it’s been awhile, due to tweakings on zine tester recipes and the loaning out of my camera’s memory card. luckily, the recipes have been sent to the testers, and the memory card came back today! so i set to work making something tasty.

i’ve mentioned before that i’m planning to do about a week-long raw fast at the end of the month. i’ve been doing lots of research and a few experiments (some of those should pop up around here soon). the early summer weather has got me craving raw foods from ecopolitan a lot, but i often push that aside to preserve my pocketbook and being able to eat “acceptable” meals with my partner and my friends. i’m trying to make more food at home instead of running across the street (though ecopolitan’s desserts are heavenly. HEAVENLY. last week i had a slice of purple heart pie and i don’t know everything that was in it but i almost fell off my chair it was SO good!), especially since i don’t want to end up broke after a week! i’ve heard of people who did a raw cleanse and spent 500$ on groceries for five days’ worth! i can only imagine that they’re making recipes from raw food real world or the like, and relying far too heavily on nuts. at any rate, that’s not the plan i have in mind.

after a trip to the store, i scored huge in the freebies-for-employees produce (including a cherimoya that’s nearly the size of my head and looks to be just about perfectly ripe!) as well as some other things i needed around the kitchen. i made a smoothie based on this recipe, only i juiced the rhubarb and a cucumber together to use in place of water, and i only had about 5 nuts sitting in my fridge. there was some leftover juice which i added water and lemon juice to as a “summer cooler” that i plan to drink while gardening this afternoon.

strawberry-rhubarb-cucumber smoothie for breakfast

for lunch, i’ve been having visions of raw spring rolls, with colorful fillings bursting out of them. originally i’d thought of using daikon as the wrapper, but got some daikon sprouts instead. i’m the first to admit i only thought until i started looking into raw food that only alfalfa and mung bean sprouts were in existence. and if you go by most supermarkets, you might think so too. i’ve never been a fan of alfalfa sprouts - to me, they’ve always tasted like dirt and got in the way of other sandwich fillings. but when i heard about radish sprouts, i knew i had to try them. they’re spicy, and their little leaves are generally a bit larger than alfalfa sprouts. i also went with carrots, a ripe champagne mango, zucchini, cilantro, and fresh basil as fillings.

i don’t have a recipe, per se, for these rolls. but i do have some tips about making raw spring rolls.

1) if using a leafy green that is pale on the underside, remember to place your fillings on the pale side. this way when you roll it up, the color will be on the outside (and it will probably roll more easily that way too). if there is a thick stem or rib at the base of the leaf, cut it out and overlap the two sections to keep the fillings from spilling out.

2) pick a nice variety of textures, flavors, and colors. having crunchy carrots and sprouts with soft mango and zucchini was a nice mix for the delicate butter lettuce. in the flavor department, fresh herbs are your best friend! regardless of the zestiness of the daikon sprouts and the creaminess of the mango, for example, the cilantro and basil really would have been missed. likewise, pairing whatever your fillings end up being with a good dipping sauce will really help expand the flavors, as well as moisten everything. lastly, having a lot of colors not only makes it look pretty, but also means you’re getting a wider variety of nutrients.

3) don’t overstuff. like their rice paper wrapper cousins, using too much filling will make them difficult to roll and hard to keep closed. however, you can combat this by using toothpicks to hold them together. and regardless of how careful and exacting you are, these can get pretty messy to eat. napkin recommended!

i also made my first raw cookies today. a really great benefit to making your own nut and seed milks is that you can use the leftover pulp as a base for cookies or cheeses. in this case, i had some pumpkin seed pulp that i added dates, ginger, cardamom, carob, and almonds to. we don’t have the world’s greatest food processor, so i ended up adding too much water to try and get the dough to stick together. but dehydrated for a few hours and they weren’t half bad for a recipe-less first attempt, although they tasted an awful lot like the topping for the apple crisp i made (i think it was the ginger). next time i’m going to add more carob powder and maybe some cinnamon!

strawberry-avocado green salad with chickpea relish and fresh basil.

