Bianca Phillips

Cookin' Crunk: Eatin' Vegan in the Dirty South is the newest addition to my family of vegan cookbooks, and it is quickly becoming a favorite.  I flipped through the pages, last night, trying to decide what to make for dinner.  Having had the opportunity to preview the book before its actual release date, I have been salivating over the recipes for a while now.

If you follow this blog, or even know me just a little bit, you would know that I am a sucker for comfort foods, and this book takes comfort foods to a whole new low...and by low, I mean down to the Dirty South.  Bianca lovingly recreates childhood favorites and puts her own crunk into Southern classics.

Fried Tofu Chicken Wafflewiches with Maple-Dijon Sauce from Cookin' Crunk by Bianca Phillips

Last night I decided on the  Fried Tofu Chicken Wafflewiches with Maple-Dijon Sauce (page 64.)  I picked this particular recipe, because it contained a few sub recipes that I also wanted to try out.  Four in fact.  That way, I am able to give y'all a review based on 5 recipes out of the book, and not just one.

Let's start with that crispy delicious Southern Fried Tofu Chicken.  The Tofu Chicken Marinade, alone, is reason enough to buy this book.  It's rich, savory, and just the right amount of salty.  The batter is also flavorful, and the double dredge makes it nice and thick before hitting the frying pan, ensuring a thick, crispy coating all around that soft flavorful tofu inside.

Next, let's take a look at those Savory Sandwich Waffles!  Perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, while soft and pillowy on the inside.  The perfect "bread" for this sandwich.

Now on to that Maple-Mustard Sauce.  The picture above doesn't do the sauce justice, so here's an open faced shot:

That Maple-Mustard Sauce in Incredible!

I admit to eating a couple of pieces of that "chicken" dipped right into the sauce.  I couldn't get enough of it.  Tangy and sweet...just, mmmmm!  I highly recommend making a double, triple, or even quadruple batch of it, as the amount in the recipe just wasn't enough for my voracious appetite.

The sandwich all together was a huge success, and I can see myself making it, as well as many other recipes from this book again and again.

So go buy this book!  And if you can't buy it right now, well, enter the giveaway.  Simply leave a comment in the comments section below telling me your favorite childhood comfort food, and whether or not you've been able to recreate it as a vegan dish.  Who knows, maybe I will be able to take on a challenge or two!  I will select one of you at random on Friday, September 21 at 4 pm Pacific Standard Time to receive a free signed copy of the book.  Yes, I will ship internationally. 

The contest is now over.  Congrats to #18, T.M.!  (Randomly selected by my husband, Dan, who really, really likes this book, almost as much as me!) 

Summer Salads and Sammies

Summery Salad with Apricot, Dill and Mustard Vinaigrette

I was just about as lazy as one could be on a Sunday.  It was pushing 100 degrees outside, and although beeeyoootiful out there, I was totally content on the couch, blinds closed, air conditioner blasting, watching ridiculous reality television.  The really ridiculous stuff, like Pregnant in Heels and Miss Advised.  10 am passed.  11 am passed.  12 noon it was, then 1 pm.  Oops, 2 pm had passed and it was already 3!

Enough already.  I barely get 2 days off in a week, and I am gonna waste it away watching Bravo?  Nope.  So, up I got and dragged myself into a sundress and off to the market I went.  The heat had my heart set on something light.  As I drove to the store I was menu planning in my mind.  Fantasizing about a big salad with frisse and a home made vinaigrette.

I called my sister and told her my menu plans:

Mixed green salad with candied walnuts and grapes and an Apricot Dill and Mustard Vinaigrette
Baby Potato Salad (using the same dressing)
and Grilled Vegetable Paninis with Fennel and Shallot Marmalade

As luck would have it, she was also looking for dinner plans so I invited her over.

Baby Potato Salad (left) and Grilled Vegetable Panini with Fennel and Shallot Marmalade (right)

And as I began to chop and slice, it donned on me I should be writing it all down.  My sister bemoaned,  "Can't you just prepare a meal for the pure enjoyment of cooking?"  Nope!  Because then I wouldn't be able to do it again!  And that would have been ashamed, because the dressing and marmalade came out fantastic.  Bursting with fresh summer flavors.

Apricot, Dill and Mustard Vinaigrette
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Whisk all of the ingredients together and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Yield:  Just over 1 cup

To make the green salad, I tossed together frisse, radicchio, hearts of romaine, candied pecans, candied walnuts, and a big helping of mixed grapes.  Yep, I was so lazy I bought grapes that were already plucked!  I drizzled on the above vinaigrette and served.  I wish I would have added slices of fresh apricot.  Dang.  Why didn't I think of that yesterday?

To make the potato salad, I boiled about 3 pounds of a cubed baby potato mix (blue, red, fingerling, and buttery yukon golds) until they were fork tender.  I rinsed and cooled them, then tossed in a generous portion of fresh basil chiffonade.  I tossed it all with the above vinaigrette and put the whole shebang into the refrigerator to get nice and chilled before serving.

Fennel and Shallot Marmalade
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bulb of fennel, thinly julienned
4 shallots, thinly julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a pot or pan with a lid.
Add fennel, shallot, and garlic.  Saute until fragrant and translucent.
Add in remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
Reduce heat to low.  Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes, uncover and continue to cook, stirring constantly until reduced and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Yield: 1 cup

To make the Paninis, I used crusty ciabatta rolls, sliced open.  On each half of the bread, I schmeared about 1 tablespoon of Galaxy Foods Chive and Garlic Cream Cheese Alternative.  I topped that with a big ol' dollop of the above marmalade, then layered on grilled eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, and anaheim chiles, and then used my grill pan to give them a nice crust.  Since I don't have my own panini grill, I use an antique iron to weigh down my sandwiches on the grill pan.  I've also used a brick wrapped in foil.

