burger break + "vegan tacos" giveaway

"Vegan Tacos" by Jason Wyrick of The Vegan Taste is hitting the bookshelves with force! This book is one that is wanted in every household that welcomes tacos - vegan or not. These tacos are just perfect food, period.

Not only is Vegan Tacos a great addition to your kitchen because of its fantastic flavors, it is also the definitive book on Mexican cooking. Let's face it, Mexican food evokes thoughts of burritos, chimichangas, and enchiladas. What are all these, if just different forms of a taco?

Up until now I have had to settle with omni Mexican cookbooks because there had been nothing authentic available otherwise. That has finally changed for the better. Jason has done all the work for us, so we can enjoy and stuff our faces full of tacos galore.

For a complete and very thorough review of the book, Lazy Smurf has done an awesome job, and I'm just going to ride her coattails. Check out her review HERE.

I dug right in and made some delicious recipes:

I started with Basket Tacos with Cascabel Seitan. So, really this was the last recipe I made, but I figured I'd start here since it was the first recipe I made with homemade tortillas.

Jason recommends you make your own tortillas, and I didn't feel as though I would be doing my job if I didn't made my own corn tortillas.

Tips: I didn't have a tortilla press so I pressed my tortillas between two cake pans. My pans are heavy duty and worked perfectly. One recipe of Jason's taco recipe yields 6 (5-inch) tortillas. Doubling the taco recipe yields enough tacos for the above basket tacos.

Tip: Basket tacos need to be steamed and pressed. Although Jason recommends making basket tacos in large amounts, I made a single recipe. True to his advice, my tacos didn't steam as they should have, so the next time I make a single order, I will place something heavy on the warm, covered pan to imitate the heft of the other tacos pressing down. Pretty sure that'll fix it!

Next up is Michoacan-Style Carnitas. Again, Jason gives great background info, warning us that this region is known for their "odd" ingredients... such as cola. Well, not having much faith in the adventures that cola has in store coupled with seitan, we opted for the other optional ingredient and used beer.

We also went all out and used a ton of fat in this simmering taco - 1/2 cup of coconut oil. (I have unflavored coconut oil, which I use in lieu of shortening.) He actually calls for up to (optional!) 3/4 cups of shortening, but I just couldn't go quite that far.

Tip: Since the sauce actually evaporates all of the water-based liquid, adding 1/4 cup of shortening for the optional added fat would most likely be quite enough. We added all the optional fat because we wanted to experience the total package. Authentico!

Tip: These are killer tacos!


The final taco I have to share with you is also the one I will be sharing the recipe for. Score! Sonoran Tacos are fast and simple served with roasted anaheim chilies and Chiles de Arbol Salsa.

No tips for this one, except don't skip on that arbol salsa. So yum! Here is the recipe, but be sure to finish reading to the end for more fun!

SONORAN TACOS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE 

Sonoran Tacos

Tacos Estilo Sonora

Sonoran cuisine has a strong affinity to the Southwestern U.S. and this taco is no exception. It uses a flour tortilla instead of the more typical corn tortilla. The preparation is very simple and straightforward, creating a taco with a few strong elements that create several layers of flavor in each bite. I’ve provided three variations, because I can’t decide which one is my favorite! If I have some extra time, I turn these into tacos de asador (tacos grilled over an open flame) and grill the filling instead of sautéing it.

Makes 8 Tacos

Heat Level: varies with hot sauce

Ingredients:

The Filling (choose either the beans, portobello, or seitan)

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch strips

·         2 cups cooked pinto beans, rinsed, or 2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped into bite-size pieces, or 2 cups cubed seitan

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         3/4 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         4 Anaheim chiles or any long green chile, pan-roasted and cut into strips (pan-roast the chiles while you caramelize the onion)

The Tortillas

·         8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

The Toppings

·         Hot sauce of your choice

·         Chopped avocado

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until well caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat. Add the filling of your choice (either the beans, mushrooms, or seitan).

