Learner's Permit

kitties

2012-01-24T13:12:00.001-05:00

Maybe Ebay...?

2011-12-10T17:31:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving thinking

2010-11-01T17:08:00.005-04:00

In past years, we've gotten very overfed, made tons too many roasted veg, and spent time making gourmet dishes (fun!) This year - who knows? For some reason I'm attracted to the idea of a soup (something not often made, like perhaps that fennel soup) served in a small roasted squash or pumpkin, accompanied by a special salad (last year we had a spring mix with apples and candied walnut bits, which was great), and a light dessert.

thoughts:

SOUPS

Carrot and Parsnip soups with tarragon-cashew sour cream
Millennium Cookbook, p.66

Fennel & Fava Soup

Polynesian Peanut Soup With Toasted Coconut
http://www.wftv.com/fourthofjuly/3742553/detail.html

Sweet Potato-Ancho Bisque with Apple-Pecan Salsa & Roasted Red Pepper Cream
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/holidayrecipe … etail.html

Yukon Gold Potato Soup with Black Olive Caviar [skip the egg topping, just olives and chives)
http://www.nbc6.net/news/2124732/detail.html

Alternatively, it would be great to have potstickers, a light and spicy broth-based chinese soup, and ... something something for dessert. More on this later.

Carmelized tofu
withschezwan green beans and shallots
butterscotch pudding
apple slaw
fresh fruit

SALADS

Strawberry & Spinach salad with a balsamic dressing

Chilled asparagus in dilled mustard sauce

Green beans in vinaigrette

DESSERTS

Vegan pumpkin pudding garnished with sesame lace tuilles (millennium, p. 210)

Strawberry pie, but made into just a few cupcake-sized tarts, with a puff pastry base and drizzled with chocolate, or the vanilla sauce from Millennium, p.223.

menu items for next week

2010-08-14T10:27:00.003-04:00

Crockpot ratatouille http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=791877 with garlic bread
Vegan tamales with roasted peppers & tomatoes http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1199920 with beans
Samosa wraps http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/06/es-samosa-wraps.html (in sparks as http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1141795 ) with salad
Eggplant, Potato and Okra Sabji http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=617306 over rice or with naan
Pav Bhaji (Indian mixed vegetables) http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=11811 on buns with chipotle-roasted carrots
Portabella pepper steak http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1125051 with rice
Vegan dad’s burgers, salad, roast potatoes

Pav Bhaji Masala (converted from the recipe provided here)

3.5 T red chili
3.5 T coriander seeds
5 ¼ tsp cumin seeds
5 ¼ tsp black pepper
.8 oz cinnamon
5 ¼ tsp clove
4-5 black cardamom
5 ¼ tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
Roast all the ingredients separately. When cool, grind it. Shift them and mix dry mango powder, turmeric powder and fill in the bottle.

Check out this free giveaway!

2010-08-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

Robin Robertson of Vegan Planet is giving away TWO (yep, count'em) copies of her new cookbook, Vegan on the Cheap! Hie thee hence and add your voice to the fray!

Tofu triangles in creamy nut butter sauce with scallions

2010-06-22T19:04:00.001-04:00

I never recorded this here, but Mike and I joined SparkFeople.com a few weeks back. We both have weight to lose, and want very much to continue to enjoy our life together. We just got married, too! Anyway - here's another change in our nutrition, and we both want to continue to enjoy our food, as we both love to cook.

Here's one great recipe from Epicurious.com, originally a recipe by Deborah Madison. We thought the combination was terrific - the best nut sauce we've had and that's saying something. However, we've amended it to cut both fat and salt, so I'm posting it here:

Tofu Triangles:

* 1 carton firm tofu, drained
* 2 scallions including the greens, thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds

The Creamy Nut Butter Sauce:

* 3 Tbs soy sauce, or tamari, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which is what we used - it's lower in salt)
* 1/4 cup sesame paste, peanut butter, or cashew butter (we used almond butter)
* 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons white or light brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or chili oil
* 2 scallions, finely chopped
* 1/3 cup water or stock (we used water)

1. Slice the tofu crosswise into scant 1/ 2-inch slabs, then cut each slab into 2 triangles. Blot with paper towels.

2. Dry-fry tofu in a cast-iron skillet (or do what we do and use a George Foreman grill!) The link here is to an excellent dish we've greatly enjoyed before - scroll down to see a good description of the dry-frying process.

3. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small food processor and puree until smooth. Taste for salt and add a little extra, if needed.

4. When the tofu is done, pour in half the sauce and cook until bubbling and partially reduced.

5. Turn off the heat, scatter the scallions and sesame seeds over the top, and bring to the table.

Roasted Parsnip Soup with Fresh Herb and Caper Chimichurri

2010-06-13T13:24:00.003-04:00

DELICIOUS! We both decided this recipe belongs in our top favorite soups. Thank you, Veggie Belly, for posting it! I'm posting it here because I made a few changes.

Roasted Parsnip Soup
serves about 4

2 parsnips chopped, about 2 cups
2 celery ribs roughly chopped
1 leek stalk cleaned and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
3 tbsp fresh chives
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Turmeric for color, optional
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups soy milk
1 tsp Olive oil & olive oil cooking spray for roasting parsnips

Preheat oven to 400F

Scrub the parsnips clean. Chop off the ends. Chop the parsnips into cubes. Spray with olive oil and mix to coat, then place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven till the parsnips are golden.

While the parsnips are roasting, heat a large, deep pot with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the chopped celery, leeks, garlic and bay leaf. Cook on medium-high heat till the celery has softened a little – about 3 minutes. Now add the minced herbs and crushed chili pepper, and cook another minute. Add the turmeric, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and discard it.

Add the roasted parsnips and milk to the stock. Place in a blender and puree into a soup – as smooth or chunky as you like.

Return the soup to the pot, and warm through before serving.

Fresh herb and Caper Chimichurri
makes about 1/4 cup

1 cup fresh Parsley leaves roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh Oregano
Capers – 1 1/2 tbsp plus 1 tbsp of the brine (or use pitted green or kalamata olives instead)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 garlic clove

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend into a coarse paste.
To serve, top your soup with ~Tsp of chimichurri

Pot stickers

2010-06-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

from Vegweb, easy and tasty potstickers

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water
1/3 cup cooking sherry or veg broth
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage (I used precut slaw cabbage)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1/2 cup minced celery
3 tablespoon minced green onion
3 tablespoon minced cilantro
5 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoon salt or herbal salt substitute

Directions:

In large bowl, combine flours and water. Knead 15 minutes, adding more flour to water to create a smooth, pliable dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Heat sherry (or broth) in wok over medium heat. Stir-fry onion and cabbage until limp. Add remaining pot sticker ingredients. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and place in colander to drain excess moisture.

Divide dough into 24 small balls. On a lightly floured board, flatten each ball of dough into a 3-4 inch circle. Fill each circle with about 1 T filling. Fold circle into half moon shape; pinch edges to seal.

Lightly coat two large nonstick skillets (or work in batches with one skillet) with vegetable cooking spray. Set over medium heat. When hot, add pot stickers, seam side up, flattening slightly on the bottom. When the bottoms of pot stickers are golden brown, add 3/4* C water per pan. Cover and steam for 20 minutes. Makes 24 pot stickers.

* original recipe calls for 1/2 c but I found that the dumplings went dry, giving me a sort of leathery dough rather than the ideal tender stuff. I'll have to play with this - just make sure your pan doesn't go dry.

Tofu Cacciatore

2010-05-20T20:16:00.000-04:00

This tasty cacciatore was quick and easy to throw together, and really highlights the fresh & bright flavor of the ingredients. we used our own homegrown rosemary & parsley, subbed veggie broth (low sodium) for the wine,and added a pinch of hot pepper flakes. Instead of pasta we ate this over basmati. Next time, I'd add maybe a tsp of (vegan) worcestershire, some bell pepper, and would also carmelize the onions rather than just sauteeing briefly, to add a greater depth of flavor. The tomato gravy was delicious but thin, so if you like a thicker gravy, you might add something... nutritional yeast, or some corn flour, either would do it. light & completely filling.

Tofu Cacciatore - originally from http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=59

1 lb. firm tofu
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped (or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine or low-salt vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried parsley (or 1/4 c. fresh!)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (or 1 tsp fresh)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
pinch of hot pepper flakes, or to taste

• Cut the tofu into 1/2" thick slabs and dry-fry* by cooking on a no-stick skillet about 10 minutes per side, then remove from heat. Cut into 1/2" square cubes.

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carmelize the onion by cooking low and slow for at least 20 minutes (original recipe had you sautee for just 2 minutes, which works - but this is better). Add garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

• Add the tomato paste, broth, tomatoes, mushrooms, wine or broth, herbs, salt, and spices and stir until thoroughly blended. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.

• Add the tofu squares and continue to simmer (about 10 minutes) until the tofu is heated through. Serve with pasta or rice.

Makes 4 servings

* You don't need to press this - that's part of the genius of it - and you do not need to use oil. We started doing this after I saw this recipe and have never looked back! It's true - tofu cooked this way soaks up sauces and marinades like nobody's business, and saves on fat. We use a small Foreman grill to do this. Its nonstick grill does a great job on both sides at once.

Chickpea pot pie with a chickpea flour crust

2010-05-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

This was definitely one of the tastiest non-Indian dinners we've had lately! We got the potpie recipe off one site and the crust recipe from another.

Pot pie I found we needed to add in 2 more tablespoons of besan flour & 1 of cornstarch. We also substituted one medium-sized potato for the noodles. This has the BEST gravy!

Crust 1 1/2 times this recipe made enough dough for 7 individual pot pies - and we now have 5 of them in the freezer for later. I love doing that for busy or lazy times.

We found this completely filling but I do think a green salad or other green leafy side would add to it.

Favorite dishes

2010-05-10T08:23:00.003-04:00

Soups – celery, carrot, squash, split pea, cashew tomato, tomato & garlic bread
Creamy curried veggies
black beans and yellow rice
quinoa salad with black beans and sweet potato
sweet chili lime tofu with collards and quinoa
Seitan pepper steak w/ rice (tester recipe for Isa's new lowfat vegan cookbook!)
backyard BBQ tofu curls w/ coleslaw on buns (Veganomicon)
Bindhi masala
Chana masala
Brussels sprouts and gravy
Aloo muttar
tomato rice
risotto
roasted veggies and sautéed beans
pasta with marinara sauce
tostadas

Marinara sauce

2010-05-10T07:57:00.003-04:00

Marinara Recipe
Makes ~ 4 cups
Gluten free, soy free, 30 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil (I reduce this to maybe 1 tablespoon - you might try to see what suits your taste)
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Fresh black pepper to taste
24 oz can crushed tomatoes (may be 28 oz can- one large can, or two small will work)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually omit this, the tomatoes and olives are salty enough for us)
Zest of one lemon

Preheat a 2 qt pot over medium low heat. Add the olives and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), black pepper and sauté a minute more. Add tomatoes and salt (if using) and stir. Cover pot, leaving a little gap for steam to escape and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon zest, stir, and serve!

Spicy sweet dipping sauce

2010-04-25T20:50:00.001-04:00

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hot-and-Sweet-Dipping-Sauce/Detail.aspx

this is the one! full of sugar, but it doesn't take much at all.

makes 4 servings - actually it makes much more than that. how often do YOU need 1/4 c of dipping sauce? 1/8 c would be more like it. this worked well with the pot stickers I made.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup rice vinegar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a small, non-reactive pot, and mix in sugar until dissolved. Reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes, and remove from heat. Mash the garlic and salt into a smooth paste, and mix into the pot. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Cool to room temperature before using, or store up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Bhindi Masala

2010-02-28T15:50:00.002-05:00

We went out for Mike's birthday last week to Kokila, a very good Indian restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine, and while I loved my dishes, his bhindi masala was just superb. Hopefully this one comes close!

Followup: Oh yeah. This was GREAT! I've never liked okra, but this rocked!

Copied with slight variations from this wonderful blog

1 lb bhindi (okra)
1 medium yellow onion
1-2 ripe tomatoes, (1 is enough if it is large)
2-3 T oil
1/8th tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried raw mango powder)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 T chopped cilantro, optional

Clean okra with a damp towel, and after it is completely dry, slice into thin rounds, discarding the ends. Slice the onion thinly and dice the tomato finely.

In a large wok, heat the oil, and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add cumin and fennel seeds, followed by onion, and saute for a minute. Add turmeric and okra and saute till it starts to change color slightly. Let it cook for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and chili powder, and continue to stir-fry on medium-low heat until everything is cooked together, which takes 5-10 minutes depending on the okra. At the end, add salt, and the remaining spices, and keep cooking for a few more minutes on low heat, stirring if required. Add cilantro.

Mango chicken curry with rice

2010-02-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

I've been searching for a curry my mother used to make for a very long time. However, the base of it was a KnorrSwiss curry mix that isn't available any more (believe me, I've tried to find this!) and Mom added to it with curry powder she'd gotten in Johannesburg, asking a friend to bring some back for her, after we moved elsewhere. The curry used mutton or chicken, and stewed all day long in its sweet/savory sauce. It was served over rice with lots of 'sambal' accompaniments - chopped peanuts, tomatoes, bell pepper, raisins, onion, mango chutney. Now obviously, I'm not going to make a real chicken curry, but there is a new product on the market that's astoundingly similar to chicken - gardein. The texture is so very like chicken that with the right treatment it's a perfectly satisfactory replacement - otherwise, I think I'd use chickpeas, potatoes, or dry-fried tofu pieces in its place.

I found the following recipe here and got rather excited to see if it might be the same (or similar) to that early favorite of mine - in fact, it's what I used to beg for as a birthday dinner, year after year! I'll paste it in, with my changes:

Mango Chicken Curry Recipe

Ingredients

* 3 Tbsp (or more) of vegetable oil
* 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
* 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
* 2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 mangos, peeled and diced
* 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
* 1 1/4 cup water
* 4 gardein 'chicken' breasts, rinsed and dried, chopped in 1" cubes, or 1 container of tofu, cubed and dry-fried.
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 1/2 cup coconut milk
* Salt and pepper
* Cilantro for garnish

Method

1 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more.

