Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos- MoFo Post Fourteen

Post #14 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Here it is all put together.

Who does not love a taco out there? While tacos have a Latin origin, they have become so popular here. I have seen so many variations of the taco in restaurants and food trucks. The concept is quite simple, but the flavors can make all of the difference. I generally prefer a crispy shelled taco to the soft shell. As a child, I would get excited about taco night. My mom would make seasoned ground beef and then we would have lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, and more to fill our taco. She usually served crunchy shells. This was often accompanied by what she called Spanish rice and various other vegetable sides. 

Tomatillos

As I became vegetarian as a teenager, I remember my mom buying veggie taco "meat" for me and having the same dinner. I do not remember the brand, but I enjoyed the tacos just the same. Now that I am vegan and gluten free, it is harder to find a taco "meat" filling. There are a few on the market and they are just ok. I have made similar fillings using TVP, but sometimes I like to go a bit more exciting with our fillings. As I was flipping through a recent issue of VegNews, I saw a post for potato tacos and queso fresco. The recipe looked delicious! After looking through it, I realized that I already made each of their suggested fillings my own way. 

The inspiration for the dish comes from VegNews, using two of my own recipes. The third recipe is adapted from a VegNews email that I received over a year ago. The magazine had a crumbly queso fresco that looked good, but the queso dip that I had many times before sounded better. One of the first recipes I created on my own was a tomatillo salsa years ago before I was even vegan. After looking back, I realized that I had never shared it before. I have served it to many salsa lovers and it has been a hit. Lastly, the potatoes are the standard ones we make when we want oven roasted ones. Sometimes we change up the seasoning depending on the accompanying side dishes. 

Tomatillo salsa and queso dip

I was so pleased with putting the three of these recipes together. The tacos were amazing. I only ate two small ones because the potatoes and queso dip are filling. Beware, this queso dip makes a large serving. Be prepared to buy some tortilla chips and make nachos to use it up. It will still be there after you have chowed down an the remaining soft corn tortillas. Now that I have this combination down, I expect to have this quite a bit. And not to toot my own horn, but the tomatillo salsa is so good that I could literally drink it up. If you think I am kidding, ask my friends if I drink sauces when I like them. (Example- the spicy peanut sauce made by Fiction Kitchen and the homemade ketchup by Ninth Street Bakery)

 I hope you enjoy these recipes during your taco nights as much as we do!


Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos


Potatoes

• 3 medium sized potatoes, washed and cubed 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the potatoes in a baking pan, sprinkle with seasonings, then drizzle olive oil and toss or stir to coat. Place in the oven and back for about 25 minutes turning once. If you like a little crunch to your potatoes, turn on the broiler the last couple of minutes
Tomatillo Salsa

• 8 tomatillos, skin peeled off and quartered
• 1/2 onion, quartered
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used one red and one green)
• 1 c cilantro
• 1 lime, juice only
• salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process about 30 seconds or less until smooth. Taste for salt and add more as desired. 

Vegan Queso (adapted from a VegNews recipe)

• 1 c raw cashews
• 1 1/3 c almond milk
• 1 3/4 c soy milk
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, more or less to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt, or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 16 oz can pinto beans
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 tsp corn starch, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 c vegan mozzarella cheese

Place the cashews and almond milk into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Set aside. Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add in the olive oil and margarine and allow it to melt. Then add in the flour and stir to coat. Let cook for two minutes. Add in the garlic and allow to cook one more minute. Then add in the soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir with whisk to incorporate. When mixed add in pinto beans, tomato, and corn starch mixture. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until thick. Then add in cheese and stir until melted.

Tacos

• 10 corn taco shells, soft or hard
• 2 bell peppers, sliced

Place the taco shells on a plate, line the shell with two tablespoons of potatoes, bell pepper slices, queso, and then top with tomatillo salsa. Repeat and enjoy! Add some hotsauce to spice things up a bit! 

