Vegan Adobo Stew

I thought I'd better get busy trying a couple recipes out of my latest Veg News.  The new issue is about to come out and I've hardly cracked this one.  I've read a couple articles, but I hadn't cruised the recipes yet.  It didn't take long to find a couple I wanted to make today.  I made the Authentic Adobo and a Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart.  The tart pictures will have to be posted tomorrow.  I want it to chill all night.  The recipe says one hour in the refrigerator, but I want to make sure the truffle filling is really firm when I cut it for that 'slice of tart' photo.

 Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart ~ Vegan & Gluten Free

 At first glance I thought Adobo was a Spanish dish, Adobo being a Spanish word.  I was thinking it was something like Chili Colorado. I use a can of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce once in a while and I thought that sauce was really spicy, must be the influence of the chipotles. This dish is a bit spicy, but not hot and not a Spanish flavor. There is a Spanish style Adobo but as it turns out this Adobo is a Filipino dish.  Adobo is a very popular cooking technique in the Filipino kitchen.  It's an ancient cooking method that preserves cooked food in hot climates by simmering vegetables in a healthy dose of vinegar. And as the Veg News article mentioned, the vegetables and seitan respond beautifully to this trick with the blend of vinegar, soy, and garlic.  This dish would satisfy a Veg-curious omnivore. I love the quantity of garlic in this dish. Finally, I thought, a recipe in proportion to the amount of garlic I still have from the garden last year, 3 tablespoons. **smiling**

The original name of the recipe is Seitan Adobo Stew, but I had these nice soy curls made locally.  I picked some up at the Portland Veg Fest last September.  I just soaked the dry curls in filtered water for about an hour and drained.  They sauteed nicely.

Seitan Adobo Stew

     Terry Hope Romero

1 cup small red potatoes, diced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 cups Asian eggplant, cut into thin slices (I diced mine in about 1 inch dice)
10 ounces seitan, diced 1/2-inch thick (Soy Curls will work well for this dish)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup mild soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 bay leaves

Garnishes:

1 cup diced red cherry tomatoes
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
2 scallions, white parts removed and green ends thinly sliced (I used all the scallion)
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup white or brown rice

1. In a small pot, cover diced potatoes with 2 inches of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes,until potatoes turn tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil.  Add eggplant, frying for 4 to 5 minutes, on both sides until brown. Remove from pot and set aside.  Add another 1 tablespoon oil and brown seitan or soy curls, flipping occasionally until edges are golden.  Remove from pot and set aside.
3. Add remaining oil, garlic, and pepper and stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Return eggplant, seitan or soy curls, and potatoes to pot.  Pour soy sauce and vinegar over vegetables, then add brown sugar and bay leaves.  Bring to a bubbling simmer, and gently stir a few times.  Reduce heat to low.
   
4. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, occasionally stirring.  Sauce will reuce and eggplant should be very tender.  remvoe from heat, partially uncover, and let stand for 10 minutes.  to serve, ladle stew into serving bowls.  Garnish with tomatoes, banana, scallions, and cilantro.  Serve with a side of steamed rice.

I was really apprehensive about the banana garnish, but it was excellent with the other flavors.  I'll make this again.  It's a very flavorful and satisfying meal.

October Harvest Au Gratin ~ Vegan & Gluten Free

 Yesterday was a lovely day.  We had a sunny day and time to hang in the garden.  It was what we call a sunny day in the PNW, there were still some clouds. We're still getting lots of great produce: potatoes, tomatoes, beets, chard, a couple winter squash, lots of herbs, and even a zucchini.  There are some new eggplant coming out too.  The eggplants seem to like the moist, cool weather.  On the way out there I was thinking about what to do with the squash I had already.  I was thinking of doing some kind of zucchini/winter squash bake.  My granddaughter has been advised to avoid gluten so I want to try to make more and more dishes gluten free. I thought I'd use some brown rice flour or black bean flour and make a roux, but I ended up using par boiled potatoes instead. I came up with a kind of Au Gratin dish.  I think I put a little too much sauce, but it was creamy, warm, colorful, and comforting on a cool fall night.  My son was surprised that I made this up myself and said I should write it down.  He hasn't seen my blog, that's one of the reasons I do this, so I can go back and find dishes I've made like this and make it again sometime.

