Matzo-Ball Soup

Happy Spring!! We are not Jewish, not keeping a kosher kitchen and not celebrating Passover, but we love Matzo-ball soup, and I tend to make it a lot in the spring-time, possibly because I see all the little supermarket displays with matzo meal and other interesting-sounding ingredients readily available.

At any rate, I figured it was time to share this recipe, regardless of what day it is.

Matzo-Ball soup has long been a favorite with my kids, they tend to like anything with balls of dumpling-like-things floating around in it. And they especially loved the soup I used to make, which traditionally needs eggs to make nice fluffy matzo-balls. Granted, these are a bit different. I wondered if their randomly persnickety palates would notice a difference - apparently not, as this recipe seems to be just as much of a hit.

I've really struggled with veganizing the recipe and still getting the matzo (matzoh? matzah? lots of different spellings out there to confuse me) -balls to turn out anything CLOSE to the "original" but I think we're getting there, finally. (Of course, even more traditionally those matzo-balls are cooked in chicken-broth, but obviously THAT part is easy enough to veganize).

Let me also point out that while I am not Jewish, but I do have several friends who are. I was discussing my matzo-ball-veganization trials and mentioned using tofu. Well, evidently for Ashkenazi members, keeping Kosher at Holidays means no legumes... including tofu. (I've since learned that some rabbis allow tofu for those following vegan and Kosher but I don't really profess to know how all that works exactly.) At any rate, to make things more difficult or maybe just in the interest of a challenge, I decided to try making vegan AND soy-free matzo-balls! Like I don't have enough to do?

However..... Finally, with a lot of gooey, crumbly, sticky, gummy trial-and-errors, I think we have a winner. Or maybe at least a fair substitute for those of you who also love all things Matzo. (Don't be put off by my photo. They actually hold together better than what I have pictured!)

Soy-free, Dairy-free VEGAN Matzo Balls

• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• 2 Tbsp potato starch (or 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten flour if that works for you.)
• 2/3 cup water (minus about 2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. oil
• pinch (literally JUST a pinch) of baking soda (optional if you want to leave out any leavening, though the balls will be more dense)
• pinch of onion powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of parsley

Mix all the above ingredients together until almost the consistency for rolling into balls.

It should be like a soft, slightly sticky play-dough, but it can be quite a bit softer, as the dough will absorb liquid as it sits. Add a little more matzoh or liquid if needed for the right texture - and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Roll into about 16 small balls and drop into gently boiling vegetable or vegetarian-"chicken" broth or your own choice of homemade broth or any salty, seasoned water.

Turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove from water with slotted spoon and bake on an oiled rack (over a cookie sheet) for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees until they start to dry out. This extra step keeps them holding their shape nicely!!!

Refrigerate if you're not ready to use.

When ready to use, warm in the oven covered with foil (or in the microwave *gasp*). Add to soup of your choice and serve.

My actual "soup" is nothing fancy - I usually throw a bunch of plain old frozen mixed veggies in some simple vegetarian "chik-flavored" broth and add the matzo balls. If you leave the matzo balls in the broth a bit they start to soften which can be good, but too long and they fall apart, (as you can see in my photo) but the broth thickens up nicely too. So do whatever you like, and enjoy!!!!

Mandarin-Sesame Pan-Seared Tofu

I am not a huge fan of canned fruits but I'll also use just about any (vegan) food I have available to me rather than waste it. That said, last week a friend gave as a whole case of those little cans of mandarin oranges; and while I was appreciative, I was also a bit stumped.

Canned oranges. I thought those went away in the '70's or were reserved for neon-colored Jell-O salads. Well, aside from being packed in a pretty sweet syrup, they weren't bad and worked great in smoothies and on breakfast pancakes, but today I decided to try them in a more savory application and they added just the right contrast of color, sweetness and mild citrus. Obviously you could do this with fresh oranges or mandarins too.

Mandarin-Sesame Pan-Seared Tofu

Prepare Tofu:

1 Lb firm water-packed tofu; 1.) frozen, 2.) thawed and 3.) pressed under heavy weight to remove almost all liquid. You should have a very porous tofu product that will soak up lots of marinade.

