Broccoli Salad / Family Favorites Healthy Cooking Challenge

Are there crickets chirping around here or what? Despite my silence, I have actually been much busier in the kitchen than usual, but I decided to leave the camera and commentary out of it. Today is day 8 of the 10 day cleanse that I am participating in, hosted by Spark! Wellness and Choosing Raw. It has been a great experience and I am feeling great. During the cleanse I have been eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and have eliminated all caffeine, alcohol, refined sugar, processed foods, along with common allergens such as dairy, gluten, soy, corn, and more. To give you a general idea of the meals, most days go like this: I start the day with a green smoothie, for lunch I have a great big salad, and dinner is a cup of whole grains with lots of steamed vegetables. I have noticed increased energy, elimination of bloating (i.e. a flat belly), and decreased cravings for junk. This is also my longest stretch yet without dairy, which has been very exciting for me.

The cleanse packet came with loads of delicious recipes, but I have also come up with some of my own that are acceptable for the cleanse. One thing that I made is this Broccoli Salad. I was inspired to make this salad as part of the Healthy Cooking Challenge hosted by Alicia at Vegan Epicurean. The theme is family favorites -- and the challenge is to adapt a family favorite into a healthy vegan version. Before we get into family favorites, I thought it only appropriate to introduce you to my family. This is a picture of me with my dad and brother circa 1991.

Cute crowd,
aren't we? :-)














To say that my dad was a super-dad would be an understatement -- he did it all. We lost my mother soon after my brother was born, and as a single dad, my father had a very full plate! He always made sure to keep our plates full too, figuratively and literally. He cooked dinner every night, always consisting of meat, potatoes, and vegetables. Looking back now, it was pretty much exactly what you would expect from a man in charge of dinner, with main courses such as bbq chicken, hamburgers, meatloaf, and the like. You never heard any complaints from us though.. well, except for the nights that he served the frozen vegetable mix that included lima beans.

While my average childhood dinner did not spark any ideas for this family favorites cooking challenge, a broccoli salad recipe that my father often made for potlucks and picnics did come to mind. I had forgotten about this recipe until a few years back when I encountered it at a salad bar. All of the ingredients appeared to be the same as I remembered: broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, red onion, bacon, and a creamy mayonnaise based dressing. I could not enjoy a serving because of the bacon, but it really brought back happy memories seeing it.

This dish is obviously quite easy to make vegetarian, but making it vegan is a bit more of a challenge. Traditionally the dressing includes mayo and buttermilk. I have never bought vegan mayo before, and I figured why start now when I can make my own. I turned to the Vegan Epicurean archives where I found several options, but opted for the pine nut version. While the consistency and appearance are very similar to mayonnaise, the flavor doesn't match--however it is delightful! The recipe utilizes apple cider vinegar, lemon, and lemon zest to give it some zip, so I'm deeming this the Miracle Whip of vegan mayonnaise (never mind not having other vegan mayo experiences to compare it to). At any rate, it was perfect for this recipe, with almond milk, agave, and some additional apple cider vinegar rounding out the dressing.

I obviously left out the bacon, and I did not bother coming up with a substitute because the salad shines without it. The last tweak that I made was to drop the raisins and sub in pomegranate seeds. This salad is quite different from the one by my dear father, but I believe it is a worthy tribute to the original.


Broccoli Salad
Makes 4 large side dish servings
(apprx 1-1/2 cups per serving)

Salad:
4 c broccoli florets and stems, chopped into small bite sized pieces
1/3 c red onion, finely diced
3/4 c pomegranate seeds
1/2 c raw sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 c Alicia's pine nut mayo
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp agave
1/4 c almond milk

Directions:

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl and toss with dressing. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

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I love you dad!

Alicia's Vegan Queso Dip

You may have noticed that quite a few of the recipes around here lately have been vegan. It is no coincidence, I have been focusing a lot on dairy-free cooking, and so far I have really enjoyed it. I have been able to use numerous great substitutes for milk, eggs, and butter in my non-dairy adventures. Cheese was the last of my dairy friends left to be substituted. Prior to making this queso dip, I had zero experience with vegan cheese, homemade or otherwise. I was very skeptical about cheese substitutes (how could they possibly be good??), but I was excited to try this recipe because it came from a very trusty source. Alicia of Vegan Epicurean is an amazing resource of healthy vegan recipes, and as I suspected, her queso dip turned me from my vegan-cheese-skeptic ways.

