Review on Hazelnut-Crusted Sweet Chili Tofu

Thanks to a recipe post on Veg Portland I have found a new and awesome go to vegan cooking blog. Although I have never made anything other than the hazelnut crusted sweet chili tofu from Como Water, after browsing through the recipes it is sure to be a contender for my favorite cooking blog. This very quick and simple tofu recipe is packed full of a sweet, spicy, and nutty flavors...go figure the name says it all. I will be using this again and again on the nights I don't feel like cooking a big dinner.

This was the sweet chili sauce I used which I believe is a different sauce than the one featured in the recipe. Also In case you were wondering here is the recipe for the side I prepared to go with it. It paired quite nicely.



Steamed Collards and Kale


3 cups fresh collards roughly chopped (Or use your hands to tear)
3 cups fresh kale roughly chopped
1/4 cup water for steaming
1/3 cup nutrional yeast
1/3 cup almond slivers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt to taste

In a stock pot on medium low heat add the 1/4 cup water and the freshly washed greens. With toss occasionally until wilted. Add the nutritional yeast, almonds, garlic, and salt. Toss well and serve.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

A long while back a good friend of mine Kaleena made my family one of  these delicious cakes. So I have to thank her for giving me the idea of making it vegan. I have played around with a basic recipe a few times and have found a good way to make this cake cruelty free. It has a great balance of moistness and fluffiness. As well as having a crystallized cinnamon sugar coating.  I hope you enjoy this as much as my family.

Ingredients
 
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup organic sugar
1 tablespoon of butter for greasing your cake pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened vegan butter
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon.  Grease your bundt pan with a little butter then dust the entire inside of the pan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. I usually use about 1/3 off the mixture a good way to do this is to hold the pan over the sink and turn it to its side while spinning it slowly, this will get it more evenly coated.Save the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture and set everything aside.

In another small bowl mix together the milk and vinegar. Set it aside for about 10 minutes to let it curdle.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat just the butter on medium speed for one full minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade and add the brown sugar. Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture looks light brown and uniform in color. Add the milk mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the apple sauce. beat well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of  the cinnamon sugar mixture over top the cake. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 1 hour  before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. aside.

Mock Tuna Casserole

On my last grocery list I planned for a few casseroles because my twins just switched over to solids.  I want them to be able to enjoy dinner with us. I figured this would be a great way to do that since they still don't have all there teeth.

Ingridents:

4 tablespoons vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups re-hydrated TVP
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3-4 crumbled roasted seaweed sheets.
1/4 cup flour
2 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 box macaroni pasta 
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

1 cup French fried onions

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pasta in a medium sized soup pot. Heat 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a skillet. (I used my cast iron) and  add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes, until tender then add the TVP, soy sauce and crumbled seaweed.  Keep cooking for about 10 minuets mixing every so often. At this point the pasta should be done. Strain the pasta and set aside. In the same pot, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and whisk for a few minutes. It will get thick. Start adding the broth bit by bit, whisking all the while and bring to a boil. Add the milk little by little and continue to stir and simmer.  Add the mushroom/celery/onion mixture and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and pasta. Stir gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Uncover and spread French fried onions over the top and bake for another 5-6 minutes or so or until the top is browned and crispy.

Vegan "Chicken" Salad and Vegan Curried "Egg" Salad

I whipped up a large batch of both of these for the twins birthday party and even my parents who turn their noses up at my vegan food enjoyed them both. I practically had to force my mom to eat the curried "egg" salad made with tofu because she thinks she hates tofu.(I just feel that she hasn't had it prepared correctly) After she ate it she said she liked it better than the faux chicken salad...go figure.

"Chicken" Salad made from TVP

2 cups re-hydrated TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1/2 cup vegenaise
3/4 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped celer
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
salt n pepper to taste

Mix all together and refrigerate till ready to serve. Use less or more vegenaise if you prefer. Serve on whole wheat finger rolls for a party or normal bread for your everyday lunch.

