On Tempeh Meatballs

First off, let me thank all of those who offered their congratulations on the birth of Vegan Daughter. Vegan Mom is recovering well (or as well as can be expected) but we both feel like we will never sleep again. I have not been doing any cooking at all since our friends and neighbours have been bringing over meals. I can't say enough about how great that is! But, now that Vegan Sons 1-3 are in bed and Vegan Daughter is snoozing away in her bassinet, I thought I would try to squeak in a quick post.

Back in October of 2008 I posted on Italian Tempeh Meatballs, and more recently I posted a recipe for Maple Garlic Tempeh Balls. Not everyone enjoys tempeh, and tempeh balls can be a bit tricky since they need to have the right taste and texture, and not fall apart in the sauce. After a few readers posted about that very problem, I decided to experiment a bit. Here are my thoughts.

1. You can remove some of the "special taste" from tempeh by boiling it for 10 mins before putting it into a recipe. However, I find that it makes the tempeh rather watery and keeps the balls from remaining cohesive. I would suggest just using the tempeh straight up. Or, if you must boil, use more gluten (see 3).

2. You can season and spice the heck out of these. Don't be afraid to go crazy.

3. How much vital wheat gluten is too much? The gluten really is essential here (sorry to the wheat intolerant), and I have used anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup, along with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of instant oatmeal to help bind thing together. While I like the texture of the 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup makes for a very durable ball.

4. Go easy on the liquids. I have the best result when I have a firm yet malleable mixture that I can bring together with wet hands to form the perfect ball.

5. Make sure the balls are well sauteed and have a nice golden brown outside. Most of the cooking is done in this step, so don't skimp out. A well-cooked ball is less likely to fall apart later. See how nice these look?

6. Your sauce must be relatively thick. Too thin a sauce and it will penetrate the ball and result in disaster. In this pic we see a quick and easy sauce: 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 jar spaghetti sauce, and 1 can tomato paste.

7. If the ball is well-cooked, and the sauce thick enough, you can simmer the balls in the sauce. This completes the cooking and adds flavour.

Maple Garlic Tempeh Balls

Spring is slowly coming to the North which means it is maple syrup time! Of course, we had to pack up the kids and head out to the local sugar shack. We hiked through the forest, checked out the 70 kms of piping bringing sap to the shack, made maple syrup taffy, bought maple sugar candy, and loaded up on syrup. There is nothing like breathing in the sweet air of the sugar shack while being surrounded by dozens and dozens of bottles of syrup. We left on a serious sugar high. Tonight's recipe is a take on honey garlic meatballs. Some recent comments on my tempeh meatballs made me rethink the recipe to make them a bit firmer.

INGREDINETS

Makes 25 tempeh balls

- 1 8.5 oz pkgs tempeh

- water

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp Montreal Steak Spice
- 1 small onion, coarsely grated
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated

- 1/3 cup instant oatmeal

- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- 1 tbsp instant tapioca

- 1 tsp ground fennel seed
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 tbsp HP sauce, or BBQ sauce

Sauce

- 1 1/4 cup water

- 1/3 cup maple syrup

- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- dash of hot sauce

- salt to taste

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- 2 green onions, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Cut tempeh into 4 pieces and place in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover the tempeh, along with the soy sauce, salt, and steak spice. Bring to bubbling then simmer for 10 mins. Remove from water and let cool.

2. Grate tempeh and mix with onion, garlic, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with your fingers and knead for 1 min.

3. With wet hands, form into 25 balls. Let rest for 5 mins to firm up.

4. Heat a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan over med-lo heat. Add meatballs and cook for 15 mins, turning regularly, until browned all over. Remove from pan.

5. Whisk together sauce ingredient and add to pan. Bring to bubbling and simmer for 5 mins, letting sauce thicken and garlic cook. Add meatballs and turn to coat. Cook for a few mins more to heat through. Right before serving, sprinkle with green onion.

Sap on its way to the sugar shack.

Sausages in the Works

I have been working on a tempeh/seitan sausage in an attempt to make a sausage that is a little more tender and a little less "gluten-y." Sometimes I find that the steamed sausages come out a little tough, or give my stomach a gluten overload. So far, my results have been pretty good, but a little too soft, I think. They taste great and have a good texture right out of the steamer, but they turn to mush if placed in a sauce. I am kind of sausaged out right now, so I will experiment again in a little while.

