what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?

Friday, January 30, 2009

Chickpea Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli

Dinner 1/30

Chickpea Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Broccoli

When I said that we had an excess of chickpeas on Tuesday, I wasn't kidding. ;)

The kids really liked these, so we went out and bought more vital wheat gluten (Bob's Red Mill) and made a second batch. We went with a different plan this time -- the cutlets were pounded out slightly thinner in a more irregular shape (no ring mold this time) and we decide to pan fry them using the cast-iron grill pan.

The gravy was also similar -- roux based with shallots, mushrooms, nooch, tamari and veg stock.

The broccoli was trimmed, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in a 450F oven for 15 minutes. The mashed potatoes always benefit from adding a head of roasted garlic -- the garlic tips are trimmed off exposing a small amount of the cloves, add a tsp. of olive oil, salt & pepper to the exposed area, then cooked in a garlic "roaster" (or just use aluminum foil to make a pouch) for about 1 hr. at 400F.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Moo-Shu Pancakes with Hoisin Seitan, Beet Greens and Sesame Seeds

Dinner 1/29

Moo-Shu Pancakes with Hoisin Seitan, Beet Greens and Sesame Seeds

The moo-shu pancakes are basically a 2:1 ratio of flour to water, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp sesame oil. The trick is rolling them out the right thickness -- not so thick that they're chewy -- and thin enough that they cook evenly and are flexible.

The seitan was cut into strips, stir-fried in the wok, then finished with a tablespoon of hoisin to coat. The beet greens were wilted in the wok as well, finished with a splash of tamari and finished with sesame seeds.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tofu Stroganoff, Roasted Potatoes, Snap Peas

Dinner 1/28

Tofu Stroganoff

Roasted Potatoes

Snap Peas

A riff on the Seitan Stroganoff we've made before (recipe here), using alder-smoked tofu (pan-fried, splashed with tamari at the end of cooking) in place of the seitan. The roasted potato and steamed snap peas complemented the dish nicely...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Chickpea Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy, Roasted Cauliflower

Dinner 1/27

Chickpea Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy

Roasted Cauliflower

Somehow, during the recipe testing for Veganomicon, we failed to make the Chickpea Cutlets. Now that everyone is sick talking about how they great they are, we finally decided to make them... ;)

They were awesome (of course -- it's an Isa and Terry recipe), and more importantly, the kids also loved them. What finally forced our hand was a large chickpea windfall, which after soaking took on epic proportions -- chickpea cutlets to the rescue!

The chickpeas were shaped into medallions using a ring mold, than pan-fried in a cast-iron pan. They were kept in a low oven while we made the gravy (roux, veg stock, tamari, mushrooms, nooch, pepper) in the same pan.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Lunar New Year (Part II): Gyoza and Tofu Triangles

Dinner 1/26

Tofu Triangles

Gyoza
(stuffed with shiitake mushroom and cabbage)

The deep-fried tofu triangles were coated with gin, tamari, pepper and finally dredged in cornstarch before being put in 385F peanut oil for 3-4 minutes. They'll puff up quite a bit in the oil, but will shrink noticeably after. The dipping sauce is tamari, agave, sriracha and lime juice.

The gyoza were filled with lightly sauteed cabbage and shiitake mushrooms with a little sesame oil -- then pan-seared and then steamed with a little tamari in the wok. Served with a lemon/lime/tamari dipping sauce.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Lunar New Year: Orange Seitan, Scallion Pancakes, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 1/25

Orange Seitan

Scallion Pancakes

Jasmine Rice

Surprisingly, it has been over a year since we've made this, but it still remains one of my favorite Chinese recipes of all time.

It was served along with another all-time favorite, scallion pancakes (recipe). Crispy double happiness! ;)

Friday, January 23, 2009

Tian de Courgettes, Soupe a la Bonne Femme et Champignons Grilles

Dinner 1/23

Tian de Courgettes

Soupe a la Bonne Femme

Champignons Grilles

Dipping back into the Escoffier cookbook tonight for all three dishes...

