Nut Butter Universe

The wait is over! Robin Robertson's Nut Butter Universe is here!

This book is filled with recipes using delectable butters made from cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamias, chestnuts, almonds, and more, including everyone’s favorite, peanut butter. Just a small amount of nut butter can add great texture, flavor, and nutrition to your meals.

Here is just a sampling of Robin’s mouth-watering recipes, all enriched by luscious nut and seed butters:

 Apple-Almond Butter Pancakes

 Roasted Niçoise Salad with Cashew Goddess Dressing

 

Peanut Butter Cups

The recipes range from starters, soups, and sandwiches, to main dishes, breakfasts, and desserts. In addition to containing dozens of fabulous all-new recipes, the recipes in Nut Butter Universe are clearly marked as being gluten-free or soy-free. There's also a forward by The Plant-Based Dietician Julieanna Hever that's full of nutrition information for nuts and nut butters.

Buy Nut Butter Universe from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local independent bookstore. If your local bookstore doesn't have Nut Butter Universe, please ask them to carry it.


Photography by Lori Maffei. From Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. ©2013 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.


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Jumpin’ Jambalaya

Mardi Gras is tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate than with Jumpin' Jambalaya from Robin Robertson's Vegan Fire and Spice? The term jambalaya is believed to derive from the French word “ jambon,” which means ham. Traditional jambalaya is a rice and tomato dish made with a selection of whatever ingredients happen to be on hand. This recipe shows how well the tradition translates in a vegan kitchen. If seitan is not “on hand,” add more beans. Another tasty addition is sliced Tofurky sausage links. To tone down the heat, omit the chiles and cut back on the Tabasco. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 hot chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon filé powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco
• 8 ounces seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• Freshly cooked rice 

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pep- per, celery, garlic, and chiles. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cover, add the juice from the tomatoes, the thyme, filé powder, salt, cayenne, and Tabasco. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the seitan and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, then add to the tomato mixture along with the kidney beans. Adjust the seasoning to taste and simmer an additional 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over rice.

Serves 4 

From Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson. ©2008 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from  Vegan Heritage Press. 

Hunan Vegetable Stir-Fry

Sunday is Chinese New Year, and we're about to enter into the year of the snake. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. The snake zodiac sign symbolizes gratefulness, materialism, mystery and intelligence. Being born into the year of the snake is considered lucky, as tradition says snakes will have bright futures.

It's a Buddhist tradition that no animal is harmed on the first day of the lunar new year, so this Hunan Vegetable Stir-Fry from Robin Robertson's Vegan Fire and Spice is perfect for vegans and omnivores alike. In Chinese culture vegetables are a symbol of purification, so they're often eaten at the start of year for a fresh start. This stir-fry is versatile and can be made by using different vegetables or with the addition of tofu or seitan.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or a natural sweetener
• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound bok choy, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 4 ounces snow peas, trimmed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

1. Soak the red pepper flakes in the wine vinegar in a small bowl for 30 minutes.
2. In another small bowl, combine the tomato puree, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar, and set aside.
3. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, bok choy, carrot, and undrained red pepper flakes, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the snow peas and mushrooms and stir-fry for 3 minutes longer. Add the reserved sauce and cook until heated through.

Serves 4

From Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson. ©2008 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from  Vegan Heritage Press.

American Vegan Kitchen or World Vegan Feast Giveaway

February is cold and dreary in most parts of the US, and many of us just want to stay inside with bowls of steaming hot soup or warm and comforting soup. To help you stay warm and cozy, we're having a comfort food cookbook giveway! Chose from either American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes or World Vegan Feast by Bryanna Clark Grogan.

American Vegan Kitchen is full of recipes to make vegan versions of favorite comfort food dishes found in diners, delis, and cafes across the US. Spaghetti Pie with Arrabbiata Sauce, Southern Fried Seitan and Beer-Simmered Seitan Stroganoff with Cracked Pepper are just a few of the many warm and hearty dishes in this book.

World Vegan Feast includes authentic dishes from around the world that you won’t find in other vegan cookbooks. Ugandan-Style Peanut Butter Stew, Seitan Wellington and Curried Vegan Meatloaf are some of the comforting recipes you'll find within the pages of this book.


