what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?

Smoked Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza with Horseradish Cream Sauce

2009-10-24T23:33:00.002-04:00

Dinner 10/24

Smoked Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Yes, it was awesome.

We smoked the chanterelles, along with cashews and macadamia nuts (for the cream sauce) with alder wood. The mushrooms went in for 10 minutes, the nuts for an additional 10 minutes.

The mushrooms were then sauteed with olive oil, salt, pepper and a splash of tamari at the end of cooking and were put on the pizza shell (along with sauteed onions) and baked as usual (450F for 10-12 minutes, then rotated for another 7-10 minutes).

The nuts were pureed in the vita-mix along with water, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. At this point we removed half of the sauce from the vita-mix and reserved it for later use. Then we added 1 tbs. of horseradish into the vita-mix, gave it a spin to combine and spread the sauce with an offset spatula on top of the pizza once it was out of the oven.

Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Spent Grain Bread

2009-10-24T14:25:00.001-04:00

Lunch 10/24

Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Spent Grain Bread

There are few things greater than tomato soup and a grilled (Daiya) cheese sandwich on a dreary October afternoon.

The bread, as you may recall, is from the batch Liz made last year from the spent grain we picked up in Akron at Thirsty Dog Brewing. We pulled it out of the freezer, where we had vacuum-sealed it, and it tasted like it was made yesterday...

Mushrooms Madagascar, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pears and Fennel

2009-10-23T23:04:00.001-04:00

Dinner 10/23

Mushrooms Madagascar

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pears and Fennel

We pulled this one out of the archives -- it's a recreation of a restaurant dish we used to eat years ago. It has nothing to do with Madagascar. ;)

Quite simply, it's whole button mushrooms (stems trimmed) sauteed in olive oil, with salt until golden brown all over. The mushrooms are then put into an au gratin dish with veg stock, a splash of tamari, whole peppercorns (red, green, white and black) lightly crushed and topped with Daiya.

The dish was put on a sheet tray and put in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes until the Daiya melted and everything was sizzling hot.

It was served alongside roasted brussels sprouts, pears and fennel -- done in a roasting pan, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and roasted at 425F for 20 minutes (rotating/stirring the pan halfway through). The pears were a surprise, holding their shape and adding a different (and tasty) note to the roasted veggies.

Raw Food Wednesday: Vegetable Pot Pie

2009-10-21T22:21:00.005-04:00

Raw Food Wednesday 10/21

Pot Pie

I'm not sure what prompted the idea of making a raw pot pie, but I'm glad I wrote the idea down at the time...

Ideas can be fickle beasts -- they often arrives without warning, and often without pen, pencil or paper in hand. We've both gotten better at capturing ideas and wrestling them to the ground. Liz likes to use the "scraps of paper" method plus photocopying things at work. My "ubiquitous capture" method is to keep Notepad open on the laptop at all times, as well as having a paper notebook and pen in the kitchen, and a small notepad next to the bed.

Now, if I could figure out a way to write down ideas in the shower, everything would be perfect. ;)

Vegetable Pot Pie
(makes 2)

This would be great as part of a Thanksgiving spread, easily assembled ahead of time, and warmed through in a dehydrator.

Gravy

1/2 cup water
1/2 apple, peeled
1 tbs. nama shoyu
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. lemon juice
3 or 4 pieces of sun-dried tomato, soaked for 20 minutes

Eat the other half of the apple ;)

Everything else goes into the vita mix, puree until smooth. Pour off about a 1/4 cup -- it'll be used with the veggies -- reserve and refrigerate the rest.

Filling

1 small fennel bulb, finely diced
1 cup mushrooms, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 turnip, finely diced
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 tbs. fresh tarragon, finely diced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely diced

Keyword: Finely Diced ;)

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, toss with the reserved 1/4 cup of gravy, a pinch of salt and spread out on two dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 105F for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The veggies will shrink, but they should still have some moisture left.

Crust

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tbs. flax, spice grinder
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Grind the pine nuts and flax seed together with the salt, pepper and nutmeg, which should make a loose sticky dough. Divide the dough in half and gently roll them both into circles, slightly larger than the diameter of the ramekin. Dehydrate at 105F for 1 hour, flip and go for another hour or so. It may still seem a little "wet" at this point, but you'll be dehydrating it again once everything is assembled.

