RECIPE: Crab Cakes - But Make It Vegan for Environment911.org

Vegan Crab Cakes
for Environment911.org
August 2022

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I was recently at a wedding and they had delicious crab and shrimp cakes and I wondered to myself whether I could make a vegan version.
The taste and texture of crab is hard to replicate but as a stand-alone appetizer, these are super tasty. You can make them in various sizes too if you want bite-size or one you’d need a fork to break down.


INGREDIENTS
- approx. 400g of young jackfruit (in water)
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (more to taste)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
- 1 tsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- 2-3 tbsp green onion or chives, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (option to sub in more chives)
- approx. 1.5 cups bread crumbs (regular, panko or both)
- splash of lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl combine the ground flax with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk together and set aside for 5-10 minutes until it thickens.

Drain the jackfruit of excess water, and break up into fine pieces. (If it’s not already broken up, you can use a food processor to help shred it.)

In a bowl whisk together the lemon juice with the Worcestershire, soy and the Dijon mustard, as well as the old bay, garlic, and salt and pepper – until combined.
Add the broken-down jackfruit, flax egg, chives/green onion and cilantro, and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Combine (with your hands is easiest) until the mixture comes together evenly.

Form the mix into balls and then patties – at your desired size – and then press the extra breadcrumbs into them for a crispier exterior.
Place on a plate in the fridge for approximately an hour or until ready to cook.

I put mine in the air frier at 375, cooking for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway – if you chose to bake them be sure to keep watch and cook until golden brown.

If you’re frying them in oil, get it nice and hot and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook on the other. Place on a paper towel afterwards to drain excess oil.

Plate and serve with your choice of dipping sauce (I made a homemade vegan tartar sauce) and optional lemon wedges.

ENJOY!

RECIPE: 3 Easy Salad Dressings From Scratch for BC Living

3 Easy Salad Dressings From Scratch
for BC Living
August 2022

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Homemade Salad Dressing 
Store-bought salad dressing just can’t hold a candle to making it at home. It’s so much fresher, preservative free, and far, far less sugar than most bottled up dressings. 

I’ve put together three different kinds for you, two of which are (or can be made) vegan, and you probably have a majority of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. 
 
 
Balsamic Dressing 
The easiest dressing to make for sure and versatile on a variety of salads from a regular garden salad to a strawberry spinach one. 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
 
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar  
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil  
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard  
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme  
- Salt and pepper 
- Optional: 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup if you prefer sweeter 
- minced garlic 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
Whisk or shake in a closed mason jar until fully combined. 
 
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Blue Cheese Dressing: 
I don’t have it that often, but when you get a nice, cold, wedge of iceberg lettuce with some blue cheese dressing and bacon bits – it's a slice of stinky cheese heaven. 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
- 100g blue cheese (plus more for crumbling) 
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup of milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar) 
- 1/3 cup sour cream  
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise   
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
- salt and pepper to taste 
 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
(If making the homemade buttermilk, at the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes first before continuing.) 
 
Combine everything but the blue cheese into a bowl – stirring until smooth. Crumble in the blue cheese until you have your desired amount, and then taste for seasoning. 
 
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Buttermilk Dressing: 
This can be made vegan easily (vegan butter milk and mayo), but it’s also great on a with a warm chicken breast mixed in. 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
- ¼ cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup of milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar) 
- ¼ cup of mayo 
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar 
- 1 small shallot, finely minced 
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped 
- salt and pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
(If making the homemade buttermilk, at the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes first before continuing.) 
 
Place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. If the dressing is too thick you can add a small amount more of buttermilk, or water. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper as needed. 

RECIPE: Jerky – But Make It Vegan for Environment911.org

Jerky – But Make It Vegan 
 
What’s kind of awesome about vegan jerky is that it is a LOT less work than its meat counterparts. The soy curls are already the perfect shape and are generally even sizes, so you’re not cutting anything up. 
Just toss it in the marinade, dehydrate it and go! 

Make the marinade your own, add spice, add sweet, it’s up to you and what you prefer.  
 
INGREDIENTS 
- 4 cups Soy Curls (these will expand and absorb the marinade) 
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium, I used Bragg’s) 
- ¼ cup neutral oil  
- 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce  
- 2 tsp liquid smoke  
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar(optional) 
- 1 tsp onion powder 
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
- 2 tsp ground black pepper (coarse) 
- 1 tsp salt  
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional) 
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 
- 1 cup boiling water 
 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients – including optional spices – together until well combined, then add the cup of boiling water. 
 
Add the soy curls and mix well until coated.  
Let sit for 5-10 minutes, as the soy curls will absorb the marinade during this time. 
 
If you have a dehydrator, follow the instructions on your machine for jerky. 
If using your oven, set to 225F, line baking sheets and place an oven proof wire rack over top of them.  
 
Evenly space your jerky, in a single layer. For the oven bake for 1 hours, rotating the pans after 30 mins hours of cook time. If using your dehydrator, the time will vary based on the machine, but might be up to 4 hrs. 
Check often, you want it to be firm, and dry, but still flexible. Add more time, or take out early if needed. 
 
