RFD's Faux Turkey Breast w/ Mushroom Gravy & Steamed Veggies w/ Diz's Sage "Butter" Sauce

Real Food Daily is my favorite place to eat...
And I don't mean just in the L.A. area, I mean in the whole WORLD! Ann Gentry is such an inspiration for me and always amazes me with all the creative bi-weekly specials at her eateries. She incorporates mostly macrobiotic aspects of healing through food in her meals and of course, as with the strict law of macrobiotics, she makes use of all the organic seasonal items around our area. It is just absolutely amazing what she comes up with! Tonight, I made her faux turkey that I love so much in the fall (no worries, still within macrobiotic rules!) and added a side of steamed broccoli and a very light drizzle of my very own sage "butter" sauce.

Diz's Sage "Butter" Sauce:

2 t. Earth Balance Margarine
1 t. Extra Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of rubbed sage
dash of fresh ground black pepper

Squashy Casserole & Carrot-Parsnip Mash

Trying to get back on a strict diet once again...
We had a great time in Denver, CO! Spent lots of time with wonderful relatives and had plenty of good times exploring the rocky terrain and having pleasant conversations over a glass of wine...if only those days could've been a bit longer!

Squashy Casserole:
(No exact measurements)

2 medium-sized mexican squash, sliced
2 medium-sized zucchinis, sliced
2 crookneck squash, sliced
chopped sweet onion
1 T. earth balance margarine
4 pieces of lightly toasted sesame Ezekiel bread, cut into cubes
about a 1/2 c. unsweetened soymilk
shredded soy cheese
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. paprika
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sautee squash and onions in a large skillet with the melted earth balance over medium heat until soft. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a foil-lined loaf pan and plop into tthe oven for about 35-45 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Carrot-Parsnip Mash:

6 carrots, peeled, cubed
2 large parsnips, peeled, cubed
1 T. earth balance margarine (use more if desired)

In a steamer (I use the steam basket that came with my rice cooker), steam carrots and parsnips until they are very tender, but not excessively mooshy. Place them in a bowl and mash with the margarine until they're as smashed as you like them. Serve immedietely!

Linguine w/ Mushroom Garlic Sauce & Roasted Asparagus w/ Lemon Thyme

Just a simple dinner kicked up with a little bit of fresh lemon thyme from the garden...
Super easy dish to make on a day that you just have better things to do other than slave over a fancy meal in the kitchen. I didn't have any lemon handy so I thought that using lemon thyme would be a clever way to impart the wonderful zing that lemon gives to roasted asparagus. A great choice indeed!

Linguine w/ Mushroom Garlic Sauce:

1/2 lbs. linguine, boiled and drained
3 T. Earth Balance Margarine
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 basil, dried
pinch of salt and pepper
1 T. extra light virgin olive oil
1 T. parsley, dried

Melt margarine in a large skillet, add garlic and saute for a minute. Add mushrooms, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until mushrooms are tender, then add the oil, and toss in the pasta. Serve hot!

Roasted Asparagus w/ Lemon Thyme:

1 bunch of asparagus, rinsed well, hard bottoms cut off
1 juicy clove of garlic, sliced in half
1-2 t. olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon thyme, chopped to bits
a few dashes of dried thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.
On a small cookie sheet lined with foil, take the halved garlic pieces and smash them hard against the sheet, rubbing it's juices thoroughly over the entire surface (I reserve the smashed garlic to add to my other dish). Spraying a bit of olive oil on the foil can help the process along a bit. Place spears in a single layer then drizzle with oil, sprinkle with lemon thyme, add a few dashes of dried thyme, add salt and pepper to taste. Coat the spears thoroughly and place in the oven for about 20 minutes, checking them once to turn slightly. These are so good that they still taste amazing right out of the fridge!

Tofu, Broccoli, & Peanut Sauce

So I guess this is starting off as "Chinese" week...
Just so happens that's what I've stocked my fridge to produce. Tonight's dish was adapted from Carol Bullock's (from 'Zaar) "Tofu and Broccoli with Peanut Sauce" recipe.
I made a few changes to make it lower sodium and lower fat, but other than that, it's pretty much the same.