Summer Rolls

Just a real quick post tonight because I have to prepare for tomorrow's 8:30 am lecture. Basically, I made this recipe, and filled the rice wrappers with tempeh, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, and steamed carrot sticks and sliced savoy cabbage tossed in soy sauce. Awesome. And, of course, I made the chili dipping sauce.

Chinese Tempeh Buns

These are a vegan take on pork buns. I really don't associate yeast dough with Chinese cooking, and given my love of all things leavened, I thought it would be fun to try. If you aren't a big fan of tempeh, some shaved seitan. crumbled tofu, or pulsed chickpeas would work as well (I think--I did not try all these variations, but I don't see why they would not work).

INGREDIENTS

Dough

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 cup warm plain soy milk

- 1/3 cup warm water

- 2 tsp active dry yeast

- 2 to 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

- 12 dried shitake mushrooms

- 1 tbsp each canola and sesame oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp minced ginger

- 1 pkg of tempeh, grated

- 3 tbsp orange juice

- 2 tbsp sherry

- 2 tbsp ketchup

- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

- 2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce

- 1 tsp Chinese five spice

- splash of water

- 1 green onion, thinly sliced

- soy milk, for brushing

METHOD

1. Make the dough: Whisk sugar into warm soy milk and water, then whisk in yeast to dissolve. Set aside to proof. Add in enough flour to make a slightly tacky dough. Knead for 3-5 mins, until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

2. While dough is rising, make the filling. Soak mushrooms in hot water until soft. Thinly slice.

3. Heat oils in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, garlic, and ginger for 3 mins. Increase heat to med-hi, then add grated tempeh and fry 5 mins. Add orange juice and sherry and stir well. Add ketchup, sauces, and five spice and stir well, adding a splash of water if needed. Stir in green onion and remove from heat.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Remove dough from bowl and roll into a log. Divide into 12 sections. Keep covered with a damp towel. Take one section and roll into a 4-5 inch circle (with a rolling pin) on a lightly floured surface. Place 1/12 of the filling in the centre, then gather the edges over the filling, pinching the seams together and giving them a twist. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover with damp towel and let rise for 30 mins.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush each bun with soy milk and bake for 18-10 mins, or until golden brown.

Cajun Meatloaf with Sweet Bourbon Glaze

I had a hankering for my meatloaf recipe tonight, but decided to spice it up a little since I really enjoyed the Cajun dish from a few nights ago.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 mini meatloaves.
- 2 8.5 oz pkgs tempeh, coarsely grated
- 1 large sweet onion, coarsely grated
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp sage
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp seasoned salt (or to taste)

- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce (or A1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- water (if needed)

Glaze
- generous 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp mustard

- 3-4 tbsp bourbon

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13 baking pan.
1. Mix grated tempeh, onion, garlic, flour, and spices in a large bowl.
2. Add in sauces and oil, and enough water (you may not need any at all) so you are able to mash everything up with your fingers. Knead/mush/mash for a few mins to mix everything well.
3. Divide dough into 10 pieces and shape into small loaves. Place into oiled pan, and spray lightly with oil. Bake for 15 mins.
4. While loaves are baking, bring glaze ingredients to bubbling in a small saucepan. Let thicken a bit. Spoon over baking loaves. Bake loaves for 15 mins more, then scoop excess glaze back over the loaves. Bake for an additional 20-25 mins, or until glaze is thickened and darkened.

Cabbage Rolls Again . . .

I just bought the world's biggest cabbage. Look at the size of that puppy! And only 99 cents! I love it when produce is local and in season. Of course, it means I am making a huge pot of cabbage rolls.

Italian Meatballs

I have made and posted various meatballs recipes before (like this one, and this one), but I was reminded just how awesome they were when I made them for tonight's pasta dinner. These babies stick together, have great texture and taste (as long as you're at least partially partial to tempeh), and will hold up when simmered in a sauce.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg tempeh, simmered in water for 10 mins, cooled, and grated

- 1/4 cup instant oatmeal

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

- 1 onion, grated

- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tsp ground fennel seed

- 1 tsp sage

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce/A1 Sauce/BBQ sauce

- 3 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

1. Mix cooled and grated tempeh in a large bowl with oatmeal, nutritional yeast, gluten, onion, garlic, and spices. Add sauces and mush/mix together with your fingers. Add a splash of water if needed.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over med-lo heat. Shape tempeh mixture into 36 small balls. Fry in oil for 15 mins, turning regularly, until nicely browned on all sides.