2. Pintos: Lower the heat to medium. Add the beans and garlic to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes. Season them with the salt and pepper, and then remove them from the heat.

2. Portobellos: Keep the heat at medium-high. Add the portobellos to the pan and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic about 1 minute before you are done cooking the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

2. Seitan: Keep the heat at medium-high. Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add the seitan and sauté it for about 5 minutes, until it is well browned. Add the garlic and sauté this for 1 more minute. Season the seitan with salt and pepper and remove it from the heat.

3. Warm your tortillas. Add the filling and onions, followed by the sliced roasted chiles, then the salsa, and a scattering of avocado.

MAKE IT SIMPLE:

Instead of pan-roasting the chiles, just remove the stems and seeds and cut them into strips. Add the chiles, onion, the garlic, the filling, salt, pepper, and oil to the pan all at the same time. Turn the pan to a medium heat and cook this until the onion is lightly browned. It will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to get everything done, but you don’t have a bunch of different steps to take and you only need to stir the food every couple of minutes.

Make It Low-Fat:

You can cook the onions without adding any oil to the pan. Just sauté them over a medium high heat in a dry pan, stirring them every minute or so. Once they are browned, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, give everything a quick stir, and then add your filling of choice, along with the garlic, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the filling is done, about 2 minutes for the beans, 3 minutes for the mushrooms, and 3 minutes for the seitan.

How to Pan Roast:

Turn a dry iron skillet or heavy pan to medium heat. Lay the chiles on the pan. When they blister on the bottom, flip them over and repeat until all sides are blistered. Peel the blistered skin away from the chiles and discard the stem and seeds.

From Vegan Tacos by Jason Wyrick. ©2014 Jason Wyrick. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.

Now for the giveaway! 

Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. Enter at will and good luck! I am using Rafflecopter for the giveaway for the FIRST time! Hope it all goes well. PLEASE note that the giveaway ends this Saturday at midnight. Act quick!

And for MORE ways to win and other recipes to pre-view, take a gander at the Blog Tour stops HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ghoulish burgers

Day 12 of  Vegan MoFo takes us clear into next month. We celebrate Halloween early at the Dever residence all in the name of helping you all plan for your personal celebrations in October. What good would it do to present this handsome burger next month? Oh, the sacrifices!

I saw a version of these cute sandwiches in a magazine a few years ago and have made been making them using Chicken-Free Salad filling (EVE, page 70). You can get the recipe from Everyday Vegan Eats right HERE, where Olives for Dinner reviewed the book and shared it.

The above makes for a faster and easier filling, but for our burger MoFo, we upped the difficulty. These made-from-scratch burgers are chili-flavored and use cannellini beans and gluten as the burger base. It is then topped with an easy cheese sauce, olives and small dill pickles for the fangs. Boom!

I might be going on about it being difficult, but that is only in respect to the ease of the chicken-free filling I'm used to making. In fact, these little gems just took longer, but didn't need much more effort.

A little tid-bit for you: if you make it, make a few, looking all cute and adorable, complete with the cheese sauce hair (or face?), olive eyes and pickle fangs, but do yourself, and your guests a favor, and make rest with the burgers with the bun on top of all that gooey-ness, Save some napkins and guest embarrassment at having cheese sauce splattered all over their mug.

Happy Early Halloween!

GHOULISH BURGERS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Ghoulish Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

 

2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans

2 teaspoons mild chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon oregon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

Fresh ground black pepper

½ cup vital wheat gluten (stirred before measuring)

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

6 slider buns, split and toasted

Vegan mayonnaise, as needed

6 mini pickles, cut in half lengthwise

12 slices of black olives

Easy Cheese Sauce, recipe below

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Add the beans, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, chili flakes, black pepper and the onions to a food processor. Pulse until the beans are broken up, but not paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

3. Add the gluten to the bean mixture and knead for 4 minutes until gluten strands form. Divide the mixture into 6 portions and form into burger patties about the size of your buns.

