what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Seitan Stroganoff over Campanelle Pasta, Yukon Potatoes, Baby Spinach Salad

Dinner 8/31

Seitan Stroganoff over Campanelle Pasta
(recipe below)

Yukon Potatoes
(boiled, with salt, pepper and parsley)

Baby Spinach Salad
(dried cherries, garlic and miso dressing)

The weather has started to turn, the kids are back in school, and it's time to look deep into the playbook for a one-pan weeknight meal that'll satisfy everyone...

Seitan Stroganoff

canola oil
8 oz. seitan, cut into thin strips
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic minced
shiitake (or cremini) mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. tamari
1 tbs. flour
1 tbs. soy margarine
1 cup veg stock
1 tsp. mustard (or to taste)
1 tbs. soy sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy pan (or wok) on med-high heat, add 1 tbs. of canola oil and fry the strips of seitan until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Fry the onion slices in the remaining oil until just starting to brown, add the minced garlic and fry for one more minute. Remove and add to the seitan.

Add 1 tbs more of canola oil and fry the mushroom slices until just starting to brown, add 1 tsp. tamari and pepper then fry for one more minute. Remove and add to the seitan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the soy margarine and melt, add the flour and whisk to combine, making a roux. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.

Slowly pour the (room temp) veg stock into the roux, getting rid of the lumps as you quickly whisk to combine for 2-3 minutes.

As the gravy thickens, add the mustard and whisk to combine, simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to med-low, and add the soy sour cream, continuing to whisk, simmer for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the seitan, mushrooms, onion and garlic to reheat.

Taste for salt and pepper. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Tomato Tart stuffed with Basil and Cashew Cheese, Carrot Manicotti , Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup,

Raw Food Wednesday 8/30

Tomato Tart stuffed with Basil and Cashew Cheese
(variation of the Trotter/Klein tart -- the shell is tomato and soaked almonds, and instead of piping it out as they do in the book, we put them in tart shells and dehydrated them at 115F for a couple of hours)

Carrot Manicotti stuffed with Fennel and Cashew Cheese topped with Tomato
(recipe below)

Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup
(recipe below)

Dessert

Coconut "Cream" and Peach Tart
(young coconut filling topped with agave macerated peach slices in a coconut, macadamia nut and date shell)

Can you tell it's tomato season? If there's ever a Raw Iron Chef, and the theme ingredient is tomato, we may have a chance. ;)

Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup

1 cup sweet potatoes (shredded and soaked overnight)
1 cup tomato diced
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup dehydrated red onion
nama shoyu and pepper to taste
pinch herbes de provence.

A raw version of our favorite fall soup -- toss all the ingredients into the vita-mix and puree on high speed for 30 seconds.

Carrot Shells

1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1 tbs. flax seed, ground into a powder
between 3/4 and 1 cup water (depends on the texture)
1 clove garlic
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. nama shoyu
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. fennel seed
1/4 tsp. mustard seed
pinch fresh nutmeg

It's a similar method -- like making the shells out of the corn last time -- puree all the ingredients, let sit for 15 minutes and pour onto the teflex sheets into 6" rounds -- then dehydrate for eight hours at 115F.

You can play with the water to get the desired thickness -- these were thin, but took longer to dehydrate than the corn ones. They stayed flexible enough to stuff with the fennel and cheese mixture and roll up without cracking...

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Eggplant Stew over Corn Pasta, Okra and Tomatoes, Leeks and Sweet Potatoes en Papillote

Dinner 8/29

Eggplant Stew over Corn Pasta
(eggplant, merliton (chayote), orange bell pepper, leeks, red cherry pepper, garlic, tamari, smoked paprika, pepper)

Okra and Tomatoes

Leeks and Sweet Potatoes en papillote
(leeks, sweet potatoes, olive oil, agave, salt, pepper, smoked paprika)

A spicy eggplant stew that used many stray veggies -- as always, we've got to make room for the trip to the farmer's market this weekend...

The pasta made of corn is kinda cool/different -- you don't notice it much after the second bite -- the kids liked it, and it's gluten free, so we'll put it into rotation...

