I've Got a Crush...

...on Indian food! I have fallen in love with the wonderful flavors, varied textures, and interesting ingredients of Indian cuisine, so I've been making a lot of it lately. A whole lot. I checked out three Indian cookbooks from the library and have been researching it on the internet. I'm kind of nerding out about it. Anyway, here is one of my favorite dishes I've made so far, Cabbage Thoran. It's a dry curry with lots of mustard seeds and shredded coconut laced into simmered cabbage and spices. I've adapted it from a wonderful cookbook, Cuisines of India, and I'm just crazy about it! Cabbage Thoran (serves 6-8 with other dishes)
Adapted from Cuisines of India and various internet sites

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
4 cups cabbage, shredded
2 Thai chilis, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
10 fresh curry leaves, chopped (if unavailable, use Thai basil leaves)
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs black mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves,chopped (or use 4 dried bay leaves)
1 large onion, diced
2 cups cooked yellow split peas--optional, to make as a main dish

In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut, cabbage, chilis, garlic, salt, spices (turmeric through cumin), and curry leaves. Stir to mix well.
In a large wok or deep pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds to the pan and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until they sizzle and begin to pop. Add the curry leaves and onions and saute 3-5 minutes, until the onion softens and begins to brown. Add cabbage mixture to the pan and cook 8-10 minutes, until the cabbage has softened and cooked down a bit. You may need to add water, a few tablespoons at a time, during the cooking process if the mixture becomes too dry. Fold in the cooked split peas and add 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat to low and cover pan; let simmer for 3-5 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly. Top with sprigs of fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice, roti, and plenty of pickle and chutneys.

I served mine with hot mango pickle and a cooling cilantro raita! Balance! For this, and many, Indian recipes you will likely have to take a trip to your local Indian or Asian market. Those places are like field trips for me, they're so great...I get sucked in for at least an hour every visit!

Vegan MoFo: Sustainability Sunday!

Welcome to Day 27 of Vegan MoFo (month of food)!! The KC Vegan Crawl, aka Sustainability Sundays, was hoppin again this past weekend! Lots of great peeps came out to support sustainable, delicious vegan foooooood!

At my supper club, it was Oktoberfest 2009!! All German food all the time!

For the meal: Homemade Vegan Brats with Braised Local Cabbage and German Potato Salad (all local veggies, too!). Of course, there was lots of Organic Kraut to be had!!

For dessert: Apfelkuchen! For all the English speakers, that's German Apple Cake! I got my recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking and it turned out soooo great! I am in LOVE with this warm, cinnamon-y, moist cake. Love.See, Dane loves the German-ness...And Anna reeeealllly loves the German-ness!!And for the second leg of the vegan crawl, at Dane's place....more local food gooooodness!

Spaghetti Squash Saute: local sketti squash with onions, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, and olive oil. So many good things all at once!!Lima Beans in Tomato Sauce: lima beans. simmered in tomato sauce. what more could you ask for?! yum!Pomegranate Tart: pomegranates, blackberry jam, and pineapple in a dense, buttery tart crust. I think it actually might be a pan-dowdy due to how it's made and such, but whatever. Just words.Then we all carved ourselves some local pumpkins!! Perfect ending to a lovely, autumnal Sustainability Sunday! Here was my creation....totally fitting to my personality. ha.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Some Product Reviews

With my love for holidays, celebratory meals, and my Irish roots, I really have no choice but to prepare an Irish-inspired meal for St. Patrick's Day! I made Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage, with Maple-Mustard Roasted Potatoes, and it was so delicious! Unfortunately, it was in the 80's here, so it was almost too hot to make such warm, comforting food! It was worth it, though. Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage (serves 4)
1 lb seitan, chunked
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cabbage, shredded
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup pickle juice
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup beet juice (optional)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs paprika
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs mustard powder
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs caraway seeds
1 Tbs dill seeds

In a large pot, combine the 2 cups of water, pickle juice, vinegar, and the rest of the seasonings with the chunked seitan. Simmer for 20 minutes, until some of the liquid has reduced. Add in the vegetables and the 1/2 cup water and cover. Simmer on medium-low with the seitan for 20-25 more minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the liquid is mostly gone. Serve with roasted potatoes or Irish soda bread!

