Birthday Dinner + Yonanas

Pin It For VB's birthday, I made him dinner comprised of dishes that he had mentioned that he'd like to try. So the mix is a bit... eclectic.

First up, we have a vegan mac n' cheese from Yeah, That "Vegan" Shit. I have to say, I'm not sure that there will ever be a vegan mac n' cheese that's going to come remotely close to the real deal, because real mac n' cheese is incomparably awesome. That said, this vegan mac n' cheese was good for what it is -- good for vegans, lousy for meat eaters.

We also had some ful muddamas from midEATS. You can sort of see it next to the dolmades (more on that later). By the way, did you know it's next to impossible to find some dried or canned fava beans around here? Seriously, I had to go to 4 stores and finally found them at Rose International Market, our local Middle Eastern market. I ended up adapting the recipes using dried fava beans -- turned out alright, a bit al dente but flavorful and pretty good.

Finally, I made some dolmades after we bought a jar of grape leaves at the farmer's market. I need a bit of practice wrapping the grape leaves tighter, but this turned out totally delicious -- by far the best item of the night. The recipe came from Tyler Florance (I know...) and it is a winner, if not a bit time consuming.

For dessert, we tried "frozen yogurt" made by Yonanas 902 Ice Cream Treat Maker. It's a bit of a misnomer, because technically, Yonanas makes mushed up frozen yogurt out of bananas. It's a pretty cool idea -- it grinds frozen bananas and other fruit into a mixture that has the texture and consistency of frozen yogurt. VB and I were both stunned that the product looks just like frozen yogurt. However, the product can turn a bit slimy (like mushed up bananas) after the mixture melts a little.

As for the taste, we added some frozen peaches and raspberries to the mixture. But this product is definitely for the banana lover in you, because even though it looks just like frozen yogurt, it still tastes like bananas. Also, I think there were some human errors involved -- the product required ripe bananas and mine were not quite as ripe. I wonder if I had riper bananas, the end result would be sweeter and of a better mouth feel and consistency. That means, we have to try this one again sometime soon! With ripe bananas, next time. I do think that this can potentially be a great product for vegans and others who want to enjoy a frozen treat without dairy or artificial products.

Braised Seitan My Way

Pin It As I mentioned in my last post, our earlier batch of braised seitan didn't come out the way we wanted. Seitan is actually a very easily manipulable protein -- it takes on flavors easily and it's impossible to overcook it. I think the previous batch didn't come out right because the recipe we used didn't use enough flavors or the right flavors, resulting in a bland, overly sweet product. Well, I'm not making that mistake again. For this braised seitan recipe, I'm adding lots of aromatics, herbs and spices. The result is anything but bland.

For this braised seitan recipe, you will need:

• 18 ounces of cooked seitan (store bought or you can make my seitan recipe but be sure to shape the dough into palm sized chops)
• 2 yellow onions, medium diced
• 3 carrots, medium chopped
• 3 celery stalks, medium chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3/4 bottle of red wine (I used Trader Joe's Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried onion powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place seitan, onions, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, Bay leaves into a oven proof baking dish. Make sure there's enough room for liquid. Combine red wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over seitan. Cover with aluminum foil and braise for 30 minutes.

Remove and flip the seitan. Cover and braise for another 30 minutes. Remove. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Return dish to the oven, uncovered, and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the seitan and roast for another 20 minutes. Check occasionally to see that there's enough liquid in the dish. You don't want to clean up a burnt-on mess.

Remove seitan. By now, the seitan should look deep brown and developed a little bit of a crust. It's virtually impossible to get the burned crusty bits on seitan like you can with real meat, so don't expect it to have quite the same crust. You now have braised seitan!

One serving suggestion is to slice this up and make a cheesesteak sandwich by sauteing seitan with some onions and then jam it into toasted French bread with some Cheez Whiz. Mmmm... Cheez Whiz (the spelling suggests industrial strength orange deliciousness). OR. You can use some vegan soy cheddar instead. But, as far as I know, you only live once -- so bring on the Cheez Whiz! FRFR3MD7WGCU

Vegan Steak and Potatoes

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We made some braised seitan that didn't come out the way we intended. It was made with a ton of onions and turned out just a bit too sweet. In order to avoid eating it for days, I decided to shake it up a little and turn the seitan into something different. I lightly pan fried the seitan with olive oil until the edges are browned and then I topped it with some vegan shiitake mushroom and red wine sauce. Voila! It looks just like a restaurant steak with steak sauce. I paired the steak with some sweet potato fries.

