For the Love of Eggplant

Let's review. We love curry. If you've been paying attention you may know this. What you may not know, as it is a recent discovery for us, is how much we love eggplant. A year ago, all I knew about eggplant was that I liked the colour a whole lot.

As an aside, why are all vegetables called 'red' really purple?  'Red' onion, 'red' cabbage. Think about it and marvel.

Eggplant Curry

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, cut up
- 1 large eggplant, peeled, cubed and soak in water
- package Gardien beef tips (opitional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp garham Marsala
- 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cups basmati rice

Cook basmati rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, put olive oil in large pot, heat on medium low heat. Add onion, and sauté till beginning to brown. If using Gardien, put on with the onion, so both are browned.

Add garlic, cook about a minute, then add mushrooms and eggplant. Both will cook down. Add salt and spices, spice to taste, I just put what I used in this dish. And Denise likes it spicy, and I like it not too, too hot. This combo seems to work.

I usually simmer about 10-15 minutes on low heat. Then the rice should be about done too.

Serve curry over rice. Yay! You just cooked with eggplant! Look at you. Now go brag to your friends.

- Melina  : D

So eggplant. It's a scary vegetable. Had no idea what to do with it. It wasn't until our friend Janis, who spent much time in China and Hong Kong and came home with 2 of the cutest kids ever, gave us a tip that we dared experiment. You see, eggplant absorbs a lot of oil when it's cooked. Then it can get all slimy and icky. Eww. The greatest trick is to soak the cut eggplant in water first! GENIUS! Then it repels any oil used in cooking.

I want to find a million things to do with eggplant. Right now our favourite is this 'Beefless Tips and Eggplant Curry'. If you have feared the eggplant, or even if you haven't, you must try it. It is AMAZING!

Take it away Melina! 

~ Denise

Brill Banana Bread

So, I love banana bread. Some folks don't. Denise's mom thinks it's stupid to 'cook with bananas'. If you are like me, and come down on the side of pro banana cooking, read on, my friend, read on.

Have you always wanted to be a wizard? In the kitchen, I sometimes feel a bit like an old time alchemist, with my flours and sugars and potions. Ok, it's vanilla, not a potion, but let use some whimsy here, ok?

What follows is my first recipe. All mine.

Brill Banana Bread

- 3 bananas,over-ripe and mushed
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp vanilla
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup applesauce
-1/4 cup soy milk
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat over to 350*

In small bowl, mix warm water and flax meal well, and set aside to thicken.

In medium bowl, mash bananas. Add applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add thickened flax meal, mix well.

In separate large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Combine well.

Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine till ' just mixed'. Pour in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle Demerara sugar on top. I used 1/4 cup. This was nice because it was all crunchy on top, but if you want to use less, of course you can.

Bake for about 60-ish minutes. Make sure that a knife inserted comes out clean.

 Denise's comment was intermittent moaning, and observed it was more 'cake' like than 'bread'(which I meant as the highest of compliments! ~ Denise). I was most pleased with it and will be treating loved ones to banana bread soon. I think you know who you are!

Hugs, Melina.

Is That a Buffalo in That Salad?

Vegans are human, and wow has that human weakness been apparent in your favourite vamps for the month of December. Our usual supply of foodie goodness was replaced by the quick and convenient. Honestly, I am now to the point that all I want to eat are green things, or as Jennifer Saunders once said in a genius moment on 'Absolutely Fabulous', "Food with the dirt still on it."

I know that some vegans do not like the 'fake meat' products. We embrace Gardein as we do tofu, seitan and beans. In our kitchen there is a place for all deliciousness. One of our personal favourites is the Classic Buffalo Wings. Warning first: these are SPICY BABY! No wimpy vegans need apply.

I wanted a salad, I wanted wings, I made this amazing thing which I am convinced will be making a regular appearance in our food rotation.

washed baby spinach
3-4 mushrooms
1/4 of an avocado
2 tablespoons poppyseed dressing (it would also be good with a vegan ranch or blue cheese, but I was going for quick here and use a pre-made poppyseed)
5 Gardein Buffalo Wings

Salad assembly is pretty self-explanatory, right? Arrange your spinach, chopped up mushroom and avocado on a plate. Drizzle with the dressing. Prepare the wings as per package instructions. Put the wings and the sauce from the pan on the salad. Let the yummy flavours of the sauce blend with the cool dressing. Eat it. Thank me later!

* These instructions are the amounts for one salad. Multiply as needed when the people around you start begging for their own!

~ Denise

Super Scrambliciousness

Who doesn't love a yummy fry-up? Ever since Melina and I have lived together, brunch has been a big part of our lives. There was the Mother Tucker's brunch buffet, where I learned that my new bestie considered a buffet to be a challenge. It was there that I saw her take on our friend Luke in a competitive eating challenge. She lost, but in fairness, Luke was amazing. Another memory: the many Sunday mornings with full breakfast and Coronation Street. Good times.

The bacon and eggs are a thing of the past, and we don't miss them one bit. Every vegan has their own version of the tofu scramble. We have many. This is just one of the many we have tried.

Tofu and Sausage Scramble

1 small block of extra firm tofu (227 grams)

2 vegan sausages (we like Tofurky Italian. Mmmmmm!)

