Polenta with Apple-Smoked Tofu, Arugula and Chanterelle Mushrooms

Dinner 11/01

Polenta with Apple-Smoked Tofu, Arugula and Chanterelle Mushrooms

The polenta started with 1 cup of fine cornmeal whisked into 4 cups of boiling water seasoned with 1 tbs. of salt. From there we turned down the heat to low and made it like a risotto, adding an additional 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup at a time here and there (don't sweat the timing, just don't let it scorch the bottom of the pan). Finally, we stirred in 2 tbs. of soy margarine, 1/4 cup of microplaned Smoked Cheddar Sheese, 2 tbs. of nutritional yeast, and 1 tsp. of black pepper. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, and check for seasoning.

The chanterelles were pan-fried with olive oil and a splash of tamari at the end of cooking. Then the arugula was wilted in the same pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.

The tofu was smoked with apple wood for 25 minutes, then pan-fried until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes per-side) and splashed with 1 tbs. of tamari at the end of cooking.

Tags: polenta, arugula, chanterelle mushrooms, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Shiitake Mushroom Pizza, Alder-Smoked Potato and Chanterelle Pizza, Italian Seitan Sausage Pizza

Dinner 10/30

Shiitake Mushroom Pizza

Alder-Smoked Potato and Chanterelle Pizza

Italian Seitan Sausage Pizza

Let's see... four people and three pizzas. Yeah, that seems about right. ;)



Shiitake Mushrooms, tomato sauce & Daiya cheddar...



...seitan sausages, tomato sauce & Daiya cheddar...



...and finally chanterelle, alder-smoked potato and Daiya mozzarella.

It was surprise to find chanterelles, but they were lovely. The Yukon Gold potatoes were sliced thinly on a benriner/mandoline, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, then alder-smoked for 35 minutes. We like alder wood for the potatoes because it's a milder flavor and it doesn't overwhelm them.

Tags: pizza, daiya, chanterelle, shiitake, potato, smoker box, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Hickory-Smoked Tofu, Farro, Spinach and Sunchokes, Roasted Cauliflower

Dinner 10/25

Grilled Hickory-Smoked Tofu

Farro, Spinach and Sunchokes

Roasted Cauliflower

The tofu was hickory-smoked for 25 minutes, then marinated: 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. tamari, 1 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 tsp. agave, 1 tsp. ketchup and freshly ground black pepper to taste. While the tofu was grilling, it was basted with the remaining marinade. For a nice crosshatch pattern, start the tofu at a 45° angle to the grill grates and turn about 90° after 3-4 minutes, flip and repeat.

The farro (1 cup) was rinsed, and cooked in 2 cups of boiling (salted) water for 20-25 minutes, drained and added to a saute pan with the wilted spinach. The sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes), were peeled, cut in 1/4" slices and boiled (in salted water) for 10 minutes, until just cooked through. They were added to the farro and spinach mixture along with salt and pepper to taste.

The cauliflower was tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 450F for 15 minutes, tossed once about halfway through.

When it's all combined, the farro, spinach and sunchokes absorb the juices from the grilled tofu and the cauliflower adds a nice textural component to the proceedings.

Tags: cauliflower, farro, spinach, jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Apple-Smoked Tofu stuffed with Collard Greens and Apples, Apple Cider, Maple Syrup and Calvados Glaze, Roasted Potato and Parsnips, Braised Leeks

Dinner 10/21

Apple-Smoked Tofu stuffed with Collard Greens and Apples

Apple Cider, Maple Syrup and Calvados Glaze

Roasted Potato and Parsnips

Braised Leeks

Why yes, it is apple season ;)

Apple-Smoked Tofu stuffed with Collard Greens and Apples, coated with a Apple Cider, Maple Syrup and Calvados Glaze

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Tofu

1 block of extra-firm tofu
smoker box with apple wood chips

1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. tamari

Cut the tofu into six cutlets (not eight). Lay a piece of tofu flat on the cutting board, and carefully make a slit in one side, about 1/4" from the edges to make a pocket.

Add the apple wood chips to the smoker box and process the tofu for 25 minutes.

Remove the tofu from the smoker box and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large saute pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the tofu cutlets and saute until golden brown on both sides, 4-5 minutes per side. At the end of cooking, add the tamari to coat both sides of the tofu.

