The Ordinary Vegetarian

Native Foods Cafe open in Chicago!

2011-08-09T23:25:00.003-05:00

Back in June I took a weekend trip to LA. Top on my list of local vegan restaurants to try was Native Foods. Perusing their website in preparation for my visit I was surprised to learn that there would be three locations opening in Chicago in the fall. I decided to postpone my visit to Native Foods and wait for them to come to me. The two month wait is over, the first Chicago location opened in Wicker Park today!

I didn't have to wait until today though, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-opening dinner on Friday night!

Our dining experience started out with a greeting from Chef Tanya herself at the door! Starstruck, I expressed my excitement to meet her and asked for a photo, to which she replied, "Oh, a groupie!" Guilty as charged, vegan food nerd to the core! We had a nice chat before getting in line to order.

While we were in line we were offered samples of their Lavender Lemonade and Watermelon Fresca. I am not a big fan of mint, watermelon, or lavender, so I did not think that I would like either of these. To my surprise I loved them both! They were light and refreshing, and the flavors were very complimentary and not overpowering.

When we reached the counter we were encouraged to order several things, all on the house, so that we could get a good taste of their offerings. How could we resist with a menu like this?

For our starter we chose the Sweet Potato Taquitos. We loved these! The dish comes with three fantastically crunchy corn tortillas stuffed with coconut mashed sweet potatoes and topped with chipotle crema.

For my main dish I chose the Portobello and Sausage Burger with a side of sweet potato fries. This burger is made up of grilled portobellos, sausage seitan, caramelized onion, pumpkin seed pesto, roasted garlic, pomodoro, and vegan mayo. The pumpkin seed pesto and roasted garlic really pop in this sandwich, which just happen to be a couple of my favorite flavors on earth! The sweet potato fries were tasty too, but a bit too heavy alongside the burger for me. Next time I'll try it with the steamed kale.

Steve's entree was the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger. This was our favorite dish of the night! It might be hard to figure out what all the awesome is in this picture, so let me break it down for you. On the left side of the plate is the top half of the sandwich: bun, lettuce tomato, onion. On the right side of the plate is the bottom half of the sandwich: sliced seitan, bacon, melted "cheddar", caramelized onion, battered pickle chips, and bbq sauce. Everything about this sandwich is amazing and perfect, but we both agreed that the cheddar stole the show. Chef Tanya, please give me your recipe!!

I got a kick out of being served Annie's ketchup--it was the first time I have seen an Annie's product at a restaurant. I prefer my fries without the high fructose corn syrup, thanks for that Native Foods!

It was pretty foolish to think we'd have room for dessert after all of that food, but thankfully our selections were served in to-go cups. We took a single bite of each and tucked them away for later. My choice was the Strawberry Shortcake Parfait. I couldn't resist, strawberry shortcake is a childhood favorite of mine, and something I haven't had since going vegan. What a treat! I was very impressed by how close this vegan and refined sugar-free version tasted to what I remember from childhood. I particularly loved the fluffy layers of almond creme.

Steve made the winning selection again with the Peanut Butter Parfait, but how could you go wrong with a dessert featuring whipped peanut butter filling? The cookie pieces are actually crumbles of Native's boogie bars, a banana bread made with oats, coconut, and almonds. So creative and delicious, and most definitely healthier than the average parfait.

We welcome our new friends at Native Foods to Chicago with open arms! Our first visit was simply amazing, and we haven't stopped talking about it since. Our next visit is officially on our calendars, so we'll see you really soon! (We may or may not have even decided what we are going to be trying next time [I'm looking at you, Soul Bowl]). Thanks again for your hospitality and great eats!

Moroccan Couscous Salad with Saffron and Cinnamon

2011-06-23T15:00:00.001-05:00

I tend to shy away from couscous. I blame a college friend who turned her nose up it saying, "Couscous? Sounds too much like goose poop." Ever since, whenever I see couscous that memory comes to mind (and perhaps will for you now, too. You're welcome. [Wow, this post is certainly off to a questionable start]). All joking aside, couscous has just never been very exciting to me.

Enter: Israeli couscous.

The standard itty bitty couscous may have never excited me, but I just discovered that his big brother Israeli couscous does! It is not just me, I served this salad at a picnic and received many positive comments and requests for the recipe. Confirmed crowd pleaser! Trust me and give your favorite summer pasta salad a makeover with Israeli couscous, or better yet, try this salad.

This recipe is inspired by a store-bought version that my dad served at his Memorial Day picnic. The combination of textures and flavors is just right. Light citrus and a touch of sweetness, tied together with the warm flavors of cumin, saffron, and cinnamon. The flavors are even better the second day, so I encourage you to make this a day ahead. The plump beads of couscous hold up very well overnight, something that I wouldn't expect as much from the itty bitty variety.

Moroccan Couscous Salad with Saffron and Cinnamon
Serves 10-12 as a side dish

2 cups Israeli couscous
3-1/3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp saffron threads
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped in 1" pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped fine

Dressing:
6 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp agave
3/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add dry couscous and toast for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in vegetable stock and saffron and turn up heat to bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside to cool.

Prepare mix-ins and whisk together dressing ingredients. Wait until the couscous has cooled, and then gently toss with the toppings and dressing until well incorporated. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and fully chill before serving. For best results chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld--in which case keep the almonds separate to prevent them from softening. The salad may also benefit from an additional tablespoon of lemon juice and olive oil in the morning, as most of the dressing will be absorbed into the couscous overnight. Test first to see if this is necessary.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of Vegan Desserts! A random number generator selected lucky number 59. Congrats to Carrie of Moves 'N Munchies! Email me your address and I'll get your book out to you right away.

Review and Giveaway: Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Desserts

2011-06-14T17:57:00.003-05:00

If you have been reading my blog since the title ordinary vegetarian actually fit me, you might remember my first vegan baking experience. Armed with a copy of Hannah Kaminky's My Sweet Vegan, I was well equipped for my task. Since then I became vegan, and my interest in vegan baking immediately followed. Hannah has been a favorite source for vegan dessert recipes through both her blog and e-books ever since, so you can imagine how excited I was to learn about the release of her second cookbook, Vegan Desserts!

A worthy collection of sophisticated yet approachable desserts, conveniently divided by season. The book features over 100 recipes, each accompanied by the most tempting full color image photographed by Hannah herself. I have had my copy for two months now, and have already enjoyed several recipes.

Irish Crème Squares

I cheated and baked from the winter section first since I had all of the ingredients for the Irish Crème Squares on hand. This is definitely a grown up dessert, unless your young ones enjoy the flavors of coffee and whiskey. As for myself, I couldn't resist! The coffee and whiskey infused cream layer is perfectly complimented by the cocoa almond crust. Hear, hear for boozy desserts!

Marbled Chocolate and Zucchini Bread

For my first springtime selection I went with the Marbled Chocolate and Zucchini Bread. This dessert bread is a real treat. It is sweet, moist, and cakey--sweeter than more traditional zucchini breads I have tried. This was my first marbled baked good, and I was so pleased with the way that the beautiful swirls of chocolate turned out. I am anticipating having too many zucchinis on my hands soon, and looking forward to putting them to good use in more loaves of this bread!

Coco-Nut Macaroons

I sampled a second dessert from the spring section -- the Coco-Nut Macaroons. Coco-Nut is hyphenated because the Nut is actually crunchy peanut butter. The peanut butter flavor is second to coconut, but is undoubtedly the oomph that pushes these macaroons over the edge. That and the chocolate dipped bases! These were perfectly dense, chewy, and rich--honestly the only coconut macaroon recipe I'll ever need. I mean, coco-nut!

Mango Tango Cupcakes

Moving on from springtime delights to a perfect summery treat (and the cutest name in the book!), Mango Tango Cupcakes. This inventive cupcake has two pureed mangoes in the batter, along with a helping of chopped macadamia nuts. If you aren't sold on that alone, then the rum cream cheese frosting should convince you! Oh yes, that's perfection.

I am sorry for teasing you with all of these amazing treats, but I have a peace offering. After receiving a copy of this book, the opportunity for a signed copy from Hannah presented itself and I couldn't turn it down. As much as I love this book, I don't need two copies and would love to offer my first copy to one of you. I will ship the winner this copy personally, anywhere in the world you might be. That's right, a no-restriction giveaway, hooray! As always, several ways to enter, leave 1 comment for each entry:

1. Leave a comment, any comment!
2. Follow me on twitter.
3. Like me on facebook.
4. Follow my blog here or by email (see sidebar)
5. Tweet "Enter to win a copy of Hannah Kaminsky's Vegan Desserts from @ordinaryveg! http://t.co/6z9IZxt"

Good luck! Winner to be announced the first day of summer--Tuesday, June 21 (just in time to make the Peaches and Crème Breakfast Buns, what what!)!

NYC Day 3: Kate's Joint, Engagement Photoshoot, and 4 Course Vegan

2011-05-25T12:20:00.002-05:00

Thanks for following along on days 1 and 2, on to our final day in NYC!

Our last day in NYC was our engagement photo shoot day! It was only appropriate to start this big day with a big breakfast. We dined on Kate's Benedict at Kate's Joint in the East Village. This dish starts with a thick slice of toast and is topped with vegan sausage, mushrooms, greens, scrambled tofu, and vegan hollandaise. Perfect!

After breakfast we started getting ready for the shoot. A friend in Brooklyn set me up with her hair stylist who fixed me up with some beautiful curls.

Thanks for the 'do, Dena!

Then it was time to head down the road to the Dan Mims' apartment, where we joined by the rest of the team. Pictured above on the far left is Christopher Drummond of Christopher Drummond Beauty, my makeup artist for the day. Next to Christopher is Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart of Vaute Couture, my stylist for the day. All the way to the right is Dan Mims of The Ethical Man, our host and Steve's stylist for the day. The lovely lady behind the camera is Erin Nicole of Erin Nicole Brown Photography.

Christopher did an amazing job with my makeup, using his own vegan makeup line. I love his products! Leanne helped me decide what to wear for the shoot. It was so much fun to work with her and to get to know her--turns out she is from a neighboring suburb of Chicago! So fun!

Dan was a most gracious host as we were made up and styled at his apartment, and he did an awesome job styling Steve. The tie Steve wore for the shoot is from his collection.

Once we were all styled it was time to hit the streets of Brooklyn for our photo shoot. Featured below are a few of my favorite shots. To see more pictures hop over to Rose Pedals to see the video that they put together which covers our entire weekend in NYC, including some video footage we shot.

Thanks again to Dan, Leanne, and Christopher, it was such a joy and privilege to work with all of you! A big thanks also to our photographer, Erin Nicole...

Erin is such a great photographer, she made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and truly brought out the best in us! Thank you again!

After the shoot we had one more prize to redeem, dinner at 4 Course Vegan in Williamsburg. This was our first experience with underground dining. Underground restaurants, also referred to as supper clubs or closed door restaurants, are set menu dinners held in a private space. Chef Matteo hosts his Saturday night dinners right in his apartment. We had a little trouble figuring out how to get in when we arrived--we stood with a few other newbies at the main door trying to buzz in. Soon someone more experienced spotted us and led us over to a gated courtyard which gave direct access to the apartment. The chef's assistant recognized that our group was not sure if we should wait or seat ourselves, and welcomed us to have a seat anywhere there were empty seats. All of the tables were communal, averaging 10 seats per, with total seating for about 40. It was a full house, so we took the last two seats at a 10-top. From our seats we had a good view of the kitchen where Chef Matteo was busy plating the first dish. At each place setting there was a small card describing the 4 courses for the night. Soon the assistant began serving the first dish.

We were given an amuse-bouche of watermelon radish ravioli, before the official four courses began being served. This raw ravioli consisted of two paper thin slices of watermelon radish filled with some type of nut cheese and drizzled with basil puree. I loved this! I would love to recreate this and have been on the lookout for watermelon radishes ever since.

The first course for the night was yellow spilt pea soup with chile oil and chive sour cream. This was a very unique split pea soup, with a distinct sesame flavor as well as some heat from the chile oil. The bowls emptied quickly around our table!

The second course was a baby arugula Caesar with cornmeal croutons and miso-celery dressing. This was a great combination of flavors, though not the most "Caesar-y" vegan Caesar salad I've ever had. Honestly though, I'd take this over the more traditional Caesar flavors any day.

The third course, and star of the evening, was the spring vegetable quiche with smokey mushrooms and wild ramps. The crust was rich and perfect, as was the creamy filling. The smokey mushroom topping pushed this quiche over the edge, crunchy and reminiscent of bacon. What I wouldn't give for this recipe! Steve remarked that this was the best quiche he has ever had, and I agree.

Just when I thought I couldn't eat another bite the final course was served, pine nut and fennel biscuit with meyer lemon and chocolate mousse. The delicately flavored biscuits were a perfect pairing for the super rich chocolate mousse, which was very thick and heavy. I loved the meyer lemon sauce which brightened and rounded out the flavors.

Our first underground dining experience was a success! We had a chat with Chef Matteo before heading out, and thanked him for the fantastic evening. He sent us home with some of his packaged goodies, including an amazing hazelnut toffee brittle and chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. Please do not miss out on dining at 4 Course Vegan if you have the opportunity to!

Thanks to one of our tablemates, Dan, for allowing me to use his photos from the night. It had been raining heavily earlier in the day so we decided not to bring out the camera. Dan owns his own underground restaurant in Buenos Aires! Check out his blog post about 4 Course Vegan, and his resource page with information about underground restaurants all over the world.

Steve and I had the best time in NYC, we were very tempted to "miss" our flight home! I cannot thank Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings enough for hosting this amazing contest, as well as all of the wonderful vendors that participated, and everyone that voted for us to win. We will always treasure this experience!

Don't forget to check out the feature on Rose Pedals to see the video that she put together, including more of our engagement photos.

NYC Day 2: Atlas Cafe, Mani/Pedis, and Pure Food and Wine

2011-05-23T10:06:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it, check out my NYC Day 1 post. Moving on to day 2!

Our second day in NYC started rather deliciously! Steve and I had lunch on the lower east side at Atlas Cafe. Steve chose the Philly Cheesesteak Panini. This sandwich was stacked with seitan, cheesy sauce, lettuce, and roasted red pepper. The bread was awesome, but we rated this sandwich just OK.

I made a winning choice with the Vegan Mississippi Chicken Panini. This sandwich features vegan cream cheese, chicken-style seitan, roasted red pepper, and avocado. The combination of flavors was perfect!

To be honest, it wasn't the lunch menu that drew us to Atlas Cafe, it was the dessert case. Atlas' desserts are supplied by the popular Philadelphia bakery, Vegan Treats. And when in New York, eat New York Style Cheesecake! This was one rich, decadent, and worthy vegan cheesecake.

I have read many times about the amazing peanut butter bomb cakes and brownies from Vegan Treats, so I had to snag a brownie when I spotted it. Oh, my! This was my dream dessert, and quite simply, the bomb.

Next, Steve and I headed into Brooklyn to redeem the first prize from the Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings contest. We were treated to vegan manicures at The Green Spa & Wellness Center.

Hoping to win Steve over to the possibility of enjoying this kind of pampering with me in the future, I decided to add pedicures to our appointment. Steve only squirmed a little bit and seemed to actually enjoy his first manicure and pedicure! Still, I am not sure he'll be lining up to do it again anytime soon. The spa was wonderful. I loved my manicure, and the pedicure was the best!

From the spa we headed back to the lower east side and walked around the rest of the afternoon, working up our appetites to redeem our next prize! That evening we had dinner reservations at the fabulous raw vegan restaurant, Pure Food & Wine. We were informed that we could order anything that we'd like, but the tasting menu was highly recommended so that we could try many things. The tasting menu was described as 5 courses, of which we would each receive something different from each other, so 10 total dishes. Our selections for the evening would be made by the chef, which took the pressure off from having to decide between all of the amazing options. It was fun to just sit back and be surprised with the dishes as they came!

The restaurant's lighting was not the best for photography. My camera wasn't cutting it without the flash, so we opted to use Steve's phone. The first few shots are a little dark, but we found a better setting after the first few courses.

Check out our raw feast!

Maitake mushroom with ramp pesto

Salad of baby spinach and strawberries with framboise mint vinaigrette, pistachios, and framboise gelee.

Steve's salad not pictured: Baby turnip carpaccio with morel mushrooms, english pea cream, spring herbs, and pickled ramps.

Kabocha squash soup with clove oil.

Spanakopita with spinach, almond feta, cucumber yogurt, with local cauliflower and grapes.

Golden polenta with swiss chard, saffron tomato preserve, eggplant tuille, and oak-aged sherry vinegar.

Natsu maki of avocado, pickled red onion, asparagus, baby heirloom carrots, upland cress, with black garlic sauce and wasabi aioli.

Vine ripened tomato with cauliflower masala filling, wilted spinach, coconut curry sauce, cucumber mint raita.

Zucchini and local greenhouse tomato lasagna with basil pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara, and macadamia pumpkin seed ricotta.

Sweet corn and cashew tamales with chili spiced portabella, salsa verde, cashew coconut sour cream, avocado, and raw cacao mole.

White light sake tini (featuring sake, coconut milk, and lemongrass)

This was served between dinner and dessert, but I am not sure what it was. Any ideas?

Lemon cheesecake with strawberry rhubarb sorbet, rhubarb and fennel confit.

Mexican cinnamon mousse with spiced chocolate cake, pear relish, and pear sorbet.

