Brunch last Sunday...

Wheeeeee!

Had an amazing and totally vegan brunch at Tacoma's Hillside Quickie Too last Sunday with my friend, Froggy. How I love going out with friends who enjoy vegan food as much as I do!

OK, Hillside is a little hole-in-the-wall "vegan soul food" restaurant that I just HAD to blog about!!! (They don't exactly have a website, but tons of rave reviews all over the web if you're interested... ).

Not sure how many of you from the greater Pacific Northwest read this blog, but if you're in the area, you GOTTA go!!

Hillside Quickie restaurants (Seattle and Tacoma) are run by siblings from Tacoma, WA. Their mother, a follower of the Rastafarian religion and diet, began a wholesale vegan food business several decades ago.

The menus mainly feature sandwiches and wraps filled with some sort of flavored tofu, tempeh or seitan. Some of the more interesting choices include the Mama Africa which is a quinoa millet burger, the Fire Roasted Yam which comes with smoked seitan and smoked yams, and the Big Fish, a mock fish burger made with breaded tempeh.

They are probably best know for their organic, gourmet vegan sandwiches, especially at the Seattle location(s? I think there are two in Seattle now). From reading reviews on the web, I don't think many people even know about their marvelous Sunday brunch...

Brunch isn't off the menu; you are seated, and served blueberry coffee-cake, juice, coffee and a plate FULL of dee-lish home-fried potatoes, grits, tempeh, spicy fried tofu, spiced apples and...um...other things I can't even remember but it was wonderful!! If it sounds like a lot, well, it is... *burp*

I didn't even THINK to take pictures until we were finished (doesn't Froggy look content and satisfied reading his Sunday paper?) Anyway, if you're into myspace, you can see mouthwatering pictures of many of their goodies here, and fellow blogger Candi visited and took pictures last fall too! There are also pastries, cookies and daily specials including their Macaroni & Yease (made with nutritional yeast. I've had it before too - SOOO yum!).

So, yeah, that's basically all - if you're ever in Tacoma, Washington, you absolutely MUST, MUST, MUST stop here and partake.

Thai Night Out!

Went to Thai with my oldest Sprout, and my girlfriend* Sherrill, tonight. It was fabulous, of course. Woo! No cooking for me!

(*OK, and lest we're confused, that's 'girlfriend' used in the old-fashioned sense, as in: "long-time, platonic, good friend who is a female or girl" not meaning "someone I'm in a romantic relationship with". Sheesh people, can a person not have friends of the same gender without e-mails trying to correct my use of a word describing a relationship. As if it's anyone's business what sort of friends, of what gender, I have anyway.)

Uh, yeah, OK, end of rant...sorry, didn't see that one coming!

Anyway, moving on.

Thai food.

Our little redneck town has been blessed with three wonderfully veg-friendly Thai restaurants, the jewel of which is Ayothaya, a sparkling example of how wonderfully fresh and original Thai food can be - The restaurant is lovely, the staff courteous and fast (they know our names and favorite dishes and greet us like family when we come in the door! This probably speaks more to the amount of times we stop in here rather than their memory skills - heh...) and the food is amazingly delicious, beautiful, and (important for me) affordable.

Now, they do serve regular "omni" dishes, but most everything is "vegan-izable". They don't use fish or shrimp products in their sauces, and they're very contientous and respectful of our family's vegetarian preferences.

(The name "Ayothaya", by the way, comes from the ancient capitol city of Siam, part of what is now Bangkok, Thailand.) If I sound like a restaurant reviewer, it's true - I can't stop raving about this place.

Tonight we had fresh spring rolls with a plum/peanut sauce, Pad Thai, Sen Mei, Panang Curry, some vegetabl-y-basil thing and Pineapple Fried Rice. All of it, amazing and plenty to take home for later.

I got a couple pictures, even though people looked at me oddly. Yay for Thai food.

Superbowl Snacks: (Roasted 'Popcorn'-style Cauliflower, edition 2.0)

So even though I could care less about the game, my kids are fans, and besides, the ads are fun...

We went to a friend's for the afternoon (and for the big screen), and of course, there were all the typical Superbowl type snack items: Nachos, chips, dips, pizza, burgers, veggies and Ranch, etc., etc. We brought pretzels, pita chips, hummus, tortilla chips and salsa (which I didn't get a picture of, since they were pretty standard fare) but, by request, I made my Oven Roasted, "Popcorn"-style, Cauliflower snacks.

Only this time, I figured I could improve on (or at least change) the original recipe with garlic, fresh herbs, etc...
I ended up completely inventing my own version... Everyone went bonkers for the things, even the cheesy burgers-and-beer crowd. And the best part? The kids kept saying "I can't believe I'm eating cauliflower!" I love that!

Since my friends read this blog (Hi Sherrill!) they demanded the recipe show up on their computer screens post-haste (whatever happened to scribbling it out on a good old-fashioned recipe card?).

