Tofu Sour Cream

Although I already have a tofu-based recipe I use regularly to make sour cream, I decided to try the "Tofu Sour Cream" (page 574) to see which I liked better.  The recipe in this book calls for oil, and surprisingly (at least to me) for a small amount of tahini.  I'm guessing the tahini adds body and thickness to the sour cream, and just a little extra richness as well. I omitted the oil, but I did include the tahini.  The "sour" comes from fresh squeezed lemon juice, and adds the perfect amount of tang.  In my own recipes for tofu mayonnaise and sour cream, I usually add about ½ teaspoon guar gum to keep the finished product from separating as it sits.  I decided to forgo the guar in this preparation, as I felt the tahini would provide the same quality.

I have to say, I really notice the flavor of the tahini in this sour cream, even with the small amount called for.  I like tahini, but I'm not sure if I like the flavor of it in sour cream.  I think one could leave  it out altogether, and still end up with a very nice tofu sour cream.  It's probably a matter of personal preference and taste.  Give it a try and see what you think - I'd be very interested in your thoughts!

Eggplant Paprikash

Hello, and thank you to any of my faithful followers checking in, and likely wondering if I was ever coming back. I’ve not given up on the blog, there has just been a lot of living life and shifting priorities. I do plan to keep working through the book, one recipe at a time, and hopefully I’ll pick up the pace a bit! I couldn’t have been more pleased with my come-back selection of “Eggplant Paprikash”, (page 321). I admit to not always being a fan of eggplant, but over time I have come to enjoy it more, finding particular recipes where this humble vegetable really shines. This recipe is definitely one of those. According to the headnotes, this Hungarian dish is traditionally made with chicken, sour cream, and bacon drippings. In this rendition, the eggplant stands in for the chicken, vegan sour cream easily replaces the dairy version, and liquid smoke provides the bacon flavor. I have actually been making my own soy-based yogurt using the yogurt setting on my Instant Pot (see one here) and a vegan starter from Cultures For Health (find them here), which stands in perfectly for sour cream, and is free from additives and oils. Today there are several vegan sour cream and yogurt products commercially available as well, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding that.

If you’re like me, you might have thought the only way to make eggplant palatable was to drown it in oil, but this dish definitely proves that isn’t the case. Even though the recipe calls for two tablespoons of olive oil for sautéing the veggies, I just used a little extra broth instead and had excellent results. The dish consists of sautéed onion, garlic, eggplant, and bell pepper, simmered in a mixture of vegetable broth, paprika, and canned diced tomatoes, until the eggplant is tender. The sour cream and liquid smoke are added at the end, just before serving. If you like your food a bit more garlicky, as I do, you can add the garlic towards the end of the cooking time to preserve the flavor.

The end result was delectable!  I thought that the combination of such basic ingredients would be more pedestrian, but the complexity of textures and flavors definitely elevate this to a cut above the ordinary. I served it with a simple couscous pilaf and steamed kale.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

Replace the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a small amount of broth. 

Creamy Cucumber Dressing

Taking advantage of recipes using non-dairy yogurt is getting easier and easier, as this product becomes more readily available in even conventional markets across the country. Sometimes, though, it can still be difficult to find the non-flavored yogurt in the non-dairy variety, which happened to me when I decided to try the "Creamy Cucumber Dressing". After contemplating the recipe, I decided using vegan sour cream would be an acceptable substitute, and it turned out I was right! (If you want to make your own vegan sour cream, this book also has a recipe for that.) I was especially happy to see this dressing includes no added oil, always a bonus! This simple dressing consists of the yogurt (or sour cream), cucumber, a splash of lemon juice, and some herbs and spices (salt, cayenne, and parsley). I thought it was begging for a clove of garlic, so I threw that in as well.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• No changes necessary if you can find oil-free yogurt, or use or make oil free sour cream.

