A Summer Salad With A Perky Protein, Quinoa

The Hungry Vegan Bear thinks quinoa is keen!  Please excuse my fork in
this photo, but it's better than seeing me with my paws full of quinoa...
not so pretty on the fur.

Last weekend an ex-flatmate of mine swung by the great metropolis of Culver City for a visit, food, and softball.  It's true that The Hungry Vegan Bear does enjoy a good game of catch even though it takes a lot of work for her paws to fit into a softball glove.

Since we were burning a lot of energy (I'll admit it-mostly me running from the overthrown tosses.  She claimed it was accidental, but I think it was punishment for forgetting to invite her over for my Saucy Stroganoff.), she brought over a coconut to keep us hydrated and I decided that we should have some quinoa for protein lest we pass out at the park.  And, really, The Hungry Vegan Bear had absolutely no desire to spend time at a hospital for dehydration.

Tools
hammer
cutting board
knife
flatware knife
glass

Obviously, The Hungry Vegan Bear has a favorite hammer, but the knife was brought to my apartment via my old flatmate who knew better than to trust the plethora of knives in my apartment.

Use the large knife to shave off the top of the coconut.  Once you are at the shell, use the hammer and knife to crack open the exterior.  Next, pry open the shell with a flatware knife in a circular motion.

After our workout in the park, we decide that the grumbling in my stomach had to cease, so we began to cook dinner with, naturally, a beer or two and some fresh raspberries to tide us over until dinner was prepared.

Tools
knife
cutting board
plastic spoon
1 quart kitchen pot
glass bowl
garlic press

Veggie Ingredients
3 Roma tomatoes
3 Italian squash
1/2 sweet onion

Dice the tomatoes, squash, and onion and toss into a bowl.  Then begin preparation on the quinoa.

Quinoa is a very simple grain to cook.  We opted not to add any oil,  vegan margarine, or salt, but if you are working with quinoa you can improve the flavor as it cooks by adding in one of the above while it simmers.  Also, I like to add spices to quinoa while it is cooking, too.  Basically, I think a way to enhance the flavor of quinoa is to add spices while it is over the heat.  This grain is great for salads, side dishes, or, in our case, a main course.

Dressing Ingredients

3/4 c soy yogurt

1/2 avocado

3 minced basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

sage

thyme

Cayenne pepper

black pepper medley

rosemary

1/2 lemon

Add the soy yogurt into a bowl and then mash in the avocado until it is smooth.  Begin to add in the minced basil and pressed garlic.  I used a couple little fluffy balls of sage into the mix and followed this with a few dashes of thyme and several dashes of cayenne pepper, because, as I may have mentioned before, I love a wee bit of spice.  Next, add in the lemon and black pepper (use your judgement).  I had some fresh rosemary handy, so I plucked off some of the spikes from two twigs.  Again, it is not necessary to use fresh spices, however it does add a POW to the dish that dried spices just cannot accomplish.

Finally, add the quinoa to the veggie mixture and then pour the dressing over the top.  Mix the dressing, quinoa, and veggies until they are coated entirely.

This recipe will serve about 8 people.  Of course, if you were running after a few softballs it might feed less.   

Saucy Stroganoff

The Hungry Vegan Bear is not so hungry after finishing
off a plate of this Saucy Stroganoff.

This ain't your mamma's Stroganoff.

As a kid, when my mom used to make Beef Stroganoff I was pretty damn happy.  It was comfort food, warm, inviting, and filling.  And, I imagine, a quick and easy recipe for my mom, a working woman.

A few years ago when I was visiting my parents I made my own vegan Stroganoff.  The constant question from my mom and dad was, "how are you doing to make Beef Stroganoff without beef?"  I kind of laughed at that, because I've been cooking without meat of any kind for so long that it feels like it's old hat to me, but I think what really surprised them in the end was that it looked and smelled better than their normal Stroganoff.

Tools
cutting board
knife
plastic spoon
frying pan
1 quart kitchen pot


Ingredients
1/2 brown onion
1 red pepper
1 box Crimean mushrooms
2 stems of basil

Stroganoff mix prior to adding the vegan sour cream.

1 stem of rosemary
pinch of salt
2 dashes of turmeric
1/3 c vegan sour cream
noodles

I like to cook the onion, pepper, mushrooms and spices first.  I prefer my veggies a little crisp, so I tend to under cook on a lower setting rather than over cook on a high setting.

