Cookbook Challenge 2 - Appetite for Reduction I

Cookbook Challenge II - Appetite for Reduction!

If you're not already part (or at least aware) of The Post Punk Kitchen, you are seriously missing out. What initially began as a public access vegan cooking show created by cookbook-author extraordinaire and baketivist Isa Chandra Moskowitz, has now fully blossomed into one of the most active vegan communities in the world. As a member of the PPK message boards, I can personally vouch for the massive amounts action on that forum. Alongside all the mindless banter and deep conversations revolved around bodily functions (I never said we were a mature bunch..), vegan food is the topic of most conversations. Whether it's an uplifting thread about all of the accidentally-vegan snack foods found in convenience stores - I nearly pooped my pants when I learned that one of the Doritos chips is vegan! - or reviews on the latest vegan cookbook to hit the shelves, food is not far from any of our minds.

The latter topic holds particular significance to this post. Over in The Kitchen - Food & Cooking forum, the second annual Cookbook Challenge is taking place! For the next 12 weeks, participants will be cooking at least 3 recipes from a randomly selected, albeit predetermined, cookbook and sharing their creations with fellow PPKers. As a participant, I'll be posting photos and reviews of my selected batch of recipes at the forums as well as the here blog. I'm particularly excited about participating because this week's cookbook has quickly become one of my favorites. Appetite for Reduction (AFR) is Isa's newest vegan cookbook, and it focuses on low-fat, whole-foods based cooking for folks with an appetite. I've read the book from cover-to-cover and there isn't a single recipe that I don't want to immediately shovel into my mouth. If the sound of this cookbook strikes your fancy, why not try one or all of the sample recipes at the PPK? I promise you won't be disappointed.

I'll talk about this book more throughout the rest of the week, but I think my first dish is past due. Talking about vegan foodz is nice and all, but I'd rather show you!



Caesar Chavez Salad with Eggplant Bacon


Ahh, the Caesar Chavez Salad with Eggplant Bacon. Let me start by introducing the salad dressing. One thing I've truly missed since becoming a vegetarian is the creamy tang of caesar dressing. If you weren't already aware, most commercially produced bottles contain anchovies and eggs in addition to a boat load of cream and calories, and are unsuitable for veg*ns. Annie's Goddess Dressing is a suitable store-bought replacement and has always satiated my appetite, but at $5-$6 a bottle, I only buy it sporadically. After making the Caesar Chavez Dressing in AFR, I will never buy another bottled salad dressing, of any variety. Isa has done it again! This dressing is perfectly remniscent of caesar dressing - uber creamy, briny and cool. I've been making it in bulk batches and drizzling it on anything I can think of - salad, pasta, pizza, quinoa, my tongue, etc. Seriously, you NEED to make this dressing. For utter ease and generosity, the recipe can be found online in Amazon's trusty Look Inside feature. Just click the book's image (log in if you have an Amazon account; you'll be able to see more recipes that way) where it says Look Inside and you'll be able to see the first half of the book for free (then, of course, you should buy it and support that awesome lady).

As for the Eggplant Bacon, that deserves equal praise. Drenched in a bath of soy sauce (tamari for those with a gluten intolerance) and liquid smoke, eggplant is the perfect medium for such an application. The recipe calls for thin slices of eggplant, to recreate the look of bacon strips, baked at a high temperature for utlimate crispiness. I did find myself baking the eggplant for more time than the recipe called for because my toaster oven sucks. I thought the strips of eggplant were aesthetically awesome, but found myself shoving whole slices into my mouth at a time. Next time I'm going to chop it into very tiny cubes in the hopes that it'll get even crunchier and I'll fool myself into thinking I have more on my plate (eggplant gluttony?!).

Caesar Chavez Salad with Eggplant Bacon

All things considered, this recipe gets my highly regarded stamp of approval. It's cheap to make and comes together in less than 30 minutes. With less than 160 calories per serving (recipe serves 4) and a ton of vitamin A, you'll be doing yourself a favor by consuming my new favorite, the Caesar Chavez Salad with Eggplant Bacon from Appetite for Reduction.

appetite for tofu!

