A Very Vegan Valentine

Don't clog your valentine's big, pretty heart:  Give them a delicious plant-based treat to show just how much you love them!

This recipe was inspired by the C'est La Vegan blog.

I give you - Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes!

Here's what you'll need:

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 Tbs. baking powder

½ tsp. salt
¾ cups sugar
½ cup cherry soy
½ cup vanilla (or plain) soy milk
½ cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
10oz. frozen cherries (or fresh cherries, but the frozen are pitted & cheaper!)  I chopped the larger cherries in quarters & halfed the smaller cherries.

Sift all dry ingredients except the sugar.

Why do we sift?

Because we don't want clumpy cocoa in our yummy cupcake!

Now we're ready to mix...

Preheat oven to 350 (F).

Mix the sugar and soy yogurt until just blended.

Add about 2/3 of the sifted mixture a few big spoonfulls at a time.

Then add your milk/oil/extract mixture...

Add remaining dry ingredients & then remaining wet.  Adding the ingredients this way ensures a firm moist cake.  ;o)

Do not over mix ingridents, mix until just combined:

You don't want your cake to be chewy!
Scrape sides & beater, fold in any unmixed parts as you fold in the cherries...

I mean, if you don't want to eat this right now, you should consider talking to a therapist.

Line muffin tin with papers (pink & white here for the holiday) & fill 1/2 - 3/4 full.



Pop 'em in the over for 20-25 minutes.

In the mean time, you can start on the Butter Cream Frosting...

You'll need:

4oz. Vegan Cream Cheese

1/2 stick vegan butter

2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese until thoroughly combined (maybe 2-3 minutes).

Add powdered sugar & vanilla until combined.  Check the consistancy, if you want it thicker, add more powdered sugar.

Frost your cupcakes & voila!

I topped mine with some organic truffles I picked up at Earth Fare.  I wanted to make little chocolate hearts, but I got started late & it just wasn't in me.  I guess I'll have to make something chocolatey soon.  Oh, the horror.

Happy Valentine's Day, Ya'll!

It's Nada Enchilada!

I love Mexican food more than Speedy Gonzalez loves his sombrero. I could eat it at least twice a week, probably more.

This recipe was inspired by an Amy’s frozen dinner:

I saw it in Earth Fare over the weekend and it looked sooo good; the price tag, however, did not. One of these little frozen entrées runs around $3.99. My thrifty side kicked in & I figured out I could make four to six servings for around $8.00; granted not all the ingredients I used were organic (as Amy’s are).


So, here’s what I used:

1 small can chopped green chilies
1 small can sliced black olives
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans (soak ‘em if you got ‘em…I was in a hurry & hungry!)
8 corn tortillas
1 medium can red enchilada sauce
1 medium onion; diced/chopped
1 Jalapeño (if you likey the spicy)
2 tsp. taco seasoning (from this blog)
Pepper Jack Almond Cheese...Don't forget the cheese!!

Sauté diced onion with about 1 tsp oil for about 2 minutes. Add taco seasoning and jalapeño and sauté for a good five minutes.

Add green chilies, black beans and half the enchilada sauce and cook until heated through (this is when you should taste it to see if you’d like more seasonings).

Meanwhile, mix remaining enchilada sauce with refried beans (I microwave them for about 30 seconds so it mixes easier).

Just be a grown up and get over how it looks.

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F) and begin to layer your ingredients: Tortillas, bean mixture, Sauce/Veggie mixture, olives and cheese. Repeat. That’s how I layered, but you can do it any way you like.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

While it’s baking, you can prep your garnish:

When 20 minutes is up, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

When you take it out, let is set for at least 5 minutes.
There ya go.

And if $2 per serving isn’t exciting enough, see how this little creation stacks up to the meatier versions:

Now, you could shave off a even more fat and calories if you left out the cheese and black olives. I l♥ve black olives and this brand of almond cheese really melts and tastes great. You could also sub Mexican rice for the refried beans. I thought about doing that, but the hubby has a “thing” about Mexican rice.  It baffles me.

So, play with it and let me know what variations you come up with!
 

Pack a Protein Punch!

Well, better late than never!  My blogging intentions are good; my mandatory house, pet, husband, job and social needs just impede on those good intentions.

