Fresh Squeezed : Limon Noir

There’s this veggie Vietnamese place near my house that makes the best “chicken” drumsticks. Leslie and I have been wanting to make our own and we finally came up with a decent version.

“Chicken” nuggets w/ sweet potato frittes

“Chicken” Nuggets

Soy chunks
Powder egg replacer
Flour for dipping
Panko breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Depending on the amount of soy chunks you have, make enough egg replacer to cover all pieces.
After coating the soy chunks in egg replacer, dip in flour and then in the breadcrumbs.
When the oil is hot, drop coated soy chunks in and fry till golden brown.
Place pieces on paper to cool and salt to taste. Seeve warm with dipping sauce of your choice.

Sweet potato frittes

2 medium sized sweet potatoes
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice sweet potatoes into long thin strips.
When oil is hot, drop small batches in and fry till golden, approx. 4-5 mintues. Remove from oil, drain on paper and let cool until ready to serve.
Right before serving, heat oil again and drop small batches in. Fry for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper.
Serve with paprika ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

sweet potato fries

Being vegan usually means missing out on some really good food…. cheese, a good piece of meat, etc. I found a recipe online for Vegan Creme Brulee and after making it, I just had to share it.

You can view the recipe at Vegan Visitor. Check it out.

Creme Brulee

Sundays are good days to cook; I can find something I’ve never made before, take a trip to one of the best grocery stores in the world and spend the afternoon working in the kitchen. Today I felt like something crispy and after skimming through one of my cookbooks, I found this wonderful recipe for fritters. I’ve adapted it for vegans. I hope you enjoy!

Zucchini and Tofu Fritters with Lemon
adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

servers 4 to 6

1/2 cup extra firm tofu, processed until smooth
3 tsp. egg replacer
4 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. minced parsley, fresh
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3 medium zucchini, scrubbed and ends trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for pan-frying
Lemon wedges

Combine egg replacer and hot water in large bowl, whisk till blended.
Add tofu mixture, parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
Shred the zucchini, through a large holes of a grater. Wrap shredded zucchini in paper towels and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Add zucchini to the tofu mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Add 1 cup of the bread crumbs, so that the mixture is no longer sticky, and combine.
Spread the remaining bread crumbs on a large plate. Heat 1/2 inch of oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Take 1/3 cup of the zucchini mixture and form into a 3 inch patty. Coat each side with bread crumbs and set aside. There should be enough mixture for 15 patties.
When oil is ready for frying, add patties, leaving enough room to flip easily. Fry on each side for 4 minutes, until the patty is a rich, golden brown.
When finished with all patties, divide among plates and serve with lemon wedges.

zucchini

I got an ice cream machine a few Christmas’ ago and I’ve attempted to make vegan versions a couple of times. Those first attempts never yielded anything worth sharing with others, but I think I’ve stumbled on to a pretty decent vegan cream base.

This base is a version of the one used by Ben and Jerry's.

1/4 tsp. Guar Gum
1/8 of a block of firm tofu
3 tsp. Egg Replacer
4 tbsp. hot water
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups soy milk

Mix the Egg replacer and hot water. Set aside.
In a blender, combine tofu and 2 cups of soy milk. Process until the tofu has been blended into milk.
In a mixing bowl, add the Egg Replacer mixture and slowly whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, until completely blended.
Pour in the tofu mixture and remaining cup of soy milk. Add Guar Gum and mix till combined.

Use as the base for your favorite ice cream flavor and follow your ice cream maker’s instructions.

icecream

I was visiting friends last weekend in LA, and Emily made this amazing vegan sandwich. (She really enjoys making vegan food for me!) I didn’t have the recipe, but I thought all week about how I would construct something. The Pesto recipe is the first step, though you could go buy pre-made pesto sauce. I’m a fan of making most sauces, dips, etc. on my own. There’s something special that comes from eating food you’ve made with your own hands. Add the rave reviews you’ll get from friends and it jumps up another notch!

Seitan, Pesto and Sundried Tomato Sandwichs

16oz. pkg of Seitan (works well if you use the Chicken flavored), chopped
8 oz. of Soy Mozarella, grated
8 Sundried tomatos from oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh Basil, coarsely chopped
1 loaf rustic bread, like Pugilese
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tbsp. Olive oil
Pesto Sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 400.
Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat.
When hot, add chopped Seitan. Season with salt and pepper.
Saute for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Slice loaf of bread in half, lengthwise. Arrange pieces cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Spread each side of loaf with desired amount pesto sauce.
Put seitan on bottom piece of bread. Add the sundried tomatos on top.
Divide chopped basil in half. Add to the top of the bread.
Divide mozarella in half. Add to the top of the bread.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melting.

Remove from oven. Put the top piece of bread onto the bottom piece. Cut into desired serving sizes and serve immediately.

Variations.

For meat eaters:
Replace Seitan with 1lb. of chicken and Soy Mozarella with 8 0z. of fresh Mozarella.
Cook chicken till cooked through. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

sundried