Red Thai Tofu and Green Beans with Thai Basil

One of the most repeated assumptions made of vegetarians and vegans today is that their diet consists primarily of a slimy and flavorless bean slab called tofu (aside from the occasional twig and clump of dirt!). I can't recall how many times my tofu intake has been questioned, usually accompanied by distorted faces and protesting grunts. For a long time, I sided with the average carnivore and detested the white beany block. I'd only ever tasted poorly (if at all) cooked tofu, and it certainly lived up to it's stereotype: mushy, bland and utterly unappetizing. I could never appreciate the praise and preference given to tofu by vegetarians. Well, that all changed shortly after I started reading vegan food blogs and trying some of the recipes calling for that soft wet slab. Through them and my own experience, I've learned many key steps and secrets to turning the initially unappetizing bean curd into a pleasantly palatable protein! Here are several things I've learned about tofu:

-Stick with firm or extra firm tofu packaged in water (usually found in the produce section of your grocery store) for "meatier" dishes. Silken tofu will not hold up to being fried, grilled or baked and the texture of aseptic-packed tofu (such as Mori-Nu brand) will never measure up to the aforementioned.

-Pressing tofu releases much of the absorbed water and helps it firm up. Wrap tofu in several layers of paper towels or tea towels and place between two plates. Top off your sculpture with something heavy, like canned beans or a couple of your thicker cookbooks. Wait at least 30 minutes and gasp in wonder how much water has been squeezed out.

-Tofu still too mushy for you? Freeze it! Remove the tofu from its packaging, cut into desired shape (rectangular slabs, triangles, cubed, etc.) and layer between paper towels on a shallow plate. Allow the tofu to fully freeze before handling it any further. When ready to use, let the tofu thaw completely and you'll be surprised how much of the water seeps out. This type of tofu works great in marinades and results in a firmer, chewier finale.

-Marinades are your friend! Let your tofu spend the night with some liquids and herbs and you'll be surprised how happy it is in the morning! Try olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and fresh or dried basil  for Italian tofu. Crave Asian flavors? Combine peanut oil, soy sauce or tamari, agave nectar, fresh minced ginger and garlic together for a salty and sweet Teriyaki-style of tofu.

-I think tofu should be crispy, like most things I eat, but I can never deliberately deep fry things in my home. Pan frying works just as well as deep frying without any of the mess or post-consumption bloating. Take your biggest non-stick saute pan, spray with a little bit of cooking oil and get to work! Use tongs or a flat spatula for easy flipping, and to insure each side of the tofu gets crispy.

-Still can't get behind the meaty slabs? Scramble it! I consume most of my tofu in this fashion solely because it is so forgiving and works with whatever your have on hand. Modeled after scrambled eggs, tofu scramble is much more versatile, flavorful, and no animals are harmed by it's consumption! Try my recipe for Green and Gold Scramble, or check out Vegan Brunch for several pages of scramble variations.

I guarantee that following these steps will result in a flavorful vegetable-based protein. So banish your reservations and prove your presumptions wrong. Stop shoving your tofu to the wayside and make it the star of your next meal!

A Rescue Story - Welcome Tobi

This is Tobi, a female puppy I rescued from a ditch on the side of the road.

Tobi, just waking up from nap!



My place of work is situated at the end of five-mile stretch of winding road, surrounded by forest and dotted with a few small farm houses, just off a small highway. Occasionally I’ll see deer frolicking, bunnies, opossums, and a dog or two that may have wandered out of their yards. I’ve been driving up and down that road long enough to familiarize myself with a lot of the domestic and wildlife, and recognize most of the animals’ homes and owners. Last Friday, as I was driving into work, I noticed a small white dog trotting in and around a ditch off the side of the road. I’d never seen her before that morning, and was worried that she may be lost, or worse - abandoned. All throughout the work day, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Was their a new dog in the neighborhood? Should she be outside, in the cold, and all alone? As the day came to a close, I fully expected her to be gone, probably (and hopefully) tucked snuggly into someone’s lap by a warm fire. She was very tiny as far as I could tell, perhaps even still a puppy, and shouldn’t be outside in near freezing temperatures without any warmth.

Sure enough, she was exactly where I had seen her in the morning. I pulled over and was out of the car before I even realized what I was doing. Her demeanor was apprehensive, but she briskly trotted up to me and rolled over, exposing her belly. She was absolutely adorable, but covered in fleas and moles (which upon deeper examination, turned out to be ticks). In an instant she was in my car and I was taking her to a vet. A nurse examined her briefly (the vet’s office was closing in five minutes, and the doctor had already left) and gave her some medication to help with the fleas and ticks, and recommended some antibacterial shampoo and told me to come back tomorrow. She got a good bath that night, which she hated (I’ll attribute that mostly to anxiety). After a thorough bathing, feeding, and loving, we put her to bed on a pile of pillows and blankets in our spare room. I named her Tobi.

