Pamela Cooks!

I need to start blogging again

2010-03-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

It's been quite some time! I am going to try to start again. I've just been busy looking for work and enjoying the scenery here in North Carolina.

Best Wishes and thanks for your continued support!

Food Network Friday: Ravioli Caprese

2009-10-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday but I saw it and copied it Friday. That's all that counts!
It's from Giada. Her pasta almost always has eggs in it but this week she did a really veganizeable dish. Her pasta consists of flour and hot water- easy enough.

Sub vegan ricotta (I like pressed tofu, vegenaise, Italian seasoning, olive oil in food processor) and vegan chik'n strips sauteed and also processed in food processor. The rest is vegan anyway. We really liked it, but I am in love with ravioli so it was an easy sell. I love the fresh basil and lemon zest. Try it! I like to freeze ravioli for a quick and yummy meal. Don't forget- use a pepper grinder! It's the best easy thing you can change about your cooking.

Breakfast Burritos!

2009-10-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

My honey has been asking for this for years. Don't know why I never got around to it because these are really good! He used to enjoy the Sonic breakfast burrito. This is an homage to fast food burritos, but without as much fat, and without the animals. The recipe has a couple components, but you can make several burritos, so you get a lot out of your effort.

-Use your favorite tofu scramble that uses one block/1 lb tofu(I used VWAV), adding Follow Your Heart Jack cheese/other vegan cheese if you want.
-Bake some tater tots.
-Saute 1/2 tube Gimme Lean sausage style. I fry up fennel seed first, add the sausage and smash with a spoon. I also add a tiny bit of liquid smoke and about 1-2 tsp. brown sugar
-For a bit of a greasy factor, saute onion and pepper in some Earth Balance.

Put it all together in a burrito:
Microwave or put over the burner the tortilla. It makes it pliable. Fill with tofu scramble, onions/peppers, sausage, and tots and roll up- sides first, then roll up.

I like salsa and vegan sour cream. Don't forget..you can add jalapenos, olives, hot sauce, whatever you want.

White Gloves Chicken Salad

2009-09-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a sweet southern-inspired "chicken" salad sandwich. I opted shredded over chopped dice for a more delicate side dish. This is not the savory type that most are used to (which I also really like). This is for a tea party or something equally silly. White gloves and all that. I used Morningstar Farms strips, but who knows, in a year or less, these might not be vegan, either. They recently ~~unnecessarily messed up~~ changed their Crumbles recipe to add milk and eggs. BOO. Tell them that's no good , if you are so inclined.

Note- This is a SWEET salad. If you want less sweetness, cut back the grapes or cranberries. I think the balance is nice, but you may want to add more mayo or heat.

"Chicken" Salad Sandwich (Makes about 3 generous sandwiches, or 2 generous servings for crackers)

1 pkg vegan chicken strips (8oz)
1/4 + 1/8 c (6 Tbsp total) vegan mayo (Vegenaise)
2 Tbsp soymilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
2 tbsp minced red bell pepper
2 tbsp (about 1/2 stalk) celery, chopped fine but not quite minced
1/4 c pecan halves
1/4 tsp dried tarragon (opt)
small pinch cumin
small pinch paprika
tiny pinch cayenne (more for more heat)
salt and fresh pepper to taste
optional: green or red seedless grapes, cut into small chinks (I used 5 big green grapes, cut into about 6 pieces each)

Gently saute chik'n strips in good quality margarine on low-med heat. I added a little sherry. You want heating all the way through but not too much browning. You don't want crispy. When heated through, remove from heat and cool completely. Shred (pull apart) by hand- go with the grain, lengthwise. It creates a delicate texture.

Heat the pan again (wiping out any oil) and roast pecans. Set aside, cool, and chop.
Whisk mayo, soymilk, and vinegar while chik'n is cooking. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken, grapes, and pecans and mix well. Fold in chik'n, grapes and pecans. Let chill for at least an hour to let flavor develop.

Toast 4 pieces for bread and add margarine to one side of each piece of bread. Add chik'n salad (you want margarine on the inside of the sandwich). You can line the sandwich with a nice lettuce and tomato. I like chips (the ones here are yummy Kettle Jalapeno chips) or salad on the side.

Peppered Mexican Polenta Towers

2009-08-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

I had this dish in my head for about a week. It came once again, from gluten-free cooking, and I really like polenta anyway! My favorite way to eat it is crispy fried on the outside. I thought it would be delicious Mexican style over beans, so here we are! I also got to take advantage of the Farmer's Market and I got heirloom tomatoes and bell peppers at a *very* reasonable price, which I am psyched about! Called "Peppered" because I have mild bell peppers, fried jalapenos, and chipotle (smoked jalapeno) powder.

If you are going to make this, then do the polenta and marinate the tofu the day before. You may even do the salsa w/o the avocado and add it last minute. Don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe, it's just several simple components, and you can do it if I can! Keep polenta and tofu warm in the oven if you need to, while preparing the plates.

Peppered Mexican Polenta Stacks (Makes 4 servings with leftover polenta)

Tofu:
1 lb tofu, cut into 8 slabs and pressed
Tofu Marinade- Wheat Free Soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry(or tequila/alcohol/lime juice), cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, onion powder, water, vegetable oil. Adjust to taste. Water should be used only if marinade needs to be mellowed. Marinate an hour minimum (I like overnight). When ready to prepare, just saute in peanut or vegetable oil. Keep it simple.

Polenta-
3 1/2 c water
1 c polenta corn grits (not instant grits, y'all!)
2 tsp vegan "chicken" broth bouillon*
1 scallion, minced
1/4 c loosely-packed cilantro leaves (measure out then mince)
1 Tbsp olive oil/margarine
salt to taste (I used about 1-2 tsp)

Heat water in a medium saucepan. Whisk in bouillon while heating and heat to boiling. *You can also use premade veggie broth or any other combo bouillon/water. I make mine weak for things like this. Whisk in polenta in a steady stream. Stir often. Add water if polenta becomes really thick. I did about 1/3 cup. Cover and turn heat down, cooking 15 min. Stir often. Add scallions/cilantro and olive oil/margarine and turn heat off. Stir once or twice while polenta cools for 10 minutes in pan. Pour into container and let come to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely firm all the way through. I would say 1 hour minimum in a shallow pan. From here you can cut into desired shape and fry until crispy on each side.

Note: You can use the tubes of polenta that you find in the produce section. However, making it at home is way less expensive and the 20 min you put in can really impress because you added the cilantro and scallion flavor/color.

Beans-
I usually take refried beans (I have red refried beans, Frijoles Rojos Volteados, Natura's brand) and add stock, but I added a little extra this time. I fried up some red onions and garlic, then blended them with the stock so it would be completely smooth. General ratio is 1 c broth to 1-16oz can beans. I also add a hunk of margarine for flavor/fat since we are using lard-free. Add salt if necessary. These simmer on low for about an hour. Be careful and go slow, the mixture will blend eventually.

Tomatoes-
Thick slices of heirloom sprinkled with salt and pepper. (I was going to broil these but they are fantastic by themselves.)

Peppers-
Roast 2 red and 2 green bell peppers. Put in a paper bag or plastic container with a lid and let cool. Skin and deseed. DO NOT rinse. Cut into strips to make sure each plate gets some of each pepper.

Jalapenos-
To keep gluten free, use a GF flour like rice flour. Just chop fresh jalapeno to desired shape (I like strips because it doesn't include seeds), roll in flour, then soy buttermilk (soymilk plus a small amount apple cider vinegar), back in the rice flour and fry. These are for garnishing the top. This is optional but it's fun and pretty and quick. It also adds a punch if your peppers are hot!

Sweet Avocado Salsa-
1 ripe avocado
1 ripe mango
cilantro
small amount minced red onion (couple Tbsp)
fresh lime juice
handful fresh cut corn kernels

Do your thang! Chop those avocados and the mango, mix all ingredients except avocado. I pulsed in food processor. Fold in avocado so it keeps its structure. Corn is optional, but I like the mixture, and raw corn is really sweet and it ties into the corn in the polenta.

Plate as desired! I did it like this:

Beans on bottoms, polenta, tofu, tomato, roasted red peppers, polenta, tofu, roasted red peppers, fried jalapenos.

My presentation was a little sloppy because we had 5 hungry tummies and I didn't want it to get cold!

Mom's Egg Salad

2009-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the internet, I have a new ingredient in my kitchen- black salt. Read more!

I've decided that "egg" salad is really subjective and it really depends on what type you had as a kid, if you had it at all. This recipe approximates my mom's egg salad. She likes green olives in it, so I grew up with that. I'm a big olive fan so that's great for me. (Funny enough, she doesn't like black olives!). The original recipe contains regular mayonnaise and a little Miracle Whip (the Miracle Whip is why there's a pinch of sugar). I subbed for Vegenaise and Spectrum vegan mayo, but I don't think it's a big deal to make it varied. If you do not like the smell/taste of eggs, do NOT make this recipe with the black salt. It will taste less eggy and more tofu salad-y if you sub regular salt for the black salt.

Ingredients-
1 lb firm water pack tofu
1/3 c vegan mayonnaise to start (Mostly veganaise, with some Spectrum vegan, OR your preference)
3/4-1 tsp prepared regular yellow mustard
1/2 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp celery seeds
kosher or sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
turmeric for color (opt)
5 chopped pimento stuffed green olives (opt)
1 pinch sugar

Drain and press tofu really well. (Most of the time I press just for 5 or 10 min, but I did this for over 30 min. You want no water left at all because this can easily become watery. I always use a kitchen towel so there's no waste, and it absorbs better than paper towels)

Mash tofu in a bowl with a fork and add mayo and mustard. Mix. Sprinkle seasonings evenly over mixture and mix well. I ended up adding more mayonnaise. Make sure you crumble up the black salt. I noticed it sticks together so you don't want to bite into a chunk of it. Chill 1/2 hour at least to let flavors develop. Season extra to taste/color preference.

I always had these in a sandwich.

Gluten Free Cooking Adventures + Pie Crust Recipe

2009-08-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be honest. I've never intentionally made a gluten free meal. I never "had" to. Well, we made a new friend, JL, and he is gluten-intolerant. Also lactose intolerant, which lucky for him is not an issue whatsoever in a vegan kitchen.

I can relate now to people who try to cook for vegans and don't know what they are doing. As a cook, I view it as a challenge and a chance to get my feet wet, not a chore. I think as a vegan, I can sympathize. (Do they really have to put whey in an otherwise vegan cracker/soup/bread? Why is there gluten in almost all soy sauce?) I think instead of lamenting, we should COOK! And once you look into it, you may find foods you never knew you liked. If any GF vegans want to post resources in the comments section, feel free!

I will share another secret. I totally made this crust up and hoped for the best. I feel it turned out well, and I would make it for a pie whether or not it was gluten free. It tasted like a mild shortbread, in my opinion. It could work for pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, etc.

Gluten Free Pie Crust (vegan)

1/2 c whole oats
1/2 c whole unpeeled raw almonds (can probably used roasted almonds)
2- 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar (I used brown sugar)
3/4 c rice flour
1/4 c potato starch
1/2 c cold vegan margarine (make sure it's gluten free. Shortening can probably work, too)

In a food processor, chop the almonds with the oats until fairly fine. I like a little texture. Add sugar and pulse. Then add flours.

Cut the margarine into chunks and add. Process until even texture throughout. Mixture should hold when pressed together. If too dry, add a TINY amount of non-dairy milk or icewater.

Bake 10-15 min in a 400 degree oven. Crust will not be very golden, so don't overcook. It's a little cake-y when hot, but when cooled it's like a crust should be. This picture is a 9-inch plate.
If anyone wants to play with this recipe and report back, I'll post your findings and link to your blog if you have one. I think it would work fine with All Purpose Flour (would NOT be gluten free) and pecans.

In case you were wondering, I made the VegNews chocolate peanut butter cup pie. If using extracts, make sure they are GF. Tones is definitely (it's on my bottle) and I am 99% sure McCormick is.

Here is JL and Rocco (and my Kirby). Rocco is the dog on the left. He's 9 years old and very active and has a lot of zest! The dogs really like him!

Moving-In Chik'n Curry Lentil Soup

2009-08-08T18:21:00.001-07:00

Hey All!
I will now be blogging from West NC!

Most of the time I wouldn't dream of including a can of soup in a soup "recipe". It's too boxed-style for me. But we've been going out to eat every day and that's expensive and I just wanted something easy and quick.

You will need:
1 Can Progresso Lentil Soup
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
Yellow Curry Powder(standard curry powder, not special Indian or Thai style curries)
Splash (prob. 1/3 c) coconut milk
Seasoned Salt
1/2 c or so "Chik'n" strips, chopped

Heat skillet/pot and fry onion in a little vegetable oil until softened.
Add garlic and chik'n strips and cook until strips are heated through and a bit firm. DO NOT let garlic burn.
A couple min into cooking chik'n strips, put a good amount of curry powder and let it fry with the chicken.
Add coconut milk and cook until it's basically coating the onion mixture, not too liquidy.
Add can of coup and heat through.

Lasagna (New Version)

2009-07-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

One main difference: less liquid = more flavor! This lasagna was made mostly from scratch (everything except the noodles). I also used fresh parsley in the crumbles, the sauce, and on top and I think that made a difference.

Sauce:
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
brown sugar

Fry up garlic in olive oil (DO NOT BURN), add everything else and simmer while other ingredients are cooking. Add brown sugar and salt to taste. Add freshly chopped parsley at the end.

Zucchini:
Slice zucchini thinly lengthwise. (I did a tempura-like batter and fried them {seasoned flour with ice cold water to a thin batter, shallow fry in a large skillet with plenty of oil}). You can also broil with no ill effects. Just make sure the liquid is cooked out.

Other components:
*Crumbles (I used Morningstar Farms) sauteed up in a little oil, add steak marinade (like Dales), and fresh parsley
*Tofu Ricotta (I used 1 block tofu drained with vegan mayo, added a bit of tofutti cream cheese and sour cream. I then let it drain in a cheesecloth overnight, but that's not too necessary if you don't want the hassle. I would say it drained 3-4 Tbsp water)
*Bechamel Sauce (used Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe and didn't add salt, can use whichever you like)
*2 roasted red peppers, torn into strips
*2 medium onions, sliced thinly and caramelized

It was totally worth the work because 1. I like cooking, 2. made a BIG pan full. You can freeze or share with hungry co workers.

layers (bottom to top in a sprayed large lasagna pan exactly in this order)
Small amount Red Sauce
3 noodles wide
1/2 of the Tofu ricotta
1/2 of the crumbles
3 noodles wide
2/3 Bechamel Sauce
Fried Zucchini, just one layer
Caramelized Onions
Roasted Red Pepper Strips
3 noodles wide
Red Sauce
Remaining 1/2 Tofu Ricotta
Remaining 1/2 Crumbles
3 noodles wide
Remaining 1/3 Bechamel Sauce
Red Sauce
Vegan Parm to cover (optional)

Neapolitan Remix Cake

2009-06-25T21:38:00.001-07:00

I don't only eat cake! This cake was really good!
I used Kittee's strawberry cake and then covered in vegan cream cheese icing, and a nice good portion of Ganache Icing (from VCTOTW and VWAV). Really nice! I put strawberry jam in between the layers for even more strawberry flavor. I had never made a strawberry cake until now.

History of neapolitan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_ice_cream

Kids Make Cupcakes!

2009-06-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

These are the first or second sweet little chillins to grace my b-log (I am sure Shae is on here somewhere!) My neighbor friend Emma and her pal Jordan came to make cupcakes. My new friend Keenan came just in time to help with the all-needed dispatching!

They had very little help and made these FROM SCRATCH. We cheated on frosting for time's sake. We used Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

L-R Keenan, Emma, and Jordan (with parents' permission)

Monster Face!

Unfortunately my flash isn't working or it would be clearer. Very sweet kids! The dogs really liked them, too.

German Chocolate Birthday Cake, Delicious Indian!

2009-05-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best, if not the best cake I've made to date. It was boss! I used Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe and once again, thanks to padraigin917 on PPK. Bryanna's a proven hit-maker! One layer was the cake recipe from BCG, the other layer was VCTOTW's chocolate cake but using some dark cocoa. I know it's not traditional but it's great. The birthday boy isn't vegetarian, but he's got milk allergies and enjoys my food. I don't want to be a bragger, but everyone really liked it. I'm proud of this cake. Bryanna's mousse is like most vegan mousse that I enjoy and I think it was a nice touch, lighter than a buttercream. I think it went really well.

Next up is the PPK Dal. The roasting spices really made my mouth water. I am not natural at cooking Indian food. My palate can't tell what needs what, but for some reason it seemed really familiar. It's worth it to find and grind your spices. She says you can use mortar and pestle but go ahead and get a coffee grinder for spices.

Next up is a mesh of 2 recipes. I used Bryanna's Paneer and a mix of her Saag and Veggie Kitchen's. I will be going back to that blog again for sure.
My version: veggie kitchen's method, but no ginger, and only 1 jalapeno. Spice mix is 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp garam masala and 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. I did Bryanna's cream mixture, and used the 4Tb. margarine called for, for the spices. When cooking after adding the spinach, I only cooked a few minutes, to soften. Don't let it get really dry. I blended the cream and the spinach together.

Don't forget the parathas/roti. I didn't make them, got them at the Asian market in the frozen section. So flaky and good!

All together:

Lastly, I had an Orangesicle Spritzer which is really yummy! Just Orange soda and ice cream. Recipe idea from Michael Chiarello.

You Down with OPB? Yeah You Know Me! Naan, Soup, Crabbycakes

2009-05-20T22:05:00.001-07:00

Other Peoples' Blogs, obviously!

Let's Begin.
Isa's Tempeh Crab Cakes

FatFreeVegan's Potato Soup. Easy! Try her pumpkin spice bread. YUM.

Garlic Naan from RecipeZaar. Accompanied here by mixed veg/tofu curry and rice. Use the dough hook, y'all!

Look at my kittays!

Easy Gnocchi and BLT!

2009-05-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

BLT!
This bacon is by no means mine but I wanted to share. It's from Dave over at PDX Cooking Club! Thanks for the recipe, Dave.

It was fun to make. The red spot is red food coloring. Add it to the liquids if you want to add it, instead of adding it after you knead it like I did. The thinner, the better. It was really good fried up and served with pancakes. Here I did a simple pasta salad.

Pressing

Slicing

BLT

Gnocchi (no pic, sorry).

This recipe is a veganized version of another one I found, but it has been altered a bit. I don't have a gnocchi roller so I just use a fork. The easy part about this is the instant potatoes. Use it all the first day. If you refrigerate and boil the next day, they get soft.

2/3 c instant potatoes
2/3 c boiling water
1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer + 2 Tbsp warm water
1 drizzle (about 1 tsp) olive oil
1 tsp salt
1- 1 1/2 c flour

Add boiling water to potatoes, and mixm making sure to well incorporate. If they are too dry, just add 1 Tbsp extra water. Sprinkle salt over potatoes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 Tbsp water, egg replacer powder. Then add the oil and mix again.

Add wet mixture to potatoes and slowly and gently add flour. I used just over 1 c. You want the mixture to be roll-able but the more you work it and the more flour you add, the denser the pasta will be. Go slowly and sprinkle on. Also use a floured cutting board when rolling.

Roll into a snake 1/2-3/4" wide and cut small pieces. Roll on a fork (or just leave in dumpling shape) and boil for a few minutes, until gnocchi float to the top.

Roasted Salsa

2009-05-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Roasted Salsa

Since I couldn’t find a recipe for Moe’s Who Is Kaiser Salsa, I decided to make my own roasted salsa. This isn’t like Moe’s at all, but it is good! Roasting brings out the natural sweetness. You can adjust to your flavor preferences.

10 or so roma tomatoes, cut into about 12 pieces each (quarter lengthwise, then run knife 2-3x across, depending on size)- or equivalent weight other tomatoes
2 extra roma tomatoes
1-2 large onions- I prefer sweet for this, and I used 2
7 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped small
3+ Jalapeno peppers, whole
1 tsp cumin,
2 tsp salt
¼ c light packed cilantro
1 large green onion
Generous squeeze lime juice

Preheat oven to 400:
Place tomatoes on a flat baking sheet or a large shallow baking pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
Bake 40 min-1 hour. Remove when liquid is a little reduced and skins are a bit crinkly. Let cool completely.

Before you turn the oven off, turn the broiler on. Place jalapenos in a small pan and place on the top rack. Rotate often and char skin lightly. When skin is blistered and a little liquid is released, remove. They will be really fragrant. Place in a paper bag or container covered with plastic until cooled. This traps the heat and steams them and makes the skin easier to remove. Remove stem and cut down one side. Lay flat skin side down, and scrape out the seeds with the flat end of your knife, or a spoon. If you are careful, you can also remove the pepper from the skin.

Meanwhile- saute onions and 6 of the garlic cloves in a large pan on LO. Continue to cook on LO or MED-LO. You don’t want a brown. You can also do this in the oven.

When all are cooled, pour tomatoes (including juices) into a bowl and squish with your fingers.

Pulse onions, jalapenos, cilantro, green onion, remaining garlic clove (raw) and spices in a food processor. This will be sort of thick. I like mine sort of smooth.

Combine with the tomatoes and finely chop the remaining 2 tomatoes and add. Adjust flavors.

NOTE: I used 6 peppers and it was VERY hot. You will have to adjust to your preferences. If you do use 6 peppers, I would double the amount of tomatoes.

Pork Wonton Soup

2009-04-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yum! I found this tasty, cheap "pork" gluten at my local Asian market. So far we've done hot BBQ pork/cucumber sushi. It's delicious grilled with sauce. So I decided to make wonton soup. I wanted the soup to be simple and the dumplings to be the star. Have I said a million times that I love dumplings of all sorts? You can also make these dumplings (do a simple triangle) and pan-steam them. Yum!

"Pork" Wonton Soup
1 can Wu-Chung fried pork, drained and pulsed to crumbles in food processor
2 cups small-chopped green cabbage
2 cloves garlic
1 small dried chili pepper, chopped very tiny
small piece ginger, minced (1 tsp)
2 green onions, chopped
2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 pkg vegan wonton wrappers
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
6 cups water
6 tsp/2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegan "chicken" broth, or vegetable broth.

-Soak mushrooms in hot water for 20 min. If using fresh, saute and set aside. Chop small. Can use water in broth for soup if desired.
-Heat a large skillet and add 1 tsp peanut/other neutral oil. Fry garlic, ginger, and chili pepper for about 30-45 seconds. Do not burn garlic because burned garlic will make everything bitter and it can't be fixed.
-Add "pork", soy sauce, and sesame oil and saute about 2-3 minutes, until mixture is not too wet.
-Add cabbage and a small handful of chopped green onions. Cook until cabbage is tender and wilted. Cool to room temperature or colder before making dumplings.
-Shape dumplings as desired, using 1/2-1 tsp filling per wonton. Do not overstuff.
Here is a great demonstration with 3 different folds, from Cmtoy on Youtube. Video posted with permission.
-Heat water to dissolve bouillon; boil and add dumplings. Add mushrooms and rest of green onion. Cook about 2 min or until dumplings are not starchy-looking, and wrappers have tightened around filling. Finish with sesame oil and extra soy sauce to taste in the broth.

This Cake. Is so. Good.

2009-04-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

This cake's components are: 2 recipes basic chocolate cupcakes, 2 recipes Peanut Buttercream, and Ganache, all from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

I brought it in to work, and everyone liked it! I work at an omni restaurant and this cake was compared to egg- and dairy-containing counterparts. I was a little upset because on the ride to work, it smooshed up against the carrier :( oh well, it got devoured.

Nachos, Cantaloupe Smoothies, Cooking Idea

2009-04-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

I made these nachos from those little tortilla bowls, but any tortilla chip will do. Added this easy, delicious bean dip from Veggie Kitchen (recipe below), nacho sauce recipe from Uncheese Cookbook and changed it a little. You can use any nacho saucy-type recipe you'd like. I added sliced black olives and roasted red pepper, and piped on some sour cream. Topped off with the thiiiiinnest slivers of raw jalapeno w/o the seeds.