The leeks/sweet potato is a fun dish to serve at the table, sort of like a mystery package. It was one of the first things I learned to make at the cooking school -- the trickiest part is learning how to roll the parchment paper around the food so it stays sealed and cooks the leeks and sweet potato.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Basil, Iceberg Salad with Baby Tomatoes

Dinner 8/28

Whole Wheat Gobetti Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Basil

Iceberg Salad with Baby Tomatoes
(raspberry vinaigrette)

A sparse dinner tonight, as we had to rush over to the "meet the teacher" night at the school. Many hyped-up kids (and parents) with low blood sugar milling about. We couldn't leave soon enough.

The gobetti pasta was interesting -- sort of a macaroni shape with distinct ridges. And as you can tell, it's time to start moving or losing the basil ;)

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Pot Pie, Iceberg Salad with Roasted Beets

Dinner 8/27

Pot Pie
(adapted from Candle Cafe cookbook: carrot, onion, shallot, garlic, peas, zucchini, roasted red bell pepper, tempeh, veg stock, corn starch, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary)

Iceberg Salad with Roasted Beets
(garlic and miso dressing)

The nice thing about pot pie is that you can adapt them to whatever you have on hand -- in this case, leftover roasted red bell pepper, the giant zucchini from the farmer's market, tempeh instead of tofu -- just put it under the pastry crust and bake for 30 minutes and it's all good.

These also go a long, long way in erasing the bad memories of pot pies growing up... ;)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Panade, Smoked Potatoes, Roasted Beet and Baby Spinach Salad

Dinner 8/26

Panade
(from Paula Wolfert's Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: toasted bread, lacinato kale, fyh soy cheese, veg stock, shallots, leeks, salt, pepper, tamari)

Smoked Yukon Gold Potatoes
(smoked with alder wood)

Roasted Beet and Baby Spinach Salad
(with mustard vinaigrette)

It's not Panade weather yet, but if you're going to turn the oven on (to make peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies) when it's 86 degrees, you might as well make panade and roast beets. ;)

A slightly different take on the version we usually make from the Zuni Cafe book, this time from Paula Wolfert. The main difference is that you toast the bread in cubes in the oven before hand which changes the structure, but the taste is very similar to the other version...

Friday, August 25, 2006

White Bean Cassoulet over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, Steamed and Seared Green Beans with Cremini Mushrooms, Braised Carrots, Romaine Salad

Dinner 8/25

White Bean Cassoulet over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
(cannellini beans, onion, garlic, soyrizo, tomato sauce, tamari, pepper)

Steamed and Seared Green Beans with Cremini Mushrooms

Braised Carrots

Romaine Lettuce, Baby Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Dried Cherry with a Roasted Garlic and White Miso Dressing

another whole wheat pasta that was very tasty along with the cassoulet...

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Bok Choy

Dinner 8/24

Stir-Fry
(tofu, snow peas, carrot, red bell pepper, baby corn, garlic, ginger, rooster sauce)

Jasmine Rice

Steamed/Seared Bok Choy

the night after a catering gig is always a good evening for a stir-fry. Dig the new silverwear -- black bamboo...

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Badger Mountain Wine Tasting

Badger Mountain Wine Tasting / Riverside Wine and Imports, Kent, OH 8/23

Organic wines and organic food, a pretty good way to spend a Wednesday evening... Sadly, the camera batteries didn't recharge in time, so there aren't any on-site photos, but the links go to the versions we tested at home over the last couple of weeks.

1. Badger Mountain Rose of Cabernet
2. Badger Mountain Riesling NSA (no sulfites added)

Bibb Salad, with Dried Cherries, Baby Tomatoes and Pine Nuts with a Creamy Roasted Garlic and Miso Dressing

Corn Soup Shooters
(roasted corn, white miso, roasted garlic, corn stock, salt, pepper)

3. Badger Mountain Chardonnay NSA
4. Badger Mountain Seve (VS series, with sulfites added)

Focaccia "Pizza" with Roasted Garlic, Rosemary and Olives

5. Badger Mountain Merlot NSA
6. Badger Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon NSA

Barbecue Tofu "Lollypops"

Grilled Corn

7. Badger Mountain Syrah

Wild Mushroom and Smoked Seitan in Phyllo with a Wine Reduction Sauce and Prunes

Smoked Yukon Gold Potatoes

8. Badger Mountain Port NSA

Mississippi Mud Cake and Chocolate Covered Almonds

Thanks to Natural State Wines of Columbus along with Mickey Dunne of Badger Mountain Wines. And, as always, to Bob and Monica at Riverside Wine and Imports for the opportunity to cater these events.

