Chow Vegan

Just in time to start off the summer grilling season, a new cookbook to review, Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes. Except I don’t have an outdoor grill. Not to worry, the recipes includes both an outdoor and indoor cooking method.

First up is Smoked Tofu without a Smoker (page 88). Yeah, I don’t have a smoker either. But I love that smokey flavor. Pretty easy to make but it does take time, mostly waiting around. First pressing the tofu (I used a tofu press), and then marinating and finally cooking. Recipes that require advance planning are noted at the top of the recipe.

I had a bit of a sore throat, so I made Asian Street Soup (page 49) to help soothe it. Although I prepare the noodle bowl inside on the stovetop, you could also make it outside on the grill. Pretty cool, huh? I wasn’t able to find Thai chile so I subbed in half a serrano pepper instead and topped with a few slices of the smoked tofu.

It’s not summer until you slap some Seitan Ribz, (page 94) onto the grill. I’ve made homemade seitan before but sometimes the texture doesn’t come out quite right. I had no such problems with this recipe.

But it does involve multiple steps, from making the Barbecue Rub (page 158), to baking then grilling the ribz, and serving it with the Barbecue Sauce in a Flash (page 165). But it was well worth the effort. So happy the recipe makes a lot. It’s easy to freeze the extras and just defrost in the fridge as needed.

With the abundance of Seitan Ribz, I used it in another recipe, Tappanyaki Seitan Wrap (page 54). I knew it would be super good as soon as I saw it had mayo and sriracha in it. And it was, but the Sweet-and-Spicy Marinade (page 162) as a dipping sauce really kicks it up a notch, adding a whole nother layer of flavors.

Not pictured is the Oh-So-Easy Hash Browns (page 136) which I made to use up a past-its-prime russet potato. Previous attempts at hash browns at home were mediocre at best, but that’s because I never really knew the secret to crispy hash browns. Now I know.

For dessert, Skillet-Grilled Mango-Blueberry Cobbler (page 147). Ridiculously easy to make compared to a pie and an interesting twist on the filling with the combination of mango, blueberry, basil and cardamom flavors.

So far, everything I’ve made is like a new favorite of mine and that’s just the beginning. The layout of Grills Gone Vegan is pretty simple and straight-forward and there’s only a smattering of photos throughout the book but the recipes are tried and true. A fine addition to any kitchen library and not just for the summer months but for year-around grilling.

Smoked Tofu Without A Smoker
Yield 4 servings
Advance prep: Press the tofu and then marinate it for at least 8 hours

3 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 8 stabs

Put the coffee, liquid smoke, tamari, vinegar, brown sugar, onion powder, paprika, oil, garlic powder, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a 13 x 9-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir to combine. Add the tofu and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 24 hours, turning the tofu occasionally.

Outdoor Method
Cover the grates of an outdoor grill with foil. Preheat the grill to medium-low heat.

Lightly mist the foil with cooking spray. Put the tofu on the foil, reserving the marinade. Cook for about 30 minutes, occasionally basting with the marinade. Turn over and cook in the same fashion until the tofu is browned and firm and has a slightly chewy texture, about 20 minutes.

Indoor Method
Preheat the over to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or mist it with cooking spray.

Put the tofu on the lined baking sheet, reserving the marinade. Bake for 45 minutes, occasionally basting with the marinade. Turn the tofu over and bake in the same fashion until the tofu is browned and firm and has a slightly chewy texture, about 45 minutes.

Cook Smart
Although this method is designed to not use a smoker, if you have a stovetop smoker, try using it to cook the tofu for an especially rich smoked flavor.

Per serving: 199 calories, 18 g protein, 12 g fat (2 g sat), 6 g carbs, 208 mg sodium, 138 mg calcium, 0 g fiber

From the cookbook Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

Disclosure: I received the book free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the book expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

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When you have a snack attack, who you gonna call? Chocodilla!

I don’t quite remember where I first heard of a Chocodilla. From the name, I thought it would be a giant chocolate Godzilla or something. It’s actually a fast food creation by Taco Bell consisting of chocolate in a tortilla.

Available in other countries but not in the US. I thought I can easily make that. And to make it super easy, I won’t even worry about melting any chocolate, I’ll just make it with Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. And I’ll throw in a banana, you know, to health it up.

Lately, I’ve been seeing chocolate hazelnut spread everywhere. Sadly, most brands have sugar as their first ingredient. Except Justin’s, which list hazelnuts and almonds first. Sure it’s a bit more pricey, probably because there’s more nuts in it. But I usually only get a jar when it’s on sale.

No need for a recipe really, it’s so easy and simple. Just slather the chocolate spread on a warmed up tortilla (I used sprouted whole grain tortillas). Place sliced bananas on one side and fold in half. Cut into wedges and eat. Such chocolatey goodness!

You could also fry it up in a lightly-buttered skillet but I figure I don’t really need the extra butter. But if you’re going to go all out, instead of a banana, have marshmallows and make it into a s’moredilla.

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While at the Palo Alto California Avenue farmer’s market today, I picked up a tamale from The Oaxacan Kitchen booth. That was the extent of my Cinco de Mayo activity for the day. It’s not much compared to whipping up a tableful of Mexican dishes or hanging out at a party, but it sure was tasty.

