Mixed Vegetable Chowder

Back in the day (read: when I was an undergrad) I use to make a quick and easy corn chowder: 1 can cream of celery soup, 1 can cream of potato soup, 1 can corn, 1 cup of milk. This recipe is an attempt to recreate something like that chowder. I didn't realize that we were totally out of corn (the frozen kind--I don't really go for canned), so I had to go with mixed veggies. That was OK, though, since it gave the soup some colour. If you are in the mood for a thick and creamy chowder, then this is the soup for you.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 large onion, finely diced

- 3 stalks of celery, finely diced

- 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced

- 1/4 cup water

- 1/2 cup soy creamer

- 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 can coconut milk

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and celery for 5-7 mins, until soft. Add potatoes and saute for 2 mins, stirring constantly.

2. Add water and deglaze the pan. Add soy creamer, a bit of salt, and bring to bubbling. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 mins, or until potatoes are nice and soft.

3. Add vegetables, bring to bubbling, and cook for 5 mins. Add coconut milk and mix well. Using a hand blender, blend about half of the chowder to thicken. Or, transfer half of the soup to a blender and process. Make sure the soup does not boil after you have added the coconut milk (a little simmering is OK).

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Creamy Lemon Dill Stew: A Dish in Process

I like the idea and taste of this dish, but the execution/method needs work. I envisioned a creamy stew with a lemony zing complemented by the unique flavour of dill. As far as taste goes, everything worked. The potatoes and asparagus blended well with the spices, while the chickpeas provided an earthy undertone (and the tofu packing an extra protein punch). The problem lay with the cream sauce. I knew that lemon would make soy milk curdle, but I figured it would all come together when I thickened the sauce with flour. Not so much. The sauce remained "grainy" and so the dish did not look all that great.

Rather than post a recipe, here is the basic idea of the dish. I started by parboiling baby yellow potatoes, and sauteing a sliced leek and some garlic in olive oil. I added cubed tofu and chickpeas, the potatoes cut into large chunks, and asparagus. I then added about 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 tsp of dill, and then 2 cups of soy milk. After seasoning with salt and pepper, I blended flour in some water and added it to thicken the sauce.

Does anyone know how to make a creamy sauce with lemon? I assume there is a way to mix the two since I have seen vegan lemon cheesecake and lemon curd. Maybe it needs to be blended first and then added?

Keerai Masiyal - Cheera Curry - Mashed Spinach Curry

This is a true blue Tamil Brahmin recipe and a great and easy way to include greens in your weeknight dinners. I used Amaranth Leaves for this, since they are always available in the Chinese wet markets here. Amaranth, also known as pigweed (anyone else find that name strange?)in English, Thotakura in Telugu, Araikeerai or Mulaikeerai in Tamil, is fast becoming my favorite kind of leaf-food. What's even better is, they are available cleaned and it just requires me to lightly wash it before cooking, as opposed to the tedious process of cutting the roots off and going inch by inch over the vegetable from root to tip looking for a grain of sand you are inevitably bound to miss and your husband is sure to bite into first thing at dinner.

Chopped Amaranth Leaves

I used amaranth leaves to make Palak Paneer too and this time around, didn't have the patience to try something that elaborate. 10 minutes of rummaging around in my recipe collection brought me to this nice and easy recipe for Keerai Masiyal, also known as Keerai Kadaiyal. The recipe was so simple that I kept checking back to see if I was missing something.

Keerai Masiyal

What I Used (to serve 2):

Amaranth leaves - 2 cups, cleaned and roughly chopped
Dried red chillies - 2
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few (optional)
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced (optional - traditional Brahmin recipes never use garlic, so omit for the authentic taste)
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Cook the amaranth leaves in 1/2 cup water for about 5-8 mins till its wilted. Be careful not to add too much water, since the leaves give out some while cooking.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper the mustard seeds. Fry the urad dal and the garlic, if using, until both turn golden brown.

3. Add the red chillies, jeera powder and curry leaves and fry for another 15-20 seconds. Now add the amaranth leaves and mix well.

4. Add salt and keep mashing till the leaves are coarse and blended with the rest of the curry.

Serve hot with rice and mor kozhambu / spiced buttermilk curry.

Notes

- Do not re-heat this curry since the nitrous present in the leaves can be harmful for us, especially kids.

- Try to use fresh spinach but frozen should also work.

- The dish is traditionally prepared in kal chatti (thick unpolished granite pots), where the mashing process is much simpler and gives the dish a nice flavour.

- For a quicker version, instead of mashing up the spinach, grind it coarsely in the mixie before adding to the tempered mixture.

This goes over to Sunshinemom's event 'Food In Colours - Green'

Related Posts

Palak Paneer
Palak Dal
Palak Pakoras

Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls

Here is the other pumpkin bread I am featuring during October at the bakery. This is a variation of the lemon currant rolls made with a sweet pumpkin dough and a filling reminiscent of pumpkin pie. I made a batch for Vegan Mom's Greening Committe meeting and they met with the approval of all in attendance. I have a feeling they will willing volunteer to test any future experimentations.

Makes 12 large rolls

DOUGH
- 2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 c warm water
- 3/4 c firm tofu
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin

- 1/2 c plain soymilk
- 1/2 c non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
- 7 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 c sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt

FILLING
- 1/3 c non-hydrogenated margarine, room temp
- 1 1/4 c brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/2 tsp allspice

- 1 tsp ginger

ICING
- 2 tbsp soy creamer
- 1 1/2 c icing sugar

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

METHOD:
1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Set aside to proof.
2. While yeast is proofing, warm soymilk, margarine tofu, and pumpkin gently on stove in a medium saucepan, until margarine is melted. Blend with a hand blender, or in a food processor until smooth.
3. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold dry ingredients into liquid ingredients.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl greased with margarine. Turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Make filling and set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle measuring 10"x 36".
7. Spread filling evenly over the dough and roll dough into a long cylinder along the long side (i.e. you will have a 36" cylinder.
8. Cut dough into 12 pieces, measuring 3" each. Place each piece in large muffins tins (you will need two tins).
9. Bake for 18-22 mins, until golden. Cool in tins on racks.
10. In a small saucepan heat soy creamer over med-lo heat. Add icing sugar and spices, stirring until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over slightly warm rolls.

