I Made Black-eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes!

Quinoa is my favorite grain because it has tons of fiber and it is a complete protein. My friend at the Natural Gourmet School told me that essentially all quinoa is organic, because it is only produced in certain regions of Bolivia and Peru, and farmers monitor each other to guarantee their organic certification. (As in, if one farmer decides to use pesticides, then it would mess it up for everyone, so no one wants to be caught with pesticides. Thus, organic!) The following recipe comes from Vegan with a Vengeance (p. 88-89).

• 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained, or 1 (15-0z) can, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
• 1 tsp paprika

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl mash the black-eyed peas with a potato masher and then your hands. Add the olive oil and soy sauce and stir. Add the quinoa and spices and combine the mixture with your hands. You should be able to mold them into balls that readily stick together.

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I didn't have any, so I toasted some sourdough slices till crispy and food processed them into crumbs)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• A few dashes of fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (I used a squirt of bottled lemon juice)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients for the breading. Spray a baking pan with a little oil. Form the croquettes into walnut-sized balls. Gently roll the balls between your palms three or four times, then flatten out the ends so that the croquettes resemble marshmallows. Coat each ball with the bread crumbs and place on the prepared baking sheet. When all the croquettes have been formed, spray lightly with oil. Bake for 40 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes.

The author serves these croquettes with cooked quinoa and mushroom sauce. I didn't have time to make the mushroom sauce, so I just used ketchup and mustard. Also, these croquettes are so protein-packed because of power combo of black-eyed peas and quinoa that I didn't need any additional quinoa on the side. Lastly, after twenty minutes of baking, when you flip over the croquettes, it seems like they are overly crumbling. Wrong! After baking for a total of 40 minutes, the croquettes hold together very nicely.

EDIT: I tried this with kidney beans (food processed the first step instead of mashing). Doesn't work as well...

I Made Vegan Lasagna!

Hi, again! Continuing my month of home cooking, I made vegan lasagna! I got the recipe from a friend going to culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute, and it's pretty damn good. I've shared a batch with my carnivore parents and brother (I'm vegan, if you haven't noticed), and they didn't realize that the "ricotta" was actually tofu!

Sorry, too lazy to plate and take a proper picture this time!

• 1 box of lasagna noodles
• 9 x 13" pan

Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the box. Once they're done, drain and lay them on aluminum foil or parchment paper so they won't stock together. Preheat oven to 375F.

• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large can pureed tomato
• spices to taste (basil, cayenne, etc.)

The tomato sauce part of the recipe is really up to you! The way I usually do sauces is very simple: just sautée finely chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil, add pureed tomato, add some sugar to taste, add spices to taste (this time, I used cayenne (the noodles and "ricotta" balanced out a pretty spicy sauce), cumin, coriander, sage, basil). I let this simmer on a very low flame while I prepare the "ricotta."

• 2 pounds firm tofu, pressed (squeezed)
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp miso (you can replace with 1 tsp peanut butter and soy sauce, or with tahini and little soy sauce)
• fresh rosemary finely chopped or whatever herbs you like (basil)

Put tofu, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic, miso, and herbs into a food processor and mix until tofu is smooth with a slight granular texture. The flavoring of the tofu "ricotta" is up to you as well. I had a mood for rosemary the last time I made this, so I was very generous with that herb.

Assemble the lasagna layers. In a 9 x 13" pan, place a layer of sauce, then noodles (I fit three noodles per layer), then thin layer of sauce (just enough to cover the noodles), then a layer of "ricotta", then noodles, then sauce, then "ricotta", and so on. The top layer should be noodles covered by sauce. I've been trying to eat more "naturally" lately (since it's not that great to eat Tofurky, Tofutti, and vegan substitutes all the time), so instead of having a layer of vegan cheese (like Daiya), I just had a generous layer of sauce. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until hot (check your baking frequently!).

The lasagna seems to taste better after being refrigerated overnight... The portions mentioned above are definitely A LOT and enough for a few days of lunches and dinners! This is a pretty simple recipe and very adjustable. I thought it was worth sharing because it is an example of an easily veganizable recipe. Bon appétit.

I Made a Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf!