Mickey mentioned that since 2001, Badger Mountain has been fining and filtering their wines with non-animal based methods -- so they're both organic and vegan!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Barbecued Tofu "Lollipops"

Dinner 8/22

Barbecue Tofu "Lollipops"

Not really "dinner" -- more like sitting around trying out a few things while prepping for a catering gig tomorrow... pictures and write-up then, but it also means no "Raw Food Wednesday" this week...

I wanted to try out some different barbecue sauce ideas for the tofu "lollipops" -- to see how they reacted to the wines that they will be paired with. To make them, I just used a cookie cutter after they were cooked, but before they were sauced to get the shape, and used an hors d'oeuvre fork for the stem... served on a bed of shredded cabbage, and at the tasting, it'll be also served with grilled corn.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Raspberry Blackout Cake from "Vegan With a Vengeance"

Dessert

Raspberry Blackout Cake from "Vegan With a Vengeance"
(p. 217)

This cake really needed it's own entry.

If you don't own "Vegan With a Vengeance" yet, go, run to the store (or Amazon) and get yourself a copy. Your stomach will be happy that you did. Isa's book is that rare blend of killer recipes, and punk-rock memoir.

(and don't forget that Isa and Terry's "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World" will be available in October 28th -- if you need a sneak peak, you can see some of the cupcakes we tested for the book earlier in the year)

here's a totally gratuitous shot of the cake just before it was devoured by ~~a pack of rabid~~ our children.

Gumbo Z'Herbes, Jambalya, Okra and Tomato

Dinner 8/21

Jambalya

Okra and Tomato

Gumbo Z'Herbes

French Bread

more produce bounty with the tomatoes and okra, the lovely, local swiss chard in the gumbo, and in a twist, shiitake mushrooms in the jambalya...

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Eggplant Lasagna, Butternut Squash Ravioli, Borscht, Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Dinner 8/20

Eggplant Lasagna

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Borscht
(recipe below)

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

With all of the summer bounty coming in, it was an evening to sweep through the freezer(s) one last time and see what was taking up space that will soon be filled by new vacuum-sealed goodies... The lasagna and ravioli both fit the bill.

The borscht came out of the fact that there was a pint of beets sitting lonely in the fridge -- our dill plant has gone to seed, so those were harvested and ground up to add in the soup, bonus!

Borscht

2 tbs. olive oil (divided use)
5 medium beets, roasted
4 cups of hot water
1 tbs. apple cider vineagar
1 tbs. flour
1 tbs. vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. tamari
2 tbs. soy sour cream (optional)
1 tbs. dill seeds, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the unpeeled beets with 1 tbs. of the olive oil, cover with aluminium foil and roast at 450F for 45-60 minutes.

Peel the beets (save the peelings), cut into matchstick sized pieces and set aside.

Put the peelings into a large bowl and cover with the 4 cups of hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Strain back into the measuring cup, set aside.

At this point you can place the optional soy sour cream in a small bowl and add 2 tbs. of the beet liquid, and whisk to incorporate, you'll add this at the end.

In a large saute pan or large sauce pan, over med-high heat, add the remaining 1 tbs. olive oil and the beets and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1 tbs. of flour and stir to incorporate and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add 1 tbs. of vinegar, and stir for 1 minute.

Add 1 cup of the beet liquid and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the remaining 3 cups of beet liquid, worcestershire sauce, tamari and pepper to taste. Bring back to a slow boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

With a mortar and pestle, crush the dill seeds. Add the seeds to the soup and stir.

2-3 minutes before serving you can whisk in the optional soy sour cream.

Check for seasoning and serve hot.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Ratatouille over Whole Wheat Fusilli Pasta, Grilled Corn, Steamed Artichoke, Iceburg Lettuce Salad

Dinner 8/19

Ratatouille over Whole Wheat Fusilli Pasta
(recipe below)

Grilled Corn

Steamed Artichoke

Iceberg Lettuce Salad
(with Raspberry Vinaigrette)

'tis the season of too many eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes -- and what better way to incorporate all of these, but the humble ratatouille. It's sort of a cross between the method of Bocuse and the ingredient list of Child...

