Fourth of July feast

July 3, 2010 | 10 Comments »

Since we’re going to be busy tomorrow (having fun of course) I decided to prepare my 4th of July feast a day early. Normally I go a little crazy trying to plan out holiday menus, but this time around I knew just what I wanted.

The burger is a smoked Southwest slider type of bean burger. Back when I first saw the recipe I wanted to make them immediately. They look so yummy. And cute too! While I think it turned out great, I admit that it wasn’t at all what I expected. I think the soyrizo is a little overpowering. Perhaps a little less would make it just right? Or maybe it was the brand I used? Or maybe I just got a little too soyrizo happy and ‘accidentally’ added too much? The next time I make it I’m going to use a half cup instead. It was a pretty good burger. Everyone thought so.

For dessert I made mini peanut butter bombes. I didn’t follow an exact recipe. I melted some vegan chocolate and painted some mini molds. I allowed it to harden and then I applied a second coating. Once that hardened I added some peanut butter mousse and topped it off with some chocolate cake. Then I froze them for a few hours and went crazy trying to unmold them. I seriously ended up with like 3 normal looking bombes. I was pretty upset especially considering how time consuming they were. Well worth it though I must say. I’ll definitely attempt them again. If you have any tips or tricks on how to unmold these suckers, please share! I used mini silicone molds. I’m not sure if the metal molds make a difference or not. I only opted for the silicone molds because they were miniature and that’s the size I was aiming for.

Everyone loved the bombes. They said it tasted like a Snickers bar. I thought it was similar to a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It was very tasty, but I’ll be truly satisfied when I can unmold them in one piece. *sigh*

What are your plans for the 4th?

Penne with seitan sausage

June 1, 2010 | No Comments »

I’ve been a fan of Vegan Dad for quite some time. Whenever Juan is in his ‘I hate meat’ moods I suggest he take a look at Vegan Dad’s blog because I’m so sure that if he does he’d convert once and for all. Seriously, don’t ever visit his blog on an empty stomach; whether you’re vegan or not. It’s torture. Everything looks so GOOD. And truthfully I love each and every recipe I’ve tried. In fact his BBQ sauce recipe is the ONLY BBQ sauce we use. The only change I make is an added tablespoon of liquid smoke. That stuff is amazing!

Anyway, I was looking for some good recipes for this Memorial Day weekend. I wanted something good. Something different, but good. Then I saw this blog post and immediately knew that was IT. I put those bad boys on a bun and topped them off with lots of delicious toppings and enjoyed every single bite.

I ended up with a lot of leftovers so I froze a few and kept a few in the fridge for dinner the next day. That dinner was inspired by this dish. I used my own sauce though. And of course I served it with some homemade Texas Toast. Two batches of those sausages made enough food for my cookout, dinner tonight and I still have some left over. It’s safe to say that I will be making these again. Everyone loved them including my super picky 5 year old monster. Er… son.

Easter 2010

April 5, 2010 | 5 Comments »

This was our first Easter here in Illinois and we acted as if we were still back in Jersey and did what we normally do. Which is wait until the very last minute to decide what we’re going to cook. That means running out to the store at the last minute trying to find everything you need which almost always leaves you stressed beyond belief. I’m not even sure how I made it through this day. Thankfully after all of the running around I was able to sit and enjoy one of my favorite meals. Eggplant parmesan… lasagna style. Three words: totally worth it.

I made this for New Year’s Eve as well. It was so good that I’ve been dying to make it again. All I did was take an eggplant, peel it and THINLY slice it using a mandolin. Next dredge it in flour, dip it into a non-dairy milk/cornstarch mixture and then bread it with seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Fry it until crispy and golden brown. Then layer it in a baking dish as follows… eggplant, tofu ricotta, marinara, Daiya Cheese and continue until you use up all of the ingredients. The very top is layered with marinara and Daiya Cheese. Then bake it for about 20 minutes or so. That’s it. It’s a little time consuming, but totally worth all of the trouble.