Food Network Monthly Cookalong: My Tribute to Native Bowl

After I did my last post on Seabirds Truck, I started thinking about all the other vegan food trucks out there. There are so many talented people out there creating delicious vegan food everyday and I routinely torture myself by looking at pictures and menus. I dream of what I would order and what it would taste like and when Ottawa will finally have a vegan food truck. One truck I would love to visit is Native Bowl in Portland, OR. Jay and Julie Hasson are the owners and chefs there and I think I would honestly be a little starstruck. I am absolutely smitten with Julie's book Vegan Diner and the pizzas I have been testing recently are her genius creations! I know that any bowl this vegan power couple makes would be extraordinary and the cart itself is just so charming, I would never want to leave. I looked over the menu and then I emailed Julie to ask her for some inside info on these bowls since I have never had the pleasure of actually eating one. I wanted to know the structure of them, the what goes where. And you know the best part...she quickly answered me with all the info I needed to make one. She even shared a little tip, most of what you need to make a Mississippi Bowl is in Vegan Diner!!! I can't share the recipes with you here but I can tell you which ones I used and if you don't already own a copy this would be the perfect reason to go and get it!

You have to start with a base of jasmine rice. It had been awhile since I had made jasmine rice and once I did, I was a little mad at myself for having denied myself of it for so long. It creates the most amazing aroma while it cooks and has such an amazing, slightly nutty taste. Next is a little ranch dressing* followed by some soy curls slathered in Rough Rider BBQ Sauce* with a few squirts of North Caroline Style BBQ Sauce* (which is my new favourite thing! I put it on everything!). For the soy curls, I rehydrated them in hot water, squeezed out all the water once they were, tossed them with some garlic and onion powder, dried thyme, paprika, oregano, a few cap fulls of tamari then pan fried them with a bit of olive oil until they were browned. Once they were browned, I added in 1/3 cup of the Rough Rider BBQ sauce and let it get warm and caramelized a bit before adding it to my bowl. Now top all that off with some crisp coleslaw* and some sliced green onions and your got yourself a Mississippi Bowl! It is so easy and worth every second! Make sure you stir it up a bit before you eat so you get a bite of everything just like they suggest on the Native Bowl website.

I am seriously in love with the combination of flavours in this dish and will be making it again and again. The crunch of the cabbage, the sweet tang of the BBQ sauces on those curls all mingled with the creamy ranch dressing, it's heaven! It even gave me a reason to break out my silicone take out containers and finally give them their first use. They worked perfectly but I am totally on the lookout for the bowls Julie and Jay use at Native Bowl! I will definitely give the other bowls a go in the future too. I know they would be even better if Julie and Jay were making them but this will definitely do until I make my way to the vegan heartland of Portland!

*denotes recipes that are in Vegan Diner

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: My Tribute to Seabirds Food Truck

Just this past Saturday, the Seabirds Truck posted a picture of some delicious looking Jackfruit Taquitos on their Facebook page. I swooned and wished I was a California Girl so that I could be enjoying the sun and the taquitos. Then I got to thinking...I could make a tribute to the Seabird's taquitos for this month's Food Network Cookalong seeing that the theme fit perfectly! I made a quick trip to the local Asian market, picked up two cans of jackfruit and got to thinking. There wasn't much description of what they tasted like so I had to go with what I thought it would taste like and I think I nailed it! They were crispy and crunchy on the outside and stuffed full of carnita flavoured jackfruit on the the inside. I served mine with a drizzle of Chipotle Avocado Cream from Dreena Burton's newest cookbook Let Them Eat Vegan (with added cumin and extra lime juice) with salsa and guacamole on the side. They would be great with a little vegan sour cream or crema too (Terry Hope Romero's in Viva Vegan is awesome!). I also used the same Chipotle Avocado Cream as a dressing on some thinly sliced red cabbage and carrot and it made an excellent crunchy side dish!

Here's what the finished product looked like...

And here's how to make them!

Jackfruit Carnita Taquitos

2 cans of jackfruit (young green in brine), rinsed

4 cups water

1 large white onion, halved and sliced into half moons

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbsp veggie broth powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ancho chile powder

Package of corn tortillas

Oil for frying

1. Combine the rinsed jackfruit, water, onion, juices and seasonings in a large stock pot. I use a heavy enameled cast iron one. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to keep it at a simmer with the lid on. Simmer for 2-3 hours then remove from the heat, leave the lid on and let sit for another 2-3 hours. You could even let it cool, refrigerate and leave the rest til the next day at this point.