1/2 medium onion

2 Tbs canola oil

salt and pepper

Sauté onion in the oil over medium heat until browned. Crumble the tofu and continue to sauté until it just begins to colour. Then add the chopped up sausages and continue to cook until lovely and brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like lots of pepper. Mmmmmmm!

We served with yummy kale and toast.  Amazing and so easy!

~ Denise

'THE' Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, finally, this is the post a LOT of people I know are waiting for. And we'll get to the cookies in a minute, but first I'd like to talk about the chocolate chip cookie. This is my favourite cookie, and always has been. When I was young, my mom bought the packaged ones, and they where ok. Then there was the President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie. This changed my life. It was love at first bite way back in the late 80's. Then I started making my own cookies. They were really good. Really, really good. I'd make them and bring them to my work, and I swear I got a raise at my first job because of them.

 I've made them and brought them in to every job I've had. This is the first time I've worked in such a large office, and also the first time I've had to make a quadruple batch. I've a growing list of separate little packages of cookies I need to make and deliver. I love to bake, and I love to feed people. I wish my company would just pay me to make the cookies for work everyday. It has been suggested. I don't think it will go too far.

Alright, back to the recipe. It comes form our very first vegan cookbook. There are some absolute gems in this cookbook. I just wish you could by them with laminated pages in a coil spine. As you can see, this has been through some wars.

                                                                 'How It All Vegan'

This holiday season, make everyone you know love you more, because food means love. Feed them. ; D

-Melina : D

Non-Beef Stroganoff - Beating Betty

So, like lots of us, I didn't grow up vegan.  I grew up Betty.  I took over cooking rather young, and the Betty Crocker Cookbook was the only proper cookbook my mom had.  Plus, I liked pictures in my cookbook, as they were my teacher.

We ate a lot of horrible instant-types of food growing up, and Hamburger Helper was a regular dinner. We tried the Beef Stroganoff one once, and it totally grossed me out.  I've disliked the idea of it ever since.  (I actually loved this stuff as a kid but am learning I may have been the only person who did. ~ Denise)

However, Denise really liked this Stroganoff thing, (her mom cooked) and I said I'd make it tonight,  just veganize the Betty recipe.  I used Gardein Beef Tips.  It turned out well, Denise said it was really good. I liked it too so I think we will add this to the rotation.  (I liked real Stroganoff growing up as well, not just the Hamburger Helper kind.  We used to go to a kind of fancy place where I got Stroganoff crepes.  Now the idea of cow crepes is icky but this could be the solution. ~ Denise)

Vegan 'Beef' Stroganoff

1 package Gardien 'Beef' Tips, cut in 1/2
2 tbsp Earth Balance
1 1/2  cups veggie broth
2 tbsp ketchup (weird, but do it)
1 tap salt
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp flour
1 cup vegan sour cream

In a medium or large skillet, add the Earth Balance and 'beef' and saute on medium heat, till browned. Keep about 1/3 cup of the veggie stock, but pour in the rest, as well as the ketchup and salt and garlic. Heat to boiling and reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms and onion, cover again and simmer about another 5 minutes, or till onion is tender. Whisk flour and broth together till it forms a sort of thickish paste, then add to 'beef' mixture. heat to boiling, stirring lots. Boil for 1 minute. Then add sour cream and heat till hot. Serve over pasta or rice.

I really enjoyed this, and will make it again. Soon. (YAY! ~ Denise)

- Melina : D

Bronski Curry

I love curry.  This is definitely the best chickpea curry I have ever eaten, and we have a lovely lady named Bronwyn to thank for it.  There are a few things you should know about Bron.  #1 She's vegan, which makes her cool.  #2 She's British, which makes her cooler.  #3 She has a tendency to pose in an inappropriate manner with statues, and occasionally cannons.  #4 She eats pickled onions, which makes me think she is very brave.  I can't get my head around them myself.

The availability of curry on every corner is one of the many reasons that Melina and I think living in the UK would be heavenly.  Also, the gorgeous scenery, shopping and sexy accents.  But I digress.

Our very favourite restaurant in the city is the Taj Mahal.  Melina has made me promise that when I get a novel published,  I will take her out to dinner there.  She has been planning the menu for ages.  In the meantime, we get by with an assortment of homemade curries, including this one.  It is known in our home as 'Bronski Curry', and I could eat it every day.  YUM!

Melina will explain further.  :)

Thanks, Denise.

Bronski is awesome. I do enjoy a fine curry. We thank her for this recipe. Yay!

Chickpea Curry

1 tbsp olive oil
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ginger powder
5 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 good pinch cinnamon
1 cup water
1 large tomato, chopped
pinch oregano

Heat oil in medium pot. Add onion and saute till translucent, then add garlic and saute and minute or so more. Add ginger and curry powders, stir and saute for about 1/2 minute more, add chickpeas, water, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Stir.
Then add the tomato and oregano. Stir.
Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes cook down. Stir on occasion.
After tomatoes are cooked, remove lid and continue cooking to remove excess liquid. When you have desired thickness, serve over rice.

It is a good curry. It freezes well too.

- Melina  : D