Miso

Just like my previous post about pineapples, I am also no expert on miso's various types and forms, but I do know that it is a Thing I Like. The only other thing I know is that it is sitting in a plastic package in my fridge in a goo-form and that it is delicious. Oh, also, if you add too much of it to food, it becomes inedible. I am not a very adventurous cook and am pretty much seasoning-knowledge deficient, so miso is a pretty good thing to have around. You can add it to water and make a broth that is tasty and only required one simple step. On Monday, I put some miso in water, heated it up, added some dehydrated tofu and seaweed (both purchased at the Mitsua Market in Arlington Heights), with fresh bok choy, broccoli, and sprouts and voila! Chunky miso-flavored soup for dinner!

In March when we visited Japan, my partner geniusly crafted a noodley miso soup with ingredients from a local convenience store right in our hotel room rice cooker. Seriously, brilliant! All 24-hour stores should carry miso, rice noodles, and tofu!

Marci DiVerde likes Upton's Naturals Seitan

Today the Vegan Person I Like is aspiring vegan, Marci DiVerde! Marci is a high school teacher, Spanish language expert, and a most dedicated student of yoga! I love to see Marci in yoga classes every week and she is always cheerful and willing to try any pose once (at least!). She is an inspiration to fellow students and to me! In May she attended the weekend Yoga and Vegan Cooking retreat that I hosted with Chef Kim Gracen and has been aspiring to a vegan diet ever since. Any encouragement or tips that you can leave for Marci are totally welcome and I will have to remember to refer to her to the grand Vegan MoFo RSS feed. So much vegan inspiration in one place!

The Vegan Thing Marci Likes is Upton's Naturals Italian-style Seitan (eep!). She even included a quick-fix recipe that she likes!

I need to preface this with the disclaimer that I don’t think that I can be considered a real vegan because I just started in August(!) and since then I have more than once met my match with a baked good or really tasty cheese. So I guess I should be called a wannabe vegan, vegan in training, veganish, leaning toward vegan tendencies? I’ll let you decide. 

Becoming vegetarian was very easy for me since I’ve never been a huge meat eater, but eliminating dairy and eggs completely has been challenging. I have had to re-learn to cook since I turned to vegan ways and making dinner that also appeals to my non-veg husband is difficult. He couldn’t be more supportive but the bottom line is he doesn’t always like what I’ve been making and as a result has been eating a lot of frozen pizza. Not. Good. 

Nicole didn’t pay me to say this but one of the products that has been very helpful is Upton’s Naturals Italian flavored seitan. It allows me to make a riff on one of favorite pre-veg meals. The bonus is that it takes longer to boil the water than to make dinner. Here’s what you need:

1 lb. pasta (I like whole wheat farfalle, bowties, but I used rotini this time since that’s what I had)
½ bag of frozen peas
1 package Upton’s Italian flavored seitan
1 package sliced crimini or baby portobello mushrooms
Extra virgin olive oil
Vegan parmesan ‘cheese’
reserved pasta water (optional)

Steps:
Put the water on to boil and heat a large non-stick pan with a little oil (I usually do two swirls in the pan)
Put the mushrooms in the heated oil.
Break up the seitan to look like crumbled sausage and add to the pan.
The mushrooms and seitan are done when most of the liquid has cooked off the mushrooms.
Cook the pasta in according to package instructions and put the frozen peas in about half-way through.
When the pasta and peas are done, drain, and put back in the pot.
Add the seitan and mushrooms to the pot and toss together.
If it seems a little a little on the dry side, add some olive oil or reserved pasta water.
Add a generous amount of the parmesan and serve immediately.
Serves 4

Disclaimer #3: I know I’m sitting on a leather couch. Wasn’t a vegan when I bought it. 

Rachael Sanders likes Tacos

Photo by Rachel Renee.

The Vegan Person I Like today is Rachael! Rachael is a former Chicagoian who is now residing in Hawaii! She's the coolest former employee of the South Loop Whole Foods location and I miss her every time I go in there and don't get to visit with her and have her tell me about all of the new vegan stuff in the store. Rachael's entry includes a lot of info about the Vegan Thing She Likes AND a recipe! She even talks about a Vegan Thing that I've previously featured here on this blog. Great minds think alike!

The Vegan Thing Rachael Likes is Tacos!

Hello! I’m Rachael, a gluten free vegan from Chicago currently residing on Maui. If there is one vegan thing I love more than all other vegan things, it would have to be TACOS!!! The best tacos I’ve ever had at a restaurant would have to be from Irazu Costa Rican Restaurant on Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. I seriously pine for them at least once a week now. One taco is $2.95 and stuffed to the max with vegan deliciousness. One is surely big enough to fill me up but I always order 2. Their rice has big chunks of potato in it, and their homemade hot peppers add a really awesome flavor. There are at least 2 restaurants on Maui that serve vegan tacos. Las Pinatas in Kahului has a 3 taco plate for around $10, but their tacos are boring to say the least (boring rice, boring black beans, and boring lettuce and tomato.) Cilantro in Lahaina has pretty decent roasted veggie tacos that can be made vegan, but I’m pretty sure they put some sort of gluten in there somewhere, because I always leave with a bellyache. Alas, I have made countless tacos since moving here. If there is ever a night without a dinner plan, my future husband and I automatically turn to the beloved taco. Some of the taco creations we have had include authentic Mexican rice and beans tacos, potato and homemade soyrizo tacos, Korean tofu and kimchi tacos, thai tacos, and falafel tacos. Corn tortillas really are the perfect vehicle for all foods!

I’m leaving you with the recipe for my Thai tacos, my future husband’s FAVORITE. I first made these a few years ago with my good friend Adam Scartozzi. We used to get together on a regular basis and cook really great meals, and I really appreciate those experiences, because I learned so many essential kitchen skills with him. I would say he inspired me to go vegan, but I don’t want him to get a big ego.

You’ll need to “dry fry” the tofu first. Use this method.

Rae Rae’s Thai Tacos
Makes 8 tacos 

Marinade Ingredients :
1lb extra firm tofu (my favorite is the Wildwood vacuum packed super firm)
2 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoon Bragg’s or tamari (or soy sauce if you’re ok with gluten)
2 tablespoon red curry paste (I like thai kitchen brand)
2 cups water or veg broth

Peanut sauce ingredients:
½ cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (optional if you don’t like heat)
½ tablespoon braggs
Lime juice from one juicy lime
Water to thin

Assembly ingredients:
16 corn tortillas (or 8 if you don’t double up)
Cucumber cut in half and sliced into thin spears
Carrot, shredded
Thai basil (SUPER IMPORTANT!)
Cilantro
Red pepper, sliced into long thin slices
Fresh jalapeno slices
Several lime wedges

While you are dry frying the tofu, mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. As the tofu pieces are finished cooking, add them to the bowl. Marinate for at least an hour, up to 4 hours. Pour entire marinade/tofu mixture into a large skillet or pot, and cook on medium-low until most of the liquid is gone. While the tofu is cooking, prepare the garnishing ingredients. Heat the corn tortillas. Assemble tacos. Enjoy!