Goldieblog

I was trying to come up with something to blog about, and a friend requested vegetarian recipes!  So, I figured I’d do one for Zach, one for me, and one for Tu (hence “Goldieblog”).  Fair warning: I don’t like measuring, and usually judge amounts on consistency.

Papa Z-Vegetarian “Chickn” Noodle Soup

This recipe is a veggie version of the chicken noodle soup my mama makes.  We’re not one for thin, brothy soups, so this one is very hearty.  

• Fake chicken strips (without breading; we buy the Kroger brand grill strips)
• Egg Noodles (sub a non-egg version, and ta-da: recipe is vegan!)
• Vegetable Stock (Even if you eat meat, you should be using this.  So good!)
• Carrots (and any other veggies you like) sliced into disks
• Milk (I use almond milk because I like the consistency, but coconut milk (in the carton not the can) would work too.  Oh, and regular milk if you’re into that.)
• Olive Oil
• Spices (I’m old school and just use salt and pepper.)
• A big ‘ole pot.  

Sauté the “chickn” over medium heat in enough olive oil to just coat the bottom on your pot.  You don’t have to totally cook it, just get a little color on the outside.  Dump in the carrots, veggie stock, and milk.  I let that work with no lid for a while.  If you feel like too much liquid is evaporating, put the lid on (this isn’t rocket science).  When your carrots are almost tender, dump in the noodles.  Cook for the time on the package.  Don’t add any more liquid.  I like my soup thick, so I add noodles until there’s just enough liquid to cover them.  If you like a thinner soup, add fewer noodles.  Add salt and pepper at the end, and serve!

Mama T’s “Egg” Salad

I definitely stole this one from Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s chef.  He has a great book called Vegan Cooking for Carnivores.  So good.  Soooooooo good.  I love egg salad, so this is a welcome substitute when Z and I are eating more vegan.

• Extra Firm Tofu
• Vegan Mayo
• Mustard (I use Dijon)
• Dill pickles (+ the juice)

Drain and slice the tofu into about ¼” slices.  On a plate, lay out several layers of paper towels, a layer of tofu, a layer of paper towels, tofu, and a final layer of paper towels.  I just press the heck out of it with my hands, but you can put a pot with something heavy in it (can of soup, etc.) and leave it in the fridge for a while (1 hour or so). I’m not generally one to work in advance, so pressing it myself works just fine.  Just get the majority of the liquid out, or the good stuff won’t stick.  Chop the tofu into small cubes.  Add a couple tablespoons of mayo, a squirt of mustard, and a splash of pickle juice.  Stir it up, and see if you like the consistency.  Add more of any ingredient you want.  Chop up some pickle, and throw it in the mix.  You could cut out the middle man and use relish, but I usually only keep a jar of dill pickles at my house.  I like to put mine in a pita pocket with some lettuce, but it’s also great between a couple slices of bread!

Baby Tu’s Sweet Potato Mash

Turner hasn’t done much culinary exploring, but she’s liked pretty much everything she’s had so far.  One of her favorites is sweet potatoes.  I had to Google how to bake a sweet potato (don’t judge), and I’m guessing other people don’t know how to do it either.

• Baking sheet
• Foil
• Fork
• Sweet Potato

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Poke a bunch of holes in the sweet potato with a fork.  Wrap the sweet potato in foil.  Put it on a baking sheet, and bake for about an hour, or until tender (it usually takes an hour in our oven).  Unwrap it, let it cool, and scoop out the insides.  Mash.  That’s it!

I hope you get a chance to make one (or all) of these for yourselves! They’re really just jumping off points.  Add some spice to the soup or some curry power to the salad, and you’ve got a completely different dish!  You can even make them, gulp, non-vegetarian.  It’s up to you!