Seitan Stew and Lemon Teasecake

Ok, truth be told, I got a sudden craving for that beef stew that comes from the can...yes, that stuff. My dad used to feed it to us every once and awhile as a quick dinner with some bread and a salad on the side. I would always devour everything but the meat (I never liked meat very much, even before I was vegetarian), my favorite part being that salty brown gravy with carrots and potatoes suspended in it.

So anyway, I put a lot of thought into re-creating this canned comfort food wonder--and it is awesome! Naturally, seitan was my beef-substitute choice, as it's texture is unbelievably similar. Now, don't go getting all fancy, thinking "I'll add some celery, maybe a bay leaf, some red wine, parsley and oregano." No, no, no. Keep it simple, follow the recipe and your culinary self-control will be rewarded. What's fancy and complex about beef stew anyway?

Ingredients: (For about 4 large servings)

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, chopped
* 2 shallots, finely chopped
* 1 box regular seitan (not the "chicken" version), about 1 1/2 cups, chopped into bite-size pieces
* 2 vegetarian "beef"-style bullion cubes, dissolved in 3 cups hot water
* 1 tablespoon regular tamari
* 1/2 cup V-8 juice or tomato juice
* a few pinches dried thyme
* 2 medium carrots, chopped into large bite-size chunks
* 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large bite-size chunks
* 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, combined with 1/3 cup water and shaken in a small jar until smooth and milky.

1.) Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and shallots and saute for about 3 minutes.
2.) Add the dried thyme, seitan, carrots and potatoes. Let this cook for 10-12 minutes, not stirring too frequently, to allow the veggies and seitan brown a little.
3.) Add the V-8 juice and tamari and cook until reduced.
4.) Next, add the 3 cups of water with the bullion dissolved into it. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the veggies are tender, but not falling apart.
5.) While stirring with a spoon or whisk, add the flour-water mixture slowly until the stew begins to thicken (you may not need to add the entire amount). Simmer a few more minutes to cook off the flour taste. Oohh..this is almost too good!

Lemon Teasecake...yum. Not very colorful, for sure, but healthy, delicious and easy. I used cashew butter (about 2 tablespoons) instead of the raw cashews. It definitely imparted more of a cashew flavor to the cheesecake than using the raw cashews does, but I think it makes it a little more rich.

Meaty Lasagna

As much as I love the usual tofu-ricotta lasagna, I was in the mood for something especially savory and comforting. Matt and I made a version of this "meat" lasagna ahwile back, so I thought I would tweak it a little. Our old version used just whole meatless meatballs and frozen broccoli straight out of the bag. While this method is faster, the end result was a little sloppy and didn't cook evenly. So here's how to make the best veggie meat lasagna EVER:

Ingredients: (Makes one big pan of lasagna--or enough for about 8 hungry vegans)

* 1 box lasagna noodles

* 1 large bag frozen organic broccoli, thawed then chopped into small bits

* 1 bag Nate's Meatless meatballs, baked in the oven according to package instructions, then crumbled or mashed with a fork

* 1 (or 2 if you like a good amount of sauce like I do) jars marinara sauce (I LOVE Newman's brand)

* vegan Parmesan and/or mozzarella, optional

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until tender (but not completely done, as they will continue to cook in the oven). In a regular size casserole dish, alternate layers of noodles, meat, broccoli, sauce and cheese, if using. End with a healthy layer of sauce and sprinkle on some cheese. Cover with foil, bake at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, removing the cover 2/3 the way through baking time. Let cool for 10 minutes (enough time to put together a salad and make some garlic bread) then enjoy the hot, savory, saucy goodness.

Coconut Curry Soup with Lime

Last night I was starving and wanted something quick but fresh yet rich and satisfying. I had some organic frozen cauliflower, frozen peas and a can of coconut milk. This meant only one thing: curry, of course! All I did was saute some garlic and ginger in a saucepan then added some curry powder, turmeric, and cumin. Pour in a can of coconut milk, some water, and soy sauce, bring to a simmer then add the veggies and cook just until heated through. I served myself a bowl, was ready to sit down and eat, then spotted a lonely lime sitting on the counter. So I discovered that lime juice adds a wonderful fresh zip to the rich curry broth. Yum!

