I’m making an attempt from now on to use capital letters and be a Proper Adult Blogger.  Well, that proper part is maybe a bit extreme outside of typing; I am really just afraid I’ll forget how to write by hand (although in that case I usually do the opposite of what I do here…I write in all capital letters likely as a remnant of my short-lived interior design schooling).

So, who’s hot?  I am.  I don’t mind the heat so much as the humidity, and living on the attic floor of an old house.  Usually I lose interest in cooking and subsist on water, smoothies, and going out to eat.  We hit about 88 on Sunday, the day of the first Twin Cities Vegan Potluck, which I think was at least partially responsible for the relatively poor attendance.  When I actually do cook, they are quick, stovetop items with at least a couple of fresh ingredients.

I’m quite certain that a plethora of vegan couscous and chickpea dishes exist; I’m sure many more than my rather unsuccessful Google search revealed.  This is my favorite way to make one, incorporating my current obsession with lemon zest.  I just can’t get enough lemon!  In my quest for healthier grains, I suggest whole wheat couscous if you can find it, but it would look awful pretty with the larger Israeli variety as well.  Adjust the crushed chili pepper to taste, and if you like it really hot, serve this with a crisp, fresh cucumber salad.  This is really lovely at any time of year (the spice will warm you on the colder days of fall and winter), but the short cooking time, simple ingredients, and fresh toppings make it a suitable summer dish, whether warm or chilled.

Zesty Lemon Couscous with Chickpeas and Tomato (serves 3-4):

1 c vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c couscous

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp allspice
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
zest from one lemon (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c parsley, minced
1 scallion, sliced diagonally

Bring vegetable stock and olive oil to a boil.  Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium pan.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili pepper, and allspice and cook another minute or two, stirring constantly, before doing the same with the chickpeas.  Add the diced tomatoes and cook until heated through, then grate in the lemon zest.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and combine with the chickpea mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper (the sodium content of the vegetable stock will affect how much salt you want).  Serve garnished with fresh parsley and scallions.

I finally made it to the garden again this morning, and was greeted by an explosion of growth and color.  I’m hoping to harvest some gorgeous kale tomorrow along with a few beets.  The sky just turned a strange yellow color outside and it began to rain.  I hope it cooled off this little kitty:

seitan fajitas with red, yellow, and poblano peppers, red onions, and guacamole on homemade corn tortillas

this week i made a plank of seitan, and i mean a plank.  my experiences with making seitan have often resulted in firm interiors and spongier outsides.  so, inspired by tofu666’s recent seitan excursions and less recent photo essay, plus a conglomeration of recipes, i first failed at making seitan from regular wheat flour.  it disintegrated in the second batch of water, which makes me wonder whether i either didn’t knead the dough long enough at the beginning or my canister of “whole wheat flour” was actually something else.  so i went to the old standby of vital wheat gluten, and rolled the resulting dough into a giant pancake of sorts.  i put it into cold broth, simmered it for an hour, then let it cool all day in the pot while i was at work.  it worked deliciously!  so firm, pleasantly chewy, and it even makes a tasty nibble on its own.

today, however, it had a different calling:

i went off the real food daily recipe for seitan fajitas, though i made it for four mini servings, replaced some of the tamari with water, and added coriander and marmite.  while the seitan pieces marinated, i made a small batch of corn tortillas.  yum.  i don’t think i can ever buy storebought corn tortillas again, though i will definitely have to try making flour ones as well sometime.  this was only the second time i’ve made them, but really, they’re quite easy.  (while my girlfriend was on tour, her band was treated to a homemade mexican-themed vegan breakfast feast cooked by chloe from montreal-based aids wolf.  she made homemade everything, including tortillas!)  then i browned the seitan in the cast iron pan, threw in some onions and peppers and sauteed them a couple of minutes.  i poured the remaining marinade over everything and turned the heat off while they sizzled.  topped with some guacamole, they made for a very tasty lunch.

i haven’t done a ton of cooking yet, because it’s been pretty hot out, and we’ve been really busy looking for a new place to live.  i did, however, get a chance to try out the popular quinoa salad with black beans and sweet potatoes posted awhile back on the ppk.  i made it spicier and added avocado, and it was quick and easy!

my stomach hasn’t been very happy with some of my food choices lately.  i think the raw really had cleaned me out even after just a week, and i have been feeling the effects of my poorer choices (like pizza luce and malaysian golden tofu).  so i’ve got to stop being lazy and put my foot down in this house about more fresh food!  there’s a good-looking recipe for a raw creamy carrot soup that’s been calling my name.  and more juice.  definitely more juice.

