Garden In A Bowl

It would have been better if I had used Romaine Lettuce, but I had none on hand. It was still extremely delicious and healthy though - it's great for light lunch! It doesn't require a recipe as it is very simple and quick to make. It consists of blueberries on the right side (to viewers), pistachios to the left and a piece of pan-fried tofu atop juicy tomatoes, crunchy onions and crisp lettuce. I added more to the meal later as I added thinly slice radish pieces, chunks of avocado and lots of tasty cucumbers. The tofu was coated in cumin, chili powder and a little bit of salt and pepper, seared on both sides and then crisped up even more in the oven. Add a dressing if you like, but it's definitely not necessary with this tasty meal.

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

I Prefer My Penguins Cold

I just found him like this - I swear, man! I can't go back to Antartica, I just..this is food? I knew that, I'm just practicing some...acting lessons. Yeah, acting. He's surrounded by tofu, salad,  rice and lots of bell peppers. Doesn't that sound tasty and not like evidence of some horrible penguin crime against nature? The answer is yes. Yes it does.

Penguin Components:

Nori Sheets (covering the penguin)

Brown Rice (on the inside)

White Rice mixed with Edamame (surrounding him)

Steamed Tofu (stomach and eyes)

Organic Sweet Peppers (Cheeks, feet, arms and strips:

Fried Tofu (Tofu Fish)

It's simple, the head of the penguin was formed by placing nori in a ramekin and filling it halfway with brown rice. Fold it carefully and seal the edges with water. Place a tiny bit of brown rice in the middle of half a nori sheet and fold it to form a body. Place that together and place it on top of the steamed rice mixed with Edamame. Take two red peppers and cut the tips off, wrap those in nori and place onto the body of the penguin. Take a small coffee straw and place it through one of the peppers for the cheeks, add that to the face and add some steamed tofu onto the stomach. Punch out (or cut out) pieces of nori for the eyes.

Take the leftover tofu and mix it with some mirin, salt and turmeric. You can add sugar if you want, and you can cut it into fish shapes if you like. To make it even cuter I did two "X" mark slashes on the sides, but if you have a small fish-shaped cutter than that can work well on its own. That's it - now eat the evidence!

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

Will The Real Hello Kitty Please Stand Up?



...I guess not? Well, as long as you stay delicious I don't care who you are, imposter! Your yummy cashew cheese is absolutely wonderful, tart and smooth. Your oddly frumpy and tasty bow are both spicy and sweet at the same time. I...love you

(Monster Kitty pizza Dough Ingredients)

• 1 and 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 tbl Iodized Salt
• 1/2 tbl Rapid-Rise Yeast
• 1 tbl Granulated Sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups Hot Water

(Pepperoni Curls Ingredients)

• Reconstituted TVP
• 1 tsp Iodized Salt
• Basil, Oregano, Garlic Powder and Chili Flakes to taste
• Paprika for color

(Other Ingredients)

• Cashew Cheese Recipe (not mine)
  http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=270643


• Tomato paste

(Directions)

• Mix together all of the dry ingredients and slowly add the water.
• Once it is fully incorporated, knead the dough into an elastic ball and place underneath a damp kitchen towel (I placed mine on top of a floured cutting board for an hour, but you can use whatever you have).
• rolled the dough as thinly as possible and cut out my shapes as best as I could. (You can use whatever you have - it doesn't have to be the kitty).
• Cover them in tomato paste, cheese, cayenne pepper and the vegan pepperoni curls.
• Place them onto a greased baking sheet with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese and the bread have browned and cooked.
• Enjoy!

Vegan Haemul Pa Jeon

Delicious and full of mushrooms. This would be a bit healthier too, if it weren't (pan) fried. But then it wouldn't be the delicious sea-food pancake would it? Besides - would it be that wonderful crispiness? Probably, but I felt like doing it slightly more traditionally.

(Vegan Haemul Pa Jeon Ingredients)

• 2 Large Portabella Mushrooms (cleaned and cut into 1/2" chunks)
• 5 Large Reconstituted (Dry) Shiitake Mushrooms
• 2 Minced Green Onions
• Reconstituted Chinese Seaweed
• 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tsp Iodized Salt (+ more for Sprinkling)
• A dash of Paprika
• Neutral-Flavored Oil (a few tablespoons per pancake)
• Cold Water (enough for a thin pancake batter)

(Directions)

• Mix the flour, paprika,teaspoon of salt and water together to make a thin pancake batter and set it aside in a cool place.
• Meanwhile, chop your vegetables and place your mushrooms into a small pan with some neutral-flavored oil.
• Saute. Sprinkle them with a bit of salt and let the water come out of them. Once they have decreased in size and look cooked, add them to a small bowl with the green onions.
• Mix the mushrooms and green onions together and heat up your pan once more.
• Once the pan is hot, put some more oil in and drip some of the batter in.
• Place some of the mushrooms, onions, and seaweed on top of the batter.
• Flip when you can slide the spatula underneath and it looks golden brown.
• Once the pancake is crispy, place it onto a paper towel to soak in some of the oil.
• Serve warm and feel free to make a sauce of gochujang, sesame seeds and soy sauce.
• Enjoy!

