Back...sort of!

Life has been busy and I have been updating a different blog recently...one documenting a new addition to our family. I had a baby in June and have been blogging about that to keep family in the loop. We are still living in Denmark and still vegan!!!
Dinners have been all over the map lately, in addition to a lot of eating out. We have a Thai restaurant nearby that is pretty good. There is also a very good sushi restaurant with a great vegan sushi platter and a pizza place that knows us by heart, as we are the first and only people to order pizza from them without cheese!
But, being vegan is still important to me and I won't let this blog go - even though posts will be very sporadic.
I have been trying to space cooking out throughout the day when the baby naps. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Tonight, we are having portobello steaks (marinated in white wine, soy, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and liquid smoke, then roasted) and green bean casserole. Both were YUM!

An Unintentially Orange Meal

I had a pumpkin that was beyond the point of 'possibly using for dinner tonight' and on to 'if we don't cook this tonight, it is getting thrown away'. So, I made mashed pumpkin, followed this recipe (minus the cayenne pepper), and felt really happy to not see it go to waste. Instead of boiling the pumpkin, I chopped it in half and roasted it in a baking dish with shallow water.

I initially thought I would stuff the pumpkin with a pilaf but decided on a risotto instead. After the pumpkin was roasted it had completely lost its shape and would not have held anything, hence the mashing.

A few days ago I made a batch of sesame Parmesan that I can't get enough of. I googled Parmesan risotto and settled on this recipe for Parmesan-Carrot Risotto that was easily made vegan. Along my vegan parm, I used risotto rice instead of white, veggie broth, and vegan margarine.

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.

Burgers, Potato Salad, and Veggies

We bought a grill last weekend and last night was supposed to be our first night grilling! Unfortuanately, we didn't have charcoal or lighter fluid. Two trips to the store and we still couldn't get the grill going! So, we ended up cooking the food on the stove and in the oven. Definitely not the same appeal, but  we are more prepared for next time now.

On the menu:
Grillable Black Bean Burgers (I used red beans. They fell apart when cooked on the stove. I would not trust them on a grill.)

Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing (I used agave, not honey. Next time, I will double the sauce. I like a lot of flavor.)

Marinated Veggies (They were going to be Kabobs but instead were roasted in the oven.)

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! 

Sesame Noodles with Peanut Dip and Veggies

I used a package of precooked soba noodles. They are sauteed in sesame oil. The dressing (delicious!) consists of peanuts, oatmilk, soysauce, tahihi, sesame oil, sake, maple syrup, ginger and garlic, all blended in a blender. We served it with sauteed veggies. The recipe is from Love Bites.

Salsa Scramble

Tofu sauteed in olive oil with nutitional yeast, oat milk, yellow mustard, salt and pepper.

Potatoes roasted with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Roasted veggie and salsa.

Tortilla chips.

A fantastic breakfast!

Braised Cabbage with Seitan

John bought a huge head of cabbage that we have been slowly working our way through, we had leftover seitan from a stew recipe earlier in the week and leftover brown rice. So, this came together really quickly. We were out of garlic so I sprinkled garlic powder and onion soup in for flavor. The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction (Big suprise! I have been making something from it almost everyday since I brought it home).

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale with Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu

The tofu was great. The concept of "rubbing" the spices on saves the time of marinating. The mushrooms and kale were very tastey also. Both recipes are from Appetite for Reduction and there is a nutritional bit about kale that states it provides around 10% of our daily requirement in one cup. Because kale shrinks down so much, it is easy to eat 4 or 5 cups in a meal.

Chickpea and Chorizo Style Soup

When we were in London in December we went to an Animal Rights Fair. Heather Mills was there selling her cookbook, Love Bites, so I bought an autographed copy (all profit goes to charity). The first recipe I followed from it was this really delicious soup. Coconut oil is used in most of the recipes and I love the subtle addition of the flavor. The ingredients for the soup are tomatoes, chorizo style sausage (I made this recipe), onion, garlic, celery, kale, chickpeas, veggie stock, salt and pepper. It all cooks into a really flavorful and filling soup. Half of it is blended in a food processor for a bulkier base.

Many of the recipes call for a specific brand of meat substitute, one I think Heather Mills was a part of creating. Because I do not have access to the brand, I will figure substitutions out. The cookbook is full of curries, salads, soups, dumplings, tarts, and really simple recipes.

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

This curry recipe is very basic (flavored with curry powder, garlic, ginger, and other spices) but pleasantly a low-fat version from Appetite for Reduction. We served it with Basmati Rice. The cook book says active time is 20 minutes and total time is 30. It took the full 20 prep minutes just to wash and chop all the veggies. So again, these times are not realistic for us! But, I still say the recipes are worth the extra few minutes they take us.

Hodge-podge meals this week...

I have been in a slump so cooking has been very simple recently. John and I pooled our energy one night to make roasted veggies, tofu, and sauteed cabbage.

