Tag Archives: cheeze

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Take 2

I made my recipe for Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup last night, but with fresh potatoes. Heres roughly how it went:

4 small broccoli crowns, chopped into small pieces

8 small russet potatoes, diced

2 cups carrots, cut into tiny pieces

1/2 yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for at least an hour

1 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tbsp stone ground mustard

2-6 c vegetable stock

olive oil

This made a huge pot of soup as I plan on eating it for a few days (and I eat huge bowls of soup), so feel free to halve the recipe to get roughly 4 servings. If you’re not feeling cheesy, this soup was tasting fantastic before I added the ‘nooch’ in! If going cheese-less, add in some fresh chives and scallions and don’t skip the mustard!

Start by sautéing your onion in olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Once soft and beginning to brown, add in the potatoes, carrots, and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, and add in 2 cups of your vegetable stock. Cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and mash easily with the back of a spoon. While the potatoes cook, blanch your broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes, or until tender, and then immediately shock in ice water. This will keep the broccoli from turning a funky color when put in the soup. Next, drain the cashews and puree them in a food processor or high speed blender until smooth, adding as little water as necessary. Using an immersion blender if you have one, puree the potatoes and carrots until completely smooth and creamy. If needed add a little more stock to help blend. Fold the cashew cream into the potatoes, and add enough stock to suit your texture preference. The soup should remain thick. Stir in the nutritional yeast and mustard, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a low boil and add broccoli. Cook stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is hot.

IMG_5930

Nacho Lovers, Unite!

i didn’t watch the Super Bowl, or the puppy bowl for that matter, but for some reason i had a hankering for salty tortilla chips dunked in neon orange goo with a side of salsa. the hubby is back home again, and he too had a craving for bar food, but instead of plunking down $30+ bucks for a few rounds and some so-so vegan nachos at a local bar, we made our own! *i’m also still trying to ride the Gluten-free train as much as possible, and vegan nachos at the bar usually involve wheat flour in the nooch sauce, so making my own also saved me from a few days of achy joints! yay! i think this is my best version of cheesy sauce yet, and i’ll give you a few GF options to tweak it! (just for you, clairedo!) chickpea flour thickens this like a dream, and it doesn’t get gelatinous when it cools, so you don’t need to resort to trickery when you want to reheat it.

Basic Gluten Free Cheezy Sauce

2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 heaping tbs raw cashew butter

1 tbs miso paste- white

1/4 tsp sea salt *or more if you really like salt or won’t be dumping this on salted chips

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 c nutritional yeast flakes, aka nooch

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, this adds a little “tang”

3 tbs garbanzo bean flour, also called besan, gram, or chana dal flour at indian grocers

3 tbs water

this is super duper easy:

melt the cashew butter over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. whisk in everything else except for the water and the chickpea flour and increase the heat to medium high.  slowly whisk the water into the chickpea flour, and stir until completely smooth. add some of the hot sauce into the chickpea flour to help warm it, (much like tempering eggs if you’re familiar) whisking until smooth. now, slowly whisk the chickpea mixture into your sauce and keep stirring until thick and smooth. enjoy as is, or follow some options for tinkering!

10 am nacho fix!

for nacho/queso cheese:

add 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder, and up to 1 c of your favorite salsa. you may need an extra tablespoon of chickpea flour if your salsa is runny.  you can also fold in a cup of daiya pepperjack or cheddar if you want the consistency of stadium/pump cheese, but after experimenting, i don’t notice a big difference in flavor to make it worth a 5$ bag of cheese.

for mac and cheese:

double the sauce recipe and use regular paprika instead of smoked. add a pinch of ground nutmeg. fold into one pound of  al dente quinoa or brown rice noodles (or regular if you tolerate gluten). then, fold in up to an entire bag of daiya if you really, really want to go overboard on the cheesiness factor. i sometimes like a small sprinkle on top, but i won’t judge ;) spoon into a lightly oiled casserole, cover, and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

bechamel style- great as a fondue dip:

skip turmeric, omit 1/2 of the nutritional yeast. add a pinch of nutmeg and an extra tsp of onion powder. serve with blanched vegetables, cubes of bread-regular or gluten free, olives, and wine.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

