Akara, Fufu, and Chili-Tomato Relish

We spent Easter this year in Hamburg with our friends, David and Julia. They introduced us to fufu: a staple food of West and Central Africa. Last time I was at the Asian market grocery shopping, I was really excited to find a box of plantain fufu flour. 


Julia warned me that making fufu can be a bit challenging and it takes practice to get it right. I definitely don't think ours turned out perfectly this time. It had the consistency of very dry, instant mashed potatoes but with a powdery flavor. I think I will get some advice from David and Julia before giving it another go. 


Interestingly enough, while trying to figure out what to make with the fufu, I grabbed the August 2009 issue of Veg News and flipped to the page I, at some point in time, marked with a pink post-it note. It is an article called Marvelous Mali and discusses fufu and other African foods. It was one of those really odd moments of 'way too much of a coincidence to believe'. But it quickly became part of the dinner menu for the night.


Clockwise: Garlic bread, Akara, Relish, fufu, eggplant, roasted veggies and chickpeas

Akara (Black-eyed Pea Fritters) are a nice combo of black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, chile and bell peppers, and lots of spices. They are coated in cornmeal and fried. Ideally, they become round, fried, deliciousness. Mine basically melted and became slop. We determined that they required more of a 'deep fried' technique versus the pan frying that we attempted. We just threw the second batch in the oven instead of frying. They were pretty terrible but at least remained in 'ball form'. 


The Chile-Tomato Relish was fine, but too spicy and nothing to write home about. Below is the relish and fufu (sprinkled with fresh cilantro).

Fortunately, my friend Thea brought over lots of veggies, chickpeas, and bread to save the meal!


The eggplants were sliced, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, herbs, and paprika and baked. 

We chopped a red and yellow pepper, broccoli, and onion along with some chickpeas, sprayed it with olive oil, sprinkled dried tomato flakes and sesame Parmesan and roasted it. 

And, the best part was the bread! Thea started with frozen rolls, thawed a bit and sliced in half. She spread a layer of dijon mustard, grated a little garlic, sprinkled fresh parsley and sesame Parmesan and baked it. The combo of flavors was fantastic. 

Tofu scramble and Banana Bread

The thought of catching up has been so overwhelming, so I have neglected this blog far too long. I have loads of pictures and recipes that I am slowly but surely going to get posted...

...starting with breakfast this morning! We were asked to join a group from John's office to hike in a National Park here in Denmark today. To get us started I made a tofu scramble and some banana bread - that also became a nice snack on the hike.

The tofu scramble was a modified version of this recipe. I have a huge batch of sesame Parmesan - that I have literally been eating with a spoon - so I added a huge sprinkle of that, along with dijon mustard, turmeric, salt, pepper, and oat milk.

The veggies were sauteed in olive oil with a sprinkle of dried tomato flakes, basil, fennel, salt and pepper.

And the banana bread...so good! I added walnuts, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate chips, and coconut. I sprinkled oatmeal on top. Note: I am not the "Courtney" as mentioned in the recipe. Sheer coincidence.

Pumpkin Soup, Salad, Veggies and Cobbler

Pumpkin Soup
Even though fall is over and spring is finally here, I can't stop buying the little organic pumpkins that I keep finding in little shops around town.  I made a few alterations to this recipe including: carrot instead of apple/pear and oat milk instead of soy/almond. We sprinkled spicy paprika and cilantro on top. The soup went really well with these Bread Sticks. They are quick, versatile, and have a great texture.

From the Vegan Italiano cookbook,  I also made Asparagus with Tomato Vinaigrette. It sat in the fridge overnight and was very marinated by the time we ate it. It was served at room temp.

I am really in love with this recipe for Roasted Eggplant. It is so fast and tastes really good!

I have made this salad before. In my opinion, it is the perfect combo of flavors: pasta, white beans, sundried tomatoes, fennel, olives, and more. Trattoria Pasta Salad with White Beans.

And, for dessert. Pear Berry Cobbler. This recipe is officially in my permanent mix now! 

