Cabbage and Onion Pierogies, Potato and Smoked Mushroom Pierogies, Roasted Pear and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Flaky Dinner Biscuits, Baklava

Dinner 12/24

Cabbage and Onion Pierogies

Potato and Smoked Mushroom Pierogies

Roasted Pear and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Flaky Dinner Biscuits

Dessert

Baklava

It's time for our annual family holiday dinner, and as always we made two kinds of pierogies -- cabbage/onion and potato/smoked mushroom served along side a Roasted Pear and Brussels Sprouts salad...


...along with these Einkorn flour flaky biscuits. I didn't want to put them on the plate with Pierogi shot, so you can see the mushroom design on the dinner plate.


For dessert, Liz made her family recipe for Baklava.

That'll do it for 2013, see you next year!

Chanterelle Mushroom Banh Mi

Dinner 12/22

Chanterelle Mushroom Banh Mi

Post-Holiday Party meals are always simple, but these Banh Mi were awesome -- sauteed chanterelles with crisp red onion, cucumber, radishes and cilantro with Vegenaise and Sriracha on a bun that Liz made earlier in the week for just this occasion -- always thinking ahead! ;)

Holiday Party XVII

Holiday Party XVII 12/21

They Came, They Saw, They Ate.

The 17th annual Holiday Party was another fun blowout, with 50 or so friends stopping by for tasty vegan food. Both kids had a large contingent of friends this year, which added to the amount of food prepared for our (secret) vegan outreach project ;)

Here's some of the dishes we served...


Stuffed Mushrooms


Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Palmiers


Paella with Green Beans and Pecan-Smoked Tofu


Pasta Salad with Broccoli


Of course, the Triple Tofu Salad Sandwich Tower has to be included.


6:30pm: The calm before the storm at the Table...


...and in the kitchen.

also made, but not shown, BBQ Lollipops, Bourguignon, Cassoulet, Tapenade, Hummus (as required by law at any gathering of vegans) and Artichoke Dip

Pressed Rice Cakes filled with Chile-Eggplant Sofrito

Dinner 11/30

Pressed Rice Cakes filled with Eggplant Sofrito

One part Martin Yan, one part Ivan Orkin equals delicious.

The base uses glutenous rice (2 cups glutenous rice, 3 cups of water, 1 tsp. salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, cook 40 minutes).

While that's cooking, make a garlic oil (cook 2 tsp. minced garlic in 1 tbs. of Canola oil, until golden, let cool).

We love chile-eggplant sofrito from Ivan Orkin's book "Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint" and have used it for other dishes, but here it really shines.

1 cup canola oil
1 large onion, minced (2 cups)
1/2 small eggplant, minced (1 1/2 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, minced (1 1/4 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
Kosher salt

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and eggplant and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have almost melted, about 1 hour. Stir in the chipotle powder and cook for 15 minutes longer; season with salt. Transfer the sofrito to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Drain the sofrito in a sieve; discard the oil or reserve it for another use.

To assemble, use a loaf pan, put a layer of plastic wrap down, brush with the garlic oil, sprinkle about 2 Tbs. of sesame seeds and press half of the rice mixture in and flatten, add the center layer of the sofrito and top with the rest of the rice, brush the top with garlic oil and sprinkle another 2 Tbs. of sesame seeds. Finally, put a second pan or more plastic wrap on top and weigh it down with a couple of heavy cans for 20 minutes. At that point, cut them into triangles and eat it all in one bite at room temp or pan fry them for a few second to reheat and toast the sesame seeds.

What The Hell Does A Vegan Eat For Thanksgiving Anyway? 2013 Edition

Thanksgiving 2013

Hickory-Smoked Tofu stuffed with Collard Greens and Mushrooms

Braised Carrots

Braised Brussels Sprouts

Stuffing

Butternut Squash Puree

Knotted Dinner Rolls

Whoopie Pies

And now... here's a whole lot of photos...


The table...


a pre-dinner snack of Radish Toasts


The knotted rolls proofing...