Assemble

1 tbs. flax seed, freshly ground

When you're ready to assemble, grind the flax and whisk it into the gravy base. Don't do it too soon in advance or it'll thicken up too much before you need it.

Add the filling to the ramekins, and pour the gravy over the top, and mix to combine. Using a spatula, carefully lift the crust off the dehydrator sheets and place on top of the filling/gravy in the ramekin. Don't worry if it breaks or is still a little wet, you can fill in the gaps/cracks pretty easily. Press gently to even out the dough.

At this point, you could cover the ramekins and refrigerate until needed.

If you're eating right away, place the ramekin in the dehydrator for an hour or so at 105F to allow the veggies and the gravy to meld and let the crust firm up further.

Wild Mushrooms en Papillote, Zucchini Fritters with Tomato Sauce

2009-10-19T23:26:00.001-04:00

Dinner 10/19

Wild Mushrooms en Papillote

Zucchini Fritters with Tomato Sauce

The local grocery store has been coming through with the mushrooms lately -- Lobster, Chanterelle and Shiitakes -- so we adapted this recipe from Gourmet, adding spaghetti as a base, and adding white wine to the sauce.

The parchment squares were brushed with part of the melted soy margarine and were folded in half. Then we added the base of spaghetti and layered the mushrooms -- mixed with a sauce that used the rest of the melted soy margarine, 1/4 cup white wine, minced shallots, minced garlic, parsley, tarragon and smoked salt and pepper.

The packages were sealed by crimping along the edges and finally put into the 450F oven for 20 minutes. Here they are going into the oven...

...and here they just out of the oven -- you can tell that the seal on the packages was good, or else they would have deflated in seconds (now, if I could only crimp like Howard and Vince).

Oh, the aroma when the packages were cut open!

We also used the last of the monster zucchini (the one in front) that came from the garden. They were shredded, drained, and mixed with flour, salt, pepper and fried in a cast-iron pan with a little olive oil. Served with a quick tomato sauce.

Fall...

2009-10-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

...the view from off the kitchen, 8:48am.

Steamed Hoisin Seitan Buns, Ye Olde Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice

2009-10-17T11:43:00.001-04:00

Dinner 10/17

Steamed Hoisin Seitan Buns

Ye Olde Stir-Fry

Jasmine Rice

In addition to our usual Ye Olde Stir-Fry, we decided to make steamed buns. They were filled with sliced stir-fried seitan with hoisin sauce, shallots and garlic and then steamed.

We made enough for 16 buns total, which prompted me to tell Liz and the kids, "sorry, there aren't enough for you guys, the stir-fry will have to do..."

It's amazing they let me live to type this. ;)

Celery Root and Potato Soup with Brussels Sprouts

2009-10-14T23:35:00.000-04:00

Dinner 10/14

Celery Root and Potato Soup with Brussels Sprouts

Another hearty and filling Fall soup recipe from Isa, using the oft-neglected Celery Root paired with Brussels Sprouts. Instead of parsley as a garnish, we used the minced leaves from the top of the celery root (which look much like parsley).

This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Falafel, Loubie, Shish Kabobs, Pita Bread, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush

2009-10-10T23:50:00.002-04:00

Dinner 10/10

Falafel

Loubie
(Green Bean and Tomato Stew)

Shish Kabobs

Pita Bread

Hummus

Baba Ghanoush

We were joined for a falafel party by guest chefs Laura & John (you might remember Laura from July's Coconut Curry Crepes stuffed with Eggplant and Tea-Smoked Tofu).

It's been a long while since we've made falafel (other than Isa's recent test recipe version, which is baked). So, we broke out "Vegan with a Vengeance", and used the trusty recipe on pages 98-99.

We also made some Shish Kabobs: Tofu, Mushroom, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion and Tomato that was marinated with a mixture of olive oil, tamari, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika and black pepper, then grilled.

