Eggplant And The Best Caponata Ever

I love eggplant. Always have. Mom used to slice it into circles, sprinkle with salt, set the slices in a colander and let the " bitterness" run out. I don't mess with all that. I don't know, maybe eggplant growing has changed since I was a kid. Maybe the vegetable isn't bitter at all and mom just thought it was. Once the slices were ready for cooking, she'd give them a good rinse under cold water, dry them well, dip them in beaten egg then into crushed cracker crumbs and fry them in a whole lot of butter. My sisters and I always fought over who got the most and if but one slice was left on the serving plate, we had to draw straws to see who got it.

In all those years since the 1940s, we've learned a thing or two about cooking healthy. And while I would dearly love to eat eggplant fixed mom's way, I don't allow myself to do it. What I have discovered though is that eggplant is just plain good the way God made it. I do tend to peel it because to me, the peel is difficult to chew. Other than that, the vegetable is good baked or stewed or grilled or roasted.

I've tried caponata before and truthfully, never thought it was anything to rave about, let alone take the time to make. That is until I saw Chef Anne Burrell cook it up on the Food Channel. Doggone, the recipe was vegan and the only thing I tweaked was to add some tofu to make the dish a complete meal. I could barely wait to get into the kitchen and if you've known me long, you know that I absolutely hate cooking. But something about this recipe called to me. And guess what? It is undoubtedly the best caponata I've ever eaten--bar none. Thanks, Anne.

1 large eggplant, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
3 Tbs. olive oil

Fennel has a licorice taste and while some
like it raw, I prefer it cooked.

Salt and pepper

1 large red onion, cut into medium dice
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 fennel bulb, cut into half-inch dice
3 celery ribs, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into medium dice
2 zucchini, cut into medium dice
8 oz. firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup golden raisins (I used regular since I was out of the golden ones)
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used almonds as that's what I had)
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, cut into slivers

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubed eggplant with the olive oil, salt and pepper and lay it in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast it for 15-20 minutes.

Coat a deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until the onions are soft. About 8-10 minutes.

Spend the $ for fresh mint. It makes
all the difference in the world.

Add the fennel, celery, garlic and tofu and cook another 5-6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook another 6 minutes. Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper once more. Cook over medium heat until all the vegetables are soft. Toss in the eggplant, the water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water is evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the raisins, capers, nuts, and mint. Cook another 5-6 minutes.

Serves 6-8 and while I served it hot with garlic bread, it's good cold too.

You know how some recipes just get better and better the longer they sit?
Well this is one of them. It was great on day one. Better on day 2. But
by day 3, what little was left, had an incredible depth of flavor.

How About A BLT--Vegan Style

One of my most favorite sandwiches has always been the BLT--bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Truth be told, I am a sandwich lover all the way around. My hubby was too and never once in our 53 years of marriage, did he ever complain about getting a sandwich for supper. In the winter I'd pair it with a hefty bowl of home made soup; summer with a huge fruit bowl. If I felt ambitious, I'd make oven french fries to add a starch to the meal. Most of the time I took the easy way out and just tossed some frozen fries in the oven and called it good.

Now I have to say that I've tried many of the vegan bacon's that are on the grocery shelves. I found all of them wanting in one way or another. Too much smoke, not enough smoke, no hint of bacon taste. The list goes on. Then I came upon a way to make tofu bacon in my own oven. I'm being honest here when I tell you it doesn't taste like bacon. It doesn't smell like bacon. But when paired with sourdough bread, big slices of red tomato and crisp lettuce, it teases the brain into thinking I might really be chowing down on the real thing. Or not. But I will tell you this. It is easy to make, easy on the pocketbook, and I got a whole baggie full of the stuff for the cost of a block of tofu.

BACON, LETTUCE, AND TOMATO SANDWICH

Prepare the tofu bacon.

1 12 oz. package of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed of its water

2-4 Tbs. vegetable oil

Smoked salt (I used a smokey bbq salt from Penzeys)

Slice the tofu into thin slices, about 1/8" thick. You should get 20-25 slices of "bacon." 