Tofu, Broccoli, & Peanut Sauce:

Sauce:
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. hot water
1/8 c. apple cider vinegar
1 T. low-sodium tamari
1 T. molasses
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Saute:
1/2 lbs. fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
2 T. expeller-pressed canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lbs. tofu, cut into small cubes
dash of salt (optional)
1 c. onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. peanuts (raw or roasted)
1-2 T. low-sodium tamari

For the sauce:
In a small saucepan, whisk together peanut butter and hot water until well incorporated, then add the rest of the ingredients, stir well, keep warm, and set aside.

For the Saute:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add tofu and half of the garlic and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, add the tofu to the peanut sauce pan, stir. Using the same large skillet, add remaining oil, onions, and broccoli, quickly stir-fry until lightly cooked. Add the rest of the saute ingredients and cook another minute, add the peanut sauce/tofu mixture and lightly toss until all is mixed. Serve hot over rice.

Mixed-Up Lentil Loaf & Stuffed Mustard Green Pouches

Okay, so not the best meal ever...
But it was REALLY healthy! As you can see by the list of ingredients, this loaf was a way to use up stuff I had in the pantry--it's taste is somewhere in between my Diz loaf (one of Dane's favorites), a traditional lentil loaf, and RFD's tempeh loaf. The idea for the stuffed greens came from somewhere in one of the many vegan forums that I browse periodically. You HAVE to like mustard greens in order to enjoy this dish! I found it to be pretty tasty for being what it was, but Dane immediately suggested that I start some type of rating for my food, like "Dane stars" or something--he said he gave it a 2 for creativity, but said the taste was "eh"--and it's not very often that he takes a breath in between bites!

Mixed-Up Lentil Loaf:
(no exact measurements)

cooked lentils, slightly mashed
rolled oats (oatmeal)
corn flakes, crumbled
carrot, diced
celery, diced
onion, chopped
white wheat flour
tomato sauce
bread crumbs
pecans
vegetable broth
nutritional yeast
yellow miso
cayenne
dark sesame oil
chili oil
ketchup
dash each of:
oregano, thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning, pepper

Saute carrots, celery, and onion. Mix with all other ingredients while lentils are still hot. Plop in the oven at 350 F uncovered in a greased loaf pan for 30-40 minutes. Loaf is ready when tapping on the crusty surface sounds like it's kinda hollow. Slice and serve.

Stuffed Mustard Green Pouches:
(no exact measurements)

mustard greens, blanched

Filling:
vegetable medley rice, cooked
veggie crumbles
Bragg's liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)
dash each of:
red chili pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt.

Sauce:
tomato sauce
plain soy milk
Dijon mustard
pinch of arrowroot
onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Make sauce in a small saucepan, keeping warm until ready to serve.
Place a spoonful of filling in each mustard green and wrap and tuck in edges, making a little pouch. Spoon a tiny dribble of sauce over each pouch.

"Tuna" Noodle Casserole & Deviled Carrots

It's been years since I had (or could eat) this dish...
Time to make a version that I can DEVOUR!!! Muahahahaha! Okay, now seriously--I was having a craving for foods that I used to enjoy when I was a little girl, and of course, my mind landed on this particular comfort dish and wouldn't budge. I used to be a BIG fan of the little Stouffer's frozen tuna noodle casserole, even though it grosses me out now to think about the mystery fish that was lurking in between the noodles, 3 slices of mushroom, and slathered cream sauce--but it was oh so good!
I decided to pair this mellow, creamy dish with a spicy carrot side (original recipe found by Jessica K located here). Anything spicy (or covered in "cheese") will always make Dane happy!

