Mixxie’s Vegan Mac and Cheese

 

There are lots of vegan mac and cheese recipes online. This is my version and I think it is very good and hits the spot when you have the craving. I added frozen peas to give it that "boxed macaroni and cheese with peas” taste that is what I crave. You can omit them, or add broccoli, spinach, shredded carrots or whatever else suits your fancy.

• 1 pkg vacuum-packed silken tofu. I used Mori-Nu Silken Soft which I bought at a nearby Asian market.
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1 tbs prepared Dijon or brown mustard (or 1 tsp dry mustard)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Frank’s)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tbs vegan margarine (I’ve done taste tests and Earth Balance is my favorite)
• 1 lb small pasta shape of your choice
• 1 cup frozen peas

Place ingredients in food processor bowl or blender and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a medium sized sauce pan and heat gently over medium heat, stirring constantly. You just want to get it hot. If it starts to thicken too much you can add a bit of non-dairy milk of your choice. Set aside until pasta is cooked.

In the meantime, boil enough water for the small macaroni of your choice. When I make mac and cheese with frozen peas, I have the peas waiting in the colander for when I drain the macaroni. This thaws them sufficiently to be blended with the sauce.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stir well to combine and taste for seasoning. You may need to add a bit of salt at this point. You can also pour into a casserole dish, cover with buttered bread crumbs and bake for about 25 minutes in a medium-hot oven (375-400).

*Note---the second time I made this I used Hodgson Mill whole wheat pasta shells. If you are feeling virtuous, by all means use whole wheat (or other whole grain pasta) but if you are craving the comfort food mac and cheese experience I suggest going with traditional elbow macaroni or shells. I found the Hodgson Mill product to have a bit too much tooth to be satisfying as mac and cheese.

BBQ Tempeh and Root Vegetable Hash w/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

This was a totally off-the-cuff recipe. I had to do something because my friend was giving me not-so-subtle hints to get off my butt and write another blog entry. This recipe utilized a very lovely convenience package of butternut squash from Trader Joe’s. It was a 2 lb bag of very nicely diced squash for $4.99. I have already made about 4 dishes with this bag of squash and I still have a little left. I also used the microwave to fast bake a sweet potato (pretty much the best use of a microwave I have come across). So, take one small red onion and dice—add to that one half of green or red bell pepper diced, and a couple of large cloves of garlic roughly chopped. Sautee in 2 tbs olive oil ‘till translucent and add 1 baked sweet potato peeled and diced, and 1 cup of cubed, steamed butternut squash. Let rest for a couple of minutes to brown and then move around with a flat spatula to get the other sides of the potatoes and squash brown.
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My secret is this very inexpensive wok pan I bought at Stop and Shop on clearance. This thing fries things with very little oil, to a very nice golden color. I don’t even use a spatula to flip, rather, I just give the pan a few tosses. This is my and my daughter’s favorite new cooking tool.
While your veg are getting golden, take a package of tempeh, cut in half, and poach for 6 minutes. Then, cut into large dice. Add this to the veg mixture and toss or stir to brown the tempeh. Toss in about 2 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds (aka 'pepitas') and stir continuously 'till seeds start to pop (alternatively, you can toast the pumpkin seeds in a separate skillet and then add to the hash at the end).  Next, add a tablespoon of smoked paprika, two teaspoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of molasses, and 1/2 cup of water and toss or stir, cooking until sauce is thickened.
Serve with tofu scramble or eggs, any style.