Use the largest skillet you have so there is a lot of "floor" space for the tofu to fry on.

Season one side of the tofu heavily with any smoked salt or smoky spice you like. 

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in the skillet set on medium heat. Carefully slip the tofu slices into the pan, making sure not to crowd them or they will steam and not fry.

Cook them for 4-5 minutes, then flip the slices over and cook them on the other side. The slices will become chewy. That is what you want. Total cooking time should be 8-10 minutes.

Drain the slices on paper towels, just as you would real bacon. Cook in batches if necessary. Unless you're feeding a crowd, you'll have "bacon" leftover for the next time you want a BLT.

Happy Eating.

Tofu bacon spits when fried, just like real bacon does. Now you know.

And on the Seventh Day...

Not only did I rest but, I got nothing much at all accomplished.Today was my day to  do cement work on the cabin foundation, go to the farmer's market at the Botanical Gardens, make Sandy's dill pickles and then go swimming at Devil's Den State Park. Instead, I got up and had coffee, went back to bed, got up and  had lunch and then took a nap. If I stay awake until nine tonight, I will be surprised.The temperature is once again in the hundred degree range and the last thing I want to do is cook. But surprisingly, all this heavy duty laying around has made me hungry.

I am lucky to have an extensive cookbook collection. To me browsing through cookbooks is every bit as fun as cooking. And if you love to cook, most likely you have a few old standbys. This is one of my favorites for when I want something healthy and delicious but don't want to spend a lot of the time in the kitchen. I adapted it from a pork lo mein recipe from Better Homes and Gardens' Fresh and Simple 20 Minute Suppers. Being vegetarian I obviously had to nix the pork and I spiced it up a bit with minced fresh garlic and ginger. I did not have lo mein noodles in the pantry so I substituted spaghetti which worked very nicely. It is substantial and tasty but not too heavy for a hot summer night!

Shanghai Tofu Lo Mein

Two dinner servings and ready in less than 20 minutes

8 ounces spaghetti or lo mein cooked until al dente. Rinse in cold water, drain and set aside
8 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed,drained and cubed. Saute in olive oil over high heat until browned. Set aside
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ginger root, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups bok choy, sliced
3/4 cup No Chicken Broth
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 11 ounce can mandarin orange segments, drained

In a  large skillet or wok over high heat, saute the bok choy in the olive oil until crisp tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the tofu and cook for a minute until heated through. Add the broth,orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked spaghetti and heat for a minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the orange sections and grab your chopsticks. Yum!

Say Hi to Thai



Once I have this vegan thing down pat, I'm going to learn how to photograph food. I realize my pictures look nothing like those in a magazine or book or even those on television. Woe is me. Right now it's all I can do to cook the food, let alone make it look pretty.



My late husband's family invited me to their Easter gathering and I somehow managed to stay completely vegan. Is that a miracle or what? I had such a good time seeing all of them, most of whom I haven't had contact with since Jim's memorial service a year ago. I have a reason for mentioning this. Only Jim's brother and his wife have kept in touch, often coming over to fix things I can't handle. Like electrical problems or water-heater nightmares. So why am I telling you this in a vegan blog? Simply because I want you to to know what they said about me.

The first comment was, with shocked look on face, "Gosh, Aunt Sandy, you're looking really good." Nephew continues to stare at me. "You sure do," another pipes in and gives me a bear hug. "I'm glad to see you looking so great," says a niece.  "What have you been doing?" It was compliments all around, each one saying mostly the same thing as we greeted one another. Taking into consideraton  that last time we'd all been together was a sad occasion, I figured whichever way I looked, it had to be  better than the last time we'd all assembled. 

