Recently enjoyed a great asian-inspired meal:
Simple Tofu Stir-fry
It was great paired with Matty G's most excellent Kombucha:
There has been quite a bit of Kombucha brewing going on in our little house the last few months. I feel spoiled, considering that thanks to The Lindsay Lohan/ Whole Foods controversy, I can't find it sold anywhere! Perhaps a bit of good will come from the situation and more people will begin to home-brew the nutritious elixir of yum.
Happy Memorial Day!
Tangy barbeque, beers clinking, and lots of bug-off - the tastes, sounds, and scents that spell out the beginning of summer!
All the babes gathered up on our front porch to eat, drink, and be merry. Jordan grilled up some delicious barbequed seitan and we were all too happy to gobble it down. Here she is in action, slathering up her babe-backed ribs with some Gates. Cookin' mama.
So delicious! You can recreate your own using this seitan recipe, pouring on the BBQ sauce of your choice (our favorite is this local KC original), and sticking it on the grill.
Anita, Alicia, Jeff, Dan, Robert and I pitched in some side dishes, local Boulevard beer, and good cheer to make for a happy porch party.
Some yummy pasta salad courtesy of Alicia!
Bring on the greens! Local arugula, belgian endive, roasted red pepper and onion, and crunchy sliced almonds make one heck of a salad. Jordan also made a delicious mix of garbanzos, fresh parsley, black olives, and red onion.
No bones about it.
Anita lounging in the good weather.
I look forward to more porch-related activities this summer (potlucks, harvesting the little porch garden I've got going on, and some nice general lounging and reading afternoons away.) Until then, thank you all for bringing on the love and goodies! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
Some yummy and simple seitan burgers! I served mine up on a large, sturdy, and toasted english muffin with sautéed local onion and kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, ketchup, and mustard. Of the trinity of vegan proteins-tempeh, tofu, and seitan-seitan is my favorite to both prepare and eat. It's made of vital wheat gluten and is an incredible source of protein. It's also really fun to watch the transformation of the wheat gluten flour as you prepare the seitan, it morphs from fine white flour into an almost chicken-like texture. It's also incredibly delicious!
I used the recipe for simple seitan from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It's featured in two of her cookbooks, Vegan with A Vengeance and Veganomicon. You can also find it here.
Here's the recipe:
Equipment:
Large ceramic or glass bowl, Smaller bowl for liquid ingredients, Skillet (Cast Iron is best), Large soup pot with lid.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 cup very cold water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Simmering Broth
10 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together Vital Wheat Gluten Flour and nutritional yeast flakes.
In a seperate bowl, mix together reamining ingredients: water or veg broth, soy sauce. tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula, knead dough for about 3 minutes until a spongy, elastic dough is formed. Let dough rest for a couple of minutes and prepare your broth, but don't start boiling it.
Now roll your dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the water/broth be very cold when you add the dough, it helps with the texture and ensures that it doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil.
When the water has come to a boil set the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour, turning the peices every now and again.
Now you've got gluten. Let it cool in the simmering broth for at least a half an hour. It is best if it cools completely.
What you do next depends on the recipe you are using. If it calls for gluten use it as is. If you want to store some of it for later use put it in a sealable container covered in the simmering broth.
If your recipe calls for seitan cut your peices up as desired. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for the frying because it produces the best flavor and texture. Use as little oil as possible to coat the bottom of the skillet, 1 teaspoon may suffice. Heat the skillet over medium high and add your gluten. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. And there you have it. Yummy seitan.
Spring is officially on! Let the picnics and potlucks commence!
Here is some food porn for ya from a family dinner we had last night.
Caribbean-Inspired Baked Tofu
(with Tangerine, Rum, and Pineapple Flavors) served with kiwis!
Shredded Roasted Beet, Roasted Parsnip, Pineapple and Fresh Mint Salad (based on a recipe from Veganomicon)
My yummy potluck plate. (Clockwise from Front) Matt's yummy quinoa concoction, Jojo's grilled kale and potatoes, Jojo's jerk tofu, caribbean tofu from above, kiwi, Shredded Salad from above, Jojo's roasted eggplant.
Can you say fat happy?
Now that the majority of my closest friends live under the same roof, we decided that we should try to get together for a family dinner once in awhile. Here's a peek of some of the goods we've made and enjoyed together so far.
Matt's Avocado, Parsley, and Garlic Brusectta
Spicy Baked Potatoes and Beet Green Salad with Slivered Almonds
Jordan's Mushroom, Cabbage, and Lentil Soup
Jordan and Anita's delicious Stuffed Green Peppers with, Tomatoes, Spinach, Sweet Yellow Onions and Chili
Anita's Amazing Bharta (Eggplant Curry)
No, no kitty. Not for you.
Anita was all smiles, as always.
Time to dig in!
Pistachios on Pizza?! Oh heck yes.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched The Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate while breaking a sweat at the gym. (Does anyone else enjoy watching The Food Network or other cooking shows while exercising? It sort of seems like a contradictory idea, but I find it to be incredibly motivating.) This particular episode focused on the favorite pizzas of famous chefs and other TV foodie personalities. One of the chefs on the show mentioned an excellent red onion and pistachio pizza that he loved to eat. I was intrigued by the idea, and thought it was a good candidate for a little veganizing experiment.
