Super Southern Sides!

This testing thing just gets better every week!! For Vegan Crunk Bianca's cookbook tester recipes this week, I was lucky enough to try out two different Southern-style side dishes: Mashed Sweet Taters and Mess 'o Greens with Turnips!

Sweet potatoes are in my top 5 favorite foods of all time, so I OF COURSE loved this sweet, spiced version! I served the Mashed Sweet Taters with another tester recipe, Country Fried Tempeh with Gravy, and some Sauteed Cabbage and Onions. My belly was very happy after this meal!
And greens are just so good any way you cook 'em, so this smoky, salty, and sweet version that is spiked with tender turnips made the meal a joy to eat! The Mess o' Greens with Turnips went perfectly with BBQ Baked Tofu (made with Annie's Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce, cuz I was lazy), and some of my own Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Ahhhhhh....greeeennnssss....I can already tell both of these recipes will be in heavy rotation on my plate!

Seitan Chik'n and Dumplins and Some Other Good Stuff!

I finally got around to making the next tester recipe for Bianca's Cookin' Crunk cookbook, which was the Seitan Chik'n and Dumplins! I had to wait til I went to the store to buy some more gluten, and I am so glad I did! This dish is absolutely perfect! It has all the elements of a great meal: comforting and warm, chewy dumplings, creamy base, tender vegetables, hearty seitan. Steven and I both thought this was a winner for sure, and it was even better the next day as leftovers! Score!

A few other random things I have put off posting, but should be mentioned:

The Garden Burrito from Main Squeeze here in Columbia (my place of work!)....

Whole wheat tortilla, brown rice, refried beans, avocado, lettuce, beets, carrots, sprouts, homemade organic salsa. Seems like a strange combination with the burrito stuff and the veggie stuff, but it totally works and is one of my favorite menu items! This burrito always leaves you full from all the fiber and protein, yet refreshed from the crunchy cool veggies. Perfection.

Breakfast at Ingredient, a new restaurant here in Columbia. The original location is in Lawrence, Kansas, so this isn't really a chain, just a second location of a local KS eatery. And they have breakfast, which is the best meal of the day...yay!

I had the Breakfast Burrito (always my favorite), and you get to choose your fillings, so mine had tofu, vegan mozzarella, housemade pico de gallo, and roasted red peppers in a spinach tortilla, served with a side of "skillet potatoes." This was pretty good...the potatoes were really paprika-y and delicious, and the burrito was not amazing, but tasty overall. I was a little skimped on the tofu, but I don't think they had made it that way before or something. Who knows. Either way, I would eat it again!
Steven had their Steel Cut Oatmeal Bowl (which was ENORMOUS!!). You get to choose your oatmeal fixings, so he picked fresh blueberries and bananas, toasted pecans, and brown sugar. It was really good!! Steel cut oats kick rolled oats' butt, btw. There is something special about the blueberry-banana combination that I don't understand, but it is just delicious.


On to my new discovery: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter from Target's Archer Farms brand!!! I suppose you could call this the generic version of the PB&Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, but there is nothing generic-tasting about this treat! It is so creamy and fudgy, and really tastes like a vegan version of Nutella, so I was in heaven when I had my first taste. It goes really well on toast (especially the local Kansas City bakery Farm to Market Grains Galore bread, which is just awesome and nutty. period.) with some raspberry jam. If you have a Target store near you, run...don't walk...to it and pick some of this up!!

Archer Farms Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and Raspberry Fruit Spread, on Farm to Market Grains Galore Bread...mmmmmm....

I think that's all I have today. And p.s. if you aren't excited about Bianca's (of Vegan Crunk) upcoming cookbook full of Southern delights, then please do so! Every recipe I've tested so far has been mouthwatering and amazing...so get your bibs ready for drooling and your bellies ready for filling! :)

Yumbo Gumbo!

