what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?

Friday, December 22, 2006

Torta

Dinner 12/22

Torta
(cover recipe from 01/07 Gourmet)

yet another magazine recipe -- adapted from the new Gourmet -- The torta made in a springform pan by layering crepes, sauteed broccoli rabe, bechamel sauce (roux + soy milk and a pinch of nutmeg), soy sausages (or you could sub sun-dried tomatoes), FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese, salt and pepper. It actually comes together very easily after making the crepes (adapted slightly by combining the AP with besan (chickpea) flour and a scant tsp. of baking powder, olive oil for the butter, soy milk, etc)

The broccoli rabe added that slight level of bitterness without overwhelming the whole dish. Two thumbs up...

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Spaghetti with Cauliflower and Olives, Tomato, Basil and Chickpea Soup, Steamed Artichokes

Dinner 12/21

Spaghetti with Cauliflower and Olives
(adapted from Gourmet 01/07, p. 100)

Tomato, Basil and Chickpea Soup

Steamed Artichoke

back to the magazine again -- a simple, yet tasty pasta dish...

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Stir-fry, Jasmine Rice, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Enoki Mushroom, Tofu and Garlic Soup

Dinner 12/20

Stir-fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrots, tamari, garlic, ginger, sriracha)

Jasmine Rice

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts
(sesame oil, sake, tamari)

Enoki Mushroom, Tofu and Garlic Soup

Today was the last day of school for the kids -- our daughter's class went to see "Charlotte's Web" afterwards -- which was nice of the teacher to do -- so Liz took her and chaperoned, which meant she got home late -- hence the stir-fry...

...and I love enoki mushrooms... that's all I've got there ;)

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Eggplant Ambrosia with Tomato Fennel Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Fougasse Bread, Warm Mushroom Salad

Dinner 12/19

Eggplant Ambrosia with Tomato Fennel Sauce
(adapted from The Provence Cookbook" by Patrica Wells)

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Fougasse Bread

Warm Mushroom Salad

We picked up some cookbooks at the library last week, including the Patrica Wells book. The "ambrosia" is basically an eggplant custard baked in ramekins in a bain-marie. We just subbed out the eggs and cream with soft tofu and a soy milk mix and filled them up a little higher.

The sauce is a reduction of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot pepper flakes, orange zest and fennel seed and was surprisingly "light" and matched well with eggplant.

And, of course, not to neglect the Fougasse -- Liz learned how to make this type of provencal bread at the week-long bread class she took a few year back.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Chilled Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Hoisin Tofu on Bibb Lettuce, Edamame

Dinner 12/18

Chilled Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Hoisin Tofu on Bibb Lettuce

Edamame

back to the grind -- the kids are still in school for a few days -- and it was time for their winter concert, so tonight was just a quickly meal of edamame and a (very tasty) chilled udon noodle salad with had a nice hot/cold thing going on with the addition of the stir-fried hoisin tofu.

The sauce was made from 1 tbs. peanut butter, 1 tsp. sriracha, 1 tsp. tamari, 1 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tsp. agave.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Post-Party Stir-Fry

Dinner 12/17

Stir-Fry
(tofu, tempeh, baby corn, carrots, jasmine rice)

It's the traditional post-party "I'm barely functional" Stir-Fry. My legs ache from two days of 10 hour cooking sessions (yes, I'm a wimp) -- but this is the real reason why we will never open a vegan restaurant... ;)

We had some leftover tempeh from the party, so that got thrown in, along with the usual suspects.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Holiday Party "X"

Holiday Party "X"

Our tenth (and biggest) party to date... next year, after we finish the basement, we'll invite the rest of the internet, OK? ;)

The Menu:

White Bean Cassoulet
(bottom left)

Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa

Curried Quinoa and Mango Salad

Raw Pizza

Xnipec Salsa

Tapenade (w/ baguette)

Tofu Salad Sandwiches
(middle, on the three-tiered cake stand)

Basil Cream Cheese Spread on Party Bread
(bottom right, above the baguette)

Baked Artichoke Dip
(middle left side on trivet)

Lentil and Soyrizo Spoons

Phyllo Cups w/ Curried Tofu and Currants

BBQ Tofu Lollipops
(we didn't get a shot of these, as they came out in the second wave of food, but they looked just like these from August without the cabbage)

Seitan Bourguignon

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Stuffed Mushrooms

The Desserts

Millennium Brownies

Nog Cookies

Aphrodite Cakes

Chocolate Madeleines (in the group shot, upper left plate)

Thumbprint Jam Cookies (apricot, lingonberry)

Many of the best wine pairing dishes made an appearance tonight -- tofu lollipops, seitan bourguignon, white bean cassoulet, tapenade, brownies, madeleines -- which, as I have joked before, is the real reason why we do the catering gig during the year, just to have the best dishes for our party...

