Tag Archives: vegetarian

April 27, 2012 · 1:30 pm

GUEST BLOG – SPORK SISTERS Spicy Corn Fritters with Lemongrass

I am so excited that the Spork Sisters are guest posting today!  I met Heather and Jenny at the Natural Products Expo West and they were as sweet as could be, but what really won me over was the amazing food they were serving.  In a land of sample aplenty, their food stood out and was wonderfully flavorful.

If this is your first introduction to the Spork Sisters, take note.  The ladies just released their first cookbook (Spork-Fed) and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.  For some time now the ladies have been teaching cooking classes in LA to rave reviews.  For those of you who can’t get to LA, they now have online cooking classes.

I highly recommend checking out their site and learning more about the awesome duo (click HERE).

The following recipe is from their cookbook, Spork-Fed with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters, Emily and Zooey Deschanel.

Spicy Corn Fritters with Lemongrass (gluten free)

INTRO: These lil’ fritters are special! They get a lot of their essence from lemongrass, one of the most important flavors of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Just the smell of these fritters cooking will attract attention from neighbors all around. When you make a Southeast Asian feast, be sure these are part of the menu.

Yields about 8 fritters

Ingredients
2/3 cup gluten-free cornmeal, plus 1⁄2 cup for coating
3 tablespoons rice flour
2 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon neutral tasting high-heat oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tamari (wheat-free)
1 tablespoon chili paste (chili garlic paste or sweet chili paste)
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1 ear corn, kernels sliced from cob, or 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1⁄2 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup water, more or less, as needed
2 tablespoons neutral tasting high-heat oil, for cooking

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine 2/3 cup cornmeal, rice flour and baking powder. Whisk until uniform.

Add maple syrup, oil, lime juice, tamari, chili paste, ginger and sea salt, and whisk.

Add corn, lemongrass and water to mixture. Amount of water needed will vary, depending on which brand of rice flour is used. Consistency should be fairly firm and mixture should hold together when scooped. Form mixture into 2-inch round patties.

Add additional cornmeal to a bowl and coat patties. Tap patties gently to remove excess cornmeal.

Heat a large sauté pan and add high-heat oil. Place patties in pan and cook over low-medium heat for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden.

Note: You can double the recipe when serving more than four.  For a printable version of this recipe click here.

The Sporkie Scoop

FOR YOUR SMARTS Lemongrass is native to Southeast Asia and has been consumed and used as medicine for thousands of years! Lemongrass is a general term for about 55 species of grasses. Some types are used in perfumes and cosmetics because of the clean, fresh smell.

FOR YOUR PARTS Lime juice contains a compound called limonene, which is a major cancer fighter! It can also boost your white blood cell activity. That’s some powerful citrus!

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Filed under Appetizers, Books, Gluten Free, Guest Blog, Kid Friendly, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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April 26, 2012 · 1:30 pm

BAKED TOSTADA SHELLS / BOWLS

Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner I have been thinking about what I want to serve for dinner that night and I thought a Tostada Bar might be fun.  Traditionally tostada shells are not exactly healthy (since they are fried), so today I played around in the kitchen and found out that it is actually REALLY easy to make baked tostada shells / bowls with corn tortillas.

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, softened some corn tortillas (which can be done on the stove top, or in the microwave), shaped the softened corn tortillas into a bowl by placing them inside some small springform pans and topping them with little pastry molds to keep the middle of the tortilla down while they baked, and baked them for 15 minutes.   How easy is that?  I am sure the same method would work for flour tortillas as well…just watch the baking time since I haven’t tried it myself.

Here are some ideas for what to put-out for a Tostada Bar:

  • Beans (whole or refried)
  • Vegan sour cream
  • Shredded cheese (Daiya is our favorite)
  • Vegan Queso (click HERE for my recipe)
  • Salsa Fresca (click HERE for my recipe)
  • Guacamole
  • Chopped onion
  • Sliced olives
  • Sliced Jalapenos
  • Shredded lettuce or cabbage
  • chopped cilantro
  • A variety of hot sauce
  • Corn
  • Quinoa
  • Brown rice
  • Finely chopped mushrooms cooked down with taco seasoning

Is there anything you would include in your Tostada Bar that I haven’t listed???  I’d love to hear your ideas.

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Filed under Appetizers, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Quick Tips, Recipes

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April 25, 2012 · 1:30 pm

PRODUCT REVIEW – Simply So Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips

We all have our vices. Some people are addicted to sweet, some to salty treats. While I would love to have everyone avoid processed foods entirely, those of you who still eat Doritos on occasion (gasp!) now have a better option.

I came across these chips at the Natural Products Expo West. Please don’t misunderstand me, these are not “healthy,” but I would MUCH rather have you eat Simply So Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips by Way Better Snacks than Doritos.

I haven’t had “real” Doritos for years, but I still remember what they taste like and in my opinion Simply So Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips taste like a cross between Nacho Cheese Doritos and Cool Ranch Doritos with a chili bite.

