Tag: dinner

Taste of the South: Collard Greens, Black-eyed Peas, and Fried Tofu.

One of my favorite vendors at the Hilo Farmers Market had a special on greens—kale, Swiss chard and collard greens. I got a bunch of each for only $5 total. Like I said before,  your local farmers market will always have the best deals. I haven’t had collard greens before so I thought I’d make  a whole Southern dinner to have the full experience: collard greens, black-eyed peas, and fried tofu.

Love the deep green color.

Collard greens are amazing. Although kind of bitter raw, they are buttery and rich when cooked. They are also loaded with vitamin C, fiber and can even fight cancer. And it smelled sooooooo good while it was cooking. I looked up a bunch of recipes and decided to stay pretty traditional, just minus the bacon. I based this recipe on the Kickin’ Collard Greens from Allrecipes.com (although Paula Dean’s recipe looked really good too).

However, I am no stranger to black-eyed peas. They are buttery like collard greens but saltier, which is why they are perfect for a salt queen like me. I’ve tried several recipes before, but I came up with my own recently. It’s still fairly traditional, just minus the bacon and add some Tabasco.

Now, do not freak out at the sound of fried tofu. It is amazing. For those people who say they don’t like tofu, I question how they had it prepared. Is plain, unseasoned, undercooked chicken good? No. So why would plain, unseasoned, uncooked tofu be? Tofu will take on the flavor of whatever you cook or marinade it in, so don’t be afraid to experiment and slather it in anything. There are also several preparation techniques that can alter the texture to be more meat-like too.  For fried chicken, I recommend freezing it, which I explain later in this post. There are many fried tofu recipes on VegWeb, but I had trouble with most of them. I came up with this recipe after many trial and errors. The tofu needs to freeze overnight. The other two dishes come together quickly, but you need to plan ahead for the tofu.

My kitchen smelled so good!

Collard Greens
1 large bunch collard greens (sorry I don’t have a precise measurement)
1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 large white onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop into smaller pieces so it cooks faster and is easier to eat.

Wash and dry the collard greens. Chop off the ends, the stem is edible so only take off the browned parts.  Chop the greens into 2 inch pieces.

Chop the onion and garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Don’t burn the garlic, it gets bitter and nasty.

Add the onions to the pot, cook until tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about another 2 minute. Be careful not the burn the garlic, it will ruin the flavor.

Add the collard greens and mix together well. Cooked for another few minutes, just until the leafs start to wilt.

Pour in the vegetable broth then season with the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Try not to open the lid unless absolutely necessary.



Spicy Black-Eyed Peas
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup white onion
1/2 tbs chili powder
1/2 cup water
5-10 shake of Tabasco sauce, depending on taste

Put everything into a small pot, mix together well, and cook over medium-low heat until majority of the liquid is gone, about 10 minutes. So easy!

 

Fried Tofu
1 block extra firm tofu
Marinade:
1tbs soy sauce
1tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Batter:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp Ener-G Egg replacer
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
2 shakes Tabasco sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of salt and pepper
Olive oil

Drain the tofu.

This part may sound crazy, but it is very necessary. Place several sheets of paper towels on a flat, clean surface. Put the tofu on the paper towels, then place some more paper towels on top. Now get something heavy (I use my science textbooks, my mom uses stone bookends) and place it on top. This will squeeze out all the liquid so it will get a denser texture when cooked. Leave this for at least an hour, but the longer the better.

Next, place the tofu in a freezable container and freeze over night.

It will have a slightly leathery appearance.

The next morning, place it on the counter to thaw.

Once fairly thawed, combine all the marinade ingredients and marinade the tofu for at least 2 hours. I know it’s weird to put more liquid in when you just spent all that time getting it out, but now you are putting in flavor.

Marinated and dried again.

Pour off the excess liquid and pat the tofu dry.

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch strips. You can cut it lengthwise so it’s more steak-like, but I find it doesn’t fry as evenly.

