No Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup for my cross country team to eat for lunch before their meet later that afternoon. It is great for getting in your carbs and protein at the same time. For this recipe, I used chicken-style seitan which I shredded and diced up to look like real chicken.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 stalks celery
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package chicken-style seitan, shredded and/or roughly chopped (or any other imitation chicken you prefer)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
2 tsp. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 quarts (2 boxes) Imagine No Chicken Broth
8 oz. dried pasta (see note below)

METHOD:
1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and saute until soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and seitan and cook for two more minutes. Keep stirring the ingredients so that the garlic doesn't brown and stick.

2. Add the salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook for an additional minute.

3. Add the 2 boxes of broth and bring to a boil.

4. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in the noodles and serve when the noodles are cooked to desire.


NOTE:
For the pasta in the picture, I have found wavy noodles that look like egg noodles without the egg at my local co-op store. You can also use any desired pasta such as alphabets or stars for kids, regular spaghetti noodles broken into smaller pieces, or No Yolk Egg Noodles.

This soup will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. When you heat up the leftovers, make sure you add more water because the noodles soak up a lot of the broth. You will also need to add more salt to taste after reheating.

Smokey Split Pea Soup

A smokey flavored Split Pea soup without the ham bone!

INGREDIENTS:
14 cups water
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/8 cup dried parsley
1/8 cup dried basil
3/4 cup green split peas
3/4 cup yellow split peas
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 dried chipotle pepper
1/2 tbsp. liquid smoke (or to taste)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

METHOD:
1. Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add all ingredients (except the salt, pepper, and liquid smoke) to the pot and stir around a bit. Cover and gently simmer for about an hour.

2. Remove the dried chipotle pepper and discard. Transfer 2/3 of the soup to a blender in batches. Blend into a nice puree, and mix back in with the remaining 1/3 of the soup that was not blended. (If you are lucky enough to have an immersion blender, this would be the best tool for this process).

3. Cover and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. You might need to add a bit of water depending on how thick you like your soup. Make sure that the soup does not come to a boil.

4. Season with salt and pepper and desired amount of liquid smoke. Serve and enjoy!

Makes six large servings.

"Eggs" Benedict

Before turning vegan, oh how I loved eggs benedict! Now, a version for vegans to enjoy as well :)

INGREDIENTS
2 English muffins, sliced and warmed in the oven (so you have 4 halves)
2 block of firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see method below if unsure how)
olive oil, for frying
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
hot sauce, to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1 tomato, cut into thin circles
vegan hollandaise sauce, recipe below

METHOD:
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F - the oven will be used to keep all the ingredients warm. Place your english muffins on a baking sheet and in the oven.

1. Take a water glass or a biscuit cutter (something circular that will cut through the tofu) and press into each slab, cutting out two circles per tofu block. Now take both circles, and cut them in half so that you have four tofu circles. You can take the excess tofu and put it in a tupperware and save it in the fridge for later use. (I usually give it to the dog along with her dog food for breakfast)

2. Sprinkle each tofu circle with salt, pepper, and onion powder.

3. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on a medium-high setting. Saute the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring and moving it in the pan so that it doesn't burn. Add a desired amount of hot sauce to the pan and the turmeric, cook for an additional minute. Place the tofu circles in the pan and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until light brown and crispy. When they are finished cooking, place them on a baking sheet and into the oven where they will stay warm until the assembling begins.

4. In the same pan, saute the baby spinach with a pinch of salt (saves on dishes!). You might want to add more olive oil if your pan is looking a bit dry. Make sure that you keep stirring the spinach so that it doesn't stick together and get brown - you want the spinach to become just a little soft and wilted, but also retain shape and color.

5. Take out the warm ingredients from the oven. On the english muffins, lay a slice of tomato, spinach, a slab of the tofu and top with the hollandaise.



HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup Vegenaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
lemon juice from 1 small lemon
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)

Whisk all the ingredients until combined.



