Monday Muffins (Thanks, Mihl!)

Ever since I saw this recipe for Blueberry Muffins with White Chocolate Chips over at Mihl's blog, Seitan is My Motor, it had been on my to-make list. Mihl is a baker extraordinaire and I've drooled over her photos and posts for years. Just as I expected, this recipe is a stunner! The crumb is perfect, the flavors lovely, and the basic muffin is a perfect showcase for the berries and chips. Since I missed making these in bluberry season, I used some frozen berries instead. What a wonderful way to start the week.

Since none of us managed to do the Food Network Friday for last Friday, Kim picked a new recipe that we're doing for Friday, December 11th. It's a Beef and Horseradish Sauce Sandwich. I was so excited about this recipe (horseradish, hello!), that I've already made it. So has Kim. The original is from Ina Garten and can be seen here. I'll post my version of it on Friday and if you happen to join us, please be sure to post a comment so we can check out your sandwich, too! After this Food Network Friday, I think we'll take a little hiatus until next year. Things just get too hectic this time of year.

Don't forget to enter the book contest! And it would be a good idea to make some of Mihl's muffins, too.

Book Review and Contest: The (Almost) No Fat Holiday Cookbook

Well, I had every intention of doing Food Network Friday this week, but the days got away from me. It's too bad, because the recipe Veg-in-Training picked really sounds wonderful! I'm keeping it to try at another time, because what's not to love about refried beans and seitan packed in fried dough? In the meantime, if you happen to have tried this recipe, please comment on this post so we can see how awesome it is.

So I don't leave you without a food photo, here's a tasty burger we recently enjoyed. Piled high with lettuce, a little special sauce peeking out on the bottom of the homemade bun - this really hit the spot.

I know, this is turning into a bit of a mishmash post, but bear with me....because I'm jumping subjects again. This time to a book review and contest. Thanks to the Book Publishing Company, I've got a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's book, The (Almost) No Fat Holiday Cookbook.

The book opens with an easy-to-understand discussion on fat and nutrition. It's brief and to the point, and remind us that nearly no fat holiday food can taste just as indulgent as the higher fat foods that many of us are used to eating. Following the introduction are 17 holiday menus. Each chapter opens with a background of the holiday before showcasing a mouth-watering menu.

I love that the book includes holidays that are often not as well known in the United States, such as Holi (East Indian Spring Festival) and Naw Ruz (Baha'i New Year). Besides the Seitan Roast in a French Bread Crust au Jus (for Christmas), I'd love to try the Thai Corn Fritters on the menu for Wesak or Visakha Puja (Birth, Death and Enlightenment of Buddha Celebration). The recipes are intriguing and wonderfully multi-cultural, yet they don't require impossible to find ingredients.

The back of the book contains some basics that look especially useful. The baking section includes breads and biscuits, as well as cakes. The Buttertarts sound fantastic. Bryanna also includes some of the favorites that we've all come to know and love such as her Pan-Fried Breast of Tofu. This nifty book is full of flavorful surprises and helps us learn a little more about the world, too.

Here's where you come in. If you'd like a chance to win this book, all you have to do is reply to this post by telling me your favorite holiday. It doesn't have to be on anybody's calendar except your own, but tell me what your favorite celebration is. In a week or so, I'll randomly pick a winner. Thanks again to the Book Publishing Company for making these contests happen. Good luck!

Madeira Seitan with Chanterelles

Madeira Seitan with Chaterelles

Looking for something incredibly easy, yet elegant? Fantastic flavors, but no work? Have I got a dish for you. When we were shopping at Whole Foods after Thanksgiving, the chanterelles happened to be on sale. I couldn't resist picking some up. Since they are such a splurge, there was a big debate about how to use them. My first thought was to use them with homemade pasta, but with time being the way it is, I wasn't able to make pasta until Sunday. The mushrooms kept calling my name, so I ended up using them in this Saturday night dinner.

