YamChops

The term “vegan butcher” might sound like an oxymoron, but it is indeed a thing, and it’s a good thing at that. In these shops, you’ll find the same types of foods that you’d be able to get a butcher’s or a deli. But of course, these foods are made the cruelty-free way with plant-based ingredients.

Vegan butchers have been popping up here and there, with the first one in North America being Toronto’s YamChops. Despite living in a vegan friendly area, I don’t have a vegan butcher anywhere near me. Fortunately though, Michael Abramson shares the secrets behind his incredible “meats” in his new cookbook From the Kitchens of YamChops.

Vegan Meat

In From the Kitchens of YamChops, you’ll learn a variety of techniques to achieve meat-like texture and taste at home, all with fresh and minimally processed ingredients, such as beans, wheat gluten, tofu, mushroom, carrots, coconut, and yes, yams. Recipes include Ba-con 4 Ways, Carrot Lox, Pinto Bean Cutlet, Seitan Loaf, and Plant-Based Chick*n.

Of course, you’ll also find recipes for a variety of different kinds of vegan staples such as veggie burgers and meatballs. There are recipes for “fish” using tofu or hearts of palm, and there’s also a No-Crab Crab Cakes recipe.

This isn’t Fake Food

I know some people might refer to the foods found inFrom the Kitchens of YamChops as “fake meat.” I really dislike that term. There’s nothing “fake” about these foods. They’re made from whole food ingredients, and they’re 100% edible. Using the term fake implies that the non-vegan versions of food are the only “legitimate” version, and everything else is a knock-off. The word “meat” comes from the old English word “mete,” which was used to describe anything edible and to differentiate what could be chewed from what could be drunk. So no, omnivores can’t lay claim to the word “meat” and vegan food is most definitely not fake.

Lots of Recipes

Once you’ve made your “meat,” you’ll find plenty of recipes to use them in. There are Fishless Tacos, Hunan Dumplings, and Szechuan Beef. You’ll also find recipes that don’t require pre-making your protein, such as the General Tso’s Tofu and Pulled BBQ Jackfruit and Carrot.

There are plenty of deli staples in From the Kitchens of YamChops too, such as Tunaless Tuna Salad, Eggless Egg Salad, and potato salad. There are recipes for sides, salads, and sauces, as well, and there’s also a chapter devoted to chocolate desserts.

Chapters in From the Kitchens of YamChops include:

• Step Up to the Plate – Mouthwatering Meatless Mains
• There’s an App for That – Selfie-Worthy Appetizers and Sides
• Ace in the Bowl – Bold Bowls, Broths, and Brews
• It’s Crunch Time! – Remarkable Salads, Slaws, and Dips
• Pour ‘Em on Thick! – Sensational Sauces, Salsas, and Chutneys
• Chocolate – Simple and Simply Scrumptious Chocolate Endings

If you’re missing all of the deli foods you used to enjoy in your pre-vegan days or if you want to recreate some of your favorite meaty dishes with plant-based ingredients, From the Kitchens of YamChops is the book for you!

Coconut Peanut Curry

 

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Sometimes, to get through winter up here in The Great White North, we need something that warms us from the inside out! This curry does just that. It’s thick, rich and delightfully spiced. Serve this wonderful curry over brown or jasmine rice.

Author: Michael Abramson

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) grape-seed or canola oil
• ½ cup (75 g) diced sweet onion
• 4 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 g) minced ginger
• ½ cup (90 g) peanut butter
• 2 tsp (10 g) Thai red curry paste
• 2 tsp (6 g) turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ cups (350 ml) water
• 1 (14-oz [400-ml]) can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp (18 g) brown sugar
• 2 tsp (10 g) sea salt
• 1 (416-g) block extra firm tofu (see note)
• 1 cup (133 g) cubed sweet potato
• 1 handful green kale (or spinach)
• 1½ tbsp (22 ml) lime juice
• ½ cup (75 g) roasted unsalted cashews

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot. When the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and ginger. Sauté until soft, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the peanut butter, curry paste, turmeric and cumin. Stir until the peanut butter has melted and the mixture is very fragrant. Whisk in the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt.
3. Cut the tofu into ½-inch (13-mm) cubes and add to the pot along with the sweet potato cubes. Tear the kale into bite-size pieces and add to the pot. Mix well and let the curry simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Stir the curry regularly.
4. When ready, remove the curry from the heat and stir in the lime juice and cashews.

Notes

Note: Always search out non-GMO tofu for tofu recipes.

Reprinted with permission from From the Kitchen of YamChops by Michael Abramson, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo credit: Vincenzo Pistritto.

