The I-40 Kitchen

Best of My MoFo 2011 & Bonus Rye Biscuits

2011-10-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

Another MoFo (this blog's fourth) draws to a close. There are many recipes I thought of making this month, yet didn't get to. Perhaps I will surprise y'all and post at a non-MoFo time of year... maybe a run up to Christmas with items like blackberry jam cake with caramel icing? We'll see what the future holds.

At first, I intended to use this post to list my favorite 5 recipes from other MoFo blogs, but I haven't had a chance to read many other blogs this month, much less cook any of the recipes! I guess that is what I'll do in November. So, just for fun, I'll give you my top 5 from this past month of nostalgic experimentation here at The I-40 Kitchen:

1. Sausage Balls
2. Squash Mold
3. Fried Okra, Green Tomatoes, and Tofu
4. Coconut Cake
5. Party Rolls

As a little bonus, here are some lovely rye biscuits adapted from The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery. I suspect these biscuits were inspired by the flavors of old-timey Rye & Indian Bread, which you can see over at the Panda with Cookie blog.

1 c all purpose flour

1 c rye flour

1/2 c cornmeal

1 t salt

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

3 T vegan shortening

1 scant cup nondairy milk + 1 t cider vinegar

Mix together the dry ingredients and cut in the shortening. Add the milk + vinegar, and stir with a fork until it just comes together. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into biscuits. Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes.

Thanks for hanging out with me this month!

Vegan MoFo Day 31: Stack Pie: An Educational Post

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Stack Pie, at least in my experience, comes in two major forms:

Form A: Make a bunch of pies, preferably a bit smaller/thinner than usual. Don't leave much crust sticking up above the filling. Chess or pumpkin would be typical flavors, and thin tarts with straight-up vertical (not slanted) sides are perfect. Carefully slip them out of their pie plates or tart pans, and stack them into a multi-layer pie. If you are crazy (or trying to send your kinfolk into a sugar coma) you can add icing between the layers and/or frost the entire thing after it is stacked. I think icing is overkill, although it can be fun. A fully iced stack pie looks like a cake, but when you cut into it--- pie!

Form B: This is much closer to the more widely-known stack cake. You bake discs of pie crust, and stack them with your preferred pie filling, jam, applesauce, or fruit.

(Edited to Add: I am told that there is a Form C: thin, double-crust pies which can be easily stacked for carrying, but are eaten separately, and not as a stacked unity. I've never had this kind, but found a recipe in Mark Sohn's Mountain Country Cooking. He compares them to giant fig newtons.)

There is also Form X: Cold Pie. Take leftover biscuits, split them in half. Cover the bottom of a pan with biscuit halves, then cover with fruit & sugar, applesauce, jam, or what have you. Add another layer of biscuit halves, then more fruit or filling, and so on until you run out of biscuits or fruit. Let this sit a few hours or overnight until it melds into one thing. It is similar to cobbler, made from leftovers.

Today, we are making a version of Form B: a gingerbread crust stack pie filled with canned apricots and cherries, reworking a recipe from The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery.

Crust:

3/4 c vegan shortening

1 c sugar

1 T ground flax mixed with 3 T warm water

1/2 c molasses (I used blackstrap, as I like it in gingerbread)

2 c all purpose flour

1 t ground ginger

1 t ground cloves

2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Add flax and molasses. Sift the dry ingredients together and then mix into the rest. Divide into 4. This dough is soft and sticky. You will need to use damp hands, and roll it between sheets of waxed paper. Roll each piece out into a rough circle. You could trim and make them perfect, but I went for the artisanal/lazy look. Bake on parchment at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes. You can cool them on a rack, so they are rigid and flat (like giant cookies) or use while still warm, in which case they will drape around the filling before they cool and harden.

Take canned fruit (yes, you could use fresh, too, I'm sure) and fill in between the crust layers. I used a mixture of cherries and apricots. The fruit will soak through and soften the interior crust layers, while the top remains crispy. Slice and enjoy! This makes a really big pie, so holler for the neighbors when it is almost ready.

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Cushaw

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

At farm stands in the fall, you might see this odd, rather large, green-striped squash. This, friends, is a cushaw, and a cushaw is a wonderful vegetable with a fascinating history running back into Native American days. I suspect its size may have something to do with its fade from popularity. One cushaw yields a lot of food! However, it keeps pretty well, raw or cooked, in the fridge, and you can freeze cooked squash for longer storage. It has a lovely, gentle flavor, and once you try it, you may be hooked.

Last night, I split open the smaller of the two above, removed the seeds, chopped it into manageable chunks, put them into a roasting pan, and covered with foil. I let them bake at 400 F for 90 minutes. Once baked, it was very easy to remove the skin with a small knife.

Tonight, I made two recipes and did not even use half of my cushaw! I guess we'll be eating it for days to come! First I made a very simple soup inspired by one in Mark Sohn's Appalachian Home Cooking: In a soup pot, bring a generous 3 cups to water to boil with a veg broth cube. Add approximately 10 oz chopped potato and boil until it softens. Cut up approx 10 oz roasted cushaw and add to the pot, along with salt, black pepper (lots!) and sage to taste. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add about 1/2 cup soymilk. This was wonderful with a few crackers.

I also made Susan Voisin's Impossible Pie. If you didn't grow up in the rural South, an impossible pie is a concoction usually involving Bisquick. The batter is poured into a pie pan and forms its own crust as it bakes. Susan's recipe is super-easy (5 minutes in the blender plus baking), vegan, gluten-free, and has no added fat. It is also very delicious! We might have to make a second pie, as it don't think this one will last long!

You can use any winter squash in these recipes, but search out cushaw if you can find it!

Bonus MoFo: Three Seasons Pie

2011-10-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

In the course of looking through Bill Neal's wonderful book on Southern baking, Biscuits, Spoonbread & Sweet Potato Pie, I noticed a recipe for Three Seasons Pie. This amazing pie contains a mixture of green tomatoes (summer), pears (autumn), and cranberries (winter). It is gently flavored with fresh ginger, cloves, and orange zest. If you are looking for an unusual pie for a holiday dinner, here you have it.

Neal's recipe is already vegan, as long as one takes care to use a vegan pie crust, and vegan cookies for the topping. We had some little ginger cookies sitting around, which I crushed for the topping. Neal says to use a plain cookie - like a vanilla wafer or digestive - but the ginger was nice.

Vegan MoFo Day 29: Squash Casserole!

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

The South has a love affair with squash casserole (made from yellow summer squash only, please) and there are many variants. Above you see my paternal grandmother's "squash mold." I'm a great fan of this, and can't believe it has been such a long time since I made it. Mr. K is a confirmed hater of both yellow squash and casseroles, and he ate 3 servings.

1 1/2 cups cooked, mashed yellow squash *

1 c shredded vegan cheese (Daiya Cheddar worked well, but you can leave this out)

1 c bread or cracker crumbs (I used finely crumbled saltine crackers)

1 c scalded nondairy milk

1 T minced onion

1 T melted vegan margarine

2 T chopped pimento

1 Ener-G egg replacer (1 1/2 t powder + 2 T warm water) **

1/2 t salt

black pepper to taste

* Don't go steaming this squash for a few minutes and then putting it in the casserole. If you do, I don't want to hear the results. You'll have too much liquid and the wrong flavor. Proper Squash Cooking Instructions: Chop, place in salted water, and bring to a boil. Don't overdo the salt as you won't be draining it off. Once the squash softens, mash it. (Do not drain, just mash it in the pan with the liquid.) Continue to cook until the liquid is mostly or completely gone, and the texture is like mashed potato. This can take 60-90 minutes. (Sorry. Do it the night before, while the laundry spins. ) If you were going to eat the squash on its own, you would add some black pepper and a dollop of corn oil, and keep cooking until you can hear the oil sizzling in the bottom of the pan. But you are using it for this casserole, so those last steps are not needed.

** I'm not a regular user of egg replacer. I was going to use plain soy yogurt + a little baking powder instead of Ener-G, but I had it out for something else, and it worked well.

Mix everything together, pour into a greased casserole, and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Try not to eat the whole thing.

Vegan MoFo Day 28: Green Bean Casserole from The Picnic

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I live a few moments' walk from a Nashville institution, The Picnic Cafe, which I almost never visit as their menu is, ahem, Not Vegan Friendly. (Let's see if they notice this.) Of course, they sell a little spiral-bound book of recipes from the cafe, and I thought I should try something from it during this month. With the US Thanksgiving holiday approaching in only a few weeks, I was drawn to their version of Green Bean Casserole. It's just a bit of a twist on the classic - a fusion of the usual with grean bean almondine. Reworked to be vegan, here it is:

1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced

2 12 oz packages frozen french-cut green beans

1 recipe Non-Dairy Cream of Mushroom Soup Substitute

1/4 c vegan margarine

1 small onion, diced

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 cup slivered almonds

paprika

Saute the onions in margarine until clear. Mix them with the frozen beans, mushrooms, soup substitute, and basil. Pour into a greased one-quart casserole. Top with slivered almonds and paprika. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

(I'm sure you could combine the making of the soup sub with the onion process to speed this up, but I wanted to leave the soup sub link, as it might be useful to some readers who are veganizing family holiday casseroles. Also, if making again, I would trim back the amount of fat.)

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

The, shall we say, less high-class end of Southern cooking contains a number of confections made from potato chips. After all, who doesn't like sweet and salty together? If you spend any time among the food videos on YouTube, you have likely encountered Jolene Sugarbaker, the Trailer Park Queen. Some years back, she posted a recipe for Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies, which was just begging to be veganized. I also cut the recipe in half, and still had 40 small-ish cookies.

Cream together:

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c vegan margarine

1/2 c oil (I used peanut)

Add:

2 1/2 T soy yogurt (plain, unsweetened)

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t almond extract

1/2 t cream of tartar

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 c crushed potato chips

Gently stir in:

2 c all purpose flour

(Add more flour if it seems too wet. I added about 2 T more.)

1 c vegan chocolate chips

Scoop balls of dough, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes.

Vegan MoFo Day 26: The Frozen Tomato

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville is the kind of place where (for better and for worse) tradition is valued and change comes slowly. A few years ago, the New York Times revealed the recipe for the "Frozen Tomato" which has been on the menu for many a long day. It was quite easy to veganize:

If you don't have a large blender you may need to do this in batches. Blend until smooth:

3 c tomato juice (the kind from the jar)

3 c vegan mayo (I used Vegenaise)

1 small onion

3/4 c crushed pineapple

1/4 c vegan cream cheese

1/4 c silken tofu

1 T vegan worchestershire sauce

2 drops Tabasco

salt & white pepper to taste

When completely smooth, taste, adjust seasoning, and (if you wish) add enough red food coloring to achieve a ripe tomato color. If you don't want to use red food coloring or can't find a clearly vegan version, don't fret - it will be pink, but just fine.

Pour into a container, and freeze until solid (several hours or overnight). Serve balls of the frozen mixture (via a warm ice cream scoop and a firm hand) on lettuce.

Vegan MoFo Day 25: St Hubert Rolls

2011-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking theme again today, in order to make something seasonal but not at all Southern. I'm a big fan of the whole Halloween - All Saints - All Souls cycle that arrives at the end of this month. At the very end of it, we have the feast day of St Hubert on Nov 3. Old St Hubert is the extremely not-vegan patron of hunters -- scary enough, but doubtless he's more enlightened from his current perch in the heavens...

In parts of the Netherlands and Belgium, a little roll (dimpled or doughnut-shaped) is sometimes made in his honor, and was historically blessed at church. Regardless of one's take on St Hubert, the rolls are delicious. I found a recipe online, but it required some changes to get it to work. It is in European measurements. Americans, get your scales out! When faced with metric, I prefer to measure as given instead of trying to convert.

Mix together:

1 kilo bread flour

1/2 litre nondairy milk, slightly warmed

24 g dry yeast (the linked recipe must have used some other kind)

5 g cinnamon

300 g vegan margarine (really)

20 g salt

50 g sugar

Knead until silky smooth. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour. Divide into small balls (about the size of a golf ball - 55-60 g, since you have your scale out). Let these rest for 10-15 minutes, and then work a hole into the middle of each one - a bigger hole if you want a ring, a smaller hole if you want a dimpled roll. Let proof on baking pans for just a few minutes (10-15 minutes is plenty) and brush with nondairy milk. Bake at 200 C (392 F) for 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. (Mine took 20 minutes, but it will depend on the size of your rolls). This made 26 rolls.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Fried Okra, Green Tomatoes, and Tofu

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

To jazz up your fried okra, add some chopped green tomatoes (mine were turning a bit pink, but not ripe) and cubed firm tofu.

Toss the okra, tomatoes, and tofu with one small handful all purpose flour, one small handful cornmeal, one small handful chickpea flour, and salt and Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's unsalted) to taste. Sorry, I can't give you any more exact measurements. You'll be fine, really. If you are xgfx, leave out the wheat flour and use a little more cornmeal and chickpea.

Heat oil in a heavy cast iron skillet. You want this hot enough to fry, but not too hot. You may need more oil than you might think. Fry slowly, turning regularly with a spatula, until everything is nice and crispy, and just shy of burned in a few places. Patience, patience. This takes a little time. Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo Day 23: Sweet Potato Biscuits

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you made yesterday's sweet potato pudding recipe, you now have way too much leftover (unless you happen to have a large and hungry farm family). The only solution is sweet potato biscuits for breakfast!

Put a cast iron skillet with a glob of shortening or vegan margarine in the oven, and heat to 400F. While it is heating, mix:

1 cup sweet potato pudding

1 cup all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1 1/2 t salt

The result will probably be crumbly. Add just a little nondairy milk while stirring with a fork until it comes together into a dough. Go slowly as it does not take much. Pat out on a floured surface, and cut into biscuits. Place them in the hot skillet and bake 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the biscuits) until done.

A lot of recipes for sweet potato biscuits involve adding additional fat, but there is plenty of fat in this pudding already! You can make these using any sweet potato pudding, sweet potato casserole, or even just leftover baked sweet potato, but you may have to adjust the fat and liquid (and possibly sugar and spices) accordingly.

