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!

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)!

maple-mustard marinated tofu with rosemary apples and steamed green beans 

broiled seitan with cardamom portobella glace and celeriac puree 

except for the second photo, the title of this post doesn’t refer to my kitchen of light, but rather the title of a cookbook i received for christmas from my aunt and uncle last year.  and while i definitely appreciate the gesture (scandinavian cookbook for a scandinavian me), the cover photo of the chef, andreas viestad, hoisting up a salmon definitely illustrates the lack of vegan recipes inside.

so, definitely inspired by the anthony bourdain/hezbollah tofu movement happening amongst some ppk members, i started looking at some recipes that i thought i could veganize from kitchen of light.  beyond the large amount of seafood, meat, and butter involved, there are some really delicious flavor combinations and fresh herbs that i’d wanted to use when i first cracked the book open.

being at a coffeeshop, i can’t post the recipes right now, but i probably will soon, because they really turned out pretty well (the maple-mustard tofu might even become a zine recipe).  so we’ll have to be content right now with mere descriptions.  the first recipe i made, maple-mustard marinated tofu with rosemary apples and steamed green beans, was originally honey-mustard marinated salmon with rosemary apples.  besides the salmon and honey indicated in the title, really the only other ingredient i needed to substitute was the butter i sauteed the apples and rosemary in.  i wasn’t necessarily interested in recreating a “salmon” for this recipe, as i thought the flavors involved were fine without adding some kind of seaweed.  next time i might not use wildwood superfirm tofu, or if i do, i’d cut it into thinner pieces to let the flavors penetrate a little more.  i was also in a bit of a hurry, so i could have broiled the tofu a bit longer to get some more crisp on the outside.  but i added steamed fresh green beans, so already the dish is healthier beyond the cruelty-free aspect!

now the more hands-on labor-intensive recipe: broiled seitan with cardamom portobella glace and celeriac puree.  another somewhat fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants preparation, as i was somehow out of potatoes, and didn’t make seitan scallops from scratch as i’d intended to.  however, the homemade seitan was bit more of a presentation issue than a flavor one, and that’s really the only complaint i can offer about my execution.  this was savory, rich, and delicious, not to mention my first experience with celeriac.  originally titled scallops with cardamom veal glace and celeriac puree, clearly my obstacles were twofold: scallops and, horror of horrors, veal stock.  eek!  i approached it by going to nature’s vegan alternative to red meat: the portobella mushroom, and relying on some good old fashioned red wine and the sweet and delicate flavor of leeks.

i broiled these ingredients with some vegetable stock until they started to brown and caramelize, then added them to the stock i started reducing.  when sufficiently infused, i strained out the contents and added the bay leaf, cardamom pods, and peppercorns the recipe called for and reduced it further before letting it sit with some orange zest.  i’ve never made a glace before, and mine is likely a bit thinner than “the real thing,” but the point is, it was delicious.  almost disturbingly so.  i spooned it over some lightly broiled seitan, and made the potato-less celeriac puree, which was a really lovely and delicate alternative to mashed potatoes.

and, i’m spent… though some using-up-fridge-contents-before-our-weeklong-trip-to-south-south-texas is definitely in order from this point forward.

unless it’s my day off, i’m not a big breakfast eater. this is bad. but when you have to be at work at 630am, those precious last minutes in bed are hard to let go of. in general (though with a few exceptions), i don’t think i’ve been eating particularly well lately, hence my relative lack of posts. i’m working to change this.  which brings me to breakfast scrambles.

first up we have the classic vwav tofu scramble… only here we added broccoli, green peppers, and snow peas to the cremini mushrooms, omitting the carrots. and topped it with salsa! and served it with toast. delicious sunday brunch.

and next up, ani phyo’s garden scramble with save-the-chicks pate. the only thing i changed was adding some nutritional yeast and chopped parsley, because that’s how i roll when i’ve got parsley to use up. i’ve never had a raw scramble before. this was filling, fresh, and pretty damn good. i’m interested to play around with the seasonings and vegetables some more in the future.

as a bonus, here is my first veganized swedish cookbook creation (since i recently decided to start veganizing some scandinavian cookbooks i have lying around). in swedish, mjölkstuvade makaroner, in english, milk-stewed macaroni. this is super typical swedish white food: macaroni cooked in milk and butter instead of water, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. i tried to make it a little bit healthier by using quinoa pasta and putting some chopped parsley on top, but who am i kidding? this is comfort food through and through. it was that kind of night.

vegan milk-stewed macaroni (serves 1-2):

1 3/4 c unsweetened, creamy, non-dairy milk (I used oat)
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 c macaroni
ground black pepper, to taste
dash nutmeg (optional)
chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)

heat “milk,” salt, and margarine in a medium saucepan until the margarine has melted. add the macaroni and let them cook over very low heat, uncovered, for 10-25 minutes (depending on the kind of macaroni you are using), or until they have become soft. stir occasionally to prevent them sticking to the bottom, adding more milk if necessary. add the pepper and nutmeg, and top with or stir in chopped parsley. serve warm.

i definitely promise that the next creation will be healthier, prettier, and maybe even a little bit fancy!

