Joyfulgirl's cupcakes and crafts

Vegan whole turkey review

2011-12-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

A few years ago my friend Anita and I decided to throw a fully vegan post-thanksgiving redo dinner so we can have Tofurkey and all the delicious vegan sides that we'd normally miss out on at our families' meat-centric dinners. It has now become a tradition. And this year, we decided to really give it all we've got. I had been walking through Whole Foods and saw this for the first time:

According to my google searching, it's not a new product, but I had never seen it before. It's vegan! and it's shaped like a turkey! What?! I just had to get it for this year's thanksgiving dinner. The box says 10-15 servings, but I really doubted that when I opened it. It was only about the size of our kitten. It weighs 4 lbs. I was a little worried because we were expecting about 15 people for dinner and it did not look like it could serve even 10. But I had to just trust it and hope that the other food would be enough to ensure that everyone's full.

The best/strangest thing about it is that it has a cavity that you can stuff! It comes with a package of stuffing, but I wanted to use my favorite stuffing recipe (it's from the PPK's Desdemona on her blog, The Elizavegan Page). After cutting up the baguette from Trader Joe's, it didn't look like enough, so I added in the stuffing it came with and upped the spices in the recipe a bit. Now, I don't know what the packaged stuffing tastes like on its own, but the flavor was mild enough (or similar enough?) that it didn't change the taste of the stuffing as I was used to.

I stuffed it to near-bursting and put the remaining stuffing under and around the roast, like so:

I then covered it and baked it for about an hour or until heated through. It comes out looking pretty much the same, maybe just a little bit darker in color. and then it was time to carve it. I cut the legs and wings off first and then did slices diagonally across the breast until I couldn't figure out where to make the next cut and just started cutting off chunks haphazardly.

It looked and felt quite meaty. It was stringy, dense, and chewy. I think the thing that has the most similar texture to it is the Gardien chicken breasts. The flavor was pretty neutral. Tofurky has a very distinct flavor that tends to overpower everything else. When a meal that includes Tofurky is over, that's the taste that I remember most. If I pile up a bite of tofurky, stuffing, and gravy, I taste the Tofurky most. But with this, it just tastes plain with a good texture. So that was a major plus for me. It made the sides taste even better. So you can have a sandwich with gravy and stuffing and all the leftovers and actually be able to taste all the wonderful layers.

The one major downside is the price. It costs $50. Granted, there was enough for the 15 of us to eat and be very full while still having about a few servings of it left for the next day. If it was more like $30, I'd be all into it, but it didn't seem worth $50. Next year, I'll probably make my own seitan roast instead of shelling out so much for this unless a bunch of people wanted to split the cost.

In case you're curious, the rest of the menu for the night included the following:
Mushroom Puff Pastry Pockets
Spinach-Artichoke Roll-up
Butternut Apple Soup (recipe from Appetite For Reduction)
Chive Biscuits (recipe from How It All Vegan, with chives added)
Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy (Best gravy recipe ever. ever. ever.)
Sage and Onion Stuffing (recipe here)
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Scallions
Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Glazed Pecans
Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Vegan MoFo Days 31: Pumpkin Ravioli with a Sage Butter Sauce

2011-10-31T19:29:00.001-04:00

I've always wanted to make ravioli from scratch, but never got around to it. I would always just get those frozen Soy Boy Ravioli, but I wanted to try Pumpkin Ravioli and they don't have that flavor, so if I wanted it, I had to make it myself. I based the filling off the recipe for Pumpkin Baked Ziti from Veganomicon. And the dough is the one from 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman, but it gave me a lot of trouble. It was so soft and fragile. Maybe I measured wrong or something? Anyway, it tasted pretty good, so maybe that's how it's supposed to be. I don't know; use whatever recipe for the dough. The filling is the really good part.

Pumpkin Ravioli

1 cup cashew ricotta (about half the recipe, in Veganomicon or here)
3/4 cup pumpkin
1 small onion, caremelized and chopped into small pieces
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp oregano
pinch nutmeg

1 recipe of pasta dough (I found the 500 Vegan

Mix all the ingredients together (except dough) in a bowl. Set aside. Roll out two lumps of pasta dough into rectangles of equal size. Spoon the filling onto one rectangle of dough, making little mounds about half an inch apart--1 or 2 teaspoons each mound. Place the other dough rectangle over the top, press along the space between the mounds to create a seal. Use a pizza cutter to cut the mounds into individual squares. Press the edges with a fork to create the fancy-looking edges.

Place them on a cutting board while you make the others. When the cutting board fills up, put it in the freezer while you make more. When they're hardened a bit, you can put them in a baggie to store them in the freezer or you can take them out to cook. I liked freezing them; I felt like it kept them from sticking together. When you're done (or nearly done) with the rolling, set a large pot of water to boil. Place about 5-10 ravioli into the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot), making sure not to overcrowd. Boil for a couple of minutes and take them out of the water with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl while you make the others.

Between sets, work on the sauce:

Sage Butter Sauce
10 oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c earth balance
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp sage
pinch garlic powder
pinch salt and pepper

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of oil and the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms release moisture and are tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until heated through. Pour over the cooked ravioli.

So that's it for VeganMoFo 2011! Thanks for all the love throughout the month. I've had so much fun. I can't wait to go through all the posts I didn't get to yet. Don't forget you have until Wednesday to enter my giveaway!

Vegan MoFo Days 29 & 30: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-30T22:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, this ended up being a very busy weekend (or I was lazy and cranky and didn't feel like cooking, much less posting) so I missed yet another day. There goes my goal of 30 posts for the month. I did manage to get my butt up off the couch long enough to make one thing, though. I couldn't let the month end without making these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. The recipe is from Katie at Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk (make sure you also check out her recipe for Tempeh Wingz also). It was originally posted for the very first VeganMoFo back in 2007 and has gotten a lot of praise (especially on the PPK forums) since then. They've been on my "to cook" list for so long, but for some reason, I always assumed homemade cinnamon rolls would be a ton of work, but they were really pretty simple. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water
3/4cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground ginger
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 T vegetable oil

Filling:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled margarine, cut into small pieces

Glaze:
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the warm water with the yeast and whisk together with a fork, let stand for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, milk, melted margarine, and sugar in with the yeast, and lightly mix. Sift in the first two and a half cups of flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Take the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and use it to flour the top of the dough and your surface a tablespoon at a time, as needed to keep the dough from getting sticky as you knead it. Knead the dough for about ten minutes, the dough will be elastic but soft and still a little sticky to the touch without being floured.

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with oil, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in margarine with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Roll up the rectangle tightly, from the long side, pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut roll into 12 (1-inch) slices. Place the slices in a 9-inch square or round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the water and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. It should be thick, but easy to drizzle. If it’s too thick, add another 1/2 teaspoon of water.

Note about the pictures: There is bad lighting and no kitty because I was at a friend's house. But I'll give you a couple of bonus kitty pictures from his first weekend here:

Vegan MoFo Day 28: Pumpkin Cream Cheese and a giveaway!

2011-10-29T11:58:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin Cream Cheese! It's super easy to make and makes a delicious upgrade to a plain bagel with cream cheese. To make it, you just have to mix 4 oz (half a tub) of vegan cream cheese (I like Tofutti) with about 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Easy peasy!

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the kitty with the pumpkin because he is sleeping and I can't find him, but can I make up for it by offering a giveaway instead? I got a coupon from Penzey's for a free Kind Heart gift box.

It comes with four 1/4 cup jars of four different spice mixes: Forward, Arizona Dreaming, Mural of Flavor, and Galena & 33rd.

I already have Forward and Arizona, so I thought I'd let one of you have a chance to try them out! And, since I'm so fantastically generous, I'm adding in two 1/2 cup jars of my favorite spice mixes: Pasta Sprinkle and Sandwich Sprinkle!

Pasta Sprinkle is a delicious mix of California basil, Turkish oregano, minced garlic and thyme. It's fabulous on any Italian dish, especially those last minute meals of pasta with jarred sauce. I also use Sandwich Sprinkle to spruce up many meals (not just sandwiches). It's a genius blend of garlic, coarse salt, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, black pepper. It's great on pasta as well and also potatoes, veggies, etc. And let me tell you something--croutons have never been so easy. Just cut bread into cubes, spritz with cooking oil and then sprinkle with Sandwich Sprinkle. Bake until toasty, crunchy and delicious.

~~To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below by Tuesday, November 2! Simple as that! Unfortunately, this is going to be limited to US addresses only, otherwise shipping would be crazy. Sorry!~~
The winner is Art You Dream About. Please send me your address so I can ship out your goodies! Thanks for entering, everyone!

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Pumpkin Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-10-27T19:49:00.001-04:00

I was having trouble deciding what to make for today. I got a bunch of veggies in my CSA share yesterday, so I really wanted to make some of those for dinner instead of something pumpkinny. So I thought pumpkin cookies for dessert would be terrific, so I picked up my copy of The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur by Kelly Peloza. When I saw the picture of the Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies in the book, they looked like they would be perfect with some ice cream sandwiched between.

Kelly's picture, not mine. Don't they look like they're dying to be sandwiched?

The cookies were amazing. Perfect spice, almost like a gingerbread cookie, but with some pumpkin in there as well. The only thing I'd do differently is use parchment paper underneath. I didn't use any because I didn't have it on hand. They didn't stick a lot, but my spatula isn't that thin, so a few of them ended up breaking when I tried to remove them.

Now, for the ice cream in between, vanilla seemed too...vanilla for these delicious cookies, so I fancied it up a bit. I spooned about a cup of vanilla ice cream into a small bowl, added a handful of walnut pieces, and drizzled in some maple syrup. Voilà--Maple Walnut Ice Cream. Perfect.

Vegan MoFo Day 26: Pumpkin Saag

2011-10-26T18:18:00.000-04:00

Who knew pumpkin and spinach were made for each other? The Pumpkin Saag in Veganomicon pairs the two beautifully. This is the the third recipe I've done (along with the Pumkin Baked Ziti and Pumpkin Crumb Cake) and all have been amazing. so if you don't have the book yet, are you crazy? Go get it!

I had some extra roasted pumpkin leftover from yesterday's dinner, so I tossed it in here as well. Also, I didn't have fresh ginger, so I just used powdered. When you make this, save the seeds and roast them with some salt and garlic powder (or whatever you like) for supreme deliciousness.

Fact: Pumpkin Saag is so delicious even cats will lick their lips when they see it.

Vegan MoFo Day 25: Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Tofu with Baked Pumpkin

2011-10-25T09:39:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe is from Vegan with a Vengeance. It's another recipe that has been sitting on my shelf for years without being noticed. It was absolutely delicious. In VWAV, Isa suggests serving this with cranberry relish. It does sound delicious, but I didn't have any of the ingredients so I just had it without. If you're planning on doing the same, I'd suggest increasing the salt a bit.

Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Tofu with Baked Pumpkin

3 1⁄2 pound sugar pumpkin
2 t. canola oil, plus extra for deep frying
1⁄2 cup cornstarch
1⁄4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1⁄4 t. salt
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, sliced length-wise into eighths
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 300 F. Carve out the top of the pumpkin and slice in half. Remove seeds and clean them in a strainer under running water. Pat seeds dry with a paper towel to remove most of the moisture. Measure 3⁄4 C. of seeds and transfer them onto a rimmed baking sheet (if there are extras, bake them anyway because you will eat half of the roasted seeds before you have a chance to use them). Sprinkle with 2 t. of oil, toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping occasionally. They should be toasted a golden brown to a deep golden brown. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 350 F. Cut the pumpkin into slices that are about 2 inches wide at the widest point. Lightly oil the slices and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

The seeds should be cool by now so transfer them to a food processor and pulse until crumbly; the texture should range from ground to coarse and chunky. Transfer to a shallow bowl and mix in cornstarch, oregano and salt. Place the flour in another bowl, the water in another, and line up your three bowls: flour, water and seed mixture.

Heat 1⁄4 inch of oil over moderate heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron. Test the heat of the oil by dropping a pinch of the seed mixture in; if bubbles form rapidly around the seeds, the oil is ready. Dip tofu on both sides into the flour, then into the water, then into the seed mixture until the tofu is well coated with seeds. Repeat with all the pieces. Place the tofu into the oil (you'll probably have to do two batches). Fry for 3 minutes on one side and about 2 1⁄2 minutes on the second side. Line a plate with pieces of a paper bag or paper towels to drain the excess oil when they're golden. Serve with the slices of roasted pumpkin.

Makes 8 pieces of kitten leg sized tofu

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Parfaits

2011-10-24T18:02:00.000-04:00

"You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, 'Let's get some parfait,' they say, 'Hell no, I don't like no parfait'? Parfaits are delicious!...Parfait's gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!"

