Secret Ingredient BLT

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light"

(a line of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day in October)

Day 10 : Secret Ingredient

"Unfiltered Light on Sand, Grand Haven, MI"

I admit that for vegans, tofurky is NOT a surprise ingredient. We have been eating it for years and years, but I think my hubby has invented the BEST way to use the stuff! So GOOD! We eat them like there's no tomorrow, juice running down our hands and mayo on our chins. We don't care. We keep eating. No time to reach for a napkin....if you set the sammie down, it might fall apart and that would be a shame....so we just keep eating. Sandwich after sandwich after sandwich. 

Here's what you need:

1 box peppered tofurky slices

fresh tomatoes

iceberg lettuce

mayo

maple syrup

soy sauce

liquid smoke

good, thin white bread (like Pepperidge Farm Sandwich bread)

Prepare to be amazed at this secret way to make bacon for the world's best vegan BLT.

Here's what you do:

Make a slurry of maple syrup (maybe about 2-3 T), liquid smoke (maybe about 1 t), and soy sauce (maybe about 2 t). Use a pastry brush to lightly brush each slice of tofurky. Fry them lightly in a tiny bit of corn oil, flipping once. Brush on more saucy goodness after you flip them. 

DELICIOUS! 

Mushroom Poppers

Notice the Michigan State plate. 

Recently my brother-in-law and son came over for the weekend to watch the Michigan vs Michigan State football game. If you know anything about the state of Michigan, then you know we love college football. Half of us walk around wearing green and white and the other half of us walk around wearing maize and blue. One of the “You Know You Are from Michigan” signs is if you have a drawer full of sports jerseys, hats, socks, jammies, sweaters, jackets, and undies because we also don our Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Lions garb. I have been known to wear my Detroit Tigers jersey to school on dress-down day. Apparently this is not done in other states?  Don’t judge us – it’s fun!

We are a house divided: hubby is a proud graduate of MSU and kid number three is a student there (Go Green!) -- while kid number one is a proud graduate of U of M and kid number two is working his way through U of M (Go Blue!)  I, on the other hand, am a proud Central Michigan University graduate (Fire Up Chips!) But in honesty, none of this makes much difference to us, because we are pretty mild sports fans – except for my husband who can get pretty caught up in a football game. And basketball too – but that’s another topic.

Leftovers for dinner the next day. 

So anyway, the big game was a few weeks ago and I decided to make some fancy finger foods. My famous stuffed potato skins, Gardein Chicken Nuggets (LOVE those things!), and these Mushroom Poppers. The recipe comes from Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s “The Vegan Table.” The recipe seemed pretty basic, but in reality the end result was way, way too salty for my palate. This was my first attempt at stuffed mushrooms, but I want to try again using much less bacon and adding some bread crumbs and more herbs. Rounding out the heavy cream cheese taste and cutting back on the salty bacon flavor. 

Give it a try and let me know….. or better yet, send me your favorite stuffed mushroom recipe. I could use it.

Here’s what you need:

15 – 20 white or brown mushrooms, stems removed and wiped clean

5 oz veggie bacon – about 12 strips- heated and minced

8 oz non dairy cream cheese – room temperature

3 garlic cloves – minced or grated

Chives

Fresh pepper

Here’s what you do:

Mix the bacon, cheese, garlic and chives together. Fill each mushroom cap with about a teaspoonful. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

BLT - vegan style

V is for Variety and B is for Bacon

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo)  I intend to post 20 times during the month of September – all about vegan food. Check out the gals who organize the project here, and search out other fantastic vegan bloggers. I decided on the theme of “V is for Variety” because, honestly, once I quit the chicken breast – my food choices exploded! Join me!

Is it just me, or has the American public gone crazy-bonkers over bacon? You see it everywhere nowadays: ice cream, chocolate, puddings, cakes, sprinkled on top of just about everything. Maple cured, sugar glazed, deep fried, peppered.  I've seen it wrapped around turkeys, chickens and pork roasts. I've seen it on pizzas, in soups, and of course on top of triple-decker beef burgers dripping with cheese and mayo.  All of a sudden it seems very 'manly' to eat as much bacon as you possibly can, and woe to those of us who do not choose to partake! Wimps! Turncoats! Sissies! Un-American! What's happening here?

