"Beef" Stroganoff

One of my FAVORITE things to eat when I was growing up was my mom's Beef Stroganoff.  Something about the savory beef and the creamy sauce made it a very comforting and filling meal.  This time of year, when it's chilly out and the leaves have all fallen off the trees, I tend towards these kind of comforting foods from my childhood.  Of course, since I'm now a vegetarian, I had to come up with my own non-meat version of Beef Stroganoff.  This isn't healthy, or refined, but trust me, it tastes damn good! Hope you like it!

"Beef" Stroganoff

Makes 8 servings

1 container fresh sliced mushrooms (or 2-3 cans sliced mushrooms, drained)
1 can "cream of" soup (I like cream of onion, but you can use cream of mushroom)
1 16 oz. tub of sour cream (check to make sure it's not made with gelatin)
1 T. paprika
1 bag of meatless crumbles
1/4 c. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (I like Cajun Power brand, since it's a tad spicy)
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. olive oil
salt to taste
Egg noodles

Directions

While you're making the sauce, cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.  In a medium size skillet, cook the crumbles, garlic, and mushrooms in the oil over medium heat until the crumbles are browned and the mushrooms are cooked through.  Add the sour cream, soup, paprika, Worcestershire, and pepper.  ***About half of the time when I make this, I skip the condensed soup.  It just depends on whether I have any in the pantry.  It works just fine without it, although you will need to add more salt, a bit more sour cream, and perhaps some diced onion in with the crumbles.*** Mix thoroughly and cook over medium-low heat until heated through. If you're a normal human being, you probably won't need to add much salt.  If you're like me, and practically need a salt lick in your living room, then you may end up adding up to a teaspoon of salt.  The condensed soup is salty though, so don't salt until you've tasted, and then salt a little at a time until you're satisfied.  Spoon the sauce over the cooked noodles and serve with garlic bread. Yum!
(Nutrition facts don't include the noodles, since the info for those will vary on which brand you buy.)

"Chicken" and Dumplings

You know what I freakin' love? Chicken and dumplings.  Too bad I don't eat chicken anymore!  So, I needed a creamy, savory, satisfying substitute.  After much experimentation, I came up with this recipe for "chicken" and dumplings that's made with Quorn, which is a kind of fake chicken you can probably find at your grocery store in the freezer section.  If you can't find Quorn, you could probably substitute another brand of fake chicken patty; just choose something that isn't breaded.

"Chicken" and Dumplings

Ingredients:
2 T. butter
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
3 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2" pieces
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Quorn "naked" fake chicken breasts, torn into small pieces
1 cup frozen peas
2 t. faux chicken bouillon gel (see below)
6 cups 1% milk
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 dried bay leaves
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls, sliced into 1/2 inch wide discs

Directions:
In a stock pot, cook garlic, onion, carrot, celery, potato, and Quorn over medium heat until potato is *almost* done. I like to tear up the Quorn instead of dicing it, because it gives it a more realistic texture:

Add peas and cook a few more minutes until the peas are thawed. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, flour, thyme, marjoram, and pepper.  Add the milk mixture to the stock pot and stir.  Add the faux chicken stock and stir until it dissolves.  I like to use Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base.  If you use something else, you may need to alter the measurements.  Just follow the measurement given on your bouillon for making a quart of stock.

Now add the bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture is boiling, drop in the slices of crescent roll dough, cover, and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until your dumplings have fluffed up a bit.  You may need to taste test one or two...or four...to make sure they're done. Your dish will end up tasting much better if you make a mess while cooking it.  I swear. ;)

You probably will also want to give it a stir or two while the dumplings are cooking to make sure nothing sticks.  Once your dumplings are fluffy-ish, your "Chicken" and Dumplings are ready!  Just ladle into bowls, top with some more freshly ground black pepper, and serve. 

Squash Casserole

Well, we had the first real family Thanksgiving at our place this year, and it was great! I cooked for about 8 hours straight, but the end result was worth it!  Mom made turkey, cranberry-orange relish, and her EXCELLENT "ramshackle" mac and cheese (trust me, it's awesome!).  I made sweet potato souffle, stuffing, broccoli rice casserole, mashed potatoes, cornbread, Coca-cola cake, and an experimental squash casserole that ended up coming out wonderfully!  I made squash casserole last year from some random internet recipe, and couldn't remember what I put in it.  So this year, I started with Paula Deen's squash casserole recipe and messed with it until it looked tasty to me.  It went over very well, and it's officially being added to my Thanksgiving menu from now on!  It's very easy to put together, and it comes out as a cheesy, bubbly, savory dish. :)

Squash Casserole

8-10 small/medium yellow squash, diced (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. Shredded cheddar
1 large onion, diced
1.5 sleeves ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick salted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. Olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground pepper

