Mushroom Risotto #vegan

Mushroom Risotto is a family favorite.  We love the creamy texture of this dish. It warms our bellies on those cold days while living at the beach. Normally we would be eating this more in the winter months but this year, it's cold.  The beach is cold, windy, and most days, misty.  Last year we had beautiful weather and this year is different. 

To escape the cold we have been leaving the area and camping in Bend, Oregon.  We love Bend.  We were there two weeks ago and it was 95 degrees.  AHHHHHH...that felt so good.  So good, in fact, we just scheduled another week.

Making risotto is not as quick as throwing rice in the rice cooker. It takes some time. Just clear your schedule for about 25 minutes and devote the time to bringing this creamy and filling dish to your family's table. The key to making risotto is adding enough liquid to ensure the rice is not crunchy.  I personally do not like the rice to have a bite to it. I want mine to be a smooth bite.

This is a vegan recipe. I have chosen to use a vegetable stock, no cheese, and fresh vegetables from our local Farmer's Market.  I will say that I used Miyoko's European Style Butter to saute the vegetables and it added a depth of flavor to this dish.

**This is not an ad.  All of the products I mention are simply because I use them in my kitchen and they are what works best in our menu planning.

Next time I will be making the risotto with corn. MMMM...now I want Corn Risotto.

I use the Braggs Amino Acids at the very end to add a robust flavor.  I hate to say the word "meaty" but that is what it does in my opinion.  We use a lot of vegetable stock and sometimes it is nice to have a different flavor and this provides that. This dish with the mushrooms and black pepper pairs nicely with the "meaty" flavor of the amino acids.

Mushroom Risotto #vegan

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegan butter or oil, see comments above
1/2 zucchini, diced small
1/2 medium onion, diced small
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1.5 cups Arborio Rice (risotto rice)
4-6 cups vegetable broth
 1 small can of pre-cooked mushrooms, drained
1-2 tablespoons Braggs Amino Acids

1.  In a heavy dutch oven (I use Le Creuset), heat vegan butter.  Add the zucchini and onion. Saute until clear, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

2.  Add rice and lightly brown rice.  Warm the broth/stock in a separate pan and have near by with a ladle.  Prepare to stay at the stove until this dish is done.  The risotto will stick if you do not stir constantly.

3.  Ladle one scoop at a time to the rice mixture. Stir until absorbed and then repeat.  Stir, add broth, stir, add broth, repeat.  Do this until the rice is creamy and soft.  HINT: My rice tripled in size when it was close to being finished.

4.  Add the amino acids and mushrooms. Continue adding broth until risotto is complete.

5.  Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Warm to serve left overs.

Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan

This recipe really excites me!  

I've been making this mayonnaise for about two years. It really does taste, feel and look like mayonnaise.  I guess that's because, to me and my family, this is our vegan mayonnaise.  

We use it on and in everything that calls for mayonnaise. What makes it so special to me is it taste just like mayonnaise used to taste when I was a kid. It could be my taste buds have changed but the mayonnaise, especially the vegan mayonnaise on the market, is bland and boring.  This has a hint of lemon, a touch of garlic, and a slight twang of salt.  

We have a friend staying in our home and he is slowly being introduced to all types of new flavors and foods.  This is his favorite!  Just the other day he had a good laugh.  He said, " I can't believe that I love fresh tomato on sliced bread with VEGAN mayonnaise."  

What is aquafaba?   It is the liquid that comes in a can of garbanzo beans or white beans.  I have used the liquid from great white northern beans too with great success. I personally do not notice a change in flavor if I use different liquids from different canned beans.  You can also make the beans from scratch and save the liquid.  I have yet to try this method.  If you google aquafaba you will be directed to a variety of recipes.  For me, I think egg whites describe what it looks like best.  The liquid has the same consistency and reacts the same in similar situations.  So far, I only have used the aquafaba to make this mayonnaise. Others have made meringue, frosting, omelets (egg free), cookies, cakes, etc...The list is getting longer and longer and for that, I am so excited.

As far as the oil goes, you can use a variety of oils to achieve slightly different flavor profiles. I personally have used Algae oil from Thrive, a light olive oil brand, avocado oil, and coconut oil (melted).  HUGE SIDE NOTE: if you decide to use coconut oil, then prepare for the mayonnaise to become hard in the fridge.  Not all is lost though. This happened to me. I simply warmed it up, stirred it, and then took my stick blender and re-whipped it to perfection.  I did this twice and each time the mayonnaise was successfully whipped to mayonnaise perfection.  

