Tag Archives: food

Garbanzo -better than tuna- Salad Recipe

April 23, 2013 by Cobi | 5 Comments

My mother has two favorite meals that she can eat every week and never get tired of : spaghetti dinner and tuna salad sandwich. Mom is a proud creature of comfort food habit.  It was easy enough to win her over with a veganized bolognese sauce, so I started making this un-tuna spread too. She loves it on toasted bread with lettuce and tomato. I prefer to surround a huge scoop of the Garbanzo Salad with spiralized watermelon radishes,micro greens and edible flowers. Double bonus: This meal is budget friendly and protein packed with 15g protein per one cup serving.

This recipe is only intended as a very loose guide since the possibilities to personalize this dish are endless. Substitute green apples, jicama or water chestnuts if you don’t care for celery (you know who you are). Choose a chickpea miso and soy-free vegan mayo if you have an aversion to soy. I used a food processor to mash the beans but the job can also be accomplished by using the back of a fork and a little brute force.

Garbanzo -better than tuna- Salad :: Vegan

by Veggietorials

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: uncook lunch salad sandwich dairy free gluten-free nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • 2 ribs celery,chopped
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper,chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion,small diced
  • 2 tablespoons parsley,finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons green onions,finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon,juiced
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
  • 1 tablespoon white or yellow miso (or tahini)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon dill
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • salt & pepper
  • optional-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • optional-2 teaspoons dulse granules
  • equipment: Food processor,bowl,mixing spoon, knife,cutting board

Instructions

Add garbanzo beans,vegan mayo and miso to food processor.Pulse just until the beans are still chunky.Do not turn it into hummus.Transfer to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients.Mix well.Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve the garbanzo spread over a bed of lettuce and garnish with colorful vegetables and edible flowers.Or serve on multi-grain bread for a killer sandwich.Try it as a dip or roll it up into a wrap.

Store unused portion in refrigerated an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Veggietorials:: YouTube “On the Rise”

February 15, 2013 by Cobi | 0 comments

I am thrilled,excited and over-the-moon ecstatic to be nominated for YouTube’s February “On the Rise” promotion. Details about how you can help me create better vegan cooking videos by voting HERE are in the video.

Mahalo for all of your support as I develop this channel into an entertaining resource for discovering how delicious plant-based cooking can be.

Tortilla Chip Queso Casserole

February 1, 2013 by Cobi | 6 Comments

I remember my Mom making this type of casserole in the 70′s,though her version had cans of condensed soup and some sort of dead animal in it. When my bag of organic corn chips went stale after being open for a mere 48 hours, I couldn’t bear to chuck the chips into the Bokashi bucket, so I got down with this spicy comfort food instead.

The reluctant cooks can make this with store-bought vegan queso (my favorite is the Food for Lovers Original),canned beans and/or pre-seasoned grain/soy meat. For the slightly more ambitious, cook your own legumes and whip up my quick ‘n dirty queso. While you’re at it, you can even make your own un-chicken broth with this recipe that my friend Chanelle (the genius behind these Sticky Buns) shared over on The Vegan Virtuoso blog.

This dish is best served with a cold beer …and more cowbell. Original SNL skit HERE

 

Tortilla Chip Queso Casserole

by Veggietorials

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

    For the Casserole

    • 1/2 bag organic tortilla chips
    • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup vegetable broth (divided)
    • 1 1/4 cup vegan queso
    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
    • 1/4 cup diced green chiles
    • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
    • 1 cup cooked black beans
    • 1/2 onion, chopped
    • 4 cloves roasted garlic
    • 1 cup sliced black olives
    • cilantro,green onions,red onions,salsa,bell peppers for garnish
    • Olive oil spray

    For the Crema(Tofu Sour Cream)

    • 1/2 package silken tofu
    • juice of half a lime
    • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 1/4 tsp agave

    For the Vegan Queso

    • 1 cup soaked raw cashew pieces
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 2 tsp chipotle powder
    • 1/2 lemon, juiced
    • salt
    • optional- pinch of turmeric for color

    Instructions

    For the vegan queso

    Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix.Blend on high-speed for 2 minutes.Set aside.

