Apple BBQ Tempeh and Cabbage

I’ve been in the mood for something bbq’d, and I decided that it would be fun to stray away from my typical bbq tofu sandwiches.

Being that it is currently winter where I live, I also thought of using my slow cooker, so tempeh was the obvious choice, since I simply adore slow cooked tempeh. I added red cabbage to mimic the slaw that often goes with bbq, and added apples to bring an extra touch of sweetness.

And to make sure that this isn’t too traditional, I served it over quinoa.

Ingredients
*1 22 oz can tomato sauce
*1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
*2 c apple juice
*1/2 c molasses
*1/2 onion, diced
*1 red apple, diced and peeled
*A few shakes of hot sauce
*1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
*1 block tempeh, cut in half lengthwise, then into strips widthwise
*1 TBSP olive oil
*Quinoa to serve

Method
*Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
*Add onions, then saute until soft
*Add tomato sauce, apple juice, vinegar, molasses, hot sauce and apple, then bring to a boil
*Reduce to a simmer, then cook until it reduces slightly, about 30 minutes
*Add tempeh, cabbage and sauce to a slow cooker, the cook on low for about 6 hours
*Serve over quinoa

Asian Tempeh Reubens

I have a confession: I have a major obsession with Isa Moskowitz’s tempeh reubens from Vegan with a Vengance! They are so delicious, and are probably my favorite sandwich of all times, or popkin, if you prefer that terminology. I gave this classic an Asian twist in this recipe. This is pretty spicy, so feel free to reduce the chiles in the sauce.

Ingredients
Tempeh
*1 block tempeh, cut once width wise and 3 times length wise
*1 can beer
*1/2 a chili pepper, sliced
*2 TBSP soy sauce
*2 TBSP rice vinegar
*2 TBSP lemon juice
*1 TBSP olive oil
*Several grates of black pepper
*8 slices rye bread
*Some Asian or spicy mixed pickles
Sauce
*Kim chi
*1/2 c vegan mayo
*1 inch mango paste, sliced
*Splash tamerind juice
*3 cloves garlic
*1/2 chili pepper, sliced
*1 TBSP minced Asian or spicy mixed pickles

Method:
Sauce
*Blend or food process all ingredients until smooth
*Chill until ready to use
Tempeh
*Mix together beer, chili pepper, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper
*Place tempeh in a shallow pan, then pour the marinade over it, letting soak for about an hour, flopping from time to time
*Grill tempeh on a med heated grill pan or electric grill press until grill marked on both sides
*Make sandwiches or bread, tempeh, sauce, pickles and kim chi
*Grill on grill pan or press n eat

Chickpea patties

Hummus inspired sandwich patties with a mild kick of chili peppers.
Cake:
*2 cups chickpeas
*1/4 cup tahini
*1/8 cup un-cooked oatmeal
*1 small jalapeno
*2 cloves of garlic, minced
*2 tsp garam marsala
*oil to fry
Sauce:
*4TBSP nayonaise
*1/2 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp ground coriander
*1/8 tsp allspice
Slaw:
*1 cup slaw mix or shredded cabbage
*1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
*1/2 tsp olive oil
*1 tsp garam marsala
*salt and pepper to taste

Method-
*mix together all slaw ingredients and chill
*mix together all sauce ingredients and chill
*mush together all cake ingedients with a potato masher and brown on each side.
*plate on a roll with sauce and a side of slaw…yum

