green enchiladas

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large skillet with lid, baking dish (9X13), oven

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian, and vegan dish is relatively easy to make, given that it is enchiladas! When I was testing my first book, I had a tester make a comment that she thought the enchiladas in that book would be fast and she wondered why she ever thought enchiladas would be fast! I sped up the time for Vegan Bowls, but I wanted to make an enchilada dish that could be quick.

Well, here it is!

I used Gardein, which gets cooked in the pan before the rest of the filling (Quick tip: cook Gardein products with the lid on, from frozen, until golden. It will stay moist and thaw quickly, while becoming golden on the outside.) You can, of course, skip the Gardein and add spinach and zucchini instead, keeping it all vegetables.

The sauce is Green Enchilada sauce from a can, but you won't notice. I used Daiya cheese for this, but again, no issues with skipping it.

Big tip! After rolling the enchiladas, spray with cooking oil to keep the tortillas soft and delicious after baking.

Enjoy!

 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the baking dish and pan prepared.
• Cook the Gardein (or sub with zucchini, chopped) while you chop the onions. Use a lid!
• Preheat the oven when you start cooking the onion, again, use a lid.
• Cook the tortillas while the filling is cooking. 
• Use a scooper to fill the enchiladas - easier and less messy.

 

Green Enchiladas

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Serve with: Green Salad

Preheat oven to 450-F

1. Protein: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook scallopini until golden, on both sides, about 8 minutes, covered with a lid. Remove to a cutting board and chop when cool enough.

4 Gardein scallopini

2. Filling: To the now empty skillet, add the onion, garlic, corn and cumin and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, covered with a lid:

1 onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup frozen corn

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3. Add to the skillet the Chopped Protein, chilies, sauce and cheese. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes:

2 (4-oz) cans green chiles

1 (10-oz) can green enchilada sauce**(need 2 cans total)

1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)

4. Tortillas: cook the tortillas in the microwave (wrapped in damp towel for 1 minute) or over the stove burner and then wrap in towel to steam:

16 corn tortillas

5. Fill: Use a scooper to fill the warm Tortillas with the Filling and place, seam-side down, in a 9X13 baking dish. Spray with cooking oil and add the other can of enchilada sauce. Top with cheese, if using:

Oil spray

1 (10-oz) can green enchilada sauce

1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)

6. Bake and Serve: Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese melts, 5 minutes (optional). Serve.  

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

saucy basil and bok choy pasta

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: large bowl, large skillet, medium pot, small blender, air-fryer (optional)

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Today's meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish is a relatively easy to make, but since the ingredients hit 13 and there are 2 pans called for, plus a blender, I am labeling this as moderate. Still, my cooking time was reasonable and since it includes protein and vegetables, no other sides are required.

The pasta dish is saucy and slightly sweet, and if you choose, slightly spicy, which adds to the dimensions so don't fear the spice! 

Vegetables are carrots and bok choy, but there's no reason that peppers, kale or cabbage couldn't take their place. In fact, use what you have!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the pots and pans prepared.
• Put the pasta water on first.
• Press the tofu for 5 minutes.
• Blend the Onion Paste while the water heats and tofu presses.
• Chop the tofu and begin frying it.
• Chop and cook the vegetables while the pasta and tofu cook.

 

Saucy Basil and Bok Choy Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, 2 minutes shy of al dente:

12 ounces pasta, fettucini, spaghetti, etc

2. Crispy Tofu: Press and cut the tofu into 3/4 -inch cubes. Toss with the cornstarch and spray with oil. Air-fry for 15-20 minutes (425 F) or pan-fry in 1 tablespoon oil:

16 ounces tofu

1/4 cup cornstarch

3. Cooking Sauce: mix all the ingredients in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside. 

2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 vegetarian fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons lime juice

 4. Onion Paste: blend all the ingredients in a small blender and set aside: 

1/2 small onion

3 garlic cloves

5. Stir Fry Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sliced carrots

5 baby bok choy

6. Remove the vegetables and set aside. To the skillet add the Onion Paste and cook until browned. Add the Cooking Sauce and the semi-cooked Pasta and cook until the pasta is tender and the broth is mostly evaporated or thickened. 

7. Serve: Add the Stir Fry Vegetables and basil to the dish. Mix well. Serve with the Crispy Tofu. Serve with chili crisp or Sriracha, if desired.

2 ounces basil (Thai or regular), torn

Sriracha or Chili Crisp (optional)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: air fryer or oven and baking sheet, large bowl, small bowl, whisk

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I find it completely ironic and hilarious that a salad should take a lot longer to prepare or cook than a main dish, but those are the facts. I had to classify this meatless, vegetarian and vegan recipe as moderate because of the baking time (which CAN be reduced dramatically the smaller you cut the potatoes, but the lazy in me decided on 3/4-inch dice) and the ingredients list, which, as we all know, can hit the roof for salads.

