The book is coming to a close, but no need to pout. We still have one final chapter to run through. In this chapter, we’re going to tell you what to do with your leftovers. Sure, sometimes you just want to eat them cold out of the fridge, but, more often, you want to try to make use of what you’ve already got. These “hacks” are perfect the day after a Lusty Vegan party, for those late night cravings, or a TV binge-watching weekend.
AYINDE: I came up with the recipes in this chapter while testing other recipes for this book. I was working on all of the dishes at the same time, and I live alone. This meant a lot of leftovers in the fridge. After testing and eating them again and again, eventually I got restless, because, well, I’m mildly ADD. However, in this scenario, my ADD was a good thing, because I started remixing leftovers, and this chapter was born. From sauces to seasonings, the ultimate holiday wrap, and epic biscuits and gravy, this chapter covers the basic things I want in my face quickly when I walk into my kitchen after a long day of work.
When I use the word “hack,” I don’t mean all of these recipes are easy. Actually, remixing recipes and thinking off the page is advanced stuff. These hacks reference other recipes and are only easy if you are prepared. If the Seitan was your midterm, then this is the final. So think like a pro—or at least a reality show contestant—and prep your ingredients first. I don’t want you flipping or swiping back and forth in the book, because timing is always key in cooking.
Many of these hacks will help you reinvent what’s already laying around in the fridge. You’ll actually be creating whole new dishes from this book by adding something leftover to the mix! It’s for the experimental and adventurous among you. Once you get the hang of how this hacking works, I think you will be hacking the mess out of this book. A beautiful mess of course. So, if hindsight is 20/20, you’ll remember the good times when you look back on relationships, and remember the great recipes when you look back on this book.
This food hacker chapter is great for one of those nights when you’re looking at what you have in the fridge and you want something new, but you don’t want to cook again. Well, using the below kitchen hacking skillz, you will learn how to act like a kid again and choose your own kitchen adventure. I formulated these hacks for leftovers, but after much thought, I am writing them as if you are starting from scratch with an empty fridge. That way, we can all be on the same page. However, if you have leftovers, skip the recipes portion and simply reheat and assemble.
Depending on the recipe, I will, from time to time, suggest you make something the night before, like your proteins and sauces, i.e., seitan, or any of the seasoned quinoas or tofu. That way you will save time again—crucial for hacking.
In these hack recipes, I often tell you to make half recipes, which means you need to divide the measurements in half, but you still follow the technique just the same. It’s called math. Cool? So, let the hacking and recipe remixing begin! Wiki wiki.
Recipe remixes and food extensions
Seitan Parmesan Nuggets with Ranch Dressing
Dirty Quinoa Breakfast Burrito
“There’s no need to be nasty or forceful. People see the changes in your health and your positive light shining and they want some of it too! My husband is omni, and while I cook us vegan food, I try hard to respect his wishes and wants to live his life his way. As much as I would love him to be Vegan, driving it home every day that I am the one who is “right” will only make him possibly love me less.” –
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serves 4 | GF
I could simply not put out a cookbook without adding a macaroni and cheese recipe. Disclaimer: this is not my infamous Mac & Yease that you may have heard about. That recipe is a family secret, and my sister and I have vowed never to share it. #truestory. However, as we know, mac and cheese in America is all about your twist on it. Unlike the baked original, this version is modeled after the old blue-box brand so that you can make it quickly on the stovetop. I also chose gluten-free noodles so it’s friendly for all.
Here’s the hack: This recipe uses the cheese sauce and quinoa from the Loaded Quinoa Nachos (here) for a cheesy, hearty sauce. Throw in some corn chips for an added crunch.
Hacking order: quinoa, noodles, cheese sauce
½ recipe Loaded Quinoa Nachos (here)
1 ½ cups gluten-free elbow macaroni
1 recipe Cheese Sauce (here)
