Hopping John, Fried Okra & Corn on the Cob

Hoppin' John
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1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 smallish tomato, chopped (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot until shimmering. Add the quinoa and stir for a minute or two, or until the quinoa starts to pop. Add the water, salsa and Cajun seasoning and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is translucent. Add the black-eyed peas and tomato and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.


Oven-Fried Okra
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15-20 okra, rinsed
2 tsp soy milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
dash each salt and pepper
olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Cut the okra into bite-size chunks. Toss with cornmeal. Stir in the soy milk until sticky and toss with more cornmeal. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and spray generously with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.


Easy Corn on the Cob
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2 ears of corn, shucked
water

Clean the silk off the ears and break eahc one in half. Place in a large soup pot along with a few inches of water (enough to come up halfway up the corn cobs). Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the corn has darkened to a golden color and steam is pouring out from under the lid. Remove corn from water and set on a plate to drain.

Easy Enchilada Bake

2-3 handfuls corn tortilla chips
1/2 jar enchilada sauce (or salsa)
5-10 jalepeno slices, torn into bits (optional)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels (optional)
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 onion, diced (about 2/3 cup diced)
1 can sliced black olives (optional)
cheese for sprinkling or cheez sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread the chips in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce, making sure all chips get covered. Top that with jalepno bits. Top that with black beans, followed by corn. Top that with black olives and onion. Finally, spread on a bunch of cheese (or cheez sauce, ala Bryanna Clark Grogan). Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melty.

Top with chopped tomatoes, avocadoes, lettuce and/or sour cream.

Super White Russian

2/3 cup plain rice milk
1 shot Kahlua
1/2 shot amaretto
vodka as desired

Enjoy creamy alcoholic goodness!

Green Bean Pesto Pasta

This is also really good with broccoli, if you have any. The little furled leaves soak up all that pesto-y goodness.

4-5 handfuls green beans, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsp pesto (I used 4 pesto cubes)
2 heirloom tomatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz pasta
olive oil
water

Cut the green beans into bite sized pieces and steam until no longer crunchy. Drain.

Bring a whole lotta water to a boil. When it's boiling, add 1 tsp olive oil and the pasta. Stir to keep from sticking. Cook until pasta is no longer crunchy.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and stir until golden. Add the green beans and pesto and stir until heated. Turn the heat off and stir in the tomatoes.

When pasta is done, drain and mix with 1 tsp more olive oil. Top with green bean mixture and serve!

Ingredient Notes: I used homemade pesto that I'd frozen in an ice cube tray, but you could just as easily use store-bought pesto. For the pasta, I gave this gluten-free lentil-flour pasta I found at New City Market a whirl. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste, but the texture is excellent, and there's 13 grams of protein for every 2 ounces (which is fan-freaking-phenomenal).

Homemade Cheese-Free Pesto

It's time for our basil plants to meet their Maker, so we whipped up a large batch of this over the weekend. You kind of have to eyeball the proportions here and taste it until it feels right. I know that's maddening, but I'm not sure there's any other way to make this recipe. Trust your inner pesto sense!

basil leaves, washed (2-3 bunches)
garlic cloves (3-4)
salt (a moderate sprinkling)
pine nuts (a large handful)
nutritional yeast (a tablespoon or two)
white miso (a few heaping spoonfuls)

Chop up the basil leaves as finely as you can. Set aside. Put the garlic, pine nuts and salt in a mortar and pestle and bash until it forms a thick gritty paste. Add the basil leaves and bash some more. Add the nutritional yeast and miso and stir. If you like, you can use a hand blender to even out the texture and make it less clumpy. You may also add olive oil to taste, but I usually think it's perfect as is.

Use immediately or spoon into an ice cube tray and freeze into little cute pesto cubes, then seal in a Ziploc bag until needed.

Hawaiian Pizza & Pineapple Rum Punch

This was good, but not as fabulous as the BBQ Chik'n pizza. Next time, I think I'll use barbecue sauce as the base. Mmmm. Use the juice from your pineapple to whip up a glass of pineapple rum punch (recipe follows).

2 frozen pizza crusts
2 heaping tablespoons marinara (or BBQ) sauce
1 can crushed pineapple, well drained
7-8 slices MorningStar bacon, ripped into pieces
1 package Vegan Gourmet mozzarella, shredded

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Smear the crusts with a thin layer of sauce. Top with the pineapple, followed by a layer of 'bacon' pieces. Sprinkle the shredded 'cheese' on top of that.

