Chinese Red Cooked Soy Curls

In light of my obsession with Soy Curls®, I figured I would finally get around to posting this recipe.  For those of you who follow my page on Facebook, I posted the photo a while back, for Valentine's Day, to be precise.  I figured the "red-cooked" method of cooking would be a cute homage to the most romantic fake holiday of the year.  I also wanted to treat W to some authentic Asian cuisine, since it's essentially his favorite type of food.  In all honesty, he liked everything about it except the flavor of the star anise, which is rather pronounced.  I loved it, and it is a traditional element to this recipe, but if you're particularly sensitive to this flavor, you may want to use only a little or omit it entirely.  Sorry the recipe has been so long in coming!

Chinese Red Cooked "Pork"

1½ c. dried Soy Curls®

1 T. canola oil

1½ c. no-chicken bouillon or vegetable stock

¼ c. soy sauce

2 T. rice wine (mirin), dry sherry or Irish whisky

1 T. organic brown sugar

1 T. grated or pressed garlic

1 tsp. grated or minced gingerroot

2 whole star anise

1½ T. cornstarch

Re-hydrate the soy curls according to package directions.  Squeeze out and discard as much excess liquid from the soy curls as possible.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and sear the soy curls until golden brown all over.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add next seven ingredients (bouillon/stock through anise) to a slow cooker, whisk to combine, then add the soy curls.  Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours.  Alternately, simmer the soy curls on the stove top for 20-30 minutes. 

Make a slurry from the cornstarch with enough water to dissolve it.  Add to the sauce, increase the setting to High (if it was previously on Low) and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.  If cooking on the stove, simmer for only about 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Miniature Birthday Cake (From the Microwave)

So, you may be able to tell by know that I love making mini desserts for one or two people.  This is partially because I will go on an inhuman rampage, devouring all baked goods in sight, if left to my own devices.  W is not much better, even though he seems to claim he's a dude and doesn't have a sweet tooth.  (I call B.S.!)  With only the two of us in the house, sugary delicacies will see their last much sooner than they should.  So when I get a craving for a little something sweet, it needs to literally be a little something sweet.

My birthday was last week, and I felt like making my cake and eating it, too.  While the weather has been unseasonably cooler recently for June in NJ, I was not about to turn on my oven.  Some people won't wear white after Labor Day.  I have a moratorium on oven usage after Memorial Day.  This recipe is so easy and really takes hardly any time at all to make.  From mixing the batter to cooking the cakes, the whole process only took about 10 minutes, plus cooling time.  I know the cake doesn't look too "miniature" from the photo below, but rest assured that my ramekins (and, therefore, the cakes) measure 4 inches in width.  The plate on which they were served is 7½ inches wide.  I know, I know.  How cute!  Now, even though this is a small cake, it's still pretty decadent, so I would recommend sharing it with someone you love.  Unless, of course, you want to gift yourself with diabetes for your birthday.  W and I got two servings each out of this over the course of two days.

Miniature Birthday Cake (From the Microwave)

For the cakes:

1 prepared Ener-G egg replacer

2½ T. soymilk

¼ tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼. organic cane sugar, or to your taste

¼ tsp. kosher salt

For the frosting:

1 c. organic powdered sugar
2 T. vegan margarine

½ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. soymilk, or as needed

In a small bowl, whisk together the Ener-G "egg" with the soymilk, cider vinegar, oil and vanilla.  It may separate a bit from the vinegar, but that is normal. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through salt) until well combined.  Make a small well in the center, then pour in the wet mixture and stir until just combined.  Allow the batter to rest for about 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, spray two (16 oz.) ramekins lightly with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottoms of each with a circle of waxed paper.  (I find waxed paper works better here than parchment.)  Divide it between the two lined ramekins, then microwave on High for about 1½ minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are springy and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool for a minute in the ramekins, then run a paring knife around the sides and invert the cakes onto a cooling rack.  Peel off the waxed paper and allow to cool completely at room temperature.

To make the frosting, mash the margarine until soft.  (Earth Balance, which is was I always use, softens much more readily than regular butter, so no need to let it sit out beforehand.)  Add the powdered sugar.  Using nothing but elbow grease and superhuman strength, beat the sugar into the margarine into submission until smooth.  (In my opinion, it's not worth breaking out the electric beaters for such a small amount, but you may disagree.)  Add the lemon juice, vanilla and just enough soymilk to achieve an easily spreadable consistency.  Refrigerate, if not using right away.

To assemble, place one of the cakes (flatter side down) on a small dessert or salad plate.  Spread a thin layer of icing on top, then place the second cake on top (flatter side facing up).  Ice the top and sides of the cake to cover completely, then decorate as desired.

Note that you can halve this recipe to yield 1 (4-inch wide) cake rather than a layer cake, which won't require as much frosting.

Smothered Fork Chops

Eureka!  I've finally come up with a passable faux/fake pork chop recipe (I have conferred upon them the name of "Fork Chops").  Truth be told, I was never really a fan of pork chops in my omni days.  My mom used to make the quite often when I was growing up.  As best I recall, she'd season them up simply with salt, pepper and dried thyme, then broil them in the toaster oven.  There are a couple of fake pork chop recipes floating about the intertubes.  However, no offense to any of their fine creators, they just don't do it for me.  In most cases, it's because they are way too heavy on the gluten for my taste.