To enter, leave a comment listing which of these two cookbooks you’d like to win.  To increase your chances of winning, in addition to leaving your initial comment, you can do any or all of the following, and leave a separate comment here for each that you do:

1. “Like” Vegan Heritage Press on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Heritage-Press/120897831319698
2. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VeganPress
3. Subscribe to this blog
4. Link to this giveaway on Twitter
5. Link to this giveaway on Facebook
6. Link to this giveaway on your blog

Winners will be chosen at random for each book. Contest ends on Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 11:59pm, EST. US residents only please. One winner will be chosen at random for each book.



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Vegan Unplugged Goes Digital!

That's right - Vegan Unplugged is getting plugged in, so to speak. This best selling pantry cuisine cookbook and survival guide is now available for both Nook and Kindle (with a new cover!) so you can take it with you when you're on the road, camping, backpacking or visiting non-vegans. Of course it's still available in paperback for times when you really are unplugged.

Vegan Unplugged is a must-have for everyone who wants to see how easy and practical it is to make great-tasting, nutritious food with staples that are probably already in the kitchen pantry. The recipes are easy to make, the instructions are simple, and the ingredients are easy to find. Vegan Unplugged also features a concise emergency preparedness section for everyone in the family, including companion animals, because we all need a backup plan.


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Spicy Balsamic Maple Wingz

Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away and people across the country are planning their viewing party menus. Hot wings rank high on the list of football snack foods, but they're something not usually found at a vegan table. You no longer need to forgo the game day favorite because Tamasin Noyes has created this delicious meatless Balsamic Maple Wingz recipe, originally found in her cookbook American Vegan Kitchen. Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you - this recipe comes together quickly and is sure to please party-goers this weekend.

Ingredients:
Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Simmering Broth:

• 6 to 8 cups chilled vegetable broth

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/2 tablespoon chicken-flavored vegan bouillon paste

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Wingz:
Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

• 1 tablespoon instant tapioca

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 
1/2 teaspoon salt


Wet Ingredients:


• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 
1 tablespoon olive oil
• 
1 cup chilled vegetable broth

• 1/2 teaspoon browning sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon chicken-flavored veganbouillon paste

Breading:

• 1/2 cup soy milk

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup panko crumbs

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Canola oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Mix well and set aside. 
2. Broth: Combine the ingredients for the simmering broth in a large saucepan and set aside. 
3. Wingz: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Transfer to a work surface and knead a few minutes until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
4. Shape the seitan into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle, then cut into 1-inch strips. Cut each strip into 3 pieces. Add the seitan pieces to the cold broth and bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Simmer gently in the broth for 1 hour 15 minutes, then let cool. At this point, the seitan may be packaged in airtight containers and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to two months. 
5. Breading: Pour the soy milk and 1/4 of the teaspoon salt into a shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or a brown bag for draining. 
6. Combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in another bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the panko, paprika, thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
7. Dip the seitan pieces in the soy milk, then dredge in the flour mixture. Dip in the soy milk again, then in the panko mixture, pressing some of the crumbs onto the seitan.
8. Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the wingz and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on the prepared baking sheet. Toss with the sauce and serve hot.

From American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes. ©2010 Tamasin Noyes. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.


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Fried Avocado Wedges

Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us! The NFL estimates that Americans will throw about 20 million Super Bowl parties on Sunday, and it's believed that approximately 80 million pounds of avocados will be consumed. That's a lot of guacamole!

This recipe for Fried Avocado Wedges from Tamasin Noyes's American Vegan Kitchen is perfect for Super Bowl parties and is sure to please your guests. Double the recipe if you're expecting a lot of people because these snacks will go quickly! Peel and slice the avocados just before frying to prevent discoloration, and store the ripe avocado in the refrigerator until ready to use for the clean cut slices.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon all purpose spice blend

• Pinch black pepper
• 
3/4 cup vegan Mexican-style beer, such as Corona

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Canola oil, for frying
• 
2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 8 wedges

• 1/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
• Tomato salsa, for serving

Directions: 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, spice blend, and pepper. Whisk in the beer and lime juice. Add additional beer or flour if needed for a dipping consistency that coats the avocado but isn’t too heavy.
2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels or a brown bag for draining. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
3. Place the cornmeal on a plate. Coat the wedges in the corn- meal, then dip them in the batter. Working in batches, fry the avocados until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on the baking sheet then transfer to an ovenproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm until the frying is complete. Serve imme- diately with a small bowl of salsa for dipping.

From American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes. ©2010 Tamasin Noyes. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.


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