Valentine's Food, Of Course!

First off, Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone! I had a great day with Steven, and we celebrated by taking a walk together, getting a couple's massage together, cooking dinner together, then watching a movie together...it was perfect! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate a holiday than making a meal with people you love. We had a Jamaican-inspired meal...I guess you could say the theme was "One Love," but only if you're super cheezy.
Here's what we had!

Appetizer: Fried Plantains with Agave Nectar

Main Course: Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, Mango-Coconut Sticky Rice, Garlic Sauteed GreensDessert: Peanut-Yam Empanadas

In addition to being happy about the great Valentine's Day events, I am also excited to be living in Columbia again! Kansas City was nice, but it is good to be with my friends and Steven. To celebrate my first night back, we went to dinner at my old ball and chain, Main Squeeze! I miss working there a whole lot, but it is also kinda nice to go there and eat and not have to worry about customers and other stresses! I got one of my all-time favorites, the Good Fortune Wrap. It is seasoned tofu, brown rice, homemade sesame-ginger sauce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, scallions, and sesame seeds all rolled up and toasted in a whole wheat tortilla...how could you say no?? The sesame-ginger sauce makes this a wrap I come back to often!

Good Fortune Wrap

On another note, I think I have perfected my Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe! woohoo! You should try it out and lemme know what you think...

Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich (serves 2)
4 slices whole grain bread
4 slices veggie "ham"
2 slices vegan cheeze
2 Tablespoons jam, such as raspberry or blackberry
2 Tablespoons dijon or creole mustard
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
Bread Batter:
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Set our four slices of bread. Spread 1 Tbs jam on two of the slices and 1 Tbs spicy mustard on the other two slices. Place half of a slice of cheeze, broken up or shredded, onto each slice of slathered bread. Place slices of veggie "ham" on top of the cheeze, and top with the other slice of bread (so each sandwich has one jam slice and one mustard slice). In a wide bowl or pie pan, whisk together the batter ingredients until well-combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. When pan is hot, dip one sandwich in batter and flip to coat completely. Place battered sandwich in hot pan and cook on both sides until the bread is browned and toasted, and the batter has mostly cooked off...you don't want a soggy sandwich!
Repeat with the second sandwich and serve hot, drizzled with maple syrup and dusted with a little cinnamon or powdered sugar!
Note: If the cheeze doesn't melt with cooking in the skillet, place cooked sandwiches on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10 or so minutes until it is more melty!!

This makes a perfect brunch entree!

Chicago Trip Day 1

For Day 24 of Vegan MoFo, I will be broadcasting from Chicago! I flew in today to attend the annual American Dietetics Association national conference, and I will be here through next Tuesday...so I will hopefully be able to go to lots of new and interesting restaurants! My mom came with me to visit some family up here, and of course go to lots of good eateries with me!! After all, we are all well aware that the only good reason to travel is to go new places to eat! :)

After flying in and getting all settled, we made our very first stop to one of my favorite restaurants on the planet: Chicago Diner!! I cannot say enough good things about this freaking place!! The atmosphere is amazing, the staff is super friendly, and the food will end your life with its deliciousness. Seriously.

Since it was noon and they were still serving brunch, my mom and I opted for some breakfast-ier items, as we had only been there for dinner. I had the Vegan Monte Cristo sandwich: two giant pieces of french toast, sandwiched with veggie ham and vegan cheese, with creole mustard and jam. This came with a side of delicious Homestyle Potatoes. Oh, and everything got a generous drizzle of maple syrup!!! Good God Almighty!! I thought I would never have this awesome sweet-salty combo sandwich again after going vegan, but I was oh so wrong! And now I am oh so happy :)

My mom had the Big Bang Breakfast: scrambled tofu, tempeh-potato hash, seitan sausage, tempeh bacon strips, and toast with delicious jam. This was big and beautiful, and had to be enjoyed by the best mother in the world!

Dessert, since we were so full, was a Snickerdoodle-Nut Cookie (even though I wish I had not been too full for cake!)...mild flavors, but absolutely amazing texture: nice and chewy, just how I like it!!Dinner was at the Earwax Cafe. I can't believe I was still hungry after that lunch, but I guess it had been a while. anyway...I had never been here before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved it! The decor was kind of vintage carnival-themed (think bearded lady posters and old sideshow signs) and the food was really good! Also wonderful people working here...I even had a vegan waitress! hooray!

My mom had the Tuscan Seitan Sandwich: marinated seitan with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, escarole, shaved onion, and pesto on a baguette, with a side of their Sesame Slaw. She loved it, and the bite I stole was really good! Seitan rules. I had the Chorizo Burrito (!): Seitan Chorizo, Roasted Potatoes, Refried Beans, Tomato, Onion, and Teese Cheese, with Salsa and Avocado all in a grilled tortilla. This was really hearty, but not too much so, and flavorful! I only wish it had been a little spicier, but I loved it!This time, we saved a little more room for dessert: Vegan Milkshakes! Earwax uses Chicago Soydairy products, so they had the incredible Temptation Ice Cream for their shakes! woohoo! I had Chocolate-Peanut Butter, and my mom had straight-up Chocolate. This was so rich and creamy and thick and good. I had to lie down afterward. I almost couldn't finish it, but I was a trooper! I am a good little vegan, after all!!Sorry the lighting was so dark in there...it's all about the mood I guess. They should have a special table for food bloggers... :)

Oh, and I want to leave you with this:

This was on the back of the dessert menu at Chicago Diner! I love it! Listen to this menu!

oh, and OBAMA (I am in his town, you know!!)

Super Awesome Brunch and Belated Excitement...

