Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fava Beans and Fettuccine in a Rosemary Cream Sauce

Dinner 9/30

Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fava Beans and Fettuccine in a Rosemary Cream Sauce

All of the ingredients on their own would have been awesome -- together, magic!

As tedious as shucking fava beans can be, we have a ritual -- the kids each get a bowl with the pods, and they have a race to see who can get done first, and who has the most beans. They actually like doing it, and it's a great way to get your kids to eat green veggies if they've contributed to the meal.

The cream sauce (1/2 cup soft tofu, 1/2 rice milk, pinch of salt & pepper) was infused with the rosemary (1 tbs. minced) for about 10 minutes and then strained out. The mushrooms were pan fried with olive oil and given a small shot of tamari at the end of cooking. All of the ingredients are tossed together for a few moments and served hot.

Tags: chanterelle, fava beans, rosemary, fettuccine, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Chanterelle Mushroom and Spinach Crepes with Gravy, Fingerling Potatoes, Braised Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 9/29

Chanterelle Mushroom and Spinach Crepes with Gravy

Fingerling Potatoes

Braised Brussel Sprouts

An improvised meal -- crepes are always a lovely idea with all those chanterelles.

Here's the filling on a crepe before they are rolled...

Tags: chanterelle, mushroom, brussel sprouts, potatoes, crepes, gravy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Roasted Tofu and Jerusalem Artichokes, Chanterelle Mushroons, Lentil and Chard Soup

Dinner 9/28

Roasted Tofu and Jerusalem Artichokes

Chanterelle Mushrooms

Lentil and Chard Soup

We scored a case of chanterelle mushrooms right off the truck today, so expect to see them pop up frequently over the next week...

The Roasted Tofu and Jerusalem Artichoke dish is an adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe from a few years ago -- the pan-fried tofu is roasted along with shallots, garlic, olives and artichokes, then braised with wine, and lemon juice for the last 20 minutes or so.

We've tried just roasting the tofu in the pan, but it didn't work as well as lightly pan-frying it first, and then finishing with the rest of the ingredients in a 475F oven.

Tags: jerusalem artichokes, shallots, tofu, garlic, mushrooms, lentil, chard, soup, martha stewart, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Thursday: Cappellini Pomodoro, Zucchini Pesto, Celeriac and Apple Soup

Raw Food Thursday 9/27

Cappellini Pomodoro

Zucchini Pasta with Pesto

Celeriac and Apple Soup

In an effort to redeem myself, I humbly offer a raw version of the dish we made two nights ago, this time with better incorporation between the tomatoes and zucchini noodles. ;)

Also, in an effort to use up the basil before the frost takes the last bit that's left in our containers, we also made a quick pesto and tossed it with the zucchini pasta.

The celeriac soup is adapted from Sarma's "Raw Food Real World" -- running it through a fine chinois really does make all the difference -- we were out of coconut butter, but didn't miss it at all, as the soup was extremely creamy...

Tags: raw fodd wednesday, raw food, raw, zucchini, pesto, basil, tomato, pomodoro, celeriac, apple, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tempura Green Beans, Edamame, Tofu Triangles, King Oyster Mushrooms Stir-Fry with Refried Rice

(Raw Food Wednesday will return tomorrow)

Dinner 9/26

Tempura Green Beans *
(with wasabi mayonnaise)

Edamame

Tofu Triangles
(dipping sauce of rice wine vinegar, tamari, sugar, rooster sauce)

King Oyster Mushrooms Stir-Fry with Refried Rice

More farmer's market bounty -- the edamame and green beans were again local/organic from our friends at Heron Hills Farm.

The reason for the RFW delay is that Liz went to a five-hour cake decorating class with Wendy Kromer (she does all of Martha Stewart's cakes for the magazines). Liz made the demo cakes below with the (surprisingly vegan) fondant. I think we're in for some fun cakes ahead...



* I have to admit the reason we made these was entirely due to seeing a similar dish on a commercial for TGIFriday. It's true. ;)

Tags: tempura, mushrooms, king oyster, green beans, farmer's market, wendy kromer, fondant, cake decorating, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Cappellini Pomodoro

Dinner 9/26

Cappellini Pomodoro

Very simple tomight -- for the pomodoro, sweat onion and garlic in olive oil, add the beautiful diced Roma tomatoes (local/organic from the farmer's market by our friends at Heron Hills Farm) and add a tiny bit of salt and pepper and gently cook until the tomatoes give up their liquid. Don't crank the heat -- it'll just break the tomatoes down too fast and you'll have no texture left. Served over angel hair pasta and topped with shredded basil and a little nooch (nutritional yeast).

