The newest entry into the Great Gluten-Free Vegan Burger Experiment is an attempt to make the BBQ Black Bean Burger from Joni Marie Newman’s cookbook, The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.

I say “attempt” because some things didn’t quite go right, but that’s the whole point in experimentation!

The recipe is gluten-free to begin with, calling for 1/2 cup of soy flour. I assumed we had soy flour and so progressed along with soaking the TVP and adding it with the black beans to a bowl. This would be when I remembered the soy flour.

Quinoa flour, fava flour, besan (chickpea flour), 3 kinds of gluten-free flour mixes, millet flour, almond flour… and…. soy milk powder.

At this point I decided my track record with using gluten-free instant oats had been pretty good and subbed them in for 1/2 cup soy flour I did not have.

Although I decided to start with 2/3 of the BBQ Sauce called for in the recipe, it still seemed very wet. 1/4 of potato flakes was added and I didn’t add in the final 1/3 of the BBQ Sauce called for.

Since I’d gone with oats + potatoes, I wasn’t sure if the fridge might inhibit the water those would soak up, so I let it sit at room temperature in the microwave (a.k.a., “cat safe”).

I’ll admit that I wanted to try baking in the drop-biscuit cast iron since it has been working so well to make very nicely shaped, cooked burgers. That perhaps isn’t a big deal, but I did try to get tricky and cook them at the same time as the french fries. So shorter time, higher temp.

At the halfway point I realized I couldn’t really flip them easily. Nor at the end point. Since the fries too seemed a little off, I switched the oven onto the convection setting and stuck everything back in for 5 minutes. Fries out, burgers another 10 minutes at 325F convection setting. They set up some in the pan, but we finally ate them. Still a little mushy, but way tasty.

The burgers sat in the cast iron for a bit, until they cooled and I put all the leftovers away. By that time they were very nicely set. This morning I had one along with a hashbrown patty from TJ’s, slices of the volunteer tomato that showed up in my zinnias, and a little avocado.

This experiment will be attempted again, this time using soy flour and really watching the liquid added to the TVP. I did sauté the onions, since they were very strong, which may have made for more moisture too. I do really like using the oats, but will see how the soy flour and refrigeration works before changing anything.

Something just seemed too wet with this version using oats, even through they ended up as well shaped burgers that reheated nicely and hold together well. I will add one to the freezer collection as well to see how it does with thawing. It may be these are a “make ahead” burger (the variation with oats), so they bake, set, and are lightly cooked again to heat through.

I love to grill. Becoming vegan actually made me love grilling things even more. I’ve grilled all kinds of veggies, fruit, pizza, and even have made tea & wood smoked noodles with Kefir lime leaves. Yes, noodles, on a grill.

What is shocking is that for the past several years I’ve been doing all this grilling on a piece of equipment never intended for the kind of heavy use I gave it. Don’t get me wrong, the Coleman Road Trip Grill LX is an awesome grill. Perfect for taking car-camping, tail-gating, and for picnics at the park. The last time I cleaned it a bit rusted right off, so it has kind of been time to move on.

An unexpected windfall last month made up my mind to upgrade the grill just as summer really gets going in Portland. Given the amount of the windfall I couldn’t go crazy and get The Grill (something in the Weber line), but I could get a good, sturdy, serious upgrade that would let me grill All The Food at once, rather in waves as I’d been doing on the Coleman.

I choose a Char-Broil Classic 4-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner, which is a huge improvement, as you can see.

On Monday a good friend met up with me, we went and picked up the “kit” and a blessedly short while later we were grilling up goodness!

I’m inspired to invite more people over for summer entertaining and I’m already working on a new recipe for Zaatar Grilled Tofu Cutlets with Grilled Lemon!

The grill also has a side burner, which makes it even more flexible on those rare, hot summer days. Plus in the event of a major event with the Cascadia subduction zone, we’ve got a good-sized tank of propane and a way to cook! In the meantime, potstickers on a very hot day, no heating up the kitchen.

