Vegan MoFo

Hi, potential readers! It's Vegan MoFo month, and I think it's time that I got in on the fun!

Why this sudden urge to blog, you ask? Why, it's simple! I'm getting a MacBook!



And that means that now I have Bluetooth, so I can actually get the pictures off of my phone! Look out for a lot of old recipes and old, blurry pictures for this upcoming month.

I'm going to attempt to blog my exploits in eating in the UMass Amherst dining halls, as well. I'm not sure what other vegan college students do, but I know I tend to take nutritional yeast and tofu from the salad bar and mix it with pasta from the pasta bar and Smart Balance from the hot food line.

Anyway, that's the plan, you vegan mofo. Wish me luck!

TACOS!

Hi, potentially non-existent readers!

I have been craving tacos for the last two weeks, but kept putting it off, saying they were "too expensive." It somehow all came together yesterday, though, when I got a phone call saying I finally got a job (!!!), and I happened to find Morningstar Beef Crumbles in my freezer, and refried beans in the cabnet. To top it all off, Compassion Over Killing mailed me a free tube of TEESE (!!! once again) for signing a petition to not eat eggs for 30 days. Then when I went to Stop & Shop and saw taco kits on sale for $2.50, how could I say no?

I sort of winged it (wung it?), but I'll do my best to give you a recipe as I go along.



First, I dumped the Morningstar Crumbles into a preheated pan, at around medium-high heat (like I cook just about everything at. You probably won't see an entry on pancakes here). As soon as I couldn't see any ice crystals any more, I dumped in the 2/3 cup water and package of seasoning like the taco box directed.



Make sure the seasoning you get is actually vegan, they aren't all. If you don't want to use a prepackaged seasoning (and who would blame you), the key ingredient is cumin. Garlic, onion, red pepper and salt are necessary, but cumin is what gives it the real taco kick!

About now is when I popped the tacos into the oven for about 7 minutes to perk them up. They are actually kind of greasy, so the heat turned them from a dry, crunchy block of yuck to delicious edible food holders.



I added refried beans to the taco "meat" to make it stretch a bit further (and because I was really hungry!). Some companies make ones specifically labeled "vegetarian," but the ingredients are the same as the ones labeled "fat free," so I just grab whatever is available.



I also shredded about half a tube of Teese into the pan of "meat" and refried beans. I tried just shredding it into a bowl, but we decided we were lazy, and that decorating our tacos with Sour Supreme, lettuce and tomatoes was enough. The pan, in the end, looked like this:



I chopped up 3 leaves of Romaine lettuce and 1 medium sized tomato, and threw them each in bowls, along side the container of Sour Supreme. In the back, you can also see the white package Ol' El Paso taco sauce.



Now, I pulled the greasy, glistening tacos shells out of the oven.



And then, WONDER TWINS, ASSEMBLE! FORM OF: TACO!



I hope you've been able to forgive the camera phone photos. I'm in the process of getting rechargeable batteries for my camera. It considers AAs to be a snack.

See you again next time I cook something worthy of photographing =] !

EDIT: My boyfriend would like acknowledgment for having consumed these delicious tacos. We didn't take pictures while actually eating, so here is a picture of him enjoying a refreshing Del's Lemonade:



Also, Del's, if you are reading this, a sponsorship would be super. Or some free samples. Coupons? Call me!

...They won't call.

First Post!

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Right now, the plan is to start this up as a food blog, with pictures and recipes and other deliciousness. I've wanted to make a cookbook for a long time, and figured that there is no time like the unemployed present to start putting my recipes out there.

So, yeah, not really sure what else to say. If you are reading this, you are awesome! Please keep reading, because there will be delicious food porn as soon as I get my laptop back up and running. Let me know if there is anything you want to see here! 'Cause I'm pretty much winging it.

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Hey, look! A Survey!

1. What was the most recent tea you drank?
An Arizona Half-and-Half Iced Tea/Lemonade

2. What vegan forums do you post/lurk on? If so, what is your username? Spill!
I only lurk on VeganFreak because I'm wicked far behind on the podcasts since my iPod broke. My username is CourtJester27. On most other sites you can find me as CourtneyTheVegan.

