Chick'n Scallopini

My rating for this recipe: ✭✭✭✭✭+
Steve's rating for this recipe: ✭✭✭✭✭+

Admission - this is not a new recipe we tried this week.  Reason - our little love has been sick and it's been too crazy to get to the store or worry about time-consuming new recipes.  But I didn't want to have another week go by with no blog post since I'm doing my best to stay nearly on top of weekly posts...so I decided to post about the dish we had last night which we've made at least 20 times already, but is always our favorite thing we make.  I didn't even ask Steve for his rating because I know if either of us could give this one more than 5 stars we would.  I like to keep to the system, but a full 5 with a plus sign does not nearly do this one justice.  This veganized Chicken Picatta is wonderfully delicious and packed with savory flavor.  We just ate it last night and my mouth is watering for it again, just thinking about it now.  This remains hands down the favorite of any dish we've ever tried.  SO DELIGHTFULLY YUMMY!!!  Ok, here it is...

What you need:
-1 package gardein chick'n scallopini
-sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 cups unbleached flour 
-4 tbsp earth balance soy butter
-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
-⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
-½ cup vegetable stock
-½ cup dry white wine
-¼ cup capers (we usually omit this)
-½ teaspoon chopped garlic
-½ teaspoon chopped shallots
-⅓ fresh parsley chopped (we usually omit this)

What you do:
- season the gardein scallopini with salt and pepper. 
- dredge scallopini in flour and shake off excess- in a large 12 inch sauté pan over medium high heat, melt 1½ tablespoons of soy butter with 1½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  
- when soy butter and oil start to sizzle, add the scallopini and cook for 3 minutes.  
- when scallopini is browned, flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. 
- remove and transfer to plate.  
- reduce heat to medium-low and add the white wine, lemon juice, stock, garlic, shallots and capers.  
- return to stove and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  
- check seasoning - if too bitter, add a pinch of sugar.  (we do this every time)
- return scallopini to the pan and simmer for 3-5 minutes. 
- remove scallopini from the pan to a platter. 
- add remaining 3 tablespoons of soy butter to the pan and whisk vigorously. 
- pour sauce over scallopini and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

source: gardein products

Moroccan Couscous

My rating for this recipe:  ✭✭✭✭✭
Steve's rating for this recipe:  ✭✭✭✭✭

Please, please, please try this recipe.  I know not many, if any (besides Steve!) read this blog, but to anyone out there who does - if you've been considering trying out one of my posts, this is the one.  I'll admit, this recipe is not exactly new - I've made it several times before, but I haven't blogged about it and this was the first time Steve tried it.  And it's just so incredibly delicious, I had to post it.  I've shared this recipe several times with friends, and now I'm adding it here.  Every time I make it, it gets better.  Mmmmm!  I made this for dinner last night, had leftovers tonight, and am even considering stealing the other container I'd allocated for Steve's lunch tomorrow.  Too bad he reads this blog and my plan is foiled.  Damnit!  Yes, it is seriously that good.  Ok I'll stop obsessing and just tell you how you can be as delighted as we...

What you need:
2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
2 cups yellow onion, large dice
1 ½ cups carrots, cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
1 ½ cups zucchini, cut into ¾-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
¼ teaspoon ground cumin (I used ⅛ this time bc I'm not crazy about cumin)
½ teaspoon saffron threads (I don't keep this in stock and have never missed it)
1 ½ cups whole wheat couscous (I don't use plain, not whole wheat)
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

What you do:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the squash, onion, carrots, and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron, and salt to taste.
Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl, and add the couscous.
Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.

Source: The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

The BEST Veggie Chili in the WORLD (well...almost!)

