January 31, 2013

Claire's Tofu Buffalo Poppers


I love watching football (American football and "soccer" football).  Actually, I love eating "football game food" while the TV's on.  I have been getting into the Super Bowl spirit lately (who's playing?) by testing out some new recipes in the kitchen.  Mikey and I are perfecting our Third Coast Kitchen vegan queso recipe and I just whipped up a giant batch of chipotle salsa.  But "game day food" to me means buffalo wings and since I have no interest in the "wing" part, I made these tasty buffalo tofu poppers!

vegan tofu buffalo poppers.  photo by Claire Harris
Ingredients:

-2 packages of firm tofu, frozen overnight, thawed with the water squeezed out
-2 cups flour
-1/2 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tbs salt
-1 tsp chili powder
-1/2 hot sauce (I like Franks for this. Use more or less to taste)
-1 cup vegan butter (if you're in America, use the good stuff.  Earth Balance is awesome)
-2 cups soymilk or any other non-dairy milk
-light oil for frying (canola, soybean etc)

cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and dip into the soy milk.  In a separate bowl,  mix the flour, nutritional yeast, salt and chili powder together.  Remove the tofu from the soymilk and dredge in the flour mixture.  In a pan or small pot, heat the oil on medium-high until it starts to sizzle when you put something in it (try dropping a bit of flour in it to test).  How much oil you need will depend on the size of your pan, but it should be enough to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the tofu.  Make sure your oil is hot enough so the tofu doesn't get greasy and soggy.  When your oil is ready, fry the tofu on all sides until crispy and golden brown (don't burn them like I did in the picture^^).  Drain the tofu on a paper town and heat the butter and hot sauce in a new pan on the stove.  Whisk until completely emulsified and then toss the tofu bits in the buffalo sauce. 

They are great on their own, dipped in some vegan ranch dressing or on top of salads.  I have even made some awesome sandwiches using this recipe and topped it with a simple cabbage slaw made with brown rice vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and chili powder. (again, don't burn the buns like I did^^)

vegan buffalo sandwich with cabbage slaw. photo by Claire Harris 
Put these out for the big game and I promise your friends and family will be "wowed".  And the chickens will be quite happy, too!

January 21, 2013

Malorie's Mac and Cheese

Malorie got this recipe from VegNews Magazine but made some changes of her own.  This is seriously THE BEST vegan mac and cheese I have ever had!  The original recipe can be found here: 

http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=40&catId=10&fb_source=message

and here are Malorie's recipe updates and revisions:

It is best to soak the cashews as long as you can, it makes them soft and way easier to blend. I used panko bread crumbs and mixed them in melted butter (vegan, or course) in a pan on the stove before I put them on top of the macaroni. I also did not use any shallots (since I didn't have any). I sauteed the carrots and onions in a bit of olive oil for about 8 mins then I added 1 cup of veg broth instead of water and then the potatoes and then I let it simmer for about 15 minutes. I reduced the salt a little since I used veg broth (also used the full amount another time and was still delicious). I also roasted the garlic in the oven for a few minutes before adding it. And, since I love chipotle pepper powder, I used that instead of cayenne pepper. For the topping I sprinkled smoked paprika instead of regular paprika I hope you like it!

Gemma's Herby Garlic Bread

Gemma's Herby Garlic Bread

Ingredients

260g of white bread flour (the buksul brand with bread of the front)

8g package of yeast (it’s the bobbai brand found in korean supermarkets, the pack is red,blue and very small)

1 tablespoon of white sugar

1 tablespoon of rosemary

1 tablespoon of mixed dry herbs

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of salt

3/4 – 1 cup of warm water

2 tablespoons of olive oil


Directions

Mix up all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Start to add the warm water and mix together. After you have added a third of the water, stir in the oil. Continue to add the water bit by bit until a dough has formed. You may find that you do not need all of the water, stop as soon as you have enough. Once the dough has formed knead for 6-8 minutes. You may need to flour your hands several times during this to stop the dough becoming too sticky. When the dough has had the crap beaten out of it, place it in a bowl with a damp towel over it in a warm place. I’ve had my heating on lately so I just put it on one of the hot spots on the floor, I find this does the job well. Leave it to rise for one hour. The dough should have risen nicely. Punch the dough back down and shape into your desired loaf shape or you can rip it into pieces and make 8 bread rolls. Cover the loaf or rolls back over with the damp towel and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes. Once they have risen again pop them in the oven at about 200 degrees celsius for 20 minutes (the loaf) or 10 minutes (the rolls) turn the tray around halfway through cooking to produce a more even rise. Check your bread is done by tapping it, if it doesn’t give a good knock, flip it over to do the other side. When the bread it done slice and slather with butter and enjoy. Voilá easy to make bread in Korea.



Gemma's Veggie Burgers

Gemma's Veggie Burgers
(trust me, you will love these)

Ingredients
300g dried chickpeas
1 carrot
1 courgette (Zucchini)
1 onion
5-10 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like it)
1 Aubergine (or egg plant to Americans)
1 green pepper
2 large oyster mushrooms
6 potatoes boiled
bread crumbs
3 table spoons of cumin
2 table spoons of ground coriander (cilantro)
1 tea spoon of paprika
1 tea spoon of garam masala
1 tea spoon of celery salt
1 tea spoon of black pepper.


