Slim Veg Gourmet: Sweet and Sour Kinda Arabian Beanballs

Sweet and Sour Arabian Meatballs - this was one I'm sure we never ate growing up. My mom was a busy woman, and I never once remember her making meatballs; it was just too time consuming. When the advent of frozen meatballs came along, my family bought them by bagful, but that's another story.

I, however, love making meatballs. They're fun, and they're just so darned cute. It's even better now that I don't eat meat and I don't have to stick my fingers in raw ground beef. The International Slim Gourmet has several meatball recipes, and I had a hard time deciding between this one and a Flemish recipe that called for a beer braise. I finally decided to go the Middle Eastern route, as it were, because tangy sounded good to me (not to mention that the Flemish ones sounded an awful lot like Swedish meatballs, and as far as I'm concerned Joni Marie Newman has the corner on the veg*n version of that).

The original recipe called for beef or lamb, turmeric, mint, parsley, lemon juice, and tomato juice. Make meatballs, put in juices, add spices and some aromatics (celery, onion) and simmer away. Sweeten with a dollop of honey at the end. How could I possibly screw this up?

[Here's the part where special effects could come in handy. If you like, you can start humming "If I Only Had A Brain" from The Wizard of Oz.]

I decided to replace the meatballs with the beanball recipe from Veganomicon. This was the first time I ventured to make them, and they were quite tasty (I can also recommend Joni's TVP meetball recipe, but I just couldn't take the soy last night). However, they do not stand up to any amount of simmering. Why did I think I could treat them thusly? I know not. It was one of those truly magnificient moments of brain-fartage, where I can never quite trace my thought process back to the moment when I decided to abandon all common sense. All I know is that the end result was a big pot of bean-tomato-lemon-herb sludge.

The thing was, it didn't taste all that bad. There are a few things I'd do differently on a second go-round, but it definitely wasn't a total disaster.

So I have plans to add this to "Revamp" pile, along with the Polynesian seitan. The revamping shouldn't be that hard on this one: all I have to do is tweak the spicing and remember NOT to simmer the friggin' beanballs.

I didn't take any pics of the actual dish, so instead here's a shot of the leftover beanballs and my little wooden camel. It sort of fits in the with the Arabian theme.


Believe me, that's much cuter than dinner.

So far I'm batting 2:2 in this recipe makeover challenge. The next and final dish will be the decider. We're finishing up with dessert (of course), and I have to say that regardless of how it turns out I'm excited to try this one.

My final Slim Veg Gourmet makeover is: Eggless Slimmer Sabayon

Doesn't sound that hard, does it? Just you wait - I have to replace gelatin and pudding mix in this one. I have ideas for both, but we'll have to see how they work out in real life.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Slim Veg Gourmet: Polynesian Seitan

Has anyone else thought of putting together a sh*t list?

My buddy Inky had one going for a while when we were in high school; hers got up to about two hundred entries, if I remember correctly. I'm thinking that this might be a fun past time, even though I should be mature by now and beyond petty, childish things like a recounting of all my personal irritants. I figure that I have a few months before I have to start stuff like that, though. My daughter is still only ten months old and too young to understand how badly her mother might behave.

The one problem I have with a sh*t list is that I'd have to prioritize things. Which would be hard for me, because some things just irritate me equally. For example, I would never be able to decide which annoys me more: my Army basic training drill sergeant, Senator Mitch McConnell's speeches to Congress, black-eyed peas (the veggie, not the group...although Fergie does have her moments), Keanu Reeves movies, or bicyclists in full riding gear who pretend they're training for the Tour de France while they ride in the middle of the road near my house. All of these things irritate the heck out of me equally, and now that Dubya and Cheney are gone I don't even have the number one slot filled.

In interest of balance, too, I'd have to make a happy list as well. This one would be easier to prioritze (1. Red and Bean and Gretchen the dog; 2. books; 3. ice cream; 4. walking; 5. gardening, and on from there) but it would be nauseating. All that joy in one place? That's nearly as bad as too much hatred.

