Mile High Pesto Veggie/Tofu Sandwich on Pizza Bread

A sandwich that fills the average bear!
 

Ingredients
The Hungry Vegan Bear's Pesto
Trader Joe's basil and herb pizza dough
3 slices of Trader Joe's baked tofu
olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic
2 slices of tomato
3 Crimean mushrooms
3 slices of red pepper
1 slice of yellow squash
handful of fresh spinach
sea salt
pepper

This recipe makes a half a sandwich, but after a very long day at work I found that this sandwich more than filled me up during dinner time.  And the best part is that it is quick, very quick, to make.

First make the pesto in a blender or food processor.

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

Next, take some of the dough, about a size of a racquetball, and flatten it a little bit.  Make sure your fry pan is heating for a bit at a higher temperature, but don't put it on high unless you want to burn the pizza dough on the outside and have it raw on the inside.  Place the dough in the heated pan and then flip when it becomes golden brown.  I cut the bread once it was out of the pan, but be very careful if you do this as the oil could burn you.  Then spread about a tablespoon of the pesto on each side of the bread. 

Cut and slice all of the veggies.  I heated all of the veggies in the fry pan with a bit of salt, pepper, and the two cloves of garlic.   The veggies cook very fast, so be on your feet!  The three slices of tofu I did not heat on the stove, but since everything else was hot it really didn't matter all that much. 

Serving size: 1 hungry vegan bear

Put A Ring On It-A Beer Battered Onion Ring

The Hungry Vegan Bear has finally crawled out of hibernation.  And the best way to wake up is by cooking for a whole slew of friends, which is exactly what she did for the 4th of July!

Batter Ingredients:
1/2 gallon canola oil
2 c unbleached flour
1 1/2 bottles of Corona
1/2 lg lemon
1/2 tsp baking powder
Lawry's seasoning
black pepper
cayenne pepper
sea salt
3 large yellow or white onions

Cut the onions about a centimeter wide.  I like a relatively thick onion ring, but if you prefer to slice the onion a bit thinner that is fine, too.  Next, begin the batter preparation by adding the flour, beer lemon, and other ingredients.  If you can find a lemon tree I highly suggest using a fresh from the tree lemon.  I was lucky enough to have a bag of California lemons given to me by a friend this past week whose grandmother has a tree, which provided a nice zesty taste to the breading.  I use about five to six shakes of the Lawry's seasoning.  Also, I find that adding spice to the breading is a nice contrast to the onion and shakes things up a bit, which is why I use both the black and cayenne pepper. 

Heat the oil on high until several small bubbles begin to form inside the stock pot (a cast iron pot would be best unless you have a deep fryer). 

Dust the raw onions with a bit of flour prior to dipping them into the batter.  Once the onion is coated drop gently into the heated oil.  The ring will begin to fry and float to the surface.  When the ring begins to turn a nice golden brown flip it over.  Make sure both sides of the ring are nice and gold and then place on a plate covered with a napkin (absorbs excess oil).   

Also, if you're not fond of canola oil there are plenty of other oils to chose from, but I like the light flavor of canola and it does not seem to make the rings too greasy. 

Once the rings have cooled, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the rings and enjoy! And if you can't get enough lemon...add a bit more over the rings or to make it a bit more spicy sprinkle hot sauce on top.  Personally, I like to break out a bit of my bbq sauce as a nice dipping sauce on the side.

Fennel is Fantastic!



Fennel is refreshing, especially during the warm
days and nights in my neck of the woods!

Fresh fennel is a tad sweet, quite hearty and, oddly enough, very filling for a vegetable.  And what I enjoy most about fennel is that there is no need to over season with this veggie, because of its own aromatic flavor.

Tools
knife
cutting board
tin foil 
grill (optional)

Ingredients
1 fresh fennel bulb
2 sm zucchini squash
1 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp canola oil

First, peel back the thicker fennel leaves and discard them.  Next, chop the green ends off of the bulb and cut out the hard center.  I cubbed the fennel into bite sized pieces.  Also, I sliced the squash, but since the squash cooks a bit faster than the fennel, I made sure that my squash chunks were a bit thicker-I didn't want the squash to overcook. 

