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.

Vegan Restaurants and Catering in Winnipeg!

Happy Friday!


Many of you have been asking me where to buy seitan which makes me sooooo happy because that means you are intrigued by my seitan obsession rather than disturbed by it!!  But alas, I have NO idea where to buy it in Winnipeg.  On the plus side: it is so easy to make from scratch!  And you can find all of the ingredients at your friendly neighborhood Bulk Barn (including gluten flour)!  I use this recipe for homemade seitan .  I modify it slightly by replacing the ground ginger with smoked paprika (Bulk Barn) and add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (you can get it at Bulk Barn in the bulk spices.  I have also seen it at Superstore in the health food aisle and Organza Market in the refridgerated section).  Do not be afraid of nutritional yeast!  It has delicious flavour and is an excellent source of B12 vitamins and protein! 


I thought that since it is the weekend that I would post a list of some of my favorite vegan and vegan friendly restaurants!  I would love to hear some of your favorites too!


Boon Burger - Obviously one of my faves, I yammer on about it enough!  Burgers, poutine, soups and salads all SUPER YUMMY!!!


Falafel Place - HUGE vegan and vegetarian menu, think diner meets mouth-watering Middle Eastern cuisine!  I always get 2 dozen falafel balls and a side order of tahini sauce and STUFF MY FACE!


Burrito del Rio - the grande vegetarian burrito is the size of a small infant and packed with fresh ingredients and loads of flavour!

Fresh Cafe - One of my all-time fave's, best vegan brunch EVER!  And the fresh juices have saved me on more than one morning-after-a-bender

Calm Unity Cafe - Located in the Moksha Yoga studio it is perfectly virtuous food after a cleansing hot yoga session!

Delicious Vegetarian Restaurant - It TRUELY lives up to it's name!  You absolutely MUST try the deep fried mushrooms with spicy salt (omgomgomgomgomg!!!)!

Not exactly a restaurant, but Nofu Plant Based Catering is Winnipeg's premiere exclusively vegan catering co.!  They cater everything from office luncheons to weddings to cocktail parties to baby showers - you name it!  I can't tell you how many weddings I've been to where the vegan option is either a slab of tofu or pasta with veggies - boring!! Check Nofu out! 

It's a lot easier to eat vegan in restaurants than many people think.  At Pizzeria Gusto the 'drunken mushroom' pizza (I think it's called the 'Sophia') without the cheese is UNREAL!  At most sushi places there are tons of veggie rolls along with vegetable tempura and edamame!  If you are more in the mood for a couple little tapas to accompany a bottle of Spanish vino (although one bottle is rarely enough) then you have to visit Segovia and try the Pan Con Tomate and Olives with Orange and Thyme mmmm...

Happy Noshing this weekend!

XOXO
V.V.

I Sold My Soul to Seitan

Hey Baybeeees,

Okay okay OKAY!  It appears that I am a little bit obsessed with posting seitan recipes so after this one, I'll try to vary it up!  This is a 'steakhouse' inspired dish that would be perfect date night food (the recipe serves two). 

Sunflower-Crusted Seitan with Mushroom-Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

-2 seitan cutlets sliced in half crosswise

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/4 cup shoyu

-2 tbsp fresh chopped herbs of your choice

-1/2 cup water

-1/3 cup flour

-1/3 - 1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds

-2 tbsp olive oil

-4 - 5 medium sized Yukon Gold taters, washed and cubed

-3 cloves garlic, chopped

-1 cup chopped mushrooms

-2 tbsp vegan butter

-S&P

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, shoyu, minced garlic, herbs and water.  Season with S&P and marinate the seitan 'filets' in the mixture for at least and hour.  Remove the 'filets' from the marinade and dredge them in flour.  Then dip them in the marinade again and coat them in the ground seeds, pressing them on so they stick well!  Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the seitan filets until golden on both sides. 

