I'm still here, still vegan, still loving it!

If you are wondering where I went, we have moved, remodeled our kitchen, my charger for my computer stopped working so I had to order a new one, and I'm pregnant!! Through all of that I have still been cooking and taking pictures. I have finally been able to post them, so I hope you enjoy all the new recipes! Let me know which ones you can't wait to try!

Pineapple Baked Tofu with Seared Pineapple Rings

This dish looks so beautiful once prepared, it looks like I put a lot more effort into it than I did!! Give it a try if you are looking to impress!

1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed and sliced into 8-10 rectangles
3/4 c pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple rings)
1/4 c tamari
1 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
3 TBSP peanut oil, divided
1 TBSP Old Bay Seasoning, divided
8 pineapple rings

Preheat oven to 400. To make marinade, mix pineapple juice, tamari, rice vinegar, peanut oil, and 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning. Place tofu in marinade so it covers the slices. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes.
To make the pineapple rings lightly oil a very hot skillet and sear the rings, both sides, until nicely colored. Set aside until ready to serve.
Remove tofu from oven and place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, reserving the marinade. Increase the oven to 425 and bake for 20 mins, flipping after 10.

I served mine with brown rice, then steamed spinach, then tofu, then pineapple rings, drizzling left over marinade over the top.

Twice Baked Spaghetti

This is a great alternative to traditional spaghetti and is great for a cold night!

1 lb cooked spaghetti
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 c marinara sauce
1/2 c vegan mayonnaise (I like Veganaise)
8 oz nondairy cream cheese (I like Tofutti)
1/4 c nutritional yeast (this can be found in the bulk section on Whole Foods and is very cheap)
1/2 c panko bread crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Combine tomatoes, marinara, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and nutritional yeast. Mix in spaghetti and transfer to a 9" square baking dish. Smooth out the top.
Sprinkle the top evenly with the panko. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake 1 hour, or until the topping is just beginning to brown. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Side note-I would use a little less cream cheese next time, a bit too creamy for my taste.

Orange Ginger Baked Tofu

I like my tofu to have a little more dense, chewiness to it. To achieve this freeze the tofu and then let it thaw completely before draining and pressing it.

Marinade: I doubled this recipe so that I would have more than enough
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c dry white wine
1/4 c maple syrup
4 tsp soy sauce (I prefer Tamari)
2 tsp vegetable oil

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine all ingredients (except tofu) in a small bowl and whisk.
Cut tofu into 10-12 slices. Pour half the marinade into a baking dish and dredge tofu slices. Pour the other half over the tofu, let sit about 10 mins.
Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 20 mins, remove from oven and flip pieces over. Cook 15 more minutes uncovered.
To give the tofu more chewiness, remove from marinade and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Broil the tofu for 3-4 mins on each side, until desired toughness achieved.

I served mine over brown rice with roasted brussel sprouts.

New York City!!

My husband and I recently went to New York City. This can be completely overwhelming for a mid-western vegan, all the options!! So many all-vegan restaurants, how does one decide?

Well after landing we went straight from the airport to BabyCakes (www.babycakesnyc.com) an all vegan bakery, spent $55, and then to the hotel to check in. As you can see, we had our priorities lined up and this was not going to be "the healthy vegan adventure"!!

Now I can tell you where we ate, but as you can see I do not have many pictures of what we ate. I could pretend it was because the lighting in the restaurants was not condusive to taking pictures of the food, but really it all looked so amazing we devoured without a thought of stopping for a pic.

For dinner we went to Blossom and Candle 79. For lunch we went to Terri's, both days-yes, it was that good. The sandwich you see below was from Terri's, it was a Bacon, Cheddar, Ranch, Chicken Sandwich!! Oh and I got a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake with it, yummmmmmmm!!

I can't wait to go back again and try so many other things that we didn't have time for!

Super Fast Mini Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is so easy to make you don't even need to measure anything!!

Rolls:
1 (8 oz) tube Crescent Rolls (I use Pillsbury, which are suprisingly vegan)
Butter
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar

Icing:
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1 TBSP soy milk
2/3 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven according to Crescent Roll directions. Take half the dough (4 triangles) and pinch the seams together, flip and do again on back side. Use a rolling pin to smooth out seams.
Melt about 2 TBSP of butter and brush onto dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, use a much or little as you like.
Roll into a log and cut into about 8-9 pieces. Place pieces into greased mini cupcake pan.
Repeat with other half of dough.
Bake according to package directions. While baking, mix up icing.
Remove rolls from oven, let cool for a few mins, and top with icing. Enjoy!

Mushroom Potpie

While this dish took a bit of time to prepare, it was worth the effort. My mushroom mixture made more than I planned filling up a 9x13 rather than an 8x8, so I had to roll out the top a little thinner than desired. It still turned out great but would be better with a "thicker" pastry top.

Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms (I used a combo of cremini and button) halved, or quartered
4 carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 celery stalks, sliced 1/4" thick
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
1/3 c all-purpose
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 c frozen peas
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (most are vegan, just check ingredients list)

Heat oven to 400. Heat 2 TBSP oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 12-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the broth and peas; bring to a boil.
Transfer the mushroom mixture to an 8x8 baking dish. Lay the pastry on top and cut several vents in it. Bake until the crust is golden 20-25 minutes (place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet incase of overflow). Let rest 15 minutes before serving.