A while back, when we first got our copy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet the first recipe we tried was for the Denver Omelet Burger. While we really the idea, the resulting texture was described as pasty and it felt like the peppers and onions overwhelmed the vegan bac’n bits. I’ve always wanted to return to this and try changing a couple of things to create something very inspired by Joni Marie’s original recipe, but with a bit more texture and less oil. The Great Vegan Gluten-Free Burger Experiment is the perfect time to revisit the recipe!

I actually removed all the oil called for in the recipe save some spray oil for sautéing the pepper, onion, and garlic as well as some for the cast-iron drop biscuit pan. Once again this pan is the perfect thing for baking vegan burgers!

Other changes: I used a single, large orange bell pepper and only half a medium onion, both diced quite small. I used a couple of cloves of chopped garlic too. This I sautéed in a cast iron skillet until the onions started to caramelize.

I pressed the heck out of the tofu, thinking this was part of the texture problem the first time we tried. Next, rather than blend the tofu with oil and spiced, I just crumbled it up fine in a bowl, added all the spices in with the tofu and mixed it up by hand.

To bind this all I stuck with the chickpea flour (besan), but reduced to 1/2 cup and added 1/2 cup of gluten-free, instant oats as well. I also decided to throw 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast in there for stickiness and saltiness. I left out the salt the original recipe called for, but I think it should stay in with the next try with this revamped recipe.

One little change I make with all recipes calling for liquid smoke; I use smoked paprika instead. Since the original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, I just increased to 1/2 teaspoon of sweet, smoked paprika.

The results, all squished together by hand, were promising and held together well, especially after letting the mixture stand for five minutes to let the oats hydrate.

The drop-biscuit pan came out of the oven, heated to 350. I made 6 good-sized breakfast burgers and put them into the oiled cups.

These baked for 10 minutes. I turned them and then baked for 10 additional minutes. They came out nicely browned. Next attempt I’ll use red bell pepper for a more striking look. The oat/besan mixture gets a nice color and these held together beautifully in a nice patty.

I served them alongside hashbrown squares from Trader Joe’s, a pile of steamed broccoli, and a little avocado on top.

There’s a couple of small changes I’m going to make, and I want to see how these pass the “freeze test”, but these may become a great breakfast to-go, particularly for long travel days.

Last year I came up with a quiche recipe that highlights the delicious winter veggies we’re still enjoying in early spring. However, spring 2014 Portland  has been unseasonably, but gloriously, sunny and warm. With the appearance of fresh asparagus in the market I was inspired to make this colorful spring quiche for the So Delicious Spring  Fling Dairy-Free Recipe Contest.

This recipe makes two whole quiches in pre-made pie shells which makes it a star recipe for a brunch gathering. I use pre-made pie shells to speed up the preparation of this beautiful dish. I recommend Wholly Wholesome for pre-made pie shells. They have organic vegan, white & whole wheat pie shells as well as a gluten-free shells! I’ve used the wheat crusts, both white and whole wheat, and they’ve come out wonderfully every time.

The Stuff:

• 1 small, red, sweet bell pepper, 1/4″ dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, 1/4″ dice
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 pound asparagus, sliced in thin rounds (reserve 12 of the tips, cut at 2″ for garnish)
• 12 grape tomatoes, sliced in thin rounds
• 12 grape tomatoes sliced lengthwise, set aside for garnish
• 2 T fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 T chopped parsley
• 1 t dry oregano
• 1t dry marjoram
• 12 oz firm, water-packed tofu
• 1 package firm, silken tofu
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Almond Plus 5X almond milk
• 1 T champagne vinegar
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• 1/2 t black salt* (optional)
• fresh pepper & sea salt
• 2 pre-made pie shells

*Black Salt, or Kala Namak is usually found at a Desi market or a good pan-Asian market that features ingredients popular in Indian and other South Asian cuisines. It is mostly sodium chloride, but it also contains sulfur in addition to the other minerals. It is pink or light purple in color and imparts a more subtle flavor cooked. It can be skipped, just add 1/4 t of sea salt, but it worth the effort to seek it out. If you don’t have any suitable markets in your area, Kala Namak Salt can be purchased online.

The Making

Bake the pie shells according to the directions and set aside.