And because my sister is such a peach, she brought us a lovely bottle of red and a coupla pints of So Delicious Coconut Almond Chip Ice Cream.  I'm not lying when I tell you that that stuff tastes almost identical to a Mahalo Bar.

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Last Friday I headed out to the farmer's market on a whim, and with no plan.  I ended up buying a bunch of stuff that really didn't necessarily go together, but was cheap, and looked good. Anyhow, I plan on heading back tomorrow and needed to finish up what I had left from last week's haul so I made soup and a sandwich.

The Sandwich:

Farmer's Market Squaw Bread, Farmer's Market Red Leaf Lettuce, Farmer's Market Onion, Vegenaise, Tofurkey slices, and a sprinkling of my homemade Chipotle Ranch Dressing Mix (from Vegan Food Gifts coming out later this year.)

The Soup:

Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Red Onion, Farmer's Market Maui Onion, Farmer's Market Spring Onion, Farmer's Market Green Beans, Farmer's Market Yellow Beans, Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Celery, Better than Beef Base, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, sea salt, black pepper.

The end result?  Pretty dang tasty!

A Simple Lunch with Home Made Spicy Pickles

It's true.  Sometimes I enjoy a good Tofurkey sandwich.  This particular sandwich is full of store bought, easy, convenience foods: Vegenaise, SmartBacon, Sourdough grilled with Earth Balance, and pre-washed bagged baby spinach.  Why? Because I don't always have time to make all of my food from scratch.  I mean geez, a girl has to go to work, write cookbooks, play with the dogs, do a little laundry every now and again, and still find time to have a life with the husband!  But even when I throw together a convenient meal, I do like to have at least one aspect of it be home made.  In this case it was the pickles!

These pickles are a recipe from my upcoming book, Vegan Food Gifts: Spread the Vegan Love DIY-Style with 100 Inspired Recipes for Homemade Edible Gifts, Baked Goods, Preserves, and More


Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles 


This recipe is so simple, you'll have your pickles all jarred up in about the time it takes to boil the water and slice the cucumbers.  I wrote this recipe so that you could make 1 jar or 10 jars!


For the brine:

For each cup of water, use 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt

For each (16 ounce) jar of pickles you will need the following:
1 sterilized jar, with lid and ring
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 to 2 cucumbers, cut in desired shapes to fit in your jar
4 garlic cloves, cut in half
1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon fresh dill

1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes (adjust according to heat preference...this measure makes for a very spicy pickle!)
Brine to fill the jar

Bring water and salt to boil.  Boil until all salt is dissolved.  Reduce to low, and simmer until ready to pour.
In a very dry pan, lightly toast the peppercorns and mustard seeds.  Set aside.
Add cucumbers to jar.
Add garlic, bay leaf, dill, chile flakes, toasted peppercorns, and mustard seeds to the jar.
Pour hot brine to fill the jars, allowing 1/2-inch of space at the top.
Place lids and rings on the jars, and give it a good shake to distribute all of the ingredients.
Place upright and allow to cool.  The lids should self seal as the brine cools creating a vacuum in the jars. Place in a cool dark place for 1 week, before gifting/opening.

MAKE IT A GIFT
Attach a handwritten label or tie on a gift tag with a piece of twine.  Make sure it's known that these are special hand made pickles, that you made with love!  Also make a note to keep refrigerated.


REMEMBER:  These pickles should be refrigerated after the one week of fermenting, even if you don't open them right away.

Two for Tuesday: Salad and a Sandwich

In case you didn't know already, there has been a heat wave in Southern California recently.  Temperatures topping 100!  Anyhow, after a long day at work, and a long drive home in the heat, cooking up a big ol' meal just isn't on the list of wants.  So, a simple salad and a sandwich is what we had for dinner.

For the Salad:
My favorite salad of late includes all store bought ingredients for maximum ease in preparation.  I am totally in love with Follow Your Heart's Vegan Creamy Garlic Dressing.  I also absolutely adore the 365 Seasoned Croutons from Whole Foods, and of course, Parma Chipotle Cayenne Sprinkles.  Add those toppings to a generous helping of Spring Mix or baby spinach, toss in a handful of nuts and/or seeds, and voilla!



For the Sandwich:
This is an old standby recipe (from Cozy Inside!) that never ever disappoints.  The mix makes enough for 4 to 6 big sandwiches, so I have enough for dinner for the 2 of us tonight and lunch for both of us tomorrow!  The mix also tastes great on a pile of greens as a salad all on its own.

Waldorf Style Chicken Salad Sandwich
1 package extra firm tofu (pressed, drained and cubed into tiny little cubes...TINY!)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup grapes (green or red, or even raisins), halved
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (vegannaise, or any brand, or make your own!)
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
Chop up the tofu into tiny, tiny, tiny little pieces. Add olive oil to a skillet on medium high heat and add garlic. Then add tofu. Saute until golden, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add all other ingredients, mix it all up. Chill before serving. Serve on a sandwich, in a wrap, on a bed of greens, or eat it with a fork right out of the bowl!