Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! For Easter I had a lovely dinner at my parents'. My cousins' girlfriend is from out of town and is visiting, so she was there too. In total there were seven of us, which for our family dinners really isn't that many people! The rest of my family eats pretty much anything (although Dad tries to avoid gluten) so they had a turkey. Other than the turkey and turkey gravy, our entire meal was vegan. I've trained them well. ;)

We had: mashed potatoes, vegan mushroom gravy, peppers roasted in balsamic, sweet potatoes with a candied pecan topping, dressing (cooked out of the turkey), creamed peas in a vegan roux, and I had maple garlic tofu steaks. It was awesome!  The gravy recipe is amazing, but unfortunately it's at my parents', where I no longer am. I will try my best to remember to ask Mom for it and post it!

Yesterday Bestest and I made chocolate cupcakes with a vegan butter cream. We made little nests, flowers, and grass out of Wilton gum paste. I used vegan jelly beans (thank you Bulk Barn!) and she used chocolate mini eggs to fill the nests. We each took our cupcakes to our respective family dinners. I just love how cute they are!

It was really nice to have a day with my family. We played some cards and shared a great meal. And Mom conveniently got me some 85% chocolate - I'd just run out! I love holidays where we come together for a big meal, and I love it even more now that we've figured out how to make it vegan. :)

Gomen + Whipped Coconut Cream with Blackberries

Over this past term, I've worked at Langano Skies Ethiopian Restaurant, which burnt down in a tragic fire on April 7th. As I've been there I've grown absolutely attached to Ethiopian food, which I already loved before I started there. I've been really missing having a delicious meal before every shift. I figured, though, instead of complaining, I should make some! I decided to make gomen, which is a dish made with stewed spinach or collard greens and spices. Normally it should be eaten with injera, but given the difficulty of making good injera that's a project for another night! I had mine with brown rice instead. It really hit the spot. I had it with a glass of Bolthouse Farms Mango Smoothie. Mmm.

For dessert, I had whipped coconut cream with fresh blackberries. The gomen was good, don't get me wrong, but as soon as I bit into dessert my mouth died and went to heaven. I LOVE coconut whipped cream! Every vegan ever should try this. It's so easy and so amazing. Take a can of coconut milk and leave it in the fridge for a couple hours. Don't shake it! The clear liquid will have separated out to the bottom. Scoop out the white solids on the top and either get rid of the liquid or save it (like for rice or to flavour a stirfry). Then you just add powdered sugar and vanilla to taste and whip it like you would normal whipped cream. Amazing!

Produce!!!

I am so so ready for summer, you have no idea. The sun is finally shining, the snow is melting, and I wore a dress today. It's awesome! I've been eating a lot of produce as of late because I'm so darn excited for summer. This morning for breakfast I had half a cantelope, half a pomelo, and a left-over pancake. When we were kids Dad always cut the cantelope so that it stayed in its dome shape: I'm quite impressed I managed to replicate it! The pancakes I made for breakfast yesterday. They're whole wheat with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and chocolate chips. So so good! I also had a cup of sweet tea I brought back from a monastery in China. Perfect way to start a morning. I'm in the midst of term paper writing, hence the giant textbook stack.

For lunch I had left over stir fried bok choy in garlic sauce, tossed with bean thread noodles. I then had a handful of pistachios after class before heading to the grocery store. Right before I left I chopped up some tofu and marinated it. I cheated and started with a pre-made teriyaki sauce, which I added soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar to. I left it to sit while I got my groceries and when I came back I made a giant salad, with green leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, roasted red pepper, the marinated tofu, and sesame seeds. I used the left over marinade as dressing. It was fantastic!

In the spirit of summer I also bought some Good Karma Rice Divine Coconut Mango ice cream because it was on sale. I'm going to hold off, though, and have a mango for dessert. :) 

Banana Bran Muffins

So I came up with this recipe by combining a few different ones I found online. I'm pretty happy with them - they're hearty yet still delicious and moist. I really like the subtle taste of the cinnamon and nutmeg. I ate a couple and the rest are going to be breakfasts for a little while. School gets pretty hectic some times, so it's nice to have stuff already made for days I'm really busy or just don't want to cook.

Banana Bran Muffins

1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp warm water

3 mashed bananas

1/2 cup soy milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups bran flakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 and grease or line your muffin tins (I tend to grease mine so I don't waste a ton of wrappers, or I have silicone ones I sometimes use). Mix the flax and water to make an "egg". Add the rest of the wet ingredients, ensuring the bran flakes get wet. Let sit for ten minutes and stir so that the bran flakes are broken up. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix the wet and dry ingredients and spoon into tins. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Makes 12. 