This post also could be titled, “What I ate for my birthday picnic”, but there’s also a recipe for a dry rub that I’ve been tweaking with and using all summer on an abundance of summer squash, tofu and tempeh.

The idea started in a cookbook for The Grit restaurant that our lovely friend, Michael, sent to us as a surprise gift. The recipe involved taking cubed tofu and sauteing, adding more stuff, sauteing, more stuff, etc. Since I have my moments of being a lazy cook…. Alright, I’m mostly a lazy cook despite what my forays into Japanese and Indian cuisine might lead you to believe, so I started doing a kind of dry rub with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper.

Then Dave posted a link for a short article about what to do with all that summer squash you might have laying around. This year we planted too many and they’ve done so well that I’ve been seen at a local pub begging strangers to take a zucchini (seriously). What caught my eye was a little recipe that very similar what I’d been doing with tofu for a while, only baked and with the addition of polenta. Dave noted it was a bit too gritty and crunchy, but the corn flavor was really great, so I played around a bit more and now have a recipe to share!

The Stuff

• 1/2 c fine corn meal
• 1/4 c fine flake nutritional yeast
• 1 t poultry seasoning*
• 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

*While visiting New Orleans I made use of the Jack Miller’s Cajun All-Purpose Seasoning and have used it instead of the poultry seasoning for a spicy, lip-smackin’ good version of this rub. When I do that, I usually reduce or just skip the sea salt since the seasoning mix has salt in it.

The Making

A Pile of BBQ Goodness!

Mix it all together in a bowl. Store in a small, air-tight jar. Keeps for a few weeks, longer in the fridge. You can use it as you need it, a whole recipe will coat a large block of super-firm tofu (20 oz.) AND a few zucchini, cut up, as well.

To use, put some in shallow dish or on a plate. Dredge tofu, veggies, tempeh, etc. in the mixture, coating well. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to really get stuck on and soaked in some (honestly, you can skip this step and you’ll still have tasty food).

Get a BBQ or cast iron grill pan on medium-high heat (*if using cast iron, bring pan up to heat, then reduce to medium-low to keep the pan and perfect searing heat). Spray a nice coating of high-heat Canola oil.

Throw your dredged stuff on the BBQ or cast iron grill pan for about 5 minutes each side. Spray the dry side before flipping.

Pack it up, take it on a picnic!

Fresh Peach Galettes for Dessert

The past few years I’ve really loved these fresh fruit galettes from Sweetpea Baking Company. The peaches have been especially delicious this year, so these galettes were extra wonderful. Not that I don’t love a good slice of cake, but there’s something about these simple, hand-formed tarts that really make me think of my birthday and summer.

Happy Hearts (Dora and Sherri, August 26, 2012, Tryon Creek State Park)

Last summer I finally got the hang of fresh fava beans and we were hooked. This year we haven’t had any yet, but last weekend I picked up a few pounds at the Gresham Farmers Market.

Summer Rolls - Shiso & Favas

The combination of shiso in our garden and fresh favas inspired me to answer Christie’s desire for sushi.

The favas are pretty slippery, which made putting the roll together a little tricky.  I was also rushing a bit with the rice, which meant it was a little thick. Next time I try these out I’ll do a much thinner layer of rice and perhaps a really thin maki roll.

These make me want to get some purple shiso growing. I think the contrast to the bright green favas would be striking.

Although there’s a bit of labor involved in the whole “peel, boil, blanch, peel” process, fresh favas are amazing. I made sure to set aside a few for each of us to enjoy.

Beautiful Favas!

I also made us a very quick salad with purple cabbage, aged brown rice vinegar, and shiso flowers.

And the feast was rounded out by grilled tofu, two ways, and grilled kale.

