shepherd's pie

Overview

Time: 55 minutes
Dishes: large pot, skillet (oven-safe), measuring cup

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

As I was looking for a good omni Shepherd's Pie recipe to study, I came across people arguing over what animal is most appropriate to use in the dish, The correct answer is none! Plants are best! 

And, indeed, this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe is really tasty in all its plant glory. I kept this version simple, but the idea behind Shepherd's Pie is to use what you have and, to that end, you can add whatever vegetables you have lurking around. A cup of peas, a half cup of corn, a zuchhini, you get the picture. Key is to keep the ratio of solid to liquid about the same. 

I used a bag of frozen grounds (about 2 cups, if thawed, but not necessary for this recipe - frozen is fine), but of course, use whatever you like: seitan, beans, all vegetables, etc. The gravy is deliciously savory and the dish is thoroughly warming on a cool night. 

The potatoes are made with the potato cooking water itself, which has starch and flavor, to keep the potatoes together during baking. To get your potatoes to brown, spray with a little oil and broil it a few inches from the heat until it is golden, up to 10 minutes. I used a fork to mark the top of the potatoes to get the grooves. 

Time wise, again we encounter the non-active baking time, so I decided on moderate for this one, eventhough it inches over the total 45 minutes I have allocated for a moderate recipe. 

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Heat the pot of water for the potatoes right away; fill about 1/4 way.
• Choose potatoes that are large, if you are a slow peeler.
• REMEMBER to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• Use the lid to drain the potatoes instead of a separate strainer to wash.
• Mince the onions while the skillet heats. 
• Use a lid to cook the vegetables and the potatoes.
• Remember to preheat the oven; when depends on how quickly it preheats. 

 

Shepherd’s Pie

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Preheat oven to 400-F

1. Potato: Cook the potatoes in a large pot with just enough salted water to cover. Heat on high with a lid until boiling and reduce to medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes but RESERVE 1/2 UP OF COOKING WATER:

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced

2. Vegetables: Cook the vegetables in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, using a lid, for 5 minutes, until golden.

1/4 onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3. Grounds: Add the grounds to the Vegetables and cook for 5 minutes, using a lid:

15-ounces vegan grounds, frozen is fine

4. Add the seasonings to the Grounds and cook for 2 minutes, mixing well to remove all traces of flour:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth mix**

2 teaspoons tomato paste

4. Add the water and flavorings to the Grounds while mix well with a spoon to prevent lumps. Season to taste and cook until thickened, 2 minutes. Add the peas after the sauce is thickened:

2 cups water

2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

salt and black pepper

1 cup green peas

5. Mash the drained Potatoes. Add the reserved Potato Water and vegan butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Dollop mashed potatoes over the Grounds and spread to smooth, using a large spoon. Spray with oil and bake for 10 minutes. Then broil high for 5 minutes or until golden. Serve:

2 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil (optional)

** Substitute for Savory Broth Mix: 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon oregano. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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hungarian paprika potato pasta

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: skillet, medium pot, shallow pan, air-fryer or oven

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

My kids love this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe and it really is very delicious. This dish is called March of the Grenadiers, but because I'm still not quite sure why (except that legend has it that the soldiers marched across the countryside collecting ingredients and then came up with this meal based on what they could obtain), I renamed it to something that makes some sort of sense.

This is traditionally pan fried in plenty of fat and it can take forever! With an air-fryer, this takes about 5 to 10 minutes, sans all the fat. I used an oil sprayer and if you have a refillable one, add a few tablespoons of water to get it to mist. It really works!

If no air-fryer, add to a sheet pan and bake it until it is as crisp as you like it. Before the air-fryer my kids had me baking it for about 20 minutes, but they like the pasta extra crispy. Air-fry portions at a time to get it crispy enough. This will depend on the size of your pan that fits in the air-fryer. I did mine in two batches.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Put the water on for the pasta first since flat pasta can take up to 10 minutes to cook. 
• Take care adding the paprika. Have your water ready to add to avoid burning it.
• Peel the potatoes while the onions are cooking.
• Chop the tomato and pepper after the potatoes are in the pan.

 

Hungarian Paprika Potato Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

moderate 

Preheat air-fryer to 400-F or oven to 450-F

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, until   al dente. Drain well and return to the pot:

8 ounces flat pasta (bowtie, shell, broken lasagna)

2. Base: Cook in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, with a lid, until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir often:

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the paprika. Stir very well and add the water. Do not burn the paprika or it will be bitter.