My rating for this recipe: ✭✭✭✭✩
Steve's rating for this recipe: ✭✭✭✭✭

Ohhhhh yeah, this was a good one!  In fact, I would've given it a full 5 out of 5 myself, but I've actually tasted the best veggie chili in the world (Wild By Nature!), and I couldn't help but compare this to it.  This was however, phenomenal.  As Steve said, it's impressive when you taste vegetarian chili and it ACTUALLY tastes just like regular chili!  And I felt crazy using these portions, since it said the recipe serves 8, but I'm so glad I didn't cut everything in half like I'd considered - I can't wait to have leftovers!!  If you like chili, you will LOVE this recipe; I guarantee it.  Even to the meat-eaters out there!  In fact, this tastes more like actual chili than my favorite over at Wild By Nature...that one is just more palate-appealing in my personal opinion.  But this one, ohhhhhhh this is definitely second best, and closer to the old familiar taste of what I used to very much enjoy in my (yucky) meaty days.  Hooray for a delicious vegetarian chili - here's your ticket to a happy belly:

What you need:

-1 TBSP olive oil
-1/2 medium onion, chopped
-2 bay leaves (mine were old and yucky so I sub'd w 1 TBSP thyme)
-1 TSP ground cumin
-2 TBSP dried oregano
-1 TBSP salt
-2 celery stalks, chopped
-2 green bell peppers, chopped (I used red b/c I don't like green!)
-2 jalepeno peppers, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, chopped
-2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained (I used one)
-2 packages veggie beef crumbles (I only had one so I also added 1 cup TVP...this gave it an awesome texture!!!)
-3 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, diced
-¼ cup chili powder (I only used 2 TBSP and it still has quite a nice kick!)
-1 TBSP ground black pepper
-1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained
-1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
-1 (15 oz) can black beans
-1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn (i used 2 cups frozen corn, cooked before adding)

What you do:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.  Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Udon Noodles with Sesame Crusted Tofu

My rating for this recipe:  ✭✭✭✭✩
Steve's rating for this recipe:  ✭✭✭✩✩

As promised, I am posting a new recipe Steve & I tried tonight.  Unfortunately we didn't take any photos, since I was too preoccupied with my fear of the local weather conditions to remember to snap a shot of our meal, but I will tell you that if I had, you would've seen one empty plate alongside one not-so-empty plate.  I loved this dish, and Steve wasn't as crazy about it as I was.  He really liked the way the tofu came out and the flavor of the sauce, but as it turns out he's not a huge fan of wonderfully thick yummy noodles.  I happen to LOVE udon noodles, so this dish was definitely a winner for me.  It would've gotten a full 5 stars, but I wish the tofu had been crispier.  Could've been that I didn't fry it long enough, but the directions said it should be golden on all sides, so once it was I stopped!  Maybe next time I'll fry it for longer and it'll be a 5 star kind of plate.  If we make it again, I'll be sure to include a pic or 2.  Ok, so here's the recipe:

What you need:
- udon noodles (we used 2 packages)
- 1 pkg tofu, cubed (we used extra firm)
- ⅓ cup sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- oil for frying
- 1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small orange pepper, thinly sliced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced (we used ground, the equiv is ⅛ TBSP)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced

What you do:
1. Cook noodles according to the directions on the package.
2. Place tofu in a bowl and add sesame seeds. Toss until most of the seeds are stuck on the tofu (you don't need full coverage here). Add cornstarch and gently toss until tofu is coated. If you still have some seeds in the bottom of the bowl, dump the tofu out on a cookie sheet and roll the cubes in the excess seeds.
3. Fry tofu in some oil over medium heat until nicely golden. Turn regularly to brown all sides. You don't need a lot of oil here. Start with a relatively thin layer and add more as needed. Remove tofu from pan/wok and drain.
4. Add peppers, ginger and garlic to the pan (there should be just a bit of oil left) and stir fry for 3-4 mins, until softened and fragrant. Add noodles to the pan/wok and fry for a min.
5. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce and mix well. Add tofu and mix well. Cook until sauce thickens/soaks into the noodles. Adjust flavours/wetness to your liking by adding more of any of the three ingredients.
6. Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions. Serve.

Smokin' BBQ Tofu

my rating for this recipe: ★★★★★+  


i absolutely love this recipe...this is one we have tried before, and is my favorite thing we make.  it is so easy, especially the way i've been doing it; I DO NOT USE THE RECIPE FOR BBQ SAUCE BELOW...i use kraft original bbq sauce, which is listed by kraft foods as a vegan product.  it's easier and faster...b/c the only down-side to this dish is that compared to the skill level, it's a bit time consuming.  not terrible though...and more than worth it.  this is the dish that changed my mind about tofu, as you can read in my "give peas a chance..." blog.  i think ANYONE would enjoy this delicious dish!  here is the recipe, along with the recipe for bbq sauce in the cookbook which i have yet to try, but next time i make this dish i plan on attempting it w this sauce...if you beat me to it, please let me know how it is!


ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, cut into ½-inch-thick cutlets
1 cup bbq sauce (i don't measure it out, i use as much as needed to coat tofu cutlets)


BBQ sauce ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil or water, for sauteing
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (i found this at whole foods)
½ cup water
½ tsp tabasco sauce


directions for BBQ sauce:
heat oil in saute pan and saute onion until translucent, about 5 mins.  add remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer over low heat for 10 mins.


directions for tofu:
preheat oven to 350∘ and lightly oil baking dish (i don't oil baking dish, as i find the bbq sauce does the job)

in a skillet coated with oil, saute tofu until golden brown on both sides.
once tofu is crispy, place in baking dish.  spoon bbq sauce over tofu (i coat using a basting brush by oxo which is a great utensil), cover dish, and bake for 30 mins, checking occasionally to make sure sauce has not evaporated (if you use a enough sauce and cover w foil, you don't have to worry about evaporation).


yields 4 servings


recipe source: the vegan table


i love this cookbook b/c it lists the nutrition information which for this dish is, per serving: 241 calories; 12g fat; 10g protein; 28g carbohydrate; 3g dietary fiber; 0mg cholesterol; 815mg sodium.

Philly Pepper"steak"

my rating for this recipe: ★★★★★

this was absolutely delicious, and we have decided to add it into our dinner rotation. this is definitely a meal that even meat-eaters would really enjoy.

ingredients:

for simple deglaze:

⅓ cup water

⅙ cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp grated ginger

for pepper"steak":

¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil

3 peeled shallots, thinly sliced

1 lb seitan, sliced

1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1 cup sliced green bell pepper (i used an orange one)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

¼ tsp sea salt

italian or hoagie rolls (we used sliced italian bread)

4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

nondairy cheeze (optional...see previous recipe)

shredded romaine lettuce (also optional...we forgot it!)

directions:

heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet and saute shallots until transparent; then add seitan slices and saute until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. add simple deglaze and stir. let simmer until most of the liquid is reduced.

in another skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute bell peppers until lightly browned then add mushrooms and salt, and saute another 2-3 mins.

on the inside of bread/rolls, drizzle with 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette. portion one-quarter of each the seitan and bell pepper mixture onto each sandwich, then top with the nondairy cheeze and lettuce.

source: the native foods restaurant cookbook

Cheezy Scramble

my rating for this recipe: ★★★★☆

this recipe was very good. if i had ever attempted a vegan scramble before, i'd probably say it was delicious and give it 5 stars...but the closest thing i can compare it to is actual scrambled eggs, which it is sadly not. but it does come pretty darn close!

for my 1st recipe, please forgive the photo of the leftover cheezy scramble; going forward i will post pictures of the meals before they are gobbled up!

ingredients list:

for cheez sauce:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cups water

1 tsp yellow mustard

4 tbsp vegan margarine

(this makes more than double the amount of sauce you need, but i made it all to use for another recipe we are making for dinner...if you don't need cheezy sauce for anything else you'll be making, you should halve this recipe!)

for scramble:

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

cooking oil, as needed

1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled

a few pinches of turmeric

salt & pepper, to taste

(i'm not a fan of green pepper, so you can sub w/red or yellow...or just use the whole onion instead!)

directions:

1. for cheez sauce, mix first 3 ingredients together in sauce pan. add water and mix thoroughly. heat on medium until thick and bubbly. remove from heat and add mustard and margarine. set aside.

2. for stir fry, saute onion and green pepper in oil. when they are good and soft, move them to the sides of the pan and form an empty circle in the middle for your tofu.

3. add more oil to the middle of the pan, then add your drained, crumbled tofu. when it starts to get golden, mix in the peppers and onion and keep frying. add a few small pinches of turmeric.

4. when it looks like you could eat it, add the cheez sauce and mix it all in to coat, until that becomes golden brown too. i sauted this for another couple of minutes.

eat and enjoy! this is soooo good and it’s great on toast!


serves: 2-3, preparation time: 20 minutes

source: vegweb.com