Happy Fun Times

Yesterday Timmy and I were very pleased to share our evening with Katie and Josh. This is our second dinner with them and we had copious amounts of good times. Josh helped Timmy with his broken arm cook tofu on the grill along with kebabs. Meanwhile Katie and I stayed inside where it was air conditioned and cut veggies and fruits. It was really great to spend time with them. Nothing beats good food and good friends. Here are some photos from our night o' fun!


Timmy, Josh an Katie


watermelon, strawberries and summer squash


kebabs!


bbq tofu sammies, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled yellow squash and kebabs


Apples to Apples!


their first time


Just waiting to put down that Oprah Winfrey card



Timmy after three glasses of wine


gifts from Katie


so darn cute!

Taking on the V-Con

This is the first Tuesday of the rest of your culinary life...

So recently some extremely charming and beautiful women asked if I would like to be in a threesome, I blushed and politely declined but then was informed it was a cooking threesome in which I replied, "Hells yeah!" and then something along the line of, "Bitches get stitches," and I still have no idea why I said that. But seriously folks this is a serious matter, Katie, Courtney and I are taking on the V-con, the Veganomicon to you newbies. This is an amazing cookbook that was published in 2007 and though only three years old will go down in the annals of history. Penned by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (yeah both ladies have three names, not unlike John Wilkes Booth, except they are out to assassinate your taste buds with killer foods) this book is filled from cover to cover with vital information, mouth-watering recipes and seventh grade humour everyone can enjoy. Our goal is to post a new recipe every Tuesday and share our results, whether disastrous or brilliant.

This book is rather new to me and I am very excited to cook my way through every recipe along with giving reviews and feed back on the difficultly/easiness of each recipe, a comprehensive review of flavor, texture etc... and also any modifications I may make.

The first recipe was chosen by Katie, she decided on the Simple Seitan (my namesake) as the starter. The reason being that seitan (pronounced say-taan, not Satan) is a basic mock meat that is chewy in texture but like tofu can really be made to taste like anything. Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten, so not a good idea for any of you Celiacs out there. I have purchased pre-made seitan before and was very pleased and really had no desire to make my own. Timmy has been known to whip up a batch or two and surprise me with a wicked good lunch, but it is a bit of a process, mostly a sit down, pick up a book and wait process, but a process none the less.

Simple Seitan
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used Braggs)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated

BROTH:
8 cups cold water plus 3 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has been absorbed and the ingredients are clumped together. Knead the mixture for about 3 minutes until the dough is elastic. Divide into 3 pieces and then knead those in your hand to stretch them out a bit.


Prepare the broth: Fill a stockpot with the water, bouillon cubes, soy sauce and add the wheat gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil. Try to catch it as soon as it boils and then lower the heat to simmer. Partially cover the pot so that the steam can escape and let it simmer for 1 hour, turning the seitan occasionally. Turn off the heat and take the lid off; let it sit for 15 minutes.


Remove from the broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to touch. It is now ready to be sliced up and used.

I followed the recipe pretty much to a T but instead of bouillon cubes I used a condensed liquid vegetable broth from Trader Joe's. The recipe is pretty simple (as the name suggests) and easy to follow. I was a bit concerned at first when my seitan was done simmering because it was pretty spongy but once it cooled and dried a bit it was like the good ol' seitan I know and love. The flavor was mild, I was worried it would be a bit salty because of all of the Bragg's Liquid Aminos used but it was just right.



I decided to make chicken fried steaks with my seitan. I paired it with mashed sweet potatoes, cooked in the left over seitan broth and I also made lemony green beans. The dinner was amazing!


steaks up close and personal



Since there are only two of us we had a bit too much seitan so I was able to make spicy chicken wings as well. I paired the wings with sliced carrots, celery and home made vegan ranch dressing.


Timmy helped me make wing sauce even though his right wing is broken



should be called "kicken wings"

Ask A Vegan! Pt. 6

I love Tracy! Really, I do. She is one of my most favorite people that I have met through the wonderful world of blogging. I was graced with a comment by Tracy in April asking me if I would like to partake in a Vegan Bake Sale she was doing at an event I was already catering and I thought, hey what is one more pan of cupcakes in the oven? I decided on brownies, blondies and the ever tasty monkey bars from 500 Vegan Recipes and I think that day when I delivered my baked goods Tracy and I became smitten like kittens for one another. She loved my goodies and I fell head over heels with her handmade soaps and her cute little smile. (: I have done two bake sales with her and we are going to do a third in about three weeks. (Post coming soon on bake sale details...) I could rant on about Tracy for day, but instead I will let you see her amazingness for yourself.

