Cashew Ginger Tofu

This is my current favorite way to eat tofu. I found the recipe while flipping through a borrowed copy of eat, drink & be vegan and happened to have all the ingredients on hand. It is sooooo good! I'm surprised that I found something so soon that really gives my other fave (BBQ Tofu) a run for its money but this definitely does. Here is the link to the recipe on the author's site. I served it alongside another recipe from the same book, cinnamon lime quinoa with apricots & almonds, and also had a helping of sauteed kale. The quinoa was a good dish also, but not nearly as dreamy as the tofu.

Happy Belly Baked Polenta

I pulled two leeks out of my otherwise empty garden this morning and deciding what to do with them led me to make this soothing baked polenta dish. There are so many ways this recipe could be varied so I'm going to include all the ingredients I think you could put in it.

First, make the polenta (recipe to come soon!). Pour your hot polenta into an oiled pie pan or other ovensafe dish. If you want to make this even quicker, you could also use one of those tubes of prepared polenta. Just slice it into rounds and cover the bottom of your baking dish with them. Set the polenta to the side and let it firm up while you prepare your toppings.

Next choose your toppings. I'd recommend picking at least 4 of these in some combination that sounds good to you.

a couple cloves of garlic, minced

2 thinly sliced leeks (well washed, please)

1 small carrot, sliced into thin rounds

3 or 4 collard leaves, sliced into thin ribbons (or chard, kale, spinach, etc...)

*4 or 5 canned artichoke hearts, halved

*1/2 cup chopped olives

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped broccoli

*1 cup garbanzo or white beans

a link of veggie sausage, thinly sliced or chopped

You also want a jar of your favorite marinara sauce, about 1 1/2 to 2 cups worth.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add any ingredients you've chosen, unless they have a start beside them which means you want to wait to add these til just before you put it all in the oven. Saute your toppings for about 10 minutes, until nicely softened and browned. Now you can stir in any starred items and cook for another minute or so, just to heat them through.

Pour all of this evenly over your polenta. Pour the marinara sauce over everything.

Cover your dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.


Sloppy but good. : )

No more fake cheese

After making two more block cheese recipes from the Uncheese book and having them both turn out pretty inedible I have decided that there is no room in my life for fake block-style cheese. I've had much better luck with cheesy dips and sauces, and from now on I swear I will never make another solid fake cheese.

I nearly ruined a perfectly tasty pizza tonight with the "provolone" I made a few days ago. Luckily it never melted so I scraped it off. It even smelled awful!

So make this pizza, but skip the fake cheese. It doesn't need it anyway.

Broccoli, Kalamata, & Almond Pizza

First the pizza dough:

I use a recipe off of Allrecipes that I love. It's technically a recipe for foccaccia but it works fine for pizza dough.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use spelt sometimes, whole wheat sometimes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Add toppings.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Toppings:

small handful chopped almonds

1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, well drained

small handful diced kalamata olives

minced garlic

Vegan Pot Roast

Ok, so I made this vegan pot roast the other night for dinner. I got the recipe out of the book Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann (the link is to her blog of the same name). I'm not going to include the recipe for it because honestly, it wasn't my thing. I think I'm just not a huge fan of homemade seitan dishes, at least not yet. I did, however, think it looked very much like a pot roast and after spending hours driving from store to store to buy my new camera that day, I had to take pictures of it to put on the blog. So, if it looks like something you would like, check out her book or blog and try it for yourself.

A Very Satisfying Mac & Cheese

I've been dying to try one of the many mac & "cheese" recipes floating around and happily, my first attempt turned out pretty good. I followed a basic recipe from a little book that I found at Goodwill last week; The Compassionate Cook by PETA & Ingrid Newkirk. I love extra veggies in my mac & cheese though so I added tomatoes, chard, and garlic. Then it didn't seem cheesy enough so I whipped up a batch of smoky cheese dip and added that along with some canned chipotle peppers and fresh bread crumbs on top. I thought this recipe tasted even better the next day. The night I made it I thought the nutritional yeast flavor was a little on the strong side but by the next day it had mellowed out completely.

Cheezy Macaroni Casserole
adapted from a recipe in The Compassionate Cook
serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

for the basic casserole:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 cup flour (I used spelt flour)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 4-oz can tomato sauce
1 generous teaspoon chipotles in adobo sauce (optional but tasty) *
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions

other stuff:
1 batch smoky cheese dip
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I just whirled 1 slice of whole grain bread with a pinch of salt, garlic, and black pepper in my food processor)

for the vegetable additions:
3 or more leaves of swiss chard, washed and chopped (stems and leaves separated)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper (optional)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and oil a 2 quart baking dish.

