The Good Ole Days: Summer in Prospect Park with our NY Family

Perhaps this isn't the best way to spend the new year, but I have been feeling very homesick for NY lately.  Among my "not-resolutions" is to become more organized and on top of things.  So I have been going through my stock of old recipes and pictures and trying to organize blog posts that I may have started before and never finished.  This is one of them, and I figured it would be the perfect time to post it, to remind myself and others out there that Spring and Summer do actually exist and they may eventually be here!

I've had quite a bit of free time lately and have been watching shows based in NY, heard the street names I would visit all the time and see places that would remind me of great places I've seen and great things I've done.  I think this terrible cold weather that has left me stranded inside for several days has not helped me feel so, sort of sad and missing NY.  The really funny thing is that when I really think about it, life was not perfect there - in fact, there were so many things that I thought were terrible and unlivable while I was there.  But now they don't seem so bad and I find myself wishing we had waited maybe a couple more years to move away.  But the fact that Hubbs and I want to open our own business here in our new city is what is keeping me chugging along.  Until that time, I've got to focus on the business and reorganizing everything and staying more on top of things.  So, in this terrible cold weather, you can enjoy these lovely pictures of grilling in Brooklyn in the middle of a hot, hot summer.  It definitely made me smile and feel a little warmer and more optimistic!

Veggie Dog with all the toppings, Greek Lentil Salad, Chippies

Greek Lentil Salad

Veggie Dogs

Hot Dog Buns

Chopped Onions

Ketchup, Mustard, Hot Sauce

Seasoned Baked Tortilla Chips

1.  Make salad and let it chill for a couple hours.

2.  Gill veggie dogs on grill until heated through.  Place in bun and top with everything - ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, onions.  If I had thought to bring sauerkraut, I would have topped the dog with that too!

3.  Place helpings of each item on your plate and eat!  And enjoy the sunshine! (Or pretend it's sunny out!)



Veggie Dogs Grilling - They look so Lonely!



Hubby & His Giant Cousin Grilling their non-vegan Chicken
(This is before the Hubby became vegetarian.)



Hubbs & I & our delicious picnic food in the middle of the
beautiful summer!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did!

Koko

Vegan Chicken & Broccoli

 

 Happy New Year!

 

 

Hubby & I last night in a beautiful condo my mom
surprised us with for the night.  Fun!

 

I hope everyone had a great New Year's and is as excited as I am about this coming new year.  2013 was a very bittersweet year for me - one of the most difficult I have been through in recent years, but I know it has and will continue to make me grow into a better person.  I came to some interesting realizations about myself and have just really been forced to become stronger.  I have so many goals for this coming year, but unlike many New Year's past, I have not written them down or described them as "New Year's Resolutions".  So perhaps here is a good opportunity to write them down so I can remember them later, although I will not be going as crazy about them this year as I usually do.

 

• Focus on bettering my Spanish - hopefully I will be able to have more of a complete conversation with my mother-in-law by the end of the year

• Eat more cleanly - less snacking - that's my problem.  And use up a lot of the pantry items I brought back from Brooklyn with us- make more food items out of what we have - not going out and buying new things every time I decide to cook something

• Be more open to trying new things that usually make me uncomfortable: singing in front of others, dancing, saying "ok, sure, let's do it", rather than "uh ..."

• Focus on being healthy - yes exercise more, but not letting "weight loss" be the main focus

• Work on our business

What are some things you guys are wanting to do differently this year?  They don't have to be resolutions per se, just some things you want to focus more on. 


Going along with my concept of eating well and using the ingredients I have on hand (not too many fresh ingredients left - definitely have to go shopping!) I decided on this vegan chicken and broccoli that I served with brown rice.  So delicious and simple enough to make on this day of feeling tired after not getting much sleep last night.

 

 

 

 

 

Serves 4
 

Steamed Brown Rice, to serve

 

Vegan Chicken and Broccoli:

1 8 oz. pkg. vegan chicken, thawed

1 1/2 tablespoons untoasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 2 large cloves

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups broccoli florets (I used the stems too, just peeled them first)

6 tablespoons unchicken broth, separated

1 tablespoon sesame oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

5 scallions, sliced on the diagonal

1/4 cup organic hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons mushroom oyster sauce

Sesame seeds, for garnish

 

 

1.  Place a wok over medium-high heat and add the 1 ½ tablespoons of sesame oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and dried red pepper flakes.  Stir fry for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add the broccoli florets (and stems if you would like) and 4 tablespoons of the unchicken broth. Stir fry broccoli for 2 minutes, or until desired doneness is achieved.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

2.  Add a little more sesame oil to the wok (about 1 tablespoon).  Add the thawed out chicken to the wok and cook just until heated through, and slightly browned if desired (keep in mind that this chicken is fully cooked and could even be eaten as is, although I wouldn't recommend that!).
3.  Add in remaining 2 tablespoons of unchicken broth, oyster mushrooms sauce, and hoisin sauce.  Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and move around just until the mixture is heated through.
4.  Serve over top of the steamed brown rice.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.