Empanadas, Cupcakes for my Cupcake and Vegan Caesar Salad

Yikes--I have been so sick with the stomach flu! I was off work almost all last week--very, very sick. But I'm feeling much better, back to normal, and am ready for this yucky winter/cold/flu season to be over!

Anyway, I know Valentine's Day is well over, but I still want to share what I made Matt for dinner that night. Black Bean and Squash Empanadas from Veganomicon. These were a labor of love--perfect for Valentine's dinner, and we loved them. I would experiment with other flavors--curry squash/cauliflower perhaps, or something fun like pizza or broccoli cheese. The dough/crust is yummy and seems very versatile for many different fillings.
Of course you have to have something sweet for your sweetie, so I made these super-easy and soooo yummy Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Vegan Buttercream from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. These are the best vegan cupcakes I've ever made! So light and fluffy and simple.Also from Veganomicon, I had to try the Vegan Caesar Salad recipe. Believe it or not, all the years I've been vegan, I've never, ever made Caesar Salad! But one thing is for sure, if you have the idea of wanting a light salad for dinner, do not make this! It is rich--delicious--but rich. I had some leftover baked tofu in the fridge which I sliced and tasted just like chicken when dipped in the dressing. One thing about the dressing: I found the capers to be quite overpowering and would either omit the caper brine and add more lemon juice or reduce the amount of capers by 1/2 to 1/3. And I would definitely add black pepper to the dressing. Oh yeah, and the cruotons MAKE this salad!

Tempeh Tacos

Ooohh, these were good. I've always liked the sound of tempeh tacos but never got around to making them--until now. Matt said, "these are the best tacos I've ever eaten--seriously!" And I believe him, because he had about 5. So first, what I did was made some quick guacomole by mashing up a ripe avocado (you will want to use at least two, because it's so good and goes so fast) adding a generous pinch of salt, some fresh lemon or lime juice and some minced red onion. Throw on top of that a couple strips of Garlic-Chili Marinated Tempeh, some salsa and shredded lettuce inside an organic crunchy taco shell, and voila! you have the most easy, tasty dinner there is.

To make the Garlic-Chili Marinated Tempeh:

* 1 teaspoon good chili powder

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

* pinch of cayenne (depending how spicy your chili powder is)

* 1/2 teaspoon paprika

* ground black pepper

* 2 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced

* juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime

* 1/4 cup liquid aminos or light soy sauce

* 1/2 cups water

* 1 package tempeh, cut into 1/3 inch thick strips

Combine everything in an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours ahead of time. Lightly oil a non-stick baking sheet and lay the marinated tempeh strips in a single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turn, then bake another 10 minutes or so.

I also made this little salad to go alongside. The original plan was to use jicama. I bought a beautiful jicama bulb last week (usually there is at least a little mold and a few bruises on the jicama, but this one was perfect) and assuming it was still good, was saving it for taco night. Well, I cut into it and it was all brown and discolored. Oh well, so I made the salad sans jicama. Orange segments, red bell pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Pound Cake and Pesto

One word: Veganomicon. When I saw the goodness Urban Vegan was cooking out of this book, I knew I had to get it. You had me at "Black Bean and Sweet Potato Empanadas." While all the recipes sound fantastic, one in particular caught my eye. Pound Cake. Vegan Pound Cake. This concept had never crossed my brain. Chewy, thick, dense, rich pound cake with a hint of lemon and orange. But with soy yogurt, canola oil and tofu intead of butter and eggs.

The recipe also calls for arrowroot, but I used guar gum. Risky--I know. The recipe is fairly involved, and I didn't want my efforts to be for not. I couldn't find arrowroot at my regualr grocery store, was too lazy to go to Whole Foods. I figured guar gum is a little more powerful than arrowroot, so I cut the amount by half. It worked! Maybe I'm one of those food-chemistry nerds in the making.

Last night I got home from work and was starving after not having a proper lunch. So I whipped up some pesto, cooked some pasta, and threw some mushrooms in a skillet--almost all simultaneously. Make this!
Ingredients for the Pesto:
* two big handfuls baby spinach (preferably organic)
* one big handful fresh flatleaf parsley (don't obsess about getting the stems off)
* a few leaves fresh basil
* pinch of salt
* juice of 1/2 a lemon
* olive oil
Put everything in a blender and blend. It will take a few times of stopping, pushing the herbs down, adding more olive oil, blending, etc. but the sauce will eventually come together. If you are afraid of adding too much oil--get over it--the sauce is rich and delicious.

