Fabcakes that will not make you miss the crab

These faux-crab-cakes are delicious on their own or on a sandwich bun. Adapted from a Purple Carrot recipe.

Photo credit: Purple Carrot

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans
1 can hearts of palm
1 jalapeno
3 tsp. rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 cup panko crumbs
several tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper
buns (if using)

Method:
Cut top and seeds/pith away from jalapeno; drain both hearts of palm and beans. Put those 3 ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times just to get to a slightly stringy/crumbly consistency. 

Pour that into a bowl and add the vinegar, dijon, Old Bay, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of the panko crumbs. Mix well and form into patties, then put those in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up. 

When ready, heat a couple tbsp. oil in a skillet, coat the fabcakes in the remaining panko on both sides and all around the edges, and fry each side 3-4 minutes over medium heat (until panko is toasted brown and crispy).

Enjoy with vegan mayo or tartar sauce!

Smashed Avocado-Chick Pea Dip (with jalapenos!)

I adapted this recipe from Forks Over Knives, which has so many wonderful plant-based recipes. This was a hit at our recent Super Bowl party and tastes so fresh and clean!


Smashed Avocado Chick Pea Dip
Ingredients:
-1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
-1 avocado
-1 large tomato, diced small
-6 stalks scallions, whites and greens, sliced small
-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced small
-juice from 2-3 limes (around 1/4 cup)
-1/2 tsp. kosher salt and dash of fresh ground pepper


Method:
Using a potato masher, mash the chick peas in a medium bowl so they are smushed but not totally pulverized/smooth. Add the avocado and mash further so the mix is chunky. Add in the tomato, scallions, cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, lime juice and salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon until everything is combined.


Serve with pita chips, pita bread, pretzels or cut veggies!

Delicious White Miso-Maple Salad or Slaw

You can use this dressing on basically any salad, as a marinade, or folded into a summery slaw. It incorporates some Asian flavors and you can make it a little spicy or not at all. I wanted to drink it from the bowl!!


Aside: I used hemp seeds mixed into my salad and highly recommend them - they are a superfood and are the most nutritious seed in the world. They are a complete source of highly-digestible protein (3 tbsp. = 10 grams of high quality protein), contain all 20 amino acids, and are a great source of fiber.


The salad I made with it included (just what I had around and looked good):
-2 cups corn kernels

-2 cups broccoli /carrot slaw (dry)

-3 cups shredded cabbage

-1 finely diced cucumber

-4 scallions, chopped

-1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped

-1/3 cup raw hemp seeds

Ingredients for the dressing:

-4 tbsp. white miso paste

-3 tbsp. tahini

-3 tbsp. maple syrup

-1 tbsp. olive oil

-3 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari

-3 tbsp. rice vinegar (a dash more if you like things vinegar-y)

-1/2 tsp. black pepper

-1/2 tsp. ground coriander

-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (you can omit if you don't want any spice, or add a dash more if you want it hotter)

Method:

Mix all salad or slaw ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until very well blended. Start by pouring only about 1/2-2/3 of the dressing over the slaw/salad and mix well to combine. If it looks a bit dry, add more dressing until it's reached your desired level. I had about 1/3 cup extra dressing, which can be used as a dipping sauce or marinade.

The very best tofu scramble in the world

This is not hyperbole. Slightly tweaked from ThePPK.com because Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a genius. 


Incredible Tofu Scramble


Ingredients:
-1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed -1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 medium chopped white onion
-2 cups mushrooms, of your choice (I like baby bellas and cremini), thinly sliced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 cup  + 2 tbsp.nutritional yeast
-juice of a lime + zest
 
Spice mix:
-2 teaspoons cumin
-1 teaspoon paprika
-dash of cayenne
-1/2 teaspoon tumeric
-1 teaspoon salt


Method:

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Saute onions until softened (about 4-5 min). Add mushrooms, saute 5 minutes more. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes more. Add spice mix and mix it up. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get all the garlic and spices.
2. Turn down heat to medium and crumble in tofu and mix well. Make sure not to pulverize the tofu, just fold it in gently.  Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necesary to keep it from sticking too much. Lower the heat a bit if you find that it is sticking. Add lime juice and zest as well as nutritional yeast and mix it up. If it seems too dry add tiny splashes of water. (The moistness really depends on how much water the tofu was retaining before you added it.)
3. Serve with guacamole, avocado slices, or salsa. I also like to sprinkle with jalapeno hot sauce or chipotle Tabasco.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter - Cupcakes and Frosting

First time posting in a long while but these cupcakes just need to be shared. They are AMAZING - I made both the chocolate and the peanut butter, as well as both kinds of frosting, and mixed and matched. Enjoy!


Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (and vice versa!)

Ingredients for chocolate cupcakes:

-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. vegan butter, melted
-1/2 cup  + 1 tbsp. non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)
-1/3 cup water + 1 tsp flax seeds
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-1/8 tsp cinnamon
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for PB cupcakes:

-1 1/2 cups flour
-1/4 cup rolled oats
-1 cup sugar
-1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
-1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)
-1/2 banana, mashed
-1/3 cup water + 1 tsp flax seeds
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/8 tsp cinnamon
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for chocolate frosting:

-2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/3 cup vegan butter, chilled
-3/4 cup powdered sugar
-a few drops vanilla extract
-2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk

Ingredients for PB frosting:

-1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
-1/3 cup vegan butter, chilled
-1 cup powdered sugar
-a few drops vanilla extract
-2-3 Ttsp non-dairy milk

Method:

1. For each cupcake recipe, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.

2. Combine wet ingredients well in another bowl.

3. Pour wet mixture into the dry and mix well with a hand mixer.

4. Pour into a lined cupcake/muffin tin and bake about 20-22 minutes at 350F. A toothpick should come out clean (I found that the PB cupcakes needed a minute or two longer than the chocolate ones).

5. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, you can frost them: make each frosting by beating the ingredients together with a hand mixer. You can tailor to your preferred consistency by adding a couple of teaspoons of non-dairy milk or more powdered sugar.

Stuffed Shells variation: Pumpkin-Kale Ricotta Stuffed

Pumpkin-Kale Ricotta Stuffed Shells

I tweaked this recipe a bit and it was fabulous. Really healthy, too. Original recipe from VeganFoodLover.com.

Ingredients

-1/2 box of stuffed shells  

For the vegan ricotta:

-1 package firm tofu, drained and pressed 

-1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

-2 tbsp olive oil 

-2 tbsp lemon juice 

-4 cloves garlic 

-1 large bunch basil, rinsed 

-2 tsp sea salt 

-2 tsp black pepper 

For the stuffing: 

-1 can pumpkin 

-1 bunch kale, chopped 

-1 small onion, diced 

-3 cloves garlic 

-1 cup mushrooms, sliced 

-1 tsp sea salt

-1 tsp black pepper

-1 tsp basil

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp red pepper flakes 

-1 cup vegan cheddar

Method:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook pasta according to package directions. 

In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the vegan ricotta and blend until smooth. 

In a pan over medium heat, simmer onions and kale in olive oil and a tbsp of water for about 30 minutes, covered, checking periodically so it doesn't burn. Add garlic, mushrooms and spices and sauté for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in pumpkin. 

Layer a small amount of vegan ricotta on the bottom of an oven safe dish. Stuff shells with pumpkin mixture and place in a single layer over the vegan ricotta. Top with more vegan ricotta, making sure to get in between the shells, and add vegan mozzarella on top of that. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Super Quick and Easy Stuffed Shells

I tried (with small adjustments) this quick recipe from Vegetarian Times and it was awesome; packed with protein and hardly any fat.


Garlicky Vegan Stuffed Shells
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1 package firm tofu, drained and dried with paper towels (14 oz.)
-1/4 cup GOOD olive oil
-12 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
-6-8 oz. pasta shells (large, for stuffing)
-2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
-2 tsp. lemon juice
-2 tsp. white miso
-5 oz. (6 cups) fresh baby spinach leaves
-24 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used arrabiata because I like it a bit spicy, but puttanesca would also be GREAT)
-1 additional tbsp. olive oil
-3/4 cup of shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a small skillet over medium heat, heat up the olive oil and all the garlic. Once it's hot, turn down to low and simmer, stirring often to turn cloves, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.

Meanwhile, cook pasta shells according to package directions (usually a couple minutes less than usual since you're going to be baking the shells after boiling). When they are done, drain and rinse, then run under cool water for a minute before arranging them in a baking pan to cool. (I used a metal pan so they don't stick.)




 
Then use the same pot to wilt the spinach: combine spinach with 2 tbsp. water over medium heat and stir for 3-5 minutes until totally wilted. Drain in a colander and press out all the excess water you can.

In a food processor, combine the oil/garlic, tofu, vinegar, miso and lemon juice and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the spinach leaves until combined.

Fill each pasta shell with about 2 tbsp. of tofu/spinach filling and arrange in a baking pan (I used a 9x14" metal one). Then top with the whole 24 oz. of pasta sauce until the shells are surrounded and mostly covered. Top with the final tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle mozzarella (if using).

Bake for 45 minutes, until sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.