2 Add the vinegar, water, and a 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Purée the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.

3 Add Gardein pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes.

4 Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let boil! Or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings. If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

Tofu pot pie

2010-02-15T14:24:00.002-05:00

This recipe was cobbled together from several others, and ended up being really good - as someone has said, pot pie's one of those all-forgiving recipes. Much credit to Vaishy, whose terrific pastry crust recipe we used, and to Susan, whose recipe supplied an herbal template for the filling - though I went my own way with how it went together, being somewhat short of time after a trip to a used bookstore! As an added note, I really wish stores would not use lard by default in their premade crusts. When we realized we'd be running late, I suggested getting one of those Pillsbury crusts, which are so great to work with - but none of those, nor any of the store brands, used anything but lard.

Pie crust
(original here):

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tbsp transfat-free vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried herbs (Vaishy used rosemary and thyme; we used thyme, sage, onion powder, and poultry seasoning to go with the filling)

Mix together all the ingredients. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork until no large lumps remain. Add just enough cold water and stir with a fork to mix. When the dough comes together, divide into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling
original here

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
-- saute these veggies in a little olive oil (about 1 tsp) til fragrant and just a bit brown, set aside

8 ounces portabellas
-- slice mushrooms. place in hot covered pan (I use my heavy cast iron for this) medium-high 'til mushrooms lose their liquid and become quite fragrant. set aside.

2 large carrots, diced
1 L potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
-- boil in water sufficient to cover for 10 minutes, drain and mix with other veggies.

1 package extra-firm tofu
-- cube and dry-fry to lightly brown and let some water cook out. mix with veggies, set aside.

1 1/2 c veg broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper -- or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
-- bring to boil, simmer for around 10 minutes. remove bay leaves, then thicken by removing some of the hot broth and mixing it with the cornstarch slurry mentioned below.
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

I found it still wasn't thick enough so ended up adding besan (chickpea) flour. Make sure you let the thickened mix cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat & stir in the last few ingredients.

1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon mellow white miso

Assembly

Use deep-dish pan. fill crust and bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until top crust is brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes.

hot dog!

2010-01-02T10:17:00.004-05:00

Following a ppk post on variations for vegan sausage, I'd like to try these hot dog spice mixes. The idea is to amend Isa's sausage recipe in the (highly recommended!*) Vegan Brunch cookbook with the alternative spices.

FRANKFURTERS/HOTDOGS (1)
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder or granules
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp ground celery seeds
½ tsp mace (can sub nutmeg)
1/2 to 1 tbsp prepared mustard

FRANKFURTERS/HOTDOGS (2)
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder or granules
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp mace (can sub nutmeg)
¼ tsp marjoram
½ tsp ground mustard seeds
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp white pepper
2 tsp sugar

* The tofu scramble recipe in this book is our favorite so far - and in fact, I made it and shared it with my omni family Christmas morning, along with homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls - everyone thought both were great! Also, the bagel recipe is one I've been using weekly & have done countless variations on - there's a batch of cinnamon-raisin bagels in the breadmaker right now, in fact. I made people bagels as gifts, giving each family 2 little bags with a total of 8 bagels, 2 of each kind: cinnamon raisin, pumpkin pie with walnuts, sundried tomato, and carmelized onion. I don't add extra sugar, just the spices, and that worked out really well.

Awesome Hoppin' John

2010-01-01T20:34:00.002-05:00

Mike found a great recipe that he amended for our dinner tonight, and ate over some leftover basmati, plus a collard tester recipe for Isa (which will become a new favorite). You'll find the original recipe for the hoppin' john here, but here's how it was amended:

Adams Hoppin' John & changes

2 tablespoons safflower or other light oil
1 medium chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes (Italian style w/basil & oregano)
for future efforts: add at least 1/2 can of tomato sauce to make sauce thicker.
1 - standard size can of Rotel (probably abt. 9 oz but I'm too lazy to check this)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bag cook-ready black-eyed peas (cooked in pressure cooker for 9 minutes using quick-release method; you could use 2 cans of b.e.peas instead)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chopped chipotle with about 1 tsp adobo sauce from the can

Directions:

Heat oil in a very large skillet. Add the onions and saute over low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onions are golden. Add the tomatoes and herbs and cook until tomatoes have softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add peas & stir together well, simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Black-eyed peas with chipotle remoulade

2009-12-31T08:27:00.002-05:00

Susan, from FatFree Kitchen, has done it again - her recipe for Black-eyed pea cakes with chipotle remoulade looks tasty and low-fat, making it a must-try for the near future. I've never done black-eyed pea cakes, but I do use a chipotle/mayo mix occasionally as the base for pizza (equal parts vegannaise and vegan sour cream, plus added chipotle, as much as you like & adobo) and think the use of silken tofu in the place of mayo and sour cream is maybe brilliant (this last innovation, from the what do I know? blog. I say yum!

Chipotle Remoulade

2-3 canned chipotle peppers, plus a spoonful of the accompanying sauce
1 package (12 ounces) silken tofu
2 tablespoons soy milk
juice of 1 lime
a dash of salt

Place the chipotle peppers in the bowl of a small food processor. Whiz for a few seconds until they are chopped. (You may have to scrape the sides down.) Add the tofu and whizfor 2 minutes, until tofu is smooth and no longer grainy. Add the soymilk, lime juice and salt as you’re whizzing.

- copied from here

possible bagel flavors

2009-12-01T20:12:00.002-05:00

peanut butter & jam
raisin-cinnamon
pumpkin
chocolate chip

onion
sundried tomato (and caper)
plain
seeded

2009-11-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Pizza with potato, onion, and oregano

2009-11-29T09:54:00.004-05:00

Again, this is a melding of several tasty-looking recipes, and is recorded here as a reminder: I have not yet made this. Taking Isa's excellent pizza dough from Vegan With a Vengeance, topped with what Saveur calls 'melted onions' - losing the fontina, and adding in its place a drizzle of miso-based white sauce in an attempt to provide the complex and savory bite of fontina, hopefully this combination will delight and warm!

THE DOUGH
copied from this blog, but amended)

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 (1/4 oz) packet of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil (and more for drizzling)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
cornmeal for dusting

My directions for making this in a bread machine:

Add ingredients in order listed: yeast, sugar, oil, water, flour, salt. Set machine to the dough setting. When it's done, add a bit of oil on top so it doesn't dry out, but leave it in the machine to rise.

Let rise for 1 hour, then punch down and knead for another minute, dusting with flour if necessary. Form into a ball again, place back in the bowl, and let it rest for an hour or two.

Form into 1 or 2 crusts by stretching and/rolling.

TOPPINGS:
- Miso-based sauce
- Melted onions
- Potato (1 yukon gold, sliced 1/16" thick - but wait to do this 'til just before assembling the pizza, or else do ahead and immerse in ice water so it doesn't get brown)
- Fresh oregano

THE SAUCE
I think Esme's special sauce would work here. It tastes not a bit like good pecorino or the fontina called for the in the original pizza recipe, but in any case, is rich and creamy with a similar earthy savor, and would add a whole set of notes to this simple pizza.

Esme’s Special Sauce, which I amended here for a lighter touch with the miso and soy sauce (her recipe calls for everything in equal amounts) is so simple:

In a small bowl mix up the following:
2 T tahini
1 T white miso
1 T soy sauce, tamari or Braggs
2 T olive oil
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T lemon Juice or vinegar
A few cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed.

MELTED ONIONS

4 thinly sliced or minced onions
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 t sea salt*

*Amended from original amount of 1 T - commenters agree that's too much, and I do not like too-salty anything! In any case, the miso & soy sauce have their own salt. I may just leave this salt out altogether.

Directions: Stew on low heat for several hours. The goal is to have the onions break down into an onion jam. Saveur suggests topping your small saucepan with a circle of parchment paper, cut to fit, which will keep the onions moist.

TO ASSEMBLE PIZZA
Preheat oven to 475-500F

1. Lightly spread sauce on pizza base to within 3/4" of edge.
2. Now put on a layer of the onion jam, not too thick!
3. Top with a layer of thinly sliced yukon gold potato (1/16"); brush olive oil over the top of this.
4. Sprinkle fresh oregano and cracked black pepper.
5. If you want, drizzle just a bit more of the sauce over the top (this may make the pizza too wet or heavy, so be very judicious here).
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until pizza is golden brown.

Vegan linguine with porcini, walnut, and fresh sage

2009-11-29T08:51:00.006-05:00

Disclaimer: I haven't made this yet. I'm just planning here. But via Saveur, I find an intriguing no-knead pasta recipe/technique that looks good, though it calls for 1 egg per person. I have another vegan pasta recipe I'll sub in, since I'm not sure that just subbing a flax egg here will work. Bryanna Grogan Clark's recipe has worked well for me in the past, so I'll use that, but (gasp) use the food processor for kneading. Actually I find that she does give food processor AND bread machine options for the kneading, so I'll just go with that (nothing like taking the long way round the block!)

1 lb pasta dough, formed into linguine and dried

topping: This is adapted from another Saveur recipe

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. porcini or other earthy mushrooms (portabella would work too),roughly chopped
1 cup soy creamer (unsweetened!)
1 15 1/2 oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed well
1 s onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c walnuts
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 T fresh sage leaves plus extra for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Fry onions in 1/2 T olive oil over medium heat until they're crisp and brown, but not burned. For the last few minutes, saute sage leaves as well, then remove from pan. Now use the same pan to dry-fry your walnuts 'til they're toasty but not burnt; remove and roughly chop.
2. In the same pan, heat to medium high, then add your mushrooms. Cover and cook for a few minutes, until they release liquid and brown, becoming very fragrant; now immediately lower heat to medium.
3. Add 1 T olive oil, and garlic, saute for 30 seconds being careful not to overcook the garlic.
4. Add cannelini beans, saute until beans start to split and soften.
4. Add soy creamer and optional red pepper flakes, lower heat to medium low, and let the liquid cook down to thicken slightly, then fold in fried onions, sage, and walnuts.
5. Serve over linguine, topped with additional fresh sage leaves, cracked pepper, and a sprinkling of sea salt if desired.

2009-09-19T21:35:00.004-04:00

Spicy cashew tomato soup

2009-08-09T14:52:00.003-04:00

This is a real keeper - creamy, garlicky, with a memory of heat - perfect with the spinach rolls I made (too bad the rolls themselves weren't all that great). But we'll definitely be making this easy soup often. I found it here, and have added my few adjustments in italics.

Soup
1½ cups cashews, soaked in water for at least a few hours to aid processing
3 cups water or vegetable broth, to increase the vitamin quotient
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. coriander seed
1 serrano chile next time I'll try a couple of chipotles in adobo for variation - I usually have those around, though the serrano was very good, too.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
~ Juice of ½ lime or lemon I used 1 whole lime plus its zest
¼ tsp. salt
Optional seasonings and garnishes
~ Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
~ Curry powder
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dill I added a healthy Tb of this AND a pinch of curry powder - but I did so earlier
~ Chopped cilantro or Italian parsley leaves, for serving I skipped this
Steps

1. In a large bowl using an immersion blender, blend the cashews with the water. Blend or chop the whole tomatoes with their juices.
2. Grind the cumin, fennel, and coriander in a mortar and pestle or clean propeller grinder.
3. Mince the chile, being careful not to touch your eyes, mouth, or skin while doing so. (Use plastic or rubber gloves if you have them.) Discard the seeds inside the chile if you want less heat. Wash hands thoroughly when done. actually I put this in my food processor, then after it got pretty well pulverized, added onion. I realized too late that the pepper gets added to the soup later, but it worked really well anyway. I wanted to be sure the serrano got really well chopped up, because last time I used it, Mike and I both got little flame-bites un-uniformly through whatever dish I'd made. for some reason the serrano is harder to tolerate for me than other pepppers (like ghost chilies - we both love the heat!
4. In a stockpot, heat the oil and sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add the celery and continue cooking. When the celery has softened, add the garlic, chile, and spices. Cook another minute or two before adding the tomatoes and cashews. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, being careful not to burn the cashews on the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the lime or lemon juice along with the salt. Adjust the flavor, if desired, using some of the optional seasonings and garnishes. Serve with cilantro or parsley, if you wish.

Tempeh koftas and spinach rice

2009-08-01T19:02:00.008-04:00

I keep forgetting to post a picture of our 'spice rack' - but believe me, without it I would not be nearly so likely to experiment as I do with different foods (especially various regional recipes of India). It's so amazing being able finally to walk over to the shelves with a set of small pinch bowls, and measure things in - just like that! I suppose to appreciate that, you'd need to know that where we lived before, even with a small pantry (size of a coat closet), I had bags and boxes of rices, flours, seeds, and spices. I could never find anything, and ended up buying more or something or other all the time! When we moved to Texas last month, I asked Mike to put up some shelves in the kitchen:

That's Maggie on the bottom shelf - and all the shelves are now completely filled up! In fact, I have 2 smaller spice racks over on the counter (and a shelf-full of all those duplicate spices, because believe it or not, for once I have that rare thing - enough kitchen cupboards!) We ordered a bunch of canning jars and sealer lids, then filled'em up. Flours and rices are kept in a cupboard (it would be hard to put a 20lb bag of basmati on those shelves even if they are large!) Maggie's food was up there for a while because we are still trying different foods out with Daphne, our other cat, and while Mags hated Daph's food, Daph would make a beeline (kittyline?) straight for Mag's food, which has allergens we thought might be bothering her (corn products or chicken). The great news is that she's been so much better since we moved here. We still do not know what made her so ill that we nearly lost her, but it's great to see her on the mend.

Anyway -- to the food! I've only been cooking once a week, with Mike doing all the rest, so that I can focus on my literature review. When I do cook, then, I really like to have fun with it. I consider it lots of fun to find good looking recipes, chop, slice, prep, measure - that part is as good as the eating part to me, though I certainly wouldn't turn that down, either. Tonight, it was koftas -an Indian-spiced meatball in a tomato-yogurt sauce, accompanied by a turmeric tinted brown basmati with spinach and peas. I won't lie - it was a lot of work. But as I said - I consider it a blast!

