SPICY GREEN WINTER SOUP
I’m going to Austin, Texas next week to take part in the annual SXSW music festival. While the main portion of the week will be spent working (trying to find clients for my new, super-amazing job at Ticketfly), I plan on partying hard and seeing as many bands as possible. More importantly, I will be enjoying the beautiful weather. And I’m sure you can relate. The winter here in Toronto has been less than hospitable and I’m ready for some sun!
Which brings me to my latest recipe. A thick, hearty, vegan soup, made out of only a few ingredients, which only took me about 30 minutes to make. Because it may be cold, but we sure as hell don’t have to be.
Sound like your kind of meal? I thought so too.
Make this because: We all need an excuse to vigorously blend things once in a while. Plus, you can have 1,000 pieces of bread with it and nobody will judge you.
Ingredients:
1 head, Cauliflower
1 head, Broccoli
1 Shallot
3 ounces, Spinnach
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 cups, broth (low sodium if possible)
1/4 Cup, Nutritional Yeast
1.5 Cups, Unsweetened Rice Milk (or alternative)
1 Avocado
1 t, nutmeg
2 T, Vegan Butter
1 T, Red Chili Flakes
1 T, Flour (omit if GF)
Cracked Black pepper
Directions:
On low heat, melt butter. Add chopped up onion and garlic and sauté for a good few minutes. Once translucent, add pepper and nutmeg, and stir it in.
Cook for another minute before adding your flour, Spinach, Cauliflower and Broccoli. Mix well, and raise heat to med. Add broth and cover for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are nice and soft.
Add milk, chili flakes, nutritional yeast & remove from heat.
So far, we’ve spent a total of 20-25 minutes in the kitchen.
You’re doing great.
Now, you can either hand blend this, or use a traditional blender. But whatever you do, make sure you only pulse it, and never fill your blender to much because soup is hot and it will explode.
Trust me.
Now, pour your soup back into your giant pot to heat, carve some bread, and get ready for a delicious homemade meal. Garnish with more pepper and your avocado (and vegan sour cream if you so desire).
For my cheese loving friends. You might not have Nutritional Yeast on hand, or you might just prefer real cheese in your soup. If that is the case, you can omit the N.Yeast and at the very end, add a few cubes of mozzarella. It will melt and be all gooey and you’ll be all like, “daaaaaamn.” or whatever your popular catch phrase is this week.
Enjoy, lovelies.
2013 Trials!
Creating recipes means getting creative.
I’ve been using a lot of cauliflower recently to make some pretty cool new dishes including latkes and a delicious taco filling.
On top of that, I’ve been working on different variations on my now infamous Seitan. I used them in a delicious cheesesteak calzone while I perfect my pastry in anticipation of my biggest project this year; creating a mind blowing Stout Pie.
You’re in for a real treat.
In the meantime, here are some delicious pictures of what I’ve been working on. Enjoy!
Oh, and if you want any of the recipes above, just let me know.
XO
Jalapeño, Avocado & Brie Poppers
I read the back of a box of jalapeño poppers the other day. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed in what I read. There was a ton of ingredients I couldn’t even make out (anything with a number in it is normally a bad sign), but more importantly, I don’t even think they were vegetarian. Sigh.
Now, you and I both know how amazing the combination of brie and avocado is. But add in Jalapeño and we’re talking next level.
But I didn’t want to “recreate” poppers today. No, today I had my creative juices flowing. So I took it up a notch. I made a mexican bean and seitan chipotle dough, stuffed it with Peppers, Avo and Brie, and fried/baked those suckers into golden deliciousness.
And before we get started, I’d like to tell you that I made these in under an hour. Seriously.
From Scratch. Prep and cooking time - UNDER 60 minutes.
Make these because: Nothing in the world will make you as happy as putting these poppers down your pie hole.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Can (19fl oz) red mexican beans
1 Cup Gluten Flour
1 t, chipotle, cumin, garlic
1 T, Tomato paste
1 Cup, Broth
1/2 Cup, Breadcrumbs
1 Avocado
1 Jalapeño, cut into small pieces
Brie
lil’ milk
lil breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare broth.
Preheat oven to 400•
Preheat a frying pan with oil (enough to cover the bottom, but not too much).