black bean, leek, and oregano polenta layered with tomato relish and garlic-almond nut cheese, served on “house”-dressed greens

i was really hoping to have two dishes to share photos of today. but alas, my attempt at a beautiful rendition of vegan world fusion cuisine’s vital ital green banana omelet resulted in an unattractive (though tasty) mush-pile. believe me, there was no way i was going to photograph that, even as an example of disaster. however, i did make a tasty dinner: black bean and herb polenta stacks.

the fillings, and accompanying salad, were rather off the cuff as far as a recipe. but i can share the polenta recipe. we make a few items at work using tubed polenta, but i’ve never really been into its texture and bland flavor… that may be, however, due to our minimal method of preparation (brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling it with salt and pepper, then baking it for 20 minutes before incorporating it into the recipes, both of which aren’t vegan). i’ve always heard (and now believe) that homemade polenta is the way to go.

i ran across several methods and opinions as to how long to cook the polenta. i was feeling a bit lazy, so i went with a shorter cooking time followed by broiling, though i added black beans and some other goodies to make the creamy polenta even tastier. i cut this into stackable sections and filled each polenta layer with tomato relish and nut cheese.

remember the almond milk i posted about last time? that time around i saved the ground nuts remaining in my nutmilk bag and used them as a base for a garlicky almond cheese. any kind of spreadable vegan cheese or cream cheese, jazzed up a bit with garlic and spices, though, would do. i made a simple tomato and red onion relish, though i think any salsa-type concoction would work. you could even switch up the kinds of beans and herbs, and make a more italian-inspired dish. or, add more veggies to the mix. the polenta gives you a base to experiment with - just keep in mind that the polenta as is is pretty subtle so you will want some stronger flavors in your spread/vegetable layers.

black bean and herb polenta (makes about 2 1/2 c polenta):

3 c vegetable stock (or water)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 c polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/3 c chopped leeks or scallions
1 c cooked black beans
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
salt and pepper to taste

bring stock, oil, and salt to a boil. whisk in cornmeal and reduce heat to a simmer. simmer 10 minutes, whisking constantly. stir in leeks, black beans, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook a few minutes longer. pour into a lightly greased casserole or baking dish (about 9×12), and smooth with a spatula. let cool and set up.

at this point you can cut out your circles or squares, make the layers, and bake the whole stack; otherwise, broil the dish of polenta until it starts to brown (about 10 minutes). let cool and cut out circles of polenta with a thin-rimmed glass or cookie cutter, or square shapes with a knife. layer tomato relish on one piece, top with another piece of polenta, spread with vegan cheese, and top with a third layer of polenta. garnish with oregano and serve with a green salad.

also, this past weekend this was my kitchen:

i ended up with a pretty tasty chili one night, if you can believe it.  beer helps, too.  if you wanna see some pictures from our camping trip to the north shore, click here.

crushed tomatoes, spicy tempeh sausage, fresh spinach, red onions, and basil chiffonade on a spelt-whole wheat crust; with bell’s two hearted ale and a trio of olives.

we tend to order a lot of pizza luce at our apartment (well, when we order pizza, maybe once or twice a month).  and it’s great - we can do half vegan/half vegetarian, it’s garlicky, deliciously smothered in toppings, and local.  but sometimes i want more choices (not to mention saving 18 dollars).  i want to know what all goes into my crust and my toppings.  so, i bought a pizza stone.  it changed my life over two nights.

i searched high and low for a whole grain pizza crust online, but wasn’t left with many options for quick and easy.  so my wait for pizza night lasted through an overnight delayed fermentation after finding a pared down version of peter reinhart’s recipe on 101 cookbooks (a gorgeous site with vegetarian, and several vegan, recipes).  and was it worth it?  oh yes.

i wouldn’t call myself a pizza snob in the sense that i’ve never lived in new york city (wow, have i encountered strong - though deserved - opinions there), nor do i have a very specific definition of what i think constitutes a good pizza.  they come in all shapes, sizes, and tastes.  but i’m certainly not one to settle for a cheeseless vegetarian chain pizza with too much (and a too chewy) crust.  and i, for one, appreciate a crispy thin crust when i have the option, and would generally rather skip the faux cheese (though pizza luce’s rinotta is pretty damn tasty).

garlic-stuffed olives, marinated sicilian olives, and green lucques.

a is playing a few shows out of town this weekend, so i made a pizza for the eve of her departure.  i wasn’t sure how the crust would turn out exactly, and only had some vague ideas of what to top it with to approximate the simplicity of a neopolitan-style pizza.  a friend of mine likes to point out that a lot of poorer people in italy could not afford to put cheese (or meat for that matter) on their pizzas, making it fairly authentic to create a truly vegan pizza.  with the first pizza, however, i opted for some protein on top by making a zestier version of the tempeh sausage crumbles from the millenium cookbook’s puttanesca pizza.  it complemented the tangy crushed tomatoes i used as a sauce as well as the baby spinach and red onions; when i pulled the pizza out of the oven i sprinkled it with a chiffonade of basil:

