Soba noodles two-ways

This is a super fast and easy to make dinner which is great for a rushed evening meal-or at any time of day.

Soba Noodles with Black Bean Sauce and Broccoli

(+Tofu or Beef or Chicken or…)

1 package soba noodles

1 lb tofu, cubed (or the equivalent amount of meat)

1-2 Tbsp peanut (or veggie oil)

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, diced

1 in piece of fresh ginger, grated

1-2lbs broccoli, chopped

2 cups veggie (or beef broth)

2-4 Tbsp black bean paste

1 tsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds (black or white)

Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse with cool water, set aside.

In a large frying pan saute they tofu or meat in the peanut and sesame oil for 3-5 minutes or until browned.  Add the onion and cook until onion is beginning to get translucent, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and ginger and saute an additional  minute.

Add the broccoli and 1/2 cup of water and cover, cooking over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli begins to get tender.

In a separate bowl mix together stock, black bean paste, vinegar and cornstarch until smooth.  Pour over broccoli and cook, mixing, until mixture begins to boil and thicken.  Mix in noodles and heat thoroughly.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chili pepper flakes.  Adjust seasoning by adding vinegar, soy sauce or sweet soy sauce.

Artichoke love continues

As you know from my last post I have been working with the DeNoble Family Farm and selling fresh produce at the Farmer’s Markets on Saturday’s and Sunday’s.

One item that we have that is especially popular and that I hadn’t yet tried are the baby artichokes.  I finally got a chance to try them last weekend and they were awesome!

They have a similar flavor to the larger artichokes (we ate the baby Italian’s) but because they are so young the leaves are tender and they don’t have the prickly choke in the center which means you can eat the whole thing.  Once you prepare them (see directions below) you can cook them any way you like: grill, steam, pan fry, roast, etc.  and then with minimal seasoning they are great alone or mixed in with pasta.

Directions for preparing baby artichokes

1.  Peel off outer layer of leaves until only the most tender are left

2.  Trim tips of leaves and base (not enough so leaves fall apart)

3.  Cut in 1/2 (if desired, not necessary)

Pasta with Baby Artichokes and Shallots

The finished product, great with a little cheese for those omnivores

Serves 4 with leftovers

1 box pasta (penne or bowtie work well)

15-30 baby artichokes, prepare as above and halved

2 shallots

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed (more or less to taste)

2 Tbsp white wine

2-3 Tbsp capers

1/2-1 cup fresh parsley (or any herbs that you like)

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to box directions, drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Place artichokes in, cut side down and brown lightly, flip them after 2-3 minutes and brown lightly on the other side, 2-3 minutes.  When artichokes are lightly browned place them on a plate with a paper towel on it to dry.  Cook all artichokes.

With some olive oil in the pan still cook shallots for 1-2 minutes or until almost translucent, add garlic, cook for 30 seconds longer.  Add white wine and cook, stirring, 2-3 more minutes until shallots and garlic are fragrant and wine has been reduced by about 1/2, add capers.

Add the artichokes back to the pan and stir to coat, cook about 5 minutes to finish the artichokes (you can cover them and cook for longer if they aren’t done-test by poking with a fork, should go in easily).  Mix in pasta and parsley and then add salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting as you mix.

I love the Farmer’s market!

Ok I know that probably goes without saying but seriously-this place is awesome!

I have recently started working for the DeNoble’s, a family farm in Tillamook that specializes in naturally grown produce, especially ARTICHOKES!!  Working here has been incredible and has introduced me to the world of Italian artichokes, which are bright purple and have more meaty leaves, larger hearts and are just more flavorful than your average green artichoke.

Here are a couple of recipes that I have made recently to make use of all the amazing produce that I get from this awesome family! They are incredibly simple and can, of course, be adapted to fit what you are in the mood for.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Serves 4

 

A version of the roasted veggies using only cauliflower-yum!

 

1 (approx. 1 lb) head cauliflower (any color, I used a mix of white and green)

1 (1 lb) parsnip

2 large carrots (orange or purple)

1 large potato

1/2 and onion

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375.  Cut all of the veggies in to similar size chunks (leave the cauliflower a bit larger than the other veggies.  Place in a cast iron dutch oven (or a large baking dish) and over with olive oil, salt and pepper-here is when you can add any other seasonings that you like or fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, seasoning salt, etc.) Toss to be sure that everything is coated.  Cook 35 minutes covered, mixing every 15 minutes or so.  Cook another 10 minutes with lid off to be sure that all veggies are roasted (turn up the heat a little if they aren’t getting brown).  Be sure that all the veggies are done by stabbing them with a fork.