4. Spray a baking sheet with oil, arrange the burgers on a sheet, add ¼ cup water around the burgers, cover tightly with foil and bake in a 300-degree F oven (no need to preheat) for 30 minutes. Uncover, flip the burgers and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add the vegetable broth, cover and steam for 2 minutes.

6. Make the burgers by spreading mayo on the bottom bun, adding a burger patty, 2 halves of pickles for the fangs, a top bun, a drizzle of sauce, 2 slices of olives for eyes and a toothpick to hold it all together. Serve.

 

Easy Cheese Sauce

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup unsweetened plain vegan milk

1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Using a whisk, stir in the milk and cook until lightly thickened. Add the cheese and whisk until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

premium patty melt

Day 10 VeganMOFO Burger Bonanza is a souped-up Premium Patty Melt. Sure it's an easy one - more to the point - a familiar burger. But, unlike a regular patty melt which consists of cheese, burger, bread and is really nothing more than an underrated panini or an overrated grilled cheese, mine is so much more!

I used vegan cheese, melted well, grilled bread and a vegan burger, but this one also has a Special Sauce and caramelized onions and mushrooms.

When onions and mushrooms are cooked properly (onions, low and slow; mushrooms, high sear) they taste incredible. Object is to avoid burning the onions before they are tender and avoid steaming the mushrooms.

I added a sauce (a doctored 1,000 Island dressing) to add some ooey, gooey creaminess that usually comes from a ton of dairy cheese, and to give the sandwich a bit of tang to off-set the sweetness from those fine caramelized onions.

Use your favorite burger patty, grill it up and serve with chips or fries and be instantly transported to the 80's, except this time, go in style!

PREMIUM PATTY MELT PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Premium Patty Melt

Makes 4 burgers

3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

2 large onions, thinly sliced

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

10 garlic cloves, minced and divided

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

4 burger patties, sauteed, grilled or baked

Vegan butter, as needed

8 slices rye bread

½ cup shredded vegan cheese

Special Sauce, recipe below

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Uncover and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in 4 minced garlic, reduce heat to low and cook until caramelized, about 30 more minutes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and continue to cook until golden, about 7 more minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Cook the burgers in the skillet, if sauteeing the burgers.

4. Heat the large skillet over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread slices. Add 4 slices of bread to the skillet and add 2 tablespoons of cheese to each bread. Cover the skillet to melt the cheese and toast the bread.

5. Divide the onions and mushrooms evenly over each cheesy bread and add a burger patty to each bread. Spread 2 tablespoons of sauce on the burgers and add the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Flip the sandwiches to toast the uncooked bread slices.

6. When toasted golden, cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

 

Special Sauce

½ cup vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dill relish

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the mayo, relish, ketchup and sriracha in a small bowl. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.





Last chance giveaways!

Vegan Heritage Press is giving away a copy of "Everyday Vegan Eats" (my cookbook). Enter to win HERE. Contest ends September 14.

Have you entered to win "Vegan without Borders," the soon-to-be-released cookbook by Robin Robertson? Contest ends September 14. Enter HERE.

tempeh-bacon and black bean burger

Day 9 Burger Bonanza Extravaganza is my Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli. This is a simple burger, with classic flavors. It is served with grilled onions and lettuce on an English muffin. Easy!

The aioli is cashew based, with a grilled jalapeño that is cooked alongside the onions. The whole thing comes together on a toasted English muffin, which offers contrast and crunch.

The burger is smoky, a bit salty, a bit sweet and a bit spicy, therefore containing all the important elements of flavor, including bitterness from the lettuce and umami from the nutritional yeast.

In case you missed it, there are two cookbook giveaways closing in the next few days: Vegan without Borders, HERE, and Everyday Vegan Eats, HERE.

I served my burgers with Creamy Macaroni Salad (Tex-Mex Variation, EVE, page 98). You can get the recipe HERE and, of course, in Everyday Vegan Eats.