Three-Tomato Gazpacho with Chipotle Crème

There are 13 recipes for Cold Soups in this book, and four of them are types of gazpacho. The "Three-Tomato Gazpacho with Chipotle Crème" (page 180) looked especially enticing (I love anything with chipotle) so I decided to try that one first. The three different tomatoes include fresh, canned, and sun-dried, each providing a slightly different characteristic. The sun-dried and canned tomatoes are puréed in a blender along with onion, bell pepper, cucumber and garlic. To this mixture is added the fresh tomatoes, more cucumber and tomato juice (I used Spicy V8). Because of all the fresh vegetables in the purée, the end result is very thick and creamy, almost like a smoothie. After the soup has been thoroughly chilled, it is topped off with the best part - the Chipotle Crème (along with minced green onions). The Chipotle Crème is a mixture of vegan sour cream and canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce. The recipe instructions say to combine olive oil, chipotle chili and sour cream in a blender until well combined, but I found it easier to bypass the blender for such a small amount of crème (which would be hard to scrape out) and just blend some of the adobo sauce into the sour cream in a small bowl using a spoon. I didn't include the oil at all, and I used homemade, oil-free, tofu sour cream, thereby omitting any added oil. The recipe does call for oil-packed sundried tomatoes, however, but you can buy the dried variety and rehydrate them in hot water, or rinse off the oil-packed variety and wipe dry with a paper towel. Here's a trick I've learned along the way: If you find the flavor of raw onion doesn't agree with you, slice the onion and heat it briefly in very hot water or the microwave before using in a recipe. This produces a milder onion taste, and since this recipe calls for one entire raw onion, that is what I did. The recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, so both my husband and I were able to enjoy it over three separate meals - and enjoy it we did!

Tempeh with Potatoes and Cabbage

"Tempeh with Potatoes and Cabbage" (page 302) is a hearty dish, I would call it a stew, that can also be turned into a goulash with the addition of optional vegan sour cream.  Browned tempeh, onion, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage are cooked in a savory broth of diced tomatoes, white wine, and vegetable broth until everything is cooked through, hot and bubbly, at which time you can stir in the sour cream if you opt to use it (I did).  In order to keep this oil free, I omitted the oil when browning the tempeh, using a dry non-stick skillet instead (less browning, but also less fat), as well as when sautéing the onions and carrots.  The sour cream was homemade and oil free, as well.  To quote the recipe, this is a great "stick-to-your-ribs cold-weather comfort food". (Note: The recipe called for 1 pound of tempeh, and I used just 8 oz, as it seemed like more than enough.)

Potato & White Bean Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

I can't think of a single potato preparation that I don't totally love. Potatoes really are one of my most favorite foods, and potato salad in particular ranks high on my list. But I really had to get creative with the "Potato & White Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper" (page 69) in order to keep this dish oil-free. The recipe as written calls for 1/3 cup olive oil; this is a significant percentage of the ingredients to simply omit without finding something else to take its place. I had some Tofu Sour Cream (page 574) in the fridge, and thought this would make a nice substitution for the oil, vinegar, and mustard dressing this recipe called for. Granted, this does change the nature of the dressing rather significantly, but I have to say, using the sour cream was an absolutely delicious solution to my dilemma! The remaining ingredients are simple and healthy foods: potatoes, roasted red bell pepper, white beans, green onions, and capers. Initially I was skeptical about the beans, wondering if they would meld nicely with potatoes, but I was delightfully surprised at how perfect this union was, as if these two ingredients were made for each other. If you don't want to take the time to roast the red peppers yourself, using the jarred variety works very well (ask me how I know… J). This unusual but delicious potato salad will now become a regular addition to my potato salad repertoire.

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü Instead of using the oil-based dressing in the recipe, try substituting Tofu Sour Cream or fat free vegan mayonnaise.

