Comments (13)

By nahum, May 29, 2009 11:09 AM

Marinated Tofu w/ Ste Martaen Smoked Gouda vegan cheese

Sandwiches may possibly be the world’s most perfect meal.  Two slices of bread bookending an endless array of combinations.  I can eat anything between two slices of bread…and I mean anything.

R U serious…anything?

Let’s see…I have eaten spaghetti sandwiches, mac n’ cheese sandwiches, beans n’ rice sandwiches, Vegenaise and ketchup sandwiches, cucumber and cheese sandwiches, hummus sandwiches, bean curd sandwiches, lasagna sandwiches, seaweed and couscous sandwiches…the list goes on.  I think you get the point…I love sandwiches.  But besides eating whatever is leftover from last night’s dinner in between two pieces of bread, I can make some rather wonderful sandwiches – really, I can.

The Marinated Tofu sandwich is definitely one of my favorites.  It is full of flavor and great to send to school in your vegan child’s lunchbox.

You’ll need:

• One block of Extra Firm Tofu sliced in 1/4 inch pieces – this should yield about 12 to 13 pieces

• Layer and arrange in a dish to await the marinade

The Liquids:

• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons Bragg’ s Liquid Amino

• Drizzle olive oil and liquid amino over the sliced tofu

The Dry Seasonings:

• 1/2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• Add your dry seasonings to the party and work into the tofu.  You’ll need to flip, rotate and massage the tofu to distribute all of that luscious flavor.

Now that your flavors are all mixed in, you can serve immediately or marinate overnight to intensify the flavors.  I usually serve right away because I am impatient…and greedy!

For your sandwich assembly:

Alright everybody…STOP!…It’s veggie time!

• Lettuce leaves – washed and dried (I am using red leaf here)
• Plum tomatoes – sliced
• Green onions – finely sliced

And of course, Vegenaise.  We are using the Grapeseed variety, or purple label, because it utilizes the healthiest oil.

Let’s put this sammie together, shall we?

• Spread a little or a lot of Vegenaise on your bread and sprinkle some dried oregano and granulated kelp.

• Add your marinated tofu to one side of the bread and drizzle some of the marinade on the other side for that extra punch of mouth watering, spectacular sandwich flavor

• Add some green onions

• Slice up some Ste Martaen Smoked Gouda vegan cheese

• Add the Smoked Gouda vegan cheese

• Add tomatoes, then lettuce.

Another masterpiece.  Job well done!  Serve with some of your favorite chips or some Goodness Rice Cakes and you have yourself a terrific lunch or light dinner.

A bonafide winner!  For you and your children.

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin

Comments (3)

By laviyah, May 28, 2009 8:55 PM

The Princess

One question I get asked a lot after I tell people that I am the vegan mother of four children is:

Are your children vegan?

I always think it  is an odd question. I can’t imagine being a vegan and raising meat eating children.  The idea of cooking separate meals within a family environment is just plain silly.  To answer the question, yes my children are vegan and they will eat vegan as long as I purchase and prepare their meals.

With increasing rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes among American children, raising my children as vegans is the best choice for our family.  I know that I am blessed, having given birth to four healthy children without any complications, however I do feel that excellent health is much more about maintenance rather than luck.

The constant in our household is lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Most meals (we indulge from time to time) are cooked from scratch and more often than not, nothing goes to waste because my children clean their plates  and ask for more at almost every meal.  We don’t buy a lot of juice.  If we are thirsty we mainly drink water.  We go through a lot of broccoli, fresh garlic, onions, parsely, cilantro, green onions, apples, bananas, pears, carrots, and peppers of all types.  We eat basmati rice, cous cous, we buy dry beans (pinto, black, navy, garbanzo) and soak them before cooking, we also eat a lot of other grains (barley, quinoa, bulgar, millet).  We cook brown and orange lentils.  We us olive oil, sesame oil, vegetable oil and vegan margarine.  With such an interesting variety to choose from we manage to keep the menu exciting.

Cooking with fresh wholesome ingredients plays a big part in whether or not your children will eat healthy for a life-time rather than part-time.  My eldest will eat an entire container of cherry tomatoes.  My middle son will beg for a banana smoothie to start his day.  My youngest son will eat just about anything you place in front of him.  All of my children have been or are currently breast-fed.  I believe that breastfeeding is absolutely the single most important thing that you can do for your baby.  Breastfeeding helps children develop healthy appetites as well as a healthy immune system.

