what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?: June 2006

Friday, June 30, 2006

Seitan and Okra Stew, Red Peas and Rice, Pepperpot Soup

Dinner 6/30

Seitan and Okra Stew
(seitan, onion, garlic, okra, salt, pepper)

Red Peas and Rice
(red kidney beans, jasmine rice, coconut milk, salt, pepper)

Pepperpot Soup
(collard greens, dinosaur kale, chayote, yam, scallion, okra, Scotch Bonnet pepper, veg stock, tamari, coconut milk, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper)

Time to fire up Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby on the iPod and get on down with the dub stylee...

The red peas (kidney beans) and rice is a Jamaican classic, as is the okra stew -- surprisingly our son is really digging the okra these days as well. The Pepperpot Soup was sublime -- loads of flavor, texture and controlled heat (from the Scotch Bonnet pepper). Leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Rhombi Pasta with Grilled Asparagus, Tomatoes and Basil, Ciabatta

Dinner 6/29

Rhombi Pasta with Grilled Asparagus, Tomatoes and Basil

Ciabatta

I'm not quite sure what would happen if pasta wasn't vegan ;)

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Zucchini Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato and Crimini Mushrooms,Yellow Tomato Gazpacho, "Greek" Salad

Raw Food Wednesday 6/28

Zucchini Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato and Crimini Mushrooms
(zucchini tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper; mushrooms/tomatoes tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, nama shoyu, and dehydrated for 30 minutes at 110F)

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
(yellow tomato, cucumber, garlic, scallion, basil, apple cider vinegar, olive oil)

"Greek" Salad
(from Trotter/Klein: "feta" cheese, kalmata olive, yellow beans, cucumber, tomato, cinnamon, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, pea shoots)

another sort of "greatest hits" night -- and in fitting in with this week's quick-and-easy theme, the meal was made in the last 30 minutes before eating (although the "feta" was started in the morning).

Because of family scheduling, RFW may have to take a couple weeks of vacation, but it'll be back as soon as possible...

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Oyster Mushrooms over Rhombi Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Steamed Broccoli with Vegan Parmesan

Dinner 6/27

Oyster Mushrooms over Rhombi Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Steamed Broccoli with Vegan Parmesan

You can tell summer has arrived in Ohio -- the humidity is up around 90% again. We're definitely in "easy-and-quick" meal mode these days...

Monday, June 26, 2006

1000th Stir-Fry!

Dinner 6/26

1000th Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, scallion, snow peas, rooster sauce)

Jasmine Rice

Since we became vegetarian 20 years ago (vegan 13 years now), this is our 1000th Stir-Fry *.

* yes, that's a joke... ;)

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Bruschetta, Grilled Corn, Grilled Asparagus

Dinner 6/25

Bruschetta
(tomato, zucchini, scapes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper)

Grilled Corn

Grilled Asparagus

sadly, the battery died before I could get shots of the corn and asparagus, but at least it hung in there for the bruschetta ;)

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Roast Tofu with Jerusalem Artichokes, Morel Mushrooms, Braised Leeks, Spinach Salad, Ciabatta

Dinner 6/24

Roast Tofu with Jerusalem Artichokes
(tofu, olive oil, green olives, garlic, shallots, lemon peel, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper)

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Morel Mushrooms

Braised Leeks

Spinach Salad with Dried Cherries, Pine Nuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Jerusalem Artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) are very crisp and work really well with the lemon in the sauce...

Friday, June 23, 2006

Griddle Cakes stuffed with Scapes, Steamed Artichokes, Potato Pierogi

Dinner 6/23

Griddle Cakes stuffed with Scapes
(scapes, onion, harissa)

Steamed Artichoke
(lemon dipping sauce)

Potato Pierogi

Honestly, it's the last of the griddle cakes ;) We were out grocery shopping and to make room in the fridge, we needed to eat the last griddle cakes and the kids had the last batch of the frozen potato pierogi and a stray one escaped from the kids dinner onto our plates...

(By the way, hello to all the folks who have visited from this page...)

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Jambalaya, Tomato and Okra Stew

Dinner 6/22

Jambalaya
(seitan, soyrizo, onion, fennel, cayenne, chile powder, jasmine rice, veg stock, salt, pepper, parsley)

Tomato and Okra Stew
(olive oil, onion, okra, tomato, parsley, salt and pepper)

Just before the seventh level of hell opened directly above the house and unleashed about a foot of rain, it seemed only appropriate to have some New Orleans style food.

I don't know if I can convey how just how odd it is that a guy who has lived in the shadow of the Great Lakes all his life can love Okra as much as I do. Admittedly, it came to me late -- only 10 years ago or so, but it is real soul food to me...

