Quick Favorite Fast it's MoFo Pizza

I love pizza and making it at home is always so much fun. Thanks to wonderful conveniences, like the vegan pre-made pizza dough at Trader Joes and of course the wonderfully melty Daiya shreds, my family can have pizza night that is easy and omni-friendly. Simply flour a surface, roll out your dough, put down sauce, daiya and toppings, pop it into the oven and "you're good to go". (There's a cooking show hostess that says that ALL the time, it annoys me, but it works here). My husband and daughter always get in on the fun. When they do it, there is flour everywhere, the pizza is at times odd-shaped, and I may have more Daiya on the cooking stone than on the pizza, but it tastes wonderful and they are enjoying something completely vegan without missing a thing. My daughter is forever coveting the real "cheesiness" of things, as I have said before. Daiya really gives her that when I can't make my own cheesy product. There are just so many more options for us to enjoy these days, this just goes to show that Veganism will in fact take over the world much sooner than we think.

-Ty

Veganizing an Old Favorite. . . It's Curry Time!

I have a sister-in-law, she is Guyanese and truly awesome. She has introduced me to so many wonderful South American/Caribbean dishes that have become staples in my kitchen at home. One of the first dishes she really "taught me" was curried chicken. Now, I have veganized this before with tofu and then with tempeh, or even veggies only. This was my first time with seitan. I used White Wave seitan, although I have to say that usually I make VWAV homemade seitan, and though I do like that a little better, the tenderness of the store-bought seitan was really great in this recipe. It probably sounds gross, but it gave it a more fatty texture that is custom to many curried meat dishes.

I served it with sauteed kale (olive oil, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds). I thought it was delicious, I am biased I know. I don't really call this a recipe, because it changes so much, but I will give a rough idea of what I do.

Curried Seitan

10 oz to a pound of seitan, tempeh, or extra firm pressed tofu

2 cups (at least) bite-sized cut potatoes (I quartered small red, purple and white potatoes for this batch)

1 bell pepper (any color)

1 medium or 1/2 large onions (I chose red for this)

2/3 can coconut milk (optional)

Curry Powder* (I don't know how much, it really depends on taste and what type of curry you are using) Start with about 2 Tbsp., I would say

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp each ground coriander and cumin

1/2 freshly ground black or white pepper

Oil for sauteing

2-3 cups of water

Salt to taste

*I use a combination of Jamaican curry powder (which is diluted some with salt and flour), madras curry powder (be careful this can be hot), and generic bulk bin curry powder for balance (my local health food store has a really great one). How much curry powder you use really depends on what type you get and what spice tolerance you have. Just keep tasting and don't be ashamed to do so.

First saute onions and peppers in oil at the bottom of your stock pot. When onions and peppers have softened and onions begin to become transparent, add in the garlic and continue to saute. Add the curry powder and other seasonings and toast in the veggies and oil to release more flavor. Add your protein and more oil if possible, brown the protein, stirring gently to brown on all sides. Add coconut milk, water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and add salt to taste here. Continue to simmer and reduce, potatoes and coconut milk will serve to thicken. Remember that the curry will continue to thicken even after it has been removed from heat, so continue cooking until you have ALMOST reached your desired level of thickness. Serve over rice. Such good stuff, I think so anyway.

It's Monday, What Pray Tell is For Lunch?

Some of the challenges that I first experienced with going vegetarian and then vegan were lunch choices. Because of my job, I often grab lunch out and about. Yes, I should prepare my lunch at home and I do that when I can, or steal home to have lunch sometimes too, but it isn't always practical and you have to find options. One of my favorite options is Chipotle. The food is usually great and fresh and there are so many choices. I personally choose, the vegetarian fajita bowl. I get rice, black beans, tomato salsa, corn salsa and my guac on the side with chips. Waaaayyyy too much food always, so you can save some for later, unless you're greedy like me (I can't eat dinner on the nights I go, I'm so full). The food is colorful and pretty and so tasty, if you haven't tried it, just know that there are vegan friendly opts all around. Check out the special diets section where they actually let you know what's out for vegans, yay. I really like what they do there.

My bowl.Chips and guac are a must if you can indulge, if not, guacamole in your bowl is such a winner too. It's so beautiful.

-Ty

Ode to My Cast Iron with a side of fungus?

"Why do you cook in that one, Mommy, it's so hard to clean". I remember saying that to my mother whenever she would pull out the dreaded black heavy frying cast iron to make EVERYTHING. It was crackly on the outside and ugly and hard to clean when Iwas old enough to do the dishes. . . Uggggh.

BUT. . .

One day, my stepfather taught her how and then me how to "season" it. I didn't know why at first, I certainly didn't want to eat it, lol. But when he showed me how to oil it lightly before I put it away and how to care for it and never leave it in a sink of water "soaking" because I hated finishing all the dishes, well I just finally fell in love with them. OMG, things just taste better in my cast iron. My cast iron skillet, which was given to me by my grandmother, when I got my first apartment (she picked it up thrifting, I love her), lives in the oven and gets used ALL the time. I sautee veggies, I make roux (apparently that IS the plural as well), I make sauces, and sear seitan and make chickn fried tofu, and...well you get the idea. The point is that I think all kitchens should have one. And if you have shunned the possibility because you were, like me, afraid of the heavy, black, hard to clean, "what if it leaves particles on my food", potential weapon of opportunity, I am here to tell you that will not regret that you did. treat it with a thin layer of oil after each cleaning and watch it become your favorite nearly-non-stick surface.


My beautiful cast iron skillet.



Oh yeah and I used mine last for sauteed mushrooms. Yay fungus!!



-Ty