I suppose there was a time in our history when bacon was a viable choice for a low cost protein on the plate; maybe during the depression years, served with cabbage or on white bread. Back in the days when women saved the bacon grease to reuse it. But I am telling you, those days are gone. Let them go! Look to your future. Put down the bacon. 

My mom used to make us toasted open face bacon and American cheese sandwiches and I remember that I loved them, but I did not eat a pound of bacon in a sitting! Rather, a slice or two - just enough to satisfy that craving that we humans have for fat, sugar and salt. True, bacon can satisfy that! But so can other foods, and with much less damage to our bodies. 

I could not believe my taste buds when I took my first bite of this sandwich. Fat - check! Sugar - check! Salt - check! I made these BLTs twice last week - it's that good. The second time I served it wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.....HEAVEN! :) drool ...I am telling you this tastes like bacon, but seriously, better somehow. 

So what is tempeh? It's actually soy beans and sometimes other grains (like brown rice or barley) that have been fermented and pressed into a square. You slice it and dice it and you're ready to roll. It's an ancient food and it's eaten all over the world, (except, apparently, by Americans who are eating pounds of bacon). You can saute it, marinate it, grill it. It has a super nutty and chewy taste. LOVE!  

As I set this sandwich down in front of my husband, we exchanged these few words: 

I said, “Vegan rave about this.”
He said, “When vegans rave, we must listen.”

Then we each ate two sandwiches. 'Nuff said.

Oh...here's the recipe! Zillions upon zillions of thanks to the awesome Colleen Patrick-Goudreau! 

Food Revolution Minestrone Soup

Hello friends! Is it still too warm to be posting a soup recipe? We love soup around here and this is a keeper.....anything from Food Revolution is A+. If you haven't tried any of Jamie Oliver's recipes, I highly suggest them. I have a few on the blog, so check them out by clicking on the index to the right. 

What is it about soup? People either love it or hate it. Me? I’m a lover….a true lover. Soup is such a comfort to me because it fills not only my stomach, but my soul. Even if the weather gets a little warm, soup is still on my menu.  It’s cheap. It’s easy. It only takes one pot to make. It usually freezes well and it makes a great meal for lunch the next day. Tracy's Living Cookbook blog is filled with great soup recipes. Click around and see for yourself. 

As I write this, I have three minestrone soup recipes:

                Mom’s Minestrone – This recipe uses canned veggies and has a weird secret ingredient. I’m not giving it way here –you’ll have to click here if you are curious.

                Hearty Minestrone from Cook’s Illustrated. I hope you are all reading and cooking from this fine magazine. The recipes there are a bit complicated, but every single one is excellent! I turn to my old Cook’s Illustrated magazines often for the best of what I’m looking for. I haven’t posted this recipe here, but I bet you could find it on line. (Check for January 2010)

                Food Revolution Minestrone: AWESOME! I use the recipe right from the website (here) and do not change a single thing. It has BACON J and Parmesan cheese…. I mean, come on! How can you go wrong with those? 

Gather the necessary ingredients, saute the bacon, add the veggies to soften for a while, add the broth and canned veggies and simmer. So easy!

There is also a bay leaf in this soup, which adds a really nice, rich flavor. See it in there? 

Famous Baked Beans

Well, baked bean season is upon us. The classic potluck dish.  A must have at every barbeque. Great hot or cold. One of my all-time favorite foods. The only secret to great baked beans is to actually BAKE them. Not just warm them up in the oven, but actually bake them long and low. Get all that goodness infused through every bite. I think mine are especially good – I always get compliments. 

Here’s what you need:

1 cup chopped onion

½ pound bacon, diced in large chunks

Canned baked beans

                The perfect amount for a 9X13 is

                2 x 28 ounce cans Bush’s brand beans

                1 x 15 ounce black beans

                1 x 15 ounce kidney beans

Sometimes I add cannelloni beans. This is another secret to great beans – have a variety of shapes, colors, textures and sizes of beans

¾ C catsup

1/8 C yellow mustard

¼ C brown sugar

1-2 heaping Tablespoons chili powder (another secret)

Of course, all these measurements can be tweaked to your taste, but this is a good starting place.