We buy a lot of our produce from the Heron Hills folks, and it's always worth the effort to get there early...

Tags: roma tomatoes, angel hair, cappellini, basil, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry with Snow Peas, Grilled Eggplant, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 9/24

Stir-Fry with Snow Peas
(tofu, shiitake mushroom, carrot, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger, tamari, sesame oil

Grilled Eggplant

Jasmine Rice

I didn't use the inverted bowl to mold the rice today, and instead tried the eggplant-in-ring-mold trick from a while back. You cut the eggplant about 1/4" thick, brush it with a combo of sesame and canola oil, salt and pepper. After grilling, the eggplant was placed in a ring mold, and the rice added. Let it sit for a minute or so to retain it's shape after you remove the ring mold.

Tags: tofu, jasmine rice, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Vietnamese Seitan Baguette with Savory Broth Dip, German Chocolate Cake

Dinner 9/23

Vietnamese Seitan Baguette with Savory Broth Dip

Dessert

German Chocolate Cake

Post-Indians clinching, post-Browns adding to the litany of last-second losses with catchy names (Red Right 88, The Fumble, The Drive and now, The Time-Out), post-afternoon birthday celebration (German Chocolate Cake) there came the question of dinner... Not really hungry for a full meal, more like a nosh, while watching the Simpsons (new intro? whoa!)

So we decide to dip into one of the test recipes for the soon-to-be-released Veganomicon... Vietnamese Seitan Baguette with Savory Broth Dip. We used our home made pickles instead of the cucumber (as we were out) but man, was this thing good!

Seitan, red onions, cilantro, pickles, vegenaise on a baguette, served with a five-spice, red pepper, garlic, ginger and lime juice dipping broth. It was exactly the right thing at the right time. We can't wait for the book to come out!



Our daughter's birthday cake was adapted from "Sinfully Vegan" (p.71) that uses Vegenaise and Apple Sauce in the cake batter -- an excellent choice by the birthday girl!

Tags: veganomicon, seitan, baguette, chocolate, coconut, cake, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Pizza Night In Ohio

Dinner 9/22

Grilled Pizza

In what is rapidly becoming a weekend tradition, the grilled pizza was this time topped with smoked potato, shiitake mushrooms, leeks and FYH Monterey Jack. I'll be honest -- I like it because all I just have to do is show up to eat ;)

Tags: pizza, soy cheese, leeks, mushrooms, potato, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Eggplant Wrapped Tofu and Spinach, Roasted Broccoli

Dinner 9/21

Grilled Eggplant Wrapped Tofu and Spinach

Roasted Broccoli

a little experimentation tonight -- grilled japanese eggplant, wrapped around grilled tofu (pepper and tamari) and wilted spinach (canola oil, pepper, tamari, sesame seeds) -- really simple stuff, but I just liked the combo of flavors and packaging...

Tags: eggplant, tofu, sesame seeds, spinach, broccoli, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Gumbo with Blackened Tofu, Corn Cakes with Okra and Tomato

Dinner 9/20

Gumbo Z'Herbes with Blackened Tofu

Corn Cakes with Okra and Tomato

good ol' gumbo -- a little bit of greens (dinosaur kale, spinach, parsley) with a little bit of everything else (carrot, red bell pepper, green pepper, celery, onion, leftover rice, veg stock, smoked paprika, kidney beans). Topped with blackened tofu -- fried tofu, shredded and fried again with some smoked paprika and tamari.



The corn cakes have become our new favorite way of using corn -- and a cast iron skillet comes in handy here. I just recently found a batch of silver dollar pancake rings with attached handles that works perfectly for this application as well.

Tags: gumbo, tofu, okra, tomato, rice, corn, cast iron, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Fig and Pistachios, Mache Salad with Green and Red Zebra Tomatoes

Dinner 9/19

Fig and Pistachios

Mache Salad with Green and Red Zebra Tomatoes

It was fourth and long (a.k.a. school open house night), so we punted... ;)

The figs were delish -- originally we had planned on making a mini-fig terrine with red and yellow pepper filling, but that thought will have to wait for next time.

The green heirloom tomatoes were particularly juicy, but the red zebra felt almost hollow when you picked them up -- it turned out that the seed pack were like that x-ray of Homer Simpson's brain... tiny.

Tags: figs, mache, tomatoes, pistachio, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

White Bean Cassoulet

Dinner 9/18

White Bean Cassoulet
(cannellini beans, soyrizo, tomatoes, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, tamari, pepper)

um, did I mention it's stew weather? 'cuz I'm totally running out of things to say about that... ;)

Tags: cannellini beans, soyrizo, stew, paprika, tamari, tomatoes, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Lentil, Kale and Seitan Stew, Braised Leeks, Ciabatta

Dinner 9/17

Lentil, Kale and Seitan Stew

Braised Leeks

Ciabatta

Stew weather is nigh upon us... as is bread making season. Now, it's just a matter of waiting for the leaves to begin changing color.

