Egg Salad Egg Salad and VEGAN MOFO LIKE A CHAMP

My relationship with my younger brother is based largely on love and absurdity and obscure inside jokes from 20 years ago. Part of what keeps us in stitches when we're around each other is the uncomical nature of a lot of our jokes. He'll say something like, "Meredith, that man over there... is wearing a TIE!" and look at me with a pointed sense of doom. It sort of destroys me.

So one time he replied to a text message with just the words "egg salad."

"Tyler go home you're drunk."

"No Mere say it out loud egg salad."

Eeeeeeeeeegggggggg sa-lad.

It has stuck with me ever since, so today I give you lunch:

Truly, it's not a traditional egg salad, but it IS a salad with a QUOTE fried egg patty QUOTE on it. I posted the details about my new-found love of fried egg patties in a previous post about The Egg McMuffin, but as Vegan Mofo marches on valiantly into the abyss, I confess I have no apologies about recycling recent recipes. 

A quick refresher on the fried egg bit, for those of you who don't follow my every update on various forms of social media.... Here's what you'll need: 

extra firm tofu, well-pressed and drained, cut into thin slices

1/2 Cup soy creamer

1/2 Tbl turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 Cup nutritional yeast flakes

Whisk all these (but the tofu - obvi) together in a small bowl, then dip the tofu slices into the batter. Fry these over medium-high heat in a skillet for about 5 minutes, then flip and fry another 5.

Also included in Egg Salad Egg Salad:

romaine

chopped pistachios

avocado

agave mustard dressing

shelled edamame

Awwwwwwwww yeah.

Roasted Zucchini Pepper Pasta

There are times when I begin writing a blog post and I am overcome almost immediately with the notion that my time would be better spent recreating and re-eating the thing I am covering in said post. It takes tremendous willpower to continue sitting at my desk, writing about the nice-looking photo above and remembering how delightful it felt in my belly. Today is one of those days, so bear with me!

Yes, this pasta dish was incredible. AND nearly all local to boot. The summer is the most fabulous time for my mouth, on account of the abundance of produce in and around my life. Thanks as always to my local farmer's market (and my good friends) for making fresh vegetables available to my tummy. One beautiful thing about this sauce, which I think highlights one benefit of cooking with local produce, is that it is not heavily seasoned. The vegetables sort of speak for themselves in this one.

Here's what I used to make this sauce:

roughly 1 1/2 Cup chopped zucchini (or about 1 "normal size" zucchini - though mine was about the size of a small child)
1/2 Cup roasted red peppers
4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 an heirloom tomato - all yellowish and reddish, diced

(also you need pasta. obvi)

To begin, go ahead and boil your pasta water to prepare your elbows or whichever pasta you prefer, because the sauce doesn't take too long. I must say, this sauce goes disgustingly well with elbows.

Note: if you don't already "have" roasted red peppers, go ahead and do this first. I have a post on roasting red peppers here if you need some guidance. You obviously may used jarred roasted red peppers but they tend to be pretty pricey. It's quite silly. I roast some every so often and keep them in the fridge and pretend they are from Kroger's, which turns out to be a bad idea because they won't last as long.

Heat a dab of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the zucchini and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from heat and let these cool. Throw them into a food processor, along with the roasted red peppers, chopped basil and salt, and process for about one minute.

Return the sauce to a small saucepan and add the diced tomatoes. Heat for about 5 minutes on low, stirring regularly.

HEY and I bet you thought there was going to be more here, didn't you? No. It is that simple. Other than to say of course, that I garnished mine with a dollop of Tofutti's Better Than Sour Cream, which contains no hydrogenated oils and is delicious to boot. Also a sprig of basil. YUM town.

Philly Cheesesteak Rollups

Sometimes you just want comfort food and you don't want to spend an hour making it. These cheesy, meaty, mushroom yrolls are super delicious, take 20 minutes and totally fill that "I'm slightly hungover and have been doing yard work all morning and all I need is something greasy and filling to pair with this hair-of-the-dog" craving. We all feel it. Don't lie.

