Blankets Without Pigs

I had my parents over for New Year's Day lunch and thought I'd serve these up - they were fantastic.  I served with a big salad and a sauerkraut casserole.  These are great as an appetizer or a meal.

Blankets Without Pigs

Makes approximately 30 blankets

From the earth With Love Cookbook by Susan Kline

6           vegan kielbasa (I used Field Roast Hickory Sage and Italian)

            (Slicked in half in half lengthwise for thinner strips, then into

             three little sausages – total of 6 pieces per sausage)

1           pkg. vegan puff pastry, thawed  (I only used one sheet)

            (I used Martha Stewarts suggestion of gently rolling out pastry dough

             to 11 x 14 rectangle.  Then with pizza cutter, cut horizontal1 & 1/2 wide

            strips, then 3 & 1/2 wide strips)

            vegan butter (optional)

            sesame seeds (optional)

After cutting the pastry strips, roll the individual sausages in the pastry pieces.  Brush each blanket with a bit of melted vegan butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  This gives them a nice brown color.

Lay them on an ungreased baking pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for around 25 minutes or until puffed and browned.  (mine took a bit less time)

Serve on a platter with a sweet mustard dipping sauce or any other favorite sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2         cup vegan mayo

2            tablespoons yellow mustard

1            tablespoon Djon mustard

2            tablespoons Agave

1/2         tablespoon lemon juice

Sweet Noodle Kugel

We made this as a side with our Holiday meal and it was a hit.  So sweet and creamy.

Sweet Noodle Kugel

Recipe by Nava Atlas – from Vegan Holiday Kitchen Cookbook

8 servings

8-10      ounces ribbon-style vegan noodles

8            ounces soft tofu

1            8-oz. container vegan sour cream

1/4         cup agave nectar or maple syrup

1/3         cup dark or golden raisins

1            medium apples or pear, peeled, cored, and cut into small, thin slices

1/4         cup Earth Balance or other non-hydrogenated margarine, melted

2/3         cup natural granulated sugar

2            teaspoons vanilla extract

1            teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain.

Meanwhile, cut the tofu into 3 to 4 slices, blot well between layers of paper towel or clean tea towel.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash until finely crumbled.  Stir in the sour cream and agave nectar.

Stir in the cooked noodles and all the remaining ingredients.  Transfer the mixture to an oiled, shallow, round or rectangular 2-quart casserole dish. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  This is also good served at room temperature.

NOTE:  Kugel is traditionally made with egg noodles, but you can substitute them with quino ribbon noodles or rombi (a short flat pasta shape).

Porter and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

We liked this dish so much we are making it again for our New Year's Day celebration.  The Porter really makes it taste different from other Shepherd's Pie.

Porter and Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe by Damaris Phillips/Food Network – adapted

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/damaris-phillips/porter-and-vegetable-shepherds-pie.html

4            tablespoons vegan butter

2            carrots, finely diced

2            stalks celery, finely diced

1            medium onion, finely diced

1            pkg. ground beef substitute

2            tablespoons all-purpose flour

1            cup porter beer, at room temperature

1            cup vegetable stock, warmed

1/2         cup frozen corn

1/2         cup frozen peas

1            tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

2            teaspoon garlic powder

1/2         teaspoon red pepper flakes

              salt and pepper

              Vegan Pepper Jack Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

3            large russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced (5 cups total)

              Kosher salt

2/3         cup vegan sour cream

4            ounces vegan cream cheese

4            ounces vegan pepper jack cheese, grated           

1/2         bunch green onions, greens sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Melt the vegan butter in a large cast-iron skillet set over medium heat.  Add the carrots, celery and onions, and sauté until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add the beef substitute and cook approximately 2 minutes, until warmed through.  Sprinkle the flour over the top and sauté to cook off the flour flavor, 1 minute.  Whisk in the porter and stock until combined.  Stir in the corn, peas, vegan Worcestershire, garlic powder and red pepper flakes until combined.  Bring the mixture to a simmer an cook to reduce the liquid by one-third, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Top with mashed potatoes and place skillet on a baking sheet and bake until the mashed potatoes start to brown and the sauce is bubbly 20-30 minutes.  (For the last 5 minutes, I dabbed with vegan butter and put under broiler until browned.

Mashed Potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, then cover with cold water and season with salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 minutes.  Drain and place the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, vegan pepper jack and some salt and pepper, and mix until fluffy.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.  Fold in the green onions and enjoy.

Chickenless Noodle Soup

I used this recipe as a guide and just switched up the spices. After it sat in the fridge, it really soaked up the broth so you may need to adjust accordingly.  I made this after Thanksgiving, I needed a bit of a detox meal.

