Contest: Lick It!

My very first vegan cookbook was The New Farm Cookbook put out by the Book Publishing Company. Now my copy is tattered and splattered and has lost it's cover, but is still loved. Yesterday, Jim suggested that I get a new copy when I place an order with the Book Publishing Company and I whined (sort of whined, I'm not much of a whiner) a sentimental "NO" and may have even stomped my foot a little. I'm not usually one to turn down new books, but this is different. I know, his point is well taken: my old copy should be framed. But that's just not what books are for...they're for enjoying...poring over pages (no matter how dog-eared) while you imagine the recipes, that sweet anticipation before you actually step foot into the kitchen.

If you didn't guess where this is leading, Dear Reader, let me tell you. Another new book has come into my hands. It's Lick It!, published my the Book Publishing Company.




Well, I confess, the anticipation didn't last long with this book. I flipped through it quickly and started grabbing ingredients. I knew I had what I needed for the Pomegranate Strawberry Sorbet. Almost. I subbed blueberries for strawberries, but that's close enough. Better maybe because I could enjoy it within minutes without an emergency trip to the grocery store. It's sensational tasting, clean and fresh, with just the right amount of sweetness.

This recipe is just scratching the surface. The book is crammed full of creative and delicious sounding frozen treats of all kinds. Sorbets, sherbet, yogurts and of course, ice creams, that you can enjoy straight from the spoon or in a more 'finished' dessert, like sundaes, pies, cakes, or even drumstick cones! The recipes use easy to find, accessible ingredients and are mostly sweetened with natural sweeteners, a big plus! They even have some low fat treats, so nobody has to go without. And slushies, shakes, sauces, pies....you name it.

The wonderful people at the Book Publishing Company must have somehow sensed my attachment to their awesome books. They are so generous that they sent me a copy of Lick It! to share with one of you! Just leave a comment on this post, telling me one of your favorite flavors or anything at all about ice cream, and you'll be entered in the drawing. Please include your email address if it isn't available through your profile. Or be sure to check back. Which brings me to...

Anna, are you out there? If I don't hear from you soon, I'll have to choose another winner. I'd really like to send that PETA book to you!

Summer just got a whole lot cooler, thanks to this vegan ice cream book! Whoever the lucky winner might be, rest assured I'm taking really good care of this book for you until I get my own copy. Really good care!

Good Luck!

Food Network Friday + Contest Winner

Bel Aria Seitan with Penne

This recipe is making a surprise appearance. I didn't really have any ideas about what I wanted to make for Food Network Friday until yesterday. I grabbed a Rachel Ray book on the way out the door to Whole Foods. Don't worry, I was the passenger. As we're zipping down the highway, I found 3 recipes that were contenders and ended up with Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta. Sorry, I couldn't find it online, but I'll try to point out my changes.

Bel Aria Seitan and Pasta
serves 2

1/2# penne (original = 1 # rigatoni)
1 tablespoon olive oil (original = 3 tbsps + 3 tbsps butter)
8 ounces chicken seitan pieces (originally was 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders)
salt and pepper
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced (original says chopped....ooops!)
1/4 cup chopped red peppers (original is 4 Italian Red Cherry Peppers, chopped)
1/2 cup dry white wine
chopped parsley and basil for garnish (original = just parsley)
1/2 a jalapeno, minced (my addition for the cherry pepper heat)
1 tbsp caper juice (my addition for pickled cherry pepper juice)

Cook the pasta and set aside, but keep 1/2 cup of the pasta water. The original says 2 cups.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the seitan pieces, then pan fry them until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms, garlic, red peppers and jalapenos about 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the white wine, caper juice and reserved seitan. Cook about 5 minutes, until the wine is reduced by 1/2. Add 1/2 cup pasta water and the reserved pasta to the skillet. Stir it all together and heat throughout.

Notes:
This recipe is good, but not great. It needs more exciting things added to it like olives, capers, tomatoes, etc. If I'd been able to get the right Italian peppers, I might feel differently, but there weren't any at Whole Foods. Not to trash the recipe, because it is a nice light pasta dish and I probably would make it again with some additions. Now that I think about it, if I added all that stuff to it, it would be a recipe something like dishes I've made and enjoyed dozens of times.

Now for the winner of PETA'S College Cookbook: it's #16, Anna! I'll try to email you through your profile, but if it doesn't work, please contact me with your address.