Without further ado, I give you: Garlic Parmesan Quinoa
Delicious, hearty, pretty and packed with good-for-you protein and fiber!

What the heck is quinoa?  I'm glad you asked - here's the Wiki answer!

Here's what you'll need:

1 tbsp soy butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cups broth
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt to taste
1-2 cups fresh spinach (or 10oz pkg frozen)
¼ vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

Preparation:
In a medium sized pan, sauté the onion and garlic in butter (or olive oil) over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until onions are just soft. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add the vegetable broth and quinoa. Cover, and allow to simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed and quinoa is cooked, about fifteen minutes. Add parm and spinach; cook just until the spinach wilts.

I served this with some marinaded tofu (super yummy marinade, thanks Jené)!

AND...

A yummy sauce inspired by my recent trip to the Asian market

1 tsp chili bean sauce + 1 tsp rice vinegar = seriously kick ass sauce

Here's what you end up with

Serves 6 people

Nutritional Info per serving (approximately):
Calories:  266
Fiber:  7g
Protein:  13g

Happy and Healthy 2011!

It’s a New Year and time for new decisions. Many people will get back on the diet bandwagon; a decision which will be bitter-sweet for most of them. Personally, I hate the word “diet”. It is a misconstrued four-letter word which evokes visions of supermodels dancing through one’s head. Since the majority of us fall under the shorter than 5’10” category and check the older than 25 box, we can do ourselves a favor and put the supermodel image to bed already. We cannot, however, put to bed our health.
Make a decision this year to be healthy, not “skinny”! Make healthy choices and your body will follow. Make your insides happy and you will be happy – it’s as simple as that.

As a vegan, I’m frequently asked how I get my protein. The recommended dietary allowance for both men and women is 0.8 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight (people with special needs, such as pregnant women, are advised to get a little more).
Our bodies – hair, muscles, fingernails, etc... – are made up mostly of different kinds of protein that consist of varying combinations of amino acids. In much the same way that the 26 letters of the alphabet can form millions of different words, 20 amino acids serve to form different proteins. Half these amino acids can be manufactured by the human body, the other 10 cannot. These remaining amino acids are easily obtained by eating a balanced vegan diet.
I always stress how careful you must be when ingesting animal proteins. The consumption of animal protein has been linked to some types of cancer, Alzheimer’s and other avoidable diseases. Plant-based protein sources contain healthy fiber and complex carbohydrates.

So, here is your Easy Protein Formula:
Your Weight ÷ 2.2 x 0.8 = Your recommended per day protein amount.


My recommended intake is around 44 grams. I was curious to see how many grams of protein I was actually getting, so I tracked my meals for a couple days and found I could use a bit more. I was getting between 26-38 grams of protein per day, so I need to try to work in about 10 more grams per day. I stocked up on beans, grains and tofu at the store and will try to whip together some tasty vegan dishes over the next few days.
 

Here’s to getting as healthy and happy as we can be! Happy 2011!

Pressed Tofu and Vegan Egg Salad

I crave certain foods that you wouldn’t think would translate into vegan. But, by golly they do! I used to love egg salad sandwiches and I knew it would be hard to give them up. It was more of a sentimental thing, actually. I think that’s why food is so important to most of us; and why it is so inconceivable for some to make the vegetarian/vegan leap. Cookouts and homemade ice cream are more than just a good meal; it is the heart of many summer memories. I too have felt tugs at my heartstrings when thinking I’d never eat a specific type of food again. People often tell me, “I could never do that” when thinking about going vegan. They also say they could never slaughter an animal for consumption. Smart, successful, driven people tell me “I can’t do that”. What I believe they’re really saying is, “I don’t want to because I’m afraid of what I’ll miss.”

I’m going to tell you (in my best Waterboy impression), “You can do it!”

You can have everything you had before AND you can be healthy and happy! Not only will you gain health, your choices will benefit hundreds of animals and our planet. Did you know that on average, a vegetarian saves over 100 animal lives each year? In turn, this saves land, grain, water and reduces dangerous methane gasses. The benefits far outweigh what you “think” you’re going to lose. Below is proof: An Eggless Egg Salad Sandwich! Put on your big girl panties and get ready to make an awesome change!

