A very good veggie burger!

Do you remember Heathen Vegan's Spicy Cajun Lentil Patties from Vegan MoFo?  It was one of those recipes that I instantly bookmarked to try post-MoFo.  However, I found it calling to me during MoFo, so I gave in and made these delicious burgers.

Following the recipe, my first batch of the patties came out really tasty, but crumbly- like the consistency of a dry sloppy joe- even with added gluten.  I baked my patties instead of pan frying for ease and to use less oil, and maybe to warm up the house a little.

A bit crumbly, but totally delicious!

Last night I made a batch, deciding to use mashed squash (squashed squash?) instead of the vital wheat gluten.  That made the mixture too wet, so I ended up adding in wheat gluten.  The consistency still wasn't perfect.  I'll need to continue to experiment.  However, both attempts yielded really satisfying burgers, especially with all the trimmings and some super great buns I found at the store.  If you're in Portland, check out Portland French Bakery's Pub Buns, available at Whole Foods.

Veggie Sushi!

Recently, my friend Carly (whom you may remember from this MoFo guest post) and I got together to plan our Thanksgiving menu.  And Thanksgiving menu planning is no good on an empty stomach, so we decided to make lunch.
 
We made a lovely assortment of veggie sushi, which included various combinations of red bell pepper, dill pickles (my favorite ingredient!), cucumber, avocado, cilantro, Tofutti cream cheese, and parsley.  In some of the rolls we used quinoa in place of the rice. 



We dipped the sushi into spicy mayo (Sriracha + Veganaise) and tamari and ate it with split pea soup and a nice spinach salad with roasted cashews and miso-tahini dressing.

A lovely lunch with lovely company!  Never made sushi before?  Check out my step-by-step instructions that I posted a while ago!

Collard Wraps and a Wrap-Up

It's the last day of MoFo!  Although I'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief, I've also enjoyed the immense amount of vegan goodness shoved in my face this month.  I'll miss it!  I've enjoyed reading so many new blogs as well as old favorites.  I look forward to continuing to read throughout the year until MoFo 2012!  On my own blog, I've been able to blog every day, with the help of a few friends, but I didn't succeed in blogging about greens every day.  Oh well!

Just a little roundup of some of my greens dishes this month! Try the collards soup!

For my last Vegan MoFo 2011 post, I decided I really needed to go out with a greens dish.  I give you "Collard Wraps with Sunflower Seed Spread".

Sunflower seed spreads are really versatile.  A creamy texture is achieved by soaking and blending the seeds.  You can add whichever herbs or flavorings you'd like.  In this version I've flavored the spread with rich miso, garlic, and parsley.  The spread is accompanied by leftover majadra, shredded beets, carrots, and red cabbage, and sliced onion and cucumber.

Collard Wraps
Ingredients:
6 collard leaves
sunflower seed spread (recipe below)
shredded or sliced veggies of your choice
prepared rice, quinoa, beans, or lentils of your choice

Method:
1. Bring a pot large enough to fit a collard leaf to a boil.  Blanch each leaf for about 20 seconds.  Rinse under cold water.  Set aside.
2. Fill the rolls with your fillings.  If the leaves are large enough (unlike mine), roll them up like a burrito so that the short ends are folded in before you roll the long side up.

Sunflower Seed Spread
Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked in enough water to cover for about 1 hour, save 1/2 cup soaking water
1 tbsp miso
1 tbsp raw tahini
1 small clove garlic
pinch pepper
pinch smoked paprika
several leaves parsley (pulse a few times into it)

Method:
1. In a food processor, combine the sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup soaking water, miso, tahini, garlic, pepper, and paprika.  Process until smooth.  Add the parsley and pulse a few times so that the parsley is distributed throughout the mixture, but remains in bits.

Here are some photos of the wraps I made last time.  You'll see the leaves were a little bigger, so I was able to make wraps that retained their contents a little better.  Last time I filled the wraps with quinoa, black eyed peas, bell pepper, tomato, parsley, carrots, and the spread.

Here you'll see the leftover contents of the wraps, as a salad with the wraps in the background!






















Don't forget to enter my giveaway for homemade grape jelly! 

Lovely Outing with the Lovely Celyn

Do you know Celyn?  She blogs over at Miso for Breakfast and during MoFo, she's doing a giveaway EVERY day.  She's kind of insane.  She's also really sweet and a pleasure to spend time with, so I was thrilled when she invited me to grab lunch at Green Wok, a vegan Chinese restaurant in SW Portland.

After lunch we headed to Barbur World Foods.  If you know Celyn's blog, you may have seen her tour of the grocery store.  It was the baklava that got me!

Oh man, I filled my basket with some tasty treats like...

