Parte Seconda Di Salsiccia Fest

I'm all about good food on the cheap. Every now and then I might splurge on awesome pre-packaged mock meats (Gardein still baffles my mind on a regular basis) but I take great pleasure in making my own mock meats from scratch. I get a serious buzz from recreating stuff that costs a fraction of what you pay for in store. I love Field Roast Italian sausage, but I don't want to spend $6 on four measly links when I can make twice as many for a buck or so. Frankly, I'd rather avoid getting in the car and driving through the labyrinth of doom a.k.a. Whole Foods parking lot just for those four links. So take that, Field Roast (I still love you)!

These sausages are easy on the wallet and good in the belly.

Italian Seitan Sausage

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 portobello mushroom cap
• 3/4 cup vegetable or veggie chicken broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional, sub with more broth)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon agave (optional)
• 1tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire (optional)
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry red chili flake (or more)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (rubbed)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• several grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Method

Prepare your steaming basket and get your water boiling.

I don't currently own a steaming basket, but my metal colander fits perfectly inside this stock pot. Feel free to improvise if necessary. Get all McGuyver on that shiz. Don't mind that gnarly looking stove. I have roommates. 'Nuff said.

In a large bowl mix all your dry ingredients and spices and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the portobello mushroom cap until it has a crumb-like texture. Don't over process, we don't want a mushroom puree. Add the mushroom bits to the dry mixture and stir to combine. Return to your food processor and add the wet ingredients: cannellini beans, garlic, tomato, wine, vegetable broth, tamari, agave, oil and Worcestershire. Puree until completely smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and get everything mixed thoroughly, using your hands to make a dough. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes while you get your foil ready, by now the water should be to a full boil.

Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces. Take each portion and begin shaping it into a log or link and wrap the link tightly in foil. Don't worry if it's not perfect. Repeat this process for all the portions and place the foiled logs into your steaming apparatus. Steam over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 hours, making sure to replenish water level every 30-40 minutes.


Tips:

Keep a pot of water on simmer alongside your steaming basket. When your basket's water levels are low, you'll have a back up of hot water. This helps to keep things nice and steamy.

Don't get lazy and cut the cooking time in half. Good food takes time.

This sausage freezes and thaws well, so keep some links frozen for long term use. They'll keep in the freezer for months.

Give some to your friends. Who doesn't like the gift of sausage? Exactly.

Just Grab 'Em In The Biscuits!

I admit that I used to be a huge fan of KFC biscuits. Of course now the idea of eating one of those is quite revolting. Even if they were vegan, I'd hate to support that corporation.

One thing I've learned is that broke-ass-ness is the mother of invention. When you're between paychecks or even if you've been too busy to grocery shop, often times you can create really tasty stuff just with what you have on hand. This week I bring you biscuits. Easily made with ingredients you probably have in your pantry. I suggest you smother them with gravy and love.

Vegan "Buttermilk" Biscuits

• 2 1/4 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup extra cold, unsweetened, plain soymilk + 3 tablespoons for brushing
• 1/3 cup extra cold, vegetable shortening (Crisco or Earth Balance work well)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Mix apple cider vinegar with soymilk and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle. The vinegar creates a tangy "buttermilk flavor" and will help create awesome, fluffy texture in the biscuits.

In a large bowl mix together all your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and powder. With two forks, a pastry cutter or very quick hands, cut the shortening into the flour, leaving little pieces of fat distributed evenly throughout the flour mixture. The mixture will look crumbly. Now add the curdled soymilk and mix quickly to get a dough to form. Avoid overworking the dough. Once your dough has formed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

When your dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out dough to 1-2 inch thickness and cut out circles with a biscuit cutter. Place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with leftover soymilk for a nice golden hue. You can gather up any leftover scraps of dough and form another biscuit or two from that. If you want something a little more rustic (if you're just lazy, like me) grab a nice portion of dough (about 2-3 inches across and 2 inches thick) and drop 'em on an un-greased baking sheet. I like to bake mine a little on the thick side so the interior reaches maximum fluff potential.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 12-16 minutes depending on thickness and your oven's mood. Biscuits are done when lightly golden brown. Makes 6-8 biscuits.




















Tips:

Not that you would have tuna (assuming you are vegetarian) in your cupboard, but you can always recycle an old can into a biscuit cutter by removing both ends.

Try mixing in vegan cheese and herbs for extra flavor. Those beauties above were made with Daiya cheddar and fresh parsley from my garden. Cheddar and chives or green onions are great too.

Start working on your favorite preserves, gravy and sauce recipes. Biscuits were made for them.

私のホバークラフトは鰻でいっぱいです

Asian cuisine is probably the most challenging to me. There are so many styles and flavor profiles, my head spins. Sweet, salty, sour, oh! It's all so delicious. I'm fortunate to live near Koreatown, which gives me easy access to some awesome Asian markets. I love strolling down each aisle, drooling over the possibilities. Here's one of the easiest treats I've been able to concoct.