To make a 'jus':  pour the leftover marinade into the hot skillet and reduce until slightly thickened and season with S&P.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender.  Drain them and mash them with a potato masher or whip them up with an immersion blender.  In a skillet, saute the mushrooms and garlic and then add to the taters along with the vegan butta.  Season with S&P, of course!

I served this up with some roasted baby carrots from (you guessed it) my Mama's garden!

XOXO

V.V.

Sesame-Crusted Seitan with Red Wine-Soy Braised Vegetables and Crispy Udon Noodle Cakes

Hello Darlings,

Sorry I haven't posted in a while!  I hope that the recipe I am posting today makes it worth the wait.  I had two lovely girlfriends over for dinner last week and dreamt up this dish.  I had all the ingredients for stir fry but I find that stir fry can be so booooorrrrring!!!  So this is stir fry my way.  No more saucey piles of whatever you have in the fridge atop rice, people! 

Sesame-Crusted Seitan with Red Wine-Soy Braised Vegetables and Crispy Udon Noodle Cakes
serves 4
Ingredients:
sesame seitan:
-3 seitan cutlets (about 1 1/2 lbs)
-1 clove garlic, minced
-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
-4 tbsp sweet chili sauce
-4 tbsp shoyu
-1/3 cup water
-sriracha hot sauce (to your liking)
-pinch S and lots of fresh ground P
-1/3 cup whole wheat flour
-2 tbsp sesame seeds
braised veg:
-4 to 6 cups of your favorite chopped veg (I used purple cabbage, onion, garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers and cucumbers)
-1/3 cup red wine
-2 tbsp shoyu
-fresh ground P
udon noodle cakes:
-2 packages of udon noodles

SEITAN: Whisk together the garlic, ginger, chili sauce, shoyu, water, hot sauce and S&P.  Cut the seitan into bite sized chunks and marinate in the sauce for at least an hour.  Toss together the flour and sesame seeds and add the drained seitan (reserve the marinade).  Add a tablespoon of the marinade to the flour/sesame/seitan mixture and ensure that each little seitan chunk is well coated with flour/sesame seeds.  Heat a few tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the seitan until golden on all sides.

VEG:  Heat a few tsp of veg oil in a skillet and saute veg until tender crisp.  Add wine and shoyu and cook until absorbed.  Season with pepper!

NOODLE CAKES: Carefully remove the noodles from the package and slice them in half into triangles.  Heat 3 tbsp veg oil in a pan and saute until golden on each side.  You can keep them warm in an oven set to low heat.

TO ASSEMBLE:  Place a noodle cake on each plate and top with the braised veg followed by the seitan.  Pour the reserved marinade into a hot skillet and reduce by half.  You can add a splash of red wine too!  Pour the sauce over the seitan and serve with some steamed baby bok choy!

Until next time,
XOXO V.V.

"Chicky Fingers" and Fries

Hello gorgeous ones,

I have been busy busy busy since Thanksgiving (the home made tofurkey was a HIT as well as the pumpkin pie, I'll post recipes soon!) and haven't been making anything worth blogging about (lots of toast!).  Today, I made a big batch of seitan and was immediately inspired to create a vegan version of my favorite meal when I was little.  Chicken fingers and fries are on just about every family restaurant menu and kids go CRAYZAY for them.  Sadly, they are often full of fillers and all kinds of crap (and chicken of course which is a definite NO for all you vegetarians out there) so they aren't always the healthiest choice.  It should be said that I have a reputation for making the BEST oven baked french fries.  It has taken me years to perfect the combination of oven temp, seasoning, potato variety and timing and I am ready to pass on the recipe to YOU!

There's only a few hours left before Sunday Night Football starts, so get your butt into the kitchen and whip up this classic diner staple - perfect for game night fare!

"Chicky Fingers" and Fries

Ingredients:

2 seitan cutlets, sliced into 'fingers'

2 tbsp djon mustard

1 tbsp shoyu

1/4 - 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp canola oil

2 russet potatoes, scrubbed, sliced into fry shapes

2 tbsp canola oil

S&P

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Toss the fries in the canola oil and arrange them on a large baking sheet in an even layer (this is crucial for even browning, you may have to use more than one sheet).  Bake in the oven for about 20 min, then flip and bake for another ten.  Season with S&P as soon as you take 'em out of the oven.

