Vegan MoFo III: Miniature Thanksgiving Part I

Sweet, merciful Zeus!  Never has a day gone so horribly wrong before.  I'm not in a bad mood, though, because all of this is incredibly hilarious to me.  So I started out today knowing that I needed only three ingredients.  When I got home this afternoon, I decided I would make as much food as I could until I had to get the ingredients.  What should have been a quick trip to the store...really wasn't.  First, I couldn't find cranberries anywhere!  No fresh, no frozen, no canned.  What the frack?!  I didn't even know this was possible.  C'mon Food 4 Less.  Stop being lame.

Then I was getting ready to make my cornbread dressing when I realized I never got bread.  I had to stop once again and walk to the freaking store to get bread.

So, of course, by the time I finished cooking everything it was too dark to get a decent picture.  Plus, did you know Thanksgiving food is really brown?  So not food porn worthy.  Most of the photos will have to wait until tomorrow.  But here's the crappy proof that I did make the food:

Oh, and I made these awesome pumpkin cheesecake bites.  This was also something I had to adapt.  I wanted those mini phyllo cups, but Winco didn't have them.  I have never missed HEB more than I did this week.  I ended up using gingersnaps.

I'm way too tired and frazzled to post any recipes right now.  But I'll do it tomorrow.  My freezer and fridge are filled with so much food right now.  I need to give some of the sweets away because it will take us forever to get through them.

More to come tomorrow.  By the way, macaroni bites are the absolute best!

Vegan MoFo III: I Got Yer Balls Right Here!

Oreo balls, of course!  Okay.  I promise y'all I'm not slacking.  I absolutely hate saying I'll do something and not being able to do it.  If I am unable to make anything for MoFo, I'll have to push it back to a less busy day.  Today was far too busy for that.  So I only have one recipe and I still owe you pics of those tempeh wingz and a jalapeno cilantro hummus recipe.

I first heard of oreo balls about four years ago.  I was in my "lacto veg/vegan" phase then, recommitting to veganism every two weeks or so.  Some wonderful coworker made these delicious things and when I asked her the name she said, "Oreo balls."  But no.  These are far too elegant for that.  I have classed them up a bit by calling them Oreo Truffles.  Truthfully, I don't even use Oreos.  I just sounds more identifiable than Newman-O Truffles.

Oreo Truffles

(makes a little less than 4 dozen)

1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (NOT double stuffed)

8 oz vegan cream cheese, softened at room temperature

2 cups chocolate chips, plus more if necessary

Chopped nuts, sugar crystals, sprinkles, candied ginger, etc. (optional toppings)

Empty cookies into a food processor and chop until you have small cookie crumbs. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the food processor. Blend until you have a smooth batter/paste like consistency. Empty into a large bowl and refrigerate. I usually pop it into the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour. You want it to be firm so that it's easier to scoop and roll.

While you wait, get your toppings ready in small bowls or shakers. After that put wax paper onto some cookie sheets. When 45 minutes is up, pour the chocolate chips into a double boiler and melt. If you don't have a double boiler, do like I do: pour the chocolate chips in a metal bowl and set the bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water in it. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and place on a stationary surface. Get yourself a regular spoon and fork and now the fun part.

Take a half tablespoon and scoop out some of the cookie mixture. Roll in the palm of your hands until a ball forms. Place on the cookie sheet. Roll about six at a time, then dip them in chocolate. Use the fork to fish them out and the spoon to roll them back on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with whatever toppings you choose. Repeat the process until finished. If you run out of chocolate or it starts to solidify, just add more and heat through again. Once complete place in the fridge or freezer until the chocolate sets, then remove from the cookie sheets with a spatula or knife.  Eat and enjoy!

These things are great for holiday gift baskets.  They are definitely vegan tested, omni approved!  I also made apple cinnamon bars, but I wrote the recipe three years ago and water spilled on the page.  So I added too much liquid.  They are supposed to be the texture of cookies, but ended up looking like a cross between blondies and cake:

I'm not going to promise a recipe for the bars this week.  I am making a ridiculous amount of food tomorrow.  It may have to wait until next week sometime, but there will be a recipe.

