Vegan Taco Salad

In my post for Tempeh Taco Crumbles, I promised this post would be a special taco salad recipe, and it is.

Way back in the day when I was in grade 5, I was on a 5-pin bowling team.  One of my friends, who's mom was our teacher, was also in the league.  At the end of the season the league had a potluck banquet and her mom brought this dish.  My mom asked for the recipe and it has been a family favorite ever since. Wherever you are Mrs. Walsh, thank you.

Of course, I have made it vegan which means a few changes, but it is still as good as the original. This recipe makes a large batch and doesn't keep well.  If I am making it for just hubby and I, I will divide the beans, taco crumbles, black olives, etc in half and store half the fridge overnight.  I use the refrigerated half to make a new batch the next night.  The dressing will make everything soggy so you don't want leftovers after it has been mixed.

VEGAN TACO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 head Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce, coarse chopped

1 batch of Tempeh Taco Crumbles, or 2 cups vegan fiesta flavored burger crumbles of your choice

1 -14 oz can Black Olives, drained and sliced

1 cup Celery, chopped

1 - 14 oz can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

4-5 Green Onions, sliced including greens

2 C shredded vegan Cheddar (I use 1 pkg Daiya)

1 - 8 oz bottle vegan Catalina or French Dressing (I use Annie's Organic French or Woodstock)

1 pkg Corn Chips such as Fritos Original or Trader Joe's Dippers

DIRECTIONS:

**If you are making a full family sized batch use the largest mixing bowl you have.  My mom used to use her water bath canner as a large mixing bowl.  If making a half batch for two people - a large stainless steel mixing bowl works fine. Remember to half everything for the smaller batch.

1.  In the mixing bowl combine everything except for the salad dressing.  If the chips are large crush them a little in your hands.  You don't want the pieces too small though. Reserve a few chips for garnish.  Toss to mix well.

(Ready for dressing and chips)

2.  Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Again, just half the bottle if making a half batch.  

3.  Divide into serving bowls or onto plates and garnish with a few whole chips and a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper if desired.  

- Bon Appetit

"Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days." - Doug Larson
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Tempeh Taco Crumbles

To quote an English Proverb: "Necessity is the Mother of invention".  When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it.

That is how this receipt came about.  I was craving a taco salad.  Not any taco salad, but the one from my youth. The recipe for that taco salad will follow in my next post. Before you can have taco salad, you must have taco crumbles.

My intention was to make the "Walnut Tacos" recipe from Chris, Mr. Everyday Tastiness himself, but I had forgotten to soak the walnuts overnight.

Hmmmm. What to do? What to do?

Ah ha, what if I took a package of plain tempeh, grated it, and then added the spices?

Well, I'd get a different bowl of tastiness.  I followed most of his recipe, with a few small changes, and it turned out pretty darn good.  You can find his original recipe by following this LINK. Thank you Chris for the inspiration.

**  for gluten free -substitute gluten free tamari in place of the soy sauce, and make sure you are using a gluten free tempeh

TEMPEH TACO CRUMBLES

INGREDIENTS:

1 - 8 oz pkg plain Organic Tempeh (I use Trader Joes)
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp ground Coriander
1/2 tsp granulated Garlic
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Water

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Grate the tempeh into a medium sized bowl.

(Grated tempeh)

2.  In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and Italian seasoning.

(Spice mixture)

3.  Add spices to tempeh.  Stir well to combine.

(Tempeh with spices added)

4.  Drizzle soy sauce and water into tempeh mixture.  Again, stir well to combine.

(tempeh taco crumbles ready to eat)

You can heat the mixture at this point or use it as it is.  I prefer to use it as is in a taco salad.

Here is a teaser photo of the taco salad.

(Taco Salad)

- Bon Appetit

" Don't judge a taco by its price." - Hunter S. Thompson
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Grilled Eggplant/Zucchini with Italian Inspired Salsa

I apologize that I didn't even post one recipe in August. With the hot summer we experienced we seemed to eat the same things every week.

