Fire Brigade Stuffing

Fire Brigade Stuffing 

Changes I made:  I didn't use Granny Smith apples, because I didn't have any.  I think I used Macs or some other kind of red apple.  Also, I left out the cranberries, and didn't put in quite as many slivered almonds as called for.  Additionally, I only used whole wheat and pumpernickel bread, no rye.  And, let's see, I didn't make it in a pumpkin, because there were none to be seen at the grocery store.  Bummer.  I should have gone to the produce stand yesterday for that.  But for all those changes, it still looks to be pretty good.  It sure does smell good.

I'm also making vegan mashed potatoes.  I really should make some vegan gravy, because, well, I like it.  I will make the Brussels sprouts at my mom's house.

Update:  The stuffing was horrible.  Of course, it was cold when I finally ate it.  But it was really bad.  I didn't make any Brussels sprouts because Amy had already made squash and carrots.  She didn't get the squash quite done, but the carrots were very good.  I liked how she added yellow peppers and onions to the carrots.  The mashed potatoes were better when I heated them up in the microwave.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Tarragon Sauce

Another recipe from Isa Does It.  I'm not tired of that book yet.  I did make so many substitutions that I'm not sure the author would recognize her recipe.  (Blasphemy, I know, but hopefully the vegan food gods will forgive me.  It's still vegan, after all)  I used twice the amount of cashews called for in the sauce.  I used canned yams instead of baked fresh sweet potatoes.  I used sparkling grape juice instead of the white wine (I really need to find some non-alcoholic wine)  Anyhow, it still tasted pretty good.  And I learned that I MUCH prefer fresh tarragon to dried.  The licorice aroma/taste is nowhere near as harsh.

In fact, I've discovered I really like fresh herbs.  They really make food taste fresher.  And they are easier to measure and much more difficult to mess up.  I will have to try my hand at growing an herb garden in the kitchen.  If I can keep the cats out of it.

Nirvana Enchilada Casserole

Even though Amy was away last night, I still cooked from Isa Does It.  Last night, I made Nirvana Enchilada Casserole .  And yes, I DID watch the video before I actually made this dish.

Fast forward to the results I got:  My blender did not break down the roasted cumin and coriander seeds as well as I would have liked.  And I ran low on tortillas.  Other than that, it came out fabulous.  The cashew cheese is amazing when it is baked on top of the casserole.  In fact, I think I prefer cashew cheese without the nutritional yeast in it.  When it's baked on top of something, it becomes really cheesey.  My mom complained about the seeds, but Chris really liked it.  I also changed up what went into the filling.  I did not use mushrooms, because Amy doesn't like them.  I used up some roasted vegetable I'd kept on hand, hoping to do something with them.  The filling was really delicious.

Vegetable Miso Soup

Another recipe from Isa Does It is a big hit with our family!  Tonight, Amy made the Vegetable Miso Soup.  Now, we didn't have any scallions or cauliflower (we used that up earlier in the week), but she added carrots and peas and tofu (seared in olive oil) and just a few drops of Sriracha, and it was delicious!

In other news, I took Moomoo the cat to the vet, because he's too thin and seems to be depressed.  The vet is trying him on a high calorie diet (only for him; the other cats are already jealous of the extra feeding time), and will see him back around December 20th to see if he's gained any weight and is feeling better.  I hope the change in diet does the trick.  Otherwise, then the vet will have to order some blood tests, which are expensive.  But can you put a price on life?

Mom and Amy do it!

We are having a fabulous ISA CHANDRA MONTH OF FOOD!!!

Saturday, I made the Roasted Red Pepper Mac and Cheese.  Tonight, we made Creamy Potato and Leek Soup AND Roasted Vegetable Romesco Sandwiches.  Man, this stuff tastes so good that it HAS to be fattening just thinking about it.  (Actually not so much, though cashews and almonds make appearances, and I used almond milk in the soup instead of water)  Amy loved the sandwiches, and amazingly enough, there is enough sauce that all we need are veggies and rolls to have this again tomorrow night.  I even have enough soup to take to work, if need be.  For breakfast, I made Chickpea Scramble and roasted potatoes which were delicious.

