Crunk Testing and A Perfect Breakfast!

I have some amazing recipes for the Vegan Crunk cookbook, Cookin' Crunk, testing project to share with you! I must warn you, though...these look really tasty, so don't try to eat your computer! Just enjoy the pics and wait for the book to come out so you can enjoy them at home for reals! Tempeh Bacon,

getting ready for BLT deliciousness

Granny's Corn Casserole,

served with smoky baked tofu and greens

Now for a wonderful winter-time breakfast: Breakfast Apples and "Sausage." This dish is inspired by one of the menu items at my favorite breakfast place in Columbia, Cafe Berlin. It is a combination of veggie sausage (I used my vegan andouille sausage, because the cafe uses real, local andouille meat sausage, red onion, garlic, apples, spices, and maple syrup. Sooooo flippin good! It was pretty easy to recreate and I was so pleased with the sweet and savory combination of the dish!! Breakfast is served!

Breakfast Apples and "Sausage" (serves 2)

1 tsp olive oil (can also use vegan margarine if you are feeling adventurous)

1 cup red onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large organic apple, sliced thinly

1/4 cup REAL maple syrup

1 cup water

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 vegan sausage links, sliced (or 1/2 block diced tempeh for a gluten-free meal)

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sliced red onion and saute 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the sausage slices, apple slices, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne. Saute for 2-3 minutes until apple begins to soften. Add the maple syrup and water, then turn the heat up to medium-high. Bring to a light boil, then add the salt and pepper, cover and turn to low. Cook on low heat for 5 or so minutes, until the apples and onions are softened and the liquid is almost fully reduced. Remove from heat and serve!

--This is GREAT with a few slices of toast slathered with sweet potato butter or some raspberry jam!! And don't forget the coffee!--

Andouille "Sausages" and Texas Loot!

In yesterday's gumbo post, I promised I would give the recipe for the vegan andouille "sausages" today...and here it is! If you are familiar with creole- or cajun-styles of cooking (which are different btw!) then you probably know a bit about this type of sausage. It is both spicy and smoky, a good Southern combination that is hard to beat! This can be used in the gumbo I posted or in jambalaya, stew, or even on a bun with your favorite toppings! They use the super-popular steam-in-foil method, so most of you will be pros at putting these together! Enjoy!

Vegan Andouille Sausages (makes 4)
1 cup + 1 Tbs vital wheat gluten
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 Tbs soy flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs paprika
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 cup + 1 Tbs cold water

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, including the garlic, and mix well. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful to not over mix. Heat a pot of water to boiling. While heating the water, cut 4 pieces of aluminum foil, each measuring about 10 by 10 inches. Place about ½ cup “sausage” dough, or about 1/4 of the dough, in the middle of a square of foil and form into a sausage-like shape. Roll the aluminum foil around the dough and twist the ends to close. This will create an aluminum casing for the sausages to be steamed in. Repeat until you have 4 sausages and have used all of the dough. Place the wrapped sausages in a steamer basket and set over the pot of boiling water. Steam for 35 minutes, covered. Remove from steamer basket and allow to set for 15 minutes before serving.

Now onto the goods that Steven brought me back from his Texas trip!! He was quite close to the Mexico border, so he had access to markets and shops that had lots of Mexican and Tex-Mex foods not available here in Missouri! The only thing not pictured is some homemade tortilla chips from a Mexican market and a HUGE papaya half...it was too big to fit in the picture I think! Clockwise, from the left: 2 Quinces, 2 Limes, 2 different kinds of Mole Sauce, a package of "Hot and Spicy" Pineapple Slices, 2 avocados, 2 different kinds of chili powder, 2 Kiwi, and 2 Tomatillos! How lucky am I??

Yumbo Gumbo!

I am really pumped because I have been wanting to make gumbo for a while...I heart okra...and I finally made it for dinner tonight! I wanted to wait until Steven got back from his climbing trip to Texas to make it for him, so I just got my chance tonight. I kinda winged this recipe based on what I've had before and what I knew about creole-style cooking. Luckily, it turned out great!! The andouille sausage to which I refer in the recipe is another work-in-progress that I finally got to turn out wonderfully--I will post that recipe tomorrow, as I don't want to make this too long of a post with the long gumbo recipe and all. So here it is! I hope you try AND like it!"Andouille" Okra Gumbo (serves 4 hungry vegans)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno, minced
1 lb okra, sliced
1 can yellow or white hominy, drained and rinsed (corn will work if you can’t find hominy)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 vegan Andouille sausages, sliced into thin rounds
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs Louisiana-style hot sauce (Frank’s, etc. But really, Frank's is the bomb!!!)
2 Tbs paprika
1 heaping Tbs gumbo filé powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp mild chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you want less heat)
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup vegetable broth or water

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pan. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until onions are softened and translucent. Add in the minced garlic and jalapeno, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the broth, vinegar, hot sauce, and maple syrup to the vegetables and stir. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Stir in the sliced “sausages,” beans, hominy, and canned tomatoes. Stir in all of the spices and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to cook for 15 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking. Add in the okra and cook for another 5 minutes, until the okra is fully cooked. Add extra salt and/or pepper to taste and serve immediately.
I recommend serving this hot with a thick slice of cornbread or over a bed of brown rice!

The cool thing about this recipe is that you can add your own twists and variations to it, and it will probably still turn out tasty! You can modify the cayenne and other peppers if you want more or less heat. I still threw a few dashes of hot sauce on mine once I plated it up, but that's because I like it pretty spicy. If you opt not to make the homemade andouille "sausages" (that I will post tomorrow), you can use any vegan link-style sausage, sliced seitan, or even cubed tempeh. But, seriously, you WILL want to make these fauxsages. For real.