Madeira Seitan with Chanterelles
Serves 2

2 chickeny cutlets
3 tablespoons madeira
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (fresh would be better, but I didn't have any)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons vegan margarine, divided
1 tablespoon minced shallot
6 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, quartered

Make the marinade by mixing the madeira, vinegar, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together. Marinade the cutlets for about 1/2 an hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the cutlets from the marinade but reserve the marinade. Brown the cutlets until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining margarine, the shallot, and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved broth and the cutlets to the skillet. Cook 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Beige-brown food has never tasted so wonderful! We ended up eating this in front of the television, and it was so dinner party-ish that it made me feel funny. Not for long though, just until my next bite. After all, delicious food enhances any situation.

Coming soon: another book contest and Food Network Friday.

Food Network Friday 12/4 and Tofurky Dinner

If you came here looking for Food Network Friday, this is the week it usually would have been. Because of the holiday and leftovers, we pushed it back a week so it will close on December 4th. This week's recipe was chosen by Veg-in-Training and looks like it should be a lot of fun! I've never made sopapillas but they sound pretty wonderful. If you join us in the Cook-Along, be sure to post a comment here on the upcoming December 4th post. (I can't believe it's almost December!) Here is the idea straight from her.

"Ok here is what I'm thinking...and this is a challenge because there is no recipe posted. I saw this on an this episode of Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives. It looks crazy delicious. The video shows it with a cilantro cream sauce, but the restaurant menu also offers a red or green enchilada sauce option.

Here is what I was able to gleen from the video as far as ingredients and prep go. Good luck on this mission should you choose to accept it!

Chicken Stuffed Sopapillas

Flour
Salt
Baking powder
Water

Mix to make tacky dough. Cover Let sit for 1 ½ hours.

Marinade for chicken

Lemon lime soda
Water
Fresh lime juice
Red wine vinegar
Soy
Black pepper
Chili powder
Garlic
Whiskey
Marinade for 24 hours.

Grill chicken then chop chicken.

Take 4 oz ball of dough dusted in flour and roll out to about 8 inch round.
You have to work quickly or the dough will get soggy.
Fill with refried beans
Chicken
Jack and Cheddar Cheese
Fold over in half then fold over the ends.

Fry in enough oil to completely cover 1 ½ minutes per side.

Put on cookie sheet or pizza pan. Top with your choice of Cilantro cream sauce, red or green enchilada sauce and cheeses. Stick in a 400 degree oven until cheese melts.

Garnish with cilantro and onion. Watch your pants get tighter!"


You just know I wouldn't leave you without a photo of some delicious food. We enjoyed this dinner a few weeks ago when the nice people at Turtle Island Foods kindly set me a coupon for a free Tofurky. I made it exactly as the package directed with the exception of using a lot more vegetables. My goal was to determine the minimum amount of hands-on-time needed to make a real feast. All in all, it took about 10 minutes up front to scrub/chop the vegetables and make a baste and then another 10 minutes toward the end of the cooking time to make a gravy and the greens. With only 20 minutes of attention, we had this fantastic meal. Granted, it wasn't as flavorful as the homemade feast from Robin Robertson which hardly took any more work (thank you, puff pastry), but it is a great alternative and we'll have it again. The basting sauce added a lot and the 'stuffing' was actually very good. We liked the texture of the roast. The vegetables, after cooking in the marinade, were a big hit. The package says it should serve 5, but even with the extra vegetables that wouldn't work in our house. For a new or busy vegan, or when you want to have a fancy Sunday dinner but don't feel like preparing it, this is a terrific option. This would be ideal for a partner who doesn't cook much to make for a romantic dinner for the perma-cook in the house, too.

Happy Day After Thanksgiving! Stay tuned for another book contest next week.

Thanksgiving Dinner (A Little Early)

On Thanksgiving Day, if we get-together with the family, we usually bring a nontraditional dish like burritos or a pasta bake. But before the actual day, we enjoy several Thanksgiving themed meals. Vegan.com always posts an amazing looking spread from Robin Robertson. Here's what we had last night.