While the mixture cooks, bring your noodles to a boil.  This time around I chose a very colorful noodle.  It's up to you what type of noodle you prefer and I also have a habit of adding olive oil to my noodles.  If you're not a fan of adding oil then you can add a dash of salt or vegan margarine.

Once the veggies and spices are cooked, add in the vegan sour cream.

Drain the noodles and add the veggies on top.  Normally, this recipe would feed two, but if you're a Hungry Vegan Bear than it just might only serve one.

Mamma Mia That's A Margarita Pizza!

As many of you will note from the crumbs in this picture,
The Hungry Vegan Bear had several slices prior to taking this photo.

As a young bear cub I had pizza at most of my birthday parties.  Sometimes my mom would make homemade pizza, which only fueled my love for pizza even more than usual, with my mom in mind, I took the liberty of creating my own vegan Margarita Pizza.

Tools
blender
hammer
knife
plastic bag
spoon
cutting board
18 inch pizza pan

Pesto Ingredients
9 Trader Joe's basil stems (pluck off leaves)
1/2 c ground raw almonds
1 c olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 c vegan Parmesan cheese

Obviously this is my food processor.

I don't own a food processor, but I really don't need a food processor, because I own a hammer.  Take the almonds and place into a plastic bag, don't seal the bag, because next you'll lie the almonds and bag flat on your cutting board and then proceed to hammer the almonds until they are finely ground.

Add the leaves, almonds, garlic, and Parmesan to the blender, adding the olive oil last.  Begin to blend the ingredients together until you have a smooth spreadable pesto.  You might have a cup of the pesto left over at the end, which I usually keep in a container and hold onto for pasta later in the week/weekend.  It's great on bread, too!

Blended pesto

Grease the 18 inch pizza pan with about a teaspoon of vegan margarine.  If you own a stone then by all means break out the stone! (My sister owns a stone and I love borrowing it when I'm in town, hee hee.)  Take the dough and spread it out to the edges of the pan.  I left my dough out for two nights.  Lemme just say that I barely had to touch the dough to get it to comply to my every whim.

Toppings
1/2 block vegan mozzarella cheese
3 tomatoes
basil (a few leaves for garnish)
vegan Parmesan cheese (enough to sprinkle on top)

Once you have the dough on the pan, spoon on the pesto.  Then proceed to add the toppings.  Finally, top with the basil and Parmesan.

Normally, this pizza will serve 3-4 people unless you invite
The Hungry Vegan Bear to your home...

Dough
Trader Joe's basil/garlic pizza dough

If I had more time I would have made my own dough, but I find that Trader Joe's has a nice selection of wheat, basil/garlic, and plain pizza dough, so I often pick up a pack when I'm in the store.  It's great to have in the freezer if you're in a pinch or if you just don't feel like spending a great deal of time making dough, because, let's be honest, making your own dough is time consuming.

Cook the pizza at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Much Ado About Tofu

This Scramble was made with fresh rosemary and sage.

The Hungry Vegan Bear is channeling a bit of old Billy boy to talk about tofu, because tofu can be as frustrating as iambic pentameter.  Tofu, which most of you already know, tastes like bean or bean curd (shocking) or as I like to believe, wet tissue.  This is the challenge of tofu.  And I really like challenges.  There is nothing quite as thrilling as creating a dish with no barriers, which is how I see tofu.  It's basically a blank sheet, waiting for you to write something down.  Create.  Imagine.
I've tasted countless Tofu Scrambles over the years and in a handful of cities-Portland, Dublin (no easy task, my friends), San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Venice Beach, but I've never jumped for joy for the Tofu Scramble in any of these cities.  The majority of the time they were too greasy, with limp/sad looking tofu (nothing worse than sad tofu, very depressing), or drowning in some slop resembling gravy. I'm baffled that I could never find a descent Tofu Scramble considering when I first became a vegan this is what I made ALL THE TIME.  Seriously.  There wasn't a night after I schlepped home from work to my ratty apartment that I wasn't cooking Tofu Scramble.
Although, I have to say my worst encounter with a Tofu Scramble was when I was visiting my older brother and his family in Minneapolis.   My brother, who is an omnivore and usually a very talented cook, took it upon himself to make a vegan dish that evening.  He made the dish with raisins and curry.  Okay, I have nothing against my brother, neither curry nor raisins, but it did remind me of a scene in Better Off Dead when the green blob with raisins crawls off Lane's plate.  Yeesh, kinda scarred me for life.
Today I'd like to share what I think makes a delicious Tofu Scramble and in a word, fresh.  Gather up your favorite fresh veggies and herbs, because this is the secret to taking nothing tofu and makin' it into somethin'.

