Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Have you ever seen the movie Big Night?  An early effort from the incomparable Stanley Tucci, the film is notable for its fixation on food and cooking as well as a rare thespian turn from Mr J-Lo himself, Marc Anthony. Set in 1950s suburban America, the plot chronicles two Italian immigrant brothers who are determined to serve up genuine Italian food when all the that the madding crowds seem to want is McMeatballs with a side of cheezy entertainment. Customers keep requesting spaghetti, pizza or lasagna and are repulsed by the authentic risotto (which wasn’t yet familiar in North America).

In those days, “exotic” restaurants that purportedly served ethnic cuisines but really supplied little more than gussied up TV dinners were typical. One of these, the China Inn in Montreal, was a favorite destination when my sisters and I were kids and my mother felt like treating us to something special.  We’d ride across town on the Number 17 bus, enduring 45 minutes of bumpy roads, swinging around extra-wide turns and the distinct aroma that develops when too many humans are packed into too small a space with  half of them reaching overhead to hold onto bus railings–just to partake of their “all-you-can-eat” lunch buffet. 

The table at the restaurant was fairly heaving with platters, all the Chinese equivalent of Chef Boy R Dee: greasy, slightly damp egg rolls filled with MSG-dusted cabbage and onion; sweet and sour chicken balls, their sauce the shade of cinnamon hearts and punctuated with nuggets of canned pineapple; chop suey, a gelatinous mix of wilted gray vegetables topped with equally ennervated bean sprouts; spare ribs, those tiny, lardlike cubes of bone and the occasional sliver of meat, slow cooked and bathed in a sickly sweet, molasses and soy sauce concoction; chicken fried rice with its frozen carrot dice and pellet-like peas;  and–on the rare occasion that we were really lucky–egg foo yung.

China Inn’s egg foo yung was probably the closest thing to “real” food they served (which is also likely why it appeared on the menu so rarely). A flat, slightly charred omelet with chopped vegetables mixed into the egg, the dish was always accompanied by a thick, spicy sauce that was my favorite part.  I mean, you could get egg anywhere, but top that egg with a spicy sauce–well, that was authentic Chinese food, right?

Once I grew older and expanded my culinary repertoire somewhat, I was appalled by the shoddy offerings on that buffet table (not to mention the heave-inducing thought of those “spare” ribs.).  It occurred to me that China Inn’s food was about as far from Chinese as Pizza Pockets are from pizza.  I wish I could tell you I never ate at that buffet (or the one at Mandarin) again, but alas, it was many years before I shunned such alimentary travesties for good.

After I began to follow a whole foods, healthy diet, I discovered a huge range of Asian cooking, including Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and, yes, Chinese.  I ventured to create my own rice paper rolls, rice vermicelli, healthier “fried” rice, sushi, varied and sundry stir-fries–but never egg foo yung. 

Until now, that is.

My version of the eggy dish (as so many vegan omelets are) is tofu-based.  Unlike your standard tofu omelet, however, this egg faux yung is smaller, spicier, and slightly thicker in the middle (sort of like me compared to Ellen, I suppose). In fact, I preferred these mini omelets on the second day, once they’d rested in the fridge overnight and the insides had dried out a wee bit (you may find them a tad too moist when they’re very fresh).  In any case, the flavor is superb: a combination of ginger, sesame, and green onion that is quintessentially Asian. I also felt compelled to reproduce the thick and gelatenous sauce to spoon over top as well–it just wouldn’t be my buffet favorite without it. 

Whether you eat these with a side of chop suey, fried rice, or all on their own, one thing is for sure:  the delight you’ll experience when you take a bite will be one hundred percent authentic.

[Oh, and The EL-LENd Me A Hand campaign is still on! Help bring some healthy, vegan, sugar-free desserts to The Ellen Show (and I suppose they'll need someone to serve them--I guess I'll have to go, too). ]

Egg Faux Yung (ACD Phase II and beyond)

While egg faux yung is traditionally eaten for dinner, I’ve enjoyed these at breakfast as well–they’re a protein-packed way to start the day (because, hey, these aren’t traditional).

