Our Veggie Kitchen

I got notice this week that my landlords want their house back. This really sucks. Now I have to find a new place to live by July 31. And, at work, I have a major grant application due on July 31. And, at home, our whole, extended family vacation is scheduled for August 5. And, we have been planning our Anniversary without kids with a weekend trip to Seattle. Now that's all on hold.

And, We've spent tons of time and money on the yard this year, oblivious of the fact that we would be kicked out. Our front yard had a barren mass of clay that was completely resistant to cultivation and the moss that it spread had taken over the grass. I added loads of soil and compost and transplanted all my previously potted herbs (see below). We even added two new garden beds and planted cabbage and zucchini and tomatoes and cauliflower and cucumbers . . . that I will never harvest.





Needless to say, I'm bummed. They told us that we were great tenants and thanked us for taking care of the home like it was our own. But, right now, that doesn't help much. And, since something has to give, I will probably not be posting much for the next few weeks. I'll just have to see how things go.

I made this cilantro & mint chutney last week, knowing that I would be making a bunch of Mexican food. Hispanic food shares many of the same spices as Indian cuisine, but I wasn't sure how it would go, given that the base is yogurt. I ended up using it on Chipotle Tempeh Burgers, tofu quiche, corn chips and, of coarse, plain rice. I think you'd be able to use this in place of any salsa and be happy.



Cilantro Chutney
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy yogurt

Add everything except the cilantro and mint into a blender. Add the cilantro and mint in batches sufficient to not clog the blender. Blend until you get a uniform consistency that still has flecks of leaves. It's worth it to coax your blender into blending this mix as is. If necessary, add a little water.

Makes about 1 cup

8 Servings: 20 cal (4g carbs, 1g protein)

It took me quite a bit of playing to come up with a texture that I like. In the process, I've relied on some great bloggers to develop this recipe, including Bryanna, VeganDad and Megatarian, who has a good tutorial here. Here are some of the tips that I've learned.

• The cooking broth, either on the stove or in the oven, should be just at the boiling point.
• Some people cook seitan all day in a crock pot, I don't have one and don't know how well that works. The oven works better than the stove.
• TVP adds texture. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't.
• Letting it sit and kneeding again helps integrate ingredients like tvp or oatmeal.
• Tying up the seitan balls in cheesecloth helps them firm up.

Beefy Seitan Roasts

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cups white kidney beans (1/2 can)
1-2 tsp marmite
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Wet Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
2 tbs vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce
2 tbs catsup
2 tbs vegetable oil

Boiling Liquid:
5 cups boiling water
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup soy sauce
5 tsp Better than Bouillon, No-Beef Flavor
5 tsp browning sauce

Ingredient Notes:

• Use enought bouillon for 5 cups of broth. I use Better than Bouillon, but any will do.
• Marmite really makes a difference, but if you don't want or can't find marmite, use bouillon mix or powder instead.

For the dry mix, thoroughly mash the beans with a fork, then mix the marmite into the beans. Then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Use your fingers to mix the ingredients into the beans to form a sort of meal. Combine the wet ingredients and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine into a dough. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes somewhat elastic. Cover with a damp cloth Set aside for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the pot you intend to use in the oven while it preheats. Kneed the dough for another 5 minutes. Separate into 4 balls and wrap each ball with cheesecloth and tie off with butcher's string. Combine the boiling liquid ingredients (make sure the water is boiling hot) in the preheated pot. Add the seitan balls. If the balls are not submerged in liquid, add some more boiling liquid. Bake, covered in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and remove the seitan from the liquid.

You can store the roasts in the refrigerator or freezer, along with enough boiling liquid to cover. It freezes well or keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

12 Servings: 178 cal (3g fat, 16g carbs, 22g protein)

With the end of school nearing, the girls will be on their own more often for lunches. I wanted to give them an option that was quick, easy and, at least, somewhat healthy. Plus it's Mac & Cheese. For me, there has always been something decadent about that blue box and its processed powder. And here's my rendition of that cheezy, powdery goodness.



Crafty Mac & Cheese
3 cups macaroni pasta
2 cups boiling water
2 tbs vegetble oil
1/2 cup cashews, finely ground
1/4 cup oats, ground in a spice grinder
2 tbs soy milk powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tbs lemon pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric

For the spice mix: Grind cashews and shake it through a sifter. Grind the oats in a spice grinder. Combine with the other dry ingredients.

For the pasta: Cook the macaroni according to package directions in salt-free water. Drain in a colander, reserving 2 cups of the boiling water. Combine the reserved water with the powder in a blender and blend until combined. Stir the oil into the pasta, then pour the sauce over the pasta and stir until the sauce thickens a bit.

Note: You can skip the blender step and just stir the powder into the pasta. This will work just fine, but the pasta will become a little gritty as it sits.

4 Serving: 510 cal (18g fat, 71g carbs, 19g protein)

I've been playing around with infused oils. This in the second that I've felt is good enough to post. I essentially used the spice combination from my Seitan Italian Sausage recipe and it really has a flavor reminiscent of sausage. I will be using this oil in my next batch of meatballs for sure.

I'm playing with a number of infused oils and I'm testing their flavor three ways: with simple fried tofu, plain french bread, and drizzled over popcorn. This particular oil had mixed results. You just don't associate the flavor with tofu or popcorn (especially the popcorn) and I didn't like them much at all. But the french bread was awesome. What really tipped the scales for me, though was the marinara sauce. I made a simple marinara (tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic & white wine) with the oil and the sauce was amazing. The flavor was subtle, but made all the difference in the world.



Italian Infused Oil
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tbs fennel seed
1 1/2 tsp anise seed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
6 tsp paprika
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the whole spice seeds and simmer until they begin to sizzle. Turn the heat down and add the paprika, garlic and basil. Continue to cook the spices so the oil just bubbles around the garlic for about one hour. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, at least a couple hours. Put the spices in the refrigerator overnight (or longer). The next day, strain through several sheets of cheesecloth.

I was looking for something quick that I could take as a dip to a staff meeting. I thought, maybe something a kin to the Bean-Dip-In-A-Can, only not quite so nasty. I came up with this dip. It's made with lentils, but doesn't have much of a lentil flavor and it ended up having a ground-beefy texture, so it works well with tacos too.



Lentil Bean Dip
1 cup lentils, rinsed & picked over
1 cup chunky salsa
2 cups water

Bring the water and salsa to a boil. Add the lentils and simmer until they are tender, but still firm. Remove the lid, increase the heat and cook until most of the water is cooked off. Use an immersion blender to blend about half the mixture. Server hot or cold.

4 Servings: 180 Cal (1g fat, 31g carbs, 14g protein)

The weather is finally warming and I pulled out my sun tea pitchers from deep storage. This one is a natural for sun tea, so I thought I'd post it. It's nothing special, but it's easy and a refreshing twist on the typical Lipton's tea bags.



Chai Sun Tea
2 inches fresh ginger, sliced thin
2 sticks cinnamon
6 peppercorns
6 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods (a couple more if you like cardamom)
6 black tea bags

Wrap the spices in cheesecloth and drop into a 1 gallon tea pitcher. Leave out in the sun for at least a couple of hours. Enjoy warm or cold.

My daughter wanted a BBQ for her birthday dinner this weekend. But she wanted kebabs with broccoli, amongst other things. Broccoli doesn't seem a great fit for my normal barbecue sauce so I came up with this one, with a fruity sweetness and just a hint of tang. It did go especially well with broccoli, and corn and pineapple and I'll try it on tofu next time.



Sweet Apricot Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp mustard seed
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
1 tomato, chopped
15 oz can apricots, drained
15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seed until they begin to pop. Add the onions and jalapeno until the onion is soft, then add the garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add the tomato and apricots, breaking them apart until they have softened, then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Put the contents into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and bring back to a boil. Makes about 1 quart.

32 Servings: 55 cal (1g fat, 13g carbs, 1g protein)