Remove from pan and let the tofu cool slightly while you make the stuffing and glaze.


Apple Cider, Maple Syrup and Calvados Glaze

1 cup Apple Cider
1 tbs. Maple Syrup
1 tbs. Calvados
black pepper

Combine the first three ingredients in a small saute pan on high heat, reduce to about a 1/4 cup, add fresh ground black pepper, keep warm until service.

Collard Greens and Apples

1 tbs. olive oil
1 batch of collard greens, washed, de-veined, cut in chiffonade
1 apple, peeled, diced 1/4"
1 tbs. tamari
pepper to taste

In a large saute pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the collard greens and immediately turn to coat with tongs. Reduce heat to medium-low and place a lid on the saute pan and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the diced apple, and stir to combine. Place the lid back on the saute pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid, add the tamari and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Leave the lid off and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool slightly.

Assembly

Stuff as much of the collard greens and apple mixture in the pocket of the tofu as you can. Place the tofu on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 350F.

Use any of the leftover collard greens and apple mixture as a base for the tofu.

Remove the tofu from the oven and place each piece in the warm glaze to coat both sides. Add the tofu to the plate (with the Roasted Potato & Parsnips and Braised Leeks) and pour any remaining glaze over the top.

Tags: collard greens, tofu, parsnips, potatoes, apple, maple syrup, leeks, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Elvis Fried Tofu, Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli

Dinner 10/11

Elvis Fried Tofu

Mushroom Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Broccoli

Here's a slightly update version of our previous recipe.

Elvis Fried Tofu
(makes 16 pieces)

1 block of firm tofu
smoker box with hickory chips (optional)
1 1/2 tbs. tamari

Cut the tofu into eight rectangular cutlets, then cut each cutlet diagonally into long triangles.

Smoke the tofu with hickory chips for 25 minutes.

Remove from the smoker box, place the tofu on a flat plate and add the tamari, turn to coat both sides, let marinate for 5 minutes.

3/4 cup of AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of (smoked) paprika (if you have it, if not regular will do)
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Oil (for frying)

Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a medium-sized brown paper bag and shake to mix.

Add half of the marinated tofu cutlets and shake until well coated. Remove from bag and knock off excess flour. Repeat with the second batch.

Using two cast-iron skillets add about 1/8" of oil over high heat (If you're using just one cast-iron skillet, divide the tofu into two batches and fry separately). When oil has come to temp, add the coated tofu pieces gently into the oil and fry until well browned on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Drain on a rack (or the brown paper bag).

The gravy uses shiitake mushrooms cooked down, then make a simple roux (1 tbs. soy margarine, 1 tbs. flour) and cook them together until the roux turns light brown. Then you whisk in 1 cup of veg stock, 1 tbs. tamari and fresh cracked black pepper.

The broccoli is tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 450F for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Savory Mini-Cheesecakes with Mixed Greens, Roasted Beets and Mushrooms

Dinner 10/03

Savory Mini-Cheesecakes with Mixed Greens, Roasted Beets and Mushrooms

We made the Savory Mini-Cheesecakes again -- a riff on a Jacques Pepin recipe from the "More Fast Food My Way" show, subbing soft tofu for the eggs, soy sour cream, Earth Balance, a pinch of nooch, microplaned Sheese smoked cheddar and added a tsp of baking powder to puff up the souffle.

They were served on a bed of mixed greens with roasted beets (tops trimmed, wrapped in foil with a splash of olive oil, baked for 45 minutes at 450F) and topped with sliced mushrooms (olive oil, pepper, tamari) deglazed with sherry.

Tags: mushrooms, beets, greens, sheese, tofu, salad, jacques pepin, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Spring Rolls, Ramen

Dinner 9/19

Spring Rolls

Ramen

The trickiest thing about the spring rolls isn't the ingredients (shredded napa cabbage, carrots, shiso leaves, bean threads, shallots, garlic, ginger, tamari), how to seal them (1:1 ratio of cornstarch to water, brush the edges & roll tightly) or even the deep-frying (375F for 2-3 minutes). It's where to find wrappers that don't have animal products in them.



We haven't yet found them in regular grocery stores -- all the wrappers have egg, milk or whey in the ingredient list. The only place we've found them is at our local Asian grocery store. Even then, you still have to (repeat the vegan mantra): read the ingredient list.