***

One thing would definitely make my bad list, though is simmered seitan. It's just so...soggy. I'm on my fourth simmered seitan recipe now, and every time I've ended up throwing away three quarters of each batch because it reminds me too much of eating a wet sponge (just for the record, the Vegan With a Vengeance one is okay). I like steamed seitan, and baked has its charms, too. But despite the fact that many cookbook authors insist that their recipes require the toothy juiciness of simmered seitan, it's still too wet for me.


I think this is what caused my latest Slim Gourmet makeover to be so less than stellar. I decided to substitute wheat meat for the poultry in the Polynesian Chicken Legs recipe last night, and what I got was hot pineapple flavored cellulose. It looked pretty good, but the texture left much to be desired. I have plans for revamping this one, maybe with a different cooking method (this was baked and basted) and a glaze instead of basting liquid. Stay tuned for the replay.

Hopefully my next recipe will be a keeper: a makeover of Sweet and Sour Arabian Meatballs.

Slim Veg Gourmet: Cannellini a la Grecque

My lord, has it been cold here recently. I know that pretty much any low temperature in Florida can't compare with winter highs in the Midwest (such as the frozen tundra that is my in-laws' town in northern Illinois). But still, we've had actual hard ice on the ground the past few mornings. Some folks down the way from my house left their sprinkler on Wednesday night, and they had a gorgeous ice sculpture on their lawn the next morning (wish I had photo evidence, but the camera battery was charging). I'm in the northern part of the state, so we do get some chills and freezes every winter, but this is out of the ordinary even for us. I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures that the Weather Channel is promising for the weekend.

All this ice and wind made me yearn for something simmery, so Macaroni and Beef a la Grecque was a good recipe makeover for this week. I don't remember ever actually eating Macaroni and Beef a la Grecque growing up, but it sounds like something we would have had on a winter school night circa 1990. Mom has it marked in here cookbook as a favorite, too. So I had to give it a whirl. This turned out to be a ridiculously easy meal. You just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and cook away. I have plans to later turn this into a slow cooker masterpiece, but I must admit that a half hour of chop-and-cook is pretty darned swell as is.


I ended up replacing the beef with white beans (straight from the can, because that's how I roll on lazy nights). I think some kind of soy crumbles would be nice too, though. The original recipe was almost seasonless and not very a la Grecque, so I added a whole mess load of spices. The sundried tomatoes were an on-the-fly invention, too. Don't stress if you don't have them, but they do add a little sweet and tangy something.

This is a good meal for a ten month old, too. Here's a portion I pureed for Bean:

If a baby Bean eats beans, is it cannibalism?

And here's the leftovers:
I think it was a success.

Next week: Polynesian Chicken Legs

Cannellini a la Grecque
Serves 2 (or 1 and 1/2 if you're pretty darned hungry)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Feel free to substitute any dry herbs for fresh, or vice-versa. It should be yummy either way.
- 1/2 can (about 1 cup) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 TB tomato paste
- 1/2 C water
- 1/4 C dry white wine
- 1/4 C chopped celery
- 1/4 C chopped onion
- small handful sun dried tomatoes (oil packed or rehydrated if dry packed)
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1/2 TS dried oregano
- 1/2 TS dried basil
- 1/2 TB fresh rosemary
- dash cinnamon
- pinch of dried mint
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 C dry pasta (macaroni, ziti, shells, etc. - whole wheat versions are good here)

Place all ingredients except for the pasta in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until liquid is bubbling. Cover, then reduce heat to low and simmer until onion and celery are tender (about 10 minutes). Uncover and continue cooking until until sauce is thick (about 5-10 minutes more).

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, but don't bother rinsing. To serve, top pasta with bean and vegetable mixture.

