Kung Pao Tofu

I have been making this recipe since I became a vegetarian, and still make it now. I asked Chef Deb for a recipe for this after having it at Ellwood Thompson's. It is delicious and simple to prepare, serve it over rice. I bumped up the sauce and added more heat....1 tbsp. chili sauce instead of 1/4 tsp. I was fine with it but Chris was dying but he still ate it with 2 cups of milk XD. I forgot the peanuts but it was still delicious. Try this recipe!!!! In case anyone was wondering, the white plates, bowls, the glasses and the bamboo chopsticks are all available at the Dollar Tree.

Buffalo Wings and Sauteed Kale

Wow, these are really, really good. Chris and I love these. This includes a few different recipes. Here is the recipe for the Buffalo Wings themselves. Here is the recipe for the Tofu Chicken and a bonus recipe for vegan chicken nuggets. Here is the recipe for the Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing. I am going to use bottled blue cheese dressing. I have, however made the bleu cheez dressing with the jarred  fermented tofu from the Asian Grocer and it is really frickin' awesome. If you don't have an Asian Grocer near you and you want to make the vegan bleu cheez dressing and you don't have miso as called for in Deb's recipe, try this this recipe. Remember that you need to freeze the tofu the night before to make it more "meat-like". I usually use firm tofu for this. I use egg and milk in this recipe instead of the Ener-g and soy milk. I usually cut my tofu into 8 vertical slabs, cut your tofu in half, then stack and cut into 4 vertical sticks. I have never tried this with seitan, but that will be my next endeavor. To make your own "Chick'n Broth Powder" use this recipe, I use this instead of buying the pre-made stuff and Nutritional Yeast is pretty cheap.

This is not my photo ^  http://www.sptsb.com/max.htm owns this photo. This is what you are looking for if you want to make your own bleu cheez dressing.

I made sauteed kale with red kale from my garden, which weirdly enough came up with dormant seeds. This is the recipe I used and it was very delicious although cleaning the greens was labor intensive. I skipped the onion in this recipe because I am out.

Saag Paneer/Palak Paneer

I have been wanting to try this for years, and I am just now getting around to trying it out. Cheese and spicy spinach in a cream sauce, how can you go wrong? I have read about this and was determined to make it, I was even going to attempt to make my own Paneer (which I have read is simple to do), but Chris and I went into Richmond and to the Indian Grocer and I got not one but two packages of Paneer (by mistake, they were stuck together) so I just hope that both of us like Paneer If you are vegan, use soy creamer or soy sour cream thinned out with soy milk and tofu. I decided to go with this recipe from Show Me The Curry. I also decided to go with sour cream instead of the whipping cream called for to save calories. I am using reduced fat paneer that I got from Laxmi  Palace (Indian Grocer). This seems like an easy enough recipe, we are eating the curry without chapatis or rice.

So how was it? OH my goodness, it is amazing! Now I am glad that I accidentally picked up two packs of Paneer! Spicy, creamy deliciousness! The Paneer was chewy cheesy deliciousness. This recipe was very authentic and tasted like something I would get from an upscale Indian Restaurant. Make sure that you soak the Paneer after you fry it, it makes it softer, and lightly squeeze the water out.

Vegan Chicken in Garlic Sauce and Homemade Chili Garlic Sauce

This is one of Chris's favorite recipes. I will attempt to make this with some Morningstar Chick'n Strips. I have decided to try out this recipe which is from Tigers & Strawberries. Chris says that the way his mom gets the restaurant to make it is with water chestnuts only. I hope that this tastes somewhat close to what he is remembering.

He loved it, it is now one of his favorites! Slightly hot and slightly sour from the chili garlic sauce and vinegar, this dish has lots of flavor. He keeps telling me how much he liked it, and we are even making this recipe for his mom's birthday.

I made some Vietnamese Chili Garlic Sauce today and since I almost used all of mine up and I had some Thai Chilies to use up. I used this recipe except I cooked mine for about 30 minutes.

