Caribbean Vegan Ham Balls!!!!

See these balls to the left? They’re the delicious, steamed ham-style seitan recipe from Taymer Mason’s Caribbean Vegan cookbook. They’re smoky, they’re sweet, they’re spicy (how could I not add a big pinch of cayenne?) they’re chewy, and they were diced and pan-fried as part of an entirely inappropriately named October Sunrise casserole at Saturday’s Operation HotDish. I can justify the namesake because who doesn’t want to eat sun-colored macaroni and cheese on a gloomy fall day? Come on.

The main components of this crazy indulgent casserole at the crazy packed potluck and competition were wagon wheels smothered with 3 different cheesy sauces.  I based the primary cheesy element on this recipe for Who Cares Vegan Mac and Cheese (which has two separate sauces!!) from the 2009 SF Mac Battle Royal with Cheese, which seems to be based on the VegNews nooch-less creation. And because this layer sat in the fridge overnight and was looking a little dry, I spooned a batch of garlickly nutritional roux sauce on top of it before layering it up some more.

Here’s the breakdown of the October Sunrise Casserole:

• Lightly oiled casserole pan
• Layer of cooked hash browns
• Diced vegan ham
• Massive layer of wagon wheels & cheese > with chopped broccoli!
• Layer of cooked hash browns
• More and more diced vegan ham
• Super sprinkling of breadcrumbs, nutritional  yeast and Hungarian Half-Sharp Paprika

Pre-baked October Sunrise

• Lightly sprayed with oil & baked at 350F for 35 minutes

Ready to go: October Sunrise Casserole

I’ll admit, I didn’t try any casseroles, but I did bring an empty casserole dish home, which was totally my goal.

Thank you to everyone who came out and ‘sold out’ this event within minutes!

Here’s a couple of pics my friend and fellow VIC volunteer, Stephanie, took at the event:

Live Casseroling!

The Winners & Judges!

P.S. If you’re constantly on the search for great vegan mac & cheese creations and recipes like me, you must check out The Noochy Noodle. Trust me.

P.P.S. My long-term favorite remains this lower-fat version of The New Farm recipe.

here’s a showing of what I’ve been cooking in the past month or so.  colder weather & holiday season = comfort foods on the brain.  turning on the oven to roast vegetables and bake tofu is delicious and keeps the apartment warm!

they’re the type of dishes where you want to hug the plate, and then raise your fork.  truthfully, in my heart and stomach, Italian food reigns as the ruler of the comfort food kingdom, but American vegan comfort foods call out, just the same.

Whole Wheat Biscuits from The Kind Diet, Silky Chickpea Gravy from Isa’s test kitchen, roasted brussel sprouts (clearly I let the gravy sit a few minutes here!)

Spicy Collards & kidney beans, Bbq baked super firm tofu

The spicy collards dish above was based on the test recipe for the dish below – Spicy Black Eyed Peas & Greens from Isa’s test kitchen, served with Cornmeal & Nooch baked tofu. Perfect for the days the Bye & Bye is just too far across town from me.

More BBQ baked tofu & Brussel Sprouts Au Gratin – the lunch@work edition. I made a double batch of maple sweetened Backyard BBQ sauce from Veganomicon a few weeks ago, and it’s been handy.

Baked Bean balls from Veganomicon. I eat these with steamed greens and a side of marinara, or happily over whole wheat spaghetti.

Seitan roast, maple baked carrots, baked potato and mushroom croquette, silky chickpea gravy.

The day after Thanksgiving, I felt the delayed desire to make a seitan roast.  Like my friend Joanna’s amazing seitan roast, I modeled mine after Brian P. McCarthy’s recipe.  I didn’t pull out all the stops and buy cheesecloth and string, but it was still remarkably good seitan. The potato and mushroom croquettes were a mix of leftover mashed potatoes, roasted garlic and a little extra stuffed mushroom filling, formed into patties, rolled in seasoned breadcrumbs and baked.  I remember my mom making a pan fried (mushroom-less), traditional Italian version of these a few times a year growing up. comfort foodz for the win!

Tofu Skin, Tolosana black beans, carrots and tomato with Mexican spices. Burrito filling.

Really serious warm & comforty food – Side Dish Stuffed Mushrooms from my friend Michelle’s Thanksgiving potluck.

and…Melty Swiss Uncheese turned Ancho Uncheese Dip from the classic Uncheese Cookbook.

so, what’s your comfort food of choice come winter?