Rustic Pumpkin Bread

I am featuring pumpkin in some of my breads this month at the bakery. Instead of making straight pumpkin bread, I decided to go with breads with pumpkin in them. This is a modified version of the rustic bread I made a while back, and it is delicious. The pumpkin gives the bread a soft texture and a light yellow-orange colour. This is the perfect bread to serve with a hearty vegetable soup, or with the pumpkin soup pictured below.

INGREDIENTS

Preferment:

- 3 1/2 cups bread flour

- 1 1/4 cups water

- 1/2 tablespoon salt

- 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

Final dough:

- 2 1/4 cups bread flour

- 3/4 cup spelt flour

- 3/4 cup kamut flour

- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten

- 1 cup pureed pumpkin (I boil pumpkin chunks in water, drain, then process)

- 1/3 cup water

- 1/2 tablespoon salt

- 1 teaspoon instant yeast

- all of the preferment

METHOD

1. Make the preferment: Put the yeast in the water and stir. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and pour in the yeasted water. Mix until the flour is hydrated, adding a little more water if necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave the pre-ferment out at room temperature overnight (up to 16 hours).
2. Make the dough: To make the final dough, combine all of the ingredients except the pre-ferment in a mixing bowl. Chop the pre-ferment up into small pieces and mix in. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins, until smooth and thoroughly combined. Dough should be tacky but not sticky, so knead in flour accordingly.
3. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and ferment for 2 1/2 hours, folding the dough at 1 hr, and 1:45. (To fold dough, take the dough out of the bowl, spread it out a little on a clean surface and fold it in thirds like a letter. Rotate it 90 degrees and fold it up again. Return the dough to the bowl and cover again.)
4. At the end of the fermentation, divide the dough into two pieces and preshape each into a ball. Cover with the towel and let each rest for 5 to 10 minutes before shaping into a loaf with tapered ends. Once shaped, place on a floured linen towel and cover the loaves with the damp towel. Let rise for 1 hour, gently rolling the loaves over after 30 mins.
5. Halfway though the final rise, begin preheating the oven and baking stone to 450 degrees. Place a cast iron pot on the bottom rack and fill with boiling water 10 mins before you start baking the bread.
6. Transfer to a floured peel, and slash the tops of the loaves with a razor blade. Bake for 25-30 mins, rotating the loaves 180 degrees after 12 mins so that they'll bake evenly. Crust should be a deep golden brown, and loaves should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom.

Supper at the Beach

Today was warm--warmer than a lot of days we had in our so-called summer. So we packed ourselves a picnic lunch and hit the beach this evening. We played in the sand, splashed in the water, and watched the sun slowly set over the water. It was amazing.

I have been working on some pumpkin-based breads to sell at the bakery this month. I will post them starting tomorrow.

Peanut Tempeh with Noodles

Here is a dish that looks terrible but tastes great. Perhaps something needs to be added to the recipe to create some colour contrast so it looks less tan. Anyway, this is a great way to eat the oft maligned tempeh. If you find tempeh has a peculiar taste, you can simmer in in water for 10 mins or so.

INGREDIENTS
- 225g medium rice noodles
- 1 block of tempeh, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in small cubes
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 tsp coriander
- salt to taste
- coriander for garnish

METHOD
1. Get noodles soaking in hot tap water for 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile, prep the tempeh. Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a frying pan or wok over med-hi heat. Add tempeh and fry for 5 mins, until golden all over. Add soy sauce and water and mix well, letting tempeh soak up most of the liquid.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add peanut butter, mixing well. Add a splash of water if needed. Remove tempeh from pan. Wipe pan or wok clean.
4. Drain noodles when ready. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan or wok. Add noodles and fry for 3-4 mins, until they get translucent and begin to stick together. Add curry paste and mix well. Then mix in coconut milk. Add coriander and season to taste.
5. Mix tempeh into the noodles and let simmer for a few mins to heat through. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Parippu Usili / Usli

This is the quintessential Tamil Brahmin dish that I was unaware of till I met TH. This is his favourite side-dish to go with rice and rasam or kara kozhambu. I have posted this dish once before that was not an 'authentic' recipe. This is straight from my mom-in-law's recipe archive and I make it around once a week.

The main ingredients are french beans and toor dal but the recipe is flexible enough to accommodate slight changes. Sometimes I use cluster beans instead of french beans and it works just as well. I have even heard some make cabbage usili but haven't tried this out myself. There are also different and healthier options to cook the dal as opposed to the traditional method of drenching it in oil and telling yourself its healthy cuz it has lentils (aka proteins).

What I Used (to serve 4)

French beans - 1 cup, cut into 1" pieces and boiled
Toor dal (tuvaram parippu) - 3/4 cup
Channa dal (kadala parippu) - 2 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 3 to 4
Hing/asafoetida (kayam) - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp (depends on the method you use to cook the dal)
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Wash and soak the toor dal and channa dal (you can put them together) for about 1.5 hours.

2. Once soft, grind this coarsely with red chillies, turmeric, some salt and hing and as little water as possible.

3. The next step is to cook this dal mixture with the beans and we are done. Its really that simple. There are different ways to cook the dal.

(a) Microwave it till almost done, stirring every one minute. It will take about 4 minutes for it to be almost cooked.

(b) Pat the dal mixture with your hand until you have one thick round roti-like disc and then steam it for 3-4 minutes. This won't work if you added too much water while grinding. Not to worry, either follow step (a) or

(c) Pour copious amounts of oil (you need atleast 3-4 tbsp) into a pan and stir-fry the dal mixture. This will take anywhere between 7-10 minutes and is allegedly the tastiest of them all.

