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Chips & Onion Dip is the Recipe of the Week...

  • Writer: Don Lichterman
    Don Lichterman
  • Dec 11, 2020
  • 4 min read
Crispy Baked Vegetable Chips

Pep time: 20 MINUTES - cook time: 40 MINUTES - total time: 1 HOUR


These Crispy Baked Vegetable Chips come together in just 30 minutes, and are the perfect crunchy snack for lunch boxes or movie nights.


Ingredients

  • Sweet potatoes, red or golden beets, zucchini, summer squash, taro, rutabaga, white potatoes, or a combination thereof

  • Fine sea salt

  • Avocado oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

  2. Scrub clean vegetables, and then peel, if desired (I usually leave the peels on everything except for taro and rutabagas). Using a mandolin, slice the vegetables into thin slices.

For Veggies with High Water Content (beets, zucchini, summer squash):

  1. Lay the veggie slices in one layer on paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Set aside and allow to sweat out excess moisture for 15 minutes.

  2. When 15 minutes is up, use paper towels to dab off the extra moisture. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets in one layer, then brush or spray with avocado oil

  3. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the pans (including switching racks). Bake an additional 15 minutes, then rotate again. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until chips are brown and feel slightly crisp. Some chips might crisp up earlier than others—remove those as they finish.

For Veggies with Low Water Content (sweet potatoes, taro, rutabaga, white potatoes):

  1. Place the vegetable slices in a large bowl, add in enough oil to lightly coat all slices, and toss to coat. Make sure all sides of each slice are well-coated.

  2. Place the chips in one layer on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with the sea salt.

  3. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the pans (including switching racks). Bake an additional 15 minutes, then rotate again. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until chips are brown and feel slightly crisp. Some chips might crisp up earlier than others—remove those as they finish.

Notes

  • You want to slice your veggies as thinly as the mandolin will go without the veggies being paper thin/see-through. On my mandolin, this is the second thinnest setting.

  • All these chips will crisp up even more when cool, so don’t worry if they are a bit floppy still when you take them out. This is especially true with zucchini, summer squash, and beets.

Nutrition Information: SERVING SIZE: 1 cup Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 79TOTAL FAT: 0.9gSATURATED FAT: .2gCHOLESTEROL: 0mgSODIUM: 151mgCARBOHYDRATES: 16.6gFIBER: 3.5gSUGAR: 6gPROTEIN: 2.7g


French Onion Dip

Prep Time: 10 mins - Serves 4

This French onion dip is creamy, tangy, and packed with umami flavor! Served with potato chips or veggies, it's a fantastic appetizer or snack. If you don't already have caramelized onions on hand, note that you'll need to budget around 90 minutes to make them and allow them to cool before mixing up the dip.


Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Cashew Sour Cream

  • 1/2 packed cup chopped Caramelized Onions*, chilled or at room temperature

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

  • Potato chips, for serving

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together the cashew sour cream, caramelized onions, onion powder, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cover, and chill for one hour.

  • Top the chilled dip with the chives and serve with potato chips.

Notes *From about 1 onion. It’s easier to make the whole batch and have extra than to cook just 1 onion. Caramelized onions will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.





Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives.  Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

The Sustainable Action Network (SAN), A Don Lichterman non-profit organization dedicated to building a global community raising awareness of corruption, injustice and the need for action across a full range of issues impacting people and animal/wildlife welfare around the world, such as conservation, climate change, campaign law, lobbying, government action and rescue work. SAN’s vision is to create safer world, free from political, environmental, and social oppression, where all the inhabitants of Earth can live in harmony within their own natural environments. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

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Chewy Molasses Cookies is the Recipe of the Week...

  • Writer: Don Lichterman
    Don Lichterman
  • Dec 4, 2020
  • 4 min read
Chewy Molasses Cookies

Molasses Cookie Recipe Ingredients

Something else I love about this molasses cookie recipe? It’s totally vegan! It comes together with these basic ingredients:

  • Molasses, of course! I make these cookies with unsulphured blackstrap molasses, which gives them a rich molasses flavor and dark color.

  • Brown sugar and white sugar – For sweetness. This combination also contributes to the cookies’ delicious chewy texture.

  • Coconut oil – For this recipe, your coconut oil should be soft, but not melted. To achieve the right consistency, I usually pop it in the microwave for around 15 seconds before I start to bake. The exact timing depends on its initial texture, which varies based on the temperature of the kitchen. Room temperature butter will work here too.

  • All-purpose flour – For the most precise measurement, use the spoon-and-level method.

  • Baking soda – It reacts with the molasses and brown sugar to help the cookies rise.

  • Warm spices – You can’t make good chewy molasses cookies without spices! I use the same ones that I do in my vegan gingerbread: ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.

  • Vanilla – It deepens the warm, spiced flavor of these molasses cookies.