TO PRESS TOFU:
Tofu has a good amount of liquid in it. Pressing out that water will make it easier to retain a marinade, and hold its shape. Cut the tofu out of the vacuumed sealed container and drain the water. Place tofu block on a clean kitchen towel and fold the cloth over to cover the tofu. Place a flat object, such as a heavy skillet or cutting board, on top of the covered tofu for 20-30 minutes. Be careful that the object is not too heavy, or it will squish and smash the tofu.

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Right before Daiya hit the grocery store shelves, I was about to give up on vegan cheese all together because the other products out on the market do not have the same texture and taste that you associate with real cheese. It just felt like empty calories to me, and took so much time (and patience) for the cheese to actually melt. There where many break-downs in the kitchen... not a good scene. Then along came Daiya. I was skeptical at first, but with a friend's urge to try it, I gave it a shot. Oh man... life changing and the possibilities are endless! I thought to myself, "vegan bar food here I come!". There is so much you can do with this cheese: Mac and Cheese, Quesadillas, Grilled Cheese, and of course Mozzarella Cheese Sticks.

INGREDIENTS
1 block of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 3-4 inch long sticks.
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup italian flavored bread crumbs
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. dried basil
1 cup water
vegetable or canola oil for frying

METHOD:
1. Get out three medium sized bowls to work with. In the first one, fill it with water. The second, mix together the flour and cornstarch. In the third, mix the panko, italian bread crumbs, and dried herbs.

2. Dip each mozzarella stick one at a time in the water and then the flour mixture. Let the sticks rest on a cutting board or a plate to dry for about 5 minutes.

3. Take the floured sticks and dip them (quickly) in the water again. Some flour mixture will come off, but don't worry. After a quick dip in the water, toss them in the breadcrumb mixture and let sit and dry for about 3-4 minutes.

4. Repeat step 3 for a second time, letting dry longer for about 5-6 minutes.

5. While the sticks are drying for the finale time, prepare your frying pan. I didn't measure the oil for mine, but fill your frying pan up with oil so that it looks like 1/2 to 3/4 up the side of the sticks will be submerged. Get the oil nice and hot (the temp will be about 350-375 if using a thermometer).

6. Place the sticks in the oil with enough space between them so they are not touching each other. Fry on one side until golden brown (for me it was about 5 minutes or so). Flip and fry on the other side until golden brown.

7. Take out of the frying pan and put on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Serve with warm marinara.

Breakfast Burritos

I love going to Greenstar in Ithaca, NY and getting their vegan breakfast burritos before doing a big grocery shopping excursion. The only problem is that Ithaca is an hour and a half away, so this morning I have come up with my own take on the breakfast burrito.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 block, firm tofu
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
6 burrito size tortillas
cooking spray

METHOD:
1. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat setting. Add the olive oil after a minute and cook the garlic, onions, and tofu. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes or until the onions get nice and soft.

2. Add the turmeric and chili powder to the pan, cooking for about a minute.

3. Add in the cilantro, cheese, and salsa. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese is melted.

4. Heat a clean frying pan on a stove top, using a medium heat setting. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

5. Now it is time to assemble. Take about 3 heaping spoonfuls of tofu mixture and place on the tortilla. Roll up burrito style by rolling tight, pulling in the sides, and rolling tight again.

6. Place the burrito seam side down onto the heat. Let it cook for 3 minutes or so (until it is nice and brown). Flip and do the same for the next side. I used a spatula to lightly press down onto the burrito so it would be nice and flat.

7. Slice diagonally, pair with your favorite condiments (Tofutti Sour Cream, Sriracha, etc) and enjoy!

Baseball Birthday Cake

It's my husband's birthday today! Happy 27th, my love!

Even though Chris turned 27, he is still a little kid at heart. For example, every time he sees a bounce house (and I really mean every time) he always says he wants to go jump around in it. He also loves baseball, and we just went to the Baseball Hall Of Fame last weekend which is where I got the inspiration for this cake!

The cake recipe comes from Isa's book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I used the "Golden Vanilla Cupcake" and then doubled the recipe. For the frosting, I used "Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting".

I used whatever I had lying around my baking drawer for decorating. The grass around the baseball was Wilton Tip #233, and for the writing and stitching on the baseball I used Wilton Tip #4. Nothing fancy really...

