Simple Stir Fries

I love stir fry. Take a bed of white rice, top it with vegetables lightly cooked in a small amount of oil, and throw in a side of well cooked and seasoned tofu. What's not to love? Even without any spices you're nearly guaranteed a delicious final product. I don't usually follow a recipe when I make stir fry. Experimenting with spices is super fun so I try to do something different each time. And I figured that since I have this blog thing, I can keep track of my stir fry experiments and share them with you! So here is what I made most recently. Let me know if you try it, or if you have a suggestion for my next experiment. 

White Rice
INGREDIENTS
2 cups white rice
4 cups water (or as according to the package or cooker instructions)
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 T vegetarian powdered "chicken" flavor 

DIRECTIONS
I always make my rice in a rice cooker. It comes out perfectly almost every time. It also makes it easier to concentrate on making the rest of your meal because you don't have to worry about stirring and changing the temperature as the water evaporates. So, I cooked my rice according to the rice cooker's instructions but also added the above list of spices. I gave it a good stir before closing the lid and starting the cooking cycle, and I also mixed it real well before serving.

White Pepper Tofu
INGREDIENTS
1/4-1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 16 ounce package firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Press your tofu (using the traditional method or a tofu press device) for at least 40 minutes prior to cooking. This will eliminate the water that keeps the tofu mushy. Pressing tofu also makes it more palatable to picky eaters because it gives it a meatier texture. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, non-stick frying pan. Cut your tofu into your desired shape. I like to cut mine into pieces that measure approximately 1 inch long and 1/4 inch thick and 1/2 inch wide. Spread the tofu slices evenly over the surface of the pan and sprinkle with the white pepper. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5-7 to ensure even cooking. The final result should be brown on its sides and really nice and chewy. Yum!

Stir Fried Veggies
INGREDIENTS
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
Garlic salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 16 ounce package frozen broccoli stir fry mix
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Allow veggies to thaw at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to cooking. In a large, non-stick pot or saucepan, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add veggies, soy sauce, and five spice and stir. Sprinkle evenly with garlic salt, stir, and sprinkle again. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked. Serve veggies and tofu on a bed of the rice. Also pictured are store bought vegan spring rolls!

 Makes 4 servings.

Cheezy Soyrizo Enchiladas

I have to admit, I'm enjoying cooking vegan food more and more every day.

As Chris and I explore gluten-free options, we're having to come up with more recipes from scratch. We've used "soyrizo" in the past, but haven't had much success with it. The other day, Chris realized why; we were probably cooking it for too long. The instructions basically tell you just to warm it, not to cook it until it browns which is unlike other meat substitutes. So, since coming to this realization, we have had a lot of wonderful successes with soyrizo and "soy taco" options.

Tonight, I made what I am calling "Cheezy Soyrizo Enchiladas." I haven't made any sort of enchiladas in awhile. They're kind of labor intensive compared to what I usually make. While I really do enjoy cooking, I genuinely prefer dishes that only require one pot. I'm a small kitchen cook. I don't have enough drying space for so many pots! That being said, though, sometimes all those dishes are worth it! Like today. These were num-er-iffic! Will definitely have to make these again. Feel free to tell me if you make them and, of course, what you thought!

INGREDIENTS

1 package "Soyrizo" cooked according to package instructions

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

1 zucchini squash, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen yellow corn kernels

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 teaspoon dried parsley

2 more tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup tomato sauce (with or without seasonings)

1 vegan bouillon cube dissolved in 14 ounces hot water OR 14 ounces of vegetable broth

1 package cheddar flavored Daiya vegan cheese

Approximately 15-20 small corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for several minutes until the vegetables start to brown. Add the zucchini and pepper and cook for several minutes more. Add the diced tomatoes, corn, and parsley. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the water from the tomatoes has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool while making the sauce.

In a medium sized saucepan, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, flour, and tomato sauce and stir until it forms a paste. Add the water and whisk until combined. Simmer, continuing to whisk, until thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Combine the soyrizo and sauteed vegetables in a bowl or in the pot you used for cooking the veggies, if cooled to the touch. You don't want to burn your fingers! Add 3/4 cups of the Daiya cheese. Mix until all of the goodies are well combined.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly with olive oil spray. Wrap the corn tortillas in some damp paper towels and microwave for one and a half minutes. To assemble the enchiladas, scoop 1/3 of a cup of the soyrizo vegetable mixture into the center of each tortilla. Fold one side of the tortilla over the mixture and then fold the other side over it and place it seam down in your baking dish.

Whisk your sauce one last time before pouring it evenly over the tortillas. Top with the remaining Daiya cheese and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Then, enjoy the cheezy goodness!

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza

I thought this pizza was pretty good! Usually, Chris and I like artichoke and zucchini pizza. But I wanted to try something different and came up with this. Vegan pizza can sometimes be a bit flavorless, which is why I try unconventional ingredients when I can. Vegan cheese is all right, and Daiya is currently my favorite brand. Let me know if you try it!

