Lau Lau~ With a Twist

Lau Lau~ With a Twist
Vegan; 30 minutes; Gluten Free

The majority of time these rolls are filled with pork and fish, here I used a filling with split peas and sweet potato. A filling and tasty way to get more collard greens in your diet (which are a super green), hope you enjoy these rolls...


8 large whole collard leaves
1 medium sweet potato, unpeeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of green and yellow split peas, soaked for 8 hours **Note: Soak the split peas before going to work or early in the day
1/2 cup of pearl barley or quinoa
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or a few drops of liquid smoke

1. I used a rice maker filled with 2 cups water to cook the split peas, pearl barely and steam the sweet potatoes. If not using a rice maker fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked split peas, pearl barley and cook till tender. Steam the sweet potatoes for 8 minutes.

2. Fill a large pot with 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Drop collard leaves in water one leaf at a time, and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly soft.

3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic till fragrant. Add sweet potatoes, cooked split peas and pearl barley or quinoa, coconut milk, crushed red pepper, and paprika or liquid smoke. Simmer, letting all of the flavors come together for 5 minutes or until liquid is gone.

4. Lay 1 collard leaf on work surface, with steam pointing away from you. Spoon 1/4 cup of filling 2 inches from bottom of collard leaf. Fold bottom edge of collard leaf over filling, fold in sides, and roll away from you; rolling as tight as you can. Serve with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce for an extra kick....

Mini No-Meat Loaves

Mini No~Meat Loaves
Vegan; 1 hour total

I made these to be part of the Christmas Day feast. They came out great, but only last for a few days as left overs. They get to be really dense, so at a certain point you feel like you're eating a hockey puck.... Honestly, these were great the first two days... (I doubled the recipe, so there would be enough for everyone!)
Inspired by a meatball recipe in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

1 cup tomato sauce
4 Tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 very finely diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire

Glaze: combine the following in a small container:
1/2 cup organic ketchup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Vegetable broth saute the onion and garlic until the onion is nearly translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Whisk tomato sauce, almond butter and Worcestershire together. In a separate bowl Mix dry ingredients together including spices. Combine the dry and wet ingredients with a wooden spoon, then add the sauteed onions and garlic.

3. Lightly spray half or place a parchment cupcake liner of a 12 cup muffin tin, this will make 6-8 mini “meat” loaves. Press the mixture into the tins, then top each mini “meat” loaf with some of the glaze. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

3 Bean Chili

3 Bean Chili
Vegan

Needing to cook some butternut squash and sweet potato, and looking for something that the boys would eat I made this. They liked since I heard no complaints, and ate some as left overs. I served this with some pearl barley and blue corn tortilla chips....

2 red bell peppers
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can ranchero beans
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup of vegetable broth, plus 2 Tablespoons (divided)
1 cup of no-chicken broth (I ran out of veggie broth)
1/2 Tablespoon thyme
1/2 Tablespoon sage
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers.

3. In a large pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, combine the 2 Tablespoons of vegetable broth, garlic and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in cumin and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers, broth, squash, sweet potato and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Chili will be ready when the squash and sweet potato are tender when pierced with a fork.

Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce
Vegan

When you're craving Greek food, one simply cannot forego the Tzatziki sauce. I made this last night to go with the Seitan Gyros, and even Grant said "this is his favorite dish, and really likes the sauce." This took the longest....

1 cup cucumber, finely diced or minced
1 cup soy yogurt
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 oven roasted garlic clove, minced (I had left over from the pizza)
1/2 a large garlic clove, minced (I had this left over, too)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of parsley (I used dry)
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1/8 teaspoon of dill
1 pinch of sea salt
a dash of Cayenne pepper

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to use....

Buffalo Tofu Bites

Buffalo Tofu Bites
Vegan; 1 hour

With an hour being the time, I promise-this is the type of recipe that is not as hands on. Step number 3 is what may take the most hands on, however I promise this is worth it! Grant and Max liked it, and this is perfect for any tale gate parties that are coming up!!

1 cup of hemp milk
2 tbsp corn starch
1 15 ounce block of firm tofu (organic), pressed to remove excess water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, melted
1/4 cup Saso Roasted Red Pepper Chipotle Sauce
1/2 tbsp of garlic powder
a dash of black pepper

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium sized bowl mix the hemp milk with the corn starch and set aside.

