Vegan MoFo #26: Soup, Delicious Soup



Soup! Again! So I eat a lot of soup, especially in the colder months. Yes I do. And this is one of my favorites. It is Mom’s Lentil Soup from Yellow Rose Recipes by Joanna Vaught. There are some really great recipes in this little tome. And now I see on Amazon it appears to be out of print. Well, I’m glad I got it when I did then (October 6, 2009 – thanks Amazon!)

Anyway, I won’t be posting the recipe but this is a pretty simple soup. You start with onions, celery, carrot, and garlic. Then you add some red wine, some veggie broth, some Le Puy lentils. There is also tomatoes and thyme. That’s it! And it’s great!  Sometimes the simplest things really are the best.





Vegan MoFo #25: Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge: Hot Italian

This was my first time visiting this restaurant, and let me just say WOW. I was really impressed with the pizza here. All pizzas are served on a thin crust. Usually I like big fluffy crusts but I just might be a convert. The crust had just the right balance of crispy bottom and thin, soft interior. And it tasted great, really flavorful.

First up was a salad pizza. The salad had mixed baby greens, shaved carrots, radishes, olives and red onions. There was supposed to be fennel but I didn’t detect it. Not a big fan anyway. This was served on the wonderful thin crust. What a great combo!

For the pizza, we had the Muti (Vegan Pizza). This had summer squash, mushrooms, olives, cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a light tomato sauce. We also added the optional Daiya cheese. This pizza was wonderful. They put just the right amount of Daiya on. Too much just overpowers the other flavors, IMHO, but this was perfect.

They also had a few vegan sorbettos on offer, but we were too full from our pizzas! I believe they had mango and pineapple flavors. Sounds great, maybe next time!

Hot Italian

1627 16^th Street
Sacramento, Ca 95814
(916) 444-3000

Vegan MoFo #24: Yet Another Stir-Fry

Okay, this is the second Asian stir-fry I made this week. I do try not to have repeats during any given week but stir-fries sometimes end up as an exception. I just love them so! This particular one is the Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan. I didn’t make any changes because this recipe is perfect as is so I won’t post the recipe. You’ll just have to get this amazing cookbook for yourself! I hear that Dreena has a new book coming out soon so I am excited about that!

In other news I got myself a new camera! So I hope my pictures will improve a bit. As a new blogger, I am really enjoying learning some new photography skills. I get a lot of inspiration from the wonderful photography I see on other vegan food blogs!

Vegan MoFo #23: Blondies!

Since I found a great new way to make chocolate chip cookies recently, I thought I would translate the recipe into a Chocolate Chip Blondie. I was happy with how these came out. Probably a little too happy actually! I was also stoked that I didn’t overbake them because that is a bad habit of mine. For some reason I constantly overbake brownies and blondies. But not this time! If anything these were underdone but I like them gooey so no harm done. In fact my BF and I liked these so much that we ate 2/3 before they were even cool. That’s because these are so amazing when still warm: soft and gooey in the inside with a sugary crackle crust on top. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients:

¼ cup shortening
¼ cup vegan margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tbls water + 1 tbls ground flax seed (or other egg replacer for one egg)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup or more non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, melt shortening and margarine in the microwave. The shortening takes longer to melt so you may want to give it a head start. When melted, add sugar, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix. The mixture will be fairly thick. Stir in chocolate chips.

Line a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with oil.  Spread batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Vegan MoFo #22: Chinese Noodles with Mushrooms & Cabbage + Orange-Glazed Tofu

Chinese night at my house! Maybe this isn’t all that authentic or anything but it is a delicious meal. I just love Chinese style stir-fries because they are so quick and easy. Easy enough to make two dishes at once!

The noodle dish comes from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop. Let me just say that I love this cookbook! Especially because it is organized by season. Also, this cookbook has recipes from many different cultures. I believe he is more of a connoisseur of Italian cooking, but I like his Asian dishes the best.

Chinese Noodles with Mushrooms & Cabbage
Adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Ingredients:
12 oz chow mein noodles
1 tbls + 1 tsp peanut oil, divided
1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
3 tbls tamari or soy sauce
3 tbls hoisin sauce
1 small head green cabbage, sliced
½ bunch green onions, sliced, white & green parts separated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

Directions:
Cook chow mein according to package directions.

Place mushrooms and boiling water in a small bowl. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove softened mushrooms with a slotted spoon and slice. Pour water through a strainer lined with a paper towel or coffee filter into another bowl. Add the soy sauce and hoisin and mix. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbls peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for several minutes. Add cabbage and sauté for 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Make a clear space in the center of the pan and add the remaining teaspoon of oil. Add the white sections of the green onions, the garlic, and ginger. Saute for a minute or two then mix in with the cabbage and mushrooms.

When the noodles are cooked and drained, add them to the skillet along with the mushroom water sauce and the green parts of the green onions.

Cook and stir for several minutes. Turn off heat and serve.
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The tofu is something I have been making for many years so I don’t remember where I got the recipe. If anyone knows, I’m happy to give credit where credit is due. This is one of my favorite methods of cooking tofu and the possibilities for the glaze are endless. Expect to see more variations on this theme in the future!

Orange-Glazed Tofu

Ingredients:
1 lb firm tofu, sliced
Canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbls maple syrup
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced tofu. Fry until brown on one side, then flip, and brown on the other side.

Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Once tofu is browned, pour sauce over tofu. Reduce heat a little and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Then flip tofu and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and the tofu looks glazed.

Vegan MoFo #21: Fall Veggie Soup

Just a simple soup today. I had not originally planned to make this but I have an upset tummy today so I thought a nice veggie and bean soup would be best. Only time will tell if it truly appeased the stomach gods, but it tasted good and used a lot of fall veggies I already had in my kitchen. We also had crusty bread slathered with good ol' Earth Balance.

Fall Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbls olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping teaspoon each of: ground cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder
Large pinch ground cayenne
1 pound red potatoes, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
½ pound green beans, trimmed
15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz pinto beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
5 cups water or vegetable broth
2 cups frozen corn
1 tbls lime juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add a little water to the pot and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom.

Add potatoes and squash and sauté for a few minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, and water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Add green beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add corn and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until all veggies are tender.

Turn off the heat and add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Vegan MoFo #20: Pumpkin Pie French Toast

The inspiration for this came to me last year when I made some veganized Pumpkin Pie Bites for a Halloween party. I had leftover pie filling and came up with the idea of using it for French Toast. Excellent idea, if I do say so myself!

 I didn’t have any leftover pie filling this time, so I made up a quick pumpkin pie-like batter. Please note that this recipe will not make a pie! But if you ever do have any extra pumpkin pie filling, you can try that instead. The filling can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days and then used to make yummy toast.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup sugar

4 oz vegan cream cheese

1/3 cup soy milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

8 slices of your favorite French bread

Vegan margarine, for frying

Directions:

Place all ingredients except bread and margarine in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and pour out into a shallow container or bowl.

Melt a generous amount of margarine in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Soak each piece of bread in the pumpkin mixture for several moments on each side.

Place the soaked bread in the skillet and fry until brown on one side, then flip, cooking until brown again. Repeat until all slices are done, adding additional margarine between each round.

I recommend serving with real maple syrup!