This almost doesn't qualify as a recipe, it's so easy. You can sub any kind of white bean here... I even think red lentils would be good. Go go gadget five minute meals!
1 container Imagine foods creamy tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can butter beans, drained
1/2 to 1 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 dried chipotle pepper (optional)
1 head roasted garlic, mashed (optional)
1 tsp curry powder
hummus (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot or crockpot. Simmer until hot. Serve with hummus as garnish and crusty bread.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
We had this for Thanksgiving. Super-easy and delish.
1 can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup Mexican hot chocolate mix (or normal hot chocolate + 1 tsp cinnamon)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp cornstarch/arrowroot
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Oreo crust
1 handful chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients except crust and chocolate chips in a bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. Pour the filling into the crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Chill overnight to set.
Eat with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
1 can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup Mexican hot chocolate mix (or normal hot chocolate + 1 tsp cinnamon)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp cornstarch/arrowroot
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Oreo crust
1 handful chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients except crust and chocolate chips in a bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. Pour the filling into the crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Chill overnight to set.
Eat with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pumpkin Bread
Original recipe:
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/recipe.php?RecipeID=234
1-3/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1 cups brown sugar, raw sugar or Sucanat
1/3 cup light sugar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.
Combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, coconut milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir very gently until combined.
Bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/recipe.php?RecipeID=234
1-3/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1 cups brown sugar, raw sugar or Sucanat
1/3 cup light sugar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.
Combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, coconut milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir very gently until combined.
Bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Spicy Pinto Bean Sausages
Originally from The PPK. Makes 4 big sausages. My boy loves these as protein-rich midday snacks.
1/2 cup pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water (or bean broth)
1 tsp 'Better Than Beef' bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 dashes liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
Several dashes fresh black pepper
Put a steamer insert in a large soup pot with a lid and add a few inches of water. Bring it to a boil.
Combine all the wet ingredients (beans, water, bouillon, olive oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke and garlic) in one bowl and all the dry ingredients in another. Blend all the wet ingredients together. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead for 3 minutes, or until the dough starts to get a little elastic.
Split the dough into four parts. Roll each section into a log shape and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends like a Tootsie Roll. Steam the foil-wrapped sausages for 40 minutes, then remove from the foil and let cool completely.
1/2 cup pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water (or bean broth)
1 tsp 'Better Than Beef' bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 dashes liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
Several dashes fresh black pepper
Put a steamer insert in a large soup pot with a lid and add a few inches of water. Bring it to a boil.
Combine all the wet ingredients (beans, water, bouillon, olive oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke and garlic) in one bowl and all the dry ingredients in another. Blend all the wet ingredients together. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead for 3 minutes, or until the dough starts to get a little elastic.
Split the dough into four parts. Roll each section into a log shape and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends like a Tootsie Roll. Steam the foil-wrapped sausages for 40 minutes, then remove from the foil and let cool completely.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tortilla Beer Soup
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1 large dash cumin
2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
1 bottle lager
1 cup water
1-1/2 cup frozen corn
1 flour tortilla, cut into long strips
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, chipotle and cumin and saute for a minute or two more. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1 large dash cumin
2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
1 bottle lager
1 cup water
1-1/2 cup frozen corn
1 flour tortilla, cut into long strips
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, chipotle and cumin and saute for a minute or two more. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Crazy Good Vegan Calzone
1 batch pizza dough (we get ours from Gateway Market)
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1 block firm tofu, crumbled
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 heaping teaspoon country-style grainy mustard
salt/pepper to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp each onion powder and garlic powder
2 Tbsp vegan cream cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp capers (optional)
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, mashed (optional)
4 oz. sliced shiitake or oyster mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 package veggie pepperoni, diced
8 oz. black olives, smooshed
1 large handful each sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts (optional)
1 largish bunch of swiss chard, stems removed and leaves torn into bits (optional)
1 can pizza sauce
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a pizza stone liberally with cornmeal.