Tempeh Koftas
The original recipe came from here, but in fact turns out to have been an adaptation of another recipe! I'll copy it here because I want to make some adjustments.

Meatballs:
12 oz tempeh
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 onion, shredded
1 tbs vegan worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs ginger, minced
2 serrano peppers, seeded & minced
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tbs cumin seed
2 tbs coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbs plain soy yogurt

Sauce:
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soy yogurt
1 cinnamon stick
9 whole cloves
9 cardamom pods

Meatballs:

Boil the tempeh for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Grate tempeh and onion and combine with all remaining meatball ingredients. Note: I just ran both through the food processer. Knead until all ingredients are combined and the dough becomes sticky. Set the refrigerate the dough for at least an hour or up to overnight. Note: one hour worked just fine. I think at this point you could form the meatballs and freeze them, as I plan to do.

Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet into the oven. Note: or spray with oil, then spray the meatballs as well. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Form into 1 tablespoon sized balls, making about 35-40 balls. Small sized meatballs hold together better and have a much better texture. Don't make them too big.

Pull out the preheated cookie sheet and swirl the oil around, just to coat. Place the meatballs on the sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the meatballs every 5 minutes or so, until the meatballs are evenly browned and slightly crispy. Note: I turned the oven up to 375F, didn't turn as frequently, and cooked about 10 minutes longer than called for. I like my meatballs firm!

Sauce:

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Add the onion. Saute, stirring often until the onions carmelize and turn brown. Add the tomatoes and ground spices. Tie the cinnamon stick, cardamon and cloves into a piece of cheesecloth and add to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in the yogurt and combine thoroughly. Note: at this point you could add about a cup of veg broth or tomato sauce and stir, if you like more sauce. Pour the sauce into a 9x13 casserole along with the meatballs. Stir to coat, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Spinach Rice
This recipe came from here, and we both thought the lemon could be doubled. We added salt at the table (I tend to use no salt or very little in cooking, and serve food with a lemon wedge).

Ingredients
2 c brown basmati rice
2 c frozen chopped spinach
1/2 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1/2 c frozen green peas
1 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 TB lemon Juice
2 TB oil (I used olive)
2 green chilies (serrano)
4 garlic cloves
1/2" ginger (I used 2 TBs)
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste

Directions

Wash and soak the basmati rice overnight in 4 c. water (or at least 2 hours).
Chop the garlic, ginger, onions and green chillies finely.
Mince the ginger, garlic and chillies (seed the chillies for less heat).

Measure frozen spinach and peas into a bowl, add in the chopped cilantro, and set aside.

In a pressure cooker (or large heavy saucepan with a tight lid), add the oil and cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute for a minute.

Add the chopped spinach, cilantro, green peas along with salt, garam masala and turmeric.
Stir, then add in the soaked rice and all the water and stir all the ingredients together.
Bring to a boil, cover, and cook til done (it's ok to check it!)

Add lemon juice after taking it off the heat - and as I said, serve it with lemon wedges.

Tamarind rice

2009-07-26T08:18:00.002-04:00

2 tsp oil (I used olive)
1 c white basmati rice
2 c water
1/4 tsp turmeric
--
1 1/2 - 2 Tbs tamarind paste
1 1/2 c hot water
1/4 tsp turmeric
--
2 tsp oil
SPICE MIX
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp urud dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
pinch - asefoetida (heng)
5-6 cashews
1 sprig curry leaves
--
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan, add rice and 1/4 tsp turmeric; stir 'til rice begins to look less transparent. Now add the 2 c water, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a high simmer (3 or 4) until the water's gone and the rice is just cooked.

2. Spread rice onto a cookie sheet to cool, set aside.

3. Mix tamarind puree with hot water, 1/4 tsp turmeric, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

4. In a large and heavy pan, heat oil. Sautee the Spice mix for 2-3 minutes, then add in the tamarind water.

5. Boil mixture until it reduces to about 1/2 the original volume, and thickens (not a lot, just a bit). Turn off heat and add pepper.

6. Combine rice with sauce, top with chopped cilantro.

We found this needed a bit of salt, but that's ok. We tend to cook with less, and add at table.

Vegetable Kurma

2009-07-26T07:52:00.002-04:00

Equipment needed: pressure cooker (but you could just simmer things longer, as I may do)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs oil (I used olive)
--
Measure into separate bowls
1 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
2 star anise
--
1 L onion, chopped
--
1 Tbs ginger garlic paste (if you don't have this, just finely chop, then grind, equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic)
--
1 L tomato, chopped
--
1 L carrot, cubed
1 c green beans, chopped into about 2" pieces
1 medium potato, cubed
--
salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
--
Ground masala
Grind into paste:
5 (or more) green chilis
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp aniseed
6-8 cashews
3 Tbs coconut
1 Tbs coriander (cilantro) leaves
--
1 1/2 c water

Instructions
1, Heat oil in a pressure cooker or large, deep (and heavy) pan. Sautee cinnamon, cloves, and star anise for about 2 minutes.

2. Add chopped onions, sautee for another 2-3 minutes, then add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.

3. Add tomatoes and sautee until the tomatoes get a bit soft, then add green beans, carrot, and potato.

4. Add salt, garam masal, and turmeric, then the ground masala. Now, sautee for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add water, close pressure cooker, and cook 'til the rocker starts, then remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cool under running water.

6. Serve over rice. We had this over tamarind rice - it's not a low-calorie meal!

Tomato soup

2009-07-22T13:28:00.004-04:00

1 med onion
6 tomatoes (used 4 romano, 1 home grown, 1 heirloom)
3-4 cloves crushed garlic (or to taste)
8 cups broth (or broth/water, water)
3 tbs tomato paste
1 cup precooked brown rice
dash of liquid smoke
s. handful of fresh oregano, chopped
s. handful of fresh basil, chopped
white miso - start with a teaspoon, increase if you feel it is needed
1 tbs Braggs
Fresh pepper
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
pinch of hot pepper flakes or more, to taste

Saute onion, add garlic (to taste--I used 3 cloves), saute for a bit. Add tomato, tomato sauce, rice, water, spices, nutritional yeast, and liquid smoke. Add Braggs and salt to taste. Boil for ~1/2 hour, or until water volume is about half what you began with. Add 1 tsp miso, check flavor, add more if needed.

Serve with croutons.

Roasted green beans

2009-07-18T18:05:00.003-04:00

These were really great, and so easy! We'd gotten about 1/2 lb. of fresh green beans at the local farmer's market and really wanted to use them. I trimmed the ends,then sprayed them with olive oil, sprinkled with a touch of sea salt - and then roasted them at 400F for about 15 minutes, in one layer, stirring them about a bit. What you want is some browned bits, but not too much.

Chana Masala: Amendations

2009-07-18T17:52:00.004-04:00

Chola Chana Masala

Ingredients:
Roast the dry spices briefly in the pan before heating the oil and set aside for later:
1/2 tsp garam masala
6 pieces clove
1 piece cinnamon
5-6 pepper corns
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds

Main dish:
* 3 tablespoons oil
* Pinch of asafetida (Hing)Increase slightly
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds used ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon gram flour (Besan) aka chickpea flour
* 1 large tomato or 1 15 1/2 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, drained (but save the liquid!)--if using tomato, try two
* 1 tablespoon ginger paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies use 1 Thai bird chili, instead
* 2 teaspoons coriander powder
* 1/2 teaspoon anchur powder
* 1 tbs garam masala
* 2 tsp coriander powder
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon black salt
* 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder use ground chili pepper flakes instead
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
* 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (kable chana, Garbanzo beans)

* 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (Green coriander)
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish

Method:

1. Drain the water out of the can of chickpeas and wash the chickpeas well. Set aside
2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if the seed cracks right away the oil is ready.
4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds.
5. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.
6. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, anchur powder, garam masala, black salt and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
7. The mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
8. Add the chickpeas and a half cup of water or the reserved tomato juice and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat, covered.
9. Press the chickpeas with a spatula so they soften. Note: add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking, and let it cook for few more minutes on low heat. We added at least 3/4 cup more water and it could have used more.
10. Add the dry roasted spice mix, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute (simmer on lowest setting, for 15 minutes if time is available to allow flavors to mature.
11. Garnish with thin tomato slices,and/or fresh cilantro.

Spicy tomato rice - a new favorite!

2009-06-24T06:32:00.003-04:00

Sia, at Passionate about Life 'n Spice posted this lovely recipe, which we both enjoyed SO much! Since there are after all only 2 of us, it has lasted a good few days. We added a whole can of black beans & one of stewed tomato, after the first 2, to boost the protein and just because - delicious!

soy mayo

2009-06-07T23:30:00.002-04:00

from smoothie at the postpunk forum - I'm glad someone brought it back up, because I'd meant to try it! and now I have good reason to do so, because I am not sure we can easily get vegannaise here, and nayonnaise - well, er, sucks. to me.

place 1 cup of soymilk in your blender, and blend it for a minute. slowly add 1 cup of canola oil while still blending, and then add a bit of regular vinegar + a bit of salt. you will now have the best vegan mayo on earth.

Brussels sprouts with caramelized shallots - yum!

2009-05-18T17:48:00.003-04:00

I'd bookmarked this recipe a very long time back, forgot about it, then found it again. I'm glad I did! Using the food processor made VERY fast work of slicing up all those shallots & brussels sprouts. We also cut the butter in half (using earth balance instead, a vegan margarine - we could as easily use olive oil) and lessened the sugar. Next time we'll try using brown sugar or maple syrup instead. But - yes! This one's a keeper. Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots Bon Appétit | November 2007

Molly Stevens

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts are sautéed with shallots in this comforting hash.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
Coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper.

Garlic aoli

2009-05-14T23:40:00.001-04:00

Garlic Faux Aioli. Speaking of that, get pumped for a:

Recipe!

Straight from a wonderful blog (could it be...seitan?) I just discovered, here's one I plan to try SOON. Actually if you follow the link, I think you might very well feel as I do - you have to try damn near everything!

Ingredients

1 package Silken tofu – Mori Nu style

3 cloves of garlic

2 T mustard

1 T apple cider vinegar

Directions

Blend it all together in a blender and then let it chill out in the fridge. Put it on your food. Cooking is harrrd.

Celery soup

2009-05-06T21:37:00.004-04:00

lovely with some crusty homemade garlic bread, this evening's meal is courtesy of mike, who has been doing the lion's share of cooking lately due to my workload. we had some celery that we feared would succumb to the dreaded limp-celery disease, where it's only good for broth making, so of necessity found this easy, tasty (and healthy) soup. I didn't feel guilty about taking seconds on this, and there's a small serving's worth for lunch tomorrow. this might be good with different herbs - mike added a touch of curry (1 tsp); or sage, dill - use your imagination! other changes: add in roasted veg, or small cubes of potato, stir in a bit of milk - do what you will, because the celery is just lovely in this, holds its own.

added note: I heated the leftover portion today, and added about 1/2 c of cubed, cooked carrot, 1/2 tsp of srichaca sauce, and some salt to taste. even better!

In pursuit of the perfect Chana Masala

2009-04-12T20:30:00.006-04:00

This one is a keeper, found via YouTube - the wonderful cook who does vahrehvah.com has posted a video and recipe for one of our all-time favorites. Give this a try! It's different from our other recipe - more 'fruity,' somehow, quite delicious and very low-fat, which is a major plus. You should have smelled the chana masala spices being toasted, the entire house was deliciously redolent - I had taken a nap (knocked out, I think, from the anti-allergy meds I took, and exhausted from an interview journey) and I think the scent awakened me.

Next time we'll up the heat a bit, perhaps using a Thai bird chile pepper rather than the dried red Mexican peppers. Mike found a nice recipe for homemade chana masala powder that we like very well also, so I'll put that first:

Chana Masala Powder
copied from Lisa's Kitchen

1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
2/3 teaspoons of black cardamom seeds
1/3 teaspoons of yellow cardamom seeds
1 2/3 teaspoons of black peppercorns
2 - 3 dried red chillies
1/3 teaspoons of whole cloves

pinch of ground ginger
pinch of mace
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon of amchoor powder

Dry roast the seeds, peppercorns, chillies and cloves in a large frying pan over low heat until they begin to brown. Transfer to an electric coffee grinder with the ground spices and grind to a fine powder.

Chana Masala
copied from (with full and grateful credit): http://www.vahrehvah.com/recipedetails.php?recipe_id=3259

200	grams	channa (1 15.5 oz. can
25	grams	channa masala pdr (2 Tbs)
1	springs	coriander leaves (I increased this quite a bit as I love cilantro)
1	pinch	cumin
1	tbsp	ginger garlic paste
2	green	chillies
1		lime
3	tbsp	oil
2		onions
1	to taste	salt
2		tomatoes (or 2 15.5 cans of diced tomatoes)
1	pinch	turmeric (optional)
few	piece	whole garam masala (1 bay leaf, several cloves, several cardamom pods, 1 stick of cinnamon)

Soak dried chickpeas (chole) in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6hrs

Pressure cook chole

Drain the chole, reserve the liquid

Chop up onion, tomatoes

Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add cumin seeds whole garam masala

When the cumin seeds change color add chopped onion to it and saute till they are brown

Add the Ginger-garlic paste to it and saute for couple of minutes

Add all the tomatoes dry powders to it and saute add salt

Saute the tomatoes till they are soft and mushed up,

Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated in the mixture

Add the reserved water depending on the gravy you need, check and adjust the seasoning

Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes and garnish it with cilantro leaves

Serve it with bhature, puri or chapatti with sliced onion and lemon wedge by the side

mayonnaise - a must try!

2009-03-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

"1 part soymilk gets whizzed in the blender for a minute. while still whizzing it, you add in 1 part neutral tasting oil (canola or sunflower), and let it whizz for another minute or so, then add in some regular vinegar, and when it thickens, add a bit of salt. you gotta get the amount of vinegar right, but besides from that part, it's pretty damn amazing. and so easy that you'd think it's a joke." - posted by Smoothie, at http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=86389

Thai Golden Curry with Tofu

2009-03-15T18:12:00.003-04:00

This is copied (and amended) from The Ethnic Vegan blog - I've also bookmarked the coconut tomato rice to try VERY soon! It was delicious but I'd like to make a few changes to suit our tastes.