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Yellow Beet Ravioli, Caesar Salad, Mango, Avocado and Coconut Soup

Raw Food Wednesday 6/21

Yellow Beet Ravioli stuffed with Cashew Cheese over Tomato Confit

Caesar Salad
(romaine lettuce, yellow tomato, "feta" cheese with a dressing of celery, date, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper)

Mango, Avocado and Coconut Soup
(serrano chile, thai basil, scallion, coconut water, mango, avocado, salt, pepper)

Dessert

Not-Quite-Raw Chocolate Pudding with Raspberries

sort of a greatest hits night -- the beet ravioli stuffed with cashew cheese, the caesar salad and chocolate pudding -- along with a new soup -- mango/avocado/coconut...

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Griddle Cakes Stuffed with Scapes, Pomegranate Eggplant and Tofu over Mashed Potatoes

Dinner 6/20

Griddle Cakes
(stuffed with diced scapes, harissa, onions)

Pomegranate Eggplant and Tofu over Mashed Potatoes

We still have a bit of scapes left from our haul at the Farmer's Market, so we decided to make the griddle cakes again, but tried a different approach to folding them -- all in an effort to get as much of the dough hitting the pan evenly, so there are no undercooked spots. Tonight attempt looks a bit like a Taco Bell advertisement, but works nonetheless...

Monday, June 19, 2006

Hoisin Tofu, Refried Jasmine Rice, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 6/19

Hoisin Tofu

Refried Jasmine Rice
(sesame oil, rice, tamari)

Gyoza
(shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage, mushroom sauce)

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts
(brussel sprouts, canola oil, salt, pepper, tamari, sake)

big thunderstorms = little cooking time ;)

Sunday, June 18, 2006

BBQ Tofu, Potato Salad, Green Bean and Yellow Tomato Salad

Dinner 6/18

BBQ Tofu
(hickory smoked tofu with a barbecue sauce made from mustard seed, cumin seed, smoked paprika, smoked salt, black cardamom, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, jalapeno, red onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, agave)

Potato Salad
(petit yukon, sherry vinegar, vegenaise, salt, pepper, parsley, scallion)

Green Bean and Yellow Tomato Salad
(blanched haricot verts, yellow tomatoes, romaine lettuce, vegenaise, parsley, salt and pepper)

yes, summer is here with BBQ and two types of summer salads -- just working out some ideas for a future catering gig. The BBQ sauce in particular was very smoky with a good balance of heat and sweet...

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Mapo Tofu, Broccoli and Shiitake Mushrooms, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 6/17

Mapo Tofu
(tofu, garlic, ginger, rooster sauce, black bean sauce, tvp, sherry, tamari, water, cornstarch, scallions, szechuan pepper)

Jasmine Rice

Steamed/Seared Broccoli with Shiitake Mushrooms

As we (finally) wind down our yard renovation, the simple, yet spicy, Mapo Tofu (Doufu) is a well earned reward... now to relax and let the sunburn heal ;)

Friday, June 16, 2006

Carciofi Ripieni, Fava Beans, Herb Stuffed Focaccia

Dinner 6/16

Carciofi Ripieni
(artichoke braised in veg stock stuffed with a mixture of olive oil, parsley, garlic and pine nuts)

Fava Beans
(fava, olive oil, salt and pepper)

Baked/Fried Tofu

Herb Stuffed Focaccia
(oregano, thyme, rosemary)

I've been promising to cook the artichokes differently for ages, and tonight I finally broke down and did one of them as a braise -- just in case it didn't work out there was the regular steamed artichoke as back-up ;)

We didn't need it, as the classic method was intensely flavorful. The broth, after it had reduced down, was so tasty that we ended up using it as a dipping sauce, and the rest was soaked up by the focaccia.

The kids again helped with the Fava Beans, cutting the prep time by 2/3rds -- and was a nice time to sit around the table and just talk as a family...

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Raw Food Thursday: Pistachio Tart with Red Pepper "Cheese", Fennel Salad, Beet Chips, Red and Yellow Gazpacho

Raw Food Thursday 6/15

(We felt bad about skipping RFW a few weeks ago, so we decided last week to go two nights in a row this week. Tonight's theme was a raw tapas selection...)

Pistachio Tart with Red Pepper Cashew Cheese and Marinated Baby Shiitake

Shaved Fennel Salad

Red and Yellow Gazpacho

Beet Chips

the tart was easy to make -- the pistachios were soaked for an hour, then chopped up in the vita-mix along with a zucchini, almond flour, flax seed powder, paprika, nama shoyu and pepper and pressed into a tart mold and dehydrated for 4 hours at 110F. Then the Red Pepper Cheese -- 1 cup of Trotter's cashew cheese mixed with the puree of 1 red bell pepper, 1 tbs. of lime juice and a pinch of salt -- which was dehydrated for 6 hours at 110F -- was piped inside the tart and dehydrated for another hour or so. Topped with baby shiitakes which were marinated in olive oil, garlic, nama shoyu, salt and pepper.