Frijoles Negros/Black Bean Dip/Sandwich Spread -Reprinted with author's permission:
Black Bean Dip/Sandwich Spread
3 cups cooked black beans (2 cans)
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced (more to taste)
2 small shallots (2-3 tbs total)
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbs Vegenaise
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste

Partially mash the beans so that they somewhat clump, but still have many whole beans. Stir the remaining ingredients together with the beans and season to taste with salt. The flavors, especially the shallot and jalapeno will mellow and blend with time. The were best eaten the next day, but let them sit, for at least an hour.(uh, that's assuming you can wait one hour)

I also have discovered that sometimes cantaloupes (actually musk melons) aren't as sweet as you'd like, or if they go a little soft but aren't bad...they make really good smoothies! They lend almost a creamy texture to the smoothie. I like to put cantaloupe, a couple ice cubes, water or juice, and frozen or fresh fruit.

And DUH, I never thought of it until I saw it on TV, but use a piping bag when making ravioli. Why did I use a spoon and a finger for so long!?

Pot Pie 2.0

2009-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

There are fewer foods that I like more than a good savory pot pie. It's a casserole in a bowl with a crust! Come on! I would have to say that I'd choose pot pie over regular.

So when I saw Throwdown with Bobby Flay (don't judge me), it inspired me to cook another one, even though it's pretty warm here in Florida right now. I changed the Casserole Queens' Recipe quite a bit and used a basic pie crust recipe (Flour, Crisco, salt, ice water) instead of Puff Pastry, but Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is vegan so you can use that. I am no pie crust queen and don't have much in the way of patience so I just put it on top in pieces. Just do it and call it "rustic" and people won't know you suck at pie crust rolling. Please don't be intimidated by the recipe list- I just spaced it out so it's easier to read/use.

Pot Pie 2.0
2 carrots, chopped (don't peel)
2 small red potatoes, diced
1 c chopped broccoli

2 tablespoons margarine/olive oil
2 c Turkey or Chicken flavor Seitan, chopped

1 small-med onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1/4 tsp (or less) poultry seasoning
generous pinch fresh black pepper

2 cups soy milk
1 cup soy cream (can use some or all soy milk to replace for less fat)

1/3 cup beer or wine
1-1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Directions

-Thaw puff pastry according to package directions if using. Make pie dough if using dough.
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
-Blanch carrots and broccoli, and boil potatoes until potatoes are fully cooked. Do it in batches if necessary. Drain and set aside.

-Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add seitan and cook for several minutes. At this point you can chop small like I did, or leave in chunks. Stir frequently. Reduce heat to MED and add celery and onion and cook until tender.
-Stir in flour, salt, tarragon, poultry seasoning and black pepper until flour is evenly coating other ingredients, about 1 minute.
-Add soy milk/cream. Cook and stir until thickened and barely bubbling. Will still be soupy. Stir in beer/wine, peas, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes. Stir well.
-Transfer the hot seitan/vegetable mixture to a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
-Place pastry/dough over the mixture in casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

Bonus: Fun Fortune!

It's Love Time

2009-03-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say I LOVE YOU to all of my readers. All at least 11 of you!

It's good to know someone actually reads my blog and/or tries my recipes.

Please keep cooking vegan!

XOXO
Pamela Cooks

Fancy Macs

2009-03-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

I made the delicious Tempeh Reubens last night, and they reminded me of Big Macs from long ago because of the dressing. So I decided to make a vegan, healthier version of Big Mac. We had baked fries and left-over Deli Macaroni Salad from VCON. I really enjoyed them! There's no middle bun, but it doesn't bother me. Also, I used one patty and cut it in half, but you can use two patties if you are pretty hungry.

You Need (per Fancy Mac)

1 (or 2) of your favorite veggie burger
lettuce
tomato (opt. there is no tomato on a Big Mac as far as I know)
minced white ontion
pickles
VWAV tempeh reuben dressing-Below! (I reduce the lemon juice)
lettuce (I used romaine, chiffonade)
1 slices vegan cheese (I like tofutti cheddar slices)

Saute veggie burger(s) in a pan with some oil. If using 1 burger, cool a little and cut in half so you have 2 patties.
Stack it!

Botton bun- cheese- dressing- onion- lettuce- burger-pickle-top bun

Not sure of the exact order as the real thing but I liked it!

Vwav Tempeh Reuben Dressing
(Printed with permission)
1/3 c vegenaise
2 Tbsp. ketchup
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
pinch cayenne

Mix ingredients and chill until ready to use.

Choco-tini Fuerte

2009-03-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

This is a strong chocolate martini. It makes 3-4 drinks. You can thin it out with more soy milk or ice.
By "shot glasses" I mean the small glass shot glasses that are sold as a pack of 4. Each= 3 Tbsp/ 1.5 oz at the brim.

4 shot glasses vodka (nothing cheaper than Smirnoff or you will be sorry tomorrow)
2 shot glass Kahlua
1 shot glass chocolate syrup
3 shot glasses soy milk
8 ice cubes

Blend in a blender on High and serve. For service as shown, hold a martini glass and rotate while gently squeezing chocolate syrup so it comes out in a thin line. You can also put syrup in a saucer, then dip the rim of the glass in the syrup then in cocoa powder for maximum chocolate flavor.

Disclaimer:
Don't go crazy. PLEASE get a designated driver if you drink! I don't want you hurting anyone. This is for people who are of legal drinking age.

Ode to Roasted Garlic, Gumbo, and Lover's Pasta

2009-03-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

I really love roasted garlic. I could mash it up and eat it plain on bread. It's so sweet and creamy and delicious. I should spring for one of those counter top kind that roasts in 30 minutes, but for now, I have just found a way to do it stove top. All you do is put a whole head of garlic in a small saucepan with a lid, turn it on MED-LO and put some olive oil in there. Turn the heat down to low and just go about your business. Turn over and break up halfway through if you want. The results are as beautiful and sweet as the oven would be.

Next... GUMBO! I had never had gumbo as an omni. To be honest..I always have thought that Cajun/Creole food is kind of unappetizing-looking (sorry!!). To me it looks like they really did go down to the swamp, stuck a ladle in, and served it. But there are other foods that I love (Indian) that are equally not-so-beautiful. You can't always judge a food by its appearance. I was also kind of scared to make gumbo, because okra tends to have a slimy property sometimes, and also I had never made a dark roux. Well, friends..it's worth it! The flavors were deep, and the roux was fun to make. And FYI, no slime. Kittee really has a gem with this recipe. It looks sort of complicated, but just make 1/2 recipe of Julie's sausages the day before and you're fine. Use the other 2 sausages if you want to make my Lover's Pasta below. You may as well make 1/2 or all of the recipe. It's not hard to make, it just has a lot of ingredients. There's no kneading!

Served, of course, with rice. And Cholula! The only non-Sriracha hot sauce I like

Lover's Pasta
This pasta is aptly named for a couple reasons- because both of you should eat it if you will be kissing. It’s heavy on garlic and onion, but if both eat it, you won’t notice. They say garlic boosts the libido, but who knows. This garlic cream sauce is thin. If you want a thick sauce, increase the margarine/flour or decrease the creamer/milk a little.

2 links Julie’s sausage, sliced thick
1 small onion, cut in ½ then in thin half-circles
½- ¾ lb linguini pasta, cooked and drained
All-purpose seasoning (I used Cavender’s today)
1 large bunch broccoli crowns (large florets, about 4 c, use less if you want)

For the roasted garlic cream sauce

1 head roasted garlic cloves, mashed up
2 Tbsp good margarine
2 Tbsp flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (opt)
2 c soy creamer and/or soy milk (I like Silk)
Thyme and basil to taste- I did a few shakes of each dried herb
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare pasta by box directions and drain.

Meanwhile, add a little olive oil to a large high-sided pan on MED heat, and add onions. Cook until a little golden and tender. Add sausage slices and continue until sausages are sautéed and heated through. Season with all purpose seasoning.

Remove onion/sausage from pan and add to a medium bowl. Heat a little margarine in pan. Add broccoli and a splash of water and cook until broccoli is tender-crisp. Do not over-cook. Put into bowl with sausage and onion.

Meanwhile, make garlic cream sauce.
Heat margarine in a small saucepan on MED until it’s melted. Sprinkle in flour/nutritional yeast and whisk constantly until flour is heated through, there are no lumps, and the mixture becomes a little puffy (few minutes). Add about 1/3 of the soy creamer/milk and whisk. It will be very thick. Add the garlic and the rest of the cream while whisking and continue to whisk. Cook until sauce is bubbling but not a rolling boil.

Put pasta into each serving bowl, top with sausage/onion/broccoli mixture. Top with sauce. Garnish with fresh tomatoes if desired.

Pho and Spring Rolls

2009-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

Lauren and Daniel came to visit and Lauren requested Pho and Spring Rolls. So..Pho and Spring Rolls they had.

I use this recipe as a base, but I use Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, and this time I added a cube of vegan Pho bouillon. You have to be careful to adjust the salt/soy sauce and the liquids used, make sure it is balanced. I just wanted a deep flavor, but the flavor mostly comes from the charred vegetables in the recipe, specifically the anise pods. I am re-posting the recipe here with a few modifications.

Pho from elliemay.com
for the broth...

1 small unpeeled onion, quartered
2 unpeeled shallots, halved (can also use more onion)
8 garlic cloves, halved
a 1-inch piece of ginger, coarsely sliced
two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 pods of star anise
4 cloves
8 cups clear vegetable stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
salt

for the soup ...
about 1 pound rice noodles (I use less)
8 ounces seitan or fried tofu, sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced
about 1-1/2 cups bean sprouts
a good handful of basil, mint or cilantro leaves, left whole
1 lime, cut into wedges
hoisin sauce
sriracha chili paste

Cooking Instructions

To make the broth, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves and dry-roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to char. Add the stock/bouillon/paste and soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes. Strain into a clean pot and discard the solids. Taste the broth and add salt if necessary. Keep warm over low heat.

While the broth is simmering, prepare the rice noodles and if you haven't done so already, cook your seitan or tofu. I like to use beef seitan, sliced thin and seared over high heat on each side. Add a little steak sauce or marinade for the finish.

Place the noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover and soak for 20 minutes OR boil rice noodles until done (happens quickly so stand by) and drain/rinse.

When you are ready to assemble the soup, pour broth into each bowl, add noodles to the broth and set up the rest of the ingredients on a platter. Set in the middle of the table. I like to do it this way, family style so each person gets exactly how much of everything they want.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Spring Rolls

This time, the spring rolls had teriyaki mushrooms, carrot, green onion, rice noodles, and tofu. I soaked some dried shiitakes until tender, then sauteed them with button mushrooms and added teryaki sauce to finish. Tofu was simply sauteed in peanut oil until crispy then cut from slabs into strips. If eating with the pho, you may want to skip the rice noodles, and cut romaine lettuce into ribbons. If anyone doesn't know how to do spring rolls, leave a comment and I will include instructions or a link to instructions. Also, serving on saran wrap adds a real touch of class!(not).
I used Vegan Planet's peanut sauce, but used homemade "fish" sauce and soy instead of all soy. It was fantastic!

Bonus pics!

Hawaiian Pizza w/Whole Wheat Crust

2009-01-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

You can use whatever crust you want, but I wanted something slightly healthier/heartier, so I did a crust made with 1/2 whole wheat. I also used the May Wah Ham Tube!.

Hawaiian Pizza!
Make crust (below). While crust is rising, cook the ham and prepare the remaining ingredients.

1-8oz can pineapple tidbits (drain and save juice for drinks)
7-8 thin slices ham tube
peanut oil
few sprinkles liquid smoke
pinch whole fennel seeds
1/4 c (or + 2 Tbsp)spaghetti sauce
1-1 1/2 c finely shredded Follow Your Heart Mozz.

In a large pan, heat a bit of peanut oil over med/med-hi. Add fennel seeds and ham slices. Turn over when very lightly browned and add liquid smoke. Remove from heat.

After crust has had 4 minute bake, spread sauce thinly over entire crust. Add 1/2 the cheese, and arrange ham slices to cover whole pizza. Top with drained pineapple tidbits, spread evenly over entire pizza. Top with remaining 1/2 of the cheese. You can adjust cheese level to your preference.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 more minutes. I like to melt the cheese under the broiler. Today I guess I just discovered my broiler has a LO setting, so that's great.
Crust
I modified this slightly from this recipe to fit a mixer with a dough hook.

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 c. whole wheat flour or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 to 2/3 c. warm water
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. olive oil (opt)
Vegetable cooking spray

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, addinng a pinch of sugar if desired.

Combine flours and salt in mixer bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and oil (opt). Add enough warm water to make a moderate stiff dough and mix well with a dough hook. Can be a little dry and piece-y. Cover and let stand 15 minutes (can keep in mixing bowl or new oiled bowl. Cover with damp towel). After the 15 minutes, knead in mixer 3 minutes on low setting.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half in 12 inch circle (or an amoeba, as shown).

Place each on 12 inch pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. May freeze extra crust for later use.

Green Stuffed Shells

2009-01-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

I made these shells with more veggies in mind. It was actually supposed to be a lasagna but I didn't have lasagna noodles. I made it with Mean Green Spinach sauce, but about 1/2 the recipe was used, so if you are *just* making this, then 1/2 the recipe.

The Mean Green sauce is VERY spinach-y. If you don't like spinach a lot, then I would suggest to pick another sauce or omit.

Green Stuffed Shells w/Mean Green Spinach Sauce

1/2 recipe Mean Green Spinach Sauce (recipe follows)
1 small batch white sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe tofu ricotta
3-4 med size piece seitan, chopped, cooked and seasoned (maybe 3/4-1 cup)
pasta shells (I used about 12 but used 10oz tofu. Adjust for your ricotta recipe)
spaghetti sauce for pan
hand full (1 c) chopped broccoli

*Make whichever tofu ricotta you like. Chill in refrigerator.
*Cook seitan until crispy and mix with ricotta. Chill while you prepare dish.
*Cook large pasta shells as directed, and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Do not drain water. Throw broccoli in boiling water and cook a few minutes until tender but not mushy. Chop and set aside.
*Make Mean Green Spinach Sauce and white sauce while shells are cooking (or make spinach sauce the day ahead and chill).
*Pour a little spaghetti sauce in a small square nonstick baking pan.
*Fill cooled shells with ricotta mixture. Top with broccoli.
*Place each shell in pan, and top with Mean Green Spinach Sauce, White Sauce, a little more shapgetti sauce, and optional vegan cheese.
*Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until well-heated through. Broil to melt cheese the last couple minutes, if using. Keep an eye on it.

Mean Green Spinach Sauce
1/2 c packed cilantro (or if you are a hater, just double parsley)
1/2 c packed parsley
1/2 frozen block spinach (makes 2-2 1/2 Tbsp spinach when thawed and squeezed). You could probably also just use 2 lare handfuls fresh spinach
1 c vegetable/vegan "chicken" flavor broth
2 Tbsp. soy milk
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1/2- 1 tsp. cornstarch

Blend everything very, very well in a blender and place on low heat until thickened and just barely boiling. Makes a crazy bright green sauce. I would suggest to eat it with another sauce. It's strongly flavored, but good in applications like this.

White Sauce
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 c soy milk
salt and pepper.

Melt margarine in a saucepan, then whisk flour and nutritional yeast until crumbly and toasted. Do not burn. Add 1/4 c soy milk and break down chunks. Add other 1/4 c soy milk and keep stirring until thickened but not too thick. Set aside.

Coleslaw, Chili Cheese Bake

2008-12-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope this year brings everyone a lot of happiness.

In completely unrelated news, since I'm not hosting any parties, there's no party food. I did have some last year though if you are interested in the Holiday Appetizer Menu. It's got that spinach artichoke dip that I love and is omni-approved multiple times.

Today, we are talking about coleslaw and another casserole!

Coleslaw
To make coleslaw, lots of people use a ton of mayonnaise. There's nothing wrong with this, (Vegenaise is what I use) but this leads to a lot of avoidable fat and it is a bit wasteful because a lot of the sauce is wasted. To make a good coleslaw, you don't need a lot of mayo. You need time. I use a fraction of the mayonnaise of traditional coleslaw and I feel it has all the flavor! The salt and vinegar break down the cabbage. Make a day ahead if you will be crunched for time. I do use a bagged mix because I don't eat a ton of cabbage. If you do, then by all means cut your own. For me it's $1.29 for the Publix brand and that's cheaper than buying both red and green cabbage, and carrots. This is one of the FEW times I would ever suggest a bagged mix of anything pre-chopped.

1 lb colw slaw cabbage mix (or make your own)
1/4 - 1/4 + 2 Tbsp Vegenaise or home made vegan mayo
1 Tbsp white vinegear
1 Tbsp soy milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt (add to taste, later)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
dash celery seed (opt) or you can use celery salt and cut back on plain salt

Mix everything except cabbage mix in a bowl until decently integrated. Add cabbage and toss well. It will look like there is no way it's enough liquid. It is.
LET SIT in the fridge about 1/2 hour. Stir well. Let sit another 1/2 hour or more. Fold occasionally so the dry cabbage on top gets the liquid from the bottom on it.

Can easily double this recipe. There will be a smaller volume of coleslaw after the cabbage has broken down. I would still say it makes 4 decent side dishes.

Chili Cheese Bake
I got this idea from a PPKer and tried it myself. It's good!

*12 oz pasta (macaroni, rotelle, something casserole-worthy)
*2 c chili, home made or canned like Amy's. I used My own
*1 recipe Vegan Explosion's Queso, mostly as directed: I also used 1/2 and 1/2 water/soy milk then added about 1/3- 1/2 c extra soy milk.
*Shredded vegan cheese, optional. (I used FYH, about 1/3 block)

Cook and drain pasta, and add prepared chili and queso. Top with optional cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Cheap Eating

2008-12-17T17:57:00.001-08:00

I was listening to Canadian show [i]As It Happens[/i] and they had a segment on cooking, and talked about a book that is really popular this year. It's called *deep breath* How To Feed Your Whole Family a Healthy, Balanced Diet with Very Little Money and Hardly Any Time, Even if You Have a Tiny Kitchen, Only Three Saucepans (One with an Ill-fitting Lid) and no Fancy Gadgets – Unless You Count the Garlic Crusher.. I'm not plugging this book because I know nothing about it. But it did get me thinking- this is how I generally tend to cook. I'm sure the book's not vegetarian, but the fact that it's outselling Ms. Hottie Chef of the Year herself, Nigella Lawson, says something. The show's host asked listeners to share tips. Since I had to type it out anyway, here they are (and I should follow my own advice!). Please feel free to leave your own comments on cheaper cooking! I need all the help I can get.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

*Get a cheap pressure cooker and start buying dried beans. They end up being less than half the price of canned. You can also freeze many of them for later use. Using beans instead of ground meat/meat substitute is also cheaper.

*If you have stores in your area that show their circulars online, you can compare and shop. Here we have Publix and Winn-Dixie that both publish their circulars online. Watch out for 2-for-1 specials. Lots of times this includes canned or fresh vegetables and spaghetti sauces, and store-brand pastas.

*I have found it's cheaper for me to buy spaghetti sauce jarred- even organic with the 2-for-1 special- than it is to make from scratch or even from canned tomatoes. If you have cheap, delicious tomatoes available then by all means. Make a ton and freeze it.

*Many vegetarians/vegans including myself eat what is called seitan (say-tan or say-tahn). It's made from wheat gluten and WAY cheaper if you make it yourself. There are recipes online for it. It is probably about 1/3-1/4 the price if you make rather than buy. Maybe even cheaper than that.

*Regarding other meat substitutes, like veggie "crumbles" that are made to replace ground beef, you can make your own with TVP/TSP (textured vegetable protein/ textured soy protein). You can also make your own veggie sausages.

*Use marinades as sauces. This is easy for vegetarians since there is no risk of salmonella/other bacteria transfer from raw meat. You can reduce most marinades in a pan and top your food with them. You can also re-use your marinades in many cases.

*Don't buy pre-chopped foods. They are ridiculously overpriced. You can get a whole bag of onions for the price of 1 or 2 pre-chopped onions (same goes with bell peppers, generally. Sometimes mushrooms are the same price chopped/whole). It's wasteful of plastic and it takes 10 seconds-1 minute to chop an onion depending on how fast you are. Pre-chopped also tends to spoil faster. Get a sharp chef knife and learn how to chop. This pretty much goes for most convenience items.

*Cook items that are cheaper, like spaghetti and chili, and some casseroles. These can be high in protein and low in fat if you make them that way. They also keep for a while and feed an army.

*Don't buy pre-packaged salads unless they are on sale. Or, you can extend your salad mix by adding some more greens, such as a bulk package of romaine. Iceburg has very little nutrition so stick to darker greens.

*If you like junk food like chips, buy the big bag and take a serving to work with you in a plastic baggie or container. Single-serve items are always more expensive per weight, and wasteful of packaging.

*Store your foods correctly. Here in Florida, it's really humid so we have to wrap everything up or it gets stale. But also, keeping food in tightly-sealed containers keeps bugs out.

*Make a list- make sure you aren't buying and wasting duplicates.

Noodle Soup Oracle!

2008-12-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on this today. How cool!

Do you love noodles? Do you love soup? Click and you have a noodle soup suggestion. Be sure to check the Vegetarian Box. Sometimes it suggests eggs, but you can leave them off.

Click Here!

How cool!

Creamy Mushroom-in-Phyllo Appetizers

2008-11-29T08:49:00.001-08:00

Sometimes when you wing it, it goes not that great. Sometimes when you wing it, it's really, really yummy! I got lucky last night. I wanted to use cream cheese and mushrooms in a savory pocket. Puff pastry is awesome for some things, but I wanted something really flaky and crisp without as much fat so I got some Phyllo. I had seen Mollyjade's post earlier in the week and wanted to do something with a different direction.

It's not terrible to work with if you do several things:

*Have enough space- make space for the phyllo itself plus space for working with it (I used a cutting board for the work surface)
*Work quickly- you don't have to rush things but the key is that the sheets don't dry out. They are super-thin and pretty delicate but not so delicate that they can't be worked with.
*Don't Let Them Dry Out-Keep a damp paper towel on top of the dough. Wet a paper towel and ring it out really, really well. If the towel is too wet, your layers can stick to the towel and break apart.

3/4-1 lb button mushrooms, chopped small
1 large shallot, minced (can use 1/4 regular white onion, minced)
large pinch dried rosemary
large pinch dried thyme
1-3 tsp soy sauce
about 1/2 c white wine (or vegetable broth)
2-3 Tbsp tofutti cream cheese
small piece of vegan cheese, grated (about 1/4 c. I used FYH Mozz.)
fresh cracked black pepper\
melted margarine, for "buttering"

Melt a little margarine/oil in a large, high-sided pan, and add shallots. Let sweat, but do not brown. Add mushrooms and cook until they release liquid.

Add rosemary,thyme, and soy sauce and continue to cook until almost all of the liquid is almost gone.

Toss in the wine and stir well, getting all the good bits from the pan. Add cream cheese and shredded cheese until smooth. Cream cheese should dissolve and mix in but it's not crucial that the shredded cheese melt.

Add in pepper and salt to taste (may not need salt). If a little bitter, add a small pinch of sugar and mix well.

Let cool, and wrap in Phyllo. I did *every* step in these pictures, so don't be intimidated. I am also left-handed so if you are right-handed, just put the filling on the other side and wrap to the right if it makes you comfortable.

Place sheet on surface.

Butter.

If using 2 sheets (optional) place 2nd sheet directly on top of first. And butter.

Fold sheet over lengthwise.

Butter it.

Filling

Folding it over and over and over

When you come to the end, just add more margarine and fold over.