Carrot, Apple, Ginger Soup

I roasted 4 large carrots and 2 apples with a bit of olive oil and salt. I sauteed 2 pieces of celery and an onion along with about a tablespoon of shredded ginger. This was all added to around 4 cups of veggie broth and cooked for a while. After it cooled for a bit, I put it all in a blender and it turned out really good! On the side is a Gluten free roll that I found in the frozen food section. Four come in a pack and they have a great flavor, lots of seeds, and the texture is not any different from any other frozen roll we have ever bought.

Baked Falafel and Black Bean Hummus

John had a "guys night in" and I was recruited to make snacks. I kept it simple with chips, salsa, and homemade guacamole. Then I added a bit of complexity by making Baked Falafel from Appetite for Reduction, Black Bean Hummus from this recipe, and Whole Wheat pita bread from this recipe.

The falafel (gluten- and soy-free) had a nice flavor but due to the lack of oil, it was a little dry. I also started with dried chickpeas, soaked and boiled them. I feel like this is a cost-effective technique for salads and things that use the chickpeas whole. But, for a recipe requiring the chickpeas to be creamy, canned seems to work better for me. For a low fat version, I give it a thumbs up. If you are expecting greasy, crisp falafel, find a different recipe!

The Black Bean Hummus was a little bland. I am not sure what it needed, but I will find a different recipe next time.

I have only positive things to say about the pita! I can't imagine ever buying pita again knowing how easy it is to make.

Vegan MoFo: T is for Thai Peanut-Burger Wraps

Here is a link to the recipe posted by another blogger. I forgot to put the cilantro in the burgers so we just stuffed it in the pita with the lettuce.

The burgers were so good. Lots of flavor, good texture, and the recipe says that it makes 4 large burgers but I ended up with a dozen! 

I did not follow the recipe for the spicy peanut sauce. Instead, I mixed equal parts of soy, agave, and peanut butter.

I made a batch of pitas. I am telling you! Homemade pita bread is mouthwatering!

Vegan MoFo: F is for Fattoush

Fattoush is to the Lebanese what Panzanella is to the Italians.

Plus, it was an excuse to make homemade pita bread! Here is the recipe I followed. Very easy, less expensive, and such a fresh flavor. I thought I couldn't top homemade flour tortillas, but these pitas have now stepped into the number one spot of "make it yourself" fantasticness.

I found the salad recipe in Vegan Planet. The dressing is a simple combo of garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt and cayenne.

For the veggies: zucchini (recipe calls for cucumber but I am highly allergic), tomatoes, yellow pepper, red onion, lettuce.

And the extras: chickpeas, fresh parsley and mint, and kalamata olives.

I chopped up 2 of the pitas for the salad and we ate 4 plain! I think I will make hummus this week for the 2 leftover.

Vegan MoFo: B is for Bagel Sandwiches

I have always wanted to make the bagels from Vegan Brunch but never found the perfect excuse...until today! I didn't worry too much about the shape because I was so nervous about the dough. But, they came out so good and tasted exactly like bagels! I was worried they would just taste like round rolls of bread with a hole in the middle. Fortunately, that was not the case.

I roasted some tomato flavored tofu and added lettuce, fresh tomato, and dijon mustard to make bagel sandwiches. 

I also made some pumpkin, quinoa and veggie soup. I followed this recipe from the Fat Free Vegan blog. I did not add the lentils though. For the veggies, I included the fresh version of the following: carrot, celery, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, spinach, and green onions.

Chickpea and Potato Soup

So simple but so much flavor! Here is the recipe.

On the side, Poppin' Popovers from The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes.

Meaty Burgers and White Bean Salad

I finally found TVP here in Denmark so I was able to try this recipe from the blog, Your Vegan Mom. The burgers were chewy, like seitan, but the chunks of TVP made some bites spongy. I really liked the texture compared to some of the softer, pastey consistency bean burgers I have made in the past.

I made the buns from this recipe. They are so easy to make yet John still gives me a strange look for making hamburger buns. "Normal people just buy buns." Whatever.

Also from the Vegan Mom blog, I made Teriyaki sauce to top the burgers with. So freaking good!