Slim Veg Gourmet: Easy Creezy Tofu Fillets

First of all, I have to say that I had an hour's unfaithfulness to my dear, loyal NPR during yesterday's inauguration. I had the TV tuned to CNN and muted while I listened to the radio coverage (radio = best commentary, CNN = best HD video coverage). But when the actual proceedings started, I had to switch NPR off; it turned out that CNN was about three seconds behind with the audio. I was reminded of how much I love my National Public Radio, however, when Wolf Blitzer interrupted that gorgeous classical interlude with Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman to inform us that as of noon, Obama was officially president. I won't repeat what I replied, but it involved some choice words and an accusation that old Wolfie is a little too enamored with the sound of his own voice.

Then I celebrated the birth of a new era with a trip back to the eighties. Yesterday night was the launch of my Slim Veg Gourmet project. To start things on the proper footing, I decided to pick my Mom's favorite recipe: "Easy Cheesy Fish Fillets." We had this one about once a month growing up, and probably would have enjoyed it more often if Dad and my brother didn't think it was disgusting. I always liked it as a kid, and as an adult I continued my fondness. It is possibly the simplest recipe in the world. You take a fish fillet, top it with chopped onions, smear that with low-fat mayo, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little parsley, and bake for about fifteen minutes.

Of course, a veggie version of this one would require a little more fuss and muss than Mom's classic. I decided to tempt the migraine gods and use tofu in place of the fish, and after that I had a dilemma. Was the focus of the recipe to try to exactly replicate the flavor and ingredients of the old standby, or to keep true to the fast and easy nature of the recipe?

I decided to try one fillet of tofu each way. The first I pressed on Monday night, the let swim in a fishy marinade. The other I just pressed for half an hour before dinner on Tuesday.

Marinated tofu to the left; plain to the right.

Then I topped the marinated fillet with Vegenaise, chopped onion, parsley, and parmezano sprinkles (recipe found in The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook; try it, it's pretty darned close to the real thing). The other was topped with Vegenaise, chopped onion, parsley, lemon-pepper seasoning, breadcrumbs, and nutritional yeast.

After I baked them both, the taste test began. Would it be the marinated tofish with fake cheese, or the plain 'fu with crumb topping?

Crumb topped plain tofu to the left; marinated "cheezy" to the right

The plain tofu was my favorite; crispy on top, tangy and tasty throughout. I'd never mistake it for the old Easy Cheesy Fish, but it definitely gets the job done. This one is the recipe that follows. If anyone wants the specs for the marinated/parmezano topped one, let me know.

Next up for my challenge: Macaroni and Beef a la Grecque

Until then, try some

Easy Creezy Tofu Fillets
Serves 1
Prep time: 35-45 minutes (includes pressing tofu)
Cook time: 16-18 minutes

- 1 two to three ounce slice of firm or extra-firm tofu (can also use two 1 to 1 1/2 ounce slices, like I did)
- 1 TB Vegenaise, or mayonaise
- 2 TS chopped onions
- Lemon pepper seasoning (or combination of lemon zest and black pepper)
- Dash of salt
- Dry breadcrumbs (I used homemade, but out of a can would be perfect)
- Nutritional yeast
- 1-2 sprigs of fresh parsley, leaves chopped, stems discarded (optional)

Press tofu for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450. Lightly oil a small baking sheet.

Combine Vegenaise and onions in a small bowl. Pat tofu dry, and then lay on baking sheet. Spread with the Vegenaise/onion mixture. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and salt. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs (you will want to cover as much of the Vegenaise as possible). Sprinkle a generous pinch of nooch on the crumbs. Finish with parsley, if desired.

Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Then uncover and continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned. Serve hot and enjoy.

Busy watching history unfold - full post tomorrow!!!

Blast from the past and the wave of the future

The past couple of days were just brutal. Whatever my nephews brought with them from Illinois was obviously laying in wait for me, 'cause I started heaving with a vengeance on Wednesday afternoon. Thursday was then devoted to beating some evil fever chills, which I finally did after a day of Tylenol followed by a cup of brandy-saturated tea at bed time.

