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...

Hatch Chiles

Dinner 08/25

Roasted Hatch Chiles

It's that time of year again, when Hatch chiles start showing up in the markets. We bought a dozen or so of both the hot and mild, roasted them (as shown), then peeled and de-seeded the chiles. Finally, we then vacuum-sealed and froze them for the winter ahead. We saved a couple for dinner tonight (quesadillas with oyster mushrooms & tomatoes from the garden) and the Hatch chiles added a nice change of pace flavor profile the the usual jalepeno or serrano chiles.

Corn Fritters, Braised Leeks, No-Knead Bread, Olive Bagna Cauda, Shishito Peppers, Icicle Radishes

Dinner 07/20

Corn Fritters

Braised Leeks

No-Knead Bread

Olive Bagna Cauda

Shishito Peppers

Icicle Radishes

A little bit of this and that, using some of the mornings Farmers Market produce. We did the usual Braised Leeks recipe and made a small batch of corn fritters topped with a garlic mayo on a bed of the local lettuce.


For apps, we made the Olive Bagna Cauda recipe from Food & Wine, fried up the Shishito peppers and finished them with a splash of lemon and salt, sliced the radishes thinly with a pinch of sea salt, plus we took another run at the no-knead bread(sticks) from Jim Lahey -- still trying dial in the right amount of water/yeast/flour for the Einkorn -- but we're getting closer...

Farmers Market

Farmers Market 07/20

Dodging the rain drops, Liz made her way to the Kent Farmers Market and returned with these goodies which will get turned into dinner later.


Beautiful lettuce...


... beets, turnips, collards, radishes, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers


Red onions with more beets, turnips and lettuce.

Stay tuned.

Chili Salad

Dinner 07/17

Chili Salad

With temps in the low 90s and the heat index topping 100°, a salad begins to look like a really viable choice for dinner. ;)

The chili started with 1/2 cup of TVP, soaked for 15 minutes in veg stock along with smoked paprika and cumin. While that absorbed, we sauteed one diced onion, 3 cloves of garlic until golden, added salt, pepper and a little ancho powder (to taste). Then we added the in soaked TVP and cooked that until it all the liquid had evaporated and started to darken. At this point Liz likes to add 1 tbs. of dark cocoa and 1 tbs. of tamari.

Next we added 32 oz. of cooked kidney beans and 16 oz of Pinto beans (you can use pressure cooked or canned -- canned was a really good option tonight.) Finally we added a 28oz can of whole fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed them with a potato masher and let it simmer on the back of the stove for 40 minutes until thickened. Check for seasoning and serve over a bed of baby romaine or mixed greens, top with your favorite hot sauce, a splash of lime, vegan sour cream and line the bowl with chips.

Bananas Foster Pancakes

Breakfast 07/13

We had Bananas Foster for dessert the other night and needed to use up the last of the bananas -- so it was as simple as A + B = tasty. ;)

The base pancake recipe is from "Vegan Diner." The Bananas Foster was 2 tbs. Earth Balance & 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar melted in a pan with a pinch of cinnamon added. Being breakfast, we skipped the rum and ice cream, but did add a 1/4 cup of rice milk to smooth it out. The bananas were cut and tossed with the sauce and added to the top of the pancakes.

No-Knead Bread, Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate

Appetizer 07/12

No-Knead Bread

Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate

Liz wanted to try out the No-Knead Bread technique by Jim Lahey (author of "My Bread" and "My Pizza") to see what would happen when using Einkorn Flour.

The first batch was made a few days previously -- the final loaf was in the ballpark -- perhaps a little wet, which made it difficult to handle. We baked it in our large cast-iron dutch oven, which was one size too large and led to a rather tasty, but thin loaf.

So after a few adjustments (an extra bit of flour and yeast), Liz made a second batch, this time baked in the Le Creuset French Oven (7 1/4 Qt.) -- after first removing the lid handle, which will melt at 500°.

As you can see, it turned out really well -- a rustic loaf with a deep, well developed flavor. The kids also loved it.


Liz also made some large breadsticks (almost baguettes) from the no-knead dough that paired very nicely with the Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate (recipe from "Urban Vegan" by Dynise Balcavage) -- which uses pecans to great effect.

Shish Kabobs: Maple-Smoked Tofu, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper and Pineapple

Dinner 07/11

Shish Kabobs

Our grill certainly is getting a workout this summer -- tonight, we marinated some maple-smoked* tofu, mushrooms, red bell pepper and pineapple with 1 tbs. of olive oil, 1 tbs. of tamari, black pepper (to taste) and 1 tbs. of ketchup and put them on wooden skewers and served them on a bed of rice (to absorb all the tasty juicy bits).