...and fresh out of the oven


Braised Carrots


Bread Stuffing


Of course, the non-traditional dessert of Whoopie Pies...


...and finally, Mr. Crow is looking for crumbs.

Ramen

Dinner 11/27

Ramen

This time around the ramen featured: Tea-Smoked Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms, Scallions, Radish Greens, Carrots & (non-traditional, but GF) Rice Noodles.

And, as always, made with our Shiitake Mushroom broth

Manicotti with Crepes filled with Vegan Ricotta topped with Tomato Sauce

Dinner 11/23

Manicotti with Crepes filled with Vegan Ricotta topped with Tomato Sauce

So, this happened...

The savory crepes are from from VwaV, Ricotta from here plus tomato sauce.

No-Knead Bread

Bread 11/23

No-Knead Bread

I wanted to give this bread its own entry... Liz has dialed in the right hydration to flour ratio for the no-knead bread -- which is a little different when using Einkorn flour (as opposed to the all-purpose flour). Previously, they were a little too wet when trying to convert the recipe 1:1, but now they are more "shaggy" (a technical term) which makes for a better loaf.

It's baked in the Le Crueset enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, and tastes even better than it looks.

Mahjouba (Algerian Crepes), White Bean Stew and Roasted Cauliflower with Pesto

Dinner 11/08

Mahjouba (Algerian Crepes)

White Bean Stew

Roasted Cauliflower with Pesto

We made these delicious crepes last year from this Saveur recipe using our trusty cast-iron skillet to fry these up. A perfect way to start off a Friday evening.


Served along with a simple White Bean stew and Roasted Cauliflower with Pesto.

A Brief Announcement

A Brief Announcement 10/31

Apologies, visitors from the future!

There's going to be many, many pictures posted between now and the end of 2013, but little in the way of info. Another project has taken a majority of our available time. In the meantime, enjoy the pretty pictures of vegan food!

Apple Cake

Dessert 10/26

Apple Cake

Sorry, no recipe -- but enjoy the pretty pictures...


...just out of the oven.

BBQ Portobello Stems, Artichoke Dip, Braised Leeks and Baguette

Dinner 10/25

BBQ Portobello Stems

Artichoke Dip

Braised Leeks

Baguette

Not so much "dinner" as much as "a series of tasty appetizers" -- starting with these little guys, the stems from portobello mushrooms which were smoked, split down the center, skewered and basted with BBQ sauce, and finally grilled. Liz now wants to go to the store and see if they'll give her the stems they were probably throw out anyway. ;)


Here's the rest of the meal, before the hordes descended and ate it all... Liz made the baguettes (one per person please) and the artichoke dip, I did the Braised Leeks (recipe)

Risotto with Artichokes and Pesto

Dinner 10/18

Risotto with Artichokes and Pesto

We made our usual base risotto recipe, but at a request by our daughter we added artichokes. Smart kid.

Also hiding in there is some of the pesto we made from the big batch of basil we harvested not long ago and some hickory-smoked tofu and greens.

Hickory-Smoked Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Dinner 10/12

Hickory-Smoked Tofu

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

We tried something different with the tofu this time -- portioning it by cutting the square block in half (to make two big long rectangles), smoking it with hickory and then browning it on all four sides with a splash of tamari at then end of cooking for a nice crust. Then we finished it off in the oven at 350°F for to 15 minutes to cook it all the way through.


The fun part was slicing it on a bias and spreading it out to be covered by the gravy (pan-dripping, Einkorn flour, veg stock, salt and pepper).

Fermentation: Kimchi and Ginger Beer

Fermentation 10/05

Kimchi

Ginger Beer

While we've been making our own raw sauerkraut for a while, we recently picked up "Mastering Fermentation" by Mary Karlin and have been making a vegan version of Kimchi and Ginger Beer from the book -- with great success.


On the right is the ginger "bug" used to start the process -- we've only had one slight "blowout" with the ginger beer over carbonating, but overall they've turned out great!

Panna Cotta with Raspberries and Tarragon

Dessert 09/29

Panna Cotta with Raspberries and Tarragon

Dipping into the Vedge cookbook again, this time for dessert, here's the recipe.