-Donkey

That donkey sure knows his stuff. I guess you can say he's a wise ass! Okay, cheesy joke out of the way... This parfait has layers of graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin pudding, and whipped topping. I first learned about the pumpkin pudding from a woman named Michelle at a Weight Watchers meeting. I don't know if it's originally her recipe or if she was just passing it on. When you assemble the parfaits, make them within a couple of hours of serving. If they sit too long, the graham layer will get soggy. Still delicious, but the texture is not as nice.

Graham layer
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance or canola oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar
A splash of non-dairy milk (maybe)

Mix the Earth Balance and brown sugar into the graham cracker crumbs. It should be crumbly but clump together if you press it down. If it looks too dry add a bit of soy milk.

Pumpkin Pudding layer
1 package silken tofu
1 packet instant vanilla pudding (I used the fat free sugar free kind from Jell-o)
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. That's it!

Vegan MoFo Day 23: Corn Crusted Pumpkin-Potato Empanadas

2011-10-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

Holy cow these are so good. When I saw this recipe in Viva Vegan, I knew I had to make it. Pretty much anything is delicious if it's wrapped in dough. These were no exception to the rule. The filling is a combination of boiled pumpkins and potatoes cooked with a flavorful sofrito. So simple and so delicious! And the dough is even simpler, just some precooked masarepa corn flour mixed with water and salt. I found the flour at a local Latin market in the section with cornmeal and masa harina.

NOTE: I made and photographed these when I went to my mom's house for a visit, so the kitty wasn't available for a picture. But this guy was! This is Junior, he's 3 years old and he lives at my mom's house (where I used to live as well). He's always so good when he's posing for my stupid pictures.

Makes about 20 dog-paw sized empanadas (for size comparison, the kitten is about the size of Junior's head)

Vegan MoFo Day 22: Pumpkin Roundup

2011-10-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

October is really flying by. Can you believe there's less than 10 days left? I keep seeing all the other MoFo participants posting great pumpkin dishes and I want to try them all, but there's not enough time to do them all on my MoFo, so I'm going to post a few of my favorites now in case I don't get a chance to make them myself. I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts, so please don't be offended if you don't see yours here because I may not have seen it!

Pumpkin Spiced Hot Cocoa made with DIY Pumpkin Syrup by A Vegan Food Snob

This Self-Glazing Pumpkin Cupcake at Phoenix Dreaming is pure genius. The glaze was formerly fudge!

Check out the creamy goodness of this Pumpkin Spinach Quiche by West Philly Vegan.

Pumpkin Spice Sticky Bread by Oh, Ladycakes. OMG I want this in my mouth!

This Pumpkin Barley Risotto by Anchors & Feathers looks so creamy and delicious.

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole at Unhealthy Vegan looks like a great dish for a fall brunch potluck.

It's hard to believe that these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Meet the Shannons actually exist outside of my dreams.

These Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pancakes from Vegan Guinea Pig look amazing.

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Pumpkin Pie!

2011-10-22T09:09:00.001-04:00

I'm way late in posting yesterday's entry. My internet decided to stop working (Only on my computer, as luck would have it. My roommates had fine connections). Last night was a friend's birthday party. I volunteered to bring pumpkin pie. I used the recipe from Vegan Pie In the Sky (it's the same as the one in Voluptuous Vegan, but without the pecan topping). I thought maybe my high fructose corn syrup intake was a little low these days, so I used Rich Whip instead of making the Rad Whip from VPITS. It whipped up so quickly and easily and has a great taste that I may be likely to use it again in the future.

I've always been nervous about making my own pie crusts, but I knew the right thing to do was conquer my fears and make my own crust. I don't know what I was apprehensive about. It worked out great. I'd even go as far to say it was easy. The crust was sitting on the table while I made the filling. And of course, the unattended food was a kitty magnet resulting in a cute, tiny paw print in my crust.

Check out my purty scalloped edge, too!

The pie was a big hit at the party. Many omnis confirmed that this pie is as good as, if not better than, the non-vegan pumpkin pies they've had. The texture was perfect and the crust was amazing. I was surprised by how easy it was. Basically, you just have to measure everything, mix it up in a food processor, and pour it into a crust.

So pretty!

Makes one kitten-sized pie, of course.

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Calabacitas

2011-10-20T20:28:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my absence yesterday! I chose to skip the day in order to go to a PPK meetup. Veg_Eric happened to be on the NY section of his LA to DC motorcycle trip and I couldn't miss the chance to go to dinner with him and doncherryfan. We went to Red Bamboo and had some amazing food (ending with Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shortcake and Brownie Bottom Cheesecake).

Today, I made a recipe from Viva Vegan. Every time I make something from this book, it's fantastic and there are still so many recipes I haven't tried! Today's dinner was Calabacitas. It's a squash saute made with Calabaza Pumpkin, zucchini, and tomatoes, cooked with the sublime flavors of oregano, cumin, and lime juice. I love the combination of summer and winter squash here. You have to try this recipe!

Vegan MoFo Day 18: Stuffed Poblanos

2011-10-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

About a week or two ago, I went to a local Latino grocery store to get the corn tortillas and salsa I used for the enchiladas (they're always better tasting and cheaper) on day 11. While I was there, I saw that the poblanos were on sale for 99 cents a pound, so I picked up a few to stuff.

I created this mainly to use up some of the leftovers I had in the fridge, so it calls for leftover chili. If you didn't make chili recently, you can use a canned chili or just some beans and tomatoes; it's a pretty versatile recipe. For the vegetables, just use a mix of whatever you have on hand. I used a small handful of frozen peas and a small head of fresh broccoli.

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 cup mixed veggies
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup leftover pumpkin chili
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
A few pinches of cinnamon
4 poblano peppers
1 cup daiya (Pepperjack is my fave, but if you use cheddar or mozz style, I won't judge you)
vegetable broth, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add in jalapeno and veggies. Cook until all the vegetables are tender. If it starts to stick now, or at any point during cooking, just add a couple of splashes of vegetable broth and mix around. Add the rice, chili, pumpkin, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. Taste for spices (it may need more cinnamon or salt, depending on the chili) and let cool.

Meanwhile, cut a T shape into each poblano, hold it open to remove the seeds. Repeat with each pepper. Hold the pepper open once again and spoon in the filling. It should be very full so that it stays open with the filling poking out a bit. Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle daiya over each pepper and bake 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.

Makes enough filling to stuff 4 kitten-tail-long peppers

Vegan MoFo Day 17: Pumpkin Scrambled Tofu

2011-10-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Eric at AstroNOMZ posted about scrambled tofu with pumpkin mixed in. Pumpkin in scrambled tofu!?! Once again, I had to overcome my fear of savory pumpkin dishes and dive right in. It was delicious! I'm so glad I tried it out because I loved it. It's savory with just a hint of cinnamonny sweetness. Serve with toast or home fries. It's also perfect for any fall brunch.

Vegan MoFo Day 16: Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-10-16T15:25:00.000-04:00

I had a potluck at my house last night and I wanted to make something fantabulous for the occasion. How fortunate that Vegan Pie in the Sky arrived on my doorstep a few days before! There's a glorious recipe in there for pumpkin cheesecake.
Coincidentally, my roommate had a tub of vegan cream cheese that she wanted to use. And she happened to decide on a cheesecake for the potluck also. Is there such thing as too much cheesecake? No, of course not! Let's make both! So I made the VPITS Pumpkin Cheesecake and she made the Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake from FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

This is the one from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

and this is the one from Vegan Pie in the Sky!

Both pies were excellent. The FFVK one makes a thicker, more dense cheesecake and the VPITS one makes a lighter, softer cheesecake (or at least this is how mine came out). I'm so excited to make more recipes from Vegan Pie in the Sky!

Two kitten sized cheesecakes!

Vegan MoFo Day 15: Pumpkin Chili

2011-10-15T11:46:00.001-04:00

I was a bit skeptical of Pumpkin Chili. Well, before I started this challenge, I was wary of pumpkin in any savory dish. MoFo is slowly changing that. In this chili, pumpkin is not the main flavor, it's in the background hiding behind the chipotle and beans. It also helps to thicken the chili a bit.

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped
1 can corn
3 cans (or 4 or 5 cups) of beans--almost any type of bean will work (I used 2 kidney and 1 black)
2 cups pumpkin
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
a few splashes of pumpkin beer
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, onions, garlic, and jalapeno over medium-high heat until soft. Add the vegetable broth if things start to stick. Add the chipotle, corn, beans, and pumpkin. Cook for another minute or two, stirring and letting the flavors combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer about 5 minutes, or until everything is hot and the flavors have had a chance to mix.

Makes about 8 kitten head sized portions.

Happy VeganMoFo Hump Day!!

2011-10-14T12:55:00.003-04:00

We're halfway through the Month of Food! Vegan Blogging is ON A ROLL! Time for a virtual vegan dance party! Lets all put down our carrots and our cast iron pans and DANCE!

The song of the day is brought to you by fellow vegan, Leslie Hall! She's fantastic! The song isn't available for purchase yet, but in the meantime visit her website to find out more info, see her amazing videos, and buy some great merchandise.

Click this image to hear the song!

Lyrics:

I eat the finest cuisines, in the finest of places Stuff my mouth full and always say thank you. But if it’s raised in a cage, and it can’t even move, if it’s hormone filled and in a bad mood. I’m gonna pass on that. Reach for something better. The only milk I’ll drink comes from the nipple of a soy bean. Veggies make you live forever, and they seem to taste much better. when they’re cooked and grown with love. So give a chef who knows what’s up a hug. Momma just can’t seem to get it, Papa he just rolls his eyes. When I tell them I’m much healthier, they just say that it’s all lies. But beans, nuts, fruits and veggies can really fill the belly. Get you vitamins you need, shiny hair and extra speed. Don’t take that meat-wich any further, I want a marinated, deep fried, hand-tied mushroom burger. I like it! We gotta stand strong for our feathered furry sometimes scaly animal friends and their little babies. ‘Cuz I wouldn’t want to live in a cage in a dark warehouse killed at an early age. Pumped full of hormones, sleeping in my feces. Never met my mother, raised by machines. Never get sunshine never get green, but that’s just me. [That girl loves fruit leather.] So ask us what we’re eating. Delicious and repeating, fruits and veggies are so nice. With a slice of tempeh, yes, I’ll have that twice. Don’t forget the legumes!

Vegan MoFo Day 13: Pumpkin Crumb Cake

2011-10-13T09:30:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a friend's birthday so I, along with another friend, brought over some cake. I wanted to make something pumpkinny, for obvious reasons. And although the pumpkin cupcakes in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World are truly fabulous, they were too obvious. And I wasn't really in the mood for frosting. Veganomicon to the rescue! The answer was sitting there in the dessert section: Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel! It was so good! The texture was amazing--fluffy and not too dense. And it wasn't too sweet. Perfect to serve with coffee after dinner or first thing in the morning for breakfast. I love how I've had this cookbook for years now and I still find recipes I didn't know/forgot existed. And each and every single one blows my mind! The only change I made here was the pan size. I didn't have a 9x13, so I used two. One was maybe 7x10 (total guess) and another much smaller one (maybe 4x4).

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel
From Veganomicon by Isa and Terry

Pecan Streusel:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Cake:
1 (15-ounce) can pure pureed pumpkin
3/4 cups non-dairy milk
3/4 cups canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Prepare the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and spices. Drizzle in the canola oil with your fingertips until crumbs form. Add the chopped pecans and mix.

Prepare the cake: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, soy milk, oil, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well. Add roughly half the flour, the baking powder, salt, and spices, and use a fork to fold everything together. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until combined. (Don't use a hand blender.) Blending with a fork helps maintain the texture.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out with a spatula. Scatter the streusel on top as evenly as possible. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted through the center comes clean.

Makes about 16 kitten head sized squares

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-10-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from pumpkin today! Instead, how about some stuffed acorn squash? They always looks so fancy and I love when food comes in its own bowl. I used a combination of wild rice and this brown rice medley from Trader Joe's, but you could use all brown rice or wild rice or whatever rice mix you like.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

4 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
1/2 cup black rice
1 cup brown rice blend
2 medium leeks, chopped and rinsed
1 teaspoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
10 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place acorn squash, cut side down, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (or two). Bake about 30 minutes or until a fork can be inserted easily (when they're done, just put them aside to cool while you finish up the stuffing).
Meahwhile, follow the directions on the bag to cook both the black rice and the brown rice blend. When the rice is done, preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add leeks and olive oil. Let the leeks get a little soft and browned on the edges. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add the rice, pecans and cranberries and mix well. Continue to cook for another minute or so to let the flavors mix. Scoop some stuffing into each acorn squash half. Return to oven and bake about 20 more minutes. Enjoy!

Look what we got in the mail!

That's how good the pictures look!

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Pumpkin, Rice, and Bean Enchiladas

2011-10-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

These enchiladas were inspired by a recipe I saw in Better Homes & Garden's cookbook, 365 Vegetarian Meals. I made a few changes, but the basic outline is the same.

