Holiday Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Having family over for the holidays can be one of those wonderful and also challenging experiences. A house full of loved ones should be a fun and happy time, but it can be crowded and stressful, especially feeding all of those people. We don’t have a plan to make your house bigger, but if you’re wondering what to feed your omnivorous loved ones, we’ve got some answers.
Photo by Snarky Vegan Julia Moran Martz
Take some of the stress off by planning delicious vegan meals in advance. Knowing what you’re making, shopping before hand and doing preparation steps ahead of time can all make your holiday meals go over smoothly and calmly. For great time-saving tips even for more complicated recipes check out Snarky Vegan’s Vegan MoFo series EZ Comfort Food for Tired Wenches. Here are some suggestions from Allison’s award-winning “VeganizeIt!” column from VegNews Magazine:
Photo by Heather Blackmon of Better with Veggies
If you’re having family staying with you for the holidays chances are you’ll want to plan more than just dinners. But a meal planned doesn’t have to be a big, sit-down affair. For a sweet and simple breakfast treat try warm and buttery scones. Our bloggers have created several versions for you to try: Pumpkin Cranberry, Orange Chocolate Chip, and the latest Better with Veggies version Currant-Raisin Orange, which are all spin-offs of Allison’s original Orange Currant recipe. Scones make great casual breakfast fare as they can be kept warm or re-heated for everyone to eat in their own time.
Photo by Snarky Vegan Julia Moran Martz
For a fancy sit-down breakfast or brunch nothing beats a golden-brown Frittata complete with seasonal veggies and topped with your favorite shredded vegan cheese. For extra decadence and tastebud delight, serve slices of Frittata with a fruit salad and strips of Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon on the side (or crumbled and baked in). YUM!
Amidst all the holiday eating, lunch can be a satisfyingly simple and healthy affair. Turn a plain-jane soup and salad combo into light lunch extraordinaire with French Onion Soup (available in the September/October edition of VegNews), Clam-Free Chowder, or Cream of Broccoli Soup and a very green kale salad.
Of course, we’ve got you covered in the sweets department. Let us do the baking, and make dessert one less thing for you to worry about.
Gourmet cookies in seasonal flavors and trays of decadent vegan fudge make perfect holiday snacks and desserts. They’re also great as gifts for friends near or far. Check out the Holiday Gifts and Gifts By Price sections of our website for seasonal gift ideas to fit any budget.
Come back next week for a super exciting chocolate announcement on Monday, and then holiday dinner suggestions and even a new recipe or two later in the week…
Tofu or Not Tofu: Should We Still Eat Soy?
As some of you may know, in addition to working with Allison’s Gourmet, I also write for OrganicAuthority.com–a terrific resource for your organic and healthy lifestyle. I thought my latest article about the soy industry was especially relevant here at Allison’s since she is mindful both in her products and her Veganize It! recipes about minimizing soy. What do you think? How often do you eat soy products? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter!
It was the poster child for health foodies, vegans and the lactose intolerant. But soymilk (and all soy products) have fallen from grace despite enjoying thousands of years as a healthy, versatile and pretty darn tasty staple food. What happened to soy?
Widely used throughout Asia, soy products like miso, natto, tempeh and tofu provided sustenance and variety. Researchers even linked the Japanese longevity (they have the longest lifespan in the world) to their regular consumption of soy products. The isoflavones found in soy have been linked to cancer prevention, hormone regulation (especially for menopausal women), reduced cholesterol levels and improved heart health. For those allergic to or eschewing dairy products, soy was the indisputable go-to product—everything from ice cream, cheese, yogurts and milk could be extracted from the tiny bean.
As the natural products industry exploded over the last two decades, so did the soybean. No longer just eaten fermented and in small amounts as the Japanese and Chinese had for centuries, it was now found in chips, cookies, energy bars, chocolates, even as a peanut butter substitute. An allergen in its own right (along with nuts, dairy, wheat, corn, seafood and eggs, it's one of the most common food allergies), soy has other negative health effects. Too much of soy's plant estrogens can put women at risk for cancer, even despite its cancer-preventing effects. It can adversely affect men's hormone levels too, leading to drops in testosterone. Isolated soy protein, which is found in a wide range of products from mock meats and energy bars to protein shakes, is often extracted with hexane—a synthetic, petroleum-based solvent and pollutant classified as a neurotoxin by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read the rest of the article here.
BREAKING NEWS: “VeganizeIt!” Wins 2011 Veggie Award!
Some very exciting news has just come our way from VegNews: Allison’s “VeganizeIt!” column has won the 2011 Veggie Award for Favorite Column! 
