Easy Tasty Vegan Pizza

Spicy veggie (and vegan) pizza is a snap to make.

This isn’t much of a recipe post, but more of a suggestion. I whipped up this lovely vegan pizza the other day and it exceeded expectations. Now I’m not a vegan (I’m OMNIVOROUS, baby!) and my tolerance for fake vegan cheese has its limits, but this pizza, notwithstanding the “cheddar-style” rice-based “cheese product” that melted inconsistently over the top, was just dynamite. I’m not going to measure it all out for you this time, but this what I did, more or less.

I had half an Italian eggplant, which was peeled. I diced the eggplant and salted it with a sprinkle of kosher salt. I let that sit for about 20 minutes and then I rinsed the eggplant and dried it well by squeezing it gently with a paper towel. I then sautéed the eggplant in olive oil until nicely browned. Also, I blanched some Tuscan kale in boiling salted water for two minutes. I dropped that into an ice bath to cool it down and then I drained it. I chopped it up nice and fine. I then chopped a little onion and browned that quickly in a pan. I preheated the pizza stone in my oven for 30 minutes at 550ºF (do it on a sheet pan, totally fine).

I took a nice, very flat whole wheat pita and I drizzled a little bit of olive oil over one side. I then spread over it a little homemade tomato sauce (a good jarred one is fine) and then added sparingly a little of each topping: kalamata olives, cooked eggplant, sautéed onions, blanched kale, fresh tomatoes, and pickled jalapenos. I added a few torn pieces of pre-sliced cheddar-style rice (or soy) cheese. I baked it on the pizza stone for about ten minutes. It was, how you say, AMAZEBALLS!

Yummy and satisfying.

Grilled Tempeh & Portobellos

Very vegan and very delicious.

In the course of my work I’m frequently called upon to make vegan dishes for guests and my coworker Ian (nicknamed Vegan Boy). Here’s one I knocked out the other day, on a whim, and it came out pretty spectacularly, if I may say so myself.

I bought a slab of tempeh, a staple vegetarian food stuff originally from Indonesia, which is a cake of pressed fermented soy beans. Because of its dense, hearty character tempeh makes for a decent meat substitute and can be quite tasty marinated in something flavorful and then grilled.

First I sliced the tempeh into slices about a half-inch thick. I whisked up a marinade composed of about a quarter cup of ponzu sauce, a quarter cup of olive oil, some minced garlic, a little minced marjoram, a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar syrup (a reduction of simple balsamic vinegar from Modena with some sugar added to it), and some salt and pepper. I coated the tempeh slices with the marinade and let it sit for about an hour.

I cut a portobello mushroom into thick slices and marinated those as well. Meanwhile I roasted some broccoli florets in a skillet until a little charred. I also warmed a little homemade tomato sauce in a small pot.

I grilled the tempeh and mushrooms until hot and lightly charred. I put three slices of the tempeh on a sheet pan, topped the tempeh with grilled mushrooms, and then topped the ‘shrooms with a slice of “pepper-jack flavored” soy cheese. I popped the sheet pan into a hot oven (think 400ºF) for about five minutes until the “cheese” melted. I pulled out my vegan creation and pulled out a nice plate.

In the center of the plate I put a little pool of that homemade tomato sauce (a decent store-bought version like Rao’s or Giorgio Baldi’s might work). And then with a spatula I placed my little cheesy tempeh-mushroom creation in the center of the pool. I topped the cheese with some of that roasted broccoli and drizzled a little more balsamic syrup around the vegan grub.

It was damn tasty. At least that’s what Vegan Boy said.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich (Vegan Styleee)

Yummy vegan sando!

I made another vegan sandwich at work today. This time I started by marinating a big portobello mushroom in olive oil, white wine, garlic, herbs (dill, chives, tarragon), and a bit of worcestershire sauce. I grilled it, sliced it, and layered it on toasted Ezekial bread with yellow mustard, chipotle-flavored Vegenaise, baby spinach, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and a slice of “cheddar” veggie cheese.

I’ve got to say, it was pretty tasty although I’m not a vegan. I just had a small bite; I loved everything but the soy cheese. Honestly fake cheese gives me the shivers. I made it for my vegan coworker Ian and he deemed it “a damn good sandwich”.

 

Grilled Veggie Melt

Healthy and tasty lunch!

I cranked out this delightful sandwich last week for a Meatless Monday lunch. I grilled some zucchini, eggplant, and yellow bell pepper (marinated briefly with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, minced fresh oregano). I slapped those grilled veggies with some tomato, avocado, and some grated “mozzarella-style” vegan rice cheese. The bread was a cheap French roll that I toasted and slathered with a chipotle mayo made from vegenaise and some of the spicy adobo sauce you’ll find in a can of chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeños). That added a nice little kick in the pants.

Take a day or two off of meat. It won’t kill you and it might add a few years to your life. Plus veggies are awesome!

Crispy Vegan Veggie Burger!

Everything about this burger is vegan, except the brioche bun. Oops.

This is not exactly a recipe post as I don’t have a recipe for the veggie patty. It’s just a little something I whipped up yesterday for my friend Ian, whose diet is wholly vegan and usually mostly raw. The patty is made from sticky sprouted brown rice, black rice, mushrooms, and zucchini. I threw in a little garlic and herbs and a tiny bit of flour to bind it all together. I crisped it in olive oil in a very hot skillet and melted a slice of soy cheese (you can see it peeking out of the bun on the right side of the pick) over the top.

