Wild Mushroom Quesadilla, Plantain and Soyrizo Hash

Dinner 5/28

Wild Mushroom Quesadilla
(shiitake and beech mushrooms, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, black beans, fyh cheddar soy cheese)

Plantain and Soyrizo Hash



The mushroom quesadillas are a recreation of a meal we used to eat at Lopez y Gonzales in Cleveland Heights twenty years ago -- the only thing missing were the Hearts of Palm that used to accompany the dish and the endless supply of salsa and chips that we'd eat by the buckets...

The Beech Mushrooms (a.k.a. Buna shimeji) in the quesadilla are a bit like grown-up enoki, still delicate, but a bit more substantial...

Tags: plantain, soyrizo, beech mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, quesadilla, soy cheese, fyh, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

White Bean Cassoulet with Blackened Tofu over Fettuccine, Bistro Salad

Dinner 5/27

White Bean Cassoulet with Blackened Tofu over Fettuccine
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, cannellini beans, tomato sauce, smoked paprika, tamari, parsley)

Bistro Salad with Radishes and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds



The cassoulet is one of our stand-by recipes, when time is short or inspiration lacking, or both. That doesn't mean it can't look and taste good ;)

The dressing for the salad is vegenaise-based, with thyme, red wine vinegar, soy parmesan, shallots, salt and pepper added together.

BTW, there's a new MMO we started playing this weekend called Dungeon Runners... Funny (plus good) stuff. Recommended.

Tags: tofu, cannellini, pasta, beans, radishes, salad, vegenaise, pumpkin seeds, paprika, mmo, dungeon runners, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Hoisin Green Beans

Dinner 5/26

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

Jasmine Rice

Hoisin Green Beans




Holiday weekend plus putting in the vegetable garden... yep, Stir-Fry.

Tags: stir-fry, jasmine, hoisin, green beans, tofu, sriracha, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Fettuccine with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Red Leaf Salad with Spicy Melon and Pink Peppercorn Dressing, Braised Leeks

Dinner 5/25

Fettuccine with King Trumpet Mushrooms

Red Leaf Salad with Spicy Melon and Pink Peppercorn Dressing
(adapted from Fine Cooking July '07 p. 51)

Braised Leeks

 


A little Marco Polo action tonight: Italian pasta vs. Asian mushrooms. The King Trumpet (a.k.a. eryngii) are almost mini-porcini like, so it's not that big of a leap.

The enduring cliche of vegans is that we eat a lot of salads. I'm here to tell you... it's all true. ;)

We're always looking for new ways to pump some freshness into to our salad repertoire and the combo of melon and peppercorn dressing was a big hit -- the melon was spicy and cooling at the same time, used in the dressing and as a topping (but not as a floor wax). The toasted sunflower seeds added a nice crunch as well.

Tags: pasta, mushrooms, king trumpet, eringi, leeks, marco polo, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

King Trumpet Mushroom and Tofu Dinner Salad with Peanut Dressing

Dinner 5/24

King Trumpet Mushroom and Tofu Dinner Salad with Peanut Dressing
(red leaf lettuce, shredded carrot, tomato, red cabbage, tofu, king trumpet mushrooms and peanut and cilantro dressing)


Tonight was one of the dreaded after-school child expo nights, where you wander aimlessly around starving, talking to the different teachers and you see your child's latest schoolwork/artwork/projects/slideshows.

Thankfully I fed the kids before we left, so no low-blood sugar issues there, but Liz got home just in time to change clothes and get back in the car to go to the school. I had prepped most of the food for our dinner, so when we finally returned home, this dinner salad seemed like a gift. ;)

The mushrooms were just sliced horizontally and fried up with a little olive oil and a splash of tamari at the end to "up" the umami profile.

Tags: salad, tofu, mushrooms, king trumpet, eringi, eryngii, umami, red leaf lettuce, peanut, cilantro, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Yellow Beet Ravioli, Parsnip Salad in Tomato Cup, Snap Peas

Raw Food Wednesday 5/23

Yellow Beet Ravioli with Sun-Dried Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sauce

Parsnip Salad in Tomato Cup with Baby Greens
(parsnip, lemon juice, dill, pine nuts, cashew cheese, parsley)

Snap Peas
(an hour in the dehydrator with olive oil, nama shoyu, black pepper and red pepper flake)

Dessert

Raspberry and Strawberry Pie in a Almond and Pistachio Crust


The parsnip salad is sort of like the dolmas filling from a few weeks ago, adapted for use in this summer-y salad (85F today, which felt like summer to me).

