Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are so good they should be banned. Banned from my diet FOREVER. They are rich with the flavor of toasted coconut, and perfectly nutty and chewy, like any oatmeal cookie worth it's salt should be. One of the things I love most about this cookie is that it isn't too sweet. I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal cookie, and heck, I figure it is at least somewhat better for you than the average cookie, since it has oatmeal in it--am I right?!

Anyway, I think the original recipe (that I have completely deviated from to achieve a vegan, less sweet, less salty, more whole grain version) came off of the back of an oatmeal container from a few years ago. I don't even recall the brand, all I remember was that the tube was red, and that it was a store brand, not Quaker oats. The leavening agents and oatmeal are all that remain from that original recipe.

A few things before we get started:

• You really want to mix the flaxmeal with hot water, and then let it cool off. It doesn't take long, so do this step first, then mix the dry ingredients, then mix the soy milk with the flaxmeal. 
• I have made this with a dash of cinnamon in the past, and it was epic. But I like the plain unadulterated version I share here, because I love the flavor of toasty coconut that much
• I really recommend letting the cookie dough hang out in the fridge for a while. I let this batch (pictured below) stay in the fridge for about 3 hours. It helps with the flavor and texture. Almost all types of cookie dough benefit from some refrigeration. I don't know why, so it must be magic. Wonderful, wonderful cookie magic....

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

makes about 4 dozen

1 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon flax

2 tablespoons very hot water

1/3 cup soy milk, or vegan milk of choice

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat white flour (or substitute regular whole wheat flour, though it will be a courser cookie)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups (or a 7 oz. bag) shredded coconut

In a small bowl or teacup, mix together the flaxmeal and hot water until thick and gloopy. Set it aside to cool.

In another bowl, stir together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. 

Cream the shortening and sugars until light, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once. 

By now the flaxmeal should be cool. Stir in the soy milk and vanilla until everything is well combined. Add to the shortening and sugars until just combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Add the oats and coconut, and mix until well combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until it is cold. It can be refrigerated overnight. 

When you're ready to start baking, preheat your oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Grease if that's your thing (but seriously, try a Silpat or parchment paper (it isn't made out of animal hides anymore, I promise), you won't regret it). Scoop rounded tablespoons or fancy-schmancy ice cream scoops full onto your pans, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies with the back of a fork. 

Bake 10-12 minutes (12 for the tiny ice cream scooped version!). Allow to cool on a rack. Or burn yourselves horribly eating them straight out of the oven. Just don't say I didn't warn you...

My Spring Sandwich Trends

I don't like sandwiches when it's cold outside--with a few exceptions. Spring has finally gotten itself figured out up here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and its arrival (accompanied by a dose of sudden busyness and illness) has inspired my current trend to eat sandwiches for most meals. Okay, maybe that was just what it seemed like over the weekend, but anyway. Here is what I've been eating a lot of for the past 3-4 days.

My current favorite vegan sandwich:

• Spread a moderate layer of some sort of hummus or bean dip on 2 slices of bread.
• 1 thick layer sliced tomatoes. Salt and pepper lightly, if desired (in my case: always!)
• 1 moderate layer thinly sliced English cucumbers
• 1 thick layer pepperoncini, sliced or halved, or whatevs. 
• 1 cup arugula 
• (optional: a layer of fresh basil leaves)
• Press together. Enjoy. Try not to get pepperoncini juices in your eye.

It's kind of weird to add a picture of a munched
 on sandwich, but that's how I roll.

And I just realized as I took my first bite of this very sandwich today: this might might make a pretty epic salad if topped with a simple vinaigrette and some olives. Now I wish I had olives on hand...  

Here is the Hummus I made. It's nothing fancy, just a particularly less fatty and less garlicky version of the classic stuff. With fresh thyme, since I had it on hand. Fresh herbs make everything better *grin*

Quick, Lower Fat Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and well rinsed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon tahini (leave it out if you are allergic to sesame, of course)

2 smallish cloves garlic, minced

handful of fresh thyme leaves, or herbs of your choice. Good candidates include: rosemary, oregano, basil, and flat leaf parsley. Cilantro might also be pretty tasty. So could a splash of lemon. 

