VwaV Portabella Stroganoff

Click to read more and get the recipe on my Tumblr page!

Is That an Enchilada in Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Made these enchiladas the other night, and they made an ass-ton. They were good but not phenomenal, so I'm only going to half-assedly post the recipe here until I tweak it into perfection. They were definitely missing a green of some sort and also something a bit more stiff (twss?) to balance out the mushiness of the black beans, refried beans, and potatoes. I guess what I'm saying is, they could be improved. So take this recipe and have your way with it.

Ingredients:
About 7 small/medium potatoes, diced
One large can of black beans, drained
Two small cans of vegan refried beans
Two small cans of enchilada sauce
One nice big bag of daiya cheddar cheese
About 12 tortillas
Sliced black olives (optional)

What to do:
Preheat oven to about 425F. Toss the diced potatoes with some olive oil and seasonings of choice, in my case garlic powder and chili powder, and spread over large a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake until tender and browned (between 20 and 30 minutes) but don't overbake since they'll be getting another round of cookery.

Spread enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of two 9x13 baking pans. Once potatoes are cooked, remove from oven. Take a tortilla, smear a healthy spoonful or two of refried beans down the center of it and toss a generous amount of black beans and potatoes on top. Drizzle a tiny bit of enchilada sauce inside. Roll up and place in pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Distribute the rest of your enchilada sauce among both pans, pouring it over your rolled up tortillas so that they are completely coated. Distribute the cheese evenly over the tortillas in both pans.

Cover pans with foil and cook in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove foil, toss your diced olives over the contents of both pans, and cook for about ten minutes more, until sauce is bubbly.

Garnish with cilantro or lettuce or salsa or whatever the heck else you can think of.

Ponder adding some greens next time.

Gnocchi of Guilt

So two posts in a week. AM I BLOWING YOUR MIND OR WHAT?!?

And it's actually a RECIPE POST!!!! *scraping chunks of your cerebrum off your blinds*

So yes: I am still getting a subscription to Vegetarian Times even though I make fun of it incessantly. And yes: I'm still cooking shit from it although I was a frequent complainer about the tepidness of their recipes. And yes: shock of shocks, I've been finding a string of good food in there as of late. So maybe they're not as hopeless as I'd thought (although again: you really COULD easily post vegan alternatives for many of your recipes, veg times, if you only took the time to add in an "or agave nectar" or "or vegan margarine" etc, but I WON'T GO THERE AGAIN because you've been doing good with the recipes so *deep cleansing breath*).

Anyways, last week I made the Gnocchi with Chickpeas and Seared Broccoli Raab on p. 36 of the Sept. 2010 issue, and DAMN was it good.

I DID end up having to sub in spinach for the broccoli raab though because a) I wasn't sure what broccoli raab even LOOKED like, so I spent like 20 minutes peering closely at various vegetables that looked SUSPICIOUSLY like they could be a raab but then were just, say, kale or something (still not sure what exactly it looks like), and because b) I had THIS conversation with the dude in the produce department:

ME: Excuse me. You don't happen to know if you guys carry broccoli raab, do you?

DUDE: [blank stare]

ME: Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. I'm not exactly sure what it looks like, so I can't tell if you have it and I'm just not seeing it or what.

DUDE: Broccoli, you say? We carry broccoli. [pointing at broccoli]

ME: Well, no. Broccoli RAAB. Apparently it's different?

DUDE: (looking puzzled and then getting excited and looking like he's had a sudden epiphany) Wait! Do you mean broccoli FLOR-ETS? [here he pronounces florets for me as though I am deeply mentally challenged and incapable of realizing that "raab" is actually pronounced "florets"--he points again at the broccoli]

ME: Um, nevermind.

So needless to say: substitution. That being said, it was a goddamn good substitution and I recommend it in case you are unable to locate broccoli raab (pronounced "florets"). Granted, you can't so much "sear" it, but it's still tasty.

And the recipe's super easy.

And it's got a lovely kind of flowery aromatic lushness to it that will make your tastebuds happy, namely due to the inclusion of reserved sundried tomato oil (so don't skimp and use olive oil or something).

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the dish, so instead, I give you a picture of my guilt:



INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz. (1/2 package) gnocchi, such as Gia Russa)


• 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and quartered, 2 T. oil reserved


• 1/2 c. reserved cooking water


• 1/2 onion thinly sliced


• 1 small bunch broccoli raab, stems trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces (4 cups) OR 4 cups baby spinach, rinsed and destemmed


• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS

• Cook gnocchi according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.


• Heat reserved sun-dried tomato oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until beginning to brown. If using broccoli raab: increase heat to high and stir in broccoli raab. Cook 2 to 3 mins until it begins to wilt. If using spinach, well, actually: pretty much the same damn thing, so nevermind.


• Add sun-dried tomatoes, cooked gnocchi, and chickpeas and cook 2 to 3 mins more or until gnocchi begins to brown. Stir in reserved cooking water and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

(Recipe from Vegetarian Times, Sept. 2010, p. 36)

Let's Talk About Gas

Let's talk about gas, baby.
Let's talk about you and me.
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be.
Let's talk about gas.
Let's talk about gas!



That, my friends, is my ode to lunches this week.

I've chowed on something bean-related EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

First it was E's chili (recipe to follow). And then it was the mexican pizza I posted yesterday.

Which has left my afternoons full of churning stomach rumbles.

LET'S TALK ABOUT GAS!

Nonetheless, E's chili is a good one (and holy crap simple). And he gave me permission to post it (thanks, E!), so I shall.

The key, and I cannot emphasize this enough, is the rosemary.

It does something magical. So don't make it without. You hear me? I will HUNT YOU DOWN AND BREAK YOUR KNEES if you do.

Just saying.


E'S SPECIAL CHILI



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag veggie crumbles (Boca; Morningstar stupid deveganized theirs, the bastards)


• 2 sm. cans red kidney beans


• 2 sm. cans chopped tomatoes with mild chili peppers


• 1 jalapeno pepper


• 1/2 medium yellow onion


• Couple of dashes of crushed rosemary


• 1 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Chop the jalapeno and onion into tiny dice.

In a large pan or pot, heat your oil on low and add the onion and jalapeno. Cook until onion is translucent.

Add rosemary and cook for about 30 seconds more, until rosemary is fragrant.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Heat to simmer.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Pizza Dough of Lurve

You know how we all sort of hope in our hearts that that certain someone will come along that will make us think, You complete me. Well, this pizza crust is that certain someone.

1. No kneading. And if you've been reading this blog for more than 5 minutes, you already know how much I LOVE kneading. Cliff's note version: Kneading, you do NOT complete me.



2. It takes a total of about 15 minutes to have this crust ready to pop in the oven. And as someone who typically comes home from work hungry enough to start devouring couches and small babies, this is important (especially to couches and small babies).



