Category Archives: Main Dishes

Feb 11 2012
9 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes

Vegan alfredo!

A few days ago, LuminousVegans posted a creamy alfredo recipe and reminded me how delicious creamy pasta sauces are. I’m making my own soy-based creamy alfredo which can be made nut free for those of you with nut allergies. If you’re sensitive to soy (or even if you’re not), definitely try LuminousVegan’s alfredo recipe. Her recipes are amazing!

The ingredients are as follows:
1 12 oz. box silken tofu (I like MoriNu)
1-2 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1-2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch nutmeg
soy or almond milk as needed
garlic or sea salt and crushed red pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender, adding soy or almond milk as necessary until you get a rich creamy sauce. That’s it, you’re done making high protein, low-fat, low-calorie alfredo sauce. I do recommend heating it either by microwaving or in a skillet with some white wine but this isn’t necessary, it just helps to marry the flavors.

I tossed it with hot pasta and a sliced soy sausage that I browned with some garlic.

I also added some raw red and yellow bell pepper. I tore up some more fresh basil for presentation but it wasn’t pretty for long because I ate it.

I love the sienna with the red and yellow on the creamy backdrop and vivid green. I’m a sucker for food that’s beautiful as well as delicious and good for you. Food should nourish your mind and your body. I love the sweetness of the pepper, the spice of the soy sausage with the creamy tofu and savory nutritional yeast and pasta.

If you want creamy pesto instead, add a generous handful of raw basil, a dash of lemon juice and about half a bulb of garlic.

This is Christie, signing off!

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Feb 08 2012
2 Comments
Desserts, Main Dishes, Snacks

The essential vegan: PB&J the ultra easy

If you’re vegan, your go-to sandwich should be peanut butter and jelly. Just because you’re eating the sandwich of your youth doesn’t mean it has to be unsophisticated. A recent favorite is the deconstructed white chocolate peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich.

I’m sorry I don’t have a few pictures of my dried cherry and chocolate almond butter sandwiches from the holiday season. They were AMAZING!

PB&J isn’t a tired ordinary dish if you don’t see it that way. If you’ve got access to good jam and dried fruits, try Peanut Butter and Company for their chocolate, cinnamon raisin and white chocolate peanut butter or Justin’s Nut Butter for organic hazelnut and almond butter (chocolate too!). Bottom line: fruit and nuts are delicious and rich in nutrients, together or apart. Nourish your body and senses with both.

This is Christie, signing off.

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Feb 06 2012
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Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Kale and White Bean Soup! It’s what’s for lunch.

Kale is so awesome that it might overshadow the white beans in this particular dish but white beans (also called navy beans or Northern beans) a’re a standout food on their own. Kale is full of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, calcium along with a number of other micronutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin (both important for vision) that are all really important for a healthy body and immune system. It’s low in calories and loaded with fiber to help you feel fuller faster and longer. So how can white beans possible compete? They offer a different variety of nutrients that complement those present in the kale: calcium, iron, and other micronutrients like coumarin and ferulin which are currently under scientific investigation for their activity as antioxidants.

Oh right, soup. Gather together the following.

12-16oz bag of dry white beans

1 bunch of kale, rinsed and cut into ribbons

1 tomato, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cube of bouillon a pinch of cumin seeds (optional)

1.5 L water (does NOT include water for soaking the beans)

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To prepare, I recommend soaking the beans overnight (or at least 4 hours) to reduce the cook time of your soup. Cover the beans completely with water plus another inch or so. The beans should about double in size. Don’t be alarmed. It’s normal. I like dry beans because it’s cheaper but if soaking dry beans isn’t your thing, 2-3 tins of white beans works great and will reduce your prep time considerably.

In a huge pot, add the olive oil and coriander seeds and wait until the seeds start to sputter. Add the tomato and garlic and stir a few times.

Add the beans and stir until they’re coated with the tomato and olive oil. Add 1 liter of water and the bouillon. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 1.5 hours (longer depending on how dry they are, just keep testing them to see when they start to get tender). Start to stir in the kale a handful at a time when the beans start to soften.

Add more water until you reach the desired consistency. Remove the bay leaves. Bring to a boil before serving.

