Veganizzm: The Nuts and Oats of Vegan Cooking

You know when you find a recipe that’s so totally delicious, yet sickeningly simple that it makes you kind of mad? Like, you think WHY THE HELL DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS? And then you stop being mad because it’s delicious and who has time to be mad when you could be eating? That’s basically the emotional cycle I fell into as I read each recipe in The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook. Vegetables are at the center of every dish and even though it seems like we, as a society, have done everything there is to do with eggplants (seriously, I thought they stop being exciting in, like, 1804) this book has like six exciting things to do with them. The photography is the same gorgeous stuff you can find on Emily’s blog. Speaking of this beautiful blog/book, you can win a copy for yourself! Keep reading to find out how.

I’ve written about Emily’s books before, so I will stop myself from gushing again, but seriously, this is a good one. The book is broken into a totally raw section and a lightly cooked section (the baked yam recipe below is from the latter). I can’t wait to work my way through the book because I can tell a bunch of the recipes will make great lunches to bring to work. (I’m lookin’ at you, Freedom Falafel). YOU CAN MAKE A HOME IN MY TUM, LITTLE FRIENDS.

Anyway, this is how I prop open my books. Can you not see how nice the photos are in there? Damn.

Baked Yams with Black Beans, Sesame Miso Gravy, Green Onions + Purple Cabbage

2 large yams/sweet potatoes

1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 peeled garlic clove
1 teaspoon chunk peeled ginger

2 cups cooked black beans
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped purple cabbage

Preheat the oven to 350*. Wash and scrub the yams then slice them in half lengthwise and bake with the cut-side down for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they are bubbling and tender all the way through (test with a fork). Mash a little space into each of them so you have a place to put the toppings.

To make the gravy: blend all the ingredients until smooth. If it’s too thin, add more tahini. If it’s too thick, add more water or apple cider vinegar.

Top off yams with the beans, green onions and cabbage, then drizzle with the gravy. Nom.

Want to win a copy for yourself? Head on over to my Instagram, follow me, then find the post that says win a book! books are not extinct! and like it. You’ll automatically be entered to win a copy!

Happy 2016, lovely bitches and hoes of the internet. I hope you had a joyous holiday season filled with limited familial dysfunction – but not zero – and I hope you found time to jam your gullet full of baked goods like I did #cleaneating #blessed.

Christmas feels like ages ago! I spent the holiday in Iowa with Ben’s family and cooked up a number of delicious things which will find their way to this blog eventually. After Christmas I traveled to Amsterdam, which I documented on my Instagram account (and used the hashtag #amstergrams, which I later found out is almost certainly a drug hashtag……).

Amsterdam is sweet. The bike culture is incredible and they have a diverse population, which meant tons of great food from around Europe and the world. I found the city to be very vegan/vegetarian-friendly. A few places we ate:

• Café de Ceuvel
• de culinaire werkplaats
• Le Pain Quotidien
• Alchemist Garden
• Marqt [a cool health food grocery store chain]

Now I’m back in the real world where it has been quite rainy and cold. I am comforting myself by listening to Bright Eyes and eating a huge, steamy bowl of this spicy vegan black bean soup (!) which is an old recipe I posted on Tumblr ages ago but never migrated over. So, here’s a new recipe to get you through this winter. And this might be a healthy recipe, but don’t think I’m all about resolutions or anything. I’ll make sure the next recipe I post is, like, a quadruple chocolate bourbon cocaine cake or something.

Spicy Vegan Black Bean Soup

• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup portabello mushrooms, chopped finely
• 2 medium carrots, chopped finely
• 1-2 Tbs coconut or olive oil, for sautéing
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 x 29-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon ground fresh chili paste
• crushed red pepper flakes
• scallions (for garnish, optional)

Add the onions and oil of your choice to large pot. Sauté until the onions a translucent (6-7 minutes), then add the mushrooms and carrots. Sauté another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste, veg stock, beans, and chili paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or pour in a regular food processor/blender) and blend until smooth. Serve hot and garnish with scallions, crushed red pepper, and hot sauce.

