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.

Tags: recipe, jambalaya, green beans, rice, soyrizo, tofu, cloves, smoked paprika, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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. ;)

Tags: tofu, eggplant, pattypan squash, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Shish Kabobs

Dinner 7/26

Shish Kabobs

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

Tags: tofu, tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms, red bell peppers, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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/)

Tags: dandies, rocky road, cookies, chicago soydairy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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.

Tags: fritto misto, mushrooms, onions, squash blossoms, pasta, soup, beans, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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. ;)

Tags: mushroom, peas, risotto, tofu, marinade, nutritional yeast, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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.

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, cabbage, carrot, zucchini, cashew, oranges juice, beets, jalapeno, dill, apple, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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.

Tags: curry, crepe, tofu, oolong tea, bok choy, jasmine rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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.

Tags: tofu, green bean, cauliflower, alton brown, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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." ;)

Tags: yucca, seitan, corn, teese, fajitas, tortillas, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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. ;)

Tags: tomato, cucumber, sheese, scallion, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper, VegNews, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

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)

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, zucchini, basil, garlic, red bell peppers, pine nuts, onion, flax seeds, hemp seeds, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pasta with Chard, Tomatoes and Andouille-Style Seitan Sausages, Grilled Romaine Salad, Marinated Artichokes

Dinner 6/29

Pasta with Chard, Tomatoes and Andouille-Style Seitan Sausages

Grilled Romaine Salad

Marinated Artichokes

If you're scoring along at home, the formula is:

Starch (pasta) + protein (seitan sausages) + veggies on hand (chard, tomatoes, onions, garlic) + aromatics (thyme, parsley) + seasoning (red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, salt) = Italian-style stir-fry ;)



Our grill certainly has been getting a workout this summer -- and this quick grilled salad (romaine lettuce heads cut in half, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper) is a welcome addition to any meal.

Tags: seitan, pasta, chard, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, salad, artichokes, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Mustard Glazed Tofu with Daikon and Shiso, Bok Choy, Jasmine Rice, Ramen

Dinner 6/28

Mustard Glazed Tofu with Daikon and Shiso

Bok Choy

Jasmine Rice

Ramen

Now that the Kent Farmers Market is in full swing, we've been getting some great produce from the vendors -- in this case, the bok choy, which was steamed, seared in a wok and topped with sesame seeds.



We dug deep into the cookbook library for the mustard glaze (adapted from "Japanese Cuisine" John D. Keys / 1965)

Mustard Glazed Tofu with Daikon and Shiso

Mustard Sauce

3 tbs. sherry
2 tbs. tamari
1 tbs. agave
1 tbs. mustard*

Whisk together, reserve.

* We used mustard seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle. But if you want to use Dijon mustard out of a jar, we won't tell anyone. ;)

Shredded Daikon

1 small daikon, shredded on a box grater (yields about 1/2 cup)

1 tsp. mirin
2 tbs. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. tamari
2 tbs. water

Whisk together the mirin, rice vinegar, tamari and water. Add the daikon to a small bowl and pour the mixture over the shredded daikon. Stir to incorporate and let sit for 30 minutes. Reserve.

Tea-Smoked Tofu

16oz. of tofu cut into 8 squares
1 tbs. oolong tea

1 tbs. canola oil
1 tbs. tamari

Add the oolong tea to the bottom of the prepared smoker box. Alternately, use a foil lined wok with chopsticks inside, used as grates. Here's an old shot before we had the smoker box to demonstrate.



Smoke the tofu squares with oolong tea for 25 minutes.

In a wok, add the canola oil on medium-high heat and fry the tofu until golden brown on both sides. Add the tamari and toss the tofu to coat evenly.

Pour the reserved mustard sauce over the tofu, and continue to cook and turn the tofu until the sauce reduces to a glaze.

Plate the tofu and garnish with grated daikon and shiso leaves.



Still working on the ramen -- Liz scored some water chestnuts to add, and the broth inched closer to our son's ideal version. ;)

Tags: ramen, tofu, mustard, rice, bok choy, daikon, shiso, oolong, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Gumbo Z'Herbes, Andouille-Style Seitan Sausages, Okra and Tomato Stew, Hoecakes

Dinner 6/27

Gumbo Z'Herbes

Andouille-Style Seitan Sausages

Okra and Tomato Stew

Hoecakes

The gumbo, as always, was sublime, we played around with the recipe this time adding a little leftover tomato and rice which thickened things nicely.



The okra and tomato stew takes about an hour to cook and allow all the flavors to come together, but when it does... look out. The trick is to cook the onions for a little, then add the okra and cook for another 20 minutes or so to really get the thickening properties going. When you add the tomatoes, water and spices (and cook for another 20 minutes) the end result is magic.