For this vegan steak topped with mushroom sauce, you will need:

• 16 ounces seitan steak (store bought or you can make my seitan recipe but be sure to shape the dough into fist sized chunks)
• 2 pints fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
• 5 tablespoons butter substitute (I use Earth Balance), divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper

To begin, heat up olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter substitute in a non-stick pan. Gently pan fry both sides of the seitan until browned. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter substitute, then add minced thyme and rosemary. Stir and mix in sliced mushrooms. Cook gently until mushrooms are softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in flour until all the mushrooms get sticky and flour browns a bit at the bottom. Pour in red wine and soy sauce. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring mixture to simmer and continue to cook until it thickens, about 2-5 minutes. Spoon over the top of pan fried seitan steaks and serve.

Green(s) Pie

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This pie didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Because it wasn't even supposed to be a pie! I was planning on making turnovers, but the pastry was not cooperating on a hot, humid day. So instead of struggling with stuffing and folding a dozen turnovers, I made one pie and patted myself on the back.

I stuffed this pie with a lot of nutritious greens and added aromatics like sage, thyme, onion and garlic. I also mixed in some cannellini bean puree that held the veggies together and gave the filling a creamy texture. The crust was golden, tender and flaky. Although I didn't successfully make turnovers, this was nevertheless a success.

You'll need:

• 2 bunches dark greens (I used kale and rainbow chard, but you can also use spinach, mustard greens, and collard greens), tough stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 gloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs sage, chopped
• 4 sprigs thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional egg wash (1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water)
• 1 portion pastry, recipe below

For the pastry, you'll need:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cubed and chilled
• 3/4 cup vegan butter substitute (Earth Balance for me), cubed and chilled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• up to 5 tablespoons ice cold water

To begin, mix all purpose flour, chilled vegan butter spread, vegetable shortening salt until the mixture has a wet sand consistency. You can use food processor and pulse a few times or you can use your hands and break up the fat into finer granules. Mix in water, one tablespoon at a time. If you're using a food processor, add ice water one tablespoon at a time while pulsing. The dough should barely come together. You probably only need 2-3 tablespoons of water. When in doubt, retrain from adding more water. It's easy to add more water, but impossible to take it out. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill.

In a large pot fitted with a lid, begin heating up olive oil over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes to the oil. When pepper flakes start to sizzle, mix in diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Mix in garlic, sage and thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add greens. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well together and cover for a 5-8 minutes over medium low heat. The greens should be just wilted and still bright green. Remove and set aside. Once cooled, add mixture into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Wrapping the mixture in cheese cloth, squeeze out any excess liquid and place the mixture in mixing bowl. Add cannellini beans to the food processor and pulse until beans are mashed. Mix together the bean puree with vegetable mixture and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chilled dough onto a floured surface. Divide the dough in half and wrap up one half in plastic wrap and place it back in the refrigerator. Roll out the other half into a round disc 2 inches larger than the pie pan. Mold the dough into the pie pan and trim off any excess dough. (If you're working on a hot and humid day or the dough is too wet, try rolling the dough out in between two pieces of plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will help you to roll out the dough evenly without sticking and make the transfer to pie pan a lot easier.) Dock the dough with fork and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Fill the baked pie crust with vegetable mixture. Spread it out evenly with a spatula. Roll out the other piece of dough into a round disc big enough to cover the pie pan. Cut out some vent holes in the middle of the disc. Cover the pie with the dough. Crimp the edges by pushing down gently.  Brush with egg wash (omit if you want to keep this vegan). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

  

Vegan Shepard's Pie

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A vegan Shepard's pie sounds like an oxymoron. A traditional Shepard's pie would contain ground lamb. I mean, otherwise, it's not really a Shepard's pie, right? In any event, for my vegan version of a Shepardless pie, I used pearl barley to replace the ground meat and to add texture and bulk to the pie. The result was healthy and flavorful. And it wasn't that hard to make!