The trick to getting this 'cheese' to melt is to turn up your oven really hot (like 450 degrees) and sort of squish the cheese down onto the pizza. Then put cookie sheets under your pizza so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the 'cheese' is melted.

Pineapple Rum Punch

pineapple juice from a can of crushed pineapple
1 shot dark rum
ice cubes

Combine and sip to cool off your mouth while burning it on molten 'cheese'.

Zucchini Patties w/ Tomato-Corn Relish

The perfect way to use up zucchini, tomatoes and corn -- all of which are in great abundance at our farmer's market lately. If you have someone else help chop, this comes together in no time. The sweet cool crunchiness of the corn contrasts beautifully with the crispy savory patties.

2 cups grated zucchini
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup masa harina OR cornmeal
4 Tbsp hummus
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
canola oil for frying

2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off
2 small or 1 large heirloom tomato, diced
1/2 lime, juiced
sprinkle of salt

Mix the grated zucchini, minced onion, masa harina, hummus, chile powder, cumin and cayenne in a bowl. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the mixture can be easily formed into patties. (You may need to add more masa harina or hummus, depending on how moist your zucchini is.)

Heat a layer of oil over medium heat in the bottom of a cast iron pot. Take 1/4 cup of the zucchini mixture, flatten into a patty and slide into the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, mix the corn kernels and diced tomato in a large bowl. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Serve the patties hot, topped with the tomato-corn mixture.

BBQ Ribz

These were easy and super-tasty. Probably my favorite barbecued seitan recipe yet. Shamelessly adapted from Fat Free Vegan and Yeah, That Vegan Shit.

1 cup + 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
a whole lot of barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the wheat gluten, paprika, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, add the water to the peanut butter bit by bit until it's smoothly incorporated. Add the liquid smoke and the soy sauce and mix well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. You should have a slightly moist dough. If it's too sticky, add more wheat gluten. Knead for a few minutes, then press into a lightly oiled baking dish until it's 1/2 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips roughly 3/4-inch wide.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the strips and paint them generously with BBQ sauce. Bake for 5 more minutes. Flip them one more time, paint with BBQ and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve slathered with extra BBQ.

Ingredient Notes: I get my vital wheat gluten and my nutritional yeast at New City Market. I found the smoked paprika at Penzey's Spices (it's by Cool Basil and Half Price Books, at 86th and University). I used peanut butter from the Farmer's Market and Russ & Franks BBQ sauce from the River Bend Trading Company (I've also seen it at Gateway Market).

Zen Noodle & Sushi Bar

The veggie sushi is mighty tasty and interesting. The udon bowl was less interesting, even though I love me some udon. Next time I'm trying the rice noodles with red curry.

Beautiful decor, decent prices, excellent location.

Grand Piano Bistro

The Grand Piano Bistro has had me dreaming of their falafel with apricot chutney all week. That's all I'm saying.

They had a fabulous build-a-sandwich option during lunch. Perfect for picky eaters like me.

Namaste - Now With Lunch Buffet

We've been loving the cheap tasty dosas at Namaste (77th and University). It's a different way to experience the joys of Indian food. Yesterday, we noticed that they've added a lunch buffet Tue-Sun, so we stopped in this afternoon.

Pros: Tasty, unusual South Indian food.
Cons: Not as cheap as their a la carte menu, and the food was very spicy. Which was fine for me, but not so great for my boy.

We'll definitely go back. The food is too good not to. But we'll probably have him order his mainstay chana masala off the menu.

Pesto Orecchiette w/ Green Beans & Broccoli

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta)
6 cups water

1/3 cup pesto
2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
salt to taste

Put the water on to boil. Once it's boiling, add a little salt and the pasta. Cook for 10+ minutes, or until the pasta is no longer crunchy but still has a 'bite'.

If using the pine nuts, heat a dry pot over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, stirring constantly, until they start to brown. Remove them immediately to a small bowl. Rinse out the pot and return it to heat. Once it's dry, add the olive oil and garlic. Stir until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the green beans, broccoli and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the veggies are dark green. Add 1 Tbsp pesto, 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Cover until pasta is done.

Once the pasta's ready, drain it in a colander. Immediately add it to the broccoli-green bean mixture, along with the pine nuts, pesto and mustard. Stir until well coated. Taste, and adjust salt to your liking. Serve at once!

