thanksgiving meal - planning

• Roasted root veggies: carrots, onions, garlic, rutabaga, turnip, tomato. maybe radishes.

last year we did veg in a wonderful chipotle-garlic-olive oil marinade, and may repeat that.
We also had a fancy roulade stuffed with root veg and I don't really feel the need to repeat it, though it was very good.

(what, we need something else?) I'm thinking about it.

• what about the perfect soup - with the above goodness, just a very light broth-based something (like the fennel soup somewhere on this blog) with home made croutons or garlic bread? or a good loaf of home made bread, warm from the oven, with an herb-butter spread. this might be a good starter.
• spinach salad
• fresh green beans with sesame seeds (a request)

to be continued!



dessert. right, dessert ;) ONE of us wants strawberry-rhubarb pie, and though I think this is more a spring thing, I have no serious objections. he does make a mean pie! I insist on a home made crust, though.

tomato and garlic bread soup

(cadged from epicurious some years back, and tweaked) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/TOMATO-AND-GARLIC-BREAD-SOUP-102453

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin) (my note - no way I use this much oil start with 1/4 c.)
9 garlic cloves, minced (well, yah. best method is to throw garlic & oil in the processor 'til combined and creamy. ad stuff here, if you want, like herbs, hot pepper flakes. live!)
8 ounces crusty white sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (just buy a round loaf of any good rough peasant bread, cube it (best if a touch stale), then mix it up with your oily garlic mess in a very large container. throw in some good sea salt, too.

3 large onions, finely chopped (or more)
8 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth (even when I was omni I used veg broth)
2 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes, drained, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if you're going to use cheese, this is where you want your reggiano. it counts bigtime in this dish. it's all about fresh, savory flavors - mouth heaven, baby)

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (for garnish)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings (like I said. also, use a veggie peeler, pass the chunk of cheese round the table)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves in large bowl. Add sourdough bread pieces and toss to coat. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring once, about 20 minutes. Set garlic-bread croutons aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender, about 25 minutes. Add remaining minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Simmer soup uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add garlic-bread croutons to soup and cook 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil and Parmesan cheese shavings. (er, not. don't add the croutons before serving. let people build their soups, building little piles of garlic croutons, basil, and cheese fragments. you'll thank me, really)

this stuff freezes so well. and it's great to take to lunch, just pack your go-withs separately. I can guarantee your coworkers will be asking for the recipe. could it be simpler?

Miso gravy

Miso Gravy from here


Makes about 1 ½ cups

Here's a gravy that's as savory and pleasing as my mother's creamy gravy made from pan drippings. The primary difference is that this one is cholesterol free and low in calories. And protein-rich miso is a potent healing food. It's an anticarcinogen and it reduces the effects of radiation, smoking, air pollution and other environmental toxins. This gravy is great over mashed potatoes, steamed cauliflower, a grain entrée or biscuits.

1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1 cup unflavored soymilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons whole wheat or barley flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the miso and 2 tablespoons of the soymilk in a small bowl and purée with a spoon or fork. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned. Add the thyme and flour and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic and the mixture is lightly colored and creamy rather than grainy. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent browning.

Whisk in the remaining soymilk all at once, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the miso purée and cook an additional 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or keep the gravy warm until ready to use.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood

Daphne, craving attention

Chocolate chip cookies!

Copied from Vegweb, this wonderful recipe:

Recipe submitted by Denise

Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
cinnamon to taste (optional)
vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like
1 cup raw sugar (turbinado #1, sucanat works too but sucks up a lot of the moisture)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water

Directions:

VERY IMPORTANT-make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they're not at room temp but it works MUCH better if they are. Also while your oven is pre-heating put the cookie sheets you are going to use on top of the oven so they get preheated as well. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if you choose). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium size bowl mix vegan sugar and oil. Mix it well. Add the vanilla and then add the water. Mix it well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix it well but be careful not to overwork it. Add more chips if you need to. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Put them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then flip and rotate the sheets.(top to bottom,and 180 degree rotation) Bake another 4 minutes and check them.

The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool. I usually go in two minute increments from here untill they get to where I like them.

Take them out when they are done and move them to wire cooling racks. If they split or come apart when you try to remove them let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to the racks.

These cookies have come a long way, lots of time and tasting spent on getting them to where they are now. Vegans and non vegans LOVE them. In the words of my 6 year old son-Mom, you're the greatest because you know how to make the best cookies. Enjoy and let me know if you have questions. Sweet travels.

