VeganMoFo VIII: Aw, Kale Naw!

Timeline Tuesday is here!  When I first went vegan, I knew jack about cooking.  My meals predominantly consisted of ramen, salad, fries, and this tofu scampi dish I made pretty regularly.  However, my mom hooked me up with How It All Vegan.  That was the first cookbook I ever owned and I remember making so much from it.

The one recipe I use regularly until this day is Barnard's Brown Rice Breakfast.  Truth be told, I was really hesitant to try the recipe initially.  It was this weird breakfast concoction involving toast, vegan mayo, ketchup, and a brown rice stirfry.  It made no sense to me...until I tasted it!  It's delightful really.  The key is to keep things simple.

I've been making this so long that I've made it into my own.  I upped the health factor a bit by adding tons of kale and using a good grainy toast.  This is easily made soy free (sub beans for tofu and use soy free mayo) and gluten free (use gf bread).  The recipe doesn't call for aromatics or seasonings but you can tweak it to your likes.  I like it just the way it is, though.

Word up!  Hey!

Mo's Brown Rice Breakfast

(a very loose adaptation from How It All Vegan)

Serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

14-16 oz extra firm tofu, squeezed of liquid and cubed

2 cups cooked brown rice

5 leaves of kale, de-stemmed and shredded

4 slices bread

4 Tbsp vegan mayo

Bragg's Liquid Aminos (to taste)

4 tsp flax oil, optional

ketchup

In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the tofu and cook until slightly golden.  Add the brown rice and cook for about 3 minutes, until the tofu/rice mixture loses some moisture.  Stir in the kale and cook until wilted.  Remove from the heat.

Toast the bread.  Spread mayo on each slice of bread.  Load each serving with a quarter of the brown rice mixture.  Add liquid aminos to taste, 1 tsp of flax oil, and a drizzle of ketchup.  Devour.

Eureka! grainiac bread...super delicious

This meal is perfect for after an epic workout or if you need a breakfast to sustain you for hours.  Plus, the simplicity makes it super easy for variation.  Examples:

Want Mexican?  Sub chipotle mayo, black beans instead of tofu, avocado instead of flax, and salsa for ketchup.

Italian: Pesto mayo, broccoli rabe instead of kale, and arrabiata instead of ketchup.

Mediterranean: roasted garlic mayo, chickpeas instead of tofu, olives for flax, romesco.

Asian: adzuki beans for tofu, savoy cabbage, toasted sesame oil for flax, and sriracha for ketchup.

Vegan MoFo VII: Omelet You Have this One

Today kicks off my participation in the official Vida Vegan Con MoFo Workshop themes.  I had so much fun doing the workshop with Amey and Kittee!  These ladies are some of my absolute favorites.  Now, y'all know how I love breakfast on the really reals.  I voted for Sleepy Sunday because I'm never turning down breakfast.  Breakfast all day, son!

peppers and onions

Today, I let go of my pancake addiction in favor of omelets.  The thing about omelets is that my mom ruined them (and all eggs) for me.  She liked garlic powder to a disgusting degree, and I get all choked up just thinking about it...in the worst way possible.  However, Isa pretty much changed my mind.  The first time I made a vegan omelet, it was the Revolutionary Spanish Omelet from Vegan with a Vengeance.

Revolutionary Spanish Omelet

Today I opted to make the omelet from Vegan Brunch because I really wanted a Denver omelet.  Those always remind me of all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets that my family would occasionally attend as a kid.  But, again, Sleepy Sunday has me not caring that I couldn't flip the damn omelet out of the pan.  Hence...OMELET CARNAGE!

The delicious horror!

If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go finish this Firefly marathon, comment on some blogs, and take a nap.  SLEEPY SUNDAY!

