Chow Vegan

Walking around the farmers market, minding my own business, some guy calls me over for some samples. Sometimes instead of a hasty no-thank-you, I weasel out of trying samples by asking if it’s vegan. Usually it’s not. But sometimes, it’s like hitting a vegan food jackpot – like the bolanis and sauces from East and West Gourmet Afghan Food.

Bolani is a traditional Afghani thin flatbread stuffed with either spinach, potato, lentil or pumpkin and baked. Even though it’s low-fat, low-cal and low-carb, it’s very tasty as well as filling. One serving of the spinach bolani is just 103 calories.

Top with any one or a combination of their many sauces and spreads for a delicious layering of flavors. For the spreads, I got the Lentil Curry and Cilantro Pesto. The curry is not really spicy hot but it’s got plenty of taste. The pesto is also very nice and light as it’s made without any oil.

Available at numerous farmers markets throughout Northern California and a few in Southern California, they’re very generous with their samples. They’ll just keep handing you sample after sample after sample. The only item that isn’t vegan is the Garlic Mint Cheese, but it is vegetarian.

Two bolanis come in each package for $6, the sauces and spreads are also the same price. But if you buy a few items, you’ll get a deal. I got 3 things for $15. Also available at NoCal Whole Foods, Andronico’s and Mollie Stone’s. But if you like to taste before you buy, the farmers market is really the way to go.

Update
While shopping at Whole Foods recently, I see that the bolanis there are $5.79, the spreads were $4.99 and the sweet jalapeño sauce was also $5.79. So it seems to be cheaper at Whole Foods if you just want to buy one or two items.

I haven’t made roasted tofu cubes for awhile since I rarely turn on the oven in warm weather. But lately, it’s been unseasonably cool around here. So I broke out the baking pan and roasted up a batch using the method from Vegan Soul Kitchen.

Stick a little bamboo fork in a tofu cube, top it with a little pesto and you’re done. Easy peasy.

The pesto came out more walnutty than I had intended. I miscalculated the amount of usable fresh basil I had on hand so I ended up with a more-walnuts-than-basil ratio.

Because I was short on the basil, I kinda winged it on the recipe. I was trying to follow the basil mint pesto recipe from www.ppk.com. It still came out pretty tasty though.

Roasted Tofu Lollipops With Pesto
Makes about 24 lollipops

1 16-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons or more of pesto

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the oil, paprika and salt. Cut the tofu into cubes and gently toss to coat with the mixture. Place each tofu cube in single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast for 15 minutes on one side, flip over and roast for another 15 minutes for a total of 30 minutes.

Stick a bamboo fork into the side of each cube, top with about 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite pesto and serve.

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase.

Related Posts
Honey Walnut Tofu
Buffalo Style Roasted Tofu
Roasted Tofu with Leeks and Black Bean Sauce
Roasted Tofu Cubes From Vegan Soul Kitchen

For this Super Bowl of weekends, I decided to make the snack of sports bars and fans everywhere – Buffalo Wings. But instead of wings, it’s roasted tofu cubes.

It’s amazingly simple and easy. I used the method for roasting tofu from Vegan Soul Kitchen then tossed in Buffalo hot sauce. That’s it.

So good and rich-tasting. It’s now my snack of choice for all sporting events. Bring on the Winter Olympics.

Buffalo Style Roasted Tofu
Serves 4

1 16-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Buffalo Sauce
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/8 cup Earth Balance Soy-Free Butter

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 each side.

In a wok, melt the butter. Turn off the heat and add the hot sauce. Stir to combine. Add the freshly roasted tofu and toss until throughly coated. Serve immediately with celery sticks and ranch dressing.

Ranch Dressing
Makes a little over 1/3 cup

1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to use.

I’ve been experimenting with a vegan version of sticky rice in lotus leaf (called lo mai gai in Cantonese). It’s very popular at dim sum, although I have yet to come across a veggie one in a restaurant. It usually has chicken and maybe other meats in it. Hence the experiment.

