Vegan MoFo #16: My First Vegan Thanksgiving

Vegan Thanksgiving Proper

I thought it would be wonderful to celebrate my first Thanksgiving as a vegan with an all-vegan meal. My family is not ready for this kind of celebration, so I invited seven friends over on Saturday night to celebrate my way. Despite being the only vegan in attendance, the two vegetarians plus five omnivores were very enthusiastic about the all-vegan menu. My goal was to wow everyone with several vegan versions of classic Thanksgiving dishes. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, this meal was indulgent, and by no means health food. The end result made it all worth it, there were plenty of wows to go around!

Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites

For appetizers we started with Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites. This is Bianca's magical recipe, which utilizes an Indian spice, black salt, to simulate the flavor of eggs. Everyone agreed that these were surprisingly authentic, and this platter emptied quickly!

Artichoke Dip

To go with the Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites, my friend Jenny brought Artichoke Dip with pita chips. I highly recommend this recipe from C'est La Vegan, it was a favorite at the party.

I was going to make a third appetizer, Lindsay's Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, but I ran out of time. Sad! I hope to make these for Christmas, if I can wait that long!

Pumpkin Nog Martini

We enjoyed some pre-dinner cocktails of Pumpkin Nog Martinis. This blend of Silk Nog, vanilla vodka, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree were inspired by Heather's Pumpkin Pie Bliss. I topped these off with Soyatoo Whip, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.

Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

For the main event, I made Bryanna Clark Grogan's Soy and Seitan "Turkey". Unfortunately this recipe has been taken offline, so I don't have a link for you. The base of this "turkey" is a blend of tofu, wheat gluten, and chickpea flour. This roasts at a low temperature for 4 hours in a vegan chicken-flavored basting broth. The result is remarkable, perfect taste and texture, which was enjoyed by all.

Green Bean Casserole

 In selecting classic Thanksgiving side dishes, I knew that it had to include a green bean casserole. I chose Susan's recipe, which is rightfully titled The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole. This was so fresh and delicious, way better than the standard cream of mushroom soup and canned green bean variety.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I chose another one of Susan's recipes for the Sweet Potato Casserole. Many bloggers have praised this recipe, and they were absolutely right to. The light flavors of orange and vanilla are what make this casserole extra special. This was the most talked about dish at the table!

Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing

Thanksgiving would not be complete without some stuffing. I decided to go with a not-so-traditional recipe, Terry's Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing. Homemade crumbled cornbread meets vegan sausage, leeks, onion, green onion, red bell pepper, chopped pecans, and a bit of cayenne pepper for a substantial, lightly spicy, and meaty stuffing. Delicious!

Mashed Potatoes

Then of course there were mashed potatoes. I used yukon gold potatoes, because they are the creamiest and the skin is tender enough to mash right in. Into the mash went a bit of soymilk, olive oil, and salt for mashed potato perfection!

"Poultry" Gravy

And what is "turkey", stuffing, and mashed potatoes without some gravy? I chose C'est La Vegan's "Poultry" Gravy, which turned out to be a very good decision. This gravy is so, so good!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Last but not least, some roasted Brussels sprouts to round out the meal. I forgot to take a picture of Carolyn's delicious homemade cranberry sauce, but you can spot some on my plate at the top of this post.

Steve and Carolyn at the buffet line

My guests descended onto the buffet line with enthusiasm, and we feasted until we could feast no more! Well, until it was time to serve dessert anyway...

Vegan pies with ice cream and whipped cream

We may have made a bit too much pie, if there is such a thing! Carolyn brought a yummy chocolate pie, and I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake (recipe from PETA), Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie (recipe from Lisa Marie), and Pumpkin Pecan Pie (recipe from Fran Costigan). Steve was kind enough to bring the Tempt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Soyatoo Soy Whip to top off our pies. Everyone had a favorite -- mine was definitely the Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie, oh my goodness!

A big thanks to my wonderful friends who celebrated my first vegan Thanksgiving with me! Thanks also to all of the lovely bloggers that created these outstanding recipes, I could not have done it without you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Vegan MoFo #15: Homemade "Beef" and Sweet Potato Tacos

Ever since the massive positive response to my homemade vegan bacon recipe last week, I have wanted to share my favorite homemade ground beef substitute. It is another easy, affordable, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, and optionally soy-free recipe. A genius creation of Ricki Heller, this recipe is a blend of ground cauliflower, walnuts, and spices, roasted to perfection. So simple, so delicious, and surprisingly meaty!