I made layers of the sliced fresh veggies: butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green and yellow zucchini, fresh beets and chard. I covered them with a sauce I made with a large red potato we dug up yesterday and baked it all until it was tender.  For the sauce I chopped the potato, a couple fresh onions, a shallot and simmered them in about 2 cups water for ten minutes.  I placed them in my Blendtec with a handful of cashews, some coconut spread, nutritional yeast, a dash of tamari, thyme, oregano, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a dash of cayenne.  This made a warm creamy sauce without any milk or flour. 

The sauce:

About 2 cups chopped potato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small to medium shallot chopped
2 cups water

The following ingredients are estimates, I really didn't measure, adjust to your own taste.

1/2 cup cashews
3 TB Earth Balance coconut spread or vegan margarine
2 TB Nutritional yeast
1 tsp Tamari
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 TB Thyme (dried)
1 TB Oregano (dried)
1 tsp ground sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup Daiya Mozzarella cheese

Place the chopped potatoes, onions, shallots, & water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil then cover and gently simmer for ten minutes.  While the potatoes are simmering place the remaining ingredients in a large blender.  When the potatoes have finished simmering let them cool a few minutes then pour the whole thing, including the water in the blender.  Blend until creamy.

Layer the veggies in a 9 x 13 baking dish with a layer of sauce between half of it and on top.  I started with chard leaves, a layer of sliced butternut squash, green and yellow zucchini slices, a couple sliced beets I had from thinning the beets, for the first layer.  The second layer I used sliced sweet potato in place of the butternut squash.

Cover and bake at 400º for about 35 minutes, remove the cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling.

I also added some shredded Daiya cheese on the top of each sauce layer.  That was probably overkill, but I wanted my son to enjoy this meal with us and he is still a little leery of all my vegan delights.  It worked, he loved it.  He decided he didn't want any salad with his meal, he might try some later.  Funny, the green salad had most the same ingredients that are in the casserole, they're just raw.

"Almost Raw" Vegan Pizza

I got to spend both weekend days at home this weekend.  I did my cooking for the week this weekend and managed to squeeze in some treats to bring to work Monday.  I made a nice pot of beans from my cranberry beans I grew in the garden this year, a couple batches of raw cookies, a Rosemary Oregano noodle salad using fresh yellow zucchini for the noodles, and some great "almost raw" pizza with recipes from a one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw.

The 'almost raw' vegan pizza starts out with raw buckwheat sunflower seed crusts.  I doubled the recipe and made a dozen personal sized crusts.  I blended together some freshly picked tomatoes and herbs into a raw marinara sauce and made a batch herb cashew cheese. For a nice variety of toppings I marinated some of the Shitake mushrooms I dried last week in a little olive oil and tamari, marinated dried tomatoes in olive oil and lemon juice, roasted red bell peppers, and grilled some yellow zucchini and eggplant rounds.  I probably would have been content with the cashew cheese, but my son is very new to plant based food and I thought I should add some Daiya mozzarella cheese to the choices.  It looks more like cheese he's used to seeing for pizza. I especially like that I have the ingredients all ready to just build one this week.

There's a little bit of preparation to each part of this pizza, but once everything is prepped it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, the crusts a week.  We can stop by the kitchen and build a little pizza for a quick lunch or dinner.

Buckwheat Sunflower Seed Pizza Crust
     The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw, page 212

1 cup buckwheat groats, soaked for at least 1 hour to overnight
1 cup sunflower weeds, soaked at least 1 hour to overnight
3 TB flax seeds, ground
2½ TB fresh herbs such as oregano, parsley, and thyme
1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TB nama shoyu or tamari

1.  Drain buckwheat and sunflower seeds, rinse thoroughly, and drain again.

2. Place buckwheat in a food processor fitted with an S blade.  Add sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, fresh herbs, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and shoyu.  Process on high spread for 20 to 30 seconds or until a chunky but unified batter forms.

3.  Scoop batter onto 2 Teflex-lined dehydrator trays in 8 equal portions.  Flatten with your hands or use the bottom of a slightly oiled glass or plastic container to form circles. Or form dough into 2 larger pizza crusts.  Dehydrate at 110º for 15 to 18 hours, flipping them over midway though and removing Teflex.