i can’t remember the last time i had broccoli cheese/cheeze soup, but i had something of a fierce craving come over me tonight. maybe it was because i felt it would be a ‘lazy’ meal to prepare, or maybe the holidays left me craving something green, yet comforting? either way, tonight i crafted an incredibly creamy, savory soup worthy of a second bowl- and i used up some christmas leftovers, too! whoo hoo! i had a container of leftover ‘au gratin’potatoes that i creamed, so you’ll have to tinker with the amount of potato you use. i’m also a big, big fan of broccoli, so i left huge chunks of florets floating amidst the creamy cashew-y goodness, but feel free to puree all the way for a ‘just like mom used to make’ finish. i also keep my seasonings to a minimum because i don’t want to overpower the flavor of the broccoli, but by all means, add some garlic, bell pepper, celery, carrot, ect with the onions; if you’re ambitious and want an extra flavorful, golden base to the soup, add a carrot and some yellow or orange bell pepper with the onions, and then puree that before you add the stock/broccoli in. instant liquid gold!

Creamy Cheezy Broccoli Soup

serves 6-8

2 large crowns broccoli, roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. peel and chop the stems, too

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 c raw cashews, covered in 1 c boiling water or soaked overnight

1 c nutritional yeast

2 c almond milk, plus more if needed

2 c light vegetable stock

about 3 cups of cooked potato- baked, steamed, casseroled ect. maybe skip fried ones, the texture and flavor would be too much.

saute the onion in a few tablespoons of earth balance until soft. add in the broccoli and the vegetable stock. simmer for a few minutes or until the broccoli is just tender, but not mushy. while the broccoli simmers, pop the cashews into the bowl of your food processor and puree until smooth- this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your machine. add the cashews to your broccoli. now pop the potatoes into the bowl of your food processor and puree the hell out of those, too! add them to the broccoli soup. now start adding in as much non-dairy milk as you see fit to thin out the texture. i prefer mine pretty thick, so i only used maybe 2 1/2 c of almond milk. once you dig the texture, add in the nutritional yeast. add a dab or two of yellow mustard if you like your ‘cheeze’ tangy, or a little miso if you like it salty. once you’ve got the flavor down, your broccoli will most likely be hitting the ‘soft but not too soft’ stage. use either an immersion blender, or your food processor to puree as much or as little of the soup as you’d like. add some salt and pepper to taste, and you’re good to go!

*my soup took a digger on the floor so i failed to take a pic of it, but the half that stayed in my bowl was still super good!

 

Ziti Primavera

i haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ravioli i made for christmas. i had been thinking about it so much that i wanted to give it another go this week, but, i cannot find those damn potsticker wrappers! *note to self: go to hugo, stop at festival and buy a pile of them to freeze. mwah ha ha ha ha!

ok. so i couldn’t make more ravioli but i still was craving pasta. and green beans. and bechamel. and i didnt want the trouble of lasagna noodles, so i decided to give ziti a go-round. the results were so good! chewy whole wheat noodles were tossed with crunchy green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, tofu ricotta, and smothered in cashew bechamel and baked until bubbly and browned. this recipe makes a ton of food, making it a good dish for pot-lucks or feeding your friends.

Ziti Primavera

serves 8

1 lb whole wheat Rigatoni, or Penne (try tinkyada rice pasta for GF)

1 pound extra firm tofu

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp cashew butter

1- 28oz can of chunky tomato sauce plus 1 150z can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 tsp each, oregano, basil, rosemary

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs ground cashews, or cashew butter

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into thirds

1 small red onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced

1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 1/2 c almond, or another milk alternative

1 tsp lemon juice, or white wine vinegar

3 tbs flour (use chickpea four for GF)

2 tbs earth balance, or oil

2 tbs cashew butter

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

salt and pepper

preheat your oven to 375. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta for about 8-10 minutes, or until 3/4 of the way done. put 2 tbs oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. saute the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. add the green beans, mushrooms and bell pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid . add the oregano, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and both the sauce and drained tomatoes. mix well, and stir in the pasta.

in a food processor combine the tofu, 1 tbs nutritional yeast , 1 tsp cashew butter, salt and pepper to taste, and blend until smooth. set aside.

in a medium saucepan, combine earth balance and flour over medium heat to form a roux. heat for a few minutes or until bubbly, and whisk in the remaining cashew butter. slowly whisk in the almond milk. add the nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powder, and bring to a low boil. simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

spoon one half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of a large casserole, or lasagna pan. smooth the tofu over the pasta, and pour the rest of the pasta over the tofu. spoon the bechamel over the pasta, and smooth . cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling. remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce is browned around the edges. let stand for ten minutes before serving.

sexay layered pasta close-up shot

creamy vegan ziti!