Mash the tofu and add the nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice, onion/garlic powder, capers, artichoke hearts and cream cheese. Mix well and let sit.
Heat the olive oil in a largish pan. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms and pepperoni; saute for a few more minutes, or until the mushrooms are softening. Add the swiss chard and stir until wilted. Add the tofu mixture, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, olives and mix well.
Stretch/roll out the pizza dough on the pizza stone until it forms a large circle. Dump half of the tofu mixture onto one half of the dough, then fold the other half over the filling to create a half-moon. Crimp the edges of the dough to seal. Shake off any excess cornmeal and bake for 25 minutes.
Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Note: This recipe makes enough filling for two calzones. I usually bake one, then save the filling for another easy meal later in the week.
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1 block firm tofu, crumbled
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 heaping teaspoon country-style grainy mustard
salt/pepper to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp each onion powder and garlic powder
2 Tbsp vegan cream cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp capers (optional)
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, mashed (optional)
4 oz. sliced shiitake or oyster mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 package veggie pepperoni, diced
8 oz. black olives, smooshed
1 large handful each sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts (optional)
1 largish bunch of swiss chard, stems removed and leaves torn into bits (optional)
1 can pizza sauce
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a pizza stone liberally with cornmeal.
Mash the tofu and add the nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice, onion/garlic powder, capers, artichoke hearts and cream cheese. Mix well and let sit.
Heat the olive oil in a largish pan. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms and pepperoni; saute for a few more minutes, or until the mushrooms are softening. Add the swiss chard and stir until wilted. Add the tofu mixture, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, olives and mix well.
Stretch/roll out the pizza dough on the pizza stone until it forms a large circle. Dump half of the tofu mixture onto one half of the dough, then fold the other half over the filling to create a half-moon. Crimp the edges of the dough to seal. Shake off any excess cornmeal and bake for 25 minutes.
Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Note: This recipe makes enough filling for two calzones. I usually bake one, then save the filling for another easy meal later in the week.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
'Feta' Bean Pie
This is a veganized version of a favorite from our meat-eating days. The original has diced chicken, sour cream, feta cheese and lard-filled pie crusts. This version is still tasty, but much healthier.
12 oz. extra-firm silken tofu
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp each garlic & onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
1 cup soy sour cream / plain soy yogurt
1/3 cup soy cream cheese
2 cans butter beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp each fresh (or 1 tsp each dried) basil, dill and oregano
1 package crescent rolls
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash the tofu. Add the mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and umeboshi vinegar and stir well. Stir in the sour cream and cream cheese.
Mix the beans, tomatoes, and herbs together. Put in the bottom of a deep baking dish. Spread the tofu mixture on top. Unroll the crescent roll dough and lay it on top of the tofu mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.
12 oz. extra-firm silken tofu
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp each garlic & onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
1 cup soy sour cream / plain soy yogurt
1/3 cup soy cream cheese
2 cans butter beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp each fresh (or 1 tsp each dried) basil, dill and oregano
1 package crescent rolls
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash the tofu. Add the mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and umeboshi vinegar and stir well. Stir in the sour cream and cream cheese.
Mix the beans, tomatoes, and herbs together. Put in the bottom of a deep baking dish. Spread the tofu mixture on top. Unroll the crescent roll dough and lay it on top of the tofu mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Super Amazing Enchilada Adventure!
My good friend Kelli posted an amazingly easy enchilada recipe on YouTube, and I decided to give it a try the other day. I've veganized her recipe and, since I didn't have time to make the chile sauce, I used some store-bought substitutes. But these turned out amazing -- the best enchiladas I've ever attempted!
I used:
Cascadian Farm frozen hash browns
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1 small green pepper, diced
1 tsp onion powder
Galaxy Foods monterey jack/cheddar 'cheeze' shreds
1 can Old El Paso enchilada sauce + 2 tsp adobo sauce
After rolling the enchiladas, I baked them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. They came out nice and crispy on the top and melty and gooey inside... delicious! I topped mine with a quick fresh salsa made with chopped cherry tomatoes, lime juice, minced garlic, salt and cilantro. We happily ate the leftovers for days afterwards.
