Monday, October 6, 2008

Vegan MoFo Day 6: Magic Powders

This week's DIY challenge is homemade tortillas. I have been reading up on directions from Rick Bayless' Authentic Mexican, and last night I bought a wooden tortilla press from the La Hacienda mercado on Nolensville Road. The cashier was amused, but I will show him!

Hopefully, I will get to the tortillas tonight, but I doubt I will have time to finish the blog post until tomorrow. Thus, I bring you this filler post to keep the MoFo going:

When you go veg*n, your pantry begins to morph, with previously unknown ingredients becoming staples. Here are four homemade mixtures which I cannot live without:

1. Vegan Parmesan from Joanna Vaught's Yellow Rose Recipes. Quite simply the best - and so easy! I always make a double batch. Don't bother buying the crap from the health food store. It is incredible on pasta - and udon noodles!

2. Country-Style Seasoning from The Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook. This is a delicious noochy-herby seasoning mix that is great in gravies and anything savory. I find myself throwing it in everything. Sometimes I rub it on vegetables (e.g. summer squash) with a little olive oil and roast them in the oven.

3. Bryanna's chicken-style broth powder. If you detect a nutritional yeast theme in this post, you might be right. The broth powder is so handy for last minute soups.

4. The American Heart Association's salt-free herb mix. I found this recipe over 20 years ago in Jane Brody's Good Food Book and have kept a jar of it in my pantry ever since. As the AHA has distributed this recipe widely, and it is posted all over the internet, I don't feel reserved about giving it to you here. Obviously, all the herbs are dried:

1 T. garlic powder
1 t. basil
1 t. thyme
1 t. parsley
1 t. savory
1 t. mace
1 t. onion powder
1 t. black pepper
1 t. sage
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Put everything in your blender, and grind until uniform and well-combined.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am making that healthy heart mix stuff for my dad tonight as he loves salt and is on strict doc's orders not to eat any. he is old and ornery so it might take some convincing but this is what i've been looking for. i will show that old man what is what!

anyway, thank you and i love your blog! found it through veganmofo! i am doing it too and it's a lot of fun/VERY STRESSFUL!