Ratatouille

2 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, 1/2" dice
1 small zucchini, 1/2" dice
1 red bell pepper, 1/2" dice
1 tbs. flour
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2-3 medium tomatoes, roughly diced
2 tbs. parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, heat the 1 tbs. olive oil and lightly brown the sliced onions. Add the garlic for the last two minutes, then remove and set aside.

Add the additional 1 tbs. of olive oil and the diced eggplant, diced zucchini, diced red bell pepper and cook until all are lightly browned.

Add the onions and garlic back into the pan and sprinkle 1 tbs. flour over all of the ingredients, stir to incorporate, and cook for a couple of minutes.

Turn the heat down to low, add the diced tomatoes, stir to incorporate and scrape any of the flour that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The final result should look fairly stew-like.

Add the chopped parsley, check for seasoning, and serve over rice or noodles.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Olla de Trigo, Sopas Mallorquinas, Patatas Bravas, Judias Verdes en Salsa

Dinner 8/18

Sopas Mallorquinas
(Majorcan "Dry" Soup with Cabbage)

Patatas Bravas

Judias Verdes en Salsa
(Green Beans with Garlic Sauce)

Olla de Trigo
(Peasant Soup with Wheatberries)

Dinner tonight adapted from "My Kitchen in Spain" (2002) by Janet Mandel -- the soup, cabbage stew, potatoes and green beans were all tweaked slightly -- soyrizo, tofu, veg stock, etc.

Well worth it though, especially the wheatberries, which we usually use for "rejuvelac" on raw food nights. They were pressure cooked for 25 minutes, which seemed to do the trick for the soup.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Red Leaf Salad

Dinner 8/17

Whole Wheat Linguini with Tomato Sauce
(sauce: zucchini, garlic, onion, tomato, basil, salt, pepper)

Steamed Cauilflower

Red Leaf Salad
(red leaf lettuce, dried cherries, baby tomatoes, pine nuts, raspberry vinaigrette dressing)

We tried the whole wheat linguini for a change -- much better than I remember ;)

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Samosas, Saag Paneer, Shredded Beet and Coconut, Mango Soup, Carrot Pickles, Coconut Snow Balls

Raw Food Wednesday 8/16

Samosas with Tamarind/Date Chutney
(recipe below)

Saag Paneer
(baby spinach, fresh ground cumin seed, fresh ground corriander seed, fresh shredded turmeric, jalapeno, olive oil, nama shoyu and pepper, dehydrated for 1 hour at 115F. Cashew "cheese" with lemon juice and shallot, dehydrated for 8 hours at 115F)

Mango Soup
(mango, cashew nut yogurt, dried red chile flakes, raw agave, garam masala, fresh shredded turmeric root, fresh ground fenugreek seed, salt and pepper. topped with mint and raw pistachio nuts)

Shredded Beet and Coconut
(shredded beet, shredded coconut, jalapeno, nama shoyu, pepper, mustard seed, cumin seed, corriander seed)

Tomato and Onion Chutney
(tomato, spring onion, garlic, habenero, red bell pepper, mustard seed, corriander seed, garlic salt, onion seed)

Carrot Pickles
(recipe below)

Dessert

Coconut Snow Balls with Black Cardamom

We've been talking about this one for a while, and it was great to finally dig into our favorite cuisine. The results -- as you can see -- were vibrant to the eyes and especially to the stomach... We've made cooked versions of most of these dishes in the past -- but the food really takes on a different perspective when prepared raw -- the texture, the spices, the tastes, all have an added "POP" -- it's like tasting them for the first time, which in a sense, we were...

The samosas were a big hit -- the shells are essentially the same as the ones from Monday night, with the addition of fresh shredded turmeric, fresh ground cumin and corriander seed along with 1 tbs. of fresh cilantro. They were poured into a big square on the teflex sheet and then cut into long strips for the samosa wraps, folding in triangles to seal in the cauliflower/mushroom/snow pea/tamarind mix.

The trick was to break down the cauliflower into the tiniest florets you can manage, toss them with the tamarind mix and spices and dehydrate for a couple of hours which really draws out the flavor. Then we sprinkled some raw pistachios to give it a bit of crunch at the end. The Tamarind/Date/Mint chutney was a nice match with spices, nice and creamy...

The rest of the "little bites" were studies in contrast -- the subtle heat of the carrot pickles, the cooling mango soup, the earthy beet/coconut combo, the salty tang of the cashew cheese in the saag paneer and the refreshing (yet sneaky hot) tomato/onion chutney.