3. It's really really good. Granted, the first time I made it, it BLEW MY EFFING MIND with how fluffy and delish it was, and it hasn't quite managed to live up to that state of orgiastic amazingness since. But even so: I've made it four times already. And every time I've enjoyed it. (I think the key to getting it fluffy may be -1- getting the water temperature correct, and -2- adding extra flour (the first time I added quite a bit more flour just because the dough was so tacky, and that's when it came out the best). I think I just parenthesized excessively, so let's toss in one extra end-parenthesis to make sure we close them all out.)



4. After we made sweet love it -1- didn't fall asleep immediately, and -2- didn't go turn on the tv. It actually SNUGGLED. (Sike!)

As for variations on toppings: my standard go-to toppings are either pizza sauce or pesto sauce plus chopped kalamata olives and lightly-cooked sliced mushrooms and green peppers:





I also experimented with a mexican pizza (based on THIS Everybody Likes Sandwiches recipe as well), and for that, I first cooked the pizza for 10 minutes and then topped it with 1 small can of refried beans and some of the cheezy sauce from Veganomicon (which I actually think I could've just as easily left out since it didn't do much for it), popped it back in the oven for 15 more minutes, removed, and added salsa, sliced olives, and chipotle sour cream. This was AWESOME as well, and surprisingly filling (normally I eat half a pizza, but I could only eat three slices):





So yeah: TRY IT OUT I DARE YOU. Just don't get your current significant others pissed off at me when you DO fall deeply in love.



The Easiest Pizza Dough in the World

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 packet of yeast


• 1 c. warm water


• 2-1/2 c. flour


• 1 t. agave nectar (or 2 t. sugar; I recommend the agave though cuz MAN does it make the crust taste lovely)


• 1 t. salt


• 2 T. olive oil


• 2 T. fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)


• cornmeal

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, add in the yeast and warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour, salt, agave (or sugar), rosemary (if using), and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon vigorously until combined. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Either sprinkle cornmeal onto a walled baking sheet and press dough into it until thin
-OR-
Sprinkle flour on your counter and roll out the pizza dough. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone and toss the dough on top. Spread olive oil over top (optional), and add all your toppings.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until pizza crust is golden and toppings are heated through.

(from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

Yes, I'm Lazy, But I'm Also Awesome and Have a Fairly Decent Rack, So Suck It

See, what starts happening is that I bust out ye ol' laziness, don't post regularly, food p0rn accumulates (stuffed under the mattress so your mom won't find it), and then I can't remember what the recipe was for the pic, and if it was at all good or not, or if it made me throw up chunky sparkles and rainbows for three days.

Like this cream of broccoli soup: I just looked through about 5 broccoli soup recipes I bookmarked, and I *think* this is the one I used, though I can't be certain.

Rainy Day Cream of Broccoli Soup



Vagueries: This one I *do* remember liking. I remember thinking that it reminded me of college, where I used to buy broccoli cheese soup and then plain noodles from the pasta bar and then dump the broccoli soup over the pasta and have broccoli-cheese pasta. *Sigh* The good ol' days.


This one I had to stare at for a little while to figure out wtf it was. And as senility momentarily slipped away, I realized that I think it was this Beer Pie (fuck Guinness), which I made one day with a bunch of substitutions.


"Fuck Guinness, I'll Use VEGAN Beer" Pie



Vagueries: I do remember that I was excited to find out that Pepperidge Farm (I think) puff pastries were vegan, so I decided to try using those on top instead of the crust recipe. I also didn't use the seitan log recipe--I think maybe I subbed in the packaged shit? Which probably ultimately explains why I *do* remember thinking that this recipe made WAY too little food, and that I could've probably eaten the whole thing in one sitting if I wouldn't have been disgusted with myself for doing so. It LOOKED pretty though.


Here, I tried to make my own Southern Fried Vegetarian "Chicken," and upon doing so, I realized my friend P has a special knack with it 'cause mine didn't come out NEARLY as good as hers did when she made it. Mine: Kind of doughy, and super-greasy. Actually, this whole meal sucked, that I do remember. In the back there are the lemony roasted potatoes from Veganomicon which I actually really like but this time came out inexplicably gross. So the long and short is: if I want Southern Fried "Chicken" again at some point, I'm batting my eyelashes gratuitously at Ms. P and maybe flashing a little nip.


Southern Fried Vegetarian "Chicken"



This one I think was Chipotle Split-Pea soup, and honestly, I feel like I was surprised at liking it for some reason, but that I did. But if my life was at stake in saying that, I must admit, I can't be positive.


Chipotle Split-Pea Soup



This, on the other hand, I *DO* remember, as it was THE most beautiful cupcake I've ever seen. I wish the camera had captured how vivacious the red was on this cupcake--I literally kept pausing while eating it just to stare at how lovely the color was--but it didn't. Nonetheless, I got it at Nature's Bin and haven't seen them there since. Obviously, it's a red velvet cupcake, and just thinking about it has got me all teary-eyed. Please excuse me. *sob*





This I think was the eggplant something-something from Vegan Planet. I remember thinking, Oh yay, a vegan eggplant parmigiana recipe!! when I decided to make it, and then suddenly realizing, Hey, wait a minute! The recipe doesn't even bread the eggplant!!! What the hell was I thinking! But now I'm not even 100% certain that's where it came from. I remember I was underwhelmed by the recipe though, but I *did* like the gomashio recipe that accompanied it. (Which is why I feel like it probably WAS from Vegan Planet since every time I make something out of that cookbook, I find myself extremely underwhelmed. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way too??)

From Vegan Planet, I think



And finally--at least for the time being--I made this fettucine dish.


Fettucine with Sausage, Basil, and Sundried Tomatoes



Vagueries: I left the fennel out of this since I knew the "sausages" I bought were plenty spicy/fennely, and I can only take so much of the stuff without feeling like I'm sucking on a big pasta-y rope of black licorice. Other than that though, I remember liking the recipe. Perhaps not being blown away by it, but I definitely think it was decent.



And that catches me up through mid-April! *Stuffing my food p0rn back under the mattress for now*

Stay tuned for more lazy catch-up!

World's Easiest Vegan Cream-Cheezy Veggie Pizza

My mom used to often make the non-vegan version of this pizza for picnics and gatherings when we were little, so it definitely has a nostalgia-value to it. Which is why I was so pleased to realize that it's so easily vegan-izable.

This was the definite crowd-pleaser of the party. It's very rich and filling, so a small slice or two is plenty as a munchie.



