I had a Veganomicon kind of weekend!

This is another recipe that I’ve had my eye on since I bought this book but just now got around to making. That is primarily because, as any jambalaya recipe likely is, it’s pretty involved. I’m definitely of the opinion that this is worth the effort though, now having made it.

In addition to being tasty, this recipe also makes enough to feed a small army or two people for a week. I froze half of it and we’re still eating the rest for lunch! The next time Mardi Gras rolls around, I know what will be on our menu!

Random aside: Is it just me or can you not think about the word “Jambalaya” without hearing Newman saying it in your head?

Vegan Jambalaya
Recipe courtesy of Veganomicon

Ingredients

6 tbs olive oil
16 oz. Seitan, crumbled
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 large tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup cooking sherry or veg. broth
2 cups long-grain brown rice
28 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can white kidney beans, drained & rinsed
15 oz can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 bay leaf
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried paprika
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne*, to taste
4 cups vegetable broth**
1 tsp salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

*next time I make this, I think I’ll double the cayenne
**you’ll need 1/2 cup to 1 cup of additional broth or water to add halfway through baking

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Preheat a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat
• Saute the seitan in 2 tbs of olive oil for 4 to 6 min, until lightly browned. Remove from pot and set aside
• Add remaining oil to the pot, then stir in the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic. Saute for 12 to 14 min., until vegetables are very soft. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for another 4 min.
• Stir in cooking sherry or broth to deglaze the veggies, cook for 30 seconds, then add rice. Stir the rice for about 4 min., then stir in the diced tomatoes, seitan, beans, bay leaf and all of the herbs, plus salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, pour in the broth and return to a simmer
• If using a dutch oven, cover and place in oven. If using a pot, transfer to a deep casserole dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for ~90 min, adding extra broth halfway through baking time. Check rice for tenderness periodically towards the end of the baking time
• Remove from oven, stir and then cover and allow to sit for about 10 min before serving
• Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired

Note: If using fresh thyme, poke the sprigs into the rice before baking. The leaves should fall off the stems while cooking. Remove the stems before serving.

Yield: Serves 6-8

Oh yes, it’s possible!

I love, love, love lemon bars. Living in St. Louis, I’m frequently filled with false hope at sightings of gooey butter cake, as is oh-so-common around these parts, because I always mistake it for lemon bars at first glance. Tragically, traditional lemon bars are brimming with all kinds of uncool animal products (hooves, aka: gelatin), so even if I did happen to eye one while out and about, it would be highly unlikely that I could partake in the lemony, gooey goodness. Thankfully, Veganomicon (one of the star cookbooks in my arsenal) has saved me from a future devoid of this citrus wonder.

I’ve been planning to make these since the day I saw this recipe, but an early and troubling experience with Agar had been holding me back until this past weekend, when I decided to show that seaweed who’s boss! It turns out there’s really nothing to using Agar (my first botched attempt was a rookie mistake) and there is absolutely zero difference in taste and texture as compared to gelatin.

So, if you’re vegan and missing the taste of lemon bars – get in a kitchen and whip these up, post haste! You’ll be a happy camper, I promise.

Vegan Lemon Bars
Recipe courtesy of Veganomicon

Ingredients

crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 powdered sugar, plus additional to decorate finished bars
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup Earth Balance

filling:

1 1/3 cups water
3 tbs agar flakes
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/8 tsp turmeric
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbs arrowroot powder
1 tbs finely grated lemon zest (1-2 large lemons)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk

Directions

• Lightly grease a 9×13 in baking pan
• Pulse the flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch in a food processor
• Add the Earth Balance in tablespoons and blend 8 to 10 seconds and then pulse until the mixture resembles course meal
• Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer with slightly raised sides so that it can hold the filling
• Refrigerate for about 30 min and preheat oven to 350°. Bake unfilled crust for 25 min. Remove from oven an let cool
• Meanwhile, soak the agar in the water (in a saucepan) for 15 min.
• Use the time while it soaks to zest your lemons and squeeze your lemon juice
• Mix arrowroot into the lemon juice to dissolve
• When the agar has soaked, turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for about 10 min, or until the agar is completely dissolved
• Add the granulated sugar and turmeric and boil until they have dissolved, about 3 min.
• Turn down the heat to medium and add the arrowroot mixture, then add the lemon zest and non-dairy milk
• Whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 5 min. (It should not be rapidly boiling, but low bubbling is okay)
• Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Let cool for 20 min. and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until the filling is only slightly jiggly and has set
• Use a sifter or a fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar. Slice into square and serve

Yield: One dozen

I seriously love my cookbooks. I’d have been completely lost without them when I first started eating vegan. I’m a decent cook (much better since I went vegan, actually) but I really don’t have the time or the talent for ground-up, recipe development. And honestly, with these books at my disposal, I don’t really need to.