Batter tastes pretty good on its own too.

Now, in a small bowl mix together all the ingredients for the batter, except the 1/4 cup flour and second pinches of salt and pepper.  It should make a fairly thick mixture.

In another small bowl, mix together the remaining flour,  and salt and pepper.

1 tbs of olive oil, only 120 calories and gets the job done just fine.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Get the pan good and hot. The pan is ready when a sprinkle of water sizzles and bounces straight off. You really don’t need tons on oil if you have the pan heated properly and are patient.

Now it’s finally time to bread and cook the tofu. It’s best to set-up an assembly line: dry flour bowl, batter bowl, then the your heated skillet.

First, lightly coat the tofu strip on both sides in the flour.

Next dip the the strip in the batter, making sure it is coated in a thick layer on both sides.

Then drop it straight into the hot pan.

Repeat with the remaining strips.

Cook on each side till golden, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

Plate up your fried tofu with generous scoops of the collard greens and black-eyed peas. It went lovely with a glass of ice cold lemonade.

The tofu is crunchy on the outside and has the perfect “meaty” texture” on the inside. Some mushroom gravy would be good with the tofu….too bad I didn’t think of that beforehand. However, just like chicken, it also goes wonderfully with ketchup (and a bit more Tabasco).

Tastes like chicken, but even better!

The black-eyed peas are a bit spicy and the buttery collard greens are heavenly. This meal is not only a good balance of flavors, but so good for you too. I am normally not a big leftover fan, but I am more than happy to have this again tomorrow.

Mexi Pizza

Sorry I haven’t posted recently. Finals week and moving to a new place kind of sucked up all my time. But now I am finished with the semester and all settled into my apartment (that’s right, no more dorms!). I went to Walmart to buy some stuff for my place and saw 12 inch pizza pan on for $3.99! No more square pizza made in a sheet pan for me.

I must have Cinco de Mayo on my mind still because I’ve been thinking about a Mexican pizza all week. A vegan Mexican pizza is similar to any other Mexican pizza—salsa for the sauce, cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, and anything you would put in a taco for the toppings.

Since I liked the Daiya cheese so much in my Mac and Cheese, I thought I’d give it a try on my pizza. I was once again surprised that it actually melted— well kind of melted. When you first take it out of the oven, it doesn’t look that different. But once you cut it and bite into it, it melts and gets gooey. I used some of my Pizza Dough I made and froze a few weeks ago and bought my veggies pre-cut from the salad bar at the grocery store.

Mexi Pizza
1 Pre-baked pizza crust (try mine)
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (try Daiya)
Handful of sweet corn, off the cob
Handful of onions, sliced
Handful of olives, sliced
Handful of bell peppers, sliced
Handful of mushrooms, sliced

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Spread the salsa evenly over the pre-baked pizza crust. I used a chunky salsa, but a smoother one is fine too.

Next sprinkle on the vegan cheese.

Top with the veggies. Try to keep them in a thin layer so they cook evenly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the veggies are cooked and the cheese is slightly melted. It won’t get bubbly so don’t leave it in for too long, it will just burn.

The salsa gives it a little spice, while the corn and belly peppers are a little sweet. And gooey cheese is always awesome.  It went lovely with a glass of wine and a pepperoncini.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo: Tostadas and Margaritas!

 

On May 5, 1862 the Mexican Army had a surprise victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla during their occupation after the Mexican-American War. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day like most Americans think. The holiday has minor significance in Mexico, mainly celebrated in the state of Puebla. It was first celebrated in the United States by Mexican immigrants in southern California as a way to celebrate their heritage.

The holiday is mostly celebrated by Americans because it’s an excuse to party during the week. I can hear the phrase “Cinco de Drinko” echoing all over college campuses now. The victory actually had great significance for America as well. France had been giving supplies to the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War. The loss stopped France from continuing aide to the South, who already was being crippled by lack of goods and supplies.  So, might as well toast to Mexico for helping end slavery if you going to get totally wasted on Thursday.

