vegan Archive

bittersweet.

A while ago, I was in the produce section of the grocery store, pondering possible vegetable choices for dinner. Out of the blue, an East Indian woman approached me and she started talking to me as if we knew each other. She talked at length about her thoughts on food and cooking. She told me that energy flows through everything – through me, through the vegetables I was holding in my hands, through all parts of life – and that I needed to think about these things when I prepare food. She told me that I needed to cook with love, and that when people eat the food I make – they will literally be able to taste love.

Granted, a lot of what this woman said made no sense to me at all. In my typical American fashion, I was in a hurry and was in no mood for a 20 minute conversation in the middle of the produce section. But on days like today, when I approach cooking (and life) with a heavy heart, that I wonder about what she said. When I am sad, can you taste it in my food? When I feel love in great abundance, can you feel it in every bite? I don’t know. Somehow I doubt it, but I also want it to be true. It seems that food has become my art form, my one great artistic expression of myself. I am not a writer, I am not a painter, I am not a musician. But I still feel the need to express my creative viewpoint. And for now, that creativity is manifesting itself through cooking. I am not sure what that means, exactly. But I do know that I want to cook with love. And I want that love to be felt – however that may be.

That being said, it was with a heavy heart that I made a small batch of (vegan) lemon and ginger scones. While they sound like a bright and chipper recipe (and they are!), I was in no such place. I made the scones for my little sister’s bridal shower. And, of course, a bridal shower is usually a very happy thing. But, alas, my sister is currently in Uganda (and is getting married to her sudanese fiancee in Uganda), and therefore was not able to attend her own shower. I can’t go to the wedding and I don’t know when my sister will be home. I miss her terribly, and I think about her often. And while the shower was to celebrate her marriage to Stephen (which is a beautiful and wonderful thing), I still felt sad. I felt guilty for not being able to afford a plane ticket to Africa. I felt lousy that I have planned so many friends weddings in my lifetime, and yet here I am across the planet for my sister, unable to help at all. Throwing a shower and making some scones seems like such a small gesture when your baby sister is getting married.

Alas, I put on a brave face and I made some scones and I helped throw a shower. And you know what? It was delightful. It was such a lovely mix of family and friends, all there to support Candyce in her African wedding. We told stories, we laughed, we cried – and, of course we ate scones. Sometimes life is bittersweet like that. I suppose maybe its appropriate that lemon and ginger scones were my pastry of choice. A little bit bitter, but mostly sweet. (And…most of the attendees didn’t even know the scones were vegan. I’m tricky like that).

I won’t pretend that these scones are some great metaphor for my sister’s African wedding. But I do know that I made them with love – even if that love was tainted with a little bit of sadness. And, if I do say so myself…the scones were quite tasty. With recipes like these, Orthodox Lent hasn’t been that bad. Honestly, I’m really enjoying the vegan diet. That being said, here is the recipe. And, here is to Candyce and Stephen and their upcoming nuptials! I love you both.

(Vegan) Lemon Ginger Scones
(Adapted from this recipe from Vegan Yum Yum)
(Note: This recipe can be made the “normal” way by substituting butter for margarine and milk for soy milk. Also, I served the scones with lemon curd which is definitely not vegan, but super delicious on the scones! You can purchase lemon curd at Trader Joes or you can make it from scratch. Here is my recipe. )

2 Cups All- Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/3 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
3 Tbs Maple Syrup (or regular sugar)
1/2 Cup Soymilk
2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl (flour through zest). Mix the wet ingredients together (syrup, soymilk and lemon juice) in a separate small bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a fork (I always just use my fingers), blend the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab 3/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2″ diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.

Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of earth balance margarine and lemon juice. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with lemon zest and granulated sugar (I used raw sugar as I like the texture and look).

(vegan) caesar salad

Lets just get this out on the table first and foremost: yes, I know. Vegan caesar salad seems redundant, to say the very least.

Needless to say, I did not seek out a recipe for a vegan version of Caesar salad. I would rather eat things that taste good and happen to be vegan – rather than try to force a non-vegan dish to be vegan. However, while poking around for good recipes I stumbled across this Caesar salad recipe on (yet again) 101 Cookbooks. Normally, I would have passed over this recipe – because, lets be honest – vegan Caesar doesn’t necessarily sound all that appetizing. But, in glancing at the recipe the ingredients in the dressing immediately stood out: garlic, almonds, lemon, and capers. I decided that I didn’t care if this salad tasted like Caesar salad or not, I just wanted a dressing made from that combination of ingredients.