On a separate note, a birdy flew into my house while I was baking and died. I felt so sad, and didn't know what to do with the little guy because we have way too much snow to bury him. The only thing I could think of was to throw him (or her?) in the garbage (this was google's suggestion), but I felt horrible about that. I ended up wrapping him in a nice piece of fabric I brought back from Uganda and putting him in a little bag before placing him in the garbage. It was the nicest thing I could think of to do. Poor birdy. 

Chai cupcakes...Happy Birthday Geoff!!

One of my best friends, Geoff, turned 21, so a bunch of us (I want to say 15?) headed to Banff for a weekend of skiing and, well...21st birthday celebrating! I made a huge batch of chili as well as quinoa and beans so that I had food to eat and share. There was enough left over I subsisted almost entirely off it for the following week. I don't think a birthday is complete without cupcakes, though, and Geoff specifically requested chai. I've done a couple variations on this recipe and I think this might be my fave so far (in part because it doesn't have soy yogurt like the original, which a) is expensive and b) always requires a trip to the store).

I used the golden vanilla cupcakes recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World as my base. I used some homemade chai I so very conveniently had in the fridge instead of milk. If you don't happen to have chai lying around, add some nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and a tiny pinch of pepper. I added a little extra nutmeg and cardamom because I love them so. For the icing, I used a vegan buttercream (which I never ever ever measure, I just taste and check texture as I go - only real tip, don't add too much milk because it's way easier to thin than thicken) and added the aforementioned spices but without the pepper and with cocoa. I didn't measure I just did little pinches of each and tasted.

I iced them in purple and teal and piped swirls on top. I would just like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Jewish dietary laws! Kosher certification makes vegan life much easier (though I'm probably going to get fat thanks to the Kosher jelly beans at Bulk Barn). The Wilton dyes are Kosher and thus don't have any cochineal or lovely ingredients like that (bugs are not Kosher). So yay!

Since I've posted art before I think I'll continue the trend. I told Geoff I would paint a picture of Notorious B.I.G. for him for his birthday. I plan to ultimately do it on a 1 foot by 1 foot canvas but I decided to practice on the tiny dollar store canvas first. Biggie needs to be, well, bigger. I made his face too skinny and the eyes aren't quite right. For a first attempt, though, I'm happy!

Stay far from timid

Only make moves when your heart's in it

And live the phrase the sky's the limit

Sushi and miso night

Hello again! It's been ages. Clearly, I did not stick to the new food every day thing. Instead, I moved out into a house with three awesome girls and a fat cat. I have put my past relationship behind me. I got a job in the kitchen at Langano Skies. I was also accepted into an internship in forensic anthropology with the Miami Dade Medical Examiners Office. So while I didn't stick to my original goal, I still feel like it's been a successful couple months! There may or may not be some catch up posts.

Anyhoo, on to the topic of the post: sushi and miso! Unfortunately, these are two foods I really don't use recipes for. I'll try my best to explain what I did though. Please forgive the terrible pictures; I've been doing a research project at the Royal Alberta Museum and completely changed the settings to get good pictures of the specimens under their lighting, but forgot to change it back. Oops.

Miso Soup

Water (I would guess 5-6 cups)

Veggie broth powder (a few shakes)

Wakame seaweed (probably about a cup, cut up)

Shiitake mushrooms (four big ones)

Silken tofu (one package)

Miso paste (about 4 tbsp)

I put the water in a pot and shook in some veggie broth powder (and nope, didn't measure either - I wanted enough powder to add some flavor but not become overbearing. I definitely used less than the suggested ratio on the broth package). Then I added the seaweed and let it go on medium high for about 15 minutes. I then added sliced shiitakes and cubed silken tofu and reduced the heat to medium-low. That cooked away for probably another 15 minutes (it may not need that long, it's just how long it took me to finish my sushi). At the last minute I removed some broth (a cup or so, I'd guess) and stirred in the miso paste. I turned the heat off and added the dissolved miso back into the pot. And that's it! I often add green onions to my miso but I completely forgot. It was still good without.

Sushi

Rice (1.5 cups uncooked; I used brown)

Mirin (1 tbsp; or rice vinegar if you prefer)

Nori sheets (3)

Cucumber (1/2, peeled)

Avocado (1)

Shiitake mushrooms (3 large)

First off get the rice cooking. Once it's cooked, stir in the mirin and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cut up the veggies. I juliened the cucumber and shiitakes and cut the avocado into tiny cubes. Once the rice is cooled and the veggies are chopped, the fun begins! Take a nori sheet and spread rice thinly over 2/3 of it. Then place the veggies on the side with rice. Roll tightly towards the end without rice and seal the edges with water. If you have a sushi mat, great. I don't, though, and it worked just fine. Just make sure to really give it a good squeeze. Cut the roll with the sharpest knife you have or it will get squished. Mix wasabi and soy sauce to taste for dipping and enjoy!

