Orange Seitan
Jasmine Rice
Spring Rolls
(bean thread, mint, cilantro, leeks, shiitake mushrooms)
...and we wrap up 2006 with a special treat -- orange seitan. The seitan is marinated and then dredged in cornstarch and fried, not once, but twice. Then the orange peels get stir-fried and finally you add the orange sauce (orange juice, sesame oil, sherry, scallions, garlic, ginger, hoisin and agave) until it gets all nice and sticky. ;)
Smoked Eggplant and Zucchini with Wilted Arugula over Pasta
Bistro Salad
an oldie but a goodie -- the alder smoked eggplant and zucchini really add another layer to this simple, but satisfying, pasta dish...
Tofu Salad Sandwiches
We went over to our next-door neighbors for a party and took over the Tofu Salad Sandwiches -- but, I neglected to take a picture of them before we went over.
Forgive me.
Instead, a picture of the new tablecloth...
Roasted Garlic and Foccacia
Steamed Artichokes
Soupe provencale
(tomato, basil, celery, spinach, carrots, green beans, zucchini, onion, garlic, potatoes, chickpeas)
Frites
(blanched in oil at 280F for 6-8 minutes, let rest for 15 minutes, then deep-fried 2-3 minutes at 375F)
a little bit of this a little bit of that... the home-made french fries frites, served with roasted garlic aioli, always seem to disappear first though... ;)
Red Chile Enchiladas
(adapted from Rick Bayless)
Arroz Verde
(poblano and cilantro rice, from Rick Bayless)
The enchiladas are always a hit -- stuffed with FYH Monterey Jack, surrounded with the spicy chile and tomato based sauce. The tortilla's we've been using aren't nearly as good as the one we used to get from the little place a couple of blocks from the West Side Market in Cleveland. These tend to fall apart during prep easier...
Torta
(Gourmet 01/07)
Braised Cardoons
Dessert
Bread Pudding with Raisins
(also from Gourmet 01/07)
yep, we made it again -- this time with dinosaur kale instead of the broccoli rabe. Either one works very well in the overall assembly, but we both think the broccoli rabe version is a slightly more interesting...
The cardoons are always an interesting vegetable -- they're very nice simply braised...
The bread pudding uses soft tofu in place of the eggs and was sublime in it's silkiness -- although it almost used all of our bread crumbs ;)
Gyoza
(stuffed with napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, mushroom sauce)
...it's Christmas evening, you're sitting around the tree, knee-deep in wrapping paper still exhausted from cooking last night, "Talladega Nights" flickers on the TV... it's getting late and there's very little food left in the house -- what do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?
Gyoza, naturally ;)
Seitan Bourguignon
Roasted Parsnips, Potatoes and Garlic
Roasted Broccoli
Spinach Salad with Toasted Pecans, Dried Cherries, Fig Vinaigrette
Focaccia
We do the Christmas Eve dinner/presents thing -- full disclosure: I grew up in a Christmas Morning presents home, and I still find it odd -- but I have been outvoted ;)
The only thing that was abandoned was wrapping the stew in Phyllo, but we ran out of time. For dessert we had some of the Pinwheel Cookies that Liz made yesterday along with Molasses Cookies and Thumbprint Jam Cookies.
These peach jam-stuffed cookies deserve their own entry... Liz has really outdone herself this year with the desserts, and these are no exception -- elegant and tasty -- and the cookies aren't so bad either ;)
Ye Olde Christmas Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrot, ginger, garlic, tamari, sriracha)
Jasmine Rice
yep, it's official, the well is dry -- we've run out of ideas for 2006 ;)
Torta
(cover recipe from 01/07 Gourmet)
yet another magazine recipe -- adapted from the new Gourmet -- The torta made in a springform pan by layering crepes, sauteed broccoli rabe, bechamel sauce (roux + soy milk and a pinch of nutmeg), soy sausages (or you could sub sun-dried tomatoes), FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese, salt and pepper. It actually comes together very easily after making the crepes (adapted slightly by combining the AP with besan (chickpea) flour and a scant tsp. of baking powder, olive oil for the butter, soy milk, etc)
The broccoli rabe added that slight level of bitterness without overwhelming the whole dish. Two thumbs up...
