August 7, 2011

Tempeh Salad Sandwich

There’s something that’s just so satisfying about tuna salad sandwiched between two slices of crunchy toasted bread with a pickle on the side.

I really don’t like vegan foods that are called things like “tuna” salad or “chicken” scallopini when it is not really tuna or chicken. It sets the expectation and usually the food ends up tasting nothing like what it’s trying to imitate. In this case, the tempeh is not trying to be tuna. The sandwich has some flavors that one might associate with a tuna salad sandwich but really it’s completely different. In my opinion it’s actually much better. The addition of capers adds a nice hint of saltiness, the carrots, celery and pickles are fresh and crunchy, the tempeh is satisfying and protein rich.  The entire thing is just so delicious, especially when stuffed into a whole wheat pita pocket

Tempeh Salad Sandwich

Serves 4

Adapted from The Kind Diet

1 8 0z. package of tempeh

1 kosher dill pickle, chopped

1 red onion, chopped fine

2 carrots, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 a cucumber, chopped

1/4 cup ume plum vinegar

2 tbs. veganaise

1/2 tbs. dijon mustard

juice from half a lemon

2 tbs. chopped dill

2 tbs. capers

Fit a steamer basket into a small saucepan. Bring water to a boil. Cut tempeh in half and place in steamer basket. Steam for 20 minutes. Chop into small cubes.

Dump minced onion in boiling water for 10 seconds. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl with ume vinegar. Let stand for 30 minutes. Blanch celery and carrots for 10 seconds in boiling water. Drain and place in a large bowl. Drain onion and dump into bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss around so everything gets mixed evenly.

Serve in pita pockets or on toasted bread.

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August 6, 2011

The Kind Diet

I just finished reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. I highly recommend reading this if you’re not vegan yet. If you’re already vegan, it will reinforce your reasons for being vegan. It has definitely made me think a lot about my diet. For the most part my reasons for being vegan are from the ethical standpoint. Eating meat has a huge effect on our environment, it is one of the main causes of global warming. Meat consumption in America makes me sick to my stomach. The way animals are treated in factory farms is absolutely horrific. These reasons alone are why I refuse to eat meat or any animal by-products. The Kind Diet reminded me of these reasons to be vegan, but it also took my veganism to another level. It made me think about the food I’m consuming and why. Food is fuel. Eating is enjoyable and that is the reason we seek delicious food. But the main reason we eat is simply to fuel our bodies and to supply us with energy. The same way we fill our cars with gas, we eat to fuel our activities. Sadly, eating has gotten out of hand. People no longer eat food as fuel. We overeat. We eat the wrong kinds of foods. As a result we are often tired and sick.

I try to eat a healthy vegan diet, but I also eat a lot of processed vegan foods and use a lot of sugar, white flour and earth balance in my cooking. Alicia Silverstone talks about not only being kind to the environment and to other living beings, but also to yourself. The Kind Diet highlights a macrobiotic diet that is based on whole grains, beans and lots of vegetables. It has inspired me to think a lot more about what I’m consuming. However, I don’t think that taste should ever be sacrificed for health. In a way this is a new challenge. It’s almost too easy to make something taste good with tons of sugar and vegan butter. But what about when you take away those ingredients? I’m excited to start creating recipes that are not only delicious, but wholesome.

Here is some proof that taste need not be sacrificed:

A little sugar or vegan butter might turn up every now and again, but for now I want to experiment with some healthier baking.

Has anyone else read The Kind Diet? What did you think of it?

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August 5, 2011

Cherry Pie and Perfect Pâte Brisée

I have made so much pie this summer. Each time I made a slightly different batch of Pâte Brisée. I finally achieved the perfect batch when I had to make 6 lbs. of pie dough for Andrew’s melon and tomato tarts. I had enough left over from our project to make another yet another pie. I’ve created a new page with instructions on how to make perfect vegan pie crust.

