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.

Trifle with berries and vanilla custard

I was looking at some of the gorgeous food pictures on 101 cookbooks and followed a link to this blog, Whole Food Cooking, which is written by Australian cookbook author and real food activist, Jude Blereau. I love all things pudding-like so when I saw this recipe for vegan custard I had to try it. I've changed just a few things in the ingredient list because I believe some common ingredients in Australia are different than here in the States. Also a few quantities were metric so I changed them to standard.

For the vanilla custard:

1 cup blanched almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons agar powder

scant 1/3 cup maple syrup

1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract)

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup coconut milk

Put the blanched almonds and 3 1/2 cups water in a blender. Blend well. Peg 4 layers of muslin onto a jug or bowl and pour the almond mix through. Squeeze out the remaining milk from the muslin. This should give you 3 cups almond milk. ( just use my nut milk bag. You could probably use store bought unsweetened almond milk in a pinch but fresh is definitely better!)

Measure out 2 1/2 cups almond milk into a saucepan and add the maple syrup. Whisk in the agar to stop it clumping. Lay the vanilla bean flat on a chopping board and, using a small sharp knife, cut down the length of the bean. Open the bean up and flatten to collect the seeds - add these to the milk. (Or, just add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste)

Stir together and bring very gently to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir frequently as agar loves to sink to the bottom and stick as it dissolves.

Add the cornstarch to a small bowl and mix to a slurry with 1/4 cup almond milk. When the agar is dissolved, remove the milk mix from the stove and whisk in the almond milk and cornstarch. Return to the stove and stir constantly as it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl. Place some parchment paper on the surface and refrigerate until cool.

When set, put what will be a fairly solid mix back in the blender. To this, add the remaining almond milk and coconut milk. Blend for a few minutes until silky smooth.

Now, to make this into a trifle all you have to do is layer it with plain cake of some kind and fresh or thawed berries or other fruit that would go well. Some people drizzle different liquors on to the cake layers but I never have them on hand and don't like buying something for just one recipe. It can go from economical to expensive really quickly! I'm sure the custard could be eaten as is too. It's really delicious.

I am going to make mine with thawed strawberries and this yellow cake recipe off of recipezaar. I'll post a picture later when I make it.

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. : )

Indian Dinner

I found a new vegan website called paku paku that's full of delicious sounding ethnic recipes and I finally got around to trying one tonight for Dal, which you may know is an Indian lentil dish. Its in the bottom right hand corner of the picture above, cozying up to some pear chutney baked tofu and a rice dish from Passionate Vegetarian called Katherine's Ghee Rice with Cashews and Melting Onions. That's a long way of saying rice with too much butter. I don't know how it would taste with earth balance or oil in place of the butter but if I try it out I will let you know. The tofu was my own creation and I think it could use a little work before I put it on the blog but the Dal was quite tasty and I'd like to share it with you.

The recipe on paku paku didn't have exact measurements so I wrote down the amounts I used.

Dal

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils (I'm sure brown would be fine too)
3 cups water
1/4 t. turmeric
1 t. fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped collard greens
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garam masala
chopped cilantro, optional

First put the lentils in a large pan with the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the turmeric. Continue simmering and stirring occasionally until the lentils begin to absorb most of the water, about 15 minutes.
Add the ginger and collards. Continue stirring and simmering for another 15 minutes or so, until the lentils are done to your liking. If they begin to dry up you can add more water.
When lentils are pretty much done, add the tomatoes, salt, and garam masala. Simmer for another few minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro, if using. Serve as a stew, over rice, or alone. Makes about 3 servings.

Brazilian Banana Pear Smoothie

I just went digging in my fridge for the half a bunch of parsley I knew was in there and to my dismay it was all shriveled up! I had planned to use up two very ripe pears and the parsley to make a green smoothie but since the parsley was done for I made this smoothie instead:



2 ripe pears

1 small frozen banana

1 cup vanilla brazil nut milk (or more depending on your desired consistency)



This is so sweet and creamy its like dessert.

"Chocolate Pudding"

My friend gave me this recipe and its unbelievably simple and tastes very much like the dairy version of chocolate pudding.

This makes one large or two small servings. You'll want to eat it within 2 days because it won't last in the fridge very well after that. It never lasts that long in my house because I eat it up!

Here is the basic recipe and below are the additions I've made with good results.

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana
1/8 cup cocoa or carob powder

Process in a food processor or blender until smooth.

The last time I made this I added:

1/2 cup coconut meat from a young Thai coconut
a few tablespoons agave nectar
somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of a cup of soy creamer

Make this raw smoky cheese dip and be happy that you did!

