Vegan Wontons

We knew we were being ambitious when we chose to make vegan wontons but hopefully they turned out okay. You'll have to let us know since we didn't get to save ourselves any! Ha!

We used a recipe we found on Design*Sponge. The only problem we ran into was with the wrapper being a little too thin but we might just have overpacked the wontons. So that is something you'll have to experiment with on your own.

Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Poached Vegetable and Tofu Wontons in Spicy Oil

Serves 4 as a snack, 6 to 8 as a starter

1/4 pound tender leafy greens, such as mustard leaf, baby bok choy, or spinach
3 ounces firm tofu,
3/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small scallion, finely chopped, white and green part
Generous 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pinch white pepper
Scant 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons light (regular) soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for garnish
24 wonton skins, homemade or store bought*
1 to 2 tablespoons chile oil, homemade or purchased, with or without chile flakes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small clove garlic, minced and crushed into a paste
3 or 4 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped

*Most wonton skins are vegan, but check the brand you buy closely to make sure eggs aren’t used (if you’re concerned about animal products). You can also make your own vegan wontons using this recipe.

1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the leafy greens and blanch until tender. Drain immediately, flush with cold water, and drain well. Finely chop and then put in a dishtowel and squeeze to remove excess moisture. You should have 1/4 firmly packed cup.

2. Put the tofu in the dishtowel and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Transfer to a bowl, mash to a fine texture, then add the chopped greens, ginger and scallion, combining well.

3. In another bowl, combine the salt, white pepper, sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, stirring well. Pour over the vegetable and tofu mixture, and then vigorously stir to create a compact mixture. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, returning it to room temperature before moving forward. Makes about 1/2 cup.

4. Fill each wonton skin with about 1 teaspoon of the filling, creating triangles or nurse’s caps (form a sealed rectangle, then bring the two folded corners together, cross then seal). Remember to moisten the edges with water before folding and seal well. As you work, put the finished wontons on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that’s been lightly dusted with cornstarch. When done, loosely cover with plastic wrap or a dry dishtowel to prevent drying.

Note: This is a nurse’s cap below:

5. To cook the wontons, fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add all the wontons to boiling water, gently dropping each one into the water. Use a wooden spoon to nudge them to prevent sticking. Return the water to a gentle boil and then lower the heat to medium to maintain it. After the wontons have floated to the top, let them cook for another 3 minutes, until they are translucent.

6. While the wontons cook, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, chile oil, canola oil, and garlic on a serving plate or shallow bowl. Taste and make any flavor adjustments. Add a touch of sesame oil for nutty goodness, if you like. Set near the stove.

7. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop out the wontons from the pot, pausing above the pot to allow excess water to drip back down. Put the wontons in the dish with the sauce and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

TOFU RANCHEROS!!

TOFU SCRAMBLE- adapted from recipe from the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook

2 packs Extra firm tofu- diced, frozen, and thawed

1 Red Bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Nutritional yeast

Turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and peppers in oil until translucent. Add tofu, a couple shakes of soy sauce, a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast and fry until lightly browned. While cooking, add more soy sauce and nutritional yeast to taste. Add turmeric for color and salt and pepper to taste.

BLACK BEANS- recipe stolen and adapted from Ben

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Coconut or other oil

½ onion, diced

Jalapeno, diced

½- 1 can of diced tomato, with juice

Cumin

Paprika

Chili powder

Cayenne

Vegetable broth

Saute onion and jalapeno in oil. Add black beans and canned tomato with spices to taste. Cook for awhile and mash partially. Add vegetable broth if beans dry out. Keep cooking and adjusting until delicious.

PICO DE GALLO

Package of cherry tomatoes

½ onion

Jalapeno or other hot pepper to taste

Juice of one lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes, onion, and pepper into tiny pieces and mix with lime juice, salt and pepper. Let sit in fridge for a few hours or overnight so juices can mingle.

Assemble the rancheros as follows:

Fry corn tortillas in some oil in a pan til crisp. Top tortilla with tofu scramble, beans, and cheese. Garnish with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and spring mix.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Shelly's Garbanzo Bean Loaf/Casserole

this is a classic comfort food, always good for holidays! The recipe is exactly as mom wrote it. Enjoy!

1/2 cup dried garbanzos(this translates to 1 1/2 cups canned)

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup parsley

1 egg beat(i often leave this out tho it probably helps it hold together better)

1 tablespoon miso

1 teaspoon salt

dash of hot sauce

2 pinches of cayenne pepper(i don't add this because of the kids)

1 cup grated cheese(Swiss maybe or hot pepper)

1.) Combine breadcrumbs with pineapple juice, let soak

1.5)Saute onions and celery in the 3 tblespoons of oil. until tender- combine with.....(after mashing!)

2.) Mash beans (i always like to leave some beans whole for texture) and combine with breadcrumbs

3.)Dissolve miso in hot water(just a little)- add

4.)Combine rest of ingredients in order

5.)Turn into loaf pan 350-for 40 minutes-until browned and firm

for holidays i have successfully x4 the recipe.....that makes a whole lot!! Watch the liquid content on this and hold back if possible as i've had soggy loaves several times and havent' figured out why. It still tastes so good we don't mind!(maybe only use 1/2 cup pineapple for the second time if you double the recipe(total 1 1/2)

well good luck and hope it works out for you!!Love mom!

Julian's Thai Ginger Curry

Potatoes (10 medium)
Cabbage (1 medium-large cabbage)
Chickpeas (3 cans; 25 oz)
Coconut Milk (2 cans)
Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce (half bottle)
Canned Tomatoes (to taste)
Water (3-4 cups)
Fresh Ginger (LOTS; to taste)
Garlic (8-10 cloves)
Salt (to taste)
Olive Oil
optional: Indian Spices (depending on the flavor you want!)

Cube and boil potatoes for ~15 minutes, then set aside. While potatoes are boiling, coat large pot with generous amount of olive oil and saute garlic until soft with any desired spices. Add coconut milk and water to pot. Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add cabbage to pot and let cook covered. Once cabbage is beginning to soften, add potatoes and chickpeas. Peel, chop, and puree ginger in coffee grinder or processor. Add ginger, tomatoes, and Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce to pot. Let everything cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste test, and tweak accordingly. Add salt at end to balance flavor.

Servings 10.

Enjoy!