Summer Smash

Adapted and reinvented... another chapter of the cocktail thief, I bring you the end of summer smash!

1/2 oz. Lemon juice
1/4 oz. Agave
3 Basil Leaves
2 oz. Whiskey
2 dashes Angustora Bitters
3 Blackberries

Save yourself  $12 and do it at home! Combine lemon, agave, basil, whiskey and bitters in a cocktail shaker.  Shake with ice and strain into a glass filled with ice.  Top with muddled blackberries. (if you aren't strict vegan, a classic approach would be to use honey instead. You can also experiment with different herbs such as mint, sage and tarragon) Garnish with a sprig of basil if you want to be extra fancy.

Tortilla Soup

Holy mother Mary, I swear I'm part Mexican. This soup kicks ass and will blow your mind!!! If I was ever so proud of something I made, it's this. You never knew vegan food could be so damn good and easy.

1 tbsp. oil
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 tsp salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 c. canned tomatoes (diced, no salt added)
1 tbsp. sirracha (I use Kikkoman brand because it sucks as an Asian substitute, but has a tomatoey  flavor that work well in this)
3 c. vegetable broth
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
3-4 corn tortillas
Juice of 1 lemon
Cilantro

To prepare your tortillas, heat an oven to 425. Spray tortillas with some non-stick spray and bake for 10 minutes, flipping half way through.

Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté about 7 minutes until onions are translucent. Add in cayenne, garlic, cumin, oregano and sirracha. Sauté another minute or two stirring frequently to avoid burning. Stir in vegetable broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.

Add in broken up tortillas and nutritional yeast to soup and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Use an immersion or whatever else blends and purée soup until smooth. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and garnish with cilantro. Taste and die.

Stuffed Cabbage

So just by looking at whats below, you're probably freaking over how extensive it is.  But trust me, it really doesn't take much time at all.  The stuffing and sauce can also be pre-made the night before, then simply assemble and throw in the oven when you're ready.  This recipe is sooo worth the effort.  We devoured every last bite.  It also sounds like a super fatty meal... IRISH FOOD... stuffed anything.... but its really not.  The layering of all the flavors creates an amazing meal, low in calories and fat (also low in carbs if you substitute cauliflower rice for regular).


STUFFING
8 oz. block Tempeh, shredded
1 c. Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
1/2 yellow Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
2.5 tsp. Cumin
1.5 tsp. Smoked Paprika
2 tsp. Olive Oil


TOMATO FENNEL SAUCE
8-10 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. Olive Oil

1 large head Savoy Cabbage

Begin by making your tomato sauce.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Score the bottoms of your tomatoes and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you notice the skin start to peel away.  Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  You dont want the tomatoes to become mushy...ick.  After they have cooled, peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot.  Add onion and bell pepper and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally (if pan becomes sticky, add a little salt)  Toss in garlic and fennel.  Cook for another minute.  Add in tomato and red wine vinegar.  Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes until tomatoes have broken down.  Puree'.

(So obviously I had waaaay too much time on my hands haha.  If you want to simplify this recipe, you can just used canned tomatoes instead, or a pre-made tomato sauce.  But the fennel in this sauce gives it a really unique flavor)

While the sauce is cooking, begin making the stuffing.  Saute' onions in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until softened.  Add in remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked and tempeh had browned.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

To prep the cabbage, simply place the leaves in a pot of already boiling water for 3-5 minutes until softened.  Remove the tough bottom core of the leaf.

To assemble, fill the leaves with about 2 tbsp. of the stuffing and roll up like a burrito, folding in all sides.  Spread some tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Place stuffed cabbage on top, and layer again with remaining tomato sauce.  Cook in a 350 degree over, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes.  Serve over delicious cauliflower rice, brown rice, or both :)