Zaatar pizza!  I couldn't resist gobbling up a slice before Matt got home for dinner.  It's pretty simple, just a thin-crust pizza with zaatar on top, but they make it fresh while you wait.  It's crisp and has all that zaatary goodness, which is a little difficult to describe, but contains thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and olive oil.  Only $3.50 for the whole thing too! 

Zataar pizza.

 

Want a bite?

 Baklava!  I haven't yet sunk my teeth into one, but I am so excited for dessert tonight!  I think I grabbed one pistachio-filled and two walnut-filled.

One for me, one for Matt, one for good luck!

Falafel!  Baba Ghanouj!  Hummus!  Barbur World Foods makes the falafel fresh, to order, too.  You'll see their house made baba ghanouj, hummus, and tahini dressing on the left.  I also picked up some cherry tomatoes and huuuge pita bread.

 To that I added fresh kale and collards from the garden, carrots and onion.  Look at me, being all "greens theme."

A mighty fine sandwich, methinks.

Lastly, I decided Matt and I would have a mini root beer taste-testing.  Plus, Celyn sold me on the rose lemonade.  I look forward to trying that tomorrow.

I had a great time!  Thank you for introducing me to a new and great place, Celyn.  I enjoyed teaming up to discuss veganism with a curious employee.  I hope this person will try some of the great vegan spots in Portland that we suggested.  (She started the conversation with us and I could see here wheels a'turnin.)

Now, Matt and I are going to sit back with our falafel sandwiches and watch some Dexter.  Cheers!

PS- Grape jelly tomorrow.  I ran out of time and sunlight today!

The Best Mung Dal

I haven't actually tried every mung dal out there, but I'm willing to bet I'd still rank this one pretty high if I had.  I first saw this recipe on the Post Punk Kitchen forum and decided to give it a try since I had all the ingredients on hand.  Since that night several months ago, I've been in mung dal heaven.

This recipe is simple and really, really satisfying.  You can adjust the spiciness level to your preferences, and add a good squeeze of lemon juice and cilantro for a fresh, flavorful taste.  I can't tell you how much I love this dish!  And so, even though it doesn't contain greens (rather, it contains green things), I'll introduce to you Mung Dal from Sonia at the Seven Spice blog.

I salivate just looking at this photo.

I don't have a pressure cooker, so when I make this soup, I soak the mung beans for 2-8 hours and then cook them until the texture indicated in the recipe.

Sorry for taking another break from my greens theme.  I just got home after traveling ALL day and decided to use a backup recipe.

Kale Sandwich

This may be the most boring way to enjoy kale, but perhaps you never thought about it before.  If that's the case, then you're welcome for the introduction!  Matt has kale in his sandwich every day.  Sometimes I eat it this way too, as evidenced below.  Fresh-from-the-garden kale is tougher than some lettuces, but it's just as sweet as, say, romaine.  I think it's a great addition to sandwiches.

Kale sandwich with shredded carrot, Vegenaise, mustard, oven roasted tofurky, and tomatoes- on Dave's Killer bread.

Pssssttt.  Did you see my previous post about the Flash Mob Blogging event?

Kale Salad with Buffalo Tempeh

We eat a lot of "bowl" dishes in our house.  Last night we ate a big salad that consisted mostly of kale, but also had beets, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet peppers from the garden.  Perhaps the star of this dish was the buffalo tempeh.  Sooo...kale as a salad (unmassaged).  I topped the salad with Annie's Woodstock dressing.

Yuck!  Sorry for this horrible night-time photo!

I make this spicy, salty tempeh a lot.  In fact, I think I've determined I only really like baked, dry and slightly crunchy tempeh (like the tempeh that comes with Dovetail's biscuits and gravy- ohmigosh). If you're like me and don't love tempeh, you might still love this dish.  I love to eat this buffalo tempeh in a sandwich with arugula, thinly sliced red onion, and Vegenaise too.  Use your imagination- it's a really versatile recipe.

 Buffalo Tempeh:
several globs of Earth Balance, melted
several shakes of hot sauce (my favorite brand is Crystal)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 package tempeh, sliced

Combine the Earth Balance, hot sauce, and garlic in a wide-bottomed glass dish.  (Like a pie pan.)  Set the tempeh in the mixture, flipping to coat it.  Let it marinade for at least an hour.  Spread the tempeh out in the dish and bake it at 350* F (I use a toaster oven) until a little crispy, about 20- 25 minutes.

Collards with Queso

It was only recently that I first tasted the amazingness that is Food for Lovers' vegan queso.  I found myself with several open jars of the queso after Vida Vegan Con, and needing a way to use it.  Horrible dilemma, I know.  Using this queso as a dip is my favorite way to scarf it down, but when the tortilla chips ran out, I turned to an old favorite: collards!

I simply steamed some collard ribbons in a skillet with some water.  When the water evaporated, I added the queso, mixed it up, and served it alongside a couscous and mung bean salad with veggies.  (Hungarian pepper, collards, and several types of tomatoes from the garden!)

