Product Review: Nacho Teese

This plate was shameful. Just, shameful. Tybrus and I cooked some refried beans and soy chorizo and topped it with gooey nacho Teese and and all the essential salad fixin's. I gotta say, though, this flavor of Teese wasn't all that I'd hoped it be.

Teese has been hailed as being one of the most quality soy dairy products out there and at a reasonable price. Unlike its cheddar and mozzarella counterpart, nacho Teese is kind of watery and really runny. It wasn't as spicy as I would've liked either. My recommendation to you is that if you do decide to purchase some nacho Teese, add some jalapeno to it. But, honestly, you could probably make a more enticing nacho cheeze sauce in your on home, with better results, and a bit cheaper, too!

Loaf of bland stupidness!

Tempeh Oat "Meat" Loaf with Steamed Kale and Cauliflower/Hominy Mash

Goddamn it. I found a recipe in an old issue of Veg Times for a tempeh and oat "meat" loaf. I was immediately intrigued by the combination of oats and tempeh and the simplicity of the recipe. I was furious to discover that the aforementioned simplicity would yield a lack of spices which would in turn yield a lack of flavor which would THEN yield a big bland loaf of bleh. Not to mention after 55 minutes in an oven the loaf still wasn't firm! Ugh.

However, the mash was bangin'. I've been trying to think of alternatives to our typical potato side dish for meals and I had a head of cauliflower just laying around. I don't think I had ever consciously eaten hominy until I made this. Hominy gives a kind of sweetness to the mash that you wouldn't normally get from mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower Hominy Mash
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 15 oz can hominy
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tbs Earth Balance
1/4 Tofutti sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Blanche cauliflower for five minutes. Add to food processor with hominy, soy milk, and EB. Blend until it achieves desired consistency. Add mixture to bowl and mix with sour cream, chives, and salt and pepper.

Chik'n and Dumplings

Dumplings, glorious dumplings! I got this recipe from Vegan.Chicks.Rock. It was delicious, comforting and reminded me of dumpling days of yore. In addition to the celery and carrots, I added an onion and a cup of frozen peas. I made my own seitan chick'n and added some of the remaining broth from it to the broth for the dumplings. That was probably my only criticism of the recipe, the fact that there weren't any herbs added to the dumplings. Whatever, it was so delicious my boyfran was compelled to give me the greatest food compliment ever.*

"I didn't think I could love you more than I already did, but then I ate your dumplings. These would make Christ come off the cross."

*This is not counting the time my coworker told me I made O-face-inducing German chocolate cupcakes. Just sayin'.

Product review: veggie gyros by Viana

One meal that Tybrus missed more than anything were gyros. Amongst our most recent Vegan Essentials purchase were these: Veggie Gyro Strips by Viana I had actually never had gyros as an omnivore. Come to think of it, I had never eaten pitas, falafel, or tzatziki until I became vegan. Therefore, it was kind of difficult for me to judge these gyro strips. They tasted a lot like soy chorizo, only firmer. Tybrus said they were good, but didn't really simulate gyro meat very well. I heated them in a skillet with some garlic and red and yellow bell pepper. We also whipped up some homemade tzatziki sauce for the occasion. Honestly, I wouldn't really recommend purchasing these. Your better off making your own with vital wheat gluten and seasoning accordingly.

Rainy day potato and leek soup

Fun fact about me: I've never cooked with leeks before. Weird, huh? They struck me as a tad intimidating and forced me to pose a series of questions: Do you use the whole thing? Is it like some big green onion? Why can't you use the green part? Would it greatly affect the taste of my meal if I did use the green part? It seems so wasteful not to use the green part. How potent are they? etc. Anyway, this soup was good and perfect for this rainy weather we've been having. I topped my soup with some dried ramps that Tybrus' mom gave to us last summer and some Daiya cheddar.

Potato and Leek Soup

2 leeks, sliced (pale green and white parts only)
1 tbs olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
3 potatoes, diced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 large sprig fresh dill
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/3 cup soy milk/cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot on medium heat saute the leeks and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and saute for another three minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for soy milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer an cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. (About 20 minutes.) Blend have the soup with the soy milk. Add blended mixture back to the pot and reheat. Recommended toppings: ramps, soy cheese, croutons, etc.