A Brief Announcement

A Brief Announcement 10/31

Apologies, visitors from the future!

There's going to be many, many pictures posted between now and the end of 2013, but little in the way of info. Another project has taken a majority of our available time. In the meantime, enjoy the pretty pictures of vegan food!

Apple Cake

Dessert 10/26

Apple Cake

Sorry, no recipe -- but enjoy the pretty pictures...


...just out of the oven.

BBQ Portobello Stems, Artichoke Dip, Braised Leeks and Baguette

Dinner 10/25

BBQ Portobello Stems

Artichoke Dip

Braised Leeks

Baguette

Not so much "dinner" as much as "a series of tasty appetizers" -- starting with these little guys, the stems from portobello mushrooms which were smoked, split down the center, skewered and basted with BBQ sauce, and finally grilled. Liz now wants to go to the store and see if they'll give her the stems they were probably throw out anyway. ;)


Here's the rest of the meal, before the hordes descended and ate it all... Liz made the baguettes (one per person please) and the artichoke dip, I did the Braised Leeks (recipe)

Risotto with Artichokes and Pesto

Dinner 10/18

Risotto with Artichokes and Pesto

We made our usual base risotto recipe, but at a request by our daughter we added artichokes. Smart kid.

Also hiding in there is some of the pesto we made from the big batch of basil we harvested not long ago and some hickory-smoked tofu and greens.

Hickory-Smoked Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Dinner 10/12

Hickory-Smoked Tofu

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

We tried something different with the tofu this time -- portioning it by cutting the square block in half (to make two big long rectangles), smoking it with hickory and then browning it on all four sides with a splash of tamari at then end of cooking for a nice crust. Then we finished it off in the oven at 350°F for to 15 minutes to cook it all the way through.


The fun part was slicing it on a bias and spreading it out to be covered by the gravy (pan-dripping, Einkorn flour, veg stock, salt and pepper).

Fermentation: Kimchi and Ginger Beer

Fermentation 10/05

Kimchi

Ginger Beer

While we've been making our own raw sauerkraut for a while, we recently picked up "Mastering Fermentation" by Mary Karlin and have been making a vegan version of Kimchi and Ginger Beer from the book -- with great success.


On the right is the ginger "bug" used to start the process -- we've only had one slight "blowout" with the ginger beer over carbonating, but overall they've turned out great!

Panna Cotta with Raspberries and Tarragon

Dessert 09/29

Panna Cotta with Raspberries and Tarragon

Dipping into the Vedge cookbook again, this time for dessert, here's the recipe.

Roasted Baby Turnips with Maitake "Champignons Au Vin" and Roasted Cauliflower with Black Vinegar and Kimchi Cream

Dinner 09/27

Roasted Baby Turnips with Maitake "Champignons Au Vin"

Roasted Cauliflower with Black Vinegar and Kimchi Cream

Both recipes from the always excellent Vedge book...


...starting with the Cauliflower (p.90)...




...and the main course of Baby Turnips, Mushrooms & Carrots (p.149)

The Great Basil Harvest of 2013

The Great Basil Harvest of 2013

Behold! The Great Basil Harvest of 2013!

(turned into pesto, vacuum-sealed and frozen for later)

Gluten-Free Dogs with Red Cabbage Slaw

Dinner 09/15

Homemade Gluten-Free Dogs

Red Cabbage Slaw

Once more into the breach...

Deep-Fried Pimento-Stuffed Olives

Appetizer 09/13

Deep-Fried Pimento-Stuffed Olives

These couldn't easier (or tastier)... Take olives stuffed with pimentos, roll them in your favorite GF flour mix, then into a slurry of cornstarch and water, and finally roll them around in a pan of ground GF Chile BBQ chips. Then drop them in a deep-fryer at 350°F for a few minutes until golden brown and delicious. Best with a nice glass of Sherry.

Dosa with Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Dinner 09/12

Dosa with Potato and Cauliflower Curry

We been working on fermentation and the dosas (sprouted & fermented lentils) turned out nicely -- as did the stew.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part 2

Vacation Part 2

Much of early August is full of birthdays and anniversaries, which is why we take a few weeks off to recover. ;)

As always, good times were had by all...

The No-knead Bread was the starting point for this birthday meal of small plates, and Liz is finally getting close to the right ratio that doesn't (severely) stick to her hands or doesn't develop the deep rich flavor that the Einkorn flour brings to the party. Served along with Roasted Chickpeas (onion, garlic, berbere, tamari, pepper), Shishito Peppers (pan-fried with lemon juice, salt) and local Chanterelle Mushrooms (pan-fried, splashed with tamari and pepper at the end). Thanks to Jeff at KNF for hooking us up.


Also along for the ride were Braised Leeks...


...and Artichoke Dip (with arugula)


For another birthday dinner we again utilized the Chanterelles, this time in a Garlic Cream Sauce over Apple-Wood Smoked Tofu...


... along with Grilled Okra and Onions as well as the always popular Cat-Head Biscuits (more on those later).


As you guys know by now, we like to have fun with our pizzas, and tonight was no exception -- the corn from the farmers market was the start of this Oaxacan-style Pizza (with Squash Blossoms, soyrizo, nooch and vegenaise) was perhaps the best pizza of the year (no small feat).


