Smokey Split Pea Soup

A smokey flavored Split Pea soup without the ham bone!

INGREDIENTS:
14 cups water
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/8 cup dried parsley
1/8 cup dried basil
3/4 cup green split peas
3/4 cup yellow split peas
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 dried chipotle pepper
1/2 tbsp. liquid smoke (or to taste)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

METHOD:
1. Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add all ingredients (except the salt, pepper, and liquid smoke) to the pot and stir around a bit. Cover and gently simmer for about an hour.

2. Remove the dried chipotle pepper and discard. Transfer 2/3 of the soup to a blender in batches. Blend into a nice puree, and mix back in with the remaining 1/3 of the soup that was not blended. (If you are lucky enough to have an immersion blender, this would be the best tool for this process).

3. Cover and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. You might need to add a bit of water depending on how thick you like your soup. Make sure that the soup does not come to a boil.

4. Season with salt and pepper and desired amount of liquid smoke. Serve and enjoy!

Makes six large servings.

"Eggs" Benedict

Before turning vegan, oh how I loved eggs benedict! Now, a version for vegans to enjoy as well :)

INGREDIENTS
2 English muffins, sliced and warmed in the oven (so you have 4 halves)
2 block of firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see method below if unsure how)
olive oil, for frying
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
hot sauce, to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1 tomato, cut into thin circles
vegan hollandaise sauce, recipe below

METHOD:
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F - the oven will be used to keep all the ingredients warm. Place your english muffins on a baking sheet and in the oven.

1. Take a water glass or a biscuit cutter (something circular that will cut through the tofu) and press into each slab, cutting out two circles per tofu block. Now take both circles, and cut them in half so that you have four tofu circles. You can take the excess tofu and put it in a tupperware and save it in the fridge for later use. (I usually give it to the dog along with her dog food for breakfast)

2. Sprinkle each tofu circle with salt, pepper, and onion powder.

3. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on a medium-high setting. Saute the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring and moving it in the pan so that it doesn't burn. Add a desired amount of hot sauce to the pan and the turmeric, cook for an additional minute. Place the tofu circles in the pan and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until light brown and crispy. When they are finished cooking, place them on a baking sheet and into the oven where they will stay warm until the assembling begins.

4. In the same pan, saute the baby spinach with a pinch of salt (saves on dishes!). You might want to add more olive oil if your pan is looking a bit dry. Make sure that you keep stirring the spinach so that it doesn't stick together and get brown - you want the spinach to become just a little soft and wilted, but also retain shape and color.

5. Take out the warm ingredients from the oven. On the english muffins, lay a slice of tomato, spinach, a slab of the tofu and top with the hollandaise.



HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup Vegenaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
lemon juice from 1 small lemon
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)

Whisk all the ingredients until combined.



TO PRESS TOFU:
Tofu has a good amount of liquid in it. Pressing out that water will make it easier to retain a marinade, and hold its shape. Cut the tofu out of the vacuumed sealed container and drain the water. Place tofu block on a clean kitchen towel and fold the cloth over to cover the tofu. Place a flat object, such as a heavy skillet or cutting board, on top of the covered tofu for 20-30 minutes. Be careful that the object is not too heavy, or it will squish and smash the tofu.

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Right before Daiya hit the grocery store shelves, I was about to give up on vegan cheese all together because the other products out on the market do not have the same texture and taste that you associate with real cheese. It just felt like empty calories to me, and took so much time (and patience) for the cheese to actually melt. There where many break-downs in the kitchen... not a good scene. Then along came Daiya. I was skeptical at first, but with a friend's urge to try it, I gave it a shot. Oh man... life changing and the possibilities are endless! I thought to myself, "vegan bar food here I come!". There is so much you can do with this cheese: Mac and Cheese, Quesadillas, Grilled Cheese, and of course Mozzarella Cheese Sticks.

INGREDIENTS
1 block of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 3-4 inch long sticks.
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup italian flavored bread crumbs
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. dried basil
1 cup water
vegetable or canola oil for frying

METHOD:
1. Get out three medium sized bowls to work with. In the first one, fill it with water. The second, mix together the flour and cornstarch. In the third, mix the panko, italian bread crumbs, and dried herbs.

2. Dip each mozzarella stick one at a time in the water and then the flour mixture. Let the sticks rest on a cutting board or a plate to dry for about 5 minutes.

3. Take the floured sticks and dip them (quickly) in the water again. Some flour mixture will come off, but don't worry. After a quick dip in the water, toss them in the breadcrumb mixture and let sit and dry for about 3-4 minutes.

4. Repeat step 3 for a second time, letting dry longer for about 5-6 minutes.

5. While the sticks are drying for the finale time, prepare your frying pan. I didn't measure the oil for mine, but fill your frying pan up with oil so that it looks like 1/2 to 3/4 up the side of the sticks will be submerged. Get the oil nice and hot (the temp will be about 350-375 if using a thermometer).

