Cookbook Challenge 2 - Vegan with a Vengeance

Cookbook Challenge II - Vegan with a Vengeance

This is the book that started it all! As the humorous and heartfelt introduction points out, Vegan with a Vengeance is Isa Chandra Moskowitz's first cookbook. The tangible product of her veganness and public access cooking show (The Post Punk Kitchen - some episodes are still available here), Vegan with a Vengeance is a compilation of recipes developed over a decade, and it is full of veganized classics - - and utterly unique creations. It's really fun to read (yes, I read cookbooks) and Isa's got a great attitude and perspective that reflects much of what I also value - compassionate cooking, feeding good food to your friends, loving all animals and loud punk music.

This week, like prior weeks, I sought to test out recipes I'd never made before. I've cooked my way through about half of this book, so the pickins were still plentiful.



Baking Powder Biscuits with White Bean Tempeh Sausage Gravy



Last Sunday's breakfast was unexpectedly easy to make, and was made up entirely of pantry staples (if tempeh isn't a "pantry staple" for you, I think you need to reevaluate your life). The White Bean and Tempeh Sausage Gravy combined crumbled tempeh with warming herbs - dried rubbed sage, crushed fennel seeds, a small sprig of thyme and a dash of oregano - and pureed white beans to create a thick and velveteen gravy akin to what any Southern grandma would serve with homemade biscuits. Oh wait, I did that, too! The Baking Powder Biscuits are the other half to this harmonious love story of a breakfast. They were flaky and buttery to the point of perfection, and not at all sticky! Biscuits in generally are so easy to make, but often leave you with clumps of dough stuck between your fingers - well, not these babies! They were some of the easiest I've made, ever. 



Banana-Pecan Pancakes

Contrary to those breezy biscuits, only once have I ever made a perfect vegan pancake (most of my love&devotion are reserved for waffles, anyway). It was so long ago that I hardly remember the recipe, or from where it originated. Most likely it was my own interpretation of one of the many pancake recipes recipes found of Vegweb.com. Why are pancakes so difficult, you wonder? I haven't the slightest clue! Mine have always burned to easily, been too runny, or tasted slightly chalky. Ignoring my inner thoughts and warnings, I decided to give the Banana-Pecan Pancakes a shot because I had all of the ingredients on hand, and I was intrigued by the thicker-than-you-average-pancake introduction. Oh, these were thick all right - almost like eating a cake. 



Banana-Pecan Pancakes

Thick, dense and moist, these pancakes weren't terrible. The flavors were perfect and the texture would have been wonderful...if I didn't have frantic and finicky stove top burners! Canola spray oil should not smoke on medium-low, right? Well my pan was smoking in a matter of minutes - so much that I had to change pans half way through because it was taking too long to cool down. The recipe suggests medium-high heat, but that was clearly not an option. As a result, my p-cakes were nearly burnt on the outside and wet on the inside, but my immaculate photography skills had you thinking otherwise...right? Overall, the recipe will receive a positive review, because I can't pass my poorly executed pancakes off as a recipe problem. Next time, I'll probably just make waffles.

Fettuccine Alfreda

A recipe that has always called out to me is the Fettuccine Alfreda. I thought this was really tasty, albeit nothing to write home about. In the recipe introduction, Isa warns that this isn't exactly like the alfredo found in Italian restaurants & pizzerias, but more like a spur-of-the-moment creamy pasta dish resulting from the ingredients she possessed on hand - mainly nutritional yeast and pine nuts. There was too much nutritional yeast for my preferences and I couldn't get over the fact that it wasn't vegan fettuccine alfredo in the aforementioned restaurant style. It almost reminded me of macaroni and cheese cheese sauce (kind of American/cheddar-y), but much more mellow, which I did enjoy. It was really thick for me so I thinned it with pasta water. Also, pine nuts are waaaay to expensive to use on a sub par sauce (roughly $30/lb here!), so if I were to make this again, I will most certainly sub cashews for pine nuts, cut back on the nooch and add a little bit of unsweetened almond milk...and probably a dollop of earth balance for good measure.