1/2 cup water, set aside

salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, blend all ingredients except for the water. With the machine running, add a stream of water until the hummus reaches your desired consistency. It probably won't take the entire amount of water, but it depends on what you're using the hummus for. For sandwich spread, I liked it a little thin, so it spreads easily. When it has reached your desired consistency, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Black Bean Tofu

This was my lunch today. It was so good that I had to post it, even though I couldn't find my camera (the photo was taken with my phone, which is why it has that Precious Moments vignette quality...).

I kind of came up with this on the fly, after feeling quite sorry for myself after having some pretty icky Asian takeout last night. I wanted something good. Something with depth of flavor, not just fried tofu tossed with some chili, HFCS, and vinegar. My tummy can't handle that kind of abuse.

Tofu can be good. It should be good. I found that was missing food cooked with black beans. You know, those little fermented soybeans in dishes like Black Bean Chicken and Twice Cooked Pork (the Szechuan dish of stir-fried pork belly --what the rest of us know as bacon--basically a heart attack on a platter).  Black beans are salty, oily, a little smoky, and absolutely delicious. You can find them at Asian groceries and some supermarkets, if they have a good ethnic foods section.

This recipe serves three to four. Four, if you are the kind of weirdo that sticks to serving suggestions. My family just isn't. My 2 year old could easily finish off an entire pan of this if I let him.

I served this with plain old spinach stir-fried with garlic and steamed rice. Very bland sides like steamed veggies would really compliment this dish, since it is quite flavorful.

Black Bean Tofu

1 block tofu pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes**
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths (green parts only)
2 rounded tablespoons fermented black beans
1-2 tablespoons oil, for the pan (less if you can get away with it)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the pan has gotten quite hot, add some oil. Toss in the garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add the cubed tofu. Saute until all sides of the tofu are light golden brown. Add the black beans and toss to coat. Continue to saute until the cubes of tofu are caramelized in places. You want lots of spots of dark brown. Toss in the green onions and saute just enough to wilt them. Serve with simple vegetables and plenty of steamed rice.


**This recipe was tested using 19 oz blocks of organic tofu from Trader Joe's. The big box that does not specify firmness. It is rather soft, and absorbed the flavor of the sauce quite well. If your block of tofu is the 14 oz variety, I recommend adding half a cup of chopped veggies, such as sliced onions or celery, after letting the tofu cook for a few minutes. Alternatively, cut back on the black beans by about 1/2 tablespoon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Pancakes

As you can see, we are celebrating with green pancakes. I loved doing stuff like this as a kid, and my eldest little boy thought these were the coolest thing ever.

Here is the recipe I used, inspired by the original pancake recipe from The Joy of Cooking.

First, make the soy buttermilk. Combine 1 1/2 cups soy milk with about 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar. Stir and set aside to thicken.

Mix together in a large bowl:
2 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all purpose)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons sugar (you can leave this out if you don't want your pancakes to be so sweet)

In another bowl, mix well:
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tablespoon flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup very hot to boiling water
3 tablespoons canola, or other mild oil
1 tsp vanilla
soy buttermilk you just made
up to 1 tsp green food coloring--depends on how green you want your pancakes =)
2/3 cup water

Heat either a well seasoned cast iron skillet or a heavy bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat. You will know that the pan is ready to use when water sprinkled on the pan dances across the surface. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir until just combined, taking care not to over stir. At this time, if the batter seems too thick, add a little extra water. (Alternatively, use your first pancake, what we call a "test" pancake in my house, to determine if your batter is so thick that it isn't raising well or cooking through before getting too dark on bottom.) Spray hot pan lightly with oil. Drop 1/4 cup of batter into pan. You can cook multiple pancakes at a time if you skillet is large enough, but don't crowd the pan or nothing will cook well. When bubbles begin to rise to the surface around the edges of the pancake, flip. When you can no longer see raw batter around the edges of the pancake and it is fluffy in the center, it is done.
Serve with maple syrup, or, as we did, with apple butter. You can freeze the leftovers to toast later.

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday: Very Veggie Fried Rice

When I made this for lunch recently, Jonathan, my 2 year old son said, "Like this meal." That's great news for me. This lunch dish was composed primarily out of leftover ingredients I wanted to use up when I cleaned out my refrigerator.

You could make this for lunch, as we did, as a side dish at dinner, or keep some in the refrigerator for a nourishing snack. It reheats well, though I think it's yummiest fresh from the pan.