1 cup crumbled corn chips, for topping
1. Quinoa: Follow the instructions for making the quinoa. Set aside.
2. Noodles: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium stock pot over high heat. Add enough salt to the water until it taste like the ocean, approximately 1 ½ teaspoons. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the water, then add noodles. Stir well to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until al dente. While the macaroni is cooking, you should move on to step three. When the macaroni is done cooking, remove it from the heat and set aside, covered, for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until tender, then drain completely in a colander and return to the pot. Keep covered. The steam trapped in the pot will slowly finish cooking the macaroni
3. Sauce and Assembly: Follow the instructions to complete the cheese sauce. Once the cheese sauce is ready and holding at a low simmer, add the cooked noodles slowly to maintain the desired ratio of noodles to sauce. Once the noodles and sauce are well incorporated, add the quinoa and mix well. Serve hot, topped with crushed corn chips.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Serves 2 to 4
The way I hack recipes is to think about all the different elements that make up the dish, and break them down by function – protein, fat, flavor, carb. Then I start this slot machine type process of elimination to see how these ingredients can be remixed or switched out until ding, ding, ding! Jackpot! In this recipe hack, the tempeh is the protein, the chermoula is the main source of flavor, and the couscous is the carb. I really like the original chermoula recipe (here), and when brainstorming a remix I thought, I’d love to eat this dish with my hands. Why not? It’s popular in that region of the world. Well, what better way to get my hands on this dish than by turning it into a twist on an American favorite: pizza? Exactly, none!
Here’s the hack: This is the perfect thing to do with your leftover chermoula from last night’s dinner. We’re adding the tempeh and chermoula from Chapter 6 to the pizza dough from Chapter 8, along with a few fresh ingredients that you probably have laying around. Boom! New recipe.
Hacking order: pizza dough, tempeh, chermoula sauce
½ recipe pizza dough (omit sugar) (here)
1 batch Moroccan tempeh (here)
1 batch chermoula sauce (here)
1 large tomato, sliced in rounds
½ cup thinly sliced sweet onion
½ cup vegan goat cheese (optional, see Note)
1. Pizza Dough: Following instructions, prepare the pizza dough and allow it to rise for the allotted amount of time. While that is proofing, move to step two. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Tempeh: Following instructions, prepare the tempeh by cutting it into 1-inch x 3-inch strips (⅛-inch thick). Set aside.
3. Sauce: Follow the instructions to make the chermoula sauce. Reserve some extra chopped mint and parsley leaves for the pizza topping. Set aside.
4. Assembly: Roll out the pizza dough into a thin layer and place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and evenly spread on the chermoula sauce across it. Layer on the tempeh, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, if using. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and top with fresh mint and parsley. Cut into small squares and serve hot.
Note: One big source of my hacking is the internets. Search for a vegan goat cheese recipe—I found a couple good ones out there.
Seitan Parmesan Nuggets with Ranch Dressing
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time 20 minutes | Serves 4
Let’s face it: vegans go ape sh*t over a nugget. Or at least I do. Something about them being fried, crunchy, and bite-sized. All that in a vegan package, well, it’s winning. This is a great pick for kids, starters, or a quick snack for you and the boo. Couple it with the ranch dressing recipe on the next page and pow! Your kitchen is transformed into a vegan fast food spot.
Here’s the hack: Take the seitan parm recipe and literally hack it to bite-sized pieces. Done and done. Well, almost…
Hacking Order: seitan, breading, ranch dressing
1 half batch Seitan Parmesan (here)
1 batch breading for Seitan Parmesan (here)
1 batch Ranch Dressing (here)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup safflower oil, for frying
1. Seitan and Dredging: If you’re not using leftovers from the original seitan parm recipe, then follow the instructions on here, and add an hour to your prep time. I suggest preparing your seitan the night before to cut about an hour off this recipe. Cut the seitan into bite size nuggets. Set up your dredging and breading bowls. Dredge the seitan nuggets in milk first, then breading. Repeat this process twice on each piece for a “double dip” dredge which provides an extra-delicious, extracrispy outside. Once done, set aside on parchment paper. Allow the nuggets to sit for about 7 to10 minutes until the moisture soaks through the breading.
2. Ranch: Make the dressing and set aside.
3. Cooking: Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Drop the nuggets into the oil and cook until golden brown on all sides, flipping with tongs halfway through. Remove from the oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until done. Serve hot, with the ranch dressing for dipping.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Serves 2 to 4
Ranch dressing is an American favorite. Here’s the thing: it’s a pretty basic cream base, and if you’re making your own, you can add anything to make it whatever you want! This is my twist on a traditional ranch. Feel free to throw in fennel or something crazy! You’re the chef now.
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
¼ cup vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
HACKER IDEAS
Pour this dressing on salads, drizzle it on pizza, slather it on a sandwich, dip crudites in it, or cool down some hot vegan buffalo wings. C’mon, it’s ranch! Put it on anything!
