Mexican Quesadilla

So this was somewhat a leftovers-directed creation but it was really really good. After having made a burrito for lunch that day, which I made in the morning and hence did not have time to take a picture, I was so excited by how delicious it was, I kind of wanted another one for dinner. But I wanted it to be a bit different, so naturally, I thought, quesadillas! I spread Tofutti cream cheese on one tortilla, and leftover refried black beans on the other. Then I sandwiched sauteed kale and just a bit of salsa in between the two and grilled it on my grill pan. I sliced it into 6 pieces and served it with the last of the tofu cream and Whole Foods pico de gallo.

Verdict? This was amazing. Even better than the burrito I was raving over. The crispy golden-ness of the tortillas, and the sauteed kale and creaminess of the cream cheese and mashed black beans was just perfect. And dipped in the tofu cream and pico was absolutely heaven. Soooo good. I wouldn't change a thing. I didn't miss the gooeyness of the cheese in classic quesadillas one bit, which was a big surprise to me. I think all quesadillas should have some greens in them. It's just so dang delicious.

Crispy Mushroom Pizza

So this was I think the most classically vegan meal I've made thus far. I think. But who am I to know? I've only been vegan for 3 weeks. Basically, I sauteed mushrooms, onion and garlic until nice and soft and browned and set aside. The "cheese" is actually the tofu cream recipe from The Kind Life: firm tofu, steamed, then blended with umeboshi plum paste, lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons of veganaise. Then I lightly broiled a whole wheat tortilla, topped with the cream and then the mushroom mixture and boiled until the toppings were warmed and just beginning to dry out a bit. Topped with some parsley and served.

This was also really really good. The tofu cream imparts just that bit of acidity and creaminess that pizza needs, but it's more like sour cream than cheese. And it contrasted nicely with the crispness of the tortilla. And mushrooms and onions are always delicious. When I made a second pizza with the leftovers the next day, I put some sauteed bok choy greens under the mushroom mixture and that was even more delicious. Also, it's crucial to poke holes in the tortilla before broiling to prevent it swelling like a balloon, which I repeatedly forgot. I also used the tofu cream in a burrito a few days later, along with homemade refried black beans, sauteed kale and fresh salsa...which was possibly the best burrito I've ever had. Ever. And I ate it 4 hours after making it, for lunch. And I used the tofu cream in a dish tonight that I will post shortly. Basically, the tofu cream and the basic method for making tortilla pizza were the takeaway lessons here. Although the basic recipe is good, there are a million things you can do differently to customize it to your own tastes. Yum. Being vegan is fun...and very educational.

Brown Rice with Sweet Potato, Kale, and Baked Tofu

So this was delicious. It's only downfalls related to texture, not flavor. I diced up one whole sweet potato, with the skin on, and roasted it until it was brown and fragrant. The rice was cooked very basically in vegetable broth, although I think I undercooked it a bit in fear of mushy rice. The tofu is a modification of a recipe in The Kind Life, Alicia Silverstone's vegan bible. It was marinated for an hour in a mixture of shoyu (soy sauce), ume vinegar, minced ginger and garlic, crushed red pepper, and a bit of olive oil. I then dumped all of this into an 8x8 pan, marinade included and baked it for about 25 minutes. Then, lightly sauteed kale and mushrooms, the sweet potatoes, and the rice were just stirred together.

Verdict: I need to practice my rice-cooking skills. I'd invest in a rice cooker (apparently a crucial part of the vegan kitchen), but I have no room in my 475 square foot apartment as it is. And the tofu and marinade were definitely delicious, but I think that I should have baked the tofu a bit drier because it was kind of mushy, particularly when stirred in with the rice. The sweet thing about marinating something like tofu and seitan is the ability to reuse the marinate later as a sauce with no worries about raw meat contamination. But the combination overall was pretty delicious. I would probably leave all the parts separated next time, for appearance and for ease of leftover storage. It started looking pretty disgusting on the third day, and it might've been nice to be able to just add the rice to something else of just eat the roasted sweet potatoes like candy.

I'm starting to like this vegan thing...it's not easy, but I do feel better and I'm having a lot of fun experimenting with different proteins, grains and vegetables. I'm also really enjoying reading all of the interesting facts about veganism and all of the substitutes and interesting copycat recipes vegans have created. This really should be a lifelong commitment. And if more people hopped on board, it would negate the hardest part of this lifestyle: eating out. :)