Serves: almost two dozen

Preparation time: 15 mins?-10 to 12 cooking time

Farmer's market dinner

We'd walked the 2 miles or so to the local farmer's market, which runs all year round. Bought greens fresh from the fields, turnips, shelled limas, heirloom tomatoes, a gorgeous bouquet, and more. Oh - and a puffy, fresh sourdough loaf from a local Swiss baker.

For dinner, we cubed parsnips, onion, several tomatoes, a sweet potato, and roasted them slow, simply sprayed with olive oil. Next time we'll plan ahead and roast even slower - this was 400F for about an hour. We boiled the fresh limas in lightly salted water for about 10-15 minutes, then drained them and tossed with earth balance, adding fresh cracked pepper. We dry-fried thin tofu triangles, adding a chili-lime glaze at the last, and accompanied this bounty with thick slices of sourdough, toasted and rubbed with garlic, buttered.

There was no question that this meal was one of the best we have had in a very long time - and that's saying a lot.

Vegan dumplings for stew

3 T shortening or oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup soy milk
optional: about 1 T finely minced chives

METHOD
Cut shortening into flour, baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot vegetables in boiling stew. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook about 10 minutes longer.

Strangely reminiscent of...

Emmenthaler cheese. That's what I said to Mike after trying Esme's special sauce, which I had copied a while back and just made last night. Folks, this is not a low-fat sauce. It is also very rich, and there is a savory... unctuousness to it. I think in future it will do well as a sauce over veg, such as roasted potatoes, on the side.

Last night, with little interest in cooking and less in trotting 2/3 mile to the store & back (no car - we've not had one for around 4 years now and believe me right now this is not a bad idea), I decided to try this out.

We cooked up some soba noodles, then tossed in a good half-bag of frozen chopped spinach, about a cup of frozen peas (told you we were lazy!) and finally, a can of drained & rinsed cannelini. It went together like that (snaps fingers unsuccessfully - I never could do that well) and in no time at all we were laid back, overstuffed. This is a comfort food. Curry's better (curry is ALWAYS better) but this is fast.

Tostadas!

This was the easiest and nearly the tastiest meal I've had this week! I'd bought some tostadas caseras the other day, and intended to simply cook up black beans with cumin, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and mash'em up a bit, then top with taco toppings of simple guacamole (take 1 avocado, mash), chipotle sauce (mince chipotle, add equal amounts of mayo and sour cream), chopped tomato, onion, lettuce. But I thought I'd look for a recipe for refried vegan beans, first - and I'm so glad I did! The recipe was more complex and makes a wonderful base for the toppings.

Vegetarian Refried Beans (courtesy of The Savvy Vegetarian)

* 1 cup dry pinto or black beans (my note: the ratio is 1 c. dried = 3 c. cooked. We used 1 can and halved the recipe for everything, perfect for 2)
* 3 -4 Tbls ghee or olive oil
* 2 tsp. gr. cumin
* 2 tsp gr. coriander
* pinch cayenne
* 1/2 tsp dried ginger
* 1/2 tsp gr. fennel seeds
* 1 tsp paprika
* pinch of garlic salt OR asoefetida (My note - we used asefoetida. Always great to find a way to use this wonderful spice!)
* 1 tsp salt (My note: this could have stayed out. Braggs is already plenty salty)
* pepper to taste
* 1 Tblsp Braggs liquid aminos, or soy sauce

Directions:

1. To cook beans:* soak 3 or more hours, rinse, cover with cold water (no salt). Bring to boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 1 - 2 hrs, until tender. Drain and reserve the liquid. (My note: if using canned beans, drain & rinse well, then run through food processer. Add 2-3 T water)
2. Mash the beans with a potato masher, in a food mill, or food processor. Add enough liquid to make a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil or ghee on low in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add spices and heat for 5 minutes. Add the bean paste and blend with the spices. Add Braggs or soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

The Toppings

1 avocado, cubed & mashed
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tomato, diced (we were out of the good ones so I used about 1/2 c of canned diced tomatoes, drained)
(about) 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
enough vegan mayo to combine everything, about 1/3 c
(about) 2 T adobo sauce or 1 minced chipotle
1/4 c. or more cilantro, chopped

Combine everything, adding enough nutritional yeast to thicken the mix to spreading consistency.

What else is needed: chopped lettuce, good salsa. vegan sour cream, if you have it (I'm out, and didn't really miss it)

Putting it together: Spread the refried bean mix, top with the avocado mix,then lettuce and salsa. Eat and repeat. Enjoy! We'll make this again - super easy (or did I say that already?