* a new wood chip flavor for us -- our son noticed it right away -- we have taught him well... ;)

Hot Dogs, Pasta Salad and Sweet Potato Fries

Dinner 07/07

Hot Dogs

Pasta Salad

Sweet Potato Fries

We fired up the grill again and rocked the Holiday weekend food stuffs!

The sweet potato fries were cut into quarters and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of smoked paprika and baked at 425° for 25-30 minutes turning halfway through cooking.


Liz broke out her hot dog bun pan and tried the "Old-Fashion Hamburger Bun" recipe from "Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson with great success!




A close-up of the dogs with ketchup, onions & relish...

Paella

Dinner 06/29

Paella

It's always a good time when we break out the Paella pan! ;)

We used our basic Paella recipe, augmented tonight with green beans, button mushrooms deglazed with sherry, hickory-smoked tofu and red bell peppers.

Brown Rice Burger, Grilled Asparagus, Mixed Greens Salad with Grapes

Dinner 06/23

Brown Rice Burger

Grilled Asparagus

Mixed Greens Salad with Grapes

The recipe for the brown rice burgers hasn't changed much -- maybe less chipotle & jalapeno. The tomato is from our mini-garden on the patio (given that the deer will find anything tomato-related in the front or back yard, we have to put the older plants up on the deck).

The asparagus were tossed with olive oil, tamari and black pepper and grilled -- we've taken to putting a wok-lid over items on the grill (i.e. corn) to help even out the cooking with great success, making it act more like an outdoor grill.

Strawberry Shortcake

Dessert

Strawberry Shortcake

The recipe ("Mixed Berry Shortcake") was from adapted* from "Chloe's Vegan Desserts" (p. 129) by Chloe Coscarelli.



It was delicious.

That is all.

* we made two single cakes, didn't have any other berries and used Einkorn flour, as usual.

Guacamole and Chips

Appetizer 06/15

Guacamole and Chips

We had some friends over and started out the evening with guacamole & chips -- and maybe a Margarita or two, which is why there aren't any pictures of the enchiladas we had for dinner or the pumpkin flan we had for dessert. ;)

Thai Noodle Salad

Lunch 06/14

Thai Noodle Salad

I'm pretty sure there are items waaaay in the back of our pantry that have been there since we moved into the house in '94. Thankfully the Thai noodles (rice vermicelli) are a (somewhat) more recent purchase. ;)

There's stir-fried carrots, cabbage and tofu mixed into a quick sweet and sour sauce (lime, agave, sriracha, tamari) with the noodles, topped with cucumber, radish and peanuts.

Pizza Burgers, Grilled Corn, Potato Salad and Doughnuts

Dinner 05/27

Pizza Burgers

Grilled Corn

Potato Salad

Dessert

Doughnuts

Pizza burgers (GF-tweaked recipe* from The "Best Veggie Burgers On The Planet" Joni Marie Newman), potato salad and grilled corn

* subbed 1/4 cup each tapioca and potato flour in place of vital wheat gluten, added 1/4 cup of nooch & 1/4 cup of Daiya Cheddar as a extra binder.


Liz whipped up a quick batch of doughnut batter which started out a little loose, so they ended up a little more like a cross between doughnut holes and churros, but hey -- sprinkle some sugar on it and it's all good. ;)

Detroit-Style Pizza

Dinner 05/25

Detroit-Style Pizza

We're not sure what just happened... square, deep-dish, marinara, Daiya mozzarella... but we do know that we want to eat it again. And again.


Starting here will give some context, but a cursory Google search reveals many, many variations. By using our square cast-iron pan we've probably already made it wrong. Tasty, tasty wrongness. ;)

Taco Night in Ohio

Dinner 05/18

Taco Night

Clockwise from upper left: Hickory-Smoked Tofu, Vegan Sour Cream, Daiya Cheddar, Shredded Lettuce, Guacamole, Refried Beans, Tortillas, more shredded lettuce and Rajas (in the center).


The tortillas are super easy to make (2 cups of masa, 1 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp. smoked sea salt) -- then the dough was rolled into small golf ball size chunks and pressed out in our handy tortilla press.


They were then cooked in a cast-iron pan set on stun high (about 2 minute on the first side, and 30 seconds on the flip).

Kati Rolls

Dinner 05/17

Kati Rolls

From "Vegan Sandwiches Save The Day!" by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes.


Yummy chapti wraps stuffed with potato, tomatoes, peppers and tofu.

Tofu 'n Waffles 'n Collards

Dinner 05/16

Tofu 'n Waffles 'n Collards

The basic recipe is here, with the addition of collards, slow cooked in the same pan as the smoked tofu which added another great layer of flavor.

