Avanti Cafe Musings: vegan

Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Hearty Ramen & Ravioli Soups Homemade HACKS

Why start from scratch, when you can scratch mix and match delicious one bowl wonderful soup meals in minutes. You'll find a wide variety of organic, wholesome, fresh & dried ramen & ravioli in most every grocery & specialty store these days. Same hold true for the finest organic & free range broths of all kinds, roasted, vegetable, bone & more. Delicious cheeses, smokey nuts, prepared meat & meatless balls and so much more. And here's the hack, all you have to do to create homemade deliciousness is drop by the farmers market or green grocer for a few fresh enticing vegetables.

Here we're using fresh tofu, purple onions, carrots & brown rice ramen in a lemongrass broth. Saute the carrots and onions in a little sesame oil, add the broth and a splash of sake or Chinese sherry, simmer the ramen and it's homemade in 12 mins.

Get fancy and flavorful with a little romaine stirred in at the last minute.

Onions, celery & zucchini sauted in a little evoo & topped w/ golden roasted vegetable broth, ravioli & meatless meatballs comes together while you pop the wine.

Adding chopped romaine or escarole just before serving takes you on a virtual tour of Tuscany.

Et Voila, this is a great time to be a sensible, sensitive, time savvy foodie. Never settle for second best, read your labels & choose the highest quality ingredients to save time & add flavor & flair to all your easy to prepare meals.

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy. You can Eat Well & Live Well. Follow us on social media to see what Avanti is up to now. We are Whole Foods Experts. Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube pages. Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs. We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

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http://www.hungryharvest.net/recipes/

https://readychefgobags.com/recipes-home/

Youtube

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Pasta Fagioli Video https://vimeo.com/133115733

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Sweet & Sour Vegetables w/ Meatless Meatballs :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Ready.Chef.GO! ::

Ready. Chef. GO! Sweet & SourVegetables with Meatless Meatballs

Chef Mark Cleveland

Microwave high for 3 mins or 450 oven or 20 to 30 mins

2 servings in each bag

3 Cups Favorite Fresh Veg Medley, bite sized pieces (I used sweet bell peppers, baby broccoli, cooked golden beets, scallions & radicchio)

3/4 Cup Favorite Sweet Sour Sauce

6 Meatless Meatballs

Fresh herbs & scallions for garnish

Add the cut vegetables to the bag along with the sweet and sour sauce. Shake to combine. Load in the meatless balls and seal the bag

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS: Microwave high for 3 mins or 450 oven or 20 to 30 mins. Let rest for 2 mins before opening the bag. Garnish w/ fresh herbs & scallions

NOTE: Ready.Chef.GO! bags allow for excellent texture in the microwave & fast high heat cooking in the oven. The results are always succulent & tender. You’ll taste the difference. This is another great opportunity to work with your produce buyers to showcase seasonal vegetables on a weekly basis. Meatless meatballs are available nationwide & cater to a market looking for meatless options. This is a terrific opportunity to showcase, sample & sell everything related to the natural product sales explosion. Do this recipe with various all natural organic meatballs such as pasture raised beef, lamb, pork, chicken and turkey. Use fully cooked meatballs.

POINT OF SALE DISPLAY: Display all of your organic, vegetarian, gluten free, vegan & meatless products here. Place signage with all of those key words at the display. Use as part of a hot food sampling event. Add garnishes of fresh herbs, scallions, citrus and more.

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Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Full Portfolio

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/avanti-natural-lifestyle-media/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/mark-cleveland-creative/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/

http://www.hungryharvest.net/recipes/

https://readychefgobags.com/recipes-home/

Youtube

Avanti Natural

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Q6ljhrJ56QXRF3vR4snMQ

Avanti Café

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYaIGYey-BCf7gIh1-DcSQA

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Twitter

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Avanti Natural Website & Blog

http://avantinatural.com

http://avantinatural.com/blog.html

http://avanticafe-events.blogspot.com

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Pasta Fagioli Video https://vimeo.com/133115733

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Vegan Cheez Whiz :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Ready.Chef.GO! ::

Ready.Chef.GO! Vegan Cheez Whiz

Chef Mark Cleveland

Microwave power Level 6 for 4 mins or 400 oven for 15 to 20 mins

3 Cups (enough for two party buffet bowls)

1 Can (15 Ounce) Organic Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Puree (Or 2 Cups Cooked & Mashed Butternut Squash or Pumpkin)

