Tag Archives: cream cheese

Tofu Rogan Josh

So… Indian food… awesome… yeah. I’ve got a few Indian colleagues and one of them gave me her recipe for lamb rogan josh and I did my best to veganize it.You’ll need the following:

1 package water packed tofu, pressed and chopped into bite-sized chunks.
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 tbsp corn oil or other oil suitable for frying
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 big toe sized piece of ginger, minced
1 pinkie sized piece of turmeric, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
15-20 curry leaves
2 tbsp of vegan cream cheese
1 teaspoon of red chilli powder
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 14oz tin of peeled plum tomatoes
1 lime, juice and zest, cut in half
curry leaves, to taste
salt and pepper to taste (garam masala works instead of pepper)

Getting the ingredients together was the hardest part. Finding fresh curry leaves was a mission but we did… did you know they grow on trees? I didn’t know that before our quest for curry leaves. They’re pretty important for this dish so I recommend seeking them out.
To start, add the onion to a large pot with the corn oil and fry it on high temperature until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the garlic, turmeric, curry leaves and ginger and keep frying. Add the dry spices and zest and keep frying.This should look and be very dry. When the spices become fragrant and everything in the kitchen smells awesome

Add the tomato, 1/2 lime juice and cream cheese and mix. If you’ve got a hand blender, now is the time to use it. Otherwise, before the tomato gets too hot, put it all in your blender and mix until smooth.

Add the tofu and mushrooms and allow to simmer for at least 45 minutes so the tofu takes on the flavors of the dish. Stir in the green bell pepper and coriander 10 minutes before serving.

So we served this with quinoa and red wine and it was not too far off from what I’ve had in restaurants: tart, creamy, herbal and rich. Did I mention I love Indian food?

It was loaded with veggies, protein and exciting herbs. Even if it wasn’t authentic, it’s still delicious and good for you. We hope you get to try it.

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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The Cheese Post 2.0

CREAM CHEESE CHALLENGE!
This edition of the Cheese Post focuses on the breakfast favorite: cream cheese. I’m reviewing 4 different varieties of cream cheese and hope it informs your decisions. We have reviewed other vegan cheeses in the Cheese Post 1.1 and hope you’ll give it a look.

Follow Your Heart This cream cheese mostly had processed ingredients and about 90 calories per 2 tablespoon serving. This variety is reminiscent of just about everything else Follow Your Heart makes. That’s a good thing. This is definitely a the most accurate representation of cream cheese flavor and has a great spreadable texture. It was $4.50 for 8 ounces. I think this one is the most convincing for serving to omnivores, but I wouldn’t buy it for myself.

Galaxy Vegan cream cheese from Galaxy had 90 calories for every 2 tablespoons you put on your plate. It tasted more like unsalted butter than cream cheese. It has a little protein and some calcium but not enough to make it worth the effort or money. The texture is okay but the flavor bordered on off putting. If I wanted butter, I would buy Earth Balance. It was just over $4 for 8 ounces. I don’t think I’ll be buying it again.

Sheese This particular cream cheese had a very strong soy flavor. The ingredients were similar to the other varieties of cheese made by Sheese. It was 80 calories for 2 tablespoons and cost $6.50 for 9 ounces, making it the most expensive variety we tried and also the most difficult to find. Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re missing out.

Tofutti This particular cream cheese, “Better than Cream Cheese”, is milder in flavor than some of the others but definitely tastes like cream cheese. It’s got a good texture. The ingredients are okay; most are processed and have almost no nutritional value. It’s 60 calories per serving (2 tablespoons). It cost just under $4 for 8 ounces. This one is definitely mine and Brent’s favorite.

None of the cream cheeses offered much in terms of protein, vitamins or minerals. We liked Tofutti because it was lower in calories than the others, was a decent representation of the traditional spread and is the cheapest.

This wraps up the second edition of vegan cheese reviews. Good luck finding your favorites!

This is Christie and Brent, signing off!

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