67 posts tagged “tofu”
Time really flies. It's the middle of July now. I haven't been blogging much lately. I have a very good excuse this time. I was transitioning to Ubuntu Hardy (a very popular Linux distro) in the past two weeks. I was really busy configuring my system, getting our wireless network to work, and synchronizing the iPod Touch with my new Ubuntu system. I'm really excited about this move because I'm finally free of Windows and all the Windows woes. And I can cut our future expenses down - no more software purchase! And in the midst of setting up my own notebook, my husband's Windows Vista was actually wiped out by a serious and malicious virus. All of his files and his Windows system files were deleted after a reboot. We got no warning whatsoever from our expensive antivirus software. Yeah, what was I expecting a stupid little Windows program to do? The outcome is that now we are both using Ubuntu only. I guess Windows finally pissed us off enough. I'm certainly not gonna miss it.
Being inundated with setting up two Ubuntu systems, I haven't posted any food porn but I have been eating. Well, that goes without saying. I have been cooking, sort of. So this post may seem a little long.
The first photo is the Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche. I saved the recipe from Vegetarian Times for several months before I felt perplexed why I hadn't made it earlier. It was worth the wait, I'm telling you. It's good for a summer dinner that will delight your taste buds, which keeps you refreshed and cheerful.
Here's a closeup that you can't miss. Oh, I really loved this quiche! It's also the first time that I have made a pie crust with whole wheat pastry flour. I enjoyed the whole process for a good reason then.
The second photo is the Lentil, Bok Choy and Potato Soup. The original recipe is Lentil, Spinach and Potato Soup by Carla of "But Did They Eat It?". I liked it very much, but didn't eat the leftover soup the second day. It's really not the soup's fault. I'm just going through a very particular food-crisis phase. I basically don't know what the heck I want to eat for the next meal.
Vox neighborhood. Until then, take care and God bless!
I tried out a very simple yet ultra-yummy recipe of Nava Atlas - Stewed Tofu with Corn and Tomatoes. I've always enjoyed Nava's recipes because they are simple, straightforward and often involve a balanced and tasty combination of commonly-used ingredients. No fancy schmancy, and no fuss. Vegetables, grains and tofu taste good on their own, and we shall try to remember that whenever we cook. My variation of this recipe: I added a small onion (cut into half-moons), 2 celery sticks, half a red bell pepper, bok choy, and I used fresh cilantro and basil as suggested. I also subbed packaged fried tofu so I avoided pan-frying firm tofu squares. The stew is full of different textures and different tastes that blend well together.
And I'm really glad to announce that I finally tried the chocolate pudding Purplesque made a while ago, recipe by courtesy of Jugalbandi. This is clearly the best chocolate pudding (vegan or non-vegan) I've ever had. It's so chocolatey and rich that we practically inhaled it. I didn't even have a chance to photograph its complete form before it was chilled. My husband, who doesn't like any dessert, ate half of the pudding when it was still warm. The photo below was what was left for me.
Thanks, Purplesque, for the wonderful recommendation of this pudding! Now it's a staple in our household.
In a desperate search for a green-heavy meal option, I dug out a really valuable recipe - Spring Green Quinoa - by Susan Voisin of Fatfree Vegan Kitchen that I had saved recently. I was so glad that I could kill two birds with one stone this time: a) I bought some fresh edamame, lots of asparagus and four large zucchini, so I would hate to waste them; b) we are trying to eat less wheat and more whole grains with more greens. Spring Green Quinoa offers a very wholesome and toothsome experience. I didn't have enough quinoa for this recipe (1/4 cup short) so I added in some white jasmine rice, otherwise this recipe could be gluten-free as well as wheat-free. I used more edamame and doubled the asparagus, and subbed one fresh Roma tomato with two teaspoons of tomato paste since I didn't have any sundried tomatoes left. Fresh basil also added more garden-feeling to the whole dish. This is definitely a keeper, especially when we have not been disciplined in our diet.