Very Veggie Fried Rice
serves 4-6, depending on appetite!
1 cup frozen peas

1 large carrot (or 2 small), diced fine
1 large celery stalk, diced fine
(alternatively, use up to 2 cups of leftover veggies. You may need to adjust the seasoning if you choose to do this)

2 cups leftover cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup green onions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
1/2 block tofu, or, leftover tofu from another meal
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
low sodium soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste
chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, and Sriracha (optional) to garnish
1-3 tablespoons oil, for the pan

To keep this lower in fat, use a large non-stick skillet or wok. That will significantly reduce the amount of oil necessary to "fry" your rice.

Squeeze the excess moisture from your tofu and break into medium chunks on a plate. Sprinkle tofu crumbles with five spice powder and soy sauce. If you are using leftover tofu, skip this step, and add the five spice powder when you add the garlic and ginger.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds, just until cooked. Be careful not to burn! Add the chopped celery and carrot and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tofu and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. At this point, add more oil to the pan, if necessary. Add the cold brown rice and cook until hot, stirring often. Stir in the hoisin sauce and green onions. Check the seasoning. Add Bragg's if it needs more salt.
Serve in bowls, garnished with chopped peanuts and cilantro. For those who (like me) like it spicy, drizzle with Sriracha. This would probably be great with a wedge of lime, too!

"Buttermilk" Biscuits

Vegan food is not inherently healthy. This recipe definitely proves that. Ever since I started toeing the water of veganism, I have been on a quest for a decent biscuit recipe. It's been pretty difficult to find one that I liked. Usually, the biscuit ends up tasting like Earth Balance or soy. Not my favorite flavors. This is my favorite recipe (well, for now, anyway). It's based on the buttermilk biscuits from the 2006 edition of The Joy of Cooking. I veganized the recipe in a way that would minimize the soy flavors. You could use almond milk in this recipe, but I did not want my biscuits to taste like almond. I want them to taste like biscuits. If you do not have coconut oil, you could try using a non-hydrogenated shortening. These are good the next day, best if rewarmed in a hot oven. 

"Buttermilk" Biscuits (adapted from The Joy of Cooking, 2006 edition)

makes about 9 massive biscuits; for smaller biscuits, adjust cooking time

2 cups all purpose flour, or whole wheat combination

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons cold Earth Balance

2-3 tablespoons cold coconut oil

3/4 cup cold Rice milk

1/4 cup cold soy milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix the milks and vinegar and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the fats using your fingers or a biscuit cutter. The mix should resemble peas. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture. Stir together. Knead the dough about ten times in the bowl, until the dough comes together. Dump out onto a well floured board and knead a few more times. With your hands, flatten dough out to about 1/2" . Cut biscuits out and place on baking sheet. Knead scraps together and keep cutting until you run out of dough. Group the biscuits close together on the baking sheet. This helps them get super tall and fluffy. 

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown. 

I recommend eating them with hot out of the oven with a smear of jam, but that is just my preference :)

House Balsamic Vinaigrette

I have a confession to make. I generally hate salad. At least, I did, until I began to experiment with the classic sherry vinaigrette on page 56 in the French Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Loomis. I discovered that I don't like sherry vinegar, and that I am a wimp about mustard, so I tweaked and tweaked until I came up with a recipe that I really did enjoy*. Now I like salad :) In fact, one of my absolute favorites is a simple salad of baby greens and grape tomatoes tossed with a little of this vinaigrette.

This recipe forms the base for all of my homemade salad dressings, with few exceptions. It's very easy, can be made by hand, in a blender, or in a food processor, and tastes infinitely better than bottled dressings. Homemade salad dressing seems so fancy (from this bumpkin's perspective, anyway), but really, they are the easiest thing in the world. Mine probably aren't cheaper than the store bought bottles of, say, Kraft, or whatever, but that's because I use quality--often organic--ingredients, not cheap soybean oil and vinegar.

