Veggie Conquest 4 Taster’s Choice Recipe: Jessica Gunter’s Sweet Potato Cigars with Plum Sauce

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Second Place and Taster’s Choice

Plum Sauce
3 plums
3 tbsp applesauce
3 tbsp Sugar in the Raw
2 tbsp Bragg’s Aminos
1 tbsp chili flakes
Dry white wine

Mushrooms
3 large portobello mushroom caps
Vegetable oil
½ Cup toasted sesame oil
½ Cup Bragg’s Aminos
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 tbsp minced garlic

Sweet Potato Puree

6 sweet potatoes
1 cup milk substitute
3 tbsp butter substitute
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Garlic salt
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

1 package Phyllo dough
2 tbsp butter substitute
Pastry brush
Icing bag with standard piping nozzle
Greased cookie sheets

Phyllo dough should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight.  Prepare according to package directions.

In a large saucepan, generously coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil. Add ½ cup of toasted sesame oil, ½ cup Bragg’s, 2 tbsp brown rice syrup and 2 tbsp minced garlic; mix and bring to heat. Remove stems from portobello caps if necessary and place gills down into the mixture. Cover and let simmer until underside is soft, then flip and allow tops to simmer in the mixture. I typically allow my caps to simmer until caramelization of the sauce starts.

While caps are simmering, peel and dice sweet potatoes. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to maintain the boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain. Add to a large bowl and mash briefly with a fork.  Add the butter substitute and ½ the cup of milk substitute and puree until smooth; if needed, add remainder of the milk substitute slowly until the desired consistency is reached.

Mix in 1 tsp each salt, pepper and garlic salt to the puree. Sprinkle in 2 tsp of cumin, mix; 2 tsp cinnamon, mix; dash of nutmeg, mix. Set puree aside.

Remove caps from pan and place on a paper towel until all excess oil has been absorbed. Cut caps into thin strips.  Melt remaining 2 tbsp of butter and put near the phyllo. Spoon potato puree into the icing bag.

Preheat oven to 350.

Take 1 sheet of phyllo and fold it in half lengthwise, use pastry brush to apply a thin layer of butter substitute.  Leaving about an inch on each side, place strips of mushroom in a line down the center of the sheet and then pipe a generous layer of sweet potato on top.  Fold over the bottom of the sheet, tuck in the sides and then roll up into a cigar shape.

Cut roll into desired length pieces, place on cookie sheet and brush tops lightly with butter substitute. Continue filling, rolling and cutting until all filling is used.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and phyllo is crispy.

Peel and cut plums into cubes.  Add to blender with applesauce, sugar, aminos, and a splash of white wine. Blend to smooth consistency then transfer to a saucepan and stir in the chili flakes and heat at medium low temp until sauce bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Sauce can be served warm or made the night before and chilled.

Veggie Conquest 4 Wrap-Up!

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Veggie Conquest 4 was amazing! The chefs did fantastic! The volunteers were on it and the judges were wonderful!

In our biggest give-away yet, all our attendees got a packet of MATCH meat alternative to take home and cook with!

We got to try Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus (it is really tasty) and Raw IceCream Company’s line of vegan raw ice cream!

Big thanks to all of the tasters, judges and volunteers, and especially the chefs.

Here are the winners:

First place
Michelle Barton

Tiny Tater Nori Roll

Click here for the recipe!


Second Place and Tasters choice
Jessica Gunter

Sweet Potato Cigars with Plum Sauce

Click here for the recipe!


Third Place
Kathy Cho
Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup


Honorable Mention

Jenn Lynskey
Loaded Baked Potato Perogi

Sherri Cohen
Papas Rellenas Al Horno


Jessie Mee
Curried Mash Canapés with Tamarind and Cilantro Chutneys

Jasmin from ourhenhouse.com made a really great video about VC4! Check it out…

Our Hen House on Veggie Conquest from jasmin singer on Vimeo.

Veggie Conquest 4 Winning Recipe: Michelle Barton’s Tiny Tater Nori Rolls

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Roll Ingredients

  • 6 new red potatoes
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped bok choy
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sauce

  • 1/2cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon spike seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flake
  • dust with black pepper!

