Vegan Hot Dogs (with recipe!)

Vegan Hot Dog. My inner five year old is ecstatic!

Labor Day at our casa started out pretty sweet. A sunny day with just enough breeze to make one happy to be outdoors on a typically sweltering South Florida holiday.  Me, T and the Cap'n spent time outside cleaning out and detailing my car, even breaking out the carpet cleaner to finally get those grease stains off the front seat from that time I brought some marinating tofu to a family gathering, and it leaked. Everywhere. 

We had plans to spend the day together in the pool after all our hard work was done, but as is typical of the Sunshine State in September, crazy thunderstorms came rolling in and all activities were moved inside. 

Nothing that a delicious but simple Labor Day dinner couldn't fix! The Cap'n fired up his grill for things that only omni's eat, and I steamed hot dogs, something I'd always wanted to try. T shucked the corn while I cut up what turned out to be this summer's finest watermelon.

Mmmm, mustard. Some sweet onions made them perfect.

I've made plenty of vegan fauxsages in the past but hot dogs never really occurred to me.As a kid I loved hot dogs with lots of mustard. Remembering that I'd seen them on the PPK forums, and digging up this recipe, I tinkered a bit and really enjoyed the way they turned out. The texture was spot on. Spot. On. Not mushy like store bought veg brands. The flavor didn't scream 'hot dog', but I haven't had a hot dog since the mid '90's. I think as far as mouth feel and overall flavor once bunned and dressed was really great. It wasn't 'gluteny' which I worried about without the sausage flavoring that usually carries fauxsages.  I got a nice 'skin' on mine by lightly sauteing them in a tiny bit of coconut oil after they'd cooled a bit from the steaming.  I plan to freeze some of the leftovers and look forward to boiling them to thaw and then throwing them on my grill. Everything good tastes even better with char lines, no? 

A bit of Lime Cilantro Coconut Butter on my corn on the cob and I'm convinced I'll never be enjoying this summer crop with vegan margarine ever again!

Vegan Hot Dogs

 Makes 8 Dogs

5T almond meal

9 oz xtra firm tofu

2T shoyu

3T canola oil

1.5 tsp sugar

1 tsp arrowroot

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Hungarian paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp mustard powder

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 c. water (+ 1-2 T if needed)

1 c. + 1 T vital wheat gluten

1. Add all ingredients but gluten to food processor.

2. Blend, scraping down sides as needed, until it becomes a smooth mixture.

3. Scrape contents of processor into large bowl.

4. Add gluten and mix to combine well. You should have a very soft dough. If needed, add water one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired texture.

5. Knead softly only until all gluten is absorbed

6. Divide dough into 8 equal portions.

7. Roll each portion into a log, careful not to make longer than steamer basket.

8. Wrap logs tightly in cheesecloth and secure or parchment then aluminum foil, twisting the ends to secure.

9. Place seam side down in steamer basket. (I laid mine four across and four on top of them at a 90 degree angle.

10. Steam, covered for 45 minutes. Allow to cool and eat as is or reheat in boiling water or on grill for 5 minutes.

I've never met a batch of seitan that didn't freeze just fine, so I froze some of mine with the intention of thawing in the future and reheating as directed above, 

Buffalo Tofu w/ Simple Vegan Blue Cheese

Dry Fried Buffalo Tofu with Simple Vegan Blue Cheese

I've always been a fan of buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese. As a vegetarian I could coat any manner of faux chik'n with wing sauce and top it with blue cheese, craving satisfied. As a vegan I craved it so much that I even created this crazy good, not even close to healthy vegan version of the real thing.  I have had more Buffalo Soy Curl Sammies than I really want to admit to you right now.

Lately, I have been learning to enjoy comfort food but by approaching it from a healthier angle. Inspired by one of my favorite chef's blog post, 15 Minute Crispy Low Fat Buffalo Tofu; no pressing required over @ Melomeals.

