Vegemites Unite!

Mayan Waffles (vegan)

nicospitsjive — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:25:49 -0700

I have always loved experimenting in the kitchen and I have been a dietetic (health reasons as opposed to moral/ethical) vegan for a little over a year now -- while my diet has expanded to encompass vegetarian choices at present because my budget is somewhat limited while on the job search (^-^) I do plan on following vegan guidelines again as soon as possible, but I figured I'd share the wisdom I've garnered over my year-long journey as the Big V.

Today I've decided to share my own recipe for home-made, Mayan Waffles; chocolate with a little kick to get you going in the morning (but don't let me limit you -- some of my best dinners have circled around breakfast foods). The special equipment you'll need for this recipe is a handy waffle iron. If you can't find yours or don't have one available, feel free to turn waffle day into pancake day!

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 cups soy milk
.5 cup oatmeal
1.5 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
.5 cup baking cocoa*
.25 cup vegan chocolate, shaved
cayenne pepper

*for a richer, more intense depth of flavor, replace .25 cup baking cocoa with .25 cup vegan hot chocolate mix. A friend of mine living in Burlington, VT sent me "Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate" mix from Lake Champlain Chocolates as a gift and it is still my favorite. Not only is it all-natural, but it has a little spice of its own which I think is delicious.

Directions:
Turn on your waffle iron/stove top and grease cooking surfaces of the iron or griddle. Mash your banana with a fork or your hands until most of its shape has left (leaving some texture only improves on the taste); Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl (leave some lumps -- if you over-mix it will toughen the waffles); pour enough batter of the iron to JUST cover the bottom reservoir (overfilling will result in spillage -- however, delicious spillage that is safe to eat as it will not contain raw egg) and close the iron; if cooking on the stove, I believe you know what to do from here out. When the iron light turns on, signalling completion, open iron away from face (steam safety) and remove the waffles; Immediately arrange on plate with shavings and cayenne pepper sprinkled over the top so as to melt; Serve.

Suggestions:
My personal favorite chocolate bar for this dish is Green & Black's "Mayan Gold" Chocolate (with orange and spices), found in most large grocery stores. It is Fair Trade Certified, vegan, and muy delicioso -- need I say more? If you're looking for a vegan version of the original or plain waffle, try my Blonde Waffle; substitute cocoa, chocolate and pepper for cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. A nice treat with So Delicious' vanilla dairy-free ice cream or even go crazy and opt for some pure Maine maple syrup.

xoxo
Nico

Spicy White Bean Chili

ShedItandGetIt — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:26:20 -0700

Original Recipe

I wanted to make white chili and so I spent the other night when I could not sleep Googling recipes, and found several different ones. None of them were quite what I wanted, so I really just used them to get an idea of the proportions for the spices, but I definitely made it my own. None were vegan or made with tofu, and many served 10-15, so I changed that about it as well. It's spicy and filling with lots of protein and fiber!

INGREDIENTS

4 cups no-chicken chicken broth
1 package silken tofu (I used Nasoya Lite Silken Tofu)
1 c navy beans
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 c onion
3/4 c chilies (fresh or canned)
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
Dash of salt
Pinch of cilantro
Pinch of red pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend tofu and broth in a food processor to make a creamy flavorful base and bring to a boil in a pot; add beans and reduce heat
2. Saute garlic, onion, and chilies in a pan for a few minutes, until hot and browning
3. Add this mixture and spices to the broth; stir
4. Cover and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves 2,

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

fairy_MK — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:23:31 -0700

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad - Serves 4
Original recipe from Veg Cooking.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large sweet potato, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 tsp. organic lemon juice

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the quinoa and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stock is absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
• Coat the diced sweet potatoes with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the pepper, salt, and cayenne. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast until crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice and the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the diced sweet potatoes and the quinoa and serve.

Awesome Vegetarian Cookbook

extra chica13 — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:21:05 -0700

I have an awesome vegetarian cookbook! It's called Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. It has 1400 recipes and it has won the Julia Child award. It has really good food for vegetarians. If you are a vegan, it has some recipes for you. And if you are not a vegetarian, you can serve these dishes as side plates to accompany your steaks and pork roasts! It has truly amazing and fairly easy reipes in it. I totally recommend it!

Easy Ginger Tofu Bake

tdamji — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:56:21 -0700

This is a quick recipe for a large quantity of tofu so that there are lots of leftovers.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/175 degrees F

Here's what you need:

-large glass or similar baking dish (see picture)
-Package of Tofu (I used 2 blocks so that I can have leftovers)
-1/3 Medium onion or more
-1 head of garlic
-1 inch of ginger or more
-1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
-splash of rice wine vinegar or ume plum vinegar
-sesame oil to cover tofu
-3 stems or so of cilantro/coriander

Optional
-10 cumin seeds
-sprinkle of cumin powder
-2 green (or red) chillies

Chop all ingredients (chop tofu in cubes - see picture), add liquid ingredients and toss together. I usually just mix everything in the dish that I'm using to bake it all in.

Put in oven and set timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes you can take it out but that is usually when I turn on the rice steamer which takes 15 or 20 minutes to cook - at which time I take out the tofu and serve it over rice. Later, or the next day, I serve leftovers over rice, add it to stir fry or eat it on its own. Serves 2 people 2 meals each.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

fairy_MK — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:47:27 -0700

Roasted Red Pepper Dip - Serves 8 as an appetizer
Original recipe from Whole Foods.