INGREDIENTS:

• Two tubes Pillsbury Crescent Rolls


• One 8 oz. tub of vegan cream cheez


• 1/2 c. vegan mayo


• One pack of some sort of ranch/veggie-dip seasoning (I used Veggie Weggie Dip Mix)


• 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. of the following veggies (feel free to add or subtract--musts, in my opinion though, are cauliflower and black olives):
  Black olives, sliced
  Cauliflower, diced small
  Shrooms, sliced
  Broccoli, diced small
  Green peppers, diced or sliced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375-F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll your crescent rolls down the pan, trying not to separate at the perforations. Once you've filled the pan length-wise, tear off the extra dough and fill it up width-wise. With two tubes, you should have slightly in excess of a large pan. Once the pan is filled, press down the dough where the perforations are to seal everything together.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes (or until crust is a golden color on both top and bottom). Remove from oven and let cool.

In the meantime, combine your cream cheez, mayo, and seasoning. Whisk together until combined.

Once crust is cool, spread your cream cheez mix across the top of it until it's all used.

Top with your raw veggies.

Slice and serve.

(Makes about 16 or so small--but rich--slices)





PS. CONTEST-WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK! I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN!!! =)

White Bean Alfredo Sauce

Ok. So I'm a big fan of alfredo sauce. Actually, I'm a big fan of pasta in general, and alfredo has always been one of my favorite sauces. So I'm always trying out new alfredo sauces. (Click HERE for others.) The VwaV Fettucine Alfreda is one of my favorites still, but with the admission that it doesn't really taste like ALFREDO per se, despite the fact that it's fricking so good.

So when I noticed this white bean alfredo sauce a few weeks ago, I was skeptical (that's ALL the ingredients?!?) and yet interested. I scrounged it up this past weekend, and I've gotta confess: it really tastes surprisingly like alfredo sauce, even with the very minimal amount of ingredients.

And it takes so little time to make that it seems conceivable that it could cause a tear in the space-time continuum just for existing.

The nice part too is you can funk it up whatever way you'd like: add whatever spices and top it with delicious grilled veggies (like red peppers and portabellas, for example).

The ONLYONLYONLY down-side to the recipe is that you have to eat it fast: like most pureed bean-based dishes, once it starts to cool, it coagulates. So if you're trying to be all romantical with your significant other or something so that you can get some long overdue action, you will DEFINITELY get laid as long as you somehow get them to EAT IT QUICKLY (that's what she said).

Oh, and it would behoove you to food process the SHIT out of those beans, because the smooth consistency is key to the recipe's success. Plus you don't want the aforementioned significant other putting their mouth all over your sexy places with beans stuck in their teeth.

Moodkiller if I've ever seen one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 c. vegan margarine


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 c. cooked white beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 to 1-1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk (I used sweetened and it works fine too)


• Salt and pepper, to taste


• Parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a sautee pan over low heat, melt the margarine. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the margarine mixture to a blender or food processor, add the white beans and 1 cup of soy milk. Blend until completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining soy milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Pour the sauce back into the pan over low heat, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs, such as parsley, if desired. Cook until the sauce is warm.

Makes enough sauce for like 4 to 6 servings maybe?

(Recipe from Vegcooking Blog)

Some Southern Fried P

Seriously ridiculous:

I've had that song "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" song from The Sound of Music stuck in my head for DAYS. *stifled scream*




But anyways...

So my friend P rocks, and for a while (namely during the warmer weather), she'd frequently have me over for dinner. (You can check out a couple of the things she's cooked in the past both HERE and HERE.) She's also the creator of the WICKED-MAD vagina dentata cake I posted a while back:



Anywho, to my great pleasure, she invited me over for dinner again this past Monday. She had made a batch of seitan over the weekend and wanted to use it for some sort of dish. What she settled on was a "Southern Fried Vegetarian 'Chicken'" recipe that she'd stumbled across on the interwebs.

And holy crap am I glad she DID stumble across this recipe, as it is FINGER LICKING GOOD, for sure.

Her seitan was plump and moist, real nice and juicy and a great consistency that I have somehow not yet managed to match with my own.

And the batter & breading: holy mother, so good. It LOOKS remarkably chickenish, and the flavor has fantastically yum undertones of mustard:

I liked this so much that I've been thinking about it off and on since Monday and pondering when I should tackle making a batch myself.

Soon, for sure.

And not only is P a fantastic cook, she also has mad vintage style--I'm always admiring her kitchenware/decorations/crafts every time I'm at her place, so I figured I must must must share with you what she got me for my b-day (it's kitchen-related!):



Using her mad-vintage-style radar, she managed to hone in on these lovely cloth napkins that match the avocado-green of my kitchen:



this freakishly gorgeous (and retro) trivet:



and this pineapple decoration/towel/decoration (which matches both the avocado green of my kitchen and the handtowel hanging next to it at home):



So yes: I just have to gloat and say how wonderful it is to have such lovely friends as Ms. P.

Now if only I could get her to marry me, that way I can have her barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen on a daily basis, apron tight around her bulging waste as she whisks up some pancakes in one of her bright pyrex bowls and gives me a peck as I grumble off to work to bring home the (veg) bacon... well... that would just be a dream come true.

Southern Fried Vegetarian "Chicken"

                                       from Recipezaar

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 t. salt or seasoning salt


• 1 t. onion powder


• 1 t. garlic powder


• 1 t. black pepper


• 1 dash cayenne (optional)


• 1-1/2 c. flour


• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast


• 1/4 c. prepared mustard (from my nosey viewpoint, I can tell you that she used some Dijon and some yellow, I believe)


• 2 T. baking powder


• 1/2 c. water


• 1 lb seitan, cut into 1-2-inch square pieces


• oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium to large bowl, mix together the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, flour, black pepper, cayenne and nutritional yeast.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mustard and water. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and combine well.
Add baking powder to the flour mixture and combine well.

Coat pieces of seitan or mock chicken with the mustard batter, then coat each piece with the dry flour mixture.

Fry chunks of "chicken" in the oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes, turning once until golden brown.

Drain on a paper towel, serve with ketchup or barbeque sauce and enjoy! (I say leave it unadorned. That's how good it is--the Ketchup Freak Extraordinaire loved it sans condiments.)

Tip: If your chunks are turning brown or black rather than a crispy golden brown, your oil is probably too hot! Reduce the heat a small amount and try again.

(Recipe from Recipezaar)

Gastronomics and Intestinal Godzillas!!

                                       from A Vegan for Dinner


Yeah, so gluten makes me a fart-factory. OMG yes.

And I don't actually think I'm ALLERGIC to it. 'Cause I'm fine with foods with flour and stuff in them.

It's just recipes I make with vital wheat gluten.

I swear to you, within five minutes of the food hitting my stomach, it starts making THE loudest noises ever. And physically, it feels like a small version of Godzilla is stomping around down there.

Case in point were these "meat"balls.

Holy mother of intestinal distress!

