A Veg 4th of July (or, How I Force-Fed My Dear Friends)

This 4th of July saw a double celebration at our house. In addition to Independence Day, it was also a chance to try out entertaining as a new vegetarian.  I invited some close friends over (far too few for the colossal amount of food I made) and ate ate ate.

I used the party as a chance to make some dishes I’d been thinking about trying. I’m so grateful to my friends for trying everything (loving most all of it) and for giving up a prime meat-grilling holiday to come spend it with their veg pal.

Olive Tapenade
My friend Stephanie was visibly relieved when one of my other guests confessed that he didn’t care for olives.  She then proceeded to hover over the bowl of tapenade until it magically disappeared.
(stolen from Venturesome Vegan Cooking, [page 2] by J.M. Hirsch and Michelle Hirsch)

6 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted
6 ounces Spanish olives, pitted
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teapoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled

(I varied this recipe by adding the lemon zest. I also put all the ingredients together to marinate overnight prior to processing them. The flavors were strong and wonderful)

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until a course, thick mixture is formed.
2. Serve immediately or chill for at least an hour.

Fava Bean Dip
I never cooked with dried beans before becoming a vegetarian- who in the hell is organized enough to soak the damn things the day before you use them? I think I still have a bag of split peas from my first apartment (14 years ago). Beans, legumes, grains . . . gotta have them if you want a well-rounded vegetarian diet. So, when I began this veg-conversion a year ago, I started with stocking my pantry. Now my favorite shelf is the one with my assortment of grains and dried beans. A few months ago, I bought a bag of dried fava beans as a goof (because, of course, they have been made famous by Hannibal Lecter. The “fava beans and Chianti” line is oft quoted in my house). Let me just say that dried fava beans are u-g-l-y. They are freakishly large and misshapen. Their color is best described as blah. I had no idea what fava beans tasted like, just knew that my husband would get a laugh or two out of whatever I dreamed up to make out of those babies. Surprisingly, this dip was delicious and perfect on a hot summer day. Obviously, we paired this dip with-wait for it-Chianti.

1 16-ounce packaged of whole, dried fava beans
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 whole carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 8-ounce container of Tofutti sour cream
½ tablespoon Berbere' Spice Mix
1 tablespoon lime juice
Chili powder, hot pepper flakes, hot sauce, salt, pepper to taste

1. Soak dried beans overnight.
2. Rinse beans, add fresh water (enough to cover beans by about 2”). Toss in the celery, carrots and onion and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until beans are cooked through.
3. Drain beans and discard vegetables. After they cool, remove the bean from the outer shell. Squeezing them does the trick. Some beans will be more done than others; don’t worry since you’re going to purée the dip.
4. Put shelled beans into a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and purée to desired taste and consistency. Put in refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with flatbread.

Lentil-Mushroom-Walnut Pâté
This was, hands down, my favorite dish of the day. I. could. not. stop. eating. I used the recipe exactly as-is because it is perfection!
(stolen from the Urban Chickpea)

1 cup Lentils de Puy (French green lentils)
3 cups vegetable stock, preferably unsalted
1 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 8-10 ounce package of cremini mushrooms (about 3 cups), thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry (or 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar)
2 teaspoons of salt

1. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Add them to a large pot with the vegetable stock and the Herbes de Provence and bay leaf. The stock should be about 2 inches above the lentils; add water if it’s not at that level. Bring up to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are fully cooked, about 45 minutes, adding water as necessary. The lentils will retain their shape, but will no longer be hard or gritty on the inside.

2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. On a sheet tray, spread out the walnuts and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. They will be slightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

3. Heat up a large saute pan and add the oil. Saute the onion over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt until it is soft and golden brown. Then add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the sliced mushrooms with another pinch of salt and saute until they are brown and much of the liquid has evaporated. The whole mixture should be soft and look caramelized. Then add the dry sherry, using it to scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until most of the sherry has evaporated. Then remove from heat.

4. In the food processor, pulse the walnuts until finely ground. Then add the cooked lentils (drained from their water and with the bay leaf removed), the mushroom mixture and the 2 teaspoons of salt. Puree until smooth. Taste the mixture and add salt until it tastes perfect. Then add two extra pinches of salt. It will taste too salty warm, but once it cools, it will taste perfect again. The palate perceives salt differently in hot and cold food.

