This is going to be a short and sweet post. I worked a 12 hour shift and then went to school for 3 hours. Needless to say, I'm a bit spent.
It is a huge challenge to eat right when life is beyond crazy busy. It is even harder for an aspiring vegan to stay the course. So what's a time crunched vegan wannabe to do? Bars! Larabars to be specific. These very natural treats are so nice to munch on in a pinch. They are sweet, protein packed, healthy, and tasty. They fit neatly into a book bag or purse. They give you the energy you need to keep going. Today I had the Pecan Pie flavor. I appreciate many of the flavors, but I always come back to this very basic flavor as my go to one.
I know this is brief and boring, but I gotta go to sleep.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Vegan MOFO Day 6 - Vegan Sweets
Who do you know that would turn down a decadent dessert?
As many a good vegan will tell you, the best way to break in omnis to vegan food is by baking. It is hard for anyone to resist sweet treats. Vegan baked goods are a virtual portal to all that is fantastic in vegan cooking.
I was raised in the meat and potatoes midwest. Veganism was rarely heard of in my youth. As an adult I work in an industry that is predominantly male. As I listen to my co-workers, I find that not only are they meat eaters, many are hunters and fishers. To me this is a challenge to find ways to de-mystify and glorify eating without flesh and animal products. Several of the boyz make fun of my choices. I'm certain this is their defense mechanism. So what do I do? At every turn, I slowly win them over with vegan baked goodies.
My latest temptation came in the form of a rich dark chocolate cake brushed with Frangelico with Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream (both recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World). It didn't hurt to have beautiful, bright flowers adorning the cake.
Speaking of VCTOTW, cupcakes are taking over my bake sales. I often hold bake sales to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Fund and the Wellness Community of Central Arizona. Cupcakes are a great way to express your creativity while making so many taste buds dance with glee. Cupcakes are a fun treat for young and old. You can get everyone in on the decorating for a fun afternoon project. Kids will have a blast personalizing their very own mini cakes. The flavoring options are endless. Below are a couple of examples of fun flavors and designs we made for our bake sales.
Valentine Vanilla
Peanut Butter Chocolate
Mint Chocolate
We must not forget many of the other decadent goodies; vegan cookies, muffins, scones, custards, parfaits, bundt cakes, etc. Vegan sweets are possibly the easiest and best way to dispell the myth that eating vegan is tasteless, boring, and a sacrafice.
Cheers to vegan sweets!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Vegan MOFO Day 5 - Kitchen Teamwork
Today I am pondering the beauty of a wonderful partner who is my biggest support and cheerleader in the kitchen. I may be the primary cook in our house, but Fred makes this a pleasure instead of a chore. He can wield a mean spatula when it is his turn. His spaghetti sauce is second to none! But today, I pay tribute to his undying support to me in all I do...especially cooking.
I cannot tell you how many dishes h
e has done in my trail of kitchen destruction. He mops up after me, brings me something to drink if I look thirsty, and shows great interest in whatever I am doing. He often calls me at work to see if I need anything prepped ahead of time. When I am working many 12 hour shifts in a row, I sometimes come home to a very lovingly made dinner. Today was a perfect example. When I got home, he had already started the roasted sweet potatoes so that we could eat a descent hour, enabling me to do my MOFO thing, watch the recorded debate I missed while on vacation, and just relax. Look at those beautiful sweet potatoes!
To me nothing is more romantic and special than sharing time together in the kitchen and sharing the joy of creating beautiful, fun, delicious meals together. The kitchen has always been and always will be a place of love and togetherness. It is wonderful to share my kitchen, home, and life with someone who is so interested in one of my major passions - cooking. I'm truly blessed to have the best teammate, lover, friend I could ever have dreamed of. It's a bonus that he can really cook...yes in all ways...too!