As you can see, they totally spoiled us! We received an extra entree for both main courses, an unexpected amuse bouche, as well as several drinks not pictured. ;) My raw dining experience is very limited, and Pure Food and Wine completely changed my perspective. I could eat like this every day! Honestly, this was the best vegan dining experience of my life. Certainly the most beautiful food I have ever eaten, and equally delicious. It was all good, but if I had to call out a favorite it would be the tamale, with a close second place going to the spanakopita, the kabocha squash soup, and the Mexican cinnamon mousse. Steve agreed that the tamale was his favorite, but the lasagna and the cheesecake were also at the top of his list.

As if all of that weren't enough, they sent us home with some One Lucky Duck goodies. Raw coconut macaroons (like, whoa!) and raw sugar cookies! Thanks again for the amazing night Pure Food and Wine, I am already looking for an excuse to get back to NYC to visit you soon.

Stay tuned for the final NYC post tomorrow, including pictures from our engagement photoshoot!

NYC Day 1: Dim Sum, Donuts, MooShoes, and Candle Cafe!

2011-05-06T17:35:00.005-05:00

Steve and I spent an epic three days in NYC two weeks ago, and it's high time I share our adventures!

In case you missed it, we were in New York because we won the NYC Getaway + Engagement Photoshoot contest hosted by Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings. The highlight of our trip was meeting the wonderful vegan vendors that participated in the giveaway, all of which went above and beyond to make sure that our NYC experience was special. More on that on the day 2 and day 3 posts!

Our first full day in NYC we went out and explored the city on our own. Steve had never been to New York so we went a day early to have our own mini-tour of Manhattan. Our morning started in Battery Park, followed by a stroll through the financial district, and up into Chinatown for lunch. In one of my previous visits to NYC I dined at Vegetarian Dim Sum House and knew this would be something that Steve would really enjoy. Enjoy we did!

Hot and Sour Soup

We started lunch with a "small" hot and sour soup. So spicy and delicious, and a generous portion of two bowls each!

Tea

We also enjoyed a complimentary pot of tea.

Rice Flour Rolls with Mock Ham and Cilantro

We ordered six different dishes from the dim sum menu, and the first to arrive to the table was the rice flour rolls with mock ham and cilantro. This was one of Steve's picks, and he loved it. I was never a big fan of ham and I'm not wild about cilantro, so these were just okay in my opinion. I suspect I would love the rice flour rolls featuring kale!

Mock Shrimp Dumplings

About halfway through our rice flour rolls the rest of our food arrived. The mock shrimp dumplings are front and center in this shot. I've never had mock fish of any kind, and this was surprisingly authentic and tasty.

Mock Roast Pork Buns

Steamed buns in all of their doughy glory are my favorite dim sum offering. The mock roast pork buns did not disappoint, and was my favorite dish of the day.

Treasure Balls

In several yelp reviews I read that the Treasure Balls are a must-try. Neither the reviews nor the menu offer any description of what they actually are, but based on the reviews alone we were confident ordering this dish blindly. These turned out to be deep fried balls of mashed potatoes, um, yes please! Another favorite of the day.

Fried Turnip Cakes

Our last dish was the fried turnip cakes. These were a bit on the bland side on their own, but the super tasty dipping sauce fixes that right up. I'd love to try to recreate these at home!

With bellies full of dim sum we hit the streets again and walked up to the lower east side. Our first stop was MooShoes, a vegan shoe and accessory shop.

My attention was drawn to this section!

And these vegan Saucony's!

And this kitty sleeping in a shoe box. Awww to the max!

Babycakes donuts

Right around the corner from MooShoes is the famous vegan bakery, Babycakes. We picked up a mini lemon donut and regular strawberry coconut donut to go.

Babycakes cookie sandwich and donut

We also got a chocolate chip cookie sandwich and a coffee donut. We are both coffee lovers, but neither of us cared much for the strong flavor of the coffee donut. Everything else was excellent! Our favorite was the strawberry coconut donut. It's no surprise that they feature this one on the cover of their newest cookbook.

Next stop, Times Square! We were looking for tickets for a show later that night and were bummed to find that all of the shows we were considering were sold out (okay, well I was bummed, haha!). My spirits were lifted when we saw the big Silk promotion going on in the heart of Times Square.

There were guys walking around with these funny Silk dispensers on their backs, pouring samples for the masses. The different flavors that I saw walking around were vanilla, very vanilla, chocolate, almond, and COCONUT. Do you know about this new flavor? I tried it, and I approve! Very tasty.

In addition to the funny backpack dispensers they also had several serving stations like this one with all of the same flavors listed above.

Tuscan Lasagna

After wandering around the theater district a bit we headed uptown to Candle Cafe for dinner. There was a tasty looking Indian platter on the specials menu that I had all but decided on until I saw a server walk by with a slice of lasagna. I had to try it! This was one seriously good lasagna.

Aztec Salad

Steve went for the Aztec Salad. This salad features bbq tempeh, quinoa, black beans, pumpkin seeds and toasted cumin dressing, YUM!

After dinner we took a stroll through central park while the sun was setting. It was gorgeous, and the perfect ending to our first day in NYC. Stay tuned for two more NYC posts coming your way!

Mexican Zucchini Lasagna

2011-05-03T21:12:00.001-05:00

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat" has a new gig, and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Layered between thinly sliced zucchini, Mexican rice, spicy tomato sauce, and topped off with some vegan cheddar, this is one mean Mexican Zucchini Lasagna. The only thing that this dish is missing is a margarita on the rocks to wash it down with!

Zucchini stands in for lasagna noodles, keeping this dish very light (more room for margaritas!), as well as gluten-free. This lasagna is also oil-free, and optionally soy-free (watch the vegan cheese and sour cream toppings). If lentils don't float your boat try this with some chipotle-style seitan or seasoned black beans instead.

Perfect mile-high slices are achieved by layering this lasagna in two standard loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Once cooled remove each lasagna by gripping the parchment paper on both sides and lifting, transferring to a cutting board to slice. Do not try this with hot lasagna -- if serving immediately simply cut and serve directly from the pan. The slices won't be as pretty this way, but no less delicious. You may halve the recipe and make only 1 loaf pan (4 servings), but I promise you that you will wish you hadn't. This is one that leftovers taste even better, and also freezes well. So clear out some space in the freezer, fill up that margarita pitcher, and get cookin'!

Mexican Zucchini Lasagna
Serves 8

1 batch Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat"
2 large zucchini
1 cup cheddar style vegan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sliced olives (optional)

Rice
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste

Sauce
Large can (28 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (plain diced, crushed, or whole peeled are also OK)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground chipotle
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Rice: Get the rice and lentils going at the same time, starting with the rice. Combine rice, stock, and spices in a medium sauce pan fitted with a lid. Bring to a boil, and reduce to low and simmer covered for 45-50 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in corn (don't worry about thawing), tomato paste, and nutritional yeast, if using. Partially cover and set aside.

Lentil "Meat": Start the lentils while the rice is simmering. Follow recipe here. When done stir into the pot of rice and set aside. (You may choose to make the lentils and rice a day ahead and cut an hour of prep time).

Zucchini noodles: While the lentils and rice are simmering start prepping the zucchini noodles. Start by trimming the ends off of the zucchinis. Slice 1/4" thick slices the length of the zucchini (mandolin slicer works great here), until you have 16 total noodles. Line a colander with paper towels. Lightly salt each zucchini noodle on both sides and put into the colander with paper towels between the layers. Set aside to allow some of the moisture to be absorbed, while you finish preparations on the other components.

Sauce: For the sauce, simply blend all ingredients in a blender and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 loaf pans with parchment paper. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of one pan. Take 2 zucchini noodles and gently wipe the salt and excess moisture from both sides. Lay the 2 noodles side by side on top of the sauce to create the first layer. Spread 1 cup of the lentil/rice mixture over top of the noodles, and then 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat for two more layers, noodles then lentils/rice ending with sauce. Top the third layer with 2 more noodles followed by 1/4 cup of sauce, 1/2 cup of shredded vegan cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup sliced olives, if using. Repeat process in the second pan. Bake lasagnas for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling.

Allow the lasagnas to set for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The longer the lasagnas set, the cleaner the slices will be (see notes above the recipe). Garnish with avocado, vegan sour cream, cilantro, and/or hot sauce.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T07:41:00.000-05:00

Oh the horror.. and the she-mullets!

Happy Easter from the 1990 version of my little brother and I!

Hope you have a good one!

I'm currently away, gallivanting around NYC. Looking forward to sharing our adventures with you when we return!

Soul Vegetarian East

2011-04-12T14:28:00.002-05:00

Soul Vegetarian East is a vegan soul food restaurant that has been rocking the south side of Chicago for thirty years. Steve and I have tried their food at various festivals, but it wasn't until recently that we made it out to the restaurant for the first time.

Soul Veg is in an unexpected neighborhood, a hidden gem among a sea of fried chicken restaurants (seriously, I saw 3 in 1 block!). In an area where there is no shortage of payday loan establishments and liquor stores, it was so encouraging to see a vegan restaurant thriving.

Soul Veg is no frills dining at its best. Upon entering it wasn't clear if we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. We were seated, but it is still unclear if that is the norm. The environment is laid back and the customers are diverse. The service was very friendly but not the most attentive. The tablecloths are covered in plastic for easy cleanup, and the dishes are what you might expect to see in a cafeteria. Like I said, no frills, but no complaints from us!

The menu leans heavily towards what most would consider the less healthy vegan fare, after all this is soul food! Lots of seitan, and plenty of deep frying! On the other hand there are soup and salad selections for those that want to keep things lighter, along with many fresh juices and smoothies.

BBQ Twist Platter

Steve knew right away that he wanted to try one of the bbq specialties, and decided that the BBQ Twist Platter fit the bill. I kept sneaking bites off of his plate, this was the best vegan bbq I have ever had!

Breaded Tofu Sandwich

I was craving tofu and decided to try the Breaded Tofu Sandwich (aka Filet of Tofu). This cornmeal battered tofu is served with tartar sauce and pickles on a bun. Memories of fast food fried fish sandwiches came flooding in at first bite. It was one of those almost-too-real taste experiences, and I had to remind myself that it was just tofu!

Down Home Greens and Cornbread

Steve and I also ordered the Down Home Greens and Cornbread to share, because, well, our soul food experience would not have been complete without it! I never pass up on greens when I have the option!

Lemon Cake

Something else I never pass up on? Lemon cake. Soul Veg, how did you know my weak spot?!

Overall it was a fun and satisfying first visit to Soul Vegetarian East. We are excited to have this wonderful option for soul food in our area, and we will definitely be returning!

HEY! I have a giveaway winner to announce, don't I? I've kept you waiting long enough! There were 63 qualifying entries and a random number generator chose lucky number 11. Congrats to Amber Shea @ Almost Vegan. Email me your address and I will ship out your NYC vegan care package after I return from NYC later this month! (sarah [at] ordinaryvegetarian [dot] com) Thanks again to everyone that entered!

Madison Visit and Contest News!

2011-04-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

I am in Madison for the weekend enjoying the company of old friends...

Spicy Tofu Scramble @ The Sun Room

..eating delicious tofu scrambles..

..and even witnessing a bit of protesting.

But that isn't what I am here to tell you about, the purpose of this quickie post is to let you know that Steve and I won the NYC Getaway + Engagement Photoshoot! It was a close race all week, and in the final 24 hours we shot ahead thanks to the dedication of friends and family who spread the word on our behalf. We closed out the race with nearly 600 votes, WOW! We owe a lot of people thank yous and hugs, including several of you! I will be announcing the winner for the NYC Care Package Giveaway on Monday. Thank you again for supporting us, we are so grateful!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Juicing, French Pressing, Contests, and Giveaways

2011-04-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

First off I want to say thanks to all who have entered the "Not Your Everyday Giveaway" so far! To update you on the NYC vegan engagement weekend contest that Steve and I are finalists in, we are currently neck and neck with another couple for first place, so keep those votes rolling in! We are so touched by all of the support we are receiving, and think we have a really good chance at winning this thing! If you missed my post about this exciting contest on Saturday, be sure to check it out.

Despite spending quite a bit of time this weekend hitting the refresh button to see how the contest is progressing, I did some other exciting things this weekend! My family gave me a juicer for my birthday a couple weeks ago and I finally busted that bad boy out and gave it a whirl. This ruby glass of yum is a combination of celery, kale, ginger, apple, carrot, lemon, and you guessed it, BEETS! Oh yes, I could get used to this. It was no surprise that this juice was super refreshing and energizing, but it did surprise me how filling it was.

Even though I was brimming with energy from the juice I was dying to try my other new toy, a French Press! I finally got my hands on some highly recommended beans, and ground them up fresh for brewing. Wow, was this ever delicious! I don't think I'll ever be able to drink drip coffee again! This was much easier and less laborious than I imagined it would be. I still hope to avoid becoming a daily drinker, reserving it for just occasionally on weekdays and mostly to be enjoyed on the weekend. I try to get my daily boost from green or black tea (and now juice!).

And perhaps the most exciting news from this weekend, I FOUND MY DRESS! I have many things left to check off of my to-do list, but this was the one thing I wanted to get done the most. Now for those save the dates...

Don't forget you have until this Friday to enter the "Not Your Everyday Giveaway"!

Not Your Everyday Giveaway!

2011-04-02T10:43:00.007-05:00

Image Source

Here's the scoop. Steve and I are in the running for a vegan engagement weekend in NYC later this month, and you can help! (There are prizes in this for you as well, so be sure to read all of the details!) Our weekend would involve fine vegan dining, vegan manicures, makeup, and styling, finished off with an engagement photoshoot! Wow, a dream come true!

The story behind all of this awesomeness is that we are one of four finalist couples in Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings' NYC Getaway + Engagement Photoshoot! This final round has moved to facebook and your vote is needed!

In order to vote you must first become a fan of Vegan Weddings on facebook (hit "like" at the top of the page). Then go into the FINALISTS photo album and click on our photo (the 4th one) and "like" it as well! Once you've "liked" our photo, your vote is locked in! Easy peasy!

We appreciate you taking the time to vote for us, and to express our appreciation we would like to do a giveaway of our own! Once you have voted for us, comment on this post letting us know that you have done so. You will then be entered to win a NYC themed vegan care package! We will stuff our suitcases with as many vegan goodies as we can find and ship them off to one lucky winner wherever in the world they might be. (Hey, a giveaway that isn't restricted to North America only, SCORE!)

In the unspeakable event that we do not win, and we do not go to NYC, the winner will then receive a Chicago themed vegan care package. ;) So head over and become a fan of Vegan Weddings on facebook, and then like our photo in the FINALISTS album! Voting ends at 11:59PM ET on April 8th, so that is when my giveaway will end as well.

Extra credit opportunities (leave one comment for each):

Tweet this giveaway: "Not your everyday #giveaway! Enter to win a NYC #vegan care package from @ordinaryveg! http://tinyurl.com/3ll5nwj"
Post about this giveaway on your blog or facebook.
Ask your significant other, sibling, parent, cousin, or friend to vote, for each person that you get to vote personally you get THREE extra credit entries. (leave only 1 comment for each person you got to vote)

Thanks for your efforts everyone! As you can probably tell, we really want to go to NYC! Total. dream. come. true. <3 Thanks to Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings for this amazing giveaway and also for sharing our engagement story!

Slow Cooker Beefless Stew

2011-03-31T23:18:00.001-05:00

I debated posting this stew recipe, seeing that it is so last season and all. In the end, I decided it isn't too late. After all, if you're like me, you haven't been able to shed the winter coat yet. If you're like me turnips and cabbage keep finding their way into your shopping cart (there is nothing wrong with a turnip and cabbage obsession, by the way). If you're like me, you have a bag of frozen pearl onions that will succumb to freezer burn if they don't get into a stew, right. now. If you're like me you have always wanted the perfect crock pot meal that is easy to set up and can handle long cooking times while you are gone at work all day.

If you're like me, you'll make this stew, and you'll love it.

Slow Cooker Beefless Stew
Serves 6

16 oz traditional seitan chunks (homemade or store bought)
1 heaping cup of frozen pearl onions
2 ribs of celery, chopped into 1" chunks
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
2 cups of turnips, chopped into 1" chunks (or potatoes)
1/4 head of cabbage, cut into 3 or 4 separate wedges (do not separate layers)
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups vegetable stock (beef flavored veg stock would work well here if you have it)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chickpea flour
1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tamari
pepper

Combine red wine, vegetable stock, garlic and herbs in a crock pot, whisk to combine. Add seitan, onions, celery, carrots, turnips, and cabbage wedges. The seitan and veggies won't be fully submerged in the cooking liquid, however if they are sticking out more than an inch add a little more broth. Cook on low for at least 6 hours. (I was away from home for 11 hours and was afraid the pot would have turned to mush, but it did not!).

Remove bay leaves. Ladle out 1 cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl and whisk in the chickpea flour. Add back into the pot, along with the worcestershire sauce, tamari, and a bit of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Not into seitan? Try my New Year's Stew, which features black-eyed peas and collard greens instead!

Spaghetti Squash with Green Pea Pesto and Beans

2011-03-22T07:00:00.010-05:00

Spring is here.. apparently. That is, if you go by the calendar. There have been some teaser days spent mostly outdoors, along with a few healthy thunderstorms. However, I am not measuring the change of seasons by this criteria -- the evidence that I seek is the vegetables! Oh, how I long to fill my produce bin with hearty stalks of asparagus, glorious globe artichokes, and the rare treat of fresh green peas. Any day now I will have my way. In the meantime I am cooking up the last of the winter squash and playing make believe with this green pea pesto of the frozen pea variety. I must say, dinners like this make the wait not so bad!