There’s only one vegan tamale, the Roasted Butternut Squash – Fresh corn, guaillo salsa, big chunks of butternut squash and zucchini. Really good flavor. Available mild, spicy or extra spicy. I got the middle spice level, spicy but not mouth-on-fire kind of spicy (at least for me), $4.00 for one.

I haven’t tried anything else there but while waiting for my food, I spotted the lady making corn tortillas to order. She would grab a bit of the dough from a giant pile, flatten it out in a large hand press and then cooked it up. Man, she was fast.

And all this in basically the middle of the street (a section is closed down for the farmer’s market). Next time, I going to have to try to get something that has those handmade tortillas.

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With the weather bouncing back and forth between warm and cool, I’m taking advantage of the cooler days to use the oven before it really warms up around here. Not that it ever gets that hot in Northern California, I just don’t use the oven much in the summertime. Until then, I’m enjoying these mini savory lentil cupcakes (I’ve also made normal lentil loaves with a regular square pan, if you’re over the whole cupcake thing).

I’ve come a long way with lentils. In the past, I didn’t care much for the little guys, but now, I’m liking them more and more. I haven’t advanced to cooking them myself just yet, so I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils for a fairly easy recipe.

The hardest part is mashing the lentils as I don’t have a masher and had been using a dinner fork which wasn’t quite doing the job. Frustrated, I squeeze the bejesus out of those little lentils beans with my bare hands and that actually worked out great.

Mini Savory Lentil Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 small leek, white and some of the green part, chopped
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups cooked and seasoned lentils
1/8 cup walnuts or almonds, crushed
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 cup petite peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup white corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a wok or sauté pan to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the leeks and cook until translucent then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until cooked and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the lentils. Add in the nuts, breadcrumbs, tomato paste and vegetables. Mix well.

In a well-oiled muffin pan, portion out the lentil mixture and pack into the pan, tightly pressing into the bottom. Top with ketchup. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until browned and pulling away from the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

While the lentil cupcakes are baking, make the optional mashed potatoes beet frosting. Just add a small beet to your favorite mashed potato or caulipots recipe. Pipe on the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with crushed kale chips.

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I’ve been anticipating the arrival of the new Earth Balance Vegan Aged White Cheese Puffs at my local Whole Foods for what seems like forever. That day has finally arrived. With great relish, I opened the bag.

I thought they would be fluffier, like the super bright orange cheese puffs. Those were a favorite childhood snack that I was sad to leave behind. Although the Earth Balance puffs are a bit crunchier, they more than fill that snacky void with their cheesy goodness.

Covered in a powder that I’m guessing is the aged white cheese flavor, I love them. Sometimes I like to eat the puffs with chopsticks so I don’t get powder all over my fingers. The only bad thing is I can easily eat a whole bag all by myself.

Besides the puffs, there’s also Vegan Aged White Cheese Flavor Popcorn. A bit more subtle in taste than the puffs as there’s not as much powder covering the popcorn. Still very good. Another popcorn is Vegan Buttery Flavor (not pictured) which I didn’t find to be all that buttery, more like regular popcorn with a hint of butter.

I prefer the aged cheese flavor, the butter flavor I can just make at home. If I’m going to pay $3.99 for a bag of popcorn, it’s going to be for something I can’t easily make myself.

The only one I haven’t tried yet is the peanut butter popcorn, P.B. Popps. I can’t wait to see that one in the store.

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In a previous cookbook review, I toured Europe. This time, it’s around the world with Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero. Packed with 300 recipes spanning the globe, there’s something for everyone from the familiar to the I had no idea such deliciousness existed in the world. Let’s go.

Ever since my epiphany on savory pumpkin dishes, I’ve been on the hunt for a good pumpkin curry recipe. Delighted to see Pumpkin Coconut Curry on page 136, that’s the first thing I made.

It was a bit of a challenge locating a couple of the ingredients. I found fresh curry leaves at the Asian supermarket but I never did find the pandan leaves. I’ve eaten curry leaves before in restaurants, I just didn’t know what they were called. I see myself making this curry again and again.

Since I haven’t made jackfruit anything in awhile, Sweet and Savory Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos page 105 with Pickled Red Onions page 62 was another must make. It is not to be missed. It’s easy and don’t forget the pickled red onions, they’re the perfect topping and easy peasy too.

While I love peanut sauce, peanut soup was unfamiliar to me. But I imagined the Ginger Peanut Squash Soup page 129 would be similar to the sauce, just more of it. That’s a good thing, right? For a moment, I was a little skeptical while making it but it all came together in the end for a deliciously peanutty soup.

For the 15th day of the Chinese New Year celebration, I made Chinese Sticky Rice page 305 with Tempeh Sausage Crumbles page 53. As I’ve made sticky rice on numerous occasions, I didn’t quite follow the recipe step-by-step. I cooked it as I normally make sticky rice but it’s nice to try different ingredients and flavors in a familiar dish.