I've had some serious cravings for Mexican ever since I saw Jessy's tostadas and Lisa Marie's tacos. I decided tacos were the perfect use for this homemade beef. Combined with sweet potatoes, black beans, corn and a generous drizzle of A-K's creamy pepita cilantro dressing, this was just what I was craving. This meal was rounded out by a side of spicy roasted kuri squash. It doesn't get much better than that!


The two stars of these tacos are the meat and the dressing, which are not my recipes. I've provided links to the original recipes below, along with my technique for assembling these tacos. This dish will be included in the November SOS Kitchen Challenge featuring sweet potatoes. To participate submit your own sweet or savory sweet potato dishes before the end of the month.


Homemade "Beef" and Sweet Potato Tacos 
with Creamy Pepita Cilantro Dressing
(Serves 4)

1 cup of Ricki's Meaty Veg-Based Ground "Meat"
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, fresh, or canned
1 cup cooked black beans
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Generous drizzle of A-K's Creamy Cilantro Pepita Dressing (not optional)
4 large or 6 small tortillas

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to saute for another 3 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potatoes and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sweet potatoes are tender and lightly browned.

Stir in the spices, corn, black beans, and "meat", and cook for 2-3 minutes, until hot. Serve inside tortillas of your choice with a big drizzle of dressing.

Vegan MoFo #1 - Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie

Happy November 1st -- World Vegan Day and the kick-off of Vegan MoFo! If you are unfamiliar with Vegan MoFo, it is a month long vegan food blogging event. I joined the ranks of over 500 bloggers worldwide that signed up to blog daily about their vegan eats. The goal is to post every weekday, or roughly 20 times during the month of November. Prepare for a flood of vegan food coming straight to your computer screens!

No doubt the frequency of posting will be my greatest challenge, but I am determined. I have many delicious things planned, along with a small stockpile of recipes from the last couple of weeks that will fill in on days that I am eating leftovers. Here is my short list of things I hope to accomplish over the coming weeks, which will give you an idea of what to expect:

• Cooking with new ingredients (starting with this big bag of sunchokes, ideas anyone?)
• Cooking from new cookbooks
• Cooking through as much as possible of my overstocked pantry
• Hosting a vegan Thanksgiving dinner party for friends
• Dining out at least one vegan restaurant in Chicago that I haven't tried yet
• Reading as many new blogs as possible!

So, let's get started!

I am very excited to share this first recipe with you, which is hands down the most delicious dinner I have made so far this season. This Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie is a slight adaptation of Joanne's brilliant pot pie. Thai curry paste and coconut milk flavor the sauce of this fall veggie and tempeh pot pie. The sauce is bursting with flavor, but the spice level is mild enough for those with low tolerances to heat. The blend of curry and coconut play off of the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and kabocha squash perfectly. All of this goodness is topped off with a pumpkin biscuit crust. That's right, I said pumpkin biscuit crust. This recipe screamed, eat me now! In fact I was whipping this up within hours of her posting the original recipe, and I recommend you doing the same. 

You may substitute any winter squash you desire, but I am partial to kabocha, delicata, and kuri, because the skin is edible when roasted, and does not require peeling. (Sorry butternut, I still love you.)

Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust
(Adapted from Eats Well With Others)  
Serves 5-6

2 lbs kabocha squash, stem and seeds removed, skin on, chopped in 1" chunks (roughly 5 cups)
1 large white sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1.5" chunks
1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 package tempeh, chopped into 1" cubes (steamed for 15 mins to remove bitterness if you desire)
1 cup coconut milk
1-1/2 cups water
4 tsp red curry paste
2-1/2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1-2 tbsp agave (or brown sugar)
Juice of 1/2 of a small lime
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp flour of your choice (I used spelt)
Salt

Pumpkin Biscuit crust 
(adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut milk (or non-dairy milk of your preference)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450.  Toss squash, sweet potatoes, and parsnip with 1 tbsp oil and some salt.  Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot (a dutch oven would be great here, this will be going into the oven later). Add in the onion.  Saute for 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds more.  Add in red curry paste, and stir well to coat the onions -  saute for 30 seconds. Add in tempeh and saute for 2 minutes more.

