Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Chick'n Parmesan

One dish, that was Ryan's very favourite I think, that I have yet to make vegan is Chicken Parmesan. I just hadn't bothered for some reason. I think it was because of the mozzarella blanket on top that was synonymous with the version I was used to that kept me away. It must be because as soon as I made Miyoko Schinner's Meltable Mozzarella from her new book, Artisan Vegan Cheese, it was the first thing I thought to make. I saw Giada's recipe and that's what brought it to my mind but I went a little different than her version, closer to the version I would have made pre-vegan. A breaded chick'n cutlet (No Cluck Cutlets from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day which was frozen so I just half defrosted it so it wouldn't overcook while being pan fried) covered in marinara sauce with mozzarella on top. I'm not including a recipe but for the cutlet, it is almost exactly what I have done before for the eggplant parmesan sandwich using panko bread crumbs for the superior crunch factor and Vegg to adhere the breading. I pan fried the breaded cutlets in olive oil and then transfered them to a sheet pan, poured a bit of sauce on top of each, a few slices of the aforementioned Meltable Mozzarella and broiled it to just melt the cheese. I didn't want to cover them with too much sauce to undo all that hard work to get the outside crispy of course and added a little chiffonade of basil on top since we have a bunch on hand and it just brightens the whole dish up. It was served up with a bit of whole wheat spaghetti with more of the marinara sauce (store bought to make this a quick weeknight supper) and some peas. It was so perfect, so close to what I remember and hit that spot perfectly. Ryan was in heaven and had a hard time walking away from the extra piece I had made for his lunch the next day (they make a great sandwich too by the way). It was crisp of the outside with the perfect panko crunch, moist and juicy on the inside thanks to Tami and Celine's perfect cutlet recipe, the mozzarella melted and gave a nice creamy addition to each bite as well. It is my new speciality that I know Ryan will be asking for again and again and I will happily oblige.

P.S. If you haven't picked up a copy of Artisan Vegan Cheese, I strongly urge you to do so! It is an amazing cookbook that I have definitely become a bit obsessed with. I rarely get a book and immediately start making things out of it. I will say this one came and I was ready. I had already ordered and received my carrageenan and made a batch of rejuvelac. I got to work quickly and made the soft gruyere. It came together so quick and easy and made an amazing addition to my baked potato. I made a batch of the Cashew Yogurt and fell in love. I made a double batch (it works perfectly by the way) within a week. I have tried so many different homemade vegan yogurt recipes and none have worked, this one is amazing! My picky mom is in love with it and she has refused to eat any vegan yogurts because they just don't taste right. This one is just the right amount of tart and super creamy. I even used my dehydrator to culture it and it worked like a charm. Another use for this once uni-tasker! The sour cream in the book is also super easy to make and super creamy and tangy. We had some tacos just last night because the sour cream was just right and demanded to be used. I won't be buying sour cream any more since this one is so quick and just three ingredients! It has become one of my favourite cookbooks and has more than just recipes for cheeses. There are loads of intriguing recipes in the book to use those perfectly crafted artisan cheeses. This one is definitely highly recommended from this (vegan) cheese lover!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Eggplant Rollatini

I am slow to post but I made this dish right at the beginning of the month. I got some amazing eggplants at the Brewer Park Farmer's Market and knew that I wanted to make this dish with it. It was easy to veganize and came together fairly quick.

Giada's version is stuffed with ricotta that is mixed with eggs and Parmesan so I decided to make tofu ricotta which is thick enough to use as it was without adding anything else. I used lots of fresh basil in it too which added lots of flavour and pretty colour to the ricotta. For the eggplant I did as Giada suggested and salted and rinsed them to remove any bitterness and then sprayed with spray oil. I took mine to the grill instead of the grill pan since the weather was nice. This way I didn't heat up the kitchen too much either. The eggplant slices grilled nicely and super fast and then all that was left was to stuff and roll. I thought it would be tricky and the eggplant would fall apart but it totally didn't. It went together perfectly and they all nested in the pan awaiting their tomato sauce blanket. I went with the quickest solution for this and used a jarred sauce. It is a passata type sauce that is super simple, just tomatoes, basil and salt. It worked nicely in this and saved me having to make sauce which was nice since I was making this for a quick lunch. I sprinkled the top with nutritional yeast and baked it for a bit longer than Giada since my sauce was room temp not warm. Then I served it up with toasted ciabatta and lots of broccoli. Everyone really enjoyed it (even my eggplant phobic mother) so I would definitely make it again!

I don't really use a recipe for the tofu ricotta, it's become sort of an amalgamation of a few different recipes I've tried. I usually take a whole pound block of tofu and tear it into smaller pieces and put it in the food processor then add 3/4 cup of cashews or pine nuts (depends on the day). I blitz this up then add nutritional yeast, yellow miso, a few cloves of garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper then stream in some unsweetened soy (or almond) milk until it reaches the consistency I want/looks ricotta-ish. I never add the same amount of anything or measure, it's more of a taste and see what it needs kind of thing.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong Theme - September

It's heading into fall now and I'm feeling like something a little hearty and rustic and the first food that comes to mind is Italian comfort food. This month's theme will be Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis! There are over 600 recipes on foodtv.com from this show so I'm sure anyone can find something they love! Of course, you could always just make your favourite Italian inspired dish and blog about it. Giada's style is to infuse the Italian food of her family's lineage with the Californian cuisine she grew up around. Maybe you can take your family's heritage and fuse it with Italian and see what you can come up with. Get your pasta water boiling and show us what you made! As usual, at the end of the month, send me an email with a link (or links) to your blog posts and I will include them in the monthly roundup!

