Sweet and Sour Tempeh

Sunday, September 27, 2015 - Lunch
Sweet and sour tempeh (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I decided to give tempeh a second chance - I didn't really like it in the form of fried tempeh bacon. I'm glad that I made this recipe, because it was delicious!  Tempeh is a cultured soy protein, made up of whole soy beans fermented together into a caked block / patty.  This recipe called for steamed tempeh to be mixed into the veggies and sauce.  The steaming process, as well as the moisture from the sauce, made the tempeh soft and tender, while still holding together in cubes - I liked it much better this way.

I've never used fresh ginger in a recipe before. I thought it would be too much work, so I have typically substituted ground ginger.  However, since this was an Asian dish, it seemed like a good time to try fresh ginger.  I was pleasantly surprised that it was easy to peel and mince.  (I found a great tip on the internet for peeling ginger: use the side of spoon to scrape the skin off the root.  It worked like a charm.)  Then, my whole kitchen was filled with the refreshing scent of ginger.  The flavor was noticeable in the finished dish as well.  In the future, I will not hesitate to use fresh ginger root.

This sweet and sour sauce is better than any store-bought sauce I've ever had.  The base of the sauce was apricot preserves ("Sweet") with miso paste, tamari, and cider vinegar ("Sour") - it was fantastic.  The one substitution I made was using corn starch as a thickener instead of arrowroot powder, because I couldn't find the arrowroot in my local grocery stores.  The sauce was thick, sweet, and a little sticky (perhaps from the jam?), and it tasted amazing.  I would definitely make this recipe again.  

Peach and Pecan Muffins

Saturday, September 12, 2015 - Dessert
Peach and Pecan Muffins (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These muffins are amazing! This is my new favorite muffin recipe (and maybe one of my favorite dessert recipes).  The peaches and pecans are delicious together, and complemented by the (soy) yogurt.

The ideal baking time was about 5 minutes less than what the recipe suggested, and some of the pecans on top charred a little in the first batch. The burnt pecans were surprisingly tasty - they had a good roasted flavor. The muffins were soft, fluffy, sweet, and filling. They were especially good when they were still warm from the oven. These were great for dessert, but would also work as a sweet breakfast treat.  Yum!

Whole Wheat Waffles with Maple-Berry Syrup

Saturday, September 12, 2015 - Breakfast
Whole Wheat Waffles with Maple-Berry Syrup (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

This was my first attempt at homemade waffles, and they turned out really well.  The recipe is vegan, using applesauce instead of eggs, which made the waffles a little softer.  They also took a little longer to cook than 'regular' waffles.

The maple-berry syrup was delicious.  It was very sweet, and the maple and berry flavors were good together.  The berries dyed the syrup a pretty, reddish-purple color.  The syrup was a little runny, so next time I would adjust the ratio of berries to liquid, to get a better consistency.

We made this for breakfast while out-of-town guests were visiting, and everyone enjoyed the waffles and syrup!

Five-Story Bean Dip

Monday, September 7, 2015 - Dinner cookout
Five-Story Bean Dip (Recipe from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson)

I made this bean dip for a holiday cookout.  The dip was easy to make, and it was a festive, easy-to-eat food for the party.  It tasted great and was well received - I got several compliments on the dip, and most of it was eaten!

The dip was made up of five layers:
1. Pinto beans with salsa and chili powder
2. Guacamole
3. Salsa
4. Sour cream (dairy-free) with chilies and lime
5. Veggies

Served with tortilla chips.

Southern Fried Seitan

Monday, September 7, 2015 - Lunch
Southern Fried Seitan (Recipe from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson)

This was my first time making seitan (wheat protein), although I've eaten it several times in restaurants.  It turned out pretty well, and I think I'd like to try it again in some other recipes as well.  This Southern Fried Seitan recipe is an alternative to fried chicken.

The seitan pieces were dipped in a batter of almond milk, mustard, lemon, and spices, then covered with panko bread crumbs.  I used a small amount of oil to pan-fry the seitan.






The recipe turned out really well - delightfully crispy and very tasty.

Served on a tomato basil wrap, with lettuce, tomato, and green pepper.


The leftover pieces were also very good dipped in barbecue sauce.

Wheat pancakes

Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Dinner
Wheat Pancakes (modified "Buckwheat Pancakes" recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

I followed Roberto Martin's Buckwheat Pancakes recipe, except that since I didn't have any buckwheat flour, I substituted whole wheat flour. It didn't seem to affect the recipe's taste or the consistency of the batter.  The only difference is that buckwheat is a 'superfood' that would have provided extra protein.

I'm not usually a big fan of pancakes, but these were pretty good. They were soft and fluffy, and had a better flavor than plain white flour pancakes. Like most pancakes, I found these to be very filling - one plum and two pancakes was more than enough for dinner!

Served with: maple syrup, plum

For the photograph, I didn't like the way any of my 'staged' photos looked - there wasn't enough natural light (due to heavy cloud cover during a passing thunderstorm), and the lights in my kitchen and dining room left a yellowish hue that didn't look appetizing on such a lightly-colored food.  Then, after I took my first bite, I realized that the storm clouds had passed and the natural light was returning, and I liked the way the missing bite showed the fluffiness of the pancakes.  I grabbed my camera again and snapped a couple quick photos that turned out better than any of my earlier attempts!