Explore the wonder of meat & dairy free eating in Chicago, and benefit from my discoveries and attempts at Vegan cooking.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Vegan Quiche


This has been modified from the Whole Foods recipe. This is a great, satisfying recipe and pretty damn good for you.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces chopped mushrooms
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves, packed
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14-ounce) package firm or extra firm tofu, pressed to remove as much liquid as possible
1/3 to 1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used Chili powder and it turned out great)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Tamari and/or cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pre-packaged vegan whole wheat pie crust
4 thin slices orange or red bell pepper
5+ pieces Lite life Tempeh bacon

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and mushrooms along with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until mushrooms have released most of their liquid. Add spinach and garlic and cook 3 minutes longer. Set aside.

Fry the tempeh bacon in a separate pan until brown and crispy. When these are done cooking, pat down with paper towel and chop up.

Mash tofu (I chopped it) and place it in the bowl of a food processor along with soy or almond milk and tahini. Puree until smooth. Add salt, pepper, curry powder, onion powder and garlic powder, and add tamari to taste. Add tofu mixture to sautéed vegetables, stirring to combine well. Add bacon to mixture and stir again. Adjust seasonings to taste and spoon into pie shell. Arrange bell pepper slices decoratively on top and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until pastry and the top of the pie are golden brown. Let quiche cool several minutes before slicing.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Easy Vegan Chocolate Pie

Ingredients
9 inch graham cracker crust
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1 pound silken tofu
1/2 cup vegan margarine
Blender

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend the ingredients together until smooth and pour into the pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes or until the majority of the sides are solid(middle will still be wiggly. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving (I prefer over night).

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Balsamic Apple Slaw

This apple slaw is so delicious you will want to eat it as a meal.

1 bag cole slaw mix
1 cup vegenaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 apple, diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-3 packets of splenda or equal to taste.
*You can also use 1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
Cashews (optional)

Mix it all together and enjoy.