Vegan MOFO: Monday Mash-up–JL's Soy Curls Salad

 I met JL Fields at the first ever Vida Vegan Bloggers Con in Portland in 2011, lounging by the pool (although she had her laptop with her, so I'm not convinced she was doing much lounging).

Since then she has really taken off with veganism not only as her lifestyle, but her life's work. Please visit her blog...she has co-authored a book, writes daily about food and for Vegan MOFO 2013, is video-blogging nearly every day. (JL Goes Vegan: Food and Fitness with a Side of Kale)

Last week I watched her prepare Soy Curls Salad, and was inspired to make it since I had all the ingredients in the fridge and pantry, and I always take that as a I sign I should make the recipe!

Please visit her post to see the recipe and watch her make this very easy and (for some) comfort food salad.

My experience:
JL's Soy Curl salad couldn't be easier to prepare! Simple chopping or pulsing in a food processor gets your main ingredients chopped nicely (rehydrated soy curls, grapes and nuts.)

I substituted walnuts for her pecans since that's what I had on hand.

"Chicken" salad was never big in my family, so I didn't have any kind of family recipe to fall back on, or even a memory. I did remember that in my 20s (when still eating chicken), I had made a chopped chicken dish with curry....so I added about 1/2 tsp curry to this after I added the mayo and I really liked the added zing.

You can serve this on a bed of greens, in a sandwich or wrap as JL demonstrates or just eat plain.

I enjoyed this use of Soy Curls. I was also introduced to them in Portland at the same time as JL. They are a simple product (non-GMO) full of protein that you can put your own touch on in a number of ways.

Visit Butler Foods to discover where you can buy them in your area or online. I still like to order mine from Food Fight Grocery in Portland.

Vegan MOFO: Soupy Sales Saturday–Peachy-Keen-Arino Chilled Soup

Soupy Sales was an old-school slapstick comedian. I'm sure I first saw him in his later years on shows like What's My Line? or Hollywood Squares. He hosted many a radio or TV show from the 1950s on through the 1980s. One early show was called "Lunch with Soupy" and an evening show called "Soup's On." He was famous for throwing cream pies (or getting one in the face himself). Only the frozen one did any damage. (See Wikipedia for more Soupy info.)

I remember him as a funny guy with a big smile on his face. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 83. I hope he had a great run at life and enjoyed the fun he brought to others.

In researching his name, ironically, I found that it's quite the un-vegan nickname! His older brothers had been nicknamed "Ham-bone" and "Chicken-bone" and he was given the nickname "Soup-bone" which was later shortened to "Soupy."

Well, fear not vegan friends, I will include no bones in my recipes or any Soupy Sales Saturday creations (soups and pies, maybe?). Just maybe a funny-bone or two.

The names of a couple of Soupy's characters are inspiring me with meal ideas. There's "Peaches" his girlfriend (played by him in drag) and Onions Oregano, a stinky-breathed henchmen. Today, I think I'll go with Peaches...

Peachy-Keen-Arino Chilled Soup
(adapted from a Whole Foods recipe)  
6-8 servings

6 large ripe peaches 
2 1/2 cups water 
1/2 cup apple or orange juice 
1/8 cup agave 
2 drops liquid Stevia  
1 lime, zest and juice of 
Salt and pepper to taste 

Optional: Some powdered or freshly grated ginger. 

Mint sprigs or orange peels for garnish.

My own easier directions: Put all ingredients in your Vitamix and blend away. Chill and serve. Or replace 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup ice cubes and serve right away. (The Whole Foods instructions have you blanch the peaches and take the skin off. I think there are plenty of nutrients in that skin!)

Smoothie Alternative: For 2 Smoothie Servings: Reduce all ingredients by half (omit salt and pepper) and use only 1 cup water and a few ice cubes for a refreshing Smoothie. 

Paleo/AIP: Omit sweeteners and juice. Maybe throw in a couple dates when blending. If your peach skin is bitter, peel peaches first.

Vegan MOFO: Fry-it Friday–Beggin' Strips

I do miss a BLT. Not that I miss eating animals, I just miss that mix of flavors. A number of vegetarian "bacon" substitutes have crossed my path, but they have fallen away for various reasons. One was not vegan, and the most current one in our house (Lightlife Smart Bacon, which The Girl loves) is based in wheat gluten and expensive! That whole BLT thing is nearly lost to me now–I don't eat bacon, tomatoes give me reflux and wheat bread gives me IBS. I'm fine with lettuce, thank goodness and avocado (a favorite add-on) is still a staple for me.

So what's a vegan, refluxing, cramping girl supposed to do?

Come up with a bacon substitute, for one thing.

This is my own creation, although I'm sure others out there have come up with the same thing. I just tried this out in my kitchen and I like it. My inspiration was realizing I could cut my tofu very thinly and fry it. But I am not a consistent slicer. The truly inspired moment came when I gazed upon a kitchen implement–the cheese slicer (still in our house because The Man still eats dairy cheese).

Oh, you say I can use a cheese slicer on firm tofu and get a consistent thin slice of tofu? And it will approximate a slice of bacon? Yes. Approximate is the key word here. It's close, it's not exact, but it's a start. And a whole lot cheaper than a $5, 5 oz box of vegan bacon slices.

And even though this is "Fry-it Friday" I give alternate directions for baking this. I know some of you prefer to reduce oil consumption. And, it's less messy. But it's Fry-it Friday for gosh sakes.

Beggin' Strips for Humans
(about 60 3" strips)

1 block firm tofu, drained of any water. I prefer the Wildwood brand vacuum-packed. About 12 oz.

