Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pot Luck- "Soul Food" is a week away!

Next Sunday is my second pot-luck! Let's hope we have more than 4 in attendance!


What: Chicago Veggie Potluck

When: Sunday 11-7-2010 @ 5pm

Where: My place

Theme: Soul Food

Wear your Sunday best!



What would you bring?

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Hearty Savory Biscuits under Gravy.

SO hearty, MJ couldn't even finish his. Now that's hearty!

This morning's b-fast was throw together with Gimmie Lean veggie sausage, left over gravy and minimal ingredients for biscuits. Here's to living on a tight budget!


Improvised Savory Biscuits

Preheat: 350

Mix:

  • 2 cups  flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
  • pinch of parsley
  • 2 tbsp. flax sprinkles
 Add:
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
Mix together with a fork (or pastry blender). Roll out with rolling pin until about 1/2 thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or water glass. Place on greased cookie sheet, bake about 18-20 minutes.

(In the future I would use margarine, but we were out. Too much cinnamon & sugar toast this week!)

Meanwhile:

Brown and crumble 1/2 package of Gimmie Lean in 1-2 tbsp. olive oil on medium heat. We like out "meat" really brown and crumbly. Cook to your liking.

Basic Vegetarian Gravy - A staple in my kitchen this Fall

About 3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. flour

Cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
Add a splash of soy milk and let thicken.
I continue this process until I have added about 3/4 c. "milk"

Then I continue to add vegetable broth, using 1 cup boiling water to 1 tsp. of Better Than Bullion** Vegetable flavor. I will add approximately 2 cups throughout the process.

I then like to add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and soy sauce to taste.
Each time I make the gravy different. The most important part is the beginning roux making.  Continue to stir with a whisk to avoid lumpy gravy. 'Cuz who wants lumpy gravy!? NOT me!

When your gravy has met your consistency and flavor standards, add the sausage, turn stove to low and let simmer for a few.

Pour on biscuits and enjoy on a rainy Saturday morning in October!


**Better than Bullion is awesome because:
-It makes soooo much broth
-It does not contain MSG
-It is mushroom free! ( I am VERY allergic to mushrooms)

Take that Chicago Diner!! <3


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Dear Santa and/or Birthday Fairy,

I have been a very good girl this year. Getting all A's in school and not getting into too much trouble. I hope you and Mrs.Clause or Mr. Birthday Fairy are getting ready for your busy month of December.
Here are some things that the elves could get an early start on for me:




Thank you!
Love,
Emily

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

This is my obsession.

My sister introduced to to Matcha a few years ago and now EVERYONE sells Green Tea Lattes.
I am addicted.. They just aren't as good made at home! It's shame that there are 3 Starbucks on one block downtown by school.. ridiculous actually.
Apparently, Lauren Conrad is obsessed too!

Pot Luck- "80s Mom Food"

Vegan “Pot Pie” (biscuit topped- like Mom used to make!)

**obviously any soy/rice ingredient can be substituted for dairy

MAKE AND HEAT FILLING FIRST
Filling:

1 medium onion, diced coarsely
½ cup celery
2 large carrots, peeled and cut to your liking
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch chunks
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano (I use “Italian seasoning”)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I use bullion cubes and water)
1 cup frozen peas
1 package of extra firm tofu cut into small cubes

5 tablespoons of Olive Oil (divide in half and use separately)
1/3 cup rice flour and wheat flour
**1 cup soy or rice milk

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and add the onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, tofu, parsley, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low or medium heat until vegetables are softened.
Add veggie broth and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer about 2 minutes, then add peas and cook until tender.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix the 1/3 cup flour and 2 ½ tbsp oil until blended, and heat on medium-low a minute or two until thickened. Add the soy/rice milk gradually to make a gravy. When the mixture is almost thickened, add to the vegetable mixture. When all is thickened nicely, pour into a greased casserole dish.

Place dish into preheated oven until filling is bubbling (If you add the biscuits before this, they will not be done on the bottom!)

MEANWHILE….

Biscuit topping:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 3/4 cup soy/rice milk

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Using a fork, add the margarine in until the mixture breaks down into fine pieces.

Add the soy milk and stir until the everything starts sticking together. Turn out onto a floured cutting board or counter and knead for 1 to 2 minutes or until the dough is nice and smooth. Add more flour if the dough is sticky.

Roll out with rolling pin and cut into desired sizes. I used a water glass to cut out circles.

Add on top of casserole when mixture is bubbling.

Bake for (I don't know how long yet..) until brown on top. I think it was about 30 minutes..


Created and compiled by E. Lemke with help from Mom Lemke

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Oh, Hello there!

I am back by popular demand!
Sorry I haven't been around, grad school is a fun sucker. This semester is pretty lame and fall is full of creativity in the kitchen.

Today begins my Chicago Veggie Potluck which I started on Facebook for friends and friends of friends in the area. Our theme for this evening is "80's Mom Food" (although I cannot take credit for the amazing theme idea!). That one goes to Courtney "the cool one," who has been my kitchen partner in crime for some time now! My food photographer (HA!), Jacob will be in attendance as well so sit tight....photos will be available soon!

Courtney and I set up a Saturday night challenge for ourselves of making homemade sietan and risotto-two seemingly difficult tasks.

Here are the recipes that we adapted from Post Punk Kitchen, Real Simple and Bob's Red Mill.
OH and p.s. PPK sucks at writing recipes..

Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients
one onion, chopped
two cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups of vegetable stock
one bunch of asparagus
1 cup
small glass of white wine




Directions
Wash and cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces and set aside
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil  on a medium heat for about five minutes or until beginning to soften,
Add the rice and saute for one minute, then add the glass of wine and stir it through.
Add a splash of stock, and stir until it begins to absorb into the rice.
Continue adding a little stock at a time, and keep stirring. 

When liquid is almost completely absorbed, as 2 tablespoons of margarine and the asparagus.

* We also added some fresh thyme because I had in the fridge.

Dangerouly Delicious Seitan
** This is how PPK wrote it-kind of confusing. 
 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 cup very cold water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp of tomato paste (WE DID NOT USE- might be good)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest *** DON'T RECOMMEND- kind of took over the flavors


Simmering Broth
10 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together Vital Wheat Gluten Flour (Bob's Red Mill) and nutritional yeast flakes.

In a seperate bowl, mix together reamining ingredients: water or veg broth, soy sauce. tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula, knead dough for about 3 minutes until a spongy, elastic dough is formed. Let dough rest for a couple of minutes and prepare your broth, but don't start boiling it.

Now roll your dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the water/broth be very cold when you add the dough, it helps with the texture and ensures that it doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil.

When the water has come to a boil set the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour, turning the peices every now and again.

Now you've got gluten. Let it cool in the simmering broth for at least a half an hour. It is best if it cools completely.
 

We then sliced it and fried it in olive oil. We ate it with our risotto. Yumm Yumm Yummy. You can do whatev.





Last night's successful undertaking ended in a disaster today. DO NOT MAKE AND CONSUME SIETAN IF YOU MAY HAVE WHEAT SENSITIVTIES!! IT IS NOT WORTH IT. For that, I will be passing my Bob's Red Mill bag to Courtney this afternoon.

 Bye Bye!