Chow Vegan

Asian Lentil Loaf

November 24, 2013 By chow 8 Comments

I thought I was done with messing around with the lentil loaf recipe after making the copycat Amy’s version. Apparently my taste buds were not. They wanted something new and different – an Asian flavored loaf with Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, leeks and water chestnuts. They were right, it’s now my favorite version.

Served with miso mashed potatoes and stir-fried Chinese greens. It’s sorta like a square egg foo young, but without the egg or the tofu (the usual, default replacement for the eggs). It’s lentils but I wouldn’t say it’s beany tasting. Super easy to make, it’ll put an Asian twist to your holiday meal.

And for dessert, a freshly made Sweet Aha! vegan chocolate cupcake with butterscotch buttercream from the College of San Mateo farmer’s market. Except that I ate the cupcake first because 1) it’s always best to eat dessert when it’s nice and fresh and 2) the cupcakes are so light and fluffy I couldn’t wait. This is not the first time I’ve eaten dessert before a meal, I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Asian Lentil Loaf
Makes 4-6 servings

6 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until soft, then chopped
1 medium leek, white and some of the green part, chopped
4 ounces water chestnuts, chopped
2 cups cooked and seasoned lentils
2 handfuls panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Oil to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the lentils. Add in the rest of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

In a well-oiled 8.5 x 8.5 inch square baking pan, pour in the lentil mixture and pack into the pan, tightly pressing into the bottom. Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes until browned and pulling away from the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Serve with miso mashed potatoes, teriyaki sauce or gravy and stir-fried Chinese greens.

Strawberry Tabouli

November 10, 2013 By chow 8 Comments

It’s November and there’s still fresh organic strawberries to be had at the local farmer’s market and not the scrawny, no flavor kind either. Although not quite as good as when they’re at the peak of the season but still pretty good for being at the end. I’m not sure how much longer they’re going to be available, I’m just getting ’em while the gettin’ is still good.

Besides just eating the strawberries plain as a snack, I also made strawberry tabouli – a raw variation that has strawberries subbing in for tomatoes and cauliflower for bulgar wheat. Except for the olive oil and the salt and pepper, I got everything pictured at the farmers market, even the falafels and lemon hummus.

Strawberry Tabouli
Makes about 4 – 6 servings

6 fresh strawberries, cut into small chunks
1/2 cauliflower head
4 – 6 lacinato kale leaves
1 green onion, finely chopped
Handful fresh parsley, minced
Handful fresh mint, minced

Dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, grate the cauliflower with a box grater using the large holes side. De-stem the kale leaves and cut into thin strips and add to the bowl. Add in the strawberries, green onions, parsley and mint. Mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Baked Falafel

Mummy Carrot Dogs

November 1, 2013 By chow 11 Comments

One mummy, two mummies, three mummies, four…

Ate mummies and now there’s no more.

This was suppose to be the summer of carrot hot dogs but those warm, supposedly carefree days zoomed on by without even a second thought. Still intrigued by the idea of a whole carrot instead of a processed soy hot dog, Halloween offered another chance. But instead of a hot dog in a bun, it’s mummy carrot dogs.

Cooking and then marinating the carrots turns them hotdog-like. For the wrapping, I once again used the homemade no-yeast dough from Super Easy DIY Pockets. Some mummy dog recipes call for Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (Original) which is accidentally vegan, but I prefer to go less processed whenever possible. Plus it’s not that much more effort to make your own dough.

Mummy Carrot Dogs
Makes 6 pieces

Carrot Hot Dogs
2-3 carrots, about the width of a hot dog

Marinade
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Peel the carrots and cut into 3-inch segments, round off the ends using the peeler. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the carrots until al dente, it should still have a tiny bit of a snap. Drain and place in cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the carrots and place in the fridge to marinate for 6 hours or so.

Wrapping Dough
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients, except the water, in a bowl and mix until it looks like coarse meal. Add a little bit of water at a time, mixing until the dough comes together in a ball (I added less than a 1/4 cup of water).

Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on the work surface and rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick and roll out the ball of dough into a long thin strip. Cut into approximately 1/4 inch high strips and wrap a section around the body of the carrot hot dog. And another section around the top of the head. Gently press the seam to make it stay. Place seam side down on a well-oiled baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden, flipping them over halfway through. Add a couple dots of yellow mustard for the eyes. Serve with your choice of condiments.