Vegan Green Bean Casserole: Soy-Free and Gluten-Free

Before I was vegan, I was dairy free for several years.  I developed a very bad milk allergy in adulthood and it made it hard for me to eat out or with friends, because even a little bit made me really sick.  Holidays were hard because I already had to have separate meat-free dishes when I was vegetarian, and then adding milk free to the mix made it very hard for non-vegans to understand.

So, during the holidays especially, even though I am not soy or gluten-free, I have a special place in my heart for those who aren't able to have childhood favorites because of allergies or dietary choice.

With that in mind, I've been working on holiday recipes that are SIMPLE (even though I love to make complicated and wonderfully complex dishes) and vegan and soy-free and gluten-free.

Last night I perfected my green bean casserole, which was always my job as a kid.  My grandma used to make this big deal like I was so good at reading the directions on the can of fried onions and following the very simple directions.  That was my dish, though, and I took pride in it.

Over the years I've made many variations of this dish.  I've made a gravy with soy milk to use in place of the mushroom soup, I've made a tomato and green bean sauté that was delicious but not at all what others wanted from a green bean casserole, and I've even breaded and baked the onions for my crispy topping.

This recipe does lack that signature crisp, but you can add roasted slivered almonds on top for a great flavor and crunch, if you feel like you need the crispy.

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Prep time: 10-15 minutes **If you don't have a high speed blender, you will need to soak your cashews for about an hour and drain off water before prep**

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8 

4-5 cups green beans cut, cleaned, and blanched* or canned or frozen at room temperature

2 cups mushrooms sliced thinly 

1 1/4 cups raw cashews that have been *soaked for about an hour if you don't have a high speed blender (raw cashew pieces are cheaper and work just as well)

1 yellow onion thinly sliced and 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped 

2 cups water

2-3 Tbsp coconut or vegetable oil (I've been using grapeseed lately)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  If you are using fresh beans, start a large pot of water boiling (enough to submerge your beans).  

Again, if you are using fresh beans, you'll want to cut the ends off and chop them into bite sized pieces in the size you like.  If you've got little ones who like to help in the kitchen and can use a knife, this is a great job for them.  It's even possible with a butter knife if you are concerned about sharps.  Once your beans are chopped, toss them in the hot water until they soften some.  I like some crispness to remain, but they should be cooked as much as you want them done when the casserole is done, so if you like them soft, cook them to that point.

Next, slice your mushrooms and cook them in about a Tbsp of oil with some pepper (don't add salt now or they will release their water).  You want them to get nice and browned, so stir them some, but you should be able to walk away for a minute to allow them to caramelize (I put my 5 year old in charge of stirring these, and she's very good with that, but use your judgement with your child if you think that's a safe job).  

While your mushrooms are cooking, you can prepare your sauce.  I have  high speed blender, so I am able to use the cashews straight out of my canister, but this still works if you have a normal blender, just soak your cashews for about an hour, drain them, and you are good to go.  Place chopped half onion, cashews, 2 cups water, and about a half tsp salt in your blender and blend until smooth.  Don't forget to check on those mushrooms while the blender is running.  Taste and see if you think it needs more salt, some pepper (remember there's pepper on the mushrooms) or if you'd like to add some nutritional yeast or herbs this would be good.  I've made it with roasted garlic added to this mix too and it's delicious.  

In a baking dish (I use a 9" square Corningware baking dish, but you could use a larger rectangular pan and get a thinner casserole), mix your mushrooms and creamy cashew sauce.  Fold in your green beens so that they are completely covered and spread out, then place in the oven uncovered.

As that cooks, cook your thinly sliced onions in about a Tbsp of oil with salt and pepper at a medium or medium low heat so that they cook slowly, but don't burn.  You're going for a nice caramelization.  

The casserole will rise a bit, brown at the edges, and firm up.  It gets custardy in the center, and much like a pancake, what you are looking for is bubbles coming up through the center.  Serve with caramelized onions around the edges and you've got a new holiday favorite!

Coconut Creamy Pumpkin Popsicles

I love the way my kids say words before they learn to fully pronounce them.  I got some of those SoDelicious Pumpkin Popsicles yesterday and all morning my 3 year old has been adorably begging for "more punkin posicles, please."