Vegan MoFo Day 22: Dueling Sweet Potato Puddings, Part 2

2011-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the month, I posted my grandfather's recipe for sweet potato pudding. My grandmother's family had a different recipe, which I made today. Try them both and decide which you like. It pleases me to think that, decades ago, my great-grandmother was carrying this dish (in its dairy/egg version) to dinner on the grounds at Mt Horeb Baptist Church in Ethridge, Tennessee. Her father was an Adventist, so maybe he would be pleased with this reworking:

Blend together:

1 (12.3 oz) box Mori-Nu silken tofu

1 cup soymilk

1 t apple cider vinegar

3 T cornstarch

Mix together with:

3 1/2 cups grated raw sweet potato

1/2 cup biscuit crumbs (I'm sure bread crumbs would work, but don't you dare!)

1 t baking soda

1/2 c melted vegan margarine

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 t allspice

Pour into a large casserole and bake for approximately 90 minutes at 300 F, stirring every 20-30 minutes. It will be brown and gooey and bubbling.

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Great Aunt Pearl's Coconut Cake

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

My grandfather loved coconut cake. Occasionally, his sister, my Great Aunt Pearl, would make it for him. I decided to try reworking her recipe for today's post.

The original recipe was for a white cake with a lot of egg whites in it. I decided to start with a vegan white cake recipe which I knew would work - Kittee's Vanilla Double Layer Cake. To match the flavor of the original, I used 2 t vanilla and 2 t lemon extract. (The cake is a little more brown than white as I used unrefined cane sugar. I wasn't heading out into a rainy night to buy beet sugar just to keep it white.)

While the cake was baking, I made a syrup from 1 c sugar + 1/2 c water, cooked until it reached thread stage (around 225-230 F). I added coconut extract - starting with 1 t and going up until I was happy with the taste. After the cake was out of its pans and cooling on racks, I pierced it repeatedly with an icepick (fun times!) and then poured the warm syrup over it - in stages, letting it soak in. (If I had more time, I would have let the layers cool, sliced each in half to make four layers, and then proceeded with syrup soaking.)

There are debates about proper coconut cake icing - seven minute frosting, cream cheese, whipped cream, etc. Aunt Pearl used seven minute frosting, which is heavy on eggs. Happily, Julie Hasson's magical vegan meringue (recipe on the subscriber side of Everyday Dish) is quite close to seven minute frosting in taste and texture, and worked wonderfully. Before the frosting set up, I covered the whole cake with coconut. For real authenticity, one would use freshly grated coconut. I went for the packaged stuff in the interest of time.

My mother's variation: Use pineapple juice to moisten the layers instead of syrup. (Don't overdo it. You don't want them to be soggy.) Fill the space between layers with crushed pineapple.

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Okra Fries

2011-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

At this point in MoFo, I am reaching back for content I haven't blogged before, just to give me a little breathing space! Above you see Okra Fries, which I love like crazy and make whenever the deep fryer is on the counter. We first had these at Chai Pani in Asheville, and discovered they are easy to make at home.

Cut okra into small matchsticks. (This is a little tedious, but get over it. You'll be happy later.) Deep fry at 350 F until crispy. Watch carefully, as they cook very quickly. Toss with salt, Indian chili powder, and a little lime juice. Make about six times more than you think you need, as these will go quickly.

Vegan MoFo Day 19: Sweet Potato Yeast Bread

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Again, I am encouraging you to consider Bill Neal's fine book, Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie. It is not vegan, but - being a baking book - most of the recipes veganize easily. Above you see the delicious sweet potato yeast bread, which is apparently an old Mississippi recipe.

Recipe notes:

*Veganizing only requires swapping out the milk and butter for the obvious nondairy alternatives (almond milk and Earth Balance, in my case).
* The amount of flour in the recipe as written is way too little. While I am a convert to very high-hydration dough, Neal's recipe will yield a sticky mess. I know the moisture in the sweet potatoes will vary and require similar variation in the flour, but this was ridiculous. Just know that you'll probably have to add a lot (2-3 cups) more flour and you'll still have a sticky dough. It is OK for it to be more sticky than normal, as the oatmeal will absorb more moisture as the dough rises. Also, next time, I think I'll use bread flour instead of the all purpose in his recipe.
*Instead of the egg-milk glaze, I brushed with coffee mixed with a little maple syrup, a trick I learned from L.

Vegan MoFo Day 18: Party Rolls

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

My mother used to make little ham party rolls for special occasions. It's a somewhat trashy recipe, but it tastes good and veganizes easily.

1 tray of dinner rolls (storebought or make your own)

Approx 1 cup shredded vegan cheese (Cheddar Daiya in our case)

1 package of vegan ham-style slices (or make your own and slice thin)

1/4 c vegan margarine

1 T Dijon mustard

1 t vegan worcestershire sauce

1 T poppy seeds

Slice the dinner rolls in half. Mix the margarine, mustard, worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Spread this mixture on the rolls. Layer your vegan ham and cheese on the rolls, and wrap them in foil. Bake at 350 F until everything is hot and melty.

Vegan MoFo Day 17: Tis the Season for Greens

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the farmers' market and greens were everywhere. As the autumn weather gets cooler, they are coming in like crazy. Today's mess o'greens is a mix of turnip, mustard, and a little bit of young kale. To prepare, boil them in salted water for far too long until they are very soft. For seasoning, I like a bit of toasted sesame oil, ume plum vinegar, and maybe 2 drops of liquid smoke. This may sound untraditional, but the end result tastes just right, with no ham hock involved.

Vegan MoFo Day 16: Asheville Salad

2011-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you made it past the terrible photo, congratulations! Even the best lighting isn't going to improve this. I've been scaring Yankees and confusing Europeans all month with congealed salads. We rarely ever eat these, but they are part of Southern food culture, so we're revisiting them during MoFo. Besides, you might have a Sunday School covered dish lunch coming up.

Today's lovely item is the Asheville Salad, once served at the long-closed Choices Restaurant on Main Street in Franklin, Tennessee. (I have no idea why it is called Asheville Salad.) Thanks to a little spiral bound book of recipes from the restaurant, we have been able to reproduce it for you. Unlike our earlier congealed salads, this one is savory.

1/2 can (approx 5 1/2 oz) condensed tomato soup

2 c water

1 0.3 oz envelope Natural Desserts unflavored vegan jel

6 oz vegan cream cheese

1 c vegan mayo or yogurt

1/2 c. chopped cucumber

1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 t. grated onion

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix soup and water, and bring to a boil. Whisk in the vegan jel to dissolve. With a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and mayo. Add the soup/jel mixture. Stir in everything else. Pour into a casserole dish and chill until firm.

At the restaurant, this was sometimes served as a salad, and sometimes as a dip (with Ritz-type crackers). Heck, you could go all out and add some vegan shrimp. If you ever had a 1950s-style "shrimp mold," this tastes quite similar.

Vegan MoFo Day 15: Japanese Fruit Pie

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I associate Japanese Fruit Pie with my Great Aunt Cora. I have no idea why it is "Japanese" and the internet does not appear to know either. It is yet another member of the greater "Chess Pie" family, of which Pecan Pie is the best known variant.

To make this pie, I followed Bryanna Clark Grogan's new pecan pie recipe from World Vegan Feast. In place of the pecans in her recipe, I added the following:

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 t cider vinegar

Everything else (ingredients and directions) was true to the recipe in the book. As one would expect from a Bryanna recipe, the results were great!

Bonus: Vegan MoFo Hump Day: Leslie Hall Flash Mob!

2011-10-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

Yay! Leslie Hall, vegan artiste extraordinaire, has a new song. Clicky, clicky, listen, listen!

Lyrics:

The Lyrics:

I eat the finest cuisines, in the finest of places / Stuff my mouth full and always say thank you / But if it's raised in a cage, and it can't even move, if it's hormone filled and in a bad mood / I'm gonna pass on that / Reach for something better / The only milk I'll drink comes from the nipple of a soy bean / Veggies make you live forever, and they seem to taste much better / When they're cooked and grown with love, so give a chef who knows what's up a hug / Momma just can't seem to get it, Papa he just rolls his eyes / When I tell them I'm much healthier, they just say that it's all lies / But beans, nuts, fruits and veggies can really fill the belly / Get you vitamins you need, shiny hair and extra speed / Don't take that meat-wich any further, I want a marinated, deep fried, hand-tied mushroom burger / I like it! / We gotta stand strong for our feathered, furry, sometimes scaly animal friends and their little babies / 'Cuz I wouldn't want to live in a cage in a dark warehouse killed at an early age / Pumped full of hormones, sleeping in my feces / Never met my mother, raised by machines / Never get sunshine never get green, but that's just me / [That girl loves fruit leather!] / So ask us what we're eating, delicious and repeating / Fruits and veggies are so nice, with a slice of tempeh, yes, I'll have that twice / Don't forget the legumes!

Vegan MoFo Day 14: Corn Light Bread, a Quest...

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Growing up, "corn light bread" simply meant sweet corn bread, whether in skillet form or as a cakey loaf. What made it "light" was a mystery. If you google "corn light bread" you will find many recipes for various forms of sweet corn bread. In the course of doing some reading on salt rising bread, I discovered that the original form of corn light bread was leavened with the same sort of funky bacteria/yeast culture. While the time-consuming and temperature-sensitive nature of salt rising bread has caused it to all but disappear, the same factors pushed corn light bread away from its origins and toward regular corn bread with sugar added.

I first tried a recipe from the Atlanta newspaper, which yielded pretty good results. However, the recipe as printed has both an error and a mystery. The error is that it says to let the batter sit out overnight at room temperature. Wrong. Room temperature is too cold for good results, except maybe in the middle of a Georgia summer. The batter really needs to hold at about 95-100 F -- think the back of a wood stove or near the fireplace. My oven has a "bread proof" setting at 100F which works well for this purpose. The mystery in the AJC recipe is the use of self-rising flour and cornmeal. The whole point of salt rising bread and corn light bread is the use of a natural bacteria/yeast leavening process, and not commercial yeast or baking powder. I think the most likely reason for this oddity in the recipe is that self-rising flour and cornmeal became very common in the typical Southern kitchen by the early to mid 20th century. Self-rising cornmeal was what cooks had on hand, so they used it even if it did not make sense. If you want to add baking powder to corn light bread for a truly "lighter" texture, you should do so immediately before baking, and not before the overnight fermentation, as the leavening will lose much of its power during that long wait.

Further investigation led me to Bill Neal's Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie, a very non-vegan book which should be purchased immediately by anyone interested in Southern baking. Neal is clear about the parallel to salt rising bread, and gives much better directions. However, he perpetuates the myth that you must use water-ground, not-degerminated cornmeal for success. Untrue! Cheap plain cornmeal from the grocery store works just fine. I think he also overestimates the role of wild yeast vs bacteria in the "raising" process. If we take Neal's recipe and swap out oil or shortening for the bacon fat, we are left with a recipe which is vegan, gluten free, authentic, and very tasty:

Step 1: Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Slowly (so it does not clump) add 1 cup of plain cornmeal (not self-rising or cornbread mix). If you whisk as you add the cornmeal, you'll be fine. Boil, stirring fairly regularly, for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Stir together 1 c plain cornmeal and 1 c cold water. Let stand 10 minutes.

Step 3: Combine the hot and cold mixtures, along with 1 T shortening or oil. Cover and set in a very warm place (95-100 F - e.g., a very low oven, or a dehydrator) for 8-10 hours (overnight). It won't get as aggressively funky as salt rising bread starter, but you should see a little bubbling and detect a fermented smell.

Step 4: To the fermented mixture, add 2 c plain cornmeal, 1/3 c sugar, 1/4 c sorghum molasses, and 2 t salt. (You can double the sorghum and omit the sugar if you like.) Stir well until completely combined. Cover and return to the very warm place until you can see signs of fermentation. An hour is usually sufficient, although you can certainly go longer if it seems inactive. (NOTE: As with salt rising bread, don't taste the dough. You likely have bacteria growing which may - until neutralized by baking - be unfriendly to your digestion.)

Step 5: Add approximately 1 T (a big spoonful) shortening or oil to a cast iron skillet and let it get hot in a 350 F oven. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake until it browns and a toothpick tests clean. Neal says 40 minutes, but I find it takes longer - more like an hour. Your mileage may vary.

As Neal says, the word "light" refers to the fermentation process and "not to the texture or color of these pones." (p.22) The overnight mash leavens it more than you might expect, but not like baking powder or commercial yeast. The final result is a fairly dense (but not unpleasantly so), sweet, and interestingly fermented cornbread. Give it a try!

Vegan MoFo Day 13: Carthusian Dumplings

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today's post has nothing to do with my monthly theme, but who cares? I have an annual craving for Kartaeuserkloesse (Carthusian dumplings) every October. October 6 is the feast of St Bruno, the founder of the Carthusians. While I'm not sure that the austere Carthusians really created this recipe, I'm certain St Bruno wants me to have one. (I spent a long time in theological school, including a period studying monastic history, which explains why such obscure things bubble up in my brain and manifest in my kitchen.)

First, you need some stale kaiser rolls (or some similar sort of roll). Carefully trim off the crusts from all sides of the rolls. (If your rolls are not stale, remove the crusts and dry in a low oven for a bit.) If you are frugal like the Carthusians, you will grind the crusts in a food processor to make nice bread crumbs, which are needed later in this recipe. If you are lazy like me, you will feed the crusts to your circling dogs, and open a box of panko.

Next, make a batch of your favorite vegan French toast batter. This time, I used the banana rabanada batter from Isa Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch, but there are plenty of good recipes out there. Be sure your batter includes plenty of vanilla and grated lemon zest. Thoroughly soak your crustless rolls in the French toast batter.

In a deep fryer or cast iron Dutch oven, bring several inches of oil to 350 F. Toss the soaked rolls in the bread crumbs until well-coated, and then deep fry until brown and crispy. When they emerge from the fryer, toss the finished dumplings in cinnamon sugar. You will probably have to fry the dumplings in batches. The finished ones will keep in a 200 F oven until you are completely done.

A crispy-crunchy-sugary exterior and a donutty-french-toasty interior... what's not to like?

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Salt Rising Bread

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

The South has at least two breads which are raised with a fermentation process more dependent on bacteria than yeast: salt rising bread (a wheat bread) and corn light bread (if made in the traditional, time-consuming way). Both have a unique flavor, perhaps best described as cheesy.