Boil your potatoes, let cool for about an hour.

While your potatoes are boiling chop all other ingredients and place in a bowl, then add the potatoes.
Mix the sauce together.
Combine the sauce with the roll ingredients!
Roll everything in a nori wrapper and top with soy nuts and more sauce!

VC4 EMCEE Michael Parrish DuDell!

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We are so happy to have the very talented Michael Parrish DuDell to emcee Veggie Conquest on Sunday!

Michael is the senior editor for Ecorazzi.com, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of VegDaily.com and a contributor for the Huffington Post and Crazy Sexy Life.

Michael is filling in for our regular emcee, Joshua Katcher, who has important business this weekend. Thanks, Michael! See you all on Sunday!

VC4 Judge Yoli Ouiya

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Yoli Ouiya is a chef and blogger, and maybe you’ve already tried her food – she’s catered for activist groups and festivals, and taught cooking and dessert classes at Whole Foods on the Bowery. We’re excited to have her as our third judge for Veggie Conquest 4!

Get to know Yoli better at her eco-chic living and green savings blog, yoliouiya.com. And check out her recipe for raw cacao mousse!

VC4 The secret ingredient is…

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Potatoes!!

All chefs will make an appetizer featuring potatoes!

So many kinds of potatoes are available… from sweet potatoes to fingerling potatoes… and thousands of different ways to prepare them. Potatoes are versatile and delicious! Good luck, chefs!

If you are attending the event, check your inbox for details!

See you on Sunday the 25th!!

VC4 Judge Patrick Kwan

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We are so happy to have the ultimate foodie on our panel of judges for VC4. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Patrick Kwan!

Patrick writes about food and restaurants for SuperVegan, New York City’s premier vegan blog and restaurant guide. He is an accomplished vegan cook and well-regarded expert on NYC’s vegetarian restaurants. His March ‘06 article in Satya magazine profiling some of the city’s best veggie bets is still widely referenced and proudly displayed by restaurants in their windows. Over the years, he has served as a taste-tester and recipe-tester for dozens of vegan restaurants and companies.

Learn to Make Vegan Donuts!

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I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Donuts! I think this is a great idea!
Let’s sell this event out to encourage Brooklyn Kitchen Labs (and Gavin Pherson) to have more vegan cooking classes!

Where: The Brooklyn Kitchen Labs, 100 Frost St. in Williamsburg
When: Thursday, April 15th, 6:30 pm
Cost: $50

Come join Gavin Pherson, owner and executive chef of the underground, vegan fine dining company Hole & Corner, as we patch the gaping hole in your culinary repertoire with…what else? Perfectly delicate, Vegan Donuts! You will learn how to customize your donuts with a neigh-sacrilegious array of succulent fillings, glazes, and toppings from both the sweet and the savory canon, and we’ll invite your personal creative touch along for the ride. In this class we will also learn to make several donut-friendly accouterments, including Cashew Coffee Cheesecake, to help convert the simple, noble donut into a stately dessert.

Feel free to bring any animal-free topping or filling-related fantasy ingredients your sweet mind may desire.

You can sign up online at The Brooklyn Kitchen Labs website.

Veggie Prom 2010

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Come and join us at the Veggie Prom at 8 p.m. Friday, May 14, in Park Slope!! Tickets are on sale NOW! $10 advance, $15 at the door.

Kick off Veggie Pride Parade weekend!

Drinks, dancing, and free vegan desserts! It’s going to be a blast!

Come as a couple or solo… creative prom attire encouraged!

Click on the flyer to buy tickets and learn more about Veggie Prom!

VC4 Judge Alexandra Jamieson!

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You might have seen her on Oprah, or the award-winning documentary Super Size Me. Or maybe you have read one of her books, Living Vegan for Dummies (Wiley, 2009) and The Great American Detox Diet (Rodale, 2005).

She is a professionally trained healthy gourmet chef and a certified health and nutrition counselor. We are so happy to have Alexandera Jamieson as one of our expert judges at Veggie Conquest 4!