I have these great Zipzicle Ice Pop Molds, Clear, 12-Pack I ordered on Amazon (if you order through this link too, I think I'll get a fraction of a penny, and that would delight me).  Wanting something marginally healthy, without just pouring a smoothie into the things (that totally works and the kids love it), I got out a can of pumpkin, a can of coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.  Other than the guar gum in the brand of coconut milk I used, the ingredients were organic and pure.  One of my pet peeves is when a recipe calls for part of something that comes in a can- just use it all!  

I poured both full cans (shaking the coconut before opening it so the fatty goodness wouldn't be stuck to the edges) into my blender, the added about a Tablespoon or more of vanilla (I love it) and started shaking spice like it's fall and I'm obsessed.  I poured in some maple syrup and blended it and it tasted perfect.  If it didn't I would have added more maple syrup.  I could have used dates instead of maple syrup, but I wanted it to have that syrupy sweetness.

This could have been mixed in a bowl, but it's easier to fill the Zipzicles from the blender.  It filled 12 Zipsicles, but if I had snuck in hemp seeds and/or kale it would probably be more.

Now they are freezing and I'm wishing I was eating one instead of trying to write a blog post on my phone.  But I do it all for you- and my sweet punkins, particularly the one who still calls popsicles, "posicles."

Food Bowl Season

I am in love with the Buddha Bowl trend!  My Pinterest account is filled with bowls and delight, and my kitchen is too!

The typical equation for a Buddha bowl is a grain, a green, a protein, a dressing, and other fantasticalness to your liking.

Last night I made quinoa (I have been making it in my rice cooker and loving the results).  I do one cup dry (washed) and then two cups water and an Edward and Son's Not Chicken bouillon cube.

Next was a yam chopped up and tossed with coconut oil, paprika, and a little pink salt.

I pulled out the black bean salsa I had marinating all day- one can black beans, a half red onion chopped finely, a half bunch of cilantro chopped finely, a half orange bell pepper cut finely, about 1/2 cup frozen corn, an avocado cubed small, and the juice of a lime with some salt, pepper, and cumin to taste.

My greens were collards that I cut into ribbons and then steamed.

Together, it was a perfect bite and a delicious dinner.  My daughter ate 2.5 bowls and exclaimed, "I LOVE THIS TOO MUCH!" 

Try it out, and check out my Pinterest board to see what's inspiring me in bowls this season :)

But What DO Vegans Eat?

I was once at this breastfeeding support group, and this woman started talking to me and my veganism came up (I know what you are thinking, I probably introduced myself that way).  I only do that when I'm on the news though, usually.

Okay, that time I lead with "I'm a vegan!"  But it got me on the news...

Anyway, this other mom says to me, "But how do you get your daughter to eat vegetables?  Like if I make chicken, with potatoes and broccoli, my son will just eat the chicken and maybe a little broccoli."  I kind of thought she was joking, but she wasn't.

"Well, since I don't serve chicken, she eats the potatoes and broccoli...  My meal would be mostly potatoes and broccoli, so she might fill up a bit on potatoes, but she eats the broccoli too."

I realized she couldn't imagine the plate I was eating.  She was still somehow imagining that I had a plate of chicken, potatoes and broccoli.

This is how you would make a vegan version of that:

See?  That meal on the right is more like what a vegan would serve.

I hear it again and again, though.  Many omnivores want to know how you replace the meat in a meal, and sometimes we use analogs ("fake meat") to fill in a gap in one of our favorite meals from when we were younger and less vegan, but often, the plate is just different.  

It's not about putting a piece of tofu in place of the steak in your favorite steak and potatoes meal, it's about changing that meal (while sometimes maintaining a look or flavor profile) so that it's centered around vibrant, fresh, seasonal vegetables and wholesome whole grains.

You might keep the look of baked potato, vegetable, and protein source, but you might mix it up and make crazy loaded baked potatoes.

When we found out we were pregnant with my son, we called my in-laws and said how happy we were and that this was cause for celebration.  My mother-in-law asked, "Are you going to have a potato?"