Cook squash and onion in olive oil over medium heat until squash begins to break down. Place squash and onion in a colander and squeeze out excess water. Mix squash and onion and all remaining ingredients, reserving a third of the cracker crumbs. Spread into greased 8x8 casserole dish and top with remaining cracker crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Chickpea Salad

One of the things I miss most about being vegetarian is great chicken or tuna salad.  There are all kinds of meat substitutes out there, but none quite get it right.  However, I discovered that using mashed up chickpeas as the protein actually makes for a really satisfying salad.  Of course, the chickpeas don't taste like chicken, but there's something about the texture that hits the spot. With a little tweaking, you can make this taste either like chicken salad or tuna salad. :)

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans (drained) chickpeas 

1/3 cup light mayonnaise 

1/3 cup chopped sweet onion 

1/3 cup chopped dill pickles 

1 T. pickle juice salt and pepper to taste 

2" square of nori (optional)

Directions:
Mash up the chickpeas with a potato masher, or by blending briefly in a food processor. They should have some chunky bits still, but be pretty creamy when stirred. Add the remaining ingredients (except nori) and stir to combine. This recipe makes about nine 1/3 cup servings, but that will vary a tad if you use more or less onion and pickle. If you want this to taste more like tuna salad, then add the nori to the food processor with the chickpeas, or grind it up separately and add it to the salad. This will give a slightly fishy flavor like you would have with tuna salad.

Smashed Sour Cream and Onion Potatoes

The hubby and I both had a hankering for comfort food today, so on the menu was Mom's Ramshackle-roni (her kick-ass mac and cheese), homemade coleslaw, fake chicken, and homemade mashed potatoes.

Last Thanksgiving I made mashed potatoes with Yukon Gold potatoes, and it was soooo good, so this time around I definitely wanted to use those.  The hubby requested sour cream and onion flavored potatoes, so, the Smashed Sour Cream and Onion Potatoes were born! These are SUPER easy to make, and taste fantastic.  I'm calling these "smashed" instead of "mashed," because we like our mashed potatoes with chunks of potato and potato skin; so, if you're not a fan of either of those things you will need to mash your potatoes a lot finer, and peel them after cooking.

Smashed Sour Cream and Onion Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed well

1 8 oz. container sour cream

1/4 cup salted butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 green onions, sliced

2 t. minced garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Poke holes in all of your potatoes with a fork and microwave (all at the same time) for 8 minutes, turning halfway through.  The potatoes should be soft all the way through. In a mixing bowl, smash the potatoes with a potato masher until you have mostly mashed potatoes, with some chunks left.  Make sure to break up any big pieces of potato skin.  Add the heavy cream, the sour cream, the butter (in small pieces), and the salt and pepper and stir gently to combine.  Gently fold in the green onions and garlic. Serve with a pat of butter and enjoy!

 

Peanut Butter Cookies!

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up!  Here we have a spectacle sure to please meat eaters and vegetarians alike! Homemade peanut butter cookies!

Oh yeah.  Crispy around the edges. Chewy in the center.  Perfect for a day when USC is spanking Cal. :)

Here goes!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 stick salted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c.white sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the first 4 ingredients.  Add the egg and peanut butter and mix well (I did all my mixing by hand; no need for an electric mixer).  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto two greased cookie sheets, 12 cookies per sheet.  Press a fork into the top of each cookie in a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 8-10 minutes if you are baking one sheet, and 10-12 minutes if you are baking two at a time.  You want to bake these just until they are set.  They shouldn't get brown at all.  If you over bake them, you will have too-crunchy cookies. When you take them out of the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Makes 24 cookies.
Gracie, Dexter, and Ripley think that the best thing about these cookies is that they are dog-friendly! ;)
By the way, you're not getting nutritional information for this recipe, because I DO NOT want to know how many calories worth of peanut butter cookies I just ate!

Vegetable Chili with Chipotle Cream

So, how do you make a tasty chili without meat? I'm sure this is sacrilege to meat eaters (and anyone from Texas), but with the right spices you can make a kickin' chili without any meat at all! By creating the chipotle cream, you allow your diners to crank up the spiciness as much as they like. I happen to be a big wimp when it comes to spicy food, so I like just a tiny bit of fire. The hubby, on the other hand, would happily pour pureed scotch bonnets down his throat if you'd let him. This recipe works for both of us!

Vegetable Chili with Chipotle Cream

Chili:
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into half-moons
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 10 oz. package of sliced fresh mushrooms, very coarsely chopped
1 T. minced garlic
2 T. olive oil
3 cans Ro-tel tomatoes, with liquid (if you don't have Ro-tel, you could substitute regular canned diced tomatoes; just add a can of diced green chilies as well)
1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 T. yellow corn meal
1 T. chili powder
1.5 T. cumin powder
2 t. dry oregano
kosher salt to taste

Chipotle Cream:
1 c. light sour cream
2 T. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dry oregano
1 pinch salt

To make chili:
In a medium stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, potato, and mushroom. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until potatoes and carrots are almost cooked through.

