Tag Archives: Wheat-Free

BLT Potato Salad

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BLT Potato Salad ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“It is easy to halve the potato where there is love.” – Irish Proverb

This clever recipe combines two American picnic classics, fakin’ bakin’, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and potato salad all in one big tasty bowl. This recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, page 95, is sure to be a big hit at your next vegan potluck.

BLT Factoids: The abbreviation ‘BLT’ first appeared in print during the early 1950s, but had already entered into common usage during the late 1940s.

The BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich) became popular when fresh lettuce and tomatoes became available year round with the rapid expansion of supermarkets after World War II.

Quinoa & Chard w/Sherry-Glazed Mushrooms

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Quinoa & Chard w/Sherry-Glazed Mushrooms ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We made this wholesome, nutritious, and deeeelicious dish from Quick-Fix Vegan, page 60, for our lunches this week. We used black-eyed peas instead of the white beans that the recipe called for and we substituted millet for the quinoa, because that’s what we had in our pantry. We also substituted shiitake mushrooms for creminis because shiitakes are incredible immunity boosters and they are oh-so-delectable. Sometimes you have to improvise, you know? ;)

Quinoa Factoid: Quinoa is native to the Andes, and was a staple of the Incas (who called it the ‘mother grain’).

Tempeh & Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls w/Whipped Carrots

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Tempeh & Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We love this cabbage roll recipe from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, page 160, not only because these tender & tasty rolls literally melt in your mouth, but also because they are so easy to make it seems like little elves are doing the work for you while you, say… read a book, go for a walk, or take a nap!

We served these with some carrots that we’d peeled, steamed, and then whipped up with some dairy-free butter using our immersion blender, as a more nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes.

Cabbage Roll Fact: According to Wikipedia, Poles (Keith’s people) call cabbage rolls gołąbki (gaw-WOHMP-kee), which literally means “little pigeons.”

I’d rather eat one of these cabbage rolls than a little pigeon any old day! ;)

Fall Harvest Fruit Butter

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Fall Harvest Fruit Butter ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“I won all the blue ribbons for canning at the state fair.” –Loretta Lynn

This is a festive fall treat made from seasonal organic pears, apples, home roasted pumpkin, agave nectar, and warming spices. Another great recipe from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 33.

This scrumptious fruit butter contains all of the flavors that you associate with autumn. It is the perfect accompaniment to crumpets, English muffins, toast, or even a humble pb&j.

The recipe also says that this can be frozen for future enjoyment, but we decided to go old-school and can this in jars to preserve it. Canning is so easy, fun, and rewarding!

Kitchen Kitty

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Kitchen Kitty ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Kitchen kitty (“culina cattus” in Latin)… I am pleased to introduce you to Leonard, the newest member of our little household. I chased this formidable tom cat down the streets of San Francisco for a year before I finally caught him! I’d seen him prowling around with a collar on for a while, but it eventually fell off. By the time he let me get close enough to him to grab him I noticed that he wasn’t even fixed. When no one came forward to claim him we took care of that and welcomed him into our home. I am so glad we did, as he is turning out to be quite a character (as can be seen in the photo above). Some of his favorite hobbies are eating, playing string, howling at 6 in the morning, and killing and eating flies (we stop him whenever we catch him in the act). Love ya’, Lenny!

Tofu Bouillabaisse

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Tofu Bouillabaisse ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“…..all the charming and beautiful things, from the Song of Songs, to bouillabaisse, and from the nine Beethoven symphonies to the Martini cocktail, have been given to humanity by men who, when the hour came, turned from tap water to something with color in it, and more in it than mere oxygen and hydrogen.” – H.L. Mencken

Just in time for autumn… hot & hearty Tofu Bouillabaisse! From one of our most-used cookbooks, The Vegan Slow Cooker, p70. This flavorful recipe eschews the fish ingredients in traditional bouillabaisses (Scorpionfish, Sea Robin, European Conger, Sea Urchins, Octopus, Mussels and Crabs) and instead uses fish-and-sea-friendly tofu, with onions, garlic, fennel, celery, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, saffron, and lime juice. This is so easy to prepare. All you need to do is chop up all of the ingredients and toss them into your slow cooker, turn your slow cooker on, and 6 hours later you will have a piping hot, luscious, fennel-and-saffron-scented pot of deliciousness.

