Went to a World Famous Burger Joint and Left with the Ingredients for Vegan Hash

 

I have become a connoisseur of French fries.  Like many vegetarians who date a meat-eater,  French fries are my go-to meal in case I can't find anything on a menu I can eat.  For about 9 months now, my boyfriend has talked about Five Guys, a hamburger chain down the street from us which has, I am told, the world's greatest burgers.  We checked it out on our last date night and judging from all the posted signs in the joint, they DO have the best burgers on earth.  They also have amazing fries, and we left with a take out bag filled with my boyfriend's bacon cheeseburger and my Cajun fries.  My small order of fries filled the bag, and in spite of stuffing my face for a solid 20 minutes once we got home, I was still left with a big ol' pile of fried taters.  I put them in the fridge and went to sleep dreaming of how I could use them in a hash for breakfast the next morning. 

 

 

My leftover Cajun fries from Five Guys, diced and ready to go . . .

 

 

 

This hash was born from leftovers and vegetables that I needed to use before they turned ugly on me.  It was delicious (and vegan) as I prepared it, but if you'd like, add some shredded cheese and top the bowl of hash with an over-easy egg.

 

 

 

 

 

1 1/2 cups leftover seasoned fries, cubed (I used Cajun fries from Five Guys)

1/2 cup diced shallots (or onions)

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup chopped Brussels sprouts

2 fistfuls of fresh spinach, chopped

1 kumato, diced (or tomato)

1 tablespoon diced garlic

1 teaspoon diced hot peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste



 

 

 

 

 

1.  Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and add shallots, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to get fragrant and shallots are cooked down.

2.  Add kumato (or tomato) and nutritional yeast and cook down until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3.  Add spinach and cook down for about 10 minutes more or until most liquid has evaporated. 

4.  Remove vegetables from the pan and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Fry the leftover potatoes until they are hot and start to crisp up a bit.

5.  Return vegetable mixture to pan, mix well, and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Branden's Dinner (with "The Green Stuff")

I love being a teacher. Even on my worst days, it beats folding shirts at The Gap for a living (which I did, briefly, much to the consternation of the company). One of the best things about teaching high school is that I get to watch kids come in as a group of goofy freshman and be a part of how they grow and mature towards their senior year. Some students stick with you, too, and even now, a few thousand kids later, I could probably tell a former student just where he or she sat in my classroom.

Branden and I hit it off from the very beginning. For one thing, he was nearly 6' 7" as a 9th grader to my 5' 1", which he found endlessly amusing. I had Branden for numerous classes during his four years in high school and I never remember seeing him without a huge smile. It was infectious and it still is.

Branden struggled a lot with his weight in high school. Yes, he was tall, but he was also much heavier than he wanted to be. Then, one day, something seemed to "click," and he began to transform into the man we all knew he could be. He began working out in earnest when he started to play football his freshman year in college. The rigor of the program, a dedication to eating healthily, and Branden's never-ending optimism have all made him virtually unrecognizable (with the exception of his smile).

Over the years, Branden has become part of my family. With his mom's blessing he's always managed to fit in some time with us when he comes home from college. When he came to dinner this last time he asked if he could help cook. He's really dedicated to lean proteins and low fat eating, so together we whipped up a quick, easy, healthful meal that he can recreate on his own back at the ATO house. We didn't use a recipe because it was more about tastes and techniques and creating something he could do later on his own. He declared it "awesome" and said "the green stuff" was "EFFING fantastic." I love those college boys!


Some of our ingredients: shallots, spinach, mushrooms, avocado, garlic and tempeh.



Branden preparing the red quinoa (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth)



Shallots

 
Branden crying like a girl because the shallots burned his peepers.



Making the "Green Stuff," as Branden christened it.  Scoop out 1 avocado.





Add about a tablespoon of Italian herbs.



Add about a tablespoon of minced garlic.



Add between 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.



Add ingredients to food processor.



Add some low sodium broth until it thins out to a sauce consistency.  Taste it and add some salt if needed.  Pop it in the fridge so it's cold to serve.  It was so yummy!



Quick frying of shallots, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil.




I had Brandon add little bits of low-sodium vegetable broth, cooking it down until it really reduced and concentrated the flavor.  It adds a buttery flavor without the butter (and fat).



Just before plating the vegetables, Branden adds some ground, toasted almonds for a little texture.





Veggies aren't Veggerific until they get some spinach love!



Here we're trying to capture the comical difference in our height . . .





We cut tempeh in half length-wise and width-wise, then browned it up with olive oil and some sea salt.





Branden says, "Effing FANTASTIC!"

