Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

My best poppers to date! Lots of jalapenos, split and cleaned of seeds and most veins. 1 tub Tofutti cream cheese. 6 slices vegan bacon, cooked and chopped in tiny pieces (I recommend Lifelight brand). 1/3 C vegan nacho cheese (mine came from the freezer....probably Isa Chandra's recipe).

Stuff. Roll in panko bread crumbs and nutritional yeast. Bake for about 20-30 minutes.

I love them!

Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Dip - Forks Over Knives

This recipe is genius! It's everything 'guacamole' plus the beloved chickpea all rolled, or in this case, smashed, in to one. Seriously, if you need to impress, and you're totally OVER hummus and guacamole, (well, who can entirely ever be over those?) - try this recipe. You won't regret!

You can find the recipe HERE on the Forks Over Knives website. Don't change a thing! 

Green Tabasco Sauce - Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

“I trust your garden was willing to die. I do not think that mine was – it perished with beautiful reluctance, like an evening star.” Emily Dickinson, in a letter to her Aunt. 1880

My Lucy loves to nibble on strawberries - it's kinda annoying. 

A garden that perishes with reluctance. A few lingering eggplants, ever bearing strawberries that are still blooming, and jalapeno plants that just won’t quit. And then there are my gorgeous Asian pears, just waiting to be picked. I find my little corner of the gardening world to be a paradise of sorts, each and every summer day (and now into the fall.)

I got this recipe from a 'cyber friend' on a "Lutherans Who Love to Cook" Facebook page
 Don't you just love how small and friendly our world is becoming?
Thanks Sandy!! Your recipe rocks!! 

Here’s what you need:

1 pound fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and de-veined

Salt

1 ½ - 2 C Vinegar

Here’s what you do:

Place peppers, salt and vinegar in food processor and blend until quite fine and liquidy. Transfer to a sauce pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  After simmering, you may strain the sauce  or return it to the processor and continue to blend until smooth. This tabasco freezes very well. 

Freeze in portion size ice cube trays. Perfect! 

Vietnamese Sriracha Cole Slaw – Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

Affinity by Minnie Filson

I wonder if the cabbage knows
He is less lovely than the Rose;
Or does he squat in smug content,
A source of noble nourishment;
Or if he pities for her sins
The Rose who has no vitamins;
Or if the one thing his green heart knows –
That self-same fire that warms the Rose?

Vegan Jalapeno Poppers - Two Ways - Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

Today I share Emily Dickinson’s beautiful poem entitled “Prose.”  I not only think this is her take on the beauty of a lyric poem, but I think it has a deeper meaning regarding her view of being female.  You know, don’t shut us in; don’t make us write prose! Let us flap our lyric wings!

Really, are there any words more simple yet more beautiful than these? The image of a caged bird is always painful to me, so I love to imagine a bird escaping toward the stars.

They shut me up in Prose —
As when a little Girl
They put me in the Closet —
Because they liked me "still" —

Still! Could themself have peeped —
And seen my Brain — go round—
They might as wise have lodged a Bird
For Treason — in the Pound —

Himself has but to will
And easy as a Star
Abolish his Captivity —
And laugh — No more have I —

Vegan Jalapeno Poppers – Two Ways

Here’s what you need:

¾ C raw cashews soaked for a few hours, then drained

½ sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Nutritional yeast

1 t cumin

1 T chicken-style seasoning with ½ C water(optional)

½ C veg stock (if not using the chicken-style seasoning)

1 4ounce can chopped green chilis (optional)

10 jalapenos, halved, seeds and veins removed

Olive oil

½ C crushed tortilla chips OR bread crumbs

Here’s what you do:

Brush the jalapeno halves with olive oil and set them aside. Prepare the filling by sautéing the onions and garlic in a bit of oil until softened. At the same time, toast the crushed tortillas chips in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Watch them closely.

Place sautéed veg, cashews, Nutritional yeast, cumin, seasoning, chilies and cream cheese (if using) in a blender. Loosen with a little veg stock or water. I found that the green chilies provided plenty of moisture! Adding more cream cheese will firm the mixture up also.

Spoon or pipe mixture into jalapenos. Bake for about 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Add the toasted chips (press in) and bake for another 10 minutes.  Broil for a tiny while at the end to get a nice toasty appearance.

Second Day:

There was plenty of filling to serve these another day, but I added some cream cheese to the mixture to firm it up. Instead of toasted tortilla chips, I used bread crumbs.

Simple Mango Salsa

Two mangos

One English cucumber

Some minced red onion.