Happy New Year! It's been a while. A few minutes ago, as I was eating my leftover chickpea-quinoa pilaf from yesterday, I realized that this recipe was both simple and delicious so I thought I should share. Incidentally, I trying not to eat out that much this month since I just bought tickets to a cruise, so I'm planning on tons of cooking... Anyway, I had some quinoa lying around, and after looking through Veganomicon, I realized that I had everything I needed to make this hearty, protein-packed chickpea-quinoa pilaf (p.115-116):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped finely (around 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

In a small stock pot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed (I just used coriander??)
• Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another minute. (I added some cherry tomatoes from my garden, the last batch from summer...)

• 1 cup quinoa

Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.

• 2 cups cooked for 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon

Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, and cook for 18 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stirr occasionally. Fluff with a fork and serve.

I Made Edamame Hummus!

Hey, it's been a while since I've contributed to this blog! I first tried this recipe last fall, when I had a craving for edamame hummus from Teany (90 Rivington St.) but that restaurant (partly owned by Moby) was closed due to a fire or disaster. Also, I didn't want to try the Trader Joe's version, partly because I was too lazy to go downtown and partly because I thought I could do better and cheaper myself. Anyway, I found this recipe from the Food Network. It's pretty good!

Ingredients and Directions
My friend Tina, who is working on a book of vegan baking recipes, introduced me to this format of outlining recipes.

• 1/2 pound frozen shelled edamame (green soy), about 1 1/2 cups
  

Boil the beans in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or microwave, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes.

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons), juiced
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 3/4 teaspooon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (Err-- I couldn't find this, so I tried sage. Still good.)
  

In a food processor, puree the edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander until smooth.

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix until absorbed.

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Anyone have tips on what to do with tons of leftover parsley?!)
  

Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the parsley and drizzle with remaining oil. Serve with the suggested vegetables, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

Lately, I've been eating tons of hummus spread on sourdough bread and toasted til the hummus is crusty. You can, of course, eat this however you eat "regular" hummus.

I made a hearty vegan brunch!

I made a hearty vegan brunch (salivate at the above picture) consisting of scrambled tofu (recipe will follow), fake ham from some Asian brand of Buddhist products bought from Flushing, LightLife Gimme Lean ground-style "meat," and rustic bread with Smart Balance.

I got the recipe for the scrambled tofu from Ira Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vengance:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 carrot, peeled (optional, grate it in at the end, mostly for color)
For spice blend
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed wiht your fingers
1 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for 3 minutes, until softened; add the mushrooms, saute for 5 minutes; add the garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add teh spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds or so. Add 1/4 cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get all the garlic and spices.
Crumble in the tofu and mix well. Don't crush the tofu, just kind of lift it and mix it around. You want it to remain chunky. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necessary to keep it from sticking too much. Lower the heat a bit if you find that the tofu is sticking. Add the lemon juice. Add the nutritional yeast and mix it up. If the mixture is sticking to the pan, add splashes of water. The moistness really depends on how much water the tofu was retaining before you added it.
Grate the carrot into the tofu mixture and fold. Serve with guacamole and salsa and potatoes and toast and tempeh bacon.

For the "sausages," I took the LightLife Gimme Lean pack of "ground meat" (I find myself making the quote gestures whenever I talk about fake meats, by the way), and rolled it into shape with my hands. This product has great texture and great shape-ability for making un-meatballs, etc. but it is kinda sticky. Sauteed it in a pan with hot olive oil until browned. Did the same with the sliced fake ham. Serve everything with toast and Smart Balance.

I had a glass of Silk soy milk to complete my meal.

Perfect vegan hearty brunch!

I Made Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits!

I bought the Veganomicon cook book from Blue Stockings (on Allen St.) a week or two ago, and I finally got a chance to try out a recipe. I chose the Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits. The recipe, as dictated in the book:
Serves 6, Takes 1 hour 20 minutes


Stew:
2 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, washed well and sliced thinly
1 small onion, cut into medium size dice
1 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 (15 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed (about 1/2 can)

Biscuits:
3/4 cup plain soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated vegan shortening

PREHEAT THE oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Cover and bring to boil. Once boiling, let cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Drain immediately so that they do not overcook. While they are boiling, you can prep the rest of the veggies and start preparing the biscuits -- the potatoes should definitely be done by the time you are.
Now prepare everything for the biscuits. You are not going to make them yet, but it's good to have everything ready when it comes time to top the stew. Add the vinegar to the soy milk in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium size mixing bowl.

