Bring In the New Year Veganically!

photo from consumers.californiaoliveranch.com

Ok, so 'vegancially' is not a legitimate word, but you get the idea. . . Came across these recipes and they all look good. Eating black-eyed peas first thing New Years Day (i.e. right after midnight 12/31) is supposed to bring luck and prosperity for the new year--a custom in the Southeast that most likely originated during the Civil War. Black-eyed peas happen to be delicious (and nutritious), so why not?. . . And collard greens can be substituted for any other greens--kale or chard for instance. But collard greens are delicious and full of health benefits--particularly their cholesterol lowering ability.

Tofu Yu tofu works especially well for the tofu recipe in this selection, because it is naturally firm. So whether you cube it or slice it, it maintains its shape and you don't have that extra water that you often get from other tofu brands. And if you prefer walnuts to peanuts--go for it.

In any event, here's to a safe, healthy, and happy New Year and remember "The best things in life are organic."

Pomp and Circumstance

photo from the Domaine Carneros website

A bit more information about that organic champagne from Domaine Carneros:

First of all, you realize that what is often called champagne is technically not champagne, because the grapes must have been grown in the Champagne region of France to be called such. But sparkling wines made in the United States and other countries are often given the name "champagne" because of the similarity to these wines.

The festive (peachy pink) Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour is a toast to the life and times of Madame de Pompadour (She had a haircut named after her. Think Elvis.). Anyway, Mme. de Pompadour is the person credited with introducing champagne to the court and was quite well versed in matters of art, architecture and philosophy. “Champagne is the only wine a woman can drink and remain beautiful,” once said the Madame.

Well, we don't know if we agree about the "only" part, but a glass of champagne in any hand is certainly complimentary.

Want to visit Domaine Carneros? Find out more at www.vinorganica.com.

Organic Champagne for New Year's

photo from contexttravel.com

Do you want to greet 2011 with an organic toast? Well, if it's organic bubbly you're after, you may be interested in knowing that Domaine Carneros offers an organic sparkling wine--the only certified organic sparkling wine in the United States. All 350 acres of the estate at Domaine Carneros are certified organic, with official certification from California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) in 2008.

Most sparkling wine and champagne is not vegan, but Domaine Carneros is. . . 
Wine goes through a process called "Remuage," the clarifying process after the second fermentation process, which is where the bubbles come from. The fermentation process typically leaves sediment, usually pushed through the necks of the inverted bottles by either egg whites or isinglass (an extract from sturgeon bladders). Then this agent is removed from the wine, but there are particles left over. Domaine Carneros uses "Clarifiant S, sodium bentonite,"  a clay-based product, to remove the sediment and clarify the sparkling wine, thus eliminating the animal products and making a vegan wine.

Tofu French Toast

photo from the Care 2 site

(Adapted from The PETA Celebrity Cookbook, edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk (Lantern Books, 2002), this recipe appeared on the Care2 website.)

Since my daughter and I are planning to share French toast with blueberries and a generous pour of maple syrup--it IS Christmas after all and it's not a day to hold back--this recipe caught my eye. This vegan version has no eggs or milk, but is laden with tasty protein! And if you're a cinnamon-lover like I am, you can always put in way more cinnamon than the recipe calls for. BTW- cinnamon lowers both blood pressure and cholesterol and some studies indicate that it lowers blood sugar as well.

INGREDIENTS
8 slices vegan French bread (a couple of days old is best, ed note: and if you're not vegan, you can choose any type of bread you want--including Challah--with or without egg--which is awesome for French toast)
1 cup whole wheat flour (ed note: the pastry version, which is lighter)
2 cups soy or rice milk
4 tablespoons tofu
2 teaspoons cinnamon (ed note: consider this a minimum quantity)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1. In a blender, blend all ingredients except the shortening and bread. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and dip the bread in, covering both sides.

2. Melt the shortening in a pan and place dipped bread in pan. Add extra cinnamon on top.

3. Brown on both sides. Serve topped with fresh fruit or maple syrup.

Serves 2.

Creme Brulee a la Tofu - Mais Oui!

photo from laughing1wolf.blogspot.com

Tofu creme brulee. Picture that on your holiday table. Pourquoi pas?

This dandy recipe, which provides you with 7 grams of protein for each serving, btw, is found in the January 2011 issue of Clean Eating. Recipe serves 6.


