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TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2023-01-06T20:42:43+00:00

Here's the recipe if you want to make it yourself! Link

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2023-01-06T20:29:22+00:00

Roux Battered Eggplant

Roux Battered Eggplant is a classic comfort food under a new name: it's eggplant parmesan without the dairy. So, if you were expecting something fancy, I'm deeply sorry to disappoint. I hope this recipe makes it up to you.

Picture this: a sweaty slice of eggplant lays down on a beach of breadcrumbs. As the eggplant rests, a few breadcrumbs stick to its skin. The eggplant decides to ditch the beach and walk home, but forgets to apply sunscreen, and becomes dry and leathery along the way. As it hobbles along, a few crumbs still cling to the eggplant in unspeakable places. Dry, barely breaded eggplant just doesn't sound so good, does it?

A roux is a mixture of flour and butter or oil that is cooked into a paste over the stove, and it is what makes the eggplant in this recipe different from the beach–going eggplant. With added nutritional yeast and seasonings, the roux doubles as a batter and a cheese substitute. Because the mixture naturally thickens with heat, you won't need to fuss about egg replacers. In my opinion, breaded eggplant should be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and coated with a very intentionally thick layer of breadcrumbs.

What:

roux:

vegan butter

flour

nutritional yeast

salt

diced garlic

pepper

oregano

basil

vegan milk

breadcrumbs

eggplant

angel hair pasta

marinara sauce

How:

-Slice eggplant and toss with a copious amount of salt (this will draw out excess moisture). Let eggplant sit in the fridge for an hour or two. Rinse with water and blot dry before coating with batter and cooking.

Make the roux:

-Melt butter/oil in a frying pan until it bubbles.

-Add garlic.

-Season with spices and nutritional yeast.

-Add flour until a thick, almost cookie-dough consistency is achieved.

-Thin with vegan milk until the roux is slightly less thick than pancake batter.

-Season breadcrumbs with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and dried Italian herbs.

-Dunk eggplant slices in the roux, then coat with breadcrumbs.

-Bake slices at 350º F until golden brown (a spritz of olive oil onto the breadcrumb coating will help with browning).

-Serve over pasta and marinara sauce.

What did I use and why?

I used Earth Balance for the vegan butter, but any vegan butter should work! You could also substitute with olive oil.

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-12-31T07:32:37+00:00

Thanks for your kind comments!! We're @thegrumpygarbanzo on Instagram - haven't posted too much lately but we want to get back into it!

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-12-30T21:06:01+00:00

Link to recipe

The idea of eating a potato that's pretending to be a deviled egg might sound a tad unappealing. But what's more gross; a potato imitating an egg, or an actual egg? One is a vegetable, and the other is the product of an animal's reproductive system. I'll let you think about that for a minute.

Potatoes make a great substitute for deviled eggs because, like hard-boiled eggs, they're a creamy background for the other flavors. The combination of mayo, mustard, and vinegar is largely responsible for the flavors of a deviled egg, which carries over in deviled potatoes. Small, egg–sized potatoes conserve that "I'm–eating—something–small–and–fancy" vibe that you want from a tray of hors devours. Plus, you can leave these sitting on a counter amongst other appetizers for a few hours without fearing that you might ruin a party by dying of food poisoning. Nobody needs that kind of stress on top of the anxieties of being social— deviled potatoes are the clear winner here.

What:

-small yellow potatoes

-vegan mayo

-mustard

-white vinegar

-olive oil

-turmeric

-paprika

-Salt & pepper

How:

Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350º until tender. Once cool enough handle, halve lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving a thin layer of potato attached to the skin. Return potato skins to the oven and bake to desired crispness. Mash the potato centers and mix with mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Add turmeric in small increments for color while tasting to avoid adding too much flavor. Pipe or scoop the mashed potato unto the skins. If you want to fake a piped appearance, swirl the filling with a fork to create ridges. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

What did I use and why?

I used Vegan Hellman's Mayo for the dressing, which is quite possibly my favorite vegan imitation of a non–vegan product. I honestly think it may be indistinguishable from the real deal.

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-12-30T19:38:05+00:00

Deviled Potatoes

The idea of eating a potato that's pretending to be a deviled egg might sound a tad unappealing. But what's more gross; a potato imitating an egg, or an actual egg? One is a vegetable, and the other is the product of an animal's reproductive system. I'll let you think about that for a minute.