Now leave that alone and start the stew:
Mix the cornstarch into the vegetable stock until dissolved.
Preheat an oven-safe skillet (if you don't have that, just transfer contents to casserole dish), preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Saute in the oil the leeks, onions, and carrots until very soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Keep the heat moderate so they won't burn.
Add the garlic, thyme, freshly ground black pepper and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Add the cooked potatoes and frozen peas, then pour in the vegetable stock mixture. Raise the heat just a bit; it will take a few minutes but the liquid will start simmering. Once it does, lower the heat again. Let it simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, but no longer than that. If you need more time for the biscuits, then turn off the heat under the stew.

Back to the biscuits:
Add the shortening to the flour in small slivers and work it into the dough with a fork or with your fingers until large crumbs form. You don't want to cream it in; there should be clumps. Drizzle in the soy milk and mix with a fork until everything is moistened (some dry parts are okay).
Wash and dry your hands, then lightly flour them and get them dirty again. Gently knead the dough about ten times right in the bowl, just so that it is holding together and not very sticky. If it seems sticky, as in sticking to your fingers, then gently work in a little more flour. Set that aside and check on your stew.
The stew should be simmering and slightly thickened. Mix in the beans. Now, let's add the biscuits. Pull of chunks of dough that are about slightly larger than golf balls. Gently roll them into balls and flatten a bit; they do not have to be perfectly round. Add them to the top of the stew, placed an inch or so apart.
Transfer the whole megillah to the preheated oven. If you are worried about spillover, place on a rimmed baking sheet, but we've never had that problem. Bake for about 15 minutes. The biscuits should be just slightly browned and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and use a large serving spoon to place some of hte stew and a biscuit in each shallow, individual bowl. Sprinkle with a little chopped, fresh thyme.
Serve at last! Especially yummy when you break up your biscuit and mix it in a bit with your stew.

Commentary: This turned out very, very savory and hearty. I don't think I've had enough protein (and nutritious foods in general) since I made the switch to vegan 1/2 month ago, so this recipe is a particular delight. Some proteins in the beans. Some vitamin A. I'm not a fan of cornstarch, and I think this recipe can do without it. You'll probably need some time to simmer the stew for it to thicken. Also, I didn't have nonhydrogenated vegan shortening, so I used Earth Balance. The biscuits turned out really dry and not that "buttery," but that shortcoming is easily remedied with dipping the said biscuit in the stew. I highy recommend this recipe and I look forward to testing out more Veganomicon recipes!

I Made Yellow Curry With Mixed Vegetables!

I made yellow curry with mixed vegetables! This is a fantastic, simple, vegan (yet hearty) dish. I got the recipe from Veg Cooking (a PETA website; click on link for concise instructions -- the following is rather elaborate because I have some personal suggestions). You will need:

1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup 1-inch potato cubes, boiled (around one medium potato)
1/2 cup 1-inch carrot cubes, boiled (one large carrot)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup small cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. curry powder
3 Tbsp. chili sauce
Salt, to taste

First, boil some water in a medium pot. Also, prepare some basmati rice according to instructions on the package if you want to eat this curry over rice. Peel the carrots and potatoes. By the time you're done with that, the water will probably be boiling, so put in the potatoes. Remove when the cubes are nearly done (not all the way cooked, because you will be putting this into the pot later with all the curry goodness and you don't wan't to overcook). Do the same for the carrots (I do this separately because I feel like potatoes and carrots have different cooking times). Cut up the broccoli and cauliflower. If you don't want to waste the stem of the broccoli, cut it up like you would carrots, and cook it with the carrots. Mince the ginger and garlic. Optional: some coarsely chopped onions.

The mess...

In a medium pot, combine the vegetable stock and the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

Colors not so appealing right now, but wait til you get to the spices.

As per the recipe: "Add the potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Return to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes." I would personally add in the potatoes and carrots first, bring that to a boil, and then add the broccoli and cauliflower because those two cook a lot faster. But I think everything will overcook a bit anyway (especially because I let it simmer longer so it thickens a bit), so it probably doesn't matter too much in the end.

