Positively Vegan Recipes - Volume 1 is Here!

I've not been happy with the ever-expanding list of recipes I've been trying to keep up for you on the Recipe Box page all this time. It's too much work, and it's hard to navigate. So I chucked it! I found a great little program that turns blogs into digital file books, so I rounded up most of my favorite recipe posts from September 2011, when I started the blog, through October of 2012. If you find it useful, I'll do another one next year!

Since the entire thing is an experiment, the pricing is too. For the first week or so, maybe longer, I'm offering the book by donation. You choose your price! That way everyone can afford it, I'll get some idea of what such a thing is worth to you, and I can decide whether to do other digital books and how to price them.

Click on the PV Recipe Book tab to order yours. You'll be taken to a link to the PDF, which downloads in just a few minutes. Once it's on your computer, you can save it and scroll through it there any time you like, or print it out to keep handy in the kitchen. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think!

Good Morning Miso

When it's cold and stormy outside, sometimes a frozen fruit smoothie just isn't appealing. I find that my tastes change with the seasons, and in winter, I like a nice hot breakfast. This mean, green, hot "smoothie" is really more of a soup because it's heated after blending. It's full of good greens and soothing miso, and it's equally tasty from a mug or a bowl on a frosty morning.

Miso soup is a nice, gentle waker-upper for your digestive system, and although we tend to eat it for lunch and dinner in the US, in Japan it's considered more of a breakfast food.

I make ours in a NutriBullet, but you could use any kind of blender you have. It's not recommended to blend hot liquids in a the "Bullet," so I make it cold and then heat it in a sauce pan. Blend it hot in your own blender if it can handle hot soups.

Good Morning Miso

2-3 large kale leaves, torn up
2 T miso paste (I like the lighter types for this)
1-2 T wakame (seaweed)
1 carrot, chopped so your blender can handle it
2 T tamari
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 T fresh ginger, chopped coarsely for the blender
2 cups cold water

Place all ingredients in the blender, and blend on high speed for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to your liking, and then heat to a steamy simmer over medium heat. Never boil miso, or you'll destroy the healthy enzymes. I'm not sure, but it seems to turn even more of a gorgeous bright green color as it heats up.

We like to sip our morning soup-smoothie from a mug, with our favorite Avocado English Muffin on the side. It a great way to start your day. Cheers!

3 Bean Chili

Unlike my Red Chile recipe, which is a sauce, this is the kind of chile-with-an-i that pretty much came out of a can when I was a kid. Rich, thick, and beany, and totally non-carne, it's well worth the bit of extra effort it takes to make it yourself. While chili is not exactly a soup, it's kind of in the soup family, like a cousin maybe, and it's another big bowl of comfort that's easy to throw together on a chilly night... pun intended. I've been tweaking this recipe for years, and I'm really happy with it now. My two special secrets for this are to roast the spices in the beginning, and to add the beer instead of water or more broth. Both lend a lot of depth to the flavor of the finished chili.

3 Bean Chili
1/2 cup chili powder (I use part mild, and part medium, so I don't hurt anybody with the spice. You can always add more heat to the bowl later with hot sauce or red pepper flakes.)
1/4 cup cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 beer
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup organic corn flour
4 cups vegetable broth (1 - 32 oz. box)
3 cans diced tomatoes with their juice
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 T tamari
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 cups frozen corn

In a large pot, dry-roast the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic powder over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.

Add the beer and onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion starts to soften - about 5 minutes.

Add the corn flour gradually, stirring constantly. It will form a thick paste.

Gradually stir in the broth, then add the tomatoes, beans, tamari, salt, and nutritional yeast.

Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, to blend the flavors.

Add the corn 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a topping of vegan cheese or sour cream if you like, and cornbread, or any other bread you prefer.

Variations - Serve chili over rice or quinoa. Add crumbled tofu or Boca Burger along with the onion, for a more "con carne" texture. Add more vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, or greens.

Smoky Bean Soup

A week with no blogging events feels a little empty after October's crazy-busy activity, but at least we have Meatless Monday. I'm going to be leaning more heavily into soups for a while. As the weather gets colder, and the days get shorter (or at least feel that way), there's nothing better than a comforting bowl of soup by the fire, is there?

This soup comes together pretty quickly. I sort of invented it the other night after getting home from a movie and wanting some good, simple, real (not movie snacks) food.  It has some nice layers of flavor, a little spice, and a nice smokiness that might remind you of bacon. We liked it so much for dinner, we had some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. That's another great thing about soup - a big pot full can last for days.

"Always start with a larger pot than you think you'll need."
~Julia Child~

Smoky Bean Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
2-3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2-3 T fresh basil, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (1 - 32 oz. box)
1 can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 T miso paste, mixed with a little water
2 T tamari
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
4 cups fresh kale, chopped


Cover the bottom of your soup pot with water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and toss in the onion, celery, and garlic. Steam-fry 2-3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, thyme, and basil, and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Add all remaining ingredients, except the kale, and bring to a near-boil. Always be careful not to boil miso, as it will kill the enzymes.

Add the kale and cook over medium-low heat until the greens are wilted but still bright green, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine by the fire.

Variations - Use spinach instead of kale. Try different types of beans. Add more vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, and red bell peppers. Add some pasta, for an even heartier soup.

