Teese!

Our Teese came, and like most vegans, our first experiment was with pizza! I put a ton of Teese on it, smothering the vegetables with all the better- than- cheese goodness. Next time, I'd go a little lighter. We couldn't believe how it melted or how it tasted! In it's raw state, it reminds me a lot of a fresh mozzarella, but in super cool blue wrapping.

Next up was Fried Teese. I used to love the fried mozzarella at Buca di Beppo. Then I felt sick after eating it. This was lighter and tasted way better! I double breaded it because the cheese is soft and I worried it would melt right out. It didn't. The sticks that had a chance to sit for a sec and cool down actually had the best texture. These make for a delicious over the top appetizer.

If you haven't heard of Teese, you can read about them here.

This stuff melts! It tastes great (even by itself, it tasted good!) and the texture is a lot more like dairy cheese. It's a little saltier than FYH and has a buttery undertone. Nothing tops a pizza better and I'm looking forward to trying it in all sorts of recipes.

I also came up with a great Seitan with 15 Cloves of Garlic recipe. I'll post the recipe when we get back from our trip. Unfortunately, it didn't look too good in any of the pictures, but the taste is too good not to share. Then again, maybe I'll make it again when we get back and get pictures then.

Just to finish on a sweet note, these are the mocha cupcakes (variation on the chocolate cupcakes) from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. The frosting is my own so I'll post that recipe.

Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting (makes enough for about 24 cupcakes)
3 Tbsp eb
4 Tbsp tofutti cream cheese
2 Tbsp water, hot (really hot)
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
2 Tbsp chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
about 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mix together the eb and cream cheese. Get the water super hot, then add the coffee crystals and chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth. Add in the vanilla. Then add liquids to the creamed base. Add the sifted powdered sugar until it is the thickness desired. Frost!

See you in about a week! We're looking forward to all kinds of good food in Washington D.C. !

Joni's No Tuna Melt and Cookies

We had a great lunch today! It's the fantastic No Tuna Melt from Joni, of Cozy Inside. Of course, I couldn't quite follow the recipe since I never ever buy sweet pickle relish. A dill pickle made a great sub and the sandwich is awesome. It really comes together quickly, making it a super duper lunch. Joni has a ton of good recipes posted and even more in her cookbook. Check them out.

Yesterday I made more tester cookies!These are the Powdered Cream Cookies from Autumn Vegan. They had a 'chocolate dipped or not' option. Who is she kidding? Like that's an option? Maybe it's just me... but chocolate is mandatory. These cookies rock! They are so buttery and rich tasting and the chocolate puts them really over the top. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness. We're having company tonight and trying to save some for them. Wish us luck!

Chick Salad and Portobello Cream Pasta

Two testers, that's right, two testers in one post! These are both for Yellow Rose Recipes.

First up, Chick Salad in a bowl, then in a sandwich. Guess what's in it? Soy curls! She gives another option but I still had some from my first attempt with them and couldn't wait to give it a try. I've always been a die-hard tempeh salad fan so this one opens up a whole new world. It's got all the right tastes, the soy curls give it an amazing texture.. and well, it's a total winner.

Here's the pasta we had for dinner last night. I was kind of pushing it in making this. Jim hates cream sauces. But he also is willing to try anything, so I figured what the hell? I loved this and get this.... he liked it! The sauce is a perfect showcase for the mushrooms and the whole thing was on the table in under a half hour.


You guys are so going to love this cookbook!

Tempeh Haters Scallopini

Upfront, let me say this recipe is certainly not authentic. I've never even had Scallopini and I know I didn't cut the tempeh in that style. I hit up a couple of cookbooks (Candle Cafe and Nonna's Italian Kitchen) and the 'net and decided to incorporate aspects of everything. Why cook from only a few recipes when you can use them all and make up your own? This recipe is original but not unique, I'm sure.

That said, we loved this. I think people who don't like tempeh would love this. The real trick to the whole thing is how the tempeh is treated. After a warm steam bath, it gets a nice soak in a tasty marinade bathtub, then is baked in that same marinade. Talk about flavor infusion! This technique is from the Candle Cafe and I highly recommend it. On with the recipe. By the way, it looks a lot more involved than it is, so don't be put off by that.

Tempeh Haters Scallopini
3-4 servings
Marinade:
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp mirin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
8 oz package tempeh

Dredging mixture:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp pepper (I like white)
2 Tbsp olive oil (for pan frying)

Sauce:
1/2 cup shallots
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (we like criminis)
leftover marinade
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup broth (you'll need more if you didn't have any marinade left)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 or 2 Tbsp cornstarch (or thickener of choice)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix up the marinade then cut the tempeh however you want. I cut it in 1/3's then cut those 1/3's in half (so it was half as deep), then into triangles. If you're going to cut it in more scallopini-like cubes, you should probably do that *after* it's steamed. Otherwise, now steam the tempeh for about 20 minutes in salted water. Remove it and put it in the marinade for at least 1 hour. Then cover pan with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Let it cool so you can handle it. Save the marinade if you have some left. (If not, later you'll use broth).