Tamari Sauteed Collards

This is another really simple go-to recipe.  I love the flavor that's created when you combine tamari, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil.  I usually flavor baked tofu and cooked lentils with these ingredients.  In this dish I added pressed garlic.

This is really as easy as chopping up some collards and sauteing them with garlic, olive oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and a splash of tamari.  I added some Field Roast sausage that I wanted to use up and ate it with brown rice.  A simple, quick, and tasty lunch!  Try it.  It might even become a go-to dish in your home too!

Savory Collard Pies

I love Mediterranean spinach pies.  Love.  I decided to give this recipe a try, using collards instead of spinach because I had a bunch on hand.  The dough was nice and workable and after baking, the pockets were fluffy, yet thicker and stiffer than some spinach pies I've had at restaurants.  The leftover, uncooked, filling even made a great side salad!






















When using collards in this recipe, you can skip squeezing out the excess water, but you'll need to massage the greens a little longer. Also, make sure you remove the stems from the collards!

I didn't have sumac, so I left it out, but I definitely think it would be worth it to track down the spice if you plan on making this dish.  I also skipped the cornmeal in the recipe and instead used greased cookie sheets.  I really recommend piling in the filling, using much more than the recipe says.  I think mine could have used a higher filling-to-dough ratio.

VeganMoFo GOES GREEN

Welcome MoFoers!

A note about my theme for 2011:
I have decided to pay tribute to my first vegetable garden (i.e. use up the veggies I have on-hand) and go with a “greens, greens, and more greens” theme this year.  Here at In My Vegan Life, during the month of October, you’ll find many greens dishes, both originals and cookbook finds ranging from savory one-pot meals to sides and snacks.  When I say “greens” I mostly mean collards and kale, but I will also be using yummies like spinach, chard, and beet greens on occasion.  In an attempt to avoid the dreaded “VeganMoFo Burnout”, I will most likely also include some non-greens posts.

Without further ado, I give you a recipe, which, although quite simple, quickly became a staple in our home after we watched a cooking video by Russell James, The Raw Chef.  This isn’t the exact original, but it’s pretty close*. I love the nutty creaminess that the tahini gives the dish, along with the tartness of the lemon, the sweetness of the agave, and the kick of the cayenne.  I think it can be eaten as a meal by itself, but it also makes a great side, and certainly creates the perfect bed for something like buffalo tempeh or baked tofu.  If you are a lover of kale, you will be a lover of this dish.  Give it a try!

Why yes, those are greens and tomatoes from the garden!

  

Massaged Kale Salad with Tahini and Lemon

Ingredients:
1 bunch frizzy kale**, stems removed
2 tsp lemon Juice
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup raw tahini (sesame paste)
Pinch of cayenne powder
1 tsp agave
Sesame Seeds, opt.
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Steps:
1.    Massage kale with the salt and lemon juice, until it begins to wilt.
2.    Use your hands to mix in the remaining ingredients.

*I leave out the hemp protein powder and sprouted buckwheat the original recipe calls for.
**Even though I didn’t in this instance, I’d recommend using a frizzier type of kale in this dish.  It really makes a big difference.

Post VVCon Dinner

The stars aligned and I was able to buy a cheap last-minute ticket to Vida Vegan Con this past weekend. Among many other things, my ticket afforded me a gorge fest with an array of rich, sometimes less-than-healthy, foods. In addition to that, Matt and I played host to our Couchsurfing guests and ate out quite a bit in the past several days. (More on the conference in the next post!)

Today I was craving simple, fresh foods, so I made a tasty tabbouleh salad and majadra for dinner.

The tabbouleh contained our first ripe tomatoes, our first lemon cucumber, and some parsley from the garden, as well as bulgur wheat, minced onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
The whole grain bulgur wheat added quite a bit of earthy nuttiness, and I just let it soak in water instead of cooking it.
After enjoying majadra for years at Middle Eastern restaurants, I watched an episode of Everday Dish and decided I should make it myself. Well, that was a while ago, but I've finally gotten around to making this simple dish. The dry fluffiness of this slightly salty dish is enhanced by the sweetness of the caramelized onions. It's a really comforting dish. And guess what. I followed this recipe exactly. That's almost a first for me.
Quite a nice pairing I think.

VeganMoFo: Bubbie's Split Pea Soup

Recipe: Split Pea Soup
Family Member: Bubbie

Brief Description: I saw my Bubbie, who lived in Pennsylvania, about once a year growing up. Coincidentally, upon my graduation, I moved to Pennsylvania several months after she passed away. While certainly no vegetarian herself, my Bubbie always made accommodations for my vegetarian aunt, and later me, taking it upon herself to veg*nize favorite dishes to be enjoyed by all. One such dish is her Split Pea Soup. Simple, filling, and tasty. It might be a little plain to your taste, so feel free, as I do, to use veggie stock instead of plain water, and add a few splashes of hot sauce to taste. I used a combo of yellow and green split peas this time.

