Pan-fried Tofu with Fennel Picante and Oven-roasted Potatoes

When I talked to my mom on the phone last night, she was in the middle of making baked hand cut French fries.  It was pure torture not to be there to enjoy some.  But since I had a couple of Russet potatoes in my fridge, I decided to do some roasted potatoes myself. 

I didn't have a plan for what I'd eat along with them to turn into something substantial for dinner, but as they were cooking the aroma just made me think:  fennel.  As in, fennel sausage.  Not that it was a craving for meat necessarily, but more like a distinct scent memory of that Italian peasant dish of pork with peppers and onions, or even sausage and peppers.  I contemplated mixing up some tofu in my food processor with gluten-free bread crumbs and seasoning, then decided that would be too time-consuming and possibly risky.  I just wanted the flavor, after all.

Instead, I sauteed some chopped onion in a pan, then as it started to brown I pushed it to the side and laid down some slices of tofu, letting them cook for about 5-10 minutes on each side until they were golden and firm.  Then I threw in a generous handful of fennel seeds, a chopped tomato, red pepper, and picante sauce and let it all cook for about 5 more minutes until it became thick.  In about the same amount of time, my potatoes were perfectly cooked after a couple minutes under the broiler.  The assembled meal was exactly the flavor profile I was craving - perfect!

Today's lunch

This morning I cooked for a client who had a "no salt" dietary restriction.  One of the entrees I made was a chickpea and quinoa pilaf with sauteed baby bok choy and shiitake mushroom.  It was tough restraining myself from adding tamari to the saute, so I decided to reserve some of the shiitake to freely augment according to my tastes for my own lunch.

I had half a block of tofu in the fridge which I decided to panfry since I didn't have the patience to marinate and bake it.  The key to getting the right texture is having a really hot pan (non-stick works best).  First, I swirled about a tablespoon of oil in the hot pan and let it heat up for about 30 seconds.  Then I added the sliced tofu, which sizzled as soon as it hit the oil (this is a good sign).

I let it go for about 5-10 minutes, while I did some weeding in the garden.  When I returned, the tofu was golden and firm enough to flip.  I tossed in some chopped red onion, then headed back out to the garden for another 5-10 minutes. 

While I was outside, I decided that the dish needed something green, so I rummaged the fridge where I knew I had half a bag of baby spinach.  That got tossed on top, then stirred together with about a tablespoon of tamari and cooked for several minutes until wilted. 

I added a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drop or two of toasted sesame oil right at the end, just before plating.  Another quick and easy 15-minute meal!

Vegan Father's Day

This Sunday, June 20, is Father's Day, and for many dads that means time to fire up the grill for some burgers and dogs.  But what to do if you're a vegan?  Or even a vegan dad??  Fortunately, there are many options these days due to the array of faux meats available in grocery stores.

Veggie Burgers - Amy's Texas Burger, Gardenburger, or Boca Burger are just a few of the many popular choices.  The Blog, Chez Bettay has a lovely post on "An American Burger Vegan Style" which illustrates how to make the perfect burger sans meat.  Thinking of making your own?  You can choose one from the Top 11 Veggie Burger Recipes list which includes some tasty looking burgers made from such ingredients as black beans, portabella mushrooms, potatoes, and TVP.

Hot Dogs - So your dad's not into burgers and prefers a dog in a bun?  Again, there are many vegan options, some of which work really well on the grill.  Lightlife's Tofu Pups and Smart Dogs have been the longtime standards, but now you can also try their Smart Dogs Jumbo and Smart Sausage.  Yves makes vegan hot dogs for the grill, along with Jumbo Dogs and Veggie Brats that taste just like bratwurst but without the meat.  Turtle Island also has their take on hotdogs, with Tofurky Franks which they claim "have a firm texture like the gourmet kosher hot dogs sold on the streets of New York City."  If you like things with a spicy kick, you can try their Chipotle Franks.  

Sausage - Speaking of spicy, probably the best vegan sausage product around are Tofurky's gourmet sausages available as Beer Brats, Kielbasa, and Sweet Italian with Tomato and Basil (my personal favorite).  These could fool anyone who enjoys a good sausage and pepper grinder.  Others swear by Field Roast Sausage which are available Italian style, Mexican Chipotle, and Smoked Apple Sage.

Chicken - If you're used to grilled chicken and BBQ hot wings, why not try the same marinade on Gardein's Chick'n products?  They have Buffalo Wings, Crispy Tenders, and even Barbecue Wings which all taste like the real thing, but with no bones to pick! 

Kabobs - To diverge a bit from the faux meat thing, why not load skewers with some tasty marinated tempeh or tofu alternated with onion, pepper, and other veggies?  These are easy to make ahead on the grill (just remember to soak the bamboo skewers in water beforehand), then serve up warm with a dipping sauce when guests arrive. 

In all these cases, when it really comes down to it, it's the flavors that make all the difference.  You put the same seasonings in a soy and wheat based veggie product and you'll get something just as delicious as the traditional meat product it is based on.  Get a good roll, add the appropriate fixings, pile on some delicious sides, and you have the makings of a perfect Vegan Father's Day.  No need to feel deprived!

Graduation Party

This weekend I catered a vegan graduation party in lovely Stony Creek, a shoreline community in Branford, CT.  The graduating senior is a vegan, and sweet and lovely as can be.  It was a pleasure to serve food for her and her family.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart on the cooling rack

All boxed up and ready to go

The dessert table

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Fresh Raspberries, and Edible Flowers

A trio of tarts

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

On deck

Piggly wiggly

Best seat in the house

Snuggly

A chef's kitchen

Dessert table after dark

Pure chocolate decadence

Cafe Allegre

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Cafe Allegre in Madison, CT.  It's a comfortable yet elegant restaurant located close to the Madison Green on Main Street.  The menu is Italian - American, featuring well executed standards such as chicken parmesan, eggplant rollatini, and an array of seafood options.  So why would a vegan eat here, you might wonder?  Well, the dinner was to celebrate a family birthday, and it was mom's choice.  Fortunately, even though there was a vegetarian option of pasta primavera, I chose to request something off menu and was pleasantly surprised.

I highly recommend this option when dining out as a vegan.  Scan the other offerings and come up with something that would appeal to you.  In my case, I asked the chef if he could create something from the following items:  portobello mushroom, cannelini beans, broccoli rabe, and marinara sauce.  It felt kinda like I was orchestrating an episode of "Chopped," but in this case there weren't really any exotic ingredients.  I always enjoy seeing (and tasting!) what the end result is.  Here's how it looked after I drizzled marinara over the top:

The chef at Cafe Allegre handled the challenge well.  Not only was the plate gorgeous, but it accommodated my vegan and gluten-free needs and was incredibly flavorful.  The broccoli rabe was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of bitterness.  It helped that it was soaking in a generous amount of olive oil and sliced garlic.  This is a perfect restaurant for vegans and non-vegans alike, as well as those with gluten-sensitivities.  It's so nice to find a place to eat with family and friends and feel like a regular person! 

Zaalouk - Moroccan Eggplant Caviar

Did you see Well on Wheels on CT Style yesterday?  If you somehow managed to miss the spot, or your DVR wasn't set properly, you can now view the video clip of the segment on the WTNH website.  Or right here:



http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/ct_style/in_the_kitchen/eggplant-caviar