Vegan mac and cheese

December 26, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

I’ve been to a few potlucks recently and I was running out of ideas for simple, delicious dishes to bring. So I thought about veganizing a traditional baked mac ‘n’ cheese casserole. I started off following the directions on the package of pasta and strayed wildly–with great success!

Ingredients:

16 oz elbow pasta
2 cups vegan cheese*
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 slice of bread
2 tbsp. margarine
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste

Directions:

First, I brought a large pot of water to a boil (4-6 quarts). Then I added an entire box of elbow noodles and cooked them to al dente (firm).

While the pasta was cooking, I turned half a slice of bread (I used Dave’s Killer Bread) into bread crumbs in my food processor and set it aside for the topping. Then I crumbled 2 cups of vegan cheeses in the food processor and set it aside too.

* I combined five types of cheese to create the two cups needed for this recipe: Field Roast Chao Cheese Slices in Coconut Herb; Field Roast Chao Cheese Slices in Tomato Cayenne; Daiya Jalapeno Havarti; Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds; and Sundried Tomato from Miyoko’s Kitchen. Use whatever brands and flavors of vegan cheese you prefer.

In a small pot, I melted 2 tbsp. of Earth Balance margarine and added 2 tbsp. of flour and 2 cups of vegetable broth (I used a bouillon cube to create the broth). I added chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper, set the element to low, and whisked the mixture until it thickened.

The blend of spices and spicy cheeses gave this dish a nice kick. If you don’t like a lot of spice, you can use plain cheeses and less pepper.

When the pasta was ready, I drained it into a colander and poured the broth mixture into the big pot where the pasta was. I added the cheeses and stirred until it was mostly melted. Then I added the pasta back into the post and mixed it up well.

Finally, I scooped the whole thing into a 9′ x 9′ glass casserole dish, sprinkled the bread crumbs over the top, and baked it uncovered on 450 F for 10 minutes.

I let it cool a bit, covered it up, and took it to Christmas dinner with friends. Everyone loved it–even the non-vegans. One omni even said she would have been fooled if I hadn’t told her it was vegan. A compliment for sure!

Daiya grilled cheese contest

May 7, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

Do you love a good grilled cheese sandwich? Do you think you have what it takes to make a winning sandwich using dairy-free Daiya cheese?

Daiya just launched their First Annual Daiya Grilled Cheese Cook-Off, and they have a pretty sweet grand prize up for grabs: a one year supply of Daiya, a feature on the Daiya website, and mention in their upcoming digital cookbook.

If you’d like to participate, just create your own original grilled cheese sandwich using any Daiya dairy-free cheese alternative and submit your masterpiece to the Daiya here. They’re accepting submissions through May 12, 2014.

Bonus: After the contest closes, I’ll pick someone at random to receive a free coupon for Daiya Shreds, Slices, Wedges or Spreads. All you have to do is comment below or tweet me at @jeaniebellini and tell me why your #daiya grilled cheese is a contender.

Contest is open to US and Canadian residents so get grilling’ and start commenting and tweeting!

Update (May 16th): I used an online tool to randomly generated a name from the comments and the winner of the Daiya coupon is…

Carmen

Carmen, you doubled your odds with that second comment–and it worked! I’ll contact you privately and get the coupon to you.

Nacho time!

April 8, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

Why haven’t I made vegan nachos before? This meal wasn’t even planned, but you can bet I’ll make it again.

I had company last weekend and was left with an abundance of tortilla chips. I “lamented” to a coworker today that I had too many chips. He said, “why not make nachos?” Best idea ever!

And by a stroke of luck, I had all the ingredients I needed for my 8-layer nachos:

Tortilla chips
Pico de gallo salsa (mine was store-bought but you can make your own)
Daiya vegan cheese shreds
Vegan ground “beef” (I used Tofurky Chorizo style)
1 avocado, mashed
1 tomato, diced

Place a layer of tortillas on a plate, sprinkle tomatoes over them. Add a layer of ground “beef” and top with Daiya shreds. Add another layer of chips, sprinkle with salsa or pico de gallo, add a layer of ground “beef” and top with Daiya.

Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Use avocado as a dip.

I made individual portions, but you could make one platter and serve as a side dish. You could also stick a load of these in the oven and bake them. They’d be perfect for book club or watching the game.

This would be great with other things on it as well, like green peppers or black olives. Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream would be a nice, cool dip.

You can’t go wrong with nachos. Super easy and delicious!

Cheddar beer bread

January 18, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

When I was a university student, I made the easiest bread–but the recipe wasn’t vegan. After going vegan, I missed that bread, but I never thought to veganize it. So imagine my delight when I found a vegan version on the Daiya website.

Here’s what it looks like. Tempted? Read on!