And some more good news: watch this blog for another book contest that is already in the works. Here's a hint, it's a perfect book for summer. Once the book is in my hands, it'll be on this blog.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

English Muffins

English Muffins

I've got a thing for English Muffins. Not a weird thing, but a thing. Sure, I love them toasted and dripping with earth balance, but they're also great for quick sandwiches or for a burger bun. I'm convinced that it's the texture, along with the mellow flavor...and in spite of Alton Brown who says you need milk protein to get nooks and crannies, I set out to try. Soy milk does the trick as long as you add a few tricks. 4 batches later......here you go! It's adapted from Alton's recipe and several others that are online.

Before you start grabbing ingredients, let me warn you about the shaping. Chances are you don't have english muffin rings (who does?), but you can improvise and make rings out of foil held together with a paper clip. If you don't mind a more rustic look, ditch the rings all together and just pour them free form.

English Muffins
8 - 10 muffins

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup soy milk, warmed
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
cornmeal for dusting
oil for the pan

Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Stir and set aside until the yeast is active.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours. Add the yeast mixture and the warmed soy milk (not too hot, just not refrigerator cold) to the flours and mix together. The mixture will be wet. Cover with a piece of plastic and a towel and let rise about 45 minutes in a warm place. It probably won't be doubled, but it will be bubbly.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle to medium heat, or around 300 degrees. Stir the salt and baking soda into the batter and mix well. Drop by scant 1/3 cup measures onto the griddle. (If you're using rings, place them in the pan and then fill them with the batter, spreading it to the edges the best you can.) If they are too thick, they won't be able to cook inside. Sprinkle the top with about 1/4 teaspoon cornmeal. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned, then turn over to cook other side. Keep cooking until they sound hollow, adjusting the heat if you need to. Cool on a rack.

If you break into one and it isn't done, you can bake these in the oven for an additional 10 - 12 minutes at 350. As I got toward the ends of the batches, I noticed I lost a little patience with the cooking on the stove, and this saved the day.

So from what I can tell, the keys are wet batter and adding the salt/baking soda immediately before pouring. If you give them a try, let me know! Here are my fancy dancy foil rings in action:

Really, they weren't worth the effort. After getting this shot, I quit using them. If you do use them, be sure to oil the insides lightly.

One more thing: don't forget the contest! I'll leave it open for a couple more days, so comment there if you haven't already.

Vegan Brunch is Out!

It came out just this week! Let me tell you, you need this cookbook. I was super fortunate to be a tester for it and tried all but a handful of the recipes. Every single one was incredible.

Probably the one I make the most (and just made again yesterday, in fact) are the Bagels. You think you've had bagels before? Well, nothing like these.

This scramble is fantastic and you can have a bagel alongside if you really want. It's Isa's Puttanesca Scramble.

Maybe the lovely, light Lemon Poppyseed Muffins for when you want something to munch but won't wait for bagels? Or these decadent and delicious Cocoa Raspberry Muffins, with a Cinnamon Roll on the side.

She's also got waffles. Amazing waffles. Be sure to try the ones with the seitan mole!

And don't forget the Tofu Benny. I could live on that for a week and not get tired of it.

This list should get you started. But if you want to see more of what I made from Vegan Brunch, check it out here.

Get a copy fast. I know it's not a self-help book, but it will improve your life. And you'll make the best omelets you've ever had.

Book Review and Contest!

Back when I was in school, a million or so years ago, I was only vegetarian rather than vegan. I have horrible memories of a "salad bar" that consisted of iceberg lettuce, carrots, canned peas, apple sauce, cheese and hard boiled eggs. The only food that I could get off campus that I thought was edible at the time was pizza or a baked potato with cheese. And most people who have been in college know that it's not often you could splurge for something like that.

But times have changed. A lot. This is the book that I wish I'd had back then. Vegan, vegetarian, or even omni, I'd have eaten so much better. Legume Va-Va-Voom, anyone? What's not to love about a brown rice, avocado and lentil dish? How about Panty Raid Pasta? Can you imagine the smell of Georgia Peach Cobbler in a dorm room? Neither could I, until I saw it in this book.

The book is filled with 275 recipes like these with "spotlights" on the really important stuff: peanut butter, ramen and potatoes. It's snappy and fun to read, too.

