Rhymes With Vegan

Minneapolis GLBT Pride Parade 2009

The past week has been crazy with last minute preparations for the Minneapolis Gay Pride parade. My partner and I organized the float on behalf of the Animal Rights Coalition. The float was a HUGE success and a ton of fun. Our theme was "Go Faux," and our accompanying stickers, "I fake it!" went like vegan hotcakes. I'm posting a few pics for your enjoyment. See you all soon!

 

asparagus stuffed manicotti w/ creamy cashew basil sauce

one of my best friends, erin, challenged me.
i won.

results can be seen below.

asparagus stuffed manicotti w/ creamy cashew basil sauce

8 manicotti
2 cup raw cashews
3-4 cloves fresh garlic - minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup fresh basil - chopped
2 large shallots - minced
olive oil
1 medium sized bunch asparagus - cut into 2 in. pieces
1 cup shredded tofu
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp old bay seasoning
1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
1 package cremini mushrooms
1 small yellow and red tomato - chopped
salt and pepper

heat oven to 375.

(if you have the time, let the cashews soak in hot water overnight.  if not, try to let them soak for at least an hour before use, to get them softened up).

cook the manicotti noodles per the package directions.  set aside until ready to stuff.

in a small saucepan, steam your asparagus until soft to the bite.  approximately 4-6 minutes.  remove from heat and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking. 

shred your tofu and add it along with 2 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet.  add 2 tbsp old bay seasoning, 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper.  continue to cook until the tofu is a caramel color.  add 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms.  cook for another 3-4 minutes.  remove from heat.  you can now add your asparagus and walnuts.  mix together well.

in a medium skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil.  add the rest of your garlic and your shallots.  heat for 3-5 minutes to bring flavors forward and soften the shallots.

in the meantime, use an immersion blender or food processor to cream your cashews.  to do this, you will want to dump out the water the cashews have been sitting in and refill.  use enough water to immerse the cashews, with a 1/2 in above.  add this to the food processor or use the immersion blender and blend until milky and smooth.  if it is too thick, add some more water.  you want it to be a little milky because the cashew cream will thicken greatly upon adding heat.

you can now add your cashew milk to the skillet with the garlic and shallots.  combine at a low to medium heat. as it thickens you can now add your white wine, nutmeg and basil.  let cook until the flavors have melded together, approximately 6-8 minutes.

be sure to leave a little asparagus, mushrooms and basil for garnish.

it's time to stuff your manicotti.

stuff each one with the tofu/asparagus mixture.  add a little of your cream sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish, so they won't stick.  lay each one down. pour the cream sauce over the top.  sprinkle a little more nutmeg, if you desire.  reserve a little of the cream sauce to use once plated.

cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes.

garnish with the asparagus, mushrooms, basil and tomatoes.

serve with a pinot.

enjoy!

asian inspired

i was inspired to whip up some chinese food the other day ever since i discovered this incredible asian supermarket in my neighborhood, united noodle.  i was like a kid in a candy store; touching everything in front of me and racking my brain of all the things i could create.  and as you all know, the options for a vegan are pretty endless...not to mention, who can turn away 99 cent tofu??

so, to keep it simple i whipped up some mock duck fried rice and some high-heat green beans (as i like to call them...for 2 reasons)

mock duck fried rice w/ 'high heat' green beans

1 cup long grain rice - cooked per the directions
2 carrots - diced
1 cup peas
2 scallions - chopped
1 cup mock duck - chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 cup braggs (or tamari)
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 handfuls of fresh green beans
1 red pepper
6 red pearl onions
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1 tsp chili garlic sauce (this is optional, because it really cranks up the heat!)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
salt and pepper

if it is possible, make the rice the night before.  fried rice is best with day old rice.  if not, put your cooked rice into the fridge for an hour or so to get very chilled and hard.

in a medium skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil.  bring to a high, smoking heat and then add your carrots, 1 scallion and 2 tbsp of your braggs.  cook until the carrots have a good bite to them.  you can now add your rice, mock duck and peas.  cook for approximately 10 minutes. add a bit more raw scallion on top for garnish.

in the same skillet or wok, add the rest of your olive and sesame oil.  heat until smoking, then add your garlic and green beans.  let sizzle for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to brown a bit.  add your red pepper, water chestnuts, pearl red onions, chili garlic sauce and the rest of the braggs.  toss around one another for approximately 3-5 minutes, add your sesame seeds (optional).  serve immediately.

serve with a delicious sake.

enjoy!

