Wild Rice and Caramelized Roasted Veggie Salad w/Sriracha Maple Vinagrette

I wanted to make something that screamed winter yumminess, but could be served cold for a post hike tailgate. I've been obsessed with caramelized roasted vegetables as of late. There was no doubt they needed to be a HUGE part of the plan. Those beautiful vegetables paired with earthy wild rice and a balance of spicy and sweet vinaigrette and chopped pecans definitely hit the winter salad mark. It was the perfect way to replenish our bodies after enjoying a gorgeous winter desert hike!

Each of the components can be made ahead of time and tossed together at your convenience. Honestly, the caramelized veggies are amazing on their own. I kept eating them as I was assembling the salad. Same with the dressing. It would be a delicious addition to other salads and dishes.
But when you put it all together, it is a beautiful symphony of deliciousness!

Wild Rice and Caramelized Roasted Veggie Salad 

8 servings

1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained

2 cups vegetable broth

2 lbs diced butternut squash (about 2 1/2 cups)

3 cups brussel sprouts, halved. For larger sprouts quartered.

6 tablespoons vegan butter, separated

2 tablespoons brown sugar, separated

1 teaspoon salt, separated

Black pepper to taste

1 large leek, white and lighter green portions, cut in half length wise and then again width wise

1 head garlic*

1 recipe Smoky Sriracha-Maple Vinaigrette (recipe below)

1 bunch kale, deveined and torn into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

*head of garlic can be roasted separately if you decide to make the vinaigrette ahead of time. 

Preheat oven to 450

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Add butternut squash to large bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan or sauté pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar until mostly dissolved. Toss butter mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper  in bowl with butternut squash until squash is evenly coated. Spread squash in single layer on prepared baking sheet. 

Remove the papery outer layers of the had of garlic Slice about 1/4 inch off of the top of the garlic head to slightly expose the cloves. Brush cut leeks and head of garlic with olive oil and place on baking sheet with squash. 

Add sliced Brussel sprouts to large bowl (you can use the same bowl used for the squash and save yourself another dish to wash). Melt 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan or sauté pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar until mostly dissolved. Toss butter mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper  in bowl Brussel sprouts until is evenly coated. Spread Brussels in single layer on prepared baking sheet cut side down. 

Place both baking sheets in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn squash, Brussels and leaks. Bake for 15-20 more minutes checking at 15 minutes to make sure Brussels are not burning. Also check leeks and head of garlic for doneness. If they are done, transfer leeks and garlic to pan with Brussels and remove from the oven. The butternut squash tends to take longer to roast. You will know the squash is done when it is a beautiful golden caramel color. That's the time to pull them out of the oven. Let all of the vegetables cool to room temperature. Reserve the head of roasted garlic for the dressing. 

While the vegetables are baking, add the wild rice and broth to a medium sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 45-50 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains have popped open - the rice will be a bit chewy - kind of al dente. Let sit with lid on for 10 minutes, the fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature. I like to put the rice in a larger bowl to encourage quicker cooling. 

Once the vegetables have cooled, thinly slice the roasted leeks and add to the large bowl from the roasted vegetable tossing. Add the kale to the bowl along with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Massage the kale leek mixture to break down the kale fibers. Toss in the cooled roasted vegetable, cooled wild rice and chopped pecans until evenly coated with the vinaigrette. Add more vinaigrette to taste. Can be served immediately, but is even better after sitting in the fridge overnight. 

Smoky Sriracha Maple Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup

1/2 head of roasted garlic cloves*

1 teaspoon granulated onion

2 tablespoons sriracha

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/3 cup olive oil

*If you are plan to make the dressing ahead of time the garlic can be roasted separately from the roasted vegetables above. 

For the roasted garlic:

Preheat oven to 425. Remove papery outer layers of garlic. Slice 1/4 inch of the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Brush the entire outside of the garlic head with olive oil. Place garlic either on a baking dish or wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until garlic is soft. Let cool to room temperature. The soft cloves should now be easy to remove from the skin.

For the dressing:

For what it is worth, I prefer method 2 for that beautiful silky texture

Method 1

Add all ingredients to magic bullet or other small blender and blend until emulsified.