  • Fine sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

  • And natural cane sugar – For rolling! It creates a sweet, crispy crust around the cookies’ chewy middles.

First, make the dough. Cream the coconut oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and vanilla, and mix again to combine. Then, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Gradually add them to the bowl of the stand mixer, mixing after each addition. Finally, mix in 1 tablespoon water to moisten the dough.

Next, shape the cookies. Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to portion the dough, and roll each scoop into a ball. Roll the balls in a small bowl of cane sugar. When they’re evenly coated, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.


Before you bake, gently press down on the balls to flatten them slightly.


Then, bake! Transfer the cookies to a 350° oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread slightly and cracks form on their surfaces. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!


Chewy Molasses Cookies Tips

  • Use natural cane sugar for rolling. I like to use regular granulated sugar in these cookies, but I use natural cane sugar on the outside. It has a slightly coarser texture, which creates a delicious crispy crust around the cookies’ edges.

  • Bake one sheet at a time. These molasses cookies spread out as they bake, so depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need to bake them in two batches. Though working in batches takes longer than putting all the cookies in the oven at once, the extra time is worth it. Because temperatures vary throughout an oven, the cookies will bake most evenly if they’re all on the same oven rack. You don’t want cookies on a lower rack to burn before ones above them are cooked through!

  • Leave them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. It’ll be tempting to reach for these chewy molasses cookies as soon as they finish baking, but if you can, hold off for at least 10 minutes. Straight out of the oven, the cookies are puffy and delicate. As they cool, they crisp up around the edges and become chewy and fudgy in the middle. After 10 minutes, go ahead and sample one (or more), and transfer the rest to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soft (not melted) coconut oil or room temperature butter

  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  • ⅓ cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • ½ teaspoon cardamom

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • ⅓ cup cane sugar, for rolling

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric mixer, cream the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix again.

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition. Mix in the 1 tablespoon water.

  • Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to scoop the dough and use your hands to roll it into balls. Roll in the sugar, press down slightly, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives.  Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

The Sustainable Action Network (SAN), A Don Lichterman non-profit organization dedicated to building a global community raising awareness of corruption, injustice and the need for action across a full range of issues impacting people and animal/wildlife welfare around the world, such as conservation, climate change, campaign law, lobbying, government action and rescue work. SAN’s vision is to create safer world, free from political, environmental, and social oppression, where all the inhabitants of Earth can live in harmony within their own natural environments. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

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NY Strip Steak, Creamy Lentil w/ Roasted Vegetable Bake & Bagels w/ Tomato Basil, Recipe of the Week

  • Writer: Don Lichterman
    Don Lichterman
  • Oct 15, 2020
  • 7 min read
NY Strip Steak

Serves 4-5

Ingredients For the Steak:

  • 2 cups (500 mL) vital wheat gluten flour

  • 3 tablespoons (45 mL) nutritional yeast

  • 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sea salt

  • 1 cup (250 mL) water

  • 3 tablespoons (45 mL) dry red wine

  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) tamari

  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) + 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) + 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) garlic powder

For the Broth:

  • 4 quarts (4 L) water

  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) tamari

  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) dry red wine 4 cloves garlic

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

For the Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) dry red wine

  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) tamari

  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves

  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Preparation To Make the Seitan Dough:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast, and salt. Whisk until well combined and no lumps remain.

  2. In a blender, combine the water, red wine, tamari, vegetable oil, tomato paste, mustard, and garlic powder. Blend until completely smooth.

  3. Pour the water mixture into the wheat gluten our mixture. Using your hands, mix until well combined. You do not want to see any dry patches of our left. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead to develop the gluten. Shape the mixture into a rectangle about 6 inches (15 cm) long and 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick.

  4. Prepare the broth and cook the seitan dough Place the dough in a wide, large pot and add the water, tamari, red wine, garlic, and thyme.

  5. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. The seitan is done when the middle is no longer chewy or no longer has the texture of raw dough. It should be slightly spongy but firm to the touch. Remove from the heat and set aside until the seitan is cool enough to handle in the liquid, about 1 hour.

  6. Make the marinade In a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine, vegetable oil, tamari, mustard, thyme, and garlic.

  7. Once the seitan is cool enough to handle, remove it from the broth and cut it into 4 or 5 steaks of equal size. Lay the steaks at in a 13- × 9-inch (3.5 L) baking dish and pour the marinade over top. Flip to make sure that all sides of the steaks are covered with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. If marinating overnight, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

  8. Cook the steaks Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Discard the marinade. Grill, broil, or pan-fry.

To Grill the Steaks:

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill with vegetable oil by adding a little to a kitchen towel. Rub the oil on the grill to help prevent the steaks from sticking. Place the steaks on the grill and do not move them or push down, as this will cause them to burn.