The yellow beets are somewhat milder than the usual red variety, and the little bit of dehydrated portobello and shallot added to the filling was spot-on.

The snap peas served dual purpose -- our half went into the dehydrator for an hour, the other half were cooked for the kids' stir-fry (they'd eat that every night if we let them).

The fruit in the pie was mixed with a little lemon juice and raw agave and were... perfect. ;)

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, beets, cashews, snap peas, tomato, parsnips, dehydrator, almonds, pistachio, strawberry, raspberry, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Chiles Rellenos, Seitan Fajitas

Dinner 5/22

Chiles Rellenos
(poblano peppers stuffed with tempeh, onion, garlic and soyrizo)

Seitan Fajitas
(onions, red bell pepper, fyh cheddar soy cheese and seitan with cumin, chile powder, garlic salt, smoked paprika, red flake pepper and black pepper)




I've been craving spicy food this week, and the seitan fajitas fit the bill nicely -- smoky, gooey, stuff-yr-face-hey-is-there-any-left? kind of good

We did a little twist with the rellenos tonight, using tempeh (cubed, stir-fried with smoked paprika and cumin) and soyrizo as the filling -- but that the joy of this dish, you can fill the roasted poblano with almost anything, and it's still going to be awesome ;)

Tags: fajita, chiles rellenos, chiles, seitan, soy cheese, tempeh, soyrizo, poblano, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-fry with Spicy Broccoli, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 5/21

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

Spicy Broccoli
(seared/steamed with tamari and szechwan pepper)

Jasmine Rice



We made a "red" version of broccoli (cooked with the tamari) and spiced it up with a small hit of the szechwan peppercorn... a little goes a long way.

All that was missing was the takeout containers ;)

Tags: stir-fry, tofu, broccoli, szechwan, szechuan, sichuan, jasmine rice, rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Blackened Tofu with Grilled Portobello, White Bean and Kale Stew and Fava Beans, Fiddlehead Ferns, Steamed Artichoke, Batard

Dinner 5/20

Blackened Tofu with Grilled Portobello, White Bean and Kale Stew and Fava Beans

Fiddlehead Ferns

Steamed Artichoke

Batard



We've somehow missed the fiddleheads so far this season, but made up for it tonight. It's funny when the produce manager asks "so, what do you do with them?" He was probably just surprised that anyone was enthusiastically buying them ;)

Tags: tofu, portobello, mushroom, cannellini beans, kale, fava beans, fiddlehead ferns, artichoke, batard, bread, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Braised Cabbage and Soyrizo, White Bean, Kale and Radish Greens Soup, French Bread, Raspberry Cupcakes

Dinner 5/19

Braised Cabbage and Soyrizo
(adapted from Mediterranean Grains and Greens by Paula Wolfort)

White Bean and Kale Soup
(onion, garlic, cannellini beans, kale, radish greens, tamari, pepper, veg stock)

Batard
(French Bread)

Dessert

Raspberry Cupcakes
(adapted from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World")



Liz made six batards today -- it's been a while since she's last made them, but it's always worth the effort... so, so good.

...and remember, more cupcakes are never a bad thing ;)

Tags: cabbage, soyrizo, kale, cannellini beans, bread, french bread, batard, dessert, cupcakes, raspberry, vctotw, vwav, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Porcini Mushroom and Seitan in Phyllo with Mustard Sauce, Roasted Broccoli, Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Dinner 5/18

Porcini Mushroom and Seitan in Phyllo with Mustard Sauce
(seitan, red onion, garlic, carrot, porcini mushrooms, herbes de provence, tamari, pepper)

Roasted Broccoli


Dessert

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

 

 

A moment of silence for the last of the porcini...