Spaghetti Squash with Green Pea Pesto and Beans
(Serves 4)

1 large spaghetti squash (3-4 lbs)

1 15 oz can cannellini beans (or chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, diced (or 1/2 cup red onion, diced)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste

Pesto:
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp olive oil (or water for lower fat)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Squash: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Halve the squash and scoop out and discard the seeds. Rub or spray the insides with a small amount of oil and place halves cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 60-90 minutes, until cooked through and starting to lightly brown at the edges. Set aside to cool. (I did this a day ahead).

Pesto: Combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. A few minutes before serving transfer to a small pot and warm gently over med-low heat.

Beans: Coat a skillet with cooking spray and saute shallots over medium heat until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and about a tablespoon of water (to prevent sticking) and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in beans and tomatoes and saute gently until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Assembly: Use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti squash into strands. If necessary, reheat the squash in the microwave or on the stove top in a skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Divide up the squash into four servings. Top with desired amount of sauce (I found 1/4 cup each to be adequate) and divide up the beans among the four plates. Garnish with a few peas and fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve hot.

Instant Cheezy Sauce

2011-02-21T22:15:00.002-06:00

Like so many vegans before me, I have discovered the cheezy joys of nutritional yeast. However, it wasn't always this way--my bliss is fairly recent. My first container of the yellow stuff lasted me ages, and I only enjoyed it when it was hidden among many other ingredients. When I ran out of the first container I decided to try a different brand, which turned out to have a much better flavor. It was then that I discovered my undying love for nutritional yeast.

I eat steamed veggies with my dinner most nights. Once I realized my love of nutritional yeast I got into the habit of sprinkling a big spoonful over top of my veggies for added flavor and nutrition (B-12 baby!). Then to change things up, I started to drizzle some tahini over top of the veggies in addition to the nutritional yeast. I wasn't done there, the third ingredient that I eventually added to my veggie toppings was lemon juice, which rounded out the flavors perfectly. It wasn't long before I realized that rather than messily heaping these ingredients onto my veggies I could premix them into a sauce. A couple more flavors made their way into the mix, and my instant cheezy sauce was born.

This tangy cheeze sauce instantly became my favorite way to dress up steamed vegetables. Before you try this, I should mention that as a prerequisite, you must love nutritional yeast. It is the dominant flavor in this sauce, and if you are anything like I used to be when I first tried nutritional yeast, this one is not for you.

Instant Cheezy Sauce
Serves 2

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon of water to achieve your preferred thickness. Spoon over 2 servings of steamed veggies.

Thanks again to everyone that entered the TofuXpress giveaway. There were 83 qualifying entries in total, and I used random.org to generate the winning number of 73. Congrats to Cadry, the lucky commenter!

Thai Coconut-Crusted Tofu Hearts and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-14T07:00:00.017-06:00

I will never forget my first time cooking with tofu. I was a sophomore in college and the dish was stir fry with tofu. Clueless, yet lucky enough to choose the right kind of tofu for my purposes, the extra firm variety. I drained the water out of the package and plopped the cold, wet block of tofu down on my cutting board and proceeded to cut it into 1" cubes. I chopped up some veggies too, and added everything all at once into a hot skillet. A few minutes later I had a pool of water in the bottom of my skillet. I clumsily drained the extra water out of the pan and continued to cook the mixture of tofu and veggies. When it was all said and done, by the time all of the water cooked out of the tofu, the veggies were obliterated.

I did not give up on tofu after this experience, but I did alter my technique. From then on the tofu always went into the pan first and cooked for 15 minutes or more on its own, until the water evaporated out and it started to crisp up. I was so proud of myself for conquering tofu.

A few years and many stir fries later my tofu world was turned upside down when someone gave me a copy of Vegan With a Vengeance. Not only did I discover there are many other uses for tofu beyond stir fries, I also learned that I should have been pressing the water out of the tofu before cooking it. Pressing goes like this: wrap the block of tofu in a clean dish towel or 3-4 layers of paper towels. Place wrapped block between two clean plates and balance heavy objects (books, pans, weights) on top and let sit for one hour to drain.

It was a tofu epiphany. Since then I have been doing the tofu draining balancing act, and as far as I knew things could not be better. Then a month ago came the game changer, the perfect tofu draining tool, resulting in the densest, and most perfectly chewy tofu I have ever experienced. The gadget I am referring to is the TofuXpress. For a month now I have been enjoying better drained tofu which fries up faster and soaks up marinades better. I cannot imagine going back to the old balancing act method!

TofuXpress

This is the TofuXpress in action. I was surprised by how sturdy this little gadget is. Constructed of thick plastic and a heavy duty spring -- you can really feel the force when you press the top piece down into place. Water starts pooling in the container instantly, and in an hour or less the tofu is well drained. For an even denser tofu you can leave it to drain for longer. The TofuXpress can also be used to press water out of other foods -- I am excited to try it out on frozen spinach, a food that I have never figured out how to efficiently press the water out of.

Now here is the really exciting part. TofuXpress is hosting a giveaway so that one of you can give this awesome gadget a try! More details on how to enter after the recipe.

I was excited to try marinating some tofu that had been pressed in the TofuXpress. I decided on a Thai red curry marinade and for a Valentine's Day twist I used heart shaped cookie cutters on the tofu. You could skip the hearts and cut the tofu into slabs instead (12-16 pieces per block), but then you will want to do 1-1/2 or even double the amount of coconut breading to make sure you have enough to cover all of the tofu.

So often Thai curries involve veggies and tofu stir fried in oil and then immersed in a thick, coconut milk based sauce. My method involves using steamed veggies and a light drizzling of sauce, and the shining ~~star~~ heart is definitely the tofu! The tofu hearts are marinated, then dredged through a coconut breading and baked. By skipping the frying, the only fat in this dish comes from the bit of coconut, coconut milk, and peanut butter. Light and packed with flavor, just what I going for! I couldn't be happier with this dish or the TofuXpress. Don't forget to check the bottom of this post for details on how you can win a TofuXpress of your own!

Thai Coconut-Crusted Tofu Hearts
Serves 4

Will need a 3" and a 1" heart cookie cutter

1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed

Marinade
3 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp creamy peanut butter (organic preferred)
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup lite coconut milk (or 1/4 cup regular + 1/4 cup water)
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced

Sauce
reserved marinade
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter (organic preferred)
1/2 cup lite coconut milk (or 1/4 cup regular + 1/4 cup water)
1 tbsp lime juice

Coconut breading
heaping 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1-1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, omit to keep this dish mild)

Accompaniments
steamed veggies and rice

Press tofu for 1 hour. Cut the block of tofu in half, depth-wise. Cut one 3" heart out of each of the two halves, and as many 1" hearts as you can fit (2-3 per block). Then cut each of your hearts in half depth-wise again, so that each heart is about 1/2" thick. You should have 4 large hearts and 8-12 small hearts. (Be sure to save your tofu scraps for tofu scrambles!)

Lay tofu hearts in a single layer on a rimmed baking dish. Whisk together marinade ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and then pour over the tofu. Flip the tofu to coat, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or for 1 hour if you are in a pinch).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Mix the coconut breading in a small shallow bowl, and set up your tofu and baking sheet nearby. Pick up the tofu one piece at a time and use a spoon to scrape off excess marinade leaving it behind in baking dish (reserve this, you will be using the leftover marinade in the sauce). Dredge the tofu hearts through the coconut breading on both sides, being sure to coat the edges as well, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the tofu is breaded. Spray the tops of the tofu hearts with a bit of cooking spray before putting into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, and then flip, spray, and bake for 15 minutes more.

While the tofu is baking make the sauce. Whisk in the additional coconut milk, peanut butter, and lime juice into the leftover marinade. Transfer to a small pot and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and remove from heat until you are ready to serve.

Prepare the rice and steamed veggies also while the tofu is baking. I chopped up a broccoli crown and 1 large carrot. In the last 2 minutes of steaming I added a can of straw mushrooms and a can of baby corn just to heat them up.

Serve rice and veggies on the bottom layer, drizzle with sauce, and top with one large tofu heart and 2-3 small hearts.

Congrats if you made it through this super long post! Your reward is this super awesome TofuXpress giveaway. There are many ways to enter, please leave a separate comment for each. You must live in the United States to win. The winner will be selected using a random number generator. The contest closes at midnight on February 20, 2011, and the winner will be announced on the 21st.

For your first entry leave a comment telling me about your favorite tofu dish. For up to seven additional entries you may choose to do any or all of the following:

- follow @tofuxpress on Twitter

- like TofuXpress on Facebook

- subscribe to the TofuXpress newsletter at www.TofuXpress.com

- follow @ordinaryveg on Twitter

- like The Ordinary Vegetarian on Facebook

- tweet about this giveaway, including a link to this post and @ordinaryveg

- post about this giveaway on facebook, including a link to this post and @The Ordinary Vegetarian

Good luck!

Wedding planning and vegan eats in Las Vegas

2011-02-11T07:00:00.002-06:00

See that? That's me. In a tshirt. In February. Outside.

I was lucky enough to spend 4 days in sunny Las Vegas, returning home Wednesday morning. I was accompanied by my friend Becca, and our mission was wedding planning! That's right, Steve and I are planning our October 2011 wedding in our favorite southwestern city. It was a very productive trip, and the most important decisions have been made (namely ceremony/reception locations and the vegan menu!). I will save those details for another time, for now I wanted to share my well documented vegan food extravaganza!

Tacos and Tequila

We had our first lunch out at Tacos and Tequila inside Luxor. There are two great vegan options there including these vegetarian tacos (minus sour cream). On other visits I have gotten the falafel tacos which are also awesome, and really unique. I found out that since my last trip to Las Vegas the beans are no longer vegetarian, so they gave me a double side of rice instead. Added bonus, there are always coupons available on restaurant.com, making this a very affordable place to dine as well.

Vanilla bean cake

On Saturday afternoon we had an appointment for vegan wedding cake testing. We tried the vanilla bean pictured above, and the red velvet pictured below.

Red velvet cake

The cakes were both very good. I am thinking about having each of the 3 tiers a different flavor so I don't have to choose just one!

Gluten-free brownies and carrot cake

The cake lady also brought samples of her carrot cake and gluten-free brownies, in case we want to do a whole dessert table. Sounds good to me!

Mint Indian Bistro

For dinner on Saturday we went to a place picked out by Becca, Mint Indian Bistro. I was ecstatic when I saw that all of the vegan options on the menu were clearly marked, including several dishes which are typically not vegan (naan, saag, daal maharani). Overwhelmed with having to decide on one dish, my decision was made easy when I noticed the vegan sampler at the end of the menu. In the end, I think it was overpriced ($27) for the amount of food provided. Especially considering that I didn't care for a few of the dishes. Next time I'll order one entree, and that will probably be the chana saag. YUM!

P.F. Chang's

We started our Sunday cheaply with a buy one get one free coupon at P.F. Chang's. Some of the items in the vegetarian section are naturally vegan, but I chose to modify the Vegetable Chow Fun which usually includes egg. This dish was spicy, delicious, and the portion was huge!

Chipotle

Sunday night we had a simple dinner at Chipotle, located on the north end of the strip near Harrah's. This is by far my favorite chain restaurant, and I always order my burrito the same way --rice, beans, hot salsa, corn salsa, and guac!

Bellagio breakfast buffet

Vegas is famous for their buffets. You can even buy an all day pass to sample several buffets in one day, oh my! I promised Becca that I would do one buffet with her in Las Vegas, and Monday morning I fulfilled that promised. We didn't skimp on this meal, we chose the Bellagio which is famed to be the best brunch buffet in town. I was a little worried that it would be a waste of money for me, without many vegan options, but I was wrong! One of the chefs kindly pointed me in the direction of several vegan options. I visited the impressive oatmeal bar, topping mine with figs, almonds, walnuts, and banana chips. I filled a separate plate with Mediterranean lentils, black beans, roasted potatoes, tomatoes with capers, melon, and bok choy with chili sauce. They even had soy milk in the kitchen for my oatmeal and coffee! Way to go Bellagio!

Mt. Everest Indian Cuisine

For dinner Monday night we had Indian again, this time at Mt. Everest Indian Cuisine. I chose the Aloo Kauli, a yummy curry dish of cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and tomatoes.

Ronald's Donuts

Tuesday morning started out very naughty with a trip to Ronald's Donuts. Actually I didn't eat these donuts in Las Vegas, they came home with me. Most of the donuts at Ronald's are vegan (top two rows in the case), but better to ask and confirm which are which if you visit. These vegan donuts are better than any non-vegan donut that I have ever had!

Go Raw Cafe

Craving some good healthy greens, I opted for Go Raw Cafe for lunch. I started out with a raw kale salad from their impressive raw buffet.

Go Raw Cafe

I followed up my salad with the "Traditional Pizza". Oh my goodness, this was amazing! The raw bread, raw marinara, and the walnut "sausage" were all superb. I was floored by how much this tasted like pizza.

Whole Foods salad bar

For my final meal in Las Vegas I hit the Whole Foods salad bar and built my own asian noodle salad. I started with the oil free sesame linguine noodles and topped it with cauliflower, green onion, roasted garlic, tofu, carrots, shredded zucchini, mushrooms, and a little bit of oil free tamari miso dressing. This was so filling and delicious, and kept me full all evening and during my red eye flight home (remind me not to do that again, by the way!).

What a delicious trip! I am also relieved by the wedding planning success. Now if only October would come sooner...

Pizza Stuffed Portobellas with Arugula Pesto

2011-02-04T13:34:00.000-06:00

New loves of my life: mushrooms and arugula. There was a day that I detested mushrooms, most of my days, actually. I am not sure why things changed, but now I can't get enough. As for arugula, I had just never intentionally had it until recently, and it was love at first bite.

My new loves met in these pizza stuffed portobellas. I want to thank Jess for the idea of using a portobella mushroom in place of a pizza crust. It is such a fun and easy idea, simply fill a portobella with your favorite sauce, veggies, and non-dairy cheese and bake. I chose to sauce my caps with arugula pesto and then stuff them with artichokes, tomatoes, and non-dairy cheese. Admittedly not the most common pizza flavors, but delicious nonetheless.

Pizza Stuffed Portobellas
(Inspired by Get Sconed!)
Serves 2

Arugula pesto sauce:
1 cup arugula, packed
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1-2 tbsp water

2 portobella caps, gills scraped, stems reserved for the filling
1 tbsp sherry
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts (or canned)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
portobello stems, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
Mozzarella style non-dairy cheese
1 tsp nutritional yeast
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour the sherry and olive oil in a small baking dish (large enough to hold both mushrooms), and stir to coat. Put the clean caps stem side up in the dish and rub them around a bit in the sherry oil mixture. Set aside.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and puree. Start with 1 tbsp of water and add another tbsp if the mixture is not saucy enough. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the frozen artichokes, portobella stems, oregano, and thyme, saute for about 3-5 minutes, until the artichokes are thawed. Then add the cherry tomatoes and saute for another minute or two, until the tomatoes are a bit shriveled but not mushy. (If you are using canned artichokes put all of the ingredients in the pan at the same time and cook 3 minutes). Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, to chop up the artichokes.

Now assemble the mushrooms. Spoon the pesto into each cap, half per. Next stuff half of the artichoke mixture in each mushroom. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast on top of each, and finish off by sprinkling some non-dairy cheese and fresh ground pepper.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes and then broil on high for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking the cheese, watching closely to avoid burning. Serve hot.

Snow Day Tofu Scramble

2011-02-02T13:33:00.001-06:00

All week Chicago and the surrounding areas have been preparing for the Blizzard of 2011, also known as snowmageddon, snowpocalypse, blizzastrophe, SN(OMG), snowzilla, and thundersnow (yes the combo of thunder, lightning, and snow!). I thought that the predictions might have been a little exaggerated, but no, we got every last inch that they said we would-- 19" in total in my area.

The wind was incredible. The snow blew itself into most of the big piles that you see in the photo below. Surprisingly my driveway only had about 4 inches because the snow blew to the side creating a 5' tall drift. The wind was not so friendly to others, some friends' cars are completely buried and they have been digging out for hours. As peaceful as it looks here, the scene downtown is still a total mess. They closed down Lake Shore Drive and hundreds of people were stranded overnight, with rescue efforts taking up to 12 hours for some. It is still closed down now, and they are towing the abandoned cars to nearby lots as it continues to snow.

I am thankful to be in my warm house, thankful for canceled work, thankful that the snow has stopped here, and thankful for tofu. Just as the snow was starting yesterday afternoon I made a quick stop at Whole Foods for ~~bread and milk~~ tofu and kale before locking down for the storm. This morning I treated myself to a most delicious tofu scramble and the raspberry cornmeal pancakes from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. This is my new favorite pancake recipe. This recipe is wheat-free, utilizing oat flour, cornmeal, and flax--so as far as pancakes go, these ones are pretty darn healthy!

If you haven't scrambled tofu, what are you waiting for? This recipe is more of a guideline to get you started. Use your favorite spices and veggies, and have fun with it!

