Vegan MOFO VI Comes to a Close

What an experience! Im truly thankful that I participated in this years Vegan MoFo. Though I didnt keep up towards the last half of the month, it really did motivate me to cook more and post more. (And enjoy my meals too!) I cant wait until next year, I know I'll be participating once again.

To finish off the Vegan Month of Food, I leave you with last nights dinner. I wouldnt be exaggerating to say this way the best meal Ive ever had. My cooking skills are growing and even my carnivorous father is impressed with how my vegan meals have improved.



Maple Balsamic Tofu with Sauteed Sprouts and Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (For Two)

THE TOFU:

1/2 package extra firm tofu (about 200g), cubed
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Earth Balance

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tbsp soy cooking cream (I use Belsoy)
pinch each of garlic powder, cinnamon, chili powder

Beforehand, mix together the second set of ingredients and set aside in the fridge (at least a half hour).
Heat a pan just over medium heat and melt the earth balance.
Toss tofu in cornstarch, salt, and pepper and add to the pan.
Cook, flipping over the tofu occasionally, until all cubes are golden brown.
Turn down the heat to medium low and pour in the sauce.
Stir, making sure to coat all the cubes, until sauce thickens.


THE SPROUTS:

2 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
1/2 tbsp earth balance
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Heat a pan over medium high, melt in the EB.
Add the sprouts, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until they are tender and cooked through. They should be browning as well.


PUMPKIN DINNER ROLLS:
adapted from The Mother Huddle

3¾ cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp fast acting yeast
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup soy milk
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup Earth Balance

In a large bowl mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar and yeast.
Heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (120-130°). It should be a little uncomfortable to put your finger in it, but not scalding. Add warm liquid to dry ingredients and mix with a whisk for 2 minutes or on medium speed for 2 minutes in a mixer.
Add 1/4 cup flour and 1 tsp salt. Mix until well combined. Continue to add remaining 2 cups flour, one cup at a time (after one we had to get our hands dirty), mixing until a soft sticky dough forms. The dough will seem a little wet.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface or in your mixer, knead the dough for a couple minutes. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes until it doubles in size.
Heat oven to 350°
Punch down and form 12 balls, rolling between the palms of your hands. Place them in a 13x9 baking dish. If not using a non-stick pan be sure to lightly grease or use cooking spray.
Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 25-30 minutes.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden on top in a 350° oven.

Vegan MOFO VI: Oats in a Jar

Ive been slacking. Im so busy lately that I havent been posting! Im apologizing and making up for it in delicious.

Oats in a Jar. Something Ive been dying to try ever since I stumbled upon the idea in the blog world. Only problem? No empty (or nearly empty) nut butter jars! I waited and waited and FINALLY I neared the end of my tahini.

After brainstorming flavour combinations I came up with this: Chocolate Tahini Oats in a jar with Sesame Seeds and Almonds. YUM!

Vegan MOFO VI: Chik'n Ala King

My dad was over on Tuesday for lunch. He's been laid off (he does landscaping so its seasonal) and he has a lot of free time. I invited him over for Wednesday too and this was his reply...

"Hmm.. I dont think so. Ive been craving Chicken Ala King soup and I think Im going to have some of that at home."

Immediately I told him that theres no need to eat that at home, because Im making it for lunch at my house. Well, it intrigued him and he agreed to lunch. Now I had to figure out how the heck to make Chicken Ala King... without chicken AND still taste like the real thing so my dad would enjoy it.

After a good half hour of googling recipes and from my past memory of what the soup tasted like, I came up with a recipe.



Chik'n Ala King Soup

1/2 recipe Tofu Mom's basic white gravy (mentioned in this post)
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup frozen peas
3 tbsp diced pimientos
1/2 cup chopped carrots, cooked
1/2 cup dehydrated soy chunks
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of poultry seasoning

First things first... making the gravy. Once its thickened, add the rest of the soy milk (or more if you like a thinner soup) and stir.
While making the gravy, boil a pot of water, dump in the soy chunks, turn off the heat and let rest, covered until rehydrated (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook up the mushrooms in a pan over medium until browned, add the rest of the veggies to the pan and heat through.
Add the remaining ingredients and all of the veggies to the gravy/soup base. If desired, add a bit more liquid.

