Barbecue Tempeh Bowl

Normally when making a bowl like this, I like to make everything from scratch. Today was an exception. I wanted to eat more than I wanted to cook so I took some help from the grocery store and purchased BBQ sauce and baked beans. From there I simply cooked the tempeh in the sauce and made a quick slaw while the collards were steaming.

One Year Ago Today Pineapple Dipped Pancakes with Blueberry Coconut Syrup & Macadamia Nuts
Two Years Ago Today Rhubarb Oat Bars
Three Years Ago Today Fresh Asparagus Soup

Crisp cubes of tempeh simmered in tangy barbecue sauce with baked beans, collard greens and a refreshing slaw filled with snap peas, beets and carrots.

Barbecue Tempeh Bowl
serves 3
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
16oz tempeh, medium cubed
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
1 bunch collard greens, steamed
1-15oz can vegan baked beans
Beet & Carrot Slaw

Saute the tempeh in olive oil until brown and crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce and water and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick.
Serve the tempeh in a bowl with steamed collards, baked beans and slaw.

Beet & Carrot Slaw
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded raw beets
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all of the slaw ingredients together and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. When ready to eat, taste and season with salt if necessary.

Beans & Greens with Cornbread

Black eye (or is it eyed? I've seen them both ways) peas are my favorite legume and collards are definitely top 10 spot on my vegetable list so what could make this meal any better? Cornbread that's what!

Spicy jalapeno black eyed peas served with tangy collard greens and slightly sweet cornbread.

Cornbread
1 tbl ener-g egg replacer
1/4 cup water
1 cup almond milk
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup melted earth balance vegan butter
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.
Whisk together the egg replacer and water in a medium bowl until frothy, 2 minutes. Add the almond milk, sugar, butter and vinegar and stir to combine. Add the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 then turn up the heat to 400 and bake 15 more or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Black Eyed Peas
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 red onion, small dice
1 jalapeno, seeded, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable broth
salt, to taste
1/4 cup bbq sauce

Saute the onion, jalapeno and garlic in olive oil until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the peas and broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has absorbed. Use a potato masher or fork to mash half of the bean mixture up. Once plated, drizzle the whole meal with a little bit of your favorite barbecue sauce.

Collard Greens
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 head collards, roughly chopped
1 tbl organic light brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbl apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water

Saute the greens in olive oil for just a few minutes to soften. Add the sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add the vinegar, broth and water and simmer for 25 minutes.

Black Eyed Pea Stew, Blackened Brussels, Collard Shoestrings with Rock Salt

Thick, hearty stew with black eyed peas, carrots, green peppers, celery and onion. Shredded collard shoestrings tossed in rock salt and brussel sprouts, blackened and roasted.

Black Eyed Pea Stew

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
1 celery stalk, small dice
1/2 green pepper, small dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp file powder
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
2-15oz cans black eyed peas, drained, divided

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and saute the onions with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent. Add the carrots, celery and green pepper and saute 10 minutes more until the vegetables just start to soften. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and file powder and stir to combine. Saute 3 minutes more. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the vegetable broth and add the diced tomatoes and 1 1/2 cans of black eyed peas. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree the stew 80%. You want to obtain the consistency of bean dip. Once done, add the remaining 1/2 can of peas and simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.

Blackened Brussels

9 brussel sprouts, ends slightly trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 tbl creole seasoning
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

If putting on skewers: soak wood skewers for 20 minutes so they don't burn in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil.
Combine the creole seasoning with salt and pepper. In another small bowl, combine the oil and liquid smoke.
Put 3 brussel sprouts on each skewer then coat individually with the seasoning mix on all sides.
Lay on the baking sheet and drizzle all the sprouts with the oil/liquid smoke.
Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, turning once after 7 minutes.

Collard Shoestrings with Rock Salt

1/2 bunch collards, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl nutritional yeast
2 tsp rock salt or coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375.
Toss the collard greens with the remaining ingredients and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and chip-like.