5. Spoon mixture into a loaf pan, mold or tupperware and cover with plastic wrap. Then place a similarly-sized container on top and weigh it down to press the pate. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Invert on a plate to serve as an hors d’oeuvre or spread on bread for your sandwich.

Flatbread
(stolen from Venturesome Vegan Cooking,[page 29] by J.M. Hirsch and Michelle Hirsch)

3 cups unbleached white flour (plus some extra for rolling out)
1-1½ cups water, room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Mix all ingredients together and knead for about 3 minutes. Add more water if needed. Dough should be heavy and a little sticky.
2. Knead the dough on a flat, floured surface for another minute or so. It should be mostly dry to the touch.
3. Roll out the dough and separate it into equal parts (6 for small individual pieces). Dough should be about ¼” thick.
4. You can cook these in a skillet with a little olive oil until they get a little puffy and start to brown up on each side. I brushed both sides with olive oil and threw them on the barbecue grill instead.

Strawberry-Almond Spinach Salad
I think I gave away the recipe with the name!

1 bag of fresh spinach, triple washed
½ carton of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1 handful of sliced almonds
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (I have a fancy-schmancy bottle of strawberry-balsamic vinegar that I used)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Put the salad fixings in a pretty bowl and toss gently.
2. Mix the vinegar and oil and serve alongside the salad.

Baked Beans
“Doctoring up” is a valued skill in my family’s kitchen. Baked beans are one of my favorite dishes to futz with because I believe it’s nearly impossible to screw them up. Dump open a few cans into the slow cooker, squirt a little of this, a little of that, and voilà!

2 cans vegetarian baked beans (I prefer drier baked beans, so I drain out about half of the sauce from the prepared beans before I use them)
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup of your favorite spicy brown stone-ground mustard
½ cup catsup
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Hot sauce (Tabasco, Franks Red Hot, etc) to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Dump all ingredients into a slow cooker and turn the cooker on “high.”
2. Wait. Taste them about 10 times before they’re heated through and bubbling. Put in a little more of this, little more of that until they taste exactly how you like ‘em.

Potato Salad
Like the baked beans, this is another "little of this, little of that" recipe.

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup(ish) of Vegenaise
½ cup of your favorite spicy brown stone-ground mustard
1 cup red onion, chopped
3 celery stalks (leaves included), chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon paprika
Hot sauce (Tabasco, Franks Red Hot, etc) to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender (don't overcook).
2. Drain potatoes and combine with remaining ingredients, tasting and adjusting amounts as needed.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle top with a little more paprika before serving.

Veggie Burgers
This recipe has a lot of ingredients and is a little time-consuming. The good news is that not only are these delicious, they freeze well. So- make a batch and freeze some for later!
(Adapted from Guy Fieri)

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons diced red onion
4 tablespoons diced black olives
4 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
2 teaspoons diced jalapeno (or more if you like it extra spicy)
3 tablespoons diced garlic
3 tablespoon diced artichoke (not marinated)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon ground sage
4 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (OR 2 eggs)

1. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Sauté until translucent. Remove and cool.
2. Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly, smashing the beans with your hands. The chickpeas can be pretty difficult to smash, so you may want to pulse them quickly in a food processor until they’re broken up a little. You don’t want to purée the beans because you want some texture to the burgers.
3. Add all dry ingredients along with the gluten (or eggs). Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Use a ½ cup measuring cup and form into 10 patties, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. In sauté pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side. If you want to toss these on the grill, brush both sides with olive oil and then turn only once.

Gardein Kabobs
I used the recipe from the Gardein site with the following variations. First, I defrosted the beefless tips in the refrigerator before I put them in the marinade. I also marinated the tips overnight. Other changes of mine are noted in the recipe.

2 packages Gardein Beefless Tips
½ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 teaspoons agave syrup (or honey if you aren’t vegan)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger root (I used ginger paste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup toasted sesame seeds (I added these to the actual marinade. Those little suckers held on for dear life, even through the grilling process.)

1. Combine all ingredients together and marinate overnight.
2. When making the skewers, you may want to use the following: pineapple chunks, red onion, green bell pepper, button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes. Make them colorful and pretty!
3. Soak wood skewers in water for about 20 minutes before building kabobs and grilling them. I brushed the veggies with a little olive oil before grilling the kabobs. Heat kabobs until the veggies and tips are heated through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Baste with extra marinade as you grill them if desired. Depending on how you make these, you’ll have enough “meat” for at least 8 kabobs.