The Sun-Dried Tomato Sage Sauce is also from the Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw.  It's on page 143. I am enjoying playing with these recipes.  I've been happy with everything I've made so far and most items have been very easy with maybe one or two directions.  It's mostly blender and dehydrator work.

The cashew cheese is just a basic cheese recipe:  2 cups raw cashews blended and placed in a large glass pitcher or mason jar with plastic wrap and placed in a warm spot in the kitchen overnight.  I chopped some herbs, garlic, and bell pepper and added a dash of sea salt and pepper, mixed it all together with the nut mixture and set it to cool for a couple hours.

Comer Bien

French Bean & Spelt Berry Salad ~ The Perfect Vegan Meal

I've made it a habit to shop the liquidation stores in town.  We have about four or five in the area and often there are many items I use to cook with that are marked down considerably.  Sometimes the packaging is damaged or the original price was just too high and the items didn't sell well in the local markets.  That is a big deterrent when people are just beginning to incorporate plant based cooking in their diet.  Organic fruits, vegetables, and many products are more expensive in the grocery stores.  It doesn't have to be that way though.

Yes, if you shop in the conventional grocery stores, it will be more expensive to eat whole foods. But, shopping the local farmer's markets and buying what's in season, getting to know the local gardeners and farmers, shopping the discount stores like the liquidation stores, and growing your own veggies, are good ways to keep the cost low.  Many items seem to be more expensive at first glance.  For example, Celtic Sea Salt usually costs about $6-$8 a pound.  But, that pound lasts me for months and months.  I use coconut milk quite often, the only thing I use from a can, and the brand I like is usually $2.29 a can.  I can find it now & then at the liquidation store for sometimes as low as $1 a can.  I usually buy all they have and stock up. I use pre-made organic, low sodium vegetable broth for cooking my beans.  I used to be happy when it was two for $5.  I've found it in the liquidation store as low as ten for $1.

Recently there were a lot of Bob's Red Mill products on the shelf.  I picked up some French beans I'd never seen before, Flageolet Beans, and there was a great recipe right on the back of the bag.  It's the perfect vegan meal, "protein, greens, & grains". The original recipe calls for Kamut berries, but I used some spelt berries I have already.  Any whole grain or combination of grains can be substituted for the Kamut berries such as:  whole oat groats, hull-less whole barley, wheat berries, long grain brown rice, or spelt berries.  I substituted fresh beet greens for the spinach and a fresh white onion from the garden for the green onion.

French Bean & Kamut Berries Salad

2 cups cooked Kamut berries or other whole grains
2 cups cooked Flageolet Beans
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups spinach or other fresh greens, chopped

Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 TB white wine vinegar (I used organic apple cider vinegar.)
2 TB Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Tarragon (I used fresh rosemary)
1 TB fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper.

Soak beans, about 1 cup, overnight.  Drain water and rinse off beans.  Place beans in a pot covered with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer placing lid on pot.  cook beans until beans are soft, about 1 hour.

Place Kamut or other Spelt berries, about 11/2 cups in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and place lid on pot.  Cook until berries are soft, about 1 hour.

While the beans and berries are cooking, mix vinaigrette ingredients together in a large bowl.  Chop veggies and place in bowl.

Drain beans and berries and rinse in cold water. Measure out 2 cups of both the beans and berries and add them to the other ingredients in the bowl.

Blend together  all ingredients and chill for a few hours or overnight.  Serves about 10.

~~Enjoy~~

Cheezy Veggie Flax Crackers & Cucumber Dill Cashew Cheese Dip

Inspired by a Facebook post from Viva Institute of some very appealing carrot fax crackers they prepared in their kitchen I tried some of my own with some fresh baby carrots and zucchini from the garden.  I was chatting with someone on their site and they mentioned they used 1 cup of flax seeds to two cups of nuts for a crispier, flakier cracker.  I also thought the tahini marinade I use for my kale chips might add a little cheezy zing to the crackers.  Here's what I came up with.  
  

Cheezy Veggie Flax Crackers

I used: 1 cup flax seed, 2 cups macadamia nuts, 1 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes soaked in 1 cup filtered water, finely grated zucchini & carrots, a few fresh herbs from the garden, and a little sauce made with the water from the sun dried tomatoes, 1 1/2 TB tamari, 2 heaping TB of tahini, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, and a dash of chili powder, cayenne, and sea salt.