First you’re going to want to press your tofu. Since tofu was a mystery to me, literally for years, I’m going to help out with the basics. You’re almost always going to want to drain your tofu at least a little. Depending on what you’re making, you may want to press it for 5 minutes up to overnight. The more you press, the more water you take out, the chewier it will be. Also, you can replace the liquid you press out with any kind of marinade you want! I’ve had some seriously tasty tofu and I get really mad when people talk bad about it! It is delicious and healthy and very filling.  And it won't attack your heart!  ♥

Step 1: Cut the tofu into 3 lengthwise slabs, like so…

Step 2: Wrap the 3 slabs in a clean tea towel (or paper towels)…


Step 3: Put some kind of even weight on the tofu to encourage draining (I used a small cutting board and a jar of pizza sauce, just use whatever is handy to you).

NOTE: If you’re using silken tofu for this recipe, it will be best to drain your tofu using the same method (wrapped in a towel), but place in a colander over a bowl. Silken tofu has more water and a different texture than the NaSoya brand pictured. Also, freezing your tofu will give it more of a “chew”. Here are some other helpful Tofu Tips.

I let this tofu drain on the counter for about 1 hour (any longer than an hour and you should put in the fridge.

After letting it drain, gather all your ingredients:
¼ cup dill pickle relish (or onion or celery, whatever floats your boat)Just crumble the tofu with your fingers (about the size you’d cut your eggs if making egg salad).

¼ cup vegan mayo
1 Tbs. Dijon/wheat mustard
1 ½ Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. turmeric
1 heaping tsp. nutritional yeast
Optional Herbs: dill, chives, basil, parsley, tarragon
I used about 1 Tbs. parsley and 1 Tbs. basil because they’re still growing in my window box!

Mix all the wet ingredients, spices and nutritional yeast together, being careful to not mush the tofu, just stir. Then fold in your dill relish (or onions/celery) and herbs and you’re done! (Taste and add more of whatever you think you need more of).  This is delicious as a sandwich, on toast points, pita, and little endive boats make very lovely apetizers!

Tacos with a Side of Love

This is what we had for dinner last night...
It was oh-so-delicious! The hubby liked it (which is always what I inform meat eaters about a vegan dish). If it’s Husband Approved, it’s good to go!

Here’s what you’ll need...

Tacos:

1 package frozen Boca (or Morning Star, etc) Soy Crumbles

1 Alton Brown Taco Spice Mix: 
   2 Tbs. chili powder
   1 Tbs. ground cumin
   2 tsp. cornstarch
   2 tsp. kosher salt
   1 ½ tsp. hot smoked paprika
   1 tsp. ground coriander
   ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbs. oil (canola, safflower, veg, etc.) or ¼ cup veggie broth
1 Medium Onion
Tortillas (preferably corn b/c it’s better for you!)
Vegan Sour Cream
Lettuce, tomato, [vegan] cheese, other toppings

A Side of Love:
2 (15 ounce) cans cooked black beans
2 Tbs. oil (canola, safflower, veg, coconut, etc.)
2 Tbs. minced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup masa de harina (or corn meal)
Tomatillo [green] Salsa

First, let’s start on the taco “meat”:
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a sauté pan of your choice. Add onion & sauté about 1 minute; add 1 Tbs. of the taco seasoning and cook on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Add soy crumbles (totally fine if they’re frozen) and 1 more Tbs. of taco seasoning. Cook about 3-5 minutes (until it has thawed) and decide if you need to add more oil. You’ll probably need to since soy crumbles have a lot less fat than ground beef.
   1 lb of Ground beef = 1,200 Calories, 93.6g fat & 37.6 saturated fat!
Dude, good thing you’re using soy crumbles!!
Taste your mixture to see if you’d like another Tbs. of taco seasoning (I did!). It was perfect after that!

Move the onion/soy crumble mixture to the back burner and let it relax for a bit. Time to make taco shells. Why not buy them? Because the taste like cardboard and you don’t like cardboard, do ya??

Preheat oven to 350F. Look around your kitchen and see what you can fashion into a taco shaper. My husband suggested his rib rack holder-thingie.

Worked great! I used a little foil to hold the tortilla in place for the first 4 minutes, then took it off and baked another 4 minutes.

