Ugandan Tofu Scramble

If you try this recipe I swear you will start waking up in the morning craving something Ugandan. This is another dish that is inspired by Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian. In the recipe she makes a kind of dry stew with okra, tomatoes, and spices but she said that in Uganda they often topped it with eggs and so I thought it would work well as a tofu scramble. I am pleased to say that it turned out fantastic! I think it was the best scramble we have ever had so if you like okra try it out.

in a bowl Crumble & combine
1 lbs of tofu
juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp black salt
1/2 tsp salt

In a mortar & pestle make a paste of
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Saute
1 lbs okra, sliced into rounds
after 5 minutes reduce heat & add tofu mix
When Tofu is browned add
2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used one big fat yellow heirloom)
spice paste

Cook until the scramble has reached the desired consistency and serve with mashed yuca, fried plantains, or roasted potatoes and toast or tortillas. Top with chives or scallions.

Enjoy!

A South Austin Omelette

I finally made the omelettes from Vegan Brunch and though they look great I was a little disappointed with the taste. I have never had a recipe turn out badly before from Isa Moskowitz so I am going to assume that one of my ingredients was off. I suspect my black salt is more potent because there was a strong sulfur taste and I have only used a little at a time before. I stuffed the omelette with swiss chard, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes which was the perfect combination for me.

Earlier this week I was at Wheatsville Co-op and saw that they now carry numerous flavors of Teese. I wasn’t very excited to try it again since I last had the nacho teese which I didn’t like at all, couldn’t eat, and threw away. But, I really did like the mozzarella when I tried it so I implusivly decided to give one more flavor a try and I am so glad I did! I got the creamy cheddar and then later read on the internet that it tasted kind of like velveeta. The only way I ever knew to make velveeta palatable is to make it into queso and I decided to do the same thing with the creamy cheddar teese. My expectations were so low that I didn’t even make my own salsa, I bought some from the Austin Spice Company, warmed up the teese until it was no longer lumpy and then mixed in salsa until the consistancy was right. It was perfect! Exactly like half the restaurants in town so I am so happy to finally have a queso recipe that I wouldn’t feel weird to serve to friends. The strange part was when I was making brunch I assumed that the omelette would be great and the queso would be questionable at best but the opposite happened. Yay Teese!

And I almost forgot to post this picture of Dinger, first hoping that the omelette would fall on the ground and then falling asleep in that position.

Thai Fried Rice with Garlic Scapes

If you are trying to cook more meals at home but struggling with it one of the best tips I can give you is always be thinking about your next meal. If you have the grill fired up add some summer squash or some bell peppers to use in meals the next day. Or, if you have the oven going for an hour to bake a casserole you may as well put a couple sweet potatoes wrapped in foil or roast some garlic while you are at it (but don’t roast garlic while you are baking cupcakes!). Not only will you have some of the work done but it can give you a starting point when you are trying to decide what to make the next day. If I am making a pot of rice or beans I always make more and often freeze extra beans. Cold rice can easily be reheated but it is best utilized, in my opinion, as Fried Rice, particularly Thai Fried Rice. I never liked Fried Rice at Chinese restaurants. A lot of times it tastes like the Styrofoam tray that they serve it in and the only flavorings are some soy sauce. Thai Fried rice is totally different, even if you don’t have any vegan fish sauce it will still be fabulous because of the addition of green onions, cilantro, and lime. You can even still add peas and carrots if you like them! In this version I also used garlic scapes because they are delicious but you can add just about anything to Thai Fried Rice, pineapple is a popular choice and tomatoes are really good but don’t be afraid to add some kale or broccoli either. Then you can pretend that you are having a really healthy meal.

4 Cups cooked chilled rice
frying oil
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1/2 Cup onion, chopped
5 garlic scapes (or other vegetable or fruit if you like)
1 lbs tofu (you can drain and press it and cut it into cubes or break it up like in tofu scramble)
2 Tablespoons vegan fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
lime wedges for serving

First heat up your oil in a large wok or skillet so that a piece of garlic sizzles on contact. You will need to use a little more oil for fried rice than for a regular stir fry, about 3 tablespoons. Next add your garlic and onion and stir fry about 1 minute. Add your scapes or other vegetable next and fry for another minute. Next add your tofu. It is important to press the tofu into the pan so that it will get crispy and release any water that can then evaporate. After you put in the tofu don’t toss it until it crisps up about 2 minutes and then flip and fry the other side. Once the tofu is firm break up the clumps of rice with your hands and add them into the wok or skillet. Use the same method as with the tofu for frying; press the rice against pan and let it fry in the oil before you toss it. Once all the rice has changed color add your sugar and sauce, check your balance and see if you need more sugar or more sauce, all the brands are different and if it too salty you might have to add more. Finally, add the green onions and cilantro remove from the heat and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!

Kentucky Fried Tofu Bowl

What if the colonel had a pink haired grandaughter that took over the company and changed it to Kentucky Fried Tofu and instead of commercial featuring flying pieces of dead birds they had flying pieces of tofu. Would people still protest the company but for different reasons? Would the food still be gross?

