Blogger Award & Recognition

To my surprise, I received a lovely email from Kristi at Veggie Converter letting me know she tagged me for a blogger award! Thank you so much for the recognition and honor. :]

The rules of the award are as follows:

• Share 7 things about yourself
• Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
• Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

My seven things..

1. I am forever in school: I have a B.B.A. in International Business and Management. During my undergraduate years, I also received my minor in Asian Languages & Literature (focus in Japanese) and studied abroad in London and also in Tokyo (to finish the said minor). Currently, I am pursuing a second bachelor's degree (B.A.) in Biology. 

2. I hope to go into the pre-health field: (one day). I went back to school in order to do this. After finishing my business degree, I realized I would never be satisfied or happy doing corporate business (despite I actually really enjoy management and the straight-forwardness of business [usually]). I need to help people or animals. Becoming vegan taught me that it is much more fulfilling to help those around you than to ever help yourself.

3. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area: Born and raised (and proud)! My whole family is from there. My grandmother was born in San Francisco in 1899, though she missed the Great Earthquake in 1906 because they had moved back to Pennsylvania to live with the rest of the family that had immigrated there from Ireland before the Civil War. They came back to SF in 1908, though. Growing up in SF gave me a variety of cultural experiences that I feel so blessed to have. The weather isn't bad either! 

4. I work as a Chicago Outreach Coordinator for Mercy For Animals: I help with a variety of tasks including leafleting, feed-in's, peaceful protests, and all the social networking. I was honored with the Youth Activist of the Year Award in 2009 at the Celebrating Compassion Gala.

5. There are only five places I wish to live one day: 1. Austin, TX. - 2. SF Bay Area - 3. Big Island of HI - 4. Irish countryside - 5. London. A bit all over, yes? Notice there isn't a whole lot of snow in any of those areas. I'm okay with rain!

6. I have two blind cats: who are my best friends! Popeye is my oldest cat and he only has one eye. That eye is about half blind with scar tissue. Lucy is my new kitten who has no eyes at all! They are such good cats who show great resilience despite the odds.

7. I would love to live out of a suitcase forever: if I could. Traveling is one of my favorite things and I get very antsy if I sit in one place for too long. I love culture and experiencing new people and places. Right now, I would love to visit South Africa or India. Oftentimes, I feel sort of torn between craving a more domestic life (hello, blind cats) or never staying still.

15 of my favorites:


Okay, so these are not "recently" discovered, but these blogs are some of my favorites.

1. Vegan Machine - I just discovered VM through Twitter... her cupcakes look so divine!

2. Vegan Dad - VD and I go way back. I've been using and loving this blog for a few years.

3. Vegalicious - The same goes for Vegelicious. Been loving them for years.

4. Meet the Shannons - Okay, okay. I know everyone knows about this blog but I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Betty Crocker gone vegan?!

5. Your Vegan Mom - I don't have kids, but this blog is too cute.

6. VeganYumYum - This blog is quite popular, but I love how she veganizes many Asian dishes.

7. a cupcake chronicle - This is my friend's (and also former Mercy For Animals intern) blog! She loves cupcakes and she can sure make them. :]

8. Comfort Food Vegan - The name says it all, right? Comfort food!
  
9. Vegan.com - Great news outlet for all things vegan. Have you read the Ultimate Vegan Guide yet? Erik has it posted for free on his website. Check it out!

10. FatFree Vegan Kitchen - Another popular blog but I love using her recipes for weeknight cooking. I usually just search by a vegetable I want to use and find something that works!

11. My Vintage Cookbook Addiction - Inspired my "Dishes Men Like" posts. Love the Etsy shop too.

12. seitan is my motor - I've used quite of few of their recipes before. Enjoyed them very much.

13. Tofu for Two - Same applies as above. There are quite a few European recipes for those who want to try something new (us Americans).

14. Bobby Pin Blog - Vintage hair. 'Nough said.

15. Firewater Kitchen - This is my friend's blog. We co-blogged the French Onion Soup recipe. For those of you who like your libations, mosey over to his blog (it's a booze blog).

Chinese New Year: Buddha's Delight & Jiaozi Dumplings

Chinese New Year starts on Thursday, Feb. 3rd. This year is the year of the rabbit. For more information about the year of the rabbit, check out this website. Actually, I was born the year of rabbit! 

Buddha's Delight

* Prep Time: 30 minutes

* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

* Ingredients:  

• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Shao Hsing rice wine*
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 medium pack fried bean curd, sliced*
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup white onion, sliced
• 1 (14 oz.) can stir-fry mix (water chestnuts, bamboo shoots. straw mushrooms, baby corn, etc.)
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• sesame oil, for frying
• white rice, cooked according to box instructions

* Recipe:  

1. Combine the first four ingredients and let tofu marinade in them for at least half an hour.
2. Steam the broccoli so that they are soft.
3. In a wok, heat some sesame oil and add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Once onions are translucent, add remaining vegetables and salt.
4. In a bowl, combine the vegetable broth with cornstarch.
5. Add the marinated tofu, mix, then add the vegetable broth mixture.
6. Cook until all vegetables are tender.
7. Top over white rice.

