vegan mofo: purple cabbage & jicama slaw

a mix up on cabbage slaw that didn't light my fire.

status: epic fail!

why i'm including it: although it wasn't quite an epic fail, this particular recipe definitely need some improvement.  the cabbage, jicama and pistachios definitely rocked.  the dressing, however, is a bit tricky with those ingredients.

would i make it again:  parts - yes.  look for an improved recipe in 2011.

kimchi

if you follow my blog at all, you probably know i'm a cabbage junkie.  i eat the stuff by the bowlful.  last year i bought a airlock fermenter so i can make my own gallon jars of homemade kraut.  the best part - lots of extra cabbage (i always overestimate). so i put my overstock to good use, and decided to make up a batch of vegan kimchi (most recipes have some sort of fish sauce). let me preface this by saying i don't know how authentically korean this recipe is, but it makes the kimchi flavor i like, so i'm sticking with it.  the one thing i don't add is sugar, which a lot of recipes call for. but again, if you read my blog, you know that sugar and i are like oil and water - we just weren't meant to go together.  i've included pics at the bottom that document the process of making this deliciousness.

• 1 head of napa cabbage
• 2 baby bok choy
• 1 carrot, shredded
• other veggies: green peppers, daikon, scallions
• 1¼ tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 cups water

for the kimchi paste:

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon korean chili powder
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cloves ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons water

start by prepping the cabbage.  cut a small v into the thick part of the stem and remove.  then cut it crosswise (see picture below).  put cabbage in sterile bowl, and toss with about 1¼ tablespoons of kosher salt.  next, cut up the bok choy, and mix in with the cabbage. add the water and let sit at room temperature for about a hour or two. in the meantime, mince and slice the other veggies. after cabbage has tenderized in the brine, drain and rinse the cabbage off several times and taste a small piece.  if it's too salty, submerge cabbage in water without salt and let sit for 15 or 20 minutes to desalt and then drain.  it's sort of a balance that you will figure out after a couple times making it.

in a separate bowl, mix up all the paste ingredients except for the sesame seeds.  put all the veggies in the bowl with the cabbage and mix in paste.  you can do it by hand by using gloves, or i just use a large sterile plastic mixing spoon.  make sure all the cabbage is coated, and then toss in the sesame seeds and mix them in.  in a sterile quart jar, start packing the kimchi in, making sure to press down and push out any air.  once the kimchi is packed in, pour in the remaining kimchi brine that was generated by mixing the paste. make sure the cabbage completely covered with slurry.


at this point, you can eat it, pop it in the fridge or let it ferment (more traditional).  to ferment, make sure all cabbage is covered with slurry (but not completely to the top), cap it, and put in a cool dark place (slightly below room temperature) for a few days before moving to fridge.  if needed, you can fill a ziploc bag with water and set it on top to submerge the veggies before you cap it.  i've done both, but fermented foods certainly have some benefits.  eat with noodles, rice, dumplings, in soups, in nori rolls, as a side, etc.

get your ingredients together

prep your cabbage

mix with kimchi paste

tightly pack in a jar for consumption

vegan corned beef & cabbage

i made this recipe last year and it was so awesome, i couldn't wait to post it in time for this years st. patrick's day.  i had planned to post it about two weeks ago, but i was in another car accident which has totally hijacked my time to blog (or cook).  i did finally remake it a few days ago it was as good as i remember.  i'm already stoked to make it again for some reubens!

for the corned beef:

• 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 10-12 slightly crushed black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup cold water (more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

for the crock pot mix:

• 3½ cups veggie broth
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• 4 baby red or yukon gold potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon bragg's aminos

switch the crock pot on high and add in all spices from the crock pot mix and the potatoes (skip the braggs if you have a salty broth). this will cook for about 5 hours total. now, i usually put my cabbage in early - and let it cook for about 2-3 hours.  i like it that way.  but some will say to add cabbage about an hour before eating. it's up to you.  about 2 hours in, start the corned beef.  mix the wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls, then slowly add the wet into the dry as you knead.  after about 3 minutes of kneading, shape the seitan into a loaf and wrap in a foil pouch. steam for approximately 25 minutes and let cool. open up the foil pouch, and place under the broiler (on low) for about 5-10 minutes on each side (until it develops a crusty skin).  i just pop it in the over on the foil, but you can use a pan if you want.

you'll place the corned beef in the crock pot, making sure to cover it completely with the broth.  let it cook for about an hour, then pull it out and place on a cutting board.  slice into thin slices, no more than a 1/4" thick.  put back in the crock pot for another hour or so, until the cabbage and potatoes are tender. whew - you're done!
 
i made a gravy by reconstituting the broth with a little nutritional yeast and some unbleached flour. i served it up with irish soda bread.

warm sesame cabbage slaw

i love the bagged dole/generic slaw mixes you can buy at the grocery store - usually for 99 cents! i usually keep at least one or two in my fridge at all times for quick lunches or dinner additions. if you check my tags for cabbage, you'll see quite a few recipes because it can be used in so many genres of food. this recipe is just a nice warm sesame slaw that i make for small lunches or dinner sides.

• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 pkg. dole slaw mix (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons bragg liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

heat sesame oil on medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. add in the cabbage and sauté for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat. mix in the rest of ingredients except sesame seeds (the margarine is optional, but gives it more savory flavor). continue sautéing for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. add in the sesame seeds and give it a couple more tosses before removing from heat.

serve warm. i really like to give it a light coat of the ginger-miso dressing from matthew kenney's everyday raw. the book is awesome, so you should definitely pick up a copy. in the meantime, you can find the dressing recipe here.

curry in a hurry

work has been crazy for me lately, and i've honestly not felt like cooking complicated meals when i get home. i've been eating a lot of easy meals, and i thought this one was one of the more blog worthy. the only catch is that for an quick and easy meal, you'll want to have your curry powder made ahead of time, or buy some. i made my several months ago and keep it in a spice jar.

• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 3 cups sliced cabbage
• 1 carrots, julienned
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

for the curry powder:

• 2 tablespoons cumin seed
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 3/4 tablespoon cloves
• 3/4 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

to make the curry powder, put all seeds (everything through the fenugreek) on a cookie sheet and place in the oven on 300 for about 15-20 minutes. alternately, you can put it in a cast iron skillet and heat on a medium stove top. once seeds begin to pop, wait about another 20 seconds before you remove them. put the toasted seeds along with the rest of the powdered ingredients into a magic bullet or the old fashioned mortar and pestle. grind into a curry powder.

cook brown rice according to directions. meanwhile, slice all the veggies up and place in a non-stick skillet. heat on medium high for one or two minutes, until the garlic starts to brown a little. add in the curry powder and onion/onion powder. the juices from the tomatoes and veggies should provide enough liquid to make a thick sauce. if not, add in 1/4 cup of water or coconut milk. when the green peppers are tender and cabbage is translucent, remove from heat. serve over brown rice.

make 2 dinner servings.

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.

baked cabbage rolls

i'm a long time cabbage fan - in fact one of the first recipes i posted on this blog was a cabbage salad of sorts. i came up with this recipe after we received a head of cabbage from door to door organics and i wanted something warm, filling and fairly healthy. my first instinct was to stuff them with rice, but we didn't have any. luckily i found some yellow split peas laying around, and they made the perfect substitute.

• 12 cabbage leaves
• 1/2 pack of tofu, crumbled
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup cooked yellow split peas
• 1/2 tablespoon adobe seasoning
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
• 1 small can tomato sauce (80z)

there are a number of ways to get your cabbage leaves. my method involves de-coring the cabbage, and placing the whole head in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes. after it cools a minute, then i peel off the leaves and they are pliable enough for wraps. you could also peel the leaves off without steaming, but i find that they rip less when slightly cooked.

heat the sesame oil in a large skillet on high. dump in the crumbled tofu and fry for about 7-8 minutes until it starts to brown on all sides. turn your heat down a notch to medium-high and add in the onion, garlic, salt & pepper, and soy. continue sautéing for a few minutes to really season the tofu.

next, pour in the veggie broth and rest of the vegetables. do not add the last two spices or canned tomatoes yet. cook your mixture on medium high, stirring frequently, until the liquid runs low. now add in the canned tomatoes - partially drained. to 'partially drain' my canned tomatoes i usually open the can 95% with the lid still attached, turn over once and let drain, but i don't press the lid to force any more liquid out. add the tomatoes to the mix, along with the curry and adobo seasoning. simmer for about 2 mintues until most of the tomato juice has been absorbed.

in an 8x11 casserole dish, spread 1 tablespoon of the canned tomato sauce in the bottom to prevent the cabbage rolls from sticking. then wrap each leaf like burrito, stuffed with your veggie mixture, and place in the casserole dish. once all the leaves have been assembled, pour the remaining can of tomato sauce over the top.


bake at 375°f for 25 minutes, remove and sprinkle vegan parmesean on top. i just used nutritional yeast as i didn't have any vegan parm.

cabbage and peas in nooch sauce

education time for non-vegans: 'nooch' is a reference to nutritional yeast - known for helping us create imitation cheeze sauces, or i've even heard it used to refer to the sauce itself. i buy it in the bulk bins at whole foods, and find that a good $5 worth will last me at least a month or more, and i cook a lot. some people don't like the taste, but i do, and like to add it to my veggies for a little amped up flavour.

