Chow Vegan

Over the weekend, I went to the Alternative Press Expo (APE) in San Francisco and picked up a couple of new t-shirts.

One is Stinky Tofu from Hamburgerpanda. I love tofu but I can’t say I’ve ever eaten stinky tofu. I just like the sad face. But is he sad that he’s stinky? Poor little stinky tofu. Maybe he would be happier if he was crispy instead of stinky. I know I would be.

Stinky tofu is made by marinating tofu in a brine of vegetables and allowing it to ferment for a few months. It’s different than the fermented bean curd that comes in a jar which I have eaten.

The other t-shirt is Orange Juicy from Piximix. Mmmm, juicy.

At the farmers market a couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a Piel de Sapo melon. I’ve neither heard of nor seen this football-shaped melon before. Originating in Spain, Piel de Sapo literally translates as “Skin of Toad” probably because of its mottled green and yellow skin.

Inside, it has white flesh with just a bit of orange in the middle. The flavor is sweet, crisp and refreshing similar to watermelon but the texture is more like honeydew or cantaloupe.

As it ripens, it’ll start to have tinges of yellow to the green skin. The melon also has a long shelf life, it sat around the kitchen counter this whole time. I’m thinking of getting a few more and see how long I can keep them into the winter.

Seems kinda weird to be smearing fig jam on a pizza but it totally works. It really does. The sweetness of the figs contrasts nicely with the spinach and basil.

The other thing that makes it so good, is the thin, crisp crust cooked on a pizza stone in an outdoor grill. It comes very close to the California Pizza Kitchen thin crust. The only reason why CPK’s is slightly better is because they have a real fire-burning-wood pizza oven.

The idea for the pizza came from Todd English’s Fig and Prosciutto Pizza but you know, without the prosciutto or cheese and with the addition of spinach and basil. It’s also his pizza dough recipe from his cookbook, The Figs Table. You can see it here at marthastewart.com.

As for the toppings, cover the crust with olive oil, minced garlic and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Spread Black Mission Fig Jam on top. Bake until browned, about 6-7 minutes. Add a handful of chopped Bloomsdale spinach and basil on top. Slice and serve immediately.

Can you believe this was a last minute, throw-something-together-to-feed-the-vegan pizza pie? My sister was making pizza for her kids’ dinner when I came over. Usually I bring whatever I’m going to eat. She had extra pizza dough and made this for me.

I spend way too much time at Whole Foods, finding things I’m not looking for but all of a sudden I can’t live without. This time it’s Annie’s Fruit Snacks.

Appearing at the end of the aisle so when I whipped around the corner, they were right there, staring at me in the face. Of course, they were on sale, a major point in their favor. Attractive in their pretty package labeled with organic, no preservatives and no additives. And with three flavors to choose from: Tropical Treat, Berry Patch and Sunny Citrus.

How could I possibly resist?

Tearing open a pouch, the bunny-shaped fruit snacks remind me of gummy bears but not as chewy and a bit softer. The flavors aren’t super strong, they’re more subtle. But the texture is very good.

I haven’t eaten a gummy bear in years. At one time (way before I was ever vegan), it was my favorite candy. Once, my mom actually bought me a giant bag as a Christmas gift (I’m surprised she even remembered) and I had to tell her it’s not vegan. But now I can have my candy and eat it too. Woo hoo!

Related Posts
VeganMoFo: Mini S’mores
VeganMoFo: Annie’s Bunny Grahams

With cooler weather settling in, it’s time to bring on the comfort food. Inspired by the Chickpea Cutlets recipe in Veganomicon, I made “meatloaf.”

When I first mixed up a batch of the Chickpea Cutlets, it reminded me of when I had to help my mom make dinner as a youngster. One of my jobs back then was to mix together the ingredients for meatloaf. It looks surprisingly similar.

For this meatloaf version, I changed up some of the spices and added onion, celery, and carrots. I also shaped them into mini loaves. Mini food just looks so cute. But really, it was to make sure that the center firmed up and doesn’t come out too mushy.