Tobi’s visit to the vet on Saturday went well. Parasitic and heartworm screens all came back negative, and 12 ticks were picked off of her (I also removed a few more throughout the day that were missed). She’ll be going back sometime this week for a few vaccinations, which weren’t given on Saturday because she vomited twice since Friday. Yesterday I applied some flea and tick treatment to her back and fed her a pill to prevent heartworm. She isn’t spayed, but that is something that I have planned for this weekend.

Overall, Tobi seems to be doing very well. The vet estimated her age at one year, and she’s 11.6 pounds. She clearly has dominate Terrier genes, but I also suspect some Daschund (long body & tail, short legs). Her top coat is wiry and thin, but with proper care I believe it’ll regrow. I’m not sure if she is entirely potty-trained, but she hasn’t had a single accident in the house! Her appetite for love is enormous, and she’ll happily sleep away the day on my lap. My partner and I haven’t decided if we will keep her permanently, but neither of us have any problems with fostering for an extended period of time. I want to see her with a healthy coat, no ticks or fleas, and a lot less trepidation before anything else. Our greatest concern is our other dog, Merlin (check him out in my avatar!). He’s an independent tough-guy type, but seems to be adjusting to/ignoring Tobi ok. When my partner and I are at home, we let her roam the house, but she spends nights in a closed room – I’m trying to establish regular sleeping patterns, and I don’t want her and Merlin to butt heads when no one is there to observe.

I've never raised a young dog before. All of my previous dogs have been adopted after several years of life (3-4+), all have been male, and all were large dogs. If anyone has any advice you think may be helpful to my situation, please feel free to share. I'm completely new to "owning" and raising a young dog, so that type of advice is especially welcome! I just want to do the right thing for Tobi. She's a sweetheart and I want to provide her with the best life I can.

As soon as I get a few more pictures, I'll show you how fun and lively she is!

(c&p from a thread I created at The PPK)

Vegan MoFo 2010: THE FINAL DAY

20 posts behind me...

November 30th, today, is the final day of Vegan MoFo 2010. While I may have burnt myself out within the first two and half weeks, I'm really excited to continue participating for as long as MoFo lives. Though I only ended up blogging the recommended minimum of 20 posts, I'm glad I participated. This past month was drowning in delicious vegan goodies from bloggers all around the world, and I've bookmarked so many blogs and recipes for future use. There were so many interesting, creative and compassionate people participating this year! Thanks to everyone that read and supported my blogging efforts; you've all inspired me to continue blogging for as long as I possibly can. GO VEGAN MOFO IV!

Matt and I just returned from a long weekend in Tallahassee, FL. We spent the last four days with best friends, cooking, drinking and laughing. Thursday was spent at Meg and Sebastian's house, cooking up an awesome all-vegan thanksgiving spread. Honestly, we made way to much food for four people, but everything was delicious. And because we were just visiting, I didn't have to worry about what to do with all of the leftovers. Still enjoying that cheesecake after four days, Meg?!

Sebas and Meg, cooking green beans and sweet potatoes


I spent the last week and a half planning Thursday's menu and exceptionally pleased with the results. For an appetizer, I made the Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese from Vegetarian Times magazine. If you've ever planned to make this, which I highly recommend that you do, remember that it requires advanced preparation. You'll need to start making this atleast 36 hours prior to your planned serving time. The cheese was excellent; it was tangy, soft and spreadable, but hard enough so that it kept it's shape. I ended up baking the cheese for about 15-20 minutes longer than the recipe suggested.



Parsley and Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese from VT...half-eaten!

In addition to the cashew "goat cheese," I made Seitan en Croute, a recipe originally published in 500 Vegan Recipes that author Joni Marie Newman featured on her blog, Just the Food. Not only does it look amazing (I'm midly obsessed with braided pastry dough...ok, ok, all things pastry dough!), but it was one of the finer tasting seitans I've ever made or had prepared for me. Matt and I tested the recipe earlier in the week, halving all of the ingredients. The tester was dry, which slightly worried me. Thursday's loaf was much moister, though I think I may have added too much liquid smoke. Regardless, it was tasty!