Rinse Beans (and smash them soooo good).
Mix spices in with Gluten flour. Add to beans and slowly stir in half your broth.
Mix together well until you have a dough like substance. Add more broth, paste, and breadcrumbs.
You’ll now have a beany, seitan, crumby dough. And it’s going to be awesome.
Dice up your Avo, jalapeño and brie.
Separate a handful of dough and roll it out as thin as possible.
Put a pile of Avo/Brie/Jal in the middle of your seitan dough, and wrap up as tight as possible. If there are holes or cracks, fill them in with more seitan mix.
They should end up being about the size of a yoyo, or smaller.
Now, time to dredge.
On a small plate, pour out some milk (I use rice or almond).
Next door, pour some breadcrumbs on to another plate.
Anyone else starving right now?
Roll your seitan balls in the milk, then the crumbs, and toss into the hot oil. I say toss, but really, carefully place them in the oil.
Cook on all sides until brown.
Now, put them in your preheated oven for 20 mins or less. When they are piping hot and starting to ooze cheese…. remove.
Note: if you roll them properly, your cheese will not spew.
Full disclosure. I hate that word. *Spew*
Serve with a salsa, or get creative! And don’t forget to place on some paper towel to get rid of the excess oil. Because nobody needs that.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Here’s our Tofurkey, basted with a Poultry Seasoning/Shallot concoction, and highlighted with Yorkshire pudding, veggie gravy, carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and steamed kale!
This year we had the pleasure of hosting a new guest who recently lost someone very near and dear to her. We have always had an open door policy, especially during the holidays, and our newly vegan friend was beyond excited to get a home cooked meal and some good company. It was our absolute pleasure.
Anyway,
From my family to you and yours..
I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday filled with love and happiness.
Dave Lock
Easy Seitan Sausages!
I have to just write this out and tell you the recipe, because with every passing second, my inner 10 year old is telling me to make dirty sausage jokes, and I know for a fact that I will give in.
So here goes…
It’s often difficult to create a delectable protein that can be used in a variety of ways. This sausage does just that.
Side order at Breakfast, in a pasta sauce, in a bun (straight from the BBQ), or just cut up and put in a sandwich. You can’t go wrong.
The ingredients are simple, and if you’re a vegetarian, you should have all of this in your kitchen already. if not, everything listed is worth the investment.
Make this because: You can tell all the jokes that I wanted to tell, but didn’t because my mom reads this and would not be impressed.
INGREDIENTS:
1 C, Gluten Flour
1 C (or less), Low Sodium Broth (I use Fake Beef)
1/2 t, each: Garlic powder, Onion powder, Cayenne
1 t, Cumin
1/4 T, Paprika
3/4 T, Soy Sauce (Low sodium)
3 T, Nutritional Yeast
2 Squirts, Liquid Smoke
RECIPE:
Mix wet ingredients together and make sure it is cool (fridge or freezer works quickest).
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Now, mix wet + dry together. BUT WAIT!
Add half of the liquid, mix, and add more little by little until you have an evenly formed “dough” ball. No remaining dry mix. You do not want to over soak your seitan.
Now, cut into 3 even pieces and roll into a sausage.
Place in tinfoil and carefully wrap it up, twisting the edges when complete.
Steam for 40 minutes, flipping to make sure it steams evenly.
Remove from heat, tinfoil, and check it out!!! SAUSAGE!
Now, get creative!
Merry Christmas.
Quinoa Curry, In a Hurry.
Cook quinoa. Add whatever veggies you want ( I used carrot, peas, lentils), and add a tablespoon or two of your fav curry spice. I added strained tomato as well, and you can even add coconut milk. It’s easy, fast & delicious. I highly advise Naan on the side.
Fin.
Vegan Challenge: Fillet Mignon
Veggie Pals, unite. Although a contradiction by definition, Vegan Fillet Mignon is very doable. And I have the recipe to prove it.
After a few discussions with some carnivorous friends of mine, I came to the realization that a veggie dish, similar enough to Fillet Mignon, can be created using some ingenuity and patience.
By using a few new cooking methods, some old ideas from past creations, and a little cheating (the fake bacon was purchased), I came up with a recipe that is destined for greatness.
