That Was Vegan?

So yes, if you’ve been paying attention, I am on a bit of a sweet potato/chipotle in adobo sauce roll… but why not? It’s GOOD!

I made this a few weekends back, when our friends Reia and Robert came over for dinner.  Robert and Jason have been friends since they were cute little teenage boys running around the mean streets of Belen, NM. I’d go so far as to call them BFFs, but they’re much too manly for such a girly acronym, so we’ll just call them “pals”. Anyway, since I was feeding two men with red chile where the rest of us have blood, I knew I had to come with something good. Something with heat.

But not so hot us girls wouldn’t enjoy it.

Enter this chowder. I found a recipe on Pinterest (of course) and quickly veganized it. While I was chopping and cooking, Reia sat at the counter and interviewed me for a paper she’s writing. About moi. Aren’t I fancy and important? (Yes.)

But before I get to the recipe, let’s talk salt. In particular, I want to chat with you about Yakima Smoked Applewood Sea Salt. We’ve all seen recipes that called for a highly specific salt (or other seasoning) that we didn’t happen to have on hand, and just subbed it. Or skipped it all together. Don’t do that this time. I beg of you, go buy some of this salt. It’s amazing, and I use mine all the time. It comes in especially hand when I’m veganizing a recipe that called for bacon (like this chowder), or really in any dish that you want to taste “smoky”. My mom bought a big vat of it for me last summer, at a farmers market stand.  If you can’t find any at your local store, go online. If you ever enjoyed bacon in your pre-gan days, you wont regret buying this salt.

The thing about this chowder is that it’s Hot, Smoky and (a little) Sweet. You really want all 3 flavors to make it work. The chipotles make it hot, and the adobo sauce adds the smoky. The hint of sweetness comes from the potatoes of course, along with the sweet onions and peppers.

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Dinner doesn’t always need to be gourmet. Sometimes you want something quick and easy, but it still has to taste good AND be healthy, right?

Last night I threw this together using Lucini Italia Spicy Tuscan Tomato Sauce… Beyond simple, it comes in a microwavable bag that you simple vent and heat. And guess what? No splatters to clean up! Love it. And this sauce was totally saucy– the perfect amount of heat. You can taste it, but it doesn’t sear off your tatsebuds.

I chopped and water sauteed some kale while the pasta was cooking, which I then mixed in with the pasta and sauce. I covered it all with a sprinkle of vegan parm and voila: Dinner is served!

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Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burger with Adobo

I’ve been really into the smokey adobo flavor lately, so a few weekends ago when I set out to make a batch of my spicy chickpea burgers I decided to change things up a bit. I kept the chickpeas because they really do make the best veggie burgers, in  my humble opinion, but I added sweet potato along with a couple chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (and a few teaspoons of the the sauce for good measure). I also threw in some leftover quinoa I had in the fridge.

The result? A spectaculatory burger, if I do say so myself.  The heat and smokiness from the adobo chipotles is a totally different type of “spicy” than you get with other peppers or seasonings. It’s almost rich. The sweetness of the potatoes offsets it in a way that ensures it’s not too hot. This burger is perfect for people (like me) who want to get their spicy on, but still be able to enjoy the flavor. This burger is not for those people who put ghost peppers on their oatmeal, if you catch my drift. That said, my husband is the King of Hot (in more ways than one 😉 ) and he was totally digging these. He started snacking on them in bits n’ pieces while I was still baking them and said “Hey, these have a little bite!”. He was happy to have them for dinner too- a sure sign of approval.

The sweet potatoes made the mixture a bit more moist than I’m used to, but that was quickly offset with a few extra shakes of bread crumbs. Easy peasy. They’re still on the soft side (I guess that’s just what happens with sweet taters!), but super delicious. I actually made a double batch and froze the extras- I like to break them up into bits throughout the week on my lunch salads. If you haven’t tried that, I highly recommend you do- with whatever veggie burger is your favorite. It adds a different texture and whole new flavor profile to salads, really perks them up. And makes it feel less like you’re just eating a salad, you know? Plus it’s healthier than croutons or some of those other salad add-ons you can buy at the store.

Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burgers

2014-12-23 13:19:38

Yields 5

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Ingredients

1. 1 small-medium sweet potato, diced
2. 1/2 a large onion, roughly chopped (I used red, sweet would also be good)
3. 1 can chickpeas
4. 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (red or white is fine, but red is prettiest)
5. 2-3 chiptles in adobo sauce, or more if you want more heat
6. 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce from the can
7. 3/4 cup bread crumbs (plus more to achieve perfect consistency)

Instructions

1. Bake or microwave sweet potato until soft-ish.
2. Place potatoes and onions in food processor and give a couple of whirls- leave a few small chunks, but not many.
3. Add the chickpeas and give it another whirl. DON'T OVERDO IT! You want to leave lots of bean chunks, otherwise your burgers will come out too soft.
4. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in quinoa,chopped chilies and the sauce and the bread crumbs and mix it all up.
5. Let the entire mixture hang out in the fridge for 30 minute (or longer, that's fine too), then check the consistency. If' it's too soft, don't be afraid to add more bread crumbs!
6. Form your patties and bake at 375 on a foil-lined pan for about 30 minutes, 15 on each side. Check to see if they're done- they might need a few more minutes depending on how moist your mixture was. You can finish them under the broiler to get a little more char if you like.

Notes

1. Makes 5-6 patties, depending on size.
2. These make a pretty soft burger, so if you want yours firmed up a little you could add more breadcrumbs and/or bake it a little longer (I think they're wonderful as-is!).

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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This contest is now closed, and our winner is… Rachael from Passing Daisies! Her favorite Italian dish is Spaghetti, and I can’t say I blame her.  Email me your address (thatwasvegan(at)gmail(dot)com) and we’ll get your Lucini Italia products in the mail! Thanks to everyone who entered…And keep your eyes peeled, I’m planning another giveaway in early April!

This Lucini Italia giveaway has been in the works for more than a month and I’m so excited to finally get it started! I had purchased a package of Tuscan Fiery Chili Chickpea Frittata mix (also known by it’s traditional Italian name of Cinque e’ Cinque) from my local grocer and loved it. LOVED IT! So I emailed the company and asked if they’d be willing to provide some free product to share with my readers. They were kind enough to not only say YES!, but also to send me a few freebies as well.

So far I’ve made a Chickpea Frittata with kale and tomatoes (recipe below!), as well as a pasta dish topped with their Tuscan Marinara with Roasted Garlic.

This is my second time using their Frittata mix, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed it so much.

Here’s one of the dishes I made with my freebies:

“Cinque e’ Cinque” Chickpea Frittata with Kale and Tomatoes

When I first tried these I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve had frittatas in my pre-gan days, but couldn’t imagine chickpea flour producing the same consistency. I expected kind of a bread-y consistency, more like cornbread, but that’s not how these are. They’re actually creamy! The top gets a little crunch in the oven, but the center is smooth and creamy. According to the packaging you can also bake them in a larger dish to make it thinner and crunchier, but I just keep going for the creamy version- I can’t help myself! Check out this picture of the thinner version. The only thing I do have to say is that the Fiery Chili is… well, fiery. If you eat a big piece there will likely be some face-fanning going on 🙂

You can top these babies with anything, or just eat them plain. The package suggests: sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and serve on a baguette. That sounds really good too! A quick google search tells me you can also add any vegetables or or other flavors right into the mix and bake them all together. Overall, a really flexible product that you could personalize in a million different ways to suit your own palate.

Here’s a close-up of the Cinque e’ Cinque when it first came out of the oven…

My omni husband was a little suspicious at first, but as soon as I convinced him to give it a try, he really liked it. It took him a few bites to get used to the consistency, but then he kept talking about how tasty it was… And he really liked the spicy flavor of the “Tuscan Fiery Chili”!

Their Marinara was also delicious- I plan to post pictures and a review later this week. But seriously, what could be quicker and easier than sauce you can heat in the microwave without it exploding everywhere!?

Note: not every product that Lucini makes is vegan, but everything they sent me and everything they’ll send the winner is vegan.

And so, without further ado,  HERE’S what the winner of this contest will get:

• Cinque e’ Cinque, Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix
• Tuscan Marinara with Roasted Garlic in a BPA-Free Microwavable Pouch
• Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fig & Walnut Savory Vinaigrette

To enter, leave one comment for EACH that you do. Don’t combine multiple entries into one comment, that only hurts your chances. You have until Sunday at midnight (mountain time!) to enter, and the winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday morning.

1. Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Italian dish is!
2. Follow TWV? on Twitter and tweet about the contest (tag me so I know!)
3. Like TWV? on Facebook and share the contest on your wall
4. Follow Lucini Italia on Twitter
5. Like Lucini Italia on Facebook

So, a very special thanks to Lucini Italia for providing the prize, and good luck!

