The Ghetto Vegan

EW. That is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of McDonald's. Cramps. Dirty feeling in my mouth. Canker sores. Every now and then, while blogging here, I notice McDonald's banner ads at the top and bottom of the page. Urg. URG!

I am really displeased that they are advertising on my vegan food blog, unhealthy as it may be at times. That is just not real food. (I suspect they use cocaine in their fries to make them super addictive)

Anyways. That's my gripe and my plea: I don't support McDonald's... and Please don't eat their food! It's very bad for you.

Serves many, 6+

From Food

Vegetables:
• 3-4 medium potatoes, washed (or peeled and washed) and cut into bite sized chunks
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and chunked
• 1 small can of tomato paste, or a larger can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 c. cooked chick peas
• 1 small can coconut milk, shaken
• 4-5 large cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 large onion, or 2 small ones, peeled and diced
• 1/4 c. olive oil (I might be inclined to use less, but Indian-style curries tend be on the oily side, though I am not proclaiming this to be authentic)
• chopped green chilies if you have them (optional)
• small bunch of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, and extra for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 c. water

Spices:
1 1/2 tsp. of the following:
• chili powder
• garam masala (available at Indian/Desi stores - making your own is way more expensive)
• paprika
• turmeric
• fenugreek (optional) and a little extra for sprinkling

1/4 tsp. of the following:
• cumin
• cinnamon
• ground cloves (again making use of my food processor's worst experience ever)
• ginger (fresh or dried - for fresh, use a bit more and add in with the chilies)
• cayenne peppers

- Fry the onion and garlic in hot oil (med-high) for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. They should not be dark brown.
- Turn heat down to med. low and begin adding spices. Add chilies if you have them.
- Mix all together and bring heat up again, to about medium high
- Add water and allow to simmer for 3 mins
- Add tomato paste and mix well (add a bit more water if needed, by the tbsp.)
- Add veggies and bring heat to medium (slightly higher for a non-gas stove)
- Get it up to a nice, light boil and add coconut milk
- Mix well together, checking that the consistency isn't too thick
- Add optional parsley. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft

Serve over Basmati rice, or with naan, rotis or pitas

I guess I was inspired by soy nog the other day. It was really good. And since I foolishly smeared my processor trying to crush cloves, I was determined to use them and their candycane/pink chicken bone flavor. I've eaten 4 of these already - they're really good - though not the typical, non-vegan shortbread texture. I find them a bit chewier.

From Food

For the shortbread idea, I used THIS recipe from l.a. kitchen., a site I just discovered and am going to likely spend hours reading now. Use the instructions on this page.

Ingredients:
¾ cups margarine
¾ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1/8 cup cocoa (only add to the half of the dough you want to be chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla

I followed all of these, but then added:
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

I rolled the separate doughs in foil, not parchment, and put them in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up before cutting them. I baked them for 10 minutes at 325˚

From Food

It's truly amazing what a block of extra firm tofu can do. Just fry it in some hot oil, add some soy sauce, nooch (or nutritional yeast - about 2 huge pinches), onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes... *droool* A really nice and simple variation of this I came up with recently is as follows:

Fry the tofu as described above until it becomes golden brown. Add a can of tomato soup, and a bit more nooch, some salt, peas, corn, etc, spinach. Simmer for 10-20 minutes. I also added some seasoning

But anyhoo

Beans and Tofu
• 1 block of extra firm or firm tofu - Prepare tofu as described above (NOT the tomato soup variation - although would likely be delicious)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp/ cayenne pepper (or more for spice)
• few dashes of soy sauce
• small can of washed kidney beans (any kind actually)
• bit of paprika (smoked if you have it)
• 3 pinches of fenugreek (optional)

Basically just add spices to the cooking tofu. Add the beans and cook on med-low for 4-5 minutes.

Easy squash
• 1 squash, any size
• 1-2 tbsp brown sugar, depending on the size of the squash
• 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic or 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all together, except for squash, in a bowl. Set aside.

Cut the squash in half, in the middle (not on the ends where the stems are - I've never tried that way). Scoop out the seeds and stringy veins in the middle. Place on a baking sheet or foil. Brush both sides of the squash liberally with the mixture. Bake in a 350˚ oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size, or until a knife goes in easily. Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and scoop out into a bowl. If the shell retains it's shape, serve it in there. Ghetto Fabulous!

