The Happy Gluten Free Vegan

Sometimes vegans get a craving for a hearty meal. Many of us grew up eating meat and dairy products, but later ditched them due to health, philosophical and/or humanitarian reasons. Still, we often miss familiar comfort foods, and long for the taste of….well, not meat, exactly, but something equally filling. Reubens are one of those comfort foods that went by the wayside when we gave up a carnivorous diet — until now. When you bite into one of these vegan, gluten-free tempeh reubens, you will be astonished. Robust flavor without the greasy aftertaste or the guilt! Tempeh is protein-rich and packed with vitamins, and sauerkraut is great for digestion. This dish is healthy, simple to make, inexpensive, and delicious.

INGREDIENTS FOR MARINADE
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (check label, make sure there’s no wheat)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder

RUSSIAN DRESSING INGREDIENTS
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pickle relish
2 tablespoons ketchup (make sure no wheat is added)

OTHER INGREDIENTS
1 8-ounce package tempeh
4 slices gluten-free rye bread (we used Canyon Bakehouse, very flavorful!)
4 slices vegan cheese (we recommend Chao, it melts easily)
½ cup sauerkraut

Combine marinade ingredients in a deep dish and cut tempeh in half, then slice lengthwise to make four pieces. Soak tempeh for 20-30 minutes until well-seasoned. Fry slices in olive oil on stovetop until brown on both sides. Pour leftover marinade over the top while cooking and allow it to simmer until absorbed. Remove tempeh from pan and set aside.

Combine ingredients in small bowl for Russian dressing. Fry rye bread in pan on both sides until lightly browned. Remove from pan and spread all four slices with a generous layer of Russian dressing. Pile on tempeh, cheese slices, and a dollop or two of sauerkraut. Put slices together to create two sandwiches and return them to the frying pan. Adjust stovetop to medium heat seating. Fry sandwiches on both sides until bread is dark brown and cheese is melted. This should take no more than five minutes. Remove sandwiches from pan, pile them on a plate, and dig in!

Serves 2 hungry people, but you can increase the amount of ingredients for a larger party. This meal pairs well with gluten-free, dark beer or red wine (check www.barnivore.com to make sure your alcoholic beverages are vegan). You’ll want to make this tasty dish again and again! Enjoy!

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Nothing is more festive than cranberries, yet we often don’t use these tart little fruits for anything except sauce. (We’re going to assume that you eschew canned cranberries entirely. If not, we don’t want to know about it). When you finish making your own sauce from scratch, you often have a lot of berries left over. What to do?

After Thanksgiving ended, we found ourselves in such a predicament. Fortunately, we discovered this recipe, and it saved the day. The addition of applesauce adds sweetness, moisture and density. You’ll love it!

INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill has several varieties. We used white rice flour for this recipe).
1 cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons xanthum gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon sea salt (not the commercial, iodized kind)
1 ½ cup applesauce (organic, please!)
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup fresh cranberries

OPTIONAL ADD-IN INGREDIENTS
½ cup chopped walnuts and/or pecans
¼ cup poppy seeds

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. When combined, add in the wet ingredients and stir thoroughly by hand or with a mixer. We used a large spoon and it worked fine. Stir in cranberries. The applesauce will bind the mixture together and give it a creamy yet solid texture. It should neither be stiff nor runny.

Grease one large or two small bread pans with coconut oil. Pour batter into pan (s) until about ¾ full. Because of the density of the applesauce, the bread will not rise much, so you needn’t worry about overflow. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour. You can employ the time-tested fork or toothpick method in the center of the bread to see whether its done. Your kitchen will smell so wonderful, you might not ever want the baking to end. Be careful not to burn this bread!

Serve as is (scrumptious!) or with Earth Balance, organic preserves, vegan cream cheese (we love Kite Hill the most), etc. Be creative! Serves 8-10 hungry people. This bread won’t last! If you make two mini-loaves, you can always wrap one of them in festive paper, tie a ribbon around it, and give it as a gift to someone you love. Enjoy the bounty of the season, and happy holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Solstice, or something else.

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Some folks persist in thinking that folks who follow a vegan, gluten-free diet eat nothing but nuts and seeds. If you have a friend or relative who harbors this belief, slice a couple of pieces of banana bread from this rich, moist loaf and place them in front of her/him. Then sit back and smile. S/he will be singing a different tune after the first bite and might even beg you for the recipe. You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to make this bread, and how delicious it tastes. Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend (Bob’s 1/1 is still our absolute favorite for baking).
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder (check label to make sure it’s aluminum-free)
½ teaspoon sea salt
7/8 cup organic turbinado sugar or coconut sugar (these sugars are always vegan, unlike
commercial sugar, and they taste much better, as well)
1/3 cup coconut oil or organic canola oil (coconut oil is our favorite—naturally sweet).
2 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup water

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ cup vegan, gluten-free chocolate chips (be sure to check ingredients on package)
¼ cup poppyseeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you choose coconut oil, heat in pan on stove top or for 15-20 seconds in microwave until
liquefied. In large bowl, mash bananas with fork until all lumps are gone. Pour coconut or canola
oil into bowl and combine with banana mixture. Add apple cider vinegar, water, and vanilla
extract and beat to a nice froth. A large spoon will do well for this task. Blend in the dry ingredients, starting with baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then add the sugar and flour. When all ingredients are thoroughly combined, grease a small bread pan with coconut oil and pour mixture inside. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, your entire kitchen will be filled with the most delectable aroma!

Serve as is, or with maple syrup, Earth Balance, vegan butter, almond butter, or any other topping of your choice. It’s great for breakfast, dessert, or a late night snack. Serves 4-6, but two people can gobble down this bread in a matter of hours, if not sooner. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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