# The December 2017 Challenge is . . . "VEGAN"



## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*OK ... Go ahead ... HATE ME!*

_Vegan_ includes ... Nothing _"OF"_ or _"FROM"_ an animal. I almost screwed-up a big dessert once by using honey. ... NO NO NO NO NO. Honey is bee puke. It _COMES FROM_ bees. NO good.

This is not really as difficult as you may think. That lasagna dish I put up could go VEGAN if you just swap-out the cheese and use something as a meat substitute. Properly seasoned minced roasted mushrooms with lentils and roasted pecans will fool neanderthals if done rite. Trust me ... I've done it. Go look up my _VEGAN_ Bahn Mi sammiches. They fooled a group of cave-men, right up to when one of guy's wife hit him with a pan.

You'll be fine. You can do it.

_Here's my thread for ideas ..._ 
https://cheftalk.com/threads/good-vegan-eats-vegetarian-too.68194/


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Well . . .didn't see that coming . . . . . . . Now that's a challenge!!


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

I can be done.....I am living proof. When I did movie catering we got a job with NBC to do a bunch of TV movies, the main talent was Linsey Waggoner, the bionic woman, a vegan. I never had a challenge like this before but ended up making her very happy. 
This led to her requiring producers to hire my company and specifically me to cater all the ford commercials she did throughout the 90's. 
I even have her autographed cookbook around somewhere.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

From the link I gave you, I will be making _#'s 83 & 87_ tomorrow. YES, of course, I will be swapping out some of the ingredients. NO problemmo.

I love cooking for vegans. Really hot looking women with really deep pockets. I'm not turning down that kinda business. Like my mother used to say ... _"Yeah ... He's my kid ... He's goofy ... But he ain'te stupid.". _


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

I am really up for this as my son recently announced he was turning vegan so I've been experimenting! Here is something I made a few weeks back (so please note that it doesn't qualify!). I was attempting a 'fine dining' vegan experience (so often, vegan is a bit 'rustic'). This is a warm salad of Portabellini and Trompette de la Mort mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, capers and balsamic glazed garlic served on spelt pancakes.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

I am really up for this as my son recently announced he was turning vegan so I've been experimenting! Here is something I made a few weeks back (so please note that it doesn't qualify!). I was attempting a 'fine dining' vegan experience (so often, vegan is a bit 'rustic'). This is a warm salad of Portabellini and Trompette de la Mort mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, capers and balsamic glazed garlic with pickled walnuts:

View attachment 64174


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

My standard vegan desert:

Avocados thrown into a robot-coupe, add in some coconut oil, some cocoa powder, some maple sirrup ( yes I know about the bee barf....) and pipe into glasses or molds. You can sub melted chocolate for the coconut oil if you like.

For every 100 deserts I put out, 6 will be my vegan desert, and 3 will be fruit plates....


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Interesting...
I am not really surprised seeing the past posts of Iceman 

Is there any other restriction or does anything go? Dinner, snacks, deserts, savoury, sweet?

Oh, and I didn't know about the honey....
(I am going to miss my fish sauce. Ah well, soy can stand in.....)


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_Any course is A-OK. _

Check w/ vegan stores and stores like _Whole Foods_. There are lots of vegan replacement sauces and stuff. You can use them for what you are replacing and never know the difference. Maybe. You do gotta be careful sometimes. Sorry.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

This is up my alley. I have been mostly vegan for 2 months for cholesterol reasons.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*#83








Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Stack

#87








The Perfect Clementine Cake*


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm Greek, I've got this in the bag lol.

I ain't scared.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Could be a good challenge. I've never roasted a whole vegan before! Do the vegans have to be fresh, or can we use previously frozen?

Okay, seriously, this will be a challenge. I remember screwing up one of my vegetarian entries by adding *chicken* stock to the sauce. I'll pay closer attention this time. Think I'll start looking at some Southern India recipes...

mjb.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

teamfat said:


> I've never roasted a whole vegan before! Do the vegans have to be fresh, or can we use previously frozen?


Good luck finding frozen vegans - If you bag one fresh you have to gut and let hang for a week, or two before skinning and then butcher into primal's then break down into cuts just like any other animal . . . works for me. Best with Fava beans and a nice Chianti.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

I will be watching this... I am a committed carnivore LOL


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Great challenge idea. The months always seem to go by too fast for me but I'll do my best to enter this one. With no animal products of any kind to work with, this certainly fits the challenge label. 
By the way, Bee puke is delicious.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Just remember that if it had or came from anything that had eyes, it's out.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Potatoes have eyes.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

This is the only Vegan picture I have. I will be doing a Trip-Tip in Vegan water for the Seahawks game Sunday night. Sorry, no Vegan while watching football.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

@iceman Very cool! Politics of the "vegan movement" aside, the challenge was always intended to .. well.. challenge us! This challenge grew it's own legs long ago but hopefully I have a little authority when I say I think this is a great topic and keeping the spirit alive. Honestly it's one of the best themes so far for cheftalk.com in the general forum. Having chefs and home cooks get together in an age where "food" is such a big topic is smart. Innovation occurs in every corner and "Vegan" is a reality that professional chefs face.