I tried going to bed about 3 hours ago and just couldn't fall asleep. Blogging and eating a banana with peanut butter seamed like a far better idea! On a separate note, I bought some sprouting seeds last week at Planet Organic. I'll let you know how the sprouting goes! Have a good night, everyone. :)

Artistic Attempts

Well, this certainly isn't food related. But I think one of the important components of veganism is remembering we are all connected to everything and everyone on this planet. This post is about being connected to our fellow humans. :)

 A friend I haven't talked to in ages had a great idea. She sent anyone who asked a personalized, hand made Christmas card. Included in the envelope was a stamp. The other half of the deal was that we had to create something - anything- on a normal sheet of computer paper and send it back to her. Well, I cheated and used heavy linen paper, but it's the right size! I haven't done much (really any) painting before and have been inspired to do so lately, so this was perfect! My brother let me use his acrylics so I gave 'er a go. I painted a mushroom cloud because she has one in the background of her Facebook picture. I did it in the style of Roy Lichtenstein: primary colors, sharp contrasting images, and use of words. I'm fairly happy with it, all things considered. I am going to mail it to her tomorrow!

Tomato and "Feta" Quinoa Pilaf

I decided to marinade some tofu to make it feta-like and use it in a tomato quinoa pilaf. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The lemon juice was really nice.

Tofu Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

Thyme

Basil

I didn't measure the herbs because I used fresh herbs from our window planter. I used a couple sprigs of each. Maybe a teaspoon-ish dried herbs of each would be good. Anyhoo, mix all the ingredients and toss 1 lbs of firm tofu with the sauce. Let marinade for 1 hour, mixing in between.

Pilaf

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water or veggie broth

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 lbs marinaded tofu

Place the quinoa, water, and garlic in a pot over medium. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down, and cook for about 7 minutes. Add the tofu and some of the marinade to the quinoa and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes, quartered). Cook for another minute or so then serve.

Sesame Rice Noodles

This dish is super fast and easy, not to mention delicious. And Bestest likes it, too! Well, without the chili sauce...

Sesame Rice Noodles

1 lbs extra firm tofu, cubed

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/2 package vermicelli rice noodles

4 tbsp sesame seeds

1 cucumber, julienned 

Sweet chili sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, julienne the cucumber. Next, heat the vegetable oil in a pan on medium and add the tofu. Cook until lightly browned. Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil together and add it to the pan. Turn the heat to low. Put the noodles in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, JUST long enough to soften. Any longer and the noodles will clump together into a big mess. Strain the noodles and place them into a bowl. Add the tofu and sauce and stir. Dish out into bowls, placing the tofu on one third of the bowl. Place a quarter of the cucumber in another third, and 1 tbsp sesame seeds on the other. Add a dollop of sweet chili sauce to the middle of the bowl to taste. 

Baba's Nobby Apple Cake

We had a bunch of Granny Smith apples about to go bad, so Mom suggested I try out my Baba's recipe for Nobby Apple Cake. I wanted to double check with Mom before I posted the recipe, but she was fine with it. :)

Nobby Apple Cake

1 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp warm water

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1 cup sugar

3 cup chopped apple

1 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup flour

Whisk flax and water and set aside. Cream margarine and sugar, then add flax and water mixture. Cream. Add chopped apple, nuts, baking powder and soda, and spices. Add flour last and stir to combine. Transfer to a greased pan. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

The cake was nice and gooey and absolutely delicious. I'm glad I thought to put the cake in my heart pan. It was the perfect size. :)

(Just to clarify, the original recipe was not vegan; I just made a couple minor modifications)

New Years Eve Nibbles

My brother had some friends over last night for a party, so my mom picked up a bunch of stuff for them at M & M Meat Shop. Quite literally the only vegan option I saw was a package of mixed frozen veggies. That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, so I realized I would have to make my own foods.

I decided to try the wingz again, this time with a maple garlic sauce. Dad was helping me out in the kitchen, so I directed him to make the sauce. In his typical style, he didn't use a recipe, so I don't have one to share. I know it had tons of garlic, maple syrup, a little vinegar, some spices (I believe he mentioned seasoning salt), and even a couple splashes of truffle oil (man am I spoiled!!). He and Mom have apparently had their little bottle of truffle oil for over 5 years, and I'm always too afraid to use it. I've only used it once. The sauce reduced on the stove for about 30 minutes and was delicious. I made my own bread crumbs by throwing the end pieces of bread that no one ever eats into the food processor and toasting them at 325 for 6 minutes. These were amazing! Mom and Dad loved them, too. I saved a couple and I'll be having them instead of turkey with tonight's dinner.

