Last week I flew to Seattle to surprise my husband, who was there on a business trip. While in Seattle we stopped into a little vegan grocery store, Sidecar Pigs for Peace. It’s a really great store, and I can’t tell you how fun it is for me to walk into a shop and think, “I can buy anything I want! It’s all vegan!” I’m overwhelmed in a similar way whenever I get to go to a vegan restaurant. You mean I can order anything on the menu? Are you serious?
One of the things I brought back with me to Boston was a package of Soy Curls. I saw them for the first time in a Chicken-style salad on Julie Hasson’s Everyday Dish. I’d never seen them in Boston, so I jumped at the last bag sitting on the shelf at Sidecar. They sat in my purse all the way back to Boston, and I tried to explain to my husband what they were exactly. Looking at the dry, shriveled pieces in the package, I could tell he wasn’t convinced.
So I went ahead and made myself a dish with them. When I sat down on the couch (I’ve co-opted the dining room table to use in the kitchen), he asked for a bite. Then another. And then requested them for dinner the next night.
Soy Curls are great because all you have to do is soak them in hot water to rehydrate them, then flavor/cook them however you want. Here’s a great, easy and FAST dinner that’s perfect for spring asparagus. You can substitute tofu, setian or tempeh for the Soy Curls if you’re unable to find them, but you may need to adjust the favoring; soy curls seem to absorb the sauce in a special way.
Sesame Soy Curls with Asparagus and Quinoa
Serves Two
Quinoa
1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed three times
1 1/2 Cups Cool Water
1/2 tsp Salt, scant
1 tsp Oil
2 Cups Dry Soy curls
2 Tbs Oil
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced (optional, I left it out)
1 Dry Chili, crushed, optional
2 Small Carrots, thinly sliced or grated
1 lb Asparagus, trimmed to 1/2-1/3 of the stalks
1 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Soy Sauce/Tamari (reduced sodium)
1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds for garnish.
Rinse the quinoa three times, rubbing the grains in your hands. While the majority of quinoa now available in stores already has the bitter coating of saponin removed, I find there is usually still some left. Your quinoa will tastes better if you give it good scrub.
Add rinsed quinoa, water, salt, and oil to a pot that has a lid. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn the heat down to low to simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for another 10. Don’t open the lid until the last 10 minutes are up. Fluff before serving.
Place soy curls in a bowl and cover with boiling/near boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to re-hydrate. Once hydrated, squeeze out any remaining liquid.
Heat a wok over high heat and add oil. Add soy curls and stir-fry until browned. Remove curls from the wok and add garlic, chili and veggies (using more oil if needed). When asparagus is bright green and tender-crisp, add soy curls back into the wok. Add soy sauce, sugar and vinegar and toss well. Drizzle sesame oil over the top. Taste a soy curl and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve over quinoa and top with sesame seeds
May 8th, 2008
Stumble it!
A while back I mentioned that I had found a vegan cheese that was pretty damn good. I’ve spent some time playing around with it, and I finally have a post ready for you all.
I don’t often use vegan cheese. Vegan cheese usually sucks, and I’ve found that the longer I’m vegan (just over four years now), the less I want to eat things similar to cheese (or any other non-vegan product). Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s not good every once in a while. But I don’t feel like I need it anymore. I don’t require it to be satisfied, which is a great thing.
But I’m always interested in new vegan cheeses. When I first went vegan I bought all the different brands I could find and taste-tested them. I was very disappointed. I coudn’t believe that no one could come up with a better vegan cheese. Sure, it’s definitely possible to develop a taste for some of the products out there, but they don’t win you over on the first bite. And they’d never, ever fool someone.
So when Scott from Black Duck Imports contacted me to ask if I’d like to try some Sheese vegan cheese, I was definitely curious. Surely someone, somewhere, had made some improvements on the vegan cheese front. I told him I’d be happy to try it, but I wasn’t going to mention a peep about it on the blog unless I really liked it.
And I really like it.
The taste, especially in their various cheddars, is great. The texture is perfect for grating, shaving, or slicing. It doesn’t feel oily or wet like some other cheeses out there. It’s very flavorful, so you don’t need a lot to flavor a dish.
The downsides? It doesn’t really melt, so it’s better mixed into something than on top of something. It comes in a wide variety of flavors, but the cheddars taste the best to me; the mozzarella is fine but it doesn’t taste like mozzarella, and I downright disliked the gouda. My favorite is the smoked cheddar. I often use a vegetable peeler to shave some off onto pasta.
So now to the recipe. When I think I cheese I usually think pizza (a side effect of growing up in Chicago, the land of perfect pizza pie), but since sheese wouldn’t really melt all that well, I had to come up with an alternate plan. Then it hit me: if you use phyllo, you can easily put the cheese inside the pizza. Like so:
This dish makes a perfect starter, and besides the little bit of stress phyllo causes, it’s really easy.