Other things you can add to this traditional favorite include: sliced vegan chorizo or soy sausage, pasta, and sun dried tomato. Add the chorizo or soy sausage right after the kale so it doesn’t fall apart, you can also brown it lightly in a fry pan first. If you add sun dried tomato, add it with the regular tomato. I like this soup for lunch. It’s inexpensive, highly nutritious and delicious.

This is Christie, signing off.

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Feb 03 2012
5 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes

Almond crusted tofu and saffron cardamom rice!

Kinda like a party in your mouth. Of course, everything’s a party in your mouth when you’re vegan. My sense of smell and taste got a lot more sensitive after I stopped eating animal products, particularly dairy. The fat in cheese, cream and butter really numbed my tastebuds. I find I like subtler flavors these days and think everything is too sweet. Who knows. I was feeling ambitious tonight.

I threw a good pinch of saffron and a couple of green cardamom pods. I’m showing you brown cardamom too… but it’s not right for pairing with saffron. The flavor for brown cardamom is WAY more intense. Good saffron has gold tips and deep red ocher coloring. Sometimes it’s dyed with turmeric or other things… EEK! You can tell if it’s it has been dyed if the saffron is uniform in color.

I prepared my brown rice in the microwave because it’s easy and I’m a little lazy. Is that going to be a problem? Lazy or not, I do recommend removing the cardamom pods before serving the rice. Leaving it in risks you or someone else biting into it and tasting how I imagine lemon cleaning solution would taste. Meanwhile I combined in a bowl:

1 cup of almond meal

3-4 tablespoons of arrowroot starch (any starch will do)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

salt to taste

I chopped up my tofu and ‘breaded’ it. I spread it out on a foil lined pan that I sprayed with olive oil and threw a handful of slivered almonds onto it to keep the tofu from sticking.

I baked it at 350F/175C for 15 minutes covered in tinfoil and took it off for the last 10 minutes. The last 10 minutes browned the edges and made it pretty. I sliced up some avocado because I had a ripe one and kind of liked how the beige, yellow and pale green looked together. Everything got a light dusting of sea salt, I drizzled some balsamic vinegar on the avocado and then I ate it. The end.

Just kidding. The buttery avocado was balanced by the balsamic vinegar. The light saffron was perfect with the avocado and with the nuttiness of the almond crusted tofu. The light lemon, floral, spice aroma from the cardamom brought out the honey and olive aromas in the saffron and tied the whole thing together… like that rug from the Big Lebowski.

This is Christie, signing off.

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Feb 02 2012
5 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Experimental pho is quick and dirty photastic!

A few days ago LuminousVegans posted some Vietnamese pho that got me thinking I should try to make my own. I started by slicing up some ginger, turmeric, garlic and the end of a stick of cinnamon.

I put that in about a quart of water with some veggie beef bouillon (this particular brand is AMAZING and very “beefy”!), a dash of hoisin sauce, a dash of tamari and the ends of this lemon. I also sliced half an onion into rings and added that too.


I simmered them while I took a shower. Then I picked out the cinnamon stick and lemon peel (the ginger and turmeric should have gone too, but no matter) and then I poured it over some tofu noodles that I parboiled. These noodles are gluten-free, low calorie, and vegan. Nom? I think so.

I garnished it with some cilantro, lemon grass and chili paste after squeezing 1/4 of a lemon over it.

Next time I’ll probably add some fried tofu or soy curls. Overall it wasn’t a bad effort, especially for something quick and dirty like I made. It had the stereotypically aromatic broth, noodles, lemony goodness and spicy chili. It reminded me of some pho I had in New York City over New Year’s Eve break. Let me know if you try it and come up with some improvements.

This is Christie, signing off.

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Jan 28 2012
8 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Quesadillas… you know you want some.

Tonight I’m making quesadillas, vegan style. For the basic recipe you only need 5 things:

tortillas, corn or flour

hot sauce

onion, diced

bell pepper, diced

vegan cheese (I use Daiya pepperjack but their cheddar and mozzarella work fine too)

I’m dressing things up a little tonight and adding soy curls.

They’re a lot like chicken except that all by themselves they’ve got a nutty flavor and no gristle. I prepare mine by reconstituting in water in my microwave, draining, and spreading out on a foil lined baking sheet. I sprinkle them with a little soy sauce, flaked red pepper, nutritional yeast (optional), and a spray of olive oil. I bake them at 300F/150C for 30 minutes or until the edges start to brown. This is what they look like before baking.