 

gardeners delight with RWV ranch

so, i'm heading up north again, this time to my family cabin for some more relaxation (i know what you're thinking, "God is she lazy") but before i do so, i wanted to give you a quick idea of something to throw together when those unexpected guests arrive OR when you just don't feel like grabbing some overpriced unhealthy snack from the store. 

it's like a garden on your plate, minus the dirt, of course.

serve this with a sesame mushroom vinaigrette, or with RWV ranch dressing...yummy.

 






gardeners delight

1 package of super firm tofu - grilled with olive oil
1 red onion - sliced
1 package of snow peas
1 package of cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber - sliced
6 radishes – sliced
1/2 bunch of fresh spinach
1 medium baguette - chopped into bite size pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper
sesame vinaigrette (of your choice) OR

                          

      RWV ranch

 1 1/2 cup dairy free mayo
 1 tbsp onion powder
 1 tsp garlic salt
 1 tbsp dill (optional)
 2 tbsp fresh chopped chives
 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (add more if you like a tangy taste)
 1 tsp celery salt
 1 tsp celery seed
  salt and pepper

                               

slice up your veggies and set to the side.  keep your tomatoes whole.  wash your spinach well, and wrap in a towel to remove excess moisture.

slice up your baguette into bite size pieces, toss with a little bit of olive oil, just to coat.  sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw into 375 degree oven until toasted.

slice your tofu into cutlets, coat with oil, a little salt and pepper and throw onto a 450 degree grill until browned on each side.  remove; once cooled slice into long strips (good for dipping).



for the ranch, combine all of your ingredients, in no particular order and mix very well. 
toss into the fridge to cool and thicken.

serve with a glass of pinot grigio.

enjoy!

one helluva pasta salad

and so simple to make.

i made this for my friends cabin week, and it was by far the big hit.  i don't think my friend elissa took her damn fork out of the bowl once!

how best to describe this scrumptious dish?

the creamy dressing on top of the clingy noodles (but clingy in a good way)
the bite of the red onion next to the sweet creaminess of the peas...oh my.
the earthiness of the spinach and walnuts with the tang of vinegar.

your mouth will thank you, trust me.

(oh, and bring this to a family get together....your aunt bert/bezzie/beatrice will never know what hit her).

one helluva pasta salad

1 package rotini noodles
1/2 red onion - chopped
1 package of fresh spinach - chopped
1 bag of frozen peas
1 cup toasted walnuts - chopped
1 1/2 cups dairy-free mayo
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh chopped dill
2 tbsp fresh chopped chives
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

prepare your dressing first, as the longer it marinates, the better it will taste.

in a small bowl combine your non-dairy mayo, vinegar, chives, dill and a little salt and pepper.  whip together and put into the fridge to chill.

prepare your noodles as directed on the packaging.
drain and set aside.

the first thing to add to the noodles is your chopped spinach, the warm noodles will wilt it a bit to a desired bite.

then add your peas and onions.

pour your chilled dressing on top, add the walnuts, a bit more salt and pepper and mix together well.
set in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

serve with a hunk of baguette and a glass of white wine.

enjoy!

out of pocket

i'm heading to a cabin with my good friends for the next 5 days so i'll be unable to do any posts (we will be completely isolated...no cell phones, no nothing).  so, until we meet again (on monday) here's a little peek into what we'll be eating while we're relaxing with a nice cold one.

have a great week!

 

 

stuffed peppers, raw sour "cream" and mango/cuc salsa...ole'

this was one of those "bare cupboard" challenges,  but this time i think i knocked it out of the park.  homemade tortilla chips, fresh salsa, raw sour "cream" and steamy stuffed peppers on a warm spring evening.

now this is what i'm talkin' about.