This soup/stew is great with saltines or toast! And guess what? My carnivore dad LOVED it!

Vegan MOFO VI: Recipe Fail

Well, okay, it wasnt horrible... just lacking flavour. Tonight I decided to test out this recipe, making it with tofu rather than pork. I followed the recipe exactly except for two things. One being tofu in place of pork and the other being 1 tbsp of soy milk and just over 1/4 tsp egg replacer powder in place of the egg. Oh and I baked them for about 35 minutes on 350F rather than the original cooking instructions.



I liked this recipe. I did. It just needed something more. In the future, Id double all the spices no doubt. And I think subbing some nutritional yeast in place of a portion of the panko would give it that extra boost.

On the other hand... what I served with the tofu was definitly NOT a fail. Mashed potatoes made with soy milk and earth balance for the starch. And for a bit of extra protein I mashed together some chickpeas and tahini. Yum! (Oh... dont forget the veggies either!)

Vegan MOFO VI: Two Bowls of Happiness

This mornings Oats: Blueberries and Coconut Cream


Look theyre purple!!

1/2 cup spelt flakes*
1 container (113g) blueberry applesauce
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 serving extra firm silken tofu, light
1/2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
1tbsp each cashews and macadamia nuts, toasted
2 tsp dried blueberries
1 stevia packet
pumpkin pie spice and salt to taste

Blend ingredients 2-4 and pour over oats in a container.
Let sit overnight in the fridge.
Cook in the morning and add in hemp seeds, stevia, salt and spices, and blueberries.
Top with nuts!


Yesterdays Oats:



1/2 cup spelt flakes*
1/3 cup applesauce
3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 pear, grated
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp cashews, toasted
1 tbsp mighty maple PNB
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
pumpkin pie spice and salt to taste

Mix together the first five ingredients and refridgerate over night.
In the morning add remaining 1/4 cup soy milk, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and cook.
Meanwhile mix together pumpkin and PNB
Once the oatmeal is finished cooking, top with PB/pumpkin mix, syrup, and cashews.



* Ive started using spelt flakes rather than regular rolled oats for my morning oatmeal creations. I read that spelt flakes are easier to digest and have more nutrients as well. They have a bit more texture but cook exactly the same as your ordinary oats.

Vegan MOFO VI: Pasta Dinner

A quick throw together of 'need to be used now' ingredients resulted in this more than pleasing dinner.



Smoked Tofu Alfredo with Broccoli and Walnuts

one serving of spaghetti
1/4 cup basic white gravy adapted from Tofu Mom
1/2 cup broccoli
4 toasted walnut halves
cubed smoked tofu

Cook up the pasta how you like it.
Steam broccoli (microwave for convenience).
Heat up the tofu in a pan and heat up the gravy in the microwave while tofu cooks.
Drain pasta and pour gravy over top.
Mix in broccoli and top with tofu and nuts!



PST! Tomorrow I have a new oatmeal creation!! Watch for it.

Vegan MOFO VI: My Shopping List and A Bowl of Oatmeal

Now I had a request to post a shopping list for all of you! Sorry it took me so long but Im finally getting around to it. This is a basic compilation of the things I keep stocked in my kitchen.


Non-perishable:
silken aseptic tofu (firm, extra firm, or light firm)
rolled oats, spelt flakes, 10 grain cereal
dried fruit (apples, cherries, blueberries, raisins, pears, peaches, medjool and honey dates)
nuts (raw cashews, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia, almonds)
seeds (ground flax seed, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds)
nut/seed butters (mighty maple PB, sunflower seed butter, tahini)
cocoa powder
agave nectar
canned pumpkin
chickpeas, black beans, white beans
flours (vital wheat gluten, all purpose, whole wheat, bread)
stevia packets
vanilla
herbs and spices (cajun seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, cumin, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, jerk seasoning, potassium salt, pepper, sage, poultry spice, taco seasoning)
tomato paste
chreeze sauce powder
maple sugar
barley, millet, rice
nutritional yeast
coconut milk
shredded coconut
panko breadcrumbs

