'Tater "Toddlers"

I won't call them "Tater Tots" of course, because of copyright and all that. It's OK, these aren't the same. I happen to like this recipe better - first of all, because it's mine; second because homemade is ALWAYS better.

Besides, they're more like flattened-fried-shredded-herby-potato-balls than those "Tot" things. My kids have called these 'Tater Toddlers' forever, so that's what I'm calling them here.

As an added bonus, you can also make these ahead, store in the freezer and pop in the oven when needed.

'Tater Toddlers

8 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled, and hot
1 tablespoon flour
1 dash pepper
1 teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons finely minced onions

2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs of your choice
peanut or coconut oil

While potatoes are still hot, finely shred (in a food processor with a shredder blade) potatoes, (or use a ricer).

Stir in flour, salt, pepper, onion and herbs. You should have a sticky, but moldable dough. If too moist, add a bit more flour.
Heat 1/4-in oil in a cast-iron pan until a bit of potato sizzles and turns golden quickly. (Sorry, I don't know an exact temperature).
Form potato mixture into small, slightly-flattened balls and drop in oil.

Dry until slightly golden, turning if needed so all sides brown.

Drain on paper towels. If eating now, serve and enjoy while hot.

If saving for later, cool on paper towels, lay on cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen and then transfer into ziploc bags.
If using from frozen: Remove from freezer, place frozen 'tater toddler balls on a baking sheet and bake in single layers at 400 degrees until desired doneness - about 15 min.

Sauteed Cabbage and Field Roast 'Sausage'

Sorry for the REALLY bad picture, but this is the easiest, "super-quick", warm, cozy, winter supper ever!!
(Steaming-hot food makes for blurry pictures and I was hungry and in a hurry!) I promise it's AMAZING, though.
Add a side of home fries or a baked potatoes and I'm in heaven!

Now, I realize opinions about cooked cabbage may not be as enthusiastic as mine, but if you haven't had it in a while, try it again.

Just cook until tender-crisp, not soggy. And understand, I grew up eating my share of German/Polish/Russian-inspired family cooking, so anything with cabbage is gonna be a hit.

The fine folk over at Field Roast make my favorite "faux sausage" in the whole world, and it's available at most any "regular" grocery store, so it's an easy addition, though I suppose you could use whatever you like.

This hardly needs a recipe but here we go:

Sauteed Cabbage and "Sausage"

2 Apple-Sage style Field Roast sausages, sliced
1/2 a sweet onion, sliced
4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded cabbage
1 tart apple, shredded coarsely
(optional) 1 carrot, beet, turnip or parsnip, shredded
(optional) 1/2 cup sauerkraut, rinsed if desired

wee bit of olive oil
splash of cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Saute sausage slices with onion in olive oil, over med. heat, until they start to brown.
Add cabbage, apple and optional root veggies or sauerkraut, if using. Cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage and root veggies are done tender-crisp. Sprinkle with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

_____________
_____________

Note: My poor, second-hand, very out-dated computer is on it's last legs. If I suddenly stop blogging, well... that's why :(

Smashed Potato, Parsnips, Turnips and Kale

Mmmm, today is definitely a "comfort food" sorta day. Chilly, rainy, dark PNW winter weather and a 'fridge full of root veggies calling me. Here's my warm and cozy (and simple!) dinner.

Not something I remember to make that often, (and usually I do NOT like parsnips), but I have a ton of them from my Mom's garden right now; and cooked this way, how can you not LOVE LOVE the simplicity of this combo of winter veggies!

Smashed Potato, Parsnip and Turnips with a little Kale

8 cups quartered yellow potatoes (I don't peel mine, you can if you want)
4 cups chopped and peeled parsnip
1 turnip, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup chopped kale (you could use more but that's all I had and used tonight)
1/2 an (8-ounce) package Tofutti cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
Freshly ground black pepper
(some chunks of carrots or onion are good to cook in here too)

In a large pot, combine potatoes, parsnips, turnip, onion, kale and salt; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Add Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance and a dash of pepper. Mash together a bit, taste and add more salt if you think it needs it; serve hot.

These keep in the oven (or a crock pot) nicely while other parts of your meal are being assembled and you can snip some fresh chives or parsley on top right before serving if you want it all fancy.

Yum.

