Our Veggie Kitchen

As always, I made way too much food for Thanksgiving. We had mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and Italian 'Sausage' Stuffing and olives and rolls and smothered cabbage and Seitan Turkey for sandwiches and more stuffing.

The centerpiece of the meal was Pumpkins with wild mushroom stuffing. I made these last year and they were such a hit, that they're already tradition. I pick mushrooms that will give a variety of texture and, this year, I used 8 oz chantrelles and 4 oz shitakes. It didn't seem like as many mushrooms as last year. That may be because shitake mushrooms reduce down so much. You can always just add more. I'm not sure its possible to have too many mushrooms. Also, try to find the smallest pie pumpkins you can. Mine were small enough, that I got 5 pumpkins this year.



Leftovers:
This year, I had leftovers (a Thanksgiving MUST!) and a small pumpkin that I baked separately. I scooped out the squash flesh and the stuffing and tossed it together. The resulting pumpkin stuffing, stored more easily in the fridge and still tastes wonderful.



Pumpkins with Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Pumpkins:
4 small pie pumpkins (5 if they're real small)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Stuffing:
12 oz stuffing cubes
1 cup pumpkin ale
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
2 leeks, halved, rinsed and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cremini or button mushrooms
12 oz chantrelle, morrel, shitake or other mushrooms
1/2 tsp dry rubbed sage
1/2 tsp thyme, dry
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

For the pumpkins, cut the tops off of each pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Rinse and pat dry, inside and out. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper (or a few turns of a peppermill). Rub your fingers in the oil, then coat the inside of each pumpkin. Set pumpkins aside.

For the stuffing, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their moisture. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, sage and parsley. Add the stuffing cubes and poor the ale over the cubes. Toss the stuffing until it is combined thoroughly and the cubes have absorbed all the moisture.

Stuff each pumpkin with the stuffing, pressing down with a spoon to ensure that the pumpkins are well packed. Bake the pumpkins in a preheated oven at 350 for at least an hour, more likely 15 or 20 minutes more.

4 Servings: 611 cal (18g fat, 95g carbs, 18 protein)

I hate canned cranberry sauce. It jiggles unnaturally, tastes tinny and it's got to have something awful in it, like gelatin or, maybe cement. The stuff is so nasty that it turned me off on all cranberry sauce. This year, I decided to give cranberry sauce another shot. And I'm glad I did. This sauce is a little sweet, plenty tart and, when chilled, it firms up just enough, perfect for a faux-turkey sandwich.



Cranberry Sauce
12 oz cranberries, picked over
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Marsala Wine
1 tsp orange zest (about 1 orange)
1 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst, about 20 minutes. Fish out the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves (if you can find them). Serve warm or chill for later. Makes about 3 cups.

I couldn't find the cloves at all. I don't know if they broke apart, dissolved, or if someone ate a clove without noticing. Can you do that??

6 Servings: 167 cal (0g fat, 39g carbs, 0g protein)

I wanted to post something related to Thanksgiving, but it wasn't meant to be. There's only one store that I know of around here that has Tofutti's trans-fat-free sour cream, and they had it for $2 a container. I also have loads of mushrooms in the fridge and some beefy seitan strips in the freezer . . . and Mushroom Stroganoff sounded really good. Ironically, the same store that had my sour cream is also where I buy my eggless ribbon noodles, and I forgot to buy pasta. Oh well, I used rigatoni instead.



Mushroom Stroganoff
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups beef flavored broth
(or 1 tsp Better than Bouillon No-Beef Base & 2 cups water)
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire Sauce (I use Kroger)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 lb pasta (usually ribbons or bow ties)

Melt the margarine with the oil, then add the onions. Saute until the onion is soft, then add the onion and saute for another minute. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for several minutes, until the mushrooms have given off their moisture. When you add the mushrooms, start bringing the pasta water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to pack directions.

When the mushrooms are cooked, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Add the reamaining ingredients (except sour cream) and simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is done. When pasta is finished, stir the sour cream into the sauce and toss with the drained pasta.

Note: Feel free to add some beefy seitan strips or one of the frozen food analogs. Its a perfect fit.

