Chanterelle and Maitake Mushrooms with Hickory-Smoked Grilled Tofu over Fusilli

Dinner 07/27

Chanterelle and Maitake Mushrooms

Hickory-Smoked Grilled Tofu

Fusilli

Liz scored some chanterelle & maitake mushrooms at the grocery store, so we pan-fried those beauties up in some olive oil with a little pepper & tamari to finish.

We smoked the tofu for 25 minutes with hickory wood chips and then marinated it for 20 minutes with equal parts of olive oil, tamari, ketchup with the addition of black pepper and smoked paprika. We grilled the tofu for 4-5 minutes per turn for nice grill marks, then flipped and repeated. To plate, they were cut into long triangles.

The (brown rice) pasta was cooked and coated with Earth Balance, nooch and pepper and served along with a salad.

Tags: chanterelle, maitake, mushroom, pasta, salad, tofu, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Brown Rice Burgers, Gazpacho

Lunch 07/27

Brown Rice Burgers

Gazpacho

A quick lunch, breaking out the cast-iron pan for our favorite "new" burgers (recipe)... this year ;)



And with the garden giving its lovely summer bounty, Liz made gazpacho (tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt & pepper) topped with pesto (basil, garlic, Marcona almonds, olive oil, salt & pepper) and diced kalamata olives.

Tags: recipe, brown rice, tomatoes, cucumber, soup, gazpacho, lunch, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Hominy Soup with Hickory-Smoked Tofu

Dinner 07/24

Hominy Soup with Hickory-Smoked Tofu

The soup started with the broth -- in this case a corn stock that I made earlier in the day in the pressure cooker (much like this version).

We started with a soup pot over med-high heat and added 1 tbs. of olive oil and 1 medium onion diced, 2 medium carrots diced and cooked for 3-4 minutes. Then we added two cloves of garlic, minced and cooked it all for one additional minute.

Next, we added 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. Mexican oregano, 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 2 tsp. smoked salt, 1 tsp. black pepper and cooked it for one additional minute.

It turned out that we had two types of hominy (white and golden) so we stirred in both 15oz cans (drained and rinsed) to the pot. At this point we added six cups of the corn stock, 1 tbs. of tamari, and brought the soup a boil, then reduced it to a simmer and cooked it for 30-40 minutes.

While that was cooking, we made the smoked tofu by dividing it into eight cutlets and smoking them in hickory chips for 25 minutes.

Next, in a wok on med-high heat, we cooked the tofu in 1 tbs. of olive oil until golden brown (about 4=5 minutes per-side). Add a splash of tamari at the end of cooking and cook for 1 additional minute.

We removed the tofu from the wok, let cool for a few minutes, then shredded it into strips.

When the soup was about finished, we checked it for seasoning -- if it still needs a little help, mix 2 tsp. of a dark miso with a little of the broth, and whisk it into the soup -- it adds a nice depth.

Add the soup to a warm bowl and top with the smoked tofu slices and a splash of lime. Serve with hot sauce on the side.

Tags: recipe, tofu, hominy, corn, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Old Bay Tofu Cakes with Pan-Roasted Summer Vegetables, Horseradish Cream, Apples and Beets

Dinner 07/20

Old Bay Tofu Cakes with Pan-Roasted Summer Vegetables, Horseradish Cream, Apples and Beets

This (tasty, tasty) recipe is from "The Conscious Cook" by Tal Ronnen p. 138. -- lots of moving parts, but worth the effort.

Tags: tofu, horseradish, apples, beets, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Fritto Misto: Squash Blossoms and Onions

Appetizer 07/19

A dish like Fritto Misto comes down to execution -- the need to work quickly and to eat it while the batter is still crispy and the filling gooey (a technical term).

Also, there's the always understood pressure to "hurry up with the pictures so we can eat!" ;)

Start by having a heavy wok or large pot filled about 1/2 way up the side with canola or peanut oil, heated and ready to go at 375F°.

While the oil is coming up to temp, make the filling for the squash blossoms -- ours changes from time to time, but usually involves some combination of minced shallots, a tiny bit of garlic, vegan cream cheese, whatever vegan cheese you like (this used Daiya Jack), nooch, salt & pepper -- all mashed together.

Next we made the batter, which we've simplified:

1 cup Einkorn (or all-purpose) flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water (plus extra for adjusting)

Whisk the water into the dry ingredients -- you want the result to be a little thicker than pancake batter, so you may need to add a little extra water -- especially in regard to the squash blossoms to make sure they're sealed up tight.*

The squash blossoms (from our garden, bonus!) were carefully rinsed inside and out, the stamen pinched and removed, patted dry and the filling added. They were dredged (and completely coated) in the batter and carefully placed in the oil. We were able to put about 4 in per batch. You don't want to overcrowd and drop the oil temp too much.

