Testing tasty treats

As many of you know, Krys of Two Vegan Boys is awesome, so is her blog and her food.  Lucky for me, I get to test recipes for her ;)  Along the way I will share pics and thoughts on my trials with you.  Not sure if I've mentioned, but I love trying out new recipes!  It's exciting and I learn so many things along the way.
Today I am sharing pics of Indian Curry (with tofu) and Blueberry Scones.  Both were quite tasty.  My current favorite, however, is the curry, which was nice and spicy.  We will definitely be making this again!  Also, check out the Two Vegan Boys blog for another pic of the Indian Curry.

Shanghai Tofu (China) and Potatoes with Creamy Tomato Sauce (Colombia)

Back to the food, finally!  You may have noticed that we're not too worried about sticking with one culture at a time.  To me, it's kind of exciting to mix dishes from different cultures and see how they can compliment one another.

It seems that Colombian food is a good choice for mixing cultures, since the food is already a mixture of tastes (see Colombian Cuisine).  Like in many parts of the world, the food will also depend on the region of Colombia.  Sad for veggies on vacation: "Colombia is not a paradise for vegetarians as the Colombian diet includes a lot of meat." (see South America: Colombian Food) And how about this quote from a description of Fritanga (a heaping pile of meat): "Guaranteed to sate any carnivore and send any vegan into therapy..." (see Traditional Colombian Food).  But for those of us making our own food here at home, no problem!  Just a few tweaks here and there.  On the South America: Colombian Food page you can find a wonderful list for common dishes served in Colombia.   For the vegan side of things they have huge quantities of tropical fruit and coffee, of course!

Since China is quite big, here's a bit about Shanghai:  Shanghai's cuisine is mostly a combination of the surrounding areas, being a relatively new city (see Shanghai Cuisine).  Sugar is a very common ingredient, especially in combination with soy sauce, and more is used in Shanghai dishes than in any other city in China.  Speaking of soy sauce, Shanghai chefs are known for their use of heavy and highly flavored sauces (see Shanghai Food).  Alcohol is also commonly used, like in "drunken" meat dishes.  On a vegan note, smelly tofu is a popular local treat in the street.  

 

Potatoes with Creamy Tomato Sauce or Papas Chorreadas (Colombia)
  (adapted from Extending the Table)
2 T. margerine
6 green onions
1/2 an onion, diced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. soy milk
1 t. cilantro
1/4 t. oregano
pinch of cumin
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cheezy sauce - more if you like! (we used a recipe from Vegan Vittles)
8 large potatoes, cut into four pieces and boiled

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the margarine.  Add and fry onions (green and red) and tomatoes.  Stir frequently and cook for about 5 minutes.  Lower heat and add everthing except for the "cheese" sauce and potatoes.  Cover, while cooking over low heat, stirring often.  Meanwhile, fix your "cheese" sauce.
After 5-10 minutes, add the "cheese" and heat everything together for about 5 minutes or so.  Pour sauce over potatoes and serve.


Shanghai Tofu or Hongshao Zhurou (China)
  (adapted from Extending the Table)
2 pkgs Firm Tofu  (more if you like, the sauce is supposed to cover 4 lbs of meat)
3/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. agave nectar
2 T. lime juice
1 in. ginger root, sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-3 anise stars
2 c. water

Bring everything, minus tofu, to a boil.  Add tofu, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 or 2 hours.  Be sure to turn the tofu periodically to help it absorb flavor more evenly.  Remove cover, increase heat and cook 15-20 min., until only about 1 cup of liquid remains.  Slice and serve.

Both of these dishes were extremely tasty and will be served again!  Adam suggested cutting the tofu up ahead of time to absorb more flavors.  The taste was very much like a ham baste and the tofu was juicy!  The potato dish was saucy, creamy and wonderful! 

