Butternut Squash Curry Soba Dinner

On Sunday, J and I went out for a drive and ended up in Scarborough. We'd always known Lois' Natural Marketplace was there, but for some reason we hardly ever go. It's in an area we don't frequent and so it's easy to forget - but boy, we won't forget it now!

Lois' has that distinct health food store smell - vitamins, herbs - I don't know what it is, but every health food store has that same smell. As we wondered the aisles we were dumbfounded but the number of vegan products - many of them products we have never seen at Whole Foods. We walked away with a large bag of Little Lad's Cashew & Date Granola, a small bag of Ener-G's gluten free sesame pretzels, King Soba Pumpkin, Ginger, & Rice Soba noodles, a vegan donut from Holy Donut (who knew they had vegan ones?!), local raw honey, and LizLovely Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies.

Today, winter decided to hang on and give us one last (maybe?) snow storm. So I decided to take the soba for a test drive and to utilize left over butternut squash from the soup we'd made the night before. The soba was good but not the best I've had. Certainly worth trying. It was a bit more sticky than the buckwheat soba I typically buy and the flavor (pumpkin & ginger) is very very faint and easily masked by spices and veggies. Nonetheless, dinner was tasty and you can try it out using King Soba or any brand of soba you'd like!


Butternut Squash Curry Soba Dinner
1.5 cups butternut squash, cubed
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 block of tofu, drained & pressed
1/2 yellow onion
1 package King Soba's Pumpkin, Ginger, & Rice Soba
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp coriander
1 cup chopped broccoli
salt & pepper
1/2 to 1 jalapeño, diced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 scallion/spring onion, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Toss butternut squash and carrots in a little olive or canola oil and bake 35-45 minutes, until veggies are tender when poked with a fork.

Cook the soba as instructed. It is important to wash it with cold water afterwards so that the noodles don't all stick together so don't skip this step!

Dry fry the tofu. Set aside.

In a skillet, cook onion in olive or canola oil. Once onion is translucent, add ginger, curry, cardamom, and salt and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Next add broccoli and jalapeño pepper. Add the butternut squash and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer for several minutes. Finish by mixing in the soba and topping with scallion.

Serves 3-4

Invest in a tofu press - you will thank me.

I like to cut the tofu into 4ths (the long way) and then cut each quarter in half, and then in half again on the diagonal, forming little triangles. 

Dry frying is one of our favorite ways to prepare tofu. There's no added fat from olive oil and it makes the outside nice and crispy while the inside remains light and fluffy.

Sushi Night and a Really Pink Cake

I've had a great week in the world of cooking and baking! On Wednesday, I took the day off from my real job and baked a very large, very pink cake for a Salt and Pine Bakery client's birthday. It came out great and I received a text from her the other night that said:

"That cake is the best, richest, vegan vanilla cake I've ever tasted IN MY LIFE! Thank you sooo much! My mom says you should go to NYC!"

Very flattering :) My client was actually vegan, which is doesn't actually happen all that often. The cake was 5 layers of vanilla cake dyed various shades of pink and purple, and in between each layer, raspberry and a light almond no-buttercream. The outside was decorated with no-buttercream roses in varying shades of pink. Here's a few photos - please excuse the ones from my cell phone; J will have nicer ones from his camera once he has time to edit them:

Cake layers

Last night my back was aching from a day of baking and a little fender bender on Thursday (my friend's car not mine, and we're both okay!) and I started getting really scared that it was going back to the bad place it was in a year ago. It's still aching today, but a little better I think. Positive thoughts! Positive thoughts! 

At dinner time, to brighten my mood, J and I thought it would be fun to make sushi. We had picked up some sushi rice at Whole Foods and I followed the instructions on Cooking Cute for preparation and seasoning. Meanwhile, J prepared some long cut pieces of sweet potato by frying them briefly in a skillet, some long strips of tofu by try frying, sautéed cremini mushrooms, and raw carrot, sprouts, and zucchini. 

I was concerned that our dinner did not have enough protein, so I prepared a salad with spinach, yellow & red bell pepper, radish, carrot, and chickpeas, dressed with a wasabi vinaigrette (1 Tbsp wasabi powder, 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp water, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar). 

Dinner was delicious and so much fun to prepare! I had never rolled my own sushi before, so J taught me how and I have to say, it's not super easy, but it is super fun! The hardest part was how much the rice stuck to our hands! We had a little sticky rice left over so we made two little rice balls and served them with the salad. 

I've got to get baking - I'm planning to make a French Apple Tart for a little New Years Eve gathering we're having this evening. And guess what, everyone? Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of going vegan! Post to follow! 

Have a happy, fun, and safe New Years Eve, everyone!

