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Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Dip

Written on January 30, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous, Side Dish

I’ve never been a vegetarian who claims he doesn’t miss certain food. I used to love buffalo chicken dip; what’s a Superbowl party without it? This year I finally got fed up with being dip-less and decided to make my own.

Too often the impulse for making meat-free dishes is to reach for something with tofu or the name “fak’n” in front of it. Beans are a great substitute that are also cheap, tasty, and something everyone can recognize.

To lighten this dip up slightly you can use a reduced fat cream cheese instead of full-fat. I would avoid fat-free because the taste and texture would be off. Similarly you can swap in reduced fat cheese as well.

Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 8-12 people):

8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup hot sauce
8oz shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese, divided
1 15oz can white beans, rinsed and drained

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat together the hot sauce, cream cheese, and 6 ounces(about 1 1/2 cups) of shredded until mixed.
Fold in the beans, adding a little bit of water if necessary until fully incorporated.
Scoop the dip into an oven-safe bowl and spread out the remaining cheese on top to cover it.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese begins to brown and the center is hot.
Remove from the oven and serve hot with crudité and nachos.

You will not miss the chicken; I swear it.

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Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Written on July 4, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Happy July 4th! If you’re looking for red, white, and blue, then you’re going to have to take a second look at last week’s flag cake. Instead I have something red, white, and green. That’s close enough, right?

One of the best parts of Summer is how little you actually need to do to make food taste good. Some fresh vegetables and fresh herbs are all you need to make something taste clean and delicious. And when you’re spending time outside and at cook-outs, all that extra time is a great thing. You can make these appetizers in just 15 minutes and I guarantee they’ll be gone by the end of the party.

You could use 1-inch fresh mozzarella balls; however, when I was at the store those cost twice as much and the point is for this to be delicious—not expensive. A cheaper option is to buy a log of mozzarella, shave a thin layer off of the sides so that they’re flat, and cut the rectangle into equal sized squares.

Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 24 bites):

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
24 cherry tomatoes
24 basil leaves, washed
24 1-inch cubes or balls of fresh mozzarella
24 toothpicks

Method:

Pour the vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil over a burner for 5 minutes until it has reduced to half its original amount. Move it to a serving dish and let it cool.
Start by pushing a cherry tomato three quarters the way up a toothpick.
Next put on a basil leaf on and move it up to touch the tomato.
Lastly put on the mozzarella until the toothpick is mostly through.
Repeat until all of the ingredients are gone.
Plate the caprese bites and serve with the reduced vinegar on the side or decoratively pour the vinegar onto the plate before putting down the bites.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

You can make another easy dipping sauce by mixing extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl or small plate.

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Gluten-Free Vegan Mac N’ Cheese

Written on May 22, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Thanks for sticking with me the past couple of weeks. I’ve moved home and (almost) unpacked and finally can get back to cooking and food blogging. And did I mention how nice it is to have a full kitchen again? It’s very nice.

One of the last things I ate before I moved was a frozen Amy’s rice macaroni and cheese. Blog-worthy? No. But incredibly delicious. I’d forgotten how good macaroni and cheese could be. Naturally I had it on the brain as soon as I got home and decided to make it almost immediately.

Trader Joe’s corn pasta is one of the few gluten-free pastas I like; you can’t even tell from the taste or texture that it’s gluten-free. It’s that good. Nutritionally, it’s not the best. But if you’re trying to win over a picky eater—gluten-free or not—it’s a safe bet.

This cheese sauce is made with cashews so it’s not only dairy-free but also soy-free. The nuts also add fiber and protein to the dish. You could substitute 3 Tablespoons of cashew butter in a pinch if that’s what you have on hand.