What’s the Oscar equivalent for cooking? Maybe a lifetime achievement award for contributions to the veggie community? Okay, how about someone gives me a gold star and we call it a day? Either way, this recipe is impressive.
Make this because: aren’t you a little bit curious?
Makes 4-8 Steaks, depending on the size.
Ingredients:
DRY
1 t garlic powder
1 T paprika
1 t cumin
1 t, pepper
2 Cups vital gluten flour
WET
3T braggs
8 squirts, liquid smoke ( I used the Hickory for this version)
1 1/3 Cups - FAKE beef broth
1 T Red WIne
1 t, marmite
RED WINE REDUCTION
I cup, Red Wine
1/2 Cup, each, FAKE Beef+Chicken Broth
2 cloves of garlic, whole
1 stem of fresh rosemary
BROTH
1 T, Red Wine
4 Cups - FAKE beef/chicken broth (mix)
1/8 Cup - Braggs
OTHER:
Fake bacon
Toothpicks
Side dish (Kale? Mashed Potatoes? etc)
Quick Note: The lower the sodium levels of your broth, the better.
Directions:
First things first, let’s take a deep breath.
This is easy, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s do this. One. Step. At. A. Time.
WET:
Since I use broth cubes, I boil water, add broth and stir like mad. Once done, add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Once mixed, put in the fridge or freezer and allow to cool. This is an important step.
DRY:
Gently stir dry ingredients into the gluten flour. Use a ceramic or glass bowl to help avoid sticking when you eventually add the wet mix.
BROTH:
While your wet ingredients are cooling in the fridge, mix your broth ingredients together in a large pot, and let it simmer on low heat.
NOW,
Your broth is on, your wet mix has cooled, and you’re ready to go!
Genlty pour the wet mix into the dry mix and give it a stir! You’ll start to see the gluten flour turn into a meat like substance. Breath a sigh of relief. Feel free to get your hands in there (wash first, kiddies), and help form the dough. Once completely mixed, place “meat” on the cutting board and roll into a long roll. If you need a hand forming it, wrap it in a bit of saran or parchment. Drop that into your broth and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Easy, Peasy. *(Note: remove parchment &/or Saran before simmering)
REDUCTION:
While your faux meat is simmering, you have some time to make the perfect reduction. The trick here is to cook the wine on low to help evaporate the alcohol but pull A LOT of flavour. Start by putting everything except the broth into a saucepan. Heat on low for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is about half.
Now, add your broth and continue simmering on low until it has reduced by half again. You will end up with about 1/2 cup of liquid, but holy moly will it be worth it.
When done, drain through a small hole strainer (to remove rosemary stem and garlic) and set aside.
GUESS WHAT?
You’re steak is done & so is your reduction! Remove from broth and press out as much liquid as possible. You can put it in cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel and press with books if needed.
Now, cut your faux meat into steaks and wrap a piece of faux bacon around it! Oh, and toothpicks will hold it together, so you needn’t worry.
Toss into the oven at 450• for 10-15 minutes each side, just to give it that crispy steak texture.
NOTE: If you have ever had steak, you can have it cooked medium, medium well done, well done, etc etc. The oven is where you decide how you’d like your ‘steak.’ The longer, the more well done!
Once cooked to perfection, serve with your favourite sides, and pour a few tablespoons of your reduction on top for added flavour and juiciness.
My suggestion? Steam some Kale and serve with these twice baked potatoes, which I made last week, except as a mash instead of a 2x bake.
Delicious.
Til next time,
Dave
MEXI BOWLS
Cool, right?
I got to thinking that as much as I love corn, and corn tacos, and whole wheat tortillas and all that jazz, there was an element missing.
Okay, I’ll be honest, I was in the mood for pizza and mexican, and didn’t know what to do about it. I couldn’t make tacos AND pizza, could I?
Insert Mexi Bowls.
I took a simple dough recipe, and made cute little bowls.
Alright. I lied. I folded the edges of my pizza dough up and it kinda resembled a bowl. Same thing.
Anyway, I took all of my fav taco toppings, made a quick chipotle/tomato sauce, and baked these giant mexi bowls for the perfect combination of deliciousness and gluttony. And no regrets.
