Green Rice: VeganMoFo #4

I am a Veganwannabe: Post # 4

I’ve been making this side dish for years. The original recipe comes from Taste of Home Magazine circa 1990. I served it with sauteed cherry tomatoes and for kicks I threw in some scallions – wow, were they great! Super sweet and very tender. Perfect as a side dish and hearty enough for a meal. You can't believe how much flavor this has! 

Here’s what you need:

1 C chopped scallions

1 C minced parsley

4 t olive oil

4 t non-dairy butter

1 ½ C white rice

3 C vegetable broth

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

Here’s what you do:

Sautee the scallions and parsley in oil and butter until soft – about 1 minute. Add rice and cook until the rice in nice and coated. Stir in the broth, cayenne and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for about 20 minutes.

Sautee cherry tomatoes and scallions in a bit of oil until tender and serve as a garnish to the rice.

Next post: Burritos with refries, red peppers, tomatoes and more of these awesome sauteed green onions! Check back! Yeah VeganMoFo!! 

What the heck is a vegan? VeganMoFo #3

I'm a Veganwannabe: Post #3

What the heck is a vegan? That’s a good question! In a nutshell, vegans do not eat any animal products….that means no meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs, etc. I understand the many vegans do not eat honey or even Worcestershire sauce – there are anchovies in there, did you know that?

As I look out across October and consider eating vegan for one month, I feel most worried about eliminating cheese from my diet. I love it. Not that I eat a lot of cheese, but man, when I want some, I gotta have it. Eggs also…sometimes, I simply crave them.

We have pretty well eliminated red meat from the menu, and we have already added lots more fish to our diet. In fact, there are lots and lots of weeks that we eat mainly vegetarian meals, and I have refried beans down to a science! Seriously! The beauty of vegetarianism, for me,  is the inclusion of cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt¸ sour cream, and ice cream.

So what do vegans eat? Well, I’m not 100% sure….I know they eat grains, beans, lentils, nuts, veggies, fruits and other whole foods.  And then there’s soy. Some vegans eat soy and some do not eat much soy. I have been reading about the health benefits and health concerns surrounding eating soy….Not sure yet how I feel about it. I think as in all parts of life, moderation is the key. A diet filled with soy products is probably not too healthy, especially if the soy is highly processed, but eating small amounts of whole soy (think edamame ) is fine. 

And then there is the super scary and foreign product that vegans call ‘Nutritional Yeast.’ I actually bought some in preparation for my VeganMoFo journey….….Have no idea what to do with it….. ! 

Check back tomorrow for a great way to enhance boring white rice. 

Peach Torte: VeganMoFo #2

I’m a Veganwannabe – VeganMoFo Post #2

I decided to start this month of vegan blogging with a baked good. Can’t jump right into the soy, seitan, tempeh and nutritional yeast just yet! To tell the truth, I’m not even sure I’ll make it that far into the vegan world! One thing I do know: baking is my comfort zone. I love the way my kitchen smells when something as beautiful as this torte is tucked safely away in the oven.

If I can’t produce high quality baked goods which don’t seem ‘vegan’ in any way, then I will never be a vegan. Baking is such a creative and fulfilling part of my cooking life- I’m not willing to give that up, but this one’s a winner in all ways – fat free and delish! Can you believe it? Fat free! No eggs, no butter.

This lovely creation is a combo of two great recipes: one from The Joy of Vegan Baking and the other from Cuisine At Home Magazine. There is no butter or butter substitute in this cake – it gets all its moisture from applesauce – homemade applesauce, I might mention. One note: when you substitute apple sauce for butter or other fats, the end produce can be a bit ‘chewy’ and not quite as tender as when you use butter. That’s what resulted here….but for being fat free, it’s totally acceptable. Serve it with a cup of coffee for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Company worthy!

Peach Torte 

Here’s what you need:

4 peaches, peeled and sliced

½ C sugar

1 C unsweetened applesauce (or ½ C applesauce and ½ C non-dairy butter)

2 T non-dairy milk

1 ½ C flour

2 ½ t baking powder

For the topping:

¼ C brown sugar

½ t cinnamon

½ t ground ginger

Here’s what you do:

Mix the applesauce, sugar and milk – set aside. Mix the flour and baking sugar. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. It’s a thick batter. Spread it in a greased 9 inch springform pan.( I always set my springform on a baking sheet, because they always seem to leak out in the oven.)

In the meantime: peel the peaches by dropping them in very hot water (just under boiling) for about 1 minute. Peel and slice them and arrange them in a pretty pattern over the batter.

Make the topping and sprinkle it over the peaches. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before releasing the springform. 