And finally, I had cooked white beans that needed a nice recipe and this one fit the bill. I also added diced sun dried tomatoes.

Poppin' Popovers

I haven't used one of my newest cookbooks very much, The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes, but gave this recipe a go along with a pasta dish. John commented that I didn't bake them long enough, evident by the fact that they did not rise to their full potential. I will definitely make them again. The recipe says they make 6 but I stretched the dough out to make 12. I think these will make a fantastic addition to soup recipes this winter.

Thai Chick*n Pizza

Last time I was at Ganefryd, an organic grocery store here in Aarhus, I found frozen Sesame Chick*n nuggets. My original plan was to top a salad off with them but then decided to get a bit more creative. We are having a good friend stay with us this weekend (I think she is still a vegetarian too!!!!) and I wanted to have something easy and fun ready to eat when she arrived late in the evening. We also added two fantastic friends, David and Julia, to the mix. Julia helped prepare the pizza so I could take pictures!

Upon googling Sesame Chicken Pizza with no luck, I stumbled upon this Thai Chicken Pizza recipe. This "how to" video moves really quickly, but flashes the actual recipe for less than 5 seconds at the end, so be ready to pause it! The jist of the recipe is simple: crust, peanut sauce, chicken, veggies, peanuts, and cheese.

I made the crust from this recipe. It has a sweet flavor, is chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. For the peanut sauce, I added equal parts of the following: agave, peanut butter, and soy sauce. Delish! Along with the Sesame Chick*n, I included red peppers, yellow squash, carrot, and green onion. I still had a ton of Black Sesame Parm leftover, so that was sprinkled on top.

To balance flavors out, and ensure enough pizza for all, I also prepared a second, more traditional pizza. I followed the same crust recipe mentioned above, minus the sugar, plus Italian seasonings. The sauce was a jar of spaghetti sauce and the pizza was topped with veggies, soy Chorizo, and black olives.

Veggie Lover's Pizza

This pizza was amazing!!! The crust was sweet because of the added sugar but spicy because I also added red pepper flakes. It was thick on the edges but thin in the middle. I pressed it out into a large, rectangular oven pan. I spread spaghetti sauce on the crust then spooned on the following chopped veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, onion, red, green, and yellow pepper, and mushrooms. I also added black olives. The veggies were seasoned with oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. It baked at 425 for about 12 minutes. Here is the crust recipe that I followed. Instead of white flour, I used Durum.

Potato Spinach Squares and Banana Hazelnut Bread

The recipe is from Vegan Brunch. It is a casserole of spinach and mashed potatoes and lemon and spices topped with breadcrumbs. The flavor was delicious and the pieces cut into squares easy to serve and with great possibility for packing and taking on the road. Next time, I will bake it in a smaller pan so that the pieces are thicker.

I also made a Banana Hazelnut Bread. It was very dense but nutty and sweet. We put a dark chocolate, coffee flavored spread on the pieces. The recipe is not vegan but I substituted the eggs for an egg replacement powder, the milk with oat milk, and the butter for vegetable oil.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I will NEVER buy tortillas again! These were not only extremely fast and easy to make, but delicious. The grocery stores here only have one brand and it is loaded with preservatives. I will use these in a quesadilla recipe for dinner tonight. I made half a batch and that equaled 7 large tortillas. Here is the recipe. As you can see in the picture, I did not worry so much about perfect circles. They were destined to be cut up anyway!

Spicy Lentils, Beet Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette, and Scallion Flat Bread

I am cutting way back on our weekly grocery budget because we are moving in 2 months and I want to move as few food items as possible. I have quite a nice selection of spices built up so I made two things tonight that call for a wide variety. First was Quick Spicy Lentils. I used a can of brown lentils and substituted lemon juice and sage for the coriander. I also left out the chiles. I have made this recipe in the past and the cayenne gives it enough heat to suit me. Along with the lentils, a Beet Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette. The recipe is about half way down this page. I changed many things. Here are my adjustments:
1 garlic clove
Salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon of sage
¼ teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
3 beets
Whisk all ingredients together and pour over chopped beets.