These are the topics that we could have discussed while eating my version of KFC’s bowls. Actually, the inspiration came from something we used to eat at summer camp, fried fish mixed with mashed potatoes and corn. I didn’t feel like cooking and this seemed like an easy and hilarious meal to replicate.  I bought popcorn tofu and canned corn from Wheatsville, made some mashed potatoes with sauted garlicky kale so I wouldn’t feel totally deprived of any nutrition, and leftover gravy. Everyone really liked their bowls but who doesn’t like popcorn tofu?

another attempt…

My macamole recipe isn’t as easy as I thought it would be! Lucky for me Dan has loved every single incarnation of this so he can eat all the efforts! This one was good, but still not what I wanted. I braised an onion and garlic in broth and then processed with cashews, pumpkin seeds, tahini, avocado, cumin, chilie powder, roasted poblanos and jalapeños. The scallions on the top really added a lot.  The tofu was terrific though, I pressed it for a couple hours, breaded it with cornmeal, nutritional yeast, and vegeta and then pan fried it.

VeganMoFo- Taco Town III

Sometimes I have a waking nightmare that I will be riding up to Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and find a sign that says, “closed to put up condos”. In Austin this seems to be happening more all the time. Nothing was worse than going to the Cosmic Cafe for my birthday and seeing that it was closed. But thankfully Bouldin continues to go strong. It is one of my favorite coffee shops in Austin.

Bouldin is on South First, just down the street from me so I like to hang out under the oak trees and drink Mexican Mochas and watch the hippies and the scenesters do there thing.

On beautiful Sunday mornings it can get kind of busy but the people and staff are so laid back that you never feel like you are in a rush to get your food and get out. It is the kind of place to while away the morning.

It is also my favorite vegan food in Austin. I somehow didn’t even realize for the first few years that it was an all vegetarian menu. All of their entrees can be made vegan, and really they should be made vegan because Bouldin Creek has the best tofu scramble I have ever had in my life. It could make anyone go vegan. So often at restaurants the tofu has too many spices and is too liquidy, and the tofu has been crumbled into pieces that are just too tiny. At Bouldin Creek the ‘fu always comes out absolutely brilliant. You can sub it in any of the egg dishes, I love the Breakfast Sammich with tomatoes and spinach mixed in the tofu on a poppyseed bagel. My man Dan loves the Slacker’s Banquet which is rice & beans with vegan cornbread. They even have a soul food plate.

The tacos are out of this world. They are all named after people and each is delightful. Especially with a homemade potato hash cake on the side.

Here is what I had, on the left is the Ren, sauteed onions, garlic, jalapeno, and tofu scramble. In the middle is the glorious potato hash cake, which is crispy on the outside creamy in the middle and filled with rosemary goodness. The taco on the right is the Timmy and had homemade vegan chorizo, tomatoes, and red & black beans.

Bouldin’s chorizo is out of this world good. You can even order a side of it and on its own it is quite good which I can’t say for any other chorizo I have ever had.

Now I am so hungry, I hope I’m not driving everyone crazy with this taco tour, I will try to go back to cooking at home now that the weekend is over.

Vegan MoFo- Taco Town

Austin Texas is famous for a lot of reasons and it is a great city to live in. Not only is it beautiful and filled with lots of fun outdoor activities but it is also a really fun city, has the countries best movie theater, an awesome music scene, multiple great festivals, and a lot of friendly people. All of these are great reasons to enjoy living here but there is one aspect that I could never live without—the breakfast taco.

If you have only had a bad experience with these (maybe a McDonald’s burrito) I implore you to come to Austin and try them out for yourself. Nearly every place in town has the standard variety- the bacon egg and cheese- but you can often find vegan versions as well, like black bean and potato. The key to a great taco is in the tortilla and having a good salsa or fresh pico de gallo.

My favorite vegan versions in Austin are Mr. Natural, Bouldin Creek, and Polvos, they all have multiple options and plentiful combinations. However, when it comes to vegan breakfast tacos nothing beats Whole Foods. Whole Foods actually started as an Austin company so the store at corporate headquarters can blow your mind (an your wallet) they even have guided audio tours through the store! It is massive and their are numerous little islands throughout the store that you can dine at. There is a sushi stand, a raw vegan table, even a chocolate island with a chocolate fountain. But the thing that brings me to whole foods again and again is the breakfast tacos. They are only open from 7 to 11 and the line can get pretty long but the wait is worth it because for just two dollars you get your choice of flour, corn, wheat or spelt tortillas warmed up and filled with any combination of
tofu scamble
fried potatoes
black beans
roasted vegetables
cilantro rice
or vegan sausage
they you can top it all off with salsa, pico, jalapeños, and cilantro if you wish. They are only 2 bucks and always huge. You can make your own at home pretty easy but nothing beats the whole foods taco in my world. I love them and when I go out of town I crave them.