I won't do that at home.. the farthest I've gone for a big fish fry was switching to Canola because someone had a "peanut allergy" .. not the life threatening kind .. the hive kind. It's a scary place out there for people with food allergies. I'd hate to have one and try to eat out. I guess have your epi-pen on hand. That said.. Brussels sprouts tastes best with.. bacon. Challenge accepted.


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

When I am busy cooking for yoga and wellness groups I make a lot of vegan and/or gluten free menus.
And while I'm busy cooking away the song I get earwormed into my head....
_'We've only just veee-guuuuuun.'_


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*VEGAN scrambled eggs ...*
*







*


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Here we go:
A very simple dish with what I had lying around:

Garlic and chili









Onions are being browned









I don't often use tinned food, but I had a can of red kidney beans lying around. And the little red box contains smoked paprika. It's quite strong, so I only used a little bit.
Not on the picture: half a green pepper and a couple of tomatoes














And the end result:









Tasty, the chili packed quite abit of heat!

(but am going to eat the left overs with some bacon added and a dollop of sour cream)


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@iceman, Okay, I'll bite:
Vegan eggs?


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

Oh yeah. ... Just like _Egg Beaters_ ... there is also a very new product coming out that is supposed to be knock out.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I’m all for vegan meals and it’s possible to make beautiful food using just plant based ingredients. But I’ll never understand making vegan food look and taste like meat. I love my vegan meals but vegan cheese, vegan hot dogs, vegan eggs are lame as heck.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I have no idea what eggbeaters is?
I assume an egg replacement product? What is it made off?

I agree with Koukou's sentiment... I have never understood why vegetarians or vegans would want bean-burgers that taste like sausage. I think you can make it tasty on it's own.

By the way, there are not many replacement products here, probably owing to the fact that people in this part of the world are happy to just have food.....


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I should say I’m not trying to be mean about it, I just find vegetables and beans to taste great on their own, why work so hard to make them taste like meat?


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OK ... Let me clean-up my comment. _Egg Beaters_ is NOT a VEGAN product. I used it as a reference. There are however, VEGAN egg replacements.

_Egg Beaters_ is a product marketed in the United States as a healthy substitute for chicken eggs. _Egg Beaters_ is primarily egg whites with added flavorings, vitamins, and thickeners xanthan gum and guar gum. It contains no egg yolks.

There are many commercial substitutes on the market today for people who wish to avoid eggs. Most of these products are devoid of all animal products, and thus are vegan and contain no cholesterol.

_Hampton Creek_, a venture-backed company, produces and markets an egg-free products, including cookie dough and a mayonnaise substitute, based on pea protein from the yellow pea.
_Egg Replacer_ is a mixture of potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening, cellulose gum, modified cellulose.
_The Vegg_ is a vegan liquid egg yolk replacer, suitable in any recipe that one would alternatively use egg yolk. It is made of nutritional yeast flakes, sodium alginate, Kala Namak, and beta-carotene. _The Vegg_ was first sold in 2012, and is available in a variety of online and in-store retailers in the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

koukouvagia said:


> I should say I'm not trying to be mean about it, I just find vegetables and beans to taste great on their own, why work so hard to make them taste like meat?


I once asked a vegan friend that same question. He said that when you grow up eating meat, it can be very hard to completely eliminate that experience from your life, so you tend to try to imitate that tastes and shapes of the food you've become accustomed to. So he couldn't just eat salads and cooked veggies, he enjoys soysages, soyrizo, vegan burgers etc...


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## freshbaked (Jun 20, 2016)

image.jpeg




__
freshbaked


__
Jun 20, 2016







hmm! almond ricotta ravioli!


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

Coconut Mashed Potatoes And Other Vegan Delights

I make mashed potatoes with coconut oil, coconut milk, salt, pepper. From there I may finish with red curry,cinnamon or cumin or something else. I will often pair it with a wild mushroom almond gravy that I make with a duxelles of wild mushroom, garlic and chopped onion sauted in oil,wheat flour, splash of sherry, almond milk, strong vegetable stock,almond flour, and seasoned with salt, pepper, ground nutmeg and fresh tarragon. Another favorite of mine is to make a vegan and gluten free scone to go with the gravy. I make that with 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose flour (rice flour is the first ingredient),1 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup margarine, 1 Tb baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup aqua faba, 1 tsp almond extract.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

french fries said:


> I once asked a vegan friend that same question. He said that when you grow up eating meat, it can be very hard to completely eliminate that experience from your life, so you tend to try to imitate that tastes and shapes of the food you've become accustomed to. So he couldn't just eat salads and cooked veggies, he enjoys soysages, soyrizo, vegan burgers etc...


I definitely don't want to derail or make a big issue of this but I really don't understand that argument at all. Vegan food is so much more than just salads and veggies. My mom is practically vegan so I grew up eating a lot of vegan food. On the same token I'm not too fond of fancy scientific food like Wiley Dufresnes (sp) so vegan meats are all lumped up into that sort of thing in my mind. Food concoctions.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

koukouvagia said:


> I definitely don't want to derail or make a big issue of this but I really don't understand that argument at all. Vegan food is so much more than just salads and veggies. My mom is practically vegan so I grew up eating a lot of vegan food. On the same token I'm not too fond of fancy scientific food like Wiley Dufresnes (sp) so vegan meats are all lumped up into that sort of thing in my mind. Food concoctions.