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

This is a solid recipe and it is easy to prepare.They are hearty and filling, my husband who eats beef loves these and asks for them, however I have stopped making them until today. Last night I was up and I made rice for these and my husband just had to know what the rice was for, I wanted it to be a surprise since he loves them but he said that he hates surprises and I had to tell him :P  I guess you just try other recipes and forget about the tried and true ones. Not that I will stop trying new ones because you find new tastes and textures that you love and I don't want to get into a food rut. Sometimes you just have to come back to the favorites, your comfort food. These do not need cheese on top but add it if you like. I have made these with tomato sauce and cumin and cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard. Here is my alternate recipe.


Vegan Stuffed Peppers

2 green bell peppers
1 very small onion or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. defrosted Boca or Morningstar Burger Crumbles
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 tbsp. oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. mustard or Dijon Mustard
1/4-1/2 tsp. cumin or to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste

Cut your peppers in half and remove seeds. Fill a large wide mouthed skillet with water and par-boil the peppers until they are bright green or dark green as I accidentally did. OOPS. Set aside. Saute your garlic and onions in the oil over medium to medium high heat until softened. Add burger crumbles, tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, cumin and rice. Simmer until the burger crumbles are cooked. Your sauce should be thick. Add the mustard and ketchup. Taste and add more mustard or ketchup to taste.Spoon the mixture evenly into the pepper shells and place in a 9"x9" pan. Cook at 350 degrees until peppers are soft and filling is browned. Enjoy.

Tilapia Fish Curry and new Chai Tea

I was going to get the Pom Fret from Tan-A, but decided to just go with some Tilapia fillets that I already have and Chris loves Tilapia. This recipe looks particularly delicious. I have to admit that making this recipe scares me a little because I am afraid that I will overcook the fish. Otherwise the recipe sounds fairly easy to make and it sounds very flavorful. Chris and I have been wanting to make a fish curry since we saw it on Bizarre Foods, of  all places. I was not impressed with this recipe and I followed it exactly. Chris liked it though.

I found cinnamon sticks in the spice aisle at the local Dollar Tree and if you are lucky, you will have an Indian Grocer nearby. I went to Laxmi Palace, which is on Old Parham Road in the West End of Richmond near the Tropical Smoothie. I found cheap spices like Garam Masala, Cloves, Fenugreek Seeds, etc. I got some Paneer (low-fat too so this means Saag Paneer soon :o)), dried Kokams, they had some popped Sorghum which I saw on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, tons of rice, lots of fresh veggies (a lot of the same vegetables that Tan-A has), ready to eat foods, dal, chick peas, flat breads....If you get the chance to go by there, check it out. The clerks in the store are very polite and helpful. In the same strip mall there is Indian Pastry House with the best samosas I have ever had and a delicious melt in your mouth Irish Cake (they also have other flavors and they can make wedding and birthday cakes). Chris tried the popped Sorghum and he did not like it, but I thought that it tasted like popcorn, but nuttier.

Here is a picture of the Chai Tea I picked up from Laxmi Palace and quite a deal at $3.79 a package.I am making some Chai Tea today and I will let you know how I like this tea. Here is a link to purchase it if you don't have an Indian Grocer near you and you would like to try it. As I have stated before, I love Stash Chai, Bigelow Vanilla Chai and Celestial Seasoning Bengal Spice and Chai and those are usually available at most stores, but use your favorite. Chris and I both liked the tea, it isn't quite as strong as Stash, but still good and definitely the better deal.

Below are pictures of my fraidycat, Kimmie.

