Years ago, I was making red pepper hummus at my parents’ house when my mother asked for a taste. “Hmmm,” she said. “It’s sort of like pimento cheese.” Now, I don’t know if that was a good thing to her or not; we’d never had pimento cheese in the house when I was growing up, so I assume it wasn’t one of her favorites. But I kept that comparison tucked away in the back pocket of my mind with the goal of someday working on a vegan pimento cheese recipe. It took randomly spotting a pimento cheese photo on Pinterest to remind me to do some experimenting.

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Read the rest of Pimento Cheese-Style Hummus (627 words)

© svoisin for FatFree Vegan Kitchen, 2013. | Permalink | 43 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: eat-to-live, gluten-free, higher-fat, Southern cooking, soy, Under 200

What makes a dish a local specialty? I’ve spent a lot of time mulling over that question since I returned home from a hectic, nerve-wracking (to this introvert), and ultimately exhilarating trip to Portland and Vida Vegan Con last week. (Big confession: I took almost no photos. See the end of this post for links to some people who did.)

My daughter E and I spent five solid days eating in incredible vegan restaurants that ranged from fast-food (Buffalo wings and All Hail Kale at Veggie Grill) to gourmet (gnocchi and beet tartare at Portobello Vegan Trattoria), but by the end it was a simple bowl of quinoa, kale, tempeh, and sauce–Canteen’s Portland Bowl–that made the biggest impression on me. I’m still not sure whether it was the quality of the tempeh or the way it was prepared, but it was the best I’d ever had–flavorful, tender, and lacking that sharp, bitter taste that tempeh can have. I was left wondering what made this delicious bowl of food specific to Portland, and if I were to make a bowl based on my adopted hometown, Jackson, Mississippi, what would it contain? So I came home with a mission–to make The Jackson Bowl.

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Read the rest of The Jackson Bowl with Vegan Comeback Sauce (507 words)

© svoisin for FatFree Vegan Kitchen, 2013. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: eat-to-live, gluten-free, greens, higher-fat, Southern cooking, soy

Excuse the short introduction to this recipe, but I’m packing my bags and heading to Portland, Oregon, to hobnob with the vegan and famous at Vida Vegan Con. I’ll be giving a food photography presentation, speaking about blog monetization with Nava Atlas, and participating in a panel on privacy and oversharing with Dreena Burton, Joanna Vaught, and Sayward Rebhal. Plus, I’ll be having dinner with friend and fellow blogger Maria, so I’m beyond excited. Daughter E is coming along as my “assistant” (camera bag bearer), so if you’re there, please don’t hesitate to come up to us and tell her that you remember when she was little bitty and wore glasses (she loves that, honest!)

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Read the rest of Mu Shu Jackfruit Lettuce Wraps (416 words)

© svoisin for FatFree Vegan Kitchen, 2013. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: soy, Under 200

For how to make Chickpea Salad Rolls, see the video after the recipe.

A quick search of this blog will prove that I adore chickpea salad. As of today, I’ve posted six of them. I love being able to take a can of chickpeas, mash it up and have a quick sandwich filling or salad topping. And as my days get more and more hectic, my chickpea salads have become quicker and quicker. Don’t get me wrong–when I have the time, I still prefer to fill my chickpea concoctions with lots of fresh veggies (as in my “Sea-sational” Chickpea Salad) or fresh herbs (as in Creamy Chickpea Salad). But when I’m rushed, trying to get a lunch packed for my daughter or looking to add interest to my own lunchtime salad, I’ve learned to simplify chickpea salad down to 4 essential parts: chickpeas (naturally), something creamy, something crunchy or sweet, and some basic seasonings.

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Read the rest of 3-Minute Chickpea Salad (467 words)

© svoisin for FatFree Vegan Kitchen, 2013. | Permalink | 46 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: gluten-free, Ridiculously Easy, soy-free, Under 200

One of the questions I’m frequently asked about following an oil-free diet is “What do I use on baked potatoes or steamed vegetables or grits if I don’t eat butter or margarine?” Sometimes I mention salsa or mushroom gravy or the sauce from my Mac and Cheeze as options, but from now on, I’ll point people to this, my family’s new favorite all-purpose sauce. That’s right, all of us–including my picky teenager–prefer this cauliflower-based sauce to our old cheesy sauce. Daughter E put it best: “It’s less heavy, almost fluffy, and mixes into a baked potato better.” And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t like cauliflower very much.

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Read the rest of Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce (493 words)

© svoisin for FatFree Vegan Kitchen, 2013. | Permalink | 92 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cauliflower Magic Tricks, eat-to-live, gluten-free, soy-free, Under 200