Author Archives: aprilcball

Tastes Like Cheeze!

by

1

I’ve accumulated a few good fake cheese recipes over the years, some are nut based others are bean/potato based… all are really good! So good that I don’t even miss the real thing! My latest favorite recipe is from one of my favorite vegan food blogs, Healthy Happy Life (a.k.a. The LunchBox Bunch). Kathy, the lady who writes the blog, has a TON of really yummy recipes! Her Fake-Out Cheese Sauce is my daughter’s favorite! It’s a white bean (or cannellini bean) based “cheese” made with either sweet potato or instant mashed potato as a thickener – I prefer the sweet potato base myself. My hubby and I use this recipe when we have “Vegan Nacho Night”.

20111005-220225.jpg

Fake-Out Cheese Sauce
vegan, makes 5 cups

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 can cannellini beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
2-3 Tbsp tamari (replaces added salt)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fine pepper
1 cup mashed sweet potato OR 1/2 cup instant mashed potato (unflavored) + 1/2 cup water – (I’ve used both and I like the sweet potato better!)
*see note below
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance) softened
1-2 Tbsp agave syrup
2 Tbsp tahini (adds a tang to the sauce – just as real cheese would)
Last step: thin out to desired thickness with soy milk, soy creamer or water

Potato note:

* The first go around I used dehydrated potato flakes as a thickener. The white potato flakes are quite bland so they act as a neutral base for the sauce. Silky sauce. Then the next few tries, I used my go-to sweet potato instead. I actually like the sweet potato version better because I gravitate towards sweet dishes. But my husband loved the white potato flake version better. Choose your potato as you wish. Or use a mix of the two.

To Make:

1. Bake your sweet potato – if using that method.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. I used my Vitamix. Blend on low and increase gradually until mixture becomes smooth.
3. You can do a taste test and adjust spices, sweetness. Lastly, thin out the sauce to your desired thickness using soy milk, soy creamer or water. I added in a splash of soy creamer.
4. If serving with pasta, add directly to hot, just drained pasta and the pasta will heat the sauce. Otherwise, you can simmer the sauce on your stove top until ready to be served or used in a recipe. Simmering the sauce is great if using for a cheesy dip or fondue.

I mix it with my homemade pesto and serve it over whole grain noodles for my daughter. She loves it!

Toddler Approved Mac n' Cheeze with Pesto!

I make my own pesto, the recipe is different every time I make it because I just eyeball the ingredients. I use avocado instead of cheese (to add healthy fats to my daughter’s diet) and pine nuts or walnuts depending on how expensive pine nuts are at the time. I’ve used almonds before, I just make sure and blanch them first.

We use pesto on sandwiches and pasta, my hubby is obsessed with veggie sandwiches and loves to slather on a thick layer of it.

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture

by

13

My last delivery

I belong to a CSA here in San Diego, they deliver all organic fruits and veggies to my door weekly and I LOVE IT! I don’t care what anyone says, organic produce tastes better!

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Local farms get together and offer up their organic items (mostly produce) in an effort to save the small family farms in town while providing true organic goods to us!

I’ve tried a few different CSA’s in San Diego and Abundant Organics is my favorite! They deliver to my door once a week and they offer a ton of add-ons if you want to order anything in addition to your weekly bounty. Their add-ons include everything from fresh dried spices, a wide variety of veggies to raw milk and grass fed beef. I like to add on the collard greens and swiss chard, sometimes I’ll split 10 pounds of grapes with a friend.

Kristin, the woman who delivers the goods, is always happy to see you and ready to offer any information you may need. When I had my son, she brought me a cute little book to give to my daughter so she wouldn’t feel left out! So thoughtful of her!

I love the fact that they deliver to your door – it’s $5 extra but totally worth it!

Breakfast To Go

by

2

The makings of a fast breakfast

In order for me to get my two kids out of the house early enough to walk/run to Stroller Strides (exercise class with your stroller) I have to eat fast. I have to eat something that will stick with me because I won’t get another chance to eat again for awhile.

I rotate protein powders/meal replacements because I can’t have the same thing every day.

