Chow Vegan

I survived VeganMoFo! Whew, it was one busy and hectic month trying to get in 20 posts, that’s way more than I’ve ever blogged in any one month.

So was it a trick or a treat? For the most part, it was a treat – new foods, new recipes and new blogs. It was a little tricky trying to schedule enough time to get everything done.

One of the things I wasn’t able to work out, was visiting the sheer number of blogs participating in VeganMoFo while keeping up my own blog. I only made it to a small fraction. But now that it’s over, I’ll be spending the next few months checking out those blogs. Better late, than never, right?

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit my little blog! And a big shout-out to kittee at Cake Maker to the Stars for hosting this year.

Happy Halloween!

I still have some chorizo left in the fridge, it’s like never ending. Don’t get me wrong, I love chorizo. It’s just that it’s so flavorful a little goes a long ways, so there’s quite a bit left.

Today, I made potato and chorizo tacos. In a blue corn taco shell, because I like my tacos to be crunchy. Topped with shredded baby romaine and grated carrots in place of the cheese. I also plopped on a dollop of soy yogurt, instead of sour cream (after I already took the picture and started eating. I forgotten had some in the back of the fridge). So good.

Can’t believe I still have enough chorizo for at least one more meal.

Potato and Chorizo Tacos
Makes about 8 tacos

2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
3 ounces vegan chorizo
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 box of blue corn taco shells
1 medium carrot, grated
1 head baby romaine lettuce, shredded

Place potatoes in a pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, smash with a fork.

Heat a large non-stick skillet to hot, add the oil and the onions. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the chorizo. Break up the large chunks and mix well with the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes to the skillet and mix well.

Heat up the taco shells according to the package directions. Fill the shells with the potato mixture and topped with the lettuce and carrot.

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Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos

I found myself in the chip aisle on a recent trip to the Asian supermarket. In the salty snack department, my biggest weakness had got to be potato chips.

I, of course, couldn’t just look away and make a beeline for the checkout. Not me. I had to gawk at all the colorful packages and wondered how did they ever come up with some of this wacky stuff.

One of the strangest items was wasabi coated black beans. Fascinated but too scared to try them, I went with a normal snack but unusual flavor, Calbee seaweed and salt potato chips.

They look like sour cream and onion potato chips but with a slight seaweed taste, think nori but not as strong. It was a fun change from the usual, everyday chip flavors.

Chicken: Are you mocking me?
Me: Not at all. It’s just called mock chicken. It’s also known as vegetarian chicken. Sometimes it’s served at Chinese restaurants as a hot or cold appetizer or at dim sum.
Chicken: You’re mocking me.
Me: No, not really. It doesn’t even taste like chicken. I admit it looks vaguely like roasted white chicken. But it’s made out of fresh or dried bead curd sheets with a mushroom filling, steamed and then sliced.
Chicken: Mock, mock, mock.

Mock Chicken
Makes 1 roll

1 6-ounce package fresh yuba sheets
1 sprig cilantro for garnish

For the mushroom filling
4 dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

For the sauce
2 tablespoons mushroom soaking water or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1″ piece of fresh ginger, chopped

Soak the mushrooms in water until soft. Cut off the stems and slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Save the mushroom soaking water for the sauce.

In a wok, combine the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Strain and let cool in a large bowl. Wash the wok to cook the mushroom filling next.

Heat the wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the mushrooms and the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir-fry for a couple minutes and then set aside to cool.

Cut the yuba sheet in half to make it about 9″ x 11 1/2″. Dip the sheet into the sauce bowl to cover it in sauce, then fold it down into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining sheets, stacking them one on top of the other, saving the last sheet to wrap around the whole roll. Lay the last sheet down and place the roll in the center. Arrange the mushrooms on top and wrap up like a burrito.

Place the roll, seam side down, on a steaming dish and steam over high heat for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Cut the roll crosswise into 1/2″ wide slices to serve. Garnish with the cilantro sprig. It can also be made the day before and refrigerated for a firmer texture.