Place seam side (last side that was open) down, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, flipping over at the 10-minute mark. They should be crispy on the outside and golden-colored.

"Veal" and Ricotta Manicotti

2008-11-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

I don't usually like to heavily on any one book, but Bryanna Clark Grogan's books are so good that I would suggest you buy it anyway. *I made the "veal"/"turkey" seitan with the baking method from Nonna's Italian Kitchen. Even as an omnivore, once I knew what veal was, I wouldn't eat it, so it's weird for me to type out. That's why I have to use the quotes, you see. Anyway, the seitan is delicious. I guess you could use a different flavored seitan, but it won't be quite the same. I think a "chicken" or "beef" version would still be very good, though!

You can make this recipe in 2 parts if you like. Make the "veal" filling, the ricotta, and cook the noodles the day before. You can even fill the noodles, cover with sauce, and refrigerate overnight.

Variation- If you'd like to have an all-meat style manicotti, omit the ricotta. I would definitely use the bechamel sauce if you do this. You may also want to try "veal" and spinach.

"Veal" and Ricotta Manicotti (Makes 12-14 Stuffed Pasta Noodles)
Ingredients:
1 Package Manicotti Noodles (12-14 noodles), cooked and drained- save plastic cartons
1 recipe of your favorite tofu ricotta (using 1 pkg. tofu, about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Recipe "Veal"* seitan, as mentioned above
Favorite Spaghetti/Tomato Sauce (I use what's jarred and on sale)
Favorite Bechamel sauce (optional. You can use all spaghetti sauce.)
shredded vegan cheese (optional)

"Veal" Filling
4 c (or so) small-chopped "veal" seitan (mentioned above, uses the whole amount cooked)
1 average onion, minced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp flour
1 c soy/non-dairy milk
2 large pinches salt
2 large pinches sugar
few fresh grinds pepper

Heat 2-4 Tbsp margarine in a large saute pan on MED and sweat onions and garlic. Do not brown, just soften.

Add seitan and cook on MED-HI for about 7 minutes, until heated through and some parts browned. (Not too crispy. Do this in 2 batches 7 min each, please.)

Remove and put in food processor and pulse until pretty well broken down, about the consistency of chunky wet cat food (sorry!!)

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. margarine and add flour. Stir around the pan for about a minute or two. Add the soymilk and stir really well. This makes a thick sauce and also gets all the good bits off the bottom. Add the seitan back to the pan and mix really well with the thick sauce. Stir really well. Remove and fill noodles or refrigerate for later.

Fill The Noodles
To fill the noodles, I would really suggest using a pastry bag. To make your own pasty bag, cut the end off of a ziploc bag. Ta-da! This is also easier if you employ the use of the plastic cartons your uncooked pasta came in. Just set them back in their little trays and they'll stay still.

-Use up all the "veal" filling evenly amongst the noodles. Just kind of make sure it's evenly distributed along the bottom of each noodle. There's plenty of filling.
-Do the same with the ricotta, except try to get it on top of the meat filling and not mix it. For the ricotta, it's easiest if you just pump a little in from both sides, instead of trying to fit the piping bag into the noodle and squirting too much out the other end. Be frugal with the ricotta at first then go back and add more (I didn't do this and had 2 ricotta-less manicotti!).

Cover with bechamel, then spaghetti sauce, or all spaghetti sauce. Cover with shredded vegan cheese (optional).

Bake at 350-375, 30 min. covered. Uncover and bake about 20 min more. Place on top shelf and broil under broiler if using cheese. Watch closely so nothing burns. Adjust time for colder/thawing manicotti. You want the sauce around the noodles to bubble, and the center of each noodle/filing to be hot.

Watch the Sopranos and say "Manni-got!" like they do on the show. Serve with some garlic bread and a nice salad.

For Freezing- Cover baking pan in plastic wrap for easy lifting out- Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom, and place in noodles. Freeze and remove in one piece (noodles and sauce), wrapping tightly and placing in a ziploc bag. I use vacuum freezer bags. Day of service: place more spaghetti sauce on bottom of cooking pan, unwrap frozen noodles/sauce, and place in pan. Let defrost in refrigerator. Before cooking, pour on bechamel and more spaghetti sauce. Bake as directed.
I have also heard of people preparing the whole thing, sauce and all, in the pan then just covering with plastic or aluminum and freezing it. It's up to you. Freezing only the noodles with a little sauce saves space.

Italian Pasta Salad with Baked Tofu and Beans

2008-11-25T10:58:00.001-08:00

If you're like me, your budget is ~~a little~~ pretty tight and you may need some meals that stretch. Luckily, pasta is there for you. So are canned beans and some tofu.

This pasta salad uses left over baked tofu, which is really firm and delicious the next day cold. Even more protein is added to the mix when you toss in your beans. You can throw in whatever vegetables you like as well. I know some people aren't crazy about leftovers, but generally those people aren't the ones who cook and should say "Gee, thanks for the grub! You are gorgeous!" instead of complaining about leftovers. Just saying.

Italian Pasta Salad with Baked Tofu and Beans
Makes about 4 servings

1/2- 3/4 box small pasta shells
3-4 slabs cold baked tofu*, diced into small pieces (about pea-size)
1/2 can beans (I used kidney beans. Can use any bean you like)
1 carrot, finely grated
1 green onion (include white part), minced
3-4 Tbsp. vegan mayo (Vegenaise), more to taste
2 Tbsp. Italian Dressing (your favorite), more to taste
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Salt and Pepper (fresh ground)

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse and drain very well. Place in refrigerator.

Meanwhile, whisk vegan mayo and dressing, and do all of your chopping. Rinse and drain beans if necessary.

Mix everything (pasta, dressing mixture, tofu, beans, carrot, onion) and season to taste with the Cavender's. Go a little easy at first.