I really like the flavor profile when using the refined coconut oil. I might use this oil if I am making a small batch and I know that it will all be eaten that day or night.  

Eating only plants allows me to be creative in the kitchen, even more so than before when I ate meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs.  I have to get creative with flavor profiles and ingredients.  Some times I see myself as a mad scientist speaking a foreign language.  This happened last week.  In my excitement of sharing our plant based lifestyle with others, I decided to start a monthly potluck dinner for those who are transitioning to plants only, are already vegan, or have questions of where to begin. Everyone is welcome.  At our first meeting, we had three people. Two were brand new. I started rambling about ingredients, techniques, and recipes.  I could tell that I was losing them and I had to back up a little bit. The ingredients alone are quite foreign to those who don't prepare plant based foods from scratch: nutritional yeast, amino acids, aquafaba, miso paste, etc....

We are excited to meet next month. I met two new people today at the grocery store while standing in line to pay for our groceries. She looked at me and noticed that our purchases were very similar. I asked them if they were vegan. They said YES.  I invited them to our meeting next month along with their daughter.  I love to teach and share my ideas. This gathering is a place for us to find a community of like minded souls, to share in this journey, and to build a strong foundation for helping those who wish to also eat plants only.

Today while at church a lady said to me that it must be hard to be vegan at the beach.  I had to think about that for a minute. I replied, "not really."  I don't crave seafood anymore. I don't want to kill animals.  I believe living at the beach is the perfect place to practice a plants only lifestyle. I see the animals in our area not merely as food anymore. I see them as a friend.

Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan

1/2 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite oil in liquid form
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
salt--start with 1 teaspoon and then add/taste, repeat
2 teaspoons minced garlic from a jar (raw garlic will be too strong)

TOOLS:  A stick blender is the only thing I have ever used to make this mayonnaise. Trying anything else may deliver different results. (The link is not an ad, it is only to show you what I mean when I say stick blender).  

1.  I use a quart canning jar because this recipe will make about 2-2.5 cups of mayonnaise.  Our family uses one quart a week. Add the aquafaba and all ingredients EXCEPT the oil.  Blend on low until bubbly.

2.  Slowly start adding the oil.  I have a way of holding the measuring cup on the rim of the canning jar and letting the oil sssllllooooowwwwllllyyy drizzle into the aquafaba mixture.  This takes about 8-10 minutes.  BE patient.  It will be very loose, and then suddenly it will come together. More oil will make the mayonnaise thicker.

3.  As you go, periodically taste your mayonnaise.  Add more salt, lemon, garlic, or mustard powdered based on how you and your family want your mayonnaise to taste.  Our family likes it to have a slight lemony flavor with a hint of garlic.

4.  When finished, refrigerate.  It should stay thick, unless you used coconut oil, for up to 7-9 days.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies #vegan

According to my kids, I have committed a royal sin.

 I announced I made cookies.

Now you would think that Mom making cookies is a good thing, right?

I have learned that not all cookies are the same.

If, and only when, they contain chocolate will they ever be deemed "a cookie" in my home.

Finnley schooled me on exactly what constitutes a "real" cookie. Keep in mind she is three.  Her favorite saying of late is: "I'm outta here."  I haven't the slightest idea where she is learning these things but they are funny coming from such a small human being.

I explained to her when she woke up that I made cookies. Oh, she was excited!  She ran to the kitchen.  Reached her tiny hand to the top of the counter and grabbed the first one she touched. As she brought it to her mouth she stopped.  She looked at me and cried with frustration.  I had not made a proper cookie. There wasn't a single chocolate chip present.  She quickly returned the cookie and said, "I'm outta here."

Maybe this isn't a kid cookie. But, when I take these cookies to a function with adults, they love them and some kids gobble them up too. The cookies are soft on the inside and crispy on the edges.  I personally think they are a bowl of oatmeal just in a cookie form.  To be honest, sometimes I get tired of eating oatmeal.

I never get tired of eating these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 
Makes 24-36 cookies, depends on size of cookie scoop

Ingredients

2 flax meal eggs (1 Tbsp flax meal/3 Tbsp warm water)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup of flour (white or wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashion oatmeal (uncooked)
1 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Prepare flax meal eggs and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

3.  Add remaining ingredients to a medium bowl.  Stir to mix well.  Add flax eggs.  Mix together until well combined.

4.  Use a cookie scoop and space cookies 1 inch apart. The cookies do not spread.  They will puff up and outward. I can get 15 scoops on each cookie tray.