I was reading Joël Robuchon's "Robuchon" cookbook this week, and in reading his ratatouille recipe was struck by two things: his technique isn't much different from the version we make (he also likes to cook his ingredients one at time), and how much we all owe to Escoffier for cataloging these dishes.

Escoffier's Tian de Courgettes is really a proto-ratatouille, minus the eggplant (which we added). This has become our son's favorite version.

The Champignons Grilles is really just mushrooms on toast -- but in this case we scored some nice Pom Pom (Lion's Mane) mushrooms at WF this week. So after a little saute with olive oil, salt and pepper, they went on the grilled sourdough loaf.

The soup is simply leek, potatoes and veg stock, but when all three are done right, it's a stunning soup...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

O Hai There!

Today is the blog's birthday (January 22, 2002). If you had told me we'd still be doing this seven years later, I probably would have nodded my head. ;)

So far this year, we haven't posted much here on the blog, mostly we've been posting the nightly menu on Twitter. I wish I could say we've been off working on a secret cookbook project, video editing or even on vacation -- but in reality, we've just been cocooning at home in the bitter, bitter cold that is January in Ohio. That means some of our favorite comfort food -- mac n' cheese, stir-fry, pizza, raw beet raviolis with cashew cheese, tofu marsala, eggplant parmesan, bourguignon, etc.

As I mentioned last year at this time, in an effort to bore you guys less, we stopped posting most of those dinners that we've made before, unless we changed the recipe or plating ideas -- so that's why there hasn't been much going on...

But things are looking up -- there's still the "big green binder" which is full of ideas for 2009 and beyond!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Tofu Marsala en Papillote

Dinner 1/21

Tofu Marsala en Papillote

A riff on our Tofu Marsala recipe, slicing the tofu into strips and baking the whole dish in parchment paper for 10 minutes at 350F -- the flavor from the sauce really infuses the entire dish, and the aroma when you cut into the package is heavenly...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Roasted Tofu stuffed with Dinosaur Kale and Roasted Garlic, Mushroom Gravy, Roasted Cauliflower

Dinner 1/13

Roasted Tofu stuffed with Dinosaur Kale and Roasted Garlic

Mushroom Gravy

Roasted Cauliflower

The tofu was cut into six cutlets, a slit was cut in the side (careful not to poke a hole out the sides) and was seared on both sides until golden brown. the heat was reduced down to low, then the tofu was splashed with 1 tbs. of tamari and flipped after one minute to coat both sides.

The dinosaur kale was washed, the center rib removed, cut into roughly 2 inch pieces and sauteed in olive oil, salt and pepper until finished. The garlic had the top 1/2" cut off and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper. It was place in a garlic roaster (unsurprisingly, shaped like a garlic head) and was roasted at 400F for about 60 minutes (depends on the size of the head).

The tofu was then stuffed with garlic and kale and placed in a 350F oven for 15 minutes to complete cooking.

The gravy is simply a roux (equal parts soy margarine and flour), with added veg stock, nooch, tamari and cooked mushrooms.

The roasted cauliflower is perhaps the easiest dish known to man -- break the cauliflower into medium size florets, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and put into a 450F oven for 15 minutes. Fin.

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Grilled Romaine Salad with Figs, Focaccia with Grilled Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Dinner 1/03

Grilled Romaine Salad with Figs

Focaccia with Grilled Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Sometimes in January you just want to turn the indoor grill on to keep warm -- and while you're at it, you might as well cook a few things as well ;)

The grilled romaine salad has become our favorite go-to method, marinated with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. It's served with a vegenaise & nooch* based dressing, topped with a little micro-planed Blue Sheese and the grilled figs.

Liz knocked out a fabulous focaccia with sea salt, which served as the base for the grilled tomatoes and pan-fried cremini mushrooms and onions -- sort of like mini-pizzas...