3. Although the meatballs can be used right away, they are even better when simmered in a tomato sauce for an hour or so. Serve over pasta.

Cheezeburger Macaroni

I almost didn't post a picture tonight because the dish looks so horrid. Hey, you can't win 'em all. The taste and texture, however, is spot on. For some reason I was thinking about Hamburger Helper, and so I decided to make a dish inspired by that weird white hand mascot (a cousin of the Pillsbury Dough Boy, perhaps?). I essentially revised my creamy mac and cheeze and added tempeh burger.

INGREDIENTS

Serves your entire household (and possibly your neighbours, too)

- 3 cups macaroni, cooked

Tempeh Burger

- 2 pkg tempeh

- water

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1/4 cup HP/A1/BBQ sauce

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- splash of water, if needed

Sauce

- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 cups soy milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste

- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 cups tofu (does not have to be silken)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp miso (something mellow)
- 1 tsp salt

METHOD
1. Cook macaroni, as per directions, until al dente.
2. While macaroni is cooking, make the burger. Simmer tempeh in water for 10 mins to help reduce the tempeh's bitterness. Cool, then break into small chunks or grate.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add tempeh and fry for 3-4 mins, until it browns a little. Add sauces and spices and mix well, adding a splash of water if needed to get it all mixed. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth.
5. Drain macaroni and return to pot over medium heat. Add tempeh and mix well. Add sauce and bring to bubbling. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and reduces a bit (about 5 mins). Serve.

Peanut Tempeh with Noodles

Here is a dish that looks terrible but tastes great. Perhaps something needs to be added to the recipe to create some colour contrast so it looks less tan. Anyway, this is a great way to eat the oft maligned tempeh. If you find tempeh has a peculiar taste, you can simmer in in water for 10 mins or so.

INGREDIENTS
- 225g medium rice noodles
- 1 block of tempeh, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in small cubes
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 tsp coriander
- salt to taste
- coriander for garnish

METHOD
1. Get noodles soaking in hot tap water for 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile, prep the tempeh. Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a frying pan or wok over med-hi heat. Add tempeh and fry for 5 mins, until golden all over. Add soy sauce and water and mix well, letting tempeh soak up most of the liquid.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add peanut butter, mixing well. Add a splash of water if needed. Remove tempeh from pan. Wipe pan or wok clean.
4. Drain noodles when ready. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan or wok. Add noodles and fry for 3-4 mins, until they get translucent and begin to stick together. Add curry paste and mix well. Then mix in coconut milk. Add coriander and season to taste.
5. Mix tempeh into the noodles and let simmer for a few mins to heat through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Peach Ginger Tempeh and Chickpeas

Ontario peaches are ripe and ready. Of course, that means summer is almost over, but what a way to go out! I wanted to use peaches in the main dish tonight since they always seems to be relegated to dessert (not that I am complaining). If you dislike tempeh you could use tofu instead, or just stick with the beans. As it stands, this dish is a protein-fest so you could tone it down a bit. Also featured here: red quinoa! I saw it at the bulk food store and snapped it up. The only difference seems to be the colour, but perhaps there are secret health benefits too. I think green onions would have been good in this dish, but I was out.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 crapton (i.e. 2 metric buttloads)

- 1 pkg tempeh (or tofu, frozen and thawed), cut into small cubes

- 4 large peaches, peeled and chopped

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- large chunk of ginger, minced

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 1 red pepper, small dice

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- salt to taste

- 1/2 cup water (or more)

- 2 green onions, thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Place peaches, ginger, water, and sugar in a blender and process until very smooth. Heat 1/2 of the mixture in a non-stick frying pan over med-hi heat and bring to bubbling. Add tempeh and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has been absorbed/has cooked down. Reduce heat and cook until tempeh becomes golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.

2. Wipe pan down and return to heat. Add oil and saute onion and pepper for 5-7 mins, until translucent. Add remaining peach mixture and return tempeh to the pan. Add chickpeas, hoisin sauce, and water and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins, adding more water if sauce gets too thick.

