Lower-Fat Rama Spinach Curry with Tofu July 4, 2009
Posted by a-k in nuts, recipe, tofu, vegetables.9 comments
With kaffir lime-cilantro rice and sugar snap peas.
I really like Thai curries, and I’ve always been a sucker for anything involving coconut milk and peanuts. But being vegan and eating Thai food means a lot of questions about fish sauce and eggs, and sometimes disturbingly not knowing whether you’re truly getting something without any offending ingredients. (At least in my experience, I’ve been told differing accounts of ingredients for the same dish by different people, and I often get told the bad news by a kind vegan server after I’ve ordered the same dish a couple of times.) On top of this, Rama Spinach Curry is pretty darn rich, what with loads of full-fat coconut milk and unknowable amounts of peanut butter, even for this not-too-fat-content-concerned lady.
So for both reasons, making this dish at home is a pretty good idea. I’m not going to claim this is a low-fat dish, because it’s not, but it’s certainly lower in fat than anything you’re going to get at your local Thai restaurant, without sacrificing the lovely peanut and coconut flavors. You can throw it together while your brown rice is cooking, and you can control the level of wilt in your spinach by steaming it to your own preference (or just going with fresh). This is a spicy, creamy, and ever so slightly sweet curry that would go great with a fresh salad or tangy veggie side dish (I opted for some lightly dressed citrus-y sugar snap peas from my CSA share). While I recommend thawed frozen tofu for a chewy texture, feel free to substitute fresh (or go with mock duck if that floats your happy boat).
Lower-Fat Rama Spinach Curry with Tofu (serves 3-4)
16 oz tofu, frozen, thawed, and cut into bite-size pieces
splash of oil for sauteing
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tbsp red curry paste, or to taste (Thai Kitchen brand is vegan)
2 tbsp Sucanat or other vegan sugar
2 tbsp tamari
1/3 c chopped roasted peanuts
3-4 c fresh spinach
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet or cast iron pan and add onions and tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add ginger, garlic, coconut milk, peanut butter, curry paste, sugar and tamari, stirring to dissolve sauce ingredients. Simmer over medium-low heat until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in chopped peanuts, reserving some for garnish if desired.
Meanwhile, steam spinach until just wilted, or leave fresh. Place a bed of spinach on each plate, top with curry and reserved peanuts, and serve with a side of rice.
A Birthday Dinner November 6, 2008
Posted by a-k in baking, beans and legumes, cake, chocolate, cookbooks, dessert, parties and happenings, ppk, protein alternatives, salad, sauces and spices, tempeh, the millenium cookbook, vegetables.16 comments
Rum Raisin Bundt Cakes, Coconut-Vanilla-Cashew Cheesecake, and German Chocolate Cake
So, remember how in my last post I said I was reducing my sugar intake except for holidays and special occasions? This was a very special occasion: my ladyfriend’s 28th birthday! We had our good friends Michael and Dan over and it was a gay ol’ party (I mean that in both senses)!
While I kept most of the dinner a secret until the evening of, I tried really hard to think about what Angela would want and like. I mean, she likes just about everything I make her, but after last year’s scuffle with the vegan cake I made her (she hadn’t yet been convinced that vegan baking was delicious), I tried to be very considerate in not making anything too out there. I may have gone a bit too far with the raw cheesecake I made, but it was my least favorite (though certainly not inedible) of the desserts, too.
Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas from ED&BV
All the preparation started on Monday, when I baked the layers and filling for the German Chocolate Cake from the Artful Vegan (the Millenium restaurant’s second cookbook), made a gallon of vegetable stock, marinated and baked three packages of tempeh, made the raw cheesecake, and prepared a batch of Cranberry-Ginger Dressing (from the first Millenium cookbook). Tuesday I actually ended up taking a break from all of it because I was so tired and totally stressed out about the election (even though I am not particularly into mainstream politics), but on Wednesday I made the Rum Raisin cupcakes from VCTOTW in bundt form AND assembled the other two desserts before going to work. Once home from work it was chopping vegetables and stirring risotto and cooking a mushroom sauce for the tempeh while a big batch of Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas baked in the oven as a pre-dinner snack, and sauteeing kale and grilling the tempeh and finally assembling the plates. Whew! I’m tired just remembering it all.
Mixed greens with Cranberry-Ginger Dressing
Grilled tempeh with rosemary-dijon-mushroom sauce, butternut squash and sage risotto, and balsamic-sauteed kale.