Friday, December 15, 2006

Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Dinner 12/15

Pasta with Tomato Sauce

The night before our holiday party is always the hardest night to cook something for our dinner -- we're usually knee-deep trying to knock out dishes and desserts ahead of time -- so, it was a good thing we had leftover pasta with a quick tomato sauce ;)

No pictures tonight, but that will all change tomorrow ;)

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Braised Baby Artichokes over Pasta, Iceberg Salad

Dinner 12/14

Braised Baby Artichokes over Pasta
(baby artichokes, onions, garlic, veg stock, onions)

Iceberg Salad
(iceberg lettuce, dried cherries, pine nuts, garlic miso dressing)

adapted from Zuni Cafe -- using baby artichokes instead of the big ones -- but honestly, it didn't work -- not the fault of the artichokes or the recipe -- it was more that it didn't all come together. Some nights that happens...

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Blackened Tofu, Rice with Wilted Chard and Onions, Gumbo,

Dinner 12/13

Blackened Tofu
(dredged in seasoned flour, with smoked paprika, smoked alder salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes)

Rice with Wilted Chard and Onions

Gumbo
(test recipe for VwaV2)

the "blackened" tofu -- dredged in flour with spices, then fried, is pretty standard, but is always a visual and culinary treat. Matched this time around with yet another testing recipe for Isa and Terry -- this time gumbo -- and, mmmm.... beeeeeer... droooool.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Seitan and Mango, Jasmine Rice, Sake Braised Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 12/12

Seitan and Mango
(seitan, garlic, sesame oil, tamari, scallions, mango)

Jasmine Rice

Sake Braised Brussel Sprouts
(sake, tamari, brussel sprouts, pepper)

Asian inspired meal tonight -- not exactly found on any menu -- but a nice change of pace...

Monday, December 11, 2006

Baked Jerusalem Artichokes and Tofu, Spinach Salad

Dinner 12/11

Baked Jerusalem Artichokes and Tofu
(jerusalem artichokes, tofu, green olives, lemon zest, veg stock, shallots, garlic)

Spinach Salad

a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart that we bust out ~~every so often~~ everytime we get some Jerusalem artichokes. I suppose we should find another recipe, but frankly, this one is pretty good... ;)

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Deep-Dish Pizza (Version 5)

Dinner 12/10

Deep-Dish Pizza (Version 5)
(onions, garlic, black olives, FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese)

Apparently we weren't finished tweaking this juuuust yet. This time a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour was added, which made for a slightly chewier, bread-like crust, with no loss of stability over time.

I had to toss the first batch of onions/garlic after they got ~~burned~~ over-caramelized, when I wandered out to watch my son play "Resistance: Fall of Man" in Deathmatch and Capture The Flag mode. Jaw-dropping visuals, two thumbs up.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Pad Thai, Espresso Bean Cheesecake

Dinner 12/09

Pad Thai
(bean sprouts, noodles, tofu, red bell peppers, jalapeno, sriracha, carrots, scallions, cilantro)

Dessert

Espresso Bean Cheesecake
(Liz says I'm not allowed to even look at this recipe)

The pad thai was all things it was supposed to be: noodly, spicy and filling. I think the noodles must triple in size after cooking, as we always end up with way too much -- but the solution is clear -- pad thai for lunch the next day!