3. In another medium sized bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt. Next, cut the tofu in triangles; to do this first slice the tofu in half so that there are now 2 slabs of tofu, then cut each slab into thirds on the short side, then cut in half on the long side. Now you should have 12 small squares of tofu, slice each one of those on an angle to get triangles. See images below.

4. Now place the tofu triangles into the milk mixture and coat them, then dredge them into the flour mixture and get each side covered completely. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for an hour.

5. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, hot sauce, garlic powder and black pepper. Dip each piece of tofu in the mixture and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 30-35 minutes turning halfway through. If you want them crispier just bake them a little longer. I served these with a vegan ranch dressing.

Vegan Chick-fil-A Sandwiches

Vegan Chick-fil-A Sandwiches
Vegan; Serves 4

This is for the people out there that are trying to have a smaller carbon footprint, needing something that is kid friendly (that are transitioning to a kinder lifestyle) or are boycotting for support of gay rights! I've found this posted on several sites including The Kind Life and PETA....

4 vegan chicken cutlets (try Gardein Chick'n Scallopini)
3/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy or hemp milk
1/4 cup pickle juice
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
3 cups peanut, canola, or vegetable oil, for frying
Olive oil cooking spray
4 buns
16 dill pickle chips

1. Defrost or thaw the chicken cutlets if frozen.

2. Combine the soy milk and the pickle juice in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

3. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, dry mustard, and powdered sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

4. Warm the peanut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Dip a "chicken" cutlet into the wet mixture, coating evenly on all sides. Toss into the flour mixture and coat generously. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and set aside.

5. Place one cutlet in the frying pan using a pair of tongs. Flip occasionally to ensure even cooking. Allow to cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and golden brown. Allow to drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.

6. Lightly spray the buns with the cooking spray and place in a frying pan over low heat until slightly toasted.

7. Place 4 pickle chips on the bottom half of each bun, then top with the fried "chicken." Serve immediately.

Cajun Chickpea Patties

Cajun Chickpea Patties
Serves 4

I made these for Bruce and the boys when they got back from Florida. Bruce missing my cooking, loved these and what was even better-the boys liked them too! In this household, we tend to like things spicy so you may have to adjust the heat. I served these on toasted buns with the chipotle mayo and for a side made a cucumber and tomato salad. (That was not a big hit with the boys.)

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup diced onion
3/4 poblano pepper, diced and seeded
2 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp adobo sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying


1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, and poblano pepper for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 4 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

Adapted from Vegan Dad Blog

Cumin and Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Cumin and Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4; Vegan; Gluten Free

I made this for a potluck last week, and it was a huge hit. Super simple to make, the longest part of this is the roasting time. I added a few things to the original recipe, so I’ll add stars to them. Happy Eating!

1 large sweet potato or garnet yam (1 ¼ lb.), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
**¼ onion, coarsely chopped (those who follow me, know I never put the amount of onion called)
Original calls for 1 large yellow onion (about 2 cups)
**1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
**1 tsp. Safflower oil (I added a little extra, the potatoes were drying out)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 lime, halved
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Toss sweet potato, onion and jalapeno with oil on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cumin and paprika, and season with salt if desired. (I didn’t add salt, I added lime zest instead.) Squeeze juice of half lime over the sweet potato mixture. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour (mine took 42 minutes), tossing halfway through cooking time.

2. Remove vegetables from oven; squeeze juice of remaining ½ lime over top, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Per 1 cup serving: 135 cal.; 3 grams prot.; 2 grams total fat (<1g sat fat); 29 grams carb.; 0 mg chol.; 36 mg sod.; 5 grams fiber; 10 grams sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times Sept. 2012 2nd place winner in readers contest

Artichoke-Potato Medley

Artichoke-Potato Medley
Vegan; Serves 6; Gluten Free; 30 Minutes

TO date this has been viewed 484 times on the San Antonio blog!

For extra color, use a combination of potato varieties and serve on a bed of arugula or watercress.

1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
2 10-oz. boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain.

2. Return potatoes to saucepan; heat over high heat with artichokes and oil. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables start to brown, stirring occasionally. Add olives, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes more, or until fragrant and heated through. Serve garnished with chopped eggs, if using.

Per 1-cup serving: 171 cal.; 4 grams prot.; 7 g total fat; 1 grams sat. fat; 24 grams carb.; 0 mg. chol.; 231 mg. sod.; 7 grams fiber; 1 grams sugars

Found in Vegetarian Times-June/July 2009