3. You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
How about a vegan tofu parmigiana?

4. How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
Maybe 2 or 3. VeganDad and Vegan Crunk are two favorites, but I generally just end up stumbling on to a few vegan blogs each day.

5. Besides your own, what is the most recent blog you’ve read?
Vegan Crunk.

6. If you could hang out with a vegan blogger that you haven’t met, who would it be, and what would you do?
Eric Marcus and I have somewhat different opinions, but he seems like a very bright man, and I did already interview him for a spanish project once.

7. If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy – tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
I would say tofu, because it is the most versatile, but if anyone would like to give me a week's supply of any of them, I would certainly love the challenge =] . You know, and the having food thing.

8. If you had to use one of the above foods in a fight, which would it be?
Tofu. Have you ever dropped a container of frozen tofu on your toe?

9. Name 3 meals you’d realistically make with that tough protein of choice!
Tofu omelets, pumpkin pie, and these awesome fried tofu sticks I came up with today while trying to make up a recipe for vegan fish sticks.

10. What’s a recipe in vegan blogland that you’ve been eyeing?
Any of the cashew cheeses.

11. Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them?
I have fitted t-shirts that say "veg*n" in a pea pod, "Animal Friendly," and "Fake for the Animals' Sake." and I had one that said "Against Animal Testing" with a cat and a dog at desks taking tests, but it was way too big, so I worked it into my shirt quilt my mom and I made before I left for school.

12. Have you made your pilgrimage to the ‘vegan mecca’ yet? (Portland, duh)
No, but I want to! I've started with NYC, and I'm working my way up. It takes me about 15 minutes to pick something to order at a vegan restaurant, I just can't comprehend all the choices! So it's probably best I take my time, as to not be overwhelmed.

13. What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
I was 16. It didn't stick right away, instead caving to greasy pizza and vanilla Stop and Shop cupcakes at a sleepover, but I tried again about 4 months later, and it stuck.

14. What is the worst vegan meal you’ve had? Who cooked it?
Oh, god. My mother, for my 18th birthday. Dry lentil loaf, flavorless mashed sweet potatoes, and an atrocious cake made from vegan ice cream, german chocolate cake mix, snickerdoodles, and cherries. She tried so hard, and I feel terrible saying this, and I hope she never reads this blog. If she does, sorry Mom! I really did appreciate it! Love you...

15. What made you decide to blog?
I love cooking, and I'm jealous of all the awesome food porn blogs out there. So I figured I would give it a shot.

16. What are three of your favorite meals to make?
Rice with mashed chik'n patties and nayonaise (plus Bacos), Mac 'n' Cheeze, Green bean casserole

17. What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
My green bean casserole.

18. Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant? How many times have you ordered it?
The Vegan Rueben at the Shoreline Diner and Vegetarian Enclave in Guilford, CT. I've probably only gotten it 4 times. I've gotten at least 20 bagels from Atlas Cafe in NYC, though, and that's a close second.

19. What do you think the best chain to dine at as a vegan is?
It was Ruby Tuesday until they changed their veggie burger to have egg whites. Now I guess I would have to say Subway. I can always get a full meal there, sandwich, drink, snack and all.

20. My kitchen needs ………
FOOD. I mix everything by hand, so no fancy gadgets here, although I suppose a blender would be nice for milkshakes. But really, I need flour, nutritional yeast, soy milk, tofu, garlic, other spices that are less important than garlic, lemon juice, mustard, pastas, fruit....the basics. Oooh, and some nice pots and pans. When can I expect this all to be delivered?

21. This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen…..!
Peppers get a very limited welcome. Bell peppers are fine if they are going to be dipped and eaten for a snack, and jalepenos are fine as jalepeno poppers. That's it.

22. What’s for dinner tonight?
It was Road's End Mac 'n' Cheese (with added margarine, lemon juice and yellow mustard), and fried tofu sticks with a garlicy/kelp seasoning mixed into the flour coat. They were an attempt at fish sticks, and I liked them. Not sure if they tasted like fish, but who cares?

23. Compose your perfect vegan sandwich, right now.
Impossible. Too many are excellent. So long as it has crispy bread, like a grilled avocado sandwich, or a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. I also think back to that vegan rueben. Sandwiches are just awesome.

24. Add a question here!
Did anyone actually read this?