More about the food and Recipes:
Colombian Food Recipes
South America: Colombian Food
Recipes Wiki: Colombian Cuisine
Shanghai Food

Tofu Benny and my second hat

 

If you don't own Vegan Brunch, you should find access!  Try requesting it at your local library if it's not a good time to buy it or borrow it from a friend (if you're lucky enough to live near many vegans).  Every single image looks amazing.  Seriously.  I remember discovering scrambled tofu, VwaV style, and realizing that we could have homestyle vegan breakfasts that matched our omnivore days.  What a delight!  I am a breakfast lover, which means that there is rarely a time that it doesn't sound good :)

Now, let's take it to the next level.  We once made the Greek Tofu Benedict from Veganomicon, which turned out quite nice, served up with a tahini dill sauce, tomato, and olives with a side of fried potatoes.  It was actually my first "benedict" and a good experience.  When I asked Adam what he would like to celebrate his 3rd Veganversary (which was actually in January) he wanted Tofu Benny from Vegan Brunch (one of the incentives for gifting it to me at Christmas) and I was happy to oblige.  We've talked about making English Muffins for sometime and this seemed like the perfect time to start.  We made the English muffins in the book, using spelt flour and they were great.  Just as good as the store and we know all of the ingredients without spending $5 for the "good stuff."  The only other changes to the English muffins that we made were coconut oil instead of margarine and we did not add sugar to the yeast.  For the tofu marinade the only thing I substituted was apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar, which worked out fine.  For the Hollandaise sauce I used lime juice instead of lemon and apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar.  All of these changes were made to accommodate what we had on hand.

These babies were served up with Breakfast Sausages that I mentioned in yesterday's post and a little spinach and raisin salad on the side.  Delicious!  I highly recommend this recipe.  The tofu had a wonderful texture and the Hollandaise tasted amazing!  Strangely, the texture of the Hollandaise sauce really reminded me of egg yolk.  Has anyone else had this experience?

And, how about a pic of my second completed hat?

This was meant for Jordan (my brother), but was a bit bigger than he wanted.  For some reason I had decided to add a few stitches misunderstanding what the yarn was capable of!  But, I will say that I am very proud of how smooth the top turned out compared to the last (which you can't really see in this picture).  And my parents were quite happy to receive it, so all is well!

I plan to start a Flickr account soon and then you can see each of us styling it if you choose :)

Brazilian Tofu-Chicken, Peanut Vegetable Soup (Bolivia) and Stovetop Muffins (Botswana)

Well, despite my lack of posting them we've been doing a lot of world tasting this week!  So, I thought I would throw a bunch in together.  Once again, my inspiration came from Extending the Table, which I am cooking my way through (along with the challenge).  I may have mentioned, but I am trying to work my way through the alphabet.  Because I am finding so many tasty things I may revisit certain letters, but my goal is to not visit a country until I've reached that letter, every letter previous is fair game.  Sound like fun?  Well, you should try it out yourself!  Feel free to click the link on the side to visit Crafty Kook's entry on the event.

According to the book, this is a typical way to prepare meat in northeast Brazil.  In Northeastern kitchens cumin, coriander, and colorau (red powder that adds color) are essential.  According to Wikipedia colorau is another name for annatto.  Annatto comes from the achiote trees found in tropical regions in the Americas, "used to produce a red food coloring and also as a flavoring.  Its scent is described as "slightly peppery with a hint of nutmeg" and flavor as "slightly sweet and peppery"."

Brazilian Tofu (Chicken)
2 1/2 lbs. tofu     
1 onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
16-20 oz. diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
3 potatoes
2 carrots
1-2 t. gr. ginger
1-2 T. tamari
1-2 t. lime juice
2 T. ground cumin
1 T. coriander
3 t. paprika
gr. pepper to taste
water

Heat a bit of oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) over medium heat.  Add onion and saute for 3-5 min. You want the onion to become soft, but not brown yet.  Add garlic and saute about 1 min.  Add tofu and sprinkle with ginger, ground pepper, tamari, and lime juice to taste (the above are approximations on what I used).  Saute until tofu has browned to your liking (7-10 min).  Remove all from pan and set aside.

Add more oil to the pan and saute tomatoes and green pepper for 5-7 min.  Add tofu, potatoes, carrots and all spices.  Pour in water just until covering (see above picture). Bring to a boil and cook on low until everything is tender, 30-45 min (this will depend on how big your potato and carrot pieces are).  Serve over rice.  Below you will also see this served with a tasty slice of Tomato Basil Bread from Baker Creek!