    For the Casserole

    Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

    In a medium size pan over high heat,cook onions in 1/4 cup vegetable broth until they soften,about 2 minutes. Add green chiles (with the liquid),roasted garlic,taco seasoning and beans. Reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

    Spray a 6×8 casserole dish (an 8×8 works fine with the addition of a few more chips or double the recipe in a 9×13 pan)with olive oil and place a layer of chips on the bottom of the dish. Drizzle one-third of the vegan queso on the chips, then add half of the bean mixture. Add a layer of tomatoes,sprinkle with black olives. Add another layer of chips and repeat the layers of queso,bean mixture,tomatoes and olives. Top with a final layer of chips,vegan queso, tomatoes and black olives.

    Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press down on the casserole with a spatula.Slowly pour 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth over the top of the casserole,try to distribute the liquid evenly. Bake for an additional 20 minutes,the liquid should all be absorbed.

    Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Top with crema,cilantro,green/red onions,salsa and enjoy.

    For the Crema

    Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Refrigerate unused portion in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

     

    Greens & Grains Roll-Ups

    December 6, 2012 by Cobi | 8 Comments

    Yesterday, I received a request on Facebook asking if I could feature more recipes with no added oils. My first thought was “But I don’t add that much oil…” so I took a glance back through my YouTube video recipes to check if there was a trend. Sure enough, at least 75% of my video recipes contain the ubiquitous two tablespoons of oil. Gah!

    When I make a video, it’s usually about a dish I want to celebrate. It may be  a local comfort food, a treat for a special occasion or a veganized version of a dish I have a yen for. Making it healthy is not necessarily my focus. But in my real life, I don’t add much oil or salt to my food. In fact, if I’m just cooking for myself, my goal is to make it simple and colorful, period. I hesitate to call anything with less than five ingredients a “recipe” it’s more as I like to tell the reluctant cooks, we’re just “making” something yummy. If I don’t have an official recipe to post, I usually  share a pic on Instagram and call it a day. But maybe this request will inspire me to post more of these simple vegan square meals and in turn, inspire you to your own creative culinary greatness.

    Last night’s dinner consisted of Acorn Squash & Quinoa Collard Green Roll-ups, Ginger Spiced Raw Applesauce, Hummus w/GF crackers and roasted nori.

    Don’t think I was trying to get all fancy on you, this was just a result of using up what I had on hand before making another trip to the Farmer’s Market. You can use your favorite greens and grains, then just toss in something crunchy and something sweet. I’ve made these before using garlicky couscous, raisins and pine nuts  or curried rice, cashews and dried cranberries…the possibilities are making my mouth water a little right now!

     

    Greens & Grains Roll-ups

    by Veggietorials

    Prep Time: 10 minutes

    Cook Time: 10 minutes

    Keywords: uncook dinner appetizer snack dairy free gluten-free soy-free vegan vegetarian collard greens quinoa

    Ingredients (2 servings)

    • 1 cup quinoa (cooked in vegetable broth)
    • 2 extra-large collard green leaves (stems removed)
    • 1 cup acorn squash (seasoned,baked and sliced)
    • 1/2 cup spicy pecans
    • 1 cup vegetable broth

    Instructions

    Wash greens thoroughly. Remove the stem from the leaf so that you have two halves. Heat the vegetable broth in a small pan over high heat. Submerge one leaf at a time for about 20-30 seconds or until the greens are one shade brighter than when you started. Remove from the pan and drain any excess liquid.

    Place your greens flat and place 2 spoonfuls of quinoa near the top edge. Add the squash and pecans and gently roll up.

    I wanted to try this The Ginger People- Organic Ginger Syrup since I found a $1.00 off coupon here . This is the best applesauce I’ve ever made, hands and paws down. Just tossed three ingredients in the VitaMix and had applesauce in 20 seconds. My intention was to use the applesauce in a recipe for vegan mini donuts but I ate it all after dinner and lo and behold, sweet tooth satisfied.