Tempeh Riblets
Oh, Tempeh! What’s your deal? To paraphrase, “Some are born to love tempeh, some achieve tempeh-love, and some have tempeh thrust upon them (and aren’t too happy about it).” I have grown to love this wonder food. My kids? Not so much. To their credit, they continue to try everything I make with tempeh, but the texture is not their thing. Oh well- more for me! I recommend doing this recipe a day or so before you want to grill them, since the tempeh requires a little “pre” preparation simmering prior to the marinade.

Simmering the tempeh first:

2 8-ounce packages of tempeh
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
¾ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use the pre-minced kind that’s packed in oil)
1 tablespoon each, rosemary, sage and thyme (fresh if you have it)
1 tablespoon dark miso paste (optional)

1. Cut the tempeh in ¼”-thick slices so you make little “riblets.”
2. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the tempeh is simmering, prepare the marinade:

¼ cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
3-4 teaspoons liquid smoke
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons coarsely-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Steak Grilling Blend

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a container large enough for the tempeh and the marinade.
2. Remove the tempeh from the simmering liquid and put right into the marinade while it’s still hot.
3. Marinate overnight.
4. Here’s an optional step prior to slapping these puppies and the grill and slathering them with the bbq sauce of your dreams: I made these about a week before I needed them. After marinating them, I pre-cooked them on my George Forman grill. This got out some of the excess liquid, but also gave me those awesome grill marks. Then I froze ‘em until the party. One less thing to make that day. I defrosted them in the freezer the night before, then we cooked them out on the grill with the sauce until they were all carmelized and smoking hot!

Truffles
These are so dark-chocolaty good it will make your nostrils flare. Keep them refrigerated and sprinkle with cocoa just before serving. They need to be kept chilled while you store them, otherwise they get too soft.
(stolen from Venturesome Vegan Cooking,[page 177] by J.M. Hirsch and Michelle Hirsch)

½ cup maple or agave syrup (or honey)
2 cups almonds, dry roasted
1 12-ounce package of silken tofu
2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks
Cocoa powder for garnish

1. Put syrup (or honey) in saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Add almonds and stir until mixture gets thick and caramel-y (about 12-15 minutes).
2. Spread the almond mixture out on parchment or waxed paper to cool and harden. When it’s hardened, put almonds into the food processor and pummel the heck out of them, until it resembles a coarse flour. Empty out the processor (you’ll need it for the tofu) and set the almonds aside.
3. Meanwhile, put the tofu into a food processor and purée until smooth.
4. Now you need to melt the chocolate chips. You can use the microwave and stir method, or do it on the stove using a double boiler. Once the chocolate is all melted, add to the tofu. Next, add half of the almond mixture and process it again until well-mixed.
5. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with Pam and pour the tofu mixture in. Toss the dish into the freezer for about 30 minutes until firm.
6. Use a melon-baller to scoop out and form into balls. Roll the balls alternately into cocoa powder and remaining almonds. This is messy, messy, messy work, but the end result is well worth it. Because these are so moist, the cocoa powder will absorb right into the truffles if you don’t serve them right away. Just sprinkle them again when you’re ready to eat them. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Fruit-Topped Vegan Cheesecake
This recipe freezes really well. I actually prefer a slice straight from the freezer.

3 teaspoons Egg Replacer + 4 tablespoons water (OR 2 eggs)
2 containers Tofutti cream cheese
1 Tofutti sour cream
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (if you like it “lemony”)
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
4 cups desired fruit
½ cup turbinado sugar
1 prepared pie crust (here’s a recipe for vegan graham crackers from Vegan Yum Yum)

1. Mix all cake ingredients with a hand mixer or food processor until smooth.
2. Pour cake mixture into crust and bake at 350° for an hour or until cake is set and the center bounces back when you touch it.
3. While cake is baking, prepare fruit topping. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add fruit and sugar and stir to mix. Heat until mixture gets syrupy and fruit begins to break down. The mixture will thicken a bit the longer you cook it, but you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed in ¼ of water to thicken the fruit topping even more.
4. When fruit topping is to desired thickness, remove from heat and allow it to cool.
5. When cake is finished baking, cool it on the counter then refrigerate for at least 2 hours along with the fruit topping. Your cheesecake will not be bright white because natural sugar has a caramel color to it. When ready to serve, cover the cake with the fruit or just top individual slices.