Links for inspiration

http://www.foodnetwork.com/giada-de-laurentiis/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/giada-at-home/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/everyday-italian/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?Nr=Record%20Type:Result&N=501+4294959884&fnSearchString=everyday%20italian

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: A few quick sandwich ideas

So sometimes sandwiches are a more thought out process but sometimes they are so quick and simple and thrown together that I don't really write down a recipe. Here are a couple of quick examples of that.

Earlier this week I made a quick spaghetti sauce of onions, peppers, Field Roast Italian sausage, lots of garlic and kale. It was super tasty on our whole wheat pasta and luckily we had enough left over for lunches the next day. When I went to heat it up, I decided to try something a little different. I toasted a sub bun, schmeared it with garlic butter and stuffed it full of the heated up leftover spaghetti...noodles and all! It was soooo good! I will admit that when I was a teenager I used to bake fresh buns and then poke a hole in the side and stuff it with spaghetti kinda like a pizza pocket so the idea isn't totally new to me but it was sooo good I decided to share my guilty pleasure of carb on carb action. Plus the sauce was extra flavourful the next day like sauces tend to do.

The next one I can't take credit for at all. Ryan came up with this concept all on his own. We had some leftover Caesar salad dressing, croutons and tempeh bacon (using the recipe from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!) from the night before. Then at lunchtime the next day, I was mixing the salad up again and Ryan was making a chick'n burger (using the No Cluck Cutlets from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!) and then there was a little sparkle in his eye when he decided to combine the two and make a Chick'n Caesar Salad Burger! I have to say I was impressed with this combo, it was super tasty and he was nice enough to share some with me. 

Another great quick recipe I made with the No Cluck Cutlets was just the other night. I couldn't decide what to make for supper and it was getting late. Thanks to an episode of Eat Street I had watched late the night before, I was craving something with Greek flavours. I took two freshly made No Cluck Cutlets, sliced them and tossed them in lemon juice, lots of freshly minced garlic (like 1/2 a head), oregano, paprika and salt and pepper. Then I put it on the center griddle on my stove with some olive oil and got it nicely browned on the outside. While it was browning, I mixed up a quick tzatziki type sauce by mixing equal parts Vegenaise with plain So Delicious coconut yogurt, lots of garlic (the other 1/2 a head minced), a two inch piece of cucumber finely grated and salt and pepper. Then to finish it all off I grabbed a whole wheat wrap and piled it high with the No Cluck (and now garlicky) Cutlets, some of my tzatziki sauce, thinly sliced red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and a big scoop of Kalamata olives and wrapped it all up. It was so delicious and quick! We had a side greek salad with similar veggies with a Greek vinaigrette from the store but it was disappointing. Ryan got lucky that I discovered how it wasn't a great salad dressing before he put it on his so he went with some of the tzatziki sauce instead.

All wrapped up but you can't really see all the goodness

There ya go! MMM!

Just a few more days left to enter to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day (two to be exact) as I will be drawing for a winner on September 2nd. Don't forget to visit this post (http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html) and leave a comment (it's that easy!) for your chance. Also, if you participated in this month's cookalong don't forget to send me a link so I can include you in this month's wrap up as well as get a bonus entry for each blog post in the draw to win a copy of the book!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Stroganoff Sandwiches

So when Jeff Mauro first explained his POV on The Next Food Network Star, I was all excited! I love sandwiches (as I'm sure you know by now) and loved the concept of making any meal a sandwich and any sandwich a meal. I loved how he took what he loved and put it between two slices of bread being the carb lover I am. I decided for this sandwich I would do the same, I would take a meal I loved and turn it into a sandwich. So I took something I love (Stroganoff) and put it between two slices of bread (a sub bun in this case) and the result is the Stroganoff Sandwich! It is like a mix between a Philly Steak Sandwich and a French Dip and I will definitely be making it again.

I have made vegan Strongaff before and decided in place of the beef to just use more mushrooms but this time I did it a little different. I used some of my soy curl stash, rehydrated in beefy broth and then tossed with some tamari and ketchup and browned in the pan as the beefy bottom layer then topped it off with a bunch of sauteed onions and mushrooms in a creamy Stroganoff sauce. All this piled into a toasted sub bun is just pure heaven!

Stroganoff Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

3-4 medium onions, sliced thin

2 pkgs mushrooms, sliced thin (I used one white button and one cremini)

3 cups dry soy curls

3 cups beefy broth, divided (I use McCormicks All-Vegetable Beef Bouillon cubes)

3 tbsp low sodium tamari

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

capful of Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

fresh pepper to taste (I use lots)

Olive Oil for browning the onions, mushrooms and soy curls

3/4 cup silken tofu (I use the fresh kind in the refrigerated section not the box)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp ume plum vinegar

1 tsp yellow miso

1 tbsp cornstarch

capful of Kitchen Bouquet (again optional, I've found it just adds to the color not really so much flavour)

1. Place your dry soy curls in a bowl that will be okay with boiling water in it. Prepare 3 cups of beefy broth but make it a little stronger than the directions indicate. I used three cubes in three cups of water which is double what they suggest. While it is still hot but not necessarily boiling, pour just enough beefy broth over the soy curls to cover them and let sit until they are plumped up and rehyrated. Drain some of the (still hot trust me) broth back into the leftover broth you had. Then you want to squeeze out the excess broth from the curls. To speed up the process, I like to pour cool water over the curls first and drain and then squeeze them out by hand. You want to get as much of the broth/water out as possible. As you squeeze them out, place them into a new clean bowl. In a separate small bowl combine tamari, ketchup, garlic powder, thyme, Kitchen Bouquet if using and pepper then pour over the soy curls and toss with a spoon (or your hands like I really do) to make sure they are all coated evenly.

2. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over med-high heat and once it is warmed, add the soy curls and cook until they are evenly browned but not dried. You can add a bit more pepper and salt while they cook, taste and see if you think they need it. Set aside in a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Using the same pan, add a scant tablespoon of oil and fry the mushrooms until golden brown and caramelized. You might want to do it in batches and they will seriously shrink, so you know. Once they are golden brown remove from the pan and set aside for now. Again using the same pan, add a scant tablespoon of olive oil and then add the onions. Cook them down until they are softened, starting to caramelize. Instead of adding more oil while they are cooking, I added small amounts of the reserved beefy broth and it really helped add flavour. Once they are nicely caramelized, add the mushrooms back to the pan and mix them so they are combined. Add enough of the beefy broth to cover the onions and mushrooms and reduce down by half.

4. While it is reducing, combine the silken tofu, Dijon, umeboshi vinegar, yellow miso, cornstarch and Kitchen Bouquet (if using) in the blender on high speed. Once the beefy broth has reduced down by half, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the silken tofu mixture from the blender while stirring since you are adding cornstarch. You want it to just come to a boil to get the cornstarch to thicken up the sauce so you turn the heat up a bit if it is taking a long time to thicken. You want it to be almost like gravy as thickness goes. (Once it has, you could add in the beefy soy curls and toss to coat them as well. Here in my house, my mom won't eat a soy curl so we kept it separate.)

5. To assemble the sandwich, toast up a sub bun and then pile up some soy curls and cover/smother in the Stroganoff sauce. Enjoy with extra fresh ground pepper on top!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Deconstructed Eggplant Parm Sandwich

I'll admit that I thought I didn't like eggplant. I would see it on the menu places and quickly dismiss it for something else. I would walk by it in the grocery store and wonder what people did with it. During testing for Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day I decided to try it. That's the great thing I've discovered since becoming vegan is that trying new things is exciting to me now. I have found lots of foods I love and never would have given a shot to before (I'm talking to you lentils, tempeh, tofu, fennel...and many more!). There was actually two eggplant sandwiches in the book that I fell in love with during testing, the Marinated Eggplant Sandwiches and the Asian Eggplant Sandwich. They both blew my preconceived notion of what eggplant was all about right out the water. The Marinated Eggplant Sandwich has a homemade Cajun seasoning blend sprinkled on slices of baked eggplant and some perfectly chewy baked tofu to go with it. Put it on a bun with some mayo and lettuce and I'm telling you it will make an eggplant lover out of anyone. The Asian Eggplant Sandwich is bold and full of flavour from ginger, garlic, pb and sesame oil all topped off with a napa cabbage slaw. Both are super simple to put together but taste super complex.

Marinated Eggplant Sandwich

Asian Eggplant Sandwich

Thanks to Celine and Tami, I am now no longer afraid of the big purple eggplants in the grocery store and happily pick some up when the craving hits. Just last weekend we were out at the Carp Garlic Festival when I spotted a vendor with lots of small purple and white eggplants and I had to have some. I decided this time round I would attempt (actually reattempt because I have made this sandwich before) the Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Sandiwich by none other than the Sandwich King himself. I had attempted this one before and made the tomato part exactly as he wrote it and wasn't a fan and never blogged about it. This time around I went with a much simpler and straightforward sauce for the sandwich since I also had the most incredible local tomatoes and basil from the farmer's market. These tomatoes didn't need any help from balsamic vinegar and sugar, they were amazing all on their own. I simply roasted them with some onions and garlic and then gave it a quick blend in the blender and it was perfection! To bread the eggplant I used The Vegg since I love it for this purpose. It really does work to help hold on the breading. I added some nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning to the panko bread crumbs for extra flavour in place of the parmesan. Stacked it all on a toasted bun spread with some garlic miso butter and some fresh basil chiffonaded on top and it was so delicious! This sandwich doesn't need cheese, the bright flavour of the tomatoes and the crunch from the eggplant were the highlight here. If you wanted to you totally could add some Daiya mozzarella shreds to the bun and put it under the broiler but I really think it was super without it.

(Don't forget to visit this post http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html and enter a comment to enter my giveaway for a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! and if you participate in this month's cookalong, send me a link by email at the end of the month to get a bonus entry!)

My Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

Look at all that tomato goodness dripping out of there!

 Deconstructed Eggplant Parm Sandwich Vegan Style

Sauce

8 medium to large tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion, chopped into small one inch pieces

2 heads of garlic

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

Breaded Eggplant

8 small eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper

1 tbsp Vegg powder

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup plain soymilk (I use PC Organic Original)

Oil for frying (I used Grapeseed)

Sandwich Build

4 buns (we went with sesame seed topped burger buns), toasted

1/4 cup vegan margarine 

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 tbsp yellow miso

1 tsp garlic powder

Handful fresh basil, chiffonaded

To make the sauce: Preheat the oven to 400F. Get a large rimmed sheet pan and toss all the tomatoes and onions onto it. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and toss it around with your hands to coat all the pieces. Cut the tops off the two heads of garlic and place them on a sheet of foil wrap, drizzle these with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as well. Wrap the garlic in the foil in a small pouch and place on the sheet pan in the corner. Once the oven has preheated, place the sheet in and roast for 60 minutes, checking it after 30 minutes. You want the tomatoes and onions to start to brown and get some caramelized flavour. If this happens for you before 60 minutes, take it out by all means. Once you have taken them out, transfer all the tomato and onion to your blender and the garlic from one head of the garlic and blend but just pulse it and leave it coarse and a bit chunky. Set aside and keep warm but not boiling or hot.