Rounding out the table: Loubie (slow braised green beans, onions and tomatoes), Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Pita Bread, Also, the fixings for the Falafel: Cucumber Sauce, Tomato, Lettuce and Cucumber Slices.

Missing in action is a picture of the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake for dessert, paired with a 2004 Coturri Zinfandel.

Ramen with Cabbage and Shiitake Gyoza

2009-10-06T23:27:00.000-04:00

Dinner 10/06

Ramen

Cabbage and Shiitake Gyoza

After making the eggplant ravioli with the wonton wrappers the other day, we still had some leftover in the fridge. Gyoza fit the bill -- filled with shredded cabbage and sliced shiitake mushrooms with a little sesame oil, they were gently wok-fried and quickly steamed with a little tamari at the end. A great match with the ramen, which was very similar to the version we made last month.

Lotsa Veggie Lentil Soup

2009-10-05T23:58:00.000-04:00

Dinner 10/05

"Lotsa Veggie Lentil Soup"

A hearty, basic and tasty French lentil soup with dark greens, just grab a baguette and go to town...

This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Eggplant Ravioli with Shiitake Mushrooms

2009-10-04T23:14:00.001-04:00

Dinner 10/04

Eggplant Ravioli with Shiitake Mushrooms

A very "Fall-in-Alsace-by-the-way-of-Asia" sort of meal... ;)

We pulled this recipe out of the archive -- the wonton wrappers were filled with a mixture of grilled eggplant and mint, topped with shiitake mushrooms and a sauce of reduced Gewurztraminer, green apple, basil, red wine vinegar, clove, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Lettuce Wraps With Hoisin Mustard Tofu, Unfried Fried Rice, 5 Spice Butternut Squash

2009-09-29T23:28:00.001-04:00

Dinner 9/29

Lettuce Wraps With Hoisin Mustard Tofu

Unfried Fried Rice

5 Spice Butternut Squash

We picked up some beautiful lettuce from Farmer Jones over the weekend, so that meant the wraps (which were supposed to use iceberg) are not a true representation of the test recipe from Isa. Not being a big fan of iceberg (having lived through the 70's), it might have actually been better. ;)

While we were busy substituting with the lettuce, we also tested the baked squash dish, which was supposed to be a delicata. Lacking that, we went with the back-up butternut squash, with the always aromatic Chinese Five-Spice Powder which paired nicely with the hoisin/mustard tofu.

Surprisingly, we did manage to make the tofu and fried rice dish according to the recipe...

These are test recipes for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Seitan Stroganoff, Braised Leeks

2009-09-24T23:08:00.000-04:00

Dinner 9/24

Seitan Stroganoff

Braised Leeks

You know it's Fall when we break out this hearty recipe. ;)

It's that same kind of seasonal food cue like peas/ramps/asparagus in spring or tomato/basil/zucchini in summer...

Raw Food Wednesday: Spring Rolls and Gyoza

2009-09-23T23:21:00.001-04:00

Raw Food Wednesday 9/23

Spring Rolls

Gyoza

The idea for tonight's experiment in raw food has been kicking around for a couple of months in our notebook. It's fun to scroll back in time to find an offhand scribble in the margins that says "raw spring rolls = daikon" and then work backwards from that tiny clue.

There's some tweaks I want to make to the spring roll wrapper -- which used pureed daikon, flax seed, water, agave, garlic, ginger & salt -- so next time we'll have a better idea about a recipe. They were spread out in rounds on the dehydrator sheet and they took about 2 1/2 hours.

They were filled with thinly sliced cabbage (on the mandoline), red bell pepper, leeks, cilantro and tossed with a mix of olive oil, garlic, ginger, agave, nama shoyu and pepper which was dehydrated for 3 hours @ 105F, tossing a couple of times.

One of the ideas to make the next time would include a sweet and sour dipping sauce for the spring rolls (orange/agave or plum/agave/vinegar).

While thinking of a side-dish, I spied a lovely butternut squash that had a very round top section and thought they would make ideal gyoza wrappers if cut thinly on the mandoline, coated with olive oil and salt and then vacuum-seal them for 24 hours to compress further. This had the desired effect, and made them very flexible and easy to stuff and, more importantly, fold. It also made them very much like wonton wrappers, especially when chewing, with a good mouthfeel.