Method 2

Add all ingredients except olive oil to a 1 cup measuring cup. Blend using an immersion blender. Slower drizzle in olive oil in while the immersion blender is running. This will result in a beautiful emulsion. 

Can be served immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container. It is even better after a day or two in the fridge. Will keep up to 1 week. 

MoFo 2013 - Day 8 - G is for Garlic from Gilroy

Gilroy, CA is known as the "Garlic Capital of the World". The city is located at the southern most end of Santa Clara county. The temperate climate is fantastic for growing garlic. There are a number of city parks and a couple of larger parks to enjoy nature. It is also a great place for golf lovers. They even have a couple of wineries!

The famous Gilroy Garlic Festival is held every July. Each year the organizers challenges chefs from all over the country and Canada to create their very best garlic recipes. Only 8 recipes are chosen from the many recipes submitted. The winners are invited to the festival to cook their recipes for the crowd. The winner walks away with the crown (of garlic of course) and 5K! The winner this year Karen Harris with her Carnival Style Fish Sticks with Lemony Jalapeño and Spicy Kohlrabi Slaw. I may give veganizing her recipe a shot when I get back to my own kitchen. I'm going to make it my garlicky goal (oh another G word) to submit a recipes for next year's competition!

While I missed the festival this year, I did visit Gilroy a couple of days ago. OK, I have to confess, I am writing this intro pre-trip, just in case I get busy and can't post this while on the road. I'm very excited about enjoying Gilroy's mild temperatures and beautiful scenery while I am there. I plan on updating this post with all of the garlicky details and pictures upon my return.

Scott's Broccoli

What could be better than strolling through the farmers' market and picking out some beautifully local gown veggies? I'll tell you! Getting vegetables out of your (or your friend's) garden. While our garden is still trying to grow up and mature, some of my friends' gardens are producing crazy amounts of gorgeous vegetables.

My good friend and co-worker Scott and I chat often about our gardens. I love our garden chats and the advice he shares with me. His thumb is very green. He has been picking bunches and bunches of broccoli every day. He and his family can't eat it fast enough. He was sweet enough to share his mother load with me the other day. He brought in a super gigantic bag of tender, dark green, fresh broccoli. There was so much in fact, that both my office mate and I were each able to take home a healthy amount. Look at how pretty it is!!

I took a taste of it just raw and man was it tasty. I wanted to prepare it pretty simply so that the natural flavor of the broccoli would shine through. I also wanted to do some roasting. It's going to be hot here before we know it, and the oven will be the last tool I will want to use over the summer. Roasting also brings out the beautiful natural sugars in the vegetables; giving them a richer flavor than steaming or even sauteing. With these goals in mind, here is what developed:

Scott's Roasted Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic

Makes 4 servings (maybe 2 if you love broccoli as much as I do)

1 lb fresh broccoli

6 large sun dried tomatoes (in oil) thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

t tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash broccoli. Some varieties of broccoli have very thin stems. This is the kind I had for tonight. This makes it very easy to prep. You just break it up into little trees, no stem trimming necessary. If the broccoli you have is the type with thick stems, slice off stem about 2-3 inches down from where the florets start separating from the stalk. Cut off individual florets and part of the remaining stem.

Place broccoli in a very large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat completely. Spread in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Roast for 12-15 minutes until broccoli is cooked but still a bit crunchy. Enjoy!!

Don't have friends with awesome gardens? This time of the year here in AZ, you should have no problem finding some great fresh broccoli at the farmers' markets. Click here for a nice list of local farmers' markets.

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.

Garlic Fest in My Soup

Man did the farmers market have such a nice variety of goodies this week. The greens were out of this world. I had a huge bunch of kale that was screaming to be used. I thought about kale chips, I though about just sauteing them up. But I just wasn't feeling it. I love the cooler days of winter...soup weather, so that's what I decided to do.

I wanted a lot of flavor and not a lot of ingredients. Something really tasty and special but not overly complicated. Something anyone could make on a weeknight. Now I have to tell you no vampires will come near you after this one! My house is still full of the beautiful smell of garlic. I had some leftover butternut squash and the kale both from Horny Toad Farms. The earthy mushrooms and thyme combine with garlic and marsala give this soup a very special flavor.