I have tried all three methods and found that the steaming method makes the softest and healthiest usili. The microwave version tends to make it a bit dry but its really not that bad at all. The oil-heavy one is the best of course. It has to be, otherwise it defies the rules of healthy cooking and eating.

4. If you already started out in a pan, then just add beans when the dal is almost done and cook for another 4-5 minutes without adding more oil. If you microwaved or steamed the dal, then heat a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and dump in the dal and beans and stir-blend for about 5 minutes.

Goes well with rice and rasam/kara kozhambu.

Sweet and Hot Tofu

The recipe is super easy to make and tastes great (and looks nice, too). Frozen and thawed tofu is key here because it acts like a sponge and soaks up the sauce. I usually throw a package or two of tofu in the freezer when I get home from the grocery store and thaw it when I need it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup white vinegar

- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic chili sauce

- 1 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 pkg firm tofu, frozen and thawed

- 1/2 green pepper, large dice

- 1 red pepper, large dice

- 4 scallions, cut into 1/2" sections

METHOD

1. Heat sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over med-lo heat. Add chili garlic sauce and salt and mix well. Turn off heat.

2. Squeeze water out of tofu and dice. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over med-hi heat. Fry tofu for a few mins, until golden. Remove from wok. Add 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry pepper for 2-3 mins. Add scallions and fry for 1 min. Add tofu and sauce to the pan. Reduce heat and let bubble for a few mins, allowing the sauce to thicken. Serve over rice.

Ginger Pear Crepes

I really am being a negligent blogger these days. Things are so busy between prepping for classes, trying to research and write, run a small bakery, and look after 3 kids! Anyway, this is the dessert I made for my date night with Vegan Mom on Sunday. The inspiration comes from the latest issue of Food and Drink. The original recipe has apples and I had every intention of the following/veganizing the recipe, but when I went to make it I could not find the magazine anywhere. Then I noticed that we had a bunch of pears that needed to to be eaten up. I think this recipe could benefit from a few splashes of liquor, but I am not sure what kind (any ideas, Celine?).

INGREDIENTS
Makes 10 crepes
- 1/2 recipes of crepes (should make about ten 6" crepes)
- 8 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced (I used Bartlett)
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- few splashes of water
- 1 recipe vegan cream, or soy yogurt

METHOD
1. Make crepes and set aside, stacked on one another.
2. Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add pears and cook for 3-4 mins, or until they begins to break down a bit. Add sugar and spices and bring to bubbling. Let thicken a bit adding some water if needed. Remove from heat.
3. Place 1/10 of the filling in the centre of a crepe. Fold in half, then in quarters. Press the crepe down a bit to distribute the filling. Top with cream, or yogurt, and serve.

Aloo Gobi / Potato-Cauliflower Dry Curry

I am not a huge fan of Aloo Gobi but TH loves it! He loves anything with potatoes in it and cauliflower is his favourite vegetable. Last week he actually requested for this dish to have with chapatis, and it came as a surprise cuz normally he leaves the decision-making to me.

This is a simple, easy recipe that was done in about 20 minutes, perfect for a weeknight quick-fix dinner. It is also unarguably one of the most popular dishes in North Indian restaurants everywhere, especially outside India. A meal out is not considered complete without a nice and mildly spiced Aloo Gobi to go with the rotis (flat Indian bread)

What I Used (to serve 2):

Cauliflower/Gobi - 2 cups, cut into florets
Potatoes/Aloo - 2 medium sized ones, cubed
Onions - 1 big, chopped fine
Tomatoes - 1 cup, pureed
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp (or use 2 garlic pods and a 1/2" piece of ginger, both minced)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch (about 1/4 tsp)
Coriander powder (malli podi)- 1 tbsp
Cumin powder (jeeraka podi) - 2 tsp
All-purpose curry masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch (if you can't 'pinch' them, just use 1/4 tsp)
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Cook the potatoes covered in just about 1 cup water till semi-done (Insert a fork and it should barely be able to come out). This should take about 5-6 minutes.

2. Add the cauliflower to the potatoes and cover again, adding a little more water if necessary, along with the turmeric powder. Cook till cauliflower is just tender and not too mushy.

3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper the mustard seeds. Add the chopped onions and saute till the ends turn brown. Shouldn't take more than 2 mins.

4. Now add the ginger-garlic paste/minced and saute for another 30 seconds.

5. Once your kitchen starts smelling a bit nicer, add the chilly, cumin, coriander and curry masala (optional) to the above. Fry for another minute till the masala turns brown.

6. Its time to bring the pureed tomatoes into the spotlight now. Reduce fire and pour in the tomatoes mixing well with the existing contents of the pan. Add salt. Cook this for a good 5 minutes until the oil separates and there is a thick paste of masala, onions and tomatoes. (Your stove area is going to be a bit messy cuz tomato paste with splutter a bit. Ok, not a bit, a LOT)

7. Add the cooked potato-cauliflower pieces and blend well. Adjust salt if necessary. Cook till the curry becomes dry and the gravy just about covers the potatoes-cauliflower mixture.

8. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with rotis.

This Sensational Side goes to the Monthly Mingle for September, hosted by Ruth and conceptualized by the talented, Meeta.

Related posts:

Gobi Ka Kheema
Gobi Peas Masala
Gujarati Khattai Aloo
Potato Masala

Corn Doggies

Just a quick post tonight because I today has been absolutely insane. It was my busiest day for the bakery so far: 8 baguettes, 6 loaves of whole wheat bread, two trays of lemon currant rolls, and 2 loaves of rye bread. To make things even busier, I had a baby shower to attend for a colleague, and Son #1 had a birthday party to go to. And, since the birthday party was at the bowling alley, and since the bowling alley staff doesn't even know what vegan means, I had to make a parallel meal for him to take. He requested the corn doggies from Happy Herbivore's new e-cookbook (you should buy it). I made them on a bamboo skewer, included some ketchup and mustard for dipping, and he was off. It is great that he now doesn't care that he has to take a different meal to parties, and great dishes like this make it easy for him to be the odd one out. Thanks, Happy Herbivore!