I hope everyone at the public radio station loves cake, because the two of us will not be able to eat all of it!

Doggie Peanut Butter Nuggets

My buddy, Elizabeth wanted to make dog treats for her puppies and my dog, Elsa. Here is the recipe that we came up with this morning. Elsa gives it 2 paws up!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup soymilk
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. baking powder

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Combine the peanut butter and milk by mixing on low with a hand mixer.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour and baking powder.

4. Combine the peanut butter mixture with the flour by using a wooden spoon. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

5. By using the palms of your hands, flatten the dough until it is about a 1/4 inch thick. You can cut out shapes by using your favorite cookie cutter or by using a shot glass (which is perfect to make bite-sized circles).

6. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Make sure you check them around 10 minutes, because they will burn easily.

7. Let your treats cool down to room temperature, and let your pooch enjoy.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan was never a favorite of mine because I always had it smothered in sauce and cheese which made the eggplant turn soggy. This recipe uses Daiya mozzarella cheese and the eggplant ends up turning nice and crisp!

INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds
sea salt
1 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/4 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup flour
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (or more depending how much you like) italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 a bag of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut for garnish

METHOD
1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with sea salt and let sit in a colander for 30-45 minutes allowing the excess water to drain.

2. Transfer the eggplant to a clean kitchen towel and lay flat. Using another clean kitchen towel, lay on top of the eggplant slices and press down to release anymore excess liquid from the vegetable.

3. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

4. Using 3 pie pans (or big bowls) start putting together your flour mixture, "egg" mixture, and breadcrumbs. In the first plate, combine the flour and black pepper to taste. In the second combine the soymilk, cornstarch, and chickpea flour by mixing with a whisk. Put the breadcrumbs in the third plate.

5. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Next, coat each eggplant slice in the flour, then the "egg" mixture, and then in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the baking pan and lay each slice flat so that they are not on top of each other.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, and flip the slices 15 minutes into baking.

7. In the meantime, coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a 1/4 inch of pasta sauce. When eggplants are done baking, transfer them to the glass dish by layering and overlapping the slices to fit.

8. Cover with desired amount of sauce and sprinkle on the Daiya cheese. Cover with tin foil and let it bake for 30 minutes.

9. When the dish is done baking, take out of the oven and let it cool for about 7-10 minutes. While the eggplant is cooling, chiffonade your basil by taking the leaves and then rolling them away from you as tight as you can. Keep rolling until you reach the opposite end of the leaves and you have a tight little package. With one hand holding the rolled leaves tightly, start slicing as finely as you can until you have nice little ribbons. Sprinkle the basil on top of your dish.

Mac Salad

When I first moved to Rochester, the first thing I was told to do was to try was the "Garbage Plate". It is a disorganized combination of either cheeseburger, hamburger, Italian sausages, white or red hots (hot dogs) served on top of one or two of the following: home fries, fries, and mac salad. Then, the plate is adorned with optional mustard, onions and hot sauce. A plate is usually served with a side of white bread and butter, because it is said that the purpose of the bread is to soak up the grease left after you've eaten the garbage plate. Anyway, that was a long story to basically say that Rochestians LOVE their "Mac Salad". I have added extra veggies to this vegan version. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
16 oz. elbow macaroni (or other favorite pasta)
2 cups Vegenaise
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 a red onion, minced
2 carrots, shredded
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup pepperoncini, minced
freshly ground sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD
1. In a medium pot, boil water and add salt. Add pasta, cook until al dente, and place into an ice water bath. It is important that the pasta is al dente so it can soak up all the flavors.

2. In a medium mixing bowl add mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, and vinegar. Mix to combine and place in refrigerator to keep chilled while pasta cools down.

3. When pasta is cool, mix in mayonnaise mixture and all vegetables. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper. Place into refrigerator and chill for 1 hour for the flavors to combine.