I'll give you an example, I know that if I were to become Vegan I would still enjoy a burger with a vegan patty that has the taste and texture of beef even if it's made of black beans, soy milk and cardamom...


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

french fries said:


> I'll give you an example, I know that if I were to become Vegan I would still enjoy a burger with a vegan patty that has the taste and texture of beef even if it's made of black beans, soy milk and cardamom...


I don't think it would satisfy me. In fact it would make me miss meat too much and I'd fall off the wagon quick. I have no morals.


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## brulo (Jun 6, 2017)

I'll try something this weekend!

I'm trying to avoid meats (mostly the ones from what we can call "the industry") but the cheeses are something I completely can't live without... this will be a challenge!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple vegan related gifs from the movie Scott Pilgrim, great movie, great insight on the secret powers vegans have


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

A vegan cross fit trainer walks into a smoothie shop and everyone knows! How? They announced it 3 seconds after walking in the door.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Okay....I haven't done one of these for awhile.
My entry is going to be Everything Bagels. The recipe comes from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.
What could be more Vegan than flour, water, yeast, and salt?
I used malt powder too, and used unbleached bread flour.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

First entry - goi cuon. Made with what I had on hand - Fried tofu, mint, rice vermicelli. Dipping sauce is hoisin, peanut butter, lime juice.

*Since there is probably more tofu frying going on this month I'll give out my secret. Microwave the tofu and blot it dry before frying. It really helps remove moisture from the outside so you can get it crispy fast.*


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

French Lace Cookies.
Margarine, corn syrup, brown sugar, ground nuts, flour.
I think this is what they call 'vegan before vegan was cool'.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

A tradition in the UK at Christmas, mince pies are made from mixed dried fruits and suet in a pastry case. Recipe here: Vegan Mince Pies


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## toddhicks209 (Nov 14, 2017)

iceman said:


> *OK ... Go ahead ... HATE ME!*
> 
> _Vegan_ includes ... Nothing _"OF"_ or _"FROM"_ an animal. I almost screwed-up a big dessert once by using honey. ... NO NO NO NO NO. Honey is bee puke. It _COMES FROM_ bees. NO good.
> 
> ...


I love honey.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

@millionsknives - what type of Tofu are you using? And what microwave time/power? Those look delicious.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Firm tofu cut into blocks first. Lay them out on a plate on a paper towel, Microwave 30-45 sec full power depending on your microwave wattage, then pat dry. It should expel more water from the surface than if you simply pat them dry. Definitely less bubbling up in the wok oil.

Pros
+ less water
+ safer frying
+ crispier


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Okay guys let's get serious. This is my second entry. KUNG PAO LOTUS ROOT. I keep telling everyone all they need is a $20 chinese cleaver and a 100k BTU wok burner and I'm sticking to that story.

Prep:
-Deep fry the lotus root slices 1-2 min to soften it up a bit and to get the surface bumpy. Better sauce adhesion..
-Sichuan chili oil (sichuan peppercorns, chiles) pre make and keep ready in a squeeze bottle.

Stir fry add in this order:
1) Chili oil then scallion whites and more dry chiles.
2) Peanuts
3) Lotus root
4) Dark soy
5) shaoxing vinegar










Just the right amount of crunch left in the lotus root. There's heat and numbing just like I want. You know it's spicy when you sneeze when stir frying...

I'll take a perfectly cooked lotus root over shrimp or chicken. I don't miss meat in this dish at all.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

millionsknives said:


> Okay guys let's get serious. This is my second entry. KUNG PAO LOTUS ROOT. I keep telling everyone all they need is a $20 chinese cleaver and a 100k BTU wok burner and I'm sticking to that story.


Fabulous! Where am I to get lotus root? Its an ingredient I've had my eye on for a while (envy). It hard to find in the UK.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Brinjal Bhaji with two kinds of aubergine (eggplant). This is quite a simple curry so long as you have the Balti mix to hand. See Balti Spice Mix.










I used the green Thai aubergine and the white aubergine (known as a snowbergine!):


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

peachcreek said:


> View attachment 64194
> 
> 
> French Lace Cookies.
> ...


You may have a problem with the brown sugar though. It is not vegan just as honey is not vegan. Crushed charred animal bone is used in the production of sugar. It is added to make the sugar white. Molasses is added to the sugar to make brown sugar. So unless the sugar you used was specifically vegan.........well......sorry


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

How do you know someone is vegan?

Don’t worry. They’ll tell you.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

....Yes, so this got me to thinking if charred animal bones are used in the production of sugar, but it is NOT an ingredient In sugar, than is it still considered vegan. How would that compare to a percentage of ground up insects in flour?


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

I read about sugar and the bone char filtration process. There is no animal product in the sugar, regardless of how inhumane the production process may be. This is about cooking, not ethics. I stand by my entry.
Oh, while the More Vegan Than Thou card has been played....shellac?


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

peachcreek said:


> I read about sugar and the bone char filtration process. There is no animal product in the sugar, regardless of how inhumane the production process may be. This is about cooking, not ethics. I stand by my entry.
> Oh, while the More Vegan Than Thou card has been played....shellac?