Pizza: Mushroom & Onion, Margherita, Black Bean & Avocado

Dinner 05/05

Pizza

Playing around with the dough again (as always) these were more in the Neapolitan style.

Toppings this time around included Mushroom & Onion (left)...


...Margherita (top)...


...and Black Bean & Avocado

Spinach Wow Greens

Dinner 04/28

Spinach Wow Greens

"A Spin on Oshitashi" From "Vegan Eats World" by Terry Hope Romero -- go buy it!

Made with chard instead of the traditional spinach, but a yummy one bite snack no matter what you use.

Tofu Masala, Basmati Rice, Roasted Cauliflower, Naan

Dinner 04/25

Tofu Masala

Basmati Rice

Roasted Cauliflower

Naan

yep, this was pretty good... veganized the classic Julie Sahni Tikka Masala recipe with usual substitutes (smoked/grilled tofu, soy yogurt, Earth Balance, soy cream, etc).


...so was this.

Moo Shu Pancakes, Szechuan Eggplant with Sesame-Fried Rice

Dinner 04/24

Moo Shu Pancakes

Szechuan Eggplant

Sesame-Fried Rice

We love Moo Shu. but haven't made it for a while.

What's hiding on the inside of the pancake? Tea-smoked tofu, shiitake, carrot, snow peas and napa cabbage.

The ratio for the pancakes dough is roughly 2:1 flour to water, plus a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp sesame oil. The trick is rolling them out the right thickness -- not so thick that they're chewy -- and thin enough that they cook evenly and are flexible. These fit that bill perfectly.


We also had some leftover jasmine rice from a stir-fry earlier in the week, so we made sesame fried rice (sesame oil, tamari) as a base for the Szechuan Eggplant.

Szechuan Eggplant

1 eggplant cut into 3/4" cubes

1 tbs. vegetable oil (or canola/peanut)
1 tbs. garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

for the sauce:

1/2 cup veg stock (or shiitake broth, or water)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 tbs. tamari
2 tbs. sugar (or agave)

Cut eggplant into 3/4" cubes, add salt and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse eggplant and pat dry.

Heat a wok to med-high, and add oil. When it just begins to smoke add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flake and stir-fry for 30-45 seconds. Add the eggplant and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until the eggplant starts to show some color.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients and pour over the eggplant.

Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup and is glazing the eggplant.

Check for seasoning / heat level -- If it needs a little kick, we usually add a shot of sriracha -- and serve over the rice.

Ramen with Oyster Mushrooms

Dinner 04/21

Ramen with Oyster Mushrooms

We realize that Ramen has become the new "Ye Olde Stir-Fry" of the blog, but this was too pretty not to share. ;)

Tea-smoked tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, celery, topped with a icicle radish. Made with shiitake broth enhanced with kombu, yellow miso, garlic, ginger and black pepper.

Doubles, Artichoke Dip, Pumpkin and Red Bean Curry

Dinner 04/20

Doubles

Artichoke Dip

Pumpkin and Red Bean Curry

Tonight's meal comes via Trinidad & Tobago -- Doubles are an extremely tasty mixture of chickpea curry, chutney and hot sauce between two pieces of fry bread. We took the liberty of adding some wilted arugula to add to the pepper profile.


Our kids had some friends over, so we made a big batch of the fry bread...


...and added a batch of baked artichoke dip as well as a pumpkin and red bean curry for variety.

Carbonnades a la Flamande, Roasted Potatoes, Braised Carrots, Zucchini and Pepper Tart

Dinner 04/14

Carbonnades a la Flamande

Roasted Potatoes

Braised Carrots

Zucchini and Pepper Tart

Bringing one back from the old days -- our riff on Julia Child's recipe made with alder-smoked tofu this time around, served with roasted potatoes and braised carrots.


Along for the ride on the side was a zucchini and bell pepper tart. We added a bechamel sauce (2 tbs. Einkorn flour, 2 tbs. Earth Balance, make a roux, whisk in 2 cups rice milk until thickened, add a 1/4 cup of nooch and a pinch of salt and pepper, finally 1/2 cup of Daiya Mozzarella) and then popped in the oven.


... and here it is coming out.


Also, these multi-colored carrots were beautiful and tasty.

Portobello Burger with Spinach, Onions and Roasted Red Bell Pepper

Dinner 04/07

Portobello Burger with Spinach, Onions and Roasted Red Bell Pepper

Grilled portobello with wilted spinach, caramelized onions and roasted red bell pepper on a homemade bun with a little vegenaise and a tiny bit of hot sauce... perfection.