Tag Archives: recipe

Veganize It: Coffee Cake!

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On Christmas eve, my mom was saying how much she would like a coffee cake for Christmas morning, along with our traditional Strata (which we also successfully veganized this year!  Future post!).  Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find an easy peasey recipe within minutes.  I chose this one because it looked similar to one of my all-time faves when I was little – Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake.  This recipe comes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan Brunch (totally getting that book ASAP!  You should, too!).  In the two more “complicated” baking attempts I’ve made recently (I say “complicated” because the other recipe just consisted of mixing a can of pumpkin and Duncan Hines yellow cake mix to make easy pumpkin muffins), both recipes came from her!  I made some of my own little “tweaks” on this recipe, but overall, man, is it good.  Just like when I was little.

Vegan Coffee Cake
Recipe Courtesy of Vegan Brunch

Ingredients

(Topping)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 tbs more, if needed

(Cake)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Jersey City Vegan’s Addition for the topping – Vegan Powdered Sugar

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375°F and lightly grease an 8 in. round springform pan or 8 in. square pan.  In a small bowl, add milk for the cake and the vinegar; set aside to curdle
  • For the topping, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small mixing bowl.  Drizzle in canola oil by the tablespoon, using your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form.  Alternate drizzling and mixing until all the oil is used and large crumbs have formed.
  • For the cake, mix together the milk mixture, sugar, canola oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until smooth.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.  Evenly sprinkle on the topping and pat it down lightly.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 min. or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool for at least an hour (or as long as you can stand) before slicing and serving.
  • JCV addition – Scoop a 1/2 cup of vegan powdered sugar into a sifter, and sprinkle (GENEROUSLY if you’re like me and loved that Entenmann’s cake) on top.

I have made this recipe AGAIN since Christmas (twice in the same week, WHAT?!) except I made them in cupcake form to bring into the office.  Adjust the baking time to 20 minutes, but check them once 15 mins rolls around… my oven is kind of wonky so someone who might have a better oven might have the cupcakes cook faster.  Now, if only I had actually remembered to bring the cupcakes in to work!  I ended up leaving them in their bag on the kitchen counter, only realizing it when I was about to get on the train into Manhattan.  Doh.  More for Melissa & I!  And it’s official:  I love to bake!

Look, Mom! I can bake!

Look, Mom! I can bake!

Easy Thai Curry

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In our household, it is no secret that I am a fiend for Asian food, any style.  Whether it be Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian… anything Asian (so long it is vegan!) is welcome into my belly.  This recipe comes by request of my friend Kat (Hi Kat!), who is soon to be married and has been looking for some yummy meat-less recipes.  Of course, I was more than happy to oblige.  Here is Melissa’s recipe for an easy Thai curry!

Melissa’s Easy Thai Curry

Ingredients

  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons red curry paste
  • sliced carrots
  • cauliflower
  • white mushrooms
  • green beans
  • one package extra firm tofu

Feel free to use any veggie of your choosing!  My sister had just given me a whole basket of green beans, fresh from her garden.  We also had the cauliflower from our bi-weekly trip to the farmers market.  And mushrooms are FULL of health benefits – they are fat burning powerhouses!

Directions

  1. Drain and cut tofu into cubes.
  2. Warm a pan or skillet on medium-high w/ oil (neutral, such as grapeseed, canola).  Place tofu in pan, and cook until golden brown.  Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet on medium heat, combine coconut milk and curry paste.  Simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Add vegetables, simmer until cooked.  We like ours still a little crunchy!

This really couldn’t be easier!  Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite style of Asian cooking?  Got a favorite recipe you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear about it!

Vegan-ize It: Cheese”steak” Sammies

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Here’s another great recipe to help you transition into a more (or completely!) plant-based diet.

