Chow Vegan

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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I don’t have cancer. I’ve never had it and I hope I never get it (or anyone else for that matter). So why am I reviewing Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen: The Girlfriend’s Cookbook and Guide to Using Real Food to Fight Cancer? Because you are what you eat. The authors, Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott, both battled cancer and survived to tell their story – eating a plant-based, whole foods diet may help to fight and prevent cancer.

The first part of the book covers their personal stories dealing with cancer and offers support, guidance and resources. Including tips and advice about healthy lifestyle changes and dealing with treatments all written in a conversational tone, it’s like getting advice from a close friend.

The second part has recipes for fighting cancer with specific benefits listed out, from helping with immune boosting to fatigue fighting to mood balancing. Most are vegan recipes with a few vegetarian ones that can easily be made vegan. Using food as medicine doesn’t mean you’re stuck with bland, boring food.

I started off with Baby Bok Choy with Shiitakes, Pumpkin Seeds and Gojis (page 227). I’ve been eating gojis also known as wolfberries since I was a kid. It’s funny that nowadays it’s like a new thing that people are crazy about when it’s been around Chinese cuisine for ages. I like the flavors, but I did cut back to half of the tamari called for in the recipe.

Jello is the quintessential food when you’re sick, in or out of a hospital. It’s also the fun, jiggly finger food of children everywhere. As soon as I saw the recipe for Juicy Jello (page 307), I had to make it. Even if I had to pay Whole Foods $8.99 for a small package of agar-agar. I tried to get the agar-agar cheaper from the Asian supermarket but I couldn’t find any that didn’t have sugar in it. The glistening cubes with fruit is exactly as I remembered but better.

Next is Curried-Tofu Breakfast Burrito (page 211), I’ve always wanted to make my own frozen breakfast burritos but just never got around to it. Reviewing this cookbook got me off of my bum. The flavor of the curry is good and even better after a night in the fridge or freezer. It’s a great basic recipe to start, I’ve since made it again adding potatoes, peas, cauliflower and mushrooms.

Tempeh Hash Over Collards (page 209), another breakfast recipe, another winner. Easily made in the oven, it warms you up and gets you going in the morning.

Edamame Hummus (page 288) didn’t come out as smooth as it could have. I only have an itty-bitty mini food processor that sometimes doesn’t feel up to the challenge of blending various ingredients. So the hummus is a little more chunky that I would have liked but the taste is all there.

The Key-Lime Custard Pie (page 299) is very similar to other vegan cheesecake recipes I tried but without the baking. Bonus points for not having to mess with the oven to get a slice of this delicious sweet-and-sour treat.

Oatmeal-Carrot Cookie Smoothie (page 195), it’s hard to believe but it really does taste a lot like an oatmeal cookie. Yum. Eating healthy and beating off cancer has never been more tasty or easy.

Oatmeal-Carrot Cookie Smoothie
Makes 18 ounces

1 large carrot, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1 cup Almond Mylk or store-bought
1 large banana
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 large ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoon dried coconut, shredded and unsweetened

For less powerful blenders, grate the carrot. Add all ingredients except coconut to a blender and blend for one minute or until mostly smooth. Pour into individual glasses and sprinkle shredded coconut on top.

Kendall’s Tasty Tip: If you like your smoothie a little thicker, try adding more ice or use a frozen banana.

From the book Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen by Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott. 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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I had a crabby holiday. Really crabby.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s a local holiday tradition to have crab on the table for Thanksgiving or Christmas. This year, I found Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Crab Cakes in the frozen section at my local Whole Foods. On sale no less, on top of that, I also had a coupon.

With all of the activity going on in the kitchen, the crab cakes were quick and easy to heat up. I prefer it baked to pan-fried. The texture was good, and it tastes best with a little tarter sauce or some sort of aioli. Though, like their other products, it doesn’t really taste like seafood.

The base for Sophie’s vegan seafood products is konjac root (a plant native to Asia), making it soy free and gluten free. I’ve tried quite a few of their products now, my favorites are the Breaded Vegan Shrimp and Breaded Vegan Calamari with the crab cakes coming in close behind. I usually only get them when they’re on sale, automatically making them a once in a while treat.

In case you’re wondering what’s that purple thing on my plate, it’s purple yam. My mom picked it up at her local farmer’s market. Baked, they have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor but not as sweet as an orange-colored sweet potato.

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Queued up next in the cookbook review department is The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe by Mark Reinfeld. A vegan tour of cuisine classics from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, UK and Ireland, Greece, Germany, as well as a section on Europe Fusion. With a 150 recipes, where to begin?

First stop, Italy, Frittata with Artichoke Hearts and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (page 42). I was a little worried when the skillet with the frittata went into the oven as it was so full. As it turned out, no worries on any spillage, it shrinks down and fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma while it’s baking. I went with the recipe variation and added mushrooms and zucchini to pack in the goodies.

