Happy February!

January went by so slowly for me...certainly in a good way, I just can't believe I've only been posting on this thing for one month! But onto month TWO, y'all.

I thought I was having a bit of chef's block, as our pantry is rather bare at the moment. But after taking a thorough inventory, I realized I had almost everything I needed to make the incredible Open-Faced BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with coleslaw from Vegan Soul Kitchen! Here is my coleslaw recipe and a variation on the BBQ tempeh.



Open-Faced BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Creamy Coleslaw
serves 5

[Coleslaw]
1/2 a medium head of cabbage, chopped
1 big carrot, shredded
5 radishes, chopped
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 heaping tablespoons Veganaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

[BBQ Tempeh]
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped with some sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 packets powdered Stevia
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 pound tempeh cut into 1/2-inch fingers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk all ingredients except tempeh in a large baking dish. Add the tempeh and coat it with the marinade. Let sit for around 15 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Who doesn't love pizza?

I've been carb-obsessed lately. Last night, I was very, VERY pleased with the cheesy, cheesy mac that came of my dear friend over at Vegan Pandamonium's recipe. Threw in some kale and it was a deeply satisfying meal.



And toootally foodgasmed over the heavenly scent coming out of my oven tonight: BBQ tempeh, onion and (again) kale pizza on gluten-free crust, boyyyyy!



I've been trying to use up all the chiles in adobo sauce from the can that allowed me to make those BBQ Black-eyed Peas. BBQ is a theme for me, okay? Nothing feeds the soul like it.

BBQ Pizza
serves 4

1 box pizza crust mix
15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (and a lil' bit of sauce)
half a lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 packet pure Stevia
1/2 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
various veggies/fake cheeses/fake meats for toppings

Prepare the dough for rolling according to the package directions. I used a gluten-free mix. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a sauce pan over medium heat, put all ingredients starting at the tomato sauce and ending at the molasses. Roll out the dough on an oiled baking sheet, spread the warm sauce onto it, sprinkle all the toppings on and stick it in the oven for 15 minutes.

The kale we used right on top crisped up so nicely. It had such a great flavor all by itself. But the sauce was really where the flavor took over your taste buds. Sweet and spicy in perfect harmony. Another bbq'ed success!

BBQ B-EPs, OMG

This introduction is already long overdue. Readers, meet Vegan Soul Kitchen.

Bryant Terry has seriously accomplished something wonderful with this book. He has captured the essence and incredible flavor of soul food without a single ham hock!

Tonight, I wanted to treat my bf, recently recovered from some nasty mouth surgery, to a home-cooked meal. Because of the rain, we were aiming for something really comforting, so Vegan Soul Kitchen immediately came to mind. Landed on Barbeque Black-Eyed Peas. Great decision.




I've tried a number of Terry's recipes in the past, many of which can be found in this Google Book preview, if you're interested in testing a few. Uncle Don's soup, the Cajun-Creole-spiced tempeh with grits and yellow potato soup are all VERY good. The BBQ recipe is on there, too!

Now, you too may go forth and make soul food.

[edit] Sammi thankfully pointed out that the Google book preview does nottt list the b-ep's, but there are a few good 'uns on there anyway.