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.

Baking With The Hungry Vegan Bear

As I've mentioned in a prior post, I'm not a baker, but one of my flatmates had some zucchini and said, "can you do something with this?"  My first thought was that since it wasn't a tuba it was rather unlikely that I could get a tune out of it, so I opted for my second idea, which was to make Zucchini Bread.

Tools
cutting board
grater or food processor (for those who are fancy)
knife
bread pan
mixing bowl
spoon

Zucchini Bread Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed (mixed with 3 tbsp water to create an egg replacement)
1/2 c canola oil
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
1 c zucchini
1 c vegan chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1 tsp bourbon vanilla (plain old vanilla will do, but it's not nearly as fun)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

The first thing that I like to do is to wash the zucchini, then peel a bit of the skin off, and scoop out the seeds.  If you prefer to keep all of the skin on the zucchini, you may, there's really no right or wrong way regarding the exterior of this vegetable.  Next, prepare the flax seed with warm water and set to the side until it becomes a thick paste. 

There are some that do not like the flax seed replacement, so if you happen to fall into this category, then I suggest using a banana or the vegan egg replacement mix.  I like the nutty taste that flax seed adds to bake goods, which is why I usually rely on flax.  Also, flax seed is a great source of fiber, omega-3, and has a lot of health benefits.

Preheat the oven at 350.

Begin by adding the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, into the mixing bowl.  Next, add the vanilla, grated zucchini, flax, and oil.  Fold all of the ingredients together, but make sure you don't beat the mixture too long, otherwise you might end up with a very tough loaf of bread, which makes for a lot of chewing and possibly a lecture from your dentist.  Finally, add in the chocolate chips and gently fold the mixture together. 

Also, if you find your mixture to be too dry, add in a splash or two of soy, rice, or coconut milk.  As I understand, baking is about following the rules, which I've never been very good at, so I often find myself improvising along the way and stumbling on to happy accidents.

Don't forget to grease the baking pan with margarine prior to adding the mixture into the pan. 

I used a glass baking pan for the bread, which helped accelerate the baking time.  I cooked the bread for about 28 minutes, so if your on a tight schedule this might help a little bit.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the bread is cooked, tilt on a cutting board to cool.  Also, I like to run a knife around the edges of the bread to eliminate any sticking points when you cut it. 

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.