I had a great excuse to make this other than just my selfish cheesy desires. My roommate's mom stayed with us over New Years, and she is lactose intolerant. I thought it would be a really special treat to make this for her to try. I whipped up a batch of this dip, plus some guac, refried beans, and sauteed veggies for a deluxe nacho plate. And a special treat, it was! We couldn't stop gushing about it the entire dinner.

Alicia's Vegan Queso Dip

(from Vegan Epicurean)

Makes approximately 7 ½ – ½ cup servings

½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour and drained
½ cup oatmeal, ground into flour
1 ½ cups water
2 teaspoon onion flakes, dried
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 clove garlic, peeled
14 ounces diced tomatoes (or substitute an equal amount of salsa if you like heat)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot crushed peppers (wet hots, finely minced pickled peppers), or to taste
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 dash cayenne, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the cashews, oatmeal, water, onion flakes, turmeric, and garlic in your blender. Puree until the mixture is smooth. (Note: it will be pretty thin at this point, but trust it, it will thicken up!) Pour the mixture into a heavy bottom saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often to keep it from sticking. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their liquid (or salsa if using), paprika hot crushed peppers, chili powder and cayenne and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper, as you desire. Cook the mixture (continuing to stir) until it is hot and the texture you want. You can add more liquid if it gets too thick.

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Bonus, it is only 65 calories per 1/2 cup serving! I checked out those queso dip jars at the store and it would cost you 320 calories to eat 1/2 cup of that stuff. Seeing that we saved ourselves all of those calories, we didn't feel too terrible eating one of these dairy-free Black Bottom Blondies from My Sweet Vegan.

Spicy Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Soup, and Happy New Year!

I realized this morning that it is already January 9, and I haven't wished you a Happy New Year yet! Punctuality was never my strong point. In fact, I did not get around to making a black-eyed pea dish until January 5, which I might add, is the same night that I packed up the Christmas decor. So naturally this blog post would come a few days after that, that is just how things operate around here. It's a good thing that you are a very forgiving crowd!

I was very spoiled this Christmas, and my kitchen is a much better place for it. I finally got a replacement hand mixer for the one that broke back in October. I also received several cookbooks, a digital kitchen scale, new cookie sheets and muffin pans, and my favorite gift of all, my first pressure cooker! I was inspired to get one by the amazing archive of pressure cooker recipes on FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

First I tried the Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale. After sauteeing the onion and spices you mix in all of the rest of the ingredients (less the kale) and cook under high pressure for 8 minutes. Just 8 minutes! Without a pressure cooker this recipe calls for an hour of simmering to break down the yellow peas. I am already in love with this rapid cooking method.

While the yellow split-pea soup was great, Susan really struck gold with the Spicy Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Soup. There are also traditional stove top instructions included, so if you do not own a pressure cooker, don't let that stop you from trying this!

Spicy Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Soup
(from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

2 onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 cup diced green bell pepper
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed
6 cups water
1 pound collard greens, tough stems removed and greens chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (divided)
1 teaspoon oregano (divided)
1 16-ounce can tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper -- (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 -2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon double strength tomato paste (or 2 tbsp. regular)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Spray a pressure cooker or large pot with a light coating of olive oil or non-stick spray. (If your pot is non-stick, just add a little water instead.) Heat it and add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the celery, green pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3 more minutes.

Add the black-eyed peas, water, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano.

Cooking:

If using a pressure cooker, seal the cooker and cook for 10 minutes after it reaches high pressure; use a quick-release method to bring down the pressure.

If cooking in a regular pot, cook until peas are tender, about 45-55 minutes.

Once the peas are tender, add all remaining ingredients and cook for at least 25 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Serve with brown rice with additional hot sauce. (Garnishing with fresh oregano is optional.)

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I have so enjoyed reading your recaps on 2009 over the past week, so I thought I would include one of my own. When I look back at the last twelve months what comes to mind first is traveling. I was fortunate enough to take three amazing trips this year. I have mentioned my two most recent trips which were to New York City and Las Vegas, but I never had the opportunity to share about my trip to China, because that was before I started the blog. In late March my good friend Becca and I went to China for 2 weeks. We started in the north and worked our way south, from Beijing, to Shanghai, and ending in Hong Kong. This was easily my most memorable experience of 2009, so I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite pictures with you.