Omelets:

1 package (12 ounces or 350-375 g) firm tofu, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup (80 ml) chickpea or garfava flour

3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) turmeric

1/4 tsp (1 ml) paprika (not smoked)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) tamari, soy sauce or Bragg’s aminos

1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

1 tsp (5 ml) minced fresh ginger

2 tsp (10 ml) finely ground chia seeds

3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) baking powder

1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable broth or stock

1 medium carrot, finely grated

1/3 cup (80 ml) broccoli stems, finely grated (use leftover stalks when you cook broccoli florets) or finely chopped green pepper

1/2 small red pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced (include some of the green)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped parsley

Sauce:

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth or stock

1 Tbsp (15 ml) tamari, soy sauce or Bragg’s aminos

a few drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1/4 tsp (1 ml) sesame oil

1 Tbsp (15 ml) organic cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca starch

Optional Garnish:

1 large clove garlic, sliced

1 tsp (5 ml) coconut oil

additional sliced green onion

To make the egg faux yung:  Crumble the tofu into the bowl of a food processor.  Add the chickpea flour, turmeric, paprika, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, chia, baking powder and stock.  Process until smooth. 

Turn the mixture into a medium-sized bowl and add the carrot, broccoli, red pepper and green onion; stir to mix. The mixture should be fairly thick and not too moist, like a cookie dough, but still spreadable.

Heat a large frypan over medium heat; spray with nonstick spray. Using a large ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop the mixture and spread it on the frypan to create pancake-sized mini omelets; spread the mixture so that the egg faux yung are about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.  Cook without disturbing until the tops are beginning to dry out and the edges begin to brown (this could take a full 10 minutes).  Gently flip the omelets and cook for 5-8 minutes on the other side, until both sides are deeply browned. (Timing will depend on the heat of your particular stove and the thickness of your frypan; but be sure these are not undercooked!).  Keep omelets warm in the oven until all the mixture is used up.

Make the sauce:  In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the broth, tamari, hot sauce and sesame oil. Scoop out about 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of this mixture into a small bowl and add the cornstarch, whisking to eliminate any lumps.  Set aside.  Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil over medium heat.  Slowly stir in the broth-cornstarch mixture and return to boil; lower heat and simmer for about 10 more seconds, until thickened. 

For the optional garnish: melt the coconut oil in the frypan over medium heat and stir in the sliced garlic.  Continue to stir constantly until the garlic is browned, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

To serve, stack 2-4 egg faux yung on a plate and spoon some sauce over top.  Sprinkle with garlic and green onion slices.  Makes 4-6 servings. Omelets may be frozen; sauce will keep, up to 3 days, covered in the refrigerator.

Last Year at this Time: Anti-Candida Breakfasts: What Do You Eat?

Two Years Ago: Lucky Comestible II (5): Apple Quinoa Cake

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

[The final recipe, here with olives, green onion and almond feta]

I’ve seen it mentioned on twitter.  I’ve noticed it in passing on other blogs.  I’ve gone to their pages and read them.  But sorry, folks, I still don’t get it.

Question One: What’s the Big Deal with Formspring Me? 

Personally, I’d rather springform (pan) me.  Then, at least, I’d have cheesecake when I was done. 

Of course, I do understand the appeal of asking a blogger questions about her/himself; we all like to learn a little more about fellow bloggers’ personalities and personal lives.  (When I first started blogging, memes were all the rage, and I happily participated.  In a way, they accomplish something akin to Formspring, since they answer previously unanswered questions.) But what’s wrong with asking questions the old-fashioned way, through a blog comment, email, or social media?  (Okay, maybe those methods aren’t so old-fashioned after all.  But an inquisition, interrogation, jury duty interview or Miss Universe Pageant have all been done before).  

So please, go ahead, ask me anything! (Like, for instance, what’s up with Kara DioGuardi on Idol this season? I mean, canoodling with Simon? Drooling over Casey?  Crying??)  Or perhaps you’d like to know: how did I make this inimitable cheese bread?

[An early attempt:  higher, but too moist in the middle.]

Question Two: Why Am I Craving Bread All of the Sudden?

Now that I’m following Phase II of the ACD (almost a month with a “moderate” score on the ACD questionnaire!  Whoopee!), I’m allowed certain new grains and the occasional flour product.  Needless to say, I’ve been going to town baking again.  And though the sweet side of the recipe folder may remain a little neglected for a while, I’m perfectly happy to play with savory.

I’m not sure why I ended up with a hankering for this type of meal-in-a-loaf (or any bread, really), since  I’ve never been a fan of these floury foods in any form. I rarely consume sandwiches (in fact, you’ll find but one mention of a sandwich on this blog, and only two recipes for breads).  The idea of white bread–even a really good, crusty Italian ciabatta or French baguette–leaves me feeling “meh.” Now, give me a dense, hearty pumpernickel or a moist, tawny rye, and I’m there.  These were the kinds of breads we had in our house growing up–straight from my dad’s butcher shop (in an area where ethnic bakeries abounded); bread was something substantial, hefty, and dense; bread could double as a doorstop, or a means of self-defense (sorta like my confiscated keychain). 

