Sometimes Simple is Best

If you've been following the blog for a while or you know me personally, you are probably aware that my recipes often contain a load of ingredients. In my defense, they are often just spices that (hopefully) you have on hand. Last night I was in the mood for simple, wholesome food with very few ingredients; something that I could whip up without having to depend on my great dried herb arsenal. 

The herb barrel is doing quite well now. Those fresh herbs were calling out to me to be used. In addition, the fridge was stuffed full of produce quickly coming to the end of its prime. I bought lots of fresh goodies at the farmers' market the week before with good intentions of cooking up a storm. As my busy schedule would have it, cooking was not to be on the agenda after all. 

After a quick trip to cut the herbs and sort out the mess in the fridge I found the makings for a lovely, fairly light dinner. The smells of roasting rosemary, oregano and garlic were heaven to the nose. I don't know if it is even fair to call these recipes, but I will anyway!

Greek Lemon Tofu

4 servings

1 - 12 oz package extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 8 triangles

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, measured after chopping

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon or so lemon pepper seasoning

2 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

spray olive oil

In an 8 x 8 baking dish stir together lemon juice, olive oil, vegetable stock and garlic until well combined. Place sliced tofu in a single layer in pan. Marinate for at least two hours, preferably overnight, turning about half way through marinating time. Remove tofu from pan and reserve marinade. 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Lightly oil parchment lined baking dish (you can use the same dish you used for the marinade, rinsing first). Place tofu in single layer in baking dish and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. Brush or drizzle with reserved marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle other side with lemon pepper seasoning. Brush or drizzle lightly with reserved marinade. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon panko bread crumbs. Spray generously with spray olive oil or canola oil. Bake for another 20 minutes until panko is nicely browned. Remove from pan with spatula. Serve immediately with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes (recipe below).

Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

Make 4 servings

2 pounds small red potatoes, with peels, quartered

3 sprigs fresh rosemary (approx. 2 tablespoons), removed from stem

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large saucepan, add enough water to cover potatoes. Over medium heat bring water and potatoes to bowl. Reduce heat to low to simmer until just barely fork soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well. 

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Turn the potatoes and roast for 20-25 more minutes until potatoes are starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Cooking Class Food Chatter

I just have to start of saying how really wonderful all of the participants of the dinner party cooking class are! Great bunch of people. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to all of you. As I went around the room it was interesting to hear what people enjoyed the most.

The overwhelming response was that the appetizer course, Red Inca Crusted Sweet Potato Cakes with Tomatillo Avocado Sauce, was the favorite. I have to say, I am in total agreement. The cooked quinoa gets a fabulous kind of crispy when it is fried. It's a wonderful contrast to the soft creamy sweet potato center. The cakes were complemented with a slightly tart and creamy Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce.

The second course boasted locally grown Arizona oranges...local like in my back yard local! We don't use any chemicals or pesticides in our yard, so they are fresh and natural. Horny Toad Farms grew the fresh cilantro, fennel and red cabbage for the Fennel and Savoy Salad with Arizona Orange Cilantro Dressing garnished with Cocoa-Chili Toasted Pepitas. The fresh light salad was a nice palate cleanser for the entree.

Here is a shot of the salad demonstration.

The entree for the evening was Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffed Chiles served with a Guajillo Chile Sauce over Horny Toad Farm Butternut Squash Kale Bake. Anaheim chiles were selected for their hint of heat and they allowed for the perfect ratio of chile to stuffing. The vegan chorizo has only about 2 grams of fat per serving compared to its meaty counterpart at a whopping 23 grams of fat per serving. All of the flavor, none of the nastiness. The smoky guajillo sauce added a lovely dimension of flavor and balance to the dish. This photo doesn't show it, but there was just a drizzle of vegan sour cream over the top to really make the colors pop. The butternut squash kale bake boasted a good hit of antioxidants and yumminess.

As promised, I am posting the recipe for the corn bread. I chose Robin Robertson's recipe from her 2009 book 1000 Vegan Recipes (Published by John Wiley & Sons). It is a very simple recipe and lends itself perfectly for making cornbread crumbs as it doesn't have a really high moisture content or sweetness factor. 