This recipe can be created by using a grill, which is what I did, or by baking in the oven.  Place the veggies in the tin foil, add the oil, and basil.  Once it is mixed together, seal the foil and place over the grill.

The cooking time on the grill was about 8-10 minutes.  I had it over very hot coals.  My advice, if your grill is running hot, is to set the veggies to the side and allow them the time to steam without buring. 

Oh My! Mac N' Cheese

Since it's getting close to the beginning of a new school year, for some folks, I thought it would be nice to visit the traditional recipe of mac and cheese and mix it up a bit by adding in a roasted green chili pepper.

Tools
cutting board
knife
2 quart sauce pan
plastic spoon

Oh My! Mac N' Cheese Ingredients
2 slices vegan cheese
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp soy milk
dash of salt
pepper to taste
1/2 green chili pepper
1/3 bag Trader Joe's fusilli rice pasta

The first order of business is to roast the green chili pepper, which can be accomplished in a couple different ways-oven roasting or throwing the pepper on the grill.   I had the chili's left over from grilling out the other day, so all I had to do was eliminate the stem and gut the seeds from the pepper. 

Next, I boiled the pasta and once the noodles were cooked, I set it to the side and used the same sauce pan to prep the cheese sauce.  Also, if you want the sauce to a bit more cheesy, add a third slice, but I like my mac and cheese a bit on the lighter side, so I only used two slices.  I began melting the cheese over a low heat with the margaine and milk (you don't have to use soy milk-any unsweetened milk alternative will do), gradually, adding in the flour as I continued to stir to avoid clumps.  Once the sauce was complete, I added in the pasta and mixed it until the noodles were covered completely.  Finally, I added the chopped chili pepper and salt and pepper.  If you're really feeling like having some fun, I suggest adding in some fresh cilantro, too!

This should serve about 2 people and takes just under a half hour to prepare.

A Summer Salsa That Sizzles

Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite-sweet, earthy, and bursting with flavor!

When it's just too hot to cook and you crave a cool boost, this summer salsa is great for outdoor cookouts and indoor lazy days. 
In Culver City today, the heat is climbing the charts, so I opted for a simple recipe and one that did not require turning on the oven nor stove.

Tools
cutting board
knife
gloves
garlic press

Salsa Ingredients
3 garlic cloves
1 3/4 limes
salt
black pepper
1 jalapeno
1 container of heirloom tomatoes
1 Roma tomato
1 sm red onion
1 large handful of fresh cilantro

I like to chop my tomatoes and onion first and then dice the jalapeno into bite sized pieces and mince the cilantro.  Don't forget to snap on a pair of gloves prior to liberating the seeds from the jalapeno.  The bunch that I picked up from Trader Joe's were quite strong this week (thankfully), so I didn't have to add more than one, but if you enjoy an extra spicy salsa, add a second jalapeno.  Finally, I add in the garlic, salt, pepper, and lime. 

This recipe takes about 10-15 minutes and serves about 4-6.  I suggest a nice summer brew to compliment the salsa...perhaps a blond or amber that's light and crisp.  (As a side note, I had a Sam Adams Octoberfest with the salsa-highly recommended.)

The Hungry Vegan Bear Hits The Road

The Hungry Vegan Bear's Hotdish, up close and personal. 

When I travel sometimes it's a challenge to find vegan friendly restaurants and this week I will be traveling up north, which, normally, is not that big of a deal, but I wanted to save some money, too.  Also, I wanted to know the exact ingredients of what I was going to be consuming.  This week I will be teaching up near the Dublin area and I thought that the best way to avoid dining out the entire week would be to cook a few dishes prior to the trip.  My aim was to create a few simple recipes that would travel well (AKA: no sloshing, oozing, or dripping from the various travel containers) and could hold up over a six hour drive.  Today, I made three dishes: a light afternoon cold lunch salad comprised of black beans, onions, tomatoes, and lime, the second is a quinoa with soy sauce and sage, and, finally, for dinner, a hotdish.  The amazing thing about these recipes is the small amount of time they take to prepare, in fact, one of my flatmates commented that it was like watching "speed cooking," not that I advise chopping at the speed of sound lest a paw get in the way.