Laptop Lunch Time!

Happy Herbivore's Greens Quiche, Veganomicon's Porcini & Wild Rice Soup, and a local apple with soynut butter

Vegan Laptop Lunchtime!

Herb salad mix with cucumber, summer squash, grape tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, assorted seeds, cranberries, and balsamic; some plain hummus; doctored up Tofu Fried Rice from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap

Top 10 Money Saving Tips for Going Vegan

At the request of my friend Liz and because I hear it so damn often, this will be a post about how to be vegan and save money. So often I hear people telling me, "Oh, I'd go vegan/vegetarian if it didn't cost so much, but it's so expensive I just can't do it." I want to laugh when I hear this. Are you kidding me? Switching to veganism is WAY cheaper than consuming meat, but only if you are a smart and conscious shopper. Sure, you can go to Whole Foods and purchase pre-made seitan, wheat balls, veggie burgers, polenta, etc. And yes, your shopping bill will be high. No doubt about it. But if you follow these few tips, you'll find you'll be saving money in no time!

Christi's Top 10 Tips for Saving $$ on a Vegan Diet:

1. Avoid fancy specialty items. They're packaging is enticing and their easy to use but they will jack your bill up, so be prepared. We do purchase Tofurkey deli slices on a regular basis and we'll often buy Field Roast. But we know they're more expensive and we can afford it right now. These aren't vital items to be a good vegan cook and you can totally make amazingly delicious food WITHOUT them. I promise :) You can also find recipes that tell you how to make them. Homemade seitan is far more cost-effective than pre-made store bought seitan. Homemade veggie burgers are way cheaper and you don't have to worry about egg whites being included.

2. Plan your meals in advance. Every Saturday I sit down with our cookbooks and pick out 4-5 meals for the week. I write out my shopping list based on these meals and I write down the meals, cookbooks, and page numbers and stick it to the fridge for the week. You're thinking, "I see how this would save time, but money?" But it does! By creating a shopping list around the things you plan to eat for the week, you won't be tempted or even need to purchase things that are not on your list (ALWAYS food shop with a list). You'll also find that you're buying the appropriate quantity of food for you and your family and you aren't wasting food by letting it go bad. If you find that food is still going bad, make smaller shopping trips.

3. The bulk aisle is your best friend (most of the time). For the most part, items in the bulk section will cost less than buying that fancy Bob's Red Mill's bag of polenta (we don't buy his products anymore and you shouldn't either!). Your bulk aisle will likely include polenta, flour, sugar, beans, spices, nuts, and many grains. But make sure that the cost is less. Last week, I wanted to buy a good amount of cranberries to use in my baking. I checked out the price per pound in the Whole Foods bulk section. In the same aisle they sell packaged bulk items, and the packaged cranberries cost less per pound. So goo thing I checked!

4. Beans, Beans, Beans. I know it's a pain in the ass to buy dry beans, but MAN do they cost less than canned. Seriously! So here's what you do...you buy your beans on the weekend and on Sunday afternoon, soak a big batch, boil them, drain them, and put them in tupperware and stick them in the freezer. You're set for a while if you do a good amount and a variety. Beans are an awesome source of protein and numerous vitamins - so eat 'em up!

5. Shop Local. Farmers Markets, road stands, local orchards are a fantastic way to save money. Check out some of my earlier posts with shots of all the food I've gotten for $10. It's incredible and it's fresh and local and so much better for you. Think about how far some of our food travels to get to us, how it's banged around, gets dirty....local food at the Farmers Market traveled up to an hour on the back of a truck and the person who grew that tomato is handing it to you. Fantastic! I don't know why you wouldn't shop there :)

6. Use substitutions in fancy recipes. So your mushroom risotto recipe uses morels which are like $5.99 for a small bag. Substitute! You don't have to use morels. The amazing thing about veggies is how versatile they are. You should use recipes as a guide and not feel tied to them. If your recipe calls for expensive mushrooms, substitute with criminis or white mushrooms and you'll save $3. You have a recipe that tells you to deglaze the pan with red wine but you don't have red wine or can't afford it, use veggie stock or water instead.