…and served it with three kinds of olives and a cold bottle of bell’s two hearted ale apiece.  mmm…

so about this crust:  i used a combination of whole spelt flour and whole wheat bread flour to make a whole grain crust, which is hard to find (most have a mix of wheat and white flour).  i mixed enough dough for 8 small crusts and froze most of them, reserving a few in the fridge for the upcoming occasions.  i shaped the dough by hand (without a rolling pin), getting a dangerously thin crust in some areas, but the heat of that magic twelve-dollar stone assured that my crust came out not-soggy, and perfectly baked.  my crust didn’t blister and blacken in spots as neopolitan pizzas tend to, but i have no complaints about the final product.  it was thin and crispy without being either hard or cardboard-like, and had an amazing flavor.

spelt-whole wheat crust with olive oil, tomatoes, grilled zucchini, red onions, salt and pepper, before baking (and before basil).

i got to try out more pizza the following night, when two of my coworkers came over to watch “eyes without a face” (which i recommend if you’re in the mood for a creepy, beautiful french film from the late 50s).  this time i made two kinds: one crust simply brushed with olive oil, then layered with tomatoes, grilled zucchini, red onions, and fresh basil, and the other with crushed tomatoes, tempeh sausage, sicilian olives, marinated mushrooms, red onions, cashew cheese, and fresh rosemary.  this crust recipe is definitely a keeper!  if you can hold off a day in finishing your pizza dough, i highly recommend it.

spinach salad with baked tofu, red bell peppers, sunflower seeds, and papaya poppyseed dressing

my regimen of not taking medication isn’t really working out for me. i feel worse today than i have so far, i think. but i’m trying to eat some healthy foods in the meantime (and sucking on some olga’s herbal pastilles for my throat). above was lunch before work today, and dinner consisted of my attempt to include ramps* in a pasta dish. however, i was having a bit of a battle with the ezekiel sprouted pasta. it states clearly in bold type (twice) not to overcook the pasta, which i didn’t do to my knowledge. however, most of it ended up clumped together and grossly chewy (and not very photogenic), which i suspect is partially just a characteristic of sprouted grain pasta. however, i’m taking a well-advised tip from katie about not showing a picture of this dish just because i made it. the gummy pasta really detracted from the otherwise delicious flavors going on.

what i did in shorthand is: tossed a drained can of chickpeas and a bunch of ramp bulbs and stems in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and roasted them at 400 until browned. i made the ill-fated pasta while sauteeing cremini mushrooms in a cast iron pan until brown and juicy, then threw in the ramp greens and a large handful of spinach to wilt. i tossed it all together, added a little more salt and pepper, and put a few drops of white truffle oil on my serving (seriously, is there anything truffle oil can’t make extra-wonderful?) along with a chiffonade of fresh basil.

so, for lack of a finished product, here is a picture of the chickpeas and ramps before going into the oven:

*what the heck is a ramp? it’s also known as a wild leek in the midwest, where it’s just come into season. tasting somewhat like a cross between garlic and onions, the roasting really toned down the pungency of this little woodland treasure. (last year i tried them for the first time and i think i let them sit around too long before throwing them into a stir-fry… kissing was not a top priority after that experience!) many places, especially in the south, have huge ramp festivals in the spring! a majority of traditional recipes are also laden with dairy and meat, so i had to go with my own concoction. hooray for wild vegetables

**i have TWO upcoming bread-type experiments fermenting right now that i hope will work out…one for a whole wheat/spelt herbed pizza crust, the other for a traditional swedish all-rye bread. wish me baker’s luck!

unglazed sweet potato and cranberry scones

i never had a chance to remake the sweet potato and cranberry scones with maple caramel glaze that i came up with last fall, and since i was already planning on a sweet potato burger concoction, i decided to cook all the potatoes at once.  this time i made it with spelt flour instead of all-purpose, which yielded a slightly earthier orange than before (thought the photos don’t entirely capture that).  i also used frozen cranberries instead of fresh.

the glaze didn’t firm up as much as it did last time; i think i may have not boiled the syrup long enough.  but it sure tasted good!  they are soft, just moist enough, and a good balance of sweetness and tartness.  to tell the truth, i had one for dessert and one for breakfast, too…

and then, i also made something i’m really pretty proud of.  i don’t know what it is about my recent gluten- and soy-free kick concerning savory food, but these burgers were a definite success on that front.

