vegan explosion: the diablo dog

as a child, i always had an aversion to the taste of hot dogs. and a kids in the hall skit confirmed my distaste when they claimed that hot dogs were composed of yucky animal parts, mixed with old phone books and wieeeeener flavour. (i still firmly believe this is the original recipe for hot dogs). and truth be told, i've never liked the vegan hot dogs all that much either. then behold, the diablo dog. ms. jewbacca and ms. crunk both had me intrigued, then salivating, and then running to the store. i snatched up the jumbo dogs and some seriously awesome vegan hoagie buns. i kid you not, this is a little (er, huge) piece of sinful heaven.


my diablo dog consisted of:

• huge hoagie buns
• jumbo vegan hot dogs
• jalapenos
• chopped tomatoes
• regular mustard
  
• hot scottish mustard
• chopped pickles
• chopped green peppers
• vegan queso
• chili beans
• hot sauce
• ketchup
• sauerkraut
  

first get your prep out of the way, because when those dogs are done, you aren't going to want to be cutting tomatoes and pickles.

split the hot dogs down the center and pop them on the grill (about medium heat). then split the hoagies and grill them for a minute or two as well so they are nice and crunchy. pile all the fixins on, smush everything together and do your best to get it in your mouth.

definitely a three or four napkin dish.

vegan mock meatloaf

jen of that pain in the ass vegan and i must have been on the same mock meat vibe, because we both came up meatloaf recipes around the same time (i just took a little longer to get mine posted). i've had a couple of tries at mock meatloaves since becoming vegetarian, but i always forget to write down what i put in it. i finally remembered this time, and luckily, the meatloaf was tasty! it seems really wet in the beginning, but once cooked it firms up nicely and you can easily cut it into pieces.

• 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• 1/2 cup cooked yellow split peas
• 1/2 cup cooked green peas
• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 2/3 cups short grain brown rice
• 2 pieces of whole wheat toast
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup hickory bbq sauce

cook lentils, peas and rice according to directions. after the lentils and peas have cooled considerably, pour them into a food processor along with the drained kidney beans and jalapenos. after blending, put the mixture into a large mixing bowl, and add the rest of ingredients (crumble your toast) except for the rice and barbecue sauce. mix thoroughly, and finally add in the rice and bbq sauce as desired. i found the bbq flavour really enriched the flavour, so be sure to add your favourite sauce.

preheat the oven to 375°f. if you like a crispy crust, divide the mixture into to loaf pans. cook both pans for approximately 30 minutes. the result will be less thick, but you'll have a nice proportion of crispy exterior and soft inside. i haven't tried cooking it all in one pan, but i imagine you'll have to extend the cooking time.

i like to serve mine with a trio of dipping condiments (see background of picture). i put one dollop of ketchup, one dollop of mustard, and one dollop of bbq sauce side by side. plus this gives it fancy-pants presentation.

pulp pasta (raw)

i love zucchini pasta in the summer. not only is it nice not to have a big pot of boiling pasta on your stove, but it's lighter in calories. and who doesn't have a ton of zucchini right about now? this recipe uses tomato-veggie juice pulp, because i'm always looking for creative ways to use it up. waste not, want not, right? of course, if you don't make juice, you could just as easily sub marinara.

• 1 zucchini, spiralized
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 clove garlic
• 1/4 whole onion
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 dash fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• pulp from tomato fusion juice

use a spiralizer to make noodles from your zucchini. combine tomato juice pulp (or something similar) and rest of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times. i like my sauce a little on the chunky side, but you could add more water or olive oil for a smoother sauce.

pour over noodles and serve. it doesn't need to be heated up unless you want to - i like mine at room temperature in the hot summer.

fire roasted soyrizo burrito (breakfast burrito #3)

breakfast burritos. good for those ravenous mornings when fruit or pastries just won't cut it. i never had 'real' chorizo when i was an omnivore, so i'm not sure how soyrizo compares. i really like the spicy flavour of the soyrizo - both the homemade and pre-packaged. add in some fire roasted tomatoes, and you have a big sloppy delicious breakfast. :)