Paladar Vegetariano: A Home-Cooked Meal- MoFo Post Thirteen

Post #13 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Pumpkin Flower Appetizer

For the post today, I would like to go back to Puerto Rico. One of the most interesting parts of the trip was going to Paladar Vegetariano in San Juan. When we called, we realized that this restaurant was being run out of the owners house. John spoke with the owner, Geronimo, and he explained that he would make a meal catered to our interests using creativity and local foods. We were excited by the idea and his willingness to make an all vegan and gluten free meal for us. He had some questions of clarification around gluten free and I was pleased with the level and detail of his questions. I already had a feeling that we were going to get a meal that was made with care.

Quenepa

When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by Geronimo and Mendoza, our server. We were seated in the living room at a table with candles and local produce. Geronimo explained to us that Paladar was a Cuban concept of welcoming people into one's home and cooking for them. We had never heard of the concept, but were delighted to be in his home. We also had the meal explained to us. Almost all ingredients were local and organic. Some even came from the backyard of Paladar Vegetariano. We also learned that many of these ingredients were sold at a local farmers market on the weekend. I could tell we were in for a real treat. 

One of the items on the table was called a quenepa and we were encouraged to sample the fruit. It was unlike nothing that I had ever tasted before. It had a large pit in the center and had a pink fleshy fruit on the inside. The pit was larger than fruit output and I cannot quite describe the flavor of the pink flesh. It was mushy. sweet, citrus-like, and tropical tasting. Geronimo gave us the whole vine to take home with us and enjoy. 

The meal started off with a cucumber and lemon juice water that was slightly sweetened. It was served in a wine bottle and left at our table so we could have as much as we wanted. Needless to say, we drank the whole bottle. Shortly after the bottle arrived that our first course was presented. Mendoza was so attentive and explained again to us what was in the first course.  It was salad with local greens, pumpkin seeds, shaved fresh coconut, sprouts, and guava dressing. The salad was simple yet flavorful. The guava dressing was slightly acidic and sweet and was unlike any dressing that I had before, but wished that I could have it every day. I love seeds on a salad and the touch of pumpkin seeds and coconut shavings was creative and delicious. 

We were off to a great start. The appetizer came out and we were wowed by the presentation and dish. It was a pumpkin flour breaded and stuffed with rice flower and pan fried. The plate was drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The dipping sauce was guava and coconut. The flower had a delicate and crunchy flavor. This was the first time that I had ever been served a flower as the main item on a dish. It was also the first time I had tasted a flower fried. We shared the plate and wished we had more, however; after the rest of the meal arrived were glad we did not. The evening provided us so much food that I even had some leftovers for breakfast the next day! 

The main course took a while to come out, but we did not mind. We were still enjoying the flavor of the pumpkin flower and dipping sauce. The dinner itself lasted about three hours, but did not seem that it was that long because of all of the good food and conversation. For our main course, we were presented with chayote filled with pumpkin basmati rice, pumpkin seeds,  chayote heart, and a balsamic reduction.  While chayote is a fruit, it resembles squash and a root vegetable. There is not any sweetness to it and it almost tasted similar to a potato, but not exactly. The chayote heart was soft and almost creamy, much like that of a avocado heart but not the prickly fibers. I ate all of the rice filling and about a fourth of the chayote body. They wrapped up the remainder of the body for me to take home. I took back with me some of the guava sauce from the appetizer to sprinkle on top. 

This was my serving- it was huge!

Along with the meal, we were also given homemade hot sauce, much like most places in Puerto Rico. I do not remember the names of all of the peppers used, but it had a lot of kick to it and a fresh flavor. Have I mentioned how much I love that almost every restaurant had homemade hot sauce? I could not get enough of the homemade hot sauce. I am a sucker for Franks Hot Sauce, but these were so many steps above my go to sauce. I began to look forward to sitting down and being presented with the homemade hot sauce. In Puerto Rico one does not have to ask for hot sauce, but is presented with it as a natural part of the meal. 

