Sweet Things

Vegan Myth #4: A vegan diet is one of deprivation.

Really? Let me introduce you to my little friends: Strawberry Shortcake, Fruit Parfait, and Roasted Cherry "Chicken".

I am swimming in summer fruit over here at Casa Owen and if there's one thing I get sick of, it's plain ol' fruit -- I know, I know, but I'm a vegetable girl all the way. My first project was to tackle a giant flat of strawberries that seemed like a good idea when I was shopping on an empty stomach at the grocery store. My morning yogurt and granola parfaits could only use up so many, so, I decided that it was time to tackle vegan Strawberry Shortcake. I simply veganized the recipe in my BH&G cookbook and it turned out as yummy as anything I remember having when I was growing up.

Of course, veganizing fruit parfaits is easy with Soy Whip. You can find it in the spray can or in the carton (the latter is preferable, but you have to whip it yourself) and I am told that a rice version now exists and Sidecar carries all three.


Next, I was trying to figure out what to do with the remains of a huge container of cherries that were gifted to us from Jeff's orchard-owning customer. I wasn't a big black cherry fan before, but now I'm a convert! I added about a tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar, sugar, red wine, olive oil, and rosemary and let them marinate and get juicy for a couple of hours. Then I roasted them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes and topped pan-fried Gardein "chicken" fillets with the results. I'm ODing on fruit now while I still can, 'cause summer will be gone before you can say September!

Vegany Vegan Dish

This is one of those dishes that carnists make fun of vegans for eating, a.k.a. the kind of dish my husband hates. I loved it though. Apparently, tempeh isn't for everyone (!!!), but I love it. This here beauty is the result of the "Hot Sauce-glazed Tempeh" recipe from Veganomicon (p. 129) atop a heaping pile of Ginger Kale (modified from "From Asparagus to Zucchini", p. 91). I have to say that these two dishes are MFEO and are not nearly as good individually.

Ginger Kale
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves cut into strips
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. vegan margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tbs. minced fresh gingerroot
juice of fresh lime, to taste
fresh ground pepper.

1. Steam kale until slightly wilted. In a large wok, heat oil and butter over medium heat and add onion. Coook for 5-10 minutes until onion is glossy, then add ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
2. Toss in the kale. Cover and cook on low heat until kale is tender. Add lime juice and pepper to taste. Makes 2-4 servings.

Hot Sauce-glazed Tempeh

1/2 cup vegan wine (whatever kind you've got on hand, just nothing sweet)
1/4 cup of your favorite hot sauce (I like Tiger Sauce)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1. Bring a pot of water to boil.

2. Wkisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl large enough to fit the tempeh slices.

Cut the tempeh in half widthwise then cut each of those squares diagonally to form 4 3. large triangles. When the water is boiling, add the tempeh, lower the heat and steam for 10 minutes.

4. Use tongs to remove the tempeh and then immediately place them in the marinade bowl for 1 hour, flipping them every now again to cover with the marinade.

5. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Add a tbs. of oil to the pan. Cook the tempeh for 10 minutes, turning often and spooning on more marinade as you turn.

6. Serve over greens above!

Vegan Fish n' Chips...OMG!! Vegan Fish n' Chips!!

There are times when life LITERALLY gives you lemons and you have to make lemonade. This is not one those times. This IS, however, one of those times when Seattle gives you a 60-degree, rain-filled day in the middle of AUGUST!??!! Oh, you can whine, complain, and pout about it OR you can be thankful for the excuse that a lousy-weather
day gives you to indulge in a little vegan comfort food.

Now, a hot cup of Joe and a couple of vegan donuts from Mighty-O was a pretty good place to start. But, I took comfort food to the next level at lunchtime with a grilled cheese sandwich, thanks to the people who bring you the Cuisinart sandwich press (so, I guess Cuisinart, then?) and the miracle workers over at Daiya. For dinner, it was going to take something pretty spectacular, ballsy even, to seal today as the official Summer Comfort Food Day of 2010.

I'd had my eye on a little battered "fish" recipe over at the
Vegan Betty Crocker Project
blog since Friday and I just couldn't get it out of my head. So I set out to conquer it. This "fish" was so damn delicious that my omnivorous husband couldn't even believe it was tofu. I will warn you, though, that in the process I have used nearly every dish and appliance in my kitchen. It looks like a flour explosion went off in there, but it was worth it (especially, since my husband does all the post-dinner kitchen cleanups). If you are a vegan and are craving some of the old classics this will not disappoint.