Pumpkin, Rice, and Bean Enchiladas

Pumpkin mixture
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (discard seeds if you don't want it spicy)
2 cups pureed pumpkin
1/2 to 1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Rice and Bean mixture
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 bell pepper (red, green, or a mixture of both), diced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 1/2 cups red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup chunky salsa

12 corn tortillas, softened
1 to 2 cups salsa

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in pumpkin, 1/2 cup of broth, and spices. Cook until thoroughly heated. Add more broth, if needed. The consistency should be like applesauce or a little bit thicker.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook until the onion is soft. Add spices, stir, and cook a minute more. Mix in the beans, rice, and salsa and cook for a few more minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a large baking dish (or two smaller ones) with a thin layer of salsa. Place a tortilla in the salsa and flip to coat. Place a few spoonfuls of the pumpkin mixture and a few spoonfuls of the rice and bean mixture in the center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. If there is any pumpkin mixture left over, spread it over the top of the tortillas along with the extra salsa. Bake 15-20 minutes.

This picture had me cracking up. It was taken mid-meow. He was freaked out by the light on the ceiling bouncing off my flash reflector.

And on another exciting note, I received my order of soy curls today! I ordered a couple of bags from Food Fight Grocery a while back and loved them. So instead of buying a couple and then paying for shipping on a regular basis, I figured I might as well just buy a huge bulk box so I can be sure to have them on hand for quite a while. I am SO excited!

That's gotta be at least 8-10 kittens worth!

Vegan MoFo Day 10: Pumpkin Pasties and more!

2011-10-10T16:59:00.002-04:00

I've been busy this weekend! It's Columbus Day, so I had today off. What better way to celebrate a holiday than cooking up a storm?

First, I made No-Knead Bread. If you never heard of this bread, it's a terrifically easy way to make bread that involves a very long rising period instead of kneading. I can handle that! Usually it's the kneading that keeps me from making bread often (I'm pretty lazy). Since it takes over 12 hours to rise, I started the bread on Saturday afternoon to have it finished by Sunday evening. I made one exactly as the recipe says and then I made another one using whole wheat flour in place of half the flour. The only suggestion I have is to use parchment paper instead of a cotton towel for the second rise. The dough stuck to the towel like crazy. But in the end, it was so easy and delicious! Just a little crusty but perfectly soft and fluffy inside. Good for sandwiches!

Next, I wanted to make something with a sweet potato I had hanging around from my CSA. The Sweet Potato and Black Bean tamales in Viva Vegan caught my eye but I didn't feel like making tamales, so I just made the filling and had it over polenta. Delicious!

And then dessert! I first saw the recipe for these beautiful Pumpkin Pasties a couple of years ago on Dumbledore's Vegan Army. Man, I am learning so much from this year's MoFo. I used to say I don't like pumpkin in savory things or pumpkin pie or even just pumpkin. But now I'm making myself try all these different pumpkin recipes and I really love everything! These Pumpkin Pasties are so good I definitely plan on making them again. They'd be great for Thanksgiving dessert too. Many thanks to Paula for posting the recipe here on Dumbledore's Vegan Army. If you haven't been to Dumbledore's Vegan Army, go check it out now! Everything is fabulous!

Makes about 13 kitten head sized pasties.

Bonus: This isn't related to food, but on the crafty front, I also made my own laundry detergent this weekend! This recipe is in a lot of places online, so I'm not sure where it started. It uses 3 simple ingredients:

1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1 bar soap (use something that's not too heavily perfumed. I used a bar of Dr. Bronner's)

All you have to do is grate the soap and mix it all together. Use about 1 tablespoon per load or up to 2 tablespoons if it's really dirty.

I found the washing soda and borax in the laundry aisle of Stop and Shop and they were relatively cheap. The total cost for everything was less than $10 and it makes enough for up to 64 loads of laundry with lots of washing soda and borax left over for future batches. I just did a load and it was great. It doesn't have much of a scent it just smells like... clean?

Vegan MoFo Day 9: Pumpkin Pancakes with Walnut Maple Syrup

2011-10-09T13:49:00.000-04:00

Don't you wish you came over for breakfast this morning? These pancakes were amazing. The recipe for the pancakes is from Vegan Brunch. Isa recommends serving them with a Ginger Cranberry Sauce, but I'm not too into cranberries, so I made my own topping.

Walnut Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons Earth Balance
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup

Heat the Earth Balance in a small saucepan until melted. Stir in the walnuts and heat another minute or two until nice and toasted. Add maple syrup and mix well. Keep it on the heat a little to get it nice and warm. Pour over pancakes, waffles, french toast, or whatever you want.

Notice that paw and the intense look? This was taken a second before he hopped over the pancakes to attack the camera strap.

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Banana Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

2011-10-08T19:45:00.000-04:00

When I first learned of one-ingredient banana ice cream, my mind was blown. Just blend frozen bananas in a food processor and it turns into ice cream? Impossible! Well, I tried it and it really is incredible. It tastes like bananas, has the wonderful lickability of soft serve, and is 0 points on weight watchers. But it gets boring. Sometimes you want different flavors. So I thought, what about pumpkin? Would it taste good with banana? YES. It does.

Banana Pumpkin Spice Ice cream

2 ripe bananas, cut into 1-inch pieces and frozen
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Blend banana pieces in a food processor for a minute or so until it becomes soft and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again to mix it up. Serve in cones or cups or just grab a spoon and eat it right out of the food processor bowl. Just watch out for the blade!

Melty ice cream + playful mood kitty = terrible pictures

Sleeping kitty - melty ice cream = adorable pictures

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse

2011-10-07T09:57:00.001-04:00

I got a day off from cooking! Today's post comes to you from my wonderful housemate! We baked and pureed the other pumpkin I had and she used it to make mousse. The recipe is originally from Must Have Been Something I Ate by Peggy Kotsopoulos and was posted online here at A Foodie Stays Fit. It's really good! And the chilling is essential. It starts off with a pudding-like texture and magically becomes light and airy.

Chocolate Mousse

2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin*
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla extra

Mix all ingredients together and let it chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Sleepy kitty is pleased that I brought him a kitten head sized cup of mousse.

Vegan MoFo Day 6: When life hands you crumbly muffins...

2011-10-06T08:40:00.002-04:00

...you make ~~cake~~ muffin balls! All but one muffin were reduced to crumbles yesterday, so I went with it. My housemates ate about half the muffins in crumbled form. I crumbled the remaining 6 or 7 muffins and turned them into muffin balls!

Failed muffins become fabulous balls

Pumpkin Muffin Balls

6 or 7 messed up pumpkin muffins, crumbled
1/4 cup Toffutti Better Than Cream Cheese
3/4 lb dark chocolate, cut into small pieces (I like the Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Pound Plus bars)

Mix the cream cheese into the muffin crumbles until it forms a thick dough (you may need to use your hands to get it really mixed). Form balls about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

In the meantime, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or a bowl placed over a small saucepan). When the balls are ready, drop them into the chocolate one at a time. Use a fork or spoon to carefully take them out and place them back on the cookie sheet. If you want to make the pretty little squiggles, put any remaining chocolate in a plastic bag, snip off the corner and draw lines over the balls.

Note: If there's still some melted chocolate left, mix in some almonds, pretzels, peanuts, or Oreo pieces and drop in mounds onto a piece of parchment paper. Just don't let it go to waste!

Makes 19 or 20 kitten ear-sized balls

Vegan MoFo Day 5: When good muffins go bad

2011-10-05T18:39:00.003-04:00

I can't go through a month of pumpkin without making The Best Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan With a Vengeance (with added walnuts, of course). And, lucky for me, this was the perfect recipe to use the remaining cup of pumpkin I had in the fridge. I used some whole wheat flour to make myself feel a little less guilty about using 9 Weight Watchers points plus on a muffin.

My brilliant idea for these muffins was to quickly mix up the batter last night, pop it in the fridge, and bake the muffins early this morning while I got ready for work. Something went wrong along the way. Maybe it was because I let the batter sit in the refrigerator overnight? Maybe I did something wrong because I made the batter in a rush because Glee was about to start? Maybe it was because I filled the cups too much? Every other time I've made these, I get 18 but this time I just divided the batter between the 12 cups in hopes of getting a pretty muffin top. Whatever went wrong, it's not a complete travesty. They are still delicious, but only one actually came out of the pan intact. With the rest, the tops just popped off and the bottoms have to be scooped out with a spoon. So grab a spoon, there are muffiny crumbles for all!

This is what most of the muffins look like

The Best Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, oil, and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. Fold in the walnuts.

Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 kitten-head sized muffins.

Vegan MoFo Day 4: Pumpkin Bagels

2011-10-04T08:40:00.002-04:00

Bagels!! I worked in a bagel store for about seven years, so can someone explain why it is that I have never tasted a pumpkin flavored bagel? Actually, I'm not sure that I've even seen one. Did we sell them in our store and I just thought I wouldn't like them? I don't know. All I know is that when I saw that beautifully orange pumpkin puree staring at me, the thought of pumpkin bagels walked into my brain and I've been thinking about it ever since. I started with the basic bagel recipe in Vegan Brunch and then made some pumpkin-y adjustments. I added pumpkin (obviously) and some spices, changed the sugar to brown sugar, decreased the water a bit, and used half whole wheat flour. They came out fantastic, even if I don't know what they're technically supposed to taste like.

Pumpkin bagel balancing is a lot easier than rock balancing.

Pumpkin Bagels

1 to 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (depending how much water your pumpkin has--I ended up using 1 1/4 cups)
1 packet dry active yeast

1 cup pureed pumpkin
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon allspice

Mix the yeast into 3/4 cup of the water in a small bowl. In a separate larger bowl mix together the other ingredients. Add the yeast and more water, as needed (trying really hard to resist a need/knead pun here) so that the dough is not crumbly and not very sticky. Knead for at least 10 minutes. You can do this by hand or use the dough hook on a stand mixer or use the kneading setting on your bread machine. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for about an hour.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil and preheat the oven to 425 F. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and poke a hole through the center. Gently stretch the hole out to make a bagel shape. If you want to make mini bagels, divide the dough into 24 pieces instead. Once the water is boiling, add three of the bagels (or as many as you can fit without them touching too much). Simmer for one minute on each side. Remove the bagels and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for all the bagels. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool at least 5 minutes (or as long as it takes to chase a kitten around the house and get him to pose with the bagels for a picture) before eating.

Makes 24 kitten-head sized mini bagels or 12 larger bagels. Or some combination of both

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Pumpkin Baked Ziti

2011-10-03T08:43:00.001-04:00

Another pumpkin recipe for you! Today I made the Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping from Veganomicon. This was initially something I ignored when I first looked through the book. I wasn't a big fan of pumpkin to begin with and savory pumpkin? No thank you, I thought. But one of my goals of this years MoFo was to step out of my comfort zone and try all kinds of squash in all kinds of dishes. I am so glad I made myself do that because this was beyond fabulous. Ridiculously good.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping

1 pound uncooked ziti or penne
2 onions, sliced very thinly
3 T olive oil
1 recipe cashew ricotta (follows)
1T brown sugar
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
White pepper and cayenne
2 c or 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
1/4 c. vegetable broth

Cashew ricotta
1/2 c. cashew pieces (approx. 4 oz.)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1-1/2 t. dried basil
1-1/2 t. salt

Sage bread crumbs
2-1/2 c. bread crumbs, preferably freshly made
1/4 c. Earth Balance or olive oil
2 t. dried, rubbed sage
1/2 t. ground paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9×11 or 9×13-inch lasagna pan with olive oil. Prepare ziti according to package directions. Drain, rinse, drain again and set aside.
While ziti is cooking, make the caramelized onions: preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute onions in oil until some onion bits are very brown and caramelized, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.

Make the cashew ricotta
In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in batches if necessary, until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.

Place cashew ricotta in large bowl and fold in pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and vegetable broth. Add the cooked ziti and the caramelized onions. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and level with a spatula, pressing slightly.

Make the bread crumb topping: Melt margarine or heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs, dried herbs, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is lightly coated, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and spread over pasta mixture.
Bake 28 to 30 minutes, until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes about 6 kitten-sized servings

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Pumpkin Pie Brownies

2011-10-02T20:30:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! Yesterday you saw my fresh pumpkin puree. Today I dug in and used some of it. I made the Pumpkin Pie Brownies from VCIYCJ. It was my first time baking with my own home made puree. And it went well! I think the only difference is that my topping was a little gooier than it would have been with canned pumpkin. Or maybe I didn't leave it in the fridge long enough to set (I'm impatient). But holy crap who cares?! These brownies are fantastic. Somebody come take them away before I eat them all.

Pumpkin Pie Brownies (recipe from the PPK and VCIYCJ)

For the brownie layer
4 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin (half of a 15 oz can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or arrowroot or corn starch)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the pumpkin pie layer
1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or use arrowroot or cornstarch)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground allspice

To decorate:
A handful of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan, or use a 9 inch square pan, preferably lined with parchment paper.