I woke today fully restored, so when Red suggested a post-work trip to the computer store (his machine is down, and requires many spendy components to become whole again) and dinner, I jumped at the occasion. The computer store is near one of my all time favorite Italian-American joints, and I was looking forward to a nostalgic meal there, remembering how much my dad used to love the spaghetti and the garlic bread. But, alas, that was not to be! Joseph's restaurant has now morphed into Giuliani's. Gone is the folksy Mom-and-Dad's-rec-room feel of the old place, replaced by table clothes and fancy napkins and soft drinks in goblets. The food is okay, I have to say, but not the trip down memory lane I craved. So there it goes; another old favorite becomes a victim of progress.

This thwarted bit of nostalgia does serve another purpose, though - it sets up my series rather nicely. My formative years were during the eighties and early nineties, and a few culinary influences ruled supreme over our family dinner table. In no particular order, they were the low-fat diet craze, Freezer Queen family sized frozen entrees, and Barbara Gibbons' The International Slim Gourmet Cookbook. I could give a rat's rear about the low-fat diet (which I remember as way too much iceberg lettuce, skinless chicken, and steamed white rice), and if I never see another Salisbury steak dinner it will be too soon. I still have a fondness for the old Slim Gourmet, though. My saintly mom even tracked down a copy for me to call my very own.

I sat down with the book the other day to see what vegetarian options Barbara Gibbons had for my eating pleasure. The answer: not much. The Slim Gourmet likes her animal proteins, and cheese, and dairy. She also likes ingredients that probably have not seen a supermarket shelf since 1985 (when was the last time you actually saw a recipe that called for MSG?).

It seems like a fun challenge to try and update a few of these twenty-five year old recipes using only vegetarian - if possible, vegan - ingredients and no weird artificial chemical additives. So, in honor of my mother and her birthday (this Sunday, by the way) and as a throw back to my childhood, I announce the Slim Veg Gourmet challenge. My next five posts will each cover a made over Slim Gourmet recipe - four entrees and one really intriguing dessert - which will hopefully be both nostalgic and delicious. I can't promise that the results will be pretty or tasty. But I can assure you that they will be delightfully retro. I may even wear my mom's old polyester house dress with the butterfly collar while I'm cooking.

On with the planning! First up for a makeover : "Easy Cheesy Fish Fillets"

No schnitzel mit noodles, but some favorite things

First of all, I have to say that it's a little disappointing when you realize that you're nowhere near as important as you think you are. My in-laws did not take any notice of what I ate during their visit this weekend; all my worry turned out to be for naught. This was a relief in the short run, but I'm dreading in advance my next visit to see Red's mom. I'm still reliving the two day lecture I received after I consumed a tomato sandwich during my last visit ("That's not a sandwich! No meat, nothing!"). I will take a moment to note that my in-laws are incredibly nice people who go to no end of trouble for Red, Bean, and myself, but that my mother-in-law in particular has very set ideas about life. Tomato sandwiches and all that they represent simply do not fit into this vision.

All whining aside, I must say that the weekend had its ups and downs. Both of my nephews were sick all day Saturday; we grown ups spent the day herding little ones into the bathroom or dashing to the scene with basins, towels, and rug cleaner (come to think of it, this is probably the main reason no one noticed my changed eating habits). Sunday was much better. The baptism went off without a hitch, and the guys were in much better spirits. We even were able to celebrate the happy occasion with a lovely meal at Hooters.

Now what could be more Christian? Although the funny thing is that I did run into the membership coordinator from our church council while we were there. It's obviously a Lutheran hangout.

***

I've been thinking about Christmas, and how sad I am that I missed the chance to show off all my swag to the blogosphere. I was the lucky recipient of some great stuff last year, and I'm still enjoying the heck out of it. But wait a minute - this is my blog, and if I want to be self-indulgent enough to show off all my new-ish toys, by golly, I can do it! So without further ado, here are the Top Five Gifts of Xmas 2008:

First and foremost, my new Kitchen Aid pasta attachments! After a year of lusting, they are finally mine! I have yet to use the, but rest assured that they have a great future ahead. Thanks, Red!

Next, the Boerner mandoline slicer, courtesy of Mom. Fine German engineering that makes quick work of veggies, fruit, and possibly your thumb (using the hand guard is a necessity with this one - it is sharp). Such is the success of this this gift that Red and I have had salads and stir fries constantly since I unwrapped it. Slicing at its finest, I tell you.

