Resolution #2: More Long Walks with the Dogs!

New Years Resolution #1

On the eve of the new year, it is once again time for me to think about my resolutions. They usually revolve around diet and exercise, but this year I feel that they will involve fine tuning of the habits I have adopted.

Resolution # 1 : Eat more whole foods!

This should not be too difficult since I already enjoy fruits, vegetables and beans. Today I've made a bean and corn salad that can be eaten cold with chips or warmed up over rice

The recipe can be altered depending on what is in the cupboard or your taste preference in legumes.

2 cans of beans drained

1 can of corn drained

1/2 a red onion chopped

5-6 scallions chopped

A large handful of fresh cilantro chopped

The juice of one or two limes

A dash of hot sauce such as Cholula

A few tablespoons of EVOO

A few tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Vegan Holiday Meal

What do vegans eat on holidays? Everything you would, of course!

The star of this meal is my tofu francaise. But even if you are not a fan of the tofu, the delectable sides will surely fill you up. For today's meal, I served creamy mashed potatoes made with unsweetened soy milk and Earth Balance spread, green bean casserole made with soy milk, and stuffing made with sausage flavored TVP.

"Veganizing" many meals is possible through a host of products now available in regular supermarkets. For instance, in my mashed potatoes I used unsweetened soy milk in the place of dairy milk and Earth Balance buttery spread in lieu of butter. You don't have to go to a specialty store to find soy, almond, rice and coconut milks. Keep in mind that the nut milks will impart a slight nutty taste to your dish. Earth Balance comes in tubs and sticks, and tastes and melts like butter. The sticks are particularly helpful for baking and cooking.

For basic stuffing, saute on medium heat onions and celery in a couple of tablespoons of EVOO until soft. Add about 2 cups of vegetable stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and add your bread cubes ( about 4 cups or one 12 ounce bag of stuffing cubes), toss to mix. Season with 1-2 teaspoons of Bells seasoning. Salt & pepper to taste. Turn out into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

For sausage flavored seasoning, you'll have to make sausage flavored crumbles using TVP or textured vegetable protein. TVP looks like large dried bread crumbs. When reconstituted with water or broth it takes on the appearance and texture of ground beef, and can be flavored any which way. TVP is used as a beef extender in many products including your fast food tacos. To make sausage flavored TVP click on this link: TVP Sausage Crumbles . Your crumbles can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Ad your crumbles to your stuffing after you saute the onion and celery.

For the green bean casserole substitute a vegan version of the cream of mushroom soup (and milk) such as Imagine Portabello soup. I'm not a huge fan of this mushy grey slop, but it is a family holiday tradition.

Now for the Tofu! Begin by wrapping your extra firm tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and place something heavy on it such as a saucepan. Set aside for a few minutes to press out the extra fluid. Slice your block into vertical slices about 2 inches by 4 inches by half and inch thick. In a non stick pan fry your slices in vegetable oil until golden brown on top and bottom. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Remove most of the oil from your pan and on medium heat, saute a roughly chopped medium onion until soft. Add half a dozen sliced baby portabello mushrooms and cook down. Deglaze with about half a cup of dry white wine. Add 1-2 cups of vegetable stock and the juice of one lemon. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add the tofu slices back in. Simmer again for 10-15 minutes to allow the tofu to absorb all the flavors. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.

Snack Rolls

Colorful and filling vegan snack rolls will hit the spot this afternoon.

I started out with a large round wrap and spread a light layer of vegan cream cheese. Then I simply layered Tofurky roasted turkey slices, vegan pepperoni slices, some sausage flavored TVP, red onions, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato and dill pickles. Roll, slice & serve!

These can be made for your omnivore friends too, with their favorite deli meats (on red plate). The combinations are endless!

Chana Masala

I love chick peas and Indian food. Marry them together in the dish called chana masala and you have a spicy and hearty main course.

Click on this link for the recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Post Punk Kitchen blog: Chana Masala

Because I was short on time, I put all the veggies in my blender and pulsed it until fairly smooth. I let this mixture cook down quite a bit before I added the chick peas and spice mix.

Serve with white basmati rice or the rice of your choice.

Donna's Wine Biscuits

Add wine to biscuits? Oh, yes! A very popular biscuit in Rhode Island is the wine biscuit which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. This recipe comes from my co-worker, Donna.

The intensity of the flavor will be determined by the your choice in wine. I implore you to not use that "stuff" that is sold under the guise of cooking wine in the grocery stores. It is full of salt which will greatly alter your cookies. Any nice drinking red wine will do. I am, by no means, a connoisseur of wine, so I looked for a cabernet that didn't come in a box and had a cork.

The recipe:

5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

5 tsps baking powder

1 cup vegetable oil (corn or canola work nicely)

1 cup red wine (cabernet or merlot)

soy milk

more sugar (optional)

If you have a mixer with a bread hook, place dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix for a minute or two. Gradually add the oil and red wine, scraping the sides as necessary and allow the mixer to knead the mix until an even dough is formed. Pinch off one inch balls and roll into logs. Make a wreath shape or twist into a ribbon shape. Brush with soy milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

If you don't have a mixer with a bread hook, place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand. Create a well in the center of dry ingredients and add your wine and oil. Mix with your hands until an even dough is formed.