I also made a tofu dish - Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce. The recipe came from Tofu of "what the hell DOES a vegan eat anyway?", one of my favorite vegan foodblogs. Unfortunately, I didn't do justice to this great recipe. Some of the shredded coconut came off in the frying pan so the bare marinated tofu looked more brown than golden (compare with Tofu's photo). But the tofu was really tasty. It's like eating tofu and a coconut dessert at the same time.
Lastly, I yielded to the temptation and made another batch of vegan English muffins. Yes, they are that good with vegan margarine!
When I first saw this wonderful dish on Elly's blog, I knew that I had to give it a go, very soon. Roasted zucchini and tomatoes, creamy jasmine rice, and au gratin, what more can a man ask for? Nothing more! Oh, maybe a slice of blueberry cheesecake afterwards, but let's not get into that now. My eyes got bigger and my heart sang merrily when I saw Elly's creamy and colorful photos, so I followed Elly's link and looked up the recipe on Epicurious immediately. Wouldn't it be nice if I veganized the recipe? Yes! Do I have all the ingredients to do so? Yes! This is how it goes.
Vegan Zucchini Rice Gratin
Adapted from Gourmet
Makes 4 servings
2 large zucchini, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup white jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 package (12.3 ounce) lite firm silken tofu, drained of water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. thyme, crushed
1 tsp. tahini
1 tsp. thyme, crushed
1 tsp. tahini
1/3 cup unsweetened soymilk
Salt and pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
Toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow baking pan. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon oil in another baking pan. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both zucchini and tomatoes.
Toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow baking pan. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon oil in another baking pan. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both zucchini and tomatoes.
Roast zucchini in upper third of oven and tomatoes in lower third, turning vegetables once halfway through roasting, until tender and light golden, about 10 minutes for tomatoes; 20 minutes for zucchini. Leave oven on.
Meanwhile, sauté onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until transluscent, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, until rice is cooked (about 15 minutes).
In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, cornstarch, thyme, tahini and soymilk until very smooth.
In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, cornstarch, thyme, tahini and soymilk until very smooth.
Stir together cooked rice and tofu mixture. Taste the rice tofu mixture and add sald and pepper to taste. Spread half of rice tofu mixture in a shallow 2-quart baking dish, then top with half of zucchini and tomatoes. Spread remaining rice mixture over zucchini, then top with remaining zucchini and tomatoes.
Bake in the middle of the oven until set, about 20 minutes. Cool for 20-30 minutes and slice to serve. Enjoy!
This vegan version came out really creamy and cheese-like and with one added benefit: no cholesterol. It was very tasty and not that heavy. So you can eat it happily without much reservation.
Purplesque has already made the mini crustless tofu quiches. I bookmarked the recipe by Susan Voisin of Fatfree Vegan Kitchen more than half a year ago but, things happen, and blah blah blah. But Purplesque's photo put me over the top. And I actually had all the ingredients at hand, including time and patience. I'm so glad that I made these mini quiches. They were so good. The rosemary and chives totally rocked.
I subbed dried mushrooms (after soaking) and added broccoli. It was a great veggie mixture. The colors are so pretty that I had to take a photo (after being kindly reminded by my husband).
As you can see, I was too eager to have the mini quiches. I scooped them out of the muffin cups right after the baking was done so I destroyed the bottoms a little bit. Yes, we loved them that much!
One vegan cookbook is essential. Two vegan cookbooks are fun. Three vegan cookbooks are definitely the charm. You've got a whole world to enjoy now. I actually made three things out of three different cookcooks. Well, be warned first: my sweet tooth kicked in when I was cooking.
Spanakopita In A Pie (VwaV, page 91). I still didn't get any phyllo dough. I made the pastry crusts (Veganomicon, so a 4th cookbook?) better this time and used a little less lemon juice. My husband was very pleased with the result. He said it was better than the first time I made it.
