Your Vegan Mom

Sweet Potato Tots

 

It's Valentine's Day next Tuesday, and that, of course, means that you need to know how to make sweet potato tots.  Can you think of a better way to show your love than with the delicate crunch of fried potato giving way to its sweet and creamy insides as it's dipped into a cool and smoky sauce - each nugget lovingly shaped between your fingers rather than shaken out of the freezer bag? Homemade tater tots?  That's love, man.

Layered Reuben Party Dip

I would not normally be this attuned to your football watching plans, but Paul and I happened to carve out a date afternoon the Sunday before last and at the top of our list of things to do without our children was go check out the new Golden Road Brewery near the L.A. River.  

It turns out that the Sunday before last was not the day for the football clueless to go to a palace of beer.  We lucked into two bar stools and ordered the first two beers on the list and a smattering of snacks and mutely gazed at all the flashing tv screens and raucous fans.  People were excited about the football, man.  

I'm excited about Golden Road's huge train-ajacent patio that will be a perfect place for Felix and Desmond to watch the box cars, then the oil cars, then the coal cars, then the flat cars rumble past while we share snacks and a beer.  The menu is promising. The banh mi was way-underseasoned, just disappointingly dull, but the big warm pretzel with a vegan pimento cheese dip was excellent.  

So, all that yelling and carrying on reminded me that the Super Bowl is coming up, and while I don't care, I do care about your party snack needs.  And I'd been mulling over this layered dip ever since I brought home a cute little bag of rye toasts from Trader Joe's.  This dip has all the layers of your classic tempeh reuben sandwich - the warm spiced tempeh, the tart sauerkraut, the creamy pickle-flecked dressing, topped off by melty cheese browned under the broiler.  I prefer mashed avocado to cheese in my sandwich, but in this dip I wanted the enticing bubbly brown top layer. The whole thing comes together pretty quick, and ready to party.  Go team?  

Party Snacks Montage

Cue the stirring music, while we reflect upon some of the best party snacks that we have consumed this year (okay, actually over the course of the last almost three years - I'm reaching back to get you my absolute favorite super-solid appetizer recipes).  Yes, Paul, I will totally be watching the Academy Awards on Sunday.  Snacks will be provided.   

 Mini Mac and Cheese (Seriously good.  Make them in a mini muffin pan for little party bites and maximum brown crusty edges.)

 

 Homemade Tater Tots (So worth it.)

 

 Party Meatballs (You know the meatballs - with the chili sauce and grape jelly?  If you don't, I need you to put those two old-timey ingredients on your shopping list and make these asap.  You will also need a lemon and a bag of frozen vegan meatballs like the ones they sell at Trader Joes.  Hurry.  This is very important.  And delicious.  Sometimes, it turns out, our moms and grandmas knew what they were doing.)

What are your favorite party snacks?  Link it up!  (I want pictures, blogs, recipes!  Promote your snacks, people!)

Nacho Cheese Party

 

One of my heroes, my Great Aunt Joyce, used to throw a legendary super bowl party filled with snacks and cocktails and illegal betting.  It was almost enough to get me behind football.  A good vegan nacho cheese party could maybe do the same.  

Nacho Cheese For a Crowd
If you double this recipe it will fill your big crock pot and make a nice vat of slightly spicy molten cheese sauce to douse your tortilla chips.  If you don't have oat flour and arrowroot starch, you can replace it with 3/4 cups all-purpose flour.  If you want to make a more reasonable portion (enough for 3 or 4 people), divide the recipe by three (You can use 3 T oat flour + 1 T arrowroot starch or 1/4 c ap flour). 

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup non-dairy butter
• 3 cups soy milk
• 1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with chilies 

In a medium sauce pan, or a big pot if you're going to double it, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the soy milk.  Turn on the heat and whisk continuously while the mixture heats.  When it begins to bubble, whisk constantly for about one minute.  It will thicken considerably, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Stir in the butter and tomatoes.  Blend until smooth.  (If you have one, an immersion blender is seriously the way to go here.)  In a pinch, you could just leave it chunky.  

Serve hot over tortilla chips. 

Roasted Cauliflower

 

Totally addicting bar snack or nutritious side dish?  You decide.  I am completely fine with it being both.  Incidentally, Desmond loves this as much as Paul and I do.  We tend to eat it with our fingers before dinner.   

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• about 2 tablespoons canola oil
• about 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• about 1/2 teaspoon salt
• about 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat the oven to 400.  Trim the cauliflower into medium florets.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil.  Sprinkle with garam masala and salt.  Mix it around with a spatula to evenly distribute the seasonings.  Roast for about 45 minutes, until well browned in spots.  Toss with fresh cilantro if you like - it looks pretty and adds a nice fresh note, but it is equally delicious without.