Garlic Wonder Soup

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
10 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup marsala wine (not sweet)
1 cup butternut squash, 1/2 inch dice
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound kale, ribs removed chopped, about 2 1/2 cups after ribs are removed
1 can navy beans with liquid

In a 4 quart heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, saute onion, until slightly golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in thyme, black pepper and salt and saute for another minute. Pour in marsala wine to deglaze pan, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Saute for another minute or two until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low. Add cubed butternut squash and saute until it is just starting to slightly caramelize, about 3-5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat back down to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until butternut squash is al dente. Add mushrooms and simmer for 5-10 more minute until mushrooms and butternut squash are soft. Add kale and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Add navy beans with their liquid and simmer until they are heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread and feel the wonder! Oh yes and don't forget to brush your teeth after :)

Farmers Market Featured Ingredient - Tatsoi

A couple of weeks ago Farmer Stella from Horny Toad Farms introduced me to a green I had never seen before: Tatsoi. It may just show up in the Horny Toad farm CSA this week. If you are looking for a good way to use this interesting green, keep reading.

When Fred asked me what it was I told him that it reminds me of a cross between spinach and bok choy. Funny, when I looked it up on wikipedia it said it was also called spinach mustard, spoon mustard or rosette bok choy. So I wasn't too far off. This lusciously dark green sautes up like a dream. The stems stay slightly crunchy which is beautiful with soba or udon noodles. They have just the slightest mustard-like bite to them. Quite lovely in the recipe below.

Miso Ginger Grilled Tempeh with Tatsoi and Soba Saute

1-8 oz package tempeh

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon red miso

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

6 oz. soba noodles

1 tablespoon, toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sake or mirin

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

1/4 teaspoon five spice powder

3 bunches tatsoi roughly chopped, about 10 cups

Cut tempeh into 8 triangles 1/4" thick. Steam tempeh for 10 minute. While tempeh is steaming in 8 x 8 baking dish mix water, miso, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil until completely mix. Marinate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and set aside.

To cook tempeh:

Heat a grill pan or grill to approx. 350 degrees. When grill/pan is hot, grill tempeh for about 3-4 minutes per side, brushing each side with marinade. Tempeh should have nice grill marks and be heated through. 

While tempeh is cooking prepare the greens.

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, saute ginger and garlic in sesame oil for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze pan with sake/mirin stirring to remove stuck on bits. Add soy sauce, five spice powder and stems of tatsoi. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add remaining tatsoi and saute for about 3-5 more minute until greens are tender and just slightly crisp. Toss in soba or udon noodles and heat through. 

Divide noodle mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top with two pieces of grilled tempeh. Serve immediately. 

Cinco de Mayo 2011

I have to admit, I used to love the drinking holidays in my younger years. However, I've either gotten a lot older or smarter or both. I no longer stay out until the wee hours of the morning, wonder how I got home or nurse a nasty hangover. For these things I am truly grateful. OK that confirms it...I AM OLD! Hee hee.

Cinco de Mayo was not a holiday we celebrated back in my youth. I really only learned to appreciate this fine celebration after I moved to AZ. Many people incorrectly think that this holiday is Mexican Independence Day (which is actually September 16th). It is actually a celebration of the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. 4000 Mexican soldiers took down an army of over 8000 French and renegade Mexican soldiers. It was a huge victory. Now that you know the true reason for the holiday, lets talk about food and drink.

Admittedly, I spent much of my day at work gorging myself on chips, salsa and guacamole. So by the time I was heading home, I had lost my entusiasmo for creating a festivo Mexican dinner. I was very torn to say the least. I hate passing up any day that allows me a theme for my kitchen toiling, so I had to find something to make.

I still had cornmeal pizza dough left over from Vine and Dine in the fridge. I set about digging through the disaster that is my fridge to see if I could scrounge up any reasonable ingredients for a tasty pizza. Somewhere in its depths I found a small amount of enchilada sauce. I have no idea which recipe I used it for originally or how long it had been in the fridge. But I gave it the sniff and taste test and decided it was safe. I found some mushrooms that needed to be used, stat. There was some Soyrizo I just happened to pick up the other day. A friend of mine had given me a load of fresh cilantro from his garden yesterday and I hit the garden to find a couple of lonely jalapenos to throw into the mix. The results of this impromptu fridge cleaning/Mexican themed creation were tasty!

