Why Vegan? + Spaghetti & Salad

I have to say, the only thing I dislike about being vegan is the amount of effort it takes to explain my diet.

What's wrong with you? So what do you eat? I could never give up cheese and eggs. Would you be offended if I ate meat in front of you? What do you eat when dining out? All you eat is salad, right? No really, why can't you eat this?

My answer: I chose to be vegan to be healthier and more sustainable. As a vegetarian I knew the dairy and egg industry was abhorrent, but loved eggs and cheese and the convenience of eating a slice of pizza for dinner. I refuse to go PETA on someone's ass because they love meat. Being vegan is a lifestyle choice and ideology; if I impose my views and opinions on someone else based on their diet, I'm no better than a religious nut.

Also, there's those who argue that being vegan requires tons of money. I disagree -- I have four dollars and seventy-five cents in my bank account and have somehow managed to still feed myself without dumpster diving. It also helps having a pantry full of canned and dried goods.

In saying that, I introduce to you two vegan dishes Tati and I created over the past weekend. The first, a simple salad created from Trader Joe's groceries.


Warm beet and green bean salad with butter lettuce.
The second, a delicious pasta dish crafted from what was available in my kitchen at the time.

 

Lemony Tofu and Kale Spaghetti

Warm Beet and Green Bean Salad
1 can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls fresh green beans, rinsed and chopped in half
1/2 lb beets, tops removed and peeled
1 small head butter lettuce, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel beets and chop into quarters. Set aside.

Boil pot of water over medium-high heat, add green beans. Boil green beans for 2-3 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Place beets onto baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, add cannellini beans to baking sheet. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until beets are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, combine green beans and butter lettuce in a bowl. When beets and white beans are done cooking, add to bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lemony Tofu and Kale Spaghetti
2-3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 block firm tofu, pressed and sliced
1 bunch kale (dino or curly), torn into bite-sized pieces
1 lemon

1 pack spaghetti (I used linguini), cooked

salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Cook pasta al dente according to directions, 7-8 minutes. [Don't forget to add salt to the pasta once boiling; I nearly had an Italian slap me because I confessed I never added salt while cooking pasta/spaghetti]. Slice half of the lemon thinly, reserve the other half to be juiced.

Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic, sauteé for 30 seconds. Add tofu, cook for 5 minutes. Add sliced lemon pieces, cook for a few minutes. Add kale and sauteé for 2-3 minutes.

Drain pasta (don't rinse it!), add to pan with tofu and kale. Using tongs, toss and stir pasta in the pan. Add remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper pieces.

Sandwiches: Condiment Love

I've recently been a fan of making my own condiments: vegan cream cheese, pesto, applesauce, anything. It goes along with my pledge to eat as sustainably as possible; most vegan substitutes rely heavily on manufactured ingredients, hydrogenated oils, and palm oil. Kenji from Serious Eats beautifully expresses my philosophy on faux meats in an article here.

But enough with the banter and linkage, you guys didn't come here to be lectured.


Displayed above is the result of my experimentation. Artisan sourdough (from the talented Josey Baker), smothered with kale walnut pesto, tofu cream cheese, and tomato jam. Layered on top is a roasted red pepper, spinach, and marinated tofu.

I'm still perfecting the cream cheese and tomato jam recipe, but I'm pretty proud of my pesto. If there's anything I like more than sandwiches, it's garlic. What's that recipe? You call for 2 cloves of garlic? That's cute, I'm adding in 4. No overrated vampire 'dreamboat' will approach me now!

I digress. The pesto recipe below was passed on to me from a neighbor who made batches of fresh pesto and always called on me to taste test. Although I was young, I remember always joking with him, saying it needed more garlic. The best part of the recipe (aside from the ridiculous amount of garlic it contains) is that it's easily adaptable with any green (arugula, cilantro, beet tops) or nut (walnuts, almonds). Pine nuts are expensive and I'm cheap, so I am fond of walnuts in my kale pesto.

Not-For-The-Faint-of-Heart Kale Pesto
adapted from George's Basil Pesto and Isa's Bestest Pesto recipes

1/2 cup walnuts
16 medium cloves of garlic
2/3 tsp coarse salt
3 cups fresh kale
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup olive oil (or 1/4 olive oil, 1/4 water)
1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

Toast the walnuts in a skillet for about 10 minutes, until slightly browned.