Smothered Seitan, Collard Greens, Fresh Heirlooms with Cornbread Crumble, Roasted Green Bean Bundles

Cornbread Crumble with Heirloom Tomatoes
1/2 cup earth balance vegan butter, melted
2/3 cup organic sugar
3 tsp ener-g egg replacer with 1/4c warm water, whisked together
1 cup oat milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, medium ground
Heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick and seasoned with sea salt

Essentially with this recipe, you are going to make cornbread, and then crumble it up. So if you just want to have some pieces of cornbread, that will work too.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" cake pan with foil and grease with cooking spray.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Add the egg replacer slurry and the oat milk mixture. Whisk.
In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients. Combine the dry into the wet and whisk until smooth.
Pour into your cake pan and bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Crumble up over your tomato slices.

Collard Greens
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped medium
2 tbl organic sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch collard greens
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4c apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
3 dashes hot sauce, or to taste

Strip stems from leaves and chiffonade. Rinse in cold water.
Heat a large sauce pan and add oil. Sweat onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic, salt, sugar, red pepper, hot sauce, and cook additional 2 min.
Add vinegar and bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. 4 to 5 min.
Add the washed greens and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 30 min until the greens are very tender. Add more water if pot dries out.

Smothered Seitan
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 box Seitan, cut into medium sized pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4c butter
1/2c all-purpose flour
1 yellow onion, chopped small
1 celery stalk, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbl fresh thyme, on stems
1 tbl dried rosemary, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth

Season seitan generously with salt and pepper, rubbing the seasonings into the seitan.
Combine the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, cayenne, thyme and rosemary in a medium bowl and
toss to combine.
Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. When oil is very hot sear seitan on both sides
until brown and crusty. Transfer seitan to plate.
Reduce heat to medium then stir in the butter. When butter is melted, stir in the flour to make a roux and continue to cook, stirring, until the roux turns a dark peanut butter color, about 10 min.
Add the onion mixture and cook stirring until all the ingredients are well coated and the mixture
is thick. Whisk in the veg broth and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Return seitan to dutch
oven, toss everything together, partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Quick Roasted Green Beans
1/4 lb green beans, ends removed
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, whole

Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Toss all ingredients together and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until beans are browned.

Black Eye Pea Cakes, Corn Pudding, Braised Collards

This weekend I am making some food for a friend's wedding and I wanted to do a final test on my recipes to make sure everything was tasting great.

Lemon infused black eye pea cakes with crunchy panko breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Creamy corn pudding with spicy jalapeno and green pepper and a side of collard greens braised in hot sauce and a light broth.

Black Eye Pea Cakes
2-15oz cans Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed
1/2c minced walla walla onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl lemon zest
2 tbl dijon mustard
1 tbl tamari
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbl creole seasoning
3 tbl chopped parsley
1 c panko breadcrumbs
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs and mash until only small amounts of whole peas remain. Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Form into patties and saute on both sides until golden brown.

Corn Pudding
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2c walla walla onion, chopped small
1 green bell pepper, chopped small
1 red jalapeno, seeded and diced
7 cups of corn kernals, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2c cornstarch
1 1/4c coconut milk
1/4c chopped cilantro
1 tbl cumin
1 tbl cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp pepper
2 tbl maple syrup
1/2c chopped scallions, white and green

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large saute pan, heat oil and saute onions, peppers, jalapeno, 5c corn, 1 tsp salt and garlic until onions are soft and corn has become golden brown.
In a large bowl combine cilantro, cumin, cayenne, 1 tsp salt, pepper, maple syrup and scallions. Add 1/3 of cooked corn mixture and the remaining 2c of corn.
In a food processor blend remaining corn mixture, coconut milk and cornstarch until pureed and creamy.
Combine pureed corn with remaining ingredients and bake in a greased 10x10 inch casserole dish at 350 for 25 minutes or until the top has a golden crust.

Collard Greens
2 tbl coconut oil
1 head collard greens, chiffonade
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1c vegetable broth

Saute collard greens in coconut oil until wilted. Add hot sauce, red pepper flakes and salt and continue cooking down for 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth and cook for 20 more minutes, adding more broth if necessary.

Garnish cakes with vegan sour cream and cheese spread. I especially like "We Can't Call it Cheese" Hickory Smoked Cheddar flavor.