Meatless (and Oilless) Monday

So my good friend Nicole threw down the gauntlet.  Make a vegan meal completely oil free.

And I panicked. 

How could you possibly make something tasty without oil?!  Well, as Nicole pointed out, without oil doesn't mean without fat.  She pointed me towards nuts, olives, tahini, seeds, avocados and the like.  And she's always wanted me to cook with nutritional yeast (or more affectionately referred to as "nooch").

Okay.  This occasional carnivore is totally diving into some oil-free vegan love.

Whole Wheat Shells with Almond Garlic Sauce and Green Things

A perfect substitute for those alfredo lovers.  Creamy, extremely flavorful, and filled with green things, you would never guess that it is oil free!

1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup water
16 oz whole wheat shells
3 cloves garlic
8 oz frozen peas
1/2 lb asparagus, sliced into thin diagonal pieces
2 1/2 cups spinach
1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 Tbl nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine almonds, water, garlic, and a pinch of salt and puree until smooth.  Just leave that sucker running for about 5 minutes.

Cook pasta in salted water until just before al dente (usually about half the suggested cooking time).  Drain pasta and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

In a large pan over medium heat, whisk together almond puree and 1 cup pasta water for about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add remaining cup of water, peas, and asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.  Add lemon juice, mint, basil, and nooch.  Stir to combine.  Add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente, about another 2-3 minutes.  Fold in spinach, and toss to wilt.  Spoon into bowls and garnish with toasted almonds, mint, and basil.

Flavor Sponge

Tofu.

Gross, right? 

No, I say!  No! 

Dear lord, I sound like a lesbian.

This little spongy block of bean curd is low in calories, high in protein, and takes on flavor like no bodies business. You just gotta know how what to do with it.  Since it originated in China, you are best off using Asian flavors to...er...flavor it.

Try this for a satisfying light lunch with the gals. 

Now I sound like a country club, soccer mom.

I need help.

Delicious lesbian food.

Grilled Spicy Tofu with Asparagus

Marinating tofu is a great way to fill it with deliciousness.  Make sure you give yourself time to allow it to dry out (as it is packed in water) and time to marinate (replacing the water with tasty love).

1 16 oz block extra firm tofu
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 tsp Thai chili paste
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbl freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

Remove tofu from water and drain between a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towel, applying pressure occasionally.  We are trying to get all of the water out.  Replace towels a couple of times.  This can take about 20-30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients and whisk together.  Remove tofu and slice into eight pieces, roughly 1 inch wide.  Place in marinade for 20 minutes, tossing half way through to make sure each piece is evenly coated.

Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium heat.  Add tofu and cook until grill marks appear flipping once (about 4-6 minutes) until heated through.  If your pan is large enough, add asparagus at the same time.  Before removing from heat, drizzle asparagus with marinade.  This will smoke up a bit, thanks to the sesame oil and honey. 

Serve tofu over asparagus. 

Then go do arts and crafts.  Make a candle or protest something.  You know, lesbian stuff.

Mom's Barbecue Sauce

Growing up in St. Louis, I could always tell when summer had officially arrived. Yes, school was out. Yes, I would ride my bike to swim practice every morning at the crack of dawn. And, yes, Grease 2 was playing on HBO on indefinite repeat. But, for me, the beginning summer was marked when, in our refrigerator, an old Peter Pan Peanut Butter jar with a red lid appeared filled to the rim with Carl's Barbecue Sauce.

My entire childhood existence was set in suburban St. Louis, save for a brief stint in Connecticut. As is often the case with the youngest child, it is difficult to imagine that my family had a life before I had blessed them with my birth. Much to my surprise, there were a host of experiences in exotic locales such as Orlando, FL or Laredo, TX that I would never know. It was in Orlando (I believe) where my parents became great friends with another couple, Carl and Sandy. As most young couples do, they spent time together socializing, planning dinner parties, and making wonderful 60s dishes like tomato aspic, rumaki, and fondue. It was during this time that Carl developed his barbecue sauce recipe.

A couple of years ago, I was visiting my mother (who still lives in the house of my childhood) and asked if we could make it. This recipe is one of the most ridiculous things you have ever seen. It has about 40 different ingredients and a few bizarre measuring techniques. But, it creates one of the most deliciously tangy and sweet sauces, and it was the taste sensation of my youth. At the end of my visit, Mom wrote out the recipe on an index card and slipped it into my bag. It now resides inside a cookbook in my kitchen, stained, well worn, and full of reminiscence.

Although the recipe may be Carl's, it will always remind me of Mom.

Mom's Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbl Tabasco
1 Tbl liquid smoke
2 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tble horseradish
3/4 cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
dash of crumbled rosemary
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pkg Onion soup mix
16 oz tomato sauce
3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped (this was my addition - optional)
1 stick of butter (my mom called it "oleo"...isn't that cute!)
2 cups of water.
3 Tbl cornstarch

Basically bring all of this to a simmer and add in the cornstarch. Cook until thick. If using the peppers, blend until smooth before adding cornstarch.

This is fantastic on grilled salmon! Serve with grilled asparagus and Grilled Peaches and Red Onions.

Grilled Peaches and Red Onions

6 peaches, cut into slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/2" rounds
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 Tbl fresh tarragon leaves
1 clove garlic
2 Tbl rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill over medium/high heat. Brush grill lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Working in batches, place peaches and onions on grill, cooking just long enough to get grill marks. Set aside in a bowl to cool.

In a small saucepan, bring OJ to a boil. Lower temperature and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, combine with tarragon, garlic, vinegar in a small food processor until good and mashed up. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Pour over peaches, add salt and pepper to taste.

Great as a side or combined with arugula as a salad.