Happy New Year!

Hoff's Toasted Hummus Sandwich

Hoff's Toasted Hummus Sandwich
Yields: 4 sandwiches
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free

Ingredients:

• 8 slices Whole Grain Loaf Bread
• 2 cups oil-free Hummus (store bought/homemade)
  
• 1 Tomato (sliced)

Directions:

1. Apply Hummus to one side of each piece of bread
2. Layer on 1-2 Tomato slices
3. In a non-stick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat, brown one side of the sandwich, by using something flat & heavy to apply pressure (I use a medium size pot) - this takes about 3 minutes
4. Flip & repeat

Hoff Thoughts: This is my take on the traditional grilled cheese.  No, a hummus sandwich doesn't hold a candle to the classic masterpiece, but paired with a Tomato Soup and a cold wintery day...

Hoff's Cabbage Soup (Instant Pot)

Hoff's Cabbage Soup (Instant Pot)
Yields: 10 cups
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cabbage (chopped)
• 1 small Sweet Onion (chopped)
• 4 cups Veggie Broth
• 1 15oz. can Tomato Sauce
• 1 15oz. can diced Potatoes (rinsed & drained)
• 1 15oz. can White Beans (rinsed & drained)
• 1 cup frozen Carrots
• 1 tbsp. Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. minced Garlic
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• Season with Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Sautée Onions on the Sautée setting in the IP while chopping the Cabbage
2. Turn IP off to shut off Sautée setting
3. Add remaining ingredients & stir to combine
4. Close & lock lid
5. Set pressure valve to close
6. Set Manual setting at High Pressure for 3 minutes
7. Quick release steam
8. Stir & serve

Have a Magical Christmas!

P.O.C. Pierogies of Cleveland Market

I know pierogies are more of a traditional Slavic (Polish, Russian, Slovak, Ukrainian) food, but this little German girl just loves a good stuffed dumpling.

So when the P.O.C. started rolling out handcrafted, gourmet pierogies in their new Middleburg Heights location, I just had to check it out and see if they were offering anything vegan.


And they are!

Four standard vegan flavors are offered everyday of the year - potato, onion & chives, cabbage, mushrooms and mushroom & sauerkraut.  You get six very plump pierogies at $6-$8 a pack.  All pierogies come frozen and have no artificial flavors/sweeteners, no chemical preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils and no bleached/bromated flour.  They are also GMO-free!  You can tell whoever is in charge of grandma's approved recipe, knows what time it is!

There's a few other vegan goodies available, so you know there's some earnest consideration being given to us fellow plant eaters.  I also appreciate that everything is clearly labeled and ingredients listed - no accidental vegan food here, it's by design.

Now if they could only come up with a vegan Kolaczki...a girl can dream.

Welcome to the neighborhood P.O.C. this vegan girl is certainly glad you're here and by the line of customers it looks like I'm not alone.

Check it out!

Hoff's Dump Mashed Potatoes (IP)

Hoff's Dump Mashed Potatoes (IP)
Yields: 4-5 servings
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free


Ingredients:

• 1 small bag Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)
• 1 cup Water
• 2 tbsp. minced Garlic
• 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tbsp. Dried Onion
• 1-2 tsp. Sea Salt
• Plain unsweetened Almond Milk (as needed)

Directions:

1. Dump the Potatoes into the IP
2. Add Garlic & Water
3. Close the lid, set pressure valve to sealing
4. Select Manual setting on High Pressure for 15 minutes
5. Quick release steam
6. Add Nutritional Yeast, Dried Onion, Sea Salt & splash of Milk
7. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend everything until desired texture is reached
8. Add additional "Milk" until desired consistency is reached

Hoff Thoughts: I use Baby Yellow Potatoes because they naturally have a rich, buttery flavor and therefore additional fake butter is not needed. Top this with Hoff's Instant Mushroom Gravy (IP).

Soy Curls

I recently got my hands on some Soy Curls a new meat substitute from Butler Foods.

What sold me was their versatility and minimal ingredients: certified non-GMO, whole soybeans (Soy), grown without chemical pesticides.

Despite the unusual appearance, Soy Curls are very easy to work with.  Simply soak for 10 minutes in warm water. Drain. Season to taste in a skillet, sauté & serve.  That's it!
 
To test them out, I went basic - rehydrated and then heated through via a non-stick skillet with some BBQ sauce. Paired with a whole wheat bun and a can of baked beans and dinner was served!  One 8 oz. package makes a lot!  So, I had leftovers, which I threw over some mashed potatoes and gravy for another meal.  Both meals got the thumbs up from my boyfriend & I.

I wouldn't say the texture would fool any meat eater, but for this vegan chick, this easy to use meat alternative has big potential - stroganoff, stew, chili, tacos...  I feel some new recipes coming on!

Check it out!