Category Archives: Appetizers

Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus

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I don’t know about you but I LOVE almost anything with buffalo wing sauce, there’s just something about it that makes everything taste better. You can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this recipe! All the taste of buffalo wings without the greasy meat and occasional cartilage/fat between your teeth! Sorry, but it’s true!

Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus

I found this recipe on PreventionRD.com. This is a really cool site and I’m looking forward to making more of her recipes!

Buffalo Wing Hummus

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp calorie-free wing sauce (I used 5 Tbsp Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce instead of these two different types of sauce)
2 Tbsp cayenne hot sauce
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (I only added a tiny pinch)

Directions:

Put the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, wing sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy.

Yield: 12 servings (1/4 cup each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 99 calories; 3.4 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 231 mg. sodium; 11.8 g. carbohydrate; 4.2 g. fiber; 4.6 g. protein

Process in food processor until smooth and creamy

Ready!

Serve with crackers and celery sticks

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Spicy Tofu & Tempeh Buffalo Bites

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These are SO GOOD and take less than 20 minutes to make! This was our Super Bowl splurge food and WOW it was good!! I haven’t used oil in so long it was a little odd to cook with it again but I don’t think this recipe would’ve worked without it. I only used a tiny bit so feel free to use whatever you wish.

I love anything (well, almost anything within my eating range) with buffalo wing sauce on it and these fit the bill!

Spicy Tofu & Tempeh Buffalo Bites

This recipes is from Babble food blog – created by Kathy from Healthy Happy Life vegan food blog. I really love her blog and I’ve made several things from it in the past, never been disappointed!

Tofu and Tempeh Buffalo Bites
vegan, adjust recipe for however many logs you would like to make

tofu logs (from extra firm tofu – I like Trader Joe’s High Protein Organic Extra Firm Tofu)
tempeh logs (from any variety of tempeh – I like Trader Joe’s Organic Tempeh)

safflower oil (for cooking)

hot sauce (I used Cholula and Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce)
nutritional yeast
salt/pepper
agave syrup or maple syrup – I used pure maple syrup

Dip: 2 Tbsp vegan mayo + 1 tsp sweetener (agave or maple syrup)

Directions:

1. Press your tofu dry and slice into logs. Slice tempeh into logs.
2. Add a few teaspoons of oil to a hot skillet.
3. When oil is hot, add in enough logs to fill the pan. Allow the tofu and tempeh to sear on both sides for a few minutes. You can add a sprinkle of salt/pepper to these naked logs to season.
4. Add in the hot sauce and maple syrup. You will want to add in about 1/2 tsp hot sauce for every log and 1/2 tsp maple or agave syrup for every 2-3 logs (depending how sweet you like them). Cook the sizzling logs in hot sauce and sweetener for another minutes.
5. With the logs still quite wet from the steam and sauces – add in a plentiful amount of nutritional yeast to the pan. I usually use about 1 cup for the entire skillet. The nutritional yeast acts as your ‘breading’ and creates a crusted over, cheezy-flavored coating. Add enough yeast until the pan is generally dry.
6. Add in a final splattering of hot sauce. You can add a lot for extra spicy bites. Just be sure to add another coating of nutritional yeast if the logs get too wet again.
7. When logs are crispy on the edges with plenty of browned spots – removed from skillet and cool on plate. Serve in a few minutes after allowing to cool.
8. Make your dipping sauce simply by swirling 2 Tbsp of Vegenaise (vegan mayo) with 1 tsp maple or agave syrup. Add in a dash of cayenne or any dip spices you would like toad. Pepper and celery seed are nice. I also like paprika.

Press water out of tofu using a press or heavy pot (I used my cast iron pan and a towel) - slice tofu & tempeh into logs

Brown logs in a little bit of safflower oil

Add hot sauce

YUMMY!!

 

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Oil-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (AND Plant-Based RD info for you!)

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Ever since we watched the movie Planeat, I’ve been on a quest for a good oil-free hummus! I’ve been making these Kale Sandwiches from that movie about every other day, they’re so good! (Terrible picture, sorry! I was too busy eating the hummus to take a good pic!)

Kale Sandwich with Oil-Free Hummus

If you haven’t already read, we are trying to eliminate all added oils from our diet in an effort to “kick it up a notch” in the health department. I’ve been working with a fabulous plant-based registered dietician, her name is Elisa Rodriguez, RD, LDN and she’s available for online consultations through her website EatUrVeggies.com. So if you’re looking to get your health on track I HIGHLY recommend her!

I used up about 6 cups of chickpeas trying to create a tasty oil-free hummus recipe, this one was a hit!