If you've been to my blog before, you are familiar with my love of shawarma (see Herbivore copycat HERE and seitan shawirma HERE), so turning the Middle Eastern wrap into a salad was not a reach for me! Here is my take on the sandwich-turned-salad, which turned out pretty delicious and all things considered, pretty fast. 

It's the baking time that makes this take long, so, if you want, chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and drop the baking/air-frying to 10 minutes from 20 minutes, before adding the protein. That would make this salad take about 35 minutes to bake, but, all in all, consider the extra baking time not as more time in the kitchen but more time to be with your family and fur-babies, since that part is hands-off.    

This is a complete dish, with protein, vegetables and starch, so devour as is.

Enjoy! 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Peel and chop the potatoes BEFORE grabbing your ingredients.
• Soak the potatoes and preheat oven/air-fryer while grabbing ingredients.
• Start baking as soon as possible.

 

Shawarma Salad

Makes 4 servings 

moderate 

Preheat air-fryer to 400-F or oven to 475-F

1. Potatoes: Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Soak in cool water for 5 minutes. Drain well.   Note: The smaller you cut the potatoes, the shorter the baking time.

4 medium to large potatoes

       

2. Roasting: Toss the ingredients in a large bowl and add to the baking sheet or fryer basket. Bake/air-fry for 20 minutes (for 3/4-inch dice).  

Drained Potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

3. Protein: Add to the pan or basket of Roasting and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp and tender.

4 seitan cutlets (chopped), 2 cups re-hydrated Soy Curlz, 2 cups chickpeas or 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips

1 teaspoon paprika

4 pumps of oil spray

2 pita breads, cut into 1/2-inch strips, added to basket or pan during last 10 minutes of baking (optional)

4. Dressing: Mix with a whisk in a small bowl:

1/3 cup hummus

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon water

salt and paprika, to taste

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

5. Salad: Serve Salad ingredients with the Protein/Potatoes and Dressing.

6 cups shredded lettuce

1 large tomato, chopped

1 avocado, 1 carrot and/or 1/2 cucumber, thin sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup tortilla chips (if not using pita bread)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: large, oven-safe skillet and lid, medium pot

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Ever wondered how to make a meatless, vegetarian, and vegan burger into a pasta dish? I have, too! Wonder no more. This pasta dish does indeed, surprisingly, tastes like a cheeseburger but it is so much easier to prepare and eat than one.

This dish is really versatile, since you can use beans instead of vegan grounds, and it still comes out fabulous. I used Beyond Beaf grounds in this one, but even homemade ground seitan would be great.

It is also very quick to prepare, and clean up is easy too, if you have an oven-safe skillet; if not, then use a 9x9 baking pan. Put your water for the pasta on right away since the rest of the dish comes together quite fast!

This one is complete with pickles and mustard - but, of course, make it your own. Add some ground bacon-type bits or Smart Bacon, Tofu Bacon or Tempeh Bacon for a great twist. If you wind up with leftovers, reheat in the microwave with a splash of water, to offset any dryness.

Serve with a green salad to act as the lettuce on your "burger."

Enjoy! 

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Get all the ingredients out and the pots and pans prepared.
• Put the pasta water on first.
• Remember to reserve the cooking water.
• Remember to reserve the onion for the topping.
• Use a lid while cooking the onion for faster cooking.

 

Mac-n-Cheeseburger Pasta

Makes 4 servings 

Serve with: Green Salad

Preheat oven to 400-F

1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water:

12 ounces elbow pasta

2. Grounds: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, garlic and grounds. Cook, covered, until golden, about 5 minutes. If using beans, add beans after onions have cooked 3 minutes:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-pound vegan grounds or 2 cans black beans

3. Sauce: Add the Reserved Cooking Water, tomato sauce, pickles, Worcestershire, mustard and salt and pepper. Mix well, bring to boil and add the cooked Pasta.

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mustard

 4. Bake: Cover the pan with an oven-safe lid (or foil) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese, cover again and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes: 

8 slices vegan yellow cheese

5. Serve: Top with the optional tomatoes and Reserved Chopped Onions:

2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes (optional)

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

pf chang's-style lettuce wrap

Hello, hello, Dear Raders!

There is so much information out in the web-osphere and I am sure each blog holds a special place in your heart, whether it is for the recipes, the photos, the personal annecdotes or the gabbiness of the site, but I wonder what attracts you to this blog? I would love to focus on the content you care about instead of trying to mind read over the internet. If you wouldn't mind slapping a comment to the bottom with your preference, I will try my best to make you happy.

Introduction

To get back into blogging, I am sharing an easy meatless, vegetarian, vegan recipe and I want to start ranking the difficulty and time it should take to cook a recipe. With that in mind, I have come up with this visual, which breaks it down by time, ingredients and dishes needed to prepare and cook ...