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

2 cups water

4. Potatoes: Add the potatoes, tomato, bell pepper and salt to the Base. Stir very well, cover and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes:

1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 small pepper (bell or Hungarian), chopped

1 teaspoon salt

5. Fry: Coarsely mash the Potatoes with the cooking liquid. Add the Potatoes to the drained Pasta. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the mixture to a shallow pan that fits in the air-fryer or on a baking sheet for the oven. Spray with oil. Bake until the pasta is as crisp as you like it, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve. 

Spray oil

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

california air-wedges

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: skillet with lid, air-fryer, measuring cup, strainer, large bowl

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I was going to call these meatless, vegetarian, and vegan fries, but I decided "fries" take too long to cut, so wedges they became.  I would have added the vegetables to the air-fryer, too, if the fryer would have had enough room, but as it was, three pounds of potatoes was pushing it. 

I have an extra large air-fryer so if you don't, use 2 pounds of potatoes instead of 3. This was a suprisingly filling meal and was quite delicious, even tough it has brussels sprouts in it! If you don't have them or don't want them, cook chopped zucchini, chopped green beans, even Gardein or seitan would be great. 

I wanted to make the lentils "fried" also, so I added them to the air-fryer. Vegan Richa has a technique to make crispy lentils, and that includes draining them well and pan-cooking them, but I wanted to get this done faster.

You can also use whatever ranch dressing you have on hand, even if it isn't too tasty, because the whole dish together masks any one thing that is a bit off. This is one of those dishes that proves that the sum is even better than the parts.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Add the potatoes to a bowl of water as you cut them. This will allow them to soak for as long as possible to remove the starch.
• Drain the lentils next; they need to drain well. Place the strainer on a towel to absorb more water.
• Heat the water for soaking the tomatoes in the microwave. Don't try to chop sun-dried tomatoes without soaking them well. Save some of the soaking water to thin the sauce, if needed.
• Use a knife to cut the sprouts; the mandoline was a pain!
• The vegetables only take 10 minutes to cook; use a lid.
• Use a spatula to remove the potatoes; the melted cheese will spread over the potatoes as you do so.

 

California Air-Wedges

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Preheat air-fryer to 400-F 

1. Potatoes: Chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Soak them in water while the air-fryer preheats, 3–4 minutes. Drain well and season with chili, garlic and salt. Air-fry for 30 minutes total.

3 pounds red potatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2. Lentils: Rinse and drain the lentils very well using a strainer. Drain while the potatoes are cooking. Add the lentils to the Potatoes in the air-fryer when the potatoes are half way through cooking (at 15 minutes) 

1 (15-ounce) can green or brown lentils

3. Sauce: Heat 1/2 cup water in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes to soak for 5-15 minutes. Mince the tomatoes well and mix with the Ranch. Thin the sauce with 1/4-teaspoon soaking water if too thick.

3 sun-dried tomato halves

1/4 cup vegan ranch dressing

4. Vegetables: Finely shred the sprouts using a knife. Add the oil and vegetables to a large skillet, heated over medium-high heat. Cook, using a lid, stirring often, until tender. Season with salt.

1 teaspoon olive oil

12-16 ounces brussels sprouts, shredded

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 medium bell pepper, sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

5. When the Potatoes are crisp, add and cook for 1 minute to melt:

5 vegan cheese slices or 1/2 cup shreds

6. Serve: Layer the Potato mixture on a plate, add the Vegetables, top with the Sauce and garnish with any or all of the following:

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 avocado, chopped

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

chili potato taco

The first meal in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is Chili Potato Tacos. I love these tacos because they are full of vegetables and flavor: cauliflower, pepitas, potatoes and refried black beans. They are served with guacamole and salsa. If you want to kick up the heat, add some Fresh Pickled Jalapenos.

This recipe is amazingly easy on the Prep Ahead menu because everything is prepared ahead of time, including the vegetables for the guacamole, so it really all comes together in a matter of minutes, but you can certainly do it as a stand alone recipe.

Use whatever taco vessel you like: tortillas, chips or hard tacos. I had a little vegan cheese hanging around, so I finely shredded on some, but that is just icing on the cake and the tacos are terrific without it.

I served the hard tacos for the kids and enjoyed these on whole wheat tortillas myself.