Vegan children are not as picky eaters and tend to be just as adventurous as their parents.  I love this.  I don’t get strange looks when I use curry spices or when making a sofrito for my spanish yellow rice, or when I use seaweed or any other not so average spice or flavor combination.

I would love to hear from other vegans out there who are raising vegan children and vegans who are not raising vegan children.  What are the choices of the different households?  What is grocery shopping like?  Are you a meat eating parent with a child who refused to eat the Standard American Diet?  Are your children vegan?

Comments (2)

By nahum, May 27, 2009 12:15 PM

Goodness Rice Cakes

Simple, quick and amazingly delicious.  I have been making these for years and I can’t get enough of them.  I often find myself going 3 or 4 weeks without making them; I make a batch; and then I think – Why am I not making these everyday?!

These Goodness Rice Cakes are crunchy, salty and just Darn Good!  They go perfect with a sandwich, soup or just by themselves.  Put them in little baggies and you have the perfect lunch or road trip snack for the kiddies.  We all love the guilty pleasure snacks come from the fryer.  Once you start making these, you may not purchase another bag of Ruffles or Frito’s again.

I’m starting to drool thinking about them…so let’s make the Goodness.

You’ll need a bag of rice cakes, of course,…

and an empty plastic grocery bag.

Gently break up the rice cakes into the plastic bag.  Hold a couple rice cakes in your hand and press softly in center of cakes with your thumbs.  This should break up the cakes into about 3 to 4 pieces each.

Now the stuff of Goodness, the seasoning mix

• 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp Modern’s Spike (please do not substitute sea salt, the Spike is a must have for the Goodness)
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Use your fingers and mix the seasonings together.  This breaks down the yeast flakes into powder which will spread better on your rice cakes.

The seasoning mix is all mixed.  Let’s combine everything together.

Drizzle 1/3 cup of Olive Oil over the broken rice cakes.  Make sure to use a good quality Olive Oil, not the cheap stuff.  I prefer Middle Eastern (preferably Lebanese) Olive Oil over Italian.  It has a more delicate and fresher taste without that briny olive punch I seem to get from the Italian varieties.

Twist bag, sealing top and shake to distribute the olive oil.

Don’t be scarred, shake it good…

Give the cakes a little massage, spread that olivey goodness around…show the cakes you love them.

Now that the love-fest is over, open the bag and sprinkle in the Goodness mix, and…

start another love-fest…shake, mix and massage.

That’s it!

Dump into a bowl for movie night…

or bag up for a school lunch snack.

Ladies and Gentlemen…that’s plain Goodness!!

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin

Comments (0)

By laviyah, May 25, 2009 1:33 PM

So, um things around here will be changing. I found a theme I like that may or may not be permanent, based on whether or not I get expert help OR I become the expert. Whichever comes first.

Last week I was in the south visiting my grandparents. Of course my grandparents don’t have the internet. They don’t have the faintest idea how to use a computer. They have never even used their DVD player! At any rate, I love the fact that my husband stayed with three of our children while I traveled with the infant to check on the health of the grandparents. So of course it was a no holds barred manfest here! As you can see with the previous post.

For the record, I think the idea of a pizza with fries and burgers and nuggets on it is pretty gross. However, the children were happy and I guess in the end that is all that counts.

Kids:

You have to try it! It was so good!  It was the best dinner ever!

My husband:

C’mon you know you want to try it!

Me:

Trust me, I don’t.

That being said, I love the positive feedback about our cheese, about our blog, about our site. We look forward to sharing our journey with you!

Comments (17)

By nahum, May 22, 2009 11:00 AM

Yes, your father is Insane!!

My wife and baby girl have been gone only 6 days and I have officially lost it.  What do you expect me to do with 3 boys and a house to ourselves…hold my composure?  And anyway, it’s my wife’s fault.  About a year ago, she emails me this link – The McPizza.  My first thought, naturally, was – ‘I wonder if I could make a vegan version of this.’  My wife’s thought…’That’s just gross {pretty much} and you’re crazy {yes}; and if you do…{insert whatever wifely threat comes after those opening words}.  But hey, another child later, I think it’s safe that she won’t see this post and decide there is no saving me and run for the hills…which she tried numerous times before we got married.  The blessed thing for me is that she couldn’t run that fast.