Dirty Quinoa Breakfast Burrito
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Serves 2
The burrito or wrap is almost as well known in the veggie community as the sprout. It makes things easy: easy to make, easy to hold, and easy to eat. A breakfast burrito is arguably the best kind of burrito, since breakfast really is the most important meal.
Here’s the hack: This recipe makes use of the leftover Lover’s Hash, Dirty Quinoa, and Cajun Tofu. If you don’t have all three chilling in the fridge already, don’t sweat it.
Hacking Order: hash, quinoa, tofu
1 batch Lover’s Hash (here)
½ batch Dirty Quinoa (here)
1 batch Cajun Tofu (here)
2 large tortillas
½ cup shredded vegan cheese
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced (optional)
1. Hash: Follow the instructions to prepare the hash. Set aside. Keep warm.
2. Quinoa: While hash is cooking, prepare the quinoa according to the instructions. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Tofu: Follow the instructions for preparing the tofu. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Assembly: If you’ve ever attempted a homemade burrito and ended up with a big ol’ mess on your plate, then you know this is the hard part, but fret not. The key is a warm tortilla. To heat, throw the tortillas over the hash while it’s warm until the tortillas are warm to the touch. Place all the filling ingredients, one by one, ending with the cheese and avocado, onto each tortilla, leaving about ⅓ of the tortilla empty at the top. Roll the tortillas and tuck in the ends as you go to seal in all the goodness.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, until hot and shimmering. Place the burritos in the skillet, seam-side down. Allow the tortilla to crisp, and flip to the other side. Cook approximately 2 minutes on either side. Ideally, this will melt the cheese and give your burrito a nice brown crispy outside. The use of a toothpick to hold the seam together is allowed.
Prep Time: 1 minutes | Cook Time 5 minutes | Serves 4 | GF, SFO
When I was working in Atlanta, I was asked by my client to pick up some artisan popcorn that was made by this lady nearby. I said okay, took the address, and dutifully went off to find this special popcorn. I end up on the, ahem, other side of town in an apartment complex that required a special knock. It was like when Neo went to see the Oracle in The Matrix. The lady actually looked similar. There in the apartment was a full service vegan restaurant with tables and a menu and a retail rack of this popcorn. I told her who sent me and she hurriedly got my order together. I left in amazement. The popcorn was a real treat, and though I couldn’t pinpoint the exact ingredients, I knew the base was the coconut oil she popped it in, and some nutritional yeast. I improvised with the rest and it came out quite good. Enjoy. Use a soy-free vegan butter to make this soy-free.
Here’s the hack: Sprinkle your hot popcorn with leftover Kale-ritos Seasoning.
Hacking order: Kale-ritos seasoning, popcorn
1 batch Kale-oritos seasoning (here)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
⅓ cup high-quality popcorn
1 tablespoon vegan butter (or more coconut oil)
Salt
1. Seasoning: If not using leftovers, following instructions to make the Kaleritos seasoning.
2. Popcorn: Heat the oil in a large stockpot over high heat until hot. Add the popcorn, cover and listen for the first pop. Swirl the pot over the heat as the kernels begin to pop. Keep the pot moving and when the pops start to lessen in frequency, remove from heat. The popcorn should be fluffed up near the top of the pot. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Put the butter in the empty pot until it melts. Working quickly, pour the butter over the popcorn, add the Kaleritos seasoning, and salt to taste. Mix well with a spoon.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Serves 4
The thing I never liked about biscuits and gravy is that there is no protein. All carbs make Ayindé a hungry boy. So I added fried tofu to this because anyone who follows my Instagram knows I’m always posting my fried tofu in something. This seems like a no-brainer, right? Serve with some fresh fruit of your choice. I suggest something juicy, like watermelon or honeydew.
Here’s the Hack: We’re making use of leftover biscuits and fried tofu. Mmm, tofu.
Hacking Order: biscuits, tofu, gravy
1 batch of the biscuits (here)
1 batch Fried Tofu (here)
1 batch Mushroom Truffle Gravy (here)
1. Biscuits: If you don’t have leftover biscuits on hand, then follow instructions to make biscuits fresh. For this hack, I like to make them bigger using my hands instead of a jar top. These are what my daddy called Hoe Cakes. I don’t have the answers, just the questions.
2. Tofu: Make the tofu according to the instructions. You might want to double or triple that original recipe depending on if it’s breakfast or an epic cheat day.