sweet potato and black bean burgers with millet and leeks

these aren’t “meaty” in the sense of being chewy, but they are hefty patties of deliciousness.  because they’re baked, and not fried, they’re fairly low in fat (well, “extra fat” anyway… there is a little almond butter in there).  slightly sweet, and with a little bit of chili kick, they’d be good with salsa and vegan cheddar, or like i had them, with a healthy dose of guacamole, spring greens, sliced tomatoes, and a serving of broiled asparagus:

so, where are the recipes? you might be wondering.  well, i’ve decided it’s time i got myself together and actually started working on a little cookzine, and i need to get some recipes tested.  so if you’re interested in either recipe, let me know, and i’ll email them to you.  if you make them, let me know how they turned out for you, or how you changed them.  hopefully, i’ll have some other recipes to offer up soon as well.

this chili has absolutely nothing to do with the 1970s, or a cookbook, or a 1970s cookbook.  i just can’t get any decent lighting in this apartment at night in the winter, and this photo fondly reminds me of those flat, earth-toned pictures from thrift-store casserole cookbooks.  we had another chilly chilly weekend, and after work and a painfully windy walk home from cinema revolution, i spent the entirety of sunday inside.  for dinner, i concocted this smoky, spicy, warming chili which, for lack of a recipe, turned out pretty well (though it would have been even nicer with some chopped cilantro thrown in).  here’s the lowdown:

chipotle sweet potato and black bean chili (serves 4-6):

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, chopped
3 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)
1 28-oz can fire roasted tomato sauce
1 1/2 c vegetable stock
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c frozen corn kernels
1-2 tbsp lime juice
shredded vegan cheddar, for garnish (optional)
salsa, for garnish (optional)

heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent.  stir in sweet potato, reduce heat slightly, and cover.  allow the potatoes to “sweat” for about 5 minutes.  stir in spices and adobo sauce and cook an additional minute or two, then add the vegetable stock, tomato sauce and black beans.  simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, then add corn and lime juice.  replace the cover and let the corn heat through.  serve with cornbread or over your grain of choice (that’s buckwheat in the photo), topped with shredded vegan cheddar and salsa if desired.

this was a pretty good start for a chili, but i think i would change a couple things.  adding some cilantro, definitely.  a thought it was lacking a “meaty” texture, though i think that might be because she’s used to fantastic foods boxed chili, which uses tvp.  i could also definitely see some other vegetables in here for variety and color, like zucchini or (gasp!) green peppers.  i wonder also what roasting a head or so of garlic beforehand might do for the dish…

i’ve got some exciting food plans coming up this week, including a “meat and potatoes” lunch, and a super special friday night nepali dinner party(my first foray into preparing nepalese food).

today i decided to try out a raw syrup for my flax cake.  i didn’t directly use one of the syrup recipes in the book, but it was definitely based on that process, and using my latest produce fun-find: pixie tangerines.  they are teeny, juicy, and seedless.  this turned out so so good!  i would use it on any pancake, raw or cooked.  way tastier than plain ol’ maple syrup (but don’t worry, mp, i haven’t abandoned you)!

pixie tangerine and strawberry syrup (makes 2 servings):

juice from 1 tangerine
and
1 tangerine, peeled and segmented
2 medjool dates, pitted
3-4 strawberries, thawed if frozen
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. 

i stopped in at work and got an apple-lemon-kale juice.  delicious!  and greens to boot.  after fiddling around at home a bit, i then made the heirloom tomato gazpacho from ani’s raw food kitchen.

some changes i made: i reduced the amount of olive oil based on my miso soup experience (good idea), and also added some fresh basil to the soup base.  based on the lack of vegetables (only tomatoes and cucumbers featured) and the inclusion of some brazil nuts (which made the soup creamy), i’d say this was more along the lines of a raw cream of tomato soup + cucumbers.  not that it wasn’t good - quite the contrary - i just found it a little misleading.

for dessert i made myself a strawberry-banana-almond shake.  i wish i’d processed the almonds a little more for smoothness, but the taste was really good (sweetened with barhi dates):

as much as i wanted to make more raw food for dinner, i didn’t think that was going to fly with my lady all too well (she’s into my vegan cooking, even though she misses cheese, but is very afraid lately that i’m going to go raw.  which i’m not, but i like to eat raw once a week or so).  i have been sorely neglecting my copy of yellow rose recipes since i made the sweet potato and black bean flautas in december, and buried somewhere in my brain i remembered something called “green-wa.”  it’s been snowy and gloomy all day, so some green deliciousness and a steamy bowl of dal seemed in good order.

