Vegan MoFo Day 19!

Oy, I have been crap at blogging this past week-sorry friends!! Been busy busy busy here. Hope this recipe makes up for it a little though!

This is another delicious Polish family recipe from Alex's house that has been converted. As kids my Pops used to take all of us down to Hamtramck (Detroit) to the Polish Bakery & our favorite restaurant (Polonia Restaurant and order this to start our meals. Now I got the recipe from a Polish manager of mine at a restaurant I worked at (Thanks Jacek!) who had his Mama fax it from Poland to me, he translated it, and then when I went vegan I converted the recipe to what you will see below! It makes my Polish heart (and tummy) so so happy!!!

Zupa ogórkowa or Dill Pickle Soup!

RECIPE [for 1.5 gallons of soup]:
4 leeks,
7 carrots
3 celery
5 potatoes
vegan butter (we use Earth Balance buttery spread)
3/4 bunch fresh dill
1/4 bunch fresh parsley
3 quarts water
4 tbsp Better Than Bouillon's No Chicken bouillon
1 64 oz. dill pickle jar (all the pickles & 1/4 to 1/2 cup brine)
tofutti sour cream

Chop carrots, celery, & leeks. Throw in pot with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer until veggies are fork tender.

In separate pot, cook finely diced pickles (3/4 of the amount) in Earth Balance. Simmer & cover for 1/2 hour (add water if needed).






Peel & cut potatoes in small cubes (we chopped into about 1/2" cubes). Remove cooked veggies from water & add in potatoes & bouillon. Stir in bouillon to dissolve. Cook potatoes until fork tender. Add in cooked pickles to potatoes & cook together.





In separate bowl, scoop 1/2 a container of Tofutti sour cream. Add a little of "soup" mixture & mix with it to bring temperature up without "curdling". Slowly add sour cream mixture into large pot of "soup".





Add other veggies back into pot. Process until smooth with an immersion blender. Add freshly minced dill & parsley as well as remaining pickles & brine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook together another 2-5 minutes. Serve & enjoy with friends (like my pal Sarah whom I know from college who visited LA last week)!!



REVIEWS:
Joe: When I first heard about this soup from Alex, I was put off. I am not the biggest fan of pickles! So I wasn't sure how I would feel about a pickle soup. But this soup has a really nice flavor & I really enjoy it!

Alex: I love, Love, LOVE this soup!!! It tastes like childhood and straight up yumminess to me. Amazingly creamy and dilly. How can a Polish gal go wrong with potatoes, pickles, and fresh dill?! The answer is that she can't friends, she can't! I hope you all enjoy this soup as much as I do :D

Obviously this recipe can be made in smaller batches but as most things in good home-made recipes there are no measurements so feel free to add more (potatoes Alex thinks) or less depending on your tastes and group size. Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo Day 18.5!

So I am late in saying my thanks but I was nominated by Kelly at Three and a Half Vegans for the Liebster Award! So so so sweet of her (I love her little blog so go take a gander, you won't regret it)!



Here's how it works:

1. You show your thanks to the blogger who gave it to you by linking back to them.
2. You reveal YOUR top 5 pics for bloggers with less than 200 followers, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog. (Right click on the image, and select 'save image as'.)
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet! And in this case, fellow mofo'ers.
5. Have fun, and spread the love! :)

So without further adieu my five:

1. Czech Vegan, I gotta give it up for the Eastern European heritage and support this blog! :)

2. Some love for a fellow Chicago/MI gal at Dorm Room Kitchen.

3. I love all the movie themed posts at Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk! Makes my day :)

4. I love all the photos over at For the Love of Food Blog, gorgeous!

5. fuck yeah vegan ice cream-the name says it all really.

So thanks and yay! Go vegan mofos ;)

Vegan MoFo Day 18!

Sorry for the few day delay friends!! We were both swamped this weekend: Alex with her 2nd City Internship & sound editing for MacBeth where she is trying her hat at Stage Managing (?!) and Joe with grading math homework for 3 courses! It was a busy and not very restful weekend! But on to the recipe...