A note for those worried about the amount of fat in this:
First of all, eat real food in moderation and enjoy life :)
Second, I dress an entire bowl of salad for my family with about 2 tablespoons of this, no joke. A serving size for any fat is 1 tablespoon, I believe. This dressing is flavorful and sticks well to salad leaves because it is a thick emulsion. It just takes a little while to get it gently tossed in the leaves. Also, I don't like very vinegary dressings. So if you want to add less fat, do it. I don't care. You'll probably end up needing way more salad dressing for the same amount of leaves.
Third, this the only salad dressing that my little two and a half year old always eats. Back when we ate dairy, he wouldn't even reliably eat ranch. It's also one of the only dressings that I like.

House Balsamic Vinaigrette
makes just over 3/4 cup
1/3 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup good quality olive oil

Mix everything but the oil in a small mixing bowl, food processor, or blender. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking or blending all the while, until the olive oil is fully incorporated, creating a thick emulsion.

*But it all came about because of that original recipe by Susan Loomis, so a big fat thanks to her!

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday: the Brinner Edition

I've been looking for ways to use up leftover ingredients. You know, when you buy a bunch of green onions, but could only use up the dark green tops? Or when you have half an onion and a metric crap-ton of leftover baked potatoes in the refrigerator? Or half a bunch of kale? or half of a bell pepper? or five slices of bread left in the loaf? Or whatever...

Whenever I throw away leftover ingredients that have spoiled because I couldn't figure out how to use them, it always brings to mind the saying that my Grandma (and probably every one else's grandma) used to say: Waste not, want not. 

Welcome to my first post celebrating that frugal concept!

Tofu scramble, soy chorizo hash, biscuit

Breakfast for dinner, or Brinner, as it is affectionately known in our household, is a classic standby on days when I don't feel like cooking. The whole meal whips together very quickly, and easily utilizes leftover ingredients. The skillet potatoes and scramble are both great ways to use up leftover veggies and herbs. Try throwing in broccoli, onions, kale, sweet or hot peppers, or asparagus. Serve with toast or biscuits. Fresh fruit or juice would make this a complete meal.

Tofu Scramble

serves 4

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1/4 tsp turmeric

1-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (to taste)

1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 block extra firm tofu, squeezed of excess moisture

up to 1 cup leftover veggies

1 tablespoon oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix liquid smoke, soy sauce, ketchup, turmeric, and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Crumble tofu into medium sized chunks onto a plate or into a bowl. Add seasoning mixture and stir well to combine. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until just cooked, taking care not to burn. Add the seasoned tofu. Cook, stirring often, until hot and browning slightly. Add in your veggies and saute until hot. Toss in green onions, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. 

Skillet Potatoes with Soy Chorizo 

serves 4-6

1/2 link Trader Joe's soy chorizo

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cold baked potatoes, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

up to 1 cup leftover veggies

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring every few minutes, until golden brown. Add the chorizo and leftover veggies, and cook for about two minutes. Add the bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper is crisp tender. Season to taste and serve. 

Cumin Scented Lentil and Barley Stew

I love soup. It's pretty much my favorite food. And yes, I do realize how vague that is. This very simple stew is so warming and comforting on a cold and rainy winter day. I developed this recipe last fall when I was trying to figure out how to reinvent my lentil stew to make it vegan and just as tasty as the meatified version I was used to making. I could lie and say that I wanted a simple list of ingredients, but the truth is, I was too lazy to go to the store that day and wanted to utilize ingredients I had on hand at that moment.
This was developed for a pressure cooker, but would probably work in a crock pot (with the same amount of water, I think), or simmered on the stove top the usual way with a little extra water if needed.

For those who want to make this gluten free, use short grain brown rice instead of barley for the grain, or eliminate it entirely.

Cumin Scented Lentil and Barley Stew
serves 6
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup barley
4 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chopped kale or spinach
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot or the pot of your pressure cooker, heat oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, garlic, and bay leaves and saute for about a minute, until the herbs are very fragrant, taking care not to burn. Next, add the onion. Saute until it is somewhat translucent. Add the celery and carrot and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the water, lentils, and barley, and stir. Place the lid on your pressure cooker and cook at 15 psi for 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat and depressurize the pan. Once it has returned to normal pressure you can return the pan to medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir to help it dissolve. Add the kale, replace the lid but do not lock. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Young kale will not take as long to cook, and if you use spinach it will take even less time. Cook just until the greens are cooked through and no longer bitter. Stir to incorporate. Serve with warm crusty rolls and a seasonal salad.