  

Here’s what you do:

Keep the liquid from any Bush’s brand beans you use – it’s really good. Drain and rinse any other beans.  See that lonely single piece of bacon in the middle of the bowl? Doesn’t it make you sad?

Sautee the onions and bacon until the fat is melted and the onions are nice and soft. You don’t need to cook the bacon as crisp as you would for bacon and eggs. Just get it all melty and tender.  

Add the catsup, mustard, brown sugar and chili power to the bacon and onion mixture. Scrap all the goodness from the bottom of the pan.

Mix all well. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for at least one hour.

A Trio of Tasty Tidbits

Mini Florentine Cups, Cheddar Ham Cups and Chicken Taco Cups
(My 100th post)

Hors d’oeuvre. According to the dictionary (which I had to use to check on my spelling)  “out of the ordinary, apart from the main work, a relish or more elaborate preparation served before the first course of a meal.”

I also found this definition, which I love: “a small bit of appetizing food, as spicy meat, fish, cheese, or a preparation of chopped or creamed foods, often served on crackers or small pieces of toast, for eating at cocktail parties or other gatherings where drinks are served with no other food.”  I love how in this official definition they mention specifically where to eat hors d’oeuvres – at a cocktail party or gathering where drinks are served. Don’t let that scare you away from eating them any old night of the week. They make a great casual dinner, with or without drinks.

The recipes below come from two cookbooks I recently purchased: “Kraft Philadelphia Cheesecakes and More” and “Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes.” I tweaked them each a tiny bit. Isn’t it fun that each hors d’oeuvre used something different for its ‘cup’? The spinach cup uses turkey, which I thought would never work, but it is outstanding! These were probably my favorite of the three and I love that they are carb free. They reheated beautifully and made an excellent cold lunch the next day.

The cheddar ham hors d’oeuvre uses a biscuit for its cup, so you know how good those are. Tender, cheesy, a bit chewy. These were my son’s favorites – a great after school snack the next day. These also reheated beautifully.

The chicken taco uses a wonton wrapper for its cup – you can find wontons in the produce department of larger grocery stores. Super easy and super fun to use. They were really crisp and chewy. These could be garnished with black olives, jalapenos, green onions or even more cheese. Really, really fun! We all loved these!

Mini Florentine Cups (makes 24)

1  9 ounce package frozen chopped spinach-thawed, and well drained

½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 Cup low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

24 slices Oscar Mayer Deli Style Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Allow the spinach to thaw for a while and then run hot water over it through a wire sieve. When all the icy parts are thawed, squeeze every drop of water out of it. Using a fork, mix together all the ingredients (except turkey). This takes some elbow grease, but be persistent. Arrange the turkey carefully in ungreased mini muffin tins. Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the ‘turkey cups’ – I resorted to using my hands because the mixture was way too stubborn for spoons. Bake 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Cheddar Ham Cups (makes 2 ½ dozen)

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

5 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, finely diced

3 slices bacon, diced and fried until crisp

½ Cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tube refrigerated flaky biscuits (10.2 ounces)

Cut each biscuit into thirds and press each tiny section into ungreased mini muffin tins, using your fingers and thumbs to press them up the sides. Mix the remaining ingredients and divide evenly between the biscuit cups. One important note: if you are using a nonstick pan, these will come out like a dream. I don’t recommend an aluminum pan because the cups won’t come out nicely. (I know this from experience!) Bake 9-11 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Allow to rest in the pan for a few minutes before removing.

Chicken Taco Cups (makes about 36)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning

1 small onion, diced

2 C red salsa

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

36 wonton wrappers

Stir the chicken cubes and taco seasoning until well blended. Cook chicken until juices run clear- about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to food processor and process until finely chopped.  In a bowl, combine chicken, salsa, onion, and cheese.

Press wontons in greased mini muffin tins and bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees or until lightly browned. (Peek in the oven and make sure the wontons don’t fall in on themselves – you want them to remain wide open.)

Remove from oven and fill with chicken mixture. Bake for another 15 minutes or until warmed through. Garnish as desired.