PETA and I don't always agree on things 100%, but at the end of the day, we share the ideal that it's better to be vegan. This book would sure make it a heck of a lot easier for college students who have already figured that out, or even those who are considering it. And at 15 bucks, it's a must have.

If you'd like to order it, you can do that through Amazon... it would be especially awesome if you ordered through vegan.com. Or you can order it straight from PETA.

Oh.. and yes, I said contest. Since PETA was so cool in sending me this book to review, I'd like to send it along to someone who will get a lot of use out of it. If you're reading this and would like a chance to win, please leave a comment. The winner will be drawn at random. Good luck!

Thanks, PETA!

Food Network Friday: Seitan with Roasted Red Pepper, Soyrizo and Sweet Pea Sauce

First off, I can't believe it's Friday again! You know, Friday comes around every week, but sometimes it still sneaks up on me. I've been having a blast working on the cookbook, but took a break from my own recipes to cook up this one from Rachel Ray. I'm glad I did...it's quick, easy and packed with flavor. It's the ideal meal for when you want to eat something good, but you're not in the mood to cook.

Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper, Soyrizo, and Sweet Pea Sauce
serves 2

2 chicken seitan cutlets
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 - 4 ounces soyrizo
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup frozen peas, run under hot water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
rice to serve

Combine the paprika, thyme, salt and pepper to create a rub for the cutlets. Rub it in and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan fry the skillets until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

Add onions, garlic, carrots, roasted red pepper and soyrizo to skillet. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes, until onions are just slightly tender. Add 1/3 cup stock to deglaze, then add the peas and parsley. Place the cutlets back in the skillet to reheat and cook about 3 minutes until everything is heated throughout, adding more broth if needed. Check seasonings and serve over rice.

Notes on this recipe:

1. If you're soyrizo is like mine (Trader Joe's), it's already pretty salty. So add with caution.

2. Rachel Ray serves this over an onion/buttery rice. While I'm sure it's good, the dish has enough flavor that it doesn't need any specially enhanced rice, so why bother? (Can you tell that I was hungry last night?)

3. Most nights, I'd probably roast my own red pepper. But last night, I just opted for one out of the jar. I don't think it hurt the meal one bit.

Would I make it again? I would. It really is a great meal for a quick dinner and it's made from stuff I always have on hand. In the end, it was pretty impressive!

I'm not planning to take another whole week off from blogging, but if you came back even after that, Dear Reader, a big thanks to you!

Happy Weekend!

Food Network Friday: Sesame Seitan and Scallion Kebabs

Sesame Seitan and Scallion Kebab

This week's recipe is from Sara Moulton. I know I said this wasn't going to be about the chefs, but still, I really like Sara. She seems so down to earth and I think it would be fun to cook with her. She doesn't have that aging cheerleader thing, or the cleavage to her belly button thing, or the wear her glasses on the back of her head thing or anything I can nitpickingly think when I watch Food Network. She's classically trained, but is just so accessible. So, yeah, I like Sara. And I like most of her recipes, too. This one is no exception.

Sesame Seitan and Scallion Kebabs (originally Sesame Beef and Scallion Kebabs)

2 tablespoons tamari
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
8 ounces seitan, cut in 1 inch cubes or pieces (I used chicken, but any would work)
3 scallions, cut in 1 inch pieces
2-3 wooden skewers, soaked in water 1/2 hour

Combine all the ingredients together except the seitan and scallions. Mix well. Then place seitan in marinade and let marinate for 1/2 hour or longer.

Thread seitan pieces on skewers, alternating with scallion pieces. Broil on high for about 10 minutes, turning once. Baste with marinade when turning.

Notes on this recipe:

1. We had it over a lo mein type of dish when rice probably would have been better. But we had rice for lunch.

2. Sara's scallion method is way different than mine. It's geared more toward the real scallion lover. She has you place whole scallions on other skewers. It just seemed like a lot of scallion to me, so I cut back.

Since this is Sara's recipe, I spelled "kebab" her way. But usually I spell it "kebob." I just looked it up to see if both spellings were acceptable and they are...along with a bunch of others. But here's the interesting part: it originally meant fried meat rather than grilled meat.

Now for the big questions: would I make it again? Yep....and next time it will be on the grill outside. It's a great dish!

Have a wonderful weekend!