Stuffed Cabbage - who knew it tasted so good?

OK, I'm guilty of getting cabbage from the CSA and then letting it sit in my fridge until I need the space for something else, then I throw the cabbage away.  Truly sad, I know.

This time I was determined to make good use of it.  So I stuffed it with every leftover I could find in the fridge and made one tasty pocket of goodness.  It's good on it's own, but I like to slather anything in sauce, so I made a tahini-miso sauce to accompany it.

I borrowed a vegetarian cookbook Mediterranean Harvest from my mom that had a stuffed cabbage recipe, but I didn't make anything resembling the recipe in the book.  The tip on preparing the cabbage, plus a method from somewhere on the internet gave me the courage to tackle this.

I made a bunch and keep forgetting to take a photo as it's plated.  Here's one right out of the fridge.  It doesn't look like much on it's own, but is surprisingly filling and delicious.

Preparing the cabbage:

Bring a large pot to boil.  Core the cabbage so it almost looks like a little cabbage hat.  (Save the core for broth.)  Once the water is boiling, add 1 tsp salt, turn off the heat, and (carefully) plunk in the cabbage head and cover.  Leave about 20 minutes.  Fish out the hot cabbage head and place in a large bowl and filled with cold water.  Just leave the cabbage hanging out in the water until you're ready with your filling.  I saved the pot of water and put in a bunch of other veggie trimmings for broth.  Sometimes cabbage isn't recommended when making broth, but I thought it turned out really nice and isn't particularly cabbagey.

Prepare the filling:
I used wild rice, sauteed mushrooms, a brown rice blend, grilled veggies - eggplant, peppers, squash, zucchini, onions, leeks.  This was all leftover stuff that went well together so I mixed it up.

Now fill the cabbages:

Take off one leaf and place on a cutting board with what would be the top facing toward you and the bottom stemmy part away from you.  I should have taken a photo.  The back end will curl up a bit and this is where you want to put the filling.  I used about 1/2 cup per leaf.  Then you fold like a burrito and put seamside down in a pan.  I cooked mine on the stove in an enameled cast iron pot (I love Le Creuset.)  When you've filled the pot with cabbage pockets, take about 1/2 cup of the cabbage water (or broth if you've already thrown in some other veggies) and add 1 TBS tomato paste.  Pour this over the cabbage and then simmer for about 20 minutes covered.  I had more cabbage pockets than the pan would hold, so I stuck a few in the freezer that I'll cook later.

Like I said, my filling started out good, so I didn't really need a sauce, I just wanted one.

Miso tahini sauce

Blend together:
1/4 cup tahini
2 TBS miso
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Pinch salt

I've got some posts to catch up on and I came across this photo from an excursion to Whole Foods (conveniently located near my new job):

And I accuse my mother of hoarding...Actually most of this has been used up by now.   I remember the vegan ravioli in the middle was really good!

Summer is for cold noodles

Part of the reason I enjoy coming to the beach to visit my mom is raiding her cupboards. I do also enjoy yelling at her that she has too much stuff and that I'm going to sign her up for Hoarders if she doesn't look out. Clean Sweep sounded fun. Hoarders she doesn't like. Then I take the stuff I like that I know she won't use before it expires and we're all happy.

It's hot and humid in Delaware in the summer which is why someone had the foresight to put a beach in walking distance. We'll hit the ocean later, but right now the house (climate controlled with a bunch of random fans) is a steam bath. Good for the skin, I'm sure, but it doesn't inspire me to want to make a hot meal.

So here's some summer udon noodles with a cold Asian peanut sauce. I used fairly even amounts of all the ingredients, but you can adjust in any combination based on what you like or have on hand.

Summer udon noodles with cold peanut sauce Serves 4 normal or 2 hungry people.

1 package of udon or other stringy noodles (the udon was 9 oz.)
2 small zucchini grated
2 small yellow squash grated
2 small carrots grated (a big handful of baby carrots works, too)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar*
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

Boil water for noodles.

Optional: I used the strainer that goes in the pasta pot to blanch the veggies. You can leave them raw if you like, but I wanted them to kind of melt in with the sauce. I put the strainer in the pasta water pot with the veggies for about 2 minutes then took it out and ran them under cold water to stop the cooking and chill. Don't drain the pasta water, you need this to cook the noodles. I suppose you could always just start to cook the noodles then add the veggies for the last two minutes and drain the whole thing, but I only just thought of that now.

Cook noodles according to package directions (mine took 4 minutes) then drain and rinse with cold water.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and peanut butter.

Mix the veggies and pasta into the sauce. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and taste for seasonings. You can eat it right away or stick it in the fridge to get even more chilled. The sauce will absorb more sauce the more you let it sit.

