Hearty Vegan Split Pea Soup

 Hearty Vegan Split Pea Soup

Serves 6

1 Pound of Green Split Peas - sorted and rinsed well
7 C Water
1 T Olive Oil
1 C Carrots - diced
1 C Celery- diced
2 Bay Leaves 
2 Better than Chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 t Celery Salt
1 to 2 t Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Combine the peas, water, oil, carrots, celery and bay leaves in a large soup pot. Slowly bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. If the peas and vegetables are soft, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another half an hour. If the peas are still tough simmer them until they are soft, then add the remaining ingredients. Some people like to puree the soup in a blender when finished. I like to take a large spoon and simply mash some of the peas and veggies against the side of the pot, leaving some chunks of both to give a more complex texture to the soup. Do whichever you prefer and enjoy!

Vegan Corned Tempeh Rueben Sandwiches with GF and No Oil options

   It's nearly St. Patrick's Day! Following tradition, I used to make corned beef, cabbage and potatoes for dinner every March 17th. Ever since embracing a more compassionate life we've opt for roasted carrots and cabbage with a side of mashed potatoes. That actually is delicious, I'm getting kind of hungry just thinking about it! I wanted to try to replicate corned beef though. I contemplated - and still may try "corned jackfruit". Inspiration arrived when my daughter and I had a tempeh Rueben sandwich at Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor last week. It was fantastic! It was also (with a small bag of chips) $15. So, naturally, being thrifty and enjoying a challenge I thought I could replicate and perhaps even improve upon that sandwich.

   The resulting sandwich was a hit! I would start the corned tempeh the day before serving to give it a chance to really soak up the "corned" flavor. All in all, this sandwich is a satisfying meal that needs little else to accompany it, except maybe a nice half-sour pickle.

Corned Tempeh Ruebens  Serves 4 generously

In addition to the Corned Tempeh ingredients you will need:

1 loaf of sliced rye or sourdough bread -or- Schar Gluten-Free Deli slices
Thousand Island Dressing (recipe below) or grainy mustard for an oil-free option
Sauerkraut
Daiya Swiss slices (optional - I didn't use them)
A little Earth Balance or Olive Oil or a good non-stick pan for grilling the sandwiches


Making the Corned Tempeh

2 Packages of tempeh - I used Trader Joe's brand - cut in half (so now you have 4 squares of tempeh)
1 C Red wine
4 T Pickling spices
2 T mild yellow (or any flavor)  miso- I also got this at Trader Joe's
2 C Water
1 Beet - washed and sliced

In a low, wide covered pan pour the wine, add the spices, sliced beet and miso.

Arrange the tempeh squares around the pan.

Add the water. Cover and simmer on low for 30- 45 minutes. Adding more water, if necessary.  Turn occasionally to thoroughly and evenly flavor the tempeh. Also the beet slices add a nice color. You want to end up with about a cup of liquid. Remove pan from heat and transfer the tempeh and broth to a sealed container and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Turn the pieces if you happen to think of it. After 24 hours the liquid will be absorbed into the tempeh.

Making the sandwiches

You can prepare your tempeh one of two ways:
1) Brown the whole square in pan on the stovetop in a non-stick pan or with just a touch of olive oil.
-OR-
2) Make a paste of brown sugar and mustard. coat the tempeh pieces and brown in a 375 degree oven just until bubbly. This is also acceptable to serve sliced with cabbage and potatoes for a traditional style St. Pat's feast.

Next slice the tempeh slightly thin. I use a serrated knife for this and work slowly and carefully trying not to crumble the tempeh.

Assembling the sandwiches:
Spread a generous amount of Thousand Island Dressing on each slice of bread - for an oil free option use grainy mustard.
Top one slice with some sliced Corned Tempeh and a generous amount of sauerkraut. Put your other slice of bread on top and we are ready to grill this thing!
I used a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. I used a bit of Earth Balance on the outside of the sandwich, too.
Once your pan is heated place the sandwich in the pan - then I like to really squish then down while grilling so, I put another cast iron pan on top. Grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip gingerly - like, oh so gingerly so it doesn't fall apart and grill the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

(optional amazement) for a completely non-traditional treat you can add baby spinach, sliced avocado, grilled onion - the sky's the limit! Or you can just do what I do and add some more Thousand Island Dressing.

Cut that sandwich in half, make it look all pretty on a plate and BOOM! dinner is served.

Sláinte, iterally translates as "health" in Gaelic. For your health. For the health of the planet. I hope you enjoy this delicious, compassionate option this St. Patrick's Day or anytime you get a hankering for a big ol' deli sandwich.

Sláinte, my friends!



Thousand Island Dressing:

1/2 C Ketchup
1/2 C Just Mayo
4 T Sweet pickle relish
1 T Horseradish (optional)
1 T Grated onion (optional) 

Just mix it up and it's ready to go. Use as a sandwich topping or salad dressing.