We’re so thrilled and excited. Allison sends a great big “thank you!” to all our fans who love her recipes and voted for her column.
If you haven’t yet experienced one of Allison’s super-delish vegan versions of traditional comfort foods, you’re in for a treat. We’re heading into winter, when most people tend to crave those rich, warming foods most, so this is the perfect time of year to try her classics 
like creamy vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese and hearty Shepherd’s Pie.
It just so happens that two wonderful bloggers are in the process of cooking their way through the complete collection of “VeganizeIt!” recipes this month as part of Vegan MoFo. So, you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out Better with Veggies and Snarky Vegan for their spins on Allison’s recipes including time-saving tips and alternative substitutions.
If you make any of Allison’s savory recipes yourself, we’d love to see pictures and hear about your experience here or on Facebook or Twitter.
Thanks again for making “VeganizeIt!” your Favorite VegNews Column. We all love Allison’s sweets, but she also has a savory side and one of her great joys is getting to share her love of vegan comfort food with the VegNews audience. Yippee!
Monday Yumday: Baked Shells and Cheese
Confession: I’ve never had baked mac and cheese before, vegan or otherwise. (Although, I did grow up somewhat addicted to the neon Kraft blue box special until I realized that cheese was in fact, disgusting.) So, when Allison asked me to make her Veg News recipe and post my result here,
I was a bit nervous (more than my usually anxious state, that is). And after looking at her recipe, which calls for both onions and garlic, my sworn enemies, I felt like I could be in big trouble, until Allison suggested I make the recipe my own way. Giddyup.
Where I alter the recipe from Allison’s original version is noted (*), and despite the changes, it still came out really well balanced with a creamy sauce and crispy crumbs on top and a good bit of spice from my extra dose of cayenne. You can read Allison’s original Veganize It recipe here, and for my adaptation, read on. And in the spirit of Allison’s direction to me, I urge you to make it your own way, too!
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
By Jill Ettinger
Adapted from Allison Rivers Samson
Serves 6
What You Need:
4 quarts water
8 ounces brown rice shells*
3 slices Ezekial sprouted grain sesame bread torn into pieces*
2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup yellow potatoes (about 1 medium potato)
½ cup chopped carrots
1 cup water
¼ cup raw almonds*
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes*
1 teaspoon Himalayan mineral salt*
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard*
¼ teaspoon ground cumin*
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne*
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground paprika
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add shells and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse, setting aside.
3. In a food processor, mix breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons margarine and pulse until uniform crumbed texture. Set aside.
4. In saucepan, add water, chopped potatoes and carrots and bring to boil, simmering covered for 15 minutes or until veggies are soft.
5.In blender, mix almonds, salt, margarine, mustard, yeast, lemon, black pepper, cumin, cayenne. Then, add the cooked vegetables (with water) blending until smooth.
6. Transfer shells to a large mixing bowl and stir in the cheese sauce, coating evenly.
7. Spread into a 9 x 12 casserole dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Dust with paprika.
8.Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until you see cheese sauce bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.
Weekly Wrap Up: Earth Balance & Pre-Lunch Desserts
This is an exciting post for me as it’s my first here at Allison’s Gourmet. I’m a big fan and have followed Allison’s recipes in VegNews for some time, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she asked me to join the Sweet Talk blog team. 
I’ve been a vegan since I was a teenager and love watching the vegan diet become more popular, thanks to efforts by folks like Allison. So here I am, aptly submitting my very first post on some of the great buzz going on around the internet about Allison’s Gourmet!
Allison’s tasty and healthy Grilled Tempeh Rueben Sandwiches were featured on Earth Balance’s Made Just Right website. We are huge fans of Earth Balance and we’re honored that they chose to feature Allison’s recipe. We’re also super excited about their brand new and oh-so-yummy Coconut Spread. You’ve got to check it out!
In the Twittersphere, we love this Tweet from jchenwriter:
“Love it! Best recipe ever! @craft publishes @VegNews Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Recipe by @AllisonsGourmet, photo by @bittersweet_ http://t.co/D6KcHCE.“
Our friends at Raven + Crow Studio — “a ‘lil Brooklyn-based graphic design studio that specializes in not being jerks” — tweeted that they were,
“Enjoying a pre-lunch dessert of Double Chocolate Chunk cookies from @AllisonsGourmet.”
We love that, and you’ll love them. We can’t take all the credit, but surely vegan cookies have something to do with their coolness. 
