Stir-Fry with Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Refried Jasmine Rice

Dinner 10/07

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrots, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, tamari)

Refried Jasmine Rice

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts with Star Anise

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

1 lb. Brussel Sprouts
2 tbs. tamari
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. szechuan peppercorn, ground
1 star anise pod, left whole

Trim and cut the brussel sprouts in half.

In a wok on high heat add the canola oil and just as it begins to smoke, carefully add the brussel sprouts. Stir to coat them in the oil, and turn often until they're looking well browned on all sides. Turn the heat down to med-low, add the water, tamari and star anise and cover with a lid for 5-7 minutes. Remove lid and stir. Reduce any remaining liquid to a glaze. Remove the star anise pod. Add the szechuan peppercorns. Check for seasoning and serve hot.

Tags: brussel sprouts, tofu, rice, carrot, red bell pepper, szechuan peppercorns, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry with Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Jasmine Rice

Dinner 11/29

Stir-Fry
(tofu, shiitake mushroom, carrot, red bell pepper, ginger, garlic, tamari, rooster sauce, scallions)

Jasmine Rice

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

We broke out the rectangular plates for the stir-fry / brussel sprout combo -- nice to see them again ;)


These were fairly small brussel sprouts, so I didn't cut them in half to do the sear/steam method. Just keep them moving in the wok so they get seared evenly, turn the heat down to low and give them a little sesame oil/tamari and put the wok lid on for 5-7 minutes.

Tags: mushrooms, shiitake, tofu, rice, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Mushrooms en Papillote, Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 11/15

Mushrooms en Papillote
(shiitake, oyster and button mushrooms, shallots, garlic, soy margarine, salt, pepper)

Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Oh, if you could have only smelled the aroma when the mushrooms were opened...

We tried something a little different -- grilling the brussel sprouts -- seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled for about 25 minutes, turning often. Totally yanked from Michael Chiarello...

Here's a group shot as the mushrooms have just come out of the oven (puffy!) with the brussel sprouts on the grill...

Tags: oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, parchment paper, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Seared & Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 3/12

Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrot, toasted sesame oil, tamari, pepper)

Jasmine Rice

Seared & Steamed Brussel Sprouts

 

Dessert

Grilled Pineapple with Tofutti Vanilla Ice Cream

 

It's a Busby Berkeley plate again ;)

For the Brussel Sprouts: peel, clean and cut an "X" an the bottom of the stem, then stir-fry them with a little oil in a wok until well browned. Add a mix of veg stock, tamari and sriracha, and reduce the heat to low, cover and steam for 10 minutes.

Tags: brussel sprouts, rice, tofu, Busby Berkeley, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Lentil and Seitan Stew, Braised Brussel Sprouts, Braised Carrots

Dinner 2/09

Lentil and Seitan Stew

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Braised Carrots

A quick one tonight -- pressure cooked lentils in veg stock (15 minutes) with pan-fried seitan, carrot, onion and garlic (15 minutes) matched with braised brussel sprouts (30 minutes) and carrots of many colors (30 minutes).



With prep time, it runs about 45 minutes total. Which, for us, is almost considered fast food... ;)

Tags: lentils, seitan, brussel sprouts, carrots, pressure cooker, veg stock, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Shredded Seitan and Green Beans, Braised Brussel Sprouts, Rice Noodles

Dinner 6/21

Shredded Seitan and Green Beans

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Rice Noodles

Another recipe from "Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook" -- seitan mixed with cornstarch, sesame oil, tamari and agave then stir-fried. The green beans were shredded and stir-fried with a little garlic salt, then combined with the seitan.

The brussel sprouts were seared with canola oil with a little red pepper flake. Then braised in with a mixture of water, tamari and star anise for about 15 minutes until finished.

Tags: brussel sprouts, seitan, noodles, szechuan, szechwan, agave, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Daikon with Hoisin Seitan and Sesame Seeds, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Stir-Fry, Jasmine Rice, Bok Choy

Dinner 9/10

Daikon with Hoisin Seitan and Sesame Seeds

Brussel Sprouts

Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrots, shiitake mushroom, ginger, garlic, tamari, cherry pepper, jalapeno pepper, toasted sesame oil)

Jasmine Rice

Bok Choy

We tried something a little different tonight -- not sure what to call it yet, but the daikon was hollowed out and steamed, then stuffed with the thinly sliced seitan (stir-fried with hoisin sauce) garnished with strips of carrot, red bell pepper and toasted sesame seeds. Very tasty.