I have been doing some recipe research on corn light bread, and I'm fixin' to make a new version for y'all blog readers during MoFo. In the meanwhile, I'm posting my directions for salt rising bread. If you are my friend on Facebook, you've seen this already, but now it is released into the big world.

As the bacteria in the culture is as important, if not more so, than any wild yeast you may have attracted, the key is having an environment which will hold at about 100F for several hours. Happily, my oven's "bread proof" setting will do this. You can also use a dehydrator, crock pot, heating pad, etc. I have used a dehydrator with success, although you need a thermometer to check the temperature, as it may not match the dial. Susan Brown has lots of suggestions on her excellent website. All of the times given below can vary enormously. You have to keep an eye on it. Luckily, it is hard to go "too long" - it is more forgiving than rising yeast dough.

Step 1: Mix 3 T cornmeal (any kind), 1 T flour (any kind), 1/8 t baking soda, and 1/2 c milk (any kind - I used almond milk). The milk should be scalded first and cooled to lukewarm. Put this in a covered mason jar and set it in your warm place for 8-10 hours (overnight).

Step 2: The starter should be frothy and have a funky smell. If you are in any doubt, something went wrong. Seriously. Pour the starter into a bowl and add 2 c lukewarm water, and 1 1/2 c bread flour. Whisk together. Don't worry about lumps. Cover, and put it back in the warm place for 2-3 hours. It should look like the photo above.

Step 3: Add 4 c lukewarm water, and enough bread flour to make a soft, somewhat sticky dough (usually around 10-12 cups). I usually add 4 t salt, 2 T sugar, and 1/4 c canola oil, but none of those are necessary. Turn out on a floured counter, and knead for just a couple of minutes. Traditional wisdom says not to knead it very much. I'm not sure of the reasons, but I have always followed this advice with good results. Divide into four loaves, place in greased pans, brush the tops with oil, cover, and put back in the warm place. In 2-6 hours, the bread will have risen to the top of the pans. It will have a flat top - not rounded like most yeast bread. WARNING: Do NOT taste the raw batter. The bacteria can give you food poisoning. (If you want to make some of the dough into rolls, a muffin tin works well.)

Step 4:Bake at 300F for about 30-45 minutes (or 15-20 minutes for rolls). Turn out on racks and cool. These directions reflect my own experience and tweaking. However, I owe a lot to the advice and recipes on Susan Brown's site - definitely consult it for more detailed guidance, great videos, and trouble-shooting.

Slice thin, toast, apply Vegenaise and sliced tomato. Enjoy a much too rare treat from the past!

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Creamed Eyeballs

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

OK, not really, although you could bill it that way for Halloween. This delicacy is my grandmother's admittedly scary grape salad. It was often produced for family events, or dinner on the grounds (or in the basement) at the Rye's Chapel Methodist Church, in Southside, Tennessee. I never knew what was in it until my cousin Laura (note to sensitive folks - her linked food blog is very omni) unearthed the recipe for me.

I doubt this recipe will have many takers, but if you want to make it vegan, here you go: Mix together 8 oz vegan cream cheeze (I used Vegan Gourmet) and 1 c Nayonaise (which I don't normally like, but it is supposed to be close to the Miracle Whip of the original). Drain one 20 oz can of pineapple, and add enough water to the juice to make 1 1/3 cups. Bring to a boil and stir in 2 packets of Natural Desserts Unflavored Vegan Jel. Add this liquid into the cream cheeze mixture. Fold in one can of Soyatoo Soy Whip. Then fold in the pineapple chunks and 2 lbs of red grapes, cut in half. Refrigerate at least one hour until firm.

Pineapple is a known enemy of vegan jels, and will often prevent them from setting properly. This was the case for me. The gelatin original of this recipe becomes quite solid, and can be sliced into blocks. (Yes, yes, so appealing...) The above veganized rendition set somewhat, but was much more scoopable than sliceable. This was, in my opinion, not a bad thing. Based on some internet research, I think you could achieve a sliceable consistency (should you really want it...) by adding more vegan jel powder.

All joking aside, this tastes surprisingly good -- although I freely admit that its appeal may be primarily due to nostalgia. I may make it only once a decade, but it brings good memories, and its frightening appearance insures that I have it all to myself!

Vegan MoFo Day 10: Gobi Manchurian (Party Interlude continues.)

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

The most popular dish at our party was the Gobi Manchurian. I love Gobi Manchurian in all forms. Frankly, I love all Indian Chinese food, period. Maybe next year, I will do a month of Indian Chinese for MoFo. Anyhow, this was super-good, so I had best write down what I did before I forget.

For the most part, I followed Mark Bittman's directions (from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian), but with a few changes. Bittman uses an egg batter, so that had to go. I did a little internet research, but decided to stay with Bittman's very simple flavor profile.

Take 1 large cauliflower and cut it into reasonably small florets. You do not have to steam it or bake it in advance. You just need to cut it small enough that it will cook through as it fries.

Whisk together:

2/3 c cornstarch

1/3 c chickpea flour

1/3 c all purpose flour

2 T soy sauce

3/4 c water

1/2 t salt

black pepper to taste

Pour this batter over the raw cauliflower florets, and toss until they are more or less evenly coated. Perfection is not needed.

Heat a few inches of oil to 350 F. (I used a deep fryer for safety.) Fry in batches until well-browned and crispy. Keep the fried cauliflower warm in a low oven or warming drawer until it is all done.

To make the sauce, heat 1 T oil in a pan and fry 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) for just a minute. Add 1 c ketchup. (I think cheap ketchup is essential - nothing fancy or homemade here.) Cook this over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles, reduces, and starts caramelizing. Stir in Indian chili powder to taste, and salt if needed. Bittman uses cayenne, but I prefer Indian chili powder. Taste the sauce and amaze yourself with what has happened. I made the sauce earlier in the day and reheated it in the microwave just before using, to avoid multi-tasking while deep-frying.

Gently toss the hot fried cauliflower with the ketchup sauce. The sauce is thick, but it will gradually melt around all of the cauliflower. Serve hot, and watch it vanish!

Vegan MoFo Day 9: Party Interlude and Pie

2011-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm behind on my projects due to a party tonight which has consumed two days of cooking time, but I'll give you a recipe to hold you over until regular posting resumes. (And, yes, I have at least two more congealed salads planned...)

Among the foods for the party, I made the wonderful apple pie from Julie Hasson's The Complete Books of Pies. We're going to serve it with the poured custard from Bryanna Grogan's World Vegan Feast. I've tried a lot of pie crust recipes. While I like the results you can get from very cold fat, and the use of a liquid like vodka (dirty little secret: Everclear works even better than vodka), I almost always default to my mother's easy and foolproof recipe.

With a fork, stir together (for a top and bottom crust): 2 c all purpose flour (or whole wheat or a combo), 1 1/2 t salt, 1/2 c oil (any kind), and 1/4 c nondairy milk (any kind). For a single crust, the amounts are 1 1/3 c flour, 1 t salt, 1/3 c oil, and 3 T milk. Roll out between pieces of waxed paper. If you wet the counter, the bottom sheet of waxed paper will stay in place. When rolled out, peel off the top sheet of paper, and use the bottom sheet to flip the pastry into the desired location.

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Fresh Apple Cake

2011-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from my grandmother which I veganized a year ago, but I have never blogged it here. It fits with my MoFo theme, and I'm damned busy getting ready for a party, so here you have it! It's a very tasty cake, although perhaps oversweet for some taste buds. If you don't have a major sweet tooth, dial back the sugar a bit. Thanks again to Mark and Huw, who both provided helpful suggestions in the veganizing process.

1. Take a 15 oz can of pears. Drain them and then pulverize in the food processor.

2. Mix the pulverized pears with 2 c sugar, 1 1/4 c canola oil, 1/2 c sorghum (or other syrup of your choice), and 1 t vanilla. Beat until well combined.

3. Sift together: 3 c all purpose flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 T baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1 t cinnamon. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. This will be thick.

4. Add 3 c chopped apples and 1 c chopped nuts.

5. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

Once upon a time, I think this recipe had a caramel icing, but no one ever made it, as it is really excellent, as is.

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Squash Dressing

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

I love all forms of dressing/stuffing, especially in the cooler weather. Squash dressing is common in the South, probably because it is a tasty way to use up stale cornbread and leftover summer squash, both common and plentiful items. It is quite easy to make and you don't need a recipe, although I will give you one.

The Basic Law of Squash Dressing: Combine equal parts of crumbled cornbread and mashed, cooked summer squash. Add whatever else you like. Bake until it looks done.

A Recipe for the Cautious (photographed above):
2 c crumbled cornbread
2 c mashed, cooked yellow summer squash
2 oz jar chopped pimentos
1/2 c white onion, finely chopped
1/2 c celery, finely chopped
1/2 c green pepper, finely chopped
1 T oil
1 1/2 t poultry seasoning
1 T nutritional yeast
1 c veg broth
salt and pepper to taste

I mixed everything well, spread it in a shallow casserole dish, and baked at 350 F for 40 minutes until it started to brown and looked done.

This recipe was quite good, and very reminiscent of my grandfather's version (which had no recipe and was based on whatever was leftover at the moment). I ate it hot for dinner last night, and cold for breakfast this morning. However, you can twist this around any way you like: change the spices, make it more wet or more dry, use different/more/less vegetables, add some dry wheat bread or crumbled stale biscuits (or that crouton-like stuffing mix) along with the cornbread, include a little baking powder if you want it to puff up... You get the idea. Anything goes. I've made it with all wheat bread when I didn't have cornbread on hand. It was good, but my brain refuses to accept a non-cornbread version. If you are gluten-free, you are in good shape as long as you use an xgfx cornbread.

CORNBREAD: You can use any kind as long as it is not sweet. I used the following recipe: 2 c white cornmeal, 3 t baking powder, 1 t salt, 1 t baking soda, 1/4 c oil, 1 1/4 c unsweetened soy yogurt, 1/3 c whole wheat flour. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet with 1 T oil in the oven until really hot. Add batter. Bake at 350 for about 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. I left some of it sitting, cut up, on a plate on the counter to dry out for a day for use in the dressing.

SQUASH: If you don't know how to cook yellow summer squash like a Tennessee farmer, let me instruct you: Chop squash, cover with water in a saucepan, add a little salt, and bring to a boil. Once it it soft, mash it with a potato masher (don't drain), and add a dollop of oil. Continue to cook until it loses a lot of moisture. For the squash I used in the dressing, I cooked it for a total of 90 minutes and could have gone further. My grandfather always cooked it to the point that the oil in the squash began to sizzle on the bottom of the pan. (Some people call this "fried squash" for this reason, although it looks more like yellow mashed potatoes.) Add salt and pepper as needed. I'm sure any mashed squash would be fine in the dressing, but try it this way sometime! Seriously!

Vegan MoFo Day 6: More Congealment

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Because you can't have enough congealed salad, I decided to make one which my grandfather produced for every holiday and major family get-together. I always liked it, but haven't had it in years. Vegan lemon jel seems to be a rare item, possibly because of the negative effect of acidity on most vegan jels. By the magic of the internet, I found lemon jel made by a British company called Just Wholefoods. It's quite good, although a bit sweet for my taste. I noticed that acid reducers are included in the ingredients.

To make my grandfather's salad, add one 85g packet of the lemon jel to 2 c boiling water. Grate a medium carrot and approximately the same amount of green cabbage. Obviously, you can add more or less plant matter according to your preference. I like it thick with vegetables, barely held together into a sliceable block by the lemon jel. Stir the vegetables into the jel fairly quickly. As soon the jel begins to set, you can arrange pecans across the top. Refrigerate until completely cold and set.

I warn you that I am on the track of another family recipe which, in its original form, involved gelatin, mayo, and grapes!

Vegan MoFo Day 5: Beer Biscuits

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

So you bought a box of Bisquick to make sausage balls, and now you wonder what to do with the rest of it.... ?? .... Here at the I-40 Kitchen, we have your back.

My friend Richard died 20+ years ago, back in the bad days before there were effective treatments for HIV. He used to make beer biscuits frequently, and I recently found a card where he wrote down the formula for me. Of course, you could make your own baking mix, but since you have that big box of Bisquick, you can use it, just like Richard did.

Mix 1 heaping cup of regular Bisquick with 1 T sugar. While stirring with a fork, add enough beer to bring the dry ingredients together as a soft but cohesive dough. With wet hands, form into balls, and place in a greased cast iron skillet. (It takes a double batch to fill my skillet.) Bake at 425 F until they are brown and appear done -- 10-15 minutes depending on biscuit size and the whims of your oven.

We had these biscuits with a quick vegetable soup: water + broth powder + a bag of frozen vegetables + a half jar of leftover spaghetti sauce + a handful of orzo.

Vegan MoFo Day 4: Cornflake Squash

2011-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of my mother's favorite ways to cook yellow summer squash. Her version includes a fair lot of cheese, and you could go that way if you have a bag of your preferred vegan cheese on hand. However, I decided to try a different direction:

Roast 5 medium summer squash, split in half, at 400 F for 30 minutes. Scoop out innards, mix with 1 T nutritional yeast, 1 t oregano, 2 T crushed cornflakes, salt and pepper to taste. (As the size of your squash may be different from mine, be sure to taste the filling and adjust seasonings as needed.) Refill squash. Top with more crushed cornflakes, return to oven for another 15 minutes. In the background, you can see roasted okra, just because the oven was on and there was room on the pan.

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Sweet Potato Pudding

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

My maternal grandparents had a divide over sweet potato pudding. They had grown up with significantly different versions of it. This is my grandfather's. Perhaps I will try making my grandmother's version later in the month.

This is a very easy recipe, although it is in the oven for a long time. Mix together 1 c sugar, 1/2 t nutmeg, and 1/4 c thickener of choice. (For thickener, I used 2 T tapioca flour + 2 T instant clearjel. I suspect cornstarch would be fine.) Add 3 c grated sweet potato, 2 c nondairy milk, and 2 T melted margarine (or a neutral flavored oil). Place in a greased shallow casserole or (more traditional) a cast iron skillet. Bake until it is thick and gooey. Mine took about 2 1/2 hours at 350 F.