Snow my god. I know I always go on and on about how good my dishes are blah blah blah but SERIOUSLY this shit is awesome. I could eat this alfredo sauce for breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert and not get tired of it. I will not fess up to anything but I can tell you it’s good enough to eat a blender-full of the stuff straight up with a spoon.

Truth be told, this joyful experience is due largely to the fact that this was my first exposure to cashew cheese. Whether you’re vegan, raw, carnivorous, omnivorous, westnilevorous, or only eat dirt you should try this cashew cheese alfredo sauce. It’s awesome. If you’re not a ragin’ vegan like me and don’t dream in vegetables you can also try this sauce on regular ol’ pasta! Either way, dig in and report back how fantazz it is.

Carrot “Fettucini” Noodles

• 1 zucchini
• 3 carrots (or however many you want)

Creamy Cheezy Cashew Alfredo Sauce

• juice of 1/2 a lemon (~1-2 Tablespoons)
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots and zucchini into long, thin strips.

2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend 30-40 seconds, until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.

3. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. When hot, add the carrots and zucchini with a sprinkle of salt. Toss frequently with tongs until the veggie soften. Keep tossing until the carrots and zucchini strips begin to brown on the edges but before they burn.

4. Remove the sautéed veggies from the pan and combine in a large bowl with the alfredo sauce. Toss well, being sure to coat all of the “fettucini.” Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper!

There are two kinds of people on this earth: those who believe vegan food can be deliciousflavorfultastysatifaction@thebomb.com and those who should stop reading this blog right now. I have some spite in my heart for the fact that vegan meals are so often castigated as bland, dense, and unsatisfying. That’s why I like this Samosa Quinoa. It’s a total mythbustah! I thought this recipe made up about three years ago while improvising from a samosa recipe and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve made it countless times and always get positive feedback from even the most skeptical oh-i-guess-I’ll-try-your-rabbit-I-mean-vegan-food eaters. Most importantly, I really like it.

This time around I tried something a little different. I used all of my normal flavorites but tried something a lil’ funky and new. I started by frying just the tofu in ginger, garlic, jalapeño pepper, a small amount of oil, and lots of spices. The tofu was much more flavorful than the other times I’ve made this dish and from now on I’m fo sho using this method! The new and improved recipe is as follows:

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 1 lb potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, diced, & boiled
• 14 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed & diced into 1/4” cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
• 1/2-3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric or curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• chopped cashews (optional garnish)

1. Cook the quinoa in 4 cups water or vegetable stock for 20-25 minutes, until fluffy.

2. Place a skillet on medium heat with a few Tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil. Add ginger, garlic, jalapeño pepper, onion, tofu, plus a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly and adding a drizzle of oil if the tofu sticks. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric/curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.

3. Add boiled potatoes, 1/2 cup water, diced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, and frozen peas to the skillet. Heat until the mixture starts to bubble, adding 1/4-1/2 cup more water if the mixture is very thick. Simmer the mixture for 10 more minutes then transfer to a large bowl.

4. Combine quinoa and the tofu/vegetable mixture and add the remaining spices (1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric/curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon), 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped cashews.

In my lifetime I have spent many an hour huddled over a campfire, painstakingly rotating a twig bent in despair from the weight of a dense, gooey marshmallow. The noble quest was always to achieve highly esteemed and oh-so-tasty golden brown perfection. Last summer I worked as a camp counselor and was reminded of the cheap thrill s’more-making gives kids (and adults). I thoroughly understand the importance of a good s’more and decided I would do it justice by creating the cadillac of cookies. I adapted and simplified a beloved chocolate chip cookie recipe to what I will shamelessly call dessert perfection.

• 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or 1/2 whole wheat + 3/4 AP)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped vegan marshmallows
• 4 vegan graham crackers, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a small dish, mix together the flax seed and water.

2. In a food processor or large bowl, mix together the flax mixture, margarine, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and crushed graham crackers. Add the margarine mixture and stir until well incorporated.

4. Roll into about 24-26 balls and place on a plate or pan lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes, until marshmallow & chocolate are gooey.

