Our Veggie Kitchen

This post is my final installment from last Saturday's Indian Extravaganza. I made Koftas, they rocked! I made Parathas, always a hit. I made a kid-friendly curry, it was friendly to adults to. I made Basmati Rice, you have to. For dessert, My wife made Green Tea Cupcakes. And I made Pakoras. I never make deep fried food, but sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do!



I love pakoras. They are the reason that I usually eat too much when we go out for Indian food. But I like them a spacific way. I've seem them anywhere from strips of veggies deep fried to a tangled wad of deep fried veggies, which I consider to be more of a Bhaji. I like my pakoras to be crispy on the outside, but to have plenty of puffy dough interlaced with thinly cut vegetables. So that's what I did. And I really really liked them. And I ate way too many.



Pakoras
1 1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tbs ginger, minced
2 serrano peppers, seeded & minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 shallots (or a small red onion), chopped
1 red potato, diced
1 cup cauliflower, chopped small
oil for frying

Stir together the flours and spices. Stir in the water, witholding a little, until you get a batter that is a little thicker than pancake batter. A thinner batter will yield more of a breading, while a thicker batter will yield more of a doughy filling. I prefer the latter, but you may want to play around a little. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Add oil and heat it to 350 degrees. The oil will be hot enough when you can drop a bit of dough, and it quickly rises to the top. Drop spoonfuls of dough in batches into the oil and fry until the dough is brown and crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Serve hot. Makes about 24 large pakoras.

6 Servings: 303 cal (20g fat, 26g carbs, 6g protein)

I've been playing with VeganDad's Italian Meatballs quite a bit lately. I've got a batch in the freezer right now, to see how they reheat. I've also made Swedish Meatballs with good success. So, when we decided on Indian for a get together, I knew I had to make Koftas, one of my favorite Indian treats. These did not disappoint. They were warm, but not as hot as I had hoped. The spices blended wonderfully though. And you could have passed these off as meat to any omni. The texture was perfect.



Tempeh Kofta

Meatballs:
12 oz tempeh
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 onion, shredded
1 tbs vegan worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs ginger, minced
2 serrano peppers, seeded & minced
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tbs cumin seed
2 tbs coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbs plain soy yogurt

Sauce:
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soy yogurt
1 cinnamon stick
9 whole cloves
9 cardamom pods

Meatballs:

Boil the tempeh for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Grate tempeh and onion and combine with all remaining meatball ingredients. Kneed until all ingredients are combined and the dough becomes sticky. Set the refrigerate the dough for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Pour a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet into the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Form into 1 tablespoon sized balls, making about 35-40 balls. Small sized meatballs hold together better and have a much better texture. Don't make them too big.

Pull out the preheated cookie sheet and swirl the oil around, just to coat. Place the meatballs on the sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the meatballs every 5 minutes or so, until the meatballs are evenly browned and slightly crispy.

Sauce:

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Add the onion. Saute, stirring often until the onions carmelize and turn brown. Add the tomatoes and ground spices. Tie the cinnamon stick, cardamon and cloves into a piece of cheesecloth and add to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in the yogurt and combine thoroughly. Pour the sauce into a 9x13 casserole along with the meatballs. Stir to coat, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

6 Servings: 360 cal (16g fat, 27g carbs, 31g protein)

Chickpea Salad has to be one of the vegetarian world's best kept secrets. Its cheap and easy, low fat and high in fiber, and it's universally tasty. I brought half a dozen cans of chickpeas with me when I went camping this summer. I wanted to make sure we'd have something to eat regardless of the menu. Instead, the menu became chickpea salad sandwiches. My family routinely abandoned their turkey or cheese sandwiches for a little more chickpea salad. Every vegetarian's got a recipe, but, just for giggles, I'll post mine to.

Spinach Dip is one of those foods that I've always loved, but ate sparingly because it was so calorific. I set out to make one that was vegan and a little better around the waste. I succeeded. This version works great as a dip or sandwich spread (I've been spreading it on leftover chapati). It's firm enough to spread, but still creamy and has a nice spinachy taste.



Chickpea Salad
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 small pickle, finely chopped
1 tsp mustard
1 tbs vegan mayonnaise
1-2 tbs chopped shallots, scallions or sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Black Indian Salt (optional)

Roughly mash the chickpeas with a fork. They should form somewhat of a paste, with some of the beans still whole and many partially in tact. Stir in the remaining ingredients. The Black Indian Salt is optional, but it gives it a faint eggy aroma that I find appealing.

4 Servings: 120 cal (2g fat, 21g carbs, 5g protein)

Spinach Sandwich Spread or Dip
1 lb baby spinach, washed and chopped
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 can white kidney beans
1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
1/4 cup vegan mayonaisse
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Chop and cook the in a saute pan with just the moisture clinging to the washed spinach. Drain the cooked spinach by pressing between two plates. Put the spinach in a bowl and allow to cool in the refrigerator. Thoroughly mash the beans with a fork or in a food processor. Combine the beans, chilled spinach and remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

8 Servings: 199 cal (7g fat, 26g carbs, 8g protein)

We had friends over this weekend and the adults unanimously agreed that we wanted Indian food. There were a couple of things that I immediately thought of. I knew absolutely that I wanted koftas (Indian meat/veggie balls). And I just had to make parathas, and chapatis for the kids. After ignoring the health factor and considering the pain-in-the-butt factor, I added pakoras to the menu. Each of these was beautiful and delicious.

The problem, was that Indian food is not typically kid friendly. We were to have six kids in the house and three of those are insanely picky. I didn't want them to subsist on deep fried pakoras and flat bread, so I needed to add something else . . . and something the adults would like as well . . . and something Indian.



So I started with a curry sauce, adding a bit of this and a bit of that. I abandoned the idea of low fat, so I used coconut milk, and some yogurt to keep things mellow and came up with this curry. It has a creamy, subtle flavor, an undercurrent of cumin and no heat whatsoever. Two of the picky kids wouldn't try anything Indian. They ate rice, carrots bananas. The third said later "yeah I ate your crap!" He's so cooperative. The other three ate it without hesitation . . . and it was a hit with the adults too.

I'll post more from the meal later this week.



Kid Friendly Curry
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp whole mustard seed
1 onion, chopped
1 tbs ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
10 curry leaves (optional)
14 oz coconut milk
1 cup plain soy yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 red potatoes, unpeeled, diced
2 medium carrots, cut into batons
1/2 head cauliflower florets

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Cook until they begin to pop, then add the onion. Saute until the onion softens and add the ginger, garlic and chili pepper. Saute for another minute and add the remaining spices. Stir to combine and add the coconut milk and curry leaves. Bring to a boil and stir in the soy yogurt and lemon juice.

Blend the entire contents and return to the pan. Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil. Pour contents into a 9x13 casserole and cover. Bake until the veggies are cooked, about 30 minutes. Serve with rice, roti or naan.

4 Servings: 500 cal (25g fat, 42g carbs, 8g protein)

Cooking beans, for me, is kind of a pain. You have to plan ahead. Still, I usually forget to soak the beans overnight. They take forever to cook . . . and their replacement (from the can) is so convenient. So, I've been wondering if it is really worth the effort to make your own. After playing around with a refried bean recipe. Well here are the benefits of DIY refried beans:

• Flavor - these beans are mild, the flavors subtle, yet not at all plain.
• Control - you control the
• Storage - you can make a big batch and freeze it in portions for later
• Cost - Meh, its a wash.
• Toot Factor - from what I've read, long, slow cooking helps alleviate the ahem ... negative side effects of beans. Also, it is said amongst Indian cooks that Asafoetida will do the same, so add a pinch.

Final Note: When cooking with beer, it is absolutely essential that you buy at least a six pack. Trust me, there won't be leftovers.



Refried Beans
1 lb dry pinto beans, picked over
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
12 oz bottle Mexican Beer
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)

Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse them several times before using. Meanwhile, saute the onions in oil until soft. Add the garlic, jalapeno and cumin and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute longer. Add the beans, beer and enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil and stir in the cilantro, lime juice and salt.

Simmer, uncovered over a medium boil. Then simmer some more. Add more water periodically to keep the beans from drying out. Simmer until the beans are soft, at least an hour, but longer won't hurt, it will just give more time for the flavor to develop. I cooked mine for three hours. A few minutes before you're ready to use them, use an immersion blender to blend the beans to desired consistency. Simmer longer, if needed, or add some more water.

I'm not sure how much this makes, probably a couple quarts of beans. And I don't refry them, they don't need it.

8 servings: 256 cal (4g fat, 39g carbs, 13g protein)

When I first started using soy products, I had a couple of disasters with tofu and tempeh. I eventually figured out the tofu game, but have been turned off on tempeh ever since. Recently, I decided to give it another try. I first took an idea from TofuMom, and simmered it in enchilada sauce until it fell apart, which left a pleasing texture and flavor.

I then turned my sights on to Vegan Dad's Italian Meatballs. I've made these a couple of times and made some changes, most notably, I bake them. It leaves them more unifromly browned, a little crispy, and they hold up better simmering in a sauce. . . and they taste delicious. And that inspired me to make Swedish Meatballs with mashed potatoes.



Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs:
12 oz tempeh
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup vital wheat gluten
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, grated
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs steak sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Sauce:
3 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
4 tbs flour
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy creamer
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Meatballs:
While preparing the meatballs, pour a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil onto a cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet into the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Boil the tempeh for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Grate tempeh and onion and combine with all remaining meatball ingredients. Kneed until all ingredients are combined and the dough becomes sticky. Form into 1 tablespoon sized balls, making about 35 balls. Small sized meatballs hold together better and have a much better texture. Don't make them too big.

Pull out the preheated cookie sheet and swirl the oil around, just to coat. Place the meatballs on the sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the meatballs every 5 minutes or so, until the meatballs are evenly browned and slightly crispy.

Sauce:
While the meatballs are baking, melt the margarine in a large sauce pan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for a couple minutes. Gradually add the broth (best if room temperature or warmer) and stir or whisk until it is combined with the flour and margarine. Stir in the pepper, cranberry sauce, creamer and salt, if needed. Bring just to a boil and reduce heat. Add in the cooked meatballs, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

6 Servings: 374 cal (16g fat, 27g carbs, 31g protein)

I really cant stand to watch Emeril Lagasse. He's a bit too enthusiastic and he engages his sycophant at just the right time, andthen Bam! It makes me want to jab a finger down my throat, or book a flight to Gitmo. He makes such good food though. When I have something in mind, I will often consult his site for ideas. And that's were I came across this. I actually didn't like the batch i made from his recipe, but after making some subtle changes, I came up with a definite winner.

It makes about a quart. I took half of it and simmered it with some cubed tofu for tacos or to pour over Spanish rice. The rest went into a bowl for a taco sauce. Most of this bowl went as a dip for corn chips though. Addicting for sure.



Black Bean Mole Sauce
1 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs dried oregano
2 tbs sesame seeds
3 tbs chili powder
1 can black beans, drained
6 oz tomato paste
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 cup No-Chicken Broth
1 tbs Agave Nectar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

In a dry fry pan, over medium high heat, dry fry the sesame seeds, oregano and cumin seeds, stirring constantly to avoid burning. After a minute, add the chili powder. Continue to fry for another minute or two until the sesame seeds just begin to turn. Transfer to a spice grinder, or coffee grinder and grind thoroughly. Transfer to a blender, along with all other ingredients. Blend thoroughly.

Push the contents of the blender through a fine mesh strainer and into the pan. This step is optional, but creates a better consistency for the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

8 Servings: 94 cal (2g fat, 16g carbs, 5g protein)

My wife and I went to dinner Saturday night. I told the kids I'd get them a pizza and my middle one decided she wanted to do some "actual cooking." So, on January 10, 2009 she made her first bechamel. I think this ranks up there with first step, first word and first kiss, well, I've still got ten or twenty years before she starts thinking about boys =)

So, I walked her through a simple mac and cheese. She boiled some veggies with pasta. "I know what al dente is, dad!" she sighed. She melted butter, made a roux. She pulled it off the heat and stirred in the milk, heated it 'til it thickened. Maybe not enough, it was a bit thin, but she'll live and learn. She stirred in the cheese and a bit of mustard and miso, stated it, added a bit more salt. And Done!

I was so proud. If I could find her baby book, this would definitely be in there.



Like me, she was a hearty meat eater. She even asked for meat from Santa each year. Soon after my wife and I cut out meat, all of our three kids got together and decided to go vegetarian too. The older two watched Meet Your Meat, even though I told them they didn't want to, and made the choice on their own. When I started cutting out dairy and eggs, she started talking about veganism. She's learning about vegan baking and we're working on making healthy, ethical dietary choices.

Its a fine thing when you can slow down and take notice of the little things your kids do. When you can look at them and know that they are great kids and they are on the road to becoming fine adults. I had one of those moments, and just wanted to share it.

I had a couple reasons for making spanakopita. The first, and most obvious, is that I like spinach and feta and flaky crust. The second reason is that I'd never worked with phyllo dough and I've been looking for a replacement for pie crust.

You see, I had unwittingly been making tofu quiche with lard-filled pie crusts for some time. And the other options aren't too appealing. Most lard-free pie crusts have trans fat. Making a pie crust from scratch is more effort than a quiche is worth. Maybe phillo dough was the answer.

The crust turned out light and flaky; even better than any pie crust I'd had. I didn't mess with folding up individual pastries and I'm glad I didn't. The pie was perfect. The only thing I might change next time is the spice mix. As I poked about the internet, I found that there were a broad range of spices used, but most went with dill or oregano. My wife thought it was a bit off. I liked it and it was even better the next day. But, next time, I may go with dill instead.



Spanakopita
1 lb baby spinach (or 2 bunches spinach, washed & stemmed), chopped
1 bunch green onions, whites only, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbs fresh)
1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1/2 tbs fresh)
1 tbs ground flax seed
1/2 small lemon, juiced
8 oz phyllo dough
1/2 recipe Betta Feta Tofu(see below), crumbled

For the filling:
Add the spinach, onions, parsley, spices, and garlic to a saute pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off. Remove from heat and stir in the crumbled Feta Tofu, lemon juice and ground flax. Set aside until the pie crust is ready.


For the pie crust:
Individually, brush each piece of phyllo on both sides lightly with olive oil. Place the first piece of phyllo in the pie pan so that about half of the sheet hangs over the pie dish. Brush the next piece place it so that it mostly, but not completely, overlaps the first piece. Working this way, fan the sheets around the pie sheet until the bottom is covered and you've run out of phyllo sheets.

Assembly:
Fill the pie dish with the spinach filling. Fold the overhanging phyllo sheets over onto the top of the pie. Spray the top with olive oil spray, just to coat. Put the pie in an oven, preheated to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and flaky.

4 Servings: 404 Cal (21g fat, 42g carbs, 12g protein)

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Betta Feta
1 lb firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 cup water, + more to cook tofu
1/2 cup light miso
3 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp salt

Cube tofu into 1" cubes. Submerge in boiling water and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk together the water, miso, vinegar and salt. Put cubes into a marinade container and pour marinade over the tofu. Stir gently and refrigerate. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or up to 1 week. Shake the container periodically until used. To use, remove from the marinade and crumble each cube with your fingers and use in place of feta. Use within 2 weeks.

Source: The Uncheese Cookbook

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. Truth is, I took some time off around Christmas and became very skilled at doing nothing. Eugene had snow for about a week and, here in the Great Wet Northwest, pretty well shuts things down. Then, my son got a new X-Box for Christmas. My wife got Soul Calibur IV. Needless to say, I became skilled at Soul Calibur.

In between being lazy and ... being lazy, I did do my fare share of cooking. I took a shot at tamales, for the first time ever. I played around with 'meat'balls. I played around with Spanakopita. And, I made Red Beans and Rice.

I've got a friend who grew up in New Orleans, so he knows what red beans and rice should taste like. Unfortunately, his recipe was of the "a little of this" variety. And I think that's how cajun cooking is meant to be. I did some playing around, made a couple of batches and came up with this.



New Orleans Red Beans
1 lb dried red beans
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
3 links Seitan Andouille (or other sausage), sliced

Soak the red beans overnight. Make sure the beans are somewhat fresh, not over a year in the pantry or they won't get creamy when you cook them (advised to me). Also, don't use the 'quick' method of softening beans--soak them in boiled water for a couple of hours. They won't get creamy (my experience). So, soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans.

Saute the onions, celery and green pepper in oil until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and spices. Cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the beans and enough water to cover the beans. Stir in the Worcestershire Sauce and liquid smoke.

Bring to a medium boil. Cook the beans, uncovered, over a slow boil (more than a simmer) for 2-3 hours, or longer, stirring occasionally. If the beans get too thick, or dry out, add some more water. As the beans cook, they should break apart and begin to disintegrate into a thick, slightly soupy bean mixture. An hour before the beans are ready, stir in the sliced Andouille (or other sausage) or other 'sausage.' Remove bay leaves and serve over steamed rice.