The ramen used shiitake mushroom broth as the base. To make that, save the woody stems when you trim shiitake mushrooms until you have about a cup, then pressure cook the stems with eight cups of water for 45 minutes (at 15psi). The result is wonderfully aromatic broth that adds an umami depth to the soup.

Tags: shiitake, ramen, soup, spring rolls, napa cabbage, carrots, bean threads, shiso, noodles, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pasta Genovese

Dinner 9/18

Pasta Genovese

A riff on a Jamie Oliver recipe, with blue & yellow potatoes, pasta and green beans coated with pesto. You start with a big pot of boiling water and 15 minutes on the clock -- drop the potatoes in, followed by the pasta with 10 minutes left, and finally the green beans with six minutes to go.



At the end, everything is drained, dumped back into the pot and tossed with your favorite pesto recipe. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. ;)

Tags: potatoes, pasta, green beans, basil, pesto, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Panade

Dinner 9/16

Panade

Panade is one of those tricky photographic subjects -- it always seems to be a question of framing it somehow so it doesn't look like a blob of bread pudding with Daiya oozing everywhere -- Not that it stops us from making the dish every so often ;)

Tags: panade, daiya, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tapenade, Braised Leeks, Lobster Mushrooms, Banana Peppers, Baguette

Dinner 9/11

Tapenade

Braised Leeks

Lobster Mushrooms

Banana Peppers

Baguette

A little bit of this, a little bit of that, all on a baguette...

The peppers have become our favorite appetizer this year, split in half, seeded, pan-fried in olive oil, splashed with lemon juice and sprinkled with salt at the end -- they all pair very well with a nice glass of sparkling cava from Spain.

Tags: tapenade, leeks, lobster mushrooms, banana peppers, baguette, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Cherry Tomato, Basil and Asparagus Fettuccine

Dinner 9/10

Cherry Tomato, Basil and Asparagus Fettuccine

Otherwise known as: Farmers Market in a bowl with a white wine, Earth Balance & nutritional yeast sauce.

Tags: asparagus, basil, cherry tomatoes, pasta, fettuccine, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan, Lentil and Grilled Asparagus Crepes, Kabocha Squash

Dinner 9/08

Seitan, Lentil and Grilled Asparagus Crepes

Kabocha Squash

This is another house-favorite meal -- crepes filled with cubed seitan, pressure cooked lentils, onions, carrot, garlic, herbes de provence and grilled asparagus. The stew was then loaded into the crepes from "Vegan with a Vengeance" (which uses basan/chickpea flour).

The squash was peeled, cubed and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and roasted at 450F for roughly 15 minutes -- tossing about halfway through cooking. The final time depends on how big you cubed the squash -- these were roughly 3/4".

Tags: kabocha, squash, asparagus, seitan, lentils, crepes, pressure cooker, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Eggplant Parmesan

Dinner 9/07

Eggplant Parmesan

It's good to check in with the original recipe every once in a while. ;)

Eggplant Parmesan

1 globe eggplant, peeled

pan 1:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
salt & pepper

pan 2

1 tbs. cornstarch
2 tbs. water

pan 3

1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 tbs. nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

Canola (or peanut) oil for frying

Using a thermometer, heat about 2" of oil in a large pan, pot or wok to 375F. This helps keep the oil temperature from fluctuating too much.

Trim the top and bottoms of the eggplant, peel the flesh off and slice into roughly 3/8" thick rounds.*

Prepare the three (pie) pans for dredging the eggplant. In the first pan, add the salt & pepper to the flour and mix together well. In the second pan whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. In the third pan add the nutritional yeast and salt & pepper to the bread crumbs and mix to combine.

For assembly, take a piece of eggplant and roll it around in the seasoned flour, making sure to coat the sides as well. Next, dip the eggplant in the cornstarch slurry, again making sure to coat the entire piece. Finally, add it to the seasoned breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the eggplant is coated.

Fry the eggplant in small batches, making sure you don't crowd the pan too much -- this can make the oil drop in temp, which will take longer to cook and will make the eggplant absorb too much oil and come out soggy.

Drain the eggplant on a wire rack or paper towels, or both. Top with (Daiya) soy cheese and serve over pasta with your favorite tomato sauce.