7. Choose your proteins wisely. Many people, when they first become vegetarian or vegan, feel that they need to buy meat substitutes to replace the protein they were getting from animal foods. Not true! There are many, many, MANY other sources of protein that, at times, have more protein than the meat subs. Here are some examples of protein content from plant food from Vegan for Life:

• 3 ounces of seitan = 22.5 grams 
• 1/3 cup of soy protein powder = 23 grams
• 1/2 cup of soy beans (edamame, if you will) = 14.3 grams
• 1/4 cup of peanuts = 8.6 grams
• 1/2 cup of firm tofu = 20 grams (firm has a higher protein content than soft)
• 1 cup of soy milk = 10 grams
• 1/2 cup of quinoa = 4 grams
• 1/2 cup of frozen spinach = 3.8 grams
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter = 8 grams

You don't need soy meat alternatives if you learn about nutrition and make smart choices throughout your day. If you understand the nutrition behind it, you'll save a great deal of money! I can't stress that enough - you really need to learn nutrition and make sure you're doing vegan right - you'll save money and ensure your health. Don't be a junk food vegan (french fries and Oreos). 

8. Waste not - make stock. We're getting back into soup season and I cannot stress enough how silly it is to buy veggie stock. Seriously - don't make me come over there to give you a swift kick in the pants. Here's the trick - as you're cooking throughout the week, keep a large tupperware container in your fridge and add any veggie odds and ends - carrot peels, onion ends, avocado skins, kale stems  - you name it, if it's veg, throw it in! Then, at the end of the week, throw all the ends into a big pot with a little olive oil and saute them. Once the veggies are warmed and smelling good, add water, a bay leaf, some fresh ground pepper and 1-2 tsp of soy sauce or Braggs. Cover the pot; bring it up to a boil and then simmer for a few hours. After you turn it off, allow it to cool so you can work with it and strain the liquid into a pitcher or large container you can store in the fridge. Squeeze the veggies to get excess liquid out (it's crazy how much liquid they hold). And now you've got stock for the week to make soups, cook rice and other grains, use in sautés, etc. If you have a composter, throw the veg in. Sadly, we don't have one, but at least we're getting as much food as we can out of the veggies we buy. 

9. Make your own snacks. Snack foods are so tempting to buy. If you're dieting right, you know you need a snack or two throughout your day, but snack foods like granola bars, veg chips, trail mix, etc. can get really pricey. So make your own! Make a nice big batch of granola bars - there are tons of great recipes on VegWeb and there's a great one on The Vegan Stoner. Make your own trail mix by purchasing a some nuts, seeds and raisins or cranberries in the bulk section and then just mix them together. Ta-da! Trail mix. Make your own veg chips - you've got an oven! If you buy kale chips, I will smack you. They are SO much cheaper to make at home and you can do fun things like add a good amount of cayenne pepper and sea salt or coconut...Google kale chip recipes and you'll find tons of combinations. 

10. Set a take-out/dine-out limit. This rule applies to all diets but it's easier when you're vegan because there are less dining options to begin with! Set a rule for your household limiting the number of times you eat out or order take out. Our rule is 2 times per month and we seriously save a good chunk of change. It's hard to stick to this rule when you've got a lot of friends pulling you in all different directions, wanting to dine with you. Don't fret - just suggest small dinner parties at your houses. The setting is more intimate, you can actually hear what people are saying, and there is something so satisfying about cooking for the people you love. In other cities, there are a lot more dining-out options for vegans than in Portland, Maine, but you should still limit your meals out. Think about it, often times the bill for a dinner for 2 is equal to your week's food shopping trip. And you only get one meal out of it. If you don't believe that it will help you save money, start tracking how much you spend, not only on eating out, but record every time you purchase a latte and how much it cost you. It's so easy to drop a few bucks here and there, but then when you track it and look back at your months expenses, you'll be shocked to discover that you've spent maybe $50 on coffee. $50?! That's a food shopping trip providing food for a week! 

So all of these tips are awesome, but maybe they don't answer the question at large - is veganism cheaper than being an omnivore? Well, let's look at the cost of ground beef, pork chops, and chicken.

Average cost of ground beef, per pound, in August 2011 = $3.21
Pork chops, bone in per pound, in August 2011 = $3.65
Chicken, boneless per pound, in August 2011 = $3.25
Tofu, with a price that rarely fluctuates, 14 ounces = $1.69 (365 extra firm tofu)

Ok so, a pound is 16 ounces, so the beef is 20 cents an ounce, the pork is 23 cents, and chicken is 20 cents.  Tofu is 12 cents an ounce. Maybe you don't think that's very much, but it all adds up! And these prices on meat are averages, the region you live in and store you're shopping at can cause major fluctuations. As I noted above, the price of tofu very rarely fluctuates and so we always know how much we're going to spend.

Here's some additional reading if you want more info:

MSN: Go vegetarian to save money
20 Something Finance: Frugality through Vegetarianism - How to Save $2-$3K per Year & the Planet by Moving Away from a Meat - Based Diet
Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson

Vegan Laptop Lunchtime!

