Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

First let me apologize for the truly crummy photo of this wonderful dish.  This is so good and is definitely one of my favorites, so I'm bummed that I couldn't take a decent photo of it.  Some shots, like this one, were too red, others were bland-white and others unappetizing brown.  Ah, so be it.  It's a tasty dish, just trust me.  I mentioned a couple of posts ago for my Savory Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Soup how I really like mixing tomato flavors and cauliflower, and this is definitely a dish that showcases that partnership well.  I first found the inspiration for this dish in one of those little booklets that come with an exercise DVD set purchased off an infomercial.  The ingredients are basically the same, I think - it's been so long - but, the quantities of each have changed over the years into what pleases me best.  Oh, yeah!  I guess you can serve this over rice or cous cous, but I love it just by itself.  And, it's so healthy, I completely pig out on it.  I mean, of course, I watch my portion control, so my family can have their share, ahem.  Give this a try, and see if you don't shovel spoonful after spoonful in.

Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 white onion, halved and sliced
1 - 6oz. can of tomato paste
2 cups water
1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add the cauliflower and onion and cook for ten minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the tomato paste and water directly into the pan.  Stir gently to blend.  Cook for another two or three minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for another five minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.  It should be a bit brothy, but not soupy or dry -- just right!  Can eat like this or serve over your favorite grain.  Mm-mm-mmm!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

I love green salads, and I also love to find new ways to use tofu, so it was natural for me to marry the two ideas.  I've been putting cubed tofu in salads for years; it tastes great, the tofu soaks up the flavors of the dressing, it offers a nice change of texture, and it is a great source of the almighty protein.  You can "say" this is a sub for feta cheese, but I'd rather not.  I just like to see tofu stand on its own, in its own wonderful glory.

Looking at this picture, the tofu looks huge and appears to be half the entire salad.  Rest assured, I've diced them fairly small, and I'm using a family-size salad bowl.  The tofu is merely the topmost layer.  I've got bunches of other goodies underneath.  When all mixed together, this makes a complete meal for my family.  I love salad night where salad is the main entree.  We have it several times a year; sometimes I serve it with toast or crackers, sometimes not. Eh, whatever my mood is that night.  Bon appetit!

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

Ingredients:  

Large heart or two smallish hearts of Romaine, chopped
1 - 15oz. can of hearts of palm, drained and sliced thickly
2 avocados, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 - 15 oz. can of garbanzos, drained
1 - 14 to 16oz. pkg. of water-packed extra-firm tofu, drained and chopped small
 Favorite salad dressings

Directions:

You know the deal.  Put all the ingredients into a large bowl, except the dressing, and serve.  I love to layer my salads instead of tossing.  I find that tossing pushes all the little goodies to the bottom of the bowl.  Use some large servers and scoop straight down to get a sampling of all the layers.  Top with your favorite dressing.  Yums.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

The Marvelous Muffin Link!

So every now and then I check out my site's stats to see what dishes are popular, who's reading and from where, and how people are finding me.  In the left margin of my page is listed my top ten most popular dishes based on page hits. I find this interesting and sometimes see items move up or down the list.  Anyways, a few months back, I noticed my Sausage and Cheese Muffins came out of nowhere and zoomed to near the top.  Wha?? I was perplexed!  I mean I know they are simply fabulous, but that wouldn't explain their sudden rise in popularity.  :-)  I decided to find out what caused their jump. 

I did some sleuthing and tracked a link in my stats that I hadn't seen before.  It was to VegNews of all things.  I clicked on the link and found this wonderful article, "7 Out of This World Vegan Cheese Dishes."  In no particular order are listed seven dishes from the vegan online world that they rated as the seven best that had vegan cheese as an ingredient.  And, my humble muffins made the list!  They even put in a lovely description of them.  There is no photo, but they had a link to my recipe, and that explained the huge jump. 

I am not one to blow or even slightly toot my own horn, but this was so much fun, I thought you'd enjoy hearing about it, too.  The only thing I wish is that VegNews would have popped me over an e-mail or something just to let me know.  I'm very honored to have been noticed by them.  So, if this doesn't convince you to make those muffins, then nothin' will!  :-)

Savory Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Soup

Tis the season for soup, and this is a good one.  There are some uncommon partners in this soup, but they really work well together.  I like the combo of cauliflower and tomatoes and have been experimenting more and more with those these days.  You'll see another recipe coming up very soon with those two together again.  Also, the Napa cabbage is a nice contrast and mixes textures.  This will warm your tummy for sure.

