Rabbit Food

The Kind Burger

 

Some yummy and simple seitan burgers!  I served mine up on a large, sturdy, and toasted english muffin with sautéed local onion and kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, ketchup, and mustard.   Of the trinity of vegan proteins-tempeh, tofu, and seitan-seitan is my favorite to both prepare and eat.  It's made of vital wheat gluten and is an incredible source of protein.  It's also really fun to watch the transformation of the wheat gluten flour as you prepare the seitan, it morphs from fine white flour into an almost chicken-like texture.  It's also incredibly delicious!

 I used the recipe for simple seitan from Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  It's featured in two of her cookbooks,  Vegan with A Vengeance and Veganomicon.  You can also find it here.

Here's the recipe:

Equipment: 

Large ceramic or glass bowl, Smaller bowl for liquid ingredients, Skillet (Cast Iron is best), Large soup pot with lid.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 cup very cold water or vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Simmering Broth

10 cups water or vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together Vital Wheat Gluten Flour and nutritional yeast flakes.

In a seperate bowl, mix together reamining ingredients: water or veg broth, soy sauce. tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula, knead dough for about 3 minutes until a spongy, elastic dough is formed. Let dough rest for a couple of minutes and prepare your broth, but don't start boiling it.

Now roll your dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the water/broth be very cold when you add the dough, it helps with the texture and ensures that it doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil. 

When the water has come to a boil set the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour, turning the peices every now and again. 

Now you've got gluten. Let it cool in the simmering broth for at least a half an hour. It is best if it cools completely. 

What you do next depends on the recipe you are using. If it calls for gluten use it as is. If you want to store some of it for later use put it in a sealable container covered in the simmering broth. 

If your recipe calls for seitan cut your peices up as desired. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for the frying because it produces the best flavor and texture. Use as little oil as possible to coat the bottom of the skillet, 1 teaspoon may suffice. Heat the skillet over medium high and add your gluten. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. And there you have it. Yummy seitan.

Amazing!

I went running with Scott Jurek on a clear, chilly morning last month, an easy four-mile loop in Central Park. He ran another few miles with 50 or so adoring fans, then another few by himself, for a total of about 15. After that he showered and came to my house to cook lunch before going for a late-afternoon jog of another 10 miles or so.

That’s an easy day for Jurek, 36, an accomplished ultramarathoner. But one might say he has been in a slump: he has not won a major race since the2008 Spartathlon. On the other hand, he set a personal record there, it was his third consecutive victory on the 153-mile course between Athens and Sparta, and he holds the fifth-, sixth- and eighth-fastest times in race history.

If last year was a wash, this year he is fit and psyched for the 24-Hour Run world championship in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, on Thursday and Friday. It is a grueling race to determine how many miles runners can complete on a 1.4-kilometer road loop (about nine-tenths of a mile) in a 24-hour period.

Jurek says he can break the American record, 162 miles, held by Mark Godale. (The world record, 178 miles, and just about every ultramarathoning record from 100 to 1,000 miles, and from 24 hours to 10 days, are, Jurek said, “unassailably” held by Yiannis Kouros of Greece, who no longer competes.)

To win Brive, Jurek said, he must: “Get on it, crank around it, and get it done. It’s all in a day’s work.”

It’s a long day, and one that raises a particular aspect of Jurek’s training that makes him an especially interesting athlete: he is a vegan, consuming no animal products.

...read the rest of the article at  www.nytimes.com

Pretty Potluck Goods

Spring is officially on!  Let the picnics and potlucks commence!

Here is some food porn for ya from a family dinner we had last night.

Caribbean-Inspired Baked Tofu 

(with Tangerine, Rum, and Pineapple Flavors) served with kiwis!

Shredded Roasted Beet, Roasted Parsnip, Pineapple and Fresh Mint Salad (based on a recipe from Veganomicon)

   

My yummy potluck plate.  (Clockwise from Front) Matt's yummy quinoa concoction, Jojo's grilled kale and potatoes, Jojo's jerk tofu, caribbean tofu from above, kiwi, Shredded Salad from above, Jojo's roasted eggplant.

Can you say fat happy? 