Apparently I do not in fact own a round pie dish. I just realized this when I went to make cherry pie and couldn’t find one anywhere. Use a 9″ round dish if you have one. I used a square pyrex dish.

This pie is so delicious that it was gone within two hours of coming out of the oven. Dophine, one of the students from China, insisted that I teach her how to make it. It’s just a basic cherry pie but the addition of almond extract is what makes it extraordinary.

Cherry Pie

Pâte Brisée

1 bag of cherries, pitted (5-6 cups)

3/4 cup sugar

7 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 tsp. Ener G egg replacer

4 tbs. soy milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and almond extract in a large bowl. Toss until cherries are coated with sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

Roll out one disk of pie dough on a heavily floured surface. I find that the more flour you use, the easier it is to handle. Carefully slide the sheet of dough into a 9″ pie dish. You can either roll it over the rolling pin to transfer it, or fold it into quarters, move it to the pie dish and then unfold it.

Dump the cherry filling into the bottom crust.

Roll out the second disk of pie dough. Using cookie cutters, punch out some smallish shapes (to let out the steam). Carefully transfer the dough to cover the cherry filling. Trim the excess dough and crimp the edges in a frilly pattern to seal.

Whisk the egg replacer and soy milk together until smooth and brush the pie with the mixture. Sprinkle with some extra granulated sugar. Stick the pie in the oven (on a cookie sheet) and bake for 40 minutes until crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for at least an hour.

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August 3, 2011

Chocolate Ganache

This stuff is incredible.

3 ingredients, 5 seconds and you have a decadent, raw, vegan dessert. A few tablespoons of this ganache satisfies voracious chocolate cravings that occur at eleven at night when it’s too late to walk to the store and buy a bar of equal exchange chocolate.

Yeah, that happens a lot.

Do you like your chocolate salty? nutty? spicy? I happen to like all 3. Top your ganache with whatever you’re in the mood for.

Some ideas:

  • chopped toasted almonds
  • cayenne
  • coarse sea salt
  • anis seed
  • candied ginger
  • sprinkle of cinnamon and a clove
  • fresh mint leaves
  • raspberries and edible flowers
  • crystallized violet
Whatever floats your boat.
Raw Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 1/2 tbs. coconut oil (in it’s liquid state)
Blend all three in a blender or food processor until perfectly smooth with no lumps. Divide amongst serving dishes.

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August 1, 2011

Guest Chef: Andrew makes Heirloom Tomato and Melon Tarts

Soop. My brother Andrew goes every month. It happens in a house. Every one brings an ingredient and a big pot of soup is made. People play music, recite poetry and tell stories.

This month it was a vegan potluck. It was my first time going. Andrew and I collaborated to make tomato and melon tarts. His original idea included tomato foam. It’s a molecular gastronomy technique that includes extracting the water from tomatoes, adding gelatin and whipping it into a foam. He had to use agar agar because gelatin is disgusting and inhumane. The foam came out being the exact appearance and texture of spit.

So we gave up on the foam because tomato seaweed flavored saliva is not an appetizing thought.

I don’t think much of molecular gastronomy. Food is about tasting delicious. Simple usually tastes better.

While Andrew sliced melons and tried to make tomato foam, I made 6 lbs. of pate brisee and a huge batch of creamy vegan ricotta.

The tarts turned out delicious. Although slightly anticlimactic after all that work.

These are the perfect hor’dourve for a summer party. The melon and tomato are so fresh and tasty on top of smooth, creamy ricotta all atop crunchy, flaky crust drizzled with basil oil.

