Vegan Recipes

Tofu Beancurd Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 tofu beancurd sheets (or yuba in Japanese stores)
• 5 oz beansprout
• 2 oz shredded carrot
• 2 oz shredded cucumber
• 2 tsb oil

 Preparation

1. Parboil all vegetables. Sprinkle salt to your taste.
2. Cut beancurd sheet into two triangles. Place the vegetable shreds in the middle and roll up.
3. Pan fry with oil till golden brown, and cut into sections to serve.
4. Can go with your favorite sauce, or the Chinese 5-flavor sauce as below.

5-Flavor Sauce (Mix and ready!)

Ingredients

• 1 tsb minced ginger
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp coriander
• ¼ tsp red chille
• 1 tsp soy paste
• ½ tsp sesame oil

Queen Chik’n

Ingredients

• 1 half-shaped vegan chicken (available in Wholefoods)
• ¼ tbsp vegan natural mushroom seasoning
• ¼ onion
• ¼ tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp Kim Lan vegan oyster sauce (or soy paste)
• 1 tsp water
• ¼ tbsp brown sugar
• 2 or 3 tsp oil

 Preparation

1. Cut half vegan chicken into 8 square pieces and then slice each piece into 2 thinner ones  (still the same size but just thinner).
2. Pan fry these vegan chicken pieces till golden brown. Then use the same pan stir-fry sliced onion for 1 or 2 minutes while mixing vegan oyster sauce, sugar, black pepper, seasoning and 1 teaspoon of water into a bowl.
3. Put all fried chicken pieces back into the pan that you just stir fried onion, and pour this bowl of mixed ingredients in. Keep medium heat and mix evenly and for 5 mins or until it dries up. Done!
4. Serve with quinoa, a nutritious grain. Can also use tempeh, seitan, firm or superfirm tofu (e.g. Idylwood Sprouted Tofu) instead, after sliced and marinated with diluted soy sauce about half day.

Nutritional Yeast Cheesy Melt Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup nutritional yeast (RedStar or Cal brand, high in B-vitamins)
• ½ cup whole wheat flour (or use 2 tbsp cornstarch if to make pizza)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ cups water
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1½ tsp mustard
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Preparation

1. Mix all in a bowl and transfer to a pan and stir on medium low heat until bubbles form.
2. Let bubble for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. For a thinner sauce add water or reheat.
3. Great for pizza, or anything you would want cheese on, such as steamed veggies.

Super Salad Dressing (Blend until smooth and creamy)

• ¾ cup roasted sesame tahini
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ sea salt
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp Spirulina
• 2½ tbsp vegetarian broth (or melt 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning in a bit of water)

Pesto Chik’n Sandwich

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2½ buns of sweet basil (Thai basil)
• ¼ cup cilantro (optional)
• 2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup walnut
• ¼ cup pine nut
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 tsp mushroom seasoning

Sandwich

• 1 baguette
• ½ tbsp Fallow Your Heart Vegenaise
• ½ box of Trader Joe Chickenless Strips (or Morning Star Meal Starter Chik’n Strips)
• dash of Maggie sauce or soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino to taste

Preparation

1. Blend sauce for 1-2 minutes. Can keep up to 1 week in the fridge.
2. Stir fry strips with Maggie and mushroom seasoning. Take it out of the pan and mix with pesto sauce.
3. Put butter on bread and toast the bread. Put vegan mayo on the bread. Assemble sandwich with lettuce, tomato and vegan strips.

Baked Mushroom Chicken

You'll be amazed at the deliciousness of this simple recipe which doesn't require a lot of prep time.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized onions - diced
• 4 mild chili peppers - diced
• 2 lb. mushrooms
• 2 lb. chicken - cut into bite sized cubes
• 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella *
• curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• thyme (optional) ** 

Preparation:

1. In medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the peppers and cook them until peppers begin to soften. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400F.
2. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the heat up to high and add tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook until chicken and mushrooms are fully cooked.
4. Add the seasonings and fold.
5. Transfer to a casserole dish.
6. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and bake uncovered until the cheese melts.

* If you like parmesan better than mozzarella, then you can substitute parmesan instead or use half a cup of each. To Turkish taste buds, parmesan is stronger and thus not preferred for all that much.

** You may want to use thyme sparingly in this recipe since it has a strong taste. Traditionally, we add dried thyme as fresh form of thyme is more flavorful. As with bay, thyme is slow to release its flavors so add it early in the cooking process.