But hey, I see tons of recipes on TV, online, in books and get inspired.  That’s what I love to do…the kitchen has become my creative zone.   Whether the recipe is intended for the evil carnivores or not,  I create new vegan meals.  But this one might offend my vegan community, especially the militant vegans…you know who you are…cursing me for eating “meat substitutes” and watching Bobby Flay grill some pork tenderloin without the “that is absolutely disgusting!” look on my face.  Well my palate hasn’t developed to the point that raw ravioli with thin sliced zucchini noodles and cold sun-dried tomato sauce is all that good…and it certainly is not ravioli…sorry.  As for Bobby Flay…the guy can flat out cook and anyone can learn by his spice and flavor combinations.

Well, back to the task at hand…Ladies and Gentlemen, Carnivores and Vegans, I give you…vegan shock and awe…The Vegan McPizza.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

The “meat substitutes”:

Some Trader Joe’s Soy Nuggets, Ore Ida Fries and Boca Vegan Patties.  Cook all according to their instructions on the box.  For the Boca burgers, cook and assemble on a bun with ketchup and Vegenaise (I added some grilled onions to mine as well). Also, you’ll need to make some creamy soy cheese.  See the link for Simple Vegan Pizza and follow the recipe.

Lay out your pre-made crust.  There are several kinds at your local health food store…pick according to your preference.

Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the surface of the crust and sprinkle with granulated garlic.

Pick your tomato sauce…As you see, I am using Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara, which is actually quite good on it’s own.  I have become a tomato sauce snob over the years and usually prefer to make my own.  However, for this monstrosity of a meal, we will keep the sauce simple.

Slather some sauce around…light or heavy…you decide, this recipe is interactive.

Now, let the adventure begin!!

Add the nuggets, covering 1/3 of the pizza.  Next…

Add your assembled Boca burgers to another third of the pizza.  I am using 3, however smaller sized crusts may only need 2.  Are you drooling or shaking your head in disgust!  I’m partial.

Now the fries to  the last third.  Yes, I’m speechless too.

A tantalizing view from above.

Add your creamy soy cheese liberally to the Vegan McAwesomeness.

All cheesed up and ready to go into your 425 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes.

A little pre-cooked cheesy close up.

McWhaaaaatt!  Fresh out of the oven!

Wow…look at those McMountains of Vegan McFabulousness!!!

Only one thing left to do…

Slice and Eat!!  Your little ‘ole pizza cutter won’t get though this terrain, so use a good sized kitchen knife. The results…8 slices of unique pizza wonderfulness.

The boys each took a different route…

The Middle Man choose a half burger, half fry piece with a tip of nugget.  I had him pegged for a nugget, fry piece…the chef isn’t always right, I guess.

Little Z went for the gut-busting half burger, half nugget piece.  Good luck my son, may the vegan force be with you.

Ah yes, the Prince who thought he was King.  As expected of an almost 3 year old…an all fry piece.

This Vegan McPizza is very filling, so it will only take a piece, maybe two, to fill you up…and I mean fill.  I daringly went for two pieces…a half burger, half fry and a half burger, half nugget.  {Ooh, I just heard my wife cringe}  I was stuffed!!  In fact, I couldn’t move until after Derek Fisher bricked that last second 3-pointer.

The flavors were all actually quite good.  The tomato sauce and cheese go well with all 3 toppings by themselves…chicken parmesan, cheese fries w/ marinara dipping sauce, a pizza burger.  But all combined on a pizza…Vegan McMagic!  This is a great pizza for the family, especially the children.  It was certainly a hit with my boys and I guarantee after reading this, the Vegan McPizza is the first thing my wife will want me to make when she gets back.  Well, maybe not…she’ll probably just slap me upside me head {but, secretly, she wants to try it…I just know it}.

Make your Vegan McPizza this weekend…it results in smiles and happy children…and a full belly.  What else could you want?

Now, that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin

Comments (3)

By nahum, May 20, 2009 12:59 PM

The queen and the princess have traveled for the week, leaving just me and the boys to fend for ourselves.  I’ve taken it easy for the past couple of days, serving the boys sandwiches and quick pasta meals.  The same thing was about to happen yesterday, but Little Z offered to cook.  He didn’t want a sandwich or yet another pasta dish.  I gave him the option of rice, so we collaborated and the result was fantastic.

Yesterday was a looooong day.  The boys had a two hour school test in the morning, then we had to travel up North to make Ste Martaen’s first delivery to Delicious Cafe.  I treated the boys to some sandwiches.  I had the ‘breakfast sandwich’ with our pepper jack cheese…let me say, it was out of this world…you have got to try this one.  The boys split a ‘breakfast sandwich’, a ‘grilled cheese’ and a ‘peanut buttter n banana’ sandwich.  All tasty, all devoured, boys happy…for now.  This was the fun part of the day, the rest downhill.  My car broke down; we went on a 2 hour walk; then a 2 hour ride home on the “el”.  Joy!!