I don’t expect many (or any?) of you to make this recipe. I assume that when you want homemade Caesar salad, you’ll make the normal version. But, if raw egg and anchovies freak you out a little (I’ll admit it…they scare me a little too), this recipe is a great (and tasty) alternative to the traditional Caesar. The key ingredient in this recipe is the capers (and the caper brine) as they give the dressing that delicious briny flavor (i.e. the anchovy flavor) you’re looking for in a Caesar salad. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the vegan caesar. And, it tasted surprisingly like real caesar salad (you definitely walk away from this salad with insane garlicky-caesar breath)! I asked Nich if this is a recipe that we should continue to make post-Lent and he gave a hearty YES. So, there you have it, folks. My husband would eat vegan Caesar salad even after Lent is over. I think that means this recipe a winner.

(vegan) caesar salad

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks (who adapted it from Veganomicon)

Caesar dressing:
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds (I used almond meal, as I had some on hand. Almond meal is just finely ground almonds, and for this recipe you’ll be processing almonds in the food processor, so this does the work for you!)
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup silken tofu (or the softest tofu you can find. I used Silken brand ‘soft’ tofu and it worked perfect and cost $1.50)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon capers
4 teaspoons caper brine
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (I didn’t have any powdered on hand so I used about 1 Tbl of Dijon Mustard)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Garlic Rosemary Croutons:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
5-6 pieces French or Italian bread, stale and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces (I used Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Sourdough that had gone stale)
Salt & Pepper
2 Tsp Finely Chopped Rosemary

Salad:
1 large head romaing lettuce, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper
Handful or two of spinach and/or arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces (*optional, but I think the addition of spinach and arugula makes the salad much more interesting)

For the dressing: Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly (Or use almond meal and skip this step!) Place the ground almonds/almond meal into an airtight container that you’ll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, silken tofu, and oil in the food processor or blender until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar, and mustard, and pulse until blended. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. Put into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, optimally 1-1.5 hours.

While the dressing is chilling, prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary in a large bowl. Add the torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown (be careful not to burn!). Toss the croutons once or twice during the baking process.

To assemble the salad, place in a large bowl 2 to 3 cups of lettuce/greens per individual serving (amount depending on whether it’s a side or an entree). Ladle on 1/3 cup of the dressing (or more or less to taste), and use kitchen tongs to toss the greens and coat them with dressing. Add the warm croutons and toss again. Sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper. ** Note: I just eyeballed the proportions of dressing to lettuce. Start by tossing a little dressing over the amount of salad mix you want to use and add more until it is to your liking. Also, I tossed a few extra capers and slivered almonds onto the finished salad for extra texture and flavor – delish!

black bean chili

If you have known me for any length of time – or more specifically, if you have ever dined in my household – you have probably eaten my black bean chili. This is my go-to recipe, a trusty old standby that never disappoints. I have no idea where this recipe originated, but my friend Catherine made it for me years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. I often wonder how the combination of so few (and simple) ingredients can be SO good, but it never fails. I have never made a batch of this chili that I didn’t like.

The other night, I ended up throwing together a batch of this chili in a hurry. You see, I hadn’t planned on making dinner. Nich’s mom and stepdad were in town for the day, and we had all planned on going out to dinner together once they were done with their Portland errands and appointments (My in-laws – Meri and Jerry – live in Prineville, so we don’t get to see them often). Their errands took longer than expected, and put them a few hours behind schedule. I knew that they’d be eager to eat quickly – as they still had a 3+ hour drive ahead of them. I figured that a home-cooked meal would probably be a lot nicer than a fast food dinner, so I set about making my trusty black bean chili. Its cheap, and hearty, quick, and good.

They arrived at our house sooner than I expected and so I was mildly panicked that the soup wasn’t done to my liking. As with most things, this soup tastes better the longer you cook it. I was very apologetic, but alas they consumed the soup happily. (I need to take more cues from Julia Childs, who made it a point to never apologize for her food mishaps. She says that as a cook or hostess, one should not stumble through life second-guessing every meal you put on the table. Rather, know when you’ve made a mistake – but don’t make a big fuss – and learn from that mistake.)

