Quiet Storm Recipes
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Spice Mix
This blend doubles as taco seasoning – mix it into your favorite ground plant-based meat! QS recommends TVP, crumbled tofu, or chopped walnuts and/or sunflower seeds.
1/2 cup granulated garlic
1/2 cup cumin, freshly ground if possible
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup oregano (epazote if you have it)
1-2 TBS cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients well. Store in airtight container.
Black Beans
4 cups dry black beans
2 bay leaves
heaping 1/2 cup Bean Spice Mix
2 TBS Kosher salt
Cover beans with water by 2 inches in stockpot. Add bay leaves & cook till water is mostly absorbed. Add water again to cover by 1 inch, along with about a third of the bean spice mix.
Lower heat to a simmer & repeat the water-spice mix process two more times as water is absorbed, adding salt the final time.
Taste beans for seasoning & doneness, adding a half-cup of water at a time to finish beans as desired.
Ideally, there should be some “bite” to the beans along with some “jus.” The beans will keep “drinking” as they cool so finish them a little on the wet side.
Chilled beans may be “refreshed” with a little water so they’re not pasty.
Makes a “family-sized” batch, 8-12 servings.
Preheat oven or toaster oven. Pour TVP crumbs into large mixing bowl. Whisk liquid ingredients & pour over, mixing thoroughly.
Spread out on sheet pan & bake till light brown, 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Be careful not to burn!
Makes 6-8 servings.
There is great plant-based bacon in stores now, compared to the limited options of the early 2000s. We made our smoky, salty crumble very simply, with TVP, aka texturized vegetable protein, a staple from the early vegetarian movement which gets no love, unbelievably.
2 c TVP
1 c water
2 TBS Liquid Smoke
2 TBS Kosher salt
1/4 c vegetable oil
Baken Crumble
If there are flour lumps, attack them with vigor. You want a nice even paste coating the onions. There is a learning curve here — but you will get a gravy regardless. Too little flour, it’s thin & not so fixable. Too much flour & you can add more broth – though there’s a limit. Have faith! Think paste-y!
Makes a “family-sized” batch, 8-12 servings.
Onion Gravy
This vegan gravy was often “tested for seasoning” by the ladleful. It’s unapologetically addictive. Our Country Burrito — taters & gravy plus scrambled tofu, roasted mushrooms & housemade seitan sausage (“seisage” in our house) – was an immediate top 5 permanent menu item.
1-2 onions, thinly sliced (white or yellow, you want 2 cups)
1 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 c vegan butter (we used Earth Balance)
1/3 c flour, sifted is nice but not mandatory
3 c vegetarian beef broth, HOT
1/4 c soy sauce
Heat vegan butter in medium saucepan.
Add onions & thyme; cook over low flame till brownish, 15-30 minutes. In other words, plan on 15 minutes with frequent attention and watch from there. Make adjustments. Don’t burn!
Add half the flour; stir to combine completely. Then add half the remaining flour again & stir to combine completely. If it looks wet and grainy that’s good. If it’s still “thirsty” add half the remaining flour again. If it’s still juicy, you must have used some honkin’ onions, so add flour by the tablespoon as needed.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Superb on a grilled cheese, wonderful with “cold cuts” on a kaiser, and a great flavor base for a tortilla wrap. Positively nuclear on garlic bread (after butter/oil, before cheese). Or, make pan tomate – toast the bread first, rub it with cut garlic cloves & top generously with this sauce! Or, pour it over a hunk of cream cheese & call somebody!
1 28-oz can best quality tomatoes (whole or un-whole will work)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBS red wine vinegar
2 cups fresh parsley, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Blend all ingredients in food processor till uniform. Refrigerate in airtight container up to a week.
Makes about 2 cups.