 

 

The mixture of seitan, red onion, carrot, garlic and porcini, wrapped in phyllo and baked, then covered with a hearty sauce infused with mustard made the chilly spring evening (frost warning!) seem that much warmer.



The cupcakes are for Sarah and Chase's wedding (congratulations!), but we made an extra batch (for back-up) and had those for dessert tonight.

Tags: seitan, porcini, mushrooms, phyllo, cupcakes, chocolate, cherry, vctotw, vwav, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Sweet and Sour Seitan, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 5/17

Sweet and Sour Seitan
(garlic, ginger, red onion, seitan, carrot, red bell pepper, pineapple, baby corn, scallion. sauce: tamari, rice vinegar, ketchup, agave)

Jasmine Rice



Some nights, dinner is dictated by the maxim: "what needs to be used before it goes bad?" Tonight's guest star... Pineapple. ;)

Tags: seitan, rice, jasmine, baby corn, pineapple, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Raw Pad Thai, Coconut and Lemongrass Soup, Persimmon Tart

Raw Food Wednesday 5/16

Raw Pad Thai
(from Trotter/Klein)

Coconut and Lemongrass Soup


Dessert

Persimmon Tart
(with almond, pistachio and agave tart shell)



The raw Pad Thai is probably our raw version of the ubiquitous stir-fry -- dependable, quick and delicious ;)

The Coconut and Lemongrass Soup was easy to make -- the juice of one young coconut, one stalk of lemongrass chopped, a 1/8" slice of ginger, 1 tsp. jalapeno, sea salt and pepper to taste, cilantro for garnish.

Add all of the ingredients into the vita-mix and puree until frothy. Then pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer, check for seasoning and add cilantro.



The tart is adapted from RAWvolution, and tonight we used the Fuyugaki for the first time -- the difference was pretty amazing -- the natural pectin in the these persimmons is very pronounced and the filling set up quite firmly.

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, persimmon, young coconut, lemongrass, cilantro, almond, pistachio, pad thai, charlie trotter, roxanne klein, RAWvolution, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Shiitake Mushroom In Yuba, Refried Rice

Dinner 5/15

Shiitake Mushroom In Yuba

Refried Rice



the yuba sheet was stuffed with the mushrooms, then rolled up and poached in a mixture of veg stock, sesame oil, tamari, sherry and agave.

In the last week's "Entertainment Weekly," it listed: Out: Tempeh, Five Minutes Ago: Miso and In: Yuba... I'm guessing there a lot of people that are thinking there's a town in Arizona named Miso... ;)

Tags: yuba, shiitake, mushrooms, rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Porcini and Arugula Napoleon with Roasted Potatoes, Mixed Green Salad with Apple and Fig Vinaigrette

Dinner 5/14

Porcini and Arugula Napoleon with Roasted Potatoes

Mixed Green Salad with Apple and Fig Vinaigrette




We saved the best/biggest porcini for this idea...

The porcini were sliced evenly on a mandoline, then fried with olive oil and soy margarine, salt, pepper and a splash of tamari at the end...

The arugula was wilted in olive oil with shallot, garlic, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, salt, pepper and 2 tbs. of scotch.

Yes, scotch... we read somewhere (I think in "Food and Wine") that the peppery bite of arugula pairs well with scotch. Tonight I can confirm that it indeed does add a smoky, smooth flavor profile to the proceedings. As in: ZOMGWTFBBQ!!111!1!!

Then, it's just a matter of alternating the porcini slices with the arugula filling. The remaining filling was spooned around the plate.

Here's the outdoor shot with roasted potatoes added...


There's still enough porcini's left over for one more dish...

Tags: porcini, mushrooms, arugula, potatoes, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, salad, figs, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Porcini in Phyllo with a Herbed Bechamel Sauce and Green Beans

Dinner 5/13

Porcini in Phyllo with a Herbed Bechamel Sauce and Green Beans

 

 

Click for bigger pictures

Step 1: Place ring mold brushed with olive oil on sheet tray lined with aluminum foil.

 

 

Step 2: Brush phyllo sheet with olive oil and fold in half. Lay phyllo over the ring mold and press down gently into mold.