I cannot tell you how many dishes h
e has done in my trail of kitchen destruction. He mops up after me, brings me something to drink if I look thirsty, and shows great interest in whatever I am doing. He often calls me at work to see if I need anything prepped ahead of time. When I am working many 12 hour shifts in a row, I sometimes come home to a very lovingly made dinner. Today was a perfect example. When I got home, he had already started the roasted sweet potatoes so that we could eat a descent hour, enabling me to do my MOFO thing, watch the recorded debate I missed while on vacation, and just relax. Look at those beautiful sweet potatoes!To me nothing is more romantic and special than sharing time together in the kitchen and sharing the joy of creating beautiful, fun, delicious meals together. The kitchen has always been and always will be a place of love and togetherness. It is wonderful to share my kitchen, home, and life with someone who is so interested in one of my major passions - cooking. I'm truly blessed to have the best teammate, lover, friend I could ever have dreamed of. It's a bonus that he can really cook...yes in all ways...too!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Vegan MOFO Day 4 - Iron Chef Challenge
For those of you who lurk on the PPK...and who doesn't? This challenge is brought to you by MBM. The surprise ingredients for this week were apple and ginger. This combination instantly brings to mind sweet delicacies of all kinds.
I wanted to go outside the dessert and sweets box and try something a little more fiery. I bring you Hot Apple Ginger and Tofu Curry! Here is the recipe. This was a total experiment and it worked out really well. It will probably be even better after sitting overnight.
Hot Apple Ginger and Tofu Curry
2 - 3 tablespoons canola oil
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 ribs celery, medium dice
1 large white or yellow onion, medium dice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 gala apples
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 tablespoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, gently crushed in mortar and pestal
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
In very large iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan heat oil over medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper the tofu cubes. Cook them until browned and slightly crisped. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. To the oil remaining in the pan add the celery, onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until just softened, stirring occasionally. In the meantime peel and cut apple into small dice. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the bell pepper and the dry spices. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the browned tofu and the sriracha. Simmer on low for 10 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steamed brown jasmine rice. Garnish with fresh parsley.
I wanted to go outside the dessert and sweets box and try something a little more fiery. I bring you Hot Apple Ginger and Tofu Curry! Here is the recipe. This was a total experiment and it worked out really well. It will probably be even better after sitting overnight.
Hot Apple Ginger and Tofu Curry
2 - 3 tablespoons canola oil
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 ribs celery, medium dice
1 large white or yellow onion, medium dice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 gala apples
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 tablespoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, gently crushed in mortar and pestal
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
In very large iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan heat oil over medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper the tofu cubes. Cook them until browned and slightly crisped. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. To the oil remaining in the pan add the celery, onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until just softened, stirring occasionally. In the meantime peel and cut apple into small dice. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the bell pepper and the dry spices. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the browned tofu and the sriracha. Simmer on low for 10 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steamed brown jasmine rice. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Vegan MOFO Day 3-ish : Tools of the Cookin' Trade
I'm going to post twice today. I missed yesterday due to travel and sheer exhaustion.
For my first post, I thought I would ponder some of my favorite kitchen tools and how they make life in my kitchen joyful.
I have to start with my new stove of course. I have waited for quite a while to get her and she is a beauty. This model came with a double oven. We will use the smaller one a lot, especially in the hot summers here. It is a convection oven as well. The first batch of scones I made in it were flawless. The top boasts 5 burners with an iron griddle insert for the middle. I've been working or out of town since it was installed, so I haven't had much time to break it in. Rest assured my culinary friends, my next run of days off there is going to be some serious cooking and baking action! I can't tell you how excited I was to be able to bake without worrying about the darn thing keeping temperature. While any great cook can get away with a substandard stove and still produce kick ass dishes, a good stove makes for a much happier cook.
Last year for my birthday my lovely fiance, Fred, got me a heavy duty Kitchenaide mixer. Surprisingly, I don't use it as often as I thought I would. When the need does arrive, this thing is a wonder. I have wrist issues, so when I need to mix up large batches of icing, knead dough, juice citrus, etc. this baby works wonders. Each year for Christmas I make loads of cookies for the guys at work. The Kitchenaide makes this a much less cumbersome and much more fun task.