Tofu Scramble for Two

1/2 package of firm or extra firm tofu (8 oz)(not silken)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped onion or 1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, but makes the tofu yellow like eggs)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped small

5 button mushrooms chopped

1 cup kale, tough stems removed and chopped (or spinach, or chard)

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

1 tbsp tahini (optional)

1 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Drain tofu well, and press out water as much water as possible with a clean dish towel or paper towels by hand. You will be crumbling the tofu so feel free to squeeze down hard and allow the tofu to break apart a bit. Put the tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork until the consistency of scrambled eggs.

Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add tofu and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and onion (if using) and cook until fragrant. Add spices, broccoli and mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes (until broccoli is crisp-tender). Add in the kale, tomatoes, parsley, and chives and cook until the greens have wilted. Stir in remaining ingredients (the optional ingredients will give a cheesy flavor), and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Game Day Chili Buffet.. and more!

2011-01-31T06:00:00.004-06:00

There will not be a Super Bowl party at my house. I did, however, have a playoffs party last week when my Chicago Bears faced off against the Green Bay Packers--a game that determined who would go on to the Super Bowl. As you may have guessed, the Bears did not win. I could continue sulking, or I could share with you all of the delicious vegan food that kept my fellow Bears fans' tummies satisfied despite the very unsatisfying game. If you are having a vegan Super Bowl party, here are lots of ideas for you!

The main event was a chili buffet, but we'll get to that in a minute. My guests started the afternoon with a variety of appetizers.

Most of my guests were omnivores so my aim was to impress with vegan versions of several game day classics, starting with Tempeh Hot Wings. I served these with celery, carrots, and Isa's low-fat, ranch-style "Sanctuary Dressing", from her newest cookbook, Appetite for Reduction. The wings and dressing were gobbled up in no time!

Next up, vegan 'tater skins -- a first for me! These were made with Steve in mind, a potato skin fanatic. I followed Claryn's recipe, and they turned out awesome.

By special request, I made up a platter of Bianca's Deviled Tofu. These disappeared in no time per usual!

Always a crowd pleaser, and so easy to make, I had to include Kim's Hot Artichoke Dip with pita chips. There are never leftovers of this dish!

And somehow after all of that we had room for the chili buffet! I served this cornbread as a side dish on the buffet line. I had two pots of chili keeping warm on the stove, the black bean version pictured above (recipe to follow) and a White Chili as well. In a small crock pot set on low was a double batch of queso dip (changed up by pureeing it rather than leaving the tomatoes chunky, which was awesome by the way). I also cooked up a pound of whole wheat macaroni noodles, so chili mac would be an option.

I chopped up a tray of chili toppings which included cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes, baby spinach, green onions, and avocado. On the side I put out a container of tofutti sour cream and a bowl of corn tortilla chips. The chips presented yet another option, chili cheese nachos. It was fun seeing what the guests chose to put in their bowls, and no two bowls were alike. Being the good blogger that I am I assaulted my guests with my camera to capture some of the bowls in action.

Mitch wasn't messing around! He smothered his chili in baby spinach, sour cream, and queso. I spy a few jalapenos on there too, and who knows what else he is hiding under there!

Chris had a little bit of everything in his bowl, good man! His chili met in the bowl with some baby spinach, jalapenos, cornbread, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Kerry kept it classic, topping her chili off with green onions and tomato, with a little cornbread on the side.

Candace got her mac n' cheese fix by tossing some noodles with queso and sprinkled it with spinach and jalapeno, no chili needed in this delicious bowl!

Steve went for a deluxe chili mac by layering noodles, queso, and chili and topping it off with sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapenos. Good one!

I only captured about half of the bowls, but you get the idea! The chili buffet turned out great. It seemed like everyone enjoyed personalizing their bowls, and most went back for seconds.

When all hope of winning the game was lost, I decided it was time to break out the cake to revive the solemn party. It did raise our spirits, if only for a little while. This recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking, and it is definitely one I will return to.

The party was a success, except for the whole Bears losing thing. This new chili recipe was the greatest success. My goal was for it to be flavorful, but for it to not overpower the accompaniments. Mild enough for those who can't tolerate heat, yet not too boring for those who love it. Considering this, my chili was the game-winning touchdown!

Game Day Chili for a Crowd
Serves 10-12

1 large white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp medium hot chili powder (or more to taste)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
dash cayenne (optional)
4 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce + 1 can of water
1 32 oz can petite or regular diced tomatoes, with liquid
1-1/2 cups frozen corn (or 1 can drained and rinsed)(optional)

Heat 1/4 cup of water in a large pot and add onion. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the garlic. Continue to saute until the onion is softened.

Stir in the spices and saute for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and partially cover the pot. Slow simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot with queso, over noodles, on top of nachos, or straight up with your favorite toppings.

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat"

2011-01-24T14:52:00.005-06:00

I am celebrating!

What, you ask?

I have been vegan for a whole year, no biggie! Well it is a big deal actually, so it's a good thing that this super veggie lentil taco meat knows how to ~~party~~ fiesta! It was a week long fiesta, in fact. Made on a Monday, this recipe made enough delicious leftovers to eat for lunch at work all week.

My favorite uses for the super veggie lentil taco meat was on taco salads and in lettuce wrap tacos, but it is very versatile and adaptable and could be used in place of the premade "meat"' crumbles in many recipes. For Italian flavors, drop the chili powder, cumin, and lime juice and sub in basil, thyme, and sage. Like I said, these lentils know how to party.

I should also mention that this recipe is perfect for hiding certain veggies from the certain people who don't like them. I had not originally planned to partially blend the mixture, but decided to last minute when my mushroom-hating brother stopped by for a bite. Success! He did not detect the mushrooms, and I loved the resulting texture. I could not be happier with this winging-it, weeknight dinner (and the lunches that followed).

One year vegan and loving it. I can honestly say my life gets more delicious by the day!

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat"
(makes about 3 cups)

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped (any color)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (any kind)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
1-1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
dash cayenne
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp lime juice

Heat 1/4 cup water in a large skillet. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. If the pan starts to dry up and the contents start sticking, add a tablespoon or two more of water. Add in the lentils, carrots, celery, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture starts drying out, add 1/4 cup water or broth.

Remove from heat and carefully drain off any extra liquid (a little bit of liquid is fine, excessive liquid is not desirable). Remove bay leaf and stir in tomato paste and lime juice. Transfer to food processor or blender and pulse a few times, until a crumbly texture is achieved--do not puree. Serve hot.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings, which could be used to make 12 tacos, 6 burritos, 6 taco salads, or 6 nacho platters.

Best of 2010

2011-01-03T11:51:00.002-06:00

What a year!

I went vegan.

I traveled to India, NYC, Spain, and Amsterdam.

I got engaged.

And I ate! Here are my 10 favorite recipes from 2010. Click the images to go to each recipe.

Broccoli Salad

Alicia's Vegan Queso Dip

Creamy Garbanzo-ball and Wild Rice Soup

Thai Corn Bisque

Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon

Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

Joanne's Colby Cheez

Smoky Chipotle Split Pea Soup

New Year's Stew

Happy 2011!

New Year's Stew

2010-12-31T17:30:00.005-06:00

It was just last year that I learned of the southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas and greens on New Year's Day for good luck. Lucky or not, count me in for any tradition that involves eating these most adorable, delicious little beans!

This stew is hearty, with a rich beef flavored broth. The beans and greens meet in the pot with pearl onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, turnips, and fresh herbs. You may sub chopped onion for the pearl onions, and potatoes for the turnips, if you prefer. My stew is inspired by the seitan based Beefless Stew on Vegan Good Things.

Much love, and a little luck, to you and yours in the New Year!

New Year's Stew
Serves 4 generously

2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz pearl onions, peeled (use pre-peeled frozen onions for super convenience)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
10 cremini or or white button mushrooms, quartered
2 ribs of celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried, chopped)
2 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tbsp flour
3 cups vegetarian beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup dry red wine
4 medium turnips, peeled and chopped
2 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
5 collard green leaves, center rib removed, and chopped (or turnip greens, or kale)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in celery, carrots, and herbs and saute for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, and then slowly stir in the broth and red wine. Turn up heat to bring to a boil.

Add turnips and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the turnips and other veggies are tender to your liking. Stir in the black-eyed peas, greens, and worcestershire sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a side of brown rice.

Making this stew was a good excuse to try out a few of my new toys from Christmas. Check out this beauty that Steve gave me, my first piece of enameled cast iron cookware! *Swoon* This 6 quart dutch oven is made by Lodge, and is much more affordable than Le Creuset. You can even fool everyone if you buy the Le Creuset knob! Amazon recommends the Le Creuset knob as an accompanying purchase to the Lodge dutch oven, which made me laugh! No new knob for me, I am a proud Lodge owner.

To accompany my stew I made a pot of brown rice in my new rice cooker. What a handy fun little gadget! The rice turned out perfect.

I also got to play around with my favorite gift of all, a hand-me-down digital SLR from my little brother! He has moved on to bigger and better cameras, so he decided to give me his older Canon 30D. I have so much to learn about using the camera and editing the photos, but I am on my way! I am looking forward to some serious photography in the coming year!

Well, and some not so serious photography, too..

Am I a horrible person?

Signing out for 2010. I hope you have a very Happy New Year, and I'll catch you in 2011!

Cranberry Orange Tart with Walnuts and a Chocolate Crust

2010-12-30T12:43:00.003-06:00

I love Christmas and I am in a bit of denial about it being over. Alas, the evidence is mounting, much like the massive pile of garbage that I put out on the curb this morning. The cookies are gone. All of the out-of-towners have returned home. The Christmas music on the radio and the Christmas movies on television have come to a halt. The Christmas sections at every store are marked down on clearance.

If you are like me, take comfort! Christmas will come again. In the meantime perhaps you have room for just one. more. dessert.

This tart is comprised of a rich chocolaty crust, brimming with fresh cranberries and toasted walnuts, bound by cheery orange flavors. Top this dessert off with a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving for an extra festive finish. I made five 4-inch tarts with this recipe as pictured above, and while the results were adorable, each tart was much too large for a single serving. This recipe would do best in a 10-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

Cranberry Orange Tart with Walnuts and a Chocolate Crust
Serves 10

Crust:
(adapted from Bon Appétit)

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons chilled earth balance, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
(adapted from Cooking Light)

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind (about 2 oranges)
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries

Spray 10-inch round tart pan with non-stick spray. Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt in processor, and pulse to combine. Add earth balance and pulse until a moist sandy texture forms. Add water and blend just until dough comes together. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the prepared pan, and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 and start preparing the filling. Whisk together orange juice and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients. Once the crust has chilled for 30 minutes, pour the filling in and place pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, and then reduce temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 35 minutes. The crust should be firm and the filling will be bubbly. Cool completely. Just before serving sift a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar over the top of the tart, if desired.

Smoky Chipotle Split Pea and Barley Soup

2010-12-15T18:03:00.002-06:00

Thank you all so much for your kind words regarding our engagement, Steve and I are very excited! I have been swept up in the excitement of wedding planning and the holidays, and have been neglecting the blog. That's not to say that I haven't been cooking! Most of my meals lately have been previously blogged recipes, such as Pumpkin Black Bean Chili, Butternut Rancheros, and White Chili with Tomatillos and Roasted Mushrooms, all worthy repeats I might add!

This weekend I made another old favorite, Split Pea and Barley Soup, but I decided to give the recipe a makeover. And what a makeover it was! Armed with ground chipotle and liquid smoke, I transformed my classic split pea into something totally new. If you are looking for a hearty, warming soup with a kick, this one is for you. Both standard stove top and pressure cooker methods provided below.

Smoky Chipotle Split Pea and Barley Soup
Serves 6

1-1/2 cups green split peas, rinsed and picked over
1/3 cup pearled barley
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
10 cups water
4 not chick'n bouillon (or sub your preferred bouillon)
2 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper (or try canned, diced. Start with 1/2 a chipotle pepper and adjust)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
dash cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbsp lime juice

Toppings:
Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon
vegan sour cream

Stove top method: Heat 1/4 cup water in a large pot and saute onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Stir in thyme, chipotle pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf, and saute for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Add 10 cups of water, bouillon cubes, and peas. Turn up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and partially cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After 1 hour of simmering the peas should be starting to break down a bit. Add in the barley, carrots, and celery and continue simmering (partially covered) for 45 minutes to an hour, until the peas have completely broken down. If the soup starts to thicken too much add extra water 1 cup at a time as needed, maintaining the thickness that you prefer.

Once the peas have completely broken down, and the barley, carrots, and celery are tender, remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and stir in liquid smoke and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot, topped with a tablespoon of vegan sour cream and a slice of vegan bacon, fried and chopped.

Pressure cooker method: Put 6 cups of water, split peas, and barley into the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes and allow pressure to come down naturally.

While the pressure cooker is doing its thing, heat 1/4 cup water is a large pot. Saute onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Stir in thyme, chipotle pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf, and saute for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add 4 cups of water, bouillon cubes, carrots, and celery and turn up heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and partially cover. Simmer 30 minutes or until carrots and celery are tender. By this time the pressure cooker should be done releasing the pressure. Empty the contents of the pressure cooker into the other pot and stir to combine. Remove bay leaf, stir in liquid smoke, lime juice, and water if needed to reach the desired thickness. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot, topped with a tablespoon of vegan sour cream and a slice of vegan bacon, fried and chopped.

(A third option is to cook everything in the pressure cooker. The only downside is that the carrots and celery may be overcooked. To combat this slice them thicker. Start by sauteing the onion and garlic in the cooker for 5 minutes, then add all of the other ingredients less that liquid smoke and lime juice, and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure, and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Stir in the liquid smoke and lime juice at the end).

Other haps:

Check out my new ornaments!

A wee candy cane monster compliments of Panda With Cookie. This etsy shop offers monsters in all sizes, tofu pirates, adorable onesies, and more. This is not my first Panda original, you may remember the tofu pirate apron I nabbed earlier this year. Hooray for vegan crafters!

I am submitting the wee monster photo to the festive photo round of No Croutons Required. Entries accepted until Dec 20, voting opens the 21st at Tinned Tomatoes.

My other new ornament this year is one I bought in Tennessee the day that Steve proposed. I don't normally buy the clay personalized ornaments, but it seemed meant to be when I saw it!

My Christmas present to myself this year was a box of goodies from Pangea Vegan Store. I wanted to try several vegan products that I have not been able to find locally including vegan white chocolate chips, soy curls, parmazano, and dried soy creamer packets. I also decided to try out 2 gravy mixes, vegetable broth powder, and a few cheezly flavors (on sale $.99 each!). I was super impressed by how quickly my order arrived. I placed my order mid-morning, it shipped the same day and was on my doorstep 2 days later!

I am looking for suggestions of how to use these precious white chocolate chips and soy curls. What are you favorite uses?

A Smoky Mountains Engagement

2010-11-30T14:17:00.000-06:00

As you probably guessed by the title of this post, I am engaged! The day after Thanksgiving Steve and I went for a hike to Laurel Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was there that Steve got down on one knee and asked me to be his bride.

I am exploding with excitement and anxiousness. In the coming months we will be making important decisions regarding the wedding, the honeymoon, and our new lives together. We are thinking that October 8 will be our date, but I really just want it to be tomorrow.

I just love this guy so darn much! What more can I say?

Vegan MoFo #18: Road Trip Snacks and Chickpea "Eggy" Salad

2010-11-24T13:08:00.002-06:00

In about an hour I will be packing up my car with my stuff, my boyfriend, and my brother and heading down to Knoxville, Tennessee for a Smoky Mountain Thanksgiving! Lots of family time, country music, and Dollywood await us. I am not looking forward to this 10 hour drive, but I will have my two favorite guys to keep me entertained and some of my favorite vegan snacks to keep me satisfied.

Vegan Road Trip Snacks

My snacks for the road include pretzel slims with hummus, pistachios, bananas, and snapea crisps. I also brought some almond milk to use all weekend, and some instant oatmeal and vegan muffins for breakfast options. Those muffins are a new find at Trader Joe's, they had about 5-6 vegan muffin flavors to choose from (who knew??). I chose the Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins, which are organic, agave sweetened, and low-fat.

Garein Savory Stuffed Turk'y

You may have also noticed the Garein Savory Stuffed Turk'y in the midst. These are for Steve and I to eat for our main course at Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandparents' house. Not pictured is the Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie that I am also bringing. This pie was such a hit at my Thanksgiving dinner party that I decided to make it again to share with my family.

Chickpea "Eggy" Salad

Leading up to this trip, I have been subsiding mostly on leftovers (poor me!). However, I was able to transform some of the leftovers into something totally new. When I made the Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites I ended up with a lot of leftover "yolk", which I knew would be perfect for some vegan egg salad later. Usually vegan egg salad utilizes crumbled tofu for the meat of it, but I was out. Instead, I pulsed some chickpeas in the food processor until they were roughly chopped to achieve the chopped hard boiled egg texture. I stirred in the sauce and adjusted the seasoning with a little more black salt, sea salt, pepper, and chives and I was in business! Very, very egg salad-like, which is an old favorite. I like that the sauce has only a little bit of vegan mayo and is mostly pureed white beans, which is much healthier than the mayo-heavy egg salad recipes. As much as I enjoyed this with chickpeas, I'd like to try it with tofu next time, but only because with the beany sauce this is beans on beans. Nothing wrong with that, but definitely something to go easy on.

I hope to do some blogging from Tennessee, but I may not. Either way, I will be posting at least two more times this month to reach by goal of 20 total posts for Vegan MoFo. Can you believe it's almost over kids? *sob* Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will catch up with you soon!