And big Congrats to Carrie, the winner of our Dad of the Day Giveaway! She has won a $30 gift certificate to give to a special Dad of her choice. Although her answer was chosen randomly, we really liked what she had to say:
“My father is no longer with us, so on Father’s Day I like to celebrate all the other awesome Dads in my life! My husband will surely get spoiled with breakfast in bed, lunch, dinner and dessert! He also gets to choose whatever activity we will do as a family for that day!”
We’re cooking up some fun surprises for you this summer, so stay tuned for more information on that very soon. Have you seen any Allison’s Gourmet products mentioned on a blog or website? Send us the link and we’ll include it in our weekly round up—and if you Tweet @AllisonsGourmet, we might include that too, especially if you’ve got your own reviews and photos to share. Please upload to our Facebook or Twitter pages and spread the love!
Monday Yumday: Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon
I am slightly embarrassed to admit this, but there is something about bacon that made it one of the hardest foods for me to give up on my journey to veganism. In fact, all that salty, fatty, crispy goodness still sounds delicious to me, but sadly it usually comes from adorable little pigs which I can’t stand the thought of eating. So you can imagine my excitement when Allison told me she was makin’ bacon for her next “Veganize It!” column!
The recipe took several tries to get just right, which meant lots of time in the kitchen taste-testing vegan bacon in all kinds of ways. YUM! 
One batch turned into bacon bits, which were a delicious accident and highlighted how many different uses a bacon-loving person might find for this recipe.
Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon
From “Veganize It!” in VegNews Magazine
by Allison Rivers Samson
Serves 4
10 ounces extra-firm vacuum-packed tofu, frozen, then partially thawed
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon natural smoke liquid (hickory or mesquite) plus 2-3 squirts to finish
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unflavored coconut oil
1. Slice the partially thawed tofu in half length-wise and then cut each half width-wise into paper-thin strips. Place nutritional yeast, sunflower oil, water, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, tamari, salt, natural smoke liquid, onion, and garlic in a small bowl. Purée in a blender or with an immersion blender.
2. In a shallow dish, carefully arrange tofu slices and cover with marinade for at least 1 hour, or place in the refrigerator overnight. Be careful not to move the delicate tofu around too much, unless you’d prefer bacon bits instead of strips.
3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add coconut oil. Gently add marinated tofu slices and pan fry for 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. 
Spray with 2-3 squirts of smoke flavor and serve. (Don’t skip this last part. The extra smoke flavor MAKES the bacon!)
As you may have noticed, there is nothing “low-fat” about this recipe, although it’s still much lower in fat than animal bacon. 
If you are wanting or needing to reduce the fat in this recipe, you are welcome to try it at your own risk. (Be warned that part of what most people love about bacon is it’s high fat content, so reducing it may change the quality of your vegan bacon experience.)
Whether you eat it for breakfast, as bacon bits on a loaded potato, or in a vegan BLT, this delicious vegan bacon really satisfies!
Summertime Menu Ideas
As we move out of winter into warmer weather, for many of us our tastes change. Those rich, warm dishes that we crave in the colder months get moved aside in favor of fresher, lighter fare. 
But, just because you’re craving salads and sandwiches doesn’t mean that some classic comfort foods can’t make an appearance on your table. For some great summer sandwich ideas check out Allison’s Grilled Tempeh Reubens, Tuna(less) Salad, and of course, vegan BLTs with Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon as featured in the current issue of VegNews Magazine and coming up on our Monday Yumday post next week!
Other summertime favorites include All-American Potato Salad, vegan barbecue, and of course Allison’s famous Mac ‘n’ Cheese, which is an all-time favorite any time of year.
As for warm-weather desserts, you know we always have you covered in that department. 
Some of our not-to-be-missed summertime flavors include zesty Coconut Key Lime Cookies, refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, and soft Peanut Butter Cookies (coming in July), as well as Sour Cherry and Apple Pie fudge flavors!
Monday Yumday: Vegan Cheddar and Asparagus Frittata
More sophisticated than your standard scramble, frittatas are an elegant brunch idea and a great way to sneak in some leftover veggies. I couldn’t wait to test out Allison’s version, which uses garbanzo bean flour to get the all-important eggy texture, and kala namak (an Indian black salt) for a slightly sulfuric, can’t-believe-it’s-not-egg taste.