Me, John, Geronimo, and Mendoza

The last course of the meal was a key lime avocado pie with a cashew, pumpkin seed, and coconut crust. On the top were local banana slices. I was so full when dessert came out that I could only take a couple of bites and asked to take the rest home. (And yes, it was enjoyed for breakfast the next day with the chayote.) The dessert was rich, sweet, and inventive. It was not a complicated dessert with gluten free flours or long baking times. It was based off of fruit and nuts and was still decedent! 

After wrapping up the dessert, we talked with Geronimo and Mendoza for a while. We also met another person who helped out, but I cannot remember his name. We even paused for a picture. While the quality is not the best, it is still a nice token from the evening. The staff was so kind and friendly and the evening really was a wonderful experience. I recommend eating at Paladar Vegetariano to anyone visiting San Juan. Make sure to call ahead and set up a reservation well in advance. If you are coming from the United States, you can call before you leave for the Island. You do not have to worry about calling internationally as Puerto Rico is part of the United States. I say this not to state the obvious, but I am amazed by the amount of people who thought I was leaving the country. We did not have to present passports! :-)

Coming storm over the ocean

Thank you to staff at Paladar Vegetarianio to giving us an evening of delicious local food and an evening of lovely conversation!  

Cafe Berlin- MoFo Post Ten

Post #10 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

International, Puerto Rican, Vegetarian

Today we journey back to Puerto Rico, specifically to San Juan. While we were eating at Cafe Cultura, we noticed that the restaurant next door was Cafe Berlin. The sign caught our attention as it advertised vegetarian food. We had heard about the restaurant on Happy Cow and had visited the website. We were pleasantly surprised by all of the vegan offerings. It was hard to tell online specifically what was gluten free on the vegan menu, but they indicated that they had gluten free pasta and pizza on the menu. Based on this small sampling of menu items, the restaurant seemed like it would offer a nice evening dinner.

One evening we visited the restaurant and decided to sit outside. We overlooked a square in the old part of downtown San Juan. On this particular evening, there were quite a bit of people in the square walking and talking. There were men pushing carts selling ice cream and other frozen treats. Couples walking, talking, and holding hands, and the quiet buzz of children running around and playing in the square. The old part of San Juan was proving to be great place to visit. The area has trees, squares, and colorful buildings. It was peaceful to sit outside and enjoy the local culture. 

We were seated and our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. She was able to explain the items that suited my needs. After careful consideration, we decided to begin with an appetizer of mofongo. Having a friend from Puerto Rico and being on the Island for several days, we had been hearing about this dish quite a bit. It was explained to me as green plantains mashed together, placed in a mold to make the cone shape, and then fried. The traditional version is most likely made with pork. Cafe Berlin was kind enough to make a vegan version. The mofongo was served simply with a bed of lettuce and two shaved carrots on top. The dish was delicious, but was a bit salty and dry. I kept thinking that it needed salsa or a sauce as an accompaniment, but that does not seem to be the way that this dish is normally served.  I did, however, enjoy the flavor of the green plantains. 

For dinner I ordered a Criollo Tofu which was tofu simmered in a criollo sauce and was served with rice, beans, and plantains. The sauce seemed to be tomato based and had bell peppers and caper berries. Along side of the dish was a small undressed salad. I really enjoyed the flavor of everything on my plate. After the salty mofongo, the salt in my dinner was starting to be overwhelming. If I would have ordered this without the appetizer, I would have probably not noticed the extra spice. The portion was rather large and I ended up having enough leftovers for a cold breakfast the next day. A breakfast leftover of rice, beans, and tofu was just what I needed for breakfast. I had time to recover from the salt of the mofongo and to drink a lot of water! I liked it even better the next day and would recommend this dish. 

John ordered the Veggie Guava Loaf. It was a home-made vegan load in a bell pepper guava sauce served with mashed a mashed potato log and carrots and broccoli. The dish was not gluten free and therefore I was unable to try it. However, John gave it rave reviews. When he saw it on the menu, he knew it was the dish for him. John loves veggie loaf and mashed potatoes. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that mashed potatoes are one of his favorite sides. He noticed that his dish was a significantly ess salty than my dish. Like mine, it was also very filling and he had to take leftovers back to the hotel for breakfast the next day. He attempted to finish it all, but he was concerned that he would be too full afterward. 

