Food Network Friday: Bayou "Chicken" Pasta + Another Winner!

My version

Wow, this recipe was a terrific choice! Liz combed the Food Network site to find this gem, so let's start with her.

Liz's version

Actually, Liz earned her right to be first even more because she posted a week early! How's that for keeping on top of things? Liz stuck fairly close to the recipe, but substituted tofu and store-bought vegan cream. She also upped the spice, of course. It was such a success that her omni brother wanted the leftovers. Win!

Kelly played along with this tasty rendition. Check out her blog for her substitutions, but again, this also pleased Kelly's omni mom! Chickeny seitan stood in for the chicken and Kelly used a cashew cream. All in all, Kelly can see making this one again.

Kelly's version

In the most unique remake, Vegan Aide opted for eggplant and cauliflower as stand-ins for the chicken. Such a great idea! The spices must have bounced off the vegetables really well. As she says, any favorite vegetables would be great in the creamy sauce.

Vegan Aide's version

Like Kelly, I made a cashew sauce. I used tempeh for the chicken and it worked well. Jim was in the kitchen snitching as I was cooking and absolutely loved it... until I poured the pasta water in it which thinned it considerably. Bad move. It reminded him of the mac and cheese I grew up on which he thinks is more of a mac and cheese soup. I used to love it, but Jim wasn't a fan. He likes his mac and cheese to be just mac and cheese with some butter thrown in. Period. Anyway, I'd definitely make it again but without the pasta water.

So, Kelly, how about picking the next one?

I'm sorry to say that Karen #29 didn't get back to me so I'm redrawing for a copy of World Vegan Feast. Congratulations to Becky who made cheesecake! Please contact me so I can get this book on the way to you. Reminder: If I don't have any way to contact you (like both Karen and Becky), please check back.

Happy Weekend! It would be a great time to make Mihl's muffins to share with some non vegans. Get the recipe at Vegan Muffins on the Move. You'll be glad you did.

Holiday Food and the Winner is.....

It's time! Congratulations goes to Karen, # 29. Over the holidays, Karen made and enjoyed "a pot pie with onions, mushrooms, dried cranberries, walnuts, spices and a top crust...pure invention! " Please email me your mailing address. Thanks again to Vegan Heritage Press for contributing the book for Karen.

You know I can't post without including food photos. For Christmas, we had the same roulade we had last year. For good reason, it remains one of our favorites. We had garlic mashed potatoes with the Home-style Gravy from American Vegan Kitchen, roasted green beans, and cranberry sorbet that was inspired by Chef Faulkner from the Next Iron Chef. You can't tell from the photo, but it was garnished with inedible holly leaves and raspberries. You know you're not supposed to garnish with inedible items. Take that Food Network, for not picking Chef Faulkner!

For New Year's Eve, we started a new tradition. Liz and I were talking and she was making Ethiopian. I mentioned it to Jim, aka the biggest fan of Ethiopian food after Kittee, and he requested it.


The injera was made from a hodge podge of online recipes with a little me thrown in. It was a big winner. Starting at 9:00, the greens are Kittee's from Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian. They are the best greens ever. The mushroom tibs are from Isa's Appetite for Reduction. It was the first time I'd made them and we loved them. Red lentil puree is from Kittee, as is the salad that Jim made. It is the perfect contrast. For the 6 to 7:00 spot, it's the soy curl and potato dish, also from Kittee. I can't get soy curls locally and very rarely have them, so I used tvp chunks. We loved it.

So... wondering what is on my menu this week? I'm wrapping up a sandwich recipe for Grills Gone Vegan, having Ethiopian Mac and Cheese with Greens for dinner tonight, and planning to make another batch of Mihl's muffins for Vegan Muffins on the Move. Who knows what else?

On the blog this week, we'll have Food Network Friday on (wait for it....) Friday. If you haven't joined in before, this recipe is a terrific one to get your feet wet. It's a great dish.

Happy weekend!

