Tom Kha Gai: Good for What Ails You!

In these days of burgeoning swine-flu mania, I confess to being one of those recalcitrant skeptics. I'm not opposed to vaccinations or anything, but I do object to the media's ongoing campaign to manipulate the public, and am not about to drink that particular variety of Kool-Aid. One recent, blustery afternoon, I was running around, cruelly squeezed between various obligations, and felt as if I "might be coming down with something" - a feeling which often manifests as a craving for soup. That being the case, rather than run to the barber surgeon demanding to be bled like the guy in the picture, I headed to the Buddha Hut, one of the growing number of vegan restaurants in our fair city. I settled into a table by the window, fished out my book, gratefully accepted the proffered pot of tea and ordered a bowl of "Thai spicy coconut soup." For $3.95 I received a portion I could barely finish, and was quickly restored to a sense of health, well-being, and the ability to get on with my day.

Anyway, as I was slurping it up, I decided to ignore Mr. Wizard's warning to kids like us and try this at home. Which I did, with (I must say) rather spectacular results. I make no claims to any type of authenticity, but was just bashing around in the kitchen trying to recreate the flavors, textures, etc., associated with those rich, complex soups that make you go "mmm" in ways you don't fully understand beyond wanting another spoonful. I used soy curls to replace the Buddha Hut's faux "chicken," but if you don't have soy curls, just marinate some pressed, cubed tofu instead. I also omitted the traditional baby corn because it's one of the only foods my partner actively hates (along with parsnips, which he insists have "an aura of evil"), and the finished product was received with great enthusiasm. I'll definitely make this soup again, especially with flu season coming on; thus far there's not so much as a curly tail or snout in sight, and I plan to keep it that way!

TOM KHA GAI
The Marinade
Ingredients
~ 1 cup lite coconut milk
~ 1 cup "no chicken" broth
~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce
~ 1 tbsp. each: dried basil, Thai green curry paste
~ 1-2 tbsp. hot sauce, or to taste (I used Sriracha)
~ 1 tsp. dried lemongrass
~ 1 cup Butler soy curls (or 1/2 lb. pressed, cubed extra-firm tofu)

Directions
~ In a large beaker or bowl, mix all marinade ingredients thoroughly.
~ Add the soy curls or tofu, cover, and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours (the longer the better).
~ Drain, reserve marinade, and set aside.

The Soup
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. coconut oil
~ 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
~ 1 cup thinly sliced onion
~ 1 tbsp. garlic
~ 1 red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
~ 2 cups mushrooms, very thinly sliced
~ Marinated soy curls
~ 2 cups "no chicken" broth
~ 3 cups lite coconut milk
~ 1 cup scallions, thinly sliced (seeing a pattern here?)
~ 2 cups chopped, fresh basil leaves

Directions
~In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the coconut and sesame oils and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
~Add the peppers and mushrooms; cook another 5 minutes.
~Add the soy curls, broth and coconut milk. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
~Taste for seasoning (you might want more salt, a shot of hot sauce, etc.), then add the scallions and chopped basil. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
~Serve hot and feel any incipient snout, tail, etc. symptoms settle themselves down with contented grunts.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

I love muffins: they're warm, comforting, make the kitchen smell great and have no equal in terms of sheer, instant baked-goods gratification. In case you haven't noticed, it's now full-blown autumn, in all it's multi-hued, Octobertastic glory, which means that pumpkins, squashes, pears and apples are to be found in abundance, begging to be cooked and eaten as the chilly evenings draw in. That being the case, I looked at the big bowl of apples on my kitchen table this afternoon and thought, "Hmmm, I bet I know what you'd like to be." These muffins are not only full of yummy fall flavors like nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, etc., they're also really (dare I say it?) healthy, with a mere 2 tbsp. of canola oil and the same amount of maple syrup in a whole dozen, so you can sprinkle a little extra cinnamon sugar on top and feel virtuous! (Please excuse the crummy photo; I'm a cook, not Cecil bloody Beaton, dammit!)

