'Kitchen Ramblings from a Fairly Odd Tofu Mom'

Grandma's Birthday and Chunky Vegetable Dip

2008-06-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Weekend all! School's out for those of us here in the Pacific Northwest who seem to attend later in the year than most areas. Despite our questionable weather, summer has officially started.

My Grandma celebrated her 85th birthday (doesn't she look GREAT!?!) and a bunch of us (including some of my cousins I don't often get to see) threw her a great little party.

I was the only vegetarian in attendance but there were plenty of good eats for me provided by thoughtful family. Portabellos on the grill, several salads, baked beans and even appetizers!

Grandma was very proud of the Hawaiian "Luau" theme, she's so cute...

OK, so I brought the baked beans (VERY boring, from a can, but I had to travel and didn't have room for much.)

I also made this dip which was a HUGE hit and NO ONE asked if it had creepy vegan ingredients. Try it. Seriously.

Chunky Veggie Dip

1 cup (8 ounces) Tofutti vegan "sour cream"
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped seeded cucumber (I use the English cucumbers that don't need to be peeled)
1/4 cup finely chopped jarred roasted red pepper (or pimentos)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped radishes

1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced very fine
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dry)

1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste

Directions: In a bowl, combine the ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with vegetables for dipping. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

I served it with raw veggies, pretzels and crackers.

Vegan Weddings are the Best!

2008-06-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Congrats Anthony and Suzanne!

No recipes today; we just got back from a truly beautiful wedding, and I thought I'd share some pics.

I originally met Anthony (the groom) on my favorite message-board, VeggieBoards which I've probably only mentioned a thousand times.

Since he was also from the Seattle-ish area we got to meet in real life as well. You find a lot of good people on VeggieBoards!

Anyway, Anthony was a huge support when I was struggling with those first few months of going vegan and put up with a lot of Instant Messenger whining and griping from me too!
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So, fast forward a few years and here he is getting married! Awwww....
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His lovely bride, Suzanne is also vegan. How lucky two people are when they find someone compatible like that! I'm so happy for them!

The wedding was held at a beautiful farm with gardens, grounds and banquet facilities that just seemed perfect for a vegan wedding.
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Food was catered by Araya's Thai Place and it was simply amazing - all sorts of unique dishes including a couple I'd never had.

It was all arranged so beautifully! Of course I had to take pictures!

Avocado curry, fresh spring rolls, fried spring rolls (pic), Tofu Satay on rosemary skewers (pic) Japanese pumpkin curry, pineapple fried rice...

My favorite discovery was this beautiful dish called Mieng Kahm.
I had to look it up when we got home. It's traditional Thai "street vendor" snack food and wow... soooooo good!

The idea is you build your own appetizers from the little green Bai Cha Plu (or betel) leaves that you wrap around your choice of fillings and pop in your mouth; toasted fresh coconut, fresh ginger, red onions, Thai chili, lime, peanuts and a palm sugar sauce. (Non veg restaurants will also have dried shrimp, just a heads-up). Each filled leaf is an intense bite-sized explosion of Thai flavors. I can't say enough about how yummy this was!!

Wedding cupcakes were from VCTOTW. Suzanne, the beautiful bride, made them herself and they were delicious!! I'm totally smitten with the whole "cupcakes-for-weddings" trend. Such a cute idea!

My youngest Sprout loved the scary-green Jones Soda, (the adults had wonderful organic, vegan wines) and cleaned out the supply of fried spring rolls (thanks for ordering extra, Anthony!).

Then, somewhat bored with the reception festivities, she found friends to play a mean game of football with on the farm's lawn, until it got dark. So lady-like.

A good time was definitely had by all.

Cabbage and Sausage

2008-06-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Oh man, this is the best "super-quick" supper ever!! (Steaming food makes for blurry pictures, sorry!)
Now, I realize opinons about cooked cabbage my 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 German/Polish Grandparent's cooking, so anything with cabbage is gonna be a hit.
Sauteed with some Field Roast sausage (my favorite "faux sausage" in the world, but use whatever you like) and really, how can you go wrong?

This hardly needs a recipe but:

4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Apple-Sage style Field Roast sausages, sliced
wee bit of olive oil
splash of cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee Field Roast sausage slices with onion over med. heat until they start to brown. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage is done. Sprinkle with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Happy Holiday Weekend

2008-05-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

If you're in the U.S. like we are, this weekend might find you celebrating the "official beginning of summer" by picnicking, camping, or BBQ-ing.

It may also find you remembering friends or family who served our country.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, I hope it's a relaxing, special weekend.

Although tomorrow is the actual "Holiday", we celebrated today with a bunch of friends, a backyard party, a bonfire and picnic.
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I just have to show you - Here's my summer splurge... a sweet little patio firepit!
I'd been wanting one forever and finally found it on sale!!
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We couldn't wait to try it out, but first of all - here's a picture of it all new and clean!
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The menu was almost all vegan, even if the guests weren't. (OK, the kids had S'mores with evil mashmallows and Hershey bars... send in the vegan police!) , but every single thing was gobbled right down, with lots of second and third helpings...

First off, we lit the fire pit and let the coals burn down nice and hot, it was just the perfect size, especially since I have no desire to have a big ol' bar-be-que thing taking up space on my patio.
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We roasted corn (still in the husk) and veggie hot dogs on sticks (Lightlife, Loma Linda Big Franks and Field Roast Sausages, take your pick).