Refrigerate for 10-30 min (or overnight) and taste again, adjusting seasoning if necessary.
Can eat right after mixing, but cold pasta salads are better if the flavors hang out for a while.

~~~~~~~~~
*Italian Baked Tofu (same as in the link)

1 1b/block tofu, pressed and cut into 8 slabs. (Can double if you wish)
2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350
Whisk oil and soy sauce very well. Place tofu in a 9x13 pan and pour oil/soy sauce on top, and flip over, coating tofu well on both sides.
Bake 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Cool and place in refrigerator, topping with 2 Tbsp. of your favorite Italian dressing, once again coating the tofu. Place in fridge.

Italian Tofu-Polenta Stacks with Vegetable-Mushroom Ragout

2008-11-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

This dish has quite a few components, but it's easy to do if you do half of it one day, and the rest the next. It has homemade polenta, dill, mushrooms, and asparagus. I really love the presentation.

DAY BEFORE SERVING- Make Polenta, Bake Tofu, Soften Shiitakes

Polenta
1/4 c margarine, divided
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 3/4 c vegetable or vegan "chicken" broth
1 c yellow or white cornmeal (I used white)
2 Tb. soy creamer/soymilk
1 large or 2 small green onions, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Line a 8x8 or 9x9 cake pan with saran wrap across the bottom both ways. (so all 4 sides of the pan have saran wrap overhanging.

Melt 1 Tb. margarine, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Stir in broth and bring to a boil.
Stir in corn meal, reduce heat and simmer 10 min., whisking well most of the time.
Stir in cream, green onion, salt, and pepper.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Cover with another piece of saran wrap.
Chill overnight or at least 8 hrs.
To cut the next day: Remove SOLID polenta block with the saran wrap overhang. Place on cutting board and cut into 4 quadrants. Next cut each of the 4 squares in half horizontally, so they are half of their thickness (about 1/4"). Can saute as squares, or cut each square into 2 triangles. (I used triangles)

Meanwhile..Italian Baked Tofu

1 1b/block tofu, pressed and cut into 8 slabs. (Can double if you wish)
2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350
Whisk oil and soy sauce very well. Place tofu in a 9x13 pan and pour oil/soy sauce on top, and flip over, coating tofu well on both sides.
Bake 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Cool and place in refrigerator, topping with 2 Tbsp. of your favorite Italian dressing, once again coating the tofu. Place in fridge.

Shiitakes
Heat a small pot of water to boiling, throw in dried shiitakes, and set aside for 20 minutes. Cool, drain well, and chop, making sure to remove any woody stem. Put in fridge. You can do this the day of as well if you'd like.

DAY OF- Make Mushroom-Vegetable Ragout, Saute Tofu and Saute Polenta and Tofu

While making this ragout, you want to heat a nonstick skillet to MED or MED HI and saute tofu slabs with the Italian dressing it was marinating in. No need for extra oil. Saute until lightly crisp on each side.
Empty and place on a baking sheet and keeping warm in the oven.
Drop 2 Tbsp. margarine and saute the cold polenta squares or triangles until browned on each side. Also keep warm in oven.

Vegetable-Mushroom Ragout
1 medium succhini, large diced
1 medium yellow squash, large diced
about 12 large asparagus spears
large handful fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 c dried sliced shiitakes, soaking for 20 min in hot water, and chopped
1 large or 2 small button mushrooms, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic, minced
scant 1 c vegetable/vegan "chicken" broth
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c (plus extra) soy cream
1/4 c chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp flour

Cut the woody 1/3 of the bottom of asparagus off. Cut each spear into about thirds, making the spear end bigger than the other 2-3 parts.
Cut green beans into about thirds
Boil a medium pot of water and cook asparagus, green beans, yellow squash, and zucchini for 2 minutes. (May need to do 2 batches). Submerge in an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain very, very well.
Melt a Tbsp. margarine and saute softened shiitake and button mushrooms. Remove and place in bowl with blanched vegetables.
Heat 1 more Tbsp. margarine and saute shallots and garlic until tender. Add wine and broth. Cook about 15 min. or until it is reduced to about 1 1/4 c.

Use pan you cooked polenta in, adding 1-2 Tbsp oil/margarine (depending on how much oil you have left in the pan) and add flour. Whisk until it forms a paste, and add some of the broth/wine mixture. Whisk again, while adding the rest of the broth and the dill. This is where you reduce until slightly thickened, and add more cream if you like. You do not want a gravy.
Add the vegetables back, and season as desired.

Stack: Polenta, Tofu, Polenta, Tofu, Vegetable-Mushroom Ragout, spooning in extra sauce.

"Chicken-Style" Seitan-Vegetable Fajitas

2008-11-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

This recipe really needs to be adjusted to YOUR personal taste, so the measurements are really up to you as far as the marinade goes. I cook the seitan twice, giving it a firm texture and crispy outside.

Makes about 6-7 small tortillas (serves 2 hungry people if you have rice and beans)

1 small onion, cut into rings
1 large unpeeled carrot, cut into coins (maybe 1/8 in thick)
handful (about 3/4 c) broccoli florets, chopped if large
5-6 small button mushrooms, quartered
1-1 1/2 c chicken-style seitan, cut into strips and sauteed
pack small flour tortillas
dry fajita seasoning (opt)

Marinade (equals about a half cup):
olive oil
lime juice from 1/2 decent lime
soy sauce/tamari
dash apple cider vinegar
Green Tabasco Sauce (it's really not spicy!)
agave nectar
salt/pepper
cumin
garlic powder

You will also maybe want some:

Guacamole (!!! Duh)
Salasa
Tofutti Sour Cream
Chopped Green Onion

Make marinade to taste. It has a really unique flavor, but it will work. You want it sort of acidic and a little sweet.
Place sauteed seitan in marinade. The longer it sits, the better. At least 30 min.

When ready to cook, have all of your ingredients ready, this cooks quickly like a stir-fry.

Heat a large, tall sided pan (MED-HI) and put a generous amount of canola oil. Heat oil until hot and add seitan strips. Stir frequently. You want them heated through and seared on the outside.

Remove from pan and add more oil and heat until oil is hot.

Add all vegetables and stir continuously for about a minute and add the rest of the marinade.

Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp. Some will have a slightly charred outside.
Adjust heat as necessary. Add a couple shakes of fajita seasoning (optional)

Add seitan back to pan and make sure everything is hot.

Serve immediately. Cover a plate of the tortillas with a wet paper towel and microwave 30 seconds to soften, then fill with the seitan and vegetables.

Swirly Breads- Cinnamon/Raisin & Garlic Italian

2008-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

I saw that Vegan Dad had some delicious-looking breads on his site, so I wanted to try them. Let me tell you about vegan dad. I like Vegan Dad. He's apparently probably Vegan, and probably also a dad. I don't see as many male vegan bloggers, so it makes me happy. I love to see people taking real concern in their kids' lives/nutrition. Sometimes people forget how much love can be put into the meals they eat. I like the fact that he has good recipes, I like his pictures, and I like that most of the food he makes is kid-friendly. Go, Vegan Dad!

On to the bread.
I'm not a baked goods purist, or any other type of purist for that matter. I like some chunky stuff. I like chunky stuff in my ice cream, I like chunky stuff in my soup. I like chunky stuff in my brownies. Give me texture!

The cinnamon raisin bread is just slightly modified, and I decided to make the other one Italian garlic swirl. I would suggest not halving this recipe even though it makes 2 loaves. Just stick one in the freezer/give it away as a gift. You think your neighbor won't enjoy a nice loaf of bread? You are going to be waiting the same amount of time anyway, and 2 loaves is barely more work than 1. Other ideas for filling include mixed chopped olives, chocolate chips, other spices besides Italian (maybe cardamom, curry spice, jerk rub..Chinese 5-spice powder, even?), maybe pumpkin seeds. Maybe poppy or sesame seeds on top, sunflower seeds throughout, maybe even jam or jelly inside.

Pre-Baked

Cooling

Ingredients:

1/3 c warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp sugar
2 c warm water
1/3 c sugar
scant 3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp ground flax seed, whisked into 3 Tbsp of water
1/3 c vegetable oil
6-7 c white bread flour OR 6-7 c All purpose flour + 1/4 c gluten flour (opt)

Cinnamon/Raisin: 1 c raisins, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 c brown sugar, 1-2 Tbsp softened margarine
Garlic/Italian: 7-8 cloves garlic, olive oil, Rosemary, Italian spice, and garlic powder (*see instructions below)

Instructions:
Stir 3/4 tsp sugar into 1/3 c water. Mix in yeast and set aside until foamy.

Mix together 2 cups water, sugar, salt, vinegar, flax mixture, and oil in a large bowl. Mix in yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Can use paddle attachment on a stand mixer.

Add in 2 more cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough (either by hand or with the dough hook attachment). Knead until smooth. (I let the machine do the work.)

Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coat the whole loaf. Cover with a towel and let rise for at least an hour, until doubled in size. I put them in a (turned off) oven and close the door (*See instructions for garlic bread below!)

Punch down risen dough and knead for a minute or so to get out the air bubbles. Separate dough into 2 balls and gently fold raisins into one of the dough balls.

Roll out each ball into a rectangle, making sure it will fit your loaf pans. Spray loaf pans with nonstick spray.

For cinnamon/raisin: Mix brown sugar, softened margarine, and cinnamon and spread the paste all over the rectangle. Roll up tightly, tuck edges in, and place in a loaf pan, "seam" side down.

For garlic/Italian: exact same procedure, except with the garlic paste

Let rise for 45 minutes, uncovered. (Once again, I do this in the turned-off oven).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Don't leave your bread in there, duh). Place loaves in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when you knock on the bottom. You can brush on some soy milk or oil before baking for more color, but it's not necessary.

Let cool slightly and remove bread onto racks to finish, and make sure to "test" a slice (or 2!) while they are still nice and warm.

*Garlic Bread-
We will be making a roasted garlic flavored paste. While bread is rising the first time, Peel garlic cloves and place in a heated pan with a couple Tbsp. olive oil. You want the pan on the lowest setting possible. We are not trying to saute or sear the garlic. Cover pan and shake every so often.
When garlic is soft and a golden color, pour (with oil) into a bowl, add a pinch of Rosemary, generous shaking of Italian seasoning, and and a little shake of garlic powder. Mash into a paste with a fork. You can also use fresh chopped herbs. Proceed as with cinnamon bread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Note About Yeast:
If your yeast mixture does not get foamy, your yeast is dead. Get some new yeast. It could have been age, temperature of the water, or just your bad attitude that killed it. Just kidding. Make sure the water is warm and not hot, because this can kill yeast. And another thing- yeast isn't an animal. So next time a non-vegan Dexter (or your grandma- she's just trying to help!) tells you that yeast isn't vegan, tell them that it's from the kingdom of Fungi and that we can (ethically) eat everyone in the kingdom of Fungi, even though we certainly wouldn't want to eat ALL fungi.

I Have To Post This

2008-11-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

Generally this blog is just about food, but damn!

YES, WE DID

I AM SO PROUD. Congratulations, President Obama.

Look at that handsome first family!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2008-11-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

I really like pineapple upside down cake, but most of the recipes available call for cake mix and I don't know of any vegan cake mixes. It's really easy enough to make your own anyway (not to mention less expensive). Don't let the long-looking recipe fool you. It's all ready to go in the oven by the time the oven is preheated. I use coconut extract here for a creamier tropical taste.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/3 c earth balance margarine
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1-8oz can pineapple rings in pineapple juice, juice reserved
Maraschino cherries

1 3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 c water
1/2 c reserved pineapple juice (can use water, but it’s better with juice)
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350
Trace a round 8-inch baking pan (with sides at least 1.5 inches high) onto a piece of parchment and cut a circle to place in the bottom of the pan. Spray with nonstick spray all over the inside of the pan.

Place margarine and brown sugar in a pan on the stove and turn on medium heat, stirring often until both are melted and lightly bubbling. Remove from heat. May be runny. Do not over-boil. (It doesn't have to come together, but if you want it more caramely, you can cook a little longer. Just don't burn it.)

Meanwhile, drain pineapples really well and save the juice. Place rings in pan. You can use a larger can if extra rings are desired. Place maraschino cherries in and around rings in desired patterns.

Pour sugar/margarine over pineapple, careful not to move them around. Spread sugar/margarine evenly around pineapples and cherries.

Make cake mix:
Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
Mix in a separate bowl: vinegar, extracts, water, pineapple juice, and oil.
Add wet to dry, mix well and carefully pour over pineapple/sugar in the pan.

Cook for 25-40 min, checking every 5 minutes after 25. When a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, it’s done.
NOTE: Thank you Lori for mentioning that it took you 35-40 min. My oven was off the day I made this cake.

Let cool most of the way, loosen cake from pan with a toothpick around the edges. Gently turn over onto a plate (It’s easier to put the plate upside down on the pan, and flip the whole thing together). Peel parchment off of the pineapples.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Today my oven was acting funky and I had to cook this FOREVER and if this happens to you (the sides are cooking before the center is set) then just cover the sides with aluminum and hope for the best.

Non-Partisan Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

2008-11-03T18:15:00.001-08:00

I made these for people at work for something fun. Most of the people I work with are Republican/Conservative and there are a few of us who aren't. I still voted Obama (early voting), but these were a hit across the party lines.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies from The PPK and Buttercream Icing (1/2 recipe) from VCTOTW

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake + "Chicken" Vegetable Casserole

2008-10-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

For my 24th Birthday, I made myself a cake. It sounds kind of sad to make your own cake, but the one friend of mine who does any baking and lives in the same state is really super-pregnant and you can't ask a super-pregnant lady to schlep over and make you a cake. My boyfriend's culinary skills mostly extend to pasta, which is okay. So I made my own cake. The recipe is from the now defunct Delicious Choices. I topped it with VWAV Ganache (make 1/2 the recipe).

Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
2- 8oz pkg Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
2 cups Sour Supreme Sour Cream
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbsp (1 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp) egg replacer powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1/2 c raspberry sauce (recipe to follow)

Comb. cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until fluffy.
Add vanilla, flour, and egg replacer/water, beating well after each addition.
Add 1/4 c of the raspberry sauce and mix until swirled, not all the way mixed.
Pour into prepared 8" springform pan. Drop the other 1/4 c raspberry sauce in dollops all over the cake and run a knife around the cake so it's all swirled.

Set in 8" pan in a 10" springform pan.
Pour hot water into 10" pan until 1/2 of the 8" pan is submerged.
Place in preheated 300F oven and cook 1 1/2-2 hours until center is set and sides begin to pull away from pan.
Do not unmold cheesecake until completely chilled. Chill 10 hours or more.

Raspberry Sauce
1- 12 oz package frozen raspberries
1 c sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Place raspberries in a bowl with the sugar and mix well. Let thaw or microwave for a minute so they come to room temperature.
Heat raspberries/juice in a small saucepan on MED-LO until they come to a low boil.
Add lemon juice and heat a minute more, stirring well.

You can press through a sieve to get the seeds out, but I would only do this for garnish on top. I kept the seeds and used the sauce for the cheesecake. There will be some left over.

******************
"Chicken" Vegetable Casserole

I hate the word "casserole". It makes me think of things that are mysterious and maybe too old being thrown in a pot as a last resort before you say "The hell with it!" and go to Taco Bell. It makes me think of people complaining about dinner. It makes me think of cheating by opening a can of something and baking it. Most casseroles don't even look that appetizing...(Even though growing up, I can't really think of one casserole that wasn't good!).. But darn it, I LIKE CASSEROLES.

This one is heavy on vegetables. Use what you have, I had a fair variety on hand.
This fills a 2 Qt casserole dish to the top.

Recipe
8oz eggless wide noodles, cooked and drained
1 med onion, chopped
3 small/1-2 large carrots, chopped into 1/4" or smaller coins
1-2 stalks celery, diced large (use the leaves, they are yummy)
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 c broccoli florets
1 hand full green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c seitan, chopped small (can use more, this is all I had)
"Cream of Chicken" soup, recipe below*. Although I got it to gravy consistency and it was more than a can of a certain popular brand would yield
1/2 c extra soy milk
green onion and parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Cook and drain eggless noodles and set aside. Keep water and drop in the broccoli and green beans until bright green and tender. Drain and throw in with pasta.

Saute onion, celery, and carrot until almost tender in a large saute pan. Add zucchini until tender. Add to pasta/vegetables.

Saute seitan until crisp, using seasoning of choice. Add to pasta/vegetables. MEANWHILE, make the "cream of chicken" sauce. Do not cook until very thick, just somewhat thick.

WHen sauce is done, mix everything well and put in a 2-qt baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 min. Can broil the last couple minutes if you want the top crispy. Garnish with chopped parsley and green onion.

"Cream of Chicken" Soup is from Chef Deborah on Vegsource.com.

Cream of "Chicken" Soup Concentrate
(use as a substitute for same)

2 cups soymilk or rice milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
4 tsps vegetarian "chicken" bouillon powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar or other sweetener
1/4 cup "chicken"-style TVP (or plain TVP)
1/4 cup boiling water

Soak TVP in boiling water 15 minutes (then drain).
Put remaining ingredients in saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until
mixture begins to thicken.
Stir in rehydrated TVP.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until
mixture is very thick.

Use in casseroles, or thin with more 'milk to make
soup or gravy.

Lemony Rice Pilaf with (or without) Toasted Nuts

2008-09-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

I really love rice pilaf. I got the noodle/rice method from Mediterranean rice and lentils. I like how this turned out. Even with the 3 Tbsp lemon juice, it's not too lemony. You can omit the nuts but I really like them. Use any combo that you enjoy. I used pine nuts and chopped almonds. I like to use the vermicelli from the Latino market that comes in the small packs. If you can't find them, just break up some angel hair pasta into really small pieces.

Makes 4 generous portions as a side

1 1/4 c white rice
about 1/3-1/2 c vermicelli (small)
2 1/3 c warm water
Enough vegetable bouillon to flavor 2 cups of water
about 1/3 c (total) nuts- whatever combo you like
3 Tb or more lemon juice (add to taste)
few Tbsp olive oil or margarine or a mix of both
oil for cooking

In a medium pot with a lid, heat a bit of oil (maybe 1-2 Tbsp) and brown vermicelli. DON'T walk away from the pot! They burn easily.

When they are light golden, add the water and bouillon. Stir a little so the bouillon dissolves a bit.

Bring to a boil, and add rice. Lower heat to LO and cover: cook 18-20 min, until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a dry pan. No oil. Just medium heat until the nuts are light golden, shaking the pan often. Almonds took longer than the pine nuts, so make sure that if you have different types of nuts, you may want to toast in 2 separate batches.

Put rice in a bowl and add lemon juice and margarine/oil and mix well. You can also add fresh parsley if you'd like.

Caramelized Onion and Sausage Ravioli

2008-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I watch Food Network. Unless it gets too gross, I like to see what's going on in the food world, and that excludes most vegetarians, but we can re-vamp recipes, so it's all good.

Today I saw Giada on Everyday Italian today use won ton wrappers for ravioli. If it's good enough for Food Network's Italian-born poster girl, it's good enough for me. I just didn't feel like making dough today. I'm not linking to her recipe because mine is nothing like it except the "butter". But trust me, it has won ton wrappers! I am using Dynasty brand. I really, really suggest caramelizing your onions. It adds a sweet, deep flavor to the dish. The filling is even better the next day, as proven by my eating it with a spoon.

Recipe
1 package vegan won ton wrappers
1 pkg (14-16oz) drained tofu, pressed
several Tbsp Vegenaise
couple Tbsp Italian seasoning (enough to make filling speckled throughout)
3 small (one large) onion, chopped
1 Tofurkey Italian sausage, chopped small
salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper

First, start caramelizing your onions in some olive oil. Low heat for a long time. I keep mine on med-lo. This takes about an hour, so you can either skip this step and just saute them if you MUST, or make a lot so you can use them for other things.

Meanwhile-Place tofu in a food processor with Vegenaise, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste, but go easy at first, as you will be adding 2 other flavors. Empty into a bowl and place in the refrigerator.

When onions are done, pulse in food processor and add to tofu mixture. Saute sausage in pan on medium heat. When sauteed, pulse in food processor until pieces are small and uniform. Add to tofu mixture. Let chill until cold and then season to taste again.

Place about 2 tsp. chilled filling into each won ton wrapper and seal with plain water.

Heat water to boiling in a large high-sided pan. This gives the ravioli room, and it heats the water more quickly than a large pot. Place a few raviolis in the boiling water. They are done after a few minutes. The won tons will be pretty translucent.
Drain carefully.

To make Oregano "Butter"
Melt 1/4 c earth balance in a small pan
add 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Cook the oregano for 1 min and add sea salt and fresh black pepper. Drizzle over plated ravioli.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-09-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh. So good. Not my recipe. It's from FatFreeVegan

I had a can of pumpkin left over (my cat had to have some) and I really didn't know what to do with it. I figured I'd make some pumpkin bread and it would be edible, and just okay. Well, this stuff was DELICIOUS. It's so moist (I hate that word) and good. I did do it with the oil
I topped it with (probably 1/2 recipe) of the Cream Cheese icing from VCTOTW, except it had lemon extract instead of vanilla (you can also just add the same amount of lemon, so it will taste like both lemon and vanilla.)

My omni co-workers raved about it. I'm not blowing my own horn. I am just saying.

"Turkey" Pot Pie

2008-08-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

I really love pot pie. This one is mostly homemade. I really like using canned potatoes because they keep their firm texture without becoming mushy. Cook your own and feel free to make your own pie crust. I am using premade for time.

"Turkey" Pot Pie
2 medium carrots, chopped into cubes
3 mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 small stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c frozen peas
1 (15oz) can potatoes, drained and cubed
2-2 1/2 c chopped "chicken" or "turkey" seitan- See bottom for alternatives
Cavender's seasoning
pinch dried thyme, crushed with your fingers
poultry seasoning (there's no poultry in it!)
salt and pepper to taste

Gravy
1/4 c oil
1/2 c flour
1/4 c nutritional yest
2-2 1/2 c broth
1/2 c soy milk OR extra broth

*Storebought or homemade pie crust OR vegan puff pastry, thawed according to directions (watch for lard if buying. A lot of store brands are cheap and made with vegetable oil)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*While cooking vegetables, after oven is preheated, you can loosen the crust from the tin by putting in the oven for 5 minutes.

Saute carrots until slightly tender.
Add mushrooms, celery, onion, and garlic until onion is tender, adding poultry seasoning, thyme and cavender's to taste.

Place mixture in bowl and add peas and potatoes.

Saute seitan until crispy, adding seitan broth or other broth for flavor. Season to taste.
Add to vegetable mixture in bowl.

Gravy:
Heat oil in the pan you cooked the seitan in and add flour, and nutritional yeast. Stir well until flour is toasty and fragrant. Do not burn. It will not be a roux, but crumbly and coarse. Using the same pan as the seitan will pick up all the nice flavorful bits the seitan left behind.
Slowly add broth. It will seize into a thick mixture but keep whisking and adding liquid slowly. Add soymilk after broth for a creamier gravy. It's up to you.

Add gravy mixture to seitan and vegetable mixture and mix well. Place in a sprayed nonstick 9x9 2"deep pan and top with puff pastry or pie crust**. I did it in pieces.

For puff pastry, follow directions as follows, but carefully unfold the puff pastry (it will be in thirds) and place on top. Do not mess too much with it or it will be tough.
Cook for about 20 minutes, until crust is golden. May need to adjust for puff pastry.

********
Seitan Alternatives- Be sure to properly season.
-The cheapest one is probably tofu. Try freezing tofu then thawing and squeezing out the extra moisture. It will be like a sponge in appearance and ability to hold water, and it will be chewy when cooked.
- Tempeh- you can marinate some tempeh and saute
-Soy protein chunks/TVP- reconstitute and saute
-Veggie sausage crumbles or whole sausage pieces
-Bean patties or loose beans
-Squash such as butternut squash, in chunks

Fried Green Tomatoes and Greek Tofu Scramble

2008-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Both of these are freestyle so please forgive my measurements if mentioned.

I was watching Fried Green Tomatoes the other day, and decided to make some since I've never had them. I looked online and it appeared to be a basic dry-wet-dry recipe so that's what I did. I changed it up a bit by doing panko instead of bread crumbs or more flour.

Fried Green Tomatoes
We bought green tomatoes at a vegetable stand we have here. You have to be careful to not slice them too thin. You want something to grab on to and eat, so slice pretty thick.

Dry: All Purpose Flour seasoned with Seasoned Salt, pepper, and whatever you like.
Wet: Soy Milk with a splash vinegar added. Let it sit a few minutes and curdle. Stir it with your fork. It should be really thick. This acts as buttermilk.
Dry: Panko bread crumbs. They are widely available now, not just in Asian markets. Though you'll get a better deal at the Asian Market. If you don't have panko, just use the seasoned flour again.

Use one hand for wet, the other for dry. It makes it a lot easier.
Dip the tomato in the flour, then the "buttermilk", then the panko and fry in vegetable/canola oil in a cast iron skillet until light brown on each side.

I served this with ketchup and a horseradish sauce (just freestyled a little sour cream, mayo, horseradish, dijon, salt, and pepper).

Greek Tofu Scramble

1 Package (14-16oz) extra firm tofu, pressed
small handful kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3-4 green olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 small tomato, seeded and chopped
handful of mushroom, chopped roughly
Cavender's Seasoning, to taste
1/4 c or so shredded Follow Your Heart Mozzarella (totally optional)
few good pinches nutritional yeast
Fresh pepper
turmeric for color
fresh parsley if you have it

Drain and press tofu as mentioned. In a large skillet, heat a little oil/margarine and cook the mushrooms until softened.
Add tofu, squeezing it through your fingers. Some large chunks are fine.
Add olives, tomato, and optional cheese with the tofu and cook a few minutes.
Add seasonings and nutritional yeast and cook until nutritional yeast is mixed in well.
Finish with parsley.

Mediterranean Feast, Chocolate "Cheese" Pie

2008-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a nice Mediterranean Dinner but didn't have all day so I cheated a little. The Avgolemono Soup was from FreckleFoot over at PPK. It's delicious! Lemony and creamy and rich. The Hummus is from VCON. I added extra paprika and olive oil at the end. The dolmas and eggplant appetizer are canned and from the Middle Eastern market we have here. They were really good, especially for a canned appetizer.

Soup! (The picture doesn't do it justice but we were hungry!)

Plate,Clockwise from left: Dolmas, fried pita, regular pita with homemade tahini sauce, Salad, Hummus, Eggplant

Chocolate "Cheese" Pie
Very similar to one of my other recipes, this one has a layer of cheesecake flavor at the bottom.

Chocolate Cheese Pie
Chocolate Crust (bought or made, I like Oreo)
1/2 or 1 whole tub (8oz) Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/4 or 1/2 c powdered sugar (for 1/2 or whole tub vegan cream cheese, respectively)
1 package silken Mori-Nu Tofu
1 package (about 12 oz/2 cups) vegan chocolate chips
1-3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Let cream cheese come to room temperature and whip with powdered sugar. Spread mixture into the bottom of prepared chocolate crust.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or a glass/ceramic bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. OR if you are careful, I guess you can do it in the microwave. I use the double boiler.

Mix remaining ingredients in a blender very well, scraping down sides. Add melted chocolate chips to blender very carefully, blending very well again. Spread mixture carefully over cream cheese. Refrigerate a few hours. You know it's done when it's firm in the center. Serve with fruit and/or chocolate syrup.

Note- the pie will be pretty tall. You can reduce the chocolate, tofu, syrup, and vanilla by 1/4 if you wish. I let it be. The option for the cream cheese is just if you want more or less cream cheese at the bottom. The one in the picture is the lesser.

Rainy Day French Toast

2008-07-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Whether you are of the maple syrup variety or a powdered sugar purist, french toast hits the spot. Today it's raining outside and there's a smell of cinnamon coming from the kitchen. That might be misleading, because I am actually about 2 feet from the kitchen.
Anyway, I'm making easy french toast. The chickpea flour makes the toast crispy and "eggy". Very simple. Just adjust quantities as needed.

I can't really call this a recipe without being embarrassed, so I'll call it a "method".

All you need is:
Soy/Rice Milk
Chickpea Flour (Besan)
Pinch sugar
Cinnamon
Bread of choice

The only bread I would not advise using is white sliced bread. Bread cut from a loaf (like french bread) would be fine, but a bread like Sunshine or other white pre-sliced bread will probably not hold up.
I use a whole wheat grain bread and I don't even let it get stale first.

To the making! (This makes 2-4 slices of bread)

Place 3-4 Tbsp chickpea flour in a bowl
Pour in a little milk (1/4 cup?) and whisk until most of the lumps are out of the flour.
Add more soy milk (to make about 1 c or less)
Add a generous shake of cinnamon
Add a pinch of sugar

Heat a cast iron skillet and add margarine, oil, or a mix of the two and heat.
Dip each slice of bread on both sides into milk mixture and place in pan.

Don't flip too early, or bread will stick. Once flipped, cook until toasty and done.
Serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

Italian Herb Roasted Corn-Bean Salad, Homemade Pasta

2008-07-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted a simple corn and black bean salad, but was out of black beans and so this came up! I think I like it better than a plain corn and bean salad. The Olive-Tofu Ricotta for the pasta is a very easy variation on the one I regularly make, and today I did a ravioli and tortellini.

Italian Herb Roasted Corn-Bean Salad
1/2 large red onion, roughly chopped
3 ears of fresh corn, husk removed
1 average can white beans (northern, cannelini) drained and rinsed
about 3 Tbsp (more if desired) Italian dressing (I like Balsamic Vinaigrette)
10-15 small button mushrooms (can use other kinds, buttons are cheapest)
1 small sprig rosemary, chopped fine
4-5 large basil leaves, chopped fine
fresh ground pepper
pinch salt
extra salt and olive oil for baking
tamari/soy sauce for baking

Preheat oven to 350
Put corn and onion in a large baking pan and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt/pepper
Put mushrooms in a separate smaller baking pan and add about 1/4 c or less tamari/soy sauce, and drizzle with olive oil.
Let mushrooms, corn, and onion bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven, cool completely and chill completely.

Cut mushrooms in 1/2, and cut the corn kernels off the ears. Place onions, cut corn, and mushrooms in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and chill further.

Serve with entree and enjoy!

Homemade pasta (Almost Whole Wheat)
This is pretty much entirely Crystal's dough recipe, I just substituted some of the flour for whole wheat pastry flour.

You can do tortellini or ravioli easily. If doing ravioli, be careful and make them small. The large ones break really easily. You can possibly do a fettuccine with a pasta roller; I haven't tried that yet.

Roller

Ricotta Ready To Go

All of them, all of them

All of them, all of them all lined up

Ingredients:
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 Tbsp Ener-G Egg Replacer powder completely dissolved in 1/2 c water
6 Tbsp extra water

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Mix all other ingredients together in a small bowl. Make a little hole in the center of the flour and pour in liquids. Bring together with a fork or your hands and knead until flour comes together.
Wrap in plastic and let sit for 1 hour. I refrigerated mine and it still came out fine.

To the rolling!
I rolled to a 5 on my pasta roller.
Dough will seem rough at first. You will have to roll on level 1 3-4 times. After this, keep rolling on to 2, then 3, then 4, then 5.

Olive Ricotta
1 pack tofu (14-16 oz) drained and pressed
3-4 Tbsp vegan mayo (I use Vegenaise)
Very generous shake Italian seasoning (dried)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder (give or take)
fresh pepper
pinch sea/kosher salt
small handful green olives, chopped
small handful kalamata or black olives, chopped

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth but not soupy. Tastes best when chilled for at least 1 hour.

White Chili and Brownies

2008-06-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'd never had white chili as an omnivore, but the basic concept is a chicken-ish base, green chilis, and white beans. You may want to ease up on the green onions- I am an addict! It's personal preference.
Also, this turned out like a soup instead of an actual "chili". Please note the "***"

White Chili
You Will Need:
1 Tbsp olive oil or oil/margarine mixture
2 small/1 med or lg carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced or minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4-6 c vegan "chicken"/vegetable broth of choice***
1 tsp green Tabasco (opt)
3/4 (approx) corn- cut from the ear, canned, or frozen
1 4oz. can green chiles (keep juice)
2 cans white beans (or about 3 cups if you cook your own)
3-4 stalks green onions (white and green parts), cut up into rings
cilantro for garnish
1 package Morningstar Farms "Chickn" strips, 1 1/2 c "chicken" seitan, or protein of choice
vegan sour cream and/or vegan white cheese, for garnish (opt)

*Heat a stock pan and add oil on MED.
*Saute onions, carrots, and garlic until carrots are softened.
*In a separate pan, cook Chikn strips until crisp in a bit of oil. Set aside and chop roughly.
*Add cumin, oregano, and cayenne to onion mixture and saute 1 min more (spices will become fragrant
*Add stock and bring to a boil
*Reduce heat and add chiles, beans, Tabasco & corn and cover. Cook 10 min
*Add chikn strips and cover, cook 10 min more, adding green onions at the 5 min mark.
*Garnish with desired toppings and enjoy. You can add tortilla chips to the soup, or leave plain.

***4 cups for a thicker soup, 5-6 for a thinner one. I went with 6 cups, but it's up to you.

Brownies! I wish I could say this is my recipe, but alas!
Chunky Monkey Brownies by Beverly Lynn Bennet
Originally published in the May + June 2008 issue of Veg News, found on PPK from Love Like A Vegan. I left out the banana chips and subbed pecans for the cashews. I also served these as work to unsuspecting omnis. Score +2 for veganism (evil laugh). Also, I used cornstarch and it worked as well as the arrowroot (made 2 batches).

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup safflower oil [I used canola]
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tsp arrowroot (I used corn starch)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup dried banana chips, coarsely chopped (I omitted and these were still great!)
1/3 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
2 tbs dried coconut, shredded
1/4 cup cashews, coarsely chopped (I used pecans)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan [I used an 8 inch) and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, oil, water and vanilla. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. Stir well to combine.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Evenly scatter banana chips, chocolate chips, cashews and coconut over top and press gently with hands into the batter.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set in the centre. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into nine squares.

Quiche, Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms, and Chinese "Beef" 2 Ways

2008-06-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Quiche is from Isa over at Post Punk Kitchen. It was really good and held together well. I had no cashews on hand and it still came out great.

Quiche with Spicy Sausage-Cornbread Stuffed Mushrooms (recipe below)

Bryanna Clark Grogan is invited to my house any day! I have 2 of her books: Nonna's Italian Kitchen and Authentic Chinese Cooking. While I will admit that I enjoy the virtues of a 30-minute meal (or coming home to a meal, hint hint) as much as the next gal, there's nothing wrong with a recipe within a recipe.
Many of Grogan's recipes have a smaller recipe in them and that's fine. She does offer an alternative as well for most of them if you don't have the time. Take the time!
Here is homemade "Beef" seitan from the Chinese Cookbook. I made the Beef and Broccoli (added mushrooms and green onions), had some "beef" left over, and just stir-fried it with some Black Bean Sauce, mushrooms and green onions. Truth be told, this recipe didn't take long at all. Did I also tell you I want to marry green onions? I put them in anything that's not dessert.

Spicy Sausage-Cornbread Stuffed Mushrooms
15-20 mushrooms (I had small)
1/4 pack Gimme Lean Sausage Style
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
about 1 C cornbread-style stuffing
about 3/4-1 C light vegetarian broth of choice
1 Tb earth balance margarine or olive oil

Clean mushrooms. Pop stem out of each mushroom and dice small.
In a large skillet/pan, heat earth balance and place mushrooms in stem side up, browning, and flipping over. Moisture will come out of the caps when flipped over and that's fine.

When mushrooms are evenly browned on both sides (but still firm), remove from pan and place stem side up in a baking pan.

Add sausage, fennel, red pepper, and mushroom stems to the cooking pan. Brown sausage and chop while cooking. Add Earth Balance if necessary.

Ad stuffing and broth, and remove and let cool down to handling temperature.

Stuff each mushroom by grabbing a small handful of stuffing, squeezing it to compact it, and placing in mushroom caps. Bake all mushrooms at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. I served them with Campbell's Mushroom Gravy

Avocado Pie-Sicles and Some Soup

2008-06-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

You know when you are looking around in some shops and you're like "man, I wish I could have that chocolate covered cheesecake". Well, that's what I was trying to recreate. Portions are reasonable instead of huge and it's so good!

The avocado pie is being re-worked on veganexplosion. Avocado pie might sound a bit unusual, but it's so good. It has a tart citrus flavor balanced with the creaminess of cream "cheese". You can taste the avocado, but I promise it's great! I had setting issues but her avocado pie made a great frozen pie. so it didn't really matter at all. I decided to cut the pieces and make chocolate covered pops! There aren't enough dunked food on sticks. Vegan, anyway.

Cut pie into pieces and place in pop sticks (I used Wilton brand. You can use wooden sticks or omit altogether. The sticks make it easier to cover, though!) Place back in freezer while you heat the chocolate.

This is a makeshift double broiler. I used about 1/2 bag of chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp. vegan creamer. Melt to a smooth even melted consistency.

Dunk, spoon over, whatever you wish. I like leaving some green!

Place back in freezer until chocolate is totally set

ENJOY!

SOUP!
Like most of my recipes, you use what you have. This is what I had on hand!

1 Package Chik'n Strips (Morningstar Farms)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large or 4 small carrots, chopped
2 pieces yellow squash
2 ears of corn, cut
4 stalks green onion, chopped
8-10 cups vegetable of vegan "chicken" stock
poultry seasoning
handful of pasta
frozen peas.

Saute onion, carrot, and celery until softened and add squash and cook until squash is softened. Season with poultry seasoning and salt.

Meanwhile, prepare your broth and cook your pasta. (I use pasta water in the broth. It makes the soup a tad thicker). Also, saute chik'n strips and chop.

Add broth to cooked vegetables and add pasta. Add corn and green onions right before serving. Add a handful of frozen peas to each bowl and top with fresh ground pepper.

Simple and hearty.

What is a vegetarian?

2008-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

As a vegan, I know that labels can be very confusing. It seems some people want to define themselves by labels, JUST to "have" the label, and that's a bad thing.
At other times, however, it's a good thing. A label on something can clarify what it is, what it does. (What's in this filing cabinet? What's in this jar? Is this Kosher? Does it have wheat?)

So, today, we will have a little clarification.

There has been a lot of confusion, much of it perpetuated by people who claim they are vegetarian.
Many people seem to think that "vegetarian" means you don't eat cows. Well, this is true, but it means a lot of other things as well.

Vegetarians do not eat any animals, whether they are fish, chickens/turkeys/other birds, pigs, cats, dogs, monkeys, jungle cougars, elephants, lobsters, crabs, shrimp, cows, clams, or any other creature.

When people say they are vegetarian, but then eat animals, it sets a bad example for a few reasons:

1. The person who is not claiming to be a vegetarian is now confused as to what IS or IS NOT acceptable for a vegetarian to eat. The next time they encounter someone who is vegetarian, they may offer them something with meat in it, thinking it's okay. This is especially true at restaurants.

2. People who know what a vegetarian is will now not take that person seriously, and it hurts the movement, if the person is in animal activism.

3. It is simply not a true statement. Red is not blue, and vegetarians do not eat ANY animals, even for "health" reasons.

This clarification is not to bash people on their way to vegetarianism, or even full omnivores who sometimes skip meat for a meal. It's not because I care so much about the label of "vegetarian" as much as the misuse of it.

Every meatless meal counts. Every step to lessen or eliminate animal suffering and the toll meat takes on this planet is effective, and should be recognized.
I know it's not realistic for every person on this planet to be vegetarian or vegan. If everyone just lessened their meat intake, it would have a big effect!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie for Mother's Day

2008-05-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

This day is for you, mamas! Thank you for being there for us!
Birth moms, adoptive moms, step-moms, moms-in-law, moms-to-be. You are all lovely.

This is a very rich chocolate and peanut butter dessert. (It is also very easy!)
Since my mother would inject chocolate if she could, I made it for her. I think she is to blame for my sweet *teeth*!
The caramel recipe is from Isa Moskowitz over at the PPK

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie with Peanut Butter Caramel

1 package silken tofu (like Mori-Nu, in the non-refrigerated pack)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
3-4 Tbsp peanut butter (any kind you like)
1- 12oz bag chocolate chips (check for milk ingredients)
1 pre-made or home-made crumb pie crust (like Oreo, Shortbread, or Graham Cracker)

For the caramel:
1/3 c peanut butter
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown rice syrup

To prepare the pie:
Blend tofu, syrup, and peanut butter in a blender until completely smooth.
Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler and add to blender and blend entire mixture again, scraping the sides of the blender if necessary. Pour into prepared crust.

Chill until completely firm then make the caramel:

Stir all the caramel ingredients together in a small sauce pan. Gently heat everything over low heat, stirring constantly with a fork, just until smooth and heated through. It should fall from your fork in ribbons. If it seems stiff, turn the heat off immediately and add a little extra brown rice syrup, until it's fluid again.

Spread caramel over the pie and chill again. Makes a decent amount of serving because it is very rich. If you or your mom like chocolate/peanut butter as a combo, try this sometime!

Brina Update

2008-05-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

Thanks for bearing with us.

Brina has completely changed from that ill, sad kitty!
She had her feeding tube removed 3 days ago and has been eating on her own with no tube help for a week and a half, and eating with tube help before that.

She is friendly, the coarse fur on her back has become soft, she's very vocal and happy.

We recently moved and she enjoys hanging out on the stairs, and going on the balcony with her doggy brother.

I will still be accepting donations until her bills are paid off, but I am so happy to announce the news that she appears to be recovered. Thank you for all your love and support. It means a lot to our family.

Brina Is Sick!

2008-03-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Update 12/08-
I cannot express my gratitude for the well-wishes and emotional and monetary gifts from everyone. People have been very kind to us. No amount of fancy wording can describe how thankful I am to everyone.

Brina is doing very well! She's very healthy and we are keeping her bowel disease in order. (We found out she has a bowel disorder after her stomatitis issue was over). She eats fine, believe me! (Even though most of her teeth are gone). She's super friendly and talkative. She's happy here with us and we love and spoil her a lot.
Brina's donation button will be enabled until her medical bills on the Care Credit are paid in full. I will take it down immediately after that. I am hoping to pay it off by the end of 2009. ALL donation money through this button goes directly to that card payment.

