Tempeh Adovada

Another New Mexico favorite, "Carne Adovada" gets remade today... woo!

First, a disclaimer: If you're a green-and-red-blooded native New Mexican food purist who cannot stand the idea of your region's precious and traditional recipe being vegan-ized, read no further... (and I do understand and apologise - heh).

However, if you're vegan, yet still want to enjoy the rich, colorful, spicy flavors of the Southwest - or you're just curious what the heck I'm yammering about, read on.

Carne Adovada is traditionally made from chunks of pork, marinated and cooked in a sauce of ground New Mexican red chiles and other flavors... it's either cooked in the oven or slow cooker until the flavors absorb and the pork literally falls apart and the sauce is very thick.

Well, since my darling Albuquerque friend, Shaun, sent me home from my last visit with every imaginable New Mexican goody, I've been cooking up a storm of yummy, spicy, mouth (and eye)-watering VEGAN hotness. One of the items I wanted to experiment with was this envelope of Carne Adovada Seasoning. I'd heard so many people sing the praises of this dish, I just had to try a vegan version, regardless if it was "authentic" or not...

At first I thought this dry mix was a commercial short-cut "tourist" version of the seasonings, but then I saw (Food Network) Bobby Flay do an episode about carne adovada and he said the best and most 'authentic' thing to use was a mix very similar to what I had. So I was inspired...

For those who feel obligated to point out discrepancies in my methods or results, yes, I know, I KNOW it's "not even close" to real dead-animal Carne Adovada, so, call it 'Red Chile Tempeh' or something less offensive to you. I had fun experimenting and the end result, whatever you choose to call it, is amazing and delicious...

Tempeh Adovada

1 1-or-2 oz. package dry Carne Adovada spice mix
a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 red wine, (as much liquid as is called for on the spice package)
2 packages Tempeh (I used flax-seed tempeh because I love the texture)
2 Tb. oil

1.) Put spice mix into a plastic or non-reactive metal bowl. Add amount of liquid per package instructions. (As noted above, I use 1/2 water and 1/2 red wine but all water is good too).
Stir.
2.) Slice the tempeh into strips (a little less than 1/2 inch thick).
3.) Put strips into sauce and carefully stir.
4.) Marinate in fridge a couple hours. If it absorbs all the liquid, add more water. It shouldn't be "soupy" though.
5.) Heat oven to 300°. Put tempeh and sauce into glass baking dish. Drizzle with oil and stir.
6.) Bake tempeh until sauce is sticky and mostly evaporated or absorbed, stirring carefully every 1/2 hour or as needed to prevent it from totally sticking - It'll take at least an hour, probably longer; time will vary according to amount of liquid, how much tempeh absorbs, and type of tempeh.

If you stir the tempeh too hard, it'll crumble into mush. I use a wide, flat spatula and sorta lift it and move it around...

Serve with tortillas (or, sacrilege - my kids like it over rice!). Good stuff! Leftovers reheat wonderfully and make an awesome burrito filling!!

I think next time, I'd like to try it with TVP chunks in the crock pot though, to better imitate the "meat" texture. And of course, I need to let Shaun try it, since he's far more an "authority" on things New Mexican. Stay tuned.

Roasted Cauliflower "Popcorn"

My favorite produce market, Tacoma Boys, had cauliflower on sale, 2 heads for a buck this week!

Woo! You can't beat that, and I happen to LOVE cauliflower, so I got a couple along with my usual assortment of produce when I shopped yesterday. I'd been wanting to try the "Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn" recipe from 101cookbooks.com for a while and this looked like a good excuse...

So, just the pictures today, (and not all that great a pic), but you get the idea. The Popcorn Cauliflower was really good though, if you have some cauliflower around, you MUST try it!! My friend that was over for the evening even asked me to bring it for the Superbowl party... I'm not sure how it'd go over with the "nachos and meatballs" TV crowd, but I'm willing to give it a try, cause it's pretty tasty!