Along with food from the fire, (isn't this a just a classic picnic combo?) I made "Cheater Baked Beans" from Veganomicon (cooked the beans from scratch though, I'm just not a fan of canned...) and my signature macaroni salad (with Veganaise).

Of course there were plenty of beverages to go around - including this awesome organic wine and "Russian" Coke which was really just plain old Coke, but celebrating the Olympics or something.

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Sorry, not sure of the significance, it was a cool can though.
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Since teen-age boys and fire seem to be drawn to each other, we were "treated" to a long, drawn out and highly scientific marshmallow-roasting-s'more's-eating demonstration.
(I do have to admit some of them were quite the gooey-chocolate-y works of art, the pictures would have been even better if it hadn't been twilight by this point...)

Lots of sugar, caffiene and general goofiness (yes, someone took pictures of all that too!).

Couldn't have been a better day!

Macaroni Salad (This makes enough for a crowd - if hungry teenagers don't get to it first!)

Mix together the following:

8 cups cooked elbow macaroni (I use 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white)
1 cup frozen peas
2 bunches small green onions, sliced thin (use about 1/2 the green part)
1 English cucumber diced
1 small jar (aprox. 1/4 cup) chopped green olives or capers or 1 small can sliced black olives - your choice
1 carrot, coarsely shredded
large handful fresh parsley, chopped fine
Vegan mayonaise, as much as you prefer (My kids don't like a mayo-heavy salad)
salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne to taste.

Mix together, chill and serve.

That's it; Pretty easy, contains ingredients ALL my kids love and I usually have everything on hand...

Have a memorable weekend!

Tempeh-Vegetable Tacos

2008-05-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

My "Sprouts" came home tonight wanting tacos in the worst way.

Unfortunately (and incredibly unusual at our house) I didn't have any beans or burger or 'cheeze' or lettuce or really much that was traditionally "taco-like", other than some nice organic corn tortillas...
AND I was way short on time... but tacos were what the natives were demanding, so tacos they got!

I coarsely grated some zucchini, tomato, carrot and onion and flash-sauteed it for less than a minute, just until the tomato got mushy.

Then I mashed an avocado with cilantro and lime, into a guacamole sort of thing, and crumbled some tempeh and smooshed it around in the pan and sauteed it with plain ol' canned tomato sauce and "mexican" spices until it almost looked like taco "meat"...

I browned the corn tortillas just a bit, folded them in half, and away we went...

The "tacos" turned out deeee-lish, and more importantly, my kids gobbled them without asking for (veggie) Taco Meat or 'cheeze' or olives or beans or salsa. All items I usually have on hand (except tonight). They aren't even tempeh fans but that didn't seem to matter either.

I thought they looked rather pretty, with all those colors, too.

Speaking of pretty, here's a Mother's Day picture of my Sprouts (which they hate!), complete with matching tee-shirts which I forced them to wear since it was MY day and I nostalgically wanted them to "match".

They never wear matching outfits any more - I miss those days... I realize they think they are MUCH too old to be dressed up in frilly, fussy matching "sister" outfits like I used to... and also, if they matched their sibling(s), even a little bit, you KNOW I would rush over with my camera and record the moment...
Good times!

Chard Two Ways

2008-05-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE Swiss Chard, (although it's been determined that I pretty much love any vegetable) but nevertheless, I was excited to see beautiful bunches of Rainbow Chard this week at the Farmer's Market.

I know I could grow these colorful little greens too, but frankly, I eat a LOT of chard and I'm happy enough to consume weekly supplies from our local farmers.

Now, I had also been waiting for a reason to use this incredible Artisan applewood-smoked salt that Froggy bought me last month. Doesn't it look fun?

So, creative (ha?) person that I am, I invented the SIMPLEST CHARD EVER:

Chop 1 bunch rainbow chard, (yes, even the stems, they really are NOT tough so why not eat them too). Put chard in a skillet with juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1 tsp olive oil. Saute about thirty seconds until wilted. Sprinkle with just a bit of Smoked Salt. yum......

A little salty, a little tangy, with the slightest hint of sweet smokinesss. Perfect. (Of course if you don't have the Smoked Salt, it's going to be equally tasty without.)

And if that's not enough, here's "recipe" number two. I worked so hard.
Ready?

Butterfly Pasta with Sauteed Chard.
Just toss some sauteed chard with cooked pasta and a handful of pine nuts or sliced almonds. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Couldn't be simpler and it tastes SOOO good!
I'm so glad there's a whole lot more of this stuff around - AND that it's pretty dang good for me!

And finally, just for your amusement, (well, it amused us anyway... )

Here is Jack the Pirate Cat - napping in the laundry basket with his chin propped on the phone.

Me thinks he fell asleep talking to his girlfriend, or maybe he's dreaming of ordering take-out? Possibly he's just trying to avoid chores... Sounds too much like me, I know I certainly can't fold any laundry that might disturb a sleeping kitty.

Happy weekend everyone. Get your chores done.

Pasta Puttanesca

2008-05-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Not much to say except... you must make this. (Oh, and the picture doesn't do it justice!)

I know, normally Pasta Puttanesca has anchovies in it, but it's plenty easy enough to make without. You won't even miss the annoyingly salty dead fish. Do make sure you include the capers though, even if you're not sure you'll like them. They totally make this dish.