Sadly, this college kid has very tough finals all next week and will be shutting herself up in the library studying for the week, so I will not be partaking in the festivities tomorrow. But today was the last day of class, so I thought I’d throw my self a little fiesta to celebrate surviving my first year in Hawaii.

As a West Coast girl, I grew up eating killer Mexican Food. I loved going to my Mexican friends’ houses, nothing like a homemade tortilla. And there is no shortage of awesome Mexican restaurants. Two of my favorites in the Portland area are Maztalan and Lupe’s Escape. And if you are in Eugene, you have to try Daniel’s or The Mission, spent some good May 5th’s in those places as an undergrad at University of Oregon. As for Hilo, there is only one Mexican place, Ruben’s. It’s good, but nothing special to be honest.

Mexican is my second favorite cuisine after Thai, so I had a hard time deciding what dish I wanted to make. After probably more thought than necessary, I decided on tostadas because I had not had one in awhile. This also works out well because they are gluten free and May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. But, I knew there would be margaritas. I love tequila, and there is nothing like a sweet and tangy margarita to refresh you after a long day. I will forever think of my friend Joely every time I have one. During my senior year at U of O, she and I would often go share a pitcher (or two) at The Mission and gossip for hours. I miss you terribly girl, please come visit me soon!

This recipe should feed 4 people, 2 tostadas each.

Pinto Bean Tostadas
2 cans pinto beans, drained
4 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 tbs chili powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1/2 medium white onion
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Anaheim pepper
8 Corn tortillas
Salsa
Vegan sour cream

Margaritas
Sweet and Sour Mix
Gold Tequila
Salt
Fresh lime
Ice

The smoked paprika makes all the difference.

Drain and rinse the pinto beans. I picked pinto because it is very common in Mexican cooking and I like the mild flavor. Mince the garlic cloves, and add along with the pinto beans to a sauce pan. Add the water, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt. I really suggest you used smoked paprika, it can be found in most stores and really gives the beans a great flavor.

Similar to refried, but way less fat and sodium.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Coook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

All organic, of course.

While the beans cook, cut the bell peppers and onions into thin strips. I picked red and green for the colors of the Mexican flag.

 

Love the smell of cooked bell peppers.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the veggies to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are slightly golden and the peppers start to blacken a bit.

 

All organic corn tortilla.

Remove the peppers from the skillet and cover to keep warm. Spray the skillet again with cooking spray and keep it on medium heat. Depending on the size of the skillet, put 1 to 2 tortillas in at a time and heat until they crisp up and start to blacken slightly. Watch carefully, they tend to burn quickly.

 

I leave a few seeds because I like it hot.

Lastly, chop up the Anaheim peppers. You can use any hot pepper you like. I strongly suggest doing this last so you don’t contaminate everything and make your food insanely hot. Cut the pepper down the middle. If you want less heat, clean out the membrane and seeds with a spoon. Chop into small pieces. WASH YOUR HANDS afterward, the juice will soak into your fingers and can get into your eyes.

 

Green, white, and red like the Mexican flag.

Now time to assemble. Plate one crisped tortilla and evenly spread about 1 to 2 tbs of beans on top. Next put on about 1/4 cup of veggies.

Tofutti sour cream is so good.

Then top with as much fresh salsa and sour cream as you like. Then sprinkle on some of the Anaheim peppers and squirt some lime juice for kick. A little cilantro is wonderful too.

 

Both on sale, score.

Now, for the margaritas.  I like mine on the rocks instead of blended. I am not the best bartender so I used sweet and sour mix. I don’t like triple sec  and I don’t notice a different without it, so I don’t use it.

 

The salt is red because it’s Hawaiian sea salt, tainted from algae

I used a regular drinking glass since I used my margarita glasses for my Chocolate Chili Mousse yesterday. Wet the rim of your glass with lime juice. Pour some salt on a plate and roll the rim in the salt.