"For best results, rinse the block of firm tofu, then stand it on its side and slice the narrowest edge into four slices. Then lay it flat and cut into about 2-inch cubes. This way, the slices will be only ½-inch thick and will cook more evenly."

2 T cup light olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 16-ounce package firm tofu, rinsed
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. hot paprika
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbs. soy sauce (or Bragg's)
2 tsp. agave nectar OR 3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 6-ounce package baby spinach leaves
6-8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade (rolled up & thinly sliced so they look like ribbons)

1. Dry-fry the tofu in a large cast iron pan, pressing gently to get the water out, turn & continuing to gently press until it's all golden brown. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
2. Place 2 Tbs. olive oil, onion, ginger, and garlic into your pan. Cook at medium heat stirring occasionally until onion is transparent, about 3 minutes.
3. Now add your tofu back in, then add coconut milk, peanut butter, pepper flakes, paprika, curry powder, soy sauce, agave nectar, and salt. Stir well.
4. Spread carrot slices on top, and add spinach leaves. Cover tightly and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add basil chiffonade and mix before serving over rice or noodles.

You may want to add a touch of salt upon serving, as we did (and we do not ordinarily use salt). I may just add a bit of lemongrass to see what happens. This is super-easy but it needs a couple something-or-others. I will definitely cook this again!

Whole wheat bread (bread machine)

2009-03-15T08:52:00.003-04:00

This was posted by thewrongumbrella at the Postpunk forum, and has very quickly become my regular recipe. I made a few changes, which are noted. This makes very good hamburger buns, too!

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/3 tsp salt
2 tbsp (turbinado) sugar

3 1/4 white whole wheat flour*
I add: 2 T ground flax seeds
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 pkg active dry yeast (1 1.4 tsp - 1 1/2 was too much, resulting in a puffy, empty top)

Add ingredients in the order listed. Turn on machine. The end!

* I like to sub spelt flour for a cup of this

possible marinade

2009-03-13T09:58:00.001-04:00

this may be good for tofu (or seitan, etc):

ORANGE CHILI GINGER MARINADE

1 cup orange marmalade
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup wine vinegar
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 onion, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon each salt and crushed black pepper

Combine all ingredients and use for marinating beef, lamb, pork or chicken for 2-5 hours before grilling.

Submitted by: CM, on Cooks.com at http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1633,134181-252197,00.html

Spring!

2009-03-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

Taken at the Raleigh arboretum at the end of February.

Potato Pierogi

2009-03-03T12:13:00.001-05:00

copied from the Postpunk kitchen forum - a posting from 2005!

Dough:
3 c. flour
egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg
1/2 to 3/4 c. warm water
2 T. vegan sour cream

Potato filling:
2 lbs. potatoes
1 lb. onions
1 T. sour cream
2 t. salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Make the filling:
Peel and cut the potatoes, and boil in salted water until tender. In a food processor or blender, mince and partially puree the onion. Drain the potatoes, transfer to a large bowl, and mash. Add the onion, sour cream, salt and pepper to the mashed potatoes and combine well. Let cool.

Make the dough:
In a large bowl, (or mixer), combine the flour, salt, egg replacer, water, and sour cream, and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, forming two dough balls.

Make the pierogi:
Roll each ball of dough, one at a time, on a floured surface to about 1/16 of an inch thickness (pretty thin, but still workable). Using a round cookie cutter or similar device, cut rounds of dough (about 3 inches in diameter), and remove extraneous dough from your work surface (you'll use up this dough later, re-rolling it to make more pierogi).

Put a large pot of water on to boil while completing the next steps.

Spoon about a teaspoon of the filling into the middle of each dough round. Moisten the edge of one-half of each dough circle, and fold and stretch the other half over the filling, meeting the other, moistened edge; press the edges together well to seal the pierogi (you can use your fingers, a fork, whatever works).

Add salt to your pot of boiling water and gently drop several pierogi into the pot. Allow pierogi to cook for about 8 minutes or so (pierogi will rise to the top). With a slotted spoon, remove pierogi, one at a time, and transfer to an oiled baking sheet to cool.

Melt some soy margarine and let cool a bit. Brush the pierogi with the melted margarine.

If pan-frying: pan-fry pierogi until lightly browned on both sides, Add some finely chopped onion to the pan and saute a bit longer. Serve with a side of vegan sour cream.

If baking: preheat oven to 300F. In a baking dish, place the pierogi in a single layer, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, cover and bake for 25-30 minutes. Top with sauteed onion before serving.

just in case you'd like to dream of a pantry, too

2009-02-07T12:02:00.002-05:00

I happened onto this blog, which makes me happy, and fuels my own desire for a large and well organized pantry where I can actually find things! One day.

Flaky Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits!

2009-01-29T22:40:00.001-05:00

posted tonight by Bazu at the Postpunk forum (thank you, thank you!)

James McNair's Buttermilk biscuits:

1/2 c. solid veg. shortening (I used earth balance stick)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (I eliminated, since EB is salted)
3/4 c. buttermilk (I used 1 tsp. vinegar and soymilk to make 3/4 c.)

position rack in middle, preheat oven to 400
spray baking sheet with oil or line with parchment, set aside
in a bowl or food processor, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. cut in the shortening with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. (I used a fork) Add buttermilk and stir just until the mixture sticks together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and quickly, about 30 seconds. using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out about 1/2 inch thick. using a floured 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out circles. Place onto the prepped baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Serve piping hot.

I got about 10 biscuits out of this, plus a bunch of loose ends that I'm saving in the freezer to use as dumplings. MMMMmmmmmmmm. I love me some biscuits.

sounds delicious!

2009-01-28T14:53:00.001-05:00

posted at the ppk by simplybecause81 (thank you!)

a few tsp cider vinegar
garlic powder
ground ginger
red pepper flakes
a few tbsp crunchy peanut butter

mix with grated carrot and slivered purple cabbage

Chili with masa harina dumplings

2009-01-11T19:51:00.004-05:00

This recipe is modified from one at the Epicurious website.

I ignored the call for lamb in this recipe, used veg oil rather than lard. We thought the dumplings were way too delicate, will use less liquid next time. And there WILL be a next time - this is wonderful! I'd only ever made chili with a base of tomato, and this one does not use any tomato. I wondered if it would work. Oh yes, it definitely does. This dish is deeply flavorful, with a chili (pepper) base that's richer and more memorable than any tomato-based chili I've ever made. One bowl is incredibly filling, and yet it really is a healthy, even low fat meal. If you do not like heat, this is not your recipe, because I cannot imagine making the chili without 10 new mexican red chillies, and about 5 chipotles in adobo. I ate the one bowlful with great concentration, and was left suffused with warmth that began with taste and traveled beyond it.

For chili

* 10 dried mild New Mexico chiles (2 1/2 to 3 oz)
* 5 cups water or veg broth
* 1/2 pkg of soy curls, soaked and then drained
* 2 bell peppers, roughly diced (I used one each, red and green)
* 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed. You could use kidney beans,garbanzos (chickpeas), or hominy - any would be great in this.)
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
* 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo

For dumplings

* 3/4 cup masa harina (corn tortilla mix)
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup chilled crisco
* 3/4 cup soy milk, with 1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar stirred in; let sit for about 10 minutes
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't have any, but it would be a good addition).

FOR SERVING

Accompany with lime wedges and vegan sour cream.

Preparation

Make chili:
Simmer dried chiles in 2 cups water, covered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until very soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain in a colander. Stem chiles (do not remove seeds), then purée in a blender with reserved cooking liquid until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Reserve purée.

Squeeze soy curls to get rid of excess liquid from soaking, then sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 6-quart wide heavy pot or a 3-inch-deep straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown the soy curls until they get nice and browned (but not burned!) Transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pot, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Stir in reserved chile purée, cocoa powder, and chipotles and simmer, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add soy curls and remaining 3 cups water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes.

Make dumplings:
Stir together masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dough is moistened (do not overmix).

Skim fat off chili and discard bay leaves, then drop 8 or 9 heaping tablespoons of dough onto simmering chili, about 2 inches apart. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, until tops of dumplings are dry to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Calzones and soup

2009-01-08T22:13:00.002-05:00

An interesting meal tonight, though in terms of flavor coordination, it's not so terrific. Taking elements singly, however, it was tasty and filling! I'd been wanting to make the tamarind lentils from Veganomicon, but putting it off because lentils are hard on my colitis. I arrived at the notion of filling small calzones with the mixture, so I'd be eating less of it. Using the 'Isa pizza' dough recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance, I added turmeric and a pinch of cayenne before rolling out 14 little calzones. Success! They were tender and spicy (oh, and I added a healthy pinch of crushed pepper flakes to the lentils, as well - we like it hot!)

With it, I did a potato leek soup:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, rinsed well and sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 russets potatoes, diced
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 c vegetable broth
1 c soy milk
2 T Bragg's
1 T dried parsley
1 pinch of hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until onion's translucent
2. Add potato and vegetable broth. Simmer until potatoes are very tender.
3. Use an immersion blender or other blender to make the soup as smooth (or chunky!) as you like it.
4. Put it all back in the pot, adding all other ingredients.

Daphne and Maggie

2009-01-05T17:56:00.004-05:00

We have a new housemate! Maggie joined us the day before yesterday, and made herself right at home. Although she was rescued from the alley behind a hardware store, we think it's pretty obvious that at one time, she had a home and family. She loves being held, for example; it took me several years to convince Daphne, our other kitty, that letting herself be loved was a good thing. Speaking of Daph, she is not so happy about the new cat, but you know how that is, eh? Takes time.

As I had written before, Daph has been quite ill. We see that she is improving, but we also think she may have become permanently deaf, and also that her vision is very bad. We don't know how this happened. Since moving here, poor Daph has had one problem after the other.

First, she was attacked by fire ants (which are particularly bad in Raleigh these past several years, apparently), and may have been allergic to their bites. This caused her to avoid her litter box, and the smart girl decided the HVAC vent in the entryway was a better option (so I had to have the vent replaced).

We'd been using a flea collar, but read they're bad, so ordered some drops online. She developed what appeared to be acne on her chin, and got what we thought were earmites... At the same time, because she is a fearful feral kitty, going to the vet's is a seriously traumatic event, taking several days to recover from. That's why we'd ordered stuff online.

But finally, I took her in, only to find that despite the drops, she was crawling with fleas... and allergic to their bites, perhaps, and several other problems. Nearly $1,000 later, she still was not better.

Finding it unbearable to put her through the trauma of a vet visit in a car, we found a mobile vet, who used anesthesia to put her out, cleaning out her ears very well. Maybe too well.

Because from the time we brought her in, she never really did recover from the anesthetic. She had lost her balance, and was instantly this hyper-fearful, unbalanced kitty who refused to eat for more than a week. The doc kept her with her, hydrating her with subcutaneous fluid, and finally, brought her to us just 2 days before Christmas.

Before this had all happened, though, we had finally decided to find her a companion, so went to a wonderful shelter in the area. We had been waiting 'til Daph was well enough - feeling more sure of her home and her people - to bring home another cat, and so we finally did do that.

That's the saga, so far. Poor little Daphne - we hope so much that Maggie's presence will enliven (but not enrage) her, and that she will emerge from this horrible time all well, loved and with a long life ahead of her.

Chana masala

2009-01-05T17:22:00.002-05:00

This wonderful dish is copied from the incomparable Manjula, who has a video on her site, if you need reinforcement! I can't recommend her videos enough. I have added my notes in italics.

Serves 2 to 4.

Chola Chana Masala

Ingredients:

* 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (kable chana, Garbanzo beans)
* 3 tablespoons oil
* Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds used ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon gram flour (Besan) aka chickpea flour
* 1 large tomato or 1 15 1/2 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, drained (but save the liquid!)
* 1 teaspoon ginger paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies use 1 Thai bird chili, instead
* 2 teaspoons coriander powder
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder use ground chili pepper flakes instead
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
* 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (Green coriander)
* Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish

Method:

1. Drain the water out of the can of chickpeas and wash the chickpeas well.
2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed crack right away oil is ready.
4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds.
5. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute.
6. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chily powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
7. The mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
8. Add the chickpeas and a half cup of water or the reserved tomato juice and let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat, covered.
9. Press the chickpeas with a spatula so they soften. Note: add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking, and let it cook for few more minutes on low heat. We added at least 3/4 cup more water and it could have used more.
10. Add the garam masala and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.
11. Garnish with thin tomato slices.

Brussels sprouts in gravy

2008-12-31T23:22:00.004-05:00

What a delicious dish we had! I had found this recipe on a very good Indian cooking blog, and saved it as a favorite; tonight we finally made it, with some amendations I'll detail.

Note that the measurements here are double what the original recipe calls for.

Ingredients:

* Brussels sprouts: a whole small bag of sprouts, which I think was about 2 cups
* Yellow Onion: 2 finely chopped
* Tomatoes: 4, or 1 large (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes, plus a smaller can (15 oz.) of diced tomatoes
* Cashews: 2 tbsps
* 5 dried Thai (bird) chillies rather or 2 large red chillies, finely minced. You may wish to adjust to your own tastes - we love heat!
* Cardamom: 4 crushed
* Cloves: 4
* Bay leaf: 2
* Fennel seeds: 2 tsps
* Ginger garlic paste: 2 tsps. We used equal amounts of minced garlic and ginger.
* Garam Masala: 3-4 tsps
* Salt as required it definitely did need some, but we added afterward
* Sugar: 1 tsp
* Coriander (cilantro) leaves for garnishing

this sauce would be fantastic with greens or chickpeas (or both!), or with dry-fried tofu and some fresh spinach thrown in.

Directions

1. Wash the Brussels sprouts in running water and slit open the bulb ends like "X". This helps in steaming the bulbs evenly. Steam the Brussels sprouts for about 7 minutes in a idli cooker until half done or in the microwave for about 5 minutes - depending on the size and amount of sprouts.

2. Meanwhile, puree tomatoes, red chillies and cashew in a blender. If you are using canned tomatoes, skip the pureeing step, and just blend the Thai bird chillies or red chillies and the cashews until they're nice and smooth - throwing in some of the crushed tomato from the can to help.