Sunset from out hotel room

Once we paid, we decided to take a walk to a local coffee shop and sample locally brewed coffee. I had noticed the coffee shop several days before when we have been driving around looking for a parking space. The coffee shop was connected to an store that contained art pieces by local artists. When we arrived, I was a bit warm and decided that I was not in the mood for coffee, but John was. Luckily for him, the place carried soy milk. He ordered a vegan latte' and spoke to the barista who informed him about local music playing the next evening. The coffee shop had people studying in the back and people chatting in the front. The barista was talkative and spoke English flawlessly, like most Puerto Ricans in the city. He enjoyed his coffee and then we walked back to the car and drove back to the hotel.

We had many evenings were we were able to see the sunset, but only in San Juan. When we were in Rincon, we were facing the wrong direction for a sunset. It was so peaceful to be able to see sun rises in the morning and the sunsets at night over the ocean. I was even able to wake up naturally to enjoy some of the sun rise. Back home, that is unheard of as I need an alarm to wake even get me up in the morning. I guess when I am relaxed and rested, I am able to wake up on my own. It would be wonderful if like was like one long vacation! If it was then I wonder if I would get too used to it an not enjoy vacation as much as I do now.  

Morning view of the beach

The only other thing that rivals ocean sunsets and sunrises over the ocean are sunsets and sunrises over the mountains. Each year, I strive to see one of the other. In the beautiful state of North Carolina, I have the option of seeing both within only a couple hour drive. While the North Carolina coast is nice, the coast in the Caribbean is unbeatable! Nothing compares to the clear water and white sand. It feels like a little slice of heaven. 

What is your slice of heaven on vacation?

Plantains Two Ways-MoFo Post Seven

Post #7 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

One of my favorite cooked fruits is the plantain. It is enjoyable both salty and sweet and can pair well with many different entrees. They are also versatile enough to be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In Puerto Rico, we had fried sweet plantains for breakfast one day and another we had boiled green bananas with onions and oregano. Which reminds me, I have to get my hands on some green bananas. 

Plantains that are not quite ripe

John and I have enjoyed plantains for years. We made up our own recipe which we enjoy, but are not likely authentic. For this MoFo post, we purchased four plantains and made them in two different way. The first way was tostones or patacones. Tostones is the Puerto Rican word for the dish, while patacones is the Colombian word. I believe the recipes are similar, however; I followed a recipe for tostones. Tostones are traditionally fried in quite a bit of oil, but we are not a fan of deep frying food and only used a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons for two plantains).  

I did not mash them well enough after the first pan fry, so they are not as large as traditional tostones. I think in the future, I will make the plantain slices larger. Even though the shape was not what I expected, I enjoyed the taste. We usually make plantains sweet and I tend to prefer savory items for dinner. 

I should have used a spatula to smash the tostones

The second plantain dish that we made had a citrus and sweet element to it. We generally use water or olive oil spray to pan saute the plantains. The end result is a crispy and browned plantain. The sweet element is usually agave nectar, however; we were fresh out of it and used maple syrup instead. We often have this as a dessert or wait and enjoy it after dinner. It is a simple dessert and minus the sugar, is healthy. 

My attempt at tostones

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

• 2 plantains, ripened to a brown-almost black color, and cut into slices
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 2 tsp of agave nectar or maple syrup
• Olive oil spray or water 

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

Prepare a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil or with water. When warm layer the plantains in the skillet, do not overlap. Cook for about three minutes, flip over and cook three minutes more. When finished squeeze the lime juice over the plantains. Then drizzle the agave nectar. Let caramelize for about a minute and then flip over and cook for about a minute more. Serve immediately while warm.