Ingredient Notes: We got our orecchiette at the IngerDahl's. The mustard we use is the Iowa Country Dill Mustard from the downtown farmer's market. Pine nuts are fairly cheap at CostCo.

Roasted Beet Salad w/ Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Closely adapted from 'Vegetables Every Day', by Jack Bishop. (An excellent book which features invaluable tips on how to store and prepare all kinds of veggies. It's indispensable during farmers' market season.) This is an amazing way to prepare beets, even if you think you hate them.

4 medium-sized beets with the tops still attached
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp Lambic Framboise (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

(It's easier to do this first step the night before.) Preheat the oven. Wash the beets thoroughly. Cut off the tops and any trailing roots. If the tops have gone all wilty, put them in a bowl filled with water and stick it in the fridge. They'll crisp right up.

Wrap the beets in foil and pop them in the oven for as little as 20 minutes and as much as an hour (it depends on the size of your beets). Check every 20 minutes to see if they're done. (They're ready when a knife slides all the way through them easily. Remove them from the oven, unwrap them and let them cool a little. If you're using them right away, proceed to the next step while they're still warm. If you're preparing them ahead of time, just pop them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Using your hands (or paper towels) rub the skins off the beets. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick and set aside. Rinse or drain the beet greens and tear them into bite-size pieces, discarding the tough stems.

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts, breaking them up into smaller pieces with your spoon and stirring constantly until you can smell them (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from the pan, give the pan a quick rinse and return to heat. When all the water has evaporated, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden.

Add the beet greens and stir until wilted. Turn the heat down to low. Add the beet slices, layering them on top of the greens. Salt the beet slices lightly, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, Lambic Framboise and olive oil together until smooth. Pour the dressing over the beets and keep covered until ready to serve.

Scoop the beets and greens onto plates, then sprinkle with walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. Serve immediately!


Ingredient Notes: I roasted a mixture of golden, red and white beets -- mostly because they look pretty, but also because they have slightly different flavors. You can get Lambic Framboise at some Hy-Vees and Gateway Market (at Gateway, it's in the refrigerated beer section).

If you're a Central Iowan, you must use Northern Prairie Chevre's cheese for this recipe (you can get it at New City Market, Campbell's and Gateway Market, as well as the downtown farmers' market). I normally despise goat cheese, but there's something about the intense creaminess and tang of Northern Prairie's chevre that's out of this world. Plus, they're really kind to their animals... and in this day and age, humane animal husbandry should always be rewarded.

Snap Peas with Mango and Mint

Last night, I came home to a fridge full of vegetables that desperately needed to be used.  So I abandoned my usual one-dish meal plan, got creative, and whipped out three dishes: Mexican zucchini patties, eggplant w/capers and peas with mango and mint.  Three very different tastes, but we saved the vegetables from extinction.  Now I just have to figure out what to do with a drawer full of beets....

2 cups fresh peas, shelled

1 mango, diced

3-4 mint leaves, cut into thin strips and bruised a little

Cook the peas by briefly steaming them in boiling water.  While still warm, toss with the mango and mint.  Serve!

White Bean Pesto Dip

I had some of this leftover from my first attempt at the Zucchini-Pesto Strata, and I discovered that it makes for a lovely dip.

1 can white beans, drained

1/4 cup tomato juice or veggie broth

1 handful pine nuts

2 handfuls fresh basil, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp white miso

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Blend until creamy.

Zucchini White Bean Pesto Strata

This is adapted from Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegetarian, which is overdue at the library, but I just can't bear to part with it.

2 medium-sized zucchini, sliced very thin

1 can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved

1 can white beans, drained

1/2 cup pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

3 slices bread, toasted and cubed

a little olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Oil a cast iron pot or baking dish.  Mix the beans with the pesto and 1/4 cup juice from the tomatoes.

Layer one-half of the zucchini slices in the dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with half of the pine nuts, followed by half of the bean mixture.  Smoosh half of the tomatoes and lay them on top of the beans.  Repeat.  Spread the bread cubes on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the zucchini are totally cooked through.  Alternatively, you can put the lid on your cast-iron pot and simmer on the stove until done.  Just depends on how much you want to heat up the kitchen.

Zucchini Chai Bread

A moist, spicy, decadent way to use up zucchini.  I think this recipe works best with smaller loaves or muffins.  