For Day 18 we are cooking and eating up some of our favorite blogger The Vegan Dad's recipe for Vegan Gyros! We have made this recipe many times, and we have included our changes/tips. The original idea is from the Vegan Dad, of course. We are so obsessed with this blog & in particular a few of his recipes (like this one)!

RECIPE:
tempeh gyro:
1, 8.5oz block of tempeh
1 onion
1tsp garlic powder
1tbsp marjoram
1tsp ground rosemary
1/2tsp basil
1/2tsp thyme
1/2tsp sage
1/4tsp salt
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
2tbsp soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup flour
oil

vegan tzatziki sauce:
1 container Tofutti Sour Cream
juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic minced
2tbsp canola oil
1tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2-3 tbsp fresh dill (Joe: we always use fresh dill, since Alex being Polish has a dill obsession & it's always in our fridge. Alex: Um, you're welcome.)
pinch cayenne
1 cup peeled grated cucumber (I think a whole, normal sized cucumber)
1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber (half a cucumber)
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley


Make the tzatzki sauce first. Grate the cumcumber into small pieces and place in a piece of cheese cloth, or a clean kitchen towel (I have tried paper towels, but it does not work very well). Add salt to the cucumbers an let sit over a colander for at least an hour.
This is to remove most of the water in the cucumbers. Combine the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT the diced cucumber, in a bowl and mix well. After the hour, squeeze the grated cucumbers to remove as much water as possible. (Alex: I like to use the juice to make Cucumber Cocktails!). Add both types of prepared cucumber. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. The sauce should taste tangy, refreshing and with a distinct flavor of dill. I also added some Vegenaise (like 2 tbsp) to help with the sauce some.

In a food processor (or a box grater), grate the onion and tempeh.

Add spices, including parsley, and soy sauce and mix well with your hands. Add flour and knead together for a minute. Wrap into a log using plastic wrap, about 2 inches in diameter.
Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or until ready to use. This will help keep the "meat" together when you cook it.

Unwrap the "meat", slice into 10-12 pieces and shape and flatten to resemble gyro meat. The slices should be no more that 1/4" thick and 2 by 5 inch rectangular shapes.

Fry the slices in batches (We can usually fit 4 a time with a 10" skillet) in a skillet with a small layer of oil heated over medium-high heat. Fry for 2 minutes per side, flipping once or until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with tzatziki, red onions, lettuce and tomatoes in a warm piece of pita (or better yet, TJ's Middle Eastern Flatbread!)!



REVIEW:

Joe: Best thing since sliced bread! I actually used the Vital Wheat Gluten flour as the original recipe calls for this time, and I didn't like it as much! I found the regular (AP) flour helped things stay together better.

Alex: I think this recipe is fantastic. I used to work in a Greek fast food joint in college and would eat gyros until I would explode and after going vegan really found myself craving that taste of spices & tzatziki so when I stumbled upon this recipe I did a jig of joy! This flavor combo just hits the spot for me and curbs my college tummy cravings! :D

Vegan MoFo Day 17!

Ahh, breakfast for dinner. What a noble invention! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all, so why not have it for dinner! This recipe comes from "Vegan Family Meals" by Ann Gentry (RFD lady!) It is for some awesome french toast! Hope you enjoy!

RECIPE:
8 oz soft tofu, drained and crumbled
4 tsp arrowroot
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk
1/3 cup high-heat sunflower oil, plus more for coating the pan
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
12 1/2" thick slices crust country-style white sourdough bread



Blend the tofu, arrowroot, baking powder, ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and turmeric in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Combine soy milk, 1/3 cup oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a measuring cup. With the food processor running, slowly add the liquid mixture into the tofu mixture. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter onto a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange the slices in a single layer. Turn each piece to coat. Set aside, turning the bread occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the bread absorbs most of the batter.


Heat a large, heavy flat griddle pan over medium heat. Working in batches, brush a little oil over the griddle and grill the soaked bread until it is heated through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.



Transfer the French toast to plates and enjoy!