* I know, but 1/4" is too thin and 1/2" is too thick ;)

Lobster Mushroom Bisque, Grilled Wild Asparagus and Yellow Squash with Cherry Tomatoes

Dinner 8/29

Lobster Mushroom Bisque

Grilled Wild Asparagus and Yellow Squash with Cherry Tomatoes

We utilized our Farmers' Market veggies tonight -- by grilling the wild asparagus and cherry tomatoes, augmented with a yellow squash from our garden. We were surprised to find the lovely Lobster Mushrooms at our local grocery store -- unmarked and sort of hidden in the corner - so we bought them all at a very good price.



The soup is a riff on a traditional New Orleans bisque -- starting with a darker roux (earth balance/ap flour) base. It utilizes the lobster mushrooms by adding and pureeing about half of the cooked mushrooms into the base with cream (about a 1:1 ratio of soy milk/soft tofu). The rest of the mushrooms were used as garnish.

The results were outstanding: a hearty soup with a smooth, velvety texture, and a real depth of mushroom (umami) flavor.

Tags: lobster mushrooms, bisque, wild asparagus, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, soup, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

BBQ Tofu Pizza

Dinner 8/25

All good things come to end, and today was the end of our daughter's summer vacation. To ease the sting, we combined two of her favorite meals: BBQ tofu and pizza topped with Daiya Cheddar.

BBQ Sauce (version 2)

1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. ketchup
2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup fire-roasted whole tomatoes
1/2 cup bourbon
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent.

Add salt, pepper, smoked paprika, mustard, ketchup and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes (we like to crush them with a potato masher) and the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes until starting to thicken.

Remove from heat and add to the vita-mix (or blender) and puree until smooth. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator.

Tags: bbq, barbecue, recipe, tofu, pizza, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Tofu, Wilted Arugula, Panzanella

Dinner 8/21

Grilled Tofu

Wilted Arugula

Panzanella

It's been a very busy summer -- and another busy weekend -- so, a quick meal tonight.

The arugula (olive oil, garlic, pepper, tamari) acted as the base for the grilled tofu. We used our standard marinade for the tofu, turning every 3-4 minutes to get the nice grill marks.

The crutons were toasted in the cast-iron pan (earth balance, nutritional yeast, pepper) and were tossed with the cherry tomatoes (which couldn't have been much sweeter if they had tried) and a red wine vinaigrette.

Tags: tofu, arugula, cherry tomatoes, panzanella, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tomatillo Enchiladas with Alder-Smoked Tofu, Corn Soup with Nopales and Pepitos

Dinner 8/11

Tomatillo Enchiladas with Alder-Smoked Tofu

Corn Soup with Nopales and Pepitos

A long-time favorite here at wthdavea...



The corn tortillas were pan-fried in oil for 10 seconds per side and then dipped in the tomatillo sauce (roasted tomatillos, roasted jalapenos, roasted garlic, soy milk, Mexican oregano, cilantro, garlic salt & pepper, all pureed together)

They were then stuffed with the alder-smoked tofu (pan-fried, splashed with tamari, cut into strips), a little more Daiya, and diced red onions.

The enchiladas were put into a baking dish (single layered) and topped with the remaining tomatillo sauce and Daiya. It was baked in a 400F oven for 20 minutes.



The enchiladas were served along with a corn & potato soup (corn, potatoes, mushroom broth, soy cream, Mexican oregano, salt & pepper), topped with nopales (grilled cactus) and pepitos (roasted pumpkin seeds).

Tags: tomatillo, daiya, nopales, pepitos, tofu, corn, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Alder-Smoked Potato and Chanterelle Pizza topped with Himalayan Salt

Dinner 8/06

Alder-Smoked Potato and Chanterelle Pizza topped with Himalayan Salt

We've been making a lot of pizzas this summer -- at least once a week, sometimes twice a week. We keep tweaking the dough recipe, rise time, and time spent in the refrigerator. At a certain point you start to play with the toppings, like this version...

Start by cutting the yukon gold potatoes thinly on the benriner, and tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then lay them in the smoker box (add some aluminum foil to the rack to keep them from slipping through) and process for 30-35 minutes. They should be cooked through -- but try not to eat them all before they go on the pizza.