But then my sister-in-law, who had continued glancing over at me, and whom I'd seen many times over this past year, commented that I really DID look good. I'll tell you a secret. I knew I did. I'm not talking about the "you're beautiful" kind of way but a rosy-cheeked healthy way. I'd noticed the change myself during this past couple of weeks. I'd not only lost weight, but my skin was well-hydrated again. It had been so dry and pasty for so many years, I'd given up on it. No matter what creams or lotions I slathered on, my skin still looked like an old piece of parchment paper. So when they asked what I'd been doing, I just had to confess. "I'm a vegan now," I told them. "Doctor's orders." Then came the myriad questions and while I tried to hold out on too many boring details, I finally gave in and spilled my guts. I told them everything I knew about being vegan 24/7. I was shocked that they were even interested. All I can say is I'm living proof that eating healthy works. Now some of them want recipes. Who knew?

Meatless Pad Thai

8 oz. rice noodles (I used 4 oz. or the dish would be mostly noodles)

3 quarts water, brought to a boil. Turn off heat, drop noodles into the water and set aside for 15 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Ignore them till later in the recipe.

2 Tbs. fresh lime or lemon juice

1 tsp. soy sauce

2 Tbs. ketchup or chili sauce

1 tsp. sricacha sauce (yum)

2 tsp. oil, I used canola

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

3 green onions, green and white parts, cut on diagonal

1/2 cup snow peas, cut into matchsticks

4 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks (I left this out because I hate to peel the ugly thing)

1/4 cup chopped peanuts (I used roasted, unsalted)

1/4 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 Tbs. fresh cilantro, minced

1 Tbs. fresh basil, minched

Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and 2 Tbs. water in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat and saute the garlic and ginger for a few seconds.

Add the carrot and green onions. Saute another 2 minutes or until the carrots are barely crisp-tender.

Add the snow peas, tofu, and jicama and stir briefly.

Add the lime juice mixture and stir to coat the tofu and vegetables, being careful not to break up the tofu too much. (Mine didn't break at all as I used a wok with plenty of room to move everything around.

Add the noodles and stir until they are fully heated through, about 2 minutes.

Garnish the plate with chopped peanuts, sprouts, cilantro, and basil.

Makes 4 servings

This recipe is so good it's right up there in my personal vegan hall of fame--which makes it one of the recipes I'd pass on to my non-vegan family.

This recipe is from The Complete Vegan Kitchen by Jannequin Bennett. Every recipe I've tried from this book has been excellent. Some I just like better than others and so far, this is a favorite.

Lazy Sundays

And frankly, I don't want to cook. I've hauled rocks, dug bulbs, moved soil, sold some wonderful flowers and worked for my friend Pam on a beautiful wedding at the Pratt Place Inn. I'm whooped and I have a hitch in my getalong. But I am hungry.

Tonight, vegan fried rice. Quick, nutritious and delicious. And I am breaking one of the cardinal rules for making fried rice. I am using brown rice.Not that heavy, sticky, gloppy brown rice that gives brown rice a bad name. Light and fluffy brown rice whose kernels separate and resembles not that crap we were served in health food restaurants of years past. The trick is to boil your brown rice for twenty minutes in plenty of salted water like you would for pasta. Drain it and then steam it until tender and fluffy, another twenty minutes or so. Spread it out on a baking sheet to cool in your refrigerator. When it is cold, it is ready to use for fried rice. A revelation!

Quick Vegan Fried Rice

1  red bell pepper, chopped
5 green onions, sliced on a diagonal
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup, frozen peas
2 tablespoons ginger, minced or grated
1/2 package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup Braggs  Liquid Aminos or tamari soy sauce
1/3 cup dry sherry or rice wine
1 lb more or less of leftover COLD rice
Extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing
a few splashes of toasted  sesame oil

Saute the drained tofu over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add more oil and saute the garlic and ginger for a minute or two until fragrant but not browned. Add the bell pepper and saute until crisp tender. Add the carrot and sliced green onions, saute for a minute or two and then add the cold rice. Saute for a few minutes then add the soy sauce and sherry or rice wine and tofu. Heat through. Add a splash of toasted sesame oil.

Get out the chopsticks and dive in!. It's Sunday, relax!

A Super! Bowl

Today's the big day. Dallas gets to shine. It's the Packers against the Steelers. Big doings, lot's of fans, lot's of money. Think tailgate parties and take out food. Tacos, wings, barbecue, homemade goodies made with breakfast sausage and melted Velveeta, chili, frito pie,onion dip, Rice Krispie treats and Chinese takeout. But not here in Northwest Arkansas. I am living out in the country and am not much of a football fan anyway. Actually, not a fan at all. But I do love Chinese takeout and tonight will make my own.

