VeganMoFo V: When I was 18...

When I was 18, my hair was bright orange...or red...or blonde.  I wore kandi bracelets up to my elbows, and feared nothing (except clowns and making out with boys).  My friends were the truest I ever had.  We went to high school together and spent that most perfect summer wandering the streets of San Antonio looking for free things to do.

I've briefly talked about this food memory before, but I've never really delved into it.  Growing up in SA, there was very little to do if you were under 18 and broke.  It was basically pool, sneaking around base after curfew, or Jim's.  We mostly spent our time playing spades at Jim's, which was this greasy chain of diner type restaurants.  They've cleaned up recently, but it used to be a late night wander for bored teenagers and drunk people.

At 18, I had been vegetarian for 2 years.  Jim's didn't really have much in the way of vegetarian food.  So, every time I went there I got Canadian cheese soup, grilled cheese, and french fries.  I decided to recreate it to kick off MoFo.  This is basically my youth on a plate.

soup, grilled cheeze, fries, perfection

Jim’s Canadian Cheeze Soup

This is creamy and comforting. The carrots and oats add a subtle sweetness, but be careful not to go too heavy on the salt. It tastes saltier as the soup cools.

Soup:
2 Tbsp margarine or olive oil
½ small white onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced celery
1 ½ cups diced carrots
2 cups chicken-flavored or vegetable broth
cheeze base
¼ cup parsley minced, plus more for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Cheeze Base:
1 ½ cups diced carrots, steamed until tender
3 cups water
½ cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup tahini
2 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp Garlic Pepper (recipe below) or granulated garlic
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt

Make the cheeze base first. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the margarine or olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the broth and cheeze base. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and taste for salt and pepper.

Garlic Pepper
(makes ½ cup)

This is my go-to house seasoning. I first got turned onto this when I visited my mom for the holidays and could not stop using her store bought garlic pepper. I took a look at the ingredients and realized it would be pretty easy to make my own.

¼ cup granulated garlic
2 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp granulated onion
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp fine sea salt

Pour the ingredients into a small container. Shake thoroughly. Store in the pantry.

Tomorrow, I plan to recreate something that my Food Network boyfriend, Michael Symon, loves.  There will also be much gushing about his beautiful, bald head and amazing smile.  Swoon.

Happy MoFoing, y'all!  I have some blogs to read!