Cornbread

Makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cups warm plain soy milk

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and place it in the oven while you prepare the batter.

In a small bowl, combing the soy mil and vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the soy milk mixture and and the oil and mix well with a few quick strokes.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and scrape the batter into the hot pan.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

I am hoping someone from the class has a picture of the dessert plate. If you have one, I'd love to use it for my next post about the dessert.

There is a saying that says "It takes a village." In this case, it took a fantastic line up of volunteers and hard workers. I have to give a special thanks to my friend and business partner, Beth, for being there through recipe testing, development and many hours of preparation. Her dedication makes this whole process a lot more fun!

Another special thanks to my sister, who is always there for me. She also spent hours in the kitchen and serving the night of the class. I am truly blessed to have such an incredible sister. Not only is she my sis, she is my best friend.

Kudos also go out to the very handsome and patient men in our lives. My honey Fred, who kept the wine flowing all night and Beth's awesome hubby Jerry who was my on stage assistant (thanks for running back and forth all night!). 

Thanks also to my very talented and wonderful niece, Riley. She had no time to prepare for her impromptu appearance to assist with demonstrating dessert. She did an outstanding job and I look forward to featuring her talents in future classes. Thanks Ry!

My niece Jenna also got in on the action. She is a hard worker and very dedicated to the Hackett House and philanthropic persuits. Thanks for taking time out of study time to come down and bust out some clean up! She's the cutie on the far left.

Many, many thanks to all of the ladies of the Hackett House and all of the volunteers who came out for all of their hard work, encouragement and creativity. 

I look forward to participating in the fall cooking class series!!

Hackett House Dinner Party Cooking Class

What an evening! A couple of months ago I was invited to conduct a cooking demonstration at the Hackett House in Tempe. The Hackett House is a historical building downtown that houses an adorable gift shop and a very nice event venue. They are very involved with supporting the Tempe Sister Cities programs which provides a once in a life time experience for high school students to experience other cultures by being involved in an exchange program. They have a spring and fall series of cooking classes each year. This was the first time they ever had an all vegan cooking class. They were a little concerned there may not be enough interest in a vegan class. They were pleasantly surprised that not only did the class sell out, it was the largest class they have had so far. Yay for yummy vegan food!

This year is the 100th Anniversary of Arizona's statehood. To celebrate this momentous occasion I created a Southwestern themed menu that featured locally grown produce from Horny Toad Farms. Farmer Stella McPhee brought down some freshly picked produce for the dinner and took time out of her extremely busy schedule to come down and speak to the crowd about the farm, sustainable farming and their CSA (community supported agriculture program). Their farm is truly family run and not some big corporate puppet regime. Please support them and other local farmers by visiting your local farmers markets or joining their CSA. Click here for more info on the CSA.

She provided beautiful flowers that she grows out at the farm for the center pieces. As you can see below.

The crowd was fun and gracious. There were some great questions from the audience too! I took a little poll mid-class and found out that the majority of the guests had never had a vegan meal before. It was really exciting to see that they were really enjoying the food. I'm still catching my breath from such a wonderful and exciting event. I promise I will be posting more pictures and more on the food tomorrow. One of the guests, Colleen, had asked for the corn bread recipe. I have permission from Robin Robertson to post her recipe (which is the one I used for the stuffed chiles). I will be sure to post that tomorrow as well. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to see us! We will be back in the fall with another class featuring locally grown-pesticide free produce!

Food Network Friday - The Sandwich King's Reuben Meatball Sliders

This week's Food Network Friday features a relatively new member of the Food Network line up: Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King. I have a warm spot in my heart for Jeff as he is a fellow Illinoisian. I have to admit, I have yet to see his show, but I loved him on the Next Food Network Star. This week we are setting about veganizing his recipe for Reuben Meatball Sliders. Check out the wrap up over at Vegan Appetite.

I know this one was a really fun one for Tami over at Vegan Appetite as I don't think she has met a reuben she didn't love. I, on the other hand, was never a huge fan of corned beef, pastrami or sauerkraut in my younger years. I do have to admit, I am warming up. 