Rye Bread

I'm not the biggest fan of rye bread, but I think that's because I don't care for caraway seeds which often seem to be in or on rye breads. But one of my bakery customers asked if I made a rye bread so I thought I would explore some options. I settled on this recipe, adapted from The Chez Piggy Cookbook. It is tender with a nice crust and is caraway seed-free (though you can feel free to add some). Although this recipe takes a little time, the taste is well worth it.

Makes 2 loaves

DAY ONE (morning) Soy Milk Sour

- 1 1/2 cups soy milk at room temperature

- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 3/4 cup rye flour

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and let sit at room temperature.

DAY ONE (evening) Starter

- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

- 1 cup warm water

- soy milk sour from above

- 2 cups white bread flour

- 1 cup rye flour

1. Dissolve yeast into water. Add to milk sour, then mix in flours. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO Finished Loaf

- rye starter from Day One

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 tsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp sea salt

- 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

- 3 cups white bread flour

- soy milk for brushing

1. Bring starter to room temperature (stick in a warm place for an hour or so). Add in the rest of the ingredients. Turn onto a well floured surface and knead. The dough will be stickier than a normal bread dough (but not gloppy), so don't add too much flour.

2. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down with floured hands, divide in two, and place in loaf pans. Let rise until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Slash the loaves down the centre with a razor blade. Gently brush with soy milk. Bake for 15 mins. Reduce heat to 375, and bake for 20-25 mins, until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped in the bottom.

Tonight I made a mountain of Reuben Sandwiches with this rye bread. Man, were they ever good.

Lemon Dijon Tofu and Potatoes

This is another one of those Autumn meals that tastes great on a cool day. The inspiration comes from a recipe attached to a wine ad in the autumn edition of Food and Drink from the LCBO. The original recipe calls for sweet potatoes, which would be quite good, but I had none on hand. It also called for chicken, which I didn't have either.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into large cubes
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 2 leeks (white and light green part), sliced
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

METHOD
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. Mix 1 tbsp of the oil, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and paprika in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over med-hi heat.Add tofu and fry for about 5-7 mins, until golden. Add a splash of oil if tofu begins to stick. Add 1/2 cup of stock and 1/3 of the mustard mixture. Keep stirring and allow liquid to evaporate. When liquid has completely reduced, remove from heat.
3. Heat remaining tbsp of oil over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet. Saute leeks for 1 min, then add potatoes and saute 2 mins. Add 1 cup of stock, remaining mustard mixture, and vinegar. Bring to bubbling and season to taste. Simmer for a few mins to allow potatoes to soften slightly.
4. Top potatoes with tofu, cover, and place in oven. Bake for 15-18 mins, or until liquid is bubbling. Remove lid and bake 12-15 mins more, until potatoes are soft and sauce has thickened. Serve.

Hearty Early Fall Stew

It looks like we can kiss summer goodbye here in ye olde northe. The nights are quite cool (threats of frost) and the days, while sunny, have that fallish nip in the air. Suffice it to say the bike ride into campus in the morning is a tad chilly. Weather like this makes me think of pumpkins, beautiful leaves, and tasty stews like this one. I love the whole potatoes and baby carrots because they give it a really hearty look and texture.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1.5 lbs mixed baby potatoes (red, yellow, white, purple)
- 2 cups baby carrots (or more)
- 1 can mixed beans, rinsed and drained
- water
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp HP or A1 sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup flour
- generous 1/2 cup soy milk

METHOD
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute onions, celery, leek, and garlic for 7-10 mins, until soft and translucent. Add potatoes, carrots, and beans and mix well.
2. Add enough water to cover veggies about 3/4 of the way (i.e. some veggies should be poking out of the water). Add seasonings (including parsley) and sauces and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins, until potatoes and carrots are soft.
3. Put flour and soy milk in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to mix together. Add to stew with peas and bring to bubbling. Add more liquid, or more flour mixture to get the consistency you like. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

The Bakery is Open!

I finally did it. I started a very small organic bakery in my home where my customers are friends and neighbours. This was an idea I toyed around with after doing an insane amount of baking for the street fair at the boys' school. Since I still have a real job, I bake twice a week--it is a great way to relax and decompress after a day of teaching. Since Wednesday night is a baking night, I won't always have a blog post for that day (as you probably noticed yesterday). But I am sure you can all get along without me.

Paneer Tomato Salad

This recipe has been in my archives for a long time now, simply because its really not much of a recipe - just a concoction of different ingredients that I like. I took a picture and saved it since it was just too colourful to pass without doing atleast that.

Now I see a great opportunity to post it because this is for a cause. O Food For Ovarian Cancer Awareness. Its a competition that spreads awareness about Ovarian Cancer and features all ingredients that either starts or ends with O. The one I am featuring here is Tomato. For more details, please click here.

What I Used:

Ripe red tomatoes - 2
Paneer/Indian cottage cheese - 1/2 cup, cubed
Capsicum/green bell pepper - 1/2 cup, cubed
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
Lime juice/vinegar - 1 tbsp or more
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Mix the chaat masala, pepper, salt and lime juice/vinegar well together.

2. Mix the tomatoes, bell pepper and panner together, adding a bit of salt. Mash some of the tomato pieces so there is some mush and juices for the paneer to soak in.

3. Pour the lime dressing over it before serving. Can also be served as a wrap in chapati or pita bread.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Here is the other dish from our Italian date night. Ontario red peppers are in season which means they are huge in size and low in price. This is a fairly simple soup that tastes great (if you like roasted red peppers) and has a deep red colour. They say that red stimulates the appetite, so this is the perfect starter for your Italian meal.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 large red peppers (5 regular size)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 large sweet onion

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

- 4 or 5 cups of vegetable stock (see note below)

- 1-2 tsp oregano

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup soy creamer

METHOD

1. Roast peppers under the broiler or on the BBQ (I think this is the easiest way), rotating until skins are blackened and wrinkled all over. Place in a large bowl, cover with a plate, and let steam for 15 mins. Skin peppers and chop.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins, until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and fry for 1 min. Add peppers and water and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins, or until potatoes are soft.

