Tempeh Bacon Black Pepper Waffles

These delicious waffles are sweet, smoky, salty, and peppery. A generous pouring of real maple syrup is a must. Sounds great right? Well it is. Plus they are very filling due to the tempeh which is high in protein and fiber. Not a bad way to start the day. I veganized this recipe from the Joy the Baker Cookbook. I bought pre-made tempeh bacon for this, but you could make your own the day before. I prefer the Lightlife brand myself.

This makes a lot of waffles – it will serve 4 hungry people. Since there is only two of us, we usually end of freezing half of the cooked waffles. You can then re-warm in the oven or toaster. Bonus breakfast!

 

Tempeh Bacon Black Pepper Waffles
Adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook

 

For the tempeh bacon:
6 oz package tempeh bacon
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle the tempeh bacon with the black pepper, patting the pepper into the tempeh before turning over and sprinkling the other side. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool a bit, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

 

For the waffles:
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup packed brown sugar
Ener-G egg replacer for 4 eggs
½ cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups soy milk + 2 tbsp vinegar (mixed and allowed to sit for a few minutes)

 

Directions:

Preheat your waffle iron (we use a Belgian style). In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Fold in the tempeh bacon. Try not to overmix. Cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions. Serve with lots of real maple syrup!

 

Curry + Cauliflower

Tonight was Indian night at our house. I made two dishes, the first was a Red Kidney Bean Curry from Smitten Kitchen. I followed the recipe except I did not use 1/3 cup oil as called for. That is a ridiculous amount of oil IMHO! I used about 1 tablespoon and it was just fine. This was a nice simple mild curry and I served it with a dollop of coconut cream, but you could use your fave vegan yogurt. I liked this recipe but I think next time I will double the spices to give a more strong curry flavor.

Next up is a Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower. When I first saw this recipe on My New Roots, I knew I had to make it. If you follow the link and see her amazing pictures, you will want to make it too. And you won’t be sorry because this cauliflower was wonderful! I could have eaten the whole head myself! I used full fat coconut milk instead of yogurt. If you are going to try this route, put the can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before. When it’s time to make the marinade, take the can out of the fridge, but don’t shake! Spoon the thick cream off the top and add it to the other ingredients.

Enjoy!

T is for a Traditional Thanksgiving

Hi there. Long time no talk! Just wanted to come back from a long hiatus to show off our Thanksgiving dinner. For the past several years I have done more experimental stuff but this year I really wanted to return to the traditional foods I remember from my pre-veg days. So everything above is the usual awesome fare, with one obvious exception. There was mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, and to top it all off, mushroom gravy. And for the main dish, something new to me, the Seitan Roast Stuffed with Shiitakes and Leeks from Post Punk Kitchen. Holy turkey that roast was great. The seitan had the perfect chewy texture plus how can you go wrong with a mushroom and leek filling? It may have to become the new family tradition. What made it even more wonderful is that half the meal was made by my BF’s mom. She was kind enough to veganize some of her traditional recipes so that everyone could enjoy them. And enjoy them we did. Everything was delicious!

 

Time to sign out and enjoy the last few hours of the long holiday weekend. I’ve got a few future posts planned so hopefully (no promises) I can get back into the habit of regular posting.

Peanut Butter Bread with Chocolate Chips

Yum yum! Since I found this recipe a few months ago, I have made this many many times. It has become quite the household favorite.  This is a really easy snack or dessert to make; you can have this ready to go by the time your oven comes to temp. Plus it’s relatively healthy too. This uses whole wheat flour and has no added oil! Yet it is wonderfully moist. The original recipe comes from Chocolate Covered Katie. If you are looking for healthy desserts that actually taste good, Katie is your lady! So take some time to check out her wonderful blog!

Normally you should let quick breads like this cool completely before cutting, but for a special treat, slice when still warm and slather with some Earth Balance. When still warm, the crust is still a bit crispy, and the inside is soft and warm. Heaven!

Peanut Butter Bread with Chocolate Chips

Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ cups soy milk
2 tbsp soy yogurt (or applesauce)
½ cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
Large handful non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together wet. Pour wet into dry and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn loaf out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Sloppy Jenns

This is my take on Sloppy Joes, made with tempeh. This is just fun food! Plus it’s super easy to make and well suited for hot summer days when you want to spend minimal time over that hot stove. Serve this up with a salad and you’ve got a nutritious and satisfying meal. I served this with the Southwest Slaw from Sexy Vegan Cookbook.

Sloppy Jenns

Makes 4-5 sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 green bell pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, pressed
8 oz package tempeh, crumbled
15 oz can tomato sauce, minus ¼ cup
¼ cup barbeque sauce
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
Few drops liquid smoke
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.  Add crumbled tempeh and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to a simmer. Heat  on medium-low heat for 20 minutes (or more), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Serve in bread or buns.

Music in the Meadow at Animal Place

We interrupt this shamefully long blogging break to bring you news of a wonderful upcoming event! The Animal Place Farm Sanctuary in Grass Valley, CA is having its second annual Music in the Meadow event! I was lucky enough to attend this last year and had an amazing time. It was lovely to spend the day having a picnic lunch and socializing with all the wonderful animals! It had been a long time since I had been so close to animals like pigs, cows, and goats (my personal favorite!) and I was kind of childishly excited about it. I can’t wait to go again this year!

The event will also feature vegan food and craft vendors selling their awesome wares, plus live music, a free vegan goodie bag, and lots of happy animals. So let me tempt you with pictures of some of these cuties while you consider signing up for this fundraiser that supports all the important work that the dedicated folks at Animal Place do for our animal friends.

Childish excitement

What:

Music in the Meadow

Where:

Animal Place

17314 McCourtney Rd

Grass Valley, Ca

When:

Saturday, September 22, 2012  11 am to 5 pm

Buy your tickets here!

P.S. Stay tuned for a new recipe post later this week!

Creamy White Soup with Sausage & Kale

This soup is inspired by the Zuppa Toscana served at Olive Garden. I haven’t tried their version in many years but I remembered it was a good combo: Potatoes, sausage and kale. I upped the ante by using leeks instead of plain old onions. I also added white beans to make this even more white and hearty. I loved how this turned out and I am always happy to have a new way to use my new favorite veggie sausage: Field Roast. Of course you can use your own fav sausage if you like.

 Creamy White Soup with Sausage & Kale

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
3 medium leeks, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup soy milk or soy creamer
1 package Field Roast Italian Sausage, chopped
1 bunch curly kale, chopped
15 oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add potatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, brown sausage in a little bit of oil on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, breaking it up into smaller pieces as you cook it. Remove from heat and set aside.

Back to the soup: remove bay leaf and turn off heat. Add soy milk or creamer. Using an emersion blender, puree until smooth.

Add sausage, kale, navy beans, and black pepper. Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. Serve with extra black pepper at the table.