It’s basically sticky rice (which is also known as glutinous or sweet rice) with a savory filling wrapped in a lotus leaf and then steamed. The lotus leaf imparts a fragrant, delicate flavor to the rice. While steaming, it smells a bit like tea.

Lotus leaves are sold dried and can be found at the Asian supermarket. To use, soak in hot water until they become pliable and darker in color. The sticky rice (sweet rice) can also be found at the Asian grocery store. It is not the same as sushi rice; it’s stickier. Above is the brand I always use, I cooked it in my fuzzy logic rice cooker on the sweet rice setting.

Surprisingly easy to make, as it’s mostly just assembly and waiting for things to soak. Well, I wasn’t actually standing there waiting, that would be silly. But it’s well worth the little bit of effort and planning to make this classic dim sum dish.

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf
Makes 6 dim sum sized packets

2 cups sweet rice (using the measuring cup that came with the rice cooker)
3 dried lotus leaves
Vegetable oil

Filling
4 dried mushrooms, soaked and diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
3 1/2 ounces vegan sausage (or 1 Tofurky Italian sausage), sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
2 medium green onions, diced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons vegetarian oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Cooking directions is for use with a rice cooker with a 5.5 cups capacity. Using the inner pot of the rice cooker, rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water is clear. Add enough water to cook the sweet rice as indicated on the inner pot. Let the rice soak in the water for 2 hours before cooking. Cook the rice according to the rice cooker directions.

Trim off the ragged edges of the lotus leaf with kitchen scissors, then cut off the hard knobby part at the pointy end and cut the leaf in half. Soak in hot water for about an hour, turning them over halfway through and weighting the leaves down if necessary.

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat a wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the veggie sausage and stir fry until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and carrot and continue to stir fry for another minute or so, if it seems dry, add a little bit of water. Add the green onions and then the sauce, combine well. Place on a plate and set aside.

Rinse the lotus leaves and gently squeeze out any excess water. Place on a work surface with the curved edge facing away from you. Rub a little oil evenly onto the leaf.

Take 1/6 of the rice and divide it in 2, place one half onto the lower center of a leaf and work it into a small rectangle shape. Place 1/6 of the filling on the rice, then top with the other rice half and pat down.

Fold the tip end of the leaf up over the rice, then fold in the left and right sides. Roll up towards the curved edge to form a rectangular package. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients to make all 6 packets.

Put the packets seam side down in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. To serve, unwrap the lotus leaves and transfer the rice onto a plate.

Dim Sum Related Posts
Mock Chicken
Stuffed Tofu Puffs with Chili Garlic Sauce
Chinese 5-Spice Jackfruit with Steamed Buns
Jook
Yuba Rolls

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.

Related Posts
VeganMoFo: BBQ Yuba Ribs
Yuba Rolls

Never mind why I was watching television at three o’clock in the afternoon, on a weekday no less. On the show The View From The Bay, Executive Chef Ken Frank of La Toque Restaurant in Napa cooked up fresh corn polenta with chanterelles and I just had to make it.

I’m amazed that the “polenta” is just fresh corn with a bit of butter and salt. That’s it. Nothing else. That made the sweetness and freshness of the corn really stand out.

Made a few tweaks to the recipe as usual – I used the new soy-free Earth Balance vegan butter (taste just like butter), swapped out the chanterelles for oyster mushrooms and added sautéed spinach. So simple and so summery.

Fresh Corn “Polenta” with Oyster Mushrooms
Serves 2
Recipe adapted from The View of the Bay episode with Ken Frank of La Toque Restaurant

2 ears fresh bi-color (part white and part yellow) corn
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 ounces fresh baby spinach
Olive oil
Salt

Heat a saucepan to hot, add a little bit of oil and sauté the spinach until just wilted. Set aside.

Then sauté the oyster mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter and season with salt. Set that aside.

Shuck the corn. Over a large bowl, grate the kernels off of the cob using the coarse side of the box grater, resulting in a wet, coarse pulpy mixture.

Since I have a small grater, I broke the corn in half to make it easier to grate. (Although the corn that I got from the farmer’s market had like the smallest kernels I’ve ever seen. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough corn grated.)

