Lu's Tomato Gravy

We call it Gravy in the boot, y'all ;)  I'm so far removed from my Italian/Jersey roots growing up in Texas.  But you can take this girl to the ends of the Earth but I will never be too far removed from the food of my ancestors!

All too often a simple pasta dish is made when I'm feeling lazy.  Throw my noodles in a pot and crack open a bottle of pasta sauce and dinner is served!  Bottled sauce is convenient but nothing compares to homemade chunky gravy!  If my mom or Granny Angie (rest in peace) knew how much money I spent on sauce they'd whack me upside the head!

I was home a couple of weeks ago visiting my folks.  I asked my mom about her meatballs which, in turn, led me to asking about her sauce.  I remember it being so rich and simmering on the stove top for hours as a kid.  But in reality, it's a quick and simple process!

Here's what you'll need:

Stock Pot
Wooden Spoon - you can't make gravy without a wooden spoon ;)
1/4 cup Shallots
1 Tbsp Garlic
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 28 ounce cans Whole Tomatoes
1 tsp Oregano
*2 Tbsp Salt
1 pinch Pepper
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper

*2 Tbsp is a lot of salt.  I think 1 is plenty - even 1/2 would work.

Directions:

1. Adjust heat to Medium - add shallots and garlic to olive oil for 6-8 minutes or until translucent

2. Add the rest of the ingredients - raise heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes every so often

3. Lower heat and simmer for another 30-45 minutes stirring every so often

And that's it!  This sauce can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Again - this recipe is just a base.  You can add all you want and make it your own!  I added portabello, green pepper and eggplant.  Have fun and Mangia!  Mangia!

Vegan White Russian Recipe

My blog is getting quite the buzz over in Russia this week.  So to celebrate with my new friends...I give you the Vegan White Russian!  Mmm-mmm good!

You will need:

1 shot Coffee Liquor (go HERE for a home made vegan version!)
1 shot Vodka (my fave is Monopolova)
Splash of Coconut Milk Creamer
Splash of Light or Unsweetened Soy Milk

Mix it up and enjoy on the rocks!

Naslazhdaites'!
(enjoy!)

Chilled Vegan Chocolate Torte - Raw

I looove a good chocolatey torte.  I used to work at a high-end restaurant that served the most decadent chocolate and raspberry dessert you could ever dream of!  I had my share...believe me.   Would I ever think in a million years that I would enjoy one just as much and...RAW!?   Not so much.  But this little baby changed my mind (and my world) completely. 

Once again, Oh She Glows, knocks it outta the park with this easy recipe:

 

No Bake Chilled Chocolate Torte 

 

No Bake Crust: 

 2 cups Pecans
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Chocolate Avocado Mousse: 

 2 cups Avocado Flesh (roughly 3 small avocados) pitted and scooped out
1/3 cup Almond Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter (or other nut or sunflower seed butter)
1 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder, sifted if clumpy

Directions:

1. Crust: *Oil a 7-10 inch springform pan and line it with a circle of parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the pecans until crumbly. Be careful not to over process them as you still want them a bit chunky. Now add in the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse until just mixed. Scoop mixture onto prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly with slightly wet fingers or a spatula. Pop into freezer to set while making the mousse.

2. Chocolate mousse: Place all mousse ingredients (except chocolate chips) into food processor. Process until smooth. In a small bowl, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave and scoop melted chocolate into food processor mixture. Process until smooth.

3. Remove crust from freezer and scoop this mousse on top of crust. Smooth out as much as possible and then place in the freezer for 2 hours to firm.

4. Once firm, remove from freezer and allow to sit on the counter for about 5-10 minutes before serving chilled. Add fruit or other toppings while allowing to sit.  **Place leftover torte in the freezer wrapped and placed in a seal container.

Note that this torte should be served chilled as it gets soft at room temperature.

*I didn't have a springform pan on hand, so I just lightly oiled a pie dish.  It came out perfectly.  
**I put leftovers in the fridge...it was softer, of course, but I enjoyed the texture more.  

Easy, Yummy Marinade

It's still TECHNICALLY winter...but in Austin, TX you can easily get to grillin' when it's 65 degrees and sunny out!  And that's exactly what we did yesterday. 

As a veg-head...the term "grilling out" scares most...but not me :)  With a bunch of veggies and herbs in stock, you won't feel left out...promise!

Here's what you'll need:

That's EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar, minced Onion & Garlic, Basil, S&P

 I chopped everything in my AMAZING Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender...sooo easy!

Fresh Basil

Instuctions:  

1. Mix all ingredients
2. Use your hands or brush and cover your veggies
3. Grill on grill pan or wrapped in foil
4. Enjoy!
 

Meaty Portabellos!

*You can also use this marinade to saute or bake your veggies.

Vegan "Calzone"

This weekend I was craving pizza so I chose a tart recipe I had made in January and adapted it to a calzone style dish.

The recipe I adapted is from www.cookstr.com and is their Italian Rustic Squash & Kale Tart.  It looks amazing and tastes so delicious too!  I doubled the recipe and made it for my brother-in-law's birthday and it came out quite well.  This calzone was a bit more of a challenge due to the sauciness of the tomatoes I added but was equally as delicious...maybe even more so.