It was a delicious success! We started with the chickpeas and a mixed baby green salad tossed in the Cranberry-Ginger Dressing and topped with fresh pears. I do think I’m a bit used to fatty dressings (this one had no oil or other fat) so I though it was a bit acidic, but no one left any behind. Dinner included of butternut squash and sage risotto which I based on the PPK recipe; I also added some black truffle oil for extra-specialness. I sauteed kale in olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a side, but the most delicious part in my mind was the tempeh. I used the recipe from the Millenium cookbook for baked marinated tempeh, which I then grilled and topped with a rosemary-dijon-mushroom sauce (this was an on-the-spot invention). Everything was rich and warm and flavorful, and I kind of wish I’d made more! But we wouldn’t have had any room for it, because dessert was CRAZY.
Rum Raisin mini bundt cakes
There were a few different kinds of cakes Angela had mentioned over the past few months, and that gave me the idea to make a bunch of miniature cakes in different flavors rather than one single large dessert. This was a bit of insurance as well, since she was sure to like at least one of them! All the desserts were made using 4″ diameter cake pans and halving most of the recipes I was using (though that ended up being not quite small enough in most instances and I had to eat up some extras), which included: mini German Chocolate Cake from the Artful Vegan, mini Rum Raisin bundt cakes from the VCTOTW cookbook, and a raw cheesecake based on this slightly cult-ish internet video I found (the actual recipe directions were fine, but the surrounding contents were pretty … uh … creepy quotes and footage from some channel called “Supreme Master TV”).
Leaning tower of German Chocolate Cake from the Artful Vegan
Portions for everyone were devoured while watching VHS tapes of Bollywood montages which were AMAZING. I’ve still got mountains of dishes to do today (and I really don’t want to do them!), but they were worth it for a tasty evening and a happy girlfriend. Hooray birthdays!
***Thank you to everyone for your supportive comments about my last post! Once I’m back in business I hope my attempts to be healthier will be reflected… I’ve got a load of ideas waiting to get tested out. Including my first attempt at a lentil bolognese, seen here over spaghetti squash:
Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash
PPK Cookbook Challenge: Eat, Drink & Be Vegan September 24, 2008
Posted by a-k in cookbooks, mexican food, tofu.7 comments
ED&BV's Gimme Chimis
I didn’t have last week’s cookbook, but was excited to try Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, which I’ve had nearly since it was released, though I’d only ever referenced it previously to make a white bean hummus. I made quite a few recipes, actually, and only over the course of three days!
First I made the Gimme Chimis (if I have one critique of this cookbook just flipping through it, it’s the cheesy names, but being family-friendly/mom-authored I understand why it is so). This was really good – smokey, a little spicy, and crispy on the outside. I would make it again, but maybe up the spiciness. And add guacamole! (Our avocados smelled and tasted of garbage, unfortunately.) I also replaced the beans called for with some mashed potatoes.
Somehow, I managed to pick a load of fried recipes, which, while tasty, doesn’t reflect my usual food choices. I’ve been trying to counter it with eating more raw foods this week. And speaking of raw, I made Dreena’s Living Caesar Dressing, which was really really tasty! I had it over mixed greens topped with the Blackened Tofu (LOVED the crispy, spicy flavor!).
ED&BV's Blackened Tofu over mixed greens with Living Caesar Dressing
The last recipe I tried was modified as far as presentation. Angela brought home a bunch of free, recently expired tofu that needed to be used quickly, so I made a double batch of the Cumin-Lime Tofu, part of which I used as a stuffing for pupusas. Pupusas are corn tortillas usually stuffed with pork, cheese, or refried beans – I opted for the tofu mixed with shredded zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, onions and garlic instead, and slathered them with some tomatillo salsa.
Pupusas stuffed with ED&BV's Cumin-Lime Tofu, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and garlic.
As far as the tofu part, it was so-so for me. It tasted very limey and very salty (I would add garlic if I made it again and add the full amount of agave nectar). But as the Blackened Tofu was so good, and I’ve got a lot of yummy tofu recipes in my bookshelf, it’s not a huge loss. I ended up baking it far longer than called for to get all the liquid to absorb. I think I will mix the (large amounts of) leftovers with some rice and veggies. Overall, a successful week of new recipes!
PPK Cookbook Challenge: Yellow Rose Recipes September 10, 2008
Posted by a-k in beans and legumes, cookbooks, grains and flours, noodles and pasta, tofu, vegetables, yellow rose recipes.6 comments
Yellow Rose Recipes Kasha Varnishkes with Broiled Asparagus
A challenge was put forth over on the PPK to make three recipes (or more) from a selected cookbook over a week. Because of the moving and such, this is actually the third week of the challenge, but my first chance to participate. Joanna’s cookbook Yellow Rose Recipes was the contender, and after going through the whole thing from front to back, I made the difficult decision of selecting the Cajun Baked Tofu, Texas Caviar, and Kasha Varnishkes.