Later, we talked about adding some kind of miso paste mixture (yuzu, white miso, mirin, togarashi, etc) to the outside of the daikon and hit it with a creme brulee mini-torch to caramelize it slightly -- and/or adding more sauce to pour over the whole thing just before serving. Next time perhaps...

The bok choy was steamed then pan-fried in canola oil, finished with tamari, red pepper flake and black pepper and garnished with toasted sesame seeds.

The brussel sprouts took the opposite tack, searing first, then braising in a combo of star anise, tamari and water for a couple of minutes.

Tags: daikon, seitan, tofu, rice, bok choy, jasmine rice, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Caramelized Tofu and Eggplant, Jasmine Rice, Shiitake Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 7/21

Caramelized Tofu and Eggplant

Jasmine Rice

Shiitake Mushrooms

Brussel Sprouts

Caramelized Tofu and Eggplant
(adapted from the "Little Saigon" Cookbook)


1. Wash, pat dry and peel the 2 large Asian eggplants (or two smaller globe eggplants). Cut them into 1 1/2" cubes. Place the cubes in a colander and sprinkle with 3 tbs. of salt. Let stand for 20-30 minutes.

2. Rinse the salt off the eggplant cubes and pat dry. Place the cubes in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbs. of sugar.

3. Cut the package of firm tofu into large cubes. Stir-fry the tofu in a wok until golden and set aside.

4. In the wok, heat 3 tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the sugared eggplant and stir occasionally as the sugar cooks and begins to brown. Add one large sliced onion, four cloves of minced garlic, two anise seed pods and a pinch of salt to the eggplant. Saute for another five minutes or until browned.

5. Add the fried tofu, 1/4 cup of light soy or tamari, 1/2 (or more) of a finely diced thai bird chile (if you like the heat), 3/4 cup of coconut milk and 1 tsp. of black pepper. Mix together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the wok, and let cook for one hour, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.

6. Garnish with Thai basil and serve with steamed rice.

We added some shiitake mushrooms and Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts because that's what we had...

Tags: tofu, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, brussel sprouts, thai basil, star anise, rice, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Pasta Puttanesca, Braised Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 3/11

Pasta Puttanesca

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Our son wanted to cook dinner tonight, so he made his specialty, Puttanesca (onion, garlic, celery, soyrizo, kalamata olive, tomato, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, pinch of sugar and capers) to which we added the last of the Isa's spicy pinto sausages.

The brussel sprouts (trimmed, but left whole) were braised: cooked in water about halfway up the sprouts along with 1 tbs. of soy margarine until the liquid cooks away, then topped with some nutritional yeast and baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350F.

Tags: pasta, fusilli, brussel sprouts, kalamata olives, soyrizo, capers, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

BBQ Tofu, Baked Potato with Chives, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 11/09

BBQ Tofu

Baked Potato with Chives

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

BBQ Tofu*? Check.

Baked Potato? Check.

Brussel Sprouts? When it's the only green veg left in the fridge, I guess we gotta go with... Check.

* We haven't made that BBQ recipe since June? Damn.

Tags: bbq, potato, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Thanksgiving 2008, A Photo Essay

Thanksgiving 2008

There was a last minute decision to change the entire menu the night before. Unfortunately, this was decided while enjoying a few silk nog/bourbon beverages (a very good, but very sneaky drink). So, I was at a slight, er... "disadvantage" in the morning. I played through the pain... ;)



Here's the chronology:

Pumpkin pie crust.

Pumpkin pie going in the oven.



Blocks O' Tofu.



Tofu going in smoker box with hickory wood.



Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Potatoes & Green Beans all prepped.



There were lots of carrot peels...


Pumpkin Pie coming out of the oven


Machine Bread


Smoked Tofu, pan-fried, later stuffed with mushrooms and roasted garlic


Potatoes to be mashed with Roasted Garlic


Fingerling Potatoes going in the oven


and now, a palate cleansing look at the table, the calm before the storm

From the left


From the right


Bakelite silverware and table


Wide shot


Braised Carrots and Brussel Sprouts out of the oven.


Cranberries (cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, ginger, cinnamon, bourbon, salt and pepper).


Touch of Grace Biscuits.