Recently, I completed testing for an upcoming review of Celine and Joni’s amazing  500 Vegan Recipes (on the blog soon!)  and found myself with some leftover ”veganzola” cheese (the HH and I both loved it, and indeed enjoyed it for a few days in a row, but the recipe yields a huge amount).  

Contemplating what I could do with the cheese, it suddenly hit me: “savory bread!” 

Question Three: So How Do You Get the Caramel into the Caramilk Cheese into the Bread?

[Starting out with cheese filled savory muffins]

I thought it would be cool to enclose pockets of cheese within the bread so that each slice revealed a coin of the creamy stuff along with other savory goodies such as olives and green onions.  But how to accomplish this feat–how to prevent the cheese from melting and dissipating into the bread, effectively disappearing? 

I baked up an early batch in muffin form, simply to test the theory; would the cheese remain distinct from the batter?  The answer was, clearly, “yes.”  And these savory muffins make a great breakfast accompaniment. 

I thought the bread would be more visually appealing, however, as a single loaf, so that’s what I tried next (told you I had lots of cheese left over!).  Doubling the muffin recipe resulted in a huge slab, but one that required almost 2 hours to bake–and the middle was still a little too moist at that point. 

Back to the flouring board.

[The final product: whole loaf success!]

Finally, I tweaked the recipe and proportions (while preserving the same ratios of ingredients–thanks, Michael Ruhlman!) to create a loaf about 3/4 the volume of my first attempt.  This one baked up beautifully in just over an hour.  I could barely wait for it to cool before tasting it–and when I did finally sink my teeth in, oooh mama!  Success! 

The combination of tangy, salty cheese; briny, marinated olives; and delicately pungent onion was divine. The cheese remained soft within the moist, dense bread, punctuating each slice with a warm pillow of creaminess.  Manna!

Question Four: Sure, I May Have Liked It, But Are My Tastebuds Skewed From Being on the ACD for So Long?

As I sliced up the bread to photograph it for the blog, the HH observed from across the room.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Cheese bread with olives and onions,” I replied, crumbs dribbling from my mouth.

“Yeah, but it’s veeee-gan cheese, right?”

“Yup.”  (munch, munch).

He watched me scarf down the first slice and reach for another.  “Okay,” he conceded as I bit into it, “let me have a taste.”  I handed over a corner of the slice.

He chewed contemplatively.  “Hmm.  Not bad,” he said.  He broke off another piece from the slice and gobbled it up.  Then he reached for the bread on the table. 

“You can’t eat that yet–I have to take a photo,” I said. 

“Well, hurry up,” he scowled, “this is really good.” 

And that, dear readers, is when I knew:  if an omnivorous, cheese-loving, gluten-eating, generally ornery and skeptical male wanted to chow down on this GF and vegan bread, I had a real winner on my hands. 

Question Five:  So What Are You Waiting For? Go Bake Bread!

Cheese Filled Onion and Olive Bread (ACD Phase II and Beyond)

This bread is so hearty, so substantial and satisfying that you may find all you need is a light green salad alongside a slice, and you’ve got a meal. And just look at that crumb!

1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened applesauce

2 Tbsp (30 ml) tahini (sesame paste)

1-1/4 cups (300 ml) unsweetened almond, soy or hemp milk

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic

3 Tbsp (45 ml) finely ground flax seeds

1/3 cup (80 ml) oil-cured black olives, pitted and cut in half

2-3 green onions, sliced (white and light green parts only)

3/4 cup (90 g) amaranth flour (or use quinoa)

1-1/4 cups (145 g) millet flour

1/2 cup (55 g) soy flour

1 Tbsp (15 ml) arrowroot or organic cornstarch

2-1/4 tsp (12 ml) baking powder

3/4 tsp (7.5 ml) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt

about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of your favorite soft, flavorful “cheese,” homemade or packaged (I used “veganzola” from 500 Vegan Recipes and, in the final loaf, this feta.)

Preheat oven to 350F (190C). Line an 8″ (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the applesauce and tahini until smooth.  Slowly add the soymilk and mix well.  Stir in the vinegar, oil and flax seeds. Gently fold in the olives and onion; set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients, or at least 5 minutes (this will allow the flax to absorb excess moisture).

In a large bowl, sift together the amaranth flour, millet flour, soy flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir just to blend (do not overmix or your bread may not rise!).  The dough should be the texture of a thick muffin batter.

