Tag Archives: spicy

Insta-foodporn- Spring so far.

My ‘eat like I’m pregnant’ moment at The Seward Cafe. Hasbrowns Supreme, a Righteous Pancake, and a Tahini Almond Cookie, all while basking in the sunshine on their patio. I barely dented the pancake, lol.
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I’ve become a devotee of Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix. It seems like no matter what I do to tweak the recipe, they come out perfect every time. My secret is to add 1 tablespoon ground chia and 1 tablespoon melted earth balance to every 1 1/2 c dry mix. Then, I mix in whatever fruits or nuts my heart desires- chopped small- and add enough almond milk to make a smooth, slightly thin batter. I let it rest for 5 minutes, check the consistency, and start cooking. I ignore the suggested liquid amount on the bag- when it’s thick, the cakes get dense and never cook all the way through. These little short stacks were stuffed with bananas, cinnamon, and ginger, and were topped with white fig jam.
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Falafel! I always use Mark Bittmans recipe- essentially you soak chickpeas overnight and then grind them down with tahini, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and coriander. A generous sprinkling of salt in the batter is crucial.
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Tacos, of course!
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Spaghetti with Chickpeas and Spinach. I’m adding greens and legumes to just about everything I eat to ensure I have good iron and protein levels. I started with 2 cans of sauce, onions, garlic, and seasonings, and added 2 cups of chickpeas to it. Once it came up to a bubble, I added 1 1/2 cups of packed, finely chopped spinach to it, and continued to simmer the sauce until the spinach was tender.
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Tofu Benedict with Spinach. I’ve made this before, and its so, so good! The vegan hollandaise sauce is really rich, so I added extra lemon to it this time.
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Tempeh Chimichurri from The Post Punk Kitchen. The chimichurri sauce was so fresh and savory I found myself scraping the bowl over tacos days later. I served them with cachapas, black beans, and kale from Terry Hope Romero’s book Viva Vegan.

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All of this has made for a very happy vegan baby belly.

Grillfry!?

the quest for new ways to use my grill never ends. i like to roast peppers on it, cook sauce on it, and now i also like to stir fry on it- or essentially pre-cook my veggies and then sauce them with asian inspired flavors post-grill. either way, it keeps me out of a stuffy kitchen and lets me take in the beautiful weather after a long day in the salon. i have tons of thai basil growing in my garden, and i whipped up a thai-inspired pesto that i used to blanket crunchy squares of grilled tofu, and crisp vegetables from the farmers market.

Thai Basil Pesto

makes about 1 1/4 cups

2 cups packed Thai Basil

1 shallot

1 clove garlic, on the big side

1 tbs gluten free soy sauce

1 tsp chili paste, like sambal olek

2 tbs toasted sesame oil

canola oil

black sesame seeds

combine the basil, shallot, and garlic in a food processor. pulse until coarsely chopped. add the soy, chili paste, and sesame oil and turn the machine on. stream in enough canola oil to make a saucy paste. saucy paste?! i have no other way to describe it. it wont be smooth and saucy and heavy on the oil, but it wont be dry either. transfer to a bowl and fold in 2 tbs black sesame seeds.  use asap.

thai basil pesto

thai basil pesto

 

dan's secret sauce

dan’s secret sauce

my hubby makes a killer spicy sauce for green beans. one day i’ll shake it out of him so that we can all benefit from its presence in our lives.

p.s. for the best grilled tofu you need to first asses what kind you have before you; it it super water logged, even for extra firm- like naysoya? you’d know because when you make tofu scramble it shrinks considerably in the pan. or, maybe you have the giant bricks of wildwood exta firm tofu, that could double as a door stop it’s so dense?

if you have the former, it’s best to freeze it until solid, followed by thawing, and finally pressing the daylights out of it. all it’ll need is a light mist of cooking spray before getting slapped on the grill. i never marinate tofu because i enjoy it’s flavor, and the freezing method renders it way too absorbent to be marinated.

if you have the latter, just slice and grill! if you try to flip it too soon it’ll tear, but give it a solid 5 minutes and it will release. oh, still give it a light mist of cooking spray first.

Barbecue Madness!