PASTA PUTTANESCA!

1 tbsp flavorful olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed through garlic press or grated finely with a microplane grater
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp capers
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (not the generic black salad olives, please!)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or less to taste
dash salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive brine (adds that sharp salty taste!)
2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, (just crush them with your bare hands like Emeril does, or mash with a potato masher) with juice
About 1 lb. cooked pasta

Lightly saute the garlic in olive oil for a minute or two - really, just warm it enough to start it cooking, do NOT brown! Add the basil, capers, olives and red pepper flakes, and cook for another two minutes.
Reduce heat to low, and add the brine and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for at least fifteen minutes.

Serve over pasta, sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast if you want and I always add a few more capers (no, those are not overcooked peas in the picture! Please!) 'cause I love the things!!

Oven Fried Potatoes

2008-05-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

I was craving those gross, greasy convenience-store Jo-Jo potato wedges tonight.
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Don't ask me. I'd like to blame PMS or something logical, but in reality I just LIKE crispy, salty, fried, potato-ish things...

Thus, the invention of this recipe.

Easiest, Crispy (oven-) "Fried" Potatoes.

4 medium Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thin (aprox).
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs or finely crushed crackers (I whiz it in the food processor for a couple seconds...)
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. EACH: salt, lemon pepper, dried parsley, onion powder.
pinch of cayenne
1 Tbsp. olive oil
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Mix all dry ingredients together in a tupperware type container with tight fitting lid.
Slice potatoes, put into mixing bowl, drizzle oil on them and mix with your hands until all potato slices are lightly coated.
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Put 1/2 the potato slices into tupperware, snap on the lid and shake until all pieces are coated. Lay on a cookie sheet, pieces can slightly overlap.
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Admittedly, the filling doesn't stay on THAT great, so be careful when laying them out...

Repeat with rest of potatoes.

Mist with a little olive oil. (Or cooking spray if you don't have an oil mister).

Bake at 450 degrees until potatoes are soft and start to brown - about 15 min. or so. (If you want, you can turn them half way thru cooking time, but it isn't necessary.)

Turn broiler on for a moment and WATCH carefully and let potatoes get a little browner. When they're done to your liking, remove.

Enjoy!!

Tofu Benedict Florentine (and the perfect Hollandaise)

2008-05-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have been on a quest for the perfect vegan Hollandaise for several years now...

I think this is close to perfect, but now, I have to admit I don't remember what "real" Hollandaise tastes like.

I can assure you it is buttery-lemony-eggy delicious though, (OK, tooting my own horn, sorry) and if you're missing Hollandaise, give this a try.

First of all, though, ya gotta make my "Cashew Alfredo Cream Sauce" (Yes, I tend to hate multi-step recipes that require several different sub-recipes before you get to the main point, but you wanted vegan Hollandaise, that's no easy task!!)

This is a great way to use up leftovers of the "Alfredo" sauce. What, you never have leftovers? Well, neither do I, but I was trying to make you feel better about having to make TWO entire recipes. OK, so quit whining and make the Alfredo Sauce already (with maybe less garlic if you want though, it doesn't matter, really).

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

3/4 cup Cashew Cream Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup soymilk (optional)
3 T. Earth Balance or Soy Garden Natural Buttery Spread, melted and kept very warm
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp India Black Salt (kala namak or sanchal)*
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard (like French's or any generic stuff)
pinch of white pepper or a dash of hot pepper sauce
tiny pinch of turmeric (less than a 1/16th of a tsp—more makes a phony-looking color)

Heat the Alfredo sauce until simmering (add some soymilk if it's horribly thick) —pour into the blender container along with the Black Salt, pepper or hot sauce, and add the lemon juice and mustard.

Blend well, adding the melted Earth Balance slowly through the hole in the lid while the machine is running. Blend until the mixture is completely mixed.

Taste and adjust seasonings (usually more lemon or mustard, though if it's too strong, add some more soymilk). Pour into saucepan on stove and stir with wire whisk until heated thru.

*This salt has a slightly sulphuric or "eggy" taste. It is an important ingredient for the traditional flavor in the sauce. Most Indian/Asian markets sell it, or you can get it online. It's a staple in our scrambled tofu as well! Good stuff!

**Disclaimer** OK, I have only made this three times. It thickened for me just fine each time, but as with all recipes, I eyeballed the ingredients the first time, I admit. If it DOESN'T THICKEN satisfactorily for you, add 2 teaspoons cornstarch to a little soymilk and mix in to sauce, stir with wire whisk over heat until it thickens.

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For the above, I lightly steamed some spinach, put it on toasted English Muffins with some of my favorite tofu scramble (any recipe you like). Cover with Hollandaise and serve.

Vegan Brunch! ("Quickie Too", in Tacoma)

2008-04-28T17:46:00.001-07:00

I swear I still cook, I've just been doing a lot of repeats lately so I don't have much in the way of original ideas to post.

That said, the boy and I decided we were tired of the standard Puget Sound-style drive-thru coffee-stand breakfasts (as you can see, we're BAD about that!) and we decided to venture out for some "real" breakfast food.

We decided to do Sunday Brunch at "Quickie Too" over in Tacoma, and as always, the food ROCKED!