Veggie Potstickers

Chris and I love Veggie Potstickers. I was looking online for some dim sum recipes and I found this recipe, by  The Vegan Mouse which sounds simple and as an added bonus I have all of the ingredients on hand except for the Dark Mushroom Soy Sauce, which if you are on my Facebook you will know broke because the stupid bar that holds condiments in the door of the refrigerator came loose and the dark soy sauce shattered and oops-a-daisy, soy sauce all over the floor XD......And celery which I hate anyway and I am going to leave out. I am going to make this sauce recipe to go with them. I will be steaming my potstickers for about 10-12 minutes in my bamboo steamer. Below are the dumpling wrappers and the mixture before it went into the dumplings. I am getting Chris to help me with making these. LOL, I ended up making them. Make sure to line your steamer with cabbage leaves or spray with no-stick cooking spray so these don't stick. Bring a soup pot of water to a boil and sit your steamer filled with dumplings on top. The smell of the bamboo will be amazing! Chris was washing dishes (in the background). The verdict: delicious! They went great with the sauce.

Spicy Eggplant (with Rice)

I made this recipe, and this is such a good recipe. It comes from The Catskill Kiwi. Simple to make, not a lot of ingredients and delicious. Chris doesn't even really like eggplants so the first time I made this I kept putting it off. I happen to love eggplants, not just because they happen to be purple (my favorite color),  but also because they are meaty and filling. I finally made it and he sat down to eat it and I was expecting him to say that he hated it. He loved it and said that he wished there was more of it! The only thing I do different is to make it with about 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I also double the sauce and serve it over cooked long grain rice. My local grocery store does not carry Japanese Eggplant so I get them at the Asian Grocer (Tan-A) along with the five spice powder. Make sure you take the time to properly brown the eggplant on both sides. I like serving it with rice to absorb the sauce, I like it better with long grain white rice. I served this today with brown rice.

Swordfish with Avocado Butter

Oh Em Gee this is the best ever recipe for Swordfish. I get the Swordfish from Kroger and they get it frozen therefore it is cheaper per pound than if you bought it fresh from your fishmonger (compare $7.99 a pound to $16.99 a pound). I like the thinner cut steaks personally. I cook my fish on grill and not in the broiler. I am sure that it is better this way because to me, everything tastes better grilled. Chris loves to cook on the grill for me so he will take any chance that he can to cook on the grill. We like to use the Mesquite Briquettes, but use your favorite. The Avocado Butter goes perfectly with the Swordfish. If you are thinking about not making the Avocado Butter, please do. The fish tastes so much better with it. Make sure not to overcook your fish, or undercook it. Keep in mind that Swordfish does not flake when done, you have to go by the color of the fish to tell if it is done or not. I don't think that the meat of the fish tastes "fishy", but the skin does so you may want to remove it or give it to the cat. I usually serve this with some grilled vegetable kebabs, however today I will be serving them with leftover macaroni and cheese....I meant to get some artichokes but I didn't get around to it, I know I am a punk :P

Chili and Cornbread

BRR! 12" of snow fell on the ground here, and the temperatures are under freezing.  With all of this cold weather, I decided to make a pot of chili, based loosely on this recipe as I will be making it with what we have on hand. I love this recipe for cornbread. It is sweet and delicious. It is unlike any cornbread I have ever had and it is the only recipe I use now. Again, I love to use shortening in this cornbread recipe and cookie recipes but if you like to use butter or margarine, feel free to substitute. I usually use applesauce as the egg replacer in the cornbread but alas I am out  of applesauce so I am using homemade Ener-G egg replacer, which worked awesome in this recipe. I even used some whole wheat flour in the cornbread recipe and it was still tender and so yummy. If you want to make your own Ener-G, click here for that, and a list of other egg replacers from Chef Deb and applications for them. Here is the recipe that I made for the chili, with cheap-o stuff I happened to have and the measurements on the herbs/spices are approximates. This chili is delicious, cheap and filling. I will definitely be making it again and again.