To make the eggplant: After you have sliced the eggplant you can sprinkle with salt and let sit. I don't find it necessary with the smaller eggplants but you will have to if you are using larger ones to reduce the bitterness. If you do salt them make sure you blot them with paper towel after so they are dry when you proceed. Combine the panko, nooch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt & pepper in a shallow dish. Prepare the Vegg by combining it and the water in the blender and blending it on high speed until it is well mixed and looks almost creamy and thick. Pour it into another shallow dish (I use pyrex pie plates for the record) and then mix in the soymilk with a fork until combined. Place the flour in yet another shallow dish and you are ready to start breading. Place the eggplant in the flour and toss to coat, gently shaking to remove the excess. Next place it in the Vegg mixture and flip it to coat it as well. Last, place it in the panko crumbs and gently press the crumbs onto the eggplant. Place the breaded pieces on a clean sheet pan and repeat with all the pieces you have cut. Once you have finished breading them all, take a cast iron frying pan and pour the oil of your choice in for frying. I used about 1/4" of oil in the bottom of the pan, you basically want it to reach half way up the side so the edges brown as well as the bottoms. Heat the oil over med-high heat and test with a few panko crumbs when you think it's hot enough, if they sizzle, it's ready. Place the eggplant in making sure not to crowd it and cook until brown on both sides which should only take a few minutes. Place on paper towel to drain off some of the cooking oil while you cook the rest. While you cook the last few pieces place the buns in the toaster and make the garlic miso butter by combining the margarine, roasted garlic, yellow miso and garlic powder in a small bowl. Once the buns are toasted, butter them with the garlic butter then top with two or three slices of the eggplant and top with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Top that with some of the chiffonaded basil and enjoy!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Croque Monsieur Macaroni Grilled Cheese

This one is a bit of two recipes turned on their head and mixed together. It started out with some leftover macaroni and cheese and turned into one of my favourite sandwiches ever! It started with an episode of Eat Street where I saw the Grilled Cheese Truck and how they put mac and cheese in a sandwich then while searching for ideas on Food Network US website, I found Food Network Magazine's recipe for Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese and Ina Garten's recipe for a more traditional Croque Monsieur. I decided to mash all these ideas together, take out what I didn't need and made the super duper Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese Sandwich!

So basically I took the cold leftover mac and cheese (our household go-to mac and cheese recipe is the one from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book The Vegan Table) and sliced it into squares that were the size of the sandwich bread I was using. I've had it twice now, once with an added cheese slice (Tofutti brand American) and once without and really didn't notice the difference. The mac and cheese warms and gets creamy so I don't think you really need it here. I completely left out the typical ham from this and didn't miss it at all. I buttered the outside of the bread like a traditional grilled cheese but then I sprinkled panko bread crumbs on the buttered bread and slightly pressed them in. Then I sprayed it (cautiously) with some spray oil and laid it on the griddle/frying pan. I start on medium high heat to get the bread and crumbs nice and browned but you will need to turn it down and let it warm the mac and cheese through if it's cold from the fridge. You can alternatively, take it off the frying pan and warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave. I have and didn't sacrifice any of the crunchiness of the exterior while warming up the inside. Dip in Dijon mustard and it make it all taste a million times better and gives it that Croque Monsieur flavour.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Emeril's Kicked-Up BLT

I started off this sandwich-y month with a BAM! Emeril's Kicked-Up BLT definitely had a little kick to it but it was so easy to veganize that I whipped it up for lunch on a whim one day. I, of course, went to my go to Smoky Curls from Vegan Diner which I have made so many times now I just wing it. I used Vegenaise for mayo and used white sandwich bread for the brioche. I know I could make my own, thanks to Celine, but I was going for quick and it stood in nicely. The Chipotle Mayo was definitely kicked up and what I would expect from Emeril. It worked nicely with the soy curl bacon and the avocado slices helped cool it down a bit. Mine was a little greener than Emeril's since I used slice green zebra tomatoes I picked up at the Kanata Farmer's Market on the weekend. I had never had them and thought they might be sour/bitter like the green tomatoes I had tried in the past but they are so tasty and sweet! Fresh local tomatoes always taste the best too! I really enjoyed this sandwich and even commented to Ryan that it was in my top 10 favourite sandwiches so it will definitely be made again and again. He, unfortunately for him, was at work while I was chowing down on it but I was nice enough to save him enough of everything to make one the next day and he  enjoyed it just as much as me. Kicked up sandwich heaven!

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! Just leave a comment on that post (click the link below) to be entered and if you would like to earn bonus entries, veganize a sandwich from Food Network and let me know at the end of the month. I will include you in our monthly round up and it will up the odds of you winning a copy of a spectacular cookbook! http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-network-monthly-cookalong-theme.html

Food Network Monthly Cookalong Theme - August

The theme this month is The Sandwich King! I love to watch Next Food Network Star and thought from the beginning how much I loved the concept of this show. I'll be honest, Jeff Mauro is a bit much for me and sometimes I wonder if anyone at Food Network is editing him but I do love a good sandwich so I keep watching!

So this month, I am challenging you to make sandwiches, any kind of sandwich! You can take your pick from Jeff's creations and veganize it, you can pick from any other chef's from the Food Network as well. You could even pick any recipe from the Food Network site and turn it into a sandwich! Like Jeff Mauro always says "You can make any meal into a sandwich, and any sandwich into a meal". Just like always the rules are super loose, let your imagination run wild and share it with us!

I will be talking sandwiches all month to celebrate the (early) release of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day by Tamasin Noyes and Celine Steen as well (shipping now, just saying)! I had the joy of being a tester for this wonderful book and can vouch for the fact that is jam-packed with delicious sandwiches as well as all the staples you need to build your own masterpieces (ie. seitans, breads and spreads). And great news, simply leave a comment on this post about how much you love sandwiches and be entered to win a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day. You can also earn an extra entry for each blog post you send me at the end of the month participating in this month's cookalong. Contest is open to Canada and the US and will be drawn on Sept. 2, 2012. So grab a loaf of bread and get stacking! Let's see what kind of sandwiches you love!