Now comes is the easy part. Place a tortilla in a lightly oiled nonstick pan, add some “cheese” and a light sprinkling of  onion and bell pepper. I added a few strips of my soy curls and then put a little more cheese on top.

You don’t need a lot of cheese: just enough to get things to stick together. Add a few drips of hot sauce as your personal taste dictates.

On medium heat, wait until the cheese starts to melt (use your nose to avoid scorching), then add that second tortilla and flip. Push any fillings that fall out back into the quesadilla. The cheese will hopefully trap it as it melts.

This is such an easy meal or snack. I literally keep a container of mixed bell pepper and onion in my fridge. It looks like this.

I made some guacamole to go with it and sliced up some tomato and cilantro to go with my vegan quesadillas.

This is Christie, signing off!

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Jan 14 2012
2 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes

Tofu and Vegetables in Garlic Sauce

Today is my Dad’s birthday. My Mom planned a feast… a feast of nothing vegan. Ribs. Pork chops. Upo cooked with ground meat. Baked catfish. Pancit with chicken (and using chicken broth). Tofu and Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce. Even that last item wasn’t vegan. So, I asked if I could cook the tofu myself, using an easy vegan recipe that I found online as my guide. (Psssstt… check out this blog from Jes, who wrote the recipe. It’s amazing.)

Ingredients:
1 pound extra firm tofu
2 bunches Chinese broccoli (try with other veggies or a mix of veggies–carrots, regular broccoli,  baby corn, bok choy…)
1/3 cup safflower or olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)

Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

Fist, make the sauce. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and then add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sugar. Stir the mixture together. When it’s heated through and combined, remove from heat and set aside.

 

Prepare your tofu. Cut it as you wish: I cut mine into cubes. Prepare your vegetables. I cut the broccoli stems into 1″ or so pieces but left the leaves whole. If you’re using Chinese broccoli, separate the stems and leaves into two groups since it will take longer for the stems to cook.

They look like little marshmallows!

Heat the oil in a wok and add the tofu. When the tofu has been browned, add the broccoli stems. Once the stems are cooked–easily stabbed by a fork but still crisp–make another hole and add the leaves and florets.

 

Once the leaves/florets are wilted, reduce the heat a bit, and add the sauce. Mix everything together. Make a hole in the pan and then add the corn starch to thicken the sauce. Once the sauce is of desired consistency, remove from heat. Serve the dish with rice or grain of your choice (I opted for a brown rice/quinoa mix).

This recipe is so cheap and easy, as well as a great way to enjoy Chinese food without wondering if that vegetable dish you ordered is really vegan. I’m also happy to report that the dish ended up being a hit with our guests today. –Melissa

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Jan 10 2012
6 Comments
Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks

Salad rolls… kinda like a sandwich without the bread, meat and cheese.

Now that Melissa is talking about how much she loves to cook, I’m going to post about more things I make when I don’t want to cook. This is a little snack that’s low calorie, high fiber, and full of nutrients. Here’s what you need to start: a sheet of nori (like for sushi rolls), mixed salad greens, and your favorite dressing.  Additional fillings can include sprouts, avocado, shredded carrots, tomato, hummus, baba ghanouj or some other spread. Get creative! If you’re using a soft spread like hummus, sprouts or shredded carrots will keep things from getting too messy. Put the nori on your sushi roller (you can get one for $5 on eBay or at your local specialty market. I covered mine with cling wrap for easier clean up.), add a generous fistful of greens, and put your toppings onto that along with a few tablespoons of hummus or whatever spread you like.

Afterward roll it gently. This part gets easier with practice. Moisten the far edge of the nori with a wedge of lemon or slice of tomato to seal the roll.

I like to slice it for presentation and dip into my favorite salad dressing. Lately it’s been a tough call between “herb tahini” and “spicy tomato basil”. There are so many possible combinations: mango and pesto hummus, garlic hummus and avocado, whatever!

Some day soon, I’ll share my recipe for home-made hummus. So many flavors: black olive, roasted red pepper, cucumber&dill, roasted artichoke heart, pesto, chipotle, extra garlic, sun-dried tomato, whatever. Let me know what combination you dream up! I want to nom them!!!

 

This is Christie, signing off.

 

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Jan 06 2012
5 Comments
Cooking, Main Dishes, Recipes

Lasagna… hold the meat and cheese, please.