Beautiful Losers

 

If you're interested in contemporary art, or if you just love a good documentary, than you must see Beautiful Losers.  The film discusses a group of underground artists that began to grab a bit of attention in the early 1990s in NYC .  The Beautiful Losers, referred to as such due to the name of a group show they had at the Alleged Gallery in Manhattan, encompass a fluff-free, D.I.Y. work ethic, and embrace stylistic components of the skateboarding, graffiti, hip-hop, and punk rock subcultures in which the group's members grew up.  Their aesthetic is so significant and important not only because they brought the party back into the art world,  but (at least, in my opinion) because of it's influence on contemporary corporate advertising.  Their style is so much a part of "the look" of this moment in terms of the images we see on our TVs, in our magazines, and screen printed on our "vintage" tees. 

I've Netflixed the film several times over the past couple years simply because I knew it was an art-y documentary and I liked the cover (yeah, I'm totally one of those,) but, somehow, had never gotten around to actually watching it (yeah, I'm one of those too.)  Over the past couple of months the film kept popping up as I was scouring the interwebs for two artist I've fallen deeply in love with, Chris Johanson and Jo Jackson (who, oddly enough, are deeply in love with eachother-they're married.)  I knew I had to finally watch the flick.  My god, it was so worth it.  The story is raw and intimate, the artists are funny and witty, and the whole movie is just happy and inspiring.  

So beautiful.  Not for losers.

Granola Bars

 

Granola bars are god's gift to humanity.  Either as breakfast, a snickity-snack, or a healthy dessert, I seriously eat one just about everyday.

Here is a recipe for some especially yummy bars from Healthy. Happy. Life.  They taste so much better than store-bought granola bars, they are way cheaper, and you can throw in whatever ingredients you have lying around or make substitutions galore until they fit your tastes.

Kitchen Sink Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 C. Steel cut oats
2/3 C. Wet sweetener (Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup)
1/4 C. Another variety of sweetener (wet or dry)
4 Tbsp Vegan buttery spread
1/2 C. Flax seed meal or wheat germ, pan toasted
1 1/2 C. Dried fruit assortment
1 C. Unsweetened shredded coconut (or more fruit/grains)
1/2 C. Whole nuts (for chunky texture)
1 C. Chopped nuts (assorted)
1/2 C. Seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, etc.)
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
*adjust salt based on how many of your nuts are pre-salted
spray canola or olive oil

optional: 
*thin layer of dark chocolate chips as a topping
*Substitute half the buttery spread with a nut butter such as almond or peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Layer parchment paper or foil in a square casserole dish. Grease the insides with canola or olive oil.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the oatmeal, coconut and nuts and toss well. Transfer this dry mix to the casserole dish. Spray a bit of spray oil on top of dry mix-this will aid the toasting process.

4. Place dish in oven to toast for 10 minutes.

5. Over low heat, toast your flax seed meal or wheat germ in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Transfer toasted meal to large mixing bowl.

6. Stove top: Place a soup pan over high heat. Add the buttery spread, liquid and dry sweeteners, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Heat until it has melted together and becomes bubbly. Turn heat to low.

7. Measure fruit and seed ingredients and place in large mixing bowl. Toss well.

8. By now, your ten minute oat/coconut/nut mix should be just about lightly toasted. Pull the casserole dish out of the oven Carefully transfer the toasted mix into the large mixing bowl.

9. Next, pour the butter/sugar hot liquid into the mixing bowl. Stir well until the mixture is thick, firm and well combined.

10. Pour the entire mixture into your lined casserole dish. Add any toppings (chocolate/crushed nuts/other).

A Family Affair

Now that the majority of my closest friends live under the same roof, we decided that we should try to get together for a family dinner once in awhile.  Here's a peek of some of the goods we've made and enjoyed together so far.

 

Matt's Avocado, Parsley, and Garlic Brusectta

 

Spicy Baked Potatoes and Beet Green Salad with Slivered Almonds

 

Jordan's Mushroom, Cabbage, and Lentil Soup

    
 

Jordan and Anita's delicious Stuffed Green Peppers with, Tomatoes, Spinach, Sweet Yellow Onions and Chili

 Anita's Amazing Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

No, no kitty.  Not for you.

  Anita was all smiles, as always.

    

Time to dig in!

I Heart Car Art

 I saw this car while strolling past the Lawrence Arts Center and I'm dying to know the beautiful creature that decorated it.  Absolutely brilliant!

