Mmm-mmm-masala beans and rice

I've been writing a paper and I couldn't make it to the store. So this is what I threw together with what I had in the house, and it turned out pretty well.

Mmm-mmm-masala beans and rice

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c brown rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 c vegetable broth
1/3 c water
1 Tbsp masala powder
1/2 c raisins

Put olive oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and soften for 2 minutes or so, until the onions are translucent. Add rice, black beans, broth, water, and masala powder, and stir. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached, cover and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer for 35 minutes.

After the 35 minutes, add the raisins and stir, patting down flat after the raisins are mixed in well. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Uncover and turn off the heat. Stir to fluff and let sit for about 5 minutes. Eat up.

Picture later.

Much love,
M.E.

BU Today - How to feed a vegan

http://www.bu.edu/today/node/7874

Another nice post from BU Today. Don't mind the ass that comments at the bottom. I seriously don't understand why it is that people think it's okay to interpret "don't boil a baby in its mother's milk" as don't eat flesh and dairy together and then hosts will accomodate those guests, but when someone thinks that torturing and murdering animals is wrong, well, those guests are ridiculous and inconsiderate of the host!

much love,
M.E.

Coming attractions

Recipes for brownie cupcakes, tofu scramble, chocolate chip blueberry pancakes, red velvet cake, and s'more cupcakes coming soon.

For Emma

Mike's grandmother died this morning. We knew it would be sometime this week or next, but it's still very sad. Tonight was comfort food night.

And so... another, bigger badder better version of macaroni and cheeze.

M.E.'s Noodle Comfort

1 lb pasta of your choosing
1 c plain, unsweetened soy milk
1/4 c liquid aminos or tamari or soy sauce
1 c nutritional yeast
2 tsp paprika
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp vegesal or salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 block of firm (not silken) tofu
1/2 c canola or vegetable oil
1/4 c Earth Balance
1 tsp mustard

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles to your liking. While the noodles are cooking, put all of the other ingredients in a blender/food processor (order does not matter), and blend until smooth.

Place drained noodles in a baking dish and pour sauce over noodles. Mix together with a spatula, and then flatten out the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top browns a bit.

This is salty and garlicy with the full amounts in there, so you could even eliminate the salt if you want. Maybe next time I'll try using fresh garlic, too. Goodness knows I have enough around the house.

I like not using the term "cheese" or anything like it. People who are looking for another flavor will miss the awesomeness of this dish. Mike and his bro like this dish better than the Mac Daddy.

In other news, tonight at dinner, Mike said, "I no longer fear tofu." He has also recently said that he doesn't understand vegetarians who aren't vegan because they're not really aligned with their values. I was "ovo-lacto" for a long time, but I get his point. Obviously, I'm vegan now. Anyway, at least if he doesn't agree with me, he's admitting how right and awesome I am according to my own beliefs. Go, me.

Hey, two days in a row. Consider yourself blessed.

much love,
M.E.

Lots of food

So, as you know, I eat food every day, several times a day. Thus, it has been sheer laziness that has lead to a lack of posts.

Tonight I made a really good meal that took only about an hour and 15 minutes to make-- not bad for the quality of outcome, some num-num General Tao's Tofu. It would have taken less time if I had started the rice earlier, so all in all, this could probably be done in 45-60 minutes.

The rice noodle I attempted (soaked in water, really) was not so good, so I'll stick to rice in the future.

I've been trying my hand at all sorts of dishes. Here, you can see a salad (with dried cranberries and almonds), edamame, cornbread, rice pilaf-thing, and broccoli and cheeze. When Mike ate this and told me, "You've proved what I've thought for a long time: there is no real cheese in movie theater 'nacho cheese.'"

I started off with a Tbsp of Earth Balance and a Tbsp of AP flour over medium heat until melted and blended. Then, add 1c soy milk and whisk over medium/medium-high heat. Then, I gradually whisked in about 2/3 to 3/4 of a package of Vegan Gourmet cheddar. Eventually, it thickens. It will congeal to a solid mass when it cools, but just heat it up and it is good as new. Add in a little bit with some white rice, and it is mighty tasty. No, it's not really good for you, but when you have a craving, it may just hit the spot.

I'll try to get up the recipe for the rice pilaf. It's pretty yummy.

I'm still trying out different bread recipes. I've found some good sweet breads, but nothing good for the day-to-day. I did find one, but it's just not the same with WW flour. Maybe I'll try letting it go for 2 hours each time to rise rather than the 45 minutes they say you can get away with.

And here are some sweets to ogle

Sorry if you've seen some before.

much love,

M.E.

Don't worry...

I haven't forgotten about you.

I've been cooking vegan dishes like a madwoman, I just keep forgetting to take pictures!

New (and oh-so-yummy) recipes will be up soon.

Baked Tofu Stir-fry

I went to a restaurant in NYC last weekend, and I got this sandwich with baked tofu. I loved the texture so much, I decided to make and use some this weekend.

Baked Tofu Stir-fry

1 lb. extra firm tofu (regular, not silken)

about 3 Tbsp Tamari/Soy sauce

1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 c warm water

2 Tbsp olive or hot sesame oil (depends how spicy you want it)

1.5 c fresh/frozen broccoli florets

1/2 c fresh/frozen peas

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain your block of tofu and then cut it into four 1/4-inch thick slabs. Brush both sides of each slab with tamari sauce, set on cookie sheet and let marinade for 10 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch, water, and leftover tamari sauce in a bowl.

Bake tofu for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and a little crunchy on the outsides. Then, cut each slab into 16 equal-sized pieces (4 by 4), and place into a large pan with the oil, broccoli, and peas. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes (depending on whether frozen is used), then place tofu, broc, and peas into a bowl or plate to the side.

Whisk cornstarch mix quickly again before adding it to the pan, along with the rest of the ingredients. Put on Medium-Low heat until simmers, for about a minutes. Then, add tofu and veggies, cover, and let cook for 2 minutes.

Stir well and serve with whatever rice or noodles you please.

Mmmm... Mike liked the texture a lot better than reg tofu. I bought some sauces to try making my own baked tofu sammiches. I'll let you know how those turn out when I get around to making them!

much love,

M.E.