When the cookies are done, allow to stand 10 minutes (if you can wait that long). Vegan s’mores cookies go perfect with a glass of soy milk!

Well, snitches, we’ve practically made it. The last week of February is upon us and I’ve gotten through the buttcrack of the year relatively unscathed except for the radioactive gobs of mucus dropping down my throat en ce moment. WHAT’S THAT? YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT MY GROSS TRANSFORMATION INTO THE UNDEAD? At least take me out for coffee first. Anyway, the point is, once February is over we can all go back to leading our daily lives without swaddling ourselves into straightjackets of fleecy layers before going outside and/or listening to Whitney Houston because it’s the only thing upbeat enough to balance out the sky’s 50 shades of gray. As we near the end, here’s a little bit of brightly-colored, cheery deliciousness to get you through.

Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup WW + 1 cup AP)
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup soy (or other non-dairy milk) OR orange juice
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1.5 cups vegan cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. I highly recommend sifting the flour if you have a sifter. Add the shredded carrots and the oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
2. Add the milk (or OJ) and stir to combine, then fold in the walnuts and coconut. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9X9” pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

For frosting: simply mix together cream cheese and sugar, then spread on top of the cooled cake. Dust with cinnamon to garnish if desired.

There’s nothing quite like when you’re standing on a chair Christmas morning photographing cookies in a sports bra and high-waisted sweatpants from your 6th grade swim team and your dad strolls in.

My Dad is very supportive of my blogging and likes all the cookies he gets when I test out new recipes, but this is undeniably a weird situation to walk in on. He responded by turning on his heel and announcing he was going upstairs to fold socks. Running this blog (as many of you other food bloggers know!) involves loads of behind-the-scenes grocery runs, flour-sifting, pot-cleaning, table-arranging, chair-standing, photo-snapping, picture-editing, and Dad-explaining. And I love every single part of it! 2013 has been a an exciting year, much of which I’ll get to in the next couple posts before the year is over. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: thanks for reading, writing with comments, and generally supporting Veganizzm as it continues to grow. Merry Christmas however you choose to celebrate (or not celebrate) this year. Movies and Chinese food are a great way to spend December 25th, too!

Anyhow, onto the recipe! These ginger snaps are INTENSE in the best way possible. Ginger is an amazing flavor and I decided to go all the way with double gingery goodness and hot diggity dawg it paid off. I may or may not be getting crumbs all over my keyboard as I type this. Make a batch for family, friends, coworkers, or you and your keyboard cat this holiday season!

Candied Ginger Ginger Snaps

Adapted from Food.com

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350º

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, molasses, water, vanilla, and sugar. Mix or whisk to combine.

2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir well to combine and mix in the chopped candied ginger.

3. Form the dough into teaspoon-sized smooth balls. Pressing down with the back of a fork, make a hashtag shape (#yolo). Sprinkle with sugar and pop these puppies in the oven for 10 minutes, or until very lightly golden and firm. Allow to cool and enjoy!

I’m sitting in my apartment where it looks like Christmas just threw up after a night of heavy drinking. I don’t pin myself as the holiday type, so I think I must have sleepwalked to Target in a zombie-like state and bought 4 strings of lights, fir tree-shaped candles, and, somehow, pumpkin spice hummus. There is no other explanation. I am repulsed and slightly aroused.

The only part of the holidays that my rational mind enjoys is the viable excuse to bake all the time. I don’t even like baking that much, but I have a few great jokes centered on powdered sugar looking like cocaine, so I do what I have to. This coming week is a non-stop string of holiday parties with coworkers, family, and friends. Fortunately, these pinwheels are a super easy last-minute party trick guaranteed to please a crowd. Make sure you get vegan puff pastry and the rest is pie. I’m biased, but I could eat these vegan pinwheels all day (I might also be avoiding that pumpkin spice hummus).