One of my favorite foods is cheese. I love everything about it and would eat it all the time if I could. A lot of the store bought vegan "cheeses" are filled with weird ingredients and flavors; some brands of vegan cream cheese and sour cream even have trans fats, which I try to avoid. I found this recipe online and want to share it with you. It's awesome! I've eaten it on crackers, tofu scrambles and even the BBQ tofu from this site. It tastes and looks a bit like orange-colored nacho cheese but you know it's better because you made it yourself! Thank the folks at www.raw-food-living.com and check out their other recipes.

Smoky Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more
1/2 large red bell pepper
1/4 cup purified water


2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast*
1 Tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 tsp onion powder

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until creamy.

*my friend informed me that some raw-foodists don't consider nutritional yeast to be a raw food, but that some folks eat it and just don't care. I'm not a raw-foodist myself so I eat it and just don't care.

Quinoa Bean Salad

Quinoa Bean Salad

This healthy salad is packed with delicious ingredients. Feel free to substitute different types of beans and vegetables, depending on what you have on hand. This is a great potluck dish.


makes about 8 servings

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt or pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 avocado, chopped*

Rinse the quinoa with cold water. Put the quinoa and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it boils, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Make the dressing: Pour oil and vinegar into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well.
In a large bowl combine the beans, corn, green beans, bell pepper, onion, and scallions.
After the quinoa is done, let cool briefly then mix in with the bean mixture. Pour the dressing over everything and season with salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder, if using.
Serve at room temperature or chill.

*avocados turn brown fairly quickly after you cut them so wait to add the avocado until right before serving.

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

I love hummus. Its so easy to make and you get 5 times as much as those little store-bought tubs for the same amount of money (or less). The only thing you need is a food processor, although don't let not having one stop you. Just give your arm a workout and mash it like crazy with a potato masher or fork. Serve this hummus with raw veggies, pita bread, or use it as a spread for a tasty veggie sandwich with thinly sliced carrots, avocado and sprouts. This makes a whole bunch; cut the recipe in half if you don't have someone to share it with.

Cilantro-Jalapeno Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed
½ bunch cilantro
½ cup tahini (use the homemade tahini you just made from the blog!)
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
plenty of black pepper (to taste)

Blend all of this in a food processor, adding water as needed to reach the desired consistency (about ½ cup water).

Save Money And Make Your Own Tahini

I never even thought about making homemade tahini until I needed it for a recipe and the brand I usually buy was in the middle of a recall (salmonella! Fun!). So I found this recipe on http://www.about.com/ and it took 15 minutes and tastes EXACTLY the same and for a lot less money. The store bought brand is between $3.50 and $5 a jar...mine cost about $1.50 to make. For anyone out there who doesn't know what the heck tahini is, it is a sesame seed paste (comparable to peanut butter) used in lots of middle eastern dishes. I use it in hummus, falafel, and the yummy tofu burgers that I'm going to be making tomorrow. Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
5 cups sesame seeds
1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350.
Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, shaking the seeds frequently with a spatula.
Do not allow to brown.
Cool for 20 minutes and then pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil.
Blend for 2 minutes.
Check for consistency; the goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil if needed and blend until you reach the desired consistency.
Yield: 4 cups
Storing Tahini: Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. It will keep for up to 3 months.

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!)

Green Smoothies

Have you discovered green smoothies yet? If not, you should give them a try. I was turned on to them after reading a friend's copy of Victoria Boutenko's book, Green For Life. I haven't tried all of the recipes in the book yet but I have started creating my own versions. Initially I thought that there was no way any drink filled with blended up spinach or parsley could taste good but I was wrong. Here is one of Victoria's recipes and one of mine.


Parsley Mango Green Smoothie (VB's recipe)

• 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, & diced (I just use frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 bunch Italian parsley


• 2 cups water

Combine in a blender* and blend until smooth.

Here is my smoothie. It isn't very sweet so you may want to add a ripe banana or some agave nectar or other sweetener.

Steph's Mango Parsley Pear Smoothie:

• half of a ripe avocado


• 1 really ripe pear


• a little under a cup of frozen mango chunks


• half a bunch of parsley


• 2 cups water

Blend until smooth.

*I should note that many green smoothie advocates use a Vita-Mix or other high-powered blender. Unfortunately these run somewhere around $300-400. I have an old blender that cost under $30 over 5 years ago and it works pretty darn good. You will have to just see what your blender can do. Having to chew your smoothie isn't very fun.