Aged Vegan Cashew Cheese

Cheese. Delicious. Creamy. Cheese-y. Cruelty-free. Dairy-free. Dreamy cheese.

Honestly, this stuff is delicious. 

I recently served some at some holiday gatherings and folks thought it was dairy cheese.

Some folks thought it was goat cheese and some thought it was brie. 

Everyone thought it was yummy.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C raw cashews

1 1/4 C cold water

2 heaping tablespoons non-dairy yogurt with active cultures
1/8 - 1/4 cup sauerkraut juice (from active probiotic sauerkraut - not the stuff in the can)
1/3 C coconut oil
1/8 C nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
teeny tiny pinch of garlic powder
2 teaspoons agar powder (not flakes)

Start by soaking 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews overnight in 1 1/2 cups of cold water and 1/2 tsp. salt.

In the morning the cashews will be swollen to about twice their original size.

Discard the soaking water.

Put the drained cashews, 2 T soy yogurt*
*you can use this:  http://veganasiwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/12/delicious-creamy-soy-milk-yogurt.html

1/3 Cup coconut oil (use refined if you don't want your cheese to taste like coconut)

1/8 Cup Nooch (nutritional yeast -loaded with B vitamins including B12!)

Blend it all up until very smooth - 5 minutes or so.

Here's something cool! This is a Chinese pickling jar.

The top fits into a ring on the top of the jar that is a reservoir. 

This lid keeps bad bacteria out while allowing the contents to breathe a bit.
As gases form during fermentation, the lids burps occasionally.

Pour your blended cashew mixture into a jar.

If you don't have one of these fancy schmancy jars, just use a regular big jar and cover the top

with a cotton cloth - like a clean handkerchief or cloth napkin or clean old cotton t-shirt

and hold it in place with a rubber band around the rim.

This will keep bad stuff out but let fermentation occur without exploding the jar.

Here's a close up of that reservoir I mentioned above.

I'm like a regular show-off.

Ok so - here's the story, if you want something mild and buttery, let this ferment for 24-36 hours 

depending on how warm your house is etc. 

Taste test your mixture after 24 hours. If you like it you're done with fermentation.

If, on the other hand you want something sharper, more along the lines of sharp cheddar or blue,

then allow your mixture to keep fermenting. 

I just made a batch of sharp - something akin to a sharp white cheddar,

I let ferment for 48 hours.

When fermentation is done, find a couple of ramekins or small dishes you can use to mold your cheese.

Line  them with cheesecloth

You can add some nice looking herbs or edible flower petals or fruit , if you like.

This photo below shows some crushed pink peppercorns.

As your cashew mixture ferments, little bubbles will form on the top.

You may also see some liquid accumulate at the bottom.

Dump the whole mess into a saucepan and heat on medium low.

Lightly sprinkle the agar powder over top - whisking vigorously after each 1/2 teaspoon.

Whisk. Whisk, Whisk.

Pretty soon the mixture will thicken.

Keep whisking another minute.

Then turn remove from the heat.

Pour into your prepared, cheesecloth lined containers

Smooth the surface gently - don't press too hard!

Lightly cover by folding over the cheesecloth and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Remove your cheese from the mold and unwrap the cheesecloth.
Wet your hands just slightly and sprinkle them with salt.
Rub the salt on the surface of the cheese and put the unwrapped cheese back in the refrigerator
for at least a few hours and up to 2 days.
By letting the cheese rest it dries on the outside creating sort of a rind.
Now - you can serve the cheese fresh and/or you can let it age.
I do both.
I make a small round for eating fresh and I let the larger round age unwrapped for 2 days
then I wrap it in parchment and let it age for as long as I can stand it.
Usually I can make it a week without eating a bit, but it can keep aging after you have some.
I have made it 3 weeks.*
After that it is uncharted territory and you are on your own.

I'm telling you, it's beautiful stuff.

This is a wheel that was aged about 2 weeks.

Make cheese. You can do it!

*aging update: I cut small cubes out of this batch and aged them for different amounts of time.

After about 2 months I had something like an asiago in texture. 

After 1 year I had some thing very dense and hard, almost like a Parmesano Reggiano

Am I suggesting you do this? Heck, no. 

I'm just saying I did.

That's what we call CYA ;)

Greek Style Soy Milk Yogurt

 Smooth and creamy, Greek style soy milk yogurt.

Start by making a batch of  Delicious, Creamy, Soy Milk Yogurt

http://veganasiwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/12/delicious-creamy-soy-milk-yogurt.html

Pour the yogurt into a strainer lined with cheesecloth

with some sort of container under it to catch the liquid that will drain off.

I used a large measuring cup.

Put a plate on top and place in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.

(If you leave it for a few hours, you will have an incredibly delicious cream cheese type spread.)

Spoon into jars - again save some for inoculating your next batch of yogurt.

Look in that smaller jar - you can see how wonderfully creamy this stuff is.

