So the family had a turkey dinner tonight. I got Tofurkey. Dad popped it into the oven with some carrots, an onion, and the basting sauce. I had the "giblet gravy" (probably won't be requesting that again... I can make a better version without too much trouble). I could eat the Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and Tofurkey. But the dressing came out of a box. The mix contained, you guessed it, poultry in a couple of different forms. I love dressing (a.k.a. stuffing). Must have!
I ran around the kitchen trying to find a suitable substance. I like the wild rice stuff in the Tofurkey, but we eat bread stuffing at my house. I wanted to have some. Dad didn't have much in the way of bread, and he definitely didn't have any stale bread cubes. What's a girl to do? I asked if he had breadcrumbs. In the cabinet, I found Italian breadcrumbs, Italian panko breadcrumbs, and plain panko. Well, maybe it would work. Yup, it did. It isn't quite the same as "regular" dressing, but in a pinch, it's delightful. Here's how:
Melt 2 T. butter (or oil/margarine if you are vegan) in a small saucepan.
Add 1/2 stalk of minced celery.
Saute until it begins to soften.
Add salt (1/2 t.) and pepper (a few vigorous grindings) and a generous dose of poultry seasoning (1 t.). If you don't have poultry seasoning, use a big pinch of rosemary, a good dose of thyme, and some powdered sage if you have it. Stir well.
Mix in 1 1/2 c. of the plain panko and stir to distribute the butter. Add vegetable stock until it is all moist. You don't want it soggy, though, so add it slowly.
It's edible immediately, but I tossed it into a little oven-proof dish and put it in at 350 for ten minutes. Yum!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Vegan Vendredi: Specific Stock
I was chatting with my friends at the wine tasting last night, and they suggested that I make a specific recipe for my stock. So, here it is:
1 yellow onion
1 small leek
4 or more cloves of garlic
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium potato
2 carrots
1 large stalk of celery or 2 medium ones
a handful of sun-dried tomatoes (fresh is fine here, too... you need a handful of cherry tomatoes, one large tomato, or 2 Romas)
olive oil
soy sauce
balsamic vinegar
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
white wine (optional)
Marmite and/or Maggi or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
bay leaf
Preheat the oven to 375, then start on your veggies.
1. Cut the onion into quarters through the root end and peel off the papery outer layers of skin. A little bit of the papery stuff is fine and adds color. However, too much can make your stock taste bitter. I've only wound up with bitter skin stock once, but it was bad enough that I never wanted it to happen again. (Note: if you forget about this and wind up with bitter stock, sugar and more vinegar will help a bit.) Put the onion into an oiled Pyrex baking dish. (I use 13x9.)
2. Cut the root end off the leek and discard it. Cut off the bottom (white) part and toss it into the baking dish. Pull apart the green leaves on top and rinse well. Leeks are worse than spinach in terms of hiding sand and dirt. As you pull off and clean the leaves, put them into the baking dish as well.
3. Crush the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. The papery skin should peel off easily. If you can see a little green shoot coming out of the garlic, remove it. Toss that in with the onion.
4. Scrub the potatoes well (or peel them). If you're using the ones from the back of your produce drawer, cut out any sprouts. Cut the potatoes into large chunks. I probably got six chunks out of each potato. Put them into the baking tray.
5. Scrub the carrots well (or peel them). Break each carrot into two or three pieces and toss it in with the other veggies.
6. Wash the celery. Cut off the root end and most of the leaves (a few are fine), break it half, and toss it in. (Celery can easily overwhelm a stock, so don't go too crazy with it. If you're nuts about celery, put extra into your mirepoix.)
7. If you're using fresh tomatoes, pull off any stems and cut the larger tomatoes in half. If you're using dried, just throw them in.
7. Drizzle over 1 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 T. soy sauce, and 2 T. olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then toss well. You want everything to have a little sheen on it. If you need to, you can add some more.
8. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and one smallish sprig of fresh rosemary. Toss again.