3. Heat oil in a pan, then add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, Fennel seeds and onions. Fry for about 3 minutes over medium heat and then add Ginger garlic paste and continue to cook, until the onion is light brown.

4. Now add the tomato puree, garam masala, sugar and salt and cook until raw smell goes off this took about 10 minutes for us.

5. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until the oil separates.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with your choice of bread or rice. We chose to serve it with quinoa, which was just wonderful with it! After some relatively rich fare over Christmas, I think we are both ready for some light and healthy meals.

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

2008-12-26T15:57:00.003-05:00

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip
copied from the New York Times

Yield 2 cups

Time 10 minutes using precooked or canned beans

Mark Bittman
Ingredients

* 2 cups cooked white beans, like cannelini, drained but moist
* 1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled (my note: I used one large garlic clove, and should have used less - although I love garlic, the taste was way too strong in this. Maybe it was the garlic.)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* Grated rind of 2 lemons

Method

* 1. Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove of garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.
* 2. Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for as long as 3 days.

Garlicky Cream of Celery Soup

2008-12-25T07:42:00.001-05:00

This was originally posted at Vegetarian Recipes Around the World by Shari Clayton Brownlee. I have made several changes.

6 servings

* 12 large celery stalks
* 2 T margarine, divided
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 8 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 T unbleached white flour
* 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
* water
* 2 tsp salt-free herb-and-spice seasoning mix (I didn't have this)
* 1/4 c mixed chopped fresh parsley and dill (I used dried)
* 1/4 c celery leaves
* 1 to 1-1/2 cups soymilk, as needed
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* Chopped fresh dill or parsley for garnish

Trim 10 stalks of celery and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Trim the remaining 2 stalks, cut them into 1/4-inch dice, and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of the margarine in a large soup pot.
Add the onion and garlic and saute over moderate heat until the onion is lightly golden.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir it in until it disappears.
Add the 10 stalks of celery, the potatoes, and just enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, then add the seasoning mix, fresh herbs, and celery leaves.
Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the solid ingredients to the container of a food processor or blender and puree, in batches if necessary, until very smooth.
Stir back into the soup pot.
Return to very low heat and add enough soymilk to achieve a slightly thick consistency.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of margarine in a small skillet.
Add the reserved celery and saute over moderate heat until it is touched with golden spots.
Add to the soup, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve at once, or allow the soup to stand for an hour or so, then heat through as needed.
Garnish each serving with chopped dill or parsley.

The best hummus ever!

2008-12-23T14:01:00.006-05:00

I've copied this from 101 Cookbooks, a wonderful blog - everything I've made from recipes found there is awesome. By the way, this makes a superb pizza base. I make the pizza crust from Vegan with a Vengeance all the time now, and even though Whole Foods has never bothered to restock the cornmeal crust I used to buy, I don't miss it. But if you spread this on the prepared crust, then top with onion, tomato chunks, green pepper, and bake - then top with cilantro and sprinkle with nutritional yeast - you will be happy, I promise!

Hummus en Fuego
A couple tips before you get started - rub the skins of the walnuts off a bit after you toast them, it's nothing I really pay too much attention to for a recipe like this, but the skins can be a bit bitter and tannic. And again, make the crushed red pepper oil a day or two ahead if possible.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2 cups cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans, drained
1 medium clove garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup oil-cured olives, chopped
a bit of chopped cilantro

Make the hot pepper oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, ideally for a day or two - to let the flavor really develop.

To make the hummus, give the walnuts a spin in the food processor, just until they are a sandy texture. Add most of the garbanzos, 1 or 2 tablespoons of the red chile oil (oil only, no flakes), garlic, and lemon juice. Now process until smooth. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time and puree more, until the hummus is creamy and billowy. I tend to let the food processor run for a minute or so at this point, it incorporates air into the puree and makes it a nice texture. Taste, adjust the seasoning - more salt, more lemon juice, etc.

Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with plenty of the remaining oil and red pepper flakes. I like to add any remaining garbanzo beans at this point as well as some olives and a bit of chopped cilantro for the final touch.
Makes roughly 2 1/2 cups..

Brown gravy

2008-12-21T06:46:00.002-05:00

Copied here from Book of Yum, this recipe is a gluten-free option (and I like the idea of the added onion & garlic powder, etc. We love Bryanna's brown gravy, but it is not the healthiest thing, made with all purpose flour!

1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp Braggs GF liquid aminos
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp onion granules
1/4 tsp garlic granules (if desired)
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

Heat brown rice flour and nutritional yeast flakes in a dry nonstick frypan on a medium temperature, and let them lightly brown and release their fragrance. Take the pan off the heat and slowly add water, braggs, olive oil and seasonings, whisking continuously until mixture is silky smooth. Return to heat and stir until gravy reaches desired consistency.

Notes

Christmas day, 2008

2008-12-15T19:57:00.015-05:00

I think we are both still full from yesterday! This meal could have served at least 6 people and left remnants - as it is, we now have tons of food left over. We need to freeze what we can. Everything was totally delicious, and we had a lovely, laid-back day. Warning about that chocolate pie, though: it makes a LOT and it's VERY filling. Next time we make it, I think we'll cut the recipe and just make 1/4 or 1/3 as much.

Breakfast

Pancakes with maple syrup
Soy eggnog

Lunch

Creamy garlicky celery soup
with
toasted baguette slices, along with 2 toppings - one, adapted from epicurious.com - walnut/sundried tomato/garlic spread, original calls for goat cheese but I mixed 1/2 and 1/2 Tofutti cream cheese/sour cream. and the other, rosemary lemon white bean dip

Dinner

Appetizer Samosas with chutney
Main course The wonderful 'not mutton' curry
naan
jasmine or basmati rice
Salad with a light vinaigrette
Dessert Millennium Chocolate Almond Midnight pie

2008-12-14T14:23:00.003-05:00

I've put Daphne's picture here because she is very ill. The house is so quiet without her. She had (we think) a very bad reaction to some eardrops (with gentamycin) and has not eaten nor taken in water for 5 days. She is with the vet being hydrated but now cannot eat. With cats, not eating can quickly turn into lipidosis, which can be fatal. Our next step may be to get her into a veterinary hospital for enteral nutrition as a preventive measure. Daphne was a feral cat who I adopted from a no-kill shelter. She was rescued after wild foxes killed her kittens, and it took me nearly 2 years to accustom her to being groomed and loved. She is a loving, vocal cat now who does not hesitate to demand food (even at 3 a.m.!)

Update, 12/22/08: Daph is coming home tonight! She finally began to eat 3 days ago, is drinking, and able to stand with some measure of certainty, though still quite wobbly. She is so missed in this home! I hope she will be able to re-acclimate and claim her spaces, becoming more stable as she does so. It has been hard to think of her (perhaps feeling abandoned, certainly bewildered) in a small cage in a mobile vet's van for the entire last week.

I am not thinking of cost.

chimichurri sauce

2008-12-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

copied from here

1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 hot pepper, de-seeded
lemon zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
large pinch of salt
1 - 3 large glugs of olive oil
1 shallot, roughly chopped
water, if needed to thin things out

Whizzz up all ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust seasonings & measurements if necessary. Done. Makes almost a cup of sauce.

fragrant jasmine rice

2008-12-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites and copied here from http://everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com/)

2 c jasmine rice
1 t canola oil
2 T minced lemongrass (stiff outer leaves removed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 small green chili, seeds removed, diced
1/2 t salt
1 c crushed pineapple, undrained
1 T fresh basil, chopped
2 1/2 c boiling water

Rinse rice and set aside to drain. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add in the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, chili and salt. Cook over medium heat until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Dinner last night

2008-11-24T13:37:00.002-05:00

I think I'm still full! We had some leftovers - Veganomicon's basil tofu ricotta, and a wonderful spinach walnut pesto. To use them up, we made:

- spiral pesto rolls (but with ricotta, instead*)
- whole wheat linguine with pesto**
- pan roasted brussels sprouts

* I have no doubt I'll make this again, but I'll have to remember to use less filling. These things are really substantial - in fact, tonight we're having them with salads as a full meal. If you make these, you might a) cut the roll into 8 rather than 6 portions, and b) use only 1/2 c. filling.

** The pesto is really good, but I found that it goes a long way when used with pasta. Next time, I'll thin it with some broth, I think.

A terrific meal!

Mexican Pizza

2008-11-21T18:09:00.006-05:00

This was probably the best pizza we have made!

preheat oven to 425F

1/2 recipe Isa Pizza dough(from veganomicon) I of course make the full recipe, but then we like to put a different bunch of toppings on each one. This time we made one Mexican pizza, and one with basil/walnut pesto.

1/2 recipe vegan refried beans I really only used about 1/3 cup of this, so I now have a ton of leftovers, which I am not complaining about! - it will make fantastic calzone filling, methinks, perhaps with some chopped onion and greens added)
1/4 c Toffuti sour cream

1/3 c good salsa What we like is Pace 3-pepper salsa, but choose whatever you like, for this
1 diced onion
1/2 to 3/4 diced green pepper
5 sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted by microwaving for 2 1/2 minutes in water to cover, then diced

2 T minced pickled jalapenos
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1-2 T nutritional yeast
1 diced avocado which we left off because the damned thing was hard as a rock - call it an optional add

1. mix vegan refried beans with about 1/4 c. tofutti sour cream - what you're going for is to make the bean mix light and spreadable this would be a very wonderful sandwich spread, by the way.
2. spread about 3/4 c. bean mix on your unbaked pizza crust - you want about a 1/4" thick layer, or less, otherwise it can make the whole pizza soggy.
3. top with a thin layer of salsa, then sprinkle on onion, green pepper, and sun dried tomatoes.
4. brush the crust rim with olive oil (we used some chili-pepper infused olive oil)
5. bake for around 20 minutes or 'til the crust is browned nicely.
6. you'll want to leave this sit for about 10 minutes so the toppings firm up a bit.
7. top with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast, minced fresh cilantro, and minced pickled jalapeno peppers!

Walnut-basil (and spinach) pesto

2008-11-21T17:38:00.002-05:00

This is an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation, so at this point I think I'll just call it my invention! We used it as the base for a pizza, with tofu ricotta, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and some minced roasted red pepper.

makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 cups fresh spinach (I used a full package of baby spinach)
3 cloves garlic (2 might be better)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup walnut pieces or more
½ c fresh basil
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil or walnut oil

Wilt the spinach and fresh basil over boiling water for 1 minute, or in a covered bowl in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Mince the garlic with the salt in a food processor. Squeeze any moisture from the spinach and basil, and add to the food processor along with the dried basil, flax seeds and walnuts. Puree until smooth. Add the olive oil gradually and process to a smooth paste.

Veggie Soup & Dumplings

2008-11-17T14:57:00.000-05:00

posted at the PostPunk forum by bekajoi

Soup base:

1 leek, cut into rounds (white part only, or 1" of greens if they look good)
1 onion, chopped
4 small carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, halved, then chopped (to make them smaller)
1/4 t thyme (dry, or bunch fresh)
1/4 t parsley (dry, or bunch fresh)
1 bay leaf
veggie oil (couple Tbs, enough to saute' in)

Dumplings:

2c flour
1 t salt
1.5 t celery salt
4T melted margerine or oil
1/2 cup water
6 T (or 1/4c + 2 T) "milk"

Heat oil, add onion,leek, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley and cook on a low setting for 10-12m until soft and transluscent. bring up the heat to med or med-hi and add the rest of the veggies. Stir occasionally until carrots are done or mostly done.

Add 8 cups water (2 quarts), dash salt. Cover and bring to a boil.

While water is working up to a boil, put the dumplings together:

Knead on lightly floured surface for 1 min. Let dough rest 5 min. Roll out to 1/8" thickness and cut into 2 x 1" strips (or whatever size you find easy to work with, though they'll take longer to cook if they are bigger).

Drop into boiling broth, cover and simmer 30-45 min. (the non-egg version needed to cook longer than my original version, but I'm also high altitude. Taste for done-ness~ They'll seem mealy if they're not done yet. When done they are sort of like thick noodles or a biscuit or something. Yummy and hearty) If in doubt, let them sit another 5 minutes and taste again.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Collard Greens

2008-11-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

From Peter Berley’s Fresh Food Fast. This was posted on the PostPunk Kitchen forum.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onion
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno with seeds, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground, or 1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
1 small bunch collard greens, tough stems removed and leaves cut in 1/2 along the rib, and then crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro for garnish

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add onion and pinch of salt, and saute until softened, for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add sweet potato, garlic, jalapeno, ginger, coriander, turmeric and saute for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water, the coconut milk, and 2 tsp. of salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.
3. Add the collard greens to the soup and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of water if soup is too thick.
4. Ladle the soup into 4 wide soup plates, and top with a spoonful of jasmine rice. Squeeze lime over all and sprinkle with cilantro.

Semolina pasta

2008-11-11T16:13:00.004-05:00

This recipe is courtesy of the Bob's Red Mill site (as is the Semolina I used). Followup note: what a great pasta recipe! I used the full cup of water, and started the mixture in my food processor, then finished it off by hand. I did find it needed even a touch more water, which I added while kneading by wetting my hands just a little. I roasted about 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes with 5 or 6 garlic cloves and 1 1/2 medium-sized onions, chopped up large. The onions and garlic were drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, then slow-roasted at 350F for maybe 40 minutes, then I added the halved tomatoes, and let it all continue to roast until the tomatoes were collapsed. With it, I did fresh limas boiled, then tossed in a chili-infused olive oil for a touch of heat. Those limas would be GREAT with the tomato-onion mix!

1-1/2 cups Semolina
1 cup White Flour, Unbleached
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 to 1 cup Water
1 tb Olive Oil

On a flat work surface combine flours and salt in a mound, add 1/2 cup water and oil. Mix to make a stiff dough. Add one tablespoon of water at a time while combining mixture, until desired consistency is achieved (moderately stiff dough). Knead 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Wrap dough in towel or place in plastic bag and let rest for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired.