I placed the cooked burger on a toasted brioche bun with a slice of killer ripe beefsteak tomato, iceberg lettuce, bread-n-butter pickles, and thinly sliced red onion. A slather of Vegenaise and a drizzle of both yellow mustard and ketchup completed this super-tasty burger.

It wasn’t until Ian took a bite of the burger that I realized that the brioche bun probably had a tiny bit of egg in it. He probably didn’t realize it until he read this post. Oops.

One day I need to come up with a measured recipe for this patty. But that day is not today.

Very Veggie Portobello Sando

A perfect sandwich for meatless Mondays.

A lovely vegetarian sandwich is today’s offering. I grilled a big portobello mushroom (having drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper and a little onion powder) and layered it with romaine lettuce, baby arugula, avocado, and a slice of killer beefsteak tomato. For bread I used a couple of slices of organic 7-grain with flax seeds from Rudi’s bakery, which I toasted on the grill until warm and just slightly charred. I schmeared the bread with Vegenaise on one slice and some good dijon mustard on the other. It was a lovely creation.

And it was the perfect thing for Meatless Mondays. I’m omnivorous, as the blog title tells you, and I love meat, but a little respite from the carnivorous life is always welcome for your health, for your mind, and perhaps your soul.

 

Pineapple Carpaccio with Homemade Coconut Sorbet

So yummy, so fresh.

Those of you lucky enough to have eaten at Red Ginger Pan-Asian Kitchen, my long-defunct restaurant in Half Moon Bay, will recognize this dessert as one of my signature sweet offerings. It was a fan favorite, healthy and refreshing. And very easy to put together.

To make this dish I shave slightly under-ripe pineapple on a Japanese Benriner mandolin about an eighth-of-an-inch thick. I lay the slices of pineapple on a plate and top with minced crystallized ginger, some crushed (salted) macadamia nuts, and a scoop of homemade coconut sorbet. I drizzle a little honey over the whole thing and then usually add a little fresh hand-torn mint leaf (although I seem to have forgotten it this time around).

The coconut sorbet is easy. I take two cans of organic coconut milk and add one cup of sugar. I heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. I stir in a tablespoon of Malibu rum and chill the mixture for about two hours. I freeze it in an ice cream maker until airy and creamy. It’s stupid-easy.

Anyway, this dessert is a keeper, a crowd-pleaser, and with a little planning (and some special but inexpensive equipment) a cinch to make. And, as an added bonus, it’s totally vegan!

Try it some time!

Today’s Salad

A simple vegan salad.

Today’s salad is a simple combination of blanched and cooled asparagus, green beans, cucumber, fresh zucchini, red bell pepper, grated carrots, celery, shaved red onions, a little bit of chives, and fresh cilantro. The dressing is a basic cider vinaigrette.

It’s all vegan and it’s all good.

 

 

A Trio of Terrific Vegan Salads

Bright and colorful corn salad with a slight Mexican flava!

Last week I made this lovely trio of small salads. They’re super-fresh, delicious, healthy, vegan, and (mostly) raw. These three salads are a good reminder that salad combinations are infinite. You could quite literally make a different salad every day of your life and not repeat yourself. Tap that creativity of yours and remember that there is only one rule: there are no rules!

Salads are the healthiest things to eat. You’re eating vegetables at their freshest and rawest, meaning you’ll tap into a wealth of nutrients. Try to keep them interesting and fresh and you’ll never get bored.

The corn salad above was pretty simple, as are all three of these little dishes. I roasted the corn (still on the cob) in a hot oven (think 400ºF) for about twenty minutes and then cut off the niblets. The corn I tossed (still warm so it’ll absorb the flavors of the dressing better) with some diced tomato, some thinly sliced shallot (which I wash briefly in cold water), and some chopped cilantro. I dressed it with a little lime juice, a little extra virgin olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper, and a tiny pinch of raw sugar.

Fresh and leafy salad with microgreens.

The fresh and leafy salad with micro greens is composed of wild baby arugula, shaved fennel, fresh cilantro leaves, a little bit of romaine lettuce, mâche (lamb’s lettuce), micro amaranth, and micro basil. The dressing was simply olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and tiny bit of unrefined white honey. It was very fresh and tasty!

Shaved Brussels sprouts with orange supremes.

The Brussels sprouts salad was incredibly easy to make. I shaved the sprouts on a Japanese slicer (very carefully!) and tossed it with a tiny bit of napa cabbage, orange supremes, and coarsely chopped raw almonds. The dressing was orange juice and canola oil with plenty of salt and pepper.

That’s it today, people! Now go make some salad!

Easy Healthy Brekkie: Toast with Goat-Milk Feta, Honey & Lavender

Very yummy breakfast.

I admit this isn’t much of a post. Nor is it a particularly good picture. However, this light healthy breakfast was super-delish and I had to share it.

I toasted some whole-grain sunflower bread and spread a little organic creamery butter on it. I had some of this superb, very soft goat milk feta cheese which I crumbled and spread on the toast as well. I drizzle a little honey over it and scattered just a few tiny florets of fresh lavender over the feta. A tiny sprinkle of fleur de del completed the dish.

That’s all for now, folks!