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Ingredients
Dry:
~2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
~1 tbsp. baking powder
~1 tsp. cinnamon
~1/2 tsp. each: nutmeg, ginger, salt
Wet:
~1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin, canned or fresh
~1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
~1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soymilk
~2 tbsp. canola oil
~2 tbsp. maple syrup
~1 tsp. vanilla extract
~1 1/2 cups chopped apple (this was about 2 small Macs)
~1/2 tsp. each sugar and cinnamon, mixed (optional)

Directions
~Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit, and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
~In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and sift together thoroughly. Add the chopped apples and toss to coat; this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
~In a separate container, mix the wet ingredients.
~Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture, and mix with a wooden spoon. (Be careful not to overmix, just make sure things are combined!)
~Spoon the batter into your prepared muffin tin; if using, this is the time to sprinkle your cinnamon/sugar mixture over the top.
~Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.
~Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before turning out.

Our new friend, Bubbles!

As the leaves turn orange, the air gets cooler and Thanksgiving (whether Canadian or American) approaches, lots of people start thinking about turkeys, and we are no exception: we love them! Last year, on the day before our Thanksgiving, my son and I were driving down a wooded road when we encountered a line of seven turkeys, crossing the road in an admirably calm, orderly fashion. We stopped to wait for them to pass, as did the car coming in the opposite direction, the other driver and I exchanging broad, delighted smiles as we watched their slow, stately progress. After all seven were safely in the woods, I drove off thinking how happy and grateful I am to be vegan, and hoping that, if that woman was not already a vegetarian/vegan, she might think more carefully about what she put on her plate when she sat down to dinner the next day.

Nearly a year has passed since that November afternoon, and the holidays are once again practically on our doorstep. As they draw nearer, it's tough to think about all the animals who suffer so needlessly to fulfill people's skewed notions of what constitutes a "celebration," and my partner and I gird our loins for the inevitable onslaught of moronic advertising, masturbatory foodie rhetoric and ham-handed (you should excuse the expression) "jokes" about tofurky, People Eating Tasty Animals, etc. But. After reading a post by Susan over at Fatfree Vegan Kitchen (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/), I was inspired to do something positive by taking part in Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project. To quote their web-site: "Since 1986, this program has encouraged people to save a turkey at Thanksgiving through sponsorships that help us rescue animals and provide care for them at our sanctuaries, as well as educate and advocate for turkeys, and other farm animals, everywhere." For a mere $25 (probably about the same price as one of those wretched, pathetic carcasses filling the freezers of the local grocery stores), you can sponsor a single turkey, or even adopt a whole flock for $150. So go ahead, adopt a turkey; you know you want to! Then we can start pondering all the delicious, healthy, vegan dishes we want to make this Thanksgiving!

http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/adopt/sponsor.html

Cheezy Potato Mushroom Pie

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a cold, wintry day on which I had a bunch of little kids, no car, and nothing in the house but some onions, a few potatoes, a block of cheddar cheese, and the makings of a pie crust. (Any reader who gets the impression that I have a long history of forgetting to lay in supplies would be correct.)

Anyway, that makeshift recipe was so successful that it became one of my signature, go-to dishes. In fact, it was among the first dinners I made for my partner when we were cresting that scenic hill upon which courtship gives way to The Domestic Horizon, based on its tried-and-true ability to elicit appreciative "mmmmmm, yummy" noises.

After going vegan, I continued to indulge my lifelong passion for savory pies, but it took awhile for me to get around to a cheezy one because I was unimpressed by the melting capacities of the available dairy-free options. (Although I am perfectly happy alone in a dark room with some blue-flavored Cheezly and a box of oatcakes. DON'T JUDGE!) Fortunately, major advances in the field of vegan cheese have changed all that, so now this old favorite once again appears on the regular,  and now you can make it, too!

