Vegan Solo

Tofu Mash Comfort....

2011-04-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

For me not much beats tofu with fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy when you're in the mood for comfort food. Ran across this version of Herb Crusted Tofu here, and it originally stems from Veg Times. To get the crispy exterior you simply dredge wedges of tofu in a cornstarch/herb mixture, and then shallow fry it. It takes a little time to get it crispy all over, but well worth the effort. Paired with a potato & pea mash which was super easy to make.

Novice Gnocchi

2011-02-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

This was quite the little experiment, having never made gnocchi from scratch before. Definitely worth a try if you've never made it. The dough was a few potatoes mashed, some herbs, flour and salt.

Made a few mistakes, like not mashing the potato well enough, and it took a while to conclude that making the perfect gnocchi shape really doesn't matter (thank you youtube gnocchi experts).

Once you get going, it's pretty quick. After boiling, sauteed with some creamy tomato sauce (regular tomato sauce with a little soy milk added for creaminess, garlic & herbs for a flavour boost).

Got the thumbs up from my young diners.

Are we there yet?

2011-02-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

As in, is it spring yet? It hasn't even been a bad winter here, well...other than bucket loads of rain...but I have been feeling some serious winter blahs.

Things are looking up this week though. The sun made an appearance a few times, buds are popping out and things are starting to feel spring-like. I happen to be on a reading break from school this week and had big plans of catching up on a boat load of work projects, studying for midterms, and maybe just throwing the dusting cloth around this place. But in my true procrastinator fashion, I have spent much of the week cooking, reading, chilling and today, loafing around garden centres.

Got some great stuff though! And big garden plans this year - sun please cooperate. New to me this year the lemon cucumber and eight-ball zucchini.

Even though we have a little greenhouse in the backyard, I'm useless at raising seedlings out there, since you can't go a full day without watering. And guess what - I forget. So I bought these seed starter trays that fit your window ledge. I can't miss watering them if they're right in front of me (can I?). Seemed like a foolproof plan, and they were a reasonable price.

A little retail therapy to lift my mood! And speaking of things to lift your mood....this works too...

Mexi-Bowl Dinner...

2011-02-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

It was a throw-something together kind of night....and a bunch of half-used ingredients were screaming Mexican at me.

Sauteed mushrooms, some frozen corn kernels with half a pack of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo. Put that over some leftover brown rice, and what luck, I had some perfectly ripe avocados that needed to be used up so whipped up a quick guacamole. My daughter/kitchen helper (6 1/2) is always the guac maker, so that part was even easier from my perspective. Finished off with salsa and Tofutti sour cream. Delish!

I had been hanging onto that half used pack of the Soy Chorizo, waiting for just the right recipe or craving or some crazy sign (!) to use the rest. And that's because it's like vegan gold - I just can't find it where I live. And if I do happen to find it at Choices or Capers in city, it's ridiculously expensive. So a few times a year I make a trip across the border to Trader Joe's in Bellingham. It's really pretty quick from out in the valley, AND I didn't know (until my last voyage) that groceries aren't counted in your duty limit. So next time maybe it'll be 10 packs of Soy Chorizo (and so many many other things! Insert rant here about Canadian maple syrup being cheaper at TJ's than anywhere in Canada).

Soup Muffins...and more carbs...

2011-02-05T21:45:00.001-08:00

Maybe I've written about these before, I can't remember now, but they're worth mentioning again. I really love the Spicy Soup Muffins from HIAV. This latest batch was the best yet (and I followed the recipe to a T I might add).

A handy little pasta recipe, based on the one found here....enough pasta for two (I used brown rice spag), in a quick sauce made of sauteed onion, garlic, red pepper, curry powder, tofutti cream cheese and a touch of soy milk. Quick AND uses up whatever veg you need to.

And just when I decided to really cut down on wheat, I rebelled and made these "white" bolillo rolls...! I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself (my baking ability as opposed to my will power).

Party Vegan

2011-02-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Another birthday "do" done....phew. Party Vegan book came in handy for a few things, wish I had remembered to take more photos. Tried the punch - very good and the children liked it and thankfully none of them asked me for pop! Also tried the corn muffin recipe. They were tasty with bits of cilantro, jalapeno and red pepper. Trouble is, they were really dense (not in a good way...is there a good way?). They were heavy little things, I think the batter could have used some extra leavening help, maybe vinegar.

I'm becoming a fan of Alex Jamieson's recipes. For this party I made a double batch of Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili from her Detox Diet book. It's got lots of lime, a hint of cocoa and nice texture with the sweet potato (well, I used what we call yams).

Fantastic mint chocolate cupcakes from VCTOTW - I think they were a hit. Very minty, you better like that combo if you ever go for these. Argh, terrible photo. I suppose I'll just have to make them again to get a better shot.

Orange Carrot Cake with Chocolate Icing....

2011-01-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

Orange, carrot, chocolate....in case you're wondering, yep, it works!

So my first recipe out of Party Vegan turned out to be cake, big surprise. In the book it is suggested as a Halloween treat, I made it last night as a mid-week birthday offering for the boys in the house. The icing is especially delicious and we all loved the hint of orange. Definitely one to file under the 'make often' category, it was quick and easy to boot.

New on the Shelf...

2011-01-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Party Vegan and VCTOTW! Yay, they finally arrived!

VCTOTW: I know it has been around for a while now, and I have been able to try at least 4 recipes from it in the last few years. Since those I tried were such huge successes I knew I wanted to try all 75 incredible looking treats in the book. It really needed a spot on my cookbook shelf, and looks great there I might add. I look forward to my non-veg*n friends & family marveling over how beautiful baking IS in the vegan world!

Another incentive, it's my son's 4th birthday next week - cupcakes are on the menu and I've promised a practice run tonight. Deciding what to make is really the issue now.

Party Vegan: The first Robin Robertson recipe I tried was her Belgian-style Seitan Stew, which I think I may have blogged about here last year. It is a fantastic recipe, and since then I've become a fan. Party Vegan is a very cool book, especially if you like to have people over for eats. It's laid out by the type of gathering, such as 'a picnic lunch', 'Halloween' and 'Potluck', and my favourite, 'curry for company'. But if you're just looking for soup recipes, you can flip to the index for a list. Another really handy feature is 'recipes by category', where recipes are listed by type along with a handy classification of being either 'make ahead' and/or 'quick and easy'. My one wee criticism would be that they could have included page numbers here to save having to flip to the index. But this is a super feature none the less.

First up, planning on the Party Punch for birthday celebrations next Sunday, maybe the corn muffins too. Once the birthday craziness has subsided, I think the Creamy Noodle & Vegetable Bake, from the potluck section will be next.

A Visit to Karmavore

2011-01-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

Lucky me, I got to visit Karmavore yesterday, in their new and much larger premises on Columbia Street in New Westminster. Really lovely shop, I love the layout and was surprised to see they have a take-away area with lovely vegan cakes and other delectables on offer. A great excuse to visit New West, check them out HERE.

Great timing, I was able to stock up on Daiya cheez. Their new retail pack was a great deal on special offer at $2.99. Did I buy enough? Now that IS the question.

So the simplest of pleasures today, I enjoyed a most delicious grilled cheez & tomato sandwich...

As 'faux' goes, Daiya is the bees knees.....and so is Karmavore.

No Faux

2011-01-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

When I first went veggie years ago, more years than I care to mention, there were very very few (if any) 'meat' substitutes out there, and I really didn't know what the h* to do with tofu or beans. I thought TVP was revolutionary. Back then I would have killed for some of the products that we have today!

I've come a long way baby - things are very much in reverse. 'Faux' products are very rarely in my shopping basket...with some exceptions....like soy ice cream (duh) and I like the Yves' and Tofurky's deli slices, some of the Gardein products and if I happen to get across the border, Trader Joe's soy chorizo crumbles are always declared back at Canadian customs.

New vegan products in the fridge or freezer cases stand out like beacons, I just have to try them...at least once. That was the case the other day with Gardein's 'beefless tips'. Given that I've liked the 2 or 3 of their other products, I had pretty high hopes for these.

Sorry to say, they were a HUGE disappointment! None of us cared for them, tasted just like Yves burger-burgers to me. I really wish I would have stuck to good old tofu in our stir-fry tonight.

I'm wondering if it's just faux products in general that I'm liking less and less, or if it's just the 'beef' variety that really puts me off. We like Gardein's 'Crispy Tenders' now and again.

I stir fried the beefless tips, following a recipe on the gardein site, here.

Having said all of this, if you're someone who likes these ready-mades, you might like this latest one. And if you happen to like the flavour of Yves original burger-burger, then you probably will. Don't know till you try!

Phenomenal Cornbread Foccacia

2011-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not the best baker in the world and definitely hit and miss with bread.

But this was a definite hit I can hardly wait to make it again! My picture really doesn't do it justice. A vegetarian version apparently comes from Southern Living magazine. I found it on http://www.food.com/ posted by gailanng. It was easy to veganize by removing the parmesan....also used a half whole wheat combo.

Served with a black bean and yam chili, but the leftovers were great on their own. My daughter even took some to school which is saying a WHOLE lot!

r e c i p e

Cornbread Foccacia
2 1/4 tsp fast-rise yeast
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1 tablelspoon organic sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup plain yellow cornmeal, I used whole grain
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or crumble up the same amount dry
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 14 1/2 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt
pepper

Combine yeast, warm water and sugar in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Open the tomatoes, place in a colander/strainer and set aside.

....these next dough steps can be done very successfully in a stand mixer.....

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, rosemary and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons oil until well blended. It will be a sticky dough. Let your mixer knead the dough - or turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let stand 15 minutes in a draft free spot.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto well greased baking sheet. Place dough on baking sheet and roll or press into a 12-inch square, sprinkling with flour as needed to prevent sticking (about 1 tablespoon). It doesn't rise a whole lot past this point, so however thin you roll it out is more or less how it will turn out. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in warm place draft free spot for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Brush dough gently with balsamic vinegar. Make a pattern of indents by gently pressing in the tip of a wooden spoon handle. Season the tomatoes with a little S&P if you wish and mix in the garlic. Dot the mixture onto the dough then drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes, edges will have begun to brown. Cool 5 minutes and cut into squares.

Party Vegan! Draw!

2011-01-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Great chance to win a copy of this fabulous looking new book, click link to read all about it! Vegan Planet: La Befana and Party Vegan Giveaway!"

Greek Style Tofu Scramble

2011-01-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

I LOVE a good tofu scramble, actually I've never had one I didn't like. Felt like making a slightly more complex version yesterday with loads of veggies and stumbled across the idea to marry Greek flavours with tofu scramble on manyveggierecipes.com. My personal preference is to use medium firm water-packed tofu. So good, I wish I had some leftover to snack on now.

Greek Style Tofu Scramble
1 (350 g) package medium-firm tofu (or your preferred tofu)
1 lemon, juice of
1 teaspoon tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (abaout 5 or 6)
1 fresh tomato, diced
1/2 bell peppers (red or orange looks nice)
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (a few good handfuls)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon tamari (or Braggs, soy etc)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Drain the tofu from it's packaging water. Place it in a bowl along with the lemon juice and break it up into chunks. Your hands make the best tools here. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest. You could also do this step ahead of time.

In a small bowl mix the tahini and water together -- it can be hard to mix tahini when it's cold, try using hot water and pressing the tahini against the edge of the bowl. Set aside.

Heat up 1 tbsp of the oil over medium heat, and add in the onion. Allow it to cook through, about 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic and mushrooms and leave for another 5 minutes or so. Next add the tomato, bell pepper and spinach. Allow that all to cook for another 3 minutes or so.

Push the veg mixture to the edge of you pan. Put the other tbsp of oil in the centre of the pan and when hot, add the turmeric and mustard powder to it. Allow those spices to sizzle in the oil for a minute then add in the tahini water, braggs or soy, nutritional yeast, mashed tofu, oregano and basil. Gently mix everything together well.

Adjust seasoning and allow it to cook until it thickens to your liking.

2010's Most Memorable Fixin's

2011-01-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

My blogging career got off to a pretty lukewarm start....being as I haven't posted anything since last Feb. But, new year, new vigor.

Even though I haven't been posting, I have been cooking, often at a crazed pace. Some faves from recent memory...

Vegan Caesar Dressing, posted on www.food.com by Cookgirl, who is a treasure trove of good ideas recipe here! It's not a real Caesar replica, but it can be used in the same way. I make this all the time now and have taken it to potlucks...people can't quite place "what" it is with the ground up almonds, but they all seem to enjoy it.

There is something about this 'Schmacon' recipe that keeps me coming back for more. Posted by Sharon123 here!, she's another great cook with loads of inspiration to draw from. My son can't get enough of this, although he is a bit of a salty fiend.

A favourite discovery in 2010 - Tempuna Salad Sandwiches! Mock tuna, mock chicken salad...whatever you want to call it, it's fantastic and finally got me enjoying tempeh - I really dig it now. Another one that Sharon123 from food.com introduced me to, you can find it here!. I guess I'm going to have to make it again soon because I can't find my photo.

I don't get into Vancouver very often these days, but luckily made it over to Kits and what's a trip to Kits without eating at the Naam. The Dragon Stir Fry is still my favourite...

Figuring out "company-worthy" dishes that won't freak hardened omnivores can be a challenge. I'm glad I tried one of Dreena Burton's recipes, from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. These Moroccan Phyllo Rolls were great.

Basic Marinated Baked Tofu

2010-03-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of trying a really simple looking tofu recipe today.....Basic Marinated & Baked Tofu, posted on recipezaar. It turned out very well, suprisingly well considering it only uses 4 pretty standard ingredients. I like the idea of baking tofu, something different and even less work than with my trusty old cast iron frying pan.

Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake

2010-03-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

In a word - wow - I love this recipe from Veganomicon. Most of the baking from this book really works for me. I used spelt flour instead of regular all-purpose, so the end result was probably a little heavier, but really moist and dense. You use an entire tin of coconut milk making it, so not surprising. It was difficult to get all the batter in the bundt pan because it was so delicious!

Anything Goes Muffins - HIAV

2010-03-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

These Anythings Goes muffins from How it all Vegan really live up to their name. I used a complete mix of flours (mainly out of laziness, they were closest...!), buckwheat, barley and brown rice flours. And for the fruit some blackberries and strawberries. Putting earth balance on the one half was completely unnecessary, but deliciously decadent.

Garden of Vegan....

2010-03-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of How it all Vegan and have thought about purchasing the two books that followed it (Garden of Vegan & La Dolce Vegan). By chance found a copy of Garden of Vegan at our local library (one of the, oh wait, the ONLY vegan book on the shelves....either very popular, or they need some more). It's one of those cookbooks you want to curl up on the couch with and have a good long read.

First thing out of the book was the Curry Sauce recipe. Just a simple versatile sauce with curry powder and coconut milk. Quickly sauteed with veggies and leftover whole wheat spaghettini. It was really really good!! I've only got 2 weeks with this copy from the library, better make the most of it!! (something tells me I'll just have to buy it...)

Dry Fry Tofu

2010-03-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

I'm not one of those people who has to do a lot to tofu in order to like it...I just like the stuff! Other diners in my world aren't normally quite so keen. I was introduced to this new 'dry fry' method by a recipezaar friend which I thought might appeal to the kinders....How to Cook Tofu Like the Pros

Tried it out the other day and it really works. Takes a bit of time on the back burner, and then you've got to marinate it. It was extra extra firm, could have used some more time in the marinade, a pretty dry texture inside. I was thinking I could make up a batch and freeze it right in the marinade. ?? Wonder if that would work.

Sllllowwwww Frying...

Marinating

Finished Product...

Veggie Rice Burger

2010-03-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge fan of veggie burgers per se, but I do on occassion enjoy a veggie patty, sans bun. I've tried some bean version over the years, a few tofu and tonight I tried Veggie Rice Burgers from How it All Vegan.

It's the first recipe from the book that didn't really work out for me. Say it ain't so!! The recipe warns you that they are fragile...fragile indeed, I couldn't get them to hold together whatsoever. I was able to salvage the mixture with a few flax "eggs". The taste was pretty good, so maybe the perfect burger will involve similar ingredients. Kids thought they were OK, they liked the crispy bits at least.

Looks like it's back to the veggie burger drawing board.

Seitan - Take I

2010-03-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

15 or more years ago in England I ordered a "mock" something dish in a food court that was less than great. That, and a few questionable seitan dishes in Chinatown, pretty much put me off mock meats for the better part of a decade.

About time to turn over a new seitan leaf especially since it looks so easy and delicious in How it All Vegan and Vegan-a-Go-Go.

The dough recipe in Vegan a Go Go is very pretty simple, 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten to 1/2 cup water. I found you need a little more flour than that, but it really comes together easily and like she says, very elastic (think play do). I went for the "beef" (?) option and it simmered away in a tasty broth for about 45 minutes.

So the dough is, you could say, odd looking...

I thought it would all stick together, but it doesn't...

Tonight I used half the seitan in "Belgian Style Seitan Stew with Dark Beer". It's really tasty and served over some basic mashed potatoes, it was pure comfort! It's from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet. I added some peas and then spinach at the last minute.

http://www.globalvegankitchen.com/SampleRecipes_VP.html

Olympic Mayhem!

2010-02-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

Braved the crowds weekend before last and went downtown to check out all the Olympic action. Well, no actual sporting events in person...but it's practically like Expo in the city, there is so much to see and do.

I must admit, having no children along, it was more or less "house" to "house" (aka very fancy beer tent to very fancy beer tent). Street party atmosphere at every turn. I saw some great looking food, as you probable guessed, not all that much vegan outside of all things deep fried. I found out later that Saskatchewan House had a fantastic lentil burger on offer - well hooray my Sask friends, as your logo says, you are the "pulse of the nation". Wish I had tried it!

I did have a half dozen samosas over the few days from various Indian food vendors...meal of champions. And I found a new spice vendor from North Van who had a table set up at the night market - I've got 3 new spice blends to try out.

Here's the torch being passed runner to runner in Chilliwack...

View from the north side of the Art Gallery - Fur Protesters...

View from the other side of the Art Gallery - packed! Zip line overhead, skating at Robson Square (under dome), people everywhere.

First Nations House (outside QE Theatre)...looks amazing at night.

Sochi House (at Science World) and Athlete's Village around the bend on south side of False Creek.

One of the many vendors at the Night Market...found a few tasty vegan nibbles..

Cauliflower Dal

2010-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

I know the term curry means a lot of things, and different things to different people...but pretty much anytime that label is attached to a dish, I'm going to like it!

Tonight I tried something called Cauliflower Dal Panch Phoron. Panch Phoron, or Indian 5-Spice as I have seen it called, is made up of Fenugreek, Nigella seed, black Mustard seed, whole cumin seed and Fennel seed, and they are left whole.

The recipe originated on Susan V's fatfreevegan blog...
Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran | Recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Her pics of the dish are really appetizing. Check out the nutritional info, it's a power packed one dish meal. I served it with a carrot & cumin paratha on the side. I changed some minor things (a little more oil for one), and I found it a little more watery than I would normally like, so I would cut the water down a bit next time. It makes a huge batch, I'll be having it for many lunches to come.

Chocolate Chip Bars - becomes cake

2010-02-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the final remnant of a fabulous batch of Chocolate Chip Bars from How it all Vegan (HIAV).

HIAV recipes always work out well for me, even after playing around with them. This one called for 1 full cup of oil - knowing I would likely be eating at least 1/3 of the batch and still trying to trim my waistline, I swapped out half of that oil with soy yogurt. The recipe said to "pour" the batter into the pan...well, it wasn't anywhere near pourable so I added nearly 1/2 a cup more liquid.

And who can remember what flours I used! A bit of this, a bit of that! (Barley, unbleached all purpose and some spelt I think).

The end result was a slightly healthier chocolate chip cake that was extremely moist and delicious and didn't last long.

Ginger Peanut Noodles and little men

2010-02-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...nothing warms your heart more than watching your 3 year old enjoy a meal you've prepared, especially one that wouldn't be considered a normal kid-pleaser.

It was just my little guy and I tonight, pickier older sister wasn't around to point out all things, mushy, spicy or chewy.

I know spicy peanut noodles and stir-fries are nothing new, but here's my latest take on it...using vinegar instead of lime juice and cutting down on the amount of oil and calories, without losing flavour. These things are always on hand, I think you could make quite a fridge clearing meal out of it!

Tonight I used the sauce with buckwheat noodles and lots of green veg. Garnished with fresh cilantro and gomashio.

Ginger Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce
Makes 1/2 cup - enough for 2

1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp soy or braggs
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (any vinegar should work)
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1" cube fresh ginger, minced or finely grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard (powder)
1 tsp honey
water (about 2 tbsp)
2 tsp cornstarch

Use a glass measuring cup and mix everything together, adding enough water to get you to 1/2 cup (should be 2 tbsp).

Add to stir-fried noodles, veg, tofu etc. Add extra soy/braggs and/or water if things get too sticky.

Soup Muffins - what's not to like?

2010-02-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

What better to go with some hearty lentil & tomato soup today but a batch of Spicy Soup Muffins from HIAV. I love these muffins - you can get away with using nearly any flour and they seem to always work out. You can trrrry to eat just one.

Simple Leek & Potato Soup

2010-02-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

That's simple in a good way...! Made this soup last night, turned out to be quite a child pleaser, they licked their bowls clean. Nothing fancy here but sometimes, that's better (not to mention, well, simpler).

It's based on a Jamie Oliver recipe, which was posted on recipezaar, from the latest edition of Cooking Light.

2 leeks (about 1 lb)
6 cups veggie broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups onions, chopped (about 1 lb)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Trim leeks, revove outer leaves and tops. Cut each in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2" slices. Immerse in cold water to clean thoroughly, swirl & drain.

In a saucepan bring the broth to a boil and then keep at medium-low heat while you saute the veg.

Heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven on medium high heat. Add leek, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Partially cover, and cook 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the hot broth and potato to the veg and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potato is tender. Stir in pepper and salt.

Serve chunky as-is or puree with an immersion blender.

Veganized Palak Paneer (tofu)

2010-02-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

What did I say, curry on the brain. I love spinach curry and wanted to veganize using tofu of course instead of paneer. My picture isn't so great unfortunately.

This is the result of combining the best of two great recipes - the tried and trusted version from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking...and a version I came across on another vegan blog (the blog is no longer around otherwise I'd point you there). I thought the end result was pretty amazing. It's simple but there are lots of steps and unfortunately a fair whack of dishes to wash up afterwards.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:
350 g firm tofu (one package, firm or extra)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice (sub lime if need be)
1 teaspoon canola oil (any light oil or coconut oil)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
sea salt, to taste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder (note there is some chili powder again in the spinach, so all depending, you might want to omit it here)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 bunches fresh spinach (I use a 284 gram pre-washed "tub" of baby spinach)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 medium onion
2 fresh garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or 1 fresh green chili)
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon arrowroot (or sub corn starch)
1/4 cup plain soymilk (or sub almond or rice milk, etc)

Directions:

Prepare the tofu beforehand by pressing out some of the moisture. The easiest way to do this is to place the block of tofu in a colander, placing a plate on top and then weighing it down with a tin of soup or a heavy skillet. It takes about 1/2 an hour, but you could leave this for however long you need to in the fridge.

Cut the pressed tofu into one inch cubes.

Combine the next 7 ingredients, (grated ginger, lemon juice, oil, turmeric, garam masala, sea salt and chili powder if using). Toss in the tofu and leave to marinate for about 30 minutes, or longer if need be. Try to turn a couple of times so that the marinade gets evenly distributed.

Final step with the tofu is to saute it in about 1 tbsp of the oil. Try to get each side lightly golden. You can use more oil if you want to -- I'm just trying to keep the calories as low as possible. Set aside once done or do ahead of time.

Moving on - the spinach. In a dutch oven or large saute pan, heat up about an inch of water. While that's boiling, chop the spinach roughly and then add to the boiling water, steaming until tender (a matter of a few minutes). Once done, turn off the heat and then drain out about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a measuring cup. Once you've taken that 1/4 cup out, there shouldn't be a whole lot left. Set the 1/4 cup of spinach water aside and then puree what's left in the pot together with the steamed spinach. I like to just use an immersion blender right there in the pot -- or you could move to a blender or something similar. Set the spinach aside.

Putting it together - using a mini-blender or food processor, combine the onion, ginger, garlic, fresh chili if using, and the 1/4 cup spinach water - puree into a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in the paste (watch out, it will splatter) and fry it for about 30 seconds. Then add your other spices and diced tomatoes. Lower the heat and let that cook gently for about 5 minutes, watching it doesn't burn.

Add in your pureed spinach and season to taste with salt.

Combine the arrowroot powder with the soy milk in a small dish. Once you've removed the lumps, gently stir it in and let the sauce thicken up for a few more minutes. Lastly, add in the tofu and let it warm through, about 10 more minutes.

Done! Serve with rice or naan etc -- garnish with fresh cilantro if you like, or some more diced fresh tomato.

Soup was on....

2010-02-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

This soup was so crazy easy, I'm really craving another batch of it...came via recipezaar and originally from Veg Times' Jan09 issue. Made it too spicy for my children, (oh oops), ah well more for me. I have curry flavours on the brain at the mo.

Memorable....

2010-02-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

I made this back in the fall and it's still on my mind to make it again. I remember that I didn't have any plain "milk" in the house, so ended up using some vanilla - which sounds terrible but it didn't really matter. I think it's time to make this again. Found on The Vegan Mouse's blog, which I really enjoy.

The Vegan Mouse: Kidney Bean Mushroom Curry

Where I'm at....

2010-02-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

This vegan thing is pretty new to me. I've racked up a whole 4 or 5 months under my belt.

I have been the solo vegetarian in my family for 15+ years. Toyed with the idea of a vegan diet for years(?), maybe seriously in the last year, and finally it felt like the right time about 4 months ago. I wish I had done it sooner because I know it's right for me.

I've come to realize that with changes like this, it's ok to go in small steps. So I feel OK about taking so long to get to this point.

There is always room for improvement....I'm trying to avoid packaged food as much as I possibly can. Finding quick and easy things that will please young children is always on my radar screen. Got to plan ahead or it's cereal for dinner (and hey, that's OK now and again).