• 1 soyrizo link
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14.5oz)
• 1 small can mexi-style corn (11 oz.)
• 1/2 small zucchini, diced
• 1 tablespoons cumin
• 10 inch flour tortillas
• tofutti sour cream (optional)

roughly chop soyrizo in large non-stick skillet on medium heat. i find that soyrizo tends to crumble by itself, so larger chunks are fine. drain the corn, and add it in along with the cumin. saute for about 2 minutes, and then add in slightly drained fire roasted tomatoes. to slightly drain, open the can but keep the lid on with your hand. turn over once in the sink, but don't compress or try to force liquid out. once you added in everything, continue cooking mixture for approximately 5 minutes, or until tomato liquid has mostly evaporated. serve on heated flour tortillas. if you want to cool the spiciness down, you can add a big dollop of tofutti sour cream.

makes about 3 or 4, depending on size.

fruit salad green smoothie

being the only veggie in my office, i always get offered the remains of the fruit trays from pot lucks and parties (which i totally love). leftover fruit salad is great - if you can eat it quickly. sometimes it may be a few days before i can polish it off, and a bowl of mushy fruit doesn't sound that great. here is the solution, my friends. if the fruit is still good, maybe just not in peak form, throw it in a blender with a some greens. it's delicious, nutritious and you won't let anything go to waste!

• 1 1/2 cups fruit salad
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 ice cubes

this was a bit of fruit salad leftover from my belated birthday party (i ate most of it before it started to get mushy). thanks to the true family for making it with tons of fresh fruit - just how i like it. it was a delicious combination of cantaloupe, bananas, strawberries, green grapes, and peaches.

put all ingredients in a regular blender for about 30-45 seconds. if you have a lot of watery fruits, you may not need a full 1/3 cup water... just start with a little and add enough to get it blending.

green bean & peanut stir fry

i tend to make solo meals more spicy than when i'm cooking for others. this particular evening i was craving a stir fry, and had some fresh green beans lying around. i decided to add in some peanuts and give it healthy dose of chili oil. the green bean and peanut combination was fantastic!

• 1 ½ tablespoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon veggie hoisin
• 1/4 cup party peanuts
• 1 large handful green beans (about 25)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3/4 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water

add oils, peanuts and garlic into a wok or large non-stick skillet. sauté on high for 1 minute. then add in the fresh green beans and stir fry until oil has almost cooked off. it's likely that your green beans are probably not very tender, so at this point, add in the water and hoisin and turn down heat to medium. let the water steam/cook the beans for while, stirring often. as the water starts to cook off (about 5-7 minutes), you'll find a nice glaze from the oil and soy starts to coat the beans and peanuts. this glaze is what i find so tasty about this dish. remove from heat when glaze is at your desired consistency. i think a thick coating with very little liquid, so i cook the full 7 minutes. if you are serving over rice, you might want it a little bit more fluid.

the measurements above were for a single-serving meal, so double or triple as necessary.

fresh veggie pasta

summer produce makes my world go round. farmer's markets, local gardens, roadside fruits and veggies... i love being able to incorporate all this freshness into my meals. sure, i use a can of this or that along the way, but the bright colours and crisp flavours take center stage.

• 8 oz. pasta
• 1/2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium sunburst squash
• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
*or three fresh tomatoes
• 1 half can tomato paste (3 oz.)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

cook pasta according to directions on package. chop all veggies into bite size pieces, and shred cabbage. in a large skillet or saucepan, pour in the entire can of tomatoes (including liquid!) and add veggies and spices. if you use fresh tomatoes, you may need to add 1/2 cup a water because this liquid really helps soften the veggies and cabbage. cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until cabbage is tender. add in the tomato paste around the 10 minute mark - the tomato paste serves as a thickening agent for the sauce, so you may need to add more than 3. oz if sauce is still thin.

pour chunky veggie sauce over your pasta noodles of choice - here with elbow macaroni.