Tags: seitan, kale, lentils, leeks, ciabatta bread, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan Braised in Barolo, Gobetti Pasta

Dinner 9/16

Seitan Braised in Barolo
(seitan, onion, carrot, celery, flour, sugar, parsley, rosemary, thyme, wine and tomatoes)

Gobetti Pasta

A riff on the traditional Italian dish -- a seitan stew braised in a hearty wine and tomato combo, served over gobetti pasta...

Tags: seitan, barolo, gobetti, pasta, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Sweet and Sour Seitan, Jasmine Rice, Tofu Triangles

Dinner 9/15

Sweet and Sour Seitan
(seitan, pineapple, yellow and red bell pepper, anaheim chiles, carrot, ginger, garlic, tamari, pepper)

Jasmine Rice

Tofu Triangles

It's difficult when we get a nice pineapple to make anything other that Sweet and Sour Seitan -- but that's not such a bad thing either ;)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

2 tbs. rice vinegar
2 tbs, tamari
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 tbs. sugar (or agave)
1/2 cup water
1 tbs. cornstarch

after stir-frying all of your veggies and seitan, pour the sauce over the top (on high heat) until the sauce thickens.

Tamales Two Ways

Dinner 9/14

Tamales Two Ways: Seitan and Chipotle Stew & Spicy Corn and Soy Cheese

2 cups of masa harina + 1 stick of Earth Balance shortening + 1 stick of Earth Balance Unsalted Margarine + 2 cups of water = genius.

The two fillings played counterpart -- the smoky heat of the chipotle and the crisp fried seitan (along with tomato, garlic, onion, mexican oregano, smoked paprika) vs. the bright crunch of the corn, jalapeno and FYH Monterey Jack. Steamed for about an hour, devoured in seconds.

Tags: chipotle, jalapeno, corn, tamale, masa harina, seitan, tomato, FYH, soy cheese, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Panade, Potato and Tomato Soup, Steamed Artichokes

Dinner 9/13

Panade

Yukon Potato and Yellow Tomato Soup

Steamed Artichoke

The calender may not say it's Fall yet for another 10 days or so, but Panade on the menu tells you the earth has already tilted back the other way...

At its core, panade is simply a savory bread pudding -- Caramelized cippolini onions, wilted dinosaur kale, toasted day-old ciabatta, homemade veg stock and FYH Monterey Jack soy cheese all are transformed by three hours in a 250F oven.

Texturally, you've got the crunchy top layer and the creamy filling underneath, fused together into a sumptuous one-dish meal.

Adapted mainly from the "Zuni Cafe" cookbook, with a little Paula Wolfert thrown in...

Tags: cippolini, onions, lacinto, kale, bread, zuni cafe, paula wolfert, judy rodgers, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Dolmas, Stuffed Mini-Peppers

Dinner

Chard Dolmas

Stuffed Mini-Peppers

The dolmas are adapted from Trotter/Klein, using large chard leaves, taking the rib out, lightly dehydrating them and overlapping two pieces to get a big enough piece. They were stuffed with parsnip, onion, celery, pine nuts, mint, parsley, currant, lemon juice and sea salt.

The mini peppers were almost too cute to eat. Almost. They were stuffed with a quick cashew pate (cashew, lemon juice, dill, salt, pepper, olive oil). Nice counterpart to the dolmas...

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, dolmas, charlie trotter, roxanne klein, chard, parsnips, dill, lemon, pine nuts, cashews, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Pizza Redux

Dinner

Grilled Pizza

We went back to the grilled pizza for two reasons -- first because it's very tasty, and second to see if it would work on a regular "school night" -- and it passed that test with flying colors. The dough was made at lunch and punched down about an hour before grilling...

The toppings this time around were cremini mushrooms, leeks, kalamata olives, homemade tomato sauce (tomato, onion, garlic, basil, salt, red pepper flake) and topped with FYH Monterey Jack.



here's the before and after grilling shots -- would Miss South Carolina identify the second pizza as looking somewhat like her home state? ;)

Tags: pizza, tomato, soy cheese, south carolina, grilling, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Daikon with Hoisin Seitan and Sesame Seeds, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Bok Choy

Dinner 9/10

Daikon with Hoisin Seitan and Sesame Seeds

Brussel Sprouts

Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrots, shiitake mushroom, ginger, garlic, tamari, cherry pepper, jalapeno pepper, toasted sesame oil)

Jasmine Rice

Bok Choy

We tried something a little different tonight -- not sure what to call it yet, but the daikon was hollowed out and steamed, then stuffed with the thinly sliced seitan (stir-fried with hoisin sauce) garnished with strips of carrot, red bell pepper and toasted sesame seeds. Very tasty.