5.  Bake for 9-10 minutes. We like ours a little under cooked. If you want a crispier cookie then bake a few minutes longer. Remove cookies to a cookie rack and let cool.  Keep unused cookies in an air tight container.

Veggie Puff Pastry Pockets

Did you know that Puff Pastry does not have any animal products in it?  There are a few foods that are vegan by chance and this happens to be one of them. I found the information on several other sites but this link will show you the specs so you can see for yourself.  Partridge Farm Puff Pastry

We don't eat a lot of puff pastry in our home because we do strive to eat more whole foods than processed food, but let's get real.  I go to school full time, hubby works full time, and we simply don't have a lot of time to prepare long and laborious meals.  This is a quick meal on those extra busy family days.

I make this veggie mix that we often eat on grilled sandwiches or separately as a salad. You can find the recipe  at this link http://www.simply-gourmet.com/2011/07/14-veggie-melts-oh-my.html.

Basically I have combined onion, cauliflower, carrots, and celery along with salt, pepper, and your favorite mayonnaise.  I am currently in love with Wildwood Aioli which is egg free!

These two items, the puff pastry and the veggie melt mix, happened because I had both of them on hand and the stove was already preheated from baking something else.

I adjusted the heat to 450 degrees to accommodate the Puff Pastry temperature requirements.  I had a bit of fun experimenting with different shapes and styles. I wasn't sure which way would work best. In the end, I went with the smaller hand held size and kept all of the veggie mix inside. I took my fork and stabbed a few holes to let the steam out as they cooked. You can see from the photo below that the cheese oozed out on a few but each bite still felt cheesy to me.

I will tell you that one recipe of the Veggie Melt  mixture will make more than one box of Puff Pastry can handle. I would recommend halving the cauliflower mixture.

To prepare the Puff Pastry I let it sit out on the table for 40 minutes to thaw. I opened each piece and cut them into thirds and then cut those pieces in half. Each sheet of Puff Pastry gave me six pieces to fill.

The Veggie Melt recipe did not have cheese in the recipe. I added a cup of cheese (vegan, cheddar, jack, etc...) and grated a little bit more to add inside each pastry pocket.

Holding the puff pastry in my hand, I gently put a spoonful of filling a bit more cheese, and folded it in half. This can be messy!  Seal the edges and take a fork to cross the edges too.  This secures them nicely.  Stab a few holes in the top of each one.  Add to the cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown. I baked them for 20 minutes, rotated them and added 10 more minutes.  (Honestly I think my oven needs to be looked at.)

The pockets came out perfect and we gobbled them up!  They reheated really well the next day too.

Cipollini Onion Vegetarian Sandwich

This sandwich is my new favorite. Why I never added these little sweet/tart onions before I don't know.  But I do know now and they are added regularly to all of my vegetarian sandwiches.

These little onions are pronounced (chip-oh-lee-knee) and are naturally sweet and white. The onions in my pictures are marinated and have an added flavor profile with tart and sweet results. I buy my onions from our local grocery store. They are found in the olive section. I have bought these before at Whole Foods too.

If you decide to buy these little morsels be prepared to encounter some peeling issues. Cooking Light has a nice piece about how to deal with the skin.

You can see from the picture below that adding them to your sandwich is easy. They are a little bit slippery-so be prepared. I slice the amount I need and then add them to the bread first. The bread kind of holds them on the sandwich.  I also use my favorite plant based mayonnaise. Recipe coming soon for the mayonnaise.

Of course, add as many as you want but I like to add a few more options to my sandwiches. For this sandwich I added: avocado, tomato, spinach, red onion, crispy jalapeno's, and orange bell pepper. Basically I want to eat the rainbow so I choose the ingredients that reflect that.

For the bread, I buy from our local bread shop a sour dough variety that is delicious. The name of it is Panini and the shop is small, smells amazing, and has really good baked goods.

This sandwich is not hard. I just wanted to share with you my new found obsession for these little onions.  They are an easy addition to any sandwich or bagel.

Eating vegetable sandwiches can get boring if you stick to the same basic ingredients and this is why I am always on the hunt for additional toppings.

ENJOY!

Sherron

Black Quinoa Tamales #vegan

Who doesn't love tamales? Well, everyone at my house can't get enough of them when we make them.  The problem is that we don't eat them that often because we don't eat a lot of meat anymore. I got to thinking why couldn't I make them with a plant based filling?  Guess what?  You can.