Vegan Panna Cotta

I have never had real Panna Cotta, I became vegan before I was able to try the real form of the dessert. However, I have been seeing a lot of Panna Cotta lately at restaurants and on the tv show Hell's Kitchen, so I felt the need to try out my own version. I was very pleased with my first attempt, but there might be some revisions to come. You can eat this dish on it's own or pair it with a sweet syrup. We recently went strawberry picking so I made my own strawberry syrup to go along with the Panna Cotta. Enjoy this simple and elegant dessert!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy creamer
2 (6 oz.) containers of coconut yogurt - you could also use soy yogurt
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
4 Tbs. boiling hot water
1 tsp. agar agar power

METHOD
1. Mix the water and the agar agar powder together using a small whisk. Let the mixture sit while you continue on with the other ingredients.

2. In a saucepan, combine the creamer, yogurt, vanilla beans, vanilla extract, and sugar.

3. Whisk in the agar agar mixture and heat over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches a boiling point and remove from the heat.

4. Pour into ramekins and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. For me, this took about an hour.

5. Place into the refrigerator and allow the Panna Cotta to chill for a few more hours.

6. To serve, loosen the edges with a small knife and carefully slide out on to a dessert plate. Accompany with your favorite sauce or fruit. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Just in time for Easter! Rich chocolate-peanut butter eggs that are even better than the store bought kind. Plus, they are gluten free!

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Yields about a dozen eggs (depending on how big you want to make them)

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. confectioner's sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter

1-3 Tbsp. soy milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you prefer)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. shortening (I use Earth Balance Sticks)

METHOD

1. Melt the peanut butter and Earth Balance Butter together in a saucepan. Then add in your vanilla extract and only one tablespoon of soy milk.

2. Take your saucepan off the heat and add in your confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Using a hand mixer, start to blend everything together slowly. After the confectioner's sugar is added, add in more soy milk one tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too stiff. This is where it gets a little tricky. Use your judgement because you want the peanut butter mixture to be a little firm yet workable because you will be forming it into eggs.

3. Shape the mixture into eggs. You can do small or big, whatever you prefer. I shaped mine by using a deviled egg holder that I still have laying around from my pre-vegan days. I found that shape works really well for these eggs. After you form your eggs, lay them on waxed paper and freeze them for an hour.

4. About half way into the freezing process, start preparing the chocolate dip. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and shortening. The shortening will add a glossy effect to the eggs. Be careful not have have any water in the bowl with the chocolate and shortening, it will make your mixture seize up, and no one like that. Melt over a medium heat and stir frequently until smooth.

5. At this point your eggs should be good to go. Using a fork, dip the eggs in the chocolate to cover the entire egg, then let it rest on wax paper. Before the chocolate starts to cool, decorate with your favorite sprinkles. I use Sprinkelz which are vegan, organic, and gluten free.

6. After all of the eggs are dipped and decorated, let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or they can stay in there until ready to be served. The longer they sit, the better the chocolate dip sets up.

7. Enjoy and have a happy Easter!

Mocha Mamas

Mocha Mamas

This is not an original recipe of mine, however these cookies turned out so pretty (Chris baked them) that I had to take a picture before they are all eaten! You can find the recipe in the cookbook, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romeoro. I highly suggest buying this book because there are so many accessible vegan cookie options.

Guacamole

Guacamole is amazing because 1) it is the ultimate fresh food 2) it is simple to make 3) it is so healthy for you! Feel free to take this recipe and add in whatever you like: tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, etc.

Guacamole

Serves about 4 people

INGREDIENTS

3 avocados (see tip below)

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

cilantro, chopped, to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

METHOD

1. Place your avocado meat into a medium bowl. If you are unfamiliar with how to cut open an avocado, proceed on down to the avocado tips.

2. Combine the red onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice with the avocado. Using a potato masher, mash and stir everything together until you get the desired texture and consistency you want.

3. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Our new favorite that we have found is Food Should Taste Good Lime Tortilla Chips.

4. Eat right away, it will go brown within a couple of hours or so. It is not like restaurant guacamole with MSG to preserve it - and that is a good thing! So you can't make it ahead of time before a party, but it is very simple and quick to make. Enjoy!

