Stir-Fry with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Garlic & Thai Basil Sauce, Chinese Long Beans, Jasmine Rice, Lotus Root Chips

Dinner 2/05

Stir-Fry with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Garlic & Thai Basil Sauce

Chinese Long Beans

Jasmine Rice

Lotus Root Chips

The sauce can be made many ways according to your garlic/basil/heat preference. We like them all. ;)

Garlic & Thai Basil Sauce

Start with a 1 tbs. of canola oil and saute 2 tbs. minced shallot, 1 tbs. ginger, 1 thai bird chile (remove the seeds for a less hot version) and as much garlic as you can humanly handle. We've been known to use an entire small head.

After a minute or so, add 1/4 cup of thinly sliced thai basil (or more if you like it that way). Stir until wilted.

Add a cup of water, 2 tbs. of tamari, 1 tbs. agave and 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice and bring it all to a simmer and let the flavors develop for 5 minutes. In a small cup or bowl, mix 1 tbs. cornstarch with an equal amount of water, whisk to combine, and whisk into the sauce, until it thickens.

Serve hot over your stir-fried veggies and tofu.



If you had lotus root chips, you would have a tiger guard them too...



King Trumpet Mushroom or State of Minnesota? You Decide.

Tags: thai basil, chiles, garlic, tofu, chinese long beans, lotus root, jasmine rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Torta al Testo

Dinner 2/04

Torta al Testo

We came across this one while watching "Lidia's Italy" on PBS and sort of reverse engineered it. Just use your favorite pizza dough recipe with enough dough to fill 2 12-inch cast-iron skillets.



After a short baking time, remove, split in half...



...and add the filling: shiitake mushrooms, soy sausages, red onion, chiles, dinosaur kale and Daiya.



Spread the filling on the bottom half of the torta, put the top half back on and bake in the oven until the Dayia melts.



Why yes, it does looks like a novelty burger that a guy on a TV show might eat as part of a bar bet... ;)

Tags: torta, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, chiles, lacinato kale, dayia, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Taco Salad with Blood Oranges, Stuffed Mini-Peppers

Raw Food Wednesday 2/03

Taco Salad with Blood Oranges

Stuffed Mini-Peppers

We made the taco salad again, slightly changing a couple of things around. The shells used fresh and sun-dried tomatoes in place of the red bell peppers, and the filling included supremed blood oranges pieces as well as using the juice for the salad dressing base -- 1 tsp. blood orange juice, pinch of salt, with 1 tbs. olive oil whisked together until emulsified.

Liz made the stuffed mini-pepper with a pine nut and hemp seed filling which made for a nice one-bite appetizer.

Tomato Tortillas
(makes approximately 6 large tortillas)

1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup water
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped in half
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water for 20 minutes
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. nama shoyu
1 jalapeño, diced
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 tsp. fresh ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Put the flax seeds in a spice grinder and process, then add to the vita-mix along with the water and let sit for 15 minutes. Put the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients into the Vita-Mix and process on high until smooth.

Spread out the mixture into 10" rounds with an offset spatula and dehydrate around an hour on 105F. Carefully flip the tortillas and dehydrate for an additional 30-40 minutes or so. Take a peak at this point to make sure they're not too dry -- you want them flexible enough so you can mold them later. You can make these a day in advance and store in the fridge if needed.

Place the tortillas inside the taco shell mold and dehydrate for 2 hours which will set the shape. Gently remove the tortilla from the mold, flip the mold over, and drape the tortilla over the inverted mold and dehydrate for another 2 hours. This allows the other side and base to dry evenly, as well making for a crispy bowl.

Tags: tomato, sun-dried tomato, blood orange, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Orange Sesame Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

Dinner 2/02

Orange Sesame Quinoa Salad With Roasted Beets

A recipe for Isa's next book consisting of quinoa, currants, orange sumpremes, roasted beets and toasted sesame seeds on a bed of red leaf lettuce.

The quinoa and currant mixture was plated with an ice cream scoop, because I don't know how to leave well enough alone. ;)

This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Tags: quinoa, oranges, beets, sesame seeds, red leaf lettuce, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake

Dessert 1/30

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake

A perennial breakfast favorite around here, made with whatever fruit happens to be on hand...