Tools
cutting board
knife
potato peeler
2 quart covered sauce pan
plastic spoon
colander

Ingredients Hotdish Fusilli
1/2 bag brown rice fusilli
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 pkg meatless meat
8 black olives
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 c white onion
6 Crimean mushrooms
1 Tbsp basil
salt to taste
1/4 tsp Ceyanne pepper
3 lemons
3/4 can tomato paste
1/2 c water

I prepared the fusilli first, bringing it to a boil with the canola oil and then draining the noodles under a cold tap.  The brown rice fusilli gets a bit starchy, so I like to use the cold water to wash away that heavy residue.  I'm not a big fan of wheat noodles, but I still like to cook healthy, which is why I chose the brown rice noodles. 

Next, I began to added in the rest of the ingredients, slicing the olives and mushrooms and chopping the tomatoes, and onion.  I used a tomato paste and opted to thin out the mix by using lemon and water. 

Finally, add in the seasonings.

Ingredients A Kick In The Pants Black Bean Salad
1 can black beans
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 white onion
1 tsp Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning
Ceyanne pepper
pinch of salt
lemon pepper
1 lime
1 Tbsp canola oil

This is a nice cold salad, which is perfect for these warm summer months.  Drain the black beans and wash with cold water adding them to the chopped tomatoes and onion.  Next add in the seasonings, lime, and oil, and you're all set to roll!

Ingredients Quinoa Infused With Sage and Soy Sauce 
1 c quinoa
1/2 white onion
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 tsp sage
soy sauce
black pepper

Begin with the quinoa and bring the grain to a boil.  When the simmering process begins, add in the chopped onion, celery, and juilenned carrots.  As the simmering continued, I added in the sage and black pepper.  Lastly, I added the soy sauce to the finished product.  I happen to believe that soy sauce is similar to salt and pepper, so, again, add the sauce to your taste. 

The overall prep time for all three dishes was approximately 30 minutes.

Kale n' Couscous

This was one of those weeks were I wanted something quick and easy to make for lunch and so I decided to go with couscous, which is great when you're working on a tight schedule as the prep time is low.  Also, it goes a long way when you're feeding more than one person.

Tools
cutting board
knife
medium size cooking pot

Ingredients
2 handful's of kale
1/2 c dry wheat couscous
10 sm heirloom tomatoes
1/2 c white onion
1/2 can garbanzo beans
1 tsp margarine
4 sprigs of fresh sage
1 tsp thyme
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

While prepping the water to steam the couscous, I added in the onion and kale.  I threw that in immediately with the margarine, because I wanted the onion and kale to steam a bit longer.  Once the water was boiling, I added the couscous, garbanzo beans, sage, thyme, and other spices.  I turned off the heat and allowed all of the ingredients to steam.

Once a couple minutes passed by, I added the tomatoes.  Again, I detest squishy tomatoes, which is why I saved them for that last.

All total, this recipe takes about 10 minutes, which is great when you have to be out the door in a hurry.  And serves about 4.

Tasty Tangy Lemon Spinach

This is, by far, one of the quickest and easiest recipes for a side dish.  When I visit an Italian restaurant I always look for this simple dish on the menu.  It's light and perfect for the summer months when there are ample amounts of fresh spinach in the stores and at farmer's markets.  Also, spinach is a great antioxidant, a good source of folic acid, and vitamins, and whether you are a vegan or not it's an important nutritional source. 

Tools
skillet pan
hand juicer
garlic press

Ingredients
3/4 bag fresh spinach
1 1/2 small lemons
4 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
black pepper medley

The trick with fresh spinach is: do not allow the spinach to sit idle in the pan, move it around, and don't leave it over the heat too long. 

Often I rely on practicality in the kitchen, so if you find yourself without a juicer, don't sweat it!  I don't own a juicer of any sort, which has neither stopped me from cooking nor extracting the bejesus out of citrus fruits. 

Over the sink, pop the seeds out of the lemons and then proceed to squeeze the juice into the pan-creates a lovely sizzle.  Next, add the garlic, salt, and pepper. 