INGREDIENTS
Pizza crust, enough for two medium or one large pizza
Olive oil
10 cloves (or one small bulb) garlic
Julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 package mozzarella Daiya vegan cheese
Kalamita olives, to taste, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Peel the garlic and trim off its nasty ends. Slice the cloves lengthwise into several pieces each. Grab a small sheet of aluminum foil and place the cloves in the middle. Add some olive oil and close the foil up into a pouch containing the cloves. Place on a cookie sheet in the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the cloves are cooked through, all yellow and browning slightly.

If your sun-dried tomatoes are hard and stiff, rehydrate them in some olive oil until they seem more pliable. Prepare your crust(s) according to the package instructions or recipe. I generally prepare mine on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Lightly brush the crust(s) with olive oil. Sprinkle with your sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and roasted garlic. Add the cheese and top with the Roma tomatoes. Sprinkle generously (or, you know, to taste) with your favorite dried seasonings. I like powdered garlic, pizza seasoning, and oregano.

Bake according to your pizza's baking instructions. You may need to rotate your baking trays if making two pizzas. Even though Daiya cheese melts it can sometimes take longer than conventional cheese.  Just use your better judgement! Enjoy!

Makes 1 large or 2 medium pizzas.

Whew! Busy, busy

Hey all, I'm sorry that it's been so long since I posted an entry. I have been exceptionally busy! As a result, I've decided to do things a bit differently in the future. First and foremost, while I plan on continuing to review cookbooks, I think that it's in the best interest of the blog to post my cookbook trials and official review in the same post. I'll still be changing the sidebar feature to display the book I'm cooking from at the beginning of each month, but the recipe notes and final say will be published at the end of the month.  I will, however, share my photos as I cook on the lizz delicious Facebook page!

I am also determined to share more original or adapted recipes for all you hungry vegans out there! I am working on two cookbooks at the moment, and you should expect to see an announcement about the first (including a recipe or two from it) very soon.

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day and I hope you did as well. Chris and I went to a restaurant called The Steeping Room, which serves specialty tea by the pot and has several vegan options for not only main courses but also desserts.  I tried their grilled vegetable sandwich. It had eggplant, peppers, butternut squash, and mushrooms with a very unique lentil walnut spread, all on vegan ciabatta. I haven't had anything like it! I would have taken pictures but the atmosphere was fancy for the occasion and dimly lit.

For dessert, I made a fascinating blondie with marshmallows and chocolate chips in the batter! I had to make "brown sugar" for the recipe. The molasses flavor was a bit overpowering but overall these goodies were DELICIOUS! I'll be making a few changes and posting the recipe as soon as I consider it perfect. Here's what the first batch looked like.

I also tried making Chris vegan chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries from scratch, but the chocolate never solidified after I melted it :-(

Finally, I'm getting excited about Austin's first ever Veg Fest coming up on March 31st! There will be vendors and speakers and live music. Cool! You can and should expect pictures, presuming that I get the day off from work.

That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading!

"Awesome Artichoke Sauce" recipe review

The recipe made in this post comes from the book The Welcoming Kitchen by Kim Lutz. It is my "Currently Cooking From" selection for February.

I bought this cookbook sometime in December in response to my fiance wanting to try a gluten-free diet in addition to her veganism. The Welcoming Kitchen is essentially an allergen-free cookbook and doesn't use wheat, soy, dairy, or eggs in any of its recipes. It is also a gluten-free vegan cookbook, making it right up our alley. I bookmarked a bunch of pages (I have a digital version) and thought that this recipe would be the best to start with considering our shared love of artichokes.

As is the case in most of my cooking endeavors, I didn't follow the recipe 100%. The author didn't specify whether or not marinated artichoke hearts were okay but that's what I used. My jar was also 12 ounces instead of 15 and I used dried basil instead of fresh.

The result was still more than edible, though I expect that the difference in the basil affected it greatly. What keeps me from buying it is that it's so expensive and you don't get a lot of herb for the price. I will likely use this recipe again but will probably tweak it to see if I can fit it more to my tastebuds; throwing it all in a food processor seems like a good idea.

I was surprised to discover that the recipe in the book says it serves two instead of four. It served two perfectly, but it never fails that I'll make a recipe from a cookbook that says it serves six but beloved and I only get two and a half from it. But I digress.

As a side note, I used gluten-free buckwheat pasta made by King Soba. The texture and flavor was very good but some of the noodles stuck together and came out like stalks as opposed to strands. Of course, the fact that I dropped a bundle into the boiling without realizing it was banded together may have contributed to that (perhaps it fused them together). I served it with slices of pre-packed polenta that I fried in a bit of oil. They were "flavored" with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, but I really didn't taste much of a difference between it and the "plain" variety. Polenta is wonderful. I typically like to get the sides of each slice nicely crisp. I used too much oil today. And I was too hungry to wait for it to brown!

I'm planning to try a bunch more recipes from The Welcoming Kitchen during February. Enjoy!