The cauliflower is broken into little flower-ettes and roasted in the oven with herb-y breadcrumbs. Hard to explain exactly how interesting and yummy the stuff is, you need to try it yourself! Great comfort food for a night of TV and munchies.

Curry Veggies and Tofu

I had a bunch of tofu to use up last week, so I cubed it, browned it in some coconut oil, and then froze those cubes.

So this week when I was feeling tired, (lazy) and not very creative, but craving tofu and curry, it was SOOO easy to whip this together!

Yellow Curry, Tofu and Veggies

1 Tb. Aroy-D brand yellow curry paste

(I'm posting a picture because people keep asking where I find vegan Thai curry paste.

This brand, Aroy-D, makes a very authentic, but vegan, Thai-style curry paste that does NOT have shrimp paste, fish paste, bonito or any other non-vegan nastiness in it.

It's a million times more flavorful than the bland 'supermarket' varities, so give it a try if you get a chance!

Read your labels though, many curry pastes are not vegan. I find it at my local Asian market.)

1 can coconut milk
Aprox. 1 lb. tofu, cubed and fried until brown.
2 cups veggies*

*This is PERFECT for leftovers!!
Most veggies (except peas) should be cooked or partially cooked through before adding to curry.
Other good choices are cauliflower, peas, white or sweet potato cubes, mushroms, garbanzos, green beans, tomatoes or okra.

To put it all together:
Wisk curry paste and coconut milk together over med. heat until curry paste is mixed in completely and sauce is heated though.

Add fried tofu cubes, as much as you'd like. Simmer in curry sauce until tofu is hot, about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups (or more if you want) cooked or partially cooked veggies - I used leftover zucchini and frozen peas tonight. Simmer until veggies are heated thru and done to your preference - this won't take long if they're already partially cooked.

Serve over steamed rice.

Sweet and Sour "Chicken"

OK, this is one of those embarassing 'recipes' that people rave over, and yet I really don't do anything but throw a few things together...

Another of those "almost fools the omni's" sort of thing...

Quick and Easy, Sweet and Sour 'Chicken' and Veggies


1 Package "Health is Wealth" chicken-free "nuggets" (or vegan nugget type thing of your choice)
1 red bell pepper- cut in chunks
1 green bell pepper - cut in chunks
2 plum tomatoes- cut in chunks
1/2 sweet onion - cut in chunks
1 12 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup Wing Yip Sweet and Sour Sauce (or your favorite bottled sweet-and-sour sauce)
Thaw the nuggets (leave package at room temperature a 1/2 hour or so. Cut the "nuggets" into quarters.

Brown the nugget pieces in oil until crispy. Set aside.

Stir fry peppers and onion until tender-crisp.
Add tomatoes, pineapple and Sweet and Sour sauce.
Simmer for 5 - 10 min until sauce is hot.
If there doesn't seem to be enough sauce, add a little of the pineapple juice you drained from the can.
Add "chicken" chunks, simmer another 2- 3 minutes.
Serve over hot rice.

This also works great with cubes of browned tofu or tempeh but they usually take a bit longer to brown.

Quinoa-Peanut Veggie Soup (from Africa)

Made soup again tonight. Thought I'd post the recipe...

This is another family favorite (one of those rare things everyone actually likes!) I made it long before I had Sprouts to cook for - (and long before quinoa was readily available. I had to mail order it... 'cause way back then, I thought it was so unique and "exotic").

I originally got the recipe from a college roommate and gradually changed it to suit my tastes over the years - I like it 'cause it's fairly quick and easy (and healthy) - my kids think the subtle jalapeno heat and mild peanut butter taste combo is great for soup!

OK, I confess... they're also amused with the way the quinoa cooks up and it's little "tail" separates - they say it looks like little worms in the soup, which, I guess if you didn't know better, might make you wonder. Either way, don't be frightened off by my description - it's good stuff.

