Monday, January 31, 2011

What I ate: Veganomicon Edition.....



So, I have not been posting in a while. Between school, work, (yeah, I know this is starting to sound familiar) and other stuff, remembering to post food stuff doesn't exactly rank high on the list.

But, this does not mean I haven't been cooking. Case in point, this concoction of soul-food inspired dishes. I have to admit, the tofu was my least favorite part. I think I put too much liquid smoke in the marinade. It was slightly overwhelming.  The beans were my favorite- spicy and delicious! Anyways, here are the super-long list of recipes:

BBQ Black-eyed Peas (and Pinto Beans!)

Ingredients:
-2 cups cooked beans (I used a mixture of black eyed peas and pinto beans)
-1 package tempeh, crumbled
-2 tsp. oil
-4 cloves minced garlic
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I added more than this)
- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 c. agave nectar (I used a little less than this, but it was still fine)
- 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
-1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
-2 tsp. liquid smoke

Make the sauce:
1. Preheat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
2. Add all of the other ingredients besides the mustard and liquid smoke, and cook for about 30 minutes (more if you can).
3. Add the mustard and liquid smoke and taste. Cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Puree sauce in blender to get rid of any clumps.

Make the beans:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. In a medium-sized dish (I went good old cast iron), add the cooked beans, sauce and crumbled tempeh.
3. Cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened (about 45 minutes- 1 hour).

Smoky Grilled Tofu and Sauteed Kale

Ingredients:
-1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed for at least 30 minutes, cut into triangles
- 1 large bunch of kale
-3/4 c. veggie broth
- 3 tbs. soy sauce
- 2 tbs. ACV (apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tbs. liquid smoke
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- 2 cloves crushed garlic

Make it:

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together  and put the tofu triangles in the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes, shaking occasionally to coat it all evenly.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Put tofu in a shallow baking dish, spooning extra marinade on top and bottom to coat.
3. Cook until desired doneness- about 20 minutes for me.


Kale: 

1. Add 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1 tbs. olive oil to skillet and heat for about 30 seconds.
2. Add kale and coat w/olive oil mixture.
3. Spoon on remaining marinade, lower heat and sautee for about about 5 minutes, or until done.

Jalapeno Cornbread:

Ingredients:
- 2 c. plain soy milk
- 2 tsp. ACV
- 2 c. cornmeal
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
-1/3 c. vegetable oil

-2-3 jalapenos, sliced finely and sauteed in 1 tsp. oil in large skillet (take out jalapenos and save skillet- use it to make the cornbread)

Make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine soy milk and vinegar in bowl and set aside to curdle
3. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. Create a well in the center, and add the milk/vinegar mixture and oil. Mix until just combined and no huge lumps remain.
4. Pour mixture into skillet. Sprinkle sliced jalapenos on top and bake for 30-35 minutes- until a toothpick comes out clean

This was a somewhat intensive meal (I made the beans and cornbread the night before, so it was super easy to make the tofu and kale the next night), but it was worth it after the week I had leading up to it. While I still liked the tofu, I definitely would have liked a little more spice (and a little less liquid smoke!) but it was still a success:)

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