Aloo Gobi

This is probably not a very traditional Aloo Gobi. I don't actually know. What I do know is that I love it, and it tends to go pretty quickly whenever I serve it. I like to garnish it with fresh tomato, cilantro, and caramelized onions. To make it less spicy, reduce the amount of chili, starting with the cayenne.

One thing that is important to note: you really want to do all of the prep before you begin cooking. Have the ingredients, especially the spices, close to your pan. Read the recipe through a few times, and make sure you understand the order of operations :)
Happy cooking!


Aloo Gobi
makes a whole bunch
1 medium head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed and cut into medium florets
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 Tablespoons shredded ginger
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (or more) jalapeno or serrano chilis, diced
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
5 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2-3 Tablespoons oil for cooking
1/4 cup of water, plus more if needed

Garnish:
1 tomato, chopped and set aside
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, set aside
1/2 large onion, diced

In a small bowl, mix turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and 1/4 cup of water to make a spice paste.

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil. Drop one cumin seed in the hot oil. If the seed cracks, add the cumin seed and saute for about 30 seconds.

Add the ginger, bay leaves, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds to one minute, just until cooked. Do not burn the garlic or the ginger!

Add a little more oil if your pan seems dry. Next, add the spice paste and stir until the spices and the oil begin to separate. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, about 1/4 cup of water, and salt to taste. Stir well, then cover the pan. Cook over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower and potatoes are fork tender. Stir every 3-4 minutes. Add more water as needed if things begin to stick.

About ten minutes into cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a dollop of coconut oil (or veggie oil of your choice). Add the chopped onions and season with salt to taste. Saute until the onions begin to be caramelized. They should be tender all the way through, and a lovely golden brown. Taste and add more salt as needed.

When the cauliflower and potatoes are tender, pour into a serving bowl. Toss it gently with the onions, diced tomato and cilantro. Serve with hot rice or chapati.

Cardamom Pear Coffee Cake

A delicious cake that screams of fall and is pretty easy to make. The only thing that might make this recipe more complicated is if you choose to make homemade chunky pear sauce (recipe is at the end of this blog post). But even that is super easy, and honestly, well worth the effort!

Cardamom Pear Coffee Cake
for 1 8"x8" cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil (any unflavored oil should work well)
1 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 cup unsweetened pear sauce

Topping:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8"x8" pan. Mix all of the dry ingredients (NOT the ingredients for the topping, however) in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the almonds over the top of the cake, then sprinkle the sugar over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out dry and the topping is golden. Allow this to cool before cutting.
This cake is best enjoyed warm, with a big ol' cuppa black coffee. Awesome.

Pear Sauce:
This recipe is a great way to use up ripe pears if you find you have a sudden influx of them.
Peel and core several to several pounds of very ripe pears. Place in a sauce pan or deep pot with a dash of water (less water for few pears, up to a cup for several pounds of pears; just use as little water as you can without burning fruit to the bottom of your pan). Simmer over medium low until pears fall apart. Stir often. You can leave this sauce as chunky as you'd like. I like mine fairly chunky. It's great as a snack, or in the cake, above. Try it in oatmeal as a natural sweetener (this is what we do with our 2 year old!).

Cabbage Salsa and Cilantro Mayo Sandwich Toppers

To find the recipe I used for Curry Burgers, check out the (very awesome) website theppk.com. It's a great way to use leftovers, and I think we'll be using this basic recipe to make veggie burgers out of many of our leftover legume based stews. For the record, my 2 year old son loved the burgers but hated the curry we used to make them. For some reason he thought they were chicken nuggets...

This is my master recipe for Cabbage Salsa (or, Citrusy Coleslaw if the concept of salsa with non-tex-mex cuisine offends you). My family started out using this as a taco topper (using the tex-mex variation), but it soon moved to burger topper, and even a side salad. We eat this several times per month, often with tacos, but with a few variations, it's super good with many other cuisines as well (such as Indian inspired flavors!).

For full disclosure, I found a handful of recipes for cabbage salsa online and tweaked it to my own liking. It's been so long that I don't know which recipes were the specific inspirations for this, so I can't credit any of them.