"Ouch" peachtree......I wasn't questioning your entry, just asking a question....and you're right about the charred bone in the process, NOT the sugar.


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## fatcook (Apr 25, 2017)

chefross said:


> You may have a problem with the brown sugar though. It is not vegan just as honey is not vegan. Crushed charred animal bone is used in the production of sugar. It is added to make the sugar white. Molasses is added to the sugar to make brown sugar. So unless the sugar you used was specifically vegan.........well......sorry


It depends on the brand- some still make real brown sugar by only partially refining it, no bleaching.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

This stuff is so much better than white sugar. It also says "VEGAN" on the box.








This stuff came off a "VEGAN" brown sugar page.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

peachcreek said:


> I read about sugar and the bone char filtration process. There is no animal product in the sugar, regardless of how inhumane the production process may be. This is about cooking, not ethics. I stand by my entry.
> Oh, while the More Vegan Than Thou card has been played....shellac?


Inhumane? Nothing inhumane about the process...the animals are already dead when the bones are heated.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I am curious about this whole sugar story. I have never heard of using animal bones in the production of sugar.
Is this true for all types of sugar (Here our sugar comes from sugar cane, in Holland from sugar beets)? And is it always processed that way?


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Google came to the rescue: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/05/sugar-vegan-bone-char-yikes_n_6391496.html


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

millionsknives said:


> I'll take a perfectly cooked lotus root over shrimp or chicken. I don't miss meat in this dish at all.


@millionsknives , try a saffron dish with the LR. I don't know if it's the same with everyone but to me saffron has a very shrimp-like flavor.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

So....
One of my favourite dishes is Rendang, an Indonesian (and Malaysian) beef dish, cooked in coconut milk till all liquid has evaporated. The oil in the coconutmilk remains and fries the meat.
I decided to try if I could do this with oyster mushrooms instead of beef. Never tried it before.
I played around with the spices and it has become a bit of a fusion between Thai and Indonesian.
I was too lazy to make a spice paste, so I used a red curry paste (that did not contain shrimp paste).

Start of with bringing some coconut milk to the boil, add spice paste and mushrooms (and extra garlic and ****** lime leaves)









It was a bit on the spicy side already, so decided on prepping some cucumber









To make it fully fusion, I used a flour tortilla to make a wrap.
Actually, Thailand has a green beef curry dish that is made in a similar way, and served with roti, so I am not that far out ...









Mushrrooms are done:








Final step:








And some sweet corn to make it a full meal:


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

For the benefit of our studio audience ... I've seen a number of true trusted VEGAN recipes today that listed brown sugar as an ingredient. I'll go with the idea that it is an A-OK thing.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)




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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

iceman said:


> *VEGAN scrambled eggs ...*


What did you use to make this?


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

freshbaked said:


> image.jpeg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They look very lovely. But ricotta is dairy is it not?


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## aaravth4 (Dec 12, 2017)

morning glory said:


> I am really up for this as my son recently announced he was turning vegan so I've been experimenting! Here is something I made a few weeks back (so please note that it doesn't qualify!). I was attempting a 'fine dining' vegan experience (so often, vegan is a bit 'rustic'). This is a warm salad of Portabellini and Trompette de la Mort mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, capers and balsamic glazed garlic served on spelt pancakes.
> 
> View attachment 64174


It looks tempting TBH.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Tangerine Tofu with Star Anise. Recipe *here.
*
Tofu benefits from marinating - I wanted to use up some tangerines (which I'd bought rather a lot of) and then thought I'd use a Christmas spice, star anise. I marinated the tofu overnight.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

"VEGAN scrambled eggs" are from using egg replacement. It's available at most higher-level groceries that cater to VEGAN customers. It's there ... but you gotta look.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

iceman said:


> "VEGAN scrambled eggs" are from using egg replacement. It's available at most higher-level groceries that cater to VEGAN customers. It's there ... but you gotta look.


This type of product has only recently appeared here in the UK. Its rather expensive and can only be bought from health food suppliers at the moment. I haven't tried it yet...


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Simple weekday salad

Roasted walnuts, shiitake, and butternut squash in miso EVOO. Vinaigrette with lemon, miso, and maple syrup that was aged in a bourbon barrel


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

The only reason I don't eat meat all the time is cholesterol. I might give that fake egg a try even though it is way more expensive than a normal egg. If I cut cholesterol there I can eat more meat


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

@morning glory that looks divine. Does marinating tofu really work to infuse it with flavor?


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

*The Players*
I figured that to make a decent vegan dish, I'd need a good veggie broth.










So I gather up some stuff- carrots, celery and onion as one might expect in any basic stock. Also included are fennel fronds, garlic, mushrooms, parsley and a leek.











A couple of Chinese eggplant, some garlic and these rather HOT little red chiles, some sort of bird's eye, as I recall. The scallions were late for the photo shoot.

*







*

The base of the sauce - rice wine, soy and black vinegar. About 3 - 4 tablespoons of each.


*The Process*

The veggies get broken down into chunks, tossed into the stock pot and covered with about a gallon or so of water.










The pot steeps at about 190 F for a couple of hours. I strain it and reduce by about half. The result is some REALLY tasty liquid.