2 cups grated zucchini, packed

3/4 small container vanilla soy yogurt

2/3 cup soy chai

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 to 1-1/3 cup sugar

3 cups flour (unbleached white, spelt or whole wheat pastry)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil two loaf pans or several smaller pans.  Combine the zucchini, soy yogurt, chai, oil, vanilla extract and sugar in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the dry to the wet gradually, stirring just until combined.  Fold in the nuts, if using.

Pour the batter into prepared pans and put in the oven.  If making larger loaves, bake 40-60 minutes.  For smaller loaves or muffins, 15-20 minutes should be sufficient.

Pan-Fried Eggplant Medallions with Capers

2 Japanese eggplants

2 Tbsp tahini

1/4 cup water

1-2 cups panko

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp capers

Slice the eggplants into very thin rounds.  Salt them generously and let sit for a few minutes.  Mix the tahini and water together to form a thick sludge.  Heat the oil over medium in a skillet.  Dredge the eggplant slices in the tahini, then in panko.  Fry for a few minutes on each side, until the eggplant is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are golden.  Just before serving, toss with the capers.

Barbecue Tempeh Sammiches

1 block tempeh, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup water

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp hot sauce of choice

pickles, sliced

whole wheat bread, toasted

Heat the water in a skillet over medium.  Add the tempeh and cook until all water has been absorbed.  Add the barbecue sauce and hot sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.  Toast the bread, slice the pickles.  Ladle the tempeh onto the bread, top with pickles and consume!

Mexican Zucchini Patties

2-3 small zucchini, grated

1/4 cup hummus

1/2-1 cup masa harina (depending on the moisture of your zucchini)

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chile powder

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

salsa

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 15 minutes or so.  Using your hands, form patties.  Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the patties for a few minutes on each side, or until golden-brown.  Serve with salsa!

Homemade "Garlic Parmesan" Crescent Rolls

I had a yen for asparagus in a blanket tonight, but I didn't have the prerequisite crescent-rolls-in-a-tube on hand (plus, the store-bought ones are hydrogenated and icky). So I modified this cinnamon roll recipe from Meg's Vegan Recipes. They're baking right now, and I have to say that they smell wonderful. We'll see if they taste as delicious as they smell.

3/4 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 oz) package rapid-rise yeast
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the soy milk in the microwave until hot. Add the margarine and stir until melted. Let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1-1/4 cup unbleached flour. Add the yeast, sugar, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add the cornstarch mixture and the soy milk mixture to the flour and mix well. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour as needed. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it's 1/4 inch thick. Cut long rectangles out of the dough, then slice each rectangle diagonally to form two triangles. (If you're adding filling, like asparagus, place the spears at the long end before you roll the dough up). Roll up from the long end to the small end, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until browned.

Ingredient Notes: I suppose you could omit the nutritional yeast, but I think it adds a nice 'cheesy' flavor. Before I rolled mine up, I also placed a thin strip of Smart Bacon on top of the dough. I tossed my asparagus with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before rolling them up.

The Ultimate Homemade Soy Milk Recipe

I've made 5 or 6 batches now, and this is definitely the approach I like best. I don't bother rubbing the hulls off the soy beans. The barley and cashews add creaminess and thickness. I'm not sure how much difference the maltose makes, but it was cheap at our local Asian market. It tastes amazing.... just like store-bought, according to my boy.

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp soy beans
2 Tbsp brown rice
1 Tbsp pearled barley
1 Tbsp raw cashews
1 cap vanilla extract
1 glop maltose
2 hefty glugs brown rice syrup
a sprinkling of salt

Fill the machine to the minimum water level. Strain finished product through a cotton bag (like the produce bags I got at reusablebags.com), using kitchen gloves. Add the vanilla, sweetener to taste and salt. Whisk and taste, then pour into a glass jar and let cool.

Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns

These are awesomely decadent. They elicited moans of joy from our local veggie group at a potluck this weekend. This is an unholy admixture of Meg's Vegan Recipes: "Oooey-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls" + Savoring Savannah: "Savannah Pecan Rolls with Sticky Topping"

Rolls:
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3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened
3-1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant (rapid-rise) yeast
1/4 cup light sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the soy milk on the stove or in the microwave until bubbling. Remove from heat and mix in 1/4 cup margarine until melted. Let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, combine 2-1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add the water mixture and the soy milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir well. Add the remaining cup of flour a little at a time until dough pulls together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Cover the dough with a moist napkin and let rest for 5 minutes.