Directions
Soak your chickpeas (if using the dry ones) over night then cook them for 1 1/2 – 2 hours in the rice cooker. I have found that cooking the chick peas in the rice cooker saves a lot of time and worry as you dont need to keep topping up the water. Meanwhile grate your carrot and courgette and chop the onion, garlic, aubergine, mushrooms and peppers as finely as possible then mix togther in a bowl with the herbs and spices and a splash of oil. I then roasted this mixture in the oven for around 20 – 30 minutes in the oven until the vegetables are golden brown and soft but you could just as easily do this in a frying pan if you’re sans oven. You can use any kind of herbs and spices you like in this recipe, I went for cumin and coriander because I have a big tub of each but anything would work really. If you like your food hot you can add chili pepper or fresh chilis. Its really just about giving some flavor to the chick peas which are rather bland on their own. (You can also vary the vegetables, sweetcorn, sweet potato, mixed peppers or tomatoes would all work too) When your chick peas are cooked (they should break apart easily with tthe back of a fork) you need to mash them in a bowl, if you have a blender or food processor then that will save you a lot of time if not use a bit of elbow grease. Once the vegetables are cooked mix them in a bowl with the boiled potatoes (you should mash them first) then add to the chick pea and stir together. Pick up the mixture with your hands and form into to burger shapes, if the mixture if too dry you could add some oil or egg or even a little bit of peanut butter ( it really adds a nice flavor) if its too wet stir in some bread crumbs. When the burgers are shaped roll them in bread crumbs and cook either in the oven or frying pan with a little oil. If you made far too many like I did cover them individually in cling film and put them in the freezer so they’re available whenever you need a quick dinner or if a vegetarian friend unexpectedly pops round. Since I made so many I have been taking them to work to eat with salad for a delicious and healthy lunch, although in a bun covered in onion jam is a great way to go. 




Adeana's Fat-Free Veggie Chili



Adeana's Fat-Free Veggie Chili

Veggie Chili by Emeril Lagasse.  Topped  with leek, cilantro and avocado.  This recipe lasts all week (for two) and I don't get sick of it.  The mushrooms give it a 'meaty' texture.  Meat eaters won't even notice the absence of 'meat'.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vegetarian-chili-recipe/index.html
Ingredients

1 large chopped yellow onion
1 large chopped red bell pepper
3-4 tablespoons minced garlic (to taste)
2 'Western' zucchini, chopped
1 box or can yellow corn
2 bags of king oyster mushrooms (or portobello)3 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)- I make my own and I think it makes a difference*
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
2 cans tomatoes with jalapeno
3 cups cooked beans, rained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock, or water (more depending on preference)


1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (or to taste)

Diced avocado, garnish
Chopped green onions, garnish

Directions
In a large, heavy pot, heat a thin layer of broth over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stock and tomato sauce and stir well. Let simmer at a very low heat until the veggies are tender to your liking. Add the beans, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the consistency that you like.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.


To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili into the bowls over the rice. Top each serving with a spoonful of avocado, green onions, etc..
Enjoy!

*Chili Powder:
2 parts garlic powder
2 parts ground cumin
1 part cayenne
1 part oregano
1 part paprika

January 1, 2013

Happy New Year and Thank You!

2012 was a great year for Seoul Vegan Potluck!  As we start a new year together, we want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have come out to support SVP over the past few months.  The potlucks are something we have all created together and we are thrilled and excited to see them continue in 2013.  Thank you for all your love, support and and friendship!  We would also like to thank all of our business supporters who have made so many of the potlucks possible and for spreading the word around Seoul.  Thank you to SPACECasablanca SandwicherieThe Kitchens of Pinch and DashWhole*istic Snacks and DessertsThird Coast KitchenYogiYogaNutrition MissionLayaly DubaiRocky Mountain TavernChincha MagazineSlobbie and Magpie Brewing Co. for all the love.  And thanks to all of you we have been able to raise money for Animal Rescue KoreaAnimals Asia and Nabiya Cat Shelter.  Here's to another wonderful, compassionate year! 

Christina's Wine Cupcakes

Christina's Wine Cupcakes
*check out all of Christina's recipes on her blog Philosophy and Letters

I've been experimenting with vegan baking a lot more (go figure) and I headed to a Christmas party.  I wanted to make cupcakes that aren't as evil as traditional cupcakes but still kinda fancy.  So I thought-- wine cupcakes!  I trolled some recipes on the internet and I couldn't find one that I like until I came with this one my own.  The point of a wine cake is to be spongy and moist, so the batter is a little thin.  It's best to let these cupcakes rest for a day.   Then the goodness comes out.  Not too sweet and not too dense, this is light and fluffy.  Ideal for a dessert because it won't put you to sleep.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup soymilk
1/3 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons appele cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 cup red wine (go for a drier wine)

For the frosting
1 lb vegan butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee 
1 cup red wine


Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F (or 170 C).  Oil muffin and place cupcake holders in the tin.  

2.  Next, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar.  Stir around and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder.  Sift together.  

4.  After that, return to the bowl with soy milk and ACV.  Add the agave nectar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and corn oil.

5.  In the large mixing bowl, make a well in the middle of the bowl.  Slowly add the wet ingredients, 1/3 cup at a time.  Mix until all is combined.  It's okay to leave a few bubbles.

6.  Add your wine, 1/4 cup at a time.  The wine might leave a red ring around the bowl, but it's okay.  That'll be absorbed in the baking process.

7.  With a soup spoon, fill up the cupcake tins with the batter, until it's about 80% full.  Stick in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

8.  While that's baking make the frosting.  In a large mixing dish add the vegan butter, powdered sugar, instant coffee mix, cocoa powder and vanilla extract.  With an electric mixer, blend until smooth and creamy.  Slowly add the glass is wine, 1/4 cup at a time.  Set aside in the fridge.

9.  Wait until cupcakes are cool, about 2 hours (if you put the frosting on earlier it'll melt).  Then frost the cupcakes.  If desired, garnish with a strawberry and powdered sugar.