Bountiful Breakfast Burritos

"Bountiful Breakfast Burritos" (page 512) make great fare for Sunday brunch, but are so quick and easy to prepare, you don't have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy them. Start with sautéed veggies (green onion, spinach) and tofu, add fresh tomatoes, salsa, and (vegan) sour cream, and roll it all up in a tortilla of your liking. As usual, no oil necessary at all for sautéing the veggies, just use a non-stick skillet, or a little broth or soy sauce in place of the oil if you wish. The hardest ingredient in this dish to keep oil free and whole grain is the tortillas. If you are lucky enough to have access to a market that carries "Food For Life" brand products, look for the Ezekiel 4:9 tortillas. They are both whole grain and oil free. In most markets you end up having to choose either whole grain or oil free. Make your own vegan sour cream (Tofu Sour Cream), as this is another product that is difficult to buy oil-free.

Cucumber Raita

"Cucumber Raita" (page 575) is an easy dish to put together if you are lucky enough to have access to vegan yogurt. At the moment, I am not, but I did make the Tofu Sour Cream (see review above) earlier in the week, and thought this would be a good stand-in for the yogurt.  Turns out I was right!  The sour cream worked perfectly in this dish, and no other changes were required to make this recipe McDougall friendly.  I did, however, add some minced fresh garlic, as there is just something so wonderful and maybe even addictive in the combination of sour cream, garlic, and cucumbers.  This is a simple and tasty dish that can be served as is, on top of a salad greens, or tucked into a pita along with some hummus, tomato, and lettuce.

Mushroom Goulash

The hearty "Mushroom Goulash" (page 326) is so delicious and the flavors are so addictive, I could probably eat this every day. A savory vegetable medley of onion, garlic, portobello mushrooms, and potato (surprised me too, but it worked!) are simmered in wine, broth, and tomato paste. Caraway seed provides the traditional seasoning you are looking for in a goulash, and instead of cabbage, this recipe calls for sauerkraut, a wonderful replacement as far as I'm concerned. Vegan sour cream is mixed into the cooked veggies, and the finished product is served over wide noodles. To keep this oil free, sauté the veggies in a non-stick skillet, and make or purchase an oil-free sour cream. With all the varieties of pastas on the market, it is getting easier and easier to find your favorite variety in a whole grain.

Lime-Cilantro Dressing

There is no end to what can go into a salad dressing, once you step outside the limited realm of Ranch/1000 Island/Italian/Blue Cheese. While these standard choices are good, especially when made vegan and healthy, there is so much more that can constitute a dressing or dip. Consider the case in point, "Lime-Cilantro Dressing" (page 103). This dressing was so good, I was using it on everything, including salad, steamed asparagus, wraps, as a topping for Mexican food, and putting a sour cream-like dollop on my chili. The base for this dressing is vegan yogurt, but since this can be hard to find, and it isn't always made with the purest ingredients, I opted to use homemade Tofu SourCream instead. Mixed into the yogurt (or sour cream) is fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, a smidge of sugar, ground cumin, and cayenne. I also added a fresh clove of minced garlic, as it seemed to be begging for this, at least to someone like me who is kind of a garlic fanatic. I opted to pulse everything together in the blender to really infuse the flavors throughout, but the recipe just has you mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Although the notes mention this is best used on the same day it is made, I kept it around for a week with no deterioration of quality or flavor. Quite surprising to me, this recipe did not call for any added oil - a definite bonus!

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü     No changes necessary! J

Yellow Beet Salad with Pears & Pecans

"Yellow Beet Salad with Pears & Pecans" (page 64) takes advantage of fall and winter fruits and vegetables, and if you are lucky enough to find the beets and pears from your local farmers market, this wonderful salad will be even better. (If yellow beets are hard to find, the recipe suggests using red beets in their place. Either way, you really can't go wrong.) A bed of red leaf lettuce is the layered with cooked beets and diced pears, topped with a creamy-herby dressing, and sprinkled with toasted pecans. The combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy creates some sort of culinary magic, and I could have made an entire meal out this salad. I suggest baking the beets (each beet individually wrapped in foil, and baked for about 45-60 minutes, depending on size), rather than steaming them as the recipe calls for, as baking really brings out the best flavor. Pressure cooking them is also an alternative, which is almost as good as baking. This salad takes a little advanced planning, since everything is made from scratch, including the dressing, but you won't be disappointed for taking the time.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use vegan oil-free mayonnaise in the dressing, either store-bought or homemade.
• Use vegan oil-free sour cream in the dressing, either store-bought or homemade.

