Chow Vegan

I haven’t had a chance to eat at Lyfe Kitchen in Palo Alto but they already have their own line of packaged food, available at twenty select Costco locations throughout Northern California. None of the entrees are vegan but two of the soups are – the Smoky Tomato Bisque with Spicy Herb Croutons and the Sweet Corn Chowder with Smoky Chipotle Croutons (a top seller at the restaurant). I got to sample both and bought the chowder home.

It’s a nice chunky chowder with good flavor and not too salty. However, I did have to overlook the very subtle taste of red bell peppers. Not my favorite vegetable by a long shot yet somehow I can taste whenever it’s in food (isn’t that how it always is?).

Good as it is, it’s hard for me to justify buying soups as it’s one of the easiest things to make at home plus it freezes well. Still, if you’re not the cooking kind or if you’re short on time, it’s a great alternative. Located in the refrigerated section for $9.99. I would love to see if they come up with any vegan entrees.

I’ve been getting Hodo tofu ever since they first set up booth at the downtown Palo Alto farmers market. The firm tofu available at Costco is vacuum packed which I haven’t tried before, I usually get the fresh packed in water. Vacuum packed means there’s hardly any water and it seems denser, like it’s already been pressed, 2.25 lb for $5.29.

Vacuum packing the Five-Spice Tofu Nuggets makes them come out a bit squished but they still taste fine, 1 lb for $6.99, which is a great deal if you’ve ever gotten them at the farmers market.

Not pictured are the Spicy Yuba Strips which I liked the best of the Hodo Costco items but I was only able to find them at the Mountain View location, 1 lb for $7.49 (also a great deal). The other two were at the Redwood City location.

I’ve tried quite a few of the Gardein products over the past 3 years, some I liked better than others. After cooking with the chick’n strips for a week, they’re going in the “I like” column. They don’t seem as “wet” as some of their other chick’n products. And they aren’t pre-sauced, just seasoned making them ideal for cooking in pretty much any dish. One box has 4 pouches for $8.89.

Also on the shelf were Gardein meatless ground also for $8.89 which I haven’t tried yet. There’s only so much I can consume at any one time so I’ll be trying those another time.

Related Post
Vegan Food Roadshows at Costco

Tweet

Another cookbook in for a review and getting a lot of action is The Tipsy Vegan: 75 Boozy Recipes to Turn Every Bite into Happy Hour by John Schlimm. I must confess I’m not much of a drinker but cooking with booze sure sounded fun. And adventurous. So let’s belly up to the bar and on to the kitchen.

I started out with something easy and somewhat familiar – The Tippler’s Hot + Sour Soup (page 31). It’s hot! As in spicy, not just temperature-wise and it’s sour too. Just like eating in a Chinese restaurant, although the restaurant version is highly unlikely to be boozy. Homemade is way better especially with the rice wine addition.

Next, I made Spicy Sesame Noodles Tie One On with Chopped Peanuts + Basil (page 124). I couldn’t find the extra thin fresh rice noodles called for in the recipe so I ended up using a slightly wider noodle. Still very good – the noodles are coated with an Asian-flavored rice wine dressing and served at room temperature.

Bruschetta on a Bender (page 21) is an interesting departure from the standard tomatoes with basil topping. Fresh thyme replaces the basil, mix in a fruity red wine or dry vermouth with the tomatoes and you got a nice little party going on for your taste buds.

sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Sherry Bomb! Patats Bravas (page 14), another party starter, wasn’t quite as successful as the bruschetta. The flavor of the Spanish tapas of potatoes tossed in a spicy dressing was fine. Where I fell down was at the end of the recipe, where it said to “serve hot.” Did that mean serve right away or heat it up somehow? There was no further direction. I tried it both ways, heated was definitely better.

Cozy Tofu Under Black Bean Sauce (page 112), a main dish for a lushy lunch. Crispy, pan-fried tofu topped with a dry sherry black bean sauce. So good served with rice and Asian greens, I’ve since made the sauce several times. My favorite of the recipes I’ve tried so far, I haven’t even gotten to the recipes with beer or hard liquor.

There’s so much packed into this little gem of a cookbook – from the clean, one-recipe-per-page layout with gorgeous photos to the fun and witty writing. Each of the eight chapters begins with a cocktail recipe, and covers everything from “Plastered Party Starters” to sloshed soups, salads, sides, and boozy brunch, lunch and supper to “Drunken Desserts.” Now, you can have your booze and eat it too.

