Our favorite Thanksgiving recipe!

This is a repeat of a past post! We are Periscoping this recipe today!

As you all know, I am not a food blogger. This is only my second blog post with a recipe. There are a ton of vegan food bloggers out there, so don't fret. I even have some of them linked here on my blog for your eating pleasure.

This recipe is from my husband, who grew up with this dish. I love it. In fact I am salivating for it as Thanksgiving Day dinner approaches.

I hope you love it!


Broccoli and Vegan Cheese Casserole
Mike: I got this recipe from Idea from my sister Tammy

Ingredients

• 5 Boxes Frozen Broccoli Thawed (I usually use enough fresh Broccoli to fill a 9"x13" baking pan)
• 2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers (or another vegan version)
• 1 Cup Earth Balance margarine (the best tasting margarine in the world and no trans - fat)
• 6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine (the best tasting margarine in the world and no trans - fat)
• 6 Tbsp Flour
• 3 Cups Unsweetened Vegan Milk of Choice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Cups Shredded Daiya Cheese Cheddar Style (or vegan cheddar cheese of choice. Follow Your Hart works well too)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Directions

1. For the Cheese Sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the 6 Tbsp of Earth Balance. Once the Earth Balance is liquefied, remove from the heat (don't turn off the burner) and add the flour, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan back onto the burner and slowly add 1 cup of vegan milk, whisking constantly until thickening occurs, then add remaining vegan milk 1/2 cup at a time. Cook sauce over medium heat, Whisking constantly until thickened and smooth. Add the vegan cheese and Dijon mustard and cook for an additional 5 minutes, whisking until smooth and well blended (this may take longer than 5 min be patient it will come together).
2. For the topping: Process Ritz Crackers in a food processor until a fine meal. Melt the remaining Earth Balance (1Cup) in a sauce pan. Combine the Ritz Crackers and Melted Earth Balance and stir till combined.
3. Putting it Together: Place the Broccoli in a greased 9"x13" Casserole Dish. Pour the Vegan Cheese Sauce over the top distributing evenly (no need to stir). Cover the top of the Broccoli and Cheese mixture evenly with the Cracker mixture and pat down.
4. Baking: Place in the oven at 350 Degrees for approximately 30-40min until bubbly and golden brown on top.

I made a cake!

This past week Mike celebrated his birthday and I decided to bake him a birthday cake.

I'm not a baker, but I must say that I have been enjoying baking more and more.

I grabbed our go-to baking cookbook, "The Joy of Vegan Baking" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and I got to work.

Mike's favorite recipe out of that book is the Chocolate Cake recipe. I also used the chocolate frosting recipe!

The cake came out perfect and delicious. Mike loved it.

Now don't laugh at the photo! I said it was deliciousness, not that it came out photo worthy!

The reason I wanted to write a post about this is because making the cake was so simple! I communicate with blog readers all of the time and many of them  don't bake because they believe they couldn't do it, that it takes too long and is too complicated. The chocolate cake took less than 15 minutes to make!

Grab a recipe you think looks interesting and go for it! Make something delicious for someone you love or a neighbor or a co-worker. You will have a blast and you'll be able to spread vegan deliciousness which always is a win!

Thanks for reading.

A recipe! Stuffed Peppers

I know. This isn't a food blog. I like to do reviews on vegan food, on restaurants and once in a while on vegan products. I have hardly ever passed along a recipe.

Last week Mike and I weren't sure what we wanted to do for dinner. I had bought green peppers at the farmer's market and thought I would finally try to make stuffed recipes. They came out so good that I just have to share my recipe.

This takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and then the bake time. And so easy!

This is what you need:

green peppers, cleaned out, as many as you are doing dinner for (I made three)
a little olive oil
tomato paste, one 8oz can
Beyond Meat Chicken strips, cut in pieces (I think you could use the Beyond Meat meat crumbles too)
Daiya cheese shreds, your choice of flavor
Veggies, cut and diced up. You're for the picking. I used broccoli, onions, cabbage, kale and mushrooms
black beans, one bag
quinoa (optional) I thought of this afterwards!
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
.
Preheat the oven to 350.

In a saute pan or skillet, add all of the ingredients minus the green peppers.  Cook on medium heat and mix well. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne powder, to taste.

Remove from heat and add the mixture to all of the green peppers. Place the stuffed green peppers in a big enough piece of aluminum foil so the pepper can be fully wrapped. I add a little water in the wrapped foil so the pepper can steam.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. You want them to bake enough so the green pepper can be cut with a fork when eating.

Ready to serve. I served this with an arugula salad. The stuffed peppers were delicious. Play around with the spices, and use whatever veggies you like.

You can make this a completely non-processed dish by not using the Beyond Meat and Daiya cheese.

Please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!

Do not be afraid - of the kitchen!

"Veganomicon" is a great cookbook to help you get comfortable in the kitchen.

If where if you live is anything like the Denver metro area, restaurants are serving more and more delicious vegan items. Mike and I love going out, and as I have written in several posts, we have our favorites for sure. (Note to reader: you can check out our favorite local places to eat by clicking the tab from the main page.)