Next the eggplant is cut into pieces and blanched for about a minute in salted, boiling water., then drained. Meanwhile, white rice is in a pot.










No more pictures of the rest of the process, sorry to say. About 2 teaspoons of cornstarch is stirred into half a cup of the broth. Cloves of garlic were coarsely chopped, the chiles minced. Eggplant went into the hot wok with a bit of oil for about 2 minutes. Garlic and chiles added, stirred until the garlic got fragran, probably less than a minute. The soy, sherry and vinegar mix goes in, followed by the broth with cornstarch. The cut up scallions get tossed in, stirred long enough to warm them up.

*The Product*










The garlic bits are pretty obvious, the red chiles kind of blend in with the brown sauce. A favorite dish of mine, eggplant in a _SPICY GARLIC_ sauce. More scallions would have been nice for appearance, but I didn't complain.

mjb.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

millionsknives said:


> Simple weekday salad
> 
> Roasted walnuts, shiitake, and butternut squash in miso EVOO. Vinaigrette with lemon, miso, and maple syrup that was aged in a bourbon barrel


That looks fantastic!


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

koukouvagia said:


> @morning glory that looks divine. Does marinating tofu really work to infuse it with flavor?


Yes it does - but you need to give it a long time IMHO.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

teamfat said:


> *The Players*
> The garlic bits are pretty obvious, the red chiles kind of blend in with the brown sauce. A favorite dish of mine, eggplant in a _SPICY GARLIC_ sauce. More scallions would have been nice for appearance, but I didn't complain.
> 
> mjb.


This looks delicious. Eggplant (aubergine) is a great ingredient for vegan dishes.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I roasted a bunch of butternut squash to put in the freezer. Some of that got put into a curried squash soup. Other ingredients are onion, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, curry powder and the garnish is a little mint, more cilantro and some lemon zest in a sort of gremolata.









To me it's just asking for some well drained yogurt as well but I can add that in a later bowl and not be vegan then.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I've been wanting to do a squash soup for a while. That looks quite tasty, just right for these cold, foggy days here in SLC.

mjb.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

It's only a small bowl of it. It's too rich for me to eat it as a meal. But it cuts the inversion








muck nicely.

For the rest of you, Salt Lake City is in a valley. In the winter time, cold air can get trapped in the valley by warmer air, high pressure. Thus it is a temperature inversion. So the pollution and fog build up until a storm blows it out. It was pretty dense today.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Apple, Cranberry and Cinnamon Pies (using dried cranberries).


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Finally got around to this. Truth be told, my mother is visiting us and we do a lot of vegan cooking together but we usually gobble it up before I get the chance to photograph.

This is fasolada, a very typical Greek soup made with white beans, veggies, tomatoes and herbs. This one has onion, red and green peppers, carrots, celery, parsley and dill. Crusty bread is a must.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

@koukouvagia that looks delicious. You've really become quite good at food photography!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

french fries said:


> @koukouvagia that looks delicious. You've really become quite good at food photography!


Thank you!


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

koukouvagia said:


> This is fasolada, a very typical Greek soup made with white beans, veggies, tomatoes and herbs.


Lovely!


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

A rich mushroom and root vegetable stew. I used red miso paste and Marmite (its a Brit thing) plus caramelised onions to achieve the dark gravy. The veg are Chantenay carrots and turnips.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

That looks SO much like beef stew I was fooled even after reading the description


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Hummus Ni Tahini (as I couldn't find tahini anywhere)

Very simple, yet very tasty.
And very cluttered pictures....

Ingredients:
Chick peas (canned), lime juice and garlic









And for serving: a pinch of smoked paprika and my special olive oil (gift of a friend of mine)








And the result


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

millionsknives said:


> That looks SO much like beef stew I was fooled even after reading the description


There is another I do which is probably even more beef like. Chestnut and Mushroom Bourguignon. Mushrooms marinated in red wine - brandy added. I made this in September so not eligible. I've posted the recipe over in the recipe section:
Chestnut & Mushroom Bourguignon


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Play Time 

This picture is just there to make you jealous on how green everything is here at the moment









Butternut, onions and garlic on the smoker. I removed the waterpan and didn't really keep track of the temperature as all ingredients were in their jackets









Roasting/smoking is hard work














Done smoking






















Removed and cleaned the ingredients.
I stored them overnight and went on the next day (see next post as I couldn't attach all pictures)


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

The next day, it was time for the leeks. If they would have been thicker, they could have been on the smoker as well, but they were a bit too skinny








Ginger and chili are ready to be added








Yesterday's exercise is added









Along with a handful of cherry tomatoes








And that's it!









Except that it was still mssing something, so I looked at my spice rack. Initially I was thinking of adding some coriander and cumin, bt then I saw my Jamaican curry spice mix and added that.
That really made a difference!