Ingredients:

1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3 tbsp. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 bottle of beer, room temperature (341 mL lager or light ale)
2 tbsp. dairy-free margarine, melted

First, preheat your oven to 375 F and grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan. This is a good time to melt the margarine.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl and then stir in the cheese. Pour the bottle of beer into the bowl and stir just until batter is moistened. I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It’s a vegan beer! Don’t overmix. The batter will be lumpy. That’s okay.

Spread the batter in your loaf pan and pour melted margarine evenly over top.

Bake loaf for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

The bread is easy to make, foolproof, and delicious! I ate it with a hearty vegan stew. Perfect for dipping! It’s great on its own too. A yummy snack.

Grits Casserole

January 5, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

When I was in Georgia, I visited the Savannah farmers market, where I bought a bag of grits. Quintessential southern cuisine, I thought. I’d had grits as a kid when I was on a family a road trip through the South. I enjoyed the grits this time too (hubby added salt and margarine, I had mine with agave and a dollop of peanut butter).

grits

The real treat, however, was the recipe for grits casserole that I found on the back of the package. It called for sausage, eggs and two kinds of cheese. I knew I could veganize it. I did, and it was delicious!

The company, Carolina Plantation Rice, carries a lot of great kitchen staples like cornmeal, grits, rice flour and, well, rice. I plan to order some soon. Bonus: They’re a green-certified, renewable-energy company!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked grits
Half a brick of firm tofu (instead of eggs)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp kala namak (black salt)
2 Field Roast vegan sausages
1/2 cup Daiya vegan Swiss, grated
1 cup Daiya vegan cheddar, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

First I added the cooked grits to a 9″ casserole dish. Then I browned the sausage, broke it up, and added it to the grits.

Next, I drained and crumbled the tofu into a pan and heated it up, while mixing in the turmeric (for flavor and color) and kala namak (for eggy flavor). These last two ingredients weren’t in the original recipe, but it’s what I did to veganize it. Be careful not to overcook the tofu. In theory, it (and the sausage) doesn’t need to be cooked. Field Roast is pre-cooked and tofu is fine in any state. Plus, the whole shebang gets baked anyway.

Finally, add the Swiss and cheddar, stir, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

My husband and I loved this dish! I’m definitely going to make it again soon. It’s almost quiche-like. Next time, I’ll add onion, broccoli and red pepper. And more cheese!

Have you veganized any recipes lately?

Heavenly potatoes

December 27, 2013 by Jean of all Trades

When a vegan friend of mine told me that she misses deviled eggs, I saw an opportunity. I believe in the saying, “anything you can eat, I can eat vegan” so I set off to find a vegan recipe. Sure enough, I found one on the Post Punk Kitchen–and it’s divine! Maybe these should be called angelic potatoes. No matter what, they’re a fantastic vegan deviled egg alternative.

First, I sliced a bunch of baby potatoes in half. I put them on a baking sheet and baked them in a bit of olive oil and salt, flat side down, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I didn’t put them on parchment paper first (like I was supposed to) and they came out slightly crispy.

No worries! As I cut out the centers with a grapefruit knife, I ate, or gave to my dog, the crispy “skins.” I saved the potato “innards” because I needed to add it to the filling.

Filling:

1/2 a cup of cashews, soaked in water for at least two hours
3/4 cup vegetable broth (I used 1/2 a bullion cube to make the broth)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (for flavor and color)
1 teaspoon kala manak black salt (very important if you want an eggy flavor)
2 teaspoons lemon
a pinch of black pepper

I drained the cashews and blended them with my electric mixer, along with the broth and tumeric, until it was creamy. I added the lemon, salt and pepper and the potato centers and mixed it well. I chilled the mixture in the fridge for half an hour and then scooped it into the potatoes. If you have a pastry tool, you can get fancy.

Finally, top with paprika and a bit of dill.

I brought these to a vegan Christmas dinner and they were a huge hit! We ate them at room temperature while the main dishes–green bean and mushroom casserole, “beef” fried rice, and a fiesta bake with Daiya vegan cheese–were cooking. Everyone loved them an I’ll definitely make them again! I’ll be sure to serve them to my deviled-egg-craving friend too.

To see the original recipe, and pictures of how Isa Chandra made them, check out the details on the PPK.

Tabouli and bean salad

July 12, 2013 by Jean of all Trades

I’ve been eating a lot of beans lately. There are so many types and they’re all so delicious! Yesterday I wanted to make a quick bean salad so I opened a box of garbanzos, a box of kidney beans, and a box of black beans. The boxes are the equivalent to a can of ready-to-eat beans but I like that they’re not in a tin and that the tetra-pak style of the packaging is easy to recycle.