9. Make sure that everything is nicely coated. Try to keep the leek tops, the dried tomatoes, and the herbs somewhat buried, as they are prone to burning.
10. Put that bad boy in the oven. Clean up the kitchen and make yourself a pot of tea. After about 30 minutes, check on your veggies. Give them a toss, then put them back in the oven. Repeat. You'll probably roast the veggies for a total of 60-90 minutes.
11. Bring a small pot of water to boil (or use your electric kettle).
12. Pour the contents of the baking dish into your stock pot. Deglaze the baking dish with the boiling water and a splash of white wine (if using). Scrape up the bits as best as you can, then pour them in with the veggies. Fill the pot about 3/4 full with fresh water. Bring it to a boil, cover partially, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Go about your business for about 45 minutes.
13. Taste the stock. What does it need? Too strong? Add water. Too sweet? Add some soy sauce. Bitter? Add a pinch of sugar or some maple syrup and a bit more balsamic vinegar. Too watery? Take the lid off and turn the heat up to let it reduce a bit. Just blah? Add about half a teaspoon of Marmite or Maggi.
14. If you have cheesecloth or an old dishcloth, use it to line a colander or strainer. Pour the stock through your filter into your biggest bowl. Go slowly. A lapful of hot stock is no fun. When you're done, press down on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. If you've used cheesecloth or a dishtowel, you can make a bundle and squeeze out even more of the delicious stuff. Just be careful... it's hot!
Your stock is now ready. You can use it immediately in a soup or stew, to cook rice, to make a gravy, or just for a mug of something savory and warm. Otherwise, it will keep for a week in the fridge (longer in the freezer). You can also boil some of it down even more and freeze it in an ice cube tray. This will make super-concentrated little flavor cubes that you can add to a lackluster dish later on down the road. You probably should have a dedicated ice cube tray for this, though... I can't imagine that you'd want even a hint of veggie stock in your lemonade.
1 yellow onion
1 small leek
4 or more cloves of garlic
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium potato
2 carrots
1 large stalk of celery or 2 medium ones
a handful of sun-dried tomatoes (fresh is fine here, too... you need a handful of cherry tomatoes, one large tomato, or 2 Romas)
olive oil
soy sauce
balsamic vinegar
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
white wine (optional)
Marmite and/or Maggi or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
bay leaf
Preheat the oven to 375, then start on your veggies.
1. Cut the onion into quarters through the root end and peel off the papery outer layers of skin. A little bit of the papery stuff is fine and adds color. However, too much can make your stock taste bitter. I've only wound up with bitter skin stock once, but it was bad enough that I never wanted it to happen again. (Note: if you forget about this and wind up with bitter stock, sugar and more vinegar will help a bit.) Put the onion into an oiled Pyrex baking dish. (I use 13x9.)
2. Cut the root end off the leek and discard it. Cut off the bottom (white) part and toss it into the baking dish. Pull apart the green leaves on top and rinse well. Leeks are worse than spinach in terms of hiding sand and dirt. As you pull off and clean the leaves, put them into the baking dish as well.
3. Crush the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. The papery skin should peel off easily. If you can see a little green shoot coming out of the garlic, remove it. Toss that in with the onion.
4. Scrub the potatoes well (or peel them). If you're using the ones from the back of your produce drawer, cut out any sprouts. Cut the potatoes into large chunks. I probably got six chunks out of each potato. Put them into the baking tray.
5. Scrub the carrots well (or peel them). Break each carrot into two or three pieces and toss it in with the other veggies.
6. Wash the celery. Cut off the root end and most of the leaves (a few are fine), break it half, and toss it in. (Celery can easily overwhelm a stock, so don't go too crazy with it. If you're nuts about celery, put extra into your mirepoix.)
7. If you're using fresh tomatoes, pull off any stems and cut the larger tomatoes in half. If you're using dried, just throw them in.
