Vegan Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus with Lemon Aioli

Happy Spring!!!


V.V. has been slacking on posting lately but with good reason!  The memory card from my camera got lost (which was full of beautiful photo's of Vivacious Vegan FOOD PORN!), ATM and I moved out of our beautiful apartment (not by choice, the building is being turned into condos :( ) and are waiting to move into her house and begin renovating (new kitchen - yippee!!!), and I have two disposable cameras full of lovely pics to post with yummy vegan recipes. . . once I get them developed!   

In Winnipeg, the Spring has certainly come in like a lion (kind of like the MGM lion at the beginning of the Wizard of Oz - sort of shocking when you aren't expecting it). I love Spring! The longer daylight hours, the puddles, the warmer temperatures and also the change in my diet from the heavy, comforting, winter fare to a lighter more colourful palate of beautiful Spring veggies!


Asparagus season is at it's peak in Spring time, which means it's plentiful and inexpensive! I like fresh, in-season asparagus sauteed or grilled with a touch of good extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a touch of salt and pepper. So simple, so delicious :)  It's even wonderful sliced thinly and served raw with a light mustard vinaigrette, tossed with a little baby arugula and paper thin radish slices, maybe some minced chives while you're at it. . . I feel some inspiration for a new blog post coming on. . . !


Today's recipe is a classic appetizer application for asparagus spears, wrapped in phyllo dough and baked. It's an elegant dish perfect for s Spring time tea party. The lemon 'aioli' dip adds a bright, zingy, creaminess and an extra tough of elegance. Plus, the whole thing is SUPER simple and sure to impress!

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus with Lemon Aioli
Ingredients:
for the asparagus:
- 24 asparagus spears, all about the same thickness
- 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed, cut in half lengthwise and covered with a damp tea towel
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, or Earth Balance, or veg oil
- 1 cup fine bread crumbs
for the aioli:
- 1 cup vegan mayo (I vote Vegenaise - SERIOUSLY good)
- zest and juice of one lemon (zest before juicing using a fine grater and make sure you wash the lemon really well first!)
- 1 minced garlic clove


Start by making the aioli so the flavours have a chance to become BFF's.  Simply mix together the vegan mayo, lemon zest and juice and minced garlic.  Et voila!  You can add in some minced fresh herbs like parsley or basil for a fresh, pretty touch.

To prep the asparagus spears, ensure they are washed thoroughly.  The ends of asparagus tend to be too woody and fibrous to eat so to take the end off at just the right spot, simply hold the middle of the stalk between your thumb and index finger in one hand and the end of the stalk in the aforementioned fingers of your opposite and hand bend the spear until it snaps.  It will have broken at the perfect spot :) 

Blanch the asparagus spears in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes and then plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Pat the stalks dry with a clean tea towel.

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and oil a baking sheet with your choice of grease. 

To assemble, brush a half sheet of phyllo with a pastry brush dipped in melted coconut oil, or Earth Balance or whatever you choose, sprinkle with a light coating of breadcrumbs.  Place an asparagus stem at one end of the phyllo, with the pretty tip hanging over the edge, roll up tightly, brush the outside with a little extra oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. 

Repeat with all the asparagus spears.

Bake the asparagus for about 15 min, or until the phyllo pastry is golden brown.

Serve the phyllo wrapped asparagus on a platter with the lemon aioli <3

XOXO,

Vivacious Vegan  

Curry Coconut Noodle Soup

Hey Gorgeous Ones!

  V.V. is a soup FREAK (or maybe I just love one pot cooking. . .lazy bones. . .) so today I would like to share a recipe for a soup that is perfect for Spring: colourful, bright and spicy in flavor, with a serious kick to put some spring in your step (sorry, I couldn't resist the seasonal pun)!

  I use a blend of yellow and green curry pastes (is that even allowed?) because while I love the fresh, lemongrass/lime leaf flavor of green curry, I find it much, much, MUCH too spicy to use on it's own in this recipe.  Yellow curry would be just fine on it's own if you want a nice mild soup and even red curry paste is cool too.  Use whatever ratio of curry pastes to suit your taste, but V.V. will strongly caution you about using exclusively green curry (unless your tongue and digestive tract are lined with asbestos. . .it's HOT. . .or maybe I'm just a wuss!).

Curry Coconut Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

-1 pkg rice noodles

-1 tbsp veg oil

-5 tbsp curry paste, your call on the ratio, I use 3 tbsp yellow curry paste and 2 tbsp green curry paste and while the soup definitely has a kick to it, it wont burn your face off.

-4 cups veggie stock (or 4 cups water and some veggie bouillon cubes - staples in the V.V. kitchen!)

-1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

-1 can coconut milk

-juice of half a lemon

-your choice of garnishes: chopped basil, cilantro, spring onion, diced tofu, julienned cucumber, carrot, mango or red bell pepper, steamed cauliflour florets - whatever your little heart desires!