I'd already been dry frying tofu for a while. I remember stumbling across a YouTube video years ago that turned me on to the healthiest, simplest way to give to that restaurant quality 'skin' in no time at all. If  you own a good non-stick pan, you can do it. You just put your pan on med-hi heat and place tofu in pan (I wrap mine, after cutting, in paper towels to get some of the water out as my nonstick cast iron skillet is only barely seasoned and it's more 'non stick' when the tofu is drier), turning occasionally to evenly brown all sides. Done. Seriously, it's that simple. No more tofu soaking up needless oil rather than being coated with amazing flavor of your favorite sauce.

The sauce I used, also inspired by Melody, is simply some Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce heated in a small pan with a teaspoon of my quick version of her Chipotle Lime-Infused Coconut Butter (and to think, I would have just thrown some Organic Earth Balance in there!). My quick version is pretty much her recipe, but I didn't have the chipotle peppers and had to make up for it by throwing in a pinch or two of powdered chipotle. Surely not the same depth of flavor, so I added a touch more lime and cilantro to mine to make up for that. 

When people think Buffalo Sauce and Blue Cheese they often think of.......celery! I hate celery. OK, that's not true. I LOVE cooked celery in soups and stews, and I really enjoy the flavor of celery. It's just the stringy texture that messes up that crisp celery thang it's otherwise got goin on. So, I improvised. A lover of fresh green cabbage, I cut some of that super thin and plated it. Then I tossed that with a couple pinches of celery seed on the plate. Light, fresh, crunchy, with a bit of celery flavor but none of that stringy, all-up-in-your-teeth texture. See? You hang out around enough great cooks' blogs and that genius just rubs right off! 

Oh, right! The Blue Cheese! This is where I'm going to ask you to just trust me. No, really. I have spent weeks staring at the recipes strewn across the internet, shaking my head thinking, "No. No way. Just....no. There is no way that's worth trying". Remembering how UNhealthy my original vegan blue cheese stand-in was, I decided to try it. If it failed, I'd have lost very little in the way of ingredients, so why not? The recipes go something like this: Place a bit of your favorite vegan mayo in a bowl, add a tiny bit of tahini, a few shakes of garlic powder, and a couple splashes of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. So that's what I did. If I had to create a recipe, though I didn't measure with anything but my eyeballs, it would look like this.

Why Not? Vegan Blue Cheese

1/4 c. Original Vegenaise (or, about all that was left in my now watery Vegenaise jar)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or, shake, shake....shake, shake......shake, shake)

1 tsp. of tahini

1 tsp. of lemon juice

1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar

pinch of sugar (I always use Florida Crystals)

whisk well, taste and adjust.

I tasted it. Shut up. It didn't taste like the rich, thick, chunky blue cheese of old that my original concoction had managed, but damn it if it didn't totally work! Maybe I've been eating vegan food for too long. I took it to the Cap'n, my resident omnivore (and awesome husband who happily tries everything I make and always gives me his absolute honest opinion). I walked up to him, tiny spoonful of this vegan could-it-be blue cheese?,  and offered him the disclaimer, "OK, so it's in NO way, blue cheese, but tell me this. Doesn't it taste all.....blue cheesy?!". He tasted it. "You're right. Totally tastes all blue cheesy. Nice!". Didn't need much of the stuff, just enough to balance the heat and tang of the hot sauce with a little creamy goodness. 

And so my dinner was complete, and even better than what I was craving.

Welcome (Back?)!

Oats, in all forms and cold-brewed coffee are always on the breakfast menu.

Welcome, fellow MoFo'ers (and any poor soul that still stops by now and again to see if I have posted anything new. I'm lookin' at my sister. Hi Seesa!)! I wouldn't be me if I didn't wait until the very last minute to prepare for something I'm super excited about. And if preparing means lying awake at night dreaming up recipes and posts but failing to write anything down before sleep hits me like a cheap shot, then I am so damn ready.

Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan! Then & now.

I started this little blog back in 2006 as a way to catalogue and share my journey into veganism after being a vegetarian for nearly a decade. I posted frequently and often long-windedly, and really loved sharing in the amazing recipes and techniques, handy kitchen tools and new ideas that fellow vegans and I were dreaming up.

My baby T is five! We're all getting a LOT more sleep.