While this recipe can easily take on any ingredients, based on your own preferences, I will share with you what I made, and let you decide what creation you’re going to whip up.
Ingredients:
1/2 pack, Ground Round (Yves)
1/2 Cup, Corn
1/2 Green pepper, chopped
1/4 small onion, chopped
1 Avocado
1/2 small jar, Artichokes
Shredded Cheese
1/2 glass jar, strained tomatoes
2 heaping T, tomato paste
1-2 T, Chipotle (depending on your heat tolerance)
Paprika & Oil
Dough:
4 cups of white sifted flour
1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tbsp of water
2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of dry active yeast
1t honey
Mix all ingredients by hand until dough forms.
Leave for 1.5 hours, covered. Once done, make into smaller balls (one one large one if you want a giant pizza) and let rest for another 30.
Directions:
Make the dough above.
Heat the ground round with onion, green pepper and corn, on medium heat unitl cooked, maybe 6-8 minutes.
Mix together Tomato and Chipotle (this will be your sauce).
Chop remaining ingredients (again, you can use whatever you’d like)
Mix together about 1/2T of paprika and 2T of Olive oil, to spread along the outside of your bowl.
Roll out your dough into small singe serving pizza doughs (about a med) and add your sauce, 1/2 the cheese, ground round mix, the toppings, saving some cheese for later.
Leave about 1n inch of dough around the edges and fold it up, around your mix.
Remember, this is a giant bowl of delicious food, so don’t skimp out.
When the edges are folded up, press them tightly against the toppings so it doesn’t move.
Brush the outside with your oil and paprika and toss in the oven at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Add the remaining cheese during the last few minutes.
I’m so thankful I made these. You will be too.
Kale + Tempeh. Together, forever.
I used to make tempeh salad sammies all the time. And they were good. REAL good. But I’m never one to keep a recipe as is. In fact, it’s rare that I make the same recipe twice. After all, I have a cupboard full of spices, and a bunch of really cool pals that like to taste-test my experiments.
I just got back from the local market (Yes, it’s November), and found the must delicious looking purple kale. Organic, local, and I’m pretty sure the farmers are masked super heros at night. That kind of good.
As for me, I liked the colour, and knew exactly what to do with it.
I’d like to introduce the new-and-improved, Tempeh Salad Sammies.
This time, i’ve simplified the ingredients, added Kale, and re-written the instructions so anyone can make this in under 30 minutes. And it’s still vegan.
But wait, there’s more.
Some friends of mine were inquiring about what I eat for lunch everyday.
And while leftovers are almost always my answer, I do like to mention this recipe.
Easy to make, keeps fresh, is perfect on sandwiches, and Holy-Obamacare are they delicious. But don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself.
Make this because: You need this recipe to make better sandwiches. And hey, we all know they’re your favourite.
Ingredients:
1 t, each - Paprika & Turmeric
1 t, each - S&P
1 package, Tempeh
1 large carrot, grated (or cut into very small pieces)
1/4 bunch, Kale
1/2 T, Lemon juice
2 T, Mayonaise (or vegan substitute)
2 slices, delicious bread
lettuce
a pickle, for the side
Directions:
This. Is. So Easy.
Cut and Steam your kale. The smaller the pieces, the better.
While steaming, cut your Tempeh into small strips.
Drop in the steamer when the Kale is done. You can put the kale aside for now.
Wash & grate your carrots.
Now, add your spices to a bowl and mix well.
Once your Tempeh is done, remove and let sit in a bowl in the fridge for 5 mins, just to cool down.
Now, mash your tempeh with a fork. Mash it good. Then add it to your spices along with the carrot and kale.
Stir in lemon juice and mayo (or Veganaise) and mix like crazy. Or not. Your call.
Once done, chill in the fridge and prep your bread.
Lettuce, Onion, Pickle, Sprouts. Whatever your heart desires.
Now, scoop on your delicious tempeh mix and dig in.
And this, my dear friends, is one of the best sandwiches you will ever eat.
Don’t forget to share with your pals. They deserve it.
Thanksgiving Stuffers
It’s that time of year again. The time when vegetarians everywhere flock to the grocery store, buy a Tofurkey, and pretend we aren’t bothered by the increased sales of frozen turkeys and hams.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Why not get creative, spend an hour making these delicious, healthy Stuffers, and find a new tradition to celebrate.