"Tuna" Noodle Casserole:

1/2 package of Fusilli, cooked
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c. celery, sliced thin
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. frozen baby peas
2 T. Earth Balance margarine
1 c. unsweetened soymilk
1 T. arrowroot powder
a dollop each of veganaise and vegetable broth
cubed tofu, as much as you want
2 c. crushed corn flakes
soy cheese
garlic powder
thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a skillet, melt margarine, saute onions and celery until soft. Add the mushrooms, peas, and let cook while you make a slurry with the soy milk and arrowroot. Add this slurry to the mixture and add veganaise and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir in as much soy cheese and tofu as you want, add spices to taste. Pour into a foil-lined 9x13 dish and cover with corn flakes. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, 375 for 10. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing.

"Chicken" Stuffed Poblanos

Dane and I went to Grand Central Market yesterday...
Talk about a crazy experience! The hustle-bustle of a large crowd of people amongst the brightly colored stands of the now hispanic market replaces the old-timey original market built back in 1917. Not necessarily a bad thing because I really enjoyed looking (and purchasing) all the cool and unique beans that were sold at a particular stand towards the center--the nice man even threw me handful of free, fresh bay leaves with my purchase! I told Dane to pick out something he'd like me to experiment with, to which he picked out a few Poblano chiles--strange, but I don't think I've ever had one knowingly, and they're not uncommon. So, today I did some research on how to prepare these mild chiles and found that they are usually stuffed with rice or made into soup. 'Zaar helped me come up with the final decision on the preperation of this dish. PaulaG's non-vegan recipe was the greatest influence of them all. I'm going to take the Diz approach here and turn this rice-stuffed, deep-fried dish into something a little less cumbersome--soy "chicken" and cheese stuffed goodness laced with the earthiness of shroomies and the sweetness of tomatoes--all over a bed of saffron rice!

"Chicken" Stuffed Poblanos:

3 Poblano chiles, medium-sized (sliced from stem to tip, seeded, membrane removed)
1 T. olive oil (plus a tiny bit more to rub chiles)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. soy "chicken" tenders, diced
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1/2 c. tomatoes, diced
a pinch each of:
paprika
cayenne
onion powder
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
soy cheese

Preheat oven to 35o F.
In a skillet, saute onions until translucent, add garlic, "chicken", mushrooms, and tomatoes. Stir. Cook for a few minutes until mushrooms have softened and the tomato juices are well incorporated into the mixture. Set aside. In a loaf pan lined with foil (soy cheese can mess up non-stick surfaces when baked for too long), spread a tiny bit of olive oil on the bottom, use this oil to rub onto the outside of each chile. Stuff with mixture and top with cheese. Bake covered for 30-35 minutes, 10-15 minutes uncovered. Serve with hot rice.

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup, Potato & Eggplant Soup Dippers, and Sauteed Radishes

Every Wednesday...
I go to a farmer's market held over on the boundaries of Culver City and Westchester. Here, they have a hippie stand at the corner flashing peace signs to sell patchouli, the plant man down the way sells hardy little plants 6 for $5 and doesn't hesitate to give you gardening advice, the little Asian woman at the smallest stand sells gigantic sweet onions for seventy-five cents a pound, and the California citrus spill over almost every produce stand. I love to support a particular organics stand that has a very nice man that saves "top-off" greens for my bunny. Somehow, he manages to keep a smile on his face every time I see him even though I know that staffing an entire stand by himself must be overwhelming! This is the same stand where I buy my carrots, broccoli, green beans, and especially the little Indian eggplants only they carry on the strip. Radishes have been a a big thing the past few weeks at the market, so I decided to make something that screamed "Farmer's Market Supporter" this evening. I had an abundance of carrots, resulting in the formulation of a new carrot soup. I got the idea of using those cute little eggplants and purple potatoes as soup dippers (kinda like oyster crackers) because I didn't have any bread or crackers lying around and the thought of kneading bread seemed too strenuous. The radishes, well, they're radishes, but they are particularly tasty this evening!