VeganMoFo V: Ain't Nothin' But a Gangsta Party

Today's entry is a food memory.  As high schooler, one of the major hang out spots was this place called Mad Hatter's Tea House.  At the time, the place was on Ave B in a seedy part of town.  It was behind a museum but several hundred feet from a park frequented by drug dealers and prostitutes at night.  My friends and I loved it because it made us feel grown up.

cuke and tofu salad sandwiches

Mad Hatter's was in an old, converted house.  The floors squeaked when you walked on them.  Everything was a little bit crooked and the rooms were small and cozy.  It's such a fantastic idea that I seriously associate this place with San Antonio.  You walked in, placed your order, and picked out your tea cup from the crooked shelving lined with mismatched dishes.

chocolate chip scones, clotted cream, raspberry preserves

We'd sit there for hours eating four berry cobbler and a huge pot of whatever we felt like at the time.  I wish more cities had places like this.

So, today, I just made a bunch of stuff for tea.  The gang was running late (Smackers is a bit of a diva) so I just took shots of the food.

mixed berry cobbler

I made mixed berry cobbler (waaaay too frickin' sweet for my tastes), clotted cream, chocolate chip scones, fresh veggies, cucumber sandwiches, and egg salad sandwiches.  It's enough for a weekend and even some weekday eats.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm sugar crashing from that cobbler.

VeganMoFo V: Texas Sized Kolaches

Most people are completely unaware of how culturally rich Texas is.  They don't call it Six Flags Over Texas for nothing.  Texas was dominated by so many countries in its early history that, depending on where you live, the cuisine and culture is completely different.  Texas Hill Country has a lot of German and Czech influence.  One of the glorious things the immigrants brought with them is kolaches.  Traditional kolaches are sweet with fruity fillings.  However, Texans have really adapted them as their own, adding savory fillings out the wazoo.

Kolaches hold a special place in my heart because my mom always makes them for the holidays.  She would fill them with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and cheese.  They really remind me of being home.  Plus, my mom proved that she is the absolute greatest because when I became vegan, she'd make three batches of the stuff: one for the omnis, a vegetarian version, and a vegan batch for me.

Honestly, these can be filled with anything.  Some combos that I like: scramble/potato/sausage, cheese/tempeh bacon, sausage/jalapeno/cheese, and sausage/cabbage/apple.  This dough makes a lot.  I'm not kidding when I say this is a meal in a bun.  Feel free to half it...or even make 24 instead of 12.  I like to make a dozen for Era and I to take for breakfast in the mornings.

this has apple, cabbage, cranberries, and onions in it.

Texas Kolaches

(makes 12)

Feel free to fill with whatever you want.  This is just how I filled it today.

Dough

2 cups non dairy milk

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup non dairy margarine

2 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 ½ tsp salt

5-6 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Filling

12 sausages (I used my chipolata recipe)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced in half moons

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup dried cranberries

salt and pepper to taste

Make the filling first.  Follow the directions for the sausages.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions, and cook until they just start to brown.  Add the apples and cabbage.  Cook until tender.  Add the garlic, salt, and pepper.  Stir in the cranberries, and remove from the heat.

Now, make the dough.  Heat the milk, sugar, shortening, and margarine in a medium saucepan until everything is melted.  Let cool until lukewarm.  Add the yeast, and pour into a large bowl.  Mix in the salt and 5 cups of flour.  Mix until combined, adding a little flour at a time until the dough is soft but easy to work with.  Knead for 5 minutes.  Place into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 2 cookie sheets.  Punch down the dough, and divide it into 12.  Roll each ball out until you get a 5 or 6 inch circle.  Put a portion of the apple mixture inside, place a sausage on top, and wrap it up.  Be sure to pinch the seams.  Turn it seam side down, and make three slices in the dough.  Repeat with the remaining batch.

Brush the tops with vegan egg whites (2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water, heated until smooth and viscous).  Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

This is one of my favorite food memories because it reminds me so much of childhood and togetherness.  Whenever I'm feeling homesick, I think of dishes like this that provide me a little piece of home.

Tomorrow, I had something planned, but I'm gonna have to do a Mandy Moore Sunday!  More details coming soon...

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!