Vegan Test Kitchen

Vegan Test Kitchen 4/04

With Vegan Iron Chef III around the corner, we spent the weekend trying out a couple of ideas...

Starting with a zucchini lattice wrapped around tofu ricotta, wrapped in plastic, and steamed to shape. they were about the size of a tennis ball -- we need to get them more golf ball sized.

Hopefully the filling can be modified to accept the secret ingredient.

Next up, a tapas idea, thinly cut beet rounds, marinated in blood orange & olive oil, filled with a mix of soy cheese cream & dill and topped with caviar (somehow you knew that was coming back).

These worked out fine, we just need a slightly bigger beet -- but they're kind of delicate.



Another tapas idea is Patatas Bravas -- unlike the sous-vide version, these potatoes balls were taken out of a large potato with a melon baller, then blanched, drained and rolled (continuously) in a pan with olive oil & Earth Balance. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, and then deglazed with red wine vinegar & sherry. I wouldn't change a thing on these.

These will probably be part of a larger skewer.



Finally, it was late and silly (but tasty) things happened.



More to come...

Tags: vegan iron chef, potatoes, zucchini, beets, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Escarole, Blue Sheese & Shiitake Mushroom Pizza with a Garlic, Rosemary and Marcona Almond Cream Sauce

Dinner 4/02

Escarole, Blue Sheese & Shiitake Mushroom Pizza with a Garlic, Rosemary and Marcona Almond Cream Sauce

It took less time to eat the pizza than it took to say the name ;)

We used Marcona almonds in the cream sauce tonight. The garlic was toasted with the skin on in a dry pan on med-low heat for about 10 minutes until the outer skin started to blacken. Then we slipped the skins off and added the almonds, minced rosemary, olive oil, nooch and barely enough water to make it turn in the vita-mix.

The sauce was spread over the pizza dough and topped with shredded escarole and shiitake mushroom with a little microplaned Blue Sheese on top.

For dessert, we ate most of the goodies from The Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan posted below. Nom!

Tags: escarole, shiitake mushrooms, marcona almonds, blue sheese, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pictures from the Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan

The Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan 4/02

The Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan was a rousing success, raising $2921.50!

Pics from the big day can be found here.

Here's a few of the goodies we brought home with us...

Chick Cake Pop

Passion Fruit Cheesecake / Blueberry Mini-Cheesecake



Monkey Bread




Citrus Surprise Cupcake




Carrot Cake Cupcake




Green Tea Cupcakes




Mini-Cheesecake




Coconut Cupcakes




Main Table




Part of the items we purchase from the bake sale...




Here's 2 of the 3 things we made:

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Cacao Nib Crust and topped with Smoked Fleur de Sel




Espresso Cupcakes with Vanilla Caramel Frosting

Tags: bake sale, japan, akron, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

The Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan

The Akron Vegan Bake Sale for Japan

Here's what we'll doing be tomorrow from 11am-4pm. Hope you can join us!

For more info click the poster.

We're making Lemon Bars (from V'con) like these...



...and smaller versions of Chocolate Ganache Tarts with Cacao Nib Crusts & Smoked Fleur de Sel

Tags: bake sale, lemon bars, ganache, japan, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Chili Cheese Dogs

Lunch 3/31

Chili Cheese Dogs

Just getting ready for Opening Day tomorrow. The chili recipe is from Vegan Diner (go pick it up!) w/melted Daiya.

Tags: lunch, chili, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Hickory-Smoked Mushroom and Quinoa Burger

Dinner 3/24

Hickory-Smoked Mushroom and Quinoa Burger

Yes, it was as tasty as it looks.

Yes, I ate both of them.

Yes, there is a recipe -- but it'll have to wait until after April 17.



also... onions!

Tags: mushroom, quinoa, burger, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Root Vegetable and Seitan Stew in Crepes, Red Potatoes, Beer Gravy

Dinner 3/22

Root Vegetable and Seitan Stew in Crepes

Red Potatoes

Beer Gravy

Crepes always make us feel fancy ;)

The filling inside of the crepes (recipe from VwaV) was a simple stew that combines root veggies (turnip, parsnip, celeriac), along with carrot, onion, garlic & herbes de provence with pressure cooked French lentils and cubed seitan.

The dish also utilized the leftover Beer Gravy from St. Patrick's Day and red potatoes (quartered, boiled for 13-15 minutes).