Not pictured is the Chorizo Tempeh Crumbles page 52 which I liked better than the Chinese Tempeh Crumbles. Basically they’re the same recipe but with different marinades. I’ve been using the chorizo crumbles to make burrito bowls for a speedy and tasty lunch.

Obsess with pickling lately, especially the quick refrigerator variety, I zeroed in on the Fast Lane Cabbage Kimchi page 56. Alas, I couldn’t find the Korean red pepper powder called for in the recipe. Luckily, there’s a variation without the red pepper, Cool Ginger Kimchi.

My favorite though is the Star Anise Daikon Pickles page 62. I love the licorice flavor of the star anise combined with the tangy and the sweet. I confess I’ve always been a bit scared of pickling, never knowing how easy it really is to make fresh refrigerator pickles. Now, I can’t get enough – I’ve been trying out the pickles on top of everything.

Just a small sampling of the deliciousness that awaits you in Vegan Eats World. I have many more recipes bookmarked with scraps of paper like little flags of the world beckoning for a visit.

Star Anise Daikon Pickles
Makes about 1 pint

1/2 pound daikon radish (about one slender 10-inch radish)
1/4 pound carrots (about 2 large carrots)
6 large green jalapeno or serrano chilies, stems removed
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, black or mixed color
4 whole star anise

1. Scrape the daikon and carrots to remove the outer peel and slice into long matchsticks no thicker than 1/4 inch: I use a mandolin for this but you can take your time and use a chef’s knife. Or even better, use a Y-shaped julienne peeler. Slice the chilies in half, remove the seeds (or keep them in for really hot pickles), and slice into very thin slivers. Toss everything together and pack into a clean, dry, 1-pint glass mason jar.

2. In a small saucepan, bring to a gentle boil the vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and star anise and boil for 2 minutes. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and then pour everything over the vegetables in the jar, including the star anise and peppercorns. Cover very tightly and chill for 30 minutes before using. Store tightly covered and chilled.

From the book Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2012. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

Disclosure: I received the cookbook free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the cookbook expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

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Have you ever tried black tofu? No, not blackened tofu. Not tofu with black bean sauce. Black tofu. Made from black soybeans. Though the color of the tofu is more of a greyish hue. It’s high in fiber and protein but relativity low in carbohydrates and may help reduce the risk of diabetes.

I tried a pan-fried sample at the Asian supermarket. Yes, they have food samples just like at Costco but only on the weekends and sometimes the sample person doesn’t speak English. I bought a package of the stuff home.

Instead of pan-frying though, I roasted the tofu. But I’m not convinced that’s the best preparation for black tofu. The pan-fried version seemed creamier; the roasted seemed drier.

The orange part comes from an adaptation of the Ginger Orange Stir-Fry recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Eating Appalachia. As soon as I saw Cara Cara orange in the ingredients, knew I was going to try it. It makes a beautiful vivid orange color. And it’s spicy. And it’s sweet without any additional sweetener.

I’ve made it several times now using regular white tofu and with various vegetables. I’ve even made it without vegetables, I like the sauce so much. I’ve also tried run-of-the-mill Navel oranges, it’s good but nowhere nearly as good as a sweet Cara Cara.

Below is the adapted recipe using roasted tofu. To pan-fry the tofu, click here for the original recipe.

Roasted Tofu in Orange-Ginger Sauce
Serves 2

1 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 small carrot, sliced on the diagonal
2-3 cups snow peas or other vegetable such as broccoli
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Corn starch mixed with a bit of water

Sauce
Zest of 1 Cara Cara orange
1 Cara Cara orange, juiced
3/4 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or to taste

To roast the tofu, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the oil, salt and paprika. Cut the tofu into cubes and gently toss to coat with the mixture. Place each tofu cube in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast for 15 minutes on one side, flip over and roast another 15 minutes.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Heat a wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the carrots and stir-fry a bit and then add the snow peas (if using broccoli, parboil it first). When the snow peas are crisp-tender, toss in the roasted tofu. Add the sauce and cook for about a minute. To thicken the sauce, dribble in the corn starch mixture and stir until it’s the desired thickness. Plate and serve with rice.

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Last week I tried sofritas, the new shredded tofu option that Chipotle is testing out. I’m happy to report it’s really good. And no wonder, the organic, non-GMO tofu is supplied by a local Oakland-based Hodo Soy Beanery. Maybe that’s why the seven test locations are all in the Bay Area.

I got a burrito bowl with brown rice, fresh tomato salsa, the tomatillo green chili salsa as well as the red, guacamole and romaine lettuce. I pushed aside some of the guacamole and lettuce so you can see the tofu there on the left side. Braised with chipotle chilies, roasted poblanos and spices, the tofu has a very nice savory taste and a meaty texture.

I asked the counter people how long the sofritas will be available but they didn’t know. Just that if it does well, they’ll keep it on the menu. If you’re nearby and thinking of trying it, it’s probably best to do it sooner rather than later.

The chosen Chiptole restaurants with sofritas:
525 Market Street, San Francisco
121 Fourth Street, San Francisco
126 New Montgomery St., San Francisco
2019 Chess Drive, San Mateo
251 East 3rd Ave., San Mateo
180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
135 El Camino Real, Millbrae

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