Spaghetti & Wheatballs.. Homemade!

Since I finished this week's cookbook challenge early this week (and we can't eat dessert for dinner every night), we've been making some simple, but delicious meals this week.  We had snobby joes, taco bar and Thursday night we had spaghetti with homemade sauce and freshly made wheatballs.  For such a simple meal, it was very satisfying.

I made the spaghetti sauce in August with tomatoes from the Farmers' Market.  I had a freezer full by the end of the summer, and I think we now have one bag left!  It was so easy to make and it's great to have this time of the year.  To make it, I blanched (or poached, not sure which term is correct) the tomatoes until the skin split, peeled and chopped into the slow cooker.  I tried different varieties of seasoning, but I think last night was a basic tomato and basil with black pepper.  Next, I just let the slow cooker work it's magic and a few hours later... spaghetti sauce!  

The wheatballs are from a recipe in "Vegan on the Cheap."  I thought we had everything we needed, but we were missing about half of the ingredients.  Last night's "wheatballs" turned into "pantry wheatballs," which turned out unexpectedly better than the original recipe!  Here's what I did:

Pantry Wheatballs (based on Robin Robertson's Wheatballs)

1 can beans (last night I used kidney), rinsed

1 tbsp tomato sauce

3 tbsp veggie broth

2 tbsp fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup prepared couscous (I've also used rice or cashews)
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 c vital wheat gluten
1/4 nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper


1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Drizzle a small amount of oil into a baking dish.
2.  Add the first set of ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed. 
3.  Add remaining ingredients into a medium bowl and mix with beans.  Once combined, knead dough 1-2 minutes.  Then, pull and stretch the dough, folding inside out.  Knead a few more times.
4.  Scoop dough by rounded tablespoon and roll into a ball.  Place each ball into the prepared baking dish.  You should have between 12-15 balls.  Drizzle the full pan with oil and shake until the balls are lightly coated.  Bake 20 minutes, flipping 2-3 times.
5.  Serve hot!

Cook Book Challenge Week #4

Vegan with a Vengeance
Today's Breakfast: Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce
Today's Dinner: Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles

No school today called for a "real" breakfast and special dinner.  I'll admit I was a little unsure about the Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles for a few reasons-- I haven't used some of the ingredients in the recipe, I've never actually "prepared" tofu, the ingredient list and preparation were a little lengthy and I wasn't sure that I'd like the end product.  I have to say... I was wasting my time worrying!

not your everyday pancake, here!

I'll start with breakfast first.  Like I've said before, I LOVE pancakes.  They're a quick and delicious breakfast, but they feel a little special.  The recipe was simple and I followed it pretty much as written, only subbing agave for maple syrup because I was out, and whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour.  I read in the "perfect pancake" section that it helps to let the batter rest for a while, so I started the sauce, which was easy work, before finishing the pancakes.  I greased the griddle with coconut oil (the smell still amazes me) and made giant pancakes.  They came out a perfect, golden brown.  We topped them with the pineapple sauce and a few extra coconut flakes.  These pancakes were AMAZING!  The coconut in the batter gave them a little crunch, the nutmeg was just right and the warm pineapple sauce was just sweet enough.  Even Chad, who thinks we eat pancakes too often, was really impressed.  This is definitely something we'll have again and a simple, tasty recipe to share!

you should make some, too!

As I alluded to earlier, I was nervous about tonight's recipe... BUT now I can't wait to make it again!  It was one of those meals that you're almost sad to eat the last bite because it's so delicious.  It tasted and looked like something you would order at a restaurant (which according to the recipe blurb, is common in NY).  The tofu was a little chewy, a little crunchy and it really absorbed flavor from the peanut oil and sauce.  The scallions and cilantro gave the dish a ton of fresh flavor and the bean sprouts added some more crunch and texture.  Chad and I couldn't stop raving about every forkful as we gobbled up the noodles.  Preparation was easier and quicker than I expected, and the final product was more amazing that I could have hoped!  This is definitely something I'm looking forward to making again... soon!

School has already been canceled for tomorrow, so we have another extra day to play!  And eat!

Cook Book Challenge Week #3

The Urban Vegan
Friday's Menu: Fettucine Alfredo and Choco-Coco-Oat Bars
Today's Breakfast:  Better Than Buttermilk Pancakes

dinner's ready!

Friday's dinner was Fettucine (capellini, actually) Alfredo.  It was really quick to make and I followed the recipe pretty closely.  A few changes I made were using about half of the pasta, cutting the Earth Balance from six to four tablespoons (I just couldn't bring myself to use ALL the butter), adding a few Italian seasonings and fresh broccoli.  The sauce was pretty easy to make.  I read somewhere else that people had trouble with the sauce thickening, so I added a bit more than a tablespoon of cornstarch and a little extra nutritional yeast.  The sauce still wasn't "thick," but it was an okay consistency.  It was pretty flavorful, but not exactly "Alfredo."  I haven't had fettucine Alfredo in years, even though I used to LOVE it, I couldn't bring myself to eat it, knowing it's so unhealthy.  This sauce wasn't quite as rich, but it was a decent substitute.  It was also really easy to make, so I can't complain there.  We served it sprinkled with extra nutritional yeast and a glass of wine!  Some crunchy garlic bread and a fresh side salad would've been a good addition.

