Strawberry Shortcake



Strawberry Shortcake

Since I love tofu and eat it just about every day, I borrowed Tofu Cookery (25th Anniversary) by Louise Hagler from the library.  It's an older book and I wish the photos were more attractive but I'm interested in trying quite a few recipes.  Today was a beautiful, sunny, Sunday afternoon and I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  This recipe for Strawberry Shortcake caught my eye and the whole family was happy with my choice and the results. 

I thought the shortcake dough (which contains silken tofu) was rather sticky but they baked up perfectly.  I'm not used to working with biscuit dough so I'm sure it was fine.  They were tender and not too sweet, the very bottoms where browned from the baking pan were slightly tougher.  The Sweet and Creamy Topping which I also made from silken tofu (although the recipe called for regular), had a mild sweet flavour.  I added an extra couple of teaspoons of lemon juice because I thought it was initially a bit too bland.  We ate the shortcake and cream with fresh cut strawberries which makes this a great summer dessert but next time I think I will add some type of strawberry sauce or maybe just macerate the strawberries for a while before serving to make them juicier.  All in all, this was a successful dessert despite my nit-picking and I will definitely make it again. 

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Kathryn made the most delicious looking Black Bean Tempeh Stir-Fry dish last week (she's ahead of lazy me again) over at The Hedgehog in the Kitchen.  Check it out here!

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu

I've been working my way through Isa Chandra Moscowitz's Appetite for Reduction with great success and this recipe was no exception.  In fact, I've made four more recipes from the book this week and been pleased with every single one.  The great thing about this book is that most of the recipes don't require a long prep time and none seem daunting or complicated.  As an every day cookbook that incorporates a variety of flavour profiles and cuisines, I think this is a winner.  
      
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this Hoisin-Mustard combination but I was curious enough to try it and I'm happy to report it was delicious. If you like honey-mustard sauce then you will probably enjoy the blend of  ginger, garlic, mustard and the Hoisin barbecue sauce making for a great sweet and savory bite. Wrapping the tofu mixture in lettuce provided the perfect crisp, fresh complement. I used Romaine instead of iceburg and my husband and I gobbled this dish up.

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For our cooking challenge, over the Easter weekend, my friend Kathryn made a Polish sweet bread called Babka which looks and sounds delicious.  Check it out here.  

Classic Broccoli Quiche on Christmas Morning

I'm up before the birds today wrapping a few gifts, stuffing my daughter's stocking and browsing through my cookbooks looking for some inspiration.  Traditionally on Christmas morning my mother always made Quiche Lorraine, my Irish grandmother would bake current scones and we would sip mimosas as we tore into our gifts.  The quiche was something I always looked forward to so this morning I decided to try Classic Broccoli Quiche from Vegan Brunch and start a new tradition - one that doesn't involve bacon and processed gruyere cheese. 

I was a little doubtful as I blended the cashews and tofu together.  The filling seemed a little on the crumbly side instead of creamy or smooth.  I added a tablespoon or two of soy milk to the mixture as it pulsed away and that seemed to help a bit.  Once everything was combined I began to pack it into the pie shell.  I wasn't sure it would fit but thankfully, because the filling was not runny, I was able to dome it up in the centre and get the entire amount in.  Unfortunately I had no cherry tomatoes or strips of red pepper on hand to decorate the top and make it look pretty. 

So, for the taste test; the thyme, tarragon, turmeric and broccoli proved to be a really nice flavour combination.  My problem was with the texture.   Not creamy enough, a little too dry and cumbly.  I think using silken tofu instead of regular tofu would solve this problem easily.  I am going to make it again or one of the other quiche or frittata recipes in the book with this substitution and see if it makes a difference.  I guess I have a little more experimenting to do before our new holiday traditions are decided upon.  :-)   


Classic Broccoli Quiche



Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh

Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh

I love a little sweetness in my savoury dishes and this hearty tempeh and rice meal fits the bill.  I used an entire package of tempeh instead of just one cup because once it was poached and crumbled, I didn't want to waste the remainder.  Next time I will add more than 2 cups of napa cabbage to increase the veggie content and make this a more balanced one pot meal.  I left out the hot chili to make it child friendly and instead used part of a bell pepper to blend up with the shallots.  I enjoyed the nutty flavour and chewiness of the tempeh and rice mixture.  While I was eating it felt very satisfying and filling.  Leftovers the following morning were just as good.  This is another winner from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet, she is fast becoming my favourite cookbook author.