For this conversion I decided to take a little different tactic. Instead of making a veganesque meatball, I decided to use some marinated, breaded and fried tempeh. I attempted to make some rye slider rolls and they didn't work out. I tried a second batch of whole grain buns and topped them with caraway seeds with much better luck. Because I didn't use a rye type bread, I added some ground caraway seeds to the breading for the tempeh. The rest is pretty simple: buns, tempeh, 1000 Isla dressing and sauerkraut. Bam sliders baby! We chowed 'em down at Superbowl half time with some loaded tots (loaded with Teese cheddar, facon bits, grilled jalapenos and green onions). Yep, calorie overload. Delicious calorie overload.

Loaded Tots!

Tempeh Reuben Sliders

Makes 8 sliders

8 oz package tempeh (I used Westsoy this time because it is more square) cut into 8 squares

For the marinade:

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1-Tablespoons pickling spice

1-teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon celery seed

1-teaspoon Louisianna Seasoning (not sauce) If not available any cajun spice can be subbed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

6 oz. vegan lager beer

For the breading:

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup rye flour

1 teaspoon ground caraway (use 1/2 teaspoon if rye bread is used)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons marinade

3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 teaspoon tapioca or corn starch

1000 Isla Dressing (see recipe below)

1 - 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (depending on how much you like)

8 slider buns

Enough oil to come up 1/2 inch in frying pan.

Steam cut tempeh for 10 minutes. In a non reactive glass 8 x 8 or similar size baking dish stir together marinade ingredients. Place steamed tempeh in single layer in the pan with marinade. Marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

Heat oil to 350 in heavy bottomed frying pan or iron skillet.

Using two shallow bowls prepare your breading station. In one bowl, stir together panko, rye flour, ground caraway and salt. In second bowl stir together marinade, soy milk and tapioca starch with fork until well combined. Place tempeh (two pieces at a time) in soy milk mixture for about 30 seconds to absorb some of the liquid. Dredge in panko mixture until all sides are coated. Carefully slide into frying pan. Do not crowd pan. Fry until crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat for any remaining tempeh. 

Warm sauerkraut in small saucepan. Slice slider buns. Spray with oil and toast on griddle or saute pan. 

To assemble: Place tempeh on toasted bun bottom. Top with 2 tablespoons or so of sauerkraut and 1 tablespoon 1000 Isla dressing. 

1000 Isla Dressing

Makes about 3/4 cup

1/2 cup Vegannaise or other vegan mayo
2 tablespoons organic catsup
1 tablespoon pimento stuffed green olives, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon fresh chives or 1 teaspoon dried.

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Let sit for at least an hour before using. Will keep in fridge for about a week or two.

Robin Robertson's 1000 Vegan Recipes - Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup with Chard

This week I was craving colorful anti-oxidant full healthy chow. I had gotten some beautiful chard from Horny Toad Farms this week and some sweet little butternut squash. I rifled through my ever expanding cookbook selection and grabbed 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. I know with a volume that big, I was sure to find something perfect for what I was craving. It was a good call.

I love Robin's books and this one is not exception. If you are not a cook book junkie like me, this is a great book to have as it has such a huge variety of recipes. She is the queen of easy and quick vegan deliciousness. The only down side to this book is there aren't any pictures. I haven't made a lot from this one yet, but after this delicious soup, I am wondering why?

Grab a spoon and prepare to feel the glow of colorful veggies and deliciousness.

Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup with Chard
from 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (publisher)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon hot or mild curry powder
1 - 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 cup red lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
5 cups vegetable broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chopped stemmed Swiss chard (I used about 5 cups)

In a large soup pot, heal the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, squash and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the ginger and curry powder, then add the tomatoes, lentils, broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the chard. Taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary, and serve.

Vine and Dine - World Vegan Feast - Lentil and Rapini Stew with Spicy Vegan Sausage

Vine and Dine has become one of our favorite events. It gives me another excuse to feed my cook book addiction (as it seems the books selected are missing from my growing collection) and it gives Fred the opportunity to talk to his wine folks.

