Potato Buns

This is my second staple recipe for the summer (now that you have your roasted tofu): big, soft buns that you can pile whatever comes off the grill onto.  This is a variation on my Everyday Whole Wheat Bread, so watch that video if it helps.  Adding potato makes for nice soft bread, and if you use Yukon Gold or the like, they will add a nice golden colour to the buns.

INGREDIENTS

Soaker

- 18 fl oz warm soy milk

- 3 oz mashed potato (see note below*)

- 17 oz white bread flour

- 1 tbsp instant yeast

Dough

- 13 oz white bread flour

- 2.25 tsp salt

- 4.5 tbsp sugar

- 3 oz oil

- potato flour for dusting

METHOD

1. Make the soaker: Add the mashed potato to the warm soy milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  Add to flour and yeast in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is hydrated.  Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour.

2. Make the dough: Add the rest of the ingredients to the soaker and bring together into a soft, slightly tacky, dough.  Knead until smooth, adjusting flour or liquid as needed.  Shape dough into a ball and place into a oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.

3. Divide the dough into 12 pieces.  Shape in boules, then press down the boules, seam side up, into a hockey puck shape. Place on a surface lightly floured with potato flour, mist with spray oil, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Let rise until almost doubled, about 40 mins.

4.  Flip the buns over and gently press down with your fingertips to shape them back into hockey pucks.  Don't deflate the dough, just gently reshape it.  Mist with spray oil, dust with potato flour.  Slice the tops of the buns with a sharp knife, at least 1/3 of the way into the buns, and cover again.

5. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the top third of the oven, once rack in the bottom third.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. When the buns have risen (about 20-30 mins) carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 8 mins, then rotate the pans and switch racks.  Bake for another 8 mins.  Cool on racks and enjoy!

*Note: I prefer to boil whole potatoes with the skin on so that the starch stays in the potato.  Skin and mash the potato when it is done.  If you are pressed for time, peel and cut the potato and boil it, but reduce the soy milk by an ounce.  

Roasted Tofu

This is a fantastic recipe that can be the basis for many a meal this summer.  It is great as an actual roast (you could glaze it if you want), or sliced up cold on a sandwich, or smothered in BBQ sauce.  You could put the tofu in a smoker instead of roasting it.  

INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu (pressed, if you want)
- 3 tbsp margarine

Brine
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked or seasoned salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- few dashes liquid smoke

METHOD
1. Mix together brine ingredients.  Submerge the whole block of tofu in the brine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  
2. Line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat the margarine in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Brown each side of the tofu then place in the prepared baking dish.  Pour whatever liquid is left in the pan over the tofu.
4. Bake for 40 mins, basting the tofu every 10 mins.
5. Let cool for 10 mins, then slice and serve. 

Sliced roasted tofu, pan-fried, smothered in BBQ sauce, topped with slaw.  

Tofu Chops

Sorry for the radio silence, kids, it's been a busy one lately.  The good news is that my Benjamin  Franklin manuscript has been approved and is moving into production.  The bad news is that I still have a ton of other things to do before my sabbatical ends and I go back to work.  Ha.  I developed this recipe after someone posted on the Facebook page about whether or not I had a vegan pork chop recipe.  I did not.  This is something like that.  Tofu Shake n' Bake, I guess.  The secret is brining the tofu, and picking a tofu that is not too firm or too soft.  Too firm will make for a dry chop, too soft will make them mushy.  In any event, these chops taste great with a huge side of homemade applesauce.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 12 slices (or more)
Brine
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked or seasoned salt
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar

Breading
- 1 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp oil

Dipping Liquid
- 1 cup plain soy milk
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- few splashes of hot sauce

METHOD
1. Mix together all the ingredients for the brine.  Pour into a freezer bag.  Add sliced tofu and let it brine for 2 hours in the fridge.
2. When tofu is done brining, remove it from the fridge.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix together all of the ingredients for the breading in a large bowl.  Place about 1/3 of it in another large bowl.
4. Mix together all of the ingredients for the dipping liquid.
5. Dip a slice of the tofu in the dipping liquid, then toss it in the bowl with the smaller amount of breading to coat.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining tofu.  Add a few more panko crumbs in if needed.  Use one hand for dipping (wet), the other for breading (dry).  That way you won't muck up your breading and get it all over your fingers.
6. Carefully re-dip the breaded slices in the dipping liquid then toss in the remaining breading to coat.
7. Bake for 20 mins, flipping the tofu after 10 mins.

