4th of Jul-fry! Fry Me Up Some Dinnah!

I don't know what it is about holidays, but they always make me want to stuff my face with indulgent things I wouldn't often make. Today was no exception. While I was working I was very well behaved. I made a very healthy juice with farm fresh carrots, cucumbers and beets from the garden and some other alkalizing veggies. Then I signed off and all sensibility left me.

I had some really beautiful baby portobello mushrooms. Not the tiny ones that are all different shapes and sizes, but the bigger ones that were gorgeous and pretty uniform in size. I thought about stuffing them or maybe even just sautéing them with a little thyme, salt and pepper. Then something happened. My inner fried food demon popped out and it was on! I whipped up a quick batter, heated up some oil in my trusty skillet and made a quick sauce for dipping'

The mushrooms were meaty and gorgeous sticking out of the perfectly golden and crispy coating. I tried one dipping sauce that just wasn't doing those 'shrooms justice. I regrouped and came up with what I thing is the perfect compliment to my golden beauties. The hint of lemon and the sweet tarragon in the sauce paired beautifully with the earthy mushies and the slightly smoky crust. These were pretty darn quick to make too. I made so many and couldn't stop eating them. It ended up being my entire dinner. Hee hee.

Golden Beauty Fried Mushrooms with Cheater Béarnaise

I recommend making the sauce ahead of time to let the flavors develop.

12 large baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and reserved

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup corn starch (Rapunzel's is GMO free)
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup soy milk

Oil for frying (I used grape seed)

1 recipe Cheater Béarnaise (recipe below)

Add oil to iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet to a depth of at least 1 inch. Heat oil to 375.

Line a large plate with a paper bag topped with paper towels to drain mushrooms.

While oil is heating make batter. Add flour, corn starch, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Combine well. Whisk in soy milk until a fairly thick batter is formed. If batter seems too thick to coat the mushrooms, add a touch more soy milk.

Using a fork or a toothpick, dip the mushroom in batter and coat completely. Gently tap off excess. Carefully place mushroom into hot oil, using an additional fork to slide it gently off of the fork or pick into the oil. Repeat with each mushroom, cooking in batches. Make sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden on one side (about 3-5 minutes). Carefully turn over and fry for about 3 more minutes. Remove from oil and place on prepared plate to drain. These babies are very hot, so please let them cool for a bit lest you burn your poor tongue. Serve with Cheater Béarnaise.

Cheater Bearnaise

Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 cup Veganaisse or other vegan mayo
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon fresh, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Dash Tabasco

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least and hour. Will last several days in the fridge.

Iron Chef: Hot Chiles, Sunflower Seeds and Grapes

Today's Iron Chef entry is brought to you by the foods Hot Chile, Sunflower Seeds and Grapes. As I looked at this list of ingredients I was instantly psyched because hot chiles were part of the challenge. Sunflower seeds, no problem. It was the grapes that had me stumped. The only way I usually tend to consume grapes is in a good wine. I don't usually care for them with savory stuff and I figured a lot of my challengers would go the sweet route. What to do?

At first I was going to tackle a brunch dish. I had planned to make a breakfast sandwich. I thought maybe some type of biscuit with sunflower seeds in it and maybe some type of chile-grape jam. I set about making the jam and it ended up being the texture of applesauce. Had I not been so bummed out I may have thought to use it in a scone or something like that. Instead, I scrapped brunch as it was after 1pm by now.

I decided to get back to my love of the great Southwest and its flavorful and spicy personality. First I made a cilantro-sunflower seed pesto.

Cilantro-Sunflower Pesto

Yields 1 1/4 cups

3 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves (small stems are ok)
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine then run processor until well chopped. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and let run until pesto is fairly smooth, scraping the sides once or twice.. Add more salt to taste if needed. Will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks and will freeze for 6 months. GF

Next I got to marinating some tofu see recipe below.

Cilantro-Sunflower Pesto Marinated Tofu

1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons Cilantro-Sunflower Pesto
1 tablespoon Aji Panca Paste (can be found in some hispanic markets or online)
1 tablespoon low sodium tamari
8 oz. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and sliced into 8 equal rectangular pieces

In an 8 x 8 baking dish whisk together marinade ingredients. Add tofu in a single layer. Marinade for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, turning once.

Tofu can be grilled or baked in marinade.