3. Blend soup with a hand blender until smooth, then season to taste. Before serving, stir in soy creamer.

NOTE: If you are in a rush, use only four cups of water and serve after you have blended and seasoned the soup. If you have the time, use 5 cups of water, but let soup simmer, uncovered, for a few hours after blending. This will thicken the soup and let the flavours develop.

Spaghettini with Oyster Mushrooms

Vegan Mom and I are trying to sit down for a nice "grown up" meal once a week after the kids are in bed, but with the pace of life these days it has been more like once a month. We set aside some time on the weekend and I, knowing that Italian food is the way to Vegan Mom's heart, made this delicious dish. Back in the day I made this with scallops, but oyster mushrooms are a perfect substitute. Their delicate flavour and texture pair perfectly with the tomatoes and vermouth. I am salivating just thinking about it! The recipe is modified from a wee little book I picked up years ago called "The Pasta Book" by Julia della Croce.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 12 oz spaghettini (enough for 4 servings)

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 3 large garlic cloves, minced

- 1 48 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained, with 1/2 cup of the juice reserved

- 1 generous tbsp tomato paste

- 1/3 cup dry vermouth

- 1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped (or 1-2 tsp dried)

- 1/2 tsp salt

- freshly ground white pepper

- 2 cups oyster mushrooms pieces, washed

METHOD

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil over med-lo heat in a saucepan and gently cook garlic for 4-5 mins, until softened. Raise heat to medium, add drained tomatoes and cook for 5 mins, stirring often.

3. Add reserved tomato juice, paste, and vermouth and mix well. Bring to bubbling and cook for 5 mins. Add basil, salt, and pepper and adjust to taste.

4. Add mushrooms and bring to bubbling, then reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 5 mins, until mushrooms are nice and tender.

5. Drain pasta, and top with sauce.

Mystery Masala Series - Sambhar Cum Rasam Powder

This is my mom-in-law's superb recipe for sambhar cum rasam powder. But that doesn't mean you can only use it to make sambhar and rasam. I add it to a whole bunch of kozhambu and curries, recipes of which will follow soon.

Until a week back, I had the powder from the batch she sent with me when we moved to Singapore. Last week I made this on my own. She does this in bulk and takes it to a dry mill but I used powders and gave it a twist in my mixer.

This is the second masala powder recipe in my ignored-for-a-while Mystery Masala Series.

You Will Need:

Dry red chillies - 2 cups
Dhania (coriander/kothamalli) - 2 cups
Black Pepper - 20 grams
Jeera (jeerakam/cumin seeds) - 25 grams
Toor dal (tuvar dal/tuvara parippu) - 1/2 cup
Chana dal (Bengal gram/kadala parippu) - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek (methi/vendhayam/uluva) - 2 tbsp
Turmeric (optional) - 2 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients till golden brown. Stir continuously and make sure you are standing over it till its done. Powder until fine and store in an air-tight container.

Notes

- I used the powder form of all spices and gave it a spin in my mixer so that it blends well.

- If you are making enough for over a month's use, store in the fridge to prevent bugs.

- Use as normal for making sambhar and rasam alike, just like you would normal sambhar and rasam powders that are store-bought.

This goes over to Think Spice Think Fenugreek Event hosted this month by Kittie of Kittens in the Kitchen. The event, as we all probably know, is the brain child of Sunita.

You may also like my All-Purpose Curry Masala Recipe.

6 Tips for Garbage-Free Lunches

Sometimes I wish I didn't have a conscience because it would make life so much easier. I could shop at Wal-Mart for everything, send the kids with Luncheables to school, and not worry a bit about the amount of plastic that would enshrine everything I bought. But, alas, not only do I pack the kids a vegan lunch, I pack a garbage-free lunch. Here are a few tips:

1. A Little Baking Goes a Long Way: take an evening and bake some mini cookies or mini muffins to send for lunch. Pictured above are the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies from Veganomicon. 1 recipe yields 48 mini cookies (bake for 8 mins) which go into the freezer and are doled out each day. At 1 cookie a day for 2 kids, these last a month (with some left for me!).

2. Pack Fruit: Fruit has its own wrapper and none of the added stuff of fruit cups.

3. Buy Reusable Containers: Laptop Lunches make a great lunchbox system with reusable containers. Forget drinking boxes and go for a stainless steel mini thermos.

4. Make Your Own: This really ties into number 1, but anytime you make your own you avoid packaging. Trying making: hummus, bread, lunch meat, pudding cups, etc.

5. Get Second Hand Cutlery: Kids always lose stuff, so don't send them with you best silverware. Pick up forks and spoons at a local thrift store.

6. Bring Home Organic Waste to Compost: Landfills don't do a great job of breaking down organic waste. Best to have the kiddies bring their banana peels home for the compost pile.

Easy Lunchtime Noodles

I am always looking for something easy to make the kids for lunch on the weekends, but lately I have been slipping into the habit of serving up veggie dogs and fries. The kids love it, of course, but Vegan Mom and I can only take so many veggie dogs. Today I made something equally fun (they get to use their chopsticks) and equally easy.

INGREDIENTS

- 350g noodles (I use eggless chow mein noodles)

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 small can water chestnuts

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies

- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

- 1/4 cup water

- 3-4 tbsp soy sauce

- 2-4 tbsp cup brown sugar

- juice of 1 lime

- sliced green onions, optional

METHOD

1. Cook noodles according to directions on package.

2. While noodles are cooking, heat a wok over med-hi heat. Add oil, then stir fry chestnuts and chickpeas for 1 min. Add remaining ingredients (except onions) and bring to bubbling. Adjust sauce to taste.

3. When noodles are cooked, drain and add to wok. Mix well, adding more sauces if needed. Garnish with green onions, if using.