Bring a saute pan to medium-high heat and lightly coat with spray oil. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, add garlic and continue to saute until very fragrant, about 3 more minutes. Add zucchini, asparagus, and bell pepper, sauteing for 7 minutes before adding dried herbs, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Saute for another 7 minutes and remove from heat.

Squeeze out water from water-packed tofu. No need to press for a long time, just squeeze out a little of the excess water with your hands. Crumble into large mixing bowl and add sauteed veggies, fresh herbs, and sliced tomatoes.

Put silken tofu, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, almond milk, vinegar, turmeric, dry mustard, and black salt into the container for a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides to be certain all dry ingredients are incorporated well with wet. Add contents of the container to the mixing bowl with the tofu and sauteed veggies.

Mix together all ingredients until evenly combined. Pour mixture into pre-cooked pie crust. Garnish each quiche with the reserved asparagus tips and sliced grape tomatoes.

Place filled pie crusts onto a baking tray. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 400 F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the comes out clean.

Let quiche stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 servings (six generous slices per pie crust)

Nutritional Info (with crust)

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 238
Total Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 242 mg (10%)
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 12 g

*Want a lower-calorie & gluten-free version?

You can also ditch the gluten and the calories in the crust by distributing the quiche into two dozen silicone baking cups that have been lightly sprayed with oil first.

Bake 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees, until a toothpick inserted into the comes out clean. This makes a whole pile (e.g., 24) of gluten-free mini quiches to enjoy!

These pack well for lunch or picnics, just don’t remove the silicone baking cup and stack into a container. They retain their shape well and are quite tasty chilled or at room temperature.

Nutritional Info (without crust)

Serving Size: 2 mini-quiches
Calories: 91
Total Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 109 mg (5%)
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 10 g

I’m so excited that Vegan Nosh has been selected to participate in the So Delicious® Dairy Free “SO Much to Love” recipe contest happening on Facebook! For the next 4 weeks there will be 64 fantastic new recipes posted, with three brand-new recipes coming from Vegan Nosh!

Each week there will great prizes for fans who vote during the “SO Much to Love” contest. Fans are eligible to vote once each day and once they cast their vote will be entered to win a prize a day and one grand prize per week. The authors of favorite recipes will receive the truly fabulous prize of a cooking equipment shopping spree!

This week I’m kicking off the deliciousness with a hearty, hot breakfast. You can vote for my wonderful Spiced Oats & Figs as a new favorite breakfast recipe on So Delicious’ Facebook page during the week of May 7, 2012! Voting for the first week ends on Sunday, May 13th at 11:59 PM (pacific time).

On weekends I have a little more time to make breakfast, so it is often something special. This delicious variation on an old favorite of ours, steel-cut oatmeal, makes use of dried figs and the wonderful Vanilla Almond Plus milk from So Delicious and makes for a mildly sweet, healthy breakfast to start your day.

If you happen to have a “fuzzy logic” rice cooker with a porridge setting this recipe becomes even easier since you can just toss all the ingredients in and wait for your breakfast to be done. Our rice cooker also boasts a timer which lets me put in all the ingredients the night before and we awake to the tantalizing smell of a breakfast already completed.

The Stuff

• 3/4 cup steel-cut oatmeal, dry
• 3/4 cup So Delicious Vanilla Almond Plus Milk
• 1 1/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon water
• 5 dried figs
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

The Making

Slice of any stems or dry ends off the figs. Slice in half, then cut halves into thin ribbons.

Rice Cooker Method: Place all ingredients into rice cooker bowl and cook on “Porridge” setting. After the cooker has completed, open and stir together everything with a rice paddle.

OR

Stove-top Method: Add the water and almond milk to a large, heavy saucepan (1 1/2 quart) and bring to a boil. Add the oats in while stirring, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Mix in the dried figs and spices, cover, and continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Garnish with chopped raw walnuts or almonds and a drizzle of almond milk.

Makes 2-3 servings

Nutritional Info (1/3 of recipe)

Calories: 222
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 29 mg
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 9 g

I used to by the Lightlife tempeh bacon pretty frequently, but it was one of those foods that I knew I should just learn to make at home to save money. Finally last year, right before the first annual “Fakin’ Fest”, I knew I had to figure out my own recipe!