Cinco de Mayo Pizza

Makes 8 slices

Cornmeal pizza dough (enough for one 14" pizza)
1/4 cup enchilada sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup soyrizo
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup vegan cheddar, mozzarella or combo ( I prefer Daiya)
2 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced
few springs of cilantro, leaves only

Preheat Oven to 500.

In a 10 inch saute pan or iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and Soyrizo and saute until mushrooms are just starting to release their liquid and Soyrizo is just browning. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Add a touch more oil and saute the onions until they just start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Roll out pizza dough to 14" diameter. Place on corn meal dusted pizza pan. Using a large spoon, spread enchilada sauce onto dough. Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the pie. Do the same with the mushrooms, Soyrizo and onions. Sprinkle the Daiya evenly over the other ingredients. Place jalapeno slices and cilantro leaves decoratively over the top of the cheese.

Place pizza pan on rack that is about 6" from top of he oven. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. Cheese should be bubbling and the crust should be golden. Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing. Wash down with a cold Mexican beer (example below).

Mofo - Day 8 - Chile Arbol

Chile Arbol means tree-like in Spanish. The stems on the dried chiles resembles tree branches. You can occasionally find them in their fresh form. They will be green and about 2-3 inches long. Most commonly they are found in their dried form. They are beautiful and bright red. They are often used to make decorative items, especially Southwestern themed Christmas decorations. They are distantly related to cayenne and pack a bit of heat, rating 15,000 to 30,000 on the Scoville Index.

This light tomato sauce is wonderful over dishes that you don't want to overpower. The inspiration for this sauce comes from a divey little taco shop here in Phoenix. They are anything but vegan. They served a sauce similar to this over their Chiles Rellenos. While it was always a health risk to eat there, this sauce was worth the risk. I don't think I have it nailed exactly the way theirs was made, but I think you will like it for something different and lighter.

Southwestern Fresh Tomato Sauce

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili oil

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon mexican oregano

3 medium tomatoes cut in medium chunks (about 8 per tomato)

2 dried chile arbol

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil and add onions a garlic. Heat until garlic is fragrant and onions are just slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Add Mexican oregano, tomatoes, and chili Arbol. Stir and saute for another minute. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a gentle boil. Turn down to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes. Using immersion blender, food processor or blender, blend until mixture is mixed but still a bit chunky. If you like a smoother sauce, feel free to puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I used a locally produced chili oil from Queen Creek Olive farm. You can see the Chile Arbol pictured here as well.

Phat Freddy Day

Every so often I feel like Fred doesn't get enough of the blogging love. He is an incredible man, friend, partner, and kitchen bitch. Kitchen bitch is a term of endearment I think it is cute, but sometimes Fred thinks it takes away from his studliness. Pishaw! That said Fred still gets to keep his man card, because he refuses to wear a frilly apron and nothing else. He doesn't usually read the blog, so hopefully I am safe. Otherwise I may get some serious payback when I least expect it. Honey if you're reading...I will be sleeping with one eye open.

This week Fred has been working feverishly in the garden to clear the crazy burmuda grass that seems to take over everywhere else but where it is supposed to grow. The roots are like a giant octopus trying to sqeeze the life out of our veggies. It's in the triple digits here, so the poor plants need all the help they can get. Even though we planted a little late, we are starting to get a few goodies. We've gotten a couple of stripped zuchs, a few jalepenos, cherry tomatoes, and a lone cucumber. But for me the most exciting take was the first gorgeous large tomato! Now, I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but Fred was really sick with a nasty cold this week. He had no appetite and that lone tomato was just sitting there getting more ripe. Yes, selfishly I scarfed that bad boy right down. It was so incredible. There is nothing like eating the fruits (or in this case the vegetables) of your labor (or in this case Fred's labor). It was so juicy and flavorful; it almost tasted like a midwestern tomato. I sure hope we get more before the AZ sun boils them on the vine.