* Note: Shao Hsing is a Chinese cooking wine. You can find it at Asian grocery stores. If you can not find it, you can use sherry cooking wine instead. The same goes for the fried bean curd. If you can not find it, use regular tofu instead.

Jiaozi Dumplings

* Prep Time: 20 minutes

* Cook Time: 10 minutes

* Ingredients (for dumplings):  

• 1/2 package (4 oz.) Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled and cooked*
• 1/3 cup napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/8 cup water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 package (16 oz.) wonton wrapper*
• water, to close wontons

* Ingredients (for sauce):

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp green onions, sliced

* Recipe:  

1. Cook the seitan according to package instructions.
2. In a large pot, boil water.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
4. Fill the wonton wrappers with a teaspoon of the filling. Using your fingers, wet the wonton wrapper along the edges.
5. Fold wonton and pinch to close.
6. Place 7-8 dumplings in the boiling water and boil for about 3-5 minutes.
7. While dumplings are boiling, combine the sauce ingredient in a small bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar.

* Note: Upton's Naturals is a local Chicago seitan company. They sell their faux meats here in Chicagoland. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles,Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. Make sure your wonton wrappers are vegan. Many of them contain egg. I have a dumpling press, which is why my dumplings look so perfect in the picture. Same water around the edges applies when you use this too.

For all recipes, make sure the sugar is vegan. For more information about vegan sugar, please see this website.

During Chinese New Year, children receive small red envelopes usually filled with money. Also, Mandarin oranges are considered a sign of abundance and good fortune. They are often given to people as well.

Eggless Egg Salad

This was a request from my friend, Pam. It turned out pretty good! I've never had real egg salad (never ever liked eggs before I was vegan), so I don't have much to compare it to. But, I'd say it's awesome! 

Eggless Egg Salad

* Prep Time: 10 minutes

* Ingredients:  

• 3  tbsp onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp dill relish
• 3 tbsp stone ground mustard
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar*
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package medium grade tofu (14 oz.), pressed and drained, mashed*
• 3/4th jar vegan mayonnaise*

* Recipe: 

1. In a bowl, mash the tofu well.
2. Add the onion,celery, parsley, and dried dill to the tofu. Mix well.
3. Next, add the dill relish, mustard, lemon juice, agave, salt, and pepper. Combine well.
4. Lastly, add the mayonnaise. Combine well.

* Note: Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that is used to replace honey. You should be able to find it at your grocery store with the jams and honey. I used medium tofu in this recipe. If you wish, one could try this recipe with soft (not silken) tofu. Let me know how it turns out! I am not sure if it would be too "runny" which is why I opted for medium. For vegan mayonnaise, I prefer Vegenaise. 


Once you combine all the ingredients, if you feel the salad needs a little bit more of one of the ingredients, feel free to add more.

Dishes Men Like: Caesar Salad & Chick'n Divan

More recipes inspired by "Dishes Men Like". It is made by Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce and every single recipe contains their sauce! Clearly, men love these dishes. This is the rest of the dinner I made which composed of the previous blog entry (shrimp canapes and crab bisque), Caesar salad, and Chick'n Divan.
 

Caesar Salad
 

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients (for salad):  

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 bunch endive (preferably curly), chopped
• handful of cherry tomatoes, split down the middle
• handful croutons

* Ingredients (for dressing):

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese*
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise*

* Recipe: 

1. Combine the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, and Parmesan in a medium bowl. Once mixed, add the mayonnaise until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mixed together the lettuce, endive and tomatoes.
3. Place the lettuce mixture in a serving bowl, top with croutons, then add the dressing. Sprinkle with more vegan Parmesan!

* Note: I used Galaxy brand vegan Parmesan cheese topping. For vegan mayonnaise, I used Vegenaise. 
 

Chick'n Divan with Buttered Rice 

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes

* Ingredients (for chick'n divan):  

• 1 bunch of asparagus, ends chopped off
• 1 can (16 oz.) cream of mushroom soup*
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
• 1 package vegan chicken, defrosted and sliced*
• 1/2 cup heavy soy cream, whipped*
• 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise*

* Ingredients (for buttered rice):

• 2 cups white rice, cooked
• 1 tbsp soy butter*
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe (for chick'n divan): 

1. Cook asparagus in boiling salt water until tender, then drain. Place the asparagus in a large baking dish.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Combine soup, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and pour 1/2 mixture over asparagus.
4. Top the asparagus with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
5. Defrost the vegan chicken and slice into 1/2 in. pieces.
6. Top the asparagus with the chicken and pour remaining soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with another 1/3 cup of cheese.
7. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
8. While baking, combine the whipped cream with mayonnaise.
9. When chicken is done baking, spread the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup cheese.
10. Broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

* Recipe (for buttered rice):

1. Cook the rice according to box instructions.
2. While still hot, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

* Note: The cream of mushroom soup I used was Imagine brand. The vegan chicken was Vegetarian Plus brand. For the soy whipping cream, Soyatoo was used. Vegan mayonnaise brand was Vegenaise. Earth Balance was the soy butter used.

