Since becoming vegan, I’ve noticed that my taste buds are more refined and I have come to appreciate different flavors in foods. Before, when I was vegetarian, they were attracted to salty, savory flavors (from my self-proclaimed cheese “addiction,” I suppose), but as a vegan, I feel that I’m drawn to more earthy flavors, including the inherent spiciness in many foods.
Now that the weather is a little cooler, I’m looking forward to turning up the heat in the kitchen. Bring on the spicy foods, I say! This past week I decided to welcome my favorite season by preparing two meals that got my taste buds-a-tingling!
First up, I made a big batch of jalapeno poppers. Poppers have long been a favorite indulgent snack of mine – the perfect combo of sweet, spicy, fried and crispy – but since becoming vegan, I’d yet to whip up a dairy-free version. But, when I spied the big box of jalapenos at my local CSA, I decided it was the perfect time to give them a shot. I remembered seeing a veganized recipe for poppers by one of my favorite bloggers, Rhea, over at The “V” Word, and decided to go with her version, since the recipe looked fairly simple and her photos of the finished product looked so tantalizingly delicious!
I got to seeding, slicing, stuffing, dipping and frying and in no time at all, I had a plate of delicious-looking poppers staring back at me.
Before their yummy transformation.
Stuffed and ready for dipping.
Dipped and ready for frying.
Done and ready to devour!
I was anxious to get to enjoy the fruits of my culinary labor and dug into the poppers while they were still hot. They were comforting and scrumptious, but disappointingly, a little too mild for me, as far as spiciness goes. I’m not sure if it was because I removed too much of the jalapeno core while I was cleaning them or if I just had a milder batch of peppers… but nonetheless, my husband and I managed to devour most of that plate in a matter of minutes. My husband is not vegan or vegetarian (I’m working on him…), but still thought these poppers were amazingly good!
Being that my appetite for spice hadn’t been fully satiated with the poppers, the next day for dinner, I decided to cook up one of my very favorite go-to meals, Buffalo- Drenched Tempeh. It’s so simple and quick, coming together in a matter of minutes, and hits the spot every time!
For my version of Buffalo sauce, I start out by melting 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance and 1 tablespoon of vegan cream cheese or sour cream in a saucepan over low heat. I find that the flavors of the cream cheese or sour cream both lend themselves well to this dish, but it’s more about the creamy texture that they add, so it really doesn’t matter which one you use. Once the Earth Balance and cream cheese/sour cream mixture is melted, I add in Frank’s Red Hot. I use a lot of it because, like I said, I really like things spicy, but you can add as much or as little as you’d like, depending on what your taste buds can tolerate. Mix it all together in the saucepan and just let it simmer until it starts to bubble. It should be a bright, orange-y color.
When serving the Buffalo sauce with tempeh, I prefer to simply cut the tempeh into triangles and pan sear for a few minutes on each side, until brown. I don’t find it necessary to poach the tempeh first, as I’ve found no bitter taste in the brand that I usually use, Lightlife. When your tempeh is ready, plate it up, pour on the goodness… er, I mean Buffalo sauce… and enjoy!
My Buffalo-Drenched Tempeh + a side of macaroni salad = yum!
I’m looking forward to discovering some more ways to add a little more spice to my foods. What about you? Do you like spicy foods? Have you noticed that your taste buds have changed since becoming vegan?
Jena Mazzio has an affinity for anything animal-related, useless kitchen gadgets, the occasional good book and using writing as a creative outlet. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two dogs and two cats (All rescues, of course. Well… not the husband, just the pets!) and blogs about her transition to veganism at Vegans Have Taste Buds, Too! and about her passion for animals at Paw in the Family.