Admittedly, this wasn’t the best pot of black bean chili I have ever made. It simmered for maybe 20 minutes and I usually like to let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. But I will say, there was a secret ingredient that saved the chili: one dried chipotle pepper. I don’t usually put chipotles in this particular chili, but Nich has been on a chipotle kick lately and suggested that we throw a chipotle in for kicks. I figured…why not? It ended up being a great decision – it gave the chili a smokiness and such a depth of flavor (and all credit goes to the husband on that one).

All in all, it was a successful pot of chili. And it was a lovely – but short – visit with my in-laws. And, do you notice anything different about my black bean chili photo? It was properly lit! Meri and Jerry knew that I have been struggling with finding good light in our house for my food photography – so they gave me a tripod and a professional light! I am just giddy about it. That very night, Nich and I set up the light and toyed around with it a bit. I had some extra chili so we managed to take a few pictures (you can also thank Nich for the avocado styling). I’m still new to this ‘real’ photographer stuff, but I am eager to learn. And I can already tell that good lighting is making all the difference. So, thank you to my wonderful and generous in-laws. It means so much that you support my food-blogging endeavors!

Black Bean Chili

4 cans of (organic) black beans (drain 3 cans & reserve the juice of 1 can)
1 can of plain tomato sauce
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (you can roast your own, but this is much quicker! You could also use fresh tomatoes, but I like the taste of the fire roasted. Specifically, the Muir Glen brand)
1 medium yellow onion – cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 – 2 Tablespoons of Cumin
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 – 2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 dried Chipotle pepper (*optional)

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the chopped onions and 1 Tbl of the cumin and let cook on medium/low for a couple of minutes, until onions are getting soft. Add in the chopped red pepper and sauté for a few more minutes. If you are using the chipotle pepper, you can add it at this time.

After a few minutes, add in the black beans (and juice of one can), fire roasted tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir well. Add in cayenne, chili powder and a bit more cumin (I recommend adding a small amount at first, and then tasting every 15 minutes or so to adjust seasonings. I use a LOT of chili powder and cumin in this recipe). Let the chili simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

When serving, ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, sour cream, and green onions (non-vegan version) or with avocado and cilantro (vegan version). And, of course, this chili is great with cornbread.

miso soup.

I miss the sunshine.

I know it is February in Portland, and that I should not expect anything more than rain. But last week was nothing short of miraculous. The sun shone for a week straight and I loved every minute of it. I went to the beach and took my shoes off and let the sun warm my face. It felt magnificent. I claimed that the week of sunshine – the ‘February Fakeout – would be enough to carry me through the dark and dreary spring. But I lied. I loved every minute of that sunshine and I want more. But what do you do when you want sunshine and the skies give you dark and dreary rain? You do your best to be thankful for the sun that you had, and comfort yourself with a bowl of something warm and delicious.

I got the idea to make miso soup from my new favorite food blog – 101 Cookbooks. I have had a few friends recommend this blog to me over the past few months, but just hadn’t taken much of a look at it until now. It is such a fantastic resource for thoughtful and seasonal cooking! I am so excited to try her recipes. My friend Jesse and I decided to make dinner last night before watching Project Runway. I was wavering between two recipes I had seen on 101 Cookbooks. One was a recipe for a pasta with a Harissa sauce, and the other was for miso soup. I couldn’t find any Harissa sauce at the grocery store, so our fate was decided. Miso soup for dinner. (Mind you, I am on a quest to find Harissa sauce as its been something I’ve read about for awhile and I realllllly want to try it. If you aren’t familiar, it is a North African/Moroccan Chili Sauce.)