Roasted Beets 

 

Roasted beets!

 

 

Serves 2

1 bunch tiny beets (or larger beets cut in to 1in pieces)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tso dried oregano

1/2 tsp drid thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Wash the beets and trim the ends and the greens off.  Cut them to be sure they are all the same size.  Make a foil packet and place the beets in the center, sprinkle with seasoning, oil and salt and pepper (and any other herbs/spices you want) and place them in the oven.  Cook about 25-30 minutes or until a fork inserted in them goes in easily.  Let cool and enjoy!

 

The full meal

 

Check out this info on the DeNoble’s farm:  http://www.localharvest.org/denobles-farm-fresh-produce-M20944

The most properest of eats

This place has some of the best vegan food that I’ve had in a long time.  They serve fresh, local and organic produce with their meals, which is a huge plus and means that they are constantly offering new items to match what is in season.  The vegan reuben is AWESOME and totally worh the drive to St. Johns.   They also have great breakfast scrambles-not your average yellow mushy tofu.  The vegan biscuits and gravy are also a favorite.

The counter at Proper Eats with yours truly

In addition to their restaurant Proper Eats is a small grocery store with a pretty wide assortment of veggies, bulk foods, spices and other random items.

8638 North Lombard Street
Portland, Oregon 97203
(503) 445-2007

Veg::$$::Sun-Th 9a-10p; Fri&Sat 9a-11p::CC

http://www.propereats.org/

The rain is here…

Okay so I wasn’t ready to believe it either and maybe we still have a few nice days left (I’m holding out hope for those amazing October sunny days) but with the rain comes those awesome Fall dishes, such as this one.

This is one of my first attempts at making a cassoulet but it is similar to other soups and stews that I have made in the past and it turned out very nicely.  You can easily make this a meat dish by adding sliced ham, sausage or other meats.

Vegan ‘almost Fall’ Cassoulet

2 cups dried canellini beans, soaked overnight

2 cups vegetable broth

1-2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1 can (12-14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped into 1/4 in pieces

2 stalks of celery chopped in to 1/4 in pieces

1 red pepper diced

5 cloves of garlic, divided

2-3 slices whole wheat bread

3 Tbsp fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the beans in a large pot on the stove, add the herbs and broth and cook over low heat, covered for about 35-40 minutes or until the beans are almost done.  In the mean time saute the veggies (onions, carrots, celery, pepper and at the last minute 3 cloves of garlic) until they are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the tomatoes as well as the cooked onions carrots, pepper, celery and garlic to the beans and cook for another 20 minutes or until veggies reach desired doneness.

Preheat broiler.  While the cassoulet is in the last 20 minutes place 2-3 slices of whole wheat bread in a blender along with the parsley, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  Pulse to make bread crumbs.  Place these in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and put in an oven about 6in from the broiler and cook until golden brown.

Just before serving sprinkle the cassoulet with the bread crumbs.

Vegan Eggplant ‘Parmesan’

This recipe is great because it is pretty simple but very tasty and incredibly filling- enjoy!

It is split in to about 3 sections, each section is pretty easy and shouldn’t take too long but you can easily substitute in pre-made tomato sauce to speed up the process.  The same is true for the cheese sauce if you have another recipe you like.

1 large eggplant sliced in 1/4″ pieces

3 slices whole wheat bread made in to bread crumbs (~1 1/2 cups)

Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt, let sit to allow some of the moisture to be removed.

Tomato sauce

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 28oz can diced tomatoes, not drained

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 c veggie stock

Salt to taste

1 package (4) vegan sausages (optional)

In a large fyring pan saute the onions until almost translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly, just until you can smell it.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the sausages) and stir until combined, cook over medium heat until some of the liquid has evaporated about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the sausage in a frying pan over medium-high heat until they are browned.  During the last 5 minutes that the sauce is cooking mix them in.

‘Cheese’ sauce

1 package soft, silken tofu

1/2 c vegan milk of your choosing (I used hemp, but any should work)

1/2 c veggie stock

2 Tbsp tahini (or cashew butter)

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, taste and adjust salt.