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan and add the corn mixture, season with salt. Simmer over low heat and stir to prevent browning for about 2-3 minutes. It’s ready when it just starts to thicken and set.

Divide the corn “polenta” between two plates, top with the spinach and mushrooms and serve.

I usually eat tofu puffs in soups or stir-fries but lately I feel like doing something new and different. A tofu puff is a cube or triangle shaped piece of tofu that’s been deep-fried and generally found in the refrigerated section of the Asian supermarket.

Because they’re deep-fried, they become extra absorbent like a super sponge. They kinda look like sponges on the inside too. Inspired by the little steamed dishes at dim sum restaurants, I stuffed the puff with a mashed potato and carrot mixture and steamed until hot. The result is bite-size puff of soft, creamy inside with a chewy outside, draped with chili garlic sauce on top.

It’s quite a few cooking steps but the results are totally worth it. But if you start to get tired halfway through and don’t want to go on, the potato-carrot filling by itself is tasty too. It’s like fancy mashed potatoes with Asian flavors. The tofu puffs can go in the freezer for another time.

Stuffed Tofu Puffs with Chili Garlic Sauce
Makes about 24 steamed puffs

1 bag of tofu puffs

For the filling
3 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked and sliced
2 medium carrots
2 large red potatoes
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 small green onion, chopped

Peeled and slice the carrots and potatoes, place in a medium pot and just cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.

When the carrots and potatoes are cool enough to handle, mash with a fork or run through a ricer. Add the rice wine, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, blending well.

Heat the wok to hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the sides of the wok. Add the ginger and mushrooms and stir-fry for about a minute. Add a little water if the wok appears to be too dry. Add the potato/carrot mixture and stir constantly for a few minutes. Then add the cilantro, vinegar and green onions, stir well. Set aside.

To stuff the tofu puffs, slice off the top of a puff and hollow out the inside. Using a butter knife, stuff to the top with the potato/carrot mixture and arrange on a steaming plate. Place the plate on a metal steaming rack in the wok over simmering water, cover and steam for 5-10 minutes until heated through. Carefully transfer to a serving dish and top with the chili garlic sauce.

Chili Garlic Sauce
2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic chili oil
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon green onion, chopped

Mix all of the ingredients except the green onion together, blending well. Add the green onions just before you’re ready to serve.

Once upon a time, in the very distant past, I tried soup in a bread bowl. It seemed a little weird to me back then.

Do you eat the bowl or not?

I think I tried to eat the whole thing but it was way too much, I’m sure I didn’t even come close to finishing it. It just seemed like such a waste of food. I haven’t tried it since.

With the upcoming cooler weather, I feel like giving it a try again. But this time, instead of a giant bread bowl, why not a cute miniature one?

Besides the large loaves of sourdough bread at the bakery, now there’s also small and medium sizes. Get whatever size you like, the smaller ones for an appetizer, the medium ones for a bigger serving.

Inspired by VeganDad‘s post on Mixed Vegetable Chowder, I adapted my usual corn chowder to include different vegetables. It’s got a slightly different taste and flavor yet it’s still comfortingly familiar.

Vegetable Chowder In Mini Sourdough Bread Bowl
Serves 2 – 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1 small leek, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup soymilk
1 garlic clove, minced
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 medium or 4 small sourdough bread loaves or rolls
Cayenne pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil until hot, add the onions and leeks, sauté until translucent. Add the carrots and potatoes, sauté for a few minutes. Add the vegetable stock and cover. Bring to a boil and cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a wok until hot, add the remaining oil. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté until cooked. Set aside.

Add the mushrooms and soymilk to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree 3/4 of the soup in a blender, return to the pot, and mix well.

Slice off the top of the bread and hollow out the inside, saving the bread for another use. Ladle the soup into the bread bowl and top with cayenne pepper.

No Croutons Required is a monthly food blogging event hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen and Tinned Tomatoes. October’s theme is hearty vegetarian soups that will warm the body and satisfy a hungry tummy. In my book bowl, that’s chowder and my contribution to the event.