Crostini (toasted bread slices)

I was trying to modify my recipe for vegan crab dip to make it better. Which I did. But I didn't have any crackers. So I just made some quick-and-dirty crostini... Traditionally you would use like an Italian baguette or french bread. But I didn't have any. So, I used some sandwich bread.


Ingredients:

• Bread (cut into 20 strips)
• olive oil

• STEP one!
  Pre-Heat Oven to 350° F
  
  Place strips of bread on baking sheet.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • STEP two!
  Brush each slice with olive oil.
  
  Bake about 10 minutes until golden brown.
  
  
  
  
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    • STEP three!
  Remove from oven and use in dips or cut into croutons for salads.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  -Jordan Halliday
  

Vegan Short Bread Cookies

I really like Short Bread Cookies. I used to donate my Blood just because I could get a free pack of Lorna Doone Cookies out of it. Well, that's not the only reason I did it. So, I decided to try my hand in making them. This is what I have come up with so far. Traditionally Short Bread Cookies aren't really sweet. So you could add a bit more sugar to this recipe, if you think you want that extra sweetness. Myself, I prefer to dip them in melted chocolate or put some jam on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup - vegan margarine*
• 1/2 cup - sugar
• 2 cups - all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon - baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon - salt
• 1/2 teaspoon - vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons - soymilk
  *make sure it is at room temperature

Step 1:
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar with a mixer until fluffy.


 




Step 2:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well mixed. 

Step 3:
Slowly add the flour mixture to the "butter fluff" margarine mixture.

Step 4:
Finally add the vanilla and soymilk, and slowly mix in.

Step 5:
Refrigerate dough overnight or until it is the consistency of butter.

Step 6:
Preheat the oven to 350 F & line a baking sheet with wax paper.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll dough with rolling pin until it is about 1/4" thick.

Step 7 :
Cut into fun shapes or use a cookie cutter and place on baking sheet.

Step 8:
Bake for about 5 mins, then rotate pan 180 degrees and bake for another 5.

Step 9:
Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 mins on pan before transferring them to a wire rack.

Step 10:
EAT THEM! or Make them pretty like I did for my mom on mothers day. Enjoy!

-Jordan Halliday

Vegan Soy Chai Latte

I am sick of all the boxes of chai tea having honey in them.
VEGAN!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tea bag -- Chai Spice Black Tea
• 1 cup -- soymilk
• 1 teaspoon -- sugar
• 1 teaspoon -- brown sugar
• Splash -- vanilla
• Dash -- cinnamon
• Dash -- nutmeg
• Dash -- ground cloves
• *optional* (to taste) agave nectar

STEP ONE!
Mix Soymilk and all the other ingredients (minus the tea bag) in a pan. Heat over medium heat until mild boil.

STEP TWO!
Immediately pour into mug, steep the bag of tea for a couple of minutes. Add Agave to taste. Enjoy!

-Jordan Halliday

Rice and Bean Taquitos

First I apologize I don't have a more epic picture. But my co-workers (not even vegan) devoured these things.

My Co-Worker (Mmm Pie!) and I had to work a late graveyard inventory shift (more like a 12 hour shift but...no one asked, lol). We were able to convince our boss to allow us to dip in to the work party fund for snacks... not just snacks... VEGAN FOOD!

We decided to make vegan taquitos after seeing our other friend (thesnarkychickpea) post them on her blog.

Only we twisted up the recipe a bit..

These are so delicious.

Be warned.

Also, I didn't get great pictures because I didn't make these at my house and we were kinda rushing to make them. I apologize this won't be like my typical posts.

Original Recipe Here

INGREDIENTS:

• 15 -- flour tortillas (6 inch)
• 6 oz -- Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
• 5 oz -- vegan cheddar shredded (we used Follow Your Heart)
• 5 oz -- vegan mozzarella shredded (we used Daiya)
• 1 box -- vegan mexican rice
• 1 can -- black beans
• 1/2 -- large onion, diced
• 3/4 -- red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon -- garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon -- olive oil, along with a little olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp -- red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup -- salsa verde
• 1 Tablespoon -- Braggs Liquid Aminos or Soysauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon -- cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon -- chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon -- cayenne
• 1 teaspoon -- garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon -- onion powder
• pepper

STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 
2. Start making boxed rice using instructions.
3. Heat a oil over large nonstick skillet at medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and mix.
   
   
4. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, cheese, salsa verde, spices. Use a potato masher to combine all of the ingredients. Set aside.
   
5. Add black beans and cooked rice to the pan. mix around.
   
6. Add the onion mixture with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
7. Nuke the tortilla in the microwave or over the stove for a few seconds until they are able to bend without breaking.
8. Spoon the mixture onto each tortilla and roll it. Use the sauce help the tortilla stay together when cooking.
   
   
9. Lightly spray the tops of the rolled taquitos with the olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
   
10. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until brown and gooey goodness is probably coming out.
    
11. ENJOY!

THANKS SO MUCH TO MEAGAN (THESNARKYCHICKPEA) FOR THE BASIS OF THIS RECIPE!

Star Wars Banana Bread (Mos Eisley Morsels)

So my friend Meagan (Mmm Pie!) gave me a Star Wars Cook Book. [and my other friend Megan (vegan whore) sent me the Admiral Ackbar]

Needless to say. As awesome as it is, none of the recipes were vegan. They all had really funny names like Wookiee cookies, yoda soda, and hoth chocolate... Just to name a few.

Well, I decided to go ahead and make some of the recipes vegan and post them on here.

The recipe really weirds me out to tell you the truth. It doesn't call for any sugar or "butter". So, trying to keep as true to the recipe as possible.

My review: Basically, If I were to re-do this recipe. I would add brown sugar and possibly margarine. It definitly needed more something. When I added the mashed banana on top I sprinkled it with a little cinnamon sugar and it was better/less dry/sweeter. It's not horrible though.

UPDATE: after bringing some leftovers to work to share my co-worker Meagan (same one who gave me the cookbook) said they taste more like muffins and I tend to agree. For a muffin it isn't that bad.

Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups -- all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons -- baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon -- baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons -- ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon -- ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon -- ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon -- salt
• 3 -- large bananas
• 1 -- Cornstarch Egg Replacement*
• 2 tablespoons -- vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons -- vanilla

*For cornstarch egg replacement  whisk 2 TBSP Cold Water with 2 TBSP Cornstarch.

STEP 1:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Lightly grease 8x8 inch square baking dish.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a large bowl.




STEP 2:

In another large bowl thoroughly mash bananas.

Add premixed cornstarch egg replacement, vegetable oil, and vanilla and stir until well blended.






STEP 3:

With a rubber spatula slowly begin to mix the dry ingredient with the wet ones.

Stir until well mixed.







STEP 4:

Pour batter into baking dish.

Spread until even and bake for 30-35 mins.









STEP 5:

When fully baked, a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center.


Now just Cool, Cut into squares. Enjoy.





STEP 6:

(Optional) You can mash up another banana & spread on squares just before eating.









-Jordan Halliday

Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers

It is always great when a recipe you create just turns out on the first try without having to adjust it at all.

I wanted to try something different with my black bean patties. Typically I use bread crumbs instead of vital wheat gluten flour. This typically makes them dry and I don't like that, so I wanted to experiment.

I used Vital Wheat Gluten Flour instead and it actually worked really well.

Here's the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 15 oz (1 can) -- Black Beans
• 1/2 cup -- Cooked Rice
• 1/3 cup -- Whole Corn Kernels
• 1/4 cup -- Vital Gluten Flour
• 1 -- Cornstarch Egg Replacement*
• 1 TBSP -- Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp -- Hot Sauce (I used Tapatio)
• 1/2 tsp -- Minced Garlic
• Few Dashes -- Onion powder
• Few Dashes -- Salt
• Few Dashes -- Pepper

*Mix 2 TBSP of Cold Water with 2 TBSP of Cornstarch to create an egg substitute.


STEP 1:

Start by cooking rice if you haven't already using the instructions that come with your rice.

Using a food processor, mash black beans.

Add Black beans, rice, and corn to a large bowl & mix well.





STEP 2:
Add Remaining ingredients. Slowly adding Vital Wheat Gluten & making sure to mix Cornstarch Egg Replacement before adding.

Mix well until mixture begins to thicken up.







STEP 3:

Lightly oil skillet & heat over medium heat.

Roll black bean goop into small patties.

Flatten on to skillet. Cook until each side (flip every so often) is a crispy brown.






STEP 4:

You'll probably have rice and corn left over for a full meal.

Serve with your favorite burger toppings.

Enjoy!







-Jordan Halliday

Crispy, Crunchy, Roasted Chickpeas

This recipe is freaking easy, and incredibly customizable.
These crunchy balls of goodness are a healthy alternative to popcorn & are great on salads.
Replace the salt and nutritional yeast with whatever you think you want on it. Anything goes great really. Experiment with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, or spice it up with some hot pepper. REALLY ANYTHING GOES ON THESE BABIES.

INGREDIENTS:

• 15 oz (1 can) -- chickpeas
• 2 TBS -- Olive Oil
• Salt*
• Nutritional Yeast Flakes*
• *(optional) any spices of your choosing can be substituted.

STEP 1:

Preheat oven to 400°F







STEP 2:

Add chickpeas & olive oil (and wet spices if using them) to a shallow pan and toss until coated.

Spread chickpeas in a single layer on the sheet and sprinkle salt (and/or other dry spices if you are using them) over chickpeas.





STEP 3:

Bake, Tossing chickpeas every 5-10 minutes, Until they begin to brown. (About 20 minutes)








STEP 4:

Remove from oven and cool.


Sprinkle with nutritional yeast & more salt (or other spices) if desired.






STEP 5:

Enjoy.









-Jordan Halliday

Mock 'Tuna' Chickpea Spread

I love chickpeas. Maybe not as much as my buddy Meagan (The Snarky Chickpea). But almost as much.
This recipe is simple. Especially if you are just using a can of chickpeas.

INGREDIENTS:

• 15 oz (1 can) -- chickpeas
• 1 -- dill pickle spear (dill relish can be substituted)
• 1 1/2 TBS -- vegenaise
• 1 tsp -- yellow mustard
• 1 tsp -- ketchup
• 1/2 tsp -- minced garlic
• squirt -- lemon juice
• to taste -- salt
• to taste -- pepper
• (optional) -- half stick of celery

STEP 1:

Put all ingredients in a food processor











STEP 2:

Process
(a few chops will do)










STEP 3:

Put in a fancy dish and serve with pita chips or spread over toasted bread.

STEP 4:

Enjoy.










-Jordan Halliday