The focaccia is made using a sheet pan, with the sea salt sprinkled on just before it goes into the oven.

A bit like square pizza, eh? ;)

*nooch = nutritional yeast

Friday, January 02, 2009

Tofu Satay

Dinner 1/02

Tofu Satay

Today, we had at the lovely lunch with PPK members nikitee & bryophyte at Vegiterranean in Akron. One of the appetizers Liz had was the Satay dish (they use Gardein). So, Liz decided to make a version of this at home using grilled tofu -- marinated with olive oil, tamari, salt and pepper. The tofu was cut into four thick cutlets, then into 2 strips, for a total of eight pieces. The sticks were added after the fact, as they were very long and didn't fit on the grill very well. ;)

The satay was served with a salad and reduced balsamic vinaigrette dressing (which is used as the dipping sauce) much like Chef Scot Jones does at Vegiterranean.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Tofu Curry, Pulao, Puri, Toor Dal

Dinner 12/29

Tofu Curry

Pulao

Puri

Toor Dal

The tofu curry is a riff on the mini-phyllo cups we made for the holiday party -- our son loved them so much, that I promised to make a large format version just for him. Neither of our children are big fans of Indian cuisine in general, but the irony is that this recipe isn't the slightest bit traditional.

It starts with reducing apple juice down to a syrup, then adding garlic, ginger, curry powder, vegenaise and currants to make the sauce. Then braising the fried tofu pieces in the sauce until it thickens. Easy & tasty, yes -- authentic, er.. no.

The pulao is pretty standard -- basmati rice with currants, pistachio and spices that matched well with the tofu curry.

The toor dal and puri are another winning combination of slow cooked yellow lentils and deep-fried puffy breads that could double as pillows.

Tasty, tasty pillows... ;)

Friday, December 26, 2008

Panade with Teese

Dinner 12/26

Panade

It's hard to believe that's it been more than a year since we last made this dish -- but this is the first time we've made it with Teese instead of FYH.

The recipe is a mash-up of Paula Wolfert's (Slow Mediterranean Kitchen) and Judy Rodger's (Zuni Cafe): toasted bread, lacinato kale, Teese Mozzerella, veg stock, shallots, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, tamari.

Slow cooked at 275F for three hours with foil covering, and then 375 for 15 minutes without the foil, until it finally reaches that crunchy on top, creamy on the inside consistency.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner

It's been a great holiday season so far, and we had a nice relaxed family dinner tonight with my sister-in-law and nephew.

We made a huge batch of pierogies (about 120 or so) back in September and vacuum-sealed them for just such an occasion -- it was so wonderful to not worry about rushing around at the last minute. The pierogies are adapted from Liz's family recipe, and I'm not allowed to see it, so we're all out of luck... ;)

Cabbage Pierogi, Potato & Mushroom Pierogi, Braised Carrots, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Haricot Verts

Apple, Cranberry & Grape Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

For dessert, Liz continued on her hot streak from the holiday party and made eggnog cookies again, along with crescent cookies (kind of like Italian wedding cookies made with walnuts, and shaped like half moons. She also made her mother's clothespin pastries (below)

top to bottom: Clothespin Pastries, Eggnog Cookies, Crescent Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

Crescent Cookies

Clothespin Pastries - prep

Clothespin Pastries - ready to go in the oven

Clothespin Pastries - out of the oven ready to be filled

Clothespin Pastries - plated

The holiday table

Centerpiece

Place Setting

...and as a couple of people asked, the plates are "Dragonfly" by Pinheiro and the silverware is "Vineyard" by Godinger. As far as I know, they are no longer in production, but you can occasionally find some on eBay or replacements.com.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Holiday Party XII

Holiday Party XII 12/20

Three days of cooking, 45 guests, and 60 minutes later the food was all gone!