Italian Frittata
From “Veganize It!” in VegNews Magazine
by Allison Rivers Samson
Serves 6
4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups garbanzo bean flour
¼ cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup onion, quartered and cut into thin slices
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups broccoli florets (or other veggies) cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ teaspoon kala namak
1. After oiling a 9-inch tart pan, I combined water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, gently whisking in the garbanzo bean flour. The mixture thickens very quickly so I made sure to stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After the flour was completely combined, I reduced the heat to low and cooked uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While the flour was cooking, I placed a sauté pan over low-medium heat. I added margarine and the sliced onions, allowing them to sauté for 5 minutes before adding the basil and marjoram into the mix and sautéing for another 5 minutes. I had leftover asparagus from the night before, which I substituted for broccoli. You can get creative with your frittata by tossing in your favorite seasonal veggies. I allowed the onions and vegetables to cook for an additional 5 minutes and turned off the heat.
3. Using a large mixing bowl, I combined my flour mixture, vegetables, and the kala namak. Careful, this stuff is potent! I also took this opportunity to stir in a few handfuls of my favorite shredded vegan cheddar cheese. Next, I spread the mixture evenly in my oiled dish and stored in the fridge for two hours. This step is crucial, imparting that desirable egg-like texture to the frittata.
4. After preheating my oven to 350 degrees, I baked my frittata for 20 minutes. To get gorgeous golden brown color after baking, I moved it up to the top oven rack, turned on the broiler and broiled it for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. I plated a piece of my warm frittata with a delicious little fruit salad of organic green grapes, mango, and bananas. You might like to try it with your favorite brunch side dish like veggie sausages or vegan corn muffins.
As I forked through my cheddar asparagus frittata, I couldn’t help thinking what a perfect and easy recipe this would be for a special Easter or Mother’s Day menu. Personalize it by tossing in your loved ones’ favorite veggies. Serve with colorful, fresh berries and Allison’s Gourmet French Roast coffee. Delicious!
Monday Yumday: Alfredo Sauce
My memories of Fettuccine Alfredo from my childhood are of a dish so heavy and buttery I could barely keep it down. In perfect contrast to that memory, this amazingly elegant, creamy and easy-to-make sauce captures all the rich deliciousness of Alfredo without the heaviness of dairy, and is sure to become a favorite in my house.
Amazing Alfredo
From “Veganize It!” in VegNews Magazine
by Allison Rivers Samson
Serves 4
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
1. In a blender, grind cashews and pine nuts into a fine powder. Add water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
2. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes, whisking regularly. Stir in black pepper.
3. Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Like Allison’s famous Mac ‘n’ Cheese sauce, this Alfredo will be delicious in any way you choose to use it. Try it over veggies, mixed with tomato sauce, or even as a creamy soup base. If you come up with your own variations, send us pictures!
Monday Yumday: Shepherd’s Pie
This hearty and finger-lickin’-good recipe offers several chances to decide just how “from scratch” you want your baking to be. The vegetable broth can be either homemade or store-bought, as can the French lentils. 
Even if making everything from scratch, the preparatory steps, cooking the potatoes, cooking the lentils, and making the broth, can be done well in advance. (I love making vegetable broth, it’s a great way to use peels and end of veggies that would normally go in the compost. I make stock every couple of months and freeze it for later use. See our March Newsletter for Allison’s broth how-to.) Once the preparatory steps are done, the rest of the recipe is fairly simple and comes together rather quickly.
Shepherd’s Pie
From “Veganize It!” in VegNews Magazine
by Allison Rivers Samson
Serves 6
3 1/2 cups yellow potatoes, diced, cooked and mashed
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons barley flour
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked French lentils, drained well
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons tamari
1/2 cup frozen peas
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes with margarine, 1 teaspoon salt, and non-dairy milk. Set aside. I used russets potatoes, which weren’t quite as creamy, and you can see the skins. Also, I only had vanilla flavored milk, so I just used extra margarine. It worked, but I think the potatoes were a little stiffer and harder to spread without the liquid.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add oil and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour (I used spelt flour because it’s what was in my pantry) and stir until absorbed. Stir in marjoram, celery seed, thyme, paprika, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, and then stir in broth (I used homemade). Continue to stir frequently until the mixture comes to a slow boil. 
Stir in lentils (I used canned black lentils and it tasted great!), parsley (I left this out, not a parsley fan), Worcestershire, tamari, and peas, then remove from heat.
3. Transfer mixture to a deep pie dish or a 9 x 13-inch casserole. Spread the reserved mashed potatoes on top of the vegetable mixture in the dish. Use the tips of a fork to rake across the top of the mashed potatoes, making a rough surface to facilitate a brown, crispy top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are browned. Serve hot.
Voilà! This pie was so delicious it was gone in no time! If you have a big family or are feeding a crowd, I recommend a double batch!
