Tofu for Dummies

It's been ages since I've posted any recipes here, and I don't know if anyone still reading has any interest in vegan cooking, but this one is too good (and easy) not to share. It is absolutely the simplest, quickest, most foolproof tofu recipe ever.

All you need is around 20 oz. firm or extra firm tofu, 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, and 1/2 cup of peanut butter. That's it! (It sounds like a weird combination, I know, but trust me.)

Cube the tofu and brown it however you like (I used a bit of olive oil). Soften the peanut butter a bit in the microwave or on the stovetop, and whisk in the barbecue sauce. Pour the sauce over the hot, browned tofu, and serve with rice or quinoa and a veggie if you like.

You can control the spice level with your choice of barbecue sauce.

This serves 3-4 people.

Food.

I've made some yummy, easy food lately but I was too lazy to go find my camera so sorry, no pics.

Last night, I made very simple rocky road-inspired sundaes for me and Matt - I started with chocolate fudge Tempt ice cream (hemp based, and very good) and added chopped chocolate-covered almonds and chopped Dandies marshmallows.

For lunch today, a quick pasta dish inspired by an item on a list of 100 quick vegan meal ideas that has been circulating lately (I just did a quick search and couldn't find it online - does anyone know the link?) -

16 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) EarthBalance margarine (or use a full stick if you're feeling indulgent)
1/2 cup pine nuts
large bunch fresh basil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
red pepper flakes, to taste

While the spaghetti is cooking, combine margarine and pine nuts in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until both margarine and nuts are browned. Chiffonade the basil and set aside. After pasta is cooked and drained, return it to its cooking pot and stir in the margarine/pine nut mixture and the nutritional yeast. Spoon into individual bowls, top with basil and red pepper flakes, and enjoy!

Oh wait, I just remembered that I do have one food photo to share... a yummy toasted Dandies marshmallow from our camping trip earlier this week. Yum!

Easy Cheesy Vegan

Back when I began my 'Easy Vegan' series (a whole two and a half weeks ago), my friend Rebecca asked for recommendations for the best vegan cheeses. Well, it didn't take much to talk me into organizing a vegan cheese tasting! Last night, eight of us got together from my local vegan group and sampled a variety of cheeses. Sadly, I forgot to bring the camera, so these stock product photos will have to suffice.

Round One - Mozzarella Smack-Down

~ VS. ~

To determine the best mozzarella-style cheese for melting, I made some cute little pizza bites on slices of baguette with sauce, spices, sauteed onions, and of course, cheese. We pitted Follow Your Heart Mozzarella (my personal standby for at-home pizza and sandwich making) against underdog Cheezly Mozzarella. The results of this particular showdown were rather anticlimactic - all of the tasters agreed that they tasted nearly identical, at least in their melted form.

A few quick notes on melting these non-dairy cheeses - If you didn't already read it, be sure to check out my earlier note explaining how to encourage vegan cheeses to melt in the oven. I also just found this promotional video from Follow Your Heart that shows how to use their cheeses for pizzas, mac and cheese, and quesadillas. The chef mentions that the cheese melts at 450 degrees, and I usually cook my pizzas around 425 degrees, so I'm thinking maybe if I just cooked them at a slightly higher temperature, I wouldn't have to go through the water-spritzing routine I usually use.

Back to the Follow Your Heart vs. Cheezly competition - I had some leftover cheese so I decided to follow up today by sampling them both un-melted. I tasted each alone and on crackers. My personal opinion was that I liked the taste and texture of Follow Your Heart better than Cheezly, but that could have been just because it's what I've become accustomed to.

Moving on...

Which Cheddar is Better?

~ VS. ~

We sampled two varieties of cheddar cheese - Teese Cheddar* and Sheese Medium Cheddar. We ate slices of each with crackers, apples, and alone. The general concensus among group members was that the Teese was more Velveeta-ish, and the Sheese was pretty amazing, with a more mature flavor and a nice firm texture. I would definitely buy the Sheese again - it's the first vegan cheddar cheese I've tried that is good enough to snack on straight from the container.

