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!
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!
Springtime Toffee Talk
We know the winter weather has the potential to influence our moods and wardrobes, but what is its effect on our palates? 
I know I crave richer, warmer foods in the winter, especially comfort foods like mashed potatoes and Mac ‘n’ Cheese. But I’ve found that in the last few weeks I’ve started looking forward to spring in my meal planning. Do you find yourself fixing simple salads and fresh fruits in lieu of heartier fare after Daylight Savings Time or do you wait until the warmth of Summer hits? 
If you’re feeling like some Summertime foods in anticipation of warmer months to come, you might like Allison’s Grilled Tempeh Reubens and Tuna(less) Salad Sandwiches from her column “Veganize It!” in VegNews Magazine. What’s your favorite springtime meal?
If you’re also seeking a sweet snack in sync with the springtime season, nothing tops our Vegan Toffee. 
The buttery, breakable treat makes for the perfect post-lunch or after-dinner bite when you’re craving something decadent but not too heavy.
Our toffee is available in two luscious flavors: Classic Almond Toffee, flecked with toasted organic almonds, and Chocolate Almond Toffee, crested with a layer of dark chocolate.
Feeling adventurous? Try…
Breaking off a piece and dropping it into your morning cup of organic coffee.
Adding it to your favorite baking recipes.
Crushing it up as a topping for your favorite non-dairy ice cream.
Or, tell us your favorite ways to enjoy Allison’s Gourmet vegan toffee!
The Vegan Recipe Buzz
Most people who know of Allison’s Gourmet know that Allison is an amazing baker and the mastermind behind all of our out-of-this-world sweets. What many people do not realize is that she’s a wizard in the kitchen with savory dishes too. In January of 2008, Allison began writing a column for VegNews Magazine called Veganize It! in which she creates vegan versions of classic comfort foods. It’s been such a hit in the magazine that we decided to share some of her Veganize It! recipes, along with tantalizing photos and cooking tips, in a new weekly blog segment we’re calling Monday Yumday. 
Since guest-blogger, Kris, first posted Monday Yumday in early August, it’s been creating quite a buzz. So far the recipe that seems to have people most excited is the Grilled Tempeh Reubens from the January+February ’10 issue of VegNews. Our friend Gail Davis saw the photos of these deliciously hearty sandwiches and decided to make the recipe for herself. She liked it so much that she posted about it on her blog Hungry Vegan. Thanks Gail!
As we continue our Monday Yumday posts, our hope is that we will inspire more of you to try these Veganize It! recipes from Allison’s Veggie Award nominated column and share your own reviews and fun photos. To get in on more Veganize It! buzz, check out our latest Monday Yumday post, Herbed Ragu Bolognese, and find more of Allison’s amazing recipes on our website and in the pages of VegNews. Happy cooking!
Monday Yumday: Grilled Tempeh Reubens
These are by far one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Not only was this meal super easy to prepare and relatively quick to make (about 40 minutes from prep to assembly), it’s also unbelievably satisfying.
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!)
