Savory Potato Breakfast Casserole

My dear friend Alex came over for brunch today and her request was "something savory and Mexican." I'm not an expert in authentic Mexican cuisine but I took inspiration from the rich and spicy flavors of Mexican food. And of course, cheese. I typically don't like to use a lot of processed products when I cook but until I figure out how to make my own cheddar cheese (because I've done that before and have FAILED), Vegan Gourmet it is. Alex was a big fan, but then again she tends to like whatever I make so I'm not sure that's saying much...jk, she really did like it.

Savory Potato Breakfast Casserole (serves 4-6)

4 medium yellow potatoes
1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight in water
1 package extra firm tofu
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbls. vinegar
2 Tbls. vegan butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbls. brown miso
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. turmeric
3-4 medium leaves of kale, shredded
1 cup enchilada sauce (I used this recipe from Alaska From Scratch)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut off 1/4 of the block of tofu and set aside. Start pressing the rest of the tofu.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Peel them if you want, but I left the skins on. Microwave for 5 minutes and slice into thin rounds - this is easier if you have a mandolin or a food processor.

While the potatoes are microwaving, drain and rinse the cashews. Blend together the cashews, 1/4 block of tofu, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, garlic, vinegar, melted butter, salt, paprika, and water. Set aside.

Wash and dry the kale, and shred. This is easiest if you have a food processor.

The time it takes you to prepare the potatoes, cashew sauce, and kale should be enough for the rest of the tofu to press. Using your hands, crumble the tofu in a large bowl with the nutritional yeast, miso, mustard, and turmeric.

Into the bowl with the tofu add the potatoes, cashew sauce and kale. Combine thoroughly and spread evenly into a large greased baking pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top, then bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.

While the casserole is baking, make the enchilada sauce. Serve the casserole topped with enchilada sauce, cilantro, and avocado.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

One of my college roommates made the best flourless chocolate cake. It had only 4 ingredients: sugar, butter, chocolate, and eggs. I thought if I just substituted the eggs with tofu it would all work out. And I was wrong. It just tasted like chocolate tofu. So I went back to the drawing board and made this chocolate cake recipe for a friend's seder last week. It was a huge hit, especially when scooped on top of ice cream. It doesn't set quite enough to get a solid slice - I recommend scooping some into a bowl and enjoying it with a spoon.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (makes one 9-inch layer)

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
1 cup silken tofu
4 oz. baking chocolate, melted
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbls. coconut oil, melted
4 Tbls. vegan butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Grease a 9" cake pan and pour in the batter. Bake for 40 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

This is pre-baking. I forgot to take a picture afterwards. Use your imagination.

Breakfast Bowl #4: Quinoa with Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas

Man it has been a while since I posted! Starting a new fieldwork + staying with my parents during said fieldwork for commuting's sake + wedding planning + condo hunting not actually cooking anything that interesting in a while = lack of blogging. I made this breakfast bowl a couple weeks ago and definitely want to make it again - it was the perfect mix of savory, sweet, tart, crunchy, and just general yumminess.

Breakfast Bowl #4: Quinoa with Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas (serves 4)

1 cup uncooked quinoa (any kind)
2 cups canned or cooked chickpeas
2 Tbls. vegan butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
2 Tbls. brown sugar
1 granny smith apple (or whatever kind you got)
2 Tbls. agave nectar, divided
1 cup soy milk, divided
2 Tbls. flax seeds, divided
2 Tbls. chia seeds, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Start cooking the quinoa according to package directions.

In a small bowl mix together the butter, cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar. Toss with the chickpeas and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until they are brown and crunchy but not burned.

While the quinoa and chickpeas are cooking, chop the apple into small pieces and prepare the rest of the ingredients. The quinoa and chick peas should be done about the same time. Spoon some quinoa into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add in the chickpeas and top with 1/4 of the apple, 1/2 Tbls. flax seeds, and 1/2 Tbls. chia seeds. Pour 1/4 cup of soy milk over each bowl and drizzle with 1/2 Tbls. of agave nectar.

Chocolate (Veggie) Muffins

Chocolate what muffins, you say? These muffins were my experiment to see how many vegetables I could cram into a chocolate muffin and still have it taste like a chocolate muffin and not a chocolate salad (gross). These did the trick, and as far as muffins go I think they're relatively healthy. If there are any veggie-haters in your life I'd love to know if these muffins were able to fool them or if they totally called your bluff. Poor Aaron tried these when I was already asleep and just assumed they had veggies in them, because why on earth would I bake anything chocolate without kale? I need to bake him a real chocolate cake someday...

