Vegan Mofo VI-Day 28: Rockin' Ramen

I don't eat ramen as often as I used to, but every now and then it sounds good to me. It was really warm out today but I still have some of my cold left so a bowl of yummy hot noodles sounded great but using the gross flavor packet did not. Thank goodness for the internet. I found a much better way to make ramen on ieatfood's blog.

The recipe for "Pork-free Ramen Soup" was easy to follow and I already had most of what I needed. I had some soycurls I'd been sleeping on so I decided to add those instead of tofu. I didn't shred them though because I was in a hurry to eat my soup. This turned out great and smelled amazing while the broth was coming to a boil. I put three times the amount of garlic to try and kill any germs I still have. This doesn't take that much longer than making ramen straight from the packet so it's well worth it. Plus you get at least two huge servings, 3 or 4 smaller ones. I ate a big bowl because I was hungry and it was pretty much my lupper.

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 21: So Where's the Lebanese Delight?*

With yet another change in weather and my current state of yuckiness, I just knew I would have to make soup this week. I already had my grocery list written up but I decided to take a quick flip through one of my recipe binders for a soup recipe that didn't require me to buy too many new items. I passed over one of my favorite lentil soup recipes because I like to only make new recipes during mofo. You never know when you might meet a new favorite, right? I chose another recipe that sounded good and added those ingredients to my list. After the first grocery trip I hadn't found anything I needed for that recipe and I was having second thoughts about it. What if I didn't like it? I would be wasting so much food. Before we hit the next store I grabbed Appetite for Reduction off my shelf and looked at those soup recipes. I was pretty sure I'd only made two of them so the rest were fair game. I quickly decided upon "Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup" since it was what I wanted and it slightly resembled the soupI would have made if not for my "rules" about repeats.

Even though there were some similar ingredients between the two recipes, I vote this one to be my new favorite forever. The other recipe is still awesome, but this one is just a teensy bit awesomer. Maybe it's the carrots, or the rice, the combo lemon zest and lemon juice. I cannot get enough of it. I had a small serving to take a photo before I walked the dog and I had some more when I came home. I would go back for thirds but I want to save some for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I really want to tell my sister how good it came out and share with her, but I am tempted to keep it to myself so I can have more awesome soup. What a dilemma!

*In the recipe intro, Isa mentions how there are so many great Lebanese restaurants in PDX, which makes me think of Mary and Mustafa in the movie Party Girl. I need a huge push to at least apply to a grad program!

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: TVP's repeat after me, say Yum Yum Yum (yum yum yum)

I never have a plan for Mofo, but there is always the underlying idea that I will make food I have never made before and dust off the cookbooks I am underusing. Yesterday I made the Cholent from Veganomicon for tonight's dinner since the recipe said it tastes better after a night in the fridge. I couldn't find TVP chunks so I had to use crumbles (I already feel Isa giving me the evil eye). I got everything else ready and decided to use 1/2 cup of seitan broth for the vegetable broth/white wine option. It was going along great until I checked my pot and the potatoes and carrots were still quite firm. Apparently I cut them too big so I had to let it simmer a bit longer. Not a big deal, but as I am always telling my niece, you have to follow directions.

I'm not sure what to serve with it yet but I am leaning toward bread. Or maybe I will crumble crackers on top like the V-con gals do. I just don't want to use rice. It's embarrassing to admit but I can make so many complicated dishes, yet I mess up the easy ones like cooking rice, go figure. Anyhow, I took a small taste before I put the stew to bed and it was lovely, so I can only imagine how much better it will taste tonight.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: Cheesier Said Than Done

 Last night I made "Macaroni and Cheese Soup" from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas. I checked the book out last year, made copies of some recipes, and that was the end of it. I have a recipe binder project I am working on so I recently rediscovered tons of recipes I wanted to try but simply haven't. I love mac and cheese and soup, so this should be perfect, right?

I think I set the "mac and cheese" expectation a bit too high. I don't think it really tasted like any mac and cheese I've ever had, but I don't think it was supposed to. It's still a delicious soup but I would rename it "Cheesy Peas-y soup" instead. I do like the idea of using the white bean puree as a base, especially if you're making this for kids. It's a great way to sneak in protein and fiber. I put a whole bag of daiya cheddar in it, but still wanted more cheesy-ness. I added about 1/4 cup nooch and some other seasons to taste. It is definitely a mild soup, which is again, great for kids, but for adults you might want to add your own fave spices.