Curried "Egg" Salad

1 lb firm pressed, drained, and crumbled tofu
1/2 cup vegenaise
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked potatoes (I used russet but any would work)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup almond slivers

Again mix all together and adjust vegenaise to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on bread of choice.

Jenni's Party Sangria

I just love making this when we have gatherings. It is really simple and always a hit. Personally I am a wine lover anyway so this is just a fun way to spice it up.

You will need

1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
12 oz any lemon lime soda
1 cup rum
1/2 cup orange juice
1 large bottle of Merlot

Slice your orange, lemon, and lime. Toss into your pitcher and add the soda, rum, juice, and wine. Mix and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit in your fridge for at least 24 hours. This helps all the flavors meld. Also the longer you let it sit the more fermented it gets. One time I made this for a girls night and had some left over and it was sitting in my fridge for three or four days. We had a friend come over to chill and watch movie and he got pretty drunk off this stuff. Good times!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Strawberry frosting and Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting

So these were Hadley's and Radley's First Birthday Cupcakes. My twins turned one on January 19th and we had there Birthday party yesterday. I must say they were both so yummy.

Hadley's Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Strawberry Frosting

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup non dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoon rum extract (I actually thought I was putting in strawberry extract but accidentally grabbed the rum, One of the best accidents I've made in a while.)
2 cups strawberries, chopped
   
Preheat oven to 350° F and line cupcake pans. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add applesauce. Combine the milk with the vinegar and let stand for ten minutes. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla into the margarine sugar mixture. Then add the flour mixture gradually. Mix in the strawberries. Fill the cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Frosting

1/2 cup vegan shortening
1/2 cup Earth Balance or vegan margarine
3-3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon strawberry extract

Cream together the shortening and butter for 3 minutes.  Add extract, cocoa powder, and  coconut milk then beat another 5-8 minutes.  Frost cooled cupcakes or cake.

Radley's Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan shortening
1 cup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Mix the milk and vinagar together and let sit for 10 minutes. Add graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, milk, shortening, apple sauce, and vanilla. Beat mixture with electric mixer on low until moistened, and then beat on medium for 2 minutes. Fill you cupcake pan 2/3 of the way full and bake for 25- 30 min.

Banana Frosting

1/2 cup vegan shortening
1/2 cup Earth Balance or vegan margarine
3-3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons banana extract

Cream together the shortening and butter for 3 minutes.  Add extract and  coconut milk then beat another 5-8 minutes.  Frost cooled cupcakes or cake.

This is a great base frosting. The coconut milk really helps to fluff up the frosting and since it does not have a strong coconut flavor it takes on the flavor of anything you add. If you do want a coconut flavor I would add coconut extract and some dried shredded  un-sweetened coconut.

Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing and Pizza Dough Bread Sticks

 I try to make all my sauces and dressings from scratch myself, in an attempt to eat less processed food. Often what I come up with taste better than anything you can buy on a store shelf. So to me it's worth the extra time and effort. Here is a pretty good dressing I like to use. It is really more of a summer dressing but I was craving it.


For the Dressing:

1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tea spoons cornstarch
1/2 cup soft tofu
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions: In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients except the tofu and sesame seeds. Bring mixture to a simmer or medium-high heat, stirring often until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring every so often to keep from getting gelatinous. In a small mixing bowl,beat the tofu with a whisk until creamy. Once the orange mixture is cool add to the tofu and whisk until blended well, then add the sesame seeds. I save all my jars and reuse them for dressing and sauces.


Pizza Dough Bread Sticks:

1 package of pizza dough. I usually use Trader Joe's or Pepe's
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garlic powder
nutritional yeast

Directions: Tear small pieces off  and roll them between your palms while pressing. Lay them out on a baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Bake according to package temperature until they are puffed up and golden.

For the salad I used and organic herb mix and tossed in whatever veggies I had at the time. I topped it with some grilled vegan chickn' cutlets that I cut in to strips. I'm not sure of the brand they were given to us from our friends who took a trip to New York and came back stocked up on vegan goodies. They were pretty tasty though