3.5.3226

Review reprinted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen.

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Note: My original recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder but leavening is not ok, strictly speaking, for Passover. It can be deleted with no ill effects.

11/2 teaspoons / 4.5 grams whole white chia seeds yield the 1 tablespoon ground seeds needed for the recipe, but that is too small a quantity to grind. Grind at least 3 tablespoons / 30 grams and store the ground chia in a small covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Makes 24 to 26
 small macaroons


Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons / 99 grams organic granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon / 10 grams ground white chia seeds
• 
3 tablespoons / 45 ml water, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup / 33 grams coconut flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 52 grams toasted shredded coconut, divided
• 3 tablespoons / 45 ml vanilla coconut milk beverage
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
3 ounces / 85 grams dark chocolate (62 to 72%), melted and kept warm in a water bath, for dipping

Preparation:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F / 190°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.

Lightly grind 7 tablespoons / 91 grams of the sugar in a blender and set aside until needed.

Put the ground chia in a small bowl. Pour the water over the chia. Set aside for 5 minutes undisturbed and then whisk hard. The chia gel will be lumpy at first but will smooth out as it hydrates. Whisk a few more times while you sift the dry ingredients. (You can make the gel ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Whisk vigorously before using.)

Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the coconut flour and the 7 tablespoons of ground sugar to the strainer and stir with a whisk to sift the ingredients into the bowl. (If any small bits remain in the strainer, add them to the mixture in the bowl.) Stir 1/2 cup / 40 grams of the shredded coconut into the dry ingredients.

Whisk in the chia gel. Use a silicone spatula or your hands, if necessary, to get the gel thoroughly mixed into the flour mixture. Add the coconut milk beverage and the vanilla extract and mix with a silicone spatula, pushing hard on the dough until it holds together when squeezed in your fingers.

Form the macaroons. Use a 1-teaspoon measure to scoop out rounded teaspoons of dough. Squeeze the dough hard in the palm of your hand so that it sticks together, and then roll into balls.

Coat the macaroons. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons / 12 grams of coconut and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Roll the dough balls in the coconut-sugar mixture. Press each ball on the baking sheet to flatten the bottoms.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F / 180°C. Bake for 14 minutes until the bottom of the macaroons are lightly browned.

Set the baking sheet on a wire rack. After 3 to 4 minutes, lift the macaroons off the baking sheet onto the rack. Cool the macaroons to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold before dipping the bottoms.

Dip the bottoms of the cold macaroons in the melted chocolate. Set the coated macaroons on an acetate sheet or parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Keeping

Freeze the macaroons in an airtight container for up to one month. These little cookies defrost fast.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts, © 2013 by Fran Costigan, Running Press. Photo credit: Hannah Kaminsky

The post Fran Costigan’s Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons appeared first on Chic Vegan.

V is for Vegan is Rodgers third book. Besides chapters featuring recipes for Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert, what I really enjoy about this book is that it explains every question one could possibly have about what vegans eat, and it has a fascinating brief history of veganism. She also includes instructions for making staples such as Vegan “Parmesan”, Pink Pickled Onions, and Vegan Mayonnaise.

Rodgers’ writing is witty and humorous. V is for Vegan is the kind of cookbook you will want to keep on your bedside table to read at night when you’re not using it in the kitchen. She has great stories about all the recipes included in the book.

One of the recipes that caught my eye in the Lunch section is this Sweet Potato & Coconut South Seas Soup.

Sweet Potato & Coconut South Seas Soup

I made a scaled-up version of this soup at music festival Bestival when I did a desert island/pirate/18th-century shipboard-inspired pop-up. We had a sea-shanty band, rigging in the tent, napkins made from map fabric (“mapkins”), maps as menus, vintage globes, and costumes created especially for the crew. Bawdy singing and rum were the order of the day.

I have to admit, cooking in a field is a challenge. For a start, at festivals, none of the staff want to work much. They want to be out there, having fun with everyone else. Oh, I give long, stern lectures beforehand about how they are getting paid and they must be professional. This lecture never works. Luckily, this is a simple soup to make, so I managed to serve it to 800 people without TOO much sweat.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 to 5 Tbsp [50 to 75 ml] vegetable or palm oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chile, seeded and very finely chopped
• 2-in [5 cm] piece of ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds, freshly ground
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Pinch of saffron strands
• 2 sticks of lemongrass, very thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1½-in [4-cm] cubes
• 3 1/3 cups [400 ml] coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime, plus extra to serve
• 2 cups [100 g] spinach
• Sea salt
• Cilantro leaves, to serve

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until softened, then add the garlic, chile, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, saffron, lemongrass, and 1 Tbsp sea salt. Stir well, then add the red bell pepper and sweet potato and fry until lightly golden around the edges.