Oil-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

* 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked in pressure cooker (You could use about 3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed)

* Juice of 3 lemons, zest of 1 (Hey, I like lemon!)

* 2 roasted red peppers – I used roasted red peppers from a jar (COSTCO) and they were HUGE so maybe use a few more if they are small

* 2 pinches of sumac – great touch but if you don’t have any don’t worry

* 1/2 – 1 tsp salt, to taste

* 1/3-1/2 cup bean cooking liquid (Save from pressure cooking beans) OR use canned bean liquid OR water

* Handful of parsley, to taste

Blend in food processor until smooth and enjoy on sandwiches, pita chips, veggies and whatever else you like!

Yummy!

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

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I’ve been making this for years, tastes just like the real thing! This makes an excellent dip for veggies, salad dressing and anything else you top with ranch! My hubby likes it on his pizza. I recently served this with No-Buffalo Nuggets… Delish!!

No-Buffalo Nuggets with Vegan Ranch Dressing

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup vegan mayonnaise

* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

* 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

* 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped – I usually used dried parsley, turns out great!

* 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (I star with 1/4 cup and add to make it thinner, depends on what I’m using it for – dip vs. dressing)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk all ingredients together (or just put all ingredients into a container and shake until mixed) and chill before serving. Add a little more soy milk if you need to thin dressing.

Put all ingredients into a container, close and shake!

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No-Buffalo Nuggets

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These are so easy to make and really good! I love the taste of spicy buffalo sauce so when I saw these I had to try them! My hubby wanted a “football watching snack” too so the timing was perfect. Our toddler loved these too! I didn’t add any Frank’s Hot Sauce to hers, she’s not to that level of spice yet! Serve these with a side of Vegan Ranch Dressing.

No-Buffalo Nuggets

I found the nugget recipe on Babble.

3 Ingredient Vegan Buffalo Nuggets
vegan, makes 15 bites/nuggets

1 1/4 cups of GimmeLean Vegan Sausage (comes in a tube – fridge section of grocery store)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp hot sauce — I like Frank’s Hot Sauce
for saute: 2 Tbsp safflower oil

swap spicy for sweet: substitute sweet BBQ sauce or ketchup for the hot sauce if you don’t want the bites too hot!

Directions:

1. Gather your ingredients. Heat the safflower oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat.
2. Tear your sausage into tiny nuggets – they don’t have to be evenly shaped (unless you’d like to roll them into nice balls or pound into nugget shapes).
3. When the oil is hot, quickly roll each sausage nugget in the Panko and place in the sizzling hot oil. Continue doing this until the pan is filled. Allow each nugget to sauté for about 2 minutes on each side. You want the Panko crumb to crisp and brown and saturate with the oil so that they are no longer a white color — but now a caramel brown.
4. When your nuggets are evenly cooked, and the oil mostly absorbed/cooked off. Turn the heat off and add in your hot sauce in a casual ‘splashy’ way. You want a nice splash of sauce to accent ( but not overly saturate) each of the bites. Toss the nuggets in the still hot pan with the sauce as they sizzle and cook.
5. Serve hot.

Easy ingredients!

Cut up or tear bite sized pieces of Gimme Lean Sausage

Coat each piece with panko breadcrumbs

Cook until brown on both sides

Okay, so a few of them are a little TOO brown but they were still good!

Add hot sauce and toss

Serve with Vegan Ranch Dressing

Spicy Lemon Chard

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This is one of my favorite lunch recipes, this flavor mixture is addicting! I usually eat a whole bunch of chard for lunch using this recipe, sometimes with a side of whole wheat bread or rice. It’s quick and easy to make too, great for busy people! This is a unique spice blend that most people either love or hate… I LOVE IT and I hope you do too!

Spicy Lemon Chard

  • 1 -2 bunches of chard (leaves AND stems) ,washed and chopped – I use red, green or rainbow… ALL GOOD! I use 1 bunch but you may want to use 2 the first time, or half the spices (to make sure you like it first!)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – you can use water or veggie broth if you’re trying to cut out oil. I use broth and it works perfectly
  • 1-3 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil (water or broth) in a large skillet and saute the garlic gently until golden. Add the chard, paprika, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
  2. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

I usually choose red chard but any will do

Use the stalks too for added fiber and crunch!

Wash and dry chard and tear leaves from stems - chop

Easy ingredients!

Saute garlic first... I use jarred garlic when I'm in a hurry

Add in stems for a minute or two, then add in chopped leaves

Add spices/lemon and saute for a few minutes

Serve cold'ish