*Alternative: What my dad did was just place everything in the middle of the squash, only instead of olive oil he used margarine. Not as healthy, but way, way more delicious. Just be sure to brush the squash with oil to keep it from burning.

From Food

• 1 large block of tofu, cut into approx. 9 horizontal slices, then sliced in half, so you have 18 - 20 triangles

Marinade:
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 c. water (or enough to make sure tofu is covered)
• 1/8 c. plain soy milk (optional)
• dash of seasoning mix (optional)

In a large bowl, place tofu pieces in marinade for at least 24 hours (it really makes a big difference in the flavor). Make sure the tofu is covered, adding more water and soy sauce if needed.

Coating (mix in a large bowl or shallow baking dish)
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs or matzo meal, or a combination of both (a bit of cornmeal will add even more crunchiness, but I find the coating tends to come off more easily when cornmeal is involved)
• 1/2 c. flour or starch (most kinds work for me, except chick pea flour - potato starch is very nice)
• 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast (do yourself a favor - it's delish)
• 2 tbsp. vegan chicken or veg. flavouring

In a large, non-stick skillet, place enough oil to cover the bottom. Turn the heat to medium. Place a few pieces of tofu at a time in the coating mixturen and toss, mix with your hands, or flip, coating all sides. I'm a fan of the toss, personally, which is why I often opt for the large bowl. When the tofu is coated, leave in the bowl until ready to fry. Place the coated tofu in the hot oil, and cook until brown on each side, turning with a fork. Drain on paper towels or a clean paper bag. Repeat until all tofu is cooked.

I was feeling indulgent today, and thought some icing would be a decadent addition to my chewy chocolate cake.

From Food

Follow the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Cake. Let cake cool before icing.

Chocolate Icing: (taken from Chow.com)

• 1/4 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
• 1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup plain soy milk or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. cocoa, sifted

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

From Food

(Shown here with crispy tofu nuggets). Potatoes and carrots, to be specific. For those vegans out there who use honey, which I imagine are not many, I recommend it here for it's added sweetness (while I don't consider honey to be vegan, I personally had a huge stash after going vegan, and I consider it relatively healthy, so I don't beat myself up over honey, or even the occasional questionable spring roll every now and then). Honey debate aside, I used corn syrup as well, and I imagine maple syrup would be perfect. But this is the ghetto vegan, and I can't afford maple syrup (plus I'm not sure about it's sweetness level, so I make no promises if you go the maple route)

You will need... (for about 3 or 4 people as a side dish - I fed 2 with leftovers)

First, prep your veggies

• 3 medium potatoes, washed, not peeled, sliced in half, then quartered and cut into wedges (see the video below with great instructions for wedging, and a delicious recipe for seasoned potato wedges)
• 5 - 6 medium carrots, cut into large, equal size chunks

Glaze
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn syrup plus a bit of brown sugar (white sugar might work well)
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/2 tsp vinegar (go for Balsamic... I DARE you! It's only a 1/2 tsp)
• t/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp fresh garlic (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil

As always, adjust according to taste! Food is meant to be experimented with.

Blend all well in a small bowl until blended (it won't be completely blended, until you really work that whisk).

Toss all veggies together in a bowl, adding some olive oil, seasoning salt, paprika, etc. or any other herbs and spices you want to add. Add glaze mix and mix well. Bake the potatoes skin side down and on a regular baking tray, or if you have a fancy silicone baking sheet, any damn way you please. The potatoes may stick a bit, but placing them skin side down (wedge side UP), helps with the sticking and cleanup. Bake at about 425˚ for 20-25 minutes, piercing them to check softness.

From Food

Veganomicon having failed me without a babaghanouj recipe, I decided to follow the ingredients list on my favorite store-bought brand (Sunflower kitchens) and make my own. (If, by chance, the veganomicon does have some babaghanouj recipe that I missed, please comment or shoot me an email)

I like mine better than the store-bought. Me liking my own creations first time around is extremely RARE. I don't think I'll change a thing next time, except maybe adding a little salt.

