Melange of Roasted Autumn Veggies with Tempeh Bacon

No use crying over spilt milk...or burnt carrots.  Yesterday I had sliced 25 lbs of carrots for a salad at work, and thrown them in the oven to roast thinking they were going to come out all delicious and toasty, only to have my timer fail on me and smell burnt carrots about 45 minutes later.  Oh the joys of relying on technology...but that is what happens when you are multitasking and can't keep an eye on the oven yourself!  But you know what?  I didn't get upset, in fact I found it kind of funny the fact that I went through all that work and would have to do it again.  Sometimes I wonder with the amount of chopping I do with my right arm why it isn't twice the size of my left.  I sliced more carrots, placed them in the oven and this time they emerged perfectly roasted.  Success!  I am not one to give up...especially in the kitchen.  When I got home I did not simply heat up some soup I had in the freezer for dinner, instead I decided that I would like some roasted veggies!  How odd, after my carrot burning experience, but that is what I craved.  I had all sorts of delicious things to roast that I knew would make a delicious melange of sorts. 

Some chanterelles and lobster mushrooms I was expecially excited to enjoy along with brussels sprouts, carrots (yes I didn't hate them), red peppers, purple potatoes, and rutabagas.  I threw in some onions as well and roasted them all to deliciousness.  I needed some protein, so some tempeh bacon was added as well, and to give it all a wonderful flavor a balsamic thyme vinaigrette with a touch of truffle oil.  It was nice and hearty, which was nice for a cool night.  Never mind the burnt carrots, when I have a plate of good food in front of me I don't remember the negatives of the day.  Here is the recipe for my roasted veggies if you would like to try it.  It is simple to prepare, but so good!

Melange of Roasted Autumn Veggies with Tempeh Bacon
Serves 2

olive oil
2 cups purple potatoes (or other small potatoes), halved if bigger
2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces if large
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup sliced rutabaga
2 large carrots, sliced
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp truffle oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Since the veggies take different times to roast, they need to be dine separately.  Toss the potatoes and brussels sprouts with olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet.  Do the same with the mushrooms, bell pepper and onion on another sheet. Then the carrots and rutabagas on another.  Place the sheets in the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender and browned at edges (may take longer for potatoes) then remove from the oven and place in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook tempeh bacon until crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and when cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces.  Place in a bowl, along with roasted veggies.  Whisk together olive oil and truffle oil, balsamic, garlic, thyme and sea salt and pepper to taste, then toss it with the veggies and serve!

Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs

When I was little and I would be begging for something I couldn't have, my Dad would sing me the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", by the Rolling Stones.  It would irritate the crap out of me and I just hated hearing that song.  I am sure I heard the song hundreds of times played or sung over the years.  The funny thing is though, now as an adult, I appriciate it.  It is true, as the lyrics go..."you can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."  Life is misreable for anyone who doesn't believe this.  If I didn't I would have been really upset last night when I went to make Vegan Italian meatballs but didn't have any canned tomatoes or pasta on hand.  Instead of getting upset, I decided that it was not meant to be an Italian night, but instead and Asian night for dinner. 

I had the ingredients for Asian flavored meatballs, so I made Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs with sauteed veggies.  And you know what?  They were amazing...and I happened to have some plum saki in my fridge to serve them with!  Lesson learned, not getting what I wanted can lead to creativity and a delicious new recipe.  Here it is if you wish to try it! 