So, a little bit of bragging here: I originally posted this recipe over at my favorite Vegetarian forums, Veggieboards.com.
Cookbook author Nava Atlas (yes, of cookbook fame) saw it there, tried it (and evidently liked it as much as we do!) and asked to include it in her latest cookbook "Vegetarian Soups for all Seasons". Woo!

So (shameless self-promotion) check out the book! Actually every recipe I've tried from the book is great - (if you have the book, you already know this). I happen to LOVE soup anyway and this is an awesome collection. But enough about that, here's my recipe (oh, it's on page 47 in the book, I think?) just in case you're interested:

Quinoa-Peanut Soup

2 Tb margarine
1 chopped onion or 2 med. leeks sliced (I prefer leeks, use all of white and tender part of green)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (I use more)
1 fresh jalapeno, minced (Again, I use more)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 diced celery stalks, with leaves (I usually leave this out, cause I don't care for celery all that much)
2 small diced zucchini
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cup vegetable stock (I use the "non-chicken" style broth)
1/2 cup quinoa, (some brands say to rinse and drain before using - I never have..)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 dash cayenne pepper or to taste (I use more!!)
1/2 cup chunky organic peanut butter, no honey or sugar

Wear rubber gloves to prepare fresh jalapeno pepper if you need to - or just be careful.
In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt margarine over medium-high heat. When margarine is hot and bubbly, add all veggies, and cumin and oregano.
Saute 10 -15 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.
Add stock, quinoa, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.
Simmer until quinoa is cooked and veggies are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add peanut butter, using a wisk to blend in completely, and simmer another 10 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
(I almost always throw grated fresh ginger in there somewhere but it's not necessary).

Tacos with Pan-Fried Corn Tortilla 'Shells'.

Friday night dinner has always been "Mexican Night" in our house. And these tacos are probably our all-time favorite. OK, so maybe they're not authentically "Mexican" and if the title is confusing, we don't actually make our corn tortillas from scratch, but we take the soft corn tortillas (sometimes called "raw" or "uncooked" soft corn tortillas - like you'd use for enchiladas) and we fry them briefly until they're lightly golden, tender and slightly crispy. They are insanely good!
None of those cold, hard, brittle, stale store-bought taco shells for us!

The Sprouts have me make these every time they have guests over, and no matter how many we make, they're always INHALED... I think they manage to fool most omnivore types pretty well, as I've never had one of their little non-vegetarian friends (or anyone!) turn their nose up at them or ask questions about the "weird vegetarian meat"...

Home-Made Tacos

-- 24 soft corn tortillas

(being that I'm rather partial to all things New Mexican, I happen to like the ones from Mi Ranchito Foods in Silver City, NM, but obviously any soft corn tortilla will work)
-- Oil for frying.

(I like refined coconut oil, it leaves them the most tender, yet crispy, but not greasy at all! Soybean oil works pretty well too.)

*****
-- 1 package Boca Crumbles, crumbled Gimme Lean or 2 cups reconstituted TVP granules
-- 1 8 - 10 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I like RoTel brand but they may be too spicy for some...)
-- 1 cup frozen corn
-- 1/2 cup salsa

-- 1/2 cup water (may need more, some burger tends to dry out)
-- 1 can black beans, rinsed and well drained
-- 1 Tb. dry taco seasoning (use a commercial blend or make your own with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, etc...)