I am keeping this as sort of a base.
Nice as it is with pasta, noodles or rice
Or thin a bit with water or coconut milk for a soup

Or for the non-vegan options:
Add a bit of bacon or ground beef (or both) and a dollop of yoghurt or creme fresh/sour cream


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

morning glory said:


> A rich mushroom and root vegetable stew. I used red miso paste and Marmite (its a Brit thing) plus caramelised onions to achieve the dark gravy. The veg are Chantenay carrots and turnips.
> 
> View attachment 64254


Marmite is yeast based, and though itself it may not be the same, I've had some yeast-based beef stock concentrates that were actually very much like the real thing, in powder form no less. I believe that one was by Orington Farms.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*







APPLE PIE TAQUITOS *_(not original to me)_
4 small tortillas
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of cacao
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 tablespoons of apple pie filling

Pre-heat the oven at 425℉.
Take 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple filling on top of a tortilla and roll tightly.
Put in an oven dish. Repeat 3 more times.
Brush the tortilla with vegetable oil or butter. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and cacao.
Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until nice and crispy.
Decorate with some syrup (optional).


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

*HEARTY HIGH PROTEIN LENTIL, KIDNEY BEAN, AND CHICKPEA CHILI *_(not original to me)_

2 cups lentils, cooked or canned
2 cups kidney beans, cooked or canned
2 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
1 large onion, diced
6 mushrooms, Cremini, chopped
2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Chop all your veggies, get that prep goin!
Once everything is ready add the olive oil and the liquid smoke to a large pot on medium heat.
To this add your onions and allow them to sweat down and brown up.
Next add your mushrooms, and minced garlic, allowing them to release their liquids and cook for about 5 minutes.
Throw in the bell pepper and the chopped spinach, cooking until the spinach is fully wilted.
Now it's time to add all of your beans, toss in the lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas into the pot.
Stir everything to combine.
Add in all your spices and mix them throughout.
Finally throw in the crushed fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and almond milk.
Allow this to simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes partially covered.
Taste your creation and add more spices if it suits your fancy.

* _That white glob on top can either be cashew cream-cheese or whipped tofu._


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

When I did that tasty eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, I made what I thought was a HUGE pot of vegggie stock. Oddly enough, it got used up pretty quickly in various non-vegan ways. So for the risotto I'm planning I have another pot steeping on the stove. We'll see how long this batch lasts.

mjb.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

fusion street food stir fry in a wok

chinese - yu choy, rice noodles, fermented black bean and garlic, dark soy
indian - peas, onions, garam masala, green mango powder


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Tofu Frittata

Hi All, its been a while since I posted for a challenge, but I did take some pics for the last two, just never got them posted . I first made this for my niece over Thanksgiving break. She is very cool about being vegan. Doesn't expect special treatment and is not preachy about it. She just does it, so it's fun to make something for her at family meals.

I put a package of tofu, 2T soy sauce, 2T nutritional yeast flakes, 1T corn starch, 1/2t ground turmeric into the food processor and I blended them until smooth. Then I sautéed a diced onion and red potato until browned. I added 2 cloves mined garlic and sautéed a moment, followed by 2 sliced scallions, a small diced zucchini, and 2 oz. chopped spinach and salt and pepper. Off the heat I added the tofu mixture and baked for about 40 minutes at 375. I served it with an avocado and red onion salad.



















recipe from ohmyveggies.com


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

I made these a couple nights ago. They are excellent. Don't skimp on the cider vinegar in the beans, and add a little more to loosen them up before serving.

Diced sweet potatoes tossed in oil, chili powder, and cumin. and salt. Roast at 425 for about 30 minutes until the get a little born on the edges.

Sauté onion until soft then add a couple cloves of minced garlic and a finely chopped jalapeño and sauté a little longer. Add a can of drained black beans, about a table spoon of cider vinegar, and salt and cook for about 15. Maybe add a little more vinegar before serving.

Serve on corn tortillas with sliced avocado, cilantro, lime, and salsa verde.  Also cotija cheese if it wasn't, you know, vegan month


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

hank said:


> Tofu Frittata
> 
> Hi All, its been a while since I posted for a challenge, but I did take some pics for the last two, just never got them posted . I first made this for my niece over Thanksgiving break. She is very cool about being vegan. Doesn't expect special treatment and is not preachy about it. She just does it, so it's fun to make something for her at family meals.
> 
> ...


This is clever - it looks as if it has eggs in it. Bravo! I have been working on how to make quiche filling without eggs and thought of using tofu but wasn't sure. Now I'll try it.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Mushroom Tarte Tatin. The mushrooms are first cooked in balsamic vinegar and olive oil until caramelised - then a short crust pastry over the top. Drizzled with truffle oil before serving.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

What fat did you use for the short crust?

mjb.


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## planethoff (Apr 25, 2011)

Great dishes. I'm sad I didn't have a chance to participate. @iceman Great concept choice


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

The month is not over.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Arrived a little late to the party...

@morning glory you´re killing this challenge by the way.

Anyway I sometimes do have a few vegan dinners here at home, oh and I currently work at a health food type restaurant, so I have been getting some time to practice new ideas. Anyway here´s my 2 cents.

*Cauliflower and pea couscous, marinated in spices with lady fingers. Zucchini and roasted tomatoes:*


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

My other contribution;

*Chickpea patty, marinated zucchini ribbons, tomatoes, whole sugar peas in their pods:*

The patty is very similiar to a falafel, except it was seared like a hamburger, no eggs or flower in the patty, the chickpeas were just pretty starchy and held themselves together. The seasonings were varied, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, onions powder etc. Tried to keep the salad light, almost no seasonings on the peas, as I wanted there natural taste to come forth.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

teamfat said:


> What fat did you use for the short crust?
> 
> mjb.