Peanut Vegetable Soup or Sopa de Mani (Bolivia)
I wish I could post this recipe.  It has been one of our favorite dishes, but the only thing I changed was to substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.  The peanuts created a wonderful, thick and somewhat creamy texture.  We were extremely impressed with how much of a difference they made without the addition of milk or something else to thicken.  I have contacted the company to see if I can post this recipe.  But, just in case, I would recommend trying to locate a copy of this book.  It is traditionally garnished with french fries, so we did!  This is a standard dish served at Bolivian celebrations.  I found another version here.  If you try it, add more peanuts than it suggests (you won't regret it)!

Thanks to the publishers of Extending the Table, I am able to post this wonderful recipe:
2 c. raw peanuts
8 c. broth or water
1 onion,diced
4 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced
1/4 c. uncooked rice
1 can peas


Grind peanuts until very fine.  Put broth/water, peanuts, onion, potatoes, and carrot in a large pot and cook for 30 min.  I recommend bringing it to a boil and then allowing it to simmer.  Then add rice and peas and cook for 15 min.  Garnish with parsley and french fries (traditionally made a bit shorter and thinner than North American fries).  I do not think you will be disappointed!

Stove-Top Muffins or Diphaphata (Botswana)
I do not have a picture of the stove-top muffins.  These are very similar to English muffins except extremely dense.  We're talking 4 c. of flour to 1 cup of liquid dense. If you want to try it, it was basically like this recipe.  I decided to have some fun with flours I had on hand: spelt, wheat, garbanzo bean and sorghum.  Those made for an interesting taste as you can imagine.  Me?  I think I'll stick to English Muffins.  Speaking of, I just made some for the first time yesterday and will post results soon!

Chick'n Stew for Couscous - Algeria

 

About Algerian Food:  Many other cultures have influenced Algerian's cuisine.   A great description from Algeria.com (also check this link out for more Algerian recipes):
"The Berber influence on Algerian cuisine is clearly seen in their use of stews, lamb, vegetables, grains and dried fruits. The Turks and Arabs have added spice to the mix as well as a variety of delicious pastries. French cuisine has contributed greatly to Algerian dishes with the use of tomato puree as well as in their aperitifs and sweets. You will be able to taste the distinct flavors of cumin, caraway, marjoram, coriander and fennel in Algerian cuisine. Typically, lamb and chicken are used in meals as well as fish from the Mediterranean. Algeria's national dish is Couscous, which is steamed and then served with meat, vegetables and sauce.
Coffee is popular in Algeria, but is served extremely strong along with a glass of water. However, the preferred drink in Algeria is tea with a hint of fresh mint. Fruit drinks are also commonly enjoyed."

According to Whats4Eats Algerian meals are often finished off with dates or fresh fruit.

Beginning my venture through Extending the Table, I chose to veganize the Chicken Stew for Couscous.  We were out of couscous, so I actually used rice for this dish.

Chick'n Stew for Couscous (or rice)

Combine the following in a large saucepan:
3 c. vegetable broth
14-16 oz. tofu (see "chicken" marinade below)
1 onion (chopped)
2 c. or 1 can green beans
2 carrots (sliced)
1 t. gr. cumin
1 t. basil
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. parsley
pepper to taste    (and salt if you like, but we prefer not to)

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to cook covered for aprox. 8 min.
Then add:
2 med. tomatoes (chopped) (we used 1/3 of a 28oz. can)
2 small zucchini (sliced)

After that has cooked for a bit, add:
2 c. cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Cover and heat through.  Serve over couscous (rice, other, or even on it's own).

"Chicken" marinade for tofu:
1 c. vegetable broth
lemon juice
sage
rosemary
thyme
freshly gr. black pepper

I did not measure the rest of the ingredients exactly, so it's up to you.  Also, I used what was left of the marinade for part of the broth in the soup (I think I had about a 1/2 c.).

Links for your World exploration:
Algerian Cuisine
Algerian Recipes at Whats4Eats
African Cooking
Around the World in 80 dishes (Epicurious)
Culinary World Tour
World Hearth - Circle of International Cooking

Feel free to share any sites that you have discovered in your World foods search ;)

Here's a funny thought:  I'm working with recipes from around the world, while taking a stronger interest in local foods and activities.

