For Christmas, I decided to make Indian food, because it is a hot and exotic way to celebrate the cold harsh winter. There were two people for to eat Christmas dinner: my mom and myself. I enjoy going grocery shopping for food and I enjoy cooking and eating what I made.
I made the dishes that were listed in the previous post, except I added more spices to the potato dish. I also made candy yams, southern style with some vegan substitutions. My favorite dish is the Tempeh Tikka Masala. I should have simmered the tempeh in some water and then bake. With the left over tikka sauce I made an Indian twist on sloppy joe's. I like to call it the Tempeh Tikka Sandwich.
Tempeh Tikka Sandwich
1/2 package tempeh
1/2 jar Tikka Sauce (get the vegetarian kind with no cream, milk or yogurt)
1 cup Chickpeas canned or cooked
*Items to make a sandwich (to taste): Lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, etc. I used the packaged thin buns. However, pita bread will be a better choice for this recipe, especially if it's thick and good quality for holding sauce.
Method
1. Simmer the tempeh in water on both sides for ten minutes or until slightly soften and drain.
2. Simmer the chickpeas until softened and drain.
3. In a skillet with oil, roughly mash the chickpeas and crumble the tempeh until it looks like ground meat.
4. Add sauce and simmer until sauce is slightly cooked.
Serve on bread in a sandwich. This recipe can be substituted for a swarma. This can also be eaten as a side dish. This is one of those recipes that I would serve at a party. Because the jar sauce was breaking a budget and this site is about veganism on a low cost, I would make the tempeh sauce from stratch (recipe will be posted soon).
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Vegan Pancake Recipe
Since the end of last summer, I've been making vegan pancakes for breakfast or whenever. I basically used different techniques to perfect them.
Ingredients
1 cup unbleach wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons raw sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1/8 cup oil, preferably a light oil such as canola
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: ground nuts, berries, raisins,
cinnamon, dried fruit, fresh fruit, coconut, extracts
Method
1. Add all dried ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add soy milk and oil
3. Blend well
4. Add lemon juice, stir well
5. Cooking these should be like cooking any non-vegan pancakes. I prefer to use a flat, nonstick skillet and olive oil. I also like to add more soymilk or almond milk to the batter if it's too thick.
Serve with maple syrup, agave nectar or home made syrup.
Ingredients
1 cup unbleach wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons raw sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1/8 cup oil, preferably a light oil such as canola
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional: ground nuts, berries, raisins,
cinnamon, dried fruit, fresh fruit, coconut, extracts
Method
1. Add all dried ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add soy milk and oil
3. Blend well
4. Add lemon juice, stir well
5. Cooking these should be like cooking any non-vegan pancakes. I prefer to use a flat, nonstick skillet and olive oil. I also like to add more soymilk or almond milk to the batter if it's too thick.
Serve with maple syrup, agave nectar or home made syrup.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tempeh and Indian Recipes/ Holiday Menu
Tempeh/ Indian Recipes
Today for the first time I bought some tempeh. I had some in a salad in a vegan restaurant and it wasn't bad. I also have been craving Indian food this past fall/winter. I found some recipes that I think would be great addition to the small Solstice/Christmas dinner that I'll be having with my mom. I want to classify Indian recipes as "region of the year". In 2009, it was Southeast Asian cuisine. Next year it might be Thai food.
Tikka Masala This is a chicken recipe, but soon I'll be providing the vegan version of this recipe and I will take the link off. This is a vegan website not a pollo-pescatarian site. I will be replacing the chicken with tempeh, tofu or seitan in various occassions. For the marinade, soy or rice yogurt will be used instead. Coconut milk/almond milk will replace the heavy cream. In the last post, I provided some Indian recipes. This is one that I have to modify to suit my tastes.
Channa Masala This recipe is very simple to make with all its ingredients. It's already vegan and no substitutions need to be made unless other ingredients will be added.
Bhurtha (Eggplant Curry) This recipe is vegan and substitutions for ingredients and cooking methods can be made. Eggplant seems intimidating to cook, but hopefully it turns out well.
These are three of some recipes I plan on making for Winter Dinner. Pictures will be taken soon.
Holiday Menu Suggestions
Continental Dinner- Depending on if you want it regional or international, these recipes can be mixed and match. I'm just providing a list of all the foods I can think of in the world.
Appitizers: Vegan "Meatballs" made of beans covered in sauce on toothpicks; Felafels
Salad with spinach and winter vegetables or kale and cilantro/mint tabouleh; Fresh Thai Spring Rolls
Drinks: Winter Sangria (Recipe coming soon), Cranberry Drops (Recipe Coming soon), Mai tai, Pina Colada, Non-Alcoholic or Alcoholic
Main Menu: Tempeh Tikka Masala, Tofurkey, Vegan "meat loaf", Vegetable Lasagna (vegan), Vegan "steak", Stroganoff (vegan)
Side Dishes: Aloo, Channa Masala, Rattoullie, Brocolli au Gratin (vegan), Mash potatoes, wild rice, dhal, samosas, pasta. The options for side dishes are endless.