Stir the roasted veggies into the pot. Mix in the coconut milk, water, tamari, and agave. Stir until well combined and bring to a simmer. Pour in the peas and cook until heated through. Add lime juice, salt, and any additional agave or curry paste to taste. (I added a 5th tsp of curry paste for some additional heat). Add in flour and stir until well incorporated. Your sauce should be a gravy-like consistency, if it is too thick stir in 1/4 - 1/2 cup additional water at this point. Remove from heat while you prepare the biscuits.

Lower oven to 400.  In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, then stir in the pumpkin, coconut milk and lemon juice until a dough forms. If your dough is very sticky add in a bit more flour, and alternately if your dough is too dry add a bit of non-dairy milk.

If you aren't already using a dutch oven, pour the pot pie filling into an oven-safe casserole dish (I used 13 x 9 glass dish). Drop handfuls of the biscuit dough onto the top of the pot pie.  Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits start to brown. Serve hot, and enjoy!


Goodnight Vegan MoFo'ers, see you tomorrow!

A month in review, a year in review: part 1

Well, hello there, I believe we have some catching up to do around here! A whole month worth of catching up in fact. They should lock me up and charge me with neglect for ignoring my blog-baby this way. I mean, I didn't even wish her a happy first birthday a few weeks ago!

Shameful.

Well, that's not entirely true. I had a 1-year-of-blogging celebration with one of my favorite things in the world: brunch. And a tasty brunch it was: tofu 'n' greens quiche with millet crust, sage and garlic sweet potato homefries, roasted asparagus, and fresh berries. I recommend this quiche, which is a combination of the crust from Ricki's quiche and the fillings from Lindsay's quiche - perfection!

Looking back on this year o' blogging I am pleased to realize that I have accomplished even more than I had hoped to. I always loved cooking, but being self taught I had limitations. The first year of this blog is largely a documentation of many firsts in my kitchen. Some of my favorite firsts were exploring Indian cuisine (and traveling to India!), making vegan cheese, simmering from-scratch soup (and subsequently many many more soups), discovering my obsession with butternut squash, and cooking with a pressure cooker.

One year later my kitchen is a totally different place. The most unexpected side effect of blogging was my decision to go vegan in January of this year. If you would have asked me a year ago if I ever thought that I would become vegan, I would have said no way. One day it just clicked, and I can no longer make sense of eating any other way. My new cruelty-free diet is so fulfilling and brings me so much happiness!

Looking to the year ahead, you can expect to see a few changes around here. First off, to reflect the big changes in my kitchen the blog title and url will likely be changing as well. I am still thinking this through, but don't worry, you will be the first to know if I decide to make the move. I have been doing a lot of cookbook cooking lately which I feel is worth sharing, so I plan to start including some cookbook reviews from time to time. Other than that, this site will continue to be a place for vegan recipes, and the documentation of many more "firsts" of mine.

I owe a big thanks to all of my fellow food bloggers for the daily inspiration. I have so enjoyed reading all of your lovely blogs and cooking your wonderful recipes. Thanks also to all of my readers, I am so honored that you choose to spend time with me in my kitchen. I should mention that any readers out there that have your own food blog but never chimed in to say hello here, please do, because I would love to read your blog too!

I will be back with part 2 tonight to catch you up on all of the goings-on of the very eventful month I spent away from blogging!

Silky Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

I was down and out with an ugly cold for the better part of the last week. Today is the first day that I woke up feeling pretty great, with just a few pesky symptoms still lingering. It's recipes like this one that save the day on the long days spent at home waiting out the return of good health. It's a very short, yet very tasty list of ingredients, that requires very little hands on time to prepare. A piping hot bowl of this smooth comforting soup is just what the doctor ordered for my sore throat. Sick or not, this soup is definitely a keeper.