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VeganMoFo: BBQ Yuba Ribs
Yuba Rolls

I’ve written about eating instant noodle bowls before, at that time it was the Kung-Fu Vegetarian Noodle bowl. This time it’s Annie Chun’s Vegan Noodle Bowl which I received a couple of samples to review. The name isn’t quite as exciting as Kung-Fu but the taste is much better.

I tried the Korean Sweet Chili flavor first. The sauce that comes with it is pretty good. There’s quite a bit in the enclosed pouch and it’s not searingly spicy but it has good flavor. I used almost all of it. But the included dehydrated veggies is negligible; they’re such small pieces and there’s just so little of it. Basically, it’s a bowl of noodles.

So when I tried the Garlic Scallion flavored one, I threw in a few leftovers to make it little more interesting (as suggested on the back of the package). I topped the noodle bowl with seitan and spinach for a little protein and some greens. But even though I used the entire sauce pouch, there wasn’t really a strong garlic or scallion taste. It’s more subtle. Smelled really good though.

The directions said to drain the water from the bowl after 2 minutes but I left it in and made it into a soup instead. Apparently, I’m incapable of following simple instructions. Happily, they were just fine as a soup.

Overall, the noodle bowls are good, quick and convenient. Better if you can add or top it with other ingredients or leftovers. And useful if you’re stuck at work, on a trip or in an emergency disaster kit.

At the end of the week, there’s usually only a few things left in the fridge. For today’s lunch, I threw chorizo and white rice together to make a sort of Mexican fried rice. Fried rice is a really great way to repurpose leftovers into a new and tasty dish.

Since the chorizo is already so flavorful, I didn’t add any other seasonings. It’s almost like Mexican rice but without the tomatoes or peppers. If I had those items lying around, I probably would have thrown them in too. (Nothing is off limits when it comes to me making fried rice.) I actually like it better than Mexican rice as it’s much quicker and easier.

Chorizo Fried Rice
Serves 1 as a meal or 2 as part of a meal

1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 ounces vegan chorizo
1 cup cold cooked white rice
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 sprig of cilantro for garnish

Heat the wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the onions and stir-fry over medium high heat until translucent. Add the chorizo, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a spatula. Let cook for about a minute or so.

Add the rice, breaking up the large chunks with the spatula so the grains are separated; stir-fry to combine well. Add the vegetables, mix well and continue to stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Recovered from the depths of an iPhone are photos from a Father’s Day celebration back in June. I had forgotten all about them.

Dinner was at Izakaya Raka, a Japanese Tapas Bar in Grover Beach, California. Located south of San Luis Obispo, not far from the Monarch butterfly grove at Pismo State Beach. The restaurant itself took me awhile to find. I must have blinked and missed it the first time around when I drove right past it.

My poor navigation skills aside, Izakaya Raka really is a hidden treasure in this sleepy little town. Especially since they have a vegetarian specials section. I ordered the Eggplant Miso (first picture above) and the Appetizer Sampler: Broccoli Goma Ae, Kabocha Pumpkin and Lotus Kinpira.

And for my main entree, Vegetable Tempura Roll. All of it tasty and well-prepared. I’m sure I’ll be back to try some of the other veggie selections and to check out the butterflies. It should be right around that time of year (late October to February) when I’m going to be in the area again.

Continuing on with more comfort food, I made BBQ yuba ribs. I don’t even remember where or when I first saw the original recipe. I just love that it’s made from yuba, also known as bean curd sheets. Served with potato salad and sautéed swiss chard, it really hits that down-home spot.

BBQ Yuba Ribs
Makes 4-5 servings
Adapted from the Un-Ribs recipe in Kathy Cooks by Kathy Hoshijo

1 6-ounce package dried bean curd sticks
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoon white miso
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup bbq sauce

Soak the bean curd sticks in water for a few hours until soft. Drain and squeeze out any water. Cut into 4-6″ lengths, if there’s any hard pieces (usually where it folds) cut those off.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a lightly-oiled piece of tin foil. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients except the bbq sauce into a smooth thin paste. Coat the bean curd sticks in the paste and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottoms are crisp and browned. Remove from the oven and mix with the bbq sauce. Place back onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.