do you ever have one of those dinners where you realize you are shoveling your food frantically into your mouth as though you’ll never eat again? that’s what happened to me tonight. i had to stop myself, put my fork down, and breathe a little. i think this was a combination of not having eaten since my morning smoothie and my meal being mouthgasmic.

one of the big perks of my co-op job is that there’s often produce that can’t be sold for whatever reason and is free for employees to take. sometimes they really are past their prime, but most often you can either work around a bruised spot, or it is simply a perfectly ripe vegetable ready to be eaten within a day or three. a couple of days ago i got a free pint of strawberries, and today i unburied a few avocados and a bunch of cilantro. when i have strawberries and avocado, i think of them as perfect mates for a green salad, rather than separating them for sweet and savory individual purposes. a sprinkling of fresh basil and a sudden inspiration to use my recently soaked and cooked chickpeas as well made for a giant salad perfect for one person’s dinner, or two as a considerable side salad.

strawberry-avocado green salad with chickpea relish and fresh basil (serves 1 as a meal, 2 as a side):

1/2 head red romaine, chopped
6 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 c chickpeas
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
splash white balsamic vinegar
splash lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 leaves basil, shredded or cut into chiffonade
dressing of choice (optional – i used goddess dressing)

place romaine on a plate or in a wide shallow bowl. top with sliced strawberries and avocado (you can sprinkle a little lemon juice on the avocado to prevent browning). make the chickpea relish by combining the chickpeas, red onion, olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl, tossing to coat. sprinkle over the salad and top with basil leaves. serve as is or with optional dressing.

the second half of my meal was inspired by pondering cauliflower. i’d thought about making a raw coconut cauliflower “rice” dish with green peas, or a soup, or just roasting it. today ended up being rather dreary and gray, and crispy roasted cauliflower sounded just right. but not just with olive oil and a couple of spices. i wanted something spicy, flavorful, and different. how about chilies? how about cilantro? how about chocolate? yes. chocolate. mole-roasted cauliflower it was.

i’m certainly not a mole expert; i’ve had it a few times to varying degrees of likeability. one of the world’s “master sauces,” i read somewhere that authentic mole uses 100 ingredients and a bit of time to prepare. but since my cauliflower didn’t need a thick sauce for roasting, i improvised more of a simple marinade. it’s far from 100 ingredients (and probably authenticity), but full of flavor and a nice kick from the cayenne. go ahead and make your roasted cauliflower a little sexy.

mole-roasted cauliflower (serves 2-4):

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp epazote or oregano
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 cloves garlic
3 tbp canola oil
1-2 tsp lime juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

preheat oven to 425F. in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except cauliflower and cilantro. add cauliflower and toss well to coat, then place in a wide, oven-safe dish. roast for 25-35 minutes until edges are crispy, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. serve hot. (you could also use any leftovers pureed with vegetable stock for a quick and easy soup.)

i was generously awarded the excellent award blog awhile back by lisa of show me vegan.  i am meant to award this to five other bloggers whom i find excellent, but this task overhwhelms me as i feel there are so many amazing blogs out there(and i know i only know a small fraction of them) and i have seen this award floating around on several within the past few months.  i try very hard to keep up with all the blogs on my blogroll as well as a handful of others, but i’m not always a visible visitor (i don’t comment very often).  therefore, in order to prevent double-awarding/repeats (which i was guilty of causing with my last meme), i am forgoing passing this award on to only five blogs, and going to leave comments on the blogs i visit regularly instead of being shy.  and again, if you have a blog or know of a blog i don’t have listed here, please let me know!

you’re probably sick of seeing these things, aren’t you? well i’m sorry, i just can’t get sick of making them. another breakfast cake, this time with a raspberry-tangerine syrup a la the strawberry-tangerine recipe. and served with a big mug of vanilla almond mylk from ani’s book.

that tasty lunch i was promising…

clockwise from top right: spinach salad with raw parm, rosemary potatoes with onions and jalapenos, grilled marinated tempeh with cashew-shallot-dill gravy, and grilled zucchini.