Note: I've heard recently that eggplants have "genders" and that "males" taste better. Apparently the trick is looking at the dimple on the bottom of the eggplant: oval, long shape is a female, and a smaller circle shape is a male. This is what I have heard, but I love all eggplants equally.

• 1 large eggplant, roasted in the over, or cut into thick slices and fried until tender (do yourself a favor and fry eggplant on a non-stick pan). Peeling the eggplant is also an option, especially if roasting (it can get crunchy), but I left my skins on.
• 5-6 cloves roasted garlic (I simply peel mine, toss with olive and bake until tender - you can also roast a whole bulb by chopping off the top, oiling it up, and wrapping in foil). Roasting saves having to grind or mash the garlic
• 1/3 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
• Juice of 1/2 medium lemon, or more to taste (more wouldn't hurt)
• pinch of salt

Blend in a food processor until smooth. Most of the work is in the prep.

My breakfast:

From Food

Plain, basic black olive tapenade

From Food

Simple:

• 1 can of black, pitted olives, rinsed and drained (kalamata would be even better)
• 3 tsps capers
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Place in a processor and blend until smooth.

Taken from the Veganomicon (I love my boyfriend, who gave me this delightful cookbook as a birthday gift)

From Food

• 2 c. cornmeal
• 2 c. plain soy milk
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I used white vinegar)
• 1 c. flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. oil

Preheat oven to 350˚. Lightly grease a cast iron pan, baking dish, or a cake pan. Combine soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until just mixed. Lumps are ok. Bake for 20-32 minutes, depending on the depth of your pan. The recipe calls for 30-32 minutes, but mine was a bit overdone after only 25 minutes, I assume because I used a relatively shallow baking dish. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Fresh out of the oven...

From Food

After I'd attacked it...

From Food

• 2 servings cooked linguine
• 3 - 4 fresh or frozen roma tomatoes, skins off
• 1/4 c. roasted red peppers
• 1/2 tsp each: dries basil, oregano, salt and pepper
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh garlic
• 1/4 c. coconut milk
• 1 small onion, cut into rings or slivers
• 2 tbsp. Oil for cooking
• a few green beans or half a zucchini

Optional for crispy top
• 2 - 3 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast flakes (as a topping for broiling - and for B vitamins!)
• 1 tbsp. bread crumbs
• coarse salt

Fry onions on med. high or until slightly brown and crispy. Add tomatoes and beans and cook for about 5 mins, stirring often. When tomatoes begin to soften, add remaining ingredients and reduced heat to med-low. Cook, stirring often, until veggies are soft. Add coconut milk and cook until slightly bubbly, then add noodles. Toss together, transfer to a baking dish and top with Optional ingredients. Broil for 7-10 minutes or until brown and crispy.

From Food

• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and mashed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. granulated onion (optional)
• 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper - more if you like it spicy - or fresh chopped chillies if you have them. Which I did. I am just supremely lazy.

Mix together. Top with sundried tomatoes. Serve with bread, tortillas, pitas, crackers or spread on sandwiches.

From Food

*drool factor of about a million*

From Food

These were pretty easy to make, though time-consuming. I got the idea from my dad who makes delicious non-vegan stuffed green peppers, so credit to my dad Gary who taught me much of what I know :)

You'll need:

• 5-6 medium washed peppers, tops cut off and saved, seeds and veins removed. Alternatively, you can slice them in half and fill both halves. In a baking dish with a thin layer of water on the bottom, lightly salt the inside of the peppers and place in a 350˚ oven while you make your stuffing (They should bake for about 20 minutes or so). This will soften them up and speed up the process.

• 4-5 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 c. zucchini, cut into small chunks
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• a few spare green beans if you have them, cut into small pieces
• pinch or two of smoked paprika and salt
• 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast, plus a bit extra
• 4 tbsp. soy sauce (more or less, to taste)
• oil for frying
• 3/4 c. washed and drained basmati rice
• 3/4 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil

In a skillet (with a lid) cook onions and tomatoes (and green beans or anything else solid you want to add) on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until onions begin to soften and brown lightly. Add red pepper, zucchini and other light veggies you want to add and cook for about 5 minutes on medium, stirring often.