We were a bit flabbergasted and it took a while before my husband finally said, over an hour later.  "It's shaped like a ham!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"A potato is round and shaped sort of like a ham.  My mom always serves a ham for big celebrations, and she was trying to think of what would look like a ham for us to celebrate with.  It's because it looks like a ham."

I'm not going to lie, we had some pretty boisterous laughter about this, but it's true!  Roasting and stuffing a big winter squash for Thanksgiving is because we grew up eating a food filled with stuffing on Thanksgiving.  It's okay to want familiarity in looks and flavor of the things you are used to eating.  It's okay to make a portobello steaks and and filet of tofu and eggplant burgers.  No judgement.

I'm just saying that when you start focusing on how to replace meat in your meals, your diet becomes about what you don't eat, rather than what you do eat, and then it feels restrictive.  

So here are two meals we make all the time.  They are both inspired by the idea of food we ate before being vegan, but without trying to exactly replicate it, we've created something way better!

Sushi.  We don't try to recreate fish, we work on flavors and use LOTS of veggies and sea vegetables and seasonings.  Vegan sushi is a favorite of everyone in our house and every guest who has tried it.

Creamy Peanut Noodles.  While we enjoy and use the endless vegan mac n cheese recipes out there, this instead touches on the magical rich creaminess with noodles inherent with mac n cheese, but doesn't even try to mimic the flavor.  Instead, I use a can of coconut milk mixed with 2-4 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay sauce and reduce it until creamy and toss with cooked udon noodles.  Again, there is never any left over and we all love it.

I hope you have some ideas about what vegans eat, and I encourage you to search through vegan recipes on Pinterest (this is a link to my Pinterest board of favorite recipes.  Some are not vegan but I liked the idea and felt I could easily make them vegan), in great vegan cookbooks, and on vegan food blogs.  There's so much variety out there, and so much creativity, that you don't have to worry about what you will eat instead of the steak, just think about all the amazing things you will eat!

Revamp!

It's time.  I haven't blogged on here in forever (since last November).
I got overwhelmed with the disappointment that I don't have my recipes categorized or searchable by ingredient.

So, that's my project for a bit.  And meanwhile, I've been cooking like crazy, I promise, so I will have yummies to share with you.

Since my friends get dibs, I'm taking some requests from them, but please comment here if you have some ideas of what you'd like to see.  I've been eating more raw for summer, eating cleaner too (that doesn't mean I don't want companies who make cool vegan foods to stop sending me freebies.  I still want that).

Let's all feel out together the future of this page.

Also, if you found this page because of an adorable picture of my daughter eating zucchini noodles that you saw on Pinterest, you are in good company, and this one is for you!

Nomvember is Coming

Nom nom nom nom -vember!
I might be obsessed with Nomvember.  I mean, the pumpkin.  The pumpkin.  There's PUMPKIN! 

I got pumpkin spice k-cups.  I have several cans of pumpkins.  I made some yummy healthy pumpkin breakfast bars.  I even got some pumpkin seeds. 

I realize October is standing between us, but I'll wait for Nomvember.  She's worth waiting for. 

What are you making out of pumpkins?  What are you making out of butternut squash?  Kale is in season.  I made chocolate kale chips yesterday.  

It's like I'm on a high brought on by the promise of cinnamon and spice and everything nice. 

I am going to make some roasted brussel sprouts with craisins.  I'm going to make stuffing.  I'm going smell like roasted garlic for a month. 

I'm going to make another pumple.  You know, an apple pie baked in a vanilla cake stacked on top of a pumpkin pie baked in a chocolate cake, coated in more buttercream than a village needs to survive the long Winter?  That.  I'm going to make that.  Except I've spent the entire year thinking of variations...  Cherry pie in chocolate cake with a walnut-y buttercream (black forest style).  Or pecan pie baked into chocolate spice cake.  That's the perfect Texas translation. 

Nomvember is a typo I made, but it is now what I'm calling all of Autumn.

Nomvember harvest, feast, cornucopia. 

Nomvember is love.

What are you making for Nomvember?

I'm a Vegan Foodie, and I'm not Alone

Here's the thing.  I like food.  Not just in the sense that I enjoy the way calories feel when they fuel my body.  I like flavors and textures and color.  I like to cook elaborate meals for my family with special sauces and toppings and an attention to detail.  I think about how flavors come together in new and exciting ways. 