~~~~~~~~Earlier this year.....~~~~~~~~
Hi all. I am not usually this shameless but my cat is very, very ill. She has been very expensive so far and I do not make much. I am taking donations in ANY amount, and also highlighting my etsy shop. Thank you in advance for any purchase or donation. Brina thanks you, too!
(See update below)

Etsy

Update

Hello all-

I haven't forgotten about you. This week has been a roller coaster, but she's home finally. I figured since I have requested (and still appreciate) donations, I need to let you know what's going on! It's long and since a lot has happened in 1 week, some things may be a little scrambled, but I felt if I could update everyone, they would know where their donations are going, and get a little feel for what her personality is like.

About Brina-
(Pronounced "bree-nuh")
2 and a half years ago, we took her in after my mother adopted her after the loss of our beloved 18-year old cat, Turbo. My mother was not able to keep her, because the vets thought she had a fatal respiratory disease that is transmittable to cats. Since we had a dog and no cats (and returning her to the shelter was not okay with any of us) we kept her.
She stayed in her room for 2 weeks! She finally came out to drink our dog's water and the fun began. 6 months later, she started to really come around. In the past 6 months, she's gotten even lovlier and friendlier. She jumps on the bed in the mornings and walks on our pillows, and "brushes" my hair. She likes to be close to us, and she likes to watch TV when we eat dinner.
She loves the very late/very early hours, and is vocal about her desire for breakfast. She scratches her post just so we will say "Good Girl, Brina". She LOVES her water fountain and will let us know when it's too low. She has a very sweet personality and has bonded with me and my partner. Brina is his first cat, and she won him over. He wasn't too keen at first but I guess her daily greeting and sneezing into his chocolate soy milk every morning did the trick. I guess to know her more you'd have to meet her.

Recently...
From the time we met her, she has had a respiratory problem and very, very bad teeth. Our vet wasn't comfortable putting her under anesthesia because with the respiratory problem, she is a high-risk patient. She also has hyperthyroidism, which is being controlled with medication. I had been using antibacterial gel and trying to gently brush her teeth, but they hurt her too much. Last Sunday she just stopped eating, cold turkey. After blood work we saw some of her organs weren't working properly and my vet actually suspected pancreatic cancer. It's a lot to take in when you think you are going in to increase the amount of Methimazole and you are told your cat probably has inoperable cancer, a cancer in which she wouldn't be without suffering if she died from.

So, we went to see specialists at the University of Florida Small Animal Hopsital in Gainesville, which is over 2 hours each way by car. After a lot of tests (ultrasound, blood, echocardiograph (sp?), etc) we got to take her home and she was put on some medication to help with her organs, etc. and some rest. I fed her by syringe daily, and had to give subcutaneous (sub-Q) fluids, antiobiotics, etc. This continued through her treatment with more of these tests, x-rays, etc.

3 days ago, she was put under anesthesia for oral surgery. She had mucus in her chest and they had to take her out of anesthesia and wait one day. The next day, she went in for oral surgery again. Brina had to have many of her teeth removed.
From the report:
"Brina had severe stomatitis. Stomatisis is a severe oral disease that affects some cats where the body becomes allergic to the plaque around the teeth. The allergic response appears as marked inflammation at the area where the tooth meets the gumline. Specific cause is not known. It is not related to feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, sex, spaying and neutering, or diet..."

So from what I gather, her teeth's bacteria/allergic reaction was/is affecting the rest of her body.
Right after she woke up, she was really, really irritated and cranky! We saw her at this time (the first anesthesia). They had to put her in an e-collar because she ripped out her arm IV catheter with her teeth (this was the first anesthesia, she still had her teeth). After the drugs wore off, she was back to her usual self, and wanted attention.
2nd anesthesia and tooth extraction went well. She had more mucus but they were able to take care of it. While under, they inserted an esophogeal feeding tube. I will be feeding her through this until her mouth heals and she can eat on her own. Since she didn't willingly eat for about a week, she's very (grossly) thin...you can feel her backbone..but even now since she's had the tube, you can feel a little more padding.

Finally, we picked her up yesterday. She was on methadone (!) and a bit out of it but she recognized us and wanted me to hold her. She was purring, grooming herself, etc. Today she is still really really tired, but dong well with our first feeding/medication, and is friendly. This morning she jumped on the bed and purred. We take it from here. This week has cost us several thousand dollars but she's in recovery and I love her. I know some people don't understand spending so much on a little cat, but for people like me, she's my family. I can photo the invoices if anyone requests them. I don't know the etiquette of posting numbers or amounts or all that so until then I will leave that alone.
..
Here is a picture I took yesterday right when she got home. That antennae thing is her feeding tube. It comes out of the side of her neck, and is held with medical wrap. It goes past her esophagus and ends right before her stomach, so it bypasses the gag reflex. She looks like she got beat up! Her belly, both front arms, neck, and one back foot are shaved.

Most importantly:
I really cannot express my gratitude adequately for those who have helped me with their concern, well-wishes, and/or financial support. The selflessness and generosity of people who don't even know me honestly made me cry. I try not to get too personal on this site because it's just a food blog, but things happen and I feel I owe an update! I read/hear about animal cruelty and human cruelty and it's easy to become misanthropic and depressed. There's so much sadness in the world, especially for the animals. This has been the complete opposite of that. I am grateful for the compassion I have been shown and appreciate what I continue to be shown. Every bit of love and financial support is being used to help her, so again, THANK YOU!

About the google Ads:
I added them only to generate income to help pay for all this. I am not responsible for their content (couldn't Google keep out the meat ads?!?) and don't even really know how all that stuff works..just so you know. I know they are annoying but I need all the help I can get at this time.

Apple-Sage Sausages with Creamed Spinach

2008-03-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Virginwithamemory over at PPK made these delicious sausages. I wish I could take credit! I did, however, make this creamed spinach recipe. I really enjoyed this dinner!

Creamed Spinach
This creamy spinach side dish doesn’t have quite as much fat as a regular creamed spinach, but it is just as smooth and tasty. It gets its thickness from a quick roux and is pretty easy to pull off.

½ average onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
1 clove garlic, sliced very thin
1 Tbsp. flour
1 pkg. frozen spinach
¾ c soy milk, divided
1 Tbsp. vegan sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Margarine and olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. shredded vegan mozzarella (optional, I didn't use any)

Saute onion and garlic on medium heat with about 1 ½ tsp. Each olive oil and margarine. Cook until tender.** Here is where you multitask!
Add about 1 tsp more margarine, and add the flour. Stir well so the flour coats the onions and cooks until slightly golden.
Add ¼ c soymilk and stir well until thickened (this will happen quickly). If using vegan cheese, add here.
Add ¼ c more soy milk and stir in spinach.
Add sour cream and mix very well.
Add salt and pepper and the final ¼ c soy milk. Stir until combined.

**While onions are cooking, defrost spinach completely (I use microwave). Squeeze as much water out of spinach as possible. I mean it. Squeeze really, really hard. You will have a small tight ball. Separate spinach a bit and set aside.

Sausages Peeking from steamer, then exposed!

Apple-Sage Sausage Courtesy of V.W.A.M.! (thanks for letting me share it!)
Recipe:

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tea. salt
1/4 tea. cloves
1/4 tea. allspice
2 1/2 tea. onion powder
1 tea. ginger
3 tea. sage
1/4 tea. cayenne
1/4 tea. black pepper
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped finely

1/2 cup cold mashed yukon gold potatoes
2 tea. marmite
3 Tb. olive oil
1/2 tea. liquid smoke
1 tea. crushed garlic from a jar
1 Tb. maple syrup
2/3 cup water

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, mix it up.

Combine wet ingredients in a different bowl, mix it up.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and knead for a few minutes. Form into little sausage shapes and wrap them up in tin foil tightly. Steam for 1/2 an hour. Unwrap them, put some oil in a pan and fry them up a little.

Lemon Lentil Soup

2008-03-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe is based on a recipe from A Higher Taste but with a few variations. Garlic and onion is not suitable for Lord Krsna, but they are suitable for me, so I added them.

You will need:
6 c water
1 c rinsed lentils
1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. or smaller cubes
1 c chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1-2 Tb. olive oil
dash hing
about 1/4 c chopped red or white onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tb. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 lemon {2 Tbsp lemon juice and lemon zest (see below)}
generous amount of salt
few grinds fresh pepper
fresh parsley and cilantro

Bring lentils and water to a boil in a large pot. Simmer for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat oil and add potato, onion, hing, and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and celery and cook 1-2 min longer. Set aside.

Zest the lemon (I use a microplane for fluffy, pith-free zest) and set zest aside. Juice lemon and reserve 2 Tb. of the juice. Refrigerate the rest for another use.

After the 35 min. is up on the lentils, add the contents of the pan. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add lemon juice, zest, coriander, and cumin and cook for 10 more minutes.
Add cilantro and parsley just before serving.

Note: You can blend 1/2 or all of the soup for a smoother texture. I like to do about 1/2 because I like texture and broth together.

Note on hing: Hing is also called asafoetida and is available at Indian grocery stores. Don't be scared- right out of the container is smells like straight up bad B.O. (sorry! ...and let's be honest, cumin smells, too but it is yummy) but in food it tastes fine. In some types of cooking, it replaces garlic and onion completely.

Mushroom and Olive Orzo Salad

2008-03-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Not sure why it's mushroom and orzo, because there's a lot of stuff in it! I prefer pasta salads like this served cold. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients- these are all pantry and clean-the-fridge items.

1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. balsamic vinegar
1 Tb. vegan mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise)
1 Tb. red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 scallions (green onions), chopped (include white parts)
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1 deseeded* roma tomato, chopped
Generous pinch salt
Generous grind pepper
Dash garlic powder
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley
5 green olives, chopped (2-3 Tb)
5 black olives, chopped (2-3 Tb)
4-5 large button mushrooms, sautéed then chopped
1/2 c peas, optional
2 c cooked orzo

Start with the liquids in the dressing (oil through dijon). Add all the other ingredients except the orzo, and mix well.

While you are cooking the orzo (about 1-1 1/2 cups dry), prepare the dressing and refrigerate. When orzo is done cooing, drain and refrigerate separately.

When both the pasta and the dressing are relatively cool, combine and chill further. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. You may want to drizzle a little more olive oil.

*To deseed this one tomato, just cut into about 1/4 and scoop the seeds out with clean hands.

If you would like to use a different pasta, I would suggest increasing the amount (3-4 cups cooked) since orzo is a dense little pasta.

Lumber Jill Stew, Supa-Sandwich

2008-03-04T19:38:00.001-08:00

This recipe is a variation of the Crosscut Stump Stew from I Like You, Amy Sedaris' book . Serves several hungry-men or hungry-ladies! Stretch that dollar with a salad!

Lumber Jill Stew
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3 c large-chopped (1-2 in pieces) beef-style seitan
2-3 Tb. olive oil/mix of olive oil and margarine
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 c tomato puree (or 1- 1 1/2c diced tomatoes if you don't have puree)
2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire
1 Tb. A-1 steak sauce
1/2 c red wine (sherry worked for me)
2 Tb. wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1-2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves*
1/2-1 Tb. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lb pearl onions (instructions are for fresh, but use frozen if you can find them- they're already prepped for you)
Optional:
1/2 can diced potato** or 1 chopped cooked potato

Cook seitan until browned in the oil, adding the Worcestershire and A-1 at the last minute, just to coat. Remove and place in a casserole dish. Add onion, garlic, and carrot to the still-hot pot, adding oil if necessary. Cook until onions are tender.

Add tomato puree, wine, and vinegar to onion mixture and combine well. Pour over seitan.
Add the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, sugar, and salt and pepper.

Bake 45min-1 hour.

While this is baking, cut the top and bottom off the pearl onions and boil for about 2 min. Drain and cool. The skins will slide off. Add to stew after the 1 hour is up. Add potato is using.

Cook for 15-20 more minutes, stirring and adding a little water or tomato puree if too thick.

Serve with rice, potatoes, bread, cornbread, or whatever you'd like.

*I put the cloves in cheesecloth and tied with floss. If you want 4 whole cloves floating around in your hearty meal, be my guest. Cheesecloth is cheap and available at most supermarkets now. You should already have floss in your bathroom. If you don't, we need to talk. Remove the cheesecloth sachet and the cinnamon stick before serving.

**I don't usually suggest canned vegetables like potatoes (since potatoes are cheap to cook yourself). Mostly I stick to canned tomato sauces (cheaper for me than homemade) and canned beans (time-saver), but since this is a stew, sometimes I like the canned potatoes. It reminds me of camping as a kid.

Supa-Sandwich

2 of my animal rights friends made a wicked sandwich that I tried to copy. Let me tell you- it was delicious! Here it is:

Labeled (as layered, pretty much)

Bread
Creole Mustard or Brown spicy mustard
Lots of Tofurkey
Lots of Vegenaise
Lettuce (I do ribbons of romaine)
Tomato
Pepperoncinis (cut into rings)
Black and green olives
Salt and Pepper

Quick Veggie-Udon Stir Fry

2008-02-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not ripping off Isa (from a few posts down)! I wanted noodles with a quick stir fry and had all these ingredients in my fridge!

You can use whatever vegetables you want. I like the texture and crunch to my vegetables. You may want to cook longer if you like your vegetables softer, but please try it like this before you cook them longer. You get to taste each vegetable for what it is. I also leave the skin on all the vegetables listed for color and nutrients.

-1 standard carrot, cut in 1/2 length wise, then each of those halves are cut into -1/3 or 1/4 lengthwise (depending on thickness), then once across
-1/2 onion (cut an onion lengthwise then into thin half-moons)
-1/2 zucchini, cut the same size/shape as carrots
-small handful broccoli florets
-4 button (regular) mushrooms cut into 1/6ths (cut in half, then cut into 1/3 the other way)
-4 slabs (8oz) tofu, cooked and cut into strips*
small handful of greens (optional, I used mustard greens)
-3 Tbsp. vegetarian stir fry sauce (I use this one. this guy apparently likes it, too!). You can add more to taste.
-1 Tbsp. soy sauce
-2 tsp. water
-1/4 package soba noodles (they usually come in little bundles. I used one bundle. If you have a large amount..I guess the diameter would be the size of a nickel, if you bunched them up)
-about 5 cashews per serving (optional)
-sprinkle black or white sesame seeds (optional)

Cook soba noodles according to package and set aside to drain.

In a small bowl, mix the vegetarian stir fry sauce, soy sauce, and water. Set aside.

Prep all vegetables as directed. This is essential for a stir-fry, as it is made quickly.

Heat a large pan/wok until hot and add the peanut oil. Swirl around the pan to coat, and add your onion and carrot. Keep it moving.

Cook about 2-3 minutes and add your broccoli. Cook one more minute. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Cook 2 more minutes. Keep it moving.

Add your tofu and heat through. Add all of the sauce mixture, and stir around. Add the noodles, coating with the sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly by continuing to stir, and coat all the vegetables. Garnish with cashews and sesame seeds.

Forgive me if my times are not completely accurate. I didn't have a kitchen timer with me. Basically what you want to do is cook your longest-cooking vegetables first, then the shortest ones last. For example: onions, carrots, potatoes cook longer than zucchini and mushrooms. Since your tofu is already cooked, you are just heating it through. The noodles need no heating, as you just cooked them.

*You can do this! You've seen these before. Cut a standard block of tofu into 8 slabs. Press and cook. You will be using 4 of these cooked slabs. Use the other 4 for sandwiches.

White Butternut Seitan Lasagna

2008-02-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

This smaller-pan lasagna includes butternut squash, chicken-style seitan, mushrooms and creamy ricotta, but don't let that scare you. You can make all the components while the others are cooking, and clean up while it's in the oven.

8 average lasagna noodles
1 c chopped chicken-style seitan
8-9 regular button mushrooms, sliced
1 recipe tofu ricotta*
1 1/2 c mashed butternut squash**
2 c béchamel sauce***
1/3- 1/2 shredded vegan cheese, such as Follow Your Heart

Make the ricotta first- you can use any type you like. My general recipe is
1 lb firm tofu, pressed, then mixed in food processor with olive oil, vegan mayo, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Next, make the butternut squash:
Peel and cube, either baking or boiling until tender. Drain very, very well and mash with salt, pepper, and a touch margarine.

While the butternut squash is cooking, saute the seitan and the mushrooms until mushrooms release the liquid and the liquid evaporates. You can season this mixture with a little of the seitan broth. Cool slightly and pulse in food processor. Small chunks are okay.

While squash is draining well, cook lasagna noodles and make bechemel***. I like Bryanna Clark Grogan's. When noodles are done, drain and rinse in cool water, so you can handle the noodles

Layering:

Spray a 9"x9" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer:
Spread 1/3 of the bechemel sauce
3 noodles, cutting off excess and setting the small piece aside.
1/2 of the ricotta
1/2 of the mushroom-seitan mixture
1/2 of the squash,
then 3 noodles again (cutting off excess).

Layer again in the same fashion, and cover with the 2 full noodles, and the noodle remnants. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 min, broiling the last couple minutes to melt the cheese. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes and serve with a vegetable.

Potato Salad and Friends

2008-02-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

This is not your standard potato salad! The key to this yummy dish is roasting everything. There is a good, simple quality about roasting vegetables with just olive oil and salt/pepper- it really brings out the flavors of the vegetables, both sweet and savoury.
This involves some chopping, but is still pretty simple and you can clean everything up and make the dressing while you wait. It's good hot or cold, and the flavor really shines through, and isn't covered up by the dressing (the recipe for that is also below).

Potato Salad and Friends
-Red and/or brown potatoes (you can do sweet, too), unpeeled and cut into roughly 1/2" cubes
-Onions, peeled and thin sliced
-Cauliflower, cut into-bite sized bits
-Garlic, crushed
-Carrots (unpeeled, cut into coins a little smaller than 1/4 in thick)
-Celery, cut into 1" pieces (include the leaves)
-Red and green bell peppers*
-Olive oil
-Salt/pepper to taste

Wash, cut as directed and lay ingredients on a flat baking sheet (or several baking sheets) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Suggestions for several baking sheets:

Onions/garlic on one
Peppers* on one
Cauliflower/celery on one
Potatoes/carrots on one

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt/pepper. Bake at 350-400 degrees, checking the done-ness of each item.
They have slightly different cooking times; the onions won't take as long as the potatoes, the celery/cauliflower take a little longer than the onions, and the potatoes/carrots take the longest. Since the potatoes are cut small, this will take under an hour. If you have to put all of the veggies in one large baking dish, that's ok.

You will need to check periodically and stir vegetables to ensure even cooking and no sticking.

*For the red and green bell peppers, you can either chop them and roast them along with other veggies, or you can roast them separately and skin them. I like to make sure the red pepper are roasted and skinned. I can take it or leave it on the green. Here is a Google Search on how to roast a pepper. I will do a tutorial sometime when I have several peppers and a helper.

Once vegetables are done, allow to cool slightly (or completely, if you are eating it cold) and gently mix in a large bowl. Set aside.

Creamy Dijon Parsley Dressing
This is *really* a personalized dressing, as some people like saltier, some people like the dijon taste to shine through.

about 1/8th block firm tofu (don't need to drain)
about 2 Tbsp dijon mustard (the kind with the grainy mustard seeds inside)
splash balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper to taste
olive oil
soy milk to thin
large handful roughly chopped parsley (don't worry about chopping finely)

Blend all ingredients in a or food processor, scraping down sides to ensure even blending. Now is the time I warn you not to scrape *while* the blender is running. Don't say I never did anything for you.

Once you have a sufficient amount of dressing, combine with all the roasted vegetables. Serve hot or cold. Top with a little more parsley if desired.

Curry Udon StirFry/ Seitan Piccata

2008-02-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

I used 2 Cookbooks for the last 2 Dinners we had. The Curry Udon StirFry is from Veganomicon (also sometimes called "V-Con"). The Seitan Piccata (with White Wine and Caper Sauce) recipe is from Candle Cafe Cookbook. The twice baked potato pictures with the Piccata is below.

I cut the fat in both: for the Stir Fry, I used 1 Tb.+ 1 tsp. oil for the roux, and 2 tsp. oil for the whole stir fry. For the piccata, I didn't use as much oil to saute the seitan, and I cut the margarine by 1/2. It was still very tasty.

First, the Curry Udon. I knew the items featured in this dish would make a pretty plate set up, plus you are supposed to do your mise en place, anyway. With stir fries and the like, I actually do :)

Spices

Ginger

Oh goodness, all together!

Next, the Seitan Piccata, Twice-Baked Potatoes, and Broccoli

Twice-Baked Potatoes (The amounts of everything are totally up to you!)
Desired # of potatoes
Vegenaise
Earth Balance Margarine
Tofutti Sour Cream
Follow Your Heart Cheese (I did about 1/2 c chopped, for 3 potatoes)
"Bacon" bits
Chopped onion (scallions)
Salt
Pepper

Wash potatoes well, and poke holes into them with a fork. Place in preheated 350-degree oven for about one hour. (Right on the rack is fine, no foil or anything).

Test potato done-ness: if a knife easily slips in and out, it's done. If not, place back in oven in increments of 5-10 minutes. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. Use tongs, for the love of all that is holy.

Carefully cut almost all the way through, open, and allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop out potato insides with a spoon, and place in a bowl. Set skins aside. Mash insides with all filling ingredients until smooth. Season to taste.

Spoon mashed potatoes back into skins. (I used my hands, it was easiest). Place back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more. If you'd like to be super-fancy, whip potatoes with a mixer and pipe back in with a frosting bag.

Sausage Sage Dumplings and Split Pea Burgers

2008-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

The Sausage Sage Dumplings were something I made to go with a Leek and Potato soup we had the other night. The Split Pea Burgers are surprisingly from Alton Brown. I watch his show and "Give Peas a Chance" was the theme. His Split Pea Curry Soup recipe could easily be made vegetarian.

Sausage Sage Dumplings

1/2 pkg Gimme Lean Sausage Style, thawed
1/4 head green cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 regular size onion
handful chopped mushrooms
1/2 tsp sage (extra to taste)
Pinch fennel seeds
Sprinkle crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Vegan dumpling wrappers

Start by sauteeing the Gimme Lean in an oiled pan, breaking up the sausage while cooking. Add the fennel and the red pepper during cooking, stirring often to keep the spices from burning.

When the sausage is mostly browned, add the remaining ingredients (except wrappers) and cook until veggies are tender, and the mushroom liquid is released then cooked out. Stir often.
Transfer to food processor and pulse briefly until there are no large chunks. You want a fairly uniform mixture, but do NOT puree. Cool completely.

Wrap in dumpling wrappers and place in boiling water a few at a time until they float. Gently remove with a spoon and drain. Saute in a pan with 1 Tbsp. peanut oil, until crispy on the outside. Serve with sauce (below)

Dumpling Sauce
2 Tbsp. tamari
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. margarine, melted
tiny pinch sage

Combine all ingredients. (Can put all 3 in the microwave for a few seconds)

Valentine's Day Cookies for Haters

2008-02-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Some people really hate Valentine's Day. It depends on the situation, I guess. Lucky You if you've never been through a high school Valentine's Day without a special someone and had to see all the other people get Candy- or Flower-Grams (do they still do that? Am I old??).

These are for the heartbroken, the hateful, the sarcastic, the jaded, the jilted, the bitter, the giver who never gets. For people who want to stab someone in the eyes if they see one more stuffed Teddy bear. These, my friends, are cookies for haters. (I have to admit I am not a total hater and made about 3 "I Love You" cookies.)