The recipes above were fantastic! I hope you all enjoy them. I'm looking forward to modifying and creating more vegan versions of these retro dishes in the future.

Dishes Men Like: Shrimp Canapes & Crab Bisque

I am a huge fan of vintage cookbooks. This website does not help extinguish my love. When I found out that the Shannons were doing the Betty Crocker vegan version, you should have seen my face! I have this ridiculous old cookbook called, "Dishes Men Like". It is made by Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce and every single recipe contains their sauce! Clearly, men love these dishes. Of course, I had to attempt to veganize some of them. So far, I have tried shrimp canapes, crab bisque, Caesar salad, and chicken divan. I attempted to follow the recipes as closely as possible.


Shrimp Canapes

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

* Ingredients:  

• 2 tbsp soy butter, melted*
• 1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 package of small toasts (around 6-10)
• 1/2 package vegan shrimp (around 6-10 shrimp)*

* Recipe: 

1. In a medium frying pan, fry the shrimp according to package instructions - about 5-10 minutes.
2. Combine soy butter and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
3. Top the toasts with the mixture, followed by the shrimps.

* Note: I used Earth Balance for the soy butter. For vegan shrimp, I used Vegetarian Plus brand.


Crab Bisque

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

* Ingredients:  

• 1 cup vegan crab meat, crumbled*
• 1 tbsp soy butter*
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can of condensed pea soup*
• 1 can soup water
• 1 cup chopped lobster and oyster mushrooms, dehydrated
• 1 cup mushroom water
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe: 

1. In a medium pot, boil the lobster and oyster mushrooms. Allow them to dehydrate completely.
2. While the mushrooms are on the stove, put the pea soup and soup water on in another medium pot. Stir well.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan, add the butter and allow it to melt. Next, put in the crab meat, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Combine well.
4. When you are done dehydrating the mushrooms, chop them into small pieces. Add them to the crab mixture and combine well.
5. Next, add the crab mushroom mixture to the pea soup, followed by a cup of the mushroom water. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Serve.

* Note: I used Earth Balance for the soy butter. For vegan crab meat, I used Match Meats. Lastly, for pea soup, I used Fig Food, Co.

These are the first few pages of the book. So great! Also to note, I used the lobster and oyster mushrooms in the crab bisque because of their seafoody taste. I wanted to add a little more ommph to the recipe. The original recipe did not call for the mushrooms or the cayenne, otherwise it is the same. As for the shrimp canapes, I choose to fry the vegan shrimp rather than to boil them to give them a little more taste. The original recipe called for just cooked shrimp.

Animal Shaped Chick'n Nuggets

Super kid-friendly recipe! Have fun with these cute nuggets. If I had dino shaped cutters, I would have done that. Alas, I only had animal shaped cookie cutters.

Animal Shaped Chick'n Nuggets

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

* Ingredients:  

• 2 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tsp salt & pepper
• 1 tsp of Butler's Chik Style Seasoning, optional*
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup all purpose
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1 "egg", follow box instructions
• 1 block tofu, 10 oz., pressed, cut into animal shapes
• vegetable oil, for frying

* Recipe: 

1. Combine all ingredients except soy milk and egg in a bowl. Mix well. 
2. Combine the soy milk and egg in another bowl. 
3. Heat oil in a large sized frying pan. 
4. Press the tofu and then slice the block into four sheets. Use animal shaped cookie cutters to make animal tofu bites. 
5. Take your animal bites and coat with the soy milk mixture, then coat with the dry mixture. 
6. Place in heated pan and fry each side until golden. 
7. Use ranch or bbq sauce with these fun nuggets! 

* Note: The Butler's Chik Style Seasoning is something I found on Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe and thought it would be useful for my fried chicken, etc. I used it in this because I had it. It is not necessary. 

French Onion Soup

This week, my friend and I decided to co-blog a recipe. He posted his version on his website, Firewater Kitchen. His blog is dedicated to alcohol, either creating libations or cooking with booze. The French onion soup I normally make just has red wine, though we also made this with brandy.


French Onion Soup

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 hour

* Ingredients (for soup):  

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 4 small red onions, diced
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup red wine
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for topping): 

• fresh baguette, sliced
• mozzarella soy cheeze, sliced*

* Recipe:

1. Dice your onions and set aside.
2. Place pot on medium heat and add butter. Once melted, add the onions, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
3. Caramelize the onions for about half an hour, stirring here and there so they do not stick.
4. Add the brandy and allow to deglaze. Add the stock, red wine, and thyme.
5. Cook the soup for another 20-30 minutes.
6. While the soup is cooking, slice the baguette and top with the cheeze. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until the cheese begins to melt.
7. Place soup in bowl and top with the cheeze bread slice. Enjoy!

 * Note: The soy butter I used is Earth Balance. For the cheeze, I used Chicago Soydairy's Teese brand. Make sure your alcohol is vegan. Check out Barnivore for more information.