Very gently, spoon about half the batter into the bottom of the pan (it doesn’t have to be perfect; just estimate), spreading to ensure there are no uncovered spots.  Then, using about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cheese per portion, stagger mounds of cheese across the top of the batter, taking care not to touch the sides of the pan (and ensuring that the hunks of cheese don’t touch each other, either).  Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the first half in the pan, gently spreading it to cover the cheese completely. 

Bake in preheated oven 70-75 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the loaf is very deep golden brown on top (the usual test of doneness won’t work here, as the cheese will remain wet; however, if you’re certain you’re poking the loaf where there is no cheese, you can test with a toothpick inserted in the batter). 

Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before gently turning the loaf onto a cooling rack.  Slice using a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts (this will prevent the cheese from sticking to the knife, which can cause the slices to crumble).  Especially good warm or at room temperature with melted coconut oil.  Makes 8-10 generous slices.  May be frozen.

Last Year at this Time: Please Standby

Two Years Ago: Butterscotch Mousse Pie

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

When I first thought about the holidays this year, I resigned myself to the usual ACD fare:  hummus, salads, lots of greens and maybe some veggie patties.  But then I thought, why shouldn’t I have a great holiday dinner, too?  I set to work coming up with a delicious menu that both the HH and I could enjoy together–complete with a yummy dessert.

If you’re on an anti-candida (or any sugar-free, gluten free) diet, the holidays don’t have to be dire!  Anti-Candida Feast will provide everything from appetizer to dessert for your holiday meal.  I’ve created a dozen brand new recipes and paired them with a few more favorites from this blog.

All recipes are gluten free, stevia-sweetened and suitable for anyone on an anti-candida diet, or any diet that features whole, natural foods and is free of gluten, eggs, dairy, and sweeteners (except stevia) or anything artificial.  (Some recipes are suitable for phase 2 of the ACD, containing unsweetened chocolate, coconut milk or gluten free flours).

Here’s what you’ll get in this 29-page ebook:

–Tips on dealing with the anti-candida diet

–Sixteen recipes, including:

• Carrot pâté
• Holiday Nut Roast*
• Smoky Almond Gravy*
• Crimson Salad with Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds*
• Stuffed Peppers with Pesto Risotto
• Millet “Polenta” with Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onions*
• Simple Sesame Crackers
• Smooth and Saucy Ultra-Quick Tofu Scramble*
• Grain Free Lemony Almond Pancakes*
• Chocolate Pôts de Crème
• Mini Spiced Cupcakes*
• Choco-Carob Frosting*
• Spiced Pumpkin Millet Pudding*
• Stevia Sweetened Coconut Whipped Cream*
• Sweet Potato Pudding
• Carob Orange Cookies*

* Includes full color photograph.

To order your own copy of Anti-Candida Feast for just $5.00 US, use the “Buy Now” button in the left sidebar, or click here for the Ebook page (PayPal button is after the book description).

And don’t forget that you can win many of the ingredients to make the desserts in the ebook by entering the healthy baking kit giveaway–running until tomorrow! Just click here to enter.

[I thought it would be fun to run a little series over here at DDD: I'll profile one one of my favorite foods, or a food that I've recently discovered and enjoyed, over several days.  For this fifth edition, I'm focusing on cilantro. The series is presented on an occasional (and entirely arbitrary) basis, before I move on to the next lucky comestible. This is the second entry on cilantro.]

What woman doesn’t remember her first love? Me, I remember my first cookbook.**

Now, don’t get me wrong–of course I remember my first love, too.  I met Spaghetti Ears (not his real name***) the summer before I embarked on my Master’s degree, when I was about twenty two. Yes, I was a late bloomer.  Okay, I was a really late bloomer.  I was a ridiculously late bloomer.  A ”So-glad-You-Finally-Made-it-We’ve Already-Finished Dinner-and-the-Dishes-Are-in-the-Dishwasher,”  ”Sorry-You’ve-Missed-Your-Appointment-the-Doctor-is-Leaving-Now-and-I’ll-Have-to-Reschedule-You,”  “Honey-I’m-Three-Weeks-Overdue-Would-You-Run-to-the-Drugstore-and-buy-a-First-Response-Kit “ kind of late bloomer. 

Nevertheless, it was worth the wait.  Spaghetti Ears was, truly, an ideal first boyfriend.  Smart and funny, sweet and kind, loving and gentle, he was the type of guy who’d draw sappy birthday cards by hand, fill shoe boxes with rose petals to strew across the bed for your anniversary, tell you he loved you at least once a day or buy you opal earrings that, while beautiful, were beyond his budget, just because they were your birthstone and they would look lovely resting on your earlobes.  (Hmmm. . . wait a second. . . you mean I broke up with this guy? Was I nuts, or what?) 