I’ve decided that I’m going to try to capitalize one post and see if it kills me. :)

As you read earlier, I love having new spices to play with; I also love condiments of all kinds, but some i think never need to be purchased as long as you have a few   simple ingredients kicking around your pantry. I always make barbecue sauce on the fly, utilizing either ketchup (ghetto style) or tomato paste, vinegar, and sweetener as my base, but this is one of the first times I’ve documented the ingredients. It’s one of the simplest and most praise-garnering additions you can bring to your next cookout or gathering, and it makes a great gift for newlyweds. My newest incarnation is sweet, smoky, and tangy thanks to tamarind paste and blended chili powder, and it dresses up tofu and veggie burgers like a pro without overwhelming. If you like your sauce extra spicy, add 1/4 TSP or more of cayenne pepper- it’ll add heat without adding heavy flavor.

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

1 6oz can tomato paste

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/4 c  + 2 tbs agave nectar

1 tbs molasses

2 heaping tsp tamarind paste- I use Tamicon in the yellow jar

1  tbs  Arizona Dreaming or similar chili powder blend

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp + freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan and place over low heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Let cool before pouring into a glass mason jar, use within one week.

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

Tamarind Laced Barbecue Sauce

Another summer staple that’s sure to please; garlicky herbed ‘butter’ thats a step up from your usual grilled corn topper. This also makes  great croutons/toast, and is delicious over potatoes and broccoli too! We also shook a little Rawmesan over the top and it was divine!

Herbalicious Garlic Butter

2 TBS earth balance

2 TBS olive oil

1-2 large cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1 TSP Penzey’s Sandwich Sprinkle or similar seasoning blend

1 TSP nutritional yeast

2 pinches dill

black pepper

Start by combining the earth balance, oil, and garlic in a small sauté pan. Heat until just bubbling, and simmer until the garlic just barely turns golden. Remove from the heat, and let cool for ten minutes. Strain out the garlic, and mix in the rest of the spices, adding pepper and salt to taste. Use a basting brush to spread over hot ears of grilled corn, or other veggies.

Herbalicious Grilled Corn

Herbalicious Grilled Corn

I couldn’t really take a satisfying picture- dried herbs don’t turn everything green like fresh ones do, so i’m going to attempt this again when my garden it extra frilly!

Speaking of, look at my grocery store!

Aromatic Seitanic 3 Bean Chili

this is definitely one of those hearty, spicy, fall-is-here-again meals; it freezes beautifully, and for me it was a great way to use up leftover seitan from tamale filling that i had otherwise forgotten about. this makes quite a bit of food so it’s great for potlucks, tailgating, ect.  for a chili thats brimming with different chile powders, its spicy without being hot and the coriander/jerk/cinnamon combo adds this wonderful texture and hint of lemon/curry ‘something’ to every bite, so don’t be afraid of the unconventional-ness of them;  definitely start with half of the chile powder in case your taste buds aren’t as tempered and add from there.

 

2 c each cooked or fresh steamed; chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, or 6 total cups of your favorite chili bean combo

3 c chopped seitan- red/white steamed seitan from viva vegan works perfectly, but any store bought/ home made seitan will do.

1 large red onion, diced

2 annaheim peppers, de-seeded and chopped

1 red bell, chopped

2, 15oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 4oz can tomato paste

2-5 c vegetable stock

3 cloves minced garlic

3 tbs chili powder

1-2 tbs arbol chile powder

1-2 tbs ancho chile powder

1 tbs jerk seasoning

1/2 tbs cumin

1 tbs crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

 

saute the onion in some oil over medium heat until translucent and soft. toss in the peppers and cook until they just begin to soften, maybe 5 minutes tops. add the garlic and all of the dry seasonings and cook until it’s toasty, and you can smell the garlic. add the tomatoes and tomato paste and combine. stir in the beans and seitan, and add enough stock to cover by a half an inch. bring to a boil, drop to a simmer, and cook-partially covered, for 30 minutes. taste for salt/pepper, more chile, ect, add more stock if needed, and simmer for another 15 minutes to thicken.

loaded vegan seitan chili

^ worst computer snap-shot ever!

Habanero Linguine with Black Beans, Grilled Veggies and Avocado Cilantro Pesto

i’ve been going to the farmers market (lyndale, aka ‘the big one’) regularly this summer for my weekly produce stock up, and i found a great pasta vendor- pasta alley- they have a huge variety of flavors, and also makes whole wheat and gluten-free pastas as well. we’ve bought quite a few flavors over the last few weeks, but we have come back to one over and over again, habanero! just like the name implies, it’s definitely a spicy noodle, so we tend to mix in an equal proportion of another flavor to help dull the heat. i only wish they made more of their flavors in whole wheat or gluten free, because i can’t rationalize eating ‘white’ pasta more than once or twice a month. oh well. here’s a fun recipe that we have whipped up twice now using plenty of farmers market finds! You could also use plain pasta and add heat with either a little habanero sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes.