Sweet and Sour Vegan Meatballs

Serves 4

Meatballs:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 cup chopped red onion
3 cups chopped crimini mushrooms
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts
2 cups dried whole wheat bread crumbs, or as needed
2 Tbsp miso
2 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp sea salt
red pepper flakes

freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

red pepper flakes

1 1/4 cups apple cider

1/4 cup tamari

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water

Veggies:
1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 cups brussels sprouts, halved
2 large carrots, halved and sliced
2 cups mushroom, sliced

toasted sesame seeds
rice to serve

Preheat the oven to 475.  To make meatballs, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, ginger, and carrots, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another minute until fragrant, then remove from heat.  Place mixture in a food processor along with walnuts, breadcrumbs, miso, tamari, sea salt, and pepper.  Process until smooth.  Add a little more breadcrumbs if too sticky, then shape into 16 little balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes until heated through, and starting to brown.  Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.  In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil and add the brussels sprouts, carrots and mushrooms.  Saute until starting to soften, but still slighlty crunchy, just a few minutes.  Add the sauce, and cook until thickened, just a few minutes.  Remove from heat and add meatballs.  Carefully stir to coat (meatballs are fragile, so be careful), sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice if desired.

Sesame Tempeh with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Sometimes you just need something warming for dinner.  A nice big pile of veggies and protein with some rice in the form of a curry, stew, or maybe a stirfry.  My friend and coworker Gabrielle is genious at creating such vegetarian dishes, and often does for the hot food bar we have at the deli we work in.  I will ask her what she is making and she will simply smile and say "slop".  Delicious slop it is, and far from slop, as her stir fries and tofu dishes are always beautiful and full of brightly colored vegetables...the slop refers to the mound of food I guess.  So yesterday I decided that I needed some slop, and I threw together a quasi Asian dish inspired by her.  She makes a tempeh dish with roasted brussels sprouts and tempeh with sauteed carrots, kale and onions that is amazing.  It contains lots of garlic, ginger and mirin, and always smells wonderful!   And so, since I don't have her recipe, I made my own version, which turned out beautifully!  Below I have included the finished dish if you would like some delicious slop as well! 

 

Sesame Tempeh with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Serves 2

3 cups organic brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (if large)
4 medium organic carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the bias

peanut oil

8 oz tempeh, cut into medium triangles
2 Tbsp Tamari

1 Tbsp peanut oil

2 large shallots

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp peanut oil

2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup Tamari

2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

sea salt to taste

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

brown rice for serving

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss brussels sprouts and carrots with just enough peanut oil to coat, and spread out on one of the sheets. Roast until tender and starting to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the tempeh with 2 Tbsp tamari and 1 Tbsp peanut oil and spread out on the other sheet. Bake until starting to brown at edges, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, when the veggies and tempeh are almost through roasting, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and ginger and saute until onions are starting to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and sautee until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add roasted veggies and tempeh. Whisk together mirin, orange juice, sesame oil, tamari, and cornstarch, and add to the pan. Stir, and cook until heated through. Add sea salt to taste, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot with rice!

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

I hated brussels sprouts as a child.  This was because the only type I was exposed to were the brownish green smelly nasty overcooked frozen ones which were a far cry from fresh sprouts.  They had an off flavor, the butter they were swimming in was doing nothing to disguse it, and were mushy...not something you want to be feeding a 5 year old you are trying to teach to like vegetables.  So, I didn't like them for most of the 25 years of my life, that is until I started cooking my own food and buying my own fresh veggies.  When I decided to give them a try I was pleasantly surprised that roasting them makes them irrisistable, and I have been cooking them this way ever since!  I am sorry to all of you who are fans of steaming them...but it just doesn't do the little cabbages justice!  No, roasting is superior in my book, and when you do so, you are creating something that is hard to stop eating.  If you are roasting them to put in a dish, you better roast extra, as you are going to snack on quite a few in the process!  I have said it before, but they are like savory candy, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle!  If you have thought brussels sprouts were gross in the past, try roasting some and I can almost guarantee you will change your mind, unless you are a die hard veggie hater and in that case what are you doing reading this blog?  So...now that I have talked them up, I will tell you about a delicious recipe I recently used them in!  Many people like to pair them with bacon, so I thought why not tempeh bacon?  I made a whole wheat pasta and combined tempeh bacon, the sprouts, some walnuts and shallots, and it was a simple, but delicious dinner.  No sauce cooking required, I just splashed the pasta with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and it was wonderful...the tangy balsamic with the smokey bacon, crispy sprouts, toasty nuts and savory onions!  I ate a huge pile, because it was so good, and I was really hungry!  Here is the recipe if you are interested!

