Scraps and Snippets ~ Jack "Tuna"

Jack "Tuna"

1 Cup vegetable broth

1 Can green jackfruit packed in brine (not the ripe in syrup)

2 tsps of your favorite seaweed, which I do NOT have...I did some research, then ended up not having much choice at the store. So I got hijaki

3 TBSP vegan mayo

3 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 TBSP minced onion

3 TBSP minced celery

1 TBSP sweet pickle relish

1/4 Cup sunflower seeds (optional if this would kill a family member, XTA)

Drain jackfruit. Place jackfruit in a saucepan and add the veggie broth. Simmer until the fruit softens and most of the broth is absorbed. (20 minutes or so.)

Shred the jackfruit into a bowl. (You can dump out the extra liquid if any remains).

This makes quite a bit. Enough for 8 sandwiches or so. Serve with crackers or scoop out a tomato and fill it with the tuna. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Flexi-Vegan, Vegan Mofo

I had every intention of throwing together another batch of my new hamburger recipe to make sure I've nailed the spices. But I got home pretty late, annoyingly hot, and very hungry. Fortunately, Rob was just finishing up picking bounty from the garden. 

The potatoes and beans got sucked down too fast for a photograph...

We had the rest of the edamame salad, fried home-grown potatoes, grilled, seasoned summer squash, fresh sliced tomatoes, and just-picked green beans.

Yeah. That's what Vegans eat, Baby, and it was delicious! 

Only 5 grams of protein. But we could have added some whole grain bread (yep, grains have protein). A side of grilled tempeh, tofu, beans, nuts, seitan would also round the meal out.  

Scraps and Snippets ~ Social Media Recipe ~ Veganized Peanut Butter Cup Haystacks...

My friend posted a recipe on her Facebook recently. And this stupid recipe was a tough one for me to avert my eyes from. (I believe that sentence breaks at least two rules of grammar...) Anyhoo. Peanut Butter Cups are probably my most missed non-vegan candy. There are vegan versions. Thank you, Justin's. But, they are like triple the price of the classic orange and yellow plastic ensconced confection.

This recipe called for 4 peanut butter cups. (uh that's $6.00 in Justin's) krispy rice cereal, butter and peanut butter. Simple.

But could they be made without the cups, butter and with a few change ups? 

Yes. Deliciously. Rich, satisfying, totally scratches the peanut butter itch.

Here's the recipe.

 Peanut Butter Cup Piles

1 and 1/4 Cups vegan chocolate chips (ghiradelli etc. )

3 TBSP coconut oil (Earth Balance) 

7 TBSP peanut butter (Earth Balance)

2 TBSP powdered sugar (vegan) or Arbonne vanilla protein powder (another could work, but it needs to be palatable to drink and whey/dairy free)

6 Cups krispy rice cereal, puffed rice cereal or a combo of the two.

Melt peanut butter and coconut oil. Turn off or lower heat and add the chocolate chips. When they melt turn off the heat if it has been on and add powdered sugar or protein powder and stir until mixed. Add the rice cereal and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper on cookie sheets or a container that will fit in your fridge. This recipe makes about 30 cookies. They should be refrigerated until they set up. And kept cool so they don't get fragile. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Edamame... The Little Green Giant...

I have a recipe that is a fall back. I got if from my mother-in-law years ago. And I make it often. But not so often that I have actually committed it to my memory. It's a shadowy-in-my-mind kind of recipe. 

And here's the deal. It counts as Americana in my book because the dang hand-written, blurred recipe is at least twenty years old. And it probably came from a newspaper which was equivalent to Pinterest back in the day. Kinda. 