Maple-Mustard Roasted Potatoes (serves4)

4 medium russet potatoes, large diced

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss diced potatoes in olive oil and bake on a sheet pan for 30-45 minutes, until tender on the inside and lightly browned on the outside. While the potatoes bake, prepare the maple-mustard sauce (below).

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1 Tbs dill weed

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. When potatoes are done roasting, toss the maple-mustard sauce with the potatoes until completely coated. Serve hot, with Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage.

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And now for some product reviews! I have tried a couple of new finds lately, and I have to talk about them!

First up, White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Co!!! I know, I know, everyone has talked about PB&C0's awesome products, but I am going to put my two cents in! I am in love with this peanut butter! OK, I am in love with peanut butter in general, but this white chocolate variety is definitely the creamiest and sweetest pb I've ever tasted!! I can't wait to try more of their flavors...I think I'll go for the cinnamon raisin variety next...

This white chocolate pb goes especially well on toast with organic raspberry jam!

Next is the Blueberry Lavender Sorbet from Archer Farms, Target's gourmet store brand. If you like sorbet, then you will love this product! I have always enjoyed the flavor combination of blueberry and lavender, and I was very pleasantly surprised when my mom surprised me with this last week! Very refreshing flavor, smooooooth texture (especially for a sorbet), and not loaded with sugar! I'm picturing this on a hot summer day, topped with some chocolate chips and fresh berries....ahh.

Eating it straight out of the carton is also delightful....

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!

My First Hanukkah Attempt

Since my last few posts were pretty Christmas-centric, I decided it was my duty to give a shout out to the Hanukkah celebrating folks! I have never tried my hand at any specifically "Hanukkah" or "Jewish" food, but I suppose you don't have to be Jewish to share in the celebration, particularly when it comes to the good food! I don't think I did too bad for my first shot...except that the latkes kept sticking to the pan! I made the Classic Potato Latkes from the VegCooking.com blog, topped with a little Tofutti Sour Supreme, and I served them with my Homemade Brats (using the famous steaming method!) with Organic Sauerkraut and a side of Braised Cabbage and Apples. Now I only wish I had made those fluffy little Hanukkah donuts for dessert!
I was really pleased with the flavors and textures of this whole meal, but I was quite disappointed when I plated everything up and realized it was all kinda tan. There's veggies on this plate, I promise! :) Mono-toned or not, this was a really tasty meal that I would definitely try again! Happy Hanukkah!

Fun With Seitan!

As a money- and package-saving measure, I have been making my own seitan! Seitan is probably my favorite protein choice, even if it does make me gassy! (TMI? nah.) It is really satisfying to see something compleltely homemade on your plate, not to mention how tasty and cheap it is to do it DIY!! I used the recipe in Veganomicon for the first time the other day...and I really liked it! I usually make the recipe in Sarah Kramer's La Dolce Vegan, but I have to admit I like Isa and Terry's version a little bit better. Here's a few things I did with my seitan this week: Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwich (from Veganomicon) with Sesame Cabbage Slaw

This sandwich is SERIOUSLY awesome! The sweet and spicy au jus is delicous, and I think this is really a perfect sandwich! I added shredded carrots and daikon radish for an extra veggie kick and a zing in flavor...so freakin flavorful!!

Pumpkin Seed-Fennel Encrusted Seitan, Roasted Beets with Leeks and Celery, and Garlic-Mashed Potatoes

I just kind of made up these recipes with what I had in my house and what I was craving, and it turned out really well! This was a really good wintertime meal and was nice and savory for our tastebuds. Do you know how good roasted beets are?? They rock. Also, these are the pumpkin seeds from the local pumpkin I roasted a while back. Another DIY bonus!!

You should try making your own seitan...it is wonderful and worth the extra effort!

Belated MoFos!!