Left over tofu scramble from Sunday morning's brunch (lovingly prepared by Justin), Randall's Orchard apple with soynut butter, and some kalamata olives

My latest work snack: Dry roasted & salted edamame. It's really yummy, lower in fat than the pistachios I was eating and look at all that protein! It's the perfect afternoon pick-me-up :)

Laptop Lunchtime!

Yellow bell pepper and zucchini with hummus, tabouli, strawberries, and Sunday Supper Frittata from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap

Vegan Lunchbox!

Farmers Market Stir-Fry and an herb salad with yellow tomotos, cucumber, kohlrabi, and mixed sprouts, and greek hummus

A Farmers Market Dinner

It's Wednesday which means it's Farmers Market day! Wooo! My goodies, for $10, included a bag of basil, 2 yellow tomatoes, 2 lemon cucumbers, 1 other kind of yellow cucumber I didn't catch the name of, rainbow chard, 1 summer squash and 2 purple bell peppers. Seriously people, you can get a lot of food for just $10 when you shop local - so shop smart!

So we winged dinner and made up our own little stir-fry creation using a bunch of this week and last week's Farmers Market findings and the result was a delicious sweet and spicy Thai-style stir-fry. I just gotta say, since going vegan this past January, I have realized that vegan cooking is SUPER easy. I'm amazed that so many people think it's harder to cook vegan. Our meals generally take less time to cook, are lower in cost, and there's never any fear of getting sick from not cooking something or eating something bad (it's pretty easy to tell when veggies have gone bad!).

I know many of you reading this blog are not vegan, and hey, that's totally ok! But I hope that you'll at the very least try out some of my recipes and the recipes that I try and start thinking about how the cooking part of going vegan is not the difficult part at all (at first it's really just the cheese cravings, but they go away, I promise. Especially after you take the time to learn more about the dairy industry).

Ok - so here's the recipe and dude, you should try it because it's delish and had us saying mmmmm every other bite. So do it. Go cook this up NOW!

Farmers Market Fresh Stir-Fry

1 block of tofu, drained and pressed to remove excess water, then cubed
olive oil or sesame oil
1 yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 bell peppers, we used purple
1/2 summer squash, sliced
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow tomato, sliced, seeds removed
1 red tomato, sliced, seeds removed
A handful of basil leaves
About 2 Tbsp shredded kohlrabi
salt & pepper to taste

Sauce:
2-3 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
3-4 Tbsp Braggs
1 tsp Peanut Oil
1 tsp Brown Sugar
2 drops Liquid Smoke



In a non-stick skillet, dry-fry the tofu (just lay the tofu in the pan without any oil and let it simmer the water out, pressing on the tofu every once in a while to squeeze out more water). Continue to cook until all the sides are browned.

In a wok, saute onion in some oil until they are translucent. Then add veggies in the order listed in the ingredient list, sauteing each one as its added until it's fully cooked.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Then add the cooked tofu and let it sit until you're finished adding veggies to the wok. Once the veggies are cooked and the flavors have melded, dump in the tofu and sauce and mix. Saute for another minute and then remove from heat and serve! You could serve it over rice if you want, but we had fresh corn on the cob and homemade kale chips so we found it wasn't needed.

14,800 animals saved...but Paula Deen goes on kicking

200 animals a year. We save an average of 200 animal lives per year by going vegan. So, if I live a long and healthy life and make it to 100 years of age, I will have saved 14,800 animals. This fact is beautifully satisfying.

I thought about this statistic last night as Justin and I watched a DVR'd episode of Next Food Network Star. Three things really irked me about this week's episode - well, three major things, I'm sure I was disgruntled by other things too: 1) Paula Dean 2) Tofu bashing 3) Standard vegetarian meals.

Let's go backwards -

The contestants were asked to prepare meals for cast, crew, writers, etc. of the show Cougar Town starring Courtney Cox. They were put into pairs and asked to cook a certain style of food depending on the group they were cooking for. One group was assigned the stylists/hairdressers/make-up artists, etc and they were told that normally these people are vegetarian. First of all, anyone can be vegetarian and by restricting this dietary assignment to this group, the show was perpetuating a stupid stereotype (I'm not saying I don't think they should cook vegetarian meals; I'm just offended that it was assumed that only the stylists would require this type of meal). So the two contestants, of course, felt a bit lost. The male in the team says, "I'm going to think outside the box and make them something really good because they're always getting jipped." What does he make? PASTA with veggies and cheese. Yes, a pat on the back, very creative. The female contestant makes a salad with roasted pumpkin seeds and other various accouterments. Nice, but pretty boring.