Like, have you ever wanted to make taquitos, but needed something a little more... thick? And also you were out of tortillas? Me too, sister. Grab this stuff! It's easy! [Serves 2]

(Also might now be a good time to mention that these taste AWESOME)

7 or 8 slices of bread (it doesn't matter what kind... I used whole wheat?)

a little bit of olive oil for grilling

one package of Daiya mozzarella style cheese

half a pound of store-bought seitan, sliced

5 white mushrooms, diced

1/4 green bell pepper, minced

1 Tbl Braggs liquid aminos 

First, prepare the bread. Cut the crust off the slices (you can save these for croutons!) Using a rolling pin or a relatively flat glass, roll out the bread until they are as thin and flat as you can make them. Set these aside.

In a small pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil on medium low heat. After about one minute, increase the heat to medium-high and toss in the peppers. Stir for about one minute, then add the mushrooms. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.

Return that same pan to heat and add the Braggs liquid aminos. Swirl it around the pan a time or two and add the sliced seitan. Stir fry on medium-high heat for about 2 or 3 minutes. (This might be a good time to prepare the dipping sauce. See below for the recipe!)

Once the seitan is finished, remove from heat and set aside. Now it's time to assemble!

First, grab a big pan and heat some olive oil (enough to coat the pan) over medium heat. One by one, lay out the slices of flattened bread. Spread mozzarella cheese across the slice. Carefully pile the mushroom and pepper mix near the back of the bread. Lay two or three seitan slices across the mushrooms and peppers. Delicately roll the bread up, making sure all the good stuff stays in. This can be tricky, but remember - you are an artist.

Once you roll one up, place it fold-down on the heated pan. Grill for a couple minutes, then flip over and finish the other side. You'll know when they are finished if you've ever been to Taco Bell.

Here's the recipe for the sauce (www.thebomb.com)

1/3 Cup non-dairy sour cream

2 Tbl chili garlic sauce

1 Tbl hot sauce

garnish with black pepper

Hell yeah!

Just a Reminder That We are Allowed to Eat Whatever We Want

Just because you are vegan doesn't mean you can't miss out on Cheesy Kale Hot Dog Sammich Time.

Just a reminder. And a poem (that's not really a poem at all but actually just an excerpt from "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" by the beautiful Annie Dillard) to commemorate.

Thomas Merton wrote, "there is always temptation to diddle around in the contemplative life, making itsy-bitsy statues." There is always an enormous temptation in all of life to diddle around by making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for years on end. It is all so self-conscious, so apparently moral, to step aside from the gaps where the creeks and the winds pour down, saying, I never merited this grace, quite rightly, and then to sulk along the rest of your days on the edge of rage.

I won't have it. The world is wilder than that in all directions, more dangerous and bitter, more extravagant and bright. We are making hay when we should be making whoopee; we are raising tomatoes when we should be raising Cain, or Lazarus.

...served with sweet and spicy brown mustard. Duh :)

Mushroom Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I love this dish for its simplicity in preparation and its complexity in taste. I try to buy peppers from my local farmer's market when they are in season, but when I can't these sweet mini peppers from Kroger's are SO clutch! They come in a bag for around $3 and are delicious.

First preheat your oven to 375, then prepare your filling:

1 Cup quinoa
2 Cups water
1 cube not chikn bouillon
1 Cup chopped mushrooms
1 Cup chopped kale
2 Tbl Braggs liquid aminos

In a medium saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then, add the bouillon and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes. Drain any excess and remove from heat.

Next heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium for 2 minutes. Add the Braggs, mushrooms and chopped kale and sauteé for about 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Take your peppers and slice off the tops. Remove any seeds and toss in 1 Tbl olive oil. Stuff with your quinoa mix. Replace the tops of the peppers once they are stuffed, place in a shallow casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Yay! Easy peasy!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fritters

Yes!!!!! Is there anything better than having the morning off and getting to make lunch at home??????

It's the little things, y'all.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS.

So these were delicious, and required a little more time than my typical quick lunch, but well worth it. The process is simple - dip slices in egg replacer, dip slices in flour mix, then fry in vegetable oil and nom nom nom nom.