Spaghetti with Cauliflower and Olives
(adapted from Gourmet 01/07, p. 100)
Tomato, Basil and Chickpea Soup
Steamed Artichoke
back to the magazine again -- a simple, yet tasty pasta dish...
Stir-fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrots, tamari, garlic, ginger, sriracha)
Jasmine Rice
Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts
(sesame oil, sake, tamari)
Enoki Mushroom, Tofu and Garlic Soup
Today was the last day of school for the kids -- our daughter's class went to see "Charlotte's Web" afterwards -- which was nice of the teacher to do -- so Liz took her and chaperoned, which meant she got home late -- hence the stir-fry...
...and I love enoki mushrooms... that's all I've got there ;)
Eggplant Ambrosia with Tomato Fennel Sauce
(adapted from The Provence Cookbook" by Patrica Wells)
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Fougasse Bread
Warm Mushroom Salad
We picked up some cookbooks at the library last week, including the Patrica Wells book. The "ambrosia" is basically an eggplant custard baked in ramekins in a bain-marie. We just subbed out the eggs and cream with soft tofu and a soy milk mix and filled them up a little higher.
The sauce is a reduction of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot pepper flakes, orange zest and fennel seed and was surprisingly "light" and matched well with eggplant.
And, of course, not to neglect the Fougasse -- Liz learned how to make this type of provencal bread at the week-long bread class she took a few year back.
Chilled Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Hoisin Tofu on Bibb Lettuce
Edamame
back to the grind -- the kids are still in school for a few days -- and it was time for their winter concert, so tonight was just a quickly meal of edamame and a (very tasty) chilled udon noodle salad with had a nice hot/cold thing going on with the addition of the stir-fried hoisin tofu.
The sauce was made from 1 tbs. peanut butter, 1 tsp. sriracha, 1 tsp. tamari, 1 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tsp. agave.
Stir-Fry
(tofu, tempeh, baby corn, carrots, jasmine rice)
It's the traditional post-party "I'm barely functional" Stir-Fry. My legs ache from two days of 10 hour cooking sessions (yes, I'm a wimp) -- but this is the real reason why we will never open a vegan restaurant... ;)
We had some leftover tempeh from the party, so that got thrown in, along with the usual suspects.
Our tenth (and biggest) party to date... next year, after we finish the basement, we'll invite the rest of the internet, OK? ;)
The Menu:
White Bean Cassoulet
(bottom left)
Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa
Curried Quinoa and Mango Salad
Raw Pizza
Xnipec Salsa
Tapenade (w/ baguette)
Tofu Salad Sandwiches
(middle, on the three-tiered cake stand)
Basil Cream Cheese Spread on Party Bread
(bottom right, above the baguette)
Baked Artichoke Dip
(middle left side on trivet)
Lentil and Soyrizo Spoons
Phyllo Cups w/ Curried Tofu and Currants
BBQ Tofu Lollipops
(we didn't get a shot of these, as they came out in the second wave of food, but they looked just like these from August without the cabbage)
Seitan Bourguignon
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Millennium Brownies
Nog Cookies
Aphrodite Cakes
Chocolate Madeleines (in the group shot, upper left plate)
Thumbprint Jam Cookies (apricot, lingonberry)
Many of the best wine pairing dishes made an appearance tonight -- tofu lollipops, seitan bourguignon, white bean cassoulet, tapenade, brownies, madeleines -- which, as I have joked before, is the real reason why we do the catering gig during the year, just to have the best dishes for our party...
Dinner 12/15
Pasta with Tomato Sauce
The night before our holiday party is always the hardest night to cook something for our dinner -- we're usually knee-deep trying to knock out dishes and desserts ahead of time -- so, it was a good thing we had leftover pasta with a quick tomato sauce ;)
No pictures tonight, but that will all change tomorrow ;)
Braised Baby Artichokes over Pasta
(baby artichokes, onions, garlic, veg stock, onions)
Iceberg Salad
(iceberg lettuce, dried cherries, pine nuts, garlic miso dressing)
adapted from Zuni Cafe -- using baby artichokes instead of the big ones -- but honestly, it didn't work -- not the fault of the artichokes or the recipe -- it was more that it didn't all come together. Some nights that happens...
