Panko Stuffed Mushrooms - Veganomicon!

While searching for something fresh and new to try for the old-standy party appetizer, Stuffed Mushrooms, I came across this Asian inspired recipe in Veganomicon

photo by Chef ~Jen~ @ REcipezaar

So many ~Stuffed Mushroom~ recipes are drizzled in butter, or contain the obligatory "canned" crab in the stuffing. And, here in good ol' New England, most stuffed mushrooms I see at parties or receptions are filled with SAUSAGE... (those crazy Italians!!)

I firmly believe these tasty little bites pass they test for both vegans and meat-eaters alike!  And if daikon isn't an ingredient on your every-day pantry list, (I know it's not on mine too often), I subbed water chestnuts with no problem at all

photo by me :)

These would be a great starter for an "Asian themed" meal, as they can easily be prepared in advance (nice to know!! ) ^_^

Bacon with a Vegan

Ok, so this weekend, I thought I'd try my hand at making my own Veggie Bacon.  I've seen countless recipes in cookbooks and on the web, and generally, there seem to be two Vegan "Camps".  Camp Tempeh, and Camp Tofu. 

So which one to make...

Although the Vegan with a Vengeance (VWAV) recipe has always been in the back of my mind, I wasn't really in a tempeh kinda "mood".  I also wasn't on the ball enough to make up the marinade ahead of time, as sometimes I am lazy...

So I found this recipe by my online cooking pal, Chef "Sharon123" over at Recipezaar!  It's made using tofu, and as an added bonus, does NOT require overnight marinating.

Let me tell you, this stuff is GOOD.  I loved the flavor of the soy sauce, liquid smoke and brown sugar SO MUCH, that I was even hesitant to add the nutritional yeast at the end, as the recipe stated.  Do yourself a favor and DON'T skip it.  The strips of fried tofu taste great with the simple marinade, but the nutritional yeast coating, sprinkled on at the end of the cooking time, totally MAKES IT!!

I nibbled on three pieces on their own, I really couldn't get enough.

But then I decided to give my tofu bacon a bit more purpose, and made this:

Tofu Baco BLT: Toasted wheat bread slathered in Veganaise, topped with leafy green lettuce, and slices of a gorgeous red tomato

And, my two favorite guys!!  Pic posted here, just cuz... ^_^

Farewell, My Summer Love...

The fruits of the Summer are becoming a dying breed, so I probably won't be seeing too many more of these gorgeous babies:

And so, for my last two deliciously juicy pints of local grape tomatoes of the Summer, I went for plain and simple:

I sliced the tomatoes in half, drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled them liberally with salt, italian seasoning, (a bit of Sandwich Sprinkle by Penzeys), black pepper and crushed red pepper.  I added to that four cloves of fresh garlic, squeezed through my garlic press and mixed gently. 

By the time I boiled my whole wheat pasta, the flavors had combined nicely.  

If only I had some fresh basil left... Maybe next time! ^_^