Links for Sandwich Inspiration

http://www.foodnetwork.com/jeff-mauro/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/jeff-mauro/recipes/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=sandwiches&fnSearchType=site

Food Network Monthly Cookalong July Wrap Up

Another busy month has come to an end! My new grill has definitely gotten some use this month. I don't think I've ever grilled as much in my life. I recently won a copy of John Schlimm's Grilling Vegan Style so I have been trying out a few recipes from that as well. I am hoping to put together a proper review of it soon but I will say I am enjoying everything I have made so far!

Now onto the cookalong posts I was sent this month!

I am going to start off with Lea from Vibrantlea Vegan since she is our newest participant! Thanks for joining in! Lea decided to veganize Marcela Vallodolid's recipe for Creamy Corn Cups or Esquites which look so tasty! Lea even upped the flavour by grilling the corn which makes it work perfect for this month's theme! http://vibrantleavegan.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-monthly-cookalong-esquites.html

Next up is Liz from Cooking the Vegan Books who quickly admits she didn't grill it but that it could be easily cooked on the grill if she had one. Liz made two different pizzas using recipes from the upcoming Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes that she tested awhile back but wanted to eat again. I tested just a few from Tami's grilling book and it was all extremely tasty like everything Tami makes! http://cookingtheveganbooks.com/2012/07/13/food-network-monthly-cookalong-pizza/

Melissa from Loves to Eat Vegan! joined in again this month with her take on Bobby Flay's Spice Rubbed Chicken Tacos using seitan as a quick stand in but suggested you could also easily use tofu or gardein. The only other ingredient she had to veganize was the mayo so she grabbed some Vegenaise and went to the grill with this one. It is a little more involved of a recipe with grilled poblanos, BBQ onions, coleslaw and a spiced rubbed chickn but Melissa added that the seitan and onions were the best part so you could change up the toppings and make them an easy weeknight meal as well! http://lovestoeatvegan.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-monthly-cookalong-grilled.html

Last but definitely not least is Tami from Vegan Appetite who grilled up some harissa marinated tofu despite the soaring temperatures deterring her from outdoor cooking! I totally get it because it is crazy hot here in Ottawa as well this summer! Since getting to know Tami, I have started to associate certain foods with her and harissa is definitely one of them! It definitely looks delicious and even has those perfect grill marks we would expect from the Grill Master! http://www.veganappetite.com/2012/07/harissa-grilled-tofu-for-food-network.html

My Cookalong Posts for quick navigation

Garden Burgers - http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-cookalong-garden-burgers.html

Sausage and Pepper Skewers with Grilled Polenta - http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-monthly-cookalong-sausage.html

Super Topped Frankfurters - http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-monthly-cookalong-super.html

Memphis-Style Hickory Smoked Tempeh Ribs - http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/07/food-network-monthly-cookalong-memphis.html

Please note: I am posting photos with each link so you can see the beautiful creations these talented people have put together. The photos are the property of each blogger and shouldn't be copied and used unless you have their consent. I'm sure they won't mind you sharing with friends just be nice and give credit were credit is due.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Memphis-Style Hickory-Smoked Tempeh Ribs

Alright it's probably not what The Neely's had in mind when they developed this recipe but I think tempeh makes an excellent stand in for ribs. Is it on a bone? No (and yuck anyways) but it is easy to pick up each one and delicious when covered in BBQ sauce after being smoked with some hickory wood chips!

It all started with the thought "I wanna smoke something in that BBQ" so I went out and found a smoker box (HomeSense strangely) and some hickory smoke chips (Home Hardware) and then went searching through Food Network's website for something that I wanted to try to veganize. I browsed through and found that The Neely's (recipe here) had exactly what I was looking for. The switch to tempeh was an easy one for me since I have made BBQ sauced tempeh sticks before inside and always thought they made a good replacement for ribs. I cut mine into little riblet sticks by halving the whole cake of tempeh then cutting into one inch wide pieces. I mixed up the dry rub and (warning) it makes a lot that you will not need unless you are making a bunch of tempeh riblets. I used two packages of tempeh and still have a large ziploc bag full of the rub up in the cupboard. It will keep so not a bad thing at all but if you are planning on just making this once maybe scale it down to a 1/4 of the recipe. They suggest rubbing it on the ribs and leaving it for 8 hours or more. I didn't have that kind of time so I just rubbed it on the tempeh and let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour and found it worked just fine.

I made 1/2 the sauce only because ketchup is a precious commodity in our house and I didn't want to use up most of a bottle. It was just enough for the two packages of tempeh with a little left over for dipping. It is a good but not great sauce in my opinion. It needs a little something...a little oomph! While we were eating the tempeh riblets I grabbed the bottle of Carolina-Style BBQ sauce from Vegan Diner that I keep on hand and gave them a few squirts, it really helped up the flavours.

As for the smoking process, I soaked the hickory chips for an hour in some water then loaded them into the little smoker box I bought. It is V shaped so it fits on top of the heat deflector plate inside the grill. I put it in there and started up the grill. Once it had heated up, I turned the two burners off on the side that didn't have the smoker box and put the dry rubbed tempeh pieces on the cool side. I turned the smoker box side down to medium-low as well (they suggest around 250 so use that built in thermometer to find which temperature setting works for you). After about 15 minutes I flipped the tempeh riblets over and then brushed a little bit of olive oil on each one. Since tempeh doesn't have a lot of fat in it I figured they needed a little something to keep them moist. After another 15 minutes, I flipped them again and basted that side with olive oil as well. By this point the chips in the smoker box had given all they had so I decided to turn that side off and turn the heat on the side with the tempeh riblets to get them a little browned on the outside. I used med-high heat and once they were nicely grilled, I slathered them with the BBQ sauce and let it get caramelized a bit. I took them off and put some more sauce over each before serving as well. I served them up with some roasted potatoes and grilled corn on the cob and they were quickly eaten up with lots of MMMs around the table! You could definitely taste the smoky flavour in them so I would definitely venture into smoking on the grill again. It's so much faster to smoke tempeh as well, definitely no need for three hours on there which makes it great for a quicker supper option.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Super Topped Frankfurters