Vegan MoFo #17: Baking Bread

2010-11-23T15:55:00.001-06:00

Really Easy No Knead Bread

One of the things that I hoped to accomplish during Vegan MoFo was to make a loaf of bread from scratch for the first time. I did not include this in the list of goals in my first MoFo post because I was afraid that this would be the first to fall by the wayside. Well I proved myself wrong! I really have many other MoFo bloggers to thank for their inspiring bread posts, including Monica, Mihl, Panda, Amey, and Jennifer. In fact, it was a comment that I left on Monica's Quick Rye Bread post that finally led me to the bread that I would make. I asked for her recommendation of an easy, fool-proof bread recipe and she provided just that, complete with photos! This bread is so easy it practically makes itself, and no need for stonewear or enamel dutch ovens, I used a metal loaf pan with perfect results. Check out the comments section of this post for her instructions and photos.

Toast!

I am ready to try baking some more breads and I'd love your recommendations! What are your favorite bread recipes?

Vegan MoFo #16: My First Vegan Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T12:10:00.004-06:00

Vegan Thanksgiving Proper

I thought it would be wonderful to celebrate my first Thanksgiving as a vegan with an all-vegan meal. My family is not ready for this kind of celebration, so I invited seven friends over on Saturday night to celebrate my way. Despite being the only vegan in attendance, the two vegetarians plus five omnivores were very enthusiastic about the all-vegan menu. My goal was to wow everyone with several vegan versions of classic Thanksgiving dishes. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, this meal was indulgent, and by no means health food. The end result made it all worth it, there were plenty of wows to go around!

Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites

For appetizers we started with Tofu Deviled "Eggy" Bites. This is Bianca's magical recipe, which utilizes an Indian spice, black salt, to simulate the flavor of eggs. Everyone agreed that these were surprisingly authentic, and this platter emptied quickly!

Artichoke Dip

To go with the Tofu Deviled Eggy Bites, my friend Jenny brought Artichoke Dip with pita chips. I highly recommend this recipe from C'est La Vegan, it was a favorite at the party.

I was going to make a third appetizer, Lindsay's Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, but I ran out of time. Sad! I hope to make these for Christmas, if I can wait that long!

Pumpkin Nog Martini

We enjoyed some pre-dinner cocktails of Pumpkin Nog Martinis. This blend of Silk Nog, vanilla vodka, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree were inspired by Heather's Pumpkin Pie Bliss. I topped these off with Soyatoo Whip, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.

Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

For the main event, I made Bryanna Clark Grogan's Soy and Seitan "Turkey". Unfortunately this recipe has been taken offline, so I don't have a link for you. The base of this "turkey" is a blend of tofu, wheat gluten, and chickpea flour. This roasts at a low temperature for 4 hours in a vegan chicken-flavored basting broth. The result is remarkable, perfect taste and texture, which was enjoyed by all.

Green Bean Casserole

In selecting classic Thanksgiving side dishes, I knew that it had to include a green bean casserole. I chose Susan's recipe, which is rightfully titled The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole. This was so fresh and delicious, way better than the standard cream of mushroom soup and canned green bean variety.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I chose another one of Susan's recipes for the Sweet Potato Casserole. Many bloggers have praised this recipe, and they were absolutely right to. The light flavors of orange and vanilla are what make this casserole extra special. This was the most talked about dish at the table!

Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing

Thanksgiving would not be complete without some stuffing. I decided to go with a not-so-traditional recipe, Terry's Cornbread Scallion Pecan Stuffing. Homemade crumbled cornbread meets vegan sausage, leeks, onion, green onion, red bell pepper, chopped pecans, and a bit of cayenne pepper for a substantial, lightly spicy, and meaty stuffing. Delicious!

Mashed Potatoes

Then of course there were mashed potatoes. I used yukon gold potatoes, because they are the creamiest and the skin is tender enough to mash right in. Into the mash went a bit of soymilk, olive oil, and salt for mashed potato perfection!

"Poultry" Gravy

And what is "turkey", stuffing, and mashed potatoes without some gravy? I chose C'est La Vegan's "Poultry" Gravy, which turned out to be a very good decision. This gravy is so, so good!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Last but not least, some roasted Brussels sprouts to round out the meal. I forgot to take a picture of Carolyn's delicious homemade cranberry sauce, but you can spot some on my plate at the top of this post.

Steve and Carolyn at the buffet line

My guests descended onto the buffet line with enthusiasm, and we feasted until we could feast no more! Well, until it was time to serve dessert anyway...

Vegan pies with ice cream and whipped cream

We may have made a bit too much pie, if there is such a thing! Carolyn brought a yummy chocolate pie, and I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake (recipe from PETA), Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie (recipe from Lisa Marie), and Pumpkin Pecan Pie (recipe from Fran Costigan). Steve was kind enough to bring the Tempt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Soyatoo Soy Whip to top off our pies. Everyone had a favorite -- mine was definitely the Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie, oh my goodness!

A big thanks to my wonderful friends who celebrated my first vegan Thanksgiving with me! Thanks also to all of the lovely bloggers that created these outstanding recipes, I could not have done it without you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Vegan MoFo #15: Homemade "Beef" and Sweet Potato Tacos

2010-11-18T23:34:00.003-06:00

Ever since the massive positive response to my homemade vegan bacon recipe last week, I have wanted to share my favorite homemade ground beef substitute. It is another easy, affordable, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, and optionally soy-free recipe. A genius creation of Ricki Heller, this recipe is a blend of ground cauliflower, walnuts, and spices, roasted to perfection. So simple, so delicious, and surprisingly meaty!

I've had some serious cravings for Mexican ever since I saw Jessy's tostadas and Lisa Marie's tacos. I decided tacos were the perfect use for this homemade beef. Combined with sweet potatoes, black beans, corn and a generous drizzle of A-K's creamy pepita cilantro dressing, this was just what I was craving. This meal was rounded out by a side of spicy roasted kuri squash. It doesn't get much better than that!

The two stars of these tacos are the meat and the dressing, which are not my recipes. I've provided links to the original recipes below, along with my technique for assembling these tacos. This dish will be included in the November SOS Kitchen Challenge featuring sweet potatoes. To participate submit your own sweet or savory sweet potato dishes before the end of the month.

Homemade "Beef" and Sweet Potato Tacos
with Creamy Pepita Cilantro Dressing
(Serves 4)

1 cup of Ricki's Meaty Veg-Based Ground "Meat"
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, fresh, or canned
1 cup cooked black beans
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Generous drizzle of A-K's Creamy Cilantro Pepita Dressing (not optional)
4 large or 6 small tortillas

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to saute for another 3 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potatoes and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sweet potatoes are tender and lightly browned.

Stir in the spices, corn, black beans, and "meat", and cook for 2-3 minutes, until hot. Serve inside tortillas of your choice with a big drizzle of dressing.

Vegan MoFo #14: Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry

2010-11-17T23:02:00.002-06:00

Just a quick post today to share one of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Veganomicon. I come back again and again to the Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry (page 186). This recipe transforms a head of cauliflower and a cup and a half of red lentils into a giant pot of creamy delicious curry. The lentils break down in the broth to create a thick, protein-packed sauce which coats the cauliflower florets. This is a great weeknight meal, which results in lots of tasty leftovers to pack for lunch at work. I cannot say enough good things about this recipe, or this cookbook for that matter!

Your turn to share, what are your favorite Veganomicon recipes?

Vegan MoFo #13: Twice Baked Acorn Squash

2010-11-16T23:56:00.003-06:00

I am starting to notice a recurring ingredient in my Vegan MoFo posts: winter squash. There has been kabocha, delicata, pumpkin, and butternut squash, now it is time for some acorn squash!

Admittedly, the flavor and texture of acorn squash is my least favorite of all winter squashes. The most popular way to prepare this squash is to stuff it with sweet or savory fillings, but for me the stuffing never seems to flavor (read: cover up) the squash enough. I had all but given up on this popular winter squash, and then I found a method for twice baked acorn squash. Baked first, then the flesh is scooped out and mashed up with the stuffing, before being packed back into the skin and baked once more.

This method worked perfectly and took away all of my reasons that I normally dislike acorn squash. I pureed the squash flesh which eliminated any stringy bits that usually gross me out, and into the food processor went some additional flavoring to spice up the bland taste that normally bores me. If you are without a food processor, never fear, you can easily mash up the squash by hand.

I encourage you to try out this method with your favorite squash stuffing. For me, that was wild rice, cremini mushrooms, leeks, and peas -- a real savory squash treat!

Twice Baked Acorn Squash
(inspired by Hangry Pants)
Serves 2

1 large acorn squash, sliced in half top to bottom, seeds removed
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Prepare rice according to package directions. While the rice is simmering, prepare the squash. Preheat oven to 400. Place squash halves face down in casserole dish in 1/2" of water. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. (May do both a day ahead). Lower heat to 350.

Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add leeks, garlic, and thyme and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir in peas when the mushrooms are nearly done, just long enough to thaw them. Stir in rice and remove from heat.

Scoop out squash flesh leaving about 1/4" in the skin to hold the structure, reserve skins. Puree flesh in food processor or mash by hand, along with non-dairy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, mustard, onion powder, paprika, and salt, until smooth.

Pour squash mixture into the pan with the rice mixture, and add parsley. Stir to coat. Stuff the squash skins with mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until hot. Serve and enjoy!

Vegan MoFo #12: Karyn's Cooked and Scottie Pippen

2010-11-15T14:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday night was a most excellent date night, starting with dinner at one of my favorite vegan restaurants in Chicago, Karyn's Cooked.

Combo basket appetizer

We started with a combo basket of dusted and fried tofu, broccoli, and mushrooms. The veggies are very lightly battered and they use olive oil for frying, the result is very fresh and light tasting. These come with their delicious homemade bbq and ranch-style dipping sauces.

Jerk Tofu Wrap

For my main dish I chose the jerk tofu wrap. This is served with potato wedges and cole slaw. This was my first time eating jerk anything and I was a little bit shocked by the spice! I love extremely spicy things, but this was extremely spicy in a different way than I have ever experienced. The tofu was charred, and the tortilla grilled to the point of being blackened--this was visually pleasing, but it left an unfortunate burnt aftertaste. The hot hot jerk spices and the burnt aftertaste was a bad combination for me. This is the first time I have ever not liked my dish at Karyn's, but it does not make me love the place any less!

Steak Sandwich

Steve ordered the steak sandwich--a whole wheat bun piled high with thinly sliced seitan steak, topped with grilled onions and bell peppers, and dressed with chipotle sauce. I wish you could see better from the picture, but you wouldn't be able to tell this seitan apart from a plate of thinly sliced roast beef, pretty amazing stuff! We both liked this a lot more than my wrap, but for some reason the seitan had been charred in a few places too, so some bites tasted burnt and were extra chewy. We both discovered that the charred flavor is not for us. Aside from that, this sandwich was great.

Pumpkin Pie

Karyn's desserts are amazing! I especially love that they are made without refined sugar. I have a hard time resisting the chocolate silk pie, but pumpkin pie was definitely in order for this visit. This is my first fall season as a vegan and I had yet to try a plain vegan pumpkin pie. Karyn's pumpkin pie did not disappoint, wonderfully spiced with texture perfectly matched to the standard non-vegan version. The only thing that would have made this pie better is a helping of vegan whipped cream on top.

After dinner we headed to the United Center to see the Chicago Bulls play the Washington Wizards. Steve's dad scored first level skybox seats from work for us, so we were pretty close to the action!

I became distracted from the game when I realized that former Chicago Bull and basketball hall-of-famer, Scottie Pippen, was in the next skybox! In the history of the Chicago Bulls, Pippen's fame is second only to Michael Jordan, whom he played side-by-side with in six winning NBA championships in the 1990's. It felt kind of wrong to bug him for a photo in this setting, but I would have kicked myself forever if I hadn't. He is just as tall as you'd imagine a basketball player to be. I am 5'9", and he is slightly bent forward in this photo, so that will give you an idea. Huge! The Bulls ended up winning which was an excellent ending to a perfect date.

Stay tuned as week 3 of Vegan MoFo continues with some delicious new recipes!

Vegan MoFo #11: The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur

2010-11-12T15:18:00.005-06:00

I set a goal to post at least 20 times in the month of November, so with this post I am officially past the halfway mark! Who knows, at this rate I may even surpass my goal. Participating in Vegan MoFo has been wonderfully challenging so far. I was pretty tired the first week, staying up too late to write every night, but I have gotten into my groove now. My writing process tends to be lengthy, but it seems that this is improving with daily practice. I plan to keep up the habit of frequent posting even when Vegan MoFo is over. The best part of this month of food by far has been connecting with so many vegan bloggers. You all inspire me, and I thank you for that!

I am not sure if I should credit MoFo or the cooler weather, but I have been on a major baking kick, first with Isa and Terry, then with Fran, now with Kelly. Kelly Peloza is the newest vegan dessert cookbook author to hit the scene. Her book, The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur, is loaded with over 140 cookie recipes, with gorgeous full color pictures throughout. Some of the sections found within are Cookies Inspired by Drinks, Blissfully Chocolate Cookies, DIY Versions of Mass-Produced Cookies, Bar Cookies, A Take on Tradition, and several more.

Bakery-Style Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Where to start when you are faced with over 140 choices? I figured the best way to get to know this author's style would be to start with something classic, and it doesn't get more classic than chocolate chip cookies. Then I discovered that she has FIVE chocolate chip cookie recipe options, and that doesn't even include the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and the candy cane chocolate chip cookies! Crisp, chewy chocolate chip cookies are my preference, so the obvious choice was the Bakery-Style Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. My batch were chewy, in a really awesome way, but not crisp. The recipe doesn't call for any non-dairy milk at all, but it does suggest to add some if the dough is too dry. I had to add some and was careful to only add enough to get the dough to hold together. I am thinking that the texture of the finished cookie could have benefited from a little more soy milk. This recipe is definitely good, but not the perfect chocolate chip cookie for me. I plan to try some of her other chocolate chip cookie recipes as I continue my quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie!

Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bars

My boyfriend's favorite sweet-salty snack is a toss up between chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered peanuts. Kelly came up with a bar cookie that involves these two very things, so of course I had to make these for Steve. The Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bars are made up of a peanut butter cookie base piled high with hand dipped chocolate-covered peanuts and pretzels. The base was my favorite part, reminding me of a peanut butter blondie. Hand-dipping the pretzels and peanuts in chocolate was a lot of fun, and I appreciated the awesome makeshift double boiler tips for melting the chocolate (up until now I've been a microwave-melter)! If your fresh-dipped peanuts and pretzels behave like mine and don't want to harden all the way at room temperature, just toss them in the fridge for 10 minutes to finish the hardening process. I also opted to chop my chocolate dipped goodies rather than breaking apart by hand. Steve's reaction to this bar cookie was exactly what I hoped for! Rich peanut-buttery base, with a chocolate-covered salty/sweet crunchy top, this is the perfect cookie for him.

Almond Cloud Kisses

My favorite cookies so far are the Almond Cloud Kisses. Mine turned out pretty clumsy looking in comparison to Kelly's, but that didn't take away from the taste. Dense, not too sweet, shortbread-like almond cookies come together with a smear of melted chocolate, for a (potentially) adorable cookie. I had the same issue that I did with the chocolate chip cookies, needing to add more soy milk than the recipe calls for in order for the dough to hold together. This time I was a little bit more generous with the additional soy milk, and the result was great.

Autumn Cloud Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the last cookie that I sampled I went for the Autumn Cloud Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. This was the first time pumpkin and chocolate crossed paths in my kitchen, and I was very pleased with the flavor combination. The cookie itself was an odd texture, more fluffy and spongy like a muffin. I would be very curious to see how the dough would behave in a muffin pan. If you have been searching for the perfect cookie-muffin hybrid (muffin tops anyone?), this cookie is for you!

Whew, that's a lot of cookies, and I have barely scratched the surface of the cookie options in The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur! Sooner than later I plan to try several more (I am looking at you Puppy Chow Cookies).

So, what will you be baking this weekend?

Vegan MoFo #10: Butternut Rancheros

2010-11-11T23:19:00.000-06:00

Last year I discovered my devotion to all things butternut squash. I turned my nose up to all other types of winter squash and dedicated all of my time and energy to the butternut. This year has been the year of delicata, kabocha, kuri, and even a few acorns--it appears that I have turned my back on my old friend butternut. Isa reminded me what I have been missing without butternut in my life with this essential dish. Yes, essential. Butternut Rancheros are where it's at, made complete by a big pile of sauteed collard greens. Seriously, eat this.

Vegan MoFo #9: New Glarus Brewery

2010-11-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

Late this summer I went camping with a group of friends in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Nicknamed Little Switzerland, this town of about 2,300 people is among the largest Swiss American populations in the country, proportionally. Chalet-style architecture, mom and pop shops, and Swiss flags line the small downtown area. All around a super charming place, and exactly what someone who has never actually been to Switzerland would imagine a small town there to look like.

What really puts this town on the map is the New Glarus Brewery. The brewery is outside of town on the gorgeous rolling countryside, very close to our campgrounds. It was a sweltering hot weekend so on the second day our group decided to take a field trip to the brewery for some air conditioning and cold brew. Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel, Totally Naked, Moon Man, and Stone Soup are a few of their selections, and bonus, they use 100% vegan ingredients and brewing techniques. To go with the beer they were cooking up personal size pizzas in a brick oven outside. There were only about 5 pizzas to choose from, and I was pleasantly surprised to notice that one was vegan with no modification needed! Delicious and simple, a drizzle of olive oil, marinara sauce, and thinly sliced garlic. It was so warm and toasty out of the oven, a perfect accompaniment to the beer, not to mention a welcome change from the camping food!

