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

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

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...

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

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.....

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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

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

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

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!

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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.