There's something alluring about the concept of a very neutral "meat" that's not quite chicken-y but not as rich and umami as a mock beef.  These chops pair really nicely with lots of different flavor combinations, as real pork does for meat-eaters.  I'm really not ready to disclose their secrets just yet, but I will share with you the yummy sauce slathered all over the top to yield Southern-style Smothered Fork Chops.

Alongside, I served some easy roasted green beans (I used frozen, and they work just fine) and my newfangled vegan "Easy Mac."  I made the mac and cheese beforehand and let it chill in the refrigerator, so it doesn't look as gooey and cheesy here, but it was still a nice accompaniment.

Smothered Fork Chop Gravy:

4 Fork Chops or seitan cutlets

1 T. canola oil

1 T. vegan margarine

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 c. no-chicken bouillon or vegetable stock

½ tsp. browning sauce

½ c. plain, unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp. lemon juice

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chops or seitan cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides, then sear in the hot oil until browned and crispy on both sides.  Remove to a plate and wipe out the skillet, if needed.  Melt the margarine in the same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until caramelized - about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Return the heat to medium-high, stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the bouillon/stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.  Simmer until thickened, then whisk in the almond milk and lemon juice.  Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and spoon over the seared chops.

Vegan Ice Cream - No Machine Required!

I wasn't sure if I should share this recipe yet, since I was planning on putting it in one of my recipe collections, but I figure I'm just that nice.  I was really craving some ice cream last week, but I was all out.  Vegan ice creams sold commercially, as I'm sure you all know, cost by the pint around or about an arm, a leg and your first-born child.  And sometimes, ya know, it's really worth the splurge.  I have posted pictures of my tiny kitchen in the past.  Do you really think I have the extra room in this joint for an ice cream machine?!  It is, as Alton Brown would say, the ultimate uni-tasker.  It performs one job and one job alone: to make ice cream/sorbet/sherbet, and takes up a ton of space when not in use.  

So after a brief internet search I found David Lebovitz's recipe for ice cream using no ice cream maker (not vegan, of course).  And I also found this video of the wonderful Bryanna Clark Grogan whipping up her vanilla gelato.  Armed, essentially, with inspiration from these two recipes alone, I set about experimenting on a small batch.  (I ate it all myself in one sitting. ::gulp::)  It requires a little time and waiting on a slow Sunday afternoon (or whenever you can laze about and stop every 30 minutes to churn ice cream), but, for me, it's better than buying an ice cream machine.  

I have to point out that this homemade brew seems to melt a lot quicker when not in the freezer than your normal, store-bough ice cream.  Mine was also a creamy, beige color rather than pure white because of the vanilla extract, but for me, it did the trick.  Let me know if you try it out and come up with any little tweaks of your own!

Vanilla Ice Cream

(No Special Machine Required)

1 c. soymilk

¼ c. organic light corn syrup, or to taste

¼ c. tapioca pearls

⅛ tsp. kosher salt

1 T. vegan margarine

2-3 T. raw cashews

2 tsp. vanilla extract, or to taste

Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer before you start the ice cream mixture.

Combine the soymilk, corn syrup, tapioca and salt in a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine.  Heat gently over medium-high heat until just simmering, whisking almost constantly.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking often, for about 10 minutes, or until the tapioca pearls are tender but with a tiny bit of bite left at the center.  

Transfer the mixture to a heat-safe vessel, and stir in the margarine until melted.  Add the cashews, and let the mixture sit at room temperature.  When the mixture is cool enough to dip your finger in and the cashews have softened, pour it into a blender along with the vanilla extract.  Blend the mixture on High speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.  Remove the bowl from the freezer and pour the ice cream mixture into it through a fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining grit from the tapioca and cashews.  

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes.  Use an electric mixture on medium-high speed to beat the mixture.  You want to incorporate the now-frozen parts into the not-yet-frozen parts.  Re-cover the bowl and return it to the freezer.  Repeat this process every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours, or until the desired consistency is achieved.  Press into a freezer-safe storage container to store.

Coronation "Chicken" with Rice Salad

In case you hadn't heard, last Tuesday was the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, which means she has been on the throne for fifty years!  Regardless of how you feel about monarchies in general, that's some longevity right there.  Mad props, Bessie 2.  Consequently, around the world people were, I'm sure, whipping up batches of Coronation Chicken using myriad recipes.  I'm not sure just how many of those incarnations were vegetarian or vegan, but mine was.

This dish, for those not in the know, was served at the Queen's coronation banquet in 1953, nearly a year after her ascension to the throne.  It traditionally consists of poached, shredded chicken in a curry-spiced mayonnaise sauce.  To the best of my understanding, it's considered in the U.K. to be one of those corny, out-dated recipes that your grandma used to make and needs a bit of an upgrade.  But I was pleased enough to try my hand at a version pretty close to the original.  The woman credited with creating the recipe, Rosemary Hume, describes in her cookbook that the chicken was served with a salad "of rice, peas, diced raw cucumber and finely chopped herbs, all mixed in a well-seasoned French dressing."