These cookies are a more tasty rendition of those awful chalk conversation hearts. I think if you give one of those to someone that you may as well say how you really feel, as opposed to making them eat something that disgusting. I also had to play up the "C U L8R" type phrases, because I am a big hater of those, as well.

Have to give credit where credit is due. This recipe is from VeganCore!

Icings (2)

The spreadable icing was just a small amount of margarine creamed, then sifted powdered sugar and soymilk to a spreadable but thin consistency.

The piping is more margarine, and powdered sugar, with a touch of soymilk. You don't want a buttercream. You want a denser, but workable icing.

I work in a cafe and made these so I had to keep them pg-13, but you could be totally horrible with them. I have included some phrases for your convenience.

I Hate U Lol
4 Get My #
Go Away
U Suck
U Smell
Luv Sux
Table 4 One
Stop Calling
U R Nauseating
So Much Hate
Liar
Next!
You'll Do
Go Away Plz
Don't Txt Me
Better Off Alone
Never
Let's Not
Die <3
Not Ur Boo
Brazen Hussy
You? Wtf
Cry Baby
Get Over It
Hell No
Hater
Don't Miss U

Blackberry-Chocolate-Cheese Crepes

2008-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yipes!

Crepes
The crepes I used were from Vegan With A Vengeance

Cream Cheese Filling
3/4 of 8oz container (so that would be about 1/4 + 2 Tbsp) Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/2 c confectioner's sugar

Place cream cheese into a bowl and sift the sugar over it. Beat well with beaters until well-incorporated, adding a very small amount of almond or vanilla extract, if desired. Set aside and refrigerate

Blackberry (or any other berry) filling/sauce
1 c berries, thawed and juice reserved
2 Tb. sugar

Heat berries in a saucepan over MED heat with sugar, heating until berries break apart, and the juice thickens slightly

Make crepes as usual and add a pat of Earth Balance and a little of the cream cheese filling, fold over. Repeat with a second crepe.

Top with berry sauce and chocolate sauce.

Desserts!

2008-01-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

I have 3 desserts here that are lower-fat. The pie is a little indulgent, but just have a smaller piece!

First off, parfaits. I used both chocolate and vanilla Mori Nu pudding mixes, layered with frozen thawed raspberries, complete with chocolate shavings. (you can shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler, grater, or microplane). Very simple but somewhat impressive.

Next, Peaches and Cream. I just blended Ciao Bella coconut gelato with frozen peaches in the Vitamix.

And finally, Cherry Cheese Pie! Recipe below

This is just a veganized version of this recipe.

But what's a vegan to do since we don't have sweetened condensed milk? Make your own, of course. Silk recipes to the rescue! (I know the original recipe says 14oz, but 12 worked fine). I sort of Sandra Lee'd it because I used canned cherry pie filling AND a reduced-fat graham cracker crust...give me a break. I made my own sweetened condensed milk, and you will, too. The rest is a breeze. This pie doesn't really set up like the original, so if you want to experiment with a stabilizer like agar or cornstarch, go for it and let me know!

Cherry Cheese Pie Recipe

*1 pre-made pie crust (I used Reduced Fat Keebler). You can very well make a low-fat crust on your own, or just crush up graham crackers, or skip it altogether and serve in cups
*1 8-oz pkg. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (both the hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated have the same fat and calories, but I try to use the non-hydrogenated)
*1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 can cherry pie filling (you can use strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry also)

For Condensed Milk:
*4 1/2 cups soy/other non-dairy milk
*3/4 c sugar
*3/4 tsp vanilla
*large pinch salt

Make the condensed milk:
Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan and put over low heat. Stir very frequently until mixture thickens and equals 1 1/2 cups. (This will take a long time, but DO NOT turn the heat up to high or go far from the stove. Sugar burns quickly and you will have to start over). Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Cool completely.

After condensed milk is cooled, beat Tofutti cream cheese in a bowl until fluffy. Add homemade condensed soy milk. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla and pour into graham crust. Chill 3-4 hours then top with pie filling.

Note: You can make this in a small square pan for easier serving if preferred. Just remove crust from the pan it's in, crush it with your hands, and put in the bottom of an 8"x8" or 9"x9" sprayed pan and proceed as directed.
Slice pie into 8 or 16 servings. Each 1/8th serving has 10.75g fat/356 cal, each 1/16 serving has 5.38g fat/178 cal, if using the same brand crust as I did.

Trash to Treasure Chocolate Trifle, Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches

2008-01-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

I call this "Trash to Treasure" because it saved a dessert. If you make it, just call it Chocolate-Strawberry Trifle with Balsamic Reduction because that sounds better (and because that is what it is!)

I hate throwing good food away. Hate hate hate. Well, I made the VCON Low-Fat bundt cake, but..I put it in mini-bundt pans and they stuck and came apart. Grease, grease, grease, flour, flour, flour next time, I guess. Or use a bigger bundt pan. Anyway, the cake was delicious but I can't very well serve crumbled cake to guests and tell them to eat it with their hands. I have also read about strawberry and balsamic vinegar pairing well together. Well, it turns out that is true. The sauces are optional, but I say DO IT because everyone will think you are a fancy-pants.

-1 recipe chocolate cake (whatever cake you want. Traditional trifles have spongy cake)
-1 regular recipe pudding (I did the VWAV pudding, but it came out gelatinous, but that's 100% acceptable for this recipe!). You can also use Mori-Nu or a vegan packet pudding. Be careful- some pudding mixes are vegan but don't set with soy milk)
-1 store-bought container (1 lb) sweetened slices strawberries (found in the frozen section), thawed OR 2 handfuls of strawberries, sliced and sugared and allowed to sit and become juicy (this is called maceration.
-Handful of strawberries, cleaned and sliced thinly (for top)
Sauces:
1/4-1/2 c regular balsamic vinegar (make sure it is not savory-flavored with garlic or anything infused in it)

More strawberries, pureed and sugared (same as above, only put in blender til smooth)

Directions:
Layer cake in the bottom of a clear dish OR in separate clear serving dishes. Press down firmly.
Layer sweet strawberries
Layer pudding

Continue with cake, strawberries, pudding. Finish with cake. Press down firmly. Decorate the top with thin strawberries. Just go in a circle and face them all pointing the same way. Pour 1/3-2/3 juice to soften the cake. Wrap in plastic and chill 1-2 hours or overnight.

Sauce Directions:
Simmer the blended strawberries/juice in a pan until boiling. Add a little lemon juice, and allow to cool.

In a separate pan, heat the balsamic vinegar over medium heat and reduce. All this means is that you are taking some of the liquid out). You want to keep the vinegar moving because it will burn. You want to test to see if it's done. It is ready when it takes a secon to slide off of a metal spoon. It will thicken upon cooling. so don't overcook it!

Plate: pour some of the strawberry sauce, and some of the balsamic reduction in whatever design you wish, and then carefully cut a piece of the trifle and set on top. OR, if in glasses, place a little of each sauce on top.

********
Jackfruit/Seitan BBQ Sandwiches!

Several people on PPK havemade jackfruit so I decided to give it a try. You want to get the Young Jack Fruit in water or brine, NOT the cooked in syrup

Out of the can

On sandwich (salad plate)

To make:

Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Saute in a pan in a little oil, then add 1 bottle of your preferred BBQ sauce, a little water, a dash of vegan Worcestershire and liquid smoke. and simmer on very low for 1-2 hours. I added chopped seitan but that's optional. The jackfruit has a shredded texture, but is a little soft to me, so I added the seitan.

Sweet Potato-Kale...Potstickers!

2008-01-03T21:02:00.001-08:00

Sweet Potato and Kale seems to be the theme for several recipes I've seen lately. Well, I love Asian tastes and wanted to do something a little different. This recipe is loose and you can use what you want! I will tell you what I used.

1 med. sweet potato (peeled, chopped and cooked to your preference. I boiled)
about 1/4 head cabbage, cut small
1 small bunch Kale, ribs removed and cut small (please wash!)
2 hand-sized pieces seitan, cut small
1/4 block firm tofu, cut into chunks
Vegan Gyoza/Wonton wrappers
dash garlic powder
dash onion powder
2 good (or 3 sad-looking) green onions, chopped (also called scallions)
soy sauce to taste
sesame oil to taste
salt to taste
2/3-1 c vegetable broth

Saute kale and cabbage in large pan/skillet with a small amount of oil until tender (with soy sauce and a little sesame oil). Pulse in food processor until very small but not mushy. Place in bowl.

Pulse sweet potatoes in food processor. Lumps are okay. Add to cabbage/kale in bowl.

Saute seitan/tofu in skillet until done, 5+ minutes (also with a little soy sauce). Again, pulse in food processor until very small. Add to bowl.

Season mixture with onion and garlic powders, scallions, salt, more sesame oil, and soy sauce to taste. Mix very well. This will be a dense filling.

Fill about 1-1.5 tsp. filling into wrappers and place on a plate. Repeat with desired amount of wontons.

Heat a nonstick pan and add 1-2 tsp. peanut oil. Place dumplings in pan and cook until brownish. Add vegetable broth, cook and cover about 6 minutes, until broth is absorbed.

Plated with a splash each of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Use toothpicks (or your finger) to make a design on the plate. Garnished with thin strips of green onion.

Do not know how to fill a wrapper? Here is a video. Ignore the meaty. Also, don't fill as much. This person makes it a little more difficult than it has to be. (Person I linked to, if you want me to remove this, I will!)

Holiday Appetizer Menu

2007-12-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you are having a lovely winter season! This season also means family, friends, and food. Sometimes as vegans, there aren't too many menu ideas (that's quickly changing because of the Internet- thanks, Al Gore!) so here is an Appetizer Menu. Mix and match and even review if you have the time!
These recipes/recipe ideas were ripped from Yahoo Food's page. For the ones that I thought looked decent, I veganized them for you, added or subtracted what I thought would be good, or subbed a different recipe altogether.

Some do heavily rely on prepackaged things, but that's not terrible, especially during a busy season. I have no problem with glorious vegan "dairy" goods anyway, though! I tried to keep away from the Kraft products as well, preferring more vegan-friendly companies. If you are on a budget (like everyone this year), just use what you can- sale items, more of one thing and less of another, canned items, frozen or bulk items, etc. The bottom of this post has some links so if you aren't familiar with the products, you can see what they look like.

MENU:

Bruschetta
Cluck-Free Quesadillas
Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Felafel Spiced Pecans
Hot Artichoke Dip (With Spinach variation)
Top-of-the-Stove Spinach Seitan Ballz
Tofurkey Toasties
Wild Mushroom Crostini
Beefy Seitan-Asparagus Negimaki
Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls
Seitan Satay
Spinach-Tofu Dumplings
White Bean Crostini w/ Spicy Cucumbers

Bruschetta

Cluck-Free Quesadillas

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Felafel Spiced Pecans

Hot Artichoke Dip

Top-of-the-Stove Spinach-Sietan Ballz

Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls

Spinach-Tofu Dumplings

Bruschetta (broo-sketta, not broo-shetta). Comes from the Italian word that means "to roast over coals" (or something similar).

* 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
*Kalamata olives*
* 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread (can also use vegan Cuban bread)
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450

- Prepare the tomatoes first. After cutting an X on each tomato, parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Peel skins, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.

-While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.* It may not be traditional, but chopped Kalamata olives would be a tasty addition at this point

-Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast on top rack only, so you may need to do these in batches. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

-Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Makes 24 small slices.

Cluck-Free Quesadillas

2 bags (8oz each) Morningstar Farms vegan Chik'n strips, defrosted and sauteed. (Sauteeing is very important- it makes them crispy and delicious!)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 ounces (1/2 block) Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack cheese, finely grated
8 (7 inch) flour tortillas
Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
Salsa (your pick)
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges
Green onion, chopped

-Sprinkle chik'n with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
-Cook onion with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
-Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then transfer to a large bowl.
-Add chik'n to onion mixture along with cheese.
-Put 1 tortilla on a cutting board and spread 1/2 cup chik'n mixture over half of tortilla, then fold other half over to form a half-moon, pressing firmly on seam. Assemble 7 more quesadillas in same manner.
-Heat lightly oiled grill pan over high heat until it thins, then reduce heat to moderate and grill quesadillas, 2 at a time, turning over once, until cheese is melted and golden brown grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total per batch*. Transfer with a spatula to cutting board and cut in half.
*May need to cook longer over lower heat for the vegan cheese to melt.
Serve with delicious condiments. Makes 8

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound medium fresh mushrooms, cleaned
Few piece of torn stale bread
1/2 c vegetable broth (add more if necessary)
1/2 cup Gimme Lean "Pork Style" sausage, cooked, crumbled (also may want to add a tiny bit of fennel seed and crushed red pepper)
1/2 cup Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Cheese, grated finely

Preheat broiler.

-Remove stems from mushrooms (use them for stock, or another dish).
-In a large pan, saute mushrooms in a little olive oil, until softened. Remove from pan.
-Add torn bread to the sausage to pan (heat still on) and add just enough broth to hold together. Add cheese. Cheese will melt a bit in the hot broth.
-Press sausage mixture evenly into each cap. Sprinkle evenly with a little more cheese (optional).
-Broil 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Yields 12 servings

Felafel Spiced Pecans
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons earth Balance margarine, melted
1/4 cup dry falafel mix (can use Fantastic brand or your preferred brand)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, toss the pecans with the melted butter until evenly coated.
In a small bowl, combine the falafel mix with the sugar and cayenne. Pour the spice mix over the pecans and toss to coat. Spread the spiced nuts on a lightly greased baking sheet and toast for about 9 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool.

Yields 8 servings

Hot Artichoke Dip (With Spinach Variation)
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1/2 c Vegan Mayonnaise (Vegenaise/Nasoya/your choice)
1/2 c Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream/Sour Supreme ("Guacamole"-style will work in this as well- trust me)
1/4-1/2 cup vegan grated Parmesan completely optional
1 tablespoon vegan dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton)(taste first and adjust) OR All-Purpose Seasoning Salt and onion powder to taste
1 clove garlic, minced (opt)
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Note: I usually double this recipe because it's gone so fast

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except tomato and onions.
Spoon into 9-inch pie plate or shallow ovenproof dish.
Bake 20 to 25 min. or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with tomatoes and onions. Serve with vegetable dippers, tortilla chips, assorted crackers or assorted cocktail bread slices. If you want to get all fancy-schmancy, serve inside a hollowed-out bread bowl.

Spinach Variarion-For recipe above: completely thaw and squeeze (very hard) all the water out of 1 standard frozen block of spinach. Pick pieces apart and "fluff" back up, adding to artichoke/creamy mixture before baking. Mix well, so you get a little of everything in each bite. Bake as directed.

Top-of-the-Stove Spinach Seitan Ballz
Haha, ballz. Of spinach. You can pretend you are eating healthy or something. This recipes was adapted with a lot of different factors, so please adjust as necessary!

3 1/2 cups cubed stuffing mix (a little less if using denser stuffing or bread) (I use Pepperidge Farm)
1 1/4 cups hot vegetable broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (no, it doesn't contain chicken)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 cup minced cooked seitan
1 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and squeezed and patted dry (chop these a little)
1/4 cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese (omit if necessary and add a little nutritional yeast)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 small or medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp NRG egg replacer powder whisked with 1/4 c water (or use another egg replacer. May be able to omit altogether)
1/3 c bread crumbs (reserve)

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Mix stuffing mix, hot broth, seasoning,and margarine in large bowl until well blended. Note- do the broth a little at a time and allow a few minutes to let the stuffing absorb the liquid.
-Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Shape by rounded Tablespoon. You can use a dessert/ice cream scoop to make this easy).Place in single layer in two 15x10x1-inch baking pans sprayed with cooking spray.
-Bake 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Halve this recipe for smaller groups.

Makes about 45 balls.

Tofurkey Toasties

1 1/2 ounces Tofurkey Deli Slices, finely chopped (I think Hickory Smoked is best)
3 ounces (about 1/4 block) finely shredded Follow Your Heart Cheese
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 baguette, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
2 crisp dill pickles, thinly sliced

-Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
-In a small bowl, stir together the deli slices, cheese, mayo, onion, and mustard.
-Arrange the bread slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place 2 pickle slices on each slice of bread, then spread about 1 tablespoon of the deli slice mixture on top. Bake the toasties for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Makes 5

Wild Mushroom Crostini
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 loaf long Italian or French bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
Extra-virgin olive oil, for bread
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, and chanterelle, cut into 3/8-inch slices

-In a bowl, combine dried porcini and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from soaking liquid. Carefully pour off liquid, leaving sediment in bowl; reserve liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.
-Chop together garlic, parsley, and salt.
-Make crostini by grilling or toasting bread under broiler. Brush lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
-In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon Earth Balance and 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Add porcini, shallots, and thyme, and cook, stirring often, until shallots wilt, about 10 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Add wine, and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost completely reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved porcini liquid, and cook until almost completely reduced again, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
-Rinse skillet, dry, and return to high heat. Starting with the firmest, cook wild mushrooms in two batches using a tablespoon of butter and oil for each batch. Season well with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are nearly tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Keep in a large bowl while second batch cooks.
-Return all the mushrooms to the pan. Add porcini and parsley mixtures. Cook over medium-high heat until garlic gives off an aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, and remove pan from heat.
-Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and serve with crostini, or spoon a bit of the mushroom mixture on each slice of crostini and arrange on a plate.

Yields 15 servings

Beefy Seitan-Asparagus Negimaki

Salt for water
24 thin stalks asparagus
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 bunch scallions, greens only
1 1/2 pounds beef-style seitan (roughly 2 cups- try to get large pieces)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

-Preheat a grill or grill pan until hot, or prepare oven broiler.
-Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cut off asparagus ends to within 3 1/2 inches from tips (reserve bottoms for another use, such as sushi). Place tips in boiling water; cook until bright green but still crunchy, about 1 minute. Drain asparagus; transfer to an ice-water bath to stop cooking. Drain asparagus again in a colander, and set aside.
-Whisk together soy sauce and sugar until dissolved; set aside. Cut scallions into 3 1/2-inch lengths, julienned lengthwise; set aside.
-Slice seitan into thin pieces, less than 1/4 in. Trim into 2-by-5-inch rectangle if possible, or just a flat, wide piece .Repeat with remaining seitan.
-Heat a skillet with a small amount of oil and saute a couple minutes on each side (you will be cooking it more, so go easy- you just want the "raw" taste out)
-Dip a piece of seitan in soy-sauce mixture, and place on a clean surface. Season with pepper. Place 1 piece of scallion and 2 asparagus tips across 1 end of seitan, so vegetables extend over edges; roll. Set aside. Repeat with remaining seitan and vegetables.
-Grill or broil negimaki, brushing with sauce and turning, until slightly charred, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Yields 8 servings

Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls
1 can (gasp!) croissant rolls (many national or store brands are vegan- check and hopefully be surprised)
6 *good* vegan hot dogs (regular size)
6 slices Tofutti Cheddar slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
-Cook each hot dog in a saute pan with a little oil. You can add a drop of liquid smoke as well, for flavour. Cool and cut each hot dog into 4 equal pieces (once lengthwise, once crosswise).
-Cut each cheese slice into 4 strips; cut strips in half.
-Separate dough into triangles; cut lengthwise into thirds (do your best, they won't be even). Top each dough piece with 2 pieces of the cut cheese and 1 piece of the hot dog. Roll up. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
-Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
makes 24

Seitan Satay

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Sriracha)
1/4-1/2 c coconut milk (optional)
6 hand-sized pieces of seitan (chicken-style)

-In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except seitan.
-Heat a large pan and saute each piece of seitan in a bit of oil until done, using whatever cooking broth the seitan was cooked in (if applicable). Cool, cube in large pieces and place in the marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
-Preheat a grill to high heat. (or use your oven broiler but keep an eye on it)
-Weave the seitan onto skewers, then grill for 5 minutes per side.

Since this is a vegan recipe, you can use left over marinade as a dipping sauce. (Take that, chicken!)

Spinach-Tofu Dumplings (With Options)

DUMPLINGS
5 ounces baby spinach
5 ounces firm tofu, cut into slabs
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
45 vegan gyoza or wonton wrappers (search the Asian market near you- some are eggless)
Optional add-ins: Shredded sauteed cabbage, finely-shredded carrot, peas,finely-chopped water chestnuts, etc. Be sure to increase the corn starch slightly, and drain excess liquids

SAUCE
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar

DUMPLINGS:
Heat a skillet with a small amount of peanut/vegetable oil. Saute the tofu on each side. When cooled, chop into a small dice.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a colander. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze it dry, then coarsely chop it. Keep the water hot.
-Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl and stir in the tofu, cornstarch, soy sauce and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Add-ins go in at this time.
-Working with 4 wonton wrappers at a time, dampen the edges and mound 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold 1 corner of each up over the filling and seal to make triangles (or one edge and make half-moons if your dumplings are round). Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
-Return the water to a boil. Add the dumplings and simmer over moderate heat, stirring gently, until the edges are al dente, about 3 minutes. Carefully drain in a colander and transfer to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Alternate Cooking Methods:
Deep drying OR
Pot stickers- make dumplings as instructed, but instead of boiling, saute the dumplings in a large pan until golden. Add about 2/3 c vegetable broth and cover, steaming for about 6 minutes.

White Bean Crostini w/ Spicy Cucumbers
1/2 pound navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 large garlic cloves, 1 minced
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 English cucumber, very thinly sliced crosswise (can use wide vegetable peeler)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
40 1/2-inch-thick baguette slices, toasted

-Put the beans in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add the 2 whole garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (you can use canned beans for this as well- be sure to drain and rinse them)
-Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the beans, garlic and cooking liquid to a food processor and puree. Press the puree through a coarse strainer into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season with table salt and pepper.
-Spread the cucumber slices in a large glass baking dish. In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the vinegar, sugar, kosher salt and crushed red pepper; stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the cucumber and toss. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
-Just before serving, spread each slice of toast with white bean puree and top with cucumber slices. Arrange the crostini on a platter and serve.

Makes 40 servings

BASIC cooking tips, hints, and product info
And I mean basic, baby.

To peel and chop garlic: take the clove and lay flat on cutting board. Take the wide part of your chef knife, lay it on top of garlic, make a fist and hit the flat part of the blade. The peel will come off. Wet your knife before cutting garlic, as it gets sticky.

Q:Why do we cut bread on the diagonal?
A: Because it looks prettier and also adds to surface area so we can put more stuff on it to stuff our little faces with

Q:What can I do with discarded veggies?
A: put them in a container and boil them into a stock

Q:What are all these products you are talking about?
A:Tofutti, makers of vegan cream cheese, sour cream, sliced cheese, ice creams, etc. Follow Your Heart Cheese, Vegenaise, Nasoya", Lipton Onion Soup (I have failed you. It's a Kraft product.), Earth Balance

Birthday Cake for a Friend

2007-12-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

This birthday cake was so good. I mean REALLY good. Probably the best (if not, one of the best) cakes I have made. My boyfriend doesn't really do sweets (blasphemy) but he had 2 pieces!

It is a lemon cake, filled with raspberry jam and frosted with lemon cream cheese icing. The contrast is lovely.

I must give credit where credit is due- my recipes are the slightest tinkering of Kittee's Vanilla Double Layer Cake and VCTOTW's Cream Cheese Icing.

Cake:

In a large bowl, sift* the following:
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

In a separate bowl, mix the following:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 cups water
3/4 cups vegetable oil

Also: you will need a jar of good raspberry jam. I used Polaner Seedless Raspberry.

*If you do not have a sifter, use a mesh colander or something else. You want air in and lumps out.

Pour the liquids into the sifted dry ingredients and mix. Don't overmix, though. I mixed enough where I couldn't see lumps, and it came out fine.

Pour into 2 round cake pans (even amount in each). I use a nonstick 9" Wilton round cakepan. I sprayed it with nonstick spray and also cut a parchment round and placed it in the bottom to ensure easy non-sticking.