Even though this was my first time to the brewery, I have enjoyed a cold Spotted Cow many a time in Wisconsin before. It is a special treat, because these beers are only distributed in Wisconsin. Visitors from Illinois often smuggle back cheese and fireworks, but you will only see New Glarus Beers in my back seat! So if you are ever in Wisconsin be sure to try some, and bring some back for me.

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

2010-11-09T06:30:00.006-06:00

I have never met a bowl of vegan chili that I didn't like. If you ask me, vegans have one-up on the rest of the world when it comes to chili. Leave out the meat and you have more room for beans, grains, and fun veggie add-ins like peppers, corn, sweet potatoes, squash, mushrooms, celery, carrots--you name it. Start with some beans, tomatoes, and spice, and let your imagination go wild (well not too wild, no one wants broccoli in their chili).

No two batches of chili are exactly the same, especially in my kitchen. For this year's first batch of chili I tried out two new ingredients: pumpkin puree and beer. This combination mingles with the tomato juices to deliver a unique, lip-smacking broth. The pumpkin and beer flavors are subtle in the, "ooh, what is that?" kind of way, peeking out from underneath the rich taste of the smoked paprika and sage. (By the way, this would be really, really lovely with handful of fresh chopped sage, if you have it.)

I encourage you to try this pumpkin / beer combo, I think it will surprise you.

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili
(adapted from (never home)maker)
Serves 4

1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups cooked black beans (or 2-15 oz cans, rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (or 1-15 oz can)
2-15 oz cans or 1-28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup hearty fall or winter beer (or sub vegetable broth)
1-1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp cayenne

Heat 1/4 cup water in a large stock pot and add onion. Saute for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

Add spices and stir to coat the onions, saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in beer and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Garnish with vegan cheese and chopped green onion.

Fan of white chili? Try this version with tomatillos and roasted mushrooms, a favorite from 2009.

Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon, easy! soy-free! gluten-free! freezer friendly!

2010-11-08T07:05:00.013-06:00

Vegan bacon with pancakes and herbed potatoes

Nearly five years ago I made the decision to stop eating meat. At the time of the switch my diet relied heavily on store-bought faux meats. I continued eating this way for the first couple of years, but as I learned more about cooking meatless meals from scratch, these products took the back burner.

Through blogging I have learned that a lot of vegetarian/vegans have followed a similar path. Some people stop eating pre-made mock meats because of their desire to eat only natural, unprocessed foods. For others it might be that their tastes have changed and they simply don't want meat substitutes. Yet another reason to shy away from the veg meat products is the cost, which tends to be more expensive than cooking with fresh ingredients from scratch. My reasoning was largely influenced by the cost of these products, but also I did not feel the need for them with all of the new and exciting things I was learning to cook from scratch.

Vegan bacon, tomato and avocado on toast

When I transitioned to veganism in January of this year I came back around on mock meats, because I discovered the possibility of making them from scratch. Somehow seitan had evaded me in all of my years of vegetarianism (hello, chorizo!), and it never occurred to me to make homemade bean burgers. Homemade vegan bacon is one of the more recent things I have played around with. The most common type of homemade vegan bacon is made with tempeh, a close second is the eggplant variety -- both tasty in their own right. Then back in August I came across a bean and buckwheat based recipe, and had a feeling that this was something really special.

Slicing the freshly baked bacon, before frying

My feeling was right, this recipe is very special. There are many things that I love about this vegan bacon, let me count the ways:

I can buy the dried beans and buckwheat groats in the bulk bins at my local health food store very inexpensively, and..
all of the other ingredients the recipe are always on hand in my kitchen. (Though I have started keeping the beans and buckwheat on hand all the time for this recipe specifically).
The ingredients are healthy!
The preparation is extremely easy.
After baking the "batter", slice it and freeze it for later use.
Frozen slices go straight into the frying pan and are crispy and ready to eat in minutes.
The taste is better than any vegan bacon I have ever had (pre-made or otherwise - though I should mention it doesn't taste as close to the real deal as some of the pre-made varieties, that said I still prefer this bacon).

I could go on..

NOM.

Are you convinced yet? Make this bacon, eat it for breakfast, put it in sandwiches, chop it up and add it to soups, salads, and baked potatoes. Whatever you do, just make it! I have made this recipe several times and have adjusted the spices and other flavorings pretty far from where it started to achieve the perfect level of smokey maple flavor. I keep a freezer bag of this bacon on hand at all times, ready to fry up at a moments notice, and I have a feeling that once you try it you will too!

Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon
(adapted from No Meat Athlete)

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans, or other small red beans
1/3 cup whole grain buckwheat groats (not buckwheat flour)
1 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/3 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp liquid smoke*
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1-1/2 tbsp coconut aminos (if no need to be soy-free, sub bragg's, tamari, or soy sauce)*
1 tbsp tomato paste
1-1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp coconut oil (may sub any oil you prefer)
1/2 tsp salt

Rinse the beans and buckwheat, place in large bowl covered with several inches of cold filtered water; let soak overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain and rinse the soaked beans and buckwheat. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade, along with all of the other ingredients. Pulse several times to combine, scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl and continue pulsing until uniform, but not completely pureed.

Line a 9 x 13 casserole dish or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Place bacon batter in pan and spread evenly with a spatula. You may choose to spray another piece of parchment paper lightly with baking spray and press the paper on top of the mixture and flatten with your hands. Remove and discard the top piece of parchment paper, then use a spatula to spread over and fill in any bare spots.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 24-32 strips, whatever size you prefer, I cut mine into 1 inch by 4 inches slices (Do this by making one lengthwise cut down the center, and then 12-16 cuts across the shorter side. See photo above).

At this point freeze any strips your don't plan on eating immediately. Frozen strips can go straight into the skillet at a later date, no need to thaw first. To fry, heat a skillet with a small amount of oil and fry both sides to desired level of crispiness. You may also choose to fry slices in cooking spray, for a less crispy, but still very delicious result.

*Not all brands of liquid smoke are gluten-free. Thanks to Jessy for the gluten-free, soy-free tips!

Vegan MoFo #6: Week 1 Wrap Up & Things I'd Rather Be Eating

2010-11-06T13:38:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all of your nice comments on my mostly unappetizing last post (I don't care how delicious a smoothie is, oral surgery is just gross). My goal was to only blog on weekdays, but since I am confined to my house switching from ice packs to hot compresses between my salt water rinses, I figured why not! I think I am getting used to this blogging every day thing, after all. It took me the whole month of October to post 5 times, and I've already posted 5 recipes in November! Here is a quick recap in case your missed it:

Monday, November 1: Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust

Tuesday, November 2: Palak Delicata and Red Lentil Dal

Wednesday, November 3: Fran Costigan's More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally

Thursday, November 4: Jennifer's Mushroom Gravy

Friday, November 5: Green Protein Smoothie

My big plans for eats today involve oatmeal, blended soup, and possibly another smoothie. I am pretty sore today and not ready for full blown chewing yet. In lieu of a new recipe today, here are links to things I would rather be eating -- Vegan MoFo posts from week 1 from some of the other 700+ bloggers that are participating. Be sure to check these out!

Post Punk Kitchen: Butternut Rancheros
Vegan Epicurean: Slow Cooked Tempeh, Roasted Red Pepper, and Chanterelles
Midwest Veg: Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie
Seitan is my Motor: Mocha Almond Chippers
happyveganface: Taco Soup
JL Goes Vegan: Stuffed Acorn Squash
Vegan Awakening: Penne with Italian Sausage and Cabbage
It Ain't Meat Babe: Seitan a la Bourguignonne
I Eat Trees: Slow Cooker Vegan Bacon and Lentil Soup
Panda With Cookie: Chickpea Broccoli Casserole
Miss V's Vegan Cookbook: Brussels Sprouts, two ways
Cook. Vegan. Lover: Kale, Squash, and Apple White Pizza
Vegan Stephen: Red Lentil Soup
Choosing Raw: Vegan Herb Mashed Potatoes
An Opera Singer in the Kitchen: Tangy Eggplant Dip
Mo Betta Vegan: Vegan Menudo
Adventures in Veg: Yellow Curry with Butternut Squash
La Vida Vegga: Butterscotch Pumpkin Pudding
Super Vegan!: Zucchini "Crab" Cakes
Singer Eats: Chickpea Noodle Soup
Vegan Soul Power!: Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Snarky Vegan: White Trash Tater Tot Casserole
The Life: French Toast
meansoybean: Pan-fried Butternut Squash Cake
C'est La Vegan: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Thyme Bomb: Maple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Keep the posts coming MoFo'ers! For now I've got to get back to icing my jaw and spending some quality time in front of the fire with these cuties.

Vegan MoFo #5: Green Protein Smoothie and Oral Surgery

2010-11-05T19:22:00.014-05:00

I had a visit to the oral surgeon this morning, and left minus 4 teeth and plus 1. The teeth to go were of the wisdom variety, and the tooth being added is a molar that never came in when it was supposed to. They did what they call an "exposure" -- exposing the molar to the light of day and attaching a little chain to it so that my orthodontist can start slowly pulling it down. Really fun stuff, let me tell you.

To help me relax they gassed me up immediately. This was soon followed by the assistants strapping down my arms and legs to the chair, whilst starting to lay out their invasive looking tools on the table that hovered a few feet over my lap. Funny stuff that laughing gas is, I could care less about all of this normally alarming stuff going on. I was daydreaming, remembering something that happened back in college, and I actually had to hold back a giggle! How cliché it would have been to start laughing. I fought it. Then the oral surgeon made his first appearance, and he tried to have a conversation with me. Major buzzkill, I don't want to talk about surgery, man!

Then they hooked me up to the IV and started administering the anesthesia. They had enough time to tell me that I would start to feel really nice, and that's all I remember. Then both assistants were calling my name telling me it was over. But I didn't want to wake up, and I especially didn't want to put both feet on the floor and try to stand up! I was overcome with thirst, so I pointed to my throat and said, "WAA. WAA-ER." So she poured some water in my mouth, but turns out I couldn't feel the lower half of my face. I did manage to swallow some, but the rest ended up on my shirt.

Lost your appetite yet? I hadn't. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything for six hours prior to the surgery, and at this point it had been about 16 hours since my last meal. Eating, even a liquid meal, was out of the question for a couple of hours. Way too much gauze and way too numb. Then the novocaine started to wear off and with it came a big old headache. I was ready for some ibuprofen, but didn't want to take it on an empty stomach. One great thing about being vegan is not having to plan ahead for times like these, vegans always have great smoothie-worthy ingredients lying around. I went for protein, healthy fats, and some greens, and served it up with a spoon. Steve had a good laugh snapping pictures of me dribbling smoothie down my chin, I think it was payback for my last post. Since he was such a good sport, I decided to post one of my glamour shots to reciprocate. All things considered, I think I look pretty good!

Green Protein Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup almond milk
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 avocado
2 handfuls of chopped kale
1 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp flax meal
2 scoops Garden of Life RAW Protein
1 tsp maple syrup
Ice

I'm happy to report that just 7 hours later I am doing great. No more gauze, no swelling, and no need for the pain meds. So glad that this ordeal is over! Now to catch up on all of the MoFo posts that I missed today!

Vegan MoFo #4 - Hunting and Jennifer's Mushroom Gravy

2010-11-04T14:43:00.001-05:00

I am a ruthless hunter, a lioness hiding in the brush waiting to pounce at any moment. When it comes to my dinner, I show no mercy.


Turnip Killa

My mate is an excellent gatherer, so naturally we make a great team.

Berry findings

Oh, so helpless

This kale didn't stand a chance

In a matter of few hours we claimed several fine specimen, including kale, turnips, raspberries, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, red cabbage, tomatoes, dill, and daikon radishes. Our plates were overflowing that night!

One seriously momentous dinner after the hunt

Of course a massive veggie roast was in order. For the main dish I whipped up one of Veganomicon's most famous dishes, the chickpea cutlets (as of yesterday this recipe is available at the new PPK!). On the side we had Fran's cornbread (another winner), and some garlic red skin mashed potatoes. We doused our cutlets and 'taters with Jennifer's Mushroom Gravy for a Crowd, which was immediately deemed my new standard mushroom gravy. Get some! Jennifer's recipe as listed below makes 10 cups, I halved the recipe and still had a couple servings left to freeze.

Jennifer's Mushroom Gravy
(from It Ain't Meat, Babe)
Makes 10 cups

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups of mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used creminis)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup red wine or port
4 tbsp soy sauce (I used tamari)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
black pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour (I used spelt)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are tender.

Add mushrooms, bay leaf, wine, and soy sauce. Stir constantly until mushrooms begin to reduce in size (five minutes or so). Sprinkle flour onto mushroom mixture and stir until it has completely combined.

Add soup stock, herbs, and pepper. Raise heat to medium high. Let simmer until mushrooms are very tender.

Remove bay leaf and blend gravy with immersion blender, (or transfer to a blender or food processor) until smooth.

We heart you Garden Patch Farms

For some reason I have Bjork stuck in my head now..

Vegan MoFo #3: More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally

2010-11-03T23:57:00.013-05:00

One of the newest cookbooks to grace my book shelf is Fran Costigan's More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally. I have spent the last month baking through several recipes, and this cookbook is rapidly becoming my favorite dessert cookbook. Fran uses natural, organic, minimally processed ingredients in her baking, and that is something I feel good about. Her recipes are healthier than the average dessert, but they certainly don't taste like health food. There is absolutely no sacrifice in taste in these delicious desserts.

Banana Walnut Bread

The first recipe that I tried is the Banana Walnut Bread. It grabbed my attention because it is 100% maple sweetened and there is only 3 tablespoons of oil in a loaf. The results were fantastic, this bread certainly isn't missing anything without the sugar and extra fat. I have tried other vegan banana breads, but this is the first one I really love.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

After the pleasing results with the Banana Walnut Bread, I decided to try another bread. My next choice was the very season-appropriate, Pumpkin Pecan Bread. This recipe again is low on oil and sugar. There is a bit of natural cane sugar in this recipe, but it is mostly sweetened by maple. This bread is over the top delicious. I shared this loaf with friends and everyone was totally gaga over it. As far as I am concerned the search for my favorite vegan pumpkin bread is over.

Famous Jam Dots and Peanut Butter Cookies

Trying out a few of Fran's cookie recipes was definitely in order, seeing that I am a cookie ~~monster~~ addict and all. Her low-fat Peanut Butter Cookies were up first. The typical peanut butter cookie recipe has a couple of sticks of butter in it, but Fran realized that with the fat content of peanut butter there is actually very little added fat needed. I was skeptical, but the proof is in the cookie! This cookie has the perfect chewy texture and great rich flavor, all without that kick-in-the-gut feeling that often comes from eating super buttery cookies. I am starting to feel like a broken record by saying so, but this is now my go-to recipe for peanut butter cookies, another winner!

Next up, Famous Jam Dots. These cookies are Fran's adaptation of the recipe made famous by the Natural Gourmet Institute of Food and Health. Apparently people have been known to enroll for classes there after one taste of this cookie! How about that for an endorsement? I noticed right away that this recipe is yet another that is 100% maple sweetened. It is a bit heavier on oil than the rest of her cookie recipes, but even still they are not overly rich. The cookie is nutty and oatty with a nice firm bite, finished off with a sweet 100% fruit jam center. I chose apricot and raspberry for this batch, which were both excellent. Now for the best part, by permission of the publisher I am able to share this awesome recipe with you. I hope you try these soon!

Famous Jam dots

Famous Jam Dots
from More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally by Fran Costigan
(published by permission of BookPubCo.)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pecans
1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup all-fruit jam (any flavor)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and another rack above it. Preheat to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the oats on one of the prepared sheets and the pecans on the other. Toast each pan in the oven for 6 minutes. Cool completely, leaving the parchment on the baking sheets for baking the cookies. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Put the oats in a blender or food processor, and process until fine. Add the pecans and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour into a medium bowl and add the pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Whisk the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and almond extracts in a small bowl until well blended. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough holds together when squeezed.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Use your little finger to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam in each indentation.

Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are light brown on the bottom. Set the baking sheets on racks and cool for 3 minutes, until the cookies are firm enough to move. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Keep the cookies at room temperature in a covered container or a zipper-lock plastic bag for two days.

What are your favorite More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally recipes? I have loved everything I have made, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to make next!

BookPubCo is giving away vegan dessert cookbooks during the month of November, click the logo below to enter!

Vegan MoFo #2: Palak Delicata and Red Lentil Dal

2010-11-02T23:23:00.004-05:00

Thanks for your enthusiastic comments on my first Vegan MoFo post -- both kabocha squash and pumpkin biscuits are definitely worth getting excited about!

I wanted to take a moment to welcome any new readers, be sure to say hello and leave a link to your blog if you have one. I am taking full advantage of Vegan MoFo to update the list of blogs in my reader. It is just two days into the Vegan Month of Food and I am already bursting with inspiration. Keep those amazing posts coming!