Thank you, Kelli, for making our bellies so happy!
Roasted Summer Vegetables
Tonight was a very Naked Chef kind of night. Chop up some veggies and tofu, throw on a little marinade and loads of fresh herbs, then roast. No real recipe, but it turned out beautifully.
1 block extra-firm tofu, cubed
1 medium eggplant, cubed
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow or zucchini squash, cubed
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
Italian dressing
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh herbs (I used basil, thyme and oregano), torn into bits
If you have time, marinate the tofu in the Italian dressing (overnight is best, but 10-20 minutes will do, too). Preheat the oven to 400. Toss all the veggies and tofu together in a 9x13 pan, then coat with dressing, a swig of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and the herbs. Cover with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes. Serve with extra fresh herbs, or over polenta.
1 block extra-firm tofu, cubed
1 medium eggplant, cubed
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow or zucchini squash, cubed
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
Italian dressing
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh herbs (I used basil, thyme and oregano), torn into bits
If you have time, marinate the tofu in the Italian dressing (overnight is best, but 10-20 minutes will do, too). Preheat the oven to 400. Toss all the veggies and tofu together in a 9x13 pan, then coat with dressing, a swig of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and the herbs. Cover with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes. Serve with extra fresh herbs, or over polenta.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Biscuits & Gravy
Cassie made these for her awesome pre-Easter brunch last month, and I've been thinking about them ever since. (My boy has a deep-seated yearning for biscuits and gravy.) Cassie used the gravy from The Chicago Diner plus a package of Morningstar Farms veggie sausage crumbles, but when I went to make mine last night, I didn't have enough nutritional yeast. But I did have some flat oatmeal stout. Thus this recipe was born.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 veg. bouillon cubes
1 bottle stout + enough water (or plain soy milk) to make 4 cups
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp. mellow white miso
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tsp dijon/country style mustard (optional)
1 package Morningstar Farms vegan sausage crumbles
a pinch each of marjoram and sage
Whisk the flour and nutritional yeast together in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Turn on the heat to medium for a few seconds, or until fragrant, then add the bouillon cubes and stout+water/soy milk mixture. Whisk well and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thickened. Stir in everything else and simmer on low until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve over homemade or tube biscuits.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 veg. bouillon cubes
1 bottle stout + enough water (or plain soy milk) to make 4 cups
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp. mellow white miso
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tsp dijon/country style mustard (optional)
1 package Morningstar Farms vegan sausage crumbles
a pinch each of marjoram and sage
Whisk the flour and nutritional yeast together in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Turn on the heat to medium for a few seconds, or until fragrant, then add the bouillon cubes and stout+water/soy milk mixture. Whisk well and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thickened. Stir in everything else and simmer on low until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve over homemade or tube biscuits.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Beanie Weenies: Vegan and full of tasty iron!
I've been trying to consume more iron in the foods I eat, so I've been a little obsessive about tracking amounts of iron in everything. I've been having either fortified cereal with soy or hemp milk or some warmed vanilla soy/hemp milk with a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses stirred in for an iron-rich late night snack. (Hemp milk is higher in iron than soy milk, but it's more expensive... and not all brands taste that great. I like Living Harvest's Hempmilk the best.)
As I was stirring molasses into my vegan beans and franks tonight, it occurred to me to look up nutritional info for the ingredients. And lo and behold, this is a pretty iron-rich recipe, especially if you cook it in a cast-iron pan. The tomato paste in the barbecue sauce contains vitamin C, which helps you absorb the iron, too.
Pinto beans, 3 cups = 57% RDA iron
Sorghum molasses, 3 Tbsp = 45% RDA iron
Vital wheat gluten, 78 grams (.625 cups) = 23% RDA iron
Total = 125% RDA iron, or if you divide the whole recipe in 4 servings (we usually get 3), 31% RDA iron in each serving. Not too shabby, all things considered
As I was stirring molasses into my vegan beans and franks tonight, it occurred to me to look up nutritional info for the ingredients. And lo and behold, this is a pretty iron-rich recipe, especially if you cook it in a cast-iron pan. The tomato paste in the barbecue sauce contains vitamin C, which helps you absorb the iron, too.
