Banana-Nut Bok Choy with Baked Tofu

I had a few over-ripe banana's that I was trying to get rid of so I decided to experiment with a sweet, summery sauce. When I do it again, I will probably put some more nuts in the sauce to give it a better texture. 

Banana-Nut Bok Choy

Banana Nut Sauce:

2 over ripe bananas

20 raw cashews

2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 Tbsp. Paprika

Just toss all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and let them liquify.

Bok Choy

Get some onions, garlic, and oil going in a frying pan and let that simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes. While this is going, wash and peal apart 3 baby bok choys, then add that into your pan and cover for 6-9 minutes until bok choy is soft but still has a crunch. Then add the banana nut sauce and let it reduce for about 3 minutes.

Serve warm over brown rice.

Baked Tofu

1 block tofu, cut into strips

marinade:

2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Water

1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes 

1/2 tsp. lemmon juice

Soak the tofu in the marinade for as long as you can stand to wait. Then, broil the tofu on a greased flat pan for 7 minutes on a side.

smoky tofu with roasted corn salad and spiced sweet potatoes

Hey dudes. It has been awhile since I posted but nonetheless here is a dish I made a week or two ago. Its pretty simple. Might be a pain in the ass now to have your oven on with the warm weather , but that is what makes this much easier to put together. You can do this all on the stove top too. Either way, it should be alright.


Smoky tofu
1 block of tofu cut into 16 triangles.
oil
black pepper
tamari
liquid smoke

Pan fry tofu in a few teaspoons of oil. Cook both sides until golden brown. Then once just about done, splash the tofu with tamari and liquid smoke. Season with black pepper and bake for about 20 mins at 375 ish.

For the sweet potatoes.....
Cube one or two decent sized sweets into about a 1 in dice. Boil for about ten minutes in salted boiling water. Once done, toss drained hot potatoes with olive oil and spice mixture (cumin, coriander, chili powder or paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper). Roast with tofu for about 20 mins.

Roasted corn salad
2 ears corn, roasted
1 green or red bell pepper, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 can black or kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 avocado, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Mix everything together.

The sauce on the plate was a cashew sour cream with siracha dots.

Hope you like this one!

Food Party!

It looks as if the blog has taken a little break - but no worries we've all been cooking just the same. Term papers, exams, and general end of semester stress has made us a little neglectful of the blog. Well, summer is here and I thought I'd start it off with some pictures of one of our spectacular food parties.

A little while ago, maybe two weeks ago, some of us had an awesome potluck. The premise was that if Anthony made a delicious vegan pizza for Jonathan and Michael, they would start eating vegan. They have been vegan since. The potluck included fried rice burritos, fresh spring rolls, vegan pizzas, cornbread and delicious, delicious chocolate mousse (vegan!) - which you may have seen on Yana's post. 

We were all so stuffed it hurt, but I know I could not stop stuffing my mouth. Good job ladies and gentlemen! 

Kelly's finger is no longer with us...

Fried Rice Burritos

Fresh Spring Rolls

Supa Kewt!

Vegan Pizzas

Super Sangria

So remember about a month ago, when the weather was still cold and gloomy, there was that one beautiful day where you realized there was no possible way you were getting any work done? I remember it because a couple of buds and I went to Bread Company in Urbana to sit outside and drink sangria. Their sangria is unreal, and at $9 for 1/2pint, it’s a steal. Joj, Samantha and I have been trying to duplicate that sangria, and here’s our best attempt so far:

 

1 bottle red wine (we used Cameron Hughes Lot 86)

1 mango

1 pear

2 small green apples

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

½ cranberry juice

Splash of brandy

Splash lemon juice

2 cups ginger ale

ice

2-3 buddies

 

In a large pitcher, pour in the whole bottle of wine. Dice up all the fruit, add them, and all the other ingredients, stir gently so as not to crush the carbonation. The brandy should be used sparingly, just to fortify the wine, not to liquor-up your sangria.

Best served on a porch with friends. 

Spicy Lentil Tacos

This one’s adapted from Epicurious. Its another super easy one, it takes about 30 minutes to cook, but it is almost all down time which you can spend drinking sangria with your buds!

