Vegan Shakshuka

Happy Valentine’s Day! Although every day can be a day of love, I really enjoy Valentine’s Day for really focusing in on love, and using that focus to find ways to show love. “Tom” and I like to celebrate V Day by planning and preparing a lovely dinner to share. Hearts are almost always involved as well as the colours red, white, pink. This year, we made Shakshuka! Shakshuka originates from North Africa and the Middle East and is a dish of spicy tomato sauce with eggs poached on top. To make this dish vegan, I used tofu in place of the eggs. And to make this dish vegan and Valentine, I cut the tofu into heart shapes!

Many Shakshuka recipes that use tofu in place of eggs just call for cutting the tofu into circles, placing them in the sauce and heating through. For me, this is not giving the tofu enough love! I have used my smoked tofu for the eggs substitute, but this year, I treated my tofu with some extra love. I cut my tofu into hearts, marinated them in a spicy, salty marinade for several hours, then baked the hearts before nestling them into the tomato sauce.

Here’s how I did it:

Vegan Shaksuka

For the Tofu:

1 block of organic tofu, pressed overnight

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp black salt (Kala Namak)

1 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsps water

1 tbsp tamari sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

For the sauce:

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 small zucchini, finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tsps smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp + chili flakes

3 fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

a jar of tomato sauce/strained tomatoes (I used about 400 ml)

Cut the pressed block of tofu in half lengthwise. Cut out circles or hearts using a cookie cutter. Mix the marinade ingredients together (from paprika to garlic powder) in a small zip-type freezer bag. Add the tofu to the marinade, gently shake so that the tofu is completely covered, then store the marinating tofu in the fridge for several hours, flipping the bag occasionally. Pour the tofu and remaining marinade onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flip the tofu, bake for another 15 minutes.

Heat a little oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, zucchini and red pepper and saute for several minutes. Add in the spices (paprika, cumin, chili flakes) and stir to thoroughly coat the vegetables with the spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, then let the sauce barely simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the sauce thicken up.

Place the baked tofu on top of the sauce, then warm through, either on the stovetop or in the oven. Serve in shallow bowls, as is, or sprinkle on some vegan feta cheese and a some diced avocado, with a salad on the side and/or some bread for dipping.

Smoked Tofu

I’m sure you noticed that, during this pandemic, there have been shortages of things in the stores. It started with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and masks. Then it went to food items such as chicken (so I’m told), flour, yeast, baking powder and … smoked tofu!

Apart from the toilet paper, I wasn’t very affected by the shortages – being a plant-based, whole foods eater, I wasn’t interested in chicken or white flour, and being a supporter of small green businesses, I had other ways to keep me and my surroundings clean other than Clorox and bleach. However, no smoked tofu? That’s when things got real for me!

I use smoked tofu for all kinds of things. I love it sliced on toast and in sandwiches. I like to cube it and put it in salads. It tastes good grated or cubed and used as a topping on chili or pasta sauces. It’s a great source of protein and is keto-friendly.

The most widely available brand of tofu available where I live is Soyganic Smoked Tofu:

Another favourite brand of mine, only available in the Kootenays, is Silver King:

The Soyganic is fine, the Silver King is delicious, but with neither on my local store shelves, I decided to make my own. I’ve now made several bricks of smoked tofu (since April 21) and don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner! My homemade version is so much tastier and is not difficult at all to make. It takes a couple of days, but most of that time is inactive time (pressing and marinating). Here’s how:

Smoked Tofu

1 block of extra firm organic tofu

4 tbsps Bragg All-Purpose Liquid Soy Seasoning

4 tbsps water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp neutral tasting vegetable oil (avocado oil works well

Press the tofu all day or over night.

• I wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel, then press it in a homemade tofu press. Or press the tofu under the weight of 2 or 3 big heavy books.

• even though the tofu is extra firm, I still press it to get as much water out as possible

Using a wooden skewer, poke holes all through the block of pressed tofu, from all sides.

In a shallow rectangular glass or metal container, mix together the marinade ingredients. Place the block of tofu in the marinade and press down gently to force the marinade up through the holes. Marinate, in the fridge, for several hours, then flip the block over, press gently, and continue to marinate. I marinate the tofu for 24 hours, flipping and basting a few times during this time.