Pinto beans, 3 cups = 57% RDA iron
Sorghum molasses, 3 Tbsp = 45% RDA iron
Vital wheat gluten, 78 grams (.625 cups) = 23% RDA iron
Total = 125% RDA iron, or if you divide the whole recipe in 4 servings (we usually get 3), 31% RDA iron in each serving. Not too shabby, all things considered
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
I got this recipe from my local health food store (New City Market). It's both vegan and gluten free, and something about ricemellow creme just says 'Easter' to me. (Maybe it's a childhood Peeps association.)
1 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter (optional)
3/4 cup ricemellow creme
2-1/2 cups Erewhon crispy brown rice cereal
Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan. In a largish pan over medium heat, melt the Earth Balance and the peanut butter. Add the ricemellow creme and stir to blend. Add the cereal and stir until well coated. Remove from heat; pour into greased pan. Cool completely, then cut into squares.
1 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter (optional)
3/4 cup ricemellow creme
2-1/2 cups Erewhon crispy brown rice cereal
Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan. In a largish pan over medium heat, melt the Earth Balance and the peanut butter. Add the ricemellow creme and stir to blend. Add the cereal and stir until well coated. Remove from heat; pour into greased pan. Cool completely, then cut into squares.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Blackstrap Latte
So my latest bloodwork, while otherwise stellar (go go gadget vegan cholesterol!), shows me as anemic. Which is odd, because a) I donate blood regularly, and they'll turn you away if your iron's too low, and b) the last time I got bloodwork done, my iron was almost three times what it was in this most current batch. I'm thinking something's a little wonky, but hey. Whatever.
The doctor recommends I take two iron pills a day, but me and the iron pills don't get along so well. So while I'm taking one with my morning orange juice, I'm going to try two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses a day to make up the difference. It's a food, after all. And I always prefer to get my vitamins from food where I can. Problem is, I hate the taste blackstrap molasses. Seriously. It's nasty. It's so nasty, I've been referring to it as the Black Oil of Death.
But I got on the internets today, and I found that many people like it better when it's dissolved in vanilla soy milk. So tonight, before bed, I heated up a mugful of vanilla Silk and stirred in the blackstrap. Lo! It's actually tasty! Mild, creamy and kind of chocolatey. Score one for the internets!
The doctor recommends I take two iron pills a day, but me and the iron pills don't get along so well. So while I'm taking one with my morning orange juice, I'm going to try two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses a day to make up the difference. It's a food, after all. And I always prefer to get my vitamins from food where I can. Problem is, I hate the taste blackstrap molasses. Seriously. It's nasty. It's so nasty, I've been referring to it as the Black Oil of Death.
But I got on the internets today, and I found that many people like it better when it's dissolved in vanilla soy milk. So tonight, before bed, I heated up a mugful of vanilla Silk and stirred in the blackstrap. Lo! It's actually tasty! Mild, creamy and kind of chocolatey. Score one for the internets!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Kale-a-kopita
1 tsp olive oil
10 oz kale (1 large bunch)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5-6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp dried dill
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
8 oz. (1/2 block) firm tofu
1 tsp grainy mustard
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp salt
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vegetable broth powder (optional)
1 sheet puff pastry
Set the puff pastry out to thaw. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash the tofu. Add the mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice and veggie broth powder and mix well. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and kale and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the dill, shake in some salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Spread the kale-mushroom mixture in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Spread the tofu mixture on top (or mix it in). Top with the puff pastry sheet, smear with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and puffed up.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Day of Vegan Decadence
The boy and I are in Los Angeles for a few days, and since he is the greatest husband in the history of all mankind, he offered to spend the day taking me to vegan restaurants and seeing just how much vegan food we can possibly stuff ourselves with. I think we've done an admirable job, all things considered. We're both practically comatose. (Of course, some of that is due to the fact that it's midnight back home... but I think the food has a lot to do with it, really.)