Perishable:
extra firm tofu
non dairy milk (rice, soy, almond, oat)
squash (spaghetti, hubbard, kabocha, butternut, acorn)
potatoes
vidalia onion
carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
ezekiel bread, wraps, english muffins
tempeh (lightlife brand)
soy coffee creamer
soy cooking cream
vegenaise
soy sauce
maple syrup
earth balance buttery spread
blackstrap molasses
chipotle pepper puree


Now on to breakfast. This morning was, yup, you guessed it. Oatmeal! Pumpkin Gingerbread Oats with dates, cashews, and cashew butter.



1/2c. soy milk
1 tbsp. applesauce
1/3c. pumpkin puree
1/2 tbsp. blackstrap molasses

1/3c. spelt flakes
1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
1 medjool date, chopped
salt and pumpkin pie spice to taste

1/4 block lite silken tofu, firm
1/4c. soy milk

toasted cashews
cashew butter
banana slices

Combine first set of ingredients in a container.
Meanwhile mix second set of ingredients into the container and stir to combine.
Let rest overnight in the fridge.
In the morning blend the third set of ingredients and add to the refridgerated mixture in a pot over medium heat, adding the chopped date just before serving.
Cook until heated through and top with banana, toasted cashews, and cashew butter.

Vegan MOFO VI: Commensal Frozen Dinner Review

Commensal Thai Delight


Running short on time, I popped this frozen dinner entree into the microwave for a quick meal. I have to say, I was impressed. I loved the texture of the seitan, the blend of spices and flavours was delightful, and the rice was the perfect accompaniment. My only complaint? One frozen entree will set you back anywhere from 5.50-6.50$!

I did love this product but its going to have to stay a once in a while meal. I might as well be eating out at the vegan restaurant down the street for that price!


(This review is completely of my own opinion, I was in no way compensated by the company. I write purely to shed light on this product that I tested out.)

Vegan MOFO VI: Burgers and Gravy

There are no words to even begin to describe how amazing this recipe is. No words. I'll just get straight to the point.



Pumpkin Chickpea Burgers
adapted from OhSheGlows

1 cup canned chickpeas
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp water
6 tbsp rolled oats
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp each cumin and chili powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

Firstly, coarsely grind the oats. I pulsed a few times in a magic bullet, you dont want a fine flour.
Dump everything into a food processor and blend.
Meanwhile, cook up the chopped onions.
Transfer chickpea mix into a bowl and add onions, stirring to distribute the onion throughout.
Make three balls and flatten into a burger shape.
Over medium heat, cook the burgers for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until browned.

I served this with a delicious white gravy from Tofu Mom. I added a pinch of garlic powder to the mix and then stirred in a few sauteed mushrooms and spooned over the burgers.

YUM!

Vegan MOFO VI: What's for lunch?

LUNCH (that Im in the middle of eating):





Tahini Tofu with mushrooms sauteed in EB and whole grain flax bread. The tofu recipe still needs some tweaking but good nonetheless. Dessert was Oatmeal Cookie Bites left over from last night.

Tahini Tofu*

1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 package (225g) medium firm tofu, cubed

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix together first four ingredients (I did this in a magic bullet).
Lay tofu out in a greased baking pan and pour over sauce. Turn to coat evenly.
Bake tofu for 12 minutes each side.
Turn on the broiler and bake another 5 minutes per side or until browned.

*Definitely still needs some work. Im thinking sprinkling with nutritional yeast before the broiling. There was something just.... lacking.


Oatmeal Cookie Bites

1/2 cup packed, pitted dates
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. agave nectar
pinch of both salt and cinnamon

Process all ingredients in a food processor and form into 8 equal sized balls.
(I put all of them in the freezer and let them thaw for a few minutes before eating but they'd be equally delicious unfrozen as well.)

Vegan MOFO VI: Inspired by HEAB, Veganized by Yours Truly

Do you remember grade school, when the teacher asked the class to tell about their favourite food? Remember the answer? Usually a unanimous "PIZZA"!!!