Creamy Poppyseed Noodles

Another Paula Deen comfort-food recipe turned deliciously vegan in my hot little hands... This one's mind-numbingly simple, and I admit I throw it together far too often when lack of creativity/time and ingredients strike.

I posted this several years ago and Bianca over at Vegan Crunk suggested pairing it with roasted veggies. Yum!! That seems to be the chosen side dish we've served it with ever since. Thanks for the idea!!

Anyway - fast, simple, tasty. Try it.
My kids especially love the "crunch" of the little black poppyseeds.

"Sour Cream" Poppyseed Noodles"

• 1 pound pkg. rotini or other corkscrew-type pasta (whole wheat if you want), cooked and drained
  
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 3/4 cup Tofutti "Better-Than-Sour-Cream" or other sour-cream substitute
• 1/2 cup soy or other plant milk
• 1 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• dash of Tabasco (just to brighten the flavor, NOT to make it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir in Tofutti "Sour Cream" and soymilk and lower heat. Stir until warmed through. Toss the cooked pasta, poppy seeds, Tabasco, chives, salt and pepper in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Have I Mentioned Vida Vegan Con?

I've had an epiphany.
The other day, while wandering through the Farmer's Market with a friend, I happened to mention "The Vegan Bloggers Conference in Portland" and she said "What?" Never heard of it."
**GASP** It's Vida Vegan Con. You haven't heard? Say what? How can that be? I've neglected to spread the word?
(OK. And if you're NOT vegan OR a blog fan, your eyes may glaze over here. But give me a few paragraphs, then I'm done. Maybe.)

See, I've been raving about this fabulous and exciting event to (I thought) EVERYONE, everywhere; But suddenly I had this "DUH" moment.
I realize I've neglected the obvious! I haven't actually raved about the Vegan Bloggers Conference here, ON MY VEGAN BLOG! Oh snap!

Here's the deal, and part of why I'm so excited:
Vida Vegan Con is a Vegan Blogger's Conference being held this coming August 26 - 28, 2011.
Yes. A conference. Just for Vegan Bloggers!

And most exciting, it's in my next-door-neighbor and most favorite city ever - PORTLAND, Oregon. This means... I could maybe, possibly actually go!! Without having to take a bunch of time off work, buy an airplane ticket, arrange lodging, wander around lost in a strange city, all of that.

It'll be a great opportunity for bloggers like me (and others that do this on a WAY huger scale than I do) to attend and participate in workshops, discussion panels, speakers, special events, vegan food, and more. Like the website says: "This conference will celebrate, explore, and fine-tune the practice—and ever-growing community of vegan bloggers."

There's a huge list of awesome speakers and presenters, including Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of The Post Punk Kitchen, Vegan Brunch, Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, etc), Author Bryanna Clark Grogan, (Notes from a Vegan Feast Kitchen/21st Century Table), the fabulous Jess Scone (Get Sconed! & StumptownVegans.com), Janessa from Epicurious Vegan... OK, there's hundreds, or something, just go HERE for the whole list!!
More awesomeness, read the interview here in T.O.F.U. Magazine!!

And even better? (Yes, it gets better!) They're using the conference to raise money for animal sanctuaries including Pigs Peace here in Washington, a sanctuary very near and dear to my heart!




(*SIGH*) I am so excited for this event, can you tell?
The only teensy-tiny roadblock for me at the moment is the cost of registration - which I am saving my pennies for (along with all those expenses of 'life' like broken washers, car repair, kid's emergency-room visits, and so on). So... I'm even considering my very own fundraising, maybe a "Send-me-to-VeganCon" Bake Sale, heh. You never know, where there's a will, there's ALWAYS a way!! Stay tuned.

The point is, if you hear me raving about this exciting conference in the future, you'll now know what I'm talking about.

Pierogies!

I'm on a quest to "veganize" a recipe from my childhood; specifically my Grandma's German-Russian Kase Kenpfla, also known fondly as "Cheese Buttons".
They're similar to the Ukrainian pierogy, but the Cheese Buttons of my childhood were much lighter, the dough more tender and they were filled with an altogether different, crumbly, onion-cheese mixture. I'm drooling right now.

My grandma would labor long hours over these savory cheese pillows, proudly serving heaping platters at family dinners. My sisters and I would then proceed to gobble these precious little dumplings as fast as we could, sometimes having contests to see who could finish off the most.
While I learned the recipe at my Grandma's side, it was years after she was gone before I appreciated how labor-intensive these precious little tidbits are, and I'm just slightly appalled at the sheer number that my siblings and I consumed.