Serve in a shallow bowl or plate with chopsticks for slurping or a fork and spoon for twirling.

*Seasoned rice vinegar is the stuff you add to rice to make sushi rice. It's just rice vinegar with added salt and sugar. If you only have rice vinegar in your arsenal, that's fine, too, but you may consider adding a little mirin or sugar if it needs a little something when you taste for seasonings.

Summer Hummus with Zatar

I made the vcon hummus version with cauliflower and added some extra lemon juice and tahini. I used canned chickpeas, but I warmed them up before blending and added a bit of hot water which made it extra creamy. Sprinkled with a little Zatar on top and served with cucumber spears it's a refreshingly light and satisfying summer snack.

Twisted Puttanesca

Torcetti pasta is already a little twisted spiral of a pasta, but takes on a whole other dimension when added to this twist on puttanesca sauce.

Inspired by my last jar of 2010 CSA tomatoes and 1/2 a package of local (from Poughkeepsie, NY) "My Brother Bobby's Salsa" that I got at Whole Foods, I whipped up a twisted version of hooker pasta. This salty sensation is the perfect antidote to a well earned mild hangover.

Twisted Puttanesca

1/2 lb tubular or well structured pasta such as torcetti or penne or heck, spaghetti

2-4 cloves garlic

1 TBS olive oil

1 big jar whole tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh salsa

1/2 cup cooked black beans

2 TBS capers

10 pitted black olives (I used kalamata) - that cherry pitter comes in handy...

1/4 cup red wine

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Sautee garlic in oil in a sauce pan. Add tomatoes and break them up a bit, add salsa, beans, capers, olives, and wine. Simmer until heated through and pasta is done. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat.

I don't add any additional salt or sugar to the sauce because the tomatoes were already salted, I salted the pasta cooking water, and the olives and capers are salty enough. The beans weren't technically salted, but I cook them with kombu so they are tasty enough on their own as well.

Spring veggies - Ramps & asparagus

Determined to eat some actual vegetables, I stopped into Whole Foods on my way home from work. I was a little unsure what to do with the ramps, so I roasted the bottom oniony part and sauteed the greens with some red swiss chard.Roasting with the bits of ramp are asparagus, fennel, green beans, and a portabella schroom.I also roasted a few blue potatoes and made a cashew, lemon, yogurt, tahini, miso sauce.
Yum!

Cheesesteak Gyro

OK, so scratch that New Year's resolution where I blog about things other than tofu rancheros and vegan cheesesteaks. The cheesesteak is what I'm havin' for dinner and I felt the need to chime in with a post.

It's my usual cheesesteak technique, but with naan/pita bread (seriously, it's both.) I can't always find the Tofutti cheesesteak slices, but when I do I make sure to grab them. The cheese is Daiya mozzerella and there's onion, pepperoncini, Vegenaise & sriracha. I forgot the oregano, but that's usually on there, too.

It's not unusual for me to be behind the curve on good TV, so I've been catching up on Bones. It's streaming on Netflix. Yay!

Even better, Bones star Emily Deschanel is a vegan superstar.

I won 2nd Place at Veggie Conquest 6! Kale battle

I really should be cleaning up the giant mess I made in the kitchen, but instead I feel like gloating about my silver medal performance at Veggie Conquest 6. Veggie Conquest is a NYC based vegan cooking competition based on a theme ingredient and takes place every few months. This is the 5th event I've participated in.

The theme ingredient for VC6 was kale. The secret ingredient is unveiled the week before the competition to both the tasters and the chefs.

Now mind you, when I'm drowning in kale in the summer, I can think of lots of things to do with it. For this challenge, I was trying to come up with ways to highlight the greens. It wasn't easy. Usually I'm sneaking kale into something, or just eating it steamed with some miso-tahini sauce. Not really award winning stuff.

So what I pulled off was a Tuscan Kale flat bread topped with a kale tomato sauce (tomatoes were the ones I canned last summer from my CSA,) gourmet mushrooms, roasted leeks, and crispy kale. I made a kale slaw from the red & green stems with some red pepper. And because I like to dip my crusts in stuff, I made a miso-tahini-kale hummus sauce that was really just the sauce I like to put on kale blended up with kale in it. The judges pronounced it bitter and unnecessary, but it was a pretty green color and made a good dip. The kale was raw in it, so it was admittedly a little vegetabley.

Here's my 90 taster portions. Bite sized pieces with the slaw and hummus.

Now for the round-up...

These kale Croquettes were lovely and the sauce on top was delicious.