Bonus Recipe of the Day! Hard Boiled Quail Eggs with 2 Dipping Sauces

I was looking through my recent activity on my Flickr account and noticed that someone had favorited this photo. These days I’m trying to stick to a vegan diet but that is no reason not to share this yummy snack with you. If you can get a hold of quail eggs this is a very simple, yet elegant hors d’oeuvre. For me, it was a late-night snack. I purchased a dozen quail eggs from one of the many Asian markets in the Providence area. They cost 3 dollars for a dozen. Sadly, the last few times I was there they did not have them.
Boil the eggs the way you would chicken eggs. That is, place the eggs in a pan large enough to accommodate them without crowding, cover with an inch or so of water, bring to a boil, turn off the heat and allow to sit, covered tightly, for 20 minutes.
To make the dipping sauces:
Dipping Sauce 1

• 1 cup Asian Sweet Chile Sauce
• 1/4 minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup minced Thai or regular basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fish sauce (omit for vegetarian)
• Squeeze of juice from a wedge of lime

Stir to combine and let sit a few minutes for the flavors to meld.
Dipping Sauce 2
Add 1 tbs of peanut butter to the above mixture.
If you want a bit of heat, add a dash or two of sriracha sauce
The eggs are very easy to peel so feel free to serve them unpeeled to show off the pretty shells. The yolks of quail eggs are much creamier and more delicate tasting then chicken eggs. Of course, if you cannot find quail eggs feel free to substitute chicken eggs. In that case, serve them in wedges or halves, dolloped with one of the sauces.

Hearty Soup of Roasted Butternut Squash, Apples, and Caramelized Onions (w.optional tasty extras)

First let me give you a brief account of the squash I used for this soup. It is what we call 'accidental squash'. Two large butternut squash were the sole produce from our garden this summer and we didn't even intentionally plant it. The seeds sprouted from squash seeds that wound up in the compost which Stu did not wait to ripen (or whatever you call it). I had started several flats of various seeds in March but somehow they never got put out and eventually they died. So sad. We did have cherry tomatoes from plants that self-sowed but the gate keeping our dogs out of the garden broke and my Aussie kept helping herself to ripe tomatoes before we ever got a chance. So if it wasn't for our accidental squash we would have had no home grown food this summer.

On to the soup. I hate peeling and chopping butternut squash so my laziness is partly what inspired this soup. Also, my love for roasted vegetables.

I wanted as little fuss with the peel as possible so I roasted the squash by cutting it in half vertically, and then cut those halves in half horizontally. I did the second cut because my squash was particularly big. It is generally not necessary. Salt and pepper the squash and lay them, flesh-side down, on an oiled baking sheet. It is wise to first place a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment down for easy clean-up. I was not wise and had a sticky burnt mess.

I wanted some roasted garlic but I did not want to deal with squeezing sticky roasted garlic out of its skin so I peeled and smashed a few cloves and placed them in the cavities of the squash before inverting them onto the sheet. This roasted the garlic nicely while creating a protective layer against burning. I like to think it added extra flavor to the squash as well.

We went apple picking on Sunday so we have a bountiful supply. I decided roasted apples would be a delicious addition to a soup. I quartered the apples and cut out the core and seeds and placed them face-up on the sheet. I was afraid too much sugar would be released and they would become very messy if I placed them face down. This was good thinking but I should have gone the added mile of using foil.

As an afterthought, I cut deep crosshatched slices in the skin side of the solid pieces of squash for faster cooking. Once again, I wouldn't do this for the average sized squash. I placed the baking sheet in a 425 degree oven and set the time for 20 minutes. This was the time I estimated for the apples.

The apples were definitely done at 20 minutes. Some pieces roasted to the point of falling out of the peel. I set them aside in a bowl, tested the squash, and set the timer for another 20 minutes.

While the squash and apples were roasting, I made a quick stock by placing large chunks of carrot, celery, and onion in a sauce pan with water and letting it simmer. If I had fresh herbs of any kind (parsley, rosemary, thyme) I would have added some but I wasn't too concerned as I was expecting plenty of flavor from the roasted squash, apples, and garlic. If you have about a quart of store-bought stock in the pantry, or keep a supply of your own handy, you can skip this step and move onto the caramelized onions.

 To prepare the onions, cut a large onion in half, and then cut into thin slices. With the heat set to medium, add about 2-3 tbs of olive oil to the pot in which you intend to cook the soup. When the oil is hot, add the onions. You want the heat high enough to eventually brown the onions but no so high that they burn. They should slowly give up their juices (sweating) and then begin to brown. This takes about 10-15 minutes. You should only stir them once or twice.