To make the brownie layer:
Melt the chocolate (I still don’t need to tell you how to melt chocolate, right?).
In a large mixing bowl mix together pumpkin, sugar, oil and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, tapioca, baking soda and salt and stir to combine, then mix in the melted chocolate.

To make the pumpkin layer:
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

To assemble:
Use a spatula to spread the brownie layer into the prepared baking pan, taking care to bring the batter to the edges of the pan. Pour the pumpkin layer over it, leaving a little room at the edges if you can.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin layer looks fairly firm (a little jiggling is okay) and has cracked at the edges a bit. Let cool for 20 minutes and then transfer to the fridge to set for at least an hour and a half. Once set, decorate with chocolate chips and serve

Makes one kitten-sized pan full of brownie.

Welcome to Vegan MoFo V

2011-10-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the fifth annual VeganMoFo (Vegan Month of Food)!! I have participated every year so far. Initially I did one or two posts but last year I managed to do a post every day. Let's see if I can do it again!

My theme for the month is squash. Last year I ended up getting a bunch of squash in my CSA and I wasn't very creative with it. I ate most of it just roasted in the oven. Now I want to get more creative with it. And pumpkin! There are so many pumpkin-flavored tasties and here I am with just the occasional pumpkin muffin.

So the first thing I did to prepare for this month of squash is get a huge pumpkin and make a ton of puree to use in pancakes, pie, cheesecake, etc. Why not just use a can? Because making things from scratch is so badass! And as a side bonus, fresh pumpkin tastes better than canned also. I got a huge fairytale pumpkin from Trader Joe's. I cut it up, scooped it out (saving the seeds to roast later) and roasted the big chunks in the oven until soft. Then I scooped the flesh away from the skin and put it in a mesh strainer. After about an hour or so, a bunch of water had drained out. I took the remaining pumpkin flesh and stuck it in the food processor until smooth. That one pumpkin got me about 6 cups of puree!

On the left: the puree I made. On the right: my next victim

Fact: One fairytale pumpkin yields one kitten-sized container of pumpkin puree

What is Vegan MoFo?

Crafts: Duct Tape Wallet

2011-04-11T16:59:00.001-04:00

I originally intended for this blog to be about cooking and crafting, but then I sort of forgot about the crafting portion. It's time to bring on the crafts!
I recently found myself in need of a wallet. I used to use a id card holder that had an attached keyring, which was good at first but after I added all the credit-card shaped things, my house key, car key, a few of those supermarket scanning things, and two house keys for people I regularly housesit for, it was way too bulky to fit in my pocket comfortably. I never even use most of that stuff. Time for something less bulky. So what do I do when I need something? Look for a DIY solution first, of course!
I first heard about duct tape wallets a million years ago but I always thought they looked kind of like...well, like a wallet made of duct tape. I guess it was the silver color that put me off. It just couldn't look like anyting but duct tape in a wallet shape. But once I saw them made with the colored duct tape, it was way better. They look really good. And nice and thin too. Even better than most regular wallets. I used the tutorial here. Some of the instructions were a little off. I needed 5 strips of duct tape for the main part instead of 4. It's pretty easy to figure out once you've got the main section done.

Here's mine:

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Veggie Sausage

2011-04-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

This post is dedicated to Charlene, the person who inspired me to go vegan (almost five years ago!). She was the first non-crazy vegan I met. She showed me that being vegan could be easy, delicious, and fun. And I really love being vegan now so thanks, Charlene! Incidentally, running into her this weekend and talking about vegan blogs reminded me to post on this blog more often than just the MoFo. So yesterday, I was home and I saw this bunch of broccoli rabe that had to be used, so I decided to throw something together. It actually came out really good, so here it is:

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Veggie Sausage

4oz pasta, in any shape ( I used cavatappi, or double elbow, pasta)

1 small bunch of broccoli rabe, cut into 3-4 inch pieces

4oz gimme lean sausage (half a tube)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

salt and black pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth or water

Start a big pot of water to boil while you chop the broccoli rabe and onion. When the water boils, add the pasta. Add in the broccoli rabe about a minute or two before the pasta is done. When it's done, drain it and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet (preferably castiron) over medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the Gimme Lean Sausage, using your spoon to break it up into big crumbles. Stir in the red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. If everything starts to stick, add a few splashes of broth. When the sausage crumbles get a little golden colored, add the cooked pasta and broccoli rabe. Stir to get everything mixed together well and serve.

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Last Day!

2010-11-30T23:19:00.001-05:00

It's the last day of Vegan Mofo!! Yea! It has been really fun. It seems like the month just flew by. Congrats to everyone who participated! Even if you didn't do a post every day, every post counts. I haven't been able to keep up with the google feed. I apologize for not visiting everyone's blog often, but I'll make my way through the old posts slowly. Be prepared for random comments on everything four months from now.

For today, I made a couple of recipes from Appetite For Reduction and I am in love. I can tell you right now, these are going to be regular meals in my house. They are very low in points and so satisfying. The korma is a great way to use tons of veggies in your dinner. You can toss most veggies in there without a problem. It's great. And curried chickpeas with greens has been a favorite dish of mine at Indian restaurants for years. Every time I tried previously, the spices or texture was off. I'm so glad I now have a recipe to make it right!

Curried Chickpeas and Greens

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

Vegan MoFo Day 29: My Favorite Cookbooks

2010-11-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

I want to give a shout out today to some of my favorite cookbooks that I use regularly. I've mentioned some of them here and there, but some of the ones I neglected this month need their own shout out, since I didn't get to share one of their recipes (I should have planned this MoFo better). Any (or all) of these would AMAZING gifts for this gift-giving season.

1) Vegan With A Vengeance: This book totally changed my cooking. Before this, my vegan cooking mainly took the form of omni recipes with mock meats in place of the meat. Not very tasty. VWAV taught me how to cook. The Scrambled Tofu, Pancakes, Basil-Tofu Ricotta, Matzoh Ball Soup, and Brooklyn Pad Thai have become indispensable regulars on my kitchen table because they're quick, easy, or the very best thing I've ever eaten.

2) Yellow Rose Recipes: I make the Tamale Pie from this book often. It's tastes fantastic and it's so easy to throw together. Actually, that's an accurate description for all the recipes in this book. So quick and easy and delicious. It's out of print now, so if you're lucky enough to have snagged one, keep it close to your heart. If you don't have it, try to snag one of the few used copies available out there.

3) The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur: I just got this book and I'm already in love with it. Just browsing the recipes takes all day because there are SO many. I've only made the Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies so far because that's all I had on hand, but everything looks so good. Some of the creative recipes in here include Piña Colada Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Thin Mint-type cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Cream Bars, S'mores Bars, classics like snickerdoodles and chocolate chip, and an entire section of no-bake cookies for those summer days when turning the oven on is out of the question. I can't wait to get in there and start making everything.

4) Anything at all by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and/or Terry Hope Romero: I am convinced that these two wonderful women are literally unable to make a recipe that isn't delicious. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World is the reason I'm known as the cupcake girl wherever I go. The Magical Coconut Bars from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar are truly magical, as they seem to disappear from the pan within moments of making them. Viva Vegan puts canned refried beans to shame and makes me hate Taco Bell. Veganomicon made me star of many potlucks. And Vegan Brunch has replaced the question "What should I make for breakfast?" with "What ELSE should I make for breakfast?!" Don't get caught up in the assumption that this is only for breakfast, though. The quiche, crab cakes, and sausages are just a few of the recipes that are wonderful for lunch or dinner as well.

5) Appetite for Reduction: This one's not out yet, but I already have it on pre-order. It's another one of Isa's--filled with healthy, wholesome recipes. If you head over to Amazon, you can use the "Look Inside" function to check out the table of contents. I dare you to read it and not pre-order the book. It's impossible

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs

2010-11-27T21:54:00.001-05:00

This recipe is from the amazing cookbook, Veganomicon. If you don't have this book, I feel very sorry for you, because your life is incomplete. Seriously though, get it. The recipe calls for dill and mint, but you can substitute any fresh herbs or leave them out altogether.

Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, Medium - Cooked
3 Garlic Clove
1/2 tsp Tarragon, Dried
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
6 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
2 lb Potato, Fresh Raw
4 cups Broccoli
1/4 cup Dill Weed, Fresh
1/4 cup Fresh Mint

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Satué the onion in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tarragon, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 15 more minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 15 more minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup; we like to keep it chunky with lots of whole potato chunks. If you don't have an immersion blender (get one!), transfer about one third of the soup to a blender of food processor and purée, then add it back to the rest of the soup.

Add the fresh dill and mint, then let the soup sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve!

Vegan MoFo Day 26: Potatoes

2010-11-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

I love oven roasted potatoes. I could eat a million. The best part is that it's so simple to make. I usually put the cut up potatoes, and maybe some onions, in a big bowl (leave the skin on) and sprinkle seasonings over the top. I change the herbs I use based on what else I'm making for dinner, but I find that a simple blend of salt, pepper, and a little Italian seasoning mix go with most dishes. Then you just have to toss the potatoes around to get them evenly coated and put them in a baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. Check on them often while they bake and stir them around so they don't stick.

Vegan MoFo Day 25: Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. I used to make Stove Top every year. Every flavor has chicken broth or milk or something, so when I went vegan, I switched to Pepperidge Farm. But I felt it was time for my stuffing to grow up. Most of what I eat doesn't come from a box/package. Why should stuffing be any different? I wanted a "plain" stuffing without sausage or nuts or whatever. A thread on the PPK forums led me to this recipe. Perfect! Everyone in my family loved it.

Because it was such a hit, I took it a step further. I had seen this recipe for stuffing wrapped in puff pastry and it was on my mind, so now that I had a really good stuffing recipe, I went for it. I used store-bought puff pastry, but you can make your own if you're up for it. And I used Gimme Lean Sausage in place of the sausage. It was amazing. One modification for next year: a layer of thick gravy in the center, Stuffin style (seriously, check out those stuffins; they're amazing).

Along with that, I also had Tofurkey (of course). I roasted it with potatoes, onions, and carrots. Super yum.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Stuffed Turkey Nuggets

2010-11-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

This post over at my friend Megans''s blog, Henry and Zelda, really had my mouth watering. Little seitan nuggets stuffed with stuffing? Amazing. I had to make them myself. I made a little stuffing. It was just the boring store-bought in-a-bag kind. A more sophisticated stuffing will be posted tomorrow. The seitan is Joanna Vaught's nugget recipe. The dough is very wet, but don't worry. It's supposed to be like that, since it's baked. You don't want them to be dried out.

I had problems rolling out the dough, even between to sheets of parchment paper, so I gave up on that idea. Instead, I took little bits of stuffing and made a few small balls and flattened them out a little. Then I took some seitan dough in my hand and flattened it out. I put a ball of stuffing in the center and wrapped the dough around it and just plopped it on the cookie sheet. It worked out pretty well. And they were so delicious!!

Vegan MoFo Day 23: Product Review

2010-11-23T23:38:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite products for last-minute meals is Gimme Lean Sausage. It's a little pricey, so I try not to go nuts with it because my instinct is to eat it with every meal to enjoy the tastiness constantly. And it's easy, you just spray a skillet with a little oil and brown the sausage in whatever form you want--patties, crumbles, meatballs, whatever. Just remember to get your hands very wet before handling it. It's quite sticky and water will keep it from sticking to you.

How do you use it, you ask? Here are some ideas:

Form into small patties or links and serve as a side for your scrambled tofu or on a biscuit.
Top a lightly toasted and buttered (earth balanced?) roll, scooped out bagel, or toast with a larger patty and tomato, raw spinach, and/or red onion. Only 3-5 points (depending on what kind of bread)!
Crumble and add to lasagna.
Form small balls to have with pasta.
Use the crumbles as a pizza topping.
Or use in any omni recipe that calls for sausage. Like stuffing!

Vegan MoFo Day 22: Gayke!

2010-11-22T15:26:00.002-05:00

In the beginning of the month, Louzilla announced a contest on her blog, Loony Louzilla Lovegood Letters. It's a gay cake decorating contest. And omg I had to enter. I love all things gay, I love cakes, I love themes, I love rainbows, and I love a good contest!

So I spent last weekend baking up a storm. My plan was to make a six-layer cake. Each layer a different color of the rainbow. Usually, I have problems with cakes of multiple layers. I'll try to cut off the domed top of the layers and end up with a lopsided cake, a rounded top despite my efforts, and the frosting in between would ooze out on the sides from the weight of the layers. This time, the gay was with me. It came out perfectly:

So here's how I did it:
I used the Golden Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I made two double batches and divided it into 6 bowls. I put about a cup and a half of batter into each bowl and put a generous amount of food coloring. I thought some would be too light because even after a lot of coloring, the red still looked pink. But hakuna matata, the colors intensified after baking.