Hot Apple Turnovers (Cozy Inside, page 75). This is the first time I have tried any recipe from this cookbook though I bought it like two months ago. This is an excellent dessert choice after a hard day. The turnover wasn't overly sweet or heavy. A very gentle touch on your whole body. I was really glad I tried it.
Mom's Chocolate Pudding (La Dolce Vegan!, page 207). I didn't like this pudding as much as I thought I would. It was very easy to make so I didn't mind it. It's probably just not my type of chocolate pudding. I was expecting something closer to the 75% dark chocolate, rich and velvety. But it wasn't quite there. A little too timid for my liking but it was still good enough to satisfy a chocolate craving.
What will happen if you keep thinking about one flavor without cooking it for two weeks or longer? You might end up making everything taste like that flavor unknowingly. This is what happened to me. Or rather, this is what I made happen. I kept thinking about soy sauce and Bryanna's savory dinner tofu loaf for more than two weeks. Then I saw the glorious-looking Dill Shiitake Frittata from Isa's test kitchen (yes, Isa is writing a new brunch cookbook!) and attempted to make one. The result is that I made a dill shiitake frittata that looked more like a savory dinner loaf and packed with a lot of flavors. I was almost too ashamed to show the photos here but what the heck, the "frittata" tofu loaf tasted great. A dark frittata or a dinner loaf, what's the difference?
The ingredients are basically similar to the Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata (VwaV) but I used half a tablespoon more soy sauce to resemble Bryanna's savory dinner loaf. Well, a blunder turned into a bliss. Not bad!
Spring is barely here and I'm already thinking about midsummer. This is why I once again cracked open Veganomicon and made the Midsummer Corn Chowder with Basil, Tomato, and Fennel (Veganomicon, page 144). Well, longing for summer is not the real reason. I just got too excited having two innocent fennel bulbs sitting in my fridge. I had two large fennel bulbs like two months ago and simply wasted them in the end. This time my personal pride didn't allow that to happen. If anyone knows some awesome recipes that involve using fennel bulbs besides roasting them, please let me know. I'm dying to make something with fennel bulbs that will freak myself out. Is it actually possible? I know most of us love fennel seeds, but fennel bulbs??
Anyway, the corn chowder was fabulous. The fresh basil, tomato and fennel combo really brought out some unexpected pleasant flavors. Not like a typical corn chowder. Oh, by the way, I added half a cup of quinoa which was a good little addition. It's amazing how creamy a vegan corn chowder can be without using any wheat or soy product.
Seriously tempted by purplesque, I made this Pepper-Zucchini-Mushroom Frittata based on Bryanna's basic Italian frittata recipe (Nonna's Italian Kitchen). I was really craving for zucchini and the frittata turned out to be very satisfying. I tried both Isa's and Bryanna's frittata recipe. My personal favorite is still Bryanna's version as it seems more Italian. Italian flat-leaf parsley definitely works better in this recipe but sadly I ran out.
I tried out my very first recipe from Vegan Express by Nava Atlas. Paella Vegetariana was my choice. It was a very easy dish to make. I made some substitutions and added several ingredients to make the paella into a one-pot meal. So here's my ingredient list.
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
10 shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 block of extra-firm tofu, cut into small triangles and pan-fried
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 can (15-ounce) vegetable broth
1 package (6 servings) of barley, cooked in advance
1 tsp. saffron threads, dissolved in a small amount of hot water
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 can (14-ounce) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
5 cups baby bok choy, chopped roughly
1 can (14-ounce) green peas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
This is a paella that's full of different flavors and textures. You definitely won't be left wanting for other things.
For Valentine’s Day, I was courageous enough to make half a batch of Brooklyn vs. Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes (VCTOTW, page 65). My vegan pastry crème is not as clearly visible in the photo as in the cookbook but the taste is purely heavenly. My rich chocolate ganache frosting came out a little thinner than usual this time (probably because I had a heavy hand in measuring the soy milk) but what the heck. I’m still loving this batch of not-overly-sweet-and-super-rich cupcakes.
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