We used the filling for the spring rolls to fill these, but next time I'd like to come up with something a little different for contrast.

Spicy Black Eyed Peas & Greens, Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Apples

2009-09-20T16:11:00.001-04:00

Lunch 9/20

Spicy Black Eyed Peas & Greens

Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Apples

We bought three bags of apples last Sunday when we went to our local orchard, so this test recipe for Isa's next book came along at a fortuitous time ;)

The pairing of the earthy sweet potatoes and apples with spicy black eyed peas, tomatoes and greens is wonderful, with each dish complimenting the other.

This is a test recipe for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's next cookbook. As part of the testing agreement, we can't give out the recipe.

Alder-Smoked Grilled Tofu, Wilted Kale, Smoked Cremini Mushrooms, Twice Baked Potato

2009-09-18T23:28:00.003-04:00

Dinner 9/18

Alder-Smoked Grilled Tofu

Wilted Kale

Smoked Cremini Mushrooms

Twice Baked Potato

Smoked tofu and mushrooms with a base of wilted kale may be the greatest thing since sliced bread... ;)

After finding much success smoking the portobello mushrooms the other night, we decided to smoke some cremini mushrooms to accompany the grilled tofu. We put them in the smoker box whole, along with the tofu, but took them out after seven minutes. They came out dry, and didn't get "cooked" with the dry heat of the smoker box, but were infused with the alder wood smoke. They were then sliced, and pan-fried in olive oil and soy margarine along with shallots, with a good shot of sherry vinegar about halfway through the cooking.

The smoked tofu was marinated (1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup tamari, 2 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 tbs. agave, 1 tbs. ketchup and pepper to taste), then grilled, about 5-6 minutes per side, turning once for nice grill marks.

Don't adjust your monitor, the potato is, in fact, glowing. ;)

They were baked for an hour at 400F, the insides scooped out, mashed together with salt, pepper, soy margarine, soy milk and cheddar Teese. The filling was added back to the shells and baked for another 20 minutes. It could have been a meal unto itself...

Peach Skillet Upside Down Cake

2009-09-17T23:41:00.001-04:00

Dessert 9/17

Peach Skillet Upside Down Cake

We picked up some peaches when we went to the apple orchard Sunday afternoon, so we decide to make this riff on Rick Bayless' "Pineapple Upside Down Skillet Cake" from "Everyday Mexican" cooked in a cast-iron skillet.

We've made this in the past with apples, plums as well as pineapple, and it always turns out great!

The recipe subs soy yogurt for the buttermilk, soy margarine for the butter, non-bone char sugar (Florida Crystals) and flax (1 tbs. ground flax, 2 tbs. water) for the eggs.

Smoked Portobello Burger, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Yellow Squash Soup

2009-09-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

Dinner 9/15

Smoked Portobello Burger

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Yellow Squash Soup

The four portobello mushrooms were smoked with mesquite wood chips for 10 minutes, then marinated for 5 minutes (1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup tamari, 2 cloves of garlic smashed, 1 tbs. agave, 1 tbs. ketchup and pepper to taste). Then they were grilled for about 10 minutes (these were very thick and juicy mushrooms) basting occasionally with the leftover marinade. Served with wilted arugula, tomato slices and red onion.

The general consensus was that the mushrooms were markedly improved via the smoking -- which should come as no surprise to you, right? ;)

This batch of fingerlings were extremely long, so they were cut into quarters lengthwise and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika, and roasted for 45 minutes (flipping halfway) at 450F.

The yellow squash soup was very similar to the earlier version but without the sheese crisp. We had made some corn stock last week (four corn cobs broken into chunks, six cups of water, reduced down to four cups on the stove, strained) and used that as the base stock -- very summery.

Fig Cake

2009-09-14T23:50:00.001-04:00

Dessert 9/14

Fig Cake

Liz picked up a case of perfectly ripe Turkish figs Saturday, so we needed to find a recipe that would use up a big chunk of them in a hurry -- Cake is always the correct answer.

The recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenwood, subbing "Just Like Honey" (rice syrup or agave would also work), soy margarine, and 3 tbs. flax seed (freshly ground, mixed with 6 tbs. water) to replace the three eggs. The timing wasn't affected, coming in at 55 minutes.

Baked Falafel, Fresh Dill Hummus

2009-09-14T23:42:00.001-04:00

Dinner 9/14

Baked Falafel

Fresh Dill Hummus

There's a couple of falafel places at the West Side Market in Cleveland that we like to eat at while shopping. We usually pick up some pita bread, some hummus and maybe even some pickled turnips, go out to the car and have lunch.

The main drawback (other than spilling hummus all over your shirt) is that the falafel can sometime be dried out by the time we get to eat it.

This test recipe from Isa solve that problems -- it's served more as a salad (minus the pita) and they're baked, which mean they're crispy on the outside but moist on the inside.

Fennel, Tomato and Chickpea Stew, Fettuccine

2009-09-13T23:35:00.000-04:00

Dinner 9/13

Fennel, Tomato and Chickpea Stew

Fettuccine

One of own recipes for a change, the Pernod and fennel play up the anise flavor, but it melds well with the other flavors for a change-of-pace pasta dish.

Fennel, Tomato and Chickpea Stew
Serves 4

1 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 large fennel bulb, cut into 1/4" dice
2 tbs. Pernod
28oz can of whole tomatoes
15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
parsley

In a large saute pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and sweat the onion for 4-5 minutes, then add the salt, garlic, red pepper, oregano and smoked paprika and cook for one more minute.

Add the fennel, stir to combine and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the Pernod to deglaze the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until evaporated.

Add the whole tomatoes to the fennel and lightly crush (a potato masher works wonders) to release the juices. Bring to a simmer, and cook about 15-20 minutes.

Finally add the chickpeas, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until everything looks thickened.

Check for salt, and serve over fettuccine, garnished with parsley.

Cannellini Walnut Croquettes, Marinara Olivada, Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale, Lima Beans

2009-09-11T23:20:00.002-04:00

Dinner 9/11

Cannellini Walnut Croquettes

Marinara Olivada

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale

Fava Beans

A trio of test recipes for Isa, the croquettes, marinara and mushrooms & kale along with a side of fava beans*. We can see the reason why you don't see fava beans in restaurants very often, as the prep is very time consuming. Another dish you make for those you love...

* no, really, resist the urge to post a comment about chianti, it's been done. ;)

Eggplant Chickpea Curry, Cranberry Cashew Biryani

2009-09-10T23:08:00.001-04:00

Dinner 9/10

Eggplant Chickpea Curry

Cranberry Cashew Biryani

Isa keeps cranking out the recipes day after day, we continue to make them night after night...

Tonight's meal was a lovely pairing of basmati rice, dried cranberries and cashews with a spicy braised eggplant, tomato and chickpea main course.

Raw Food Wednesday: Corn and Tomato Chowder, Guacamole, Flax Seed Crackers

2009-09-09T21:09:00.001-04:00

Raw Food Wednesday 9/10

Corn and Tomato Chowder

Guacamole

Flax Seed Crackers

The chowder was spicy as hell (thank you thai bird chiles)...

Summer in a bowl!

Corn and Tomato Chowder
(make two large servings)

2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1 carrot, small dice
1 medium zucchini, small dice
1 or 2 thai bird chiles (depending on how hot you want it), minced
1 tbs. olive oil,
1 tbs. nama shoyu
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Mexican oregano

1 tomato, cored, cut in quarters
1 tbs. olive oil,
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the corn, carrot, zucchini, chiles, salt, oregano and add the olive oil and nama shoyu, and toss to coat.

Spread out on a sheet and dehydrate at 105F for at least four hours.

In a high speed blender, add half of the corn mixture along with the tomato, olive oil, water, salt, pepper and cilantro and puree, leaving it a little chunky for texture.

Pour into a bowl and add the remaining corn mixture. Taste for seasoning and top with cilantro or parsley.

The guacamole and crackers were the perfect foil for the spicy soup, cooling everything off...