Make two batches. A 7-year-old can inhale almost an entire batch if left alone, unattended in the kitchen for ten minutes during half-time. Not that I would know from experience or anything...

Oven-Roasted Garlic-and-Herb Cauliflower Bites

1 head cauliflower, broken into little bite-size flower-ettes

2 cloves garlic, peeled

handful fresh herbs (I used a couple sprigs rosemary, parsley and sage that are still growing in my garden)

4 Tbsp. good olive oil

2 cups fine, dry, seasoned breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Break cauliflower into small flower-ettes, about as big around as a quarter.
Place in a large bowl.

Put garlic, herbs and olive oil into bowl of food processor and blend until garlic is completely blended.
Or use an immersion blender in a tall, narrow container to liquify the garlic, oil and herbs.

Pour oil mixture over cauliflower.
Stir until all cauliflower bits are evenly coated.
It actually work better and breaks less cauliflower if you toss with your hands until all the cauliflower is coated evenly.

Pour breadcrumbs over.
Toss carefully again untill all breadcrumbs are stuck on to cauliflower. Depending on how dry the crumbs are, or other factors, you might need more crumbs.
The cauliflower bites should be evenly coated and dry.
Lift carefully onto a shallow sided 9 X 12 baking pan.
Roast 10 - 15 minutes or until tender-soft when pierced with a fork.

Serve with vegan ranch or my kids eat 'em with ketchup :P
Happy Weekend y'all.

Olivia's Incredibly Famous Breakfast Potatoes and 'Brats'.

So my 13-year-old "middle Sprout" considers herself quite the cook (OK, I admit, she's an awesome cook in her own right).

Tonight for supper she wanted to make her "famous" potatoes and decided they belonged in Mom's (my) food blog. Her potatoes ARE famous - or at least very-frequently-requested among friends and family. And believe me, they're NOT just for breakfast, though for some reason, that's what we've always called them.

Anyone spending the night at our place is usually treated to these babies the next morning. And what a treat they are. Perfectly seasoned, melt-in-your-mouth crispy-brown home-fried potatoes with chunks of vegan bratwurst-style "Bavarian sausage" and onion. Mmmm.

I've had so many people ask for the "secret" to the recipe, but as far as I can tell, there really isn't any great "secret", just a little time, patience and taste-testing... I think most of us just don't take the time to actually COOK real home-fried potatoes anymore, relying instead on those frozen, microwaved, flash-cooked, pressed-together atrocities that fast food places try to pass off as "potatoes". Blehh...

OK, I swear not everything we make around here is FRIED (there's the evil word yet again) though for some reason the last few posts have all mentioned the word. *sigh* What can I say? We go on jags. Doesn't everyone?
The "bratwurst" added to these are a newer vegan "sausage" product made by the Canadian company, Yves. They can be hard to find, but it happens to be the one brand my kids really like, so that's what we use here. Never gotten any complaints, even from those omnivores who've eaten (gobbled) these. Use whatever product you prefer, or skip them, though they do add a nice touch.

So... the potatoes. I paid attention this time (actually when my kids are in the kitchen, I always pay attention), took notes and pictures, and here ya go!!

Breakfast (or anytime!) Potatoes and Brats

6 Yukon Gold Potatoes, boiled until barely tender.
1 sweet onion (like a Maui or Walla Walla)
2 or 3 Yves vegan bratwurst (Bavarian sausage-style) links, "classic" flavor

coconut oil
Lawry's (or similar style) all-purpose seasoned salt
garlic and onion powder
black pepper

In my daughter's words, (she imagines herself the next Food Network star...) here's what you do:
"These work best in an electric skillet. I don't know why, just do them that way. That's the secret.
To start, melt a spoonful (about 1 Tbsp.) coconut oil in the electric skillet - only use coconut oil. Nothing else works right.

Then, since onions hurt your eyes, have your Mom cut the onion into smallish chunk-things. (Take off the peel of the onion first of course). Put the onion in the skillet. Turn the heat on low while you cut up the potatoes. The onions should barely be turning clear when you add the potatoes.

For the potatoes: While they're still warm from boiling, cut the potatoes into medium-large chunks. Like each potato is cut into about ten pieces or so. Put in the pan with the onions and turn heat up to med. high.

Cover pan and cook about 5 min (check a couple times until you get the hang of how hot your pan is...) until getting nicely crisp and med brown on the bottom. Turn in big "sections" don't break them up. (All the potatoes and onions will stick together but that's OK) Leave alone, covered for another 5 minutes or so until the next side browns.

While the potatoes brown, cut the sausage into thick slices.

Now stir and break the large "sections" of potatoes and onions apart and then 'smoosh' them all flat in the pan. Season to taste, a couple good shakes (a little more heavily than you might think you need) with Season salt, garlic and onion powders and black pepper. Gently stir seasonings in.
Put sausage pieces in the pan and stir in and 'smoosh' flat again. Brown the potatoes on one side again, and turn after a few minutes again. Do this a couple more times, stirring and breaking apart and gently 'smooshing' until potatoes are falling-apart with crusty brown pieces and the sausages are browned too..
Serve with lots of ketchup and Tabasco."

