Supper and the Single Girl

Vegan Meals and Random Thoughts

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Simple dinner


Tonight I took one of the chunks of seitan I made over the weekend (the other is in the freezer) and made a recipe from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook of seitan with mushrooms in a brandy reduction sauce. The recipe says to cut the stems off the mushrooms, but I use my handy dandy mushroom slicer and slice them instead. When I got my slicer, I paid a little extra for the slicer that is has a small container, so when I slice the mushrooms, they go into this little cup. The recipe took about 15 minutes to prepare from start to finish, so if you're hungry and have some seitan in the fridge, check the recipe out. I also had leftover pasta and asparagus, so I zapped those in the micro and layered the seitan on top of the pasta. Yum!

I totally forgot to mention--silly me--that I made some fabu desserts over the weekend. First I made Double Chocolate Almond Explosion Cookies from Vive Le Vegan! and while they are very tasty, I'm kicking myself for not having toasted the almonds per the recipe instructions. But I am lazy, and my kitchen is tiny, so whatcha want? Here they are:


I also made Fruity Fruit bars from La Dolce Vegan! with frozen pineapple and raspberries. Basically with this recipe, you use three cups of frozen fruit and mix and match to your little heart's content. I took the picture before I cut it into bars and I will say that they are a little tricky to eat--I need a plate and a fork because they fall apart--but they are totally delicious! I also think with the rolled oats in them, they have almost a breakfast bar sensibility. And bad girl that I am, I did indeed have some for breakfast this morning.


I am so looking forward to this weekend--three-day weekend. On Saturday, I'm hosting a restaurant visit at Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in Vienna, Virginia. As restuarant visit coordinator for the local vegetarian society, every month I visit a different restaurant to show the veg options in the area and let non-veg places know that there is a demand for cruelty-free dining. I do fairly well at picking vegetarian restaurants, but there's just not enough in the area without getting boring. And one place that isn't vegetarian but veg-friendly is thrilled to death to have us, but unless a place is totally veg, I won't go there every year. Still, I have to give a shout out to Flat Top Grill.

On Sunday, I have to take my little furbaby to the vet for her annual visit and triannual rabies shot. I was surprised to hear that the clinic is open Sundays, but that makes my life easier. It's one of the few times I ever take a cab because getting to the clinic would be a pain on public transit. I have taken my cat in her carrier on the bus before, but it's just easiest to put my life into the hands of one of D.C.'s loony cabdrivers. She'll be mad at me for a few hours, but then decide her need for pats carries more weight than her irritation at getting shots.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

If you've never made seitan before

I make my own seitan. I figure it's cheaper than the premade stuff. Plus, the premade is all in small chunks, and there are many times when I want chops, such as my Molasses-Marinated Seitan. Furthermore, the packaged stuff is pre-marinated, and that just doesn't do, as it could clash with the flavoring of my recipe. Yes, it's time-consuming, but you can cook something else, play on the computer, read a book, or do whatever while the seitan is simmering. Heat the broth while you knead the seitan, and that saves even more time.

On a message board where I frequently post, someone was a bit freaked out about how seitan changes when it's simmered. A before picture:


And after it's done simmering, in the contaners for storage:



The stuff blows up quite a bit, you know.

I typically use an entire box of Arrowhead Vital Wheat Gluten and double the flavoring recipe from La Dolce Vegan!. I usually make the faux beef, as it's my favorite flavor, but I may try to faux turkey broth for simmering seitan next time. One box of vital wheat gluten makes about two one-pound or so hunks of seitan that you can use in almost any recipe. I freeze one hunk for later use and put the other in the refrigerator to use during the week. If I had more containers and more freezer storage space (I have lots of frozen fruit to make desserts and I usually have vegan ice cream), I would make even more seitan, but such is life in a tiny apartment with a tiny kitchen and what probably is a three-quarter-size fridge.

And remember to store your seitan with the cooking broth, but discard the broth before using the seitan in a recipe, as it will dilute the flavor. If you find a recipe that calls for boneless meat recipes, try it with seitan instead.

Friday, May 19, 2006

I'm not a food stylist


But I had to do something because my Tofu Tidbits (from Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan), while tasty, were just not very pretty. I made the asparagus from a recipe on VegWeb (but I used walnuts instead of pecans), and the Sweet Potato Fries from Vegan With a Vengeance. I made the sweet potato fries once before when I had dinner with my boyfriend and that time, I tossed some leeks in for the last 15 minutes of baking (those were GOOD!), and they were just as nice the second time around. I like yams because they have a bit of sweetness, not to mention they're a bit more nutritious than plain old potatoes. I also leave the skins on because they're healthier that way.

I just don't know why it's easier to find a russet potato, even an organic one, that's easy to cut evenly, while yams are almost always lumpy and oddly shaped. If I'm chunking the potatoes for a roasted veggie dish, it's not a problem, but if I want to do yam fries, cutting them is a pain in the tuchus. And whether it's garnet or jewel yams, I see the same odd shape. I usually use the garnets though, because they're darker, which hopefully means better.

And I cannot rest without venting a bit of anger over the idiots in the Senate Judiciary Commitee for passing an amendment to ban same-sex marriage. So it will go to the full Senate, and I have to wonder how many of these guys are divorced and how many of them will vote for the amendment. What really has me frothing is that one senator opposes the amendment, but thinks it deserves a debate in the full Senate. Idiot!