The next two tools I have to give mention to are the Vita-Mix and the Waring Juicer. Fred has really gotten into making smoothies. If you are a smoothie hound go out and get a Vita-Mix. They make it quick and easy to make a whole fruit/veg smoothie. Using the whole fruit gives you the full nutritional punch your body deserves. Vita-Mixes are pretty darn expensive, but they last forever. No longer do we need to drink processed smoothies or juices. We love to use the juicer to make cleansing green juices.
I must not forget the first pricey gadget I bought. When I first started recipe testing for Isa and Terry, I was using a small food processor a friend had given me. The darn quiche recipe almost put me over the edge. I had to process the recipe in three seperate batches. The job got done, but what a mess! After that experience, I bit the bullet and bought an 11 cup Cuisinart food processor. It was love at forst blend. I've never regretted that purchase. It has saved my gimpy wrist on more than one occassion.
Fred spoils me rotten in case you haven't been able to tell. Once he discovered that I had an almost sexual bond with my Global chef's knife, didn't he go out and get me matching paring and vegetable knives? I love the weight and feel of the handles. The steel is magnificent. They hold a beautifullly sharp edge. Love love love them!
OK, my ode to really expensive kitchen gadgets is over. Onto the more practical side of kitchen gadgetry. One tool I absolutely can no longer live without is my microplane grater. I think I paid $12.00 for it. It is hands down the most time saving tool in my kitchen. Nothing works better to mince garlic and ginger. It is also the best thing on the planet for zesting citrus. If you don't have one, run don't walk, to the store and get one. Go right now!
Another tool that gets a great amount of use in our kitchen is the citrus juicer. It is so great at getting out every last drop of juice without leaving a bunch of seeds behind in your juice. If your skin is sensitive to the acid in citrus, this tool will be a lifesaver. I no longer dread recipes that call for copious amounts of citrus juice.
Last but certainly not least, I must pay homage to good measuring untensils. Over the years I have gone through many styles of measuring cups and spoons. What is more frustrating than trying to scoop out a cup of flour only to have the darn handle on the measuring cup completely bend, spilling all of the conents onto your unsuspecting counter, floor, and lap. Ugh! Let us not forget the ones that loose their markings. While I am pretty good at eyeballing the sizes by now, some are not so fortunate. It only takes one time using 1/3 cup instead of 1/4 cup of a very powerful ingredient to realize the importance of stamped metal measuring cups. I now own two sets.
I've become a gadget-aholic to some extent. I have 5 sets of measuring spoons. Why you might ask? The first two sets were bargain sets. They bend if you look at them the wrong way, but they fit in most of my spice jars. The second two sets are much stronger, but they are very rounded and don't fit into all of my jars. When Fred and I merged households, we each had a set of this style. The most recent set I purchased are made of stainless steel and are rectangular. This set offers me the best of my four prior sets; strength and the ability to find their way into all of my spice jars. Yes, some might think this is overkill, but I always have a clean dry set for backup when I am in a baking and cooking frenzy.
Damn this working thing. I wanna be in my kitchen :(
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Vegan MOFO: Day 2 - The Lost Art of Canning
Today is our last full day in Montana. We enjoyed a mellow morning. We took a quad ride around the ranch. It was quite something to be riding along with antelope running beside us.
Before we left I showed Fred the root cellar at the old homestead house. There were jars of preserved goodies from decades past. While eating them would be questionable, it made me wonder about the family who had canned them and the gardens they came from.
The old matriarch of the ranch passed away several years ago. In her later years, she seemed to be in the grips of dimentia. When she was a younger woman, she would travel about the ranch searching for ancient fossils and arrowheads left by ancient tribes. She spent years making mortar and rock pathways through her gardens. She was sure to have spent many hours lovingly tending her garden.