I went home last minute to honour the engagement of my Brother to his long time GF, and was at a loss of what food I should make for thanksgiving dinner.
My family was doing a giant ham, so i knew I was SOL for the most part. But I am always lucky enough to know that there will be A TON of veggies. So my only concern was the ‘main.’
After searching my cupboards, I realized I would need to either buy a Tofurkey, or get creative.
Ballinifad (the small Hamlet where my folks reside) doesn’t have a store that would carry Tofurkey. So i knew what had to be done.
These took less than an hour to make and turned out WAY better than even I expected. And the health benefits… get outta town.
Make these because: You drop one of these on anyone’s plate, veggie or not, and you’ll get a great response from them.
Ps - My folks LOVED THESE. So did everyone at the table. A huge hit.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup, Gluten Flour (or more to desired texture)
1 Can, Lentils - rinsed
1t, each, Garlic & Poultry Seasoning
1 T, paprika
1/2 C, Breadcrumbs (plus more for dredging)
1/8 Cup, Soy Milk (or alternative)
1 Box, Stuffing (or homemade)
6 Brussels Sprouts + a carrot (optional)
1 cube, veggie bouillon boiled in 2 Cups, Water
Liquid Smoke to taste (2-4 squirts, optional)
DIRECTIONS
Drain and rinse lentils. Mash for a minute or so, leaving some full lentils but creating a bit of a paste.
Mix spices into in Gluten Flour and add to lentils with 1/2 cup of Broth.
Mix gluten until meat-like substance has formed. Add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs or less, to make it sticky but malleable.
In the meantime, you must steam your BSprouts (and carrot if doing so), and quickly cook up your Stuffing. The more creative you are with your stuffing, the better. Think cranberries, apples, nuts, mushrooms. You name it!
Once done, mix together the BSprouts (cut up, of course) with the stuffing, and form into small balls.
Now, Roll out a handful of your seitan/lentil mix like you would a pizza dough.
Place the stuffing ball in the middle and fold the lentil mix over top, creating a ball.
This takes patience (it’s easy but you must be very careful).
Now, the fun part. Add a dquirt or two of liquid smoke to your milk and stir. Dip your wrapped stuffing in, and then directly into breadcrumbs for coating.
Drop it into a very hot pan with vegetable oil and fry on each side (turning every couple minutes) until nice and brown.
Continue until you are done all of the mix. You WILL have left over stuffing.
Wrap balls in in tinfoil and place in a heated oven (approx 450) for another 20 minutes. Just to make sure everything is properly cooked. You can leave it for upwards of 40 minutes, depending on how “well done” you want it.
Remove from oven, tinfoil, and serve with All of your fav holiday veggies.
We had green beans, potatoes, carrots, and squash drizzled with a brown sugar glaze. Oh, and if you are worried about it being dry… Gravy or White Sauce.
BAM!
til next time,
Dave
Simple tofu & broccoli!
We wanted to make a very simple Tofu dish.
While hanging out yesterday, a few pals and I created this very simple dish. From start to finish we only spent about 25 minutes cooking, and this recipe fed three.
Feel free to add and subtract as you see fit, once you get the hang of it.
The two pals that ate with me were impressed with the tofu (well, the meal in its entirety), and we all admitted that had we marinaded it longer, it would have been EVEN BETTER.
Make this because: you have to start somewhere, and this is the perfect starting point for those interested in experimenting with tofu. For serious.
INGREDIENTS:
One brick of Tofu
1/4 C, Low Sodium Soya Sauce
1/8 C, Red Wine Vinegar or Balsamic
1/2 T, Brown Sugar (or more, to taste)
1/2 lemon, juice
3 drops, Liquid Smoke
Your Fav Hot Sauce.
1 Large clove, garlic, minced
1-2 Stalks of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces.
1 pack, noodles (your choice)
DIRECTIONS:
Press tofu to remove water. Cut into small triangles, 8 total pieces.
(Cut in half lengthwise, then cut in triangle 1/4’s.)
Mix together Soya sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and liquid smoke - and marinade the tofu in the fridge. The longer you leave it, the better, up to 24 hours. We did it for under ten minutes because we were hungry. Still very good.