Roasted Fingerling Potato and Green Bean Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette.




Main plate: Hickory Smoked Tofu stuffed with Marsala Mushrooms and Smoked Garlic / Braised Carrots / Braised Brussel Sprouts / Mashed Potatoes and Gravy / Wild Rice Stuffing.


A different angle, you can see the Wild Rice Stuffing underneath the tofu a little better.

Tags: thanksgiving 2008, thanksgiving, tofu, brussel sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, salad, maple syrup, garlic, wild rice, gravy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms, Grilled Eggplant, Braised Brussel Sprouts, Stir-Fried Carrots

Dinner 11/04

Green Curry Tofu with Deep-Fried Rice Balls and Shiitake Mushrooms

Grilled Eggplant

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Stir-Fried Carrots

Why yes, the mushrooms on the rice do look like little mustaches!

We broke out the smoker box again -- this time smoking the tofu with black oolong tea for 20 minutes. Then the tofu cut into squares and stir-fried in the wok with a little tamari at the end. We've found that the rice balls work better if they're made from fresh rice. Also, they really don't need more than about a minute in the hot oil to be crispy on the outside while remaining soft on the inside. The green curry sauce is simply coconut milk with enough green curry paste added to make your eyes water... ;)

The eggplant were split in half and grilled with a combo of sesame oil and szechuan pepper. The brussel sprouts and carrots were stir-fried in canola oil first and then braised in a combo of tamari/water/anise seed.

Tags: tofu, smoker box, oolong tea, carrots, brussel sprouts, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Seitan and Mango, Jasmine Rice, Sake Braised Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 12/12

Seitan and Mango
(seitan, garlic, sesame oil, tamari, scallions, mango)

Jasmine Rice

Sake Braised Brussel Sprouts
(sake, tamari, brussel sprouts, pepper)


Asian inspired meal tonight -- not exactly found on any menu -- but a nice change of pace...

Tags: sake, brussel sprouts, seitan, rice, mango, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Hoisin Tofu, Refried Jasmine Rice, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 6/19

Hoisin Tofu

Refried Jasmine Rice
(sesame oil, rice, tamari)

Gyoza
(shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage, mushroom sauce)

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts
(brussel sprouts, canola oil, salt, pepper, tamari, sake)



big thunderstorms = little cooking time ;)

Tags: tofu, gyoza, hoisin, brussel sprouts, rice, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Tofu, Spinach and Mushroom Strudel with Mushroom Gravy, Braised Brussel Sprouts, Braised Carrots

Dinner 4/18

Tofu, Spinach and Mushroom Strudel with Mushroom Gravy

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Braised Carrots

Why yes, we do like phyllo... ;)

Tofu, Spinach and Mushroom Strudel with Mushroom Gravy



Step 01: The tofu was smoked with apple wood for 25 minutes, then pan-fried with canola oil, finally splashed with a little tamari for 30 seconds at the end of cooking. You could bake it or prepare it any way you'd like...

The phyllo is one sheet, laid out with the long side on the top/bottom, then folded in half like a book. The tofu is placed about 4-5" from the bottom of the sheet.

Step 02: Add the wilted spinach (olive oil, garlic, tamari, pepper).


Step 03: Add the sauteed mushrooms (with tamari and pepper).


Step 04: Fold the bottom flap over the tofu and brush the new area with olive oil.


Step 05: Fold the left and right sides in, also brushing with olive oil


Step 06: Roll the tofu over, brushing the exposed areas of the phyllo as you go


Step 07: Place on a sheet pan, bake for 8-10 minutes at 400F until golden brown.



Step 08: For the sauce, we used the same pan we fried the mushrooms in -- over medium heat, add 1 tbs. olive oil and 1/4 cup shallots, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, add 1 tsp. of minced garlic and sauté for one more minute. Next, add 1 tbs. flour, making a roux -- cook until light brown (2-3 minutes).

Finally whisk in 1 cup of veg stock* and 1 tbs. tamari and scrape all of the mushroom fond off the bottom of the pan and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

* you can use (strained) mushroom broth if you used dried mushrooms.