And, for dessert: in what is rapidly approaching a tradition, our son asked for this as his birthday cake -- as you can tell, he has a keen eye and refined palate when it comes to dessert ;)

Friday, December 08, 2006

Moo Shu Pancakes stuffed with Oolong Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage and Shiitake Mushrooms, Jasmine Rice, Bok Choy with Sesame Seeds

Dinner 12/08

Moo Shu Pancakes stuffed with Oolong Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage and Shiitake Mushrooms

Jasmine Rice

Bok Choy with Toasted Sesame Seeds

We loved the moo-shu (and the tea-smoked tofu) so much, we made them again... this time with the bok choy as the side. I could eat these once a week and never get tired of them ;)

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Gobbetti with Tomato Sauce, Roasted Broccoli, Iceberg Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Dinner 12/07

Gobbetti with Tomato Sauce

Roasted Broccoli

Iceberg Lettuce Salad w/ Green Goddess Dressing

Gobbetti is one of those pasta shapes I haven't seen too often, but it works well with the chunky tomato sauce Liz made when she came home tonight...

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Pumpkin Saag, Currant and Pistachio Pulao, Tandoori Tofu

Dinner 12/06

Pumpkin Saag
(VwaV:2 test recipe)

Currant and Pistachio Pulao
(basmati rice, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, cardamom, currants, pistachio, water, salt, pepper)

Tandoori Tofu
(tofu, tamari, soy yogurt, tandoori paste)

Another winning recipe from the test kitchens of Isa and Terry. This time around, a lovely pumpkin saag made with spinach (although we subbed baby kale and the appropriately named "Indian Mustard" greens). Combined with the rice dish and the tandoori tofu, you'll want to make extra for lunch the next day...

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Seitan and Cannellini Bean Stew, Patatas Bravas, Green Beans with Garlic Sauce, White Bean Soup

Dinner 12/05

Seitan and Cannellini Bean Stew
(seitan, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cannellini beans, smoked salt, pepper, tamari, sherry)

Patatas Bravas
(boiled red potatoes, which are then fried in olive oil and topped with a sauce of garlic, smoked paprika, smoked salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar, then finished with fried poblano peppers)

Green Beans with Garlic Sauce
(sauce: garlic, almonds and bread, all toasted in olive oil, add salt and white pepper, then puree with a little water to make a paste)

White Bean Soup
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, great northern beans, fennel stock)

The seitan stew is a riff on "intoxicated beef" -- and a cup of sherry will in fact do just that. ;) (most, but not all of the alcohol cooks out over a long, slow cooking period, leaving just the flavor).

Traditionally there should be chickpeas in the soup (and the stew), but we were out...

Finally the patatas bravas were a little more bravas than usual, but it in a really tasty way -- the poblano pepper was sort of a throw in -- but it certainly did add another level of heat to the dish.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Moo-Shu Pancakes filled with Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms, Refried Rice with Scallions

Dinner 12/04

Moo-Shu Pancakes filled with Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms

Refried Rice with Scallions

One from column "C" of the menu tonight -- Moo-Shu (a.k.a. Mandarin Pancakes or Peking Pancakes) stuffed with a killer combo of oolong tea smoked tofu, which is then stir-fried with hoisin sauce and tamari, shredded napa cabbage and stir-fried shiitake mushrooms.

Kudos to Liz for making the light as air moo-shu pancakes at lunch-time, so dinner got to the table on time tonight ;)

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Kung Pao Tofu, Jasmine Rice, Green Beans with Pickled Cucumber

Dinner 12/03

Kung Pao Tofu
(tofu, broccoli, ginger, garlic, scallions, sambal oelek, sauce: veg stock, tamari, agave, sesame oil, sake, black vinegar, cornstarch, peanuts)

Jasmine Rice

Green Beans with Pickled Cucumber

One from column "B" of the menu this time: Kung Pao Tofu -- the sweet/sour/spicy sauce pairs perfectly with stir-fried tofu, blanched broccoli and jasmine rice.

And I love the pickled cucumbers, they deliver a nice crunchy/sour hit with the seared/steamed green beans. Plus they last forever in the fridge ;)

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Deep Dish Pizza (Version 4)

Dinner 12/02

Deep Dish Pizza (Version 4)
(olives, onion, garlic, soy sausage, tomato sauce, Monterey Jack soy cheese)

Version 4 of the deep-dish pizza, and the best one yet -- as I mentioned before, the added dimpling of the dough had the desired effect of keeping the middle from puffing up too much (425F for 10 minutes). We did a little earlier this time (closer to two minutes), but keep an eye on the dough and try to catch it before it puffs up in the center...