Try this alternative to the usual hummus. Muhammara is a delicious Syrian recipe for a spread of roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts and a touch of spice, offset by pomegranate molasses. Serve with a basket of pita chips, spread on sandwiches for a picnic, or pair with grilled chicken or fish (for those non-vegetarians).

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup walnuts
* 4 roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/2 cup crushed plain pita chips
* 11/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
* sea salt, to taste
* ground black pepper, to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon red chili paste, more to taste
* 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Combine walnuts, red peppers, lemon juice, pita chips, olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, chili paste and pomegranate molasses in a food processor. Pulse to combine ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until a spreadable paste is obtained. Chill until ready to serve.

Peach Agua Fresca (Agua de Melocotón)

fairy_MK — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:10:39 -0700

Peach Agua Fresca (Agua de Melocotón) - Serves 4
Original recipe from Wild Oats.

Cool and refreshing, agua frescas are popular south of the border and offer delicious thirst-quenching fruity flavor. See below for more flavors to try. Adjust sweetener to your taste and ripeness of the fruit.

Ingredients
1 (10 oz.) bag Peaches, thawed
4 c. very cold filtered water
1 tbsp. agave nectar or 2 tbsp. raw cane sugar
juice of one lime

Place ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the pulp. Serve over crushed ice garnished with fresh mint.

*** Peaches not your thing? Then try these:

Agua de Fresa: Three cups strawberries, hulled.
Agua de Papaya: Three cups papaya, peeled, seeded and diced.
Agua de Melón: One cantaloupe, peeled and seeded.
Agua de Sandía: One six pound watermelon, peeled and seeded
Agua Fresca de Pepino: Three peeled and seeded cucumbers, the juice of two limes and less sweetener.

Quick FYI

fairy_MK — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:09:00 -0700

I know this is not necessarily vegetarian, but while I was browsing some health articles and recipes I came across this in my search. Usually I don't like to read articles like these because I usually become ever so bored, but this one I actually like. And it's all about TEA!

Follow the link below for those of you who don't know much about tea. Tea is not necessarily just tea. There are several different types, with different strengths of caffeine and healthy benefits. Check it out!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/tea/index.html

Vegemite UPDATE

fairy_MK — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 09:03:23 -0700

Whew! I can't believe it's been over a month since my last "real" entry. I've been thoroughly enjoying my Vegtarian Times magazine. For those of you who haven't read it before, pick up a copy sometime. It's filled with several recipes as well as health tips (which are my favorites). Before I thought about eating more healthy and more vegetarian dishes, I wasn't against the idea. I had an open mind and didn't criticize those who chose this lifestyle. But the magazines and all the other information I've acquired and read has really made me think about things differently. I shun away from the fast food restaurants, and frequently ask myself what chemicals and other things have been pumped into my food--or the foods of others. My husband is probably becoming increasingly worried about my slow transition to "the other side". But I still eat non-organic foods as well as meat occasionally. The easiest way to slowly become vegetarian (as I am beginning my journey) is to eat the basic dishes without the meat. Examples: Lasagna (without the meat) or western omelettes (if you are not vegan--without the ham).

I've never really been really big on vegetables. In fact I generally made it a point to pick every onion and green pepper out of any dish. Now I try and eat them. And I still generally do not like green peppers, but since I've started trying new items I would never get before, and even trying different vegetables I've found several new favorites. I love onions and green peppers in my omelettes now. And I'm glad I tried one several weeks ago. Yum! I can't believe what I was missing. I still can't eat raw green peppers, but I am doing better. I read somewhere before that it takes about 10 times of trying a new food for your tastes to change. I don't know if that is true, but it keeps me trying to see if it is true--in hopes that I can learn to like some of those things I don't currently, such as those green peppers.

So that is it for an update at the current time. If any of you have recipes, please submit. I'd love to try them. Until the next time...

-MK-

Jamaican Jerk Tofu

fairy_MK — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:44:06 -0700

Jamaican Jerk Tofu - Makes 6 servings
Original recipe from Meatless Mondays.

This is the kind of miracle dish that can convert anyone to tofu. The Jamaican "jerk" seasoning is sure-to-please. It's sort of like barbeque and sort of like curry, savory and sweet at the same time. Just make sure you allow plenty of time for the pressing and marinating. The drier the tofu gets before you put it in the marinade, the better. It will soak up more flavor and be nicely chewy.

Ingredients:
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained, sliced and pressed (see directions)
1/2 large sweet onion, roughly choppped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (you can cut back to one or omit entirely if you like spicy)

Slice the tofu into thick slabs then lay the slices on several layers of paper towels or on a clean dish towel and place a heavy plate or skillet on top. Let it sit for an hour or two. Pressing the tofu is a way to get the extra moisture out - and the drier you can get the tofu, the more of the flavorful marinade it can absorb.

Puree all the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor to create the marinade. Place the tofu slices in a bowl, pour in the marinade, making sure to coat all the slices, and cover. Let it sit for an hour or two, flipping the slices about halfway through

Heat a skillet with a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, lay the tofu slices in a single layer and saute until crispy and browned. That will take 8-10 minutes on each side.