Melon and Tomato Tarts

Makes about 30 little tarts

Crust:

1 lbs. flour

4 oz. earth balance (sticks are easier to use)

4 oz. non hydrogenated vegetable shortening (sticks are better)

1 tsp. sea salt

4 oz. ice water

Slice the earth balance and shortening into small pieces and freeze on a plate for 1 hour. Dump flour and salt into a food processor. Add earth balance and shortening and process until mixture resembles wet sand. Add ice water with the processor running and stop as soon as the dough starts to form a ball. You may have to scrape down the sides a bit. Form into a disk and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to 1/4″ thick and using a 2″ ring mold cut out as many pieces as you can fit. Place the circles on the cookies sheets, poke each one a few times with a fork and brush lightly with soy milk. Do not roll out the dough again. Bake the scraps with cinnamon sugar or whatever seasoning fits your fancy. Place another piece of parchment paper over the circles and another cookie sheet over that (to keep the crusts from puffing and curling). Bake on the center rack for 18 minutes until golden.

Creamy Ricotta:

1 package extra firm tofu, pressed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Basil Oil:

1/4 cup basil, packed

Enough olive oil to cover the basil in the blender

Place basil in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Working quickly, dump into a colander and then into a bowl of ice water.

For the Tarts:

Basil Oil

Creamy Ricotta

Crusts

1/2 a cantaloupe, diced

1/2 a watermelon, diced

heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin (not sure how many)

Spread the ricotta on each crust. Place 1 piece tomato, 1 piece watermelon and 1 piece cantaloupe on each tart. Drizzle with basil oil and serve.

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July 30, 2011

Cherry Upside-Down Cake

Why do most people think that vegan means healthy?

I’ve never understood that misconception. Vegan does not mean healthy at all. Oreos for example contain no animal products. Would you call oreos healthy? I certainly wouldn’t.

This cake is another example of how vegan does not mean healthy.

Rich vanilla pound cake, drenched in vegan butter, tons of brown sugar and cherries. Yum. If it makes you feel better, you’re not hurting any animals or the environment by eating this cake. Your own body, well that’s another story. . .

Use light brown sugar if you have it. The color of the cherries will show up much better. I only had dark brown so the fruit topping looks very chocolaty which can be deceiving.

Cherry Upside Down Cake

Topping:

Cherries, halved and pitted (I forgot to count how many, just buy a bag and eat the leftovers)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup earth balance

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup earth balance

1/2 cup blended extra firm tofu

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides of an 8 or 9 inch cake pan.

Topping:

Place the cake pan over a burner on your stove. Melt the 1/4 earth balance in the pan over low heat. Add brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Take off heat and set aside.

For the cake:

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and earth balance together in a large bowl. Add the tofu and vanilla extract, mix until fully combined and smooth. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until incorporated. Add the milk and the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined and smooth.

Pour in cake batter over topping. Place in oven and bake for 55 minutes until the top of the cake is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes in cake pan. Loosen sides of cake from the pan with a butter knife. Place a plate over the top of the cake pan and invert onto plate.

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July 28, 2011

Birthday Dinner at True Bistro

Yesterday was my 18th birthday. I don’t feel like an adult at all. I feel more like a kid than ever. In the last week, 2 people thought that I was 13 and one person thought I was 15. I’m starting to question my own age. Maybe I really am 14 or something and my parents have been lying to me about my age all these years. . .

                

Anyways my birthday had to include delicious vegan food in some capacity. I’ve been dying to try the newest vegan restaurant in Boston, True Bistro. It’s supposed to be an upscale vegan restaurant which is great because that’s exactly what Boston needs. We have plenty of casual vegan cafes, pizza places and crunchy juice bars but what we really need is a fine vegan dining establishment for special occasions and those of us who appreciate fine food and wine.

Our experience at True Bistro was great. The atmosphere is clean, light and inviting. The owner was there that night and kept popping by our table to chat. He was really friendly and quirky and knew quite a lot about astrology. He told my parents that they don’t belong together because my mum is an aries and my dad is a pisces. We told him he’s right because they’re divorced. Haha. He was super nice and gave me a $25 gift certificate to come back to True Bistro and a free dessert for my birthday!