Add the coconut milk and lime juice and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, adding the spinach just before the end; it will wilt in the heat of the soup. Season to taste with salt.

Ladle into bowls, add more lime juice and the cilantro and serve with sambal.

Recipe printed with permission by Quadrille Publishing.

The post Cookbook Review and Recipe: V is for Vegan by Kerstin Rodgers appeared first on Chic Vegan.

The Bamboo Tapioca Cleanser is a versatile, customizable face cleanser. It’s is a fine, white powder made from bamboo stem, tapioca powder and chickpea powder to absorb oil; white clay, to unclog pores; and coconut amino acids that act as a mild, foaming cleanser. Bamboo powder is an ingredient in the ancient Ayurvedic practice of “Ubtan”, which is like microdermabrasion.   The science and history of its effectiveness, is long standing.

The fun and interesting part, is that the product can be mixed with various other things, to enhance the effect you’re looking for. For example, it comes with a vial of Moringa oil, which Kaia claims has 6x the vitamin C of oranges. This can be effective for exfoliating and brightening your skin. Other things Kaia recommends you mix with the powder are: ginger tea, almond oil, sea buckthorn oil, avocado oil, rosewater, green tea, coconut oil and rosehip oil. Depending on your skin type, the oils can enhance moisture and things like tea and rosewater can brighten and tighten. They also recommend mixing it with plain yogurt as a facial mask. But dairy yogurt isn’t vegan, so we would never do that, right? Perhaps a similar effect can be had with coconut or almond milk yogurt.   Of course, never use a product, even one that’s “all natural”, that could aggravate an allergy. If you’re not sure, always ask your doctor first and send them a list of the ingredients.

I tried it first, as an eye makeup remover, by mixing it with the Moringa Oil and wiping with a cotton ball. Success! Then, all by itself, just shaking a bit into the palm of my hand and mixing it with warm water.   It cleansed my skin quite nicely. I have oily skin and usually wear makeup, so it’s important to me that a cleanser can take care of both of those jobs, thoroughly. The powder is very fine, so it was not too rough on my skin and left my face feeling clean and soft, not dry or tight.   I like that an all natural, vegan product can do the job with no hassle. In addition, it paired well with the rest of my beauty routine.

Some feel that dealing with a powder would be messy and inconvenient. But it comes in a small container with a “dial and lock” sifter, to prevent spillage. I found it to be as easy to use as any other liquid or cream cleaner.   Another bonus of using a powder, is that you can travel with it and not worry about the 3 oz. liquid maximum, on airplanes.

The price point of $38.00 for 1.5 oz of the powder and .125 oz of the oil, might be considered on the moderate to high side. But, a little goes a long way and it lasts a while. You can also just purchase the refill at $30. I believe it’s always better to put natural products on your skin. Don’t forget, what your skin absorbs goes right into your bloodstream. Paying a little more for a cleanser and a lot less at the doctor for taking better care of your health, is a good payoff, in my opinion. Kaia Bamboo Tapioca Cleanser can be a valuable addition to your beauty routine. I do recommend you give it a try!

Bonus! Here’s a video on how easy it is to use: http://kaianaturals.com/video-channel-2/

The post Product Review: Kaia Naturals Bamboo Tapioca Cleanser appeared first on Chic Vegan.

I have been on a real coconut kick lately! My son Darrol Henry has been getting coconut oil on his bread in the mornings instead of olive oil or margarine, and I’ve been sprinkling shredded coconut onto my food basically every day. I’d been wanting to try making coconut tofu for a while, and I’m so glad that I finally did!

More Yummy Tofu Recipes: Tofu Scramble Breakfast Tostada, Stuffed Mushrooms with Tofu Ricotta and Swiss Chard

You don’t have to serve your coconut-crusted tofu with the maple-Sriracha dipping sauce, but I highly recommend it! It only takes a few minutes to mix up the sauce, and you can do it while the tofu bakes. If you’d rather keep it simple, you can use a bottled sauce for dipping instead.

The post Coconut-Crusted Tofu with Maple-Sriracha Dipping Sauce appeared first on Chic Vegan.

• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions: Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl or mason jar. Cover and store in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.   If you’re not feeling like a nut, omit the almonds and use coconut or vanilla extract instead of almond extract.   Serves 2

The post Recipe: Almond Joy Chia Pudding appeared first on Chic Vegan.