Just recently one of our local health food stores (Market Organics) started carrying Field Roast sausages and frankfurters. I was over the moon happy and rushed downtown to get some the very evening they announced this. I love Field Roast sausages but will admit I had never tried their frankfurters. Last time I went down there, there was one lone package of frankfurters left in the fridge so I decided to take them home and give them a shot. I searched through all the suggestions of what to top a hot dog with on Food Network US Grilling Central and landed on two different ideas. We tried them out on two different nights and really loved both. The best part is...they are super easy to veganize. Switch out the hot dog for your favourite vegan version (Field Roast Frankfurters recommended!) and you are most of the way there. Of the two we picked only one had cheese, I just used our favourite cheddar-y cheese sauce in place of it but you could use Daiya shreds or wedges as well. (Sidenote: we just got Daiya wedges here yesterday and again being the crazy person that I am for all things vegan, I ran to Rainbow Foods as soon as they tweeted their arrival and got some. Now that I have tasted them all, I wish that I had had them when I made the Nacho Dogs, the Jalapeno Garlic Havarti would be amazing on them!)

The first recipe I went for was from Bobby Flay called Nacho Dogs. It has a spicy roasted tomato salsa, guacamole, pickled jalapenos and crushed corn chips all loaded in there. It calls for grated white cheddar so I went with my favourite cheddary cheese sauce from Hearty Vegan for the Irish Nachos in it's place but like I said above, this would be a great place to use some Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti. The guacamole has more in it than I usually do but I went with it (minus the yucky cilantro) to taste the dog as he intended it. It was tasty but I like mine spiked with garlic so next time I would throw that in. The salsa was a little wet but it was super tasty, smoky and spicy! I like the flavour it got from roasting the tomatoes and it was super quick to do. I just put them straight on the super hot grill and turned them every few minutes and they were quickly blistered and had nice grill marks on them. I grilled the Field Roast frankfurters on the BBQ as well. They were sticking a bit at first so I grabbed a small plate and put a bit of olive oil and S&P on it. I rolled each one in the oil and stuck them back on the grill and it worked much better. I did it a few times while they cooked sort of like basting them since they are not fatty like their meaty counterparts.

All together they were quite stuffed and it was tricky to get it all in one bite but we gave it our best! They were really tasty and Ryan and I both enjoyed them quite a bit. We both said after supper that we would want them again!

The next one we tried was a Chicago Dog from Food Network Magazine. I have heard about Chicago Dogs but have never tried one and I am so happy I finally did! I think it might be my favourite hot dog ever!!! I grilled the hot dog which I know isn't traditional but hey, neither is a wheat gluten franks so go with me here. Put your grilled frank in a bun (they say poppy seed, I say whatever you have since we have established I'm not a purist) and then load it up with relish, mustard, big spears of dill pickles, sliced tomatoes, diced onion then sprinkle the top with celery salt. It is amazingly tasty and fresh. This will definitely be my new hot dog combo of choice! I had two on my plate but only ended up getting through one and a bit before I was stuffed. I passed it over to Ryan who happily finished it off. I will admit to watching him eat it and being a little jealous that he could eat it all up. I served this one with pasta salad and grilled local corn (another reason I was so stuffed). It is so easy to grill corn and you won't regret it, it's delicious cooked this way and you don't have to heat up the kitchen with a big pot of boiling water which is a super plus since this summer here is crazy hot and humid. I used Bobby Flay's recipe for Perfectly Grilled Corn but just for the technique. I think I will have to try out his flavoured butters in the future!

 

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Sausage and Pepper Skewers w/Grilled Polenta

I did a backwards search on Food Network's website this time because I knew I wanted something with Sausage and Peppers but wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do. Turns out I found exactly what I was looking for from a very unexpected source, Sandra Lee. I have never seen any of Sandra Lee's shows and I'm not sure they even air up here in Canada but I have to say her reputation precedes her. From what I've heard she is the queen of convenience products and enjoys mixing and matching to create her recipes. Then I thought...maybe it's not such a bad thing after all to veganize her recipes to show how easy and convenient vegan cooking can be! I've definitely been known to lean on a quality convenience product when cooking because I don't always feel like starting everything from scratch and when it comes to vegan sausages, no one does it like Field Roast! I have a few packages in my freezer for treats when I feel like something yummy and this is one of those times! Sandra's recipe can be found here and all I really had to do was switch out the  sausage for some amazing Italian Field Roast links that are made with eggplant, fennel, red wine, garlic and sweet peppers. I had never barbecued them before but they really are a little bit more delicious when you do! I put some bell peppers and onions on the skewers just like Sandra and added a little mushrooms because we had them and love them grilled. I got to skip the step where you cook the sausages half way before putting them on the skewers so it makes a quick recipe even quicker! I just sliced each sausage link into five or six pieces each and put them on with the veggies.

I was intrigued by the grilled polenta since I had never had it that way before so I wanted to give that a go as well. I didn't have instant polenta on hand but did have just enough of a bag of Bob's Red Mill Organic Polenta/Corn Grits to make them the more labour intensive way. I put three cups of salted water to boil, added my one cup of polenta in while whisking once it was and then kept stirring every minute or so for 30 minutes until it was nice and thick. Once it was cooked I poured it out onto a greased half sheet pan and put it in the fridge for a bit. Once it is chilled you can cut it into little squares. Before heading to the grill, I sprayed it with some spray oil and just like she says, grill it for a few minutes on each side to get those pretty grill marks and you are done! The skewers didn't take long either, I just grilled them at the same time and everything was done at the same time. Ryan and I really enjoyed this one and we would definitely make it again. It was quick, easy and definitely tasty!