The overall pizza had a good balance of crust vs. filling, and the crust held up over the 10-15 minutes that the extra pieces sat out... I think we're done testing now. ;)

(previous attempts 1 | 2 | 3)

Friday, December 01, 2006

Grilled Asparagus and Seitan Stew Crepes, Russian Fingerling Potataoes, Bistro Salad

Dinner 12/01

Grilled Asparagus and Seitan Stew Crepes

Fingerling Potatoes

Gravy
(shallots, rosemary, flour/soy margarine roux, veg stock, tamari)

Bistro Salad

The crepes are from "Vegan with a Vengeance" (as always), and the seitan stew / grilled asparagus combo has quickly become a house favorite. Mix in the Russian fingerling potatoes, and you've got the beginnings of a hearty December meal. Which is good, because if the calender hadn't already made it painfully clear, it's December out there. Brrrr.

...and for all the PPK'ers out there, yes, there's an asparagus fork joke in there somewhere ;)

Thursday, November 30, 2006

White Bean Cassoulet, Roasted Broccoli, French Bread, Braised Leeks, Bistro Salad

Dinner 11/30

White Bean Cassoulet
(onions, garlic, hickory smoked tofu, soyrizo, cannellini beans, tomato sauce, tamari, pepper)

Roasted Broccoli

French Bread

Braised Leeks

Bistro Salad

The white bean cassoulet is one of our son's favorite meals, this time tweaked a little with the addition of -- you guessed it -- hickory smoked tofu. ;)

The hickory does bring that added extra "oomph" to the party going on in your mouth on this one...

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Mini-Pizza with Hickory Smoked Tofu

Dinner 11/29

Mini-Pizza
(red chile tortillas, hickory smoked tofu, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, button mushrooms, "follow your heart" soy cheese)

The mini-pizza were sort of like the pizza we had from Karyn's Cooked in Chicago last August -- the Lavash bread we were going to use wasn't playable (note to self: read the expiration dates on packages before buying). Two layers of the tortillas worked just fine in their place.

As you can tell, we're digging the hickory smoked tofu pretty hard this week ;)

oh, yeah -- and I bought a new car today.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Tofu Marsala, Brasied Fennel, Bistro Salad

Dinner 11/28

Tofu Marsala
(hickory smoked tofu, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, marsala, lemon juice, salt and pepper)

Braised Fennel

Bistro Salad

The hickory smoked tofu adds yet another layer to this dish that we've made in the past. After smoking, it's marinated with tamari and pepper, then floured and pan-fried which seals in the flavor. The shiitake mushrooms boost the umami and pair nicely with the reduced marsala.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Grilled Tofu, Deep-Fried Rice Balls with Red Curry Coconut Sauce, Hoisin Green Beans, Jasmine Rice, Tofu and Garlic Noodle Soup

Dinner 11/27

Grilled Tofu, Deep-Fried Rice Balls with Red Curry Coconut Sauce

Hoisin Green Beans

Jasmine Rice

Tofu and Roasted Garlic Noodle Soup
(stir-fried tofu, roasted garlic, tamari, chili oil, vermicelli noodles, veg stock, pepper)

Again, we made the dish Liz had at Dragonfly in September, this time with a larger slab o' grilled tofu, along with the deep-fried rice balls. I have to remember the next time we make sushi or risotto to save the extra rice for these guys -- you can make the rice stick together with enough rice flour and water, but I think the starch from the short grain rice is better suited...

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Deep Dish Pizza (version 3)

Dinner 11/26

Deep Dish Pizza
(Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack vegan soy cheese, garlic, black olives, Tofurkey Italian sausages*)

Once again into the deep dish pizza fray... a couple of tweaks this time around -- we dimpled the dough about three minutes into the par-baking (10 minutes at 425F) to keep it from puffing up in the middle too much. We added a little less sauce / filling this time around so it doesn't overwhelm the structure. And finally, we added cornmeal to the bottom of the pan to keep from sticking (which we should have done the last time).

* The kids like the sausages, so that's why they're on there -- also, it looks like they've changed the composition, with chunkier sun-dried tomatoes studding the inside...

1. pressing out the dough.