  2. Cook until golden brown and sizzling, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

To Broil the Steaks:

  1. Turn the broiler on high and place the steaks on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

To Pan-Fry the Steaks:

  1. Heat enough vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until golden brown and sizzling, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Doug McNish - Vegan cuisine is exploding in popularity around the world, and now more than ever, people are adopting a plant-based diet or vegan lifestyle. Not only can you thrive eating a healthy plant-based diet, but also you can now enjoy all those familiar comfort food dishes that you have been craving. In The Classics Veganized, you will find over 120 drool-worthy dishes that reinvent classic comfort foods with a modern spin. Standout vegan dishes that no one would know are meatless! Start with appetizers, like Crispy Mushroom Calamari, Cheesy Tex-Mex Quesadillas, and Boneless Wings, because really, is there any other way to kick-off a meal? You will find lots of hearty mains like Hickory Smoked Ribs, Chickpea Pot Pie, Home-Style Meatloaf, White Widow Mac and Cheese, and Shepherd's Pie. Round out dishes with sides and salads like Buttermilk Onion Rings, Creamy Caesar Salad, and Twice Baked Vegan Taters. Weekend brunch is a must with Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes, Breakfast in Bed Scones, Quiche Lorraine, and Sunny Side Up Vegan Eggs with Yolks. Easy-to-make vegan desserts put the finishing touch on any meal. Classic desserts like Chocolate Fudge Cake with Buttercream Frosting, Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake are a breeze to throw together with basic ingredients. The Classics Veganized also includes recipes to make your own vegan pantry staples and condiments from cheeses and butters to dressings and sauces.

Creamy Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Bake

8 servings

CASSEROLE 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets 3 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large sweet onion, diced 6 garlic cloves, minced 12 ounces (1½ cups) French green (Puy) lentils 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water Small handful of thyme sprigs 4 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons yellow or white miso paste 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, for serving

CASHEW CREAM 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 1 hour in boiling water 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

CRISPY PINE NUT TOPPING 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup panko bread crumbs ½ cup pine nuts


1. MAKE THE CASSEROLE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower florets, butternut squash and sweet potato with 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to sheet trays and roast, tossing once, until they are browned and soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F.


2. While the vegetables are roasting, pour the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil into a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.


3. Add the lentils, vegetable broth and thyme sprigs to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender but still al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


4. Remove the thyme sprigs from the lentils and stir in the tahini, miso paste and balsamic vinegar.


5. MAKE THE CASHEW CREAM: While the vegetables are roasting and the lentils are cooking, add the drained cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water to the bowl of a high-powered blender. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can prepare the cashew cream up to two days in advance.


6. Layer the roasted veggies and cooked lentils in a 13-by-9-inch or 3-liter casserole pan. Drizzle the cashew cream on top and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.


7. PREPARE THE CRISPY PINE NUT TOPPING: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the panko bread crumbs and stir until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cool slightly and then stir in the pine nuts.


8. Sprinkle the pine nut mixture over the casserole and then place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes until the topping is golden (keep a careful watch, as pine nuts can burn easily). Allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Bagels with Tomato and Basil

Perfect Breakfast Bagels with Tomato and Basil

Ingredients

  • 1 "Everything" bagel

  • 3 heaping tablespoons your fave homemade vegan cheese* (or vegan mayo)

  • 1 large, juicy tomato

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves

  • Flaked salt, to taste

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • Splash of balsamic

  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

  • Fresh marjoram leaves

  • Fresh thyme leaves

Preparation

  1. Toast your bagel lightly. Spread on your vegan cheese or mayo. Add your chopped basil leaves. Slice the tomato thinly and arrange the slices on top. Add salt, pepper, and -- if using -- the balsamic, olive oil, marjoram and thyme. ENJOY

Emily von Euw is the creator of the award-winning recipe blog, This Rawsome Vegan Life (thisrawsomeveganlife.com), and best-selling author of four cookbooks: Rawsome Vegan Baking; 100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Healthy Snacks; The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook; and Rawsome Superfoods. Em’s passion in life comes from friendships, food, wilderness, mindfulness, art, and lots of dark chocolate. They have presented at veg expos and festivals across Canada and the US, and their work has been featured in publications around the world. Em lives in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional and unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. Em uses they/them pronouns as they are a non-binary and gender non-conforming person.

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives.  Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

The Sustainable Action Network (SAN), A Don Lichterman non-profit organization dedicated to building a global community raising awareness of corruption, injustice and the need for action across a full range of issues impacting people and animal/wildlife welfare around the world, such as conservation, climate change, campaign law, lobbying, government action and rescue work. SAN’s vision is to create safer world, free from political, environmental, and social oppression, where all the inhabitants of Earth can live in harmony within their own natural environments. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
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