Grilled Citrus Tofu and Pineapple

Spring is coming to the frozen north! Today was sunny and warm and the snow and ice was melting away like mad. All the snow is now gone from the back porch, so BBQ was the only way to go for tonight's meal. If you have not had grilled pineapple you must try it. I am not the biggest pineapple fan, but this was fantastic. Grilling really brings out the pineapple's sweetness. And, inspired by the Happy Herbivore's quest to "put the veg back in vegan," I supplemented the tofu and pineapple with steamed carrots, kale, corn, roasted red potatoes, and mesclun salad with tomatoes and cucumbers.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg firm tofu, pressed and cut into 8 pieces

- 1/2 can frozen orange juice, thawed

- juice 1/2 lemon

- juice 1 lime

- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- 1 tbsp oil

- salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Mix together juices, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper. Marinate tofu slices for an hour or so.

2. Grill on a lightly oiled BBQ over med-hi heat, basting with marinade, for 10-15 mins.

Grilled Pineapple: Brush fresh pineapple slices with some of the marinade and grill for about 10 mins. Make sure pineapple browns but does not burn.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Struesel

Veganomicon strikes again! Tonight's Friday night treat was this subtly spiced and delightfully moist cake with a sweet and crunchy struesel topping. Delicious! I drizzled a thin icing over top to make it a wee bit more photogenic. Besides wanting a tasty treat after finishing my final history lecture for the academic year, I had another motive for baking tonight. In my quest to make veganism more visible and more palatable, I am going to man a vegan baking table at our sons school's annual spring fair. All proceeds will go to the school, and I will include a card with a link to my blog with every cupcake, loaf of bread, slice of cake, etc. I think vegan cupcakes will indeed take over the world.

Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables

I know it says polenta in the title, but I actually just used cornmeal. While I like the heartier texture of polenta, I never did like having to cook it for 20 minutes. Cornmeal cooks in a jiffy and has pretty much the same taste. Tomatoes and polenta go very well together, and roasting the other veggies adds a wonderfully smoky and sweet flavour to the whole dish.

INGREDIENTS

- 6 cups water

- 3 cups cornmeal

- 1-2 tsp salt

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1 tsp basil

- 1 tsp parsley

- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

- 1/4 cup margarine

- 6 cloves garlic, roasted, chopped

- 2 cups frozen corn

- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

- 8 oz thickly sliced mushrooms

- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

- 1/2 jar pasta sauce, plus 1/2 cup

- 1 yellow pepper, roasted, sliced

- 1 red pepper, roasted, sliced

- olive oil for brushing

- vegan mozzarella cheese

METHOD:

1. Bring water to boiling in a large pot. Add salt and spices to the water, then whisk in cornmeal. When cornmeal has thickened, remove from heat and mix in margarine and nutritional yeast with a spoon. Working quickly, spread cornmeal mixture as thinly as possible on 2 cookie sheets (or one large sheet). Set aside to cool. When cool, slice into 9 strips.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, dry roast corn until it beings to lightly brown. Add in cherry tomatoes and mushroom, stirring constantly, until mushrooms begin to brown and soften. If veggies are sticking, add a few tbsp of water. Add in tomatoes and pasta sauce and bring to bubbling. Add in roasted pepper slices.

3. Spread extra 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place 3 strips of polenta over the sauce, and top with 1/2 of the tomato mixture. Repeat with 3 more strips and the other half of the sauce. Top with 3 more polenta strips, and brush lightly with olive oil. Top with vegan cheese.

4. Bake for 35-45 mins, or until bubbling and the cheese has melted.

Mandarin Chickpeas and Asparagus Sushi

It must be spring elsewhere because we are finally getting a better selection of produce in the grocery store. This week, it meant cheap mandarin oranges and asparagus. I steamed the asparagus and rolled it with tofu, rice, and a splash of hoisin sauce in a sheet of nori. The hoisin makes the sushi more palatable for the boys who still whine about eating seaweed. The plan for the mandarin oranges was to pair them with chickpeas, almonds, and a sweet and salty sauce. But, I did not have almonds, so I went with cashews. Actually, now that I think about it, this dish is very closely related to the cashew chickpea dish I made in January. That dish was tasty, and so is this one.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- a few drops of sesame oil

- 1 onion, cut in half, and sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced

- 1 red pepper, diced

- 3/4 cup raw cashews

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 4 mini bok choy, thinly sliced

- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce

- 2-3 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce

- 6 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned

METHOD

1. Heat oils in a wok over med-hi heat. Stir fry onion, garlic, and ginger for a few mins, until onions start to soften. Add in red pepper and cashews and stir fry for 2 mins.

2. Add in chickpeas and mix well. Add in bok choy and stir fry until it begins to wilt. Add in sauces and adjust to taste.

3. Remove from heat and stir in mandarin orange sections. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Spicy White Bean Soup

Today started all spring-like at 8 degrees above zero (46 F) and raining, but as the day wore on rain turned to snow and the temperature sank to -8 (18 F). It's enough to make you want to cry, especially when other bloggers have already have harvested radishes from their gardens! Check out tonight's view from my back porch. Anyway, this hearty soup hit the spot tonight, and it comes courtesy of Vegan Mom. The white beans and potatoes provide texture and a mellow undertone, while the pepperoni gives the broth a smoky flavour and bursts of spice.

INGREDIENTS

Soup like this is all about chucking a bunch of stuff in a pot, so the amount of each ingredient you use is totally up to you.

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 large onion, diced

- 2 ribs celery, sliced

- potatoes, peeled and diced

- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

- dried macaroni

- pepperoni, cut into chunks

- water, or veggie broth

- frozen peas

- frozen corn

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and celery for about 5 mins, until onion is translucent. Add in potatoes, beans, macaroni, pepperoni, and water. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender and pasta is cooked.

2. Add in peas and corn and heat through. Serve with crusty bread.