Little George

I found a George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine in my Dad's kitchen, and since he doesn't cook - at all - he told me to take it home with me. Dandy. I've been wishing for a nice heavy (expensive) panini press, but really don't have room for one in my own humble kitchen, and can't justify the expense just to make a sandwich for lunch now and then. I though this little grill might suffice, and it does, sort of.

It's small, actually tiny and sort of adorable, with it's purple plastic bun warmer top. Small is good when you have a small kitchen and ever diminishing storage space. It won't cook a lot of food at one time, like only maybe three garden burgers at most, but for only one or two people, that's plenty. And it's all non-stick, which means you don't need to use a lot of oil.

On the less positive side, it doesn't get very hot, and has no temperature control. I spent most of the afternoon grilling one onion, one eggplant, one bell pepper, three small zucchinis, and three portobello mushrooms. The upside of the slowness is you can get distracted for quite a while without worrying about burning your food. I get distracted a lot, especially when I have helpers in the kitchen.

The other thing I don't care for is the slant of the grill. It's tilted to allow excess grease, presumably from cooked meat, drain off into little tray. But grilling vegetables don't need this feature, and tend to slide off before I can close the lid, so I remedied the slant by propping the front legs on a cutting board. Problem solved.

Eventually we had a nice plate full of grilled veggies, which we used as toppings on our tortilla pizzas. Deeeeelicious. And there was enough left over to make some nice panini sandwiches the next night. I used "Little George," as I already so fondly call him, as well as my grill pan with a cast iron press. The difference was minimal. Both sandwiches cooked beautifully, although the one on the stove cooked a little bit faster, since I had control over the temperature. Used as a panini press, Little George toasts bread and melts vegan cheese much faster than it grills a slice of eggplant. I think that's because of the thickness of the sandwich, which allows both the top and the bottom of the grill to come into good contact with the food. On the second round, I also found that vegetables sliced a half inch thick, or slightly thicker, cooked better than the thinner slices.

Bottom line is, grilled vegetables are wonderful. Make some. Use them in everything from salads to sandwiches to pizzas to casseroles. How you grill them doesn't matter as much as finding a method, and possibly a machine, that suits you. I think I'm fine for now with keeping it simple. The big panini press can wait. But Little George is a welcome addition to my growing fleet of Small Kitchen Appliances.

I'm Bringing Spring Rolls to the Virtual Vegan Potluck

Welcome to the Virtual Vegan Potluck! Over 100 vegan blog posts are linked together here today in one long, delicious chain, starting with appetizers, and ending with dessert. It's my first time participating in something like this, and I think it's just a grand idea.

Today I'm going to finally show you the secret to making perfect spring rolls every time. No more blow-outs. You're going to love this. I learned the technique from Mark Reinfeld of Vegan Fusion, and I think he got  it from a woman from Thailand. I actually got his permission to share this with you here - it's that good a secret. Mark is a great guy, and now we'll all know the Super Secret Spring Roll Wrapping Trick.

Watch the video, and if you need written instructions, visit my earlier post on Those Beautiful Spring Rolls. You might also want to whip up a batch of Buddha Belly Sauce to dip your spring rolls in, or just buy a nice sauce in a bottle. Your friends will still think you're amazing. And you are.



There's so much more to eat in this Virtual Vegan Potluck!
To go to the blog post before mine, visit LemongrassAndGinger (in Australia)
To go to the blog post after mine, visit Don't Switch Off the Light (also in Australia)
To go back and start at the very beginning of the potluck, Click Here.
Enjoy every virtual bite!

Apple Pie Pancakes

Happy Halloween! It's also the last day of Vegan MoFo, which was a ton of fun for me, and really got me into a regular writing habit. I'll probably go to three days a week from here on, with some more videos sprinkled in for fun. Tomorrow is the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I'm really excited about this because I'll be joining over 100 other bloggers in a long chain of posts that will take us from appetizers to dessert. I'm bringing Spring Rolls, and I've also done a little video on how to roll perfect spring rolls every time. You'll be making these with your eyes closed before long!

But first, my last post in Vegan MoFo. Have a nice breakfast, and thanks so much for visiting!

I'm still using apples form our big harvest this year. It's amazing how many apples one little tree can make. Lucky us to have this big juicy apple blessing, right in our own back yard. I've been promising Rick another apple pie, but somehow haven't gotten around to making one yet. I think these Apple Pie Pancakes made him just as happy as a pie would have.

Apple Pie Pancakes

Topping
6 cups chopped apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups water
1 T arrowroot

Place all the topping ingredients, except arrowroot, in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the apples soften. Add the arrowroot gradually, reduce heat to low, and keep the sauce warm until you're ready to serve it. If you like, you can mash it up a little bit with a potato masher.

Cakes
2 cups brown rice flour
2 T baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum (omit this if you use a flour with gluten)
2 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup apples, chopped small
2 cups nut milk
1 1/2 cups water
Mix dry ingredients together. Add the milk and water, and stir until well blended. Let the batter rest about 5 minutes, and add more milk or water if necessary. Cook on a very hot griddle, as you would any pancakes. This makes about 18-20 1/4 cup cakes. Any extras reheat well for snacks later. Serve with the warm apple topping, and a little vegan butter if you like. Hmmm... maybe even some vanilla Coconut Bliss ice cream...