(the gloominess is also responsible for the lack of clarity in my photographs it would seem.)  the green-wa is delicious, though i admit to one change: i didn’t add the curry powder since i was making dal to have with it.  and really, i didn’t miss it.  a didn’t witness the preparation so when i handed her her dinner she said “why is it green like that?”  i explained the onion-spinach-cilantro sauce, to which she replied “ohhhh! it’s so beautiful!”  this certainly will be a much-used way of preparing quinoa in the future, and went great with the spicy and spiced red lentil dal (i made that up as i went along).

i’ll admit i got full rather quickly, and i think my raw meals earlier in the day were a big big part of that.  not to mention some other things i’ve been noticing, bodily, about myself, that i won’t be repeating here…

for thanksgiving this year, because of school (a) and work (me), we stayed in town, and walked over to our friend eric’s for dinner. it snowed! fitting, but kind of strange and unexpected to wake up to. i slow-cooked a seitan roast overnight based on a bryanna recipe, then rolled it in crushed walnuts and baked it:

i also made some stuffing with cranberries and apples. eric made a curried ginger and squash soup, and his roommate made garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. so full we didn’t need dessert! here are some leftovers from the day after, because i forgot to bring my camera to the meal itself… sliced roast and stuffing, with goddess dressing as a replacement for my non-existent gravy:

after all those carbs and richness, we wanted something light for dinner the following night. steamed broccolini, garlic-roasted brussel sprouts (vwav), balsamic-roasted portabella, and wild-and-brown rice. simple, but delicious:

on saturday we reinstated the vegan taco night at dan’s. i made salsa, chili cheeze sauce, cornbread, horchata, and mexican-spiced baked squash, while dan and michael made rice, beans, gimme lean with peppers and onions, and some tasty guacamole. we also made margaritas! then went bowling and to the brass rail (the trashiest gay bar in downtown). here’s the spread, with michael beginning his vegan taco adventure:

and some closeups of what i brought:

the baked squash (with cumin, paprika, epazote, and cayenne):

a cashew-based chili cheeze sauce:

potlucks are my favorite thing to cook for! less hassle, but you still get to be a part of the cooking contribution. tomorrow night i’m hitting up an autumnal potluck and planning to bring pumpkin baked ziti from v*con (or rigatoni in my case)!

spelt-rice bread with imagine foods sweet corn soup and a baby romaine and tomato salad with annie’s lemon-chive dressing:

today was a bearable day, almost chilly at times, which is a welcome change from the heat and humidity of late. so i decided it was cool enough to try some baking. i found this recipe in my ExtraVeganZa! cookbook and have been wanting to make it for quite some time because it sounded so weird (cooked rice, spelt, cornmeal, no yeast or leavening agents!). it has a really weird name too, with somebody’s name and old english spellings (?) that sound like more of a quote than a title. it also asks for sesame seeds in the recipe without listing it in the ingredients, so i put my own version below. anyway, i popped into work and got a container of cooked rice (because i was a little lazy) and some soup and salad fixings. then i got to work…

spelt-rice bread (makes one loaf):
1/2 c. cornmeal
2 c. spelt flour
1 tbsp. olive, corn, sesame, or other natural oil
1 1/2-2 c. brown rice, cooked and cooled
2/3 tsp. sea salt
3/4 c. (or more) water
about 1/8 c. sesame seeds

in a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, and salt, and rub in the oil with your fingertips. work the rice with your fingers until all of the grains are separated and kinda coated with the flour mixture. add enough water to make a dough that sticks together easily. it will look something like this:

shape the dough into a round loaf. place the sesame seeds on a plate, then roll the loaf in the sesame seeds until it is completely covered (or until all the seeds are used up):

sprinkle some sesame seeds on a baking sheet, then place the loaf on the sheet. put loaf into a cold oven, then turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for one hour. remove from oven and allow to cool. serve with soup and salad, or just with your favorite topping! keep remaining bread in sealed container or plastic bag to retain moistness.

observations:
this dough is quick to make, and easy to work with (not very sticky like other doughs can be). it doesn’t rise (duh), so don’t be alarmed if it’s the same size when you pull it out of the oven as when you put it in. it’s super-dense, simple, and (so far) pretty moist. i bet toasted it would make a good open-faced sandwich base (mmmm… cashew cheese!!).

on a related note, i’m going to try and make my own sweet corn soup soon. the imagine foods brand is delicious (and vegan of course) but i bet homemade it could be even tastier. the ingredients don’t seem to weird or vague, either, so whenever my corn crop is ready for eating, sweet corn chowder here i come! (or i may have to make it sooner).