The hoecakes are the ideal delivery method for the okra and tomato stew, with their soft tortilla-like consistency -- just scoop and eat!




Here's the seitan sausages coming out of the smoker-box. They were a mix of kidney beans, wheat gluten, garlic, smoked paprika and cayenne, which were first steamed, then smoked with hickory wood, and finally pan-fried for the gumbo.

Tags: gumbo, kale, chard, okra, rice, tomato, hoecakes, corn meal, seitan, kidney beans, smoked paprika, cayenne, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Thursday: Taco Salad

Raw Food Thursday 6/25

Taco Salad

The bowls were made using the same recipe as the red bell pepper tortillas. The differences were in the size of the tortilla -- about 10" across, much like the chimichangas and the use of a mold to shape the tortilla.

After the initial dehydration at 105F the tortillas were placed inside the mold and dehydrated for 2 hours further which set the shape. They were gently removed from the mold, which was flipped over, and then the tortilla was draped over the inverted mold and dehydrated for another 2 hours. This allowed the other side and base to dry evenly as well making for a crispy bowl.



The filling was red leaf lettuce, tomato, walnut taco filling (from RAWvolution), avocado, carrot and cashew cheese (on top). The greens were dressed in a lime and olive oil vinaigrette.

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, taco, red bell pepper, walnuts, lettuce, tomato, cashew, carrot, avocado, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pesto, Artichoke Dip, Garlic Bread, Olives, Red Leaf Salad with Black Mission Figs

Dinner 6/24

Pesto

Red Leaf Salad with Black Mission Figs

Artichoke Dip

Garlic Bread

Olives

Liz had the day off, so we went to Cleveland to pick up supplies from Tink Holl (1735 E. 36th St.) and Gallucci's (6610 Euclid Ave.). We got back into town late, so Raw Food Wednesday will be pushed back until tomorrow.

Tonight's meal is based around some of the items we picked up from Gallucci's -- the ciabatta bread (garlic bread), the artichoke hearts (artichoke dip), olives and pasta (pesto). And a as a bonus, we were able to eat out on the deck.




The basil for the pesto (basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast) came from our garden (coming along nicely) and was paired with a lovely salad of Red Leaf lettuce with some perfectly ripe Black Mission Figs. Truly, summer on a plate.




Artichoke Dip: a combo of artichoke hearts, diced red bell peppers, vegenaise, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. It's baked in an au gratin dish at 400F for 20 minutes.



...and the olives were very tasty as well.

Tags: artichokes, ciabatta, cleveland, olives, basil, pesto, garlic, pasta, pine nuts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Rice Paper Packets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Dinner 6/20

Seitan, Onion and Teese

Tea-Smoked Tofu, Mushroom and Pineapple

Braised Spinach with Toasted Sesame Seeds

We enjoyed these so much (and have so many rice paper sheets) that we made them again. Hat tip to Ming Tsai for the idea... on to the photo essay.

Soak the rice paper in warm water until softened, blot them with a towel to remove excess moisture. Place a couple of pieces of stir-fried seitan in the center of the rice paper.



Place about a tablespoon of caramelized onions on top of the seitan.



Place about a tablespoon of shredded Teese on top of the onions and seitan.



Place a few more pieces of seitan on top of the Teese.



Fold the bottom part of the rice paper over the filling.



Fold the top part of the rice paper over the filling.



Fold the right side of the rice paper over the top of the filling.



Fold the left side of the rice paper under the filling.



At this point refrigerate the packets for 15 minutes to let the rice paper firm up which makes it easier to hold its shape later.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, use 1 tbs. of canola oil and fry the packages until crisp on both sides. Serve hot.

Moving on to the Tofu, Mushroom and Pineapple packets.

The tofu was cut into squares and smoked with oolong tea for 20 minutes, and then pan-fried in canola oil until golden brown and delicious. It was then splashed with a little tamari and cooked for an additional minute.

Place the tofu in the center of the rice paper.



Add the caramelized onion on top of the tofu.



The pineapple was cut into squares and lightly pan-fried. It was then placed on top of the onions.



The sliced and cooked mushrooms were place on top of the pineapple.



Then it's the same as before. Fold the bottom of the rice paper over the tofu.



Fold the top of the rice paper over the tofu.



Fold the right side of the rice paper over the top of the tofu.



Fold the left hand side of the rice paper under the tofu.



Again, refrigerate and chill for 15 minutes, then fry as above.

Tags: rice paper, Teese, spinach, seitan, tofu, pineapple, smoker-box, tea, onions, ming tsai, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666