Vegan Mofo Recipe: Very Veggie Bloody Mary

Even though Bloody Marys are technically categorized beverages and this is vegan month of food, my husband and I pack ours with enough veggies that this could be considered a mid-afternoon snack.  I also thought this recipe was worthy, as my bloody mary does not contain worcestershire sauce.  Most worcestershire sauces contain anchovies and my recipe is 100% vegan.
The pickled okra is something I picked up while visiting New Orleans.  New Orleans wasn't exactly a vegetarian paradise, but I did enjoy the fried pickles and pickled okra.

Very Veggie Bloody Mary
serves 2

2 cloves pickled garlic
2 martini olives
2 jalapeno stuffed olives
2 garlic stuffed olives
2 cups vegetable juice
3 ounces vodka (optional)
1 1/2 T horseradish
3 tsp. hot sauce (I prefer Tapatio)
2 celery stalks, ends trimmed
2 dilly beans
1 long carrot, peeled and sliced horizontally
2 pickled okra
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
pinch of salt
ice cubes

Pour vegetable juice and vodka (optional) into a medium sized pitcher.  Add horseradish, hot sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and stir well.  Add 1 each of celery, carrot, dilly bean, garlic, okra and each of the olives to a large mason jar or pint class.  I like 3 ice cubes in mine, but my husband prefers two, so add however many you wish.  Finally, pour bloody mixture into the glasses equally, stir with celery stalk, and serve.

Vegan Mofo Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Sugar

Last year my husband brought home a pretty fair sized canister of maple sugar.  Beyond shaking some into a batch of beer, it has remained untouched.  I forgot all about the maple sugar until yesterday while baking 3 types of squash, wondering what to do with the butternut.  Miraculously, the maple sugar presented itself to me on the spice shelf, yearning to be given a second chance.
Neither of the guys at my house are big squash eaters, but they gave this a thumbs up.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Sugar

serves 4-6
1 medium sized butternut squash
3 T maple sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 T margarine
olive oil or olive oil spray

Set your oven at 350 degrees.  I put the butternut squash in right away, no reason to pre-heat.  When your squash is just tender enough to slice (will take about 15-20 minutes), remove from oven.  Slice horizontally and place, fleshy side up, on olive oil sprayed cookie sheet.  Spray top of squash with olive oil.
Bake until soft and easily punctured with fork.  Cube squash, while leaving it attached to the skin.  Drizzle with soy sauce and slather with margarine.  Shake maple sugar onto squash and serve!  This would taste fabulous alongside pesto pizza or gnocchi.  

Vegan Mofo recipe: Mellow Yellow Dal w/ mustard and cumin seeds

Dal has to be one of the world's most versatile and foolproof foods.  Cook lentils in water, add spices, chopped veggies, salt, stock or bouillon, and there you go- dal.  This dal is lovely to serve this time of year, because it's color reflects the yellowing leaves outside and it warms the throat and belly.  I added a little hot sauce to the top of mine to go with the chips.  When I eat this alongside Indian food, I prefer it with naan and keep the hot sauce out.  

Mellow Yellow Dal w/ mustard seeds

serves 6-8

1 1/2 cups split yellow mung beans (moong dal)

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

5 cups water

2 tsp. better than bouillon, vegetable flavor 

1/2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste

3 diced carrots

1 minced onion

1 minced celery stalk

5 tbs olive or canola oil

1 T cumin seeds

1 T mustard seeds

2 T chopped fresh ginger

1 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped

1 T lemon juice

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

Cook yellow split beans, celery and carrots with water and bouillon over med-high heat until boiling, then cook over low heat, partially covered, for an hour or until the yellow split beans are soft.  ++If you can't find a good quality vegetable bouillon use 5 1/4 cups water and 1 tsp. soy sauce instead.++ If you prefer a soupier dal, add a 1/2 cup more water.  Remove from heat and beat the dal with a whisk or heavy spoon until the dal thickens (about 2 minutes).  

In a small cast iron skillet (or small frying pan) heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Immediately add mustard and cumin seeds and cook for 15 seconds, then add minced onion.  Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are soft and gently browned.  Stir in ginger and chilies and cook for 1 or 2 minutes before removing from heat.  

While dal is still hot, add spice onion mixture and stir in lemon juice and smoked paprika (optional).  Garnish with fresh cilantro.  This reheats and freezes well and also tastes good at room temperature.  

Fav Vegan MoFo Product: Sunshine Burgers

Even as a kid I wasn't a big fan of burgers.  The texture of ground beef grossed me out, so when I explored  vegetarian burger options, it wasn't necessary for me to find a "burger" that resembled a beef burger.  Actually, the further it is from a beef burger, the better.  

When I discovered Sunshine Burger's Garden Herb in the natural foods store, I found my perfect burger.  The ingredients are very simple and nutritious: Organic Ground Raw Sun-flower Seeds, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Carrots, Organic Herbs and Sea Salt.  

The herbs are understated, but pronounced enough so that the burger isn't bland at all.  You can definitely taste the sunflower seeds, but they are balanced nicely with the rice and carrots, and not overwhelming.  Some people might not like the texture.  It is not firm like a burger, but soft.  I'm guessing that it wouldn't work well on a grill.  However, it is not dry like falafel and doesn't fall apart easily.  The ingredients work together as if egg binds it, even though it is vegan, so it functions like a burger better than some vegan varieties do.  

The burger takes very little time to cook, so it is the perfect meal on the go.  And, it tastes great in wraps and between bread.  I'm still enjoying the tomatoes from my garden, so delicious, ripe tomatoes have accompanied these burgers in a lot of meals the last two weeks.  Here is Saturdays's recipe:

Sunshine Burger w/ Garden Fresh Tomatoes Wrap

• 1 Garden Herb Sunshine Burger
• 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
• handful of mesclun or any young greens
• 1/3 onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 T hummous
• 1 tsp. salsa
• olive oil or olive oil spray
• chopped kalamata olives (optional)
• 1 medium-large size tortilla shell

Spray pan with olive oil spray or add 1 tsp. olive oil to medium sized cast iron skillet or non-stick pan.  On medium-high heat, saute onions for 3 minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add burger to skillet. Cook burger and onions until burger is gently browned on both sides, adding more olive oil if needed.  When burger is cooked, remove from heat.  Warm shell thoroughly on both sides.  Spread hummous and salsa on shell.  Crumble up burger, add onions, tomato, kalamata olives and green.  Fold and serve.