Of course, I reserve the right (and probably the need) to update or make changes to this chart as the concept evolves, but these are the expectations I look forward to achieving. 

Overview

Time: 20 minutes
Dishes: skillet, bowl, measuring cup
Side Recommendations: Cooked rice and steamed vegetables

So, dear readers, here is the first recipe. It is a throw-back to the times when eating out was a thing (pre-pandemic era). Here is my version of PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps, but if you serve it with rice it can become a meal. Heat the wok (or cast iron skillet, as in my case) and get to cooking. 

I list this as an easy recipe, without the optional dipping sauce, cuz let's face it, sauces take forever and a day to make. Skip it, use hot mustard or chili oil instead (or Sriracha) and you're still in good shape.

Speedy Cooking Tips

• Pull out all ingredients and dishes before you start.
• Heat the cast iron skillet or wok while you chop the protein.
• Mince the other ingredients while the protein cooks.
• Prepare the sauces while the dish cooks.
• Clean the lettuce while the dish cooks.

Lettuce Wraps

Makes 4 servings 

1. Dipping Sauce (optional): mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set aside. 

Dipping Sauce (optional):

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 tablespoon tamari

1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

2. Stir Fry Sauce: mix all the ingredients and set aside.

Stir Fry Sauce:

3 tablespoon tamari

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

3. Stir Fry: Heat the oil in a large skillet or work over medium-high heat. Add the protein and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the water chestnuts, mushrooms and onions. Cook until the chestnuts are golden, another 5 minutes.

Stir Fry:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 seitan cutlets, 1 package firm tofu or 4 Gardein scallopini, chopped

1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, minced

1 cup mushrooms, minced (optional)

1/4 small onion, minced

 

5. Add the Stir Fry Sauce, mix and cook until it evaporates about 1 minute.

6. Serve the Stir Fry with the lettuce leaves and optional Dipping Sauce or chili oil or hot mustard and optional rice. 

For Serving:

Lettuce leaves

Fried rice noodles (optional)

Cooked rice (optional)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Interest Gauge

Hello Dear Readers! 

It has been a hot minute since I've posted on the blog and I was thinking of starting to post again regularly (at least weekly), but I wonder if there is any interest out there.

If you want to hear from me again and see what I can conjure in the kitchen, leave a comment or shoot me an email. [zsu (at) zsusveganpantry (dot) com]

As you know, to post quality snippets is no small effort and I'd like to know if there are some folks who are even interested! 

Since I am still in school, about to graduate and get a JOB, my kitchen is now on stream-lined mode and everything has to be prepared and cooked with the least fuss and muss - but we still like food to taste great and be healthy. 

With that in mind, do you want to see more?

In the meantime, it has been a tradition of ours to make Sin Carne Asada Tacos for Memorial Day and since my son is in town for a few more months (Covid school "break"), and it is his birthday, it's doubly appropriate. Use any seitan or even slabs of tofu, if that's your calling, but if you have time to make the SteaK, I highly recommend it!

As always, thank you for your time!

Zsu Dever

       

Sin Carne Asada Tacos

Makes 6 to 8 servings

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

 

Marinade:

3 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

10 garlic cloves

2 serrano or jalapeno chiles

½ teaspoon sea salt

Ground black pepper

2 pounds SteaK Seitan

2 onions, cut into ¾ -inch thick rings

Oil for the grill, as needed

Other:

Small (3-inch) corn tortillas, as needed

Arbol Salsa, recipe below

Guacamole, recipe below

Vegan cheese, crumbled

Vegan sour cream

Pickled jalapenos

Cilantro leaves

Lime wedges

1. Marinade: Combine the oil, juices, tamari, scallions, garlic, chiles, salt and black pepper in a blender. Blend well and transfer to a large baking dish. Add the seitan and mix well to coat. Set aside to marinate overnight.

2. Heat your grill or grill pan. Oil the grates or pan. Grill the seitan, basting with thesauce as needed, and onions until lightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface and cut into slices. Heat the tortillas on the grill, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes.

3. Place two tortillas on top of each other and fill with seitan, onions and choice of toppings. Enjoy!

Arbol Salsa

2 to 6 dried arbol chiles

2 California chiles (also known as dried Anaheim peppers)

2 medium ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges

½ medium onion, cut into ½-inch slices

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Sea salt and black pepper

2 to 3 splashes sherry vinegar

1. Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the chiles. Heat the chiles in a pan (or grill pan)  until soft and lightly colored. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to rehydrate for 20 minute. Drain the chiles and transfer the chiles to a blender.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the tomatoes, onion and garlic until lightly charred. Transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender. Peel the garlic and transfer to the blender.

3. Blend the mixture until smooth. Season with salt, black pepper and vinegar. Blend again and adjust seasoning.

4. Salsa will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

 

Guacamole

5 medium ripe Hass avocado, mashed

1 small ripe tomato, diced

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.

 

 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.