This dish, fully prepped, serves about 2. 

Spinach doesn't go a long way, so if you are making this side for a group you might need several bunches of spinach from the market to do the job properly.

Calzone Amore

Sometimes, but not very often, The Hungry Vegan Bear becomes restless with her pizza recipes.  This past weekend, for a bit of inspiration, I turned on some Dean Martin (yup, I went old, old school for this) and suddenly "That's Amore" motivated me to stop thinking about pizza and start thinking about calzone's, which was how Calzone Amore came about.

 

When I was a ski school instructor (pre-vegan days) I remember consuming a few calzone's at a local restaurant in Dillon, CO, but I was never really crazy for their calzone's.  There was too much cheese-hard to believe such a thing coming from a Wisconsinite.  And, now, as a vegan, I've tried several variations on the calzone and, again, too much vegan cheese.  Most vegan calzone's are too sticky, too bland, and too gummy.  These are calzone's not bears!

In my humble opinion, it's fun to play with Calzone recipes, so I created a meatless cheese calzone and a potato and jalapeno recipe granting some variety for my taste testers.

Tools

baking sheet

knife

cutting board

garlic press

bowl

spoon

cheese grater

gloves (might need them for the jalapeno)

If you have time, I suggest making your own pizza dough, but if you don't have time, no worries.  Once again, I used Trader Joe's pizza dough.

Calzone Sauce for the Meatless Calzone

This is the meatless cheese calzone fresh from the oven.

3 oz tomato paste

1/4 c water

1 tsp olive oil

3 lg garlic cloves

1 Tbsp oregano

1 tsp basil
dash of Cayenne pepper
2 dashes of hot sauce
1/4 crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese

12 minced lg black olives

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

I created the sauce separate from the stuffing and once I had this prepared I mixed it with the stuffing.  I decided to keep them separate in the beginning, because I did not want to squash the living daylights out of the fresh veggies, because that would be vegetable abuse and that would just be wrong.

Meatless Calzone Stuffing

1/2 Roma tomato

2 mushrooms

1/2 handful of fresh spinach

1/2 c yellow onion
1/4 c vegan mozzarella cheese
1/4 c meatless meat crumbles

Add the sauce to the stuffing and mix together until the veggies and meatless meat is coated. 

Once the calzone's are cooking in the oven for about 6 minutes, slice about three holes in the top of the dough.

Creates 1 large and 4 medium size calzone's.

Cook at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.



These potato calzone's were surprisingly light.



Potato and Jalapeno Calzone Stuffing

1/2 Roma tomato

1 lg Russet potato

1/4 c yellow onion

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh chives

1/2 jalapeno

salt to taste

black pepper

1 lg garlic clove

1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp vegan cream cheese

The potato was leftover from my potato salad on the 4th of July and it was already boiled and sitting in the refrigerator just waiting to be used.  I peeled the potato and then grated the potato into a glass bowl.  Then I chopped the tomato, onion, and jalapeno.  Once you have the stuffing fully prepped in the bowl, mix everything together until it blends together.

Again, cut about three holes in the top of the calzone's about 8 minutes into the cooking process.  The potato calzone's take a bit longer to cook, but are very much worth the extra effort. 

Creates 1 small and 1 medium sized calzone.

Cook at 450 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Veganpendance Day Extravaganza!

 Frozen Vanilla Soy Dessert Topped With Toasted Coconut Doused In Cognac And Drizzled With Warm Chocolate

The Hungry Vegan Bear couldn't help but
have seconds of this cool tasty treat.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of coconut

frozen soy dessert

1/2 bar of dark chocolate

I toasted a half a bag of coconut in the oven on broil, stirring the coconut until it was golden brown.  Once the coconut was ready I added it to a skillet on a medium high setting on the burner.  Next, take the cognac and add in enough to cover the coconut.  Make sure that you are not standing directly over the skillet as a high flame will shoot up once the cognac hits the pan. 

Remove the skillet and coconut from the burner.  The flame will die out once the pan is off the heat.  Top the cognac doused coconut to the frozen soy dessert.  I used a dark chocolate and warmed it over the stove top.