Tags: crepes, vwav, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, lentils, seitan, potatoes, gravy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Oaxacan Black Mole with Polenta, Hickory-Smoked Grilled Tofu, Plantain Chips and Pumpkin Seeds in a Tortilla Cup

Dinner 3/20

Oaxacan Black Mole with Polenta, Hickory-Smoked Grilled Tofu, Plantain Chips and Pumpkin Seeds in a Tortilla Cup

It's Deja Vu all over again. Our friends Laura & John came over early in the afternoon for a strategy session for her upcoming cooking event in Cleveland. We experimented with different combos of flour vs. corn tortillas, mini-muffin size vs. regular muffin tins. (For the record -- flour & mini-muffin size won out).

We smoked the tofu with hickory this time around, and we also added pepitas as a garnish to give it a little crunch on top. The mini-version fall into the "1-and-a-half bites" category, but pack a punch with the mole.



After the testing was over, we made a large format version for dinner -- and everyone had seconds. ;)



The plantain chips worked out much better this time around. The plantain was much riper, and they flattened out well with the mallet. Also, increasing the baking temp to 450F cooked them just right.



Liz had saved some pizza dough from the other night, so while we were doing prep, and rolled them out thinly and shallow-fried them in a cast iron pan, then sprinkled them with powdered sugar, the end result being somewhere between a sopapilla and churro.

Tags: mole, chocolate, tortilla, chiles, plantains, polenta, pumpkin seeds, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Gumbo Z'Herbes with Hickory Smoked Grilled Tofu and Blackened Okra

Dinner 3/18

Gumbo Z'Herbes

Hickory-Smoked Grilled Tofu

Blackened Okra

The gumbo recipe used green cabbage & collard greens this time around.

The tofu was hickory-smoked for 25 minutes, then marinated: 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. tamari, 1 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 tsp. agave, 1 tsp. ketchup and freshly ground black pepper to taste. While the tofu was grilling, it was basted with the remaining marinade. It was then sliced and added on top of the gumbo.

Sharing time on the grill was okra which had also been marinated: a 2:1 mixture of melted soy margarine & tamari, then basted occasionally on the grill with the leftover marinade. You want to make sure the okra is blackened in spots and is cooked through completely.

Tags: gumbo, cabbage, collard greens, tofu, okra, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

St. Patrick's Day 2011

St. Patrick's Day 2011 3/17

Cock of the North (Seitan Flambéed w/Irish Whiskey)

Colcannon

Beer Gravy

Soda Farls

Dessert

Double Stout Chocolate Brownies

Since the beginning of the blog (in 2002*), we have always made this recipe, a hearty and filling Seitan based stew that is combined with Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes & Cabbage) and Beer Gravy (this year we used Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout).

Soda Farls are a new addition to the proceedings, a quick soda bread that is fried in the cast iron skillet.



The soda farls use 3 cups of flour, 1 tsp. of baking soda and 1 tsp. salt combined with 3/4 cup of plain soy yogurt & 3/4 cup of water, formed into a dough and rolled out into a round about 3/4" thick, and cut into quarters -- or farls. They were fried on medium high heat with 1 tbs. of earth balance for seven minutes on the first side. Reduce the heat to med-low, flip the bread and add another 1 tbs. of EB and fry for another 10 minutes the second side.



As you can see, they came out really light and fluffy -- perfect!



For dessert, the double chocolate stout brownies were topped with powdered sugar.

* Hey you kids, get off my lawn!

Tags: seitan, potatoes, cabbage, beer, whiskey, chocolate, dessert, farl, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs, Chocolate and Coconut Milk Ganache Tart

Dinner 3/14

Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs

Dessert

Chocolate and Coconut Milk Ganache Tart

Monday Night Comfort Food: We Haz It.



We started with one 16oz. block of extra firm tofu chopped very fine and added 1 tsp. red pepper flake, 2 tbs. minced shallot, 1 tbs. garlic (we like garlic), 1 tbs. minced parsley and salt & pepper to taste. You can play around with the proportions depending on what you like.

How wet the mixture is will determine how much vital wheat gluten is needed to be mixed in to make them hold together, but start with a 1/4 cup and add more if the mixture seems loose. Knead for a few minutes to develop the gluten formation and then shape them into the size of a small golf ball. The balls were pan-fried in olive oil in a cast-iron pan, rotating often to keep them browned, not burned. Add to the sauce for few minutes, or just put them on top of the spaghetti.



Dessert was a last minute improv from Liz, working with some coconut milk that needed to be used up, mixed into melted chocolate to make a quick ganache which was added to a chocolate graham cracker and cacao nib crust then refrigerated for an hour or so. It was so quick, I didn't even see her make it -- so I was extremely surprised after dinner. ;)



The tart was topped with a pinch of smoked sea salt and some whipped Soyatoo with a little extra vanilla folded in. Fantastic!

