Friday, May 17, 2013

No Tuna Salad (and a Giveaway!)

I can't believe it's already May, and next week I will be heading up to Portland for the Vida Vegan Conference.  Nothing makes me more excited than knowing that by this time next week I will be surrounded by "my people" and living it up vegan-style with hundreds upon hundreds of like minded friends, some of which I've met, and some whom I've never met before.

I can't wait to hop on that plane, train and bus, to get to my apartment for the week.  As soon as I get there I plan on meeting up with the girls I am staying with, heading to Julie's cart, Native Bowl, for my favorite Mississippi Bowl, and then heading to Food Fight to stock the fridge for the week!

Oh and the food I will eat, and the drinks I will drink!  Debauchery is not even close to a good enough word to describe my plans.  So, stay tuned for quick updates throughout next week as I photograph and eat my way through Portland.

I have been so busy this week, getting stuff done at work, and at home, so I have been making easy to throw together meals, like sandwiches and salads.  This No Tuna Salad is one of my favs.

What is your favorite quick and easy meal to throw together when you are busy?  Leave your answer in the comments section below and I will pick one of them at random on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9 am PST to receive a signed copy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.

And the winner is: #27! Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack And I plan on making that delicious sounding wrap today while packing for the VVC!  I also agree that once you find a sauce you love, putting it on "everythaaaang" makes perfect sense!





No Tuna Salad (from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet)
(makes enough for 4 sandwiches)
8 ounces soy tempeh, crumbled into teeeny tiny pieces*
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

*Some folks find that if they steam the tempeh prior to crumbling it, that it mellows the flavor a bit. If you are the type that is tempeh hesitant, frightened or just plain old don’t like tempeh, don’t give up on this salad. Steam your block of tempeh by cutting the tempeh in half and steaming in or over simmering water for 20 minutes. Some folks even say that this helps make the tempeh more digestible.

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can use this on a sandwich, or on a bed of greens for a no-tuna salad.
If making a melt, preheat your cast iron skillet or pan. To get the best browning without added fat and calories, spray the pan with nonstick spray, then cook until browned, applyin pressure from the top with a spatula, spray the top with cooking spray, then flip, and apply pressure until browned. 

35 comments:

Carla said...

Lately its been soba noodles, tossed with a sesame oil / sriracha based dressing with ginger, garlic, spring onions, and sometimes broccoli or other vegetables, eaten cold so I can put it in the fridge for later if I ahve to.

KellyC said...

This sandwich is getting added to the list for sure! Usually quick means breakfast foods like tofu scrambles, hash browns and soy curl bacon.

Erin said...

Spaghetti with GimmeLean "sausage" browned up and maybe some sauteed mushrooms if I've got the time.

Eva said...

Avocado lime pasta! It's the best. My speedy meals go through phases, but is often pasta-centered.

Elizabeth said...

Lately I've been tossing pasta and slivers of sausage-ish seitan with Earth Balance and nutritional yeast. Which is the vegan-est sounding thing ever, but my omni husband has gotten hooked on it too.

Vegan Fazool said...

Pasta with some frozen (once homemade...by me!) sauce cubes from my freezer with some veggies thrown in if I have them, canned beans, or quick sauteed tofu on top.

Thanks for a great giveaway! BVBOTP is a great book! My library has it, but I don't...yet!

Anonymous said...

every leftover I have on a bed of lettuce. Ultimate laziness!

And I'm so excited for VVC again too! Less than a week :)

Anonymous said...

Is this open to overseas vegans too?
If it is then, hm, I have a problem with quick meals and prioritize eating a bit too much, but mashed avocado with pepper put on rye bread is a good one. (can not eat it often because of gluten problems though)

Anonymous said...

A bean salad: legume of choice (usually chickpeas), a couple splashes of red wine vinegar, dried oregano, garlic and basil, salt and pepper and a bit of oil. Simple: no chopping, no cooking and a one bowl meal.

Chely, veganapr at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I always end up making vegan mac n cheese with some peas or broccoli thrown in and fried onions on top.

Joni Marie Newman said...

Yep! Overseas is okay in my book!

The Peace Patch said...

