Irish Soda Bread

As promised, here is the recipe for Irish soda bread. The recipe was easily veganized from Martha Day's Complete Baking. The original recipe calls for twice the flour which makes for one huge loaf. This recipe is half the size (which is still plenty big) and I have converted the grams (which the original recipe calls for) into cups. I'm pretty sure cream of tartar is not a traditional ingredient for soda bread, but it does make for a nice texture.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 2 tsp cream of tartar

- 1 tsp sugar

- 2 tbsp margarine

- 1 1/2 cups soy milk

- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Whisk flours, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar together. Rub margarine into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk soy milk and lemon juice together. Add to dry ingredients and mix together into a soft dough.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a circle about 2 inches thick. Dust with extra flour and transfer to the baking sheet. Mark a cross in the top with the handle of a wooden spoon.

3. Bake for 40 mins, or until risen and firm.

Irish Stew

Following the stew theme started last night, I went for a more familiar Irish stew tonight. I was disappointed to find out that most Irish ales are not vegan (Guinness as well) because they use isinglass to filter the beer. Most lagers, though, are vegan, including Harp's. The stewing beef is Bryanna's beefy seitan, an old-school simmered seitan that is wonderfully tender.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 3 cups cubed beefy seitan

- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

- 3 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 cup lager

- 1 cup red wine

- 2 cups chopped carrots

- 1.5 lbs cubed potatoes

- 2 tsp coriander

- 2 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp sage

- salt and pepper to taste

- water

- 3 tbsp flour

- 1/2 cup soy milk

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent. Add seitan and fry for 2 mins. Add vinegar and soy sauce and cook until liquid has been reduced.

2. Add lager and wine to the pot and cook for 10 mins, uncovered, until liquid reduces a bit and no longer smells so boozy.

3. Add carrots, potatoes, spices, and enough water to almost cover everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins, until veggies are soft.

4. Mix flour into soy milk and add to pot. Bring to bubbling to thicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with Irish soda bread to mop up the sauce (recipe tomorrow).

Ethiopian Stew

This isn't any particular Ethiopian dish, but rather is a stew inspired by Ethiopian flavours. I was craving something hearty and this really hit the spot.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup yellow split peas

- 3 cups of water

- 4 tbsp oil

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp cloves

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1 large onion, halved and sliced

- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 1" piece of ginger, minced

- 2 cups chopped seitan (or 1 can of chickpeas), optional

- 1 lb cubed potatoes

- 1 large carrot, chopped

- 1 tbsp berbere (or more)

- 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes, with juices

- 2 cups chopped green beans

- 1 cup red lentils

- water

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

- 1 six oz can tomato paste

METHOD

1. Rinse split peas and place in a pot with the 3 cups of water. Bring to boiling, cover, and simmer until soft. Drain off excess water.

2. While peas are cooking, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add spices and fry for 1 min. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry for 5-7 mins, until onions are soft. The spices may stick to the bottom of the pot, so periodically add a splash of water to the pan to deglaze.

3. Add seitan (if using), potatoes, carrots, and berbere. Fry for 2 mins. Add tomatoes, beans, lentils, and cooked split peas, and mix well. Add enough water to the pot to cover the veggies by about 1/2 inch. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins. Stir periodically to keep lentils and veggies from sticking.

5. Stir in parsley and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins.

Baked Tofu

I was in the mood for some home-style cooking today (vegan home-style, of course). Usually that means baking something in the oven, or making a huge pot of something mushy. The former won out tonight and I went with baked tofu, baked sweet potatoes, assorted veggies, and rutabaga. I was never a big fan of rutabaga as a kid (and my sons are carrying on the tradition), but now I love it mashed with some margarine and maple syrup.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into 6-8 thick slices

- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice

- few dashes of hot sauce
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs

- 1/4 cup vegan chick'n broth powder

- 2 tbsp flour

- 1 tsp poultry seasoning

- 1 tsp paprika

- 1 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Whisk together soy milk, lemon juice, and hot sauce in a bowl. Set aside to thicken.

2. Mix bread crumbs, broth powder, flour, and seasonings in another bowl.

3. The trick to breading in keeping one hand wet and the other dry. Dip a tofu slice in the soy milk mixture and drop into the bread crumbs. Shake the bowl (i.e. to toss the tofu in the bread crumbs) with your other hand. Use that hand to remove the tofu and place it on the baking sheet.

4. Repeat with remaining tofu. Then re-dip the breaded slices and toss them again in the bread crumbs. Add more liquid, if needed.

5. Bake 12 mins per side, until crisp and golden. Serve with the sauce of your choice.

King Oyster Mushroom Curry

I am using curry in the most generic sense here because I am not sure what else to call the dish. Its origins are a fish dish in an Indian cookbook I have. There really isn't a vegan substitute for fish, but I thought I would try king oyster mushrooms for something different. In the end, I was a little disappointed with the mushrooms because they were rather tough. Chickpeas or tofu would work just as well with this sauce.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 king oyster mushrooms, thickly sliced

- 1/4 cup lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced

- 1" piece of ginger, minced

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- salt to taste

- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup veggie broth, or water

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

METHOD

1. Mix tumeric, salt, and lemon juice together. Toss mushrooms in mixture and set aside for a few mins to let the liquid soak into the mushrooms.

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry mushrooms for about 5 mins, until they begin to soften. Remove from pan.

3. There should still be oil left in the pan. Make sure there is still about 2 tbsp. Add sugar to the pan and stir until sugar caramelizes. Add onions, ginger and garlic and fry until a nice golden brown (about 8-10 mins).

4. Add spices and mix well. Add tomatoes and cook until they reduce into a paste. Add enough water to get the consistency you are looking for, and season to taste. Stir in cilantro and add mushroom back to the pan. Cook until mushrooms are done. Serve over rice.