They were like flatulence bombs, like if I fed them to others, I'd immediately be arrested for committing an act of terrorism.

But crap, were they yummy.

Now, things:

I didn't 100% stick to the recipe, 'cause vegan Worcestershire sauce and chicken/beef vegan bouillons are my archnemeses (archnemesises?). They are a pain in the butt to track down, so basically, I pretend they don't exist. I have MADE vegan worc sauce before (from a recipe from like Garden of Vegan or something), but it seems so elaborate for something that, when it comes down to it, sorta just tastes like soy sauce anyways.

So yeah: that.

Also, I wasn't sure if "bouillon" meant "dried bouillon" or "wet broth." And as I'm writing this, I realize it's probably the former, otherwise it would just say "broth." But WHATEVER. Sue me.

Other things: I subbed in 2-eggs worth of egg-replacer (prepared according to the box's directions) for the flax-seed mix.

And I think that was it. (I think I tossed in some oregano too, but BFD really.)

End result: I think I need to tweak my version of this recipe a wee bit (the "beef" broth probably WOULD help in that regard) just to get a more meatbally tasting meatball. But what I really liked about these was that: a) They actually have the consistency of meatballs! Meaning: they stay together and don't crumble if anything heavier than, say, a feather brushes up against them. *COUstupidveganomiconbeanballsGH*. And b) they even stood up against the imminent sogginess that Tracy warns about--I *DID* heat up leftovers IN sauce and let them sit, and they STILL were uncrumbly.

So: way to rock the "meat"ball, Tracy!

I mean, look at how goddamn firm and photogenic they are! For pete's sake!

They're like the Christie Brinkley of the "meat"ball world:



So yeah: I recommend them.

They would make for a nice, firm "meat"ball sub for sure. And they're real good over spaghetti. Plus, they make an assload.

I've put my changes in parenthesis, but I suspect you'd be better off following the original if possible (at least seasoning/bouillon-wise--the egg sub should be fine).

But try them out! Just don't sue me for intestinal terrorism if you do!



TVP MEATBALLS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. hot water


• 1 t. vegan Worcestershire Sauce (I subbed extra soy sauce)


• 1-1/2 T. ketchup


• 2 T. Soy Sauce


• 2 T. beefy vegan bouillon (or I used a half-cube of veg bouillon tossed in with the hot water above)


• 1 t. onion powder


• 1 t. garlic powder


• 1/2 t/ black pepper


• 3/4 t. paprika


• 1/2 t. thyme


• 3/4 c. TVP crumbles


• 1 T. ground flax + 3 T. water (or egg-replacer prepared to make two "eggs")


• 2 T. cornmeal


• 1/2 c. rolled oats


• 3/4 c. breadcrumbs


• 2 T. flour


• 3 T. vital wheat gluten flour

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, toss in all the ingredients up until the TVP crumbles. Stir.

Once combined, add in your TVP crumbles. Let sit until cool.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together the flax and 3 T. water (or prep your egg replacer). Beat with a fork, then lit sit until it begins to gel. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, toss in all the remaining ingredients. Once your TVP mix cools, stir it in as well and add the "egg" mixture of choice.

Knead dough into a solid ball.

Shape into 32 "meatballs" and fry in oil until brown. Alternately, you can bake on an oiled pan at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (I did the latter of the two.)

Use as you would any other meatball, like spaghetti or sweet and sour sauce. Do not allow the meatballs to sit in the sauce for an extended period of time; add close to the end of the cooking period, just long enough to heat thoroughly.

(Original recipe from A Vegan for Dinner)

Not Really Ultimate Vegan Lasagna

                                       from Veg Times

The most recent issue of the Veg Times had an ASSLOAD of tasty-sounding recipes, so I've kind of been whoring it up on the VT front. (I posted one last week I think, and I have another one in the queue. The queue being MY BRAIN.)

Anyways, the recipe I was most looking forward to trying was their Ultimate Vegan Lasagna. It called for vegan Italian sausage links, which sounded f-ing delish. The "ricotta cheez" recipe sounded boss (I'm having a 1980s moment--please excuse). And the sauce was roasted red pepper-based which sounded yum.

But when all was said and done, I wasn't sure whether to be angry at this recipe or embrace it and grab its ass for a wee little squeeze.

Anger:

1. There is NO way the amount of sauce the recipe calls for can cover a whole lasagna. NO MOTHERF-ING WAY. Allegedly, the sauce recipe makes 5.5 cups. And I'd like to believe that. Really I would. But there's no way.
   
   Fallacies: a) This sauce calls for two small onions. But then they say in parenthesis (2 cups). Now, if two of VT's small onions = 2 cups, then MOTHER OF GOD, I can only imagine what their large onions look like: Beachballs. Blimps. Small planets. And perhaps this partially accounts for the dryness of the lasagna, but b) giving this the benefit of the doubt that it DID make 5.5 cups, I'm STILL not sure that's enough for a whole lasagna. Consequently, this lasagna was extremely dry, especially as leftovers. My mom said she liked it that way, that it was nice to not have a sauce that was overpowering 'cause it let the other flavors shine through. Then again: it WAS my mom saying this, so although I don't doubt she liked it, I think I could poop on a saltine and she'd probably STILL give it a thumb's up. 'Cause she's my mom. But to me: incredibly dry. And maybe I'm a cracked-out sauce whore. (That IS a possibility.) But look at how dry it is in my pic. And if you can, check out the pic in the Veg Times. Entirely different sauce-fest.


2. Regardless of whether or not this actually made 5.5 cups as it alleges (I'm gonna assume that it did): this is STILL not enough sauce to allow for you to not precook your noodles. You want to know how long this lasagna cooked before the noodles were remotely soft? At least an hour and a half. And that included me bumping up the temp of the oven to 425-degrees after the first 30 minutes. And it was supposed to take only 45 to 50 minutes at 375. FALSE! In order for that to actually have taken place, you need an OCEAN of sauce, my friends.


3. I wasn't really bowled over by the inclusion of vegan Italian sausages in all this. Which was kind of disappointing since it was one of the things that attracted me to the recipe in the first place.

BUT!

Ass-grabbingness:

1. This ricotta cheez recipe is the BOMB (1980s moment #2). Seriously. I haven't made a ton of fake ricottas, but this puts the ones I HAVE made to shame. And no doubt it's the inclusion of vegan cream cheez. It gives it a weird, sour, cloud-likeness that is weirdly reminiscent of ricotta in both flavor and consistency in a way that, say, the VwaV ricotta cheez recipe does not quite capture.

So, my conclusion: I don't know that I'd ever make this recipe again. Even if I DID whip up extra sauce, I don't think it was worth the cost (which is pretty hefty, seeing as you need to buy two cubes of tofu, a tub of vegan cream cheez, AND vegan Italian sausages, which is at LEAST $10 or so, and that's not including the ingredients for the sauce, the noodles, etc.) because really, there isn't anything mind-blowing about this lasagna. EXCEPT for the tofu ricotta.