I soaked the flax seeds in 1 1/4 cups water and the pumpkin seeds and macadamia nuts for two hours or more.  I blended half the macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds in the food processor with the tomatoes and soak water from the tomatoes with the herbs and seasonings.  I tossed the grated zucchini & carrots in with the flax seeds,  nuts, and pumpkins seeds and dehydrated for not quite 18 hours, turning over half way through so they would dry thoroughly.

I made a nice cool cucumber dill cashew cheese dip to go with them. These crackers came out really great.  It made for a nice summer meal.

Cucumber Dill Cashew Cheese

2 cups cashews
1 cup filtered water or rejuvelac
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 1/2 TB green onion, chopped, I used a fresh white one from the garden.
2 TB dried dill or 1 TB fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes

Dash of fresh ground pepper.
1 medium to large fresh cucumber, diced

Blend the cashews and filtered water until very smooth. Place in a 1/2 gallon open-mouth glass jar or pitcher.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band.  Cover with a towl and allow to sit in a warm place overnight.

Pour cashew mixture into a large mixing bowl, combine with remaining ingredients and mix well. 


What a journey, a couple of years ago I could say we were almost vegan.  Now, we're mostly vegan and getting very much into the raw food fun.  My stovetop resembles a prep table most the time now instead of a place to cook food.

Creamy Coconut Milk Marionberry Ice Cream ~ It's an Ice Cream Party

You scream, I scream, we all scream for Ice Cream.  Yum.

Had sort of an ice cream party this weekend.  A few of my friends made ice cream and we all posted on FB. It began with Felicia, she just bought an ice cream machine last week and she was anxious to get started.  She asked for some ideas and I gave her some tips as well as went shopping with her to pick out some key ingredients. She promptly whipped up some chocolate chip ice cream using bananas and coconut milk as her base.  I got to try some and it was delicious. I didn't get a picture of hers though.

Last week I gave Rachel some of my organic cherries I put up in the freezer last weekend.  This weekend she made some Cherry Pecan frozen yogurt. She used: Greek Yoghurt, Coconut Milk, Homemade Vanilla (w/alcohol to ensure it doesn't turn to a brick in the freezer), Fresh Cherries, Honey, Handful of Pecans.  She described it as "Rich and Delightful".  It looks like it is.

Rachel's Cherry Pecan Frozen Yogurt

Barb made homemade apricot preserve cream cheese ice cream.  Looks very creamy. 

Barb's Homemade Apricot Preserve Cream Cheese Ice Cream

It all looked so good, I had to join in with my vegan version of ice cream.  Wasn't sure which flavor I wanted to play with.  It was a toss up between cherry and marionberry.  I mentioned it to Barb and she said she wanted some marionberry. I was lucky enough to be at Payton's Produce when a berry picker came in with his berries a couple weeks ago.  He had fresh raspberries and two flats of plump fresh marionberries.  I took home three flats of his raspberries and one flat of the beautiful marionberries.   I mixed up a creamy coconut milk marionberry ice cream.  

Deb's Creamy Coconut Milk Marionberry Ice Cream

Creamy Coconut Milk Marionberry Ice Cream

Makes 6 cups

Ice Cream:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

2 cups fresh marionberries, or substitute your favorite fruit

3/4 cup agave nectar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

seeds of one vanilla bean

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended.  I strained the berries and used the juice in the ice cream mixture.  About five minutes before the mixture was finished I added whole berries.   Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to your maker's directions.  Mine takes about half an hour. Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

I mixed about 1 TB pure maple syrup to about 1 cup berries for a juicy berry topping.

Pine and Macadamia Nut Stuffed Squash Flowers

Yesterday morning I couldn't help but gather a few squash flowers for dinner.  I have to be careful not to take too many because I want the squash to grow.  So, I took just a couple flowers from all the squash in the garden:  zucchini, delicata, pumpkin, crookneck, acorn, and butternut.  I am amazed how all the flowers from the various varieties of  of squash all look the same.  I don't get to see them blooming too much as I usually get out to the garden in the late afternoon and they've mostly closed up by then.  Yesterday morning they were all standing up and showing their beauty. I can and do pick them occasionally and have a raw flower snack in the garden. I didn't know they were so delightful until last year when I heard about cooking them. If you haven't tried your squash flowers, I think you should.  It surprised me how much a flower can taste like a fresh zucchini.  Be sure to be careful when cleaning them and always look inside before eating them in the garden.  I have brought home some guests like bumblebees and cucumber beetles.