Next, this team of two men is asked to prepare food for the writers. It needs to be classy and organized, because apparently this is what writers want....I'll leave that one alone. One of the contestants can't find ground chicken or beef at the store, so he buys tofu. And then he proceeds to BITCH the entire time about how hard tofu is to cook, how no one likes it, how he's crazy for using it. Paula Deen, a guest judge, and Bobby Flay approached his table as he was cooking and both turned their noses up at the dish (lettuce leaves stuffed with a tofu mixture), saying that he made a bad choice by choosing to tofu as a main ingredient. Here comes a rant - brace yourselves - tofu is one of the easiest ingredients to cook. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! It takes on the flavor of anything you pair it with; you can serve it with multiple textures and consistencies, and it's incredibly healthy for you (lower in cholesterol and fat than meat products). This guy is supposed to be a good chef, yet he had no clue how to work with tofu. And I feel like this is standard. Justin and I make some amazing tofu dishes and we are not professionals. I was originally rooting for this contestant - now he's at the bottom of my list.

And finally, Paula Deen. Is there anyone in the world more anti-veg than she? As she paraded around the various food tables she made comments about vegetable dishes saying, "You need to throw a stick of butter on there" and scoffing at the tofu, "If I made tofu for my husband, he would say get the tofu-outta-here." The comical part is that, when she tasted the tofu dish, she acutally liked it! Go figure...apparently tofu can taste good. In summary, that woman is an abomination.

Okay. I'm done.

On a lighter note, before becoming absolutely disgusted by the show, I made a delicious dinner for Justin and I and surprised him by having it all set up in our back yard when he got home. It was composed of Farmers Market goodies and some awesome finds at the Portland Public Market House. Sometimes we're so cute it hurts.

Kale, strawberries, black bean tempeh, portebello cap, tomatoes, avocado, and our favorite CabSav, Pine & Post

Dinner waiting for Justin in our backyard: Pasta with portebello, tomato, kale, garlic, and herbs and an herb salad with cucumber, carrot and strawberries. And of course, some Pine & Post. And yes, I made the easy vegan pasta dish - but in my defense, we don't make pasta often and our cubbards are going bare so there weren't many other choices!

Lemon and Ginger Tofu with Beautiful Sauce

On Thursday night we tried a VegWeb recipe posted by "carltelefunk" from the UK - Lemon and Ginger Tofu with Beautiful Sauce. The results - fantastico! But we made a few changes.

First - I don't know about you, but I don't have time to think about marinating my tofu for several hours before I cook. It's just not happening with my busy schedule. So first, I started by cutting my tofu block into 8 rectangles and towel drying them (wrap them in paper towels and press). Then I cut each rectangle in half, and then in half again, but at an angle so that I had triangles. Next, I heated up a non-stick skillet (MUST be non-stick!!) and threw in the tofu pieces, allowing them to sizzle. I took a spatula and pressed on the pieces, which allows more water to release and sizzle in the pan. Then I flipped the pieces and let them brown on the other side.

After I had the tofu ready, I removed it from the pan and put the marinade from the recipe into the same pan. I allowed the sauce to come up to a simmer and then stirred in the 6 Tbsp of coconut milk. Then, rather than using composing the plate and pouring the sauce on top as the recipe suggests, I tossed in the tofu and allowed it to simmer for a while. I added in veggies - baby bok choy from the Portland Farmer's Market, yellow bell pepper, and broccoli - and allowed it to cook a while longer so that the flavors combined. Then I served the mix on top of jasmine rice.

It was really really yummy and if I make it again, I'm definitely doing it this way instead of the way the recipe instructs. The only big change I'd make to the sauce is to swap out lemon juice for lime juice. Although it was really good, I feel like lime juice tends to be a little less harsh and will blend in more.

I took leftovers for lunch the other day, in addition to a salad with some local Ariel's hummus and some cantaloupe.

And by the way, friends, you'll notice something new beneath my blog posts - a reaction section. Please take a sec to give me some feedback about my posts! As always, thanks for reading!

Are you out there??

As a blogger, you get kind of bummed when you don't see the "Followers" count increasing steadily over time. You start to think - is anyone out there actually reading this? To quench my blogger-loneliness, I added a nifty little widget "Feedjit" to my page. Over time, I've been noticing that folks from California, Alaska, Washington, D.C., Canada, Boston, New York, and several other countries have been visiting my pages. And although they aren't clicking the little "Follow" button to let me know they're right there with me, I'm confident that they are. Don't be shy friends - feel free to click that button and to leave some comments on my posts! I love answering questions, responding to ideas, and getting advice from readers, so step right up!

As the weather is becoming increasingly more beautiful and the plants around us begin to delight our senses, I've been doing more summer vegan cooking. What exactly does this mean? Well, I've put away my stews, heavy dishes, warm soups and roasted veggies for now, and have started preparing a lot of crisp raw dishes, celebrating the array of summer veggies just starting to show up at the Farmers Market and food stores.