Place the tofu in a glass baking dish and pour the leftover marinade over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Flip the tofu over, baste with the marinade in the the dish and bake for another 30 minutes. Take the tofu out of the oven and smear it through any leftover marinade in the baking dish, trying to coat all sides. Let cool before cutting. Store in the fridge in a covered glass container.

Keto-Friendly Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup that is keto-friendly?

Yep, I did it!

“Tom” is practicing keto now and we’re always looking for delicious new recipes that are, or can be made, keto-friendly.

I came across Tortilla Soup in Power Plates by Gena Hamshaw of https://www.thefullhelping.com/ and decided to try making it without the tortillas! I guess I can’t really call it Tortilla Soup anymore, but … 

Here’s my recipe:

(adapted from Tortilla Soup by Gena Hamshaw of The Full Helping blog)

Keto-Friendly Tortilla Soup

(makes about 4 or 5 servings and is amazingly delicious!)

1 tbsp avocado oil

1/2 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 red pepper, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1-398 ml can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 whole fresh tomatoes, skinned and diced

2 tbsps chipotle paste

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups chicken flavoured veg stock

Heat the oil, over a bit higher than medium heat, in a large pot. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add in the garlic, red pepper, zucchini and continue to heat and cook and stir for several minutes. Add in the fire-roasted tomatoes, the fresh tomatoes, the chipotle paste, the cumin, the coriander and the salt. Stir and heat everything together, then add in the veg stock. Cover the pot, bring to boil, stir, reduce heat and let gently simmer for half an hour. Stick an immersion blender into the soup and blend until mostly smooth with a few small bits left (or completely smooth is you prefer or not blended at all if you like a chunky soup.

We ate this served over roasted, charred broccoli, pan-fried mushrooms and spicy tofu crumbles, with diced avocado on top. I also sprinkled crumbled tortilla chips on top of my bowl of soup. You could also add in some smoked tofu cubes.

 

 

Vegan Keto – Part Three – Lunch & Supper

Okay, here are some recipes for the main meals. Each of these recipes makes at least three servings, if not four. “Tom” and I each eat a serving for supper, then pack and eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. When I’m dishing up the food, I portion out two servings for us to eat for supper, and two servings into lidded containers to take to work for lunch the next day. This way, I’ve always got something substantial and keto to eat.

As I got further along in my vegan keto diet, I found that I wasn’t as hungry. Even though these servings aren’t generous, they are adequate and I never feel like having a second helping.

Eating out while on this diet is difficult. It’s hard enough to find vegan items on a menu let alone vegan and keto! I’ve only eaten in a restaurant 2 or 3 times in the past 7 weeks. Each time, I actually ate a bit at home first, then, at the restaurant, I ordered the side order of seasonal vegetables and/or the cauliflower appetizer (be careful of non-keto breading) and/or a salad. I went to a Chinese restaurant once, and that was actually pretty good because I could order greens and tofu. Anyway, while you’re on this diet, it’s best just to eat at home!

Lunch/Supper

(I put these together because my lunch is usually leftovers from supper)!

Scrambled Tofu

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp black salt (kala namak) – this makes the tofu smell and taste a bit like eggs!

1 tbsp water

1-2 tbsps coconut oil

5 to 10 mushrooms, chopped

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 green onion, finely diced

1 block of medium-firm tofu, pressed for several hours, coarsely crumbled

2 handfuls of spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 avocado, cubed

Mix all the spices together in a bowl, then add the water and stir to make a slurry. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan. Once melted and hot, add the mushrooms and red pepper and saute until beginning to soften and release their juices. Stir in the green onion. Push the vegetables over the side of the pan, then add the crumbled tofu to the empty side of the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes, then pour on the spice mixture. Stir to coat the tofu, then stir the vegetables and tofu together. Add the spinach to the top, turn the heat down to medium or lower, put a lid on the pan and let the spinach wilt.

Serve the scrambled tofu with diced tomato and avocado and a side of steamed greens such as bok choy, collard greens, kale, or broccoli.