If you want it even creamier - run it through a fine mesh strainer to remove even the smallest lumps!

My favorite breakfast is a wee bit of this yogurt with a teaspoon of maple syrup on top.

Yum!

Delicious, Creamy Soy Milk Yogurt

(Easy to make and without a yogurt machine)

Supplies: Insulated cooler (the kind you fill with beer and take to the beach)

                   Several clean glass jars and lids (I am a recycled jar hoarder)

                    Large stainless steel kettle

                    Whisk (I am sure you can improvise if you don't have one)

Ingredients: 1 half gallon of non-dairy milk - I use soy because it is the 
                         easiest 2 ingredient milk to find.

                         Some non-dairy yogurt and kombucha or probiotic capsules.

                          (If you have made this before use 1 cup leftover yogurt only)

Okay - let's make some yogurt!

                Start by making sure EVERYTHING you use is clean. Really clean. Configure your cooler by

                placing 2 quart jars (with lids) near the middle and arranging the other jars around them so they are   

                close, but not touching. Leave room for one more 2 pint jar.

Take out the 2 quart sized jars and lids - sanitize them with boiling water.

Fill the remaining open jars about half way with boiling water.

Put the lid on the cooler. What you have just done is created a cozy warm

incubator type environment in which your yogurt culture can grow and 

magically turn some crappy soy milk into delicious yogurt. Oooooo!

This is actually really good soy milk. I use either Rosewood or Panda soy products.

I live in SE Michigan and Rosewood is made in Ann Arbor, Panda is made in Royal Oak.

Both are made with only soybeans and water. No fillers, binders or preservatives.

Simple 2 ingredient soy milk makes the best yogurt. 

I intend to try making almond, cashew and coconut milk yogurt, so stay tuned.

Warm the soy milk on low just until it is slightly warmer than room temperature.

If you make bread - this is the same temperature for starting yeast.

It is about the same temperature for warming a baby bottle.

You want it just slightly warm to the touch.

Too hot and you will kill the good bacteria that is essential for making yogurt.

While your soy milk is warming, let's talk about inoculation.

If this is your first time making soy milk yogurt - the challenge is finding

dairy free starter. Nancy's Soy yogurt, if you can find it, is the best.

You can also buy vegan yogurt starter online. 

For now, get a couple of small containers of dairy free soy or almond yogurt and 1) a small bottle of kombucha if you don't mind your yogurt being slightly sweet -or- 2) a couple of probiotic capsules if you prefer tangy yogurt, like I do.
Either way - put the store bought yogurt and add the kombucha 
or
The store bought yogurt and open the probiotic capsules and sprinkle the powder in
and 
Shake it up really well. 

From this point forward save a pint or two of your yogurt to use as starter for the next batch.

Turn off the heat when your soy milk has warmed properly and whisk in your

non-dairy yogurt/kombucha mixture
or 
your yogurt probiotic mixture.

Pour into your prepared quart jars and your 2 pint jar. Put on the clean lids.

Now they are ready to go in the steamy warm cooler.

Again - make sure the jars of hot water are close, but not touching.

Put the lid on the cooler.

In a couple of hours refresh the boiling water in the jars.

Close the cooler and leave it for 6-8 hours or overnight.

If you like your yogurt super tangy, refresh that hot water and let the yogurt go another 6 hours! 
Save the 2 pint jar of yogurt to use as starter for your next batch.

After 6-12 hours, it will look like this.
carefully drain any water off the top.

Until it looks like this. 
This is good the way it is, but sometimes I like to make Greek style yogurt.

It really depends on the nutritional profile of the soy milk you use,
but 1/2 cup of yogurt with a teaspoon of maple syrup, couple of strawberries
and a sprinkle of hemp seeds is approximately 50 calories and 10 grams of protein.
And DELICIOUS!


*A note about different brands of soy milk and your yogurt:
I want to show you photos from 2 different brands of soy milk.
Both are made with only soybeans and water.

The brands of soy milk I used are made locally in SE Michigan 
and I am not sure of their availability outside of Michigan. 
You can generally find good quality soy milk at Asian markets.
(don't get the soy milk flavored with pandan leaves though!)

This is yogurt (above) made with Rosewood brand soy milk
It made a deliciously tangy yogurt, sharp with a sweet soy flavor.

 There was not a huge yield with this brand, but the tangy flavor was great!

This yogurt (above) was made from Panda brand soy milk.
The flavor and consistency are best described as delicate.
It is custard like in consistency and has a slight tangy flavor
with virtually no soy taste.

And only this much water accumulated. 
 

I guess my point here is: If you make some yogurt and you are not 100% 
satisfied with the results, switch your brand of soy milk and try it again!
Both of these examples have unique and delicious qualities.

If my ultimate goal is to make some nice Labne (greek style soft cheese)
or use as a non-dairy sour cream,
I would probably go with Rosewood.
For everyday use for breakfast etc. I would use Panda.

Now, get outta here and make some yogurt!