Seitan en Croute, Garlic Smashers, Roasted Asparagus and Madeira Sauce

The Seitan en Croute is surprisingly easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time except for the baking. The Madeira Sauce is rich and multi-layered. I can eat it off a spoon and be quite happy, but when it's with the seitan and the Garlic Smashers, it's almost transportive. Roasted Asparagus is one of our go-to sides, and it's great paired with the seitan. There are a few roasted carrots nestled by the mashed potatoes, too. This is elegant, easy, wonderfully delicious and would be appropriate for any celebration. I'm already planning to make the Seitan en Croute again for either Christmas or New Year's Eve. And maybe Valentine's Day, or whenever I want to show people how well we eat as vegans. Really, that Seitan en Croute makes me want to have omni guests for a dinner party. Besides these recipes, there are several others over at Vegan.com such as Triple Cranberry Relish and Rum-Spiked Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Pecans. For dessert, how about Ginger-Dusted Pumpkin Cheezecake?

Most of these recipes are from Robin's new book, 1000 Vegan Recipes. If you decide to buy it through Amazon, it would be great if you did so through the Vegan.com page to help keep that site going strong.

For more terrific recipe links, check out the list over at Your Vegan Mom. At the top of her list is this e-book from Nava Atlas, A Bountiful Vegan Thanksgiving. The book features recipes from some favorite vegan authors such as Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Dynise Balcavage, Bryanna Clark Grogan and others. The fact that the proceeds benefit some wonderful charities makes the book even more awesome. I keep flipping through my copy trying to decide what to make first.

And... the book contest winner is #4. Congratulations, Vegyogini! Please email me your mailing address so I can get Sweet Utopia in the mail to you. I look forward to seeing what you make with it. Thank you to the Book Publishing Company for making these book contest giveaways happen. Stay tuned for another one soon.

Cream of Tomato Soup

When you hit a streak of gray, overcast November days, this is just what you need. It's the Cream of Tomato Soup from 500 Vegan Recipes. While I'm not quite a connoisseur (that's so snobby), it's true that I consider myself to be soup-experienced. I order tomato soup, tomato bisque, or any variation of it whenever we're eating out and I see it on the menu. I've tried a few other recipes, and none of them compare to this one. On the side is a grilled daiya cheddar with arugula on ciabiatta bread. This quick lunch really hit the spot.

Don't forget to enter the contest for Sweet Utopia! Right now, your chances are 1 on 29!

Happy Monday!

Food Network Friday: Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Loaded Mashed Potatoes (my version)

Thank you, Paula Deen. These mashed potatoes were really special, something I don't often say and I could rarely imagine writing in a blog post based off a Paula Deen recipe. And raving about it. This week's recipe was chosen by Julia over eatrundoyoga and is a great choice for this time of year. The original is here.

Julia's version uses sweet potatoes, coconut and pecans. Does it remind you of anything? If you've ever had that sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top then you'll recognize Julia's inspiration for this dish. Sweet!

Julia's Version

Over at On Cardamon and Cast Iron, C took a decidely Asian direction in her take on these. With scallions and tamarind, you know they've got be good.

C's Version

My variation uses russets, and as it turns out may be the most mainstream of these three. I'll post the recipe below, but let me say it again: thank you, Paula Deen. After hearing through muffled mouthfulls that these were the best mashed potatoes ever, there's no doubt I'll be making them again.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2 generously

6 cloves garlic, peeled (the garlic is roasted in the original, but this works great)
1# russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons vegan margarine
1 cup packed arugula, roughly cut
2 tablespoons soy creamer (or soy milk)
2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
1/2 cup daiya cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

Place the garlic and potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add enough salted water to cover and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain, then return back to the pot. Place the pot on the burner (with the burner off) and add the arugula, creamer, sour cream and cheese. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes until they are the texture you prefer. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

If you happened to join in, please comment on this post so we can see how you mash your potatoes. Thank you, Julia, for seeing what a fantastic recipe this could be.

Enter the contest! I mean, if you want.. it's about dessert, you know.