Mirchi Ka Salan

Its been a while since I sent in anything for RCI - Regional Cuisine of India. I especially enjoy this event since it calls for a lot of experimenting and exposure to recipes that I haven't tried or tasted before. Starting from the Saarina Pudi I made for RCI - Karnataka to Bihari Shahi Paneer to Gujarati Khattai Aloo, all are recipes that soon became occasionals in my kitchen, not to mention the absolute ball I had during RCI - Kerala :D

Mirchi Ka Salan (phone pic, so please excuse!)

Bhavnagri Chillies

This time's RCI is featuring Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine. Ahh, Hyderabad! In my two and a half years in the city, I have tasted a bunch of authentic dishes like Dum Biriyani, Bagara Baingan, Do pyaaza, Rawgani Roti, Mirchi ka salan, Double ka meetha and a lot more. I personally didn't like Qubani ka meetha and haleem.

Of all these dishes, Mirchi Ka Salan is my absolute favourite. It adds a wonderful flavour as a side dish to Biriyani. RCI this month gave me a good excuse to try it out myself. The process is slightly time-consuming since the dish is based on the traditional slow cooking method. Its definitely worth it though!


Recipe source here.
Serves 4

What I Used:

2 cups long green chillies (bhavnagri chillies) or capsicum, cut into thick strips
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (methi/uluva) seeds
1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji/karum jeerakam)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander (malli) seeds
1 tbsp jeera (jeerakam)
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp/paste
5 tablespoons oil
a few curry leaves
salt to taste

To be roasted dry and ground into powder:

2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (til/ellu)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds

To be ground into paste:

6 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut

How I Made It:

1. Wash and slit the green chillies. Remove the seeds and fry in hot oil until they turn whitish in colour. Remove and keep aside.

2.In the same oil, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and curry leaves.

3. When the seeds crackle, add the paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, coriander and cumin seed powder, chilli powder and powdered peanut-sesame mixture. Cook over a medium flame, stirring continuously until the oil separates.

4. Add 2 cups water and tamarind pulp and bring it to a boil.

5. Add the fried green chillies and salt and simmer until the gravy thickens. This takes a good 20-25 minutes.

Serve warm with Biriyani and raita.

This goes to Zaiqa who is hosting RCI - Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine this month.

Lasagna Rolls

I saw something like this in a poster at the grocery store a while ago and thought it looked like a really good idea. Apparently, it is a very good idea because Carrie over at Adventures in Vegetarianism made a very similar dish a few night ago. This is a perfect way to enjoy lasagna on a week night without all the work and fuss of regular lasagna. You could add whatever you wanted to the rolls, but I have kept it very simple. We were lucky enough to have a bunch of fresh basil from my father-in-law which really made all the difference.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-5

- 1 recipe tofu ricotta made with 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

- 8 lasagna noodles

- 2 jars spaghetti sauce (nothing too chunky)

- vegan mozzarella cheese (I use Tofutti slices--trans fat free here in Canada)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Cook noodles for 5-7 mins. They should still be firm (i.e. too firm to eat) but soft enough to roll. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and pat dry with a towel.

2. While noodles are cooking, make the tofu ricotta. Heat sauce to bubbling in a saucepan. Put half of the sauce into an 8 x 11.5" baking dish.

3. Spread 1/8 of the filling over 3/4 the length of a lasagna noodle. Roll up, starting with the end with the filling. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling.

4. Cover rolls with remaining sauce (you may not need it all). Cover and bake for 30 mins, or until sauce is bubbling away and pasta has swelled. Uncover, top with cheese, and bake until cheese has melted. Serve, topped with any remaining sauce for those who would like it.

Chickpea Burgers

I thought it was time to give some love to the chickpea cutlet from Veganomicon, especially after the slight dissing I gave it a while back. The truth is that I really don't use cookbooks much anymore because I am always on the hunt for something new I can post on my blog. But I was in the mood for a breaded chick'n burger and I thought the chickpea cutlet recipe would be a good place to start. You'll have to excuse the picture here and the ridiculous bun--they don't do justice to the taste of the final product which was quite tasty. The kids absolutely loved them. The original recipe is posted here, but here are my modifications.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 8 burgers

- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp poultry seasoning

- 1/2 cup soy milk

- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 1 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp salt

- pinch of paprika

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Pulse rinsed and drained chickpeas in a food processor until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Pulse in oil, then transfer to a bowl and add gluten, plain breadcrumbs, broth, soy sauce, and spices. Knead together for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. Divide into 8 and press into 8 thin patties.

2. Mix together soymilk and vinegar in a bowl. Mix together panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, and paprika in another. Dip a patty in soymilk, then toss in breadcrumbs. Make sure it gets coated well. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining patties.

3. Bake for 10 min per side, or until patties have firmed and breading is lightly browned.

Easy Tofu Saag

Your kids probably aren't going to sing your praises when they see this on their plate, but it really is tasty and a great way for them to get kale into their diet. This is also a relatively quick and easy recipe with few steps and easily available ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 bunch kale

- 1 onion, cut into chunks

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 chunk ginger, chopped

- 3/4 to 1 cup water

- 1 can diced tomatoes

- 1 tbsp mild curry paste (or powder), or to taste

- 1 tsp chili powder

- salt to taste

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, diced

- 3 tbsp soy yogurt (optional)

METHOD

1. Remove the tough stalks from the kale, and cook for 10 mins with a splash of water over medium heat in a large pot with the lid on. Kale should cook down and be tender, but still be a nice bright green.

2. Put kale, onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor. Add water and blend until smooth. Add more water if too thick.

3. Put kale mixture in a large pot and bring to bubbling over medium heat, stirring regularly. Cook for a few mins. Add tomatoes (juice and all) and spices. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add tofu and cook, uncovered, for 15 mins, reducing heat if it begins to stick. Stir regularly and let thicken. Stir in yogurt, if using, and serve over rice.

The Saas Bahu Aur Sensex Contest

This is to celebrate the spirit and individuality of Indian women worldwide. The educated, intelligent bunch of us who sometimes have to give up their career so that their family is well taken care. Who have to move away from home to pursue a career and reach success. Who inevitably face the challenge of choosing between two or more things that are equally important to her in life. They pretty much sum up the new India. PhD holders who choose to be housewives and not regretting giving up a career, women who balance work, family and ‘me time’, fabulous mothers and wives who are all a part of the India that is now.