Cozy Tofu Under Black Bean Sauce
Makes 3 to 4 servings

1-pound block of extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 6 slices and pressed to remove excess water
4 cloves garlic
1-inch chunk of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans
1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Canola oil for frying

Prep the seasonings for the sauce: peel the garlic cloves and the ginger, then quarter the ginger. In a food processor, mince the garlic and ginger. In a small sieve, rinse the black beans until the water runs clear. Add them to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

In a medium bowl, stir together the water, soy sauce, sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended.

Generously film the bottom of a heavy 2-quart saucepan with the canola oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the black bean mixture until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan. Whisk the sauce occasionally while bringing it to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside.

Generously film the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet with the canola oil and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Blot up any excess moisture on the tofu with a paper towel before placing it in the skillet. Fry the slices on both sides, turning them only when the underside are golden and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes total.

Reheat the sauce and serve the tofu, pouring the sauce over it. This pairs extremely well with rice and broccoli, or any other steamed vegetable of your choice.

From the book The Tipsy Vegan by John Schlimm. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2011. 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.

Tweet

Trying out a package of Vegan Kung Pao Chicken from Vegetarian Plus, I went the way of the fusion food truck. Rather than just plopping it atop of rice, I made Kung Pao Tacos.

One of the best things about the whole mobile fusion food thing is the flavor combination of various cuisines in an easy to eat format. That and having food come to you. But for those of you still waiting in the wings for foodie trucks to appear in your neighborhood, this post is for you.

Nestled in an organic corn tortilla, the veggie chicken pieces are topped with fennel cole slaw, roasted peanuts and cilantro, for an explosion of savory, spicy and tangy flavors.

Despite being frozen, Vegan Kung Pao Chicken can easily be mistaken for an order from a Chinese restaurant. Made from soybean fiber and protein and covered with Kung Pao sauce for a shiny, lacquered look. The texture is meaty and firm to the bite with a spicy-sweet taste.

Easy and fairly quick to prepare, it’s almost like having your own personal food truck in the kitchen. Order up!

Kung Pao Tacos
Makes 6-8 tacos

1 box Vegan Kung Pao Chicken
1 package of 8 corn tortillas, 5 1/2 inch in diameter
Fennel cole slaw or your favorite cole slaw
Roasted unsalted peanuts
Cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges

Heat up the package of Kung Pao Chicken. For this recipe, it’s best to go with the stove top method of preparation as listed on the back of the box.

To serve, cut the Kung Pao Chicken into smaller bite-sized pieces and place in a warmed tortilla. Top with the fennel cole slaw, peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Fennel Cole Slaw
1 small fennel bulb
1 small carrot
1 small lemon
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim off the top of the fennel, leaving just the bulb. Halve the fennel to remove the core, and then thinly slice. Peel and shred the carrot.

Grate about 1/4 teaspoon of the lemon zest and juice half of the lemon. Whisk together with the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.

Add the fennel and carrots to the dressing and toss to mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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.

Related Posts
Nom Nom Truck Tofu Tacos
Potato and Chorizo Tacos
Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos

Tweet

I’ve been really good about not buying pre-made food lately, what with reviewing cookbooks and all, I’ve been preoccupied with making homemade food to be tempted by anything from a box.

My mistake was wandering down the frozen food aisle only to come face-to-face with the new Amy’s Vegan Margherita Pizza with Daiya Cheeze on sale for $7.69. You know I have trouble resisting anything on sale. Plus it’s pizza. And it’s Amy’s.

Out of the oven, the top looked a bit on the oily side and of course, the Daiya cheese wasn’t all that melted. But then again, I have never gotten Daiya to really melt no matter how hard I try.

I thought the toppings looked a little on the skimpy side but it’s actually just the right amount for its size. The taste is savory with a bit of sweetness and a nice, crispy-on-the-bottom, fluffy-inside kind of a crust. The crust is also what I like to refer to as “rustic”, in that some parts are thicker than others. It gives it that handmade feel.

I definitely prefer the Margherita over Amy’s other vegan pizza, the Roasted Vegetable with No Cheese, as it’s covered with roasted red peppers. With my severe aversion to bell peppers, I haven’t touched an Amy’s pizza with a 10-foot pole since then. It’s nice to be able to enjoy an Amy’s pizza now.

And how does Amy’s compare to Tofurky’s pizza? I liked them both and I would get either one again, depending on what’s on sale and what I feel like – Amy’s Margherita? Tofurky Sausage and Veggie? Tofurky Pepperoni? Tofurky Cheese? So many choices.

Related Posts
Tofurky Pizzas
Amy’s Rice Macaroni with Daiya Cheeze
Amy’s Spicy Chili Fries

Tweet

Fallen into a food rut and can’t get out? In desperate need of inspiration for your next meal? That was me.