 In 2008 I had my daughter and shifted from full-time blogger to sleep-deprived mama just trying to get from one day to the next with everybody (that's me, T, the Cap'n, five felines, one goofy yellow lab, and for a few years there a couple of the most adorable nephews on Earth who I got to watch during the week) fed. Posting became infrequent, lurking even less frequent, but I have always had the kitchen be my Zen and vegan food be my mantra.  

Whole foods, comfort foods, failed experiments, and delicious successes have all been churned out of my tiny little Florida kitchen, if not always chronicled. I'm hoping to change that this month and post often.  I can't really promise a theme, but I can promise new ideas, revamped old ones, the dusting off of old cookbooks to discover new recipes, the cracking open of new cookbooks to embark on creating new staples (say it with me, Artisan Vegan Cheeeeeeese!), a focus on healthier meals, occasional diversions into things that satisfy my oh-so-sweet tooth, highlighted favorite kitchen tools, DIY beauty and household products and their reviews and any other thing a self-respecting, curious vegan might be interested in checking out (I hope!).

Oh, and kitty pics.  You can always count on me for kitty pics. 

Nope, you're mistaken. BanAnna in that middle pic is totally our sixth kitty.

 For today, while I organize my thoughts, dig through my woefully unorganized picture and recipe folders, and settle into this beloved place I've called my blog for so long, I welcome you to my kitchen, the place where the music is blasted, the food is healthy, delicious, and always made with love, the cat hair is the not-so-secret ingredient, and the space is limited. 

My tiny, sunshiney happy place.

Vegan Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cakes

Did I mention they've got a delicious surprise center?

This blog is quickly turning into The Oatmeal Diaries. Every time I make oatmeal a new way it's 'my favorite way to have my oats in the morning'. In this case, it's true. These breakfast cakes are simple to make,  full of good things, moist, flavorful, and filling. This method, despite my love for steel cut oats, aside from my desire to have oats fast, is the one I keep coming back to but have yet to blog about.  here it is, the most delicious way I've found to have my cake and eat it too....for breakfast!

Vegan Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cakes

makes 8 mini loaf 'cakes'*

4 cups old fashioned oats
(quick oats work as well, but I always buy the Publix Organic Old Fashioned Oats)
4-8 very ripe bananas, mashed (you want enough to have 2 cups once mashed)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg (I use a micro planer for freshest, most aromatic nutmeg)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups plain almond milk
1 scant tsp salt
1 T canola oil (or unrefined coconut oil, because it's just. so. gooood.)
8 T favorite nut butter (I use Justin's chocolate hazelnut or Justin's chocolate almond butter)**

Preheat oven to 380 degrees (375 may be fine but my current oven is a bit off). Spray mini loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside. In large bowl, mash bananas and add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, almond milk, salt, and oil. Blend with immersion blender or whisk until well incorporated and foamy. Stir in oats. Mixture will be very wet. If you let it set for 5-10 minutes you'll notice the oats starting to soak up some of the liquid tho waiting is not necessary. Fill mini loaves half full, making a bit of an indention in the middle with your spoon. Add one tablespoon of nut butter to each mini loaf, then top each with remaining mixture until each mini loaf well is full. You can really fill the wells and pat down, they will still cool through perfectly.
Place pan in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer  (I use a chopstick ;) comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place cooling rack upside down on top of mini loaf pan. Flip the pan/rack so that the  rack is now right side up and sitting on counter. Tap each of the wells and carefully remove mini loaf pan, allowing oatmeal to cool. Enjoy warm with your favorite seasonal fresh fruit!

Mmmmm, honey mango season is my favorite!

These keep wonderfully in the refrigerator once fully cooled for the week. If you don't think you'll be eating them every day (I know I will!) they also freeze wonderfully and can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and popped back in a 350 oven for ten minutes in the morning.

You can leave out the oil, but I find that it keeps them from drying out. Maybe additional banana could also alleviate that. I have made these with less than ideally ripe bananas and they were a bit drier than normal. Before heating, I just poured a tiny bit of almond milk on the plate that soaked up into the cake. Perfect solution.

*I have yet to try this with regular muffin tins, but imagine this amount could fill 12 regular sized muffin wells. I would check baking time at 20 minutes though to ensure you don't over bake and dry them out.