Next, I made stuffed mushrooms. I got the recipe from Mom's Company's Coming Appetizers book (overall not remotely vegan friendly!), and just didn't put in the cheese. The grocery store had huge mushrooms, which worked out really well for me!

Stuffed Mushrooms

12-16 medium mushrooms

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove stems from mushrooms with a pearing knife and arrange caps on a baking tray. Finely chop the mushroom stems. Put margarine, stems, and onion into a frying pan and cook until unions are clear and soft. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs. Stuff caps. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350.

The final dish of the night was Sweet Onion Beggars Purses from Conscious Cook. This cookbook is great, and Tal Ronnen is amazing. However, basically all the recipes in this book are quite intensive and time consuming. If you have time though, I promise it's worth it! I'm yet to be disappointed by a recipe from this book. This PETA link has the full recipe. Phyllo pastry is pretty picky to work with, and be prepared to take close to two hours on these, between caramelizing the onions and forming an onion jam, brushing each layer of phyllo pastry with butter (and layering spices on every second layer), and tying the purses. The recipe calls for wrapping fresh chives around the purses once they're cooked, but the chives I bought were too short, so I will have to find something new to do with them. These were delicious, and there are leftovers, too. :) 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! May 2011 bring you joy, happiness, and balance. 

Ruben on Homemade Rye

Apparently most of my recipes are coming from Vegan Dad these days! I find I tend to get fixated with a particular cookbook (or blog in this case) for a while, then move on to a new one. Mostly I've been trying my hand at seitan and he seems to be quite an expert in the matter. I don't know that I've had a real ruben, but I love rye bread and saurkraut, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.

My first step was to acquire rye flour, which resulted in a trip to Planet Organic. Couldn't find it at my normal grocery store. Next up, make the rye bread. I used a recipe entitled George's Light Rye Bread, which comes from this cute elderly man, George. I mostly picked this recipe because of George. I think we can learn a lot about food from the generations before us! George did not disappoint. This bread turned out absolutely amazing. I'm not sure how much difference it made, but I'm glad I splurged for the organic rye flour. The recipe makes two loaves so I've been having rye toast for breakfast. It reminds me of my Papa.

Next step: make the vegan corned beef. I had no juniper berries, so they just weren't used. The corned beef was pretty good, though I wasn't a giant fan of the texture. I still need to practice seitan, I think! While the corned beef was steaming I tried my hand at vegan mayo, but I used a terrible recipe that didn't thicken. It had soy milk and I think my next try will have tofu instead. But since I mostly wanted it to make thousand island dressing, it wasn't the end of the world. I just changed the entire batch into thousand island dressing which I can now put on salads. I'm not sure how long it will stay good though... we'll see. The saurkraut was store bought, unfortunately. My Aunt makes great saurkraut but we've long used up the jars she canned for us. We have half a head of saured cabbage thawing in the fridge, though, and Mom has agreed to teach me how to cook holupci, the tiny cabbage rolls I remember my Baba making. Yum.

All around, the sandwich was quite good. I went back for a second. The rest of the family had left over turkey on their rye, so I froze the rest of the corned beef for later uses. I had my sandwich with a cabbage and chickpea salad with tahini lemon dressing and the rest of the har gao from dim sum.

Chickpea Pot Pie

So this is another recipe I took from Vegan Dad, though I didn't put any peas in it because Bestest doesn't like them. I also used Better than Bouillion No Chicken Base instead of the "chicken" broth powder. I love that stuff and have started using it in the wingz, too. I got mine at Planet Organic. I cooked this at Bestest's house and she helped with lots of it. She's a very picky eater, which is a lot of why we are trying this challenge: to force her to break out of her comfort zone and make friends with new (non-processed) foods. She normally wouldn't go near onions or chickpeas and she ate both in this dish! I'm like a proud Mama.

The recipe made two of those loaf pan like dishes, so Bestest, her partner and I had one for dinner and we put the second one in the freezer for a day they don't feel like cooking. That's something I'm hoping to do before the term starts: cook lots of stuff I can freeze or can so that I have food on lazy and/or super busy days. So far I have sticky rice, steamed buns, and a little canned chili and split pea soup still left from this fall. Before the term starts I'd like to make a couple frozen pizzas and can some lentil soup.