Roasted Baby Turnips with Maitake "Champignons Au Vin" and Roasted Cauliflower with Black Vinegar and Kimchi Cream

Dinner 09/27

Roasted Baby Turnips with Maitake "Champignons Au Vin"

Roasted Cauliflower with Black Vinegar and Kimchi Cream

Both recipes from the always excellent Vedge book...


...starting with the Cauliflower (p.90)...




...and the main course of Baby Turnips, Mushrooms & Carrots (p.149)

The Great Basil Harvest of 2013

The Great Basil Harvest of 2013

Behold! The Great Basil Harvest of 2013!

(turned into pesto, vacuum-sealed and frozen for later)

Gluten-Free Dogs with Red Cabbage Slaw

Dinner 09/15

Homemade Gluten-Free Dogs

Red Cabbage Slaw

Once more into the breach...

Deep-Fried Pimento-Stuffed Olives

Appetizer 09/13

Deep-Fried Pimento-Stuffed Olives

These couldn't easier (or tastier)... Take olives stuffed with pimentos, roll them in your favorite GF flour mix, then into a slurry of cornstarch and water, and finally roll them around in a pan of ground GF Chile BBQ chips. Then drop them in a deep-fryer at 350°F for a few minutes until golden brown and delicious. Best with a nice glass of Sherry.

Dosa with Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Dinner 09/12

Dosa with Potato and Cauliflower Curry

We been working on fermentation and the dosas (sprouted & fermented lentils) turned out nicely -- as did the stew.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part 2

Vacation Part 2

Much of early August is full of birthdays and anniversaries, which is why we take a few weeks off to recover. ;)

As always, good times were had by all...

The No-knead Bread was the starting point for this birthday meal of small plates, and Liz is finally getting close to the right ratio that doesn't (severely) stick to her hands or doesn't develop the deep rich flavor that the Einkorn flour brings to the party. Served along with Roasted Chickpeas (onion, garlic, berbere, tamari, pepper), Shishito Peppers (pan-fried with lemon juice, salt) and local Chanterelle Mushrooms (pan-fried, splashed with tamari and pepper at the end). Thanks to Jeff at KNF for hooking us up.


Also along for the ride were Braised Leeks...


...and Artichoke Dip (with arugula)


For another birthday dinner we again utilized the Chanterelles, this time in a Garlic Cream Sauce over Apple-Wood Smoked Tofu...


... along with Grilled Okra and Onions as well as the always popular Cat-Head Biscuits (more on those later).


As you guys know by now, we like to have fun with our pizzas, and tonight was no exception -- the corn from the farmers market was the start of this Oaxacan-style Pizza (with Squash Blossoms, soyrizo, nooch and vegenaise) was perhaps the best pizza of the year (no small feat).


It's been a somewhat temperate (and rainy) summer here in Northeast Ohio, and we peeked ahead to fall for some Polenta with Roasted Cauliflower, Rosemary, Cannellini Beans and Collard Greens


For lunch one day, Liz found some really nice Portobello Mushrooms which were marinated (olive oil, tamari, ketchup, pepper), grilled and served on the Cat-Head Biscuits along with Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Spinach, Red Onion and Vegenaise


More lovely corn from the Farmers Market were incorporated into Chiles Rellenos along with refried beans (black beans, pinto beans, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper and smoked paprika)...


... the corn was briefly pan-fried along with red onion, garlic and a pinch of Mexican oregano, salt and pepper), spooned on top of the refried beans (with a little Daiya cheddar) and roasted for 20 minutes at 350°F to bring it all together.


As we get deeper into the season at the Farmers market local Peaches are at their peak, and Liz whipped up a Peaches and Blueberry Tart


More corn this time, in the form of Old Bay Tofu Cakes from Tal Ronnen's book (recipe), which we've made before, with the addition of some pickled chard stems that Liz made (in place of the beets) and roasted cauliflower.


Finally, a sure sign that Fall is coming, Beet Bourguignon over lentils.

...we now return you to regular programming, already in progress...