This may be the best raw meal we've ever made...

Carrot Pickles

2 carrots cut into thick matchsticks
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. tamarind (soaked 20 minutes in 1/4 cup of water, squeezed through a strainer)
1 tsp. raw agave
1 tsp. mustard seed (lightly crushed)
1 tsp. onion seed (lightly crushed)
1 tsp. corriander seed (lightly crushed)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 jalapeno, small dice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how hot you like it)

toss all the ingredients together in small shallow glass bowl (try to keep the carrot submerged) and put directly into the dehydrator -- you may have to remove a few shelves -- set at 115F for 2-3 hours. Remove from the dehydrator and place in a fridge-safe container and chill overnight. Take them out about an hour before serving to come back to room temp.

Samosas

4 ears of corn
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2" fresh turmeric root
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbs. fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. ground flax seed

Puree all of the ingredients in the Vita-Mix and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour onto a teflex dehydrator sheet as close to the edges as possible. Dehydrate at 115F for 3-4 hours, flip and dehydrate for an additional 2 hours. Cut into eight 3.5" X 7" rectangles (approximately).

Check it every so often to make sure the shells don't get to stiff, you want them to stay flexible enough to fold later.

(for the filling)

2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/2 cup cremini mushroom, sliced thinly
1/2 cup snow peas, finely shredded
2 tbs. tamarind soaked for 20 minutes in 1/4 cup of warm water, then pressed through a sieve
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flake
1 small jalapeno, diced
1 tsp. cumin seed, fresh crushed
1 tsp. corriander seed, fresh crushed
1/2 tsp. turmeric root, grated
1 tbs. nama shoyu (or sea salt)
black pepper to taste

2 tbs. raw pistachio nuts, chopped (optional)

Toss all the ingredients together to coat well, and place on a teflex sheet in the dehydrator for at least 2 hours. Taste for salt/pepper.

Put 2 tbs. of filling (plus 1 tsp. pistachio) on each rectangle and fold up/over into a small triangle shape.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Pad Thai

Dinner 8/15

Pad Thai
(rice noodles, tamarind sauce, red onion, tofu, jalapeno, carrot, red bell pepper, cilantro, toasted cashews, rooster sauce)

Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go ;)

Monday, August 14, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, Orange Cascadilla Soup

Raw Food Monday 8/14

Raw Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
(stuffed with guacamole: avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, salt, pepper; shredded lettuce, pumpkin seeds, cashew "cheese", dehydrated cactus. recipe for the shells below)

Orange Cascadilla Soup
(orange bell pepper, yellow tomato, cucumber, scallion, avocado, sea salt, pepper, topped with cilantro)

Corn Chips and Cashew Cheese

More raw food -- when the produce is this fresh, you just try to stay out of the way of it ;)

Raw Corn Tortilla (makes four shells)

2 ears of corn (about a 1 1/2 cups)
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. ground flax seeds
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. mexican oregano
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Puree all the ingredients in the the Vita-mix, let sit for 15 minutes.

Pour onto the teflex sheets about 1/8" thick, you should be able to get 4 per sheet.

Dehydrate at 115F for 2-3 hours, flip and dehydrate for another 2 hours.

They should still be pretty flexible at this point. Add your filling and roll the enchiladas, top with the Tomatillo Sauce.

Tomatillo Sauce

2 medium tomatillos
1 small jalapeno
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients into the vita-mix and either puree or pulse to leave it slightly chunky... make this as close to serving as possible -- it doesn't last too long. check for seasoning and pour over the enchiladas.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Chiles Rellenos, Tostada, Grilled Corn, Grilled Cactus and Avocado Salad

Dinner 8/13

Chiles Relleno
(stuffed with Plantain, Potato and Soyrizo)

Tostada
(Black Beans, Red Onions, Plantain and Soy Cheese)

Grilled Corn with Chipotle "Butter"

Grilled Cactus and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
(on a bed of mixed greens w/ Lime Vinaigrette Dressing)

yes, even we are getting tired of corn ;)

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Grilled Portobello Mushroom stuffed with Pistachio and Roasted Garlic, Braised Chard, Braised Carrots, Grilled Corn

Dinner 8/12

Grilled Portobello Mushroom stuffed with Pistachio and Roasted Garlic

Braised Chard

Braised Carrots

Grilled Corn

Mixed Green Salad
(with garlic miso dressing)