The combination of red onions and pistachios seems genius to me. I love pizzas with just a couple of ingredients that have a chance to really stand out and speak for themselves. Plus the color combination of the light olive-colored crushed pistachios and purple-y red onion rings was gorgeous.
Robert and I whipped up a yummy crust and sauce, and then added my new favorite ingredient, the amazing Daiya Vegan Cheese I ordered from Vegan Essentials. I know, I know, I'm the last vegan in the world to try the stuff, but I'm so glad I finally did! While there are plenty of good vegan cheeses on the market, Daiya was by far the best I've used to date. It melts and tastes just like real cheese, and even creates that awesome string-y effect that happens when you pull two pieces of pizza apart. Robert even said, "Wow, I would have never known..." Yum!
Such a great product. It is free from common allergens such as soy, casein, lactose, gluten, egg, wheat, barley, corn, whey, rice, and nuts. So what's in it? Mostly tapioca and arrowroot powders and non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil. The all-natural ingredients and vitamin B-12 (the only vitamin vegans don't get in their diet,) make ya feel good about putting it in your body!
This past weekend Robert and I dined at Esquina, a new Latin-American restaurant in Lawrence. Esquina occupies the southwest corner (hence the name) of 8th and Massachusetts downtown in the building where Round Corner Pharmacy and the Cheese and Salami Shoppe use to be. I heard through the grapevine that they had several vegan dishes on the menu, so I was pretty excited to try them out.
The interior of the building is stunning. The first thing one sees when they open the door is a pretty impressive bar, jutting out in a semi-circle and decorated with large jars of tropical fruit infused liquors. A young, hip vibe is provided by an exposed stone wall, trendy light fixtures, and bright green walls. Unlike so many hip hangouts, Esquina doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. It's relaxed and inviting, and one could just as easily expect to see a few business men, a young family, or some of the Lawrence's favorite un-categorize-ables.
Esquina is a Taqueria, but because it was open by the amazing minds of local chefs Robert and Molly Krause, the combinations of ingredients and flavor components brilliantly break the rules of your normal taco-toppings. You can order a taco a la carte for $3, or you can get a basket of three (you have the option of mixing-and-matching) for $7.95. They also have a few other items such as salads and soups, desserts including churros, and drinks like caipirinhas.
I ordered a taco basket with two chorizo-style tofu tacos, and one featuring peruvian-style purple potatoes and roasted garlic. The verdict: The peruvian potato taco was to die for. The tofu taco had a nice flavor, but it was a little dry for my tastes. Mid-meal I ordered a side of salsa (which was also really yummy) and slathered it on top of the tofu. The topping really helped with the dryness, and overall I had a great meal.
Dinner tonight was a remake of an old favorite. My mom likes to tell a story about a young Shannon stuffing her face with ten sloppy joes in one sitting. Really, she swears it was ten. I'm really hoping she's exaggerating 'cause I was a stick-thin kid. I don't know how that much food could have possibly fit into such a little body.
All I know is, I loved me some sloppy joes. It was really wonderful to remake the dish with a more sophisticated, dare I say, snobby flair. Red lentils, green pepper, onions, tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, and some spicy mustard made their way into this tasty sandwich.
Snobby Joes
from Veganomicon (Yeah, I've been all about that cookbook lately.)
I served it open faced on top of a toasted wheat bun with a pickle and a big side salad. It was amazing and totally transported me back to my childhood. One was enough to make me feel like a was bursting at the seams. I can't imagine trying to shovel nine more into my belly. Damn little kids and their fast metabolisms!
So tell me: What were some of your favorite childhood foods? Anything you couldn't help gobbling down until your tummy ached? Do you still like these foods now?
Gingered Baby Bok Coy
with Crispy Shallots, Dried Apricot, and Dried Cranberries
Served with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes loosely based from Veganomicon
I've been pretty swamped the past few weeks, so honestly, a lot of what I've been eating is not so photo-worthy. It's been a of quick meals eaten on the run, although I think I've perfected the art of jazzing-up a boca burger in fifteen minutes flat.
Still, there were some yummy dishes created around here that are in need of sharing:
Autumn Root Salad with Warm Maple-Fig Dressing From Veganomicon
This scrumptious salad is incredibly filling and features roasted beets, sweet and purple potatoes. The combination of all these root-veggies gives a really nice, earthy taste to the salad, but the real show-stopper here is the dressing. With maple syrup, plenty of figs, balsamic vinegar, and a tad of dijon mustard served up nice and warm, you'll want to eat this dressing like a soup!
Vegan Gurrrl-Scout Style Thin Mints
Thin Mints! Need I say more?
Plenty of Loaves of Home-Made Bread
Our poor bread-maker had been lying dormant for ages, but we finally decided to bust it out a few weeks ago. Since then, bread has been vanishing around here in record time ,and we're excited to experiment with different additions of grains, fruits, and nuts.
artist, vegan, and waiter of tables in a lovely patch of the Great Plains.
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