 

 

Step 3: Add the sauteed porcini (olive oil, salt, pepper, splash of tamari) into ring mold, about 2/3 full.

 

 

Step 4: Add a herbed Bechamel sauce -- shallot, soy margarine and flour making a roux. Whisk in soy milk until thickened. Add finely minced fresh tarragon and thyme, as well as salt and pepper.

 

 

Step 5: Fold in edges of Phyllo...

 

 

Step 6: ...sealing the package. Brush with Olive Oil and place in a 400F oven for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

 

 

The final plate with Green Beans and additional herbed Bechamel Sauce: overhead version

Tags: phyllo, porcini, mushrooms, olive oil, bechamel, roux, green beans, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Mapo Tofu , Jasmine Rice

Dinner 5/12

Mapo Tofu
(garlic, ginger, red pepper flake, szechuan peppercorn, carrot, red bell pepper, baby corn, black bean sauce, tvp, scallion, tamari, palm sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, tofu)

Jasmine Rice




Mapo Tofu (a.k.a. Mapo Doufu) is a veganized twist on the classic Chinese dish -- meatless, but still smokin' hot ;)

Tags: garlic, ginger, red pepper flake, szechuan, szechwan, peppercorn, carrot, red bell pepper, baby corn, black bean sauce, tvp, scallion, tamari, palm sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Polenta with Porcini Mushrooms and Grilled Ramps, Grilled Radicchio, Grilled Asparagus

Dinner 5/11

Polenta with Porcini Mushrooms and Grilled Ramps

Grilled Radicchio
(with olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar

Grilled Asparagus
(local, organic with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice)


The grill got a full workout with the radicchio, asparagus and ramps all vying for space. The radicchio benefited the most, with the balsamic vinegar caramelizing and neutralizing any residual bitterness. The asparagus were local and organic and you could tell, not just physically (a distinct creaminess), but also on the palate. The grilling really brought out the all the smoky and earthy notes -- and apologies for wine-like hyperbole -- the terroir. Also, these may be the last of the local ramps now that the shade trees have almost fully bloomed...



Porcini: How I Love Thee, even at $30/lb

Again with the fabulous mushrooms -- and again from the Mustard Seed Market. Some huge specimens that we're looking forward to experimenting with over the next few days.

Tags: porcini, mushroom, asparagus, radicchio, ramps, polenta, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

White Bean Burger, Pommes Frites, Bistro Salad, Chai Cheesecake

Dinner 5/10

White Bean Burger
(cannellini beans, flour, thyme, rosemary, roasted garlic, salt and pepper)

Pommes Frites

Bistro Salad
(romaine lettuce, vegenaise, roasted garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, tarragon)

Dessert

Chai Cheesecake

 

If we ever opened a restaurant, the burgers would go on the menu -- no, there's absolutely no danger of that actually happening, I just like to say that every once in a while. ;)

The frites were "blanched" in peanut oil at 280F for 6-8 minutes, then let rest for 15 minutes, then deep-fried at 375F for 2-3 minutes to crisp up. They're really not hard to make at home, as long as you have the right-sized vessel (in our case a big wok) and a heavy duty candy thermometer.

The dessert is a (tasty, tasty) work in progress, so there's no recipe to report at the moment. Although it's really just a chai tea reduction with some unusual spices -- for a cheesecake at least.

Tags: cannellini beans, burger, frites, pommes, potatoes, bistro, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Dolmas, Cauliflower Couscous, Watermelon Gazpacho

Raw Food Wednesday 5/09

Dolmas
(dinosaur kale stuffed with parsnips, mint, dill, pine nuts, lemon juice, cashew cheese, sea salt, black pepper)

Cauliflower Couscous
(cauliflower, parsley, kalamata olives, cilantro, mint, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, cayenne)

Watermelon Gazpacho
(recipe here)


A little bit of this, a little of that -- the dolmas are a variation on the ones found in the Trotter/Klein "Raw" book subbing Dinosaur Kale and parsnip and cashew cheese which makes for a creamier filling.