Vine and Dine with Chile-Grilled Tofu with Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce

Vine and Dine with the Candle 79 Cookbook continues! Given the name, we expected this to be spicier than it was. Jim even asked if it was "supposed to be Mexican". Either our spice sensors are out of whack or the peppers were unusually mild. Either way, it had as some heat, but not really chile heat. Even the jalapeno in the sauce wasn't very zippy. No matter, we really enjoyed the dish.

The recipe calls for simmering the tofu before marinading. It gave it a slightly different texture and is something I think I'll play with in the future. The sauces were both wonderful ad the dish comes together smoothly.

In other stuff:
Do you want to cook with us? Food Network Friday is up next with an incredible Bayou "Chicken" Pasta. After that, it's back to Vine and Dine featuring Bryanna's World Vegan Feast.

Try to win a copy of World Vegan Feast by commenting on this post. Random drawing will be Wednesday or Thursday.

Need a new soup recipe? How about this one?

And...I'm trying to centrally locate all my food posts at this facebook page. Like it and check back often.

Whew, that's a lot of bookkeeping kind of stuff.

Before I turn this over to Jim for the wine, don't forget to see what Liz and Matthew did with this pairing, and also Kim and Fred. I don't know about Liz and Kim, but I didn't let Jim see the suggestion in the book. They picked a German wine: a Sylvaner blend.

With this Vine and Dine, we chose a Gruet Blanc de Noir, from New Mexico. A lot of weirdness there; wine from New Mexico that thinks it's a champagne, no less? No, MORE! That's what we were saying. Actually, Tami was saying because I drank more and wouldn't share.

Price point is in the just-under $20.00 range. New Mexico actually has some kick ass "sparkling wines", just the way it is. Living in Ohio, that doesn't make a lot of sense, but Ohio has a pretty strong Finger Lakes-Lite style wine region right where we live. So who am I to judge?

This Gruet was made from Pinot Noir, our particular preference, as opposed to what would be labeled Blanc de Blanc, which uses Chardonnay as a the primary grape. This inexpensive, simple wine was bright, acidic and effervescent, with a citrus nose and an apple tingle on the palate. It worked well as a foil to the dish, didn't interfere, didn't oppose, but didn't integrate either. A sort of stood-on-its-own thing but worked out that way. Pick some up, but please share better than I do.

World Vegan Feast: Review and Contest!

I've been a fan of Bryanna Clark Grogan forever. Really. She is one of my food idols. In my opinion, this new book is long overdue. Or maybe it's just that I so eagerly anticipated it. It was worth the wait.

Bryanna has a wealth of knowledge and a natural tendency toward teaching. Not only does she share her techniques (always inspiring), but in this book she shares her wonderful passion for global cuisines. Each recipe has a notation of it's origin and many include mini histories of the dish. The book is well-organized with chapters on 'munchies', soups, salads, comfort foods, and many more. With over 200 recipes from 50 countries, the sampling here has barely scratched the surface. But that's ok, because the book is also going to be featured for an upcoming Vine and Dine.

Knowing that Bryana takes seitan to all new heights, of course I had to try some recipes that feature it. Here's what I've made so far:

Seitan, Beer, and Caramelized Onion Stew

Bryanna's long slow cooking is perfect for snowy days... and the onions that are wonderfully sweet.

Serbian Braised Sauerkraut and Seitan

Ok, the name of this recipe says it all. Plus potatoes! A few of my favorite things.

Seitan au Poivre

I've made this one so many times that it's a bit embarrassing I don't have a better picture of it. This one really delivers.

Baja Tempeh Tacos

Bryanna's take on a fried fish taco. The salsa on these is so bright and fresh!

All in all, Bryanna knows her stuff and this book drives it home. This would be a fantastic addition to any cook's library.

