Vegan BLT Lettuce Wraps with Macadamia Mayo

Hey Sweeties,

My apologies for the long hiatus I took in posting!   

I generally eat pretty darn healthy, but I am currently on a twelve week clean, clean, clean eating and fitness program to get my bod into prime bathing suit condition so for those of you in a similar boat, stay tuned for some clean, low-carb, high protein vegan eats!

This recipe caters to my lettuce wrap obsession and a serious craving for tempeh bacon.

BLT Lettuce Wraps with Macadamia Mayo
Ingredients: 
- 1 head of organic romaine lettuce, leaves seperated
- 3 or 4 ripe organic roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 package of tempeh bacon, prepared according to package directions, cooled and crumbled
- 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- S&P

To make the mayo, combine the macadamia nuts, garlic, lemon juice and water in a high speed blender (I use my VitaMix but the Magic Bullet works great too) and blend on high until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy.  If it is really thick, add a little more water.  It will thicken up a bit if you refrigerate it for an hour or so.  Season the mayo with salt.  You could add a little smoked paprika or other herbs right about now too, if your heart desires :)

To assemble, spread some mayo onto each romaine leaf, top with slices of tomato and sprinkle on some crumbled tempeh bacon.  A little diced avocado wouldn't hurt either!  Season the wraps with a grind of fresh pepper and NOSH!

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan

Vegan BLT

My Lovely V.V. readers,

First off:  According to my 'stats' here on Blogger, I have reached over 7000 hits from wonderful vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores from every continent on our beautiful planet!  When I started writing my One Vivacious Vegan blog a year ago, I didn't think I would even have 100 people checking out my little place in the blog universe so I just wanted to extend a big, big, BIG THANK-YOU for hittin' me up and for your enthusiasm in cooking and eating for a healthier planet and a healthier YOU!

Now onto the food stuff!

I have never actually had a real BLT.  Ever.  I've always been more of a grilled cheese kinda gal.  But after concocting a vegan version of the classic 'bacon/lettuce/tomato' combo, I am HOOKED!  It is also easy, easy, easy and quick, quick, quick!

Vegan BLT
Ingredients:
-Two slices of your favorite bread (I used whole-grain French bread for the one in the pic)
-Vegan mayo (the amount is totally at your discretion, some like a thin layer, just enough to lube the bread, some like it oozy and saucy. . .oh baby. . .)
-Three slices of the best looking tomato you can find
-Two leaves of lettuce (Butterhead/Boston lettuce is by far the best but it can be pricey, so use whatever you have available.  Romaine is crunchier, red leaf is more delicate in flavour, you could get fancy with baby spinach or arugula, but whatever you do - DO NOT USE ICEBERG LETTUCE.  Iceberg lettuce seriously lacks in flavour and nutrients and should only ever be eaten sliced into wedges and topped with a creamy dressing.  Please never use iceberg lettuce in salads either.  And that concludes my lettuce rant.)
-1 tbsp veg oil
-Three or four slices of tempeh bacon (or five or six, greedy guts!)
-S&P

Toast the bread to the desired level of toastiness.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook the tempeh bacon until it is crisp and brown on both sides (about 2 min per side). 

Spread your desired amount of mayo on one side of each slice of the toasty bread.

Layer the tempeh bacon, lettuce and tomato slices on one slice of the bread and top with the other slice. 

EAT!!!!!

. . .What?  Too old school for ya?  Well, if you must mess with a classic, try adding/swapping:
-fancy greens instead of lettuce
-flavoured vegan mayo
-sliced avocado (this would make it a B.A.L.T. . . . or a T.A.L.B. . . .whatever)
-fried tofu strips (and now it's a B.L.T.T. or a T.B.L.T. or a B.T.L.T. or a . . .whatever)
-sliced jalapenos or banana peppers
-melted vegan cheeze

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan

Sexy Vegan Grilled "Cheese"

Happy Friday!!

Fred Penner once said, "Sandwiches are beautiful, sandwiches are fine."  Well said, Fred.  Beautiful and fine they are, but I find the grilled cheese variety downright sexy.  A buttery, crisp exterior and warm, gooey, melty, cheesy interior that just begs to be dipped in tomato soup or ranch dip is so seductively sinful.  And as if they aren't sexy enough, they take on a whole new level of sexiness when they are veganized!  Heavy on the compassion and cruelty free. . .ohhh baby. . .break me off a piece of that. . .

The grilled cheese is also one of the most rediculously easy sandwiches to master.  Once you have the basic technique down (butter, fill with cheese, fry, flip, fry, eat) you can take the sammy to a whole other level by adding your favorite spreads, veggies, herbs, vegan deli slices, WHATEVER! 