I made a nut cheese for some raw zucchini ravioli from a Vegan Fusion Recipe.  It's from the The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw.  I made the Turnip and Pine Nut Ravioli, page 230, substituting fresh zucchini for the ravioli. I thought the cheese would also make a lovely cheese filling for my flowers.  I squeezed about 1 tsp of cheese into the bottom of a cleaned flower with my handy tool and dipped in a mixture of ground flax seeds and non-dairy milk, then dredged in a little flour and cornmeal, and gently sautéed in hot grape seed oil with a fresh sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary.  A small teaspoon works well for stuffing the flowers, that's what I used last year.

Pine & Macadamia Nut Cheese
      The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw.

1 cup pine nuts soaked at least 2 hours
2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked at least 2 hours **
1 TB fresh rosemary, minced
4 tsp fresh parsley, minced
4 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 TB nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup rejuvelac or filtered water, as needed

**Other nuts may be substituted such as: cashews, Brazil nuts, or almonds.

Rinse pine nuts and macadamia nuts, and drain well for at least 10 minutes.  Place in a food processor fitted with an S blade, and process on high speed for about 10 seconds.

Add rosemary, parsley, thyme, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar.  Blend on high speed for about 20 seconds while adding rejuvelac through the top until a smooth, cheesy consistency is reached. 

Squash Flowers, stuffed with pine and macadamia nut cheese, dipped in a mixture of ground flax seeds and hemp milk, then dredged in a little flour and cornmeal, and gently sautéed in grape seed oil with a fresh sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary.

Spicy Vegan Nachos

I've been getting more and more into raw foods lately and having a blast trying out the interesting recipes I'm finding.  I bought a better dehydrator and I think we've had it running almost 24/7 since it arrived.  I've recently been playing with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw and the first thing I looked for was the spicy nachos.  They serve a version of these at the Blossoming Lotus in Portland, OR.  They came out great.  I took them to work and some to Christy & Les at the local produce store.  They were a big hit.  I am amazed at how wonderful the cheese dip is made with butternut squash.  Thinned out a little, I can serve this as a creamy cheesy soup when the squash are plentiful. That should be very soon.

Spicy Nachos

     Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw

1/2 Medium jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed.
2 Medium garlic cloves
2 1/2 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 TB ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne, or to taste
2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup walnuts, soaked at least 2 hours
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked at least 2 hours
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked at least 2 hours
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup fresh ground flax or flax meal

1.  In blender, add jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, lime juice, onion, cumin, cayenne, and salt.  Blend on high speed for 20 seconds or until mixture is liquified.  Move to the bowl of a food processor.

2. Add walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds to the food processor, and blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds until a smooth batter forms (small chunks are okay).

3.  Add flax and process 15 or 20 more seconds.

4.  Spread 2  cups batter per Teflex sheet, being careful to make it as even as possible with no holes.  Score before placing in the dehydrator. Dehydrate at 110º for 24 hours. Flip sheets over onto the mesh screens and remove Teflex.  With wetter side up, continue dehyudrating for another 24 hours.

5. Cut each sheet into 4 quarters.  Cut each quarter into 8 triangles by first cutting 2 big triangles and then cutting these into 2 and those 4 into 2.

Enjoy with Nacho Cheese Dip.

Nacho Cheese Dip

1 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 hours
1 medium red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium Anaheim pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
1 TB olive oil
2 TB nutritional yeast
1 TB nama shoyu or tamari
6 TB filtered water
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne, or to taste

1.  Rinse and drain cashews well.

2.  Ina blender blend red bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, butternut squash, lime juice, olive oil, nutritional yeast, shoyu, water, garlic, salt, and cayenne on high speed for 20 to 30 seconds or until smooth.  (It may be a little warm right out of the blender.  To firm it up, place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.)