Desserts: vegan coconut cake, vegan versions of favorite cake or holiday cake, apple, pumpkin or sweet potato pie. There is room for creativity for desserts.
Cooking for a holiday or any gathering can be intimidating. If you are within a budget, the key is to have all the ingredients and everything on the menu listed when grocery shopping. It also helps to scale down the menu when there are less than five people. Like, if the dinner will be small with three or less people, then it's a good idea to not cook more than two main dishes and about three or four side dishes, not counting appetizers, drinks and desserts. The key is to not go over budget and to have enough for left overs, but not so much that it's wasting food. It also helps to be consistent and have a "theme". I plan on having an continental holiday dinner leaning toward South Asian and Mediterranean with some American dishes. I also recommend being creative. All foreign dishes do not have to be authentic. It makes it more original to have an American spin on them. Vegan dishes alone are not traditional, so be creative.
Sample Holiday Menu
Appetizer- Felafel, Kale Tabouli salad
Main Dish: Tempeh Tikka Masala
Side Dishes: Channa Masala, Bhurtha, Aloo, Dhal, Wild Rice
Dessert: Coconut Cake
Drinks: Winter Sangria, Lemon drops, Cranberry tonic
* This menu is recommended for three or less people. If more people are going to be at the gathering, then I recommend having more dishes, appetizers and drinks.
Today for the first time I bought some tempeh. I had some in a salad in a vegan restaurant and it wasn't bad. I also have been craving Indian food this past fall/winter. I found some recipes that I think would be great addition to the small Solstice/Christmas dinner that I'll be having with my mom. I want to classify Indian recipes as "region of the year". In 2009, it was Southeast Asian cuisine. Next year it might be Thai food.
Tikka Masala This is a chicken recipe, but soon I'll be providing the vegan version of this recipe and I will take the link off. This is a vegan website not a pollo-pescatarian site. I will be replacing the chicken with tempeh, tofu or seitan in various occassions. For the marinade, soy or rice yogurt will be used instead. Coconut milk/almond milk will replace the heavy cream. In the last post, I provided some Indian recipes. This is one that I have to modify to suit my tastes.
Channa Masala This recipe is very simple to make with all its ingredients. It's already vegan and no substitutions need to be made unless other ingredients will be added.
Bhurtha (Eggplant Curry) This recipe is vegan and substitutions for ingredients and cooking methods can be made. Eggplant seems intimidating to cook, but hopefully it turns out well.
These are three of some recipes I plan on making for Winter Dinner. Pictures will be taken soon.
Holiday Menu Suggestions
Continental Dinner- Depending on if you want it regional or international, these recipes can be mixed and match. I'm just providing a list of all the foods I can think of in the world.
Appitizers: Vegan "Meatballs" made of beans covered in sauce on toothpicks; Felafels
Salad with spinach and winter vegetables or kale and cilantro/mint tabouleh; Fresh Thai Spring Rolls
Drinks: Winter Sangria (Recipe coming soon), Cranberry Drops (Recipe Coming soon), Mai tai, Pina Colada, Non-Alcoholic or Alcoholic
Main Menu: Tempeh Tikka Masala, Tofurkey, Vegan "meat loaf", Vegetable Lasagna (vegan), Vegan "steak", Stroganoff (vegan)
Side Dishes: Aloo, Channa Masala, Rattoullie, Brocolli au Gratin (vegan), Mash potatoes, wild rice, dhal, samosas, pasta. The options for side dishes are endless.
Desserts: vegan coconut cake, vegan versions of favorite cake or holiday cake, apple, pumpkin or sweet potato pie. There is room for creativity for desserts.
Cooking for a holiday or any gathering can be intimidating. If you are within a budget, the key is to have all the ingredients and everything on the menu listed when grocery shopping. It also helps to scale down the menu when there are less than five people. Like, if the dinner will be small with three or less people, then it's a good idea to not cook more than two main dishes and about three or four side dishes, not counting appetizers, drinks and desserts. The key is to not go over budget and to have enough for left overs, but not so much that it's wasting food. It also helps to be consistent and have a "theme". I plan on having an continental holiday dinner leaning toward South Asian and Mediterranean with some American dishes. I also recommend being creative. All foreign dishes do not have to be authentic. It makes it more original to have an American spin on them. Vegan dishes alone are not traditional, so be creative.