For dinner tonight I was in the mood for some Indian food. I had in mind to whip up some Aloo Palak (potato spinach curry), but as I reached for the bag of potatoes on the counter the pile of delicata squash grabbed my eye (and yes, I keep piles of delicata squash around). I thought, why not swap in some roasted delicata for the potatoes? And Palak Delicata was born. Sure, it isn't traditional, but it is delicious! I imagine about any roasted winter squash would do well here (except for that oddball, spaghetti squash), but I favor the edible skin varieties. Sub the potatoes back in if you are in the mood for Aloo Palak.

I served the Palak Delicata with a side of long grain brown basmati rice and a variation of Lindsay's Red Lentil Dal (my adaptation below). I loved this meal and plan to put both of these dishes into regular rotation.

Palak Delicata
Serves 2-3

1 lb delicata squash, ends trimmed, seeds removed, and chopped into 1.5" chunks
10 - 12 oz fresh baby spinach (or frozen, thawed and drained)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely diced
1 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh or canned diced tomatoes, with juice
Salt to taste

Garnish: Toasted delicata seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss squash pieces with a small amount of oil and salt, and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until fork tender, stirring halfway through. Set aside.

Rinse and drain the fresh baby spinach. Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat, and dump in the lightly wet spinach leaves. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until wilted and bright green. Pour the spinach into a colander and set aside to drain and cool. (If you are using frozen spinach skip this step, you need only thaw and drain as much liquid out as possible).

Heat 1 tbsp of oil or 1/4 cup water in the same skillet. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, and cumin seeds and saute for 3 minutes more. Add in the rest of the spices, stir well, and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and let simmer for 5 minutes.

While your tomatoes are simmering, return to your spinach. It should be cool enough to handle, pick it up in both hands and give it a few good squeezes to drain out a bit more of the water. Pulse the drained spinach in the food processor until well chopped (but not pureed).

Add the spinach and roasted squash to the skillet, and stir to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Season with salt, and garnish with toasted squash seeds if desired.

Red Lentil Dal
(adapted from Happy Herbivore)
Serves 4

1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes, with juice
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
Handful chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)

In a medium pot, saute onions, garlic, and ginger in 1/4 cup water until translucent. Add spices, except garam masala, and cook for 2 minutes, adding more water if necessary to prevent sticking. Add lentils, stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, and coriander. Cover and turn heat to high. Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are cooked. Add garam masala and cilantro or parsley, stir to combine. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Vegan MoFo #1 - Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie

2010-11-01T23:44:00.004-05:00

Happy November 1st -- World Vegan Day and the kick-off of Vegan MoFo! If you are unfamiliar with Vegan MoFo, it is a month long vegan food blogging event. I joined the ranks of over 500 bloggers worldwide that signed up to blog daily about their vegan eats. The goal is to post every weekday, or roughly 20 times during the month of November. Prepare for a flood of vegan food coming straight to your computer screens!

No doubt the frequency of posting will be my greatest challenge, but I am determined. I have many delicious things planned, along with a small stockpile of recipes from the last couple of weeks that will fill in on days that I am eating leftovers. Here is my short list of things I hope to accomplish over the coming weeks, which will give you an idea of what to expect:

Cooking with new ingredients (starting with this big bag of sunchokes, ideas anyone?)
Cooking from new cookbooks
Cooking through as much as possible of my overstocked pantry
Hosting a vegan Thanksgiving dinner party for friends
Dining out at least one vegan restaurant in Chicago that I haven't tried yet
Reading as many new blogs as possible!

So, let's get started!

I am very excited to share this first recipe with you, which is hands down the most delicious dinner I have made so far this season. This Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie is a slight adaptation of Joanne's brilliant pot pie. Thai curry paste and coconut milk flavor the sauce of this fall veggie and tempeh pot pie. The sauce is bursting with flavor, but the spice level is mild enough for those with low tolerances to heat. The blend of curry and coconut play off of the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and kabocha squash perfectly. All of this goodness is topped off with a pumpkin biscuit crust. That's right, I said pumpkin biscuit crust. This recipe screamed, eat me now! In fact I was whipping this up within hours of her posting the original recipe, and I recommend you doing the same.

You may substitute any winter squash you desire, but I am partial to kabocha, delicata, and kuri, because the skin is edible when roasted, and does not require peeling. (Sorry butternut, I still love you.)

Thai Tempeh and Kabocha Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust
(Adapted from Eats Well With Others)
Serves 5-6

2 lbs kabocha squash, stem and seeds removed, skin on, chopped in 1" chunks (roughly 5 cups)
1 large white sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1.5" chunks
1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 package tempeh, chopped into 1" cubes (steamed for 15 mins to remove bitterness if you desire)
1 cup coconut milk
1-1/2 cups water
4 tsp red curry paste
2-1/2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1-2 tbsp agave (or brown sugar)
Juice of 1/2 of a small lime
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp flour of your choice (I used spelt)
Salt

Pumpkin Biscuit crust
(adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut milk (or non-dairy milk of your preference)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450. Toss squash, sweet potatoes, and parsnip with 1 tbsp oil and some salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot (a dutch oven would be great here, this will be going into the oven later). Add in the onion. Saute for 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. Add in red curry paste, and stir well to coat the onions - saute for 30 seconds. Add in tempeh and saute for 2 minutes more.

Stir the roasted veggies into the pot. Mix in the coconut milk, water, tamari, and agave. Stir until well combined and bring to a simmer. Pour in the peas and cook until heated through. Add lime juice, salt, and any additional agave or curry paste to taste. (I added a 5th tsp of curry paste for some additional heat). Add in flour and stir until well incorporated. Your sauce should be a gravy-like consistency, if it is too thick stir in 1/4 - 1/2 cup additional water at this point. Remove from heat while you prepare the biscuits.

Lower oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, then stir in the pumpkin, coconut milk and lemon juice until a dough forms. If your dough is very sticky add in a bit more flour, and alternately if your dough is too dry add a bit of non-dairy milk.

If you aren't already using a dutch oven, pour the pot pie filling into an oven-safe casserole dish (I used 13 x 9 glass dish). Drop handfuls of the biscuit dough onto the top of the pot pie. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits start to brown. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Goodnight Vegan MoFo'ers, see you tomorrow!

Vegan Cookies Invade My Halloween

2010-10-31T23:32:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween! I hope that you had a fun-filled weekend of tricks and treats, we surely did! Steve and I decked out in full costumes and made the rounds to a few costume parties. I dressed up as my favorite monster and Steve was his favorite 80's movie character. What do you think?

C is for Cookie... 1.21 GIGAWATTS!!

I took my role as Cookie Monster very seriously, well, not serious enough to do any singing, however I was armed with homemade vegan cookies at all times. When I was deciding what cookies to make, I turned to the vegan cookie authorities, Isa and Terry, authors of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I picked out four recipes and split up the baking over two days. My selections were varied carefully so that there would be something for everyone, vegan cookies for the masses!

The cookies in my cookie jar were the chocolate fudgy oatmeal cookies, sell your soul pumpkin cookies, lazy samoas, and the peanut apple pretzel drops. Needless to say, I was one popular monster! Everyone had a favorite, and mine were a tie between the fudgy oatmeal cookies and the lazy samoas.

It was my first time baking from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, and the recipes were fun and easy to work with. I am excited to have this cookbook on hand for the upcoming holiday season, the cookiest time of year.

Your turn now, I'd love to hear how you celebrated Halloween!

With less than an hour left in October, I am looking forward to the start of November, the Vegan Month of Food! I am very excited to be participating in Vegan MoFo this year for the first time. Last I heard there are over 500 bloggers signed up to blog about their vegan eats all month long. The goal is to post as often as possible, ideally every weekday for a total of about 20 posts in the month of November. If you are a regular reader of mine, you know that I don't post nearly this frequently, but I am up for the challenge! Come back tomorrow for my kickoff MoFo post. I promise you there are many many delicious things to come.

Chicago VeganMania 2010

2010-10-26T23:32:00.007-05:00

I had the pleasure of attending Chicago VeganMania on October 9. It was an unseasonably hot fall day in the city, and the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse was not quite up to the task. That did not stop the droves of vegans that came out for the speakers, cooking demos, vegan vendors, and food.. including yours truly.

Steve and I arrived just in time for the cooking demo by Chicago Diner chef, Kim Gracen. On the menu: cheddar ale soup, yum!

Watching the cooking demo really worked up our appetite. We headed straight for the food vendors and decided to have some Soul Vegetarian. We each had the gyro meat and sauce with mac 'n' cheese and collard greens. The gyros were a little too greasy for me, but I loved my greens and mac 'n' cheese.

After we ate it was time to hear Isa Chandra Moskowitz speak about vegan baketivism. It was a full house to hear this lovely lady! I loved her talk, it was a great reminder that the best way to spread vegan love is by sharing delicious vegan food. Perfect your craft so everyone is talking about how amazing your mashed potatoes and gravy are at the Thanksgiving table!

Next up was Fran Costigan's cooking demo. Love her! I have been mega obsessed with her cookbook lately, which you will be hearing all about soon. Fran made cake balls and truffles, which we all got to sample, yum!

We stayed put in the cooking demo area because Isa was up right after Fran. There were problems with the sound system, and while they were working on it Isa was waiting off to the side. I jumped on the opportunity to get my copy of Vegan With a Vengeance signed (I know, nerd!!). Steve grabbed the camera off my chair when I was up front with her and snapped a quick shot of it going down.

*squeal!*

Once the sound system was up and running again Isa started her pumpkin bisque demo. They served up some delicious samples while she was cooking. She kept the crowd laughing all the way through the demo. She is just so darn charming and funny. I learned a few new tricks, too. Here she is improvising her peeling-ginger-with-a-teaspoon trick with the only spoon that was available. She seemed surprised herself that it worked!

After Isa's demo we were ready for some dessert, and seeing that it was about 90 degrees inside the fieldhouse (no joke) ice cream was the appropriate choice. Thank goodness for Gyood!

Steve's pumpkin ice cream

My cookie dough ice cream

After dessert we met up with my favorite vegetarian Aunt and Uncle. They came to join in on the vegan fun!

We walked around together for a bit and did some shopping in the vendor area. I bought a vegan tshirt and a super cute catnip taco for the kitties. Soon we all decided that we had enough of the heat and crowds, so we skipped out early and missed the rest of the speakers and cooking demos. The one other speaker I would have really liked to see was Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, maybe next time. This was my first time attending Chicago VeganMania, but it was its second year running. I am looking forward to the third annual Chicago VeganMania in 2011 -- keep on rockin' Chicago vegans!

Evie and her catnip taco souvenir from Chicago VeganMania

Vegan in Spain, part 2 (and Amsterdam)

2010-10-24T19:12:00.003-05:00

Where were we? Oh right, Cartagena, Spain. After we caught some z's we were up and on the road again. We were headed to our final destination in Spain, the city of Valencia. On the way we stopped to check out the beach in Alicante, and grab some lunch. I had a vegetarian restaurant lined up, but my friend was not up to trying another meatless restaurant after the Loving Hut experience, so she left me and walked around the area to find some tapas. The restaurant that I dined at is called L'Indret.

L'Indret is open for lunch only, offering a 4 course daily set menu with 2 choices per course. The price is 11 euro and includes a bottle of water or a personal size bottle of wine. I explained to my server that I am vegan and she confirmed that everything on the menu for the day was vegan, hoorah! She pointed out that there was some yogurt on the salad bar to watch out for. The choice for the first course is always either fresh carrot juice or the salad bar. I went for the salad bar, and piled up a plate with greens, beets, corn, cucumbers, olives, sprouted lentils, whole wheat noodles, and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (!). So wonderful! For the second time being exposed to a salad bar in Spain I again noticed that they don't offer much for dressings. There was some thick soy based dressing (I assume it was dressing, but they did point it out as being soy based), so I put some on the side a mixed a bit in to wet the contents of the salad. It was pretty plain but it did the trick. Perhaps they aren't big on dressing over there?

I had a hard time translating the two choices being offered for the second course--I could tell that one was an Indian spiced soup of some kind but I had no clue what the other was. Feeling adventurous I went for the unknown, which turned out to be vegetable barley stew. What you see here is a giant bowl of barley, mushrooms, green beans, onions, and barley in a hearty broth. It was delicious but very filling--I only ate about half so I would have room for the next two courses.

I pulled out my pocket dictionary to help translate the two choices for the main course, but it didn't end up helping me at all. I made a random choice, which turned out to be a pan-fried croquette of beans and veggies with a crunchy exterior smothered in a brown gravy. The side was a rich creamy cabbage casserole of sorts. The croquette with gravy was amazing, but I would kill for that cabbage recipe.. oh my word! I really can't even begin to imagine what is in it other than the cabbage. Trust me, if I knew how to ask what was in it I would have!

No sooner than I cleaned my plate, my server was back telling me about the numerous vegan dessert options. There were several cakes, soy puddings, and some others I am not remembering now. The cakes sounded good to me, so I asked her which was better, the chocolate or the espresso cake. She suggested trying a half slice of each, win! These cakes were very European, not super sweet like cakes tend to be in the US, and the icing was very pudding-like. This dessert was the perfect ending to the best meal that I ate in Spain. I so wish that this was the vegetarian restaurant that my friend tried with me instead of Loving Hut, because this is how it is done, my friends!

After lunch we took a walk on the beach and took a few photos by the water and the castle. We asked a girl to take a photo of us together, and the result was one of the most hilarious photos from the trip. We think she was a little distracted and cropped out the castle by mistake. Not sure what distraction I am talking about? Click the photo to make it larger, you can't miss it!

The water was great, it was like a warm bath! That surprised me for late September, but I guess that is how the Mediterranean is since there aren't ocean currents coming in to cool it down. Too bad we didn't have time to go for a swim! Back on the road we went for the final leg of our coastal tour of southern Spain.

Views from the car - Alicante to Valencia

We stayed at Becca's friends' house in Valencia, and when we arrived there was a pitcher of sangria waiting for us. The drive had been very exciting, but we were both ready to stay put for a couple of days. Our hosts were wonderful, they took us around the city to museums and the Valencia Cathedral. They also took us for paella, the famous Spanish rice dish that originated in Valencia. Paella is cooked outdoors on large coal burning grills in gigantic iron skillets. We had to jump into a photo to illustrate how large the dish is.

The traditional paella includes rabbit, snails, chicken, and vegetables as pictured above, but they made a vegetarian serving with just the veggies for me. It is hard to see all of the good stuff in this photo, but there were fava beans, Italian green beans, and artichokes. Scrumptious! I plan to recreate this dish soon.

I may have made it look easy to eat vegan in Spain, but it isn't the most vegan-friendly country. They love ham, and they love to hang cured slabs of it from the ceiling in restaurants. When we went to tapas restaurants there were only two dishes that I could order: pan con tomate (bread with tomatoes) and patatas bravas (fried potatoes, ask for no mayonnaise). I had planned to eat a steady diet of gazpacho, but unfortunately it was out of season and I didn't even get to try it once. So sad! Eating vegan in Spain is not impossible, but I do recommend doing your research ahead of time.

As for Amsterdam, it is in parenthesis in the title of this post because I don't have much to share. We were there for 24 hours, and aside from visiting the Anne Frank house we spent most of our time just walking around exploring the various neighborhoods. It is such a charming place, despite its reputation, I would have loved to have more time there. We only went out for one meal in Amsterdam. I had several vegan options picked out to try but my friend wasn't up for it, so we went for our compromise food: Indian! I forgot to photograph my food or take note of the name of the restaurant, oops. End of the trip, what can I say? Know that there are many great looking options for vegans in Amsterdam, many more than in all of the cities I visited in Spain combined. I hope to return to Amsterdam someday and experience it more thoroughly.

That concludes my 9 day multi-city adventure, thanks for reading along!

If you want to visit L'Indret in Alicante (and you should!) the restaurant address is: C/ García Morato, 5, 03004 Alicante, Spain

Vegan in Spain, part 1

2010-10-17T23:37:00.009-05:00

Thanks for all of your comments on my Vegan in NYC post. After three wonderful days in NYC it was time to say goodbye to The Big Apple, and hello to Spain! My travel companion Becca flew into JFK to meet me, and from there we flew direct to Málaga, a beautiful coastal city in southern Spain. In the spirit of wasting no time, we dropped off our luggage at the hotel and immediately left for a 4 hour bicycle tour of the city. It was the perfect way to get the lay of the land and learn the history of the city. This turned out to be one my favorite activities from the entire trip.

We worked up quite the appetite biking and thanks to HappyCow I had a few vegan-friendly restaurants lined up.

Loving Hut was my first choice, which also happens to be the only 100% vegan restaurant that I found in all of the cities that we were visiting in Spain. Loving Hut is a Taiwanese buffet and salad bar, owned by the most adorable elderly Taiwanese couple. The man was very enthusiastic to talk about his love of the vegan diet. My Spanish got me far enough to understand that he is vegan based on his religion, and he showed off some tai chi moves while exclaiming that he is 80 years old - "Ochenta, ochenta!!"

At his most comical moment, the owner was trying to speak some English. When he was talking about his religion he said, "I love! I love!", with his hands positioned over his heart. After saying it several times it changed to, "I love you! I love you!" We smiled at him as we munched away on our salads, and he started walking away continuing to verbalize his love. He disappeared into the kitchen and a few minutes later we heard him shout, "I love you!" over the sounds of the clanking pans. Hanging out with the quirky owners definitely made the experience.