Toss the rest of the recipe and steal that, my peeps. And start using it wildly, crazily, and all over the place.

You will not be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING:

• 2 t. olive oil


• 2 medium onions, chopped (2 c.)


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach


• 2 12-oz. pkgs. firm tofu, drained


• 1 8-oz pkg. vegan cream cheese


• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil


• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast

SAUCE:

• 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained


• 1 T. olive oil


• 2 small onions, diced (2 c.)


• 2 T. dried basil (or 3. T. finely chopped fresh)


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 28-oz can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

LASAGNA:

• 12 uncooked whole-wheat (or regular) lasagna noodles


• 12-oz vegan italian sausage links, cut into thin rounds, or soy sausage crumbles, broken apart


• 1 c. shredded vegan mozzarella cheez (I actually didn't have this, so I made a quick white-sauce that I poured over the top)

DIRECTIONS

FILLING:

Preheat oven to 375-F. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic in oil 4 to 5 mins or until golden. Add spinach and cook 2-3 mins or until wilted. Transfer spinach/onion/garlic mixture to food processor. Add tofu, cream cheez, basil, and nutritional yeast. Puree until mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

SAUCE:

Puree roasted red peppers in food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and saute 5 mins or until golden. Add basil and garlic, and saute 1 min more. Stir in tomatoes and roasted red pepper-puree. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Simmer 10 mins or until slightly thickened.

LASAGNA ASSEMBLY:

Spread 1/4 of sauce on bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of noodles, then half of filling, and ladle on another 1/4 of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with 1/4 of sauce. Finish with a final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheez.

Cover lasagna with foil, and bake 30 mins or until bubbling hot.

Uncover, and bake 15-20 mins more, or until noodles are tender (which in my case was about 60 more mins with the temp bumped up to 425-F) and topping is melted.

Remove from oven and let stand 10 mins before serving.

Serves 8-12

(Recipe from February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times)

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

                                       from Bok Choy Bohemia


So apparently the key to making things taste bloody is:

a) Hickory smoke flavoring; and

b) Red wine.

At least I think that combo makes things taste bloody. (And by bloody, I mean steak-like. And by steak-like, I mean meaty. And by meaty, I mean bloody.) It's been a long long LONG time since I've had blood. Or steak. Or meat. Or blood. But let me tell you, some red wine mixed in with hickory-smoke flavoring DEFINITELY lent this shepherd's pie a surprising meatiness.

Granted, when I took a bite and said out loud: Wow, this is surprisingly meaty in flavor! N-A did not in fact chime in. Which means the 12+ years since meat last sat on my tongue has clearly demolished any memory I have of the flavor of meat. However, N-A did say it was damn tasty. So there you go.

If you want bloody, stab your finger and lick. If you want the delusional long-term veg*an memory of blood, then join me in this shepherd's pie, won't you?

(Sidenote: Seriously--I highly recommend trying out this flavor combo out in a seitan recipe or two. I think it'll be brilliant. When you do, get back to me and let me know. Vicarious trial & error: that's what I'm all about.)

Oh, and ps. For once, I'm actually gonna flip my love of the salty-sweet combo on its head and say that--though I loved this recipe--I actually probably would've used regular potatoes in it, as the sweetness doesn't lend much and I think salty-salty would've ROCKED OUT.

PPSS. And if you didn't guess it, my main incentive for making this was to throw N-A into a state of Bac-O confusion since it already HAS Bac-os in it, so I was like, Take that, motherfucker. NOW what you gonna do now that I've taken your Bac-O revolution away?!?! BLAM!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large yams, peeled and cubed


• 1 c. frozen peas


• 1 medium onion, minced


• 5 large mushrooms, minced


• 1 t. liquid smoke


• 1/4 c. red wine (I think I used a pinot something--"that's what she said!")


• 2 c. TVP


• 2 c. vegetable stock


• 2 T. Bac-Uns


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 t. garlic salt


• Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel yams, cube, and boil until soft. Add Salt and Pepper, and mash.

Combine the stock, wine, and liquid smoke, and stir in TVP to reconstitute.

In a large skillet, add olive oil, garlic, onion, and spices. Cook until onions are just becoming translucent,and add mushrooms. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the TVP with liquids, and the peas. Simmer until everything has reduced and resembles ground beef.

Grease a large casserole dish. Coat the bottom with the TVP/Vegetable mixture, and layer the mashed sweet potatoes over that.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Serves 4-6.

(Recipe from Bok Choy Bohemia)

Porcini Mushroom Stroganoff

                                       from The Candle Cafe Cookbook

It is currently 14-degrees. I am indoors. It is lightly snowing outdoors. I am listening to weird Radiohead covers. And I'm worrying about the damn outdoor stray that I built my cat shelter for.

I bumped into him yesterday when I got home from dinner with a friend. He was sitting in the snow. It was freezing.

I gave him some more food.

And then he did something out of the ordinary: he let me pet him all sorts of crazy. Normally, he'll barely let me touch his head, but this time he was GUNG-HO.

Which made me feel bad. Because I thought: he's probably being super-affectionate in the hope that I'll let him indoors with me.

So I fretted. And I tried to coax him into the cat shelter (which he doesn't seem to have used this past week). And I came back out and tried to coax him into a cat carrier (I figured since he wasn't being skittish, perhaps I could finally coerce him to come live with my mum, but no luck). And I pet him. And I lectured him about getting somewhere warm and STAYING there instead of sitting in the snow. When I tried again to coerce him into the carrier, he leisurely trotted off and scooted under my back neighbor's porch.

And that was that.

It upsets me though. Because the poor thing doesn't deserve to have to deal with this bitter cold. He's a big sweetie. And that makes it EXTRA-sucky.

Both N-A and my mom reminded me yesterday though that he made it through a winter or two already, so clearly he knows how to keep himself safe and warm. And they're right.

It just bothers me, going to bed, all snug under tons of covers, my cats all snuggled up against my legs, knowing that the poor thing's outside just trying to keep warm. And that there's only so much I can do.

So yeah.

I HATE THIS WEATHER.

Nonetheless: Since we don't have much choice, I figured I'd post this recipe today as it is a nice F- You to the snow. It'll warm you from your belly out to your toenails and the tips of your hair.

It's thick and heavy. And it's warm and very home-cooking-esque.

**AND** it's real super-easy to make.

So if you're cursing the snow, go whip some up.

And send your good vibes in the direction of my little neighborhood stray.



INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 T. unbleached flour


• 2 T. soy margarine


• 3 garlic cloves


• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped


• 1/2 T. sea salt


• 1 T. freshly ground back pepper


• 2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms


• 1 lb. button mushrooms


• 1/4 c. white wine (or veggie broth works too)


• 1 T. tomato paste


• 1 c. soy milk


• pinch of dried parsley


• pinch of dried dill


• 1 thyme sprig (or a pinch or two of dried thyme)


• 1 bay leaf


• 1/2 c. chopped fresh chives


• 1 lb. fettuccine

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Stir in the flour and cook for four minutes, stirring frequently. Add the soy margarine, garlic, onion,salt, and pepper and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Add the porcini and button mushrooms, wine, tomatoes paste, and soy milk. Stir in the parsley, dill, thyme, bay leaf, and chives Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Drain.

Spoon the sauce over the fettucine and serve at once.

Makes 4-6 servings.

(Recipe from the Candle Cafe Cookbook, reposted at Bodhi Studios)

Orangey Kalamata Fettucine with Asparagus

So the other day, I had the world's most specific craving: asparagus, orange juice, and kalamata olives.

No: I am not pregnant.

Thankfully, however, I was at the grocery store, so I picked up all of the above for dinner. Playing on a variation of the whole Roasted Asparagus with Orange Gremolata pasta idea, I decided to whip up a quickie fettuccine dish. (I just now realized that I think I've been spelling fettuccine wrong.)

And fuck if it wasn't tasty. No seriously: right now. On top of your desk. Or bent over your kitchen table. Or in the shower. Do it.

Ha.

Anyways, I actually liked it much better than the aforementioned gremolata dish. It didn't have the bitterness of the orange rind. And the saltiness of the kalamata olives tickled the sweet oranginess in just the right way.

Unfortunately, I didn't write down any specific measurements. And unfortunately, I just whipped up one gut-busting serving for myself. So this recipe won't have a whole lot of specificity to it. But consider it a jumping point to explore your own variation.

INGREDIENTS:

• One generous serving of fettuccine noodles


• 10-12 kalamata olives, pitted and diced


• Juice from one orange


• 3-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced


• About 4-6 stalks of asparagus, cut diagonally into thirds


• 1-2 T. olive oil


• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Toss in your garlic until fragrant. Add your asparagus and cook until nearly tender, maybe 5 minutes or so. Add your orange juice and kalamata olives and heat a couple minutes more until just warm. Grind some fresh black pepper into your sauce and serve over your fettuccine.

Serves 1-2.

New Year's Resolutions & Spicy Vodka Lasagna

Wow.

So it's been like 3 weeks, give or take, since I last posted. Twenty-four whole days to be exact.

Madness.

But I must admit, during the time I was off from work, I didn't use the internet at all. Not even once. And *looking around to make sure no one's listening too closely* I LOVED IT. I know, I know. As a blogger, such a comment is like treason. But I've got to admit, it really was kind of great. NOT to get you scared. I *will* still be faithfully blogging here. But man oh man, is it nice once in a while to not be beholden to the interwebs. *sigh*

So yes: it's the New Year finally.

And I know a lot of hipsters think New Year's Resolutions to be uncool, but I'm not one of them.

So here's my list of New Year's Resolutions for 2009:

• Write more poetry/fiction--get a rhythm down so I'm not all rusty and clunking along anymore like a 5-legged robot.


• Stop drinking alcohol on weeknights, except on special occasions--this is a variation on the "lose weight" resolution that usually makes it on folks' lists. I could use a little bit of deflabbing, but I think indulging in alcohol only on the weekends is a good start.


• Keep up this winning-streak with N/A.


• More frequently place myself in situations that I would normally avoid due to uncomfortability.


• Get it on with your mom more often.


• Wow--I know I had some more when I was talking to N/A about them, but now I can't remember. *sigh*

Now onto the food!

Since the reason I haven't posted in so long is because of the holidays, let's start off with that for today.

I'm not religious. But I do like X-mas. There's just something warm & squishy about it--the hustle and bustle (as long as it doesn't include people getting trampled to death by crazed shoppers), the snow, snuggling under blankets with loved ones, X-mas lights, friends in town, my cat Zooey trying her damnedest to figure out how to reach my little X-mas tree. Good stuff.

This X-mas, I spent X-mas eve with N/A. And it was a wonderful and lovely night, one whose details I refuse to indulge 'cause they're what made it special. So MEH!!!!

X-mas day I spent dinner with (most of) the family. We accumulated at my mom's, and we chowed on delicious grub, boozed, and bullshit.

My mom made mushroom paprikash (w/the world's most perfect dumplings), black bean & corn salsa, and pumpkin oatmeal cookies. My brother whipped up some rice with peppers. And I scrounged together a lasagna and some VwaV chocolate chip cookies.

It was a DELICIOUS delicious night.

Most of the recipes have already been posted here, but the lasagna recipe was my own creation, so I'll post that at least today. It makes for a pretty hefty and spicy lasagna, one that even my brother (the constant vegan-skeptic) really liked. So enjoy!

Oh, and that there's a pic of what I think may be my favorite X-mas ornament, which my bff got me one year for X-mas. Doesn't it rock?

And now: Time to play catch-up on all the vegan blogs I've not read over the past three weeks. Wish me luck!

SPICY VODKA LASAGNA



INGREDIENTS:

• One batch vodka sauce--recipe below (I omitted the almonds, but I'm sure it'd taste just as good with them)


• One box of lasagna noodles, cooked


• One 1 lb. bag of veggie "ground-beef" crumbles


• One tube Gimme Lean "sausage"


• 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced


• 1-2 T. olive oil


• 2 t. Italian seasonings


• One batch of tofu-ricotta recipe below


• Vegan parmesan, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Whip up both the vodka sauce and tofu-ricotta according to the directions below. Follow the directions on the box of lasagna noodles and cook accordingly.

Heat up your olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add your "sausage" and smoosh it up with a fork as it cooks. (It'll be mushy and clumpy at first, but as it begins to brown you can crumble it apart with a fork.) You'll want it to be the consistency of crumbles. Cook until browned. Add your "ground-beef" crumbles. Cook until browned and heated through. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spoon a thin layer of vodka sauce over the bottom of a lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with 1/2 the "meat" mix. Spoon out some vodka sauce over the meat and smooth. Cover with another layer of noodles. Smooth the tofu-ricotta across them. Add some more vodka sauce. Add another layer of noodles. Top with the rest of the "meat" and a little more sauce. Add a final layer of noodles and spoon out the rest of your vodka sauce over the top until noodles are totally covered. Sprinkle a generous amount of vegan parm over the top.

Cover with foil and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook about 30-40 more minutes or until heated through.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes, slice, and serve.

Serves 7-10.