This Tofu Scramble I threw together is morning.
I used fresh cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and olive oil.

Tools
knife
cutting board
fry pan
salad spinner
plastic spoon
plate or bowl

Ingredients
1/2 block firm or medium tofu
1/3 red or green pepper
1 Roma tomato
1/2 onion
1 jalapeno
4 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 Tsp olive oil
red pepper
black pepper medley
pinch of salt

As you can note from the photo, I like to cube my tofu.  Normally, I would say drain the tofu and dry it out with a strainer or a towel, but normally I'm in a rush and I don't have the time, so I drain it and cube the tofu and as the tofu sits I heat up my fry pan with the olive oil.  Once the pan is sizzling hot I dump in the tofu.  The secret to cooking tofu is fluctuating the heat.  I like a nice golden brown and crunchy tofu, which is why I play the temperature game plus my stove is electric and it's old, allowing more time to begin preparation for the vegetables and herbs.

As the tofu cooks, I begin to add in some of my spices, such as the salt, black pepper, and red pepper.  Add in the fresh garlic (use either a garlic press or slice the garlic-today I sliced into thin pieces).

Slice or chop your veggies and set on the side for a moment.  Then begin to clean the fresh herbs.  I used cilantro, so I had to do a bit of prepping, such as cleaning and spinning off the water.

Once the tofu is a golden brown dump onto a plate or bowl.  Use the same fry pan for the veggies and if you find your veggies sticking to the pan then it might be necessary to add more olive oil.  I have several Teflon pans ranging in sizes, but my favorite one is my KitchenAid pan.  It's huge and it's heavy.  Needless to say, if I ever need to stop a burglar in his tracks I'd probably use this pan to do the job.  Plus, food rarely sticks to the surface, which is a godsend when working with tofu.

Next add the fresh cilantro, adding the tomatoes last.  There is nothing worse than a sagging and slopping looking tomato.  Most of the time vegetables are overcooked, but try to cook them al dente to give your Tofu Scramble some crunch and refreshing flavor.  Finally, add the cooked tofu back to the pan, give it a few stirs to reheat.  Also, this will allow the spices to mingle a bit more.

Serving size is for one person.

South By Southwest Grilled Bell Peppers

The Hungry Vegan Bear highly recommends this recipe for grilling out in the summer with friends and/or family!  They're delicious and quite drool worthy.

Tools
knife
bowl
salad spinner
plastic spoon
cutting board
grill
plate

Prepared stuffing for the bell peppers.

Stuffing
3/4 c Trader Joe's Roasted Corn
1/2 c onion
1 Tbsp vegan margarine
1 c sweet grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 limes
1/2 bunch cilantro
pinch of salt
black pepper medley
cayenne pepper
1 avocado
1 c brown rice
1 can black beans
3 large red bell peppers

Defrost TJ's roasted corn then stir in the tablespoon of margarine until it is melted.  I like to add in the margarine to give a nice creamy taste to the corn.  Chop the onion and tomatoes, adding to the corn.  Press the garlic cloves into the mixture and stir.  Then squeeze the lime into the mix.  Rinse, dry, and mince the cilantro. Once the cilantro is prepped then add into the bowl.  Add the salt, black pepper medley, and cayenne pepper to the mixture.  Again, The Hungry Vegan Bear is addicted to spice, so it kind of gets tricky here, because I tend to go overboard, so add the pepper to your taste and if you're not tasting along the way then it's not enticing you with it's aroma, which should be a sign you're doin' something wrong.  Next add the black beans and cooked brown rice.  Lastly, I add in the cubed avocado, because I don't want it to get mushy.

The raw red and green peppers I snagged on
a sweet summer deal at Sprouts.

I steamed the brown rice with a tablespoon of margarine, a couple dashes of salt, and some chili powder.  If you prefer to skip all that, you are welcome to do so, but I wanted the rice to take bring a little something to the table instead, so I spiced it up.

If you have time allow all of these ingredients to marinate together overnight then do so, but, if not, no worries.  The recipe will be tasty either way.

Next, clean, gut, and slice the red bell peppers horizontally.  Stuff the peppers and then place on the grill for about 10 minutes or until the peppers are nice and brown.

An Ode To Limes

The Hungry Vegan Bear loves limes like Martha Stewart loves lemons.