**I've made these with non-chocolate nut butter and they just weren't as good for me. I think the combo of cocoa and nut butter and banana and oats is just perfect. If you don't have a chocolate variety of nut butter on hand, you could add plain nut butter and top with a few chocolate chips for a very similar effect.

Vegan Baked Steel Cut Oats

Vegan Banana Baked Steel Cut Oats

I've blogged about fancy, brunch-worthy, maybe takes a little more effort than your everyday breakfast, Pan-Seared Steel Cut Oats. I've also blogged about the fastest way I could think of to make sure I got Overnight Steel Cut Oats in the morning with minimal effort. This post may be the smartest way I've come up with to enjoy my beloved steel cut oats for breakfast. I don't know about you, but I love batch cooking. One morning where I have a bit of time to get organized and get cooking, making a full week of wake, heat, and eat kinda meals. The prep of this method actually doesn't take much time at all and has few ingredients. 

While I never blogged about it, I have done the crock pot thing and found a mixture and cooking time I liked for batch cooking steel cut oats, but that method made so much that it was all about freezing and thawing and they were always gummier than I desired. I like my oats to have a lot of firmness to them. This recipe delivers just that. The oats are cooked through without losing any of their structure and it holds together beautifully without being at all gummy.  It comes together easily, makes the house smell heavenly while it's in the oven, and has come out perfect both times I've made them this way. If you find them to not be as wet as you like (they're more of a moist steel cut oat cake, really) then that can be easily remedied by drizzling a bit more almond milk over them before eating. I like them just the way they are though.

I love that the only sweetener in this recipe is a bit of maple syrup and a ton of bananas. Mmmmmm, bananas. I buy a bunch these days just so I can watch them get all brown and speckled, ripe for the baking. This recipe makes eight large breakfast portions or 16 smaller portions if accompanying with other breakfast favorites. Tempeh bacon, anyone?


Vegan Baked Steel Cut Oats

2 cups steel cut oats
4 cups plain almond milk, heated (will divide into two 2 cup portions)
5-6 ripe bananas, mashed (around two cups, but don't bother measuring)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional. I love what almond brings to any baked good, but feel free to leave it out)
1 tsp cinnamon
nutmeg, to taste (I just use my microplane grater on some whole nutmeg, maybe 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
1 T canola oil (this may be optional as well. When next I make it I'll leave it out and report back)

Favorite Nut Butter
Fresh Fruit

Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
line a 9x13 in baking dish with parchment paper. Pour in steel cut oats.
Heat almond milk and pour 2 cups over the oats, stir, set aside.
In a large bowl mash bananas. (I just break mine up and use the stick blender on them with the rest of the ingredients)
Pour the remaining 2 cups almond milk over bananas.
Add to bowl, syrup, extract(s), cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oil.
Whisk really well until you have a bowl of frothy, banana yumminess.

Smells so goooooood.

Or bust out your immersion blender like I do and get that result after about a minute of blending.



Pour bowl mixture into baking pan with oats and almond milk, and stir gently. 

Place in oven for one hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

I think this batch came out pretty with all those deep cracks. 

When serving, top each square with a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter (I am currently in LOVE with Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter and their Chocolate Almond Butter as well) by either just spreading it on top or getting all fancy by putting it in a ziploc, snipping the corner, and piping it on. Cut fresh fruit and serve that on top as well.

Served with Justin's Chocolate Almond Butter and Fresh Strawberries

Storage: When I make this I cut it into 8 large squares and place them in a large, rectangular Pyrex dish with a lid. I can fit four on the bottom, put in a layer of wax paper or saran wrap, and then add the next four squares before putting the lid on. In the morning, I throw a square in the microwave for 30 seconds and top with nut butter and berries. If you're not one to eat the same thing every day, I bet they'd freeze well too, but I would thaw before heating again. Personally, I love eating this every day so I haven't tried freezing them myself. 

If you're not a nut butter fan (gasp!) I bet just berries is just fine. Actually, when I ran out (the horror!) I through a cup of frozen raspberries in a small sauce ban with about 1/4 cup water, a tsp or two of sugar and heated until it thickened up a bit. Then I just drizzled my hot raspberry sauce over the top.  A little goes a long way there. (Full disclosure: I totally dressed it with sauce from frozen blueberries too!)