Silky Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

(adapted from Vegan Feast Kitchen)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 small (or 1 medium) onions, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ginger, minced
4 cups vegetarian broth
2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
2/3 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with paprika or smoked paprika sprinkled on each bowl

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and ginger and saute until the onions are translucent. Stir in cumin and saute for another minute, stirring constantly. Add vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, and lentils and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and lentils are tender. Blend soup until smooth using blender or submersion blender. Stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve into soup bowls and garnish with paprika or smoked paprika.

Serves 4.

Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Well if that photo doesn't tempt you I don't know what will!! Seriously though, this was one of the hardest dishes I've ever tried to make pretty, and I pretty quickly gave up on that idea and focused on using a cool bowl and placemat. Despite the bad photo, this recipe is too good not to pass along. You can stop by Smitten Kitchen to see the photo that made me to want to actually cook this. This is a comforting and healthful single pot meal. On the spice-o-meter, this is another one full of spice and flavor, but is not fiery hot.

Curried Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard
(from Smitten Kitchen)

Yields 8 to 10 side-dish servings; 6 main-course servings.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional), available in health food stores
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.

Ginger-Miso Yam Wraps

You might be able to relate to my habit of zealous recipe bookmarking online, in magazines, and in cookbooks. I have the best intentions, of course, but you and I both know that many of these recipes never see the light of day.

When I spotted the recipe for Ginger Miso Yam Wraps, I had more than good intentions. The only thing that caused a few day delay from these making it from the pages of my Vegetarian Times magazine to my plate was having to collect some of the ingredients. Allow me to encourage you to bookmark this one as well and try it as soon as possible! The base ingredients are sweet potatoes, miso paste, and peanut butter. What an odd combo right? Just trust me on this one! Please don't be discouraged by the particularly bad photography, I just think that these babies aren't very photogenic.

I made these in the evening and chilled them overnight to eat for lunch the next day. Helpful note: look for the least stalky collard greens possible. The bundle that I picked up had really huge leaves and thick stalks and I struggled at first rolling these up. After experimenting I found that using the top of the leaves where the stalk was the thinnest and rolling against the stalk worked the best (NOT as pictured below, that was when I first started rolling these, and the stalk prevented at least one end from folding in). If your greens are large enough like mine were, another option is to make two wraps out of each by cutting each in half lengthwise on either side of the stalk and throwing away the stalk. Vegetarian Times notes that chard or flat-leafed kale will also work in place of the collards.



Ginger-Miso Yam Wraps
(from vegetarian times)

2 small yams or sweet potatoes (1 lb.)
2 Tbs. white miso paste
1 Tbs. smooth peanut butter
2 Tbs. finely chopped shallot
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 oz. firm silken tofu, crumbled (1 cup)
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
8 collard green leaves, stems removed

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut thin slice off both ends of yams, and poke skins with knife in several places. Bake 50 minutes, or until soft, turning once. Halve yams, and scoop flesh into bowl. Mash in miso and peanut butter.

Meanwhile, coat skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Sauté shallot, ginger, and garlic 3 minutes, or until soft. Add edamame, 1/4 cup water, and cayenne; cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat, and stir in tofu,cilantro, and yam mixture. Cool.

Place 1 collard green leaf on work surface. Spoon 1/3 cup yam mixture in center of leaf. Roll bottom edge over mixture; tuck in sides. Roll up to top edge. Place, seam-side down, and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

So surely you've figured out that I like spicy food by now. In fact, I'm guessing I've lost any hope of having any readers that don't like spicy food. Hang in there though if you're still out there, I promise I will make a serious attempt at posting non-spicy recipes. Unfortunately, there's no hope in this post (or the next one for that matter).

So onto the Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes... have you heard of this amazing side dish? I wasn't the one who first thought of mashing some chipotle peppers and sweet potatoes together, but I am a big fan! This is not at all a dish that I would classify as being extremely spicy, it's more of an underlying spiciness. The combination of chipotle peppers and lime juice give this dish a definite zip.

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

Bring water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add in potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to pan. Add half-and-half, butter, and lime juice and mash to desired consistency. Turn heat on low and bring to temperature, stirring constantly.

Take 2 peppers from can and chop. Stir in peppers, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon into potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and drizzle with a bit of adobo sauce from the chipotle pepper can. Reserve remaining peppers and sauce for another use.