Yes, I understand that lemons are wonderful companions in the world of cuisine, but I still find myself drooling over the scent and tangy zing of limes more often then lemons.  Perhaps it is because limes tend to be more sour than lemons, I'm drawn to them as I have a slight tendency to enjoy the extremes in food, rather bi-polar like consumption, I imagine.

Many years after becoming a vegan I started using limes in my cooking.  In fact, prior to becoming a vegan I never used limes except in drinks.  Gradually, I started experimenting-lime in entrees, desserts, and appetizers.  Yes, I was a little lime obsessed and I'm still a huge advocate of the lime today, which is reflected in a few of the recipes I've posted.

There are many health benefits to limes ranging from weight loss, to skin care, and respiratory issues.  Limes are a great source of vitamin C, which is quite handy in case you find yourself stranded on an island or boat in the Caribbean.  At least you know you'll still get your daily intake of C and possibly ward off scurvy in the process.

Achy Breaky Artichokie's

Grilled on a charcoal grill.

The Vegan Bear cannot survive the summer months without artichoke's on the grill.

Almost every time I visit one of my friends in the OC we go shopping for artichoke's, crossing our fingers that they are on sale and in season.  And when we throw these babies on the grill the result is always a round of "oooh's" and "aaahh's" from vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.

The group of artichoke's I made last night were from Sprouts.  They had a 4 for $5 sale last weekend and the temptation was too great to resist.


Tools
scissors
large kitchen knife
quart size pot
garlic press
quart size plastic bags or large bowl
grill

Ingredients
2 lemons
2 limes
2 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
pinch of salt
lemon pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 large artichoke's

Take the raw artichoke's and snip off the pointed ends and cut off a bit of the stem.  Normally, I only snip the discolored portion, because the stem is delicious and you don't want to waste any of it, if possible.

Begin to fill up the quart size pot with water.  Sprinkle a dash or two of salt into the water.  Once the water has begun to boil, add the artichoke's, then reduce the heat and allow the artichokes to simmer for 30 minutes.  If you have a steamer, then use the steamer, I don't have one large enough to handle these beauties, so I make do with what I have available in the kitchen.

After the artichoke's are ready (send a knife through the base as a test-the knife should slide in/out of the veggie without sticking), empty the water and allow the artichoke's to sit and cool down for about 10 minutes.  Once the artichoke's are cool enough to handle, slice horizontally.  Place the artichoke's into a large bowl or quart size plastic bag for the marinating process.

Add the canola oil, lemon juice, lime juice, and pressed garlic over the artichoke's.   Finally, add the lemon pepper.

Allow the marinated artichoke's to sit over night in the refrigerator.   Of course, you don't have to over night the artichoke's, I have marinated in the morning prior to grilling in the afternoon and they still managed to absorb the mixture.  Also, if you don't want to grill or you don't have the time, it's okay, since the artichoke's are already cooked they're good to eat anytime you wish.

Next, heat grill, and place the artichoke's over the heat for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Spanakopita With a Vegan Twist

Add some more zing to these rolls by topping
them off with fresh lime!

Tools
large frying pan
plastic spoon
knife
cutting board
strainer or salad spinner
baking sheet

Ingredients
1/2 package medium or firm tofu

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 onion

3/4 c pearl tomatoes

cayenne pepper
black pepper
chili pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro
3 cloves fresh garlic
pinch of salt
1/4 c Trader Joe's Salsa Verde*

1/2 lime

1 Tbsp vegan margarine

1 Tbsp vegan cream cheese

fillo dough

Fully prepped tofu and veggie mix.

Drain and dry the tofu in a strainer and as the tofu begins to dry start the prep work for the veggies.  Slice the red pepper, lengthwise, and dice the onion.  I like to slice the tomatoes and add them to the pan at the end as to not end up with squishy tomato bits.  

Begin heating your frying pan on a medium setting with the margarine.  Use the garlic press for the garlic and add to the warm pan.  Add the red bell pepper and onion and once these items are half way cooked then add the tomatoes until all the veggies are a golden brown.  Once the veggies are ready dump them into a bowl and set the mix to the side.