Ingredients:

1 cup 1% milk
3 chai tea bags (or equivalent in bulk placed in a tea ball)
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 cardamon pods
8 oz. firm tofu (Tofu Yu tofu is already firm and drained), drained of all water
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. organic evaporated can juice, divided

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a small saucepan, heat milk to a simmer over medium heat. Revmoe from heat and add tea bags, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. Cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with a metal blad, combine tofu, egg, egg whites, and 1/3 cup cane juice; process until very smooth.

Remove tea bags (or tea ball) and spices from milk. With food processor running, slowly pour milk through feed tube until combined. Divide mixture equally among 6 ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish and fill dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake in over for 18-22 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and chill until serving time. To serve, top each creme with 1 tsp. cane juice and place under preheated broiler until crystals melt and become brown.

Calories: 126
Total Fat: 3g.
Sat. Fat: 1g.
Carbs: 18g.
Fiber: 0g.
Sugars: 16g.
Protein: 7g.
Sodium: 63mg.
Cholesterol: 38mg.

Balti Eggplant and Tofu Stir-Fry

Eggplant is a good source of Vitamin K, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber. And did I remember to say it's delicious?

photo from Mountain Valley Seed Company

Here's an interesting recipe to liven up your holiday table--or any table. ;-) Works well as a main or side dish.

What you'll need:
2 Tbs vegetable oil (we recommend olive)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup balti curry paste
10 1/2 oz. slender eggplant, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
12 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch squares
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (or you can use an equivalent amount of those delicious cherry tomatoes, cut in half)
1/4 cup vegetable stock (chicken is fine too, but look for the low-sodium/low-fat kind if you don't use your own)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup toasted cashews
saffron rice, ready to serve


Serves 4


Heat a wok or deep frying pan until very hot. Add the oil and swirl quickly to coat. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened and barely golden.

Stir in the balti curry paste (which you can make or purchase where Indian spices are sold) and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tofu cubes, gently tossing for 3-4 minutes or until golden.

Add the tomatoes and stock and cook for 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just barely wilted. Season to taste, but be sparse with the salt. Eggplant already has a fair amount of sodium in it. Sprinkle the cashews on top  and serve with saffron rice.

Gluten-Free for You and Me

Interesting that about one percent of the U.S. population suffers from Celiac disease, and because of the range of symptoms the disease presents, it is often difficult to diagnose. Also interesting that many people who do not have any indication of Celiac disease are adopting a gluten-free diet, at least in part. Lately, there are indications that oats, previously thought to be a no-no for gluten-sensitive individuals, may be just fine.

Check out this great link on all things Celiac related.

And keep in mind that all Tofu Yu products are gluten-free (including the teriyaki veggie burgers, which are made with gluten-free soy sauce). The toveggie balls used to come in two versions--one with wheat and one gluten-free, but this proved too confusing to our customers who wondered why that particular product was the only one marked as such. Well, now there's no confusion. We dropped the wheat version of our toveggie balls. So now everything we make is gluten-free. Period.

What to do with that pesto pasta?

A friend of mine who loves our Tofu Yu pesto pasta (she's purchased it multiple times and she ends up eating it right out of the bag) asked me recently what you're actually supposed to do with it. Well, the answer is basically- "Whatever you want." And I'm not being sarcastic.

It's great right out of the package or on top of a salad, mixed in with a salad, etc. Maybe you put it on a plate (cold) and garnish it with fresh parsley, tomatoes, or walnuts.

Or, you may want to heat it up and enjoy it that way: you can steam it, pop it into the microwave (first empty it out of the bag and put it in a glass container; always avoid plastic in microwaves, in spite of what the label may tell you), or you can add a tiny bit of water (just enough to keep it from sticking) and heat it up quickly in a saucepan, or you can add it to a stir fry. In any event, don't overcook, Tofu Yu pasta is fully cooked and ready to eat. All you need to do is heat it up.

Last night I sauteed some shitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, leftover broccoli, threw in the pesto pasta, stirred it all just long enough for the tofu pasta to get hot, then I sat myself down to a quick and wonderful dinner. I almost threw in some cherry tomatoes to add a bit of red to the green (it's the season, after all), but saved those for my salad.

It was tasty, easy, and FAST! Get creative, and have fun. :-)

-fs