Warner Brothers is releasing a movie called Saas Bahu Aur Sensex on the 19th of this month, honoring this theme. It’s about a bunch of real smart housewives who watch Saas Bahu serials on the side while also investing in the stock market, and doing great with their investments.

Please visit their website by clicking here. You can watch the trailer, listen to the songs, read a synopsis and much much more.

Now what I want from all of you smart women out there is to:

- Come up with a dish for the contest. The only condition is that it needs to be an Indian recipe. It can be anything ranging from a recipe an aunt passed along, a dish your mom used to make, quick enough so that she has time to pack you off to school and get to work herself, a meal that you enjoyed during your girls' night out with friends and want to re-create at home.

- Please limit the dishes to Indian cuisine, wherever you are located in the world. It can be any part of a meal, snacks, desserts, podis and chutneys, etc.

- The contest ends on October 10, 2008 - Friday.

- In your post, please link to this announcement and to the offcial movie website.

- Only one entry per blog.

- Send an email to naagu.v@gmail.com with your Name, Name of Dish and Permalink by October 10th, 2008. Make sure the subject line is ‘The Saas, Bahu Aur Sensex Contest’


But wait, if this is a contest, what do I win?

Great question!

10 Early birds in India and the UAE will win 2 tickets each to the movie. I am sorry this is available only for these two countries since the movie is releasing only there. You can participate from anywhere in the world, and send the tickets to your friends or family in a city in India if you wish, that’s no problem!

If you are to be considered an early bird, your entry needs to reach me by 18th September, 2008. I will announce the winners by the following week and also send out the tickets for you to enjoy the show very soon.

For others, there are quite a few Music Cds and autographed merchandise from Saas Bahu Aur Sensex to be won! Winners will be chosen through a lucky draw at the end of the contest. The early birds also will be included in the final draw!

So what are you waiting for? Get cooking Indian, ladies!!

For any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below and I will reply as soon as possible.

Yellow Curry with Noodles

Since the boys acquired their own plastic chopsticks they have been asking for "chinese noodles." I was more than happy to oblige since I love noodles as much as the next guy. I also love yellow curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen) because of its wonderful color and moderate heat. This is a perfect combination for kids. I have also been trying to figure out a substitute for sea food ever since a reader asked me about how to replace shrimp (I still have no idea!). I thought that oyster mushroom would add a delicate flavour and texture to this dish (like a scallop, or something)--and they do just that. This dish also has thinly sliced seitan. The trick is to freeze your seitan first, then slice it. I store my excess seitan in the freezer, thaw it for 30 seconds or so in the microwave so it is softer but still quite firm, then slice away with my cleaver.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg thin noodles (around 350g or so)

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1" piece ginger, minced

- 1 generous tbsp yellow curry paste (or powder, to taste)

- 1 small can sliced bamboo shoots

- 2 cups shaved seitan pieces

- 2 cans coconut milk

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- salt to taste

- 1 cup oyster mushroom chunks

- 3 green onions, thinly sliced

- 4 romaine leaves, rolled and thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Cook noodle as per the direction on the package, then rinse with cold water and drain.

2. Heat oil on a wok over med-hi heat. Stir fry onion, garlic, and ginger for 1 min, then add the curry paste. Mix well. Add bamboo and fry for another minute. Add seitan and fry for 1 min.

3. Add coconut milk and hoisin sauce and bring to bubbling. Adjust seasonings to taste. (I don't use soy sauce because it muddies the colour of the curry). Add mushrooms, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 mins.

4. Add noodles, green onions, and romaine to the wok and mix well. Serve.

Almond Peach Strudel

The Vegan Dad blog turns 1 today! Woot woot! 408 posts and going strong! Boy, when I look back at those very first posts I wonder how I ever developed a readership. Today, the blog gets about 1000 hits a day and I look forward to reading your comments and they come in throughout the day. Today also marks my 3rd veganiversary. So, there is much to celebrate! I thawed out the puff pastry I had been storing in the freezer (works beautifully) and made this.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 recipe puff pastry

- 4 peaches, skinned and sliced

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1/3 cup sliced almonds (plus more for top)

- 2 tsp instant tapioca

- 2-4 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- pinch of nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp almond extract

- soy milk for brushing

- 3/4 cup icing sugar

- splash of almond extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Mix peaches and 1 tbsp of sugar in a bowl and set aside. Roll puff pastry into a large rectangle (9" x 14" or so).

2. By now, the peaches will have released some liquid. Strain peaches with a sieve, draining liquid into a small bowl. Add remaining sugar, almonds, tapioca, remaining sugar, spices, and extract to the peaces and mix well.

3. Place peach filling a bit off centre along the long side of the puff pastry. Bring pastry over the filling and roll. Seal end and place seam-side down on baking sheet.

4. Brush with soy milk and cut slits in the top with a sharp knife every 1.5" or so. Top with as many sliced almonds as you see fit (about 1/4 cup). Bake for 35-40 mins, or until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden brown.

5. Heat 1 tbsp of the reserved peace juice on the stove over medium heat. Add in icing sugar and extract and mix until smooth. Add more liquid, if needed. Drizzle over warm strudel. Serve.

Grilled Garlic Bread

This is something I made for Sig's Grill It event, but was too busy to post it on time. Its very simple and tastes heavenly. But, you need to be a garlic lover for that. 

TH has sandwiches every morning and generally likes to stay from bread of any form over weekends. The one and only exception is garlic bread. We go out for pizza quite often and invariably end up stuffing ourselves because of the generous portions of garlic bread we ordered in the beginning. I like mine with cheese and TH likes it without. 

This is a grilled version of our good 'ol garlic bread, except that I didn't have baguette in hand, so used normal white bread and that its grilled on a toaster instead of baked. 