Special notes for phyllo dough: Located in the freezer section of your grocery store. Keep frozen, placing unopened package in the refrigerator the night before to defrost. Do not defrost at room temperature. Once defrosted, move dough from refrigerator to counter two hours before use. Keep any opened dough covered with a damp kitchen towel and/or plastic wrap to prevent drying. Re-wrap unused portion immediately and refrigerate for 1 week, or refreeze.
Flaky Pizza Purses
Makes 6 Starters
1 Recipe 6 Minute Tomato Sauce (below)
5 Sheets Phyllo Dough
1/4 to 1/2 Wheel of Sheese, any flavor, shredded
Fresh Basil Leaves
5 Tbs Melted Earth Balance Margarine
Six Minute Tomato Sauce
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Pint Sweet Grape Tomatoes
1/4 tsp Salt (more to taste, if desired)
1/2 tsp Dried Italian Herbs
Begin by making the tomato sauce. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan and add tomatoes. Toss in oil and cook until tomatoes begin to soften and burst. Add salt and herbs. You can help the tomatoes along by popping them with the tip of a knife as they expand. Gently mash the tomatoes, but not enough to loose their basic shape. Total cooking time approximately six minutes until the sauce is ready to go. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Get your work station ready with everything you’ll need (photo) to make the purses. You’ll need a large area to spread the dough out on, tomato sauce, shredded sheese, basil, melted earth balance, a brush, and a damp kitchen towel/plastic wrap.
You’ll want to open the dough, unroll it, remove 5 sheets, cover the 5 sheets, re-roll and re-package the remaining dough….all as fast as you possibly can.
Once the leftover dough as been put away, you’ll begin brushing and stacking each of the five sheets. Always re-cover the sheets you’re not currently working with, or else they’ll dry out.
Remove one sheet from the stack of five and lay it out in front of you. Brush with melted Earth Balance, starting at the edges and working in to the center (the edges will dry out the fastest, this prevents that). If you get some rips or tears, don’t worry–it won’t be noticeable by the time you’re done. Just repair them as best you can and move on.
Once covered in Earth Balance, place the second sheet on top. Brush. Repeat this process until all 5 phyllo sheets have been stacked and brushed. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into six squares (one cut lengthwise, two cuts widthwise).
Now you can relax. The dough won’t dry out so quick now that it’s coated in Earth Balance. Place 1/6 of the sauce in the middle of each square. The add cheese and a few basil leaves. I left mine whole because I’m lazy, but you can chop yours up if you want.
Gather the edges of the squares into the center, twisting to seal and form a purse. Place the completed purses on a baking sheet.
Give the purses one final brush of Earth Balance before going in the oven.
Bake for 10-15 minutes (I did 15) until the purses turn golden brown along the edges and the body feels cooked and flaky. Top with fresh basil leaves and serve warm.
Click here for more information on where to purchase Sheese. I usually purchase it online through Vegan Essentials. I hope you like it as much as I do! And hey, if you’re looking for a mozzarella that really melts, check out the newest vegan cheese on the block, Teese. I had it on a pizza in Seattle and it was great!
May 3rd, 2008
Stumble it!
Even if you don’t know what a tuile cookie is (pronounced “twill” or “tweel”), you’ve probably eaten them before. They’re delicate and sweet and often stuck into desserts, especially ice cream, at fancy restaurants. The great thing about tuile cookies is that they come out of the oven soft and pliable, allowing you to shape them whatever way you want before they cool and harden. They’re crisp and sweet and buttery–like the most delicate, most delicious ice cream cone you’ve ever had. In fact, ice cream cones are what got me thinking of tuile.
It’s 80 degrees here today, so I started thinking about making some ice cream. Then I thought about making my own ice cream cones. Then I thought about tuiles. And since there doesn’t seem to be a recipe for vegan tuile cookies on the internet, I decided to make up my own. And it worked! Perfectly. (I know, I’m just as shocked as you are. Apparently you really can learn how to make fancy things just by watching a lot of cooking shows on tv. My sister and I used to come home from school watch Great Chefs on PBS before the Food Network ever existed. Remember that show? I’m pretty sure that’s where I learned about tuile.)
So anyway. Tuile cookies aren’t hard, but they do require a few tools, some concentration, and the willingness to lightly burn your fingers. Since I don’t mind sacrificing myself for cookies, this wasn’t a problem for me. Just be forewarned. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- A silpat, or non-stick mat, or waxed parchment paper
- An offset spatula
- A clean piece of cardboard (not super thick) or tuile template
- Molds (bowl, rolled paper, whatever)
Let’s get to the recipe, I’ll explain in more detail as I go.