For the mashed potato top layer, you'll need:

• 3 pounds potato (or 5 large Russet potatoes, I used baby potatoes here), peeled and quartered
• 1 cup soy milk
• 3 tablespoons butter substitute
• 3 tablespoons non-diary cream cheese or sour cream (I used Toffuti sour cream)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated soy cheddar
• salt to taste

 For the bottom layer, you will need:

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• ground black pepper
• salt to taste

To a large pot, add peeled and diced potatoes. Add enough water to the pot so that the potatoes are completely submerged. Cover. Turn heat up high and bring water to boil. Once boiling, set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the potatoes by piercing them with a sharp knife. If potatoes can be pieced through easily, then they are done. Otherwise, continue to boil and check again in 5 minutes. Repeat until potatoes are done. Drain. While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or a food mill. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

To a large pot, add 4 cups water and pearl barley. Cover and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until pearl barley is cooked. The grain should be edible but should still be chewy. Drain and set aside.

In a medium pot, heat up olive oil. Add diced onion, carrots and celery. Stir and allow to cook until onion becomes translucent, about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and thyme. Stir for a few minutes. Add soy sauce, vegetable stock, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and cooked pearl barley.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour vegetable and barley mixture into a 3 quart pan. Spread mixture to the edge evenly. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until top is browned. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower and Leek Pasta

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Why do we keep buying cauliflower? I don't even like them! Anyway, our orange cauliflower was in the fridge staring back at me. So I had to cook them. Something simple maybe?

You will need:

• 1 head of cauliflower (I used orange cauliflower), tough stems removed
• 1 medium leek, white part only, sliced thin
• 3 gloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon apple cinder vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• chopped parsley for garnish
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta

In a medium pot, melt butter or butter substitute with olive oil. Add leek and garlic. Saute gently until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add cauliflower. Stir. Add dry white wine and vinegar. Bring mixture to boil and then turn down to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Toss pasta with cauliflower mixture and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

I think the orange cauliflower was sweeter than regular. I like it more than regular cauliflower. But it's been years since I've had a regular white cauliflower that I struggle to remember what they actually taste like. VB thinks that I actually like cauliflower but for some unknown reason have denied that fact most of my adult life. Maybe I just need something to hate on. I mean, I can't like to eat everything, can I? Can I?

Oh, remember kohlrabi? We liked it so much that we bought it again at the farmers' market. This time, I peeled them and sliced them thinly along with a couple of granny smith apples. Then I tossed them simply with some vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. It's fresh, slightly sweet, crunchy and really delicious as a side salad/slaw.

Kale Pesto Pizza

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Just to be clear, it's kale pesto pizza and not kale on pesto pizza. Some say you can make anything into pesto -- I don't know about that, but kale definitely works. This kale pesto is surprisingly sweet, not at all bitter. It's green and creamy and works great on pizza. I think it would be delicious on pasta as well. VB said this is one of the best pizzas he's ever had. All I can say is every cook needs someone like him (but he's MINE! Get your own appreciative, complimentary, non-picky eater).

For this kale pesto, you will need:

• 3 cups (packed) kale, cleaned, stem removed and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2-inch strip of lemon peel
• juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1-2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon capers
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Chop kale, cashews, garlic, lemon peel and capers in a food processor. While processing, stream in olive oil until paste becomes sauce. Season with salt. Set aside.

To complete the pizza, you will need:

• one portion of your favorite pizza dough recipe (try this)
• sliced mozzarella
• toppings -- I kept it simple and used young asparagus and sauteed portabella mushroom

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees, preferably with a pizza stone in it. Roll out pizza dough. Place pizza dough on a baking sheet. If you have a pizza stone, place dough on a piece of aluminum foil for easy transfer. Spread kale pesto over the top, leaving 1-inch edge all the way around. Top with a layer of mozzarella slices. Then top with your desired toppings. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until top is browned and bottom is crispy.

Vegan Moussaka

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My first vegan moussaka attempt ended in failure. The problem was making a good vegan bechamel sauce without it tasting so soy-y. I think this time I managed to make a decent vegan bechamel sauce with arrowroot powder, which gave it the thick, saucy consistency that I was looking for. Also I cut back on the use of soy products so that it wouldn't taste like... well, soy products.