These next three are from my oldest and best friend, Inky. Above is one of my surprise gifts - Mr. Bacon and Monsieur Tofu action figures. The box promises a royal rumble where "only one can remain at the top of the food chain!" Red and I have yet to stage the epic battle that these deserve, but I'm positive that Tofu will win with one curd tied behind his back. I mean, look at Bacon: how limp and greasy! (Also pictured are the spatulas I just snared from Williams-Sonoma's bargain table. Two quality products for less than five bucks? Heck, yes!).

And finally, Oliver the Owl and half of my new snack set, both from Etsy. I'm a sucker for spooky or adorable owls, and for Atomic pattern stoneware, so this is a tour de force for me. Oliver hangs out on my computer monitor, and the snack set holds my breakfast latte and toast.

Thanks a million for indulging me, everyone. As a reward, I have an idea for a new series, which I will reveal on Friday. Until then, revel in the thought that we have to sit through less than a week more of the Bush-Cheney administration. The very thought makes me smile :)

Gah! Soy Overload!

I am a pretty hearty sort normally. I don't get that many colds or stomach viruses or the like (which will probably change when the Bean gets older, I must say). So these headaches I've gotten over the past few weeks have really been throwing me for a loop. These are fierce, nauseating puppies, not the normal springtime sinus ones I tend to get when the pollen starts a-blowin' around mid-March. I had three of them in a row, but every time I dismissed them with a couple of Tylenol and some excuses about the weather.

Then, came Tuesday. After I finished my morning blog post, I sat down to a lovely lunch of Vegan Dad's tempeh stuffed cabbage rolls (which are a real winner in my book), accompanied by a dollop of tofu sour cream. That morning, I'd had a bit a tofu bacon, followed by a lovely half-glass of mocha flavored Silk. I was slain by a fiery blow to my brain around one o'clock. In the midst of my pain, I remembered some posts I'd read on The Post Punk Kitchen website concerning soy sensitivities. Suddenly, all became clear.

I was soy-ing myself to death.

Due to the fact that I can't find any evidence one way or another about soy's safety, I've been trying to limit my intake of it to "whole" soy products, no more than 3-4 times a week. But then I found the exotic flavored soy milks on sale at my grocery store, and then I found some new TVP recipes that I just had to try, and then I found fresh cabbage at the produce stand and had to make up a huge pan of rolls...you see the pattern. I'd heard that some people can be sensitive to soy in excess, but I'd blithely assumed that it would never be me. How wrong I was!

So now I'm back to soy in moderate doses, which is a pity in it's own way; a tofu bacon sandwich washed down with mocha Silk is a combo that's disgusting in the best kind of way.

In other news from the home front:

Bean is all set to be baptized on Sunday, which means that we have a plethora of guests preparing to descend on us for the weekend. My mother- and sister-in-law are coming from Illinois along with the two nephews, and will be staying through at least Sunday night. This will be my debut as a veggie to the in-laws, which will subject me to much ridicule and outrage (ridicule because I'm rejecting part of a "healthy" diet; outrage because I'm still nursing my daughter). It will be ugly, but I'm trying not to worry too much. It should be much easier to shout people down in my own house than it would to do it on visit to theirs (damn my polite Southern roots!).

And it's honeybell orange season again! I got some of the first fruits today at the farm stand. They're not quite as syrupy-sweet as they have been in years past, but they're still a princess among citrus fruits. Anyone in Florida or surrounding areas should get a few immediately.

And finally, I'll close with a shot of two favorite pets: my wee monkey cup pitcher plant, and my dog, Gretchen.

Happy weekending, everyone!

HOLY COW!!! 2009 IS FINALLY FRICKIN' HERE!!!

It's pretty bad when you're trying to think back upon the doings of the last year, and only two positive things pop into your head:

1.) My daughter was born
2.) Barack Obama charisma-ed his way into the White House.