These biscuits were already vegan! My friend uses an egg wash before baking them, but I switched out soy milk for the egg wash.

Chew-WOW-y Vegan Brownies

I have been experimenting with many vegan recipes in the past few months and I have to admit that every time I try a new one, I prepare it with a little bit of trepidation. Will it taste good and have a good texture? I say a little prayer to the god of "foodies" and hope that my time, efforts and ingredients have not been wasted.

This brownie recipe is a chocoholics dream. The brownies are chewy, moist, and have an intense chocolate flavor. It has a few extra steps, but like the commercial for a popular sneaker states: "Just Do It!" Make these brownies!

Click on the link for the recipe: Cari Cooks

Bean Chili

It might be 18 degrees outside, but in my kitchen things are heating up with this vegan bean chili.

This is a very easy dish to throw together, and it is as hearty and satisfying as it's beefy cousin. But without all the fat and grease, ewwww!

In a large pot, saute half a large diced onion and one chopped clove of elephant garlic in a few teaspoons of mongolian fire oil (or any spicy oil) until soft. Add one large can of diced tomatoes which have been blended smooth or use the canned petite diced tomatoes. Add a handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, celery salt, and paprika. Drain and rinse two cans of beans and add to the pot. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes to blend flavors. Done! Serve on rice or with chips.

The seasoning is totally up to you. I prefer to use my own mix of spices in lieu of using chili powder, because there is something in chili powder that I am allergic to, but I am not sure exactly what it is.

Egg-less Egg Biscuits!

Egg biscuits without eggs? I envision a mob of Italian grandmothers amassing as I write, preparing to burn me at the stake for committing such a heinous food crime.

Well, it was all for a good cause. These little biscuits are delicious and perfect in texture. Not too crunchy, nor too chewy, they are just right. Topped with an orange glaze and fresh orange zest for just the perfect hint of sweetness and tartness. Seriously, folks! I was doing the Charlie Brown dance in my kitchen after tasting these!

A note about substituting tofu for the eggs. You must use an aseptic tofu. What? There are different types of tofu. The tofu that you see in the produce section of most stores, is packed in water and is very good for stir fry dishes. The kind I use for baking is called Mori-Nu and comes in a little box that does not have to be refrigerated, although Whole Foods keeps it refrigerated. Cut open the box and measure out what you need and put in a blender with a small amount of the milk from the recipe. Blend until smooth and creamy before adding it to the batter. This nifty tofu can also be the base for cheese sauces with the right seasonings.

Here's the Egg Biscuit recipe that was passed down to me by my Italian Mother-in-law (with a few of my own alterations):

Tarale: Egg Biscuits

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

2 eggs ( 1/2 cup Mori-Nu Silken extra firm tofu, blended)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup milk (soy, rice or almond)

Glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar

3-4 tbsp fresh orange juice

Orange zest

Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients to form dough. Roll about 1 tbsp of dough into thin cylinder & tuck ends into center to form round biscuit. Bake on ungreased sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until light golden in color. Cool completely before glazing. For glaze use hand mixer to incorporate orange juice into sugar. Consistency should be spreadable but not too soupy. Add your zest right away after frosting each biscuit as the glaze will harden.

Haricots Vert with Portabella mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Haricots vert or French green beans are longer and thinner than the American varieties of green beans. Fortunately for us, they are now available in the freezer section of most markets.

That traditional holiday favorite, green bean casserole, was my initial inspiration for this side dish, but I decided to forego the murky mushroom soup and pale, limp canned string beans.

Remove your frozen beans from the bag, run through tepid water for a minute to defrost, and allow them to drain in a colander. Set aside. In a little EVOO, cook half of a diced onion until caramelized (brown and sweet). Deglaze (pour vinegar into the pan) the pan with about a 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and add 1 clove of finely chopped elephant garlic. To that mixture, add about 6 or 7 sliced baby portabella mushrooms and cook down. Season with fresh or dried italian seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the green beans and cook briefly to mix the flavors.

Be careful not to overcook these tiny little beans so that they will maintain their bright green color.

These beans are so tender that they only require minimal cooking.

Where's the Beef?

It is not in here! This burger made by Gardein is 100% animal free.

Falafel Pocket

This yummy snack comes to you by way of the food bar at Whole Foods Market. My pita quarter is filled with creamy hummus, fresh taboule and crunchy falafel.

Vegan Doggie Biscuits!

Vegan dog biscuits? Why not?