Chickenless Noodle Soup

By Kathleen Henry  (slightly modified)

http://www.produceonparade.com/produce-on-parade/chickenless-noodle-soup

1/2         tablespoon olive oil

1/2         teaspoon dried thyme

1            bay leaf

1            medium onion, diced

1            garlic clove, minced

8            cups vegetable broth

              salt and pepper

              pinch of vegetable seasoning

              couple pinches of dill

              pinch of Turmeric for color (optional)

2            celery stalks, small dice

3            large carrots, small dice

1            cup spaghetti noodles or your favorite type of noodle

8            oz. extra-firm tofu, diced

In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, sauté a bit then add the minced garlic, thyme, bay leaf, vegetable seasoning and dill (or whatever spices you are using).  Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to brown.

Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the pasta and tofu.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and add pasta.  Stirring occasionally.

Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is to your liking.  Check your seasoning then remove from heat and stir in the tofu. 

Enjoy!

Super Quick Vegan Dinner Rolls

I decided to make rolls at the last minute for our Thanksgiving dinner so I looked on line for a quick recipe and found this one.  So easy to make.  I took out after 15 minutes baking and brushed with vegan butter and sprinkled a bit of salt then put under the broiler until a nice brown color formed.

Super Quick Dinner Rolls

By: Chris Macdonald

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/dh86347m/super-quick-dinner-rolls.html

1          cup flour

1          teaspoon baking powder

1/2       teaspoon salt (I used a bit less)

1/2       cup vegan milk (soy or nut)

2          tablespoons vegan mayo

            Pinch of sugar  **I added this to balance out the salt (optional)

            Vegan butter to brush on top of rolls

            Pinch of coarse salt for top of rolls

Preheat the oven to 350.  If you are not using a nonstick muffin pan, grease 5 cups of a regular muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, vegan milk and vegan mayo.  Spoon into the 5 prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely puffed and browned.

***Mine didn’t brown up so I took out after 15 minutes, brushed with melted vegan butter and sprinkled a bit of salt then put under broiler until browned (just a few minutes).

Ginger Cookies

Vegan Ginger Cookies

By Kimke

http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-ginger-cookies-227114

4            tablespoons coarse sugar (for topping)

2            cups flour

1            teaspoon baking soda

1/4         teaspoon salt

2  1/2     tablespoons ground ginger

1/2         teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2         teaspoon ground Cloves (I left out)

1/2         cup canola oil

1/4         cup molasses

1/4         cup soymilk (I used almond milk)

1            cup sugar (I used a bit less)

1            teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients, including sugar and whisk or beat on medium until blended.

Stir in the pre-sifted dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

The dough will be quite sticky and you may need to dampen your hands to work with it.  Roll the dough into little balls (about 1 Tablespoon) and flatten out to your liking

The thinner the cookie the crisper it will be – a slightly thicker cookie will yield a crunch on the edges and a slightly chewy interior.

Press the coarse sugar onto the tops of the cookies and bake about 10 minutes at 350 on a greased cookie sheet.

Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach

Recipe by Sonja Trurnit  www.tartes-and-recreation.com

This is a pretty mild dish so if you like more of a spicy version, just add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.  I made my life easier by using canned roasted red peppers and probably doubled the spinach.

I attached the original recipe:    http://www.tartes-and-recreation.com/blog/roasted-red-pepper-chickpea-and-spinach-curry/     but just realized that I didn't bake the sauce, I just cooked it on the stove top, next time I'll try it the original way.

Ingredients:

•       14 ounces red bell peppers (about 3 large)

•       3 tablespoon olive oil

•       1 red onion, diced

•       3 cloves of garlic, diced

•       1 pinch of sea salt and pepper

•       About 1 1/3 cup coconut milk

•       4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

•       2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

•       1 pinch of smoked paprika

•       1 1/4 cup chickpeas

•       1 cup spinach

•       3/4 cup cherry tomatoes

PREPARATION

1               Bake the red bell peppers at 428°F for about 30 minutes until charred. Remove skin, seeds and stems, then set aside.

2               While the red bell pepper is roasting, heat up a pan and sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until golden brown and season generously with salt and pepper, then set aside.

3               In a blender mix peppers, onion and garlic, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch and smoked paprika until well combined. If needed season some more with salt and pepper.

4               Transfer to a skillet, add chickpeas, spinach and halved tomatoes and bake in the oven at 392°F for about 30 minutes. Serve with rice or freshly baked naan.