First off my dad ordered a salad of Boston lettuce, roasted beets, chevre (vegan) and toasted walnuts with a champagne vinaigrette:

The salad was really good. The beets looked like tuna tartare funnily enough. The vegan goat cheese was incredible. Really delicious. My dad was confused at first because he couldn’t figure out why there would be goat cheese at a vegan restaurant.

For my entree I ordered the Hyderabadi stuffed eggplant. It was served over coconut basmati rice with apricto chutney and kachumber salad. The photo is taken from a terrible angle and is kind of blurry. I was eager to eat ok!

Of course I had to sample everyone else’s dishes. I have to say that my entree was by far my favorite. The eggplant was stuffed with coconut, onions, sesame seeds, chilis, herbs and spices. There was not a speck of food left on my plate when I was finished.

My mum ordered my second choice entree, Green curry with fried tofu, mizuna and bok choy, maitake mushrooms and a black rice cake:

This dish was pretty good. In my opinion it was a little lacking in flavor. When I hear curry, I expect some major spice. This dish hardly had any and I thought the tofu was kind of bland. My mum was happy with it though.

Instead of ordering an entree my dad got an appetizer (and the salad). Black bean and plantain torte, salsa verde and sour cream:

I only got a little bite of this. Pretty good on the whole, I think it could have used a lot more plantain though. I also think it should have been served with a little more salsa and “sour cream”.

My sister is unlike me in every way. I will eat anything (except animal products). My sister is a very picky eater and will only eat varying forms of white bread, cheese and fried potatoes. She ordered the house made french fries which are tossed with porcini mushroom-infused oil and fleur de sel:

Everyone who tried the fries was blown away by them. Except me. I guess I’m just not a huge fan of fries and white potatoes in general. I find them to be pretty bland. These fries were good as far as french fries go. My mum, dad and Violet could not stop munching on them and talking about how they were the best fries ever. I stole bites from the other plates while they were distracted.

Dessert is my favorite. One of the reasons I was adamant about going to a vegan restaurant as opposed to a very fine omnivore restaurant (where I would still be able to eat incredible vegan food) is because I wanted dessert. Not fruity sorbet or puffs of cotton candy; I wanted real decadent, creamy, rich vegan dessert.

When I looked online, I wasn’t really impressed with the dessert menu at True Bistro. It’s not exactly what I would call culinary innovation. The desserts seemed pretty straight forward with nothing very surprising or adventurous about them.

However when it came time for dessert I was completely blown away.

Up first is the dessert my mum and dad shared (with a lot of help from me)

Passion fruit tart, fudge ganache and candied citrus zest:

It was amazing. Passion fruit and dark chocolate are the perfect pairing. Tropical and slightly sour, the passion fruit tart is creamy and sweet, topped with chewy pieces of candied orange peel.

My sister ordered the “Death-by-chocolate” Cake with creme anglaise and crunchy shattered caramel:

Straight forward rich dark chocolate. If you love chocolate, you will love this cake. It’s as simple as that.

For my dessert, I ordered the Mango and macadamia nut crumble with vanilla ice cream (vegan):

Once again Victoria wins.

My dessert was by far the best of the dessert round. OH MY GOD. What the menu failed to mention is that this crumble is loaded with ginger. Basically I did not let anyone near my dish and did not say a word or look up from my bowl until it was finished. This dessert was the best thing about my birthday and the best dessert I’ve had in all 18 (or 14? I’m confused. . .) years of my life. Warm chunks of juicy sweet mango, spicy ginger, crispy crumbly brown sugary, cookie-like crisp with creamy cold vanilla ice cream. You can bet I’ll be thinking about this dessert obsessively for weeks to come.

True Bistro is doing an excellent job of providing a fine dining experience to vegans and vegetarians. The food is delicious and the environment is inviting. My only criticism is that the menu could use some work. The desserts taste amazing but they have the potential to be revolutionary. Instead of a slice of tart slapped onto a plate imagine how great it could be if it was served more thoughtfully with other components that support the main flavor.

Thank you True Bistro for an amazing birthday dinner! I will definitely be back.

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