Nowadays when one of the Miller girls decides to reverently make a "batch" of Grandma's Cheese Buttons, we do so on a comparatively small scale (yet somehow, with three times the mess in our kitchens!), and we ration the finished results quite sternly. No "dumpling-eating-contests" allowed!

But I digress.
Grandma's "Cheese-free Cheese Buttons" I have not managed to perfect, yet, but a close cousin, the pierogy, is now a vegan-ized success in my kitchen! And since few people, (other than me, my sisters, my family, my relatives and the residents of South Dakota), will stress over the difference, I'll share my vegan pierogy recipe with you (because it's VERY good!) and I'll continue to try and perfect a vegan version of Grandma's Kase Knepfla.
These take a while, but like any time-honored classic, they're so very worth it.

Vegan Pierogies

Dough:

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use all white flour for lighter dough)
6 oz silken soft tofu
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

2 potatoes, cooked & mashed (1/2 cup instant or leftover mashed potatoes is fine too)
1 cup firm tofu, drained crumbled with fingers or fork until small like cottage cheese
1 onion, minced & sauteed in margarine until clear and starting to brown
1 Tb. vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
pepper, to taste


Dough:
Mix all dough ingredients together to form a smooth, slightly moist dough. Add more flour if it is too wet, more tofu or some water if it is too dry. Set aside to rest.

Filling:
While potatoes are warm, mash well and add remainder of filling ingredients. Mix well.

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Cut dough into 24 equal size pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball out with a rolling pin fairly thin into an oval shape. Place a rounded tablespoon of potato mixture on each piece of dough and pull one side of the dough to the other, forming a half moon with the potato mixture enclosed.

Brush edge with soymilk, press with fingers to seal.

Place several pierogi in boiling water at a time stirring gently. Wait until they float and cook about one minute more.

Remove with slotted spoon.

Toss with oil to prevent sticking, and set aside to use later.
Or transfer immediately to a lightly oiled non-stick skillet. Pan fry until starting to brown, turn and brown other side.

While pierogi are cooking, saute 1 sliced white onion with as much margarine as you're comfortable using until onions are buttery and browned (these are comfort food - no one claimed they were healthy).
Add buttery onions to fried perogies and serve.

(Some people skip the frying part and just toss with sauteed onions after boiling - not as much flavor but more tender and probably slightly healthier)

**Optional: Some prefer to serve with sour cream (not my favorite but traditional for some, I guess) If you like Sour Cream, toss hot perogies and some sauteed onions in several Tbsp of Tofutti's Sour Supreme, add onion powder to taste and serve.
Or: brown breadcrumbs in margarine and toss pierogies with crumbs.

Friday Night = Mexican Food Night

Friday Night has traditionally been "Mexican Food Night" at our house since my kids were old enough to gobble up mashed pinto beans.
This is what I have planned for tomorrow: 7-Layer Bean Dip and Cornbread.
OK, not authentically "Mexican" in the least, but I think everyone will be happy.
I'll even share recipes because I'm generous like that.

First, here's my version of "7-Layer Dip". It always changes a bit according to what I have on hand. It can be "5-Layer" or "9-Layer" or however many layers you want...

Layered Mexican Bean Dip

In a 9 X 11 baking pan or whatever container works, layer the following, as much as is needed of each to make a not-too-thick layer:

• Refried, or coarsely mashed, black and pinto beans, or a couple cups chili
  
• Wayfare Foods Brand "We Can't Say It's Sour Cream"
  
• salsa and/or guacamole
  
• alfalfa sprouts (optional, but I really like these here, they add some crunch! Some people, like one of my children, decidedly do NOT like them invading the smooth creaminess of the dip though, so it's up to you!)
  
• vegan (Daiya Chedder) cheese shreds
• chopped bell pepper (and maybe some minced jalapeños, if you like)
  
• sliced olives, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, fresh lime slices, drained corn kernels... the list is endless...
  

Layer in order given, chill several hours and serve with chips.
Or, if you want to serve this as a hot bean dip, skip the sour cream, guacamole and sprouts. Heat in oven until cheese is melted and then spread "sour cream" and guacamole over top.

Next up, cornbread.

One of my lovely Aunties, who lives in Iowa, and is NOT vegan in any way, sent me a winning cornbread recipe from their state fair a couple years back. She was so excited (and I think amazed) that it was a vegan recipe... so of course I had to try it.