Tofu w/Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil Served w/Congee & Braised Greens

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Tofu w/Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Bryant Terry has done it again with this terrific recipe combo! Tofu with Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil served with Congee and Braised Greens, from The Inspired Vegan, page 164. The tofu was firm, spicy and peanut-alicious, the congee was creamy as can be, and the braised greens were tender and flavorful. For those who don’t know what congee is (like myself before coming across this recipe) it’s a Cantonese rice pudding, also known as Jook.

Potato & Leek “Risotto” w/Chanterelles & Spinach

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Potato & Leek "Risotto" w/Chanterelles & Spinach - From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

I just love the cookbook Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long. This healthy and scrumptious gourmet recipe is on page 16. Being a mushroom fanatic I was excited to see that this recipe called for chanterelles, porcinis, AND shiitakes, as well as white wine, shallots, leeks, potatoes, thyme, and spinach. This dish is perfect for those cool and cloudy autumn days. It will definitely warm you up inside! I recommend eating a nice big bowl with some gluten-free bread (as shown above) before curling up with a blanket (and a warm kitty if you have one about) on the couch to read a great book and then take a little nap.

Cheeze Platter

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Cheese Platter ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Craving a tasty snack? Fix yourself a cheeze platter! :) Tempeh pimiento cheeze ball from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, page 19, and smoked “gouda” from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, page 161. Served with rice crackers and kalamata olives. Both of these dairy-free cheeses were delicious and really easy to make as well as gluten-free, wheat-free, and sugar-free. The “gouda” was made using carrots, cashews, nutritional yeast, agar flakes, tahini, lemon juice, liquid smoke, and mustard. The cheeze ball was made from tempeh, pimientos, vegan mayonnaise, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast, and then rolled in tasty toasted pecans. Say cheeze!

Purple Cow Ice Cream Floats

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Purple Cow Ice Cream Floats ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“I never saw a purple cow. I never hope to see one. But I can tell you anyhow I’d rather see than be one.” – A well-known poem by Gelett Burgess, written in 1895.

Ambrosia in a pint glass! These delightful delovely delicious floats are made using grape ice cream and vanilla cream soda. The easy-to-make ice cream recipe is from Hannah Kaminsky’s brilliant book, Vegan A La Mode, page 94. It is made using coconut milk, so it is soy-free. We used an organic, natural cream soda. These went down fast. ;)

Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew

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Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This is bar none the best chili recipe that we have ever made, even though according to the the cookbook it is officially a stew. ;) This is what you dream a can of Hormel chili would be like if it was vegan, organic, and homemade. From The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 62. We soaked our own dry black beans because they are fresher, tastier, and less expensive than canned beans, and by cooking our own beans we avoided exposure to the endocrine disrupting BPA linings they are putting in cans these days, which is always a plus. This stew was perfect with warm tortillas topped with dairy-free butter. We will be slow-cooking this yummy recipe many more times, I am sure!

Heirloom Apples ~ Pink Pearl & Red Gravenstein

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Apples: Pink Pearl & Red Gravenstein ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“My best traveling was done during winter months when the cold has settled in and my feet are bared; the icy earth quickens my step.”  – Johnny Appleseed on why he went barefoot.

How do you like them apples? I know I did… gorgeous and tasty pink pearls and red gravensteins. These heirloom apples appeared at our local health food store extraordinaire, Rainbow Grocery Co-op last week. Neither Keith nor I had ever seen pink pearls before. They were so pretty I just had to take a picture of them to share with you. They were creamy pink on he outside, and fuschia on the inside! The gravensteins gave the pearls a run for the money, too. They were a beautiful vivid ruby red in color, with green accents. Both varieties were crunchy, sweet, and juicy, and were perfect lunch break apples. :) Be sure to eat your apple a day, as apples are high in fiber and vitamin C and apple pectin is powerful at cleansing the body of residual radiation (and we all know that we’re getting more than our fair shares of radiation from wireless devices and nuclear fallout these days).

Millet-Crusted Mushroom-Leek Pie

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Millet Crusted Mushroom Leek Pie ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This savory, meaty pie was a real treat! From The Urban Vegan by Denise Balcavage, page 140. It has a simple to make gluten-free crust, and a filling of mushrooms (we used shiitake and enoki) and leeks. I accidentally added 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast to the crust instead of 2 tablespoons and it was still amazing! This is the first time that we’ve ever cooked millet, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The crust recipe could be used as a gluten-free option for any savory pie filling. Millet is high in protein, rich in nutrients, and a great energy source.