If you haven't gotten a copy yet (and you really should!), here's a chance for you to win a copy. One lucky reader has a chance to win a copy of World Vegan Feast, thanks to Vegan Heritage Press, who also published American Vegan Kitchen. For this contest, American mailing addresses only. To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post telling me one dish you made over the holidays that you really liked. That's it! The winner will be chosen early next week using random.com. Good luck! Be sure to check back for the Vine and Dine recipes, too.

Oh, have you seen the new recipe over at Vegans on the Move? Join us!

Also, I have a new facebook page. Please come find me!

Happy January!

Spinach Artichoke Dip + Winner

Recently, I got a note from one of my tester friends, Kip Dorrell, who had added spinach and artichoke hearts to the Fettucine Alfredo sauce from American Vegan Kitchen. With a sprinkling of vegan cheese, she magically turned it into Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip. Of course, I had to head to the kitchen and play with it further. I kept some of the basic elements of the sauce, but couldn’t resist playing with it a little more. We happen to like mozzarella-style cheese in this, but I’m sure Monterey jack or the pepperjack shreds would also be delicious.

We were pleased with the results and plan to have it again for New Year’s Eve. It will be perfect paired with champagne. Thank you, Kip!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

3/4 cup cashews

2/3 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon capers

2 scallions, chopped

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Generous pinch black pepper

1/2cup frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry

1/2 cup drained and chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes

Pinch smoked paprika

Nonstick spray

Crusty bread, corn chips and vegetables for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. F. Combine the cashews, broth, pine nuts, vinegar, capers, scallions, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until completely smooth and no grit remains. Stir in the spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese, and sundried tomatoes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Spray a 9 or 10-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Spread the dip into the skillet and sprinkle lightly with the paprika. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Serve hot with the dippers.

Now for an important organizational note! As some of you know, I've been deliberating over the best way to manage facebook pages so I could have a personal and a professional page. I don't want to cross-post like crazy, for one thing, and want to keep things as simple as possible. I'd rather spend more time in the kitchen and less time on the computer. So I've decided that I will delete the American Vegan Kitchen facebook page and retire the Tamasin Noyes Cooks Vegan page. Instead, I'll have both a personal and professional page under my name, Tamasin Noyes. Please find me there! The new professional page will be linked from that page. I expect to make the change by New Year's Day. Thank you for your patience while I iron out this (to me) complicated situation.

If you've hung in with me for this whole post, I want to say congratulations to the winner for Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food, is Ashley, #22! I hope you'll love this zine as much as I do.

All the best to all of you in 2012!

Vine and Dine: Panko Crusted Seitan Milanese from Candle 79

With the holidays around the corner, this dish is wonderfully elegant. Having never been to Candle 79, this recipe is exactly the type of dish I imagine them serving. We loved this dish, far more than their famed Seitan Marsala. Rather than make the seitan from the Candle 79 book, I just used some roasts from the freezer. The recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, prepared in the crockpot, remains my favorite. The recipe calls for pounding it, but I knew that wouldn't really do anything to the seitan, so I just cut the slices thinly. The pesto is easy (and nicely vibrant) and of course, is a natural with the tomato/basil topping.

As the seitan didn't absorb all the pesto, I stirred it into some cappelini for a side dish. Next time, I'd thin it a little for better coverage. Also, 'chickeny' seitan would be even better in this dish than the roast. As it was, we thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to having it again.

To see how Liz and Matthew handled this dish, be sure to read their post here. As a side note, Liz and I tackled the dish in similar fashion. You'll see we both used that leftover marinade to pull the dish together.

Kim and Fred joined us as well. Take a look at their wine pairing for a bit of a successful surprise.

Our next Vine and Dine is the Chile-Grilled Tofu with Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce from the same book, with a wrap-up January 9th.

Now, for the wine pairing, here's Jim. Be sure to check back to see if you won Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food later this week. Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!

Leitz Dragonstone 2009

BOOM! When in doubt, pick a Riesling. Why? Because whoever is picking these Vine and Dine dishes appears to have a fundamental desire to come up with dishes that are not wine friendly and Rieslings are my go - to. And more why?