The lovely orange/yellow carrots, garlic and corn were from the Kent Farmer's Market -- and all organic... The mushroom dish came from lunch at the Mustard Seed in Akron the other day -- the pistachio's are bold complement to the mushroom - but utterly delicious with the roasted garlic holding it all together.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Chanterelle Mushroom and Seitan wrapped in Phyllo, Purple Potatoes, Purple Artichokes, Green Beans

Dinner 8/11

Chanterelle Mushroom and Seitan wrapped in Phyllo
(served with a Port/Prune reduction sauce)

Purple Potatoes

Green Beans

Steamed Purple Artichoke

Braised Leeks

the sauce was wonderful -- take one cup of unfiltered/unfined port and 10 prunes and reduce by half. Add one cup of veg stock and reduce by half. Puree the mixture and return to the pan -- add 1 tbs. of soy margarine, stir to incorporate and check for salt and pepper. Serve over the phyllo rolls...

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Eggplant Ravioli with Mushrooms and Tomatoes, Endive Salad with Carrot "Croutons"

Raw Food Thursday 8/10

Eggplant Ravioli with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
(eggplant marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and garlic, then stuffed with Macadamia, Cashew, Pine Nut and nutritional yeast cheese mixture, dehydrated for 8 hours, topped with dehydrated cremini mushrooms and baby tomatoes from the garden)

Endive Salad with Carrot "Croutons"
(endive, mustard seed, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, cashew cheese with dehydrated carrot)

Making up for missing last week's RFW, it's a second day of raw food... the baby tomatoes are starting to come in every day, so instead of making a tomato sauce to go with the ravioli, we just cut them in half and tossed them with olive oil salt and pepper and dehydrated them slightly along with the mushrooms.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Raw Food Wednesday: Poblano Poppers, Gazpacho, Guacamole with Raw Corn Chips, Jimcama Carpaccio, Grape and Tarragon Salad, Fig and Cherry Sabayon

Raw Food Wednesday 8/9

Poblano Poppers stuffed with Spicy Cashew "Cheese" and Corn

Tomato Gazpacho
(tomato, cucumber, spring onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro)

Guacamole with Raw Corn Chips
(dehydrated mix of corn, olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice and ground flax seeds)

Jicama Carpaccio
(thinly sliced pieces of jicama marinated in a mix of lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, spring onions and cilantro)

Grape and Tarragon Salad
(with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper dressing)

Dessert

Fig and Cherry Sabayon

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Miso Glazed Eggplant, Hoisin Tofu with Jasmine Rice, Corn and Miso Soup, Green Beans and Black Sesame Seeds

Dinner 8/8

Miso Glazed Eggplant
(red miso, sake and mirin reduced by half and added to the seared/roasted eggplant and broiled)

Hoisin Tofu with Jasmine Rice

Corn and Miso Soup
(corn, water, white miso, tamari)

Green Beans and Black Sesame Seeds
(blanched green beans, tamari, agave, black sesame seeds)

Corn is in sesaon, and matched very well in this white miso soup, while the red miso really adds depth to the broiled eggplant dish.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Coffee Roasted Tofu and Seitan, Bosc Pear and Fingerling Potato Ragout

Dinner 8/7

Coffee Roasted Seitan (and Tofu)
(recipe, sort of, below)

Bosc Pear and Fingerling Potato Ragout
(recipe below)

Fig and Tomato Salad

Where do we even start with this one? ;)

The Seitan/Tofu recipe is based on the duck recipe in Marcus Samuelsson's "Aquavit" (p. 139)

We made both seitan (homemade from the other night) and tofu. Why? I wanted to see which version worked the best... turns out they're both fabulous!

As for a recipe (serves two) -- you'll need a half a block of extra firm tofu cut into four cutlets and/or one package of seitan (or 8 oz. homemade) cut into long chunky strips about 4" long.

First step: 1 cup of hot coffee, 1 tsp. of cardamom, 1" stick of cinnamon. Mix together and allow to cool. In a container big enough to allow all the ingredients to sit in one layer (or a large ziplock bag), add the seitan and tofu, and marinate for 6 hours. The tofu was scored in a cross-hatch pattern on top and bottom to allow the marinade to soak in better. Drain the seitan and/or tofu and discard the coffee mix.