ASURE (Noah’s Pudding)

Ingredients (makes 30 servings):

• 1 cup wheat
• 1 cup white beans
• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup almonds
• 3/4 cup peanuts
• 12 dried apricots
• 5 1/2 cups sugar
• Water (enough to cover)
• Topping: walnuts, cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Soak wheat, white beans, garbanzo beans and almonds in water overnight.
2. Boil the above ingredients; remove the outer shell or skin.
3. Soak the raisins in boiling water until they soften.
4. Put all the ingredients above (steps 1-3) in a large pot and boil. Add peanuts and almonds (peeled and cut in half) at this point.
5. Chop the apricot into small pieces; add to mixture along with sugar.
6. Boil for 10-15 minutes.
7. Enjoy your pudding!

*These are the ingredients we chose. Feel free to experiment with other grains, fruits and nuts. Pomegranate, sesame seeds and orange peel are recommended.

Baked Rice Pudding (Sutlac)

Ingredients:

• 4 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice and boil with 2 cups of water until water is soaked.
2. Add milk, sugar and vanilla and stir on low heat for 15-20 minutes until it boils.
3. Mix corn starch with a little bit of water in a cup until it is smooth. Then add it slowly to the pot and continue stirring for 5 more minutes.
4. Pour pudding into ovenproof bowls and broil them until the top is brown.
5. Chill and serve.

Roasted Eggplant Salad

Ingredients:

• 7-8 roasted eggplant
• 2 roasted green pepper
• 2 roasted red pepper
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 bunch Italian parsley (minced)
• Salt, black pepper, paprika
• lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Chop roasted veggies in small cubes and mix them in a large bowl.
2. Add garlic, onion and, parsley, and season with salt, paprika and black pepper.
3. Add olive oil and lemon juice and stir them well. Place on a platter to serve.

Sekerpare

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 sticks butter (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 5 tbsp semolina
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon or orange zest (optional)
• nuts for the top (preferably hazelnut)
• flour (2.5-3 cups)

Syrup:

• 3 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• half a lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Start with preparing the syrup. Mix water and sugar in a pot. Add lemon juice and let the mixture boil for 7-8 minutes. Set it aside to cool down while making the cookies.
2. Mix butter, powdered sugar, semolina, eggs and vanilla; add flour (little by little) and baking powder to make soft dough.
3. Take walnut sized pieces from the dough and shape them into round balls; place them on a tray and put a nut on top of each one.
4. Bake cookies in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.
5. After removing the cookies from the oven, wait for 3 minutes and then pour the syrup on top of the cookies. Let them absorb the syrup until you serve.

Lahmajun

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of flour tortilla (cooked or uncooked)
• 1/2 pound ground lamb (or beef)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 small red pepper (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp pepper paste
• 1 tbsp pepper paste
• 1 tbsp butter (at room temp)
• 1 tsp flaked peppers
• 1-2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup water

Preparation:

1. Set aside tortillas, ground beef, parsley and water and mix and knead rest of the ingredients. Add ground beef and parsley and continue kneading. Add water.
2. Place aluminum foil on the oven rack or use a tray. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Spread the mixture on the tortilla as a thin layer with the aid of some water and place it on the foil. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
4. Fold cooked lahmajuns in half and stack them on a paper towel in a pot with lid closed to keep warm.

Chicken Biryani

This recipe was from Shebasrecipes.com and she prepared a biryani from Delhi using whole garam massala which is less spicy and clear for people who might not tolerate heavy and hot ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basmati rice (soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes)
• 1lb small cut chicken pieces
• 2 cups yogurt
• 1 medium size onion (thinly sliced)
• Whole garam massala ( if you go to Taj Mahal, they have a special package for that)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• salt
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• whole black pepper
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 8 tbsp olive oil (I used 2 tbsp of butter since butter gives a better taste and texture)

Preparation:

1. Fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Add chicken and massala and stir until chicken is fully cooked. Then add the yogurt and cook till the most of the liquid is gone.
2. Meanwhile in a different pot, put some water and add a couple of green cardamoms and boil the rice with some salt. As soon as it boils for 1-2 minutes, take it out and drain the water.
3. In a small bowl mix some water and saffron. This will be used to color the biryani while layering.
4. Take a casserole dish and first add some rice, then top it with some chicken and drizzle some saffron with a spoon. Then make another layer with rice and chicken and drizzle some more saffron. Cover with an aluminum foil and put in the oven for about 1 hour at 400F degrees. If the rice gets dried up, tightly cover your casserole with more foil.
5. After it's done, take the biryani out. Then, drizzle some saffron again and top it with some chopped cilantro if you wish.

 Enjoy!

Stuffed Meatballs (İçli Köfte)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine-grained bulgur*
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup semolina
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste

*Bulgur(or bulghur) -also called cracked wheat- is available at specialty food stores or ethnic markets with different textures such as coarse, medium, and fine. For this dish, we specially pick out the fine-grained, or #1.

 

Stuffing:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter or margarine
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley**
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

**We prefer flat-leaf parsley over the curly variety since flat-leaf is more traditional in Turkish cooking as well as having a stronger flavor.

