FNF - Bobby Flay Throw Down

In his show Throw Down with Bobby Flay, Mr. Flay often travels into some great cook's/chef's home territory to challenge them to a culinary duel. The native is the master at a particular dish in his or her region. Well, we Food Network Friday foodies don't do a head to head competition with the fabulous Mr. Flay, but it doesn't mean our throw downs aren't pretty darn exciting. Who knows, maybe someday he'll want to take one of us on!

This week's challenge was a vegan makeover of Bobby's recipe for BBQ Duck and Sauteed Shiitake Mushroom filled Blue Corn Pancakes with Habenero Sauce. Our little group has become fairly masterful at converting recipes. Check out Vegan Appetite for the other submissions. This one only needed a bit of tweaking to make it totally animal free. I did take the liberty of straying a bit from the original by making Blue Corn Crepes rather than pancakes. I felt that the mushroom/protein filling should stand out more and not be weighed down by a thicker fluffier wrap. The results were all the proof I needed. The crepes were beautiful and let the filling really shine.

There were a couple of tweaks made to the Mesa BBQ Sauce recipe. Vegan Worcestershire sauce was used. I only used 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar as I don't like an overly sweet sauce. The honey was replaced by agave nectar. Pasilla chili powder was unattainable this week. Instead I finely chopped 2 large fresh pasillas and sauteed them with the onions at the beginning of the recipe. This makes a huge amount of sauce. You could easily halve this recipe and have plenty for the 4 servings the recipe below makes.

Veganizing the habenero sauce was a breeze. The only necessary adjustment was vegetable stock for the chicken stock. I only used 2 tablespoons sugar in the sauce. I did use the full recipe of this sauce.

No changes were necessary for the shiitake mushrooms. I do have to say that I used a full recipe of the mushrooms for the 4 servings below. Bobby used this amount for 8 servings.

The biggest challenge was to make a delicious substitution for the very fatty and unhealthy duck thighs. Butler Soy Curls to the rescue!!!

BBQ "Duck"

4 servings

1 cup Butler Soy Curls
1/2 cup Habenero Sauce
3/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Mesa BBQ Sauce
1 recipe shiitake mushrooms
1 cup Mesa BBQ Sauce

Bring habenero sauce and stock to a boil. Stir in BBQ Sauce. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to rehydrate soy curls. Add soy curls to pan that the mushrooms are in. Saute and stir for about a minute. Add BBQ sauce and simmer until sauce becomes slightly sticky (5 minutes or so). Turn heat to very low to make crepes.

Blue Corn Crepes
(Makes 11 crepes if you are a crepe master and don't lose any)

3/4 cup blue corn meal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup soy milk
1 cup water
1 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients in blender until well combined. Mixture will be very thin. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. Heat crepe pan or 8" non stick pan until it sizzles when a drop of water hits it.. Lightly spray pan with canola oil before pouring batter in (for each crepe). Using a 1/4 cup measure, quickly pour batter in pan and swirl around to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. When the crepe is dry on top and there are a few bubbles, flip crepe with a thin spatula and cook for 1-2 more minutes on the other side. Transfer to plate and keep warm making sure to put either wax paper or parchment between each crepe to prevent sticking. Freeze any leftover crepes for later use.***

To assemble:

Once all of the crepes are cooked, place 1/4 cup BBQ mixture in the center and roll up. Place 2 filled crepes on each plate. Drizzle equal amounts of reserved habanero sauce on each plate. If desired, serve with extra BBQ Sauce. Garnish with cilanto leaves and avocado slices.

***Everything can be made up a day ahead of time, stored in the fridge. Reheat sauces and filling on the stove top. For the crepes, spray a little oil in your non-stick or crepe pan and reheat for about 1 minute on each side.

Vegan MOFO - Day 22 - Tortilla Soup

The recipe for easy Chicken Tortilla Soup has been traveling around the internet for a long time. The original versions were designed to be an easy, quick, out of the can experience. This is why my girlfrend Piot and my sister serve this one when they have a bunch of hungry teenagers hanging around the house.

This one requires a bit more work than opening cans, but is still easy to whip together. The cans of chicken in the original are replaced by re-hydrated soy curls. The ranch style beans in the black can (which contain animal fat) are replaced by Heinz brand vegetarian beans. There is a suggestion for making your own spice blend if you cant find that brand at the end of the recipe. The original suggests using Rotel Mexican style tomatoes and diced tomatoes with green chili, which you sure can use. I prefer Muir Glen organic small diced tomatoes with chipotle. I have a confession to make. While I do enjoy making my own vegetable stock on occassion, it takes time and space that I don't always have. I often use Better than Bullion vegan bases rather than making my own stock. They are so convenient and the flavors are very good. They make an excellent organic vegetable version. In this conversion I used the chicken version pictured below.