Vegan Tea-Smoked Duck

Lovely and not nearly as expensive as duck, plus you don't have to worry about any of the extra fat! It practically melts in your mouth, and for an added twist I added it on top of some mashed plantains and poured on the mole sauce. Talk some about delicious culinary confusion.

(Tea-Smoked "Duck" Ingredients)

• 1 Package of Vital Wheat Gluten (I used Arrowhead Mills)
• 1/2 tsp Iodized Salt
• 1 Cup of Cold Shiitake Broth
• 1 Package (Green or Black) Tea
• Whole Five Spice Mix (Ex; Whole Cloves, Whole Anise, etc.)
• 1 tbl Sugar

(Directions)

• Mix the first three ingredients together as delicately as possible, making sure that the broth coats all of the vital wheat gluten but that you don't mix it too much.
• Steam that for about 15 minutes while you stuff your tea bag with the whole five spice mix and sugar.
• Dampen the tea bag and place it into a pan on low heat with a clear top.
• Once the fifteen minutes are up for the seitan, add it to the tea-smoker with about 1/4 cup of water and place the top back on. Once the water has evaporated, add some non-flavored oil and let that cook until one side of the tea bag is fried and the seitan is crispy.
• Remove the tea bag and flip the seitan. Once the seitan is fully crisped, feel free to spread a little bit of coconut oil on top and serve as you will.
• Enjoy!

I simply mashed some fried plantains with salt, garlic and chiles and made a quick mole sauce. The next day I had it in a delicious salad, and preferred it much better (hence no recipe)

Its'a Bento!

This isn't my first bento but it is my first fully kyaraben one. It just so happens to be Mario-themed! You could already see that from the picture though, right? I made everything except for the "chicken "patty, and the filling for Yoshi's egg will be revealed very soon. Lets'a cook!

Koopa Shell Recipe:
3 tbl Chlorophyll (or Spinach Juice)
1 tsp Iodized Salt
1 cup of Warm Water
1/2 a packet of Rapid-Rise Yeast
1 tbl Soy Milk
1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Combine the ingredients together and shape them into Koopa shells. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and let the buns rise for about 15 minutes before brushing them with soy milk. Place them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until your knife comes out clean once you stab one of the buns. Let the buns rest on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before stuffing it with lettuce, tomato and onion. Make an "X" out of the nori sheet and place it on the shell.

For Yoshi's egg it is simply "crab" filled onigiri, shaped like an egg and covered in nori circles. Underneath him is the rest of the vegan crab filling and a lettuce leaf to hold it all.

I heated up a Boca Mock Chicken Patty in the oven until it was heated through and crisped up a bit, then I sprinkled it in five-spice powder and cut it's face into the shape of a Koopa. I slid part of it into the bun and cut out an eye from a radish and the pupil from the rest of the nori sheet. The mushroom is also a radish that is cut has patches cut out carefully with a knife. I lined cauliflower around the edge behind the mushroom and the yellow block as well.

Yellow Stars and Blocks:
3/4 a tsp of Rapid-Rise Yeast
3/4 a tsp of Iodized Salt
1/2 cup of Bread Flour
1/2 a cup of Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tbl Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp of Coconut Oil
Paprika, Garlic Powder and Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Turmeric (just enough to color the dough a bright yellow)

Cut them into the shapes you like and then place them on a greased baking sheet. Let them rise for about 5-10 minutes, then you can place them into the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until they look done. For mine I used a knife to cut out four blocks (I ate three), one star, and Yoshi's name (sprinkled around the Koopa)

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3 

Shin's Vegan Ramen

This isn't any of that unhealthy deep-fried stuff you can get for a quarter at the store - this is true ramen. When I say that I don't mean that this is necessarily traditional ramen as it contains that nutty sweet corn - it's the noodles that count. Normally ramen is made with eggs, but there's no reason as to why you can't make them a bit healthier with some flax seed right? Besides, the spiciness and chewiness of the tofu compared with freshly made and wonderfully concocted broth will make you float to a noodley-heaven.