The area is chock full of choke cherries and huckleberries. Preserves are sold all over the state. None could compare to the dusty jars full of the sweet hand processed goodies in the cellar. The ranch has several apple trees that produce the most delicious sweet/sour apples you can imagine. The cellar treasures include apple juice from the trees harvested by the children and grandchildren of the old woman. In the fall, the ranch families would each gather their families and spend time together in their kitchens preparing and canning for the winter. In the heart of winter on the prarie, nothing tastes better than a jar of those home canned tomatoes used to make a warm soup. The flavors of summer combined with the warmth of soup to warm the ranchers bones in the winter.
This cellar brought back fond memories from my childhood. Our family had similar summer and fall rituals. I remember the smells of the tomatoes steaming in the canner. I remember the flavor of mom's spaghetti sauce. The mellow acid of the midwestern tomatoes rounding out the best spaghetti dinnner.
One of my favorite family rituals involved my grandparents' house. They were avid gardners and produced the most incredible gardens. It was so much fun to spend a few hours in the afternoon while they showed me the plants they lovingly nurtured, explaining what each one was and how it was planted. They had a root cellar that would be the envy of any of us kids who are now city dwellers.
Grandpa was a professor of botany, a magician, a vantrilliquist, a ham radio operator, and the one man in my childhood who made me feel like I was truly special. He was also very handy and loved to make things. He had lots of gadgets. Each year they would bring out the apple peeler. It was a contraption that was attached to the picnic table by a vise. That baby could peel apples at record speed. Each one of us got our turn peeling apples. Grandma would then take those fresh apples and simmer them down with cinnamon candies. This was the honest to goodness best stuff ever!! You never know if it was the flavor, or the deep bond with the earth and family that was so easy to forget throughout the rest of the year. Grandma and Grandpa would do the rest of the work while we kids played in the huge shaded yard. They have been gone for years now. But the memories of them and their magical garden live on in each one of their grandchildren.
I often long for those days of innocence and family roots. My sister and I moved across the country from the rest of the family. While I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's, I hope someday we can revive some of those old canning rituals that helped develop our bond with mother Earth and each other.
Fred and I are going to start a small garden this fall and try to figure out the tempermental Arizona soils. It's time to revive those old rituals with his grandson. They are worth carrying on.
Before we left I showed Fred the root cellar at the old homestead house. There were jars of preserved goodies from decades past. While eating them would be questionable, it made me wonder about the family who had canned them and the gardens they came from.
The old matriarch of the ranch passed away several years ago. In her later years, she seemed to be in the grips of dimentia. When she was a younger woman, she would travel about the ranch searching for ancient fossils and arrowheads left by ancient tribes. She spent years making mortar and rock pathways through her gardens. She was sure to have spent many hours lovingly tending her garden.
The area is chock full of choke cherries and huckleberries. Preserves are sold all over the state. None could compare to the dusty jars full of the sweet hand processed goodies in the cellar. The ranch has several apple trees that produce the most delicious sweet/sour apples you can imagine. The cellar treasures include apple juice from the trees harvested by the children and grandchildren of the old woman. In the fall, the ranch families would each gather their families and spend time together in their kitchens preparing and canning for the winter. In the heart of winter on the prarie, nothing tastes better than a jar of those home canned tomatoes used to make a warm soup. The flavors of summer combined with the warmth of soup to warm the ranchers bones in the winter.
This cellar brought back fond memories from my childhood. Our family had similar summer and fall rituals. I remember the smells of the tomatoes steaming in the canner. I remember the flavor of mom's spaghetti sauce. The mellow acid of the midwestern tomatoes rounding out the best spaghetti dinnner.
One of my favorite family rituals involved my grandparents' house. They were avid gardners and produced the most incredible gardens. It was so much fun to spend a few hours in the afternoon while they showed me the plants they lovingly nurtured, explaining what each one was and how it was planted. They had a root cellar that would be the envy of any of us kids who are now city dwellers.