On top of being the master gardener, Fred occasionally takes his kitchen bitch role seriously. After he started feeling better this week, he mustered up the energy to cook for me. A couple of Christmases ago my mom got Fred Robin Robertson's Vegan Fire and Spice. He made a few recipes out of it when he first got it and then like so many of our cook books it ended up back on the shelf collecting dust while recipe testing commenced. I'm very happy we've rediscovered it. With his cold, I thought he needed lots of ginger and garlic to boost his immune system. I suggested he make her Garlic Soup recipe. It is chock full of garlicky goodness. As a bonus it is a recipe that hails from Spain...a country that has a special place in my heart. The soup is a lucious indulgence in garlicky stinky pleasure. Do not eat this before a date, unless your date is also having some. The broth is rich and flavorful. The garlic takes on a very savory and deep flavor. Fred used a whole grain baquette. The bread soaks up the broth and mellow the garlic just a bit. It is a wonderful combination.

I've been very pleased with the recipes from Vegan Fire and Spice. This week I also made her Red-Hot White Bean Chili. It calls for 3 tablespoons of chili powder. Amazingly there was only 1 tablespoon left in the container! This never usually happens as we have an arsenal of spices. Luckily there was some chipotle and ancho powder in the spice cabinet. I used one tablespoon of each along with the chili powder. Some kitchen mishaps turn out to be the best. I will make it this way from here on out. It added such a great smoky depth to the hearty beans. NOM!

I'm going to not so subliminally keep laying out recipes and cook books in the hopes that my studly kitchen bitch may suddenly have the urge to whip me up some tasty treats!

Mushroom and Chickn Fried Rice with Spicy Asian Greens

Fred had surgery on his knee this week. I wanted to make him something tasty, healthy, and full of veggies. I had some leftover rice from the other day. The farmers market has had some excellent produce. Put them together and you've got some great stuff to work with. I've been craving some fried rice, but most don't have enough veggies for my taste. I thought I'd get to work and create something we'd both enjoy. Here's what transpired.

Mushroom and Chickn Fried Rice

4 servings

2 tablespoons low sodium tamari

1 tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

4 ounces chicken Gardien or Chicken Seitan, diced

1 large carrot brunnoise (small diced)

1 cup snow peas, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

 1 - 8 oz package cremini mushrooms sliced

3 cups brown rice, cold

1-2 additional tablespoon low sodium tamari

In small bowl, mix tamari, mirin, ginger, sesame oil. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to marinade. In wok or large deep saute pan on high heat, pour chicken and marinade into pan. Saute for 2  minutes. Add garlic and carrots. Saute until "chicken" browns. Add snow peas and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms release their liquid. Add additional tamari. Heat until rice is heated through.

Spicy Sauteed Asian Greens

8 cups Asian greens

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon mirin

2 tablespoon low sodium tamari

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

In large saute pan or wok over med high heat, heat oil. add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add greens, mirin, and Tamari. Saute for a couple of minutes until greens start to wilt. Add sriracha and saute for another minute. Serve immediately.

Navy Bean, Sweet Potato, and Kale Bake...Bonus New Camera!!!!

I was under the incorrect assumption that Fred and I had agreed to refrain from gift giving on this, our first Valentine's Day as married folk. When will this girl learn? Last night when I got home Fred was very excited and said there was something for me in the kitchen. Hmmmm. I thought maybe he made dinner. Oh no! There was a pretty good sized box wrapped up on the table for me. I opened it up and much to my great surprise was a brand new camera!

This happens to be the second camera he's gotten me since we met. The first one he felt obligated (silly!) because he dropped my old camera and the door to the battery would not close. It still works, but it drove him crazy. The last one he bought has been used and abused. They just don't make them like they used to I guess, because after only 1 1/2 years of use it is on it's last leg. Boo for planned obselescence.

Anyhow the new beauty is a Sony DSC-HX1. It is really cool. Way more fancy pants than the last one, which was pretty awesome as well. It has lots of special functions for all different shooting conditions. I was super excited that it has a "gourmet" mode. Seriously. It is a mode specifically for photographing food. Is it just me, or are the colors in the picture below really vibrant. Hurrah gourmet mode!!

Today as always I am always thinking of more ways to get my beans and greens for extra iron. I took a look around the pantry to see what I could come up with at 5am for lunch today. Here's what developed. It is a warm homey simple dish. It only requires one pan for easy clean up. Enjoy in good health!