 

Here’s to the end of my first year as a geology undergrad!

Add a handful of ice cubes to the glass. The best ratio is 3 parts mix to 1 part tequila. Pour the liquids over the ice and stir gently. Squirt in a little lime juice and garnish with a wedge.

Yeah for Mexico’s victory over France that prevented aide to the Confederacy! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

I am one happy gringa.

Potato Pierogi

Although I am trying to counter-act my terrible family health history, that doesn’t mean I am still not proud of my heritage. I am 3/4 Polish, third generation born in America on both sides of my family. Although my great-grandparents passed away before I was born, I grew up hearing stories about their lives back in Poland and their journeys to America. My mom told me I would have loved my great-grandmother, she was a very sweet and funny woman. I think about her and my own wonderful grandma every time I make something Polish.

Pierogi are pretty much Polish dumplings. They are a basic flour dough filled with either farmers cheese, potatoes, beef or cabbage. They are usually boiled then lightly fried. They are traditionally topped with a little butter, and sour cream. I’ve seen them topped with all sorts of things. My mom saw them topped with tomato sauce once and said her grandmother would have cringed at such a horror, so I stay traditional to honor my Polish blood. I remember the first time I had them, it was pure heaven. My mom made some for my grandparents when the came to visit when I was about 8 or so. She served them with kapusta (similar to sauerkraut), and we were very happy Poles after that dinner.

I researched some vegan recipes, but most of them called for a lot of oil in place of the eggs, which isn’t really good for a family riddled with heart attacks. So I decided I would use Egg Replacer by Ener-G instead. It is made from starch and is wonderful for baking. I based this on a recipe I found on About.com, but veganized it and cut it in half.

You can make a fine pierogi dough without the sour cream, but I like it better. It makes it richer than other simple dumpling doughs. Try Tofutti brand, it’s not as moist as dairy sour cream but tastes just as good (plus has no cholesterol!)

Potato Pierogi
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tps salt
1 and 1/2 tps Egg Replacer
4 tbs water, divided
1/4 vegan sour cream
1 tbs vegan butter
1/8 tps salt
1 large potato, peeled, washed, and quartered
1/2 large white onion
1 tbs soy milk
4 tbs nutritional yeast

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Egg Replacer with two tablespoon of water. Add to the dry ingredients and mix.

Next add the sour cream, butter, and remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Mix until it forms a soft but not sticky dough. I all the sudden had this flashback of my grandmother scolding me for overworking the dough, so be gentle.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least a half an hour.

Everything would have been organic in Poland back then.

In the meantime, peel, wash and quarter your potato. Place in a pot of water and bring to boil on the stove. Cook until the potatoes are soft enough that a fork can easily pierce through.

Organic onion from the Farmers Market.

While those are boiling, fine chop the onion and place it in a skillet with some cooking spray over medium-low heat. Normally they are sauteed in butter, but those are just extra calories that in my opinion do not add much to the flavor in the end. Cook until just translucent.

The filling should cohere but not be overly moist.

Once the potatoes are done, drain and add them back to the pot. Add the onions, soy milk, and nutritional yeast and mash well. “No one likes lumpy pierogi,” my mom told me. You can add some salt and pepper if you like too. Either my mom or grandma, can’t remember which, told me it is a lot easier to work with cooled filling. I let mine cool for about 15 minutes before I filling my dough.

I used a ramekin as a cutter.

Roll out the chilled dough on a well-flour surface to about 1/8 of an inch thickness. My family is from the Polish countryside, and my grandma told me they make them big in country. So I find the biggest cup or small bowl I have and use it as a cutter.

Overstuffed pierogi will break open while boiling.

Fill each circle with about 1 tablespoon of the cooled potato filling. Don’t over-stuff them or they will break open while cooking.

Make sure to do both sides.

Fold the circle in half to make a semi-circle. Go around the edges with a fork to seal properly. Flip over and repeat on the other side. You can use a little water too if you have a hard time getting them to close all the way.

