VeganMoFo and Burger Roll-ups

Otherwise known as a roulade. I made these to be sliced and eaten as BURGERS! One roll yields about 10 or 12 burgers, so there's plenty leftover for work lunches and quick weeknight heat ups.

On a home made sweet potato bun with vegenaise and steamed broccoli.


Ingredients
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp veggie broth powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions
In a mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Add water and oil and knead for about 5 minutes. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile make the filling...

Filling
1 14 oz block of extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup ground cashews
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 14 oz can (about 2 cups) diced tomatoes, drained
1 14 oz can (about 2 cups) spinach, drained
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp minced garlic

Directions
Mush all ingredients together in a bowl, set aside until ready to use...

After the dough has set for 20 minutes, roll it out into a large rectangle. I use a cookie sheet to do this. After you get a nice, large, flat rectangle, spread out the filling leaving about an inch around the edges. Roll up tightly and place seam down on a large sheet of aluminum foil, wrap and twist the edges tight. Place seam side down on a baking sheet, and bake for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool enough to handle. Unwrap, and slice about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick and serve on your favorite bun!

VeganMoFo and Native Foods

So, Last night we went to the newest location of Native Foods in Aliso Viejo. It's a pretty unassuming storefront in a huge stripmall. Not exactly what I am used to from a Native Foods. After all, their Costa Mesa Location is in a permanent round tent, with animal rights posters, literature and an overall communal feeling...there is even a firepit in the patio.

Nonetheless, we were there, and we walked in through the very normal front doors and walked up to the very normal counter to order the daily special, which on Saturdays is "Chicken Fried Seitan with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Kale" we also ordered a plate of chili cheese fries, to share. We took our number and found a very normal table to sit down in this very normal, almost fast-food like establishment. There were a few posters on the wall, but they were mounted all professional like, no message, just ad-like posters of a couple of dishes on the menu. The place was very, very clean. Almost too clean. No atmosphere. It was kind of bumming me out. I mean, I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE Chef Tanya's food, and our meal was no dissapointment, but if I am gonna spend $40 on dinner, I want to enjoy the atmosphere. Kick back, relax, enjoy the vibe of the joint. There should be an energy that reflects the message of the food, you know?

I can only chalk up the way she set up this new location to the "expectations" of the fine folks in South Orange County. Everything there is "perfect" and "clean." For the most part, South OC is full of gated communities, HOAs and lots of strip malls. I am then to assume that Chef Tanya wanted to fit in with the crowd. To entice the soccer moms, and "Real Housewives of OC" into the joint which serves up the latest in trendy foods...California Vegan.

I won't be going back. Unless I phone in a to-go order. I will make the extra 30 minute drive to Costa Mesa, where, unlike the Aliso Viejo location, like minded vegans join together to enjoy great food in a WARM and GROOVY environment. If that means I can't order soft serve, then oh well.

Maybe I can talk Dan into another birthday dinner, that won't be such a bummer.

VeganMoFo and Speaking of Kahlua...

Last Friday I posted of Kahlua and soymilk (and Tings!) This Friday I thought I'd share my Gramma Nan's Secret recipe for mome made Kahlua. It is a pretty simple recipe, and the results are quite tasty. If you make up and bottle a few batches within the next few weeks...they make WONDERFUL holiday gifts.

"Mix 4 cups sugar and 2 oz instant coffee crystals together. Add 2 cups boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Cool thouroughly. Add one pint vodka and pour into bottles. Add 1/2 of one vanilla bean into each bottle. Cap, date and use after standing for at least 30 days. DO NOT OPEN FOR 30 DAYS!"

VeganMoFo and Cookbooks, Spices and Small Spaces

Y'all know we moved out to the boondocks a few months ago. When we did that, we downsized pretty much to one fourth of the space we had before. Yep, Dan, Me, Maxine, Lily, Annie and Michael are all residing in a cozy 495 square foot cabin in the country. The one thing I did make sure of, though, was that there be ample room for my spices and cookbooks. I was more than willing to pack my shoes, clothes and most of my furniture into storage tubs and keep them outside in the barn...but my cookbooks? My spices? They needed to be near to me at all times.

So, my office that used to be in one of the spare bedrooms of our old house, has been condensed into one bookshelf, which sits in the corner of the dining/kitchen/living room of the new house. This has it's perks. The computer is now only 3 steps from the stove, so I don't have to print out recipes off the internet anymore, I can literally see them from the counter! But even with such limited office space, I dedicated the top shelf to cookbooks, and they are creeping onto the second shelf now too!



Not all of them are vegan, but one can really gain some great cooking knowledge from traditional cookbooks, you know? Especially that red & white checkered fella.

And the spices got their space on the wall AND there own drawer!




It's all been worth it, 'cause when we walk out our back gate, we see this...

and this...


I am still trying to figure out if those are edible cactus leaves...hmmm.

VeganMoFo and Tricks or Treats?

Okay, I admit that I am a HUGE fan of Rachael Ray. Her constant babbling and overuse of the acronym EVOO* is just icing on the cake for me. I will watch her shows (all of them, not just 30 Minute Meals) over and over again. I want to BE the vegan version of her...