Here's what you need if you're chopping up 1 sweet potato (feeds about 2-3 people):

2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl black pepper
2 Tbl red pepper flakes
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

So there are your dry ingredients for the batter. Sift these together and then prepare 4 egg replacer solutions. I use Ener-G Egg Replacer. Then, pour about 1/4 an inch of vegetable oil into a cast iron skillet, and heat on med-high while you slice your tater.

You'll need to slice your sweet potato pretty thin I did mine about 1/8 an inch. Once you have your slices, dip these in the egg replacer one at a time, then coat thoroughly in the dry flour mix. Toss these into the cast iron (NO wait don't actually toss these, because hot oil) one at a time, and fry until crispy golden brown.

Let dry on a paper towel.

I served mine with a jalapeño mustard sauce, made with yellow mustard, honey and pickled jalapeños. #yumtown

Cauliflower Mushroom Pasta with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I have been mega into Brussels sprouts lately, which is a novel thing for me because I have never been able to claim being "really into" Brussels sprouts before. But they are super simple and SO CUTE! Right?

This pasta hit the spot for a carb-loading long run day for me. It was the product of me needing to get rid of some cauliflower (which is a GREAT problem to have - cauliflower is so versatile and fabulous!), but it turned out great so I think I'll keep it around.

For starters, here's a short tutorial on roasting Brussels sprouts. I guess everyone does it differently, but here's how I prepared them for this dish (and also, how I normally prepare them unless I'm really trying to avoid oil and fat but WHY would I ever do that????).

First, preheat your oven to 400, and go ahead and stick a cast iron skillet in there to warm up with your oven. It's always best to heat your skillet with your oven when roasting, to better balance your temperature dynamics. Next, slice your sweet little sprouts in half, lengthwise, so you can see all those crazy layers that just look so darling and aesthetically satisfying. Once your oven is heated, lay those sprouts face down in your skillet, along with a teeny bit of olive oil -- just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Let these roast for 20 minutes, then remove them from the oven -- MAKE SURE to use an oven mitt, even if someone comes into the kitchen and distracts you with lovely conversation of poetry and beer and good things. Even if this person is good looking, they will not change the fact that this pan is HOT, and you will have a burn mark on your palm for weeks at least. Be careful.

So remove the pan and drop a dollop of Earth Balance onto the side of the pan. It will melt and run around the base of the pan, and make your sprouts hella good. Then season with salt and pepper, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.

So let's get to the sauce. This sauce is hella easy and relatively simple. Here's what you'll need:

1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1 T coconut oil
2 T Braggs
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

So throw those mushrooms and cauliflowerz into a hot skillet, and cook with the coconut oil over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the Braggs and spices and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once your shrooms and etc aren't so steamy, throw it all into a food processor and puree until creamy. Return to a pot for a quick heat-up once you have pasta ready. By this time, your sprouts should be nice and toasty and VOILA, you have an awesome post-workout [or mid-hangover] lunch!

Sweet Quinoa Salad

This week has involved a lot of prep work to Thankscooking, therefore I have become even more lazy at lunch. This is my favorite go-to quick lunch, when I am busy, and on-the-go, and urban, and working, and…. ok it’s mostly for when I don’t feel like cooking and it goes well with Sports Center.

Health benefits of quinoa aside, this salad is bomb just for its sweet/earthy balance. The carrots and cranberries balance out the quinoa. It’s delish, and it will keep for about a week in the fridge.

All you do is mix these guys together (duh):

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup steamed edamame, shelled
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup shredded carrots (I usually use a vegetable peeler to get really thin slices)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Of course, adjust the measurements as you see fit. Easy peasy!

Baked Tofu Sammich with Mushrooms and Spinach

Sammich. Pressed tofu baked in a shallow pool of balsamic vinegar. Sautéed spinach and mushrooms, Daiya, broiled open-face for a few minutes. And sriracha, of course.

Simple Lunch Meat

Seitan lunch meat: a rough guesstimate.

Mix 1/2c smushed white beans, 1c water, and a bit of oil with this eyeballed, follow-your-heart spice mixture: salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, ground fennel, sage, pepper, soy sauce. Mix with 1c and some change of vital wheat gluten. Shape into loaf, wrap generously in aluminum foil, and steam in veggie steamer for 1 hour. Then bake at 350 for another 45 minutes. Voila!