Chickpea Frittata with Kale and Tomatoes

2014-12-23 13:13:44

Serves 6

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Ingredients

1. 1 package Cinque e' Cinque Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix (I used Fiery Chili but any flavor would be yum!)
2. 3+ tablespoons Lucini Italia olive oil
3. 2 teaspoons sea salt
4. 1 bunch kale
5. 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
6. 15-20 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Instructions

1. Prepare chickpea frittata mix as directed on package. I had to bake mine for nearly 10 minutes longer than they recommended before it firmed up and got that "golden brown" glow about it, but I live about a gazillion feet above sea level, so that could have something to do with it. Also, I baked mine in a glass pie dish instead of a cast iron skillet.
2. While it's in the oven, de-stem and chop your kale, then water sautee with the minced garlic. I left mine a little more firm than I normally do, and it added a nice texture with the frittata.
3. When you're ready to serve the frittata, simply top with your kale and tomatoes! Voila!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Recipe updated 2/15/2018

I’ve made a few changes (including adding more flavor to the ricotta, and using a different binder), hope you enjoy.

I love veganizing “old favorites” – who doesn’t? A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions on Facebook on what I should veganize next… and someone suggested Spaghetti Pie.  This was interesting because although I’ve heard of spaghetti pie, I’ve never made it or eaten it, so I wasn’t really sure where to start. I thought it was just supposed to be a casserole- that you just throw everything into a dish and bake it, and although some recipes that I saw online did, in fact, advocate that method, many more showed a “pie” with a “crust” made out of spaghetti. Interesting! That method sounded more challenging and like it would create a more enjoyable finished product, so that’s the one I went with.

My first decision was what kind of binder to use with the pasta to create this so-called crust. I went with Chia seeds, my very first time using them. Holy Cow do they gel up! I was a little taken aback by the appearance of those dark little seeds all gelled together, but was totally happy with the finished product. (Yes, I knew the seeds were black before I added the water, I’m just more used to flax seeds and Ener-G). You can see from the picture that the crust didn’t stay totally solid, but I don’t think it’s supposed to. None of the none-vegan ones I looked at online appeared to either.

The filling was delicious! Uber-tasty tofu ricotta, a creamy mix with wonderful Italian seasonings, combined with Kale and some savory vegan Italian sausage. The entire dish was really fun, right down to the pasta-pie-crust. Total comfort food that I bet kids would love. One thing I know for sure is that these two (big) kids loved it!

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 I promised you this a while back… sorry for the delay! This tofu ricotta is perfect for any recipe. When I’m using it in a lasagna or for stuffed shells I add the spinach, but sometimes I’ll leave it plain (like when I recently made spaghetti pie that also had kale). Mix up the seasonings a little bit, you can’t go wrong!

How should I use this tofu ricotta, you might be asking yourself? Well, how about… in a veggie lasagna with some lightly steamed squash and Daiya mozzarella? Or maybe on a Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage Pizza?

 Stuffed shells… manicotti… spaghetti pie…  

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First off, sorry for the late post! I’ve been trying really really hard to stick to my Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting schedule, but the slopes were calling my name yesterday… and even though I hadn’t finished this post, I had to go. I missed half the season with my bum foot, so I’m trying to make up for lost time 🙂

I’m sure there are a lot of recipes out there for Tofu Scrambz, but I’ve never actually looked. It’s such an intuitive dish, even the first time I made it I just went by memory of the times I had eaten it in restaurants, and added everything I thought would be good. It’s a dish that comes out a little bit different every time I make it, and I love that! I make it spicy with crushed red pepper flakes, and this time I used some leftover Field Roast Italian sausage and pepperjack Daiya. Fresh kale and some chopped green peppers give a healthy crunch.  I like making a big ol’ batch on the weekends to enjoy throughout the week. Yesterday I heated some up in a burrito, wrapped it in foil, and took it with me snowboarding. Hearty, satisfying and easy to eat in the car!

On a completely unrelated note, did anyone see Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday? When Russel Simmons was trying to get a vegan sandwich for his $10,000 and Victoria Gotti wanted to just give him a chicken pita with the chicken removed? It made me happy that he got the camera time he did, and that no one made any snide remarks about how “difficult” vegans are, or anything like that. I also thought he was pretty funny when he said “I’m paying that much, I should get a sandwich I like!”  Now that I think about it, this wasn’t a *completely* unrelated rant, because I think my tofu scrambz makes an excellent sandwich! You could do a wrap of course, but it’s also yummy on thick, chewy bread! Russel Simmons would approve, no doubt!