Store in a sealed container and it should be good for a week at room temp, a month in the fridge, or vacuum seal it to extend the life even further. 

RECIPE: Jerky From Scratch for BC Living

Jerky
for “From Scratch” for BC Living
July 2022

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This might seem like a lot of work, but believe me, if you’re a jerky fan, making it from scratch is so much better than anything you’ll by covered in plastic. 
 
Main tips include getting the right cut of meat (here’s a description of possible cuts – I used eye of round, because I might as well if I’m going to the effort), removing any fat, cutting it evenly (the butcher might do this for you if you ask them), and watching it while it’s dehydrating. If you do this, you’ll have a tasty snack that you can take on hikes, camping, vacuum seal for later, or just have on hand when you’re hungry. 
 
The spices in here are optional, maybe try mixing the base and then marinating a few in the spicy bowl, and seeing which you prefer. There’s some trial and error to it all. 
 

INGREDIENTS 
 
- 3 pounds chosen beef cut 
- 1 cup soy sauce (low sodium, I used Bragg’s)  
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce  
- 1 tsp liquid smoke  
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar or honey (optional) 
- 1 tsp onion powder 
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
- 2 tsp ground black pepper (coarse) 
- 1 tsp salt  
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional) 
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
After removing and fat, using a very sharp knife, cut the beef into even slices – some can be round-ish and flat, and others can be long, but make sure it’s consistent. You can try freezing the beef for a while to make slicing easier. 
 
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl – with optional spices – until combined and then add the beef and mix well until coated. Cover and place in refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. 

If you have a dehydrator, follow the instructions on your machine. 
If using your oven, set to 175F, line baking sheets and place an oven proof wire rack over top of them.  
 
Evenly space your jerky, in a single layer. For the oven bake for 3-4 hours, rotating the pans after 2 hours of cook time. If using your dehydrator, the time will vary based on the machine, but might be up to 8 hrs. 
Check often, you want it to be firm, and dry, but still flexible. 
 
Store in a sealed container and it should be good for a week at room temp, a month in the fridge, or vacuum seal it to extend the life even further. 

FOOD: Mediterranean Inspired Recipe Shoot Day

Mediterranean Inspired Recipe Shoot Day
with Cassandra Anderton, Alison Kent, and Rebecca Coleman
May 22, 2022

RECIPE: Pretzels - From Scratch for BC Living

Pretzels
From Scratch for BC Living
June 2022 

One of my favorite items to get at the concession stands at sporting events is a soft pretzel. Nothing against their crunchy counterparts, which I also enjoy, but a warm, soft, salty pretzel is the best. 

As luck would have it, they’re pretty easy to make at home too. It might take you some practice to get the knots twisted perfectly (but who cares, because they taste the same). 
 
Throw in some homemade beer cheese to dip on the side, or mustard if you prefer, and this is just an awesome snack. 
 
INGREDIENTS: 

- 1.5 cups warm water  
- 2 ¼  tsp (~7g) dry active dry yeast (this is about one packet) 
- 1 tsp salt  
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar  
- 2 tbsp oil 
- 1 tbsp butter, unsalted, melted  
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (addition for working with the dough)  
- kosher salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling 
 
-1/3 cup baking soda 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
In a large mixing bowl, add the water, salt and sugar until combined/dissolved - then mix in the yeast. 
Let this stand for 5-10mins until it becomes bubbly/foamy. 
 
Add 1 tbsp of oil, and then the flour a small amount at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon until the flour has been incorporated. 
Move to a clean, floured surface, and knead until a smooth ball forms. 
 
Coat the bowl with the second tablespoon of oil, and drop the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size. 
 
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and fill a large pot with water and bring to a low boil, adding 1/3 cup of baking soda. (This improves the texture and the color of the pretzels!) 
 
Cut the dough with a sharp knife into even pieces – I made smaller ones because there were more people to share with, but you can make them whichever size you want, just make sure they’re even. 
 
Roll the cut dough into long ropes, make a circle with ends overlapping, twist and pull across to the opposite end. Pinch the ends down to help keep the shape. (If you can’t figure this out, there are lots of tutorials – just do an internet search. And don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.) 
 
Place a silicone mat on a baking sheet, or grease some parchment paper and set aside. 
 
With a slotted spoon, lower 1 or 2 pretzels at a time into the baking soda bath for 30 seconds, flipping over halfway, and then remove with the slotted spoon, allowing the pretzels to drain as much as possible. 
 
Sprinkle the pretzels that just came out of the bath with your coarse salt before moving on to the next so it sticks to them better. 
 
Repeat until all pretzels are on the baking sheet and have been salted. 
 
Bake for 10-15 minutes, watching them after 10 to make sure they don’t burn (especially if they’re on the smaller side). Then remove from oven and using a pastry brush, brush them with the melted butter and add any more salt as desired. 
 
Serve warm with your choice of dip! 
ENJOY!