For this (not so photogenic) vegan moussaka, you will need:

• 3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced
• 1 spring fresh oregano, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint brown button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
• salt to taste
• 1 portion vegan bechamel sauce, recipe below

For vegan bechamel sauce, you will need:

• 5 tablespoons butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (if arrowroot powder is hard to find, use 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy, non-soy milk (I used almond milk, but there is a variety of options on the market, like coconut milk, rice milk, and hemp milk)
• 4 tablespoons non-dairy cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub sliced eggplants on both sides with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Alternatively, you can also spray both sides of sliced eggplant with non-stick spray. Roast for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a medium pot, heat up 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sautee diced onion until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and minced oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground allspice, ground cloves and ground cinnamon. Stir a few times. Add vegetable stock, cannellini beans and dice tomatoes. Season with salt. Turn heat up high until mixture boils. Turn heat back down to medium and allow it to boil, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter substitute over medium heat. Sprinkle in arrowroot powder or all purpose flour and whisk vigorously until all the dry ingredient is incorporated and the mixture thickens. While whisking, slowly pour in non-dairy, non-soy milk. Bring sauce to boil. Turn down the heat and allow mixture to simmer. Whisk in non-dairy cream cheese and freshly grated nutmeg. Allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes while whisking.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the dish with eggplant slices. Pour about half of the bean mixture on top. Spread out evenly. Top with another layer of eggplant slices. Pour and spread the remainder of the bean mixture. Top with another layer of eggplant slices. Pour vegan bechamel sauce over the top and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes. Broil on high for an additional 3 to 5 minutes to brown the top. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mock Lamb Curry

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Sorry about the lack of posts recently. I'm back from a short trip and ready to get cooking again! Today, we have mock lamb curry from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. This sort of became my go-to cookbook for vegetarian dishes with some spice. I made minor changes to the recipe by substituting Tofutti Sour Cream with a squeeze of lemon for yogurt and turned this into a vegan dish. It turned out really flavorful with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne. I paired it simply with couscous with chopped green onion and mint. As for the "lamb," it's actually cubed seitan.

Chard Galette

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One of my biggest cooking challenges is how to make vegetables the star of any meal and not just a collection of bit part players. Over the years, I've found that vegetables should be paired with grains, pasta, or just some sort of carb in order to be substantial enough to be the main course instead of a side dish. For this chard galette, I took essentially two side dishes -- mashed potatoes and sauteed chard -- and made a main course by adding a pie crust. This rustic galette is actually really easy to make and quite delicious. The turnip mashed potatoes is creamy yet light and paired extremely well with the earthy chard.

For this chard galette, you will need:

• 1 portion of whole wheat tart crust with olive oil, recipe below
• 2 bunches chard (I used a mixture of Swiss, rainbow and yellow. Other hearty greens like kale and collard greens can also work here), chopped
• 5 small turnips, peeled and quartered
• 1 Russet potato, peeled and medium diced
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

For the whole wheat tart crust with olive oil (adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), you'll need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoon active yeast
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Begin by mixing warm water together with sugar and active yeast in a large bowl. Set aside and allow the yeast to foam, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt. Mix together and knead lightly for 5 minutes. Cover with damp paper towels and allow to proof for 45 minutes. Dough should double in size. Punch down the dough and knead a few times. Cover again and allow to proof for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, place potato and turnips into a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Test pieces by piercing with a fork. If fork inserts easily, they are done. If not, microwave on high for 2 more minutes and repeat until done. Mash together. You can use either a masher, a ricer or a food mill. Stir in butter or butter substitute. Season with salt and set aside.

In a large heavy pot, heat up olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chard, season with salt and stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chard should turn dark green and become soft. Strain and roughly chop. Squeeze out any residual liquid. Mix together with toasted pine nuts and red wine vinegar.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Punch down the dough and roll out to a 12-inch round piece. Place rolled out dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread mashed turnips and potato in the middle, leaving about a 2 to 3-inch edge all the way around. Top with chard mixture. Pull the edge up and fold into wide pleats. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面)

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VB brings his lunch to work almost everyday. One of his co-workers was curious about my version of Dan Dan Mian, but declared that Zha Jian Mian is better. Specifically that she makes a good Zha Jian Mian. Sounds like a challenge! I love a good challenge.