It was awesome, (those Iowa people sure do know their cornbread!) but being me, I had to tweak just the tiniest bit...

Here's my (only slightly different) version. I LOVE how dense, moist, and slightly sweet this cornbread is. None of that dry, crumbly, grainy stuff for us.

Cornbread

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1 Cup white flour
• 1 Cup fine ground cornmeal
• 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup vegan sour "cream" or soy yogurt (again, I like the Wayfare Foods "Sour Cream)
  
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 Cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green pepper
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
• 1 minced jalapeno
• 1/4 cup canned, drained corn kernels
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar-style vegan cheese
  

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease 8 X 8 glass baking dish lightly.
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, "sour cream", vinegar and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth (do not overbeat.).

Add peppers, corn and shredded cheese, stir well just to incorporate.
Turn into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer.
Cut into pieces and serve.
(My kids like salsa on the side, so that's what we use - traditionally I think people prefer honey or butter?).

Kid-Tested Easy Peanut Noodles

Don't let the picture of basic brown noodles throw you off - this is one of my kids' favorite (and after-school-friends' most-requested) recipes; it's quick, easy, filling and doesn't have to have "weird ingredients and leafy vegetables" in it.
(Note: I have added some suggestions for vegetables at the end, because just as often we DO make it that way.)

Not that that my kids don't like veggies. They'll actually eat just about anything, and often fill this dish with all sorts of color and crunch - but some days, we all want to stir something quick and easy together. (Still a lot better than Cup-A-Noodles too!)

Just be aware that my girls like stuff medium-spicy, adjust spices as you prefer.

Easy Thai-Inspired Peanut Noodles

PEANUT SAUCE:
1/2 cup vegetable or veggie-chicken-style broth

1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger root (substituting dry ground ginger will NOT work well here)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy, chunky, plain, natural style, whatever; I tend to like Peanut Butter & Co.'s regular peanut butter here, it seems to blend smoother than many)

1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup, honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (or corn syrup works in a pinch)

1 - 2 teaspoons hot chile sauce or paste (like Schiracha - from an Asian market or well-stocked supermarket) or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or hot pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, pressed thru garlic press

1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice or red wine vinegar

8 ounces noodles of your choice: Udon noodles, Buckwheat Soba noodles, thin vermicelli noodles or rice sticks (like for Pad Thai), or in a pinch, plain ol' unseasoned Ramen noodles or whole wheat spaghetti!!

*ADD INS (as few or as many as you like - your preference):
-- Lightly stir-fried veggies - carrots, cabbage, peapods, peppers, whatever
-- chopped fresh spinach or kale
-- fresh bean sprouts
-- toasted sesame or sunflower seeds
-- cubes of cooked butternut or other winter squash
-- raisins (yes, raisins)
-- frozen peas, slightly thawed
-- favorite seitan or gluten product, cubed and browned a bit
-- chick peas/garbanzos
-- cubes of browned tempeh
-- crispy cubes of tofu (see picture - we get these ready-made at the Asian Market. Flash-fried an even brown using a whole lot less oil than when I try it. Yum!)

TOPPINGS/GARNISHES (as preferred):

-- 1/4 cup chopped green onions

-- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts or cashews

-- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
-- 1/2 cup chopped mint

DIRECTIONS:
First, cook the noodles according to package directions for whatever type of noodles you have.

Drain and set aside, covered, to keep warm.

Meanwhile, (or while noodles are cooking if you can do two things at once) make sauce:

SAUCE: Combine broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, syrup, chili paste, lime juice and garlic in a small saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter melts and is heated through.

Stir hot sauce into well drained noodles.

At this point, add whatever optional "Add-In" ingredients sound good, depending on who is making the dish. Stir "Add-ins" into hot sauce and noodles just to heat through

Garnish with toppings.
It's these garnishes that REALLY make this dish special!

It's that easy!!

I love this recipe because it's so versatile - you can make it many different ways, depending on what ingredients you have on hand and it's all good.

My older Sprouts make this with no written recipe, each adding variations that suit them, my youngest gets in these moods where she begs for it almost every day after school. And hey, it can be a "snack" OR a whole meal, your call.

