Vegetarian Shoes

I'm not a natural shopper. Buying stuff just doesn't do it for me. But recently I needed sandals (after wearing my others to oblivion), and I've always liked the "cup heal" of Birckenstocks...

Well, Birkenstock no longer makes animal product-free shoes anymore. Their sister companies make a few, but the selection is not spectacular. However, searching online I found this company from the UK. 

They're called "Vegetarian Shoes," and their products are free from animal products. So, well, I bought a pair of their sandals...

The lining mimics suede, and the shoe resembles one of Birkenstock's. Pretty nice! And comfortable. A little big, but they don't have half sizes. At any rate, I'm happy with them, and happy to support a company who has a bottom line worth supporting!

Cherry BBQ Tofu (And How to Bake Tofu RIGHT)

So I had acquired some fresh cherries and was wondering, What could I do with them? Well, most of them just got eaten... but, then I found this recipe for cherry barbeque sauce.

It worked terrifically with tofu. As time goes on, my tofu baking skills are improving... Here's what I've found to be a good way to get chewy, nicely-textured and flavorful tofu:

1. Press your tofu in a cloth to get out excess water (no need to be a stickler about this)
2. Cut or tear the tofu into bite size pieces
3. Spray a baking sheet with oil, then place the tofu on it. Splash soy sauce over the pieces, then spray the tofu with oil.
4. Bake at 425 F (or 400 in a convection oven setting) for 20 minutes. Stir and flip the tofu pieces. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until edges of tofu look hardened. 
5. Put your tofu in a heat-safe bowl with the sauce you plan to use, stir to coat, then place in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce is heated through.

Alternatively, after step 2 you can do the following:
3a. Place the tofu in a container and add a marinade. Cover the container with an airtight lid, then turn the container around to coat all of the tofu pieces. Stick in the fridge, turning occasionally, for at least two hours, or overnight.
4a. Bake as directed, reserving any excess sauce in a bowl (otherwise your tofu will be mushy). You can pour the extra sauce over the tofu once it's all done baking. (This is a good idea especially if you're putting the tofu over rice.)

For barbeque sauce, I follow the first set of steps. For "saucier" or more liquid-y marinades, I'll follow the second set.

Onward tofu bakers!

Thai Basil-Coconut Tofu

This recipe is from Big Vegan by Robin Asbell. We're growing Thai basil, and I needed to put it to good use! This recipe was spot on. Here are some modifications:

- I used the dressing as a marinade for tofu, which I then cubed and baked, rather than stir-fried
- I put the dish over rice instead of rice noodles 

- I then roasted the broccoli and carrots, rather than steamed them, to bring out more flavor

The dish uses coconut milk, but isn't heavy (only 1/4 c of the milk for the dressing/marinade), so it's not like a curry. Good summer dish, in other words. The dressing works really well as a marinade if you let the tofu soak in it for a few hours. I always bake the tofu at 425 F until it is firm, chewy, and turning dark brown. Mushy tofu is a strict no-no in our abode. 

Moral of the story: use that Thai basil! It will be worth it.

Factory Farming - The Cruelty Factor

Here's an investigation that vegnews.com has just added to their website. I haven't read it, because I know this would be agonizing. But, if you are still on the edge about the cruelty of factory farming, please do read it. This is something everyone needs to feel agony over (since only this will change these practices).

UNDERCOVER

Warning: you may feel a certain mental discomfort; this is your conscience. Welcome it. It is here to make the world a better place for us all. Humans and animals alike.

Morrocan-Spiced Dinner Salad

Dinner salads are the bomb. Throw everything in a bowl, and not only do you have a quick, easy meal, you have all of your greens, veggies, protein, and (maybe even) grains in one nice little spot! 

I wanted to add raisins to this salad, and thus added some warm and sweet Middle Eastern spices to the dressing. If you don't have wheat berries, you could probably use rice just as well!

 Morrocan-Spiced Dinner Salad - Serves 2

1/2 c uncooked wheat berries (or rice, preferably brown)

1 15-oz can kidney beans

1/4 c chopped celery

2 tblsp raisins

2 tblsp sesame seeds

1/4 c chopped fresh basil

1/8 c chopped fresh mint 

2 scallions, chopped

3 c chopped lettuce or spinach

2 medium carrots, cut into sticks (optional)

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, grated or minced

1/2 tsp agave syrup (or sugar)

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Wheat berries take a while to cook. Put 2 1/2 c of water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the wheat berries, bring to a simmer, and cook for an hour, or until tender (but they'll still be nice and chewy), stirring occasionally. Drain and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of your salad ingredients, tossing all except the lettuce/spinach and carrots together in a bowl. Add the cooked wheat berries. Whisk together your dressing ingredients, then pour over the salad and stir to coat. You can keep it in the fridge until ready to use, or serve immediately. 

Serve the salad over a bed of chopped lettuce or spinach. Complete the salad with carrot sticks, if you like. 

Enjoy!

Cornmeal Crusted Tofu

Here's the first dinner I ever cooked: Cornmeal Crusted Tofu, from Veganomicon.

It was an instant success, and has stayed with us ever since. 

This recipe is definitely worth checking out!

However, this time when I made it I tried baking the tofu instead of pan-frying it. It wasn't just as good- it was an improvement! Even on an already 'delish' dish. I just made sure to spray it a few times with olive oil while it baked (400 F, 35-40 min). The crust turned out so.... crusty...

 Along with the tofu, I roasted some broccoli with fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and EVOO spray, and also roasted some chopped red potatoes. About five minutes or so before the tofu was done, I topped some of the pieces with fresh sage leaves. Southwestern-y decadence!

Chimichurri Soy Curls

Continuing the culinary dive into Soy Curls...

If you want to expand your soy horizons beyond tofu and tempeh, check out Soy Curls from Butler Foods. Then try out this recipe!

So, this recipe is the chimichurri sauce recipe in Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan! cookbook. The recipe is really delicious, and, it turns out, goes great with Soy Curls. 

After rehydrating the soy curls, saute them in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Add some lite soy sauce to the pan, to just moisten the curls and add a nice "browning vehicle". After the curls turn brown and begin to blacken in places, turn the heat to low and add the chimichurri sauce. Stir to coat, and serve with chopped tomatoes and avocado.

Added to this dish are the whole wheat tortillas, also from Viva Vegan!. The key to good homemade tortillas is to get them as thin as possible. Really, you need a tortilla press for this- it makes the job much easier and keeps your tortillas nice and round. Also, don't forget to use Spectrum Shortening - it's vegan and non-hydrogenated, and you can find it at most grocery stores. Onward, to "comida latina", vegan-style!