I mixed up a box of tabouli, which already had spices, parsley and cilantro in it, and combined it with the beans. It took about five minutes to whip up and all I had to do after that was chill it for a bit.

It made a great lunch, and truth be told, I had it for dinner too. For dinner I added grilled cheese with whole grain bread and cheddar-style slices by Daiya. The grapes were an edible garnish. Hubby and I shared a delicious, healthy, easy-to-make meal. It was perfect for summer. I didn’t heat up the kitchen and the cool salad was refreshing and filling.

I’ve joined Healthy Vegan Fridays organized by Carrie On Vegan, Green Thickies, and The Veggie Nook, so be sure to check out what everyone else is making in the kitchen!

Nasoya giveaway

June 25, 2013 by Jean of all Trades

Who wants to win a couple of jars of Nasoya? One lucky person will get to try the same products I used to make my mock tuna salad and my banana muffins (not the same jars though–you’ll get a new set!).

All US residents are eligible. All you have to do is leave a comment below, leave a comment on the Sunshine and Slaughter Facebook page, or tweet me @jeaniebellini. Or, raise your odds and do all three!

I’ll keep this giveaway open until June 30th, when I’ll pick a name at random. I’ll put the winner in contact with the generous folks at Nasoya and they’ll send two jars your way. There are tons of recipes on their site, from potato salad to chocolate cake–or you can spread it on a sandwich!

July 1st update!

I used an online random name generator and the winner is:

Congratulations uglicoyote–I’ll email you for next steps!

Vegan banana muffins

June 23, 2013 by Jean of all Trades

When I received my jars of Nasoya for the recipe challenge, I thought I’d be trying the products in a savory way (the mock tuna salad). I had no idea I could use a mayo substitute in a dessert.

I found a banana muffin recipe on the Nasoya site and it called for Nayonaise. Perfect! Like Nayo Whipped, it’s a healthy, vegan product and a great source of B12 and omega 3s. How would it fare in muffins?

Well, awesome! It was a simple recipe that called for ingredients that even me, a very occasional baker, already had in my cupboard.

Ingredients:

1 cup Nasoya Nayonaise Original Spread
1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour (2/3 C whole-wheat, 1 1/3 C all-purpose)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla, chopped peacans or walnuts

Preparation Method:

In medium large bowl beat bananas. Beat in sugar and Nayonaise (add the vanilla and or nuts if using). Stir in flour, soda and salt just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake them in the oven at 350° F for 20 – 25 minutes.

I added chopped walnuts. And since I can’t follow a recipe to save my live, I tweaked things slightly. If cooking is an art, baking is a science. And it’s best not to mess with scientific formulas! All I had was whole wheat flour, so I used only that and no all-purpose flour.

I also know that ripe bananas are best for baking (and more nutritious!) so I made sure I had a very spotty bunch.

The muffins turned out perfectly! banana muffins

I ate two warm, right out of the oven, and so did my husband. We saved the rest for work snacks. The muffins were moist and delicious and tasted great warm and room temperature. They didn’t dry out, even on day three. We ate them rather quickly so there was no day four.

The Nayonaise essentially replaced any eggs or butter that one might use in a recipe like this. So you can have a cruelty-free, healthy snack that’s easy to make.

Mock tuna salad

June 20, 2013 by Jean of all Trades

I was lucky to meet a couple of people from Nasoya when I was at the vegan bloggers conference in May. I was given a friendly challenge of making a couple of recipes using their products. Challenge accepted!

Two jars arrived in the mail a few days after I said I’d try my hand at some cooking: Nayonaise and Nayo Whipped. They’re both healthy, vegan alternatives to mayo and are a great source of B12 and omega 3s.

For this first challenge, I tried a recipe from their site called Tu-Na Salad. I have to say, it’s was quick and easy to make. Like five minutes quick. That’s my kind of prep time!

True to my rebellious nature, I altered the recipe a bit. But only because I have fresh chives growing in my garden. So I used those instead of the green onion the original recipe called for.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Nayo Whipped
1 (19 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained
Fresh dill
Celery, chopped
Green onion, chopped (chives, in my case)
Sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

Use a food processor or potato masher to break up the chickpeas until they are crumbled. Do NOT over process.

I mashed the chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) until the mixture was flaky. Just enough to break up each pea, not so much that it created a purée. I toasted some hearty bread (Dave’s Killer Bread–my fav!), spread some Nayo on it for good measure, and piled on the tu-na.

Wow! Was it ever delicious! The Nayo Whipped is tangy and lemony and added a great flavor to the topping. I’m going to use this recipe regularly from now on. I haven’t had actual tuna in a lo-ong time, but I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t fool someone in a blind taste test. It does, however, hold its own as a great tuna substitute. True test: hubby. He loved it too–and had seconds!