I think all three of these would be great served not only as hors d’oeuvres or as a light dinner but at a breakfast buffet or with a salad luncheon. The Cheddar Ham Cups and the Chicken Taco Cups both froze and reheated perfectly. Enjoy these! 

broccoli and cheddar stuffed potato skins with avocado cream

I have had this recipe for ages. I made them for the first time on Super Bowl Sunday and I absolutely LOVED them! They were salty, crispy, creamy and pretty healthy. The recipe comes from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on the Food Network.  Her food is always so, so good! I love her baked onion rings; her Curried Chicken Salad is a standard in my house. We can never get enough of her zucchini rounds or Crab Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups.  I think she takes such a common sense approach to healthy eating. I might say that I model my cooking after her - except for when I'm eating a big greasy burger..... 

This year on Super Bowl Sunday it was only Tim and me, so it was a lazy day – perfect for a tiny bit of fiddling in the kitchen. Lots of steps involved here, but easy steps and worth the extra effort! I took two of these to lunch the following day – so,so good! (I also made these Bourbon Brownies for us to snack on. Click here to view the recipe. Most of those went to work the next day - way too dangerous to have them laying around the house. Wow.) 

Here’s what you need:

8 small Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and dried

4 t canola oil

¼ salt

8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)

3 slices Canadian bacon, finely chopped (about 3 ounces)

¾ C sharp Cheddar cheese

Avocado Cream:

2 scallions, thinly slices, greens reserved

1 medium avocado

2 T reduced-fat sour cream

2 T lime juice

¼ C cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic

¼ t salt

Here’s what you do: 

Step One:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Step Two:

Pierce potatoes with fork, wrap in paper towels and microwave on high for about 15 minutes or until cooked. Remove and cool. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and remove the insides, trying to leave the skin intact. (It wasn’t easy ;~0) Reserve potato insides for another use. (Try not to eat the potatoes because you want to save your appetite for the skins :~)

Brush the inside and outside of the skins with oil and sprinkle the inside and outside with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down on a baking sheet and bake until skins are crisp – about 20 minutes. (Try not to eat the skins yet – it won’t be easy…. they’re great just the way they are!  J )

Step Three:

Prepare the filling. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside. Also, in a lightly sprayed skillet, cook the Canadian bacon until crisp. Set aside. (Try not to snack on these – that bacon is hard to resist. :~)

Step Four:

Prepare the avocado cream. Process until smooth: scallions, avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt. (Try not to eat all this before serving J ) [Does everyone out there know this trick? If you drop your whole garlic clove in the processor while it is running, you will get perfectly minced garlic every time. Then simply add the remaining ingredients. No big chunks of garlic here!]

Step Five:

Mix the broccoli and cheese and stuff each potato skin. Lower oven to 400 degrees and bake until cheese is melted – about 5 minutes.

Look at those beauties!

Step Six:

Serve with avocado cream, bacon and reserved scallion greens.

OUTSTANDING! Can’t wait to make these again. So, so good!

(printable recipe)

Rouladen and Mashed Potatoes

Rouladen and Mashed Potatoes

My 15 year old wanted a corned beef dinner for his May birthday, but I could not find a corned beef anywhere, so I convinced him to settle for this beautiful meal. Have the butcher slice the tip roast about 1/4 inch thick and then pound it out a bit at home. Plan on 1 roll per person, or 2 if you have big eaters. Of course, you're going to want leftovers!

Thin slices of sirloin tip roast, pound thin and slather with Dijon mustard

1/2 slice of bacon (1 slice is good for two rolls)

Roll bacon inside beef, secure with toothpicks or string

Dredge in flour (it's messy)

Brown lots and lots of sweet onions in a bit of oil (do this slowly so the onions get great color - this really intensifies the sweet flavor of the onions)

Brown beef in same pan (be sure to get all sides of the roll nice and brown)

Cover with beef broth and a bit of red wine (maybe up to 1/2 C of dry wine)

simmer (covered and/or uncovered, depending on how thick the sauce is getting and also on how fast it is cooking) for 1 1/2 or 2 hours

Serve with mashed potatoes (the gravy is very rich - the onions dissolve and become most delicious)

I like to remove the meat, chill the gravy until firm, skim off the fat, and reheat everything gently.

In many cookbooks, I have seen that 'authentic' German Rouladen also has a sour pickle rolled up in it, but the way I cook it is just fine for us! Happy Birthday meal indeed!