Mushroom Chickpea Pinwheels

• 1 package vegan puff pastry, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farm)
• 3 shallots, finely minced
• 1 cup chopped portabello mushrooms
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400* and lightly grease a cookie sheet

1. Heat a medium pan and add the olive oil and minced shallots. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and let them caramelize until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  Finally, add the chickpeas, sprinkle with thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste; cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Depending on the number of sheets of pastry, divide up the mushroom/chickpea mixture (e.g. if you have two sheets, divide mixture in half). Starting about 1/2″ from the edge, pour one portion of the mixture onto a sheet of pastry (see picture below). Roll away from you into a log (like a jelly roll). Cut into 1/2″ slices. Place the slices onto the greased cookie sheet. You may want to pour a bit of extra filling into some of them as you go if any are sparsely filled. Repeat this process with subsequent sheets of puff pastry. Once complete, place the cookie sheets in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Boston is a city with a rich history, top academic institutions, a slight speech impediment (pronouncing Rs is hard), and probably more Vineyard Vines than should be allowed by law. Just kidding… definitely more Vineyard Vines than should be allowed by law.

As I’ve mentioned, I am a Masshole, born and raised. I will always have a soft spot in my heart (and probably on my butt) for Boston. Still, despite Boston’s pretty lit food scene, a great vegan meal is fairly hard to find. There are a handful of fully vegetarian restaurants, but I also love finding  places that serve up great vegan food, even if that’s not the name of their game. Here is part II of (what I think are) the best vegan eats Boston has to offer:

• All Star Pizza Bar – this place rules. They make all different kinds of pies including five delicious vegan pizzas (you can also build your own). I think my favorite is the “Sweet N Sassy”: almond milk béchamel, daiya cheddar, pickled red onion, kale, roasted butternut squash, chili flakes. “Baked and Tofused” is also delicious. Okay, they’re all tied for first place.

• FoMu – every vegan in Boston knows FoMu (with good reason). They make 100% vegan ice cream, cookies, poptarts, ice cream cakes, and magic bars, but also just kick ass and take names in general. The ice cream is coconut milk-based and they rotate seasonal ingredients and flavors in. I could swim in a vat of their slightly boozy holiday cookies & nog flavor. I would probably never get out, but I’d be okay with that.

• Whole Heart Provisions – this is a new venture between Roxy’s Grilled Cheese owner James DiSabatino and chef Becca Arnold (of Alden & Harlow and Sarma). I have a huge, crazy crush on everything I’ve ever eaten at Sarma, so I knew this would be good. The concept is simple bowls with delicious combinations of veggies, beans, crunchy things and to-die-for sauces. Plus, they are obsessed with tahini, so WE GOOD. I am a huge fan of the seared avocado with crunchy lentils, za’atar and tahini (picture below. No, that’s not an avocado and a smooshed oreo ice cream cake).

• True Bistro – this all-vegan restaurant is pretty top notch. It’s on the fancy side of plant-based joints (re: a little more expensive) but if you’re used to eating salads and side dishes when you eat out, it’s fun to go to a fancy restaurant where you can order any nice goddamn thing you want. The Phyllo purse is really tasty (brandy braised tempeh, heirloom winter squash, green mole, sour cream) and do. not. skip. the Death by Chocolate cake.

• Arax Market – I grew up in Watertown, which has a large Armenian population. It’s only slightly hyperbole to say that baba ghanoush was more normal to me than peanut butter. Watertown has a number of great Armenian markets and bakeries, which are brimming with naturally vegan options. I recommend: hummus (more tahini-rich than anything you’ve ever bought in a store), baba ghanoush, pita, vegetarian lahmajun, grape leaves, cous cous, vegetarian kibbeh, and more.

• Clover – Clover. CLOVER. CLOVER. I feel like one of these days I should get the Clover logo tattooed on my butt or something. I really do go there at least 4-5 times a week. It’s located across the street from my office and their sandwiches kind of inspire a cult following? Am I the cult? Shit, I am the cult. Anyway, there’s pretty much nothing not to love about Clover’s food because it’s fresh, fast, incorporates local ingredients, and just tastes good. You can order more sandwiches in a pita pocket (which they make themselves) or sans bread as a platter. The Japanese Sweet Potato (known as JSP within the cult) is my all-time seasonal favorite, but the Chickpea Fritter is a terrific go-to when JSP is not around.

How about you? What did I miss? What are your favorite vegan-friendly spots in Boston?