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Congealed Pickled Peach Salad

2011-10-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

The South has a strange fondness for congealed salads: food encased in jello, often bizarrely found on the "vegetables" menu in restaurants. This recipe is based on one which was served at the now-closed Choices restaurant on Main Street in Franklin, Tennessee.

I'm sure this would be better with real pickled peaches (which I wasn't willing to risk on an experiment), but Choices made theirs using this cheater method: Take two 15 oz cans of peaches in heavy syrup. Chop the contents and place with the syrup in a saucepan. Add 1/2 c cider vinegar and 12 whole cloves. Bring to a boil, cool, and refrigerate for several hours. Drain and remove the cloves. Mix 2 3 oz packages of Natural Desserts Raspberry Vegan Jel with 3 c boiling water. (The original recipe called for orange jello, but the store happened to be out of orange vegan jel and raspberry looked good.) Stir in the drained peaches and refrigerate till firm. Vegan jels are infamous for not working if additions are too acidic, so I was a little concerned. However, this set up nicely - and tasted great!

Bonus MoFo: Cranberry Gardein

2011-10-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

We are in Asheville and I've pre-set a few posts until we get back to Tennessee. However, tonight we made a quick meal which deserves memorializing. It is an adaptation of a recipe from the now-closed Choices Restaurant in Franklin, TN.

Make a white sauce: Cook together 1T flour and 1 T margarine. Add 1 c unsweetened soymilk and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until thick. Add 1/2 c canned cranberry sauce, and stir in. I added more cranberry sauce, as we tend to like fruity food.

Fry some Gardein "chicken" tenders - or use your preferred breaded and fried (or baked) protein. Serve over rice, spoon on some cranberry cream sauce, and finish with a tiny bit of fresh rosemary.

Vegan MoFo Day 1: Sausage Balls

2011-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Every year at Christmas, my grandmother would make Bisquick sausage balls. I wasn't quite sure how these would work in a vegan version, but they turned out great! They didn't brown much on top, so next time I'll probably spray a little oil on them to help that process along.

The use of multiple processed foods is essential for authenticity! In a big bowl, combine:

2 c Daiya cheddar
2 T olive oil
1 14oz package Gimme Lean vegan sausage
3 c regular Bisquick (which is oddly vegan)
1 t sage
1 t veg worcestershire (I love the one from Bourbon Barrel.)
1 t onion powder
a few drops liquid smoke
black pepper to taste

Knead together thoroughly. It will be crumbly at first, but with time, it comes together. Roll into balls. Bake 25 minutes at 350F.

Prelude to a MoFo

2011-09-30T02:55:00.001-07:00

The Vegan Month of Food is almost here, and this little blog rubs the sleep from its eyes as it awakes to its annual burst of activity.

In my hall closet sits an old shoebox, held together with tape. It is full of recipes from relatives, old friends, and others. Most of the contents are far from vegan. During this year's MoFo, I'm going to break into the box, and have a go at veganizing these recipes. The results may not be very healthy, and will likely involve more processed/packaged foods than I typically use. You have been warned. Hopefully, we'll have fun. I plan to post daily, so check in regularly for culinary nostalgia.

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Bread colored with the blood of my enemies...

2010-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

OK, so maybe that's not exactly vegan. Let's just call this "Beet Bread" and not ask too many questions. With a tiny amount of veganization, this is from Rosalie Hurd's Ten Talents (1968):

In a blender combine:

2 c cooked beets

1/3 c agave (I want to try sorghum molasses, next time)

2 1/2 c cooking liquid from beets

Pour the results into a mixing bowl and add:

1 T salt

1/2 c oil

1/2 c ground flaxseed

2 T dried parsley

1/2 c soy flour

5 c whole wheat flour

Separately, mix:

2 1/2 T yeast

1/2 c warm water

1 t agave

Allow the yeast mixture to sit for a minute or two. Then, combine with the rest. Gradually mix in:

5 c white bread flour

(I found that it did not take the full 5 cups - more like 4, really. It will depend on many factors, so you have to go slowly and let the dough take what it needs, but no more.) Knead thoroughly. Rosalie says 5 minutes, but I think more like 10-15 is appropriate.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise. Mine rose really quickly - doubled in less than an hour. Divide into loaves. Rosalie says 4 to 5, and I got 4 loaves from the batch. Place in greased pans, cover, allow to rise again. Bake at 375 F for 40 - 50 minutes.

The result is a slightly sweet, slightly herbal (from the parsley), soft and pleasant bread. The household Beet Hater pronounced the beet flavor undetectable.

Happy MoFo everybody!

Vegan MoFo Day 29: Caraway Potatoes

2010-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today's retro-veg recipe is yet another caraway recipe from the Lukas Klinik's 1976 Cookery Book.

Chop potatoes into large chunks. The book does not indicate a need to peel, but looking at the potatoes I had on hand, I decided to. Grease a baking tray with vegan margarine, and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Press one end of each potato into a bowl of caraway seeds, and then place this end down on the salted baking sheet. Bake at 400 F until the potatoes soften. It will depend on their size but mine too about 3o minutes.

We liked these, and would make them again. Next time, I will grease the potatoes as well as the baking sheet, as they dried out just a bit more than I wanted them to.

MoFo + Thanksgiving is wearing me out, but have no fear! I will make it to the end! The posts may not be long, or well thought out, or well photographed, but they will appear on schedule!

Cricket picks a winner...

2010-11-28T00:01:00.001-08:00

Cricket has looked into the souls of the commenters and picked a winner: Amey! (Check out her amazing MoFo posts if you haven't been following them.)

We've learned from zemmely that updated food safety rules advise refrigerating or freezing winter squash preserves, and the I-40 Kitchen does not possess a refrigerated truck to drive Amey's marmalade to her. Thus, she will have her choice of other, non-problematic items from the jam closet!

Vegan MoFo Day 28: Scalloped Collards

2010-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

This most unusual casserole is adapted from the Rosicrucian Fellowship's New Age Vegetarian Cookbook (1968). I've never had collards in this kind of dish, and was surprised by how much I liked them.

Cut the large central stems from a big bunch of collards. Steam or boil these in salted water, briefly, maybe about 10 minutes or less. Drain.

Make a white sauce. You can use your favorite, but I cooked 2 T all purpose flour and 1 T chickpea flour into a roux, and then added 2 c plain almond milk, and cooked until thick. I then added salt and pepper to taste.

Open and drain a 19 oz can of ackees. Toss with 1/4 t black salt.

In a greased casserole dish, layer collards, ackees, white sauce, and vegan cheese to taste. Cover and bake at 400 F until everything is bubbly and melty. Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Butternut Squash Marmalade + Giveaway

2010-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT UPDATE: A commenter has helpfully pointed out that the USDA has changed its recommendations regarding canning winter squash since the time of this cookbook's publication. While one can find conflicting opinions from other sources, especially regarding a preserve like this which is more syrup than solid, I prefer to play it safe. This marmalade is going in the freezer (which is agreed to be a safe destination for it). As I can't ship it to you frozen or refrigerated, the winner will receive other jams or jellies, made from recipes that meet current USDA standards. By all means, try the recipe if you like butternut squash, but you will want to research the food safety issue, and decide if you want to freeze the preserves.

Taking inspiration from Macho Pineapple's resolve to tackle his pile of CSA produce, I turned my attention to my growing collection of winter squash.

The Rosicrucian Fellowship's New Age Vegetarian Cookbook (1968) includes a recipe for pumpkin marmalade. If it is good enough for pumpkin, it is good enough for butternut squash.

3 quarts butternut squash, diced small

8 cups unrefined sugar

1 lemon

1 orange

Mix butternut squash and sugar. Cover and let stand overnight. Remove seeds from orange and lemon and grind them (rind, pulp, and all) in the food processor. Add to the squash/sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until the squash goes translucent - about 1 hour. Pack in sterilized jars and keep frozen or refrigerated.

Yield: 10 1/2 cups.

I will give away a jar to one (or possibly more) lucky winners. Just leave me a comment and check back tomorrow to see if you won.

Bonus MoFo: Gravy-Baked Polenta Seitan, Revealed!

2010-11-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

This recipe has nothing to do with this month's retro theme, but it follows on many Facebook requests:

Some years ago, Susie - everyone's favorite vegan food scientist - sent me a recipe for polenta seitan. We love it in its original Italian-ish version, and in Thanksgiving and Breakfast Sausage & Gravy variations which we have concocted over the years. With Susie's blessing, I give you this amazing recipe. You will love it.

ORIGINAL SUSIE VERSION

3 heaping T tomato paste
3 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 t basil
2 t oregano
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t white pepper
3/4 c polenta-grind cornmeal (regular works, too, but changes the texture)
1/2 c water
1 c vital wheat gluten

Mix everything but the vwg until well combined. Gradually add the gluten. You may need a little more or a little less. You want it to pull together into a cohesive dough. Tear off chunks the size of a large marble and flatten them into little medallions. Steam these for 30 minutes.

Place the steamed seitan into a casserole pan, more or less in one layer. Cover with a mixture of half tomato sauce, half water. Place chunks of Teese on top, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until Teese has melted and it looks done. (If using another vegan cheese, it may be necessary to wait until the end to add it, and then raise the temperature and/or cover the pan to get it to melt. It is good without cheese, too.)

THANKSGIVING VARIATION (see photo above)

Replace spices with a mix of sage, fennel, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. (Once, in desperation, I used poultry seasoning and it worked fine.)

Instead of tomato sauce, make a batch of the Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance. Replace the gravy spices with the same mixture as above. One year, I added finely chopped celery to the gravy. Dilute the gravy with about 2 c water. Pile the steamed seitan medallions in a casserole. (For some reason, this version works better piled up instead of in one layer.) Cover with diluted gravy, and bake at 400 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it looks done.

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE & GRAVY VARIATION

Make whichever version of the polenta seitan you prefer. (I like the Thanksgiving spices for this, as sage and fennel belong in sausage.)

Make a milk gravy like the Almond Milk Gravy in Yellow Rose Recipes, and dilute with a couple of cups of water. Pile seitan in a casserole, cover with diluted gravy, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it looks done. Serve over hot biscuits.

Vegan MoFo Day 26: Rosicrucian Ladies Who Lunch, Part 2

2010-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

After the success of the prior salad (yesterday's post), we decided to try another "ladies who lunch" concoction from the Rosicrucian Fellowship's salad booklet. Throwing caution to the wind, we went for the Asparagus and Pineapple Salad, which turned out to be really pleasant. The Rosicrucian ladies have been holding their salad secrets behind the veil, but no longer!

2 c. asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 c walnuts, chopped

1 c celery, chopped

enough vegan mayo to coat it all

Steam asparagus, drain, and cool. Mix with everything else. I didn't have a lettuce leaf for the photo, but you can visualize it.

Vegan MoFo Day 25: Rosicrucian Ladies Who Lunch

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Get your Cosmo-Conception on! At some unknown point, the Rosicrucian Fellowship issued a supplement to their New Age Vegetarian Cookbook, titled Salads and Vegetarian Menus. The 10th printing is dated 1996, but it clearly dates to many years before. The salad recipes are just the sort of thing you would serve when inviting the ladies over for lunch and gossip, if said ladies were vegetarian esotericists!

We tried the Cabbage, Apple, and Ripe Olive Salad:

1 c shredded cabbage (I was generous with this)

2 red apples, chopped

1/4 c chopped black olives

1/4 c French dressing (see below)

Mix together, and artfully arrange on lettuce leaves. For a garnish, stuff whole black olives (I used the canned kind to be true to the period) with soy cream cheeze.

French Dressing:

1/3 c water

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

3 T olive oil

a squirt or two of agave

celery salt to taste

"sufficient catsup to complete the seasoning" (not much)

Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake until emulsified.

While this salad seems like an odd combination, it's quite pleasant and I would make it again.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: The Protose Chronicles, Part 2

2010-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

After the disappointments of my previous adventure with homemade protose, I decided to try again - using a more recent recipe involving gluten, from Linda & Milton Mahabee's A Vegetarian Cookbook & Better Living Guide (1985).

Their recipe calls for:

4 c raw gluten

2 c peanut butter

2 medium onions, grated

1 c water

1 T salt

(I made the gluten by stirring up 4 parts vital wheat gluten to 1 part chickpea flour with enough water to make a firm dough, continuing to add to it until I had 4 cups.)

Mix the peanut butter with onions, water, and salt. Gradually work in the gluten, using your hands. You do not want it perfectly combined. Place into a greased double boiler, and cook forever. The Mahabees imagine that you will be making this in greased soup cans, and cooking about 3 hours. I made a big block in the double boiler, and it took more like 4 1/2 hours. Also, the above recipe was enough to fill my double boiler twice, so you might want to cut it in half unless you have a huge double boiler.

Results: a firm, sliceable, yet somewhat crumbly block. It doesn't really taste like seitan, mostly because the peanut flavor dominates. It is suitable for a sandwich, but our favorite use was chopping and baking it with bbq sauce. I like it fine (especially as bbq!) but I doubt I'll make it again due to the cooking time. I wonder if I could bake it? Even if it took a long time in the oven, I wouldn't have to continually top up the water in the double boiler. More to explore...

Vegan MoFo Day 23: Raw Cream of Celeriac Soup

2010-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's another raw soup from John Tobe's "No-Cook" Book (1969). We really liked this one a lot, better than his Country Soup I posted a few days ago. Strangely, the recipe makes a tiny amount. I tripled it, but I will give you the original amounts, with the only substitution being agave instead of honey:

Juice of 2 large oranges

1 oz. roasted peanuts (not raw - you could use another nut if you want)

1/4 oz. thyme

2 oz. chopped celeriac

1/2 oz. (approx 1 T.) agave

Blend thoroughly until creamy! It doesn't look like much, but it tastes great.

Vegan MoFo Day 22: Another Thanksgiving dish from the Countess

2010-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

As if her sweet potato curry was not enough, the Countess Wachtmeister would like you to sample her stuffed baked tomatoes. These are very appropriate for your Thanksgiving holiday table.

Core and hollow 4 large tomatoes. Mix "two large handfuls" of breadcrumbs (I used homemade sourdough crumbs from the freezer) with 2 T melted vegan margarine, and seasonings to taste (salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, marjoram, fennel). Chop and add 2 stalks celery and half a medium onion. Stuff the tomatoes. Place a little slice of vegan margarine on top of each one.