Pineapple Skillet Upside-Down Cake
(serves 8)

6 tablespoons soy margarine
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3 cups cubed (or sliced) pineapple
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup white (non-bone char) sugar
1 tbs. ground flax mixed with 1 tbs. water
3/4 cup soy yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and position rack in the middle.

In a small bowl mix the flax seed and water and set aside.

Melt the soy margarine in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, swirl it until it turns nut-brown, then pour it in a bowl. Without wiping it out, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the skillet and then place the pineapple in an even layer.

In a bowl, whisk the flours, salt and baking soda and powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the white sugar into the browned soy margarine until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the flax seed mixture and then the soy yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter evenly over the fruit. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is golden and the center is springy to touch.

Let cool 10 minutes. Carefully invert the skillet onto a plate. Serve warm.

(From the @rick_bayless book "Mexican Everyday")

Tags: pineapple, cast-iron, cake, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Cretan Stew

Dinner 1/29

Cretan Stew

We took a trip in the wayback machine to March 2006 for tonight's recipe: a hearty seitan, wine, orange and onion stew from the island of Crete. Served over gobetti pasta.

Tags: seitan, oranges, pasta, stew, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Ramen with Fennel Broth, Oolong Tea Smoked Tofu and Grilled Maitake Mushrooms

Dinner 1/28

Ramen with Fennel Broth, Oolong Tea Smoked Tofu and Grilled Maitake Mushrooms

The fennel broth is made with the leftover trimmings and fronds from the fennel and adds a subtle flavor to the bowl -- it's vaguely anise flavored, without tasting like you're biting into a giant chunk of licorice. Paired with the aromatic oolong tea-smoked tofu (hiding underneath the noodles) and the incredibly smokey grilled maitake mushrooms (marinated with tamari, olive oil and pepper), there was quite the party going on in the bowl. ;)

Tags: ramen, tofu, carrots, fennel, oolong tea, maitake, mushrooms, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pad Thai, redux

Lunch 1/28

Pad Thai

There's no real reason to post this other than the pretty picture of leftover raw Pad Thai for FTW! ;)

Tags: pad thai, raw food, raw, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Pad Thai, Siamese Dream Thai Curry Soup

Raw Food Wednesday 1/27

Pad Thai

Siamese Dream Thai Curry Soup

We tweaked an old favorite tonight, riffing on the Trotter/Klein Pad Thai recipe by adding spiralized daikon, along with zucchini, carrot, red cabbage, red bell pepper, young coconut meat, jalapeno, cilantro and putting them in butter lettuce cups and eating them as wraps.

The curry soup is a recipe from Matt Amsden's RAWvolution with slightly less curry than called for and dehydrated shiitake mushrooms on top.

Tags: pad thai, young coconut, carrot, zucchini, red cabbage, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Arabian Lentil And Rice Soup With Cumin And Lemon

Dinner 1/26

Arabian Lentil And Rice Soup With Cumin And Lemon

Brown basmati rice and red lentils plus the addition of cumin and lemon adds up to another winning test recipe for Isa's next book.

We've never used brown basmati before, it's nutty, chewy texture works well paired with the creamy red lentils in this very hearty soup.


This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Tags: brown basmati rice, red lentils, cumin, lemon, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Carrot Rolls with Cabbage & Apple Slaw, Walnut Balls in Brussels Sprout Cups, Shaved Fennel, Baby Arugula & Orange Salad

Raw Food Wednesday 1/20

Carrot Rolls with Cabbage & Apple Slaw

Walnut Balls in Brussels Sprout Cups

Shaved Fennel, Baby Arugula & Orange Salad

We're cleaning out our storage space (a.k.a. Der Bunker), and we "found" these plates again. In honor of finding them, we did a "one ingredient three ways" using oranges.



First up was a carrot/orange wrap (made the same way as last week's tomatillo tortilla, adding the juice of one orange). It was stuffed with a quick shredded cabbage and apple slaw which was dressed with an orange vinaigrette (whisk one part orange and a pinch of salt together, then drizzle/whisk in three parts olive oil). Tied together with a strand of scallion.



Second was Walnut Balls in Brussels Sprout Cups. The balls were made of walnut, orange zest, fennel seed, parsley, oregano, red pepper flake and nama shoyu processed in the vita-mix until the walnuts had broken down and the mixture held together. They were shaped into balls and dehydrated for 2 hours @ 105F. The Brussels Sprout Cups were gently removed from the sprout and dropped in the orange vinaigrette for a few seconds, then the walnuts placed inside.