Sample Holiday Menu
Appetizer- Felafel, Kale Tabouli salad
Main Dish: Tempeh Tikka Masala
Side Dishes: Channa Masala, Bhurtha, Aloo, Dhal, Wild Rice
Dessert: Coconut Cake
Drinks: Winter Sangria, Lemon drops, Cranberry tonic
* This menu is recommended for three or less people. If more people are going to be at the gathering, then I recommend having more dishes, appetizers and drinks.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Alternative To Soy II/ Bread Recipes/ Creativity in Cooking
Alternatives To Soy II
I was surfing the net as usual when I came across some videos with vegan recipes without soy products. I was amazed to find that one of my favorite youtubers made a vegan burger without soy or anything in it. I tried to make a chickpea patty with no success, because I did not use cornstarch. I want to keep food as natural as possible. I also found some links for vegan cheeses that do not call for tofu or any unfermented soy. These are just a few of many soy free recipes out there. If I try a soy free vegan diet, It's going to be like the day I first gave up meat. I've been vegan for five years, with an exception of taking a two month break from veganism, and I never had any problems with soy. Some say that health problems will appear later in life, but I don't believe that's the case with soy. I still believe that it's way better than milk and cheese and egg and the dreaded animal flesh. So, I haven't found any credible evidence against soy.
List of Links:
Veggie Burger (Indian Style) : Although most recipes with veggie burgers are vegetarian, this on is vegan. For Indian food, I recommend substituting coconut milk and oil for the milk, yogurt and ghee. I want to try this Indian style burger with some Indian potato dishes. It makes for a good replacement for the American burger and fries. For convenience, I suggest getting a decent food processor.
Vegan Cheddar Cheese : To go with the lovely Indian burger, this is a vegan version of cheddar cheese. I'm guessing that it can be a variation of American cheese. With this recipe, I'm going to have to experiment with different nuts and trying out different substitutions for water that are still soy free. I thought about blending the cashews with an almond milk to give it a slightly sweet and smokey flavor. The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak. I plan on buying this book in the future for my recipes.
Raw Soy Free Cream Cheese Recipe This recipe calls for cashews like others, but it's raw. I think variations can be made for this.
Raw Macademia Cheese This raw recipe is a little more expensive than the other recipes, because it requires ingredients that are harder to find. I hope to try this recipe with some substitutions. Chickpea miso and raw macademia nuts For those who are not on a soy-free diet, regular miso can be substituted for the chickpea variation.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Garam Masala I just found this recipe and it's from scratch. This is a good mix for Indian dishes
Tzatkiki Sauce Use the vegan version
Raw Almond Pistachio Ice Cream
Bread Recipes
Everytime I go into the store to buy bread, it always has something I can't pronounce in it. It is the same outcome with other bread products such as pancakes, or mixes. I thought it would be much less expensive and more vegan friendly if I made my own bread from scratch. I don't remember making bread, but I can at least give it a try. I found some great recipes that are relevent to the holiday season. Some are already vegan and some of them are not. I plan to make a vegan version of some of the bread recipes I found.
Sweet Vegan Challah Bread
Squash Braid
The two recipes above are both braided breads. The squash braid is not vegan. I plan on using both recipes together and making some substitutions. Instead of using squash, I'll use pumpkin puree. I will still braid the dough, but cut the braid into buns. I plan on using the second recipe as a cool alternative to the classic hamburger bun. Usually hambuger buns have sesame seeds on top. Maybe I'll use whole flaxseed and poppyseeds instead. I always loved gourmet food and when I think of gourmet food I think of fine art.
Creativity in Cooking
Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoyed making dishes more when I became vegan and even more when I moved on my own and didn't have to make any food for anyone. The first few years I became vegan I was kind of lost about what is vegan and what isn't. Now I know better and I do not plan on straying. If I have to work two jobs to sustain my lifestyle, I would. Thankfully it hasn't come to that, yet. Hopefully when I graduate with a Fine Arts degree I get a decent paying job. I thought of other things I can do after I graduate such as getting a master's in fine art, taking community college classes to learn how to sew and design clothes so I can be a designer. I even thought of law school, and my mom reminded me of the movie Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. Culinary school even looks appealing. My only concern is that I'll be forced to eat someone else's dishes and I cannot guarantee that they would be vegan.
When I was at home, I ate some vegan packaged Indian food and some food from the Indian restaurant that I usually go to when I'm in Long Beach. I noticed that it was good, but it's so spicy that I couldn't enjoy it. I think it's cheaper if I make my own dishes from scratch. I believe that they are less expensive than going out and buying them. I like to be creative when I cook. Instead of trying to recreate authentic dishes from other cultures, it would be a good idea to just make them with my own interpretation. When I go to vegan restaurants, I see on menus different dishes that come from other countries and they are just interpretations of them. I'm going home for two weeks starting on Wednesday. I hope that I get to make home made bread. My grandmother's house has so many people that it would be difficult to make the dishes I like. I hope that I still can.