The Fennel Salad was shaved baby fennel, marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. topped with fronds and scallion.

The Beets were cut on the benriner, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and raw agave -- dehydrated for 2 hours at 110F

as for the soups: red bell pepper, red tomato, cucumber, braggs liquid amino, garlic, paprika, serrano chile, salt, pepper, olive oil. yellow bell pepper, yellow tomato, cucumber, braggs liquid amino, garlic, cumin, serrano chile, salt, pepper, olive oil.
both topped with scallions.

all we needed was a green soup ;)

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Eggplant Ravioli stuffed with "Ricotta" Cheese, Yellow Beet Borscht, Romaine Salad with Caesar Dressing

Raw Food Wednesday 6/14

Eggplant Ravioli stuffed with "Ricotta" Cheese topped with Marinara Sauce over Zucchini Spaghetti
(ricotta: macadamia, cashew, pine nut, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, sea salt)

Yellow Beet Borscht
(yellow beet, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, jalapeno, scallion, avocado, red cabbage, apple, dill, sea salt and pepper)

Romaine Salad with Caesar Dressing
(dressing: celery, dates, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper)

The eggplant was a grafitti -- smaller and thinner than a regular purple ones -- less bitter and fewer seeds -- which made the "dumplings" smaller as well.

The borscht was a riff on Juliano's Borscht #2, swapping out the regular beet with the brightly colored yellow variety -- tip: after juicing the beet, add the orange juice to keep it from oxidizing and losing the beautiful color.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Black Bean and Seitan, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 6/13

Black Bean and Seitan
(with shiitake mushrooms and scapes)

Jasmine Rice

sort of a riff on the traditional Chinese Black Beans and Beef. We added the scapes -- from Bill at Rootstown Organic Farms -- for the garlic punch, and the shiitakes -- from Thomas Wiandt of Killbuck Valley Mushrooms -- both of which we picked up at the Shaker Square Farmer's Market last Saturday.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Deep-Fried Baby Artichokes, Grilled Asparagus, Focaccia with Grilled Portobella Mushrooms, Bistro Salad

Dinner 6/12

Deep-Fried Baby Artichokes
(with Garlic Aioli. Trimmed and cut in half, then deep fried at 375°F for 8-10 minutes)

Grilled Asparagus
(Blanched, then marinated with olive oil, tamari, salt and pepper, and finally, grilled)

Focaccia with Grilled Portobella Mushrooms

Bistro Salad
(romaine lettuce, shallots, vegenaise, soy parmesan, salt, pepper)

Another meal made mostly from the Farmer's Market -- the asparagus were outstanding, grilled just the way we like 'em -- plump, juicy and bursting with flavor. You would think the baby artichokes would disintegrate in the oil over the 8 minutes of cooking time, but they come out perfectly cooked and are eaten in one shot after being dipped in the garlic aioli (roasted garlic mixed with vegenaise).

Sunday, June 11, 2006

A Tale of Two Pizza's

Dinner 6/11

Focaccia Bread Pizza

west side: tomato sauce and soy cheese

east side: red onion, shiitake mushrooms, scapes and smoked yukon gold potatoes

One focaccia was big enough for both pizzas -- and leftovers.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Smoked Purple Potatoes, Morels Mushrooms, Grilled Asparagus, Ciabatta, Salad, Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner 6/10

Morel Mushrooms
(pan-fried with a splash of tamari at the end)

Smoked Purple Potatoes
(with hickory wood)

Grilled Asparagus
(blanched, then marniated with olive oil, salt, pepper and tamari, and finally, grilled)

Mixed Greens Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Homemade Ciabatta

Dessert

Straberries Macerated in 25-year-old Balsamic Vinegar

The strawberries came from our trip to the Shaker Square Farmer's Market. Sadly, I didn't bring the camera like last year's trip, but we'll be going back up there soon enough... The strawberries however -- OMFG -- they were amazing! Combined with the 25-year-old balsamic, I could have eaten the entire 2 pints without coming up for air ;)

Friday, June 09, 2006

Stir-Fry with Oolong Smoked Tofu, Jasmine Rice, Tempura

Dinner 6/9

Stir-Fry
(smoked tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, scallion, garlic, ginger, tamari)

Refried Jasmine Rice
(rice, tamari, sesame oil)

Tempura
(scape and crimini mushrooms)

We're out working in our yard this week -- re-landscaping some of the side and backyard areas, with lots of weeding and mulching going on (no chemicals however... ah, don't get me started).