The veggies were coated in a mixutre of white wine, dijon mustard, oregano, and pepper and then (over)roasted. The green beans shriveled up a bit too much!

The tofu was cooked on the stove with olive oil and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.

The cabbage was cut into shreds and cooked on the stove with an onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

This is quinoa salad with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. The dressing is a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. 

And we had this for breakfast one morning. A tofu scramble consisting of red peppers, broccoli, spinach, garlic and a splash of soy. The potatoes are diced sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

When I was in the U.S. recently, I bought two cans of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce because they are awesome, so many recipes I have call for them, and they are nowhere to be found in Denmark.

This was the first recipe, from Appetite for Reduction, that I cracked a can for and it was fantastic! It recomfirmed my love for the peppers and the sauce. Smokey, spicey, and stores well in the freezer because you will never use the entire can in one recipe.

I must say, I continue to love each recipe that I make from this cookbook but I am ready to acknowledge that the time estimates are not reasonable for me. This chili said that it should take 20 minutes to prepare but it took me significantly longer. Washing and/or chopping, dicing, or slicing  an onion, 4 garlic cloves, chipotle peppers, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts was well over the 20 minute mark for me! And that didn't include the measuring and adding of the other ingredients. With that said, I am not bothered by the extra time, it is just worth noting to others that might expect something this delicious in an overly impressive amount of time!

Bhutanese Pineapple Rice with Red Thai Tofu

Both recipes are from Appetite for Reduction and both are delish! When I make each of them again it won't be together. They both use basically the same spices and flavors: garlic, ginger, red curry paste, etc. The green beans are simply roasted with salt and pepper and a light spray of olive oil.

I have been cooking many recipes from this cookbook and none have failed me so far. I have noticed a significant difference in the amount of oil that remains in the bottle since I brought the book home. One of my goals for this year with cooking was to reduce our use of oil...check!

Christmas Presents for the Vegans in Your Life

For Christmas, my adorable sister-in-law, Terra and my brother, Craig bought us the cookbook Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. We LOVE it! So far, I have made three recipes but can't wait to try them all. The ingredients lists are short and simple, but packed with flavor. Nutritional information is included with each recipe. And, a majority are soy and gluten free, or give alterations to make them such.

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad ( because you could eat this EVERYDAY and never get tired of it!!!)

 Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Lotsa Veggie Lentil Soup

 

And, they also bought us a milk frother! So, John made Oat Milk Lattes today.

 

 

Vegan MoFo: Z is for Zucchini in London

At last, my final post for Vegan MoFo! I had a fanastic time finding new recipes for each letter of the alphabet, but it really did wear me down. So, I am excited for December because I will be traveling the entire month and plan to post about all the interesting vegan restaurants I find along my way...while also enjoying a break from cooking!

Currently, we are in London on vacation and we ate dinner at a really good Chinese/Thai Vegetarian buffet and they had roasted zucchini as an option.

    

Here is another picture of a successful trip to the buffet.

And, here is a picture of the restaurant. It is called Cai Cafe. We found it on the Happy Cow website.

Thanksgiving Dinner

 We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with delicious food, fun friends, and lots of wine.

To start, I made Pumpkin Hummus and toasted pita bread. The hummus was my attempt to make the version I had in Thailand earlier this year. It included: chickpeas, pumpkin, tahini, salt, garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions.  I chopped up pita bread that I made earlier this week and toasted it in the oven for a few minutes. The hummus has potential but I think I will experiment a bit more before I call it a success.

Next, I made Onion Soup Gratinéed with Cream-Truffle Mashed Potatoes.

I also made a Kibbeh with Apples, Walnuts, and Fake Feta cheese. The recipe is in a magazine from a grocery store I used to shop at in Eugene, Oregon. It is vegetarian but easily made vegan. For the feta, I followed this recipe.

Joy made two salads that were fantastic. One consisted of couscous, apples, raisins, and almonds. The other was kale and shredded beets. If we are lucky, maybe she will post the recipes in the comments section for all of us to enjoy :-)

And finally, for dessert! Hannes made a yummie Apple Crisp and I made Sweet Potato Blondies.

And, here are the place mats and napkins that I made to decorate the table. I found nice quality fabric remnants at IKEA and put them to use.

Vegan MoFo: U is for Udon Noodle Stir Fry

John made dinner tonight because I was busy making placemats for the Thanksgiving table.

My original plan was to make homemade Udon noodles but I bought a pre-cooked package over the weekend as backup. They were a lifesaver!


John mixed the leftover Thai Peanut-Burgers, crumbled, and peanut sauce from last night's dinner,  into the pasta along with zucchini, carrot, onion, and orange pepper.

Vegan MoFo: O is for Onion Soup Gratinéed with Cream-Truffle Mashed Potatoes

My new favorite soup...in my new heart-shaped ramekins. Here is the recipe.