The Good Shepherd's Pie ~ Vegan

This is a recipe from one of my most favorite vegan cookbooks, Vegan World Fuisine Cuisine.  The weather is still a bit chilly for me and I felt like some warm food today.  I've been craving something with potatoes, white or sweet.  I just wanted some potatoes. I remembered the Vegan World cookbook had a great shepherd's pie recipe.  It was worth a short trip to the store today for some more potatoes.

I used a bit less tofu in the recipe, only a 10 oz package and some dried soy protein strips.  I soaked them in vegetable broth to rehydrate them and diced them.  They have a taste and texture like chicken breast strips. I also didn't have any barley malt syrup and I think it was really expensive when I did find it. I used a little barley miso mixed with a little vegetable broth instead.  I used my one ounce scoop to place the potatoes in little bite sized mounds across the pan. I also cooked mine a little longer than the recipe asked for.  I think it took about 50 minutes before I was satisfied with the texture of the potatoes and the filling.

The Good Shepherd's Pie

     Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, page 137

10-12 medium Potatoes, 1/2" cubes
1 C Coconut, rice, or soy milk
2 TB Olive oil
¾ C Onion, diced
1 TB Garlic, minced
¾ C Carrots, ½" cubes
½ C Celery, sliced Thin
½ C Red bell pepper, diced
½C Mushrooms, sliced thin
2 lbs Tofu, extra firm, crumbled
¾ C Peas, fresh or frozen
¾ C Corn, fresh or frozen
1/4 C Tahini
4 tsp Shoyu (optional)
1 TB Basil, fresh, minced (1½ tsp dry)
1 TB Italian parsley, fresh, minced
1½ tsp Sea Salt, or to taste
1 tsp Thyme, fresh minced (½ tsp dry)
1 tsp Sage, fresh minced (½ tsp dry)
2 tsp Barley malt syrup
½ tsp Black pepper, ground to taste
½ tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350º

Place potatoes in a large pot with filtereed water.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft, approximately 15 minutes.  Drain well, place in a large mixing bowl with coconut milk and mash well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, place oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add carrots, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms, cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Place in large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients except potatoes and mix well.

Place tofu vegetable mixture in a well oiled 9" x 13" casserole dish.  Top with mashed potatoes, using a spatula to create a smooth surface.  Score pretty desings on top with a fork.  Bake until slightly golden brown and completely cooked, approximately 25 minutes.  Cool for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with mushroom gravy...

Chocolate Tofu Pudding ~ Vegan

I finally got a decent blender for the food I want to prepare.  The blender has really become my main cooking tool.  I bought a Blendtec. It came with a pretty nice cookbook too.  I've tried quite a few recipes already.  This pudding is of the first I tried.  I made really good creamy chocolate pudding in like 90 seconds.  The pudding was as warm as if I simmered it on the stove top. It also made the cashew coconut creme the way I like it, creamy not grainy.  This blender made it with a smooth creamy texture in just a couple minutes.   Before this, I ground my cashews and nuts in the food processor then transferred them to the blender, stopping and scraping them down for quite awhile.  I am pretty impressed with it already.  It took me a long time to break down and buy one.  I've bought whole cars cheaper than this blender.  Of course, I probably would drive cars most people wouldn't. A fancy new car has never been one of my top priorities. But, if I put together all the cheap blenders and food processors I've killed because of the use I put them through, I've probably spent more.

Chocolate Tofu Pudding
 10.5 oz soft tofu
¼ cup non dairy milk, plain or vanilla
5 TB vegan margarine, melted
2 squares semisweet chocolate, broken
½ cup agave, maple syrup, or sucanot
1 tsp vanilla

I put this on the soup cycle twice.  It took about 90 seconds.  If you don't have a blender like this, I would blend it all up in the blender anyway and then simmer on the stovetop a few minutes until it was bubbly and getting thick.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  Top with cashew coconut creme.

Cashew Coconut Creme

about a 1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for an hour or more)
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
the creme from a can of coconut milk
the seeds from one vanilla bean blended until smooth and creamy.

Chana Dal

I've made it a habit to cruise through the local liquidation stores for some of the items I use to cook with.  There's often some great deals on organic and unusual ingredients I like to use.  I always check for coconut milk, I've found it as low as $1 a can.  Lately they've had the low sodium vegetable broth I like to use for 50¢ a carton.  I bought a whole case of those. I'm usually pleased when they are 2 for $5 at the grocery store. I use the vegetable broth pretty regularly.