Name: Tracy Perkins
Age: 28
Location: Maricopa, AZ
Website: http://strawberryhedgehog.com



How long have you been Vegan? Since 2001.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I had been vegetarian since 1995 and the more I learned about factory farming practices and misinformation with regard to “cage free” and “free range” products the more my conscience drove me to omitting all animal products from my life.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
In the past I had never been very interested in nutrition. I am very much an ethical vegan, any health benefits are entirely secondary. Since birth I have had unusual health so perhaps I am a special case but I did struggle to find the right balance of diet and supplements. Working closely with my naturopathic doctor, Dr. MaryK Geyer has helped tremendously and I recommend everyone interested in feeling better see her! :c)

Are you open about your Veganism?
This strikes me as a strange question, I do not keep my veganism a secret from anyone but at the same time I don’t like the idea of throwing it in anyone’s face. If I am declining foods with animal products, if I think it matters to the person in question, I will be clear to mention I am vegan.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc… I feel like my vegan business and lifestyle are activism enough. I know many people may disagree with me but I think leading by example, showing it is easy, showing it is fun, showing how gross and cruel the alternative is when the time is right is the best way to actively change things.


Tracy with her hand crafted Vegan soaps

What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
I think my family has had enough years to adjust to it but it was rough at first and still is around holidays. They expect me to make exceptions for special occasions but that is not how it works for me and that unfortunately can cause loved ones to become offended. I am lucky to have a great group of friends who love my vegan cooking and who are quite wonderful cooks themselves so we have a great time!

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan? Don’t get discouraged; don’t be too hard on yourself. I think many people get discouraged early on and give up. You make your own rules here and as long as you are true to those you are all good.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger? Not likely, while I do go to other fast food places on occasion I am particularly turned off by McD.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet? I’ve heard them all and don’t get too bothered by questions or comments generally but the most annoying, simply because people think they are so clever saying it and I’ve heard it a zillion times is “plants have feelings, too!”



What is your favorite dish?
I am a sucker for breakfast, I love a good tofu scramble with loads of colorful veg, really great toasted whole wheat sourdough, and a side of fried garlicky golden potatoes.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
I am a huge fan of the UnTurkey. I usually make mashed potatoes, a veganized version of my grandma’s rolls, and pumpkin spice cupcakes. It is a feast! My family and in-laws live out of town so it had been a pain in the past but my mother in law went vegan about a year ago so last Thanksgiving was a vegan-dream!

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be? This is a tough one, I love cupcakes and when a variety comes to mind I usually make them. One I haven’t done and would love would be a German Chocolate cupcake.


Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
My favorite recipe is my summer harvest ratatouille: http://strawberryhedgehog.com/2009/06/18/summer-harvest-ratatouille/

Tofu Salad Sammies

I love tofu, I know I have said it a million times before, but I would much rather eat some yummy tofu slab that a mock meat concoction. Not that seitan and all that stuff is bad, it is just I love the texture, taste and really the flexibility of tofu. You can make it taste like ANYTHING! I also love sammies, have I said that yet? Not sure, but it is true. Tofurkey, Pb & J, TLT's, eggless egg even potato salad sammies. I try not to eat too many for fear of a carb over load but damn, give this girl a sammich already!



Tofu Salad Sammie

Tofu:
1 block firm tofu, drained
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut tofu into slabs and place on well greased cookie sheet. Brush on 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 salt and 1/2 pepper and bake for 30 minutes. Pull out of oven, flip tofu and brush on remaining olive oil and sprinkle on remaining salt and pepper. Bake another 30 minutes. Let cool.



Fixens':
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered raw almonds
1/4 cucumber (hothouse) 1 whole cucumber if Persian, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup Vegenaise


Once cooled,

cut tofu into 1 inch squares. Place into large bowl
and add all the fixens'

and mix well.

Chill in refrigerator for one hour, then enjoy!


weird horse-y, giraffe-y, metal thingy approves!

Candied Walnuts

A little bit sweet, a little bit salty and oh my word, a little bit spicy. This is how I would describe this yummy snack. I bought raw walnuts not too long ago to make candied walnuts and slowly I used them for other foods and today when cleaning out the cupboard I discovered there was only half a bag left, so I left the cupboard a mess and decided to make these instead. Now this is a very simple recipe, but you would be surprised to know how many people drop a small fortune on teeny bags of already candied walnuts. They are around 5 dollars for a 4 oz bag, where as my 12 oz. bag was only $6.50. Once again, this is very simple and it only takes about 25 minutes to prepare and bake.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

6 oz. walnuts
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 T. sugar (or 1/4 cup agave)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
cayenne pepper to taste


baking in oven

Place all ingredients in a bowl and coat the walnuts evenly. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

See, easy! You can eat these as a snack, add them to a trail mix or even toss them into a salad.

random photos of the week

I am being lazy, please forgive me. I have done all kinds of fun and silly things this week but instead of writing about them I would rather give a visual story of all the fun.


My friend Andi and I drove to Phoenix to check out Luci's Healthy Marketplace. The sign above her head is awesome, it reads, "If you want the best seat in the house...MOVE the dog." Best sign of the day. (:


The coffee at Luci's was amazing and the staff was so friendly.


After Luci's we went back to Andi's house for a dip in the pool and for some doggie cuddling. This is Beijing and she is super duper sweet.


I made cupcakes for a baby shower. As silly as it sounds, I had never heard of confetti cupcakes and when asked to make these I was completely confused. The Timmy informed me of the Pillsbury boxed cake mix with colorful sprinkles in them. I wonder if these are the only Vegan confetti cupcakes made, since it is not the most "gourmet" of cupcakes. I did make a large cake first to see how it turned out, it was good, but very basic.