I have been quite the lazy blogger for the past two days! My apologies...after I got back from my long week in Chicago, I was too lazy to cook (and I had no food in my fridge!), I was tired, and I really just wanted to hang out with Steven. Needless to say, I was less than motivated to cook or blog! I am now refreshed and ready to cook, though, starting with last night!
Yesterday was not only Halloween and the last day of Vegan MoFo, it was also me and Steven's nine month anniversary! yay! So, I had to make a really delicious dinner for us, and I wanted it to be something he loved a lot...but not more than me :)
I went with Homemade Bratwursts, inspired by Julie Hasson's recipe for Spicy Italian Sausages, served with Bubbie's Raw Sauerkraut on top, along with Braised Cabbage and Local Apples, and Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes. This meal was perfect! Warm and satisfying...perfect for a long night of Halloween fun! And there's even orange in the sweet potatoes! So clever.When I was in Chicago, I picked up something locally-made to make for Steven and myself, because I think it's really important to try local items wherever you go to appreciate the culture and tastes of the places you are visiting. When I saw this Upton's Naturals Chorizo-Style Seitan at Whole Foods, I knew that this is the item I had to bring home with me!! It seemed like a lot of the veg-friendly restaurants there in Chi-town had something featuring Seitan Chorizo on their menus, so I wanted to try using this tasty ingredient at home as well!

I wanted to use the chorizo in a Mexican/South American-inspired dish, so I made this:
Seitan Chorizo with onions, garlic, jalapenos, red peppers, hominy, greens, and avocado over quinoa....with lots of citrus, cumin, chipotle, and cayenne, this was really flavorful, and was a great way to celebrate the chorizo! I haven't had hominy in a long time, and I had forgotten how much I love it! yum!!

This precious little skull is made of chocolate (obviously) and was another cool thing I bought in Chicago! This was made by the gourmet chocolatier Vosges, who is famous for creating innovative and wonderful chocolate concoctions. This particular Hot Chile Chocolate Skull, in celebration of The Day of the Dead/Halloween, was made of solid dark chocolate, ancho chiles, chipotle chiles, cinnamon, and black sea salt...this skull was so warm and spicy and sweet and flavorful! This is probably the only time I will rave so much about eating a body part (unless they make more body parts out of chocolate)!

On some side notes:
Happy end of Vegan MoFo...I'm already looking forward to next year!
Happy belated Halloween
Please do whatever you can to support/volunteer for/encourage Barack and Joe over these next three days! We are so close...don't give up now, people!!

Vegan MoFo Day #21: I Love Apples!

I ate a lot of apples today, I must confess! After all, it is fall and apples are in season, and I still have dozens and dozens left from when we went apple-picking weeks ago! I am trying to use them up before they go bad, so I have been trying to feature them in many of my meals, desserts, and snacks.

For dinner, they were a sweet addition to my Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions. I paired those with Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Homemade Bratwursts (which I based on Julie Hasson's Spicy Italian Sausage recipe)...loaded with organic sauerkraut, obviously!! This meal was perfect!!! It featured lots of wonderful, local fall produce, economical homemade sausages, and an homage to my love for all things German. I will definitely make this meal again soon! It's so colorful and pretty!!

Dessert also featured apples! I made Apple-Cherry cobbler bars, a modification of the Apple-Date Bars that I bake at work for Main Squeeze. These have lots of cinnamon, cardamom, maple syrup, and apples, so eating them makes you all warm and happy...especially when paired with a nice chai tea! And they are wheat-free, so those who are sensitive can enjoy them, too!!

Apple-Cherry Cobbler Bars

These make a great treat to eat while reading vegan mofo blogs!!

Breakfast was also amazing, but it did not involve apples. darn. But, I did make something new and wonderful: Vegan Bagels and Lox! A while ago, I was thinking about how to make this awesome breakfast item vegan-style. Then, lo and behold, I was flipping through cookbooks at the bookstore, and saw a recipe for vegan lox in Vegan Vittles. I didn't use that recipe, but I got the idea from that recipe to use roasted red peppers as the smoked "salmon." This was awesome to wake up to...you mofos should fo sho try this!

Vegan Bagels and Lox (serves 2)

2 sprouted grain bagels

4 Tbs Tofutti vegan cream "cheese"

2 roasted red peppers, sliced into strips

2 Tbs capers

1 tsp olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

1 tsp kelp powder

1/4 cup hijiki

1 cup water

1 tsp dill weed or 2 Tbs fresh dill

To make the lox (do this the night before): Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, water, kelp, hijiki, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Place the sliced red peppers in this marinade and refrigerate overnight. In the morning: split and toast the bagels. Spread each bagel half with 1 Tbs cream "cheese." Lay strips of marinated peppers on the bagels. Place capers over the peppers, and sprinkle each bagel half with dill. Serve immediately.

This is breakfast at its best!! (But it makes me miss New York so badly!)