I'm already not the best photographer, but it was really tough to get a decent shot of this one. To make up for that, here is a cheesier photo of me with my coupon from WayFare Foods that came in the mail today (thanks to human_oven from the PPK). They make this amazing product called "We Can't Say It's Cheese" that you just have to try if you're vegan (or lactose intolerant) and used to love cheese.It's dairy, soy, and nut-free. I first tried the Hickory Cheddar in hopes it would taste like the gross bacon-cheese spray I ate back in 6th grade. It was better. Next I tried the Cheddar spread, which might have survived for three days, maximum. I will have to try the other varieties and report back soon.

Mo! Fo! Let's go!

I love that the first day of Vegan Mofo IV also falls on World Vegan Day. Let's keep the festival of firsts rolling.

Today I made my first recipe from Appetite for Reduction, Quinoa, White Bean and Kale Stew. As a vegan chubster, to say I am eagerly anticipating the release of this book is an understatement. I already pre-ordered my copy, but only noticed a few days ago there were teaser recipes on the ppk. Since I have white beans coming out of my ears and I love soups and stews, I couldn't wait to try this recipe, especially since it was raining when I read it. I bought all my ingredients and then came home to find out the forecast for this week is high 80's to low 90's which only bummed me out for a second since I knew the stew would still be amazing.

This was my first time using parsnips and fennel seed. I've wanted to try a dish with parnsips for about a year now but just haven't for some ridiculous reason. I have extra parsnips, carrots and potatoes left over so I'm thinking a roasted vegetable dish should be happening sometime later in the week. I haven't planned a Thanksgiving menu yet so I'll most likely be trying a recipe or two each week until I get it right. I have a pile of tear-outs and copies of wonderful seasonal recipes and I'm sure there are tons of suggestions from fellow mofo's who always inspire (and sometimes intidimidate) me.

I think my stew came out stewier/starchier than Isa's, but it still looks and tastes delicious. I have an omni friend who is trying to make the transition to veganism so I am definitely going to send some her way. We'll turn them all out eventually, one bite at a time.

blame it on the rain

Our weekly forecast included three days of scattered showers, time to make soup! I've been trying to make the most of my pantry (again) so this Lemon Lentil Chickpea Soup was a perfect fit. I only had to get zucchini and onion but I decided to add some carrots as well. I'm not sure if the carrots will "go" but it was worth a try.

It started raining right when my soup came to a boil. I ran outside like a fool to get Penny and crate her in the garage. The last few times I have done this it stopped raining by the time I got her settled and came back into the house. Scattered showers are annoying but it's better than no showers at all I suppose. Let's see how many May flowers they bring. I have already noticed tons more birds and bees this year.

This was my second time making the recipe which I first found in an old issue of VegNews. It is also featured in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. I will have to do a closer read but I think the only difference between the recipe in the magazine and the recipe in the book is the vn version calls for red onion. I could not find my copy of the magazine so I looked for it on the vn site and missed it the first time. I did find it later when I did not use as many words in the search. Maybe next I will find my magazine copy, and better yet, I will get my own copy of the book!

p.s. It is not the most photogenic soup, but it tastes lovely, I promise.

Two (New) For Tuesday

I had apples and peanut butter together for the first time today. I know you're thinking, how long have I been living so wrong? I am already over the moon since honeycrisp are in season. I am eating one a day-minimum. Adding crunchy peanut butter into the mix nearly sent me over the edge. I don't normally slice my apples so I am not good at it yet, but it was all going the same place so it did not need to be perfect. I really wanted to take a picture but I was at work and only had my cell phone. I had to hurry in case anyone saw a flash and asked what I was doing. I barely have them understanding what I eat and why, I am pretty sure MoFo would blow their minds. If confronted, I could have played dumb and asked "Doesn't everyone take pictures of their food to post on their blogs?".

Tonight I made "Chunky Celery Soup" from 101 Cookbooks, definitely in my top 5 food blogs. I've never tried a recipe of hers that I did not like. I nearly ran out of steam with the prep, but my mom offered her assistance. Everything did not come out as uniform as I would have liked but without her help I would probably still be peeling and chopping so we'll let that slide for tonight. My soup looked and smelled so delicious while cooking that I hoped not to mess it up. It's a really simple recipe which seems impossible to ruin, but I've done it before by misreading measurements or rushing. I cheated with the brown rice by using instant and I added two bay leaves for the final simmer for some extra flavor. If there are not too many spices listed I worry I will have a watery pot of veggies, but again, I know Heidi would never steer me wrong. If you aren't going to make the pesto I would suggest adding a bit more seasoning. However, I fully recommend you go for the pesto. It was my first time making one as well as the first time actually using the celery leaves. I had to go through about a dozen bunches of organic celery to find a winner, but I did end up with just over a cup of leafy goodness. I had chopped enough garlic for the pesto and the soup then realized the garlic for the pesto was probably meant to be whole since it's a puree. I put the chopped garlic plus a few more cloves into the processor along with the other ingredients and yumminess ensued. As far as I am concerned, you can never have too much garlic. I usually put 2-3 extra cloves per recipe, sometimes five.