Chocolate (Veggie) Muffins (makes 4)

1 large leaf kale, stem removed
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbls. sugar
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbls. canola oil
2 Tbls. chocolate chips
Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Tear the kale leaf into small pieces and put in a bowl with the chopped squash. Add a little water, mix, and microwave for 3 minutes.

Drain the water and add the veggies to a blender with the soy milk. Blend until thoroughly combined. Stir in the lemon juice and let sit while you prepare the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the veggie mix, vanilla, and olive oil. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Line 4 wells of a muffin tin and divide the batter evenly. Top with sprinkles, if using, and bake for 25 minutes.

I'm more nutritious than meets the eye!

Spring Green Citrus Grain Salad

This grain salad is very optimistic about spring. It is bright and fresh and is very excited to ride it's bike to fieldwork instead of huddling under the useless heat lamps on the El platform. Oh that's just me? I'm hoping that this 48 degree weather will hold out long enough for me to enjoy an afternoon run wearing just one layer of clothing. Until then, I'm enjoying my spring-inspired lunch.

Spring Green Citrus Grain Salad (serves 4)

1 cup kamut, dry
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped yellow squash
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups cooked or canned chick peas
3 Tbls. each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds
1 orange, cut into chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbls. vinegar
2 Tbls. sugar
3 Tbls. olive oil

Cook the kamut according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine the last 4 ingredients to make the dressing. When the kamut has cooled, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and eat!

Smoky Beans and Rice

Aaron and I were just in Florida visiting his parents and one of the things I always look forward to on our visits is their cooking. Aaron's mom is always testing new vegan recipes and this was one of my favorites. Plus it's super easy and quick to make. Barbara copied it out of a recipe book and I modified it a bit. Adjust the seasonings as you wish, though I think it's pretty good how it is.

Smoky Beans and Rice (serves 4)

1 cup rice, uncooked (any kind)
2 cups chopped tomatoes, with their juices*
1 cup canned or cooked chick peas
1 cup canned or cooked black beans
2 Tbls. soy sauce/tamari/Bragg's
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
1 Tbls. chili powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
1 avocado, diced

*I used campari, use whatever looks good to you.

Start making the rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Combine all except the vinegar and avocado in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is done. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.

Spoon some rice into a bowl and top with the bean/tomato mixture and some of the cooking liquid. Top with avocado, and enjoy!

Spinach, Tofu, and Potato Bites

Buzzfeed recently had a post on vegetarian passover food. With the holiday soon approaching us and my parents hosting our seder I feel extra pressure to come up with something good that is vegan. But hey, this recipe is something I would eat regardless of the time of year because it is so tasty. The folks over at May I Have That Recipe? call them Spinach Potato Nest Bites, which is a much cuter name than I could ever come up with. The recipe suggests to serve them as appetizers or eat a few and call it a meal, the latter of which I did for breakfast this morning. I modified it to make it vegan friendly and was very pleased!

Spinach, Tofu, and Potato Bites (makes 12)

1 package extra firm tofu
2 medium russet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 tsp. canola oil, divided
4 cups (1 bag) fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls. nutritional yeast

Start pressing the tofu and preheat your oven to 400 F. While the tofu is pressing, wash and peel the potatoes and grate finely. I did this using a food processor which made the task much easier, but be prepared for some arm work if you don't have one. Squeeze as much extra water as you can out of the grated potatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in the onion powder, 1/2 tsp. of sea salt, the black pepper, and 2 tsp. canola oil using your hands until well-mixed.

Spray a muffin tin. Using about 1 Tbls. of the potato mixture per well, shape the potato around the bottom and sides of each well to form a "nest." Bake for 15 minutes.

Post-baking. They could be a bit darker.

While the potato is baking, chop the spinach as finely as you can (again, the food processor is handy) and transfer to a medium bowl. Crumble in the tofu and mix in the remaining ingredients using your hands. When the potato cups are done, distribute the spinach mixture evenly amongst all the cups and bake for 12 minutes.

Pre-baking

Let cool on a wire rack. Use a plastic knife to run around each potato cup to loosen it before removing. Remove carefully using a spatula.