Mofo 15 - Sexy Vegetables! - Daikon Radish

I picked up this well hung daikon radish at the Farmer's Market in Lewes this morning. 

Daikon food porn...

The daikon was quite a bargain at $3.  It took up half the back seat.  I'll make something Japanese with it tomorrow.

The Lewes Farmer's Market.  Nestled in the wooded grounds of the Historical Society in downtown.

Now I'm headed to my High School reunion like Zach & Miri and Romy & Michele with a little Grosse Point Blank.

Candle Cafe at home (or work) Seitan Piccata!

I was grabbing a few vegan Kashi frozen meals for the office when I spied a familiar logo at the bottom of the Whole Foods freezer.  Can this be?  It's Candle Cafe's seitan piccata in frozen form!

I made it for lunch today.  I don't have a microwave at home, but they're pretty darn handy at work.  Five minutes later, I enjoyed my haute cuisine at my desk.

Sure it's no substitute for the lovely ambiance of Candle Cafe or Candle 79, but as far as freezer food goes this was DELICIOUS!  At only 210 calories, this is some serious lean cuisine.  I think they're usually about $6, but they were 2 for $9 with $1 off each coupon, so I got a super deal going on here.  

Mofo 3 - OMG the awesome juicer is the funnest invention ever!!

Sure it's a little messy, but it's so freakin' fun!  I almost feel bad for the vegetables as I smash them to their doom.  If you have the means and want to make your own juice, definitely spring for the uber fancy model.  It's easy to clean you can make a whole lot before it needs to be cleaned out.  You don't even have to cut the vegetables up that much.

Left is super green with kale, spinach, celery, apple, parsley, lemon.  Middle is carrot, apple pear.  Right is all beet.  I'll probably mix them together, but they're so pretty alone!  

Vegan MoFo day 2 - Juicer inspired by the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"

The vegan month of food blogging has arrived!  This is my 4th year participating and I've got a few things going on.

First off I bought a juicer yesterday.  I haven't gotten the thing out of the box yet, but I'm getting ready to give it a whirl.  Just because I like to go all out on my gadgets, it's the super awesome one.  The good ones range from $100-$500.    

Here's the why and I'll follow up with the how it's going and what I'm making.

A.  I don't fit into my pants.  I got a new job with an awesome driving commute.  The downside is that I don't walk anymore as part of my commute.  I also miss the awesome fruit carts outside my downtown office where I would get fresh fruit and vegetable juices everyday.    

B.  My husband (a.k.a. the ninja) has been watching what seems like every streaming video documentary on Netflix.  On his own he stumbled on the man-movie Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead and decided he wanted to add more nutrients to his diet.  Knowing he's not going to power down several plates of vegetables each day he figures he'd be more likely drink the vegetables.  The ninja still insists he's not going to be vegan and doesn't want to look like Moby (sorry Moby) but after watching Joe Cross (the guy in the movie) and Phil (and the trucker guy he meets) get healthy, the ninja is motivated to make some healthy lifestyle changes.  He doesn't need to or want to actually lose weight, he just wants to get more nutrition.  

Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead - I'm watching it on streaming netflix now.

  
Yesterday I headed into the city to get my hair cut and stopped at a juice cart in Union Square for some veggie juices.  If you're in NYC, definitely look for the fruit carts.  You can get veggie juices, smoothies, and fruit bowls for less than $5.  It's the best bargain in town.  I was running a few errands, so I ended up going back two more times before heading home.  I was surprised that after only having 3 large vegetable juices, by 4pm I wasn't totally starving.  I had a snack, then brought the ninja to Andy's Pure Food in Rye.

We had a Green Monster and an Iron Maiden.  He didn't like the Iron Maiden, I think because it had cilantro in it.  I thought was good.  He liked the first few sips of the Green Monster, but then thought it had too much cucumber and tasted like pickles.  He drank about half.  He wants to make his own blend to find something he likes.  I think he's just got more taste bud adjusting to do than me, so we'll experiment.

Now off to Chef Central to pick out a juicer.  Everyone seems to recommend the Breville juicers which come in a range of prices.  After deliberating we went for the more power, easier to clean, and more metal parts option of the top of the line model.  It's pricey, but I use my accounting skills to amortize the costs.  If I use it everyday for just over a year, that's only $1 per day.  Then it's free for the rest of it's existence!  And I won't need to buy new pants.