Later, we talked about adding some kind of miso paste mixture (yuzu, white miso, mirin, togarashi, etc) to the outside of the daikon and hit it with a creme brulee mini-torch to caramelize it slightly -- and/or adding more sauce to pour over the whole thing just before serving. Next time perhaps...

The bok choy was steamed then pan-fried in canola oil, finished with tamari, red pepper flake and black pepper and garnished with toasted sesame seeds.

The brussel sprouts took the opposite tack, searing first, then braising in a combo of star anise, tamari and water for a couple of minutes.

Tags: daikon, seitan, tofu, rice, bok choy, jasmine rice, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Lobster Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato Pierogi, Grilled Asparagus, Yellow Beet Borscht

Dinner 9/09

Lobster Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato Pierogi

Grilled Asparagus

Yellow Beet Borscht

ah... yes, the pierogies were as good as they sound. So good, that we froze another two dozen for cold winter nights. They were stuffed with pan-fried diced lobster mushrooms and mashed potatoes loaded with two heads of roasted garlic.

The slight twist on the borscht came from using the yellow beets -- the roasted beets also provided the beautiful yellow color to the broth by soaking the cut peels in 2 cups of water. The soup was finished off with a little soy sour cream and garnished with some chopped dill from the deck.

Tags: dill, borscht, soup, yellow beets, pierogi, lobster mushroom, roasted garlic, dough, asparagus, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Asparagus Tempura with Udon Noodles, Squash Blossom Tempura

Dinner 9/08

Asparagus Tempura with Udon Noodles

Squash Blossom Tempura

We went out to the Mustard Seed Cafe (in Solon) for lunch with friends today. They had a buffet that had many vegan items (tofu lo mein, roasted veggie and black bean burritos, corn on the cob, green bean salad, hummus, pita, broccoli and salad (and thankfully at least one of the dressings was vegan). All in all a great meal...

Needless to say, we were stuffed by the time we rolled home, and in no mood to even think about dinner. Finally, around 7pm, we decided to make something small and have some of that vegan sparkling wine (Can Vendrell) we bought last week -- tempura and sparkling wine are a match made in heaven...

Two types tonight -- the ubiquitous squash blossoms stuffed with vegan cream cheese, white miso, garlic, smoked paprika and black pepper. We also did something a little different with the white and green asparagus -- we added broken pieces of udon noodle to the batter -- it gives the asparagus an added extra texture and crunch. Totally stolen from an episode of "Made To Order" ;)

Tags: tempura, sparkling wine, squash blossoms, asparagus, guy rubino, mustard seed market, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Eggplant and Seitan Stew, Sweet Potato Stew, Okra and Tomatoes, Injera

Dinner 9/07

Eggplant and Seitan Stew

Sweet Potato Stew

Okra and Tomatoes

Injera

mmm... injera again!

The sweet potato stew was a big hit -- cubed sweet potato with brown sugar, soy margarine, salt, cinnamon stick -- this will have to go on the Thanksgiving menu this year.

The okra pods we picked up at the farmer's market we just a little too big -- they get a little woody tasting when the get that way -- so I sliced them very thinly which helped, and let them cook down with tomatoes for a good hour or so.

The eggplant stew was adapted (with the seitan) from the Marcus Samuelsson cookbook "The Soul Of A New Cuisine" book as does the injera. All of the dishes work really well with the injera, no forks here ;)

Tags: eggplant, seitan, teff, injera, sweet potato, cinnamon, okra, tomato, marcus samuelsson, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Hoisin Green Beans

Dinner 9/06

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, shiitake mushroom, tamari, pepper)

Jasmine Rice

Hoisin Green Beans

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

There would have been a picture of the brussel sprouts if I had remember to put them on the plate when taking pictures. D'oh!

That's what happens when you have three woks going -- you forget that the one with the lid still has food inside. The good news is that I remembered before we started to eat -- but you'll just have to imagine they're placed between the hoisin green beans... ;)

Tags: tofu, jasmine rice, brussel sprouts, green beans, shiitake mushrooms, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Raw Food Wednesday: Corn Cake Stacks with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil & Pine Nut Mayonnaise, Fig and Green Bean Salad, Key Lime Mousse Tart

Dinner 9/05

Corn Cake Stacks with Heirloom Tomatoes

Basil & Pine Nut Mayonnaise

Fig and Green Bean Salad with Cashew Cheese

Dessert

Key Lime Mousse Tart
(from "Raw Food Real World")

After we made Corn Cakes (the cooked kind) a few weeks ago, it occurred to us that we could make a raw food version fairly easily.