Thai-Style Coconut Soup



Thai-Style Coconut Soup


I was feeling pretty crappy today but determined to cook something for my challenge and vegan mofo. How about something hot and nourishing?  The Hot and Sour Soup I made last week was so delicious I decided to try another recipe from Vegan Planet - Thai-Style Coconut Soup.  I never imagined it could top my enthusiasm but oh my god, this soup was freaking awesome!  The creamy, smoothness of the coconut milk contrasting with lime, ginger and a hint of chili and then add to that the savoury warmth of shallots, mushrooms and tofu.   I think I'm in LOVE!  Peole of Thailand, you are geniuses!  What a combination of flavours.  Robin Robertson you rock!  I think I'm on some kind of happy, soup high.  :-)  

I used to think working with fresh ginger was a major pain in the bum but recently I've given up trying to peel, chop or mince it.  I just take a fresh hunk of ginger straight from the freezer and grate it (peel and all) on my box grater.  It's so much faster!   Okay everyone, go make this soup but before you do that check out Kathryn's entry this week in the cooking challenge which is Rosemary Focaccia Bread!

Seaweed Soup



Seaweed Soup


I'm not sure if anyone else will enjoy this seaweed soup but after my husband came home with a sore throat last night and I was inspired to create something healthy and green.  I wasn't sure if spinach would hold up well in a soup so I hit upon the idea of seaweed, tofu and ginger.  I used five strips of wakame which may have been a little much (they expand quite a lot) so next time I will use four.  Kale might work in place of the seaweed, I threw in a few leaves that were floating around in my fridge.  I would also add some chili paste for extra zip but this first go round I wanted to make it potentially palatable to my daughter so I left it out.   This is pretty quick to make from start to finish and a nice way to start the day if you like soup for breakfast.   I certainly do! 

Seaweed Soup

8 ounces tofu cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
1 large clove garlic minced
4 cups vegetable stock
4 strips wakame seaweed
shitake mushrooms sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili paste (optional)
toasted sesame seeds

Soak the wakame for a few minutes in a bowl of water.   Remove from the water and slice into strips.

Cube the tofu into bite sized pieces and fry in a little bit of oil until golden.  Set aside.

In a saucepan or soup pot heat one tablespoon of oil and fry the ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds.  Watch that it doesn't burn.  Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce, mushrooms, rice vinegar, sugar, (chili paste if using) and seaweed.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the tofu and sesame oil, heat for a few more minutes.  Serve with toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top.   

Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup - Vegan Mofo Day 7!!!

I've always wanted to make Hot and Sour Soup at home and I was extremely pleased with my first attempt. I used an Indonesian chili paste and one teaspoon made the soup plenty hot enough for me.  I also upped the sugar from 1/2 teaspoon to about 1 1/2 teaspoons. For some reason the cornstarch didn't thicken the soup but it didn't matter because the flavour was so excellent and I dídn't neet to add salt or pepper at the end as called for.  The soup is full of chewy strips of tofu, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and finished nicely with a bit of sesame oil, cilantro and scallions.  Perfect for a cold fall day, yum!

Recipe from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet.


Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup



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My friend Kathryn made a delicious sounding Cauliflower and Mushroom Pot Pie over at Hedgehot in the Kitchen.  Check it out!

General Tao's Tofu



General Tao's Tofu


Okay, this isn't the healthiest recipe on the planet but when you have a craving for chewy tofu in that sweet, gooey, glistening sauce you find in every North Americanized, Chinese restaurant then this absolutely does the trick.

Of course I was out of vegetable stock and didn't have any green onions but the sauce still tasted great using water and a regular onion finely chopped.   The only thing I will do differently next time is cut the tofu into smaller bite-sized chunks.  One inch square pieces of tofu are too much for me in one mouthful especially when the tofu is firm.  Also, be sure to not crowd the pan when frying the tofu because the corn starch makes the pieces stick together.  You will find the recipe here at Vegweb.  Tasty. 

Vegan Flan - Cooking Challenge

My brother used to date a lovely Brazilian woman named Ana who always brought the most scrumptious flans to family events. I’ve never made flan let alone a vegan flan so I’m really excited for my little experiment this week. In preparation, I read a few recipes on the web and since they were all fairly similar I decided to combine my favourites into the following recipe.

I had a few problems with the caramel. At first, the sugar wouldn’t melt so I turned the heat up to high which resulted in a bunch of hard clumps that wouldn’t dissolve no matter how hard I tried to mash them out ( I think this is my fault for not stirring enough, I got distracted by the computer). I added a few tablespoons of water which may have helped with the consistency but after stirring and stirring I gave up and just strained the syrup into the pan. Instead of using individual ramekins, I poured the caramel and custard into a round cake pan.

I must admit to being disappointed with the flavour and consistency of this dessert.  The flan set well but was too gelatinous and not creamy enough for my taste.  I also didn't enjoy the soy flavour of the custard and will replace the soy milk with coconut milk in my next attempt.  I'm happy I gave this a try even though it was not as fantastic as the flan in my memory.  I'm determined to make it better.