Although vegan food options are becoming even more amazing in restaurants, I still believe that the best vegan food can come right from the kitchen.

Your kitchen.

I know, I'm sure some of you are like I used to be and are probably rolling your eyes. Many years ago the normal dinner at my place was a couple of Amy's burritos and tater tots. When a met Mike, that type f meal became known as a Dan meal.

Once in a while we decide on a Dan meal for dinner. Life is busy. We both give it our all at our jobs so when we come home a Dans' meal is an easy choice. But for me, things have certainly changed in the kitchen.

I am no longer afraid.

You don't have to be either.

Here's an example. Back in January of last year during the time I was laid off, I decided to use that time and make delicious dinners for Mike. One day I found this amazing recipe for African Peanut Stew. It looked complicated, but I wanted to give it a go. So I jumped in. I went to the market and got the ingredients, came home and read the recipe a couple of times, and then started to create. With my favorite Latino music playing and the dogs eagerly waiting in the kitchen, I rocked it.

Of course the test is if other people like it, and Mike loved it. Such an amazing dish.

There are so many vegan cookbooks out there that I have to believe there is one just for you. Check them out. And some of the links on our main page will lead you to some great recipes. Also, many cookbooks have introductions before the recipes to let you know what you will need to have great experiences with their recipes.

You don't have to be afraid of the kitchen anymore! You can create delicious vegan meals right in your own kitchen!

So grab a vegan cookbook, throw an apron on, and rock it! Oh, and then tell me what you made!

Thanks for reading!

VeganMofo Day 3: Blackened tofu sandwiches!

Welcome to Day 3 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

My all-time favorite food to make at home is blackened tofu sandwiches! They are easy, delicious, and can be served and any side dish, or none at all!

Three ingredients: tofu, blackening spice, bread and veganaise!

You'll need a skillet and a spatula, and a knife to slice the tofu.

I set the heat on high for the skillet. Ours is one of those cool, German skillets so no oil is needed. You can still use it if you'd like.

Take your tofu and cut into slices, the thickness depends on what you like for a sandwich. Place the pieces of sliced tofu in the skillet and sprinkle your blackening spice on all of the pieces. At this point I usually lower the heat to medium. Flip the tofu slices, sprinkle blackening spice again and keep cooking.

Meanwhile, place your sliced bread (Dave's Killer Bread of course!) and spread veganaise on each piece.

Once the tofu is browned on both sides, use your spatula to remove it from the pan and place slices on the bread. For me it works out to two slices per piece of bread.

This should make four sandwiches depending on how thick you cut your slices.

So delish, and almost a weekly meal in our home.

Note: It may take you a few tries to find a blackening spice that is perfect for you. Most grocery stores carry a couple, and certainly spice shops.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

1st VeganMofo post: Vegan food has come a long way

Today begins VeganMofo, a month-long celebration of vegan food brought to you by bloggers from all over the world. Although I doubt I will be able to get a post up every day of this month, I'm giving it it a shot.

So we here go.

I have been vegan for 17 years. I became vegan in Norfolk, VA after getting out of the military and getting to know a little bit about animal rights, realizing I did not want any part in animal suffering.

I went to vegan potlucks and bought vegan cookbooks. There was no huge community of vegan folk and vegan bloggers online back then so I basically learned from people I met.

It wasn't always easy or fun. The token vegan offering at restaurants, if they had one, was a portobello mushroom sandwich. This is why I am not really into them these days, although I must say Larkburger's Amy Burger is quite delicious.

Kale? No clue.

Swiss chard? Seriously?

Cashew cheese? In ten years or so but not then.

Hundreds of vegan cookbooks? Hardly, and anything like we have now.

My first big deal cooking experience with a vegan dish was a tofu loaf. Oh yes, the good ol' tofu loaf.

I have to say it was good.

My have times changed.

Vegan food rocks. Vegan food is why I love being vegan. In 2013 there are just so many choices, flavors, textures, experiences and recipes that one cannot possibly get bored.

Happy VeganMofu. I hope you enjoy this month-long experiment with me. To check out what other bloggers are writing about during VeganMofo, click here: http://www.veganmofo.com/

Thanks for reading!

My first recipe! My favorite tofu scramble

Yes, you are on the right blog. This is The Gay Vegans. I am not a food blogger and am super excited about this! This is my first recipe, and I am super stoked to share it with you!

Lately I have been making tofu scramble on Sundays for breakfast, and making enough so I can make tofu scramble burritos for breakfast throughout the week. Today I realized that after using so many recipes and a lot of tastes by trial, the recipe I now use is completely my own, and one I would like to share with you.

Here is what you need:
1 chopped onion
A splash of olive oil
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 bag of frozen hash browns
salt and pepper to taste (I love a lot of pepper)
A box of tofu, extra firm (I think this is 1 lb)
Some fresh chopped garlic (to taste)
1 tsp of Tumeric
1 tsp of Cumin
1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper (if you want, you can make this 1 tsp!)
2 cups or so of chopped kale or spinach
One chopped avocado

Additions that I like but are not necessary for a scrumptious scramble:

A vegan sausage, crumbled
An additional green like Swiss chard
Daiya cheese shreds

Let's make tofu scramble!