Next up were kale quiches that had a wonderful tofu cream sauce. The shallots were a nice complement.

Then the first place winner with kale rice cakes.

Next up, third place winner with Kale summer rolls.

And from a guy who had never had kale before, we had a mushroom and kale bisque.

Finally, I got to yammer on about how I put three different kinds of kale and all their parts into this dish. Big thanks to my chef friend Jamie for suggesting the use of color (not that you can tell from the green plate - the judges had the more colorful fiesta ware.) The kale slaw was a really pretty purple, red, and green. I liked my ironic kale garnish which the judges picked up and ate with the slaw.

Prizes are cool...

I got a herbal soap and salt scrub from Chrissannthemum Herbs & Well Being, a gift certificate to Integral Yoga, Organic Ville French Dressing, and Cinnamon Vanilla ice cream from Raw IceCream Company. Good think the ninja claims to be allergic to cinnamon..mine all mine....

Darn good freezer pizza - Tofurky Pepperoni Pizza

Now, I'm not going to tell you this rivals a pizzeria pizza, but it's vegan and it came from the freezer.

For a frozen pizza, the Tofurky Pepperoni is quite tasty. Not a microwave pizza, but 12 minutes in a 420 degree oven and you've got yourself a nice lunch for a rainy Sunday.

It's got a whole wheat crust that doesn't taste like whole wheat. The Daiya cheese is noticeable, but it's not overly cheesy. It's definitely meaty, though. No lack of Tofurky pepperoni chunks. It's not sliced like "normal" pepperoni, but in chunky bits. Very satisfying. The pepperoni is on the spicy side so no need to dump on any hot sauce which is my usual tactic for less flavorful pizza.

If you want to venture out into the real world for some non-frozen vegan pizza, there are an increasing number of options across the US. Check out this link for the ones that made the short list and vote for the Best Vegan Pizza.

Can't decide on Mexican or Pasta? Have both...

There was a pasta dish on the cover of Vegetarian Times in 1997 that featured black beans and cilantro with pasta. I've long since purged the magazine, but I was trying to get something similar. Here's my faked version:
Beany burrito pasta - 2 servings

4 oz angel hair pasta (approx 1/4 package)

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 TSP chopped green chilies

3/4 cup (about 1/2 can) red kidney beans

1 cup tomatoes chopped with juice

2 TBS fresh cilantro chopped

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Boil water for pasta and cook according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, saute garlic and chilies in oil. Add beans and crush a bit. Add tomatoes and juice and simmer a few minutes. Add pasta and stir until coated. Serve and top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

I did find a link to the original recipe for Southwest Pasta Pg 45 Aug 1997 Vegetarian Times

Month of bean cutlet - Sundried Tomato and Porcini Mushroom

More bean cutlets. January is now officially the month of the bean cutlet. The one on the left is sun dried tomato and the one on the right is porcini mushroom. OK, I agree they look the same, but both have a nice subtle taste of their signature ingredient

Sun dried tomato cutlet

1 cup cooked white navy beans

1 cup rehydrated sun dried tomatoes soaked in 1 cup boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 TBS Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Porcini Mushroom Cutlet

1 cup cooked white navy beans

1 cup rehydrated porcini soaked in 1 cup boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 TBS Parisian bonnes herbes seasoning

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Blend the beans with mushroom or sun dried tomatoes salt, seasoning, olive oil. Mix together with bread crumbs and vital wheat gluten and kneed for few minutes. Split into 4 pieces and form into flat cutlets. Fry in 1 TBS oil for 5 minutes per side.

More experiments in bean cutlets...Black Eyed Peas and Mazoh

Yup, it's yet another variation of the vcon chickpea cutlets. This time it's black-eyed peas and mazoh. Red swiss chard with lemon tahini miso sauce, mashed potatoes, and skulking in the back of the photo is a portabello mushroom with Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning. Black-eyed pea and mazoh cutlets

1 cup cooked black-eyed peas

1/4 cup water

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS Herbes de Provence

1 tsp hot paprika

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup mazoh meal

Blend together the beans, water, soy sauce, olive oil, herbs, and paprika.

In a medium bowl mix together bean mixture, wheat gluten, and mazoh. Knead a few minutes. Break into 4 pieces. Flatten out into cutlets and fry in a little canola oil for about 5 minutes a side until golden brown.

Snow Day! Warm up with a vegan hot toddy.

Technically the office was open today, but I really needed a snow day. Justifiable since I couldn't actually get out of my apartment until someone came by to shovel the snow from my blocked doorway.

Anyway in between cleaning out the pantry and reading some Chelsea Handler, I thought this scene (me in my PJs on the couch with the ipad) would be a whole lot more sophisticated if it included a nice hot beverage.

