Friday, July 31, 2009

Jambalaya, Cajun Green Beans

Dinner 7/31

Jambalaya

Cajun Green Beans



We like to hickory smoke the tofu first for another layer of flavor, but you could always add liquid smoke if you want (we won't tell).

Jambalaya

3 tbs. olive oil, divided use

1 block of extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 tbs. tamari

6 oz. soyrizo (half a package)
(or use 6 oz. soaked tvp, plus 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tbs. of tamari)

1 onion, small dice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. herbes de provence
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 cloves, freshly ground
1 cup of basmati rice
1 1/2 cups of veg stock

2 tbs. parsley (for garnish)

In a large saute pan over medium low heat, add 1 tbs. olive oil and cook the tofu until golden brown. Splash with tamari, and keep turning the tofu for one more minute. Set aside.

In the same pan, add additional 1 tbs. olive oil and cook the soyrizo until well browned. Set aside.

In the same pan, add an additional 1 tbs. olive oil and sweat the diced onions for 3-4 minutes, then add the minced garlic for one additional minute.

Add the salt, pepper, herbes de provence, ground cloves, smoked paprika and cayenne. Stir to combine and cook and additional 2 minutes.

Add the basmati rice and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes or until the rice looks chalky.

Stir the cooked tofu and soyrizo back to the pan.

Pour in the veg stock and stir. make sure you get any rice sticking to the side of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Put the lid back on a let sit for 5 minutes.

Check for seasoning, top with chopped parsley and serve hot.


Monday, July 27, 2009

Tofu Piccata, Grilled Eggplant, Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Dinner 7/27

Tofu Piccata

Grilled Eggplant

Stuffed Pattypan Squash



The well documented Tofu Piccata (adapted from Candle Cafe) joined tonight by a stuffed pattypan squash from the farmers market.



The squash were steamed for 10 minutes, the top was cut off and the insides scooped out with a melon baller. Then a mixture of the scooped out squash, sauteed mushrooms, breadcrumbs and seasonings were put inside and baked for 15 minutes @ 350F.

The eggplant was cut lengthwise, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled until pretty grill marks showed up. ;)

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Shish Kabobs

Dinner 7/26

Shish Kabobs



Grilled tofu, tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms, red bell peppers... yep, it's summer! ;)


Friday, July 24, 2009

Rocky Road Cookies with Dandies

Dessert 7/24

Rocky Road Cookies with Dandies



We wanted to give these their own entry because... OMG! THEY WERE SO GOOD!

(we want to make them again before we put up a recipe)



These were made with part of the Dandies stash we recently bought from Pangea.

(btw, check out Chicago Soydairy's new blog at http://www.govegango.com/)


Fritto Misto (Squash Blossoms, Mushrooms and Onions), Pasta e Fagioli

Dinner 7/24

Fritto Misto
(Squash Blossoms, Mushrooms and Onions)

Pasta e Fagioli



Our garden is humming along nicely this year despite the wet and chilly (for July) temperatures. We harvested the first of the zucchini blossoms and decided to make fritto misto along with some shiitake mushrooms and vidalia onions. The squash blossoms were carefully rinsed inside and out (you never know who is sleeping in there), and then stuffed with a mixture of vegan cream cheese, shallots, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper)

The batter is not a traditional recipe, it's more of a modified tempura recipe with added spices and herbs.

Fritto Misto

1 cup soda water
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon salt

Canola oil for frying

Sift the flour, baking powder and cornstarch into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the soda water, salt, smoked paprika, parsley and rosemary. Allow to rest for a few minutes. Additional soda water may be needed to adjust thickness.

In a wok or large pot, heat the oil to 375F, dredge the veggies in the batter and carefully drop in the oil.

Cook until until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes).



The soup is a classic mixture of veggies (carrot, onion, celery, tomatoes, garlic), beans (cannelloni) and pasta (gluten-free shells) in a seasoned (parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper) veg broth that is a very satisfying meal unto itself.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mushroom and Pea Risotto, Grilled Tofu

Dinner 7/23

Mushroom and Pea Risotto

Grilled Tofu



We've been getting lovely peas from the farmers market, so we went with a risotto tonight. We've been adding the pea pods to the veg broth and and boiling them for a few minutes, then straining, to add an extra boost of pea flavor throughout the risotto.

The peas were blanched for one minute in salted water and then thrown in the risotto in the last 2 minutes with the sauteed mushrooms, 2 tbs. of nutritional yeast and 1 tbs. of Earth Balance.

The grilled tofu used the same recipe and method as before, grilled low and slow, basting as you go. The grill marks turned out nice. ;)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Raw Food Wednesday: Zucchini and Carrot Roll-ups, Borscht

Raw Food Wednesday 7/22

Zucchini and Carrot Roll-ups

Borscht



Kept it simple tonight, just a juicer, blender, and a knife.