Beijing

Shanghai

Hong Kong

 

 

2009 was a great year, but what I could have never predicted was that joining the food blogging community would be one of the highlights. I started this blog in May, and looking through those first few months it is staggering how far I have come in my culinary experience. I am so pleased with everything that I have learned from you by reading your blogs, and I thank you so much for reading mine and taking this journey with me.

I'll leave you with a list of some of my absolute favorite recipes of 2009, because it wouldn't be a proper recap without it!
Fiery Tofu Marinade, Ginger-Miso Yam Wraps, Chunky Carrot and Squash Soup, Vegan Huevos Rancheros, Spicy Mexi-Meatlessball Soup, Posole Stew, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Matar Paneer.

Happy 2010 friends!

Tempeh Hot Wings

Don't let the Chicago Bears hoodie that I am wearing today fool you. This sweatshirt is as far as my team spirit goes. (Dad, if you are reading this, I'm sorry!) Football season around here means gathering at the home of the person with the largest flat screen TV, getting rowdy, and eating greasy finger foods like potato chips with onion dip, cocktail wieners, and hot wings. My lack of team spirit may be due to the fact that flat screen TVs, getting rowdy, and wieners/wings don't much appeal to me (well, maybe I do like to get a little bit rowdy sometimes). On the other hand, you can give me a bag of peanuts and send me to a baseball game any day!

There is something about these vegan tempeh hot wings that has me feeling all sorts of team spirit today. These are just so incredibly delicious that it makes me want to go out and pick up a big flat screen TV so that people might consider coming to my house for the game.

Perhaps that would be going overboard.. just a tad.

Tempeh Hot Wings

(from Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk!)

Note: I used Louisiana style hot sauce in the sauce and the result was mild enough that people with lower tolerance to spice could handle it (tested and approved!).

 

8 oz package of tempeh
1/3 cup rice milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2/3 c panko breadcrumbs (may substitute regular breadcrumbs)

Sauce:
4 tbsp margarine, melted
2 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp agave nectar

In a small saucepan, boil about three cups of water. Cut the tempeh into four equal blocks, then cut those blocks into triangles, and carefully slice the triangles in half lengthwise. Put the tempeh in the boiling water and cover, for about fifteen mintes or until tempeh is softened. Pour the pan into a colander and rise with cold water. Allow the tempeh to cool enough that you can handle it.While the tempeh is cooling, make the sauce. In a large pot, combine all of the sauce ingredients and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Make your assembly line for the wings. Put your rice milk in the first bowl, your flour and spices in the second, and your panko in the third. (Note: I recommend separating half of the two dry ingredient bowls because as the assembly goes it starts to get clumpy and it is nice to switch over to a bowl of fresh dry ingredients.) At the end of the line, have a greased baking sheet waiting.

Take a tempeh triangle, and dip it in the milk, then coat in flour. Then another quick dip in the milk before thoroughly coating it in the bread crumbs and placing it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tempeh.

Spray the tops of the wings with cooking spray, and bake in the oven for ten minutes. Remove, flip over, and bake for ten more. Just before you take the wings out of the oven, heat the sauce over a medium heat until just warm. When you take the wings out, transfer them to the pot a few at a time and coat in the sauce, remove and set coated wings aside as you go. Serve immediately.

My Sweet Vegan Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas Eve
when all through the house
not a creature was stirring..
No wait, I was stirring.. stirring, blending, and baking like mad!

Well, I should not make it sound like such a ravenous affair. It was actually a nice, relaxing evening of baking. It was a great way to pass the time as I anxiously awaited the two days of festivities that would begin the next morning. It was also a great opportunity to try out some of the recipes from my shiny new copy of My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky. The book boasts 184 gorgeous full color glossy pages of one tempting dairy-free dessert after another. I had far too many recipes bookmarked, but I managed to narrow it down to four very Christmas-party-appropriate desserts.

