what I hate

Hate is kind of a strong word, but honestly, there is one cooking "chore" I despise above all else.  I've mentioned this in passing a long time ago, but there is no prep step I hate more than pressing water out of spinach.

Hate it.

Unfortunately, there are at least a few recipes in this world [and my recipe repertoire] which require this soul-smothering step.  Tofu-Spinach Lasagna from The Vegan Table is one of them.  Fortunately for me, the effort is eventually worth it, since this is a flavorful, aromatic, and actually quite simple dinner to prepare.  Due to extensive prep, you definitely can't make this on a rushed night, but I'm sure you could prepare it and then pull it out of the fridge or freezer for a quick, easy meal another night.

Back to how much I hate pressing excess water out of spinach, though, because that's the point.  I've done all kinds of things to avoid this step in the past, one of my favorites (though not terribly efficient) is "dry frying" the spinach until all the water evaporates.  Tonight, though, there was no getting around the need to do it "right."  So there I was, standing over my kitchen sink with the spinach in a colander, pressing the back of my wooden spoon against it to get the ever-so-slightly satisfying sloop of water being squeezed out.  I was contemplating how much I hate doing this and a brilliant thought popped into my head.

I didn't have my Tofu Xpress the last time I had to "press" the water out of my spinach, but when I got this bugger for Christmas, I remember the little instruction manual (yes, I do read them) made an off-handed comment about also pressing water out of spinach.

I guess other people hate doing that as much as I do.  So I gave it a shot.  It was so efficient, and the best part was, I didn't have to do anything!  So, while that was pressing, I crumbled the tofu and sprinkled the soymilk, lemon juice, basil, salt, and garlic in the food processor and made "ricotta," to be combined with the waterless spinach.

After baking a little more that 40 minutes, my lasagna looked delicious and my kitchen smelled delicious.  Mister and I put away about half that pan.

MMmmmm.....

So, I start my new job on Tuesday, and I have some shopping to do before then.  My purse is starting to show its age, as are a great many of my clothes.  I hate shopping.  I do.  I'm sorry - I know I sound dreadful, but I just can't stand shopping.  I want to like it, really I do, and maybe this weekend I'll finally have some Estrogen Awakening and find that I could go shopping every day.  That would really help me get a new purse, a few new items of clothing, and a pair of shoes in which I won't break my ankles walking from the bus to the door of my new job.  That would be a little embarrassing, and my healthcare doesn't kick in for three months, so the 4.5-inch Carlos Santanas have to go.

I also have to go food shopping.  That is generally far less traumatic.  How's about a menu?

1. Rotini with Spicy Vegetable Ragu from Vegan on the Cheap.  It's been a while since I consulted this cookbook, but I figured it might be a wise choice since I'm between an old paycheck and a new one...

2. Savory Sausage and Pepper, also from VotC.

3. Better-Than-Takeout Tofu Stir-Fry, also from VotC.  I needed to get a different flavor profile in there - this should do it!

4. Salsa Rice and Red Beans also from VotC.

5. Yakisoba from The Accidental Vegan because I also haven't played with this book in a while and in case you didn't notice, I'm sticking to familiar stuff this week.

6. Kedgeree also from The Accidental Vegan.

all I want for Christmas...

A ventilation hood. I want to bake, make veggie burgers, and pan-sear polenta without sending the fire alarm into a screaming fit.

I would also like a little more time, if you please, Santa.

I am the worst blogger ever. I can't believe it's been more than a week since my last post. I know there are people who go longer, but I don't want to be one of them! To make up for my negligence, I will share a recipe with you for the first time in months, it seems.

So, heavens, what have I been up to? What vile mistress has stolen my attention? The easiest answer is work...heck - I haven't even had time to cook, much less write about it. All of that should end relatively soon, and I'm back to my regular schedule, so hopefully I will be more faithful in the future.

As always seems to happen with shortened weeks, I packed a ton of work into Monday and Tuesday last week. By the time Wednesday arrived and was cold as hell, I wanted nothing to do with Christmas shopping, regardless of the change in schedule leaving me destitute when it came to gifts to give. I did concoct this tasty mid-day meal:
You could call it Cookie Dough in a Bowl (with pears) because that's really what it tasted like. I started by dicing a fairly ripe Bartlett pear (skin on) and allowing it to cook on a sprayed skillet long enough to start releasing a sweet syrup. Then I stirred in a handful or two of oats, along with a glug of soymilk. When all was said and done, I think I probably added about half a cup of soymilk. I also crushed two Sparkled Ginger Cookies and stirred them in. It was so good and exactly what I was craving after freezing my fingers off playing Christmas music on my piano in a bedroom the heating unit hates.