Then I set about using those pesky grapes. I have to say the results far exceeded my expectations! This is what I came up with:

Grape-Avocado Pico de Gallo

1/2 cup green and red seedless grapes, quartered
2 medium red tomatoes, diced about 1/4" dice
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 very hot fresno (red) chile pepper, finely diced*
2 tablespoon red onion finely diced
juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
 1 small avocado, peeled and diced

In a medium sized bowl, combine grapes, tomatoes, cilantro, hot chile pepper, onion, lime juice, cumin and salt. After they are well combined, gently fold in diced avocado. Let sit for about 30 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve immediately. GF

* I feel it is very important to use a pretty hot variety of chile. It contrast the sweetness of the grapes beautifully.

So I had all the players lined up. I first thought I would make a tostada. That was until I realized after two trips to the store this morning, I had no lettuce or cabbage in my house. Two times was enough, so I switched gears. I had some corn tortillas in the fridge and a big ol' bottle of canola oil left over from a cooking class. Have you figured out where I'm going with this yet? Taquitos!!

Pesto Marinated Grilled Tofu and Black Bean Taquitos

1 recipe Cilantro-Sunflower Seed Pesto Marinated Tofu (see recipe above), reserve 1 tablespoon marinade
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Cilantro-Sunflower Seed Pesto (see recipe above)
12 corn tortillas
1/3 cup Daiya Mozzerella Shreds
Oil for frying

Preheat grill to 350. Oil grill grates. Place sliced marinated tofu on hot grill and brush with marinade. Grill for 5 minutes or until nice grill marks appear and tofu is golden. Turn and brush other side with marinade. Grill for 5 more minutes until tofu is golden and slightly firm. Dice into 1/2 dice and set aside.

In small saucepan, combine black beans, 1 tablespoon reserved marinade and 1/4 cup pesto. Simmer over medium heat until beans are heated through. Gently stir in tofu and remove from heat.

Heat oil to 350. If you don't have a thermometer, use a small piece of tortilla to test heat. If it bubbles slightly, you are ready to go. It is really important to make sure the oil is not too hot or your taquitos will fall apart.

Assemble taquitos.

Take one tortilla at a time and place in oil for about 10 seconds to soften tortilla. It is very important to do this step to prevent tortillas from breaking apart. Carefully place softened tortilla on a paper towel lined plate. On end of tortilla closest to you, sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons shredded Daiya. Scoop approx. 2 tablespoons tofu-black bean mixture over Daiya in a straight line. Gently roll tortilla over filling until it resembles a cigar.

Here is the tricky part. These little guys like to unroll when you put them in the oil. I suppose you could use a pick to hold them shut, but they can tear pretty easily, so be careful if you pick 'em shut. If you successfully pick them, you could probably cook 2-3 at a time. I chose to cook one at a time and gently place them in the oil, seam side down, immediately holding the taquito with tongs using very light pressure. Fry for about 3 minutes, then turn over. Fry for about 2-3 more minutes or until beautifully golden. Using tongs drain excess oil from both ends of taquito. Place on paper towel lined plate, and repeat for remaining tortillas.

Serve immediately with a healthy serving of Grape-Avocado Pico de Gallo (recipe above).

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's post by midnight MST tonight (10/28/12) for a chance to win Vegan a la Mode...cuz you need a frozen dessert after this dish! The winner will be announced tomorrow!

Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe and Giveaway Winner!

Thankfully some foods are naturally gluten-free: vegetables, fruits, nuts and even some grains. One of my favorite grains is quinoa. It is super quick and easy to make. It takes on flavors so easily and it's a complete protein to boot.

Here is a very simple and flavorful way to use this super grain (which is actually a seed). Use some leftover quinoa (2 cups cooked) for a very quick salad.

Instead of the traditional tabbouleh made with bulgur wheat, quinoa is used in this salad to make a gluten-free equivalent of the popular Lebanese dish.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Yield 6 Servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups finely minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely minced fresh mint
3 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and diced
zest and juice of one large lemon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 scallions, minced

Combine the quinoa and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer, stir gently, and cover. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Chill the quinoa in the fridge until cold, about 1 hour.

Stir in the olive oil and salt and then gently fold in the parsley, mint, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, and scallions until well combined. Let rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge until well chilled. Serve cold.

Excerpted from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats, Allyson Kramer, Fair Winds Press, 2012

I'm happy to share this one recipe with all of you. But only one lucky commenter gets to win the whole book. That commenter is....