1/2 cup Soy sauce or Tamari (wheat-free if needed) or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (salty!!)*

1 tsp smoke flavoring (I used Wrights Hickory)

Oil for frying or spray oil for baking.

Directions (How-to photos at bottom)
1. Use a cheese slicer to cut your tofu into any size or shape you like. To approximate a strip of bacon, cut your large block of tofu in half or thirds on its narrow side (this all depends on the size and shape of your block of tofu).
2. Slice from the narrow edge into as many strips as you can get. You can slice very thinly for a crispier bacon or a little thicker for a chewier strip. Your choice. Experiment. It's not rocket science.
3. Blot each strip carefully (especially if you've cut them really thin) between two paper towels or a clean cloth towel.
4. Mix your Soy Sauce/Tamari/Braggs in a bowl or deep dish with the smoke flavoring.
5. Let your strips soak in the liquid for a few minutes or a few hours.

Cooking
6a. Heat your pan and oil. Place soaked strips in oil carefully. They will splatter.
7a. Cook on one side a few mintues until "done" to your liking (brown, crispy, etc), flip and brown on other side.
8a. Let drain on paper towels.
OR
6b. Heat your toaster or regular oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie tray lightly with oil, place strips on tray, spray strips.
7b. Bake for about 7-10 minutes (depends on the thickness of your strips and your oven), then turn over, bake another 5-10 minutes.
8b. Drain on paper towels if needed.

Serving Suggestions

• Great for a BLT of course. 
• Just plain. Eat with sliced avocado. 
• Wrap it up in a lettuce leaf or tortilla with some avocado and some vegan mayo. 
• OK, you can add those tomatoes if you can handle them.

Final note: After I tried my recipe and wrote up these directions, I found that Bryanna Clark Grogan has a similar recipe and blog post at her site. Her recipe is a little more involved (more ingredients, but still simple) and she lets her tofu marinate much longer. But I think her post is worth a look It's a recipe from her own book (The Almost No-Fat Cookbook) that she tweaked a little. Visit her post at Vegan Feast Kitchen.

* Bryanna's post includes a link to information she gathered about sodium content and prices of several leading soy sauces and Bragg's. Be sure to use what best fits your health needs and budget. I tried this recipe with both Bragg's and Low Sodium Wheat-free Tamari, and they were much saltier with the Bragg's (a lot like the vegan jerky I buy now and then).

The How-to of it all...

 Slice like cheese. This is why a really firm tofu is necessary.

 Blot on paper or cloth towels so marinade will be absorbed better.

 Let sit in marinade a few minutes or a few hours.

 I realized I had a better container that would stay
sealed when flipped and distribute marinade better.

 Fry in some oil in the pan... or...

 ...bake in the toaster oven with sprayed on oil.

Blot on paper towels as last step before eating!

Vegan MOFO: Thaw-it Thursday–Amy's Dairy Free Rice Macaroni and Cheeze

 Amy's Dairy Free Rice Macaroni and Cheeze

 So I guess I am going to be quite lazy on Thursdays after all and just thaw something I like! This is one of my favorite comfort foods, and since it's not the cheapest frozen convenience product out there, it's a treat for now and then. It heats in the microwave in under 5 minutes, is thick and creamy and just enough for a meal. (To be healthy, I should make myself a nice salad. Uh huh, yeah, I'll do that....)

When I'm eating nightshades, I also add a few drops of sriracha sauce to give it a little heat. Not much, just some added flavor. The pasta is probably a bit on the mushy side, but hey, this is a frozen gluten-free product and I think it's just fine. Sometimes I add some extra pasta and some vegan sour cream or cream cheese to stretch it a bit. Also great with some vegan chili thrown in. (Chili-Man Chili is our favorite canned chili at our house. The hubbie can use a can opener and the DD loves the chili.)

 

Thumbs up for Amy's GF, Non-dairy Rice Macaroni and Cheeze

Vegan MOFO: Wicked Wednesday–La Cucaracha Shake

La Cucaracha in Spanish means "The Cockroach." So why in the world did I name this shake after an insect? Since this blog is vegan, you know it's not because there are any actual cockroaches in the recipe.

I came up with this adult version of a chocolate shake many years ago while on vacation with some friends. We had a little non-dairy ice cream on hand, some Oreos and some Kahlua. What could be more natural than to put all this together? I think the peanut butter is a recent addition, well, just because I love peanut butter and chocolate.


La Cucaracha? I think the crumbled Oreos look like crushed cockroaches, I guess. Sorry. It sounded exotic.

I've been told the song "La Cucaracha" is all about stomping on cockroaches. Or more metaphorically, about stomping out an oppressive regime.

La Cucaracha (adult version)
Makes one shake 
(Why would you want to share?)

1 cup            vanilla non-dairy ice cream
1 Tbs            chocolate syrup (or 1/2 Tbs cocoa)
1/2-3/4 cup   non-dairy milk
1 Tbs            Kahlua
1 Tbs            peanut butter

Oreo crumbles*.

Mix all items in a blender, pulse 'til mixed. Add more ice cream if you like a thicker shake. Leave out Kahlua if you are sharing with anyone under age 21. Top with Oreo crumbles.

* To make this gluten/wheat-free, either leave out the crumbles or use a gluten-free or wheat-free chocolate cookie. Newman's makes a wheat-free Oreo-like cookie (it's not GF).

No actual cockroaches were harmed in the making of this recipe or blog post. Nor do I advocate stomping on cockroaches. I don't think I've ever stomped on a cockroach in my life. I have been known to find a cricket (that was driving me mad) that had found its way into my bedroom and gently carry it outside. True story.