Monday, July 23, 2012

Guest Post by Erica of Cult of Kale: Tempeh Tacos with Roasted Artichokes and Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce

Today's post is the first ever guest post on The Vegan Kitchen blog! My friend Erica recently started a great blog called Cult of Kale (see details at the bottom of this post) and so I invited her to do a guest post here. She selected a tasty looking recipe from her own collection & I hope you all enjoy it!


I have to admit, I'm a little obsessed with Tempeh. When we lived in
NY, we would buy it in bulk from our local food co-op. When we moved to Arizona,
I was very disappointed that it was not carried by most
grocers in the area. We occasionally find it at an Asiana
marketplace, but mostly I buy it from Trader Joe's.

What is tempeh? Tempeh is a fermented cake or patty like product made
up of soybeans and sometimes grains. You can get them flavored, deep
fried, but usually double sealed in the refrigerated section
of a grocery store near the tofu. 

For this Meatless Monday, I was in a Mexican-food mood, so I decided
to make Tempeh Tacos with Roasted Artichokes and a spicy Sriracha
Dipping Sauce!

Tempeh Tacos








For this recipe you'll need:
  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
    of choice
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper of choice,
    chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of taco
    seasoning
  • 3-4 flour tortillas or 6-8
    taco shells
Directions:
  1. Prepare the tempeh by cutting into crumble size chunks and boiling
    in a small saucepan for 5 minutes with a dash of salt and a bay leaf.
    Dump water and bay leaves when finished.
  2. While tempeh is cooking, saute the chopped onion and
    pepper with a little oil of choice.
  3. When the onions are just starting to turn translucent, turn down
    the heat to medium and  toss the tempeh.
  4. Let the tempeh cook with
    the onions and peppers for a few minutes then add soy sauce and
    seasoning.
  5. Toss until tempeh is well coated, cooking a couple minutes longer.
    Turn off heat and place the lid on the pot, allowing it to sit on the
    burner for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Stuff your tortillas or taco shells, add additional taco toppings
    like salsa, hot sauce, tomatoes or lettuce and enjoy!
Artichokes
For this recipe you'll need:
  • Artichokes, as many as you want! My recipe is built for two, so
    adjust measurements as needed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, whole
  • 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 a lime
  • oil, for roasting pan
Directions:
  1. This is best to start before anything
    else, since you can get back to it while other foods are cooking.
    Place artichokes in a pot large enough to hold them and fill the pot
    with water.
  2. Bring water to boil. Add two cloves of
    garlic, a tablespoon of red pepper flakes and a quarter cup chopped
    fresh cilantro.
  3. Once boiling, cover the pot with lid and
    turn heat down to simmer. Allow to cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Prepare roasting pan with a little bit
    of oil. Turn on broiler or oven up to 500°F.
  5. Carefully remove artichokes from water
    with tongs and carefully place on a cutting board. Slice artichokes
    down the middle. 
  6. Squeeze juice from the lime into the
    exposed inside of the artichoke halves.
  7. Place the artichokes with the cut side
    down on the roasting pan and place carefully into oven. Cook for 5
    minutes.
  8. Pull out of oven and allow to cool.
    Serve with favorite dip or some spicy Sriracha dip!
Sriracha Dip
For the dip you'll need:
  • 1/2 cup of vegan mayo
  • 2 tablespoons of Sriracha
  • 1 finely diced clove of garlic (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)
Directions:
  1. Mix all ingredients.
  2. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! You can find me on Facebook
and Twitter, as well as
right on my blog Cult of
Kale
!
Erica D. is a longtime vegan studying Urban Horticulture and
Sustainability. Her blog, Cult of
Kale
is a green lifestyle blog covering urban gardening, vegan
cooking and general tips on leaving a smaller footprint on our planet.
She lives with three kitties and her husband in sunny Arizona.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Maple BBQ Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Recently I happened to try a BBQ rub & discovered that it tastes amazing on sweet potatoes. I first tried it on sweet potato fries and then decided to see how it would be in instead of just on so I made these maple BBQ mashed sweet potatoes. I still want to try this rub on other veggies and other dishes, but I think this recipe is a keeper!

2 cups of sweet potato, baked & scooped from the skin
2 TBSP maple syrup, preferably grade B
1 TBSP Bella's Backwoods BBQ Rub

In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher; this would probably work in a food processor, but where is the fun in that? Stir in the maple syrup and the BBQ rub. Serve hot.

If you are interested in trying this recipe, Bella's Backwoods BBQ Rub is available from Rocco's Country Spice on Etsy.
Obviously, I did ask whether it was vegan before buying it. When I decided to post this recipe I asked him to give me a little more information about the rub so I could share it with you. Here is what Rocco had to say:

"A love for all things BBQ and a need to serve some of my vegan friends at our church dinners led to Our very own spice blend that is completely free of animal derived products and very minimally processed. Kosher salt and a special blend of spices sourced as local as possible, including FSC certified maple syrup, oragnic raw cane sugar, smoked paprika and a healthy dose of garlic are just a few ingredients in this unique blend. Bella's Backwoods BBQ rub is always made in small batches, and of course, made with a respect for those we serve."

Please note that the BBQ sauce he sells is not vegan; I have already checked.

This product was not provided for a review, I just happened to try it & love it & want to share it! Sorry for the lack of a photo, it was eaten before I got to take one. I may add one later.