Gluten-Free Vegan Mac N’ Cheese

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

3/4 cup gluten-free macaroni
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cashews
7 Tablespoons(or a scant 1/2 cup) water
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric(for color only)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pepper and basil for garnish

Method:

Prepare the macaroni by submerging it in salt water and boiling for 8-10 minutes. Undercook the macaroni slightly.
While the macaroni cooks, make the cheese sauce by blending the cashews in 2-3 Tablespoons of water in a food processor.
Once the cashews are pureed smoothly, add the rest of the water and all of the spices and seasonings. Continue blending until well-mixed.
Drain the macaroni from the water and divide it between two small ramekins. Pour the cheese sauce on top evenly.
Broil at 400 degrees for 5 minutes until the top starts to brown.
Garnish with cracked pepper and chiffonade basil. Serve hot.

The basil and pepper help to lighten up the flavor, since no one wants a heavy mac n’ cheese dish in the Summer. The healthy fats in the sauce fill you up for hours and yet taste wholly satisfying. It’s not quite as easy as a frozen meal but well worth the effort.

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Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

Written on February 6, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

I used to have a teacher who loved Cheese Wiz so much, he kept a tube at his desk. I’m pretty sure there’s no actual cheese in Cheese Wiz, just like there’s no actual cheese in this recipe. But I promise you this is a much healthier way to get a cheesy fix.

I didn’t like sunflower seed butter the first couple of times I tried it. I think most people feel the same way if you try to enjoy it like peanut butter or almond butter or even cashew butter; it’s oddly savory and unenjoyable. But once I tried it in savory ways it grew on me.

Sunflower seed butter makes a better “cheese” sauce than any other nuts I’ve tried. It gives the sauce a rich and velvety texture, and the nutritional yeast and seasonings create a flavor that doesn’t taste exactly like the real thing but delicious nonetheless.

Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3/4 cup sauce):

6 Tablespoons sunflower seed butter
3 Tablespoons water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together.
Store in an sealed container in the refrigerator. As it cools, the sauce will get thicker. Either bring it to room temperature before using or mix in a little extra water until it gets to the desired consistency.

There are plenty of ways that this would taste good. I made cheesy vegan burritos with corn flour tortillas, scrambled tofu, and steamed kale.

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Grilled Eggplant Rollatini With Ricotta and Fava Bean Filling {Vegan}

Written on July 19, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Last Wednesday was my father’s birthday so I took it upon myself to make dinner for my family. Of course, since I was the one cooking I subjected everyone to the hippy vegan rabbit food I usually eat. Thankfully my family is willing to try anything, especially if it’s Italian, so I tried a vegan/vegifull version of an Italian favorite: Stuffed Italian shells.

Not only were these delicious and a hit, they were also a lot healthier than I even intended for them to be. The grilled eggplant, replacing breaded and fried eggplant, adds a smoky, charred flavor to the sauce. And the beans in the tofu filling give a good meaty texture contrast. It’s not something I’d throw together on a weeknight, but even so it couldn’t have been much easier to assemble and bake.

Grilled Eggplant Rollatini With Ricotta and Fava Bean Filling

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise 3/4 centimeter thick
3/4 cup tofu ricotta
1 cup fava beans
2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup vegan mozzarella shreds(I used Daiya)
Fresh basil for garnish
Oil for greasing

Toss the eggplant slices in oil and grill over high heat until soft and pliable. Remove after grilling both sides and let cool slightly before handling.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the fava beans and ricotta and scoop a couple tablespoons of the filling into the middle of each eggplant slice. Roll up the eggplant and put them end-side down into a baking pan packed together.

Cover the eggplants in marinara sauce and then a layer of cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly—about 15 minutes.

Finish with fresh herbs and serve hot.

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This is Italian comfort food at its finest. The melted cheese was like the frosting on the cake. We easily demolished the pan. You could of course use regular cheese and make this a delicious vegetarian dish, too. Whatever you use, just don’t skimp on it.

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Pizza Omelet

Written on July 15, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast, Entree

Do you remember that joyous moment when Bagel Bites promised you pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at supper time? And do you remember that heart-wrenching moment when you realized a diet of only Bagel Bites probably wasn’t that good for you?