Meanwhile...mix the shoyu and mustard together in a bowl.  Toss with the seitan fingers to coat them well and then dredge with flour.  Make sure each finger is well coated!  Heat the oil in a skillet oven med high-ish heat and saute the fingers until golden on all sides.  

Serve with lots o' ketchup and you fave dipping sauce!

XOXO,

V.V. 

French Lentil Pate

Hello, Dollies. 

It's so nice to have you back where you belong. 

Last night I made a big pot of Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Bread Crumbs from Alicia Silverstone's (yes, as in 'Cher' from Clueless) blog The Kind Life.  It was mighty delish and her blog is definitely worth a visit.  If you dig her blog, pick up a copy of her book The Kind Diet.  Great for non-vegan's who are curious about goin' veggie, vegan's and also crazy health nuts (reffered to in the book as Superhero's).  

As part of my continued effort to consume more protein, I made a very chic French Lentil Pate.  What`s with all the legumes?  Why don't I just eat more tofu as it's low in fat and sky high in protein?  I have a soy intolerance, folks.  Tofu gives me a mighty tummy ache.  Although sometimes, in the name of vegan cheesecake, I'll grin and bear it.  So the occasional soy based recipe may pop up on here.  

ANYWAYS, back to the pate.  SO easy to make, whip it up the next time you have people over for some vino and you are sure to impress :)

 French Lentil Pate
Ingredients:
1 cup french lentils (green lentils)
1 bay leaf
2 cups water or veggie stock
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme (or whatever savory herbs you like!)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp djon mustard
1 glass red wine
2 tbsp shoyu
S&P
olive oil

Bring the lentils and bay leaf to a boil in the water or stock.  Reduce to a simmer and cook the lentils with a lid on the pot until all the liquid is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic until soft in a bit of safflower oil.  Add the thyme, paprika, wine, mustard and shoyu and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add the onion mixture to the cooked lentils and puree with an immersion blender or food processor until very smooth.  Season with S&P!

Serve the pate in a ramekin with a thin layer of olive oil drizzled over the top and lots of fancy crackers or crostini.

Ooh lala!

Kisses, V.V.

Spaghetti Overload

Dudes and Dudettes,

I haven't posted for a week already, how time flies!  I made a huge pot of spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce (same sauce as the one from the Penne with White Beans recipe, minus the beans and you can leave out the wine and just replace it with a little of the water that your spaghetti has cooked in) and have been living on it for about three days.  I call it the Sophia Loren Diet ("Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." - Sophia Loren, when asked about how she maintained her famous figure). 

My multitude of siblings and their significant others (I was the ninth wheel) had a Mexican themed potluck dinner on Sunday night.  The Boom bought all the ingredients for my guacamole and I whipped it up for her (will post the recipe soon!) and my stepsista Teff made a DELISH couscous salad with black beans, corn, red onion, avocado, cilantro and lime...mmmmmmMMMMMMM.  I made a mock up of the twelve pound burritos of amazingness served at Burrito del Rio, all too conveniently located down the street from me here in Osborne Village.  Okay, maybe they aren't exactly twelve pounds, but the vegan burrito is ENORMOUS (when I carry it home, I carry it like a small infant...awww...but then I EAT IT!) and full of fresh, authentic flavours.  This ain't no Taco Bell, people!  My version of burritos is basically a filling made of up two cups of cooked brown rice mixed in a pot over medium heat with a can of diced tomatoes and a can of black beans that have been drained and well rinsed.  Then I throw in some sauteed onions and garlic, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, maybe a splash of white wine if there's some lying around, and a squeeze of lime is nice too.  Season with S&P and roll 'em up in some homemade whole wheat tortillas.

It's Thanksgiving weekend coming up and I have a couple dinner's to attend so I will definitely have some festive recipes for ya!

Until then,
XOXO V.V.