Grab a skillet, put on high heat and add the olive oil and the onion. Once the onion starts sizzling go ahead and turn the heat down to medium. When the onions start to brown, add the tomatoes and then add the frozen has browns. Spread the hash browns out so the whole skillet is covered with them. Add salt and pepper and let the hash browns cook. I usually cover the pan for a few.

Then mix the hash browns and continue to stir them so they cook. When the hash browns are starting to brown add the tofu and spices. Now it's coming together! Keep mixing and stirring. When the tofu and hash browns look all cooked (and the tofu is yellow), go ahead and add the greens and avocado.

Note: If you're adding vegan sausage, add it before the veggies. If you're adding an additional green, add it with the greens. Cheese can be added with the veggies.

Serve and enjoy. This makes enough for Mike and I for breakfast with leftovers. Add some Dave's Killer Bread toasted with soy butter!

You can make breakfast burritos with the leftovers, wrap in foil and put in the fridge for a quick breakfast another day.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I love it! Please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!

Cooking out of my comfort zone

Mike and I have a joke for what most of my meals were like before we got together. My typical dinner was a veggie burger or burrito with tater tots. It was just me so no need to go crazy. I also would make beans and rice once in a while, with instant rice of course. And on a crazy day I might add spinach or kale just to make it a little more nutritious. We refer to this as "a Dan meal". Whenever one of us doesn't want to cook and we really don't want to go out, Mike will say "let's have a Dan meal".

Over the years I have gotten a lot more comfortable in the kitchen. Mike is the main cook in the family but I certainly enjoy it. I also have found that I love to bake.

The other day I was on Twitter and someone I follow had posted a recipe for an African Peanut Stew. I had always wanted to try this type of stew and I had the whole day. What the heck, I thought. The recipe didn't seem too difficult, and we had most of the ingredients in the kitchen. The process to make the stew seemed lengthy, but not too complicated.

Off to the market I went to fetch the ingredients we did not have. When I got home I re-read the recipe and also read all of the comments so I would be as informed as possible while making this.

I seldom take a recipe off of a blog or recipe website and make it. I have thought about it many and usually give up before long.

Not this time. I had the ingredients, I brought my lap top into the kitchen, the dogs were settled, my Colombian Vallenato music was playing and I was good to go.

The recipe ended up being a lot easier to follow than I had first thought. Speaking with folks who have made a lot of recipes from blogs I realized that this is often the case.

Mike was on his way home and it was time to do the finishing touches. I did those and then set the table, lit a candle and I was good to go.

Dinner came out perfectly. It was delicious on many levels. So many flavors. A great comfort meal.

Lesson learned. Getting out of my comfort zone is easy, fun and delicious! Try it. Grab an online recipe and run with it. Let me know how it goes!

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it: http://www.choosingraw.com/vegan-yam-and-peanut-stew-with-kale/

Thank you for reading!

Recipe for my favorite Thanksgiving Day dish!

As you all know, I am not a food blogger. This is only my second blog post with a recipe. There are a ton of vegan food bloggers out there, so don't fret. I even have some of them linked here on my blog for your eating pleasure.

This recipe is from my husband, who grew up with this dish. I love it. In fact I am salivating for it as Thanksgiving Day dinner approaches.

I hope you love it!


Broccoli and Vegan Cheese Casserole
I got this recipe from Idea from my sister Tammy

Ingredients

• 5 Boxes Frozen Broccoli Thawed (I usually use enough fresh Broccoli to fill a 9"x13" baking pan)
• 2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers (or another vegan version)
• 1 Cup Earth Balance margarine (the best tasting margarine in the world and no trans - fat)
• 6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine (the best tasting margarine in the world and no trans - fat)
• 6 Tbsp Flour
• 3 Cups Unsweetened Vegan Milk of Choice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Cups Shredded Daiya Cheese Cheddar Style (or vegan cheddar cheese of choice. Follow Your Hart works well too)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Directions

1. For the Cheese Sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the 6 Tbsp of Earth Balance. Once the Earth Balance is liquefied, remove from the heat (don't turn off the burner) and add the flour, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan back onto the burner and slowly add 1 cup of vegan milk, whisking constantly until thickening occurs, then add remaining vegan milk 1/2 cup at a time. Cook sauce over medium heat, Whisking constantly until thickened and smooth. Add the vegan cheese and Dijon mustard and cook for an additional 5 minutes, whisking until smooth and well blended (this may take longer than 5 min be patient it will come together).
2. For the topping: Process Ritz Crackers in a food processor until a fine meal. Melt the remaining Earth Balance (1Cup) in a sauce pan. Combine the Ritz Crackers and Melted Earth Balance and stir till combined.
3. Putting it Together: Place the Broccoli in a greased 9"x13" Casserole Dish. Pour the Vegan Cheese Sauce over the top distributing evenly (no need to stir). Cover the top of the Broccoli and Cheese mixture evenly with the Cracker mixture and pat down.
4. Baking: Place in the oven at 350 Degrees for approximately 30-40min until bubbly and golden brown on top.