The onion was simply cut into rings, dropped in the batter and then in the oil.

The dipping sauce was simply 1/4 cup of vegenaise mixed with about 1 tsp. of smoked paprika.


*There's nothing sadder than watching a blossom open up in the oil.

Tags: squash blossom, onion, recipe, appetizer, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Flatbread Pizza Video

Video 07/16

We promised you a video about flatbread pizza, and by gosh, here it is... we leave pizza toppings up to you. ;)





The main music is a track called "090109" which sounds like an outtake from "Disintegration"

Tags: video, pizza, flatbread, einkorn flour, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Hot Italian Banana Peppers Stuffed with Fresh Herb Risotto and Daiya Mozzarella, with Fresh Basil Lime Sauce

Dinner 07/14

Hot Italian Banana Peppers Stuffed with Fresh Herb Risotto and Daiya Mozzarella, with Fresh Basil Lime Sauce

One of our favorite things to order at (the late, lamented) Vegiterranean restaurant, was this appetizer from Chef Scot Jones which was (thankfully) included in "The Conscious Cook" by Tal Ronen (pg. 80) -- also found here.

Tags: risotto, daiya, peppers, basil, lime, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Cherry Ice Cream with Pistachio

Dessert 07/08

Cherry Ice Cream with Pistachio

Cherry Ice Cream smiles / I suppose it's very nice...


(also: melted chocolate + coconut oil = "magic shell")

Tags: dessert, cherry, pistachio, chocolate, ice cream, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Triple Mushroom Quinoa Burger and Sweet Corn

Dinner 07/07

Triple Mushroom Quinoa Burger

Sweet Corn

An extreme umami moment! ;)

The original recipe with smoked portobello mushrooms was tweaked slightly by cooking the quinoa in shiitake mushroom stock and topping the finished burger with morel mushrooms.

As a change of pace, instead of grilling the sweet corn as we normally would, we decided to boil it for 7 minutes with excellent results.

Tags: shiitake, portobello, morel, umami, mushroom, corn, quinoa, burger, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Coconut Curry Soup with Tea-Smoked Tofu and Rice Noodles

Lunch 07/05

Coconut Curry Soup with Tea-Smoked Tofu and Rice Noodles

A quick summer lunch that also emptied out the pantry a little. ;)

The soup base started with one shallot and three cloves of garlic, minced, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then we added 2 tbs. of green curry paste. Next, 1/2 can of leftover coconut milk was whisked in, as well as 2 cups of shiitake mushroom stock. It was brought to a simmer and cooked while the rest of the ingredients came together.

The tea-smoked tofu was pan-fried in a wok, splashed with tamari at the end of cooking.

In a separate pan, thinly sliced collard greens were cooked down with a splash of tamari at the end of cooking (about 10 minute), then added to the soup.

The rice noodles were cooked according to the package (4 minutes), then placed in the bottom of the soup bowl, followed by the greens, soup, and the tofu which was sliced on the bias and added on top.

Tags: coconut milk, curry, rice noodles, tofu, smoker box, mushrooms, collard greens, soup, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

BBQ Tofu, Grilled Corn, Macaroni Salad

Dinner 07/04

BBQ Tofu

Grilled Corn

Macaroni Salad

There's something about local (organic) corn that's difficult to describe without having to refer to the French term terroir -- I know everyone says the same thing, but it just tastes better knowing that the corn came out of the field less than six miles from your house. ;)

We trim the top and bottom of the corn and then strip it down to the last couple of layers of husk, soak them for 15 minutes and then grill, turning every five minutes or so until completely blackened on the outside, about 20 minutes total. On our indoor grill, we've taken to covering the grill with a wok lid to simulate an outdoor grill.

The BBQ sauce, is, as always, this recipe over hickory smoked tofu.

Tags: corn, bbq, barbecue, tofu, macaroni, salad, grill, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Black Raspberry Ice Cream

Dessert 07/02

Black Raspberry Ice Cream

Looks like a hot one today -- here, have some black raspberry ice cream...

(recipe adapted from Vegan Scoop)

Tags: black raspberry, ice cream, summer, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Crudite Platter

Appetizer 07/01

Crudite Platter

Remember that Farmers Market pic from a few days ago? This is what happened to some of it -- raw carrots, peppers, cauliflower and radishes -- along with a caramelized onion dip.

Tags: onion, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, radishes, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Three Mushroom Risotto

Dinner 06/30

Three Mushroom Risotto

This creamy risotto combines pan-fried chanterelle and morel mushrooms with a shiitake mushroom stock. Also along for the ride was hickory-smoked grilled tofu and green beans.

Three Mushroom Risotto
(serves 4)

1 tbs. tbs olive oil
1 small shallot minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1 cup of arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine
4 1/2 cups of shiitake mushroom broth (or veg stock)

1 tbs. Earth Balance
1/4 nutritional yeast

In a large saute pan over med-high heat add the olive oil and Earth Balance.