Vegan Tuile Cookies
Makes 1-2 dozen depending on size
1/2 Cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbs Flax Egg*
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Flax Egg
1 Tbs Flax Seed
1/4 Cup Water
Grind the flax seed to a powder in a spice grinder. Whisk with water and set aside. Use 2 Tbs of this mixture for the tuile cookies, you’ll have a little left over
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whip the Earth Balance and sugar until light and fluffy, so it looks like the photo above. Once the Earth Balance is soft enough it should whip up just fine.
Add flax egg, extract, and salt. Whip until you see medium to stiff peaks like above. Gently fold in flour and mix until well combined. Your batter is ready, so prepare your workstation.
You can buy specialized tuile templates in lots of different shapes, but a piece of clean cardboard works just as well. I traced a glass and cut the circle out with an x-acto knife for my template. You can do circles, squares, rectangles, flowers, stars - anything!
Put your template down on your silpat and add a glob of batter. Using your offset spatula, carefully spread the batter out to fill the template, remove the excess batter.
Lift the template up to remove it. You’re cookies are ready to go in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. You may need to experiment with baking time to reach the ideal balance between strength and pliability.
I recommend not making more than 2-3 cookies at a time. You’ll need to shape them immediately after they come out of the oven, and since they harden quickly, it’s difficult to shape more than 2 or 3 in one go.
It’s also important to completely cool the baking sheet between each batch. Dump the hot baking sheet in the sink and spray it down with cold water. Dry thoroughly before the next batch.
When they come out of the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for 15-30 seconds. Gently remove them with a spatula and shape them immediately (this is the part where you might burn your fingers). You can make all sorts of shapes. If your template was circular, here are some ways you can shape them. I’m in the process of forming bowls in this picture, and I had already made cones, cylinders, and tacos.
I used regular paper, rolled into cylinders and cones and taped, to make the other shapes. Once cool the shape will set.
Now you can use them whichever way you want! I filled mine with almond soy pudding and fresh strawberries. You can add them to ice cream, fill them with vegan pastry cream, stuff them with berries or custard, dip them in chocolate–whatever. If you want to make the cookies ahead, I recommend not filling them until the last minute to prevent the cookies from getting soggy.
And I haven’t forgotten about ice cream. I actually bought an ice cream machine today, so I’ll post a recipe for vegan ice cream in the future, now that I know how to make the cones!
April 23rd, 2008
Stumble it!
Boston has a neighborhood called the North End. If it was any bigger we’d probably call it Little Italy. There are a gazillion tiny Italian restaurants and pasty shops crammed into a few blocks. There are old men playing bocce ball, people eating gelato, couples toasting with grappa after dinner, and–my favorite–specialty Italian grocery stores.
My sister was in town over the weekend, and she suggested we stop into one of these grocers so she could pick up a few things to take home. I was definitely down with this plan, as specialty food markets make my heart beat a little faster.
In the market I picked up (among other things) a very nice bottle of balsamic vinegar and some imported sundried tomatoes. Much like some wines and cheese, true balsamic vinegar needs to be made in a specific region of Italy using very strict guidelines. I didn’t realize that the vinegar you buy at your regular grocery store is almost certainly not balsamic vinegar, but regular vinegar that has added sugar and food coloring in order approximate balsamic.
That’s not to say that grocery store balsamic is bad. Sometimes it’s quite good. But I didn’t realize how different the two really are until I tried the real thing.
The bottle I bought is made in Italy specifically for this little grocer I visited in the North End. It’s called Rubio, and it’s aceto balsamico di Modena (which is a good thing). I spent $35 for 8.5 ounces, and believe it or not, that’s a really, really good deal for real balsamic. The highest quality vinegars are in the $100-400 dollar range, and that’s for less than four ounces. See what I mean by $35 being a good deal?
Even if it is a good deal, is it worth it? Yes yes yes yes and yes. It’s fabulous. It’s slightly sweet, tangy, and really… deep. Robust. Indescribable. And while eight and a half ounces doesn’t sound like much, a little goes a long, long way. (If you’re interested, you can order it online here.)
When you have a few high quality ingredients, even a 10 minute lunch (it’s really that fast) is a memorable experience. When you have a few high quality ingredients, the simpler the dish the better. This little couscous number is dead easy, ridiculously quick, and so, so tasty.
Sundried Tomato and Basil Couscous with Aceto Balsamico
Serves two
3 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
10-12 Oil Packed Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
1 Cup Couscous
1 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted
Aceto Balsamico di Modena
Place 1 1/2 cups of water on the stove or in a kettle to boil. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, basil, tomatoes, and couscous until combined. This is what it will look like before you add the water:
Measure out 1 cup of boiling water and pour over couscous mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add pine nuts. Stir occasionally until toasted, being careful not to burn. (Right before they begin to brown you’ll see that they become shiny. Don’t walk away because they go from toasted to burnt very quickly!) Set toasted pine nuts aside.