Navy Bean, Sweet Potato, and Kale Bake

4 servings

2 large yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced in half then thinly sliced
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Blend seasoning (I like Penzey's)
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (again Penzey's 4S is recommended) or to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch lacinto kale, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water

Preheat oven to 350.

In 9 x 13 glass baking dish toss all ingredients except for kale. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until sweet potatoes are just barely soft. Remove from oven and toss in kale and water or broth. Bake for 10 more minutes or until kale is slightly wilted.

Vegan MOFO Day 5 - Tracey's Spaghetti Extraordinaire

Fred's sister Tracey sent me her and her daughter Nicki's alltime favorite spaghetti recipe. The original is chock full of beef and sausage, so she was not sure if it could be veganized. Well, thanks to my friends at the PPK, I no longer fear the meaty recipes and find them quite fun to veganize. I'm not going to kid you, the texture and flavor are slightly different, so you won't fool anyone into thinking this is the greasy, unhealthy, factory farmed meat used in so many dishes. But it is a hearty, delicious homage to the original.

I did have to make a few modifications to the original recipe. Of course I had to replace the ground beef. I did this by re-hydrating TVP with vegetable broth and kitchen bouquet to give it that deep "beefy" hue and flavor. Next the Italian sausage. This was a no brainer using Julie Hasson's Spicey Italian Sausage recipe. I always find that when I use meat analogs I must increase the liquids used in the original recipe. In this recipe I had to add a 15 oz can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes to the original recipe. The order of adding ingredients changed just slightly as well. All in all, this was pretty easy to veganize. As you can see from the picture below, it came out very nicely. It has that rich tomato flavor and a hearty meaty texture. I fed this to Fred last night. He inhaled it in no time. Great recipe Tracey! Thanks for sending it to me.

Tracey's Vegan Spaghetti Extraordinaire

1 Cup TVP (sub for 1 lb ground beef)
1 Cups Vegetable broth
2 links vegan Italian sausage
1 teaspoon kitchen bouquet
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
½ medium onion, chopped
½ chopped green bell pepper or 1 Anaheim pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz white or cremini mushrooms sliced
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon crumbled rosemary
32 oz can diced tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted)
16 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

Spaghetti or Angel Hair pasta cooked, drained, and rinsed

Grated vegan parmesan for garnish (optional)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Combine vegetable broth and kitchen bouquet. Re-hydrate TVP by pouring hot vegetable broth over it. Let sit for 10 minutes to re-hydrate. Dice Italian sausage into small chunks, approximately ¼ inch. This can also be done by pulsing in the food processor.

In a 4 quart saucepan brown TVP and sausage in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan sauté onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in remaining tablespoon of olive oil until soft and mushrooms release their liquid, about 10 minutes minutes. Add dried herbs and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomoatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add browned TVP and sausage and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Serve over warm pasta and sprinkle with vegan parmesan if desired.

Vegan MOFO Day 26 - Iron Chef - Stuffed

Earlier this month I posted about stuffed stuff. Then this week the iron chef challenge ended up being stuffed stuff this week. No matter, I love stuffing stuff.

For quite some time I have been intrigued by kittee's stuffed tofu, so last night I thought I would give it a whirl. Here is my interpretation.

Stuffed Tofu Parmesiana Style

Makes 6 servings.

2 packages extra firm tofu, pressed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced small
1/3 tube gimme lean sausage style (or homemade)
8 oz package cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup soy milk

Basic Marinara

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can roasted crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400.

Press tofu for at least 30 minutes. In the mean time make filling. In a heavy skillet on medium heat add olive oil. Saute garlic and onion until onion is just soft. Add sausage and cook until slightly browned. Add mushrooms, spinach, and spices. Cook over low heat until liquid is almost gone. Add toasted pine nuts. Saute for a few more minutes. Let cool.

Once the stuffing is cool, slice tofu. Slice each block into thirds width wise. Cut slits in the middle of the side of each piece being, making a pocket. Be careful not to cut all the way through. To coat the tofu, put each piece one at a time in soymilk. Then dredge in bread crumbs to coat. This may take two times to get it proper coating. Place coated tofu in oiled glass baking dish. Ladle marinara sauce over each tofu pocket. Sprinkle vegan mozzerella over the top. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve over noodles or risotto.