This recipe does take a little bit of planning ahead in order to make sure you have all the elements you need (i.e. the brown rice, re-hydrated soy curls and mayo). But once you have all of those elements, it whips up rather quickly.  Like most dishes of this nature, it tastes even better after having been refrigerated for a day or two.  I think I'd make both the "chicken" and the rice salad again in the summer, Diamond Jubilee or no!  I should also mention that I always make my own vegan mayonnaise, since I absolutely cannot stand the taste of Vegenaise or anything involving tofu.  I will post my recipe once of these days, but I think it's pretty spot on.  I should also, also mention that I have yet to profess my love for Soy Curls, but believe me, it's coming.  I have been using these babies in so many recipes with great success.  Right now, I can only buy them online, but they're well worth waiting for in the mail.  If you can't find or don't want to use these, you might try using some chopped seitan, but I cannot guarantee the results.

I also whipped up a small batch of scones, which I know goes against my summertime zero tolerance policy against ovens, but it was actually quite chilly here that day.  These are very simple (within the scope of my baking abilities, which should tell you something).  I also made a nut-based "clotted cream" to go alongside with a good cuppa tea.  I know, I know.  How stereotypically "British," but that's just the way we roll here in the States.  I will post the recipes and photos of the scones soon.  In the meantime...

Coronation Chik’n with Herbed Brown Rice Salad

For the chik’n:

1 c. dried Soy Curls®

2 T. nutritional yeast flakes

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. vegan margarine

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 small, dried bay leaf

1½ tsp. mild curry powder, or to taste

½ tsp. tomato paste

1 T. dry red wine (optional)

1 c. vegan mayonnaise (I use homemade)

1 T. apricot preserves, mango chutney or even duck sauce

2 tsp. lemon juice

⅛ tsp. white pepper

2 T. golden raisins

¼ c. sliced almonds

Kosher salt, to taste

For the rice:

1½ c. cooked brown rice, cooled

1 T. white wine vinegar

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, grated

½ medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced

⅓ c. frozen peas, thawed

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley, or 2 T. dried parsley flakes

Add the Soy Curls to a microwave-safe vessel and add enough water to cover.  Stir in the nutritional yeast and soy sauce, then microwave on High for about 3 minutes, or until softened.  Drain the curls well, then set aside to cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, squeeze them out thoroughly over a strainer.  Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to roughly chop the bigger curls into smaller pieces, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

Heat the margarine in a small skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the onion with the bay leaf until it is softened, then stir in the tomato paste.  Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds – 1 minute, or until darker in color, then turn off the heat and stir in the curry powder, being careful not to burn it.  Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, or else simply use water or stock.  Remove the mixture to a bowl to cool.  Once it is cooled, combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisking to combine.  Season the dressing well with salt, to taste, then add the chopped, cooled Soy Curls.  Stir to coat completely, then return to the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

To make the rice salad, combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in the bottom of a bowl.  Whisk to combine, then add the cooled rice and all remaining ingredients.  Toss gently to combine, then chill until ready to serve alongside the "chicken."

Easy Vegan Microwave Mac and Cheese (For One)

Vegan mac 'n cheese.  In under 10 minutes.  In the microwave.  Serves one sad soul on a lonely night with little ambition to do real cooking.  You're welcome.

Please, do excuse my bowl crud.  I was in a hurry to eat!

Is it exactly like the stuff you remember from your college days of yore?  (You know precisely to which brand I refer...)  No, it isn't.  But it's damn tasty, and all the ingredients are readily available and easily identifiable.  That "mystery powder" always freaked me out a bit, personally.  And it really is SO.  EASY.

Easy Microwave Vegan Mac and Cheese

½ c. elbow macaroni

½ c. + 2 T. water

2 T. nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. organic cane sugar

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. sweet paprika

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

⅛ tsp. black pepper

Kosher salt, to taste

¼ c. plain, unsweetened almond milk

½ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. prepared yellow mustard

¼ tsp. ketchup

Hot sauce, to taste

½ tsp. vegan margarine (optional)

Organic yellow and red food coloring (optional)

     or a pinch of ground turmeric (optional)

Combine the macaroni and water in a microwave-safe bowl and season with a little salt.  Microwave on High for 6½ minutes.  Drain off any water that has not been absorbed.  (Note that your microwave may take more or less time.  For me, this proportion works perfectly, yielding tender pasta and no excess water.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (nutritional yeast through salt).  This mixture can be stored in an airtight container for later use.  Add the wet ingredients (almond milk through hot sauce), and whisk until thoroughly combined and all the cornstarch is dissolved.  Add organic food coloring, if desired, for that nostalgic, nuclear-looking pop of color.  Dollop the margarine onto the macaroni, add the sauce mixture, and stir well.  Microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each interval, until the sauce is thick.  (This takes me about 1½ minutes.)  Enjoy!