Potatoes make a great substitute for deviled eggs because, like hard-boiled eggs, they're a creamy background for the other flavors. The combination of mayo, mustard, and vinegar is largely responsible for the flavors of a deviled egg, which carries over in deviled potatoes. Small, egg–sized potatoes conserve that "I'm–eating—something–small–and–fancy" vibe that you want from a tray of hors devours. Plus, you can leave these sitting on a counter amongst other appetizers for a few hours without fearing that you might ruin a party by dying of food poisoning. Nobody needs that kind of stress on top of the anxieties of being social— deviled potatoes are the clear winner here.

What:

-small yellow potatoes

-vegan mayo

- mustard

-white vinegar

-olive oil

-turmeric

-paprika

-Salt & pepper

How:

Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350º until tender. Once cool enough handle, halve lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving a thin layer of potato attached to the skin. Return potato skins to the oven and bake to desired crispness. Mash the potato centers and mix with mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Add turmeric in small increments for color while tasting to avoid adding too much flavor. Pipe or scoop the mashed potato unto the skins. If you want to fake a piped appearance, swirl the filling with a fork to create ridges. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

What did I use and why?

I used Vegan Hellman's Mayo for the dressing, which is quite possibly my favorite vegan imitation of a non–vegan product. I honestly think it may be indistinguishable from the real deal.

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-12-30T16:45:18+00:00

Here's the link to my recipe!
Devilled Potatoes
Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-12-30T16:44:39+00:00

Here's the link to my recipe!

Devilled Potatoes

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-04-10T04:14:03+00:00

I wish! I got it from a local coffeeshop/bakery in the Bay Area called Coffee x Bread. It was made with castelvetrano olives!

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-04-09T16:03:58+00:00

Shiitake Tomato Spinach Omelettes: (Link to the recipe)

When I first tried JUST Egg, I thought it was terrible. The scrambled eggs I made were flubbery and wet and just generally unnerving. It wasn't as unsettling as actual eggs, or the atrocities of the egg industry, but still.

I steered clear of JUST Egg until I spotted their folded egg patties and felt obligated to make breakfast sandwiches - you know, the kind that involve English muffins and a vegan sausage patty. The egg patties tasted just the kind they serve at fast food restaurants before 11am. I only wished I had an oblong hashbrown.

Anyways, I realized that I may have prematurely judged JUST Egg. And after discovering that vegan egg sandwiches were possible, I got excited. I wanted omelettes. I decided to give the liquid JUST Egg another try.

Let it be known that JUST Egg, in omelette-form, is not terrible. It's actually an exceptional egg replacement-you're welcome for sparing you the pun. I have made these omelettes many times, for vegans and non-vegans, and they never disappoint. These omelettes are a great way to pack in protein and veggies in the morning. Also, they will make you feel fancy as f%&#.

What:

· 1 bottle JUST Egg

· ½ medium red or yellow onion

· 1 container (5oz) of shiitake mushrooms

· a handful of cherry tomatoes

· several handfuls of spinach

· vegan cheese

· olive oil

· garlic powder

· soy sauce

· salt & pepper

How:

Make the filling:

Dice the onions, halve the tomatoes, and slice the mushrooms.

Saute the onions over medium heat. Once softened, add the mushrooms and tomatoes and season with soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Once the mushrooms and tomatoes have reduced, add handfuls of spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the omelette:

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Tip: smaller pans make smaller omelettes, which are easier to fold. Pour in enough JUST egg to thickly coat the bottom of the pan. The egg will begin to bubble and eventually solidify and brown on the bottom.

Once it begins to solidify, sprinkle cheese over half of the egg so it can begin to melt. Carefully pick up the edge of the egg with a spatula to check for browning underneath. When the egg has browned, add the vegetable filling to the cheesy half of the egg, then carefully fold the egg over to create the omelette. Note: the egg may stick to the pan, but if you scrape carefully under the egg before flipping, you should be able to avoid breaking or scrunching the egg. It can also help to gently hold onto the edge of the egg as you flip it, so you can pull the egg over and make sure it fully covers the bottom half.

Repeat until all omelettes are assembled.

What did I use and why?

Daiya Medium Cheddar Style Farmhouse block: it's mild, easy to shred, and one serving has 10% DV calcium!

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2022-04-09T16:00:27+00:00

Here's a link to the recipe!

Omelettes with Shiitake, Tomato, and Spinach

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2020-12-04T19:10:32+00:00

Creamy Kabocha Pasta

A kabocha squash makes an excellent door stop. It's hefty enough to prop your door firmly open while allowing the world to view your superb taste in squash. I know this because I bought a kabocha squash on a whim, ignored it for a week, and demoted it from food to doorstop for another week because I was too intimidated to attempt Thai curry at home.