One of the major plusses as far as these chips are concerned (besides the fact that they taste great) is the fact that all of the ingredients are pronounceable AND recognizable. In addition, they contain sprouted: golden flax, chia seed, quinoa, radish seed, and broccoli seed.

The chips are also:

  • Gluten free
  • Vegan
  • Non GMO
  • Kosher
  • Whole grain
  • Low sodium (only 95mg per serving!)
  • Has no trans fat
  • No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

The fat content is much higher than I’d like it to be (7 grams), however it is still lower than Doritos.

So…IF you are a Dorito eater (which I hope you are not), please, please, please find a healthier alternative like Simply So Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips.

Baby steps.

Click HERE for nutrition information.

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Filed under Gluten Free, Product Reviews, Uncategorized

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April 20, 2012 · 1:30 pm

“UN” TUNA / CHICKEN SALAD

As many of you know, I am the only vegan in my household.  While the rest of my family eats less meat than they used to, they do eat meat.  Lately my son has been on a chicken salad sandwich kick.  When I was younger I made a mean tuna fish sandwich (mean to the tuna, right/?!?!) and I remember the flavors well.

This is my vegan version of tuna / chicken salad and I enjoy it so much that I have been eating it for lunch and snacking on it like crazy.  In an attempt to drastically reduce the amount of mayonnaise used, I made a sauce with some of the chickpeas and let me tell ya…you won’t even realize that there is only 2 Tbs. of Vegenaise in this entire creamy recipe.

…
INGREDIENTS
 
2  15 ounce cans chickpeas (Eden Organics Low Sodium BPA free)
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
2 Tbs. Vegenaise
½ cup onion, finely diced
½ cup celery, finely diced
½ cup dill pickles, finely diced
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Place 1 cup of the chickpeas in the food processor with the pickle juice and Vegenaise.  Blend until very smooth (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times).  Pour the chickpea/pickle/mayo mixture into a bowl.

Place the remaining chickpeas in the food processor (no need to clean it) and pulse until it reaches the texture you desire; I prefer chunky.

Combine the chickpea/pickle/mayo mixture, texturized chickpeas, chopped onions, celery, and pickles in a bowl and fold together gently.

NOTE – The mixture will firm-up a bit once it has been refrigerated.

Serve over toasted bread, crackers, on top of salad, etc.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.


31 Comments

Filed under Beans/Legumes, Gluten Free, Quick, Recipes, Salad, sandwich, Vegan, Vegetarian

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April 16, 2012 · 1:30 pm

VANISHING OF THE BEES

Where would we all be without bees?  We certainly wouldn’t be eating the fruits and veggies that we adore.

My family and I recently watched the documentary, Vanishing of the Bees.  I highly recommend this film for the light it sheds on this issue.  In addition to learning about Colony Collapse Disorder, I learned a lot about bees in general (they are fascinating beings).

This year when I plant my garden I want to focus some attention on adding some plants that bees really love…my way of saying thank you to them for all that they do.  I found  a great article from the Honeybee Conservancy about planting a bee garden (click HERE for the article).

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Filed under Animal Welfare, Education, Farming, Vegan, Vegetarian, Video

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April 6, 2012 · 1:30 pm

FAMILY RECIPE MAKE-OVER – Auntie Ann’s Banana Cake

I am so excited to begin this series.  As I stated in my Family Recipe Make-Over kick-off post, I have so much fun veganizing, healthifying, and gluten-freeing “conventional” recipes.  The first recipe in the series was sent in by Veggie Grettie reader (and dear family friend) Ann.   This is what she had to say…

…

Hi Gretchen,
 
I’ve been baking this cake for over 40 years…..for birthday parties, holidays, barbecues, and potlucks.  I still have friends and family asking me to make it, sometimes remembering it from events years ago.   It’s a moist cake with a nice nutty/banana flavor.  I’d love to be able to make it for all of my guests and would love to have the recipe “veganized”.
 
Thanks a bunch!
Ann H.

…

I have to say that the results from updating the recipe below were amazing…so much so that my husband asked me to remove the cake from the premises (no joke).  When I explained to him that this cake is really not that bad for you, he responded with, “It is if I eat the ENTIRE thing.  I am afraid I won’t be able to stop.”

The cake turned out moist and springy which is a big achievement for a gluten-free cake without eggs.  My son couldn’t stop raving about how good the glaze was.  The original recipe used a cream cheese frosting and I opted to make a cream cheese glaze in order to cut back on the sugar.  Since glazes go so well on Bundt cakes, I switched things up by making this a Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze.

To appease my husband I cut two more servings of the cake as after school snacks for my kids and then my daughter’s school became the recipient of the banana cake left-overs… much to my kid’s dismay (another opportunity to discuss the importance of sharing!).

CAKE INGREDIENTS

WET
1 ¼ cup very well mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 cup maple syrup
1 Energ egg replacer egg
2/3 vegan buttermilk (instructions below)
–          Slightly less than 2/3 cup soymilk
–          ¾ Tbs white vinegar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
 
DRY
2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
3 tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
 
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
 
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
 
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup vegan cream cheese, melted
1 Tbs lemon juice
…

Preheat the convection oven to 350 degrees.