Check back tomorrow for a few thoughts about vegans. 

Homemade Applesauce: VeganMoFo #1

I’m a Veganwannabe – Post #1

Today I begin an adventure. I have decided to join VeganMoFo and blog about vegan food for the month of October. I’m not sure how my readers will like that, but I know my waistline and heart will like it. Also, admit it, aren’t you curious about veganism?

I will try *try* to post 20 times this month (that’s one of the rules….) and I will try *try* not to go amiss by mentioning an egg or something of that nature. Should be interesting to see how I feel in about two weeks….cheese withdrawal, probably…..Stayed tuned!

I start with the simplest of all recipes – applesauce. Peel and cut some apples. Add some water. Add some sugar. Cinnamon if you are so inclined. Mash up in chunks if you like it that way. Put through some sort of food mill if you like it smooth.

I am in love with this funky gadget – have had it for years. It totally separates the seeds and skins from the fruit, so there’s no peeling.

See here for another way to use this cool tool.

Check back tomorrow to see the most BEAUTIFUL Peach Torte! 

Sopranos Sunday Gravy: Lasagne

Well, I decided to take the vegan plunge and join VeganMoFo 2012. What a journey it will be! I have already explored various menu ideas and purchased a few vegan ingredients that I might want to try…..raw cashews, anyone? Stay tuned right here.

Anyway, I thought before October 1^st arrives, I would at least mention that I bought “The Sopranos Family Cookbook.” I gotta be honest and say that it’s the total Anti-Vegan experience. The book is a photo album, yearbook, journal and cookbook all rolled into one. The photos alone make it fantastic….remember how crazy Tony’s mother was?  Actually, I probably shouldn’t admit publically that I watched every episode of The Sopranos….don’t want to shock anyone out there.  It’s pretty violent TV, in case you don’t know….but the FOOD!!!  I remember that Tony was always asking for ‘gabagool' which I guess is some sort of derivation of the word ‘capicola.’ To this day, my husband sometimes randomly says, “Gabagool,” which I interpret to mean, “Ah, I see we’re eating Italian tonight, honey.”

Anyway, a week ago I spent a Sunday afternoon making Sunday Gravy. What a heavenly recipe: veal chops, ribs, sausage, pork, beef and lots of tomatoes….brown the meat, add the tomatoes and simmer all day. I did it up the right way and it was EXCELLENT – move over Artie Bucco!

Rob on his his bike....dreaming of lasagne.

You do not eat all that meat on Sunday with the gravy, but rather remove it and use it for different meals throughout the week. What you see here is Soprano Lasagne – in honor of my son, who requested it…..think veal, pork, sausage and meatballs. Dang! What will my new vegan friends think?

Let’s talk more Sopranos after my vegan venture, shall we? 

Outrageous Brownies: Ina Garten

Have you seen this recipe? It’s killer. I mean, really….one pound of butter? While I was melting the butter and chocolate together, I was thinking that there must be some sort of mistake….one pound of butter. … and cups and cups full of chocolate chips. Ina’s unique addition of a small bit of coffee to everything chocolate is not omitted here, she recommends 2 full tablespoons of instant coffee….I only added 1 tablespoon and that’s plenty. This recipe makes an entire sheet pan overflowing with the most decadent and delicious brownies…plenty to share, plenty to store in the freezer and plenty to munch on straight from the oven.

On a personal note: it is very ironic that I am posting a recipe that calls for one pound of butter today because I am actually toying with the idea of joining VeganMoFo for the month of October. Check it out here. Crazy, right? I would LOVE if any of my readers would like to join with me (and 700 other vegan bloggers from all over the world) – what an eating adventure it could be!

The downside for me is that the entire month must be vegan only posts (ahhh,,,, good-bye, my beloved cheese). According to the rules you can’t even sneak in an egg. The other really tough thing for me is that they encourage 20 different posts! That’s a lot of cooking, photos, eating, blogging, posting….. hey, some of us have to work for a living!

Anyway, I am seriously thinking of trying it for the month of October…..I have mentioned that I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect veggie burger and this would force me to narrow that search down a bit.

Your thoughts? Would you discontinue reading my recipes if I took a vegan holiday? Does the thought of Red Lentil Enchiladas make your finger hover over the ‘delete’ button?  Would you be curious to see what I come up with for my 20 posts? Do you want me to find that perfect veggie burger, once and for all?

GTG… brownies await! (and then probably grilled cheese for lunch….I have a hunk of gouda from the Netherlands lurking in the fridge….hubby brought it home from his recent trip. How he loves me!)

Vegan Potato Tacos with Roasted Jalapeno Crema

Last year my daughter lived with a vegan. It was such an interesting journey for both her and me as we learned about what a vegan actually eats. I mean, if you can’t eat any meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, or dairy, including my beloved yogurt….then what’s left to eat??? Surely not lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce??? Or how about soy, soy and more soy? Uh, no thanks.

As it turns out, vegans have a pretty adventurous menu, including beans, beans and more beans…. And some soy…and lots and lots of vegetables.

Honestly, I must admit, it’s a pretty tasty and ultra-healthy way to eat. In fact, I have been known to go on week-long vegan binges…..

These potato tacos are outstanding…. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? The recipe comes from my daughter’s roomie. She made them for a bunch of guys one night, not revealing to them that they were scarfing down soy sausage. The jalapeno crema is to die for! I am totally addicted to the stuff and have been putting it on all kinds of food: sandwiches, burgers, fries, fish, grilled veggies……. I dream about the stuff. Find the recipe here. 

Here's the lovely Roasted Jalapeno Crema on some fish tacos....

Here's the beautiful Jalapeno Crema on some roasted asparagus....and how about that chickpea burger with my famous roasted tomatoes? KILLER and all vegan! 

Time to get this recipe off my phone and into your kitchen!

(printable recipe)

Roasted Jalapeno Crema

Why use plain condiments when you can have this? Really. I’m serious. Get to the market and buy some jalapeno peppers. Go to the health food store and get some Vegenaise. You won’t be sorry.

I have been making this about once a week all summer long….serve it on burgers, tacos, fish, grilled veggies, chicken, sandwiches, omelets …the list goes on and on.

1.       Roast a jalapeno on the grill or on the gas stove. You could probably roast it in the oven as well.

2.       Put the charred pepper under some plastic wrap and allow it to sweat for a while.

3.       Scrape off the burned outer skin of the pepper – do not rinse it!

4.       Scrape out the seeds and veins of the pepper.

5.       Mix with Vegenaise and your favorite hot sauce.

6.       Dollop with confidence.

I suppose if you don't want to use Vegenaise, you could use regular sour cream, but there is something  oh-so-perfect about the Vegenaise. I recently learned that Vegenaise is one of Ellen DeGeneres's favorite things....might that sway you??? 

Pineapple-Coconut Layer Cake

I'm still dreaming of the pineapple curd which is between the layers of this pretty cake. 

I found the recipe for this BEAUTIFUL cake here at the Eating Well website. When I read the words "pineapple curd" I knew I had to make it......printed the recipe......kept moving the recipe from pile to pile .........(I have places all over the house with piles of recipes that I just *have* to try)........had to  wait for an occasion.....finally decided to make it for a group gathering at our church. Wow! Really good. I admit that I did not use cake flour or white whole-wheat flour.... I just used regular flour and regular wheat flour. Those changes may have made my cake a bit more dense than if I had used the types of flour called for, but no one noticed. The recipe calls for a nifty trick of whipping the egg whites before adding them to the batter which keeps it light.

Using fresh pineapple would have put this gorgeous cake OVER THE TOP!

I had to keep hovering over the dessert table that evening to make sure there was a piece or two left to take home to my daughter!

Swiss Green Beans

The last weekend of summer is upon us. This calls for family get-togethers, back yard BBQS, farewell trips to the beach, and back to school! I have always loved the beginning of September because it means I go back to the classroom and dig in for another year of teaching. I love to cook and I love to play my instruments, but teaching is my life’s calling – it’s where I feel most at home.

If you are planning a weekend picnic, this is the perfect salad. Straight from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks (The Enchanted Broccoli Forest). It’s perfect in every way and always gets RAVE reviews. I know at first glance the ingredients don’t seem to ‘match,’ but trust me, they’re excellent!

Here’s what you need:

1 ½ lbs fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

¼ C extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp dried dill

Black pepper to taste

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3-4 T fresh lemon juice

1 T red wine vinegar

½ C fresh parsley, minced

1/3 lb swiss cheese, cut in thin strips

½ C chopped ripe olives – use a great quality olive; avoid using the canned stuff

1 small green pepper cut in thin strips

1 small red pepper cut in thin strips

½ C chopped or slivered, toasted almonds

Here’s what you do:

Blanch the green beans until tender-crisp. Cool them under cold water. Slice the cheese and veggies. Prepare the dressing by whisking everything together…. The original recipe calls for adding the vinegar and lemon juice at the last minute to keep the beans nice and green and crisp. I know that’s probably the best way to prepare this salad, but I just mix it all together and it turns out great every time.

Happy Labor Day to my American friends, and happy back to school to all those teachers, parents and students out there!