Prepare Marinade:

3/4 cup mandarin orange segments (fresh or canned) whizzed into a liquid in food processor

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup apple or orange juice or white wine

3 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. agave syrup, brown rice syrup or corn syrup

2 teaspoon finely shredded fresh ginger

Blend all marinade ingredients in food processor.

Slice tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Lay in flat baking dish or plastic storage container.

The tofu should have been pressed very well so no liquid remained and there is lots of room to soak up marinade.

Pour marinade over tofu. It should cover all the tofu. Let marinate an hour or so, turn slabs over, let sit another hour or overnight...

Remove from marinade, pat dry and fry in well-oiled very hot iron (or non-stick) skillet. Tofu should sear and turn dark and crispy on the edges. When browned on both sides, set in warm oven until all pieces are done.

Boil marinade until it reduces and thickens.

Lay tofu on serving plate.

Scatter several spoonfuls of mandarin orange segments over tofu. Drizzle with reduced marinade if desired.

Serve with veggies and fried rice or whatever suits you...

Mango-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

So I've been on vacation (both mentally and physically) for a while, and apparently that meant a vacation from my blogging for much longer. It's amazing how easily we slip into other habits...

At any rate, I'm home and blogging and cooking and will be inundating you with recipes, ideas, pictures, opinions and trivia about my boring vegan life and family. Stay tuned (if you dare).

As for today? Well, my youngest 'Sprout' is home sick on the couch with ginger tea and a snuggly blankie, so that means a stay-home day for Mom as well... Might as well make it useful..... Since I've been hit with just a touch of the Spring Cleaning bug, it's "Clean-Out-The-Freezer" week here in the Fairly Odd kitchen, and I'm discovering all manner of interesting ingredients I need to use soon, or break down and just toss them - which I really hate doing. Too many memories of an empty freezer and 'fridge (and pocket-book) have made me very resistant to wasting ANY food, if possible.

So today, one of those "use or toss" is a 1/2 bag of frozen slightly freezer-burned mango-peach-pineapple chunks, presumably for smoothies. And ordinarily I would use these in a smoothie or two, but the excess ice-build-up leaves a bit too much "stale-freezer" taste for my picky palate. (Too much info?) Not to worry, a bit of frost on the mango doesn't HURT anyone, just a taste thing - cooking seems to remedy this, though I don't know any cooked-fruit smoothie recipes, so I had to get creative. Thus; Mango-Chipotle BBQ Sauce was born! I invented this last fall with another half-used bag of fruit, you'd think I'd learn!!Anyway, we liked this so much we've made it twice, with slightly different variations. I think my kids would drink it straight if I let them!

This recipe is actually a variation on a Peach-Chipotle BBQ sauce I've had around for ages. The mango-pineapple blend works perfectly and I may just make it this way from now on.

Mango-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups mango chunks, (or pineapple, peach or nectarine) peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (these come in a can around here - use whatever equivalent of something spicy that you have available - Sriracha sauce even works! )
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup liquid: apple or orange juice, water or white wine
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika (I use more because the stuff is like crack, but use what works for you, or leave it out if you can't find it, which would be sad)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup cilantro (no need to chop, the food processor will get it)
• 1/4 of a red onion, chopped small enough to fit in food processor

Blend all ingredients except cilantro and red onion in food processor until smooth. Simmer on low for about 1/2 hour stirring and adding liquid (apple juice, water or white wine) as needed to keep it from getting too thick. Chop cilantro and red onion in bowl of food processor until finely minced. Stir into warm sauce.

Keeps in fridge for several weeks, longer in the freezer (but then you're right back where you started, with something ELSE you need to use from your freezer.)

To use:
If you're using tofu, freeze firm tofu over night, thaw, press liquid out for several hours and then marinate in sauce.
Place on panini grill, BBQ or in oven and cook until done to your liking, adding more sauce as needed if on the BBQ or in the oven.
If using seitan or other mock meat products, place on grill or baking sheet and brush frequently with sauce or simmer chunks of whatever you like in the sauce - on the stove-top or in oven.

**Picture is of Gardein chunks simmered in the sauce until it got very dark and thick.

Serve with more sauce on the side.

AWESOME with Sweet Potato Fries!!

Kale-Ginger Slaw

Happy St. Paddy's Day.