I had two pans, so I made two colors at a time. Putting each layer on a cooling rack to cool while the others baked. While they all cooled, I made a double batch of the butter cream frosting with very little soy milk. I wanted it to be stiff enough to hold up the weight of all the layers. I cut the domed top off all the layers and started stacking them starting with purple at the bottom and a thin layer of frosting between each. This is what they looked like all stacked up (the colors on the side all have a golden kind of look, but the top and inside of each layer looks more vibrant):

I knew I wanted to do rainbows along the side, but I didn't want to do just frosting because it's been done. Thanks to Top Chef: Just Desserts, I came up with the idea of colorful circles. The contestants on Top Chef had to make an edible fashion, so Morgan made a dress with chocolate sequins. It looked beautiful. I remembered that and wanted to do something similar. So I did it with fondant.

And while I was thinking of ideas for decorating the top, my aunt suggested twinkies and I knew that I just had to incorporate a twinkie in some way, so I thought I'd use names for gay people! Perfect! So the finished product has a twinkie, a fairy, and fruits (molded out of fondant), along with more names written on star-shaped signs.

The other entries are up and voting has begun! Click here to see all the awesome entries and vote for your favorite gayke!

UPDATE: I won!!

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Spinach

2010-11-22T07:23:00.000-05:00

I really like spinach. I put it in any pasta dish I make and I often have it as a side dish with whatever else I'm eating. And of course, it goes on almost every sandwich I make. I'll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The best thing about spinach is that it's zero points on weight watchers. The worst thing is that a huge bag will cook down to just a couple of cups.

My method of preparing it is very simple. I mince a couple of garlic cloves into a skillet and add a little water. I let the garlic cook on medium heat for less than a minute and then add all the spinach. I mix it all up, lower the heat way down, and cover. Once it's just barely wilted, I add salt and pepper, stir well, and remove from heat. The residual heat will wilt it a bit more and you don't want it to get too mushy.

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Vegan on Long Island

2010-11-21T00:37:00.000-05:00

One of the hardest parts of veganism is dining out. If you go to a "regular" restaurant designed for omnivores, you'll most likely end up eating a plate of french fries or a plain salad. Boring! That used to be the only options for me. Long Island isn't exactly flooded by vegans, so the options always seem few and far between. But we do have some decent restaurants out here with good vegan options.

My personal favorite is 3 Brothers Pizzeria (212 N. Long Beach Rd., Rockville Centre, 516-766-3939). It is amazing! They have a full vegan menu (that is way better than their omni menu, if I may add) that includes appetizers, entrees, pasta dishes, salads, and more. And of course they have pizza. Get the buffalo seitan pizza. Or the tofu pesto. Or grilled portabello. Heck, get anything. It'll be wonderful, I'm sure. I have been there several times and everything I have ever ordered has been top notch. Alfredo: yum. Tofu parmagiana: delicious. Mozzarella sticks: OMG. Calzones: to die for. Buffalo wings: fantastic. Pizza: my reason for living. Do I really need to go on?
As if you needed more incentive to go here, they also carry cakes from Vegan Treats for dessert. And as of last weekend, they started a full vegan brunch menu featuring pancakes, scrambled tofu, tofu benedict, french toast, and more. I cannot wait to try this. I'm drooling just thinking about it. For now, here's a picture of tofu parmagiana pizza:

Other places with satisfying vegan options on Long Island:

Green Melody (Asian cuisine), 519 N. Broadway, Jericho, 516-681-5715

Tula Kitchen, 41 East Main St., Bay Shore, 631-539-7183

FeelGoods Café, 412 North Country Rd., St. James, 631-390-8545, feelgoodsforlife.com

Hunan Cottage, 135 Central Park Rd., Plainview, 516-349-0390

Little Fu's (Chinese), 1739 Peninsula Blvd, Hewlett, 516-295-2888

Cornucopia Natural Foods Deli, 39 N. Main St., Sayville, 631-589-9579

Cinema Arts Centre Cafe, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, 631-423-7611

Rising Tide Deli Counter, 42 Forest Ave., Glen Cove, 516-676-7895

Tiger Lily Café, 156 East Main St., Port Jefferson, 631-476-7080

Meritage, 14 Station Rd, Bellport, 631-286-3300

Ariana Café (Afghani cuisine), 255 Main St., Huntington, 631-421-2933, arianacafe.com

Greeny's Café, 55A N. Ferry Rd., Shelter Island 631-998-3744

Provisions Café, 7 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-3636

Naturally Good Café, 38 S. Etna Ave., Montauk, 631-668-9030

Green Earth Organic Café, 50 E. Main St., Riverhead, 631-369-2233

Vegan MoFo Day 19: Harry Potter

2010-11-20T10:50:00.001-05:00

Today, I bring to you vegan Harry Potter themed treats! For the last movie, I made these:

I couldn't make anything special for this movie, but I also couldn't go to the midnight showing, so it was okay. I'm definitely going all out for Part 2. I'll be making nearly everything from Dumbledore's Vegan Army and then some. Or maybe I'll just make a bunch of stuff next week, because I just can't wait.

Vegan MoFo Day 18: Sexy Low-Fat Vanilla Cupcakes

2010-11-18T22:28:00.001-05:00

Today, a cupcake recipe. I often use these as my default vanilla cupcake recipe because they're so good. Instead of frosting, top them with fresh fruit mixed with a tiny bit of jam or preserves. Or just leave them plain. They're great either way.

Sexy Low-Fat Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 cup vanilla soy yogurt
2/3 cup fat free vanilla or plain soy milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tbl canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbl cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, soy milk, applesauce, oil, sugar and, vanilla. Sift in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake 22 to 24 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted through the center of one comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

pread cupcake with a few thin layers of spreadable fruit at room temperature. Neatly and evenly spread the layers for the most attractive appearance. Decorate with fresh fruit.

Vegan MoFo Day 17: Mofongo and Tempeh

2010-11-17T23:07:00.003-05:00

Do you have Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan? If you don't, go out and get it now. It's amazing. The first recipe I made from it was Pan-Fried Tempeh with Sofrito. It now makes regular appearances at my dinner table. Basically, it's tempeh that is pan-fried with really amazing spices.

I like to serve it with a lower-fat version of mofongo. Mofongo is usually made with fried green plantains, so it's not exactly low in points. My family usually makes it with boiled plantains instead.

No-Fry Mofongo

4 green plantains, peeled
1 small or medium garlic clove, minced (to taste)
salt, to taste

Boil the plantains until tender. Transfer the plantains to a large bowl, add garlic and salt and mash together. You don't need to mash a heck of a lot, just let it stay coarse. If you want, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the mixture.

Vegan MoFo Day 15

2010-11-15T21:58:00.001-05:00

I don't have anything really exciting for today. I just want to talk about how much I love tofurkey. Tomorrow at work, we're having a thanksgiving feast which, of course, consists of almost all non-vegan foods. So I made a tofurkey for dinner tonight so I could take the leftovers to work tomorrow. The first tofurkey of the year is always the best thing ever.

I roast it in a dish with potatoes, carrots, and onions. And I never use the basting liquid recipe they recommend. I take some veggie broth, add a bit of soy sauce, garlic, thyme, and just a bit of olive oil. It's not all that different from the one on the box, but it's just stuff I usually have immediately nearby.

Vegan MoFo Day 14: Tater Tots

2010-11-14T13:12:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had mini tots? They are amazing. There's more surface area and therefore more crispiness. I like the fluffy insides as much as the next guy, but sometimes I want more of the outside. I like to have a plate with some small and some big, for variety. The alphabet ones are really good too. What's your favorite shape for tater tots?

Vegan MoFo Day 13: Mac and Cheeze

2010-11-13T22:10:00.001-05:00

Mac and Cheeze

Today, I bring you another recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen--Mac and Cheeze! I usually don't like vegan mac and cheezes because I don't like the taste of nutritional yeast. This one isn't too noochy, though. Just enough to me used to the flavor of it. And to bring back lovely memories of youth, I add cut up cooked tofu pups.

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Mofo Survey

2010-11-12T23:43:00.001-05:00

This survey was created by a bunch of us on the PPK forums. And it looked fun, so I'm doing it too.

What's your favorite spice or spice blend?
I think cumin wins as most used spice

You have $20 to spend on fresh groceries and produce for the whole week (with a fairly well stocked pantry of dry goods, legumes, grains, and spices). what do you buy?
Tofu, spinach, kale, tomatoes, peppers. Basically whatever veggies are cheapest/in season.

What's your favorite way to make tofu?
Soaked in a teriyaki-type marinade and baked or dry-fried with kale over rice.

Vegan guilty pleasure?
Chocolate.

If you could make anyone vegan, who would it be?
Obama. That would be fun.

If you could only read one other vegan blog, what would it be?
The ppk blog.

Were you always interested in cooking, or did veganism change the way you saw and interacted with food?
I always liked to cook, but never like this. I never created recipes or took pictures of my food before. I used to cook just because I was hungry, but now I want to share ideas with others so we can learn from each other. It feels like more of a community now.

Excluding analogues, what new things have you tried that you probably wouldn't have as an omni?
70% of the vegetable I now love--like kale, swiss chard, bok choy, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, etc. Well, I probably would have tried it, but I wouldn't have given it a real chance. I would have made up my mind before it even touched my tongue.

What is the one vegan staple that everyone seems to love, but you can't get behind?
Nutritional yeast. Sorry, I just hate it.

What was your first "wow, I'm such a stereotypical vegan" moment?
Hmmm, I can't really remember. But when I first went vegan, I didn't really have a stereotype formed in my mind. The couple of vegans I knew were so different from each other.

First recipe you veganized?
I think it was pepper steak. I got veggie steak strips and used the same marinade I used to use for pepper steak. It wasn't very good.

What would you like to veganize, but haven't yet?
A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. It's doable, just haven't yet.

Favorite kitchen utensil/appliance?
I have this small spatula/turner that I use all the time. It's short and black and made of plastic. It's thin enough to get under tofu and sturdy enough to use to flip around veggies in a stir fry. It looks a little like this:

Most disastrous kitchen failure?
I made biscuits using baking soda instead of baking powder. It was horrible. I had been really excited about the biscuits. Maybe it's not the most disastrous, but definitely one of the saddest.

First vegan cookbook?
How It All Vegan

What question about being vegan do you HATE answering?
"Where do you get your protein?" "Do you eat cheese/milk/fish?" But I think the number one MOST annoying one is "What do you use instead of eggs/milk/etc. for cupcakes/cookies/etc?" Geez, people, I don't substitute everything; maybe the recipe has a whole different structure! Did you ever think that maybe the recipe never called for eggs? To me, it's like asking "Who's the man?" in a lesbian relationship.

If you could tell the world one thing about vegans, what would it be?
We're not all crazy. Most of us don't hate you for eating meat. Sometimes it's hard, but the hardest parts are usually due to veganism not being respected and accepted in our society. We'd like it if you tried. We'd love it if you ate a vegan meal at least once in a while. I understand that it's hard to say goodbye to cheese forever, but just because you don't want your favorite animal products to be gone forever, it doesn't mean you have to have it every day.

Funniest vegetable?
Broccoflower: Is it broccoli? Is it cauliflower? Who knows?

What is a family recipe you have veganized?
Rice and Beans and Pollo Guisado.

Weirdest food combination?
I don't really like fruits in savory stuff, like pineapple fried rice.

Is there something you wish you could veganize, but can't/couldn't?
Velveeta Mac and Cheese.

Favorite non-dairy milk?
Trader Joe's regular soy milk.

What’s one “vegan myth” you’d like to squash?
We don't always crave salad! I'm not going out to a restaurant for iceberg lettuce or french fries! And I swear, we're not all crazy. It's just me.

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Vegan on the go

2010-11-11T20:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those days where you're hungry but your fridge isn't very well stocked and you don't feel like going out to buy something? Or maybe you just had a rough day and you want something really quick but also really filling? Instead of settling for a boring bowl of cereal or half a bag of potato chips, I turn to fast food. Sure it's not the healthiest, but it's a nice when hunger and laziness attack at the same time.

The veggie subs at Quizno's are vegan if you get it without the cheese and dressing. The small is 6 points, but a little boring. I love to add some smoked tempeh and chipotle mayo (see below for how to make these). The points will vary depending on what kind of tempeh and vegan mayo you use, so just figure that out and add it to the 6 points of the sub (it'll probably be 1 or 2 points). Yum!

To make the really easy smoked tempeh and chipotle mayo:
For the tempeh, just toss a few slices into a small pan and sprinkle it with some liquid smoke and soy sauce. Pan fry until lightly browned. And for chipotle mayo, just put some vegan mayo (I use Trader Joe's Reduced Fat) in a blender with some of the sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce. The amount really depends on how hot you want it, so start with a little and work up. I usually make a bunch and keep it in an empty mayo jar, so it's ready when I need it.

Vegan MoFo Day 10: Fritata

2010-11-10T19:16:00.001-05:00

Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata

This frittata is from Vegan With a Vengeance. The recipe is here, at Pink Stripes. It has a great texture and it is really filling.