I tried this last week with wheat flour and it just didn't roll out well.  If you are going to use wheat flour, find a wheat crust recipe that you love...do not simply substitute it with the white flour below.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups White Flour (do not use pastry flour)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup Ice Cold Water

Filling:
1tbsp olive oil
Green Olives
1/2 Red Pepper chopped
1/2 Green Pepper chopped
2 cloves Garlic
1 Medium Yellow Onion
1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes - no salt added
1 Bunch Spinach, Kale or other leafy green
1 block Italian Seasoned Seitan - I used Upton's Italian "Sausage"
Salt & Pepper to your liking
1 or 2 dashes of Italian Seasoning
1 or 2 dashes of hot chile flakes

Directions:

Crust:
1. Combine the flour and salt and whisk or mix with fork
2. Slowly add the olive oil and mix with hands or fork
3. Slowly drizzle the ice cold water
4. When it starts to stick, knead into a ball
5. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for at least 30 minutes

Filling:
While the dough is chilling, start your filling.
1. Add olive oil to saute pan on medium heat
2. Add garlic and onion and let sautee until onions are tender
3. Add peppers and olives and saute until peppers are tender
4. Add tomatoes, seitan, seasoning, s&p and hot chile flakes
5. Let cook 5-10 minutes
6. Add Spinach at the very end.  Cook just until it settles into pan.  DO NOT let your greens turn to mush!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly oil your pie dish or pizza pan with oil.  The dish works better for this recipe because the filling is looser.

After 30 minutes or more, take your dough out of the fridge.  Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle with flour.

Roll out your dough to a thin 14" circle.  Your dough will be very thin.  Carefully transfer to your dish or pan.  Add your filling to the center of the dough.  Once your filling is there, start folding the ends of your dough over the filling, keeping the center of the tart exposed.

Brush a tiny bit of oil on top of the folded dough and place a bit of foil on top of the center so that the filling will not burn.  Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. (I cooked mine for around 40.  Next time I'll cook longer for a crunchier crust)

I served my "calzone" with a side of  "gravy" or tomato/pasta sauce (I used Cadia organic) that I mixed with a new local favorite - EIEIO Pesto!  It is a vegan pesto found in the deli at the Natural Grocer on Guadalupe.  You can also find her at the downtown farmer's market.  Soooo tasty!

Next time I'll have fresh basil to top and garnish with.  You could also mix the pesto in with the veggie saute. 

Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Super Bowl Sunday - Go Whichever Team Wins!

It's Superbowl Sunday and I don't know who's even playing!  But...I do know what I'm eating!

I always love this Sunday...hanging with friends, drinking beer, eating chips & dip as a meal!   Hello!?!  Awesome-town!

With my new-found food restrictions, I scoured the internet for something resembling a "regular" football-watching munchie and I found this:

Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Pizza with Tofu Blue Cheese Spread  

From Kristy at Keepin' It Kind

Vegan & Gluten Free! 

What you'll need: 

1. Cornmeal Crust (I used Vicolo - small 2pack) - in frozen section of your health food stores

2. Recipe for Tofu Blue Cheese Spread (found below)

3. Recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Topping (found below)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 475.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

• Spread a layer of tofu blue cheese spread on the prepared crust, using as much or as little as you like.  You will most likely have leftovers.  Spread the buffalo cauliflower wings out on top of the blue cheese spread.  You will likely have a few of these leftover as well- they’re great appetizers for while you wait for the pizza.

Bake at 475 for 12-15 minutes, until heated thoroughly.  Remove from oven and serve hot.

 The Sriracha and BBQ sauce, mixed with the "blue cheese" really tastes like you're treating yourself to a wing!  yum!  Enjoy!

Tofu Blue Cheese: 

 Ingredients:

• ½ block of extra firm tofu, crumbled into small pieces
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 T veganaise
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp white miso
• ½ tsp tahini
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried marjoram
• ¼ tsp kelp granules
• a few dashes of salt

Instructions:

• Place the tofu crumbles into a medium bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.  Chill until ready to use.  Enjoy!

*You may need to adjust the seasonings to fit your preferences.  This was slightly on the mild side for me.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Topping:

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• several dashes of garlic powder
• several dashes of smoked paprika
• ¾ cup  barbecue sauce (we used Organicville)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or whatever starch you’ve got)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease or spray a glass 9 x 13 casserole dish with olive oil spray.

• Whisk almond milk and chickpea flour together.  Dredge cauliflower pieces into flour mixture and place in the casserole dish.  Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, mix together the BBQ sauce, Sriracha sauce, arrowroot, salt and pepper.

• Once cooked, toss cauliflower with BBQ mix and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve hot (or use on pizza).  Enjoy!

Hello Out There!

Helloooo!  Yes, yes...I'm starting a blog!  I wanted to find a way to chronicle my creative process and this is what I came up with.  My life is pretty...well...normal....here in Austin - but there's a whole lot of silly and creative play wrapped around that 'normal'.  This blog will be a diary of my creative successes and flops, my new foray into vegan cooking/baking and my personal rants & raves. It will also serve as a way to connect with my family and friends in a more personable way than the facebook.  

I hope I can keep this up :)

ciao ciao!