Cabbage Salsa, Basic Recipe
3 cups shredded cabbage or prepackaged coleslaw mix (which is what we used for the batch pictured above)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 limes, juiced (this will vary by the lime--Most of the time I only need 1)
1 bunch of green onion tops (green parts only), chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Tex Mex Variation:
1 jalapeno or Fresno chili, minced
1 tomato, chopped fine
dash of ground coriander and cumin, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to combine. The lime flavor will be most sharp if served right away. Or, you can let this rest in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to let the flavors blend. The cabbage will soften slightly if you do this. We eat the leftovers the next day, but because it is wilted by that time, we frequently toss fresh shredded cabbage in the mix to reintroduce the crunch factor.

Cilantro Mayo
1/2 cup vegan mayo
2 Tablespoons minced green onions
3 Tablespoons finely minced cilantro

Stir ingredients together and serve. This works best served immediately. Great flavor for tex-mex, Indian, or North African flavors (think chili burgers, curry burgers, or falafel). This was pretty much essential on our curry burgers, especially with sliced tomato. It kicked them up from good to great.

Tofu Ham

Okay, so I don't do fake meat much. In fact, the first time I tried seitan, it made me really, really ill (possible gluten intolerance?). Recently I acquired a bottle of liquid smoke. I used to be afraid of liquid smoke. It seemed less like food and more like bottled science. But when I read the ingredients and saw that it really is just smoke mixed with purified water, I decided that it was well within the realm of food that is not too weird to eat. So I've been playing around with creating smoky vegan food. (Seitan is much weirder IMO, and vegans everywhere eat that all the time.)

Here is my tofu ham. We had this with hash-brown potatoes, onions, and a little bit of Trader Joe's soy chorizo for breakfast on Saturday. Everyone liked it the ham (and other food) quite well and suggested I share the recipe for my "ham" creation. So here it is!

Tofu ham. Hamfu? Tofam?

Tofu Ham (Tofam? Hamfu? suggest cutesy names in the comments section?)
makes 8 slices (marinade can be reused)


1 1/2 cups water (or low sodium/unsalted veggie broth)
3 Tablespoons Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or a combination
2 1/4 teaspoons Hickory liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup, or brown sugar
several drops of hot sauce, such as Frank's, Tabasco, or Cholula
1 block of tofu, pressed and sliced into 8 pieces

Mix all of the ingredients except the tofu in a blender. Blend until the tomato paste is dissolved. Arrange the tofu in a sealable container, such as a Ziploc bag or glass refrigerator container for leftovers, and pour over the marinade. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to cook your hamfu, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 375. Spray the foil with oil or nonstick spray. Lay the sliced tofu on the cookie sheet (you can either reuse the marinade or discard it). Spray the tops with oil or nonstick spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn the tofu gently, and bake for another 15 minutes. For a chewier (rubberier IMO) texture, you can bake it a little longer.

Serve it as it, or chop it up and toss it on a salad, use it as a garnish for split pea soup, or toss it in a sandwich.

Green Beans with Spring Onion Almond Pesto

This was one of those recipes that came together purely on accident, when dinner was almost finished, but I decided that the side dish needed just a little more oomph. In this case, the side was steamed green beans. And this recipe provided excellent ooph. This pesto whips together very quickly and is very flexible. Feel like more garlic and less green onion? Go for it. Want less crunch? Leave out some almonds. You can add more or less olive oil, change the type of oil, substitute broth--seriously, go nuts. No pun intended. Or was it?!

I recommend making this in either a food processor, or what I used, a 4 cup capacity "food chopper" (read: compact food processor). I like my Cuisinart 4 cup food chopper, but I'll write more about that awesome little tool later in some other post. A blender would probably work, too, in a pinch, but I have had issues with uneven processing when using a blender to make any kind of pesto. Unless you have a Vitamix, in which case you are awesome and I'm totally jealous.

Anyway, getting down to business....