There is nothing authentically Chinese about this recipe. It is not even really much of a recipe. The ingredients are fluid depending on what you have on hand. It is great with bok choy but only spinach was in the fridge. It calls for lo mein noodles but only spaghetti is in the cupboard. It did not call for scallions and bell pepper but I had some leftover from last night's cajun red beans and rice. The one thing for sure about this dish is that it is fast, easy and nutritious. You could prep it between those great Super Bowl commercials and throw it together at half time. Have all your ingredients prepared and throw it together at the last minute.Easy breezy!








"Pork Free Lo Mein"

• 12 ounces lo mein or angel hair, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed
• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups bok choy, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock or No Chicken stock
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 or 2 cans mandarin orange sections, drained
  

Cook noodles until al dente, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Dredge your tofu in corn starch or flour and saute in the olive oil until browned on all sides over medium-high heat, add bok choy and stir fry until wilted.

Add the broth, orange juice, sesame oil and red pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked noodles and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the orange sections.



Now, how easy was that? Go Chivas!

Lighten Up!

It's a theme in my life lately. Some people in my life who love me have been reminding me to'lighten up!". Good advice. Like everyone else I sometimes take myself too seriously. As one friend reminded me, you don't want to go through life always looking like a deer caught in the headlights. A travel blogger friend of mine posted today about making choices about how you are going to live your life and the importance getting out of your own way and living the life you want. This is a wise lady. She seems to always have a smile on her face and an intense love of life.

Sunday is my day to visit a local farm to purchase fresh produce and eggs. It is owned by a young couple who work like mad and are living their dream. They are into growing organic vegetables and raising livestock and chickens. Everyone in their "right" mind who had anything to do with farming tried to dissuade them from being farmers. It's a lot of work for little return. But it is their dream and they went for it. And they are happy. And you are happy for them! They are the coolest thing since the post it note! And I am getting organic farm fresh produce freshly picked today in the middle of January. The middle of January!

So what does this have to do with eating vegan? Maybe not so much. But on the way there I was listening to A Prairie Home Companion and today was joke day. Garrison Keiler stated today that while everyone was calling for more civility in lieu of recent events in Arizona, that he thought what we needed was to be telling each other more jokes. You can't argue with that. And, some of the jokes were vegan jokes. Hilarious! And really, how many times have you met a humorless vegan? Lot's I bet.


So, here goes. Vegan jokes. I am going to lighten up!

-Why did the tofu cross the road?

To prove he wasn't chicken.

-How can you tell who is vegan at a dinner party?

Don't worry, they will tell you.

-What does a vegan zombie eat?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiinnnnnnnnnnnsssssssssss

-Did you hear about the vegan cannibal?

He only ate swedes!

-How many vegans does it take to change a light bulb?

None. They can't change anything!

-A vegan guy is shopping at Whole Foods and takes his little canvas tote to the checkout line where an attractive young lady checks out his purchases. She notices that his bag contains one apple, one orange, one cereal bar, one pound of tofu and one can of V8. She looks up at him and asks "Are you by any chance single?" Vegan guy can't believe his luck and thinks he is about to score. "Why yes actually, I am single. What makes you think that?" She says, "Because you are so f__king ugly".

-Why does vegan cheese taste bad?

Because it hasn't been tested on mice.

-What is the vegan's favorite pickup line?

"If I said you had the body of an all natural,organic living, animal loving, environment nurturing,whale saving sex machine, would you hold it against me? Please?"

And if you ever see me looking like a deer caught in the headlights or taking myself too seriously, go ahead and give me a good swift kick in the ass!

Endings and Beginnings.

Well, it's official. I am unemployed. Saturday was my last day at work and I managed to avoid working on Valentine's Day for the first time in over 20 years. Time to load up and move to Arkansas but not before tying up lots of loose ends and saying some adieus.

