Two Tone Soup

We've been having hurricane like weather here in San Francisco. Perfect weather to stay in my pj's, fix a nice bowl of comfort soup and watch a marathon of my favorite shows. Unfortunately, I have a job and responsibilities. Here's to dreamin'

Serves 2
45 minutes

Broccoli Lentil
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 cup Green lentils
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon (or a GF Bouillon cube)

Roasted Pepper
1 Red bell pepper, roasted
1/2 cup Tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Black Pepper to taste

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Wrap your red bell pepper in aluminum foil, add about a tablespoon of water, roast in oven for 20 minutes.
2. In a big pot add about a tablespoon of olive oil, once heated add your diced onion, you're making your broccoli lentil, if that wasn't obvious. When they get all soft and start to brown, add your lentils, cumin and chili powder. After a few minutes add 2 cups of water, broccoli and bouillon. Cook till lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, gut and chop up your roasted pepper (after it has cooled of course), add it to food processor along with all your other roasted pepper ingredients. Process then pour into a clean pot and heat through.
4. Once your broccoli lentil soup is cooked through, put it in your food processor and process.
5. Have some fun with how you put them in your bowl! I got the above look by filling the bowl 3/4 way with broccoli lentil then, I pressed the bottom of a big ladle full of roasted pepper into the middle (so that the top of both soups are level with each other) and slowly rotated the ladle upside down. I hope that makes sense. I used blue corn tortilla chips to garnish.

Original recipe from VeganYumYum

These Nuts

My sister gave me the idea to make my Dad's favorite treat for a Christmas present. I thought it would be fun to give him a variety of flavors, not that it matters too much because he inhales them. These would be great for a house party, movie night or while listening to Dr. Dre's "Deeez Nuuuts"

Makes 4 cups
30-45 minutes

4 cups Raw cashews, or raw nuts of your choice

Base
1/3 cup Vegan butter
1/3 Light brown sugar

Spicy Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp Salt

Garam Masala
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Salt

Rosemary
2 Tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely diced
dash Cayenne pepper

Dill
1 Tbsp Fresh dill, finely diced
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Salt
Black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Split nuts into 4 bowls, 1 cup each. Melt butter in microwave, add sugar and mix.
2. Split "base" between the four bowls of nuts and toss each. Add spices to separate bowls and toss again.
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Keeping flavors separate, spread out evenly (I baked in two sets, consecutively, to make it a bit easier) and bake for 15-20 minutes.
4. Serve warm or cool.

Each flavor is measured out to one cup of nuts.

Minted Brussels Sprouts

Growing up my sis and I protested Brussels sprouts through and through. Apparently my dad hated them as well but, my mother told him to act as though he liked them to set a good example. So, just to make this clear; three of the four people eating Brussels sprouts loathed them, yet apparently that was not enough to stop my mother from continuing to cook them for us. My father still complains about all the Brussels sprouts he had to eat but the brainwashing worked on me and now I'm a fan.

Serves 2
25 minutes

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cut off the stems and halve em'
Olive oil
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Tamari sauce
1 Tbsp Fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Fresh mint, chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Red chilli flakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat up oil in a saute pan, saute sprouts till edges are golden and a lil' crispy; about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer sprouts to oven safe dish (if your pan is oven safe just keep em' in there), bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl.
3. When sprouts are done, add them to your large bowl, toss and serve.

Corn Pudding

If you remember from an earlier post I have been on the look out for a vegan corn souffle recipe. I knew souffle would be impossible so I found something very comparable: Corn Pudding. I know what you're envisioning in your mind: jiggly, gelatinous, off white colored mush speckled with corn. But you have to give corn pudding a break, it comes from the South and the South isn't very talented when it comes to naming foods (i.e. grits, hush puppies, jambalaya, swamp cabbage) but they are talented cooks.

Serves 2-4
1 hour 10 minutes

3 cups Canned corn, drained
1/4 cup Almond milk (or soy)
1 Tbsp Vegan butter, melted
1 Tbsp Arrowroot starch
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Gluten-free corn meal (or All-purpose Gluten-free flour)
2 tsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp Fresh rosemary, diced
1/4 tsp Salt (optional)
Pepper to taste

1. Mix milk with arrowroot starch. Throw 1 cup of corn in your food processor along with your arrowroot mixture. Processes well.
2. Throw in the rest of your ingredients EXCEPT your remaining corn. Process. Now you can add the rest of your corn. Process for just a little bit, you want some kernels intact so it has a nice consistency and people remember that it's corn they're eating, not baby food.
3. Spray small baking pan with canola oil spray. Pour mixture into said pan. Put your pan in the oven and turn it on to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour.

Kale Stroganoff

I haven't had Stroganoff since my Mom made it for me out of a box. That's the funny thing about "like mom used to make" mom used to make crap. But those packets full of sodium, sugar and beef flavored powder hit that synapsis and stayed in a very special part of our minds. This is far from mom's but I'm okay with that.

Serves 4
20 minutes

8 oz Quinoa Fusilli
Olive oil
1 Yellow onion, diced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
10-15 Button mushrooms, finely diced
8 oz Vegan sour cream (or vegan cream cheese)
2 Tbsp Nutrition yeast
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Ground coriander
1 tsp Thyme 
Pinch Nutmeg
1/2 Salt
Pepper to taste
Bundle Kale

1. Start boiling your pasta. When al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Heat up some olive oil in a saute pan. Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, add garlic for a few minutes then throw in your mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of your ingredients EXCEPT the kale. When the sour cream is heated and all is well mixed add in the kale for a few minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta and serve.