Abundant Eggplant - Post 8

Eggplant is such a beautiful, deep violet color that I imagine the first people that tried it were expecting something amazing. I wonder if those people were disappointed. When I see eggplant, I want to eat it then I am usually disappointed. I do not dislike the vegetable, I just do not fully appreciate it. I think that it is wonderful breaded and fried, but since I normally do not bread or fry I am often at a loss as to what to do with it. I have made eggplant parmesan vegan and gluten free, but it was not stellar. It is probably because I did not fry the eggplant. I am not the type to fry things. I do not love fried foods. Well, let me clarify--fried foods do not love me.

I have also sliced eggplant thin and oven roasted it and served it in a sandwich with roasted red pepper. I like eggplant that way, but I felt like I needed something new. The way I tend to prefer eggplant is in a Middle Eastern dish called baba ghanoush. For several weeks in a row, we had gotten eggplant in our CSA share and I decided to try the dish again. I had made it years ago and wanted to improve on the flavor. It came to me that the way to up the flavor in this dish would be to roast the garlic along with the eggplant. So I tried an experiment of stuffing the garlic into the eggplant while it was roasting. My thought was that the flavor of the garlic would infuse the eggplant while roasting. The result was a garlicky success. 

I served this as a side dish to tofu and vegetable kabobs with brown rice on the side. As I thought about the flavor of the baba ghanoush, I envisioned it as a delicious pasta sauce as well. I tried the idea recently and was pleased with the result. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of it as a pasta sauce. 

Baba Ghanoush

• 1 large eggplant or 3 small (I used 3 here)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and cut in three slices
• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Sumac (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the eggplant. If using three small eggplants, cut three slits into each. If using one eggplant, cut 9 slits. Make sure that the slits are large enough for the garlic slices. Stuff the garlic slices into the slits and place on a baking sheet sprayed with a small amount of olive oil. Roast the eggplant for 25-35 minutes until tender. 

When finished, remove from the oven and let cool. When cooled, remove the garlic from the eggplant and place into a food processor. Peel the eggplant and scoop out the tender inside into the food processor. Place the tahini and lemon juice in the processor and blend. Stream in olive oil until it has reached a consistency that you prefer. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and pulse for a couple of seconds. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed. 

Place into a serving dish and drizzle olive oil in the center. If using, sprinkle with sumac. If you do not have sumac, you can sprinkle with paprika.

Vegan Pigs in a Gluten Free Blanket - Post 7

As a child, I would get so excited when my Mom had company over and made party fare. One of the things she would serve was cocktail franks wrapped in dough. She would also make an accompanying dipping sauce. I would always get so excited and would help her make the cocktail franks. When the party started, I would stand near them and gobble them down. I always loved hot dogs as a child. Then I became vegetarian and eventually vegan and I still wanted to eat these as a treat. I would often buy vegan hotdogs and prepackaged biscuit dough and have these as a treat. 

After I became gluten free, I learned that this no longer could be a snack for me. When I stopped feeling sad and sorry for myself, I decided to come up with a recipe. I did not need to go to the store and buy biscuit dough, I could make the dough myself. Then these wonderful wrapped dogs could be a treat again. 

Let me say, what a treat they are! When we have them, we serve them with  oven sweet potato fries and a healthy kale salad. I think that these are even better than the originals ones I had a child. I use flax seeds in the dough as the binder and it gives the dough a pretty speckled look and a rich flavor. I am very happy with the result and plan to cut of the vegan hot dogs into small pieces to serve at our next party. 

Vegan Pigs in a Gluten Free Blanket

• 2 cups of all-purpose gluten free flour (I used a brand I purchased online, but Bob's Red Mill would work)
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1/4 cup of tapioca flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp of vegan shortening (I used Spectrum organic shortening) 
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 4 tbsp of water
• Olive oil 
• 1 package of vegan, gluten free veggie dogs (e.g. Tofu Pups)

Start by making the flax goo eggs. In a small bowl, mix the ground flax seeds with the water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. You will know they are ready when they are gooey. 

In the meantime, mix the all-purpose flour, xantham gum, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut in the shortening with a fork. You should see pea size pieces form from the shortening. Add in the almond milk and flax goo eggs and mix until a sticky dough is formed. 