Today I met my dear friend Mendi for lunch at the Spiral Diner in Ft. Worth. She is a fellow florist but it's not her first love and she is pursuing her degree in the fall. A new beginning for her as well. We have been horrible about keeping in touch although we only live an hour away from each other. I have been trying to rook her into blogging with us one day a week but she has a husband and two kids and the logistics of it would not work for her. And I don't think her intro to vegan food today impressed her much. Although, she is too much of a lady to say so. She had a burrito that did not look very appealing but my curried noodle dish was excellent. The Ft. Worth location seems to be much more grounded and consistent than the Dallas one. But I think that of the the city as well, less flash but more substance. She will be one of the things I will miss. We have some shared memories and she has had a few nice things to say about me lately. Flattery doesn't even have to be true to feel good.


I feel spring in the air after our heavy snowfall of last week and made my favorite "take to the picnic/potluck" dish. I veganized it by making a vegan "feta" from a recipe I found on recipezaar. The original recipe is from epicurious. It is one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Use full fat feta if you are not vegan.

"Feta"

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 lb firm tofu, herb flavored, cubed or crumbled

Whisk together all ingredients except the tofu to make a marinade. Crumble the tofu into the marinade and marinate a few hours or overnight. Drain before adding to the orzo.

Orzo

1 pound orzo
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/4 cups "feta "(6 ounces), crumbled
1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, then add hot orzo and toss. Cool orzo, then toss with pine nuts, feta, and scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper.


This recipe is one of those that you can modify according to your tastes. I added dried cranberries. If you have access to nice tomatoes, toss em in. Chopped basil would work nicely if you added them just before serving.The "feta" has the taste if a somewhat wetter constency. Mr. Carnivore was even impressed!

Garlic Time

I swear it is my favorite vegetable. There is very little I will not eat it in or on. I have been carrying around a recipe in my head for years, from an Italian restaurant I used to frequent in Ft. Lauderdale. It is for a simple Marinara Sauce that is made delectable by the addition of sliced garlic that has been sauteed in olive oil until it is browned and crispy. I use a whole head more or less. Saute it until brown not burned, add a shake of red pepper flakes and then take off the burner. SLOWLY add a can of whole tomatoes with their juice(San Marzano if you can get em). Breakup the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, add a handful of chopped basil, a few grinds of black pepper and a couple of pinches of sugar. Slowly simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, no more. The combination of the hot/sweet with the acid of the tomatoes and the musky taste of the toasted garlic is cosmic. No carrots or onions or peppers here. I am a purist. Some al dente spaghetti, a side salad and a bottle of red, perfect meal.

Tonight we make vegan stuffed shells with spinach and marinara sauce. I adapted this recipe from "Vegan With a Vengance" , the back of the pasta box and memory. I grew up around a lot of Italian Americans and stuffed shells were a staple.

1lb firm tofu pressed

2 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic minced or much more according to taste

a pinch of black pepper and salt

a handful of finely chopped basil leaves

4 tsp olive oil

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

12oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

12oz package jumbo shells, parboiled for 10 minutes and rinsed

1 recipe John's Fond Memory Marinara Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350. Drain and press tofu for 30 minutes or so. Mash the tofu in a large bowl until it is crumbly. Add the lemon juice, garlic , salt, pepper, basil and nutmeg. Mash with your hands until it is the consistency of ricotta cheese. Add the spinach, mixup and then add the olive oil. Mix with a fork now and add nutritional yeast and mix till incorporated.

Stuff shells with the spinach mixture. Place half of the sauce in a casserole, add the shells and pour the rest of the sauce over the shells. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

Buon Gusto!

On a more serious note...For those of you not wanting to expose yourself to Roundup Ready genetically modified seed, you might consider buying tofu made from organic soybeans. My local Kroger carries Vitasoy. Roundup Ready seed has been genetically altered so that the farmer can spray his fields with Round Up and it will not kill the plant. Just all the plants around it. I make no judgements but admit that I already have way too many bad habits to take chances. If they listed Roundup as an ingredient, would anyone buy it?