Quickie Too is an all-vegan cafe owned by the same people who have Hillside Quickie and Hillside Quickie Sandwich Shop in Seattle. They call their food Vegan American-Soul Fusion which pretty much translates into GOOD! If you're ever in Seattle, or Tacoma, check them out!

We started with these incredible melt-in-your-mouth blueberry muffins, tea and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Totally tasted as good as it looks!

Our Brunch platter came loaded with tempeh "bacon", a seitan "steak" with gravy, grits, fried plantains, fluffy biscuits, scrambled tofu, cinnamon apples, homefried potatoes, something with sweet potatoes...

I'm serious, ALL of that!! And even though we've been here before, we dug in so fast, we didn't THINK to take a picture, it was that good.

Hope you all had a restful, enjoyable weekend.

Happy Earth Day; And Let Me Rant A Bit...

2008-04-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

I suck at remembering special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, even Earth Day. But just so I don't sound like a totally unprepared slouch, I'll try to make it appear as if I planned something special...

Let's see... To celebrate Earth Day:

I ate vegan, significantly reducing my carbon footprint - more significant, some statistics say, than driving a Hybrid car (of course, I've been vegan every day for the last five or so years)

And I used my new reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic. (I've had the bags for months, in the trunk of my car... forgetting to use them!)

And we carpooled (my kids and the neighbors', trading rides to and from school as we've been doing all year).

We've reduced our household trash output by 75%! I set out the recycling and trash this AM and I realized I am down to one small can a month of 'regular' trash (our neighborhood has a great recycling program, I can say that, but we've also reduced what we use drastically.)

I air-dried a load of laundry (which I have done with shirts and things for years, I have a dryer phobia, I don't know.)

I used my own travel mug at Starbucks this morning rather than a paper cup.

And I purchased three organic hemp shirts today, in my slow attempt to use less cotton. (Don't even get me STARTED on cotton, it's the latest Earth-saving bandwagon I'm jumping on...)

Did you know:

Using 4.5% of the global land area, cotton requires 22.5% of the world's insecticides and 10% of the world's chemical fertilisers. Globally, the World Health Organisation estimates 3m instances of pesticide poisoning and 20,000 deaths each year, mainly among poor cotton farmers in developing countries.
The simple act of growing and harvesting the one pound of cotton fiber needed to make a T-shirt takes an enormous toll on the earth’s air, water, and soil, and has significant impacts on the health of people in cotton growing area.
United States farmers alone applied nearly one-third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every pound of cotton harvested, and this amount is significantly higher in less regulated countries.
Cotton crops are grown in 19 states, and account for twenty-five percent of all the pesticides used in the entire U.S. Some of these chemicals are among the most toxic and dangerous ones classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Yet environmental impact studies estimate that 90% of those chemicals end up in the soil, air and water around the fields and not on the crops themselves.
(Organic cotton is slightly better; it doesn't use the pesticides, but still leaches nutrients out of the soil, and uses a great deal of water and land inefficiently).

But enough ranting. Think about it though.

To top off the day, my daughter made vegan cookies. (recipe here).

Happy Earth Day!!

Green and Red

2008-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

OOooohhh "Cheezy" Chile Rellanos and Tempeh (not-Carne) Adovada.

I dared make these pretties for my good friend Shaun, red-blooded, lifetime New Mexico resident and extremely picky chile critic...
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He was impressed.
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Actually, I was too. Yum.
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Sometimes I worry needlessly that stuff won't turn out right...
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Now, dear blogger-readers, if you're thinking this looks familiar, you're right, this is a repeat. How un-original am I?
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Anyway, the recipes are here: Chile Rellanos and here: Tempeh-Not-Carne-Adovada. Only this time, I topped the chile rellanos with panko breadcrumbs and skipped the sauce over them, oh man... they were cheezy inside, crispy on top... perfect!
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Here the chiles are before I baked them; aren't they cute, all lined up in the pan, before they bubbled and ooozed everywhere?

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Enjoy. Hope everyone has a great week.

My Newest Favorite Restaurant

2008-04-20T17:49:00.001-07:00

While Shaun was here, I took him to breakfast at my new favorite Restaurant here in the Seattle area.

Squid and Ink.

This funky little place is not far off the freeway in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. If you're passing thru, check it OUT!

Oh, man, I LOVE LOVE them for so many reasons; 1) it's got that whole indie/punk/DIY vibe, 2) it's open late, and 3) the food is delicious, VEGAN and hearty. Oh, and 4) it serves breakfast till 4 p.m.

The menu is full of warm, cozy vegan yumminess; we certainly did our best to sample plenty of it...

First up, to explain this scary picture; that Canadian (more specifically Quebec) favorite "Poutine"; which is basically a dish consisting of French fries, topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy.

We dug right into the vegan version (which may explain the messy photo) which was quite deelish.

Admittedly, neither of us have ever had the"original" to compare, but who cares? Fries, gravy and creamy melting curds of vegan cheese... sounds pretty dang good to me. Rich and decadent too, we brought lots home!

I probably shouldn't admit how much we ordered, but I'll say we also brought home leftovers of incredible vegan fish and chips, and perfect crispy, salty sweet potato fries.

On previous visits I've had the seitan-fried steak and gravy, one of my all-time favorite meals EVER!

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More fun restaurant food to follow. (Just what I need!).

Happy weekend!

LightLife Score and More!