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Tofu Scramble (with Saffron, Because I'm Worth It!)

I'm in love with my new Tofu Presser, and to celebrate I made a tofu scramble just for little old me. It was my first time making one on my own. Now, to all the experienced vegans out there that's about the equivalent of saying to a non-veg that you scrambled an egg for the first time. It's not exactly the hardest dish to prepare.

Even so, I decided to make a scramble that I thought was blog-worthy. As I opened my spice cabinet to grab the tumeric, I noticed my bottle of saffron right next to it. "A bottle of saffron" is an inaccurate description. What I had was an empty bottle save one wee little pinch of incredibly-expensive red filaments. I pushed the tumeric aside and decided to splurge- it was the first day of my 30-Day Vegan Challenge, after all (I'm trying it on my own, without following a set program. Wish me luck!).

Tofu Scramble with Saffron, Spinach and Hashbrowns
¼ block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into chunks
1 cup Imagine Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
½ tablespoon minced (packed in oil) garlic
1 pinch saffron
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 handful fresh baby spinach
1 (individual size) prepared hash brown (optional)

I’ve started relying a lot on vegetable broth in place of oil or other fats when sautéing. I love the flavor it adds, and when it reduces down it’s really a nice complement to whatever is in the pan. Using it for this recipe made the tofu somewhat creamy, and very much like the texture of well-made scrambled eggs.



1. Heat the broth, garlic and saffron over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by about half.
2. Add the nutritional yeast, stirring to mix well.
3. Add the tofu, breaking some of the chunks up to get to a “scrambled” consistency, stirring to coat with the broth mixture.
4. When tofu is almost heated through, add fresh spinach to pan, gently mixing it in as it wilts down.
5. Break up the hash brown and add to scrambled tofu. Salt and pepper to taste (taste it first- you may not need the salt). Serve with homemade bread slathered with Earth’s Balance.

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Spinach-Quinoa Powerhouse Patties

Spinach-Quinoa Patties.

Spinach patties have always been one of my comfort foods. I'll eat them hot or cold, in a house, with a mouse, yadda yadda yadda. In my previous life, my spinach patties were equal parts spinach, egg, and sausage. I suppose calling the old version spinach patties was a lot like calling a Snickers a peanut bar.

My new version is vegan, and in place of the eggs I use flax meal and water. Then, since flax is so crazy good for you, I added even more. The nutritional yeast gives a great flavor with the added bonus of packing in B12 (something that vegans need to supplement for a well-rounded diet). Spinach is a super food by itself, but adding quinoa raises these patties to super-hero food in my opinion. Spinach, quinoa, flax meal and nutritional yeast . . . I think I created a patty that can provide complete nutrition in a little round package! (Probably not- but they were so good I'm feeling a little full of myself right now)

Adding the fennel and Italian spices created an almost sausage-like patty. Adjusting the spices used could produce all sorts of different flavor combinations.

Spinach-Quinoa Patties

2 cups fresh, raw spinach
1 cup prepared quinoa (I used red quinoa which made the patties look really nice)
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons flax meal, divided
2 small shallots
2 baby portobello mushrooms
½ tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ to 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed (to taste. I put whole seeds in a pepper mill and coarsley ground them, so I had some broken seeds as well.)
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying




1. Put 1 tablespoon of flax meal in a bowl and mix in 3 tablespoons warm water. Leave it to thicken for about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, slice shallots and mushrooms and sauté with garlic in a little olive oil until the shallots are starting to soften and the mushrooms just begin to carmelize.

3. Add all of the ingredients (except oil), including the flax mixture and cooked shallots and mushrooms, into a food processor. Pulse until it's coarsely mixed (but not liquified).

4. You should have enough to form four good sized-patties. Scoop mixture out by the tablespoon-full, and form into patties about the size of your palm. Fry them in a little hot oil, cooking for about three minutes on each side until they begin to brown up a bit. If you try to turn it the first time too quickly it will fall apart, so take care to cook it long enough so it holds together, then gently work the patty up with a thin spatula before you turn it. You could also divide the mixture in two and have some pretty darn tasty veggie burgers.

5. Drain on paper towels when done and serve with your favorite mustard or whatever you like.

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In the Midst of Unspeakable Fruit Carnage, Dinner is Born

When the lights went out on our clean kitchen last night, we had oranges, apples, bananas and a lemon all sharing counter space. Each in their own decorative bowls, they sent out their fruity vibes through the whole house. We had a window cracked and with the curtain pushed aside it was a lovely summer tableau: the sky turning purple, crickets singing as fireflies danced above our pond, and our fruit on the counter, barely lit by the moonlight.