The (local) chanterelles were trimmed and scrubbed with a soft toothbrush to remove any hidden grit -- there is nothing more disappointing than biting into a gritty piece of mushroom -- and were pan-fried with olive oil, Earth Balance, black pepper and a splash of tamari at the end of cooking to add even more umami.

Add the potatoes -- overlapping each other slightly -- on top of the dough and add the cooked chanterelles and some minced rosemary.




Then sprinkle your favorite soy cheese on top (this was Daiya Mozzarella) and bake on the pizza stone, 500F for 7 minutes, turn 180°, +3 more minutes.




To gild the lily, we grated some Himalayan Salt on top.

Tags: pizza, smoker box, potatoes, chanterelles, daiya, rosemary, himalayan salt, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Squash Blossoms, Teddy Salad

Dinner 8/05

Squash Blossoms

Teddy Salad*

Ah, summer... walk down to the garden, grab a couple of ripe things and you've got dinner.

As usual, we stuffed them with a mixture of shallots, soy cream cheese and smoked paprika and dipped them in our Fritto Misto batter.

* Salad as in...? Lettuces, cucumber, radishes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tags: squash blossoms, smoked paprika, shallots, mr. neutron, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

"Oh, Columbus, I Never Should Have Let You Go..."

Dinner 8/04

It's vacation week, so we made the 2 hour trip down I-71 to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Columbus.

After the drive, we started with lunch at Udipi Cafe -- we've gone to the one in Parma Hts., and this was also an excellent South Indian buffet -- the kids really liked the dosas.

A trip to Columbus also means we have to make the pilgrimage to Pattycake Bakery for a post-thunderstorm* snack (sadly, no pictures of the whoopie pies & gigantic chocolate brownie), a trip to North Market for some produce to take home and we finished the day with dinner at Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine.

Thanks to my sister for taking pictures with her iPhone.

We started with the pizza and its delicious mix of tomato and roasted red bell pepper sauce, topped with cherry tomatoes & olives -- nice crust too...



Next up is the Crusted Portobello Mushroom & Ratatouille stack with Mashed Potatoes.



Finally, the Lemony Risotto with Grilled Tofu.

Thanks also to the staff & chef for the gazpacho amuse and chocolate-coated strawberries.


* Dear people of Columbus: When the power is out all over High St., please treat the lack of working signals at intersections as four-way stops. Thank you.

Tags: dragonfly neo-v, pattycake bakery, udipi cafe, portobello, risotto, ratatouille, gazpacho, strawberries, pizza, columbus, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

A tale of two cakes

Dessert 8/03

You might remember the Chocolate Raspberry Torte from last year...

Well, here it is with a twist as a Buttercream Raspberry Torte



Why yes, Liz is all kinds of awesome!

Tags: the cake is not a lie, vegan, food, dessert, tofu666

Tofu and Tomato Stew, Samosas, Chickpea and Kabocha Squash with Coconut Milk, Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/02

Tofu and Tomato Stew
(recipe below)

Samosas

Chickpea and Kabocha Squash with Coconut Milk

Basmati Rice

Tofu and Tomato Stew

1 tbs. canola oil
1 lb. of extra firm tofu
1 tbs. tamari

1 tbs. canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. ginger, grated
10 curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick
1 black (or green) cardamom
6 cloves

1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried chili

2 cups of tomatoes, diced (or 2 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed)
salt and pepper to taste

Dice the tofu into small cubes. In a wok on medium-high heat, add 1 tbs. canola oil and stir-fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. At the end of cooking, splash with 1 tbs. of tamari. Turn until well coated and then remove the tofu to a plate and reserve.

In a large saute pan on medium heat, add the canola oil and cook the sliced onions until they start to show some color, then add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves and cook for a minute.

Using a mortar & pestle, grind the black (or green) cardamom seeds and cloves together. Add the whole cinnamon stick and the freshly ground spices to the onions and cook for one more minute.

Add the cumin, coriander, ground chile and stir to combine, cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat to down and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have broken down. At the end of cooking add the stir-fried tofu back into the stew and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and serve with basmati rice.


The chickpea/kabocha squash dish was a pleasant surprise for a totally freestyle preparation. Diced kabocha squash was pan-fried and then braised with chickpeas, turmeric, tamari and black pepper in coconut milk and reduced down for 20 minutes.