Add the remaining ingredients (SPICES!!!) and stir well. I never have chili sauce so I use 1/3 tsp Nigerian cayenne pepper instead (because that's what I have at dorm).

Cook for an additional 5 minutes, as per the recipe. I would simmer a bit longer though, so it would thicken a bit.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

My attempt at plating and food porn photography.

Makes 4 servings! A bit spicy.

A catch up post: Tofu Scramble, Maple Nut Granola, and Wilted Red Cabbage and Bell Pepper Slaw

Here's a little roundup of some things I have been making recently!




Tofu Scramble

This recipe was actually made out of necessity, since I had a carton of tofu sitting in my fridge with an expiration date rapidly approaching. I always buy tofu with the best of intentions, and then let it sit on the shelf until it is no longer usable, and then I feel bad for wasting food and money. I decided that this time, I would not let that tofu go to waste, so the other day I put about a third of it in some miso soup and decided that the next morning I would make a tofu scramble with the rest.

I have had a few previous experiences with tofu scramble, most of which have been from the brunch menu at Kate's Joint in the East Village, and (sorry Kate), most of which have been kinda disappointing. I keep ordering it though, because in theory, I really like the idea of scrambling up some tofu with veggies and spices, but the result is often a little mushy, watery, and bland.

I finally decided to take matters into my own hands when I saw the following recipe on the blog Bread and Honey. They recommend draining the tofu of any excess water before preparing the recipe, and I think it makes a huge difference in the texture of the dish. I did this by putting the tofu on a plate, covering it with saran wrap, and then putting a weight on top (in my case, a 5 pound bag of flour.) If you do this for about 15 minutes while assembling the rest of your ingredients, you will be all set. This recipe made me really happy because it had a great, firm consistency and was so flavorful. It is a nice change from traditional scrambled eggs, and I think now that I know how to make it, I won't have to stress about wasting tofu as much.

Wakantanka Tofu Scramble: adapted from Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbook

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced (I didn't have this, so I omitted it. Still tasted fine!)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 pound tofu, extra firm, crumbled (Keep in mind that the proportions of this recipe are for a whole package of tofu. If you are using less, don't forget to adjust the proportions of spices accordingly, or your scramble will taste crazy.)
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast (I didn't have this either , so I used some Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead.)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari
Also recommended: juice of about 1/2 lemon.

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tofu. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. (Before serving, squeeze lemon juice on top.)


Maple Nut Granola (via Epicurious)

This was my second attempt at making granola, and I think this will be my go-to recipe from now on. Making granola is really easy and it makes your kitchen spell really fragrant and toasty. Of course, you can also modify this recipe in a bunch of different ways and add whatever dried fruit and types of nuts you prefer. I like it because it is not TOO sweet, but just sweet enough, and is delicious with some plain yogurt.



Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds (I actually used 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.)
1/3 cup sesame seeds
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins (I think dried cranberries are even better.)
I also added about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss oats and next 2 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk syrup, brown sugar, oil, 2 tablespoons warm water and salt (and cinnamon, if using) in small bowl to blend. Pour syrup mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until evenly browned, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in raisins/cranberries. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container.)

OK: finally, I made this recipe for Wilted Red Cabbage and Bell Pepper Slaw. Now that spring and summer are almost here, I think this would be a really good dish to bring to a picnic or barbeque. This slaw is really crunchy and pungent and would be very refreshing on a hot day - (or a cold day when all you want to do is fantasize about going to picnics and barbeques.)



Wilted Red Cabbage and Bell Pepper Slaw (via Epicurious)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch julienne strips
I also added thin ribbons of peeled carrots. Totally optional, but tasty.

In a saucepan bring vinegar and water to a boil with sugar, salt, and mustard and simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.

In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add mustard seeds and sauté until they begin to pop. Stir in cabbage and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add vinegar mixture and simmer vegetables 1 minute.

Drain vegetables in a large fine sieve set over a saucepan and transfer them to a bowl. Boil liquid over moderately high heat until reduced to about 3 tablespoons and stir into vegetables. Chill slaw, covered, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Whew. That's it for now. Let me know if you try any of these. They are all easy and tasty!