asian-marinated tofu, kimchi, cilantro-jalapeno vegenaise, and a mini baguette

as promised, my weekly sandwich post, although i fear this one might be a bit delayed. i promise i’ll do better!

banh mi is a traditional vietnamese sandwich influenced, as the baguette would suggest, by french country sandwiches. there are many incarnations, but they all generally consist of a baguette, pickled vegetables, and a protein (usually tofu or seitan when you speak vegan). i’ve only ever had it with seitan, but since i had some tofu i needed to use up, that’s what i used.

i didn’t use a recipe either, so this is pretty informal, but a brief photo essay follows. and you’re gonna need a napkin for this party; here’s me (in my pasty winter glory) and mine:

first off, you’ll want to start with a nice crusty piece of bread. i used half of a mini baguette, but i’m sure any crispy, chewy bread will do. cut it in half.

then spread, minimally, some vegenaise or earth balance on each half. i added a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro and minced jalapenos to my vegenaise for an extra kick. i didn’t measure anything too exactly, just starting with a little and adding more to suit my taste. sometimes i find vegenaise a little too powerful on its own, so any excuse to mix it together with something else is pretty much the only way you’ll see me eating it.

next, spoon some kimchi on the bottom half of your baguette. one day i hope to make my own, but for now i’m using some i got from work. kimchi is a deliciously spicy pickled mix of vegetables, usually with carrots, daikon, and cabbage, and sometimes additions or subtractions to that. try to strain off some liquid if you can, or it may become a leaky sandwich! (hence the napkin warning)

finally, pile some seitan or tofu on top of the kimchi, preferably with some asian-style flavoring. i baked off some vwav asian-marinated tofu, which is gingery and delicious, but some mock duck aka seitan is also a good way to get your protein serving!

then place the other piece of bread on top, press it down a little, open your mouth, and insert. use your plate to catch escapee ingredients, a fork on hand for what falls onto your plate, and your last piece of bread to soak up any kimchi-vegenaise sauce . delicious!

the twin cities are fortunate to have a handful of nepalese restaurants. i’ve only been to two (everest on grand in st. paul, and namaste cafe in minneapolis), but have always been impressed with the food. it is quite like indian food as far as curries and spices and ingredients, only simpler and…i don’t know, fresher-tasting? i love my indian food, but nepalese food, though lesser known and with less variety (at least according to my humble research), is a nice change with a lighter taste.

i knew i definitely wanted to make some momos - adorable and delicious dumplings filled with vegetables and steamed. everest and namaste have different approaches to the vegetarian momo fillings. the former uses cabbage and onions, the latter vegetables and mock meat. i decided to keep it vegetable-laden, using potatoes, carrots, cabbage, peas and onions, flavored with garlic, fresh ginger, chilies, and spices.

like many people, i’ve been trying to cut back on white flour, so i used spelt flour for a portion of the dough.  the recipe i used was not very accurate, unfortunately, so i kept having to add more flour in order to make a workable dough, which then sat covered with a damp dish towel for half an hour before being rolled out very thin and cut into squares.  i’d go even thinner next time!  the squares are filled, folded, and pinched into rather pretty dumplings (there are several variations; i chose this one):

i’ve had momos served with a tomato relish called achar, or a green sesame sauce.  i flipped through lord krishna’s cuisine and decided to make a coconut mint chutney (since i knew the momo filling was spicy), but there was far too much coconut.  next time, i will stick with momo achar.

i really can’t help myself when i’m cooking for other people, and end up making too much food.  in addition to a curry, i made chole - a dish of chickpeas and tomatoes with cilantro and spices.  it definitely didn’t come close to the chole i’ve tasted before, but i think it was a pretty good start.  

the tofu-vegetable curry i made was based on a couple recipes and ideas pieced together, and involved two parts.  i marinated the tofu in a paprika-chili paste overnight, and then made a tomato-coconut curry sauce the next day, which i then poured over the tofu, peas, and bamboo shoots.  i baked it in the oven to finish it, though i only managed to snap a pre-baked shot of the curry:

a tasty, though not perfect, attempt at nepalese cuisine.  i’d say the momos and curry were the strong points and i’d make those again.  let me know if you’re interested in the recipe, and i will post it (my sick energy is fading fast for tonight).

i had the day off of work today.  when i wasn’t cleaning, rearranging furniture, or watching kids in the hall, i made some foods.

i’m on an oatmeal kick, the irish oats cooked with apricot nectar kinda kick.  with bananas.  and today, pistachios, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.  must buy more apricot nectar.

for dinner we had gotten some garlic afghani barbari bread to make cheater focaccia out of (with onions, kalamatas, and rosemary a la christmas eve dinner), and i pondered what to make for the rest of the meal.  i ended up making breast of tofu with a tomato relish (instead of sauce) and a super simple spinach salad on the side.  my plate, and our humble spread…

pardon the picture quality… romance takes a different kind of lighting than the camera desires!

the other night i made some onion dill uncheese (sans the horseradish per the uncheese cookbook recipe, and of course with a little splash of white wine), and even though i am full as a gourd i made some toast to snack on with my after dinner chianti.