Filling:
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1 cup dark sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened

Mix the sugar, cinnamon and margarine together. Roll out the roll dough on a floured surface until it forms a 12x9 rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a half-inch clearance on all sides. Roll up the dough and pinch the seam to seal.


Topping:
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2 Tbsp non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1/2 cup dark sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup / brown rice syrup / maple syrup
1/2 cup smashed/chopped pecans

Make sure all your topping ingredients are at room temperature. Heat the margarine in a large baking dish (or two smaller ones) in the microwave or oven until melted. Add the sugar and syrup and heat for another 30 seconds or so. Stir in the pecans and remove from heat.

Slice the dough log into 12 equal pieces. Place each piece, cut side up, on top of the topping. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand on the counter for half an hour (if possible) and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, let the rolls come to room temperature (in my case, this meant setting them out for 5 minutes while I hit the snooze button). Bake the rolls for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until browned. Cool for 5 minutes, then cover the pan with a serving plate and invert. Be patient... eventually they'll fall out onto the plate.


Ingredient Notes: I used vanilla soy milk, Earth Balance brand margarine, turbinado sugar (for light sugar), Sucanat (for dark sugar), and some cheap butter pecan-flavored brown rice syrup I got in bulk at Costco for the topping. I also try not to think too hard about the amount of margarine that goes into these. Out of sight, out of mind. :)

Two Quickie Asparagus Meals

I've been so obsessed with making stuff from scratch this week that I've been spending a LOT of time in the kitchen. Making soy milk and tofu is a little time-consuming, not to mention the homemade corn tortillas, bread and a super-time-consuming asparagus soup that was more than a little disappointing.

We also spent tons of time in the garden tonight, mowing and raking our out-of-control grass and laying down lasagna gardens for some native plants we purchased at the farmers market. By the time I finally got inside, I was sweaty, gross and desperately needed a shower and dinner.

Thank God for asparagus. It's the perfect fast food.

Roasted Asparagus (w/ Herb-Roasted Potatoes & Oven-Grilled 'Sausage')

1 pound fresh asparagus
one hefty drizzle olive oil
a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar
one large pinch sea salt
several shakes fresh ground pepper

leftover Herb-Roasted Potatoes (from Vegan w/ a Vengeance)
2 Tofurkey Italian sausages, halved lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. Drizzle/sprinkle the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over the asparagus and spread over two cookie sheets. Spread the potatoes on the lower half of one of the cookie sheets. Spray the sausages with oil and put cut side down on a cast iron grill pan.

Put everything in the oven. Set your timer for 10-15 minutes. Go shower and come back to delicious steaming hot food.

Asparagus in a Blanket
Shamelessly borrowed from Megan the Vegan.

16 spears asparagus
a little olive oil
1 package reduced fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the ends off the asparagus and toss with the oil. Place two spears on the long end of a crescent roll triangle and roll them up so they form a ring around the spears. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat with grainy mustard!

Adventures in homemade soy milk

So because my parents are extraordinarily understanding (and well trained), I got a soy milk maker for my birthday this year. I just took it for its first spin, and I have to say I'm very impressed! It's not exactly the same as store bought, but it's really very tasty. To me, it tastes a little more like rice milk than traditional soy milk, but it's very good indeed. Hooray! I think next time I'll try brown rice and barley, which I've heard thickens it up a bit.

I have to give props to Bryanna's homemade soy milk FAQ, which I religiously studied before attempting anything.

Ingredients
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp dry soybeans
3 Tbsp rice
2-3 Tbsp brown rice syrup
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
water

Equipment
SoyQuick soy milk maker
colander
cheesecloth or muslin (I used the tofu cloth that came with the soy milk maker)
whisk
kitchen gloves
large glass jar w/ lid (I used a former home for artichoke hearts from Costco)

Follow Bryanna's instructions to the letter. Let the soy milk cool completely in the refrigerator before greedily sucking it down.

Ingredient Notes: I used red cargo rice, which turned the milk slightly pink. The last time I was at Costco, I picked up a huge bottle of organic pancake syrup for $3, which turned out to be brown rice syrup plus butter pecan flavoring. That's what I used in this recipe, and it's delicious. I've been using RealSalt lately, which is a mineral salt from Utah. And I used the Laura soybeans that came with the soy milk maker, although tomorrow I'm going to pick up regular dried soybeans from the health food store. Next time, I think I'll experiment with a little less water... this batch turned out just a little watery for my taste.