  If you are wise, you will have planned ahead to allow time for the squash to cool before scraping the flesh into a bowl. I had a hungry husband to feed and had gotten a late start, so I burnt my fingers. At any rate, this is the next step; scrape the squash from the peel into a bowl and add the apples (peels and all), and garlic. If a teeny bit of skin from the squash gets into the bowl, don't worry too much as it will be pureed into the soup.

Turn the heat off on the onions and add the squash, the apples, and the garlic to the pot. Add the stock (drained if you are making it from scratch). Add 1 tsp of cinnamon, a generous grating of nutmeg (or about 1/4 tsp), 1/2 tsp of ginger, and  1 1/2 tsp dried sage. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until creamy and smooth and no chunks or peels remain. If you must do this in a food processor or blender, it would be safest to puree the squash and apples with only part of the stock and add the rest of the stock to the pureed mixture in the pot and stir well. Once the soup is pureed, taste for salt. I added 3 tsp without tasting and found this to be a bit too much.

Turn the heat back on and gently bring the soup just to the point of a boil. It is not necessary to actually cook it further. You just want to bring the ingredients to an even heat. You can thin the soup with more stock, water, or do what I did and add about 1 cup of almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk). I also crumbled in a bit of leftover over Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo I had in the 'fridge.

For garnish and delicious crunch, I toasted some pumpkin seeds (aka 'pepitas) right before serving.

This is  a soup that could be seasoned in a few ways. Try curry or chili powder. Add a squeeze of lime juice and a generous handful of chopped cilantro. Enrichen it with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter or other nut butter. Toss in a can of chick peas or kidney beans. You get the picture.

Got a can of pumpkin but don’t want to bake a pie?

 

I suggest you try this savory casserole instead. It’s the first recipe I’ve tried from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. I prepared this as a treat for my eldest who was home from school for the weekend and cramming as much New England autumnal activity in as possible. We went apple picking, we browsed an antique store, and we watched a ton of horror movies.

I got started during Theater of Blood starring the never-disappointing Vincent Price so I missed most of the gross-out scenes but they sounded gruesome. It is highly recommended Halloween viewing.

This recipe has three major prep steps but none are at all complicated and then you just mix everything together at the end and stick it in the oven.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti With Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping

Serves 6-8

Time: About an hour

• 3/4 pound uncooked ziti or penne pasta
• 2 onions, sliced very thinly
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 recipe Cashew Ricotta (to follow)
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• white pepper and cayenne (I didn’t have white pepper so I just used black---white pepper is really more about aesthetics in a dish like this)
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin, or 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree (don’t use pie mix)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Sage Bread Crumbs:

• 2 1/2 c bread crumbs, preferable fresh and homemade (I used Panko the 2nd time and didn’t taste a major difference)
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, chopped in a food processor (if you don’t have a food processor, place the nuts in a plastic bag and run a rolling pin or a heavy can over them until they are coarsely crumbled)
• 1/4 non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• 2 tsp dried, rubbed sage
• 1 tsp dried oregano (I didn’t have this but I probably would have omitted it anyway)
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREHEAT THE oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x11-inch lasagna-type baking pan with olive oil (cooking spray is fine)

If you are going to make bread crumbs and walnuts  in your food processor, prepare them before preparing the Cashew Ricotta. It is a lot easier to clean the bowl of bread crumbs then the messy ‘ricotta’ mixture.

PREPARE THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Slow cooking over low heat is the trick to caramelizing the onions rather than burning them. I use my 8” cast-iron pan for this. It looks crowded at first but the onions will sweat out and reduce quite a bit as you can see from the photos. I sprinkle a bit of kosher salt over them to facilitate the sweat. This is what you’ll be doing with the 3 tbs olive oil, btw. It takes about 15 minutes for the onions to get to the third stage.

While your onions are browning, make the ‘ricotta’ mixture.