Some cilantro

One minced jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed

Season with fresh lime zest, lime juice and salt

This recipe wraps up my Cuban Christmas menu. I hope you enjoyed looking at the photos and recipes and I really encourage you to step away from the turkey and ham and 'Go Cuban' at your next holiday meal! 

One last departing look at my beautiful Cuban Christmas. 

For the rest of the recipes, simply click below:

Ropa Vieja,    Cardamom Coconut Rice,    Pineapple Layer Cake with Pineapple Curd. 

Coconut Cardamom Rice Casserole – from Cook’s Illustrated

Here’s another recipe I used in my Cuban Christmas menu – it’s a good one, especially if you want to serve rice to a big crowd. Nothing worse than fiddling with food on the stove at the last minute. This goes into a casserole and then into the oven.  Super easy and perfect with my Ropa Vieja.  I did not garnish this with cilantro and lime because I also served a mango salsa which was loaded with both cilantro and lime. The cashew topping on this dish was outstanding! I would never have thought of this! Crunchy and salty and buttery.

Here's my Cuban Christmas meal. Ropa Vieja. Mango Salsa.
Cardamom Rice. And off to the side- Pineapple Coconut Layer Cake
with Pineapple Curd. 

Cook’s Illustrated has the very best recipes and methods, in my opinion.  The research that goes into every recipe is incredible and I can’t even imagine how many repetitions they must do to get the perfect end product.  If you’ve ever seen their TV show then you know that they treat every recipe like a mini science experiment, explaining how every protein, fat, spice and temperature contribute to the recipe.

I found this recipe in a huge hard cover cook book called “Cover and Bake,” but I see it all over the internet also. This makes a huge 9x13 casserole, so maybe cut everything in half if you don’t want too many leftovers.

Here’s what you need:

For the topping:

1 C roasted, unsalted cashews

4 slices good white bread, torn in pieces

2 T melted Earth Balance non-dairy butter

For the rice:

2 T Earth Balance non-dairy butter

1 medium onion, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 T fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t cardamom

4 C vegetable broth

4 C coconut milk (Silk brand beverage)

2 C water

3 C rice

Salt and pepper to taste

(cilantro and lime for garnish)

Here’s what you do:

Process the cashews in a food processor until crumbly – not too long. Add the bread and melted Earth Balance and process until crumbly.  Set aside.

Melt 2 T Earth Balance. Saute the onions and jalapenos until soft, but not brown – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cardamom and ginger and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the broth, milk and water. Bring to a simmer. Add the rice, salt and pepper. Return to a simmer, lower heat, cover and cook for about 20 minutes – stirring often. Pour creamy rice mixture in a prepared 9x13 casserole. Top with cashew bread crumbs. Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

(printable recipe)

For the rest of the recipes, click below:

Ropa Vieja,     Pineapple Layer Cake with Pineapple Curd,     Simple Mango Salsa. 

Emerald Mustard

I am a condiment gal. I dip. I dollop. I drizzle. I slather them on. In fact, I sometimes organize my entire meal around the condiment, especially if it is as special as this one. We've been eating this on burgers, in salad dressings and with grilled cheese sandwiches.  I served it at my Christmas Open House with a baked ham and everyone loved it. (Well, those who were brave enough to eat something this color!)

Jalapenos. Cilantro. Ginger. Garlic. Dijon. Agave. Try this. You will love it. Look at that color. 

From Vegetarian Times magazine.  Find the recipe here. (I cut way back on the garlic and added more agave syrup.) 

Jalapeno Sour Cream Sauce

Those are veggie burritos under there. Toasty on the top and chewy on the bottom. 

If it’s covered with a sauce, I love it. That goes for pasta, pizza, grains, beans, salads, sandwiches, desserts and even breakfast (think honey sauce, yogurt sauce, fruit sauce). Love them all. Tell me if there is anything better than a huge sandwich smothered in spicy mayo and coleslaw and totally dripping in sauciness. No. There isn’t.

I know this looks totally decadent and creamy and full of fat and calories, but it’s mostly veggie broth – so relax and have a second helping. This recipe really put vegan ingredients to the test and I think they passed with flying colors. You could, I suppose, use dairy sour cream and dairy cheese, but why? Be good to your heart and the earth and the animals and go vegan.

I sprinkled dried cilantro and sliced tomatoes on top before baking. Those black things on top are escaped black beans and sliced zucchini. 

Here’s what you need:

2 T Earth Balance butter

2 T flour

1 C vegetable broth or stock

¼ C non dairy sour cream (Tofutti brand)

1/3 C grated Daiya Jack or Cheddar cheese

Black pepper

¼ C minced pickled jalapeno peppers

Here’s what you do:

Melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute, whisking constantly. Don’t let it brown. Add the veggie broth and keep whisking until it is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, cheese, black pepper and jalapenos. Stir until it is all well incorporated. Adjust for seasonings and thickness…..meaning add more peppers or broth to your taste. Pour over whatever type of burrito or enchilada you got  goin’. Bake and enjoy!