To the pan add the minced shallot, garlic, salt & pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the arborio rice and stir to coat until the rice looks chalky, about 2 minutes.

Add the white wine and deglaze the pan until the wine evaporates. Then add about 2 1/2 cups of hot shiitake mushroom stock, stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 7-8 minutes.

Next add, the final 2 cups of hot mushroom stock and cook and additional 7-8 minutes until cooked through and creamy (about 14-16 minutes total).

While the risotto is going, cook the mushrooms.

2 tsp. olive oil

1 cup chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
1 cup morel mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise

2 tsp. tamari

Clean the mushrooms well (especially the morels).

In a medium saute pan over med-high heat add the olive oil until it shimmers, then add the sliced mushrooms and pan-fry until the liquid has released and evaporated, about 6-8 minutes. Add the tamari and stir to coat.

At the end of cooking for the risotto, add the Earth Balance and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine, check for seasoning. Top with the pan-fried mushrooms and optional fried tofu and/or green beans.

Tags: shiitake, morel, chanterelle, mushrooms, risotto, tofu, green beans, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Farmers Market

Farmers Market 06/30

my favorite time of year...

from bottom left: blackberries, tomatoes, zucchini, collard greens, cauliflower (purple, white), carrots, corn, radishes, beets, spring onions, garlic.

Tags: farmers market, blackberries, tomatoes, zucchini, collard greens, cauliflower, carrots, corn, radishes, beets, spring onions, garlic, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Beet Burger with Potato Salad

Dinner 06/29

Beet Burger

Potato Salad

There are nights like tonight where I'm not motivated to make dinner. Thankfully, I married an awesome woman who knows how to plan ahead! Liz made the Beet Burgers from the Jul/Aug 2012 issue of VegNews yesterday -- as you can see they turned out very nicely indeed. We cooked them in the cast iron pan and topped them with tomato, red onion and avocado.

The burgers were paired with a quick potato salad that Liz also whipped up yesterday when I wasn't around, so I don't know how she prepared it. But I'm grateful she did. ;)

Tags: beet, avocado, tomato, red onion, potato, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Ramen with Tea Smoked Tofu and Shiitake Mushroom Broth

Dinner 06/25

Ramen with Tea Smoked Tofu and Shiitake Mushroom Broth

We made a big batch of pressure cooked shiitake broth yesterday, so it was a natural progression to make a nice big bowl of ramen today.

The tofu was smoked with a black tea and then fried in a wok, along with the usual suspects, carrot, red bell pepper, scallions, shiitake mushrooms and napa cabbage on a bed of noodles.

Slurp!

Tags: ramen, noodles, shiitake, mushrooms, tofu, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Smoked Potato, Rosemary and Pepper Flatbread Pizza

Dinner 06/23

Smoked Potato, Rosemary and Pepper Flatbread Pizza

We loved these flatbread pizzas so much we made another batch -- this was one of the new ones, a smoked potato, rosemary and pepper version that despite the lack of Daiya* -- was outstanding.

For those that asked for a recipe, I shot a little video of Liz putting the flatbread dough together, and as soon as that's finished, I'll upload it here. here you go...



Meanwhile, enjoy Vegan Pizza Day!



* ok, maybe we're a little obsessed ;)

Tags: flatbread, pizza, potato, rosemary, pepper, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tostadas

Dinner 06/22

Tostadas

We enjoyed making the corn tortillas last month, so we decided to make another batch and use them for tostadas.

The tortillas were pan-fried in canola oil until crispy and topped with black beans, pinto beans, mushrooms, onions, lettuce and salsa.

Tags: corn, tortilla, tostada, black beans, pinto beans, mushrooms, hot sauce, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Flatbread Pizza

Dinner 06/15

Flatbread Pizza

Do you like Pizza? We like Pizza.

1. BBQ Tofu and Daiya Jack Flatbread Pizza.



2. Caramelized Red Onion, Basil and Daiya Havarti Flatbread Pizza.



3. Tomato, Basil and Daiya Havarti Flatbread Pizza.



4. Fig and Blue Sheese Flatbread Pizza.



5. Basil, Parsley and Thyme Flatbread Pizza.



6. Rosemary and Sea Salt Flatbread Pizza.



7. BBQ Tofu, Tomato Sauce and Daiya Cheddar Flatbread Pizza.

Tags: pizza, bbq, tofu, basil, red onion, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sheese, daiya, fig, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Portobello, Fritto Misto with White BBQ Sauce, Grape and Tarragon Salad

Dinner 06/13

Grilled Portobello

Fritto Misto with White BBQ Sauce

Grape and Tarragon Salad

The mushrooms were marinated in 1 part olive oil, 1 part tamari, 1 part ketchup and black pepper to taste. They were grilled, gill side down to start for 10 minutes turning once. Then they were flipped, and a wok lid placed over the grill to speed the cooking along without losing too much moisture, about another 7-8 minutes, turning once. The mushrooms were removed from the grill and dropped in the leftover marinade while we finished up the fritto misto. Then were finally sliced and placed on top of the grape and tarragon salad.