Vegan Gyoza

• 1 package of gyoza or dumpling wrappers (check for veganocity, some like to sneak in eggs!)
• 1 cup Bok Choy, Napa cabbage or kale, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Shiitake, King Oyster or Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (microplanes are great for this)
• 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
• 2-4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying
• dash or more, red pepper flakes
• fresh black pepper to taste
• 2-6 tablespoon water, for steaming
  

Method

Preparing the filling

Over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a hot skillet or wok. Once oil is hot, drop in the carrots and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the celery and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring constantly. Next toss in the sesame oil, mushrooms, cabbage, ginger, pepper and chili flakes and coat well with oil. Cook this mixture for another 2 minutes, then add in the green onions. Stir in two tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari and taste for saltiness. Add a few more dashes if necessary and allow to evaporate. Again taste while you go and check for balance. If it needs more ginger or soy sauce, adjust to your liking. Once all the veggies are nicely sauteed and soft, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.


Assembling the dumplings

Take a teaspoon or slightly more depending on the size of your gyoza skins and place the veggie filling in the center of your dumpling. Avoid over-stuffing the wrappers. Moisten the edges with a little water and fold over the wrapper to form a half moon. Pinch or press down the edges and make sure they are well sealed. To make a fancy crimped edge, gather a part of the edge and folding it over on to itself by making a little "S". Repeat this folding pattern 3-4 times on each dumpling. If you need more visual aid check out this guy's video: Warning! These dumplings are not vegan. Skip to 2:00


Cooking the dumplings

In a hot pan over medium-high heat add 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Drop in your dumplings and spread them out evenly across the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, then flip over and brown the other side. When both sides are lightly browned, add in 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Turn the heat down to just medium and allow the water to completely evaporate. Once the water evaporates, check for doneness. Gyoza are done when they are entirely translucent. If there are still some opaque parts, add another tablespoon of water, cover and cook for an additional few minutes. Don't leave them unattended. You are almost done! Flip them over if they are getting too brown on one side and turn down the heat just a touch. Depending on your make of wrappers you may have to repeat the steaming process 2-3 times. Your patience will be rewarded.

Serve these with sesame-chili soy sauce. Just add 3 parts soy sauce, 2 parts rice wine vinegar, 1 part sesame oil and a few dashes of red chili flake.

をお楽しみください!!!

More pizza

This was easily one of the best pizzas I've ever made. Portobello and white button mushrooms, kale, Teese vegan mozzarella with a creamy roasted garlic and thyme sauce. Ridiculous. One of the great things about this pizza is the bonus of built-in kale chips. Some of the kale bakes into a thin crisp for textural excitement. I give this pizza 5 stars.




"I declare this pizza to be... awesome!"

Mad Pizza Skillz

Living in Los Angeles is a vegan pizza lover's dream. There are so many places offering vegan pizzas and even one pizzeria that has gone totally vegan. Even with all these options I still find it necessary to make my own pies at home. Why? Besides having "mad pizza skillz" it's way more cost effective. Unfortunately vegan pizzeria's break my bank. It's easy to spend upwards of $30 on one pie. I can eat three to four times as much homemade pizza for that price! Although you may sweat a little (or a lot) making these this summer, they are totally worth the effort. Sure you can buy pre-made dough at Trader Joe's (I used to) but making your own pies from scratch will make you feel extra radtastic in the kitchen.




Basic Pizza Dough

• 3 cups unbleached, bread flour 
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to coat
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vegan sugar

Method

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand 10 minutes or so, until the mixture begins to froth up. In a large bowl mix bread flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil, blend then mix with hands to form the dough. Knead for 7 - 10 minutes. This also doubles as a good arm workout so reap the rewards. If you have a buff significant other or roommate, let them do the dirty work. Also, kneading helps build up the gluten in the dough which makes for a nice chewy crust. So knead some more if you like. Form into a ball, lightly oil the surface, cover with plastic wrap or a clean, lightly dampened towel and allow to rest for 1 hour in a well oiled bowl.

While the dough rests get all your toppings prepped. After the dough has rested for an hour remove from the bowl, split into two balls for two medium thin crust pizzas or 1 extra large pizza. Stretch and roll out dough on a cold pizza stone or lightly oiled metal pan. Cover with your sauce and favorite toppings and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-35 minutes depending on your oven and preferences. If you have a peel, slide that bad boy on a pre heated stone.

Tips:

Invest in a pizza stone and peel if possible. You can probably find one under $10 at a discount retail shop (Ross, Big Lots, etc). Sometimes they even come in sets with a pizza cutter and serving tray.