But not anymore. Not after receiving Bryant Terry’s latest cookbook, The Inspired Vegan for review. More than a mere collection of recipes, Bryant shares what influences him in his life through stories, music selection, art and of course, food.

Divided into Basics, Interlude and Menus – each section builds upon the next. From the Basics which covers prep and cooking techniques as well as simple recipes for use in other recipes, I made Basil Pesto (page 13).

Besides the recipes, there’s also helpful tips on swapping out different ingredients, serving and storage. For the pesto, I sub almonds instead of pine nuts as I already had almonds. I’ve made pesto before but this is by far the best one. Perhaps it’s the addition of miso that puts it over the top.

Also from the Basics, I made Caramelized Onion Relish (page 17), Marinated Beets (page 29) and the Garlic-Ginger-Sautéed Beet Greens (page 30). I normally just sauté beet greens plain but with the garlic and ginger it gives it a little bit more of an Asian flavor.

The Interlude simply lists the recipes in the next section. The Menus include recipes for drinks, main dishes, sides and desserts, organized by seasons and begins with the inspiration or influence for that particular menu.

Being of Asian descent, I was immediately drawn to the “Winter in Hong Kong” menu. As Bryant’s wife is Chinese-American, he’s naturally influenced by her cooking and the combining of different food cultures.

I tried the 2-Rice Congee with Steamed Spinach and Other Accompaniments (page 164) and the refreshing but not too sweet Kumquat-Tangerine-Meyer Lemonade (page 163). The congee or jook in Cantonese, is familiar yet different; I never thought to try greens or caramelized onions as toppings.

Moving out of my comfort zone, I made Rustic Johnny Cakes with Caramelized Onion Relish (page 55) – it’s an easy to make flat cornmeal cake. Pan-fried in coconut oil and topped with the onion relish, it’s a delicious savory breakfast. Oddly, I didn’t like it as much when I tried it with just maple syrup.

With the marinated beets, I made the Red Beet Tapenade Crostini (page 78). A great twist to the usual tapenade, this beet-based version has a beautiful, vibrant color with a sweet-tangy taste.

One of my favorite things from Bryant’s previous cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen is the method of roasting tofu cubes. I’ve experimented quite a bit with that recipe. Imagine my delight to see another variation, Saag Tofu (page 69).

After being roasted with Indian spices, I could eat the tofu as is right out of the oven. They’re actually meant to go in with the creamy spinach and eaten with Yellow Basmati Rice (page 71). Either way, I’m one happy camper.

I haven’t made this many recipes out of one cookbook in a long time. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, there’s many more recipes to try. Especially when Spring and Summer arrive and local seasonal ingredients are at their peak.

Saag Tofu
4 to 6 servings

1 pound extra-firm tofu (1 large cake)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Coarse sea salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup), chopped finely
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 small green chiles, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups unflavored rice milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the tofu cake on its side and slice in half. Lay the tofu down flat, keeping the layers together, and slice it, widthwise, into three even slabs. Slice each of those slabs into quarters widthwise, leaving you with twenty-four cubes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Add the tofu cubes and gently toss to coat with the mixture.

Gently transfer the tofu cubes to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast of 30 minutes, gently turning with a fork after 15 minutes.

While the tofu is roasting, combine 3 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch until softened, about 1 minute, drain in a colander, and chill under cold running water. Squeeze the water out of the spinach with a clean kitchen towel, then chop coarsely and set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the onion with the remaining olive oil and the ginger, chile, coriander, and black pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and browning. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the spinach and the rice milk to the saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the spinach is creamy. Add eight to twelve tofu cubes to the spinach, avoiding overcrowding the spinach with tofu, and simmer for 5 more minutes (reserve the additional tofu for later use in another dish). Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve hot.

From the book The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry. 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 Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

Related Posts
Roasted Tofu Cubes From Vegan Soul Kitchen
Blackened Tofu From Vegan Soul Kitchen

Tweet

While cruising around the Sunnyvale farmers market, I came across Rau Om, makers of tofu misozuke (miso cured tofu). It’s been described as either a vegan foie gras or a creamy vegan cheese. It’s actually a traditional Japanese cured tofu that dates back to at least the 18th century.

Having never tried foie gras before, I can’t comment on that part. It’s also unlike any cheese I ever had, although I never was much of a cheese connoisseur.

But it is creamy, rich with an intense flavor and savory with umami galore. For me, it’s more reminiscent of Chinese fermented bean curd but without its pungent aroma and you can eat the tofu misozuke plain all by itself. Whereas, you can’t really do that with the Chinese fermented tofu.