Tortilla Soup


Make 14 servings

2 cups Butler Soy Curls
1 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth (chicken style)
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cups chicken style vegetable broth (total using liquid from re-hydrating soy curls)
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (condensed version)
2 cans Heinz Vegetarian beans*
2 cans Muir Glen small diced tomatoes with chipotle
1 small can diced green chilis (optional)

Pour hot 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth over soy curls. Let sit for 10 minutes to re-hydrate. Drain liquid and reserve. In large soup pot heat canola oil over medium heat adding the soy curls to brown*. Once browned add remaining ingredients. Bring to simmering and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve garnished with limes, salsa, tortilla strips, sour cream, and/or vegan cheese (all optional).

If you cannot find the Heinz beans Add the following seasoning mix when browning the soy curls:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Also add:

2 teaspoons white vinegar.

Vegan MOFO - Day 19 - Gail's Buffalo Chickn Dip

My friend Gail always says she can't cook. She lies like a rug. She has hidden talents that pop out when she thinks you aren't paying attention. Sometimes I think she just tells me that so I'll cook for her (or just to make me feel better)!

Before I shunned the chickies Gail busted out this incredible dip at one of her and John's famous Halloween parties. It tasted like wings in a dip. I have to admit, wings were one of the things that almost made me break down more than once. I love the smell of the hot sauce steaming. I love the way the heat makes my nose run. Ahhhhhh! I no longer crave the fleshy version. This dip will take the edge of when I need a fix.

Tonight it was Monday Night Football. What better time to make something wing-esque? Another dish you want to eat in moderation as it is full of calorie rich ingredients.

Gail's Buffalo Chickn Dip

1/4 cup vegan blue cheese dressing (I made my own, still needs some tweeking, use your fav)
4 oz. toffutti non-hydrogenated cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Louisianna hot sauce
1 tablespoon Ta Patio hot sauce
2 oz shredded blue sheeze (vegan blue cheese)
1/2 cup chicken style seitan, chopped small (could sub Butler soy curls rehydrated in chix broth)
1 stalk celery, finely diced

Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

Preheat oven to 325.

In medium size bowl cream together the blue cheese dressing, cream cheese, and hot sauces until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour into 1 1/2 cup pyrex or other ovenproof dish. Bake for 25 minutes, until hot and just bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. This would also work well in a mini crock pot. They usually have only one temperature. Heat in mini crock for 1-2 hours until bubbly and hot. This recipe will double nicely for a larger party.

Blue Cheeze Dressing

Makes approximately one cup

1 cup vegannaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon mellow miso
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon blue sheeze (optional)
Black pepper to taste
If you like a thinner dressing, thin with a small amount of unsweetened soy milk

In small bowl mix thoroughly. Best if it can chill for at least an hour.

Vegan MOFO - Day 6 - Fred's Tuna-ish Helper-ish

First I want to start off by talking about communication breakdown. Many times I am running at a frenetic pace for no apparent reason. I think I have to fit a million things in to each day. To add to this I have this tendency to hear things one way when they are actually said another way. I can't remember what Myers-Briggs pesonality type this is: but I tend to jump right in and do something, then correct things later if I screw something up.

Such was the case with this conversion. Fred described this favorite from his childhood to me. Somehow I got it in my silly clutered head that he was describing tuna casserole. I promptly went on the internet and found a vegan recipe for said casserole. I got to work and did some tweaks and got that bad boy in the oven. As kitchen karma would have it, it was an utter disaster. While it looked picture perfect, it was anything but. The texture was like thick paste and had no flavor. Fred hates to waste anything, but even he wouldn't eat this. Major FAIL!




Two lessons here. Lesson one: listen carefully when people speak to you. It is uncool when you half listen. It can save you a lot of time and grief in the long run. Lesson two: trust your inner chef. When you read a recipe and it looks like it won't work, trust your gut. Modify that bad boy so you don't end up with something so nasty even the wild javelinas won't eat it.

I've ranted long enough about my failings as a communicator and kitchen disasters. On to what Fred really wanted! This is an easy, quick, filling recipe. It won't win any culinary awards, but hopefully it will make your family happy and full.

Fred's Tuna-ish Helper-ish

6 Servings
1 1/2 cups dried pasta (elbows or other small-ish pasta)
Water for cooking Pasta
1 cup Butler soy curls
1 cup vegetable broth, hot
1 Tablespoon Kelp powder
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance or other vegan butter
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup (vegan of course)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pour hot broth over soy curls to re-hydrate. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain. Dice soy curls and sprinkle with kelp powder. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and transfer to large mixing bowl. Add earth balance to HOT pasta. Mix soymilk and nutritional yeast in small saucepan. Heat until slightly thickened. Pour onto hot pasta. Heat cream of mushroom soup in same saucepan and add heated soup to the pasta mixture. Add soy curls and mix. If pasta has cooled of it can be re-heated quickly in large pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Update: Fred has spoken. He says this is supposed to be soupy. Easy enough. To eat this Fred style you will have to add more cream of mushroom soup just before serving to your liking. If you add the soup ahead of time, the noodles will soak it all up and it will be very sad. Hee hee.
Now this is the recipe in it's original form. For me, I like to get more of a nutritional bang for my buck. As an option you could add some steamed spinach or kale to up the nutritional value.