I absolutely love a delicious sandwich… it might be one of my favorite comfort foods.  Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to give it up, either.  Thanks to many wonderful meat-less brands, the possibilities are endless.  Melissa created this delicious, cruelty-free version of one of my favorite sammiches, a Philly Cheesesteak.  This version is almost like a loaded grilled cheese.  This also could easily be served on a nice whole wheat roll.  Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients (makes one sandwich)

 Directions
  1. Slice onion, pepper, mushrooms and kale.  Heat a skillet on medium.  Using vegan butter or olive oil, cook veggies thoroughly , set aside on a plate.
  2. Take Tofurky slices, cut them into large strips and separate them.  Add slices to a hot pan to brown them slightly for a few minutes, set aside.
  3. Using a non-stick skillet sprayed with olive oil (or use a small amount of vegan butter) on medium heat, place bread in pan.  Top bread with cheese shreds or slices, then add Tofurky slices on top of that.   Add the cooked veggies last, placing the other slice of bread on top.  You can press down on the sandwich with a spatula a bit, and cover it to let the cheese melt a little.
  4. Carefully flip the sandwich so that both sides are nicely toasted, slice in half, and serve.

 

Totally yum!  Tofurky used to make Philly steak style slices, but I don’t think they make them any more.  The roast beef slices work just as well.  This sandwich is perfect with some tomato soup or a delicious salad, or since it’s now the season for it, a crispy corn on the cob!

Do you have a recipe that you would like us to Vegan-ize?  Put your suggestion in the comments section and we’ll be happy to make it a reality!

 

Vegan-ize It: Omelette!

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This week’s Vegan-ize It recipe features the delicious breakfast food:  omelettes!  This recipe is a modified version of the original one that Melissa found on FatFree Vegan Kitchen.  Recipes on this website are fantastic and I highly recommend it.

Vegan Omelettes (serves two)

Ingredients

Omelette/”Egg” portion

  • 1 package Mori-Nu extra firm silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons soymilk
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons tahini
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • freshly chopped scallions and dill, to finish
Filling
  • cooked kale
  • sliced Daiya jack wedges
  • cooked vegan sausage

Directions

  1. Blend together all “egg” ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  2. Use a non-stick skillet or well seasoned cast iron, spray or lightly coat with olive oil.  Heat on medium-high until hot.
  3. Pour half the “egg” batter into the pan, form into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.  The batter won’t run into shape like a pancake does, so use a spoon or spatula to make it a circle.  
  4. Reduce head to medium-low.
  5. Cover and cook for a few minutes.  You can check the edges with a spatula to see if it has set.  Once it looks like it is starting to cook through, the top won’t look “wet” and you are ready to add your toppings.
  6. Carefully loosen the bottom of the omelette with a spatula before flipping one half over, cook for another two or three minutes.  Top with fresh herbs, hot sauce, or whatever you like to use to finish your omelette!

And there you have it!  Hope you enjoy… I know we totally did!  Have you made a vegan-ized omelette?  Do you have any tips?  Please share them in the comment section.

Vegan-ize It: Grilled Cheese

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Did you know that today is National Grilled Cheese Day?!  Well it is!  And guess what?  Vegans can celebrate!!!

There are so many great cheese substitutes available nowadays.  Follow Your Heart produces several varieties of cheese wedges and cream cheeses. I love their cheddar for use in cheese and crackers or grilled cheese.  But my absolute fave lately is Daiya – they produce cheese shreds and their new wedges which I have not been able to find yet!  However, their cheddar shreds are PERFECT for making some vegan grilled cheese.  

I know pretty much everyone knows how to make grilled cheese, but I’m going to include a recipe anyway.  After all, its further proof that being vegan does not mean you miss out on some of the best comfort food!  Best part about vegan grilled cheese?  NO Cholesterol or Trans Fat!