Original recipes Lux Hippie and Mouthwatering Vegan

Glogg

I wont lie, this was a tough recipe to share. Why is it so hard to share the good things in life? A good band, restaurant, in this case; a recipe. It's like a selfish super secret. Does it make it less special because more people know about it? People are rather quick to discredit something because it hits main stream. I never understood it and I still don't even though I'm experiencing some of the same reluctance now. Alas, someone shared this recipe with me years ago and I would be an even bigger a*#hole if I didn't share this liquid of spectacular.

If I don't double this recipe, I'm never able to have a second glass because the drunkards I call family and friends have had it all. I recommend the same unless you are surrounded by people who are able to practice a little more self restraint.

Serves 6
20 minutes

1 750ml bottle Tawny port
3/4 cup Brandy
15 Cloves, whole
 4 Cinnamon sticks
1 tsp Cardamom, ground (or 10 cardamom seeds)
The peel of one orange, cut into silver dollar size pieces
Raisins and almond slivers for garnish

1. Add about a cup of water into a big pot along with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and orange peel. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. I do this to start opening up the bouquet of spices and peel.
2. Add your port and brandy, heat through. Add your raisins, almonds and serve. Keep covered on very low heat. You don't want this to simmer.

I would also like to note that I make strong drinks. You've been warned.

City O' Wrap

 

I feel as though I'm being mean mugged by this sandwich

This wrap comes from a joint in my hometown called City O' City. When I lived there, I lived there. When ever I'm feeling a little home sick I throw this puppy together. It is not Gluten-Free so I make it when my sweetheart isn't around.

Store bought hummus is expensive and bland and inferior to homemade from scratch. I included my general recipe but you can, of course, switch it up however you would like (i.e. extra garlic, basil, sun dried tomatoes)

Serves 4
20 minutes (due to the cooking of the fries)

Hummus
1 15oz can Garbanzo beans, rinsed
2 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Salt
2-3 Garlic cloves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Water as needed

Wrap Makings
4 Pita wraps
Small bag Frozen fries, cooked
2 dozen Pitted green olives, diced
2 hand fulls Mixed greens
Sriracha Sauce

1. Start cookin' ya fries. Throw all your hummus ingredients in your food processor and process. If it's too thick add a tablespoon of water at a time till a nice spreadable consistency
2. Spread hummus onto your pita, line up your nice hot fries down the middle; top with olives, greens and sriracha to taste.
3. Fold and shove into mouth.

I added some raw-cotta to mine, if you're non-vegan feta works swimmingly.

Also, don't forget the Lucky Peach Giveaway!

Lucky Peach Giveaway (CLOSED)

Lucky Peach is the best "magazine" I have ever read. Ever. I use magazine loosely because it is unlike say: Bon Appetit or Food Network. In fact I'm bothered by listing those other magazines in the same post. Lucky Peach is a quarterly with writings about food, art about food, pictures of food and oh yeah, food.

Lucky Peach always leaves me inspired and I hope to pass that inspiration on to you!

To win:
1. Follow this blog on BlogLovin'
2. Leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address
3. That's it, good luck!

The winner will be randomly selected and announced next week

UPDATE:
We have a winner! Who was chosen at random,... out of one. They will receive the Fall 2012 issue of Lucky Peach

Gluten-Free Pizza with Raw-cotta

What you put on your pizza defines you as a person. Deep, I know but, it's true. I studied topping to personal trait comparison for years while I worked at my neighborhood pizza shop in high school. That being said; I'm pretty sure my toppings reaffirm that I'm an a*#hole. Raw-cotta, basil and caramelized onions.

Crust
I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix and subbed Ener-G Eggs Replacer. It says to use moist hand to spread it out on your oiled cookie sheet. Screw that. Put your ball of dough in the middle of your sheet, lay a piece of wax paper over it and roll it out. Smush the edges together where needed.

Caramelized Onions
Caramelizing onions is more than just browning them. Actually, it's just like browning them, only in very slow motion.
1. Take your pan and a good two tablespoons of olive oil. Warm on medium heat, never turn the heat up. Ever. Use a yellow onion, trust me on this. Slice it into long pieces and throw them in your warmed oil with a little bit of sugar. Add more oil as needed.
2. Stir infrequently for about a half hour, until your onions look like Tan Mom. Remove from heat.

Raw-cotta
1 cup Macadamia nuts, soaked 8 hours
1/4 cup Pine nuts, soaked 4-6 hours
2 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp Lemon juice (or juice of 1/2 lemon)
2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
Cold water

Put all but the water in your food processor. Process until nuts are pretty well broken down. Add a few tablespoons of water at a time until some what creamy, some what textured, ricotta-eque softness of your dreams.

Assemble. Devour.

Raw-cotta original recipe from Julie's Raw Ambition

Maple Glazed Carrots

I was makin' this recipe even before I was vegan. That means it MUST be good.
Now for some fun carrot facts:
+ Carrots contain more Vitamin A than any other vegetable.
+ Orange carrots were cross bred from yellow and red carrots in the 16th century.
+ Carrots were the first vegetable to be canned commercially.

Serves 4
30 minutes

2 pounds Carrots, cut diagonally 1/4 inch thick
6 Tbsp Vegan butter, split into two parts
2 Tbsp Brown sugar, split into two parts
3 Tbsp Real Maple syrup
1/2 cup Fresh Orange juice (or juice of one orange)
1 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot add two cups water, carrots, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Drain.
2. In the same, empty, pot melt the rest of your butter. Add maple syrup, orange juice, ginger and the rest of your brown sugar. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
3. Ladle carrots with a slotted spoon into your serving dish, cover them and set aside. Simmer remaining liquid for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Pour over carrots, add parsley, mix and serve.