I watch cooking shows and internalize those ideas to recreate in vegan ways.  If I watch a show where a chef adds bacon to a dish for more than "Hey look, it has bacon," then I think about how I could add those flavors to a similar dish.

Tip:  Trying to get the flavor of bacon in something?  "Bacon" is just salt and fat with sweet in the form or honey or maple and smokiness.  My favorite "bacon" replacement in a salad or sandwich where you want the crispy texture as well (because bacon is a texture too) is to make coconut bacon (I should warn you that just like a non-veg at a county fair, you will want to eat ALL THE BACON when you make this).  For a soup, I add smoked paprika, soy sauce, and sometimes a touch of maple syrup (these three are a great addition to a bean soup).  You can also use smoked nuts.  There are delicious Smokehouse almonds that can be chopped up on a salad or blended smooth with water, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper to make a perfect breakfast gravy. 

When I go out to eat, I have been brainwashed by the Food Network to believe that there is a head chef back in the kitchen taking pride in his or her work.  I go in thinking that someone is standing at the pass like Gordon Ramsey calling anyone who puts something sub-par up a useless donkey.  Not that I want anyone to be called names, it's just what they like, because they are chefs, right? 

Because I believe this about professional chefs in nice restaurants, I read the menu with excitement.  Look at the interesting flavor combinations they have come up with!  Oh, who would have thought to use that fruit in a savory dish?!  What a great fusion idea for a noodle bowl!  Inspired!

If it's a somewhat reputable place, they may have a vegan option, but even super high end placed don't all have that.  The hallmark of a truly good restaurant is that they say on the menu to ask for the vegan option.  This means that the chef truly is a skilled craftsman and will make you a special dish that is designed to be vegan and is balanced based on umami, has protein, and is satisfying. 

The other things a menu might say is, "* items can be made vegan."  This means they have asterisks next to things that they have already come up with ways to make vegan.  This doesn't ensure a balanced dish, but is more promising.  It either means they can leave off an expensive ingredient and charge you the same price for an unbalanced dish, or it means they will make a substitution.  Many times when I have asked for avocado in place of the missing cheese on something I get charged more, but I want a balanced dish.  And I'm polite.  And then I tip them...  Talk about zero self-esteem!

Recently I was invited to a group meeting at a place that had actually won an award for "best vegan" in town, but when I looked at their menu it didn't indicate that anything could be made vegan, and it didn't have any vegan items on the menu.  That means you are relying on a waiter or waitress who is going to be getting tipped by you to tell you what can really be made vegan.   Here's how tips work:  the more you spend/order, the more you tip.  So it's in a waiter's best interest to tell you that more options are vegan than actually are.

When a menu isn't marked with what is or can be made vegan, you are at the mercy of someone who may or may not care about their job or integrity.  Lucky me, I have a dairy allergy, so when I get bamboozled, I get to suffer later.  I can't always pinpoint the cause, and it's not always enough that I realize I'm having a reaction, so I rarely get the chance to go back and insist I know they gave me dairy.

I went to a restaurant I had frequented for a year not long ago.  I had asked EVERY time what was vegan and I ordered a lot of the same things over that time.  After a year of asking and ordering and getting the same answers, I had a waitress who said, "Oh, but I thought you wanted everything vegan?  That can't be made vegan."  It was the samosas I had ordered every time I went there.  I had ordered them while pregnant and I had never associated stomach pain with them because I had stomach upset in such irregular intervals.  I asked her to really make sure.  She went into the back, just as every other waiter I'd asked had done, and came back and reassured me that they were not vegan.  She explained that this was not a new recipe, and that they always made it that way.

I guess my point is that I'd like to be able to go out to eat with friends (also, as a mom to two little ones, I'd like to have time to go out to eat), but I don't want to pay the prices for eating out so that I can socialize over a dry iceberg salad.  If I'm going to pay to go out to eat, going to go to a restaurant where everyone is gushing over the amazing food, I'd like to eat some amazing food too.  I'd like to do it without giving up my belief system.  I know it's not easy to make vegan dishes if that's not what you are used to, but don't promote yourself as "vegan-friendly" if you don't know how to make a vegan dish that is delicious.