Here's a colorful, mostly-green recipe to celebrate with; a lightly dressed raw kale-slaw that is even better the next day!!
I think cutting the leaves into thin pieces is key. Then dressing it ahead of time softens it up a bit. Unlike other greens, kale doesn't totally wilt when dressed ahead, so this salad is good for several days.

Kale-Ginger Slaw

• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegennaise)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups kale greens (dinosaur/black kale or curly kale), shredded or chopped fine - measure after chopping, packed firmly in cup.
• 1 apple, shredded on coarse grater or food processor blade
• 1 carrot, shredded

In a large salad bowl, add the lemon juice, Vegennaise, ginger, salt and pepper, whisking to combine.
Add kale, apple and carrot and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to suit yourself, if needed.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Vegan Asparagus Goldenrod

Growing up in the early '70's, one of my favorite vegetable dishes was where my Mom would make asparagus on toast with a white sauce and chopped bits of yellow boiled egg-yolk. (I know, sounds odd maybe? But I always thought it was so "fancy" and elegant).

I didn't realize it was actually a "real" recipe until I discovered years later (in a fancy restaurant, no less) that my childhood favorite was known as "Asparagus Goldenrod" and it was STILL delicious.

In attempting to re-create this comfort-food memory in my now-vegan kitchen, I realized it was simply a matter of a non-dairy white-sauce and possibly something instead of the chopped boiled egg-yolks. Easy - us vegan folk tend to use tofu for eggs whenever we get the chance. (OK, not necessarily!) But it works in this case, scrambling it with a bit of turmeric for that characteristic "golden" color. First time experimenting, I nailed the recipe right on!!
Next time you're looking for something just a little different, but quick and easy (perfect for brunch and sort-of retro) to do with asparagus, give this a try.

Asparagus Goldenrod

• 1/2 a brick firm, water-packed tofu
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp. vegetarian "chicken"-flavor bullion powder
• 1/4 tsp. India Black Salt
  
  
• 1 pound fresh asparagus
  
  
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed, optional, if you want.
  
  
• 4 to 6 slices toast, cut in half diagonally (these are called "toast points" which makes them sound all fancy)
• 1 tablespoon snipped, fresh chives

Make the "egg" part first; Mash tofu in a skillet with a small bit of oil. You want small pieces, I use a potato masher or a fork. Add spices and stir until well-incorporated, heat on medium-high and "scramble"-fry until dried out and crumbly. This takes 5 - 7 minutes. Mash a bit more to break up, and set aside.

Prepare asparagus; Break off woody bases where spears snap easily. If you like, slice the spears diagonally into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and reduce the heat. Steam for 5 to 8 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, prepare white sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add the non-dairy milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.
Add the tarragon, if using. Heat the mixture through.
Arrange 2 toast slices on each plate. Top with the asparagus. Spoon on the white sauce. Sprinkle some finely crumbled tofu on top of white sauce. Garnish with the chives to make it look even more fancy.

The Gift of Good Food

This past week I was the very lucky recipient of a wonderful gift.

Food.

Not just any food, mind you, but homemade; personal, unique, vegan comfort-food recipes handcrafted with love, care and attention.

Creating and sharing something from your home and hearth (OK, maybe we don't have hearths any more) is a very intimate type of interaction that I think too few people engage in any more.

All of us have received and enjoyed foodie gifts - like the inevitable cookie-plate at the Christmas office potluck - and yes, these are certainly (usually - hopefully) delicious and fun and appreciated; but I think there's something even more meaningful about a gift given for no reason other than you're friends and you want to share something special from your heart and your kitchen. And while we've all heard the admonitions that food doesn't equal love, there's no mistaking that it certainly does hold a warm and cozy place in our hearts.

Which brings me to the point of this post: Wednesday evening I finally met, in person, several friends I'd struck up an acquaintance with through the wonders of the Internet, Facebook, our respective blogs, and Veggieboards online discussion forums.

It seemed rather silly to message back and forth when we lived a mere twenty minutes apart, and I'm SO very glad we finally hooked up.

Heather and Danica are the creative forces behind the amazing-looking recipes and beautiful photography at the vegan foodie blog "Soundly Vegan". Nearly every post has me commenting about how delicious it all looks. So I can't tell you how very touched I was to be greeted with a huge bag of assorted vegan yumminess, including their practically world-famous (in my mind) homemade mushroom-onion-herb tofu. A whole tupperware-encased brick of it!!! Complete with take-out box of rich, slow-cooked gravy and all the spices and ingredients to make up my own "Chicken Fried Tofu".