Dredge the tempeh in the flour/pepper and pan fry. Place in oven to stay warm.

Using the same saucepan, make the sauce. Saute the shallots, then add the mushrooms and saute a few more minutes. Add the red wine and turn up the heat a little to deglaze. Turn down to medium low. Add the marinade, broth, lemon juice, herbs and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time, and cook to desired thickness. Serve over tempeh. We like it with pasta.

The tempeh wasn't quite as dark as it looks in the picture. Oh, well.

Tonight's dinner: Pasta with Portbello Cream Sauce (tester).

Naked Falafel (and More)

This falafel was feeling a little hot and wanted to pose all by itself in a sultry way. Actually, it looks more like a falafel orgy. This is a tester for Yellow Rose Recipes and we started snitching these the second they came out of the frying pan. They were even better when they were 'dressed'. Jim is kind of harsh on falafel considering that he orders them almost any time they're on a menu. He thought these were the best ever. I'm not as big a fan of falafel in general, but these are awesome!



Last night's dinner was basic. I don't think many things are more basic than marinara, now that I think about it. We tried some Gimme Lean "Meatballs" for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. I'm always skeptical about that kind of thing, but they were pretty good. The best part was how dark they got from the cast iron pan. There is nothing like cast iron!

Basic Marinara
Like anything, jazz this up however you want. It's one of those "make it your way" recipes.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can tomatoes, drained but save the juice
1/2 cup red wine (optional, but good)
1 -2 Tbsp tomato paste (maybe)
1 Tbsp agave
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and lightly saute the onion. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes, but don't let it get brown. Add the dried herbs and cook a couple more minutes. Take your knife and just run it through the drained tomatoes (while still in the can) a little bit to give them a hard start on breaking up. Add to the saucepan along with the red wine and agave. Break the tomatoes up and keep an eye on your consistency. At this point, you can add some juice from the can or a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. I happened to have about 1 /2 cup of tomato sauce leftover from another dish, so I added that. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 1/2 an hour. Adjust the seasonings.

Tonight's dinner: Seitan Basil Stir Fry.... possibly followed by a seance!

Get ready! We are going to be making some changes to this blog, including the name, link and the look. I'm using the royal 'we' because I'm graphically challenged and will be getting help from Jim but changes are just around the corner.

Two Testers: Taters and Tempeh

And yet more alliteration, too.

Mmmmmm…. we’ve been eating well lately. Check these out: Individual Hash Browns from Isa’s new book and Tempeh Strips from Yellow Rose Recipes 2.

Ok- about the hash browns! Really delightful crunch on the outside and soft, wonderful potato-ness on the inside. These are awesome and can be reheated easily if you have leftovers. This is from Day 2. (Yes…. That is the Mustard Seitan Cutlet on the side.)

The tempeh strips are the most wonderful tempeh strips I’ve ever eaten and that’s saying a lot! They have this crazy good depth of flavor that just kind of bursts in your mouth. Here they are sharing the plate with Individual Hash Browns (Day 1) and those great pancakes from VwaV.

Tonight's Dinner: I'm hoping to do a Vodka Sauce for pasta.

Pass the Pasta, Please

Who can resist alliteration? Certainly not me. On to the food.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of mint in food. But this dish has changed that. With the right balance and some other fresh, wonderful ingredients, I'm changing my tune! This is a tester from Yellow Rose Recipes #2. Yeah, that mustard seitan cutlet that I post every other day is from her first book. As you can guess, I'm really excited about this testing. I present the Lemon Mint Zucchini Spaghetti with Petit Pois. My peas aren't really petite, but you get the idea. It's a lovely, light pasta dish that packs in the flavor.



And.. more cookies! Hurray! These are Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies (made with peanut butter fudge chunks) from Autumn Vegan and Garrick. Delicious! Before testing for their cookbook, I'd had lousy luck with baking vegan cookies. Now when people taste them, they can't believe they're vegan. Like vegan would be a bad thing. Oh well... one cookie at a time... but attitudes are changing.

Tonight's dinner: either breakfast or falafel. How's that for decisive?

After the Ice Storm...

Once we got our electricity back, I started cooking! The storm hit last Tuesday and we were fortunate to only have our electricity out for about 24 hours. Others didn't get it restored until Saturday! Our phone was out and just started working today. The big thing was the dsl! Even though I ran into my husband's work to log onto the PPK a couple of times (and of course, check my soap orders), I really missed it at home.

So here is what I've made lately.

These are Crack of Noon testers-- and both are seriously stunning. The omelet is the 'basic' version which we filled with red peppers, onions and broccoli. This is the first omelet that actually worked for me and didn't look like a scramble! The taste was wonderful. I'm having so much fun testing for this cookbook. We usually have a scramble one day of the weekend and either french toast or pancakes (sometimes waffles) the others, so this is opening us up to so many other options.

