Vegan Cooking with TLC

Since I started eating a whole-food, plant-based diet several years ago, I’ve discovered the challenges of trying to eat vegan while traveling. It takes some extra planning, so I often pack snacks when traveling to places that might not have vegan options. There have been too many times when I’ve been stuck with nothing to eat on long trips. It’s particularly difficult to find healthy plant-based meals. Earlier this year, on an international flight, there were no vegan meals after attempts to reserve one before the flight. Over twenty hours on a plane without a decent meal was tough. One flight attendant rounded up a couple pieces of fruit, but I was very grateful for the granola I made to take to eat as a snack. It became a meal. More recently, I went on a road trip across the US. A few quick searches before leaving the house showed there might be some challenges finding vegan, particularly healthy, food in some areas along the route. So, again, I made snacks to take on the trip for t...

You might remember that I shared a version of Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes a while ago, but this version has a few changes that tasted different enough that I wanted to share it as well. The first was based on a Paprika Chicken recipe I used to make years ago. It's important to remember that with any recipe small changes, sometimes just one ingredient, can change the flavor profile in a distinctive way. There are other changes that are almost undetectable. I enjoy playing with recipes to test flavor profiles and sharing those results to demonstrate the flexibility of cooking. So here's my second version of Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes. I served it with flat bread this time, which was quite good. Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes 1 pound package tempeh ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 1 medium red onion 1 medium carrot 2 tablespoons paprika 8 small purple potatoes 1-2 cups shredded cabbage 2 cups tomato sauce ½ cup red wine (optional) 1 – 1 ½ cups vegetable broth Freshly...

This last posting in this batch of infused vinegars brings me to a savory version, finally. I don't tend to think of making savory infused vinegars very often; however, I really wanted to try this combination of flavors, so I made this Jalapeno Carrot Infused Vinegar. It works well for salads and other savory dishes, but my favorite way to use it is as a spray on air-popped popcorn with a little bit of nutritional yeast. Jalapeno Carrot Infused Vinegar 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 2 jalapeno peppers 2-3 medium carrots 2 cups apple cider vinegar Chop the onion.  Peel and lightly smash the garlic clove.  Remove seeds and stems from jalapenos. Chop jalapenos.  Chop carrots. Place all the vegetables in a large jar.  Cover with vinegar. Place in a dark, cool place and let set for approximately 1 month.* Strain vinegar from vegetables and discard vegetables.  Pour vinegar into a bottle.   Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particu...

Fruit infused vinegars can be use on a variety of dishes including salads, oats, popcorn, and desserts. I like to experiment with infused vinegars and often find they elevate the flavors. Peach Cinnamon Infused Vinegar 1 cup peach slices 2 Ceylon Cinnamon sticks 2 cups apple cider vinegar Place peaches in a jar. Break cinnamon sticks into pieces and add to jar.  Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.* Let marinate for a month to fully infuse flavor. Strain mixture to separate peaches and cinnamon sticks from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particularly warm times of the year, infused vinegars can be allowed to infuse in the refrigerator, if desired. ** I like to store vinegar (infused or not) in the refrigerator because I like it cold, so I haven't tried not refrigerating it. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible. Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate...

Infusing vinegar with fruit and spices allows for adding a little variety to meals and recipes. I like to experiment with a variety of flavors to play with the versatility of vinegars. Feel free to use these basic recipes to inspire your own experimentation.  Pineapple Cardamom Infused Apple Cider Vinegar 1 cup pineapple chunks 8 cardamom pods 2 cups apple cider vinegar Place pineapple and cardamom pods in a jar. Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.*  Let marinate for a month to fully infuse flavor. Strain mixture to separate pineapple and cardamom from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particularly warm times of the year, infused vinegars can be allowed to infuse in the refrigerator, if desired. ** I like to store vinegar (infused or not) in the refrigerator because I like it cold, so I haven't tried not refrigerating it. Note: I use organic ingredients whenev...

A few years ago I started making my own infused vinegars, so I could have the flavors I wanted. I stopped making them for a while because we weren't using them as much and also life circumstances weren't conducive . The wait period for the infusion also makes it easy to put off making the vinegars, so I recommend starting several at once and then staggering them going forward. I will be sharing some more that I made recently in the coming days. It tends to be a bit cheaper than buying commercial infused vinegars, and I also have more control over the finished product. Apple Ginger Infused Vinegar 1 apple 2 cups apple cider vinegar 1-inch piece fresh ginger Chop apple. Slice ginger.  Place apple and ginger in a jar.  Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.* Let marinate for a month to achieve a good infusion of flavor. Strain mixture to separate apples and ginger from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate.** *In particular...