7. Drizzle over 1 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 T. soy sauce, and 2 T. olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then toss well. You want everything to have a little sheen on it. If you need to, you can add some more.
8. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and one smallish sprig of fresh rosemary. Toss again.
9. Make sure that everything is nicely coated. Try to keep the leek tops, the dried tomatoes, and the herbs somewhat buried, as they are prone to burning.
10. Put that bad boy in the oven. Clean up the kitchen and make yourself a pot of tea. After about 30 minutes, check on your veggies. Give them a toss, then put them back in the oven. Repeat. You'll probably roast the veggies for a total of 60-90 minutes.
11. Bring a small pot of water to boil (or use your electric kettle).
12. Pour the contents of the baking dish into your stock pot. Deglaze the baking dish with the boiling water and a splash of white wine (if using). Scrape up the bits as best as you can, then pour them in with the veggies. Fill the pot about 3/4 full with fresh water. Bring it to a boil, cover partially, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Go about your business for about 45 minutes.
13. Taste the stock. What does it need? Too strong? Add water. Too sweet? Add some soy sauce. Bitter? Add a pinch of sugar or some maple syrup and a bit more balsamic vinegar. Too watery? Take the lid off and turn the heat up to let it reduce a bit. Just blah? Add about half a teaspoon of Marmite or Maggi.
14. If you have cheesecloth or an old dishcloth, use it to line a colander or strainer. Pour the stock through your filter into your biggest bowl. Go slowly. A lapful of hot stock is no fun. When you're done, press down on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. If you've used cheesecloth or a dishtowel, you can make a bundle and squeeze out even more of the delicious stuff. Just be careful... it's hot!
Your stock is now ready. You can use it immediately in a soup or stew, to cook rice, to make a gravy, or just for a mug of something savory and warm. Otherwise, it will keep for a week in the fridge (longer in the freezer). You can also boil some of it down even more and freeze it in an ice cube tray. This will make super-concentrated little flavor cubes that you can add to a lackluster dish later on down the road. You probably should have a dedicated ice cube tray for this, though... I can't imagine that you'd want even a hint of veggie stock in your lemonade.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Meatless Monday: Comforting Soup
So, I realized a few days back that the guy I’ve been seeing is not the one for me. This is unfortunate, because he seems to be rather keen on me. He’s a nice guy, considerate, generous, smart… which makes it extra-sucky that I’m not feeling the chemistry. At first, I decided to give it a try and see if anything developed, but at this point, it seems unlikely that they will. So I need to be the bad guy and put on the breaks. As much as I hate being told that I’m not the one, I still think I ultimately feel worse about needing to tell another person that I’m just not that into him.
Today calls for a comforting dinner. Initially, I was going to make myself a little pot pie or two with the remains of my Fauxfurkey. However, I was dissuaded by a lack of frozen pot pie veggies at the store. (Yes, I’m being lazy.) I decided instead to make my answer to chicken noodle soup. It’s always slightly different, but it’s always good.
Luckily, Trader Joe’s is pretty well-stocked with other things. Here’s what I picked up:
A bag of kale
A container of mirepoix
A box of shitakes
White miso (had to go to Safeway for that)
Earth Balance
How to do it:
Melt 1/8 to ¼ cup of Earth Balance in a big saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a glug or two of olive oil. Dump in the mirepoix and stir.
While it is softening, mince a clove or two of garlic and toss that in. Put in a bay leaf, some tarragon, thyme, and rosemary. (I used dried… if you use fresh, you can add it later on.) Add a splash of whatever white wine you happen to have on hand.
Add some sliced shitakes and the cubed Fauxfurkey (I had about half of mine left, so about a cup of cubes.). If you don’t have Fauxfurkey, you can use a vegan chik’n cutlet. Or leave it out. Whatever.
Add about one and a half or two quarts of water and a big scoop of Better Than Bouillon. (I used the No-Chicken.)