This week Justin and I put together a Korean-style cabbage salad using a head of shredded purple cabbage, some shredded carrots and edamame. Justin made a sweet-spicy sauce that complimented the flavors of the veggies really well.

Korean Cabbage Salad

We also made Vegan Yum Yum's Smokey Miso Tofu and used it to make sandwiches with caramelized onions and mushrooms, tomato, and cucumber. The tofu was delicious and we'll definitely be making it again, though next time I won't use her drying method. When I tried using her method (placing a cast iron pot on top of the tofu to squeeze excess water out) the tofu ended up crumbling a lot and we didn't get as many slices out of it as we wanted. I'll also slice them a little thicker next time. The marinade in the recipe has a surprisingly salty, smokey, sweet flavor. We had some extra and used it on the sandwich as well.

Smokey Miso Tofu

Dinner! Smokey Miso Tofu with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Cucumber & Tomato, Korean Cabbage Salad, and, of course, a pickle

Since this is one of the few times Justin and I have two days off in a row together (he works on Saturdays and has off on Fridays; I have off on Saturdays & Sundays) we decided to do a little exploring. My dad recently gave me the family picnic basket which I'll pack with some left over cabbage salad, hummus veggie wraps, and juice, and we'll head up to Bradbury Mountain State Park for a picnic and a hike. 

What are you doing for Memorial Day? Family picnic? Hiking? Hanging out at home? What are kind of menu are you planning? Let us know! 

YumYum

A week or so ago I was perusing the Internet's vegan recipe offerings when I was reading my friend's blog, Veganoogle, and saw a review for VeganYumYum's Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa. Done. I've had all the ingredients for a while, but we finally got to it this evening.

This recipe is absolutely a keeper. I had never used the "dry frying" method of preparing tofu, but it worked out really well and I think we'll probably do it again. We actually still pressed the liquid out like we normally do, but it's impossible to get it all out just by pressing. I also love her "tofu math" way of cutting the tofu down into small triangles.

As for the recipe, we made it as is since it was our first attempt, but we'd like to make some changes next time. My fiance thinks kale would taste better (he's not a fan of the earthy underlying taste in collard greens), as Veganoogle suggests, we'd add more garlic, and perhaps some other veggies - shredded carrot, onion, sauteed mushrooms. Rather than make more of the sweet chili lime sauce (which is awesome and could be used in so many other ways), next time we'll just reserve some because we really didn't need to use all of it to glaze the tofu. I also think I'd only use 2 Tbsp sugar in the sauce - 3's a bit much. 

I'd like to try more of VeganYumYum's recipes. We made the Mac & Cheeze (take two) about a year ago and that was pretty good. I'm bummed that it looks like she's stopped posting though; it's a really great blog with some awesome recipes, but it ends in January of 2010 and doesn't pick up again. Bummer. If you click on the archives though, you'll find a really nice listing of some awesome sounding recipes. More reviews of her stuff to come, I'm sure! 

Meat out!

This has been a week of vegan victories! On Tuesday night we invited our favorite vegan couple to dinner to try out VegWeb's General Tao's Tofu - Delish! The tofu came out surprisingly well and was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and the sauce was wonderfully sweet and spicy.

We made a few modifications - we added a heaping spoonful of Asian Chili Paste to the sauce (we like spicy!) and instead of just serving it with steamed broccoli (boooooring), we sauteed bok choy, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion in the wok and then mixed all of it together with the tofu and sauce. We served it hot over brown rice - yummers!

For dessert, my friends sampled my two newly veganized cookies - Awesome Crunch and Ginger Snap - for my baking service, From Scratch & Sniff. I got some great feedback and was even told that my peanut butter cookie base for Awesome Crunch is delish, by a non-peanut-butter-cookie-liker! FS&S will soon be a completely vegan baking service - watch out for it, friends, it's gonna be great!

On Sunday, we're going with the same couple over to the Pepperclub for the Maine Vegan Meet Out Group's celebration of National Meat Out! The Pepperclub has a 4 course meal at $22 planned for us and we're very excited to make some new friends and try new foods!

All in all, this has been a great week and on top of it all, the weather outside is beautiful today! Huzzah!

Burrrrrrrrrr-eeee-toes!

Man oh man is it chilly out! I walked home from work today and thought my face was going to melt off when I walked into our warm kitchen. It's crazy, but even my teeth hurt from the cold!