I am grateful that the hate law in Georgia was overturned by a judge, even if it was only on a technicality. Sadly, I'm sure if they can't do it this year, they'll try it in '08.

I would like someone to explain to me how denying gay men and lesbians the same rights as hetrosexual couples "defends" or "affirms" marriage because to me, all it defends is patriarchy and all it affirms is bigotry. Whatever consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes is nobody's business except for the grownups involved. I also have to wonder how many of the proponents of these denial of marriage laws have ever been divorced, especially if they did the trophy-wife swap.

It's time to stand up and say that you oppose laws that strip citizens of their civil rights. Call your senators and let them know that the Constitution should not be used to deny rights. Fight hatred!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Caccia me if you can.


I did a bit of grocery shopping tonight--had to pick up a few things--and after I got home, I used some tempeh I had in my fridge, some veggies, and some canned tomatoes to make the Tempeh Cacciatore in The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook, which I served with leftover pasta. I maybe should have cut the tempeh pieces smaller, but it was a nice, hearty, tomatoey dish. It's not my favorite dish, but it was tasty.

I had a lovely trip to Orlando, although I didn't get a chance to cook for anyone. We did, however, pick up some cookies at the local Publix, while my sister was buying soda. I bought some fruit juice since I try to avoid products with high fructose corn syrup, and I loathe diet drinks, whether it's sweetened with aspartame or sucralose. My mom picked up tons of Chinese food (with two vegetarian dishes for my boyfriend and me). I think the best part of the day was my grandmother's face when she saw me. She was so happy that I had made it. One of my cousins fibbed and said that I had come in just to see her. I think it was the first time I got through a family event without wanting to scream.

I did spend time with my dad in the evenings. It's been probably close to 20 years since I've been to that synagogue, and because there was a retreat, it was a very sparsely attended service. I did stand up to say the Mourner's Kaddish, as it has become acceptable to stand for one's grandparent. The rabbi, instead of a sermon, gave an informative talk in a series regarding 50 moments in Jewish history, the current one on Martin Luther, a talk I found fascinating.

If every visit home is this pleasant, I may be inclined to visit more often.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Oh, yummy


Tonight, I made one of my favorite tofu recipes that I got from VegWeb before they changed their format and the recipe disappeared. Luckily, I printed it out. It's tofu, green onions, nutritional yeast, some flour, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, bell peppers, and capers, all fried up in a pan. I had it with a baked potato and some of the leftover green bean-carrot mixture. The tofu is tangy, not sour, and I think my caper-loving boyfriend would like this.

I'm going to Florida over the weekend to see my dad. Since it's Mother's Day Sunday, I'm spending that day with that side of the family. I want to make some goodies for my grandmother. When I saw my grandmother in October, I mentioned a vegan pate I make with mushrooms, onions, and walnuts (I add some garlic for flavor) that I think she would like. I also want to make biscuits on which to smear the pate. I don't make the vegan pate often, only for special events, since one can only eat so much at a time. My family liked the texture, but not so much the flavor when I made it last, which is why I'm adding the garlic.

I'd also love to make some sweet treat, if possible, so maybe I'll make some cookies from my sister's copy of How it All Vegan!, which I got her as a gifta while back.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Cooking is therapeutic

When I was younger, I used to believe in "shop therapy," but that can cause as many problems as it alleviates. Once I became vegan and started really cooking, I discovered there was comfort in cooking and in eating a meal I had just cooked. I also enjoy baking cookies and cupcakes, and it's not just eating them that provides comfort.

I received some devastating news on Monday evening. My paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 97. For most of my life, she lived in Tampa, but a few years ago, she moved to the Fort Lauderdale area where one of my uncles lives, and it wasn't easy for me to get down to that area when I did fly to Florida, so I didn't see her as much as I used to. But I remember she was always very sharp mentally, even as she grew frail physically (she was in her 90s, I recall, before she needed a walker). But oddly, the thing I remember most about my grandmother was that she loved to cook and bake. My dad was the same way. And I guess in my 30s, I've become the same great baker that my grandmother and father were.

Last night, I made Tomato-Soup Spice Cupcakes (it was originally a cake recipe that I adapted to cupcakes) with a sweet vanilla icing, recipes found in La Dolce Vegan! I also made another batch of the Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive Le Vegan! Now, don't get freaked out about the name of tomato-soup cupcakes. Yes, it has tomato soup, but it is a delightful version of a spice cake, and the icing is delicious. The only change I would make is to use nuts instead of raisins and maybe use a little more cinnamon and clove.

Tonight, I made the salisbury tempeh with some pasta and dish of teriyaki green beans and carrots, the latter dish from the RecipeZaar Web site. It was pretty good, but I think the sauce was too thick. Still, I would make it again, but maybe with a different sauce, perhaps soy sauce/tamari or Bragg's aminos. I've made the salisbury tempeh before, and it was as good as I remember, although the sauce was thinner than last time. Unfortunately, all the pictures came out blurry, so I don't have a picture of tonight's dinner. Still, it was very delightful. Maybe I can get a picture of it as leftovers.