The Fussy Fork » vegan holidaysThe Fussy Fork http://www.thefussyfork.com A Search for Great Vegan Food in San Diego Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:33:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.1 My Favorite Holiday Barley Casserole http://www.thefussyfork.com/barley-casserole/ http://www.thefussyfork.com/barley-casserole/#comments Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:48:26 +0000 http://www.thefussyfork.com/?p=1468 What does a vegan make for Thanksgiving?  While there are plenty of festive options, my “go to” recipe is for the Barley Casserole from my “go to” vegan cookbook, The […]

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What does a vegan make for Thanksgiving?  While there are plenty of festive options, my “go to” recipe is for the Barley Casserole from my “go to” vegan cookbook, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.

 

 

This casserole is hearty, extremely flavorful, and popular with both vegans and non-vegans.  It also tastes equally delicious hot or cold.

 

Aerial View of Barley Casserole
Aerial View of Barley Casserole

 

The first step is to prepare the barley.

 

Barley Boiling
Barley Boiling

 

And strain it!

 

Barley in Strainer
Barley in Strainer

 

Gather the ingredients…

 

Barley Casserole Ingredients
Barley Casserole Ingredients

 

And sauté the garlic and onion.

 

Sauteed Garlic and Onion
Sauteed Garlic and Onion

 

Then add the veggies.

The recipe also calls for shoyu.  What is shoyu and how is it different from soy sauce?  The short answer is that shoyu is natural soy sauce.  Natural soy sauce is made from a combination of soybeans, roasted hard red wheat, sea salt, and water while mass-produced soy sauce is made from chemically produced defatted soybean pulp.  To learn more about the differences between shoyu and soy sauce click on:

http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/soy-sauce-shoyu-tamari/

When I made this recipe, I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, a soy sauce alternative.  Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a certified Non-GMO, gluten-free, protein concentrate made from soybeans.  It tastes like soy sauce and can be substituted in any recipe.

 

 

The bottom line is that you can use soy sauce, Shoyu, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos in this recipe and achieve great results!

 

Veggies for Barley Casserole
Veggies for Barley Casserole

 

Add the spices…

 

Spices for Barley Casserole
Spices for Barley Casserole

 

And you’ve completed the barley layer!

 

Barley Mixture
Barley Mixture

 

Next up, is the Tahini Dressing.

 

Tahini Sauce Ingredients in Food Processor
Tahini Sauce Ingredients in Food Processor

 

Blend all of the ingredients in food processor.

 

Tahini Dressing in Food Processor
Tahini Dressing in Food Processor

 

Mix 3/4 cup of Tahini Dressing to the barley mixture.  It’s then time to assemble the casserole!  Start with a layer of barley.

 

Barley Layer
Barley Layer

 

Then add a layer of Tahini Dressing.

 

Tahini Dressing Layer
Tahini Dressing Layer

 

Then add a second layer of barley.

 

2nd Barley Layer
2nd Barley Layer

 

And a final layer of Tahini Dressing and put the casserole in the oven.

 

2nd Layer of Tahini Dressing
2nd Layer of Tahini Dressing

 

While baking, mouth watering aromas will fill your home.    And after 35 minutes, the Barley Casserole is done!

 

Barley Casserole Out of Oven
Barley Casserole Out of Oven

 

Dishes like this ensure that I never miss meat.  Dig in and enjoy!

 

Barley Casserole in Bowl
Barley Casserole in Bowl

 

 

Vegan Barley Casserole
 

Ingredients
  • Barley Layer
  • 2 cups hulled barley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 5 tablespoons shoyu
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ cup tahini dressing (see below for recipe)
  • Tahini Dressing
  • ¼ small onion, diced
  • ½ cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon shoyu
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • pinch of paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon dried basil or ½ teaspoon fresh basil
  • pinch of dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup water

Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350
  2. Boil 3 cups of water and add barley.
  3. Cook until tender (about 55-60 minutes)
  4. Add olive oil to saucepan and saute onion and garlic
  5. Add carroty, celery, shoyu, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder, until vegetables are tender.
  6. Add barley to vegetable mixture and set aside.
  7. Combine onion, tahini, shoyu, garlic powder, paprika, dried or fresh basil, dried oregano, and water to food processor for tahini dressing
  8. Mix ¾ cup Tahini Dressing to barley mixture
  9. Transfer half of the barley mixture to a 8 x 12 baking dish
  10. Drizzle half of the Tahini Dressing on top of the barley mixture
  11. Add the other half of the barley mixture on top of the tahini layer
  12. Drizzle the other half of the Tahini Dressing on top of the second barley layer
  13. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes

 

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Veg-Appeal: 100% Vegan http://www.thefussyfork.com/veg-appeal/ http://www.thefussyfork.com/veg-appeal/#comments Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:10:03 +0000 http://www.thefussyfork.com/?p=1470 What is Veg-Appeal?   Veg-Appeal is a company focused on helping individuals and groups achieve their health goals through whole-food, plant-based eating.  Co-Directors, Tracy Childs and Ami Chitalia, offer cooking […]

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What is Veg-Appeal?

 

Veg-Appeal is a company focused on helping individuals and groups achieve their health goals through whole-food, plant-based eating.  Co-Directors, Tracy Childs and Ami Chitalia, offer cooking classes, individual nutritional consulting, workshops, presentations, and corporate programs.    I recently attended their class focused on healthy holiday eating.  They teamed up with Cherie Leonard, a Weight Watchers group leader, to present some truly tasty and nutritious vegan holiday foods.

 

The Class:

 

This class took place at “Cooking-4-Life” in Kearny Mesa (Veg-Appeal is always on the move, popping up in different locations across San Diego County).  Tables and chairs surrounded the kitchen, ensuring attendees were comfortable and had a clear view of the action.

 

Veg Appeal Class Preparation
Veg Appeal Class Preparation

 

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad:

 

First up was the Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad.  The base is kale, Brussels sprouts, and a healthy serving of cabbage.

 

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

 

Add some toasted almonds, dried cranberries, and a light lemon dressing, and the result is a salad with various tastes and textures.  I will definitely be making this salad at home in the near future!

 

Plate of Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
Plate of Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

 

Garlicky Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes:

 

These mashed potatoes, made from cauliflower and Yukon gold potatoes, were savory and smooth.  How are they healthier than normal mashed potatoes?  Three reasons.  First, there is no cream or butter.  Second, the recipe calls for unpeeled potatoes.  Many of a potato’s nutrients are in the skin.  Finally, it is a great way to get a serving of cauliflower.  Seriously, you only taste the potatoes.

 

Preparing Garlicky Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Preparing Garlicky Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

 

Tempeh Meatloaf:

 

I was excited to taste the Tempeh Meatloaf.  (I have tried out a few lentil loaf recipes, but the results have been mediocre at best.)  The tempeh, nutritional yeast, and spices ensured that this loaf was full of flavor.  The surprise ingredient, the rolled oats, worked with the tempeh to give the loaf substance.  This loaf will fill you up!

 

Tempeh Loaf
Tempeh Loaf

 

Simple Mushroom Gravy:

 

The holidays would not be complete without gravy.  Or in this case, vegan gravy made from a mushroom base.  This thick gravy was a perfect topping.  If you’re wondering whether the gravy tastes good on top of the meatloaf and the mashed potatoes, the answer is yes!

 

Tempeh Loaf and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Tempeh Loaf and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

 

Stovetop Apple Pie with Oat Crumble Topping:

 

This pie showcases the naturally sweet taste of quality apples.  Mixed with spices and a little maple syrup, the apples simply simmered on the stovetop.

 

Stovetop Apples
Stovetop Apples

 

After throwing some nuts, oats, dates, raisins, ground flax (I told you this recipe was healthy!), and a few other ingredients into the food processor, the crumble topping was ready.

 

Preparing Oat Crumble Topping
Preparing Oat Crumble Topping

 

Whipped Cashew Cream

 

My favorite recipe of the day was the whipped cashew cream. This cream (made from only 3 ingredients!) tastes rich and decadent.   I could have eaten it like a bowl of ice cream.

 

Tracy making cashew cream
Tracy making cashew cream

 

But it was also good as a dessert topping!

 

Close Up of Stovetop Apple Pie
Close Up of Stovetop Apple Pie

 

Takeaways:

 

I would recommend signing up for a Veg-Appeal class soon!  The instructors are passionate about plant-based, whole-foods.  They enjoyed answering questions and explaining the health benefits of each dish.  For a list of upcoming classes and events, click on:

http://www.veg-appeal.com/page11/page11.html

 

Their website can be found at:

http://www.veg-appeal.com/index.html

 

Ami Chitalia: 858.335.0623

email: info@veg-appeal.com

 

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