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Amazing Vegan Meal at Fearrington House

March 5, 2012 · by · 1 Comment

There’s not much I like more than going out to a fancy dinner with friends. The Fearrington House is a 5 star restaurant right in my backyard and the food there always leaves me speechless.

Cheryl and I like to celebrate there as much as possible, which on our budget means only a few times a year. But they do have specials sometimes where you can get a few bucks off. Sign up for the mailing list to get those announcements.

The staff couldn’t possibly be any friendlier or more knowledgeable. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions just tell them when you make your reservations. They all put up with our guesses about unknown ingredients and were good sports when walking into our odd conversations! [Read more...]

Filed Under: restaurant review, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tempeh Girl – Artisianal Tempeh From Hillsborough , NC

February 27, 2012 · by · 11 Comments

I have always liked tempeh, but never really loved it. It  tastes great in a strong sauce or in a sandwich mixed with other bold flavors. Typically I steam it for about 10 minutes to remove that hint of bitterness than can be off-putting.

Last week I posted a Tempeh Stroganoff that was super simple to make and tasty. It was even tastier because it was made with Tempeh Girl’s artisanal tempeh. Hers is ready to go right out of the package and no steaming is needed! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gluten-free, Product Review, Tips and Tricks, Vegan · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crockpot Lavender Rose Cocoa

February 23, 2012 · by · 6 Comments

I originally made this as a Valentine cocoa, but romance shouldn’t be limited to just one day. Surprise your someone special with the yummy dessert cocoa. The lavender and rose flavors blend together to form its own taste that’s not as floral as you think.

I used lavender extract which I got at Savory Spice Shop, but if you can’t find any you could fill a muslin tea bag or tea ball with 1 to 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender and add this at the beginning of cooking. This will infuse the milk with a great lavender flavor too.

I do use real sugar in this recipe, because it helps to thicken it up. The longer you cook it the thicker it will be. You can substitute stevia or agave, but the hot chocolate will be thinner.

Slow Cooker Lavender Rose Cocoa
soy-free, gluten-free
Serves 2 to 3

**Uses a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker**

  • 3 cups unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk, or other non-dairy milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, in disks or chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon lavender extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosewater

Add all the ingredients and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hour.

Stir once or twice during this time with a whisk to help the chocolate mix in well. Whisk a final time and serve.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, crockpot, Drinks and Syrups, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Super Simple Slow Cooker Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff

February 22, 2012 · by · 8 Comments

This Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff is amazingly easy and full of great flavors. It has few ingredients, but the mushrooms combined with the bouillon create an amazing broth that becomes the base of the sauce.

I don’t use tempeh as much as I should. It’s a fermented soy product that’s originally from Indonesia. Most people agree that fermented soy products are better for you and easier to digest.

Tempeh has a reputation for having a bitter taste, but if you steam it for 10 minutes before adding to your dish it will take most of that away.

If you are lucky, like I am, you might have an artisanal tempeh maker in your neck of the woods. The triangle area has Tempeh Girl and I think there is one in Asheville, NC and Gainesville, Fl. (If there’s one in your area please share the info in the comments.)

I’ll be talking more about Tempeh Girl, but she uses a different culture than the mass producers do and her tempeh is not bitter at all. And it’s ready to use right out of the package, so no steaming needed!

(I don’t usually do before pictures, but I wanted you to see the new tempeh I’m using. See how pretty it looks?)

Slow Cooker Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff
gluten-free (with plain soy  tempeh and gluten-free pasta)
serves 2 to 3

I used my 3 1/2 quart, but think this would be better suited for a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker. If you are using a 4 quart or more you can double the recipe or add even more extra water.

  • 1 package (8 ounces  or 227 g) tempeh
  • 2 cups ( about 5 ounces or 142 g) mushrooms, chopped small
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) water, use more if you will cook longer than 8 hours
  • 1 teaspoon Not-Chicken Bouillon
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/3 cup vegan sour cream (sub cashew cream or unsweetened non-dairy milk)
  • pinch dill, optional
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • cooked pasta, for serving

The night before: Chop tempeh and mushrooms. Steam tempeh for about 10 minutes unless you have a locally made tempeh and then follow their recommendations. (For Tempeh Girl tempeh no steaming is needed!) Store in fridge until the morning.

In the morning: Add tempeh, mushrooms, garlic, water, bouillon, and paprika. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

20 minutes before serving: Add vegan sour cream and mix. Taste and add more paprika if needed, as well as salt and pepper. Serve over pasta (or mashed cauliflower, rice, quinoa, etc.) and top with dill if desired.