Red Bean & Bulgur Chili

If you like a little chew in your veggie chili, but don't like the idea of using faux meats, which are mostly comprised of highly processed soy isolates and other questionable ingredients, try the "Red Bean & Bulgur Chili", (page 251).  Adding bulgur provides the perfect texture and mouth feel, adding a level of pleasing complexity. The red beans are dark red kidneys, but any of your favorite beans would be equally as good here.  The vegetables include red onion, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and salsa (see the color theme here, utilizing red foods?), and is seasoned with garlic, mild green chiles, chili powder and oregano. The bulgur is added right into the chili pot, and doesn't take long to cook tender. If you have cooked beans on hand, this chili can be ready in just about an hour. Top off with diced red onion, vegan sour cream, and chopped cilantro at the table, if desired.  

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

 

ü Omit the olive oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick pot and/or substitute water or veggie broth for the oil.

 

Mixed Lettuces with White Radish, Snow Peas, & Yuzu Dressing

"Mixed Lettuces with White Radish, Snow Peas, & Yuzu Dressing" (page 52) is a simple salad that is pretty much summed up in the title of the recipe. The dressing calls for Yuzu vinegar which is made from the juice of yuzu, a sour Japanese citrus fruit. Since I was unable to find this, I used my favorite balsamic vinegar as a dressing instead (the recipe suggests substituting a mixture of rice vinegar and lemon juice for the yuzu if you can't find this specialty product). The recipe as written calls for 1/3 cup of olive oil, and simply omitting this completely will result in a purely vinegar based dressing. This works great if you use a mild, slightly sweet natural balsamic vinegar such as the one I used (Fustini's). Otherwise, you can use water instead of the oil and thicken the dressing with a ¼ teaspoon of guar gum (put all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously; let sit for about 30 minutes to thicken). Very simple, colorful, and tasty, this salad makes a great start to any meal.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

                                                                                                                            

ü  Omit the olive oil. Use a mild and slightly sweet natural balsamic instead, or a water based dressing thickened with guar gum.

Green Bean & Mushroom Stroganoff

If you are lucky enough to have garden fresh green beans on hand, the "Green Bean & Mushroom Stroganoff" (page 327) is a wonderful way to prepare them. Cooked green beans are combined with sautéed mushrooms and onions (I omitted the oil, and just allowed the onions and mushrooms to release their own juices in my non-stick skillet), simmered in broth and wine, thickened with tomato paste and flour, and made rich with the addition of vegan sour cream. In this recipe, as in most recipes where a sauce is made in a skillet with sautéed veggies, flour is stirred into the mix, and some sort of liquid is slowly stirred in until the flour-veggie-liquid mixture is smooth. However, I have found this methodology doesn't work well in the absence of fat. The flour will not dissolve into the veggies and I end up with a lumpy sauce at the end. To get around this, I have started putting the liquid ingredients plus the flour into a blender and processing just long enough to combine, then adding that back into the skillet for the cooking and thickening. I've had excellent results doing this. For this recipe, I combined the broth, tomato paste, and flour in the blender, then added this back to the sautéed onions and mushrooms, then proceeded with the rest of the recipe as written. This worked out great, and the final sauce was smooth and delicious. I served this over wide noodles with steamed spinach on the side.