Enojy!

Koko

Banana Walnut Bread

It seems to me that I am always buying bananas.  With the best of intentions of course.  I intend to eat them while they are nice and yellow and fresh.  I do not like to eat them when they are speckled and too ripe.  It rarely happens though that I am able to eat them all.  So they end up super ripe, peeled and placed in a gallon size plastic bag in the freezer, which continues and continues to accumulate.  Oh sure, some get used for green smoothies (for me) or strawberry banana smoothies(for the hubby), but there is always way too many in the freezer.  A few days ago I decided to reorganize my freezer and came across that big bag of frozen bananas and decided I was going to make some banana bread out of them.  I put the plastic bag on the counter in a big bowl and let them thaw out for a couple hours - until they were mashable.  Then I went over to one of my favorite vegan food blogs Oh She Glows, and made her Banana Bomb Muffins - minus the bomb part and used unbleached flour - not whole wheat.  Always so good!  Hubbs and I were definitely happy with the bread, and I was happy that my tiny freezer was that much less full.  Until the next time I have a bag full of frozen, super ripe bananas ....

Beautiful loaf of banana bread!

So moist and yummy!

Enjoy!

Koko

GF Testing: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake

I have been doing quite a bit of testing lately for my future business.  The menu is coming along great.  The only thing I really need to work on is the baked goods  Those always seem to be the most difficult items to test, because they require such expensive ingredients, they get thrown away if they don't work, and is impossible to eat for one family, let alone one couple.  Hubby doesn't always like to take my sample baked goods to his job for his coworkers, because he has the crazy idea that his coworkers are going to get to the point that they expect treats from him whenever they see him and it is such a pain for him whenever people constantly tell him how great the baked goods were.  I definitely get a smile out of each time he tells me when someone compliments the things I make.

Anyway, I decided I needed to test my gf baked goods, and since I just bought a huge tub of organic peanut butter from the coop, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to make a peanut butter chocolate chip cake.  And it turned out great.  Very fluffy and moist.  Not gritty or strange tasting at all.  My only complaint, as with all gf items I make, is that the shelf life is very small.  Like 3 days,  I would love to figure out something to add the the cake to give it a greater shelf life, beyond freezing that is. 

Beautiful Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cake.

Nice and moist and delicious!

Enjoy!

Koko

Eggplant and Soy Chicken with Brown Rice and Mixed Green Salad

The one thing I miss a lot about being away from NY, is the ease in finding vegan "meat" products.  There is a really great food coop here in Michigan that carries a ton of amazing, healthy, organic products, which I love, but I sometimes just really crave vegan chicken and other "fake" meats!  And they only carry veggie burgers, seitan, etc.  I remembered that there was this tiny, funky little health food store called Edson Farms that I literally had not been to for over ten years, and after finding out that it was still in business, I rushed over.  I remember that store carrying a ton of soy meat products.  After running over to the freezer section where those fake meats used to be, I was shocked to discover the same selection of veggie burgers and loaves that the coop carried.  There were only two packages of vegan "chicken strips" left in the freezer, which I immediately grabbed, for fear someone would take them, and rushed home. 

This just all goes to show how much I took for granted living in NY and the accessibility of really anything I wanted at any point.  Oh sure, I can and likely will order some fake meats online, but it was so much more fun and so much more interesting to be able to walk into a vegetarian supermarket and be able to purchase almost every item in there replicating all kinds of meats.  I was soooooo spoiled!  The whole reason I was wanting the soy chicken anyway was to make soy chicken and eggplant, a dish I used to get delivered to my apartment in Brooklyn all the time - pretty much every day I had off.  It was so delicious and I miss the ease and freedom of being able to pick up the phone and have something literally delivered right to my door.  So I found the soy chicken, had a couple Japanese eggplants in my fridge and made this dish.  It was out of control good!  Now I'll just have to have some soy chicken delivered and make this delicious dish again!  Yum!

Looks just like it did from Zen Vegetarian!

Omg, crazy good!

The whole delicious meal.  Just like in Brooklyn!