Chandra Malai Kofta

More goodness from Isa Does It.  This recipe took some putting together.  It is Indian-inspired, and our house smells like an Indian restaurant.  I've been cooking for the last hour.  It takes that long to put this together.  But oh boy!  Cashews in the blender with vegetable broth, shredded zucchini, and sauce that is to die for.

On a related note, I see the dietitian on November 8th.  I am not looking forward to writing down my food.  I should have done it today, but I got lazy.

Phyllo Pot Pie

I got my copy of Isa Does It a few days ago.  I've made one of the recipes already (the Meaty Beany Chili, which was featured on Post Punk Kitchen's Make It Vegan.  This is my first time cooking from Isa Does It, and, incidentally, the first time I've ever used phyllo dough in a recipe.  The only change I made was to substitute sparkling grape juice for the sherry.  Results? This tastes GREAT.  I think the next time I make this, I will use a double pie crust instead of the phyllo dough, because I like crust on my pot pie.  Otherwise, this turned out great!  It's going to lunch with me for the next two days (unless Amy sneaks into the kitchen and eats some of the leftovers).

Festo - SmartBird

RIP Spicey

We bid farewell to our pet bunny, Spicey, this past Monday.  She had never been sick a day in her life, and she went downhill really quickly.  I can't say that I was close to her, because I really didn't pick her up very often, because she hated being picked up.  She loved Chris and Marcus most, because they were unlimited sources of craisins.  I did always say, Goodbye Pretty Girl when I went off to work in the morning, and I always enjoyed feeding time in the early mornings, because she would go so nuts over whatever food I gave her.  Sunday, she wasn't quite as crazy about the food as usual, but I was busy and didn't think much of it.  When I got up Monday morning, she was splayed out on the floor, and all the food from the previous day was still there..I picked her up, which she didn't protest, and put her on a heating pad, which seemed to help a little bit.  We tried to warm her up, and at one point, she made a loud "eep" sound.  We took her to the emergency vet, who told us they don't treat rabbits.  By the time we got her home, she was gone.  Alison came over later and buried her, with me in attendance.  It was low key, but I will always remember how pretty she was, and how spirited.

Goodbye, Pretty Girl.

Lasasgne And Meaty Beany Chili

Amy did something wonderful:  she cleaned the kitchen Saturday.  I hate cooking in a filthy kitchen, and sometimes, especially if we make something pan- and bowl-intensive during the week, stuff gets piled up in the sink and on the counters, until you cannot navigate the place at all.  But Amy rose to the occasion - she cleans the kitchen and cleans and refills the cat boxes in exchange for gas money, so it works out great.  I had quite a bit of cooking I wanted to do, so it felt good to pull out my chopping knife and cutting board in a clean kitchen.  I also have The New Farm Cookbook, which I had made the melty cheeze recipe from a few nights ago and had some left over.  I was feeling lasagne, so...

I took the vegan lasagne recipe from The New Farm Cookbook, and messed with it a little bit.  In addition to the melty cheeze, I added some mozzarella flavored Daiya, which really enhanced the mouth-feel of the lasagne.  I made this last night, but since no one has been home for dinner besides me, and Amy doesn't like lasagne anyway, I have dined on it two nights in a row.  And I plan on taking some of it to lunch this week.  I'm still not so sure about the melty cheeze recipe from that cookbook - I think the nooch flavor is too heavy, and for some reason, it doesn't taste cheesy to me, even though Amy says it tastes cheesy to her.

For the church pot luck this afternoon, I made Meaty Beany Chili and Corn Muffins.  People ate up the corn muffins.  The chili was pretty good, I think I will make it again, and not use quite so much chili powder, and use green peppers instead of the golden pepper I used.  Maybe even add an extra jalapeño or two, though I really don't like my chili all that hot.  This tasted a bit too tomatoe-ey for my taste.  Maybe I should have added two TBSP maple syrup instead of just one.  I am not sure.  I did use diced tomatoes instead of tomato purée.The lentils make it "meaty" just like ICM says they will.  So, a definite keeper.  I do know one thing - the house sure smelled wonderful when we woke up this morning. (I cooked it overnight because the pot luck luncheon was directly after church at 1115.)  The corn muffins turned out practically perfect.  I just wish I had a larger lidded box to carry them in.  I will definitely make those again as well.

White Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers

White Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers

These were not all that work intensive and they are TOTALLY DELICIOUS!  Amy and I each had three of them!  And there is more left over, so we can have them again in the next few days.  I baked the sweet potatoes, and we did not brush the burgers with olive oil.  Also, I didn't have any parsley, so I left that out, and I used panko bread crumbs, which made the burgers really fine crumbed.

I especially liked mine with vegan mayo and lettuce on pita bread.  YUM!

Crusty Corn Bean Pie and Noochy Cheeze from "The Farm"

I decided to veganize the Crusty Corn Bean Pie recipe from Diet for a Small Planet, and top it with the cheese sauce recipe from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook.  I guess I'm just an old hippie at heart.(I remember the hippies, but was a little younger than most of them)

Anyhow, Amy says the cheez sauce smells like cheese, so that should work.   This is the first time I've made the sauce, and it is my first recipe out of the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook.  Incidentally, this cookbook is pretty much vegan, and was one of the first vegan cookbooks to reach a wider audience.  There are recipes to make tofu, soy milk, tempeh... it's pretty amazing.  I would have to quit work and go live on a commune to be able to do all that, but I can at least try some of the recipes.  There is a minnestrone soup recipe I really want to try.

Missing out

I am going back to work today after being furloughed for a week.  You'd think I would have found time to do a lot of things.  Not really.  I was quite lazy, and caught up on all my episodes of Columbo.  I didn't wax creative in the kitchen, though I did practice flute some.  I feel better going back to work. 

I also missed out on the vegan month of food this year.  For some reason, they decided to have it in September, and I just wasn't ready.  I was simply not inspired to cook ANYTHING.  Oh, I'm still vegan, but I just didn't feel inspired to go all out in the kitchen.  I really need a new kitchen.  Mine is old, crowded, and a mess. The counters are so crowded, I am surprised I can find anything.  And I need a dishwasher.  Washing dishes by hand is really tedious.

And those are my first world problems for today.

I'm grateful I have a house to live in, and indoor sanitation, as well as a washer and dryer and, now, a new water heater.  Life really isn't bad.

Banana Bread

I'm making the lower fat Banana Bread from Veganomicon.  Will update when it is out of the oven and cool enough to eat.

Oh, and incidentally, my son Brian who is away at college says he really misses my vegan cooking.  That felt good to hear that.  Of course, it was the weekend he was home that we pretty much went out all the time.

Update:  The bread was a bit dry.  We had to bake it about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe said to, otherwise it would have been soggy in the middle.  I've found that most recipes for banana bread work that way.  But it is still pretty tasty.  Maybe it was dry because I cut off the end of the bread and ate it.

Amy makes salad

What do you get when you combine a bag of salad with peas, cannelloni beans and Italian dressing?   Amy's latest salad creations.  She also roasted some Brussels sprouts and tossed a few of those in there.   Looking forward to more Amy creativity in the kitchen!

(This post was saved in my drafts box, and I hadn't posted it until now.  This salad was very good, and I hope to have Amy make some more salad soon.)

Vegetarian roots, vegan dreams

I'm trying to list all the different new recipes I want to try in the next couple of weeks.  Of course, I'll have to wait until payday to do real grocery shopping. (I might have most of the ingredients for the lasagna, I'm not sure.)

Classic Vegan Lasagne  PETA and I are not quite simpatico for a few reasons (can you say exploitation of women, and a few other things) but I do applaud their efforts to help people give up meat.  This recipe looks fabulous and I've just got to try it.

Chickpea and Rice Soup with a little Kale  This is a bit work intensive, but I've never known Isa Chandra Moskowitz and the PPK to disappoint.  Besides, I still have a truckload of chickpeas I need to use.

Red Lentil Thai Chili  This recipe looks like a winner, though I don't want to make it too hot. 

And some ratatouille... summer is a good time for ratatouille.