3. Stir in onions and remove from heat. Serve over quinoa or rice.

BBQ Tempeh Ribz with BBQ'ed Potatoes

A caveat: this recipe is not an attempt to make a vegan rib that has the texture of a meat rib. Instead, this is a combination my love of a) cooking on the BBQ; b) tempeh; c) cast iron pans; and d) BBQ sauce. This is a great dish to make on a hot summer day because it is almost all done on the BBQ.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 1.5 recipes sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, made with 2x the water

- 2 pkgs tempeh, sliced

METHOD

1. Make the BBQ sauce. Transfer 2/3rds of the sauce to a large cast iron skillet and add sliced tempeh. Place on a BBQ on medium heat (about 500 degrees) and bring to bubbling. Cook for 15-20 mins, or until sauce has thickened and mostly reduced. Baste regularly.

2. Remove pan from BBQ and place tempeh on the grill. Grill 5 mins per side, then return to pan. Put pan back on the BBQ.

3. Add remaining sauce to pan and cook until sauce is thick. Serve.

BBQ'ed Potatoes

Microwave 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes for 4-5 mins. They should be partially cooked--firm but beginning to soften. Thickly slice, let cool, and toss with olive oil. Grill 5 mins per side, until golden.

Salisbury Steak

I can remember buying and eating a Salisbury steak TV dinner once when I was a teenager (I had no standards, apparently) and thinking, "hey, this isn't steak, it's just flat meatloaf!" I thought a "meat" and gravy meal would go over well with the kids, so I experimented with a tempeh burger/vegan sausage hybrid to get a little more meatiness in the so-called steak. I think the results were pretty good (even though the pic is very, very brown).

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

- 1/2 pkg tempeh, boiled in water for 10 mins, cooled, and grated

- 1 cup vital wheat gluten

- 1 tsp each onion and garlic powder

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp sage

- 2 tsp paprika

- 1/2 tsp dill

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tbsp HP/A1/BBQ sauce

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 3/4 to 1 cup water

METHOD

Get water boiling in your steamer.

1. Mix grated tempeh, wheat gluten, and spices together in a bowl. Add sauces and enough water to make a wet but firm dough and mix with a fork. Knead for a min to mix well. The dough should be the same consistency as the vegan sausage dough. Divide into 6 pieces and shape each into a "steak." Wrap each in foil and steam for 30-35 mins (rotating halfway through), until steaks have swelled against the foil.

2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry steaks for a few mins on each side, to firm them up a bit and get a bit of a crispy outer layer. Top with gravy and serve.

A NOTE ON GRAVY

If you have a favourite brown gravy, use it here. I would have made a roasted mushroom gravy but I knew there would be a bunch of whining from the boys. So, I made a plain gravy with some of the spices from the steaks. I heated 1 tbsp of olive oil and whisked in 1 tbsp of flour. I then whisked in 1 cup of soy milk and 2 tsp soy sauce. I then seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander, sage, paprika, garlic and onion powder.

An Even More Perfect Burger?

We needed a quick meal tonight, and since it felt nice and summery I thought burgers and fries out on the back porch sounded like a good idea. But there were a few snags. First, I only had half a block of tempeh. And no bread crumbs. And no soy sauce. So I made a few substitutions and created a similar but different tempeh burger. One that may even be better than the original in that it has a more meaty texture. Try it and see what you think.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6 burgers

- 1/2 pkg tempeh, grated (boil for 10 mins first, then cool, if you don't like tempeh's taste)

- 2 vegan sausages, grated (or pulsed in a blender)

- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

- 1 tsp each garlic and onion powder

- 1 tsp coriander

- other spices of your choice (oregano, sage, parsley, fennel, etc.)

- salt and pepper

- 2 tbsp HP/A1/or BBQ sauce
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce

- 2-4 tbsp water

METHOD

1. Mix together tempeh, sausage, wheat gluten, and spices in a bowl. Add in sauces and enough water to make a firm dough. Squish dough between your fingers for a min or so to thoroughly mix. Divide in 6 portions and shape in patties (I find thin patties work best, but you could make 4 thicker ones if you want).

2. Heat a think layer of oil in a frying pan over med-lo heat. Cook burgers for about 5 mins per side, until firm to the touch.