What I Used:

Bread - 6 pieces, cut into triangles (Use baguette slices for a more authentic look and taste)

Melted butter - 4 tbsp

Minced garlic - 6 pods

Salt (if butter is unsalted) - 1/2 tsp

Chillie flakes and oregano - for seasoning

How I Made It:

1. Mix the butter with garlic and salt. 

2. Spread this mixture lavishly on the bread pieces.

3. Grill on a toaster till both sides are golden brown.

4. Season with chillie flakes and oregano. 

Enjoy hot!  

You may also like my Toasted Sugar Bread with Honey

Hickory Smoked Veggie Turkey Lunchmeat

This is a follow-up recipe to my veggie lunch meat. When I made the original recipe I did not try to make it taste like any specific meat since I have found that texture is often more important in a sandwich. This time, though, I attempted a smoked turkey/chicken type meat and the end result was met with great acclaim by the whole family. A few caveats though: 1. All I had on hand was Mori-Nu tofu; I'm not sure if this makes a big difference. 2. Not all liquid smoke is equal. I have gone with the cheap stuff before and it is pretty nasty.

INGREDIENTS
- 12oz firm tofu
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp Bragg's

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp tumeric

- 2 tsp poultry seasoning

- 1/4 tsp hickory liquid smoke

- 3 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten

METHOD
Get water steaming in your steamer. You will need a large steamer.
1. Place all ingredients except the gluten flour in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour into a bowl. Add gluten flour and work into a dough. Knead for a few mins to let gluten develop.
2. Shape dough into a log and wrap in heavy duty foil like a tootsie roll. Try to make the roll as thick as possible. Steam for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees in the last 15 mins of steaming. Remove seitan from steamer and bake for 40-50 mins. Seitan should swell and press against the foil.
4. Cool and slice as needed for sandwiches. This seitan holds up very well and can be shaved very thin. Store in the fridge or freezer. This recipe makes a lot, so you can cut it into 3 or four chunks and store them away for later.

Aloo Tindora Curry

This is another quick-fix recipe with bits and pieces of leftover vegetables. The way I feel about aloos (potatoes) is, if I have no other veggies to cook with or  not enough, then it makes a good add-on. 

I have tried it with different vegetables and recently, gave a shot at using it with tindora/ivy gourd. There was some tindora left over after making a stir-fry with it so I went ahead and came up with this recipe. 

What I Used:

Tindora/Gerkins/Ivy Gourd/Kovakka - 1 cup, chopped

Aloo/Potatoes - 2, cubed

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Dried red chillies - 4

Jeera - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Salt

How I Made It:

1. Wash, peel and boil the potatoes till almost soft. 

2. Cut the tindora in small pieces and boil in some water till cooked. 

3. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal. Break the red chillies into 3-4 pieces and fry lightly in the oil. Add jeera and turmeric powder and fry for about 10 seconds. 

4. Finally add the cooked potatoes, tindora and the coconut and mix well, letting it fry lightly in the oil. Adjust salt. 

Notes:-

- If you want a crispier version, semi-cook the potatoes and use more oil. 

- I served it with rice but also goes well with rotis. 

Related recipes:-

Aloo Masala

Stir-fried Tindora

Vazhakka podimas

Gratuitous Dessert Photos

Sorry to tempt you with photos and no recipes, but I wanted to share these shots with you. First up, my sister-in-law made these lovely bumble berry tarts (I provided the vegan cream for the top) for us to enjoy. Don't you love it when people think of the vegans? In the foreground are non-vegan lemon curd tarts. I'll bet it would be pretty easy to make a vegan lemon curd. I will have to get the recipe off her and share it someday.

Second, a peach pie Vegan Mom made on our summer vacation. I didn't think I needed to post a pie recipe since you can easily Google one.

Gwailo Pad Thai

There is no point even trying to justify this dish as authentically Thai, but it still tastes great and does not rely on any overly exotic ingredients. I bought bean sprouts this week when I came down with an inexplicable hankering for Pad Thai like I used to get at Phnom Penh in Kingston (back in the non-vegan day, that is). The ol' Number 15, baby! I didn't have all the necessary ingredients on hand, so I improvised. I also tried adding some nori flakes to mimic fish sauce and I think it worked pretty well.

INGREDIENTS

- 225g medium width rice noodles

- 3 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp Bragg's

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 2 tbsp water

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- 1/4 cup white vinegar

- juice of 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp nori flakes (optional)

- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, diced

- 1 tsp soy sauce

- juice of 1 lime

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

- handful of bean sprouts

- tomato and cucumber slices

- chopped fresh cilantro

METHOD

1. Soak rice noodles in hot tap water for 30 mins.

2. Make sauce: mix together ingredients from soy sauce to chili garlic sauce. Adjust to taste. Thai balances salty, sweet, hot, and sour. I like a more sweet sauce with a hot undertone.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dry fry tofu, stirring regularly, until it begins to turn golden. Add a splash of oil, if needed. Add soy sauce and lime juice and stir well. Remove from heat.

4. Rinse rice noodles and heat oil in wok over med-hi heat. Stir fry onion and garlic for a min or so, until onion softens. Add noodles and stir fry for a few mins, until noodles get translucent and begin to stick together.

5. Add sauce to the wok and mix well. Add tofu, and peanut butter and mix well. Cook, stirring regularly, until noodles are soft and liquid is mostly absorbed.

6. Serve topped with bean sprouts and garnished with cucumber and tomato slices and cilantro.

Yellow Tomato and White Bean Salad

Can you tell I am trying to squeeze every last drop out of summer with my posts for this week? They read like the menu to a picnic or BBQ. We bought these yellow tomatoes from the Locavore's tent at the farmer's market and so I made this very simple salad.

INGREDIENTS

- 8-10 yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved

- 1 red tomatoes, diced

- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar

- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

- salt and pepper

- 1 tsp parsley

- 1/2 tsp marjoram

- 1/4 tsp dill

METHOD

1. Mix together everything in a large bowl and season to taste.

You can use the same dressing for other salads, too; like this tomato-cucumber salad.