Preheat oven to broil.  In the last 10 minutes that the sauce is cooking rinse the eggplant and pat them dry with a towel to remove most of the salt and moisture from them.  Place them on a cookie sheet about 6 inches from the broiler and cook until browned lightly, flip and repeat on the second side.

Turn the oven down to 350.  When eggplant is done layer about 1/2 of it in to a baking dish (9×13) and sprinkle it with 1/3 of the bread crumbs.  Cover this with 1/2 of the tomato sauce followed by 1/2 of the cheese sauce.  Lay down the remaining eggplant, 1/3 of the bread crumbs, the rest of the tomato sauce and the rest of the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs on the top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until edges begin to brown and bubble.  Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes-dig in!

Pizza and beer

Image courtesy of the Lucky Lab website

Not much more needs to be said right?  Vegan, meaty, whatever you’re craving they’ve got it.

Great local beers on tap, awesome staff and a fun atmosphere.

Lucky Lab (Southwest)

7675 SW Capitol Hwy.
Portland, OR 97219
(503) 244-2537

Other locations can be found on their website: http://www.luckylab.com/html/contact.html

Omnivore::$$::CC friendly::M-Sat11am-12am, Sun 12pm-10pm

Outdoor seating-for those rare days or Portland sunshine.

Hungry like a tiger

OK not that original of a title but come on, gimme a break.

So there was one week not so long ago that Alex and I actually ended up here twice in a row.  Some may call it sad, others may appreciate how tempting it is to return to a place that caters to the vegan and the omnivore alike, in a fun, no hassle, cheap kinda way.  The Hungry Tiger Too definitely fulfills all of those requirements.  They have an entire vegan menu with things like taco salads, burgers, sandwiches that are amazing and they have vegan corndogs!!  They have a vegan corndog basket that comes with two corndogs and a whole lotta TOTS, for only around $5!!

I also have to mention that they have GIANT VEGAN PANCAKES!! They are literally bigger than your head and are AMAZING!

They also have a huge regular menu that has things like burgers, BLT’s, salads, etc.  As well as an ever changing special that is sure to satisfy.  The last time we went the special was vegan or chicken hot wings that were only $.33, and awesome!

Don’t go here expecting to be blown away but if you’re in the mood for something simple that tastes good and won’t leave you broke give it a shot.  Not to mention the waitresses are cute and nice (despite being completely slammed most days-leading to the service being a little slower than you might hope for) and they have really stiff drinks if you’re feelin’ the need.

Picture borrowed from Urbanspoon.com, by mumkin

Hungry Tiger Too

207 Southeast 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238-4321

Omni Friendly::$::CC::Daily 11am-2am

Who doesn’t love a brownie now and then?

No special occasion, just tasty vegan brownies

Vegan Brownies

Image borrowed from "Vegan Bits" website-great site, check it out!

2 C flour

2 C sugar

3/4 C cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 C apple sauce

1/4 C oil

1/2-3/4 C water (adjust to correct thickness)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1/3 C vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Add in the wet ingredients and mix just until blended and most lumps are gone (some lumps are ok).  Pour into a 9×9, ungreased baking pan and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out dry.

Vegan Southern Food

One thing (aside from great Mexican food) that Alex and I have really been missing is the amazing Southern-style vegan

Vegan Southern food

food that you could find in LA.  Well, we’ve finally found it, well some of it at least.

The Bye and Bye

The Bye and Bye is an old convenience store that has been converted in to a restaurant and bar.  The atmosphere is interesting and casual, all drinks are served in canning jars and you order at the bar.  Alex and I came here for our anniversary and were both really pleased with the food we got: wonderful black bean nachos with Daiya (sp?) cheeze and the comfort food platter which consisted of this awesome BBQ tofu, baguette, greens and black eye peas.  I also got a side of the brussel sprouts which are AMAZING, even if you don’t like brussell sprouts you gotta try these.

The only things that I would change about this place are the fact that they don’t offer corn bread OR mac and cheese (maybe I should hook ’em up with my recipe, wink wink).  We also both agreed that the collards could use a little seasoning but aside from that this place is great, good food, good drinks and great beer on tap.

Enjoy!

The Bye and Bye

1011 Northeast Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211-4533
(503) 281-0537

$::CC::Vegan::M-T 4-2am, F 2-2am, S&S 12-2am