I used whole wheat Capellini (angel hair) but any pasta will do.

To make the mushrooms (which I call Delicious Savory Pan-Seered Mushrooms):
Clean and de-stem enough mushrooms for however many servings you are making. Cut the mushrooms in half unless they are really tiny. Heat a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Let them get brown on one side before stirring. Add a little fresh black pepper. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of liquid aminos or soy sauce over the mushrooms. It will sizzle. Toss the mushrooms while they are sizzling to evenly coat them in the soy.

Drain the pasta, toss with desired amount of pesto and pile on the mushrooms. Yum! The mushrooms can also be served as a cute little party appetizer on a toothpick with some garnish like a rolled up basil leaf and a cherry tomato. And of course, pesto has limitless uses.

Spring Rolls and Tofu-Artichoke Spread

While we watched the super bowl last night, I whipped up this light dinner. The spring rolls are more of a salad roll, as I used whatever veggies I had in my fridge (baby spinach, sprouts, carrots, pea pods, and green onion) but a more authentic Thai spring roll would consist of cooked rice noodles, Thai basil, mint, and cilantro. These are so easy to put together: just soak your spring roll wrappers in warm water until they become soft, pile on the veggies and roll up like a burrito. I also made this dipping sauce:

Chopped dry-roasted peanuts, soy sauce, a little lime juice, peanut butter and water to thin. Again, a more authentic version would use tamarind paste, which I will try next time.

As a more hearty compliment to the light, fresh spring rolls, we have my tofu-artichoke spread.

For the spread you'll need:

* 1/2 block firm regular tofu (not silken) drained and patted dry, then cut into rough cubes

* 1 small jar oil-marinated artichoke hearts, drained of about 75% of the liquid

* generous pinch of salt

* juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

* 1 small clove garlic

* If you have a taste for vegan Parmesan, by all means, throw some in, but this dip/spread is wonderfully flavorful and rich without it.

Put everything in a food processor (including the 25% artichoke liquid) and blend until smooth, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. I strongly recommend making this at least a few hours ahead of time to let the flavors penetrate the tofu.

Either transfer the dip to an oven-safe dish and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes (then garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and dried parsley) or spread one side of sliced sourdough bread woth Earth Balance, spread the other side evenly with the artichoke dip, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes then broil for a minute to brown the tops.

Mini Tofu Frittata

Is it too obvious that I was in the mood for breakfast? I guess Frittata is more of a brunch item, but anyway. So, I made my own recipe for Mini Tofu Frittata (recipe below), French Toast Sticks (made with cinnamon-raisin bread) and in the left Tiffin compartment I tossed together orange segments and blueberries for a little color. Also, there is the tiny container from my Laptop Lunchbox holding Maple Syrup for dipping the French Toast sticks into.

But COLD French toast and frittata? Yes. And it is delicious.

To make the Frittata (for about 12 mini frittata):
* 1 block firm regular tofu, drained well (do not use silken tofu, or these mini-faux-egg delights will not be firm or hold their shape)
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 small red bell pepper, minced
* 2 scallions, sliced thin, or 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
* 2 teaspoons tomato paste (optional)
* 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon each: paprika and turmeric
* generous pinch (or two) of salt
* black pepper to taste
Start by preheating the oven to 350 and lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin. In a food processor, blend the tofu until smooth. If it is too thick (the consistancy of thick frosting) add a splash of soymilk or water. Transfer the tofu to a mixing bowl. Saute the bell pepper, onion and tomato paste in the olive oil until the veggies are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add to the tofu in the mixing bowl then toss in the remaining ingredients. Fill each muffin tin cup just to the top with the tofu mixture, making it even and pretty on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the Frittatas are golden brown and firm in the center. Let cool before removing from the pan.
Tip: if you can make the tofu mixture a day ahead, do. The flavors will combine and the yellow color will intensify.
One of these days, I'm going to get brave and make buscuits to go with my little frittatas.