Now that the weather has cooled off I have been back to making a few different things and if I remember to take some pictures I'll post the recipes.  

While walking through the grocery store Troubadour spotted a bright eggplant and wondered what we could make of it. I thought of an old recipe I hadn't made in a while for grilled eggplant topped with a yummy Italian inspired salsa.  I don't remember where I found the original recipe years ago, but I tweaked it just a smidge and we enjoy it.

Eggplant is enjoyable but I think the salsa flavors go really well with grilled zucchini too.  Those large ones you get in your garden at the end of summer.  When using zucchini slice them a little thicker as they are softer when grilled than the eggplant.

For this recipe I used double stuffed green olives.  They were stuffed with garlic and jalapeno.  I didn't want the garlic to be overpowering in the recipe so I used granulated.  If the olives weren't stuffed I would have used fresh garlic.

GRILLED EGGPLANT/ZUCCHINI WITH ITALIAN INSPIRED SALSA

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Eggplant or Zucchini
* Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Herbs de Provence for sprinkling
1/2 cup Sweet Onion, minced
1-12 oz container of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup Celery, chopped small
6 large Green Olives, sliced
1/4 tsp Granulated Garlic (or 1 clove fresh Garlic, minced)
2-3 Tbsp sliced fresh Basil
1/4 tsp red Pepper Flakes
3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Flax Seed Oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Slice eggplant in large rounds.  If using zucchini, slice in large rounds or oblong slices depending on shape of the zucchini.  Spray each side with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, granulated garlic, and Herb de Provence.

(Eggplant ready for the grill)

 2.  Place on grill and grill each side for 5-6 minutes depending on grill temperatures.  You want them to be cooked but not too soft.

(Eggplant ready for the plates)

3.  While the eggplant or zucchini is cooking make the salsa.  In a small bowl place the chopped tomatoes, celery, onion, green olives, basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

(Salsa ingredients ready for oil and vinegar)

4.  Stir to combine.  In small prep dish whisk together the red wine vinegar and flax or olive oil.  Drizzle over the mixed veggies and stir to coat.

(Italian inspired salsa ready to serve)

5.  To serve, place a round or two of eggplant or zucchini on your plate and top with salsa and a bit of fresh ground pepper.

I have found this dish pairs well with a loaf of crusty bread or baguette.  You can even grill the bread and top it with the salsa as you would bruschetta.

- Bon Appetit

"It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts when eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
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Fatoush for Two

The first time I'd ever had Fatoush was a few years ago at a Mediterranean restaurant in Coos Bay. Since then I've had it a few times locally.  The last time wasn't very good.  The pita pieces were deep fried, there was too much oil in the dressing, and my side order of falafels were also deep fried. For someone who doesn't use very much oil, it was not good.

I thought to myself, I can make a Fatoush better than this.  And I did.  I knew the basic ingredients and from there created my own dressing.  What follows is the result.

I like to use the salad as the main part of a meal with a few falafels on the side.  If I am in a hurry or feeling lazy I use the frozen precooked falafels from Trader Joes as they are vegan. While not very  flavorful, they do in a pinch.  Homemade are always better, but I don't always have the time.  I really should make a batch of homemade and put them in the freezer for later.  

FATOUSH FOR TWO

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of Romaine Lettuce or 1.5 Hearts of Romaine, chopped
1/2 Long English Cucumber, diced
1 large Tomato, diced
2 thin slices of Red Onion, cut into small pieces
10 Mint leaves, sliced thin
2 large fluffy Pitas
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp ground Sumac
1 clove Garlic, crushed or minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
  ** optional - Falafels for serving on the side

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat broiler.  Cut pitas into bite sized pieces and toast under the broiler on each side until crisp. Set aside.  This is a good time to heat some falafels in the oven as well.

2.  To a large mixing bowl add the lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and mint.  Toss to combine.  Add the pita pieces and toss again.

(Salad ingredients tossed together - ready for dressing)

3.  In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ground sumac, and a sprinkle of salt.

4.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.  Let set for 10 minutes stirring every few minutes  to ensure the pita pieces are coated.