3. Gravy and Assembly: Following instructions, make the gravy last because hot fresh gravy is like heaven on earth. Serve biscuits on the bottom, top with tofu and cover with hot gravy in one glorious stack. You’re welcome.
“Let your delicious food, high energy, and content mindset do the talking!” –
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Makes 12
While traveling in Korea, I had a co-worker who liked to eat everything authentic. While sitting next to me on the plane, she pulled out some pocky and offered me some. I had of course seen the chocolate-covered biscuit sticks before, but asked to see the package. After some quick Terminator-style analysis of the ingredients, I knew they weren’t vegan, but thought I could recreate them with dark chocolate, because I currently do not have the technology to keep vegan milk chocolate from melting at room temp. Like those delicious Go Max Go bars. Maybe for the next book.
Here’s the Hack: Wondering what to do with that leftover biscuit dough? Wonder no further!
Hacking Order: biscuits, chocolate
½ batch biscuit dough (here)
1 double batch of chocolate from the Mexican Hot Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (here), omitting the pepper
1. Biscuit Sticks: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Following instructions for traditional biscuits up until the shaping part. On a floured cutting board, roll out the dough into a square shape about ⅛-inch thick. Cut the dough into ⅛-inch strips, approximately 8-inches long. Use your hands to gently roll the strips until they are cylindrical. Carefully place them on a baking sheet and bake until done, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Chocolate: Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Prepare the chocolate sauce. Pour the chocolate sauce onto one of the baking sheets. Carefully roll the biscuit sticks two-thirds of the way in the chocolate so that there is still some bare biscuit sticking out at the end. Arrange them on the second prepared baking sheet. Repeat until done. Place chocolate-covered pocky in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set the chocolate. Serve cold.
Meet-the-Omnis Big-Ass Holiday Wrap
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Serves 4
One of my favorite New York haunts, a sandwich shop called S’Nice, recently closed one of their locations. I get it, the food business is rough. But they had a particular wrap that Zoë really loved, and it just so happens that we have all the ingredients floating around this book to re-create it. So this is for all my New Yorkers who will miss the Thanksgiving wrap from the West Village location.
Here’s the hack: We make use of nearly all of our holiday recipes (this is the “big ass” portion of the name), so this is the perfect thing to make the day after your holiday feast. Or at midnight that day, when all of the guests are gone, and you feel like pillaging the leftovers. No judgment.
Hacking Order: seitan, stuffing, cranberry sauce
½ batch Seitan Wellington (here)
1 tablespoon grapeseed or safflower oil
½ batch Quinoa Wild Rice Stuffing (here)
½ batch Vodka Cranberry Sauce (here)
2 large tortillas
1. Seitan: Follow the instructions to make the seitan only from the wellington recipe. If you’re not using leftovers but making it just for this sammy, the seitan can be baked without the puff pastry around it. Slice approximately 8 ounces of the seitan into strips.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seitan and sear it on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Set aside but keep warm.
3. Stuffing: If not using leftover stuffing, prepare the stuffing following the instructions on here. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Cranberry Sauce: If not using leftovers, prepare the cranberry sauce following instructions on here.
5. Assembly: Heat the tortillas in a skillet until warm to the touch, lay them open, and divide ingredients between the two. For best results, assemble in this order: seitan, then stuffing, then the cranberry sauce.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Serves 2 to 4 | GF, SF
When I go out to eat, I look for Mexican. Why? Because, vegan or not, it’s hard to mess up Mexican. The flavors are so rich and robust, you could put cumin and chili on an old shoe, and it would taste good. What I mean is, I know any cook—both the great and the half-assed—can impress with the knowledge of how to use cumin and bit of chili pepper. Don’t forget to serve your final product with a lime wedge. Anything slightly Mexican-flavored tastes exponentially better with lime. Corona, anyone?
1 ½ tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
In a small bowl, combine the chile powder, cumin, sage, and paprika. Mix well.
Eating ideas: You can use this to jazz up a can of plain refried beans, or add it to some fried rice or cooked quinoa. Sprinkle it on top of a salad for a fiesta feel, or blend it into some vegan mayo to make an awesome dip for a party tray of chips or veggies. Homemade dip? Yeah, you got that.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Serves: 2 to 4 | GF, SF
I’m a bit of a hot sauce connoisseur. As any connoisseur knows, it’s all about the flavor, and with hot sauce it’s often the balance of acid and sweet and the flavor of the individual chile pepper that make it amazing. I was traveling in Trinidad and Tobago with India.Arie, and while looking for new ingredients as I always do in new environments, I kept seeing these beautiful chiles. Intrigued, I tasted some of the local hot sauce and was blown away. I wanted to make my own version, and was insistent on using very few ingredients to keep it similar to the real deal. Here is what I came up with.
