Garlic Tofu with Hoisin Broccoli & Sesame Mock Duck with Eggplant and Shiitakes

This dish was brought on by a strong hankering for some greasy Chinese take-out. I think I was able replicate all the delicious flavors without deep frying everything in sight. Still, a good greasy orange tofu will forever live in my heart as the best damn take-out delight.

Garlic Tofu with Hoisin Broccoli

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
4 cloves garlic, sliced relatively thin
salt
oil for frying

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, cut on a bias
1 onion, rough chop
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 tbsp oil

Get a pan on over med heat add oil and start to fry the garlic. Add the tofu. Brown on all sides, season with salt and pepper. For the veggies, stir fry everything, starting with oil and garlic, then onions, then the rest. Add the sauces when veggies are nearly done.

Sesame Mock Duck and Eggplant with Shiitakes

1 can mock duck, get at most Asian grocers
1/2 large eggplant, cut into chunks
1 box shiitakes, sliced
1 onion, rough chop
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fermented black bean sauce
1 tsp agave nectar
black pepper
brown rice flour for dusting the mock duck

Get a pan on over high heat. Thinly coat mock duck pieces in brown rice flour, then sear on all sides. Remove from pan. Add a little more oil then the eggplant pieces. Stir fry until almost done. Add garlic, onions and shittakes. Stir fry for about 3 minutes, then add eggplant and mock duck. Add the sauces and stir fry for about a minute or two more.

Serve with brown rice.

Ice Cream Sandwiches!!!

So it was the greatest wish of the recent birthday girl to have ice cream sandwiches to beat the hell out of the summer heat. No cake on her birthday you say. Well take a look at these babies before you get your shorts all in twist.



Macadamia Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Bliss Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Coconut Ice Cream

1 cup Earth Balance
1 cup Agave nectar
1 cup brown rice syrup
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat white flour
1/4 cup arrowroot
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup macadamia nuts chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 333F
Whisk the poop out of that EB and syrup until its is light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift the flour-y ingredients into the wet. Add coconut, macadamias, and chocolate chips. Mix to combine. Scoop onto a baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for about 2o minutes until golden brown. Depending on the size of your cookie you may need to adjust the baking times.

Once completely cooled stick them in the fridge. Get your ice cream pint and a serrated knife. Slice into 6 equal sized rounds. Remove the carton scraps and make yourself a ridiculous sandwich. Enjoy!

We also ate pizza with the newest Daiya Vegan Cheese. It was less than extraordinary. More on that in the next post.

Caramelized Onion and Kidney Bean Seitan Pallard

I have not been updating much but I think that should change. As you can see I have posted two days in a row and maybe, just maybe, there will be a consecutive third post tomorrow. We will have to see.

In other news, I found this really amazing magazine back at my mom's house called The Animals' Voice and it was dated 1989. Much of the issues are still the same within the vegan movement today. This is good and bad at the same time. We have stuck to our ideals of fighting for eliminating the exploitation of animals, but on a sour note we are still trying to accomplish similar goals that have yet to have been reached. That is not to say that the vegan movement has not made much progress in 20 years because it certainly has.

I found the website for the magazine here.


So back to the food.....

Caramelized Onion and Kidney Bean Seitan Pallard

(this is loosely based on the chickpea cutlets from veganomicon)

1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 sweet bell pepper, chopped fine
splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, mashed
1/2 cup veg broth
splash tamari
salt and pepper

1/4 nutritional yeast
1 cup gluten flour
2 tsp paprika

Get your onions in a hot large skillet with a bit of olive oil. Let cook for about 10 minutes. Splash the pan with the veg broth and add the peppers. Cook until all the liquid is gone. Add the tamari, season with salt and pepper. Combine in large bowl with mashed kidney beans. Add the dry ingredients in with the kidney bean mixture until sticky dough forms. You can add more seasonings if you desire. To cook the seitan, first shape into very thin, 1/2 inch thick patties, then pan fry over low heat for about 7 minutes per side. You can finish them in a 350 degree oven if they need it. Serve a simple salad of mixed baby greens tossed with olive oil lemon juice salt and pepper. On the side we had some mashed yukon golds with a buttery brocolli chop on top. The sauce on the plate is a maple dijon bbq sauce (which you cant see because its under the seitan). This was a good and fast dinner.

Dinner and A Birthday Cake

After hitting up the local farmers market and scoring some zucchini, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and greens I decided to make a little fry up with some of my favorite shaped pasta. Gemelli pasta are these little twisty knots reminiscent of a dumpling or thick noodle that holds sauce really well. Especially when the sauce is garlic and olive oil. The pasta part of this dish is good on its own, but with the addition of a ratatouille it really begins to transform into a hearty meal, instead of eating these things separately as Italians usually would. I am not claiming to be an expert on Italian food culture but I am pretty sure its sacrilegious to mix the pasta and anti-pasta into one. Thats alright by me though because I dont like religion anyways.

Gemelli Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Homemade Seitan Sausage

1/2 lb gemelli pasta
1 bunch brocolli rabe, rough chop
3-4 Seitan sausages, based on Julie Hasson's recipe
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
good glug of olive oil
salt + pepper
vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, optional

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about 7 minutes, then add brocolli rabe to blanch for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, get a large pan on medium heat and add olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic slowly, then add seitan sausages to get them nice and brown. When the pasta and brocolli rabe finish cooking remove them from the boiling water with a spider or slotted spoon and add to the pan with sausages. You want about a half a cup of that pasta water mixed in to make a sauce. Cook pasta in pan for 2 more minutes until all coated in the olive oil sauce. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and some vegan parmesan.



Ratatouille

Get out all them farmers market goods....

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 medium japanese eggplant, diced

1 can tomatoes in puree, preferably San Marzano

1-2 fresh tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, diced into large chunks

small bunch basil, chiffonade

olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic until tender. Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add zucchini. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes un-covered to allow concentration of flavors and to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, season to taste.

Based on this.


And here is an awesome cake. Compliments to the pastry chef kelsey with sous chef morimoto.

What is Fulton doing on that cake?