Trex - its a UK shortening made from vegetable fat. If making vegan puff pastry its necessary to use a hard vegetable fat - there is one called Stork in the UK. If making vegan croissants or similar its necessary to find a very high fat content hard margarine. The only one I've found in the UK is Tomor. I think there are more alternatives in the USA.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

kaiquekuisine said:


> Arrived a little late to the party...
> 
> @morning glory you´re killing this challenge by the way.


Sorry... . My son turned vegan a few months ago so I've had plenty of practice recently!


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

kaiquekuisine said:


> Chickpea patty, marinated zucchini ribbons, tomatoes, whole sugar peas in their pods:


Did you make the patties from soaked raw chickpeas (as in traditional falafel) or from cooked chickpeas? There was a Falafel challenge on another forum a few months ago. I had three failed attempts at making them traditionally!


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

The recipe for the _"APPLE PIE TAQUITOS"_ (post #90) that I posted before is all fine and tasty, but ... it's somewhat more a pita than necessary. Something that I left out was that I feel it's better to gently blitz the apple pie filling in a food-pro just a little bit to break down the apples. NOT too much or you'll end up with apple sauce which is even more messy. I also squirt in a healthy portion of caramel cream for ice-cream.

_A much much more easy way to go_ is to make the dish as a cake; just stack up layers of tortillas and apple guts. You get less servings ... but who cares?!? LOL. it's tasty and easy.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Once again at the end of the month and I'm way behind so i submit this. I started it two months ago but it finished two weeks ago.  Perhaps not completely of this month but definitely vegan.

View attachment 64310

Pear and ginger whiskey. (The clear glass bottle on the left.)
A friend gave me the enormous bottle of whiskey and I had pears. Mixed half whiskey and half medium strength sugar syrup, added chopped ripe pears and a vanilla bean and let ferment. The last week of fermenting I added some fresh grated ginger.
It is delicious.
I didn't have to use all the whiskey so I will try a different fruit next.
And so far lots of delicious looking, interesting entries here. I won't be going vegan but it looks like I wouldn't go hungry either.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

morning glory said:


> Did you make the patties from soaked raw chickpeas (as in traditional falafel) or from cooked chickpeas? There was a Falafel challenge on another forum a few months ago. I had three failed attempts at making them traditionally!


I used soaked chickpeas, pulversized in the blender instead of food processor, chickpeas were not peeled, and i cooked them 3/4 of the way, they still had a bite to them after cooked.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

I made a salad with roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, pomegranate, and a sherry vinaigrette as part of Christmas Dinner.

edited because Mrs Hank had a better pic


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

kaiquekuisine said:


> I used soaked chickpeas, pulversized in the blender instead of food processor, chickpeas were not peeled, and i cooked them 3/4 of the way, they still had a bite to them after cooked.


I'll have to try that method. Thanks!


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Vegan pizza with vegan mozarella style cheese, the mildest green Scotch Bonnet I've ever tasted (which made pretty patterns), olives and basil.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OK ... So, as you've been waiting ... The *WINNER* of the December 2017 *"VEGAN"* Challenge is . . .


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_Let me tell you ..._ I've been honored and thrilled to be selected as November's winner. I thank all involved for that. Not just the previous winner that picked me, but _ALL_ the contestants that make this a worthwhile contest. _Thank You._ I kinda think I scared some people away with the topic, but I was very impressed with the entries submitted. ... I've got the winner narrowed down to twenty-eight 28 possibilities. *Thank you all for participating. *


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_YOU'VE STILL GOT LIKE 15-HOURS TO PLAY!!! 
_
I'll let you know the _WINNER_ at like 3-something PM tomorrow CDT ... _New Year's Eve_ ... after *'da BEARS* game.









​


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Not an entry, but something that I think should be in any vegan or vegetarian contest:
Tempeh
Sort of the same ingredients as tofu, but firm, crunchy and absolutely delicious (said the carnivore).
I can't get it here, but I have some old pictures














And here is a link for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh

I honestly can't understand why it is not more popular. I've never seen it outside Indonesia and the Netherlands


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

I have a few more entries if I can get them sorted out. Here is one of them - Baby Imam Bayaldi

This is a very simplified version of the classic dish, using just olive oil, baby aubergines (eggplants) , baby tomatoes, garlic and oregano with a little vegetable stock. Quite delicious it was!


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

butzy said:


> I honestly can't understand why it is not more popular. I've never seen it outside Indonesia and the Netherlands


Totally with you. I always have tempeh in my fridge at home and probably use it a couple of times a week or more.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_OK ..._ The first dish that grabbed me was the _"Almond Ricotta Ravioli"_ from *fresh baked*. I needed a recipe for that one. Next, *millionsknives*_'_ _"Goi Cuon"_ was really nice, but the tofu chunks were too big for me _(yeah ... I'd still eat it though)_. The _"Kung Pao Lotus Root"_ knocked me out ... but Kung Pao for me is cashews not peanuts. *Morning Glory* _... Forget it ... You need your own thread._ The pizza was knock-out all the way. *Butzy* ... the _smoked thing_ was classic tasty. *Hank* ... Loved the _Frittata_. ​_(Those were in order of submission.)_​

_You *ALL* did well. Thank You for playing._


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_This month's winner is_ ... *kaiquekuisine*, for the two(2) dishes:

_Cauliflower and pea couscous, marinated in spices with lady fingers w/ Zucchini and roasted tomatoes. 
Chickpea patty, marinated zucchini ribbons, tomatoes, whole sugar peas in their pods._

I want both of those dishes on the same plate.