(Vegan Hokkaido Ramen Noodles Ingredients)

• 3/4 a cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 3 tbl Hot Water
• 1 tbl Ground Flax Meal
• 3/4 tsp of Iodized Salt
• Extra Cold Water for moisture

(Ramen Broth Ingredients)

• 1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Parsley Leaves
• 1 Dry Bay Leaf
• 1/2 of a Medium-Sized Onion
• 1 Small Garlic Clove (snapped in half)
• 1/2 a cup of Cold Water

(Ramen Tofu Ingredients)

• 1/4 a package of Tofu (frozen for 48 hours and defrosted)
• 1/2 tsp Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Mirin
• 1/4 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Small Sliced Carrot
• 1 Chopped Green Onion
• 3 tbl Vegetable Oil

(Directions)

• For the Vegan Hokkaido Ramen Noodles: Mix the flour and salt in a food processor for about thirty seconds.
• Combine the hot water with the flax meal.
• Once the flax meal has started to come together, you can add it around the food processor to touch all of the places where the flour is. Run the food processor until the flax egg is fully incorporated then slowly add in a few trickles of the water (no more than one tablespoon).
• Once it has come together like refrigerated cookie dough, knead it a few times to make sure it comes together and put it under a damp towel for about an hour.(You can work on your tofu while this rests.)
• Once the dough has relaxed enough and softened a bit you can roll it out onto a plastic-lined and flour coated cutting board. Cover a large and very sharp knife with flour, as well as your rolling pin.
• Roll it out as you would a pie crust as thin as you can, and when cutting them - try to cut as thinly as possible. Make sure to have a pot of boiling and heavily salted water on the stove before you finish cutting the noodles.
• Once the pot of water is boiling, coat your noodles in flour and slowly spread them through the water. Boil them for about 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are fully cooked but still chewy.


• For the Ramen Broth: Combine the ingredients into a small saucepot and place it onto a stove over medium heat. Cook until fully heated and once you've decided that it is to your liking. While working on the broth you can make your tofu.


• For the Ramen Tofu: Wring out your tofu then marinate it in the seasonings and hoisin sauce for about an hour (once you've finished the dough for the noodles).
• Once the hour is up, place all of the ingredients into a small pan over medium-heat until the vegetables are softened and the tofu is crispy.
• Serve over the noodles and add in about 1/4 a cup of yellow corn onto the side. If you like you can add 1/2 a teaspoon of coconut oil to simulate butter that often accompanies Hokkaido-style ramen.
• Enjoy!

You Don't Know Jack About These Tacos!

Notice something a little different? It's not seitan or tofu on these tacos but it's most definitely home-made. Could it possibly be jackfruit!? Of course it is, but don't worry about any fruit or durian flavors being added to it - I used young canned jackfruit in brine and made sure to wash it at least six times before draining it. It adds a meaty texture but not quite a meaty flavor that I enjoy. Paired with the Navajo fried (and baked) bread and bean paste with bits of corn and minced onion, it's absolutely delicious. The flavors of the south definitely come through, and the home-made seasoning for this had a slight Doritos taste to it and just a touch of heat from the cayenne.

(Vegan Chicken Ingredients)

• 1 can of Young Green Jackfruit in Brine
• 1 pkg Taco Seasoning (recipe follows)
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 Dry Bay Leaf
• 4 cups of Cold Water
• 3 tbl Oil (of your choice)

(Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe)

• 1 tbl Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbl Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 3/4 a tsp of Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Iodized Salt

(Bean Paste Recipe)

• 1 14 oz can of Black Beans
• 1/4 cup of Corn (your choice on the type
• 3/4 cup of Cold Water
• 3 tbl of Oil
• 1 Dry Bay Leaf
• Salt to taste

(Navajo Fried (and Baked) Bread:)

• 2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 a tsp of Iodized Salt
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 cup Cold Coconut Oil
• 3/4 cup Warm Water

(Directions)

• For the Vegan Chicken: Wash and press the jackfruit pieces in a colander about six times and then place them into a slow cooker with two cups of water, the bay leaf and the garlic clove for about two hours.
• Once they start to fall apart, take them out and shred them with two forks (you may need a small knife as well). If the end is still hard you can put it back into the Crockpot for a few minutes, and then use one fork to chop that up. If the top part is harder to shred, you can just use your knife to cut it apart.
• Put the shredded jackfruit into a colander and wash them a few more times, making sure to press them after each washing and set it aside while you pour the water out of the Crockpot.
• Add the last two cups of water into the Crockpot and cook the jackfruit for about 10-15 more minutes or so, then begin to prep your taco seasoning.


• Seasoning/cooking the vegan chicken: Take the jackfruit out and drain it one more time before adding it to a pan of your preferred oil over medium heat. Let it crisp up a bit before adding in half of your seasoning, then let it crisp up a bit more before adding the rest.
• Let it cook to your liking and move it to a small dish so that you can use the pan to cook your beans.


• For the Beans: Drain and wash your beans then add them to a food processor with some of the water, once they are liquefied, move to a separate bowl and repeat with the rest of the beans and water.
• Once the consistency is to your liking, fry a bay leaf in the oil over medium heat and after about 30 seconds you can add your beans.
• Once the beans have started to cook you can add the corn and heat it up thoroughly. Move it back to the bowl and salt to your liking.