Unfortunately, I think I may have failed this one. Well, I guess if I had to grade myself, this version of Zha Jiang Mian would be given a C-. Number one reason? Zha Jian Mian should be saucy, as the name implies (it literally means "fried sauce noddles"). Mine is a bit on the dry side. It's one thing to make something like... oh say, Indian pizza. There's no right way; it just has to taste good. But it's much harder to make something that's steeped in tradition and childhood memories. This one just didn't quite measure up.

Sadly, you can tell that it's not saucy enough.

The problem was the vegetarian ham that I used in here. It soaked up all the sauce and became mushy. If there's anything that I hate more than a dry Zha Jian Mian, it's mushy fake meat. So I made the decision to forgo the sauce part and focus on getting a more meaty texture. I think this Zha Jian Mian would be good with a fake meat product like Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix, something that's pre-soaked and unflavored. Otherwise it's also okay just to leave the fake meat out entirely.

I do think the flavors were good. But the end result wasn't good enough to post a recipe for it. Maybe one day, I can make an A+ Zha Jian Mian.

Dan Dan Mian (擔擔麵)

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There are noodles in there somewhere...

Over the years, I have purchased quite a few Chinese cookbooks written in Chinese, but I find them a bit hard to use. They never account for the fact that some ingredients are hard to find in America. And they use kilograms instead of ounces or cups as measurement, forcing me to use all the 4th grade math that I can't remember. So, for years, I wished for an authentic Chinese cookbook written in English for American cooks who are not interested in orange chicken or General Tso's anything.

For Christmas, I got Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking and Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province by Fuchsia Dunlop. They are the cookbooks that I've been hoping for. I find the recipes to be authentic. VB and I also like this style of Chinese food because the spices make vegetables much more exciting than just plain.

I found this Dan Dan Mian recipe (VB calls it "Dan and Dan Noodles"... eh, close enough) in Land of Plenty. I couldn't find ya cai (芽菜) in my local Chinese supermarket, so I substituted with finely chopped zha cai (榨菜). I also used finely chopped vegetarian ham instead of ground pork and added some blanched bok choy for freshness. The result was pretty darn delicious. I can't wait to try more recipes from these cookbooks!


p.s. Generally, I don't post recipes from cookbooks and I always link to online recipes unless I made substantial changes. I hope that would encourage people to buy these awesome cookbooks that someone spent months, if not years, to write. Obviously that sentiment is not shared by all food bloggers. So without any further comments on this point, I'm going to gently point to where you can find this particular recipe online.

Tofu Enchiladas with Green Sauce

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Don't be alarmed. This is just a small baking dish I filled with enchiladas. Recipe makes A LOT more than this.

It's been awhile since we had enchiladas. VB was very enthusiastic when I mentioned making enchiladas, but a bit puzzled by the green sauce part. I got the idea for this tofu enchilada from a daytime talk show. Who said TV rots your brain?

For this tofu enchiladas, you'll need:

• 16-ounce block firm tofu, finely crumbled (I passed the tofu through my trusty food mill)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 15-ounce can corn
• juice from 1 lime
• 15 corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella if oaxaca cheese is hard to find)
• 1 portion green tomatillo sauce, recipe below

For the tomatillo sauce, you will need:

• 6 tomatillos, husk and stem removed and rinsed
• 1 Anaheim pepper
• 2 Serano peppers (adjust for your desired heat level)
• 1/2 medium white onion, large diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
• 6 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste

Begin by boiling water in large pot.  Add tomatillos, Anaheim pepper, Serano peppers and white onion. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Peppers and tomatillos should turn dull green. Reserve 1/2 cup boiling liquid. Strain. Remove any tough stems that are still attached to the peppers. Add boiled tomatillos, Anaheim pepper, Serano peppers and white onion to a blender. Add boiling liquid, garlic and cilantro. Puree content into sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Allow sauce to stand in room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large prep bowl, combine crumbled tofu with black beans, corn and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside. Spread about 1/3 cup of green sauce into a baking dish. Make sure that the sauce covers bottom of the entire dish. In a dry hot non-stick pan, gently toast corn tortilla on both sides. Add about 3 tablespoons of tofu mix in the middle of the toasted tortilla. Wrap tortilla tightly around the tofu mix. Place the enchiladas seam side down into the baking dish with green sauce. Repeat until baking dish is filled. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cheese should be golden brown and melted. But if it's not, you can broil on high for a few minutes until cheese browns. Allow enchiladas to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Pot Pie