Cheezy Potato Mushroom Pie
The Filling
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 medium size yellow onion, chopped
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 large carrot, cut into small dice
~ 110 oz. package brown mushrooms, chopped
~ 4 smallish potatoes, baked (I used the microwave) and cubed
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, parsley, dill, paprika
~ 1/2 tsp. each: marjoram, smoked paprika
~ Prepared 9" pie crust, store bought or homemade

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a large skillet or wok, warm the oil over medium heat, add the onions and carrots and saute for 5 minutes, until softened.
~ Add the garlic, mushrooms, and seasonings and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms have given off some of their liquid.
~ Add the potatoes and stir to combine; reduce heat to low and cook another 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (You can add a splash of water or - if you're feeling cheffy and/or drinking - white wine as needed to prevent this.)
~ Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

The Cheeze
Ingredients
~ 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 tsp. each: vegan Worcestershire sauce, Marmite
~ Healthy shot of hot sauce
~ 1 heaping cup grated cheddar flavor vegan cheese (I used Daiya)

Directions
~ In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Marmite, and hot sauce.
~ Begin adding the cheese gradually while stirring constantly. As the mixture thickens, continue stirring until you have achieved a "cheezy" texture.
~ Add the sauce to the vegetable mixture, combine thoroughly, and pour into prepared pie-crust.
~ Sprinkle on a little extra paprika and/or parsley for garnish, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the top is browned and set. (If it seems to be browning too quickly, you can cover it with foil for part of this process.)
~ When a knife inserted into the center comes out (mostly) clean, remove from oven and set aside.
~ Allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Pasta Alfredo/Carbonara Mash-Up

I'm baack! Yes, it's insanely busy around here, but people still need to eat, right? The weather has turned sort of weird, wild and windy in the past day or so, and it occurred to me that pasta would be just the thing. My carbcentric fantasy centered around a sauce that would combine the best elements of both alfredo and carbonara: creaminess, smokiness and (dare I say it?)"bacon"-ness. So last night, on the heels of a really long day, I decided to take a break from my current pile of reading and give it a go. The result was not only delicious, but fast and easy, too; the perfect meal to eat curled up in front of the TV in your pajamas at 7pm, while looking forward to an early bedtime (oh, the glamour)!

THE "BACON"

Ingredients
~1 pkg. tempeh, cut into small dice
~1 cup vegetable broth
~1 tbsp. maple syrup
~1 tsp. each: black (or regular kosher) salt, paprika, liquid smoke (or smoked paprika)

Directions
~In a bowl or beaker, combine all the liquid ingredients, add the tempeh, and microwave (or heat in a pot) until almost boiling, about 2 minutes. Cover and set aside to marinate at least one hour.
~Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
~Drain the tempeh (reserving the marinade), spread it evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, shuffling it around occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.
~Remove from oven and set aside.

THE SAUCE

Ingredients
~2 tbsp. olive oil
~1 tbsp. minced garlic
~1/4 cup flour
~Reserved tempeh marinade
~1 tbsp. chopped chives (optional, I had them in the cupboard)
~1 tsp. salt
~1/8 tsp. nutmeg
~Fresh black pepper
~2 cups unsweetened plain soy (or other non-dairy) milk
~2-4 tbsp. vegan parmesan and/or nutritional yeast
~1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions
~In a saucepan, heat the oil over a low flame; add the garlic and saute for about two minutes.
~Add the flour and reserved marinade gradually, stirring constantly to make a roux.
~Gradually add the soy milk, stirring continually, for about five minutes.
~Add the vegan parmesan and/or nooch and continue stirring until the sauce reaches a cream sauce consistency.
~Stir in the frozen peas, cook another minute or two, and remove from heat.

ALSO
~1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained according to package directions (I used these cute little shell thingies in the photo).

~In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, sauce and tempeh bacon. Mix thoroughly and serve hot, sprinkled with a little parsley if you have some on hand. We had ours with a side of beautiful roasted local zucchini and carrots, and a bottle of cold white wine. Yum.