I picked up my CSA veggies this morning, and I've got really fresh beets, kale, apples, peppers, and carrots.  So I'm off to experiment!

Stay tuned...        

Sweet Treat Chocolate Truffles - Vegan Unplugged

You didn't think they'd forget dessert in the apocalypse didya?  Vegan Unplugged has 9 easy peasy desserts to cheer up your palate in any emergency.  These yummy truffles are ready in a flash and are full of chocolatey peanutty goodness.  I ended up rolling them in coconut for no other reason than I found a package of coconut when I went digging for the chocolate chips.  These ingredients need to go in the 5 day meal box!

These confections benefit from some light refrigeration, but if that's not available I assure you they are super yummy at summer room temperature (says an anonymous party who slurped a few down before waiting for them to chill!)

Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Walnut Sauce - Vegan Unplugged

Yet another great Vegan Unplugged meal that I would make any day! Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Walnut Sauce is a neat twist on the normal tomato based pasta sauces.  Sage and pumpkin pair together perfectly and the toasted walnuts give it some protein and crunch.

Another hit!  So easy and delicious!

White Beans and Greens Soup - Vegan Unplugged

Sure you can buy soup already in a can, but homemade soup made from stuff that was originally canned puts you in control of the flavors!  This white bean and greens soup from Vegan Unplugged is comforting and delicious.  I didn't have any cool shaped tiny pasta, so I used orzo.  This is a meal in a bowl that is perfect hurricane fare.  I'm gonna need a second helping.

It didn't need them, but I added potatoes just because I'm fascinated by potatoes that come in a can.  Just a note on canned spinach.  It's really important to taste it and rinse it before dumping it in any dishes.  Even if you lose some in the colander, it's better to make sure there's no dirt in it.  Nothing ruins a bite full of delicious soup like biting into grit.  I rinsed well and mine is A-OK.

This is a photo from the courtyard of my complex.  Yeah I know we're not supposed to go outside, but this was done in total safety.  I don't think I get to call this the eye of the storm, since it's now a Tropical Storm it's just the center, but we got some blue sky and a glimpse of the sun a little while ago.  We're just getting sporadic high wind and intermittent heavy rain now as the storm moves out.

We never lost power despite my Vegan Unplugged preparations, but lots of people in CT and NJ are cooking over candles.  There's also flooding in low lying areas.  I'm near the top of a big hill that leads to the Hudson so I'm safe and snug indoors.

Mom was not hit by the Tornado in Lewes, DE even though it was only about a mile away.  I don't think anyone was hurt and sorry for whoever's house got demolished.  Mom lost power in the late evening, but got it back by this morning.  

Best of luck to everyone dealing with the effects.  Be safe and let me know if I can bring you some soup!

Last Resort Lasagna - Vegan Unplugged

This is one of the easiest lasagnas I've ever made.  Vegan Unplugged rocks it again.  I cooked the lasagna noodles with the fuel efficient boil-and-let-them-sit method.  Then layered them with some cheater (Ragu) sauce and a delicious tofu and white bean seasoned "ricotta", and topped with a little nooch.  

I'm finding that the best way to do this is to cook on low for about 20 minutes, then let it sit for a bit (while I took a shower before the major rains really started), then reheat again on low for another 10 minutes.  I found after the first 20 minutes, the sides were boiling while it was still cool on the top center, and letting it sit in the cast iron pan with the heat off did the trick.

Mom lost power in Delaware, so I'm figuring at some point I will too and will need these easy pantry recipes.  No need to wait for disaster, though, this is a perfect everyday recipe.  The ninja was impressed with the balance of flavors and knew it wasn't real cheese, it just looked like cheese, but liked it anyway.  He's going to share with a neighbor who's girlfriend evacuated with the cats and left him to guard their basement apartment from flood and mayhem.  Sharing vegan food is the way to go!  

Nicoise Salad - Vegan Unplugged

I'm really digging Vegan Unplugged.  For lunch I had the Nicoise Salad.  There's no cooking involved, so this can be assembled super quick. The salad is a light summer lunch which is good since it's still really hot and humid despite getting the beginnings of the Hurricane Irene rains.  No lettuce needed and the tiny white beans give it nice body and are quite filling.  The basil vinaigrette dressing is so easy you'll wonder why people ever buy salad dressing.  

