Thursday, April 10, 2008

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole


I'm kind of on a "veganize things I used to love" kick right now, so Veganomicon is on the back burner a little, so to speak. People on one of the forums I frequent have been RAVING about a Mac and Cheese recipe from VegNews, so I decided to test it out. Cheese substitutes are difficult. There are a few decent ones that you can buy. Most homemade recipes rely heavily on nutritional yeast, which has a very distinct flavor that people tend to have a strong opinion about: love it or hate it. I do not love it so much, though I'm going to try out the Veganomicon Cheezy Sauce to give it another chance. The important thing to remember I think when trying out cheese alternative is to NOT think of them as cheese substitutes, but as their own thing. I decided to try this sauce out because it does not call for nutritional yeast or any soy ingredients. I altered it slightly to increase to give it a sharper taste. Yum!

Then I remembered: Mom's Rice-Broccoli-Cheese casserole. Mmmmm. So good. So, I though, if this sauce makes a good Mac and Cheese, I wonder how if I could use it make a vegan version of my old favorite?

Oh yes. I actually liked this sauce BETTER with the rice and broccoli than I did with just pasta. I think it added more texture and flavors. I topped it off with bread crumbs, which gave it that nice, crunchy brown top that help make casseroles so tasty. And the leftovers are even better!

Coming up: tortilla soup and "chicken" enchiladas! So stayed tuned!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Rum Cake! Mmmm, rum...


My mom makes a kick ass Rum Cake. It's a little scandalous, really. My parents are basically teetotalers* who don't keep any alcohol in the house EXCEPT the rum for the rum cake. I grew up in a dry city, so it was a big deal when the rum ran out and one my parents, usually my dad, had to go to the store to buy more. He'd walk in after work with the brown paper bag, all solemn about his brief venture into satan's territory. Not surprisingly, this cake was always a big hit at the church socials, where someone was always bound to joke about having "one too many" which is crazy since the alcohol cooks off, but whatever.

*sidenote: my parents will now drink wine occasionally, especially if we are out to dinner and I order a bottle, stating that they can join me, or they can watch me drink the whole damn bottle myself. They usually join in.

Fast forward: So last year when my roommate went to the Caribbean, she came home with at least 5 little rum cakes. Apparently, the only time she ever had rum cake was when her family went to the islands. She gave me one, thinking it was this crazy special treat I'd probably never had, and I was like, "Oh rum cake? That's cool. My mom makes this all the time." This year we were coming back from Aruba and she REALLY wanted to buy a rum cake in the airport, but they were $20 for the little mini-bundt pan ones. TWENTY FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!! I promised her I'd bake her the damn cake myself if she would just PLEASE for the love of God not spend $20 on that tiny little thing.

I got the recipe from my mom, and then played around with it a little bit to make it vegan. My bundt pan is in storage, so I made do with two loaf pans, but it really is prettier if you have a bundt pan to make it that way. I tested it out on my roommate and she gave it her full approval. Even after I told her it had tofu in it. ;)

So, for your enjoyment:

RUM CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 small pkg. (3 3/4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 light rum
1 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Grease and flour Bundt pan (or two small loaf pans). Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place cake mix, pudding, oil, water, and rum in a bowl. Mix for a minute. Puree tofu in a blender, pushing down the sides as needed. Add to mixture. Mix well. Pour batter into pan over the nuts. Bake 50-60 minutes @ 325 degrees. Remove from oven. Pierce with toothpick or fork and pour RUM GLAZE over warm cake (while it is in the pan). Let set 30 minutes before removing from pan.

RUM GLAZE:
1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rum, 1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine (1 stick)

To prepare GLAZE, melt EB in a saucepan. Add sugar, water, and rum. Bring to a boil. (Beware that it may boil over -- be prepared to take it off the stove as needed.) Boil 2-3 minutes. Pour over hot cake.

ENJOY!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Red Lentil and Cauliflower Curry



I’ve been craving Indian food lately, and this recipe has been on my top “to make” list since I first browsed Veganomicon, so I decided it was time to test it out. Plus, I have a LOT of red lentils on hand right now, despite making several batches of various red lentil soups. It’s like they’re secretly breeding and multiplying in the cupboard at night.

Indian curries range from very simple to rather complicated, both in terms of ingredients and cooking skills, and this falls on the simpler end of both scales. (For great vegan Indian food, check out Alternative Vegan by Dino Sarma.) You can moderate the spice and heat depending on the type/amount of chili pepper and the heat of the curry powder that you use. I’m from Texas so I can take the heat!

I served this over a pilaf of millet, quinoa and brown and white rice, although I think it would be really great over just white basmati rice. A sprinkle of coconut flakes on top would be tasty as well, though I didn’t have any on hand. If you want to up the nutrient factor, you can add a bunch of chopped spinach towards the very end. I add spinach to practically ever soup and stew that I make, because it is such as easy way to sneak in those leafy greens without even having to think about it. This particular night I really wanted my spinach separately, so instead of adding it to the curry I sautéed it with some garlic and mushrooms and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

This made for a GREAT one-pot dish (bonus: easy clean-up). The sweetness of the parsnip really helped round out the flavors of the curry. I had seconds. And thirds. And the leftovers held up well for lunches for the next few days.

Now to check on what those cheeky lentils are up to…..