Habanero Linguine with Black Beans, Grilled Vegetables, and Avocado Cilantro Pesto

serves 6-8

1 8 oz package habanero pasta

1 8 oz package chive and onion pasta (or another flavor)

4 small zucchini, halved and sliced 1/2” thick

1 1/2 c or about 4 ears worth of sweet corn

1 28 oz can black beans or about 2 1/2-3 cups total beans

Avocado Cilantro Pesto* make a double batch if you like your pasta saucy

1 ripe avocado

the juice of 2 limes

1/2 c slivered almonds

1 bundle, or 1 cup loosely packed cilantro

1 tbs nutritional yeast, opt

1/2 c water if needed

olive oil or canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

first, lets make the sauce. combine all sauce ingredients except for the water and oil in a food processor. pulse until finely chopped and pasty. with the machine running, stream in roughly 1/4 c of oil. now stream in some water until thinned slightly. depending on your personal preferences, you could use more or less oil or water since the avocado makes it so creamy, and the lime adds a nice punch of flavor. set this aside.

grill the zucchini and corn either on your grill pan, under the broiler, or on a coal grill until crisp tender and lightly golden on the edges. either grill the corn on the cob, or remove the kernels and place in aluminum foil. place in a large serving bowl. rinse the black beans under hot water and add to the bowl.

boil the noodles according to the package directions, and rinse under hot water once al dente. drizzle with a teeny bit of oil- this will help everything combine smoothly without a gummy mess.

toss the pasta with the veggies, and then with the pesto sauce. serve immediately or at room temperature.

the original versionthe first version with just cilantro and corn, tossed with lime juice and coconut oil.

the new version!

Tofu Pad Thai

originally, we were going to be making drunken noodles tonight, but when i opened the fridge i noticed a bouquet of scraggly, muddy green stems where the basil used to be. yep, the basil was definitely a no-go. instead, i threw together a sauce consisting of palm sugar, garlic chili sauce, vegan oyster sauce, tamari, vinegar, tamarind, and garlic.  it was pretty good, and reminded me of pad thai. i wouldn’t call it authentic by any means, but it definitely cured my craving for spicy noodles.

spicy tofu pad thai

spicy tofu pad thai

spicy tofu “pad thai”

14oz dried rice noodles

2 cups broccoli florets

1 lb tofu, cubed

1 red bell, diced

1 small red onion, sliced into half moons

peanut oil

2 tbs tamari

2 tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbs chili garlic sauce- like sambal oelek

2 tbs palm sugar, or regular sugar

2 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce, or mushroom sauce

bring a pot of water to a boil, once boiling add the broccoli and the noodles. cover, remove from the heat, and let hang for 5 minutes before draining and flushing with cold water; set aside. brown the tofu in a few tablespoons of peanut oil and set aside. now add the onion and pepper, and cook until softened. add the tamari, and the rest of the ingredients through to the oyster sauce, and simmer until the sugars have dissolved. add the reserved broccoli, noodles, and tofu, and stir fry until the noodles are soft. you may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the noodles start to stick. garnish with lime wedges and crushed peanuts if you have them, and serve immediately.


AHHH-CHOOO ARRRGH!

ugh.argh.blarg.danggit.shit.#$@%!

i’m still sick. when life gives you a sinus infection, make something spicy! i was torn between chinese hot and sour soup, miso soup, or spicy thai tom yum, but the idea of hot coconut-y goodness rang out above the other contenders, and tom yum won this round. this isn’t the most authentic recipe, but given my delicate condition (LOL) and my close proximity to a co-op v an asain grocer, i’d say i didn’t do half bad. i serve this over a pile of brown rice (jasmine if you dont care about the lack of fiber), grab the tissues, and relax the night away with the twin peaks box set. oh special agent dale cooper. swoon.

The Midwest Vaygun’s Kick-Your-Cold’s-Ass Rendition Of Tom Yum!