1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tbs Cider Vinegar

1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast

2 Tsp Dijon Mustard (Or Hot Chinese Mustard)

1/4 Tsp Turmeric

1/4 Tsp Onion Powder

1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Tahini (Or Sunflower, Almond or Cashew Butter)

(Opt) 1 Tbs EVOO

(Opt) 1/4 Tsp Chili flakes or Hot Sauce

Garnish: Sesame seeds, Paprika, Chili powder, EVOO

Combine all in a mixing bowl and use a potato masher to stir it all together. You can do it all in the food processor too if you wish, but when using pureed butternut squash it really isn’t necessary. Spoon into serving dishes that fit nicely in Ready.Chef.GO! bags, seal and microwave on power 6 for 4 mins. The bag fluffs and steams the whiz for a superb texture. When you see a little bit of golden brown around the edges, it’s done.

The idea is not to recreate the exact flavor or texture of Cheez Whiz, but to tingle the taste buds with an unctuous warm dip and spread loaded w/ umami flavors. I like the strong flavor of tahini here, but you can substitute other nut butters as you wish for a slightly sweeter taste. You’ll find organic tahini now in most grocery stores, Whole Foods & Trader Joes. Thin the Whiz out w/ non dairy milk or brewed green tea for a wonderful vegan cheez sauce for veggies or vegan Philly cheez steak sammies.

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS: Microwave at power level 6 for 4 mins or heat in a 400 oven for 15 to 20 mins until just golden brown on the edges & fluffed in the center. Let rest for 2 mins before opening the bag.

NOTE: Ready.Chef.GO! bags allow for excellent texture in the microwave & fast high heat cooking in the oven. The results are always succulent & tender. You’ll taste the difference.

Serve with a wide variety of dippers (cucumbers, dragon fruit, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, etc.) crackers & flat breads.

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Full Portfolio

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/avanti-natural-lifestyle-media/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/mark-cleveland-creative/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/

http://www.hungryharvest.net/recipes/

https://readychefgobags.com/recipes-home/

Youtube

Avanti Natural

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Q6ljhrJ56QXRF3vR4snMQ

Avanti Café

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYaIGYey-BCf7gIh1-DcSQA

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/avanti.natural?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avanti-Natural/665626266871334?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avanti-Culinary-Consulting/166822256677277?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chefs-Mark-Cleveland-Tanya-Fuqua/296158060441737?ref=hl

Twitter

https://twitter.com/AvantiNatural

Instagram

https://instagram.com/avantinatural/

Avanti Natural Website & Blog

http://avantinatural.com

http://avantinatural.com/blog.html

http://avanticafe-events.blogspot.com

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-cleveland/b9/a1/823

Pasta Fagioli Video https://vimeo.com/133115733

Friday, November 18, 2016

Mushroom Garbanzo & Asparagus Stew :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Ready.Chef.GO! ::

Ready. Chef. GO! Mushroom, Garbanzo &Asparagus Stew

Chef Mark Cleveland

Microwave. Power 7 for 7 mins

4-6 Servings

3/4 Pound Favorite Mixed Mushrooms, large pieces (I used shimeji, shiitake & maitake)

2 Cups (or 1 Can) Garbanzo Beans

1/2 Pound Fresh Asparagus, 2” pieces

2 Scallions, 2” pieces

1/4 Cup Favorite Tomato Sauce, Romesco, Pesto or Roasted Pepper Sauce (Ajvar)

1 1/2 Tbs Soy Sauce (I use mushroom flavored soy sauce in mushroom dishes)

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Cup Veg Broth or Water

1 Tbs EVOO

(Opt) 1 1/2 Tbs Dark Sherry

Garnish: Fresh citrus juice & zest, edible petals & herbs. I used Valencia orange, pineapple sage blossoms & fresh blue basil

Load everything into the bag, seal & place on a dish or in a bowl. Microwave on power 7 for 7 mins. Let rest in the bag for 3 mins, then serve.

You’ll find all sorts of great wild mushrooms at your farmers markets or Asian grocery stores. This works well with all shrooms including button, crimini, porcini or enoki mushrooms too. Easily morph this into a pasta or rice entrée or a hearty soup. Ready.Chef.GO! bags cook vegetables crisp tender and retain moisture in the microwave.