The unopened bottle of kahlua I found at the back of the pantry was a bonus. When choosing your boozing for your vegan hot toddy, you can always check out barnivore for the latest in what's vegan and what's not.

Vegan mocha with Soyatoo

1 cup vanilla soy milk

2 TBS Dutch cocoa

1 cup brewed coffee

2 TBS Kahlua

Vegan whip cream

In a medium saucepan, mix cocoa with soymilk and heat, but do not boil. Add a generous splash of kahlua to a large coffee mug, add brewed coffee halfway, fill to within 1/2 inch with hot cocoa, then top with whip cream. Yum.

Black bean & black olive cutlet

Happy New Year everyone! So far I'm making good on my resolution to blog more which means I'll have to make stuff other than tofurky cheesesteaks and tofu rancheros to keep you interested. Experimental cooking also helps with 2 other resolutions of eating better and taking my lunches to work. We'll see how long this lasts...

This black bean and black olive cutlet is a modified version of the vcon chickpea cutlet inspired by the black olive seitan at Sacred Chow in NYC. Both the black beans and olives are surprisingly subtle flavors in the finished cutlet.

I wanted to make something with black eyed peas for new years, but I only had dried and although they're soaking now, I wanted some cutlets sooner rather than later. Can of black beans to the rescue. It's still beans and vegans need fried hangover food, too. I went to Phish at Madison Square Garden last night, not that I need an excuse to be hungover on New Years Day.

I used kalamata olives, that had pits in them. Luckily I had this handy cherry pitter that made popping the pits out a snap. If you're ever in a cooking gadgets store and debate the cherry pitter, just throw it in the cart, then store it at home in the gadget drawer with the can opener. You'll use it more than you think.

Black Bean & Black Olive Cutlets

1 cup cooked or canned black beans

1/3 cup chopped black olives (about 12)

1/4 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp dried chives (optional - I get them from Penzys and use them all the time)

1 tsp parsley

1 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten.

Canola oil for frying

Blend together the beans, olives, herbs, soy sauce, olive oil and broth. Add to medium bowl. Add bread crumbs and gluten and mix together until combined. Then knead in the bowl for a few minutes. Ball it together, then divide into 4 pieces. Flatten the pieces out with your hands to make cutlets. Fry until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes each side.

The cutlets are well seasoned, so you don't need a sauce for this unless, you just like things saucy. For a main dish serve with mashed potatoes and greens or as a sandwich with a little sriracha vegenaise. Also delicious pulled apart and eaten with your fingers, straight off the cooling rack.

Happy New Year!

Great pate, mom, but I gotta motor if I wanna be ready for that party tonight...

Things I've never made before: pate, chestnuts, and lentils. Here they are all fancied up together into a rockin' appetizer. It's the chestnut-lentil pate from the Veganomicon. Couldn't be easier and is really quite sophisticated and yummy. Bring this to your next holiday soiree.

The best vegan pate I've had is faux-gras made by Ella, the Regal Vegan. She brought this to the Our Hen House launch party and I kinda sorta camped out by it after I helped set up the raffle prizes. What? I was hungry and it really is that good.

Vegan cookbooks, lip balm, rescue chocolates, cloth diapers, and River made my recipe!

So I came home to not one, but 2 new vegan cookbooks. Amazon pre-order is the way to go when you want to give yourself a gift you'll forget about by the time you get it.

Just in time for the holidays Isa's new book Appetite for Reduction offers a whole bunch of easy recipes that are easy on the waistline. Jerk asparagus, eggplant dengaku, buffalo tempeh oh my!

In Color me Vegan Colleen Patrick-Goudreau invites you to eat the rainbow of the fruit and veggie world. Red-Beet Burgers; Orange-Carrot Fries; Yellow-Cashew Cheese; Green-Avacado Pudding; Blue-Blueberry Ketchup and more!

Yes, you really do need a new cookbook or 2...

Now for some vegan lip balm from my lip stuff.

Brea is vegan and most of the lip balms can be made vegan even though the normal formula uses beeswax. Mmm Candy Cane...

I also popped by a meet up event in NYC tonight for Rescue Chocolates

Sara makes the most awesome vegan chocolates and proceeds go to animal rescue organizations.

If you've got rugrats and are interested in cloth diapering, my friend Patti (who is also a serious scrabble opponent) has a blog called The Clothspring and she's got a giveaway going on for some flannel diapers. Check it or pass it along to someone with rugrats.

And last but not least, the ever awesome River of wing-it vegan made my eggplant ballz from the last veggie conquest. It's on her MoFo after-post.

Ciao!