speedvegan

Pesto Tofu Scramble, originally uploaded by cloudmonkey.

I also made a “solid” version of last night’s scramble for Geoff.

2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp tarragon
1 tbsp olive oil
10 cremini mushrooms, chopped
16 oz firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 cup vegan cheese
2 tbsp pesto sauce

1. Mix all spices in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Saute mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add crumbled tofu and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in the spices and the vegan cheese, making sure to mix in the spices thoroughly. Cook for another minute.

4. Stir in the pesto sauce. Cook until desired consistency. Serve warm.

Peanut Butter Crunch French Toast, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

when we were in Atlanta, Geoff had peanut butter french toast for brunch one morning. it looked delicious, but i couldn’t try it because it was “NOT vegan.” i made a mental note to make a vegan version of it once we were back home. i finally got around to it this weekend.

12 thick slices of whole grain bread
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
4 tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
maple syrup

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease baking sheet and set aside.

2. smear a generous amount of peanut butter on 6 of the bread slices. cover with the remaining slices.

3. combine soy milk, chickpea flour, cornstarch and cinnamon in a pie plate. place the rolled oats in another plate.

4. melt 2 tbsp margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.

5. soak the peanut butter sandwiches in the soy milk mixture, then dredge in the rolled oats, pressing to help them adhere.

6. cook sandwiches in the skillet until each side is golden brown. use remaining margarine as needed.

7. transfer sandwiches to baking sheet. cook for about 10 minutes. serve immediately with maple syrup.

i liked it, but it was absolutely TOO rich for me. i struggled to finish one piece.

I had a craving for scrambled tofu tonight. My appetite is back !!

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
bragg liquid aminos (to taste)
hot sauce (to taste)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water (or more if needed)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
cajun seasoning (optional, to taste)
1 cup kale, chopped

1. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat.

2. Saute onion, pepper and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add tofu and cook for 2 more minutes.

3. Stir in braggs, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and water. Cook for 3 more minutes.

4. Season with fresh ground pepper and cajun seasoning, if desired. Fold in the kale and cook for another minute. Serve with toast.

I’m listing this under “breakfast” but I was very happy to have it for dinner.

Morning Smoothie, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I recently started making smoothies for breakfast. It’s a bit time consuming (I don’t have a Vitamix) but so very worth it. I am even more energized in the mornings. The smoothies also fill me up more so than the spelt toast I used to have. iIve tried many different combinations. Here’s my favorite so far.

1/2 cup soymilk
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries
2 prunes, pitted
2 kale leaves
6 ice cubes

I normally use blueberries because they’re my favorite, but I’ve used blackberries, strawberries and even cherries before. I also sometimes add a tablespoon of flax seeds or flax seed oil ! It’s very yummy and good for you.

Baked French Toast, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I sometimes try recipes that I find on other cooking blogs. I usually end up changing them around a bit to fit my taste. This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on the Eat Air blog. When I first saw it, I knew Jose would love it. Even though I can’t have more than a bite, the aroma of cinnamon sugar in the house was totally worth it !

1 french baguette, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Topping:
2 tbsp non-hydrogenated vegan margerine, softened
1/4 cup sugar or substitute
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place bread slices in a greased 8×8 glass baking dish.

3. Mix the rest of the French Toast ingredients and pour over ALL the slices. Set aside.

4. To make the topping, mix together margarine and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.

5. Add agave nectar/maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until smooth, then fold in the walnuts.

6. Spread topping over bread slices evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving or burn your tongue !

OMG ! Can you say d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s ?? Chris and Darlene from Eat Air rock !

Saturday Morning Hash, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I had a short but rough ride (on my bike) this morning. I felt a bit faint when I came home and knew I needed something with carbs and protein. I felt much better after I ate !

2 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, cut into small cubes and parboiled
1 cup textured soy protein
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Mexican seasoning
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
3 scallions, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)
vegan sour cream
chives

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add potatoes, textured soy protein and peppers and cook for about 4 minutes.

3. Add seasoning, lime juice and hot sauce if using. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until potatoes start to brown.

4. Stir in scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Top with vegan sour cream and chives.

I didn’t have chives today, so i added some parsley instead. It was still yummy !

Tofu Scramble with “Sausage”, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I made a sausage pizza this week and had some leftover veggie ground sausage, so I decided to make a scramble this morning.

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 green pepper, chopped
6 oz ground sausage
1 small tomato, chopped
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp mexican seasoning
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
bragg liquid aminos (to taste)

1. Boil potatoes in a medium size pan for about 10 minutes.

2. In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Saute the garlic and onions until softened.

4. Add green pepper and ground sausage. Cook for 3 minutes.

5. Add potatoes when done. Mix in the tomato and crumbled tofu.

6. Stir in the spices. Mix well and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

If at any time you need to de-glaze the pan, add some water (one tsp at a time).

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Jose asked for chocolate chip pancakes. I looked in the refrigerator and found a box of strawberries. Jose loves strawberries so I decided to make Strawberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp sugar or substitute
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup soymilk (*)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 strawberries, chopped

1. Combine dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

2. In a separate bowl, combine soy milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add to dry mixture.

3. Add strawberries. Mix until lumps disappear. Don’t over-mix ! A couple of lumps are OK.

4. Cook on preheated, lightly oiled pan. Turn when bubbles form on surface and edges begin to dry.

(*) For thicker pancakes, use less soy milk. For thinner pancakes, use more soy milk.

Jose said they’re very tasty. I only had one bite but have to agree with him. I think this would be a great vegan Valentine’s breakfast treat. Yum !

Banana Nut Pancakes, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I decided to make Banana Nut Pancakes this morning. Jose looked surprised. Apparently, he’s never had Banana Nut Pancakes before. He really is from another planet. That or he’s been very, very deprived. Somehow, I knew he’d love them.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp sugar or substitute
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup soy milk (*)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed

1. Combine dry ingredients and walnuts.

2. In a separate bowl, combine soy milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add to dry mixture.

3. Add mashed banana. Mix until lumps disappear. Don’t overmix ! A couple of lumps are OK.

4. Cook on preheated, lightly oiled pan. Turn when bubbles form on surface and edges begin to dry.

(*) For thicker pancakes, use less soy milk. For thinner pancakes, use more soy milk.

I was right ! He loved them and asked me to make them again.

Tofu Scramble, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Egg replacement is the the most challenging aspect of a vegan diet. Personally, I don’t miss scrambled eggs. I was never a big fan of eggs to begin with. However, I do like to have breakfast options that don’t involved cold cereal and soy milk or hot cereal and soy milk all the time. With that said, here is a basic Tofu Scramble recipe that I like to make.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Saute the garlic and onions until softened.

3. Add the peppers and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the cumin, thyme, paprika, turmeric and salt. Mix well. add 1/4 cup water to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get all the spices.

5. Crumble the tofu and add to the mixture in the skillet. Mix well and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

Jose wanted vegan ham in this particular scramble, so I cut two slices into small squares and added them about 5 minutes after I added the tofu. Feel free to add other veggies to your Tofu Scramble. You can spice it up with salsa to make a Ranchero style breakfast skillet or add lemon juice (1 tbsp) and nutritional yeast (1/4 cup) to give it a cheesy taste.