TEMPEH-BACON AND BLACK BEAN BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Tempeh-Bacon and Black Bean Burger with Jalapeño Aioli

Makes 6 burgers

 

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained well, divided

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 onion, sliced thick into 6 rounds

6 lettuce leaves

6 English muffins, split and toasted

Jalapeño Aioli, recipe below

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in half of the beans, garlic and nutritional yeast. Cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the tamari and liquid smoke. Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal. Cool slightly.

2. Cook the onion in a grill pan over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes per side. Cook at the same time as you are grilling the jalapeño.

2. Add the mixture to a food processor and process until fine but not into a paste. Add the remaining beans and pulse to combine, without breaking up the beans too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

3. Form the mixture into 6 patties. Cook the burgers in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

4. Make the burgers by adding a lettuce leaf to a bottom of a muffin, adding a burger, a slice of grilled onion and the aioli. Top with the other side of the English muffin and serve.

Jalapeño Aioli

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup water

1 jalapeño

2 tablespoons unsweetened plain vegan milk

2 teaspoons lime juice

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine the nuts and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Grill the jalapeño in a grill pan over medium heat. Cook until soft and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the stem and seeds and chop.

3. Combine in a personal blender the cashews, milk, lime and process until smooth. Add the jalapeño and blend until almost smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

samosa burger + raita sauce

Day 8 of Burger Extravaganza: I present to you this samosa-inspired Indian burger with raita sauce. All the wonderful flavors and aromas you love in a samosa, not just in burger form, but healthier - no deep frying involved!

This burger is made of roasted cauliflower and potatoes, scallions and the herbs and spices you've come to love in Indian cooking - mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, curry leaves and cilantro. It is then topped with a cooling cucumber raita.

If you've never had the pleasure of cooking with curry leaves, please do yourself a wonderful favor and get to an Indian market as soon as possible. I've been known to grab a bag or two, not just for cooking, but just for the scent! It is ridiculously aromatic and so exotic. I've never smelled anything its like before and I'll sneak into the fridge to have a sniff. And if you cook with - omg, hold me back. So wonderful!

I've found that using vegan yogurt alone for a raita leaves something wanting - the texture and body of the raita is not quite right. To fix this problem, I add a few tablespoons of vegan sour cream which brings a little richness and tang that is otherwise missing.

Serve this up with some garlicked greens (recipe is in Everyday Vegan Eats, page 196) and you have an excellent meal.

If you need to get your hands on a copy of Everyday Vegan Eats (my cookbook), Vegan Heritage Press is giving one away. Giveaway ends September 14 - hurry!

You can make this recipe into 4 double-stacked burgers, or spread the love to others and make 8 single burgers. Either way, these will satisfy your craving for Indian food. At least for a little while. The craving is never actually truly satisfied.

SAMOSA BURGER WITH RAITA SAUCE PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Samosa Burger with Raita Sauce

Makes 4 burgers

3 cups small cauliflower florets

1 pound waxy potatoes, chopped into ¼- inch dice

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 curry leaves

¼ cup cashews

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

4 scallions, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 burger buns or ciabatta rolls or 8 focaccia slices, toasted

Raita Sauce, recipe below

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the cauliflower, potatoes and vegetable broth in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the mustard, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, turmeric and curry leaves, if available. Stir and cook until the seeds pop, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the curry leaves. Transfer to a small bowl or to the cooked potato mixture. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in same medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cashews and stir and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add to the potatoes.

4. Transfer the potatoes, cauliflower, spice mixture, cashews, breadcrumbs and scallions to a food processor. Pulse until combined but not pureed. Form the mixture into 8 burgers, about 2 ½ inches in diameter and ½-inch thick.

5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burger patties, in increments, adding more oil as needed, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

6. Make the burgers by topping a bottom bun with 2 burger patties and adding about 2 tablespoons raita. Add top of the bun and serve.

Raita Sauce

1 cup plain unsweetened plain yogurt

2 tablespoons vegan sour cream

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup shredded cucumber, squeezed of excess moisture

2 red radishes, shredded

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.