Black Bean and Kidney Bean Chili

1 tbsp. oil 

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 ounce) can of dark red kidney beans, undrained

1 (14 ounce) can of black beans, undrained

1/2-1 tsp. cumin

1/2-1 tsp. onion powder

1/2-1 tsp. oregano

1/2-1 tsp. paprika

1/2-1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. sage

1 (14 ounce) chopped tomatoes with chilies, undrained

Place the oil in a large stock pot, cook garlic over medium for about 1 minute, add the onions and cook until translucent. Maybe about 3-5 minutes.  Add all other ingredients, along with 2 cans water. Cook about 30-45 minutes over a low simmer. Enjoy.

Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

I was looking online for udon noodle recipes that were spicy and I came upon this recipe , I am making it however without meat and using tofu instead, I also had no bean sprouts so I also left them out, along with the chili oil, which I subbed out with some garlic pepper sauce. I subbed out the almond butter for peanut butter and left out the vinegar. It is spicy, with a hint of ginger. I really enjoyed it. Here is the recipe that I made....

 Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

• 2 sleeves prepared udon noodles
  
• 1 tbsp. garlic pepper sauce
  
• 4 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 lime, juiced (one tbsp.)
  
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. sesame seed oil
  
• 2 tsp. dry ginger
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. sesame seed oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
• 1 Tbs sesame seeds
  

Combine ingredients from Teriyaki Sauce to crushed red pepper in a small bowl.
Cook 2 sleeves udon in boiling water for 8 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine sesame seed oil and vegetable oil.
 If you happen to have some tofu, cut into triangles and cook on medium until browned on both sides.

Saute garlic cloves in oil mixture

Add your carrots and the Napa cabbage, stir fry on medium high until lightly wilted.
Add your noodles.

Mix in sauce and half of the chopped cilantro.
Serve with tofu and garnish with remaining cilantro and sesame seeds.

Cheap-o Night: Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce with Penne and Tomato Basil Bread

Chris loves this bread but I have only made it once for him. The time we had it before we loved it so much we vowed to not make it again, it is that good. We kept nibbling on it all night. As a surprise and because we happen to have the ingredients on hand I made it again. I did not have dried onion flakes so I made mine with onion powder, and I used fresh basil as I did not have dried on hand. To make vegan, use powdered soy milk or go with 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp warm soy milk (leave out the water if you go with this option). I used a whole package of yeast in this recipe and hand kneaded it. That means I let it rise the first time 1 1/2 hours and 1-1 1/2 hours once it is in the bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees F until loaf is golden and sounds hollowed when tapped.

 

I think that I have mentioned this recipe for Tomato Basil Pizza Sauce and I liked it so much I decided to make it again for pasta. I used 16 ounces of tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes, also I added oregano and sugar to my recipe. I doubled the recipe to use later in the week for more pasta and pizza ;)

 

Totally cheap and homemade, with fresh ingredients....Italian Night. From scratch and you probably have all of these ingredients laying around your home and it doesn't taste "cheap". Enjoy!

Little Wieners to love.....

Smokey Little Wieners and the people who love them on the next Geraldo....LOL, just kidding. Seriously though, these cocktail wienies rock. When I found this recipe for Little Wieners, I knew I had to try it. It is a recipe for "cocktail wieners" or "Lil' Smokies". I finally made it today, and it was fairly simple to make. I also made the BBQ sauce to go with the little wienies which was very hot and spicy, Chris loved these recipes and he kept saying how hot the sauce was but he kept coming back for more ;P I think that I will cut back on some of the heat of this BBQ sauce the next time that I make it. The most tedious part of the recipe is actually rolling the little wieners up, candy style, in aluminum foil. I love that the seitan is steamed in this recipe and the texture is better than most homemade seitans that I have made. I know that I will make this recipe again, and make the other seitan goodies listed on the website, including the brats. I don't think that I will be buying any pre-made wienies anymore. While I worked on these recipes, I helped Chris make some spring rolls and I made some Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce which IMO is so much better tasting than the sauce you get at Pho. We used bean sprouts, napa cabbage, shredded carrots, green onion, rice vermicelli, mint and cilantro in our spring rolls however use what you like. More on those in posts later on this week including photos.

Saucy spicy goodness.