I was surfing the net as usual when I came across some videos with vegan recipes without soy products. I was amazed to find that one of my favorite youtubers made a vegan burger without soy or anything in it. I tried to make a chickpea patty with no success, because I did not use cornstarch. I want to keep food as natural as possible. I also found some links for vegan cheeses that do not call for tofu or any unfermented soy. These are just a few of many soy free recipes out there. If I try a soy free vegan diet, It's going to be like the day I first gave up meat. I've been vegan for five years, with an exception of taking a two month break from veganism, and I never had any problems with soy. Some say that health problems will appear later in life, but I don't believe that's the case with soy. I still believe that it's way better than milk and cheese and egg and the dreaded animal flesh. So, I haven't found any credible evidence against soy.
List of Links:
Veggie Burger (Indian Style) : Although most recipes with veggie burgers are vegetarian, this on is vegan. For Indian food, I recommend substituting coconut milk and oil for the milk, yogurt and ghee. I want to try this Indian style burger with some Indian potato dishes. It makes for a good replacement for the American burger and fries. For convenience, I suggest getting a decent food processor.
Vegan Cheddar Cheese : To go with the lovely Indian burger, this is a vegan version of cheddar cheese. I'm guessing that it can be a variation of American cheese. With this recipe, I'm going to have to experiment with different nuts and trying out different substitutions for water that are still soy free. I thought about blending the cashews with an almond milk to give it a slightly sweet and smokey flavor. The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak. I plan on buying this book in the future for my recipes.
Raw Soy Free Cream Cheese Recipe This recipe calls for cashews like others, but it's raw. I think variations can be made for this.
Raw Macademia Cheese This raw recipe is a little more expensive than the other recipes, because it requires ingredients that are harder to find. I hope to try this recipe with some substitutions. Chickpea miso and raw macademia nuts For those who are not on a soy-free diet, regular miso can be substituted for the chickpea variation.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Garam Masala I just found this recipe and it's from scratch. This is a good mix for Indian dishes
Tzatkiki Sauce Use the vegan version
Raw Almond Pistachio Ice Cream
Bread Recipes
Everytime I go into the store to buy bread, it always has something I can't pronounce in it. It is the same outcome with other bread products such as pancakes, or mixes. I thought it would be much less expensive and more vegan friendly if I made my own bread from scratch. I don't remember making bread, but I can at least give it a try. I found some great recipes that are relevent to the holiday season. Some are already vegan and some of them are not. I plan to make a vegan version of some of the bread recipes I found.
Sweet Vegan Challah Bread
Squash Braid
The two recipes above are both braided breads. The squash braid is not vegan. I plan on using both recipes together and making some substitutions. Instead of using squash, I'll use pumpkin puree. I will still braid the dough, but cut the braid into buns. I plan on using the second recipe as a cool alternative to the classic hamburger bun. Usually hambuger buns have sesame seeds on top. Maybe I'll use whole flaxseed and poppyseeds instead. I always loved gourmet food and when I think of gourmet food I think of fine art.
Creativity in Cooking
Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. I enjoyed making dishes more when I became vegan and even more when I moved on my own and didn't have to make any food for anyone. The first few years I became vegan I was kind of lost about what is vegan and what isn't. Now I know better and I do not plan on straying. If I have to work two jobs to sustain my lifestyle, I would. Thankfully it hasn't come to that, yet. Hopefully when I graduate with a Fine Arts degree I get a decent paying job. I thought of other things I can do after I graduate such as getting a master's in fine art, taking community college classes to learn how to sew and design clothes so I can be a designer. I even thought of law school, and my mom reminded me of the movie Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. Culinary school even looks appealing. My only concern is that I'll be forced to eat someone else's dishes and I cannot guarantee that they would be vegan.
When I was at home, I ate some vegan packaged Indian food and some food from the Indian restaurant that I usually go to when I'm in Long Beach. I noticed that it was good, but it's so spicy that I couldn't enjoy it. I think it's cheaper if I make my own dishes from scratch. I believe that they are less expensive than going out and buying them. I like to be creative when I cook. Instead of trying to recreate authentic dishes from other cultures, it would be a good idea to just make them with my own interpretation. When I go to vegan restaurants, I see on menus different dishes that come from other countries and they are just interpretations of them. I'm going home for two weeks starting on Wednesday. I hope that I get to make home made bread. My grandmother's house has so many people that it would be difficult to make the dishes I like. I hope that I still can.
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