Aspiring but not perfect

These days, I eat a primarily vegan diet... probably somewhere in the vicinity of 90-95%. But I'm not perfect on that score, and there have always been exceptions to my rules.

I've never worried much about beeswax or honey, for instance (although I might start, considering the plight of the American honeybee these days). I don't freak out if I think there might be fish sauce in my Thai food. If a friend cooks a meal for me that she thinks is meat and dairy free, I'll eat it without reading her labels (even if I find out later that there's some animal-derived ingredient lurking in the recesses).

And about once a year, the boy and I make a trip up to some farms north of Des Moines, where we sample goat cheese and ice cream made from happy cows and goats we've personally petted in their barns. This year, I brought home some chevre. I think we'll indulge tonight while we watch Masterpiece Theatre on PBS.

While I would understand if anyone disagreed with my exceptions, I don't feel bad about them. I'm not on a crusade to be sinless. I'm just doing my best to reduce the amount of harm I inflict on the planet and its inhabitants. Having a little goat cheese once a year doesn't nullify the choices I've made the other 364 days.

Gingery Golden Beet Detox Soup & Homemade Veggie Broth

Gingery Golden Beet Detox Soup
===================================

Tonight after yoga, we stopped by the brand-new Gateway Market at MLK, just south of 235 (is that Woodland Ave?). It's already a marvelous bright spot in the center of Des Moines, and once there's more fresh local produce, it'll be truly phenomenal. They had some lovely golden beets for $2/pound, so I was inspired to make this version of my Autumn EquiDetox Soup when I got home with my booty. I used homemade veggie broth and was surprised to discover that the finished version needed no salt. If you don't like beets, give golden beets a try. They're surprisingly mild and sweet.

1 tsp olive oil
1 golden beet, sliced thinly
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 apple, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley or 1 cup cooked kamut
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 knuckle-sized piece fresh ginger, grated
fresh pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium-large soup pot. Add the beet slices and saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the beets are starting to yield to a fork. Add the quinoa and stir for another 2 minutes, or until the quinoa is popping in earnest. Add the garam masala, garlic and apple and stir for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, barley or kamut, and veggie broth. Grate the ginger into the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, covered, or until the quinoa is translucent and the beets and barley are tender. Season with pepper to taste.

Homemade Veggie Broth
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2 carrots, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or smashed
2-3 sundried tomatoes
1 apple, chopped
2 bay leaves
10-15 peppercorns
1/4 tsp sea salt
8-10 cups water

Put in a covered crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Gluten-travaganza!

I made the No-Knead Bread again tonight, with a few changes: I used 1 cup stoneground whole wheat, 2 cups unbleached all purpose and only added 1 tsp salt. I did the first rise from 11pm to 5:30pm, then skipped the second rise. I just set the folded dough out on the floured cutting board covered with an upside down bowl while I preheated the oven + crock pot. It still turned out perfect! Tender and fluffy on the inside, crisp and crackly on the outside.

The other sensational recipe around these parts is the famous Veggeroni/Seitan O' Greatness. I used Susan's version of the recipe from Fat Free Vegan, who got it from Lachesis on the PPK boards, who might have gotten it from a cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak. It's been around the block a few times, to be sure. And it's absolutely every bit as tasty as everyone says. Almost as good as the Tofurkey sausages, but way cheaper. This is probably the only seitan that I've snacked on plain. I like it sliced, cold, with barbecue sauce. Yum!

Spicy BBQ Veggeroni/Seitan O' Greatness

The Dry:
1-1/4 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt (I usually skimp on salt, but this one really needs the full amount)
2 tsp paprika
1/4 dried chipotle pepper, ground to a powder
a few pinches of cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

The Wet:
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2/3 cup water
4 Tbsp barbecue sauce
3/4 tsp liquid smoke

Preheat the oven to 325. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients, stirring until smooth. Dump the wet into the dry, combine with a spoon (or your hands). Knead for a few minutes, or until the gluten starts to stiffen up a little. Roll into a log 7-8 inches long. Place the log on a sheet of aluminum foil, roll up tightly and twist the ends shut. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the log over. Bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the foil to cool. Slice and consume!

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from the now-famous Sullivan Street Bakery recipe.

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp water
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/4 tsp each cornmeal and sesame seeds (optional)

STEP 1: MIX & RISE
Whisk the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl until blended. Add the water and stir until a shaggy dough is formed. Put the bowl of dough in a plastic bag, twist-tie it, and set it in the oven with the oven light on to rise for 18-20 hours.