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water, then toss them with a bit of veg oil so they don't get too sticky icky and set aside.

In your fave soup pot, heat the veg oil over medium heat.  Cook the curry paste for a minute or two, until your kitchen becomes filled with the frangrant, exotic, scent of curry deliciousness. 

Add the stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil on high heat.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and whisk in the coconut milk.  Simmer for ten minutes so the flavors become BFF's.

Add the lemon juice, taste the broth and season with S&P.

Divide the noodles and garnishes amongst some soup bowls and ladle the gorgeous broth over them. 

Seriously, how easy was that?

XOXO

V.V.

Vegan-ize Delivery Pizza and Tofu Feta Recipe!

Monday Monday. . .So good to me. . .

Hey hunnie bunnies!

I am a pizza fanatic.  I could eat it for every meal of the day!  I make it all the time at home but sometimes (particularly in the wee small hours of the morning apres a crazy night out) I just have to have delivery pizza.  For Winnipeggers, late-night pies are as easy to acquire as dialing the number '2' seven times (Pizza Hotline, anyone?) but regardless of your locale, you can vegan-ize delivery pizza no problem!

Simply order a vegetarian pizza with no cheese (at which point the order taker may repeat 'no cheese?!' as if you've lost your mind) maybe double sauce if you're a saucy gal like me, and add on whatever extra vegetarian toppings you like.  Extra spinach, spicy eggplant, garlic, banana peppers, pineapple, artichoke hearts, olives, bell peppers - whatever you like/they offer! 

Once your pizza arrives, you can add a little extra flare by drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil, maybe a few drops of balsamic vinegar, fresh basil or a sprinkle of dried oregano, some vegan cheeze (if you use vegan cheeze, then just broil it a little to make it melty), some white or black beans, toasted pine nuts, a pinch of chili flakes and some chopped sun dried tomatoes - again, whatever your heart desires!  My new fave is to top the 'za with some home made crumbled tofu feta and give it a little drizzle of olive oil before broiling it for a minute or two.  Tofu feta is DELISH and so easy to make.  Add it to salads, wraps, bruschetta, pasta dishes, vegan chili, the possibilities end only with your imagination :)

Tofu Feta

Ingredients:

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cubed or roughly crumbled

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

- 1 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast

- 3 cloves minced garlic

- 1 tsp shoyu

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp oregano



- 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (start with 1/2 tsp then season to taste, real feta is quite salty)
- fresh group peppa

Whisk together all ingredients except tofu in a glass dish.  Add the tofu and toss to coat.  Let the tofu marinate for at LEAST an hour, tossing every now and then.  Taste and season accordingly.  The tofu and marinade can be stored together in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days and the flavour will intensify, woo hoo!

Happy noshing <3

xoxo

V.V.

Vivacious Vegan Cuba Vacation Survival Guide!

Hey My Loves!


Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I feel like I haven't been in the kitchen much these days.  I have  been in Cuba however!  It was V.V.'s first trip to the beautiful tropical paradise, stayed in Varadero, and I absolutely loved it!  The water is azure, the sand is powdered sugar white, the sun is always shining, the rum is ever flowing and best of all, the Cuban people are absolutely fantastic - so warm and kind and absolutely awesome.  I plan to go back ASAP! 

One thing I will say that wasn't exactly outstanding was the cuisine. . . mainly because I am vegan, partially because most Cuban resorts just don't really serve amazing food (the main reason for this being, that because Cuba is communist and food is rationed, food goes to the Cuban people FIRST and then what is left goes to the resorts - and that's exactly how it should be, in V.V.'s opinion).
 
The national dish of Cuba is Moros y Christianos aka Moors and Christians aka black beans and white rice - sounds veg friendly enough - but it is often cooked with lard and often contains pork so that was pretty much a no go (I was  able to find a vegan version of this dish ONCE-  just plain white rice, black beans and some chopped green bell pepper and red onion.  Quite tasty!). 

Pretty much every veggie dish I came upon at the resort had either meat in it or loads of butter, but I managed to find something vegan to eat at every meal!  For brekkie, I stuck to the amazing fresh fruits of the island, fresh squeezed orange juice and sometimes toast with macadamia nut butter that I brought along myself.  The resort we stayed at had a pizza guy in the beachside restaurant who made pizzas to order all day long.  He was my hero.  He made over 500 little pizzas a day!  I ordered my lunch pizzas with all the vegetables (including the corn?) and asked for it to be 'sin queso, por favor!' (without cheese).  In the evenings there was a pasta bar where you could order your pasta dish any way you liked it.  I told the pasta guy very sweetly, 'soy vegetariana' (i'm vegetarian) and he double scrubbed the pasta pan to make sure there were no straggly meat scraps.   