...Anyhow, I picked up the October issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray and tucked inside on page 108 was an article on Halloween foods...in costumes! Like cupcakes that were actually meatcakes that had mashed potato frosting, and a pizza which was actually a strawberry tart with mascarpone cheese. GENIUS!

I probably won't be having a Halloween party this year, but I probably will be attending one, so I think bringing a beautiful plate of TVP meetloaf "cupcakes" with sweet potato frosting, or a gorgeous lattice topped pie filled with savory tomatoes and spice, might just trick a few partygoers!


*Abbreviations that use the first letter of each word in a phrase are sometimes referred to as initialisms. Initialisms can be but are not always acronyms. AT&T, BT, CBS, CNN, IBM, and NBC are initialisms that are not acronyms. Many acronym lists you'll see are really lists of acronyms and initialisms or just lists of abbreviations. (Note that abbreviations include shortened words like "esp" for "especially" as well as shortened phrases.) So, yes, I called EVOO an acronym when really it is an initialism, I know.

VeganMoFo and Birthday Dinners

Nope. It's not my birthday. My birthday isn't until next week. But, I thought I would take this opportunity to say how much I love birthday dinners. Birthday dinners are always dinners that I WANT TO HAVE. No one argues about the menu or where I want to go out to eat. You know why? 'Cause it's MY BIRTHDAY!

I'm sure I've mentioned before, that my husband is not a vegan. He's not even a vegetrarian. Although he has become more and more open minded over the years, he's still light years away from ordering tofu at a restaraunt if there is steak or chicken on the menu. Unless, of course, it's MY BIRTHDAY! This weekend we will be dining at the new Aliso Viejo location of Native Foods.

Sorry, babe, there's no chicken or steak on the menu.

Even if I cook dinner for myself on my birthday (Which I am more than happy to do, afterall, I love to cook) anyone and everyone around on MY BIRTHDAY, has to eat what I want to make.

Two of my favorite birthday dinners of year's past:

Turning the Newman backyard into a Beer Garden and having our own Oktoberfest. We made our own Seitan Brat's complete with kraut. Read more about it here.




This was the month after we got married. I couldn't wait to show off all of our grown up stuff. I mean seriously, we had a full set of matching silverware! I wasn't so into food porn back then, but I always remembered my mom taking pictures of the set table and the cake on special occasions. The menu was VWAV Seitan & Portobello Stroganoff, green salad, french bread, and yellow cake with chocolate frosting for dessert. We also had wine and beer and kava-kava tea that we brought home from our honeymoon. That stuff tastes awful, but sure makes for interesting conversation!




So there you have it. I love birthday dinners. Next week, I will be sure to report on my next one...

VeganMoFo and Pulled "Pork" Sammiches

Watching Diners Drive-ins and Dives always makes me hungry. Always. The episode I watched yesterday was all about barbecue. Smoky, slow cooked sweet and tangy barbecue.

I can do that.



Yeah, it's a messy photo. But it was a messy sammy! Gooey and spicy and sweet and delicious piled high on a French roll on a big pile of bbq slaw.

I don't have the recipe quite refined enough to share yet, but here's the recipe for the slaw. It's cool and creamy and super simple to toss together.

BBQ Slaw
Ingredients
1 head of cabbage, cored and shredded
1 cup vegan mayo
1/3 cup barbecue sauce of choice
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Whisk all of the ingredients, except the cabbage, together in a large bowl. Add in the cabbage and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
1/3 cup

VeganMoFo and Caramel Ginger Apple Compote over Pancakes

So I have decided to take the Vegan Iron Chef Challenge. The 2 "secret ingredients" are ginger and apples. I have an unexpected Sunday morning off of work, so I decided to make pancakes!

Yet, there are no apples or ginger in pancakes. In comes the Caramel Ginger Apple Compote!



Ingredients
3 apples, cored, peeled and cubed
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup soy creamer (vanilla or plain)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water

Directions
In a sauce pan, add the apples, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Toss to coat. Bring to a simmer on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. As the sugar melts and the apples release their juices, a soupy delicious smelling mixture will form. Reduce heat to low and simmer until apples are nice and tender...about 15 minutes. Add in the margarine ans creamer. Stir to melt, allow to come back to a simmer. Mix together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry and slowly add to the mixture, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, and continue to stir until a nice caramelly sauce consistency is reached. Pour over pancakes or waffles or french toast or ice cream and enjoy this sweet, slightly salty treat!

VeganMoFo and "Ham & Eggs"

I'm a little late on the scrambled 'fu bandwagon. Oh well.



Mostly I make all my scrambles starting out the the same way. Extra firm tofu, drained and pressed. A preheated cast iron skillet with about 2 tbsp of oil in the pan. I crumble the tofu straight into the pan. Then I add some turmeric, for that eggy color, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. From there, I can make it any way I want to. This morning I made "Ham & Eggs" with chopped up pieces of the "Ham" from the Split Pea and "Ham"burger recipe.

Other ways I enjoy my 'fu?

• With grilled onions and mushrooms
• With sundried tomatoes and spinach
• With NOOCH!
• With imitation bakin bits
• In a breakfast burrito...

VeganMoFo and Kahlua, Soymilk and Tings!

Sometimes a girl just wants to get her Tings on!



Dare I say that Tings+Kahlua+Soymilk+YouTube doth a good Friday night make?