Post-Valentine's Day Crepes with Nutella

 

I had meant to post this on February 15th, when I made these crepes, but I never got around to it. I'm not much of a Valentine's Day person. I neither love nor hate it; for me, it really just seems like any other day, only with a better excuse for eating large quantities of chocolate (shout out to my lovely mother for buying me a chocolate bar on Thursday!). My Valentine's Day consisted of chocolate, a seitan roast, and a Lost marathon. Not too bad in my opinion! 

 

But the next day, I decided to make something sort of Valentine's-ish, and made some crepes. Actually, these crepes are really Ployes, which are a type of pancake. It comes as a pancake flour mix (the only ingredients are buckwheat flour, wheat flour, baking powder, and salt), sort of like much healthier version of Bisquick. To make the pancakes, all you do is mix in some water (no eggs or milk required!), and cook in a pan for a minute or two. It's almost ridiculous how simple they are to make. You don't even need to flip them while cooking! They're surprisingly low in calories, with three 5" pancakes equaling only 95 calores. Ployes are fantastic, not just for dessert, but for dinner too. I often serve them with curry dishes, as they soak up the flavors so well.  Anyway, to make the crepes, I added just a tiny bit of sugar to the batter, cooked them, and served them with raspberry jelly and some vegan Nutella, which I made using this delicious recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (actually, I used a mix of pecans and cashews because, let's be honest, no one just happens to have hazelnuts on hand). Ployes are made by a local company and probably can't be found outside of New England, but if you ever happen to come across some, I'd really recommend buying a bag (or order it online here).

Homemade Tofurky with Gravy Recipe

I remember when I was really little and my mom would cook Tofurky every Thanksgiving. We hated it, but ate it dutifully, simply because at the time it was the only mainstream substitute for turkey. A couple years later we tried this brand that I can't remember the name of, but it looked like corn on the cob and was so chewy that it was basically impossible to eat (it didn't taste any better either). So we eventually stopped with the faux turkeys altogether. Last year though, we tried Tofurky again, and they must have changed their recipe or something, because it was fabulous. 

However, as I'm trying to cut processed foods out of my diet, I haven't been eating as many soy meats. I have begun to learn to make my own though, using vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is basically the protein found in flour and can be used just to add protein to breads or to make entire meat substitutes (such as this incredible pepperoni). It's sort of inconvenient though, because my local supermarket doesn't carry it (they used to but not anymore..?), and I have to buy it at Whole Foods Market. Obviously it's not gluten-free-friendly at all, although this product supposedly works as a GF substitute.

For this "turkey", I used this Seitan Roast recipe from The Post Punk Kitchen. I changed a few things: 3oz baby portabella mushrooms instead of 6oz shiitake (it was all I had) and 1 onion + 1 stalk celery instead of the leeks; I also added about 2/3 cup cooked wild rice into the stuffing. And for the roast I used dark kidney beans instead of pinto beans and carraway seeds instead of fennel. I baked it for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (do as Isa suggests and poke the roast with tongs before removing it from the oven to see if it's cooked enough).

I was nervous serving this at dinner, because I honestly had no idea whether it would be good or not. It far exceeded my expectations! My dad (an omnivore) was very impressed and kept commenting on how it was very realistic and had "skin" and everything (honestly I think that's a gross thought but if that's the sort of thing that impresses omnivores...then okay).  I'm really glad this worked out, and I will definitely be making another next week for Thanksgiving!

I sometimes put a chair or stool in the middle of the kitchen so my cats can watch as I cook, but not so closely that they shed their fur in the food or hurt themselves! It's still probably not sanitary at all, but they're so freaking cute that it's either I do that or I hold them while cooking.No matter how fantastic the roast recipe was, it didn't include a recipe for gravy. I found out later that she has a delicious-looking chickpea gravy recipe in the book Vegan With A Vengeance. I'll try it next time! However, for this gravy, I made up my own, and, other than the color being more yellow than I like, it was really pretty good. Do keep in mind that I have been a vegetarian my whole life though and have never eaten actual non-veg gravy.Basic Vegan Gravy

• 1 1/2 cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• dash of black pepper

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until gravy is thick.

Seitan "Turkey" Roast and Stuffing Recipe

Waldorf Salad Recipe (I used regular spring mix salad instead of kale)

Veggie & Tofu Stir-Fry in Spicy Peanut Sauce

There's a music festival I go to every summer that has a a vegan food stand with a meal very similar to this one. I didn't go the festival this year and especially missed going to lunch there, so I recreated the recipe.

Veggie & Tofu Stir-Fry in Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water

• 1 cup broccoli, broken into small pieces
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 cup snap peas, cut in half
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cups spinach

• 1 package of tofu, drained and pressed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• several tbsp olive oil

    sauce ingredients:

• 1 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp cayenne
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1) Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add quinoa and let simmer for 12-14 minutes.

2) In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients until smooth.

3) Heat one or two tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. 

4) Add tofu and cook for several minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Don't be afraid to cook the tofu for a long time; just don't let it burn. Set aside when done.

5) Heat one more tablespoon of oil in an 8 quart pot over medium heat.

6) Add all veggies except spinach and cook until soft. Add spinach and cook for one minute, or until wilted.

7) Add peanut sauce, quinoa, and tofu to veggies and stir well. Keep on stove for several minutes, until hot. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Greek Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes with Tomato Cream Sauce

Last month, I attended a three week-long trip to Italy and Greece with People to People Student Ambassador Program. It was an incredible trip and such an amazing opportunity. However, before I went, I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough for me to eat, as a vegan. I definitely had no reason to worry though! My lovely delegation manager (the leader/guide from the area who was basically in charge of the entire trip) always made sure to talk with the restaurants to guarantee that the two vegetarians and I had something to eat. The three of us ended up having the best variety of food! Every day was something different - risotto, veggie medley dishes, traditional salads, stuffed vegetables, roasted veggies, pasta, and more. Meanwhile, the incredibly jealous omnivores were served a mystery meat and fried potatoes for every single meal.

One of my favorite foods we were given was the stuffed tomatoes and peppers from Greece. I am not Greek and will not claim that this is a traditional Greek recipe, considering I made it up, but it tastes almost identical to the meal we had in Greece. The sauce is entirely optional, as the meal still tastes delicious without it.

Greek Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes

• 3 tomatoes
• 3 bell peppers
• 1 cup uncooked brown or wild rice
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

2) Cook rice according to package directions.

3) Mix cooked rice with herbs, oil, salt, and pepper.

4) Cut off the tops of the peppers and tomatoes and carefully scoop out the insides.

5) Stuff the peppers and tomatoes with the rice mixture.

6) Place peppers on prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

7) Add tomatoes to baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes, or until veggies are soft.

8) Allow veggies to cool for several minutes before transferring to plates.

Serves 3 or 6, depending on how hungry everyone is


Tomato Cream Sauce 
(I tagged this recipe as "soy-free" since the stuffed tomatoes are, but be warned, the sauce is not)

• 1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 package silken tofu (about 4 ounces)
• Handful of fresh basil

1) Blend all ingredients together.

2) Heat on stove top over med-low heat.

3) Serve drizzled on top of baked tomatoes and peppers.



View more photos here