As far as the food goes, I am sad to report that it was not amazing. The salad was light and very refreshing, but the hot foods were lacking. The food was barely warm and the flavors were too bland for my taste. Regardless, I was happy to eat a plateful of tofu, seitan, and veggies, and to support this wonderful couple's establishment. My omnivore travel companion was particularly underwhelmed, and from that point she wanted to avoid eating at other veg restaurants the rest of the trip, which was the biggest tragedy of all!

Check out this fun wall decor in the restaurant! The plaque translates to: "Elite vegan and vegetarian. These intelligent, beautiful, and talented people are vegans or vegetarians. You aren't?"

I came to find out later that Loving Hut is a vegan chain restaurant with locations all over the world. I am curious if they are all set up similarly, serving the same type of food. I so wanted to love this restaurant, and I did love everything about it except the food. Shame!

Dining experiences aside, Málaga was my favorite city that I visited in Spain. The short 24 hours that I was there was not long enough! The next morning we checked out of our hotel and returned to the airport to pick up a rental car. We drove up the coast towards our next stop in Cartagena. We were spoiled by views of the Mediterranean and varied landscapes that Spain has to offer along the coast.

Here is Becca with our little stick shift car. We pulled over to get some shots of the amazing view on the other side of the guard rail.

See what I mean?

We also needed to stretch our legs!

While we were on the road we stayed fueled with our favorite local snack, mercona almonds. These almonds are blanched, then sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. It is a different almond experience, let me tell you--so, so good. Don't pass these up if you have the opportunity to try them. To my delight I discovered that Trader Joe's carries this Mediterranean specialty. Their bagged versions are not as amazing as the fresh ones we picked up in Málaga, but still pretty darn good.

En route to Cartagena we stopped off in the city of Mazarrón for dinner. We had the goal to eat Indian food at least once in Spain (since we love India!), and apparently this little restaurant in Mazarrón was the one to eat at in all of southern Spain. Maharaja Palace was everything we hoped it would be. I ordered a lentil curry and a spicy garlic potato curry, and she ordered chicken. We both shared an order of coconut rice and roti. You give this girl and I some good Indian food and that is when we are happiest!

We left Mazarrón full and happy, but not before we stopped off at a rocky beach on the side of the road. The sun was setting and it was so calm and beautiful.

Onward to Cartagena for the night! We arrived at sundown, checked into our hotel, and went out for some sangria before hitting the hay. We did some shopping and walking around early morning just to see the city briefly, and got back on the road before noon.

Next stops: Alicante and Valencia. More on that, and Amsterdam, in my next post!

Here is where you can find the restaurants mentioned in this post:
Loving Hut - Calle Peregrino, 2. 29002 Malaga, Spain
Maharaja Palace - Avenida de Doctor Meca 116, Puerto de Mazarrón, Spain

Vegan in NYC

2010-10-11T23:14:00.004-05:00

In my last post you might recall me mentioning a little trip I would be going on. You might also recall that, for the first time ever, I planned to try blogging while traveling. Well, if you bet against me, you were right! I was betting against me too, honestly. I am not holding it against myself though, as it turns out 9 days to visit NYC, Spain, and Amsterdam is a little bit frantic.

In anticipation of visiting these 3 amazing destinations, I must admit that the foodie in me was most excited about New York. I have been twice before, but not since becoming vegan. Oh, the food I would eat! So so many vegan options there, where to begin?

I was already hungry when I landed early Friday evening. I rang my friend and she was still at the office, so I had her point me towards the most delicious vegan option near her apartment. My luggage and I rolled up into Rice in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. This cute spot had enough vegan options for me to be conflicted about what to order. My friend told me that the tofu meatballs over Thai black rice and edamame is where it's at, so tofu meatballs it was. She was right, this dish did not disappoint!

Saturday morning we hit the Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene. I spotted a papusa booth right away and confirmed that they can be made vegan, hooray! This Salvadoran specialty is best described as thick handmade corn tortillas stuffed with beans, vegetables, beans, and/or meat. My brother lived in El Salvador for 3 months and this was his favorite local food. He would have never forgiven me if I didn't jump on the opportunity to try one.

I decided on spinach only for the filling. The papusa alone isn't bursting with flavor but the pickled cabbage, onions, jalapenos, and red sauce quickly fixed that. These would be really fun to make at home, and is officially on the list to try.

I ventured out on my own for a bit Saturday night and treated myself to the Green Garden Platter at Caravan of Dreams, decidedly the fanciest vegan meal I had in NYC. They describe this dish as sautéed greens and vegetables, seitan, garlic, grilled carrot polenta, but I describe it as a mountain of yum. So gingery and garlicky, so good.

With a belly full of veggies I headed down the block to the vegan ice cream shop, Lula's Sweet Apothecary. I had heard that their ice cream is outrageously good, so I saved just enough room to try some. The flavor debate was over as soon as I saw maple walnut on the menu. This was the best vegan ice cream I have had to date!

After my ice cream I made my way down to the famous vegan bakery, Babycakes, not too far away. No - I didn't eat more desserts! I picked up two cupcakes, a biscuit, and two cake balls to bring back to my friend's apartment for us to enjoy over the rest of the weekend.

The cake balls were superb, the flavors were mint chocolate and carrot cake. The biscuit was heavy and bready, not light and buttery as I had hoped. This situation was not helped by the fact that it had been refrigerated overnight and wasn't fresh. The cupcakes held up very well in the fridge. I liked the lemon cupcake the best, and my friend favored the pumpkin. I loved that these cupcakes were agave sweetened, and the pumpkin was gluten-free.

If you visit NYC over the weekend you have to brunch. Our obligatory brunch Sunday afternoon was at Maggie Brown, another vegan-friendly spot in Fort Greene near my friend's apartment. The "Grandma Harriet" sub tofu for eggs was a perfect dish for me. Sauteed tofu loaded with fresh dill, tomatoes, and caramelized onions -- most excellent. The potatoes are not vegan, so they doubled my salad.

I ventured out again on my own Sunday night and headed to the theater district to try to score a good deal on a last minute single-seat. I entered the front row ticket lottery for Next to Normal and was one of three people who didn't get their name called. There weren't a ton of options for Sunday night shows, but I wanted to keep trying. I narrowed it down to a very affordable rush ticket for Rock of Ages or a slightly more expensive ticket to Chicago. My favorite musicals have always been older shows like Phantom, Fiddler, and West Side Story, so I opted for Chicago.

By the time I figured it out I only had 30 minutes to find some dinner and get back. I walked around for about 10 minutes without finding any good options. Grabbing at straws I dipped into one of the million nyc delis to see what they could do for me. They whipped up a roasted veggie wrap with balsamic vinegar that was actually very decent. Off to the show I went. The seat was great, the production was great, but sadly Chicago is not one I will be adding to the favorites list. I guess I'm not one for a bunch of scantily clad murderous females.

Monday morning I woke up early to do some laundry and get ready for my evening flight to Spain. My friend and I had time to fit in one more meal and she suggested vegan fast food joint, Foodswings. Sounded fun to me! We headed out on the subway, but didn't get far. The train made a stop nowhere near our destination and we were told it wouldn't be going any further. We were determined so we started walking looking for a bus to get us closer. After just shyly missing the bus we needed we headed towards another subway option. Did I mention that it was raining? We were really earning this meal! It was quite the trek, but we made it.

We did not order the vegan knockoff of the KFC double down, but I had to get a photo of the sign to prove it existed.

We started with a somewhat healthy option to offset the other not so healthy things we would be eating. This is the Chick'n Caesar Salad. Unfortunately it was lacking. The chick'n was too chewy and the dressing was very bland.

Next up was the Chick'n Cordon Bleu sandwich. This was a fried cutlet, with a slice of vegan ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. They got this sandwich just right.

For a mere $2 a piece we decided to sample two of the drumsticks. These are available buffalo style, bbq, southern fried, and sweet southern fried bbq. We chose the buffalo style and the sweet southern friend bbq. These were fun and tasty - they even had a stick inside as a vegan-friendly bone (which I was clued in to beforehand by the menu: "Please note: ―'bones' are not edible & may present a choking hazard to small children, the elderly & the intoxicated."). Did I mention we washed all of this down with pistachio milkshakes?

This meal was pretty outrageous and unfortunately I didn't feel too great after all of that indulgence. The newbie vegan in me cannot handle having so many choices! Nonetheless it was a great way to end my visit to NYC. I feel like I have hardly begun exploring the vegan options in that amazing city, so I have no choice but to go back as soon as possible.

Signing off for now, more on the rest of my trip in my next post. I also have some great recipes coming your way soon!

Fun with Uncheese and Vegan Care Package Swapping

2010-09-20T12:08:00.003-05:00

Over the past few weeks I have been cooking up recipes from the newest cookbook in my collection, The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak. The word on the street is that this cookbook lives up to its name, so this recovering cheese-o-holic had to see for herself.

Not too long ago I was a vegan cheese newbie (January to be exact). Since then I have tried a few other dairy-free cheese recipes, and have occasionally enjoyed a couple store-bought varieties. After 6 months of vegan cheese experimentation I was ready for The Ultimate Uncheese experience.

This book offers everything cheesy under the sun, including dips, sauces, soups, fondues, casseroles, sweets, and more. The section that grabbed my attention first was block uncheeses. That's right block uncheeses, as in smooth, firm, slice-able, shred-able vegan cheese. I had never heard of such a thing! This section includes vegan versions of Swiss, Gouda, Colby, buffalo mozzarella, muenster, Monterey Jack, and brie. The obvious first choice to me was Colby, a mild tangy cheese, with that classic yellow-orange color shared by many popular American cheeses. As you can see the color was spot on!

Many of the ingredients in the Colby recipe are the usual suspects in vegan cheeses, including nutritional yeast, cashews, tahini, onion powder, roasted red pepper, and lemon juice. However, there was one ingredient that I had never used making vegan cheese: agar flakes. Agar is a sea vegetable available in dried flakes or powder, which I found in the Asian section by the other sea vegetables at my local Whole Foods. This ingredient is responsible for turning this recipe from a liquid uncheese to a block uncheese. Agar is the vegetarian alternative to gelatin (which is made from animal products). When it is heated in water it creates a thick gel, which becomes more solid as it cools. I had first purchased agar flakes for a vegan lemon bar recipe, so knowing what it is capable of I was excited to see how it worked on vegan cheese. I was very pleased with the results! While it isn't quite as hard as the real deal, this cheese has a nice firm texture that is smooth and creamy to the bite. The flavor is light and tangy, with added depth from the hints of roasted red pepper, and the garlic and onion powders. A+ for flavor!

I enjoyed the Colby recipe so much that I decided to try another block cheese. This time I wanted to try a bolder flavor so I made the pepper jack variation of the Monterey Jack recipe. It turned out to be a pretty mild cheese as well because I was too shy with the hot peppers. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this recipe immensely. I served both cheeses sliced on top of crackers and sandwiches, and shredded over steamed veggies, tofu scrambles, and burritos.

Moving away from the block uncheeses I decided to try out a recipe from the "Casserole and Dinner Pie" section. I love broccoli and I love any dish involving phyllo dough, so I had to try the Broccoli Strudel. Light crispy phyllo dough over a savory crumbled tofu and broccoli filling. Perfect! This was a simple and satisfying meal, easy to whip together on weeknight.

I must say that The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook does live up to its name! I have so many other recipes bookmarked to try. So far the Colby block uncheese was my favorite--it is definitely going to make regular appearances in my kitchen. I'm excited to be able to share this recipe with you by permission of the publisher, Book Publishing Co.. Enjoy!

Colby Cheez
from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak
(published by permission of BookPubCo.)

1-1/2 cups water
5 tbsp agar flakes, or 1-1/2 tbps agar powder
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (skin and seeds removed), or pimento pieces
1/2 cup raw cashews or skinless Brazil nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder

Lightly oil a 3-cup plastic storage container and set aside. Combine the water and agar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Process several minutes until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary. Pour into the prepared container and cool uncovered in the refrigerator. When completely cool, cover and chill several hours or overnight. To serve, turn out of the container and slice. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Will keep 5 to 7 days.

Variations: In place of the red peppers, use 1/2 cup cooked chopped carrots, 2 to 3 teaspoons paprika, or 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste. For Chedda Cheez add 2 tablespoons light or chickpea miso prior to blending. For Olive Cheez replace dry mustard with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. After blending, stir in 3/4 cup chopped black olives or sliced pimento-stuffed green olives.

In other news, I participated in a vegan care package swap hosted by Cook.Vegan.Lover. I was paired up with none other than the lovely Ricki Heller of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. Check out the amazing goodies that she sent me!

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Ricki lives in Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world, so she went with a multicultural theme, including several local Canadian goods.

Can you believe how much she spoiled me?! This is what I got:

Chana Masala spice mix. How cool is that? Chana Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes, and the next time I make some I won't have to measure out 10+ different spices!
"All in One" rice flakes and chickpea mix. Oh my goodness this Indian snack is so spicy, crunchy and delicious!
Onion Rings. These remind me of funions, except way crunchier, way tastier, and way less questionable ingredients :)
Dried mangoes from the Phillipines.
Milano mille feuilles. These crisp flaky Italian pastries are way too good!
Roasted fava beans. This was the most intriguing item in the package, so I had to try it first. These beans are crunchy and salty, and actually kind of remind me of salted peanuts, but crunchier. Yum!
New Moon Kitchen Mo' Mints. Organic fair trade cookies made in Toronto, so so delicious, my absolute favorite item so far.
Empower Glo Bar. I have always wanted to try Glo Bars! They are made by Canadian blogger, Angela, of Oh, She Glows. Can't wait to try!
Creamy dill dip mix. This will be great for parties.
Two Girls Looking Kale Chips - spicy, cheesy, perfect!
Cinnamon chocolate bar from the French choclatiers in Montreal. Oh-la-la, tucking away this beauty for a rainy day!
Theobroma almond cranberry chocolate bar - more local chocolate, poor me!! ;)
President's Choice organic popcorn - little did Ricki know that popcorn is my ultimate snacking weakness, good choice!
Last but not least, some non-food items: 2 cute new dishtowels and Windmill Hill handmade pear and vanilla soap (which I must have accidently cut out of the picture). This soap smells amazing!

Thanks again, Ricki! It was so fun care package swapping with you, and all of your selections are most excellent! (Here is Ricki's post about the swap, which also includes a giveaway for some Amy's brand goods!).

Now I am going to disappear again for a couple of weeks. I am leaving for a 3 part trip including New York City, Spain, and Amsterdam. I look forward to sharing my adventures and my vegan dining experiences with you when I return. I may even try to blog while traveling, but we'll see how that goes ;)

Fresh Corn Pesto

2010-08-03T00:10:00.019-05:00

Corn-a-palooza 2010 continues! Of course I am referring to those 14 ears of corn I acquired recently. A few days after the bisque, I made this fresh corn pesto. My recipe was inspired by a recent pasta dish by fellow Chicago blogger, Tim, of Lottie + Doof. His pesto sauce was not vegan, incorporating things like bacon grease and Parmesan, but was screaming out to me to be adapted. My adaptations paid off, big time. I dipped a spoon into my food processor to sample a bit of my creation and actually caught myself smacking my lips, immediately followed by going back for more. It is rich and savory, with a slight sweet note from the corn.

I started by sautéing the freshly cut corn kernels with garlic, then pureed the mixture with pine nuts, walnuts, nutritional yeast, and basil. I went easy on the basil as to not overpower the other delicate flavors -- the result was a flavor-balanced cheerful yellow pesto with tiny flecks of green. You can use this sauce for anything you would use a more standard pesto for. Some of mine fatefully ended up atop 4 single-serving whole wheat pizzas, along with thinly sliced red onion, sun dried tomatoes, and a sprinkling of daiya cheese. The rest of it is tucked away in my freezer, where only I know, so don't even try to find it.

Fresh Corn Pesto
(Inspired by Lottie + Doof)
Makes 1-1/2 cups

3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 5 ears)
2 large cloves of garlic
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place a large dry skillet over medium heat and add pine nuts and walnuts. Toast nuts until the pine nuts are lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts and set aside. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet and stir in corn, garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute about 4 minutes, until the corn is just tender, but not browned.

Scrape the corn mixture into food processor along with basil, pine nuts, walnuts, and nutritional yeast. Turn on the processor and drizzle the olive oil in through the feed tube, and process until almost smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

You may opt to thin out the sauce with a bit of water - I added 2 tbsp. If you are using this sauce for pasta you can do what Tim did and stir in up to 1-1/2 cups of reserved pasta water, added in 1/4 cup at a time until you achieve your desired consistency for serving as pasta sauce.

In addition to churning out corn recipes, I have been baking! I was asked to bring something to share at a very large attendance barbecue this past weekend. Being the only vegan in attendance I wanted to make something that the crowd would remember. What better way to spread vegan love than with dessert?

Feast your eyes on these vegan delights! Clockwise from the left: Browned Butter Pecan Praline Blondies, Cookies 'n Fudge Brownies, and Double Chip Peanut Butter Blondies. All of the above are featured in Hannah Kaminsky's most recent e-book, Blondies and Brownies.

This massive platter was reduced to crumbs in a few short hours, despite there being plenty of sweet competition. People were shocked and intrigued that these were vegan, and asked me all about vegan baking and eating a vegan diet in general. Hoorah!

I'll leave you with a shot of me the night before the party baking up a storm! Check out my sweet new tofu pirate apron. I did not own an apron (what's up with that?), and when I found this handmade beauty by Panda with Cookie, I knew it was the one for me.