AVOCADO TIPS

Finding the right avocado:

You want to find a ripe avocado at the market, but not too ripe. I never go by the "ripe" sticker on the fruit, because it is usually too ripe and you'll cut into it and find that it is mostly brown. To find the perfect avocado, they will first be pretty much a dark brown, not green. Secondly, you want to pick it up and give it a slight squeeze. If it is really firm, then it is not ripe. If it is slightly squishy, then you have found a good one :)

Scooping out the flesh:

1. You want to scoop out as much of the flesh as possible, so the best way I have found (by working in the food service industry) is to take a big knife and slice all they way around the avocado, then twist apart to make two halves.

2. One halve will still have the pit inside. This is where you take the knife and whack the pit so that the blade sticks in. Be careful with this though! I usually don't hold the avocado when I do this, because with my luck I'll slip and get my hand instead. Twist the knife gently and the pit should come out (unless your avocado is not ripe).

3. Now take a butter knife and cut into the avocado flesh by making vertical and horizontal lines. You will then have squares cut into the avocado.

4. Take a spoon and scoop everything out of the shell. Repeat with the other halve.

Raspberry Martini

I hope you enjoy one of my best martini creations! It does take a little bit of time and effort, although it is well worth it!

Raspberry Martini

makes one martini

INGREDIENTS

Ice cubes (about 5-6)

1 Pint fresh raspberries (leave behind a few for garnish if you want)

Raspberry Vodka

Dekuyper Razzmatazz

Sour Mix (use recipe below)

EQUIPMENT

Martini Shaker

Wheatgrass/Soft fruit juicer

Jigger (unless, you just guess)

BASIC SOUR MIX RECIPE

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 lemon, juiced

3 limes, juiced

Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan and warm over a medium heat. Keep an eye on your sour mix by stirring occasionally. Leave on the stove top until the mixture is warm to the touch, and everything is mixed together. You can adjust the sugar to juice ratio if you prefer your drinks more sweet or sour.

METHOD

1. Juice your raspberries. I use my wheatgrass juicer, but you can use any soft fruit juicer. The trick is to extract the raspberry juice and leave behind the seeds (otherwise if you have seeds in your martini shaker, it will prevent the liquor from coming out into your glass). If you juice all the raspberries in the pint, you'll have enough juice for 2 drinks.

2. In a martini shaker combine the ice cubes, 1-1/2 shots vodka, 1 shot Razzmatazz, 1/2 the raspberry juice, and 1-1/2 shots of sour mix. Shake it all up!

3. Pour into a frozen martini glass (I keep mine in the freezer). Or, if you do not have a cold glass available, put about 4-5 ice cubes in the glass (whatever will fit) and add cold water. Let it sit for about 5-10 seconds. Dump the ice water out, and fill your glass with your drink.

4. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

5. Enjoy responsibly.

Gordon Ramsay on The Ellen Show

Saké as a stir-fry seasoning? Yum!

Ellen Degeneres, talk show host and vegan advocate, invited Gordon Ramsay to The Ellen Show a couple of days ago to create a vegan stir-fry. Despite the bloodshed, the dish looks delicious. I can't wait to make it!

Introduction

Well, here goes nothing... I'm starting a blog!

Hi, my name is Annie. I live in upstate NY with my husband, Chris and our animal companions, Elsa and Guinness. A little over a year ago, we went vegan and have never looked back. So to celebrate our 1st vegan anniversary, I have created Levende Vegan.

I love to cook, bake and experiment. Well, sometimes I am a little self-conscious with the experimenting part, only because I am a perfectionist and type-A, but I am getting better! I explore the internet looking for inspiration and ideas for recipes, and try to blend them into something new.

The intent of this blog is to share appealing and doable recipes as well as bits of information I come across that I find interesting pertaining to a vegan lifestyle. I also want to point out, the intent of this blog is to not try to turn anyone vegan. There are too many converting-happy vegangelicals out there. My goal is to share with you what works with my family, ways to prepare food we didn't grow up with, and to think outside the box. Perhaps, my recipes will inspire you to incorporate vegan/vegetarian meals into your diet once or twice a week.

Happy reading!