Scraps and Snippets ~ "Hamburger" Crumbles

I did not post yesterday. I can't blame it on my internet connection, which may or may not be fixed as I had to reboot it this morning. (Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, butterflies and daisies, ah yes, I feel better.) 

I spent the evening crafting. Why? Because I'm making a few gifts this year. Oh, and because I'm INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a closet full of craft items that I just want to use up. And since I'll be having company in about two weeks and that will require massive cleaning, I decided it's time to HAUL 

everything out. That way my stress level can be OFF THE CHARTS 24/7 until Christmas Eve morning. Ha.Ha.Ha (add the deranged, twisty-eye look and a touch of desperation to the ha, ha, ha, and you've got it.) 

However, while I'm crafting Netflix is making sure I'm catching up on all sorts of stuff. In the meantime, still looking for those recipe ideas to incorporate into the family file. Here's a great one. Really. And inexpensive, too. And if my grand craft ideas turn out, I'll even share those pictures and success stories with you all. (After I gift them, of course.)

"Hamburger" Crumbles

2 Cups brown rice

2 Cups prepared lentils

1 Cup oatmeal

1/2 Cup TVP (textured Veggie Protein or more rice if you prefer)

3/4 Cup finely chopped mushrooms (not minced, but small) (or extra pecans or rice)

1/2 Cup chopped (small) pecans (Or use more rice or more mushrooms)

2 tsp black pepper

1 TBSP garlic powder

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 Cup olive oil

1/8 Cup soy sauce

Mix this all together very well. Place in lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Place in 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

You don't have to use TVP, it doesn't hold the recipe together but does give a little extra protein. I loved the texture and taste of this. I probably got 6 or 7 cups. Keeps in the fridge for a week or so. I froze cup sized bags for future use and it freezes well.

Here is the original recipe. 

My tweaks made it way easier. It did not require a trip to a store and helped use up some of the stuff I have on hand.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Oriental Lettuce Cups ~ Vegan

I hope you don't mind a recycled picture. : ) We ate these so fast I couldn't get one shot. More than one omnivore at the table said. "I'd be Vegan if I could eat this every day."

These taste a lot like P F Changs lettuce cups. Better, in my opinion, because I have control over my ingredients.

Oriental Lettuce Cups

2 Cups of "Hamburger Crumbles"
3 stalks of celery fine dice.
1/2 small dice onion
1 clove garlic minced
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP sesame oil
4 TBSP soy sauce


Saute onion, garlic and celery in sesame oil until tender. Add "hamburger" crumbles, sesame seeds, garlic powder and soy sauce. Mix well. Scoop a few tablespoons into lettuce "shells." (2 or more Romaine leaves laid in a X if they aren't cuppy enough on their own. Or you could put the "shells" in silicone cupcake holders and press down til they form more of a cuplike shape. The weight of the filling does help with this.)

Scraps and Snippets ~ Food Fun

Toad-boy was born on St. Patrick's day. We threw a birthday party Friday night to celebrate the event.

& and I put together the following menu. Of the fourteen in attendance all but the three of us are Vegans. I used my "hamburger crumbles" and vegan garlic mashed potato/cauliflower topping to throw together a shepherd's pie, mixing the "hamburger crumbles" with a bit of flour, a sauteed onion and some vegetable broth. I sprinkled nutritional yeast and paprika on top and it was...okay. A few went back for seconds, but it was just okay.

I made my Asian Cranberry Cabbage Slaw. That one has been tried and true. And added a little St Patrick's Cabbage with a twist.

The biggest, hands down hit of the night wasn't my recipe at all. It will become a favorite in my repertoire. If you love buffalo wings....you gotta make this. SO GOOD. (cauliflower version) My omnivore, buffalo chicken wing fan daughter-in-law loved it. Not just politely liked it, but asked for the recipe. A first since we went Vegan. She's a little trooper and puts up with all our weirdness, but this is a banner moment. She even looked at Mother. (that was the evening's entertainment.) It was a good night. Ha. Ha.

& made chocolate mint cupcakes. I thought they were really tasty, she's not a fan. And then she made a key lime parfait with homemade graham crackers. Again she wasn't a super fan. But the rest of us were impressed. The graham crackers are another keeper though. YUMMY.

Then, after a huge shopping trip to replenish food supplies on Saturday, #3 made her first Vegan cupcakes. So delicious. She did a great job...and has started a Vegan Food board on her Pinterest page.

Before grocery shopping I made a pizza. Spread Hummus (made from Peas and Thank You cookbook) with an addition of cilantro and chiles (YUM)) on the crust, covered that with tomato sauce, spinach, calamata olives and some Daiya. Nice flavor combo.

Overall, a food-fun filled weekend. And yours?