Grilled Goodness

Yes, you read that right, I grill our kale. It becomes a little crispy, little smoky, a little wilted, and entirely delicious! I’ve also found that a drizzle of tamari and wasabi over the grilled kale is fabulous indeed

Tofu 1 (on the right): “Mushroom Ultimate” seasoning. We bought this seasoning last time we drove down to California. We make a regular stop in Corning to visit the Olive Pit. I used the seasoning like a dry rub for the tofu, then grilled. Really delicious!

Tofu 2 (on the left): “The Old Favorite” being a mix of nutritional yeast, freshly ground black pepper, and granulated garlic. This is such a favorite mix I’m going to start keeping a blend of it in our spice cabinet.

There’s quite a few things that I never even consider posting a recipe for. It is easy to forget that things I consider “obvious” about cooking are mysterious to someone who is new to cooking.

Case in point: Grilled Tofu

I love grilled tofu and it is one of the go-to methods I use for cooking tofu. It is such a staple dish for me that I don’t even think of it terms of “recipe”. In the wet, cold months in Portland (which is to say, much of the year), I use my trusty Lodge cast-iron grill pan, but in summer months you’ll find me out on the deck seeing just how many different veggies I can grill alongside slices of tofu.

I prefer to use the extra firm, preferably vacuum packed, type of tofu for grilling or baking. These look like bricks of tofu in plastic with very little water; found in the refrigerator section along-side water packed tofu. The texture is extra-dense, has been pressed already, and gets very chewy after a good grilling. These pieces make for a great sandwich since they don’t fall apart easily. The extra or super-firm varieties packed in water work well too. The aseptic packed, silken-style tofu does not work with this method, save it for making custards.

The Stuff

• 6-8oz extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/4″ slices
• spray canola oil, suitable for high heat
• 1/4 c Sauce for glazing, option (Vegetarian Hoisin, BBQ sauce, Miso Glaze, Sweet Chili Sauce, etc.
• and/or Some spices for a dry crust, optional (garlic pepper, lemon pepper, Szechwan Seasoning, Garam Masala, etc.)
  and…. if you’re making dinner…
• A whole pile of your favorite, seasonal veggies all sliced up for grilling or stir-frying

The Making

If you’re cooking indoors on the grill pan you’ll want to let it heat up for a few minutes before turning the heat down to medium-low. If using a BBQ grill, get it heated up so the grill itself is hot. I use a gas BBQ, so this only takes a few minutes. If you’re using a charcoal grill, you’ll want to let the coals settle down to a nice glow (although I’m sure there’s any number of websites with suggestions on the right method for grilling veggies and/or tofu over charcoal).

Lightly spray the grill surface with canola oil. Spread out the sliced tofu evenly across the grill surface. If you’re using your BBQ you’ll be able to multitask here and get some veggies going.

Let the tofu get a nice sear on the grill surface, cooking for 5-7 minutes. The top layer will start to look a little dry and the edges may be starting to brown or even char slightly (if on the BBQ). Spray tops lightly with oil before flipping over to cook on the other side. If you are applying a dry crust of spices sprinkle them over the tofu after spraying tofu with oil, spray with a little more oil, then flip.

While the second side grills for 5-7 minutes, use a high-heat basting brush to apply a light coat of glaze over the tofu. If you are using a dry crust of spices you will spritz the grilled tofu with oil again and sprinkle spices evenly over the top.

After the tofu has grilled on the second side, turn your heat down to low or lower the flame of your gas BBQ. If you’re using charcoal, you will just need to watch carefully. You will flip over the glazed sizes again so the glaze caramelizes on the surface or the dry crust of spices browns.

Grill the glazed side down for only a couple of minutes (2-3 max) while you apply glaze or spice crust to the second, now-dry size. Flip one more time so the glaze or spice crust is grilled on both sides before removing from the grill and served with a pile of your favorite veggies.

If you make up a pile of grilled tofu it will keep in the fridge for several days. These slices make for a great sandwich.