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup:

3 large carrots, peeled, sliced thin
1/2 c. sweet onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced thin
2 T. Smart Balance Light margarine
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth (low-sodium is a plus)
1/2 t. ginger paste
1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk
1/2 T. arrowroot powder
1/4 t. cumin powder
1/8 t. cayenne
a few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

In a medium pot, melt margarine, add carrots, onion, and celery. Saute until soft. Spoon mixture into a food processor and add about a 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth and blend until you get a nice thick paste. Return mixture to the pot and add in the rest of the vegetable broth. Add ginger paste, stir. In a bowl, mix together the arrowroot and the soy milk. Add to the pot along with the cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. Soup will thicken as it sits.

Potato & Eggplant Soup Dippers:

Purple Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
Indian Eggplant, salted, rinsed, and blotted, sliced 1/4" thick
a sprinkling each of:
cumin, cayenne, onion, garlic, black pepper
expeller-pressed cooking oil spray

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with oil. Lightly sprinkle spices on the oil and place potatoes and eggplants in a single layer. Lightly spray the tops with oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until desired crispness.

Sauteed Radishes:

1 bunch of radishes, cleaned and halved
1 T. Smart Balance Light margarine

In a little pan, melt margarine and add the radishes. Saute until slightly tender and golden.

BBQ Tofu Cutlets & Spicy Collard Greens

Mmm Mmm, Barbecue--without contributing to cruel factory farming practices and the hassle of starting up a grill...
You could definitely replace the tofu cutlets with a vegan meat, but I really wanted to cut back on my sodium and fat intake today. Eclectic Americana week has been delicious but has also made me realize how much healthier I eat now that I'm vegan. I don't have to worry about clogging my arteries with saturated or trans fats, and overall, oil and fat consumption has dropped dramatically. I use a lot more veggies and spices in my cooking, and am constantly impressed with the variety of dishes I bring to the table. This week's cooking had subtle spice contributions, like most American cooking, so I can't wait to break into my spice rack(s) again next week! I highly recomend this dish be served with a side of vegan baked beans.

BBQ Tofu Cutlets:

1 package of firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, sliced
vegan barbecue sauce (I used hickory smoke)
onion powder
garlic powder
black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place sliced tofu onto a cookie sheet lined with napkins to absorb excess moisture. Blot, and sprinkle with garlic, onion, and pepper. Brush barbecue sauce onto each "cutlet" and place sauce side down onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bush with more barbecue sauce. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until tofu has slightly dried out. (Marinating the tofu overnight or for at least a few hours makes the cutlets tastier, but when pressed for time, brushing sauce on right before baking still has good results.)

Spicy Collard Greens:

collard greens, tough stems removed and cut into strips
fresh, minced garlic
cayenne
paprika
salt (optional)
black pepper
red chili pepper flakes
splash of vegetable broth
olive oil

With a tiny bit of olive oil in a skillet, add garlic and saute collards until slightly wilted. Add the rest of the ingredients (to liking) and cook until desired tenderness.

Mini "Beef" Pot Pies & "Roasted" Cauliflower w/ Garlic

Just when you thought that being vegan, you'd never be able to have one of these again...
I pop them in my oven and let the yumminess waft down my apartment complex corridors. I was incredibly satisfied with the way these pot pies turned out. I've made pot pies once before, but they were just veggie pot pies and even though they turned out good, I don't think they were nearly as tasty! The filling was made up of whatever I had available, and the crust was a recipe from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet that I modified slightly for health reasons. The roasted cauliflower dish was inspired by Rita L of 'Zaar, but the recipe's ingredient measurements and cooking procedures were changed to be more mild in taste, healthier, and less time consuming. Sauteing the cauliflower on high heat before placing in the oven gives the florets a nice "roasted" look, without taking forever. I just plop them in the oven with what I'm baking after sauteing.