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place a small amount of olive oil in a small bowl. Remove the veggie dogs from the packaging and set aside. The dough is very sticky so you will need to rub some of the olive oil on your finger tips and palm. Place a veggie dog in your hand and pick up a couple of tablespoons of dough. Form the dough around the dog and roll it in your palm to make the dough cover the dog completely. Patch up any wholes and place the covered dog on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the veggie dogs, making sure to place olive oil on your hand before you roll each one. 

When the dogs are finished, place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the dough is fully cooked through. Serve warm with ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce!

Raw Kale Salad

Post number 19 for VeganMoFo. I'm one post away from my goal of 20 posts this month for MoFo!

I have had a cold for about a week now. It started off feeling like the flu, but now it has manifested into a cold. This feels like a long time to have a cold. I am wondering if my immune system is down a bit since I had some accidental incidences with gluten over the summer. I am trying not to be too concerned about it, but I can't help but wonder.

With these concerns, I have wanted to eat more greens. We purchased greens at the farmers market this past weekend and felt that a raw kale salad was in order. I have been on a kale kick all year. I can't get enough of that green! It is delicious and the most nutrient dense food available. To make the salad we use a whole pound of kale and share it, therefore we each eat a half a pound of kale. Because of the density, this salad is so filling. We normally switch up some of the ingredients, but kale, avocado, and the dressing always remain the same. We served this with a tempeh and bell pepper stir fry. The salad was so filling, that I only had a small serving of the stir fry.

Raw Kale Salad

• 1 pound of kale, washed, stems removed and leaves torn*
• 1/2 cup sungold tomatoes from our garden, washed and cut in half
• 1 avocado
• 1/3 c fresh squeezed lemon juice**
• 1/4 c flax seed oil
• Few drops of Braggs liquid aminos

Place the prepared kale in a serving bowl and add in the tomatoes. Prepare the dressing before cutting the avocado. Place the lemon juice, oil, and Braggs in a bowl and whisk vigorously until mixed. Set aside. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the goodness. chop into small pieces and sprinkle on the salad. Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the salad. Toss to make sure that the dressing coats the leaves and the avocado. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes to soak in the flavor. Serve and enjoy!

*We used dinosaur kale as it is our favorite.
**The lemon was large, so we only needed one. If you have a smaller lemon, you will probably need two

Plant- Vegan Awesomeness in Asheville

Post number 7 for VeganMoFo.

John and I decided to have a weekend away in Asheville, NC. We found a green B&B that understood vegan/gluten free food and was close to downtown. We booked a room and headed to Asheville on Friday morning. We took our time and left later in the morning. We were not in any hurry to rush. It was our weekend and we wanted to relax. Our first meal in Asheville was dinner on Friday night and we decided that it was time to try Plant, the new vegan restaurant that opened in Asheville in late summer. I had contacted the restaurant in advance and learned that many of their dishes were gluten free. With that confirmation, we were off to have a nice, relaxing evening of delicious cruelty-free fare. I could hardly wait!

The restaurant was easy to find and had a nice modern decor inside. The kitchen was open, so you could see the chefs working tirelessly on their vegan creations. Every seat in the restaurant was taken. We arrived right before the rush and avoided waiting, but I'd recommend reservations in the future. The hostess seated us and provided us with a one page menu and a corresponding drink list.

Now it was on to the good part- VEGAN FOOD! John ordered a local beer and I ordered an iced mint tea. As a starter we ordered the cheese plate. It was composed of the homemade almond cheese with herbs sprinkled on top served with black garlic oil and vinegar, apples, olives, pea shoots (or some kind of small green), and shredded carrots. We were both impressed by the cheese plate. The almond cheese was soft and spreadable. It was delicious on the apple or eaten with the olives. The cheese is versatile enough to be eaten with a sweet or savory accompaniment.