Filed Under: Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Fall, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Roasted Root Veggie Hash with Gardein Beefless Tips

February 21, 2012 · by · 5 Comments

So, yesterday you made a big batch of roasted veggies right? If you missed yesterday’s post, you can go here and get some info on roasting veggies in the oven and in your slow cooker!

Maybe you made the yummy pizza too but you still have a ton of left over veggies. What else should you make? When I was in that position I decided some root veggie hash was in order.

Plus Cheryl loves Gardein beefless tips and had a hard week so I thought this combination would cheer her up. Well, except for the greens. I was right about the hash and wrong about the greens.

Oddly enough she loved the greens. I used fresh squeezed mandarin juice from the leftovers still in the fridge, some tangerine balsamic and a little liquid smoke.The recipe for the greens is below too.

Roasted Root Veggie Hash With Beefless Tips
serves 4 with side dishes or a big salad

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 to 5 cups roasted veggies
  • 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips, cut into small chunks (sub seitan or even beans if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ketchup, to taste (can sub tomato paste)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked salt (or plain salt), to taste
  • pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan (or use an oil free sauté method) over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent, add garlic and sauté 1 more minute.

Add roasted veggies and beefless chunks and cook until they are heated through. Then add the mustard, ketchup, and smoked salt and mix in well.

Cook until it’s as chunky (or not) as you want it. This would be a great brunch side with scrambled tofu.

Cheryl’s Favorite Citrus Collards
soy-free, gluten-free
serves 4

  • 5 to 6 cups cleaned collards with tough stems removed
  • 1 cup water (use more as and if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon not-chicken bouillon
  • juice of 2 mandarins (sub about 1 cups oj or tangerine juice)
  • few dashes liquid smoke, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tangerine balsamic
  • salt, to taste (if needed at all)

In a large skillet heat water and bouillon over medium heat. Add greens in batches so the greens in the pan has cooked down enough to add more. Add more water if needed and cook until tender. When the greens are tender add the juice, liquid smoke, and balsamic.

Taste and re-season if needed. Also add salt if needed. (If your bouillon has salt you may not need to add any.)

What else do you make with roasted veggies? What’s your favorite veggie to roast?

Filed Under: Fall, Main Course, Not Slow Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Easy Roasted Veggies and Pizza with Almond Arugula Pesto

February 20, 2012 · by · 8 Comments

Roasted root veggies are my latest obsession. Well, one of my obsessions, but at least my craziness keeps me occupied. Things like this tend to happen when you get more than one turnip that’s as big as your head! (Thanks winter csa for making me more turnip friendly!)

You can roast veggies in the slow cooker or in the oven depending on your preference. It’s been really cold here the past few days and I have enjoyed turning on the oven as much as possible for a little extra heat in the house. One thing is that you have more wiggle room time-wise in the slow cooker and it’s much harder to burn them.

In The Oven:
I tried roasting in the oven 2 different ways, one covered with aluminum foil and one not covered. I cooked both on a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes. I stirred them half way.

I found the one that I covered (until the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking) to be juicy and lush. I liked the uncovered ones but the texture was a little tougher and they took a little longer to cook. It just depends on what you like the best.

In The Slow Cooker:
Roasting in the slow cooker is easy too. You can cook them on high for about 2 hours on high or low for about 4. Just oil the crock and place a layer or two of chopped or diced root veggies. You want to fill it less than 1/2 way if possible. I use one of my 6 quart ovals just so the veggies aren’t crowded.

Just how long you’ll cook the veggies depend on how big you cut them. I’d recommend cutting them smaller for the slow cooker and stirring every 30 to 45 minutes so they cook evenly. They are ready to eat when a fork pierces the veggies easily.

My first batch contained turnip, rutebaga, purple potatoes, carrots and radishes. I’ve been saving up radishes from my csa because I just didn’t know what to do with them. The answer is roast them. They lost that spicy edge and became sweet and juicy. It was a revelation for me.

I would suggest you don’t add sweet potatoes into the mix though. They will break down before the other veggies are done. You’ll end up with chunks of roasted veggies in what is basically mashed sweet potato.

The first recipe I made with these yummy veggies was a pizza. It’s not really an exact recipe but it’s super easy. All you need is some pizza dough, a pizza shell, or something else to build your pizza on.

