FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Put An Herb On It

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Today as I was roaming around the grocery store (I’ve done that a lot this week) I couldn’t help but think that fresh herbs make everything better.  Putting an herb on it makes things better just like putting a BIRD on it makes things better.  You with me?

Well, I’m with me.  A little too with me, actually.  I was so pleased with myself for coming up with the herb/bird thing that I failed to pick up Vegenaise.  Side note: vegans eat Vegenaise because it doesn’t contain eggs.  I eat Vegenaise because I can pronounce the ingredient list and, honestly, it tastes better than mayo.

So rather than give you a recipe for a make-shift dinner that wasn’t my favorite, I figured I’d give you my go-to steps for making egg salad because I never follow the same steps twice and, if I have all of the ingredients, I’m always happy with the way it turns out.

FoodFash Egg Salad Non-Recipe

1. Chop up as many boiled eggs as you want

2.  Add finely chopped celery and onions

3.  Put a chopped herb in it (dill, chives, parsley)

4.  Add a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of some type of mayo and stir

5.  Repeat Step 4 until the consistency is where you want

6.  Add a tablespoon of dijon mustard

7.  Add salt and white pepper to taste

You can use this rule of thumb with tuna and chicken salad too, just skip the vinegar.

Vegan Cremini & Kale Fettuccine

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Finding a cream of mushroom soup with a non-sketchy ingredient list is darn near impossible, so I took it upon myself to go the homemade route.  I’m also back on the dairy-free kick.  Coconut milk will be this recipe’s non-sketchy, non-dairy hero.

I picked up a new fettuccine while at Central Market.  I’m a sucker for packaging that makes the noodles appear as if they may be more fresh than your typical boxed brand.  But with a mere three minute cooking time, that could totally be legitimate.

FoodFash Vegan Cremini & Kale Pasta (yields 4 servings)

1 tablespoon non-dairy butter (Earth Balance)

10 ounces of cremini mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter (Earth Balance)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup of frozen chopped kale

4 ounces of fettuccine noodles, cooked

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add sliced mushrooms.  Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt and let cook until mushrooms are wilted, stirring occasionally.  In a medium-sized pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour to make a rue.  When the rue is golden in color and thick, gradually add the coconut milk.  Whisk continuously until the sauce is thickened.  Pour the cream sauce and frozen kale into the saucepan with the mushrooms.  Add garlic salt and pepper and stir until all of the ingredients are mixed.  Add finished sauce to noodles, mix well, and serve.

At around 450 calories per serving, this comfort meal is wayyy lower in calories than your typical creamy carb dish.  The mushrooms and kale add umami and texture to the fettuccine.  And the coconut milk thickened up just as nice as milk or cream, making it my new, non-dairy go-to for baking.  I see coconut milk gravy and coconut milk pastry filling in my future!

 


Patty Pan, Patty Pan…

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If you were shopping at the downtown Austin Whole Foods today after work, half of me sincerely apologizes.  Not only did I arrive without a list, but I decided to stay on the phone with my mom as I headed to the produce department.  And since I’m one of those people that paces like a crazy person while talking on the phone, I lapped around veggies at an abnormal grocery store pace, empty basket in hand, getting in everyone’s way for a solid 15 minutes.  That part of me apologizes.

The part of me that enjoyed talking to my mom after going days without a phone call, that part doesn’t apologize one bit.  That part is actually thankful because if I hadn’t lapped around produce a gazillion times, I wouldn’t have spotted the cutest little squash ever.  And then I wouldn’t have had an almost perfect recipe that became perfect when I found a box of California Walnuts waiting for me at my doorstep.  Talk about luck.

FoodFash Patty Pan Squash

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 lb patty pan squash, sliced

2 tablespoons garlic chives, chopped

1/2 cup California Walnuts, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

salt to taste

Warm coconut oil over medium heat and then add squash, garlic chives, and walnuts.  Stir until mixed and then add salt and white pepper.  Continue stirring so that the veggies don’t stick to the pan.  Cook until the squash is softened but not mushy (about 5 minutes).

I just recently cooked with chives for the first time and fell in love.  They’re an excellent way to add oniony flavor without the bulk of onions or any chance of overpowering a dish.  As far as patty pans go, other than the cuteness factor, I couldn’t really tell much difference between them and regular yellow squash.  What I could tell, is that squash, chives, and walnuts are a solid combination.

Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

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Lettuce wraps…  The crunchy little world where warm meets cool.  It surprises me how often I forget how much I enjoy that world.

The last time I made lettuce wraps I used this VegTimes recipe.  And although I remember liking it a ton, I decided to replace tofu with tempeh this time around, thinking it would yield a texture more similar to a classic wrap.  My thoughts were spot on.

In addition to using 8 ounces of tempeh instead of 1 pound of tofu, I replaced vegetable oil with coconut oil and soy sauce with liquid aminos.  If you decide to try this recipe, I highly recommend using these modifications.

Another bonus of using tempeh, besides the whole texture thing, is nutrition.  Tempeh has substantially more protein, fiber, and vitamins than tofu, making it the obvious choice between the two for this dish.