******
taco "fixins" according to preference:
- shredded lettuce (or cabbage is awesome!!)
- tomatoes
- onions
- chopped fresh cilantro
- olives
- Tofutti Sour Supreme (vegan sour cream)
- shredded vegan "cheese
- guacamole or cubes of avocado
- leftover 'Spanish Rice'

- chopped fresh jalapenos

- fire roasted green chile sauce

- salsa

To fry the tortillas:
(Yes, I said "FRY". No-one claimed these were low calorie!)
Heat 1/4 inch oil in cast iron skillet.
When very hot (but NOT smoking!) lay corn tortilla in. It will puff up in 15 - 30 seconds.
Fry for another 10 seconds or so, until just starting to get golden spots.
Flip carefully with tongs.
Fry another 20 seconds or until starting to brown. Using tongs, remove to paper towel.
Here's the the tricky part!
Quickly blot excess oil with a folded paper towel. (Careful, they're HOT!!)
Fold in half quickly before they start to cool.
Keep warm in covered dish in low oven.

Continue process until all tortillas are fried.

As you get the hang of it it gets easier. You can do several at a time, they'll overlap a bit but they still cook up just fine. (It's much easier than it sounds).

Taco "Meat" Filling:

Crumble burger in frying pan with a small bit of oil.

Add corn and beans and start to warm.

Puree salsa, tomatoes, water and seasoning in blender or food processor.

Add to burger mixture. Simmer on low while cooking taco shells. You may need to add water, depending on how much the burger absorbs and how long it simmers. It shouldn't be dry and it shouldn't be overly juicy...

Add the fixin's!

Shred, slice, chop, grate... Prepare whatever condiments you prefer.

Serve taco "meat" filling and other goodies in bowls and let everyone dig in and make their own tacos just how they like them!

Winter Veggies

This afternoon my Mom gave me some awesome garden-fresh beets, orange carrots, parsnips, garlic and these really cool carrots called (honestly)Cosmic Purple Carrots.

Check them out! Well, the picture isn't all that great, but trust me, they're bright purple with an orange center.

I'm lucky. My mom has root veggies all winter long in her garden and she's always experimenting with unusual varities - (summer and winter). These purple carrots were definitely different but they taste pretty much like any other sweet carrot.

And no, lest anyone worry, these aren't some genetically-engineered weirdness. They're actually an heirloom variety. With a little (highly scientific) 'Google' research I discovered that carrots used to come in many colors, mostly reds and purples, until the Dutch in the 17th century bred the carrot orange to honor their national colors.

Interesting.

So what to do with all this colorful, garden goodness?

Again, no specific recipe - I just scrubbed the veggies, cut them up, (about 4 cups total) and tossed in a baking dish with some halved garlic cloves, olive oil and kosher salt.

Then I roasted 'em at 400 degrees for about an hour until tender.

They turned out great!

<<-- Finished result. The veggies were soooooooo sweet and intense, the garlic mellow and 'roasted'. Drool.

Some orange juice would have been yummy I think? I may add some cracked pepper, rosemary and/or thyme another time too.

Rich, Garlicky Scalloped Potatoes Alfredo

We needed some "comfort food" tonight after all this snow and ice and winter nastiness. By request, I made one of our latest favorites - Garlicky Scalloped Potatoes Alfredo, and added your basic shredded-carrot and raisin salad and brocolli for supper. Seemed to make everyone happy!

Here's the potato recipe. It's a huge hit every time I make it, and perfect for those not-vegan-friendly potlucks where all the omnis peers at your food looking for chunks of tofu...

This is a variation on a Scalloped Potato dish made by a friend over at VeggieBoards, though I modified it somewhat for my very garlic-obsessed family. I thought since I'd changed it a bit, it was OK to post it here, but my apologies if not. Just know I'm in no way claiming it's an original creation of mine...

Anyway, so if you're not quite so garlic-crazy you can cut down on the amount, though it does mellow a great deal during cooking...

Garlic Scalloped Potatoes

8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (the only kind to use here!)

1 large, sweet onion (Walla Walla Sweet - I live in Washington, what can I say...)

3 cups boiling non-dairy (I like soy here, plain, NOT vanilla obviously!) milk

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup vegan Tofutti "sour cream"
1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp each onion powder & garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt

4 - 8 cloves fresh garlic, run thru garlic press or food processor
seasoned bread crumbs for the topping.