Grapefruit Jalapeno Martini

V is for Variety and G is for Grapefruit Jalapeno Martini

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!

Wow your friends or just drink alone. Either way, you won’t be sorry. I have been drinking these all week….sometimes with a touch of vodka and sometimes with extra soda water. Tart and spicy and totally refreshing!

Here’s what you need:

2 C grapefruit juice

½ fresh jalapeno, seeds and veins intact

Soda water

(vodka for you grown-ups out there)

Here’s what you do:

Simmer the juice and pepper for about 15-20 minutes or until it’s beginning to thicken and get syrupy just a bit. Strain out the pepper and any stray seeds. Chill. I used ¼ C of juice, one shot of vodka and then topped it off with soda water for my pretty martinis.  For a super refreshing afternoon drink, make it 50/50 juice and soda. 

Meatless Monday Link-Up - Spicy Black Beans with Peppers and Rice

 My first Link- Up! Please participate and be sure to tell your other food blog friends!

Anyone out there want to commit to Meatless Mondays with me? For those of you who don’t know, the Meatless Monday campaign was launched in 2003 in association with the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and now there are 23 countries participating! Wow!

Paul McCartney introduced ‘Meat-Free Mondays’ to the United Kingdom and there are tons of other famous people on board…. you know, Oprah and so on. But we don’t have to worry about all the celebrities, let’s just commit to getting at least a tiny bit of meat out of our diets. The health benefits are indisputable and surprisingly, the effect on the environment is pretty profound also. (For example, it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of meat…. That’s CRAZY WASTEFUL!!!!)

Never eaten vegetarian meals before? Not sure where to begin? Well, look through the vegetarian and vegan recipes right here on my blog to start and then surf over to the Meatless Monday website which is loaded with irresistible recipes.

The best way to start a meatless meal is by embracing – and I mean EMBRACING -- the humble bean. :) 

Here’s what you need:

1 T vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

1 C chopped green pepper

1 C chopped red pepper

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 T ground cumin

1 jalapeno pepper, seed and veins removed, diced

1 t dried oregano

2 x 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 C cans crushed tomatoes with added puree

¼ C orange juice

1 ½ t hot sauce (Tabasco)

1 1/3 C raw rice, cooked

(My beans were frozen and it looks like one of my peppers was orange)

Here’s what you do:

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and oregano. Sauté veggies  until soft but not too brown. Mash about ½ cup of the beans and add them to the veggies. Also add the remaining beans, tomatoes, orange juice and hot sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the consistency is to your liking. Serve over white rice with lime, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheddar, etc….. 

(printable recipe)

Roasted Jalapeno Crema

Why use plain condiments when you can have this? Really. I’m serious. Get to the market and buy some jalapeno peppers. Go to the health food store and get some Vegenaise. You won’t be sorry.

I have been making this about once a week all summer long….serve it on burgers, tacos, fish, grilled veggies, chicken, sandwiches, omelets …the list goes on and on.

1.       Roast a jalapeno on the grill or on the gas stove. You could probably roast it in the oven as well.

2.       Put the charred pepper under some plastic wrap and allow it to sweat for a while.

3.       Scrape off the burned outer skin of the pepper – do not rinse it!

4.       Scrape out the seeds and veins of the pepper.

5.       Mix with Vegenaise and your favorite hot sauce.

6.       Dollop with confidence.

I suppose if you don't want to use Vegenaise, you could use regular sour cream, but there is something  oh-so-perfect about the Vegenaise. I recently learned that Vegenaise is one of Ellen DeGeneres's favorite things....might that sway you??? 

The Dip That Remains Nameless

Sautee onions and garlic to taste.  Drain and rinse 1 can black beans.

Mix in processor: beans, sautéed veggies, 2 chipotle peppers (we like it hot, so I keep the seeds in….. add them slowly, cuz they are pretty spicy), 3 T lime juice, ½ t cumin, 2 T water. Mix till very smooth.

Place beans in cute dish.

Make guacamole: 2 avocados, lots of lime juice, salt (I like sea salt here) and a small bunch of cilantro.

Guacamole goes over beans. Shredded cheddar goes over guacamole.

Make a fresh salsa: dice 1 Roma tomato, ½ fresh jalapeno (seeds removed), some cilantro.  Salsa tops it all. Dig in. 

I like to keep the seeds in the chipotle peppers, but I remove them from the jalapeno.