I was very happy with the way the cupcake frosting turned out. Very bright.


My friend Alyssa and I went to Conspire coffee on National Doughnut Day to get Vegan doughnuts but they did not have any. *sigh*


I settled for just an amazing cup of soy latte goodness.


I got dressed up for the occasion, doughnuts are a big deal. (:


And today I went to the gym with Bonnie but did not take photos because that would just be odd. Um, why is there a girl in spandex taking photos of everyone sweating on the gym equipment? We also stopped off at Loveland and I fell in love with a new dress, bunnies, kitties and unicorns on the fabric. That dress was screaming for me to take it home, so maybe tomorrow I will stop in and see how it fits. Oh and only 9 more days until...My birthday!

Ask A Vegan! Pt. 5

So this post is a day late, but I promise you it is worth it. My Vegan of the week is Jon Gibbons who works with Timmy. When it comes to Jon I have this motherly tendency to make sure he is well fed and happy at work. For the last two years I have made Jon both of his birthday cakes, I have made cupcakes for his 5 year anniversary at work and I have sent extra food with Timmy to work to share with Jon. In fact I always say, "Here is an extra bit for Jon," or, "Honey, your lunch is in the fridge and there is an additional container in there for Jon." It is really strange because, honestly, I have met Jon a handful of times and have only really sat down and talked with him at length once. But for some reason I plain adore this kid. I would adopt him if I could. Maybe it is because he reminds me of Edward Furlong? Who knows? I hope everyone enjoys his answers and by the way all you ladies out there, Jon is single, he enjoys bike rides, all kinds of music and you guessed it, good Vegan food. :)

Name: Jonathan Gibbons
Age: 26
Location: Phoenix
Website: Veganshoegazer.tumblr.com



How long have you been Vegan?
Around 2-3 years. I was vegetarian for 2-3 before that.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I was interested in a Vegan lifestyle since I became vegetarian. At first I wanted to know if I could actually do it. After going Vegan, I learned of all the terrible things that were occurring to countless animals and decided that going Vegan was one of the most compassionate, meaningful, and self rewarding decisions I have ever made.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
Great! I have really learned to appreciate great food. I can honestly say that I have not been sick once since going Vegan and was only sick once or twice while vegetarian.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Absolutely. I have posters hung up in my living room as well as stickers on my desk at work proclaiming I am a proud Vegan. I encourage all of my friends and family to educate themselves about the benefits of being Vegan.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
My previous roommates and I, over the course of 5 years, fostered over a hundred dogs, cats, and other small animals. I am allergic to cats and my current living situation does not allow for pets so we are animal free at this time :(



Jon with unicorn cake I baked for his birthday 2 years ago

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Friends and co-workers can be total assholes. The whole 'haha you're vegan' jokes got old long ago but they still amuse them. Just today I had a co-worker tell me that he refuses to eat anything I would eat regardless of what it was. For the most part, my friends are much more accepting and always take into consideration my intolerance to cruelty.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Start cooking. Cooking is extremely fun even if you are not good at it. Make a blog or post your pictures on forums and you will only receive encouragement from other Vegans. Comfort food also helps when first transitioning to a vegan diet. Many cities have great, strictly vegan restaurants that even meat eaters can enjoy. Living in Phoenix we have Green, Loving Hut, Veggie House, Zpizza, Whole Foods, etc.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
I would really like to say no but I know there would be drunken night out with friends where I would probably eat one if nothing else was available. I would feel pretty bad the next day though and swear I would never eat one again.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
I have never been asked this question directly but I think Sarah Palin's question pisses me off the most. (The protein question has been brought up enough).

Quote from Sarah Palin's 'Going Rogue': "If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore," she wrote. "If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?”


Jon with Vegan Bake Sale signs (I am awesome!)

What is your favorite dish?
All Vegan Indian food. It is the only food I can eat so much I make myself sick.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Tofurky and the standard Thanksgiving dishes. This year I will be switching to Field Roast instead of a Tofurky.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Vegan Reese's Pieces chocolate cheesecake with caramel on top.

Please include a recipe:

BBQ Tofu
¼ cup peanut butter (Tahini, almond butter etc will work too).

¼ cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil.

A dash or two of salt, pepper and garlic powder

A bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 Block of firm tofu ( I freeze it first, let thaw and squeeze the water out).


BBQ tofu on right

Mix the peanut butter, soy sauce olive oil and spices in a bowl. It should be a gooey slimy mess (kinda like a batter, liquid, but thick enough to stick to the tofu) If the batter is to thick or thin add more soy sauce or peanut butter. Cut the tofu in about ¼ inch strips and dip into the peanut butter goo coating both sides. Place single layer on a cookie sheet (I put a layer of aluminum foil on the cookie sheet and spray with it a little cooking oil) Bake at 350-375 (depending on your oven) for about 15 to 20 minutes (should be golden brown), then flip and bake for another 15 minutes. Pour the barbecue sauce on and bake for another 15 minutes, flip it over, cover in barbecue sauce and bake another 15 minutes or so. Let it cool, eat on a sandwich in a salad or whatever.