crumbly goodness

I always like to make a dessert or something special on Friday, since we have extra time, so I flipped through the dessert chapter.  I found "Choco-Coco-Oat Bars" and had everything I needed.  As chance would have it, I had picked up some random ingredients at Whole Foods last time we were in Madison (coconut oil, unsweetened coconut flakes and dark chocolate chips), which was just what I needed for the recipe.  I haven't used coconut oil before, but as soon as I opened the jar, I could smell the amazingly sweet scent-- not what I expected from oil.  I also used a little to grease the pan.  I love the smell and hopefully I'll find another use soon!  The bars definitely satisfy a sweet craving, without being too incredibly unhealthy.  I'm not sure what I did, but they didn't exactly turn into "bars," more of a crumble.  Maybe I didn't let it cool long enough before digging in.  The way it turned out, I can imagine it would be even better with a scoop of coconut ice cream!  (Note: this morning they have cooled into real bars.)

topped with EB and syrup

This morning Schatzi woke us early (by early, I mean before 8:00), so I whipped up the pancake batter right away.  I left the batter pretty thick; the recipe called for up to an additional four tablespoons of milk.  I greased the griddle with coconut oil (yay!), and it gave the pancakes just a little added sweetness.  As far as pancakes, I would say they were pretty standard, nothing too exciting or out the ordinary.  I planned to make the apple cinnamon variety in the recipe, until Chad snacked on the apple earlier in the week!  Not a bad recipe, but not one I'm super excited to make again.

Another week of the challenge is on the blog.  What did I enjoy about The Urban Vegan?  I really liked the Chickpea Chili Burgers; this is definitely something we'll make again and probably often.  I liked all the variety in her recipes, even though we stayed pretty simple again.  I didn't recognize a lot of the recipes, so that may have added to my apprehension.  I don't think this is a book I'm dying to buy, but I would check it out from the library again and try a few more things.

When I asked Chad what he thought about last night's meal, his only comment was "Good."  Guess that answer is good enough :)

Cook Book Challenge Week #2

Veganomicon
Tonight's Menu:  Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping

This dinner was the real deal, grown-up meal!  I've heard lots of raves about this, so I was looking forward to trying it myself.  Also, being that it was the last thing I made this week, I had to made some adjustments and substitutions.  The first thing I made was the cashew ricotta.  We picked up a bag of raw cashews at Trader Joe's last month, so I was good there.  The rest of the recipe was pretty much thrown together... no lemon- so I subbed water and a squeeze of grapefruit, and I accidentally bought silken instead of firm

tofu.  I think it still turned out okay, considering it was my first attempt. 

don't let the picture fool you, it's delic!

Next, the caramelized onions.  The recipe called for two, but as Chad "detests" onions, I reduced it to one.  They smelled so good, and surprisingly right around the 12-15 minute mark, they began to brown.  This was easier than I expected.



The final step, where I cheated the most, was the sage breadcrumbs.  The recipe tip said that these "make the recipe," but as we didn't have a crumb of bread in the house to start with, I had to use the boxed ones we had in the pantry.  We were out of walnuts, so I used pecans (which were pretty amazing).  AND finally, I couldn't bring myself to use a full 1/4 cup of margarine, so I just tossed in a "healthy" spoonful and away toasted my "homemade" sage breadcrumbs. 

I tossed the pasta in the pumpkin mixture, spread it into the pan, sprinkled generously with breadcrumbs, and let it bubble away in the oven... while I cleaned my now disastrous kitchen (dirty food processor, dozens of mixing bowls, spatulas, pans and crumbs galore).  The first bite made all the work well-worth it!  The cashew-ricotta-pumpkin mixture was rich and creamy, the onions were a sweet contrast, and the flavorful breadcrumbs added just the right crunch.  I'll definitely make this again, and maybe I'll even use all the right ingredients and make my own bread crumbs... maybe!

Now that Veganomicon week is over, I'm happy with my selection of recipes.  Even though I played it safe (BBQ and Mac Daddy), I'm looking forward to trying some more adventurous recipes from the book.  There's so much left to explore!

Cook Book Challenge Week #2

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones
Dinner: Mac Daddy

I received "Veganomicon" as a Christmas gift from Chad's parents this year.  I was so excited, because I always flip through it at the bookstore and think of it as "The Betty Crocker of Vegan Cooking."  I've tried a few things so far, but this week I'm adding to the list... 

served with sliced blood oranges

Breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day, so I was excited to have some extra time this morning.  I love pancakes, waffles... the usual breakfast suspects.  Veganomicon has some delicious recipes-- Chocolate Chip Brownie Waffles, Blueberry Corn Pancakes.  Chad didn't want pancakes or waffles, he wanted tofu scramble.  Veganomicon doesn't have a recipe for tofu scramble.  We almost settled on a bowl of cereal, but I finally found Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones and we agreed on that.  As a bonus, we already had everything we needed!  I also finally had a good reason to use my new Penzeys spices from Chad's mom.  I don't know if it was my flour (I don't buy white all-purpose, so I always have to adjust), how I cut in the butter, or my inexperience in scone-baking, but we ended up with more of a cake than the dry, crumbly scone I was anticipating.  Either way, they were delicious and just the right thing to munch on while we disassembled the Christmas tree and packed away the decorations.  

looks good enough to eat?!

On to dinner... I've really been craving mac and cheese lately.  A while ago, I made my first vegan attempt with Stovetop Cheezee Mac from "Vegan on the Cheap."  I wasn't super excited about it, but it made good leftovers as Chili Mac.  So, when Isa and Terry warned in the blurb that this is a recipe to share with "vegans and vegetarians" because people are "sketchy about nutritional yeast," I was a little worried myself.  In the end, it was better than I hoped.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, only I didn't realize that I was supposed to make a double batch of the Cheezy Sauce and tossed in some frozen spinach that I had on hand. It turned out rich, creamy and delicious.  I topped it with some Adobo seasoning for a little spice.  Chad claimed the leftovers for lunch, so I guess we've found another keeper!

Tomorrow we're going to try home-made seitan for later in the week... hopefully I have more luck with that than the scones!