1 small can of coconut milk (about 8oz)

1 pound tofu, cubed- any firmness, left fresh

1 inch ginger, grated

zest of one lime (or 3 kaffir lime leaves) and its juice

2 big cloves of garlic, minced

2 stalks lemongrass

8 oz each, shitake and button mushrooms. cleaned, shitakes de-stemmed, and sliced

1 c frozen peas, thawed

sambal olek, or sriracha sauce, to taste

1 tbs braggs liquid aminos, or 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 cup sliced bok, or pak choy (or broccoli)

6 cups vegetable stock

bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a meduim sized soup pot and add the ginger, lime zest and garlic. take your lemon grass and peel off the outer layer. cut off the dry end about 1/3 of the way down, or to where the lemon grass is no longer firm. cut the remaining pieces in half length wise, and bash them with a muddler, pan, sturdy glass, whatever, until bruised but still whole. toss these into the stock and cover. simmer the stock for ten minutes, it should be extremely fragrant when done. remove and discard the lemongrass, and toss your mushrooms into the pot along with the tofu. re-cover, and simmer until the mushrooms are soft. now toss in the bok choy, and simmer for 2 minutes-the bok choy should stay crispy. afterwords, turn off the heat and add in the rest of your ingredients-use additional hot sauce and braggs to your liking and if you feel fancy, garnish with cilantro.

tofu tom yum-my soup!

tofu tom yum-my soup!

SWOON!

SWOON!

ps. YO! if you liked this one, youd probably also like my other thai coconut soup recipe! its almost identical, and i totally forgot i ever made it :P

Happy Birthday! Tag Team Pizzas!

you know how when you’re stumped to choose between say, cheeze pizza, or veggie pizza, you just get half and half, or one or the other? well, todays birthday boy got the ultimate birthday dinner: 2 different pizzas! instead of trying to keep toppings from touching, or having to choose between the two, he got one of each! lucky! the first, and a dear favorite of mine, was a truffled mushroom pizza on a deep dish crust, and the second, a snappy thai pizza on a thin crispy crust. let the drooling begin! use this dough recipe for whichever pizza you choose, just omit the pepper blend.

Truffled Mushroom Pizza

makes one 12-14 inch deep dish pizza

cast iron skillet

1 large red onion

salt, pepper, sugar

1 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms. try shitakes, creminis, morels, portobellos ect cut into quarters, or 1/2 inch pieces

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tbs chickpea flour

3/4 c almond milk

1 tbs cashew butter

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

1 tbs truffle oil

first things first: make your pizza dough and let it rise for one hour; while rising, start caramelizing your onions. to do this, start by halving and slicing your onion into half moons, and tossing them into your cast iron skillet. saute on medium heat with 3 tbs olive oil, and one pinch each of salt and pepper, and two pinches sugar. cook, stirring frequently, until soft and deeply golden brown- this should take about thirty minutes. set onions aside, and add the mushrooms to the pan. raise the heat and add a few pinches of salt. cook until browned and reduced by half, and all of the liquid has evaporated. add these plus the thyme to the onions and set aside. once the hour has elapsed, punch down the dough, and press into your cast iron pan (make sure its cool). cover with some saran wrap, and let rise for a half an hour. while its rising, preheat your oven to 450 and make your cashew “bechamel”. to make the sauce, start by combining the chickpea flour with 2 tbs olive oil in a sauce pan, heat until bubbling, and slowly whisk in the cashew butter, and then the almond milk. add the onion and garlic powder, the nutritional yeast,  and whisk until thick and smooth. unwrap your dough, gently pat down any large lumps, and prick the crust lightly all-over with a toothpick. now spread half of the sauce over the bottom, and sprinkle on the mushroom-onion-thyme mixture; drizzle with another tablespoon or two of the sauce and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  remove from the oven and drizzle with the truffle oil before cutting and serving.

caramelized onions

mushrooms

post-baking! omg

deep-dish truffled mushroom pizza

Thai Style Tofu Pizza

makes one 12-14 inch pizza

1/2 pound tofu, cubed

1 red jalapeno, halved and sliced

1 small bell pepper, quartered and sliced

1 small carrot, shredded

1 tsp minced ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1/4 c fresh cillantro

1 5 oz can coconut milk

2 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp red curry paste

2 tsp sriracha sauce

peanut oil

limes

crushed peanuts

preheat oven to 450. start by sauteing the tofu in 1 tbs peanut oil until browned. set aside on paper towels to drain. to the same pan add the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, sriracha, curry, and coconut milk. heat until combined and smooth. punch down your dough and roll out to 14 inches. par bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. spread half of the sauce to within 1/2″ of the edge, and sprinkle with the tofu, carrot, and peppers. drizzle with a few more tablespoons of the sauce and bake until browned, about 12-18 minutes. to serve, top hot pizza with minced cilantro, peanuts, and scallions and garnish with a lime wedge.

thai pizza post-baking

crispy thai tofu pizza, all done up



Tamales Part 2!