VODKA SAUCE

• 4 t. olive oil


• 8 cloves minced garlic


• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper


• Two 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes


• 1/2 c. vodka


• 1/2 t. dried thyme


• 1/2 t. dried oregano


• Salt, to taste


• A few dashes fresh black pepper


• 1 c. sliced or slivered almonds


• 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil, plus a little extra for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat a saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the oil, garlic and crushed red pepper to the saucepan and saute for about a minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add the crushed red tomatoes, vodka, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover, and turn the heat up a bit to bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add the almonds. Use an immersion blender to blend the almonds into the sauce until creamy and only slightly grainy. Add the basil to the sauce.

(Recipe from VwaV, Posted at Answers.yahoo.com)




TOFU-BASIL RICOTTA

• 1 lb. firm tofu, pressed


• 2 t. lemon juice


• 2 t. olive oil


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/4 t. salt


• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast flakes


• handful fresh basil leaves, chopped fine (ten leaves or so) -I just used some dried basil


• dash fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mush the tofu up with your hands, till it's crumbly.

Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and basil. Mush with hands again, this time you want it to get very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese. May take 2-5 minutes.

Add olive oil, stir with fork. Add nutritional yeast and combine all ingredients well. Use a fork now, because the oil will make it sticky.

(Recipe from Veganomicon, posted at Recipe Exchange)

PS. Anyone know what happened to the PPK website??

Chipotle Chili With Sweet Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

                                       from the ppk


There is something shit-tastic about the brand of crushed tomatoes I've been buying. There HAS to be. 'Cause this is the second chili recipe that I've whipped up that's BOMBED*. And there's NO WAY. There's just no way. I can see one of them sucking because of a random disgusting thick tomatoeyness. But TWO?? For the EXACT SAME REASON?? It's GOT to be the brand of crushed tomatoes. Seriously.

But what a bummer. Because I really liked the flavor of brussel sprouts mingling with sweet taters and tomato. And I really think that this HAS to be a yummy recipe. And yet, BLORF. Brought it for lunch on Monday, heated it up, took a few bites and was like Why God Why?!?! The brussel sprouts were great. The yams (I subbed) were great. I fucked up and bought poblanos instead of chipotles (I had just finished up dicing up THREE huge poblanos and was thinking, My--this is a LOT of peppers, and then, as I was scraping them off the cutting board into the pot my brain was suddenly all NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOthoseare
poblanosnotchipotlesyoudumbmotherfucker but too late), but even THOSE tasted fine. But the tomatoes. Egads. Like a tomatoey version of caulking or something: Thick. Unappetizing. Overwhelming. Just nasty.

I passed some of the chili along to my friend QBL for a second opinion, so we'll see if she never shows up at work today because of Death by Disgusting Chili or something. But man alive. How disappointing. 'Cause I try not to be a food waster, but even the THOUGHT of forcing myself to eat this chili the rest of the week makes me want to weep and never stop. So it's surely going to be a case of Mr. Trashcan meet Ms. Disgusting Chili.

NONETHELESS: I pass along the recipe, because I really DO believe that it's probably a good one. If my tomatoes didn't suck. But that's what I get for being cheap. From now on: The most expensive crushed tomatoes I can find, goddammit!

----------
*The first one, which was this one, I never posted about because it was SO terrible that I was suspicious that something weird was going and didn't want to sound like I was dissing the recipe when I was pretty certain that it wasn't the fault of the recipe itself.



INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T. olive oil


• 1 red onion, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 tablespoon coriander seed, crushed (or I subbed in like 1 t. of coriander powder)


• 2 t. dried oregano


• 3 chipotles, seeded and chopped


• 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (2 average sized), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces


• 12 oz brussels sprouts, quartered lengthwise (about 2 cups)


• 2 t. ground cumin


• 3 t. new mexico chili powder (or other mild chili powder)


• 1 32-oz. can crushed tomatoes


• 1 c. water


• 1 16-oz can pintos, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 c.)


• 1 1/2 t. salt


• Fresh lime juice to taste (about one lime was good for me)

DIRECTIONS

In a soup pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, coriander seeds, and oregano and saute a minute more. Add remaining ingredients (except for lime juice). Mix well. The sweet potatoes and brussel sprout will be peaking out of the tomato sauce, but don't worry, they will cook down.

Cover pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about half an hour, stirring often, until sweet potatoes and fork tender but not mushy.

Squeeze in lime juice to taste and adjust any other seasonings. Let sit uncovered for at least 10 minutes before eating.

Serves 6 to 8

(Recipe from the ppk)

Upside-Down Shepherd's Pie

                                       from My Veggie Kitchen


**WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING TO BRING YOU THE FOLLOWING LATE-BREAKING NEWS**:

My boyfriend likes to put Bac-Os on everything.
And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING.

I waggled my wtf-eyeball at him when he kept tossing them on some of the pasta dishes I'd made.

But then the one time, he shook them all over my fettucine alfreda, and I was like, Dude, not EVERYTHING needs Bac-Os. Until he convinced me to try it. And I realized that it actually DID taste good with Bac-Os. So I thought, Perhaps he's right after all.

Until this weekend.

This weekend, I made us this upside-down shepherd's pie. And seriously: It was the bomb. It's super-fricking easy, but it's totally yumtastic belly-warming winter food. He took a couple bites, and his eyes lit up. "Holy shit. This is like the best thing ever," he blurted between bites. Then 10 seconds later: the dude is totally shaking Bac-Os all over it.

Now, pasta: I can see. But shepherd's pie? That I tossed a bit of sage into to give it a kind of chicken-pot-pie flavor? AND BAC-OS?!?! I'm sorry, dude: no. That's just gross.

But I think perhaps he's becoming a bad influence. Because the day before, I totally had a hankering for Bac-Os, and I whipped up a quick pasta dish that ended up being delish (some margarine, Bac-Os, flour, veggie broth, nooch, and garlic powder, which tasted strikingly similar to a previous pasta carbonara recipe I've made before and love, but with only half the cooking time):



So: Damn the boy. And damn Bac-Os. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

But whatever you do, don't damn this shepherd's pie recipe, 'cause it's damn motherf-ing good. No lie. And I don't even like tater tots.

**WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING**




INGREDIENTS:

• 6 c. mashed potatoes


• 1 lb tater tots (half a bag)


• 3 T. Earth Balance Margarine


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 c. broccoli florets


• 1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced


• 1/4 c. flour


• 1/2 c. frozen peas


• 1/2 c. frozen corn


• 1 can chickpeas, drained


• 2 c. vegetable broth


• 1/2 c. soy milk


• 2 T. nutritional yeast


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1/4 t. pepper


• A shake or two of sage powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Melt margarine in a sauce pan. Add onion and mushrooms and saute until soft. Stir in garlic and broccoli and cook until the garlic is aromatic. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes longer. Add the remaining filling ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently and remove from heat and set aside. The sauce should have thickened a bit.