2008-04-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

OK, so waiting on my front porch today was a NICE size box filled with every wonderful looking sort of goodie from the generous people at LightLife foods...

Seriously, they said they were sending me a "few samples" which I thought was cool; I don't have access to many of their products, and am always curious about the ones I do see, but don't want to waste precious grocery money on something I may not like...

But WOW! I am delightfully overwhelmed. A insulated box FULL of Gimme-Lean and tempeh and bacon-like stuff and... I don't think I've ever seen 3/4 of these things. And yes, while I realize they do have calories and processing, and sodium and plastic packaging and whatever fault you may wish to find, I am happy and would say nice things regardless. (BTW, they actually are a pretty "green" company, which is even better!!)

You see, even if it ends up we are not crazy about their products (which I doubt!) you just can't imagine how much I appreciate this unexpected boost to my tiny little grocery budget!

That said: Tonight I used the SmartBacon, fried it up a little crisp (yes, I said FRIED!) and made BLT's (which were really GBLAOT's - hmmm, sounds appetizing, yes? Grilled, with avocado and some mild Walla Walla Sweet onions).

Well, can I just say that my "faux-meat-skeptic" children inhaled several delicious bacon-y sandwiches in the time it took me to photograph one... that in itself should be proof enough. Definitely a keeper.

Veggie Gyros with Tzatziki

2008-04-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

So, since the Boy was visiting for a few days, and since it was almost his birthday, and since I knew he LOVED Gyro sandwiches, and since I knew he had been dying to try this vegan version, which they don't sell in Albuquerque... well, what can I say? I decided it was a good reason to treat him (and me!) to something fun and different.
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The product is a nicely seasoned strips of some seitan-sort of veggie "meat". I have to admit, I was skeptical that these little bits would have any spectacular flavor as I tend to pooh-pooh commercially made seitan products. They never seem to be seasoned enough for my "salt" tooth, or flavored to my liking. Well, it certainly didn't impress me when they all stuck together in a funky blob when I dumped them into a fry pan to warm them up. (There are no cooking instructions on the package.) I admit I raised my eyebrows.

But, after they warmed up and simmered in the bit of "sauce"...Wow!
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Let me give them a total thumbs up review!!
The flavor was RIGHT ON and the texture was great, not as rubbery as seitan can be, and yet not squeamishly meat-like either. Probably one of the best faux-meats I've tried.
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We made these really cute little sandwiches, (because mini-pitas were the only vegan ones I could find). Sorry for the unusually bad light but I was in a hurry, dammit.
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We loaded them with tasty bite-size amounts of Gyro "meat", lettuce, onion, Greek olives and some chunky homemade Tzatziki sauce and oh, my gosh... they were delightful! Perfect! Definitely will have to make them again! I'd say one package feeds two generously, because we were quite stuffed.
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As for the vegan Tzatziki sauce? One of the first recipes that came up when I Googled, was a great looking one from Vegan Dad's blog. I went with a similar idea I confess, but since I changed up the recipe quite a bit (due to having different ingredients and I don't like dill) I thought I'd post it. For the record, his looks excellent too - in case you don't have the ingredients for mine!

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
~ About 2/3 of a carton Tofutti Sour "Cream"
~ 1/4 a tub of water-packed tofu (you probably don't even need this)
~ juice from 1 lemon and a few tiny shreds of the peel
~ 2 cloves of garlic
~ 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
~ freshly ground pepper
~ 20 - 30 leaves fresh mint (small handful)
~ about the same amount of fresh parsley
~ pinch of cayenne
~ 1 English cucumber (because I like them and the peel isn't so tough)
~ 1/2 a very sweet (Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla) onion

Cut onion and (peeled if you want) cucumber into chunks. Put fresh herbs, cucumber and onion in bowl of food processor. Coarsely chop vegetables and herbs in food processor by pulsing off and on just a few times as needed. (I like it chunky).

Remove vegetables from food processor and set aside.

Put Tofutti Sour Cream, tofu, lemon juice, garlic, and spices together in food processor and blend until creamy. If too thick, add a splash of soymilk, though the cucumber will "juice up" and make the dip thinner as it sets.

Mix vegetables with creamy mixture. Serve. If waiting a while to serve, stir well before serving.

The Tzatziki is GREAT as a salad dressing the next day, though it will tend to separate, just whisk it a bit and it's fine. It really makes far more than you need for two people...

Hope you all have a great night, and "Kalispera", which loosely translated, means Good Evening in Greek.

Teapot Vegetarian House; Seattle

2008-04-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Had to post a few pix. I know I've blogged - and raved - about this place before, but it's just that good...

My friend Shaun was visiting for the week, from the dry, dusty wilderness (not really) of Albuquerque.

He loves all the awesome vegetarian places in Seattle (who wouldn't) but Teapot is one of our favorites! It's fun to actually have another real-life, honest-to-goodness vegan to share favorite places with sometimes, you know?

No worries about whether they'll "find anything they like" and no turning noses up at those "funny" (?) ingredients like tofu and seitan...

OK, so Teapot is one of Seattle's best known vegetarian restaurants, all vegan actually. They call themselves "Pan-Asian" which is basically a little bit of everything Asian/Thai-ish. Insanely deeee-lish!

