CheeseBall December 31, 2008

Holidays are great for indulging and this is something I only make for get-togethers. It transports well and is easy to make just let s refrigerate for at least and hour, the longer the better. Recipe makes one large cheese ball.  If you want to double it I would suggest doubling everything but the cheddar cheese.

1 pkg of cream cheese
1 pkg of rennet/lipase-free cheddar cheese spread (you can find them in the deli isle sometimes they have seasoning already, otherwise check where the specialty cheeses are in the regular dairy isle)
1 clove of garlic grated
1/2-1  small jalapeno minced
2 tbspn of  minced onion
1 tsp of seasame oil
2 tsp of horseradish dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
2 drops of liquid smoke
1/2 cup of sliced almonds, chopped nuts or chopped parsley for outside

Bring the cheeses to room temperature in a medium sized bowl. Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add to bowl. Using an electric mixer cream together ingredients, adding salt and pepper  if needed.

Put bowl back in the fridge for atleast 30 minutes. Form cheese ball with hands  and roll into nuts or parsley, wrap in plastic wrap if you are going to travel with it and let rest in the fridge for atleast 1 hour before serving.

Tofu “Turkey” with Stuffing Recipe December 22, 2008

My good friend Susan just recently had a bunch of veggies over for a Christmas dinner in which was like dying and going to veggie heaven . It was completely cruelty free  and delicious.  She made a Tofu Turkey for us which instantly inspired me to make one this year for the family. I have an older sister that is a vegetarian as well as her oldest daughter. This makes a huge quantity, serves at least 10 people, but I think I’ll freeze the left overs or send them home with Kelly.

The key to making this extra tasty is over flavoring the stuffing and marinade a bit, the tofu absorbs a lot of flavor but can be bland if not seasoned well.  And just to note double check the ingredients list and make sure you let this drain over night, forming it is a very important part of the making process.

Tofu Turkey

5  packages extra firm tofu

a medium sized colander

enough cheese cloth to line and top colander

a pizza pan , non stick spray and tin foil

Stuffing

1 loaf of pre-made bread (I use whole grains but can be any type, can be fresh or stale)
5 medium sized potatoes peeled, boiled and mashed
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tbs of poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 tsp of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Basting Marinade

1/2 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup good soy sauce (not soya)
5 tablespoons orange juice (not concentrate)
1 teaspoon honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 tsp of poultry seasoning
a few drops of liquid smoke (optional)
1/2 tsp thyme
ground pepper to taste

Shape the Tofu

Line a medium sized, round colander with a cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Crumble all 5 blocks of tofu into a large bowl. Transfer the crumbled tofu into the lined colander and cover with the extra cheese cloth. Place a heavy weight such as a plate with some canned tomatoes over it.  You will need to place to colander on a shallow bowl to catch the expressed water. The object of this is to get the most water out of the tofu and form it into a round compacted shape. Place contraption in the fridge overnight for best results.

Make the Stuffing

Wash, peel, and boil potatoes. When then are soft, drain and mash with margarine, until consistent. Set aside and let cool. With your hands tear small pieces of bread and place in a large mixing bowl. Saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil until tender. Seasoning with salt and pepper as they cook. Add cooled potatoes, sauteed veggies, fresh garlic, sesame oil ,soy sauce and spices to the mixing bowl with bread. Mix well with hands and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Pre-heat oven and make Basting Marinade.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare you baking sheet with non-stick spray.

To make the marinade whisk all ingredients in a liquid measuring cup, until consistent. Set aside.

Stuff the “Turkey” and Bake

Remove the weight from the tofu.  Hollow out the tofu so that there is approximately one inch of tofu lining the colander. Set aside the  excess tofu in a separate bowl. Brush the inside of the tofu shell with a small amount of the marinade.

Fill the tofu shell with the stuffing the cover with the set aside tofu to create a seal, pressing down firmly. Place a greased baking sheet on top of the colander containing the tofu “turkey” and carefully flip over.  You should now have a dome of stuffed tofu. Carefully shape your “turkey” by pressing on the sides  form a more oval  shape. Brush the tofu turkey with 1/2 of the marinade. Sprinkle some extra thyme and rosemary on top then cover the “turkey” with foil.

Bake “turkey” for one hour covered with foil then remove the foil, baste “turkey” and bake for an additional hour.  Reserve a few tsp of marinade for  when the “turkey” is ready.  Turkey should be a golden brown when done. Place the tofu turkey on a serving platter and  brush with the remaining marinade before serving. Enjoy.

Gravy December 22, 2008

This gravy will go perfect with your Tofu turkey meal, it is also great to make veggie poutine with just add curd cheese and fries yum yum. If you are not a fan of mushrooms you can omit them, however the mushrooms do add a meatiness to the gravy and darken the color a bit.  Sometimes you can find vegetarian versions of “chicken” or “beef “stock which can easily be used as a substitue for the vegetable broth.

Vegetarian Gravy

a few tsps of olive oil for frying
1 medium onion diced into small pieces
1 cup of mushrooms, I prefer crimini but button also work
2 c prepared vegetarian broth
1 tsp  soy sauce or miso
1 tsp of poultry seasoning
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp of rosemary
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 drops of liquid smoke (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs flour  mixed with with 3-5 tbs of cold water to thicken

In a deep fry pan heat oil over medium heat and cook onions until just tender. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Season veggies with herbs, soy or miso. Add stock , bring to a simmer and let cook for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl whisk flour with cold water. Mixture should be without lumps and have a slightly loose consistency.  Slowly stream flour mixture into the pan while whisking vigorously. Let mixture cook until thickened to you liking, serve with tofu “turkey” mashed potatoes or over fires and cheese for a veggie poutine.

Lemon Curd for Tarts or Pies or just eating by the spoonful December 14, 2008

I love lemon pie and I’ve tried a lot of recipes, I’ve done the whole pre-made lemon which is good in a pinch but if you are willing to put some extra effort in this is well worth it. In my search for the best lemon curd I found a Lemon Tart recipe on epicurious.com I’ve never tried the crust recipe because I’m partial to my Mom’s pie crust recipe. If you are interested in the original here is the link….http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Tart-231349 . The following is a direct copy of the recipe form the above link without the crust recipe. If you want mine, search for pie crust.
Lemon Tart Filling

• 2 large eggs, cold
• 2 large egg yolks, cold
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

For the sabayon:
Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.

Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Gingerbread Brownies December 14, 2008

I had the worst craving for dark, spicy dense gingerbread a few days ago and was disappointed but slightly satisfied when I found it at the local coffee shop. Hush….I would have made it at home had I had molasses, the craving had no time for that. Anyway while noshing on the slightly dry icing covered concoction I had a thought to “invent” gingerbread brownies to take to Susan’s Veggie Christmas party. I was a little sad when I Google’d it and found at least 5 recipes, but oh well… the following is a slightly tweaked version of the same recipes that kept coming up.

Gingerbread Brownies

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 scant teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, vanilla, molasses, and eggs. Add to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Do not beat (the batter will be thick).

Spread batter in a greased 9×9-inch baking pan. Bake  for 30-45 minutes.  Take care to not over bake.

Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

Coconut Cookies December 6, 2008

Sorry I haven’t had time to post in a while, but I just made these today and they turned out great! Hope you enjoy them.

Coconut cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cardamon
1 1/3 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter with sugar. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract.  In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda, mix and then add to the butter mixture. When well combined add coconut, stirring well.

I like to make these  on the small size,  drop by small teaspoon full and bake for about 6-10 minutes. Keep a eye on these cause they cook relatively quick, you want golden brown bottoms and softer looking tops. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.