Sexy Vegan Grilled Cheese
Ingredients:
-Two slices of your fave bread (white, multi-grain, rye, sourdough, pumpernickle, french, whatev!)
-Earth Balance vegan butter
-Vegan cheese, any flavour (I like the Daiya cheddar and mozza varieties)
That's all for a very basic grilled cheese.  Sexy?  Yes.  But to amp up the sex appeal, try adding:
-Vegan mayo
-Hummus
-Peach or mango chutney
-Spinach or arugula
-Sliced avocado
-Sliced tomato
-Pesto
-Grilled zucchini or eggplant
-Sauteed mushrooms
-Caramelized onions
-Chopped basil, cilantro or parsley
-Tempeh or tofu bacon
-Vegan deli 'ham' or 'turkey' slices

WHAT EEEEEVVVEEERRR!!!!

Insert Al Green's Greatest Hits into CD player (or download from iTunes).  If anyone will get you in the mood for sexiness, it's Mr. Al Green.

Heat a pan over medium heat.  Spread Earth Balance one side of both pieces of bread.  On the naked side of the bread, smear on any sauces, if using (V.V. used mayo and homemade peach chutney for the sandwich pictured above). 

Top one slice of the bread with grated or sliced vegan cheese.  Add any additional toppings on top of the cheese (V.V. used baby spinach) and top with additional cheese.  Squish the second slice of bread atop the cheesey slice, butter side up. 

Place the sandwich in the hot pan and fry until side A is golden brown.  Squish down the sandwich with a spatula and flip it to the B side.  Fry til golden.  

". . .Let's. . .let's stay together.  Lovin' you whether. . .whether times are good or bad, happy or sad. . ." - Al Green

Mmmmmm. . .yeah baby.  Grilled cheese. . .just the way I like it ;)

XOXO

V.V.

Southern Fried Tofu Sandwich

Baby come back,
you can blame it all on me.  I was wrong (for taking such a long hiatus), and I just can't be without you (my wonderful V.V. Blog readers).


It is a beautiful, sweltering hot August day and V.V. is ready to blog from her NEW APARTMENT (equipped with a/c, thank gaaawwwwd AND the most GORGEOUS KITCHEN) which she is sharing with her beeeeeeloved ATM (who returns home on Thursday from a month at work in Nunavut EEEE!!!!). 


I discovered my new faaaaave way to prepare good ol' tofu and I'm ADDICTED!  I slice it thin, marinate it for an hour and then coat it in nutritional yeast (don't be afraid of nutritional yeast!!!!) and frrrryyyy it up!  OMG OMG OMG vegan honey dill and some oven baked french fries would be amazing with the dreamy little slabs!  For this blog, I've stuffed the num num slices into a baguette with a red cabbage romaine slaw. 


ATM has decided to try vegetarianism on for size (woo!) and has been raving about the tofu sandwiches they serve at work, so, my dear ATM, this one's for YOU (and my wonderful V.V. readers, too!).

Southern Fried Tofu Sandwich

Ingredients:

-1 block of extra firm tofu

-lots of nutritional yeast (for coating the slabs)

-sunflower oil for frying

-baguette or crusty roll (toasted, if you like)

Marinade:

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-1 tbsp nutritional yeast

-1/4 cup water

-lots of fresh ground peppa

Slaw:

-1/2 head of thinly sliced red cabbage

-1 chopped heart of romaine

-2 tbsp olive oil

-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

-1 tsp Japanese soy sauce

-1 tsp nutritional yeast

-toasted sunflower seeds

-peppa!

Cut the tofu as if it were a loaf of bread into 1/4" slices.  Cut each slice on a diagonal to form two triangles and lay the triangles in a large baking dish.  Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour it over the tofu.  Marinate for an hour.

Meanwhile you can whisk all the slaw ingredients minus the cabbage, romaine and sunflower seeds in a bowl and let it  hang out in the fridge while the tofu marinates.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes onto a plate.  Dip each side of the marinated tofu triangles and coat them WELL with the nute-yeast.  Add more yeast to the plate as you run out.

Toss the thinly sliced cabbage, romaine and sunflower seeds with the slaw dressing and set aside. 

Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a pan over medium high heat and fry the tofu triangles on each side until they are golden brown (this wont take long at alllll so watch 'em!). 

Slice the baguette in half and lay the fried tofu triangles on it, each slice overlapping slightly.  Top with the slaw.  EAT!

This would be EXTRA NUMMY topped with sliced avocado or BBQ sauce or vegenaise or sliced pickles or whatever your little heart desires :) 

XOXO

V.V.