Vegan Flan

For the Caramel:

¾ cup of sugar
3 tablespoons water (approximate)
Melt the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the syrup coats the back of a spoon and it’s a lovely golden brown colour. I think you should stir it fairly constantly but obviously I’m no expert! Pour the caramel into the bottom of the pan or ramekins, whatever you are using.

For the Custard:

2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
1 tablespoon agar-agar flakes
½ cup silken tofu
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Heat the soy milk and agar-agar flakes in a sauce pan until boiling and then reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the agar-agar has dissolved.

Place the soy milk mixture, tofu, sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.  Pour over top of the syrup and refrigerate until cool. To remove, slide a knife around the perimeter of the cake pan and lightly shake side to side. If the flan doesn't loosen, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for about 15 seconds, then turn over onto a plate.  Eat it up!
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Now turn your attention to Kathryn's creation this week over at the hedgehog in the kitchen.   She was inspired by a picture book to make pumpkin soup.

And joining us for the first time from Mexico City, please welcome Kika who has made an appealing looking corn bread.   Her blog is called come compa and she is posting in both Spanish and English.  

I can't wait to see what everone is cooking up next week! 

Asparagus with Peanut-flavoured Tofu Dressing

Japan has been on my mind lately and I was determined to cook something from a library book I have home called The Enlightened Kitchen: Fresh Vegetable Dishes from the Temples of Japan.    I woke up early this morning to prepare a simple and intriguing dish called Asparagus and Hijiki with White Vinegar Dressing.  I was SURE I had two packages of dried hijiki in my pantry but when I went to look for them all I could find was wakame seaweed.   Arrgh!   So I frantically pawed through the book for some other way to use the lovely and slender asparagus all steamed and ready to go.  I hit upon a salad recipe with a Peanut-flavoured Tofu Dressing and thought that might do.  And then my next challenge presented itself.  I had no silken tofu for the dressing because the package in my fridge had expired.  Darn, darn and triple darn.  The recipe said that silken tofu was "preferred" but not required so I cut up some regular firm tofu and attempted to blend it together with the remaining ingredients.   I'm telling you this story so if you ever try to make salad dressing with regular tofu you don't, unless there is quite a bit of liquid involved.  Out the window went the specified amounts of lemon juice, vinegar and maple syrup.  It was necessary to splash in at least a few extra tablespoons of various liquids along with uncalled for ingredients before the blender would even function!  

So here is my final product.  Some simple steamed asparagus with a peanut-flavoured tofu dressing.  The dressing was still a little goopy and I'm still on the fence about this particular flavour combination but since I love asparagus it wasn't a bad breakfast.  Better luck next week Lee.  I'm not going to write out the ingredients to this mess unless someone begs me.

My friend Kathryn in California seems to have had more success this week with her offering of sauteed kale.  Go and check it out!    I love, love, love kale so am always happy to find new ways to cook and serve it.  Thanks Kathryn!

Rice Noodle and Skinny Carrot Fast Fry

In the middle of making soup for my weekly cooking challenge my tummy started grumbling so I decided to try out the new vegetable and fruit peeler we purchased yesterday at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair.  I can't eat chunky carrots so when I saw a pile of super skinny carrots piled on top of the demonstration table, I couldn't resist buying this simple little peeler.  When I tried my hand at making the carrots tonight I wasn't quite as skilled but I managed.  

Into the pan went a bit of oil, half a sliced onion and after a few minutes my gorgeous skinny carrots.   I mixed a little sugar with some soy sauce, sesame oil and about a tablespoon of Thai spice blend I found up in the cupboard.  Next in went the cooked rice noodles in along with the sauce and after a quick toss it was ready!  Have I mentioned that I adore rice noodles?  They take only a few minutes to cook and are delicious.  I meant to add tofu in with the veggies but forgot so I fried some up on the side in a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce and added it at the end.  A very quick and satisfying supper and now back to the kitchen I go to finish off my soup. 

Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Skinny Carrots and Tofu

Triple Power Protein Breakfast

I always feel better when I eat a hot cooked breakfast so this morning I decided to make a stir fry with the left-over quinoa in the fridge.  Into the pan went onions, red and green peppers, and half a left-over Japanese eggplant which fried for a few minutes in soy sauce.  Then I added the triple protein element - cubed tofu, black beans and quinoa with a little vegetable stock.  I ended up throwing in a few spices to add a little more flavour but as usual I used too much turmeric which made the dish slightly bitter.  It was still very tasty and a very good start to the day accompanied by a fresh fruite smoothie!