I stayed inside all day, and tried to get excited about spending time with a special someone to celebrate a very special birthday...
At midnight, I suggested to my darling sister that she might need a bathroom break. When she agreed and took off, I grabbed the bartender and ordered two Birthday Cake shots. They were so good and I haven't done a shot since....well....I don't know....probably a few years ago, actually.

Before we went out to Southwark, though, I took my dear little sister to dinner at Horizons, so she could share the wonder. It was freezing cold and there was still snow (and ice) everywhere. In my enthusiasm for getting to a patch of clear sidewalk, I fell over on the two block trek to Horizons, but my sister told me I fell very gracefully, so I guess that makes it okay. We had a delightful dinner and great conversation. Let's add that to my Gratitude list.

The following day was Christmas Eve, and to my immense surprise and great delight, I was able to get all of my shopping and wrapping done while Mister was at work (poor thing). Once he got home from work and took a short nap, we headed to church with his dad and stepmom. The service was beautiful and afterward, we headed to Rittenhouse Square for one of the most amazing dining experiences of my life so far. We went to Lacroix, which most definitely did not have a vegetarian menu, resulting in my husband and I presenting a challenge to the chef to match the foie gras and veal his parents ate with a humane alternative. It came out extremely well, and I was amazed with their willingness and ability to create a multi-course menu out of thin French air. I still think the most fun part of the evening was when my father-in-law tested the very French (accent, pompous air and all) Sommelier to pair a red wine with their overstuffed duck liver and boxed baby cow chops as well as our crazy vegetarian entrees.

Regardless of my harsh words about their choice of dinner, I cannot find enough words to express my gratitude to my parents-in-law for treating us to such an extravagant and fun-filled Christmas Eve dinner.

On Christmas Day, we ventured out to my parents' home for presents and dinner with my parents, sister, and cousins. It was a good time with a plateful of tasty food. I made Colleen's Tofu-Spinach Lasagna and everyone was awed by the tofucotta. They did not know it wasn't real ricotta until I pridefully told them - that made me happy!

I spent the whole weekend at work, but at least I'm back to my regular hours, so I was able to cook up the last two items on my 2 week menu. I reprised Colleen's amazing risotto, only to be told by my husband (after he picked his way through half a bowl) that he doesn't actually like risotto. Awesome.

Last night's dinner went much better. I knew it would, because I've mentioned before that you can't go wrong with Mister and Pasta. Not true, actually - he doesn't care much for that whole wheat healthy pasta. So, as promised, here is a picture of and recipe for P.B. Thai
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, bias-cut
medium head of broccoli, cut into florets
large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
8 oz smoked tofu, cut into thin strips
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, pressed/minced
15 oz lite coconut milk
generous 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
dash of cayenne
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
12-16 oz noodles (I used linguine)

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, prep the vegetables and tofu.
When pasta is done cooking, drain and leave in the colander, covered.
Add oils to pot and heat on medium until the oil shimmers (shouldn't take long).
Add ginger and garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
Add vegetables and cook 3-5 minutes, until vividly colored.
Stir in coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, and cayenne.
Simmer, do not boil, for 5 more minutes, then add pasta and stir to incorporate.
Heat through and serve.

(vegan and one-pot dinner)

Enjoy!

The Amazing Vegan Casserole (part 2)

What a delightful 3-day weekend! I took Friday off so we could celebrate our anniversary, but we ended up carting more stuff over to the thrift store - they ought to be making a fortune off of our desire to have nothing in our home. Also, Mister found (bought) some boxes and threw all the miscellaneous bits and pieces littering the floor into them and tucked them away. Suddenly, there's all this space! We're still not done, but we actually have room to get a sofa now! A little one, anyway.

Angst, stretching out in the middle of the floor

In between rainclouds, I managed to get my shopping done today, so I can get to the last of the purging and sorting at my leisure. We're so close to having a liveable space that I'm actually starting to see our home as cozy instead of cramped. Really, to tell the truth, our apartment has been enough to give an agoraphobic claustrophobia.

Anyway, before I share my wonderful dinner story, let me give you this week's menu (including tonight's dinner):

1. Indian-Inspired Lasagna

2. Seitanic Red & White Bean Jambalaya from Veganomicon.

3. Mandarin Tofu with Peppers & Broccoli

4. Risotto Mexicano

5. Miso-Ginger Red Beans with Broccoli from Vegan Express.

I have made all of the above at least once before (for more info/stories, follow the helpful links!), except the lasagna. I made that tonight and I could not be happier with how it came out!
I'll grant you that it doesn't look much like lasagna, but that is because
A) it is vegan and therefore has no bubbly cheese topping
B) the only thing that really makes it lasagna is that I used lasagna noodles. It probably ought to be called something else, like Layered Indian Casserole, but that is so uninspired.