Vegan MoFo Day 9: Spicy Tempeh over Pasta

2010-11-09T22:01:00.001-05:00

Spicy Tempeh over Pasta

4 oz Tempeh, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup water, plus more to prevent sticking
2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic
2 tsp Italian herb mix (I use Penzey's pasta sprinkle, you can also just shake on various herbs separately)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups broccoli, cut into florets
6-8 canned artichoke hearts
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup marinara sauce
2 cups cooked pasta

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh, water, and soy sauce. Heat, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add garlic, herb mix, red pepper flakes, broccoli and some more water. Heat until the tempeh is browned and broccoli is tender, but still crisp. Add everything else and mix together until the spinach wilts.

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Chick'n Pesto Sandwich

2010-11-08T19:34:00.003-05:00

Today, I reach into my file of feeling-sick-and-too-lazy-to-cook dinners. Behold the Chick'n Pesto Sandwich. A month or two ago, I made Isa's fantastic edamame pesto from the ppk blog. It makes a good amount, so I used a bit of it for my pasta then and froze the rest in small containers so I could thaw and use as needed.

Chick'n Pesto Sandwich

1 Serving of Trader Joe's Chicken-Less Strips
1 tsp. Italian Dressing (I used some of the marinade from the jar of artichoke hearts)
Pinch of garlic powder
1 3-point roll, lightly toasted
2 Tbsp. prepared edamame pesto (thawed if frozen)
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. olive oil
4 long strips of roasted red peppers
2 or 3 marinated artichoke hearts
a few slices of red onion

Spray a skillet with a little oil and add the chick'n strips and Italian dressing. Heat over medium-high heat for a minute and add a sprinkle of garlic powder. Heat until the chicken strips are lightly browned. Set aside.
Spread a tablespoon of edamame pesto on each side of the roll. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the pesto. Pile on the chick'n strips, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and red onion on one side. Fold the other side over and eat.

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Banana Everything Breakfast Cookies

2010-11-08T08:24:00.003-05:00

These cookies are from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (the Brekky Banana variation of the Banana Everything Cookies on page 85). They're especially good with a hot cup of tea!

Vegan MoFo Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-11-07T20:14:00.002-05:00

My posts for this weekend are a bit off because I spent the weekend upstate. I made food to bring along in case I got hungry. This recipe from Veganomicon was perfect. It's listed as Lower Fat Banana Bread, but I opted to follow the optional suggestions and make it as muffins and with a few chocolate chips added. They are yummy and flavorful and pretty filling too. Perfect for a road trip when you're hungry and need something to hold you over til you get to your destination.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place liners in a muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 18 minutes (it took 50 for me). The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean.

VeganMoFo Day 5: Super Easy Pudding Pie

2010-11-05T17:57:00.001-04:00

Chocolate Oreo Pudding Pie

This is a really easy desert idea. I use regular soy milk, but you can try low fat or another milk if you have it. I recommend using Cook and Serve pudding instead of instant, but it's more for texture than anything else. The instant pudding doesn't firm up, but it's still yummy, so go for it if it's all you've got. It'll just be messier.

1 box Jell-O Fat Free Cook and Serve Pudding
2 cups soy milk
3 or 4 Oreos
1 ready-made graham cracker crust

Prepare the pudding with the soy milk according to package directions. Break up the Oreos and add them to the cooked pudding. Pour into the graham cracker crust and let it cool. Is that easy or what?

VeganMoFo Day 4: Broccoli Chick'n Pasta

2010-11-04T11:57:00.004-04:00

Today for MoFo, I tried this recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I wanted something quick and easy and I have some chicken-less strips from Trader Joe's to use up, so this recipe was just what I needed. I altered it a bit to make it a smaller serving (And I didn't want a ton of leftovers like with the stir fry a couple of days ago). Here are my amounts:

Broccoli Chick'n Pasta

3/4 cup whole wheat pasta (measured when dry)
1/2 a small bunch of broccoli
2.5 ounces of chicken strips
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp basil
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

The recipe instructions are the same, but instead of a whole cup of cooking liquid, I used about 1/4 cup.

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Must have kitchen tools

2010-11-03T19:40:00.002-04:00

I didn't cook anything fun today (still have lots of leftovers from yesterday). Instead, I'm going to talk about some of my essential kitchen tools.

My number one favorite object is my garlic press. I got it from Pampered Chef years ago and I use it every single time I cook. You can put a whole clove in there without even peeling it or anything and it all comes out perfectly. Unfortunately, we lost ours and can't find it anywhere! We have some other kind sitting in our drawer, but it sucks. Doesn't press a thing. I hope I find my beloved soon.

I got the Misto® oil sprayer in the beginning of September and it quickly became one of my most used kitchen tools. I love this thing because it cuts down on waste and cost. Just $10 and I won't have to buy another aerosol sprayer for years. Another benefit: no propellants. It's just straight up oil in there. No chemicals or anything. Yea! It holds about 1/3 cup of oil and that lasts for quite a while. All you need to do is pump it a couple of times before using it.

Cast Iron pans are also fabulous. Once it's well seasoned, it's more nonstick than a nonstick pan. I absolutely love it. I use it for practically everything. And mine isn't even fully seasoned yet. This is pretty much constantly on my stove top.

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Rice Vermicelli Stir Fry

2010-11-02T21:47:00.001-04:00

Welcome to day 2 of Vegan MoFo! Today, I made a stir fry. Yum! The secret to stir-frying with very little oil, is to add little splashes of liquid periodically. The wok should be hot enough and the amount of liquid small enough that it sizzles and disappears very quickly, but it'll be enough to keep the veggies from sticking.

Rice Vermicelli Stir Fry
Note: This recipe makes a huge amount. Halve it if you don't want to eat leftovers for the next week.

15 oz extra firm tofu

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp agave nectar
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp chili sauce

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 medium scallion, sliced
1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 head bok choy, chopped (separate the leafy part from the stalk)
2 cups bean sprouts

10 oz. rice vermicelli*, cooked

Cut tofu into small cubes; place in a small bowl. Mix together ingredients for the marinade and pour over tofu. Let sit while you chop all the veggies.
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a big wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu (reserve the marinade) and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
Heat remaining oil, add garlic and ginger and cook for a bit. Add scallion, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and bok choy stalks (save the leafy part for later since it cooks quicker). Drizzle in some of the leftover marinade. Stir fry until all the vegetables are tender, adding more marinade as needed to prevent sticking. Add bean sprouts and the rest of the bok choy. Pour in remaining marinade and continue to stir fry until the bok choy is wilted.
Finally, add the noodles and mix it all up. You might have to transfer to a bigger bowl/pan to get everything together.

*I used these thin rice vermicelli from my Asian grocery store (the brand...ahem...Golden Cock). You could use any other kind of noodle, I'm sure.

Welcome to Vegan MoFo!

2010-11-01T18:09:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the fourth annual Vegan MoFo!!

I used to go through so much tofu all the time because I'd eat half a block (or more) worth of scrambled tofu for breakfast at least a few days a week. It didn't occur to me to add vegetables. And even when I did consider it, I thought most vegetables didn't "go" with it. Finally, I spent a weekend at the Omega Institute for the Women and Power Conference. For breakfast, they had a scrambled tofu with all sorts of vegetables and it was so good! Now I make my scrambled tofu like this all the time, just using whatever veggies I happen to have in the fridge.

Quick and Easy Clean-the-Fridge Scrambled Tofu

This recipe uses the spice blend from Isa's scrambled tofu recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance. It cooks up quickly and it's so versatile--just use a bit of whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. I usually measure out several batches of the spices and keep the mix in an empty spice jar so I can just shake out a bit at a time.

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

7 1/2 oz extra firm tofu, crumbled or cubed*

1/4 cup zucchini, chopped

3/4 cup broccoli, chopped

1/4 cup red or green bell peppers, chopped

1/3 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp table salt

1 cup spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup plum tomatoes, diced

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add tofu, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms. Saute until the vegetables are tender. Add spices and mix it up. Cook for a few minutes, adding splashes of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Finally, mix in the spinach and tomatoes. Cook just until the spinach wilts.

Serve with tempeh bacon, toast, home fries, or even on a bagel.

*There's a great debate when it comes to scrambled tofu: cubed or crumbled? I do a combination. I usually cut the tofu into long strips and then tear small bits off. Best of both worlds.

Puerto Rican Cooking 102

2010-06-09T22:45:00.002-04:00

Follow up to Puerto Rican Cooking 101
More Puerto Rican food! Today we have Tofu Guisado, modeled after Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken). It's REALLY good. No, really. I made the recipe for half a package of tofu, but you can double it if you want to make the whole thing (warning: if you make the whole thing, you may want to eat the whole thing).

Tofu Guisado
1/2 block of tofu, pressed well and cubed
2 Tbsp. recaito (see the bottom of this post)
3 Tbsp. tomato sauce
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1- 1 1/2 c. water
1/4-1/2 tsp. Goya adobo seasoning
black pepper to taste

For the tofu marinade:
1 tsp. veggie chicken broth powder (I use the recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan)
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. vinegar (I used white)
1 Tbsp. water

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and toss with the tofu to coat. It should be just enough for a light coat. Let sit for a few minutes while your oven (I used my toaster oven) preheats to 375 degrees. Bake on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray until golden brown and dry.

Meanwhile, combine the recaito and tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for a few minutes. Add potatoes and 1 cup of the water. Add a shake or two of the Goya Adobo seasoning and some black pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, adding more water if necessary (when the potatoes are nice and soft, the smaller pieces will break apart as you stir and make the sauce a little thicker--an added bonus). Add the tofu and let it sit for a little while to let the flavors combine.
Serve over white rice for optimum deliciousness.

Vegan Twinkies

2010-05-02T09:01:00.000-04:00

This past week was the week of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. I went to both the NYC bake sale at Moo Shoes and the Long Island bake sale in Wantagh. I made twinkies for both. My inspiration came from the recipe at Vegan Lunch Box. I made a couple of changes. First, I wanted a yellower cake to get that real contrast between the cake and the filling. Second, I didn't have (nor did I want to search for) barley malt powder.

So, for the cake part, I used the recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Look for the Really Golden Cupcakes under Variations after the regular vanilla cupcakes. If you want that twinkie shape, you have to go out and find a cream canoe baking pan. You can find it in some specialty baking stores or buy online (Long Islanders: I got mine at The Chocolate Duck in Farmingdale). If not, go ahead and bake them as cupcakes. I won't tell anyone. The twinkies take less time to bake thank cupcakes; it should be about 16 minutes.

Twinkie filling:

1/4 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)

1/3 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/4 cup soy milk powder

1 - 2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup ricemellow fluff

Beat together the margarine and shorting until light and fluffy. Mix in soy milk powder. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it becomes fluffy and creamy, just a little softer than a buttercream frosting would be. Fold in the vanilla and ricemellow fluff.

Use a pastry bag to inject frosting in three spots along the flat side. It's hard to tell how much to put, but I just fill them until I feel them plump up in my hand and almost explode.

Puerto Rican Cooking 101

2010-03-02T22:11:00.001-05:00

This is your first lesson in Puerto Rican cooking. People are always asking how to make rice and beans and stuff, so I'll just write a post here to refer to in the future. You can make the rice in a rice cooker--just add salt and oil to the cooking water. Also, I find it's best if you don't open the rice cooker when it immediately finishes. Leave it for about 5-10 more minutes to let the moisture evaporate some more. In my family, we like our rice more dry and fluffy than moist and gooey. So onto the beans:

Puerto Rican Style Beans
1 can pink beans not drained or a similar amount of dried beans that have been soaked (This recipe is also great with chickpeas, like in the above picture!!)
1 Tbsp Recaito (recipe below) or more to taste
4 oz tomato sauce
1 packet sazon*
1 small potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
handful of pimento-stuffed green olives (optional)
pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the recaito with the tomato sauce for about 3 minutes. Add beans, potatoes, olives, oregano, salt and pepper and enough water to cover the beans. Simmer over low heat until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally, and add water if needed to keep the liquid level above the beans

* Sazon is found in most supermarkets, with the spanish foods. It's usued mostly for color but it has other spices too (one caveat: it also has MSG). Annato/achoite can also be used, but that's even harder to find. The other spices in the packet are salt, garlic, cumin, and coriander. So I think it would work if you use those spices and add saffron. Honestly, you could just leave it out all together. It's not THAT crucial.

Now onto the recaito. This is what the finished product will look like.

Okay so Goya sells jarred recaito, but it's easy enough to make, so why not make your own? We usually make a huuuuge batch of this stuff so we can keep a big jar in the fridge and just scoop a bit out every time we cook (it's the flavor base for most Puerto Rican foods). I scaled the ingredients down a bit, but it still makes a lot, so just pack it into a jar and use it little by little. Now, in this recipe, you'll see a couple of new, unfamiliar ingredients. Culantro is sometimes called recao or long coriander. It can be found in Latino supermarkets and maybe Carribean/Asian supermarkets too. If you can't find it, add some more cilantro.
The other ingredient that you've likely never encountered is ajicitos. They're small and sweet and flavorful. They can be found at Latino supermarkets, but you can leave them out if you can't find them. No worries; there aren't even a lot in the recipe.