I am really pumped because I have been wanting to make gumbo for a while...I heart okra...and I finally made it for dinner tonight! I wanted to wait until Steven got back from his climbing trip to Texas to make it for him, so I just got my chance tonight. I kinda winged this recipe based on what I've had before and what I knew about creole-style cooking. Luckily, it turned out great!! The andouille sausage to which I refer in the recipe is another work-in-progress that I finally got to turn out wonderfully--I will post that recipe tomorrow, as I don't want to make this too long of a post with the long gumbo recipe and all. So here it is! I hope you try AND like it!"Andouille" Okra Gumbo (serves 4 hungry vegans)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno, minced
1 lb okra, sliced
1 can yellow or white hominy, drained and rinsed (corn will work if you can’t find hominy)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 vegan Andouille sausages, sliced into thin rounds
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs Louisiana-style hot sauce (Frank’s, etc. But really, Frank's is the bomb!!!)
2 Tbs paprika
1 heaping Tbs gumbo filé powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp mild chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you want less heat)
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup vegetable broth or water

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pan. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until onions are softened and translucent. Add in the minced garlic and jalapeno, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the broth, vinegar, hot sauce, and maple syrup to the vegetables and stir. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Stir in the sliced “sausages,” beans, hominy, and canned tomatoes. Stir in all of the spices and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to cook for 15 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking. Add in the okra and cook for another 5 minutes, until the okra is fully cooked. Add extra salt and/or pepper to taste and serve immediately.
I recommend serving this hot with a thick slice of cornbread or over a bed of brown rice!

The cool thing about this recipe is that you can add your own twists and variations to it, and it will probably still turn out tasty! You can modify the cayenne and other peppers if you want more or less heat. I still threw a few dashes of hot sauce on mine once I plated it up, but that's because I like it pretty spicy. If you opt not to make the homemade andouille "sausages" (that I will post tomorrow), you can use any vegan link-style sausage, sliced seitan, or even cubed tempeh. But, seriously, you WILL want to make these fauxsages. For real.

Good Luck Dinner...

Even though I am a city girl now, I grew up in rural anti-city parts of Missouri. Because of that upbringing, I really love comforting and hearty soul food. Part of that tradition in my family is to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve to bring you good luck for the rest of the year....Tonight, I felt compelled to make black-eyed peas to bring us all good luck for the election tomorrow!! I know, this is an old wive's tale and probably won't have any effect, but I'm just doing whatever I can to make sure Barack is elected tomorrow and food is what I do....so it just makes sense! I made Black-Eyed Peas with Onions and Garlic and a dash of Liquid Smoke, Sauteed Greens, and Cornbread from the Angelica Kitchen Cookbook (I added jalapenos!)...This meal was nice and homey, and hit the spot after a long day! It seemed pretty lucky to me!!

VOTE! Go early so you can get away with waiting in long lines...and bring a snack so you don't get too famished :)

Vegan MoFo Day #19: Sunday Traditions

Sunday is one of my favorite days, mostly because it always involves great food!
Every Sunday, a bunch of us have our traditional breakfast at Cafe Berlin (not a German restaurant, btdubs) and it is always wonderful!! We sit around and eat wonderful breakfast food and drink coffee and talk and love. Today was no exception...and the bike ride there was especially beautiful with the great weather!

Today, I had the Apples and Tempeh "Sausage", with a side of roasted potatoes. This IS fall!!

Then, after a long day of homework, studying, and exercising, a nice dinner was necessary.

I, again, was craving the Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu from Veganomicon...I swear this is addictive! The crunchy outside and chewy inside are an awesome contrast, and it is a perfect pairing with mashed local sweet potatoes and garlic-sauteed greens. This is becoming one of my favorite meals...so much so that I am now out of hot sauce! :)

Dessert was Banana Bread from The PPK (theppk.com). This is a really hearty, dense, and flavorful quick bread, and not too sweet. I loved it, and I used whole wheat flour, so I could even feel good about it being healthier! hoooray!

Sundays are wonderful!

OH. and Vote on November 4th! Obama needs YOU!

Vegan Mofo Day #12: More Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu!

Today was another wonderful Sunday! A bunch of us enjoyed an amazing Sunday breakfast at Cafe Berlin...my favorite tradition! I had the veganized version of the Yankee Breakfast: Scrambled Tofu (with spinach and lots of spices), tempeh bacon, roasted potatoes, and an English muffin, with lots of organic grape jam. I loooove this breakfast! It has lots of my favorite breakfast-y things, especially the tempeh bacon rocks that my socks so very hard!

Perfect with a giant mug of OFT coffee!! This is a really filling and hearty meal, which was just what I needed to give me some energy before Steven and I went rock climbing all day!

This is Earthquake Hollow, where we went climbing! No picture could capture how pretty it was there today....I love Missouri foliage!!!

Here is Steven, psyched on a beautiful day for climbing!!