Green Beans with Spring Onion Almond Pesto
Makes about 3/4 cup of pesto for 1 pound of green beans


3 green onions, trimmed of the fangly rooty bits at the bottom, and cut into rough 1" chunks (it will process better this way)
2 cloves garlic, peeled (smaller cloves will produce a less "hot" garlic flavor)
1/3 cup whole almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons-1/4 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound green beans, trimmed

Toss the garlic and green onions in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the garlic is chopped relatively evenly. Add the almonds, vinegar, and olive oil. Process again until the ingredients begin to come together to form a paste. I left my almonds somewhat coarse, rather than smooth, to preserve the lovely crunch of almonds, but if you like a smoother texture, continue processing until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a steaming apparatus (I use a bamboo steamer with lid over a pot of boiling water), steam the green beans until they are easily pierced by a fork, but haven't lost all of their crunch. Time will vary based on your green beans (and probably your altitude, or whatever). In a large bowl, toss the hot green beans with a few tablespoons of the pesto. Add more pesto until it reaches the flavor and texture that you like best. It may take quite a bit of tossing to coat all of the beans with the nutty, herby mix. But it's so worth it. Enjoy!

Three Bean Chili

I didn't actually watch most of the Superbowl. To be honest, I don't know anything about football, except that the men wear bright spandex and throw around an oddly shaped ball. I watched it to see Madonna's halftime show, which was actually pretty cool. 

Anyway, the Superbowl is always a time for chili and chicken wings, and since I am a vegan for the most part, I don't do chicken wings (and, Martha Stewart has the right of it: if we eat so many millions of chicken wings on Superbowl Sunday, what happens to the rest of the poor bird?!). Here is the chili I made. I was looking for a pretty chili that didn't have the usual deep, dark, spicy flavors. I like those flavors, but I also like to change things up.

So I did. 

This chili is bright. Like, a punch in the face from the sun after a long, rainy Seattle winter bright. It's also sweet, because of the roasted veggies, and well spiced, though you can always add or remove jalapenos to your liking. If you want to alter the heat, don't mess with the chipotle. It's there as a flavor component, not as a heat element. Without it, your chili will be a less awesome. Instead, substitute milder chilies for the jalapenos, or just leave them out. No big deal. 

Three Bean Chili 

serves 6

1 lb total weight of Anasazi, Black, and Great Northern beans soaked for several hours, cooked until soft, and drained (in a pressure cooker, 15 psi for 12-14 minutes)

2 medium red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped into half inch chunks

1 medium yellow onion sliced into 1/2" rings

1-2 jalapenos, or hot chilis of choice, roasted, peeled, and minced.

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3/4 lb ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks

3 cups water or veggie broth

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 of 1 chipotle chili**

1/2-3/4 tsp cumin seed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)

1-3 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil, or combination

salt to taste

green onions cilantro for garnish

Serve with whole grain tortilla chips, cooked rice, or sourdough rolls

Preheat broiler and place oven rack into lower 1/3 of oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lay out the onion ring slices and brush or spray lightly with olive oil. Put in preheated oven and cook until onion is lightly charred in places and softened most of the way through, around 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them without melting yourself (I often skip this step, but only do so at your own risk!). Chop them up into little pieces, picking out any bits that went black instead of lightly charred (the outer rings are usually the ones that get burned in my oven. Also, I tend to forget about things in the oven, so yeah...)

Heat a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add oil. When it is fragrant, add the fresh onion and sautee until the onion is starts to go transluscent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until the onion is fully transluscent. Add the chopped charred onion at this point, and cook until it is fully softened. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes. You want the heat fairly high for this part, so you may need to turn it up. Cook the tomatoes until they break down and no longer smell raw. Allow much of the water from the tomatoes to reduce. Continue to stir often so that nothing burns to the pan. You want to reduce the liquid, not scorch it. Add the roasted chilis, the chipotle, and the beans. Stir. Add the water, ground coriander, and tomato paste. Allow to simmer on the stove for 15 minutes or so, long enough to let the flavors mingle, but not long enough to break down the vegetables. Season with salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let the chilli cool off for another 15-20 minutes. This step seems stupid, but it was important for letting the flavor develop. Stir and adjust seasonings if necessary. I liked this best served with rice and garnished with green onions.  

**I'm talking about canned chipotles that come in adobo sauce near the Mexican foods in your grocery store. Since most people don't just eat an entire can of these babies in one meal, I like to toss the remainders in a sandwich bag in the freezer. I shave off what I need, when I need it. This method is great because it's easier to chop them when they're frozen, and the plastic bag protects your skin from the capsaicin in the chili. If you've ever rubbed your eyes after chopping chilies, you know all about capsaicin. (If you don't know all about it, you shouldn't chop chilies and rub your eyes to find out what all the fuss is about. Your life will suck for a couple of hours.)