8 oz. soy chicken strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small Japanese eggplants, halved and sliced on the diagonal
1/2 red onion, julienned
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.  Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the soy chicken strips and saute till browned and crispy.  Set aside.
2.  In the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the pan is hot, add the onion  and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until beginning to soften.
3.  Add the eggplant and saute, stirring frequently for several minutes.
4.  Place the lid on top of the pan and lower the heat slightly, allowing the eggplant to steam.
5.  After about 5 minutes of steaming, the eggplant should have softened.
6.  Add the mushroom soy sauce, filtered water, black pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook for a couple minutes, or until the water evaporates about halfway and the sauce has thickened.
7.  Season to taste.  Serve over brown rice.  Enjoy with a nice side salad.  That's it!


Enjoy!

Koko

Vegan Broccoli Cheese Quiche

Quiche is something I used to love eating when I was simply vegetarian.  And it was always something that took a little bit more time, but was so worth it and such a great thing to make with guests.  I have made quiche several times since becoming vegan, but they have never really turned out so great before.  I think a lot of it had to do with the crust always being too health-foody.  I found a recipe for a quiche on the Oh She Glow's blog (I am a huge fan!) and decided to try it.  It was certainly the best vegan quiche I have made before, but it needed a little something extra.  So the next time around I made it, changing and adding a couple things, and it came out amazingly!  So delicious!  And who doesn't love broccoli and cheese? Yum!

 



 

 

Isn't this the most gorgeous thing ever?

Omg, I wish I could eat this again, after looking at the picture!

Base recipe from Oh She Glows website with the following changes:

-used homemade "buttery" crust
-blanched the tofu before blending - and blending it while warm
-used yellow onion
-didn't use: mushrooms, chives, basil, sundried tomatotes, spinach
-added an extra 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
-used 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-added 2 tablespoons cashew butter to make creamy
-added 1/2 teaspoon vegan boullion powder
-used 1/2 bunch of broccoli, blanched and cut into small pieces, folded into the mixture after it thoroughly blended
-added 1 cup of shredded mozzarella-stlye daiya
-baked for 45 minutes - anything less resulted in a too-soft texture

That's it - and it came out crazy good!


Enjoy!

Koko

Savory Vegan French Toast

 My Hubby and I differ quite a bit on what we like for breakfast, especially since we moved away from New York and due to the fact that he is not vegan (read - he loves eggs).  When we were in NY and had access to fresh plantains, yucca and other amazing Spanish foods, we would eat those most days.  Those things are not so easy to find here in Northern Michigan, and when we do find them, they are very costly and not super fresh.  Most of the time, Hubbs and I will choose a savory breakfast over a sweet one, even eating sandwiches sometimes.  But sometimes I just want some American-style breakfast - like pancakes, waffles, (tempeh) bacon, etc.  But when I make those suggestions, he groans. 

Then one day when I was looking through the freezer to see what we had, I noticed we had a ton of bread (Hubbs gets bread for free from his job when the expiration date is close and we just pop it in the freezer).  I hadn't had French toast in a long time - basically since I was a kid living back home.  I made the suggestion to Hubbs, and he was kind of grossed out, but intrigued.  He had one request though: don't make it sweet.  Not sweet?  I thought about it for a while and decided it was a great idea.  I came up with a batter to dip it in and it turned out pretty good.  After making a couple adjustments, it came out great and this is one of our go-to breakfasts - something we can both agree on.

Nicely Spicy with Cool, Tangy Sour Cream

Serves: 5-6 slices, about 2

Multigrain Bread - 5-6 slices
Olive oil/canola oil

French Toast Batter:
1/2 cup chickpea flour
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 pinches black pepper
2 pinches cayenne pepper
2 pinches chipotle pepper powder
pinch of each onion and garlic powder
1/2 cup water

Toppings:
vegan sour cream
sriracha
salsa

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, unbleached flour, baking soda, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, onion and garlic powder.  Whisk together until combined.
2.  Add the water and whisk together to form a batter.
3.  Place a medium saute pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon or so of the olive oil or canola oil.  Allow the pan to become hot.
4.  In the meantime, make an assembly line of the bread, batter and a clean plate.  Dip each piece of bread in the batter, being sure to evenly coat both sides.  Place up to two slices of the dipped bread onto the clean plate. 
5.  Once the pan is hot, place both of the dipped slices of bread carefully into the oiled pan.  Allow each side of the bread to cook for a couple minutes per side, or until golden and crispy.  While the French Toast is cooking, continue dipping both sides of the bread until all of the batter and bread is used up. 
6.  Once all of the dipped bread has cooked through, place two slices on a plate, cut each piece in half and top with the sour cream and hot sauce or salsa.  That's it - simple and crazy delicious!



Enjoy!

-Koko