 

Tablespoon EVOO

½ onion

2 cloves garlic

1 large king oyster mushroom (or like 4 button mushrooms)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon taco seasoning (or just use cumin, allspice, chili powder, and onion powder)

2 ½ cups veggie broth (we use ‘better than boullion’)

1 cup dry brown lentils

 

Hard taco shells

Diced tomatoes (canned is fine)

Jalapeño pepper (diced)

Lettuce (chopped)

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Your favorite hot sauce!

 

Ok, here we go…

Dice the onion, garlic and mushrooms into very small pieces. Heat up a pan with the EVOO and sauté them with the salt and seasoning until the onions are soft and turning golden. I like to use a wok because it keeps all the ingredients in one small spot at the bottom of the pan. Then add the dry lentils, and fry for about a minute, just to warm them up.

Now, add the 2 ½ cups broth into the pan, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cover, stirring occasionally. It will take about 30min for the lentils to soften, so I recommend you use this time to make our sangria recipe.

Now, 30 minutes later, the lentils are all soft and you’re drinking sangria! Use your wooden spoon to mash up some of the lentils so it becomes sort of like a paste.

We like to put the lentils into hard shells, and then have bowls with diced tomatoes, diced jalapeños, chopped lettuce, sour cream, and cheese. Then people can choose what they want to put on their delicious tacos.

I know this recipe sounds real simple (it is), and a bit boring, but I promise there’s a lot of good flavour in them. As a bonus, you can try your own taco seasoning recipe – post it the comments!

Dave Thomas would be Proud of this one.

I made this blend one night and it turned out to taste just how i remember a frosty from Wendy's to taste. Super easy, while fulfilling that Frosty craving.

Give or take:
1cup ice
1cup almond milk
3/4 cup Dark Chocolate peanut butter

Blend these guys until frosty like and reminisce.

Raw Pad Thai w/ Young Coconut "Noodles"

My unorganized raw interpretation of a classic pad Thai dish.


1 young coconut
1 mandarin orange
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1tbsp Bragg's
1 tsp sea salt
red pepper flakes
1tsp sesame seeds
1/3 cup sprouts of your choice





For the Noodles
Split the young coconut in half and reserve the water from it. With a spoon or straw, scrape the meat of the coconut out in long strands that resemble noodles. Reserve these in the coconut water until your ready to plate them.







For the Sauce
Put peanuts, a little coconut water, braggs, salt and red pepper flakes in food processor. Blend until you reach the thickness you want. I made it thick but it probably would but much better thinner so you could just spoon it over everything and not have to mix it up so much.

Put the noodles, some orange wedges, the sprouts and your sauce together, sprinkle it with some sesame seeds and enjoy!

If I did it again I would have added Onions

Here’s another one based on a Giada recipe. The Pasta Ponza. We halved her recipe to serve 2 people:

It’s a super easy dish, most of the time ‘preparing’ the meal was spent sitting on the porch.

1 box of red cherry tomatoes

¼ of capers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ a cup breadcrumbs

Oregano, parsley, garlic powder (to mix with the bread crumbs to make “Italian style”)

½ large box of rigatoni

¾ cup grated Romano cheese

¼ cup cilantro

(optional) red pepper flakes

 

Preheat your ovenbox to 375F. Then, (vegan) butter an 8x8in tray. Halve the tomatoes, and put in the tray. Add capers, EVOO, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs, and toss the whole thing to mix evenly. We only had plain crumbs, so to make them ‘Italian,’ we mixed in oregano, parsley, and garlic powder. Place they dish in the center rack for 30minutes, until golden brown.

This is a good time relax on your porch. We paired our porch sit with some Sam Adam’s Boston Lager. It was a great pairing.

Next, boil half of the box of rigatoni – refer to your box for an estimate on how long this will take. Save a cup of the pasta water to add into the sauce later. Then, place the noodles in a large bowl, add the sauce on top, and toss the whole thing. Add the pasta-water if the sauce is too thick.

We topped the plate off with Romano cheese and fresh cilantro. Samantha loves cilantro, so we used a lot.

Thank Giada and her large noggin for this one!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-ponza-recipe/index.html

I am Really Going to Mousse You

So I think this blog is missing a very important component, that component being dessert. The following is a recipe for an incredibly decadent, an incredibly easy, and an incredibly vegan dessert.