Well, like my favorite tattoo artist back in the past with the neck tattoo of something satanic and two stars on his forehead, once you get over the initial shock you find that there is, indeed, something quite cuddly in there under that rough exterior.

So it is with Vine and Dine.

But how to break through? Why, Riesling, of course. Back to earlier posts, the acids of a Riesling can slash back against fats, and can compete against salsas and pestos. The fruit of a Riesling, in this case apple-apricot laced with the slightest hint of Meyer lemon, provides a citrus flavor profile that brightens up a dish. It hits the palate similarly to using lemon or lime juice in cooking. They can also handle spice.

So apply all of the above to this dish. The Dragonstone is a low-end release from Leitz, one of our top three Mosel faves, who are responsible for some pretty sick and amazing wines. This one comes in around $16 to $18, and has bright acidity,
flavors as described, and general bad-assedness.

Rieslings won't caress a dish, like a Burgundy with a seitan mushroom dish, or flow
around a hearty dish like a Pac NW merlot would, they tend to work against the dish but in a good way. Like having parents who are opposites, sometimes that can be ok too. Damn, who brought up my parents anyway?

Well, enjoy the holidays etc. and adopt a cat or two, they're fun.

Giveaway: Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food (And So Do We!)

Yes! It's contest time! Let me give you a bit of back story on my experience with Ethiopian food. When I say 'experience', it really is what I mean. We were in Washington D.C., and had an Ethiopian taxi driver. We'd wanted to try Ethiopian food for a long time and were chatting with our driver about the best local restaurants. With our communication challenges, he never got the vegan thing, but he did suggest 2 of the restaurants that were on our 'vegan-friendly' list. We opted for Meskerem in the Adams Morgan area. Walking into the restaurant was like walking through a portal. The first thing to hit you is the aroma. It was enticing. Our server carefully ran through the menu with us and we opted for a platter. After two bites, we were hooked. As a plus, eating with you hands has never tasted so good.

And didn't have Ethiopian food again until this last spring. We were vacationing in Vermont with our dear friends, Liz and Matthew. Liz managed to find a restaurant that served Ethiopian food on Tuesday nights. The food was just as wonderful as our first time, and we were even more fascinated than before.

Then came Kittee Berns' incredible zine, Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian. I've been a fan of Kittee's for a long time, and if you're not already, you will be soon. This zine is packed with all the flavor you'd hope from Ethiopian cuisine and a big surprise: it's gluten-free!
We started with the Ethiopian version of Mac 'n' Cheesie. Since we're not gluten-free, I used regular pasta, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. And loved it. Following Kittee's suggestion, we served it with ye'abesha gomen, made with chard. I have 3 words for you: best greens ever.


From there, we went for a platter-style meal. Since I didn't have the urad dal for the injera fake-outs, I made my own from a combo of online recipes. Most importantly, it used some sourdough starter and fermented for 3 days. So we started off with a great base, in spite of the fact that many of them tore because I had stacked them. We had the Best Greens Ever (of course), red lentils in a spicy gravy (p. 55), mushroom tibs (p. 47), and my own version of salata (from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day.). We loved this dinner and it hit all the same notes that dining out had. Kittee really worked some magic into this zine. I could go on and on, but this is already a long post. This is a gem that is packed full of info as well as incredible recipes.

Let me give you a couple of tips, if you happen to have this zine or are the lucky winner.

1. Make the full recipe of the nitter kibbeh. You'll use it.
2. Kittee says it, but I'm saying it, too. Know your berebere whether it's homemade or store-bought.

Here's your chance! Comment on this post telling me one of your favorite Ethnic dishes. Since we're talking world food, international entries are welcome. Next week, I'll use random.com to pick one winner. Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian could be yours! Good luck!

12/22/11 - the winner is Ashley, #22! Congratulations. I will email you so I can pop this in the mail to you.