The long leafy stuff in the left front is culantro. The small squat peppers are the ajicitos. I'm sure you're familiar with garlic, cilantro, onions and bell peppers.

Recaito (yield: about 3 cups)
3/4 cup garlic
1 large bell pepper (any color, or a mix)
2 yellow onions
1 cup cilantro
1/3 cup culantro
1/4 cup ajicitos

Toss everything into a food processor. Whir it around until everything is all minced together.

Brownies!

2010-02-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

Making brownies is awesome. It's like making cake, but without the fuss of having to make frosting. And you can usually mix everything together in one bowl. Plus, you get the joy of scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula--the bowl instantly transforms from really dirty to nearly clean. Or you can just lick it all off. Either way is a total win. This is a recipe that I have altered a bit. I don't remember the original source. Vegweb maybe?

Brownies
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9x13 pan and line with parchment paper. Mix everything together in a big bowl. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Vegan Cookies!

2009-11-04T23:54:00.001-05:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately, but I've been busy. I was slaving away trying to finish my Halloween costume (I may make a little tutorial about it since I couldn't find much when I was wondering how to make it) while studying for some tests at the same time.
In the meantime, I learned that Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar was released early! I ran to my nearest bookstore and snatched it up. I was so excited to make something; it was so hard to decide! I finally settled on Rocky Road cookies:

The only thing I did differently was substitute chopped vegan marshmallows (Dandies) for the white chocolate chips, because I haven't the slightest idea where/if they sell them on Long Island. They were absolutely wonderful. The marshmallows don't hold up as well as the white chocolate chips; they melted and made the cookies a little deformed. But really, who cares what they look like? They were DELICIOUS! I brought them with me to a movie-watching event and they went like hotcakes.
The texture was absolutely perfect. I never liked the ice cream flavor because the crunchy almonds and chewy marshmallows were so different from the soft, smooth ice cream. In a cookie, the textures go great together. You get the crunchy/chewy thing from the cookie itself, so it bridges the gap between the textures of the almonds and marshmallows. Bliss.
Isn't it so pretty?!

VeganMofo: Vegan at weddings

2009-10-25T23:00:00.001-04:00

::sigh:: Going out to eat is hard enough. Weddings are even harder.Yesterday, a friend of mine from middle school got married. I was prepared for the worst, but it actually wasn't that bad, comparatively. I didn't think to take pictures until the dinner portion, so some of the best stuff from the cocktail hour is missing. They had bread, pasta (which I was able to get plain), sun dried tomatoes with spinach in garlic oil, some eggplant-y stew-y thing, marinated mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, and plenty of raw fruits and veggies. I mixed it all together and made a really yummy pasta salad.

(Apologies for the bad pictures. The lighting was awful.)

Later, we went into the other room for the main portion of the reception and this was on everyone's plate. It's a salad, with grilled veggies and fresh mozzarella. I gave another friend my mozzarella and she gave me her mushroom. Grilled portabella mushrooms are fantastic, but the rest was just okay to me. It wasn't spectacularly seasoned or anything.

The second course was pasta, but it wasn't vegan. After that, they gave everyone Italian ices. Mine was lemon flavored and quite enjoyable. I wasn't expecting to have anything dessert-y, so it was a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, they took the orders for the main course. There was a vegetarian option (a vegetable lasagna), but of course no vegan option. My friend had told them ahead of time that there would be a vegan, but the waiter looked at me like I had seven heads. I explained that I needed something with no cheese or meat or dairy, etc. and he offered grilled vegetables. Fine.

As expected, the vegetables in question were almost exactly the same as the uninspiring vegetables in the first course but the mushroom was traded for asparagus and there were strips of roasted red pepper strips instead of tomato. Overall: blah. Now don't get me wrong. Grilled vegetables are great....when they are prepared correctly. At my sister's wedding last year, they made me the best grilled vegetables I have ever had. Ever.

What makes it worse is the fact that grilled vegetables are the standard go-to vegetarian option so I end up eating them all the time. Why is that the only thing omnis can think of? It's not even easy. It's actually really hard to make good grilled vegetables. They'd be much better off with a pasta dish like the one I made in the cocktail hour. The dish they gave me was so boring. The vegetables were poorly cooked so they were rubbery in some parts and oily in others. The only exception was the asparagus. It was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. And where did my mushrooms go? Mushrooms are the best. That was a serious fail for them.

And of course, it wouldn't be a wedding if I didn't have to answer a million questions about veganism. It was the usual questions: Why are you vegan? How long have you been vegan? Isn't it hard? and the standard statements: I could never; I like cheese too much. I could never give up seafood. etc. I know these questions are fueled by curiosity and, for the most part, genuine interest. Still, it's annoying because I have to be careful not to sound judgmental and not to insult the grand omnivorous diet and not get defensive and not sound too fanatical, etc. But the girl I was talking to seemed very nice and genuinely interested, so I didn't mind too much.

Ah weddings. But the point that really matters is that I had tons of fun at the wedding and it really was a lot of fun and beautiful and completely spectacular. Congrats to the happy couple!

VeganMofo: Tempeh Stir Fry

2009-10-24T17:43:00.000-04:00

I make a lot of 10 minute meals. I just don't have much time in the kitchen because I live with six other people, so my mom or sister is usually using the stove around dinner time. By the time they finish, I'm starving and I just want something as quick as possible. Hence, my quick and easy tempeh stir fry. First cut up some tempeh, and simmer it in a tiny bit of water until the water boils off. Then add some oil and the peppers and onions (or whatever you have on hand--bok choy, broccoli, etc) and pour some of Trader Joe's Island Soyaki teriyaki sauce over the top with a splash extra of soy sauce. Stir fry until the veggies are softened.

VeganMofo: Sweets

2009-10-22T15:47:00.001-04:00

The best thing about fall is that you have the excuse to put pumpkin in EVERYTHING. The funny thing is, I used to not like pumpkin, so I always kept away from things like this. But after giving some pumpkin-flavored lovelies a chance, I found that I really like it--except pumpkin pie, I don't really like the texture much. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cupcakes are going to be the perfect substitutes for pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner this year. These are on the borderline between cupcake and muffin, so you can pretend they're breakfast too (hypothetically, of course, I would never do that). Or top them with vegan cream cheese frosting for the perfect fall dessert. Yum!

And thanks to Meghan, I bring you Chocolate Peanut Butter Yaystacks! These are absolutely delicious and so easy to make too. Sadly, mine are not gluten free because I only had wheaty pretzels on hand. I definitely recommend these to everyone. The salty pretzels and the peanutty peanut butter go perfectly with the chocolately chocolate and they're so quick and easy, they're perfect for satisfying a chocolate craving.

VeganMofo: Buffalo Wings

2009-10-20T22:07:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't had a chance to upload some pictures (midterms + not feeling well + nephew's birthday + working on my Halloween costume = very busy times).

For today, I have no picture, but I did cook. I made the Chickenless Hot Wings from VeganDad. It did not go well. They came out rubbery and gluten-y. I don't think it's the fault of the recipe, though; I've heard rave reviews. It is more likely that I messed up at some point. I have issues making stuff from vital wheat gluten other than seitan. Maybe I'll try again someday with more kneading or something.

In the meantime, though, I'll just keep using the old tried and true Tempeh Wingz from Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk.

VeganMofo: Stuffed Peppers

2009-10-15T17:31:00.000-04:00

Stuffed Peppers

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package frozen veggie meat crumbles (reconstituted TVP would work too)
3-4 cups cooked rice
salt to taste
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
6-8 bell peppers (depending on size)

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat the oil, onion, and garlic in a large skillet until the onions soften a little. Add the crumbles or TVP and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned and hot. Add rice, salt, and tomato sauce and cook until the flavors are blended. While that's cooking, cut the tops off the peppers and pull out all the seeds. Put them in a baking pan standing upright (Put the ones with uneven bottoms in the middle, so they can be supported by the surrounding peppers or walls of the pan). Fill them to the top with the rice mixture and bake, covered, for about an hour.

Inside shot:

VeganMofo: hors d'oeurves

2009-10-14T20:14:00.000-04:00

Confession: I love hors d'oeuvres! Maybe it's because the only appetizers I can usually eat at parties are raw veggies. Boring! So I made a dinner of appetizers (but only took a picture of the bruschetta).
First, I made phyllo cups filled with Trader Joe's artichoke antipasto. They were super quick, so good for parties and very tasty. I also made pigs in a blanket using phyllo dough and veggie dogs. They were poorly wrapped so they unwrapped a bit in the oven. Next time, more pinching of the seam. And then I overcooked them, so the dogs were too chewy and they separated from the dough when you bit them. But overall flavor was great! Just like what I used to love as an omni. Most of the omnis at the house didn't want to try them, but my dad did, and he loved them. Last but not least, and my most favorite, was the bruschetta. Simple, but always awesome. Basily, garlicky, and tomatoey is the way to go with these!

VeganMofo: I did it!

2009-10-13T15:34:00.001-04:00

Meghan, you'll be proud of me, I finally tried tempeh bacon! I got this amazing vegan BLT wrap from Cornucopia, a natural foods store in Sayville. I didn't even know this store was there, but I'm glad I happened upon it. It was absolutely, positively delicious. I have to try to make it myself; I'll bet it's even better freshly made!

Also, happy birthday to my nephew, Aidan! He turns two today!

VeganMofo: Breakfast

2009-10-12T10:16:00.000-04:00

Scrambled tofu. I'm pretty much addicted. I make it all the time. I love to have a big brunch on Sunday mornings with scrambled tofu, home fries, and toast. Ahhh the best ever. I use a variation of Isa's recipe. It's the quickest, easiest thing ever. I like to go to Trader Joe's for my tofu because it's the firmest I've ever tried. Also, I usually save an empty spice container and fill it with several batches of the spice blend. Then I just shake however much I need onto the tofu, so I can make as much or as little as I need.

Scrambled Tofu
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

Spice Blend:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a little oil in a skillet and toss in the onion, garlic, and tofu. Cook until the tofu starts to get a little browned. Add the spices and cook a little more. If it's too dry, add a few splashes of water. Cook for another minute or so and you're done! If you want to get a little fancy, add some veggies. My favorite is spinach and tomatoes.

VeganMofo: Best Alfredo Ever.

2009-10-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

Fettuccine Alfredo that doesn't taste like nutritional yeast! It is possible! Vegan versions of cheese based sauces usually taste like nutritional yeast and anytime I make them, they usually end up in the garbage or on my nutritional-yeast-loving-friend anita's doorstep, so it took me two years to muster the courage to finally try this recipe. Now I'm in love.I haven't had cheese alfredo sauce in years, so I can't say that it tastes exactly the same, but I think it's pretty damn close. My omni family liked it too. Including my 8-year-old niece who is very picky.

The recipe is from Lachesis on the PPK. I just left out the cooking wine because I didn't have any and I didn't do the whole stroganoff thing. I just did the sauce and added Trader Joe's chicken strips.

VeganMofo: Survey

2009-10-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

I got this survey from Whoa Wren. Pretend I posted this yesterday. I didn't make anything special yesterday because I had some leftovers to eat, so I'll do this in place of yesterday's post and I'll make something to post later today.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Chocolate almond milk is pretty darn tasty.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
I was recently lusting over the chicken wings from Vegan Dad, so i'll probably make those at some point this month. Also lasagna and Puerto Rican rice with gandules (pigeon peas)

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Salt. NOTHING else, people!

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Maybe the time I put baking soda instead of baking powder in biscuits. ugh that was so gross.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Pickles! I don't think I've ever had anything else pickled.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
I don't. It's horrible. I keep meaning to put everything on index cards and put them in this recipe box I have, but then I just lose the index cards.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
Rice, garlic, and tofu.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Eating tuna sandwiches on toasted bread with friends at my house. We used to say "one more bite and I'll go crazy!" with every bite until the last one. Then we'd go crazy. Ah, good times.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
That chocolate peanut butter one from Soy Delicious

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Ooh it's between the food processor and the stand mixer. They are both wonderful.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Garlic

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
I don't know if any of the non-vegan books were mine. My first vegan cookbook was How it All Vegan

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Raspberry

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Tofu and Quinoa salad

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
It's been tempeh lately, but usually tofu

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Dinner

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Bread

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Bagels, Boca chick'n patties, and apple pie

20. What's on your grocery list?
I actually went shopping recently, so I don't need anything now. I'm running low on rice flour, though.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Trader Joe's

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Ham and cheese on a croissant. I just don't feel like making croissants ever. They're just so labor intensive.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Henry and Zelda!

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Just plain dark chocolate. But I really want to try the Chick-O-Stick

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
I bought a wrap from a store near my school. It was like $8, and I was just going home anyway so I could have easily made myself something. But I just had to buy something from them--support the vegan businesses ya know?