Seitan en Croute

Fine food and finer company, wouldn't you say. Below is a photo of Sebastian, Matt and Meg behind all of the glorious grub. Spread from left to right: green beans and veggie sausage with sweet potato puree, sweet potato casserole with dandies (vegan marshmallows), off-center piece of Seitan en Croute, mini macaroni and cheese pies topped with walnuts and parsley, extra-creamy macaroni and cheese, maple-roasted brussel sprouts with pistachios, and a bottle of beaujoulais nouveau! YUM

It was a great weekend away from Baton Rouge and the ol' job. I've missed Tally so much these past few months; that trip was everything I needed and more. I can't believe I'm already back, sitting in my office at my desk. I miss you Tallahassee!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Ninteen

Ok, I've comed to terms with the fact that I haven't and won't be posting every single day this month (for MoFo). By the end of last week, I was utterly burnt out on kitchen creativity, blogging and my bank account had taken a serious hit from ingredient purchasing. I'll definitely complete the 20 recommended minimum posts for the month, and I should have a lot to write about by Friday. Matt and I are driving to Tallahassee today. We'll be leaving straight after work and getting in around midnight, traffic permitting. I've already planned a holiday feast for an inevitable potluck. Today, however, is devoted to some of my favorite ingredients all piled into one bowl. Chickpeas, eggplant, and a peas took a nice long bath in a creamy tomato sauce and I managed to spill vegan mozzarella all over it!

That's all, because I'm at work and have nothing more to say on the matter.

Also, I've just spent the last two hours making origami, at work!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Eighteen

Well, it looks like I've finally broken my perfect posting record! I've been working 10-12 hours a day all week, and my evenings have been dark, cold and short.  We're implementing a new accounting system at my job, and the training has been tedious. I haven't cooked much in the way of MoFo-worthy fare, but I have managed not to starve myself. The other night I made tempeh marinated in teriyaki sauce (recipe here) with lo mein noodles and frozen broccoli-stirfry veggies. It was a really satisfying meal and didn't require anything other than what I had on hand. In an effort to strictly budget my spending for the next week, I have not allowed myself to venture to the grocery store for any reason. While I did falter and purchase a bottle of wine (Thursday was the 2010 release of Beaujolais Nouveau!!), I haven't bought anything else in a while - almost three weeks.

So in the spirit of saving dough (and staying classy!) I made a white bean picatta! I've had picatta once in my life, and only after going vegan. Sublime Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale makes a seitan picatta served over mashed potaotes (I think) and it was delicious. I whipped up a quick lemony sauce, tossed in some frozen peas and beans I cooked earlier in the week alongside whole wheat penne for a very satisfying dinner.

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Seventeen

Day Seventeen: The Frugal Vegan

Last night's snack left me craving something warm and filling. In a successful attempt to use only foods from my current pantry stock, Matt and I created just that. Half a block's worth of tempeh triangles were marinated in a sweet and salty teryaki sauce, adding dimension to a simple vegetable lo mein. A frozen bag of stir fry vegetables (broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms and carrots) was cooked alongside flat pasta to create this tasty dinner. I'll definitely post the recipe tomorrow! Happy MoFo!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Sixteen

What a long, busy day! Work meetings filled up most if my day, even resulting in a few hours of overtime. Rush hour traffic was heinous and it took me twice as long to get home. I'm exhausted, stressed and not hungry in the least. I promise to get back on track tomorrow. I'm thinking about terykai tempeh with broccoli stir fry. Tonight, I'm having tea to settle my nerves and chills (cold front!) and popcorn to accompany The Abyss.

While I don't normally grab the Earl Grey (I'm more of a chai drinker), Matt was having a cup and it's his preferred. I added almond milk, agave and cinnamon to make it much more comforting.

 

I don't know about you, but I'd rather not eat plain popcorn. I like to dress mine with an assortment of spices, depending on my mood. Tonight, I wanted something warm and a little spicy. I opted for nutritional yeast (as always with popcorn) and a mild curry powder. This popcorn was full of flavor and  swiftly disappeared between my roommates and I.

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen: I'm broke

It's week three here in Vegan MoFo land, and I've decided to temporarily abandon my weekly theme: The Five Course Vegan. Before the riot ensues, let me explain myself. With the approaching holidays, traveling expenses are eating up my funds. I'll be flying to south Florida for a good friend's wedding in the middle of Decemeber, and Matt and I have decided to take a road trip to Tallahassee, FL at the end of next week. We'll need to rent a car, pay for gas and food while we're away. In an attempt to save as much money as I can, I'll be featuring some of my favorite recipes that rely strictly on pantry staples. It's been over a week since my list visit to the grocery store and produce market, but I'm determined to make this work. I do plan on going to the produce market for a few vegetables (all I have is a head of garlic, 2 small sweet potatos, and 1 carrot), but I'm not carrying more tha $5 in my wallet. Food and gas are easily my two greatest expenses, and in an effort to reduce my consumption of the latter, I'll be biking to anywhere that isn't work. I drive about 60 miles roundtrip for work, and anything I can do to reduce my car's mileage and my exhaust output is worth my while. 

