veganmofo - fave cookbook

Day 12 #vgnmf15 asks us the question: "What is your favorite cookbook?"

Let's see...that could be Tamasin Noyes' Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day or American Vegan Kitchen?

or perhaps, Isa's Vegan Brunch or Isa Does It?

maybe, it's Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet or More Quick Fix Vegan?

While all the above named books will be on many mofo lists, I tell you truthfully that the one that I turn to almost day in and day out is Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N), by moia. And now that Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) is finally in my grubby little hands, I actually have TWO faves:

Let me show you why Everyday Vegan Eats is such a daily-used book in our house.

The night before last we enjoyed this recipe from EVE, Lima Bean Bake (page 184). We served it with the Garlicky Greens (page 196) - this time made of kale and watercress, and crusty bread to sop up the delicious gravy.

This is a quick-to-assemble dish that bakes in the oven for a few hours. Yeah, I know, we fired up the oven in the summer for this dish...and it was so worth it!

And then there's this pasta dish, Coco Loco with Dulse and Kale (page 146). I would start with about one tablespoon of dulse if you've never had sea vegetables before, but our family is up to about a quarter cup of dulse in this really tasty dish.

This dish marked the first time my kids asked for dark, leafy greens and it was thanks to this recipe, oh, about eight or nine years ago. We still love this really quick-to-make meal.

This next particular dish is one of my absolute favorites! It is Tandoori Tofu and Vegetables (page 124) and is served with naan (page 126) and raita (page 126). A complete Indian feast, all in this cookbook!

Of course, the bakery section is not anything to sneeze at; it has the recipe that produces the tallest vegan biscuits you've ever made, the softest chocolate chip cookies, the fudgiest brownies, the flakiest scone, and the crispiest Apricot and Raisin Rugelach (page 228), plus a whole lot more in this one chapter alone.

There are hidden gems in this seemingly only transitional cookbook, so you should really check it out. Not only are the recipes delicious, but they are also as authentic as it gets in the vegan realm. Really good vegan versions of old favorites, as well as creative original dishes.

As for Vegan Bowls, which just arrived this Friday evening, in addition to the previously mentioned reasons (#1, #2, and #3) I offer up reason #4 why I love this book: it is versatile.

Out of the 97 recipes in the book (87 are bowl meals, 10 are basic recipes), 83 are gluten free or have gluten free options and 91 are soy free or have soy free options. You can also easily substitute store-bought commercial vegan protein choices (such as Beyond Meat or Tofurkey) in many of the recipes.

** 23 recipes are both GF and SF without any substitutions
*** this is NOT a nut free cookbook as nuts are used in sauces, used as extra nutrition or used for texture in many recipes


How about a peak at the contents of the Grilled Chapter?

Here are a few highlights from Vegan Bowls.:

There you have it. My two favorite cookbooks to date!

If you haven't entered the contest to win Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) yet, head over to Tuesday's post HERE. Good luck!

veganmofo - nutrient + carb load

Day 11 at #vgnmf15 is brought to you by the Nutrients of Veganland.

This is another mofo prompt that was a collaboration among the womenfolk of the family. My son is away at Berkeley and hubby wasn't able to be part of the plan; he just reaped the rewards.

The girls and I have been thinking that carbohydrates have been getting a bad reputation. It's low-card this, Atkins that, paleo here and there and everywhere. And, of course, bacon.

Most people are not aware that carbs are an essential nutrient for brain function and it is your main source of energy for your cells and organs.

Therefore, we devised a beautifully Carb Load supper for last night: corn/quinoa pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce, my Carb Load Balls made with polenta and white beans, breaded in panko and baked, served with garlic bread. It was carby-licious!

"The roles of carbohydrate in the body includes providing energy for working muscles, providing fuel for the central nervous system, enabling fat metabolism, and preventing protein from being used as energy. Carbohydrate is the preferred source of energy or fuel for muscle contraction and biologic work.

Foods containing carbohydrate are in the grains, fruit, and legume groups. Vegetables have a small amount of carbohydrate.

After carbohydrate is eaten, it is broken down into smaller units of sugar (including glucose, fructose and galactose) in the stomach and small intestine. These small units of sugar are absorbed in the small intestine and then enter the bloodstream where they travel to the liver. Fructose and galactose are converted to glucose by the liver. Glucose is the carbohydrate transported by the bloodstream to the various tissues and organs, including the muscles and the brain, where it will be used as energy."


Chew on that!

If you haven't entered the contest to win Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) yet, head over to Tuesday's post HERE. Good luck!

Carb Load Balls
Makes 13 to 15 portions

Polenta:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup medium-ground cornmeal

Beans:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ¾ cups cannellini beans 

Breading:
¼ cup unsweetened plain vegan milk
3 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 ½ cups panko crumbs
½ teaspoon garlic granules
½ teaspoon sea salt
Oil spray

1. Polenta: Combine the broth, oil, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to boil and whisk in the cornmeal. Bring to simmer, stir and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, until the cornmeal is tender and thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
2. Beans: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, fennel and oregano. Cook until golden, about 1 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and cook until heated through. Mash the beans and remove from heat. Mix the polenta mixture with the beans mixture and transfer to a shallow pan. Spread the mixture out to about 1 ½-inches thick. Set aside to cool until firm but not completely hardened.   
3. Breading: Preheat oven to 375-degrees F. Oil a baking sheet. Combine the milk and starch in a shallow pan. Combine the panko, garlic and salt in a separate shallow pan. Cut the stiffened polenta mixture into about 1 ½-inch cubes. Form each cube into a ball. Do not piece the mixture together from separate parts as the balls may fall apart; form each square into a sphere. First, dredge each ball in the milk mixture and then in the panko mixture. Press the panko lightly to adhere. Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheet, spray with oil and bake until golden, about 30 minutes, turning the balls as needed. Serve.

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