Curried White Bean Soup

All right, you guys, I just want everyone to know that I love being vegan more than (almost) anything, and I am extremely happy and honored to participate in this glorious month-long celebration of cruelty-free cooking, eating and blogging. I also want to come straight out and say that every single post I manage to contribute will be a virtual miracle, because October is off the hook in terms of sheer, mindblowing overscheduling here in Desdemona-Land (which is usually way more fun than Disneyland, partly by virtue of being hyphenated, partly because Disney is the Embodiment of Evil, and partly for reasons that should be obvious). So. I'ma do my best, but in the next few weeks I have a whole bunch of academic commitments, as well as some major family stuff to deal with, so please bear with me!

Okay, now that we've dispensed with the obligatory disclaimers and mea culpas, I give you: Last Night's Dinner! This was inspired by a yummy and comforting autumny soup my BFF Heather Feland fed me for lunch last week. NB that this is not her recipe, which I will make as soon as she actually gives it to me (hey, Heather!), but just me throwing stuff into a big ol' pot after churning out 4 hours worth of what I fear may be the purest drivel for my post-colonial lit class (hey, Steve!). All the same, I think it turned out pretty well, and it did the trick on a Sunday night. Happy Vegan MoFo, everybody!

Curried White Bean Soup

Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 tbsp. Earth Balance (or more oil, I just like a combination here)
~ 2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 big one)
~ 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
~ 2 potatoes, diced
~ 2 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
~ 2 tsp. kosher salt
~ 1 tsp. each: paprika, thyme, sage, rosemary
~ 1 tbsp. each: curry powder, basil
~ 1/4 tsp. each: nutmeg, cayenne pepper
~ Fresh black pepper
~ 3 15 oz. cans navy or other white beans
~ 4 cups vegetable stock
~ 1 cup soy creamer, mimicreme or other vegan "cream"; you could also sub soy or other non-dairy milk

Directions
~ Melt the oil and EB in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute about 2 minutes.
~ Add the celery, garlic, potatoes and spices; stir to coat and cook another 5 minutes or so.
~ Add the beans and 1 cup of broth, stir to combine, and cook 10 minutes.
~ Add the remaining broth, raise the heat just long enough to bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer another 20 minutes.
~ Remove from heat, stir in the "cream," and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
~ Serve hot; we had ours with pita chips because we had stale pita and no time to bake or go to the store!

Pureed Fruit Pancakes

It's that time of year when there's lots and lots of apples and pears around, which is a wonderful thing, except when you have too many and not much time to do anything with them. These pancakes are a good way to use up autumn fruit that's just a little past its prime (that is, too mushy for pies or eating plain, but still too good to waste); in this particular case, I had some over-ripe pears and a pretty brown banana on hand, but apples or some combination of those would do just as well. Mix up a batch of these on a chilly fall morning and be ready to face the day!

Pureed Fruit Pancakes
Ingredients
~ 1 cup mashed, over-ripe fruit (I used a banana and 3 pears)
~ 6 oz. plain or vanilla soy yogurt
~ 2 tbsp. canola oil
~ 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
~ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
~ 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ 1 tsp. cinnamon
~ 1/2 tsp. each: ground nutmeg, ginger, salt

Directions
~ Preheat a non-stick baking sheet in a 200 degree fahrenheit oven.
~ In a large bowl, mash the fruit thoroughly; if using apples or pears and you want to leave the skins on, it might be best to do this in the blender.
~ Add the yogurt, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
~ In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture, stir to combine and set aside.
~ Coat a large skillet (cast iron is perfect) with cooking spray, and place over medium heat.
~ When the skillet is hot but not smoking, pour about a half cup of pancake batter into the center, and smooth out lightly.
~ Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook another minute or so. As you finish each pancake, transfer it to the oven to keep warm.
~ Repeat until all the batter is used up; I made eight humongous pancakes from this recipe, but you could easily get a dozen of a more, er, reasonable size.
~ Serve with Earth Balance, maple syrup, and maybe some extra stewed apples and/or pears on the side: it's fall!