i hurriedly signed up to be a tester for mattye lee’s frugal raw cookbook… a cookbook idea very appealing to me. she comes up with really amazing raw meals (raw indian?!?) and i am excited to try out more soon. i used her raw parm recipe for topping my salad:

grilled zucchini: simple, straightforward. just olive oil, zucchini, and finished with salt and pepper.

i don’t have a closeup of the rosemary potatoes because they weren’t as pretty as i wanted them to be… i’ve got a recipe idea brewing but it needs some tweaking (as well as me not using store-bought rosemary oven potatoes). i keep wanting to recapture the glory that was my hangover tempeh “steak” but somehow i haven’t been able to do that. this was pretty good, however. i marinated tempeh in red wine, bragg’s, garlic, thyme, vegetable stock, white pepper, dijon, and nutritional yeast (my staple marinade). then i grilled it alongside the zucchini while i made a gravy out of shallots sauteed in earth balance, thyme, fresh dill, salt, pepper, vegetable stock, cashew butter, hazelnut milk, and a splash of vegan worcestershire. creamy and delicious! there is definitely no need for dairy in gravy, and i’m saying that as a former dairy addict (with a very unhappy tummy). believe the hype.

after a spicy garbanzo and tomato couscous dinner (sadly not documented), i made myself some spiced coffee with almond mylk. it reminds me of the ethiopian-style coffee i get at the blue nile sometimes, but as i just threw a couple spices in (and have no idea if they’re harar-style or not), i don’t think i can really say that this is ethiopian-style coffee. but it is good. simmer equal parts mylk and coffee (or whatever ratio you desire) with a couple shakes of cardamom and cinnamon and a pinch of cloves. serve warm. the owl mug brings happiness, though not necessarily more tastiness.

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)!

in the limitations of my nearly windowless current apartment, and my excitement to feast, i have some really awful photographs of some rather tasty dishes.

i cooked up the collards and made a spicy bbq sauce for tofu:

i kind of hate store-bought bbq sauce sometimes, and i wanted to make my own anyway. but i wasn’t sure if i had a recipe at home so i looked in a cookbook at work and got the ingredients i knew i didn’t have, but then forgot what most of the other ones were because i didn’t write them down (silly a-k). so i rifled through a few cookbooks and found one in VWAV for bbq pomegranate tofu. needless to say, pomegranate molasses is something i don’t really keep on hand, so i kind of fiddled with the recipe and made up my own. i think i’d like to use a different recipe next time–this one was interesting, but seemed to lack something. or maybe i just haven’t had bbq sauce in that long. i almost didn’t add the peanut butter but did at the last moment, and i’m not sure if that’s something i’d do in the future either. but here is an approximation of what i did:

tofu with spicy bbq sauce (makes about 4 servings, with tons of extra sauce):
1 lb. tofu, drained and sliced into about 8 pieces

a little oil for frying
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 hot chili pepper (seeded for less spice), diced
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/4-1/3 c. molasses
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp tamari
dash black pepper
dash apple cider vinegar
2 c vegetable broth
1/4 cup peanut butter

heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. add onions and cook until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). add garlic and chili and stir for one minute more. add remaining ingredients and stir well to mix. simmer over low heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). use an immersion blender or food processor for a smoother texture, then pour over tofu and marinate 30 minutes or longer in fridge. grill or fry, basting with extra sauce if needed. serve with extra bbq sauce poured over top, with collards and “buttered” toast.

a and i have been meaning to make a beet salad for a long time, ever since regretting passing one up at the ethiopian restaurant we went to with her sister in chicago. here is what i made today:

moroccan-style beets with baby greens, avocado, and yellow bell pepper (serves 2-3):
for the dressing:
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp agave nectar or other syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
salt to taste