Breakfast: Swingers
Swingers is attached to our hotel, but we've been known to make trips way out of our way to eat here in the past. So breakfast was a no-brainer. We both got hot tea (me: green, him: earl grey). I had the soyrizo scramble: tofu, soyrizo, black beans and fresh salsa with sourdough toast smeared with agave syrup. DH had the organic eggs with veggie bacon, potatoes and toast. I think the veggie bacon is directly responsible for his intense love of all things Swingers.
After breakfast, we hit Whole Foods to stock up on staples, wandered through the Farmers' Market and headed out to Golden Apple and Secret Headquarters, two of L.A.'s many fine comic book shops.
Lunch: Flore Vegan Cuisine
Two things sold me on this location: 1) it's located right across the street from Secret Headquarters, and 2) they have a tempeh reuben. Ever since Beggar's Banquet closed in DSM, I've been without the joys of a tempeh reuben. Flore did not disappoint. We got hot twig tea to drink, the crispy kale as an appetizer (never knew kale could be so tasty! And crispy!). I got the tempeh reuben, of course, which was delectable. DH got the tempeh bacon and mushroom pizza with vegan mozzarella, which he pronounced scrumptious. I can't be totally certain, but I'm pretty sure I saw Flea, the bassist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, at the table next to us.
Snack: Scoops
Two words for you: vegan gelato. Even though we were filled to bursting after lunch, we dashed in here quickly to share a scoop of the vegan orange-basil gelato. I would never have believed it didn't have dairy if I hadn't seen it clearly labeled 'vegan.' Freaking amazing.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, where I changed and ran back out to do an hour and a half of yoga at Liberation Yoga, on La Brea. (Have to burn off the gelato somehow!) Yoga left me exhausted and slightly sore, so it took some effort to decide where to go for dinner. Exhausted though we were, we decided to head out to Soul Vegetarian on Pico. Alas, their supposed location seemed to be occupied by a disco. Not to be deterred, we ventured forth.
Dinner: Rahel's Vegan Ethiopian Cuisine
At this point, I was seriously craving some curry, so I almost derailed us to Electric Karma (billed as 'the most romantic Indian restaurant in L.A.'). But neither of us had ever tasted Ethiopian food, so we stopped here instead. The place was small, dimly lit, interestingly decorated, and presumably authentic. I got a traditional drink made from barley, flax seed and sunflower seed, all blended up and mixed with agave. It tasted a little like a cereal milkshake. I ordered one of the combos, and DH got a single vegetable stew. When it came out, we were both boggled. Way too much food, especially considering our already-stuffed state. We made a good go of it, but there was only so much we could accomplish, being absolutely full and exhausted.
Which brings us to now, curled up in our delightfully decorated room in the Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel and trying not to fall into instant slumber.
Tomorrow we do it again!
Breakfast: Swingers
Swingers is attached to our hotel, but we've been known to make trips way out of our way to eat here in the past. So breakfast was a no-brainer. We both got hot tea (me: green, him: earl grey). I had the soyrizo scramble: tofu, soyrizo, black beans and fresh salsa with sourdough toast smeared with agave syrup. DH had the organic eggs with veggie bacon, potatoes and toast. I think the veggie bacon is directly responsible for his intense love of all things Swingers.
After breakfast, we hit Whole Foods to stock up on staples, wandered through the Farmers' Market and headed out to Golden Apple and Secret Headquarters, two of L.A.'s many fine comic book shops.
Lunch: Flore Vegan Cuisine
Two things sold me on this location: 1) it's located right across the street from Secret Headquarters, and 2) they have a tempeh reuben. Ever since Beggar's Banquet closed in DSM, I've been without the joys of a tempeh reuben. Flore did not disappoint. We got hot twig tea to drink, the crispy kale as an appetizer (never knew kale could be so tasty! And crispy!). I got the tempeh reuben, of course, which was delectable. DH got the tempeh bacon and mushroom pizza with vegan mozzarella, which he pronounced scrumptious. I can't be totally certain, but I'm pretty sure I saw Flea, the bassist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, at the table next to us.