Then add beans and tomatoes and bring to a boil.


Simmer for 5 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. Reduce heat to low, add spices and cornmeal and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes.

To make chipotle cream:
Put all of the ingredients in a small zip top bag and seal. Mix well and store in the fridge until you're ready to use.


When the chili is ready, spoon into bowls, then cut a corner off of the zip top bag and pipe the chipotle cream over the top. More cream = spicier chili, so be careful how much you use! If you like it really spicy, you could reduce the amount of sour cream and increase the amount of chipotle peppers; the consistency will still be just fine. This is particularly good to eat while the USC Trojans are kicking someone's ass on the football field. ;)

Country French Potato Leek Soup

Well, it's starting to get a bit chilly now and then in my neck of the woods, so potato soup sounded like just the thing.  It's VERY simple to make, and the hubby keeps asking if there are still leftovers. :)

Country French Potato Leek Soup

5 medium russet potatoes, diced
6 cups milk (I used whole milk; you could sub in lighter milk or cream for part of it to make a healthier or richer soup)
3 leeks, sliced into 1/2 inch rings, and washed well
1 T. minced garlic
1 1/2 T. herbes de provence (If you're not a fan of lavender, look for French herbes de provence; typically lavender is only included in American made herbes de provence.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 T. olive oil


In a medium to large sized stock pot (I use my 6 quart dutch oven), sweat the leeks over medium heat with the garlic and a little salt.  Once leeks look mostly translucent, add the potatoes and milk and slowly bring to a boil. 

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Add the herbes de provence, the salt, and the pepper and leave over low heat for 5 minutes.  

Use an immersion blender to blend up the soup to whatever consistency you prefer.  I generally like to leave some potato and leek pieces whole, so I blend one side of the pot only. Makes 6 generous servings. 

BAKED Seitan Recipe!

Ok, so I've got to give this a try.  I've never tried making seitan before, because it is SUCH a pain in the ass.  However, with Whole Foods across town, it would be much easier to make it at home.  This recipe involves baking instead of boiling, and because you're using vital wheat gluten, you don't have to do that crazy kneading-washing thing you have to do if you use regular flour.  Now, I've just got to get my hands on some nutritional yeast...
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15959&p=1

Lentil Soup; It's Mental Fruit!

Here's one from the hubby!  He happens to be a not-too-shabby vegetarian cook in his own right, and this soup he created is DARN good!

Jonathon’s Vegan Lentil Soup

1 med Vidalia onion, diced
4 med carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 med potato, diced
Approximately 2 tablespoons gel form faux-chicken stock (you could use powder form; use enough to make about 6 cups of broth)
1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Spray olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic w/ juice (the kind you get in the jar)
16 oz dry lentils, picked over and rinsed
8 cups water
Bac-Os (optional)


Spray pot with olive oil cooking spray until very coated.  Put chopped onions and garlic in.  After 3 minutes add carrots, celery, and potato to the mix.  Add faux-chicken stock, water, salt, pepper, and hot sauce to the pot.  Bring to a rapid boil for 4 minutes and reduce to simmer for 1 hour.  Add Bacos and additional hot sauce to taste!
Eat while listening to Be Healthy by Dead Prez. ;)

Pea Salad!

Hey y'all! :) I finally decided to start doing something with all of these vegetarian recipes that I come up with; posting them here for you! When I manage to get my happy ass in the kitchen and make something, it's usually either something I made up or a twist on something someone else has made. I've had a few final products that made me want to pull out my own tongue (too-garlicky salsa, anyone?), but for the most part, it ends up pretty darn good. So, if you're a vegetarian or you know one, perhaps these recipes will be helpful. So, why not start with pea salad?


I had actually never heard of pea salad, until someone mentioned it at one of my little potluck get-togethers. "Well, that sounds either really tasty or really disgusting," I thought, and promptly started searching the web to see what the hell pea salad is. After combing through many, many pea salad recipes, I came up with my own composite. I made it today for noshing on during college football (Fight On Trojans!!), and it came out pretty dang yummy. So, here goes:

Pea Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen peas, thawed
2/3 c. diced Velveeta (Yes, Velveeta...I didn't say it was a REFINED food blog...)

2/3 c. diced sharp cheddar

2/3 c. light mayo (I used Kraft)

1/2 of a medium red onion, diced small

1/3 c. Bac-Os (Yes, they are vegetarian; vegan actually!)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


Directions:

Dump it all in a bowl and mix it up. If you can stand it, let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge before serving. I ended up eating some right away though, and it was yummy!  As a matter of fact, I might have to go get some right now...

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