And before I forget again.  I won a MoFo contest!  I am getting The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek over at the Nom! Nom! Nom! blog.  How stoked am I?  Super stoked!

Now it's review time: refrigerated Almond Breeze is the best, most creamiest, scrumptrulescent thing on earth!  I only wish the health food store by my house would sell the plain unsweetened.  They have unsweetened vanilla but not the plain.  What the crap?!  Seriously though.  This stuff is amazingly creamy and delicious.  I highly recommend it.  I don't even like having soy milk in the house anymore.  I found that I was just consuming way too many things with soy.  That's when I started getting hooked on almond milk.  Rice milk is too thin for me.  Oat milk tastes like paste.  Almond milk is where it's at, but the shelf stable stuff pales in comparison to the refrigerated kind.  Mmm.

That's all for now.  Tomorrow is miniature Thanksgiving!

Vegan MoFo III: Paul Rudd Lovin'

Today is Movie Monday.  I was so very stoked about this one because I got to revamp my old deviled tofu recipe.  I think it's so much better now.  Super creamy and delicious.  But I'm jumping ahead.  Today's movie is 200 Cigarettes.  It's about a group of people who are meeting up at a New Year's party.   It takes place in NYC in 1981.  I love this movie because I always forget that I love it.  Once I start watching it, I can't help but laugh uncontrollably.  It's got a huge cast of really good actors/actresses.  Christina Ricci and Gaby Hoffmann doing their Jersey accents is so freaking funny.  It reminds me of my friend, Tara, because she used to quote Christina Ricci's character all the time.

This movie is when I realized how absolutely fantastic Paul Rudd is.  He is master of the awkward funny.  I seriously did not recognize him at first in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Gah!  I've loved this man since Clueless (which is tied with Fight Club for my favorite movie of all time).  I talk too much.

Party Like It's 1981 Menu

Don't Go Past Avenue A Deviled Tofu (vegan deviled eggs)

Better Than Crab Dip (Kmouse's spinach-artichoke dip)

The Virgin Hates It Hot Wingz (in theory, at least)

Uh oh!  Whose glasses are in my spinach-artichoke dip?

By the way, you should seriously make that dip.  It is so freaking delicious!  This will be at every party I throw from now until the end of time.  I was also going to make the DEOTS tempeh wingz (scroll down),  but I ran out of light and time.  I'm making them tomorrow and I'll be sure to take a picture.

Now onto the deviled tofu.  I originally had this brilliant (ha ha)  idea about making the egg yolk part out of beans.  The texture is very similar.  I even did a mofo entry about it last year and ever'thing.  I even did that google thing to make sure I wasn't jacking anybody's idea.  I only ever saw a handful of deviled tofu recipes and they all called for shaping tofu and using tofu as the yolk base.  That just wigs me out.  Tofu on tofu is just unnatural.  So here's my recipe (I used the vegsource boiling method for the tofu...sorta):

New and Improved Deviled Tofu
UPDATE: an updated recipe can be found here.
1 lb tofu, drained and cut into 24 squares

4 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
pinch of salt

15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup Vegenaise (or any vegan mayo)
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
pinch of turmeric (enough to make it yellow)

1/2 Tbsp dill relish
black salt (also known as kala namak) to taste
paprika (for garnish)

Bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil.  Add tofu and boil for a couple of minutes.  You might need to do this in batches.  Carefully remove the tofu slices and drain.  Once they are drained and cool enough to handle, transfer to a platter and refrigerate.

Blend beans, Vegenaise, mustard, and turmeric in a food processor until smooth.  Combine bean mixture and dill relish in a mixing bowl.  Add black salt to taste.  Refrigerate until it thickens up, about 35 minutes.  Make sure you cover the bowl with something or your fridge will smell like eggs.  Blech.

Pipe bean mixture onto the tofu squares and sprinkle with paprika right before serving.

This stuff doesn't just have to go on tofu.  Pipe it into cherry tomatoes or even on bell pepper strips.  It's really good.  This is my idea of some good party food!

What's your favorite thing to serve at a party?