Monday Mash Up: Tomatoes and Chocolate

I know, so obvious, but I really love a good mole.  A tad sweet, and a twitch of heat.  This one is pretty easy too.  It tastes great in all sorts of dishes, and also as a simmering sauce, or even simply as a dipping sauce for tamales and empanadas.

Monday Night Mole
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole allspice
1 tablespoon (or less to taste) dried red chilies
1 teaspoon chipotle powder, or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup semi sweet non dairy chocolate chips
2 shots brewed espresso (or 1 heaping teaspoon instant espresso powder)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (dark is best, but light works too)
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

In a pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and cook additional 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.  Add tomato sauce, and remaining ingredients.  Stir until chocolate is melted.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes on low heat.  Fish out whole spices before serving.  For an extra smooth sauce, use a stic blender or carefully transfer to a tabletop blender and blend until smooth.  Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Yield: About 3 cups

Wonderful Weekends: Loaded Baked Potato

All the usual suspects...Earth Balance, Tofutti Sour Cream, Daiya Pepperjack, and chives.   Yeah, that about sums up my weekend.

And the winners are...

#73:  Arlene said...Tacos!  October 7, 2011 10:46 AM  (will receive Vegan Subs!)
and
#64:  Vegyogini said...Steamed kale and quinoa!  Thank you for the giveaway! October 6, 2011 10:44 PM (will receive Hearty Vegan!)

There were 81 official comments left on the blog.  I chose 2 winners using the random number generator found here.

Thanks to all that participated.  You guys gave me some awesome ideas for quick and easy weeknight meals.  I'm sure I'll do more giveaways this Mofo, so stay tuned!

Freedom Fridays: Out to celebrate a glorious day!

Yesterday was a fabulous Friday.  I had a job interview, for a position 50 miles closer to my house.  And...I got the postion.  It will literally cut 100 miles (500 per week, 2000 per month, 24,000 per year!) and countless hours off of my daily commute.  I burst into song as I was driving home from getting the 2nd set of new tires this year.  "What song?" you ask.  This song:



I've probably listened to this song 600 times since yesterday.  I'm listening to it right now, as I type this.

I wanted to go out to celebrate.  We used to have this really cool dive bar not far from us that had a pretty good selection of vegan options, but it changed owners and now is a tapas bar, with not much to offer, so we had to find a new place to get our drink on.  We found another spot not too far down the road, and decided to stop in for a drink, just to check it out, then head out to dinner somewhere else.  Dan ordered a beer, and I a margarita.  For kicks, I had a look at the menu.  If nothing else I could get some fries.  But better than that...fried green beans!  Served with a wasabi vinaigrette.  Oh, snap! A picture, that is.

Tempura Green Beans

Sorry for the blurry picture.  I took it with my phone and it was dark in the bar.

Thoughtful Thursdays: 30 Day Vegan Challenge

Yeah, yeah, I know it's Saturday...But, this is Thoughtful Thursday's post:  A review of Colleen Patrick Goudreau's most recent book The 30 Day Vegan Challenge. 

Let me start out by saying I have all but one of Colleen's books and adore them all.  This one is different.  It's not just a cookbook.  It's a full blown guide to going vegan.  Not just recipes, but shopping guides, nutritional information, menu plans, and even about how to "defend" yourself when asked why you're vegan.  It really is a great read.  It reinforced my beliefs as a compassionate vegan and really reminded me why I eat, and live, the way I do.

One thing that really stood out, was the positive message throughout the whole book.  "By choosing to eat life-giving rather than life-taking foods, I'm saying yes to my values of peace, kindness, compassion, health, and simplicity." she says.  There is no attitude in this book, just sweetness and love.

Admittedly, this book wasn't really written for me, a veteran vegan, with plenty of knowledge about label reading, vegan cooking and where to buy my vegan chocolate chips.  But, I am really, really glad that I own it, and am considering buying a few extra copies.  This is the perfect book to give to anyone who has an interest in going vegan, a new vegan, or even to give to someone who questions me (you) about my (your) choices.  It's sweet and kind and written in a nonthreatening tone which will not offend even the most offendable readers.

This book reminds me of a much needed updated version of Joanne Stepaniak's The Vegan Sourcebook but with beautiful photographs, delicious easy to make recipes, an easy to follow format, and tons of relevent (in 2011) information and resources.

I highly recommend this book, and thank Colleen for writing such a inspirational tome.

Worknight Wednesdays: A Fridge Full of Leftovers and a Giveaway!