I'm sure that was more than that, but after almost two weeks of heavy thinking, I sure can't bring them to mind.

I haven't been near the computer much during the past six weeks or so, a situation that I chalk up to excessive travel. Red has been gone since the end of November, so I hit the road with the Bean and never looked back. I was at my Mom's house for Thanksgiving proper, with in-laws in Illinois for first week of December, at my aunt's house in Tennessee the weekend before Christmas, and usually found crashing at my mother's place at any given time in between. The result (besides the fact that my house was ultra dusty/musty/scummy by the time I made it home for good a few days ago) was that I never really got into the ol' Xmas spirit this year. I don't think I was alone in that, and I take comfort in that fact. HOWEVER, it was depressing all the same; I had no desire to decorate, bake cookies, play any of my Christmas music, drive around looking at lights, nothing Christmassy. I got the tree and a few pretties up inside the house, wrapped presents, and that was all. A pretty poor showing for my daughter's first Christmas, but I promise you, Bean, I'll do better next year.

Anyhoo, I'm trying to start this year right. I have cast aside all the regular New Year's resolutions, the ones that never take, and instead I'm going to concentrate on what's manageable. My main ones are:

*I will not compromise or apologize for my veggie-ness anymore. I've eaten meat at family functions since I converted, but now I'm going to come out of the closet. Like it or lump it, tofu is now my buddy, y'all.

*I will blog. Regularly. Becks at "I am not a rabbit" said in one of her posts that she had a Monday-Friday blogging thing going on. I like this - I can handle twice a week - and I will steal it. I will aim for posts on Tuesday and Friday for the duration. Maybe I can actually build a readership if I keep it interesting and punctual.

*I will look after myself more. This is the good old healthy new me resolution that includes flossing more, eating better, exercising, and taking care of my skin. This is also a clever way of eliminating guilt by lumping all these activities into one resolution; this way if I don't do yoga one morning or forget to floss before bed, I can redeem my resolution by making something good for dinner or using my Vitamin C eye cream.

*I will use my money better. This means that I won't buy as much random crap - only something that stirs my soul will make me open my wallet. And charities and church will be priority expenditures now, not just things that get what's left over.

God, look at all those good intentions. I hope I'll still have time to take care of my daughter.

I have some new culinary adventures up my sleeve, but they have yet to come to fruition. In the meantime, here are some catch-ups and a few new titillating food shots:

Dressing Stuffed Mushroom, stolen from an idea in Rachel Ray's Every Day Magazine. This was another one of my attempts at recycling Turkey Day leftovers. It had a very weird flavor, which probably could be attributed to the cornbread dressing and cheddar cheese combo. Maybe it would have been better with plain old bread stuffing , but we'll never know. Red and I ended up flinging the stuffing aside and eating just the shrooms.

Chocolate Stout Cupcake, as described in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Made for the Thanksgiving revels at my mom's house. Very yummy, but make sure you let them warm up to room temperature. All the chocolate stuff from VCTOTW tends to have an odd flavor if eaten cold. Not bad, but just a little funky.

Fresh Plant City strawberries, which arrived in my neck of the woods just a few weeks ago. Strawberries in January? "Preposterous!" you say. Yes, it is a little early for them, even in Florida, but they are pretty darned good just the same. I'll eat a couple in honor of you folks who are and will continue to be covered in snow.

Waffled "Fronch" Toast under an avalanche of berries and a flood of tupelo honey. I finally got around to using the veganized French toast recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance - I'd never mistake it for the eggy old fashioned kind, but it was pretty good all the same. And I absolutely HAD to cook it on my waffle iron after I peeped the waffled French toast here. I am a sucker for repurposing your kitchen utensils, especially when it yields crispy-crunchy results like these. I am also a sucker for tupelo honey. If you eat such things, you should definitely splurge on a small jar sometime in the very near future. When I brought this stuff home, Red ate a spoonful, and then very deliberately threw our half-full jar of clover honey right into the trash (I later salvaged it, but he refused to help me finish it).

That's about it for me. Hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying 2009 thus far. I know that I am :)