Naturally we dragged a couple friends along for the experience, (yeah, they were complaining) and made sure we ordered our favorite dishes including the Rose 'Chicken' Drumettes, Pad Thai and Almond Fried Tofu with Gravy. We also ordered several interesting teas. Even the non-veg people were impressed!

My youngest had a few issues with the chopsticks, but otherwise, all was predictably wonderful!

If you're EVER in Seattle, you MUST go. Call me, I'll meet you there!

VegFest II; The Rest of the Story.

2008-04-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

OK, it's been a week, you'd think I could finally get the rest of the VegFest post done, but no.... I've been on Spring Break and being lazy and doing... well.... not much... visiting with friends, cooking, going out to eat with my friend Shaun and a couple Dr.'s appointments. I'll post gratuitous food porn shots another day.

So last Sunday.

VegFest in Seattle.

What a blast.

Yummy food and great information and interesting presenters... You all just need to come next year.

I guess it's the largest (or 2nd largest? I heard both statistics) event like this in the country.

It's pretty big. Yeah, like sensory overload. But worth it.

A group of 6 of us went together, 2 vegans (my friend Shaun, and myself), 2 vegetarians (my 2 'Sprouts') and 2 "sometimes-a-tarians"(my friend Sheryl and her son) ...yes, yes, calm down, I know the term is FLEXatarian or whatever, (insert eye-rolling here) but they like this better and I suppose they can call themselves whatever they want, I'm not that into labels.

It was nice to have perspectives other than mine when it came to trying new products. My kids tend to be picky, it was nice to let them try new things without buying an entire BOX and then wasting it... I discovered my littlest Sprout LOVED Nancy's Soy Yogurt and the Bumble Bars. Items I haven't boughten simply because I'm not a fan. My not-quite-vegetarian friend Sheryl loved several of the burgers and the Tofurky sandwich slices, as well as meat-free Potsticker dumplings, all items she hadn't had before.

I think I sampled every available vegan sample - I was stuffed, but what FUN!! (OK, except for the reeeeally green hemp butter. Just a little too "green" for all of us...).

There were a few lacto-ovo items that I wish had been labelled better. The event is run by volunteers and even though they do an INCREDIBLE job, unfortunately, sometimes their product knowledge is limited. I LOVED the Bella Diva Raw almond/coconut oil (I think?) spread or "butter" too. So creamy and slightly sweet. It'd be nice instead of Earth Balance once in a while, I think.

And did I mention we all voted the Field Roast booth our favorite? Well, of course.

My only disappointment was the "Purely Decadent" people - what was up there? Last year was so awesome! Not to fear, there were several other vegan ice-"creams" to sample.

Matthew, my friend's teen-age son, so typical, tries to act like he's seldom impressed by much, but he was our "guinea pig" and volunteered to try anything. He really loved the "Cavi-Art" vegetarian "caviar"... I saw him return for several samples there. Surprising.

It's fascinating and fish-egg-like, but a little TOO caviar-like for me.

Oh!! And Bryanna Clark Grogan was one of the presenters!! So exciting. A REAL celebrity!

She gave the best demonstration for Banana Cream Pie, which I unfortunately don't have a recipe for - think I'll go look on her website. It was fun to see one of my cookbook heros in action though, even if I was in the w-a-y back! She's very entertaining and informative in real life, not that she isn't otherwise, but you know...

Here's HER blog notes about VegFest for a slightly different perspective. We were gonna stop by for an autograph in my "Nonna's Italian Kitchen" book a little later but my kids had had enough of the crowds by then. It WAS crowded. Very.

Speaking of crowds - I saw someone who recognised me from the PPK forums as well, but I didn't have time to stop and ask THEIR name... (kids needing the bathroom don't wait for veggie chit-chat I'm afraid.) So, {sigh} whoever you are, I wasn't being rude, I swear it!!

A good time was had by all.

My not-quite vegetarian friends learned a lot about products they hadn't heard of or tried; my kids got adventurous and sampled new things; And my friend Shaun - also vegan - got to try lots of items he can't find in the stores in his area of the world (Albuquerque).

As you can see, we came home LOADED with "loot" like vegetarian trick-or-treating; PETA stickers, Odwalla bars, tea and coffee and LARA bars!

After VegFesting, my 'Sprouts' were getting a little stir-crazy with the crowds, so we did a little Seattle sight-seeing (*Ooooh, the big city - skyscrapers - traffic - pollution - street people - oh my*) and then went to Whole Foods which, for us, is a treat; almost 2 hours from my house. I go about once a YEAR!

My friend Sheryl, a small-town girl like me, had never been. She was awestruck at the variety, selection and typical Whole Foods "pretty stuff". I SOOO enjoy sharing favorite places with my friends.

Here's hoping each of you had a great weekend and spent time with people you love.

Field Roast (or: VegFest, Part1)

2008-03-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

So we just returned from Seattle's amazing VegFest extravaganza ...and we're dead tired and stuffed to the eyeballs with good and wondrous vegan foods.

...

I'll post the entire story tomorrow, but for now, I have to tell you one little anecdote... this TOTALLY made my day. TOTALLY.

We had just walked into the Exhibit Hall and were dealing with the momentary sensory overload of several hundred bright and colorful booths, with 500 different food samples being cooked, eaten, advertised and given away... Wow.

...

Then, right in front of us I saw a familiar banner. The FIELD ROAST people. (If you haven't tried their amazing - and vegan - "grain meats" well, you MUST, you absolutely must. Best stuff e-v-e-r!!)

