Chow Vegan

I’m not very familiar with African American or Southern cuisine, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review the recently released cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry. I decided to go with an ingredient (tofu) that I’m well-acquainted with but prepared in a new-to-me twist – Blackened Tofu Slabs with Succotash Salsa.

Now, I’ve tried a blackened something or other before I was vegan and I must not have thought much of it because I never tried blackened anything again. I just remember it as being very black and kinda burnt so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Imagine my delight, when first off, blackened doesn’t mean black or burnt at all (there’s a few darker spots but I wouldn’t call it burnt). It’s basically tofu with a crust of spices. Spicy spices.

It’s amazing – prep the tofu, dredge in the spices and place in the pan with no oil. I thought for sure, okay this is where it’s going to get all burnt and everything. But nope, it’s totally fine.

Oh, and the salsa! I’ve never had baby lima beans in salsa before. So fresh, so vibrant and so colorful – a refreshing contrast to the blackened tofu. Served on top of sauteed swiss chard, there’s layers of textures and flavors that all comes together for a healthy and anything but boring meal.

I feel just like a kid who got a brand-new toy and I can’t wait to give Vegan Soul Kitchen another whirl.

Related Links
To learn more about Bryant Terry, check out his website here. To purchase your very own copy of the Vegan Soul Kitchen, click here.

I had a butternut squash languishing in the refrigerator for weeks before I finally got around to cooking it. Poor little thing, it sat in the fridge for far too long. I had to hack off the moldy parts but the rest of it was still good. I was surprise the squash lasted as long as it did, what a trooper.

I made a rich, creamy butternut squash soup, with a nice, spicy kick from the fresh ginger and cayenne pepper. So yummy for the end of winter, so happy for the beginning of spring.

Butternut Squash Soup
Makes a generous 2 cups

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced
1 med carrot, sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
1/2″ fresh ginger, minced
2 cups hot water
1 cube vegan vegetable bouillon dissolved in the water
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 heaping tablespoons silken tofu
1 stalk green onion, chopped
1-2 pieces baked tofu, cubed

In a large pot, heat the oil until hot, add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the squash and carrots and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the water, ginger and spices.

Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to low. Cook for about 18 minutes or until the squash is soft. Add the tofu and puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions and baked tofu croutons if desired. Serve immediately.

Yesterday, I made mock “corned beef” and cabbage. I’ve been making it for years, based on a modified version of the recipe found in the March 1996 issue of Vegetarian Times. You can see the recipe for yourself here.

I usually leave out the onion and the horseradish and I’ve never made the gravy called for in the recipe. Either I didn’t have those ingredients the first time I made the recipe or I was just plain lazy, probably both. But it tasted fine to me without, so I always left them out.

Nowadays, I like to eat it with Zukay’s horseradish dill relish. Man, that stuff is like crack.

I never really thought about how commercial relish is made, I just slap it on my food and mindlessly munch away. Then I received sample jars from Zukay Live Foods, and it’s like night and day.

It has an amazing freshness and brightness that you can actually taste. It’s very different from the strong vinegar smell and neon color of the relish I grew up eating and liked.

Zukay has two relish flavors, garlic dill and horseradish dill. I tried the garlic dill one on a veggie hot dog. Great taste and flavor, with just a hint of garlic. Only thing is, there’s a lot more liquid in the relish, even though I used a fork to try to drain some of it before putting it on the hot dog, it made the bottom of the bun soggy fairly quickly.

I also tried the relish in a potato salad and that worked much better. Pictured above, it’s three red potatoes, cooked with the skin removed, cooled and sliced. A couple heaping tablespoons of vegan mayo and a couple heaping tablespoons of Zukay relish. Salt and pepper to taste. And there you have it, a simple yet delicious potato salad.

Zukay also has a line of salsas, hot and mild flavors. It’s very bubbly, much more noticeable than the relishes. They’re bubbly because it’s a live probiotic food. Not only is it tasty, but it’s healthy too.

Last week, we finally got some much needed rain here in Northern California – perfect weather for making a stew. Something that’s hearty and full of flavor, something warm and comforting, something with star anise, perhaps?

I love the very distinct licorice taste and aroma of star anise, it’s one of the very few spices used in Chinese cooking. You may recognize the taste as it’s the primary flavoring in Chinese 5-spice powder.

Normally used in slow cooked meat dishes, I decided to try star anise with seitan and root vegetables in a kind of red-cooked dish. Red cooking or Chinese stewing is a Chinese cooking technique that turns ingredients a deep red-brown color by braising in a dark soy sauce flavored broth.

With no meat, it cooks fairly quickly, basically it’s done when the veggies are soft. Makes for a quick, satisfying weekday meal and like most stews, it’s even better the next day when the flavors combine even more.

Asian-Styled Seitan and Vegetable Stew
Serves 2

2-3 pieces whole star anise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2″ piece of fresh ginger, minced
8 ounces seitan chunks
3 medium red potatoes
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium daikon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 green onion stalk, chopped

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl, mix well and set aside. Peel and slice the carrot at a diagonal, peel and cut the potatoes and daikon into 1″ chunks, add to the sauce bowl along with the seitan. Mix, making sure everything is well covered in the sauce.

Heat a wok until it’s hot, add the oil, swirl to coat the wok. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the bowl ingredients, give it a few quick tosses and add water to just barely covering. Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed and the vegetables are done, about 20 – 25 minutes. To serve, discard the star anise pieces and garnish with the chopped green onions.