Smoky Fiesta Black Bean Tamales

Smoky Fiesta Black Bean Tamales

■2 cups masa harina

■1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

■1 sweet onion, diced small

■1 large carrot, diced small

■1 red bell pepper, diced small

■1 can diced green chiles or 1 Anaheim pepper, diced

■2 minced garlic cloves

■1 T. baking powder

■1 1/2 t. sea salt

■1 T. nutritional yeast

■1-2 t. liquid smoke (depending on your preference)

■1 t. red chili flakes

■1 t. mesquite powder (optional)

■1 C. cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours if you don’t have a power blender)

■1 1/4 C. water

■20 dried corn husks

Method: Place the corn husks in a large bowl of hot water. Cover with a plate so that the husks stay submerged. Next, make cashew cream, combine cashews with the water and blend until completely smooth. Set aside. Heat a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat, add onion, carrot, bell pepper and Anaheim peppers (if using). I used a dry pan (you may need to add a bit of broth or water to your pan if it starts to stick) and stirred occasionally until the onions were translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and red chili flakes and heat for a minute or two more. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder, sea salt, mesquite powder and nutritional yeast with a wire whisk. Add the vegetables (including the canned green chilies) to the masa harina and stir to evenly distribute. Now add the cashew cream and mix all to combine a nice moist dough. If dough seems too dry, add water a Tablespoon at a time. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop the tamale dough onto a corn husk. Roll up tightly like a burrito, tucking in the ends as you go. My batch made 15 tamales, but a few of my corn husks were small, so I needed to use 2 husks to get it to roll up properly (which is why I included 20 husks). Next, put a steaming basket inside a large lidded pot, add water, making sure the water doesn’t rise above the bottom of the steaming basket. Heat on stove until water is boiling. Add the tamales carefully to the steaming basket so they don’t unravel. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam, with the pot lid on, for 45-50 minutes. Tamales are ready when the dough is firm and holds together. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Well, I can already say I forgot to put in the liquid smoke.  Because there's no place where it says in this recipe to add it.  The ingredients are not in order, so I had to figure out what to do with what was in the ingredients as I read the recipe.  Well, they won't be smoky, but hopefully will taste okay.  I will add liquid smoke to the leftover mixture tomorrow (I will have to remember to cut it in half)

Tamales are a LOT of work.  The kids were helpful, so that was good.  And if all else fails, well, we can have beans, vegetables and bread.  I am steaming them on top of the stove and in the rice cooker (which has a steaming basket for veggies)

Rotini in sauce with faux sausage

Amy made a delicious meal this evening.  Spaghetti sauce combined with "Don't Be Piggy" faux sausage from Wegmans, along with roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted zucchini slices.  Delicious!  And I made fast bake bread in the bread machine.  Excellent dinner.  And very simple.  All done and cleaned up.

Chipotle Mac and Cheez

Chipotle Mac and Cheese This turned out great!  My blender did the trick with the cashews - though it was still a tad grainy, it was a lot better than the last time when I made cashew cheez in my food processor.  The Brussels sprouts really set it off.  And I used white miso, instead of chickpea miso and only 2 chipotles instead of 4.  I have never seen chickpea miso, so I don't know if I can even get it at Wegmans.

Anyhow, the kids liked it - we saved some so Brian can have a snack after the concert.

A swing and a miss

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese looked delicious.  I wonder, what went wrong?  Well, when they say use a Vitamix, I think they mean exactly that.  My four cup food processor just doesn't cut it.  The sauce was grainy because the cashews were not completely "blended".  I even found a whole cashew in it.  And I soaked them for two days!  I don't know if I will try this recipe again or not.  Probably not.  Too many other things out there that do not require the use of a Vitamix.

Update: This tasted better as leftovers.  It still needs a bit more spice, maybe some cayenne, and some dry mustard.  Maybe I WILL make this again, after all.  I was also thinking perhaps I would use acorn squash instead of butternut.  Or turban squash - it's really sweet, and would have more flavor.  I think perhaps, too, I overcooked the squash.  That would account for a lack of flavor.