Sometimes I use my favorite jar variety marinara sauce. It's great in a pinch, but tends to be too watery for pizza. Try making your own pizza sauce using tomato paste, a couple tablespoons of water, minced garlic, fresh and/or dried herbs, red pepper flakes, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. I love having another reason to use fresh herbs from my garden. Try combining basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary.


To keep your dough from sticking to the stone sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal.

For an extra crispy crust pre-heat your pizza stone, sprinkle with cornmeal, then roll out the dough on the stone and work quickly to get all the sauce and toppings placed.

If you want a slight crispiness with a soft and chewy crust, roll your dough on a room temperature stone.

For extra flavor brush the edges of your pizza crust with olive oil during the last 5 minutes of baking. Sprinkle on a little sesame seed while you're at it.

This dough can be used to make bread sticks or garlic bread twists. Just roll it out into long, skinny logs and twist together. Coat with vegan margarine, minced garlic, salt, nutrition yeast and fresh or dried herbs. Or try stuffing them with vegan cheese for cheesy bread. They are insanely tasty with marinara sauce. I've even made sweets with this dough using vegan margarine, diced apples, cinnamon and sugar. Just roll them up like cinnamon rolls.

Extra dough can be kept refrigerated up to 5 days. If using dough that has been refrigerated, place on counter and allow dough to come to room temperature before attempting to roll out and bake.



Here are some of my favorite pizza topping combinations:

Supreme style:
Daiya Italian blend vegan cheese, Field Roast Italian sausage, roasted garlic, black olives, baby bella mushrooms, green bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion with fresh basil

Garden blend: Daiya Italian blend vegan cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic and spinach

BBQ Chicken: BBQ sauce base, Gardein chicken strips coated in BBQ sauce, red onions, tempeh bacon and Daiya Italian Blend vegan cheese topped with fresh cilantro

Gourmet style: Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and roasted garlic with a bechamel sauce base.

Margherita: Lots of vegan cheese and fresh tomato slices. When removed from the oven, top with fresh basil. The heat from the pizza will lightly wilt the basil and release the aromatics. It's a classic combo with tons of flavor.



The possibilities are endless and there are tons of awesome mock meats and vegan cheeses (I'm a big fan of Teese and Daiya) on the market. Go crazy! Don't be surprised if you want to start lining your oven with bricks once you've mastered this recipe.

I love chickens. In a different way.

Being vegan doesn't mean I have to stop eating all the tasty Mexican food I enjoyed while growing up. Sure I can live on rice and beans alone, but I don't have to. Sometimes I like to revisit childhood favorites by giving them a vegan spin. There's nothing more satisfying than recreating something I thought I would never have again. In this dish I've simply switched the chicken for plant based protein and kept the rest all the same. This is a take on my aunt's recipe. Shh. For your eyes only.



Tia Argelia's Chickenless Fajitas

• 1 package of Gardein (or Trader Joes) Chickenless Chicken Strips
• 6 corn tortillas or 4 medium flour tortillas
  
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
  
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced into strips
  
• 1/2 medium purple bell pepper, sliced into strips (optional)
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1/4 white, yellow or brown onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon oil

The Marinade:

• Juice of 1 large orange
• Juice of 2 medium limes
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/3 medium onion, sliced or minced
• 1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  
• few grinds of fresh pepper
• salt to taste

Toppings:

• Fresh Guacamole
• Hot sauce or salsa
• Vegan sour cream
• Veganaise (My boyfriend's favorite)

Method

Making the marinade

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a glass, non-metallic bowl or zip lock bag. Add in your Gardein strips and coat pieces evenly. Marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. If possible go longer and marinate at least overnight for maximum flavor potential!

Preparation

Over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of oil in a hot skillet. Carefully add the chickenless chicken strips and cook until slightly charred and browned, about 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Once you get a nice crispy edge, pour about a 1/3 cup of the marinade on the strips to infuse more flavor and to de-glaze the pan. Keep stirring and scraping the pan. All those charred bits = flavor!




Once most of the liquid has evaporated add in your onions, garlic and bell peppers, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.



Taste for salt and add a little if necessary. Cook for another 4-6 minutes or until veggies are slightly charred, tender yet crisp. Try not to cook the veggies to death. Preserve their awesome nutrition!

Serve in piping hot tortillas with your favorite toppings. I like Hector's Fresh Guacamole and tapatio hot sauce. Serves 2-4 (if you're like me, it's more like 2)

Tips:

If you want to take it to the limit try grilling these up on a well-greased BBQ grill.

Heat your tortillas on a hot, dry pan or comal over medium heat.

Use whatever awesome veggies are in season at your local farmer's market. I found cool looking purple bell peppers this Sunday. They taste like mild green bell peppers.



Far left: purple bell peppers

I'm sure this meal will make you shout out con un grito! Ajua!!!!

