Here’s what it takes to make this rich sauce (serves 4)…

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons diced celery
• 2 tablespoons diced carrot
• 8 ounces tempeh, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced (feel free to use more!)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (I was out of dried, so used 2 tablespoons fresh)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds (gives a “sausage” flavor)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc, but Chardonnay works too)
• 1/2 cup Brazil Nut Cream (see recipe below)
• 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (I used fresh this time)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
• 4 cups pasta, cooked (our family likes Tinkyada organic brown rice pasta)

To make about a cup of Brazil Nut Cream (do this before you get started with sautéing so it’s ready to go when you need it):

Soak 1/4 cup raw Brazil nuts, soaked (if you can) in water for 4 hours or more. In a blender, process Brazil nuts and 2/3 cup water until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth for a smooth cream. (Feel free to make extra and add to your favorite vegan cocoa mix for an amazingly rich and chocolaty experience.)

1. In a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil, margarine, onion, celery, carrot, and tempeh. Sauté for 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel, and bay leaves, and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes, until the alcohol has evaporated. Add Brazil Nut Cream and nutmeg, and simmer for 3 minutes, until cream thickens. Reduce heat to low. Stir in tomatoes and cover loosely.3. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add salt and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with fresh parsley.

Allison’s Gourmet is an award-winning gourmet vegan bakery and dessert boutique. We’re seeking an experienced social media intern to work remotely on gaining more exposure and building quality content for this blog plus our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Must have at least one year experience working with social networks, SEO, and CRM.

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Please e-mail a cover letter, resumé and anything else that might make you stand out as the best candidate for this position. Be sure to tell us why you’d enjoy being a part of the Allison’s Gourmet team as well as what you have to offer and what you’d like to get. Generic materials will not be considered.

E-mail: marketingdept at allisonsgourmet dotcom
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Here’s what you need to make these delicious grilled tempeh reuben sandwiches (makes 4 sandwiches):

• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, divided
• 8 ounces tempeh, sliced into 8 large, 1/8-inch thick sheets
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 slices light rye bread (I used 12 grain)
• 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine
• Thousand Island Dressing (see recipe below)
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 2 avocados, mashed (I completely forgot to mash my avocados!)

1) In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil and tempeh, browning tempeh on each side. Remove tempeh from the pan and set aside.

2) Add remaining oil and onion. Brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return tempeh to the pan and stir in garlic, bay leaves, paprika, caraway, dill, salt, vinegar, tamari, and black pepper. Add water and simmer for 30 minutes or until the water has evaporated and tempeh is infused with flavor and coated with a glaze. Remove bay leaves.

While the tempeh is sauteing you will have plenty of time to prepare the Thousand Island Dressing. It’s so easy! In a small bowl combine the following ingredients: 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, and 3 tablespoons dill pickles, chopped. That’s it!

3) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread two slices of bread with margarine. Grill for 3 minutes, until browned on one side only. Repeat for the remaining slices of bread.
4) Between the ungrilled sides of two pieces of toast, layer Thousand Island Dressing, sauerkraut, 2 pieces of tempeh, onions, and avocado. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve with a crisp, fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing and a Hefeweizen beer. (I didn’t make the salad or have the beer. But it was still delicious!)

]]> http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2010/08/30/monday-yumday-grilled-tempeh-reuben/feed/ 0 http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2010/08/27/favorite-vegan-chocolate-who-can-pick-just-one/ http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/2010/08/27/favorite-vegan-chocolate-who-can-pick-just-one/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:30:06 +0000 Tessa http://blog.allisonsgourmet.com/?p=2866 If you’ve already voted in the 2010 Veggie Awards I’d like to say “Thank You” for participating in the largest survey of vegan products, places and people in the world! We’re nominated in several categories, and if you read this blog with any regularity, you’ll know them by heart by now. I know I’ve been writing about this a lot, but since there are only a few more days left to vote, I just want to say a couple of things about our nomination for Favorite Vegan Chocolate.

First, I’d like to giggle at the slightly ridiculous nature of this category. I mean, it’s chocolate, do we really need to pick a favorite? Seriously though, our competition in this category is pretty steep; when you vote you’ll no doubt notice some big-name chocolate companies on the list. However, even if picking your favorite chocolate is like picking your favorite child, there are some wonderful reasons to vote for Allison’s Gourmet, not least of which is the wide variety of vegan chocolates we offer. Whether your favorite is our peanut butter cups, peppermint creme patties, cherry almond bark or gift-boxed caramels and truffles, if you’ve tried our vegan chocolates I’m sure you’ll have at least one reason to vote for us. Another good reason is that we’re an all-vegan company (no milk chocolate or other animal products hiding in our inventory). Your vote for us will support small-scale, eco-conscious and animal-friendly business practices and products. So, if you haven’t voted yet, do it now! Voting ends Tuesday.