*... Happy New Year Everyone. *


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

Oh gosh! I just logged in thinking it was 5 hours difference in the US so that I had time to enter two more dishes (I'm in the UK). You said we had 15 hours (that was at 9.15 pm) yesterday. Oh well...our time zones are different.



iceman said:


> _This month's winner is_ ... *kaiquekuisine*, for the two(2) dishes:


Congratulations @kaiquekuisine! I loved your dishes. A worthy winner!


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

Sorry there MG. With all the whatever about the clock issue ... I posted just after 10:00 pm CDT _(Chicagoland day lite time)_. "3-something PM tomorrow CDT" would have been after 3:00 pm (afternoon ... after *'da BEARS* got beat).


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Finally got around to doing this, no problem it is late. I've already hosted 4 challenges, so I can rest on those laurels for a while. But I wanted to do this all month long, a mushroom risotto. a favorite of mine.

*The Players
*
Of course one needs rice for a risotto.









And all the other goodies:










Obviously mushrooms, here fresh Crimini and dried morels. Also garlic, shallot, olive oil, Italian seasoning, dry vermouth and some nutmeg. A dash of nutmeg plays well with mushrooms.

The Process

First the dried morels get rehydrated in some hot veggie stock.










I tried something a bit different here, and grated the fresh ones rather than slice.









They got lightly sauteed in some olive oil.










Mushrooms out of the pan into a bowl, minced shallots and garlic replace them in the pan, another splash of olive oil.









On a side note, that little glass bowl you see at the top of the picture is skimming from a pot of beef stock. Tomorrow night's dinner is certainly NOT vegan. So the rice gets added, well coated with the olive oil, stirred for a bit. about 1/3 cup vermouth goes in, keep stirring until almost dry. Then the veggie stock gets added, stirred, add some more, stir, ...

Getting close!









The rehydrated morels and criminis get stirred in, along with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg.

*The Product*

Some scallions as a garnish, wish I would have kept one of the fresh mushrooms to slice and saute as a garnish as well. Oh well, no big deal.










Different with no butter, no parmesan, but quite mushroomy, that veggie broth is REALLY good stuff.

And for the record, my money was on Morning Glory.

mjb.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Well that was a pleasant new years surprise. I really enjoyed the challenge and wish i could have submitted one more entry i had tucked into my sleeve.

@iceman I´m happy you enjoyed my dishes, and i definitely loved the challenge, not just because i won it, but because it embraced something different.

I also can´t say enough how much @morning glory really rose to the ocassion. All the dishes were beautiful with so much quality.

Definitely an honor to have been chosen for this challenge, it´s my first challenge win so I´m pretty excited.

I kinda already have the next challenge decided, I´m just stewing a bit on some other possible ideas. I´m thinking it´s going to be a bit challenging, but should definitely be interesting. I´ll have it up in a few hours.


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## planethoff (Apr 25, 2011)

Congratulations @kaiquekuisine. Great work. Beautiful entries. Look forward to your pick for the next challenge.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

iceman said:


> Sorry there MG. With all the whatever about the clock issue ... I posted just after 10:00 pm CDT _(Chicagoland day lite time)_. "3-something PM tomorrow CDT" would have been after 3:00 pm (afternoon ... after *'da BEARS* got beat).


It gets confusing especially as time zones differ across the US. CDT is -6 hours GMT isn't it? You posted the winner at 2 pm my time (GMT) on 31st Dec. I don't know how that can be 10pm in Chicago if you are 6 hours behind my time. I'm now totally confused! 

I suppose I just thought I was safe posting early evening on the 31st here because you were 5 or 6 hrs behind my time.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

kaiquekuisine said:


> I also can´t say enough how much @morning glory really rose to the ocassion. All the dishes were beautiful with so much quality.


Thank you so much, kind Sir!


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

Congratulations kaiquekuisine. And thanks Iceman for hosting. I also have to say well done morning glory. You did some fantastic work.


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## morning glory (May 28, 2015)

hank said:


> I also have to say well done morning glory. You did some fantastic work.


Thank you! Its become an obsession with me - to make vegan food into gourmet food! I loved cooking for this challenge and learned a lot.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Congratuations Kaique!
I have been impressed with all entries. And there were many more than I expected 
And Morning Glory, please still post these last entries as I think this thread may be checked quite a bit by people that want ideas for a vegan dish...


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OMG ... You're killing me here. _*"SEARCH"*_ is your FRIEND.

_Here's a thread for ideas that EVERYONE can use and CONTRIBUTE to ... (it's seven(7) pages) LOL ..._
https://cheftalk.com/threads/good-vegan-eats-vegetarian-too.68194/


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