Cook in a 350 degree oven, roughly 30 min. When you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should be clean. Let rest 10 minutes out of the ofen then carefully place on a cooling rack to cool.

Next, cut in half lengthwise. The easiest way I have found to do this is cut about 2 inches in all around the cake, then take a piece of floss, wrap it around inside the 2' cut and pull it through the cake. Then again, I am no cake decorator and my cake is uneven, so take it or leave it! Keep cake (you will now have 4 flat cakes) on cooling rack until ready to assemble. Remember to remove parchment if you are using.

To assemble:
Use about a cup or more of jam. Heat in microwave a few seconds until it's very spreadable.

Put flat bottom of one cake on surface. Slather with jam. Top with (round) (top) cake. Slather with jam. Invert the other (round) cake and place it on top. Slather with jam again. Place final (flat) piece on top and let sit So basically you put one whole cake upside down on the other, except it makes 4 layers and has jam in each layer. I hope that made sense!

Frosting (Makes enough to frost the cake and decorate with some left over. You may want to do 3/4 of this recipe)

1/2 c vegan Cream Cheese (Better Than Cream Cheese), room temperature
1/2 c vegan margarine (Earth Balance), room temperature
4 c powdered sugar, sifted
dash lemon extract (I probably used 1-1 1/2 teaspoons total, do it to taste)

Cream cream cheese and margarine until combined (don't overmix). Add sugar in 1/2 cup increments until all sugar is added. Add extract at the end.

Decorate your heart out.

Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Rolls, Veganomicon, DEOTS

2007-12-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted in a while!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My mom is a great cook and made everything vegan-friendly (that could be). She made:
Knot rolls
Stuffing
Home-made cranberry sauce
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Green Beans
Mashed potatoes
Sweet Potatoes

I made Green Bean casserole, Smlove Pie, and Tofurkey.

Table spread

Tofurkey

My plate

Smlove Pie

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Don't Eat Off The Sidewalk (aka DEOTS)

This next dish comes from
Veganomicon (VCON). Chickpea cutlets with red wine roux. I made lemon-butter noodles as well.

Rough recipe for lemon butter noodles:

Cook up 1/2 bag egg-free noodles, drain. In same pan (dry), heat 1/2 c vegetable stock, 2 Tb. earth balance margarine, and let simmer a little. It will thicken slightly. Add a 1/2-1 Tbsp. or more lemon juice and add noodles back in, coating well.

Mujadara (Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils)

2007-11-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Mujadara is one of my fav rice/protein dishes, probably because it is flavoured with caramelized onions, which I am crazy about. Unfortunately, the people at Sahara are really freaking rude (i.e. I was yelled at in line) so I don't go there anymore. I will flat out tell you they are more experienced rice/lentil makers than I, but I think with a few more seasonings, mine will be just as good.

I got my basic recipe from Frugal Cuisine but changed it up a bit.

I am still not sure how to pronounce it. I have heard all sorts of pronunciations, from "massa-dura" to "mu-ha-dra". I have also heard that it traditionally has ground meat, but I have never seen it in there and for me, it's always been vegetarian.

Note about onions: "Caramelizing" just means drawing out the sugar, basically. This process cannot be rushed. It takes a long time. But, as with a lot of things, it is worth the wait. It is not like sauteeing where the vegetable will brown quickly and still have a crunch. The onions have no heat after this so onion-haters, give this a try. You will start with a lot of onion and the end result will be a delicious small amount of onion. You can use them for all sorts of things: pasta, sandwiches, scrambled tofu, soups, etc. Just keep them in your fridge.

Basic recipe:

*2/3 c brown lentils (can use green)
*2/3 c long-grain rice
*dash cumin powder
*about 2 1/4 c (HOT) water (reserve water- will explain)
*4 green or black cardamom pods (more to taste, or omit)
*"chicken"-flavoured vegan broth powder/cubes or vegetable broth powder/cubes (I use No-Chicken Better Than Bouillon) for 2 cups worth of water.
*Several onions, peeled and sliced thin (can use food processor if doing a lot of onions, which I suggest doing since you will be caramelizing anyway- you may as well make extra.)

First, let's start the onions.
Take a large, wide pan and heat olive oil or a good quality margarine (Earth balance) on MED. Put your heaping mass of onions in and turn to MED-LO.
Put a pinch of salt and stir the onions every so often. Do not turn up the heat. This honestly took me..probably an hour, but it's mostly inactive.

Lentils/Rice

Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil or margarine in a (separate) medium cooking pot with tall sides. Add the lentils, rice, dash cumin powder, cardamom. Stir frequently as this can burn. You want the rice to turn a *slightly* golden colour. All you are doing here is toasting the seasonings and the rice/lentils. This takes about 5 minutes.

Add *about* 2 cups of the water, with the broth powder/cubes dissolved. (The original instructions that I linked to said to put water so it is about 2 cm above the rice and beans, which is a really good old school method- but steam will burn you! So just do a little under 2 cups.

Cook the lentils and rice about 20 minutes. I had to add a little more water (about 1/4 c) and cook longer, just until lentils and rice are tender.

When onions are done, mix into the rice (to taste), add salt and serve.

Picture coming soon

Bloggers and Viewers- <3

2007-11-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I appreciate all of your views and comments! I always mean to get back to you, don't think I don't love you.

When a comment gets published, I don't see anything that says "new comments" after they are published and I kind of have to guess where it was posted. I have quite a few posts so sometimes I can't find where a comment was posted. So, don't think that because I haven't responded to your comment(s) that I don't care!

I hope you continue to enjoy my food blog and it's great to see more veggie blogs, and it's great to have non-veggie people look, too. Hopefully you've learned something, enjoyed a picture, gotten an idea, or even been inspired. I know I feel that way when I look at all of your pictures/recipes/ideas.

Much love!

Pamela Cooks

Vampire Cupcakes, Breakfast Sandwich

2007-11-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

2 Posts that don't have much to do with one another!

Got this idea from Baking Bites via PPK. I changed it and veganized it and I don't have a cute Halloween setup but dang if they weren't good. The link has all the instructions. For veganizing:

Any basic white cupcake recipe (I used Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World Sexy Lowfat Vanilla). I also used Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Cream Cheese frosting!

Instead of using cherry pie filling, I made my own with raspberries. Recipe below.

Raspberry Filling (can also use black cherries)

1 bag (12 oz) frozen raspberries
1/2 c sugar
1/6-1/3 c water
2 tsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and allow raspberries to thaw. Make sure to mix the cornstarch so it dissolves in the liquid or it can come out lumpy!

Bring mixture to a boil in a pan and let cool. Fill as directed in link.

***********

"Fast Food" Breakfast Sandwich

1 English Muffin
1 recipe whatever your favourite tofu scramble
1 piece Tofutti "Cheddar" style cheese slice
2 pieces Yves Canadian Bacon, cooked after tofu scramble for crispiness

Toast muffin, "butter" it with Earth Balance and assemble as shown. I added a little maple syrup to the muffin to get an all-around brakfasty delight.

Smoky Breakfast Tempeh With Roasted Potatoes

2007-11-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

I made a basic roasted potatoes (potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, spices, 400 degrees for about 45min-1 hour). I made this smoky breakfast tempeh today as well, inspired by tempeh bacon but taken in a different direction. Recipe below.

*8oz tempeh, cut into triangles, and triangles cut in half so the triangles are thin (if that makes sense)
*maple syrup (agave mectar may work as well)
*tamari or soy sauce
*dijon mustard (preferably the grainy/chunky textured kind)
*liquid smoke
*black pepper (opt)

Place tempeh in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup and mix well. I put them in the order of composition, and the total liquid volume is about 1/4 c. It really is to taste. Just remember it will thicken.

Heat a nonstick pan and put 1/2 Tbsp- 1 Tbsp olive oil, and saute the tempeh on each side until slightly golden. Pour in glaze and continue to cook (and flip, for even coating) until the pan is dry and the liquid has created a glaze on the tempeh.

Serve with the potatoes. Best part- can work well with either syrup or ketchup!

Stuffed Zucchini

2007-10-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

What do you do with a zucchini? Aside from this recipe, you can pretty much put it in any mix of things: simply saute with oil or margarine and add to spaghetti, enchiladas, tofu scramble..the list goes on.

Here is a freestyle recipe for stuffed zucchini. Use what you have, and adjust the
moisture to suit your grain preference

Stuffed Zucchini

*3 med-lg zucchini, halved lengthwise and insides scooped out with a spoon
*1 small onion, diced
handful (3 or 4) mushrooms, chopped
*1 tomato, seeded and rough chopped
*4oz or so (handful, cup or less) chosen protein: I used Mornngstar Chikn, but you can use cooked beans, cooked lentils, seitan, tofu, etc. Saute this separately!
*1 c stuffing OR your choice cooked grain, such as quinoa
*Spices- I used All Purpose seasoning salt and poultry seasoning
*1 c (approx) water to wet stuffing. (If using favourite cooked grain, omit water unless stuffing is dry)

In a large pot/pan, saute the zucchini halves cut-side down about 3-4 minutes on each side, just until they get a golden colour on the edges.

Remove zucchini and place in an oiled baking dish, scooped side up

Add onions, mushrooms, and the zucchini insides (chopped) and cook until onions are tender, adding spices. Add protein and tomatoes.

Add stuffing or grain and necessary water. Lay over zucchini and bake at 350 F for about 20 minute, just until zucchini "boats" are tender

Toppings:

Here I used shiitake gravy from Road's End Organics but you can use spaghetti or tomato sauce. If using the tomato/spaghetti sauce, I would suggest baking it with the zucchini.

Serve and enjoy!

Chili

2007-10-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is a variation on my mom's recipe. It's pretty loose, as you can add what you want to it. Choose whatever extra protein you want: 8oz tempeh, tofu, seitan, TVP, lentils, homemade crumbles, etc. or just omit all together, as there are beans in it. Here it is served with fresh raw corn and vegan sour cream.

-1 large onion, minced*
-2-4 stalks celery, with leaves, minced*
-1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced*
-3 cloves garlic (more/less to taste), minced*
(*Easiest way to do this is to chop small and pulse in food processor.)

-1 (14-16oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (14-16oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (14-16oz) can tomato sauce**
-1 (14-16oz) can diced tomatoes**
(**Can use two cans of either. You can also start with a 28oz. can and see if you need more)

-1 8oz bag Morningstar Farms "Steak" strips or other protein (see note about proteins above)

-A-1 Steak Sauce
-Tabasco Hot Sauce
-Chili Powder

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot with tall sides, saute minced vegetables until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Add beans and tomatoes/tomato sauce, A-1, chili powder, and Tabasco, to taste

Meanwhile, sauce steak strips in a little oil (in separate pan) until crispy on the outside. Cut into small pieces (can pulse in food processor).

Simmer chili until thickened a little, about 10-20 min (it is ready to eat at any time but simmering makes the flavours come out). You can even simmer on very low for a couple hours. Make sure to keep an eye on it and stir.

Add "steak" to chili before serving. Stir until well-combined and serve with rice, pasta, biscuits, or corn bread and a salad.

Enchiladas, Frijoles Negros, Yellow Rice

2007-10-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the Mexican market today and found some vegan refried Frijoles Negros (black beans) that tasted great! Recycle is already out so I can't say the brand! I got the enchilada sauce and tortillas there.

If you have a Mexican/Latin market, get your supplies there! Check the beans for lard.

Enchiladas
This recipe is loose, add what you want!

1 medium onion, diced
1-2 red or green bell peppers, diced
8oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 bag Morningstar Chik'n Strips OR 8oz tofu OR seitan

Tortillas
Red or green enchilada sauce
Vegan cheese (optional, I used Follow Your Heart)

Saute vegetables with a shake of garlic powder, a little hot red pepper, and salt until softened. Remove from pan and saute protein. Add some shredded cheese to mixture (optional)

Place some enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole pan.
Place filling in each tortilla, roll, and place seam-down in the pan. Repeat until filling is gone. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Add more cheese on top.
Bake at 350 F. 20-35 min, until sauce is thick. Broil the last few minutes to melt cheese.

Frijoles
1-2 cans Frijoles negros
1 tsp. Better than Chicken Boullion
1 c water

Whisk all ingredients together and cook until water evaporates, stirring often.

Hamburger and French Fries

2007-09-29T19:39:00.001-07:00

Publix Greenwise burger with caramelized onion, Tofutti cheese, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, Vegenaise, dijon. Sweet potato fries with ketchup and miso mayo. I highly recommend the Publix burger! Cheapo and yummy! Saute in a pan with a little margarine to make a nice slightly crispy outside.

French fries:
Peel and cut a sweet potato. Use a little olive oil and a little Tony Chachere's seasoning. bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 min (I like mine under-done)

Homemade Lasagna and Special Marshmallows

2007-09-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

This lasagna is 100% Homemade. It's from Nonna's Italian Kitchen. I even did the pasta! Get this book!

Sweet and Sara Marshmallows! A special treat!

Puttanesca, Kittee's Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

2007-09-23T23:15:00.001-07:00

Apparently, this means "prostitute's pasta" because it was served in brothels back in the day. So good! It's from Bryanna Clark Grogan's Nonna's Italian Kitchen.

And Kittee's Peanut Butter Pie. Basically 5 ingredients. Basically impressive and awesome.

Low-Fat "Cheeseburger" Pasta + Make-Your-Own-Crumbles Recipe

2007-09-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe has about 30 grams of fat for the entire batch, which makes 4-6 decent servings. Use whole wheat pasta if available. (I can't find vegan WW ribbons)

"Cheeseburger" Pasta

1 small onion diced
1 c crumbles (see recipe below!)
Handful mushrooms, chopped (if you don't like mushrooms, omit)
1 tsp olive oil
Tony Chachere's brand** or your favourite multi-purpose seasoning

4 c uncooked egg-free pasta ribbons (less if using a denser pasta, like macaroni)

1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/4 c flour (I used whole wheat pastry)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp margarine (earth balance)
1/4 tsp. (wet) mustard
1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
salt to taste
dash garlic powder
few turns fresh ground black pepper

Heat a small pan and add the olive oil. Saute mushrooms and onions until onions are translucent. Add crumbles and seasoning and cook until moisture is gone.

Cook pasta and drain. Set aside.

Put flour and nutritional yeast in a (separate)dry pan, around MED heat. Whisk mixture until "toasted" and not raw-tasting. Be careful! Don't burn!
Slowly whisk in milk. Beat out any lumps.
Add margarine, mustards, garlic powder, and pepper. Mixture will thicken.

Add cooked pasta and onion/crumble/mushroom mixture. Mix well. Serve with a salad!

Make-Your-Own-Crumbles

This recipe is inspired by Boca and other crumbles, which are about $6-$8/lb. This is cheaper, though I have no idea how much it actually costs.

*3 c Textured Vegetable Protein/Textured Soy Protein
*scant 2 1/2 to 3 cups boiling water
*2-3 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Beef OR your favourite vegan beef broth powder/cubes, to taste
*1/4 c. A-1 steak sauce (it's clean, don't worry)
*Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional, just for colour)

Add bouillon to water and whisk until dissolved. Add TSP/TVP and mix well. Add A-1 and a dash Kitchen Bouquet. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Use as directed. Best if sauteed with spices.

**If you click on the link, please ignore the monstrosity that is the TurDuckEn. I apologize that it exists.

Vegetable Curry and Cream Cheese Brownies

2007-09-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Mixed Vegetable Curry! This is one of my boyfriend's fav dinners. It's spicy (for me, *almost* to the point of being too spicy) but you can calm it by not adding as much spice or adding more coconut milk.

Brownies! If you are like me, you like the very center of every pan of baked goods. Gooey and no crust. If you don't like gooey, these brownies aren't for you, because they won't get firm unless you add more flour or something. Recipe below.

Vegetable Curry
This vegetable curry came with a little help from Shan Vegetable Curry Mix. You get a lot of servings from one pack of spices, which are about $1/box (I fed 5 people with less than half of the spice pack when curry was served with rice). This dish can be stretched even further by using less, or by serving with breads and salad.

Here is the (loose) recipe that I made the vegetable curry with. You can use whatever vegetables you have around!

4-5 medium tomatoes (I de-seeded, you don't have to)
2 small-med red potatoes, peeled and chopped small*
2-3 zucchini, unpeeled, chopped small*
1 1/2 onions, diced
5-6 baby portobello or other mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thick
Handful cauliflower florets, chopped into chunks
1 lb tofu, cut into 1/8ths and pressed, then each 1/8th cut in half
1/2 regular (13-14oz) can coconut milk
1 box Shan Vegetable Curry Mix
*About 1 cm cubes, zucchini can be larger since it is a quicker-cooking vegetable

In a large saute pan with high sides, pour 1-2 Tbsp. peanut oil and cook tofu until golden (on each side). Empty pan, cut each piece of tofu into even 4 pieces. Set aside.

In same pan, heat a generous 1-2 Tbsp. margarine, and fry onions and potatoes for roughly 5 minutes or a little longer, until almost done (If you have any carrots or other long-cooking vegetables, add them here with the onion and potato). Add the rest of the vegetables, several Tbsp (3-5) Shan spices, and the coconut milk. Cook the vegetables until tender but not mushy. Tomato will pretty much dissolve and become part of the sauce. This takes about 10 minutes. Stir fairly often, as this is a lot to make at once and you want even cooking.

Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and reduce the coconut milk until it makes a fairly thick sauce (coats the back of a spoon, but isn't thick enough to hold a shape).

Return vegetables (and tofu) to pan and coat with sauce. Serve with cooked basmati rice and any Indian breads/chutneys. We kept it simple.

Here is what the packet looks like if you don't want to shop from the internet. I found mine at a local Indian grocer!

Gooey Cream Cheese Brownies
(Based off a Vegweb.com recipe, modified slightly)

2 cups flour
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup oil - preferably vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli)
3/4 8oz. container Tofutti Cream Cheese (so use 6oz or just estimate)

*Boil water and 1/2 cup of the flour over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches the consistency of a thin gluey paste. Remove from heat and let cool completely. MUST cool completely.
*Mix sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa and oil. Then add the rest flour-water mixture. Mix well.
*Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder.
*Spoon out about 1/4-1/3 cup batter, and beat well with cream cheese, adding a little soy milk to thin.
*Add the nuts or chocolate chips to the large bowl of batter, if you choose to add those.
*Spread mixture into a greased 11 x 7 pan (I used 8x8 or 9x9). Pour cream cheese mixture on top of brownie mixture and swirl. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted and come out (somewhat)clean.

Mini Pumpkin Pie

2007-09-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I am so glad these mini-pies came out well. With help from PPKers, I found a crust and method that works. These are the newest addition to the cafe where I work. I hope our customers enjoy them!

Crust is from vegweb.com

1 1/2 cups flour (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons soy milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add liquids and mix with a fork. Pat into 9-inch pan with fingers. If pre-baked crust is needed, bake at 425 degrees F, 10-12 minutes.

Filling

3/4 lb tofu
15-16 oz pumpkin puree (1 can)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/3 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 c brown sugar

Do not press tofu, especially if using firm. (I used firm Chinese style tofu and this recipe still worked). Crumble tofu really well with your hands. Add all ingredients. Blend until very, very smooth. You may need to start out with a food processor then move to a blender. Scrape down sides of blender occasionally.

Topping
Recipe is from Recipezaar.

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts

*Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a large, heavy saucepan and place over medium heat.
*Stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is clear.
*Boil for 2 minutes without stirring.
*Add the walnuts, bring back to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
*Remove from heat and allow to cool.
*Serve and store at room temperature.
*Stir well before using.
*Note- Sauce will thicken upon cooling. Overcooking can lead to making a very hard walnut mixture.

Directions:

Chill dough while you are making filling. (2x recipe dough will equal 12 mini pies with a little dough left over. 1x pumpkin filling will make about 16 mini-pies.)
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
*Spray a cupcake pan well with nonstick spray. Flatten and pat dough into each cupcake well, keeping it a little higher on the sides (you will need the sides slightly high- you will be removing these from the pan, and it makes them look really home-made.)
*Bake dough about 10 min, until "set". Will not be golden, just not doughy.
*Fill each mini-pie with pumpkin filling and return to oven.
*Bake 10-20 minutes more, checking at 10 and 15 minutes. Pumpkin will not be jiggly and will come out mostly clean when done.
*Let cool, remove from pan by carefully slipping a knife down into each well, and gently pop out pie.
*Make walnut topping and put a small amount on each mini-pie.
*Serve

Korean Yumminess: Bulgogi and Kim Chee Tutorial

2007-09-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

First, the Kim Chee. Kim Chee is a very old, very popular fermented vegetable dish of Korea. Many kinds have fish or shrimp paste in them, making them not suitable for vegetarians, but you can easily make your own! It's a lot cheaper that way, as well.

This is my first attempt and I am happy with the results. This is how I made it. There are many, many different ingredient combinations, as well as methods. The times for preparation are greatly varied as well. I encourage you to try your own! Kim chee tends to get hotter with age, up to a point so go easy on your heat source if you aren't big on spiciness. Here we go!

First, get your hands on some Napa cabbage. I got mine at the local Asian market.

Next, cut the end off

You can use this as a frisbee or something. My dog actually liked how it tasted so he was licking it...

Cut into fourths lengthwise and wash well. Let drain.

Dispatch into 1-2 inch pieces and salt liberally. I used kosher salt.

Cover loosely and let sit anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours

The salt will purge the liquid from the cabbage. It will wilt and release its liquid. Look how much!

Rinse your cabbage and squeeze well. Do not worry about it being too dry. It will make more liquid as it ferments. Your cabbage should still have a nice texture (not all of it should be limp) and it shouldn't be too salty after rinsing.

This is the fun part...

Go nuts! Add what you want. Here is what I added:

Handful shredded carrots
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 sheet Laver seaweed*, cut into tiny pieces with scissors
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Sriracha, to taste**
about 2 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
several green onions, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped very fine
3-4 small/2 large garlic cloves, chopped very fine

*Laver seaweed is a delicious salted seaweed (?) algae (?) that is different from sushi nori. You can eat it as a snack by itself or with rice. It's really lacy-looking. I added this to impart a little "sea" taste. You can use other sea vegetables, such as kelp, or omit.
**Sriracha is a common Asian hot sauce. It has a rooster on the bottle. I added too much! I would go easy on the heat. You can add more later.

After all ingredients are well-mixed, place in a clean wide-mouth jar. I let mine sit on the stove overnight, but it isn't hot in the house. If it is too warm in your house, find a cool spot and let the kim chee sit there for a few hours or overnight.
You can eat the kim chee right away after it's refrigerated, but some people wait longer. It will keep in your refrigerator for months.

ENJOY!

*********************************

This Bulgogi recipe came from the newspaper and by the time I got to it, it was just an ingredient list and no name for credit. Sorry! Traditionally, it is made with beef. Seitan or tofu makes a really good substitution.

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

2-4 lbs protein such as seitan or tofu, cooked and sliced thin

3/4 c soy sauce
1 1/4 c water (less for saltier taste)
2 Tbsp. mirin
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, roasted and ground
2-3 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3-4 scallions, sliced on bias
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

Mix all ingredients. (Sugar will dissolve.) Can spoon sauce directly onto protein and serve with sticky rice. Can also reduce sauce slightly, or coat protein in sauce and serve with rice. Additional items for a meal: garlic bok choy, kim chee, noodles, sweet and sour soy beans, pickled sweet cucumber, daikon, etc.

NOT the bulgogi recipe, but using the sauce I had left over from when I did make it, and made a soba noodle with cashew dish...

BONUS!!!
Delicious Indian Takeout. Wish I made it, but I didn't.

"Meat" Loaf with Scalloped Potatoes and Veggies

2007-08-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yummy!

I easily veganized this recipe by substituting soy milk for the whole milk, and Earth Balance for the butter. I used 2 c. soy mil instead of 2 1/4 c. (It also cut the fat in milk by about half.) A good addition to this would be vegan "ham" and/or very thinly sliced onions.