Liz made the samosas (stuffed with potato and peas) and the center of the plate was rounded out with basmati rice to soak it all up.

Tags: chickpeas, kabocha squash, coconut milk, potatoes, peas, samosas, basmati rice, tofu, tomato, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

VegNews Top Ten Veg-Related Blogs

Thanks to VegNews Magazine & Laura Hooper Beck -- it's always nice to be recognized along with these other great blogs...

Crazy Sexy Life
Manifest Vegan
Post Punk Kitchen Blog
The Voracious Vegan
Vegan.com
Vegan Baking
Vegan Dad
Vegans of Color
Yeah, That Vegan Shit

it's in their 10th Anniversary issue (Aug/Sept), on page 130...

Spring Rolls with Coconut Curry Dipping Sauce, Ye Olde Stir-fry, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 7/21

Spring Rolls with Coconut Curry Dipping Sauce

Ye Olde Stir-fry

Jasmine Rice

We have an excess of rice paper wrappers hiding in the top of the pantry, so we decided to make spring rolls with them. They were stuffed with the usual suspects (carrot, bean threads, red bell pepper, napa cabbage) and a little diced jalapeno to give it a kick.

Because the rice paper is so delicate after soaking and can tear easily, we chilled them in the fridge for 30 minutes after stuffing them. This firms them back up and makes them easier to handle.

Normally at this point, if you were making the regular sporing rolls with the firmer wrapper, you would deep-fry them. Let's just say from past experience that isn't the best idea and leave it at that. ;)

We cooked them (seam side down to start) in a hot wok with a thin layer of canola oil until crispy on all sides. Be careful turning them over, as they can still rip pretty easily. To plate, the rolls were sliced on the bias and topped with thai basil.

The sauce was half a can of coconut milk, as much red curry paste as you like, a splash of lime and tamari. I realize that's not an exact recipe, but it's the kind of thing you don't measure, you keep tasting until you like it...

Tags: coconut milk, thai basil, jasmine rice, napa cabbage, carrot, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, rice paper, tofu, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Seitan with Morel Mushrooms, Green Beans, Braised Carrots, Fig and Blue Sheese Crostini, Pound Cake with Blueberries, Cherry Ice Cream

Dinner 7/10

Grilled Seitan with Morel Mushrooms

Green Beans

Braised Carrots

Fig & Blue Sheese Crostini

Dessert

Pound Cake with Blueberries

Cherry Ice Cream

Last week's seitan adventure was a trial run for tonight's meal, as we hosted our friends Laura and John for a seitan making workshop. We again made cutlets (which we grilled) and well as a batch of smoked chorizo-style sausages (not shown, but they look exactly like these).

We used our usual seitan making technique -- pounding out the cutlets with a meat mallet until very thin, then boil them in water for 15 minutes, then pressure cook in broth for 15 minutes. They were brushed with olive oil and tamari and grilled about 3-4 minutes per turn for nice grill marks.

(...and yes, we're still working on the seitan video we shot last week. It might take a bit longer than I was expecting.)



It was easily the nicest weather day we've had in weeks -- very low humidity and a pleasant breeze. We started out the evening with a quick appetizer of grilled fig and blue sheese crostini drizzled with some rice syrup while sitting out on the deck with a glass of champagne.



We finished the meal with a pound cake topped with Soyatoo whipped cream and blueberries and homemade cherry ice cream (that Liz whipped up while we waiting for the seitan to finish) on the side.

Tags: fig, seitan, morel mushrooms, green beans, carrots, cherries, blueberries, ice cream, cake, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Lettuce and Tofu Soup with Gyoza, Kabocha and Adzuki Beans

Dinner 7/07

Lettuce and Tofu Soup

Gyoza
(stuffed with shiitake mushrooms, shallots & napa cabbage)

Kabocha and Adzuki Beans

Occasionally, we like looking through the stacks in our library for something different to make. The recipe for Lettuce and Tofu Soup caught my eye, at first because it almost seemed like a cliche of the type of dish that omnivore's think vegans eat. Then, when I read the whole thing, it seemed like damn good idea for dinner. ;)

The soup is very much like a stir-fry (tofu, carrots, scallions) with a fortified broth (shiitake mushroom broth, sherry, sugar, tamari) with the addition of shredded romaine lettuce added near the end of cooking, which retains a decent amount of textural crunch.