Cashew Ricotta

Makes 2 cups

1/2 c raw cashews pieces

1/4 c fresh lemon juice (I used bottled)

2 tbs olive oil (my current olive oil is a bit stronger in flavor than I like so I used walnut oil instead since there are walnuts in the dish)

2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic (the first time I used roasted, the second I used raw---I didn’t detect a difference)

1 lb. firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp salt

In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick and creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in two or more bathes if necessary, until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt. The results are delicious, very similar to the taste and texture of ricotta, and you will be immediately thinking of all the wonderful ways you can use it in the future.

At this point you may as well transfer this mixture to a large bowl and fold in the pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne, and vegetable broth and mix well. It will turn a lovely pale orange color that my camera didn’t quite capture. Instead, here is a picture from before I stirred it and you can use your imagination and knowledge of color theory to figure it out.

By now, the onions are probably ready so mix them in to the pumpkin mixture. At this point, you also should have a pot of water coming to the boil for your pasta. Cook that according to the directions on the box and drain. If you are going to cook your pasta in advance, rinse it under cold water to prevent carry-over cooking.

PREPARE SAGE CRUMB TOPPING

In a large, heavy bottom skillet (I like my cast-iron for this) melt the margarine over medium heat and add the bread crumbs, walnuts, herbs, and paprika stirring to combine and keep the mixture from burning. You just want them lightly browned. Nuts can burn quickly so this is not the time to check on anything else. You can actually turn the heat off before full browning occurs and there will be enough heat left to finish the job,

When the pasta is done, mix it well with the pumpkin mixture and spread into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the crumb topping and place in the pre-heated oven to bake for about 28-30 minutes.

This is a dish that you can easily bring to a ‘mixed’ pot-luck and no one will know or care that it is vegan.

Dinner at Crazy Burger With My Girls

 

My eldest is home from school for the weekend. Today we had an early dinner at Crazy Burger in Narragansett, RI. Rather than share a recipe, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the delicious food this little place, tucked away on a side street in a small town on the southern coast.

Crazy Burger is a vegan friendly place with offerings beyond the run-of-the-mill Boca burger or bean patty that show up tucked away in a corner of a typical burger joint.

The service was excellent, ice water came to the table immediately and our waiter was ready to take our drink orders (we declined but this is a café and juice bar and there are lots of fresh-squeezed juice selections as well as smoothies, etc). He was attentive throughout the meal without being overbearing.

I had a difficult time deciding between the Poco Loco described as “roasted tempeh and wild black rice meld with peppers, onions,black beans & olives. Mixed up with authentic ‘south of the border’ spices. Wrapped in a tomato tortilla with avocado. Salsa & herbed sour cream goes on the side” and the Birdie Mae, “grilled tempeh, purple sticky rice, sweet potato, roasted sunflower seeds, and  rosemary-pumpkin pesto combine to create a wonderful taste & texture. Grilled into a tomato tortilla.”

I wasn’t really in the mood for “south of the border” spices but I definitely wanted tempeh so I settled on the Birdie Mae. At first I was leery of the tomato tortilla and considered asking that they put it on a regular bun but then I decided to just let go and trust the chef and I’m glad I did.

The burger was savory and substantial--the texture definitely burger-like yet did not give me the impression I was eating a meat substitute. This is meatless fare that makes no apologies and that is my favorite kind of vegan food. I especially loved the chewy, nutty-sweet addition of the purple sticky rice and it is an ingredient that is going to find itself in my pantry very soon. I was not at all sorry for my decision to order the burger as-is. The tomato tortilla had a mild tomato taste that did not overpower and a nice chewy texture. The fries were delicious, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I had mine with malt vinegar but they offer home-made ketchup and Heinz as well.

My daughter Ivy chose the Wild &  Crazy Mushroom burger described as “portabella, porcini & domestic mushrooms mixed with Italian rice & fresh vegetables. Served on a vegan  bun with a wild mushroom gravy”. When our meals came to the table she realized that she wanted cheese. The waiter cheerfully took it back to the kitchen for a slice of gouda. I only had a small bite of the mushroom burger but it was enough to decide to give it a try next time. Or at least try to get my husband to order it instead of a meat burger.

