Vegan Potato Salad

Hey Baaaaaaabes,

Today I am posting my recipe for potato salad! It's definitely not your traditional mayonnaise covered, hard boiled egg and chopped pickle laden pile of mush.  I use baby red and yellow potatoes, boil them until tender and then toss them in a tangy vinegrette of wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and fresh dill.  SOOO tasty and such a nice change from the goop you are used to seeing at back yard BBQ's (my apologies to those who like the tradish variety, you can always add 1/2 cup vegenaise to the dressing instead of the olive oil and maybe a chopped pickle or two if you mussssst).

Potato Salad a la Vinegrette
Ingredients:
-1 bag baby yellow fleshed potatoes
-1 bag baby red skinned creamer potatoes
-1/4 cup red wine vinegar
-1/2 cup olive oil
-3 heaping tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 red onion, finely diced
-6 scallions, chopped
-1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
-S&P

Put the taters in a large pot and fill it with water up to 1 inch above the taters.  Bring to a boil and cook until you can eaaaaasily poke a tater with a butter knife and it comes out eaaaaaaasily too.  Drain the taters.  At this point, I like to halve most of the potatoes and keep some whole for variety in texture.

In a large serving bowl, whisk the wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and a bit of S&P together until it had an even consistency.  Add the hot taters and combine weeeelllll.  The potaties will soak up the vinegrette and be soooo happy :)

Chill the potato salad for about an hour in the refrigerator and then add the red onion, scallion and dill.  Season with S&P and serrrrrrve it up!!

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan <3

Seitan Kebabs with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Hey Loves!

It's been waaaaay too long since I last posted a recipe starring one of my fave vegan proteins: SEITAN!!!!!  If you've just tuned in, seitan (pronounced like 'say-tahn', not like 'Lucifer') is a fabulous meat substitute made from wheat gluten.  Seitan, or 'wheat meat', is high protein and fat free and has a creepily meat-like texture.  It is also waaaaaay too easy to make at home!  Check out this recipe here - you can find vital wheat gluten flour at Bulk Barn :)

Bee and I hosted a little BBQ (take THAT Mr. Cranky Neighbor!) the other night and served up some seitan kebabs with a DELISH and super easy home made BBQ sauce.  Seriously people, don't bother buying BBQ sauce in a bottle.  It's always better home made and its SO EASY!!!  We served up the kebabs with corn on the cob, potato salad, ceasar salad (all vegan of course!) and several brewskies :)

                                                    Bee, Buck, CB, ATM & V.V.'s toes :)





Seitan Kebabs with Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
-6 Seitan Cutlets
-2 tbsp veg oil
-1 small yellow onion, finely diced
-5 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 tbsp djon mustard
-1 tsp cumin
-1 - 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
-1 tbsp Mexican chili powder
-1 tbsp vegan sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-1/4 cup water
-S&P to your taste

Soak six wooden skewers in water for at least half an hour (otherwise they will catch on fire!!!) unless of course you have metal reusable skewers, in which case, proceed to the next step :) 

Cut the seitan cutlets into bite sized cubes and thread them onto the skewers. 

In a saucepan, heat the veg oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onion and garlic until translucent and add all other ingredients.  Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer for half an hour. 

Oil up either your BBQ or your cranky neighbors' BBQ and crank the heat to high. 

Coat the seitan kebabs with the home made BBQ sauce and cook on the BBQ, rotating every few min and basting with sauce until heated through (prob no more than seven min total). 

Serve with extra BBQ sauce and your fave BBQ sides :)

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO,

V.V.

Veggie Burger Mania!!!!

Hey Baaaaaaaaaabes,


I have two delish and super easy veggie burger recipes for you!  I love to make large batches of burgers and freeze them.  I have been eating on the cheap lately: dinner comes straight out of the pantry.  Foods like beans, rice, quinoa, lentils, pasta, cous cous, canned San Marzano tomatoes, udon noodles, and a whack load of spices make for a huge variety of healthy and inexpernsive eats.  Recipes to come... 
My siblings and their significant others and I had another dinner party on Sunday, this time Italian themed.  I brought Spaghetti Aglio Olio which is basically spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes and fresh Italian parseley.  Easy, easy, easy and so yummy!  I love hearing your feedback on recipes that I have posted so please don't be shy and let me know how yours turn out!!!

Basic Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

2 cups beans (I used adzuki for this batch but you can use your fave!)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tsp thyme (or any spices you like! If you use black beans try cilantro, if you use white beans use basil!)

2 tsp smoked paprika (again, have fun with the seasoning, maybe chili powder or curry!)

2 tbsp shoyu

S&P

In a large bowl, mash the beans until mostly smooth with a few chunks.  Add the rice.  In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic until very tender.  Add them to the rice and beans along with the spices and shoyu.  Mix well until the mixture is well combined.  Season with S&P. 

I find that it's easier to form patties when the burger mix is chilled.  Set the bowl in the fridge for 30 min to an hour and then form the mix into patties.  At this point you can wrap them in parchment paper and cling wrap and freeze them in freezer bags OR oil up that skillet and fry 'em til the burgers are golden on both sides!  If you freeze them allow them to defrost for a couple hours.  I have also has success baking the burgers in the oven with a little olive oil drizzled over them.

Tofurkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 block of firm tofu

1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs plus extra for breading

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp smoked paprika

fresh ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp shoyu

Mash the tofu with your hands or a fork.  Stir in all the other ingredients until well combined.  Form the mixture into patties (they can be a bit finicky so be patient!) and coat with remaining breadcrumbs.  Freeze in the same manner as the basic veggie burgers and cook in the same manner as well!  Easy easy EASY!!!

Happy Trails,

XOXO

V.V.