    If you’re making the applesauce to incorporate into a baked goods recipe, I would suggest peeling the apples for a smooth texture. Leave the skin on if you plan to eat it straight up…more fiber!

    Ginger Spiced Applesauce

    by Veggietorials

    Prep Time: 2 minutes

    Cook Time: 30 seconds

    Ingredients (3 servings)

    • 3 Organic Fuji Apples (peeled if you prefer or skin on for more fiber)
    • 1 heaping teaspoon apple pie spice (cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves,mace)
    • 2 tablespoons ginger syrup

    Instructions

    Combine all ingredients in a VitaMix and blend on variable speeds 5-6 for 20 seconds or until desired consistency is reached. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Soup’s On::Simple Souper Greens

    December 4, 2012 by Cobi | 3 Comments

    Sometimes simple just tastes best. I love tossing just a few ingredients in the blender and having a delicious (and healthy!) soup in  minutes. Let’s be real, the only reason I make soup is because slurping it down with a sandwich is my little slice of heaven.

    I always have frozen organic peas on hand, so I knew that would be the base of my soup. The first time I made this I added about eight asparagus spears, but it works with any green veggies. The spirulina and nutritional yeast add B12 and other essential micronutrients to the tasty green goodness. Don’t go crazy with the spirulina or you will turn the color into something that looks weird and will make the omnis suspect vegan shenanigans. You can try substituting your favorite vegetable broth for the “no-chicken” broth but I think the flavor is spot on and does not require any additional salt when I use the “no-chicken” broth. There is also a “no-chicken” vegan bouillon base, but be cautious when using this, as it has added oil and a high sodium content.

    Souper Greens

    by Veggietorials

    Prep Time: 5 minutes

    Cook Time: 5 minutes

    Keywords: blender soup/stew entree lunch dinner dairy free nut-free vegan vegetarian soy-free peas broccoli fall winter

    Ingredients (2 servings)

    • 1 cup no-chicken broth (oil-free)
    • 1/2 medium size onion
    • 1 cup organic green peas
    • 1 cup organic broccoli (or your favorite greens)
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 teaspoon spirulina
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • water (add as needed to achieve desired consistency)

    Instructions

    Combine all the ingredients in a Vitamix. Blend on high speed for 5 minutes or until the container is hot to the touch.Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

    *If using a regular blender, blend until smooth and then heat in a small pot on the stove

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    {Will Travel For Vegan Food} Interview at The Peace Cafe

    October 19, 2012 by Cobi | 0 comments

    Kristin Lajeunesse of Will Travel for Vegan Food met up with me at The Peace Cafe in Honolulu on her last night in town. She has been on a one year (and counting!) travel adventure, enjoying all of the 100% vegan eateries in the U.S.

    We had an impromptu interview and I apologize in advance for the low quality audio and background noise. I didn’t have an external mic with me and the cafe has an open kitchen, so yeah.

    Kristin is an amazing inspiration. If you’ve dreamed about following your passion and living a life you love, check out her blog to see how she turned her intent into this journey.

    Photos in the video are from Kristin’s Instagram and wtfveganfood.com

    My Week in Photos- Island Girl

    October 14, 2012 by Cobi | 3 Comments

    I’ve started morning hikes again-feeling good! View from the Ka’Iwi trail

    Makapu’u Lighthouse

    Post hike lunch

    Weird fact about me #1: When I make a sandwich, I have to take a bite as soon as I press the bread together. Can’t even get it to the table before I chomp down on it.

    Delicious experiment: Okinawan Sweet Potato Gnocchi + Macadamia Shallot Cream Sauce…recipe coming soon

    Sometimes simple is best, and almost anything drizzled with 18y.o. balsamic is better.

    Got my Caviart vegan caviar from Vegan Cuts this week. Super excited to play with this…the black tastes just like the real thing!