I picked up a big bag of Chana Dal at the liquidator store the other day which prompted me to make a nice pot of Chana Dal. Chana Dal is a smaller chickpea called desi and the variety that is used most often is called Myles. It resembles a yellow split pea, but is no relation to a pea other than being a legume. I made it twice this weekend.  I made a batch yesterday morning and my husband must have really liked it.  We came home late from a show in Portland last night. I thought I'd have a late night snack when we got home. I looked for it and found that he had eaten the whole pot I made before we had left.  I made another this morning, it is an easy dish and very nutritious. I am impressed with nutrients in this little legume per serving: 21 grams protein, 22 grams fiber, only 6 grams of fat, and no cholesterol.

Chana Dal

    * 1 c. chana dal
    * 7 c. water
    * 1 t. salt
    * 1/4 t. each cayenne, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder
    * 1 T. tamarind pulp (or 1 T. lemon juice & 1 t. sugar)
    * 1 T. vegetable oil
    * 1/4 t. black mustard seeds
    * 1 clove garlic, chopped
    * Coconut Creme from one can of coconut milk

Measure the dal into a bowl and sort through it to remove any unskinned (dark) dal, small stones or other debris. Soak the chana dal in 4 c. water for 2-3 hours, then wash under running water and drain.
 
Bring 3 c. water and the salt to boil in a medium-size pot. Add the chana dal and wait for the water to begin its second boil, then cover the pot and cook over medium-to-low eat for 30 min. At this time, remove the cover and stir up the dal. To the open pot add the cayenne, turmeric, cumin, coriander and the tamarind pulp (skin & seeds removed). Stir well and allow to simmer uncovered while you prepare the next step.

In a separate small pot or frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over low heat and add the mustard seeds and chopped garlic to it. When the oil gets hot, the mustard seeds will begin to pop (really. and they may spatter a bit.). When they have ceased popping, add the oil mixture to the simmering pot of dal.

Immediately cover the pot and keep covered for 2 min. while the dal continues to simmer. Then remove the cover and stir once with a spoon to mix in the new ingredients. Cook uncovered for another 5 min. and the dal is ready to be served with rice or bread.

Taste to correct seasoning  This dal is fairly thick in consistency.  I added the cream from one can of coconut milk at the end of the cooking to make it a creamy soup.

Chana Dal Spices: Turmeric, Coriander, Cayenne, Cumin, Garlic Cloves, Black Mustard Seed

Vegan Blueberry Cheezcake

This is one of my favorite vegan cheezcake recipes for the Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbook.  I've made this for non veggies and didn't mention there was no cheese in it until it was enjoyed by all. I only made a couple changes.  I used 1 12 oz. package of firm tofu and one container of Tofutti, Better than Cream Cheese instead of the 2 lbs of tofu in the recipe. I adjusted the liquids as it blended for the right consistency. I also used coconut milk instead of the soy milk.

Shaka's Vegan Cheezcake 
      Vegan World Fusion Cuisine

Filling:

2 lb Tofu, firm
1 C Sucanat
1/2 cup soy milk
1.2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 1/2 TB Arrowroot powder
2 TB Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

Crust Dry:

2 C spelt flour
1/4 C Sucanat
1 TB Arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Crust Wet:

1/3 C Safflower Oil
2 TB Maple Syrup
2 TB Apple Juice, fresh (I used some of the applesauce I canned last summer.)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  For crust, place dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and mix well.  Place wet ingredients in another bowl amd mix well.  Add wet to dry, mixing well with hands, crumbling the ingredients together repeatedly.  Press into the bottom of a 10" spring form pan.  Bake for 5 minutes.  (I used a ten inch pie plate this time.)
    
2. Place all filling ingredients in a large blender and blend until smooth  Pour on top of crust and bake for 1 hour or until top turns  golden brown and center does not jiggle too much.  Allow to cool before running knife around the edge and removing from the spring form pan.