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

This was fantastic! The White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup from Vegan with a Vengeance is criminal. The soup was alarmingly easy to make, but the final flavor profile blew me away. Two words: roasted garlic. Two whole bulbs cloaked in olive oil roasted for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees until they were a mellow paste encapsulated in their shell. Just thinking about them has my mouth watering! They were combined with creamy canellini beans (any white bean will do), sauteed onions, earthy spices - fennel, thyme, oregano - and pureed into a thick soup perfect for rain or snow or whenever! I left about one ladle's worth of soup whole, which for me was a good thing; a few chunky beans and garlic cloves here and there are definitely welcome. This was perfect for the recent dip in temperatures (Louisiana had freezing rain!). We dipped the leftover Baking Powder Biscuits in the soup and ate just about the entire pot - yes, there were only two of us...



Brooklyn Pad Thai

Never having had Pad Thai from Thailand, I'm ok with this version reining from New York. Brooklyn Pad Thai tasted almost like what I've eaten numerous times at Thai/Fusion restaurants, and Matt (a man obsessed with all things Pad Thai) gave it two thumbs up. Rice noodles are so easy to work with, and this recipe really comes together in a sinch. Just make sure to use a large sauteing vessel - preferably a wok with high sides. I didn't, so it was a bit of a mess for me. If you chop all your vegetables beforehand, the meal is ready in less than 20 minutes (10 of which are reserved for cooking the rice noodles!). The sauce was a little spicy for me, so I'll be sure to reduce the amount of chili sauce (I used Sriracha) next time. I also had to omit the bean sprouts because I forgot about them on my grocery run (lemongrass, too!). Considering my minor changes and omissions, this was really good. Full of flavor and easy enough to make on a weeknight, but only if Matt will agree to clean up afterwards!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Thirteen

This day has been tolerably uneventful, with only a few moments worth noting. I slept in and wasn't hungry in the least, so cooking a weekend-worthy breakfast was not on the agenda. Last night, Matt and I went to Chelsea's Cafe for what has swiftly become our Friday night ritual. They offer excellent drink specials until 7:00 PM, which is just enough time to order a pitcher of beer and snag a table on their back patio. Dinner ensued as usual: two veggie burgers - hold the mayo! - and a side of french fries. Chelsea's offer several other vegan options, including a plate of grilled veggies over cousous or focaccia. The latter does come with cheese, but a request for the server can easily remedy that. The also serve a creamy hummus dip with toasted pita, chunky tomato slices and a few kalamata olives. The staff is great, as is the atmosphere. I've never been greeted with anything less than a smile and a couple of laughs. The interior is dressed with several large paintings by local artists, and blues  and jazz can be heard in the afterhours by local musicians. I can't vouch for the bands that play there (10PM is too late for me to be out on a Friday; I'd be falling asleep in my chair!), but they definitely draw a crowd. I recommend arriving a little early, ensuring you're able to find a table!

I ended up polishing off an entire burger and plate of fries (on top of a tall whiskey and coke), so breakfast was out of the question. Instead I made a green smoothie to prevent any late-morning hunger pains from sneaking up on me. Featured below is a green flax-berry smoothie made up of micronutrient-rich flax seed, banana, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries (originally fresh, but frozen during the peak of summer for the upcoming colder months), in addition a handful of kale and spinach. Vegetables in smoothies? Of course! The taste of the fruit is so much more powerful than vegetables, but the latter provide a wealth of hidden nutritional value. I blended this with almond milk to thin it out and drizzled a small amount of maple syrup for sweetness. A+.

Even puppies love green smoothies!

Our afternoon was spent having a mediocre lunch at Truly Free Bakery. I've written on this establishment before, and my opinion hasn't changed much. Some of their vegan menu items, like the Grilled Eggplant and Avocado Panini or one of their many burgers, are delicious and well prepared, while others appear to forgo any forethought or execution. Today I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and try again one of their wraps. Instead of getting a panini, I ordered a cabbage wrap to be filled with tempeh, eggplant, artichoke hearts, red onion, greens and hummus. Not only was there no hummus, but the eggplant and tempeh were not cooked. At all. Neither was even marinaded and everything was just...bland. I've also tried their vegan Rueben wrapped in nori (my first vegan Rueben!), and was pretty disappointed. Oh well, so they can't make wraps! There panini's are grand, Matt loves their garden burgers, they have a vegan thousand island dressing, and a plenthora of gluten-free baked goods that are fairly priced and pretty tasty. Did I mention that everything is gluten-free?! Because it is! Truly Free also makes their bread in house! Sorry, no pictures of lunch because it just wasn't good enough. Maybe next weekend!