Crimini Ravioli with Basil Walnut Pesto

i’ve always wanted a pasta rolling attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. i’ve dreamed of making fresh linguine, ravioli, and my own lasagna noodles; but alas, the attachment is around $150 and my little pockets can’t spare that much change. however, i found a handy little sumthin’ sumthin’ that made my holiday dinner a hit: potsticker wrappers. potsticker wrappers are essentially little sheets of pasta, and i found a brand that was egg free (thanks becca!). there are inexpensive, easy to use, and i look forward to discovering all of the ways i can manipulate them to put towards other recipes. the best part? you can make a friggin ton of these pillowy little pasta’s and freeze them for use later. brilliant!

Crimini Ravioli

makes 32, enough for 6-8 people

2 packages Wing Hing brand, or another egg free potsticker wrapper

8 large Crimini mushrooms, cut into 4 thick slices each

64 baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

1/2 lb tofu

1 tbs ground cashews, or cashew butter

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 3 tbs water or milk alternative

Basil Walnut Pesto

3 cups packed, fresh basil

olive oil

2 hand-fulls, or maybe 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic

pinch salt

olive oil

Place all pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor. turn on high, and stream in enough olive oil to make a smooth sauce.

Place a tablespoon of oil into a large skillet and place over medium high heat. put about a half of the mushrooms into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. sear the mushrooms on both sides until deep golden brown and soft. repeat with remaining mushrooms and set aside.

Place tofu, nutritional yeast, and cashew butter in a food processor and blend until smooth. season with salt and pepper to taste. spoon into the corner of a plastic bag 0and snip off the corner.

Cover a section of your counter top with parchment paper and lay out 32 potsticker wrappers. on each wrapper place 2 spinach leaves, a teaspoon of tofu, and one mushroom. brush the edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture and place another wrapper on top, pressing the edges firmly to seal. if you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and flute or crimp the edges! pop these onto a cookie sheet with parchment between the layers and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes, or however long it takes to boil a large pot of salted water. if you would like to eat these another day, freeze for 2 hours and then pop them into a freezer bag for storage.

Once the water boils, add the raviolis in batches of 8 and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until pillowy and translucent. transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with a little pesto. repeat with the remaining pasta and serve with a little marinara, or another sauce of choice. *if cooking from frozen, simmer until the raviolis float, and then cook for about 20 seconds longer. weird, i know.

yum!

piping on the tofu ricotta

halfway there little buddies!

"transluscent and pillowy" aka creepy fried egg

vegan ravioli nom nom nom

Oops, i did it again, again. Sexay nom nom nom….

Ahhhhhh. Do you hear that? It’s the sound of I, the midwest vaygun, having a peaceful morning in my jammies, drinking chai and thinking about food. not school, not money, just food. it’s amazing. I dropped out of school last week to put the focus back on the things that really matter in life, and i couldn’t be happier. We have alot of cathcing up to do, blog and I. so here’s the shake down: Thanksgiving was rad! I made Todd X’s vegan pecan pie! and it was heavenly. I also made my own version of seitan roulade, with mixed results (i will tackle this another day). and i had the BEST green bean casserole of my life, thanks to my sis becca. the majority of the pics are from a shitty camera phone so i left most of them out.

Also, i became re-acquainted with The HardTimes Cafe, why did i forget about thee for so long!? the entire menu is vegan/vegetarian with a huge mexican section, and probably the best biscuits and gravy i’ve had in awhile. They are open super late too, so now i know where the after bar sugar fix is coming from:)

And before i forget, the Triple Rock now has vegan cupcakes from Miel Y Leche! so good!

here’s what i’ve been up to food-wise since my last visit, so enjoy!

todd x's vegan pecan pie- unbaked

* this was hands down the BEST version of pecan pie i’ve ever had. you can find the recipe at the PPK blogs, or at getsconed! jus give ‘er a google!

african sweet potato and peanut stew from vegan planet

african sweet potato and peanut stew from vegan planet

chickpea noodle soup-with stars! from veganomicon

vegan almond feta! from the vegetarian times, thanks becca!

chickpea cutlets! i make em by the dozen! from veganomicon

thanksgiving take 5! cutlets, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and stuffing!

creamy tomato soup from fresh from the vegetarian slow cooker

vegan grilled cheeze FTW

and now an ode to the most important meal of the day:

CUPCAKES!

chocolate raspberry from the wedge

black forest from the wedge

cookies and cream cupcake from VCTOTW

vegan peanut butter cupcake from Meil Y Leche @ the triple rock

The Great Vegan Mac and Cheeze Experiment! pt 1

so. i was craving something creamy, casserole-y, gooey….

one of the most heartbreaking things new vegans realize is that vegan cheese (mostly) sucks. not to mention they find out the hard way by trying to do a faux-for-the-real-deal swap out on a traditional macaroni and cheese recipe, ending up with a  rubbery, bland, pile of noodles. yuck. a quick google search reveals that every vegan out there has their answer, some boldly claiming their recipe to be “just like the real deal!” to that i say stop lying! nothing will ever compare to the browned, chewy, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth mess grandma makes each year for the holidays. but thankfully, once your cheese-craving taste buds cool their jets, you can appreciate what a little kitchen creativity can do. it wont be like grandmas, but dammit, it can cure your craving for orange hued, creamy, savory, macaroni goodness!

most recipes out there end up being too salty for me, so i combined some of the best parts of other recipes i’ve sampled over the years. the result? it’s more tangy than “yeasty”, with a nice creamy texture that doesn’t get gelatinous or rubbery when cooled or reheated, thanks to oatmeal flour. this is definitely a keeper!

i listed some optional ingredients that some peeps like, and commonly use in their macaroni, so feel free to dabble:)

The Midwest Vaygun’s Crack-a-Roni and Cheeze

serves 6-8

1 lb pasta shape of choice, i tend to go for fusilli (try tinkyada rice pasta for GF)

2 1/2 cups almond milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you’d like)

1 package mori-nu extra firm silken tofu (silken! not water packed)

1/4 c + 1 tbs cashew butter

3/4 c nutritional yeast

2 tbs white wine vinegar

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 c oat flour (this is crucial to the texture, throw 1/4 c oats in a coffee grinder)

salt and pepper to taste

optional stuff that other peeps seem to like to add:

braggs or soy sauce- salty! start with a few teaspoons, use wheat-free tamari for GF

miso paste- sort of salty

tomato paste- sweetens this, try 1 tbs at a time

fried onions- a fun casserole topper

bread crumbs- same as the onions

peas, veggie crumbles, tvp ect… for a little somethin somethin in every bite ;)

this is another easy recipe!

preheat the oven to 375

puree all of the sauce ingredients (except for the noodles). taste and adjust to your preferences. cook your pasta according to the package directions, or until al dente. drain the pasta well before mixing it with the sauce/optional goodies. now dump this into one small, or two large casseroles and top with any fun additions. i personally enjoy those little fried onions, but i make mine from scratch. oh, and i divided my macaroni into two different casseroles: one plain, one with peas and crumbles.

cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling, remove the lid to brown your topping (if applicable) for an additional 5 minutes.
yum!

vegan mac and cheeze with peas and crumbles

post baking

oddly enough, the cats tried to eat this. bad kitty!

fun fried onion thingys

in case you were curious

1 large onion of choice

1 c almond (or whatever sub) milk + tsp cornstarch

1 cup all purpose flour

oil for frying, along with a large skillet.

slice your onion as thin as possible, into 2 inch half moons. the thicker they are, the faster they will get soggy. soak the onions in your milk mixture for ten minutes or so. place the flour in a large bag, or a shallow pan. heat 2 inches of oil in your skillet. shake off a handfull of onions at a time, toss to coat in the flour, and fry until golden brown. drain on paper towels and then top your casserole.

you could also cheat and buy some at the store.

fried onion thingys!

an ode to the fair

ah, state fair, how i missed thee. actually, considering i haven’t been to the minnesota state fair in 8 years i don’t remember much to miss! the last time i went was way back when dan and i had first started dating. he still ate meat, an “opportunivore” as i named him, and i was still a dairy eating veg-head with flaming red short hair. memories. the state fair is what it is, a chance for people watching at it’s finest while consuming anything and everything fried, on a stick, in your hands or any combination thereof. if there was anything i could miss (besides cheese curds) it would be those gigantic ears of roasted corn dunked in a tub of butter (salt shakers hanging from clotheslines), and eating them while counting mullets walk by dan patch ave. while i was feeling nostalgic for corn, the hubby and i caught part of an episode of “man v. food”, the show where the guy faces eating challenges for the sake of, well, eating. anywho, he was in south carolina and he was at this restaurant that served fried chicken on a biscuit with caramelized onions and cheese and i found myself wanting to eat something, anything, fried on a biscuit. in our house on sundays it’s tradition to eat something “crap-tastic” since i keep junk to a minimum during the week (and it makes for good gym motivation). so for this sunday, as an ode to the great minnesota get together, and an ode to my love of crap thats fried, i give you:

Holy Shit its Fried Ch***en on a Biscuit with Roasted Sweet Corn! (you can sub your own “un” word if you want)

serves 4

start by removing half the leaves from 4 large ears of sweet corn, peeling back the remainder to remove the silk. once the silk has been removed carefully close the leaves back up and place in a sink filled with cool water. let these hang out while you make the biscuits.

Biscuits

2 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

6 tbs chilled earth balance, cut into small cubes

3/4 c milk alternative mixed with a scant TBS cider vinegar

crank the oven to 450

mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of your food processor (preffered)

“cut” the margarine into the flour with a fork, wide wire whisk or with the food processor. using the processor will keep the margarine colder, and that’s the goal. pulse 2-5 times or cut until the flour looks like coarse sand. add your “buttermilk” and mix with just a few quick strokes until just mixed. do not overmix! let this rest for just a minute while your flour up your countertop. turn the dough out and pat into a rectangle that is 3/4″ thick. do not knead or use your rolling pin! to much gluten stimulation! these are lazy biscuits, tasty lazy biscuits! decide if you want perfect biscuits or purpose serving biscuits. if you want em purdy, get out your 3″ biscuit cutter and cut out 4-6 biscuits. if you hate to waste the first turn of the dough (once you knead the scraps together they suck) cut the dough into 6 rectagles. place on a cookie sheet with the edges almost touching. bake 12 minutes, or until pale gold and keep covered while you fry your brains out!

Roasted Sweet Corn

now that the biscuits are out, crank the oven up to 500 degrees. remove corn from the sink and shake off. wrap lightly in foil and toss onto the bottom rack of your oven and set a timer for ten minutes. start on your fried ch***en

Fried Ch***en

find 4 cutlets (veganomicon) or 4 slabs tofu, or seitan

breading:

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp salt and pepper

3 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

en-r-g egg substitute equal to 2 eggs, or use 1 tbs cornstarch in 1/4 c water*

1/2 c almond (soy rice whatev) milk

2 tbs lemon juice

add lemon juice to milk alternative an set aside

mix the flour through the garlic powder in a shallow bowl or pie plate, set aside

in another shallow pan/plate mix the “buttermilk” with your egg substitute

place a heavy bottomed (cast iron preferred) skillet over medium high heat and fill with about an inch of vegetable oil

now for the fun part! dedicate your left hand for the wet stuff, right for the dry, ok? take your left hand and pat a cutlet in the buttermilk mixture until coated and drop into the dry pan. take your right hand and scoop flour on top of the cutlet and make sure its comletely coated. pick it up with the right hand and drop it back into the wet bowl. use your left hand again to quickly re-moisten the cutlet and drop it back into the dry pan. again, use your right hand to thouroughy coat the peice with flour and this time, carefully place it in the hot oil. make sure the oil bubbles up for a drop of batter first. repeat with the three other cutlets, being carefull not too over crowd the pan. if your corn timer has beeped, turn the corn over and set the timer for another ten minutes. this would be the best time to start sauteeing some onions and cutting up some soy cheeze if you’re into that stuff. fry the cutlets on each side until a deep golden brown and drain on a cooling rack.

assembly time! split a hot biscuit, add some onions, a cutlet and some soy cheeze (if you dare) grab some hot corn from the oven, rub it down with some earth balance and dress it up with salt and anything else you like. sit back with a beer and marvel at the 9$ plus parking you saved by staying home and watching your neighbors do random crap. its fun!

*this is something i didn’t do, but think may work so experiment carefully

prepping corn

prepping corn

fuck the fair, this is all the petting zoo i need!

fuck the fair, this is all the petting zoo i need!

hubby preps the onions

hubby preps the onions

YUM!

YUM!

tell your thighs to STFU!

tell your thighs to STFU!

DSCF4291

absolutely wonderful!

absolutely wonderful!

*droooooooling

*droooooooling

DSCF4313

ok, 5 million pics later….

i has a food baby, her name is scrumtrelescent cortez

its the perfect combination of salty, sweet, crispy dough-y wonder….