For the topping I just took the blueberries, about 1 lb, a cup of sparkling apple juice, 1/3 cup sucanat, 11/2 TB lemon juice, a dash of cinnamon powder and heated it all in a small saucepan until it started to boil.  I added about 21/2 tablespoons of Agar flakes to the mixture and let it simmer until it was dissolved, stirring constantly.  Since it was so cold outside, I just put it into a bowl and set in on our deck on the table to chill.  After it was completely cooled and thickened, I poured it on the cooled cheezcake.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

This is another recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I veganized it by using the creamy cheese sauce for the vegan mac & cheese I make instead of the Swiss cheese in the recipe. I just added some salsa to it. This time I used raw brazilnuts instead of cashews because I had some and I wanted to see if it made a difference, none that I noticed.

* 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, I use healthy balance organic
* 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped
* 1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
* 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
* 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup raw cashews (soak the cashews in water for about an hour)
* 2 teaspoons sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.

Coconut Pudding with Pineapple/Orange Pureé

Friday Vegalicious Recipes posted a recipe for coconut pudding.  Thought I'd give it a try, it sure looked good when I noticed it. This is a very easy and tasty pudding made with coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, agave, and corn starch.  Toasted Coconut, Pineapple/Orange Pureé.  Hmm...Piña Colada Pudding.  :D This recipe is for mango and kiwi pureé, but I didn't have either of those.  I did have a pineapple and some tangelos. I garnished it with crushed stevia leaf.

Vegan Banana Pancakes

Vegan Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

A nice banana pancake that can be served with a vegan nut cheese like an omelet.  This recipe only has three ingredients.  My granddaughter helped out.

Banana Pancakes

About 6 medium green bananas
     (I have made these with ripe bananas, I just skip the blanching step and mash.  I think they come out fluffier if you use green bananas)
1/2 cup flour, I used WW pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder

Cut the ends off the green bananas and score up the sides. Place scored bananas in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until you can easily poke a fork through them, approximately 15-20 minutes.  Drain and allow them to cool.

Remove peels and mash them in a large bowl.  Add flour and baking powder and knead into a dough.  Divide dough and roll into little balls and form patties.

Fry on hot griddle with a little oil, I used coconut oil, for about three to five minutes. Flip and cook for another three to five minutes.  I usually make a little foil tent to hold in the heat so the insides are cooked thoroughly.

The syrup:  I heated a package of the strawberries I put up last June with about a 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup in a small sauce pan just until warm.

Sunday Brunch for Three

Winter Squash & Beans

The Beans:

1½ cups dried beans, soaked overnight and drained
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TB Thyme
1 TB Sage
1 TB Rosemary
     (The herbs are approximate, I don't measure herbs or count garlic cloves)

I cooked the beans in the herbs and water until they were tender, about 40 minutes.  While the beans were cooking I cut a couple acorn squash and a butternut squash and cleaned out the seeds. I brushed them with olive oil and sea salt & pepper and roasted them skins down on 350° until they were tender but not too soft.

Great combination and they will make a great lunch this week!

Wild Rice and Pecan Pancakes

While sitting in the waiting room of the jail in St. Helens, of all places, there was a Bon Appetit magazine.  I picked it up and started looking at the recipes. I noticed a recipe that looked really good for wild rice pancakes.  What was I thinking?  I went to the window and knocked on the bullet proof glass and asked the receptionist if she would copy it for me.  To my surprise, she did it. I slid it through the little bank drawer you use to give them your ID.  She sent it back with a copy of the page for me.

The recipe is really called Buttermilk Wild Rice Pancakes, but I took out the buttermilk and egg. Although the recipe said they make a great accompaniment to any meat.  I found them a very good main course.

Buttermilk Wild Rice Pancakes

3 cups water
2/3 cup wild rice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour (I used WW pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 cup oat milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
1 egg or egg replacer for a vegan pancake
1 tablespoon whipping cream (I used coconut milk creamer)
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
11/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine 3 cups water, 2/3 cup wild rice and 1 teaspoon salt in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until wild rice is tender, about 40 minutes.  Drain well.  cool to room temperature. I made it the night before.

Mix sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.  Whisk buttermilk, egg and 1 tablespoon whipping cream in small bowl to blend.  Add to four mixture and stir until well blended.  Mix in cooked wild rice, chopped pecans, and finely chopped shallot.

Cooking in heated olive oil as you would regular pancakes, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

We enjoyed them with the roasted roots I made this weekend.