Add the remainder of ingredients except for the water and rice. Mix all well. Turn heat up to high. Add water and rice. Blend well and allow to boil. Reduce heat to low and cover for 15-20 minutes (perhaps longer, depending on your stove - add a bit more water if needed), or until rice is cooked and fluffy. Stir well and stuff into your peppers, making sure you pat the mixture down. Sprinkle tops with coarse salt and nutritional yeast (and basil?) and bake for about 10 more minutes. Remove and broil until lightly brown and crispy.

Serve with a fork, knife, and maybe even a spoon.

( food porn... click! )

Just tried this and it's delicious! So much better than quasi-disgusting eggs :)

From Food

All I used:
• 1 block firm tofu, crumbled (largish chunks are ok)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• leftover black olives, chopped (3 or 4 large)
• 1 or 2 small tomatoes, chunked
• 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
• oil for frying
• pepper (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. granulated onion
• garlic, chopped or pressed (optional)

*works best on a non-stick pan

Fry onions until half way done. Add tofu and cook on medium high, stirring or tossing often, for about 5 minutes. Add yeast flakes and mix well. Add peppers, tomatoes, olives (or anything else you have like mushrooms, spinach, etc) and continue to cook until veggies are soft. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on med until tofu starts browning. Serve with toast! Yummmmmy!

Easy Tomato Rice



I made this from garden tomatoes and a red onion. Very simple

• 3 - 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced or sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, whole
• 1/2 c. basmati uncooked and washed rice
• 1/2 c. cold water
• 2 tbsp. oil
• salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• seasoning mix (optional)

Cook onions, tomatoes and garlic in oil over high heat until slightly browned and crispy. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until soft. Half way through, add all spices.

When tomatoes and onions are soft, add washed basmati rice and water. Add extra salt (couple of pinches). Cover and cook on low heat until rice is cooked.

( more pics )

Adapted from everydaydish.tv and the amazing Julie Hasson. I made some modifications and they were a bit dry (though delicious nonetheless) so I suggest following her recipe.

To view the video, Click here

Do yourself a favor: invest in a bottle of roasted red peppers. I was hesitant for a long time, but I am so glad I finally put down that $2.99 for a bottle.

• 1 portuguese almond-shaped bun, halved and lightly toasted
• 2 tbsp Spicy Dijonaise spread
• 1 sliced Roma tomato (mine was from the garden. So yummy
• 1/2 julienned red peppers
• lettuce
• seasoning salt (optional)
• salt and pepper (optional)

Spread dijonaise on bread. Layer stuff the way you like it. I'd serve it with pickles and olives and chips if possible.

For a variation... ( Pics )

So simple:

3 parts vegan mayo (I used Nayonaise)
1 part Dijon Mustard

Blend

I was craving Crunchy noodle from Noodle Bowl! So I decided to get creative.



• cooked chow mein or Cantonese-style noodles, tossed with soya sauce
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 2 chopped celery stalks
• 1/2 c. baby carrots
• handful of green beans (optional - they were ready to pick)
• 2 roma tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 c. soya sauce
• 1/4 c. cashews
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• vegan chicken flavouring (I use Osem)
• 2 cloves garlic, whole (or chopped)

Place cooked noodles on a lightly oiled baking pan, or an open pouch of foil. Baked at 400˚, turning if necessary, until lightly brown and crispy.

While baking, heat some oil in a skillet or wok and add garlic (if whole), tomatoes, carrots and green beans. Add 1/4 c. or more of water. Bring to high heat. Add flavouring and any spices. Lower heat to medium and cover, letting the carrots get tender. Cook for 7-10 mins, stirring or tossing often. When almost soft, add remaining ingredients (including garlic if you opted for chopped). Cover and simmer on med, adding more water to keep from sticking.

Pour over crunchy noodles. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, citrus fruits and chopped nuts.

( Close-up view )

• 1 small can navy white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 roasted red pepper, chopped
• 3 - 3 cloves roasted garlic (I just put mine in a bowl, tossed in olive oil, in a 300˚ oven until lightly brown)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper if you like it spicy
• juice of one lemon
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. tahini


Blend well in a food processor, scooping and stirring, until smooth.