My kids and the friends with us immediately rushed over to their booth for (what else?) free samples! OK, we buy the stuff all the time, you'd think we'd leave some for the poor souls who haven't yet had the privilege of indulging... but oh no... there we were, filling our faces.

...

"MMmmm, *snarff*snarff* try the Apple-Sage.. No, the *snorg*snarff* Chipotle is better..."

Flattering. Stuffing our cheeks like chipmunks ...err... sampling all the wondermous sausages (because it's so freakin' GOOD), one of the employees RECOGNIZED my glamorous self and said "You're Tofu Mom! Wait, we have something for you..."

...

For me? Wow. Always nice to be recognised with your mouth full, yeah, maybe it's a BIB!...

...

At this point, let me say, I'd been harassing the poor Field Roast people on their blog for a few weeks, asking and hoping they'd be at VegFest yet again this year. They couldn't let me down - I mean, I'd told only about 6798789 people that they had to sample Field Roast, even if they tried nothing else the whole day!!

...

But, glamorous or not, I was still amazed and surprised they recognised me. So cool!

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Cooler yet, the employee pulled out a Field Roast Tee Shirt. With my "name" on a little sticky on it. (ignore my purse in the background). Look at THAT!

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They'd been saving it there, just for me, with a zillion and twelve other crazy veg people milling around. How very, very SWEET is THAT!?! I was SO excited I may have almost peed my pants.

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My friends teased me about my "celebrity" status, but seriously, that lasted for about thirty seconds...

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The Field Roast peeps though? Made my day. Totally. Lotta love for the Field Roast - YAY!!! Go buy some sausages!!

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(I'd say that even without the tee shirt.) But now I want to stand on a street corner and wave them in the air. And the tee? Well, I WORE it. Duh! Several people asked me if I was an employee. Ha. No. But I have an official (?) shirt, whee. Now I think I'm going to tie-dye it. It's so awesome. Stay tuned.

...

Happy Sunday. More VegFest notes tomorrow!!

My Daughter is in Mozambique.

2008-03-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for long, you'll know my older teens usually spend Spring Break on some sort of mission or service trip.

This year is no exception. They definitely have the "travel bug".

My oldest 'Sprout' is with a group of classmates and teachers, in Mozambique, right now for her Spring Break.

They are constructing some buildings and security fences for a clinic near the town of Maputo, I believe.

For whatever reason, Mozambique seems so much FURTHER away than when she's been on previous trips to Ecuador, Peru, etc... (well, yes, I do realize it actually IS further away.)

Fortunately I've recieved a couple newsy e-mails from her and from the group leader, and it sounds like they're having all SORTS of adventures. (The sort that make me old before my time).

Bugs, wild animals, heat stroke, unexpectedly cold weather, flooding, sunburn (yes, my daughter is the burnt offering of the group, I'm so proud), a broken ankle (not her) and police wielding AK-47 rifles searching their bus. *ACK*

"But Mom, we're having so much FUN!"

Here's a few pictures e-mailed from Maputo, Mozambique. Obviously internet communication (or any sort really) is infrequent and limited. Stay tuned though.

If you're the praying sort, keep the group in your prayers.

I'll post a long and picture-filled update when she returns with her stories and three digital-camera memory cards full (so far).

In Which I Whine (Wine) About Easter...

2008-03-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Keep in mind that my children are not vegan.

And as further warning, if you're violently opposed to the celebration of a Christian holiday rich in culture, tradition, pagan ritual and symbolism.... well, my dear reader, today's blog may be a bit much. Otherwise, consider yourself warned, and enjoy.

...

Now, it so happens that our church operates a food bank, and every Easter season they ask for volunteers to purchase and dye eggs to go in, and decorate, the Easter Dinner food baskets they distribute to less fortunate families. Our family adopted this as an Easter tradition years ago when the girls were too small to even care about bunnies and chocolates, so it's what we do...

Now right here, many of you will insert the argument that I could supply a vegan substitute like plastic eggs, cookies or those Styrofoam craft eggs. And I certainly could.

...

However this is not only a family tradition, but a community service opportunity my kids voluntarily offer to help with; and I'm not going to temper that enthusiasm - they save up their pennies to purchase eggs and dye, and look forward to our egg-dying adventures each year. Plus, the food bank specifically asks for 'real' eggs so who am I to argue. It's the one time every year I'm willing to forgo a vegan kitchen. ..

To my kids' credit, they make sure to buy "cruelty-free" eggs, (which certainly aren't the perfect solution, but hopefully the lesser of many evils involving the poultry business which I won't go into today).

...

I will tell you, we're all just as happy we don't have to eat the eggs. Even though they're not vegan, my kids have never liked eggs and I used to always feel bad when Easter rolled around and they wanted to dye eggs that would just languish away in my fridge. This year even the dog made a gagging sound when we tried to offer him one of the cracked failures......

I have to admit, I love the spring colors and the whole simple science of watching a perfectly white egg turn brilliant purple. My 8-year-old discovered the "magic crayon", which, if you've never dyed eggs, is simply a white crayon that writes invisibly on the egg, but resists the dye, magically creating a message when the eggs come out of the dye.

I know, pretty basic, but so exciting if you're 8-years-old!

