Vegetarian Sausages to Die For (but no one died for)

My apologies for the cheesy headline.  I'm tired...But I did want to share with you this fantastic recipe for vegetarian sausages:



Get the full recipe here at the Everyday Dish TV Internet Channel.

Oh my goodness, is this stuff great.  I was going to get a picture for you of the finished product inside a nice meal of "sausage" and peppers with rice, but the darn phone rang and before I knew it, I had consumed the entire thing.

Anyway, this vegetarian sausage recipe is highly recommended, as are many of the recipes on Everyday Dish TV.  Many videos and recipes here are free, but there is a rather high subscription fee to view the entire site.  Regardless, kudos to Everyday Dish for putting together some great info.  It also features Joni Newman, whose recipes I have been following for a couple of years at her Just the Food blog.

Mature Pasta

Why “Mature Pasta”? Because this recipe contains the most child unfriendly of all the vegetables: brussel sprouts. I have no idea why this fiber-filled member of the cabbage family has gotten such a rotten reputation. Brussel sprouts are not only tasty, but simple to prepare and full of vitamins, particularly K and C. Each delicious bite also contains sulforphane, which is an excellent detoxifier that can be a powerful tool in cancer prevention.

On to the recipe. Feel free to amend any of the items as you like. I used fresh pasta, but feel free to use dried. Bulk up the garlic if you’re a garlic fan.

Mature Pasta Recipe

9 ounces fresh fettuccini
2 T olive oil plus ¼ cup olive oil
10 brussel sprouts, quartered
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 T parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 T parmesan, grated or shredded (plus more for garnish)

Prepare fettuccini according to package directions. Rinse and set aside. In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Fry brussel sprouts for about 7 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and fry for an additional minute or two. Add diced tomatoes and parsley and stir. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add about a ¼ cup oil to the vegetable mixture to make a sauce. Sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons of parmesan and stir. Remove from heat.

Add pasta and combine thoroughly. Garnish plates with additional parmesan if desired.

Some Ideas for Summer's Ripe Tomatoes

Got tomato plants? What will you do with them when they finally arrive? Here are some ideas to get you in the mood once those red little spheres of delight ripen on the vine.

A simplest dish is the Caprese Salad. Combine sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. You can pierce these items onto a skewer or oversized toothpick (use halved cherry tomatoes for this method) and cover with a white balsamic vinaigrette for a colorful hors d'oeuvre.

Stuffed Tomatoes might be a nice side dish to try, and is relatively simple to make. Core tomatoes and fill with seasoned white or brown rice, and cover with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. It’ll look more impressive than a side of rice with a tomato salad, but requires no extra effort.

How about ketchup? I love making things from scratch that seem ridiculous to make from scratch. From bagels to tortillas, I find some to be a labor of love and others to be just plain laborious. However, this recipe for ketchup doesn’t seem too difficult. There is a plethora of ketchup recipes on the web, and a wide variety of flavorings and spices to suit your particular palette. Who knows, maybe you will put Teresa Heinz out of business!

Okay, if you don’t want to go as far as making ketchup, won’t you at least try to make your own salsa? A fresh, preservative-free dip might be just what your chips have been begging for – not to mention, your belly. Combine six finely chopped tomatoes with a teaspoon or more of your favorite seasonings like cumin, fresh cilantro, parsley and oregano. Add some finely chopped red onion, a tablespoon of olive oil, a little bit of salt and a diced chili pepper that matches your heat needs. You can also add corn, garlic, lime juice or chopped red bell pepper; whatever you like!

I’m really looking forward to my tomatoes this year. What will I be doing with mine? My favorite thing ever: a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich with a little salt. Hmmm…maybe I should make my own mayonnaise?

The Diabolical Seitan

Satan? Nope. Seitan is a chewy meat substitute made from wheat gluten. Originating from Asia, seitan has been a staple in Buddhist cultures and macrobiotic diets. It works well in stews, stir fries, soups and barbecues as it holds it texture beautifully. Seitan is created by washing the starch of wheat dough till only the gluten remains.

Obviously, celiac disease sufferers will want to stay away from this “wheat meat”, but seitan often welcomed by new vegetarians seeking something high in protein other than the usual tofu or veggie burger. Seitan can be purchased at health food stores, but if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can try to make it at home.