Snack: Scoops
Two words for you: vegan gelato. Even though we were filled to bursting after lunch, we dashed in here quickly to share a scoop of the vegan orange-basil gelato. I would never have believed it didn't have dairy if I hadn't seen it clearly labeled 'vegan.' Freaking amazing.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, where I changed and ran back out to do an hour and a half of yoga at Liberation Yoga, on La Brea. (Have to burn off the gelato somehow!) Yoga left me exhausted and slightly sore, so it took some effort to decide where to go for dinner. Exhausted though we were, we decided to head out to Soul Vegetarian on Pico. Alas, their supposed location seemed to be occupied by a disco. Not to be deterred, we ventured forth.
Dinner: Rahel's Vegan Ethiopian Cuisine
At this point, I was seriously craving some curry, so I almost derailed us to Electric Karma (billed as 'the most romantic Indian restaurant in L.A.'). But neither of us had ever tasted Ethiopian food, so we stopped here instead. The place was small, dimly lit, interestingly decorated, and presumably authentic. I got a traditional drink made from barley, flax seed and sunflower seed, all blended up and mixed with agave. It tasted a little like a cereal milkshake. I ordered one of the combos, and DH got a single vegetable stew. When it came out, we were both boggled. Way too much food, especially considering our already-stuffed state. We made a good go of it, but there was only so much we could accomplish, being absolutely full and exhausted.
Which brings us to now, curled up in our delightfully decorated room in the Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel and trying not to fall into instant slumber.
Tomorrow we do it again!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Limoncella Amaretto Sour
My transition to an all-Iowa liquor cabinet is nearly complete (rubs hands together, cackling gleefully). I stopped by Ingersoll Wine & Spirits tonight to look for Cedar Ridge's spirits. No luck on the Clearheart Gin or Rum, but they do stock the Clearheart vodka, as well as the limoncella, apple brandy and grappa. Since I have the vodka already and I don't know what grappa is for, I picked up the apple brandy and the limoncella.
Which led to, naturally, a limoncella amaretto sour.
1/2 shot limoncella
1/2 shot amaretto
1/2 cup club soda
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Which led to, naturally, a limoncella amaretto sour.
1/2 shot limoncella
1/2 shot amaretto
1/2 cup club soda
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Baked Mushrooms, Potatoes and Tempeh in Gravy
This is based on a recipe in Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast, but it eliminates the standing over the stove part.
2 cups baby portobella mushrooms, quartered
2 pounds small potatoes, halved
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into small dice
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder OR flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Toss the tempeh with the arrowroot, garlic powder and yeast. Mix the mushrooms, potatoes, onion and garlic in a baking dish. Add the olive oil, soy sauce and water. Add the tempeh mixture and mix well to combine. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
2 cups baby portobella mushrooms, quartered
2 pounds small potatoes, halved
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into small dice
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder OR flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Toss the tempeh with the arrowroot, garlic powder and yeast. Mix the mushrooms, potatoes, onion and garlic in a baking dish. Add the olive oil, soy sauce and water. Add the tempeh mixture and mix well to combine. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Best Ever Cinnamon King Cake
This got rave reviews from party guests and my coworkers. It's pretty darn perfect.
Make a batch of the dough for the Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns. Instead of slicing the rolled-up dough into rolls, however, touch the ends of the rolls to each other to form the roll into an oval shape. Let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes (or in the fridge overnight). Bake the cake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
Mix together the following ingredients:
2 Tbsp melted margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanillla extract
4 Tbsp soy milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
Pour the glaze over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the cake with equal parts of yellow, green and purple sugar.
Once the cake has cooled, insert a dried bean, nut or plastic baby into the bottom of the cake.