It's a Worknight Wednesday, and normally I'd make a meal that was big enough to double as lunch for the rest of the week.  The trouble is, I still have a bunch of food leftover in the fridge, I had to work late tonight, and didn't end up making anything at all! 

So instead of sticking with my normal theme for Wednesdays, how 'bout I do a giveaway instead? 

Leave a comment (on the blog) letting me know your favorite easy weeknight meal and I will choose 2 winners at random.  One will receive a copy of Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, and the other will receive a copy of The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions.  I will choose the winners on Saturday night at 5 pm PST.

Tuesdays for Two: Tacos!

TVP Tacos in Red Chile Flour Tortillas with Daiya Cheese, Lettuce, Chopped Jalapenos and Hot Sauce

I know I am a day late (and a dollar short!) but, did you know Tuesday was national Taco day?  So today's Tuesdays for Two will serve just that...TVP Tacos.  I love the simplicity of TVP taco meat, and so many who have tried it (omin, vegan, anyone actually) seem to agree that it really does mimic seasoned ground beef in both taste and texture.

My favorite recipe for TVP Taco Meat is this one, from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions (page 117) but if you want to make it even more super duper easy, just use a packet of taco seasoning added to your TVP! 

TVP Taco Meat

1 cup TVP granules
1 teaspoon evaporated cane juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or ground chipotle powder)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil (or any mild flavored vegetable oil)

In a heat safe bowl, mix together spices and TVP granules.  Stir in oil and water.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and miccrowave on high for 5 to 6 minutes. 

Alternatively, in a heat safe bowl, mix together spices and TVP granules. Stir in oil.  Add boiling water, stir, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Use anywhere you would use a yummy, spicy, ground "beef".

Mash-Up Monday: Noodles and Vanilla

This, is the first of the themed posts for my MoFo.  Mash-Up Mondays, where I will pair foods that you might not think should go together and pair them together in traditional foods.  Tonight I will pair noodles with vanilla (and some other stuff) to make a very traditional Jewish dish known as a sweet noodle Kugel.  This dish is served for break fast during Yom Kippur (which starts on Friday, October 7), so I thought I'd make up a vegan batch (even though I am not Jewish) because I like the idea of Teshuvah, or asking for forgiveness for the wrongs I have done.  (READ MORE ABOUT YOM KIPPUR HERE) So with each sweet bite of this Sweet Noodle Kugel, I will be reminded to be kind and ask for forgiveness for the wrongs I have done to others.  Religious or not, I believe it is good to forgive.




Sweet Noodle Kugel
Whatever your beliefs, why not try this traditional dish for breakfast or dessert. You will never look at linguini the same way again! I personally love it cold in the morning or warm for dessert with some extra EB melted over the top.

1 pound linguini noodles
1/3 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or other nondairy margarine)
1 (6 ounce) container of vanilla or plain nondairy yogurt
1 (8 ounce) tub of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (or other nondairy cream cheese)
1 (12 ounce) tub of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (or other nondairy sour cream)
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried fruit, like apples, raisins, cranberries, pineapple....(optional)

To make the Kugel: 
Prepare the noodles according to package instructions, in a large pot. 
Prepare a 9x12 baking dish by spraying with nonstick spray, or rubbing with some margarine.  Preheat your oven to 400 F.
When noodles are done, pour them into a strainer over the sink. 
Using the same pot, add all other ingredients (except fruit) and stir over low heat until melted and well combined. 
Add the strained noodles back into the pot and stir to coat. 
Transfer mixture to the prepared pan.
Sprinkle with dried fruit, if using.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until top is browned.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Yield: 12 servings

My love affair with Mac and Cheese

Since I am allowed to write about anything I consider to be wonderful on the weekends, today I choose to write about one of my very favorite things...Macaroni and Cheese.  Now, I won't claim that there is one perfect recipe for vegan mac and cheese, because there is something wonderful about all of them.  I have at least four recipes that I use in regular rotation.   It's just such a perfect food.  It can be made simply and quickly, or as a complicated casserole.  It can be plain, or with added veggies or crispy fried onions. 

When I was in Portland for Vida Vegan Con, I had a couple of really awesome incarnations of the gooey carb loaded uncheezy stuff.  First off I had a big plate of mac, along with a side of tater tots (ha!) at the Hungry Tiger Too.  This stuff was darn tootin' good.  Even better with the tots smashed into the mac giving it a little crunch.  Yeah, it was pretty ridiculous. Ridiuclously delicious.

And then I was blown away by a burrito filled with mac and cheese, barbecue soy curls and onions from the Homegrown Smoker food cart.  Simply known as the Macnocheeto, this amazing handheld delight left me speechless.  I went back for a second (and bought 2 extra to bring to my sister and Kurt) because they are that good.  And, yes, ridiculously delicious.