Why are you still sitting there? Go! Check out their recipe now!!

Let me just say, this Tofu Mom was IN. HEAVEN.!!!

So, without further raving (because I could easily do that all night) enjoy the picture of MY version of their wonderful Chicken Fried Tofu (that I immediately ran home and whipped up). Yes, it's easily as good as it looks. Far, far better in fact. See all the yummy squiggles of mushroom-y, herb-y goodness swirled through the tofu slabs? No bland, squidgy blob here!!

Made all the more special because this was a delicious, AND nutritious dinner I didn't have to sweat and slave over, it was practically done in advance, needing just a few finishing touches and some added veggies to make a meal... And it was made just for me, with as much love and attention to detail as I give the foods that come from my kitchen (when I have the time to pay attention to all those details, which isn't nearly as often as I'd like).

From a busy Mom with a limited budget, limited time, limited space, limited energy after the day is said and done - Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!!!

Easy Veggie-"Chicken" Chow Mein

For all those nights when take-out sounds REALLY tempting, recipes like this are a life-saver.

I can whip this up in 15 minutes if I have things prepped ahead (I have rice and noodles in my fridge most weeks, just waiting for a quick dinner like this).

My Sprouts like this over rice; those dry, crunchy, fried chow mien noodles; or the softer pan fried noodles that you can buy pre-cooked in the produce department (I've even been known to use spaghetti if the pantry's a little bare). They also prefer a lot of sauce per amount of veggies, but you can adjust that to your preference.
And my tips to make this even quicker? Have the veggies sliced ahead of time, or stop by the supermarket salad bar. The noodles or rice can be made ahead, as mentioned above, and simply heated in a skillet or steamed a little.

Super Easy "Chicken" Chow Mein

(All the veggies marked with {*} can be mixed,

matched, substituted for your favorite or

increased in amount.)

1 clove garlic, smashed or pressed
3 stalks fresh celery , sliced*
1 cup coarsely shredded cabbage*
handful of fresh broccoli flowers, sliced*

1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced thin*
1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal*
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup bean sprouts*
1 cup sliced mushrooms*
1 (7 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts OR baby corn OR both, drained
2 cups cut up "chicken" (home-made seitan, Morning Star Farms Meal Starters, Gardein or fried tofu cubes, or your fave)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups chicken-style vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
pinch of sugar
hot cooked rice
chow mein noodles

In a large skillet or wok, saute garlic, and "harder" vegetables (celery and carrots) in oil for aprox. 2 minutes. They should still be very crisp. Add broccoli, cabbage, pepper, mushrooms and "chicken". Saute for another minute or two, again, just barely cooking.
Add bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
In a large bowl, blend cornstarch with water.
When smooth, add broth, soy sauce and sugar to bowl.
Mix well and pour over vegetables.
Bring to a boil, stirring until sauce thickens.
Reduce heat to low or off.
Serve over hot, cooked rice or chow mein noodles.

You can sprinkle with almonds or sesame seeds if you want a little more protein or if you're not using tofu or "chicken".

"Cheese-y" Flat Bread Crackers

No recipe (of my own) today, but definitely one worth sharing!!

I rarely re-post recipes or links from other bloggers - mainly because my food never looks as beautiful as theirs and I'm embarrassed to say I used the same recipe!

Today though, I tried a recipe for some "cheesy" flatbread crackers from "Soundly Vegan", done by a local blogger/friend and they turned out SO great, (and the picture ain't great, but I suppose makes them look at least edible) so, I wanted to give her blog, and the recipe, a shout-out.

My kids cleaned these out in about half an hour with a vat of hummus and then looked around for more - least I know everything was whole-grain, homemade and good for them! I'm definitely going to have to make them again soon!!

Go here for the recipe: Flat Bread Crackers, it's the second recipe on the post, "Dilled Yease and Flax Seed Flatbread Crackers" and take my word for it - they are AWESOME!!! I didn't change much - used whole grain pastry flour (because that's what I had) and olive oil instead of the walnut oil, (I had to use slightly more oil? Maybe it's just me?) and sprinkled mine with some garlic salt and parsley.

TRY these!!