Anyhoo. I couldn't find the recipe to adapt and use as a centerpiece for edamame. Nope. The picture may give you a clue. I have this HUGE binder recipe book. When I am organized the book is as well. However, when I'm not, which is more likely, the recipes end up in four or five other places like one of the many other cookbooks on my shelf. You can see the classic red and white gal, and beneath her an entire shelf of cookbooks, and out of sight is another shelf. Ugh. So after looking for 30 minutes I decided to rely on the shadow memory and throw together what I think is the recipes. Tastes like it, and pretty dang good which is why I've held onto the original for twenty years (until recently parted, of course). 

1/2 to 1 cup edamame (I used frozen raw)
1 head of broccoli florets (or I'm thinking a package of broccoli slaw would be great, too)
grape, cherry or chunks of tomato (I used about a cup and 1/2)
1/2 to 1 cup Kalamata olives (or any olive will do, or use onions, or cauliflower or mushrooms etc.

Dressing:

3 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP olive (or your favorite) oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend

This is a totally adaptable recipe. I usually use the veggies I have on hand. A summer squash or zucchini cubed would be excellent. As would cucumbers. Mushrooms are amazing in it. You can use any type of bean, too. White/Navy or garbanzos would be especially yummy. Toss in nuts if you want the extra protein or mouth feel. Speaking of protein. Not only is there 29 grams from the edamame in this salad...but broccoli has approx 4 grams a cup, too. Tossing brown rice into the mix would give you 8 additional grams for the salad. Tomatoes are worth about 2. So if four people nosh on it your looking at 8-10 grams a person. And don't forget that Edamame is a complete protein source, too. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Mofo Day #2. Chatting up Vegan Protein...

I thought I might post a recipe tonight. 

But then I pulled a shift at the organic CSA and bagged about 25 pounds of heirloom tomato seconds. So. I sliced and diced and chopped up tomatoes and some fresh basil and garlic and am crockpotting this delicious mixture overnight into a delicious multipurpose sauce that I'll can tomorrow. Whew. 

Now. Of note, this sauce is VEGAN. Yay. So I could chat about it and justify my Vegan Mofo status, but, since I said I'd share some protein stats with you, I'll just go ahead and do that here, too. 

Most adults need 40 - 65 grams of protein per day. Even non-Vegan focused websites suggest that meat in not the only source of protein, nor the best. Soy, beans, legumes and nuts are suggested as good and often better protein sources. 

How does plant protein add up? 

Soy: Edamame 

Tofu is lighter on the protein scale than organic edamame. I say organic because soy gets it's somewhat soiled reputation because most soy is genetically modified, cheap, super processed and in nearly every convenience food on the market. Soy, standard American style, is not our friend. However, organic or GMO free soy in it's natural packaging is delicious, nutritious and not of huge concern to the average bear (there is a little flutter over plant based estrogen).

Edamame (either in pods and roasted and lightly salted, or naked and tossed in a salad weighs in at 29 grams of protein per cup). Also. We are talking a complete protein as well. Win. Win. 

Hmmm. Should I do something with edamame for dinner tomorrow night? Let me sleep on it. You have to come back if you want to know. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Mofo...fo shu

Vegan mofo has dawned. Oh my. Twenty days of consistent vegan related posts every day for the month of September. 

Am I prepared? Not so much. I have three recipes ready to go and that's very good. And I have a theme idea. Also very good. 

Last year I was so prepared. I had a list of all twenty posts and ideas on how to double up on some parts of some recipes so I didn't have to reinvent the wheel every time I posted. 

This year feels oh so unprepared. I am going to do a dual focused approach. I'll share protein rich Vegan options, factoids about Vegan proteins, and Americana style recipes.  If it's in the red and white cookbook, social media, at county fairs, potlucks, mom and pop style restaurants, I'm game to take it on and Veganize it. 

Seat of the pants style. Yee haw!!!

Planned: Vegan "Peanut Butter Cup" haystacks ala Facebook/Pinterest. Amazing burgers...really amazing actually.  Walking Tacos, Tater Skins and a twist on the ol' potato salad. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Scenes from the Farm...and Maybe a Few Other Places...