Chili Potato Tacos
Serves 4 to 6 

Refried Black Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (2 cups cooked), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water or bean cooking water

Filling
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound potatoes, cut into 1/4 -inch dice
3/4 cup vegetable broth, divided
1 pound cauliflower, minced fine
1/4 cup almonds or pepitas (chop the almonds)
1 tablespoon chili powder

Guacamole (recipe below)
Salsa
Taco shells or tortillas
Lettuce, shredded
Shredded vegan cheese (optional)
Fresh Pickled Jalapenos (recipe below) (optional)

1. For the Beans: Add the onion to a medium pot over medium heat. Cover and cook. Add the garlic to the pot and cook. Cook until onion is golden. Add a splash of broth if the onion is burning. Add the cumin and the oregano. Cook 30 seconds. Add the beans and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans. Cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
2. For the Filling: Add the onion to a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook. Add a splash of broth if the onion is burning. Add the garlic. Add the potato to the skillet. Add 1/4 cup broth. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the the cauliflower and 1/4 cup broth at a time, as needed, until vegetables are tender. 
3. Add the almonds or pepitas and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Warm the taco shells or tortillas and serve. 



Guacamole
5 medium ripe Hass avocado, mashed 
3/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl using a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and lime juice.

Pickled Jalapenos
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 medium jalapeno or Fresno peppers, sliced very thin using a mandoline
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, oregano and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well to melt the sugar and salt. Add the cilantro, peppers and garlic. Set aside to pickle for at least 20 minutes. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

chimichurri potatoes and tofu

As promised, I am taking the recipes from Prep Ahead Week 3 and posting them individually for the folks who would rather not make the entire menu.

If you are as busy as I am and life sometimes serves up plain beans and rice or a simple sandwich, when you'd rather be enjoying a delicious and unique meal, then I highly recommend you give the Prep Ahead menu a try.

The first recipe in the rotation on Week 3 is Chimichurri Potatoes and Tofu.

Typical chimichurri sauce is made with tons of oil and loads of fresh herbs, but I wanted to come up with a recipe that used no oil, but still tasted great.

Instead of the oil, this sauce recipe uses yogurt and tahini. The yogurt offers the body and the tahini offers the richness that would usually be supplied with olive oil. You can still make the sauce using oil, if you'd rather, and Becky Striepe has a terrific recipe over at Glue and Glitter, so I'd head there for a more traditional version.

I used both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes when I made my dish, but you can use one or the other. Press the tofu overnight using a flour sack (just wrap the tofu tightly and set in the fridge) or press it for an hour using a machine.

I air-fried my potatoes and tofu, but you can broil them instead.

Since the tofu and potatoes need a vegetable, I went to my go-to, easy way of cooking up greens, kinpira. This is a very old and traditional way of quick braising vegetables in any flavored broth. I chose a spicy kinpira for this dish to help elevate the chimichurri even more. The veggies are ready in about 5 minutes with minimal fuss.

Serve these with warmed tortillas; use the tortillas as tacos or just use them to scoop up all the goodies.

Chimichurri Potatoes and Tofu
Makes 4 servings

2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu, rinsed and pressed 1 hour

Chimichurri Sauce:
1/2 cup packed parsley (1/2 bunch)
1/2 cup packed cilantro (1/2 bunch)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoon unsweetened plain vegan yogurt or olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 pounds potatoes, any kind

Kinpira:
1 pound bok choy
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable broth

4 tortillas, warmed

1. Make sure to press the tofu first. Preheat the air-fryer at 450-degrees F. If not using air-fryer, preheat the broiler if needed.
2. For the sauce, combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, water, vinegar, yogurt, tahini and chili flakes in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch wedges. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices. Cut the slices of tofu into 1-inch pieces. Toss 3/4 of the sauce with the potatoes and tofu. Add them to a baking sheet or air-fryer basket and cook until crisp and tender, about 15 to 25 minutes. 
4. For the kinpira: Chop the bok choy. Add it to a large pot. Add the minced garlic and chili flakes. Add 2 tablespoons broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender and the broth has reduced. 
5. Serve the potatoes, tofu, vegetables and warmed tortillas with the rest of the sauce.


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan baked chèvre cheese dip

Chèvre is the French term for goat - or goat cheese. I didn't want to name this outright "goat cheese dip" because, well, it isn't goat cheese. However, I do want to give you the idea that this cheese dip is not your ordinary dip, but is in fact funky and creamy and unique- just like goat cheese is.

This is not an aged cheese, so it is ready to bake as soon as you blend it up. However, it does have a unique component that is quite interesting: preserved or fermented beancurd. Beancurd is, of course, just tofu, but because this is a preserved ingredient it is quite on the funkier side of things.

Of course, the next question is where to get it? I've been able to get it at all kinds of Asian markets: Korean, Japanese, Thai, etc., so if you have a local Asian market, hit that up first. Get the version without the chili flakes or chili oil - just tofu, salt and oil.

For the very adventurous, I have found a recipe online for making it at home. I just recently found it and so haven't tried it, yet, but I am planning on making it because I like to know that the tofu I use is non-GMO; these bottles don't state that.

Recipe for making homemade Fermented Bean Curd.