“Spaghetti” and No Meat Balls

1 spaghetti squash

avocado oil

1 tbsp+ coconut oil

a few slices of onion, diced

5 mushrooms, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/4 zucchini, diced

3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, skin removed, diced

1 tsp oregano

grinding of black pepper

small handful of fresh basil, minced

two large handfuls of spinach, chopped

Gardein Meatless Meatballs

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, brush a generous amount of avocado oil on the cut sides of the squash, place cut side down on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

In the meantime, melt the coconut oil in a frying pan, then add the onion, followed by the mushrooms, red pepper and zucchini. Saute these vegetables until soft, then stir in the diced tomatoes, the oregano, the black pepper, half of the basil and the spinach. Let simmer for a bit to develop flavour. Add in the no-meatballs and heat until the balls are heated through. Sprinkle on the remaining basil just before serving

Once the squash has cooled down a bit, scrape out the insides into a bowl. Divide the squash between three or four plates, depending on the size of the squash. (In our household, we divide the squash between two plates and one or two glass containers with lids to take for lunch). Spoon over the tomato sauce with 3 no-meatballs per serving.

You can serve this meal with steamed greens if you like.

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

avocado oil

coconut oil

1/4 onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

5-7 mushrooms, sliced

1/4 head of green cabbage or Napa cabbage, chopped

2 large handfuls spinach, coarsely chopped

small handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped

vegan feta cheese, store-bought or homemade

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, brush a generous amount of avocado oil on the cut sides of the squash, place cut side down on a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan, then add the onions followed by the red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables begin to soften. Add the cabbage and saute for a couple of minutes to soften the cabbage. Add in the spinach and basil, turn the heat down to medium-low, put a lid on the pan and let steam for a few minutes to wilt the spinach and basil. Remove the lid, stir everything together.

Scrape the squash into some bowls or onto some plates, then top with the sauteed vegetables. Sprinkle on the feta cheese. Salt to taste. Serve with steamed greens.

Greekish Salad

1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces

1 English cucumber, sliced length-wise into 1/4’s then chopped crossways

1 green onion, diced

10+ grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 bunch of black kale, leaves stripped off stem, ripped into bite-sized pieces, massaged with a good drizzle of avocado oil and a sprinkle of sea salt

large slice of green cabbage or 4 leaves Napa cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces

vegan feta cheese, store bought or homemade (my homemade tofu feta is in the salad in the picture – see recipe below)

fresh oregano, finely diced

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. There is no need to add a dressing as the oil from the kale plus the marinade from the vegan feta cheese does a nice job of dressing the entire salad. If you want more oil, you can drizzle some avocado oil over the tossed salad. You can also serve this with chopped avocado to add more healthy fat and to add some creaminess to the salad.

Tofu Feta

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps red wine vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp salt

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 block medium-firm tofu, pressed and crumbled

Gently whisk the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the crumbled tofu and mix well. Let marinate for the day or overnight.

Fajita Bowl with Cumin Cauliflower Rice

1 head of cauliflower, separated into small florets

1 1/2 tbsps coconut oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, diced

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tbsps coconut oil

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 portabello mushrooms, cut into strips

1/2 zucchini, cut into strips

large chunk of green cabbage or Napa cabbage, cut into strips

salt and pepper

1 avocado, cut into slices

1 tomato, chopped

salsa

mesquite or chipotle smoked salt, if available

Feed the cauliflower florets into a food processor and process until finely chopped and looking like bits of rice. You may need to do this in batches to process the entire head of cauliflower. In a large frying pan, melt and heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the cauliflower and stir until coated in the oil. Add the garlic and the green onion and the cumin and stir to combine. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, then turn the heat to low.

In another frying pan, melt and heat the second batch of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the red pepper, mushrooms and zucchini. Stir fry until the vegetables begin to soften and release their juices. Add in the cabbage and stir fry until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: put a large spoonful of cauliflower rice into each bowl, top with a large scoop of vegetables, add 1/2 an avocado to each serving, add 1/2 a chopped tomato to each serving, spoon in some of your favourite salsa, and sprinkle with some smoked salt. I often serve this with some barely steamed spinach.

Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

(no picture available at time of publishing – will try and add one next time I make this dish!)

1 head cauliflower, separated into small florets

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, diced

salt and pepper

lots and lots of vegetables of your choice cut into slices (mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, bok choy, etc.)

tofu – try my baked tofu cubes recipe or use siracha smoked tofu

wheat-free soy sauce or tamari

toasted sesame seeds or peanuts, coarsely chopped

Feed the cauliflower florets into a food processor and process until finely chopped and looking like bits of rice. You may need to do this in batches to process the entire head of cauliflower. In a large frying pan, melt and heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the cauliflower and stir until coated in the oil. Add the garlic and the green onion and the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Continue cooking for a few more minutes, then turn the heat to low.

In another frying pan or wok, melt and heat some more coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in the vegetables and stir fry until they are coated in oil and are soft. Add in the tofu cubes and heat through.

To serve, put a large spoonful of cauliflower rice into each bowl, top with a large scoop of the vegetables and tofu. Sprinkle on the soy/tamari sauce and some toasted sesame seeds or peanuts. If you don’t put it in the vegetable stir fry, serve some steamed bok choy with this dish.

Tofu Crumbles in a Mexi Bowl

Here’s a new recipe and idea that I’m adding onto this post. The recipe for the tofu crumbles is from Sam Turnbull of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-chorizo-tofu-crumbles/

I made broccoli-cauliflower rice, a stir-fry of onion, red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms, with a side salad of massaged kale and shredded Napa cabbage. I sprinkled the tofu crumbles on top. It was delicious, filling and fit the vegan-keto bill!

Other Ideas

• roasted turnips – toss in lots of oil and roast until soft, serve over cauliflower or broccoli rice

• broccoli rice – prepare the same way as cauliflower rice

• smoked tofu – cut into small cubes and add to anything

• tempeh – fry in coconut oil and add to a vegetable stir fry

• vegan cheese like feta or boursin or cream cheese spread on Romaine lettuce spears

Roast-Vegetable-Smoked-Tofu-Kale Pizza

When it comes to pizza time at a party, a dinner out, a staff luncheon, what do all you vegans out there do? I usually abstain or, occasionally, suck it up and eat a slice or two. At home, I just don’t have pizza. I’m not crazy about vegan cheese, either store-bought or homemade. The taste is not terrific and it’s too much fuss and bother to make “cheeze”. Then I read Sam Turnbull’s cookbook, Fuss-Free Vegan. She has a recipe called Life-Changing Mozzarella that she uses for pizza cheese and I thought I’d give it a try. The first pizza I made using this cheese was so-so, so the next time I made the cheese, I made some adjustments to the ingredients (I kind of combined her Life-Changing Mozzarella and her Nacho Cheese Love) and came out with a winner!

This is the mozza cheese. It’s made with tapioca starch which gives this cheese it’s thick and stretchy qualities.

The first pizza I made with this cheese was kind of traditional with a tomato sauce base, and I went for a Mediterranean style with basil, spinach, black olives. As I said above, it was okay. Then I decided to try again, adjusting the cheese recipe and omitting the tomato sauce base. This pizza was dee-licious!

Here’s how I made it:

Roast-Veg-Smoked-Tofu-Kale Pizza

(it takes about 90 minutes to make this pizza from start to finish using premade/store-bought pizza shells)

2 store-bought pizza shells of your choice (I used a store-made, thin-crust pizza shell from Save-On-Foods) – placed on pizza pans

Cheese

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked

• 1 cup water

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 3 tbsp tapioca starch*

• 2 tbsp sauerkraut (or 2 tbsp brine from a jar of green olives) – I used sauerkraut

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp paprika

• 3/4 to 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine and blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, then constantly for 3-5 minutes until thickened and smooth. Heat and stir for another 3-5 minutes at a slightly lower heat to make sure the tapioca starch is cooked.

Pour and spread the cheese on the pizza shells – you will use the entire recipe on two pizza.

Pizza Toppings

2 tomatoes, skin removed*, diced (I used some beautiful organic plum tomatoes I bought in Keremeos when I was passing through last week).

