Pocket food for your belly!

I tried out the (obviously non-meat) Meat Pies from Weekly Vegan Menu.  I love this blog...everything turns out well and they are a family, so the recipes get kid tested!

The meat pies are fun little parsley biscuit wrapped pockets of yum!  They were a bit heavy on the dough for Brad and me, BUT the kids enjoyed them and it's always good to have a healthy little pocket meal that they can grab and cram in their face!  I added a little more salt and seasoning to the filling than they did, and I used Gimme Lean instead of Boca burger, but I'm sure any meat-ish substitute you like would work, or even just extra veggies.

In a non-meat pie related note...one of our vendors at work is super sweet and knows I'm vegan, so instead of bringing greasy doughnuts, he brings us Saint Cupcake cupcakes.  They always have a couple of vegan options, though they NEVER get creative with the vegan ones.  (If you are Saint Cupcake and you are reading this, I'm getting a little pissed off about only having chocolate and vanilla to choose from.)  My kids will eat anything with sugar in it (or just sugar...cut out the middle man), but NONE of them will eat the regular cupcakes from Saint Cupcake. They say the frosting makes their mouth feel gross.  I have to agree, I never liked their frosting much when I was vegetarian.  The vegan frosting however is friggin' awesome.  I highly recommend trying the vegan version if  you go!  You'll only have a couple of flavors to choose from, but on the bright side, it makes deciding which one to get so much easier.

What's creamy and golden and disappearing rapidly?!

I finally decided to serve something more creative than burritos last night and I made not one but TWO new recipes!!

First, the Cashew Cream Sauce with Sun Dried Tomatoes from Our Veggie Kitchen blog.  The sauce looks deliciously creamy and thick in their photo, but mine was SUPER watery. I don’t know if they really intended to say “add 3 cups of boiling water”, but the next time I make this I will cut it down to probably 1-1/2 cups of water.  By the time you add the can of un-drained tomatoes, it’s just way too much liquid.  To compensate, I added twice the indicated amounts of lemon juice, seasoning, and sun dried tomatoes.  It did turn out well…the kids loved it but it was a wee bland for Brad.  I think it will be a lot more flavorful when I make it with less water.

I also made the Crispy Golden Tofu from Vegan Dad’s blog and THAT was amazing!!!!!!!!  The last time I was dragged to Winco, I stocked up on some really firm tofu and froze it.  It is not remotely wobbly (because I hate wobbly foods. If it resembles jell-o or pudding, I will spit it back at you.), and it had an excellent, chewy texture after freezing and thawing it.  The mustard and hot sauce made for a super good flavor and I dipped it in some raspberry chipotle sauce!  I made them last night (and even my tofu-hater daughter ate some), but this pic is my mid-morning snack, so it’s not looking terribly photogenic anymore.  My carrot is hot though, eh?!  I’ll be making this again, but not TOO often because even healthy foods will stick to your fat ass when fried.

Weeping tiger, hidden bakery

I’ve been sick and busy so I haven’t cooked much lately.  Brad made his super delicious Noodle Meal on Monday night and he and I ate it ALL.  I’m more of a naked food person, so he’s the sauce master in our house.  I call him in to sauce our veggie burgers and noodles, etc.  I’ll have him share his Noodle Meal recipe and its million variations soon!

In keeping with my “no cooking” theme, we went out for lunch on Sunday to Bye and Bye on Alberta, an all vegan bar.  The food menu is limited but everything I’ve tried has been excellent!  Brad had the BBQ platter; it comes with yummy BBQ tofu, black-eyed peas, collard greens and a delicious, crispy toasted baguette.  He has had and enjoyed the Weeping Tiger sandwich before, but it is REALLY really spicy.  You think you’re more bad ass than a tiger, fool?!  I had the Meatball Sub and it was so good, I only intended to eat half and save half like a proper dainty girl.  I then picked at my “saving” half until it too was gone. I didn’t feel so dainty but I was pretty full and happy with myself.  My favorite thing about the sub…they used a delicious almond-oat cheese spread on the baguette and it was PERFECT. I’m not a huge fan of vegan cheeses that try and replicate actual cheese. They tend to have a texture that I can’t handle. The almond-oat cheese tasted perfect and didn’t make me gag once!

But let’s cut to the chase…the drinks are YUMMY, especially the Bye and Bye. It has peach infused vodka and bourbon, cranberry juice, and lemon. You can care for your bladder while you destroy your liver!  I took a picture of it to make Kristin thirsty. Now I torture you, too.

Back to Eden, the vegan bakery, is not walking distance from Bye and Bye. Or not on a yucky April day, anyway.  We drove up there (you have to keep your eyes peeled if you’re driving, it’s tiny and easy to miss) and I bounced around in front of the counter while the nice man made me a dish of chocolate soft-serve with caramel sauce and Dandies marshmallows, YUM!  Brad had a peanut butter shake and no one ended up wearing it so it must have been good!

Alberta, I love you and I will be back…and not only when I’m sick and lazy.

It's Greek to me!

I've been super busy this week...probably no more than normal but suddenly I feel the gravity of the earth more than usual.  Thankfully, my good friend Jenn (all-around cool chick AND and Electric 6 fan, yes!) sent me a recipe she veganized!  Hooray for guest posts!  Thank you, Jenn!  (disclaimer: I haven't tried this yet so if it sucks, I'll give you her home phone number...)

Vegan Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce


For the Tzatziki (I like to make this first and let it sit in the fridge for a bit)

2 cups non-dairy yogurt - I do not know if a non-dairy Greek yogurt exists. If not, go with whatever you like. And if there is none thick enough, try mixing 1 cup non dairy yogurt with 1 cup non dairy sour cream. I’ve done this mix with the dairy and it works quite well.

Add:

One cucumber, seeded and grated. be sure to squeeze out the excess water.
Juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
about a Tbsp of mint - dry mint is fine.
One or two large cloves of garlic, chopped and mashed to a paste.
Add dash of pepper, mix till blended, refrigerate.

For the Souvlaki:

1 pound seitan, sliced in strips or half chunks. (I have not tried this with tofu yet, but I'm sure extra firm would work well)

Throw the sliced seitan in a bowl and add some olive oil and a splash of red or white wine vinegar.  Then, in another bowl, mix the following seasonings:

1 Tbsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional, but I like it)
1/4 tsp onion powder (optional, again)
Salt to taste

Add the spice mix to the seitan and mix till coated. Then brown in a pan on med to med high heat.

While that seitan is cooking, slice up some tomatoes, red onions and whatever lettuce you like – I prefer spring greens. Then heat up some pita, or whatever vegan flatbread you like.  When everything is cooked and ready, you can wrap it all up in the pita like a gyro.

Easy like Sunday morning.

Tofu can be horrifying for sure, but you can’t tell me you walk down the meat aisle at the store going, “Mmmmmmmmmmmmm this shit looks tasty!!!” It’s all about selecting the proper product for you needs and preparing it properly.

For my tofu scramble, I like the extra firm tofu that comes floating in its own little water bath!  A lot of recipes call for pressing your tofu; it’s time consuming but it does help!  And if you’re really serious you can pick up a tofu press!  (Dear Santa, Tam Tam doesn’t one but she’s been very good  trying hard and needs one)   

I found that freezing and then thawing tofu gives it a really good texture…more chewy and less slimy!

Scramble time!

Ingredients
1 lb. extra firm tofu (pat with a towel to get it dry-ish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped white onion (about a cup)
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Spice Blend
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

-Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, saute onions 3 minutes, until softened and add mushrooms. Saute 5 minutes more, add garlic, saute 2 minutes more. Add spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom.
-Crumble in tofu and mix well. Don’t crush the tofu, you want it to remain chunky. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necessary to keep it from sticking. Add lemon juice and add nutritional yeast and mix it up. If it seems too dry add splashes of water. The moistness really depends on how much water the tofu was retaining before you added it.
I top with fresh tomato, salsa, vegan sour cream, avocado slices and serve with toast!

I will not be mocked!!

It’s hard work ruining people, and most days I’m just too tired to whip up a seven-course gourmet dinner for the family, so we rely heavily on sandwiches!  I had some Turtle Island tempeh with a recipe for mock tuna salad and it sounded awful so I figured…why not!!  I whipped up a batch and set my expectations very very low. The first time I had tempeh I was NOT a fan of the texture. 

The tempeh temptress won me over. This stuff is freaking GOOD.  Brad loved it, the kids loved it.  The dog never even got any of it (that’s the real test).  It’s excellent in sandwich form but also super yum atop a salad.

I changed the recipe slightly because I don’t eat fish so I don’t happen to have Old Bay Seasoning lying around. I subbed Greek Seasoning (made with real Greeks, don’t bend over in front of it.)

Mock Tuna Salad

3 cups water

1 Tbsp. salt

8 oz. Organic Five Grain Tempeh

1 tsp. Greek Seasoning

½ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped onion

Juice from ½ lemon

1 tsp. dried dill weed

¼ cup vegan mayo

1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. garlic powder

Boil the water in a small pan, add the salt and tempeh cake, reduce head to medium and let simmer 20 minutes.  Drain water, sprinkle the tempeh with Greek Seasoning and let cool, then break into small pieces with a fork (I use my hands because I’m a dirtball.)  Add celery, onion, dill and lemon juice to tempeh and mix. I usually sub dill pickle for the celery and omit dill weed…but don’t add ½ cup of pickles unless you’re pregnant.  In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients and add to tempeh. Mix well and feed your face.

Eat…enjoy…view tempeh anew!

xoxo

Hi, my name is Tammy...

...and I'm a chocoholic.

Last night I made brownies, "for the kids". I'm not sure what I'll do when they're all out of the house.  I may need to borrow some younger kids!  These are sooo good and gooey and if loving them is wrong, I don't want to be right. Or wear pants that button. I've been promising this recipe to Kimberly, so enjoy!!!  Its from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero and its one of my favorite cookbooks. I'm adding a pic I took of one I was saving for my step-dad.  Was. It's not my fault he's late...

Deluxe Cocoa Brownies

3 ounces silken tofu

¼ cup nondairy milk

½ cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1. preheat oven to 325.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper so the bottom and sides are covered.
2. puree the tofu, nondairy milk and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth and fluffy; transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix vigorously with a fork. Add the vanilla.
3. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder (I used the Dutch-processed stuff, really good!), cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth. At the point I usually throw in about half a package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, vegan of course J
4. Spread the batter in your pan. You have to kind of push it to the edges with your spatula.
5. Bake 30-32 minutes…I usually do 32. Let them cool for quite a while.  They are VERY gooey until they have cooled quite a bit.

And for Kristin!!!  I've been promising her the recipe for the Cookies and Cream Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, also by the super-talented Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes!

Cupcakes:

1 cup nondairy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond, chocolate or more vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (about 10 cookies) crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies

1. preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with papers.
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar; set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
3. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat til foamy.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.  Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.
5. Add cookies to the batter and pour into muffin pan. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening

½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine (EarthBalance is the BEST)

3-1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup plain nondairy milk

1/5 cup chocolate sandwich cookie, crushed

1. Beat shortening and margarine until fluffy. Add sugar and beat for three more minutes. Add vanilla and soy milk and beat another 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cookies!