Careful not to smash them when removing.

Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the pierogi. Just like ravioli, they will float to the top when ready.

I like mine just barely golden.

Remove from the pot, but don’t use a strainer, they will just break apart. Scoop them out with a spoon or ladle. Next saute in a pan with some butter until slightly golden brown.

Top with some vegan sour cream and a little salt and pepper. I served mine with some steamed carrots. I am one very happy and proud vegan Polish girl 🙂

I just sent a picture to my mom, she said her grandma would be very proud. And, she said as good as hers all stuffed cheese and slathered in butter were, great-grandma never wore a bikini like I do! Made me laugh.

Here Comes Summer: Brats, Fries and Coleslaw

The semester is almost over, which means soon it will be summer. I am staying for summer classes so I will miss the lovely summer back home in Oregon.  So I decided to bring a little of an Oregon summer to me with a Tofurkey brat, sweet potato fries and an light coleslaw.

Tofurkey is made by the Hood River, Oregon-based company Turtle Island Foods Inc, —and one of the best vegan brands out there. Not only is their name-sake product, Tofurkey amazing (even my carnivorous dad and brother look forward to some every Thanksgiving), they also make delicious brats and sausages too. Their Beer Brats are my favorite. They make me think of home because they are made with Full Sail Ale (another fine Oregon product). The texture and taste are perfect, and they are even juicy and sizzle on the grill. I put mine in a whole wheat bun, and topped it with ketchup and mustard. Doesn’t get much more summer-y than a big juicy brat. And you will live to enjoy more summers since this brat has zero cholesterol.

Sweet potatoes are not only sweet, but super as well. They are a superfood, which means they have a lot of vital vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. I love them in curries and stews, but they make great fries. I have always liked them better than regular fries, especially when seasoned with herbs. They are easy to make, but I had a few Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries in the freezer that needed to be eaten.

I had some cabbage and apple that needed to be eaten as well, so I made a simple light coleslaw. I hated coleslaw as a kid because they were the traditional “more-mayo-than-anything-else” style. I like mayonnaise, just in moderation. Veganaise is hands down the best mayonnaise ever, vegan or otherwise. Please try it, it’s soooooo creamy. I sadly don’t have any Veganaise so I used Annie’s Goddess Dressing. I also suggest adding raisins, nuts, and carrots to the coleslaw for some sweetness and crunch.

Not only is this meal delicious and healthy, it is also easy. The only hard part is waiting for the coleslaw to chill. This is proof that healthy food can be fast food.

Here Comes Summer Dinner:
Light Coleslaw:
2 cups cabbage, shredded (any kind is fine, I used Chinese)
1 large red apple, chopped (I used golden delicious)
1/2 to 1 cup, depending on taste, Annie’s Goddess Dressing
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/2 tbs mirin
salt and pepper to taste

Brats and Fries:
Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
Garlic salt
Tofurkey Beer Brats
Whole wheat hoagie rolls (the brats are too big for a simple hot dog bun)
Plenty of ketchup, mustard or other condiments

Sweet, crispy, and a little tangy.

To make the coleslaw, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the cabbage is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. I made mine the night before. Makes about 4 servings.

 Actual serving size. Don’t let your eyes fool you, it was plenty.

Cook your fries according to the directions on the package. Or, you can always make your own. To cut down on fat, use cooking spray instead of oil to grease your cooking tray. Sprinkle with garlic salt for a nice contrasting flavor to the sweetness.

I fed one of these to an ex once and he had no idea it was tofu.

I microwaved my brat for one minute, but they do come out better on the grill. See the package for proper cooking instructions.

Pop the brat into the bun and top with as much ketchup, mustard or any other condiments you like.

Plate up your brat, a serving of fries, and generous scoop of slaw and enjoy a little taste of summer (and Oregon!)

Glass of Reed’s Cherry Ginger Brew and Animal House
to re-live my UO days, can’t believe it’s almost been a
year since I graduated!