Bring a large pot of water containing 1/2 teaspoon olive oil to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (approximately 3 - 5 minutes). When making lasagna, no need to boil noodles. Add directly to your recipe.

soy yogurt substitution

2008-11-08T08:25:00.002-05:00

full credit to 'celine' at the postpunk forum for this workaround:

6 oz soymilk + 1.5 TB cornstarch + microwave for 30 seconds + stir + microwave for 15-20 seconds + squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar + 3 minutes = soy yogurt

peanut sauce & variation

2008-11-04T12:31:00.000-05:00

The Moosewood Cookbook recipe (by Mollie Katzen) is really good.
http://recipes.redding.com/recipe.cfm?recordID=349

1/2 cup good peanut butter
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
3 medium cloves garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cider vinegar (I use balsamic vinegar)
1 to 2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
cayenne, to taste
salt, to taste (if peanut butter is unsalted)

Instructions:
1) Place peanut butter in a small bowl. Add the hot water and stir patiently with a spoon or a small whisk until uniformly mixed.
2) Sir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Let come to room temperature before serving.

I sometimes like my dipping sauce a bit more salty and use this peanut-miso sauce.

Peanut-Miso Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sweet white miso
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

terrific mayo-based sauce

2008-11-01T23:08:00.002-04:00

I think I saw this recipe on Vegan Dad's blog, but I'm not sure - I'll go check later. We love his burgers (they really are wonderful!) and this sauce, together with slices of onion and tomato on english muffins, is absolutely incredible. juicy, flavorful, addictive. I promise. and you don't even have to be all that careful about the amounts.

4 T vegannaise
1 T pickled jalapeno, diced (or to taste)
2 t lemon juice

mix. that's it! now slather and drool..er, whatever it is you do with a burger!

thanksgiving meal - planning

2008-10-31T14:29:00.004-04:00

Roasted root veggies: carrots, onions, garlic, rutabaga, turnip, tomato. maybe radishes.

last year we did veg in a wonderful chipotle-garlic-olive oil marinade, and may repeat that.
We also had a fancy roulade stuffed with root veg and I don't really feel the need to repeat it, though it was very good.

(what, we need something else?) I'm thinking about it.

what about the perfect soup - with the above goodness, just a very light broth-based something (like the fennel soup somewhere on this blog) with home made croutons or garlic bread? or a good loaf of home made bread, warm from the oven, with an herb-butter spread. this might be a good starter.
spinach salad
fresh green beans with sesame seeds (a request)

to be continued!

dessert. right, dessert ;) ONE of us wants strawberry-rhubarb pie, and though I think this is more a spring thing, I have no serious objections. he does make a mean pie! I insist on a home made crust, though.

tomato and garlic bread soup

2008-10-31T13:50:00.001-04:00

(cadged from epicurious some years back, and tweaked) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/TOMATO-AND-GARLIC-BREAD-SOUP-102453

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin) (my note - no way I use this much oil start with 1/4 c.)
9 garlic cloves, minced (well, yah. best method is to throw garlic & oil in the processor 'til combined and creamy. ad stuff here, if you want, like herbs, hot pepper flakes. live!)
8 ounces crusty white sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (just buy a round loaf of any good rough peasant bread, cube it (best if a touch stale), then mix it up with your oily garlic mess in a very large container. throw in some good sea salt, too.

3 large onions, finely chopped (or more)
8 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth (even when I was omni I used veg broth)
2 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes, drained, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if you're going to use cheese, this is where you want your reggiano. it counts bigtime in this dish. it's all about fresh, savory flavors - mouth heaven, baby)

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (for garnish)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings (like I said. also, use a veggie peeler, pass the chunk of cheese round the table)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves in large bowl. Add sourdough bread pieces and toss to coat. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring once, about 20 minutes. Set garlic-bread croutons aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender, about 25 minutes. Add remaining minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Simmer soup uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add garlic-bread croutons to soup and cook 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil and Parmesan cheese shavings. (er, not. don't add the croutons before serving. let people build their soups, building little piles of garlic croutons, basil, and cheese fragments. you'll thank me, really)

this stuff freezes so well. and it's great to take to lunch, just pack your go-withs separately. I can guarantee your coworkers will be asking for the recipe. could it be simpler?

Miso gravy

2008-10-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

Miso Gravy from here

Makes about 1 ½ cups

Here's a gravy that's as savory and pleasing as my mother's creamy gravy made from pan drippings. The primary difference is that this one is cholesterol free and low in calories. And protein-rich miso is a potent healing food. It's an anticarcinogen and it reduces the effects of radiation, smoking, air pollution and other environmental toxins. This gravy is great over mashed potatoes, steamed cauliflower, a grain entrée or biscuits.

1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1 cup unflavored soymilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons whole wheat or barley flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the miso and 2 tablespoons of the soymilk in a small bowl and purée with a spoon or fork. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned. Add the thyme and flour and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic and the mixture is lightly colored and creamy rather than grainy. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent browning.

Whisk in the remaining soymilk all at once, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the miso purée and cook an additional 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or keep the gravy warm until ready to use.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood

2008-10-13T07:38:00.001-04:00

Daphne, craving attention

Chocolate chip cookies!

2008-10-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

Copied from Vegweb, this wonderful recipe:

Recipe submitted by Denise

Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
cinnamon to taste (optional)
vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like
1 cup raw sugar (turbinado #1, sucanat works too but sucks up a lot of the moisture)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water

Directions:

VERY IMPORTANT-make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they're not at room temp but it works MUCH better if they are. Also while your oven is pre-heating put the cookie sheets you are going to use on top of the oven so they get preheated as well. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if you choose). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium size bowl mix vegan sugar and oil. Mix it well. Add the vanilla and then add the water. Mix it well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix it well but be careful not to overwork it. Add more chips if you need to. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Put them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then flip and rotate the sheets.(top to bottom,and 180 degree rotation) Bake another 4 minutes and check them.

The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool. I usually go in two minute increments from here untill they get to where I like them.

Take them out when they are done and move them to wire cooling racks. If they split or come apart when you try to remove them let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to the racks.

These cookies have come a long way, lots of time and tasting spent on getting them to where they are now. Vegans and non vegans LOVE them. In the words of my 6 year old son-Mom, you're the greatest because you know how to make the best cookies. Enjoy and let me know if you have questions. Sweet travels.

Serves: almost two dozen

Preparation time: 15 mins?-10 to 12 cooking time

Farmer's market dinner

2008-10-11T08:48:00.004-04:00

We'd walked the 2 miles or so to the local farmer's market, which runs all year round. Bought greens fresh from the fields, turnips, shelled limas, heirloom tomatoes, a gorgeous bouquet, and more. Oh - and a puffy, fresh sourdough loaf from a local Swiss baker.

For dinner, we cubed parsnips, onion, several tomatoes, a sweet potato, and roasted them slow, simply sprayed with olive oil. Next time we'll plan ahead and roast even slower - this was 400F for about an hour. We boiled the fresh limas in lightly salted water for about 10-15 minutes, then drained them and tossed with earth balance, adding fresh cracked pepper. We dry-fried thin tofu triangles, adding a chili-lime glaze at the last, and accompanied this bounty with thick slices of sourdough, toasted and rubbed with garlic, buttered.

There was no question that this meal was one of the best we have had in a very long time - and that's saying a lot.

Vegan dumplings for stew

2008-10-10T21:53:00.001-04:00

3 T shortening or oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup soy milk
optional: about 1 T finely minced chives

METHOD
Cut shortening into flour, baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot vegetables in boiling stew. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook about 10 minutes longer.

Strangely reminiscent of...

2008-10-05T18:57:00.002-04:00

Emmenthaler cheese. That's what I said to Mike after trying Esme's special sauce, which I had copied a while back and just made last night. Folks, this is not a low-fat sauce. It is also very rich, and there is a savory... unctuousness to it. I think in future it will do well as a sauce over veg, such as roasted potatoes, on the side.

Last night, with little interest in cooking and less in trotting 2/3 mile to the store & back (no car - we've not had one for around 4 years now and believe me right now this is not a bad idea), I decided to try this out.

We cooked up some soba noodles, then tossed in a good half-bag of frozen chopped spinach, about a cup of frozen peas (told you we were lazy!) and finally, a can of drained & rinsed cannelini. It went together like that (snaps fingers unsuccessfully - I never could do that well) and in no time at all we were laid back, overstuffed. This is a comfort food. Curry's better (curry is ALWAYS better) but this is fast.

Tostadas!

2008-10-05T18:27:00.003-04:00

This was the easiest and nearly the tastiest meal I've had this week! I'd bought some tostadas caseras the other day, and intended to simply cook up black beans with cumin, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and mash'em up a bit, then top with taco toppings of simple guacamole (take 1 avocado, mash), chipotle sauce (mince chipotle, add equal amounts of mayo and sour cream), chopped tomato, onion, lettuce. But I thought I'd look for a recipe for refried vegan beans, first - and I'm so glad I did! The recipe was more complex and makes a wonderful base for the toppings.

Vegetarian Refried Beans (courtesy of The Savvy Vegetarian)

* 1 cup dry pinto or black beans (my note: the ratio is 1 c. dried = 3 c. cooked. We used 1 can and halved the recipe for everything, perfect for 2)
* 3 -4 Tbls ghee or olive oil
* 2 tsp. gr. cumin
* 2 tsp gr. coriander
* pinch cayenne
* 1/2 tsp dried ginger
* 1/2 tsp gr. fennel seeds
* 1 tsp paprika
* pinch of garlic salt OR asoefetida (My note - we used asefoetida. Always great to find a way to use this wonderful spice!)
* 1 tsp salt (My note: this could have stayed out. Braggs is already plenty salty)
* pepper to taste
* 1 Tblsp Braggs liquid aminos, or soy sauce

Directions:

1. To cook beans:* soak 3 or more hours, rinse, cover with cold water (no salt). Bring to boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 1 - 2 hrs, until tender. Drain and reserve the liquid. (My note: if using canned beans, drain & rinse well, then run through food processer. Add 2-3 T water)
2. Mash the beans with a potato masher, in a food mill, or food processor. Add enough liquid to make a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil or ghee on low in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add spices and heat for 5 minutes. Add the bean paste and blend with the spices. Add Braggs or soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

The Toppings

1 avocado, cubed & mashed
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tomato, diced (we were out of the good ones so I used about 1/2 c of canned diced tomatoes, drained)
(about) 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
enough vegan mayo to combine everything, about 1/3 c
(about) 2 T adobo sauce or 1 minced chipotle
1/4 c. or more cilantro, chopped

Combine everything, adding enough nutritional yeast to thicken the mix to spreading consistency.

What else is needed: chopped lettuce, good salsa. vegan sour cream, if you have it (I'm out, and didn't really miss it)

Putting it together: Spread the refried bean mix, top with the avocado mix,then lettuce and salsa. Eat and repeat. Enjoy! We'll make this again - super easy (or did I say that already?

2008-09-21T10:21:00.000-04:00

Thai Green Curry with Veggies and Tofu

2008-09-14T22:18:00.001-04:00

from the creative Vegan Mouse blog, shown on the postpunk forum:

Thai Green Curry with Veggies and Tofu

2 TB canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 TB green curry paste (this is spicy so use as little or much as you like - store the leftover paste in a little ziploc bag in the freezer)
2 cans coconut milk
2 cups broccoli florets
1 small red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of one large lime

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute for a while until onions are browned and a bit soft. Add potatoes, carrots and green curry paste. Stir around to coat, then add coconut milk and stir. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli, red pepper and zucchini. Add soy sauce, sugar and lime juice. Lower heat to medium low. Add tofu cubes. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or so or until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot rice.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins

2008-09-13T12:14:00.002-04:00

Bryanna Clarke Grogan's recipe!

Wet Mix:
1/2 C smooth applesauce
1 1/2 C soymilk
3 Tbsp light tasting olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
1 1/2 tsp KAL brand stevia

Dry Mix:
2 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Additional:
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb, can be frozen (mine wasn't)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare muffin cups by greasing or spraying with pan spray (I use special unbleached parchment papers because I like low fat baking and do not want the muffins to stick to the paper and rip apart). Combine the wet mix in the blender or food processor. In a medium bowl combine the dry mix. Add the wet to the dry and stir briefly just to mix. Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. C Cool the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the muffins with a table knife and turn them on their sides to cool a bit more before serving. These vegan muffins are quite tender when they are very hot, but they firm up with cooling.

esme's special sauce

2008-09-08T03:19:00.000-04:00

copied with gratitude from the postpunk forum
esme25 wrote
i make a sauce for pasta that's equal parts:
tahini
miso
soy sauce
olive oil
nooch or mustard
lemon juice or vinegar
and a few cloves of garlic.
eta: if i have mirin i sometimes throw that in, too.

mix it all up and add to hot pasta. it usually winds up being about 2 T. of each item. sometimes i add some spinach or something.

i usually use the sweet white [miso], but any kind will work.

it's really good with any kind of green veggie thrown in (like spinach, arugula, brocolli, scallions - that kind of stuff).

eta: when i say 2 T. of each, i don't measure. i get out my big soup spoon which i use interchageably with a tablespoon in non-baking recipes and use heaping tablespoons of everything.

and a quick trick. since the sauce is so easy to make, i boil the pasta, drain it, put the pot back on the warm stove, make the sauce in there, then add the hot pasta back to it. the heat of the pan and the pasta helps melt down the tahini and miso so that it works through the pasta better.

Ravioli fillings

2008-09-07T09:42:00.005-04:00

I'm trying the first recipe, and one with the tofu ricotta, though I have added finely minced leek and another clove of garlic, plus a few drops of hot sauce. I'm also going to try the white bean idea, using it in place of tofu: cannelini plus herbs & garlic, and some greens. Over all that we'll have the famous 5-minute tomato sauce, and a green salad.

Smashed white beans with garlic and herbs, plus maybe some steamed and finely chopped greens
Basic Spread Mixture for vegan boursin (from Bryann's blog):

1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu, prepared as instructed in recipe text below
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw cashews or cashew pieces, ground very fine in a coffee/spice mill or mini-chopper (I don't have this so will leave it out)
1/2 cup original Earth Balance
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon miso (not the very dark variety)
1-2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
To prepare the tofu (important step!):
Crumble the tofu in a clean tea towel or piece of cotton sheeting, gather the ends up and twist, knead, and squeeze for a couple of minutes to extract as much of the water from the tofu as possible.