I’ve made several attempts to produce a good, heartily textured seitan a few times in the past – and failed. The reason I call it the diabolical seitan is 1) it’s darn catchy and 2) I personally have found it so tough and tedious to make.

Luckily I ran into this recipe from Joni Newman (who I’ve mentioned before) and now I will never need another seitan recipe again.

Here was my former problem. After the wheat dough is produced, it is cooked in simmering water. The other recipes I’ve tried involved cutting the wheat dough into pieces, but this recipe directs you to fashion the dough into two logs. The logs are wrapped in cheesecloth and then dropped into the broth. I couldn’t believe how solid it turned out. I wanted to share with you the photos from my journey. Be sure to check out the original recipe (Joni’s look even better than mine). The active preparation time was only about an hour, and then simmered for 90 minutes.

This is the stiff dough made from only wheat gluten, whole wheat flour and water.

This is what it looks like after the starch has been washed from the dough. It feels like it will fall apart in your hands, but magically sticks back together – I’m guessing because it is so high in protein.

Seasonings are added to the mixture and then the logs are shaped and wrapped in cheesecloth. I secured the ends with thread.

A very salty broth of 10 cups water, two cups soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and ginger.

The final product. Unbelievably salty at first, but after a couple of days the flavors melded together and was quite perfect. I used most of mine for a lazy meal: a seitan grinder with tomato sauce and cheese instead of meatballs. Loved it!

Nutritional Information (not based on this recipe):

Seitan, 1/3 cup (30g)
Calories: 160
Protein: 23g
Carbohydrate: 11g
Total Fat: 0.5g
Fiber: 2g

Triple Sec Iced Tea Recipe

Triple sec is one of those liquors that, unless you make a lot of margaritas, is going to sit in your liquor cabinet forever. In an effort to utilize this delicious but sometimes too distinctive alcohol, my boyfriend Matt came up with a drink he calls: “Tea Party Express”. Summer is iced tea season, and this recipe gives a little kick to an old time favorite. There’s no need to add sugar, as the Triple Sec provides sufficient sweetness.

Tea Party Express Recipe

• 4 bags black tea
• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
• ice
• orange, for garnish

Place four tea bags in a pitcher, and cover with the boiling water. Let steep for about 15 minutes. Next, add the cold water, and let cool to room temperature. Add Triple Sec and stir to blend. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve in glass over ice, and garnish with an orange wedge.

Makes four large servings.

Mommy, Where Does Tofu Come From?

Many people have no idea how tofu is made. Others know it comes from soybeans, but not much beyond that.

Tofu, also known as “bean curd” (as you may have seen on Chinese food menus), is basically coagulated soy milk that has been pressed for a firmer texture.

Making tofu at home only takes a few steps. If a soy milk maker is used, that will eliminate a few of the steps and greatly cut down on the effort required.

Some tofu recipes tend to get a little convoluted for the novice, so here is a quick, bare bones version of the process:

· Soak soybeans
· Rinse and drain beans
· Put beans in a blender with more water
· Blend completely
· Strain soy pulp from soy milk (discard pulp)
· Boil soy milk
· Add coagulant (which is usually either calcium sulfate, nigari or lemon juice)
· Let rest for a few minutes
· Strain whey
· Place curds into tofu press lined with cheesecloth
· Cover with heavy object for 15 – 35 minutes, depending on desired texture
· Uncover and enjoy!

Tofu should be stored in water, and the water should be changed daily.

A great video demonstration

and a more in depth view of the entire procedure.

Ten Minute Tofu Dish

I was never a big fan of tofu as a kid, but now having experienced different methods of preparation, I can see its versatility and tastiness.

My new habit is purchasing Nasoya brand Super Firm Cubed Tofu. I enjoy my tofu as firm as can be, and I have had the best luck with this product. The added bonus is that it’s already been cubed, so there is no preparation necessary but to drain it.

10-Minute Tofu Side Dish
1-2 Servings

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
8-ounce container Nasoya Cubed Super Firm Tofu
¼ cup marinade, such as Very Very Teriyaki by Soy Vay

Drain tofu well. Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. When hot, add tofu. Fry tofu on all sides, stirring almost constantly as the tofu begins to crisp. The tofu will stick mercilessly if left unattended. Fry for about 8-10 minutes, until golden. It should look like this:

Lower heat to medium and add marinade. Stir and let simmer for about a minute.