Food Network Cookalong: Garden Burgers by Food Network Magazine

Since the theme this month is GRILLING, I headed to the Food Network website and searched for my favourite thing to grill...burgers! There were lots of options (998 to be exact) so I sorted through the top ones I would like to try then went to Ryan for his vote. He picked Loaded Chili Cheeseburgers as his number one pick and my number one pick was the Garden Burger. I swayed him to my side easily and promised to try his pick before the month was over. The Garden Burger is a beef patty topped with green goddess dressing, lettuce, tomato, avocado and sprouts. Not the usual toppings for a burger for sure but with a name like Garden Burger how's a vegan to resist!

To veganize it was quick and simple, I switched out the homemade patty for a Gardein Ultimate Beefless Burger since they are my favourite pre-made burgers. I have always cooked them on the griddle or frying pan before so it was the first time I had made one on the BBQ. It was still just as delicious and had the caramelized outside that I always loved about them while cooking them inside. The toppings were already vegan so all that was left was the green goddess dressing. I switched out refrigerated silken tofu for the low-fat yogurt (exactly the same amount) and used 4 tbsp of Vegenaise in place of the low-fat mayo called for in the recipe. I added a bit extra since after blending with the original amount, I felt it needed a little extra so try it first and taste for your own personal preference. I added Wan Ja Shan brand Organic Worcestershire Sauce (vegan and gluten free) and the rest of the ingredients stayed the same, fresh chives, basil, lemon juice. It was a lovely bright green from the herbs once it was all blended and had the perfect tang to it to still shine through all those burger toppings and the patty itself. I served them on PC brand pretzel buns because we are currently obsessed with them. I even buttered and grilled them as well! It made a delicious burger that tasted fresh and had lots of crunch with the sprouts and lettuce. Ryan even commented that his taste buds must be evolving because he was really enjoying it and didn't hate the alfalfa sprouts (since he usually doesn't love them). I have loads of dressing left over so there will be some green goddess dressed salads in my future for sure but since it's so tasty, I'm looking forward to it! I would definitely make these again!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong Theme - July!

First off...Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians out there! We are going to celebrate it by going to the farmer's market and cleaning our backyard, woo! I know, we are wild!

The theme for July for our cookalong is going to be GRILLING! Works perfectly for this time of year, too hot to cook inside around here for sure. I figured I would go broad with the theme this month since there are lots of grilling recipes on the American Food Network website (5000+ in fact if you search) and they have a page up right now as well called Grilling Central that is full of recipes just screaming for that vegan touch. I can say I don't have much experience barbecuing since becoming vegan but I'm ready to give it a go. We even bought a new BBQ the other day that I am really excited about breaking in. Don't have a BBQ? No problem, grilling is something you can do inside as well on a grill pan or under a broiler or maybe even over a camp fire! And remember barbecuing isn't just about the food, it's about the experience too! You can blog about your favourite summer drinks or sides too! So summon your inner Bobby Flay and hit the grill, then share it with the rest of us on your blog and don't forget to email me a link or let me know so I can include you in the round up at the end of the month!


Links to Food Network Grilling ideas for inspiration


http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=grilling&fnSearchType=site

http://www.foodnetwork.com/grilling-central-home/package/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/bobby-flays-barbecue-addiction/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=bbq&fnSearchType=site

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/guides/summer/bbq/index.html

Food Network Monthly Cookalong June Wrap Up

I guess you can tell already that I am enjoying the Food Network Monthly Cookalong! I absolutely love Eat Street and it is one of the Food Network shows that you can always find on my DVR. It is amazing to me the different types of food people are making out there in the back of a truck! \

Here are the links to the participating blogs. Everything looks amazing and there has definitely been some vegan innovation!

Megan blogging at The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado finally got her hands on some canned jackfruit and made some magic happen! She veganized Thai Pork Tacos from Camille's On Wheels and they look delicious! http://cookbookaficionado.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/food-network-monthly-cookalong-thai-pulled-pork-tacos/

Melissa at Loves To Eat Vegan! decided now was a great time to join in on the cookalong fun and boy am I glad she did! Melissa first veganized the Cheesy Mac 'n Rib from the Grilled Cheese Truck and she too used canned jackfruit! I think someone should start buying shares in jackfruit! Vegans are crazy about it! This recipe is no joke either, Melissa went all out with pulled BBQ jackfruit, mac 'n cheese, caramelized onions and sliced Daiya Havarti (lucky you Melissa!) http://lovestoeatvegan.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-grilled.html

She then went on to imagine what she would make if she owned her own grilled cheese truck and with a little motivation from a contest winning sandwich, she created something awe-inspiring! It has Smoky Curls from Vegan Diner which are my absolute favourite soy curl, vegan cream cheese, Daiya shreds and a Blackberry Jalapeno Jam! Now that is a sandwich! http://lovestoeatvegan.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-my.html

Tami (the Food Network Cookalong originator) went for some local inspiration and veganized Dim and Den Sum's Soba Noodles which are the opposite of what you would usually expect from a food truck with no sign of a deep fryer and sauted fresh greens! Then she found a childhood favourite in Nosh Box's Cleveland Fried Bologna Sandwich where she easily swapped out that mystery meat for Tofurky's new bologna slices. 