4 Servings: 636 cal (15g fat, 100g carbs, 21g protein)

I've been working on seitan cutlets lately. I'm trying to make a beefy recipe that doesn't use any marmite and, today, a chicken-y style. I made VeganDad's Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets for use later this week. I simmered it in the oven for 75 minutes, flipping a couple times, and never letting the broth boil. I cut one up and passed around. My youngest (the picky one) screamed "why are you feeding me meat!" She liked it and that's success!

In other news, I made Golden Cauliflower Soup. It's yummy golden-hued goodness that's of coarse cheese free. I used to really love this soup, but the cheese version had 500 calories a bowl. The new version is healthy and tasty as well. I made a double batch for lunches and don't expect much left over.



Golden Cauliflower Soup
3 Cups water
2 Cauliflower Florets
2 cups Potaotes, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup cashews
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups soy milk
Seasoning:
2 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tsp mild miso
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine water with the cauliflower, potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and cashews. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the soy milk and the nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Reduce to low and simmer.

In batches, blend the vegetables and add to the milk mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine. Test and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary.

6 Servings 215 cal (12g fat, 22g carbs, 7g protein)

My first vegetarian cookbook was the New Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen. The first recipe I made from that cookbook was something she called Gypsy Soup. It was a pretty simple chickpea soup, but it always seemed to hit the spot. This recipe is inspired by that soup. It's got a nice medley of flavors and textures and, once again, it really hit the spot.



Gypsy Rice
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cups cabbage, shredded (about 1/4 head)
15 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
3 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 shakes cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, cabbage, celery and garlic and cook until the cabbage has fully wilted and most of the liquid has been cooked off. Add the remaining ingredient and stir to combine, making sure the tomato paste is fully combined. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

5 Servings: 376 cal (4g fat, 75g cars, 10g protein)

I learned (or remembered) two things this week.

1) When I try hard enough, I can really turn the kitchen into a disaster zone. And it seems, I've been trying all week. On Monday, I made Ginger Tofu and fried rice. I tried to cut corners on the fried rice and cook the rice and veggies together in a pot. It turned into a soppy glutenous mess. And I grated too much ginger for the tofu and used it anyway. Strike One! I really liked it, which is good, because no one else touched it. Tuesday's calzones had a paper-thin crispy crust and a thick wad of doughy mess. Strike two!

On Wednesday, I tried converting a chickpea soup recipe into a rice dish and It almost worked. I added some sugar after the fact and it made a world of difference. Next time I'll add some cabbage as well. I'll call that a foul tip. Tonight, I'm making orzo & rice. Will I strike out for the week or hit a home run? Or maybe I should go for a bunt-single.

2) I really really really really like sauces. I made four this week and, not a one was for a planned meal. I routinely have, at least, a couple in the fridge. And, when I started veganizing recipes, sauces and gravies topped the list. Last night, I had three sauces with dinner: Nacho Sauce and mushrooms smothering a baked potato, carrot sticks with Yummy Sauce, and Jalapeno Corn Sauce on Cauliflower.

The Jalapeno Corn sauce is adapted from the Veganomicon, which is quite good. I changed the spices, added a shake of nutritional yeast and some pimentos for color. I also strained out all the corn fibers that never blend. I like to mix it with black beans, poured over a potato and it was really liked with cauliflower. So, here it is:



Jalapeno Corn Sauce
(Adapted from Veganomicon)

1 tbs vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 oz jar pimentos
1 1/2 tbs nutritional yeast

In a medium sauce pan, saute the onion and pepper in the oil until soft. Add corn and garlic and cook until the corn is fully cooked and the garlic is fragrant, maybe five more minutes. Pour the onion/corn mixture into a blender, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Pour the sauce, through a strainer, back into the pan. Heat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Remove and serve. Makes a little less than 3 cups.

10 servings: 72 cal (2g fat, 12g carbs, 2g protein)

I tried boiling seitan for the first time this weekend. As always with something new, I poked around for ideas and techniques. I landed on a post on VeggieBoards for Seitan alla Cacciatore that intrigued me (Thanks MrFalafel). It was seitan cutlets, boiled in cooking broth, then left to simmer in the tomato sauce. I was intrigued by the cooking method.