Vegan MOFO Day 30 - Re-making a classic Coq au Vin

I was very inspired by Vegan Hezbollah (sp?). I didn't get in on the fun of converting some very meaty recipes then, so I thought I would take a shot at it now.

My grandma was an incredible cook. When I was very young I remember her making, what to me, were very fancy dinners. One such dinner was Coq au Vin. This is a pretty sophisticated dish for a little girl, but I instantly fell in love with it. Years later while in culinary school, I was re-introduced to this classic dish. Again...total love! I have this incredible yearning to re-create a vegan version of this dish.

I am working 12 hour shifts for the next few days, so for this experiment, I am enlisting the help of my man, Fred. Poor guy is going to be the guinea pig for yet another kitchen expriment. He is ususally an incredibly good sport about being the victim of my experiments. I'm hoping this one doesn't put him over the edge.

I'm posting the recipe preemptively as I may not get to post later today. I'm hoping it will be successful. I will post the results, pictures and any tweeking that may have happened in the process as soon as I can.

Koq au Vin

Serves 4

1 cup Butler soy curls
1 cup vegetable broth
¼ cup inexpensive red wine
5 tempeh bacon style strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 cocktail onions
1-8 oz package cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, reserve about 1 tsp for garnish
1 cup inexpensive red wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup flour
2 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper

Re-hydrate soy curls by heating vegetable broth and ¼ cup wine to just barely starting to boil and pouring over soy curls in medium sized bowl. Let soak for 10 minutes. Once re-hydrated, drain and squeeze out liquid. Make sure to save the soaking liquid. In an iron skillet sauté soy curls until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Slice tempeh strips into matchstick sized slices. In same iron skillet, add olive oil and sauté tempeh strips until they are golden and crispy. Be careful not to break up the pieces. When golden, remove from pan and set aside.

If there is no more oil in the pan, add a bit more oil. Add cocktail onions and sauté until dark golden brown. Once the onions are browned, add the mushrooms and sauté until they just start to release their liquid. If needed add more oil. Add thyme and fresh cracked pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in flour until well incorporated. Add 1 cup of red wine to deglaze pan making sure all cooked bits are released from bottom of pan. Add reserved soaking liquid and 2 cups vegetable stock. Add bay leaves. Simmer until reduced by half and sauce is thickened. Add chopped parsley and soy curls. and tempeh. Simmer for 10 more minutes. If sauce is too thick, add small amount of vegetable stock until desired thickness is achieved. Carefully stir in tempeh. Simmer on low for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve over roasted or mashed potatoes, or wide noodles.

I made a few tweaks as we were cooking. The recipe is updated to reflect the changes.

Holy moses this is delicious! I'm not kidding. This was rich flavorful bliss. Fred did an awesome job with the prep. He did most of the work. I did a few tweaks to get a good final product. I really loved this dish. My grandma would be proud.

Vegan MOFO Day 16 - Butler's Soy Curls

As an aspiring veg I am always trying to find products that will satisfy that primal "meaty" instinct in Fred and me. A few months back, I was recipe testing for the lovely Joanna. One of the recipes called for a stange new ingredient...soy curls. Soy curls are a great source of protien. They are made with the whole bean, so they pack a pretty darn good nutritional punch. Each serving has 10 grams of protien.

Just last night I was discussing the glory of soy curls with two of my very good omni friends. They are totally supportive of my vegan tendencies and are very curious about new products and recipes I introduce them to. We are actually splitting my next order of soy curls, so they can experiment with them.

These little beauties are great for the novice cook who doesn't want to hassle with pressing tofu or boiling tempeh. Soy curls are anything but intimidating. They are super easy to use. All you have to do is re-hydrate them in hot water or veggie broth. Once they are rehydrated, you can use them in so many dishes. They are a great substitute in recipes that call for diced or shredded chicken.


One of my favorite test recipes from Isa's upcoming brunch book were made with soy curls. The Courico Tacos With Grilled Pineapple Salsa are addicting. The recipe was supposed to serve 4. Hah! Fred and I ate almost the whole recipe in one sitting.



Fred has been asking me for months to make up a binder of easy quick recipes for him to make when I am working bazillions of hours. I will definitely be including lots of soy curl recipes because they are so darn easy and quick to use. One of our favorite quick soy curl meals is an easy soy curl bbq sandwich with carmelized onions and hot chow chow mix if we have it on hand. It takes about 10 minutes to whip up and it is so delicious.
Take a look at my post from Day 13. The stuffed pita and the stuffed tomato both feature soy curls. If you haven't tried soy curls yet, get online and order yourself some. You will never see soy in the same way!!!