For the fritto misto recipe we used cauliflower, onions, scapes and for fun, a couple of olives (which were really good and juicy). This is the first time we've made the fritto misto using the Einkorn flour and the most noticeable difference was that the veggies all stayed much crisper for a longer period of time afterward.

We brought back the white BBQ sauce from a few days ago, which complimented the fritto misto quite nicely.

Tags: portobello, scapes, mushrooms, onion, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Brown Rice Cheeseburger, Sweet Potato Fries

Dinner 6/10

Brown Rice Cheeseburger

Sweet Potato Fries

We took our usual brown rice burger recipe and finished it off with a couple of slices of the new-ish Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti. We cooked the burgers in a cast-iron pan and put a small lid over the cheese at the end, which, as you can see, melted beautifully.

The sweet potatoes were cut into wedges, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and baked at 425°F for 25 minutes.

Tags: brown rice, recipe, sweet potato, daiya, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Dramatic Vegan Pizza

Dinner 06/06

Dramatic Vegan Pizza



We tried out the Havarti (with jalapeno) style @daiyacheese tonight, along with some basil at the end. Lovely!

Also made a tried-and-true version with tomato, onion and mushroom topped with cheddar Daiya minus the dramatic music. ;)

Tags: pizza, daiya, basil, mushroom, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Chickpea Patties, White BBQ Sauce, Grilled Zucchini

Dinner 06/04

Chickpea Patties

White BBQ Sauce

Grilled Zucchini

The chickpea patties are made like polenta. Here's the recipe from "The Truck Food Cookbook" by John T. Edge. We skipped the rest of the recipe and served them on top of a cabbage slaw with an Alabama style white BBQ dipping sauce and a side of grilled zucchini.



Sadly, the rest of the recipe is cut off -- but you pour the mixture onto a sheet pan that has been lined with a piece of oiled parchment paper and spread it out about covering the whole sheet. Top the mixture with another piece of oiled parchment, press to smooth it out and refrigerate until cooled completely.

Then we portioned the chickpea mixture into triangles and deep-fried them at 350°F for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.


The BBQ sauce was 1 cup of vegenaise, 1/2 tbs. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs. of agave, 1 tsp. of black pepper, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. smoked sea salt, 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika.

Tags: chickpea, bbq, zucchini, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Dessert 06/03

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Our son requested a cheesecake (recipe from "Sticky Fingers' Sweets" by Doron Petersan p. 229) upon his graduation from high school and today was that day.

Well played, sir, well played!

Tags: cheesecake, chocolate, dessert, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

A Big Bowl Of Yum Part III: Linguine with Porcini

Dinner 06/02

A Big Bowl Of Yum Part III: Linguine and Porcini

We were really surprised to find porcini mushrooms at our local grocery store -- like really, really surprised -- so we bought what was left (sadly, not much). They needed to be used ASAP, so we knocked together another big bowl of yum with linguine (tossed with a sauce of shallot, garlic, nooch, white wine, veg stock), spinach, braised leeks, roasted potatoes* and cauliflower

*I know, potatoes and pasta in the same dish is overkill... tasty, tasty overkill**

** see what I did there? ;)

Tags: linguine, porcini, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Baklava

Dessert 06/01

Baklava

Liz made baklava for a friends graduation party and we got to keep some of the second batch. Apparently it went over well at the party, so that's nice.

She's been so busy lately that I'm not even going to ask her about the recipe. ;)

Tags: baklava, phyllo dough, walnuts, sugar, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Kitchen Tools: Tortilla Press

Video 05/31



A short video of our cast-iron tortilla press in action...

Tags: cast-iron, tortilla, corn, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Strawberry and Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Dessert 05/25

Strawberry and Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Believe it or not, the original recipe (using vegan subs as needed) is from Good Housekeeping! ;)

Tags: strawberry, raspberry, dessert, tart, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Taco Party!

Dinner 05/24

Taco Party

We're gonna have a Taco Party Tonight! Alright!

It's been ages since we've made our own tortillas (2007?!), but they were so worth the effort.

Clockwise from upper left: Mushrooms, Radishes/Red Onions, Corn Tortillas, Rajas (poblano, red bell pepper & red onion), Shredded Lettuce, Soyrizo and in the center square Paul Lynde Guacamole.



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

Tags: taco, party, mushrooms, radishes, red onions, tortillas, rajas, poblano, red bell pepper, lettuce, soyrizo, guacamole, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666