Finally, the Shaved Fennel, Baby Arugula and Orange Salad -- the fennel was shaved on the mandoline and marinated in the orange vinaigrette, topped with the baby arugula (dropped in the you guessed it: orange vinaigrette) and orange supremes.

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, oranges, walnuts, arugula, fennel, brussels sprouts, carrot, dehydrator, cabbage, apple, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Broiled Blackened Tofu, Pineapple Collards, Grilled Okra Popsicles

Dinner 1/19

Broiled Blackened Tofu

Pineapple Collards

Okra Popsicles

Two more test recipes for Isa, a Louisiana-styled blend of spices coating the tofu, which is run under the broiler until blackened in spots. Underneath that is garlicky collard greens laced with cubed pineapple -- a really nice combo.



The okra were marinated in a 2:1 mixture of melted soy margarine & tamari, then basted occasionally on the grill with the leftovers. You want to make sure the okra is blackened in spots and is cooked through completely.

Tags: okra, tofu, collard greens, pineapple, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan Osso Buco, Polenta

Dinner 1/14

Seitan Osso Buco

Polenta

The recipe for the Seitan Osso Buco is here. We didn't change much, perhaps a few extra carrots to bulk it up this time around. We used a 2005 Coturri Founder's Series Estate Zinfandel (unfiltered/unfined) for the wine portion of the stew, which added a rich depth and color to final dish. Thankfully, there was enough left over to have with the meal as well. ;)

The polenta makes a surprise return appearance tonight. A surprise in that our son, who has previously expressed disdain for polenta, loved it so much the other night that's all he was talking about in the days between servings. He's also had a recent reversal of opinion on risotto as well. Now, we haven't changed the way we've made either dish, nor can we explain it on a simple change in the type of cornmeal or the arborio rice we used. We can only chalk it up to a changing of his palate. Now, if we can just get him to like couscous...

Tags: polenta, seitan, carrots, coturri, stew, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Tomatillo Enchiladas, Pineapple Salsa, Baby Romaine and Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Raw Food Wednesday 1/13

Tomatillo Enchiladas

Pineapple Salsa

Baby Romaine and Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

yeah, these were insanely good...

Tomatillo Tortillas
(makes 12 tortillas)

1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup water
6 medium tomatillos, de-husked, washed and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 jalapeño, de-seeded, roughly chopped
2 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 tsp. fresh ground cumin
1 tbs. Nama Shoyu

Normally, we soak the flax seeds with the water and let sit for 15 minutes. This time we ground the flax seeds coarsely and then soaked them with the water. Put the flax seeds and the rest of the ingredients into the Vita-Mix and process on high until smooth.

Pour the mixture into four (roughly) 7" circles about 1/4" thick on each teflex sheet and dehydrate at 105F for 1 hour.

Remove from the dehydrator and gently flip over onto another tray. The best way to do this is to place another tray upside down on top of the first one and flip them both over. then peel back the teflex slooooowly -- you might need an offset spatula to get under the edge and start the separation. Put the enchilada shells back in the dehydrator for another 30-45 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as you don't want to over dehydrate and make them too rigid. At this point they're ready to use. If you're making them ahead of time, you can place them between sheets of parchment paper in the fridge.



The filling was cashew cheese (mixed with jalapeno & scallions and dehydrated for six hours), red bell pepper, serrano and shallot "rajas" (recipe below) and finally the walnut taco filling (from RAWvolution). Topped with Pineapple Salsa (pineapple, red bell pepper, tomatillo, serrano chile, nama shoyu, fresh ground cumin, lime juice).

Rajas

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. nama shoyu
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 serrano chiles, thinly sliced

Toss all of the ingredients together and dehydrate for 1-2 hours at 105F.

Tags: pineapple, tomatillo, romaine, avocado, lime, red bell pepper, lime, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

40 Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli

Dinner 1/12

40 Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli

We're getting back into the test recipe swing with tonight's meal of broccoli and chickpeas with enough garlic to satisfy citizens of Gilroy, CA. ;)

The kids wanted seconds, which is always a good sign...

This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Tags: chickpeas, broccoli, garlic, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666