seitan n kraut

So my husband, being from a small town in Pa’s Lehigh Valley, is a big fan of many traditional Pa Dutch dishes. I guess one of their big ones is pork and sauerkraut for New Year’s Day. He has been vegetarian, and now vegan, for 6 years, so has obviously not had this favorite dish in many years. Being the main cook in the house and and not from a Pa Dutch area, this was never an issue, but my husband talk about it all the time. This year we decided to try to replicate this dish in the vegan format. As a base I used Sarah Kramer’s recipe for seitan ham, which I think actually tastes quite a bit more like pork than ham. It starts with making the basic seitan recipe of one half cup each of wheat gluten flour and water. Mix the dough and knead for 5 minutes. I cut the seitan into very small pieces to replicate the fall-appart-iness of real pork. For the broth mix 2 cups water, 1/4 cup tamari, 2 tsp vegan worcestershire, 1 tsp liquid smoke, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp mustard seed and 1/4 tsp sage. This is Sarah Kramer’s seitan ham recipe. Bring the broth to a boil in a stock pot, then add the seitan. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, but stir every ten minutes. You know the seitan is ready when the broth is almost completely evaporated. At this point add the sauerkraut. I added a little less than a bag, but add what you think looks best. Next I simmered uncovered for about 30 minutes. I would say that on it’s own it can serve about 2 or three, so you might want to double, triple or otherwise multiply the recipe, depending on how many guests you are serving. You can also include applesauce, halushki or something involving hot fakin dressing. You could probably strech it a little further, but this recipe is good as it is, so expect to to serve plenty of seconds!

saurkraut pierogies

I know I post alot about cabbage, but I can’t help it, I love it. So here goes:

Ingredients:
Dough:
Flour(1 cup per 6)
Olive oil
Water
Salt(1/4 tsp per 6)

Filling:
1 lg russet or 2 small whatever potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. sauerkraut (recipe for fresh kraut in earlier post)

Method:
Mix salt and flour together. Mix in a little water, then splash in a little oil. Add enough more water to make dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch. Cut rounds out with a glass(I used a pint.)
Dice and then boil potatoes for 20 min. Mash with the sauerkraut, 1 1/2 tbps each caraway seed and dill seed. Scoop some filling into each round, then fold those in half and seal with a fork. Saute in about 2 or 3 tbsp olive oil, flipping often, until browned on both sides. In the mean time, super carmelize 1/2 an onion in olive oil. Combine and serve.

Or, alternately, instead of sauteing, deep fry the prepared pierogies until golden brown (as pictured above).

Cabbage + noodles

Never having had cabbage and noodles(haluski) before, I thought it was time to give it a try. So many of my friends talk about how good it is, so I interviewed them to find out the perfect haluski recipe. This is what I came up with:

1 head of cabbage
Earth Balance margarine
Super big noodles(I used garlic basil stracceti)
Apple cider vinegar
Salt + Pepper

Cut up the cabbage, I like a wide shred type cut. Then melt the Earth Balance(about a 2 or 3 tablespoons) in a frying pan. Saute the cabbage until tender. Meanwhile, cook the pasta ’til al dente. Big, green pasta rocks with this recipe, because your can potentially not know what you are eating until it is in you mouth, since the cabbage and pasta colors and shape are so similar. Next, drain the pasta and mix it in with the cabbage. Season with salt, pepper, cider vinegar(age 1/2 cup) and a little more Earth Balance. Heavenly.

Saurkraut

This is my recipe for sauerkraut:

Cabbage
Kosher Salt(a little over a tablespoon and a half per head)
Cold water
Quart mason jars(about 2 per head)

Making sauerkraut is so, so much fun, since it goes against all that is good and right compared to other types of food preparation. The first this you need to do is shred up all of the cabbage. Though many are proponents of using your food processor or box grater, I prefer a nice, sharp chef’s knife. I feel that a box grater is too frustrating and you can’t use the whole head. The processor, on the other hand makes it look, well, to processed. This is sauerkraut. I needs to be rustic, not fussy. Anyway, but the cabbage in a few bowls, or whatever. I use about 2 quart ones per head. Figure out how much salt you need, then divide that among the bowls. Stir well. Let that sit until it looks reduced(maybe 30 min to 1 hr). Next, pack as much as you can of the cabbage into the quarts and fill to about 2 inches from the top with cold water, screw on the lids, put on a cookie sheet or tray and wait 2 months for the krauting to occur. Check every once in a while to see if it needs more water (it should be covered at all times with water). After that, you can re-can in your desired size jar. I like to use a variety of sizes for different purposes. To can, you need to start my boiling the jars and lids for 30 minutes. Then fill the jars about 1 inch from the top, wipe the rim and apply the lid and band. Next, boil the filled jars for another 30 minutes. Pull out the jars, and when you hear a pop, the are sealed.

Happy sauerkrauting.