New Mexico, Pineapple Tamales and stuff

Can't believe it's already April! Just got back from a wonderful (and W-A-Y too short) week in New Mexico.

Let's see - we sorta played 'tourist' for part of the time - went to Carlsbad Caverns which was SOO cool, and visited the Alien Museum in the tacky-tourist town of Roswell (home of rumored alien landings) and of course spent time in Albuquerque.

Of course, we had several cooking adventures while there, one of my favorite was the tamales. I'd made them a couple times at home, but this time, we made a really good variation - PINEAPPLE tamales. Emril made some on Food Network a while back that intrigued me, but they had raisins in them. We left those out. We also subbed coconut oil for the lard. Obviously!

OK, so they turned out pretty yummy, though maybe a wee bit bland. I think I'd like to try them again, and maybe spice them up - put a little cilantro and jalapeno in just for the heck of it...who knows...

We froze the extra ones, there was no way we could eat all of what the recipe made - it says it makes 24. 24 by whose measurement, I'd like to know - I swear it made about 50!

Pineapple Tamales

1 8-ounce package dried cornhusks
1 medium-size fresh ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into rough cubes

8 ounces (1 cup) coconut oil, slightly softened but not at all runny
1 1/3 cups sugar
Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 pounds (about 4 cups) fresh coarse-ground corn masa for tamales

OR 3 1/2 cups dried masa harina for tamales mixed with 2 1/4 cups hot water

1. Cover the husks with very hot water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged, and let stand for a couple of hours until the husks are pliable.
For forming the tamales, separate out 24 of the largest and most pliable husks—ones that are at least 6 inches across on the wider end and 6 or 7 inches long. If you can’t find enough good ones, overlap some of the large ones to give wide, sturdy surfaces to spread the batter on. Pat the chosen husks dry with a towel.

2. Prepare the batter. In a food processor or blender, coarsely puree the pineapple. Measure out 2 cups puree. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the coconut oil with the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and the baking powder until light and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes. Continue beating as you add the masa (fresh or reconstituted) in three additions. Reduce the speed to medium-low, then add the 2 cups pineapple puree. Continue beating for another minute or so, until a 1/2-teaspoon dollop of the batter floats in a cup of cold water (if it floats you can be sure the tamales will be tender and light).
Beat in a little additional water if needed to give the mixture the consistency of soft (not runny) cake batter; it should hold its shape in a spoon.
For the lightest textured tamales, refrigerate the batter for an hour or so, then rebeat, adding enough additional water to bring the mixture to the soft consistency it had before.
3. Set up the steamer. Steaming 24 husk-wrapped tamales can be done in batches in a collapsible vegetable steamer set into a large, deep saucepan. (I use my rice cooker/steamer) To steam them all at once, you need something like the kettle-size tamal steamers used in Mexico or Asian stack steamers, or you can improvise by setting a wire rack on 4 coffee or custard cups in a large kettle.
It is best to line the rack or upper part of the steamer with leftover cornhusks to protect the tamales from direct contact with the steam and to add more flavor. Make sure to leave tiny spaces between the husks so condensing steam can drain off.
4. Form the tamales.

(OK, I admit - I borrowed this paragraph from a tamale-making website)

Cut twenty-four 8 or 10-inch pieces of string or thin strips of cornhusks. One at a time, form the tamales: Lay out one of your chosen cornhusks with the tapering end toward you. Spread about 1/4 cup of the batter into a 4-inch square, leaving at least a 1 1/2-inch border on the side toward you and a 3/4-inch border along the other sides (with large husks, the borders will be much bigger). Pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and bring them together. If the uncovered borders of the two long sides you’re holding are narrow, tuck one side under the other; if wide, then roll both sides in the same direction around the tamal. (If the husk is small, you may feel more comfortable wrapping the tamal in a second husk.) Finally, fold up the empty 1 1/2-inch section of the husk (to form a tightly closed "bottom," leaving the top open), and secure it in place by loosely tying one of the strings or strips of husk around the tamal. As they’re made, stand the tamales on their folded bottoms in the prepared steamer. Don’t tie the tamales too tightly or pack them too closely in the steamer. They need room to expand.
5. When all the tamales are in the steamer, cover them with a layer of leftover cornhusks; if your husk-wrapped tamales don’t take up the entire steamer, fill in the open spaces with loosely wadded aluminum foil (to keep the tamales from falling down). Set the lid in place and steam over a constant medium heat for about 1 1/4 hours.

Watch carefully that all the water doesn’t boil away and, to keep the steam steady, pour boiling water into the pot when more is necessary.
Tamales are done when the husk peels away from the masa easily. Let tamales stand in the steamer off the heat for a few minutes to firm up. For the best textured tamales, let them cool completely, then re-steam about 15 minutes to heat through.