2. Reserving the cooking liquid, remove the jackfruit and onion slices and roughly chop them. Put the pot with the reserved cooking liquid over high heat and simmer until it has reduced down to 1/4 of the original volume. While this is reducing, heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil (I used grapeseed) and pan fry the jackfruit/onion mixture until it is caramelized and brown on the outside. I had to do this in two batches, you might have to too and if you do, add another bit of oil when you put the second batch in to brown. Once all the jackfruit has been browned, place it all back in the frying pan over high heat. Pour the reduced cooking liquid over the jackfruit. It will bubble up and continue to reduce as it coats the jackfruit. Turn off the heat and let cool. If you don't have the time, you can fill them while it's hot, just watch your hands.

3. Start by heating about an 1 1/2 inches of oil (again I used grapeseed) in a cast iron frying pan (mine's 10"). Again I have no clue what temperature unfortunately. I put it over med-high heat until it shimmers and bubbles when you add something to it. While that is heating you will need to warm the tortillas so they don't just crack when you try to roll them. I used the microwave to do this by wrapping them in paper towel (and separating each one with another piece) and microwaving in 30 second intervals until they feel warm and pliable. You can keep them warm in a tortilla warmer if you have one. Take one tortilla in your hand and place a few heaping spoonfuls of the jackfruit on it near the edge. Roll it completely around the jackfruit and place seam side down in the hot oil. Keep an eye on them and turn after a minute or two, checking to see how it is browning underneath, frying on the other side until golden brown all over.

4. Remove and place on a paper towel lined cooling rack to remove some of the excess oil and serve with your favourite salsa, guacamole and crema!

Falafel Pizza

Since I have been testing pizzas for Julie Hasson, I always have a bucket of dough in the fridge ready to go. Lunch is always a tricky one for me. I have to make something quickly since if Mac finishes first I'm pretty much running around behind him trying to enjoy whatever I made. I looked at the bucket...looked through the fridge and then went "AHA!" when I spotted a few leftover falafel from supper the night before. I quickly thought about how to put it all together and went with hummus instead of tomato sauce, a hearty layer of tabouli, crumbled the two little falafel I had left, chopped up some dill pickle and tomato and sprinkled them on top and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. While it baked I mixed up a quick tahini sauce by adding warm water, salt and a minced glove a garlic to tahini and some garlic mayo as well by adding lemon juice and garlic to Vegenaise. When it came out of the oven I drizzled the tahini sauce all over and dipped in my garlic mayo as I ate and it was fricken fantastic. Just proving you can put anything on a pizza!

Whole Grain Surprises

I remember when I was little my mom went through a phase where she baked out of a heart healthy cookbook for awhile. There were bran muffins and whole wheat breads. They were good but all seemed a little heavy. I always thought whole grain was akin to cardboard. Then recently I was (luckily) invited to help test out recipes for the newest project from Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes. As far as I know the title is yet to be decided but it is an all whole grains baking book and everything and I mean EVERYTHING is amazing! These two super duper people are busy developing some of the most delicious sweet and savory baked goods, quick breads, tarts, granolas and breads I have ever eaten. I have been stuffing my face with them for the past few weeks and realizing I can make much better baked goods at home with these recipes than I can buy. They are full of whole grains (amaranth, barley, corn, quinoa, rye, spelt, wheat, etc) and are using no refined white sugar either! I have been taking pictures along the way and wanted to share some with you here. I will keep you updated on it as it comes along about the title and when it will be out. Trust me, you will want a copy of this book when it does!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: English Muffin Loaf, Cran-Apple Crumble Pie, Speculoos Donuts (recipe is posted on Celine's blog), Pretty and Wheat Pretzels, Pita Bread, Tortillas, Tapenade and Bean Buns, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Hazelnut Shortbread Fingers, To Each Their Own Kale Quiches and Cracked Wheat Pan Rolls.

 

Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

So I'm a big fan of soy curls...like order three pounds of them from Viva Vegan online store kinda love! I have enjoyed them lots of ways but the way I most enjoy them is from Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. Her recipe for Smoky Curls (think bacon) is the most delicious thing! I have adapted the recipe slightly just for personal tastes but it is essentially the same. One difference is that I use maple syrup instead of agave but that is mostly because maple syrup is seriously abundant around here. After making batch after batch of Smoky Curls, it dawns on me that I should try them in a quiche and it was a very smart idea. I chopped them up small and crisped them up nicely and added them into my quiche and they made for the best bites. Take that ham!