Use the same frying pan for the dried tofu.  Crumble the tofu into the pan.  You might have to add a bit more margarine if you find the tofu is sticking to the pan.  Add the cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili pepper and salt (I like a lot of spice, so I usually add a liberal amount of pepper, basically, the aim is a nice dusting across the tofu mix.).  As the tofu is beginning to brown, clean, strain, and dry the cilantro (highly suggest a salad spinner), but don't forget to move the tofu around the pan every so often, because you don't want it to burn and the aim is to have each bit of tofu a golden brown.  Mince the cilantro and then add to the tofu mixture.  Once the tofu is ready twist in the lime and salsa.  Finally, reduce heat add the veggies back into the mix and follow with the cream cheese until the tofu and veggies are all coated and bound together.

Then take the mixture off the heat and begin to scoop about two tablespoons of mix onto the fillo dough and roll.

Bake these babies at 325˚F for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 6-8 rolls.

*If you prefer a bit more of a POW to your rolls add in a jalapeno or use both the salsa and the jalapeno!

Sinfully Berrilicious Tarts

It's a sin to eat only one.

All right, I'll admit it, I'm not a baker.  My sister, on the other hand, is an amazing baker and she loves to pass the time, especially during those cold Midwest winter months, baking cookies, cakes, breads, pies, etc.  Personally, I'd rather have a very large very heavy brick dropped on my head several times over.  Basically, what I'm saying is that when The Hungry Vegan Bear bakes it's gonna be quick, easy, and sinfully delicious.

Tools

plastic spoon

bowls

cupcake tin

knife

fork 

spoon 

chopping board

Berry Mixture
1 lime
fresh strawberries
fresh blackberries

After washing the strawberries and blackberries, slice the strawberries in a large bowl and follow this with squeezing a lime over the berries and stir the mix until the lime juice is coating all of the berries.  I like to leave the berries in the refrigerator overnight to soak up a bit of that lime juice to give them a real zing.

Lime juice and lemon juice are great to preserve your berries/fruits.  Also, I like to keep the discolor at bay, so I use a plastic spoon to stir the concoction.

Cream Cheese Mix
1 container of Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese*
1c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp margarine
1/4 tsp Trader Joe's bourbon vanilla extract*
3 lavender ends

Take a medium bowl and drop in the cup of powdered sugar, add cream cheese, margarine, and the bourbon vanilla extract.  Chop the 3 lavender buds and add into the mix.  Then stir the glaze with a fork and spoon until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  (Yes, go ahead and use a hand mixer, but by using a hand mixer you should feel guilty for not using your own muscles.)

Fillo Dough
Preheat the oven to 325˚F.  Cut the fillo dough into squares and tuck into the cupcake tin mould.  Repeat this step until each mould contains a fillo cup.  Once the oven is preheated, then bake the cups for 10-13 minutes until golden brown.

Once the fillo dough cups are done, add a dollop of the cream cheese mix to the bottom of the cup.  Take the berry filling and spoon the mixture on top.

*I used the vegan cream cheese from Trader Joe's.  The color is not as white as Tofutti, but it tastes the same.  Also, the bourbon vanilla extract is from Trader Joe's, but, again, you can use another brand, if you prefer.

Kookoo for Coconut Milk

In Culver City, on this muggy Saturday morning, my paws were itching to get up and go outside.  Often, this bear cannot contain her excitement to run into the wild and play.  The heavy air had my fur sweating in minutes.  

After scampering through the neighborhood, I anticipated a lot more rumblin’ going on in my tummy instead it gurgled, “eh, not so much.”  In lieu of the tofu scramble I had every intention of making, I settled for a bowl of puffed wheat with coconut milk followed by a bowl of strawberries. 

“Why coconut milk?” 

Well, I’ve tried soy, almond, and rice milk (Before I was vegan I drank the kind of milk that comes from an animal that goes, “MOO!”), but gradually I’ve learned to vary the milk I use, and in doing so, I also figured out what seems to fill me up for a longer period of time. Staying full and satisfied throughout the day is the most difficult thing for vegans, for this bear, the milk that helps satiate is coconut milk. 

Today I used the unsweetened coconut milk from Silk.  Normally, I have a sweet tooth, but over time I have eliminated using milk that has cane juice.  Granted, if I’m visiting with friends or family and they have the sweetened kind on the table I won’t say no, after all, I’m only a bear. 

The bonus of coconut milk: vitamins and minerals.  Yes, there is saturated fat, but it’s not like I stand by the refrigerator chugging from the carton.  Also, there is the nonstop discussion over coconut milk, is it good or bad?  My take on this is that coconut milk is like any other food that sits on the nutritional fence, eat in moderation.  The majority of the time my coconut milk consumption is during breakfast, which is a perfect time to have the vitamins, minerals, and a touch of fat to help push my furry bum out the door.