Savory Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound dried yellow split peas
Water to cover
1 - 32oz. box Imagine No-Chicken Broth
2-3 cups of Napa cabbage, chopped
5 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 - 29oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sort the peas for grit and place in a large pot.  Add enough water to cover the peas a couple of inches, and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.  Add water during cooking time, if it's getting too close to the level of the peas.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another fifteen minutes.  So easy but good.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Warming White Bean and Kale Soup

Here is a classic soup with my own twist on it.  For the kale, I used kale that was left over from the previous night's dinner, but you can certainly use fresh kale.  Also, I normally use fresh mushrooms, but I bought several cans worth at a discount store, so I put a can in; again, you can use fresh if you have them.  This hit the spot for me, and I hope it does for you too.

Warming White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound white beans
Water to cover
2 russet potatoes, chopped
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained, maybe six ounces?
1 pkg. SmartBacon, chopped
2 cups cooked kale, or 4 cups fresh, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sort the beans for grit and place in a large pot with water about three inches above the beans.  Cook on medium heat for two hours, adding water as needed, to keep the level at least two inches above the beans.  Stir occasionally.  Add the potatoes and cook for another fifteen minutes over medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn down the heat to medium low.  Cook for another fifteen minutes.  Hits the spot on a cold day. Feeds five hungry vegans.

GR's 13th Birthday!

My GR turned 13 on February 12th.  Most of you probably think it's Lincoln's birthday, but it's really hers.  Anyhow, she didn't want a party, just a fun day with her family that she designed.  She may bring a friend with us camping in a few months as a way to celebrate her birthday in that way.  She loves being outside, and so part of our day was at a park.  Enjoy the pics, another restaurant to add to the mix, some doggie catch-ups, and of course, dessert!

After Christmas, Michaels was selling off their gingerbread houses super cheap, like for one or two dollars, so I bought two more of them.  GR's been bugging me ever since to make them, so I let her do it the night before her birthday.  For the life of us, we couldn't get it to stick together or stand up, so I suggested gingerbread cookies. Everyone loved that idea, so they decorated the house pieces and had huge cookies for breakfast the next day!  This is what was left before I remembered to take a photo.

We took our lunch from Adalbertos to the park.  I had a veggie burrito without cheese, sour cream or guacamole, which has dairy in it.  Also, the Blessings had fries; if you order their fries, make sure you ask for new oil.  We've had bacon in our fries before, and that's how we discovered they use the same oil for everything. 

We also enjoyed a little croquet.  Here G is practicing his swing, which ended up doing him no good because I beat the pants off everyone!

Here's a shot of the birthday girl with her pup, Mindy.  The last pics I posted of the dogs, they were just about two months old.  Now, they are two years old as of November.

Here's a beautiful shot of them.

Not to be outdone, here's SR's dog and Mindy's sister, Abby.  Just to give you a quick update on Abby: she's currently undergoing heartworm treatment.  She apparently contracted it from a mosquito before we got her and Mindy on a program. We are praying for a full recovery.  In a few weeks, I'll have a post dedicated to gratuitous pet pictures. 

For dinner, GR picked one of our most favorite restaurants, Huong Sen Tofu.  They are located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.  We go there at least once a month.  G used to work near here and learned about it from coworkers.  We started coming as a family when I was still pregnant with JK.   They are super affordable and offer a wide ranges of dishes.

Here's what it looks like when you order.  You can see one of the two brother owners in the background.  They make all of their dishes from scratch in their kitchen, including their mock meats, and everything is vegan, even their desserts, but not their waffles.  Don't ask me why they sell waffles, but they seem to be a real hit among the Vietnamese immigrants.

 They also double as a store, and here's their main refrigeration section.  On the left is their soy milk, which they also make there. 

 Here is a table in the center which stores some of their non-chilled items.  Not everything that sell prepackaged is vegan or vegetarian.

 G said I could take a picture of his dish, which is what he usually orders each time we come: steamed rice, a super tasty eggplant and tofu dish, and red seitan.

 The girls and I usually get the pho bo.  That's the garnish on the side.  So good.  JK just likes their tofu and steamed rice.