My sister did a quick taste when she came home from work and immediately packed her lunch portion, as did I. I have two jars full of soup in the fridge but I don't think they will survive very long. I passed the recipe to my co-workers this morning so we'll see who else made it and how theirs turned out. I think it might be fun to do little cook off's or even take turns bringing soup, salad, bread. My other friend wants to start a little baking business but so far I am only a recipe follower and not an inventor. I feel like I would have to put a huge "these are not my recipes but I did make them with love" disclaimer on whatever we might put out there. Not that I am in any hurry, I just started cooking dinner again.

Got Yr MoFo Workin'?

Is it too early to lose one's MoFo mojo? I certainly hope not. Normally I am most inspired and excited for Fall and Winter cooking, but this year it seems like I can't get it up. Can I blame the uncooperative weather currently known as hot-umn? Is my desperate need of haircut weighing my brain down? Am I putting too much focus on work and forgetting what is really important (cupcakes!)? It's the 5th day of MoFo and I have not cooked once. My sister has been ruling the range or we have been dining out. I have only scheduled myself to cook one week day dinner but I am niece-free Tuesday and Thursday so I should have the time/energy to whip something up- not sure if it will be an experiment or an old stand by, but I am leaning toward something new, who wants to read last year's blog again, right?

It is soon to be souper times, so I did put Nava Atlas' Vegan Soups and Stews For All Seasons on hold at the library for some inspiration. I used my soup mug at least twice last week (Hearty Black and White Bean-yum!) and it is sure to see much more action as the temperature finally starts to drop. I love to make soup and I won't lie that it good for when you are trying to lose weight. If I drop a few pounds between now and the holidays then I will be breaking even in 2010. Since Halloween is almost here and Christmas has already hit stores I have started to think of a wish list and this is at the top right now:



p.s. I wasn't kidding when I made that "last year's blog" comment. I made the same soup pre-mofo last year too. Maybe it is going to be a tradition?

keen-what?

when i packed my lunch this morning i had mixed feelings about the nearly empty produce bin, proud of having not been wasteful but wanting to fill it up again. i don't normally go to the market in the middle of the week but i picked up a few cookbooks at lunch and decided to try one of them right away. even though i've been saving money by borrowing instead of buying, i still haven't made the best use of the books. i used to at least make some copies or try a few recipes, but lately i had not done more than a few flip throughs.

since it was supposed to rain, i decided to make the quinoa vegetable soup from you won't believe it's not vegan. it was my first time using the bouillon cubes and i had loads of anxiety about not dissolving sufficiently and also that i should have only used one instead of two. i was also concerned that the only seasonings mentioned were salt and pepper. true that you can't go wrong with the classics but a little extra spice never hurt anyone. i won't really know how it turned out until tomorrow but to be safe i eventually added in some bay leaves and the last tablespoon or so from my tube of tomato paste. those things are lifesavers.

p.s. in addition to my soup supplies, i also got a few key ingredients to make french scramble again. i'm hooked. and since i have tempeh and potatoes, the brunch bomb is ready to drop sometime this weekend, if not friday morning.

what's happening? (Rerun!) - vegan mofo day 22

i'm finally starting to feel a bit better, thanks for the well wishes. i've been experimenting with the neti pot the past few days, haven't quite mastered it, but maybe tomorrow. i've been super congested and tired so haven't had much thought of cooking and also didn't want to sneeze all over whatever i might have made.

i took it easy and made the black and white bean soup again. i wanted to make all new things since it would be more challenging and also more fun, but i think i get a pass since i'm still sick. hopefully this weekend i can get in a good grocery run and some rest and come back stronger next week. i totally thought i would blog everyday, then i was proud to have only missed once but now i think it's three or four days and i'll be glad to finish with the requisite twenty posts.

after the aids walk on sunday we had lunch at california vegan (benjie pancake!) and made a quick whole foods run before it was time to head home. i don't know why we don't have a whole foods, i need to write a letter. anyhow, i got san marzano tomato paste in the tube, so excited! i never knew you could get it in tubes until recently, might have something to do with how high it is on the shelf. i also got some sweet potato puree which might go into a pie or the spice cake beverly lynn bennett has in the latest veg news. i tried to make sweet potato and pumpkin pies about five years ago with little success, but i think it is time to give it another go. i also want to make the double layer pumpkin cheese cake from the all vegan edition of desserts magazine. i only have a few more weeks to practice before thanksgiving, but pie is great anytime.