Out of the oven

The meatloaf recipe is here on my blog (scroll down)

Cucumber 'Noodle" and Carrot Salad/Spaghetti with Joni's Meetballs

2007-08-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

I made this up today because I always throw away my cucumbers before they get eaten and I wanted something fresh and healthy. I am never on a diet but I do like to watch what I eat. Sometimes I am better and watching things as I eat them, but there are days where you just want something fresh!!

This Asian-inspired cold salad hit the spot. You may or may not be able to tell from the blog but Asian food is my favourite. I love Chinese, Thai, Japanese sushi, and Korean when I can get it. I made it up with ingredients from the cupboard and I really liked how it turned out. This dressing serves one, but you can easily get 2 good salads out of the vegetables. Adjust to taste. There are no measurements because taste is very different.

*1 cucumber, peeled
*1 carrot, peeled
*1 small dollop of Miso Mayo (1/2-1 tsp)OR light-flavoured chickpea or sweet white miso (1/4-1/2 tsp)
*1 small splash of tamari/soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil
1 small splash of rice vinegar
black or white sesame seeds for garnish

I do not have a fancy-schmancy raw food noodle maker thing, but I DO have a vegetable peeler, a food processor, and a grater. I assume you have one of these also.

All you do to make the "noodles" is peel with a vegetable peeler, or you can grate/food process shred them. Be sure to rotate the vegetable (if peeling) so you evenly cut from it or it will be hard to peel.
If using the vegetable peeler, just stop when you get to the seeds. OR you can cut the cucumber in 1/2 lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, and try peeling that way.
Lay your cucumber "noodles" on a paper towel to dry or squeeze the heck out of them. You want to not have a lot of water, and cucumbers are wet vegetables.

As you can tell in the picture, I shredded the carrot and made the cucumber into "noodles". You can either shred all of the vegetables, make both into "noodles" or do a combination. Just use what you have. If your food processor has a blade, you can prep your veggies in under 30 seconds.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a very small bowl, pour over carrot/cucumber and garnish.

Spaghetti with Joni's Meetball recipe!

Cornflake "Fried Chicken", White Gravy, and Mashed Potatoes

2007-08-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

You'll have to forgive the non-detailed recipes. I burned 4 fingers on my right hand and shut my left index finger in a door within 24 hours so my hands aren't happy right now!

I remember corn flake chicken as a kid. I wanted to try it with seitan. The corn flakes give a crunch without a ton of fat. The gravy is also reduced fat from the original recipe, but it's not healthy by any means. Gravy recipe from Bobby Flay (shame!!) but I cut the portion down by 1/2.

I had corn flake sietan, boyfriend had "fried chicken" seitan, so here are both recipes:

Corn Flake Chicken Seitan/Fried Chicken Seitan

Measurements completely depend on how much you want!

*Seitan, prepared
*Vegenaise
*Spices- anything you want- I did poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, or seasoned salt
*Bowl of soy milk + 1-2 Tbsp vinegar= buttermilk
*1-2 c corn flakes, crushed (or food processed like I did). Not all the way to a powder, but a nice crispy crumb
*flour

Corn Flake:

Place vegenaise and spices in a bowl. Add a very small amount of soy/nondairy milk to thin *slightly*

Dip sietan in Vegenaise mixture to coat well. Place in corn flakes and flip over to coat both sides.

Place in a sprayed cookies sheet/cake pan and bake at 400 for about 40 min, turning over halfway through.

Fried "Chicken"

Soak seitan in "buttermilk". Place flour in a bowl and add seasonings. Place clean soy milk in another bowl.

Dip buttermilk-soaked seitan in the flour, then in the clean soy milk, then back in the flour. Set aside on a plate and prepare a pan of hot oil.

Fry on each side or deep-fry if you have a deep fryer.

Gravy!
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 c soy milk

Mix the canola oil and flour in a saucepan and cook this roux over medium heat until it looks grainy and becomes slightly golden in color, just a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Add pepper and salt and mix well. Add soymilk, return the pan to the heat, and increase heat to high. Whisk until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add hot water to thin, if gravy is too thick. Remove from heat to prevent scorching. The gravy should be as thick as pancake batter.

Mashed Potatoes
2 servings desired potato, cleaned and cut
1 onion, sliced thin
several cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until they easily slide off a fork. While they are cooking, mix all other ingredients in a small pan and roast until onions and garlic are soft and tender, and golden.
Whip or mash potatoes, and add onion/garlic mixture until well-mixed.

Bonus shots of my kitty cat

Sushi, Ribz, Stuffed Mushrooms, Baked Potato + more!

2007-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

This plate has Ribz, stuffed mushrooms (recipe on this blog), and baked potato with roasted garlic and onion, cheez sauce, Tofutti sour cream, green onion, and Bacos.

Pizza from Decent Pizza. I added FYH Mozzarella.

SUSHI

Setup: carrot, zucchini, roasted peppers, red and green onions, teriyaki mushroom, avocado, inari pockets cut into strips

Summer Expres: 101 10-Minute Vegan Meals

2007-07-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Check out Urban Vegan's blog!

It's 101 veganized meals that take 10 minutes or less to make. There's some added prep time like water boiling or rice-cooking, but it's very handy.

Thanks, Urban Vegan!

Dinner Party!

2007-07-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a dinner party! I started on a lot of this late last night so I wouldn't be scrambling but I always scramble!

I like appetizer dinners. You get a little of everything, and a variety of tastes can be suited. Tonight the menu was:

Avocado Salad
Stuffed Mushrooms
Beer-Battered Onion Rings
Tempeh "Wingz"
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Yummy Spread
Bread
Oreo Cheesecake!!

(Recipes that I can give out are below)

Pictures of the guests and the food:

Group, clockwise from left: bf, Lauren and Zack, Luis, Sam, Jaime, Scooter, and Becky

Luis and me and the dogs

I wonder what John Cusack's up to tonight...

Bread pan battle scar!

Stuffed Mushrooms- I love stuffing and I love mushrooms so this is pretty much awesome for me. This recipe is based off of VWAV but I changed it a bit.)

30 large mushrooms, cleaned
3 Tbsp. olive oil
*1 small or 1/2 of 1 large onion (1 cup finely chopped)
*2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
*handful of your fav. herbs: I used a lot of basil, some oregano, and thyme, fresh
salt and pepper to taste
*1+ cup your favourite stuffing bread (I use bagged plain stuffing bread, not StoveTop type)
*bullion powder
*tad water

Preheat oven to 375 F
De-stem mushrooms, and finely chop stems and put stems in separate bowl
Bake mushrooms in oiled or sprayed large pan for 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms are baking, make stuffing: saute stems for 5 min, add garlic, onion, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook 5 more minutes
Add stuffing bread, water, and bullion. Add some water to fully hydrate stuffing, but give it time before adding water. Don't add too much. Just enough to hydrate bread. Set aside.

When mushrooms are done, drain liquid and place stem-side up. Stuff each mushroom and place back in oven. Bake 20 minutes more.

Beer-Battered Onion Rings*- I got this recipe here. *If you prefer to not use alcohol, chilled club soda will work fine.

Tempeh "Wingz" and Spinach-Artichoke Dip are both from "Don't Eat Off The Sidewalk". It's a cook-zine and it's only $2.50 and that includes shipping. You really should get it! I added some Follow Your Heart cheese to the dip but that's completely optional.

Yummy Spread is from Lolo at VeganYumYum. She has a book coming out. Her site is in my links. She is pretty awesome and really nice so when her books comes out you should buy it.

Bread. I made an easy bread from this recipe at Vegweb. Thanks M. Gorhon from PPK for the suggestion. I used about 1/2 and 1/2 white flour and Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. This makes 2 good size loaves, so feel free to cut in 1/2! With this appetizer dinner, no one will talk bad about you if you get storebought bread. I decided not to though, because I cannot really find a nice crusty bread that's vegan. All the ones a Publix have egg wash. Eggwash, you are dead to me. Soymilk works just fine!

Oreo Cheesecake (with raspberry sauce) This cheesecake is from Delicious Choices. I simply used a store-bought Oreo crust and added about 1 cup crushed Oreo-style sandwich cookies to the batter before baking. Since I believe the Delicious Choices recipes are no longer being sold, I will post it here. If you DO find them, please support the author and buy them.

Oreo Cheesecake

2- 8oz pkg Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
2 cups Sour Supreme Sour Cream
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbsp (1 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp) egg replacer powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 cup crushed Oreo-style cookies
Comb. cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until fluffy.
Add vanilla, flour, and egg replacer/water, and cookies beating well after each addition.
Pour into prepared 8" springform pan. Set in 8" pan in a 10" springform pan.
Pour hot water into 10" pan until 1/2 of the 8" pan is submerged.
Place in preheated 300F oven and cook 1 1/2-2 hours until center is set and sides begin to pull away from pan.
Do not unmold cheesecake until completely chilled. Chill 10 hours or more.

Raspberry Sauce:
1 standard bag frozen raspberries
sugar
water
cornstarch
more water
maple syrup (opt.)

*Set bag of raspberries on counter and thaw. Place thawed raspberries (and juice) into a sauce pan and add sugar. The amount is up to you. I would say I used 1/3 a cup or less, but added some maple syrup. It's to taste.
*Add a little water (1/4 cup?) and bring to a boil, whisking often.
*Mix about 1 Tbsp. corn starch/arrow root starch in a couple Tbsp water and dissolve completely. Add cornstarch/water right before mixture comes to a boil. *Continue to cook and whisk until thick. Set aside to cool.
*optional for presentation: strain through a fine mesh strainer. Put strained sauce in a squeeze bottle and decorate anything you want. The seeds can be added to bread or yogurt for breakfast or whatever. Don't throw them out.

Fried Rice,Coconut Milk Soup, Taco Salad, Boston Cream Cupcakes

2007-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

First up is Fried Rice. It's based off the Basic Fried Rice recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan's Authentic Chinese Food for the Contemporary Kitchen. It's really great, and you don't have to use a ton of oil. You get the flavour with little fat. The basic procedure is to use COLD rice, heat up your pan very hot, add oil, then stir fry tofu/veggies for a bit then add the rice. Add a little soy sauce for colour and some sesame oil. Buy her book!

Thai Coconut Milk Soup from The Garden of Vegan. Yummy! Only problem I had was that it called for "3 pieces galangal" with no size specification so I use 3 large chunks (smaller than 1-Tbsp. each). It was really yummy with the rice!

Basic Taco Salad. Publix brand veggie-ground "beef"

Boston Cream Cupcakes from VCTOTW. I used pudding because I had problems with my filling. These were excellent though. I used all Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and subbed 1/2 the oil for applesauce. Soooo good!

This is my friend, Jaime. We cook together and watch "Curb Your Enthusiasm" a lot. Hey Jaime, it's like a jetstream of bull#@*! coming out of your mouth!" XOX. Jaime's shirt got bleached because she is a hair stylist. If I had non-dreaded hair, I would go to Jaime.

Appetizer Dinner w/ Lolo Food, "Crab" cakes, and Mac and Cheese

2007-07-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

I decided to do an all-appetizer dinner. I had made the mac-and-cheese (soul veg recipe) the day before, and started the "crab cakes" before work and let them sit in the fridge while I was gone.

Lolo's jalapeno poppers were awesome...I just don't like the flavour/heat of jalapenos. The batter and the filling were both excellent, and the person I made them for liked them a lot. I tried to just eat the batter and filling and it was *still* too hot for me because it was in the pepper. If I find a pepper I love then I will definitely make these again!

"Crab" Cakes
This recipe is from Vegcooking.com. We actually ate at Sluggo's once. It was a weird day. My cat Coral had passed away and we had his funeral and needed to get out and so we drove and saw Islands in Pensacola at Sluggo's. I had the crab cakes and they were really good. I was glad to see the recipe on vegweb.

1 block firm tofu
1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, grated
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup dried cornbread crumbs (I used more than this to keep it together)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (try Vegenaise)
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. dill
1 Tbsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Cachere's and Old Bay)
1 tsp. white pepper
Salt, to taste
Japanese panko bread crumbs for coating the cakes
Oil for frying

• Crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients, except for the panko and oil, and stir together well, making sure that the cornbread crumbs are thoroughly mashed so that there aren’t any big pieces. If the mixture is too wet, add another 1/4 cup of cornbread crumbs. If it’s too dry, add a little more vegan mayonnaise.
• Using your hands, roll about 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time into balls, then roll in the panko until coated. Flatten into cakes.
• Heat the oil on a flat-top grill or in a large iron skillet until hot. Fry the cakes until golden brown.

Makes 3 Servings

Tartar Sauce
"Glop" Vegenaise
smaller "glop" dill relish
squirt lemon juice
black pepper

Notes:
*If using a food processor to fine-chop the veggies/tofu, DRAIN WELL. I had to add a lot of cornbread crumbs even though I dried pretty well.
*I also tried baking these by doing everything above, except cooking at 400F for about 20 minutes in an oiled pan.
*If baking, you may want to add egg replacer powder. 1 Tbsp egg replacer and 1-2 Tbsp water. You want to add as little moisture as possible, as it will already be pretty wet.

Cheesecake and Produce

2007-07-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

I made Mocha cheesecake for my friend for her birthday. The recipe is from Delicious Choices, but I cannot find the website! I heard the recipes are no longer being sold, but if you come across them, PLEASE buy her recipes. It's a $10 download and worth every penny.

The recipe called for rum, but I subbed Kahlua. These were wonderful! The crust is an Oreo store crust. The recipe made more than 24 cupcake-sized minicakes. Be sure to reduce the time cooking. Recipe Below

Flea Market- All of this produce was really well-priced.

Eggplant 3/$1
Green/Red Peppers 3/$1
Avocado Basket 5/$5
Peaches 6/$2
Blueberries Pint/$1.50
Mangoes $.80 each
Onions 4/$2
Tomatoes- free since I bought other produce from this nice family

Mocha Cheesecake

3- 8oz pkg Tofutti Cream Cheese
1 c + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 c flour
1 1/2 Tbsp egg replacer dissolved in 1/2 c water
3/4 c melted chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli semi-sweet!)
3 Tbsp rum (I subbed Kahlua and Kahlua is non-alcoholic as well)
3 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/4 c water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Oreo Crust

Preheat oven to 300F.
Press 1/2 c crust into 8" lined springform pan OR 1/2-1 Tbsp crust into each 24 sprayed cupcakes liners in a muffin pan. If using 8" pan, use a 10" springform pan as a waterbath. If using cupcake pan, do your best and put a cookie sheet with high sides under it for a water bath.

*Mix coffee, rum, water, and vanilla in small bowl and set aside.
*Combine cream cheese and sugar until fluffy (beat MED speed)
*Add flour, egg replacer/water, and melted chocolate chips, beating well after each addition
*Pour coffee mixture into cream cheese mixture and beat until fluffy.
*Pour into prepared pan/cupcake pan. Add hot water so that 1/2 of the 8" pan is submerged.
*Place in oven and bake until cake rises slightly and starts pulling away from the sides. Middle will be shiny and not quite set. This should take about an hour for the 8" or 30-40 min for the cupcake pan.
*Cool in pan on wire rack.
*Place cooled pan in refrigerator over night. DO not unmold cake until thoroughly chilled and set, at least 10 hours (longer is better).
*If using 8" pan, unmold cake and turn upside down onto a plate, then right side up to serve. Cake can be frozen.
*If you do cupcake-sized, there will be batter left over so if you have 3 cupcake pans, use them. I like the single-serving cupcake-size.

1 Tbsp = 3 tsp.

BBQ/Potluck Recipes- Need Your Submissions

2007-07-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here in the states, we had Independence Day on the 4th, which means we as Americans must stuff our patriotic faces. Post your recipes here and don't vote Republican. Post in the comment, and I will post it here if you wish, *please specify*). Or link to them, or whatever you want!
Hope you had a safe and happy 4th!

I have a couple. Maybe pictures will be added at a later time:

Chips and Fruit Salsa
Yes, this salsa is for chip-dipping! For a completely raw version, use raw flax crackers or even romaine lettuce. This is a free-style recipe. Everything to taste.

2 mangoes, peeled and fruit chopped small
3-4 large strawberries, hulled and chopped small
1/4- 1/3 medium red onion, diced very small
1-2 green onions, sliced thin (white and green parts)
1 bunch cilantro (or half, or none), chopped finely
salt
pepper
agave nectar (raw agave for raw version)
1 japaleno pepper, deseeded and chopped fine (optional. I didn't use one because I didn't have any gloves!) This is only if you want a very spicy version.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill for a few minutes to allow flavours to blend. Serve with tortilla chips.

***************
Yummy Potato Salad
I made the perfect potato salad yesterday. It will probably never happen exactly the same again. This is the best I can remember.

2-3 cups red (new) potatoes, unpeeled and small diced (about sugar cube-sized)
1-2 or a little less red onion, chopped fine
2-3 green onions, sliced thin or minced
1 handful cilantro, chopped (opt)
2 large "glops" Vegenaise, add more to taste or use less to taste
1 dollop regular yellow mustard
1 dollop stone-ground mustard (I like the kind with the seeds in it)
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Cook potatoes until done but still firm. Drain well. Mix all ingredients well. Chill thoroughly. It is very important to chill. It is great room temperature but awesome chilled.

Mike's "Skallop" Cilantro-Coconut Pasta

2007-07-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mike on the PPK Forums sent me this recipe a long while ago. I altered it just slightly, so I will post my version. This makes a large amount, probably 6 good-sized servings. We all know pasta is better the next day! This is a very freestlye recipe, as much is not specifically measured and you can add whatever seasonings you wish.

Sauce:
1 can coconut milk
1/4 c olive oil, or a mixture of oil/broth, or omit
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
Couple handfuls or 1 bunch cilantro**
Chili Sambal sauce, to taste (start out with 1 tsp. and work up)
3-4 sugar-cube size chunks ginger, cut up
1/2 sheet nori seaweed, chopped*

**If you hate cilantro, consider using green onion, spinach, roasted red pepper or any other vegetable. Play around with it!
*Use nori only if you want the "sea" flavour. If not using Skallops, you may want to omit it.

Skallops:
*1 can Worthington "Skallops" OR 1 1/4 lb pressed tofu OR seitan, cut into small-ish chunks
*soy sauce
*lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons below)
*fresh grated ginger

Skallop Coating:
1/2 sheet nori, cut up (use scissors, very easy!)
Flour to coat
Few Good Shakes Old Bay seasoning
1-2 Lemons for cooking (will be explained)

Pasta:
1 box (16 oz) Angel Hair Pasta

Directions:

Marinate Skallops in marinade mixture (soy sauce,lemon juice, ginger) for 20 minutes. They do not have to be submerged, just keep them wet.

Blend sauce ingredients in blender. Set aside.

Heat some oil in a skillet, coat Skallops in flour/spice/nori mixture, and saute. You may have to do this in 2 batches to not overcrowd. Add juice from 1/2 lemon and flip over/stir when golden brown. (If doing 2 batches, make sure not to use juice from 1/2 lemon in *each* batch unless you really want a lemony flavour).
Keep Skallops moving and let both sides cook. If necessary, deglaze pan with lemon juice or white wine. Add more oil as necessary.

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta.

Pour liquid from blender into hot skillet or pan. Make sure this is a large pan! You can add:
*Tomato (I used 1 cup but could have easily used 2)
*Few pinches turmeric
*Few pinches coriander

When liquid starts to bubble, add pasta and evenly coat pasta in sauce. At this point, you can add more seasoning: soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, etc. Anything you want.

Plate noodles, top with cooked Skallops and garnish.

Baklava

2007-06-29T19:17:00.001-07:00

I forget how awesome baklava is until I eat it again. It's so good! You don't have to stick strictly to this recipe- if you like pistachios or cashews, mix them in. If you like lemon or rosewater flavours, add extracts.

The recipe is a slight alteration of the one found Here

Bonus shot of my kitty being so cute

Easy Baklava

1 lb. walnuts, pulsed in food processor until chunks and crumbs remain
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
shake nutmeg
shake allspice
1 (16-oz.) package phyllo dough
1 cup Earth balance margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. orange extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9x13-in. baking dish.

2. Toss together spices and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish (if Phyllo comes in 2 stay-fresh packs, they may already be cut to this size). Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.

3. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with margarine. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp. of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.

4. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.

5. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in agave and reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add extracts at the very end.

6. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered. It freezes well, too.

Smoky Cream of Mushroom Soup

2007-06-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe idea from Paula Deen (gasp! I know!). My version has a little less fat and a different mushroom combo. Button mushroom were 2 for 1 (score) at the grocery store, and I got these oyster mushrooms at the Asian Market 6oz./$2. I have never used oyster mushrooms before today so it was fun.

Recipe:

2 Tbsp olive oil (plus 1 Tbsp. for additional cooking)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup chopped sweet onions
16 oz. button mushrooms** rough chopped
6 oz. oyster mushrooms** rough chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbsp white wine
4 cups vegan "chicken" stock, or vegetable stock , with 1/4 c. reserved
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup good vegan margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Silk creamer (Plain, not flavoured)
1 cup soy milk/other plain-flavoured non-dairy milk
Salt and pepper
Croutons, vegan sour cream, sliced chives/green onion, for garnish (opt)

**You can use whatever combination of mushrooms that you like

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 2 Tbsp. olive oil and liquid smoke. Toss 1/2 (or a little more than half)of the mushrooms (1/2 the oyster, 1/2 the button) in oil mixture and roast them in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes.

In a large pot, saute the onions in remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Once onions are sauteed, add the other 1/2 (uncooked, chopped) mushrooms and garlic. After mushrooms and garlic are cooked add roasted mushrooms, white wine and broth and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in blender. Please be very careful and allow to cool slightly. Pulse in blender with lid on but keep a vent for the steam! OR you can just use an immersion blender in the pot.

Mix cornstarch and reserved 1/4 cup (cooled) broth in a small cup. Set aside.

Make a roux with the margarine/flour in a separate pan. To do this, melt the margarine, then add the flour and mix all the lumps out. This is a white roux, which means you aren't going to cook it too long.

Blend in soy creamer/milk to the roux mixture and continue to heat until warm and smooth. It's not necessary to cook until hot. Place soup mixture back in pot (if using immersion blender, soup will already be in the pot) on stove and add roux/cream. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cornstarch/broth mixture in the last 5 minutes if you feel it's not thick enough*. You can add half and see if it's thick enough. Remember corn starch doesn't thicken fully until it comes to a boil.

Garnish with croutons, sour cream, sliced chives, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme (optional). I garnished with cilantro only because we are out of green onions. Use the onions or chives!

*Never add cornstarch to a pot of hot liquid, as it can clump and ruin what you are making. Dissolve it in a liquid then add to the hot liquid.

Pad Thai with Jaime

2007-06-26T09:05:00.001-07:00

My friend Jaime came over last night and we made Pad Thai. I showed her how I make it and I did the prep, she made the sauce and did the actual stir-frying. It was really fun and really good! The recipe is from VwaV and I make this dish a lot. It is just such a good dish that it in itself is reason enough to buy the book.

Later we had a few drinks and watched Napoleon Dynamite. Silly girls.

Setup

Finished Dish

Yummy! This makes a lot so if there are only 2 people, you may want to do 1/2 since you have to make it in 2 batches anyway..just make one batch. We made the entire recipe so she could take some home and we had leftovers for lunch today.

More Testers, Quiche Meal and a little friend

2007-06-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Okay! We have some more Lolo Testers (Seitan Ginger Dumplings and Sugar/Spice Snap Peas). I made this with a bed of garlic bok choy and tofu.

Before and after steaming:

Bonus shot of the bamboo steamer

Here we have an avocado salad. Delicious! Lettuce, avocado, tomato, small-diced onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper.

Quiche meal. Mini-Quiches from FatFree Vegan. SO good! I would double the recipe if I were you!

A little guy I found. He was so cute! He was trapped in a little electircal box. I don't think he could get out. I gave him some water and I guess he was on his way.