Made from organic peanut butter, rice milk, baking powder and flour (brown rice or whole wheat), these biscuits are easy to make with ingredients you probably have at home all of the time. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of peanut butter(smooth or crunchy) and 1 cup of milk(any kind). Add 1 tbsp of aluminum free baking powder and gradually add 2 cups of flour. Mix until a nice dough is formed. Turn out on to a floured board and use a rolling pin to roll a large flat circle about an 1/4 inch thickness. Use desired cookie cutters and bake on parchment paper at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Biscuits should brown slightly. Store in an air tight container.

TLT!

Tempeh, lettuce and tomato!

According to Wikipedia: "Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that bindssoybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities.Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins. It has a firm texture and an earthy flavor which becomes more pronounced as the tempeh ages."

Reading about all it's good attributes, I purchased maple bacon flavored tempeh. The strips that I sauteed lightly in a small amount of canola oil in my trusty non-stick pan, smelled wonderful. My first impression after tasting, was less than wonderful. No, it did not taste like bacon, however I have to report a smoky, mildly nutty taste. "Not bad," I said to myself. Probably not something I would eat out right by itself until I get used to the taste. In a sandwich using a good quality bread (like my marble rye) with lettuce and tomato, the strips really do have a bacon-like taste.

Nothing will ever replace bacon but then again, I didn't have to harm a cute pig for the flavor. I can most definitely live with that!

Rosemary Scones

Cold rainy days scream out for a warm bowl of soup and rosemary scones!

My vegetable soup came together quickly from items I already had in the pantry and fridge. I try to always keep cans of diced tomatoes, corn and beans in the house.

I sauteed in a couple of teaspoons of EVOO, a small white onion(chopped) , one clove of garlic(chopped), and 2 each of carrots and celery (diced). Once all those were softened, I added a large container of diced tomatoes and a couple cups of vegetable stock. Next in the pot went one can each of sweet corn, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and green beans. All were drained and rinsed before adding. For flavor, I added a few fresh basil leaves and a bunch of cilantro chopped. Salt and pepper completed the soup.

The scone recipe came from www.Food.com. Click on the link for the recipe: Rosemary Scones

I used Earth Balance butter and I actually used 3 tablespoons instead of only one. Instead of milk, I used unsweetened soy milk. These mixed up quickly and resulted in a light and fluffy scone.

Breakfast of Champions

My days of eating those sugary oatmeal packets are long over. Today I dressed up my plain oatmeal with raisins, pomegranate, and chia seeds. The raisins are sweet and chewy, while the pomegranate seeds are slightly tart and crunchy. The Chia seeds add extra protein to the dish.

Korean Beefless Beef Tips

This spicy and sweet dish originally call for ground beef. I veganized it by using Gardein beefless tips. Click on the link for the recipe: ElizabethBryantBlogspot

Vegan Double Stuffed Oreos

I love cookies and these amazing Oreo tasting treats deliver! The recipe comes from the Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. These ladies have really figured the vegan baking thing out.

I followed their recipe to the T, which is surprisingly unusual for me. Due to time constraints, however, I decided not to roll the dough and instead I used my cookie "shooter thingy." Had I rolled the dough and used a cookie cutter, which for some reason I don't own, they would appear more Oreo-like. Note to self: find and purchase a round cookie cutter!

"Wicked" Spicy Thai Inspirations

Both these recipes came from the cook book, "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Very spicy and full of flavor, yet low in fat, both these recipes will satisfy even the omnivores!

Unbeknownst, to me until I read this book, it is helpful to press your tofu prior to sautéing it. Remove the block of extra firm tofu from the container. Then wrap your tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place something heavy on the towel such as a small frying pan with a couple of cans in it. After a few minutes you will notice the that the towel becomes moist from soaking up the extra fluid and your tofu is more compact and dryer. Your tofu is now ready to be cut up into cubes or slices for your recipe.

Red Pepper Spaghetti Sauce

This dinner started out with a small eggplant given to me from my friend's garden. It was too small to make eggplant parm out of it, so I decided to build a meal around it. I grabbed a few ingredients that I had readily available and started cooking. First things first, I put a pot of water on the stove to bring to boil for the whole grain thin spaghetti. In the meantime, I started my fresh sauce by placing a small quartered onion, one clove of elephant garlic, 3 tomatoes, and a few basil leaves in the blender. Once well blended. I poured the mixture into an already heated pan coated with a few tbsp of EVOO. After cooking for a few minutes, I added some well drained and roughly chopped roasted red peppers to the pan.

While the sauce simmered, I prepared the eggplant by pealing it and slicing it into thin 1/4 inch coins. Since the eggplant was basically going to be a garnish, I decided to bread it and fry it. I used EnerG egg replacement (3 tsps powder dissolved in 4 tbsp warm water) and whole wheat vegan crumbs(with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry italian herbs) to bread the eggplant. I fried those babies up in corn oil.

The sauce seemed very watery so I added one tbsp of vegan cream cheese to thicken it a little bit. Don't tell anyone but I also sprinkled some nutritional yeast flakes for a little added flavor. Somewhere in the middle I cooked & drained the pasta. I served it without cheese for me and with some shredded parmesan cheese for the omnivores in the house!