We smoked the tofu with oolong tea tonight -- this time with the smoker box as opposed to the chopstick and wok version like we did the last go around. The same outstanding results though... ;)

The tempura, as always, is fabulous -- the trick is using soda water in the batter ;)

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Griddle Cakes, Pomegranate BBQ Tofu, Chickpea and Arugula Soup, Steamed Artichokes,

Dinner 6/8

Griddle Cakes Stuffed With Scapes
(from Paula Wolfort's Mediterranean Grains and Greens)

Pomegranate BBQ Tofu
(tofu, tamari, pomegranate syrup)

Chickpea and Arugula Soup
(onion, garlic, celery, carrot, smoked paprika, veg stock, tamari, salt, pepper)

Steamed Artichokes
(monster artichokes -- the biggest we've ever seen)

It's scape season, so that means we break out one of our all-time favorite recipes from Paula Wolfort -- Griddle Cakes. The filling is a mixture of onion, scapes (both the the tip and body) and herbs. The filling is wrapped inside a dough and pan-fried. Expect for scape action tomorrow...

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Pad Thai, Yellow Bell Pepper, Coconut and Thai Basil Soup

Raw Food Wednesday 6/7

Raw Pad Thai
(from Charlie Trotter/Roxanne Klein: young coconut, zucchini, carrot, red cabbage, carrot, jalapeno, apple, scallion, tamarind sauce)

Yellow Bell Pepper, Coconut and Thai Basil Soup

The young coconuts were very easy to crack, and peel for a change -- usually it's something akin to a horror film, entailing a hatchet and lots of screaming ;)

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Seitan Stroganoff, Morel Mushrooms, Smoked Fingerling Potatoes, Smoked Tomato Salad

Dinner 6/6

Seitan Stroganoff
(onion, seitan, roux, veg stock, mustard, soy sour cream, salt, pepper)

Morel Mushrooms
(pan-fried in olive oil with a splash of tamari at the end)

Smoked Fingerling Potatoes
(tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked for 30 minutes with hickory wood)

Smoked Tomato Salad
(tomatoes smoked for 15 minutes with alder wood, pureed with olive oil and sherry vinegar, salt and pepper for the dressing)

OK, the whole 666 thing, yada, yada, yada -- of course we made seitan, how could we not be soooooooo obvious? ;)

the really frightening thing? the two starches (pasta and potatoes)...

Monday, June 05, 2006

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Braised Kale and Chickpeas, Artichoke and Red Bell Pepper Salad

Dinner 6/5

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes
(onion, garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, soy parmesan, pepper)

Braised Kale and Chickpeas
(onion, garlic, olive oil, dinosaur kale, chickpeas, baked tofu, tamari, pepper)

Artichoke and Red Bell Pepper Salad
(artichoke, pepporcini, red bell pepper, vinegar, olive oil, romaine lettuce)

Homemade Ciabatta

Our kids are of the opinion that pasta tastes better when it's a "funny" shape. This explains why we don't eat spaghetti more often... However tonight, I'm reminded of the line from Raising Arizona -- "unless you think round is funny." ;)

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Hoisin Tofu Stir-Fry, Snow Peas, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 6/4

Hoisin Tofu Stir-Fry
(carrot, red bell pepper, scallion, ginger, garlic, hoisin tofu)

Snow Peas

Jasmine Rice

we haven't had the hoisin tofu in a while -- it was a good change of pace with the stir-fry...

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Paella, Avocado and Orange Salad, Chickpea and Kale Soup, Peanut Butter Pie

Dinner 6/3

Paella
(onion, garlic, smoked paprika, rice, veg stock, smoked tofu)

Avocado and Orange Salad

Chickpea and Kale Soup
(onion, garlic, celery, smoked paprika, chickpeas, wilted dinosaur kale, veg stock, tamari, pepper)

Dessert

Peanut Butter Pie

The Peanut Butter Pie will end up in the cookbook -- but the trick is using agar agar instead of gelatin to firm it up...

Friday, June 02, 2006

Potato Thread Wrapped Tofu Stuffed with Roasted Garlic, Morel Mushrooms, Braised Leeks, Ciabatta, Caramelized Pear Salad

Dinner 6/2

Potato Thread Wrapped Tofu Stuffed with Roasted Garlic

Morel Mushrooms

Caramelized Pear Salad with Wilted Arugula, Pine Nuts and Dried Tart Cherries

Braised Leeks

Ciabatta

yep, the potato threads again -- this time combined with the tofu stuffed with roasted garlic -- add the leeks and morel mushrooms and the drool will not stop for days... This may be the second best dish we've ever made -- only behind the Seitan Bourguignon...

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Green Bean and Tempeh Dinner Salad, Steamed Artichokes

Dinner 6/1

Green Bean and Tempeh Dinner Salad
(green beans, scallion, celery, tomato, vegenaise, stir-fried tempeh, romaine lettuce, salt and pepper)

Steamed Artichokes

Keeping with the quick and easy theme tonight -- a rare dinner salad that was refreshing as it was filling...