Now, I realize that it is still summer, and that we can't subsist on fried foods alone, so I skipped making "chips" and opted for a caprese salad with a balsamic reduction instead. I veganized
this recipe by using Vegan Gourmet's Mozzarella. It comes in brick form and I used a small glass to cut out the middle section. I then turned that section on its side and cut 4 uniform (roughly 1/4" thick) rounds out of it. Optionally, you could just cut it all into a dice and serve it with halved cherry tomatoes, but I was trying to go all fancy for some reason. I highly recommend trying these recipes, stat! Oh, and I won't tell anyone if you make a batch of the "fish" just for yourself and eat it all in one sitting. I won't even judge.

Hello, Intervention? Yes, I seem to be addicted to vegan pizza.

I've been a vegan now for two years, almost to the day. It is always a wonder to me that I am still discovering new vegan foods. Recently, a friend of mine hipped me to the vegan, pre-made pizza dough that Trader Joe's sells. Even BEFORE I was a vegan, I had never made pizza. Oh, I had slapped a little pizzaesque something together once or twice using a tortilla, but never a proper pizza using proper dough. And now I'm obsessed. It all began the other night with a white pizza from the April 2010 issue of Vegetarian times. I veganized it by subbing soy milk, Vegan (parmesan) Topping (by Galaxy Foods) and Daiya mozzarella instead of the dairy versions. I added zucchini, too, as I was pretty low on broccoli.

My pizza turned out so great that I went on an accidental pizza binge that continued with me buying a Tofurkey pizza for lunch the next day (and eating it all in one sitting -- I'm not proud) and culminated in another pizza creation tonight. This time it was BBQ "Chicken" Pizza . I started with a basic (carnivorous) recipe from Allrecipes.com, but spruced it up with with carmelized onions and roasted red pepper. I dialed down the animal cruelty factor by using plant-based mozzarella and "chicken" . This pizza was equally as amazing as my first attempt and now I find myself daydreaming about my next pizza adventure. Will it be something Hawaiian -- maybe fried, vegan Canadian "bacon" and pineapple with a spicy soy glaze? Or perhaps tempeh sausage and sun-dried tomatoes with faux feta? Or something crazy like roasted garlic and fried hotdogs? The possibilities are quite endless. I am just grateful to have discovered the TJ's dough and look forward to a long love affair with homemade pizzas.

White Pizza with Broccoli and Mushrooms and Zucchini - modified from Vegetarian Times

2 Tbs. vegan margarine (Earth Balance), divided
6 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup zucchini, sliced thinly in half rounds
1 Tbs. flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. plain soy milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded vegan mozzarella (Daiya), divided
1/8 c. Vegan (parmesan) Topping (Galaxy Foods)
1 16-oz. bag of vegan Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough

1. Preheat over to 425.
2. Melt 1 tbs of margarine in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes. Add 1/3 cup water, cover tightly, and simmer for 3-5 minutes until veggies are tender.
3. Melt remaining margarine in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, garlic, and salt. Cook for 3-7 minutes until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Add 1/2 the vegan mozzarella and the parmesan. Stir until cheese melts and the mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
4. Prepare the pizza a dough according to package directions and place on a greased cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone.
5. Spread the white sauce over the dough to within a half inch of the edge. Top with the veggie mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
6. Cool slightly before serving.
7. Devour.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 16-oz. bag of vegan Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 cup spicy barbeque sauce (I recommend Stubb's Spicy)
2 Gardein fillets, pan-fried and cut into cubes or strips
1/2 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. vegan margarine
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 roasted red pepper, skinned and diced
1 c. shredded vegan mozzarella (Daiya), divided
1/8 c. Vegan (parmesan) Topping (Galaxy Foods)


1. Preheat over to 425.
2. Melt margarine and olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions for about 5 minutes until translucent. Lower heat, add sugar and vinegar, and continue stirring onions about 20-30 minutes until soft and carmelized.
3. Prepare the pizza a dough according to package directions and place on a greased cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone.
4. Spread the BBQ sauce over the dough to within a half inch of the edge. Top with the "chicken", then peppers, then red pepper, then onions. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with faux parmesan.
6. Devour.