Bake them until the tomatoes are soft and the top is browned. In my case, this was almost 1 hour at 400 F. Serve on squares of bread which have been fried in vegan margarine until browned.

Bonus MoFo: Tapioca Fruit Soup

2010-11-21T10:35:00.001-08:00

I'm making this a bonus post, as it comes from a cookbook published in 1991, too recent to be considered retro. However, the book in question (Of These Ye May Freely Eat by JoAnn Rachor) is very much from the same Adventist ethos as Rosalie Hurd, the Mahabees, the County Life Cookbook, etc. It's also a damn useful little book. If you are living without a jar of her powdered vegan cheese sauce, you need to change that.

Pictured above is her fruit soup: tapioca cooked in fruit juice, and then combined with a variety of fresh, canned, and dried fruits. We first noticed this recipe about 10 years ago, and have been making it regularly ever since. I won't give you the recipe here. You can find it online if you search, but you should spend the $2.99 (!!) and buy the book.

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Raw "Country Soup"

2010-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

As the crisper drawer was overflowing, we tried a raw soup from John Tobe's "No-Cook" Book (1969). I'll give you the original amounts - which I used - and which resulted in an enormous vat. I had to put it through the blender in stages. If making again, I would definitely cut it in half - or less.

Combine in the blender:

2 T vegan margarine (not raw)

2 T warm water

1/2 c green beans, cut in 1 inch segments

Then add, and blend:

2 c carrots, sliced

2 c turnips, sliced

2 leeks, sliced

1/2 c celery, finely chopped

1/2 c warm water

Then add and blend:

1/2 c green peas

2 c shredded cabbage

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 t paprika

4 c warm nondairy milk (I used oat milk, which, of course, is not raw)

1/2 c shredded lettuce

When everything is thoroughly blended together, ladle into bowls and top with chopped dill. We warmed it gently before serving. The oat milk made the soup nice and creamy, and evened out the strong green "VEGETABLE" taste. You could preserve true raw-ness by using a raw nut milk, and subbing olive or coconut oil for the margarine.

One note: if you are anti-turnip, avoid this recipe or leave them out. The peppery earthiness of the turnips came through loud and clear.

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Soya Yeast Sandwich Spread, Mmmmm.....

2010-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of Rosalie Hurd's Ten Talents was obviously not creative recipe naming. Soya Yeast Sandwich Spread? Really, Rosalie? Who's going to buy that? Or maybe she was keeping it a secret, so there would be more left for her. In any event, don't let the name steer you away, as the spread is really good. Here it is, in all of its 1968 glory:

First, you have to make her recipe for Soya Starter. This makes a lot more than you need, but she uses it in a number of recipes.

1 c soy flour (you can toast it first, if you want - 15 min at 350 F, stirring occasionally)

2 1/2 c water

1 t salt

Blend everything together, and then cook in a double boiler for 90 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cold before using.

To make the spread, combine in a food processor:

3/4 c soya starter, as above

1/4 c oil (she says soy, safflower, or corn - I used olive)

1 - 2 T lemon juice

6 T nutritional yeast flakes

1 1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 - 1/2 t turmeric

Process until super-creamy. Scare other people away with the name, while enjoying it all by yourself. I ate half the batch with toasted struan (see photo). It is great on crackers, and would make a super spread on an avocado or tofurkey sandwich. Also, I can see it as a base for mac-n-cheeze or broccoli casserole, or poured over steamed asparagus.

Vegan MoFo Day 19: If you invited the Countess Wachtmeister to Thanksgiving...

2010-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Should you decide to invite the Countess Wachtmeister to your vegan Thanksgiving potluck, the approved method of communication is chanting the Stanzas of Dzyan at midnight, under a bright moon, while brandishing fungi. If she hears you and accepts, she might cruise in from the astral plane bearing her Sweet Potato Curry in ectoplasmic hands.

Just in case you prefer making it yourself to summoning dead Countesses, here is the recipe, veganized from her Practical Vegetarian Cookery (1897):

Peel and cube two large sweet potatoes. As you can probably tell from the first photo, I used white-fleshed Japanese s.p.s. Melt 2 T vegan margarine in a large skillet and add the sweet potatoes and some curry powder (amount and intensity to suit yourself). If you avoid margarine, coconut oil would be a good substitute. Fry the potatoes on medium heat until they begin to brown and are half-cooked. Add 2 c vegetable broth, salt (if the broth is not already loaded with it), and black pepper. Simmer until the broth reduces and the potatoes are soft.

The results are quite pleasant in their simplicity, although I am sure you could jazz it up. I'm surprised the Countess did not encase this in pie crust (as she was wont to do with most foods), as it would make a lovely filling for a savory pie.

Vegan MoFo Day 18: A "foreign dish" with Rosalie Hurd

2010-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Rosalie Hurd must have been fond of Italian food, as "Italian" recipes (some of which definitely deserve the scare quotes) have their own section, apart from the rest of the "foreign dishes" in her 1968 cookbook, Ten Talents. I was tempted by the caponatina - which I gather is the same as caponata, but with everything chopped small enough to spread on bread. I may have chopped too large to be technically caponatina, but so goes a lazy evening after work.

Rosalie's original recipe made approximately one metric ton, so I cut it down a bit, and made it fit the ingredients I had on hand. It was a very pleasant fate for the last of this year's eggplant avalanche.

2 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 small bunch celery, chopped
5.75 oz jar chopped green olives
3.5 oz jar capers (I used the big ones)
1 small onion, chopped
1 t salt
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 t granulated garlic
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c fresh lemon juice

Salt the eggplant and leave to drain for a few minutes. Toss with just enough of the oil to coat, and place on a baking sheet under the broiler. Turn regularly until all sides have browned. Set aside.

Mix everything else except the lemon juice and simmer until the celery and garlic soften - see shadowy November photograph above. Remove from heat and stir in the eggplant and lemon juice. Serve chilled with Italian bread.

Vegan MoFo Day 17: Ackee and Spaghetti

2010-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today we tried another recipe from Linda & Milton Mahabee, A Vegetarian Cookbook and Better Living Guide, 1985. If you have never tried ackees, they are a real treat - and shockingly similar in texture and appearance to scrambled eggs. It is almost impossible to find them fresh in the United States, but Caribbean markets will carry them canned in brine. (Nashvillians, I bought a can this morning at K&S World Market on Nolensville Road.)

With a few slight adaptations, here is the Mahabees' recipe:

19 oz can ackees, drained

14.5 oz can tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)

1 clove garlic, chopped (I used two)

2 scallions, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

thyme to taste

2 t oil

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 - 1 t salt

Saute the garlic, scallions, bell pepper and thyme in the oil until soft. Then add tomatoes and cook a few minutes. Finally, stir in the ackees, onion powder, and salt. Go easy with the salt. The ackees are usually packed in brine and can bring a lot of salt into the sauce. Serve with spaghetti.

Vegan MoFo Day 16: Soft-Curd, Fat-Free Soy Cheese

2010-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

With a bit of fear in my heart, I decided to try a soft-curd soy cheese from Frank and Rosalie Hurd's Ten Talents (1968). Having had many negative (and some positive) soy cheese encounters, I was far from sure. My fears deepened when I realized I had only defatted soy flour on hand. Fat-free soy cheese? The chance of a nasty result loomed large.

I should not doubt Rosalie Hurd! This worked alarmingly well, and I will definitely make it again (and again, and again).

In a blender, mix a scant cup of soy flour (defatted works just fine!) and a quart of water until very well combined. The Hurds warn to stay on the scant side of a cup of soy flour. Apparently, if you get the liquid too thick, it will not curd. Pour the liquid into the top of a double boiler, and cook over boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove it from the heat, and immediately stir in 1/4 c fresh lemon juice and 3/4 t salt. Put the lid on the pot, and leave it alone for 20 minutes, during which it will curd.

Pour into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, and allow to drain until it is as dry as you like. After draining, I stirred in some granulated onion, granulated garlic, and smoked paprika. I can see many flavor experiments with this cheese. Try it!

Vegan MoFo Day 15: Okra Patties

2010-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, a coworker of mine gave me a Caribbean Adventist cookbook: A Vegetarian Cookbook and Better Living Guide by Linda & Milton Mahabee, published in Jamaica in 1985. I haven't used it much, but I recently noticed the okra patties recipe, which is really more of a description/idea than a formal recipe. It may not look like much, but this is one of my favorites from this month of retro-veg recipes.

The Mahabees start with fresh cooked okra. As okra is out of season, I took a bag of frozen sliced okra and steamed it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to thaw it. Mash the okra with a potato masher. Big chunks are fine. You just want to break up the slices. Gradually mix in enough flour (oat and/or whole wheat - I used some of both) to be able to form patties. It will still be sticky and somewhat loose. Add salt and seasonings of your choice, to taste. I used the All American Seasoning Mix from American Vegan Kitchen. I think a Cajun spice mix would be great, too - or you could stick to the Caribbean theme and use the Bajan Seasoning in Caribbean Vegan.

With wet hands (so the mixture does not stick to you), form patties and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Spray the tops with a little oil, and bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes until crispy. Easy and completely delicious!

Vegan MoFo Day 14: Barbeque Limas

2010-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've never been a lima hater, but I have had a lot of poorly prepared, mealy, flavorless limas. The Rosicrucian Fellowship's New Age Vegetarian Cookbook (1968) can fix your lima problems. The recipe required only the slightest veganization, and is pictured above with okra patties (recipe coming tomorrow).

Chop one small onion, and fry in 2 T olive oil until it starts to caramelize. (Next time, I'm adding a chopped jalapeno to the pan, too.) Mix with the following:

14 oz frozen limas (right out of the bag - no need to thaw)
8 oz tomato sauce
1 t prepared horseradish
1 t vegan Worcestershire sauce

(Next time, I will probably add 1 t brown sugar - or molasses or sorghum - and a few drops of liquid smoke.)

Pour everything into a casserole, dot the top with bits of vegan margarine (if you want), and bake uncovered at 325 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it looks done.

Vegan MoFo Day 13 : Papaya Bread

2010-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last year during MoFo, I wrote about the raw food book ("No-Cook" Book by John Tobe, 1969) which I inherited from my grandmother. I'll be trying more recipes from it this month.

Tobe features a number of breads made by mixing flour with a fruit or vegetable puree and then allowing it to dry in the sun. He clearly wasn't living in Nashville in November. "In the sun" = break out the dehydrator.

As I saw a nice papaya the other day, I decided to start with his papaya bread (veganized to replace the honey):

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c rye flour
flesh of one papaya, put through the food processor
1 T agave

Mix together the flours. Add the agave and (slowly) enough papaya to make a workable dough. I had a pretty big papaya, and this took about 3/4 of it. Roll out the dough on a floured board and cut it into squares or whatever shape. Place on dehydrator trays, and dehydrate until dry. This recipe filled two trays in my Excalibur, and took about 24 hours to become completely dry. I made mine cookie thickness, and they would dry faster if you rolled them thinner. I started them at about 145 F, and turned down the temp to 125 F after a couple of hours. You could easily do this at a raw-food temperature, but it would take longer.

Results: a nice cracker. At first bite, the mind says "plain, floury cracker" but then the papaya taste starts to come in. I might add a tiny bit of salt and/or other seasoning if making again, and I am curious to try some of Tobe's other dehydrated breads.

And the winners are....

2010-11-12T04:41:00.000-08:00

Miss Tilly has moved her paw over the comments and determined the winners of the jelly giveaway. Do not question an elderly, rotund schipperke with a "will bite" sticker on her vet record!

Machopineapple and Becca will be hearing from me shortly!

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Mummy Food

2010-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) is a noted figure in the history of both alternative religion and alternative health. He's also a local boy, from just up the road in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. If life ever takes you to Hopkinsville, there is a wonderful Cayce exhibit at the Pennyroyal Area Museum. Cayce is buried in Hoptown - see photo above, which I took on a tour sponsored by the musuem.

Cayce was not a vegetarian, but his health recommendations indicated a diet primarily composed of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. He also advocated regular consumption of raw fruits and vegetables. By far, the most popular recipe from his work is "Mummy Food," so called as the formula was given to Cayce in a dream by an ancient Egyptian mummy in 1937. Top that, people. And it's vegan and gluten free.

Being a long-dead ancient Egyptian, the mummy did not provide exact measurements. The following recipe is what is usually given out:

1/2 c chopped dried dates
1/2 c chopped dried figs
1 heaping tablespoon cornmeal
1 1/2 c water

I think a sprinkle of salt is a nice addition, but it is not in the original formula. Anyhow, mix everything together, cover, and let it sit on the counter overnight. In the morning, bring it to a boil and let it simmer until it is done enough for you. I tend to follow the norm in cooking it for a long time - 45 minutes to 1 hour - but suit yourself.

Mummy Food is very rich, so I doubt you will want to eat large amounts. This morning I had about a tablespoon of it with some plain soy yogurt and rolled oats. If you cook it down to a thick paste and then refrigerate, it will set up into a firm block, and you can cut it into cubes for snacks.

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Pie with the Countess

2010-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I decided to try a dessert recipe from Countess Constance Wachtmeister's Practical Vegetarian Cookery (1897). The Almond Peach Pie required no veganizing at all, as long as you use a vegan pastry crust.

Fill an unbaked pie crust with canned peaches. The Countess instructs us to use peach halves, but I failed to inform my able assistant who bought sliced peaches. In November, there is no shame in canned peaches. If you have used peach halves, you can fill their cavities with chopped almonds. Otherwise, just sprinkle the almonds over everything, as in the photo above. I used 4 cans (14.5 oz) of peaches, and 1 cup of almonds. Per the Countess, add just a wee bit of the syrup from the cans, and sprinkle everything with sugar (not much). I also used about 1/4 t of almond extract. Cover with a top crust, and bake. I baked mine for 15 minutes at 400 F, and then lowered the temp for 45 minutes at 350 F.

This makes a very juicy pie, best served cobbler style, without trying to get tidy slices. I think the runny filling complements the crunchy almonds, and I don't believe I would want them suspended in something thicker. However, if you do, you could add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch/arrowroot/tapioca.