  

homemade chips and mango/cuc salsa

1 package of corn tortilla’s
canola oil
deep fryer
salt

slice your tortilla’s into small triangles, drop into 375 degree oil.  let fry for 2-3 minutes.  Drain and add salt.

mango/cuc salsa

1 large mango, sliced into small cubes
1 large cucumber – chopped
1 large tomato – chopped
½ red onion –chopped
1 large handful of fresh cilantro – chopped
squeeze of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

chop, toss and mix.
the longer it sits, the better it tastes.

stuffed peppers

3-4 bell peppers
3 cups rice (medium grain will work)
2 cups black beans
2 cans green chilies
1 small can fresh tomato salsa
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
½ small red onion – minced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 avocado – sliced
1 package silken tofu
1 lemon
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp white miso
olive oil
salt and pepper



in your food processor, add your silken tofu, squeeze of ½ lemon, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp white miso, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and blend.  add more lemon if you desire more of a tang in your sour “cream”.  let sit in the fridge until ready to serve.

cook your rice per the instructions found on the packaging.  you can now add your green chilies, tomato salsa, garlic salt, onion powder, cumin and cayenne pepper.  mix together, set aside.

in a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, add your onion, garlic and black beans.  let come to a boil and then simmer for 5-6 minutes on a low heat.

heat your grill to 400 degrees.
slice the tops off of your peppers, discard the seeds and cover each pepper with oil.  add them to the grill and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or until slightly tender.

layer the inside of each pepper beginning with the rice mixture, black beans and a small drizzle of sour “cream”.  when you reach the top add your slices of avocado a drizzle of a bit more sour “cream” and a scoop of the salsa.

serve with more of your homemade chips and and an ice cold beer.

enjoy!

spring reading

i look at spring as not only a time to clean out your closet, but also a good time to introduce yourself to  new reading and re-visit some oldies, too.

 

"the sexual politics of meat" by carol j. adams -
this is a book that i have only been able to read in small pieces.  i have a tendency to get a little riled up when absorbing this theory.  however, carol does an amazing job of really laying it out and helping you connect the dots.  do yourself a favor and add this to your collection.

  

"skinny bitch" by rory freedman and kim barnouin -
i know, i know...so not something that i would push, but i gotta tell you, i absolutely LOVE the tone these women carry.  they are really in your face, no messing around, which i love.  certainly not for the weak-hearted.

"eat to live" by joel fuhrman m.d -
ok, this is a great book, especially if you are in to the medical/scientific ideology of food.  joel has a great way of breaking it down to biology.  yes, there are parts where he focuses on "diet" and losing weight, but if you can see the bigger picture, you'll gain the insight he shares.

enjoy!

emparedados cubanos

80 degrees and sunny.
vegan cuban sandwiches on the grill with a side of sweet potato chips.
makes sense to me.

any questions?

                        

grilled cuban sandwiches with sweet potato chips

1 loaf of cuban or french bread - cut in 1/2 (or 4 petit pain compleat)
1 large package of super firm tofu
2 large portabella mushrooms
3 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp braggs (or tamari)
1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup cashews
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp barley flour
1 tsp dijon mustard
mustard
dill pickles
earth balance
olive oil
pure maple syrup
salt and pepper
1 brick
aluminum foil

the easiest way to follow this recipe is for me to break it down into sections.  first we'll start with the creamy cashew sauce since this is something that will need to be made in advance.

in a medium sized bowl add your cashews and 1 cup of warm water.  let it sit for a few hours.  once they have sat for some time, use an immersion blender and cream them thoroughly.  add your garlic salt, onion powder, flour and dijon; blend together well.  set aside in fridge until use.

in a large bowl combine your braggs,  red wine, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and your mushroom caps (after you have cleaned them, of course).  let marinate for 20 minutes.

slice your tofu blocks into 1/2 in thick long cutlets.  season with a little oil and salt and pepper.  add to a 400 degree grill and sear each side until golden brown.  remove and once cooled thinly slice each cutlet into "deli" style slices.

add your mushrooms to the grill as well.
cook until tender.
slice into "deli" style cuts as well.

now its time to build and grill the sandwiches.
start with earth balance on each side, inside and out.  add mustard, pickles, mushrooms, tofu, LOTS of creamy cashew sauce, more mustard and pickles.

lay your sandwich on a hot grill pan.  it should begin to sizzle immediately.  wrap your brick with 1 sheet of aluminum foil and lay it on top of your sandwich.  it should crush the sandwich flat.  let it sit for approximately 2-4 minutes, then flip and repeat. 

slice your sweet potato into thin chips, cover with olive oil and add to the grill.  should take 7-8 minutes to cook.  add some salt and pepper, toss with a little pure maple syrup and serve immediately.

with a nice cold beer, this will surely be a new staple sandwich.

enjoy!