The very best meal we had was in a local restaurant reccomended to us by the consierge at our hotel.  Meson del Quixote is high on a hill over-looking the ocean and serves up amazing Cuban/Spanish cuisine.  They also had a fabulous musical trio playing music all night long :)  Instead of putting plain bread on our table, they put a basket full of crisp, feather-light bread that had been gently rubbed with tomatoes, olive oil and garlic which I can only guess was their version of the Spanish dish Pan con Tomate.  They had paella on the menu as well but they were all meat and seafood versions, so when we asked our waiter Jose what he reccomended for vegetarians, he offered to create a paella dish without any meat and topped with sauteed veggies just for us!  It was a very memorable and wonderful evening :) 

Here are some quick tips I can suggest if you are vacationing in beautiful Cuba soon:

Tip #1:  TIP, TIP, TIP!  The average salary of a Cuban person is around $20 Canadian dollars a month.  I hear a lot of people say that they don't tip until the end of their stay in Cuba but I am POSITIVE that continually tipping will give you much better service (we tipped for every drink and every meal, even though it was all-inclusive, and we rarely had to wait for drinks at the bar) and the people are so, so grateful for the extra cash.  Especially as a vegan in a country where 'vegan' is a generally non-existant term, and asking for special requests and being pains in the tushie: TIP!!!!

Tip #2:  Bring little gifties for the Cuban people.  Little travel size toiletries, toys, candy, books, clothes you don't wear anymore, jewelery you dont wear anymore (Cuban women have the most beautiful hair and it is always styled and often adorned - ATM's Mama left some necklaces from the dollar store as a gift for their maid and the next day she was wearing them in her gorgeous hair!) are all very expensive and hard to come by in Cuba.  We left little treats as well as a tip for our maid, Wendy, every day and she always wrote us such sweet thank-you notes!  Even if the person you give these items to can't use them, they can trade them or find someone who CAN use them. 

Tip #3:  Learn your P's and Q's in Spanish as well as what non-vegan foods you do not want in your tummy.  "Por Favor" - Please, "Gracias" - Thank-You, "De Nada" - You're Welcome, "Soy Vegetariana" - I'm vegetarian, "Sin queso, mantequilla, leche, huevos, carne, manteca, pollo, y pescado."  - Without (sin means without, con means with) cheese, butter, milk, eggs, meat, lard, chicken and fish.  Hopefully 'soy vegetariano' will suffice, and maybe a 'tengo allergia de la leche' (I have an allergy to milk, maybe not true but whaaaaateva). 
We also found out that fruit names have alternate meanings in Cuban Spanish: If you refer to someone (of either sex) as a 'mango' you are saying they are sexy and if you ask someone for  'papaya'. . .if you are hoping for the fruit, ask for 'fruta bomba', because papaya is slang for a gals lady-bits. . .unless of course, that's what you were after in the first place!  He he he. . .

Tip #4:  If you get the opportunity, go visit Havana.  It is the capital city of Cuba and it is a beautiful place, rich in history and culture.  When ATM and I go back, I most certainly want to stay overnight in the famous Hotel Nacional or maybe a couple of nights in a little boutique hotel, converted from a coloniel home.

Tip #5:  The white paper cones that you see people selling are usually either roasted, salted peanuts or banana chips.  BUY & EAT THEM IN LARGE QUANTITIES!!!!!!

Tip #6:  Eat a fresh, young coconut.  At our resort, I chatted up the towel guy at the pool to find out how to get a coconut.  He called over his buddy the gardiner who hacked open fresh, young coconuts with a machete for just 1CUC per coconut.  You can drink the delicious, nourishing coconut water and then scoop out the yummy, jelly-like insides for a truely tropical treat!

Tip #7:  Travel equipped with some vegan snacks and condiments.  Instant miso soup, protien bars, hot sauce (the food can be a little bland), nut butter, soy jerky, trail mix, whatever you like to snack on.  Find out if your hotel room has a mini fridge before you bring anything perishable!

Tip #8:  Have an amazing time!



I'll write again soon, I have an updated version of my Vegan Benedict, a DELISH and quick curry noodle soup, a way to dress up delivery pizza and some YUM appies!

XOXO,

Vivacious Vegan

Vegan "Bailey's" Irish Cream Liqueur

Happy Holidays!!!

 

December is my favorite month.  I love everything about it: the sparkle, the celebrations, the time spent with friends and loved ones. . .  hence why this blog entry is loonnnggg overdue - it's been a busy month!  