1/2 an onion, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 head cauliflower, separated into large florets then sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces or strips

1/2 fresh poblano pepper, cut into slightly smaller than bite-sized pieces

2 large cloves garlic, sliced

2/3 of a block of smoked tofu (I actually used smoked siracha tofu on this pizza), sliced and diced into bite-sized pieces

3 stalks of curly kale (or any kind of kale you prefer), washed and dried and torn into bite-sized pieces

avocado oil

coarse sea salt or Himalayan salt

Sprinkle the diced tomatoes onto the two pizza shells, evenly distributing them between the two shells.

Place the onion, cauliflower, bell pepper, poblano pepper and garlic into a large bowl. Pour in about a tbsp of oil. Toss the vegetables in the oil until evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the kale. Put the torn kale into a bowl, drizzle on a bit of oil, and sprinkle on some salt. Massage the oil and salt into the kale until the kale is soft and just starting to release some of it’s juice.

Pull the roast veg out of the over and add the smoked tofu to the pan, evenly spaced. Put the pan back into the oven and roast for another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the roast veg and tofu on the pizza shells, evenly distributing between the 2 shells and over each pizza.

Put the pizza pans in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms of shells begin to brown. Pull the pans out of the oven, sprinkle on the kale and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Let the pizzas rest and cool for 5 minutes, then slide out onto a cutting board and cut into slices.

*tapioca starch is readily available in a grocery store

*The best way to skin a tomato is to pour boiling water over it, let it sit for a couple of minutes, douse in cold water and peel. The skin usually slips right off.

 

Thai Noodle Soup

At my workplace, I participate in a Lunch Club. At the beginning of the school year, anyone who is interested signs up, with a partner, and commits to providing lunch for the rest of the participants. This year we have fourteen members and this works out to each partnership making lunch about 5 or 6 times a year. If it’s not your day to make lunch, then you are eating lunch someone else has provided. I really look forward to Thursdays (our Lunch Club day) because I don’t have to make lunch! I’m the only vegan in the club, but we also have a vegetarian and someone who doesn’t eat pork. This year’s crew have been really kind and conscientious and have always made sure that there are vegan options for me! This makes me really happy! Usually, when I attend something where lunch is provided, I have to find out ahead of time what the menu is. If a vegan option can’t be added, then I just bring my own. As I always say, “I don’t mind bringing my own lunch, I just need to know.” At my Lunch Club, I don’t even have to ask anymore. I can rely on my colleagues to consider all dietary wants and needs!

My Lunch Club partner and I don’t have to make lunch for another month, but we started talking about it this week. We decided to make Thai Noodle Soup. Now, I’ve never actually had this soup before, let alone made it, but my partner raved about it! Into a big bowl and onto a bed of rice noodles, a spicy broth infused with Thai flavours is ladled, then topped with a variety of tasty and textured toppings. Sounds great! Well, I decided I’d better give this soup a trial run before serving it up for a crowd of people, so I did some Pinterest research and made this Thai Noodle Soup last night for supper. Traditionally, this soup has lots of non-vegan things in it like fish sauce and chicken and meat broth, but I delved deeper into the offerings on Pinterest and found some vegan versions that I was able to combine and adapt until I came up with a recipe that satisfied me. Here it is:

Thai Noodle Soup

1/2 package rice noodles

2 tsps. coconut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp. of grated ginger

3 tsps. of minced garlic

2 tbsps. red curry paste *

2 tsps. curry powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 can organic light coconut milk

4 cups vegetable broth

about 6 heads of baby bok choy, chopped

2 tbsps. tamari

2 tbsps. coconut sugar

1 lime, 1/2 of it juiced, 1/2 of it cut into little wedges

1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

bean sprouts

Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Cashews (if you can get them!)

Put the rice noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Set aside for a few minutes, then toss and untangle with a fork or spaghetti scoop. Let sit until soft, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the ginger and the garlic and continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes. If the onion mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a tablespoon or two of water. Now add the red curry paste, the curry powder and the turmeric. Stir until mixed and coated. Pour in the coconut milk and the vegetable broth. Stir everything together. Bring the broth to a simmer, then add in the baby bok choy and lightly simmer for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat. Stir in the tamari and the coconut sugar and the lime juice. Heat through.