The recipe above shows me using an Asian BBQ sauce I’ve been testing for The Blissful Chef (a.k.a. Christy Morgan) for a book she’s working on of SE Asian recipes. In the test recipe the sauce was paired with tempeh “meat”balls. We had plenty of sauce leftover after testing the recipe and it kept very well in the fridge. It was an awesome glaze for the grilled tofu, carrot (yes, grilled carrot… tasty) and a pile of grilled daikon (oh yes, delicious) I made the next day.

When you think “cuisines that are super-easy to veganize,” you think “Korean!” Right? Right?!

OK, so the meat-heavy Korean barbecue is not the most natural fit for vegans, what with the sauces and side dishes that always manage to sneak in powdered shrimp (who the heck needs to powder a shrimp?). But that doesn’t stop your intrepid PDX Vegan Cooking Club. We threw down a fast bulgogi-type, pan-Tsushima Basin* dinner tonight, and everyone was happy — even an omnivorous guest.

* It’s the blue part of the map between South Korea and Japan.

The first few times we tried bulgogi, we used steak-style Meal Starters. It worked well, but the omni (who’s addicted to “real” bulgogi — which, apparently, is made from pig muscles) didn’t think the beef flavor was right. We also tried Tofurky Oven Roasted Deli Slices. That approach was delicious, and the texture was pleasingly al dente. The omnivore, however, is not Tofurky compatible. If we didn’t love her, we probably would have stopped with the steak-style Meal Starters, or the Trader Joe’s analogue. But, because we’re a good guy or something, we went back to the ol’ drawing board to try to find a recipe that would convince her that she didn’t have to go to meat-cooking places to find Korean goodness.

Tonight, we won. Yeah, score one for the vegans!

The breakthrough was using chicken-style Meal Starters. (We’d have preferred the TJ’s version, but we had a freezer full of the Meal Starters.) After all, pig flesh is supposed to be “the other white meat,” according to the television in the 80s. Why not try a fake white meat?

So we took this recipe for Spicy Pork Bulgogi from Recipezaar. Substitutions: 2 8-oz. bags of chicken-style Meal Starters for the meat; 1 Tablespoon of red pepper flakes instead of two. We also added about 2 cups of sliced white mushrooms from Trader Joe’s, 1 chopped red bell pepper, a dozen or so thin slices of lotus root, and one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.

Marinated the whole mess for an hour or two (though overnight would have been better); cooked it; served it. Had tremors of taste bud happiness throughout the meal.

If you’ve been to a Korean Barbecue restaurant, you know that they serve a million side dishes with the main dish. Bean sprouts, kimchi, veggie salads, pickled things, peppers, unidentifiable black things, marshmallows, flip-flops, calculator keys marinated in Wite-out… um… what were we typing about? Oh, yeah… side dishes. Here’s where we decided to go Japanese, with a little Korean thrown in for authenticity.

The Korean is kimchi, for sure. You don’t do bulgogi without kimchi. So when we started this odyssey, we went to the Pado World Korean market in Beaverton and looked through the dozens of kimchi brands to find one without shrimp, fish, squid, or centipede toes. That’s also where we picked up the delightfully tangy and hot Kochi-jang (spelled 470 ways on Google — good luck).

Today, it was off to Uwajimaya for side dishes. We decided on seaweed salad, bean sprout salad, fresh bean sprouts, and pickled radish salad (hari hari zuki). Paid about $7 total for enough salads to last three people for two or three meals, and enough bean sprouts to last 94 meals (or, truthfully, about one more meal before the remainder goes slimy).

The hit of the side dishes was the pickled radish salad. A forkful of bulgogi with a crisp, pickled radish on the end made for a perfectly sweet, tart, savory, spicy bite. The Japanese seaweed salad combined interestingly with the bulgogi as well, with the complementary elements meeting at the toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. The bean sprout salad was fine on its own, and it was all right combined with the bulgogi.

Served with TJ’s frozen-for-the-lazy-person brown rice and spicy veggie potstickers whose package threatened, “You can be served with delicious roasted dumplings.”

A good meal was had by all, and no people (or pigs) were served with delicious roasted dumplings.