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Ramblin, Ramblin, Ramblin that Eventually Gets to a Point...

What to post? What to post? I think I understand the creative focuses bloggers adopt. It helps categorize thoughts into smaller sub-themes. You know, the Linkys and the the Theme of the day...like the underwear that's cutesy and different for every day of the week. Today is rambling panty day in my house. I'm not sure what to post so I'll write until something jumps out at me.


I have literally, (shout out to Parks and Rec's very own Chris) ten Vegan cookbooks I could review. Could, but not quite... I like to try a few recipes before giving a review, ya know? 

& and I did some cooking yesterday. Happy Healthy Life's Sweet potato burgers, my "hamburger" crumbles, my buns, Katie's graham crackers. We ate up the doctored Pinterest Salsa  (the changes we made...two cans of tomatoes and one can of diced chilis vs one can of tomatoes, one can of Rotels and the jalapeno called for, easier, as tasty and a little cheaper) that has taken over the web. And finally,  almost killed off my Orange You Glad We're Together Bars.


I swished salt water. Glad the tooth is gone. It was really bugging me. Interesting how that happens. You just get used to life and deal and bear up under it. And one morning you wake up and face a change and realize that you now have a different perspective. This, of course, can be a negative change like a diagnosis or shock or loss. Or, a realization that the hard work you've put into something is paying off, or that you are a better person than you were a year ago.


You might, one day be single, the next a couple. Or a couple and then shockingly a single. Healthy you think until those words rock your world, or hearing that the discipline in exercising or eating has changed a dire fact into a different reality. Or maybe you use Jesus as a curse word on Tuesday and on Thursday you meet Him and change your mind. A relative is hospitalized and seems to have nine lives where a neighbor might take one last trip to the grocery store and never return home thanks to a texting driver. 


A toothache could maybe even trigger a deep vein of thought on a blog that has it's share of the ridiculous. 


I hope your day is rich with blessings and hope and promise.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Yumza ~ Iowa Style

Vegan Yumza...Iowa Style

We have a restaurant chain in the midwest called Runza. Born in Nebraska these special sandwiches are kind of like calzones, but smaller and breadier, and full of ground beef, cabbage and spices. They've expanded over the years and have done special versions like an Italian, and the swiss and mushroom version.

But. Since we don't eat there anymore due to the whole meat thing, and since we had a refrigerator with some spoonfuls of this and that, and since I recently tasted a savory Vegan kolache, I put my creative food wrangling cap on and came up with this. I have all sorts of ideas dancing around in my head. An Italian one for sure, my hamburger crumbles recipe and cabbage etc. etc. I'm also thinking these little "meaty" packets will freeze for quick dinners down the road. I think I'm onto something. Expect more.

This one is a basic pot pie feel. It tasted pretty darn good.
(Serves 4 people)
 
Dough:

    3 teaspoons yeast
    1 cup warm water (110-115 f)
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1TBSP olive oil
    1 TBSP ground flax seed
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 cups flour + additional to knead into dough as needed. (I used mix of unbleached white and whole wheat pastry flour)

Instructions

Put yeast in bowl and cover with 1/4 of the cup of water. Stir and add sugar. Let sit for a few minutes til it foams. Add oil, salt, remaining water, flax and the two cups of flour. Stir until mixed well. It will form a soft ball. Add another 1/4 of flour or so, knead that in (in the bowl works just fine). Repeat that step two or three more times until the dough doesn't stick to you and it forms a nice ball. Knead it a minute or so. Let sit in a warm spot for 1/2 hour or 45 minutes, it will double in size. Preheat oven to 425. When ready form into four equal sized sections. Rectanglish...I used my hands. The dough is pretty easy to work with. And you can see my rectangles are not quite...ya know.

While the dough is rising, grease a pan, and prepare the filling.

2 medium or 3 small potatoes diced
1/2 onion diced
3 smallish carrots thinly sliced or diced
3 celery stalks thinly sliced or diced
1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup water and 1 tsp vegetable boullion
1 TBSP Earth Balance
1/2 to 1 cup of leftover bits of whatever you need to use up in the fridge like lentils, seitan, cauliflower other veggies
1 tsp salt if using salt free broth.
pepper to taste.


Melt Earth Balance in a pan, toss in onion and celery and saute til tender and turning translucent. Toss in the rest of the veggies and potatoes and cook until they begin to brown. Add broth and salt if using. Simmer until the mixture thickens and potatoes and carrots soften.

Place 1/4 of this mixture on each rectangle. I placed the mixture in the middle of the left side of the dough and then folded the right over the left and pinched it closed. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough and the filling. Lay the packets in the baking dish 9 x 13 works. Slit each 2 or 3 times on top of the packet. Bake at 425 for 23 minutes.