Transfer to a food processor. Add in garlic and salt, then process.

Add kale using repeated pulses to mince. Add olive oil and nutritional yeast and pulse to combine. Slowly add in olive oil and lime/lemon juice, pulsing in between. Process for one minute, do not over-process. Pesto should have a somewhat gritty texture.

Pour into a glass jar and seal mixture. It can be covered with a thin layer of olive oil to retard discoloring. Will keep a week in the refrigerator or can be frozen.

Sunday Brunch: After St. Patty's Day

Wanting to feel somewhat healthy after destroying my already-failing liver during St. Patrick's Day, I decided to make a breakfast quiche.

When I first considered becoming vegan, I wept at the thought of giving up eggs. I loved fried eggs, poached eggs, quiches, frittatas; my philosophy on food was "put an egg on it!" Then I discovered the secret of using tofu as an egg substitute in such dishes. Don't wrinkle your nose at me.

I decided to give it a shot.


BAM. Food porn. You didn't think vegans were allowed to have food porn, did you? Given it's not the greatest porn shot (I'm an amateur, alright?), but still; it's pretty damn sexy.

This recipe required a bit more time than a regular quiche, but it was worth it. It also passed the Russell test, who claimed it was pretty damn near similar to an eggy dish. I cut time by using a bulgur crust, but perhaps I'll try a flour crust when I have more patience.

Green Quiche: for Curing Post-St. Patty's Celebrations

2 cups water
1 cup bulgur

1 pound/block soft tofu
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/3 cup pesto (I made a kale & walnut pesto, posting the recipe soon)

You're an adult, you can choose your own veggies (I sauteéd garlic, broccoli florets, spinach, oregano, and added in roasted red peppers).

Preheat oven to 375°F. Add bulgur to boiling water, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes (until no water remains). Press bulgur into pie dish, bake for 15 minutes, until bulgur feels firm to the touch. Remove from oven.

While the bulgur is cooking, make your filling! Blend tofu in food processor, adding in soy sauce, mustard, and nutritional yeast halfway through. Blend until smooth, scrape into medium sized bowl. Fold in pesto.

Prep and cook your veggies. Fold them into the tofu-pesto mixture; add salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer tofu-pesto-veggie goodness into bulgur crust, making sure veggies are evenly spread out. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm and lightly brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

Sunday Brunch

Hungover and tired on a Sunday morning, waiting for the kombucha to kick in, Paola and I decided to remedy the situation with brunch.

Tofu scramble was a must. Tempeh bacon was also mandatory. And carbs, the ingredients had to be surrounded by carbs. Oh and I guess some greens would be nice too.

I decided on a breakfast sandwich. Who doesn't like sandwiches? Paola and I have determined if we open a restaurant, anything that isn't a sandwich must be wrapped in something equally full of wheat and carbs.

We had to name our creation something that reflected the goodness of consuming brunch after a night out. 'Hangover Brunch Sandwich' wasn't entirely true, since it required some preparation, and we weren't that hungover.

Thus, the Morning-After Sandwich. No, not that morning after. This sandwich does not void any bad decisions from the night before, but it will make you feel better.

Paola: I'm going to hell, aren't I?
Kelly: At least this sandwich is bomb.


Morning-After Sandwich
Tofu scramble:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 package of firm tofu, pressed and drained
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
handful of chopped green onions

4 slices tempeh bacon (Tofurky is da best)
roasted red pepper (tomato would work for those of you who are less prepared)
handful of spinach
veganaise and dijon mustard
sandwich bread, toasted

Warm the olive oil and garlic in a skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add in tofu, cutting into bite-sized chunks with a spatula. Sauté tofu for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring. I let my tofu get crispy and stick somewhat to the pan before scraping it with the spatula.

Add in spices and stir to coat tofu. Remove from heat, add green onions and toss to combine.

Warm a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add tempeh bacon, let cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until browned.

Smother bread with vegan mayo and mustard. Add spinach, bacon, scramble, and red pepper (or tomato). Attempt to eat without dropping scramble everywhere.