My first choice was the Pumpkin Pecan Pie. I love pumpkin pies, and I love pecan pies, and I've even tried a few pumpkin pecan pies and loved those too. There are several things that make this version special and different from any I have tried in the past. First, of course, it is dairy-free. This recipe utilizes vegan margarine and soy creamer, and you would never miss their dairy counterparts in the finished product.

Another unique and important part of this pie is the crust, which is made with whole wheat pastry flour. Here is where I should let you know that I am a crust girl, it has always been my favorite part of the pie. I just don't understand why some people eat the fillings from a slice of pie and leave the crust behind.. especially the rim, that is the perfect ending to a good slice of pie! All that being said, I believe that I am qualified to declare this pie crust delicious. I plan on borrowing this crust recipe and trying other fillings in the future.

Finally, the icing on the cake, so to speak, the pumpkin creme! This is the most visually enticing aspect of photo that appears in the book, displayed in small dollops around the edge of the pie. My creme did not firm up enough to pipe it around the edge, so I drizzled it instead. Not nearly as pretty, but just as delicious. The flavor is the finishing touch that really ties it all together.

Up next, and the favorite of the bunch, Five-Minute Coconut Fudge. It's no wonder this one was my personal favorite, it doesn't involve the oven, it has a short list of ingredients (which includes both shredded coconut and coconut milk!), and it comes together in no time. Based on it getting snatched up the quickest it was the favorite of everyone else as well. I am already working on a plan to justify making another batch. I could have a whole pan of fudge at home just for me, no?

I also made the Cherry Chocolate Truffles. You may notice a theme forming: no baking involved, short list of ingredients, and quick to make! And you thought that making four desserts in one evening was awfully ambitious, didn't you? I was able to make these truffles and the fudge in between the baking of the two main desserts. The truffles were a welcome addition to the lot. They were creamy, rich, and a little bit tart. I've never made truffles before, so this was a lot of fun!

So right about now you might have a toothache just looking at all of these sweet yummies. Enter: Apple Spice Cake. This cake has no added sugar, it is completely sweetened by the fruit within. This low-guilt dessert features all sorts of good things like apples, raisins, walnuts, oats, and whole wheat pastry flour. The cake is assembled with a generous helping of apple butter spread between the two layers in place of frosting. This dessert was well received at Christmas Eve dinner, and the leftovers were great at breakfast Christmas morning. I enjoyed it so much at breakfast that I am thinking about adapting this recipe into a muffin version.

Hannah came up with this cake for her Grandmother, who is diabetic, so that they could celebrate her birthday without sacrificing the dessert. (What a sweety!) I should mention, too, that in the book each recipe is preceded by a paragraph introducing it, and this is where you get to know Hannah better, and learn about the things that inspired each recipe. And since Hannah is so darn charming, naturally her cookbook is as well.

I would say that my first crack at My Sweet Vegan was a successful one. Did I mention that I've never done any vegan baking before? It is very encouraging to know that giving up dairy doesn't mean giving up tasty desserts!

Here are some of the other desserts from My Sweet Vegan that I bookmarked for future baking:

Graham Flour Fig Scones

Strawberry Love Muffins

Black and Whites

Black Bottom Blondies

Maple Pistachio Cremes

Peanut Butter Bombs

Bananas Foster Cake

Lemon-Lime Sunshine Bundt

Poppyseed Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Cashew Creme Pear Tart

Orangettes

Sesame Chews

Hope you and yours had as sweet of a Christmas as mine!

Bhindi Masala

So it's the last weekend before Christmas, and I am actually relaxing. I have worked hard over the last couple of weeks and I am pretty well caught up now. Well, caught up enough that I could grab my laptop, lean back on the couch with my feet propped up on the coffee table, and work on a post about another yummy Indian dish. So let's get right to it, I hope that you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Bhindi Masala
(adapted from Two Blue Lemons)

1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups okra, sliced, stems discarded

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cayenne
Pinch of cinnamon
2 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

Slice the onion into thin half moons and saute in olive oil until the onion are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic saute for a minute or two or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the okra.

Add the cumin, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Cook for a minute to toast the spices.

Stir in the coconut milk, water, and diced tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the tomato and coconut has created a thick, dark curry.