This time around the Dine selection was from a book I just ordered: World Vegan Fest by Bryanna Clark Grogan. It is chock full of recipes from all over the world. I really enjoyed the beginning sections of the book; particularly the section on egg replacers. I know what a lot of them are, but didn't have a good grasp the function of each. This is the first of her books I have gotten. I am just loving all of the yummy looking dishes. It would have been really hard for me to pick what to make first, so it was nice I didn't have to. 

This dish was very rustic and filling. I love cooking with lentils. They are a great low fat protein source and oh so filling. This was a stick to your ribs stew. The tomatoes gave it just the right amount of acidity. I used fresh oregano and basil from our wine barrel herb garden. The subtle flavor of the fresh herbs was a nice complement to the lentils. The sausage I used was actually a Mexican hot link of my own design. The flavors actually worked very nicely in the dish. The rapini ended up being crazy bitter even after blanching. The farmer I bought if from said that once it starts to flower it can get very bitter. Well there were a couple of little flowers on my bunch. We ended up having to pull most of it out. We both thought regular broccoli would be a great option, so we will do that next time. I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from World Vegan Fest!

Lentil and Rapini Stew with Spicy Sausage

Time for Fred!

Our dinner was full of earthy, spicy, acidy, herby, a really good solid hitter, center field stuff that melded together well. There was nothing way out in left or right field that would let me throw a quick short stop in or sub a strong first baseman to offset anything. Tonight our wine had to face the food head on. My choices were maybe a second baseman who could protect his palate (plate) quickly with a strong presence, bold, tannins, fruit forwardness, to make or break a play (meal) and make his stand known. I chose instead to go with an experienced outfielder with long legs, an easy touch with the tannins, able to catch any flavor while on the run, adapt to any hit (taste) while catching a ground ball (herbs) or pop up (spices) and in a single fluid moment throw the ball (taste experience) to home plate.

A 2007 tempranillo, a Sangre de Toro, did just that. It is almost chameleon as every sip adapted to every bite, turning mostly black cherry and soft tannins for us. The rapini was a little bitter but yet our outfielder (our wine) came closer to the plate (it's soft sweetness), did not drop the ball, and was forward enough to get a double play in with the lentils at first. The next batter up was Kim's spicey sausage in which our dark but bright red wine went way back and caught the game ending fly ball with a smile and salutes for everyone.

Make sure to click here for the wrap up of Vine and Dine over at Vegan Appetite!

Kim's Note:

Check out the cute little plastic bull on the bottle! 

Agave Sweetened Pickled Beets

I got some beautiful Chioggia beets from Stella at Horny Toad Farms a couple of weeks ago. They are just gorgeous. Look at those rings of goodness. These are pictured right after steaming.

In hind sight I should have left well enough alone, but I had it in my head that I wanted to make Fred some pickled beets. He buys lots of pickled goodies from the farmers' market. It's good stuff, but holy wow is it expensive. So I thought if I could come up with a good recipe, I could save him some hard earned cash.

This recipe is not one to be saved in the pantry as it is not pressure cooked. It is a refrigerated version that will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. I decided to try agave nectar to lower the glycemic hit a bit. Fred gave them his seal of approval...with a caveat that they are a little vinegary. Just warning you ahead of time, these are not sticky sweet beets. I used the Chioggia in the first batch and beautiful rings faded, so I recommend using single colored beets for pickling and save these beauties for steaming.

Agave Sweetened Pickled Beets

Makes about 1 quart

1 1/4 pounds beets, about 3-4 cups after slicing

2 large shallots, halved and sliced thin

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup water

2/3 cup agave nectar

2 cinnamon sticks

Wash beets. Cut off leaves if still intact. In a steamer, steam beets until soft enough to pierce with a fork easily. Let cool until cool enough to handle. Peel beets and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place sliced beets, sliced shallots and cinnamon sticks in cleaned and sanitized quart canning jar. 

In a saucepan combine vinegars, water and agave nectar. Bring to a boil. Pour liquid into jar. While it is still hot, seal with new clean and sanitized canning lid. Let cool to room temperature. Place in fridge. Let sit for at least three days. They should keep for a few weeks.