Scraps and Snippets ~ Buffalo Jack Squares ~

Back in the day one of my favorite meals that my mom made was chicken squares. They were cream cheese, chicken packed little hand held chicken pot pies. I'm going to work on a vegan version...stay tuned...but first, I thought I'd try the technique with a spicy bunny trail. And here it is. 

Buffalo Jack Squares

2 Cans crescent rolls or other type dough (vegan)

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

1 Cup vegetable broth

1/3 Cup minced celery

2 TBSP minced onion

2 TBSP vegan mayo of choice or non-sweetened non-dairy yogurt or sour cream 

1/3 Cup hot sauce (Frank's, siracha, pepper sauce) (this ratio is spicy...if you want a milder taste increase yogurt and decrease hot sauce)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp ground celery

1/8 tsp basil

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.)

Preheat oven to 350

Shred the jackfruit in the pan. (You can dump out the extra liquid if any remains). Add all the other ingredients (except crescent rolls) and stir well. 

Separate the crescent rolls into rectangles. There are four in each can. You will basically press out the line between two triangles, forming one rectangle. Place 1/8 of the mixture on each rectangle. Fold the four corners in, twist in the middle and pinch each seam closed so they become little packets. Place each packet on a slightly greased cookie sheet.  

Bake for 18 minutes. Then turn the squares over and bake an additional 2 minutes so the bottoms don't get soggy. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Peanut Butter Brownies (Warning: Jack Kryptonite)

 Peanut Butter Protein Brownies

1 Cup coconut oil

1 Cup peanut butter

1 Cup brown sugar
2 Flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flax, 6 TBSPS water, combined and set aside to gel)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour (or flour of your choice)

3/4 Cup Arbonne vanilla protein powder (use a protein powder that is palatable on it's own, and vegan, if you don't have Arbonne's...or contact me and I can hook you up.)
2 Cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 Cup chocolate chips
1  Cup of dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, chia seed, etc.

Preheat oven to 350. Very lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan.

Cream the oil, peanut butter, and sugar together. (it's best that you use everything at room temperature)

Add the flax eggs, salt, soda and stir. Add vanilla and mix well. Blend in flour and protein powder and add oatmeal and chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.

Bake for 45 mins. Remove from oven and let rest for 10. Cut into 24 squares. Refrigerate for chewy deliciousness.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Pizza Rolls

Pizza Rolls

1 PKGE crescent rolls (check ingredients or use a similar dough)

2 TBSP vegan cream cheese

1 TBSP minced onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp salt

Finely chopped vegetables. I used olives, tomatoes and mushrooms. (about 3/4 cup total.)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 12 section muffin tin. 

Mix all the ingredients together except the rolls. 

Separate the crescent roll into two halves. Roll each half into a long rectangle. Press all the seams together. 

Spread half of your cream cheese mixture over each rectangle. Roll longwise into a long tube. Cut each half into 6 pinwheel pieces. Place swirl side up in muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes until golden and baked. 

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.