Chocolate Mousse with Candied Hazelnuts

1/2 cup chocolate soy milk

10 ounces of semisweet vegan chocolate chips

12 ounces (firm) silken tofu

1/4 cup Frangelico (if you do not want alcohol in the mix, simply do 3/4 cup soy milk)

1/8 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)

1/2 cup of (toasted) hazelnuts

4 tsps of sugar

Bring the chocolate milk to a simmer in a small pan. Remove the milk from heat and let cool. Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips, using a double-boiler method. Remove from heat.

Combine the soy milk and silken tofu with the melted chocolate chips. Using a hand or regular blender combine the above until completely smooth. Stir in the Frangelico and coffee extract. Taste the mixture and adjust ratios based on preference.

This is the hard part....Transfer the mixture into a big bowl (or several small ones) and cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. It'll be terribly tempting to eat the whole thing right then and there but you will not get the smooth, rich, mousse-like texture you're looking for unless you pretend the mousse does not exist for those two hours.

As your mousse is cooling, chop you toasted hazelnut into coarse bits and pieces. Transfer the hazelnuts to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. After about 1.5 minutes, the sugar will begin to dissolve and coat the hazelnuts. Do not let the sugar burn, and keep things moving. Once it appears as all the sugar has dissolved, transfer the nuts to a bowl and let cool. As soon as the nuts become cool to the touch, break up an clumps that may have occurred.

To serve, sprinkle the hazelnuts over the mousse. Attempt to avoid getting your tears of joy into the mousse, as they will leave an unsatisfactory after taste.

Vichyssois and Cannellini Walnut Fettucini

I've always loved Vichyssois, and it sounds ways more pretentious than it is. It's really just a leek and potato soup served cold. We served the soup with some pasta that we bought at the farmers market, it's super fresh and delicious. I kept the pasta pretty simple since I wanted to highlight the actual noodles. Stephen decided to pair our meal with a side of Kafka. 

Metamorphosis by Kafka

1 tbl of deep melancholy

1 1/2 tbl of existential tears

Vichyssois

4 med. Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1 inch cubes

4 small leeks, diced (only the white and pale green parts)

1 head of garlic, roasted in the oven

5 cups of vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp sage

1 tbl butter, olive oil or vegan butter

salt and pepper to taste

fresh dill for garnish

Roast garlic in an oven at 400F for about an hour. It's most time efficient to do this right at the beginning. In the meantime, saute the leeks  in butter in a large soup pot on medium high. Crushing the sage leaves, add to the pot. Saute for about 7 minutes, or until tender. 

Add the potatoes and broth. Cover for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. After the potatoes are tender, puree the soup in a blender in small increments so you don't have hot soup explode on your face. You'll probably do this 3 or 4 times. Each time you are pureeing the soup, squeeze some of the roasted garlic into the blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Garnish with some fresh dill.

Cannellini Walnut Fettucini

1 pkg Fettucini, we used a dill, herb pasta from the farmer's market

1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1 cups cannellini beans, or similar white beans

2 tbl olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1tbl fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

If using canned beans this will go buy a lot quicker, but if you are using dried start hydrating your beans as you are starting the meal - or a day in advance. There's not much worse than hungrily waiting for your beans to hydrate. Otherwise, if you've got everything ready this pasta is super quick to make. 

In a large bowl toss the all of the ingredients with the fettucini - making sure to get everything nice and incorporated. This dish is good served room temperature. 

Again, this is a great cold meal for a hot night. This has been the theme of my recipes for a while, but there's nothing I love more than a refreshing meal out on the porch.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

For my inaugural post I'll stick with a recipe I found online. Does that count? We paired it with an arugula blended salad (with oil, salt and lemon juice), pickled beets and a red wine, but I think a dry white would really top it off.

Ingredients
Kosher Salt
Olive oil (it's specified as "good olive oil" but I think we're all above that)
3/4 lb dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk (we used skim and the only difference is that you might need to add a bit more flour)
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 C All-purpose flour
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 lb portobello mushrooms (it'll seem like a lot, but really go for it)
1 c freshly ground Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook lasagna noodles for about 10 minutes.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a sauce pan and set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with a spoon and then with a whisk for 3-5 minutes until thick. Set aside off heat.