Pizza has been sounding pretty good lately. When I found this recipe on Heather Eats Almond Butter, I had to test it out. There were no measurements, just guidelines for this wonderful pizza treat and a few adjustments were in order. Goat cheese was called for. Certainly not vegan. But a few changes later and Vegan Pizza Bites were born.



Vegan Pizza Bites
adapted from HEAB

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups cornmeal mixed with 1 cup water
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil
2/3 cup daiya cheddar style cheeze
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
sprinkle of nutritional yeast on the tops

I followed the directions that she laid out with three changes. Firstly, I only cooked the polenta for no longer than 20 minutes. It calls for an hour of cooking time but the cornmeal started sticking to the bottom of the pan and it tasted done, so I took it off the burner to cool. The second change was that I baked them for 60 minutes rather than the 45 called for minutes. Its a good idea to just check them often, because it may just have been my oven. The last change was instead of 10 balls, I made mine into twelve, but whatever your preference, I just prefer them on the smaller side.

I served them with a jarred pasta sauce blended with some silken tofu (for extra protein!). I give this recipe a thumbs up! I'll definitely be making this again soon and I cant wait to have the left overs for lunch.

Vegan MOFO VI: Savoury Oats

Today, I stepped outside of the box. Despite already having had oatmeal for breakfast.. I ventured into a parallel universe and had savoury oats for dinner.

Its amazing how versatile this grain can be. Perfect with syrup, nut butters, dried fruits, cinnamon. But as Ive found out tonight, EQUALLY delicious with daiya, salt and pepper, and garlic, topped with veggies and a veggie burger.

I never thought Id see the day when I put (vegan) cheese in my oatmeal. Yet Im so glad I did!



LOOK OUT FOR: My grocery list! Coming in a few days by request.

Vegan MOFO VI: Soup

Who doesnt love soup?? I was looking for a quick lunch yesterday and this is what I threw together. I bought a miniature food processor two days ago at Zellers for 15$ and its perfect for single serving homemade soups.



Cream-less Carrot and Broccoli Soup

1/3 cup cooked carrots
1/4 cup cooked broccoli
1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup veggie broth
3/4 serving silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu brand light firm.)
1 tsp. nutritional yeast
pinch of each of the following: black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle pepper powder

Cook all ingredients over medium heat on the stove top and simmer for 5 minutes.
Let cool a bit, transfer to a food processor and process until smooth.
Transfer back into the pot and heat to desired temperature and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Vegan MOFO IV: Cashew Cream

DISCLAIMER: I apologize in advance for the terrible pictures!

I just recently delved into making homemade Cashew Milk. And when I stumbled across a recipe for Cashew Cream, considering how much I loved the milk, I figured Id give it a test run.

Cashew Cream
adapted from vegetariantimes.com

1/2 cup raw cashews
1tsp. vanilla flavoured agave nectar
1/2 packet stevia powder
pinch of salt (or to taste)

I followed the instructions... actually, rephrase. I didnt really follow the instructions at all. Haha. First of all, I used a food processor due to my lack of a Vitamix. I also soaked the nuts before hand and changed up the ingredients slightly.

I was expecting this to be more like whipping cream but it was a lot closer to heavy cream. The texture was gritty, which Im guessing is the result of a low quality processor. All in all, the flavour was wonderful but in the future, Id add the vanilla in the original recipe. Never the less, I added some to my morning oatmeal.



I still wasnt finished there, though. I wanted a cream. It needed to be thicker. I ended up tossing the mixture into a pot, adding a teaspoon of cornstarch, and gently heating it. What do you know, it thickened up beautifully. The texture was still not 100% smooth but the small addition of cornstarch made this a recipe I will surely be using again.

Vegan MOFO VI: Day 1

Happy November! Its the first day of Vegan MOFO and for today I have a quick fall inspired treat for all of you.



Pumpkin Pie Tartletts

16 vegan phyllo pastry mini tart shells
1/4 cup silken tofu
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
salt and sweetner to taste (I used stevia powder)

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake unfilled tart shells until golden brown and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine all ingredients except the tart shells.
Spoon about a half tablespoon of the mixture into each tart shell.

Quick and easy and equally delicious!