Lightly fluff the couscous with a fork, adding toasted pine nuts. Drizzle aceto balsamico over the top. This may be eaten immediately, but it also is very nice as a room temperature dish.
April 15th, 2008
Stumble it!
Did anyone make the marmalade? This is the perfect recipe to use it in. If you’re not up for making marmalade from scratch, that’s not a problem. Next time you’re at the store pick up a small jar and use that instead. In fact, using store-bought marmalade makes this dish super-duper easy to prepare.
Marmalade chicken is one of those simple dinner dishes that home cooks have been preparing for themselves or their families for years because it’s not only damn easy, but also damn tasty. There are a ton of different recipes available for it online, some just call for marmalade and chicken (or in our case, tofu or seitan), and some make a more elaborate marinade using the marmalade as a base.
This dish is as easy as you want it to be, super flavorful, and infinitely customizable. You can use a base of rice, couscous, pasta, quinoa, millet, polenta (and so on) and dress it up with any simply prepared greens or veggies you’ve got. If your using a rice cooker for your starch, and the oven for the tofu, you can quickly steam or saute up any other accompaniment without much fuss.
I grilled the tofu after I baked it because I love grill marks. The use of a grill or a grill pan is totally optional, unless you’re like me and like really pretty tofu. If you’re free of my strange tofu vanity issues, don’t worry one bit. However, if you do break out the grill pan, be careful not to burn the ‘fu. All the sugar in the marmalade makes for easily scorched tofu if you’re not careful. I may or may not be speaking from experience. *cough cough*
One last thing before I jump into the recipe. Pearl couscous. Oh my goodness, have you tried this stuff? I love it! It’s also called israeli couscous or maftoul. Like regular coucous, it’s actually a pasta, but it’s like couscous on steroids. It’s really fun and a nice change of pace from rice. You should be able to find it near the regular couscous, either in a package near the pastas or in a bin in the bulk food section of your local grocery store. You can boil/drain it like regular pasta, or cook it in a skillet like risotto. Very cool stuff.
Marmalade Tofu with Kale and Lemon Pearl Couscous
Serves two with leftover tofu, easily scaled
1 14 oz block of Super Firm Tofu, pressed well (or 4 seitan cutlets)
1 Recipe Marmalade Marinade, below
Couscous, risotto style
1 Cup Pearl Couscous
2 tsp Oil
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Zest from 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Salt (scant)
2 to 2 1/2 Cups Water
Kale
1 bunch Kale (or about 2 cups veg of choice)
2 tsp Oil
2 Tbs Water
1-2 tsp Tamari
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
Marmalade Marinade
5 Tbs Marmalade
2 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce (reduced sodium)
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Hot Chili Flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp Ginger (optional)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 400º F.
My favorite method for pressing tofu: Pour off all excess water. Wrap the tofu in two paper towels. Then wrap the tofu in a terrycloth kitchen towel. Place a cast-iron skillet on top (or anything else that’s flat and heavy and can get wet) and let sit for 20 minutes or longer. After 20 minutes, the towel should be soaked through and the tofu nice and firm. The paper towel just protects the tofu from any lint or, um, cat hair that might be on the towel. Slice the block into 8 even rectangles.
In a baking dish that will fit all the tofu snuggly, whisk together your marinade. Add the tofu (or seitan) and coat each piece. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. There should still be a little marinade in the bottom of the dish after baking, just enough to use as a glaze.
When tofu is halfway done, heat oil in a large skillet an add dry couscous. Stir for a few minutes until each pearl is coated and lightly toasted. Add lemon juice, zest and salt. 2 cups of water and let simmer, stirring frequently, and watch as the couscous absorbs the liquid. When all liquid is absorbed, try a pearl to see if it is cooked through. Add more water as necessary. You can also boil the couscous, drain, then mix in the salt, juice and zest with a little oil.
In the last few minutes, heat the oil for the kale in a wok or large skillet. (The tofu will hold nicely in a warm oven if you need more time.) Add washed, torn kale and toss to coat. Add water to the hot pan and quickly cover with any lid that will fit to quick-steam the kale. Remove the lid after a few minutes (admire how tender and green the kale looks) and saute to cook off any remaining liquid. Add almonds and tamari, stirring well, until the almonds are lightly toasted.
Plate the couscous and then the kale. Add the tofu on top, and drizzle any remaining glaze over everything. Garnish with extra almonds if desired.
April 8th, 2008
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