You could cook with tofu misozuke, but at 7 bucks for a small block (2.5 oz.), I prefer to enjoy it as is – smeared on a slice of crusty bread. It seems a bit pricey for what you get but it is after all handmade and aged for two months, not unlike fine cheese.

Rau Om has since added a new flavor – kombu (seaweed) aged tofu misozuke, which I liked better than the original. It seemed a lot less like fermented tofu. Aged a bit longer and all wrapped up in kombu, it has more depth and complexity for just 50 cents more ($7.50 for a 2.5 oz. block).

Currently available in-person at the California Avenue Palo Alto farmers market or online. You can also try your hand at making it yourself, the nice people at Rau Om have made the recipe open source, which is so cool. Another thing to add to the bucket list of must-try-recipes.

Tweet

I’ve been pretty much overdosing on sweets lately with the holidays and all. But since I recently received Vegan Pie in the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero to review, I absolutely had to try a recipe or two.

Unable to decide on which cheesecake to make, I half the recipes and made mini cheesecakes. That way I was also able to try out a couple of flavors instead of making one big 9″ pie.

Pictured above is the Chocolate Galaxy Banana Cheesecake – such a smooth and creamy texture! So very decadent-tasting, just like regular cheesecake. Unlike some other vegan cheesecake recipes, there’s no packaged cream cheese in these. The creaminess is from raw cashews, banana and silken tofu.

The other flavor was Raspberry Lime Cheesecake, pictured in the middle. Also very good. Never thought raspberry and lime go together but they do. Since I had a bit of the raspberry and lime topping leftover, I plopped some on top of the chocolate cheesecake, pictured below.

Both flavors were easy enough for me, a baking simpleton, to make. The cookbook is written in the same style as the authors’ other books – easy to understand, lighthearted, full of useful tips and suggestions. Besides the cheesecakes, there’s recipes for various pie crusts, fruit pies, creamy pies, cobblers, crisps and tarts.

When I fully recover from the overindulgence of holiday sweets, I have very high hopes of finally being able to actually make a real pie with a real pie crust and everything. I’m so excited!

Chocolate Galaxy Banana Cheesecake
Makes one 9 1/2 – inch cheesecake

1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust

Filling
1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours or until very soft
1/2 cup well-mashed banana (about 2 medium-size bananas)
1 (12-14 ounce) package silken tofu, drained
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Prepare the crust and press it very firmly into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes and move the pan to a cooling rack.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Drain the cashews and blend with the banana, tofu, sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and absolutely no bits of cashew remain.

3. Set aside 1/3 cup of batter and pour the rest into the crust. Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in a glass bowl in the microwave. Stir the melted chips with a spatula until smooth; add reserved batter and stir until smooth.

4. Spoon dollops of chocolate batter randomly onton the cheesecake. Poke the end of a chopstick into a chocolate batter blob and gently swirl the top to creat a marble-like pattern; repeat with the remaining chocolate blobs.

5. Bake the cheesecake for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly puffed and the edges of the cake are golden.

6. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then move it to the fridge to complete cooling, at least 3 hours or even better, overnight. To serve, slice the cake with a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.

Graham Cracker Crust
Makes one 9- or 10- inch pie crust

1 3/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (made from 10 ounces of whole graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons melted nonhydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil, or canola oil
1 tablespoon plain soy milk or almond milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.

3. Pour the crumbs into the pie plate. Press crumbs into the sides of the plate first, then work your way down to the bottom. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool before filling.

From the book Vegan Pie in the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2011. 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.

Related Post
Mini Raw Mixed Berries Cheesecake
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie From Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Tweet

Just in time for Halloween, bat-shaped cookie sandwiches from Zest Bakery, a gluten-free bakery in downtown San Carlos (a small town on the SF Bay Area peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose).

They’re spooky good! Kinda like an Oreo in that it’s a chocolate sandwich cookie with a creamy filling. But so much better.

Not a soft cookie, nor a hard one, it’s somewhere in between. Actually, it’s just about right (I never cared for the hardness of an Oreo cookie). And the creme filling is light and soft. Available in vanilla or chocolate flavor for $1.50 each.

While all of Zest’s items are gluten-free, just a few are also vegan. If coming from afar, it’s probably best to call ahead and see what they have available. Or you can special order things. They’re super nice and they know their stuff.

The batch of cookie sandwiches I first looked at were dairy-free and gluten-free but not quite vegan. It had powdered sugar processed with bone char. But they offered to make some that were vegan by the very next day. And instead of just regular ol’ round cookie sandwiches, they surprised me with cute Halloween bats.

Holy smokes, Batman! How’s that for great service?

Related Post
Lucy’s Cookies At Starbucks

Tweet