Spread mashed potatoes in a 9 x 13 casserole, spreading some of the potatoes up the sides. Pour in the gravy and veggies. Spread tater tots over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until the tater tots are browned and the gravy is bubbly.

COOK'S TIPS:

This can be made with any combination of veggies that you want and can be as simple as mixing a bag of frozen veggies with gravy and adding a can of beans or seitan strips. Just make sure you have five or six cups of filling. Also, I kept the nutritional yeast to a minimum at my kids' request. I ended up sprinkling some extra over the top for myself. You may just want to add some more.

(Recipe from My Veggie Kitchen)

Mole Skillet Pie with Greens

                                    from Veganomicon

I'm pretty damn certain that the chile-chocolate mole sauce from Veganomicon is my absolute favorite recipe from the book. I had pondered this after first making it. But this second time around, I realized that I am 100% smitten.

There is just something goddamn sexy about that mole recipe. No matter WHAT you put it on, it turns the dish from Bugs Bunny to Jessica Rabbit, it's THAT kind of sauce. (I just realized that Jessica Rabbit isn't ACTUALLY a rabbit. God, I clearly haven't seen that movie in forever. But you get my point.)

Needless to say, I was also very found of this skillet pie as well, given that it's pretty much just a vehicle for eating mole sauce. Granted, the veggies and stuff are a nice touch, and the biscuit-topping was unusual but damn tasty. But it's kind of like when I order French fries and then load up on the ketchup so much so that I can barely taste the fries--essentially, the veggies and biscuits are just an excuse to eat mole.

Any which way though: this recipe isn't too terribly complicated, and it's a nice warming recipe for these upcoming blustery winter months.

INGREDIENTS:

The Mole Sauce:*

• 1/3 c. sliced almonds


• 1/3 c. tortilla chips


• 2 T. sesame seeds


• 1 t. anise


• 2 t. chili powder


• 1 1/4 t. cinnamon


• 1 t. marjoram


• 1/2 t. cumin


• 1/4 t. allspice


• 3 T. peanut oil (or other mild oil)


• 4 cloves garlic


• 1 small onion


• 2 c. veg broth


• 2 T. peanut butter


• 15 oz. tomatoes


• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate

(*Note: This makes a quantity in excess of the amount called for in the Mole Skillet Pie recipe. Just so you're aware. You'll have leftover sauce.)


The Skillet Pie:

• 3 T. peanut oil (or other mild oil)


• 1 yellow onion


• 1 small carrot


• 1/2 lb. kale


• 2 c. black beans


• 1 c. almond or soy milk


• 1 t. apple cider vinegar


• 3 T. peanut oil (or other mild oil)


• 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour works as well)


• 1/2 c. cornmeal


• 1 T. sugar


• 1-1/4 t. baking powder


• 1/4 t. baking soda


• 1/4 t. salt

DIRECTIONS

For the Mole Sauce:

Prepare spice mixture. Place almonds, aniseeds, tortilla chips, and sesame seeds in a pot and stir to toast for 2 min. Remove from heat. Place in food processor with spices and pulse until finely ground.

Saute garlic in oil. Once it's sizzling, add onions and cook - 5 min. Combine PB and a few T of hot veg broth, stirring until PB is emulsified and easy to pour.

Pour remaining veg broth, PB mixture, spice mixture, and diced tomatoes into a pot. Boil. Lower heat and simmer 8-10 min, until reduced. Remove from heat, puree, and return to stove. Add chocolate until melted and incorporated. (Lindy Loo Note: I think the "returning mole to stove" step is kind of unnecessary myself, unless you're not planning on eating it for hours. You can just as easily simmer until reduced, toss in your chocolate until it's melted, remove from the heat and puree, and then serve.)

For the Skillet Pie:

Filling: Heat peanut oil. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add carrot and cook until onion is tender and golden - 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and combine with steamed greans, beans, and 1 cup mole. Stir to coat everything with sauce. Place mixture back in skillet (or a casserole dish) and smooth out over top.

Crust: Combine milk and vinegar in measuring cup. Place oil in a large bowl, beat in milk mixture and sift in flour, cornmeal sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until moistened. Pour over vegetables and smooth to cover. Bake 30-35 minutes.

(Posted at Calorie Count--the mole recipe as well, originally from Veganomicon)

Pinto Bean Tacos

                                      from the Veg Times

Oh tacos. I love you, and that love for you is the bane of my existence. You are to blame for so many things:

#1: gas,

#2: me not getting laid that one time because my breath smelled after I ate many of you and then biked over N-A's afterward, breathing through my mouth the whole time and conjuring up the sour breath of the taco-gluttoned dead (the not getting laid part moreso being the result of me getting salty at being told my breath smelled than it was the fact that my breath actually smelled, though I STILL hold you responsible),

#3: more gas, and

#4: the time I caught some taco shells on fire in my broiler.

Nonetheless, you are my go-to food on days when I'm feeling too lazy to cook anything else. And for that I thank you.

Plus, you come in so many different shapes and forms that it is near impossible to ever be bored by you, and for someone who has the culinary attention span (and general attention span) of a 2-year old, that is a great thing.

Needless to say, for this reason alone, I was excited to stumble across mention of this version of you on someone's blog recently. Normally, as you know, I whip you up with just beans or with fake-meat. But sausage? How have we never thought of that?

The other brilliant thing about you, tacos, is that you're so simple to make and yet so yummy. Such was the case with this version of you as well. And not only did I like you this time, but N-A did too, loudly blurting, mouth half-full, Oh my god. These may be the best tacos I've ever had.

Hyperbole? Perhaps. But you WERE damn good. And I didn't even use cheez on you. I can only imagine how fantastique you'd be then. *Growr*

It seems unfair not to share my love for you with others, so that they may love you too.

So, dear readers. *tearing up* Meet Pinto Bean Tacos.

This is a day you will remember always. *Cue something from the soundtrack of Gray's Anatomy or Dawson's Creek*

(Note: I omitted several ingredients--red onions being one--so check out the link below for the original.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 6-inch corn tortillas (I used crunchy)


• 1 Tbs. canola oil


• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)


• 4 oz. soy chorizo sausage, such as Soyrizo


• 1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles


• 2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 small avocado, sliced


• 1/3 cup vegan Cheddar cheese (optional)


• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Heat up tortillas/shells according to package directions.

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute. Crumble soy sausage into pan, and sautee until it's begun to brown. Stir in diced tomatoes, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Stir in beans, and cook 2 minutes more, or until beans are warmed through.

To assemble tacos: Fill tortillas/shells with some bean mixture. Top avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with salsa and hot sauce, if desired.

Serves about 3.

(from The Veg Times)