Right now I’m about halfway through this Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer – a little on the expensive side but it averages out to be about $3.00 a meal so that’s okay. The taste is a little earthy so I mix it with vanilla almond milk, frozen berries, banana and a little stevia powder (Kal brand is the best!). Sometimes I add greens (kale, collards, chard) if they are wilting in the fridge, sometimes a carrot or celery. Add a little flaxseed oil and chia seeds (think cha-cha-cha- chia!) and presto… I’m full until lunch! Plus I am getting about 30-35 grams of protein and 21 grams of fiber.

Most people do not get enough fiber – you generally need between 35-45 grams per day. Chia seeds are very high in fiber and an excellent source of calcium, iron and magnesium. Almond milk has almost half of the calcium you need on one day in one serving plus it tastes so good!

Vegan Plant-Based Sushi Night… For the third night this week!

by

4

My husband Josh requested we have sushi night again tonight. This would be our third this week, it’s just that good!! I love sushi but I’ve always been a little squeamish about the raw fish… “am I going to injest a tapeworm with my saki or not this evening” has always had its place in the back of my mind. Vegetarian sushi at most sushi bars is just plain boring. There’s typically a cucumber roll that consists of seaweed, cucumber and rice. Not quite the palette pleaser you tend to seek when you go out for sushi. No one ordering a cucumber roll is shouting “saki bombs!” from the other end of the bar, it’s too boring of a roll for that kind of fun.

I usually buy the Extra Firm High Protein Organic Tofu from Trader Joe’s for sushi rolls but I decided to try something different tonight. My typical fish’ish filler is the TJ’s tofu cut into long strips and stir fried in toasted sesame oil, sweet chile sauce and a little low sodium soy sauce. It makes pretty tasty tofu morsels to add to the rolls, along with an assortment of tasty veggies.

My favorite sushi rice recipe comes from Food.com – “Minado’s Perfect Sushi Rice” (http://www.food.com/recipe/minados-perfect-sushi-rice-119373). It’s the best technique and flavor I’ve found, much better and easier than the directions on the rice bag itself.

While I’m waiting for the rice to cook I usually cut up my veggies:

* Bean Sprouts (my favorite!)

* Asparagus (I blanch them first – drop into boiling water for 30 seconds then quickly move them to a bowl of ice water to cool)

* Red and Yellow Bell Peppers

* Cucumbers

* Carrots (Be careful not to cut yourself trying to get these into sushi sized strips! I need to work on my knife skills…)

* Red or Green Chard

* Cilantro (my other favorite addition!)

* Green Onions / Scallions (I cut off the white parts and slice the green parts down the middle, longways)

* Avocado (Yum!)

Now I wrap my sushi rolling mat in plastic wrap, lay out my Nori (Seaweed sheets) and I’m ready to roll!

As you can see, this does not have the spicy chile tofu I was talking about… it’s something new and VERY YUMMY!

Spicy Tempeh Filling! We love tempeh (pronounced tem-puh, I think… that’s how we say it anyways!) and we eat it often. It’s cheap and very healthy! I buy 10 at a time when I go to Trader Joe’s – it’s organic and you can make so many things out of it! My hubby LOVES tempeh!

So I searched the internet for a tempeh sushi recipe. I found one on Post Punk Kitchen, one of my favorite vegan food sites! Here’s the recipe: http://www.theppk.com/2008/10/spicy-tempeh-roll/

So, mostly following the recipe but not 100%, I cut the tempeh into cubes, steamed it, drained it, mashed it in a bowl and added Veganaise (vegan mayo, found at Henry’s in refrigerated section) and a little toasted sesame oil. This became what you see in the photo, almost like a fake’ish crabmeat type filling.

My hubby Josh loves the Tofutti Cream Cheese (Yes, fake cream cheese) so he added a little to his to mimic the rolls he loves at the sushi bar. I tend to prefer more veggies in mine.

I also make a spicy sauce to go on top of the sushi – I love hot stuff! I mix 1/2 cup of vegan mayo (Veganaise), 2 Tbsp of Sriracha Sauce (think red Chinese hot sauce with green squirt top) and about 1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil. Mix it all together and drizzle it on top of your rolls for a little extra fire. It’s just like the sauce they use at the sushi bars!

Um… YUM!!! Thank you Post Punk Kitchen!!! And Josh for doing the dishes….