Original Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb dried split peas
2 qts water
1 small onion, diced
Grated carrots (it appears she never told me how many…)
¼ cup barley
Bay leaves
½ tsp liquid smoke

Original Directions:
1. Sautee peas in pot with oil. Add onion and carrots. Add water and the remaining ingredients and stir so that nothing sticks.
2. Simmer for 45 minutes with a lid partially covering the pot, until the peas melt down.

Vegan Notes: None!

VeganMoFo: Grandma's Cucumber Salad

Recipe: Cucumber Salad
Family Member: Grandma M

Brief Description: This is another recipe from Doc’s side of the family. I’ve had this dish a few times when visiting his parents. It comes from his grandmother, whom I never met, sadly. I know I would have really loved her though. This salad is a vinegary side with crisp cucumber slices and onion. It’s also already vegan! I halved the recipe since there are only two of us and it accompanied three meals. And since I'm such a pepper fanatic, I added black pepper. And I sliced the onions the wrong way! Gosh! I just can't follow directions.

Original Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers
1 large red onion
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP. sugar

Original Directions:
Pare and slice cucumbers thinly. Slice onion into thin rings. Place in a bowl with the cucumbers. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Pour over cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate at least several hours.

Vegan Notes: None!

VeganMoFo: Mom's "Tuna" Salad Sandwich

Recipe: Tuna Salad Sandwich
Family Member: Mom

Brief Description: I ate this A LOT growing up, sometimes right out of the bowl with a fork. Luckily, these days I leave the stinky canned tuna behind in favor of chickpeas. (Chickpeas might just be my favorite bean, due to their versatility.) I know there are a ton of “untuna” salad recipes floating around, so I can’t quite take full credit for this. I opted to leave out the relish this time, and topped the “tuna” salad with lettuce and sliced cucumber and tomato. So filling I could only eat half a sandwich for lunch!

Original Ingredients:
1 can of white tuna (I think?)
Tons of mayonnaise
A squirt of yellow mustard
Sweet relish to taste
Diced onion to taste
Chopped celery to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sandwich bread

Original Directions: Mix everything together, save the bread, of course. Put it between two slices of bread, and eat.

Vegan Notes: I used Grape Seed Vegenaise, and cooked and mashed chickpeas instead of the tuna (canned chickpeas would have been fine!) I also added a few dashes of rice vinegar for a little sharpness. I made a bunch so that Doc could take it to work this week. These are the amounts I used:

4 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2- 3/4 cup Vegenaise (it’s a lot, I know!)
2 celery stalks, diced
1/4 onion, diced
3 tbsp yellow mustard
few splashes rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

VeganMoFo: Bubbie's Potato Salad

AKA THE BEST potato salad.

My family dish today is special because my dad actually found a hand-written version of the recipe from my Bubbie, who is no longer living. Thanks for scanning it for me, Dad!
That may be a little hard to decipher so here's what it says:
"boil Potatoes
juice from sweet mixed pickles
pour over warm potatoes
1 tsp mustard yellow
gently mix up
mustard seeds a few
when cool
chop mix pickles
celery and onion
chopped
mayo + mix
salt + pepper"

As you can see, there aren't exact measurements, and some of these steps can be taken several ways. This is what I came up with in recreating it:
The sweet mixed pickles are really the star ingredient. Soooo yummy! You've gotta try it- and feel free, as I did, to use each ingredient to taste.

VeganMoFo: Bubbie's Tabbouleh

Recipe: Tabbouleh
Family Member: Bubbie
Brief Description: This side dish needs very little introduction. Tabbouleh (or “tabouli”) recipes vary in the amount of each ingredient used, but generally include the same contents. This recipe is heavier on the parsley. Tasty with the perfect balance of flavors, I’ve enjoyed it all of my life. Perhaps it’s cheating a little, but this one is also naturally vegan.

Original Ingredients:
¾ cup bulgar wheat
2 chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 cups chopped parsley
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Original Directions:
1. Place bulgar wheat in a heat-safe mixing bowl. Pour boiling water on top until it’s 1 inch above the bulgar wheat. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the bulgar wheat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled.

Vegan Notes: None! Enjoy this along with your favorite homemade hummus and pita!

Food Update and New Piggy Planter

My youngest brother has been visiting for the past week for his Spring Break, so I haven't been able to update for a bit.
Food:

Mac and "Cheese" with basil and garlic breadcrumbs.

Chimi changas (see former post) with yellow rice and black bean soup.


Buffalo Tempeh Sandwiches with salad.

Chia Herb Garden (a gift). Cilantro, basil, parsley, and chives.


Aaaand my new piggy planter from Fruitflypie on Etsy. I planted Asparagus Fern seeds.