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Hi! Long time no blog. VB and I took a trip to Taiwan. I don't have many pictures to share because we were too busy eating and couldn't spare the few moments to take pictures. So lazy, I know. Anyways, back to home cooking! I made a mushroom pot pie last night for dinner. It was a hit with VB! It was rich and creamy with a nice hearty crust and tons of veggies. Best of all, it is vegan! Definitely a good winter classic.

For this mushroom pot pie, you will need:

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 1 pint cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute (I use Earth Balance)
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• salt to taste
• 1 portion pie crust, recipe below

For the mushroom pot pie crust, you'll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese (I use Trader Joe's non-dairy spread), chilled
• 5 tablespoons vegan butter substitute, chilled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons ice cold water

To prepare the crust, begin by pulsing together flour, salt and baking powder in a food processor. Add vegan cream cheese and butter substitute. Pulse until the mixture has a wet sand consistency. Slowly add ice water while pulsing. The dough should come together easily. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

In a medium pot, heat up olive oil and butter substitute until fat shimmers. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sweat until softened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Mix in flour. Stir quickly to ensure that flour does not burn. Stir in mushroom and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Add vegetable stock and soy milk. Stir. Turn heat to low and allow the mixture to come to gentle simmer. Stir frequently. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Turn off heat. Stir in frozen peas and chopped parsley. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart bakeware. Alternatively, you can pour mixture into individual ramekins. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the chilled crust to a size that would cover the bakeware or ramekins. Lay the crust on top of the bakeware. Make slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and allow pot pie to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin, Black Beans and Cheese Pupusas

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I got the idea for pumpkin pupusas from our local El Salvadorian restaurant. They often stuff a pumpkin mixture with cheese and meat into pupusas. And those are delicious! I decided to make something similar, but with a twist. Instead of stuffing pumpkin into the pupusa, I mixed pumpkin puree into the masa mix and stuffed it with a black bean cheese mixture. They turned out flavorful and moist -- a little different from the restaurant version, but tasty nevertheless.

You'll need:

• 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup grated cheese (I use soy cheese to keep this vegan, but you can use easy to melt cheeses like cheddar or Monterey Jack)
• canola oil for pan frying
• salt to taste
• 1 portion pumpkin masa mix, recipe below

For the pumpkin masa mix, you'll need:

• 2 cups masa harina
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup (or half a 15-ounce can) pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• a pinch of salt

Begin by mixing all the ingredients for the pumpkin masa mix together in a large bowl. The masa mixture should be moist and can easily be manipulated. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of canola oil until shimmering. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans. Allow beans to cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Gently mash the beans with the back of a spatula. Set aside.

To make pupusas, take a golf ball size masa mix and flatten into a cake with thinner center and thicker edges. Place about a tablespoon of black bean mix and some grated cheese in the center. Fold the edges over to cover the filling. Roll into a ball and flatten into a pancake by transferring it back and forth between two hands. Grease non-stick pan or hot griddle with canola oil. Place pupusa onto the hot griddle or non-stick pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat. This recipe should make about 10 to 12 pupusas. Serve immediately with some slaw, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Kabocha Squash Pie

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I got a new kitchen tool. It's a food mill from VB's grandma for Christmas (thanks, Gi!). It's time to put it to good use. So. I have a brand new food mill, half a kabocha squash and a block of tofu. The only logical thing to do (in my odd twisted train of thought) is to roast the kabocha squash and pass it through the food mill, along with some tofu and make a pie out of it. Turned out pretty good! The food mill allowed the squash to be mashed but not pulverized, giving the pie a nice fluffy texture. My previous attempt in making a similar product, I didn't have the food mill and the pie was definitely more grainy. Next time, I'm going to make spaetzle with the food mill. I can't wait!

