what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?

2005 In Review Pt. 2

Here's Part 2 of the year end review... Enjoy!



Saturday, July 30, 2005

Spicy Lemongrass-Ginger [chicken] Tofu
(Food and Wine September 2005)

Eggplant with Coconut Milk and Scallions
(Food and Wine September 2005)

Stir-fried Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms
(Food and Wine September 2005)

Jasmine Rice

Wilted Turnip Greens w/ Garlic and Ginger and Sesame Oil


In the recipes, we changed the Vietnamese Stir-Fry Sauce to veg stock, soy sauce and sugar.

---

(bonus shot: July 24, 2005: Dehydrated Cherry Tomatoes)

the arty shot of the year ;)

dehydrated cherry tomatoes as part of a raw dinner cooling on the rack. The Excalibur 2900 dehydrator was the best kitchen item we bought this year, hands down -- it made the raw food dinners go that much smoother and was a breeze to use...

 

---

Monday, August 15, 2005

Gumbo Z'Vegan*

Hoecakes with Okra and Tomato

Boiled Baby Corn

* traditionally, Gumbo Z'Herbes has many different greens that are wilted and then almost pureed to thicken the stew. this variation on used cabbage and kale -- because that's what we had on hand ;)

 

---

 


(bonus shot: Wednesday, August 03, 2005: Summer Squash Lattice Tart)

Channeling our inner Martha, this tart is visually appealing and uses up those yellow squash which seem to replicate when no one is looking ;)

 

---

 


Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Eggplant Ravioli Stuffed with Macadamia Nut Ricotta, Tomato and Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, topped with Basil and Walnut Pesto
(from Renee Underkoffler's "Living Cuisine" book)

Raw Borscht
(from Juliano -- beet juice, orange juice, jalapeno, avacado, cabbage, dill, parsley, carrot, galic, galanga, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, apples)

Figs in Vanilla Cream and Orange Sabayon
(from Charlie/Roxanne -- cashew nut milk and oranges make a really nice counterpart to the ripe figs -- a nice end to the meal)


well, now that epicurious.com has dissed raw foods...

"Fancified raw cuisine: Despite several prominent chefs' exhortations, this tasteless, unhealthy trend is both time-consuming to make and expensive to buy (think $12 "tomato tartare" -- aka salsa)."

I guess we can't make it anymore :(

I'm also guessing it must be awfully hard for these people to walk with that giant stick up their ass. ;)

I'll further guess they also forgot the article they still have on the site hyping it a few years back...

Having joked about that, they are right about it being time consuming -- but the rest of it is bollocks... raw food is some of the most flavorful and healthful food we've ever had the pleasure of not cooking.

The eggplant ravioli's were fun -- I used our mandoline on the peeled eggplant and got very nice uniform slices that marinated and folded perfectly. After stuffing them, they went into the dehydrator for four hours which brought it all together.

 

---

 


(bonus shot: September 11, 2005: Two Soups)

Our favorite soup of the year easily had to be the Garlic Soup with Tofu -- and this is my favorite shot of it, in the smaller bowls

 

 

 

 

---

 

Monday, October 31, 2005

Glazed Apple Cider and Maple Syrup Tofu
(apple cider, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, clove, black pepper -- reduced down to a glaze, then brushed over pan-fried tofu and broiled for about 2 minutes a side)

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
(mixed with soy margerine and soy parmesan)

Sauteed Button Mushrooms

Orange, Rosemary and Maple Syrup Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables
(yams, potatoes, parsnips and turnips)


You have to be careful around us when ring molds are inolved ;)

Every once in a while -- not often -- there is a dinner where the mind's eye and execution come together. Tonight's meal was that -- the spaghetti squash/mushroom combo matched the glazed tofu (just right, not too sweet) -- likewise the orange/rosemary/maple syrup combo on the root vegetables hit just the right note.

oh, yeah this one will go in the cookbook under "Fall" ;)

 

---

 

(bonus shot: October 5, 2005: Raw Pad Thai)

from Charlie Trotter / Roxanne Klein's "Raw" book -- recipe here

Our stand-by raw dinner, and we just scored a case of young coconuts (which are used as noodles in the dish). The tamarind sauce matches well with the crisp vegetables.

I liked the way the natural light hit the matte finish of the plate, framing the dish nicely...

 

---

 

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner

Pan-Fried Tofu Cutlets glazed with Cranberry, Cherry, Orange and Agave Sauce, topped with Wild Mushroom Duxelle and baked, wrapped in Phyllo then finished with Mushroom Gravy served over French Lentils.

Roasted Root Vegetables
(potato, turnip, parsnip, carrots, garlic)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts

Barley and Mushroom Soup

Wild Rice Salad served in Boston Lettuce Leaves with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette
(wild rice, dried cranberries and cherries, celery, pecans)

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Pumpkin Cheesecake



You know you're in trouble when the name of the main dish is 30 words long ;)

 

---

 

(bonus shot: Raw Almond Burger -- November 9, 2005)

almond, scallions, carrot, cilantro, white miso, pepper, dehydrated for 10 hours -- served with avocado and cucumber relish on a piece of red leaf lettuce.

Looks like a raw foods book cover ;)

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Black Tea Smoked Tofu with Porcini Crust

Jasmine Rice "Block"

Braised Leek Puree

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes Pancakes with Wasabi Pea Crust

Stir-Fried Snow Peas


I know, we just made this the other day but it was really very good... ;)

 

---

 

(bonus shot: Espresso Bean Chocolate Cheesecake -- December 11, 2005)

We couldn't leave without showing the best dessert of the year -- The Espresso Bean Chocolate Cheesecake -- an amazing cake that's a feast for the eyes as well as the body...

 

 

 


onwards to 2k6...