2 large beets (or 3-4 smaller beets), scrubbed and washed
water

mixed greens (as much as you want!)
1 avocado, cut in half, pitted, peeled, and sliced
splash of lemon juice (for avocado)
1/2 c yellow bell pepper, diced
black pepper, to taste

cut off the greens and roots of the beets, leaving a 1-1/2″ stem. place in a pot and cover with water. bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
meanwhile, prepare the dressing. whisk all dressing ingredients together until well mixed in a bowl big enough to hold the beets.
when beets are done, drain and let cool until you feel comfortable handling them. cut off the stems, peel, and cut into bite size pieces. place in dressing bowl and toss to coat.
fill bowls with greens, top with beets, avocado, and peppers, and add fresh ground pepper. yummy!

this salad was super filling and rich and delicious! though the dressing certainly was rich on its own (and super flavorful from all the spices), the avocados add a creaminess like a lot of beet salads have by adding blue cheese or whatnot. the freshness of the greens and crunch of the peppers is a nice contrast too.

yesterday i went to magers and quinn and booksmart and got 4 used vegetarian cookbooks/reference books: the new becoming vegetarian: the essential guide to a healthy vegetarian diet, the new whole foods encyclopedia, yamuna’s table (indian food!), and the millenium cookbook. so far i am most excited/scared of the millenium cookbook because it is very gourmet and new york fancy. but it looks like there are some tasty things. a new recipe soon!

in lieu of attending a veg-friendly cooking school (for now), i have decided to start up this vegan food blog. i was inspired by many hours of stumbling across different blogs and recipe sites, and though i expect to change the overall design within the next couple months (with the help of a very smart person!), my drive to create/produce has overcome my ability to wait any longer for the “perfect blog.”

i am also moving in a couple of months, which means access to my presentable/decorative plates and bowls is limited. hence, the limitations of my food porn. but i expect that to improve in the near future as well! on to the good stuff:

teriyaki tofu with sesame vegetable stir fry and quinoa

for the tofu (larger batch to serve more than one person):
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed/drained and cut into 8 slices
juice of one apple (about 1/2 to 3/4 c.?)
juice of 1-1/2 in. chunk of ginger (or freshly grated ginger)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/3 c. tamari or soy sauce
red chili flakes, to taste (optional for spicyness!)
a little vegetable oil, for frying

mix marinade ingredients together and pour over tofu. let marinate at least 20 minutes. place in lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high heat and brown both sides, adding extra marinade as desired (or you can save it to pour over when serving). remove from heat.

for the sesame vegetable stir fry (single serving):
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-in. pieces
sesame oil for frying
gomasio* or sesame seeds for garnish (*sesame seeds, seaweed, and sea salt. i use eden organic)

heat oil in skillet over medim-high heat. add onions and peppers and stir-fry until just softened and lightly browned. remove from heat.

for the quinoa (1-2 servings):
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 c. water
bragg’s or tamari for flavor (optional)

place quinoa and water in a small or medium saucepan. heat to boiling, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. cook 10-15 minutes, until all water is absorbed and the grain is translucent with the germ ring visible. add a splash of bragg’s or tamari when serving if desired.

notes about this recipe:
a lot of teriyaki marinade recipes call for orange juice to provide the sweetness. my own personal preference is to use apple juice because i like the flavor better and i think citrus fruits can overpower the other ingredients. but orange juice is okay too. you can use fresh, bottled/canned, or frozen juice for this (i have a juicer, so i like to make it fresh if i can). and of course, the longer you marinate the tofu, the more flavorful it will be. i also find that adding it towards the end of the cooking process adds a nice color and extra burst of flavor. skillets are totally okay to use, i just like the pretty grillmarks my grill pan makes–it’s a new toy(and grilling would work too!).
you can change the kinds of vegetables you stir fry, or add garlic to the mix too. i just grabbed what was on hand and seemed simple to me.
quinoa is a great, protein-rich alternative to rice with origins in south america that is also gluten-free. it has a light, nutty flavor and a fairly soft texture. you can read about it more here.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments about this blog/entry. i will continue to fine tune as i add more to it, and appreciate any feedback you can give me.