I knew Liz would be in for this month's theme since she had been tweeting up a storm from Vietnam bragging about all the delicious street food she had been eating! I was happy she shared her take on the Banh Mi sandwich since she has tasted the real deal. She went open faced and stresses you have to find some sambal oelek to make it just right! http://cookingtheveganbooks.com/2012/06/09/food-network-monthly-cookalong-banh-mi/

My Cookalong Posts for quick navigation

Truitbe to Seabirds - Jackfruit Carnita Taquitos http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-my.html

Tribute to Native Bowl - Mississippi Bowl http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-my_11.html

Ice Cream - Drumstick Sugar Cone http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-if-i-had.html

Ice Cream - Sweet Curry Choco-Coconut http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-if-i-had-ice-cream.html

Pierogi - Cheeseburger http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-perogi.html

Pierogi - Shepherd's Pie http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-pierogi.html

Pierogi - Poutine http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-pierogi_26.html

Pierogi - Apple Strudel http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-pierogi_27.html

I Can't Say it's a Beaver Tail http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/06/food-network-monthly-cookalong-i-cant.html

Please note: I am posting photos with each link so you can see the beautiful creations these people put together. The photos are the property of each blogger and shouldn't be copied and used unless you have their consent. I'm sure they won't mind you sharing with friends just be nice and give credit where credit is due.

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: I can't say it's a Beaver Tail

Here in Ottawa, there aren't many food trucks. Most of the trucks around here are chip wagons. They sell fries, the infamous poutine, pogos, etc. There are a few exceptions to this of course and one of those exceptions are Beaver Tails. I know it doesn't sound appetizing and definitely not vegan but I promise you they are delicious and worth the effort to make your own at home when you feel like something delicious. Most people in Ottawa will have memories of skating along the Canal and grabbing a Beaver Tail along the way. President Obama also made quite a stir when he stopped by their Market location to try one. They are basically a whole wheat fried pastry shaped like a beaver's tail that is topped with butter and then various toppings. It is like a distant cousin of a donut. It is slightly crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. My favourite flavour was always the Killaloe Sunrise which had the Beaver Tail sprinkled generously with sugar and then served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the top. I actually remember when I was a teenager that I would be craving a Beaver Tail in the middle of the summer (in my day you had to wait for the Canal to open for skating, now they have a year round location) and I would make a piece of toast and add sugar and lemon juice. Ryan's go-to was the more simple Cinnamon Sugar. They have gotten much more adventurous with their toppings now but for our treat we kept it simple and went with these two that we had always enjoyed.

Here's my take on a Beaver Tail, top it as you wish!

I Can't Say It's A Beaver Tail

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted (I used Vegan Becel)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp instant yeast

Oil for frying (I used sunflower)

For Serving

Vegan margarine to spread on cooked pastries

Cinnamon Sugar

Granulated Sugar and Lemon Wedges

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or plastic bucket (that's what I used). Add a bit more flour or water if needed. I kneaded the dough just for a minute or two. It will be slightly tacky but not sticky.

2. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and let sit in a warm place for 2 hours. Once risen you can shape and fry immediately or place in the fridge to use later. (I put mine in the fridge overnight and shaped it while cold from the fridge and it still worked perfectly)

3. When you are ready to fry, you will have to find the widest yet still deep pot you have. I couldn't make them as long as they do so you can always just make them smaller and use a smaller pot. Heat the oil until it shimmers (and if you put a small piece of dough in the oil it bubbles around the edges and floats immediately to the top). Quickly cut off a 2" ball of dough and stretch into a long oblong shape. You want the middle to be thin like you are almost about to rip it but don't and it should be a bit thicker around the edges. Gently slide into the hot oil. Turn after about a minute to cook the other side as well. Once it is lightly golden brown on both sides remove and drain on a cooling rack lined with paper towel.

4. Butter one side with vegan margarine and either sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or just plain sugar and then squeeze with a wedge of lemon. Enjoy them while they are warm!

  

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Pierogi Truck Dreams (Part 4)

One last pierogi and I promise it is worth the wait! After all those savoury pierogi, I'm sure you will be craving something a little sweet. How about Apple Strudel in pierogi form? Yeah, that's what I thought too...SUPER YUM! It seems like a match made in heaven and while rolling out pierogi dough is tough and takes awhile, it doesn't compare to trying to roll out some strudel dough the size of your kitchen table. In this one, I used traditional flavours but stuffed them in the same pierogi dough I used for the rest (and yes, I mean the dough from the Potato Pierogi from Vegan Brunch) then fried them just like the others and served them dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of caramel sauce. What happened after I took the photo? Home made vanilla ice cream is what happened and I highly recommend adding it the warm strudel pierogi when you are serving. The heat from the strudel melts the ice cream just slightly and the caramel adds just a little more richness and sweetness. Is this dessert a low calorie, everyday treat? Heck no! But it is something you should treat yourself to sometime when you feel like a little decadence.

Apple Strudel Pierogi

Filling

4 small apples, peeled and diced small (I used Gala)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped small

1 tsp cinnamon

scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I toasted some whole wheat sandwich bread and then used a spice grinder to make the crumbs)

zest of 1/2 an orange (preferably organic since you are eating the skin and don't forget to wash it!)

To Serve

Powdered Sugar to dust

Vanilla Ice Cream

Caramel Sauce

1. In a medium sized bowl combine all the filling ingredients. Let sit for about a half an hour to let all the flavours mingle.

2. Using your prepared dough circles, start filling each with about a tablespoon of the filling making sure to scrape up the side of the bowl and leave behind most of the liquid. I found it easier to hold the dough circle in my hand and kind of cup it when filling these as opposed to on the table in front of me. Place them on a baking sheet lined with floured wax paper and when you are finished, place them in the freezer for about two hours (more is fine) to make it easier to handle when you are cooking them.

3. To cook the pierogi, follow instructions from previous Cheeseburger Pierogi post (steps 4 and 5).

4. To serve, place a few pierogi in a bowl (or a basket like we did) and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. To go even further into Yummy-Town, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce drizzle.

Makes enough to fill 21 pierogi