Vegan Grilled Cheese (serves two)

Ingredients

  • Your favorite vegan bread
  • Daiya cheddar shreds
  • Sliced tomato, if desired
  • Earth Balance butter

Directions

  1. Warm a pan or skillet over medium heat.  Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan.
  2. Butter one side of four slices of bread.  Place two bread slices, butter side down in pan and portion out some Daiya cheddar on to each slice.
  3. If desired, warm some tomato slices in the skillet.  (I prefer no tomato, but Melissa loves it!)
  4. Take the other two slices of bread, and place them butter side up on top of the cheese, like a sandwich.
  5. Cover pan with a lid to help the cheese melt, for a minute or two.  Be careful not to burn the bread.
  6. Flip sandwiches to let the other side crisp.
  7. Remove from pan and serve!

We had our grilled cheese with a nice kale salad tonight, but sometimes we’ll have it with tomato soup.  It’s the perfect comfort food!  Do you have a favorite vegan comfort food?

Vegan-ize It: Tofu Scallops

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Before I went vegan, I used to go crazy for a perfectly pan-seared sea scallop.  Anytime I went out to a restaurant and scallops were on the menu, I need not look any further.  My parents always had scallops for me when I would go visit.  I was the scallop girl!  I “Excuse-itarian’ed” (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau coined this term and I love it!) my way around consuming scallops for quite a while — “They don’t have a face!” was my perfect reasoning.  When I connected the dots about the problems with industrial fishing and factory fish farms, I preferred that those little tender fleshy morsels stayed in their cute little shells in the sea and not in my belly.  If you haven’t learned about the downside to the seafood industry, you can get a little snapshot about it here, here, and here.

My ever-creative amateur chef (and partner of 6 years) Melissa came up with a brilliant solution to satisfy my scallop cravings — make them out of tofu!  After all, it is the seasonings, sauces and marinades that have us so attached to eating flesh anyway.  We aren’t like tigers and lions who eat flesh raw, no problemo.  Here is her brilliant recipe… my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Tofu Scallops

Ingredients

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Tools

  • Small cookie cutter or juice glass with a small diameter

Directions

    1. Press the tofu.  See Tofu Isn’t Scary for more detailed instructions on pressing tofu.
    2. Cut thickness of tofu in half.  
    3. Use cookie cutter or juice glass to cut circles out of tofu.  Season tofu scallops with the Old Bay and salt and pepper.
    4. Heat pan with 1 tbsp (approx.) of olive oil on medium/high heat.
    5. Place tofu scallops in pan, allowing them to get golden brown on each side.  Remove from pan and set tofu scallops aside.
    6. Turn heat to low and melt 2-4 tbsp of vegan butter in the pan.  Use more butter if you are making more scallops.
    7. Squeeze half the lemon into the pan with the melted butter, stir to incorporate.  Add dill.  Stir and turn heat off.
    8. Plate tofu scallops and drizzle/spoon lemon dill sauce over scallops.  Serve with your favorite veggies and sides.  Pictured with a mix of quinoa and kale.

I hope you enjoy this recipe — its one of my favorites!  Do you have a favorite vegan-ized recipe?

Vegan-ize It: Weekend Brunch

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Its Monday.  The weekend just ended and I’m already counting down the days until next weekend!  No better way to do that than dream about one of my favorite weekend meals:

BRUNCH!  First thing that comes to mind for most people are eggs, right?  First thing that comes to a vegan’s mind is the delicious dish we all know as Tofu Scramble.  For as many incarnations of an omlette that might exist, the possibilities are also endless for Tofu Scramble.  Except with the vegan version, you don’t need to worry about all the saturated fat and cholesterol!  Or, the cruelty of the egg/dairy industry.  It really is a win/win.  Here is my favorite recipe…

Melissa’s Best Tofu Scramble in the World

Ingredients

  • Two links of Tofurky Breakfast Sausage, sliced  -OR-
  • 1/3 tube Gimme Lean sausage, crumbled
  • 1 c. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
  • One block of extra firm tofu (DON’T press!)
  • Approx. 2 c. chopped kale
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 c. Daiya cheddar cheese
  • Few shakes of dried dill or oregano, to taste
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • fresh chopped parsley to garnish
  • Hot sauce/ketchup to serve

Directions

  1. Slice the Tofurky Breakfast Sausage and saute in a pan with the mushrooms over medium high heat with a little bit of olive oil or vegan butter until browned.