Bring to a simmer. Add half a bag of the kale. (If you decided to skip the faux poultry, you can add a can of drained and rinsed white beans here.) When it gets tender, turn off the heat. Put about ¼ c. of the white miso into a small bowl and add a couple of ladlefuls of the hot broth. Stir until dissolved and pour into the pot. Taste. Season with pepper, soy sauce/Braggs, more herbs, spicy stuff, whatever you like.
Ladle yourself up a big bowlful and eat it, feeling sorry for yourself if necessary. I am reasonably sure that this soup will also cure the common cold if you
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Soup for a Sickie
I have a dear friend who has been dealing with serious health problems lately and is having trouble eating much of anything. Because I'm such a fan of soup, I decided to make her some broth. She told me that she has been able to manage a simple broth made out of water, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and nutritional yeast, so I knew those were safe. She's had more trouble with fiber and fat, so I wanted to keep those levels low. I also know that onions and garlic worried her.
I always start my stock by roasting vegetables. You should, too! It deepens the flavor, makes your stock richer, and improves the color drastically. For hers, I tossed five mushrooms, a couple of chopped fingerling potatoes, a cup of fry-cut sweet potatoes, a stalk of celery, and a cup of baby carrots with about 1/8 cup of Bragg's and a teaspoon of olive oil. (I normally use a tablespoon or two of oil for each pound of veggies/scraps.) I put that in the oven at 375.
While that was going, I cleaned up the green part of a leek, a clove of garlic, a few cherry tomatoes, and some onion scraps. I tossed that with a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and some thyme and rosemary. Into the oven it went in another dish.
When the first tray was starting to get brown and caramelized, I scraped it into a pot, then deglazed the roasting pan with hot water. I added enough water to cover the veggies, and let them simmer for 20 minutes. I tasted, added some more Bragg's, then drained it through a colander into a bowl. I dumped the veggies back into the stock pot, and added the roasted onions. I deglazed the onion dish, covered the veggies with water, and simmered.
Meanwhile, I strained the non-onion broth through four layers of dish towel into a jar and put the lid on. Because the broth was still so hot, the jar sealed itself. Nice!
I added more Bragg's to the onion broth, then strained it through another four layers of dishcloth. It was very concentrated.
My plan is to drop off my friend's broth tonight. I've labeled it so she knows to dilute the onion broth. I kept the acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar) in there as well. Hopefully the mushroom, carrot, celery, and potato broth is okay for her and helps give her some variety.
If you are making stock for yourself and don't object to onions, then you can roast everything together. If you're not making stock to be eaten on its own, you can also use scraps. Scrub your vegetables before you prepare them, and save the bits that you don't eat in a tightly-covered container. I usually use carrot peelings, bits of garlic and onion (I usually remove the skins, as they can occasionally make the stock bitter), the green part of leek (super good!), mushroom stems, celery strings (not too many, they have a strong flavor), potato skins, and any little end bits that I chop off. I season with soy sauce (use tamari or Bragg's if you don't like wheat), salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or bay leaves. It's always different, and it's always good.
I always start my stock by roasting vegetables. You should, too! It deepens the flavor, makes your stock richer, and improves the color drastically. For hers, I tossed five mushrooms, a couple of chopped fingerling potatoes, a cup of fry-cut sweet potatoes, a stalk of celery, and a cup of baby carrots with about 1/8 cup of Bragg's and a teaspoon of olive oil. (I normally use a tablespoon or two of oil for each pound of veggies/scraps.) I put that in the oven at 375.
While that was going, I cleaned up the green part of a leek, a clove of garlic, a few cherry tomatoes, and some onion scraps. I tossed that with a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and some thyme and rosemary. Into the oven it went in another dish.
When the first tray was starting to get brown and caramelized, I scraped it into a pot, then deglazed the roasting pan with hot water. I added enough water to cover the veggies, and let them simmer for 20 minutes. I tasted, added some more Bragg's, then drained it through a colander into a bowl. I dumped the veggies back into the stock pot, and added the roasted onions. I deglazed the onion dish, covered the veggies with water, and simmered.