As you can see, the books I’m talking about are:

• The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone
• Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
• Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook, Kim Barnouin
• Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

I know that four cookbooks doesn’t a library make but I also supplement with recipes I discover online at least as often as I reference one of these books for meal ideas. Additionally, the style of each of these titles (with the exception of the Skinny Bitch books, of course) is pretty different. Even the more traditional recipes in The Kind Diet have a strong “health” focus and tend to be fairly simple. Veganomicon is so huge as to encompass all kinds of foods and influences, but tends to concentrate on traditional, made-from-scratch recipes. The Skinny Bitch books (especially Bitch in the Kitch) often take more liberties with culinary shortcuts and the occasional use of prepared foods.

Veganomicon and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch were the first two books I bought when I went vegan. The Kind Diet came next, followed later by Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: I love all my cookbooks equally but if I had to choose a fave, I’d give it to Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.

True to its title, this book is best suited to everyday use, meaning you don’t necessarily need to spend a ton of time preparing these recipes and they’re all fairly simple to follow. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some showstoppers here (because there definitely are) but I find it best for day to day use.

I’m certain I’ll add to my collection gradually, but for the time being, these four books (and the internet!) are all I need to keep my kitchen vegan. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a more in-depth review of each book, including a few of my favorite recipes from each.

So tell me, are there any books I’m missing that you couldn’t live without?

Talk about a breath of fresh air! This recipe was a very happy surprise out of one of the first vegan cookbooks I ever bought, Veganomicon (also known as the vegan bible). I completely overlooked this dish until I came across an old thread on a blog I was poking around on a few months ago about favorite recipes from this book. The blog’s author had just picked up a copy and she asked her readers for recommendations on what to try first. I kid you not, of the dozens and dozens of replies, this recipe was called out 9 times out of 10. I figured that was a pretty clear sign that I should give this a shot.

After the first bite, I understood what all the fuss was about. This dish is unusual, delicious and absolutely bursting with flavor. It has quickly become one of my husband’s favorites.

Once you get all your ingredients prepped, everything comes together pretty quick. If you did the work ahead of time, this could be weeknight-friendly. Happy eating!

Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa Stir-Fry
Recipe Courtesy of Veganomicon

Ingredients

Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup pineapple juice (or water)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 tsp soy sauce

Stir-Fry

• 4 oz raw unsalted cashews
• 3 tbs, peanut oil (I use roasted)
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 hot red chili pepper, sliced into very thin rounds
• 1/2 in. piece of ginger root, peeled and minced*
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup edamame, cooked
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced into thin shreds
• 2 tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size chunks
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 3 tbs vegetable stock/broth
• 1 tbs mirin
• lime wedges (to garnish)

*I’m not a fan of ginger, so I leave this out. It isn’t missed, but feel free to include it if you prefer.

Directions

• Prepare the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa, juice, water and soy in a medium-sized pot
• Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil
• Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent
• Uncover, fluff and let cool. For best results, place the quinoa in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. If you’re in a hurry, chill the covered quinoa for at least an hour. When ready to use, break up any chunks of the cold quinoa with a fork
• For the stir-fry: use the largest nonstick skillet you have or a wok. Have all of your ingredients chopped and easily within reach
• Place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring until lightly toasted, about 4 min.
• Remove cashews from pan, raise the heat to medium and add the peanut oil, scallions and garlic
• When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced chili pepper and ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the red bell pepper and edamame.
• Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and edamame is bright green. Add the basil and mint and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa
• In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, vegetable stock and mirin. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to incorporate completely and coat the quinoa
• Continue to stir-fry for 10 to 14 minutes, until the quinoa is very hot
• Serve with lime wedges and additional soy, to taste

Yield: Serves 4