The cauliflower couscous has become a staple -- always good when you have a half of a cauliflower and don't know what to do with it ;)

Finally, the first organic watermelon of the season has shown up (don't ask how much it cost!), so while the kids practiced spitting the seeds off the deck, we made the always refreshing gazpacho -- the jalapeno's heat sneaks in there if you let it sit for a few minutes and let all of the ingredients mingle.

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, cauliflower, rawvolution, watermelon, gazpacho, dolmas, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan and Mushrooms with Bearnaise Sauce, Twice Baked Potato, Broccoli

Dinner 5/08

Seitan and Mushrooms with Bearnaise Sauce

Twice Baked Potato

Broccoli



A variation of the bearnaise sauce with tofu we made back in January. We decide to revisit the dish, as we had a ton of tarragon and russet potatoes that needed to be used ASAP.

The broccoli was blanched in highly salted water for a few minutes, shocked under cold water and then pan-fried with a little olive oil, soy margarine, salt and pepper.

the final score: 2 veg, 1 starch, 1 protein ;)

Tags: seitan, mushrooms, bearnaise, sauce, shallot, tarragon, broccoli, potato, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Fusilli with Tomato Cream Sauce, Roasted Broccoli, Fried Tofu

Dinner 5/07

Fusilli with Tomato Cream Sauce

Roasted Broccoli

Fried Tofu




The weather (and winds) finally co-operated enough to eat dinner out on the deck tonight -- hence the shadows on the food.

It was a standard tomato cream sauce (onion, garlic, red pepper flake, black pepper, tomato sauce, soy sour cream) mixed in with the fusilli pasta, augmented with the roasted broccoli (olive oil, salt, pepper roasted at 450F for 15 minutes), and some leftover smoked tofu (shredded and refried with additional tamari). A simple one bowl meal with a big Coturri Sangiovese to wash it all down...

Tags: Coturri, tofu, broccoli, pasta, fusilli, tomato sauce, red pepper flake, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry with Grilled Ramps, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 5/06

Stir-Fry with Grilled Ramps
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, ginger, garlic, tamari, toasted sesame oil, szechwan peppercorns, sriracha sauce)

Refried Jasmine Rice





after a long hot day mowing the back 40 (and then some), it's always nice to tuck into one of these...

Tags: tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, ginger, garlic, tamari, toasted sesame oil, szechwan peppercorns, sriracha sauce, ramps, jasmine, rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tomatillo Enchiladas, Mucho Margarita Cupcakes

Cinco de Mayo 5/05

Tomatillo Enchiladas
(corn tortillas stuffed with shredded smoked tofu, onion, and FYH Monterey Jack, covered in tomatillo sauce, then topped with more soy cheese)


Dessert

Mucho Margarita Cupcakes
(from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World")

why yes, I did sample the tequila at 9am. Only to make sure it was of the highest quality. It had good tonguisity... ;)



We colored the turbinado sugar with natural food coloring (beet and blueberry extract)...

Tags: cupcakes, vctotw, vwav, margarita, cinco de mayo, enchiladas, tomatillo, fyh, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Shepherdess Pie, Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler

Dinner 5/05

Shepherdess Pie
(test recipe from the upcoming "Veganomicon")

Dessert

Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler


'Tis the season for school carnivals, kids expo nights, movie nights, PTO fundraisers, etc. Meals like the shepherdess pie are money in the bank -- you can make them up to a day ahead, stick them in the fridge and pull them out when you get back from the school function and pop them in the oven...

(Look for "Veganomicon" to come out Oct/Nov 2007.)

Rhubarb makes it's second spring appearance (after Raw Food Wednesday's salad) Is it a Cobbler? Crumble? Grunt? Slump? Whatever. Just call it tasty...

Tags: strawberry, rhubarb, crumble, cobbler, grunt, slump, veganomicon, vwav, tofu, potato, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tofu for Almodovar, Saffron Rice

Dinner 5/03

Tofu for Almodovar
(saffron rice, smoked paprika-crusted tofu with a green olive, raisin and pimento sauce)




We wanted something vaguely Spanish and this recipe adapted from Rachael Ray (yeah, yeah, yum-o) fit the bill and we had all the ingredients -- we subbed sauteed tofu with smoked paprika, red wine, veg stock, soy margarine, etc...

