Convenience Food Alert! Harmony Valley Foods Hamburger & Sausage Mix

I love quick and easy vegan products that don't require refrigeration. I have the bad habit of over-shopping and my fridge is constantly packed with food that often ends up going to the rabbit, dog or compost bin to ensure it doesn't go completely to waste. So shelf-stable products are always a plus to have around. Harmony Valley foods makes a line of shelf-stable vegan hamburger and sausage mix that make approximately a pound of hamburger or sausage style crumbles by just adding water. Not only are they convenient from a storage stand point but they are great to travel with if you're not sure that there will be vegan options when traveling to visit friends or family. All you have to do is add water and wait 15 minutes then season as you'd like.

I was addicited to the sausage mix for a long time and then one day, I just stopped liking the flavor. I don't know what happened. It just started tasting tangy in an off sort of way. I don't know if it was just flavor overload or if the product loses some of it's flavor over time. But I would recommend that if you try this product to eat it all at once just in case. Another quick note, Harmony Valley also happens to be the name of a beef factory farm so be specific when you google this stuff. Until then, happy cooking!

Cookbook Review: The Sexy Vegan Cookbook by Brian L. Patton (with a bonus recipe)

Every once in a while people will comment that I'm too harsh in my cookbook reviews. I must beg to disagree. I am exceedingly passionate about great, innovative vegan food. There are so many authors out there who create masterpieces in the kitchen with simple ingredients that you don't have to break out your 1980's edition of Encyclopedia Britannica to decipher. I am in the unique position that I get to read and cook from the majority of the new vegan cookbooks on the market so I get the opportunity to see and eat some amazing recipes and so not so amazing recipes. The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude by Brian L. Patton is one of those innovative, outstanding cookbooks.

I've been knee deep in a world of babies, book writing and school so I'm out of the loop on who the new hot young vegan talents are so I have to admit I've never heard of Brian Patton before. I don't know if he's a blogger, tv personality, or just (as the title of the book says) and ordinary dude who woke up one day cooking his heart out. One thing I can tell you for sure is he is an artist in the kitchen and, I have to say, I like his personality. Anybody who starts their book off with cocktails and calls them the most important meal of the day is a friend of mine. Patton's onion dip is so sweet and tangy I want it on everything, his balls are nutty yet filling (no really, he has a recipe called my balls that is made of walnuts and they have a great earthy walnutty flavor). His recipe for Curried Fried Tofu Salad makes me unnaturally happy and his Cauliflower and Roasted Fennel soup was not only a hit with me but my 6 month old daughter loves it as well. We used purple cauliflower to make it even more fun. But my all time favorite recipe from this book, that makes this book a must have is the Pretend Canadian Bacon. It is brilliant! Just brilliant! I've used the marinade on super firm tofu as well as tempeh, both baked and fried variations and they were a party in my mouth every time. The publishers were kind enough to let me share the recipe with you. So without further ado - Pretend Canadian Bacon!

Pretend Canadian Bacon

Makes 12 slices

One 16-ounce block super-firm tofu (or one 14-ounce block very-well-drained extra-firm tofu; see Tip below and Tip on next page)

1/2 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce  

1 teaspoon liquid smoke  

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cut the block of tofu into 2-by-3-inch pieces. Then cut the pieces into 1/8-inch-thick slices. (If you want to
get fancy, you can use a round cookie cutter or pint glass to cut circular slices, but that will leave excess that will go to waste.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the mixture into a large zip-top bag, add the tofu slices, gently slosh them around so they get coated, squeeze the bag to suck out as much of the air as possible, and place the bag in the fridge to let the tofu marinate for at least 3 hours but no more than 5 hours.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Place as many slices as you wish (without overcrowding) into the hot pan, and fry until browned on one side (3 to 4 minutes), then flip and repeat. Cook the bacon in batches if you need to. If you would like to freeze the uncooked slices, use the same freezing method as with the Tempeh Bacon (see recipe, page 32) to preserve these for up to a month.

TIP

Super-firm tofu has the least amount of water of all the tofus. This allows it to hold together very well for grilling or broiling. When very well drained, some extra-firm tofu can get pretty close to the texture of the super-firm tofu, so it’s a manageable substitute.

TIP

Drain that tofu!!

There’s a ton of water in that block, and we have no use for it. Take the block out of the water it’s packed in, and place it on a plate. Then put another plate on top of it and add something heavy on top of that plate, like a couple of cans of beans. Let it drain for 30 to 60 minutes — the longer, the better. Discard the water and proceed with your preparations.