After a day of climbing and hiking, we needed a nice, comforting meal to satisfy us! I had just enough Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu from Veganomicon left over for both of us, so I served that up with some mashed local sweet potatoes, garlic-sauteed greens, and a whole grain roll from the wonderful Uprise Bakery here in Columbia. This meal definitely hit the spot!Now I'm off to try and create something fantastic for this week's Iron Chef Challenge...I am so excited! :)

I Went Apple Picking!

You know it's fall when you finally get to go apple picking!!! Fall is my absolute favorite season...what's not to love?? Sweaters, beautiful weather, squash, apples, and bonfires. Perfect! On Sunday, I went with Steve and a bunch of friends to an orchard about 30 minutes outside of Columbia, and we picked a literal butt-load of apples! I could barely carry all of them! There are about 6 or 7 different varieties, too! This was so much fun...the perfect combination of celebrating fall and local food! Hooray! I, of course, want to bake with these bad boys, so I need your help! Any good recipes for desserts using apples? Help me out! :)

In other food happenings, we also had our traditional Sunday breakfast at Cafe Berlin this weekend! I had one of my favorites: the vegan breakfast burrito! This isn't on the menu, like the slinger I had, but Steve, Eli (the chef), and I came up with this as an amazing alternative to the breakfast burrito already on the menu...filled with meat and eggs and cheese. boo! This creation is a big tortilla filled with scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, roasted red and sweet potatoes, cilantro, spinach, and a drizzle of maple syrup...served with a side of their homemade salsa! I always load mine with a healthy dose of hot sauce and wash it down with a biiiiiig 'ol mug of fair trade coffee! aaaahhhh perfection!Last night, I was feeling some comfort food, particularly some nice southern dishes. I had a few more ears of local corn and some local okra to use up, so I already had a good start on dinner! I made the Blueberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce from the PPK Blog and used it with sliced seitan(I even got to use up the last of my local blueberries in this dinner! score!). If you haven't made this, please please please do it! So sweet and spicy!!! I served it with ears of roasted local corn...slathered with Earth Balance and sea salt...homemade whole wheat biscuits, and my oven-fried okra. Outta this world! Steve couldn't stop raving, either! The okra tastes a lot like my grandma's real fried okra, but it is much, much healthier! Try it out next time you get okra from the market!

Oven Fried Okra (serves 2-4...depends on how much you like okra!)

1 lb fresh okra, sliced into 1/2" rounds

2 Tbs canola oil

1 tsp hot sauce

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the soymilk, oil, and hot sauce. Add in the okra and coat with liquid mix. Let sit for 10 minutes to absorb the liquids. Add in the dry ingredients, and stir to coat with dry mix. Spread okra in an even layer on the prepared cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until coating gets crispy and brown, and you can smell the yummy okra. Serve warm with any of your favorite southern meals, especially bbq seitan :)

I may love the big city, but homestyle cooking is still one of my favorites!!

Labor Day Soul Food

With the blessing of having a day off of both school AND work (!!) I was able to prepare a real meal for a few friends and myself. Some good 'ol soul food was just what we needed, too!
I have been dreaming about the Blueberry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce that I saw on the PPK blog last week, and I just got a package of Soy Curls from my Pangaea order...the combination was just obvious to me! If you haven't made this super sweet and spicy and tangy and smoky sauce that Isa posted, then you must! immediately if not sooner! I'm sure it would go well on anything, like tofu or tempeh, but it went perfectly with the mildly-flavored and chewy-textured Soy Curls! Here they are up close and personal:

Here is the recipe, courtesy of the PPK Blog!
Blueberry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce (makes about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch chunk of peeled ginger, minced
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup veggie broth or water
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons chipotle powder
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
Salt to taste

Preheat a sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger, saute for a minute more. Add the blueberries, veggie broth and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chipotle, molasses and sugar. Lower heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, until it’s reduced by about half. It should be nice and thick. Adjust sugar and salt if you need to. Turn the heat off and let sit for about 15 minutes before using, stirring occasionally. (from Isa at the PPK blog)

I served the BBQ Soy Curls with some organic steamed kale and Mac'n' Chreese from Road's End Organics...whole wheat macaroni noodles+ nutritional yeast cheezy sauce= love! Herethey are in their lovely box, ready to be cooked:And here's everything all together... a perfect meal! A little taste of Southern-style food really is good for the soul :)