We spiced the corn up with jalapeno, cherry bomb peppers and some red bell pepper for color, along with a little bit of cashew (as a binder), shallot, garlic, sea salt and pepper. They were shaped with ring molds and dehydrated for 8 hours (flipped after 4 hours) at 105F. Stacked with very ripe heirloom tomatoes and drizzled with basil and pine nut mayonnaise.

Does it look tasty? 'Cuz it sure as hell was...



For dessert we went back to "Raw Food Real World" for the always fantastic Key Lime Mousse Tart with Macadamia Crust -- the secret ingredient is... avocado (which is always surprising).

Tags: raw food wednesday, raw food, raw, corn, key lime, avocado, basil, pine nuts, cashews, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pierogi, Mushroom and Barley Soup, Cucumber Salad

Dinner 9/04

Pierogi
(cabbage, onion, dill)

Mushroom and Barley Soup
(portobello mushrooms, barley, celery, onion, carrot, veg stock, salt, pepper)

Cucumber Salad
(cucumber, sour cream, dill, agave, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar)

We bought one of those monster cabbages at the farmer's market two weekends ago, and finally got around to using it today -- only lost the first two outer layers of leaves. Liz had a half-day of work, so we made a boatload of pierogi to freeze for "months ending in vember" ;)

Tags: barley, portobello, mushrooms, cucumber, pierogi, cabbage, dill, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Eggplant Napoleon, Morel Mushrooms, Braised Carrots, Lentil Soup

Dinner 9/03

Grilled Eggplant Napoleon

Morel Mushrooms

Braised Carrots
(recipe below)

Lentil Soup
(lentils, carrots, celery, shallot, roasted garlic, veg stock, salt, pepper)

The grilled eggplant slices were brushed with mustard, then layered with wilted kale, walnuts, and sun-dried tomatoes.

The morel mushrooms were cut into rings and sauteed in olive oil with a splash of tamari at the end to kick up the umami.



Braised Carrots:

Peel the carrots, and put them into a sauce pan large enough to hold all of them in a single layer. Add water about half way up the side of the carrots. Add 1 tbs. of soy margarine. Bring to a boil and cover loosely. Cook until the water completely evaporates and only a little soy margarine is left on the bottom of the pan. In a 350F oven, place the carrots and whatever soy margarine is left (you can also add an additional 1 tsp. soy margarine if it looks like it needs a little more), into a gratin dish, add salt and pepper to taste, and braise for 15-20 minutes.

Tags: eggplant, walnuts, kale, morel mushrooms, carrots, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Pizza, Grilled Figs

Dinner 9/02

Grilled Pizza
(morel mushrooms, roasted garlic, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, FYH Monterey Jack, leeks)

Dessert

Grilled Figs
(topped with Soy Cream Cheese, Just Like Honey and Pistachio Nuts)

We finally got around to grilling the pizza for a change -- the dough is the usual pizza dough recipe, simply grilled and topped with the always phenomenal morel mushrooms along with leeks and homemade tomato sauce.

The kids loved it, and so did we -- the nice thing was that it was much faster cooking directly on the grill, so we were all able to eat sooner...


And seeing as we already had the grill going -- we made the figs (topped with soy cream cheese, Just Like Honey and pistachio nuts). Simple and tasty -- figs usually don't do much for me except when they're perfectly ripe -- and these were spot on...

Tags: pizza, soy cheese, dough, grilling, figs, pistachio, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Squash Blossom Fritto Misto, Tofustix, Bruschetta, Rum Spice Cake with Poached Figs

Dinner 9/01

Squash Blossom Fritto Misto

Tofustix

Bruschetta
(orange tomato, zucchini, basil, roasted garlic)

Dessert

Rum Spice Cake with Poached Figs

A (tasty) rerun from July -- the tofu "stix" are marinated with tamari and pepper, rolled in flour seasoned with smoked paprika, then rolled in a cornstarch slurry, and finally rolled in breadcrumbs with a little sprinkled nutritional yeast. Then they're deep-fried for 3-4 minutes at 375F. Served with a vegenaise and smoked pepper dipping sauce.



The rum cake is adapted from Marcus Samuelsson's "Soul Of A New Cuisine" and was awesome along with the So Delicious Vanilla and the Poached Figs (adapted from Thomas Keller).