VEGAN LOVE – Page 7 – The Vegan Love Project

Sautéed Almond Tofu

Serve this with sprouted brown rice and a side of greens…a little hot sauce and this meal is PERFECTION.

Sautéed Almond Tofu

1 lb firm tofu, pressed, drained, cubed

2T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp chili flakes or 1 fresh chili pepper, minced

2T maple syrup

2T GF tamari or Shoyu

Juice from ½ a lemon

1/4 cup roasted almonds (or peanuts!), chopped (optional)

In a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic and hot pepper in oil just until golden Add the tofu and continue to sauté until the tofu is browned on all sides, tossing often. Add the shoyu or Tamari sauce and the lemon juice. When the moisture is absorbed by the tofu, add the maple syrup and then the almonds. Continue to sauté until all of the liquid has cooked into the tofu.

Delicious hot or cold.

Sugo..Red Sauce…Marinara….

A STAPLE SAUCE. MAKE IT. FREEZE IT. ALWAYS HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE.

Ellen’s Simple Marinara Sauce

2 large cloves garlic, smashed & minced

1 large can (28oz) of diced or crushed tomatoes – I used the equivalent from a glass jar (Bionatura brand)

1c water

1 large onion, medium dice

1/4t black pepper

1/4t cayenne (opt) or one whole small chili

1/4c extra virgin olive oil

1T maple syrup or agave

1t salt or to taste

1T-dried or fresh parsley *opt

In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic with the sweetener until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley (dried), salt, black and red pepper. Add the water and allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, adjust the seasonings. Add in the parsley (fresh).

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.

FOR A SMOOTHER SAUCE:

In batches, in a blender or vita mix*, puree the tomato sauce until desired consistency is achieved. Adjust the seasonings again after pureeing.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous.

Raw Cashew Cream Cheese

This cheese is EXCEPTIONAL….full of pro-biotics (belly healthful bacteria), it is incredibly creamy and delicious. Easy easy easy to make. It’s raw, its animal free, dairy free, gluten free AMAZINGNESS…..It’s sort of like, why WOULDN’T you make it?….

Raw Cashew Cream Cheese- Savory

1c raw cashews

1c raw sauerkraut (not pasteurized)

1T dulse flakes

1t raw agave or raw local honey

1 clove garlic

1/2t pink salt

3T of coconut oil

3-4T water- just enough to process until smooth- less is better!

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In a blender, add in all of the ingredients except the water and blend until totally creamy and smooth. Add the water as needed, 1T at a time. Pour into a jar with a locking lid (gasket, air sealed) and close it up. There should be at least 3 inches of space to give the cheese a chance to bloom. Label it, date it and place in a dark and warm place for 12-24 hours.

Transfer the jar into the refrigerator and allow to set up and cure for at least a week.

This is a pro-biotic rich cheese!

Delicious as a base for savory dips and spreads
Amazing spread on toast, bagels, and crackers

Spicy Chickpea Hummus

I make this all the time…so good to have in the house as a quick source of veggie protein for sandwiches, salads, fresh vegetable dipping. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and is a vegan staple. The addition of the fresh chili pepper gives it an unbelievable amount of kick without being overwhelming. I also use RAW tahini, and fresh lemon juice (NEVER bottled) in this recipe- I take the RAW nutrition wherever I possibly can…..YUM.

Spicy Chickpea Hummus

2c Cooked chickpeas

2t ground cumin

1/2t Hungarian paprika

1/2c extra virgin olive oil

2T sesame tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1/4t black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1t pink salt

1 fresh chili pepper, seeds and all

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

If needed, add a few teaspoons of water to help turn the mixture and help it along. Adjust seasoning to taste

** can be made raw with 2c sprouted chick peas

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

4 thin skinned potatoes, washed and scrubbed, skin on

3T-1/4c extra virgin olive oil

2t chili powder

1-1/2t sweet paprika (Hungarian)

1t pink salt

1T vegan butter *optional

¼t fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Slice the potatoes lengthwise and then into thirds, cutting pieces no larger than 1 1/2-inch cubes.

In a saucepan, place potatoes with a little salt and add water to cover just up to ½ of the potatoes. Cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes.

Drain well and transfer to a bowl.

Toss with the olive oil, spices and seasonings. Pour into a shallow baking dish and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a little and drop small pieces of vegan butter throughout. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, toss the potatoes around in the pan a bit and then reduce the heat to 375 and roast for an additional 30 minutes or until edges are crisped and golden. Serve immediately.

Hungarian Vegan “Chicken” Paprikash

This is a stove top version of my Grandmother’s traditional Hungarian dish that was one of my most favorites growing up. My grandma would cook whole chicken legs in white rice bathed in oil, with onions and a ton of Hungarian paprika. My mom would kid that in order to make this properly, you need a full gallon of oil. If you are not interested in using a “fake” chicken product, or would like this dish to be gluten free, chickpeas replace the “chicken” in this dish remarkably well; it is equally delicious although not as familiar as what I grew up on. I served this with a huge side of Sautéed Kale.