Thanks to the PPK crew (pensarepink & pensareblue, nikitee & family, and special guest star bryophyte) for coming to the annual shindig...

Here's the main table shortly before the horde of very hungry people descended upon the food... ;)

Triple Tofu Salad Sandwich Tower

Can't have a party without Mini-Burgers

Artichoke Dip

Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Tofu Curry Phyllo Cups

I don't quite remember what happened to nikitee and bryophyte after this picture was taken, but I do know that it's hard to focus a camera and wave a knife menacingly at the same time...

OMG, pictures of people on the blog!

Sadly, pictures of the seitan bourguignon, bbq tofu lollipops, roasted fingerling potatoes, mushroom pate, stuffed mushrooms, white bean cassoulet and the dessert table are missing, but here's the menu in full:

Seitan Bourguignon
White Bean Cassoulet
BBQ Tofu Lollipops
Mini-Burgers
Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Phyllo Cups w/ curried tofu and raisins
Tapenade (w/ batard)
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (w/ Roasted Garlic)
Chilled Orzo Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Lentil and Soyrizo Spoons
Mushroom Pate
Baked Artichoke Dip
Olives (garlic / pimento stuffed)
Stuffed Mushrooms
Edamame

Chocolate Cupcakes
Aphrodite Cakes
Nog Cookies
Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Seitan Stew with Cannellini Beans, Carrots & Mushrooms over Penne Rigati, Roasted Cauliflower

Dinner 12/18

Seitan Stew with Cannellini Beans, Carrots & Mushrooms over Penne Rigati

Roasted Cauliflower

A basic seitan stew (slow cooked seitan, onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, veg stock, tamari & black pepper) topped with the deliciously nutty roasted cauliflower (tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper, 450F, 15 minutes), over penne rigati.

yep, it's winter... ;)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tea-Smoked Tofu Coconut Curry

Dinner 12/17

Tea-Smoked Tofu Coconut Curry

Tea smoked tofu may be my favorite taste sensation of all time. All it takes is 20 minutes in the smoker box with 1 tbs. of oolong tea. Then the tofu is fried in the wok and seasoned with a little San-J tamari at the end of cooking. Good, good stuff...

Paired with the creaminess/heat of the coconut curry sauce (coconut milk, curry paste, lemongrass, lime juice, tamari, pinch of palm sugar) along with the fresh rice balls and topped with wilted beet greens and sesame seeds, this dish has all the balance of taste/texture that we love.

(RFW will return in January...)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

How To Make Vegetable Stock in the Pressure Cooker

Stock

We get asked this one a fair amount, so here's how we make stock in our (Kuhn-Rikon) pressure cooker.

We start by saving the veggie scraps (carrot, onion, leek, mushroom, shallots) in a produce bag. When it's full, it's time to make stock. This works out to about every 10-14 days.

In the pressure cooker, over high heat, we put 1 tsp. of oil, a couple of peppercorns, and two bay leaves.

Add the scraps and begin to saute, moving and rotating the veggies every couple of minutes. Tongs work best here, as you want to grab the stuff off the bottom and so they all get some time on the bottom of the pot.

After 10 minutes, it's dropped to 3/4 full.

After 20 minutes, it's dropped to half, and is beginning to develop a good layer of fond (browned bits) at the bottom of the pressure cooker.

We then deglaze the fond on the bottom of the pressure cooker with 1 cup of water, scraping as much off the bottom as possible.

Then we add about nine more cups of water for a total of 10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) -- this unit can hold 7 liters total, so it can take it -- but you should only fill the pressure cooker 3/4ths of the way to the top at maximum, or else it won't have enough room to build pressure, so adjust accordingly.

Secure the lid, and bring it to pressure.

The second ring on our Kuhn-Rikon equals 15psi. Cook for 40-60 minutes to fully extract all the flavor.

We drain it using a stand chinois, and really press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Yields about 8 cups of solid gold.