Grilled Jerk Tempeh and Mushrooms with Roasted Peach Salsa

I decided that since it was Sunday I had some time to do a wee bit of grilling. They don't have a propane BBQ where I am staying so I purchased some hardwood charcoal at Trader Joe's and went totally old school. The idea for the dish started with a packet of jerk seasoning I bought at the Reading Terminal Market the other day. As far as jerk seasoning goes, it is fairly mild. I thought it would taste good with tempeh and so I began constructing what was in my mind was a terrine-like dish. In the final analysis, I don't think it works as a coherent dish, but all the different elements of the dish are tasty (I particularly like the roasted peaches). I am posting the recipe and you can do with it what you want. Instead of tempeh on the top and bottom I think it would work better to pile everything on a slice of tempeh.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1/4 cup orange juice

- juice of 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp jerk seasoning (or to taste)

- 1 pkg tempeh, cut in half vertically and horizontally

- 1 portabello mushroom

- 1/2 red pepper

- 1/2 cup (frozen) corn

- 1 large peach peeled and halved

- salt and pepper

- 1 cup chickpeas

- 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning

- 1/4 tsp salt

- splash of oil

METHOD

1. Combine ingredients for the marinade and marinate tempeh and mushroom for a few hours. Steam or boil the tempeh first if you think it has a "taste."

2. Make 2 rectangular containers out of heavy duty foil. Place corn in one. Toss chickpeas with spices and oil and place in another. Wrap peach in foil.

3. Start roasting the red pepper (BBQ should be nice and hot). When skin in blackened, remove from grill and place in a bowl. Cover with a lid and let steam.

4. Place corn and chickpea foil containers on med-hi grill (stir every min or so to keep stuff from sticking). Place peach on the grill, turning every few mins. Grill tempeh and mushrooms, basting with extra marinade, until done. Mushrooms should have released some water, tempeh should be golden, as should corn and chickpeas.

5. Remove skin from roasted pepper. Chop pepper and peach, and mix with roasted corn. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Mash chickpeas with a fork (add splash of water, if needed). Slice mushroom.

7. Put a tempeh slice on a plate. Top with mashed chickpeas and mushroom slices. Top with another tempeh slice (if you want) and peach salsa.

On Grilling Tempeh Burgers

So maybe you are planning to do some grilling this holiday weekend (July 1st for us Canadians, July 4 south of the border). And maybe you would like to grill up a few tempeh burgers. I thought I would take a trial run and see what the results were. My advice is this: don't use the grill as the primary method of cooking these burgers. Although the burgers hold up well on the grill, they dry out too much. I would suggest cooking them as usual on the stove, keeping them in the fridge, then reheating on the grill.

Swedish Meatballs

I don't think I have ever had Swedish Meatballs, but I have often pined for them when shopping at IKEA. I don't know what it is about wandering through a maze of Swedish furniture that makes you hungry for just about anything. Traditional Swedish meatballs are served in a cream and beef broth sauce, so I have tried to duplicate a beefy type flavour here. The dish went over pretty well with the kids--meatballs and rice are always a winning combo.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 recipe perfect tempeh burger, made with 1/2 cup wheat gluten, shaped into about 24 balls
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup Bragg's, or light soy sauce
- 2-3 tsp Marmite
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2-4 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup plain soy milk
- 3 tbsp flour

METHOD
1. Fry meatballs in 2 tbsp oil over med-lo heat for 15 mins, turning regularly, until browned all over.
2. While meatballs are frying, make the sauce. Combine water, Bragg's, Marmite, spices, sauce and cornstarch in a large pot and bring to bubbling. Whisk flour into soy milk and add to pot. Whisk until smooth and thick.
3. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer for 20 mins, uncovered. Stir regularly to keep sauce from sticking to pot. Be gentle so the meatballs don't break apart (they are durable, but not invincible).
4. Serve over rice.

Sloppy Joes

By now you have probably noticed the format changes to the blog. Let's just say that I learned a lesson in being sure you know what button you are clicking. I was looking through some templates, contemplating switching things up on Vegan Dad, when I carelessly clicked the button that switched the template instead of just previewing the template. Yarg! I knew I had a backup of my old template somewhere on my computer, but when I tried to load it I kept getting an error message. So, I just ran with it and switched things up. The bummer is that I lost my link list, videos, blogroll roll, etc. I am not sure where that info went. So please don't feel liked I have shunned you all--I will begin slowly rebuilding. As for tonight's meal, it is a real crowd pleaser. I love a good sloppy joe with some bite and this recipe delivers. This is an adapted recipe from The New Basics, one of those very non-vegan cookbooks I keep around (I am pretty sure there is a recipe for a ham stuffed inside a chicken stuffed inside a turkey deep fried in bacon grease somewhere in there). It has lots of information about technique and basic cooking skills, and every now and then I veganize something from it.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 cups water

- 2 tsp soy sauce

- 1 8.5 oz block of tempeh

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 rib celery, chopped

- 1/2 green pepper, chopped

- 1/2 tsp oregano

- 1/2 cup ketchup

- 1/2 cup tomato sauce

- 1/2 cup water (more if needed)

- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tsp salt

- freshly ground black pepper

- dash of Tabasco sauce

METHOD

1. Bring four cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tsp soy sauce. Cut tempeh into four pieces and simmer in water for 10 mins. Remove from water, cool, and grate.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onion, celery, green pepper, and oregano for 5-7 mins, until onion is translucent and pepper has softened.

