First Veganversary!

My how time flies!

One year ago today I decided to try eating vegan for 30 days. Well I sure stuck with it for a LOT longer and I couldn’t be more pleased. The best part is the impact my diet has had on those around me. My older cousins are eating vegan meals on their own a few times a week. My 11-year-old cousin was excited to find a recipe for vegan cupcakes in her cupcake cookbook. My aunts and coworkers are asking me for healthier substitution options in their recipes. My parents have started only buying organic meats at the grocery store and are eating meatless meals a few times a week. I’m so proud of my loved ones!

To celebrate, I whipped up some chili! I used a recipe in one of my cookbooks and substituted the heck out of it. It’s got an awesome combo of grated tempeh, roasted potatoes, black beans, lentils, sun dried tomatoes and corn.

The best part?

It made a VAT and now I’ve got leftovers for the week!

Now to go grab some vegan cheesecake from the freezer (thanks to one of my awesome Christmas presents.

Happy belated New Year to all! Both Chinese and otherwise!

Rad Rice

Amazing ideas sometimes come to me at random times. Ideas fused together from different blog posts. Ideas that come from phantom flavors I can taste on my tongue.

I don’t have much in my pantry right now aside from pumpkin and spices. Among some of the things I do have: arborio rice.

Oh yeah.

I made risotto. Red wine risotto.

Delish. Addicting. Creamy.

Make it, please!!

Red Wine Risotto
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
5 sun dried tomatoes, diced
1/4 package tempeh, diced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup red wine (use a wine you enjoy drinking)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup raw walnuts

In a small pot, heat vegetable broth to simmering. Keep broth simmering on low.

In a large, dry pot over medium heat, saute onions and tomatoes until they start to turn clear. Stir occasionally to keep from burning, reducing heat if necessary. Add in garlic, tempeh, pepper and sage, cooking for about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the wine, stirring vigorously, and cook until absorbed. Stir in broth 1/3 cup at a time, allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Once all the broth is added, turn off the heat and stir in peas and walnuts.

Chow down!

Out of Control

I know most people have a sweet-tooth but I have a spice-tooth. The bugger has been out of CONTROL lately. It lead me to create this:

Wasabi marinated tempeh maki.

Oh yeah. I could eat my weight in this. Much like the sushi at Sushi Ya. But this is way cheaper! Kyle gave his thumbs up before devouring the rolls I managed to save for him, claiming he loved them more than real sushi!

The tempeh adds a wonderful texture and looks a bit like a salmon skin roll in the finished product! I will make these again for sure!

I am still dusting off my rolling skills. Practice makes perfect! Making the sushi rice is a major part of the process. I learned the “finger depth” trick years ago and have used it to make rice so many times in my trusty rice cooker it is almost second nature to me!

If you’re a sushi lover, please, PLEASE make this! You will love it!

Spicy Tempeh Maki
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
4 ounces tempeh

sushi rolling mat
Prepared sushi rice (I *think* I ended up with about 2 cups prepared rice.. I never measured. I also had a bit left over)
4-5 sheets nori
sriracha
pineapple
daikon root, sliced into sticks
sesame seeds

Slice tempeh into 8 strips and steam for 10 minutes. While the tempeh is steaming, whisk together cumin, wasabi, oil, soy sauce and water. Place tempeh in a shallow bowl, pour marinade over the top and cover with saran wrap. Refrigerate at least overnight. My tempeh was marinating for almost 24 hours. I was so glad it didn’t disintegrate on me!

Heat a skillet over medium heat and sear tempeh for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Prepare nori by placing on the sushi mat with the shiny side down. Spread on a thin, even layer of rice, arrange tempeh and fillings of your choice and roll ‘er up. I’m still learning the best method for this. The most important thing is to keep it rolled tight but not so much that it rips. I’m a very visual person, so here’s a link to a great site on how to roll!

Sure, the rolling is a bit complicated but I find it to be SO much fun! And hey, if you’re not into the rolling thing, you can always make a sushi bowl, throw all the yummy insides on top of a bowl of the rice and devour with chopsticks!

Deeeeeee-lish!