Next is the United Kingdom, home of the Welsh Rarebit (page 140), also known as Welsh Rabbit, and has nothing to do with little bunnies. It’s a savory sauce of melted cheese and beer over toasted bread slices. A beautiful Cheddar cheesy color, until the beer hit the pan and turned it into brown gravy color. But the flavor more than makes up for it.

Having never cooked with beer before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised I really liked it. Beer-Braised Greens (page 189, in the Germany section) is another beer recipe that turned out great.

Next to the recipes, there’s beer or wine recommendations. That along with a very helpful and knowledgeable Whole Foods beer guy made the beer selection easy and painless, especially for the clueless such as myself.

A goal in reviewing this cookbook was to only make recipes I’ve never tried before. Ever. That went out the window when I wound up short on time on the day I was planning on making gnocchi (I didn’t say the goal was written in stone).

There’s a little clock icon on recipes that might take longer than 30 minutes, the gnocchi was one of them. I ended up making Penne Pasta with Toasted Walnut Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes (page 22) but with spaghetti noodles instead of penne. It’s just your basic pesto recipe but I do like the many variations listed.

Getting back on track in the UK with Ginger Brew (page 153). A non-alcoholic take on ginger beer, it’s refreshing and bubbly. I made the raw version – quicker and easier than cooking down the ginger syrup.

Next is Germany for Apple Strudel (page 203). Although the recipe for the dough looks simple enough even for me, I did the quick and easy filo dough route. It was my first time using the frozen dough, so probably not as neat and tidy looking as it could have been, hence no picture. But still easy to whip out.

Then it’s off to France for Vegan Bouillabaisse (page 65). Any mention of bouillabaisse always reminds me of the scene from the Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr movie, An Affair to Remember, “Order the bouillabaisse. lt’s superb. Merci mille fois. Pas de quoi. Oh, shut up.”

The vegan version is superb too. Briny, not so much like seafood but more of a seaweed taste. It reminds me a bit of miso soup or Chinese seaweed soup but with Mediterranean flavors.

Last stop, Greece, for Baklava Roulade (page 179). I think I’m getting the hang of working with filo dough. Even though it’s not a 30 mintue recipe, it was actually pretty simple and easy to make. Since it’s not smothered in a sticky syrup, it’s very light tasting.

I didn’t get to the Spain and Portugal section or to the Europe Fusion. But I’m sure I’ll be back soon, there’s many more recipes bookmarked and just waiting for a visit. Below is a tasty souvenir from my trip through the cookbook, generously brought to you by the publisher:

Frittata with Artichoke Hearts and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6

14 to 18 sun-dried tomatoes (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 (12.3-ounce) package silken firm tofu
10 ounces extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari or other soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons chiffonaded fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
1/2 cup grated vegan mozzarella-style cheese (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup of hot water until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain well, and chop into small pieces.
2. Meanwhile, place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the oil, onion, and garlic in the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Place the tofu, soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, tamari, vinegar, turmeric, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes in a food processor and process until creamy.
4. Transfer to the sauté pan with the remaining ingredients, including the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, and mix well.
5. Place the pan in the oven (if you are not using an ovenproof pan, transfer to a well-oiled 9-inch pie dish) and bake for 20 minutes. For optimal flavor and if you have more time, bake for an additional 10 minutes and allow to set until firm, about 5 minutes, before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Variation
Add 1 cup of diced mushrooms, peppers, or zucchini to the sauté pan after the onion has cooked for a few minutes. Cook for an additional 3 minutes before adding the ingredients from the food processor.

From the book The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe by Mark Reinfeld. 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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After reviewing Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm, grilling is now officially my favorite way to prepare tempeh. It’s got a nice smoky taste with just a touch of spiciness, takes a bit of prep work but it’s well worth it. If you’re not familiar with tempeh cooking, you may not know that you need to steam or boil it first to remove some of its bitter flavor.

Grilling Vegan Style covers that information and more with a whole chapter devoted specifically to grilling tofu, tempeh and seitan. For this recipe, I simmered the tempeh in vegetable broth for 10 minutes (besides removing the bitter taste, also to soften it and allow the marinade to soak in) and then marinated overnight before grilling.

I served the tempeh sliced into thin strips alongside grilled vegetables. There’s really no better way to say so long to summer and hello to fall.

Tex-Mex Tempeh for Two
2 servings

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari preferred)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon adobo (from a can of chipotles in adobo), or your favorite vegan salsa
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
Canola oil, for oiling the grill grates

In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic, oregano, cloves, and adobo. Arrange the tempeh in the dish, turn to coat all over with the marinade, cover and chill, turning halfway through, for 2 hours or overnight.