Meg, had the most difficult time choosing because she was really craving a meat burger (most of the year she is at school and she does not eat meat). I pointed this out to her and she (rather sheepishly) ordered the Goofy Gorgonzola Burger---try to order that with a straight face. The Goofy Gorgonzola is "ground beef mixed w/caramelized onions with a burst of gorgonzola in the middle; on a bolo w/creamy onion-gorgonzola dressing”. A bolo is a Portuguese version of a crumpet or an English muffin. They are slightly sweet and pair beautifully with savory foods. I think it was the bolo that sold Meg on this burger. Meg chose to pair her burger with poundies a vegan dish of “Irish mashed potatoes with spinach, carrots and basil ‘pounded’ in. These had a nicely crispy crust and were very tasty.

We finished off the meal with a gorgeous, gigantic hunk of vegan carrot cake. This was easily shared by the three of us. I forgot to get a photo of it before we dug in but I managed to get one decent shot of it before it was decimated.

A meal out with my daughters is always an opportunity for a silly photo op.

At $9.99 and up the burgers may seem pricey, but trust me, they are well worth the price. But don’t just take my word for it. They have been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

 

How to make a one-person serving of home made soup...

...when the tostada you set out to make doesn't quite work out.

I was out of bread or any kind of leftovers for my dad's lunch today so I scrounged around the 'fridge and pantry and came up with:

•  a jar of Tostito's salsa
• round whole-wheat Middle Eastern flat bread
• 1/2 block of Colby cheese
• a can of black beans

I put most of the beans in a container for another use and then, leaving about 1/2 cup in the can I mashed them with some of the salsa, a dash of chipotle sauce and a pinch of roasted cumin. Meanwhile, I toasted the flat bread in the toaster oven. Next I spread the somewhat soupy mixture (hint of things to come) on the bread and shaved some of the Colby on top (I like to use a vegetable parer for nice thin shavings of cheese). I popped it back on the toaster oven on a piece of foil (lost the tray ages ago) and set it to broil for 5 minutes.

The result was a sliding, goopy mess. For some reason, one side of the bread was very crispy and the other side was soggy. Grrr...What to do now? I couldn't very well give him the floppy 'tostada' mess. My dad has diminished strength on his left side due to stroke and he is left handed. A hot mess in his lap would not be good eats.

I scraped the topping onto a plate, thinking to give him some tortilla chips and serve it as a dip. Ordinarily I don't like to give him salty snack foods but this was an emergency. Unfortunately, there were only the dregs of chips left in the bag, unsuitable for dipping.

So what do you do with a perfectly decent pile of beans, salsa, and cheese? Make a soup! I have this handy 2 1/2 cup stainless-steel measuring cup which I often use on the range as a miniature sauce pan. Generally I  just use it for heating tea water, or scalding a bit of milk for bread baking but why not make a single serving a soup?

 Leftovers to the rescue again. I dumped the bean mixture in the 'pot', added about a 1/2 cup of leftover marinara (remember my daughter's marinara which I used for yesterday's pizza disaster?), and a 1/2 cup of store-bought vegetable stock. A pinch of salt, another dash of chipotle sauce and bring it to a boil.


Remember those sad, bottom-of-the-bag tortilla chips? I placed a few in the bottom of a soup bowl, poured over the soup, shaved on more cheese, add a  garnish of cilantro leaves and Ta-dah! If I had any (usually I do) I would have further garnished with a wedge of lime.





So, next time, don't throw away leftovers just because you think there is not enough left for a meal. Perhaps you cannot make a whole pizza or pasta dish with a 1/2 cup of marinara sauce but with a bit of ingenuity it easy to come up with ways to use your leftovers to add bulk or extra flavor to a soup or casserole or even a stir-fry. It helps to consider your leftovers in terms of the ingredients they contain and ask yourself how those flavors and nutritional elements can be used to liven a soup, sandwich, stir--fry, casserole, or even home made bread.