Again, I had some leftovers, and I offered Carlos some of the Teese today, which he thoroughly enjoyed - I think he ended up eating something like four slices. This was a major breakthrough - in the past, he has shunned all of the vegan cheeses I've offered, and I've had to compromise by buying him the soy slices that contain casein. Now that I know he likes Cheddar Teese though, I'm definitely planning to eliminate those nasty processed, casein-laden slices from his diet - hooray! So the loser of the adult taste test (Teese) had some redeeming value from a three-year-old's perspective at least.

* Yes, if you're very observant, you may have noticed that the Teese photo shows the nacho cheese flavor; it's the only decent image I could find online, but the variety we actually sampled was cheddar.

And last but not least -

Dr. Cow's - No Competition

There really is nothing to compare Dr. Cow's cheeses* to - except perhaps the other flavors in their lineup. As far as I know, nothing else like it exists - Dr. Cow's crafts exquisite raw, vegan cheeses by hand using traditional techniques. I will confess up front that I never was a 'fancy cheese' connoisseur, so I honestly can't compare it to cheeses like brie and the like; however, everyone at our tasting thought that the Dr. Cow's Aged Cashew cheese was totally delicious and amazing. It was a little tangy, and a lot yummy. If you're looking for a fancy-schmancy, spreadable cheese, and you don't mind shelling out some dough, this is an excellent choice.

* Warning - that site makes noise; if you're at work, mute your computer before clicking! :-)

I think that just about wraps things up... if you have a favorite (or least favorite) vegan cheese, please leave a comment!

Easy Vegan - Pizza, Part Two (Amy's Pizza Review)

I guess it kind of goes without saying that frozen pizza is a super-easy meal, and I was thrilled to discover this incredibly delicious vegan version. Granted, they aren't cheap - I think they are around $8 each at the natural foods store (and they aren't huge), but sometimes I've been able to catch them at the local Grocery Outlet for about half that.


Of course, I try to cook homemade, whole-foods meals as often as I possibly can, but there's definitely a time when frozen convenience foods can come in very handy (like now, when illness has been circulating through our entire family).


These pizzas are incredibly tasty all on their own, topped with just roasted, finely-chopped veggies, or if you're in the mood for something richer, try topping them with some vegan cheese.

Easy Vegan - Some Great Resources

During an e-mail conversation the other day with the person whose questions inspired this budding 'Easy Vegan' series of posts, this internet pal of mine (a non-vegan) said, "If I had someone in my kitchen for one day, planning a month's worth of food for me - all with simple recipes...I know I could do it. There's a business for someone to start. Helping people become vegans!" Well, coincidentally, look what I just stumbled across today -

Vegan at Heart is a free e-mail coaching program for people who are vegan at heart but not necessarily in practice. It’s for idealists and animal-lovers and treehuggers and health nuts and everybody in-between who wants to incorporate more compassionate, healthy, sustainable habits into their daily lives but who need a little more info, a little moral support, or just a little friendly kick in the pants.

The truth is, there are a gazillion helpful tools and resources on the web that have been designed for the sole purpose of making it easy for people to be vegan; it’s just a matter of plugging in! And that’s why we’re here. We’re not here to preach, and we have very little use for all-or-nothing thinking. Non-vegans have a positive impact on the world every single time they make a healthy vegan choice.

So, there you go! A great resource for all of you aspiring vegans out there!

And, as it so happens, the founder of Vegan at Heart just wrote an incredible blog post over at The GirlyGirl Army listing all of her favorite vegan cheeses for every dish and occasion. I'm still planning a vegan cheese article of my own, but in the meantime, this should tide you over, Rebecca!

Easy Vegan - Pizza!

Becoming vegan (or just trying to incorporate more vegan foods into your diet) doesn't mean giving up pizza! We eat pizza here at our house once every few weeks. Usually I buy pre-made dough and sauce at the grocery store, but for today's 'Easy Vegan' feature, I wanted an even faster and simpler option. Pita bread!


Kids especially love individual pizzas (who am I kidding - adults do too!), and pita pizzas are so quick to make - just spread some tomato paste on each pita, sprinkle on some spices (I used oregano, basil, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes), and add whatever toppings you like. Some of my favorite toppings include mushrooms, olives, sauteed onions, and spinach. Today I had some leftover roasted veggies to use up, and they made a delicious topping.