Combine the yeast and the flour in a medium saucepan. Place the mixture over low heat, stirring until lightly toasted. Add the broth and water, stirring to make a thick batter. A whisk is a good tool to use here. Add the remaining basic casserole ingredients except the macaroni, and stir well. Leave this pan barely simmering on the lowest setting while you prepare the greens.

Heat the 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When this gets hot toss in your chard stems and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add your chard leaves and garlic, sauteing just until the leaves begin to wilt. You can season the greens with a little bit of salt and pepper if you want.

Into your baking dish goes the cooked macaroni, the yeast mixture, the tomatoes, the chard, and the smoky cheese dip. Combine gently (so as not to break up the pasta). Sprinkle your bread crumbs on top in an even layer. Now cover with foil and pop into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes covered and then uncover and bake for another 20 minutes.

*I usually blend the whole can of chiles and vinegar into a puree when I first open it and then I store it in the fridge. This makes it so easy to measure out for recipes later.

I imagine that this would be tasty with all sorts of additional veggies. I plan on trying it with different greens (kale, spinach, or collards would work great) and different veggies (such as broccoli, green beans, onions, and/or bell peppers). I also thought it would be fun to add sliced hot dogs or soysages, but I honestly haven't found a brand that I like. I guess that's not true, I like soyrizo and that might be good in it.

The picture doesn't really do it justice but you will have to just trust me until the next time I make it and take a better picture.

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3/6/09: I have just heard from my little brothers that the pic of the mac & cheese looks like "barf" so I promise to make it again soon and take a better, less "barf-like" picture. I assure you it tastes waaayyy better than it looks. : )

This Gumbo Is Truly Divine

Have any of you read Passionate Vegetarian, by Crescent Dragonwagon? Its a huge cookbook (over 1000 pages!) filled with loads of delicious recipes. I have a cookbook problem that causes me to have way too many cookbooks. I will never get to try all of their recipes but this one stands out as one of the best that I have tried. You might as well double the recipe and freeze enough to eat Gumbo Zeb at least 2 more times. This makes the time commitment (all that chopping, stirring, and measuring takes a while) seem a little less daunting. It also helps if you can get your significant other or some unsuspecting visitor to help with all the prep work!

The following is taken straight from Crescent's book. Enjoy!

In gumbo making, assembling your readied ingredients beforehand is a must. Measure out your spices, wash and chop your vegetables and greens, lay out the ingredients for each mixture on its own tray before you begin any actual recipe directions. There'll be a lot going on, you'll have your hands full; you cannot possibly assemble the ingredients as you go. This recipe will leave you with a fantastic base for soups and stews. When finished, dilute it with any savory liquid or stock to taste. Freeze the remainder for up to four months. Makes 2 to 3 quarts.

Roux

1/2 cup mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or peanut (not olive oil)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Vegetable Saute

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter (just use olive oil to make this vegan -sb)
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and, chopped
1/2 bunch celery, with leaves, chopped
1/2 large bunch (4 to 5 large) scallions, chopped

Seasoning Puree

4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce (I just use whatever hot sauce I have in the fridge -sb)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 to 4 good grinds of fresh black pepper
1 can (8 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained, coarsely chopped, the juice and tomatoes reserved separately
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, leaves and stems, rinsed and coarsely chopped.

Stock and Greens

Cooking spray
3 cups any well-flavored vegetable stock
One cup tomato juice or V8 vegetable juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
3 bunches assorted greens (choose from mustard greens, spinach, turnip greens, beet tops, collard greens, kale and swiss chard) very well washed and cut into thin ribbons.


To serve

Hot cooked white rice; any cooked, sliced or crumbled soysage (Soyrizo is especially tasty! -sb)


1. Make the roux with the oil and flour. Pour the oil into a large skillet or pot. Turn the heat to medium and immediately whisk in the flour. Stir frequently as the roux changes color from white to yellow to fairly brown. While the roux cooks, proceed with the other steps, but be sure to keep an eye on the roux, stirring very frequently. Warning -- this is a long, slow process requiring attention. (See note to follow on Toux Doux a Roux).

2. Prepare the vegetable saute: In a heavy cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper and celery; lower the heat slightly and continue sauteing for another 10 minutes. (Don't forget that roux-keep stirring it while the vegetables saute.) Add the scallions and saute until limp, about 5 minutes more.