After I left the store, I realized this would have been a perfect Oregon summer dinner if I made a marion berry pie for dessert, but I didn’t feel like going back to the store. I will make it for another post soon.

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

I wanted something different for my Friday night pizza this week, and thought sauce-less might be nice. I saw an amazing spinach pizza recipe when I was looking at other vegan blogs last night…but I can’t remember which one I saw it on. There are great vegan sites out there and one of them has a fantastic spinach pizza recipe that I based this on.

Thrawed on the counter for 5 hours

My pizza dough recipe makes 2 to 3 pizzas easily, so I freeze some for the next few weeks. It should freeze nicely, and I heard on some cooking show before that it can last for up to 3 months (though I usually eat mine within a month so I don’t know). Again, I suggest pre-baking the crust since the veggies do not take long to cook.




 

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

1 pre-baked pizza crust (try mine)
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove of garlic, fine chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped (frozen or fresh)
1/8 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 mushroom, sliced
1/8 cup kalamata olives, chopped.  
Pinch of salt and pepper

Evenly spread the olive oil and chopped garlic on the pre-baked pizza crust.

If you use frozen spinach like I did, thaw and thoroughly drain it, or else your pizza will be soggy.  If you are using fresh, wash it well and coarsely chop.

Evenly spread the spinach over the crust, then spread on the onions on top.

If you use fresh mushrooms like I did, wash and dry them well before slicing. If you use canned, drain them thoroughly like the spinach to keep your pizza from getting soggy. Evenly spread on top of the spinach and onions.

Top with the olives, then sprinkle on a pinch or two of salt and pepper. If you like a kick, add some red pepper flakes too.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, until spinach and mushrooms are wilted.

It’s a nice change from the same old tomato sauce pizza, plus it will make you strong like Popeye 😛

Yorkshire Pudding Attempts

My Twitter follower @SaraLJohnson75 suggested another recipe and I accepted the challenge. She requested a classic British dish, Yorkshire Pudding. I tried other lovely British foods before I became a vegan, but never had the pleasure of Yorkshire pudding. So, I must admit I am at a slight disadvantage. After some consultation and research online, I got a pretty good idea of what they should taste like: savory, a little flaky and very rich.

I found a great traditional Yorkshire Pudding recipe on About.com (it even has a video) that I based mine on. In this recipe, the eggs are for binding, leavening and flavoring so I wasn’t sure what type of replacer was best (most have a hard time doing all three). The vegan recipes I found said they had trouble getting theirs to rise properly so they had used a lot of powdered egg replacer (usually made from starches) such as Ener-G Egg. However, this alters the texture a lot so I decided to try something different.

I came up with two recipes and made a small batch of each. The first uses ground flax seed as an egg replacer and the second uses yeast. I must confess neither one rises significantly, and although still pretty delicious, are not quite right.

I ground the flax seed myself in a grinder.

I had the highest hopes for the flax seed version because they are a good binder and have a rich flavor when cooked. These ones had an egg-like flavor, but they were flat. For some reason the pictures wouldn’t upload from my camera, but imagine little 1/4  inch brownish hockey pucks.

I worried the yeast ones would come out too spongy or puffy so  I made them second. They are definitely fluffier than the flax seed batch, but still aren’t the right density. I thought about combining the two recipes, to even out the texture and flavor, but I ran out of yeast. This a hard recipe to convert since it is so heavily dependent on the unique properties of eggs.

As a vegan, you learn quickly sometimes you just have to shrug your shoulders and say “oh well.” Another question I encounter often is, “Doesn’t it suck that you can’t have ____?” And I tell them that I don’t think of it that way. Veganism is a life-style change, not a diet. I chose to change my life because I wanted something better.  Yes a rich pudding would be lovely to eat everyday, but it leads to an unhealthy and unhappy lifestyle that I do not desire. I choose life over food is what I am essentially saying. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t get to eat good food (hence the whole point of this blog), it just means I choose different (and better) things to cook with.

Anyways, these are still good—especially with some nice steamed veggies and a nice mushroom gravy (they soak it right up, gives them a yummy, gooey middle).  Try them both, and please let me know if you have a better recipe! 



Yorkshire Pudding with Flax Seed

It doesn’t look like the traditional batter, but tastes more egg-like

1 tbs ground flax seed
1/2 cup water
1/2 unsweetened soy milk
1/ cup self-rising flour
1/8 tps baking powder

Dissolve the ground flax seed into the water. Microwave or heat over the stove until slightly bubbly and thickens into a syrupy consistency.

Add soy milk and mix well.

Add flour and mix until smooth.

Set aside in a cool place for at least 30 minutes.

Yorkshire Pudding with Yeast

Looks and bakes more like the traditional batter.

1 packet active yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 pinches of sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup flour

Proof the yeast by dissolving it in the warm water and add the sugar. Set aside for about 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy.

Then add soy milk and mix well.

Add flour and mix until smooth.

I let mine rise for only 10 minutes because I didn’t want them to puff up too much and be spongy. Both of the Brits I consulted said they should be more like crepes, not like bread. I suggest only leaving them a little bit longer, maybe 20 minutes or so.

Follow these baking instructions for both batters:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Oil a cupcake or muffin tin well and place in the oven until the oil starts to smoke a little bit. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn and ruin your tin.

Remove the pan from the oven and fill each cup 1/2 of the way with batter.  I filled only 1/3 of the way because I expected them to rise more, so if you are using my exact recipe, I suggest filling them more.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

I will attempt Yorkshire Pudding again in the future, but I am happy with what I came up with for now. Hope you like them too!

Veggie Pizza

Like I said in my Pad Thai Pizza post, Friday night is pizza night for my family, and I am trying to keep the tradition alive now that I live on my own.

This is my go-to pizza. It’s simple, but always delicious. Like the Pad Thai Pizza, it has no cheese. Instead there is a layer of hummus that gives it a creamy texture that makes you forget about cheese all together. I used homemade hummus, which I will post a recipe for later, but  I used store-bought tomato sauce because I don’t have enough tomatoes right now.

I get the veggies for my pizza from the salad bar at the grocery store. They are already cut up and ready to go.

I posted a recipe earlier for an Easy Pizza Dough. You can use a pre-made or pre-baked one, but try making one for yourself. It really makes a difference.



Veggie Pizza

1 pre-baked pizza crust (try mine)
1 cup hummus 
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1/4 cup sliced red onions
1/4 cup red/green/yellow peppers

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Evenly spread the hummus on the pizza crust.

I sprinkled on some dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Next spread the tomato sauce on top of the hummus.  I suggest the hummus goes first because it is easier to spread that way.

Next top with the remaining veggies.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the veggies are heated.

Pair with your favorite vegan beer or naturally sweetened soda, and you have yourself a yummy Friday night treat. 

If you like wheat beer, I suggest Blue Moon. And if you like spicy, throw in a hot pepper in too.

Pizza Dough

In my Pad Thai Pizza post, I posted a link for pizza dough but I thought this time I would demonstrate how easy it is to make. This is my mom’s recipe. I am not sure where she got it from specifically, but most pizza dough recipes are the same anyways. 

Easy Pizza Dough
1 cup warm water (around 105 degrees F)
1 packet active yeast
1 tbs sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tps salt
1 tbs olive oil

Dissolve the packet of yeast into the warm water. The temperature of the water is very important—too hot will kill the yeast and too cold wont activate it. Add the sugar and set aside to proof. It should get all bubbly and frothy like in the photo. If nothing happens, then you will have to throw it out and try again. I had trouble getting this right when I first started working with yeast.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt, then drizzle olive oil on top.

Tacky

Once the yeast is proofed, pour it over the dry mixture and mix together until well combined. Do not over work the dough, it will get tough and chewy. It should be moist and tacky between your fingers.
 Cover the bowl with a damp towel (if you live in a humid place then it doesn’t need to be damp) and set aside to rise for at least 30 minutes (I forgot it for 2 hours once and it was still fine).

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F and spray your pizza pan with cooking spray.

I put mine in the microwave while it rises so it’s out of the way.

Once it’s puffed up significantly, punch it down and place on a well-floured surface.

Knead gently, just until it’s smooth. Again, try not to overwork the dough. No one likes a chewy pizza.  Just be patient and gentle with your dough,  and all will be well.

I split mine and freeze half.

Roll the dough into the shape of pizza pan. Transfer to your pan and shape to fit. If it tears, just mold it back together, no big deal.

Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden, turning over half way through. This is only a pre-bake so it should not be golden and crispy just yet.

Now you have a prefect pizza crust ready to be topped and baked!

Mac and Cheese

Bet you didn’t think vegans eat mac and cheese? Well, we do. I don’t think I could be a vegan if I couldn’t have it. Of course it’s not real cheese. There are two ways to make it, with nutritional yeast or with alternative cheeses.

It smells kind of like Parmesan.

Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast made from cultured sugarcane or molasses. It’s similar to brewer’s yeast, the left over stuff from making beer, but way less “yeasty” tasting. I had never heard of the stuff until I became a vegan. It has a slight earthy/cheesy/yeasty flavor that can boost up any dish that normally has cheese or meat in it. It’s available at health food stores, usually in bulk but I have seen it in packages too. It is fairly inexpensive, so don’t be a afraid to buy some. It’s good on popcorn or pasta for a “cheesy” topping.

It looks like cheese…

I stated before in my Pad Thai Pizza post that I am not a big fan of most alternative cheeses. Although some claim they “really melt,” they don’t. I choose the word pliable to describe them. They are more pliable when heated but not melty and bubbly.  However, I  heard all these rants and raves about Daiya. So I thought I would give it a try. It tasted pretty good out of the bag. The texture is not quite right, but way better then some other brands I’ve tried. It didn’t totally melt, but it got pretty bubbly and gooey. For something I am not a big fan of, I do like this soy cheese. I used both nutritional yeast and the soy cheese in this recipe. 

Mac and Cheese
3 cups elbow macaroni
2 tbs vegan butter

Cheese Sauce:
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup non-sweetened soy milk
1 tps mustard 
1 cup soy cheese (I suggest Daiya)
1/2 tps turmeric
1/2 tps cumin
1 tps garlic powder
1 tps soy sauce
1/4 tps pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F, if you want to bake it.

Cook macaroni according to directions. Return to pot or a large bowl after it’s drained for mixing. If you are baking it, leave the pasta a little undercooked, it will finish cooking in the oven.

It’s not quite a roux but it keeps the sauce together.

In a small sauce pan, heat butter over medium until melted, then add the nutritional yeast. It will make a lumpy mixture, just stir until everything is well mixed.

I was skeptical when I saw the cheese clump, but it smoothed out

Add milk and mustard, whisk well.  Add soy cheese while continuously whisking. It may clump on the bottom, but should come together as it warms. 

Add turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, soy sauce, and pepper. Heat until it starts to simmer. Taste, it may need a bit of salt.

Pour the sauce over the macaroni and mix thoroughly.

If you like stove-top style,  you can eat it just like this. But if you prefer baked, pour into a baking dish and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes or until it gets golden-brown and bubbly.

Since I’m only cooking for one, I baked mine in individual ramekins. 

I topped mine with some extra cheese and red pepper flakes before I baked it. Breadcrumbs are a good choice too, gives it a nice crunch.

It’s creamy and gooey just like dairy mac and cheese. See, being a vegan does not mean just boring vegetables.

Here are some other recipes to try too:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8295.0
http://www.thekindlife.com/user_recipe/view/10014/115/1 
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/vegan-mac-and-no-cheese/Detail.aspx