Annnnnyway, I was talking to my friend Liz today and she mentioned that when she thinks of eating burritos, she can't imagine them without cheese. She recently had a sweet potato burrito and was amazed that it didn't have or need the cheese! Huzzah! Tonight just felt like burrito night so my man and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. I must say, while I do enjoy cooking solo, there is something so satisfying about cooking alongside my boyfriend. We have such a great time in the kitchen, talking about our days at work, laughing, tasting, smiling...it's great. It certainly makes the time go faster too - a major plus when you're as hungry as I seemed to be tonight.

So we made up a beautiful fresh salad using spinach leaves, cucumbers, plum tomatoes, sweet pepper, sprouts, dried cranberries and dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper, and served it with Barbecue Black Bean and Tofu Burritos. Here's the recipe - it's a keeper :)

Barbecue Black Bean and Tofu Burritos (modified from Vegan on the Cheap)


1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp molasses
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder 
salt & pepper
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 container of firm tofu, drained and dried well, then cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
whole wheat burritos, the smaller dudes, I think they're 6 or 8 inches

In a pan, cook the onion over med heat in olive oil. Cover and let them soften for about 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, molasses, soy sauce, sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper and mix. Add in the beans and cook over medium heat.

In another skillet (nonstick is best because these suckers WILL stick), heat some olive oil over med-high heat. Add the tofu strips and cook until golden brown, flipping half way through.

Lay a tofu strip in the center of a burrito, top with the bean/barbecue mix and roll! No cheese needed and I promise they're delish!

Breakfast for dinner? Heck yes!

Last night, after spending about an hour shovelling our driveway with the neighbors, my boyfriend and I came in from the cold, dripping wet and exhausted. I was starving and it was already 8pm. Something I've been learning as I've been cooking vegan and cooking more in general is that we don't really have an quick go-to recipes for a quick on the fly dinner.

Well, the recipe I'm about to share is not an on the-fly quick recipe, but let me tell you, it was worth the wait! This fluffy, souffle like tofu frittata was the best kind of comfort food for a cold winter storm night. I never knew that you could prepare tofu so that it comes out airy and fluffy and now I'm excited to experiment more!

We served the "frittata" hot with a salad of fresh spinach, orange bell pepper, purple onion, purple grapes, and sunflower sprouts topped with homemade honey Dijon dressing (honey is a debatable animal product, but my boyfriend and I have decided we're okay with using it). Try it and let me know what you think (but I already know you'll love it!).

Sunday Supper Frittata greatly modified from Vegan on the Cheap

1 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
5-6 purple potatoes, washed, chopped, & cooked (or whatever potatoes you've got laying around)
1 package firm tofu, drained
1 Tbsp plain soy or almond milk (or a little more to get the right consistency)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground fennel
salt

Preheat oven to 425 and grease a 2-3 qt casserole dish. In a large skillet, cook onions in olive oil over medium heat, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peppers & cook for 3 mins more. Add spinach and cook 3 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until heated through.

Meanwhile, in a blender, blend tofu, milk, nutritional yeast, cumin, fennel and a pinch of salt until creamy. Add more milk if needed; mixture should be thick but creamy.

Put the veggie mix in the bottom of the casserole dish and then pour the tofu mixture on top. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid/foil and bake 10 more minutes until the top becomes brown.

I know where my cabbage came from, what about you?

I am a huge advocate of the Portland Winter Farmer's Market. If you have access to local produce- USE IT! I took a little trip over last Saturday and, although it's mostly root veggies (and unfortunately a whole lotta animal products), I was still able to snag a few goodies. I ended up coming home with a delicious package of Lilibela Farm's black bean tempeh (which I used on Sunday in my Tropic of Tempeh dish), Hollis Honey, a GORGEOUS head of purple cabbage, butternut squash, 2 yellow carrots, & 2 purple carrots. The timing of the market is perfect because I create our weekly menus on Sundays, so of course I was able to incorporate almost everything I got into our menus so NOTHING goes to waste!

Last night my boyfriend and I made Korean Cabbage Salad with Tofu, a recipe from Vegan on the Cheap (yes, you're picking up on a theme, and yes, you should purchase Vegan on the Cheap!). We used the gorgeously vibrant purple cabbage which had an beautiful maze like pattern when cut in half and I marvelled over how something from nature can look so beautiful- like a piece of modern art. We also used the 2 yellow carrots and after shredding both the cabbage and carrots into a large bowl, the colors were just incredible, I had to stand back and admire it! I've actually learned to take the time to admire the beauty of food, which makes you really appreciate what you're consuming and the effort it took to not only prepare it, but for the farmers to grow it.

Needless to say, the meal was a winner and we will definitely be making it again. I hope you'll try this one out! It's crisp and tangy and very refreshing. Try it and let me know what you think!