Meanwhile, I strained the non-onion broth through four layers of dish towel into a jar and put the lid on. Because the broth was still so hot, the jar sealed itself. Nice!
I added more Bragg's to the onion broth, then strained it through another four layers of dishcloth. It was very concentrated.
My plan is to drop off my friend's broth tonight. I've labeled it so she knows to dilute the onion broth. I kept the acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar) in there as well. Hopefully the mushroom, carrot, celery, and potato broth is okay for her and helps give her some variety.
If you are making stock for yourself and don't object to onions, then you can roast everything together. If you're not making stock to be eaten on its own, you can also use scraps. Scrub your vegetables before you prepare them, and save the bits that you don't eat in a tightly-covered container. I usually use carrot peelings, bits of garlic and onion (I usually remove the skins, as they can occasionally make the stock bitter), the green part of leek (super good!), mushroom stems, celery strings (not too many, they have a strong flavor), potato skins, and any little end bits that I chop off. I season with soy sauce (use tamari or Bragg's if you don't like wheat), salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or bay leaves. It's always different, and it's always good.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Thanksgiving Special: Dispatching of Leftovers
One of the joys of Thanksgivings is leftovers, or, as Crescent Dragonwagon calls them, deja food. (Cute, isn't it?) While most of our Thanksgiving dinner went home in doggie bags or was eaten over the rest of the weekend, some stubborn bits hung on. Last night, we had more sweet potatoes. We added more butter and salt and mashed the heck out of the glazed ones. Today, we still had some left. What to do?
My solution for the situation is usually soup, and today was no exception.
Sorta-curried Sweet Potato Soup
1 c. onions, cut into chunks
1 lump of ginger, about the size of a walnut, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 c. baby carrots
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 T. canola oil
1 c. leftover mashed yams
salt
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
cumin
balsamic vinegar
1 t. Major Grey's chutney
Heat the canola oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots. Stir until the onions start to get soft. Add 3-4 c. boiling water. Allow to simmer over medium heat until everything is squishy and the liquid has reduced to about 1 c.
Puree in a blender, adding more liquid as necessary. Add the leftover mashed yams and puree. Again, add more liquid if you need it.
Pour back into the soup pot over low heat. Give it a taste. Season with salt, cayenne, a bit of cinnamon, the cumin, and a few drops of vinegar. (I probably used 1/4 t. salt, 1/8 t. cayenne, a pinch of cinnamon, 1/8 t. cumin, and 1/4 t. balsamic vinegar. How much you add will depend on your taste and how you like to do your yams. Note: this soup probably won't be delicious if you put marshmallows in it.) Add the chutney and stir to blend completely.
My solution for the situation is usually soup, and today was no exception.
Sorta-curried Sweet Potato Soup
1 c. onions, cut into chunks
1 lump of ginger, about the size of a walnut, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 c. baby carrots
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 T. canola oil
1 c. leftover mashed yams
salt
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
cumin
balsamic vinegar
1 t. Major Grey's chutney
Heat the canola oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots. Stir until the onions start to get soft. Add 3-4 c. boiling water. Allow to simmer over medium heat until everything is squishy and the liquid has reduced to about 1 c.
Puree in a blender, adding more liquid as necessary. Add the leftover mashed yams and puree. Again, add more liquid if you need it.
Pour back into the soup pot over low heat. Give it a taste. Season with salt, cayenne, a bit of cinnamon, the cumin, and a few drops of vinegar. (I probably used 1/4 t. salt, 1/8 t. cayenne, a pinch of cinnamon, 1/8 t. cumin, and 1/4 t. balsamic vinegar. How much you add will depend on your taste and how you like to do your yams. Note: this soup probably won't be delicious if you put marshmallows in it.) Add the chutney and stir to blend completely.
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