Grandpa was a professor of botany, a magician, a vantrilliquist, a ham radio operator, and the one man in my childhood who made me feel like I was truly special. He was also very handy and loved to make things. He had lots of gadgets. Each year they would bring out the apple peeler. It was a contraption that was attached to the picnic table by a vise. That baby could peel apples at record speed. Each one of us got our turn peeling apples. Grandma would then take those fresh apples and simmer them down with cinnamon candies. This was the honest to goodness best stuff ever!! You never know if it was the flavor, or the deep bond with the earth and family that was so easy to forget throughout the rest of the year. Grandma and Grandpa would do the rest of the work while we kids played in the huge shaded yard. They have been gone for years now. But the memories of them and their magical garden live on in each one of their grandchildren.
I often long for those days of innocence and family roots. My sister and I moved across the country from the rest of the family. While I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's, I hope someday we can revive some of those old canning rituals that helped develop our bond with mother Earth and each other.
Fred and I are going to start a small garden this fall and try to figure out the tempermental Arizona soils. It's time to revive those old rituals with his grandson. They are worth carrying on.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Vegan MOFO Day 1 - On the Road - Montana
Fred and I are travelling in the beautiful state of Montana. We have been to a cabin in the mountians, stayed at a homestead on his sister's ranch, and just returned from a short trip to a small town called Mcleod. It was a cute place. Montanta is certainly not a vegan friendly place. The only restaurant for miles from where we stayed last night was called the Road Kill Cafe!!
His best friend picked us up at the airport and took us straight to a cool grocery store that had everything we needed. They had at least 10 different kinds of tofu. We loaded up on hummus, tofurkey snausages, lots of fresh fruit and veggies for the BBQ at his mom's place. His sister and her hubby own a ranch, so I was not sure how our choices would be recieved. His brother in law, who is a hoot, was very curious about my "sausages" and the kids all asked about our new found diet. She also asked me to send her a vegan sausage recipe when I get home. Awesome. They were wonderful.
Fred's family has been most gracious about our food choices. His sister and his mom have wonderful little gardens. They are having an unusually warm fall here, so there are still great things coming from the garden. We dined on spaghetti squash fresh from the garden, fresh tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper, and salad.
Last night we went to have drinks and something to eat at the Road Kill Cafe. While selections were pretty limited, we were able to get salad and some very fried veggies. The bartender and her husband own the diner. When she offered us a taste of a buffalo steaks she had just cooked up, we told her we were vegetarian. She looked at us like we had three heads. It was really funny. She was a lot of fun though. The I heard her say to her hubby "They're vegetarian, so they don't eat any meat, but they eat chicken." Hee hee.
I'll post some pics of our trip when we get back to our home. Until then.....
His best friend picked us up at the airport and took us straight to a cool grocery store that had everything we needed. They had at least 10 different kinds of tofu. We loaded up on hummus, tofurkey snausages, lots of fresh fruit and veggies for the BBQ at his mom's place. His sister and her hubby own a ranch, so I was not sure how our choices would be recieved. His brother in law, who is a hoot, was very curious about my "sausages" and the kids all asked about our new found diet. She also asked me to send her a vegan sausage recipe when I get home. Awesome. They were wonderful.
Fred's family has been most gracious about our food choices. His sister and his mom have wonderful little gardens. They are having an unusually warm fall here, so there are still great things coming from the garden. We dined on spaghetti squash fresh from the garden, fresh tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper, and salad.
Last night we went to have drinks and something to eat at the Road Kill Cafe. While selections were pretty limited, we were able to get salad and some very fried veggies. The bartender and her husband own the diner. When she offered us a taste of a buffalo steaks she had just cooked up, we told her we were vegetarian. She looked at us like we had three heads. It was really funny. She was a lot of fun though. The I heard her say to her hubby "They're vegetarian, so they don't eat any meat, but they eat chicken." Hee hee.
I'll post some pics of our trip when we get back to our home. Until then.....
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