Whirl the squeezed tofu and the rest of the Basic Spread Mixture ingredients in a food processor at high speed for several minutes. Be patient-- it has to be VERY smooth. You may have to stop the machine a couple of times and scrape the sides and push the ingredients that have accumulated under the blade towards the middle.

When as smooth as possible, add the Basic Flavoring, or whatever additions you prefer. Process again if you want them well-incorporated into the spread

basic tofu ricotta recipe (from Vegan with a Vengeance) with added finely chopped (reconstituted) sun dried tomatoes and garlic, plus hot pepper sauce to taste (4 or 5 drops)
Vegan dad's burger recipe mixed with steamed, squeezed-out finely chopped greens

'Asian' noodles

2008-08-30T22:07:00.001-04:00

This was just posted by ficbot at the ppk. Of course I won't be able to leave well enough alone, but if this works, it's a good canvas for added veg & & &t:

ASIAN NOODLES

1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp liquid sweetener (e.g. agave)
2 tbsp soy sauce
splash of sesame oil
1 packet rice noodles

Boil some water, pour over the rice noodles, let sit for five minutes. Meanwhile, melt the PB in the microwave for about 20 seconds, stir in other ingredients, whisk well. Drain the noodles and toss with the sauce. Serves 1. This is a very quick and easy lunch with some fruit on the side. I tried making it with soy butter (my workplace is nut-free) and it was not as good.

Black beans & rice with sweet potatoes

2008-08-24T18:21:00.004-04:00

Oh man was this good! I think next time I'll add lime quarters to squeeze over everything. We had steamed collards on the side, from frozen - these turned out to be a perfect foil to the juicy, slightly spicy dish. Don't skimp on the heat, either - or the vegan sour cream. It's all part of the taste.

http://veggie-terrain.blogspot.com/2007/12/black-beans-rice-w-sweet-potato-cubes.html

Golden Gravy a la Real Food Daily by way of PostPunk Kitchen

2008-08-22T11:01:00.000-04:00

Itngredients:
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage, or 1 tsp. rubbed dried
4 c. water
1/4 c. tamari
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tap. ground black pepper

Stir yeast and flour in heavy skillet over medium heat for five min or until fragrant.
Heat oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, saute for 10 mins, or until it begins to brown. Add garlic, thyme, sage, and saute for 30 secs, or until fragrant. Whisk in flour mixture thoroughly, then whisk in water, tamari, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, and continue until reaches desired thickness. Strain into a bowl to serve.

Sausage-filled tortellini with 5-minute sauce

2008-08-09T08:34:00.003-04:00

I wrote before about a fantasy meal (I know, pathetic, right? - deal with it) and then never did anything about it other than looking, realizing that it would probably take a while to do the pasta part, and something more expeditious to cook. So I finally reached some kind of tipping-point, and followed through - success! This is the sort of thing you want to make a double batch of, because it takes a bit more time, AND because you will definitely want to have it again (and again). I would serve this proudly to guests, including omnis.

The pasta for tortellini is Bryanna Clarke Grogan's recipe:

VEGAN HOMEMADE PASTA
Makes slightly over 1 lb.

1 and 2/3 cups unbleached white flour
OR 1 c. unbleached white flour plus 2/3 c. wholewheat flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour OR full-fat soy flour
2/3 cup water
OPTIONAL: 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
My note: I added a pinch of hot pepper flakes and oregano to the dry flour prior to adding in liquids. This was a great move :)

TO MAKE THE DOUGH IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, mix the flour, chickpea or soy flour and salt, if using, in a dry processor bowl, then add the water (or water and pureed vegetables, mixed together) through the top with the motor running. Process for about 30 seconds, or until a smooth ball forms. (The dough may seem a bit sticky, but you'll be flouring it as you work.) Place the dough in a plastic bag and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

TO ROLL AND CUT WITH A HAND-CRANK PASTA MACHINE OR ELECTRIC PASTA-ROLLING MACHINE, divide the dough into eighths, keeping the portions you aren't working with in the plastic bag. Flour the dough well and run it through the first setting of the machine. Now, flour it lightly again, fold it into thirds, and run it through the first setting again. Do this until the dough looks smooth. Then flour the dough and run it through each successive setting twice, until it is the desired thickness.

Next, there's the filling. I had just made a batch of Julie Hassan's sausages, with sweet potato - here's the variation I had done:

2 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
4 T. chickpea flour
4 t. unchicken broth powder (I used chicken seasoning, and you could just use sage)
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. hot pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper

2 c. grated sweet potato (1 medium sized)
3 chipotle chiles, minced
4 t. adobo sauce
2 T. canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 T. black strap molasses
2 c. cool water

To quote Julie:

Before mixing your ingredients, get your steaming apparatus ready, bring water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly.

Have ready 4 sheets of tin foil. In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 4 even parts (an easy way to do this: split the dough in half and then into quarters). Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome.

Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. That’s it! You can unwrap and enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

So, I had this sausage done already. I know, I know, at this point it's sounding like this recipe will NEVER get done. Bear with me a moment. We're almost there. Next is the actual filling - this part's easy.

I took one of the sausages (you want about 1/2 cup total sausage stuff) and ground it up in the food processor, adding half a package of frozen spinach, which I had thawed and squeezed out pretty well to get out as much water as possible, and about 2/3 c. of nutritional yeast. That's it for the filling. Set aside.

Now for forming the tortellini. You cannot go wrong following this method, though note that I used my hand-cranked pasta machine, and rolling pasta out to a setting of 5.

Finally (!) I made the 5-minute tomato sauce">5 minute pasta sauce.

outrageous behavior

2008-08-07T21:44:00.011-04:00

I am vegan for health, but I've been eating this way for over a year now. Curious about the ethics and production aspects surrounding the animal industry, I've read a number of well-known texts to learn more - including the occasional foray to the PETA site. I have not been in sympathy with their sexist marketing tactics, but - no, there is no 'but'. I am not in sympathy with their alienating and offensive tactics. I know all about the theory that shock brings attention, that old end-justifies-means argument that carries no water around this house.

How you live, who you are to your fellows - this counts. Every word you say, smiles, a hand when needed - these things construct your character over a very long time (if you're lucky). Small tradeoffs. Screwing someone over, expeditiously - the little-considered impulse to self defense. We do err. Trite thoughts come to me about repenting at leisure, and other bullshit. We do mess up. But an accretion of poor decisions - slight course adjustments - are capable of altering not only the path of the journey, but the point of arrival.

It is not enough, ever, to trade off human dignity no matter what the ends might ideally be. Today PETA attempted to run an ad following the beheading of a young man on a Greyhound bus. Intentionally, representatives of this organization created an ad modeled on this horrific crime, pointing out the horror of our slaughter of innocent animals. Their justification?

Yesterday, we mentioned an advertisement that we wanted to run in a Canadian newspaper in the wake of a shocking stabbing murder and possible cannibalism in Manitoba. Countless people have contacted us with their concerns, so we'd like to explain why we wanted to run the ad that no newspaper will touch with a 10' pole.

Yes, of course we were horrified (who wouldn't be?) when we heard the details of this barbaric, incomprehensible killing. And obviously, everyone's good thoughts go out to anyone affected by this violent act. That's all a no-brainer. Now, remember, PETA is known for being provocative—that's our job. The animals don't benefit from our silence. So our thought is always: How can we get people to see that despite their feelings about this kind of violence, they are often paying someone to do exactly what was done to the man on the bus, and worse, just so that they can eat a sandwich? Voila, the ad!

We see parallels between acts of violence against humans and cruelty to animals, since both spring from a common root. We understand that such comparisons may be uncomfortable for many people, but they're not inaccurate.

Responding to violence with anger is also natural, but just being angry solves nothing, does it? Real change comes about when we channel anger or sadness into action. (Quoted from here)

What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? The exploitation of human pain only increases the pain, regardless of the validity of the objectives.

There is no guarantee that PETA's move will succeed in any way in convincing people that killing animals is wrong. I could not disagree more with PETA. My voice counts too, here in this strange country of blogging.

Meanwhile, my strong feeling is that I would like to send my caring thoughts and support towards the McLean family, who have lost their son, Tim. It is this loss that is even more incomprehensible and unbearable, and no political posturing should obscure the tragedy, or draw attention from it. As a parent I cannot begin to understand this loss, and it is in realizing my inability that I begin to sense the depth of the void that has been created.

Our responsibility to one another: to be kind. Isn't that all we've got?

Bangon Aloo: Eggplant with potatoes

2008-08-03T09:23:00.001-04:00

Oh yum! - copied from fatfree, with gratitude! the only change I've made is to specify soy yogurt.

3/4 lb. eggplant
1/2 lb. potatoes
1/3 cup sliced onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp roasted and crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp grated ginger root
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tbsp soy yogurt
1/2 tsp sugar
1-2 green chilis, chopped
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Wash the eggplant. Cut it into quarters lengthwise, then, holding the pieces
together, cut them across into 1/2 inch chunks. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly
and don't peel them. Cut into quarters and cut quarters twice so you get 12
bite size pieces from each tater. Very slowly dryfry onion until it turns
light brown (slowly carmelizing the onions)Add cumin and coriander seeds, stir
for a minute, then add ginger, half garlic, chili powder, tumeric and cook
over very high heat, adding a couple of tablespoons of water as necessary
to keep the spice paste from sticking. Spices should deepen in color, this
should not take more than two minutes. Add eggplant, yogurt, sugar, and green
chilis. Mix all togetherand cook 2-3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup of water, lower
heat and and simmer 15 minutes, with lid firmly on. Add taters, peppers, and
tomatoes. Make sure lid is very tight, simmer another 10 minutes, checking
occassionally so it is not burning or sticking.. If too dry, add a bit more
water. Lastly, add cilantro, garlic, and lemon juice, cook 1 more minute,
gently stir to mix, then turn off heat.

Mushroom tart

2008-08-03T09:15:00.002-04:00

This is converted from the recipe provided at the Hollow Legs blog (and isn't that a great blog name?!) Sounds really yummy - can't wait to try this lovely light meal, with a salad.

5 large closed cap mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated (I will be using portabellas instead)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp tofutti cream cheese, mixed with
1 tbsp tofutti sour cream (the original recipe calls for 3 T creme fraiche)

Enough puff pastry to make 2 6"x 4" tarts - I used 1/2 a block of unrolled pastry

Preheat your oven to 400F. Fry the garlic until softened, then add all the mushrooms. Fry until softened, making sure there isn't too much liquid. Add the tofutti mix and the parsley and take off the heat. Season to taste. Roll out the pastry and make an indentation about 2 cm from the edge, all the way round. Leave to rest for 5 mins, then spread the mushroom mixture on the base. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Wasabi pea-encrusted tofu

2008-08-02T16:54:00.002-04:00

Another one from the interesting VegCooking blog - you can sure tell where I've been roaming! I love wasabi peas, with their sudden heat - and savory after taste. Just imagining their crunchy spike against the creamy blandness of tofu - sounds good to me! We'll try it baked.

Wasabi Pea-Encrusted Tofu

1 16-oz. pkg. extra firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup wasabi peas
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

•Press the block of tofu with paper towels to remove excess water, then cut it into four equal pieces, each about the size of a deck of cards.

•In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, then stir. Add the tofu, being sure to cover it completely, and let marinate for 15 minutes. If the liquid is too shallow to cover the tofu, turn it often.

•In a blender or food processor, blend the wasabi peas until they reach the consistency of coarse salt, then pour onto a plate.

•Dip each piece of tofu into the wasabi peas, coating each side.

•Pour the oil into a skillet and bring the temperature to medium-high heat. Add the coated tofu and flip after the wasabi peas turn into a crunchy golden crust, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Thai tofu wraps

2008-08-02T16:49:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of the Veg Cooking Blog, this is an extremely tasty and satisfying meal

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps

1 small Thai pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lime (plus more for garnish)
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. basil, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
8 iceberg lettuce leaves

•Sauté the minced pepper and garlic in the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, water, and lime juice, stirring until well combined. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat until the tofu is ready.

•Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick 12-inch skillet.

•Add the tofu and cook, stirring frequently (stir-frying), until heated through and browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the sauce and chopped basil, then stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.

•Scoop a spoonful of tofu onto each lettuce leaf, top with basil, garnish with lime juice, if desired, and serve.

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

Sunday dinner

2008-07-26T10:50:00.008-04:00

Yay! My good friend Susan's coming over! She'll be staying over so we get a chance to visit, and we plan to feed her well. I sorely miss our lunches together since I moved 20 miles away & ended my coursework (I am perpetually mid-lit review at this point). You might think I was becoming totally unsocialized (and you'd be right, not uncommon from what I hear about doc students!) Err, anyway. We decided to keep it simple and yummy (and I will add that she's not vegan, but has loved the curries and samosas and calzones we've served her.

- Vegan Dad's awesome burgers, on jugalbandi's sundried tomato sourdough buns (haven't tried these yet), with fixins
- roasted potato wedges, with olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika
- Kittee's fresh strawberry pie
- maybe a small salad, or some sauteed collards. I'd prefer asparagus but they are SO expensive this year - I never even got any. I can't bring myself to pay almost $4 per pound.

I don't think anyone will leave hungry. And I might remember how to socialize - here's to staying in touch with good friends!

Lunch!

2008-07-26T08:06:00.007-04:00

Checking out 2 new recipes at once for lunch, reports to follow!

1. Smoky Miso Tofu
Notes:
- Coating the thin slices of tufu worked best for me by dipping them in the marinade and turning to coat - use your fingers!
- I ended up having to turn the heat up to 450F, turning the tofu pieces over gently. I also had to cook these for about 3 times as long. I wonder if the oven rack was too high? It's possible that having my baking stone and my cast iron skillet beneath the cookie sheet these were baking on may have necessitated the change in cooking time.
- This is really good, room temp or cold, with vegan mayo and lettuce and mustard on a bun.