I recently had black quinoa for the first time. It has a milder flavor profile to me. The white quinoa seems bitter even after I rinse it multiple times. This became my base. I added a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, sauteed red onions, a bit of green onion for color, cumin, chopped cilantro, chili powder, salt, fresh minced garlic, fresh lime juice, and pepper. No recipe was used. I literally added, tasted, added some more, and tasted again. See picture below.

Honestly, the filling could be eaten on its own as a salad. I made the masa using the recipe on the package of Masa Corn Flour. It worked like a charm.  If you want to see a recipe for the dough this site will help you: HERE for the tamale dough.

I make the filling, soak the cornhusk, and make the dough about the same time. The cornhusk need time to soften a bit, the flavors in the filling can sit and marry, and then the dough can rest for a while too according to directions on package.

When your ready to assemble, gather a few things: a cookie tray to stack them up, your masa dough, your filling, and find a work space. I use a cutting board. Take a few cornhusk and shred them into smaller pieces to use as ties on the end of each side of the tamale. See picture below.

Spread the dough on the cornhusk. Add the filling. This is how I do it: I roll from one side until the sides meet and then make sure they are sealed. It works.  Wrap the cornhusk around the tamale and secure the ends.

I have a huge stock pot to steam the tamales in. I add enough water to sit below a rack that I place in the bottom. I layer the tamales so that the steam can easily get around each of them. See picture above.  I let them steam for a few hours. I add water about every 30 minutes to make sure that my pot does not go dry.

I remove the tamales when they are done. I serve them on the cookie tray. We like ours with ketchup.

These tamales reheat well the next day.  For our family of six I usually make about 30 tamales.

Fried Udon Noodles with Sesame Seeds

I have been making homemade noodles for a long time. They taste better. Our family enjoys the process of working with the dough. My kids think its cool to get their hands in the dough. Homemade noodles are a bit time consuming because you do have to prepare the dough a few hours before dinner. This allows the dough to rest. 

This is a list of some of the homemade pasta recipes on the blog:

Cheese Tortellini

Cheese Filled Gluten Free Ravioli

Spinach Fettuccini 

Gluten Free Pasta

Ravioli's 

Yep. We like our pasta and I make a lot of it for my family.

A friend of mine posted about this new cookbook by Morimoto that introduced Japanese cooking to the home cook. I love Japanese food and had to have this book. It's beautiful. I bought the book not knowing what to expect because I have other Japanese cook books that are filled with ingredients that I can't easily get here in Newport.  Not this book. He sticks with easy to find ingredients and basic recipes. I really enjoyed the photography, the easy recipes, and his story that he shared in the beginning of the book of his training and early family life. Oh, by the way, this is not an ad for his book. This is just me telling you about his book and why I love it.

We usually buy Udon noodles from our local Asian market here in town. I buy them frozen.  When I saw his recipe I knew that I wanted to give this a try.  They were easy to make. The dough is three ingredients: water, flour, and salt.  The pasta dough does need to sit for an hour before you roll it out but we had plenty of time in our day so this was not a problem.

Once the dough was rolled out I used a very sharp knife to cut the noodles into long strips.  I recommend having a long straight edge knife and lots of flour. I boiled my water. These noodles are thick so they do need to boil for 12 minutes. They puffed up and came out perfect.

I heated a small amount of vegetable oil, with a dash of sesame oil, some sesame seeds, and tossed my noodles into a very hot pan. I fried the noodles for about 5 minutes and sprinkled them with soy sauce.  Served hot with our homemade GYOZAS.  Dinner was delicious this night.

In addition to serving the noodles with a splash of soy sauce, I also put a few sauces that we like to eat with our noodles on the table,  for our guest to pick and choose, like: plum sauce, sweet and spicy sauce, and tonkatsu sauce.

I do not have permission to share the full recipe on my blog as this is a personal choice to write about his cookbook and not a sponsored event, but Steamy Kitchen  has a review along with permission to share the recipe on their site.

Follow the link to get the recipe for Homemade Udon Noodles by Chef Morimoto HERE.

I do hope that you try making homemade pasta and definitely try frying the noodles up with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds.  They are fat, chewy, and oh so yummy!

We ate the noodles so fast (they are best hot) that I did not have a chance to snap a picture of the finished noodle dish. I will making these again in the future and will update the post with a picture at that time.

Finnley likes to help in the kitchen too. This little video is her working with some flour as I was preparing the udon noodles. Apparently, her batch needed a bit of air.