Tempting Tempeh Chili

“Tempting Tempeh Chili”, (page 300), takes a vegan approach to traditional meat-and-bean chili, with tempeh stepping in for the carne. The traditional flavors of chili (chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic) are combined with pre-cooked tempeh, pinto beans, onion, and bell pepper, then mixed with crushed tomatoes. The chili is simmered for 45 minutes to blend and develop the flavors (and I find setting the completed dish aside for a couple of hours further improves both texture and flavor), then topped with minced fresh cilantro. If you haven’t cooked with tempeh before, this would be a good introductory exploration. The recipe is easy to follow, and the flavors of the chili are readily absorbed by the tempeh. Don’t forget to pass the toppings at the table. I used hot sauce (the recipe as written has very little spice heat), fat free plain yogurt (in place of sour cream) and diced red onions. Warm corn tortillas, or fresh cornbread as the recipe notes suggest, would both make good side dishes. The one tablespoon of olive oil for sautéing the veggies was easily omitted, and I didn’t have to change anything else in this recipe.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick skillet, and replace the oil with water or broth. 

Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Puree

"Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Puree" (page 175) melds the smoky hot flavor of chipotle with the mild flavor of pumpkin in a wonderfully warming soup, perfect as a first course, or a light lunch.  This is a quick soup to put together, especially if you use canned pumpkin.  Onion and celery are used for additional flavor, along with a touch of cumin.  The directions have you creating a separate chipotle puree to add to individual soups servings, but I blended the pepper right into the soup along with everything else to diffuse the flavor throughout.  To keep this McDougall friendly, I skipped the oil when sautéing the onion and celery, using a little of the broth portion of the soup instead.  I found the soup to be a tad on the thin side.  This could be remedied by cooking a small potato into the mixture before pureeing, or thickening with flour or cornstarch.  A dollop of tofu sour cream atop each serving is also a nice addition.

Tom Yum

“Tom Yum”, page 153, is a type of hot and sour Thai soup. The base is a lemongrass flavored broth, further enhanced with the bold flavors of onion, ginger, Nothin’ FishyNam Pla (vegan fish sauce from this book, see my previous post) and chili paste. After a short simmer, the broth is strained and the solids discarded. To this very flavorful brew you add tofu, green onions, fresh tomatoes, straw mushrooms, baby peas, cilantro, and lime juice. Depending on how spicy you like your soups, and to me, this soup begs for a good spice up, you can add additional chili paste to the final mix. I added another tablespoon, and possibly it could have handled more. I loved this soup, it was elementally satisfying, healthy, and according to the recipe notes, a surefire cure for a cold. I also appreciate that this recipe is oil free as written, and no changes were necessary to keep it McDougall compliant.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• No changes necessary! J (If you do use broth instead of water as part of the soup base, just make sure it is oil free.)

Spice Island Tofu

"Spice Island Tofu" (page 290) reminds me of a sweet and sour chicken dish I used to make in my pre-vegan life. I am thrilled to finally have a dish that brings back the old familiar flavors in a much healthier and kinder presentation. Slices of tofu are dredged in a flavorful blend of cornstarch and spices (thyme, marjoram, cayenne, paprika, and allspice) and browned in skillet. Bell pepper, green onions, and jalapeño are sautéed until tender, then simmered with tomatoes, pineapple chunks and lime juice. This luscious vegetable mixture is then spooned over the prepared tofu and garnished with fresh parsley. I served ours over a bed of brown rice.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" Checklist:

ü     Omit the oil when browning the tofu and sautéing the veggies (3 tablespoons total); use a nonstick skillet, and/or a little water or broth instead.

Seitan Tacos

These build-it-yourself "Seitan Tacos" (page 126) are sure to please, since each taco is individually custom made with just the ingredients you want. Cooked seitan is seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and garlic and is the "meat" of the filling. Optional toppings listed in the recipe are avocado, lettuce, and salsa, but you could also include sliced olives, shredded vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, and diced tomato. That's the fun of a taco bar! Soft corn tortillas are used here, a healthy choice to wrap around these delicious taco fillings.

 

"Keeping it McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü     Omit the 2 tablespoons of oil when browning the seitan; use a nonstick skillet, and/or a little water or broth instead.

ü     Make your own seitan (Basic Simmered Seitan), or make sure you purchase an oil free variety.

ü     Use fresh (soft) corn tortillas which are oil free, as opposed to the hard shell varieties, which are fried.