Sunday, December 13, 2015

Pressing Tofu and Vegan Bahn Mi

The secret to making tofu (not the silken kind) is pressing it. I use this:


It's not difficult or very time consuming, you just put in the block of tofu and turn the knobs, then continuing turning the top piece down until it meets a lot of resistance - you really wanna get the water out of there but you don't want to destroy the tofu. I let it sit in the sink on it's side for about 15 minutes. After that, you have many options.

Marinating the tofu can give it great flavor, even in as simple a marinade as soy sauce alone, or balsamic vinegar with a little sugar or agave nectar.

If you want a quicker option, cut the tofu into small blocks, or slice it (about 1/4 inch thick), sprinkle it with salt and pepper and bake it - about ten minutes on each side for slices, or 15 minutes total for diced tofu, or fry it in a nonstick pan (or just add a little nonstick spray) or deep-fry in oil.

It's perfectly fine to eat the tofu at that point - it's actually pretty good just like that with a little ketchup or on a sandwich with some condiments. You can create a delicious bahn mi style sandwich with tofu cooked this way.

This is a simple sandwich with lettuce, vegan mayo, pickled carrots, cucumber and jalapeño slices and some delicious baked tofu slices:





Yet another option is to put the tofu in sauce and then bake it further. This takes a bit more time but really gives the tofu excellent flavor. I like to use barbecue sauce and bake it with some veggies. It's really good like that with carrots, white or sweet potatoes or even broccoli and cauliflower.
Tofu is truly an incredibly versatile ingredient, and when you also include the many things you can do with silken tofu, like adding it to smoothies or making mousse, the choices are endless,


Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bruschetta

So easy and quick to make, I love bruschetta. Toast some bread - if you are in a hurry make it plain or brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a mixture of dried herbs like oregano and/or basil, marjoram and parsley, salt and pepper, then toast.
Saute up your favorite diced veggies - any mixture of stuff like tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, shredded carrots, squash, zucchini, or other summer vegetables with garlic, salt and pepper (add more herbs if desired.) Top the toasty bread with the veggie mix. If you like cheese, vegan or otherwise, you can sprinkle some on top and toast again if you want.


Gingerbread Cupcakes


On the lighter side for gingerbread, one might intensify the flavor with even more ginger. These are tasty with a simple buttercream - made vegan with Earth Balance Margarine or just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Cupcakes:
Combine

3/4 cup of soy milk
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp ground flax

Combine in another bowl or large measuring cup

1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient in 3 batches, mixing until just combined after each batch. Pour batter into cupcake liners and bake at 350ºF for 19 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Icing:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tblsp soy milk
1 tsp vanilla

Whip the butter in an electric mixture. Add confectioners sugar slowly. Scrape down sides several times, beating about 3 minutes total and scraping about once a minute. Add the liquid ingredients and beat another minute. Double the recipe if you like thick layers of icing!




Saturday, April 11, 2015

Dried Chickpeas to Falafel

Soaking beans is easy and economical but requires advance planning. I usually start with dried beans, rinse them well and boil them (1 cup beans to about 3-4 cups water), then leave them sitting overnight.
At this point, the 'skins' on the garbanzo beans/chickpeas will become loose. You can rub them around and get most of the skins off pretty easily. I like to do this before I use the beans in a meal.


It's always good to rinse the beans after you soak them and discard the water. Then use a food processor to chop the beans up. Add the other ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot, diced - can sub chopped onion or dried onion
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fenugreek if available or dash of celery salt
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp cornstarch or flour
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 2 tblsp dried
salt and pepper to taste


Form the mixture into balls, and fry the balls after heating about 2 inches of oil or a deep fryer to 350ºF . Don't crowd the balls and fry in batches if necessary. Cooking time is a few minutes, so watch carefully and turn if necessary but don't agitate too much.

Serve over salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber or on pita or french bread with your favorite toppings like shredded carrot or sliced tomatoes and feta cheese. Falafel also tastes good with plain or minty yogurt and tahini.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Boston Cream Cake Pie from “Vegan Pie in the Sky” by Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz

This was a complicated bake, but I thought it was totally worth it. These are my results. I thought the pie looked and tasted delicious. Recipe can be found in their cookbook or at the end of the article here:
NY Daily News with Terry Hope Romero




Ultimately, I liked their Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World book the most in their baking series. I think Pie in the Sky was my second favorite, as I found the recipes to not be quite as consistent as the ones in Cupcakes. All said, they are all worthy additions to any vegan's cookbook set.

Chocolate Cupcakes

I love these easy cupcakes. The recipe makes about a dozen. After you make the batter and pour it into the pan, you can top the cupcakes with a dollop of jelly or some chocolate chips. That's a nice alternative to having to deal with making icing, and these cupcakes are usually pretty moist.

In a small bowl or measuring cup mix:

3/4 cup of soy milk
1/4 cup water (you can also use all water)
1 tsp vinegar ( I like balsamic with the chocolate but you can also use apple cider or white)

and let that sit a moment

while you use a larger mixing bowl to mix:

3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of oil

stir the sugar and oil vigorously or use an electric mixer and add

1 tsp of vanilla

then combine in a small bowl or measuring cup

1/3 c of cocoa
1 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda


add the water/milk/vinegar mixture from above to the sugar/oil
and sift in the flour/cocoa mixture

mix until combined
pour into cupcake liners (I like silicon)
bake at 350ºF for 19-21 minutes - use a cake tester







Saturday, February 7, 2015

Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love double chocolate chip cookies. This is still a bit of a work in progress, but it makes a good cakey cookie.

Heat oven to 350º F

Mix:

1/4 cup + 2 tblsps soy milk and 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and let it sit a moment while you

mix the following very well in a large bowl:

1/4  c lightly packed brown sugar
1/2  c white sugar
1/3 c canola oil
1 tblsp tapioca flour
2 tsps vanilla extract

and after a moment of vigorous mixing, add in the flax/milk mixture, then mix all that very well.
Mixing by hand is ok.

Combine:

1 1/4 c flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

and sift it into the liquid mixture. Stir well and then add in 3/4 cup chocolate chips

I use a small ice cream scoop to dole out around 16 cookies to a sheet.
Bake cookies for 9 minutes.
Careful not to overbake these cookies.
Let cool a moment or to, then transfer to a rack. Best warm but good for a few days in an airtight container.
 Before baking
After baking

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Twice Baked Vegan Potatoes

These could be modified endlessly. The following is just a guide.

Scrub potatoes, bake directly on rack until soft in a 400º oven, about 35 minutes or until tender.


After cooling down, cut potatoes in half.


Scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon.

Mash the flesh with whatever you might like, including chopped frozen broccoli and vegan cheeze sauce. Any small or diced vegetable, like peas or carrots, could work here. Moisten the flesh with cheese, oil or ketchup.



Shown:

1/3 cup frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup vegan cheeze sauce

salt

pepper
paprika
celery salt
garlic powder
coriander

Stuff the potatoes with the filling, add additional cheese or sauce if desired and bake 20-25 minutes in a 400º oven. Serve hot.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Low Fat Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread

Using at least a 2 cup measure or bowl, Combine:

1 cup soymilk
1 tsp vinegar (apple cider or white are ok)


And let sit for a moment.

In another bowl or measuring cup, combine:

1 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


Add the following to the soymilk/vinegar mixture:

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 tblsp canola oil
1 tblsp agave

1 tblsp brown sugar

Mix wet and dry.
Put in muffin tins or a 8" x 8" pan (double recipe for 9" x 13" pan)
In a 350º oven, bake muffins for 18 mins, a pan for 25 or until a toothpick come out clean


This is not a very sweet recipe. You could add more brown sugar (and since this is a vegan recipe, you can taste it before baking and adjust to your liking).

Easy Vegetarian Chili

In a pot, heat about 1 tblsp oil and saute:

2-4 cloves garlic
1 small diced onion or shallot, or about 2 tblsp dried onions
1 small shredded carrot (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup diced red or green or yellow peppers

Don't let the pot dry. Add some veggie stock to keep it moist.
After the garlic is softened (it will appear more translucent, should take about 3-5 minutes)
add:

salt, pepper to taste
2 tbslp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 cup veggie stock

Heat to boiling, then simmer for about 15 - 20 mins

Check the salt and pepper level. Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or sriracha if you want it more spicy.

If you like a chili with a thick 'broth' like me, and used diced tomatoes and not crushed, add a can of tomato paste or about a 1/2 cup pumpkin puree.

Serve over rice or with cornbread if desired.

I'm still trying to use dried beans more often but canned are convenient when you suddenly get a craving. I'm much better about getting into a routine of softening chickpeas about once a week, still not as good as doing that with black beans.

To use dried beans: soak beans at least overnight.
Dump bean water, rinse, and simmer beans until softened, up to 2 hours. Don't add salt.