Divide the noodles among 4 big bowls (or two bowls and reserve the other two servings for tomorrow night’s supper). Ladle the broth into the bowls. Top each bowl with a handful of bean sprouts, a generous sprinkling of cilantro, a couple of lime wedges and a few cashews.

Serve with a knife, fork and spoon – “Tom” ate his noodles like spaghetti, rolling the noodles into a ball with a fork onto his spoon, and ate the soup with a spoon; I cut my noodles up with a knife and fork in the bowl, then ate noodles and broth with a spoon.

* check the ingredients on the package of red curry paste. Some have fish sauce and/or shrimp in the ingredients. Vegan paste is available and should be easy to find in a major grocery store.

Other toppings you could use: chopped green onion, small cubes of tofu, finely sliced green cabbage …

 

Savoury Brunch Dishes

This is a quick post to help me get back into blogging. I haven’t been able to find the time to write a post for this blog, but now that summer’s here, I may have more success. While waiting for a more substantial post, here’s one with a few of my favourite quick weekend brunch creations …

This one is my usual weekend breakfast bowl (https://mostlyveganfun.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/yummy-breakfast-bowl/), but I substituted some leftover roast vegetables and some steamed broccoli for the usual steamed spinach.

And this one, I whipped up this morning … I heated some leftover Gujarati Potatoes from yesterday’s breakfast (http://www.veganricha.com/2017/06/gujarati-potatoes-bateta-nu-shaak.html), with some leftover Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry from last night’s dinner out at Kaya Malay Bistro (http://www.kayamalay.com/), then I added a peeled, chopped up fresh tomato and 4 leaves of fresh spinach from my CSA box.

And this I made recently – a BLT sandwich. I made vegan bacon from tofu. I also like to use marinated baked tofu in this sandwich with a homemade spicy cashew mayonnaise, long, thin slices of cucumber, and crunchy leaves of Romaine lettuce.

That’s it for now! Talk to you soon!

Another Dinner Party – White Bean Salad and Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Pie

This summer saw a few dinner parties. I posted about the party “Tom” and I had here. The next dinner party was a casual bday celebration outside on some friends’ patio. It was a potluck – not in the literal sense where everyone brings whatever, and all guests take their chances on what food is available, but where the hosts provided the main course and the guests brought complementary food. Our hosts made Puttanesca sauce with pasta, so I thought I’d bring a salad. But what kind of salad goes with the strong flavours of Puttanesca sauce? Here’s what was recommended by Moira Hodgson in Oprah Magazine:

White Bean Salad

(adapted from Moira Hodgson)

3 cups cooked navy beans

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 large tomato, diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsps. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

1/2 tsp salt (or more)

sprinkling of black pepper

Gently toss the beans, bell pepper, onion and tomato together. Whisk the dressing ingredients together then pour over the beans. Gently mix together and let marinate in fridge for a couple of hours. Bring to room temperature to serve.

I also decided to bring a dessert. I have been making my chocolate mousse pie for some time now, but I wanted to add in another layer … literally another layer, but also another layer of flavour. I had some late season local strawberries in the fridge so I created this:

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Pie

(my own creation)

2 packages Oreo cookie type cookies

2 tbsps. coconut oil

1 recipe chocolate mousse

• 1 full package (200 grams) organic fair trade baking chocolate (I use Camino semi-sweet)

• 1 package silken tofu

• 1/2 cup almond milk

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla (liquid or powder)

• pinch sea salt

1 cup strawberries

1 tbsp. maple syrup

several strawberries cut in slices

Crumble 1/2 of the cookies in a blender, then transfer to a pie plate. Crumble the other 1/2 of the cookies in a blender with the coconut oil until well mixed. Mix the dry and oiled cookie crumbs together and press up the sides and into the bottom of the pie plate.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

Slip the tofu into a pot of boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes (helps get rid of any beany taste).

Put the tofu into the blender with the milk and blend until smooth. Add in the melted chocolate, vanilla and salt and blend for 2-3 minutes until very smooth. Pour the chocolate mousse into the pie plate on top of the cookie crumb base. Put in fridge for an hour or so until the mousse cools and firms up.