As it cooked, I was getting apprehensive. The simmer was more of a boil and the seitan was beginning to look spongy. When I cut it up, I was pleasantly surprised, though. It didn't taste like chicken, but it DID taste like cacciatore. It went so well with the sauce. I will definitely be making this again.

The texture of the seitan still isn't there yet, and in a way that is hard to explain. My wife thought it was too 'toothy,' the best descriptor she could come up with. I think it was, maybe, too uniform. Next time, I will try to improve the cook's attention to detail, and maybe bake it at a lower temp in a pyrex casserole.

So, this is just a draft, but it is a good draft.



Seitan Cacciatore
1/2 Recipe (6 cutlets) MrFalafe's Seitan Cutlets
1 cup flour
1 lb pasta (penne, rigatoni, etc)
3 tbs olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered (next time I'll use 3)
3 cloves garlic
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
14 oz can diced tomatoes, including juices
1 cup chicken flavored vegetable broth
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme, minced (0r 1/2 tsp dried)
1/4 cup parsley, minced

Heat 2 tbs oil in a large pan over high heat. When the cutlets are done cooking, pull them from the cooking, liquid, dust both sides with flour and sear both sides. When browned, remove and set aside.

Add another tbs olive oil to the pan. Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until the onions are soft and the mushrooms have given off most of their liquid. Add the garlic, give it a stir. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute or two. It should darken just a bit. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in thyme and parsley. Place cutlets into the sauce, so that they're covered by sauce. Reduce to a slow simmer and cover. Simmer while you prepare the pasta, maybe half an hour.

I stirred the pasta into the sauce and served sliced cutlets on the side, but you could just as easilly spoon the sauce over pasta and cutlet, what ever works.

6 Servings: 513 cal (7g fat, 77g carbs, 31g protein)

Note on Marmite: There seem to be two marmite camps: those that love it and those that hate it. I'm not sure what to think. I will make this again with marmite and some with strong veggie stock and see what I think. Right now, I'm on the fense.

I made a penne pasta with Peppery Parsley Sauce tonight. I wanted something fast because I needed time to make VeganDad's Creamy Mac & Cheeze Sauce to pour over a pot of broccoli and cauliflower. The parsley pasta was perfect because it was quick, light and refreshing. It went great with the veggies. And, boy is it fast. You'll want to almost completely cook the pasta before you even start the sauce.



Penne with Peppery Parsley Sauce
1 lb pasta (I usually use penne or spaghetti)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 dried chili peppers, broken & seeds removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh chopped parsley

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Do not start the sauce until the pasta is nearly cooked. You can even drain the cooked pasta and leave it in the colander before you start.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the dried chilies and fry until they begin to brown. Remove and discard. Add the minced garlic and give it a stir. Add the parsley and cook just until it turns bright green. Remove from heat and pour over the pasta. Lift the pasta with the sauce to combine.

4 Servings (20g fat, 86g carbs, 15g protein)

This might be the best looking tofu I've ever made. I wanted to get some color in the batter so it wasn't just plain fried cubes, so I added some chopped cilantro and whole cumin seeds. They fried up golden brown and looked amazing.

I was satisfied with the flavor too. I intended to serve them with Zucchini Masala sauce, so I wanted them mild, and they were. The soy yogurt added a nice tang that was prevalent (great for Indian fare) and it complemented the sauce well. If they were stand alone, I would use more spices and, maybe, a diced chili.



Indian Fried Tofu
1 lb Firm Tofu, drained
Oil for frying
Yogurt Sauce:
6 oz soy yogurt (a small container)
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida (if you have it)
Flour Coating:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs corn starch
2 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tbs ginger, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Cut the tofu block into 1/2" rectangular slices. Cut each rectangle into two triangles. Mix the yogurt ingredients in a bowl, adding enough soy milk to make it soupy. Add the tofu to the yogurt mixture and set aside for 15-20 minutes. In a separate plate (I use a pie pan) mix the dry ingredients.