Blackened Tofu
(dredged in seasoned flour, with smoked paprika, smoked alder salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes)
Rice with Wilted Chard and Onions
Gumbo
(test recipe for VwaV2)
the "blackened" tofu -- dredged in flour with spices, then fried, is pretty standard, but is always a visual and culinary treat. Matched this time around with yet another testing recipe for Isa and Terry -- this time gumbo -- and, mmmm.... beeeeeer... droooool.
Seitan and Mango
(seitan, garlic, sesame oil, tamari, scallions, mango)
Jasmine Rice
Sake Braised Brussel Sprouts
(sake, tamari, brussel sprouts, pepper)
Asian inspired meal tonight -- not exactly found on any menu -- but a nice change of pace...
Baked Jerusalem Artichokes and Tofu
(jerusalem artichokes, tofu, green olives, lemon zest, veg stock, shallots, garlic)
Spinach Salad
a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart that we bust out every so often everytime we get some Jerusalem artichokes. I suppose we should find another recipe, but frankly, this one is pretty good... ;)
Deep-Dish Pizza (Version 5)
(onions, garlic, black olives, FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese)
Apparently we weren't finished tweaking this juuuust yet. This time a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour was added, which made for a slightly chewier, bread-like crust, with no loss of stability over time.
I had to toss the first batch of onions/garlic after they got burned over-caramelized, when I wandered out to watch my son play "Resistance: Fall of Man" in Deathmatch and Capture The Flag mode. Jaw-dropping visuals, two thumbs up.
Pad Thai
(bean sprouts, noodles, tofu, red bell peppers, jalapeno, sriracha, carrots, scallions, cilantro)
Dessert
Espresso Bean Cheesecake
(Liz says I'm not allowed to even look at this recipe)
The pad thai was all things it was supposed to be: noodly, spicy and filling. I think the noodles must triple in size after cooking, as we always end up with way too much -- but the solution is clear -- pad thai for lunch the next day!
Moo Shu Pancakes stuffed with Oolong Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage and Shiitake Mushrooms
Jasmine Rice
Bok Choy with Toasted Sesame Seeds
We loved the moo-shu (and the tea-smoked tofu) so much, we made them again... this time with the bok choy as the side. I could eat these once a week and never get tired of them ;)
Gobbetti with Tomato Sauce
Roasted Broccoli
Iceberg Lettuce Salad w/ Green Goddess Dressing
Gobbetti is one of those pasta shapes I haven't seen too often, but it works well with the chunky tomato sauce Liz made when she came home tonight...
Pumpkin Saag
(VwaV:2 test recipe)
Currant and Pistachio Pulao
(basmati rice, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, cardamom, currants, pistachio, water, salt, pepper)
Tandoori Tofu
(tofu, tamari, soy yogurt, tandoori paste)
Another winning recipe from the test kitchens of Isa and Terry. This time around, a lovely pumpkin saag made with spinach (although we subbed baby kale and the appropriately named "Indian Mustard" greens). Combined with the rice dish and the tandoori tofu, you'll want to make extra for lunch the next day...
Seitan and Cannellini Bean Stew
(seitan, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cannellini beans, smoked salt, pepper, tamari, sherry)
Patatas Bravas
(boiled red potatoes, which are then fried in olive oil and topped with a sauce of garlic, smoked paprika, smoked salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar, then finished with fried poblano peppers)
Green Beans with Garlic Sauce
(sauce: garlic, almonds and bread, all toasted in olive oil, add salt and white pepper, then puree with a little water to make a paste)
White Bean Soup
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, smoked paprika, pepper, salt, great northern beans, fennel stock)
The seitan stew is a riff on "intoxicated beef" -- and a cup of sherry will in fact do just that. ;) (most, but not all of the alcohol cooks out over a long, slow cooking period, leaving just the flavor).
Traditionally there should be chickpeas in the soup (and the stew), but we were out...
Finally the patatas bravas were a little more bravas than usual, but it in a really tasty way -- the poblano pepper was sort of a throw in -- but it certainly did add another level of heat to the dish.