Now for the Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes. Oh my god. I'm in love with these. Everything about them just 'clicks'. From an awesome crunch on the outside and wonderful flavors inside with an incredible remoulade to boot them right over the top. Just thinking about them makes me drool.

And, a girl can't live on brunch alone. This is Peanut Butter Fudge from Autumn Vegan and Garrick's cookie book. Yummy! I'm going to use some of it a cookie recipe that AV also posted.

Here's one more from Fire and Spice. It's the Cameroon Style Seitan, which I spiced up a little. I generally like Robin Robertson's books, but always give the recipes a little more oomph. For this recipe, I cut back on the broth and upped the spices and heat. Even though the recipe is from the African section, chili oil turned out be a great heat boost.

Tonight's dinner: Alsatian Tempeh Casserole from an old Vegetarian Times

Lemon Blueberry Muffins and Tuscan White Bean Soup

These muffins are wonderful! Lots of blueberries with light lemony undertones. I love lemons and really wish I had more baking recipes that use them. This recipe is from Joy of Vegan Baking. After having it for about 6 months, this was finally my break-it-in recipe. I'll definitely be trying more.

Lunch today was the Tuscan White Bean Soup from Fire and Spice (Robin Robertson). This doesn't take a ton of ingredients, and if you up the red pepper flakes, it packs a nice wallop. It's quick and easy.. and it's election day.. so we had to have soup. For some reason, I think soup on Election Day is a tradition. Well, I googled it and it turns out that it must be a very personal tradition rather than customary. Then again, we have soup all the time, so what do I know? It's my tradition and I'm sticking to it.


Tonight's dinner: Mustard Seitan from YRR (again) with broccolini and something else.

A final note: guess who has to report for jury duty tomorrow? I still may get canceled. I have to call tonight after 5 for a recorded message.

Homemade Pasta, Frittata and Cookies!

We got a new attachment for our kitchenaid so we can make homemade fettucini and spaghetti. I used the recipe from Nonna's Italian Kitchen for the pasta and it was easier than I thought. The first time, I had flour from head to toe, but the second time was a little less messy. I'm looking forward to playing with the pasta recipe, too.... adding black pepper, or spinach. The first time we had it with Mimi's Sauce from the same cookbook. It's a really great, dense sauce.

The second time we made our own sauce of garlic, spinach and cherry tomatoes with balsamic mushroom strips (Vwav) on top. This was our favorite. With all that spinach, how could it not be?


These are the Chewy Oatmeal Cookies posted by Anna at the PPK. Her blog is the Village Vegan and a whole lotta fun. I baked mine a little longer than suggested because I really like a cookie with crunch. These still have the soft insides, so they're perfect. And lower fat, yet! Thanks, Anna, for a great recipe!



Over the weekend, we had this wonderful Dill Shiitake Frittata (tester). This is fantastic! It's seriously good. See the cut sausage on the side? More about that in a minute. (Observant readers will have noticed them in the first fettucini picture, too.)



The very end of the sausage *made* this black bean soup. The basic soup was a combination of every black bean soup ever written, but the sausage really put it over the top! The recipe for the sausage is on Isa's blog. They are spicy good.


Tonight's dinner: Drunken Noodles from Vegan Planet. I've been itching to try that recipe.

Penuche

When I was a kid, this was a rare and incredible treat. One or two Sunday nights over the winter, my dad would make this candy. It was always a big deal. After dinner, I had to hit the bathtub and be out in time for Wonderful World of Disney. Then I got to enjoy this amazing candy. I don't know why it was a winter only thing or how my dad ended up making it. As far as I can remember, this is the only thing he ever cooked.

The recipe doesn't take many ingredients and was easily veganized. The original is from the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book, 1942. This version is not as good as my dad's, but it's still delicious. One suggestion: make it with someone to help you if you don't want your arm to fall off during the beating part. At least that way you can take turns. Of course, that means you have to share the licks off the spoon after you pour it, but at least you keep both arms.

Penuche (veganized and paraphrased)
2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup soy cream (or soymilk, but cream is better)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp eb
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut (we never used these)

Combine sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan. Heat over low heat and stir until it comes to a boil. Cook to 236 degrees (soft ball stage), stirring frequently to prevent curdling or scorching. Remove from heat and add eb. Wipe the edges of the pan (the sugary bits) the best you can, but it's hard to do. Don't disturb it again until it reaches 110 degrees. Add the vanilla. Then you beat it like crazy with the wooden spoon. Once you start beating, you can't quit until you're done or it will get grainy. Here is where the original recipe gets vague: "It takes skill born of experience to judge the exact time at which the fudge should be poured. If it is too hot when poured out, it will be granular; if it is poured too late it will not flow and form a smooth sheet of uniform thickness." Big help, huh? So we beat as long as we can, then pour it out on a greased cookie sheet (thinner) or a pie plate if you want it to be a little thicker. Let it set for a couple of hours, then cut it and see how quickly it disappears.

Oh, if you're gunking it up with nuts or coconut, add those right before you pour.