I usually use eggplant in place of lasagna noodles because of the whole… alergic to pasta thing but I encourage you to use it if you’re so inclined. The great thing about eggplant is that it’s also low in calories relative to traditional semolina pasta and has a lot of fiber and nutrients that pasta lacks. I’m biased. I dig plants.

For this recipe I took a large sized eggplant (2 medium would do) and sliced it thin. I wouldn’t recommend soaking the eggplant for this recipe since it can get kinda soupy if you do.I leave the skin on but you can remove it if you want. Pre-cooking the eggplant will result in a softer texture, you can do this by pan frying it or baking it until golden brown. This is my recipe for vegan ‘ricotta’. It’s a little more flavorful than regular ricotta cheese but I doubt anyone will complain.  In your blender or food processor, combine the following:

1 16oz. box firm silken tofu (I like Mori-nu for this recipe)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but recommended)

1tsp garlic powder

1 2 tsp starch (I used arrowroot)

1 pinch nutmeg

garlic salt to taste

Blend all of this until it’s uniform and creamy. After this mixing step, I added 2 generous handfuls of spinach – this is optional but a girl needs her iron.

I blended it lightly and then spread it on a layer of eggplant that I had positioned on a lightly oiled baking dish.

I put another layer of eggplant on top, (you can make more layers if you want but it’ll take longer to cook) followed by a generous helping of your favorite pasta sauce. I buy whatever is vegan, gluten-free and on sale. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove the foil, toss on some crushed walnuts, if desired and bake another 20 minutes.

I served it garnished with some sliced olives and fresh basil.

This is Christie, signing off… I will probably eat that whole dish of lasagna tonight.

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Jan 03 2012
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Main Dishes, Recipes

Tofustek!

When I first thought about starting a vegan-centric blog, I was going to focus on veganizing Filipino dishes. Filipino food isn’t necessarily heavy on meat: my mom can give you a lecture on how she rarely ate meat as a girl growing up in the Philippines. I should ask her to write it down and post it here. Oh, I digress. One of the Filipino dishes that I knew I would really miss is bistek or beef steak. It’s basically meat and onions so how can you possibly veganize it and make it similar to the real thing?

Duh. Tofu is the solution to my bistek problem. However, I still have issues with tofu texture and taste. There is just no getting away from that tofu taste. Anyway, I had leftover tofu in the fridge and decided to try making it into Tofustek! (exclamation point is required). I am 99% happy with the result. It still needs something, but here is the basic recipe with which we can tinker.

1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice or calamansi juice if you’ve got it
1 medium onion, sweet vidalia recommended but any onion will do
ground black pepper
olive oil or safflower oil (my new favorite cooking oil, will post about it soon!)

Double up on the soy sauce and lemon juice if you like your dishes to be more soupy, and use more or less onion if you wish.

1. Slice the tofu into mini-steaks or into chunks — whatever you like! Put the tofu in a shallow bowl or dish so that you only have one layer of it, if possible.

2. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce and lemon. Taste a drop of it to make sure it’s a flavor you like. If it’s too sour, add a bit more soy sauce. If you can’t taste the lemon or calamansi, add a bit more. Once it’s mixed, sprinkle in some black pepper.

3. Pour the sauce over the tofu, taking care to coat each piece. Let it sit for awhile to marinade. Five minutes or so should be plenty of time.

4. While the tofu is marinading, slice your onion into rings and set aside.

5. Heat up your pan and add oil. Brown the tofu. IMPORTANT: Do NOT add any of the sauce! Some will obviously find its way into the pan, but try to make it as dry as possible.

6. After the tofu is browned, remove it from the pan and place it in a bowl or container, preferably the container in which you plan to serve or store the dish.

7. Add a bit more oil to the pan and then throw in your onions. Brown until they are wilted, or earlier if you like your onions a bit more crisp. Then, add the sauce and remove from heat. Careful: it’s gonna sizzle.

9. Top the tofu with the onions and sauce.

Serve Tofustek! with white rice or your favorite grain. Goes well with steamed or broiled Chinese eggplant, or with salted fresh tomatoes. Tofustek! is not quite as delicious as bistek, but it’s a great vegan alternative and super easy to make.

Enjoy! And may you have a Happy New Year! – Melissa

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