REVIEWS:
Alex: What a delicious surprise! Joey knew I had a busy day and surprised me with my favorite breakfast dinner! This sweet treat hit the spot. I heaped on extra syrup and it was magic :)

Joe: Pretty good, although I think the bread should be sliced thicker. Maybe 3/4" to 1" thick, so you only get 6-8 pieces of toast. I had a little bit of trouble with the bread absorbing all of the batter, perhaps it was too thick since I only had firm tofu, or the bread wasn't stale enough (a very good thing for French Toast!). A very good vegan version of a great breakfast item! One more thing, don't be skimpy on the oil. The batter was prone to almost cement the bread to the pan. A large flipper is also crucial to be able to unstick and flip the bread without destroying it!

Vegan MoFo Day 16!

More soups!!! Okay this is actually a stew but it tastes darn good when you're sick (or recovering from being sick): Scotch Broth from The Vegan Table y my gal Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

RECIPE:
3/4 cups pearl barley
3/4 cup green split peas (we used green lentils instead since that's what we had)
3/4 cup red lentils
1 large size leek, washed well & roughly chopped
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 or 3 yellow potatoes diced
3 carrots, peeled & grated or shredded
8-9 cups veggie stock
1 tsp salt (to taste)
freshly ground pepper (to taste) 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish-totally optional, we didn't use any)




Soak barley. split peas, & lentils for 1 hour in bowl with enough water to cover. After soaking, rinse & add to a large soup pot along with onion, leek, potatoes, carrots, stock, salt, & pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat & simmer until all is tender. Ladle into bowls & sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yields 10-12 servings.





Feel free to use other veggies in this as well. Colleen suggests turnips, cabbage, or even kale. We like to throw in whatever extra something is hanging around the fridge/pantry.





REVIEWS:

Alex: Again, soups are hitting the spot for me right now. I love the heartiness of this stew. It make me think of the cold tundra-esque winters in Michigan in my childhood. When it got so cold we couldn't go out for recess. I wish I had this soup then! So good and stick to your bonesy. Perfect for my throat & nose!

Joe: Pretty good stuff. I really hate split peas so I like to use the green lentils instead (plus it's what is in our pantry).

Vegan MoFo Day 15!

Hello friends! Hooray for our 15th post!!! We continue on with our adventures in soup this time trying (for the very first time) the Ginger Miso Soup recipe from Vegan Family Meals.

RECIPE:
1 cup hot water
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups Kombu Dashi (see recipe that follows)
1 3" piece daikon radish, peeled, quartered length-wise, cut into 1/4" slices
1 large carrot, peeled & cut into matchstick size strips
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
3 ounces firm tofu, drained & cut into 1/2" cubes
1 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 cup mellow barley miso
2 scallions, sliced thin diagonally

Kombu Dashi
2 (4 by 1") pieces dried kombu
8 cups water
1 4" piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into coins
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 mirin, sake or dry sherry





Comine the hot water and dried mushrooms in a bowl and let it steep for 30 minutes.

To make the dashi, combine kombu and water in a large saucepan and set aside for 1 hour. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a bare simmer. Reduce heat and add ginger and tamari. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove heat and add mirin. Stir and strain the stock into another pot or bowl. Remove half the kombu and slice into 1/8 thin strips. Add these back to the pot.

Remove the revived mushrooms to a surface. Remove any grit by running under cool water. Cut the mushrooms into matchstick sized strips (julienne). Julienne the carrots and daikon and thinly slice the onion. Add to the pot and pour over the dashi. Cover and simmer for 20 mintues, until the veggies are tender. Remove from heat and add tofu.





Grate the ginger using a Microplane into some cheesecloth over a bowl. This is to extract the juice from the pulp. Bundle the ginger up and squeeze over the soup.

Just before serving, press the miso paste through a fine mesh strainer into the soup. Stir in the green onions and enjoy!




REVIEW:

Joe: Very good. I don't think the extra effort of making the ginger juice was worth it. I would just add a few extra pieces of ginger & removed them later. We also used 3 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms instead of soaking dried ones which worked well. Overall and excellent miso soup. I really like this recipe!

Alex: This soup was earthy and delicious! It was almost a cross between miso soup and french onion soup. Definitely a win in my book. Good work Ann Gentry!