We added our own touch to the soup with the addition of (seared and steamed) gyoza/pot stickers filled with shiitake mushrooms, shallots and shredded napa cabbage.



Filling out the meal was the Kabocha Squash and Adzuki Bean recipe from Alica Silverstone -- a nice hearty pairing with the soup and gyoza.

Tags: kabocha, adzuki, azuki, gyoza, tofu, romaine, lettuce, soup, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

BBQ Seitan Sandwich, Coleslaw, Grilled Corn, Potato Salad

Dinner 7/04

BBQ Seitan Sandwich

Coleslaw

Grilled Corn

Potato Salad

We had some leftover seitan from yesterday's batch, so we shredded and sauteed it, then whipped up some of our bourbon-based barbecue sauce. Served along with grilled corn, potato salad and coleslaw. So good.

Everybody has there way of grilling corn -- we like to submerge ours in water for at least 15 minutes, and then put it on the hot grill and turn them once the husks begin to blacken. It takes about four turns to ensure even cooking.

Tags: seitan, bbq, barbecue, bourbon, corn, grilling, potato, cabbage, coleslaw, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Grilled Seitan with Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce, Beet & Radish Greens, Green Beans, Mixed Greens Salad with Edible Flowers

Dinner 7/03

Grilled Seitan with Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce

Beet & Radish Greens

Green Beans

Mixed Greens Salad with Edible Flowers

We realized the other day that we hadn't made our own seitan in almost two years. So, we decided to make a couple of batches for the holiday weekend using our method as before.

(We also taped the seitan making process, and if the footage is usable, we'll post the video. It may take a while...)

Here's the results of the first batch, marinated with a tamari and olive oil mixture and then grilled served with the sauteed beet and radish greens as the base, topped with shiitake mushrooms and a red wine sauce, with green beans on the side.



For starters Liz made a delightful mixed greens salad with edible flowers, pretty AND tasty ;)

Tags: seitan, green beans, salad, beet, radish, edible flowers, pressure cooker, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Ravioli, Panzanella

Dinner 6/21

Ravioli

Panzanella

We utilized our stash of wonton wrappers much like last month's version, only using a single round wrapper. They were filled with a tofu ricotta (tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, parsley) and wilted arugula. They only take a few minutes to cook in the water and are then added to a pan with melted earth balance to coat. Then, they were inhaled. ;)



The panzanella was a way to use the lovely bread left over from Liz's bread run the other day. Toasted bread cubes, cherry tomatoes, basil and a simple red wine vinaigrette tossed together just before eating was a nice crunchy salad counterpart to the silky ravioli.

Tags: ravioli, tofu, wonton, bread, cherry tomatoes, salad, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Sweet and Sour Seitan, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 6/18

Sweet and Sour Seitan
(recipe below)

Jasmine Rice

Sweet and Sour Seitan

Sauce

1/3 cup of pineapple juice
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
2 tbs. tamari
1 tbs. ketchup
2 tbs. agave
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of water

Whisk together and set aside.

Seitan

Smoker box with sherry wood chips (optional)

8 oz. seitan, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tbs. sherry
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 tbs. cornstarch (divided use)

Smoke the seitan cubes with cherry wood chips for 25 minutes (optional).

Put the seitan into a large mixing bowl and add the sherry and black pepper. Give it a few minutes to marinate, then toss with 2 tbs. of cornstarch until well coated. Give the seitan another 10 minutes or so, and toss again with the remaining 1 tbs. of cornstarch.

Deep-fry in canola oil at 375F until crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Vegetables

a medium pineapple, cut into 1/2" dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut on the bias
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice
1/4 cup of baby corn
1/4 cup of bamboo shoots
1 cup of snap peas (or snow peas), trimmed

In a wok, over high-heat, add 1 tbs. of canola oil and stir-fry the vegetables until cooked through.

Add the reserved seitan and the sweet and sour sauce into the wok and bring to a boil.

Cornstarch Slurry

1 tbs. of cornstarch
2 tbs. water

In a small container, whisk together the cornstarch and water and pour the slurry into the wok and stir until sauce begins to thicken.

Check for seasoning and serve on top of steamed jasmine rice.

Tags: seitan, pineapple, carrot, red bell pepper, rice, sweet and sour, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666