6. Place the sticks in the oil with enough space between them so they are not touching each other. Fry on one side until golden brown (for me it was about 5 minutes or so). Flip and fry on the other side until golden brown.

7. Take out of the frying pan and put on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Serve with warm marinara.

Breakfast Burritos

I love going to Greenstar in Ithaca, NY and getting their vegan breakfast burritos before doing a big grocery shopping excursion. The only problem is that Ithaca is an hour and a half away, so this morning I have come up with my own take on the breakfast burrito.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 block, firm tofu
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
6 burrito size tortillas
cooking spray

METHOD:
1. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat setting. Add the olive oil after a minute and cook the garlic, onions, and tofu. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes or until the onions get nice and soft.

2. Add the turmeric and chili powder to the pan, cooking for about a minute.

3. Add in the cilantro, cheese, and salsa. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese is melted.

4. Heat a clean frying pan on a stove top, using a medium heat setting. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

5. Now it is time to assemble. Take about 3 heaping spoonfuls of tofu mixture and place on the tortilla. Roll up burrito style by rolling tight, pulling in the sides, and rolling tight again.

6. Place the burrito seam side down onto the heat. Let it cook for 3 minutes or so (until it is nice and brown). Flip and do the same for the next side. I used a spatula to lightly press down onto the burrito so it would be nice and flat.

7. Slice diagonally, pair with your favorite condiments (Tofutti Sour Cream, Sriracha, etc) and enjoy!

Baseball Birthday Cake

It's my husband's birthday today! Happy 27th, my love!

Even though Chris turned 27, he is still a little kid at heart. For example, every time he sees a bounce house (and I really mean every time) he always says he wants to go jump around in it. He also loves baseball, and we just went to the Baseball Hall Of Fame last weekend which is where I got the inspiration for this cake!

The cake recipe comes from Isa's book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I used the "Golden Vanilla Cupcake" and then doubled the recipe. For the frosting, I used "Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting".

I used whatever I had lying around my baking drawer for decorating. The grass around the baseball was Wilton Tip #233, and for the writing and stitching on the baseball I used Wilton Tip #4. Nothing fancy really...

I hope everyone at the public radio station loves cake, because the two of us will not be able to eat all of it!

Doggie Peanut Butter Nuggets

My buddy, Elizabeth wanted to make dog treats for her puppies and my dog, Elsa. Here is the recipe that we came up with this morning. Elsa gives it 2 paws up!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup soymilk
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. baking powder

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Combine the peanut butter and milk by mixing on low with a hand mixer.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour and baking powder.

4. Combine the peanut butter mixture with the flour by using a wooden spoon. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

5. By using the palms of your hands, flatten the dough until it is about a 1/4 inch thick. You can cut out shapes by using your favorite cookie cutter or by using a shot glass (which is perfect to make bite-sized circles).

6. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Make sure you check them around 10 minutes, because they will burn easily.

7. Let your treats cool down to room temperature, and let your pooch enjoy.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan was never a favorite of mine because I always had it smothered in sauce and cheese which made the eggplant turn soggy. This recipe uses Daiya mozzarella cheese and the eggplant ends up turning nice and crisp!

INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds
sea salt
1 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/4 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup flour
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (or more depending how much you like) italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 a bag of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut for garnish

METHOD
1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with sea salt and let sit in a colander for 30-45 minutes allowing the excess water to drain.

2. Transfer the eggplant to a clean kitchen towel and lay flat. Using another clean kitchen towel, lay on top of the eggplant slices and press down to release anymore excess liquid from the vegetable.

3. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

4. Using 3 pie pans (or big bowls) start putting together your flour mixture, "egg" mixture, and breadcrumbs. In the first plate, combine the flour and black pepper to taste. In the second combine the soymilk, cornstarch, and chickpea flour by mixing with a whisk. Put the breadcrumbs in the third plate.

5. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Next, coat each eggplant slice in the flour, then the "egg" mixture, and then in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the baking pan and lay each slice flat so that they are not on top of each other.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, and flip the slices 15 minutes into baking.

7. In the meantime, coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a 1/4 inch of pasta sauce. When eggplants are done baking, transfer them to the glass dish by layering and overlapping the slices to fit.

8. Cover with desired amount of sauce and sprinkle on the Daiya cheese. Cover with tin foil and let it bake for 30 minutes.

9. When the dish is done baking, take out of the oven and let it cool for about 7-10 minutes. While the eggplant is cooling, chiffonade your basil by taking the leaves and then rolling them away from you as tight as you can. Keep rolling until you reach the opposite end of the leaves and you have a tight little package. With one hand holding the rolled leaves tightly, start slicing as finely as you can until you have nice little ribbons. Sprinkle the basil on top of your dish.