I usually spend the week from Christmas Eve to New Years day overindulging on anything and everything I can sink my teeth into or fill my glass with and when it comes to holiday beverages, I like 'em sweet, creamy and booooozy.  Put 'em all together and you've got IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR!!!  Store-bought Irish cream is full of very non-vegan cream (obvs!) and other wacky preservatives and can be quite pricey.  My recipe (adapted from the amazing Tal Ronnen's recipe for Irish cream sauce) is very simple and YUMMY and you can make a 40oz bottle for under $30!  On ice, in your morning coffee or soaked into vegan chocolate cupcakes, it's a delish and festive treat!

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, filled with peace, love and joy <3

Vegan Irish Cream Liqueur

Ingredients:

-4 tsp cornstarch

-2 cans coconut milk (don't bother with the light stuff, stick to regular)

-1 cup chocolate almond milk

-1/2 cup organic brown sugar

-1 tsp vanilla extract (always use real vanilla extract, artificial is ICKY)

-pinch sea salt

-1 mickey of whiskey

In a wee bowl, combine the cornstarch with 4 tsp of the coconut milk.  Whisk it well to ensure it is smooooth (this is called a 'slurry' and it is a crucial step when adding starch to liquid to avoid lumps!). 

In a large saucepan, combine the rest of the coconut milk, almond milk, sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  

Once boiling, add the slurry of cornstarch and whisk like you have never whisked before.  Simmer for a minute or two then remove from the heat and let it cool right down.

Once cooled, you can strain the sweet liquid through a fine mesh strainer if you are concerned about lumpiness.  Add the whiskey, whisk, et voila!  You have Irish cream liqueur!  My testers said it might need a touch more booze, but I will leave that to your discretion.

All the best in the New Year!

XOXO,

V.V.
 

Vegan 'Coq' au Vin

Hey Mondays!




The cold weather has begun to set in and so have V.V.'s cravings for warm, comforting soups and stews.  My StepMama makes an incredible traditional French chicken and wine stew called Coq au Vin that is swimming with earthy mushrooms, caramelized onions, herbaceous thyme, pungent garlic and rich, robust, red, red wine!  According to Mrs. Julia Child, the French eat this stew with boiled, buttered,  parsley sprinkled potatoes but I prefer this mouth-watering stew served ladled over roasted garlic mashed potatoes! 


The chicken substitute I recommend for this dish is a soy-based simulated 'chick'n' called Gardein (they make so many absolutely AMAZING plant-based meat substitutes, great for new vegetarians or transitioning omnivores who are craving an insanely meaty taste and texture).  Superstore Blue Menu makes PC brand meatless chick'n breasts that are made with Gardein and I think Yves makes a meatless chick'n strip product as well.  I have made this dish with cubed seitan as well and it turned out delish.  You could also use good ol' firm tofu! 


A tip about cooking with wine: ALWAYS cook with a wine you would enjoy drinking!!  Maybe not the most expensive bottle, but you can easily find a nice bottle for under twelve bucks that will make allllll the difference in your cooking (I put wine in everything) annnnd you can enjoy a glass or two while you slave away in the kitchen ;)

Vegan 'Coq' au Vin

serves 4ish

Ingredients:

for braised pearl onions:

-20ish pearl onions

-1 tbsp Earth Balance butter

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1 cup veggie stock

-S&P

for the stew:

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 tbsp Earth Balance butter

-3 cups mixed sliced mushrooms (I used crimini and shitake.  Shitake is UNREAL in the flavour dept)

-8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
-4 simulated chick'n fillets, chopped into bite sized pieces, or 1 pkg of strips, or 4 cups of cubed seitan, or 1 brick of cubed firm tofu
-2 tbsp all purpose flour
-2 cups veggie stock
-2 cups dry red wine (try a pinor noir or burgundy)
-1 tbsp tomato paste
-a handful of fresh thyme sprig
-a handful of fresh parsley, very roughly chopped
-S&P


First, we braise the pearl onions.  Drop the onions in a pot of boiling water for two minutes and then transfer them immediately into a bowl of ice water.  This will make their skins nice and loosey-goosey.  This is your cue to remove the skins!  Be careful to keep the onions whole.


Heat the 1 tbsp Earth Balance and 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions to the pan and begin to brown gently, shaking the pan to ensure they brown evenly.  Once the onions have begin to show some beautiful brown colour, sprinkle with salt and peppa and add 1 cup of veggie stock.  Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the onions for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are quite soft.  Remove the lid and cook the onions further until they have absorbed most of the liquid.  Set assssssiiide.


Now for the stew!


Melt the remaining Earth Balance and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms have significantly reduced in size.  Add the "chick'n" and cook until it has browned.  Sprinkle the mushrooms and "chick'n" with the flour and add the veggie stock, red wine, tomato paste, thyme sprigs and parsley.  Stir well to ensure the sauce isn't lumpy. 


Add the braised onions and bring the stew to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a rich, thick gravy.


Season with S&P and remove the thyme sprigs.


Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta.


Stay warm, inside and out!


XOXO


V.V.

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