And, to bring it all together, Scallion Flat Bread with dipping sauce. The flat bread is like a traditional paratha. It consists of flour, peanut and sesame oil, sugar, salt, water and scallions. The recipe is from Veganomicon. The dipping sauce is soy based with rice wine vinegar, ginger, sugar, and sesame seeds.

The Ultimate Veggie Burgers

Or so Vegan Planet says! The author, Robin Robertson, has the recipe posted on her blog. I used Urad Beans instead of lentils. I bought them thinking they were black lentils, but found I was mistaken! They are delicious and did a nice job in these burgers.

John and I are going to see the band Deerhoof in Bratislava tonight. I am bringing dinner to his office so we can leave right away and thought burgers would travel nicely.

I found traditional hamburger buns at the store and was excited for see they were vegan! I added ketchup, onion slivers, pickles, and lettuce to our burgers. Wrapped up in foil, they were still warm when we were ready to eat them!

I also found Organic Spelt Pretzels (Bio-Dinkel-Brezeln). And, for a little extra green in our diet, I blanched some green beans and referred to them as green bean chips! They were crunchy and a little sweet, and were much more nutritious than other chips I could have bought!

Tofu Benny

Even though Isa Chandra Moskowitz says that this is her favorite vegan translation to date in Vegan Brunch, I held out on making it, expecting it to be a huge amount of work. I was surprised to find that it wasn't bad! I did most of the prep work the day before, and that made all the difference!

This was my first attempt at vegan English Muffins. They turned out delicious and I will absolutely make them again. They were not quite as "spongy" as store bought English Muffins but I chalked that up to the fact that they were fresh and natural!

The tofu can marinate overnight. It has black salt in the mixture so the smell is pretty awful while soaking but after cooked, it has that "egg" texture and taste. I bought fresh tofu from the Asian market and it fried to the perfect consistency, crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside.

The Hollandaise Sauce was very rich and creamy and the slice of heirloom tomato added a nice finishing touch.

Happy Vegan St. Patrick's Day!

I decided to make a feast for St. Patty's Day and it started with Irish Creme Kisses from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I didn't actually make these for John and I but instead, for him to take to work and share with his co-workers. It is becoming a bit ridiculous how easily I can find an excuse to make cookies from this cookbook. The frosting was very sweet, so I put it into a pastry bag and just gave each cookie a pretty squirt. I got really tired of shaving the chocolate, so some had nice, thick curls and some just had broken bits. The cookies have a combo of whiskey, espresso powder, and chopped walnuts that will make these a yearly tradition!


So, the dinner menu consisted of Tempeh Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Irish Lemon Soda Bread, and Potato Leek Soup. For dessert, Irish Oatmeal-Apple Crumble with Whiskey Cream Sauce. Here is a picture of my dear husband sitting patiently at the set table while I take pictures of everything!


The mushrooms were stuffed with the Tempeh Sausage from Vegan Brunch. John and I absolutely love this recipe because it resembles sausage in texture and spice-flavor and can be successfully added into so many dishes. It tastes amazing in pasta, on puff pastry, in a vegan omelet, by itself, or stuffed in things!




I had to buy a few ingredients to make this bread, but was SO glad I did! Originally, I was going to make a basic soda bread but felt it was a) not super nutritious and b) boring. After a little internet noodling, I found this recipe and felt it would be perfect with soup. It is slightly sweet, lemon-y, crunchy, and delicious! I discover that Weizenkleie is Wheat Germ and Goldhirse is Millet. I also bought this cute new bread pan! It makes longer, thinner loaves and I think it will be fun for sweet breads like banana, zucchini, etc.


I have made the soup recipe before and it never has failed me. After watching and reading Julie and Julia, I realized there was ONE Julia Child recipe that could be made vegan, this soup. It is so easy but, when cooked for a long time, has the best flavor imaginable. Last time, I used vegan cream. This time, vegan butter. Both turned out equally scrumptious.


And, for dessert, I though something fruit based would be a nice change from the recent overload of cookies and cupcakes I have occupied my time making. The whiskey cream was really, really good! And by really, really good, I mean, "drink with a straw" good.