Vegan MoFo Day 10: Salteado

2010-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe comes from The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals (1981). This book is already completely vegan, but I made a few recipe edits to suit myself.

Start by making their Quick Tomato Sauce:

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 t salt

1 t oregano

1 t garlic powder

1 t paprika

12 ripe tomatoes (or, in my case, four 14.5 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes)

4 T tamari or soy sauce

2 T sorghum molasses

2 T arrowroot

Heat the oil, and add garlic, onions, celery, pepper and seasonings. Saute for 7-15 minutes, until everything is softened. Put the tomatoes in a blender with the tamari, sorghum, and arrowroot. You may have to do this in batches. Add to the pot, and simmer, uncovered, for an hour.

This makes more than you need, so you have extra for spaghetti or pizza. You could use jarred sauce, but this is quite tasty, and I LOVE that they use sorghum in it. Now, proceed to the salteado:

4 c tomato sauce (above)

1/4 c olive oil

1 small onion, diced (I left this out, as I felt there was already plenty of onion in the sauce)

1 c green peas

1 bay leaf

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/4 t basil

8 oz tofu, diced (I left this out - see below for my alternative)

Combine all ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve over boiled potatoes.

When making this, the idea of plain cubed tofu floating around in the salteado just didn't do it for me. I saw a recipe for tofu bacon on another Vegan MoFo blog, and decided that this would be a considerable improvement. I made a double batch of the tofu bacon, chopped it, and served it on top of (instead of stirred into) the salteado. Very nice.

While this was a bit complex, I definitely plan to make it again!

Vegan MoFo Day 9: The Protose Chronicles, Part I

2010-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Long before you could wander down to the local grocery and pick up tofu or tempeh, there was protose. Protose was/is a vegan protein food, usually based on beans and peanuts, which was sold canned, in different variations, by companies related to the Adventist church. It's not so common nowadays, so you have to resort to making your own. I found a recipe online, from an unnamed 1946 cookbook. With some tiny alterations from the linked original, here is what I tried:

1 c peanut butter (creamy, natural)

1 c mashed beans (I used canned, drained, red kidney beans)

2 c vegetable broth

2 T cornstarch

1 t granulated onion

1 t sage

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/2 t salt

Blend everything together until smooth. Pour into a greased double boiler, and steam for 3 hours.

The good news: it really does taste good. The bad news: it is far too mushy to chop up in a stew, or fry. The texture is basically that of cream cheese. I had some for breakfast on caraway bread, with a slice of tomato, broiled until hot, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it would make an excellent stand-in for refried beans in any Mexican-ish dish, and that is likely the fate of the remaining portion.

Seeing how liquid the batter was, I worried. And rightly so. To get a solid result, I think you would have to cut the liquid significantly (perhaps by half) and probably add more binder of some kind. I have noticed the presence of vital wheat gluten in some later homemade protose recipes, and vwg might be the path to firm-textured success, although it would sacrifice the gluten-free-ness.

Beyond future protose experimenting, this adventure has made me curious about adding peanut butter to refried beans and similar dishes.

Bonus MoFo: Giveaway Time!

2010-11-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

It seems like lots of MoFo-ers are giving stuff away this year, so why not jump on the bandwagon?

I made a lot of jelly/jam/marmalade/etc this summer. I have an especially large surplus of apricot-ginger preserves (a syrupy confection which can be poured over biscuits or pancakes) and hot pepper jelly (more or less acc to this recipe and pictured above).

Leave a comment about your favorite jam or jelly or pickle, and I will randomly select someone to receive a jar of each of the aforementioned items. Check back on Friday to see if you won (as I will probably need your address).

Vegan MoFo Day 8: I have your Thanksgiving rolls, right here...

2010-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

As we've seen in this MoFo journey through old veg cookbooks, churches and other religious/spiritual/esoteric groups played a large role in the development of vegetarian and vegan cooking. Unity, one of the most prominent New Thought groups, was started by vegetarians who promoted such a diet. Unfortunately, at least in my contact with Unity, this emphasis seems to have evaporated. I understand that the restaurant at their headquarters now serves meat. Perhaps it depends on the congregation.

Back in the day, though, Unity and its member congregations produced some vegetarian cookbooks, including the 1958 Unity Vegetarian Cookbook, from which I veganized this excellent recipe for dinner rolls.

Unity Inn Rolls

2 c nondairy milk

1/4 c vegan shortening

2 T unrefined sugar

2 t salt

5 t dry yeast

1/4 c lukewarm water

5 1/2 c flour

(I have been known to add about 4 oz of sourdough starter, at times.)

Hydrate the yeast in the lukewarm water. Heat the milk with shortening, sugar, and salt, until everything is melted and combined. Allow to cool to lukewarm (or just take care that it doesn't get too hot), and then stir in the yeast. Gradually add flour, kneading until you have a soft, supple dough. You may not need the full amount. Cover and let rise until double. You can punch down and do a second rise, if you have time. If not, proceed with rolling out the dough and cutting in circles with a glass or biscuit cutter. Dip each circle in melted vegan margarine, fold it in half, and place (open side up) in a greased pan. You want the pan to be tightly packed with rolls. Cover pan, and let the rolls rise. When risen, place them in a 400 F oven. After 5 minutes, turn heat down to 350 F and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

If you would like to try something else from the Unity book, my esteemed colleague, Panda with Cookie, has posted the Scalloped Okra & Corn Casserole. I will include a photo above, to tempt you.

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Barley Caraway Soup

2010-11-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to try another of the many caraway recipes in the Lukas Klinik's Cookery Book (1978). This was completely delicious. I could have eaten the whole pot.

Place into a dry pan:

40 g barley flour (I ground some pearl barley in my Vita-Mix)

2 T caraway seed (ground fine in a clean coffee grinder)

Stir over medium heat, toasting, until it is brown and fragrant. At this point, you will know from the smell that it will be very good.

Add:

1 liter vegetable broth

20 g vegan margarine

Bring to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

Take off the heat and add:

1 dl nondairy milk (I used almond)

1 dl nondairy yogurt (I used FarmSoy plain)

Stir and serve.

Vegan MoFo Day 6: Salmagundi with the Countess

2010-11-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Salmagundi was an unknown dish to me until I encountered it in Countess Constance Wachtmeister's Practical Vegetarian Cookery. While hers is a bit plain, it is pleasant, easy to prepare, and almost certainly sure to be eaten by children. It would also be easy to make something more exotic using the same formula.

Peel (if necessary), chop in strips, and boil in salted water until softened:

3 small potatoes

1 carrot

1 large beet

1/2 of a small cauliflower

I boiled the beets separately to keep from coloring the other vegetables. Run under cool water, and chill. Arrange the vegetables over lettuce leaves, and top with a chopped cucumber pickle and a chopped tomato. Pour a mayonnaise dressing over everything. (I used some Vegenaise thinned with lemon juice.) The Countess suggests serving with crackers and cheese. I did't have any vegan cheese on hand, but we ate it with crackers, and the crunchy contrast was nice.

Vegan MoFo Day 5: Millet - Pumpkin Seed Patties with Cashew Gravy

2010-11-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

As many readers of this blog surely know, the Seventh-day Adventist Church encourages (but does not require) a vegan (or vegan + honey) diet. I have quite a few Adventist cookbooks, and you can check out currently available ones via the Adventist Book Center. One of my oldest Adventist books is Ten Talents by Rosalie and Frank Hurd, from 1968. It has been hard to find in the past, but is now back in print.

I wanted to try a recipe I've never made before, and picked the millet - pumpkin seed patties. These just happen to be soy-free, gluten-free, and completely delicious. We will definitely make them again.

4 c cooked millet

1 c cooked brown rice

1 c raw pumpkin seeds, ground fine

1/4 c cashew nuts, ground - or cashew butter

3 T oil

1 t salt

1 t onion powder

1 t sage

Mix everything together, form patties, and fry. These patties want to stick, so you need a well-seasoned or non-stick skillet, thoroughly heated, with enough oil. The Hurds say you can bake them, but I haven't tried that. They are nice and crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside. You can sprinkle them with paprika if you want more color. The Hurds suggest serving the patties with their Cashew Milk Gravy, which is both easy and tasty:

2 c water

1/2 c cashew nuts

2 T arrowroot

2 t onion powder

2 T oil

1/2 t salt

Blend thoroughly until completely smooth. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking, until thick.

Vegan MoFo Day 4: Caraway Bread

2010-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have a small green "Cookery Book" from the Lukas Klinik in Switzerland, dated 1978. The Lukas Klinik is an anthroposophical facility for persons with cancer. I have made a number of recipes from this book, as well as from the Lukas Klinik's 2008 cookbook. However, I don't recall ever trying any of their breads. Caraway is a common ingredient in their recipes, especially in the 1978 book, so I decided to try the caraway bread. Here is the recipe, with the only changes being agave and soy yogurt instead of honey and quark:

100 g cracked wheat (I cracked some wheat in my Vita-Mix)

400 g whole wheat flour

1 t salt

1/2 t caraway seeds

3 dl water

1 T linseed (flax) oil

20 g yeast

1 T agave

1 T well drained soy yogurt

Combine wet ingredients and then add the dry ones. Let rise overnight. Shape, place in a greased loaf pan, allow to rise, and then bake in a low oven for 2 hours.

Now, maybe it was me and the European measurements, but the flour/water ratio seemed off and I wound up adding a fair bit more flour. I was out of flax oil, but found some walnut oil in the fridge, which added a nice effect. If making it again, I would up the amounts of both caraway and salt. The kitchen seemed too warm to leave this out on the counter, so I let it rest overnight in the fridge. Also, I was unsure what a "low oven" might be, and did not have 2 hours. Thus, I baked it for 55 minutes at 350 F. I have noticed long baking times at low temperatures in other anthroposophical/biodynamic cookbooks, and I am interested in experimenting to see if it changes the results.

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Turnips & Peas

2010-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today we have another (veganized) recipe from the Rosicrucian Fellowship's New Age Vegetarian Cookbook (1968).

6 small turnips (I used 3 large ones)

2 c cooked peas, cooked as given below

2 T chopped parsley

3/4 c nondairy milk

salt to taste

2 T vegan margarine

paprika

Slice off the tops of the turnips and simmer/steam in the milk for 20 minutes or until they begin to soften. Then, slice them, or hollow them out into cups if you are feeling fancy. Mix everything together (and stuff the cups if doing it that way) and bake at 350 at least 10 minutes. I let it go a little longer in the oven.

For peas: steam 1 lb of frozen peas according to package directions. Then mix with 4 T olive oil, 6 T lemon juice, 2 T agave, and marjoram and thyme to taste. We really liked the peas this way, and will make them again, even if not doing the turnip dish.

The Rosicrucians indicate that this should be served with a white sauce or hollandaise, but it's quite good as is. I think the sauce would be overkill, but follow your own inner direction in these matters!

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Yeasted Oatmeal Muffins

2010-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, I visited friends in Oceanside, California. While there, they took me on a visit to the headquarters of the Rosicrucian Fellowship. This esoteric group runs (or, at least, ran at the time) a lovely vegetarian cafeteria, staffed mostly by elderly ladies who were as friendly as they were hard of hearing. I have two cookbooks from this community. The older one, the New Age Vegetarian Cookbook, dates from 1968. Here is a veganized version of their oatmeal muffin recipe.

2 c unbleached flour

1/2 c rolled oats

3 T brown sugar

2 t vegan shortening

1 t salt

2 1/4 t dry yeast

1 c nondairy milk

Scald the milk. Pour over oats, sugar, shortening, and salt. Stir together and cool to lukwarm. Add yeast and flour. If it is too dry, add more liquid. You want this to be a little more moist than typical bread dough. Spoon into greased muffin cups. They should be half full. Cover and let rise until the cups are full. My kitchen was cold on the day I made these, and it took about 45 minutes for them to rise. Bake approximately 20 minutes at 440 F.

Vegan MoFo Day 1: The Countess rides again...

2010-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

This year for Vegan MoFo, I am going to explore recipes from old vegan or vegetarian cookbooks. I will write more about some of the books and authors as the month progresses. I am out of town for the first few days of November, so I am going to start by throwing up some recipes - which is what it is all about, anyway.

The oldest vegetarian cookbook I own is Countess Constance Wachtmeister's Practical Vegetarian Cookery, from 1897. The good countess was an early member and ardent supporter of the Theosophical Society, which promoted ethical vegetarianism.

Her asparagus pie recipe, in its original form, is little more than a description and required some light-handed veganization, but we thoroughly enjoyed the results.

Make enough pie crust for a top and bottom layer. I always use my mother's recipe: 2 c flour, 1 1/2 t salt, 1/2 c oil, 1/4 c nondairy milk. Stir together with a fork and roll out between sheets of wax paper.

Remove tough ends from 2 lbs of asparagus (perhaps minding this guidance), steam for about 5 minutes, and place inside the bottom crust. Make a simple white sauce by cooking together 2 T vegan margarine and 2 T flour, and then adding 2 c milk and continuing to cook, whisking regularly, until thick. Flavor the sauce with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour over the asparagus, and seal with the top crust. Bake until done. I baked mine for about 30 minutes at 400 F.

Vegan MoFo Day 31: MoFo Inspiration

2009-10-31T13:14:00.001-07:00

Whew! We made it to the end of another Vegan Month of Food! I've noted so many good ideas from the MoFo bloggers. It will take me a year to work through them. Today, I procured ingredients for the top two recipes on my MoFo list: Kim's Cream of Mushroom Soup and Dianne's Welsh Rabbit. Above you can see the Cream of Mushroom in process. It is everything you once loved about Campbell's, but about 1000 times better. The Welsh Rabbit will follow in the next day or two. Tonight, while waiting to load up the neighborhood children with candy, we'll be enjoying Jeffrey's Tater Tacos. Have a fun, safe Halloween, y'all!

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Yellow Rose Anticipation

2009-10-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Being big fans of Joanna Vaught's Yellow Rose Recipes, we were excited to test for her second book. After she made a decision not to continue with the project, I carefully guarded my precious print-outs of test recipes. There are so many excellent ones, including the best hummus ever. Really. Above you will see a photo of a bean salad, which I am making again tonight for a work party. If you have been living under a rock with no wifi access to the vegan internet, Joanna is about to release the tested recipes in zine format. Such good news!