Hearty Barley Soup OR Hearty Irish Stew

We celebrated the first day of spring today with a snow day for the kids.  We are still below zero here so I am still all about the soups and stews.  If you are having warmer weather and don't feel like soup, I don't want to hear about it.  This recipes makes use of a quick stock--all of the veggie trimmings stuck in a pressure cooker to make a tasty broth.  Using the onion skins helps give the stock a rich colour and flavour, so make sure everything is well-washed.  As noted below, you can use this recipe to make an Irish Stew should you be so inclined.  Two for the price of one!

INGREDIENTS
Soup
- 3/4 cup pot barley
- water
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2.5 cup peeled potatoes cut in chunks
- 2 peeled carrots, halved and cut into thick slices
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mushroom soy sauce
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- 2 cups peas
- salt and pepper to taste

Quick Stock
- all trimmings from the veggies above (well washed), including onion skins
- 10 cups water
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 8-10 fresh thyme stems
- 1 tsp salt

METHOD
1. Cook the barley: put rinsed barley in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water.  Bring to boiling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 mins.  Drain before adding to the soup.
2. Make the Quick Stock: while the barley is cooking, put all of the stock ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook for 30 mins.  Pass through a strainer before adding to the soup.
3. Make the Soup: Heat the oil in a stockpot somewhere between med-lo to medium heat.  Sauté the onions and celery for 15 mins, or until they are a deep brown, stirring regularly.  Don't burn them, so watch your heat.  If they are not a nice brown colour, keep going for another 5 mins or so.
4. Add garlic and sauté for 1 min.  Add the spices and fry for 1 min.  Add potatoes and carrots and mix well.
5. Add the strained stock, cooked and drained barley, and the sauces.  Bring to bubbling over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 mins, or until the veggies are tender.  Add peas and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

TO MAKE IRISH STEW
No real recipe here, but rather some suggestions of how to use this recipe as the base for an Irish Stew.  Reduce the barley to 1/4 cup, add another onion, and more potatoes and carrots.  Add some sage to the spices.  Add a protein source: tofu cubes, seitan chunks, possibly white kidney beans. Up the water to about 12-13 cups.  Add some beer to the mix.  Cook uncovered to reduce the stew down. Thicken the stew after the veggies are cooked by mixing flour in with some soy milk and adding to the stew.  Add a few tbsp of tomato paste for a richer sauce.


And make some soda bread!

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Ganache and Frosting

Not much to say here other than this is a wonderfully moist chocolate cake with layers of rich ganache and topped with frosting.  I am eating the last piece right now as I blog.

INGREDIENTS
Cake
- 227g cake flour
- 65g cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup chocolate soy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla

Mocha Ganache
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
- 185g bittersweet vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp margarine

Frosting
- 300g bittersweet vegan chocolate chips
- 200g margarine (or a margarine/vegetable shortening mix)
- 150g icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy milk

METHOD
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or 325 convection
1. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans.  Cut out two circles of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pans.  Put the parchment papers in the bottom of the pans and grease it.  Flour both pans.
2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk chocolate soy milk and vinegar together.  Add remaining ingredients and whisk well to blend.
3. Add dry ingredients and gently whisk until blended.  Don't overdo it.
4. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
5. Bake for 22-24 mins (convection), or 26-28 mins (non-convection), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire racks for 5 mins, then flip the pans over the remove the cake.  Remove the parchment paper.  Cover the cakes with a damp towel and let them fully cool.

Mocha Ganache
1. Heat coconut milk and instant coffee to bubbling in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and margarine.  Stir until everything is melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool.

Frosting
1. Get water barely simmering in a double boiler.  Add chocolate chips and margarine and stir until everything is melted.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 mins, or until just barely warm.
2. Add vanilla and icing sugar and whisk until smooth.  As the icing sits, it will begin to get thicker.  Blend in soy milk until you get the consistency you like.  If you go overboard, you can always add more icing sugar.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
1. Cut each cake horizontally into two pieces.
2. When it has cooled, spoon 1/3 of the ganache on top of the bottom layer and spread.  Top with the next layer of cake, then 1/3 of the ganache, then the next layer of cake, then the last 1/3 of the ganache, then the top layer of cake.  If the layers start to slide a bit, just take your time.  Place the cake in a cool place to firm up in between layers if you need to.  I like the ganache to be a little on the runny side so that it soaks into the cake.
3. When your layers are assembled and stable, ice the entire cake in a thin layer of frosting.  I like to do this after I have blended in the icing sugar in but before I add the soy milk.  Place in a cool place to firm up.
4. Ice the rest of the cake.  Top with grated chocolate if you want to.  Enjoy!