Heat oil in a frying pan over (almost) high heat. I probably used 1/4 cup for a large saute pan and added a touch more when I flipped them. I really try not to overdo the oil. Remove each piece of tofu, coat in the flour mixture and and place in the frying pan. Fry until the batter is golden brown, then flip and fry the other side. Fry the tofu in batches if necessary. Remove and serve. My timing was off, so I left them in a warm oven for about 10 minutes and they did not suffer.

4 servings: 269 cal (14g fat, 23g carbs, 10g protein)

Here is the first recipe post from Sunday's dinner: Zucchini Masala.

I've made a few attempt, trying to make a Masala sauce (as in Tikka Masala) that was hearty, healthy and vegan. The vegan part was pretty easy. I would use some combination of soy milk, tofu and coconut milk. The hearty was a bit of work. I tried cooking cauliflower and tofu in the sauce, which was good, but not quite what I was looking for. I tried zucchini and it had a great look and texture, just a bit meaty, and went well with the sauce. I thought about adding spinach, but chose not to.

I needed to add some non-fat calories, though. I made a batch with silken tofu, ground cashews and tomato sauce. It was creamy, but a bit too thick and the tofu was too prevalent. This time around, I used silken tofu and a small can of coconut milk.

The final is somewhat healthy (18g fat), especially compared to the heavy cream variety. It looks and tastes great and falls in line with what I was looking for: an Indian Restaurant Masala Sauce.



Zucchini Masala
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
3 serrano peppers (2 for a milder version), seeded & minced
1 tbs coriander
1 tbs cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garam masala
15 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz silken tofu
1 tbs lemon juice
6 oz coconut milk
3 zucchini, halved, then quartered

Melt margarine in a frying pan. Saute the garlic, ginger and peppers until fragrant. Add spices and fry for slightly longer. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil, stirring in the spices. Blend together the tofu, coconut milk and lemon juice. Add the blended tofu and coconut milk. Stir to combine and add the zucchini. Reduce to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook until the zucchini is tender. Add a little water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency.

Serve with basmati rice or roti, naan or flatbread. Also good with Indian Fried Tofu (I'll post tomorrow).

4 Servings: 275 cal (18g fat, 22g carbs, 11g protein)

Last week, I posted a poll, asking folks what I should make for this Sunday, for my birthday. Tamales made a push later in the week, but the resounding favorite was Indian food. So I poured over some of my cookbooks, recipes and some stuff that I had bookmarked and came up with a menu: Zucchini Masala, Jeera Rice, Mung Dal, Tofu and Parathas. Here's what I came up with:



Gobi Parathas
I'm a big fan of parathas. In the past, I've made them, usually stuffed with cauliflower, and always with issues. Usually, they taste fine, but are horrendously messy to make or just look awful.

I recently found Manjula's website, where she offers recipes and video of her making the recipe. I followed her recipe, made a triple batch (for two people!, and her technique worked without a hitch. Her recipe called for ajwain, which I subbed for thyme. I made them in the morning, then warmed them in the oven for diner. And I've got lots of leftovers.



Zucchini Masala
I've made this a couple of times. I'm working on making a masala sauce that's hearty, healthy and, of coarse, vegan. I relented and added coconut milk this time and it tasted pretty good. It's got 18g fat, but, compared to the heavy cream sauce that it once was, I guess that's not too bad.

Indian Fried Tofu
These were so pretty. I made a soy yogurt batter with lots of Indian spices and a breading of coriander, ginger and cumin seeds. I fried them and slathered them in the masala sauce. This was really a highlight.

Mung Dal
I think I make this whenever I make Indian food. It takes no effort at all and goes with everything. It's got a nice mild flavor, looks good for a dal (that's an accomplishment) and with a healthy portion of dill, is a bit unexpected.



Pumpkin Cheesecake
My wife found this somewhere on the internet. She added some of this and some of that and, we had ourselves a birthday pie. It tasted pretty good, but the texture needs some work. Some time in the near future, I will subject myself to some more cheesecake. . . all in the name of science.

Incidentally, I noticed while shopping that Tofutti makes two versions of sour cream. One has trans fat the other doesn't. The cream cheese still has trans fat, but tomorrow, I'm having trans-fat-free sour cream on my tacos.

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Well, those are the pics. I ate way too much, was really pleased with the tofu, and have lots and lots of leftovers. I'll post some recipes later this week.