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

Serves 3

1 lb organic brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

olive oil

8 oz whole wheat penne
water

sea salt

1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon

2 large shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp dried thyme

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with the rack at the top position.  Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss sprouts with just enough olive oil to coat and spread out on sheet.  Roast in the oven until tender and starting to brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.  Meahwhile, add a couple Tbsp olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, and add tempeh bacon strips.  cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, let cool slightly and chop into small pieces.  Add shallots to the pan and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, about 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic to the pan, as well as walnuts, and thyme and cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant.  Add the pasta and brussels sprouts, as well as sea salt and freshly ground pepper, balsamic and a couple Tbsp more olive oil.  Cook until warmed through and serve! 

Seitan in Mushroom Gravy with Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Gravy...mashed potatoes...it was all sounding really good to me after running my butt off at work.  But not beef gravy, mushroom gravy!  I decided that I needed some vegan style comfort for dinner!  Fluffy mashed potatoes and all, not lacking in flavors or substance.  My Mom never made gravy with her mashed potatoes as a kid, and when I finally learned how to make it when I was in college, mushroom gravy became my favorite!  But I couldn't just eat mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner alone, so I decided that some seitan would be a nice protein addition to my mushroom gravy to be served over the potatoes.  My potatoes were made fluffy by sending them through a ricer, and adding soy milk and olive oil, and made flavorful with the addition of nutritional yeast and garlic...it was almost as if they contained parmesan cheese!  Me, not being one to ever serve simple mashed potatoes with just salt and pepper.  Who needs all the heavy cream and butter, I certainly didn't miss it.  I also included crispy brussels sprouts in my meal, because I can't resist them when they are in season...all crunchy on the outside with a bit of sea salt, like savory candy!  The meal as a whole was satisfying and as I enjoyed it, I definately was feeling comforted, almost like the food was giving me a hug from the inside.  Now, you may be thinking, what was I doing preparing a meal if I was so tired from work?  Well, it was almost theraputic to make it and then enjoy it...I didn't even think about the work I put in to prepare it, and it was all worth it when I tasted it!  The creamy potatoes, the savory earthy gravy, and the crunchy salty sprouts, it was so wonderful! 

Seitan in Mushroom Gravy with Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Serves 3

Potatoes:

3 medium russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

water

sea salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy milk, or as needed 

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

sea salt and pepper
Seitan and Gravy:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves
4 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cups mushroom broth

3 Tbsp vermouth

1 Tbsp tamari

8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 16 oz container chicken style seitan

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sprouts:
16 brussels sprouts, halved
olive oil
sea salt

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees with the rack set at the top position.  Fill a large stock pot with water, and add about a Tbsp of sea salt.  Add potatoes and bring to a boil.  Cook until tender, about 20 minutes, then drain.  Send through a potato ricer into a large bowl (or mash by hand), and add olive oil, garlic, soy milk (more if a thinner consistency is desired), nutritional yeast, and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Set aside, and keep warm.  Meanwhile (and this can be done while the potatoes cook), make the seitan and gravy.  Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium stock pot.  Add shallots, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook a minute, then add the flour, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly to keep it moving so it doesn't burn.  Slowly add the stock, and whisk constantly to prevent lumps.  Add the vermouth, tamari, mushrooms, and seitan, as well as sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook a few minutes until thickened and the mushrooms are cooked.  Set aside and keep warm while you make the brussels sprouts. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss brussels sprouts with just enough oil to coat and spread out on sheet.  Roast until starting to brown and are crispy (about 15-20 minutes).  Sprinkle with sea salt.  To plate, mound potatoes on each plate, then spoon seitan and mushrooms along with gravy over each.  Spoon the brussels sprouts on the side, and serve!