Well, time to get back to my lounging, but before I go I wanted to tell you about something exciting that I've decided to take part in this January. For me, this holiday season has been a major overdose on sweets and other not so healthy foods. I was ready to throw in the towel a couple of days ago, but the big day isn't even here yet! Now, I'm not the new year resolution type, but it really does make sense to make diet changes after the holidays. So without calling it a new years resolution, I was planning on starting out the near year by cutting out dairy and sugar for a few weeks, as a sort of detox and to get myself going in the right direction for 2010.

Wouldn't you know that the day after I committed myself to doing this on my own I learned about the January Cleanse 2010 co-hosted by clinical nutritionist, Gena, of Choosing Raw. Hop on over to check out the program and take advantage of a discount for signing up before the end of December. There are three levels to choose from, based on where you are at with your current diet. Sample menus for all three levels of the program are now available here. The cleanse will be taking place Jan 18-27, be sure to let me know if you plan on joining me!

Just in case I don't have the chance to post again, I'd like to take the opportunity now to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Wishing you the very best, my friends!

Many updates and White Chili with Tomatillos and Roasted Mushrooms

We are officially at the halfway mark of the month of December and I find myself a few steps behind.  Each day I inch closer to catching up with all things Christmas, but today I had to admit to myself that my ambition exceeds my capabilities. This December has been so much more action packed than I am used to, but in a good way! Before I get to what I cooked up for dinner tonight I thought I'd take the opportunity to fill you in on the recent excitement around here, I do hope that you will indulge me.

First up, I won my first giveaway! In late November Alisa at One Frugal Foodie hosted a week of cookbook giveaways. I was lucky enough to win on the day that she was giving away her own cookbook, Go Dairy Free. I was giddy when the package arrived, and even more so when I opened it to find not just the book I expected, but also a copy of My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminksy. Double score! I dove right into both books and started making plans on which recipes I would be trying first. I also made plans to write up both books in time for the holidays, but this is where the whole ambition exceeding capabilities comes in. If you are still looking for last minute gift ideas these are both great books, but regrettably I won't be able to share my experiences with them until after the holidays. Stay tuned!

Another reason that this December has been more awesome than the average December, I had the opportunity to host a weekend for these three lovely ladies from Tennessee. This is my cousin, Aunt, and Grandma bundled up in front of "The Bean" in Chicago's Millenium Park. I took them downtown for a day of shopping at Macy's, including a visit to the seventh floor for some fine dining at The Walnut Room. Despite not living far away, this is a Christmas tradition that I haven't experienced in many years.

Here are some Walnut Room shots of the famous tree in the dining room and my yummy butternut squash tortellini. 









What a special treat it was to spend the whole weekend with some of my favorite relatives from afar, but they did not come just to see me, they came for a much bigger occasion. After having lots of fun in the Chicago area on Friday and Saturday, we packed up the cars Sunday morning and headed to Valparaiso, Indiana to see my little brother, Tim, graduate from college! It was a wonderful time surrounded by family and celebrating his great accomplishments. Now he will be moving home for one short month and then it's off to Arizona, where he landed his first job! We are all so super proud of him, but I am going to miss him like crazy!


So I do hope that you will excuse my absence in posting so far this month, but I have not stopped cooking and baking. I have a backlog of goodies that I will share as soon as possible. For now, here is a super yum white chili that I had for dinner tonight, that is perfect for the 10°F nights such as these.

White Chili with Tomatillos and Roasted Mushrooms
(adapted from The Chubby Vegetarian)

3-15 oz cans of white beans, I used 2 cannellini + 1 great northern

1 large white onion, diced

2 shallots, diced

2 tablespoons cumin

2 "Not-chick'n" bouillon cubes

1/2 cup white wine

1 large yellow bell peppers, diced

6-8 tomatillos, peeled and washed

20 oz white button mushrooms, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed

1 serrano pepper, stem removed

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss mushrooms with a tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Set aside. In a large pot sauté onion and shallot with olive oil, cumin and bouillon cubes. Once the onion is translucent, add the peppers and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Pulse tomatillos and hot peppers in the food processor until finely chopped. Add mixture to the pot along with the beans and mushrooms. Add enough water to cover and simmer for one hour. Whisk chickpea flour with some of the broth and add it all back to the pot. Cook for another 10 minutes. (This will thicken the chili.) Add salt and pepper to taste.