Here's what the final product came out like....

I went crustless mostly because I didn't want to bother making pastry but you totally could if you wanted to. I found it didn't really need it and baked nicely in a glass pie plate. I managed to scribble down the recipe as I was furiously throwing things in the food processor. Let me know if you try it out! You are going to have to buy a copy of Julie's book in order to get the secrets of the Smoky Curls, but you won't regret it! The book is full of delicious recipes and it's always a good thing to support vegan authors! While you are there, you should pre-order a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes! It's just $9.89 right now which is a super deal and I know personally that all the sandwiches are amazing!

Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

1 block of extra firm or firm tofu (not silken, 1lb), crumbled

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup yellow miso

2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 cloves of garlic

100g of cashews (around 3/4 cup)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, maybe less, maybe more (yeah, it's that kind of recipe)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 big ol' leeks, sliced thin

1/2 of a big bunch of curly kale, chiffonaded (is that a word?)

1/2 cup Smoky Curls, small pieces, really crisped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine crumbled tofu, nooch, miso, mustard, garlic and cashews. Pulse until it is thoroughly combined. Slowly add the unsweetened almond milk while running until it is smooth and thick. I went for a thick hummus consistency. Set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and then add in the thinly sliced leek and sauté until starting to brown and get all caramelized. Once this happens, add the kale. Toss it around in there and let it cook until the kale is softened and wilted a bit. Remove from heat and add to the food processor, along with the Smoky Curls and pulse just to combine but you don't want to purée it in there. Scrape it all into the greased pie plate and smooth out the top. Put it in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until it is browned on the top and is set even in the middle. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice and enjoy!

Food Network Friday: Turkey Pot Pie By Paula Deen

Hey Y'all! It's time for another Food Network Friday Cookalong and this time 'round, we're gonna make the most incredible Turkey Pot Pie but with a little twist. Now Paula Deen has a bit of a reputation for her less than healthy cooking with a little extra butter y'all but this Pot Pie is completely vegan so it has to be healthier even without running the nutritional info! The original recipe is a little crazy and tries to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving but this one you can make anytime. If you clicked to see the recipe you would have seen two cans of condensed Cheddar cheese soup in that list and I gotta tell y'all, I never heard of that before in my life! I used to be a serious cheese eater but I never hit the can for a fix that's for sure. In place of all that cream condensed soup I decided to make a herbed cheezy gravy for my pot pie using good ol' nooch and miso paste to add a little zing y'all (who's tired of y'all by now??). I also went right ahead and skipped the turkey or any sorta vegan substitute and just went straight vegetable on this pie (I was thinking soy curls but I wanted my mom to eat so I skipped them). But then came the top of it y'all and I didn't know what to do. Now I know there are a few supermarket brands of puff pastry that are vegan y'all but they also come with that "may contain milk ingredients" warning which doesn't fly in our house since we have allergies to think about as well. I didn't know what I was going to do so I thought real hard and wondered, "What would Paula Deen do?" and it came to me! A tater tot crust was the answer to all my questions (well at least that one) since Paula always loves a little fried something in her food. I have to say this version is super creamy and rich and I wasn't missin' anything y'all! Next time you have a craving for a little taste of Pot Pie, maybe you'll give this Tater Topped Veggie Pie a try!


Don't forget to check in with Tami to see what everyone else did with this recipe!

That corner bite was the one Ryan and I almost fought for...
Good thing the pan has four corners!

 


Tater Topped Veggie Pot Pie
Inspired by Paula Deen's Turkey Pot Pie

4 cups soy milk
2 tbps nutritional yeast
2 tbsp yellow miso paste
1 tsp ume plum vinegar
2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp poulty seasoning
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2-1 tsp salt, depending on your taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder


1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 onions, finely diced
3/4 cup all purpose flour


2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 small head of cauliflower, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 bag of tater tots (I used McCain's Tasty Taters), you might not need a whole bag but you wanna make sure you have enough

1. Start by prepping all your veggies and set them aside so they are ready when you need them. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Next, mix soy milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, ume plum vinegar, vegetable bouillon powder and the rest of the seasonings/spices in a blender until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook stirring occasionally until they are softened, about 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir with a wooden spoon. The flour will absorb all of the margarine and it will look like a paste. Stir this around in the pot until it is light golden brown. Switch to a whisk and slowly add the soy milk mixture from the blender into the pot while constantly whisking. I made a mess so you've been warned if you are messy like me it might fly out of the pot! Once all the soy milk mixture is added, just keep whisking until it just nearly comes to a boil and thickens. It is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon and when you slide your finger down the back of the spoon it leaves a distinct line.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the diced carrots, onion, cauliflower and the frozen peas. Stir to combine and put the lid on the pot. Let it cook like that for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don't want it to boil, just gently warming the veggies.