Matt and I have decided to brew some beer over the next few weeks. We  picked up almost everything we'll need at Red Stick Home Brewing Supplies, and we'll begin sanitizing everything in the morning. The brown ale is our brew of choice for this run, and I can't wait to document the process. More on this to come!

One hour left for Saturday's MoFo...*submit!*

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Six

Day Six: Bagels! Bagels! Bagels!

bagels, all the time!

It's finally the weekend! Most of my day was spent between the kitchen and the computer, catching up on MoFo bloggers. I've been really busy with work and cooking that I've neglected a lot of spectacular blogs, even some in my own reel! What I have browsed thus far is amazing. Our Veggie Kitchen is cooking up White Bean Waffles, and photographing them well. Want a step-by-step guide to chow mein and fried rice? Check out Go Vegan Meow! One of my preferred bloggers, MoFo or otherwise, actually inspired this post! C'est La Vegan makes some of the tastiest foods I can imagine, from Marinated Cheeze to Tofu Benny's. She recently made the Garden Herb Spread from one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan Brunch. Upon sight, I knew I would be making bagels this weekend!

    

The recipe yielded a dozen medium sized bagels, just a bit smaller than most store-bought varieties. Several were scarfed down almost instantly by my roommates! I've only made the bagels from Vegan Brunch one other time, several years ago, and those did not come out too well. It's pleasant to know my baking experience and ability has grown since then, as these were almost perfect! A few oddly shaped bagels aren't ruining this batch.

 I had most of the ingredients required to make the Garden Herb Spread from Vegan Brunch, and that's what I did. I combined cashews, tofu, lemon juice, fresh basil, parsley and fennel, dried tarragon and dill, s&p and nutritional yeast in the food processor and voila!

classic broccoli quiche.

 Classic Broccoli Quiche

I'm often presented with exploratory questions regarding the veganizability (it is a real word..) of many "traditional" dishes and desserts. One such food that often raises the eyebrows of my family, friends and coworkers is the quiche. While vegetable quiches and similarly styled dinner pies are common fare amongst meat eaters, many inquiries revolve around the the creamy custard encasing a particular filling. Traditionally prepared with a blend of eggs and milk or cream, an edible veganized version may onset suspicious stares and doubtful scoffs. Disbelievers, cast your skepticism aside, for a vegan quiche is entirely possible, and entirely delicious!

Classic Broccoli Quiche
Spinach, Cucumber and Olive Salad

The recipe I used made its debut tucked inside the publication of possibly one of the greatest vegan cookbooks to date. Vegan Brunch is a regular go-to cookbook in my kitchen, and offers an array of brunch meals with enough variety to please any palate during any meal of the day (because everyone knows that breakfast is best when eaten for dinner). This was the first time I've ever made a quiche, vegan or not, and it was pretty satisfying. The texture is what I remember of dairy-laden quiches. The flavor was good, but next time I will increase the seasonings, as the quiche itself was a little bland.

breakfast fajita burritos.

Good morning.

Moving On + Loads of Food!

Hello again!

These past few months have been nothing but hustling 'n bustling. I'm proud to say that I am now a college graduate, and I'm shaking in my boots. While my day-to-day activities have hardly changed (aside from three or more hours of required reading a night), I'm beginning to understand my life within the "bigger picture." My experiences as an undergraduate were mostly devoted to bettering myself. All of the studying and all of the classes were to foster my interests and expand my capacity for knowledge. Now I'm at a stage in my life where all the lessons and skills ingrained into me are mine. I've learned a great deal from the people I've encountered the last four years, and I'm confident enough in them and in myself to pass these lessons on.

Vegan Yum Yum's Avocado Wasabi Salad

Brown Rice with peas, carrots and a garlic-ginger sauce

Another Day, Another Scramble

Recipes for Tofu Scramble are a dime a dozen. Everyone has their ideal spice blend, veggie combination, and tofu texture. I’ve doubtlessly experienced and tested more than 20 different recipes, some of which ruled, some of which drooled. When making a scrambled tofu dish, it all boils down to preference. Personally, I like my ‘fu cooked. No, I mean really cooked. A crisp and brown bottom achieved by high heat and low moisture is my kind of scramble. If you fancy a softer, moist scramble, then this recipe probably isn’t for you. However, adding water by the tablespoon is an easy way to “revitalize” your scramble if you think it’s too dry.