The tofu itself, once preserved, is very soft and aromatic:

You won't use much of the stuff because it is very potent, but you can always adjust to your taste. The first time I made this dip I used 1/3 cup of it. While I liked it, I imagine it would be a bit over the top for others.

All you do is blend the ingredients and bake.

While the dip was baking I roasted off some potatoes to use as the dipping agents - air-fryed with a teaspoon of oil; they came out crisp and flavorful. Easy roasted potato recipe.

Serve the dip with some radishes and pickled onions (or raw onions) and you have a very elegant dip to serve to guests - or to enjoy on a night to yourself.

Vegan Baked Chèvre Cheese Dip

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup plain unsweetened nondairy soy or almond yogurt

2 to 4 tablespoons preserved or fermented tofu

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

1 garlic clove

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (optional)

Olive oil (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Add the yogurt, tofu, tapioca, garlic, salt, onion and xantham gum (if using) to a blender. Blend very well until very smooth. Transfer to a small (about 2 cup) baking dish and drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil. 

2. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

3. Make the salad by combining the radishes, parsley and onion. Add the salad on top of the dip. Serve with crackers, raw vegetables or Roasted Russet Potatoes (recipe below).

Roasted Russet Potatoes

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into wedges, about 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Preheat an air-fryer to 360-degrees (or an oven to 400-degrees). Add the potatoes, paprika, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and oil to a large bowl. Toss well. Add the potatoes to the basket of the air-fryer in a staggered crosshatch pattern (like building Lincoln Logs) and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, shaking the basket after 10 minutes and then after 15 minutes.

2. If baking in the oven, bake on a baking sheet until crisp, about 30 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

seitan shawirma

Before we get into this recipe, which happens to be an authentic Middle Eastern shawirma sandwich (based on Holy Land's recipe - which, unfortunately, uses animals), that features seitan marinated in spiced yogurt sauce before air-frying to perfection,

I want to formally announce the release my newest cookbook, Aquafaba [Amazon, B&N, Book Depository]. This book is all about making and utilizing bean water to make formerly egg-based creations, such as macarons, burgers, whipped topping, ice creams and dozens of other sweet and savory items.

A few noteworthy sites to visit:

To find the table of contents of Aquafaba, go HERE.
To find the blog tour for Aquafaba, go HERE.

Back to the wrap:

As I said above, this is a marinated seitan sandwich, but, of course, with my twist on it; I added air-fried potatoes, and, of course, the requisite pickles. You can jazz this up even more by adding lettuce, tomatoes and hot sauce.

To begin with, make the yogurt-based marinade and let your seitan sit for however long you like. Minimum is 30 minutes, but overnight is just fine. You can even use chickpeas in this recipe or just in the marinade - it makes terrific roasted chickpeas, which you can just eat alone or toss into wraps (like this one) or on salads.

When you are ready, just drain the seitan and air-fry it. If you don't have an air-fryer then bake it or saute it, but the air-fryer puts a nice crust on the seitan without drying it out.

Although I grouped the seitan pictures together (marinating the seitan and cooking it), because it makes sense visually, when it comes time to actually cook it (and you are using an air-fryer; if baking you can bake them at the same time), fry the potatoes first because they take longer. Just keep them warm.

The marinade acts as double duty. Once it is drained, mix it with the rest of the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. No waste and no extra sauce assembly required.

I love shawarma prepared in any way and this shawirma recipe is unique because of the marinade. It is a bit easier than other shawarma recipes and comes with a built in sauce. Not to mention delicious.

Seitan Shawirma 
Serves 4

Marinade:
1/4 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
1/2 small onion, grated
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups chopped seitan

Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt
Black pepper

Other:
3 medium red or yellow potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Fresh lemon juice or oil spray
4 large tortilla wraps
Pickles

1. Marinade: Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, worcestershire, onion, garlic, garam masala and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the seitan and mix. Set aside to marinade at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. 
2. Bake the potatoes while the seitan is marinating. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and spray with oil or drizzle with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an air-fryer and bake for 15 minutes at 360-degrees and then another 10 minutes at 390-degrees. Stir or shake the basket every 10 minutes. Alternatively, bake the potatoes on a pre-heated 400-degree oven until tender and golden, about 40 minutes. 
3. Drain the seitan well, reserving the marinade. Transfer to the air-fryer basket and bake at 390-degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir after every 5 minutes. Alternatively, bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for 30 minutes. 
4. Sauce: Combine the reserved marinade with the 6 tablespoons yogurt and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Warm the tortillas.
5. Add potatoes to the tortilla, along with the seitan and a few slices of pickles. Roll up and serve with the sauce.


© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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