The Veggie Whisperer

Since making the switch from store bought produce to farmer's market produce I feel a serious connection to my food. Even more so since I started a container garden in my stairwell. Needless to say I find myself aspiring to become a veggie whisperer. Sometimes the veggies just tell me what they wish to become. Apparently a lot of my veggies like transforming into tofu quiches. That or my boyfriend has been playing a lot of music with subliminal messages demanding a quiche even on the hottest of days. Whatever the case I'm hooked on a feelin'! I've been making these bad boys every which way, but this so far has been my favorite.




Tofu Quiche with Asparagus, Leeks and Eryngii Mushrooms

Crust

• 2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C vegetable shortening, chilled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 ts sea salt
• 4-8 TB very cold water with ice

Filling

• 1 1/3 packages of firm tofu, drained
• 3 TB olive oil + 1 TB for sauteeing
• 2 large garlic cloves + 1 clove, minced
• 3 heaping TB nutritional yeast
• 2 ts onion powder
• 1 ts turmeric
• 1 ts black salt
• 1/2 ts sea salt + a few fresh grinds of pepper
• 1 TB fresh oregano, chopped or 1/2 ts dried oregano
• 2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme or 1/2 ts dried thyme
• 1/2 TB fresh Italian flat parsley or 1/4 ts dried parsley
• 1/3 C Daiya vegan cheddar (or your favorite shredded vegan cheddar)
  
• 3/4 C Eryngii (King Oyster) mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 C leeks, thinly sliced
• 5-6 Asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced, tips reserved for topping

Method

Preparing the crust

In a large bowl combine flour and salt, mix thoroughly. With fingers, forks or a pastry cutter work quickly to cut vegetable shortening into the flour salt mixture. If using hands, pinch shortening into flour. Resulting mixture will have fat chunks the size of a pea. Spoon in chilled water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. Use only as much water as you need to gently form the dough into a ball. Handle the dough as little as possible to avoid creaming the lumps of fat into the flour. There should be small balls of fat throughout the dough as this encourages a flaky crust. Overworking the dough will make it tough and dense. Split the dough into two equal amounts. Pat them into balls and wrap them in plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Dough can be made a day ahead.

Rolling out the dough

Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator and place on a well floured, flat surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball and flatten gently with hands. Using a lightly dusted rolling pin, begin rolling at the center of the dough and work outwards. For easier clean up you can roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper. Working quickly, roll the dough into a circle ¼-inch thick or smaller. Be sure to make dough a few inches larger than your pie pan or dish.

Gently fold the dough in half, and then into quarters and carefully place it into a lightly oiled pie plate so the center of dough is in the center of the pan. Carefully unfold the dough and press into the pan. Trim any excess dough and feel free to pinch the edges to make a fancy edge around the crust. Cover gently with waxed paper and place in refrigerator while you prepare your filling.

Preparing the filling

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor add chunks of the tofu, two garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, onion powder, turmeric, pepper grinds, salt and black salt. Stream in the oil and process until smooth. Remove mixture from processor and pour into bowl using a spatula or scraper to get every last bit. Add in fresh herbs.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add in the asparagus. Cook for 1 minute, remove from hot water and place into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Remove from ice water, lightly pat dry and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat 1 TB of oil and saute the leeks and the minced garlic clove for about 6 minutes, add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove chilled pie crust from refrigerator. With a fork make a few holes in the bottom of the crust. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the crust and add pie weights, dry beans or dry rice to help blind bake the dough. This keeps the dough from getting soggy from the filling and prevents air bubbles from forming. Bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust is blind baking, fold in the Daiya, leeks, mushrooms and asparagus to the tofu mixture and gently mix to combine. Reserve a few asparagus tips as a decorative topping for the quiche. Pour mixture into your pre-baked pie crust, arrange asparagus in an whatever formation you like (I like stars) and bake for 45 or until crust is golden and tofu is firm. Allow 10 minutes to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

1.) Left over dough can be used for all kinds of deliciousness like pot pie casserole. Dough is also great for fruit pies. Fill with your favorite fruit or pie fillings, then brush with soymilk and sprinkle with sugar.

2.) Get adventurous. Check out your farmers market and purchase local, seasonal veggies for your quiche. My favorite combos so far: Kale, Leeks and Cheddar (see below); Spinach and Mushrooms; Spinach, Leeks and Zucchini. The possibilities are endless!





3.) Black salt can be found at most Indian spice stores or can be found online. It imparts an egg-y, sulfuric aroma that really fools the mind and ups the egginess to another level. Use it in tofu scrambles or any egg imitation you like. Use with caution -- it is salt after all.

4.) I almost always use Daiya cheddar cheese for my quiches. It makes things seem more egg-y.


Don't be surprised if you end up making this three times a month. It's a labor of love, but you will reap the rewards.