Jambalaya/Dirty Rice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 vegan Italian sausage, diced and/or crumbled
10-15 mild jalepenos, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp file powder
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 can braised wheat gluten, drained and chopped
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
2 cans finely diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp salsa
2 dashes each liquid smoke and Tobasco
1 cup cooked rice
Heat the olive oil. Add the onion, sausage and diced jalepenos. Cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to get translucent. Add the garlic, file powder and Cajun seasoning and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the wheat gluten, beans, tomatoes, salsa and liquid smoke and cook for another few minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Mix in the rice and serve hot.
1 small onion, diced
1 vegan Italian sausage, diced and/or crumbled
10-15 mild jalepenos, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp file powder
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 can braised wheat gluten, drained and chopped
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
2 cans finely diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp salsa
2 dashes each liquid smoke and Tobasco
1 cup cooked rice
Heat the olive oil. Add the onion, sausage and diced jalepenos. Cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to get translucent. Add the garlic, file powder and Cajun seasoning and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the wheat gluten, beans, tomatoes, salsa and liquid smoke and cook for another few minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Mix in the rice and serve hot.
Italian Veggeroni
2/3 cup firm tofu (I used Wildwood sprouted tofu)
4 Tbsp pesto
5-7 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Siracha (or other garlic chili sauce)
2 Tbsp red wine
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp tahini
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1-1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl, blending with the stick blender until the tomatoes are pureed. Combine the dry ingredients in a larger bowl. Combine the wet with the dry and knead for a few minutes, or until the gluten starts to develop. Split the dough into two pieces, roll into log shopes approximately 8 inches long, and wrap tightly in foil, twisting at the ends. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes, turning once. Let cool completely before serving.
4 Tbsp pesto
5-7 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Siracha (or other garlic chili sauce)
2 Tbsp red wine
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp tahini
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1-1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl, blending with the stick blender until the tomatoes are pureed. Combine the dry ingredients in a larger bowl. Combine the wet with the dry and knead for a few minutes, or until the gluten starts to develop. Split the dough into two pieces, roll into log shopes approximately 8 inches long, and wrap tightly in foil, twisting at the ends. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes, turning once. Let cool completely before serving.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Squash Patties
My mom used to make these when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure they're directly responsible for me liking squash. They're sweet and earthy. The texture is different depending on whether you bake or fry them -- I actually liked the baked ones a little better after they'd been in the fridge overnight.
1-1/2 cups cooked squash
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp plain soy yogurt
4 Tbsp honey, maple syrup or sugar
Mix all ingredients together to form a slightly stiff dough. Either bake at 450 degrees (in liberally oiled cast-iron muffin cups) or drop by teasponfuls into hot canola oil and fry.
Ingredient Notes: You can use canned, frozen or freshly cooked squash here. I used a mixture of delicata, acorn & sweet dumpling that I had previously roasted and frozen. I also used spelt flour, because that's what I have in the house.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Chickpea Fingers
These are based on the famous Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon, but they take a few shortcuts to make the whole process quicker. They satisfy my occasional cravings for chicken fingers. I frequently double this recipe and freeze the rest for easy weekday meals.
2/3 cup hummus
2-3 shakes liquid smoke
1 Tbsp peanut butter (optional)
1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3-1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (aka wheat gluten flour)
olive oil for pan-frying / spraying
Mix the hummus, liquid smoke, peanut butter and soy sauce together until it forms a smooth paste. Stir in the bread crumbs.
Using a strong spoon (or just clean hands), add a quarter cup of wheat gluten and stir/knead until incorporated. Keep adding wheat gluten and kneading until the dough starts to feel springy. Knead for a few more minutes. When it's ready, the dough should spring back when you squeeze it.
Take a small fistful of dough and smoosh it with your hand for a minute or so. Then roll/stretch it into a tube and flatten it into a chicken-finger-esque shape. The patties should be very thin.
You can either pan-fry the fingers in a thin layer of olive oil for 5 minutes per side (until golden brown with darker spots) or spray them with oil and bake them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side. The texture will be slightly chewier if you bake them, more tender if you pan-fry them.