Tags: phyllo, tofu, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Stir-Fry with Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts, Jasmine Rice and Gyoza

Dinner 8/24

Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrot, shiitake mushroom, ginger, garlic, tamari, pepper)

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Jasmine Rice

Gyoza
(stuffed with bok choy, napa cabbage, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic and tamari)

Today was the death march back to school shopping trip for clothes, school supplies and to top it off a trip to the school to see the class assignments for the upcoming year. By the end of the trip, we were all exhausted, but we now have enough pencils, paper and index cards to supply three families... So stir-fry is your friend on nights like these.

The brussel sprouts are seared in a wok with a little canola oil, until browned. Then add 1 tbs. of tamari and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. After we served the kids, I added minced cherry bomb pepper to the rest of the sprouts, and must have caught a really hot one -- my lips were on fire for the rest of the meal ;)



We haven't made gyoza in quite a while, and it was really nice to have these along with the stir-fry. Liz had made the filling before we left on the shopping trip, so it was really easy to just defrost the wrappers, stuff, seal and fry.

Tags: gyoza, shiitake, jasmine rice, mushrooms, carrot, tamari, tofu, napa cabbage, bok choy, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce, Stir-Fried Rice, Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 1/07

Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce

Stir-Fried Rice

Seared/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

These would make an excellent appetizer at a party -- snack-sized and the dipping sauce is packing some heat.


Coconut Tofu with Curry Dipping Sauce

1 block of extra firm tofu cut into 32 pieces
1 tbs. tamari

Marinate the tofu strips in tamari for 15 minutes.

Then we used the three pan method.

Pan one:

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. black pepper

mix all the ingredients together

Pan two:

1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs. water,
1/8 tsp. green curry paste

mix together until a slurry forms

Pan three:

1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

Roll the tofu in the seasoned flour, then the cornstarch slurry, finally in the coconut flakes. Be sure to press down a bit on the coconut to make sure it coats the tofu completely.

Deep-fry the tofu in peanut oil @ 385F for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.

Green Curry Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup of coconut milk
2 tsp. of curry paste (or to taste)
1/2 tsp palm sugar
1 tsp. tamari

Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat.

Tags: coconut, tofu, brussel sprouts, curry, rice, tamari, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Polenta with Cremini Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts and Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner 10/24

Polenta with Cremini Mushrooms, Brussel Sprouts and Balsamic Vinegar

Tonight's meal was a perfect fall dinner...

A simple saute of mushrooms and petit chou-chou splashed with tamari sitting on creamy polenta, finished with a little aged balsamic vinegar.

The polenta starts with 1 cup of fine cornmeal whisked into 3 cups of boiling water seasoned with 1 tbs. of salt. From there we turn down the heat to low and make it like risotto, adding an additional 3 cups of water, 1/2 cup at a time here and there (don't sweat the timing, just don't let it scorch the bottom of the pan). Finally we add 1 tbs. of soy margarine, 1 tbs. of nutritional yeast, and 1 tsp. of black pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, and check for seasoning.

Tags: polenta, brussel sprouts, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666

Ravioli, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 10/16

Ravioli
(see below)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I stayed the hell out of the way and just took pictures, because this is all Liz's doing -- don't ask me for the dough recipe, because I don't know ;)

The filling came from a Hubbard squash that was a volunteer in the front yard (also the source of some of those lovely squash blossoms we enjoyed this year).

Step 1 Mother Hubbard! That's a large squash! It was roasted for about an hour at 425F with olive oil, salt and pepper. It had some thyme, sage and tofu added to lighten it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2 Prepping the dough... I do know that the dough uses soy sour cream, and was rolled out with the pasta attachment on the KitchenAid Mixer (number 5 setting). I'm not allowed to make the dough because there's no point in me jeopardizing the operation ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3 Pass number one marks the dough. This was our first attempt at using the ravioli maker -- normally, we use a ravioli mold -- but Liz saw Mario Batali using it on TV the other day and decided to break it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4 Laying out the ravioli filling. A small spoon works best here, because as we know, too much filling can be a disaster waiting to happen...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5 Putting on the top layer of dough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6 Running the ravioli maker over the top, a second time. This is one of those "measure twice, cut once" moments -- make sure the ravioli maker lines up with the first pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 7 Whew! Now we're ready to trim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 8 Trimming the edges to size and sealing them with the pasta cutter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 9 All nice and trimmed -- ready to be dropped into the boiling water. These don't take long to cook at all -- about a minute is all it really needs. Place in the bowl and pour the melted soy margarine and sage over the top and serve immediately!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: hubbard squash, pasta, sage, brussel sprouts, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666