This recipe will serves three, of course, all of us had seconds.

Cactus On The Grill

Ingredients

1 lb cactus

salt

black pepper medley

Ceyanne pepper

First, use a knife or peeler to strip the cactus of all the needles.  I managed to stab myself in the paw with one of these buggers, which lodged itself under my skin, but was quickly popped out like a splinter with a tweezers.  I don't recommend getting one of these prickly spears in your paw, so be carefull as you are working on these nifty plants.

I used a pound of cactus and boiled it on the stove for about a half hour.  Once the cactus is boiled, handle the cactus to ensure that all of the needles have been extracted from the plant.  After the cactus was tender and ready to serve, I squeezed lime over the top of the cactus and then added salt, black pepper medley, and Ceyanne pepper to the cactus while it was on the grill. 

Veganpendance Day!

When the 4th of July comes around I'm always excited.  And this year I'm especially happy, because I've created a few menu items to celebrate our independence in style.  This is part one of my 4th of July Vegan Extravaganza on The Hungry Vegan Bear.

The Menu

The Hungry Vegan Bear's badass barbecued steak skewers

potato salad with a violet kiss

cactus on the grill

corn on the cob

watermelon
frozen vanilla soy dessert topped with toasted coconut doused in cognac and drizzled with warm chocolate

I love the 4th of July, because it brings with it so many great family memories, celebrating at the cottage, dad blowing up the fireworks...dad blowing up the grill.   My father, who passed away in March, was a kid when the 4th rolled around each year.  He would always get the work out of the way first, mowing the lawn, dumping and grating gravel down Kuehlman Lane, and sometimes tinkering on some quirk or another on the fishing boat.  Then at some point, he'd light his pipe, and grab a Miller from the refrigerator.  Once he did this we all knew that he was about to start the grill.  We used charcoal and dad had an affinity for using an obscene amount of lighter fluid.  But, you have to give him credit, he only ever had to use one match.  This style of grilling he most certainly past down to me as I still find myself using charcoal and an over abundance of lighter fluid, of course, using only one match.

In honor of my father I came up with this menu for the 4th of July, which I think he would have appreciated.

Happy 4th of July!

-The Hungry Vegan Bear

All right, not everyone has time to make barbecue sauce, but I had some free time and I'll admit it when I have a beer or six I tend to get my ass in some trouble.  During this trouble makin' time I conjured up a little recipe for a badass spicy BBQ sauce that I think my dad would be proud of as he had a deep appreciation for bbq sauce.

Once the sauce is complete you can brush it over the skewers or, if you so desire, over your corn on the cob.  The recipe below makes about a cup of sauce.

Badass BBQ Sauce Ingredients
5/8 tsp black pepper medley
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp chili powder
3oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp Jack Daniels
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp molasses
2 dashes hot sauce
2 dashes salt
1 clove garlic
1/4 water
1/2 tsp pepper flakes
1/3 crushed sweet onion


The Hungry Vegan Bear had her paws full with these vegan delights.


I've tasted a lot of different vegan potato salad recipes, but I've always longed for one that was traditional and closer to my mom's potato salad.  This year I opted to combine the traditional with a new twist using purple sweet potatoes.

Potato Salad With A Violet Kiss
3 Russet potatoes
2 sweet purple potatoes
3 lg celery stalks
1/4 lg white onion
3 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 c Vegenaise
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp sugar
couple dashes of salt
1 tsp black pepper medley
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 1/2 handful's of fresh dill minced
1 handful of fresh chives finely chopped

Boil the potatoes for about a half hour and then refrigerate prior to peeling the potatoes.  Cube the potatoes and toss into a bowl with the chopped onion and celery.  Once the potatoes and veggies are chopped and in a plastic bowl, begin the preparation on the dressing.  Begin with the Vegenaise and vinegar and then proceed to add the dry and fresh spices.  Coat the potatoes and veggies with the dressing and then stir together.  Refrigerate prior to serving.  This is a great recipe for potlucks and can serve about 10 to 12 people.

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.   

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.

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.