Then the seitan and tofu were both smoked for 20 minutes with 1 tbs. cherry wood and 1 tsp. of ground Ethiopian coffee (this is not in Samuelsson's recipe at all, but it worked here).

Next, they were pan-fried in canola oil with an added splash of tamari at the end.

Finally, the tofu was braised briefly with 1 cup of and unfiltered/unfined zin port, 1 tsp. of cardamom and 1" piece of cinnamon. In Samuelsson's version, whole coffee beans are also added at this step. We didn't have any whole beans handy -- plus, with the smoking, it had plenty of coffee flavor at this point.

The seitan was then wrapped in phyllo, cooked in a 400F oven for 10 minutes until the phyllo was golden and covered with the port/cardamom/cinnamon reduction sauce.

They were served over the pear/potato ragout, which was amazing in of itself...

Pear and Fingerling Potato Ragout

(adapted from Marcus Samuelsson's "Aquavit")

1/2 cup Port or Madeira (we used an unfiltered/unfined zin port)
1/2 cup dry red wine (again, unfiltered/unfined)
1 tablespoons agave or honey substitute
1 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 ripe but firm Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
1/2 cup soy cream (either Silk or a soft tofu/soy milk combo)
1/2 cup veg stock
1/2 tablespoon soy margarine
1/4 pound fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes
1 endives, trimmed, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips

Directions

1. Combine the port, red wine, agave and tarragon in a medium saucepan. Add the pears and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the pears are slightly softened. Remove from the heat and let the pears cool in the cooking liquid.

2. With a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the cooking liquid; set aside on a plate. Combine the soy cream, veg stock, soy margarine and 3/4 cup of the pear cooking liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a small saucepan, add salted water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the potatoes for 18 to 20 minutes, until just tender. Drain and let cool slightly, then peel and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

4. While the potatoes are cooking, cut the pears crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Set aside.

5. When the sauce has reduced, add the pears and potatoes and heat through. Fold in the endive and serve.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Tomatillo Enchiladas stuffed with Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Corn, Pozole

Dinner 8/6

Tomatillo Enchiladas
(stuffed with mashed potatoes, onion, fyh soy cheese, covered and baked with tomatillo sauce: broiled tomatillo, cilantro, serrano chile, mexican oregano, salt and pepper)

Grilled Corn

Pozole
(recipe below)

A re-creation of the enchiladas we had last week at Karyn's Cooked in Chicago -- the mashed potatoes were unexpected, but an ideal match with the tomatillo sauce.

Sarita asked for the Pozole recipe, so we wanted to make it again to make sure the recipe was correct...

Pozole

2 medium ancho chiles (1oz), stemmed and seeded
2 cups of water
1 tbs. salt

4 cups vegetable stock
1 can of Hominy

1 8oz. packages of seitan, cut into thin strips
1 large white onion, small dice
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tbs. mexican oregano
salt and pepper

lime juice (optional)
soy sour cream (optional)

Soak the ancho chiles in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes, then puree the chiles in the soaking water.

In a large enough soup pot, add the vegetable stock, the chile puree and 1 tbs. of salt, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add the drained can of hominy and cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasoning at the end -- usually we'll add a little tamari right at the end if it seemes to need a little more salt -- plus it gives the broth a little umami kick ;)

Meanwhile, saute the seitan strips, onion, garlic, mexican oregano, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Divide the seitan mixture in the bottom of soup bowls, and add just enough broth and hominy to cover. Sesaon at the table with optional lime juice and/or sour cream.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Seitan Roulade, Braised Leeks, Roasted Beet Salad, Ciabatta

Dinner 8/5

Seitan Roulade
(homemade seitan roll, stuffed with cremini mushroom, spring onion, garlic, herbes de provence, pepper and tamari -- topped with mushroom gravy: roux, veg stock, tamari, pepper, mushrooms)

Braised Leeks

Homemade Ciabatta

Roasted Beet Salad

Yep, we made our own seitan again -- it's been a few years, but it turned out really well... we used the recipe from Friendly Foods (by Brother Ron Picarski) -- the little twist is that after you've rinsed out the dough and have cooked it the first time, the second cooking in the broth can be done in a pressure cooker, which cuts the time in half with very good results...