Dancing souls, Happy animals and Massaman Curry

Herzog did it again. Another completely fantastic film (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans)! And Nicolas Cage was amazing, doing what he does best :) Cage truly has a way with eccentric, offbeat characters. A wild man that does it well! And Herzog? Well, perhaps the same could be said. Here we are stranded in New Orleans and he still manages to reflect on a few reptiles. He loves those animals. Herzog has a way of drawing out amazing characters and creating an atmosphere unlike any other director I know.

How happy would you be if you found this is the mail?

Adam and I haven't exchanged gifts yet and are excitedly waiting for packages to come in the mail. Today an envelope came addressed to me from sweet Amey at Vegan Eats & Treats
It's a wonderful cookbooklette that made me smile with each page! I'm super excited to try out the recipes, especially her recipe for Disaronno Cookies (which I have never had)!

Here's the cover and I will include another image at the end. Because I really can't get enough of these :)


Tonight's dinner was Massaman Curry. We have this once a week generally because it's cheap, easy and delicious! Recently we have tried some of Maesri's other pastes, but this is still our favorite. The original came from Mac & Cheese. Since we like to make enough for leftovers, here was tonight's variation:


Massaman Curry

Ingredients:
Onion
4 med. potatoes
19 oz. tofu
fresh spinach leaves
fresh broccoli
2 cans Maesri Massaman Curry Paste
2 cans Coconut Milk
Red Pepper Flakes
Cashews

Saute onion on med. heat until it starts to brown on the edges, it will be a dark golden color. Dump in the curry paste and saute for 1-2 min. Add coconut milk. Mix until the paste and milk seem evenly mixed and allow a few bubbles to form (maybe a min. or so). Dump in potatoes, tofu, broccoli and spinach and mix thoroughly. Allow the curry to cook for 15-20 min. or until potatoes have softened to your liking, stirring periodically. About 2 min. before the curry is done add cashews and red pepper flakes. Serve over rice.

We like ours pretty spicy. For a milder sauce use more coconut milk or less paste.


One more image from Amey's super cute cookbooklette!

Band practice, Bingo and Beer

It was a good night tonight. A night of working toward some of my 2010 goals, actually. This year will be a year of not just creating, but achieving many goals, I hope.

A few of those goals and tonight...
Improve community involvement: joined the community band. It's going to be a pretty good time I think ;)
Spend more time with people: A friend told me about a bingo night at a local bar in town, Lindberg's. I love games (and beer), so it seemed like a grand opportunity. And it was a good chance to catch up with a couple of good pals.

Tomorrow night I'm headed to the local independent theatre, The Moxie, to see Herzog's Bad Lieutenant. Herzog is an amazing director and I really enjoy Nicolas Cage, especially when he gets to be over the top!

A bit of food. Tonight we had Fried Tofu, mashed potatoes and gravy and peas. It was a quick dinner night.

Fried Tofu Seasonings (not marinated long because I was short on time)
tamari
granulated garlic
ground ginger
pepper

This works really well for a quick fried tofu to stick in wraps or on top of rice.

Perhaps the best Pumpkin Muffins

Yesterday morning was a perfect day for brunch :) A cold, snowy day with no work or need to leave the house. I decided to make a breakfast casserole and muffins. There was a partial can of pumpkin in the fridge and chocolate chips. Adam was in charge of rummaging through cookbooks for muffin ideas while I worked on the casserole. He discovered The Best Pumpkin Muffins recipe from VWAV, which had somehow slipped by me previously. What a great discovery! We prefer to use sugar alternatives (though I often make an exception for vegan chocolate...), so I made a few changes.

Substitutions:
Original ---> Sub.
Sugar ---> Date Sugar
Molasses ---> Brown Rice Syrup
Veg. Oil ---> Apple Sauce

Other Changes: No ground cloves (I'm not a fan with pumpkin) and about a cup of chocolate chips. (Click for full recipe)

Mmm...these were delicious and a new household favorite!


For the Scrambled Tofu Casserole I split 6 buckwheat biscuits in half and spread across the bottom of a 9" x 13" dish. On top of the biscuits I spread scrambled tofu and seitan mixed with a cheezy sauce. And then spread a thin layer of the rest of the cheezy sauce on top. (No pic of this one.)

A great sweet and savory combo!


I'd like to get to know those who stumble across this blog. So, here are two questions:
What is your current favorite cookbook?
What new (or new to you) cookbook are you most excited about?