Don't fear that if we lose power I'l have eaten my entire stash box; I've got plenty of reserves.  Armed with the five day meal box and Vegan Unplugged, I'm feeling really prepared for the upcoming ridiculous weather.

Be safe.

Layered Tortilla Skillet - Vegan Unplugged

I'm going to keep plugging Vegan Unplugged!  We haven't lost power or anything, but I really wanted to try out the Layered Tortilla Skillet.  I think you can find shelf stable tortillas that you can probably keep in a box for a few months, but I got some relatively fresh ones that won't last that long, so I figured this would be a good one to try.  It's kind of like a Mexican lasagna that you can make on the stovetop.  I have a gas stove, so I can still light it if the power goes out.  I also have an indoor propane gas burner I can use in case of Armageddon.




I made a few adjustments since I had some fresh veggies.  I used green salsa which turned out to be too spicy for the ninja so he'll have to survive on PB&J and ramen noodles.  I was pretty hungry and only ate about 1/4 of it, so it really could serve 4.  I also had bigger tortillas than called for so each tortilla was a layer.

Here's my modified version:

1 TSB olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 sm can diced green chilies

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp taco seasoning

2 cans pinto beans
1 24 oz jar green salsa (divided 1 cup + 2 cups)
5 medium soft taco sized flour tortillas

In large skillet or dutch oven, saute onions, pepper, and green chilies. Then add chili powder and taco seasoning and cook until fragrant.

In a medium bowl, mash up the pinto beans, then add the cooked onion pepper mixture and mix in 2 cups of the salsa.  Add remaining 1 cup salsa back to the pan and lay a tortilla on top.  Cover tortilla with bean mixture and continue to layer remaining ingredients.  Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes.  I ended up cooking it too long and burned the bottom a bit, but it's still delicious.

Layered Tortilla in a 3qt Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven

Slice into quarters with a sharp knife and serve in a shallow bowl.

Yummy layers of beans and chilies

Vegan Unplugged

I'm a fan of a good survival guide.  Vegan Unplugged (updated version of Apocalypse Chow) is a great practical how-to for getting by in comfort (well for your belly at least) if you find yourself without power for a few days.

Of course I should have made my 5 day survival kit when I when I bought the book, but there's nothing like the drama of a little hurricane to blow some wind in your sails.  Yup, I was one of the crazy people who went grocery shopping today.  Except I had a plan: The Vegan Unplugged 5 day meal box shopping guide.  No need to wait for disaster.  Get your vegan survival kit ready.

I'm now ready for Comforting Corn Chowder, Kitchen-Sink Capellini, White Beans & Greens Soup, Black Bean Chili, Nicoise Salad, Curry in a Hurry, Texas Twister Caviar, Five-Minute Couscous Salad, Layered Tortilla Skillet, and a whole bunch of other fast and easy recipes to get me through any crisis.

Creamy cheezy summer mac & veg

This is one of those dishes that evolved as I was making it.  I wasn't trying to make mac & cheese, but here it is.  Pretty darn tasty, too.

Summer Veg Mac & Cheese

Elbow macaroni

Olive oil

Garlic

Summer squash

Red cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Orange cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Peppers (banana peppers and some long not spicy ones)

Basil

Salt

Nutritional yeast

Tofu Ricotta:

Tofu

Lemon juice

Basil

Salt

The sauce:

In a large saute pan, saute garlic in oil, add squash, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and cook until the squash is softened.  Add the basil and salt to taste.  

Cook macaroni according to package directions and when done scoop the noodles into the pan reserving some of the pasta liquid.  Mix in the pasta and add some pasta water and a big heap of nutritional yeast and mix together.  

Whiz together tofu (I used silken) and some lemon juice, basil, and salt.  Turn off heat on pasta and add tofu ricotta mixture.    

Gooseberries!

It seems almost a shame to make jam with these lovely gooseberries.  They are delicious just plain like a blueberry or grape.  Not too sweet and they have a really nice pop as you bite on 'em.

The gooseberry comes nestled in its own papery wrapper like a tomatillo.      

Summer is for hot dogs

I've had a few veggie dogs in my time.  Some pretty good, some not so good.  This time 'round I gave the Tofurky franks a try.  

Good texture and nice flavor.  Can you tell it's a veggie dog?  Yes.  Do you care?  Not really, especially if you slather it in mustard, vidalia onions, and a little veggie chili.

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!