Preheat oven to 400 F.
If you're using a thick-skinned baking potato, you may want to peel them. I use "Yukon Gold" which have very thin, tender skins, so I just scrub them really well and leave the skins on.
Slice the potatoes and onion as thin as you can - I use a mandolin slicer. Place an even layer of them into a 9"x13" baking pan. sprinkle with some of the flour, salt and paprika

Heat your milk to boiling and add the vegan "sour cream" plus all the spices and seasonings (except flour, salt and paprika). Add pressed (or food-processed) garlic cloves. Whisk until the sour cream has melted into the hot milk and then pour a layer over the potatoes.

Add another layer of potato slices, and repeat the flour, spices sprinkling and more hot 'milk' sauce. Do this until all potato slices are used up and top with final layer of sauce.
Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when you poke them with a knife. Add the topping (seasoned bread crumbs), and place under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes or until it's browned. Serve hot. Often I don't add bread crumbs and it's just fine too...

Makes enough for 4 - 6 people. (Well, that's the theory, though I always have to make double for the 4 of us!!)

What's the Excitement Over TOFURKY?

OK, so I'm evidently the only vegan on the planet who hadn't experienced Tofurky for the Holidays yet... And I guess I was beginning to get curious about what I was missing. Or wondering if I was missing anything, really?

Quoting from Turtle Island's website, the manufacturer of Tofurky says "The Tofurky Roast is a pre-cooked vegetarian feast designed to be the delicious centerpiece of your holiday or everyday meal. Made from a revolutionary tofu-wheat protein blend, Tofurky is known for its incredible, turkey-like texture and flavor. "
Interesting.

I admit, my family (who happen to be mostly vegetarian) prefers the "veggie nut-loaf" or "neatball" -type main dishes at their holiday feasts (and they ARE feasts), so I never was inclined to bother with a Tofurky. Since I hadn't grown up with turkey on my Holiday table, I didn't suddenly feel the need to have a turkey-like replacement as the centerpiece.

I can also see, however, if you've always had a dead-bird main course, you might feel the need for something similar at Thanksgiving (Christmas/Easter/whatever) and I think this fills the bill.

Well, OK, for New Years, I had dinner with my friend Shaun, and he'd been raving about this Tofurky thing, we decided to cook ourselves Tofurky, mashed 'taters and all the fixins... What fun we had making everything!

I have to say, the legend that is Tofurky lived up to the hype. My highly professional opinion? Yum. It was very good!

If you (like me) haven't ever had Tofurky before, well it comes frozen. You thaw it and then bake it. It's this round-ish-shaped log of soy-wheat-tofu product and it's stuffed with a bit of rice "stuffing" (which, in my opinion they needen't have bothered with, since it didn't add much overall.)

Shaun said it had a tendancy to dry out slightly in the baking, so we basted the heck out of it, with an olive oil-fresh sage-garlic 'marinade' that we whipped up in the blender; then just followed the baking directions on the package, brushing it with the mixture every so often.

While the Tofurky baked, we made mashed potatoes; cornbread dressing with fresh sage, celery, onions and pecans; and Tofurky brand gravy... and it all turned out SOOOO yum! Oh man! The Tofurky wasn't dry, it had a really good flavor, and everything worked out so well together....

I think the only part I wasn't totally crazy about was the Tofurky gravy. It wasn't all that "turkey" flavored. Mainly just salty. I can make better, and even though it was very dark colored, it was sorta ...watery...
It was good, but I guess I prefer my gravy a little richer - maybe with just a wee bit of wine, or maybe soymilk added?

Anyway. It was all extremely tasty, lots of fun, and well worth the price and the wait for cooking time! So, no recipes today, just a couple pictures from the turkey-free Tofurky dinner we enjoyed.

Happy New Year to you and yours. I've so enjoyed everyone else's great recipes, pictures and blogs. Keep up the good work.