I spent the batter half of yesterday making tamales with the hubby, but with new fillings, and a new size; gigantic! i didn’t feel much like rolling a gajillion cigar sized ones, so we made dinner sized ones. we still rolled about fifty, down from last time, which i think was 8 dozen :P we made smoky re-fried beans from scratch, a crazy spicy indian lentil dal-because we’re crazy like that, and a super duper yummy mole spiced mock duck. i called those ones tamoles, get it!? use the same dough recipe, found here http://midwestvaygun.wordpress.com/tag/mexican/ and make sure to halve it before putting it in your mixer, or you will have a mess! half of the dough will make 32 small/medium tamales, in case you were curious.

TAMOLES! OLE!

makes 16

1 lb seitan, or mock duck, or veggie crumbles (TVP if you’re gluten free). diced.

1/4 c vegetable stock

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbs peanut butter

1.5 tbs Penzey’s Chili 9000*

in a cast iron skillet, saute the onions in a few tablespoons corn, or canola oil until beginning to soften. add the garlic and the seitan and brown. add the chili powder and cook until starting to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes. add the stock to deglaze, and turn down to a simmer. cook for another 5 minutes. toss into a food processor with the peanut butter and pulse until crumbly and combined. let cool slightly before using. also makes a great enchilada or taco filling!

*find it here:http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyschili9000.html

Slow and Smoky Re-Fried Beans

makes a ton, use half now and freeze half for later if necessary

1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked over night

1, 2 inch piece kombu (softens and flavors the beans)

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/4 vegetable stock

2 tbs earth balance, or corn oil

salt to taste

place beans in a 4qt or larger crock pot and fill 3/4 of the way up with water. add the kombu and bay leaves. cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 3. remove kombu and bay leaves. drain well and mash immediately with the stock, soy, oil, and smoke. add salt to taste. let cool to room temp before using.

Curried Lentil Dal

makes about 3 cups of filling

1 cup lentils, red green or brown. this also works with split peas!

2 1/2 c vegetable stock

1 tbs yellow curry powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c onion diced

1 clove garlic minced

saute onion in a tbs oil until soft. add the garlic and cook until fragrant. place everything into a small 1qt crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours, and then low for another hour. the dal should be thick and creamy, and you can add more stock or water as needed to adjust consistency. just like the other filling, let this cool a bit before using.

Awesome Asian Marinated Salad, and the Walk For Animals :)

Hello Friends!

spring has officially, well, un-officially hit MPLS and i’m super excited. why? well, my landlord has agreed to let me dig up some of his backyard to build a swanky-assed garden! i look forward to posting pics of what i’ve grown, and what i’ve turned it into afterward. YUMMY STUFF.

another fun note: i’m participating in the golden valley animal humane societies walk for animals this year. if you would like to help me help animals, donate here! http://events.animalhumanesociety.org/site/TR/Walk/General?team_id=9571&pg=team&fr_id=1110 The humane society receives no government/state funding or aid besides what we give, and until people turn to adoption first, breeding second, there will only be more need for these homeless animals. these guys will thank you!

this weeks recipe came to me as i was preparing vietnamese seitan baguette with savory broth dip from the veganomicon. the sandwich itself was freaking amazing. its like bahn mi and french dip had an incredibly delicious love child, and i needed a counterpart that required minimal efforts, and minimal ingredients. next thing you know i’m whisking dressing, and shreddin’ veggies!

Awesome Asian Carrot Slaw

4 servings

4 large carrots, scrubbed

1 medium stalk broccoli

1/2 c peas

1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 c dark sesame oil

1/4 c mirin, or rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tsp asian chili paste, like sambal olek

1/4 tsp chinese 5 spice powder (shhhhh its the secret ingredient)

ok, this is really easy. run the veggies (except peas) though a shredder and toss in a bowl with the peas. whisk together dressing and pour over, tossing to coat. add almonds. stir. chill for an hour. eat.

if you feel sassy, double the dressing and add a couple cups shredded red or napa cabbage ;)

see, its easy!

food-gasm