Mini "Beef" Pot Pies:
Servings: 6

Filling:
1 t. olive oil
1/4 c. carrots, peeled and diced
1/4 c. sweet onions, chopped
1/4 c. potatoes, diced
1/2 c. frozen petite peas
4 vegan steak strips, diced
1 t. vegan beef bouillon
2/3 c. water
2 t. arrowroot powder
black pepper, to taste

Pie Crust:
1/4 c. white wheat flour
1 c. unbleached flour
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. 50/50 mixture of Smart Balance Light and corn oil
3 T. ice cold water

Mix the arrowroot with the water and set aside. In a skillet on medium heat, add oil, saute the carrots, potatoes, and onions until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add diced vegan beef steak strips, saute for a minute, then add in frozen peas, vegan beef base, pepper, and the arrowroot/water mixture. Bring to a soft boil, then turn down to low. Let simmer for a couple minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, and rub in the 50/50 mixture. Once crumby, add the cold water and mix until a dry dough forms. Dough should not be too wet, or too dry, but it should be very firm. Divide into 12 little balls. (I don't like rolling the dough out, since I feel like it's a waste of time. I just flatten the balls in my palms until they look like they are the right size.) Place 6 dough rounds into a lightly sprayed, 6 piece muffin tin for the bottoms of your pot pie. Use your fingers to smoosh the dough up the sides until there is a bit hanging over the rim. Place a spoonful of filling into each shell. Top with the remaining 6 dough rounds--use a fork to seal the edges. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until tops are golden.

"Roasted" Cauliflower w/ Garlic

1 head of cauliflower, cut up, tough stem removed
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 t. dried rosemary
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
splash of water

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add olive oil and garlic, saute for about a minute. Add cauliflower, saute for about 3 minutes. When the florets start to get a little golden, add rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir. Add a splash of water and let simmer off for a minute or so (water is necessary for doneness--it creates a steaming action). Place the mixture into a baking dish and place in the oven with the pot pies. Cauliflower is ready when the pies are!

Chicken 'n Dumplings & Southern-Style Lima Beans

A tasty Southern comfort dish turned Vegan...
This recipe was the result of a bit of recipe researching. I have used a lot of vegan recipes, but I'm usually not satisfied with the way certain dishes turn out after the recipe has been veganized--I tend to tweak it every time. I have learned to experiment with animal-free products quite well. The biggest mistake people make when converting recipes is assuming that a 1:1 ratio on ingredients will suffice. This is usually NOT the case--other additions must be made to retain a pleasant consistency.
Tonight's dinner was an experimentation on how close to authentic I could make one of my childhood favorites. Using poultry seasoning is the secret to its success!

Chicken 'n Dumplings:

Soup:
8 c. water
4 t. vegan chicken base (adjust to to taste, all brands are different)
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. black pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 tsp. non-hydrogenated margarine
5-6 strips of vegan chicken strips, diced (optional)

Dumplings:
3 c. unbleached flour -or- 1/2 c. King Arthur's white wheat flour plus 2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/3 t. salt
1/2 c. non-hydrogenated margarine -or- 1/4 c. plus 1/8 c. smart balance light and 1/8 cup vegetable shortening
1 Ener-G egg replacer
1 c. vegan chicken broth (reserved from the total amount of liquid above)

In a large pot on medium heat, melt the margarine, add in the onions and celery and saute until soft. Add water and vegan chicken base and turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir to mix well, scoop out a cup of broth for the dumplings (try to avoid the celery and onion bits) and set aside to cool. Add the carrots to the broth and bring the heat down to a simmer and cover while preparing dumplings.
For the dumplings:
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub the margarine/shortening into the flour mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Thoroughly stir in the "egg" and the vegan chicken broth. Once combined, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly, until smooth. Add more flour if needed to make the right consistency for a dough. Roll out the dough to 1/8" inch-thick. Cut into strips about 1" x 1" in size.
Uncover the broth pot and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings in a few at a time, occasionally stirring so that none stick to the bottom. Add diced chicken strips now, if using. Simmer down for about 30-45 minutes. Soup will thicken.

Southern-Style Lima Beans:

10 oz. package of frozen baby Lima beans
1 t. non-hydrogenated margarine
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 t. liquid smoke (I like natural mesquite)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. pepper
salt (to taste)

Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic, saute for a minute, then add water, liquid smoke, pepper, and salt. Lower to a simmer and cover. Should be ready in about a half hour.