The zucchini was peeled and cut lengthwise on the benriner. Then, using an offset spatula, we put a thin layer of cashew cheese (cashews, water, salt, pepper, white miso) across the entire zucchini. Finally, we added carrot strips across the zucchini and cheese at intervals and rolled it up. Topped with some sea salt and black sesame seeds.



The borscht ingredients change depending on the season, but the ratio of the base (1 part beet juice, 3 parts orange juice) stays the same. tonight's soup included apples, cabbage (red and green), dill, avocado, jalapeno and carrot.


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Coconut Curry Crepe stuffed with Eggplant and Tea-Smoked Tofu, Bok Choy, Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 7/19

Coconut Curry Crepe stuffed with Eggplant and Tea-Smoked Tofu

Bok Choy

Stir-Fry

Jasmine Rice



We had a special guest chef joining us tonight, Laura! We finally arranged our schedules so she could come down and we could all play with some tofu and drink champagne. All-in-all a wonderful evening!

She brought us tofu from the Cleveland Tofu Company, which we cubed and put in the smoker box along with the our usual Spring Creek tofu. We added 1 tbs. of oolong tea to the smoker box and processed it for 25 minutes.

The Cleveland tofu went into the curried crepes along the slow-braised eggplant (recipe).

The Spring Creek was cut into triangles and was used in the "ye olde stir-fry" (carrot, red bell pepper, scallions, thai basil, baby corn, tamari, garlic, galanga and ginger).

The bok choy was steamed, then lightly pan-fried and splashed with a little tamari at the end of cooking. They were then topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Coconut Curry Crepes

1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of chickpea (besan) flour
1 tbs. olive oil

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Place the mixture in the refrigerator and let rest for 30 minutes.

To make the crepes, we use our carbon steel wok in place of a large non-stick pan. YMMV.

Heat the pan to slight-less-than-medium heat and add a thin film of olive or canola oil and swirl to evenly coat.

Pour about 3 oz. the crepe batter into the pan, swirling while you do so, to evenly distribute the batter. An offset spatula (to check around the edges) works wonders here to test when the crepe needs to flipped. The crepe will seem stiff, but once you flip it over and finish the other side it will soften.


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Grilled Tofu, Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Cauliflower

Dinner 7/12

Grilled Tofu

Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Cauliflower



It was a throwback dinner without the scratchy uniforms... ;)

The cauliflower was tossed with 2 tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and roasted 450F for 15 minutes. Couldn't be easier.



So far this year, one of the many bounties of the Farmers Market has been the green beans -- so in an effort to relive the '70s, we made that staple of the era, Green Bean Casserole. It's an Alton Brown recipe adapted by subbing Earth Balance for the butter, veg stock and almond milk for the half-and-half. An excellent recipe for the onions alone...



The tofu was marinated with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup tamari, 2 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 tbs. agave, 1 tbs. ketchup and pepper to taste. Marinate for 30 minutes, and then grill low and slow, basting occasionally with the leftover marinade.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Seitan Fajitas, Carimanolas, Grilled Corn

Dinner 7/11

Seitan Fajitas

Carimanolas
(Stuffed Yucca Fritters)

Grilled Corn



We always see the lonely yucca root in our local grocery store, hiding near the potatoes, unknown, unwanted, unloved. So we decided to take a chance on love and made the classic Latin deep-fried fritters, stuffed with Teese. The trick is get them golden brown and delicious without the Teese melting so much that it turns completely liquid.



Next time we make them, we'll have a better working recipe for the dough (boiled yucca and flour). These were more of a "tasty proof of concept." ;)

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Mediterranean Tartare

Dinner 7/07

Mediterranean Tartare
(tomato, cucumber, sheese, scallion, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper)



Our son saw this recipe in VegNews (July/August 2009, pg. 51) and decided that he was going to make it for dinner.

So he did. ;)


Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Raw Food Wednesday: Zucchini and Basil Pesto, Stuffed Mini-Peppers, Onion Bread, Black Mission Figs, Banana Cookies

Raw Food Wednesday 7/01

Zucchini and Basil Pesto

Stuffed Mini-Peppers

Onion Bread

Black Mission Figs

Banana Cookies



With copious amounts of zucchini and basil growing in the garden, it's easy to see why we make (and enjoy) this dish so often.

The onion bread (from RAWvolution) is hiding behind the mound of pesto ;)



The cute (and sweet) mini-peppers were stuffed with a quick pine nut cheese and sprinkled with with hemp seeds and dehydrated for a couple of hours, adding a nice textural crunch and color contrast.



For dessert we had some perfectly ripe black mission figs with orange zest and cashew cream and banana cookies (banana, agave, almonds and buckwheat)