So when we finally got home…I was in no mood to get all gourmet and stuff.  However, Little Z to the rescue.  He offered to cook and produced a masterpiece – Spanish Rice with Bean Curd…a little Latin Asian Fusion.  I didn’t know Little Z was so progressive.  He calls it ‘Latin Asian Fusion Rice’…I call it simply delicioso!  Now this recipe is very spicy, so it is not for the weak of tongue.  However, Little Z’s spice combination is well balanced and flows evenly across your palate, not just a hard slap to your taste buds…the boy has skills.  Let’s see how he did it.

The Innovator: Chef Little Z

First, cook 3 cups of your favorite rice..we are using Basmati.

The Veggies:

• 1 green onion
• 1 plum tomato
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno

Dice up the green onion, garlic and jalapeno

Good work Little Z.  Now heat up 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in large cast iron or regular stock pot using a medium flame.

Toss your veggies in and let them feel the heat.  Saute for about 5 minutes.

The Spices:

• 1 teaspoon Chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (not shown)

We are also using 2 cups of Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup. We used this soup during our food photo shoot and the picture headed our May 6th blog entry.  It took a good picture, however the soup was not that tasty by itself.  So it has been sitting in the freezer since then, until Little Z thought to use it as the base to his fusion creation.  Although, the flavor of the soup does not stand alone, it is a fantastic base to this recipe and provides a good platform for the other ingredients to blend on.

Add everything to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Get a little taste…So Good, Little Z can’t see straight.  Man!  Slap your momma good!  Now, time for a little Asian curve ball.

Oh no he didn’t!!  Is that…could it be…are you serious!?

Yes, a package of Dried Bean Curd Sheet (6 oz size).   You can pick this up at your local Asian market, typically one that specializes in Chinese food products.  While the package is un-opened, crush the bean curd in your hand as seen above.

Add the bean curd to your pot and mix in.  Let the bean curd absorb some of that spicy stock for about 3 minutes, then add 1 cup of filtered water.

Mix everything up again, cover your pot and let simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Time to close this baby out…

Dice your tomato…

check on your simmering bean curd.  Most of the liquid has been absorbed by the bean curd…looks good.  At this point, you can serve the bean curd ‘as is’ on top of some plain rice…almost like a Latin-style stir fried bean curd.  In fact, that sounds like a good idea…maybe next time.  For this recipe, Little Z is finishing the fusion with fabulous finesse.

Add your rice to the pot…

add the diced tomatoes…

Mix it all up…

and it’s ready to serve.  A delicious one pot meal.  A crowning dish that will brighten up any tough day.

Little Z thought it would be nice to serve with a little taco sauce and vegan sour cream.  As I said before, the Latin Asian Fusion Rice is spicy, so this is not for the faint hearted.  The sour cream adds a nice coolness to the well spiced rice.

Little Z serves his brothers:

The Middle Man

(Please excuse my recyclables)

The Prince who thought he was King

How was it…

Well, an empty bowl is a chef’s ultimate compliment.

Great job!  Chef Little Z…take a bow…oh, you get to eat too.

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin

Comments (2)

By nahum, May 15, 2009 12:26 PM

Vanilla Mocha Vegan Ice Cream Cake

It’s Friday and nothing says the weekend like a good desert, well, maybe a nice glass of wine or shot of vodka – depends on how your week went.  Heck you all had hard weeks, so pamper yourself and indulge in this delectable treat.  I grew up on the East Coast and was in love with Carvel ice cream cakes.  For some reason, I never ate them that much, so when I did, it was like winning the lottery or for a child, a free trip to Kiddie City.  (Man, I loved going to Kiddie City!)  Carvel made these soft serve ice cream layer cakes and in between each layer was this chocolate crunch stuff…it didn’t get much better than that.  So I developed this vegan desert inspired by Carvel.  Our recipe will have two ice cream layers divided by sweetened granola crunch…not chocolate this time (I’m still perfecting the chocolate version…so please be patient…I promise it is coming).

Let’s get started…put 1 quart of Non-dairy vanilla ice cream on the counter and let it begin to soften.  Put 1 quart of Non-dairy mocha fudge ice cream in the refrigerator so it can begin to thaw at a slower pace.

I am using the ‘So Delicious’ brands for this recipe.

Now, what you’ll need for the crunchy stuff:

• 4 cups granola
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons soymilk
• an appreciative audience (essential)

The type of granola you use depends on your taste.  I prefer the French Vanilla Almond type.  It tastes super by itself and works very well with the vanilla and mocha ice creams.

