Chorizo & Mushroom Potato Skins

This recipe comes courtesy of Lindsay at Cook. Vegan. Lover.

Yields 3 servings as a main, 6 as a side or appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 3 baking potatoes, baked at 350F for 1hr 15 min and cooled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 package of Upton’s Naturals chorizo seitan
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/3-1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
• Garnishes: diced tomato, arugula, thinly sliced green onions and my smoked paprika aioli from my latest e-book

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Slice the cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides just enough to stuff with 2-3 tablespoons of filling; place on a baking sheet and set to the side.
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; stir in the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Stir in the chorizo, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes- vegetables should start to caramelize and everything combine.
3. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into each of the potato skins; using all of the filling. Top with shredded vegan cheese- as much or as little as you like.
4. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil- making sure to tent the foil so that the cheese does not stick ot the foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese has melted and the potato skins are lightly brown.
5. Plate and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Spaghetti and Heart-Shaped Meatballs

A perfect dinner for your Valentine any day of the year from the lovely Vegan Miss!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for pasta sauce):

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, heavy pinch
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 fresh medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine*
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 2 packages Upton's Naturals Ground Beef Style Seitan, crumbled
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow according to box directions)*
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs*
• 1/4 cup olive oil, for frying, add more if needed

Ingredients (for pasta):

• 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked by box instructions
• fresh Italian parsley, to top
• fresh basil, to top
• vegan Parmesan cheese, to top

Recipe (for pasta sauce):

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil and salt until the onions have sweat.
2. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, basil, and wine. Cook down until wine is reduced to half. This step may take about twenty minutes.
3. Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper. Simmer for about ten minutes.

Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
3. While the oil is heating, shape the meatballs into heart-shapes.
4. On a plate, add the bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
5. Cook in the skillet until golden brown.

Recipe (for pasta):

1. To assemble, place cooked pasta on a plate. Top with the sauce and meatballs.
2. Add the parsley, basil, and Parmesan to the pasta plate. Buon appetito!

* Note: Make sure your red wine is vegan on Barnivore. I used Our Daily Red organic, vegan red wine. Vegan Parmesan brand I use is Galaxy topping. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For the bread crumbs, make sure to check they are vegan. Oftentimes, they will contain dairy. I used the Whole Foods brand, 365.

Chorizo Potato Skins

We enjoyed these potato skins while watching the Super Bowl at home this past weekend. The amounts of chorizo, cheese, and sour cream will vary depending on the size and amount of your potatoes, so use your best judgement on how much to cook up and save the rest for another tasty recipe!

Ingredients:

• Potatoes (I used Yukon Gold, but think Russets are more traditional)
• Upton's Naturals Chorizo-style Seitan
• Vegan Cheese (I used cheddar Daiya mixed with monterey jack Follow Your Heart)
• Vegan Sour Cream (I used Tofutti)
• Spray Canola Oil

Directions:

1. Wash your potatoes and then poke some holes in them with a fork. Bake them at 400ºF right on the rack in the oven until they are soft (time will vary depending on the size of your 'taters).
2. Spray some canola oil in a pan and add your chorizo. Spray a little additional oil on top and warm the canola. You can add a little water to the pan to keep the seitan from drying out and steam it as it cooks. Cook for about 5-10 minutes without letting the seitan dry out or get too crispy.
3. When your potatoes are fully cooked (they should give a little to the touch), take them out of the oven, cut them in half, and leave them for a few minutes to cool before handling them further. Once they are cool, scoop out the center of each half leaving about 1/4" of potato along with the skin.
4. Coat the potato skins on both sides with canola oil and put them back into the oven at 450ºF for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook for 10 minutes on the other side. Make sure you use a sturdy baking dish at this temperature.
5. You're almost there! Stuff the potato skins with the chorizo seitan followed by your vegan cheese. Place the stuffed skins under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
6. Top your skins with vegan sour cream and ENJOY!

Jiaozi Dumplings

From Alexis at Vegan Miss! Happy Chinese New Year!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (for dumplings):

• 1/2 package (4 oz.) Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled and cooked
• 1/3 cup napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/8 cup water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 package (16 oz.) wonton wrapper*
• water, to close wontons

Ingredients (for sauce):

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp green onions, sliced

Recipe:

1. Cook the seitan according to package instructions.
2. In a large pot, boil water.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
4. Fill the wonton wrappers with a teaspoon of the filling. Using your fingers, wet the wonton wrapper along the edges.
5. Fold wonton and pinch to close.
6. Place 7-8 dumplings in the boiling water and boil for about 3-5 minutes.
7. While dumplings are boiling, combine the sauce ingredient in a small bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar.

*Make sure your wonton wrappers are vegan. Many of them contain egg. I have a dumpling press, which is why my dumplings look so perfect in the picture. Same water around the edges applies when you use this too.

Loaded Nachos

Another tasty recipe from Alexis at Vegan Miss! Just in time for the Super Bowl!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes (with cheeze sauce)

Ingredients (for nachos):

• 1 (14 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans, warmed
• cheeze sauce (directions below)
• 1/2 package (4 oz.) Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• several dollops vegan sour cream
• 1/2 jar salsa
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced thin
• tortilla chips, to serve

Ingredients (for guacamole):

• 2 avocados, pits remove
• 3-4 limes, squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 one poblano pepper, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup, fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste

Ingredients (for cheese sauce):

• 1 large red pepper roasted, peeled, and seeded
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup beer (lager)*
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch with 5 tsp water (combined)
• soy milk (to desired consistency)

Recipe (for seitan):

1. Crumble your seitan and mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder with it.
2. Brown in a non-stick pan on medium heat.

Recipe (for guacamole):

1. In a bowl, mash the avocados and add the lime juice. Mix.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Recipe (for cheese sauce):

1. Roasted red pepper on broil until it is soft.
2. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Add seeded, peeled, roasted red pepper to cheese sauce mixture. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour mixture into pot on medium heat.
5. Add cornstarch and water mixture, bring to boil. Add the milk in slowly; depending on how thick or runny you want the sauce, add more or less.
6. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer. Keep stirring the mixture.
7. Continue stirring until you pour.