2 Trinidadian hot chile peppers or Scotch bonnet chiles
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon agave nectar
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Using plastic gloves, mince the chiles, reserving the seeds. Transfer to a bowl. Add more seeds for more heat, if desired.
2. Add the lime juice, agave, and salt. Mix well and serve.
Eating Ideas: If you’re into hot sauce, you know the answer: Put that sh*t on everything.
ZOË: My experiences in love and sex have taught me that finding a true connection is more important to me than finding a true vegan. I can be vegan enough for the both of us. That being said, my last little advice nugget is basic:
Watch how you talk to your partner about veganism.
Actually, watch how you talk to everybody about veganism. This is a universal suggestion. I can be the queen of Always Right, and this doesn’t usually lead to positive conversations when the person I’m talking to downright disagrees with me. Especially when they’re just bloody wrong, and clearly I am right, and…dammit, there I go again. Seriously, I have spent years trying to work on this. It’s an ongoing battle for me but here are two tricks that seem to produce the best results. These techniques are simple but not necessarily easy, and they work for all important conversations, not just food politics.
Instead of telling them your opinion, ask thoughtful questions about their opinions. Ask them to think differently, and when similarly challenged, be ready to think differently yourself. Sometimes, in order to understand someone else’s opinion, you need to think outside of your own. Far, far outside. In Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals (the book that turned Daniel vegetarian!), Foer facetiously makes the argument that if we absolutely have to eat animals to survive in modern America, then we should be eating dogs, as we already euthanize thousands of them every day. Now, mind you, Foer doesn’t really think we should eat dogs, he was just making a point about American’s relationships with animals, and asking us to think differently, The initial shock (and outrage) most of us experience at the thought of eating Fido is something worth ruminating on for anyone who has previously scoffed at veganism. I’m not saying you need to tell your omni partner to eat dogs—simply ask them to stretch outside of their mental comfort zone.
Listen. Listening is a skill that needs to be curated, and it’s much different than simply biting your tongue and waiting for your turn to speak. Absorb your partner’s thoughts and feelings. Digest them. Think about them. And then rebut.
AYINDE: Here are my last two cents on the matter.
On love. I really want to tell you everything—all I have learned—in hopes that it helps you in some way. But like in relationships, some things slip through the cracks. I know I forgot something that will change your life! So in an attempt to avoid that, I am going to give you the most basic advice about love: you know it when you feel it—if it’s not a yes, it’s a no.
On veganism and cooking. When you become vegan and want to eat good food, the first thing to do is have the proper ingredients in your kitchen. Sometimes you may have to shop at different supermarkets or, at the very least, different aisles in your current supermarket. Most major supermarket chains have the ingredients you need to make all the dishes in this book. If you can’t find them, another resource is Amazon or any other online vegan specialty foods retailer.
As a restaurant-trained chef, I have learned to integrate my seasonings and sauces into different meals to save time and space and help use up leftovers. The recipes in this book use great basic sauce and seasoning recipes that also work well as dips, dressings, and marinades, and for creating your own fantastic meals. Be creative and hack on. With all these goodies in your pantry and this advice in your head, you can’t go wrong! Until next time, be well, cook good, and make more vegan babies! Say bye, Zoë.
ZOË: Well, I hope that was as good for you as it was for me. While you’re freshening up in the bathroom, I will blindly grope the floor for my undies and make a mad dash for the door…just kidding. We can snuggle.
Real talk: I hope you were able to learn something from this book, whether it’s a new favorite recipe or a new way to approach your relationships—current, past, or future. Because if you’re not learning, you’re not growing, and what’s life without growth? Boring as all f*ck, that’s what.
If you take only one morsel of truth away from this book, I hope it is this: You can’t get into a relationship expecting someone to change. While it would be terrific if they took to tofu for you and for their own health and the world, expectations like that will only lead to disappointment and resentment. As the vegan or the omnivore, all you can hope is that your partner will accept you, and maybe make a few tweaks to ensure everyone is comfortable. And if you expect them to tweak, then you have to be willing to do it as well.
With that in mind, I would like to close with a saying I see on bumper stickers everywhere and wish I had written myself:
Love people, and cook them tasty (vegan) food.