Tofu Scramble

2014-12-23 10:14:15

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1. 1 tub firm tofu, pressed well
2. 1/2 onion, your favorite kind (I like red or sweet)
3. 1 bell pepper, your favorite color (or do half n' half)
4. 1 heaping tablespoon nutritional yeast
5. 1 teaspoon sea salt
6. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
7. 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
8. a few sprinkles of pepper
9. Daiya or other vegan cheese, if desired
10. 2 links vegan sausage, roughly chopped, if desired
11. 1/2 bunch kale, torn and sauteed in water
12. 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Water saute the onions and peppers until soft, then add the tofu making sure it's well crumbled.
2. Mix in all the seasonings, except the chives. Stir really really well so that all the tofu is evenly coated. If it's too dry, add a couple teaspoons of water. Stir in the cheese, if using, and let it get all melty.
3. Add in the sausage and kale, and mix again, then sprinkle the scallions on top. Done!

Notes

1. Serves 4-5, depending on appetite!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Post updated: New pics and a slightly altered recipe, yo!

Pancakes and sausage… a pretty all-American breakfast, right? Especially, I guess, for those who still eat the Standard American Diet (SAD 🙁 )  Happily, us vegans can also enjoy this breakfast treat!

We don’t have pancakes or vegan sausage very often, and hardly ever for breakfast. I’m one of those crazy people who likes to eat breakfast for dinner… but I have to ask, is it really that crazy? I don’t know.  Our breakfasts are usually oatmeal, fresh fruit, and maybe some whole grain toast with almond butter. But once in a while…

The pancake recipe came from a combination of about 5 other recipes I found online- I just took the aspects I liked best from each one, and combined them. And of course, blueberries were a must (I still had some leftover from when I made my Blueberry-Coconut Bundt Cake!)

The sausage was from King Soopers (AKA Kroger), from their in-house line called Simple Truth. They have a ton of vegan products, all of which I’ve been very happy with!

Blueberry Pancakes

2015-06-10 15:05:59

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Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups AP flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
3. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 pinch salt
5. 3/4 cup vanilla coconut milk (I love So Delicious for this)
6. 3/4 cup water
7. 1 cup blueberries
8. Vegan butter for frying, plus topping

Instructions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients in a big ol' mixing bowl. Combine the wet ingredients (leave out the blueberries and the butter!), then add to the dry. Mix JUST UNTIL the clumps are gone.
2. Heat your skillet over medium heat and melt a pat of butter. Reduce heat to medium/low and get to pouring! Sprinkle a small handful of blueberries (5-6) into each pancake as soon as you pour. Cook each side until bubbles appear, flipping just once.

Notes

1. If you don't have the vanilla milk, use regular and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
2. Add more milk during the mixing process if you want a thinner batter.

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Butternut Mac n’ Cheese Bites!

These pretty babies have been on my mind for at least 2 months. I never made them, but I thought about them an awful lot. Puff Pastry is so delicious, and even if you’re too lazy busy to make your own from scratch, Pepperidge Farms has been kind enough to produce a vegan version for us. Healthy? Ehhh… but at least it’s vegan!

I don’t know what took me so long to finally make these, but they’re everything I thought they’d be. The puff pastry is rich, almost buttery. The filling is my Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese which is delicious beyond belief. So creamy and gooey… but don’t take my word for it, just look at that picture! The rich Daiya cheese sauce is just oooozing out of there. Perfection! I used just one sheet of the puff pastry, rolled out thin, and got 6 of these “hot pockets”. Each one is really 2 bites, or 3 if you’re dainty.

I made them with Happy Hour in mind, but they would also make nifty lunches, if you had a toaster oven at work to heat a couple of them up in.

One word of caution… puff pastry is flammable, as is parchment paper. Please just keep that in mind in case you should, oh, I don’t know… try to brown the tops under the broiler. Just sayin’.

Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheese Bites

2014-12-08 17:46:43

Yields 6

These are pretty much guaranteed to blow your mind!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 Batch of Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheese (Or make a full batch and double your "bites"!)
2. 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm (or your own homemade!) puff pastry
3. Flour, parchment paper & cooking spray

Instructions

1. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured cutting board, and cut into 3x5 inch rectangles. Don't use too much flour or the taste of it will get into your pastry.
2. Using one of those larger soup spoons, place one heaping spoonful onto each rectangle, towards one end, and then pinch the 3 edges shut, crimping them like a pie crust.
3. Place the little masterpieces onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and just *mist* the top with a little cooking spray.
4. Bake at 375 degrees, 18-20 minutes or until the top turns a beautiful golden hue.

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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