5. After 10 minutes, pour the contents of your pot into a 11x13 glass baking dish. Cover the top with rows of tater tots. Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and you might want to put a baking sheet on the rack below in case of drips (speaking from experience!). Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the tater tots are golden brown on the top and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool/set for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy y'all!

How do you spell yummy?

After trying these....

I spell it Okonomiyaki! Damn! This is another test recipe from Terry Hope Romero and I will flat out say I am in love with these! I had never heard of it before (I need to get out apparently!) or seen an okonomiyaki but this will definitely not be my last. It is a delicious, almost pancake made out of cabbage that has these toppings that are pressed into it and then fried in a cast iron skillet on both sides to make it all browned and scrumptious! I went for baked tofu that is slightly "ham" like, edamame and some shredded carrot to press in. The real yummy part is the Tonkatsu sauce (another test recipe from Terry) that you slather on top of the baked okonomiyaki and the mayo drizzled on top mixes with it and makes magic. Like the kind of magic that makes you crave them again later that night. Like the kind of magic that makes you want to make them once a week and you would never get sick of them. Like the kind of magic that now that I have written about them and looked drooled over these pictures, I want to make them again!

Chili Cheese Fries Pizza

Yeah you read that right...I said it...Chili Cheese Fries Pizza! I saw one on F*** Yeah, Vegan Pizza during Vegan MoFo and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It really was keeping me up at night since I was thinking about how good it would taste and when I should make it, you know the real hard questions.

Last night even though it was much too late to attempt such a thing I went for it. I slapped together some pizza dough (quite literally I just poured a couple of cups of flour in a bowl, proofed some yeast, added some salt and sugar, a splash of olive oil and kneaded til it looked right to which my mom rolled her eyes but it worked), Ryan quickly peeled some potatoes which I crinkle cut and I luckily had a container of homemade chili in the freezer so all I had to do was defrost it. The pizza I saw had Teese on it but that isn't something we have all the time and is something I really need to think ahead about using since I can only get it by online ordering so I decided just to make a batch of cheese sauce from Hearty Vegan again and drizzle that on top once it had baked and it was fracking amazing! The only thing I would change is that the crust was a little thick for my liking but that was the only thing and totally easy to fix. The chili and the oven fries and the cheese sauce all tasted so delicious together and since I love me some carbs the pizza crust was an excellent addition to an already tasty combination. Plus this way I ate way less fries. It will definitely get made again since both Ryan and I couldn't get enough!

Sorry for the less than stellar photos...this getting dark early thing is killing my food photography! But still don't you just wanna take a bite?!?

A Vegan Molecular Egg

During MoFo I posted that I had bought a molecular gastronomy kit and on the weekend I finally got a chance to play with it! It was exciting trying something new and completely unfamiliar to me. I checked out the recipes on the DVD and the Molecular Egg definitely caught my eye. The thing I love most about molecular gastronomy is how it can be so playful and what you see isn't always what you get and this recipe was exactly that. The original recipe has milk and yogurt so I just switched it out for soy milk and So Delicious coconut yogurt (my new favourite thanks to Rainbow Foods).

Basically the "egg white" is milk mixed with agar agar which is then mixed with vanilla yogurt and then spread on the plate to resemble the white. The yolk is mango chunks mixed in a blender with a little sugar and calcium lactate. You then have to put it in a sodium alginate bath, rinse with water and presto! you have a "egg".

I gotta say the "white" was cold which is not what you are expecting obviously but it shared a similar texture that I remember from my pre-vegan egg eating days. The "yolk" was delicious since it was mango. Mac even braved a taste of my creation (muwhahahaha...evil laugh) and thought the yolk was yummy but was a little turned off by the white. He has never had egg in any form since he was diagnosed with a serious allergy to it before we even would have introduced it so it was like his first egg. He's been asking for vegan green eggs and ham since I read about someone else making that a while back so maybe this will be the way I can make it.

I definitely had fun playing around with it and can't wait to try to make the infamous foam (I might be the only one that loved Marcel on Top Chef I know). They do have recipes on the site but unfortunately not the one for the egg. Check it out if you are into this kind of stuff, they also have videos with sexy music to lure you into buying a kit...just warning you!