First the belated excitement part: 5 posts ago was my 200th post! I didn't even realize it! That's a whole lotta blogging and even more cooking...I'm pretty proud if I do say so myself :) Thanks for reading and salivating with me 200 times!! haha

Now for the brunch! The supper club this past Saturday was hopping, and not just because of the arrival of springtime weather...but mostly because of Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwiches!! You can find my recipe here! I added some of my Creole Mayo to the sandwiches, and served some organic blackberry jam on the side for spreading and dipping. It was perfect. Also different this time, I made homemade seitan "ham" and used Teese mozzarella cheeze! I had never used Teese before and it so totally melts you guys!! Delightful! Now if they only carried it around here so I didn't have to order it online. sigh.
Anyhoo, I made the sandwiches with locally-made Farm to Market bread, and served them with a side of Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes. So good!!Then there were the scones...Orange Thyme Scones, that is! I just love citrus in breakfast-y baked goods. I mean, it just makes sense!! I'll give you my recipe, because you seriously deserve to eat these for breakfast tomorrow. So good with Earth Balance and some jam....mmmmmm..... Orange Thyme Scones (makes 12 big scones)
5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup dried thyme leaves
1 Tbs sea salt
2 Tbs baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs baking soda
1 cup sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)

1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups soymilk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, flour through sugar. Cut in the margarine and shortening using a pastry cutter or sturdy fork, to get a crumbly texture.
Make a well in the center of the mixture.
Pour in the zest and juice, extracts, and soymilk into the well. Stir until just combined; be careful not to overmix the dough.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface and form into 2 separate circles. Cut each circle into 6 pieces. Set scones at least 1/2" apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until firmed and golden brown on top. Let sit for 10 minutes on the baking sheet to rest, and then transfer scones to a cooling rack. Serve topped with Orange Glaze (below).

Orange Glaze
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (depending on how thick you like your glaze)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange extract (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, juice, extracts, and powdered sugar until completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

***The pictures seen on this post were taken by my friend Michael Ryce. They're so good, right?!?! Thanks MJ!!

Bianca's Back and a Recipe from My Grandma!

I have lots of yummy things to share, so I hope you're ready!

First off, the lovely Bianca of the Vegan Crunk blog is, as you know, working on her upcoming cookbook, Cookin' Crunk. After some issues with her computer situation, her new tester recipes are up...and they are delicious!

The first recipe on the list is.....Sweet Potato Bread! This is by far the best quick bread I have ever made or eaten!! And I have eaten my fair share of quick breads. It is so dense and moist, with a perfect balance of sweet potato and spice flavors...it is also healthier than most because it is made with very little oil and is made entirely with whole wheat flour! Yes, I even had some for breakfast...slathered with Earth Balance, of course. Sweet Potato Bread, in the pan.

Sweet Potato Bread, sliced and ready to be devoured.

The other recipe for this week was her Granny's Squash Casserole. This is a creamy yellow squash and rice casserole, made with a gravy sauce. It's texture and flavors are really comforting, and it smells just like a creamy casserole I would see at any of my family gatherings! I think I could fool some folks with this one. Anyway, the chewy texture of the brown rice with the soft baked squash is awesome. This makes an awesome side dish with some Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu and Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which is how I rolled with it. I highly recommend!!Granny's Creamy Squash Casserole

Now, a good foodage picture with no recipe...I'm still perfecting it! Last night for dinner, I made Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwiches!!! I loved these in my pre-vegan days, and I even had a veg version at the amazing Chicago Diner, which I also loved. It was high time that I tried making some myself! Well, these turned out so goooooood! I just put some veggie ham with some Follow Your Heart monterey jack cheeze and creole mustard between some whole grain bread that I French-toasted. I had to put them in the oven for a bit to melt the cheeze, but whatever. Then I served it up with some organic black cherry jam, and a side of Cajun-roasted potatoes. Brunch for dinner is the best. Period!
And now, for a veganized version of one of my grandma's recipes: Italian Sausage Ragout. This seems so simple, yet it is so wonderful. I crave this often and have just now decided to give it a shot. It turned out really savory and flavourful!! Perfect with some steamed broccoli....and some sorbet or vegan ice cream for dessert! Unfortunately, I cut my thumb pretty severely (4 stitches worth, thank you!) while chopping the veggies for this dinner, so be careful!! BTW, this copycat version got my grandma's seal of approval! Bonus!

Grandma's Italian "Sausage" Ragout

Grandma's Italian "Sausage" Ragout (serves 4)

1. 4 Vegan Italian Sausage links, sliced into 1/2" pieces
2. 1 large yellow onion, diced
3. 1 green bell pepper, diced
4. 2 cloves garlic, minced
5. 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced thinly
6. 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I used the kind already seasoned with Italian spices)
7. 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
8. 1/2 tsp salt
9. 1/2 tsp black pepper
10. 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
11. 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
12. 1/2 lb whole wheat linguine, uncooked

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pour the onions into the pan. Saute for 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the green pepper, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan and saute for 5 more minutes on medium heat to soften. Add in the sliced sausages, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Stir until well combined and cover. Turn to medium-low heat and allow to simmer while you make the pasta, about 20 minutes. Make the pasta according to the package directions, making sure you only cook the linguine to al dente. Add the salt and pepper, using more or less to taste, to the ragout mixture, along with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir well and serve immediately over the cooked pasta!

Seriously, try this dish. The Italian Sausages just give the sauce a little something extra, maybe it's love, I don't know. Oh, and I used the Field Roast brand Italian Sausages for mine, but the Tofurkey brand or even homemade sausages would rock, too!

Hey, what are you all doing/cooking/baking for Valentine's Day? I need ideas to steal!