I do.

Let’s fast forward ~10 years to my current egg phase, when I could(and usually do) eat eggs with every meal. They’re cheap, tasty, and oh so good for you. Like tofu, they’re pretty tasteless, too, and take on the flavors you add to them. Flavors like pizza. I mean, who can say no to melted cheese?

Pizza Omelet

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese(I used Daiya)
Torn basil for garnish(optional)
Oil for greasing

Lightly grease a 10’ frying pan and heat it over a burner set to medium. Meanwhile, crack and whisk together the 3 eggs until completely beaten.

When the pan has heated, pour in the eggs and cover with a lid.

Once the egg has completely cooked, pour on the sauce and spread across the surface. Sprinkle on the cheese in an even layer, return the lid, and turn off the heat leaving the pan on the burner for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Once ready, slide the omelet onto a plate and garnish with fresh basil.

Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t had a “real” pizza in ages, or maybe this is just damn good; either way, I’m obsessed. Anything herby with melted cheese is a winner in my book. It’s also a good way to sneak protein into a picky-eater’s diet, but don’t tell them that.

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Tofu “Ricotta” Cheese

Written on July 14, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

For whatever reason, I’ve never loved cheese. If I did, I probably would have gotten my fingers caught in more mouse traps as a child. So giving up cheese along with dairy was never hard, but last Summer I tried this Whole Foods recipe for a vegan “ricotta” and really loved it. The herby, seasoned flavor far exceeded any “real” cheese I’d ever tried. For whatever reason I forgot about it for a year and just decided to make it again this week with a few tweaks.

Making your own cheese substitute has advantages and disadvantages compared to store brands. Since it’s tofu-based, this recipe is higher in protein than most fake cheeses. And the addition of fresh herbs and seasoning creates an unparalleled flavor. Since it doesn’t have a bunch of funky ingredients and stabilizers, it won’t melt like other fake cheese. But is that really such a bad trade off?

Tofu “Ricotta” Cheese(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Using a fork, press into the tofu block breaking it up into smaller clumps and mixing it with the other ingredients. Continue this until the ingredients are homogenous and the consistency resembles ricotta cheese. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

I haven’t found many uses for this so far besides eating it straight from the bowl, but I’m sure with time I’ll find others. Unless I eat it all straight from the bowl, which is a likely scenario, too.

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Cheesy Rosemary Flatbread

Written on January 3, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Everybody loves cheesy bread. That’s just a fact. Whether you can’t eat wheat bread or avoid dairy, this recipe still has something for you, too. The bread itself gets nice and crusty on the egg but soft and doughy in the middle. Everybody has a preference and I love the center. Be warned that if you eat too much you’ll have onion breath for a week, and you will eat too much because it’s too good to show restraint around.

Cheesy Rosemary Flatbread

Ingredients:

1 ball of prepared pizza dough*
1 yellow onion, julienned
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan, loosely packed**
2 tablespoons rosemary

*Make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free dough such as Bob’s Red Mill.

**For a non-dairy alternative, use the same amount nutritional yeast with an added 1/2 teaspoon salt.

I started by making my pizza dough. I always add Italian herb seasoning even when the dough is a mix; it just adds such great flavor.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. To prepare the onions, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over low heat on a burner. Add in the julienned onions and cook for about 10 minutes until they’ve softened and soaked up the oil. Add in the other 2 tablespoons and continue cooking until they’re soft and translucent.

Roll out the dough on a pizza pan(a baking pan will work in a pinch). Flatten it out to about 1/4-inch thickness and poke holes in the top to let the air out when cooking. Add on the onions and any extra oil in the pan. Then sprinkle on the parmesan and rosemary and bake for 25-28 minutes until the edges crisp up.

Like I said, I love the center part that’s nice and doughy, onion breath be damned. I’ve made this for guests and they had no clue it was vegan and gluten-free; it’s just a plain good recipe with tons of flavor. I’m ready to slip into my food coma.

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