She had a great time creating "secret" messages that appeared on the eggs - mostly about her older siblings and their boyfriends. "Sissy loves Mario" or "Jordan hearts Sissy".

Yeah, I'm not sure how amused they were.

...

Then she proudly showed ME the eggs she had thoughtfully created for ME!

Hmmmm... I'm thinking maybe we won't send those along to the church Easter event.

'Tis true though, it took me several glasses to get through the evening! And wine is Biblical, right? I think so.

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At any rate, a fun time was had by all, the eggs are distributed, my kitchen is once again vegan and the mess is cleaned up.

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I'll leave you with a picture of some of the very pretty and all-vegan Easter goodies I got for my older daughters; they claim to be too old for Easter treats, but I heard no complaints Sunday.

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The box is full of vegan chocolate-hazelnut truffles from Rose City Chocolates, they are heavenly!! (The youngest wanted HOTWHEEL cars in her basket so that's what she got! Easier to find, less sugar and and cheaper too!)

No matter how you choose to celebrate, here's hoping each of you had a great weekend and spent time with your family and those you love.

Barbie's Back!

2008-03-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Shameless
self-promotion
here:

BARBIE IS BACK.
"Back from WHERE" you say? Was she ever gone?

My daughter's blog "Adventures of Veggie Barbie and Carnivore Ken" is back up and running after some computer difficulties, a lost camera and lots of homework getting in the way.

Barbie (and Ken) have lots of new veggie adventures planned, never fear.

Tune in over there when you're bored with my blog. She'd love it.

Asparagus, Asparagus, How I Love Thee...

2008-03-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Spring! (I mentioned that already, didn't I?)

One of the reasons I love it? Beautiful, local asparagus is cheap, cheap, cheap right now so I'm taking advantage of the availability of one of my favorite vegetables... and since it's GREEN, I thought it'd be a nice St. Patrick's Day subject. (Sorry, I can't get any more creative than that.)

First though, some fun with vegetables:
AN ASPARAGUS QUIZ

1.) Where was asparagus first grown?
2.) What do asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, and yucca have in common?
3.) What famous king had gardeners grow asparagus in greenhouses so he could eat asparagus year round?
4.) What state grows most of the asparagus in the United States? 5.) Ancient Greeks and Romans believed asparagus had what medicinal qualities?
6.) What kind of climate is best for asparagus?
7.) What are the two main varieties of asparagus?
8.) What civilization cultivated asparagus as an offering to the gods?
9.) In what section of this country was asparagus first grown?
10.) The word "asparagus" is derived from what language? What does it mean in that language?
11.) Does asparagus have aphrodisiac qualities?

I'll give you the answers at the end of this post. No prizes, just pride in the knowledge that you know so much about asparagus!

OK, on to the good stuff...
Our favorite method is simply lay the spears on a cookie sheet, drizzling some olive oil over, a sprinkle of sea salt (try a "fancy" salt here like Hawaiian red salt or smoked sea salt... :swoon:!!) and then oven roast until done. Heaven. And SO easy.

Next up, Asparagus with Pasta. They were MADE to go together.
Here's a super-easy one I made the other night, all measurements are approximate:

Asparagus and Rigatoni

4 servings rigatoni, cooked and drained
3 Tbsp olive oil
About a pound of asparagus, nice thin stalks, washed and cut to the same length as the pasta
1 teaspoon lemon juice - FRESH squeezed
fresh grated lemon zest - just a pinch
pinch of red pepper flakes
About a handful of sun-dried tomatoes OR kalamata olives OR roasted red peppers (or a bit of all three), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
toasted nuts like pecans, hazelnuts or pinenuts

It works out well if you start the asparagus cooking at the same time as adding the pasta to the boiling water.
Heat the oil over med-high heat and add asparagus and red pepper flakes. Saute for 5 minutes, until asparagus just begins to brown a bit. Turn the heat down to low and add sun-dried tomatoes, the lemon juice and zest, and the garlic. Once the garlic begins to brown, remove from heat. Toss with pasta and divide between two bowls. Top with toasted nuts and enjoy.

And here's basically a simpler version of the same thing made with linguine instead. And we skipped the sundried tomatoes. Just asparagus, garlic, lemon, red pepper flakes and pasta... I think you can see a theme here.

Eat up. Asparagus is very low in calories and sodium, but offers a a good deal of potassium, Vit. A, folic acid, B vitamins, copper and zinc. It's also one of the best vegetable sources for Vitamin E.

And I didn't forget the quiz answers:
1.) No one knows for sure. We do know it existed in the Mediterranean area in ancient times.
2.) They are all in the lily family.
3.) Louis XIV of France
4.) California (with WASHINGTON a close second, just thought I'd add that).
5.) Helped to prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.
6.) One where the ground freezes in winter to a depth of two inches or more.
7.) Green and white.
8.) Egyptian.
9.) New England
10.) Greek word meaning "sprout" or "shoot."
11.) Hahaha... All through history asparagus has been trumpeted as an aphrodisiac. A 16th century Arabian love manual gave an asparagus recipe to create a stimulant for amorous desires. In 18th Century France Madame Pompadour had her asparagus concoction for sexual vigor. In his book Food, contemporary writer Waverley Root devotes a section to the sex life of the asparagus.
(Source: Wikipedia; Vegetarians in Paradise; Washington Asparagus Commission)