The roulade itself was pretty easy to assemble -- after searing the seitan on both sides -- which may take awhile depending on how much liquid has absorbed into the seitan -- trim the edges and put the mushroom mixture on top and roll up, securing with toothpicks every inch or so. Then place in a roasting pan and bake in a 400F oven for 20 minutes or so. Remove, cut between the toothpicks and plate (remember to remove the toothpicks!). Cover with the gravy and serve hot...

Friday, August 04, 2006

Crepes stuffed with Smoked Tofu, White Beans and Soyrizo, Pizza with Smoked Potatoes and Tofu, Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Dinner 8/4

Crepes stuffed with Smoked Tofu, White Beans and Soyrizo
(smoked tofu in alder wood, cannellini beans, red onion, soyrizo)

Pizza with Smoked Potatoes and Tofu
(pizza shells made in March and vacuum-sealed, smoked yukon golds, smoked tofu with alder wood, fyh soy cheese)

Green Bean and Tomato Salad
(romaine lettuce, tomatoes from the garden, blanched green beans, vegenaise, shallots, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast)

The crepes were from "Vegan with a Vengeance" and use chickpea (besan) flour that makes them soft and tender -- we don't use non-stick pans anymore, so we have been using our well-seasoned flat bottomed wok instead -- works beautifully.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Pasta Genovese, Spinach Salad and Porcini Soup

Dinner 8/3

Pasta Genovese
(penne pasta, yukon gold potatoes, yellow beans, basil pesto)

Spinach Salad
(with garic and miso dressing, dried cherries, pine nuts)

Porcini Soup
(recipe below)

The genovese is adapted from Jamie Oliver's version -- swapped out the yellow beans for the green beans, penne for the tagliatelle, and in the pesto recipe of course, swapped out for the soy parmesan...

Porcini Soup

1 oz. dried porcini soaked in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes

1 tbs. olive oil
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans
2 cups of veg stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. tamari

After letting the porcini soak for 20 minutes, strain the porcini liquid and set aside, then carefully pick out the soaked porcini pieces and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot and saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic with a pinch of salt until softened, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the cannellini beans and their liquid to the veggies and cook for another 2-3 minutes until thickened.

Add the porcini pieces, the porcini soaking broth, tamari and veg stock.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes, check for seasoning.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Stir-Fry with Hoisin Tofu, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 8/2

Stir-Fry with Hoisin Tofu
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, baby corn, garlic, ginger, pepper, tamari)

Jasmine Rice

After spending the last six and a half hours driving back from Chicago -- the only thing I wanted to eat was a stir-fry. Mission accomplished! ;)

Raw Food Wednesday will return next week at the regularly scheduled time...

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Karyn's Cooked, Tuesday Night

Dinner 8/1

Mac and Cheese

Portobello Burger
("Mac daddy of the mushroom, marinated and grilled to perfection with grilled onions, peppers, marinara and a creamy garlic sauce on a toasted demi multi-grain baguette")

Burger with Cheese
("Soy burger with all of the toppings on a toasted multi-grain bun")

Classic Lasagna
("with smoked spinach and tofu ricotta")

The original plan was go to Amitabul, but, as it was still in the mid 90's by 7pm, we decided to limit our driving and returned to Karyn's for dinner again (plus it was about six blocks from our hotel).

We all tried different dishes tonight -- the kids split a Mac and Cheese and the Burger with Cheese, Liz had the Classic Lasagna and I went with the Portobello Burger.

Again, a fabulous meal -- I could almost get used to eating out if it were this good all the time ;)

The Chicago Diner, Tuesday Afternoon

Lunch 8/1

Radical Reuben

Southwestern Wrap

Chili and Mac

Peanut Butter and Jelly

After visiting the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in the morning, we were starving. We also knew that no trip to Chicago would be complete without a visit to the Chicago Diner on N. Halsted -- so, we drove up Lake Shore Dr. in search of lunch...

When we arrived, the car's temperature gauge showed it was 107F, so we knew the first thing we had to get was a milkshake -- Liz had the chocolate, the kids had a Mocha milkshake and a strawberry and Blueberry Smoothie.

The kids split the chili and the pb&j for lunch. Liz had the Southwestern Wrap which was so big she had to take half back to the hotel for a late snack. I had the Reuben -- which in retrospect, I should have taken half back to the hotel for a snack. ;)

Great diner classics in an old-skool setting. Definitely worth the trip!