Add the granola to your food processor and blend until evenly coarse

Once you have the right texture, add the cocoa powder, soymilk and agave nectar.

For this recipe, I am using a Raw Blue Agave nectar and Ghiradelli Ground Chocolate.

Get in there with your hands and mix everything together.  Don’t be bashful, hands are the best kitchen utensils you got!

Now that we are all mixed, you will need a 12″ spring-form to assemble your sweet masterpiece.

Divide the mixed crunchy stuff in half.  Layer the bottom of the spring-form evenly with the crunchy stuff.

Next, empty the quart of vanilla ice cream into a separate mixing bowl.  It will still be a little stiff, so…

you’re gonna have to use a little elbow grease and smooth it out.  Use a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to cream out the hard ice cream.  The result should be an evenly smooth creamy texture…a little firmer than soft serve.

Add 1/3 cup of semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips..try not to take too many samples…leave some for the cake.

Fold the chips in so they are evenly dispersed through out the ice cream.  Add the mixture to your spring-form on top of the crunchy crust.

Use your spoon or spatula to smooth out an even layer covering the whole surface area.  No need to freeze yet…

first, add the 2nd half of your crunchy mixture.  Make sure to evenly cover the entire top of the vanilla ice cream layer.  Looking good, we are a little more than half-way there.  Now it’s freezer time.  Place your almost finished cake in the freezer for 30 minutes.  After 15 minutes, take the mocha ice cream out of the refrigerator and place on counter.

Uh, ooh!  The boss is checking on my progress.  How am I doing, Ma’am?

Whew!! A smile and wave of approval…all is good.  The last thing I want to do is upset the princess with a bad dessert.

Ding!!  30 minutes up…

Empty the quart of mocha fudge ice cream into a separate mixing bowl.  Like the vanilla, it will still be a little stiff, so…

awaken those arm muscles again and smooth out the ice cream.  Remember, we are going for an evenly smooth texture a little firmer than soft serve.  Take the spring-form out of the freezer for the final stretch.

Add the smooth mocha fudge goodness to the top and evenly cover the 12″ pan.  All you have to do is add a few toppings…

I have added a few more vegan chocolate chips and almond slices…umm, umm, good!  No, you can’t eat it just yet.  Put the cake back in the freezer and in one hour, slice and serve!  This is going to be the longest hour of my life.

Ding!!!  Alright, you know what that means.  Like Pavlov’s dogs, all come running.  Take the cake out of the freezer and remove outer band of the spring-form pan.

Now, that’s looks good and it’s ready to eat.  Time to serve your family, friends and, of course, the biggest piece for you. Good job!

Hey boys, smile if you want some ice cream cake…

NO!!  Not shake your booty!  Smile!

That’s better…let’s eat!

Thank you, can I have another?

Alright let’s recap:

Vegan Ice Cream

• 1 quart vanilla
• 1 quart mocha fudge

Place quart of vanilla on counter, let thaw.  Place quart of mocha fudge in refrigerator to soften.

Crunchy stuff

• 4 cups French Vanilla Almond granola
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons soymilk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

Coarsely chop granola in food processor.  Dump coarse granola into mixing bowl, add other ingredients and thoroughly mix.

Assembly

1. Line the bottom of a 12″ spring-form pan with half of ‘crunchy stuff’ mixture.
2. In separate bowl, empty quart of vanilla ice cream.  Using wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, mix vanilla ice cream until it is an even consistency that is smooth and a little firmer than soft serve.  Add 1/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Fold into ice cream until evenly dispersed.
3. Add vanilla ice cream to spring-form pan on top of ‘crunchy’ crust.  Spread out into one even layer.
4. Add 2nd half of ‘crunchy stuff’ to spring-form pan on top of vanilla ice cream.  Spread out into one even layer.
5. Place cake in freezer for 30 minutes.
6. After first 15 minutes, remove mocha fudge ice cream from refrigerator and place on counter to thaw.
7. After full 30 minutes, empty quart of vanilla ice cream into mixing bowl.  Using wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, mix mocha fudge ice cream until it is an even consistency that is smooth and a little firmer than soft serve.
8. Add mocha fudge ice cream to spring-form pan on top of ‘crunchy’ layer.  Spread out into one even layer.
9. Top with vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips and almond slices.
10. Place cake in freezer for one additional hour.
11. Remove from freezer, remove outer band of spring-form pan, EAT!

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin