Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Oh my Lord, people. My life just got seriously better because I tasted this cheese sauce. It is AMAZING! And, guess what, it's two main ingredients are carrots and potatoes. Seriously!

How do carrots and potatoes come together to chemically formulate what is easily the best-tasting vegan cheese sauce I've ever stuffed into my face? Is it magic? Some kind of medieval sorcery? I don't know, but I am so grateful!

2 cups peeled, cubed, boiled, drained potatoes (about 2-2 1/2 medium potatoes)

1 cup peeled, chopped, boiled, drained carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/3 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil*

1/3 cup water or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

Unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice, to taste

• Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender** and blend. It's just that simple! Put your drained carrots and potatoes into the blender right after you drain them, while they're still piping hot, so your cheese will be piping hot too.
• As you're blending, drizzle in some milk to help thin it out a bit, if you want to. 
• Can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container (I'm not sure how long because we always eat it up pretty quickly), for a few days, perhaps? 
• *I'm working on figuring out a way to reduce the oil in this recipe. It's way too much, I know. I'll keep fiddling with it and get back to you.
• **If you don't have a high-powered blender (I sure don't), you might want to liquify in a food processor first, then transfer to a blender and drizzle in the milk while blending, to keep your little $20 blender from overheating.
• Enjoy!

"AwesomeSauce" Even Omnis Will Love

My favorite vegan restaurant, Spiral Diner Fort Worth, makes an amazing nacho dish with what seems to be the latest sensation, a vegan "cheesy" sauce made from cashews. I love these nachos super hard. They are mouthwatering and fantastic. I even eat the jalapeno slices on top, because there's the microscopic possibility that they might be ever-so-slightly impregnated with the sauce. The only problem is that, despite their fantastic food and friendly waitstaff, Spiral Diner has one slight imperfection... It's expensive! And I'm eternally broke! To be fair, they do charge a decent price considering that the bulk of their foodstuff is organic. And, if I could afford it, I would not feel ripped off eating there every single day. Hell, every single MEAL if I could! But, sadly, my trips to Spiral happen only a handful of times per year. And I am forever trying to copy their recipes so that I can make their delicious yums at home for a fraction of the price. They do teach cooking classes on occasion, but I can't afford those either. What's a poor vegan to do??

Today I was really, desperately craving those nachos. Like, I mean, I had to have 'em, man! And I know the  not-so-secret ingredient in Spiral's "cheesy" sauce is cashews. But, since when can a poor person afford raw cashews? Since almost-never, that's when. So, I farted around with a couple of cashew-free "cheesy" sauce recipes I found online and came up with my own delicious chip-dipping substance, sans the expensive cashews. And it is fabulous!

Even your omni friends will love it. They won't have any idea it's vegan - it's way too decadent to be rabbit food! They'll think it's some exotic, richly creamy awesomesauce. Hence the name, "awesomesauce." I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon mustard

• Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a slight bubble, stirring constantly, over medium heat. 
• As soon as mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so be careful not to overcook.
• Turn heat off and remove saucepan from heat source. Stir a few more times and serve. 
• Enjoy!

P.S. AwesomeSauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. To reheat, just add a tablespoon or two of water and stir gently over medium-low heat until warm.

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Hep Halloween Hummus

What makes this hummus special for Halloween, you ask? There's a rubber finger in the bottom of the bowl! Mwa-hah-hahhhhh!!!

Can you tell we are big fans of Halloween at my house? Uhhh, yeah. That's an understatement. We *lurve* Halloween super hard! It's always been my favorite holiday, and I think that's partially because it comes at the advent of my favorite season, autumn. I just love everything about autumn! The colors, the pumpkin pastries, the smells, the lowering temperatures after another ass-hot Texas summer. It's great! Behold my current fireplace mantel decorations, a shrine to all things autumn.

Make this hummus for your next Halloween party, and don't forget the rubber finger!

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, minced
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Throw everything into a food processor and whirl until smooth and creamy. 
• Enjoy!

P.S. For an even cheaper version of classic hummus, click HERE.

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Pico De Gallo with Zucchini

Well, it's time to use up the last of the summer zucchini, and I don't know about you guys but I cannot eat another bite of zucchini bread. I love the stuff, but there's only so much you can make and eat in one summer... 

Oh, who am I kidding? I can always eat another bite of zucchini bread! 

Really, I was just looking for a creative way to get my "zuke vites." That's what I call the vitamins from zucchini. This is a throwback from ten years ago when I worked at Starbucks and the button on the cash register for zucchini bread said simply, "ZUKE LOAF." So, my coworkers and I would quip, in a thick Italian accent, "You look thin! Come inta the kitchen and have some ah ya mutha's zuke loaf." It still makes me chuckle to say it. 

Anyway, try out this pico de gallo recipe. I literally never measure my ingredients when I make pico de gallo. I just start throwing stuff in and then I adjust the ingredients to taste. So, this recipe is really just a starting point. You will need to taste it a lot as you make it, and adjust as you go. If you're going to be eating it with tortilla chips (is there any other way??) then you will want to taste it with a chip as you make it. The salt from the chip is more than adequate to salt your pico, in my opinion. If you don't intend to eat it with chips, you might need a bit more salt.

8 to 12 Roma tomatoes, chopped

Half a white onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

A generous handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Lime juice, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

• Toss everything into a bowl and stir. Easy peasy.
• I recommend covering with and airtight lid and allowing it to chill in the fridge for a few hours before eating. You don't have to do this, but I find that after it sits a while and the flavors mingle together, it tastes even more fantastic.
• Enjoy!

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Awesome Vegan "See Food" Feast

Being a Southerner, I pretty much grew up on my Mee Maw's fried catfish. And I have a particular fondness for the flavor of seafood because I met my husband in the seaside town where I attended college, and we were always surrounded by the stuff. It smelled great, tasted better. Since becoming vegan, I've never found anything quite akin to great seafood or my granny's fried catfish... until now!!

Here's what you see on the plate:

• Pan-Fried Tofu Wedges with Easiest-Ever Tartar Sauce.
• Cauliflower Hummus and Tortilla Chips
• Asian-Inspired Veggie Slaw
• and some olives too

And here are the recipes:

PAN-FRIED TOFU WEDGES
1 pound extra-firm tofu, lightly pressed and sliced into 16 equal wedges
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne
1 cup canola or vegetable oil

• In a small pan or wide, shallow bowl, whisk together soy milk, arrowroot, and lime juice until no lumps remain. The lime juice may curdle the milk slightly, but that's okay. I usually don't marinate the tofu, but I suppose you could marinate it up to an hour before cooking. 
• Mix all dry ingredients together in another small pan or wide, shallow bowl. 
• Heat oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.
• Gently dredge your tofu slices, one at a time, through the milk mixture and then through the cornmeal mixture, making sure each piece is completely and evenly coated. 
• Place gently into the frying pan. Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, turning with both a small spatula and a pair of coated tongs. Only cook a few at a time. I like to place them onto a rack in my lightly heated toaster oven after they're done frying, so I can keep them nice and warm while I finish cooking them all. It also allows some of the oil to drip off. 

EASIEST-EVER TARTAR SAUCE
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Throw it all in a bowl and stir it up. Easiest ever.

CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
1/2 head's worth cauliflower florets, gently boiled until softened
3 cloves garlic
2 cups garbanzo beans
1/4 cup garbanzo bean cooking liquid, or more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/8 cup lemon juice
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dash of cayenne

• Chuck everything into a food processor and blend until creamy.

ASIAN-INSPIRED VEGGIE SLAW
I saved the best for last! I have been fiddling with this slaw (or "salad," depending on your mood) for a while now. And I think I have finally perfected it! Give it a try.
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 medium yellow squash, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1/2 head green cabbage, diced

• Throw everything into a bowl and coat liberally with the following dressing. Add the dressing a little bit at a time, to taste. You probably won't use it all, but it keeps great in the fridge!

ASIAN GINGER DRESSING
2 teaspoons minced ginger root (I used the little frozen cubes)
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
A few shakes of sesame oil
2 tablespoons lime juice

• Put all ingredients into a bottle, or something that you can vigorously shake, and shake it until it's well-mixed. I actually prepare and store this dressing in an old soy sauce bottle. It keeps very well in the fridge for several days. Just be sure to shake it up again before using it.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

HAPPY WORLD VEGAN DAY!

I was down to my last sweet little red bell pepper this morning, and I wanted to do something special with it, so I roasted it up and put it into my basic hummus recipe. It turned out really nice! If you have two red peppers, it would be even better, but alas I had only one. Sigh...

Here's the hummus recipe. I ate it with some thin wheat crackers. Nom nom nom. Think I'll dip some carrots in this stuff later on...

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 cans garbanzo beans, liquid reserved
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons tahini (or several shakes of sesame oil)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of two lemons
1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (or any combo of your favorite spices)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of chili powder
Dash of cayenne

• First, you've gotta roast that pepper. If you have a gas range, I highly recommend roasting them directly over the open flame, using metal tongs to gently turn as needed. I place my peppers right on the stovetop, over a medium-high flame, and let them roast until the skin is almost completely blackened. If you don't have a gas range, you can roast them under the broiler. Take them out when the skin is black. When they're nicely roasted (soft if you poke at 'em), place them in a bowl and cover for about 15 minutes. Then gently peel the blackened skin off, cut them in half and remove the stem and seeds.
• Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree until creamy. I generally add about a quarter cup of the reserved bean liquid to my mixture, or more if I want it creamier.
• Dunk with some crackers or carrot sticks, or slap into a pita with roasted veggies, or make a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, veggie bacon and hummus. The possibilities are limitless. Enjoy!
• Makes 8 half-cup servings.

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CREAMY LENTIL HUMMUS

I am always searching for ways to cram more fiber into my diet. Any place I can stick in some lentils or some good cruciferous veggies... well, it's a good place. Today I was craving hummus and I just happened to notice that I had a half a cup of uncooked lentils sitting in my pantry. So a light bulb went on! Why not cook those high-fiber bad boys up and add them to the hummus? I wasn't sure how it would taste, as lentils can sometimes dampen the flavor of a dish. But my hunch was a good one. It tastes yummy! Try it for yourself...

1/2 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup water
1 15.5oz can garbanzo beans (do not drain)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice (or less, to taste - I like it tangy)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tsp salt (or less, to taste)
A few shakes of sesame oil, to taste (I did 5 or 6)
Dash cayenne pepper
Garnish with freshly ground black pepper (optional)

• Bring the lentils and water to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat until lentils are soft and water is gone. Allow to cool.
• In a blender, combine all ingredients (except black pepper) and blend on high until nice and creamy, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides. It can take up to three full minutes to reach the creamiest consistency. Just keep stopping and scraping and tasting until you get it where you want it.
• Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top before serving. This is optional, of course, but it looks nice and gives that top layer a little extra "bite."
• Tastes great with carrot sticks or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen 

Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean

Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Sides & Snacks

 P.S. If you haven't done it already, don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $40 gift card to CSN Stores online!

Zucchini Quesadillas with Corn andBlack Bean Salsa

This is our go-to meal when we're in a hurry. It's especially quick and easy if, like me, you keep veritable troffs of hummus and salsa on hand in the fridge. We are a family who likes to snack, and I don't want anyone running to get junk food because there isn't something that doesn't require loads of preparation in the kitchen. Yesterday my husband called and said, "I'm on my way home for lunch!" He works less than 5 miles from the house, so I didn't have much time. And the picture you see above is what I made. Super easy and cheap! Here's how to do it...

First, you need to visit my Cheap-O Hummus recipe. Make it and stick it in the fridge. And trust me on this - just keep it on hand all the time. It's so inexpensive, healthy and tasty, it's the perfect grabby snack. And it can be used in a lot of quick recipes. So, when you start to run low, just go ahead and make more. Seriously.

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

(a.k.a. World's Easiest Salsa Recipe)

This salsa was literally born yesterday from the ashes of my dwindling weekend pantry. By the time Sunday rolled around, you could practically see cobwebs forming in my kitchen cupboards. But it's okay because I discovered a simple new salsa and it was really, really tasty! I'll definitely be making this one again.

Necessity is the mother of invention, right?

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 white onion, chunky dice (save the other half for Tasty Tofu Scramble)

3-5 roma tomatoes, chunky dice

2-4 garlic cloves, to taste, minced

1/2 T paprika

1/4 C lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything* in a bowl and mix it together.

*December 8th, 2009: I made the salsa again today, but I added a handful of fresh chopped cilantro, and it was amazing! I highly recommend.

 

ZUCCHINI-HUMMUS QUESADILLAS

As many corn tortillas as you care to eat.

As much hummus as you care to spread on 'em.

Store-bought salsa (I used the Target brand)

1 zucchini, diced (these are pricy, so I only used half)

Several stalks of green onion, diced

• Warm a skillet over medium heat.
• Spread hummus, salsa, zucchini and onion onto corn tortilla.
• Cover with another corn tortilla and place on skillet.
• Allow a little time for zucchini to soften (it doesn't take as long as you might think), flip after a minute or so. I usually take the quesadilla off the heat when both sides have a few yummy golden brown spots on them.
  
• Cut into quarters and serve.

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Veggie Rainbow Salsa

I was looking for a "snacky-type" recipe that makes a TON of food, doesn't cost a lot and is super healthy. When a friend of mine brought Black Bean Confetti Salsa to a Labor Day Potluck party, I loved it and knew this might be the one. I made a few adjustments based on what I actually had in my pantry (and the fact that I love to put garlic, lime juice and tomatoes into everything). I also left out the oil to save on a bit of fat. So, here's my version...

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
4 bell peppers, a mix of colors, diced (green are the cheapest)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Super easy to prepare. Throw it all in a very large bowl and stir it around. Then get out some tortilla chips, or veggie slices, and start dippin'. 
• Makes 12 servings.
• Enjoy! 

Cheap-O Hummus

Let's start this blog with a basic staple of every healthy kitchen. Hummus! It's full of fiber and nutrients, and it's just so dang good I eat it almost every day. This is my own, very basic recipe. I know that tahini paste can be expensive, so if you can't swing the price, or just can't find it, you can substitute a few shakes of sesame oil instead.

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (reserve juice from one can)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free, if preferred)

2 tablespoons tahini paste (or a few shakes of sesame oil)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

• Place all ingredients into a blender (for smoother hummus) or a food processor (for chunkier hummus). 
• Add reserved bean juice a couple of tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. I use almost the entire can of juice in my hummus.  I like it really creamy!
• When you get ready to serve, sprinkle with a dash of paprika, and spritz a little lime juice on top. Green onions on top are nice too!
• We like dipping carrot sticks (cheapest organic veggie on the market right now) and baked tortilla chips into it. I also like to spread some on a whole wheat tortilla with a bit of salsa and green onion, and grill it up like a quesadilla.
• Makes about 8 servings.
• Enjoy!