Serve alone or with rice if desired.

I like the Soy Vay marinades, but they are incredibly salty so avoid that if you prefer have a low sodium diet. You may use any marinade you like that suits tofu well.

Nutritional Facts (figures reflect entire recipe)
Calories: 840
Total Fat: 65 g
Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 23 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 29 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 1991 mg
Potassium: 538 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 33 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.2 g
Sugars: 20 g
Protein 35.8 g
Vitamin A: 7%
Vitamin B-6: 10%
Vitamin E: 43%
Calcium: 155%
Copper: 43%
Folate: 16%
Iron: 33%
Magnesium: 33%
Manganese: 134%
Niacin: 4%
Pantothenic Acid: 3%
Phosphorus: 41%
Riboflavin: 13%
Selenium: 56%
Thiamin: 24%
Zinc: 23%

Tabouli Recipe

A Middle Eastern salad with several spelling variations (tabouleh, tabbouleh), tasty tabouli is a great dish to take with you to a summer picnic. You may find that some people have never tried this simple side, but I highly doubt they will be disappointed. Additionally, as this recipe originates from a hot area of the world, you won’t have to worry about it spoiling in the sun (though it's tastiest when cold).

Bulked by the nutritious ingredient bulgur (also bulghur or burghul), which you can find in the rice section of your supermarket. The flavor of your tabouli will only get better the next day, so make as much as you like. It is easy to eat a lot of this dish, so don’t worry about making too much.

Tabouli
Ingredients:

• 1 cup bulgur, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 large English cucumber, seeded, minced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded, minced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
• ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped (optional)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin or light, whichever you prefer)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rehydrate bulgur by putting it into a bowl and covering it with the boiling water. Let sit for about an hour. Drain.

Combine bulgur with cucumber (keep the peel on), tomatoes, green onion, parsley and mint. Mix together well.

In a separate bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to blend ingredients, and add to the wheat mixture.

Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours or overnight, stirring occasionally to recoat the bulgur with dressing. Traditionally served with crisp leaves of lettuce. Makes 10 servings

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 7.6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: .7g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 12.1 mg
Potassium: 253 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 14.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g
Sugars: .8 g
Protein: 2.6 g

Vitamin A: 17%
Vitamin B-6: 6%
Vitamin C: 26%
Vitamin E: 6%
Calcium: 3%
Copper: 6%
Folate: 7%
Iron: 6%
Magnesium: 9%
Manganese: 26%
Niacin: 5%
Panthothenic Acid: 4%
Phosphorus: 7%
Riboflavin: 3%
Thiamin: 5%
Zinc: 3%

Vegetarian Blogs

How many times have you been in this position? You need an asparagus recipe…now. You google “vegetarian asparagus recipe”, and end up with all of these crazy, confusing and unhelpful websites that just do not deliver.

I’ve been doing that for too long, and simply put my foot down on the whole thing. Along my long, tedious journeys for new recipes, I’ve found greater success when landing upon vegetarian cooks’ sites. They have a passion for their cooking, they’re original, and you know what else? They’re healthy!

Here are some of my favorite sites to visit, although I’m sure there’s a million more:

101 Cookbooks
Heidi Swanson is my idol. Her writing alone deserves an award. She pulls you into her articulate web with exquisite descriptions of her meals. She can make roasted pine bark sound appetizing.

Oh yeah, and the recipes are good too! She has some very unusual meals originating from cultures all over the world. I have to admit, I failed at her gnocchi, but I’m not Italian – so it’s clearly not my fault.

Just the Food
This website was a delightful find. I’ve been making imitation ground meat chili for years, but Joni Newman’s recipe made me realize that it could have been so much better. She’s vegan, but her recipes are all filling and satisfying.

the Vegan Kitchen
This is a hardcore, vegan, homeschooling chick. She takes some incredible, inspiring pictures, and is a wealth of knowledge about stuff you would never even think to ask about. But you’ll be glad she told you. She also has other sections for her other interests from homemade soap products to her adorable children. This is a pretty intense site, but I guarantee her fascinating posts will rope you in.

Give me “real” people over corporate sites any day. There is just something about personal experience and enthusiasm for the vegetarian lifestyle that really inspires me to get into the kitchen and cook something delicious.