The Texas Caviar is DELICIOUS. I’ve never had any version of this bean salad before, but I don’t really plan on needing any other recipe. Normally I play around with recipe amounts but I stuck to the ones given and it turned out perfect (and made enough for a few servings of leftovers in this two-person household). I paired that with the Cajun Tofu, which had a tasty crust, but I think I didnt press the tofu enough due to a time crunch (the middle ended up a bit bland). Either that, or I am just used to marinated tofu and the spicy cornmeal coating just needed that in addition for my own taste. Still, the crust was crispy and yummy. I’m eager to try it again, maybe adding some more spice mix.
Cajun Baked Tofu and Texas Caviar, with spinach and tomato salad, and Pink Pearl apples in the background.
My third recipe, the Kasha Varnishkes, was my first foray into vegan Jewish food beyond the ubiquitous (vegan) latke. It seemed like it might be too plain, but the combination of that earthy kasha and those caramelized onions was just right! I sprinkled on some parsley because I had some, and served it with broiled asparagus (marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper). And I also had to use fusilli, since my co-op doesn’t carry WW farfalle like the recipe called for. This was a simple and wonderful meal that I would definitely make again.
So if you haven’t already got your hands on this cookbook, I highly recommend it (the green-wa is amazing). Not only are you in store for delicious treats, you are supporting a talented vegan and a great vegan business (Herbivore). Do it!
Balsamic Tempeh Wild Rice Bowl with Sauteed Kale and Radicchio July 19, 2008
Posted by a-k in grains and flours, recipe, tempeh, vegetables.8 comments
Balsamic Tempeh Wild Rice Bowl with Sauteed Kale and Radicchio
If you are in the mood for simple flavors and ingredients, you are in luck. This isn’t a terribly fancy dish, and marinating the tempeh and cooking the rice are the two longest steps. I think this is a good dish all year round, though like the previous couscous dish, the short cooking times and lightly sauteed greens make it a really lovely summer dish. I only had to pick up a small head of radicchio to complete the dish, as i harvested about a half paper grocery bag full of pretty, tender kale from our garden.
I choose tempeh more often because of it’s easier digestibility and nutty flavor, but you could easily sub some well-pressed tofu if you’re not keen on the texture or flavor of tempeh. Also, I used a rice cooker for both the wild rice and basmati–normally wild rice has a longer cooking time, but they worked really well together.
Real Minnesota wild rice is more expensive than its usually-corporate-California-grown (and not-usually-wild) cousin; living in Minnesota makes access to it easier and cheaper. The best wild rice is hand-harvested and should smell like a lake, which is where this plant (actually a grass) grows. If you get broken wild rice, it will also be cheaper than whole. At the co-op I buy Native Harvest wild rice (and maple syrup!), which supports indigenous farmers and the campaign against the genetic manipulation and patenting of this heirloom crop. (There is an ongoing battle between the biotech corporations and universities and the tribal entities of the Great Lakes region, sadly another manifestation of modern colonialism.) If you can’t get wild rice or don’t want to use a blend, use whatever kind(s) you prefer. Wild rice will retain a slight crunch after cooking which I really like, but might be strange if you’re used to soft grains.
Most of the flavors stem from the primary ingredients here, so if you are looking to cover up the slight bitterness of greens for example, you may want to increase the marinade amounts slightly so you have some extra sauce to work with. And remember to simmer the tempeh in water for a few minutes before marinating to tone down the bitter flavor if that’s how you roll!
Balsamic Tempeh Wild Rice Bowl with Sauteed Kale and Radicchio (serves 2 hungry people or more):
8 oz tempeh
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp white wine
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
cracked black pepper to taste
1 c rice (use half wild and half other – I used basmati)
2 c vegetable stock
1 small head radicchio
1 bunch kale
Cut the block of tempeh in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin strips (like domino pieces). Place in a container with the olive oil, balsamic, wine, garlic, and pepper. Marinate for at least one hour.
Cook the rice in vegetable broth in a rice cooker, or in a small saucepan on the stove according to your rice directions. Meanwhile, remove the tough stems from the kale and tear into pieces. Cut the radicchio in half, remove the core, and slice thinly.
Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the marinated tempeh. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove to a serving bowl and return the skillet to the stove. Add more oil if you need to, and saute the radicchio and kale for a few minutes until softened but still colorful. Combine the tempeh, greens, and rice in the serving bowl and toss. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
some mexican flavor July 3, 2008
Posted by a-k in beans and legumes, cookbooks, grains and flours, herbs, mexican food, protein alternatives, sammiches and wraps, seitan, vegetables.11 comments
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.
in case you thought i’d stopped cooking… June 14, 2008
Posted by a-k in tofu, vegetables, zine.11 comments
seared maple mustard chili tofu with steamed broccoli and wild and brown rice
…i haven’t (that doesn’t happen for another week). i went the slightly less healthy route and fried up some of my maple mustard chili tofu from the forthcoming zine in a cast iron pan for a good 10 minutes. the broccoli and rice make me feel less guilty. but the pleasure is all worth it!
more test recipes May 31, 2008
Posted by a-k in baking, bread, nuts, tempeh, vegetables, zine.11 comments
lemon zucchini bread (pictured on a bamboo plate purchased from twin cities green**)
after a bit of a break due to hectic-ness with work and life, i’ve promised myself i’d develop a few more recipes this weekend to test for the zine. today got me baking, sautéing, and giving one of the older recipes a new twist:
polenta-baked maple-mustard-chili *tempeh* over spicy kale with thai peanut dressing
for a change, i thought i’d try my recently amended marinade on some tempeh instead, coat it in some polenta, and bake it – instead of my usual naked tofu/grill route. it turned out delicious! a told me it looked like baked fish sticks (“but not in a gross way”). i served it over spicy sautéed kale with thai peanut dressing, inspired by a similar coconut-peanut-spinach curry i love to get at true thai (only, i imagine, quicker to make and less fattening).
i also baked some lemon zucchini bread, which has the perfect lemony hint and deliciously moist interior for a summer treat. i’m bringing it into work tomorrow morning, also, in hopes that they’ll start making it in the bakery (because sadly, our vegan mini bread selection is in quite a depressed state). here is an inside shot, fantastic alone, though also great with a little earth balance spread on top.
**twin cities green is a local eco-friendly retailer and information center that sells recycled, reclaimed, sustainable, fair-trade, natural and organic furniture, home/kitchen goods, clothing, bath products, books, baby stuff, etc. even their labels and gift certificates are printed on the backside of used cereal boxes! they also hold workshops on several topics like diy, bike maintenance, and eco-friendly alternatives. if you live in the twin cities, i recommend checking them out.
homemade chai and cashew-ginger-lime tofu May 23, 2008
Posted by a-k in cookbooks, tofu, vegetables.12 comments
i’ve made chai off and on for the past few years – after oregon chai got me hooked on the stuff, i’ve since grown to loathe its sickeningly sweet flavor and general overuse in coffeeshops around the country (luckily i’ve also since grown to like coffee which i’ll get in place of the former choice). i really dig a nice cup of spicy, homemade (cafe-made) chai, especially involving ginger, cloves, cardamom and black pepper.
i’m the first to admit, however, that my own homemade creations are inconsistent and most often not quite right. i’m not sure what it is that alters it so much, but i’ve got a hunch that it, like french press coffee, is very sensitive to the temperature of the water in which it’s steeped. this time i also – horror of horrors – forgot to add ginger! so it was far from the spice level i wanted. while not nearly as delicious as the chai from the nepalese restaurant up the street (they have 8 different kinds of chai!), this is totally drinkable. so, chai-makers, i beg you to share your tips with me on method and ingredients and timing
luckily i do make a tasty nut milk, and went with a lightly date-sweetened, vanilla-flavored almond milk this time around. so easy and cheap! i’ve also got to start making rice milk again, which has got to be the easiest thing to make ever. you see the almond milk and chai pictured at left in some glass fridge carafes i picked up at the co-op. did you know that storing your food in glass containers (as opposed to plastic) is better for saving energy? glass retains the cold temperatures better, so your fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to stay cool. and by making your own milks and such, you are cutting down on waste even more!
baked cashew-ginger-lime tofu (with cilantro and red pepper), served with garlic-sauteed red chard and brown rice
i made the above for dinner tonight based on the cashew-ginger tofu from ed&bv, though i added some heat, lime, and cilantro because i had to use them up before our memorial day camping excursion to the gunflint trail…the preparation for which is the reason why i have been post-less and quiet as of late. and i still don’t feel prepared! at any rate, this was a tasty dish, although i wish i’d marinated the tofu a bit longer as the thickness of the sauce prevented easy penetration. the red chard i got for free from work and was a delicious and beautiful side.
hope everyone has a good holiday weekend (for the u.s. residents out there)!
three pizzas May 10, 2008
Posted by a-k in baking, bread, cookbooks, grains and flours, nut cheese, pizza, tempeh, the millenium cookbook.7 comments
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.