Moo-Shu Pancakes filled with Tea-Smoked Hoisin Tofu, Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms
Refried Rice with Scallions
One from column "C" of the menu tonight -- Moo-Shu (a.k.a. Mandarin Pancakes or Peking Pancakes) stuffed with a killer combo of oolong tea smoked tofu, which is then stir-fried with hoisin sauce and tamari, shredded napa cabbage and stir-fried shiitake mushrooms.
Kudos to Liz for making the light as air moo-shu pancakes at lunch-time, so dinner got to the table on time tonight ;)
Kung Pao Tofu
(tofu, broccoli, ginger, garlic, scallions, sambal oelek, sauce: veg stock, tamari, agave, sesame oil, sake, black vinegar, cornstarch, peanuts)
Jasmine Rice
Green Beans with Pickled Cucumber
One from column "B" of the menu this time: Kung Pao Tofu -- the sweet/sour/spicy sauce pairs perfectly with stir-fried tofu, blanched broccoli and jasmine rice.
And I love the pickled cucumbers, they deliver a nice crunchy/sour hit with the seared/steamed green beans. Plus they last forever in the fridge ;)
Deep Dish Pizza (Version 4)
(olives, onion, garlic, soy sausage, tomato sauce, Monterey Jack soy cheese)
Version 4 of the deep-dish pizza, and the best one yet -- as I mentioned before, the added dimpling of the dough had the desired effect of keeping the middle from puffing up too much (425F for 10 minutes). We did a little earlier this time (closer to two minutes), but keep an eye on the dough and try to catch it before it puffs up in the center...
The overall pizza had a good balance of crust vs. filling, and the crust held up over the 10-15 minutes that the extra pieces sat out... I think we're done testing now. ;)
(previous attempts 1 | 2 | 3)
Grilled Asparagus and Seitan Stew Crepes
Fingerling Potatoes
Gravy
(shallots, rosemary, flour/soy margarine roux, veg stock, tamari)
Bistro Salad
The crepes are from "Vegan with a Vengeance" (as always), and the seitan stew / grilled asparagus combo has quickly become a house favorite. Mix in the Russian fingerling potatoes, and you've got the beginnings of a hearty December meal. Which is good, because if the calender hadn't already made it painfully clear, it's December out there. Brrrr.
...and for all the PPK'ers out there, yes, there's an asparagus fork joke in there somewhere ;)
White Bean Cassoulet
(onions, garlic, hickory smoked tofu, soyrizo, cannellini beans, tomato sauce, tamari, pepper)
Roasted Broccoli
French Bread
Braised Leeks
Bistro Salad
The white bean cassoulet is one of our son's favorite meals, this time tweaked a little with the addition of -- you guessed it -- hickory smoked tofu. ;)
The hickory does bring that added extra "oomph" to the party going on in your mouth on this one...
Mini-Pizza
(red chile tortillas, hickory smoked tofu, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, button mushrooms, "follow your heart" soy cheese)
The mini-pizza were sort of like the pizza we had from Karyn's Cooked in Chicago last August -- the Lavash bread we were going to use wasn't playable (note to self: read the expiration dates on packages before buying). Two layers of the tortillas worked just fine in their place.
As you can tell, we're digging the hickory smoked tofu pretty hard this week ;)
oh, yeah -- and I bought a new car today.
Tofu Marsala
(hickory smoked tofu, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, marsala, lemon juice, salt and pepper)
Braised Fennel
Bistro Salad
The hickory smoked tofu adds yet another layer to this dish that we've made in the past. After smoking, it's marinated with tamari and pepper, then floured and pan-fried which seals in the flavor. The shiitake mushrooms boost the umami and pair nicely with the reduced marsala.
Grilled Tofu, Deep-Fried Rice Balls with Red Curry Coconut Sauce
Hoisin Green Beans
Jasmine Rice
Tofu and Roasted Garlic Noodle Soup
(stir-fried tofu, roasted garlic, tamari, chili oil, vermicelli noodles, veg stock, pepper)
Deep Dish Pizza
(Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack vegan soy cheese, garlic, black olives, Tofurkey Italian sausages*)
Once again into the deep dish pizza fray... a couple of tweaks this time around -- we dimpled the dough about three minutes into the par-baking (10 minutes at 425F) to keep it from puffing up in the middle too much. We added a little less sauce / filling this time around so it doesn't overwhelm the structure. And finally, we added cornmeal to the bottom of the pan to keep from sticking (which we should have done the last time).