Now…it’s time for a Side of Love!
You might be asking yourself, what the hell is a side of love? Technically it is two black bean cakes topped with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, feta cheese and red onions. I had this at a restaurant in Atlanta, GA called The Flying Biscuit. It seemed easy enough to recreate, so I did…with my own spin.


Directions for a Side of Love:

Rinse and drain black beans in a colander. In a small sauté pan heat 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, cumin and salt until onions are translucent.

Place beans & onion mixture in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until well combined (I like to leave a few whole beans for texture). Gradually add masa, allowing mixture to absorb it before adding more. Test dough by rolling it in the palm of your hand. Keep adding masa until dough doesn’t stick to your hand and holds the shape of a ball.

Divide dough into 12-14 balls and flatten into cakes. Mine were about “large golf ball” sized.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Sauté cakes until lightly browned on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. I topped mine with green salsa, soy cheese, vegan sour cream and banana peppers.
Voila! A healthy, yummy, interesting and attractive dinner!

All this took me about an hour (start to finish), so it wasn’t that bad. Plus, leftovers tonight should only take about 10 minutes or less!



Vegan Taco Salad

Vegan Hot and Sour Soup

It's Fall and I'm feelin' like soup!  This is a hunky soup absolutely loaded with flavor.  You can literally eat it with a fork (or chopsticks!).  In China, if noodle or hearty soup is served, many consider it a more elegant way to eat by picking the noodle into a serving spoon first, then eating from the spoon, rather than slurping directly from the bowl into the mouth using chopsticks. 
Sometimes you must ask, "What Would Martha Do?"
Really, who cares, this soup is so good you won't even hear anyone else slurping!

This is an adapted recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook by Isa Chandra-Moskowitz.
If you’re looking for a vegan cookbook that will please the pickiest meat eaters, this is the one! This lady knows her stuff!

Grab your wine...here we go! 

What you’ll need: (cut the recipe in half if you’re going solo, you’ll still have plenty left over).

½ oz. dried wood ear (or shitake) mushrooms + 2 cups boiling water
6-8 leaves Napa cabbage (depends how much you ♥ cabbage)
6-8 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup + 2 Tbs. soy sauce (or Braggs)
¼ cup + 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1-2 tsp. Asian hot chili oil (very hot stuff, so tone it down if you need to)
¾ tsp. sesame oil
1 ½ tsp ground white pepper
1 ½ cups thick-sliced white/cremini mushrooms
1 heaping Tbs. arrowroot or cornstarch + 1 cup cold water
1 lb extra-firm tofu, pressed & cut into matchsticks (or whatever shape you like)
½ cup shredded carrots
½ - 1 cup chopped scallions (optional)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Substitutions:
I put a few more carrots (they dull they numbing effect the chili oil has) and a few less fresh mushrooms.
I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce.
I use the cubed-style veggie broth, it's cheaper & tastes great!
Pressed Tofu: I promise to do a blog on this only soon...it's confusing for the non-tofu eaters, but it is oh-so-tasty & worth it!

Method:
Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl & pour boiling water over them so that they are submerged by a few inches. Cover with a plate and let sit for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile… Pour the vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot chili oil, sesame oil & white pepper into a soup pot. Cover & bring to a boil.
While that is heating, prepare the cabbage leaves, lay them on top of each other so they’re spooning. Cut in half, stack again (or in two batches) and thinly slice them width-wise.
Once the broth is boiling, add the cabbage and the fresh mushrooms. Reduce to a low boil and cook until the cabbage is fully wilted, 5-10 minutes.

The dried mushrooms should be ready at this point, so remove, drain, cut into bite-size pieces and add to the soup.

Mix the arrowroot with the water until dissolved. Add to the soup and stir until just slightly thickened, a minute or two. This will not make the soup thick; the starch just helps to give it a little body.

Add the shredded carrots & tofu and cook about 5 more minutes. Serve/garnish with scallions (if using).

“Having a good wife and a rich cabbage soup, seek not other things.”
- Russian Proverb

I chose this quote because this is a soup my husband (a meat eater/lover) actually gets excited about.  As a vegan, I'm not sure there's a greater feeling than a non-vegan loving your food.  It gives you hope!

Fill up your favorite mug (or bowl) & slurp to your heart's content.