 

Prepare Stuffing:

 

In a medium frying pan, saute the onions in melted butter. Add ground beef, tomato paste, parsley, salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked, remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to cool.

 

Shell Preparation:

 

In a large bowl, soak bulgur in luke warm water. Slowly add flour, semolina, tomato paste and salt. Knead until you reach a doughlike consistency. Once everything's mixed well enough, the bulgur mixture won't stick to your hands as you knead.

 

Assembling:

1. Take an egg-sized amount from the bulgur mixture and form into a ball . Make sure you wet your hands often during this process. With your finger, poke a hole in the ball which makes a space for the stuffing.
2. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of the stuffing and pinch the top to seal the ball. You can shape the ball into a football shape, or leave it as a ball. Traditionally, it is shaped into a football. These footballs are called "icli kofte".
3. Fill a deep saucepan with a quart of water and turn the heat up high. When it comes to a boil, put your footballs in a few at a time and boil for approximately 20 minutes.
4. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter.
5. Pour the melted butter on "icli kofte" and serve right away when it's still hot.

You may serve with crushed red pepper, mint, sumac or lemon wedges.

Lemon Cake

This is a basic cake recipe, yet it is very delicious!

Ingredients:
. 5 eggs
. 2 cups of sugar
. 7 tbsp of water
. 7 tbsp of vegetable oil
. 2 cups of flour
. 1 tbsp of baking powder
vanilla powder
zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together sugar and eggs using a mixer for 10 minutes on medium speed. This is the secret of this cake. If you don't mix enough, the cake will not turn out good.
3. Add water, oil and lemon zest. Mix few more minutes.
4. Add flour, baking powder and vanilla powder. Stir until all is blended nicely, but don't mix too much at this step.
5. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and bake until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.

Afiyet olsun!

Cigarette Borek

Ingredients(8-10 servings):.

• 1 package triangular Turkish phyllo dough (25-28 pieces)
• 1 lb feta cheese
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• Vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Crumble the feta cheese in a mixing bowl with the help of a fork.
2. Add finely chopped parsley and mix them well.
3. Make sure the phyllo dough is thawed. Take one triangular sheet and lay on a flat surface.
4. Place approximately one tablespoonful of cheese filling close to the wide edge of the triangular sheet. Leave half-an-inch space on both ends of the sheet.
5. First, fold both sides of the sheet on the filling. Then roll the wide edge up till it has about one inch left from the tip.
6. Briefly soak the tip in water and seal it nicely into a firm wrap.
7. Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
8. Fry each roll until it is golden brown. Put them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Serve them hot.

Vizier Kabob

Ingredients(20-25 servings):

· 4 big onions – finely chopped
· 1 green bell pepper - diced
· 2 red bell peppers - diced
· 8 garlic cloves – finely chopped
· 5 tomatoes - diced
· few tomatoes - sliced to put on top to decorate
· 2 lb eggplants – peeled and cut into an inch square cubes
· 2 lb Italian zucchini – peeled and cut into an inch square cubes
· 5 lb ground beef
· ½ lb bread crumbs
· 4 eggs
· 1 cup milk
· salt and black pepper


Directions:

Meatballs:
1. Mix bread crumbs, 3 eggs, 2 tsp black pepper and salt to ground beef.
2. Knead it well.
3. Make small tiny meat balls in the size of a hazelnut.

Vegetables:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
2. Fry zucchini and eggplants in a deep frying pan. Set them aside in the bottom of a baking dish. The dish should be big enough to contain all of the ingredients.
3. Put some olive oil in a separate cooking pot. Add garlic and onions. Fry a bit.
4. Add bell peppers. Cook for a while.
5. Repeat step 3 for meatballs and tomatoes.
6. Add salt and pepper as needed.
7. Put meat ball and vegetable mixture on top of zucchini and eggplants.
8. Beat 1 egg and mix it with milk. Pour this mixture onto the dish.
9. Decorate the baking dish with sliced tomato on the top and with some Italian parsley.
10. Bake in the oven.

Tantuni

Ingredients:

• lavash bread
• 5 lb small beef cubes
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/2 lb mushrooms
• 1 tbsp pepper paste
• 3 small tomatoes - chopped
• 1/2 big onion - finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch dill - chopped
• 1 bunch italian parsley - chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 6 large potatoes

Directions:

1. Boil meat in water, strain and then add oil.
2. Add veggies except parsley, dill and potatoes to the meat and cook till the liquid is absorbed.
3. Add pepper paste and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and dill last.
4. Make french fries from potatoes.
5. To serve, put meat and veggies and french fries inside lavash bread, wrap like a burrito or a wrap. Wrap with foil at one edge.

Enjoy!