My fave quick fix meal is a quinoa pasta and chickpea salad. Lots of protein and I can throw anything else that I want into it...veggies, seeds, nuts, etc.
Have a cheery day! :)

Terri Cole said...

I'm eating a lot of giant salads right now. I make a jar or 2 of salad dressing once a week or so and I try to have all the greens, veggies etc. washed & cut up to make salad assembly easy. I usually throw some beans (canned, rinsed and drained) in for protein. I also try to keep some homemade veggie burgers in the freezer for a quick meal.

Thanks for the chance to win this book. I love trying new veggie burgers!
gaia (at) cinci (dot) rr (dot) com

kellyr78 said...

I usually make a pasta dish with salad on the side.

kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom

Yvonne said...

Today I made a quick 'indian style' stir-fry with tempeh, fennel and zucchini - it was so good I don't have to think again next time I need something easy and fast!

Anonymous said...

It's got to be Cinnamon toast made with homemade white bread or a leftovers sandwich. Lazy but yummy!

Jessica Eagle said...

Miammm !!! Your sandwich looks great :)

When I'm in a hurry I definitely eat a salad; spinach, artichoke, black olives, tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber & homemade dressing.

Thanks for the giveaway :)

Babette said...

I like to make a sandwich with tahini and any veggies I have in the fridge. And a bit of balsamic vinegar to give it some punch.

Beedi said...

My absolute favorite quick meal is vegan enchilada bake with hatch green chili sauce. I actually have leftovers in the fridge right now! Love your blog!

Heather B said...

Oh, I am the laziest of the lazy. Faux hamburger or sausage, whole wheat pasta, broccoli and jarred sauce. So terrible. So good!

Health Benefits said...

I know, so hard to believe it is May, and in a couple of weeks its going to be June! Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe with us. Was looking for something quite similar to this and will definitely give it a try. Will have to pick up some more soy tempah :).

Just found your site and am quite glad that I did. Seems like there is a wealth of knowledge here (used some of your cooking measurement equivalents already!). I look forward to following along and continuing to learn from you. Thanks for all that you do :).

Debbie said...

My quick "throw together" meal would have to be broccoli with fried potatoes and chickpeas. Add some red pepper flakes and it is one delicious meal!!!!

Kay Lynn said...

My throw together meal is a can of beans with precooked frozen rice. I add another veggie on the side.

Anonymous said...

I am headed to Portland in July, I can not wait to hear all your recommendations.

news said...
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jacqui said...

I keep cooked beans, rice & greens in the freezer. A portion of each with salsa is the easiest & quickest way to get all my nutrients I need. Tasty, too!

Beth said...

Cabbage salad- I can't get enough. I use bagged coleslaw mix throw in some thawed corn, green onion, raisins, and whatever else I have in the frig(mushrooms, carrots, green pepper, sunflower seeds etc) and a homemade dressing of apple cider vinegar and stone ground Dijon mustard. Yummm!

Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack! said...

One of my favorite things to throw together is a Buffalo Tempeh Kale wrap. Buffalo sauce on everythaaaang!!

Josiane said...

I've never liked tuna so I don't tend to be attracted to mock tuna recipes, but yours sounds truly delicious! Another great way to indulge the dill kick I'm on these days... :)

When we need to do really quick and easy, we go for a bean salad with canned mixed beans and whatever veggies we have on hand; if we've got a few extra minutes, we'll also cook and mix in some quinoa or kasha. A little less quick but still pretty fast: polenta served with a tomato and red lentils sauce (lentils cooked in one can of diced tomatoes, with any available herbs and veggies thrown in).

Shawnda said...

Brown rice with sauteed veggies is always easy and healthy, or a peanut butter and jelly. Yum!

Kaycee said...

I love to make chickpea salad sandwiches, or tofu "egg" salad sandwiches. Yum!

Cee S. said...

I don't know if this qualifies as a meal, but a baked potato topped with pintos, sriracha sauce and nutritional yeast always hits the spot for me! Or pbj :)

ceevegnashville [at] gmail [dot] com

Unknown said...
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recipes said...
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cheap rs gold said...

Pasta with some frozen (once homemade...by me!) sauce cubes from my freezer with some veggies thrown in if I have them, canned beans, or quick sauteed tofu on top.
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