Sometimes we do the stuff just "plain" and other times, we (well, mostly I) add LOTS of lightly sauteed veggies according to what's in the fridge that day - red pepper strips, carrots, green beans, bean sprouts, red onion and/or brocolli. When the girls cook, it's usually pea pods, carrots and fried tofu cubes. The nice thing is that pretty much anything goes and the dish can be individualized to make almost anyone happy!

Mid-Winter Ratatouille

I love eggplant and the Mediterranean flavors of garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs, so this is one of my favorite recipes, especially in the summer when I have an abundance of green things and garden-ripened tomatoes; However, with a few tweaks, it also works as a wonderfully warm and comforting mid-winter burst of sunshine flavors. (Sorry the picture is less than colorful, just try to imagine...)

Ratatouille

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into cubes (**I prefer to "salt" and drain eggplant before using, but it's up to you - see note below)
2 red peppers, sliced, or a bag of those frozen red/yellow pepper strips
4 large tomatoes, chopped with juices or a 16 oz. can sliced, stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup red wine (or water, tomato juice or more broth)
2 zucchini, chopped, or a package frozen zucchini (I use produce I've frozen from my garden, but the equivalent in your local grocer isn't too hard to find)
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped Kalamata or green olives, coarsely chopped
2 Tb. capers (optional but yummy)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
"Herbes de Provence" (or whatever combo Rosemary, Basil, Marjoram, Savory, Thyme) I use fresh or frozen, from my summer patio herb "garden"

Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent, add the eggplant and fry a few minutes, trying to get some browned areas on the eggplant and onion if possible. The eggplant will probably soak up all the oil instantly, this is why I use a non-stick skillet here.
Add the garlic, peppers, tomatoes, broth, wine and zucchini.
Let stew, covered, on low, until zucchini and peppers are softened.
Add olives, capers and as much of the chopped herbs as you like, the amount is up to you.
Let simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If too "soupy", take the cover off for the last 10 min and increase heat; If too thick, add more water.
Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Serve hot as a main dish, or cold as a side dish - good mixed with or served over rice or pasta.
Can also be used to stuff into pita bread, roll up in tortillas, or make into a vegetable pot pie.
I often add chick-peas or cubes of browned tofu to bulk this up even more.

**Note: "Salting" eggplant seems to draw off a lot of bitter juices; especially nice for kids, or those who may be more sensitive to eggplant's stronger flavors.
To "salt" your eggplant, cube for the recipe and then toss with 3 TABLESPOONS (yes, tablespoons) salt. Place on paper towels in a strainer. Leave for 30 - 40 min (while prepping the rest of the recipe) and then remove paper towel, dump eggplant into strainer, rinse and pat dry (I even "squeeze" it a bit) with another paper towel. Use as directed.

Olive-Tofu-Pecan Dip for Game Day

In honor of our hometown Seattle Seahawks winning the wildcard game this afternoon, I thought I'd post one of the "football party snacks" we served to the raving crowd...

Pardon the picture, I know it looks like a bowl of oatmeal, but I promise it's a delicious and crazy-simple dip (more of a "spread" texture) that NO ONE will ask, or care, if it's "weird vegan food" or not.

This is my stand-by when I need a 'spread-y-dippy' sort-of party-food at the last moment, and have to impress non-vegan sorts with too. Don't TELL them it's tofu, for goodness sakes, wait until they've licked the bowl clean and are asking for the recipe. (*gloats*)

This dip is good with crackers, with celery and carrots, or in a sourdough bread bowl. Also great for sandwiches, should you have any leftovers!

Olive-Tofu-Pecan Spread

1 cup firm tofu, mashed fine with a fork

1/3 cup pecans*, chopped super-fine, but not into powder, in food processor or blender (there should still be tiny bits of nuts)

2/3 cup black olives, chopped (I just buy the canned, already-chopped black olives here, to save myself the work - you can use a couple Tbsp. kalamata olives if you want extra tang and saltiness, but it's good with standard old black olives too).

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 finely chopped onion (or chop celery and onion in food processor, but I like the uniform tiny chunks you get by hand chopping...)

1 1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

1/2 cup Vegannaise vegan mayo (or equal parts Tofutti Sour 'Cream' and vegan mayo)
dash Tabasco if desired, not to make it spicy, just to bump up the flavor

Mix ingredients well. Chill several hours.

Enjoy! That's it!

*I prefer my pecans toasted in this recipe, but it's hard to toast them without burning, so do so at your own risk.