* The kids like the sausages, so that's why they're on there -- also, it looks like they've changed the composition, with chunkier sun-dried tomatoes studding the inside...
1. pressing out the dough.
2. after par-baking...
3. spreading on the tomato sauce.
4. black olives, soy sausage, garlic.
5. adding the soy cheese.
6. baked for 30 minutes at 425, removed from pizza pan, baked directly on the pizza stone for another 7-8 minutes.
7. cooled for 5 minutes and sliced.
the final verdict: very, very close... the bottom crust structure was excellent and held up well, even after sitting out for 20 minutes. Next time we may try baking some cheese into the crust ;)
Crudite Plate
(black and green olives, carrots, red bell pepper, miso and garlic dressing)
Celery Root Salad
(shaved celery root, capers, pickles, vegenaise, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley -- via Jamie Oliver)
Artichoke Dip
(artichoke hearts, vegenaise, red pepper flake, red bell peppers, pepporcini, vegan parmesan)
Fava Beans with Mint
(...don't say it)
Roasted Garlic and Ciabatta
A collection of small plates tonight, going through the fridge and pantry and using up some leftover Thanksgiving items (bread, carrots, dressing).
Black Friday Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, tamari, pepper)
Jasmine Rice
It's time for the annual post-Thanksgiving Stir-Fry -- about all I could muster after shopping... I'll skip the horror story of shopping for a new TV set for another time. Let's just say that it was going really well up until the point where it all went bad... very, very bad.
The good news is we picked up the second season of Dr. Katz and that helped... ;)
Shepherdess Pies
(smoked tempeh, tofu, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, flour, veg stock, salt, pepper, topped with mashed potatoes)
Braised Carrots
Braised Brussel Sprouts
Bourbon Cranberries
Ciabatta Bread
Roasted Beets and Mixed Greens Salad
(with White Miso Garlic Dressing)
Potato Tomato Soup
Dessert
All I need to say is that no one walked away hungry from the table... and I need a two day nap...
And, if I had the choice of one dessert to eat for every Thanksgiving in the future, this would be it. Here's the preliminary recipe...
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
1 3/4 cup vegan gingersnaps
2 oz. dark chocolate (vegan chocolate chips)
5 tbs. soy margarine
Grind or crush the gingersnaps. Melt the chocolate and soy margarine together in the microwave or double boiler, then combine with the gingersnaps.
Press mixture into a 9" springform pan, then bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
Filling
4 oz dark chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate
16 oz vegan cream cheese (two containers)
2 cups brown sugar
12 oz soft tofu (aseptic box)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 tbs. ground ginger
1 tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
In a mixer (or food processor), cream the cream cheese, sugar, tofu, flour and vanilla extract. Add pumpkin puree and spices and mix to combine. Reserve one cup of mixture.
Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler, combine with the reserved 1 cup of pumpkin mixture and set aside.
Pour pumpkin and cream cheese mixture into springform pan. Then place 6-8 dollops of the reserved pumpkin and chocolate mixture on the surface, and with a knife, swirl from top to bottom (being careful not to disturb the crust) until a swirl pattern emerges.
For the Bain-Marie
Cover the bottom of the springform pan completely with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil, folding the foil so it reaches about halfway up the side of the pan. This is so the water will not seep into the springform pan while baking in the bain-marie.
Place the springform pan into a roasting pan big enough to hold the spring form pan comfortably.
Carefully place 1/2" of boiling water in the roasting pan. Be sure that the water is below the aluminum foil and will not leak into the springform pan.
Place entire roasting pan into a 350F oven for 75-90 minutes (check after 75 minutes) until it just starts to pull away from the edges of the springform pan. Turn off oven, remove the cheesecake and gently run a sharp knife around the edge of the springform pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool completely (and we mean completely)*. Cover the top of the springform pan with a paper towel (don't let it touch the top of the cheesecake, this will catch any condensation that might build up) and then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Best the next day. Can be made two days in advance.
* once we didn't let it cool completely (it was just barely warm), and the condensation that built up in the refrigerator ruined the top...
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