 

If you can't tell from the images, that's a massive amount of keyboard keys, a rainbow of electrical wire, and cut PVC pipe that adorn this mobile masterpiece.  I want one!

 

Red Onion and Pistachio Pizza

Pistachios on Pizza?!  Oh heck yes.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched The Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate while breaking a sweat at the gym.  (Does anyone else enjoy watching The Food Network or other cooking shows while exercising?  It sort of seems like a contradictory idea, but I find it to be incredibly motivating.)  This particular episode focused on the favorite pizzas of famous chefs and other TV foodie personalities.  One of the chefs on the show mentioned an excellent red onion and pistachio pizza that he loved to eat.  I was intrigued by the idea, and thought it was a good candidate for a little veganizing experiment.

The combination of red onions and pistachios seems genius to me.  I love pizzas with just a couple of ingredients that have a chance to really stand out and speak for themselves.  Plus the color combination of the light olive-colored crushed pistachios and purple-y red onion rings was gorgeous.

 Robert and I whipped up a yummy crust and sauce, and then added my new favorite ingredient, the amazing Daiya Vegan Cheese I ordered from Vegan Essentials. I know, I know, I'm the last vegan in the world to try the stuff, but I'm so glad I finally did!  While there are plenty of good vegan cheeses on the market, Daiya was by far the best I've used to date.  It melts and tastes just like real cheese, and even creates that awesome string-y effect that happens when you pull two pieces of pizza apart.  Robert even said, "Wow, I would have never known..." Yum!  

Such a great product.  It is free from common allergens such as soy, casein, lactose, gluten, egg, wheat, barley, corn, whey, rice, and nuts.  So what's in it?  Mostly tapioca and arrowroot powders and non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil.  The all-natural ingredients and vitamin B-12 (the only vitamin vegans don't get in their diet,) make ya feel good about putting it in your body!

Reason I'm Lucky #197

I get to come home to this:

(One of my most favorite lads, new housemate, and master violinist, Mr. Dan Komiya.)

 I've been really frustrated the past while because I've been working pretty much constantly.  It's hard to keep in good spirits when you feel like too much time is being sucked away by jobs.  Jobs that have long hours, pay diddly-squat, and leave little space for actually living.   I just want some life!!!  I yearn for time passed with friends, or family, or reading, or drawing, or just strolling around town...all the other things that make days feel meaningful  (and sometimes that just means getting all my laundry done.)

But there are those in-between moments when reality smacks me in the face.  There are moments when the things around me are so beautiful that I can't believe that what I'm seeing is real life.  There are moments when I'm able to step back, snap a mental picture, and remind myself of how lucky I am.  This time, I had an actual camera ready.  

Thank you Dan.

Esquina

This past weekend Robert and I dined at Esquina, a new Latin-American restaurant in Lawrence.  Esquina occupies the southwest corner (hence the name) of 8th and Massachusetts downtown in the building where Round Corner Pharmacy and the Cheese and Salami Shoppe use to be.  I heard through the grapevine that they had several vegan dishes on the menu, so I was pretty excited to try them out.

 

The interior of the building is stunning.  The first thing one sees when they open the door is a pretty impressive bar, jutting out in a semi-circle and decorated with large jars of tropical fruit infused liquors.  A young, hip vibe is provided by an exposed stone wall, trendy light fixtures, and bright green walls.  Unlike so many hip hangouts, Esquina doesn't feel like it's trying too hard.  It's relaxed and inviting, and one could just as easily expect to see a few business men, a young family, or some of the Lawrence's favorite un-categorize-ables.

Esquina is a Taqueria, but because it was open by the amazing minds of local chefs Robert and Molly Krause, the combinations of ingredients and flavor components brilliantly break the rules of your normal taco-toppings.  You can order a taco a la carte for $3, or you can get a basket of three (you have the option of mixing-and-matching) for $7.95.  They also have a few other items such as salads and soups, desserts including churros, and drinks like caipirinhas.

 I ordered a taco basket with two chorizo-style tofu tacos, and one featuring peruvian-style purple potatoes and roasted garlic.   The verdict:  The peruvian potato taco was to die for.  The tofu taco had a nice flavor, but it was a little dry for my tastes.  Mid-meal I ordered a side of salsa (which was also really yummy) and slathered it on top of the tofu. The topping really helped with the dryness, and overall I had a great meal.