Last night I conducted a kitchen inventory, excluding items like flours, spices, condiments, etc. because they aren't common purchases and don't play a heavy role in my budgeting. I'll use these items to make meals for two (Matt and I) and try my hardest not to purchase anything from the grocery store. Here is a list of items from which I'll need to make lunch and dinner (for two) for the next week or more:

sweet potatoes (2)

carrot (1)
garlic (1 bulb)
lemon (1 - large)
pasta (3 boxes - opened; farfalle, medium shells and spaghetti)

chickpeas (1 can)

canned tomatoes (1 28 oz. can)

dried navy beans (1 medium bag)
coconut milk (1 can)
lentils (1 cup)
quinoa (1 cup)
frozen corn (2 cups)
frozen peas (1 cup)
frozen stirfry vegetables (1 bag)

frozen bananas (2)
frozen pie crust (1)
cashews
pepitos
Earth Balance
tomato paste
miso
tempeh (1 block)
ackee (2 cans from grammy!)
calalloo (also from grams)

With a little planning and creativity, I don't think this will be too difficult. To kick off my budgeted week, I made an ackee and calalloo quiche. For those of you unfamiliar with ackee, it's the national fruit of Jamaica and one of my favorite foods. The consistency is similar to crumbled tofu or scrambled eggs, making it the perfect stand-in for tofu in a breakfast scramble and it has a tangy flavor. You can't find it fresh in the US (it's illegal to grow or ship fresh ackee) because the seeds are seriously poisonous, but canned varieties are available. Just check out your local caribbean market or a well-stocked grocery store.


Ackee and Calallo Quiche with Peas

If you do happen to find a can or two of ackee, why not try this quiche!? It sets nicely and have a really smooth, velvty texture. I seasoned mine with jerk spice (allspice, cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper) and baked it in a premade pie crust that has been sitting in my pantry since my last quiche.

Ackee and Calallo Quiche with Peas
makes 1 quiche

1-28 oz. can of ackee
1-28 oz. can of calalloo
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1/2 frozen peas
1 ready-made pie crust, or your favorite vegan recipe
tomato slices

Preheat over to 375 degrees Farenheit. Mash ackee in a large bowl until smooth and uniform. Add calalloo and spices, stiring to combine. Add frozen peas, stirring again. Pour filling into pie crust and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Garnish with tomato slices and black pepper. Place pie in oven for 40 minutes, or until filling has firmed up. Remove quiche from oven and allow to cool for atleast 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Fourteen

Day Fourteen: Brewing Brown Ale

Matt and I finally comitted to brewing beer this weekend! We've talked about it for ages, and everything came together yesterday afternoon. We went to the brew store as planned and purchased most of what we would need to complete the process. For this batch we'll be brewing a brown ale, similar in style to the Newcastle Brown Ale (which is NOT a vegan beer by the way; ours is!). After sanitizing every inch of our kitchen, the equipment and ourselves, we were ready to begin the process.

We started with our a bag of barley purchased from the brew store and set it to simmer in a large pot. After all the malty goodness was extracted we removed the barley husks, and munched on a few handfuls. The grains' sugars had been released and it tasted delicious! All that was removed will be composted, while the remaining liquid (wort) was set to a boil.

A powdered malt extract was added, creating more sugary food for the yeast to munch on. After some more boiling we tossed in the first set of hops, known as bittering hops. This was done to provide the basic "bitter" flavor component. After about twenty-five minutes we added another dose of hops in two parts. In order to bring a delightful herbaceous aroma back to the wort, we added a second, sweeter batch of hops during the last 7 minutes. This way they aren't in the boil long enough to have their aroma boiled away.

     

We then added the wort to our sanitized carboy along with three and a half gallons of distilled water. Before pitching the yeast, ice was added to the sink around the carboy to help the cool the wort. After about thirty minutes, the yeast was added, and the lid and airlock were in place. The carboy full of soon-to-be beer was set to rest in our back room; it'll be atleast a week before we can bottle. By tomorrow or Tuesday, the yeast should be having a frenzy, which I hear is really cool to watch. I'll try and snag a picture tomorrow.

And just so this post isn't completely devoid of food, we made baked polenta fries and festival. Festival is a slightly sweet fried bread popular in Jamaica and can be eaten with savory meals or as dessert. Why are they called "festival," you ask? Because eating one is like having a festival in your mouth. They are very similar to hushpuppies, but I don't think they contain as much cornmeal. Though traditionally oblong-shaped and sort of flat; mine were much too round and puffed up quite a big! But oooh were they tasty.

Jamaican Festival: because eating them is like a having a festival in your mouth!

 

Baked Polenta Fries