2. Pinto Bean & Brown Rice Cakelets
Notes:
- I discovered at the last minute (Mike had gone to the store without his phone) that I had no canned pinto beans, so subbed a can of cannelini beans. Otherwise, this came together very easily even though I did have to make some brown rice (I used basmati).
- I wonder if these will need a dipping sauce, and I'm wondering if baking would work as opposed to frying.
- The recipe makes a LOT so I'm wondering if I can make the patties and freeze them (or cook them partway and then cool & freeze). I will be trying to do this as there is no way two of us will eat all this for lunch!
- I didn't add salt and they do need it (though there is plenty in the soy).

followup note: these cakelets were good, but not good enough to warrant the fat content.

why do I get the feeling we will be too stuffed for dinner?

The best vegan burger? - oh yeah

2008-07-26T07:56:00.003-04:00

Now, this is sort of a holy grail deal. Do you know how many different versions of veggie burgers are out there? Some have oats, rice, beans, peanut butter, vital wheat gluten, or a plethora of other ingredients to create that elusive juicy, tender inside and firmer outside, flavorful enough to stand on their own yet not be subsumed by lots of toppings. Men have died in pursuit of this, and fingers, burned (ok, slight hyperbole).

The grail has been found, and Vegan Dad has done it. I'm quoting his posting here, but you will benefit by checking out the rest of his blog - I have it as a feed to my Google Reader. He's inventive and yet gives attention to the need for simple, inexpensive food that appeals to a broad audience (such as kids - thus, the implications of the blog title).

INGREDIENTS
- 1 8.5 oz pkg tempeh, coarsely grated
(If you find tempeh has a "taste," simmer it in boiling water with 2 tsp soy sauce for 10 mins to cut down on the bitterness. Cool before grating. This will increase the water content of the tempeh, so you might want to increase the wheat gluten to 1/2 cup, or not add any extra water.)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 tsp ground fennel seed
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce note: I don't have HP so used catsup instead, with a touch of vegan worcestershire sauce.
- 1/4 tsp browning sauce (optional)
- 2-4 tbsp water
- oil for frying

METHOD
1. Mix grated tempeh, bread crumbs, flour, and spices in a bowl. Add in soy sauce, HP sauce, and enough water to make a firm yet pliable dough. Knead for a few mins to mix everything well.
2. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape into patties by pressing into a metal ring.
3. Cook in a thin layer of oil on med-lo heat for about 5 mins per side. The trick is to make thin patties and to fry them low enough to cook them through before burning the outside.

vegan tamales

2008-07-24T09:35:00.006-04:00

for some weird reason I've been wanting to experiment with making tamales - but I'd like to make them less fatty. after a lot of looking around at different recipes, I found the following - this is copied direct from isa's post on the ppk forum:

Everyday Chipotle Vegetable Tamales
Makes 24-30 tamales (or 18 largish ones!)

This tamale recipe is as flexible as you want it to be; add roasted corn kernels, finely chopped chilies or scallions to the dough if you feel like it. I’ve kept the filling a basic bean, peppers and corn with essential addition of smoky chipotle chilies in spicy adobo sauce. Seasonal vegetables like zucchini, finely chopped steamed pumpkin, poblano chilies and even small bits of sautéed seitan would make perfect additions too.

Tamale Tips:
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce, corn husks and masa harina can be found in most large groceries with an “ethnic” section nowadays. Larger Latin American stores may have everything in stock too, as well as gourmet stores. Be sure to get masa harina mix (ground corn flour specially treated with lime water); don’t substitute with corn meal, it simply is not the same and will not work!

While preparing the dough and filling is simple enough I will not lie to you; tamale assembly can be tedious work. Don’t do it on 2 hours of sleep after pulling an all nighter, or an hour before that big date or before surgery. Enlist the help of a dear friend and promise them the warm, soul-embracing experience of eating adorably wrapped handmade tamales bursting with vegan love. Which means you’ll have to give them a few you greedy mustard.

Tamales freeze well after steaming, just wrap tightly in paper and pack in freezer bags.

If you can’t find dried corn husks for wrapping the tamales is, less attractive substitutes might be tinfoil or wax paper.

Dough:

4 Cups Masa Harina tamale flour
1/4 Cup olive or good quality corn oil
2 tsp. Baking powder
4 Cups vegetable broth, water or a combination of the two, warmed my note: I used our veg broth - note that this may change the color of the masa!
Salt to taste (needed less if using all broth) my note: for me this was about 1/2 tsp. but I tend not to cook with salt, and add it later, and there is no salt in our home made broth. this amount was fine.

Chipotle bean filling:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped small
1 small carrot, peeled and diced small
1 Cup frozen corn kernels
1 15oz. Can pinto or black beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 C veggie broth or water
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1-2 T of adobo sauce (from a 7oz can of chipotles in sauce)
3 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

Dried corn husks for wrapping tamales

First, place corn husks (you don’t need to separate them just now) in a pot large enough to cover completely with water. Cover with warm water and allow to soak for at least 20 minutes till husks are soft and pliable. Keep covered in water entire time as you use them. my note: I used the sink, and put a dinner plate on top of the husks to keep them immersed. Another recipe I looked at called for a 2-hour soak. The briefer soaking time works well, mostly - but not for all the husks. Make sure to gently separate these after they've been soaking for a while.

In a large bowl combine masa harina, broth or water, salt, baking powder and oil. Stir to mix with a large spatula. If you have an electric mixer (hand or otherwise) now is the time to use it. Beat the mixture till it forms a dense, moist, fluffy dough and the side of the bowls are clean. If you don’t have a mixer beat it like hell with that spatula. Tamale dough steams up extra light and puffy when beat with an electric mixer but still tastes great when beat by hand. Cover bowl containing dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside.

my note: I did not use this filling recipe, but used another one.
In a large heavy bottom skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add pepper and carrot and sauté for 3 minutes, then add beans, corn, broth, chipotles (the more chipotles and sauce the hotter) and adobo sauce, tomato paste and cumin. Sautee and simmer till most of liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Salt to taste and allow to cool before assembling tamales.

Depending the size of the corn husks you will need to use 1-2 husks per tamale. There are a billion ways to wrap a tamale: I like this way since it’s simple and makes super-cute traditional tamale shapes. Take corn husk and lay flat; spread about 2 T of dough about off-center, leaving about an inch and a half of space on the top and bottom. Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on top, and on top of that dab about 1 T more of dough. Carefully roll up tamale, making sure to completely encase filling in corn husk. Tie both ends securely with either heavy duty kitchen string (maybe try different colors for different flavors), or simply tear a corn husk lenghth-wise into thin strips.

Prepare a large steamer basket and loosely pack tamales into it. Steam for 35-40 minutes. Tamales will expand and feel firm to the touch when done. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before serving (they will be really hot when unwrapped!). Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole or make a whole affair out of it and serve with sides of rice and beans.

Sauce for tamales

I found a terrific recipe that I will use for other things. It would be fantastic over rice or roasted vegetables, I know it would be, or as a taco or hamburger topping. I'm thinking about using it to fill some calzones today.

Sweet and Smokey Chipotle Sauce
from Vegetarian Journal 2006, Issue 4 my note: this recipe includes the very simple recipe for the sweet potato filling I used, but I added adobo and sauteed onion.

(Makes filling for 36 tamales)

Though this tomato-based sauce is quite spicy, there is sweet relief in the sweet potatoes and molasses.
Sauce

* One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (available in the international foods aisle of many supermarkets), minced my note: use all 3!
* 2 teaspoons leftover adobo sauce
* 2 Tablespoons molasses
* 1/4 cup orange juice my note: I skipped this as I didn't want that sweetish note (figuring the molasses would suffice), and I'm glad I did. I added an extra splash of broth, instead.
* Olive oil to cover bottom of medium-sized skillet
* 1 medium-sized onion, preferably a sweet variety
* 4 garlic cloves, crushed
* Salt to taste
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

In a large saucepan, combine crushed tomatoes, peppers, adobo sauce, molasses, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.

While the tomato sauce is simmering, pour oil into a medium-sized pan and sauté onions, garlic, and salt. When onions are slightly brown, add the pan’s contents to the tomato sauce. Add cumin and cilantro and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Pour sauce into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.

Afternotes

Because I've been having problems with the soy and beans I've been eating (hello again, colitis), I decided to fill the tamales with a sweet potato recipe I'd found elsewhere - turns out you can vary tamale recipes infinitely. That was just 2 sweet potatoes, baked til well done, then mashed with just a little salt. I added about a tablespoon of adobo sauce, and maybe 3/4 of a large onion, sauteed til soft.

I used Isa's recipe for the masa, and varied the sauce recipe by adding another 3/4 of a large onion, sauteed - this sauce truly rocks! Use the full complement of 3 chipotles - you won't be sorry! We ate this with a side of steamed quinoa, with half a bag of frozen spinach thrown in at the last - that was super, with the great sauce on it especially!

However, the filling was not such a success. The mashed sweet potatoes just don't have enough substance for me - too mushy, and I don't really like that sweetish taste in there. I do have some thoughts about what to do next time (and there will be one - this may seem time consuming, but it's well worth it). I'd like to try using something that gets firmer, but not as firm as the masa when it's cooked. I am considering crumbled tempeh, mixed with onion, garlic, and chipotle, so it's a good thickish paste (you want something that's roughly the consistency of mashed potatoes. in fact, I think if you took some leftover spicy chilli and added some kind of thickener (nooch, rice, masa) or even just mashed the beans up a bit, you'd have something really delicious. Other ideas: greens! quinoa with greens and sauce! oh yeah.

Even better might be to use a variation of Julie Hassan's sausage mix as I did for the tortellini filling (scroll down to see the variation I used for tortellini, with added spinach and nutritional yeast), spicing it with cumin and chili powder and garlic, maybe mixing in minced onion and pickled jalapeno bits. Imagine that against the creamy, firm cornmeal coating, covered by the sauce - I think this might be a winner.

Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce

2008-07-16T19:19:00.000-04:00

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1 long fresh red chili (like Holland, Fresno or cayenne), or 1 tablespoon bottled chili paste (sambal oelek)
3 tablespoons lime juice (3 key limes)
Pound the garlic and chilies in a mortar and pestle, or pulse in a small food processor, until a coarse paste forms. Add lime juice and mix well.
http://theasiangrandmotherscookbook.wordpress.com/

Ginger/Garlic Savoy Cabbage

2008-07-15T14:29:00.002-04:00

* 1 head savoy cabbage or Chinese cabbage, cored, shredded across in approx 3/4-inch slices (about 1 1/2 lbs)
* 2 tablespoons lite olive oil or other oil
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* salt & pepper
* 1 1/4 tablespoons ginger, minced
* 1 lime, juice of (1 1/2 T)

Directions

1. Heat wok or large skillet medium high heat, wait until oil is hot.
2. Add cabbage and stir fry until cabbage just starts to wilt (do nor overcook).
3. Add garlic, salt and pepper cook 1 minute.
4. Add ginger cook 1 minute.
5. Drizzle with lime juice and serve.

from http://www.recipezaar.com/15832

Veganomicon ricotta

2008-07-15T06:44:00.004-04:00

I finally got it right. The baking stone I ordered from Cooking.com arrived, and I was anxious to christen it with a pizza, so I used the V'con recipe for 'Isa Pizza'. This is wonderous, yeast-risen stuff, to which I added a handful of fresh herbs: sage, basil, chives), topping it with scads of slow-carmelized onions (nearly an hour!), lots of garlic, my chipotle-mayo base, heirloom tomatoes, and for the first time, the ricotta recipe from the same cookbook.

Starting from a base of pressed, mushed-up tofu, lots of good things are added, including more garlic (never enough!), fresh basil, and lemon juice - the result is a light, bland mixture that still misses by just a hair what it might be, if eaten alone. However, when added in small lumps to a pizza with lots of other stuff going on, the blandness works very well, adding a sort of unctuous savory (hey, I don't know how else to describe it!)

Having some leftover (about a cup), last night I used it up and was pretty pleased with the results. I blended it with leftover cooked collards (which had a bit of quinoa, so this is a very healthy mix!), then rolled the mixture up in filo. Baked (at 350F for about 20 minutes) and topped with a light and spicy tomato sauce, these were really wonderful! The sauce:

1 large onion, cut in chunks and chopped very fine
1 T olive oil
3 or 4 l. garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
10 large basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp or more oregano
1 tsp (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
2 tsp lemon juice

Heat onion in olive oil, stirring whenever you think of it, for longer than you think it should take to get it sweet and lightly browned, cooking off nearly all the liquid.

Add garlic, sautee for longer (lower heat and pay attention here - garlic turns bitter, fast.

Add all other ingredients except lemon juice; simmer on low heat for at least 1/2 hour.

Before serving, stir in lemon juice.

Thai Peanut Sauce

2008-07-14T22:55:00.004-04:00

Generously shared by Hedge at the PPK Forum and altered to US measures, plus my notes.

3 1/2 T crunchy peanut butter (if all you have is creamy, this is fine too)
2 L cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can (8 oz) of light coconut milk
half L onion, chopped roughly
5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, in slivers
1 carrot, sliced into thinnish 'coins' or ovals
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped medium-small
1 teaspoon of chili powder*, or to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons of peanut oil

*note that this is not the same chili powder we use in the US to make the soup, chili, but rather a ground hot pepper flake. I suspect you can also substitute cayenne here.

Finely chop the onion and fry it in the peanut oil until soft then add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and chili powder. Then add the coconut milk and continue to stir for about five minutes.
Finally, stir in the soy sauce and take off the heat. You will want to taste it at this point and maybe add more soy sauce.

For seitan satay, the original author's notes: I always make satay with this by slicing baked seitan into long strips about half an inch wide and placing in a lightly greased oven proof dish. Pour over the peanut sauce and heat through in the oven for 5-10 mins.

My note: I will be using soy curls, marinated first in vegetable broth with a touch of soy sauce, then sauteed in olive oil, until it starts to get a bit crusty. From there I will add in carrots, bell pepper, and (lastly, just to heat through) frozen peas and the slivered basil - and serving over basmati rice, garnished with a few more basil slivers and (if you have it) a sprinkle of chopped, roasted peanuts. Serve with a size of steamed broccoli or sauteed bok choi.