For this kabocha squash pie, you'll need:

• 1/2 kabocha squash 
• 1 16-ounce block of firm tofu
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3 tablespoons nutrional yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 recipe of vegan pie crust, below

For the vegan pie crust, you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter substitute (I use Earth Balance), cold and cubed
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cubed
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop out and discard seeds from squash. Rub kabocha squash with olive oil. Stuff garlic cloves inside the cavity and place the squash cut side down into a baking dish. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour. The squash is done when the skin is browned and softened and you can easily insert a fork into the flesh. Remove and allow the squash to cool.

In the meantime, mix flour with a pinch of salt. Add cold butter substitute and vegetable shortening into the flour. With a whisk or by hand, break the fat into small pieces until the mixture has a wet sand consistency. If you want, you can use a food processor and pulse until similar consistency is achieved. Stir in ice water until the dough barely comes together. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and line the pie pan. Dock the dough with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove and set aside.

Peel the roasted garlic. Scoop out roasted squash flesh. Pass the squash and garlic through the food mill. Pass tofu through the food mill. For a finer texture, you may want to do it twice. Mix squash and tofu mixtures together, along with salt, nutritional yeast, ground ginger, granulated garlic, and orange zest. Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Fill the pie crust with the mixture and spread mixture out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove and let pie cool for 15 minutes before serving.

We also had some roasted radishes as a side dish. They're pink and festive!

Kabocha Squash in Indian-Style Curry

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I've been contemplating what to do with this confection kabocha squash that we found in our local farmer's market. In most instances, I would roast it and have it as a side. But that's so BORING! A squash this beautiful with such unique sage/slate gray skin deserves special treatment. So I decided to make an Indian-style curry with this squash and it turned out great. The delicate sweet flavors of the squash mellowed out the spicy curry, making it a balanced and flavorful dinner.

You'll need:

• 1/2 kabocha squash, seeded, peeled and diced (note: squash can be tough and hard to peel. I find that if you chop it to large wedges and microwave for 2 minutes, the squash will soften, making it easier to peel. Also, this will allow the squash to cook faster in the curry.)
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 Thai chilies, roughly chopped
• 1 15-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mango powder (optional)

Begin by adding onion, garlic and ginger into a food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are well mixed and chopped. In a medium, heavy lidded pot, heat up canola oil until it shimmers. Add cumin seeds and brown mustard seeds. The seeds should start popping immediately. Stir in onion, ginger and garlic mixture. Gently stir and allow mixture to cook. In the meantime, pulse whole/diced tomatoes with juice in food processor until tomatoes are chopped. When the onion is softened and translucent, stir in ground cumin, ground coriander, ginger powder, garlic powder, tumeric, ground cardamon and garama masala. Stir until fragrant, about a minute or 2. Stir in tomatoes. Gently cook until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture turns into a paste consistency. Season with salt. Stir in garbanzo beans and diced squash. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock. Bring stock to dimmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until squash is completely cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in dried mango powder (optional). Serve over rice or with naan.

Chipotle Tamale Pie

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I patted myself on the back hard for this one. Tamale pie! So exotic! (Nevermind that there are probably hundreds of similar tamale pie recipes) It's a casserole! It's a pie! It's... it's... something that I've made before. It was not until after we had dinner and I downloaded pictures onto my computer that I realized this tamale pie looks suspiciously like Southwest Surprise, a recipe that I made back in April of 2009. Well, count me... surprised.

So I don't have the best recall on the stuff that I've made before, but this was delicious. I added some chipotle peppers in the beans so they're just a little smoky and spicy. The end result was delicious and hearty with contrasting textures and flavors like fluffy sweet cornbread and creamy spicy beans. Probably not the most original recipe, but a good one nonetheless.

You'll need:

• 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (cheddar would be great here too)
• chopped cilantro (optional garnish)
• 1 recipe of Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread (I used soy milk instead of buttermilk and Earth Balance instead of butter. Worked out great)

Begin by heating up canola oil in a heavy medium pot until the fat shimmers. Add red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn heat down to medium low. Add onion and bell pepper. Stir and allow vegetables to cook until they are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, black beans, pinto/red kidney beans and water. Season. Stir and bring liquid to simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for another 15 minutes or so until the liquid has reduced and thickened.