Excerpted with permission from The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude ©2012 by Brian Patton.  Published with permission of New World Library http://www.newworldlibrary.com

Snack On This! The New Blueberry Hemp Power Snack

A couple months ago I got an email asking if I would like to try the latest "superfood" by Navitas Naturals. It had all the buzzwords of the moment - blueberry, hemp, superfood, gluten free, no refined sugars the whole nine. The word "superfood" is a huge turn off to me but I thought "what they hey, why not" and I decided to give it a try. The official name of the product is Blueberry Hemp Superood Power Snack (now that's a mouthful). They are bite size snacks (about the size of one of those fun size Snickers bars) and if anything were to ever look like what non-vegans think vegans eat this would be it. They are brownish-purplish little bars dotted with all sorts of seeds. The ingredients on the back just sound like it should be good for you - organic camu camu powder, organic lucuma powder, organic maca powder, organic chia seeds, the list goes on! I have no clue what most of that stuff is but I assume they're supposed to be...well...superfoods. I could go on and on describing these things but let's just say this, think of every buzzword for every healthy thing you could imagine and it's in this stuff.

I carried them around in my purse for a week then one day, while sitting in my pediatric nutrition class, I decided to give them a try. Everyone around me was slightly intrigued and slightly horrified by their appearance but, after one bite I had to admit, these things are darn delicious. I mean, really really good. They are super sweet without being high in sugar (sweetened by dates), have a great blueberry flavor and a little crunch thanks to the sesame seeds. As far as all the other fancy ingredients on the label, it's nice they are there but the flavors that really come through are the dates, sunflowers and blueberries. I have to say, these are one of the best on the go snacks I've tasted in awhile and they are also incredibly filling so a little goes a long way. I highly recommend these little snacks.

Quick & Easy Low-Calorie Vegan Comfort Food is here! (Plus it's giveaway time!!!)

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S FINALLY HERE! As of May 15, 2012 Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food is officially in a bookstore near you (or on your favorite online store). Writing this book has been a true labor of love as I balanced work, school, blogging, pregnancy and writing - and I couldn't be more proud of how it turned out. Every recipe has complete nutritional analysis plus I give you 4-day menu plans for 1,400 to 2,000 calories. So whether you're trying to lose weight or are happy with where you are and just want to maintain your weight or heck, if you just love good food and want more of it in your life this book is for you!

Now on to the most important part - the recipes. I've got your covered for breakfast, lunch/dinner, snacks, homemade breads, jams, homemade sodas, shakes, smoothies and desserts (oh yes, there are desserts my friends).  Start your day off with Fluffy Flaxseed Waffles with Agave Cream (pictured above) with Grapefruit Brulee and Crustless Quiche Lorraine. Then move on to BBQ Popcorn (pictured below) or Spinach Artichoke Dip with Farfalle Chips as a snack.

 

For lunch lunch try a Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons (pictured below) or forget the rabbit food and go for a big messy Chili Dog with Eggplant Fries on the side. 

For dinner try Chik'n Fried Seitan, Andouille Gumbo, White Lasagna, Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce (pictured below) or go for the cover recipe - Seitan Cheesesteaks. 

 For dessert you have a lot of options. You can sneak over to the beverages chapter and make strawberry milkshakes, home-brewed ginger ale, or lemon grass soda OR you can head straight for the desserts section and chow down on this insanely good Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze and Blueberry Sauce (pictured below), Moon Dusted Donuts, Ooey Gooeys or Butter Pecan Ice Cream. 

Needless to say this isn't your typical restrictive, bland, low-calorie cookbook. I believe in real food and bold flavors so if you haven't picked up your copy of Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food yet what are you waiting for! It's available online, in-stores and on kindle (available May 22) and nook. And for the next 7-days enter, below, to win a free signed copy of Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food! Just fill out the information below and I'll announce the winner on Friday, May 25th. 

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Match Meats Vegan Crab Meat

Although I’ve never actually had a crab cake made of actual crab I am a sucker for a good tempeh cake with a little tartar sauce or a spicy remoulade. I’ve generally steered clear of vegan crab meat as the thought of handling something that was remotely crab like kinda grossed me out plus why go out and buy expensive mock products when tempeh is just a couple bucks and readily available? 

Somehow, while veganizing Paula Deen recipes for my blog The Lady and Seitan  I found myself with a need for mock crab meat, on more than one occasion. So it was time to bite the bullet and order this strange beige stuff. I was surprised at how nutrient rich and high in protein Match Meats Mock Crab meat is. I was also surprised that immediately upon opening it my entire kitchen smelled like the Fisherman's Wharf in San Fransico. Every dish I've used this stuff in from my own impromptu crab cakes and She Crab soup to Paula Deen's Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes have turned out phenomenal with a great, chewy texture and, what I assume, is a crabby flavor. Match Meat's Mock Crab Meat is now I staple item that I keep in my fridge just in case since it cooks up quickly and really hits the spot. However, the smell alone makes me think not once, not twice but thrice before making anything with it. I only cook with it on warm days when there is a great little breeze going outside so I can open my windows, light a candle and let the scent waft out the house.