I mean, look at that thing!  Not only was it amazing to eat, but it was also a genius idea.  I mean, where else have you ever seen hand held mac?  I have been wrapping up my mac and cheese in tortillas to take with me to work ever since.

And as food fads come and go (bacon makes it better, sandwiches made without any bread, deep fried butter) I am pretty excited about what seems to be the newsest and best craze ever.  Mac and cheese on everything.  I recently saw a Denny's commercial for mac and cheese grilled cheese sandwiches, I heard Jason Ellis talk about mac and cheese as a pizza topping on his radio show.  And of course, don't forget about deep fried mac and cheese balls (Page 158 in Hearty Vegan!)

This is a trend I plan on getting behind 100%.  Watch out world.  Mac and cheese is about to be in everything, and I am here to embrace it!

If you don't have your own favorite mac and cheese recipe, I say start out simply and build from there.  Like I said earlier, I have at least 4 that I regularly use.   You can try this one for starters:

Cheater Mac'n'Cheeze.
My quick, easy, cheater recipe for a creamy delicious bowl of kid-friendly mac.



Ingredients1 pound of elbow macaroni, prepared in salted water
1/2 cup vegan sour cream (like Tofutti Better than Sour Cream)
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance, of course)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp white miso
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare pasta. Drain and return to the pot. Throw in all of the ingredients and mix together well. Done.

Hello MoFo!

I can't believe I almost missed the first day of Vegan MoFo 2011!  But, I made it, and just in the nick of time.  So, I thought this year I would try to have a theme for each and every day of the week to help keep me focused.  I came up with a different idea for each day of the week and entered it into the MoFo form when I signed up for this year's event.  But I didn't write it down...ha.  So now I am trying to remember what I put on my entery form.

Hmm, what was it?  Well, I think these are pretty close:

Mash up Mondays: Foods you might not think go well together, but actually do
Two for Tuesdays: Meals for two
Worknight Wednesdays:  Easy to fix dinners that double as the next day's lunch
Thoughtful Thursdays: Cookbook (and other vegan book) reviews
Freedom Fridays: Convenience and ready to eat foods (including restaraunts)
Wonderful Weekends: Whatever my little heart desires

And since this is a Wonderful Weekend post, I am going to write about last weekend's Naked Stromboli.
Naked Stromboli?  Well, the stromboli wasn't naked...For those of you who don't already know me, My husband and I have been together a really, really long time.  In fact, we celebrated 17 years together on September 17.  After 17 years, well, you gotta do things to keep it spicy.  On our anniversary we made Naked Pizza.  Well the pizza wasn't naked...  We had so much fun that we decided to go for stromboli last weekend.

Stromboli's can be decorated with Braids or other fancy cuts or weaving.

Now that's a pretty horrible picture, I know.  I took it with my phone, and the lighting was bad.  But it shows the "braid" of the bread which is really what differentiates a stromboli from a calzone. 

So, to make this bad boy, just use your favorite pizza dough recipe, and your favorite toppings.  In this one I used this recipe for the dough.

I rolled the dough into an oval that fit onto my baking sheet, lined with parchment.

Using a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife) I cut 10 equal slits in both sides of the dough, leaving plenty of intact space in the center for my fillings.  (Which in this Stromboli were: Walnut Basil Pesto, Pine Nuts, and Daiya Pepperjack cheese.) 

Cut 10 equal slits on each side of the dough.

After I put my fillings in the center I braided the bread.  It really is so easy, but looks so extravagent when it's all done.  To do this start at one end and fold up the rounded edge.  Then start braiding.  Kind of like lacing your shoes, take one slit, and bring it to the center, then one on the opposite side, then repeat, finally tucking in the other end.

Start "braiding" at one end, tucking in the final ends.

 
Please forgive my crude diagrams!

I saved a little cheese for the top of the stromboli and I brushed the whole shebang with olive oil, and sprinkled some garlic powder on top just for good measure, before baking it at 425 F for about 15 minutes, or until golden. 

I let it sit for a few minutes before slicing into it...and I apologize now for not getting an inside shot.

And that's it!  If you get yourself a premade dough ball from Whole Foods, Trader Joes (or even your local pizza shop!) then you can put this bad boy together in no time.  (So you can get to the naked part faster!)

Well, so It begins.  Vegan Mofo 2011 is here.  I am quite excited.  I can't wait to read the round ups, and try to keep up with all of the madness.

Happy MoFo'ing to you all!