Yup. That’s a Tofu Turkey. Complete with drumsticks and all. I didn’t want to spend the $40 at Whole Foods for a Vegetarian Plus Vegan Whole Turkey that is indeed shaped like a turkey versus the more reasonable Tofurky brand vegetarian turkeys that are loaf-like. If I had a had a whole family of vegetarians, I would have, but it’s just not worth it for just me.

Instead, I make-shifted (is that a word?) my own. I got the cheapest on the shelf – a $5 Quorn Turk’y Roast and two vegetarian chicken drumsticks from a Chinese vegetarian store in Oakland (I don’t know the name. My sister picked them up for me). A few toothpicks later and – voi la! A tofurky!

My husband looked at me like I had grown a second head when I showed him. Then we proceeded to laugh our heads off a how ridiculous it looked. It tasted good, though.  Don’t be jealous. You know you want one for yourself.

Edit to Add: My sister gave me the info for the Chinese or Vietnamese market in Oakland that sells the faux products – Layonna Vegetarian Health Food Market. Check it out if you’re in the area. Lots of great faux meat products. The drumsticks are fabulous. The faux salmon… Well, it’s ‘ok’, but it’s still fun for a very random change of pace.

Here was the resulting dinner. It was the most “atkins-esque” dinner a vegetarian can possibly have. It isn’t pretty (especially in this photo since this was snapped on my cell phone), but it was tasty and satisfied the craving.

Egg whites, pan fried tofu, and veggie burger patty. The end.

So, here is my take on a s’mores – in a cup. It was delicious to say the least. And the girls ate them up. Quickly. Some even stated they were the best they’ve ever had of my cupcakes. They all agreed it tasted like a s’mores. I’ll be keeping this recipe around for a while. I can’t wait to try it again.

Since then, I’ve been mooning over the utopian flavors of s’mores and wishing I could have a ‘real’ one. So, I treated myself to some veg marshmallows, toasted them on some grahams on broil and devoured them with some rich dark chocolate (72%, cuz that’s how I roll). Goooooood stuff.  I now feel redeemed. I’ve righted the wrong of never having a s’mores.

So, if you’re looking for that tasty treat in a cup form… Look no further. You’ve arrived.

And because I’m having entirely too much fun with Adobe Lightroom’s presets and because my sister happened to be there to capture me in action, here is a random montage of me making the s’mores cupcakes. Enjoy. Or ignore. Whatever you please. I thought they were fun enough to make a new blog design and title photo with them. Kind of fun.

These Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

• Nutritional Benefits: Oat Bran and Oatmeal are very similar with their health benefits, but oat bran is a little better nutritionally comparing 1/3 cup. Though oat bran is a little bit higher calorie and fat (slightly – not excessive in my opinion), it also has a lot more fiber, protein, and iron. For me, the vegetarian, the last two are even more important. Check out the stat comparison (M=oatMeal, B=oatBran). Calories: M=100, B=130. Fat: M=2g, B=3g. Carb: M=19g, B=24g. Fiber: M=3g, B=6g. Protein: M=4g, B=7g. Iron: M=6%, B=14%
• Filling: Even though the nutritional data is a wee bit higher for the oat bran, I find it to be a million times more filling than oatmeal. For some reason I can eat oatmeal and be hungry about 2 hrs later. With oat bran, I’m full for about 4 hrs. (no kidding!) This is rare for me since I usually eat about every 3 hrs as a general rule.
• Texture: With oatmeal (non instant), you typically have to “chew”, but Oat Bran goes down more like cream of wheat. It’s much more mushy and creamy. While “chewy” oatmeal has it’s place (I haven’t completely abandoned the oatmeal altogether), there’s just something sort of comforting about the softer texture, for me.
• Flavor: I really see no difference here. The flavor is very much the same as oatmeal. They both need to be “doctored up” (in my opinion) with some sweetener, maybe some sugar, cinnamon, etc.
• Convenience: I, personally, try to avoid the instant oatmeal because of the extra preservatives and sugars. The problem is the length of time it takes to make real oatmeal in the morning is a bit too long for on-the-go breakfasts. With the Oat Bran, I can make my own preservative-free and sugar-free “instant oatmeal” in under 2 mins at the office. Plus, it tastes fabulous. I can even mock some of my favorite instant flavors (i.e, strawberries & cream or brown sugar & maple) in my oat bran. And that makes me smile.

Hope this helps resolve the question in your mind, “Why is is the vegsf gal so crazy for oat bran? Wouldn’t oatmeal do the trick?”

Try the oat bran. I dare ya!

Check it out

My sis and I discovered Onion Goggles when we were at a kitchen store the other day. For a whopping $20, we thought it was a bit outrageous just to prevent some tears while chopping. Especially when we had the idea that all you really need is some sort of sealing eyewear. Most likely you have something in your home already and don’t realize it.

Swim goggles!

You can usually pick up a really cheap pair somewhere like target or a multi-pack at Costco. I tried it a week ago with the goggles I had stashed with all my other swim stuff. Works like a charm!  I now have those goggles stashed with my kitchen tools.

The rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

6 things about myself:

1. I wish I loved tofu more than I do. It has to be made “just right” for me to truly enjoy and like it.
2. Aside for my picky-ness with tofu, there aren’t many foods I don’t like (with the exception of meat, of course). But one of them is rice. Pretty bad for someone married to a Filipino!
3. My husband is not vegetarian and doesn’t like veggies, which makes for interesting meals around our house! I do all my food experiments on my sister.
4. I think my sister is a better cake/cookie/cupcake decorator than me.
5. I secretly wish I was a gourmet vegetarian cook and baker who had her own shop. Maybe some day…

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you want to play along, jump on in!

Carrot Persimmon Cupcakes

These are from the brand new blog I Dream of Dessert by the same author as the recently closed blog “Cupcake Blog”. I’m glad they opened a new blog since making the decision to stop blogging at the cupcake blog spot. The recipes are unique and the photos are beautiful. I can’t wait to see what new creations they come up with next.

Seitan Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing

From the VeganYumYum blog, I wish I was a guest at their house this Thanksgiving! This recipe makes the perfect turkey alternative. It looks amazing. If I had more time this Thanksgiving, I would have definitely tried it. Maybe next year!

Nikki’s Sweet Potatoes

I’m 95% sure I’m going to make these from 101 Cookbooks for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. They look amazing. I can imagine the coconut milk, macadamias and ginger are the perfect compliment to the sweet potatoes.

Pumpkin Twinkies with Meyer Lemon Filling

I have a soft spot for the Hostess Twinkie. I’m not entirely sure why, considering the thing is nearly indestructible and the worst thing in the world for one to consume considering all the horrible ingredients. But that aside, the concept of a cake filled with some yummy cream is defintely something up my alley. I think of it as a rectangular filled cupcake with no frosting. These pumpkin twinkies sound great and filled with a zing of meyer lemon cream filling… Yum.

Vegetable Lasagna with Goat Cheese

I love goat cheese. I’ve found it compliments a great number of dishes from sweet to savory and this lasagna with all kinds of vegetables and goat cheese would make a great cold night, hearty meal.

There’s also Cupcake Hero. The August flavor was “bakers choice” with ingredients from the past year’s CH challenges. I haven’t yet seen what October’s is…

What do you think? Should I do it? You know how much I love baking and especially cupcakes! I’m “this close” to trying it this weekend.

If you don’t want to try all of them, there are two you MUST try: Tomato Olive Butter and the Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese. Don’t ask questions. Just do it! (I even moved them to the top of the post so you could get to them easier.)

Enjoy!!!

This tomato olive butter served with sourdough bread was gobbled down in no time. Everyone loved it – even those people who hate both olives and tomatoes! When they asked me what was in it, I responded with “Will you still eat it???” and they said yes. So, I told. And they still ate it because they were too addicted to stop at that point.

Tomato Olive Butter
From Bluephie’s in Madison WisconsinCajun Spices:

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Butter:

• 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Spices (from above)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4-5 halves sun-dried tomatoes
• 6-7 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Mix together Cajun spices and set aside.

Bring about 1 ½ cups water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add sun dried tomatoes and remove from heat. Let sit in the water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and chop.

Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and blend until smooth (works best in an upright mixer such as a kitchen aid). Add the remaining ingredients all at once with the mixer still running. Mix until evenly distributed. If you don’t have a mixer, mash with a fork until blended.

The butter is read to eat, but keep the remaining butter refrigerated. Before serving, it’s best to let the butter soften at room temperature. Don’t put the compound butter in the microwave or stove-top to speed softening. The ingredients will separate.

Serve with fresh sourdough bread.

Makes about 2 ½ cups.
Serves: Approx. 20 people

My sister made this amazing salad. I could almost have made my meal out of this recipe. She originally found it at allrecipes. She made the dressing exactly per their directions, but did her own thing with adding the goat cheese. Also, she prefers either regular olive oil or vegetable oil rather than extra virgin olive oil. Extra Virgin seems to overpower on the flavor a bit. So, here’s how we make the recipe.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (get vegetarian Worcestershire here)
• 1 tablespoon minced onion

Salad:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried
• 1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
• 2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Cover, and chill for one hour.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Appetizers

• Fresh Mozzarella balls
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil, finely chopped
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Course ground pepper and sea salt

Place mozzarella balls and tomatoes on party toothpicks. Mix half balsamic and half olive oil with basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the toothpicks and let it sit for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Mint Syrup
Serve as a side to sweeten and flavor iced tea or lemonade.

• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Wash the mint and pull leaves off the stems. Place medium sized sauce pan. Add water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool slightly and strain syrup to remove leaves. Let cool completely and serve with tea or lemonade.

In the craziness of trying to serve everything, I forgot to take a picture of the actual dish, so I grabbed the one off the Vegetarian Times website where I found the recipe. I would definitely make this dish again. The flavors with the mint pesto gave it a bit more of an exotic flavor from maybe India or Thailand. It also says to serve warm or at room temperature. I prefer it warm.

Green Beans and New Potatoes with Mint Pesto

• 2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 1 lb. green beans, or 1/2 lb. green beans and 1/2 lb. wax beans, trimmed

Toast walnuts in small skillet 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat, or until nuts are fragrant, shaking pan frequently. Cool.

Purée walnuts, mint, parsley, oil, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl once or twice. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto to keep from turning brown, and let stand at room temperature for 1/2 hour, or up to 3 hours.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook 8 minutes. Add beans, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Drain.

Transfer vegetables to large bowl, and toss with pesto. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8