    We like Tofurky and Gimme Lean sausage but feel free to use your favorite.

  2. In a bowl or a large cutting board, use a fork to crumble the tofu.  Feel free to leave larger chunks of tofu and have the texture be uneven – we are mimicking scrambled eggs.
  3. Add tofu to saute pan with sausage and mushrooms.  Add turmeric and nutritional yeast and toss in pan to incorporate.

    Before

    After

  4. Add greens.  Cover and let steam for a minute or two.
  5. Sprinkle Daiya cheese evenly on top of the scramble.  Cover briefly to melt the cheese.  Reduce heat to low/medium.
  6. Top with the fresh parsley and salt/pepper to taste.  Serve with hot sauce or ketchup.

    Absolutely yummy.

And because no weekend brunch is complete without a little indulgence, here is a bonus smoothie recipe.

Blueberry Smoothies

Ingredients  (serves 2)

  • 2 c. your choice of non-dairy milk (in this instance, vanilla soy)
  • 1 c. frozen wild blueberries
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • Filtered water, as needed

    Smoothie ingredients

Directions
  1. Put blueberries, milk and flaxseed meal in blender and blend until incorporated, adding some filtered water if needed to thin out  a little bit.
  2. Add chia seeds and blend for another 30 seconds or until incorporated.
  3. Serve.

    Beautiful blueberry color -- Full of antioxidants!

This recipe was inspired by a post by Dr. Greger on nutritionfacts.org, one of my favorite vegan nutrition resources.

Antioxidants + Omega 3's = Nutritious and Delicious!

The Vegg! (W/French Toast recipe)

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The Vegg is the world’s first vegan egg – and a product I’ve been excited about ever since I heard about it!  I knew it was something that we’d want to try, particularly because Melissa loves to cook weekend breakfasts for us.  I purchased a packet at the Vegetarian Food Festival last weekend from the Vegan Bodega, excited to see what was in store for us.

The Vegg is completely cholesterol free, gluten-free, no trans fats, ten calories per serving and 10% of the proceeds from each purchase goes straight to Compassion Over Killing, a great animal advocacy group.  You can use The Vegg in any recipe that calls for eggs.

Yesterday was the day!  We were going to try the Vegg!  Melissa decided to make french toast, as that is one breakfast dish that we both love and have missed (french toast with just soy milk is not the same).

The makings for a delish Saturday morning breakfast

Here is what you will need:

Melissa’s Vegg French Toast

  • 2 tsp Vegg*
  • 1/2 c. water*
  • 1/2 c. soy milk (or other nut milk of your preference)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Cinnamon to taste (a few shakes)

*as per Vegg’s website, 1 tsp Vegg powder + 1/4 c. water = 2-3 yolks

Inside the packet of Vegg

Combine the Vegg and water in a mixing bowl until smooth (10-15 seconds)

Measure out The Vegg!

It even SMELLED like eggs!

In a separate, shallow bowl, combine soy milk, vanilla, & cinnamon and mix thoroughly.  Add Vegg mixture.

Voila! French toast mixture that looks just like the real thing!

Coat both sides of your favorite kind of bread with the french toast mixture.

Dunk!

It even coats like eggs.

Coat your pan with your favorite vegan butter (we love Earth Balance) on medium-high and place your french toast in the pan to cook.

Cook til golden brown

Cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Looking delicious.

Serve with real maple syrup and your favorite vegan sausage.

Blueberry smoothies, french toast & vegan sausage - a yummy Saturday brekkie.

Perfect french toast crust.

This product has revolutionized the vegan breakfast!  Now we can enjoy our french toast the way we did when we were kids, a beautiful french toast crust with NONE of the guilt about supporting the egg industry.  Hats off to you, Vegg, for creating such a fantastic product.