5.  Serve on a plate with falafels on the side

- Bon Appetit

" What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art." - Augustus Saint-Gaudens

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Vegan Black Bean Brownies

Oh such fudgy goodness contained in one little square.  I have been developing this recipe over a year or so.  It started out with one of the many I'd seen on the interweb and I've reduced the sugar by at least a third as well as done some other tweaking to make it less cake like and more fudge brownie like.  I really like the fact that they have no added oil and have a healthy dose of protein and fiber from the beans.  If you are going to eat a brownie it might as well be a healthy version.

And no, you cannot tell there are black beans in the mix.  I also try to use organic ingredients when available.

Note the pictures in this post are a little more cake-like.  These were from a batch I'd cooked a little too much.  I forgot to take pics of the last fudgier batch. I'll update the pics the next time I make them (when I remember to buy more cocoa).

VEGAN BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Unbleached White Flour
3/4 cup Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice
1 - 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (I used soy)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚ and spray a 8 or 9 inch square glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a medium-large mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and sugar.  Whisk together to combine.  Make a well in the center for the wet ingredients.

3.  In a blender or food processor combine the black beans and non dairy milk.  Process until well blended and fairly smooth.

4.  Pour the bean mixture into the dry and stir to combine.  Mix well.  Batter will be fairly thick. 

5.  Pour into glass baking dish and smooth out any high spots.

6.  Bake in 350˚ oven for 25-27 minutes.  You will be able to see the edges set.  You don't want them to dry out while the center is cooking.  If you want a fudgier denser brownie do not over bake.  

7.  Cool pan on wire rack and cut into squares.  They are more fudge like when warm but harder to cut into squares as well.  

**These would pair well with some non-dairy ice cream, although I haven't splurged and tried it.

- Bon Appetit

" Keep calm and eat a brownie." - Author Unknown
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Vegan Strawberry Upside Down Cake

It is strawberry season again.  Well, not in Oregon, but it is in California, which means we get truck loads of fresh ripe strawberries showing up in the stores.

I couldn't resist making this recipe a week or so ago.  It was always my go to upside down cake recipe and I've used it for over 20 years.  I modified it since we went vegan.  If I remember right it is originally from a Betty Crocker cookbook.

I've never been a big fan of cooked pineapple but love upside down cakes.  My favorite is to use fresh sliced peaches, but since they aren't in season and I had a few pints of strawberries in the fridge I thought I'd try them.  They worked out really well.

** Strawberries are on the dirty dozen for pesticide residue, so please only buy organic.

STRAWBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsps vegan Margarine, melted
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Water
Fresh fruit such as Strawberries or Peaches

1-1/3 cup Flour
2/3 cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2/3 cup Non-Dairy Milk
1/4 cup vegan Margarine, softened
1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water)
1 tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F (176˚C) and coat an 8 or 9 inch cake tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In the cake tin, add the brown sugar and the melted 2 tablespoon of margarine. Use a fork to stir around to combine.  Add in the 1 tbsp of water and stir again.  It should level out on the bottom of the tin.

3.  Place your fruit in a pattern over the sugar mixture and set aside.

(ready to top with the cake batter)

4.  To make the cake batter combine in the bowl of an electric mixture the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Stir to combine.  Add the softened margarine, flax egg, vanilla, and non-dairy milk and beat until well mixed about 1 minute.  Batter will be fairly thick.

5.  Pour batter over strawberries and bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Warning, if you use an 8 inch pan the sugar mixture may bubble out the sides while baking.

(Ready for the oven)

6.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.  Let cool or serve warm with vegan ice cream.

**I find that this recipe is best when served the day it is made or the next day.  It has a tendency to absorb moisture after that and can get quite dense.  It is a fairly heavy cake to begin with to stand up to the fruit topping.

- Bon Appetit

" But how will I eat cake if my head is over there and my hands are over here?" - Marie Antoinette

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