Home-style Vegan Meatloaf
Makes 4 mini loaves
Adapted from the Chickpea Cutlets recipe in Veganomicon

1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup water
Ketchup for glaze

Heat sauté pan to hot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sauté onion until translucent, then add the carrots and celery. Cook for about 2 minutes; set aside and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a large bowl, and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients including the cooked vegetables. Mix together and knead for a few minutes until strings of gluten have formed and everything sticks together in a big ball.

Divide the ball into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small loaf. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly oil. Place the loaves on the tin foil and brush both sides with oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over and glaze the top with ketchup. Bake another 10 minutes until firm. Cut into slices and serve with wasabi mashed potatoes or your favorite sides.

I’m constantly amazed and delighted by the yumminess found at the local farmers market nowadays. My latest obsession is the fresh spring rolls from Hodo Soy Beanery, makers of fresh, organic tofu in the SF Bay Area.

I’ve eaten many a spring rolls in my day but these rule them all. They’re so good – they don’t need any dip whatsoever. And they don’t come with one. Nothing. They’re that tasty all on their own.

Each week that I’ve gotten a roll, I’ve tried to analyze them. What exactly is in it that makes them taste so darn good. Yes, I’ve tried the obvious. I flat out asked what’s in it. Tofu, carrot, lettuce, noodles – the usual stuff.

Is the tofu fried? Nope. Is any part of it fried? No. What could it be? Some sort of seasonings? Their fresh tofu? I just don’t know.

I finally managed to track down Dandies Vegan Marshmallows at a local natural food store. Dandies are light, fluffy and melty just like regular marshmallows. I like the flavor and texture so much I could just eat them right out of the bag.

But since I still have a box of Annie’s Bunny Grahams, why not try mini s’mores? With the Bunny Grahams so small and no handy campfire nearby, I made them in the microwave. Easy and quick, it’s a cute bite-size snack.

Mini S’mores
Make as needed

1 box Annie’s Chocolate Chip Bunny Grahams
1 bag Dandies Marshmallows
1 vegan chocolate bar (I used boom CHOCO boom rice milk bar by Enjoy Life)

Cover a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel, place one Bunny Graham on it. Cut a few shivers off of the chocolate bar. Cut a marshmallow in half.

Stick the marshmallow on the Bunny Graham, pile a few chocolate shivers on, then top with another Bunny Graham and gently press down.

Microwave on high for 5-10 seconds (depending on your microwave) until the marshmallow just starts to get all puffy. Let cool and eat.

I’ve also tried making more than one s’more at a time, but the marshmallows seem to puff at different times, so some came out more gooey than others. And for extra chocolate, put a few shivers on the bottom as well as on the top of the marshmallow.

Even though there’s plenty of great tasting vegan ice creams on the market, it’s fun to give homemade a try. Especially with a cookbook like The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Torro of Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts.

Based in Boston, I never even heard of them until I tried a small sample of their ice cream at last year’s Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. It was divine but unavailable on the West Coast. So I was thrilled to receive a review copy of The Vegan Scoop. Since I can’t get my hands on the actual product, this is the next best thing.

I decided on the Cherry Jubilee recipe (back when cherries were actually in season. I just never got around to posting about it. Nothing like VeganMoFo to get me off of my lazy bum).

I’m amazed at how really easy it was to make the ice cream. The hardest part was choosing which of the many recipes to try. The chapters are organized by flavors, from classics such as Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to unusual original flavors like Jalapeño.

I used one of those Ice Cream Ball Maker, where you shake and roll around it to make the ice cream. It’s like a mini-workout before consuming your special treat. The ice cream came out like soft serve. Which is fine with me, as I like mine on the soft side and not rock solid.

Choose your ingredients carefully, as the ice cream takes on that particular soymilk’s flavor. It’s subtle but if you don’t like drinking it plain as is, you’re not going to like it as ice cream. The freshness of the ingredients especially the cherries really shines through.

I cut the recipe in half so it would fit in my ice cream ball maker, it only makes about a pint (there’s also a larger quart size version). I froze the leftovers; it still tasted great but it froze pretty hard. It’s best to eat it right after you make it.

Related Links
To learn more about Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, cruise on over to their website. To purchase your very own copy of the The Vegan Scoop, click here to go to Amazon or pop over to your local bookstore.