An Even More Perfect Burger?

We needed a quick meal tonight, and since it felt nice and summery I thought burgers and fries out on the back porch sounded like a good idea. But there were a few snags. First, I only had half a block of tempeh. And no bread crumbs. And no soy sauce. So I made a few substitutions and created a similar but different tempeh burger. One that may even be better than the original in that it has a more meaty texture. Try it and see what you think.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6 burgers

- 1/2 pkg tempeh, grated (boil for 10 mins first, then cool, if you don't like tempeh's taste)

- 2 vegan sausages, grated (or pulsed in a blender)

- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

- 1 tsp each garlic and onion powder

- 1 tsp coriander

- other spices of your choice (oregano, sage, parsley, fennel, etc.)

- salt and pepper

- 2 tbsp HP/A1/or BBQ sauce
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce

- 2-4 tbsp water

METHOD

1. Mix together tempeh, sausage, wheat gluten, and spices in a bowl. Add in sauces and enough water to make a firm dough. Squish dough between your fingers for a min or so to thoroughly mix. Divide in 6 portions and shape in patties (I find thin patties work best, but you could make 4 thicker ones if you want).

2. Heat a think layer of oil in a frying pan over med-lo heat. Cook burgers for about 5 mins per side, until firm to the touch.

Rosemary Tofu and Vegetables En Croute

Don't dishes sound better with some French thrown into the title? This is a dish that may be better suited for colder weather, but I needed to use up the puff pastry I made the other day. You may want to keep this in mind for Thanksgiving dinner. I also wanted to use up the potatoes, carrots, and beans from the farmer's market. I put tofu in the filling, but you could use beans instead, or both.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 recipe puff pastry (1 sheet)

- 2 potatoes, diced

- 4-5 small carrots, sliced

- handful of yellow beans, chopped into 1/2" pieces

- 1/2 pkg extra firm tofu, small dice

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

- 1 large garlic clove, minced

- 1 tsp crushed rosemary

- 1 tsp sage

- 1/2 tsp marjoram

- 1/2 tsp parsley

- salt and pepper

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 3/4 cup soy milk

- 1/4 cup vegan sour cream

- soy milk for brushing

METHOD

1. Place potatoes and carrots in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 8-10 mins, until potatoes are getting tender. Add beans and simmer another 5 mins. Remove from heat and drain.

2. While veggies are cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add tofu and let cook for a few mins to release some of the water. Spray tofu with oil and cook until golden. Remove from pan.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan and saute onion and garlic for 5 mins, until soft. Add tofu and vegetables and mix well. Add spices and season to taste.

4. Add flour and nutritional yeast and mix well. Add soy milk and stir well. When thickened, remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. The filling needs to completely cool before you can put it in the crust. Stick the pan in the fridge while you prep the dough.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 13" x 16" rectangle. Place cooled filling in a line down the centre (there is a lot, so heap it on). Fold sides into the middle, making sure they overlap and inch or so. Fold ends in and press down to seal.

7. Flip over onto the baking sheet (seam is now down). Seal ends by pressing down on them with a fork. Brush with soy milk. With a sharp knife, cut slits along the top every 1 inch or so.

8. Bake for 35 to 40 mins, until golden brown.

Raspberry Mango Ginger Turnovers

Because I am insane I made my own puff pasty today. It actually was not that hard. I followed this recipe (because it had pictures), subbing Earth Balance for the butter. I stopped buying puff pastry from the grocery store once the trans fat thing hit the news, and the brand they sell here still has 3.5 g of trans fat per serving. Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is trans fat free (but nowhere near fat free, of course) and is vegan. But there is something satisfying about making your own. I stood around for a good 5 minutes congratulating myself! Whatever puff pastry you use this filling will still taste awesome.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 large turnovers

- 1 sheet of puff pastry (1/2 of the recipe posted above)

- 1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

- 1/2 cup finely chopped mango

- 3 tbsp sugar

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1/2 to 1 tsp ginger powder

- 1/2 tsp almond extract

- soy milk and coarse sugar

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Mix together raspberries and mango. Add sugar, flour, ginger, and almond extract and mix well.

2. Roll pastry sheet on a floured surface into a 12" by 12" square. Cut that into 4 equal squares. These are fairly big turnovers, so make them smaller if you want.

3. By this time, the filling will have released quite a bit of water. Strain the filling so it is not too juicy. Place 1/4 of the filling in the middle of a pastry square. Fold into a triangle and seal edges with a fork. Smooth edges with your fingers, making sure no filling can leak out. Repeat with remaining filling and pastry.

4. Place turnovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with soy milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut two slits in the top of each turnover.

5. Bake for 20-25 mins, until golden brown.

On Steaming Seitan

I have received many emails over the past month asking me what a steamer is, or how I steam my vegan sausages. In this case, picture is worth a thousand words.

Fettuccine Marsala

The first thing I did when I got home was pull out the pasta maker because I didn't get to play with it enough before I left for the research trip. I made a batch of Bryanna's fresh vegan pasta which turned out really well. I have learned that the secret to good eggless pasta is not to cook it too much. Once you have some pasta on hand (you can refrigerate or freeze fresh pasta), this dish is quick, easy, and tasty.

INGREDIENTS

Serves two

- 3 cups cooked fettuccine

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 2 shallots, finely chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 12 cremini mushroom, quartered

- 1/3 cup marsala

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 1/4 cup tomato paste

- 1/2 cup water

- salt to taste

METHOD

1. Get water boiling and cook your pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Saute shallots and garlic for 5 mins, until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 mins, until beginning to soften.

3. Add marsala and sugar to the pan and cook until almost all reduced. Then add paste and water and bring to bubbling. Add more water if you want a thinner sauce. Season to taste.

4. Add cooked pasta to the pan and heat through. Garnish with parsley and serve.