It's been a somewhat temperate (and rainy) summer here in Northeast Ohio, and we peeked ahead to fall for some Polenta with Roasted Cauliflower, Rosemary, Cannellini Beans and Collard Greens


For lunch one day, Liz found some really nice Portobello Mushrooms which were marinated (olive oil, tamari, ketchup, pepper), grilled and served on the Cat-Head Biscuits along with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Spinach, Red Onion and Vegenaise


More lovely corn from the Farmers Market were incorporated into Chiles Rellenos along with refried beans (black beans, pinto beans, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper and smoked paprika)...


... the corn was briefly pan-fried along with red onion, garlic and a pinch of Mexican oregano, salt and pepper), spooned on top of the refried beans (with a little Daiya cheddar) and roasted for 20 minutes at 350°F to bring it all together.


As we get deeper into the season at the Farmers market local Peaches are at their peak, and Liz whipped up a Peaches and Blueberry Tart


More corn this time, in the form of Old Bay Tofu Cakes from Tal Ronnen's book (recipe), which we've made before, with the addition of some pickled chard stems that Liz made (in place of the beets) and roasted cauliflower.


Finally, a sure sign that Fall is coming, Beet Bourguignon over lentils.

...we now return you to regular programming, already in progress...

Raspberry and Strawberry Crepe Cake

Dessert 09/06

Raspberry and Strawberry Crepe Cake

Slightly adapted off the cover of VegNews, this one (via Miyoko Schinner) deserves its own entry...


Starting with the (silken tofu) crepes...


... a layer of homemade strawberry freezer jam...


... a layer of fresh strawberries and powdered sugar...


... a layer of Soyatoo whipped cream (the box kind, whipped in the stand mixer).

Finally, topped with one last crepe, the raspberries and a little more powdered sugar.

Socca with Kale, Chickpeas, Mushrooms with GF Chorizo-Style Sausages, Roasted Garlic with Breadsticks

Dinner 09/06

Socca with Kale

Chickpeas, Mushrooms with GF Chorizo-Style Sausages

Roasted Garlic with Breadsticks

Another Friday night "what's in the fridge that needs to be used?" small plates kind of meal.

The kale went into the Socca...


...the mushrooms were pan-fried & deglazed with sherry and added to onion, garlic, salt, pepper & smoked paprikia, chickpeas and a fresh batch of Chorizo-style GF sausages (more on those soon).


Breadsticks were paired with...


...Roasted Garlic which also went on the Socca.

Cauliflower Steaks

Dinner 09/04

Cauliflower Steaks

As much as we love cauliflower steaks, we haven't made them in a while.

For this version, we broke out the cast-iron pan -- the recipe is from "Root to Stalk Cooking" by Tara Duggan -- thick cut slices of cauliflower pan-seared over med-high heat, topped with diced tomato and olives, seasoned with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Good stuff!

Fritto Misto

Appetizer 09/01

Fritto Misto

Earlier this summer, I wasn't sure we'd have any squash blossoms -- it's been a rough growing season this year with the endless rain. But in the last week or so, we finally have blossoms, and that means Fritto Misto along with some button mushrooms along for the ride. 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 recipe has evolved over the years, here's the latest version...

Fritto Misto

1/2 cup Einkorn flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste

1 cup water

Canola oil for frying

Sift the flours, baking powder and cornstarch into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the water, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Allow to rest for a few minutes. Additional 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 dipping sauce is Vegenaise, garlic and smoked paprika.

Paella with Braised Fennel, Green Beans, Apple Wood-Smoked Tofu and Mushrooms deglazed with Sherry

Dinner 08/31

Paella with Braised Fennel, Green Beans, Apple Wood-Smoked Tofu and Mushrooms deglazed with Sherry

One of our all-time favorites! The recipes for both the Paella and Fennel are here.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part 1

Part 1

Well, our month-long vacation is over, the kids are back in school, so it must be time to update the blog...

We went to the Kent Farmers Market almost every weekend -- here Surprised Cat is Surprised by the Squash Blossoms (and everything else from the market)


Starting off with Socca, Grilled Corn and Tofu -- the corn came from Heron Hills Farm at the market and the tofu was cherry-smoked, marinated in olive oil, tamari and black pepper, then grilled.


Also from the market, these lovely Watermelon Radishes -- sprinkled with salt and served on a slice of no-knead bread with a little Earth Balance for the radishes to stick to.


Squash Blossom Fritto Misto (recipe) were from the Cinderella Squash growing in our front yard. Stuffed with vegan cream cheese, shallots and smoked paprika, then dipped in the batter and deep-fried at 375°F until golden brown.


Speaking of deep-frying, these lovely Vidalia Onion Rings were gorgeous -- served with a little Vegenaise & Smoked Paprika dipping sauce.


I don't even remember what this was used in, but I just liked this picture of the Cthulhu Mushrooms. ;)


For dessert one night, Liz made her Chocolate and Coconut Milk Ganache Tart with a Walnut Crust topped with Sea Salt -- because we had an opened can of coconut milk that needed to be used, so we used it. A slight riff on her usual method with the walnut crust to make it GF-friendly.

That gets us through the end of July, Part 2 will cover the rest of August next...