Grease the grates with the canola oil, then preheat the grill to medium. Grill the tempeh, flipping it once, until browned and hot throughout, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to plates and serve.

From the book Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2012. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

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 an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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For these dog days of summer, there’s nothing better than grilling in the backyard especially after perusing a review copy of Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm. Too bad I don’t have a grill. Or a backyard. Luckily, I have a generous sister who I can impose on. Having almost as much experience grilling as I do baking, namely zero, I’m grateful for the extra help and supervision.

First up is Golden Tandoori Seitan, page 34. Seitan chunks marinated in a delectable blend of Indian spices and soy yogurt. Anything on a stick is sure to please and these seitan skewers are no exception. The marinade is so flavorful, I’m thinking of using it on other things.

Gotta have veggies to go with the protein. Usually, I’m plenty happy with fresh from the farmer’s market vegetables simply grilled, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. That’s it. Nothing fancy. I like my taste buds to get the full flavor of having something grilled.

But since I’m in cookbook review mode, I tried the Sweet Potato & Green Onion Country Salad, page 62 – grilled sweet potatoes and green onions tossed in a cider vinegar-Dijon dressing. While the salad tasted fine, I thought the dressing detracted a bit from the taste of the grilled veggies.

I had this same thought when I made Zucchinicotti, page 166 (not pictured) – a grilled zucchini and red onion mixture stuffed into manicotti tubes and baked. Again, there wasn’t anything wrong with it per se but the grilled taste gets a bit obscured by the other ingredients.

What was really exceptional though was the Homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese (also on page 166) that was sprinkled on top of the Zucchinicotti. Super easy to make with everyday pantry items, there’s no need to ever get the store bought kind again.

For dessert, I went with grilled fruit – Grilled Cantaloupe with Fresh Ginger & Mint Leaves page 178 and Strawberry Skewers with Vanilla, I Scream! page 188. Once the grilled strawberries were off of the skewer they quickly disappeared courtesy of little fingers belonging to my niece and nephew. So good with ice cream, I went with the store-bought option but there is a recipe for the ice cream in the cookbook.

My niece tried the Backyard PB & J page 141 (not pictured) for lunch and gave a big thumb’s up to the grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For myself, I made a variation with banana and Justin’s Chocolate Peanut Butter that I ultimately had to share with little smiling faces. Grilling Vegan Style is sure to put a smile on your face too.

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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In for a review is another Vegetarian Plus item, this time it’s Vegan Ginger Chicken. Not content with just serving it atop of a starch, I made spring rolls.

The lightness of the lettuce along with the refreshing flavors of mint, basil and cilantro contrasts nicely with the savory chewiness of the ginger chicken pieces. Made from soybean fiber and protein, the texture and taste of the mock meat is very similar to what you would find in a Chinese restaurant, but now available in the frozen food section.

In this hot weather, I’ve been making spring rolls on demand for a no sweat lunch, kinda like a rolled up salad.

Just wash and spin dry several heads of baby lettuce, and store in the fridge until ready to use. (I’ve found if I don’t have already cleaned lettuce, I’m too lazy to make just a couple of spring rolls. But if it’s ready to go, then it doesn’t seem like that much work to make; it’s just assembly. Weird, huh?)

And instead of the usual rice noodles, I went with the super-easy-to-use, just-rinse-and-go kelp noodles. Then, it’s just a matter of heating up the veggie chicken and rolling it all up. Easy peasy, summer breezy.

Vegan Ginger Chicken Spring Rolls
Makes 4 rolls

Filling
1 package Vegetarian Plus Vegan Ginger Chicken
1 package kelp noodles, rinse before using
2 heads baby romaine lettuce, shredded
1 small carrot, julienned
1 green onion, thinly chopped
Fresh mint, chiffonade
Fresh basil, chiffonade
Fresh cilantro, chopped

4 eight inch round rice paper sheets
Hoisin sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Sriracha or chili garlic sauce

Defrost the package of Vegan Ginger Chicken and heat up on the stove top as directed on the box. Cut into smaller, bite-sized pieces and set next to the other prepared ingredients.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and dip one rice paper sheet into the water for about 15 seconds or so. Place the rice paper sheet on a flat work surface.

In the center, spread a bit of each of the filling ingredients, adding more or less of each item as desired. Fold in the sides of the rice paper sheet over the filling and firmly roll up. Gently press the seam to seal. Place seam side down on a serving plate. If you’re making more than a few rolls, cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying out while you’re working.

For the dipping sauce, combine a spoonful of the hoisin sauce with a bit of the sriracha to desired spiciness. Thin with a little water if the sauce appears to be too thick.

Slice each roll in half and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

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

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