For dinner I ordered the black pepper tofu which came with a jasmine rice and kaffir lime cake and a saute' of zucchini, and exotic mushrooms with spinach on top. I do not know the name of the mushrooms, but I had never had them before. To date they are my favorite mushroom. They had a nice chewy texture and a smooth flavor that is hard to describe. I asked the waitress the name and of course forgot it since. The rice cake was crispy and flavorful and I could have eaten a dozen of them. Luckily, they only put three on my plate!

John had the sweet corn risotto. It was a grilled tempeh with a green chili cream sauce, and a zucchini, cremini, red pepper, and okra mixture (which they called risotto) with spinach on top. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors in his dish. The creme sauce was rich, yet not over powering. It worked well with the "risotto" mixture. He absolutely loved it and wished he had had a full other plate of the delicious entree. I wished the same for mine.

The portions were not large, but we left feeling satisfied and happy. We decided to pass on dessert as we had picked up raw, vegan, gluten free macaroons as the co-op that we wanted to try. We headed out to a local coffee shop and enjoyed a hot cup of apple cider and enjoyed our raw dessert.

The night was a delicious success. I will recommend Plant to vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. It is a place for anyone who would like a bit of upscale dining with a lot of flavor and creativity!

Cashew "Cheese"

I’m a bit nutty and that might be why I like nuts so much. While I’ve eaten them my whole life, I never went far beyond the peanut until the past five or so years. Sure, I would consume mixed nuts at a party, but I never used them in cooking. Along the way, they became a larger part of my diet. Early on, I'm not sure I realized the wonderful nutritional benefits that they offered, such as omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, plant sterols, and so on. They are also rich in unsaturated fats, unlike milk, eggs, and meat (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085/NSECTIONGROUP=2). Unless you are allergic, there is no reason they shouldn’t be a normal part of your diet.

Cashews are among my favorite nut and if I don’t watch myself, I can eat too many in one sitting. While nuts are healthful, they contain fat and I try not to consume an overabundance of fat in my diet. This is pretty easy since I’m vegan!

Some of my favorite ways to enjoy cashews is to add to cooked dishes, granola, oatmeal, and cereals. Every once and a while, I want the cashew to be the star of the show and when that is the case I dine on cashew cheese. There are probably hundreds of recipes for cashew cheese and if I repeat one here, it is by coincidence only. I’ve combined elements of cashew cheeses that I’ve had in the past to come up with the following recipe. I served it at a recent event and it was a hit!

Cashew Cheese

• 2 cups of raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours (if you need them quicker, you can go with at least 30 minutes)
• ¼ cup of water- use more or less depending on consistency.
• ¼ cup of lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• Tahini to taste
• ½ tsp of salt or less to taste- I prefer less
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Pinch of paprika
• Pinch of chili powder

Drain the cashews and place them into the bowl of the food processor along with the clove of garlic and nutritional yeast. Pour half of the water, lemon juice, tahini, and blend. Add more water as needed for consistency and more lemon juice for taste. When it has almost reached the desired consistency add the ground pepper, salt, paprika, and chili powder. Give the cheese a final blend while being careful not to over process. The cheese should be smooth with texture. Taste and add more spices as needed.

Chill for about a half hour, or until ready to use. Serve with gluten free crackers or vegetables and enjoy!

Fresh Rolls

Blog #14 for the vegan MoFo 2010 challenge!

Thai is my favorite type of food (Indian is a close second) and I love eating in Thai restaurants. Since going gluten free, it has been more challenging to find Thai places that can cater to me. I have not yet tried to go to my favorite Thai place because I am scared that my favorite dishes won't work for me any longer and then I'll be crushed.

I am not great at making Thai food as a whole, but I think we have Pad Thai as well as a few others down. Generally, we like it much better out. One of our favorite things, however, is to make are fresh rolls, also known as summer rolls, with tofu at home. We often make sushi, fresh rolls, and miso soup and call it a dinner.

We were recently craving these rolls and decided to make them for dinner. We generally vary our ingredients each time we make them. In this particular instance, we used the following for our rolls.