Slice mushroom caps 1/4" thick and simmer with a bit of salt in a mixture of oil and butter for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. Add oil as necessary.

To assemble the lasagna spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat that procedure two more times layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and parmasan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce and sprinkle with remaining parmasan.

Bake lasagna for 45 minutes or until the top is browned.

Recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com, "Barefoot Contessa at Home"

Fresh Spring Rolls

To counter all the heavy greasy foods we sometimes eat, I like to make these spring rolls. They are light and fresh while still being filling. My dad used to make these a lot when I was a kid - he spent some of his childhood in Vietnam and ate a lot of these. It's a cold dish so it's great for the summer. Definitely a party pleaser because it looks so much harder to make than it actually is. Spring rolls are great because they're so versatile and you can work with what you've got. I like to keep some things standard like the vermicelli and bean sprouts, but you can go nuts.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Medium sized spring roll wrappers

1/4 package of vermicelli or mung bean noodles

2 squares of firm tofu, pan seared and cut into strips

1/2 lb of seitan, pan fried

1 1/2 cup bean sprout

1 cup cilantro

1 cup choice of greens - we used a spring mix

1/2 large english cucumber

1 red bell pepper

2 green onions

**These are definitely approximate measurements - it depends on how many spring rolls you want to make. 

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

2 tbl Ketchup

1 tsp Sriracha (more or less depending on your preference)

1 tbl soysauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tbl honey or brown sugar

Using warm water and a flat surface, soak an individual wrapper with a couple tablespoons of water. You may have to spread the water with your hands. Be careful not to rip the wrapper as it is pretty fragile. Once the wrapper is completely hydrated, which should take about 5 minutes, it should be a little sticky and gummy. Place a small amount of each of the ingredients on side of the wrapper closest to you.

Start rolling the spring roll, keeping all the ingredients together. Once you're about in the middle fold the sides in and then continue rolling. Think of a burrito.

This wrapper is pretty forgiving - you might see that I have my finger caught it in. At the end they always look presentable. Let the spring rolls sit for a couple minutes to let them dry. Serve them up with the sweet and sour dipping sauce, and enjoy a tasty beverage. We had Capital's Maibock with ours. 

I should give Stephen a lot of credit for this one, he wrapped a lot of the spring rolls and also helped prepare the ingredients. Thanks Stephen!

Cashew Creme Wild Mushroom Spaghetti with Arugula and Smokey tofu

This dish was inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe in which he went out and picked wild vegetables all around the inner city in London. He found wild fennel, arugula and a bunch of herbs, which makes me want to start looking around Urbana a whole bunch more for wild food stuffs. I got my arugula wild picked at Trader Joes.

Arugula and Wild Mushroom Spaghetti, Cashew Creme Sauce, Smokey tofu, Arugula Salad

for the pasta

1/2 lb ww spaghetti
3 cloves garlic sliced thin
2 cups wild mushrooms, sliced ( I used shiitake, cremini, and oyster)
2 large spring onions, sliced lengthwise to mimic the pasta shape
1 bunch arugula
1 cup cashew creme
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 block of smokey tofu, sliced into strips, or cut into triangles
salt + pepper to taste (easy on the pepper because the arugula is quite peppery)
olive oil

for the salad

1 bunch of arugula
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Smokey tofu

1 block of tofu, pressed and drained, sliced into 8-10 slabs
1/4 cup tamari
3 tbsp liquid smoke
black pepper

Marinate tofu for about an hour. Reserve marinade. Fry tofu in a pan until brown on both sides, then splash with leftover marinade. Throw on a sheet tray and into a 400F oven for about 30 mins.

Cashew Creme

1/2 cup cashews
1 cup water

Add cashews and a half a cup of water to a blender. Blend until smooth adding more water if needed.

Start out by making the smokey tofu. Then start your boiling water and throw your pasta in. Get a pan hot add oil and crisp up your mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes, add sliced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes. Add your sliced spring onions. Then add your arugula. Make sure not to over cook. Add cashew creme and nutritional yeast. Add cooked pasta and a little pasta cooking water to thin out the creme.

When ready to assemble make the salad by dressing the arugula with the oil, lemon juice and salt. Plate the spaghetti on the bottom. Sprinkle your sliced smokey tofu and then top with the arugula salad. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy right away.