3. Meanwhile, between the sauteing and the roux-stirring, you will have time to prepare the seasoning puree (trust me, you will). Place all the ingredients for the seasoning puree except the tomatoes and parsley in a food processor. (Pause to stir both roux and vegetable saute.) Buzz the puree ingredients until the garlic is finely chopped.

4. Check the roux again (has it started to brown?), then add the tomatoes and parsley to the food processor. chop coarsely.

5. Pause to take note of where you are, and to stir the roux and vegetable saute. (By now you have three mixtures: the roux, the sauteed vegetables, and the spicy, chunky paste in the food processor.) So far, so good. When the vegetables have softened, remove from the heat and set them aside. Keep working on the roux until it has reached a nice toasty brown. It may be ready now, or it may take a little longer.

6. Now prepare the stock and greens into which the other three mixtures will eventually go. Spray a large soup pot with cooking spray. In it, bring to a boil the stock and the reserved tomato juice. Add the salt and bay leaves. Drop in the fresh greens. Bring back to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

7. Stir in the roux. By now it should be dark caramel brown, but if it isn't, continue to cook it, stirring. When the roux has browned, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Drain off any excess oil that has separated out, but be sure to leave every bit of the browned flour. Vigorously whisk in the 1 cup tomato juice (or V8). It will be smooth and thick, a pale orange paste.
8. When the greens have finished their 30-minute simmer, remove them from the heat. To the stock pot, add the roux mixture, the vegetable saute, and the seasoning puree. Give a taste and adjust the seasoning, set the pot back on the stove, and let simmer over the lowest possible heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir often.

9. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. That's it -you've got your concentrated gumbo base, enough, when made into soup, to feed 5 to 10 hearty eaters. It freezes well, so for smaller batches of Gumbo Zeb, use part now, and freeze the rest in small portions.

10. Completing the Gumbo Zeb: Now dilute the base with any savory liquid or stock to taste. Equal parts base and stock make a delicious soup, but if you like a particularly fragrant, spicy gumbo, you might use 60 percent base to 40 percent savory liquid. Add any soysage, sauteed, sliced, and served in a bowl with a mound of cooked rice.


Toux Doux a Roux

What turns good soup into a glorious gumbo? Simple: roux. There's nothing much to a roux (pronounced like the last syllable of "kangaroo") on the face of it -- mere flour and oil, cooked and stirred together until brown. Roux serves to thicken and flavor the gumbo.

1. Into a skillet, pour 1 part mild oil -not olive oil. Turn the heat to medium and whisk in 1 equivalent part unbleached all-purpose flour. Note the color -- a pale parchment-cream with a barely yellow tinge.

2. As the roux colors, keep whisking. It will become a light brown first, then will darken. My own preferred roux coloration is deep brown, just a shade or so past caramel. Preparing your roux ought to take at least 45 minutes; 1 1/4 hours is preferable. It cannot be hurried.

A roux can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. I have never kept a browned roux longer than two or three days before using it, but since there's nothing in it that would spoil, I imaging it would keep well for a couple of weeks. But why would you want to wait that long for gumbo? If you doux the roux ahead of time, reheat it gently before using.

Moosewood's Delish BBQ Tofu

For a long time now I have had a mix of good and bad luck with cooking tofu. I have a personal hatred for bland meals and sometimes tofu just turns out, well, boring. I think that part of my problem is that I don't use assertive enough seasonings with it. This recipe is the cure for boring tofu.

Barbecued Tofu
lovingly adapted from: New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant

Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu, pressed and cubed*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves (or 3 or 4 or 10), minced
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 bell pepper (of any color), chopped

Sauce:
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
7 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water
4 to 5 dashes hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute' the veggies and spices in the oil until the onions begin to soften. Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Combine the sauteed veggies with the sauce and pour over the tofu which you have already placed in a lightly oiled baking pan.

Bake covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

I serve this over barley with a side of sauteed greens or brussels sprouts, but I'm sure it would be tasty with some coleslaw on a bun and I plan on eating it that way very soon.

The last time I made this I was feeling lazy and used a different BBQ sauce that I already had sitting in the fridge. I skipped all the spices and just sauteed onions, red bell pepper and garlic in a little oil. I then poured this over my tofu and baked as usual although I stirred in some chopped green onion after the first 30 minutes. It was just as good so feel free to be lazy.


*I like to freeze the tofu beforehand and thaw it out before using it. I then squeeze out the water with my hands and crumble the tofu into different size chunks, some large, some small. The freezing step creates a satisfyingly chewy texture. This requires some pre-planning though so if you've got an immediate hankering for BBQ tofu, by all means, forgo this step (but try it next time!)