STEP 2 (12-18 HOURS LATER): FLOOP AND RISE
Spray a medium sized glass bowl with oil. Liberally smear a surface and your hands with flour, dump out the dough and fold it in on itself twice. Put the dough lump in the oiled bowl and cover it with a very well floured cotton towel. Let rise for another 2-3 hours.

STEP 3 (2 HOURS LATER): PREHEAT AND BAKE
30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven and a covered ceramic pot at 475 degrees. Peel the towel carefully off the dough. Take the heated pan out, sprinkle sesame seeds and cornmeal on the bottom (optional) and dump in the dough. Cover the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off and bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and gorgeous.

STEP 4: WAIT! THEN EAT!
Cool on a rack or cutting board for at least 45 minutes until you cut into it. (It's still cooking!)

Notes: You may need more or less water depending on the consistency of your whole wheat flour. You want it to be shaggy and sticky. Next time I'm going to try for 1 cup stoneground whole wheat flour and 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour. Num num num. I use my ceramic crock pot insert for baking the bread. (I took off the plastic knob.) The past few times, I've just wrapped the lid in foil so as not to let the steam escape. Today, I replaced the original knob with a ceramic drawer pull from the hardware store. I had to buy a pack of 8-32" thick shorter screws and some washers to complete the installation.

Variation: Add 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1/4 cup sucanat, 2 Tbsp cinnamon and 3 handfuls raisins to the first mix. Cinnamon raisin bread!

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Crispy Eggplant Strips

Paula's Butternut Squash Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 apple, diced
1 tsp curry powder
1/3 chipotle pepper, pounded to powder
1 veg bouillon cube
1-1/2 cups water
1 butternut squash, cooked, peeled and cubed (or 4 cups puree or 2 packages frozen squash)
orange juice to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and apple and saute for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the curry powder and chipotle dust and cook for 1 more minute, stirring. Add the bouillon cube, water and squash and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until everything is soft. Puree about half the soup with a stick blender. Taste and add orange juice until all the flavors wake up.

Crispy Eggplant Strips

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
a few shakes black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
all-purpose flour
plain soy milk or water
canola oil
1/3 cup marinara sauce for dipping

Sprinkle the eggplant strips with salt and let sit for a few minutes. Mix the bread/cracker crumbs, yeast, pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl. Set up your assembly line: eggplant strips, bowl of flour, bowl of soy milk, bowl of breadcrumb mixture, frying pan. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Take each eggplant strip, dip it in flour, then in soy milk, then coat it in breadcrumbs. Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce.

Cajun Beans-n-Greens w/ Sausage & Polenta

I came up with this after a vigorous late afternoon of pulling ivy out of our neglected flower bed. We were both hungry, so I needed something quick and hearty. This was one of those peruse the pantry, peruse the refigerator, pull stuff randomly out of both, throw in pot and cook until tasty recipes. It cooked in just under ten minutes, and we gobbled up every last scrap.

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
10 or so 'tamed' jalepeno slices, chopped (or canned diced green chiles)
1 Tofurky sausage, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp tomato paste and/or salsa
1/3 cup water
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 shakes liquid smoke
3 big handfuls baby spinach or 1/2 pkg frozen greens
More salsa or pickle relish for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, jalepeno slices and diced Tofurkey and cook for 5 minutes, or until things are starting to brown and stick to the pan a little. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and stir for another minute. Add the tomato paste, water, beans and liquid smoke and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the spinach or frozen greens and cook until wilted/thawed. Serve over grilled polenta and topped with more salsa or sweet pickle relish (Yes, I like sweet pickle relish on beans... it's a weird childhood thing).

Microwave Polenta
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I took this from Fat Free Vegan's blog. What a miracle! So easy, and so convenient to use once it's cooked up. I've been throwing slices of polenta in everything this week.

2 cups water
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. yellow cornmeal or boxed dry polenta
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil (optional)
black pepper to taste

Combine cornmeal, salt and water in a microwaveable bowl. Cook for 6 minutes. Stir. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir again, adding the olive oil (I forgot to add the oil, and it came out just fine). Spray a smallish dish with olive oil and pour/ladle the cornmeal goop into it. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, you will have delicious, homemade polenta!

You can then slice it about 1/4 inch thick, spray the slices with olive oil, and grill it, brown it in a pan, bake it on a cookie sheet, or microwave it topped with something tasty (like pesto! or tomato-olive sauce! or leftover soup!).