• Rice paper wrappers
• Thin bean thread rice noodles
• Extra firm tofu
  
• Carrots
• Green leaf lettuce
• Mint
• Cilantro
• Sauce- made of up gf tamari and agave nectar
  

In case you have never made them before, here is the process we use. Begin by cutting the tofu into strips, spray a little Bragg's amino acids on the tofu and bake until just starting to brown. While the tofu is baking, wash and prepare the herbs and lettuce and set them aside in separate containers. Follow the instructions on the package for the noodles. In the meantime, warm water in a tea kettle or on the stove. When it is hot, but not too hot to touch, pour it into a large bowl. The bowl should be big enough for the rice paper wrappers.

Now you are ready to begin putting the rolls together. Start by dipping the wrappers into the warm water. When they soften, pull them out. You don't have to let them get too soft. It takes about 10 to 15 seconds depending on how warm the water is. If you notice the wrappers are taking longer to soften, warm up more water and add it to the bowl.

Place the softened wrapper on a hard surface, and place the lettuce down and then top with the other ingredients. We usually do- lettuce, noodles, carrots, tofu, and then herbs on top. Any order will work, you just have to try it and see what works best for you. Make sure you place all of the ingredients in one section of the wrapper, close to the edge. Once all of the goodies are in place, it is time to fold.

I didn't take a picture of my best work here. The ingredients should be more towards
the edge of the wrapper towards the bottom of the picture

Fold the sides on the left and right over about an inch in. The sides folded in should not touch. Note that if you have too much on the inside, it will rip or fall apart. It might take you a try or two to get the amount correct. Don't worry, you can just keep using the same wrapper.

Again, not my best work. The ingredients should be more towards
the edge of the wrapper towards the bottom of the picture

Next, begin folding the end with the ingredients over toward the opposite side that is empty. When you get to the end, you don't need to do anything as the wrapper will be wet and sticky enough to hold together.

I usually tuck in any folds that are sticking out before serving.

Then repeat until you have finished all of your ingredients. It is good to let them sit for about 15 minutes before eating. You can use this time to mix your dipping sauce. Sometimes we use a peanut sauce. This time, we used a soy based sauce. I mixed a tablespoon or two of low sodium, gf soy sauce with a little agave nectar. Get creative and add in what you like to taste on your rolls.

And there you have it- completed fresh rolls! Enjoy!

Sushi, Miso, and Ginger Dinner

Ever since I heard of sushi, I was on board. Only the vegetable kind, of course. (Vegetarians don't eat fish.) About 10 years ago, I saw a demonstration about how to make sushi and I was sucked in. I bought a bamboo sushi set and tried it out. It was not hard! I put my own little twist on it, so it is not traditional, but we like it.

John and I were craving some of the ricey goodness, so we decided to have a sushi night. To go with the sushi, we made miso soup and a ginger salad. This is one of my favorite meals to get at a Japanese restaurant. Not all miso soups made are vegetarian, so sometimes I substitute the miso part of the meal with edamame.

Instead of white rice, we used brown rice. I know it is not traditional, but we prefer to eat brown rice. In the sushi we used avocado, carrot, cucumber, and pickled diakon. For the salad, we used red leaf lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers. We bought a ginger dressing from the store and it we liked it. Nothing is better than the ginger dressing from my favorite Japanese/Thai restaurant, but this dressing was good enough (by the way, if you know of a way we can make ginger dressing from scratch like you would find in a Japanese place, please send me the recipe). For the miso soup, it was simple. Water, miso paste, tofu, wakame, and scallions.

I was less than impressed with the miso soup. I will keep trying. We loved the sushi and the salad though! We did not the sushi into slices, because we need to get our knives sharpened and it ends up turning into a mess. Since it was just the two of us eating, we kept it in form of a roll and ate it whole. It is a little challenging to dip it in soy this way, but it still tasted like we wanted it! Yummy!

Writing about this and thinking back to sushi night, makes me want sushi again. I think I see another sushi night in our future. Guess I better get out my chopsticks and bamboo sushi set.