Put the cup of strawberries into a blender and blend until liquid. Add in the maple syrup and blend briefly. Ladle the strawberry puree onto the chocolate mousse, letting the puree spread on its own to the edges.

Top with sliced strawberries.

Chill in fridge for at least an hour. Serve straight from the fridge.

 

Ramen Noodles – Soup and Salad

Hey There! Look at this! I just found and bought an interesting package of Ramen noodles from, of all places, Costco. Check it out. Noodles made from rice and millet … gluten-free and actually good for you and no accompanying sachet of MSG!

As soon as I got home from the store, I had to make something with them. Soup, of course! Isn’t that what Ramen noodles were made for? Eaten with a spoon AND fork!

For this yummy bowl of goodness, I cooked the noodles up in some veg broth, then stirred in some chopped up leftover roasted vegetables I had on hand and the last of the grape tomatoes. I also added in some chopped green onions.

A week or so later, I had some marinated, baked tofu kicking around (I had planned on using it in some delicious sandwiches which I will tell you more about in another post, but I absent mindedly cut the tofu into cubes instead of slabs). And those noodles called my name again so I decided to make a tofu-noodle-roast-vegetable salad.

Here’s what I did:

3 “cakes” Ramen noodles

1 recipe of marinated baked tofu cubes

Dressing:

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup tamari sauce (or coconut soy-free seasoning sauce or Bragg All Purpose Liquid Soy Seasoning or a combination)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp. agave nectar

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 tsp chili flakes

Roasted Veg:

2 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 green cabbage, cut into wedges

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces

handful of shitake mushrooms, sliced in half

2 or 3 green onions, diced

handful of peanuts, chopped

Cook the Ramen noodles, in water or in broth. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

Stir all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Throw the chopped vegetables – carrots, pepper, cabbage, zuke – into a large bowl. Drizzle in a small amount of cooking oil. Toss the veg in the oil until lightly coated in oil. Arrange the vegetables in a roasting pan and roast the veg in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes then add the mushrooms and toss a bit with the other vegetables. Roast for another 10 minutes or so until vegetables are tender, but still juicy. Pull the pan out of the oven and let vegetables cool for a bit. Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Toss the vegetables with the Ramen noodles (you  may have to give the noodles another rinse and drain just before adding the vegetables). Add the tofu cubes and toss again. Pour in the dressing and toss one more time. That’s a lot of tossing, but as long as you do it gently, all will be well and the generous tossing allows you to get those noodles separated and spread out and mixed in with the other salad ingredients.

Serve topped with green onion and chopped peanuts. Yum!

 

Chocolate Mousse Pie

This is a recipe I use for special occasions like birthdays and Valentines Day. It is really easy to make, tastes fabulous, is vegan and there are always some leftovers so “Tom” and I can have a treat the next day. I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time, but was waiting for a special holiday or something to share it with the world. It seems, however, that I’m too busy making chocolate mousse pies and entertaining to write blog posts at special holiday times, so I’m going to post this recipe now when we’re kind of in between holidays. I guess Easter is coming up, so if you celebrate then or just have a couple of stat days to enjoy, maybe you could try out this pie.

Crust:

1 package vegan Oreo style cookies, crushed (I found a brand that was vegan and gluten-free in my local grocery store recently. I thought I took a picture of the package, but I can’t find it. Sorry! That’s not very helpful, is it?)

2 tbsps. coconut oil

Mix the cookie crumbs and the oil together with your hands. Press into the bottom of a pie plate. Refrigerate.

Filling:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate (vegan and organic)

1 package silken tofu

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch sea salt

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or, if you’re like me and don’t have a double boiler, melt the chocolate in a metal or pyrex bowl over a pot of hot water. Let cool a bit. Slip the tofu into a pot of boiling water and simmer for about 3 minutes (helps remove any beany taste), drain, let cool a bit in cold water. Blend together tofu, milk, vanilla and salt in a blender until smooth. Stream the melted chocolate into the blender while motor is running. Blend until well combined and smooth. Pour over the cookie crumb pie shell. Refrigerate about 4 hours.