I used a vegan cashew spread from The Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas as my base. Then I topped it with the roasted veggies and sprinkled arugula pesto over the whole pizza. I cooked it in a 375 degree oven until the crust was cooked since I used raw pizza dough. If you used a pre-cooked pizza shell you will cook it about 7 to 10 minutes or until the center is hot.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 2 hours, Cooking Time 4 hours, crockpot, Gluten-free, Not Slow Cooker, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tipsy Mint-Coffee Cocoa (From Your Slow Cooker!)

February 9, 2012 · by · 4 Comments

I had The Market‘s Mint White Russian the other night. (It was one of two creamy vegan drinks on their menu!) They used homemade Kahlua and mint infused vodka. If you live in the triangle you must give them a try.

I was hesitant about the coffee mint combo but I was won over. It was so good that I wanted one again. I didn’t have any mint vodka ready to go, but I decided this warm minty drink would fill in just fine.

If you don’t have mint extract you can add a mint herbal tea bag in the beginning. You could also use semi-sweet chocolate instead unsweetened, just adjust the sweetener.

Hate coffee flavors? Try substituting Grand Mariner for an orange mint twist.

Slow Cooker Tipsy Mint-Coffee Cocoa
**Uses a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker**
Serves 2 to 3

  • 2 cups unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk beverage, or other non-dairy milk
  • 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, in disks or chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
  • 1/4 cup Kahlua
  • sweetener of choice, to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon stevia and 1 teaspoon agave.)

Add the coconut milk, baking chocolate, and mint extract and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Whisk then add Kahlua and sweetener. Whisk again and serve.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, crockpot, Drinks and Syrups, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Pimento Cheese Fondue for Your Super Bowl Party

February 3, 2012 · by · 8 Comments

Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

I grew up with sweet tea and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. Now I sweeten my tea with stevia a touch of agave and I still make pimento cheese only now it’s vegan!

This a traditional Southern favorite and it’s also soy-free and gluten-free when you use Daiya cheese! For about 1/4 cup of the fondue it’s under 100 calories, which is plenty to dip and/or spread on veggies, chips, or toast points. (Or serve over whole pieces of toast and call it dinner.)

This is a healthier way to enjoy cheesy goodness flecked with sweet, diced pimento and great for those transitioning to a vegan diet. It’s also a great way to prove that you can live without dairy and enjoy tasty treats too.

My favorite part is making grilled pimento cheese sandwiches the next day with the leftovers – yum!

Vegan Pimento Cheese Fondue
From The Vegan Slow Cooker, written by me and published by Fair Winds Press

Note: This recipe uses a 1 1/2 to 2-quart (1.4 to 1.9 L) slow cooker. You can double or triple the recipe and use a larger slow cooker if you like.

  • 1 can (15 ounces, or 420 g) white beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups (340 g) homemade
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons (12 g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
  • 1 jar (2 ounces, or 56 g) diced pimentos, drained
  • 2 cups (225 g) shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegan mayonnaise or olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Add the beans and the water to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Oil the crock of the slow cooker. Add the purée and the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the cheese is fully melted.

You will need to stir it a few times (about every 20 minutes) during cooking to fully incorporate the cheese as it melts. If you prefer a thinner fondue, just add more water until it is the consistency that you desire.

Yield: about 16 appetizer sized servings

Filed Under: Appetizer, Cooking Time 2 hours, crockpot, Fondue, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, The Vegan Slow Cooker Book, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Stew

January 31, 2012 · by · 22 Comments

As promised, here is the ridiculously easy and tasty stew I mentioned over the weekend. I seem to be on a streak of ugly but packed-full of flavor recipes this month.

I guess the veggies that are available in January aren’t quite as flashy as some of the summer ones. That, and well, stews aren’t always pretty – but you can’t beat a one dish meal for an easy dinner.

In my its next incarnation I think I’ll add a handful or two of chopped greens to shake things up a bit.

You can really add any veggies you have on hand too. I’m all about options and using what you have on hand. Yellow lentils instead of red, potato in place of turnip and even carrot would all work just as good as the listed ingredients.

Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Stew
gluten-free, soy-free

serves 4 to 6

  • 4 to 5 cups water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 cup peeled turnip, chopped
  • 1 cup sweet potato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 1 stalk)
  • 1 tablespoon not-chicken bouillon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • salt, to taste

The night before: Chop veggies and store in the fridge.

In the morning: Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low 6 to 9 hours. Taste, re-season if needed (you may not even need the salt if your bouillon is salty.)