Here’s the first tempeh bacon recipe I’ve come up with and been happy with. I’ve made the braising step a separate one for the oven so it is easier to make all of the tempeh at once. If you want to do a half batch and just braise in the pan, that works really well (ditto for using two skillets at once). The “braise in pan” method works extra well with cast iron skillets; just turn the heat off when done frying each side and pour over liquid.

The Stuff

• 8 oz package of tempeh
• 2 Tablespoons tamari
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (add more if you want sweeter, use less if you want not-so-sweet)
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The Making

Preheat oven to 350F.

Carefully slice tempeh into long strips, 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick.

Thin slices = yummy

Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup; something easy to pour from.

Spray a pan heated to medium heat with canola oil and arrange tempeh strips with one side down. You may need to use two saute pans or do this step twice to get all the tempeh strips browned. Tempeh should be browned and slightly dry.

Arrange tempeh strips into a 9×12 baking dish. Drizzle strips with marinade. Pick up baking dish and carefully tip toward each side so that the bottom of the strips are well coated. Carefully flip each strip over and repeat the tipping process with the dish to evenly and thinly distribute the marinade over all the strips.

Ready for the Oven

Bake tempeh strips in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. All of the marinade should be absorbed.

Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are!

I Love Sunday Breakfasts!

In the works for “Tempeh Bacon 2” is a method that involves a marinade soak for the sliced tempeh followed by time under the broiler. We’re curious to see if this will yield a crunchier tempeh.

I’m not an egg person. Even when I was just a vegetarian, I ate eggs maybe twice a year, and then it was EggBeaters, cooked extra hard, usually to placate someone in the car who had to go to Elmer’s or IHOP for breakfast because their coffee has extra crack or something. I never quite understood the pancake house fetish.

But I’m becoming a tofu person. I’m already amazed that extra-firm tofu can become delicious pudding with just a little cocoa, almond extract, and agave. I’ve enjoyed several Hawaiian meals with fried sweet onions, cabbage, sauce, and tofu. I’ve been repulsed by the flan-from-Hell-like ickiness of Ma Po Tofu in MSG sauce.

So I decided to try tofu for breakfast. My tofu-for-brekky experience has mostly been with the godawful, half-hearted tofu scrambles that non-vegan restaurants throw on the menu to appease picky Portlanders. Even Mother’s restaurant, which flings some pretty good fare, managed to serve me a boring, pass-the-salt-and-pepper-and-anything-else-that-looks-flavorful tofu scramble. To be fair, Lisa at Sweet Pea does come up with a pretty good tofu scramble for brunch sometimes.

With help from others in the PDXVCC, I invented an easy tofu breakfast that is, if I say so my own damned self, quite passable.

The secret: not just turmeric, which is good for a yolky yellow and a little spark of flavor, but also BLACK SALT. This little monster is available at Indian food stores for next to nothing, and it adds a mildly sulphuric, eggy flavor to anything it touches. It’s also not black. My bag (from India Food World, I think) is pink. A little dab’ll do you with this, so in my short recipe, it’s 1/8th teaspoon, but it makes a world of difference to me.

Easy Breakfast Tofu Eggs

• 1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained and cut in 1/4″ or 3/8″ slabs (or minced, or mashed, or whatever)
• 2 T large-flake nutritional yeast (nooch is good for cheesiness, even though I add cheese after)
• 1/8 to 1/4 t black salt
• 1/4 t turmeric
  1/4 t paprika
• 1/4 t garlic sea salt
• a couple shakes (1/8 to 1/4 t) black pepper
• a few spritzes of nonstick oil
• 1 or 2 slices Tofutti vegan American cheese

All spices in a bag or bowl. (Careful with clumping in the paprika and black salt. Shake or squeeze or whisk those out.)

Shake or dredge the tofu with the spices.

Frying pan on medium heat; slam the tofu in it. (Warning: do not actually slam the tofu in the pan or you’ll look foolish.)

Cook for 5 minutes. Flip. Cook for 5 more, or until it looks about 2 minutes from being as crispy as you want it to be.

Drop the Tofutti cheese on it. Cover. Cook for another minute or two until the Tofutti cheese melts.

Serve over wheat toast, hash browns, English muffins, or anything else that you grew up eating with eggs.