Now, if we start veganizing Paula Deen recipes, be afraid... ;)

Tags: tofu, saffron, basmati rice, pimento, green olive, raisin, paprika, Pedro Almodovar, Rachael Ray, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Buckwheat Pizza with Cashew Cheese, Celeriac Soup, Yellow Beet, Shaved Fennel and Rhubarb, Avocado and Mesclun Greens Salad

Raw Food Wednesday 5/02

Buckwheat Pizza with Cashew Cheese, Walnut Taco Filling, Marinara Sauce and Sour Cream
(pizza shells adapted from Gabriel Cousens, Taco Filling from "RAWvolution," marinara and cashew cheese from Trotter/Klein)

Yellow Beet, Shaved Fennel, Shaved Rhubarb, Avocado and Mesclun Greens Salad

Celeriac and Apple Soup
(from "Raw Food Real World" macadamia nuts, celeriac, green apple, lemon juice, olive oil, coconut water)


Back on the raw track with the pizza tonight -- Liz came home early for lunch and had enough time to knock out the walnut filling, marinara sauce and soup, which meant that we would be eating earlier tonight than usual ;)

Already having the buckwheat shells (made last week) also went a long way to "getting things done."

Many people have asked over the last three years that we've been doing raw food about the amount of time it takes to prepare meals like this. The answer is: no longer than cooked food -- just in different chunks of time.

It use to seem much more difficult having to think three days in advance, but once I wrapped my head around that, things like soaking, sprouting and dehydrating aren't seen (in GTD parlance) as "open loops," just routine "next actions"...

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, avocado, beets, fennel, rhubarb, salad, mesclun, buckwheat, tomatoes, pizza, cashew cheese, GTD, celeriac, celery root, macadamia nuts, young coconut, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan with Black Bean Sauce, Refried Jasmine Rice

Dinner 5/01

Seitan with Black Bean Sauce
(seitan, red bell pepper, carrot, green beans, baby corn. black bean sauce: garlic, galanga, ginger, tamari, sherry, agave, szechwan peppercorn, fermented black beans, cornstarch slurry)

Refried Jasmine Rice
(rice, tamari, toasted sesame oil)



A classic Chinese-style black bean sauce -- always a crowd favorite -- with a little galanga thrown in, along with seitan (and baby corn, as per Saturday) this time around.

Tags: seitan, baby corn, black bean, agave, tamari, rice, jasmine, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Smoked Tofu and Yukon Potato Pizza with Ramps and Shiitake Mushrooms

Dinner 4/30

Smoked Tofu and Yukon Potato Pizza with Ramps and Shiitake Mushrooms
(onion, garlic, tomato sauce, FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese, ramps, shiitake mushrooms, alder smoked potato and tofu)



pic before the soy cheese was added...

yep, pizza again -- this time a more traditional style/crust with some alder smoked tofu and potatoes -- as Liz was craving smoked potatoes (which is pretty unusual in of itself). I'm trying to get Liz to write out the pizza dough recipe -- it's pretty basic (flour, water, olive oil, yeast, pinch of sugar, etc) but I want to get all of the proportions correct...

Tags: pizza, alder, smoker box, potato, tofu, ramps, shiitake, mushroom, soy cheese, fyh, tomato sauce, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tomato and Potato Soup with Fried Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms, Fava Beans, Ciabatta, Bistro Salad, Braised Leeks

Dinner 4/29

Tomato and Potato Soup

Fava Beans

Ciabatta

Braised Leeks

Bistro Salad


lots of "small pieces, loosely joined" in a quasi-bistro meal.

We've hit upon the best way to clean/prep the fava beans: make it a race between the children to see who can get the most beans. It not only speeds up the prep time but also give them the connection between the raw and finished product.

And perhaps it's just anecdotal evidence on our part, but the kids seem to give unfamiliar foods a slightly better chance of being eaten if they get to touch and help with the prep. It's not just something green that shows up on the plate without any reference or connection. It beats the ol' "eat this, because it's good for you" schtick. Raise your hand if that was ever successful when you were growing up... ;)

Tags: bistro, salad, fava, ciabatta, leeks, soup, tomato, potato, bread, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666