2. after par-baking...

3. spreading on the tomato sauce.

4. black olives, soy sausage, garlic.

5. adding the soy cheese.

6. baked for 30 minutes at 425, removed from pizza pan, baked directly on the pizza stone for another 7-8 minutes.

7. cooled for 5 minutes and sliced.

the final verdict: very, very close... the bottom crust structure was excellent and held up well, even after sitting out for 20 minutes. Next time we may try baking some cheese into the crust ;)

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Crudite Plate, Celery Root Salad, Artichoke Dip, Roasted Garlic and Ciabatta

Dinner 11/25

Crudite Plate
(black and green olives, carrots, red bell pepper, miso and garlic dressing)

Celery Root Salad
(shaved celery root, capers, pickles, vegenaise, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley -- via Jamie Oliver)

Artichoke Dip
(artichoke hearts, vegenaise, red pepper flake, red bell peppers, pepporcini, vegan parmesan)

Fava Beans with Mint
(...don't say it)

Roasted Garlic and Ciabatta

A collection of small plates tonight, going through the fridge and pantry and using up some leftover Thanksgiving items (bread, carrots, dressing).

Friday, November 24, 2006

Black Friday Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 11/24

Black Friday Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, tamari, pepper)

Jasmine Rice

It's time for the annual post-Thanksgiving Stir-Fry -- about all I could muster after shopping... I'll skip the horror story of shopping for a new TV set for another time. Let's just say that it was going really well up until the point where it all went bad... very, very bad.

The good news is we picked up the second season of Dr. Katz and that helped... ;)

Thursday, November 23, 2006

What The Hell Does A Vegan Eat For Thanksgiving Anyway?

Thanksgiving 2006

Shepherdess Pies
(smoked tempeh, tofu, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, flour, veg stock, salt, pepper, topped with mashed potatoes)

Braised Carrots

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Bourbon Cranberries

Ciabatta Bread

Roasted Beets and Mixed Greens Salad
(with White Miso Garlic Dressing)

Potato Tomato Soup

Dessert

Pumpkin Cheesecake

All I need to say is that no one walked away hungry from the table... and I need a two day nap...

And, if I had the choice of one dessert to eat for every Thanksgiving in the future, this would be it. Here's the preliminary recipe...

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust

1 3/4 cup vegan gingersnaps
2 oz. dark chocolate (vegan chocolate chips)
5 tbs. soy margarine

Grind or crush the gingersnaps. Melt the chocolate and soy margarine together in the microwave or double boiler, then combine with the gingersnaps.

Press mixture into a 9" springform pan, then bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Filling

4 oz dark chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate
16 oz vegan cream cheese (two containers)
2 cups brown sugar
12 oz soft tofu (aseptic box)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 tbs. ground ginger
1 tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

In a mixer (or food processor), cream the cream cheese, sugar, tofu, flour and vanilla extract. Add pumpkin puree and spices and mix to combine. Reserve one cup of mixture.

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler, combine with the reserved 1 cup of pumpkin mixture and set aside.

Pour pumpkin and cream cheese mixture into springform pan. Then place 6-8 dollops of the reserved pumpkin and chocolate mixture on the surface, and with a knife, swirl from top to bottom (being careful not to disturb the crust) until a swirl pattern emerges.

For the Bain-Marie

Cover the bottom of the springform pan completely with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil, folding the foil so it reaches about halfway up the side of the pan. This is so the water will not seep into the springform pan while baking in the bain-marie.

Place the springform pan into a roasting pan big enough to hold the spring form pan comfortably.

Carefully place 1/2" of boiling water in the roasting pan. Be sure that the water is below the aluminum foil and will not leak into the springform pan.

Place entire roasting pan into a 350F oven for 75-90 minutes (check after 75 minutes) until it just starts to pull away from the edges of the springform pan. Turn off oven, remove the cheesecake and gently run a sharp knife around the edge of the springform pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool completely (and we mean completely)*. Cover the top of the springform pan with a paper towel (don't let it touch the top of the cheesecake, this will catch any condensation that might build up) and then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Best the next day. Can be made two days in advance.

* once we didn't let it cool completely (it was just barely warm), and the condensation that built up in the refrigerator ruined the top...