see how it spreads when warmed?  crazy.  of course, not really much like real cheese; although this is one of the better uncheeses i’ve made, i find i need to pair it with something else to appreciate it more.  but my stummie thanks me, and so do the cows.

happy new year’s everybody!

with xmas, and a’s pre-xmas illness, i didn’t get to cook and bake as much as i’d wanted to, and documentation of what little was done was even more sparse.  so this is a bit of a backlog of some things i haven’t had the chance to post.

my love affair with extraveganza! was in high gear the other week.  i made two new recipes:

tofu baked in almond mint cilantro sauce (served over brown rice):

this was really tasty, creamy, and simple to make.  there was both plain and smoked tofu, green peas, and a mint and cilantro almond butter sauce.  so good!  i will make it again for sure.

ginger fried rice:

with leftover almond mint cilantro tofu:

though not reflected in my usage above, what i really like about this recipe was that there isn’t any tofu in it.  i love tofu fried rice, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes a big load of vegetables and some spice is all i want.  i think i ended up adding a few extra vegetables because i had some in the fridge, but the recipe has a tasty variety already.

with my usual habit of not eating breakfast, and especially now that i have to work so early in the morning three days a week, me making anything beyond toast is a pretty big deal.  inspired by oatmeal discussions on the ppk, i bough a can of mccann’s irish oatmeal and made enough for a couple of meals.  irish oatmeal, cooked up in apricot nectar, with bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon:

the first recipe i tried from yellow rose recipes, per josh’s recommendation, was the sweet potato and black bean flautas.  delightful!  i also made the tangy sour cream (yum!).  i had cilantro to use up so i also served it with chimichurri sauce, and some free avocados i got from work:

another cookbook/zine i am super excited about but hadn’t gotten a chance to use is kittee’s.  i remedied that last night by making a cake, using the non-chocolate cake recipe from papa tofu, and adding some chopped rhubarb, cinnamon, and cardamom.  i’m not much of a cake decorator, but here is the whole thing:

inside shot:

must say it smelled so good while baking that i almost didn’t decorate it!  but i resisted, whipped up some maple frosting from vctotw, and ate a piece as soon as i was done with the photos.  next time i will add more rhubarb (i wasn’t sure how tart it would be), and maybe even some raspberries or strawberries.  yay kittee!

lastly, my dinner tonight… a creamy potato-leek soup with red chard.  i was craving something like this all day at work, and also thought back to the christmas eve dinner soup that a’s brother in law made (though it involved lentils and ginger and fennel and coconut milk).  i added a little bit of anise to the soup as a nod to the rye bread i didn’t have a chance to bake today (tomorrow it will have to be!), and i really liked it that way.  i want to tweak the recipe a little bit, but this really hit the spot.  the rich creaminess of a potato soup with the tender crunch and beautiful colors of swiss chard (not to mention nutrition), with a hint of anise and white pepper:

i knew i had to make something chocolate-y for a for her birthday. i pondered the possibilities, considered to try my hand at cake decorating again, and then stumbled upon the millenium cookbook’s recipe for chocolate almond midnight. intensely chocolate-y for her, raspberry sauce for me, and a sweet sweet delicious almond praline to add some crunch. yummy yummy! here’s a closeup shot of all the goodies:

i had some leftover cilantro and tofu from this weekend’s pho dinner, and when i have leftover cilantro, i think chimichurri (which i haven’t actually made for a few months). so i picked up a bunch of parsley, a habanero pepper (i was feeling adventuresome), and some orange juice to supplement my home ingredients, and got cracking. while the tofu was marinating in a red wine and chimichurri sauce, i made some quinoa in the rice cooker, and threw in some corn and tomatoes at the end and topped it off with smoked paprika. then i made fried plantains! not the healthiest little side dish, but i used a lot less oil than traditional recipes call for, and blotted them the best i could. here was the result–a spicy, sweet, salty, refreshing meal (complete with esquivel on the record player):

there’s a fairly new indian restaurant on hennepin that serves vegetarian- and vegan-only food, where i first got to try a dish made with cream of wheat.  names seem to vary, but i think what i made closely resembles uppma (according to my copy of the art of indian vegetarian cooking), though i changed a few ingredients based on what i had at home and remembered being in the dish i had at mysore cafe.  it has a lot of curry-type spices in it that are sauteed with green beans, tomatoes, raisins, cashews, and pistachios, before being stirred into some prepared farina.  delicious!  i think next time i’d go with the green peas like the recipe asks for, because they have a more delicate bite to them than the green beans i used.

on sunday night, i made vegetarian pho with a and her mom who was visiting.  we love love love the pho at jasmine deli and this was my second attempt at recreating it.  the problem seems to be in getting the veggie broth right–jasmine makes theirs fresh daily and is full of toasted shallots and all sorts of goodness that i have no recipe for.  though this was better than the first time i tried (we accidentally got a veggie stock that had tomatoes in it–not the right flavor!), i still want to tweak this recipe a bit to get it better.  this had rice noodles, tofu, green cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, bean sprouts, cilantro, and mint… homemade broth next time!