Anyway, the reason I am so pleased with the "lasagna" is because it is my very first baked dinner recipe! I'm not sure how it happened, but I got this idea in my head to make a chickpea "ricotta" and have an apple layer for texture and that moment of "Oh! That's different!" As I sat and thought about other components of Indian cooking, the other parts all came together. I'll share the recipe, and if you can think of a better name for my first vegan casserole, that would be great.
Indian-Inspired Lasagna (until something better comes along)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
3/4 cup red lentils
1 1/2 cups water
two 19 oz cans of chickpeas
1-1 1/2 cups V8 Spicy Hot
two 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach
28 oz petite diced tomatoes, well drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
8-10 lasagna noodles, oven-ready or cooked

Bring water to boiling and stir in lentils. Lower to a slow simmer and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, until lentils are mushy and have absorbed all the water. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Saute the mustard seeds, covered, until they start popping. Lower the heat and add the Garam Masala and salt - cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute, then add the frozen spinach and turn the heat back up. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until spinach is no longer frozen. Add drained tomatoes and stir well. Cook, uncovered, on medium-low heat until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Combine chickpeas and V8 juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and of a spreadable consistency, adding more juice if necessary. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and combine with mashed lentils, stirring well.
Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray and place a layer of 4-5 lasagna noodles on the bottom. Spread half of the chickpea "ricotta" over noodles, then half of the spinach mixture over the "ricotta." Arrange the apple slices in three rows across the spinach layer. Top with 4-5 more noodles, the remaining chickpea ricotta and the remaining spinach mixture. Smooth the top and place in the preheated oven. Cook, uncovered, about 45 minutes. Allow it to set for a few moments before serving and it will look more like this:

a perfect tofucotta

What a wonderful day! I was off from work, which I never take for granted, it was a perfect temperature, and I got to watch some people remove a couch from a 2nd floor balcony by hoisting it over the railing and down to two men poised to catch it on top of a U-Haul box truck! You can't beat that with a stick.

Or maybe you can, with a delightful and rustic lunch. I reheated the beans & kale soup from Friday's dinner and made tomato toasts.
I think the soup was actually better today than it was when it was freshly made on Friday. There was something distinctly buttery tasting about it that I can only guess was the cannellini beans.

Anyway, after much plotting about "work" Mister and I plan on doing to our home over the next two weeks in order to make it less disastrous and more pleasant (home should relax a person, not stress her out more), I ventured out into the sun and breeze to pay a visit (and a good chunk of my paycheck) to Whole Foods. Before I go any further, let me share this week's menu with you:

1. Potato Leek Soup and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Olives & Toasted Pine Nuts
2. Arborio Rice with Roasted Red Peppers, Pine Nuts & Basil
3. Tofu Spinach Lasagna (no pine nuts in this one - you thought there was a trend, didn't you?)
4. Hearty Stew
5. Savoury Shepherd's Pie

Numbers 1-4 all come from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I'm especially excited about #4 because it proves she is indeed able to create a recipe name that does not include all of the ingredients in the title (see 1 and 2 and this).

The shepherd's pie recipe comes from How It All Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. As I mentioned in a previous post, I fell in love with this book because of the soup recipes. In fact, for at least the first year or two that I had this book, there were only two non-soup recipes in the book that I ever used - this is one of them. Normally, I cheat and buy pre-made, refrigerated mashed potatoes for the topping, but it occurred to me as I was beginning to write "mashed potatoes" on my grocery list that most people include milk and butter when they make mashed potatoes. So, for the sake of being true to VeganMoFo 2009, I will sacrifice convenience and use my nifty food processor OR my very fun Oxo potato masher to make the mashed potatoes myself with soymilk and Earth Balance.

Anyway, we're going to swap out #3 from this week with #5 from last week, because it just wasn't soup weather tonight. Also, Tofu Spinach Lasagna requires a bit more time and effort that I am usually willing to put out on a work night. As long as I live, I will hate squishing the water out of frozen chopped spinach. I wish I could train the cat to do it for me, but he's a lazy little guy...and we don't want his fuzz in the spinach either. I have at least half a dozen vegetarian lasagna recipes (including a surprisingly good - but hardly vegan - one from Martha Stewart), but tonight I was astonished by two things:

1. how good vegan lasagna can be
2. how realistic my tofu ricotta was

see? you can't tell me that doesn't look just like real ricotta would after it was beaten with an egg and some water to make it spreadable
Here it is after I mixed in the chopped spinach. By the way, Angst knows the difference between fresh and frozen spinach and did not even bother with me tonight.
mine

mister's