    Getting in the mood for Halloween

    The first of my Carmello tomatoes from the garden

    Bite sized lunch:: Better than Tuna Salad Trio + Citrus dry roasted chickpeas

    Tons of dragon fruit, star fruit and lilikoi at the farmer’s market

    Spotted during my weekend holo holo

    Follow me on Instagram 

    Cucumber Wakame Salad

    May 9, 2012 by Cobi | 9 Comments

    I love the simplicity of this refreshing seaweed salad. It’s a great source of Vitamin C, calcium, iodine  and the perfect addition to a bento lunch. When it’s hot out, I can barely concentrate long enough to figure out what to eat, so the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove. Boil the water to soak the seaweed in an electric kettle and enjoy your cool kitchen as you prepare the rest of the salad.

    Adding more sea vegetables to my diet has improved the strength and condition of my finger nails which normally look pretty shabby due to my constant dish pan hands. And double bonus: I was able to grow out a tragically bad haircut pretty quick. No matter what anyone tries to tell you, Asian chicks do not look cute with a mullet.

    Wakame can be purchased online or at a Japanese market.

    Cucumber Wakame Salad

    by Veggietorials

    Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook Time: 10 minutes

    Keywords: raw salad vegan vegetarian gluten-free dairy free nut-free seaweed Japanese

    Ingredients (12 servings)

    • 2.5 oz bag of dried wakame
    • 6 baby cucumbers
    • 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
    • salt
    • sesame seeds

    For the Dressing

    • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons agave (or your sweetener of choice)
    • 1 tablespoon white miso
    • 1 tsp hot sauce

    Instructions

    Pour dried seaweed into a large bowl and cover with 6 cups of boiling water. Set aside until rehydrated. Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch pieces, place into a medium sized bowl and sprinkle with salt. Massage the cucumbers with salt and set aside until they start to release liquid ( about 15 min.)

    Mix rice vinegar,agave, miso and hot sauce in a small bowl. Drain and rinse the wakame seaweed. Squeeze out excess water and place seaweed in a large bowl. Squeeze liquid out of cucumbers and add to the bowl of wakame. Add onions, carrots and toss with dressing. Add salt to taste if necessary. Garnish with sesame seeds.

    Store unused portion covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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    Potato Salad Plus!

    April 29, 2012 by Cobi | 0 comments

    My home state is Hawaii and a scoop of potato salad is offered with every plate lunch, bento or picnic we eat. But, the Hawaiian style mayo/salt/pepper potato mac is not a dish that makes my mouth sing. Thank goodness my mother makes a “family famous” version that everyone raves about. I’ve veganized her recipe and added some of my own flair, this one’s a winner!

    The secret ingredients are Colman’s mustard and the Vegg. I use the Colman’s mustard because it does not have any vinegar in it and I am a fan of the distinct kick it gives to the dressing. The Vegg  makes the dressing thick and creamy and adds another level of savory flavor. The veggies add texture and a brightness to both the appearance and the taste of this potato salad.

    Potato Salad plus!

    by Veggietorials

    Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook Time: 40 minutes

    Keywords: salad side dairy free nut-free vegan vegetarian potato summer

     

    Ingredients (12 servings)

    The Veggies

    • 6-8 large russet potatoes, skin on
    • 1 cup chopped celery or water chestnuts
    • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
    • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
    • 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers
    • 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

    The Dressing

    • 1/2 cup Vegenaise ( add more to taste)
    • 1/2 cup prepared Vegg
    • 1 tablespoon Coleman’s mustard
    • 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
    • 1 teaspoon celery salt
    • 1 tablespoon dill
    • 2 tablespoons citrus garlic seasoning blend ( or something similar to Old Bay)
    • salt & pepper

    Instructions

    Boil the potatoes with the skin on until easily pierced with a fork ( about 30-40 minutes). Remove from heat, drain and cool potatoes. Peel off skins and cut into bite sized cubes. Add to a large bowl with all of the veggie ingredients.

    Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing. You may want to use more of the Vegg mixture for a creamier taste. Adjust seasonings and add salt & pepper to taste.

    Pour the dressing over the potatoes and veggies. Mix until potatoes are well coated.Garnish with heirloom grape tomatoes, spicy pickled green beans or vegan bacon bits.

    Left overs can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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    You can purchase The Vegg – Vegan Egg Yolk online or retail stores