#2 - Anonymous (Karen)

Karen - I tried to email you and your email address bounced back undeliverable. Please contact me at vegintraining at g mail dot com with your shipping info

FNF - Rachel Ray - Spring Chickn Towers

Spring Chickn Towers with Asparagus and Lemon Dijon Sauce

Hey gang, it's Food Network Friday again. If you're new to the blog, this is a fun challenge we try to do once a month or so. We pick a Food Network recipe and do a vegan interpretation of that recipe. Each entry is posted at Tami Noyes' sight Vegan Appetite. Check it out!

If you are a Rachel Ray fan, I have good news for you. I've been able to veganize and reduce the fat for this recipe just in time for swimsuit season. As a side note, I don't usually like to use prepared meats and such, but it seemed to work well for this recipe. It makes it fast and easy. This recipe boasts only 287 calories per serving and about 12.7g fat. It comes together fairly quickly for an easy and fancy weeknight meal.

3 Servings

12 - 16 oz extra firm tofu (1 package), pressed
3/4 cup Daiya Italian Blend Cheeze
6 Yves Deli Ham slices
1 lb fresh asparagus trimmed to 4 inch pieces
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
juice of 1 large lemon (approx 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, chopped
pinch white pepper


Slice tofu block into 3 equal rectangles. Take each section and slice into three equal thin rectangles. If you prefer, you can use cookie or biscuit cutters to make fancy shapes. Smoke with apple or alder wood for 15 minutes. You can use right away or refrigerate for up to 2 days. As an option, you can purchase pre-smoked tofu.

Steam or blanch asparagus until just bright green. Do not overcook. You want it a bit firm and crisp. Keep warm.

Start sauce by mixing 1 cup cold water, bullion, lemon juice, and arrowroot in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens. Turn off heat. Stir in dijon mustard and parsley. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut small hole in middle of tofu and ham slices for asparagus spears if desired. If you prefer you can serve asparagus on the side. If your tofu has been chilled; on griddle or in iron skillet, warm apple smoked tofu and ham slices. Once warm layer in iron skillet or other oven safe dish sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Layer by first putting slice of tofu, then 1 slice ham cut or folded to the size of the tofu, then carefully layer shredded Daiya Italian blend (approx 2 tablespoons per layer), repeat and finally top with last slice of tofu. If you are putting the asparagus in the tower, put two small spears cut to approximately 3-4 inches in length in the hole.

Once the towers are layered in the pan, bake for 5-8 minutes until cheese starts to melt.

While the towers are baking, spread sauce evenly over 3 plates. Place cooked towers in the center of sauce. Garnish plate with remaining asparagus spears and quartered cherry tomatoes (optional).

Vegan MOFO Day 17 - Iron Chef - Spicy Sour Soup

This week's iron chef challenge ingredients were lemon and ginger. I have a cold this week, so these ingredients were just what the doctor ordered. The citrus of the lemon coupled with the anti-oxidant power of ginger should get me well on the road to recovery. I was craving a healing, soothing, spicy soup to knock out the nasty germies that are invading.

I have to be honest, this one was truly "iron". I wanted to make something tonight and had no idea what I had to work with. We have let many lovely veggies go bad this week. I scoured the fridge and the pantry and came up with this kind of fiery, flavorful, yet simple soup.

Spicy Sour Soup

8 Servings

1 package extra firm tofu, pressed for an hour or longer
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 hot red Thai chiles, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1 cup snow peas
3 cups rich vegetable stock
8 oz. package cremini mushrooms
Juice of 1 lemon (approx 2 tablespoons)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons red miso
1 14 oz can light coconut milk

In a 10 inch iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil over med-high heat. Dice the pressed tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Saute tofu cubes in oil until browned and slightly crisp, stirring occassionally.

While tofu is browning, add remaining oil to large soup pot. Over medium heat saute onions, garlic, and ginger until onions start to soften. Add Thai chiles and saute for another 2 minutes. Add snow peas and 5 spice powder and saute for 3 more minutes. Deglaze with mirin. Add vegetable stock and heat to boiling. Reduce to simmering and add thinly sliced mushrooms. When mushrooms are slightly soft, 5-10 minutes, add lemon juice and stir. Make sure the broth does not come back to a boil. Dissolve miso in water. Add this mixture and coconut milk to soup pot. Stir in Sriracha (if you like it really hot add more to taste). Let simmer without boiling for about 5 more minutes so that flavors will come out. By this time the tofu should be nicely browned. Stir browned tofu into soup. Ladle and serve.