Food & Drink

The Edgy Veg

Hi! I’m Candice, Chef and creator of “The Edgy Veg.” Since turning to a vegan lifestyle 10 years ago, I truly believe I have been put on a mission to revolutionize how we think about food, eco-conscious living, and feminism. I hated any vegan food I came across, so I decided to teach myself not only how to cook, but how to make vegan food more appealing to the masses. I am the author of The Edgy Veg: 138 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes, a delicious cookbook for any dietary preference, that delivers bold vegan recipes with attitude and comedy. Edgy by nature, I use my YouTube channel and Instagram page to disrupt the vegan community with my candid and humorous take on activism not only for animals and food built differently, but also mental health, the environment, and female empowerment.

I love hosting chic summer get-togethers in my backyard. What I don’t love is: a lot of dishes, mountains of prep, and being stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is having a great time. Over the last few years, I have mastered the art of the vegan grazing table. A grazing table (or vegan charcuterie) is easily prepared in advance without much fuss, has minimal clean up, and is easy to put together. At the same time, it looks impressively bountiful, fresh, and artfully high-end. Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, you will find your guests standing, drinks in hand, socializing and nibbling away throughout the day or evening, keeping the energy up. After all, it’s hard to mingle with the cute guy or gal at the other end of the party when you have your butt glued to a chair.

Traditionally, these boards are filled with arranged meats, cheese, crudité, seasonal fruit, and even flowers, so may be thinking to yourself, “Candice without all that, isn't it just a veggie plate?” One of the many joys of being a vegan or plant-based, is all the gorgeous plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy now available, without ever having to compromise taste, texture, or flavour. Let me share my top tips for a plant-based grazing platter, where no one will even miss the animal-products, while also saving you some money.

You're going to need a surface to arrange this food on. Any interesting table, giant piece of wood, marble, concrete, or tablecloth will work. I like to tailor my base to whatever my decor or theme is, which is usually "rustic boho." I use a giant wooden slab, placed on a table. One pro-tip is to ensure the table is not pushed against a wall or in a corner, you want your guests to be able to access it from every side, creating a "kitchen party" atmosphere that won't disrupt flow.

When it comes to magazine-worthy grazing tables, variety is key. The last thing you want is a table of brown or beige. I always ensure there is colour by using vibrant fruit and veg, as well as a variety of textures and flavour combinations to create a varied experience. Vegan grazing tables tend to be cheaper than traditional because you are foregoing expensive animal products.

Instructions

1

Fruit & Veg: This is a great opportunity to highlight the fruit and veg that are in season. Ensure you are choosing items that are varied in shape, texture, and colour. Dippable items are also something I look out for.

2

Plant-Based Cheese: There is a wonderful variety of dairy-free cheese now available at most supermarkets and specialty stores. Again, I like to choose a variety of textures and flavours. One neutral soft cheese is a must, but don't be afraid to also include some aged flavours, vegan cheddar cubes, or my favourite: a truffle spread. If you don't have access to vegan cheese, you can use spreads and dips. I like to include items like hummus, spinach dip, and patés along with my vegan cheese.

3

Plant-Based Protein: This is where a lot of folks go wrong. Your protein can be as simple as smoked tofu and sliced animal-free sausages, just ensure you're providing options. Again, choose an assortment of flavours and textures. Sriracha-smoked tofu, sliced vegan European bratwurst, thinly sliced seitan, and smoked carrot lox are just some of my favourite choices.

4

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs: The more variety, the better. Create the opportunity for a different experience with every bite! I always include bread, crackers, breadsticks, chips, and baguette crisps.

5

The Finishing Touches: Finish off your table with a variety of nuts, jellies, preserves, jams, and pickled items. This will also enhance your guests' experience, nothing rounds off your platter like some tiny gherkins and pickled onions.

6

Place Your Beautiful Ingredients in an Eye-Catching Way: Use a variety of bowls, stands and trays of various sizes on top of your board or table. I recommend placing your dips, bowls of garnish, or nuts down on the platter first and then lay down the rest, creating movement, getting rid of any white space. The goal is abundance. You can fill any gaps with nuts, edible flowers, or fresh herbs. Enjoy!

The Mack Daddy

1/4 cup vegan mayo

Instructions

The Big Mac is an unquestionable fast food icon, weaved into the fabric of our society like the mason jar, and the Kardashians. We couldn’t call ourselves the comfort food vegans if we didn’t include our version of the famous two non-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, vegan cheese, pickles, and onions, on a sesame bun, now could we?

1

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, french dressing, relish, minced onion, vinegar, sugar and salt. Cover and refrigerate. (This is your Mack Daddy sauce).

2

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush with oil and cook burgers for 3-4 mins on each side until heated through (or according to package instructions if different).

3

Cut the top off each bun, and discard one of the tops, so your bun has 3 parts. This will become the middle bun of the Big Mac.

4

Lightly toast all three buns, by tossing them on the heat grill pan, face down, for 1 min. To assemble the burger; spread 1/2 to 1 tbsp Mack Daddy sauce over the bottom piece of each bun.

5

Add about 1 tsp minced onion, half a handful lettuce, 1 cheese slice, 1 veggie burger and 3 pickle medallions.

6

Top with the middle portion of the bun and spread with another 1/2-1 tbsp of Mack Daddy sauce, 1 tsp onion, another 1/2 handful lettuce, 3 pickle medallions, second veggie burger and top with burger lid.

7

Serve with a side of fries, wait for an hour, and then go to a spin class...