 For dessert, we met up with my parents.  GR asked for ice cream as her dessert.  When I asked if she was sure she didn't want a cake, she said she really wanted my Black Tie Cheesecake , but she thought it was too much work for me to make for her.  Pish posh!  My girl got her ice cream and her cake!  By the way, if  you haven't made it yet, the cheesecake looks hard to make, but it isn't. Give it a try!

So that's all the pics I'm putting up.  Hope you enjoyed the show.  Happy Birthday, GR! 

Red Onion - Basil Bread

Hello, hello!  I'm determined not too get sidelined from blogging anymore!  Determined, determined, determined, determ--

Anyhow, that sickness that I was complaining about over Christmas turned out to be bacterial bronchitis, which landed me on my derriere for way too long.  Then when I thought I was finally done with that, I decided to smash my finger in the car door.  As we "speak" I am wearing a splint on my right index finger and have nerve damage and loss of feeling.  So, typing is terribly slow.  For those of you that pray, I would love prayer for feeling in my finger.  Aaaannnddd, G's and my birthdays also took place.  The first time I didn't post anything about them; that should tell you something.  I will be making the rounds to your blogs as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing all that you guys have been up to.

But, I'm back with a yummy recipe!  One of G's coworkers brought him some basil from her garden a while back, and I decided to make bread with it. I made four loaves and gave her one of the loaves as a thank you.  The technique for baking is based on my Basic White Bread recipe.  (Sheesh, maybe I should dictate to one of my girls.  Typing this is taking a long time.)  This bread turned out really yummy, and all of the Blessings loved it, even with the onions in it.  I could use much less salt here because of the wonderful flavors of the red onion and basil.  Please note that with the Basic White Bread, I used rapid rise yeast, but I'm using active dry here, so the mixing step will be different. 

Red Onion - Basil Bread

The herb mixture

The risen dough

The dough shaped for rolling to fit into its pan

Four loaves hot out of the oven!

Red Onion - Basil Bread

Ingredients:

Makes four loaves
Four large bowls
In each bowl you will eventually need:
5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 of the herb mix listed below
2 1/2 tsp, of active dry yeast or one packet prepared active dry yeast
4 Tbs. warm water
2 cups cold water

Herb mix:
1 small or medium red onion, minced
1/2 cup, packed, fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. salt

Extra flour for kneading 
Non-stick spray

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the herb mix ingredients well.  In each of the large bowls, pour in the flour and one quarter of the herb mix.  Whisk together thoroughly.  Create a small well with the back of a spoon in the bottom of each bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and warm water and pour in the center of the first bowl.  Repeat for each bowl.  Let sit for ten minutes, until the yeast starts to react and gets frothy.  Spoon a small amount of the bowl's flour into the yeast well and stir.  Add one cup of the cold water to the center and mix in more flour.  Add the last cup of water and stir all the ingredients together as best as you can.  It's okay if it's not perfect; you'll finish mixing them up when you knead.  Repeat for the other bowls.  On a floured surface, turn out your bread dough and knead for ten minutes, adding sprinkles of dough, if it gets too sticky.  Wash your bowl out, put the dough back in and cover with a damp dish towel.  Let set for its first rise for two hours.  Repeat with the others.  After two hours, spray four bread loaf pans with non-stick spray.  Punch the dough down in a few spots.  On a floured surface, turn out the dough again and flatten by hand to resemble a large rectangle.  Starting at a short end, roll up the dough until it meets the other end.  Fold the sides slightly under, so it can fit into the loaf pan.  Cover with the towel for another hour and a half for its second rise.  Repeat for the other loaves.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Remove the towels and sprinkle a dusting of flour down each loaf's center.  Take a sharp knife and slice each loaf down the center about an inch deep.  Bake for fifteen minutes. (Four loaves should fit comfortably in standard ovens.)   Turn the heat down to 400 and bake for another 25 minutes.   Remove each loaf from its pan and put them upside down, directly on the oven's grill.  Bake for another five minutes.  Cool on racks.  After fifteen or so minutes of resting, you can slice into the first one.  The others will freeze great:  just wrap them a couple of times in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil once they're completely cooled. These are very tasty and savory and are a nice twist on typical bread.  We either toasted the slices or used them to make savory sandwiches.   Feeds five hungry vegans with plenty to share!