In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for cornbread. You can also use boxed corn bread mix, just prepare up to the point prior to baking. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the beans and vegetables into a baking dish. Spread out the mixture evenly to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Pour cornbread mix on top. Spread to create even surface. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove and allow tamale pie to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash

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I expect my next few food posts to feature orange colored food. Because it's that time of the year -- the time when we get orange produce like sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin and, well, orange. Today, we have a farro risotto with butternut squash. Farro has less starch (but more protein and fiber) than rice. So farro risotto doesn't have that creamy, viscous consistency that a rice risotto has. But it's slightly nutty and chewy. So, it's different and good for you. Of course, you can always replace the farro with rice if you want.

You'll need:

• 2 cups of small diced butternut squash (1/3-inch cubes), about half of a medium butternut squash
• 2 cups farro
• 4 tablespoons butter or butter subsitute (I use Earth Balance), divided
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted pine nuts would be good here too)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4-6 sage leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• juice from half a lemon
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• salt to taste
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
• grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In a sauce pan, bring vegetable stock to boil. Keep the stock hot and simmering. In a separate large skillet fitted with a lid, melt 3 tablespoons of butter or butter substitute over medium low heat. Add shallot and sweat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and sage leaves. Toss gently until fragrant, about a minute. Add diced butternut squash. Allow it to cook for just a couple of minutes. Season with salt. Add white wine. Bring liquid to simmer and reduce.

Gently mix in farro. Add a cup of hot vegetable stock. Cover and simmer undisturbed for 5-8 minutes. Remove lid and stir. Allow the liquid to reduce. Add another cup of hot vegetable stock. Cover and simmer undisturbed for 5-8 minutes. Remove lid and stir. Allow liquid to reduce a bit. Add the final cup of hot vegetable stock with lemon juice and chopped walnuts. Season with salt. Gently stir. Cover and simmer for another 5 to 8 minuets. Remove lid and stir. Allow the liquid to almost completely evaporate. Stir in a tablespoon of butter or butter substitute or grated Parmesan cheese (optional). Garnish with chopped parsley and/or grate Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Kale Mushroom Tofu Quiche

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I thought I experiment a bit with some vegan quiche. It's not really much of an experiment, considering that I've made a vegan quiche before. But this time, I'm going to make a proper crust and not take a polenta cake and call it a crust. The tricky part is how to make a buttery, flaky crust with no butter. I decided to take a chance and use Earth Balance. I've used Earth Balance to replace butter in various situations -- some worked out well, others not so much. So I fully expected a tough and chewy crust. But what I got was delicious flaky crust very similar to what I would've gotten with butter. As for the rest of the quiche, it has a ton of vegetables and packed with protein from tofu. It's not much of a looker though. Next time, I would perhaps cut back on the veggies and use softer tofu to create a texture that's more like a quiche. But for now, I'm very happy with how this turned out.

You'll need:

• 1 block of firm tofu, crumbled
• 1 bunch of kale, stemmed, cleaned and sliced into strips
• 1 pint of brown button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small/medium leek, cut in half length-wise, sliced and cleaned thoroughly
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup grated soy mozzarella
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 portion of pie crust, recipe below

For the pie crust, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Earth Balance, chilled and cubed
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if necessary

To prepare the crust,  mix flour and salt together. Add cubed Earth Balance. Work quickly and break up the cubes into small bits until the mixture has a wet sand consistency. Add water and mix. The dough should barely come together. If not, add a bit more water, one tablespoon at a time. Place the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill. After 10 minutes, move the dough into the fridge until you are ready to bake.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough into a large disc and place into a pie pan. Press down gently so the dough is formed into the pan. Dock the dough with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes. You can use pie weights to bake the crust, but I baked it without the weights. Remove the crust and set aside.

Yeah, not the prettiest pie crust ever, but it was nice and flaky.

Heat up olive oil in a heavy medium pot fit with a lid. Add leeks, kale, mushroom and a dash of salt. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let the vegetables steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Kale should be soft but still bright green. Drain and mix together with tofu, nutritional yeast, soy mozzarella, and soy sauce. Fill the crust with the mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.