Serve with a green vegetable of some sort and barbecue or honey mustard sauce for dipping.
2/3 cup hummus
2-3 shakes liquid smoke
1 Tbsp peanut butter (optional)
1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3-1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (aka wheat gluten flour)
olive oil for pan-frying / spraying
Mix the hummus, liquid smoke, peanut butter and soy sauce together until it forms a smooth paste. Stir in the bread crumbs.
Using a strong spoon (or just clean hands), add a quarter cup of wheat gluten and stir/knead until incorporated. Keep adding wheat gluten and kneading until the dough starts to feel springy. Knead for a few more minutes. When it's ready, the dough should spring back when you squeeze it.
Take a small fistful of dough and smoosh it with your hand for a minute or so. Then roll/stretch it into a tube and flatten it into a chicken-finger-esque shape. The patties should be very thin.
You can either pan-fry the fingers in a thin layer of olive oil for 5 minutes per side (until golden brown with darker spots) or spray them with oil and bake them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side. The texture will be slightly chewier if you bake them, more tender if you pan-fry them.
Serve with a green vegetable of some sort and barbecue or honey mustard sauce for dipping.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Vegan Kringla
This dairy-and-egg free take on a traditional Scandinavian recipe is considerably lighter than the original, which called for eggs, butter, buttermilk and sour cream. Lars (who may very well be buttering me up) gives them his thumbs up.
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance OR other non-hydrogenated margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy creamer OR plain soy/rice milk
1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp plain soy yogurt
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Add the vinegar to the soy milk and let sit for a few minutes. Cream the sugar and the margarine in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract, soured soy milk and soy yogurt. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, one cup at a time, until everything is well combined. You should have a sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Flour a surface well. With clean hands, grab a handful of dough and roll it out to form a rope. Split the rope into three pieces and roll each piece until it forms a rope 1/2-inch thick and about 18 inches long.
Twist the two ends over each other, then bring the loop up on top of the twined ends to form a pretzel-like shape. (The cookies will puff up as they bake, so leave some space inside the loops.)
Transfer the pretzel shapes to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the undersides are golden brown. Keep the remaining dough and any unbaked shaped cookies cold in the fridge so they don't spread.
The traditional way to eat these is spread with margarine (or butter) along with a strong cup of coffee. They'll keep for a few days at room temperature or in the fridge, or you may freeze them for up to 3 months.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Rich Potato-Kale Coconut Curry
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz. frozen kale OR spinach
2-3 cups tiny potatoes (or larger potatoes cut into chunks)
1 can braised wheat gluten, rinsed and drained
1 5 oz. can Singapore curry gravy
1/3 package Shan Korma Chicken seasoning (note: contains no actual chicken)
1 14 oz. coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 can butternut squash puree
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute onions until they are starting to get translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Dump that into a crock pot. Add everything else. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Ingredient notes: I picked up my curry seasoning at Double Dragon and Namaste, respectively. This was a little too spicy for me (and I have a higher tolerance than your average Iowan). I ended up dumping roughly 6 oz. of pureed silken tofu into the mix to make it palatable. So you can certainly feel free to use any (milder or hotter) curry seasoning that you desire.
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz. frozen kale OR spinach
2-3 cups tiny potatoes (or larger potatoes cut into chunks)
1 can braised wheat gluten, rinsed and drained
1 5 oz. can Singapore curry gravy
1/3 package Shan Korma Chicken seasoning (note: contains no actual chicken)
1 14 oz. coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 can butternut squash puree
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute onions until they are starting to get translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Dump that into a crock pot. Add everything else. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Ingredient notes: I picked up my curry seasoning at Double Dragon and Namaste, respectively. This was a little too spicy for me (and I have a higher tolerance than your average Iowan). I ended up dumping roughly 6 oz. of pureed silken tofu into the mix to make it palatable. So you can certainly feel free to use any (milder or hotter) curry seasoning that you desire.
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