• 10 oz cabblage/carrot mix
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
  
• 1 cup cooked peas (~1/2 can)
• tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

for the nooch sauce:

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 cup soy milk (unsweetened)
  
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• heavy dash of black pepper

mix all nooch sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. i save pickle or salsa jars just for this purpose. small mason jars would work just as well.

saute cabbage in large non-stick skillet with 2 tablespoons water on high. in 3-5 minutes, the cabbage should start to show some translucency, but still have a crunchy texture. add in the butter, and peas. about 30 seconds later, pour in nooch sauce. continue cooking on medium-high for about 4-5 minutes and remove from heat. it shouldn't be too liquidy - if it is, keep cooking. the cabbage and peas should be nicely coated, but not swimming. top with hot sauce if so desired.

this makes a nice side dish for about 3 people.

spicy cabbage mix in peanut sauce

today is st. patrick's day, a highly celebrated day in my house. i don't have a typical irish food recipe to share, but i felt i should at least post something green. i can eat cabbage in almost any fashion, and *love* adding it to my stir fry recipes. the best part of this dish is that the peanut sauce really complements the spiciness. happy st. patrick's day!


stir fry:

• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrots
• 1/4 cup peanuts
  
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon water
  

for the peanut sauce:

• 5 tablespoons pb2
  
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

whisk up the stir fry sauce ingredients, and pour over the steamed broccoli. allow the broccoli to marinade for a couple hours.

meanwhile, mix up the peanut sauce by first mixing pb2 powder with 4 tablespoons of water. pb2 is a peanut butter powder that has something like 85% less calories than regular peanut butter (and still tastes good!). if you don't have pb2, you could sub about 1/4 cup peanut butter, but i really suggest you try it. after the pb2 reaches a thin creamy consistency, whisk in the rest of the peanut sauce ingredients.

after broccoli has marinated, turn your wok on 400° and dump in the broccoli and marinade. stir fry for several minutes, and then toss in cabbage. continue cooking for about 3 minutes, toss in peanuts, and cook another 3 minutes. cover in peanut sauce and serve.

miso mustard cabbage slaw

i recently came across some shiro (white) miso on sale, and have been lovin' the new recipe options. you can find miso at most health food stores, or for a cheaper option, the oriental or asian markets carry it too. i made this slaw for lunch one day and fell in love...

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 cups cabbage/carrot mix

for the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 tablespoon mild miso (yellow or white)
• 3/4 tablespoon mustard (whole seed preferred)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1+ teaspoon bragg's aminos

in a medium skillet, heat sesame oil on medium. add the cabbage or slaw mix, and saute for about 3-5 minutes. turn heat to high and add a teaspoon of water. cook the cabbage for about 1-2 minutes more until it starts to turn translucent, but not wilted.

in a separate bowl, mix up the dressing ingredients. start with the miso and water, and whip with a fork until the miso is emulsified. the combine the rest of ingredients, adding as much bragg's as you see fit. i used arran original mustard, with whole brown and yellow mustard seeds. pour cabbage out of skillet, and coat with dressing. serve warm.

simple spicy stir fry

i'm a spice maniac. seriously. my stomach must be made of steel because i love superhuman hot-ness in my foods. this dish will definitely clear the sinuses. i'd suggest modifying the chili paste based upon what you prefer. best of all, it's really low fat and low calorie if you stick to the oil measurements below.

• 7 oz. frozen broccoli
• 1 cup shredded cabbage and carrots
• 2 tablespoons chili paste
• 1 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu (or soy)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground sichuan peppercorns

heat oils and chili paste in a wok on high (about 400°). add in the broccoli, shoyu, galic and ginger and stir fry until well heated (about 7 minutes with frozen broccoli). add the rice vinegar and cabbage mix (i used bag coleslaw mix) and cook for about 5 minutes. toss in the ground sichuan peppercorns about 30 seconds before you finish stir frying.

this recipe only makes one bowl- perfect for the solo spice lover.

cabbage soup

i got sick this past week. i was hungry all the time, but i wanted something warm, comforting and easy to swallow. oh, and easy to make since i didn't have much energy. i made a cabbage soup that served all my needs.

• 1 pound cabbage, shredded (i use dole coleslaw mix)
• 1 6oz. can tomato paste
  
• 9 cups water
• 1 veggie bouillon cube (i use knorr)
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup cajun seasoning
• 3 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoon onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1½ cups textured vegetable protein
*(or boca ground crumbles)

in a large stock pot (approx. 8 qt), bring everything but the tvp to a boil. lower temperature to medium low, cover, and let simmer for about 40 minutes. add the textured veggie protein and cook for another 15 minutes. check the water level often and add more water or spices if necessary.
makes about 6 hearty bowls of soup (which equals a lot of leftovers if you are trying to kill a cold).

asian cabbage salad

this is a really fresh salad that is easy to whip up for just one, or you can multiply the recipe and it makes a great pot luck dish as well.

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablesppons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or nama shoyu

all the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to whatever amount you prefer. i tend to just make it up as i go... i toss everything in a bowl and it has a great flavour with a little twang from the mustard. sometimes i even throw in a dash of rice vinegar.

you can get nama shoyu at most health food stores, or i have it listed in my vegan kitchen store.