3. Add grated tempeh and mix well. Fry for 4-5 mins, then add in all the other ingredients. Bring to bubbling then simmer for 10-15 mins, until sauce thickens. Add a more water if needed, depending of how thick you want the sauce.

4. Serve on toasted rolls. I like an open face sandwich, but you could also serve on mini hamburger buns for the kids. Add a slice of vegan cheese if you want.

Vegan Slyders

I have never been to White Castle in my life. Even when I ate meat I steered clear of their steamed hamburgers that have the dubious reputation of passing through you like they were laced with Olestra. But I do like the idea of small burgers since they are perfect for kids. So, behold! This is my first installment of kid-friendly recipes for this month (see sidebar if you have no idea what I am talking about). My original plan was to buy dinner rolls at the grocery store and use them as buns. But, I could not find any without egg or dairy in them so I had to make my own (see here). The boys loved them since they were kid-sized. This is the first time Son #2 has eaten an entire burger bun and all. Usually he gets frustrated with the regular sized bun and just eats the burger and toppings with a fork. I also think this is a perfect recipe to ease omni kids into meat-free burgers since the patties are thin.

INGREDIENTS

Put whatever you want on your burger. These are just some suggestions.

- 16 small buns or rolls

- 1 recipe perfect tempeh burger, shaped into 16 small patties and fried for 3-4 mins per side

- vegan cheese slices

- vegenaise

- sliced tomato

- sliced pickle

- sliced sweet onion

- shredded romaine lettuce

- 1 sliced jalapeno pepper, fried in oil for 3-4 mins

- kethcup, mustard, etc.

VARIATIONS (as pictured above)

1. Double Cheeseburger: slice a bun into three sections. Place a burger on the bottom bun and top with a cheese slice and condiments of choice. Top that with the middle slice of the bun, another burger, a cheese slice, tomato, onions, etc.

2. Jalapeno Cheeseburger: Add fried jalapeno slices in with your other condiments for an extra kick.

Chili Garlic Tempeh Spring Rolls

I was in the grocery store the other day and happened to wander by the one place I never go: the deli counter. To my delight I discovered that they have many Asian products for sale in a variety of small displays: a sushi section, an Indian section, etc. When I saw that they had rice paper I knew I had to make spring rolls. I was really pumped today when I pulled them out of the cupboard until I realized I had no idea what goes into a spring roll! So I jumped online to find out. Rice vermicelli. Uh oh. I had none. Ditto on the bean sprouts and cucumber (didn't I just go shopping?). And I certainly wasn't going to put shrimp or chicken in them. So I rifled through the crisper and came up with these. They were awesome, even if they weren't authentic.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6 spring rolls

- 1/2 pkg tempeh

- 4 cups water

- 1 tsp soy sauce

- few drops sesame oil

- 1 tbsp canola oil

- 1 tsp soy sauce

- 1-2 tbsp water

- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce

- 6 pieces rice paper

- 6 stalks asparagus

- 4 romaine lettuce leaves

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

- 4 green onions, thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Bring water, soy sauce, and sesame oil to a boil in a medium saucepan. Put tempeh in water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from water and cool. When cool, coarsely grate.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add tempeh and fry for 3-4 mins, until tempeh browns a little. Add soy sauce and water and mix well (add more water if soy sauce is not evenly mixing through the tempeh). Then stir in chili garlic sauce and remove from heat to cool.

3. While tempeh is cooling, steam asparagus until tender. Roll up all four romaine leaves together and thinly slice. Chop cilantro and slice onions.

4. To assemble the spring rolls, soak a piece of rice paper in water for about a minute. Put 1/6 of the tempeh in row in the middle of the paper. Halve an asparagus stalk and flank the tempeh with the two pieces. Top with 1/6 of the lettuce, cilantro, and green onion. Fold in sides, then roll up, being careful not to rip the rice paper.

5. Serve right away with chili dipping sauce.