Instead of dairy cheese, I use Follow Your Heart brand vegan mozzarella. I'm planning a more in-depth post on vegan cheeses in the near future, but in the meantime, here's what you need to know for melting vegan cheese on pizzas - if your cheese doesn't melt from the heat of the oven alone during baking, take it out, spritz it a few times with water from a spray bottle, then put it under the broiler for just a couple of minutes. Be sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

Easy Vegan - Getting Started

Okay, so maybe you're finally convinced that reducing your consumption of animal products is a good idea. Awesome! But now what???

Inspired by Skila's comment on my last post, I'm launching a series called 'Easy Vegan'. Skila writes, "Tell me an easy cookbook or website for vegetarian meals that you like. Here's what I mean by easy - small amount of ingredients, basic stuff here, no hour long prep. I HATE to cook... Get me started. P.S. Without the 'fake meat' would be even better."

Your wish is my command. This will be the first in an ongoing series of posts aimed at inspiring and guiding the veg-curious (but possibly culinarily-challenged) along the path to a more plant-based diet. I'm going to focus on practical, easy ideas and recipes to make the transition as smooth as possible.


First, I'd like to point out that reducing your intake of animal products does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Of course, I am a strong proponent of a vegan diet, and I will always encourage that choice; however, I realize that it may not be realistic for every person at this moment in time. But as one of my vegan idols often says, "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything." In other words, if you don't feel able to make a huge change, make small changes instead. Pledge to reduce your meat consumption by half, or eliminate animal products from your diet during two meals a day - whatever works for you. Any movement in that direction is an improvement, and who knows, once you experience the amazing foods, health benefits, and peace of mind that comes with eating vegetarian some of the time, you might just be inspired to take the full-time plunge.


Moving on... let's talk about familiar foods. Swapping out your old omnivorous standards for healthier vegan options doesn't have to feel totally foreign and unfamiliar. Start with what you already know and like; many of the typical foods enjoyed by most American families can easily be made vegan or vegetarian. Consider the following:

• Pizza - vegetarian toppings for pizzas are plentiful and delicious, from veggies such as onions, bell peppers, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives, to tofu- and seitan-based 'meats', if you like that sort of thing!

• Burritos - in fact, almost all Mexican foods are easily veganized - think tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, fajitas, layered dip, nachos... heat up some beans, chop up a few veggies, throw on some salsa, and you're done! If you have a bit more time, rice is a nice addition, as well as sauteed or roasted veggies for an extra boost of vitamins and minerals.

• Pastas - spaghetti is a no-brainer here - either a simple marinara sauce over noodles, with some bread and a salad on the side, or with some mix-ins... veggie 'meat' balls (available in the frozen foods section), chopped veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach...). Asian pasta dishes also lend themselves well to the vegan touch - veggie stir-fries, either with or without tofu or seitan, pad thai, etc.

• Burgers - whether you opt to make your own or buy one of the myriad varieties now available pre-made, your options here are endless. Go traditional with all the fixings, or try one of my family's favorites, a 'Luigi burger' - top your burger patty with caramelized onions, marinara sauce, and vegan mozzarella.

• Baked Goods - granted, most baked goods are already free of meat, but you can still do better - swapping out eggs and dairy products for more healthful (and certainly more humane) vegan alternatives is as easy as pie (ha ha). Milk is an easy one - simply replace dairy milk with soy, almond, rice, or hemp milk. Eggs can take a little more experimenting, but you have several options - egg replacer, flax seeds, applesauce, and bananas can all be used successfully in place of eggs. I recommend 'The Joy of Vegan Baking' for simple baked goods recipes and some great basic information on stocking a vegan kitchen and making substitutes for dairy and eggs.
  

I could go on (and on, and on), but I'd better save some information for future posts.


I'd love for this series to be interactive and collaborative, so please, if you're among the ranks of the currently-omnivorous-but-veg-curious, leave a comment letting me know what information I can share that would be most helpful to you at this stage of your journey. And to my readers who are already enjoying the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, please chime in with suggestions for books, websites, or specific recipes that you think qualify as 'Easy Vegan'!

I don't want to ramble on too long, so I'll wrap up this first installment with a plug for VegWeb, a website with tons of vegan recipes that are conveniently categorized and searchable. Skila, you might want to check out their 'Quick and Easy' section.