This recipe beefs up the traditional miso soup with the addition of soba noodles and uses winter greens instead of seaweed. By adding these things, it is much more of a meal (as opposed to a side or starter). There isn’t much “cooking” that happens with miso soup, it is more of a process of combining elements that you’ve cooked separately. I will note that I did make a few changes from the original recipe. The original did not cook the spinach and onions in the broth, rather it just said to pour the brother over the noodles and add in the fresh spinach and green onions. I tried this, and I found the fresh spinach texture to be odd (and it was still kind of cold). So I threw everything in the pot of miso and let it cook for a few minutes before pouring this mixture over the soba noodles. I think this adaptation of the original worked very nicely and allowed the flavors to combine together well. Also, I did not pre-cook my tofu before I put it in the broth, and I think that a slight sautee would have helped to increase the flavor. I absolutely loved the addition of a little Sriacha sauce to the broth. It gave the soup a little kick of spice – and I am always a proponent of a little spice. If we are being honest, the Sriacha took the soup from good to great. Loved it.

I ate this soup for dinner last night and lunch today (it was even better leftover!) and if I had extras I would gladly eat it for dinner tonight. And since the soup is so light and refreshing, my tummy has been very happy with me for eating it. And that is a good thing.

Miso Soup

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

3 ounces dried soba noodles

3 – 4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste – I used a full 4 Tablespoons)

2 – 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into very small cubes

A handful of spinach, well washed and roughly chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

A small handful of cilantro (I didn’t have any cilantro on hand, but it would have been great in the soup)

A dash of Sriacha Hot Sauce (the original recipe called for red chili flakes, but I wanted to use Sriacha and it was a good decision))

Cook the soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside. In a small pan, heat a small amount of peanut or sesame oil and give the tofu a quick pan fry. (I did not cook the tofu at all before I put it in the soup, and I think it would have been better if the tofu was lightly cooked.)

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste – so it thins out a bit (this step is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others, so you may need to add a bit of salt here. (**I added a tiny bit of soy sauce because I felt that it needed salt.)

Add the tofu, green onions, and chopped spinach to the pot of miso mixture. Let cook on low heat for just a couple of minutes – until the spinach gets wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings (and add Sriacha!). Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, and pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Garnish with cilantro (if using).

easy-peasy peanut sauce.

First off: I didn’t take pictures of my peanut sauce because, well…its peanut sauce. Its lumpy and muddy brown and isn’t really all that appealing to look at. Instead, I graced you all with an awesome peanut illustration (which trumps all my photographic abilities anyway).

And while peanut sauce may not be terribly pretty to look at, it is terribly good to eat. I would gladly drown my veggies, tofu, noodles, french fries, or you-name-it in peanut sauce. When confronted with my new dietary restrictions, I knew right away that peanut sauce would be my saving grace.

For a sauce with so much density and complexity, this recipe sure is easy to make. I’ve made simple variations before – with just peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger – but after perusing a few recipes online, it seemed that three key components were lacking from my peanut sauce: garlic, coconut milk, and hot sauce. Specifically, Sriacha hot sauce (aka Rooster Sauce).

I whipped up a batch of this peanut sauce for girls night – we were making vegetable and soba noodle stir fry – and it turned out really well. Just the right amounts of salt, sugar, and spice. It was creamy, but not too heavy. We all happily devoured our peanut stir fry, and it left us wondering why we don’t make our own peanut sauce more often. I don’t know why I haven’t before, but I plan on making it a lot more now! And, the best thing about this sauce is that its fool-proof and there are no right quantities of any ingredient. Just make it however your tastebuds like it. I’ll post the recipe for how my tastebuds like it!

Spicy Peanut Sauce
(All of these measurements are my best guesses, and can be changed according to your preference)

1/4 – 1/2 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 – 1/2 cup Coconut Milk (I bought these baby cans of coconut milk from Thai Kitchen that seem to be just the right amount)
2 Tbl Water
2 Tbl Brown Sugar
2 Tbl Soy Sauce
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
The juice from 1/2 of a Lime
Sriacha Sauce to taste (I put quite a bit in, probably 2 Tablespoons or more, but I like things spicy)
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger (Or grated fresh ginger, I just didn’t have any on hand).

Sautee crushed garlic in sesame (or peanut) oil in a small saucepan over med-low heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, coconut milk, water, brown sugar and soy sauce. After the garlic has cooked for a couple of minutes, turn the heat down to low and add in the peanut mixture. Add in ginger and hot sauce. Bring the sauce to a low simmer (it will bubble a bit, and get thicker). Depending on your preference, you can add more water if you think the sauce is too thick. Take off the heat and let cool slightly before tossing with noodles, vegetables, etc. Can be served hot or cold.