Korean Cabbage Salad with Tofu from Vegan on the Cheap, with my modifications included
Makes 4 serves (or more depending on how you're using it)

1 lb. extra-firm tofu, drained & patted dry
1/2 cup soy sauce (I'd use a little less in the sauce next time)
5 cups shredded cabbage (she doesn't specify type- but purple looked beautiful and tasted great so I'd recommend using that. We just used the whole head and didn't measure)
2 medium carrots, shredded (We used 2 yellow carrots and one orange)
3 green onions, minced (I still can't find these at WF so I used 1/4 of a yellow onion, diced)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 and it was potent enough!)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp Asian chili paste
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375 & lightly oil a baking sheet. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slabs and press to remove excess water (this is really important b/c it will crumble and just fall apart if you don't). Cut the slabs into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with 1/4 of the soy sauce. Arrange the tofu on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 mins. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, and onions. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, sugar, chili paste, remaining soy sauce (I'd use a little less than a 1/4 cup), vinegar, oil, and water.

Pour dressing over the cabbage mix and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Serve topped with tofu.

Welcome!

Why hello there! I've started this blog to catalogue my journey into the vegan lifestyle, which began with the new year. Why vegan, you may ask. Well, I can think of 3 reasons off the top of my head:

1) Health benefits. Although I've been vegetarian on and off for several years and fairly strictly in the last year, I'm still feeling sluggish, gaining weight, getting migraines, and colds. Although I tend to love dairy products (ice cream and cheese are my vices), they leave me feeling bloated and sick. The vegan diet, which cuts out all dairy/animal products, has been known to improve health. As I continue blogging, I'll fill you in on more of these benefits!

2) Environmental benefits. Studies have shown that the vegan lifestyle is not only healthy but is also a diet that benefits the environment! More details to come :)

3) Cost benefits. Animal products are pretty pricey these days. There seems to be a misnomer that vegan products are as well, and yes, they can be, but if you're savy, you'll end up saving money!

So let's get to the good part. The last three days of vegan eating have been superb. My boyfriend bought me a lovely cookbook for Christmas called "Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson and we've tried 2 recipes so far. I'd like to share a day's menu with you. Enjoy and please tell me your thoughts...I'd love to know if you try these recipes out!

Breakfast: Super Delish Fruity Shake- Serves 2
2 Frozen bananas or fresh (whenever we have bananas or other fruit that's ready to go bad, we stick it in the freezer to use for shakes so that it doesn't get wasted!)
Almond Milk about 2 cups
365 Everyday Value Vanilla Protein Powder with Spirulina- 2 heaping scoops
1 Kiwi
1 Apple
1 cup of frozen mixed berries

Just blend it all up and drink! Delicious and really filling breakfast that provides the protien, fiber and nutrients you need to get your day started.

Lunch: Cucumber-Avacado Rolls- Serves 1
Cucumber, sliced thin
Avacado, sliced thin
White or Brown Rice, cold
1 sheet of Nori
Sea Salt
Soy Sauce

Lay down a piece of nori, rough side down. Put a handful of rice in the middle and spread it out with a spoon into a thin layer. Lay cucumber and avacado in a thin layer towards the middle. Roll! Wet one end of the nori to seal the roll shut. Put it in the fridge for several minutes so that the roll dries. Run the blade of a sharp, unserrated knife under water, and gently slice through the roll, creating 4-5 sushi rolls.

In addition to these rolls, I packed celery with peanut butter :o)

Dinner: Tofu Fried Rice, Serves 4 (From Vegan on the Cheap, with modifications by me in red!)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I'd use less- maybe half this amount)
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp rice vinegar (We didnt have this, so we used white vinegar)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola or some other neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced (I'm Italian and love garlic, but this was WAY too much- try using 1-2 instead!)
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped (splurge a little and use crimini mushrooms...they're only a few more cents per pound and have a lot more flavor)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 oz extra-firm tofu, drained, dried, and crumbled
3 cups cold cooked rice (we used hot brown rice and it was fine- try white or brown!)
1 cup thawed frozen peas
Salt & pepper and Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup diced pineapple

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, & sesame oil & set aside.
In a large skillet, heat canola oil over med. heat. Add onion & carrots, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and stir in garlic, mushrooms, & ginger. Add the tofu and cook, stirring for 4-5 mins. Add soy sauce mixture, stirring to coat.
Add the rice and peas. Stir-fry until well mixed and heated through. Mix in pineapple. Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.

Dessert: Fruit Salad- Serves 4
1 Apple
1 Kiwi
1 Orange
1 Apricot
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup of frozen mixed berries, microwaved for 1 minute

Chop up everything and mix it all together; add the berries last after they've cooled off a bit. Don't drain off the juice from the berries- mix them in!