Vegan Chicken Paprikash

1 pound vegan chicken pieces, drained (I use Westsoy)

1/2t pink Salt

1/2t black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, medium dice

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

4c Water

2T Hungarian paprika

3c sprouted brown rice, pre-cooked OR 1 1/2 basmati or Carolina rice un-cooked

1 bouillon cube or replace the water with veggie broth

In a large heated pot, sauté ¼ of the onion in 1 T of oil until golden and just brown. Add the fake chicken and sauté until and heated through and it has a little bit of color on it- then remove it from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the remaining onions and olive oil and sauté for 6-8 minutes. Add in the paprika, salt, pepper and the bouillon cube and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the cooked rice and add back in the chicken, and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook partially covered for an additional 30-40 minutes stirring minimally. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes undisturbed prior to serving.

Early Fall #NOFAIL Vegetable Soup

All of the vegetables are happening now, everything was either from my garden or local from the farm market. I had made the chickpeas earlier in the week so I had some in the fridge- another bean would fare well. I had sprouted the rice the day before and cooked it to have it in the house. This recipe would be a great way to use up simple leftovers you may have on hand. Any combination of vegetables would be delicious in this, the addition of sautéed greens versus adding them fresh is a boost of flavor for the soup.

Early Fall Vegetable Soup

1 carrot, sliced on the diagonal

½ onion, medium dice

1 stalk celery, sliced on the diagonal

1 clove garlic, smashed, minced

1 small thin skinned potato, medium dice

1/4t cayenne pepper or ¼ of fresh hot pepper

1/2c chickpeas, cooked

2T extra virgin olive oil

½ ear corn off the cob

2c kale, sautéed or raw

1/2c brown rice, cooked

4c boiling water

2T fresh herbs *optional

Salt

Pepper

Bring 6c of water to a boil- in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft. Add the carrots, celery, salt, black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the veggies turn bright, stirring often. Add the chickpeas, potatoes and the rice, mixing them into the vegetables. Add the boiling water and bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh corn and kale.

Adjust the seasonings before serving.

Chocolate-Chocolate Cake With Cacao-Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

This is a recipe based off of a Simple Treats Chocolate Cake. This cake has a delicious rich chocolatey taste, made with whole grain barley flour and no wheat. The recipe is super straight forward and amazing with this vegan Buttercream Frosting. I used cocoa powder for the cake and RAW cacao powder for the frosting- who says sugar can’t have a superfood kick to it. Let the cake cool entirely before frosting it with room temperature buttercream. You can also make the cake a day in advance and place it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready for frosting.

Chocolate-Chocolate Cake

Dry:

1-1/2c barley flour

1/2c cocoa powder

1/2c coconut sugar (palm sugar) maple sugar or sucanat

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1/2t salt

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Wet:

1/4c canola oil

1/4c maple syrup

1/2c cashew nut milk

1T vanilla

1t chocolate extract

1t apple cider vinegar

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, except for the sugar.

Combine all of the wet ingredients in a small bowl.

Mix the wet into the dry and pour into a well-oiled pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for another 10-12 minutes. Cake is done when a knife or cake tester comes out clean from the middle.

Cacao Hazlenut ButterCream Frosting

3/4 c vegan butter

3/4c vegan shortening

1/2c cacao OR cocoa powder

2-1/2c powdered sugar

1t vanilla extract

1t hazelnut extract

1t chocolate extract

1T cashew nut milk

In a medium-large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, or by hand if you are ambitious, cream the powdered sugar with the vegan shortening until mixture is thick, fluffy and well combined. Add the cashew nut milk, cocoa powder and the flavorings, and continue to mix until smooth.

Smashed Potato Gnocchi

These are INCREDIBLE. I used the leftovers from the Smashed Potatoes, with just a little bit of flour, these transform into one of my most favorite Italian delicacies. Gnocchi gone bad are just not a good scene, heavy, clumps of dough that stay with you long after you’ve eaten them- THESE WERE NOT THOSE GNOCCHI!. They were light and had the perfect dumpling like texture. I tossed them with a Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce and they only thing that was unfortunate about this meal was that there were ZERO leftovers.

Potato Gnocchi

2c mashed potatoes, or leftover smashed potatoes

3/4c organic unbleached flour + for dusting

1T extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

3T organic cornmeal

In a large bowl, re-smash the potatoes, making sure there are no lumps. Add the flour, olive oil, salt and pepper into the bowl and with clean hands, form everything into a ball of dough.

Turn out the dough onto a clean surface lightly covered in cornmeal. Cut the dough into two.

Work one half at a time by rolling it with both hands into a ½” thick rope. With a pastry cutter, cut ½” pieces on the bias.

Gently roll each piece and pinch the ends towards each other and place on a plate lightly coated in cornmeal. Do this until all of the dough is used.

In batches, drop the gnocchi into heavily salted boiling water and scoop out with a slotted spoon after they rise to the surface.

If not using right away, or if you have more than you can eat or you made extra, place the plate of gnocchi in the freezer. Once partially frozen, transfer them into a storage container like a baggie or glass container to keep for a later day.

Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce

Fresh Tomato & Basil Sauce

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

4c tomatoes, diced

1/4c fresh basil, lightly packed, chopped

1/4t black pepper

1/4c water

1/2-1 fresh cherry bomb, chili or other hot pepper, minced

1/3c extra virgin olive oil

1t salt or to taste

In a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, black and red pepper. Allow the tomatoes to break down and to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.