And now, all these years later, I never even have to wonder what’s become of him, since we’re still friends.  We email each other on birthdays and get together for an annual celebratory lunch.   He tells me about his work and regales me with proud Papa stories, while I recount stories about The Girls’ antics and other events at the DDD household. (Oh, and sorry, ladies, he’s happily married).  Apart from a few more laugh lines and gray hairs, Spaghetti Ears is pretty much the same guy today as he was when we dated.

My first cookbook, on the other hand, is in much worse shape than when we first met.  (It’s my fault entirely.  I just couldn’t keep my hands off it).

I acquired my first “real” cookbook well into my twenties (told you I was a late bloomer!).  When I rented my first apartment on my own, my initial impulse was to think about how I’d furnish it. Oh, no, not with furniture, silly (though of course I’d get some of that, too).  I wanted to furnish it with cookbooks, the kitchen being the core and most important room in the place.

Having almost no disposable income at the time, I opted for the Doubleday Book Club, where you could order 9 books for $1.00 (then, you needed only purchase 4 more books at regular Doubleday prices–plus shipping and handling–over the next two years!). I ticked off names based on titles I’d heard or was only vaguely familiar with, such as The Joy of Cooking (I was lucky enough to get mine before the travesty of a second version hit the stands); Maida Heatter’s Great American Desserts (she remains an idol of mine); or the original Moosewood Cookbook, in all its handwritten glory, words and illustrations by the multi-talented Mollie Katzen.

How I loved my Moosewood book! In those first days of breathless infatuation, I tried as many recipes as I could, and always turned to my Moosewood before any other.  I made Katzen’s Carrot Loaf (really more like a casserole) more times than I can remember.  The cookbook also supplied my  introduction to hummus, gazpacho, tabbouleh, plus a host of other wonderful recipes. My love for anything Moosewood was ignited with that seminal tome and never waned. In fact, my dream of dining at the original Moosewood Restaurant  was finally realized a few years ago when the HH and I dropped in several times during a stop in Ithaca on our way to Boston. 

Fast forward to my first encounter with the ACD ten years ago, when I was desperately seeking recipes that were both tasty and complied with my dietary restrictions. Well, I turned to my beloved once again. This Lemony Baked Tofu from The Moosewood Restaurant New Classics fit the bill perfectly, and it was the first tofu dish I truly adored. Made with fresh, simple ingredients, the offbeat combination of cilantro, lemon, and jalapeno is transformative here.  The acidity of the lemon is tempered during baking so that the final result isn’t the least bit sour; the cilantro also loses a bit of its perfumed quality in the oven, creating a heady mix that’s intensely flavored with spice and just enough camarelization to confer a touch of sweetness.  

While it’s incredibly simple to make (I just whizz everything in the food processor) and there are certainly more elaborate or trendy interpretations of tofu around these days (tofu omelets? tofu scallops?  tofu ricotta?), I still love this tofu hot as a main course, cold in sandwiches or wraps, or on its own as an afternoon snack (a few slices have also served as breakfast on occasi0n, alongside home fries).  Even when the HH went through his “NO-fu” stage and refused to eat most of my standard tofu-based dishes, he would still enjoy slabs of this baked tofu paired with veggies or pasta. 

I’ve tried literally dozens of other tofu recipes since then, but this has remained a steadfast favorite. In a way, you might even say that this tofu is yet another one of my first loves.  Unlike the human variety, however (and even after ten years together), this recipe remains consistently lovable, has never let me down and can always make me happy, every time I take a bite.

***That was his actual pet name.  Mine was Melon Head.  Ah, the quirky charm of young love!

AND DON’T FORGET: Laurie at Baby Bites and Toddler Tapas is giving away a copy of Sweet Freedom–and there are six ways to enter!  The contest closes September 6th.  For more details, go here.

Other posts in this series:

• Lucky Comestible 5(1): Spicy Cilantro Sauce
• Lucky Comestible 5(3): Confetti Quinoa and Wild Rice Salad
• Lucky Comestible 5(4): Grain-Free Hazelnut-Cilantro Crackers
• Lucky Comestible 5(5): “Ground” Tempeh in a Cilantro-Curry Sauce

Other Lucky Comestibles:

• Lucky Comestible 1: Sweet Potato
• Lucky Comestible 2: Quinoa
• Lucky Comestible 3: Avocado
• Lucky Comestible 4: Coconut

Last Year at this Time: Mrs. K’s Date Cake (a Sweet Freedom recipe!)

© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs