Black Bean Soba Noodles with Mushrooms & Cabbage

Exhausted after my first day back in the pool since the bout of tonsilitis, I came home looking for a simple meal. I've been eyeing a recipe from BBC's Good Food 'Vegetarian Christmas 2010' edition, here's my adaptation - black bean sauce is a little salty, but paired with the cabbage and mushrooms was quite a yummy meal...  

Makes 4 generous servings.

 

450g package of firm or extra-firm tofu

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed 

       (omit if the garlic in the sauce is enough for your taste)

2" piece of ginger, minced

3 cups quartered cremini mushrooms

5 cups shredded Savoy cabbage

300g soba noodles (enough for 4 people)

6 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
5 green spring onions, sliced and divided

Cut tofu in 1/2" cubes, and toss with 2 Tbsp of the black bean sauce. Allow to marinate while preparing veggies, longer if you have time. Over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the tofu on all sides until nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, and sautee the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms and cabbage. Toss the veggie mixture every minute or so, adding a sprinkle of water if the bottom of the frying pan begins to scorch. Nibble on the cabbage every so often, until you're happy with the tenderness - I happen to like it rather crunchy.

Heat a pot of water, and boil noodles according to package directions. In the meantime, add the remainder of the black bean sauce to the frying pan and the majority of the spring onions, keeping just enough aside as a garnish for each serving. Add tofu back into pan, and sautee for another minute, tossing as needed to prevent veggies from sticking to the bottom. Drain the cooked noodles, add to frying pan, tossing to blend everything together. Divide into 4 bowls, garnish with remaining spring onions, and serve!

Per serving: 497 cals, 14g fat, 73g carbs, 1744mg sodium, 6g fiber, 28g protein.  (PRO98.4/20%,CHO270/54%,FAT129/26%)

Peach Popsicles, 4 ways

Left to right:

peach banana juice pop,

peach raspberry creamsicle,

peach plum icecicle.

Below,

peach blueberry

vodka icecicle.

What better way to celebrate summer than with homemade popsicles?!? In my extensive experience with frozen treats, popsicles come in 3 types of base ingredients; water, juice, or a creamy mixture of some kind. Here, the mighty peach is celebrated in all 3 types, along with a special fourth option - the addition of alcohol. See that little stripped popsicle, the one whose end broke off because I was too impatient to let it freeze properly? He's laced with blueberry vodka. Thought that would get your attention...

The best thing about making these yourself is that you can control the sugar, and subsequently unnecessary calories. Be wary of store-bought and even do-it-yourself recipes that call for juice concentrate, but little liquid to dilute it with. Talk about sugar overload, no wonder they taste great. The popsicle recipes here use simple syrup, and you can add as much or as little as you like. Try using the recommended amount - it may not seem like much, but the flavour of the fruit will take centre stage once frozen. And please, be more patient than little me, let them freeze for several hours before you remove them!

Each recipe makes 6-8 popsicles, depending of size of moulds.

Simple syrup - used in all 4 recipes

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to boil for 5 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon like maple syrup. Let cool before using, refrigerate whatever is left.

Instructions for each of the recipes below are the same. Chop the fruit into small pieces, I don't bother peeling the peaches/plums. Frozen or canned fruit would probably do just fine if you don't have fresh. Puree the ingredients in the recipe for 1 minute, either all ingredients together or puree each fruit in the recipe seperately. Add more water/juice as necessary, but just enough to get the ingredients in the blender whirling. Pour carefully into the moulds, and freeze for several hours. If you decide to puree the fruits seperately, you can then swirl or layer them in the mould to create interesting patterns as in the photo above. If layering, allow each layer to freeze up a bit before adding the next one. If you have any trouble removing them from the mould, run under warm water to melt the edges of the popsicle a little. The peach blueberry vodka icecicle doesn't freeze up as hard due to the alcohol, so I recommend chosing a mould without an intricate design - it was really hard to remove them without breaking each one!

Peach Plum Icecicles (water-based)

4 peaches + 2 Tbsp simple syrup

2 plums  + 1 Tbsp simple syrup
add a little water to blend as needed

Peach Banana Juice Pops (juice-based)

4 peaches + 2 Tbsp simple syrup

1 banana + 1/4 cup orange juice

add a litte water to blend as needed

Peach Raspberry Creamsicles (yogurt-based)

3 peaches + 1.5 Tbsp simple syrup + 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup raspberries + 1 Tbsp simple syrup

add a little water as needed

Peach Blueberry Vodka Icecicles (water based)

3 peaches + 1.5 Tbsp simple syrup

1 cup blueberries + 3 ounces of bluebery vodka, add a little water as needed

For complete recipe
(divide by number of popsicles)

Peach Plum: 411 cals, 2g fat, 104g carbs, 0mg sodium, 11g fiber, 6g protein.

Peach Banana: 446 cals, 2g fat, 113g carbs, 4mg sodium, 12g fiber, 7g protein. 

Peach Raspberry: 415 cals, 3g fat, 91g carbs, 58mg sodium, 15g fiber, 10g protein. 

Peach Blueberry: 584 cals, 2g fat, 100g carbs, 2mg sodium, 10g fiber, 5g protein. 

Lemon Dream Cupcakes

Friday is treat night = I heart cuppie cakes. This is my adaptation of the basic vanilla cupcake from 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World', great book! I cut back on the sugar and margarine to make them, ahem, healthier. Also, I used whole grain spelt flour, makes for a dense cupcake but there were nooooo complaints here...

Makes 12 small or 8 medium cupcakes.

Be warned, these cupcakes are not terribly sweet so double the sugar and stick to white flour if you're looking for something a little more traditional. Keep in mind that icing will add to the sensation of sweetness. I cut back on the sugar intentionaly, you know, so I could have my cake and eat it too...

3/4 cup milk of choice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar of choice (try succanat)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup margarine, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups flour of choice (used spelt today)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 large lemon, peel grated and then juiced
few drops lemon essence, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin pan or line with muffin cups. Mix milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl, and allow to sit for a few minutes to curdle. Curdle, you ask? Yep, this is the equivalent of buttermilk...works especially well with soymilk, as it thickens quite a bit. Add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, 1/2 the lemon peel and lemon essence if using. Stir in the melted margarine, but ensure it has cooled beforehand or it 'cook' your milk. In a measuring cup, mix your flour, cornstarch, baking soda and powder, and salt. Whisk your flour into your wet ingredients, ensuring all lumps are gone. Pour batter into muffin pan, and tap bottom of pan on counter to ensure bubbles rise to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick to the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Let sit for a few minutes, and then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Once completely cooled, ice those puppies! I like to buy prepared icing - there are several vegan varieties already on the shelf in your local grocery store, and it really simplifies things when you're in a hurry. For this recipe, I mix 1/2 cup vanilla icing, the remaining lemon peel, a few drop of yellow food coloring and lemon essence.

Yummers!

Per cupcake un-iced, if making 8: 139 cals, 5g fat, 22g carbs, 187mg sodium, 2g fiber, 3g protein.  (PRO9%,CHO59%,FAT32%)

Per cupcake un-iced, if making 12: 92 cals, 3g fat, 15g carbs, 125mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein.  (PRO9%,CHO59%,FAT32%)

Whole Grain Pizza Crust

This is my go-to recipe for pizza crust. The extra 'flavor mix' of fresh garlic, spices and herbs in the dough makes for a really flavorful crust. Yum!

Makes enough dough for 10 slices.

 

1/4 cup milk of choice
1/4 tsp sweetener of choice
1 Tbsp baker's yeast
3 cups flour of choice
    (try 1 cup spelt, 2 cups whole wheat)
1 cup warm water, more as needed

flavor mix: gather up your favorite herbs, spices or anything else you'd like to add to the dough. Try 1-2 cloves of garlic (minced or pressed), 1 tsp chili pepper flakes, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tbsp whole flax seeds. Yum!

Heat oven at the lowest temperature possible, until the oven is just warm but not hot. Turn heat off. Warm milk in a small pot, stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over top. Let yeast sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and frothy. In the meantime, put flour and flavor mix into a large bowl. When yeast is ready, stir it into the flour, and add enough water to make a soft dough.

Turn dough on to floured surface and knead 4-5 minutes until elastic and smooth. Clean your large bowl, dry it and grease it with the oil. Roll the ball of dough in the oil until lightly coated all over. Cover with a clean towel and place in the warm oven for 45-60 minutes, or until double in size.

Once risen, punch down dough and turn it out of the bowl back on to your floured surface. Knead a couple of times, and then roll out to roughly the size of your piza pan. Spray the pan with oil spray, and lay the dough on the pan. Press it out to cover the bottom of the pan with your fingers. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover the dough with your favorite toppings, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toppings are heated and crusted is lightly browned around the edges. Enjoy!

Per slice, dough only: 128 cals, 1g fat, 26g carbs, 4mg sodium, 4g fiber, 5g protein.  (PRO14%,CHO78%,FAT8%)

Potato Chorizo Breakfast Hash

I'm been sick this week, and looking for comfort foods to make me feel better. My tummy, at least. Breakfast hash is just a mix of yummy things baked up in the oven. In this version, I use my vegan chorizo sausage and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, so spicy and warm and tasty! Serve as a side with other breakfast dishes, also makes a great lazy lunch or dinner. If keeping the recipe vegan, you can use a vegan cheese or make it without, it's great either way...

Makes 4 servings.

4 medium potatoes (about 600g)

1/2 cup minced onions
1 large green or red pepper, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 seitan chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

smoked paprika, pepper, salt to taste

2 oz cheese of choice, shredded (about 1" x 4")

    (Daiya is vegan, haven't tried it but heard it was pretty good) 

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a ceramic or glass casserole dish. Scrub your potatoes well under running water, and pierce the skins a few times with a fork. Microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until a knife slides through easily to the middle of the potato. Let cool for a few minutes, and cut into large chunks - careful, the blast of steam when you cut into them will be hot! Put your potatoes into the casserole dish, and layer in the chorizo, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the paprika, pepper and salt to taste. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes and chorizo are little browned.

Note on cheeses: generally, I avoid dairy where possible, but finding a truly veg cheese option is hard. Even dairy-free ones usually have rennet, which is an animal product. Vegan cheeses are pricey, so I try them sometimes to experiment, but I don't see making them a regular part of my diet. Most dishes taste great with the cheese left out altogether, and if you divert your attention to spices and textures instead, you'll find your tummy happily occupied by the experience of flavors rather that what's "missing" from the dish...  

Per serving: 207 cals, 5g fat, 33g carbs, 113mg sodium, 5g fiber, 9g protein.  (PRO15%,CHO62%,FAT23%)

Product Review!

Mimiccreme is a non-dairy, almond and cashew-based cream alternative. I came across their line of products in one our local health food stores, and indulged in the hazelnut biscotti coffee creamer ($4.49/473ml) as well as the unsweetened creamer ($6.29/946ml) for cooking with.

My thoughts on the coffee creamer: pretty good. Considering price per volume, it's actually not much more expensive than other soy-based or even dairy coffee creamers. And it's less sweet than flavored coffee creamers, although I still have to cut it with a little plain soy coffee creamer - I don't like my coffee too sweet. Don't be put off by how thick it is, the creamer blends into coffee quite well. If you leave your coffee sitting for a bit like I sometimes do, it settles a little on the bottom, but blends right back up if you give it a stir!

I have yet to try the unsweetened creamer bought to cook with, although I suspect the consistency is going to produce very nice results. What I do like about these products is at least they offer unsweetened options. I don't indulge in packaged goods too often, but when I do buy something special I want the flexibility to choose unsweetened so that I have control over the quantity of sugar in my recipes. All in all, I would buy these products again. Stock up on a few when you can, and use them for recipes where you need to add some kind of cream alternative. For best value, plan out a few meals that will use up the whole container rather than having it spoil in the fridge.

Check it out! Go to Mimiccreme website...

Hungarian Zebratorta - chocolate banana zebra cake

I stumbled across Zebratorta while researching Hungarian foods, and was intrigued by the unique design of white and chocolate "zebra stripes" pattern in the cake batter. In my version of this recipe, I veganized it by using bananas in place of eggs. Not traditional, I know, but it really did the trick! Zebratorta is relatively simple to make, and delectable.
...mmmm...cake

Makes 12 servings. Unless of course you love cake, and then you'll probably eat 2-3 servings at once, like I did. For breakfast.

There are several versions of this recipe, some baked directly in the pan and some baked into a sweet crust, kind of like an open-faced pie. I'm trying to limit extra fat and calories - yes, I realize this is a post for cake, but a girl can't survive on veggies alone - so I opted for a simple recipe baked directly in the cake tin. Here's where things got tricky...cutting back on fat in Hungarian cooking and baking is questionable. Well, my grandmother would certainly question it. Fat, after all, is flavor. And, the original recipe called for 5 eggs, seperated so the whites could be beaten to fluffy peaks. Replicating the texture while also cutting back on oil was a challenge, but I think the results were quite successful!

2 large bananas
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 cups milk of choice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa

Heat oven to 360 degrees, and grease and flour a round baking tin, removable bottom if possible (but not necessary). Mash bananas in a mixing bowl, add sugar, milk, vanilla and oil. Blend with handmixer or whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes to emulsify the oil. In a seperate bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add liquid to dry ingredients, and blend well enough to ensure lumps are removed. Pour 1/2 of the batter back into the other bowl. Add cocoa to one of the bowls, and again blend well enough to ensure batter is smooth.

Now you're ready to start creating your zebra pattern in the baking tin! It's very simple. Using large spoons, seperate ones for each batter, start with the cocoa batter and scoop about 1/3 cup. Drop in the middle of the tin. It will start to spread out a little - don't worry, this is a good thing. Next, take a scoop of the white batter and drop it in the center of the cocoa batter that's already sitting in the tin. Keep alternating between cocao and white batters, allowing the

batter to keep spreading and spreading outwards in the pan. If the batter is a little on the thick side, after you have all of your zebra layers in the tin you can gently shake it to help the batter cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Don't worry if the pattern isn't elegant, the end result will be unique-looking and yummy! Bake for 30-40 minutes, the top will brown quickly but be sure to test with a toothpick to ensure the center is cooked. Store in a covered container.

Per slice: 260 cals, 7g fat, 45g carbs, 12mg sodium, 2g fiber, 5g protein.  (PRO7%,CHO68%,FAT25%)

Vegan Chorizo Crumbles, 3 ways; Classic, Tex-Mex and Sonora-style!

As with seitan sausages, crumbles are a great addition to pizza, soups, skillet bakes, and casseroles...and pretty much whatever else you can think of. The recipe below mirrors the Vegan Chorizo Sausage recipe, but the quantities are smaller and produce about 1 cup of crumbles, which is usually enough for 4-6 people if it's part of another recipe. After researching, testing and veganizing various recipes for the original version, I've narrowed down my favorites to the following 3 Chorizo crumble recipes; Classic, Tex-Mex and Sonora-style.

Note: decent heat, so cut back on peppers/cumin if you prefer something milder

The wet ingredients are the same for all 3 variations of the crumbles. Put the following in a small bowl and blend into an emulsion (oil thoroughly mixed in):

2 Tbsp cold water

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp olive oil

 And now for the dry ingredients. Put 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten in a bowl, and choose one from the following spice blends:

Classic Chorizo Blend       Tex-Mex Chorizo Blend           
2 tsp smoked paprika        2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika                 1 tsp garlic powder          1/2 tsp garlic powder             
1 tsp oregano                   1 tsp oregano  
1 tsp chili                         1 tsp chili

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper    1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper        1/2 tsp ground cumin 

1/4 tsp salt                      1/4 tsp black pepper

                                        1/4 tsp salt 

Sonora-style Chorizo Blend

2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

1/4 tsp salt

Note that the use of paprika varies depending on your taste. I keep Hungarian sweet and hot in the house, but I'm not sure of the origins of my smoked paprika. I find Hungarian paprika to be smoother and richer than it's Spanish equivalent, which tends to lend a sort of 'dryness' to dishes. Hard to explain, so trust me on this one! Pick up quality stuff for a good price in local euro food shops, our chain grocery store actually imports it too.

Pour the liquid mixture into the gluten and spice bowl, and quickly mix with a fork or spoon until blend. Knead the dough on a clean surface (dust with more gluten if needed) or, if you're lazy like me, just knead it in the bowl itself. It should take 3-4 minutes of kneading to get a nice smooth ball of dough. Spray a non-stick frying pan, and turn the heat up to medium. As the pan heats up, quickly tear off small bits of the dough into the pan - do 2 batches if needed. Let the "crumbles" cook in the pan for about 10 mins, occasionally turning and pressing them down with a spatula to help brown them evenly. Remove from heat when the desired texture is achieved - only well to tell is to nibble on a few - and let cool. Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to 5-6 days.

Full recipe: 361 cals, 15g fat, 15g carbs, 294mg sodium, 2g fiber, 44g protein.  (PRO48%,CHO16%,FAT36%)

Vegan Chorizo Sausages, 3 ways; Classic, Tex-Mex and Sonora-style

Seitan is a little piece of vegetarian heaven. Not only does it have high protein content, but it's versatile - it can be made into meat alternatives for favorite recipes if wished, or thrown on a grill and eaten on its own. I'm working on a full tutorial for people newly discovering seitan (pronounced say-tan), but for the time being this Chorizo sausage recipe will delight. After researching, testing and veganizing versions of this classic sausage originating in the Iberian Peninsula, I've narrowed down my favorites to the following 3 Chorizo sausage recipes; Classic, Tex-Mex and Sonora-style.

Makes 8 sausages. Note: decent heat, so cut back on peppers/cumin if you prefer something milder

Get your foil rectangles ready - you'll need 8 pices of foil, about 6" x 8", or whatever size works best to wraps up your sausages loosely.

The wet ingredients are the same for all 3 variations of the sausage. Put the following in a small bowl and blend into an emulsion (oil thoroughly mixed in):

6 Tbsp cold water

6 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

6 Tbsp tomato paste
     (1 small can will do)

3 Tbsp olive oil

 And now for the dry ingredients. Put 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten in a bowl, and choose one from the following spice blends:

Classic Chorizo Blend       Tex-Mex Chorizo Blend           
6 tsp smoked paprika        6 tsp hot Hungarian paprika                 
3 tsp garlic powder          1 1/2 tsp garlic powder        
3 tsp oregano                   3 tsp oregano  
3 tsp chili                         3 tsp chili

2 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper  3 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp black pepper        1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 

3/4 tsp salt                      3/4 tsp black pepper

                                        3/4 tsp salt 

Sonora-style Chorizo Blend

6 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp oregano

3 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/8 tsp ground cloves 

3/4 tsp black pepper 

3/4 tsp salt

Note that the use of paprika varies depending on your taste. I keep Hungarian sweet and hot in the house, but I'm not sure of the origins of my smoked paprika. I find Hungarian paprika to be smoother and richer than it's Spanish equivalent, which tends to lend a sort of 'dryness' to dishes. Hard to explain, so trust me on this one! Pick up quality stuff for a good price in local euro food shops, our chain grocery store actually imports it too.

Pour the liquid mixture into the gluten and spice bowl, and quickly mix with a fork or spoon until blend. Knead the dough on a clean surface (dust with more gluten if needed) or, if you're lazy like me, just knead it in the bowl itself. It should take 3-4 minutes of kneading to get a nice smooth ball of dough. Now cut the dough into pieces, I usually make 6 large or 8 medium from a batch this size, but you can play around with size and shape as you like.

Take a piece of the dough, shape it into a sausage, and lay it along the length of the foil. Bring the long edges of the foil together and fold the seam over a couple of times to seal the edges together. Be sure to leave a little space for the seitan to expand, if not, it will burst out of the foil packet! Twist the ends shut as well, again leaving a little extra space. Complete this process for the remaining pieces of dough. Lay the foil-wrapped sausages in your steamer basket, cover and steam for 30 minutes. The sausages are now ready to be used in recipes, fried up on the grill or eaten as is!

Per serving: 136 cals, 6g fat, 5g carbs, 110mg sodium, 1g fiber, 16g protein.  (PRO48%,CHO16%,FAT36%)