Heat a pan with oil on medium and cook tofu. Save marinade. After 5 mins, flip and cook other side. As its cooking, add garlic and broccoli. You can add a little bit of the remaining marinade on the broccoli. Once the garlic is cooked and the broc is green, pump up the heat to 6-7 and fry for a few minutes to get that nice crispy outside.
Boil water and add noodles. Drain and mix with a few tablespoons of the left over marinade, and your hot sauce.
Serve!
We had a great time making this simple dish, and an even better time eating it. Obvsss.
Oh. and don’t forget…like, share and follow!
LET’S EXPERIMENT: Cauliflower and Lentil Pasta Sauce
It’s not everyday that I get to experiment like this.
I typically stick to the same few recipes, and even when I go out of my bubble, I tend to use a lot of the same stuff.
But today I wanted to be a little more creative. I had some lentils and a half head of cauliflower to use up, and was (surprisingly) in the mood for pasta. So there wasn’t anything I could do except create a new dish!
Shucks.
This is a vegan, gluten-free sauce, that could be classified as a mix between cheese and Alfredo. You can also use white beans if you want it to be the same colour as an Alfredo sauce. And if you do eat cheese, you can grate some in at the end! Everyone wins!
Make this because: You’ll never have another pasta sauce with this much protein and veggies. Or maybe you will, but it won’t taste like this. Fact*
Ingredients:
1/2 head, cauliflower
2 handfulls, lentils (drained and rinsed).
2 lrg clove, garlic, minced
1 large, shallot, diced
1 t, nutmeg
3-5 T, Nutritional yeast
1 T, Paprika
S&P
Soy/Almond milk (roughly 1/2 C)
Oil.
Directions:
Saute onion/garlic in oil.
Boil cauliflower for 5-7 minutes then drain.
Blend Lentils/Cauliflower together and add a little bits of milk at a time until you get the right consistency.
Now add in Gar/Onion, paprika. Blend again and put in saucepan.
Add nutritional yeast (and/or cheese) and stir.
Pour over fav pasta. I baked mine in the oven for 15 minutes at 400•.
You can do the same or just dig in!
The secret to eating Burritos ANYTIME.
I don’t know about you, but I love burritos.
When I say this, I don’t mean the “eat them every so often” kind of love.
I am very serious when I say I could eat one every day.
Here’s my qualm.
The burrito joints in the city charge anywhere from $6-10 each, which is too expensive for everyday consumption.
And if I make a proper burrito at home, I end up wasting ingredients.
Not cool.
So I’ve devised a plan.
On a very tight budget (which I’m sure you can all appreciate), I managed to make 6 filling, delicious, burritos. I now have them chilling in my freezer (pun intended), waiting to be heated whenever I choose.
What that means is I can now have one everyday for a week. And then maybe grab Hot Beans on day 7.
Do this because:
You’ll have 6 burritos to eat.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup, rice ($0.75)
1/2 package, ground round ($2.00)
2/3 cup, corn ($1)
1 can, beans of your choice (I used Kidney) ($1)
1 T, chipotle ($0.25)
Taco seasoning ($1.00)
Lime juice ($0.50)
Small jar, Salsa ($2.50)
1 Avocado ($2.00)
Olive Oil
Cheese (or vegan sub) ($3.00)
wraps ($3.00)
Directions:
Cook rice with Chipotle.
In pan, heat corn, ground round together with taco seasoning and allow to sit on low once heated.
Quickly wash the beans and toss em in a saucepan with a T of olive oil on low-med. Smash them with a fork and add some salt to taste. There’s your refried beans done.
Cut avo and mash with a bit of lime juice.
Grate cheese.
Once rice is done, add to ground round/corn and mix.
On your wrap, add a portion of each and wrap up. Place on a heated skillet and brown, wrap in foil or saran or whatever, then place in the freezer.
BAM! 6 burritos. ALL UNDER $20!!!
You’re welcome. Pay me back by sharing with your pals. Because everyone deserves burritos all of the time.
This past weekend I met a new friend that told me all about Depanneur. I’ll sum up its importance for you like this: I might be able to guest Chef there. Imagine that?