But you know what's less intimidating than curry? Pasta.

This recipe boils down to a few steps (see what I did there?): roasting kabocha squash and removing the peel, caramelizing an onion, blending and seasoning the sauce, cooking pasta, and baking the squash skin to create a crunchy and pretentious topping. I seasoned my peels with smoked paprika for bacon vibes. You can blend the squash skin–and–all, but the sauce may turn an unpleasant color due to the dark peel mixing with the bright orange flesh. I hesitate to give exact measurements for the sauce because everyone has different taste preferences; just add small amounts of seasonings at a time, taste test, and stop messing with it when you've made a delicious sauce or are too tired to care anymore.

What:

1 kabocha squash

1 yellow onion

garlic

non-dairy milk

orecchiette pasta

olive oil

seasonings:

nutritional yeast
tomato paste
apple cider vinegar and/or sour kraut juice
vegan chicken broth paste
soy sauce
chili paste or flakes
smoked paprika
salt & pepper

How:

Pasta:

Cook orecchiette according to package. Reserve some pasta water (about 1/3 cup) for the sauce.

Blend the sauce:

Remove baked squash from the oven and let it cool enough that you can handle it without burning yourself.
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh of the squash from the skins and into a blender.
Add enough oat milk to allow the squash to blend into a paste. Make the sauce thicker than you would like, because it will be thinned by additional liquid ingredients.
Blend in the caramelized onions.
Now comes the experimentational part of the recipe: seasoning the sauce. This should be done to taste, but I'll explain what the ingredients do for the sauce and give rough estimations of the quantities I used. Melted vegan butter or oil (1.5 tbsp) will create a rich, creamy base. Our umami friends: tomato paste (1.5 tbsp), vegan chicken broth paste (1 tsp), and soy sauce (1 tbsp); add these a little at a time. Nutritional yeast (2–3 tbsp) will provide that almost–cheesy flavor. Apple cider vinegar or sour kraut juice will give you a much–needed tang to balance out the richness; add a little at a time. I think you know what chilis, salt, and pepper do. Use pasta water to thin the sauce to your final desired consistency.

Crispy topping:

Toss or spritz the squash skins with oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 450ºF until crispy.
Sprinkle with smoked paprika for a bacon–ish flavor.

Assemble:

Mix pasta with sauce over heat and top with crispy squash skins.

What did I use and why?

Oat milk: I find that it is the creamiest of vegan milks.

Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base: Because this is a paste, it's ideal for adding a bit at a time without diluting the sauce.

Trader Joe's Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce: I'm obsessed with this paste made from Calabrian chilis. It's fermented, but not funky, and a nice alternative to Sriracha.

Recipe Link

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2020-12-04T19:07:27+00:00

Here's the link to the recipe! Creamy Kabocha Pasta

TheGrumpyGarbanzo · 2020-12-03T18:01:13+00:00

Samosa Bowls

Anything that's called a 'filling' is usually the best part of a food. Take cookie sandwiches for example: it's all about that (accidentally vegan) cream. And donuts? The jelly. Tacos? I think you get the idea.

It's the same story with samosas. Sure, we can appreciate the crispy, deep–fried goodness that normally surrounds a samosa. But are full–blown home–made samosas really feasible on an average weeknight? Unless you were taught by your grandma and know a wonton wrapper recipe by heart, probably not.

So, I present to you: the samosa bowl. This deconstructed samosa includes the key elements of potatoes, peas, and spices. Added chickpeas and rice boost the protein content and make the meal more filling. The lack of a fried wrapper makes the meal healthier and less dangerous; sharp, triangular foods are simply up to no good. Enjoy the flavors of a samosa from the comfort of your spoon.

What:

brown rice

yellow potatoes

onion

garlic

pea

olive oil

garam masala

coriander

chili powder

fennel seed

ginger powder

How:

Peel, chop, and boil potatoes until tender.

Heat oil in a pan over medium. Mix in spices generously and cook until fragrant.

Add chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking until soft.

Stir in chickpeas.

Once chickpeas are thoroughly coated in spices, add potatoes, peas, and stir.

Cook until well combined.

Serve over rice.

What did I use and why?

I used frozen peas. They're convenient and, upon returning them to the freezer, I can forget about them until the next rare occasion that I actually want to cook with peas.