Vegan MoFo Day 29: New Reinhart Book

2009-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received a copy of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day in the mail. Here's the FTC full disclosure part: I was a tester for this book, but no free copies were involved. (There were literally hundreds of testers, so tester copies weren't possible.) I made almost all the recipes, and enjoyed them immensely. I have been a big Reinhart fan ever since Brother Juniper's Bread Book, which remains a favorite.

The good news: In the introductory material, Reinhart clearly states that substitutes for dairy, eggs, and honey will work well in the recipes, and mentions some specifically, e.g., agave for honey. He was always open to my veganizing during testing. The less useful news: Individual recipes don't have vegan suggestions, and - especially with eggs - some substitutions work better in certain cases. If anyone needs input on a specific recipe, let me know. I am happy to share my experiments with you. Above you see the challah, which worked shockingly well with Ener-G Egg Replacer, which I do not normally enjoy in baked goods. I replaced the egg yolks with 1/4 c Ener-G whisked together with 1/2 c soy milk. I think the vanilla in the dough cancelled out any possible off-taste from the Ener-G. Instead of an egg wash, I brush the tops with some dark coffee, into which I had mixed a spoonful of maple syrup. With the chocolate babka, I replaced the eggs with a mixture of mashed banana and ground flaxseed, again with success. Every recipe was a little different - and some were already vegan.

It's a great book - really a must-have, in my opinion, if you are interested in baking.

Vegan MoFo Day 28: French Lentil Cassoulet, Not Quite a Review

2009-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Attention FTC: Amazon sent me a free copy of Robin Asbell's New Vegetarian for review. I haven't made anything from it yet, but it did inspire my dinner tonight. It looks like a good book. While not vegan, there are lots of vegan recipes and suggestions for vegan substitutions. And the entire dessert chapter is vegan. Chocolate raspberry napoleons, anyone?

I significantly transmogrified her French Lentil Cassoulet recipe based on what we had in the house and needed to use up. I more or less followed her technique with a lot of changes in the ingredients - which is something I often do to cookbooks. Here's what I did:

Cook 1 c French lentils in water to cover, with a bay leaf, for 30 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt some vegan margarine in a heavy pot, and fry some butternut squash cubes, a couple of chopped potatoes, and a chopped onion with 1 t sage and 1 t thyme. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves, and 1 bunch of Lacinato kale (ribs removed, and chopped). Then add a 28 oz can of tomatoes, 1 c of water, and a bouillon cube or some broth powder. Add the cooked lentils, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook another 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes and squash are as soft as you want them.

In a food processor, whiz up 3 cloves garlic, 3 cups bread crumbs (I used homemade from the freezer), 1 cup almonds, 3 T olive oil, 1 t thyme, and a little salt. Put this in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and stir until the mixture is dry and toasty. Spoon over cassoulet right before serving.

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Butternut Squash Fries

2009-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a mention in the newspaper of making oven fries from butternut squash. As I have an abundance of butternuts, sitting in a closet waiting to be used, I paid attention. I have made unusual oven fries before, turnip fries with chili pepper being a particular favorite, but never winter squash. I hauled out my trusty, deadly mandoline, and (carefully, carefully) put the squash through the crinkle-cut setting at 1/4 inch. I then applied a little olive oil, Goya Adobo (salt, pepper, garlic, turmeric), and smoked paprika. 15 minutes at 400F, flip, 10 minutes more. They are like sweet potato fries in many ways, but very sweet and creamy on the insides. I'll definitely do this again.

Vegan MoFo Day 26: Raw Food circa 1969

2009-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

My maternal grandmother struggled with debilitating arthritis, and tried a number of alternative health approaches. For a time, she experimented with a raw diet, using the "No-Cook" Book by John H. Tobe. I don't think she stuck with it for long, and I don't remember it having any significant results. When my grandparents passed away, this book found its way to me.

Tobe's book is not vegan. He includes some dairy, eggs, honey, and quite a bit of fish - all raw. However, there are many vegan recipes. I'm glad to have the book for sentimental reasons, but I have never really put it to work in the kitchen. I suppose the idea of raw food from 1969 didn't seem too appealing. However, strengthened by Vegan MoFo, I decided to give it a go.

The recipes are organized into menus for every day of the year. Thus, I turned to October 26. The breakfast looked intriguing - grinding corn, millet, oats and rose hips together, mixing with water and allowing to set overnight, and then adding fruit and nuts. However, I decided to go with the lunch item: Pineapple-Stuffed Tomatoes. You simply make a salad of fresh pineapple, walnuts, and celery (he gives no amounts - just eyeball it), and stuff into tomatoes which you have hollowed out with a spoon. Flavorless, hard October tomatoes actually work well here, as their primary role is to provide a stable salad bowl.

The dressing is as follows: 1 pint cider vinegar, 1 t dill seed, 1/2 t celery seed, pinch of mustard seed, 1 clove garlic, 1 T agave nectar (original recipe called for honey), 1 t salt, 1/2 t paprika, 1 c oil (Tobe calls for sunflower seed oil, but I used a mix of grapeseed and flax oils). Whiz this in the blender until smooth. Spoon a small amount onto each tomato.

The finished product was delicious, and encourages me to try more recipes from this book!

Vegan MoFo Day 25: I have your pot roast, right here...

2009-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

In a dark corner of my reptilian brain, there is a little spot known as "pot roast." It rears its meaty, overcooked head on grey, drippy, autumn days. I now have a way to feed it.

After seeing multiple positive comments on Facebook, I bought yet another new cookbook: Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson. I've only made one recipe so far - the "Wait-For-You Stew," but this one is a winner. It's very close to my ancient memory of pot roast. It came together quickly and easily, and bubbled along in the crock pot while I cleaned the house. The recipe has an error. It does not list the liquid needed for making the seitan. I just added water until it looked right. Also, I added more of all the vegetables and half a chopped onion which was sitting, alone and drying out, in the refrigerator. The flavor was very satisfying and the texture of the long-simmered seitan was perfect. I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow, and to making this again.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Gluten-Free Cookies

2009-10-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

My office always has a big Halloween party, and I have been thinking about what to bring. I have a gluten-free colleague, and, understanding the challenges of parties without appropriate food, I want to make something that she can eat. While cleaning house today, I decided to experiment.

Happily, Joni recently posted a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie that calls for coconut flour - and I have coconut flour in the pantry from a past baking adventure. I pulled out a bowl, and in no time flat I had a super-tasty xgfx cookie dough. (Some xgfx dough, especially if it involves bean flour, can taste nasty when raw. Not this one!) You can see the results above. I can't imagine anyone objecting to this cookie, vegan or gluten-free or not. The texture is a bit sandy, but in a perfectly good way: think back to the pecan sandies of your childhood. (If you have rice-flour-sandiness trauma, it is not like that.) Thanks, Joni!

Bonus MoFo: Bread Results

2009-10-23T15:03:00.001-07:00

The Italian All Saints bread is out of the oven. As you can see from the mashed crumb in the photo, I didn't wait for it to cool before I cut into it. Too bad, bread perfectionists! It's really nice - super-crunchy-crispy crust, and very soft innards, no doubt because of all the olive oil. There is only a slight sweetness from the raisins. It is definitely more savory than sweet. The combination of flavors from orange rind, lemon rind, and black pepper is wonderful. I'm putting a big star by this in the cookbook.

Vegan MoFo Day 23: All Saints Bread

2009-10-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today's MoFo post is sliding in late in the day.... My plans for yesterday were waylaid, as I broke a tooth and had to attend to it. It was a fragile tooth, due to some antique fillings, and my meal really had nothing to do with the break. I was enjoying some Gobi Manchurian at an Indian place near my office. I am an obsessive fan of this dish, and not even breaking a tooth will deter me from finishing my plate.

With a temporary crown in place, I am back in the culinary saddle. As I type, a loaf of pane co' santi, an Italian bread for the feast of All Saints (Nov 1) is rising in the kitchen. Photo above. I found this already-vegan recipe in a Catholic cookbook called A Continual Feast by Evelyn Birge Vitz. It contains a ridiculous amount of olive oil (1 cup per loaf), raisins, citrus rind, anise seed, toasted nuts, black pepper, and other things. There's not much sugar in it (2 T), so it is not a cakey item. I will be very interested to see how this turns out!

Vegan MoFo Day 22: What's for supper?

2009-10-22T02:33:00.000-07:00

On a Wednesday night, in a busy work-week, late in MoFo, I don't have much for you. But dinner had to be on the table, nonetheless. We made Jo Stepaniak's classic "Greens & Noodles" from Vegan Vittles. I cut back the soy sauce, as the original recipe is a bit salty for me. I shelled some leftover boiled peanuts and threw them in, along with a spoonful of the Bakon seasoning I bought last weekend. With collards and boiled peanuts and bakon seasoning, it was a very Southern dish, despite the udon noodles!

Alongside, we made one of our favorite recipes from Isa Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch: Lemon Pepper Tofu. It's such an easy, quick, and pleasing recipe! It is not necessary to press the tofu, but I used my TofuXPress, and, boy howdy, did it make for a nice result.

In other important news, Yvonne alerted me that pizza with vegan Teese mozzarella is now available at Italia Pizza on Woodland Street in East Nashville. Needless to say, I'll be heading that way very soon! Gluten-free friends, take note: their website says they will have a gluten-free crust in the near future.

Onward, MoFos!

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Beans of the Dead

2009-10-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

The Day of the Dead (All Souls, November 2) is approaching. This year, I have been looking for different recipes to add to my Day of the Day repertoire. My first test run was an Italian cookie called fave dei morti: the beans of the dead! From what I read, these tiny cookies (made to be the size of a fava bean or lima bean) were given to the poor, or put out for the dead to "eat", or simply enjoyed. As you can see, I didn't do a great job with my bean-shaping, but I can work on it between now and 11/2. Taste-wise, these micro-cookies are great! I started from a recipe in Evelyn Birge Vitz's A Continual Feast, and made a number of changes:

Blanch 2/3 c almonds (or buy them already blanched): Pour boiling water over them, leave one minute, drain, pop the skins off. Put them on a baking sheet in a 200 F oven for 10 minutes to dry.

Grind the almonds till fine in a food processor: pulverized bones of the dead. Then add 3/4 c flour, 3/4 c sugar, 1/2 t salt, and 1 t cinnamon, and continue to grind until very fine and powdery.

Mix 1 T ground flaxseed with 3 T hot water unti it gets goopy, and add to the food processor. Then add grated rind of 1 lemon, 1/4 c vegan margarine, 1 t vanilla, and 1/2 t almond extract. Pulse briefly until it comes together in a ball. (I think oil - even olive oil - would work well in this recipe instead of margarine. And I saw recipes online that called for different alcoholic additions - anise liqueur, grappa, etc - if you want to vary the flavor.)

Pinch off bean-sized lumps of dough. It is sticky, so keep your hands wet. Flatten into desired shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. The time totally depends on the size of your beans, so keep an eye on them. Hungry ghosts will likely be circling the oven, waiting....

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Vegan Crunk Appreciation

2009-10-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, I took a little inspiration from Bianca. After all, it is her birthday season! For anyone not already addicted to her blog, she has the powers of roasted okra and vegan jelly donuts, and her forthcoming cookbook is eagerly awaited. Not to mention that she's super-nice, and a fellow Tennessean.

Recently, she posted about a butternut squash and macaroni recipe from the Whole Foods iPhone recipe app (which is free, and quite useful). With a lot of butternut squash on hand, I decided to give it a try. It's not the most photogenic recipe, but it's completely delicious. As Bianca points out, the coconut milk gives it a delightful creaminess. I changed the recipe a wee bit by caramelizing the onions, and adding a big spoonful of the Hickory Smoked "Bakon" seasoning I bought in bulk yesterday at Wildwood. If northern Georgia is not close to you, Food Fight carries this magical seasoning. We'll be making this very pantry-friendly recipe again soon!

ETA: For non-iPhone people, the recipe is on the WF website.

Vegan MoFo Day 19: Atlanta Adventures

2009-10-19T12:31:00.001-07:00

I finally made it to Atlanta, despite more rain and wind and cold on Friday! Upon arrival, I didn't feel like heading out into the night for food, so I just went downstairs in our building to Stella. This was my first time in Stella, as they don't have anything explicitly vegan listed in their online menu, and I was afraid they would not be able to extract the cheese (or eggs in the pasta). However, the waiter was very well-informed, and gave me lots of options. I wound up ordering a pizza (photo above) and it was delicious. The waiter, the chef, and the host all stopped by to be sure I was happy. I'll definitely return.

On Saturday night, I went to a meet-and-greet for a city council candidate. (For you Atlanta voters, take a good look at Adam Brackman.) The gracious hosts had quite a spread of food, including vegan tacos from Holy Taco. These were excellent - black beans, rice, avocado, Ecuadorian salsa, and - most interesting - thinly sliced radish. The radish was a wonderful touch , and I will be copying this at home.

Last night, I had a lovely noodle soup with friends at Nickiemoto's.

Today, driving home, I stopped off in Wildwood, Georgia, near Chattanooga. The Adventist-run Wildwood Lifestyle Center has a great store or stores (as there is a an herb market, a grocery, and a bookstore). I bought Tartex in rural Georgia! And who doesn't need a big bag of Hickory Smoked Bakon Seasoning?

Vegan MoFo Day 18: susietofumonster appreciation

2009-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

This Sunday brings a word of appreciation for everyone's favorite vegan food scientist, Susie. When she's not cracking the code of egg replacers, or deep in chemistry studies, she can be counted on for good recipes. Above you see her Polenta Seitan, which I made the other night when a friend came to dinner. It's a delicious and versatile recipe. (And, yes, Susie, this is a shameless attempt to get you to return to your blog!)

Vegan MoFo Day 17: Plantains and Hurricanes

2009-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

When I moved from Nashville to the Bronx in 1987, I had never heard of a plantain, much less seen one. I noticed the boxes of large, strange bananas (labeled platanos) at local bodegas, but I was too busy with New York's other attractions to explore. Some months later, a Jamaican coworker of mine invited several friends to dinner at her apartment in Brooklyn. A hurricane was moving up the Atlantic coast toward New York. Despite the weather warnings, I headed to Brooklyn. The hurricane veered off in another direction, and I was introduced to the wonder of fried ripe plantains - soft, sweet, and caramelized.

