I Am My Own Movie Star

Mmm-mmm-masala beans and rice

2008-12-09T18:13:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

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

For Emma

2008-07-08T20:17:00.008-04:00

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

2008-07-07T20:02:00.008-04:00

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...

2008-01-29T15:39:00.001-05:00

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

2007-11-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

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.

Mmmm Cheezecake

2007-11-15T21:24:00.000-05:00

O-me-ga...

Chocolate Cheezecake

6 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup non-dairy semisweet chocolate chips
24 oz nondairy cream cheese at room temp (I used Tofutti)
3/4 granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 crust of your choice in 9" pie pan or 9" springform pan

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil pan if using springform.

Whip egg replacer and water, with whisk, handmixer, or food processor until thick and creamy. Set aside.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (you can make your own easily if you don't have one).

Use an electric mixer to blend the sugar, cream cheese, and egg replacer mix until smooth. Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix with mixer until color is consistent throughout. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake for 50 minutes until the center barely jiggles when the pan is tapped.

Cool on a rack for an hour, then refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.

Colleen rocks. This recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking. The pages already stick together. I don't think I baked it long enough, but it was yummy anyway, and there's no risk of those yucky things that make you sick from eggs.

much love,
M.E.

BU Today does something worthwhile

2007-11-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/news-cms/news/?dept=4&id=47637&template=4

Veg(eteri)an options for Thanksgiving... I'll have to try that turkey-free turkey sometime when I'm feeding 10!!!

~M.E.

Southwestern night, followed by cookies

2007-11-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

Southwesten corn pudding, chile cornmeal-crusted tofu, and Green Pumpkin-seed Mole as a sauce. The sauce was better a couple hours later with the tofu, and the casserole was amazing. While it was cooking, I just wanted to eat it as it was. It smelled SOOOOO good. The corn was from ears I bought at Haymarket this morning. Mmmmm...

But, the best is the veganization or my favorite cookies. Mike said, "These are better than your non-vegan cookies!" Recipe below.

Perfect-World Vegan Neiman Marcus cookies

2 cups Earth Balance buttery spread

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups brown sugar

6 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer

8 Tbsp warm water

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)

1 tsp. salt

24 oz. chocolate chips

1-3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

1 8 oz. vegan chocolate bar or more vegan chocolate chips

Cream the Earth balance and both sugars (I use a potato masher). Whisk Ener-G Egg Replacer and warm water until mixed thoroughly and frothy. Add mixture and vanilla to creamed sugar and buttery spread; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Grate chocolate bar or 1/3 cup of chips over mixture and mix everything in. Roll into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes at 375 degrees. Yields about 100 cookies.

And now... I have a crapload of cookies. Yummy, yummy vegan cookies.

much love,
M.E.

Replacing cheese in Mac-n-cheese

2007-11-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

So, if anyone knows me, I have a love for cheese. However, the abuse and cruelty that is assiciated with cheese is just not worth it for me.

And this dish gives me hope. It's my new addiction.

'Mac D(a/i)ddy' (from a couple of books, latest in Veganomicon)

Double recipe Cheezy Sauce (below)
3/4 to 1 pound small, macaroni-ish pasta of your choice, I like the swirly stuff
1 lb extra-firm tofu
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Boil a pot of water for your pasta and cook the pasta as the directions say. In the meantime, prepare the cheezy sauce.

Preheat oven to 325 F. When the pasta is ready, drain and set aside. When sauce is ready, begin assembling.

Squeeze the water out of the tofu by hand in chunks and then crumble into an 11x13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Mash the tofu by hand until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add salt, olive oil, and lemon juice, then stir.

Add 1/2 cup cheezy sauce and stir- it doesn't need to be exact. Add the pasta to the tofu along with 3 more cups of sauce, and stir well.

Smoothe the top of the pasta mixture and press it down with a spatula to level it. Pour the rest of the sauce on top and smooth again.

Bake for 30 minutes, then let cool for about 20 minutes.

Cheezy Sauce (to be eaten in all sorts of ways, not just in this baked dish... seriously)
[Don't forget to DOUBLE this for the Mac Daddy]

2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of dried thyme (crumble in your fingers)
1/4 tsp salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (I find mine in bulk bins at Whole Foods)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1tsp prepared yellow mustard

Combine the broth and the flour and whisk until dissolved (I use a whisk, but you can use a fork).

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for 2 minutes or so, stirring often and careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt and pepper, and cook another 15 seconds. Add broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast and raise heat to medium. Use a whisk and stir constantly. It should start to thicken in about 3 minutes (a couple more if you've doubled the recipe, but don't worry, you'll get there), if it doesn't, raise the heat a little.

Once it is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Add lemon juice and mustard. It'll look like a thick, melty cheese sauce- as it should! Salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and cover until you need to use. The top may thicken, but just stir it some and it's A-OK. Serve warm.

Seriously, this dish is love. For anyone who's like "I don't like tofu," this is great. The tofu totally absorbs the flavor of the sauce, and it's so small when crumbled and mixed up, Mike didn't even know he was eating tofu.

I don't have any tofu on hand, but I'll post a pic as soon as I can make some. When I make a pan, I can't stop eating it. Oh man... making me hungry...

much love,
M.E.

Vegan dinner on the fly

2007-11-03T19:56:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my vegan cooking/knitting/whatev blog. There are a million others out there, but this is mine.

Today, I was supposed to have two friends over to make a big vegan meal, but one got sick and the other went to a review session and realized she really needed to study. So, I had the ingredients for only one part of the original meal- the chickpea cutlets.

I picked these out of the Veganomicon because of the picture. They looked hearty, something the meat-eating boys would like. Without the other items, I decided to pair it up with a vegetable... and peas seemed just right. The picture in the book had a sauce on it, but there wasn't one listed in the recipe. So, the trusty internet provided me with a gravy recipe... which I accidentally didn't follow properly but it turned out really well. I baked the cutlets, by the way, so that they wouldn't have as much fat... futile I suppose after adding the gravy.

Main Dish

Chickpea Cutlets
Makes 4 cutlets

1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for panfrying

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick or castiron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 x 4-inch rectangular shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands, then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these, too! Baking these patties gives them a toothsome, chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat overn to 375, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes until firm and golden-brown.

Gravy (as I made it)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3-6 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 yellow onion, diced or minced
1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:
Measure the vegetable oil into a small saucepan. Cook the garlic and onion in it for about two minutes on medium or medium-low heat, until the onion is a bit tender and translucent.
Add the flour, yeast, and soy sauce to make a paste. Add the water gradually, stirring constantly. Bring the gravy to a boil on medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly -- the gravy has to boil for it to thicken. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Add pepper. Add salt, if desired.

Serve hot.

Mmmm... I'll try to get pictures up... The cutlets are good, the gravy is amazing. And peas are a blessing.

much love,
M.E.

P.S. Oh yeah- new do!!