Make the vegan buttermilk by pouring ¾ Tbs distilled white vinegar into a 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Pour soymilk over the vinegar to fill the 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Allow this mixture to cure for at least 10 minutes.

Add all of the “dry” ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to fully incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk to fully incorporate.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Do not overmix.

Fold in the finely chopped walnuts.

Lightly grease your Bundt pan and pour in the batter.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (mine took 40 minutes), turning half way through.

Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes and then invert the Bundt cake onto a cooling rack.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar (to remove lumps) and whisk in the melted vegan cream cheese and lemon juice.  Drizzle the glaze over the banana cake and serve.

…

For a printable version of this recipe click HERE.

To view Ann’s original recipe click HERE.

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Filed under Breads / Crackers / Muffins, Breakfast, Cake, Dessert, Family Recipe Make-Over, Frosting, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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April 4, 2012 · 1:30 pm

PRODUCT REVIEW – Vega One Vegan Protein Shakes

I am sure most of you are familiar with Brendan Brazier’s Vega products (if not, click HERE to learn more). At the recent Natural Products Expo West I had the opportunity to try Vega’s newly improved Vega One all-in-one Nutritional Shake.

I really like this product. I am thoroughly impressed by how creamy it tastes when mixed with water (that’s a tall order for a vegan protein shake!). The new formulation has:

  • SaviSeed protein (in addition to pea, hemp, and sprouted brown rice protein)
  • Chia seed
  • Superfruits
  • More omega-3
  • Probiotics
  • Protein
  • Antioxidants
  • Greens
  • More servings per tub
  • Lower total per tub price

Vega One is also dairy, gluten & soy free in addition to being sugar free.

Available flavors:

  • Chocolate (my favorite)
  • Berry
  • Vanilla chai
  • Natural flavor

For more information about Vega One click HERE.

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Filed under Events, Product Reviews, Vegan, Vegetarian

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March 30, 2012 · 1:30 pm

BERRY GOOD “EGGS”

I am so excited for Easter and the start of Spring.  This is easily my favorite time of the year!  A recent trip to Target inspired this recipe.  I have a hard time saying “no” when I see a really cute serving dish, especially when I can justify it by saying that I will use it for this website.  I came across the ceramic egg carton / pastel cracked eggs and snatched them up knowing that I would find a way to use them and when I glanced through the pantry to see the ingredients I had on hand this recipe quickly came together.

INGREDIENTS – Makes 10-12 “eggs”

1 cup vegan marshmallows
1/2 cup light brown rice syrup
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/3 cup crushed freeze-dried berries (about ½ cup prior to crushing)
1 ½ cups crisp brown rice cereal

Melt the vegan marshmallows, brown rice syrup, and coconut butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat while stirring constantly.  While the mixture is melting, crush the freeze dried berries (they should be small, finely chopped pieces).  Once the mixture has melted completely add the crushed freeze dried berries and mix well.  Remove from heat.

Add the brown rice cereal and mix making sure the mallow mixture completely coats each piece of cereal.

Allow the cereal / mallow mixture to cool slightly and form into egg shapes.  If the mixture is sticking to your hands, coat your hands LIGHTLY with coconut oil.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Gluten Free, Holidays, Recipes

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March 27, 2012 · 7:13 pm

NEW MYSTERY GIVEAWAY WINNER

This is someone’s lucky day (Nikki’s to be precise).  I chose a winner for the Veggie Grettie Mystery Giveaway through random.org last Thursday and never received a response from her, so today I went back to random.org and chose a new winner.  The winning comment was from:

Nikki

I’m a subscriber and I just “liked” you! Hooray!

Nikki please contact me at gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com with your mailing address and I will mail that heavy box of goodies to you ASAP.

Congrats!

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March 23, 2012 · 2:30 pm

MINTED CITRUS SALAD

It is the height of citrus season here in California.  A few weeks ago I went to the farmer’s market on Friday and couldn’t help but bring home a huge variety of citrus.  Blood oranges, tangerines, Cara Cara’s (one of my new favorites), and some of the sweetest grapefruit I have ever had followed me home.  It was a gorgeous day and nothing sounded better to me for lunch than a nice plate of citrus.

One of the vendors was selling gorgeous mint, so naturally that needed to come home with me too.

INGREDIENTS – serves one

Grapefruit
Cara Cara orange
Blood orange
5-6 large mint leaves, in a chiffonade (click HERE for a “How To”)
2-3 large Medjool dates, soaked in water just to cover for 15-30 minutes
 

Cover the dates in filtered water.

Cut the rind from the citrus being careful to remove all of the pith while preserving as much citrus meat as possible.  Once the skin and pith is removed, slice the citrus horizontally.  Plate the prepared citrus by alternating varieties.

Pour the dates and soaking water in the high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Lightly drizzle the citrus with some of the date syrup and sprinkle with mint.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

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