As plantains were cheap and filling, they quickly became a regular part of my diet. When I didn't want to prepare them myself, the all-night, bullet-proof Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood offered a big serving of fried plantains for only $1. I later branched out into green plantains, and dishes such as mofongo (easily veganized) and tostones. Peeling green plantains can be annoying, but there is now a gadget which makes it very easy (despite being alarmingly phallic).

Decades later, I can't eat plantains without thinking of hurricanes, Brooklyn, and Jamaican food. I'll be enjoying those memories, and some plantains, this weekend.

Vegan MoFo Day 16: The tincture is ready

2009-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

You may recall that I started the Vegan Month of Food by making tinctures. The first of them, made from lemon balm, is now ready. I strained it yesterday. I tried to get a decent photo, but it would not cooperate. It looks very dark in the jar, but it is really a deep, crazy, wild green color. The flavor is similarly intense. A little will go a very long way. I see this headed for some sorbet or ice-type-product in the near future.

Vegan MoFo Day 15: VeganDad Appreciation

2009-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

VeganDad is one of my favorite food blogs, and one of the very few that I check religiously no matter how busy I am. After all, he is the source of the best veggie burger recipe I have ever made. The other day, I made his pumpkin custard. As you can see in the photograph, we now have even more reason to appreciate him. It's very close to traditional custard. The texture does thicken somewhat as it cools, so if you like your custard very soft and jiggly, please enjoy while still warm. (The photo above was taken when it had cooled to about room temperature, and you can see that it remains fairly soft.) My only word of caution is that the caramel browns quickly, so keep the heat low and watch it.

Vegan MoFo Day 14: Boiled Peanuts

2009-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

If one is driving through rural areas of the Carolinas and Georgia (as I often am), boiled peanuts are available to sustain one on the journey. Taking the back way from Asheville to Atlanta, there is a boiled peanut and fruit stand every mile or so. The proprietor hands them over, hot and dripping in salty brine, encased in a plastic bag. Shelling, eating, and a delicious mess follow.

As this is a food I associate with car trips, it is very rare that I make it at home. However, one of my coworkers received some raw (or "green" peanuts) in her weekly Community Supported Agriculture box, and did not want them. I greedily snapped them up and decided to make boiled peanuts. Most directions say that you should soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes, and then rinse. I think this is primarily for cleaning purposes.

Having rinsed, put the poor little peanuts into a crockpot, cover with water, and add 1 cup salt for every gallon of water. You can also add spices if you like - a big spoon of Cajun seasoning will nuclearize a whole pot of peanuts. Put the lid on, turn heat to high (if your crockpot has a setting) and let 'er run. I did mine overnight - probably 10-11 hours - and they were about right.

Any that aren't slurped up hot from the pot can be stored in the refrigerator in brine, and reheated as desired. People seem to love or hate boiled peanuts. If you want to try them and you aren't in the South (and aren't growing peanuts in your back yard), look for raw peanuts at Asian markets. I have seen them in Nashville at the K&S World Market on Nolensville Road.

Vegan MoFo Day 13: TofuXPress, I love you...

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I admit that, when I first heard of the TofuXpress, I mocked it mercilessly. Why in the holy bejeezus would I need a tool for pressing tofu? Heck, half the time, I do little more than blot the stuff off with a paper towel. I am here to tell you I was wrong. (And, if you are the FTC, no one gave me a free one, or has ever given me anything for the blog. I bought it myself, thank you.)

When Julie wrote about this thing, I started wondering, as I find her very trustworthy. After watching some YouTube videos, I broke down and bought one. You will not believe what a good job it does at pressing tofu, with no mess at all. You put it in the press, slide the lid on, and (if you are me) put it in the fridge for hours and forget about it. When as pressed as you want it to be, you can use the box for marinating (see photo). The base becomes a lid. (Warning: it is not super-tight, so don't shake it.) In the photo, I was making this Bryanna recipe, and it was perfectly marinated.

The manufacturer gives instructions for other uses. They indicate that you can press grains and veggies together to form a block, and then slice and serve - or slice, bread, fry - or whatever you fancy. I am eager to try some of these other uses, but for now, I can't stop pressing tofu!

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Raw Food

2009-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry for the shadowy photos, but you can tell it to stop raining in Tennessee!

I first encountered raw food in childhood, when my grandmother tried it as a way of addressing her arthritis and other health problems. She used The "No-Cook" Book by John Tobe, which was published in 1969. It's mostly vegan, but with a little honey, dairy and fish. When my grandparents died, this book is one of the items that found its way to me. I really need to try some of the recipes... maybe later in MoFo...

Some years ago, when living in New York City, I rediscovered the wonders of raw or living cuisine. I obviously have much love for cooked food, too, and I don't buy into the philosophy that sometimes accompanies the raw movement, but I thoroughly enjoy the occasional raw day. At the very least, it is a fun and healthy way to vary one's diet.

I didn't try making raw food for myself until I moved back to Tennessee, and met Laura Button, founder of Journey to Bliss, a local raw food company. Laura teaches wonderful and inspiring classes. After taking some of Laura's classes, I've gradually accumulated a few raw "cookbooks" which are great for ideas. One of my favorites is Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. We've liked everything we've made from it. Photographed above is the Walnut Cranberry Squash "Rice" which we have made so many times I have lost count. The recipe can be found on the internet. I have taken it to many potlucks, and to last year's office Christmas party. It is always popular with everyone. The original recipe is a bit salty for me, so I usually cut the salt amount in half. You might start with a small amount of salt, and taste as you go.

Go make some raw food!

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Yeasted Oat Pancakes

2009-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

This should keep you going while I'm away: a very good, very easy pancake recipe. It makes a great Sunday breakfast. I doubled the recipe recently and make them for a work brunch, and they were very well received. I adapted a recipe I found on the internet.

Mix together: 8 oz oat flour, 8 oz wheat flour, 1 t salt, 1 t sugar, and 1 heaping t commercial yeast.

In a separate container, combine: 1 1/2 c water and 1 1/2 c nondairy milk (I like to use SoDelicious Coconut Milk in this recipe, but anything would work.) Heat the liquid until just lukewarm, and combine with the dry ingredients. Mix well, cover, and let rise for an hour. Cook on a lightly greased griddle, just like regular pancakes.

(I think the measurements in the original recipe are imperial, and are intended to give a thinner, crepe-like pancake. My measurements are American, and yield a result similar to the typical American pancake. Suit yourself!)

Vegan MoFo Day 10: I-75 Interlude

2009-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Your dutiful mofoer is going to be away at an undisclosed location in Atlanta for the weekend. Fear not, I will schedule a post for tomorrow so that the mofo goodness will not stop before my return to Nashville. Our secret base in Atlanta is located just around the corner from Stone Soup Kitchen. They do a fabulous tofu scramble with grits, which is very likely to be my breakfast on Saturday. The photo above is from a few weeks ago.

PS - I didn't really go to Atlanta, as we had a big storm. But I am leaving this prescheduled post where it is, as you should know about the awesomeness of Stone Soup's tofu scramble with grits.

Bonus MoFo: "Pepper Steak" Soy Curls

2009-10-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Big nasty storms ruined my plan to go to Atlanta this weekend. I already preloaded some weekend posts, so you get a bonus from my unexpected cooking tonight.

I was thinking about Kim's MoFo posts, in which she is veganizing family favorites, comfort foods, and the like. Once upon a long ago day (more decades ago than I will freely admit), I enjoyed my mother's Pepper Steak, a sort of faux-Chinese-food concoction. Seeing several bell peppers in the fridge, and 3/4 of a bag of Butler's Soy Curls, I set out to see what I could do.

I made a broth from 4 c water, 4 t Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base, and 1 t Champagne Marmite. I brought it to a boil, poured over the 6 oz of dried Soy Curls, and rehydrated for about 10 minutes. I drained the Soy Curls well, pressing out the extra moisture.

In a big frying pan, I heated some peanut oil, and fried 3 cloves garlic (chopped), a generous 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped), 1 t kosher salt, and some black pepper. After a few minutes, I added the Soy Curls and fried until they started to brown - maybe 5 minutes or so. I then removed everything from the skillet, and set it aside.

Next, I added a little more peanut oil and 2 chopped onions, and fried until they were caramelizing nicely. I then added 1 t sugar, the reserved Soy Curls mixture, and a mix of 1 T cornstarch, 3/4 c water, and 1/4 c soy sauce. When it thickened up, I added 3 sliced bell peppers (2 green, 1 red, to be exact) and cooked a few more minutes. It will be served over rice, very shortly.

Vegan MoFo Day 9: Raw Turnip Greens

2009-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

I love turnip greens the traditional, overcooked way as much as any other Southerner. However, tonight I looked at my big bag of greens and wondered if they could be prepared in a raw way, like massaged kale. The answer: YES!

I sliced them into thin ribbons, and then massaged them with red wine vinegar, walnut oil, and salt until they softened, beccoming similar to a cooked texture. As turnip greens are much more tender than kale, it only took about 1 minute. I originally planned to use pepper vinegar, corn oil, and salt (for a more traditional flavor) but decided to branch out.

I think this would be great as a side dish, but I ate it piled on top of a bowl of tomato soup.

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Farm Box Day

2009-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I picked up our weekly box of vegetables from Delvin Farms. It is always fun to see what we have - fresh, organic vegetables whose purchase supports a local farmer. (When I posted the photo on Facebook, the long Italian eggplant in the center was, well, veeeery popular.... ) If you are in the Nashville area and are interested in Community Supported Agriculture, all the information you need is here.

I then made a big salad for dinner tonight and work lunches, consisting of items from Delvin boxes from last week and this week, and other things I found in the pantry:

1 smallish spaghetti squash, which I roasted the other day while making soup

1 chopped red bell pepper

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled 15 minutes

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/4 c grapeseed oil

LOTS of sage

salt, thyme, granulated onion, granulated garlic to taste

Farm to table, y'all.

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Preparing for Greens

2009-10-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

My mother emailed me today to let me know that her fall crop of turnip greens is starting to come in. As I started to think about turnip greens, I suddenly realized: I am almost out of pepper vinegar! I can enjoy greens without pepper vinegar, but it sure is nice to have.

Despite being a tired mofo tonight, I pulled open the vegetable drawer, and found a respectable number of hot peppers of various kinds. I had to break some of the long ones in half to fit them into a quart jar. (This will increase the heat of the final product, but that is OK by me.) I then covered with apple cider vinegar, capped, and stuck it in the back of the fridge. My grandmother always kept her pepper vinegar in a big cruet on a shelf, so I don't think you need to refrigerate. It would be best to wait for a couple of weeks, but I will probably break into it sooner.

Vegan MoFo Day 6: Jo Stepaniak Appreciation

2009-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a long, busy Monday, and the weather is murky, cool, and wet. I want something warm and comforting for dinner, so I reached for Jo Stepaniak's Vegan Vittles. Her Creamy Potato Kale Soup is easy, fast, and an all-time household favorite. You can see it in its very early stages above. It is bubbling in the background as I type.

My earliest attempts at a plant-based diet took place in an ancient era that is almost lost to memory (the late 80s to early 90s), so authors like Jo Stepaniak and Louise Hagler will always have a special place on my cookbook shelf. I mean, Jo is the woman who brought us a whole cookbook about making tasty "uncheese" (Crock Cheez, anyone?) at a time in history when commercial vegan cheese was uniformly awful. And she is still churning out excellent work today!

In other news, while cutting through the Ellington Agricultural Center tonight, I noticed the signs are up for this year's Music and Molasses Festival, coming up on October 17-18. Unfortunately, a lot of the food is very non-vegan, but the entertainment is good, and it is a great opportunity to stock up on my favorite local sweetener, sorghum molasses.

Vegan MoFo Day 5: Simple sourdough

2009-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

I like complicated bread recipes as much as any other crazy baker, but life gets busy and I don't always have time to plan, purchase unusual ingredients, etc. My fall back approach to our weekly bread baking is the following simple approach to sourdough.

1. I made my own starter a couple of years ago, following the directions in Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. His "pineapple juice solution" really helps avoid common problems in getting a starter underway. I think the directions will appear also in Reinhart's new book, Artisan Breads Every Day, which is due to hit stores later this month. Once a week (or at least once every two weeks), I pull out about 2-3 oz of starter (a big spoonful), and mix it with approximately 2 c flour and 1 c water. You can see the consistency in the photo above - just a little wetter than final bread dough. Depending on how much flour I scooped up, I will have between 12-16 oz of starter. I put it in a bowl with a loosened lid on the kitchen counter for 4-6 hours and then punch down, cover tightly, and refrigerate. During the week, I may open the lid a couple of times to give it some air.

2. I then take the rest of the previous week's starter (10-12 oz, more or less), and mix it with flour, salt, and water, according to how many loaves I want. For two sandwich loaves, I put about 5-6 cups of white or wheat flour, 1-2 cups other flours (chickpea, rice, fava, coconut, oat, etc), 2 t kosher salt, and other stuff if I feel like it (e.g., a handful of nutritional yeast). Then, I start with 2 c water, and begin kneading, adjusting with flour or water as necessary to get a soft, supple, slightly sticky ball of dough. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise on the counter for at least 6 hours. The long rise is necessary due to the lack of commercial yeast, and contributes to a strong sourdough flavor. I work half-days on Fridays, so I set the dough to rise before I leave and continue when I get home.

Punch down the risen dough, put into greased loaf pans and let rise for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or whenever it looks ready to go. Bake at 350 F for about 50-55 minutes. I usually leave one loaf out for us, and freeze the other one, so it stays fresh for later in the week. It's good bread, and simple.

Note: Both of the Reinhart books above are vegan-friendly. There are certainly some non-vegan recipes, but many vegan ones and many others that are easily veganizable. I tested for Artisan Breads Every Day and made almost all the recipes. I was very happy to find that his challah recipe veganized with ease. The rye bread is the best I've ever had outside of a NYC Jewish deli (and it could give some delis a run for their money). The wild rice and onion bread is delightful and perfect for autumn. If you enjoy baking, don't miss it!