Smoked Polenta with Chickpea and Escarole Stew

Dinner 3/13

Smoked Polenta with Chickpea and Escarole Stew

A simple stew of chickpeas and chopped escarole with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley & veg stock, set on a base of smoked polenta.



Also, we can cross polenta off the "I wonder what it would like be to smoke..." list. We used cherry wood chips & smoked it for 10 minutes. And yes, it was awesome!

Tags: polenta, chickpeas, escarole, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pear, Red Onion, Arugula and Blue Sheese Focaccia

Dinner 3/12

Pear, Red Onion, Arugula and Blue Sheese Focaccia

Going into the oven... sliced pear, caramelized red onion, arugula and microplaned Blue Sheese.



The focaccia was baked 10 minutes @ 450F, rotated and cooked another 10 minutes @ 425F. It was gently removed from the sheetpan, then cooked on the pizza stone for five more minutes.

Tags: focaccia, pear, arugula, red onion, blue sheese, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Breakfast 3/12

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Yep, they were delicious. From "100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes" by Kris Holechek

Tags: blueberry, muffin, vegan, food, breakfast, tofu666

Seitan with Black Vinegar Sauce

Dinner 3/06

Seitan with Black Vinegar Sauce

Another tasty trip in the wayback machine. Here's what I wrote two years ago...

The basic concept is to take your own home made seitan (but not pounding it out as thin), and cut it into roughly 3/4" wide x 1/2" thick x 4" long strips, coat with cornstarch and deep-fry for 4-5 minutes. Then slowly braise the seitan in a mixture of shallot, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sherry, veg stock, black vinegar and tamari. The end result was a fantastic explosion of flavor and texture that was as close to take-out food as we have ever made at home.

The key to the dish is the Chinese Black Vinegar, which lends the exact right note of acidity and spice to the braised seitan.

Tags: seitan, black vinegar, tamari, cornstartch, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan Roulade, Roasted Broccoli, Red Potatoes

Dinner 3/05

Seitan Roulade

Roasted Broccoli

Red Potatoes

We haven't made a roulade in quite a while -- but it was worth the wait!

When making the seitan cutlets the other day, we saved a center section specifically for the roulade. It was smoked for 20 minutes in apple wood, then given a quick brush of tamari.



We seared the seitan on both sides in the wok (about 2-3 minutes per side), which was the only pan big enough to handle the size. Wilted collard greens with sun-dried tomatoes (olive oil, garlic, pepper, tamari) and button mushrooms (olive oil, pepper, tamari, deglazed with sherry) were added on top of the seitan and rolled.



The seitan was trussed with twine and put in a 350F over for 20 minutes. For plating, the twine was cut off and the roulade was cut in half and plated on a base of a quick gravy: minced shallots & garlic, a roux (made from earth balance/flour), veg stock, tamari, pepper and a pinch of nutritional yeast.

Served with roasted broccoli (olive oil, salt, pepper, 450F 15 minutes) and red potatoes (quartered, boiled 12 minutes, drained, tossed with earth balance, salt, pepper & parsley).

Tags: seitan, potatoes, broccoli, gravy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Daiya Tuille

Vegan Test Kitchen 3/02

Daiya Tuille

Well, it started out as a tuille, then when I couldn't find the cornet form to make a cone, it turned into a canolli shape.

(Later it was stuffed with smoked tofu coated with a spicy tomato sauce that went into our enchiladas for dinner -- which sort of makes it an inside out enchilada.)

Did I mention Vegan Iron Chef III is coming up on April 17, 2011 at Kent State? ;)

Tags: daiya, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Seitan, Wilted Arugula, Shiitake Mushrooms, Green Beans Almondine, Limoncello Cake with Rosemary

Dinner 2/26

Grilled Seitan

Wilted Arugula

Shiitake Mushrooms

Green Bean Almondine

Dessert

Limoncello Cake with Rosemary

We made seitan again, using the old-school method, brushed with tamari, then grilled.

(We also shot another how-to video and perhaps this one will see the light of day. No promises, but it looks better than the one we shot last July.)

Accompanying the seitan was wilted arugula, pan-fried shiitake mushrooms and a side of Green Bean Almondine.



For dessert Liz made a Limoncello Cake with Rosemary (and candied Meyer Lemon Slices).

I'll just let that sink in for a moment...

Adapted from "Booze Cakes" by Krystina Castella and Terry Lee Stone.

Tags: seitan, green beans, almonds, arugula, shiitake mushrooms, meyer lemon, rosemary, cake, limoncello, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666