Cherry Cola Ice Cream

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Cherry Cola Ice Cream ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This uber-rich and incredibly delicious ice cream recipe is from the inspired cookbook Vegan A La Mode, by Hannah Kaminsky, page 80. We made this in our indispensable Gelato Pro Ice Cream Maker, which is made in Italy and is self-cooling so you don’t need to put any part of the machine into the freezer, which usually takes up precious freezer space.

This is a fun recipe to make, as you get to create your own cola simple syrup to use. It’s also bursting at the seams with ripe, fresh summer cherries, and has the creaminess of coconut milk to boot.

We served this piled high on gluten-free sugar cones.

Franks & Beans

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Franks'n'Beans ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We made these smoky, hearty franks & beans for our workweek lunches. Doubling a recipe is always a good idea if you want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time relaxing with your family and friends. This easy and super-yummy recipe comes from the Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking cookbook, page 146. We used Field Roast’s Frankfurters (my favorite vegan dogs) for the franks. Boy did this hit the spot!

Velvety Grits w/Sautéed Summer Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Parsley-Walnut Pesto

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Velvety Grits w/Sautéed Summer Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Parsley-Walnut Pesto ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Can I tell you how much I am loving grits lately? :) This was made using another easy, winning recipe from Bryant Terry’s fabulous The Inspired Vegan, page 107. Such a great dish for summer! The flavors of the creamy grits, sauteed squash, juicy tomatoes, and lemony parsley pesto were bright and satisfying. I love the idea of a parsley-walnut pesto because parsley is an excellent tonic for the kidneys and walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. This is definitely one to make while heirloom tomatoes are in season.

South American Chili w/Bak’n, Cheeze, & Roasted Pepper Corn Muffins

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South American Chili w/Bak'n, Cheeze, & Roasted Pepper Corn Muffins ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog.

We brought this to work this week and ate the muffins for breakfast and the chili for lunch. We always try to cook enough on the weekends for breakfast and lunch during the week, which is a real time-saver for us. The hearty and healthy chili recipe is from Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking, page 140. It is made using pinto beans, fresh corn, potatoes, amaranth, and quinoa. The corn muffins were made using our own recipe.

Savory Grits w/Sauteed Lima Beans, Roasted Fennel, & Thyme

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Savory Grits w/Sauteed Lima Beans, Roasted Fennel, & Thyme ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Keith and I had never had grits before, and we did not know what we were missing! This phenomenal recipe form Bryant Terry’s cookbook The Inspired Vegan is full of flavors galore. The grits were creamy and cheesy, the beans were oh so tender, and the roasted fennel was caramelized to perfection in the oven. We used smoked rock salt on the fennel, which lent a nice smokehouse flavor to the dish. The recipe called for broad beans but stated that lima beans could be used instead. We couldn’t find broad beans at our local health food store, so we substituted frozen lima beans. We also drizzled some really nice olive oil on top after plating. This is an excellent soy and gluten-free meal option.

Fresh Tomato Salad

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Fresh Tomato Salad ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This salad was indeed very fresh and tangy! Made using 3 varieties of seasonal heirloom tomatoes, red butter lettuce, chopped fresh herbs, and a truly delicious tarragon vinaigrette. This salad would be a great companion to virtually any entree. From 1,000 Vegan Recipes, by Robin Robertson, page 65.

Cashew Cheesecake w/Raspberries

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Cashew Cheesecake w/Raspberries - From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

From The Now and Zen Epicure, page 217. Recipe doubled – because who wants only 1 cheesecake? We substituted agave for the honey, since we’re vegan. :) We also skipped the orange glaze and topped the cakes off with fresh raspberries. This was so rich and tasty… I’d like to make it again soon!

Una Fiesta Bonita!

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Una Fiesta Bonita! - from Vegetate, Vegan Cooking and Food Blog

Tortilla soup with pico de gallo and spicy tortilla strips from The Real Food Daily Cookbook, pinto beans with homemade guacamole, and sassy virgin margaritas from I Am Grateful: Recipes and Lifestyle of Cafe Gratitude.