This morning, after an apparent suicide pact, all the fruit was over-ripe and squishy. I can't bring myself to describe what happened to the apples, but suffice it to say they were well on their way to becoming gelatinous goo. The lone lemon was left, inexplicably unfazed by the carnage around it. That lemon had to go.

Note: I don't really think of this as a recipe since I just threw it together. I literally stood in the middle of the kitchen, lemon in hand, thinking, "what am I going to do with this thing?" It was so good, though, and looked so pretty on the plate that I felt it was worth sharing. I absolutely love lemon in anything, and when I made this tonight I used a pretty heavy hand with the zest and juice. Adjust it to your taste. Amounts are approximate but, as written, should serve four people. Get the quinoa started before you prep and cook everything else, since that will take the longest.

Gardein Scallopine with "Butter" on Seared Spinach, Lemony Asparagus with Shallots, and Red Quinoa with Garlic

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups Imagine Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 small shallots, peeled and sliced
1 lemon
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons Earth's Balance No-Soy spread, divided
4 generous handfuls of fresh spinach
1 package Gardein Chick'n Scallopine (4 cutlets), thawed
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste



1. Put quinoa, 1 tablespoon of garlic and broth in a pot and bring to boil. When boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is al dente (about 15 minutes).

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is ready, add remaining garlic and the shallots and toss to coat. Sauté until they begin to soften up, about 3 minutes. Zest the lemon over the shallots, then cut lemon open and squeeze in some fresh juice (use your judgement- a little goes a long way).

3. Add in the asparagus, tossing to coat, and heat until asparagus is tender (about 5 minutes for thin spears). Add salt and pepper to taste, then put in a covered bowl to keep warm while you finish the spinach and "chicken."

4. Using the same skillet, melt one tablespoon of the Earth's Balance over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook down, tossing often. Add salt and pepper to taste. You want it to start to dry out a bit and get a few crispy edges. Put cooked spinach in another covered dish to keep warm and prepare the cutlets.

5. Use the same skillet. (I know- it's a hassle. But it's worth it because it develops the flavors in my opinion AND there are fewer dishes in the end!) Heat up the remaining oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the cutlets with the lemon pepper seasoning and cook about 3 minutes per side.

6. By now the quinoa should be done. Plate all your ingredients then quickly melt the remaing Earth's Balance in (surprise!) the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Drizzle the melted spread over the cutlets.

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Wanton Wonton Soup

I had this recipe kicking around in my head for a week or so. I had most all of the ingredients I wanted to use, but when it came time to cook tonight I had to do more improvising than I thought. I didn't have bok choy, so I tossed spinach in instead. I ran out of soy sauce and made up the difference with miso paste. Turns out I didn't even have regular wonton wrappers- I only had the round. Oh well. The flavors were great and it turned out to be a delicious meal.

There are numerous definitions for "wanton." For this recipe, I'm using it as a synonym for "reckless" and "without regard to the rules." But this soup was so good, you might think of the word "wanton" in a whole 'nother way.


Wonton Soup

1 16 oz. package of Match ground “beef”
1 cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup spinach
1 cup bagged broccoli coleslaw veggies
½ cup water chestnuts, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1½ teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Five spice powder
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons dark miso paste, divided
1 package wontons wrappers
8 cups No-Chicken broth
½ cup bok choy, sliced (I didn’t have any, so I used spinach)
½ cup sliced mushrooms



1. Do a quick sauté of scallions, chopped mushrooms, spinach, coleslaw, and water chestnuts in a hot skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil until they just start to get tender. Once they’re cooked down a little, put vegetables in food processor (but don’t pulse yet).

2. In the same skillet, add more oil and cook the Match “meat” through with the garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Break it up like hamburger and let it brown a little bit.

3. Put the browned “meat” into the food processor with the vegetables. Add vinegar, oil, five spice powder, hot pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon miso paste. Pulse until mixed and it begins to look like ravioli filling. Don’t pulse it down too much, though, because you want some different textures in there.

4. Assemble the broth. Add the No-Chicken broth, remaining miso paste, bok choy (or spinach in my case), and sliced mushrooms to a pot and cook to boiling.

5. While broth is heating, assemble the wontons, following the package instructions. I only had round wrappers, so my wontons ended up looking like empanadas. I made 24 using about a tablespoon of filling in each. That left half of the wrappers and mix for me to freeze and use another time.

6. Stir the broth to make sure that the miso is dissolved. When broth is boiling, carefully add the wontons. Do not overcook: wontons are done in about 3 minutes and if you overcook them they’ll start to fall apart. Serve soup immediately.

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