Now, whether this happens is a bit of a long shot (for now). But I sure would like to, and I have the perfect idea for a meal:
JUDGE DREDGE
Nori Marinated Tofu in beer batter, aka the “Fish”
Chips
Mushy Peas
Tartar Sauce
Everything will be vegetarian, and Vegan (minus the Tartar sauce - although you can make it vegan in a heartbeat). Tonight I did my first trial run of the recipe, and after an hour in the kitchen, I had a successful first attempt.
I also made sure to have a helping hand (both in the kitchen and at the table afterwards) to test the brilliance of the faux fish. We were both incredibly impressed with the texture, taste and look and think it would go over well with the fine folks at The Dep.
Now unfortunately, I cannot post the recipe… YET. I will be working out a few kinks over the next few weeks, but I do have a picture to share. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my progress and will share the recipe as soon as I have it mastered.
For now, I’ll let you salivate over the great pic above, and wait eagerly by your computer for an invitation to join me for a meal.
Dave.
She Drives Me Curry (with Kale FalaSamosas & Vegan Cucumber Dressing)!
So there I was, cruising the FB, commenting on pictures of cats and sandwiches and event pictures and then… I saw it.
All you can eat Indian Buffet this Saturday at an all vegetarian, mostly vegan restaurant located in the East End. Yes, I will share the link (for those of you in Toronto).
After perusing the site for what seemed like an hour, I realized that I was just barely in their delivery zone. By a street.
A sign from Allah, amiright?
Anyway, they had a $25 minimum order policy, which means $35 after tax and tip (plus what I assume does not include a delivery fee), and suddenly my urgent need for delivery Indian Food was subdued.
But my urge for Indian Food made in my kitchen… still very present.
I checked my fridge, checked my spice drawer, and decided to experiment. As one does at 6pm on a Monday night.
The Kale Samosas are not what you think. They are not made into a pocket. In fact, they aren’t even wrapped. I steamed kale and put rolled up balls of samosa filling on top, then poured a delicious sauce over top. You can see it up there in the picture. Like a falasamosa.
Anyway, call it what you will. It’s easy to make and even easier to eat.
The curry was outstanding (was there ever any doubt?) - I like to think it had something to do with one of the worlds best vegetables, b sprouts, but I’ll let you be the judge.
Make this because:
Why aren’t you cooking Curry all of the time? It’s soooooo goooood.
CURRY:
1/2 t Cumin
1/2 T curry
1/8 t cloves
1/2 t turmeric
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t garam masala
1/2 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
1 broth cube (I used faux beef)
1 can coconut milk
1 half bottle, strained tomato
1 large can, chickpeas
10 Brussels Sprouts
3 carrots
Directions:
Heat Onion/Garlic on low until delicious.
Add spices and stir. Then veggies. Mix all those delightful spices around. Take a whiff. Good, right?
Now over medium heat, add tomato, coconut milk, broth cube, chickpeas.
Simmer until your veggies are done.
Serve over rice!
High five your neighbours when you see them. Because they’ll be by for leftovers.
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KALE FALASAMOSAS:
2 potatoes
1/3 ground round
1/3 can, peas
1 slice, onion
1 clove, garlic
same spices as above, but like, half or less
oil for fryin’
Boil potatoes for at least 15 minutes. Make sure they are fully cooked.
I can’t stress this enough. I always screw that up. Patience is a virtue.
Heat onion and garlic on pan, add ground round and peas. Mash it all up good then remove and let cool. Once potatoes are done, mash them into the ground round mix.
Go for a smoke. you deserve it.
Heat oil in pan, make little falafel-esque balls, and fry those up!
Pat dry, set aside.
KALE:
1 half, bush of kale, stems removed.
Steam for 3 minutes.
Add Salt and lemon.
Plate it.
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VEGAN CUCUMBER DRESSING:
Blend the following:
2 heaping T vegan mayo
1/3 cucumber (for less liquidy, pat each piece dry first)
1 t honey
1/2 t cumin
1/8 t chili
1/4 t paprika
salt and pepper
Add more of all to taste
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Put down kale, falasamosas on top, dressing as needed. Curry on rice to the side.
Now you have the perfect meal.
Next up, how to order pizza at 2:58, right before the place closes, and not have them hate you for making their night that much longer.
Dave.