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Nutritional yeast because I hate the flavor. So I always have anxiety trying to decide if it can be left out or if it's necessary/not noticeable.

VeganMoFo: Cheater's Chana Masala

2009-10-06T17:24:00.000-04:00

This is cheater's chana masala because it's not the way you're supposed to make it. It's not authentic and it doesn't taste AS good as when you do it right, but holy crap is it tasty. To make this, you just start by sauteeing some onions in a pot. Then you put in roughly equal amounts of curry powder and garam masala and a little bit of tomato paste or tomato sauce. Then you add canned chickpeas and more of the seasoning if needed. If it's dry, add some water. If it's too wet, boil some water off. Just let it simmer a little bit for the flavors to blend. Serve over rice or with naan or whatever. I had it with some plain ol flatbread.

VeganMoFo: 100 vegan foods

2009-10-05T15:58:00.000-04:00

I got this list from B.A.D. (Unhealthy Vegan) who got it from Jodie (The Picky Vegan) who got it from it's original creator Jenn (Tiny Choices). The rules are simple folks, steal this list from the blog you read it off of, giving props/credit/shout outs or plugs to those who posted before you and bold the ones you have eaten… please copy the list and paste it into the comments below, bolding the ones you’ve tried!

My total: 27, damn, I suck!

1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales
3. Scrambled Tofu
4. Grilled Portobella Caps
5. Fresh Ground Horseradish
6. Sweet Potato Biscuits
7. Arepa
8. Vegan Cole Slaw
9. Ginger Carrot Soup
10. Fiddlehead Ferns
11. Roasted Elephant Garlic
12. Umeboshi
13. Almond Butter Toast
14. Aloe Vera
15. H and H Bagel NYC
16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash
17. White truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Freshly ground wasabi
20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Orchard-fresh pressed apple cider
23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only)
24. Quinoa
25. Papaya Smoothie
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper
27. Goji Berry Tea
28. Fennel
29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread
31. Starfruit
32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread
33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices
34. Sauerkraut
35. Acai Smoothie
36. Blue Foot Mushrooms
37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc
38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo
39. Falafel
40. Spelt Crust Pizza
41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms
42. Jicama Slaw
43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings
44. Hemp Milk
45. Rose Champagne
46. Fuyu
47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup
48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich
49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice…with Extra Ginger
50. Grilled Seitan
51. Prickly pear
52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk
53. Concord Grapes off the vine
54. Ramps
55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut
56. Organic Arugula
57. Vidalia Onion
58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics
59. Honeycrisp Apple
60. Poi
61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores
62. Grape seed Oil
63. Farm fresh-picked Peach
64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus
65. Chestnut Snack Packs
66. Fresh Guava
67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC
69. Fried plantains
70. Mache
71. Golden Beets
72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles
73. Liquid Smoke
74. Meyer Lemon
75. Veggie Paella
76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional)
77. Kombucha
78. Homemade Soy Milk
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Lychee Bellini
81. Tempeh Bacon
82. Sprouted Grain Bread
83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh
84. Vanilla Bean
85. Watercress
86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself
87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie
88. Flowers
89. Corn Chowder
90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate--how high quality?
91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi
92. White Flesh Grapefruit
93. Harissa
94. Coconut Oil
95. Jackfruit
96. Homemade Risotto
97. Spirulina
98. Seedless ‘Pixie’ Tangerine
99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought
100. Fresh Plucked English Peas

VeganMoFo: Epicurious Game

2009-10-04T20:05:00.000-04:00

This is a fun game that Isa came up with. You have to go to Epicurious.com and follow Isa's instructions and then try to veganize whatever recipe you end up with. I got this recipe called "Minced Chicken with Vegetables in Lettuce Cups." I've been wanting to make something like this ever since I tried something similar in a friend's dad's restaurant, so it was the perfect challenge for me. I used seitan instead of chicken and actually added vegetables (instead of that recipe's pitiful excuse for vegetables). The sauce is somewhat different and the process is way different. Their way sounded really gross. I didn't measure everything when I made this, but this is approximate quantities to start with. Adjust according to taste.

Seitan and Vegetable Lettuce Cups

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 cup chopped seitan (I used the veganomicon recipe)
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cremini or mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped baby corn
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch
Peanut oil for stir frying

Heat a tablespoon or two or oil in a wok or big skillet and add all the vegetables except for the lettuce. Let them heat a little while you mix the other ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the sauce mixture and stir fry until the vegetables are soft. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Peel off lettuce leaves and put a couple of spoonfuls of the filling in each and eat!

VeganMoFo: Fall flavors

2009-10-03T17:06:00.000-04:00

Last night I wanted something for dinner that really felt like fall. So I made the chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon. The thyme and sage flavors make it perfect for the beginning of fall. I tried them a couple of years ago when I first got Vcon, but I didn't like them. They were too mushy and meh. But everyone on the PPK kept raving about them, so I figured I'd give it another shot. Good thing I did! They were much better this time around. I like to do a mix between baking and frying. I bake them a little to get the insides to be firm and then I pan fry them a little to make the outside crispy. Yum! So if you tried these in the past and didn't like the texture, try them again. It's worth it.

VeganMoFo: The best cookies ever. Maybe.

2009-10-02T18:38:00.001-04:00

I found the inspiration for these cookies last week, when I was looking for a cookie to send Megan in the care package I sent her. They're based off of these cookies, but I just changed a couple of things. They're Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and they have quickly become a favorite here in my house. My mom doesn't like chocolate chips in cookies, my sister doesn't really like peanut butter cookies, and my niece doesn't like oats, but they all love these cookies. I've made them about four times already.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 c oats
1/2 c rice flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c unsweetened natural chunky peanut butter (if you don't use the natural kind, omit the white sugar)
2/3 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grind all but 1/4 cup of the oats in a food processor. Add rice flour, baking soda, and salt and pulse to mix. In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugars, applesauce, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and the rest of the oats and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 11 minutes.

Happy VeganMofo!

2009-10-01T15:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the third annual VeganMofo (Vegan Month of Food, that is)! I did a few posts for the first one and completely passed on the second one because I was busy with school, but now I'm only taking two classes at Suffolk, so I think I can handle it. I'm going to reallllly try to post something every day. If I miss something, I have to do two things for the next day.

So today, I'm starting off nice and simple with biscuits! I used the recipe from How It All Vegan. They were wonderful! Super easy. I made them really quickly before I left for class today. I don't have time for rolling and cutting and all that jazz, so I just plop them on to the cookie sheet as is. And I usually double the recipe, so I can save some of the dough in the fridge and have fresh biscuits two days in a row or have some for breakfast and some with dinner. So anyway, I'm posting the recipe because I found it easily online already and I have an audience of about 2, so it doesn't really matter:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup margarine or veggie shortening

3/4- 1 cup non-dairy milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 450. Combine dry ingredients, than add wet and stir until just combined. Drop into muffin trays or cut out into shapes or whatever onto an oiled whatever. Bake for 12-18 minutes.

Sourdough uh oh

2009-09-20T21:03:00.000-04:00

I got some sourdough starter a few weeks ago from Jody on the ppk. I fed it as soon as I got it, put it in a big mason jar and watched it bubble away. I used part of it to bake and after a day of rising, it looked good. I baked it and it came out looking just okay. And it was really hard. Not so good. I don't know what went wrong, but it sucked.

After that, when I tried to feed it again, it didn't rise. It bubbled and died. I fed it again and the same thing happened. So I took my dilemma to the ppk. They gave me some suggestions on reviving it, but it'll have to wait until next weekend because I've been pretty busy lately.

I don't know, the sourdough starter seems a little high maintenance for me, but I'll see if I can get it going again. Maybe I'll do "Sourdough Sundays" on this blog so I can have some motivation to keep it going.

Crafts

2009-09-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

I have been having a lot of fun making onesies. Once I learned about using freezer paper for stencils, I was hooked. It's so quick and easy. These are a couple of the first ones I've made. Consider this a sneak peek of what's to come when I open my etsy shop!

Recipe review: Bagels

2009-09-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

I recently made bagels at home for the first time. After working in a bagel store for a million years, I only try it now? It's all due to the recipe in Vegan Brunch. I never really got how simple they were until I saw it all there on the page. But holy god, these are fantastic. It's hard to beat the deliciousness of fresh bagels right out of the oven.
Fortunately for me, I had some everything seeds saved from the last time we got bagels. I save them to sprinkle on top of the cream cheese because there are never enough seeds. So it turns out I had enough seeds to cover one bagel fully and another had sparse sprinkles.

All in all, these bagels were wonderful! Five stars, for sure. I will definitely make these again. They were a big hit with the family. Aidan couldn't wait until I was done taking pictures to chow down:

Vegan MoFo: Cupcakes!!

2007-11-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

Big ones and minis!! And so yummy!

Vegan MoFo: Friday, November 9

2007-11-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I missed Thursday because I just ate leftovers and green cactus all day and didn't get home until it was kinda late. I'll do an extra long post now to make up for it.

Friday turned out to be a really good day vegan-wise. At work, a woman came in and asked how the french toast bagels were. I said I've heard really good things about them, but I never had one myself because I don't eat egg. She asked me why and I told her I was vegan (and explained what vegan meant). So normally people would be like "oh wow, I could never give up chicken and cheese" but this woman said it was really cool and that she was thinking of going vegan. She asked when I usually work, so I guess I'll probably see her again.

Later, at Heather's fondue party, I came early and made an enchilada casserole thing. I based it off of this recipe at Fat Free Vegan, but I changed it a bit. I put tortilla chips all along the bottom, covered that with refried beans, then black beans, then tomatoes, then veggies (which I had previously sauteed with taco seasoning, cumin, and chili powder), then salsa and enchilada sauce. And I made another layer like that on top and baked it until the party started. By then, the chips got soggy, but they were still good. When I was ready to eat it, I added fresh chips and guacamole. SO GOOD!

Just a couple more fun things: Diana, who teaches at Tammy's school, told me that she tried to be vegetarian and quit so she was asking what has kept me going with veganism. She was really nice and so sweet. And later I found out that Candace is vegan too and she thouroughly enjoyed the casserole, so yayyy.

I plan on making cupcakes this weekend, so stay tuned for that!

Vegan MoFo: Tofu and Quinoa

2007-11-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is the dish that I am totally obsessed with right now. It's just amazing. I previously thought quinoa was just okay, but once I tried this I loved it! The first time I cooked it was for this dish. Make it!

I got the recipe at a Vegetarian Expo. Here it is:
2 cups Quinoa
2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup peanut oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste

-Rinse quinoa, add to 4 cups of boiling water, reduce to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.
-Place tofu into a bowl and pour tamari over the top and toss. Marinate for 45 minutes.
-Place marinated tofu on cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until slightly crispy
-While quinoa and tofu are cooling, chop scallions, cilantro, and red onions.
-In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
-In a large bowl, mix quinoa, tofu, and veggies; pour the dressing on; and mix.

Vegan MoFo: random

2007-11-06T23:57:00.001-05:00

This is a really lame post but it's late and I want to go to bed. I just want to be able to say that I posted something every day for the vegan month of food. So just a story:

I've never been afraid of vegan food the way most people are. A lot of people freak out when I mention tofu or something "abnormal," but I never did. Maybe because I tried it before the media infiltrated my mind with "tofu is weird" messages (like the Everybody Loves Raymond episode where Debra puts them on some healthy meatless diet and forces them to eat a tofurkey on Thanksgiving and they carry on like it's the worst thing that Debra's ever done to them). Or maybe it's just my natural inclination to accept everything without question. I remember Jen experimenting with vegetarianism and making something tofuy. And then some years later I found a recipe for a low fat lasagna that had no noodles or meat, just tofu, cheese, and sauce. And it was really good. I've probably had tofu every once in a while since then. It wasn't until I went vegetarian that I really learned to love it though.

Ummm...the end. goodnight.

Vegan MoFo: Jelly Donut Cupcakes

2007-11-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

In honor of Vegan MoFo, I decided to bake something. I picked Jelly Donut Cupcakes--my virst recipe from Veganomicon!
They were good, but the jelly sunk all the way down to the bottom! Despite the warnings in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Veganomicon, I still haven't gotten an oven thermometer, so that could have been the problem. Either that or my jelly is too heavy.
Pictures:

Vegan MoFo: The Beginning!

2007-11-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

Everyone on the ppk set up this thing called VeganMoFo. It's a Vegan Month of Food for blogs. Every day you have to post something related to veganism. I know I'm not going to be able to do it every day, but I'll do it as much as I can, since I now have Veganomicon and I'm excited to make new stuff.

For the first time in a long time, I have a fridge FULL of vegan stuff! I have chinese food from the other night, pasta with sausage and ricotta that I made last night, a frozen pizza, tofu scramble that I made a couple of days ago, veggie meat balls, and extra tofu.

And no food post is complete without pictures, so here's what I made last night (it was SO good!)