This is a good one to make if you are going to be away from the house a little longer than usual. If your slow cooker runs hot add a little extra water if it will be cooking longer than 9 hours.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Dark Days, Fall, Gluten-free, Overnight (8+ hours), Slow cooker, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Speedy Baked Beans (Guest Post By Linda Watson and a Giveaway)

January 10, 2012 · by ·

Text and photo © Cook for Good 2012, used with permission.

Thanks so much to Kathy for letting me share one of my new favorite recipes with you.

If you’ve been following my Cook for Good project, you’ve seen me use less and less dairy and eggs in 2011. In early December, I went full-fledged vegan. Was it reading The China Study again? Reading Eaarth? Weekly lunches with Kathy, queen of The Vegan Slow Cooker? Probably a combination of those forces.

I’d tried going vegan before, but gave up after three months. This time, it all seems so much easier. The vegan community is much larger, the resources are better, and I’ve already got a wealth of my own vegan recipes to draw on. Here’s one of my favorites: Slow-Cooker Speedy Beans.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Speedy Baked Beans

Most recipes for baked beans use pork for flavor and long slow cooking to thicken the sauce. After talking about the physics of baking with my Taster, who is an engineer as well as a patient man, I tried to capture the creamy richness of baked beans faster and with less work. The quick and easy recipe below makes beans every bit as tasty as the ones I grew up with, using equal parts peanut butter and tahini instead of pork and a slow cooker instead of an oven.

Bean Physics. Water boils when it reaches 212° F and doesn’t get any hotter except under special conditions, such as in a pressure cooker. So my original thought of baking beans and bread at the same time was a bust: a big pot of beans will drag down the oven temperature. Even alone in the oven, the beans took forever to cook. Why? My Taster says transferring heat through the air, as in an oven, is much less efficient than transferring heat through physical contact, as on a stove or in a slow cooker. The acidity of the tomatoes and molasses makes a slow situation slower even slower by toughening the beans.

Speedy Beans. Beans can’t tell much difference between bubbling along in a slow cooker or an oven, but beans in the slow cooker cook faster. Instead of cooking the beans uncovered in the oven to boil away some of the water, I just added less water in the first place. Don’t let tomatoes and molasses put the brakes on the cooking time either; add them when the beans are already tender, then let the flavors blend overnight.

Slow Cooker Speedy Baked Beans

Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: at least 4 hours, preferably at least 12 hours. Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (such as Wholesome Sweeteners’ Organic Molasses)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons mustard (such as Whole Foods Market’s 365-brand Organic German Mustard)
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon tahini

Method

  1. Pick over and rinse pinto beans (see my recipe and video on Cooking Dried Beans). Put beans in a slow cooker with water and cover. Optionally, allow beans to soak for up to 12 hours to reduce cooking time and improve texture.
  2. Stir in salt and turn slow cooker to high. Cook beans covered until tender, about 3 hours if soaked and about 4 hours if not. Stir beans if they peek up above the water line, adding hot water if needed to keep them barely covered.
  3. When beans are nearly tender, chop onion and stir into beans with remaining ingredients. Continue cooking covered on high until beans and onions are tender.
  4. Serve immediately or, better yet, pour into another container to speed cooling, let cool for up to two hours, and then refrigerate overnight so the sauce flavors works their way through the pintos. Reheat and serve over rice, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, toast, or as a side dish.

Tips and Notes

  • Try these mild beans for breakfast, especially if you can’t enjoy a hot lunch. I first enjoyed beans for breakfast, along with pan-fried tomato slices, in many English B&Bs.
  • If you like this recipe and would like to get a delectable and affordable vegan recipe every week, sign up for the free Cook for Good newsletter.
  • And please check out my book, Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet–All on $5 a Day or Less. It’s all vegetarian with a lot of vegan recipes, including an index to vegan recipes in the back. The front half of the book will help you make the best use of your time and money through the whole food-preparation cycle, from planning and shopping to cooking, cleaning, and storing.

Recipe originally published as Vegetarian Un-Baked Beans.

Enter to win a copy of Linda Watson’s Wildly Affordable Organic. As she mentions it is not a vegan book, though it is vegetarian and she even has a list of the Vegan recipes to make it easier to find. You will definitely find some tips and tricks that will make your yummy vegan life easier and cheaper.

To enter the giveaway do one or more of the following. You must leave a separate comment for each one you do to get the extra entry! The winner will be announced Friday.

Good luck!

Filed Under: Book Review, Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Giveaway, Main Course, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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