• For the Navajo Bread: Mix the dry ingredients together then flake in your coconut oil. Once it is fully incorporated, add the water and blend it together before wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
• While that is happening, preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if you want baked) and prep your rolling area and rolling pin.
• Pull out the bread after the thirty minutes are up and cut it into quarters, then roll the bread out as thinly or as thickly as you want (for crispness. Then decide if you want the bread to be baked, fried, or both
• If you want fried, then fill a pan about half-way with oil over medium heat and wait for it to heat up. Carefully place your rolled out dough into the pan with the oil and let it cook completely. You may need to flip it with some tongs but everything should work well.
• If you want baked bread, then turn a pan upside down with some oil and place it into the oven until it heats up completely.
• Toss the baked bread onto the pan for about 5-10 minutes, and then flip it when the other side has turned brown.


• Take the bread out when ready and spread the bean paste on, sprinkle some chopped onions onto it and cover it with the delicious jackfruit.
• Enjoy!

Tarta, Tarte, Tart

Beautiful isn't it? It's made with a simple pie-crust and glazed lightly with almond oil, coconut oil and agave nectar to give it a much deeper flavor and a wonderful color. Underneath the flaky shell are fresh pears, agave nectar, orange zest and juice and just a dash of cinnamon for more depth. It took less than two hours to make this and yet it looks like a masterpiece!

(Tarta, Tarte, Tart Crust Ingredients)

• 1 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Granulated White Sugar
• 4-5 tbl Cold Coconut Oil (not Virgin)
• 1/8 a tsp of Iodized Salt
• 1/8 a tsp of Baking Soda
• 5 tbl Ice Water + a 1/4 a tsp of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with Mother

(Tarta, Tarte, Tart Filling Ingredients)

• 3 Medium-Sized Pears, sliced thin
• 1/2 a tsp of Cinnamon
• 5 tsp of Cornstarch
• 2-4 tbl of Brown Sugar
• 1-2 tbl of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice + 1/2 tsp Zest

(Tarta, Tarte, Tart Glaze Ingredients)

• 3 tbl Hot Water
• 4 tbl Agave Nectar
• 1/8 a tsp of Almond Extract

(Directions)

• For the Crust: Measure the coconut oil in its liquid state and placing it in the freezer. After 2-5 minutes the oil should be ready.
• Mix the dry ingredients together.
• Break it into equal size chunks into the flour mixer, then take your fork and mash it into the flour until everything is crumbled.
• Place a well in the middle and add in your ice water and vinegar mixture slowly to the batch while mixing. It shouldn't be a wet batter and should feel slightly like store-bought pie dough.
• Once that is done, smooth it out and wrap it in plastic wrap - then place it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.


• For the Filling: Mix all of the ingredients first except for the apples Then toss the apples in it. l
• Once that is done, set it aside and prepare your glaze as the pie crust continues to chill.


• For the Glaze: Combine the ingredients together in a small bowl.


• Assembling the Pie: Flour your rolling pin and baking surface and slowly roll out the pie crust, only rolling one side for about 5-10 seconds and letting it rest for 10 more seconds as you focus on another side and the middle.
• Once it is about 1/8 of an inch, transfer it to a lightly oiled small pan (or you can free-form it) and keep the edges on the outside as you place in your filling as you like.
• Roll the sides on top of each other as I did in the photo and spread some more coconut oil over it for color.
• Bake it at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and continue to bake it for 35-40 minutes or so, depending on your oven.
• Once that is done, smooth it out and wrap it in plastic wrap - then place it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
• Enjoy!

When It's Chilly Eat Some Chili!

Simple and basic chili meant to warm you up and still entertain your taste buds. Normally when I make chili I don't measure anything as it depends on everyone's tastes if it will be good or not, but I'll try for you.

Chili Recipe:
1 cup of Texturized Vegetable Protein (boiled for ten minutes, washed and drained)
1 can of Diced Tomatoes
1 handful of Fresh Tomatoes
1 Fresh Jalapeno Pepper (half de-seeded if you want a bit spicy)
1/2 tbl of Cinnamon
1/2 a tsp of Chili Powder
2 cloves of Minced Garlic
1/2 of a Minced Large Onion
1/2 of a Small Green Bell Pepper
A dash of Paprika
Olive oil (or preferred olive oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté the fresh ingredients together in a pot with olive oil until they are tender, then add all of the spices and seasonings except for the cinnamon. Once the smells of the seasonings mixed with the vegetables have begun to permeate through the air, add the canned tomatoes and the texturized vegetable protein (plus a bit more Paprika). Let that stew together for about 5 minutes, adding liquid as you want - then add the cinnamon in increments, tasting (with a different spoon) as you go. Once it is heated up and has come together, serve it in a bowl with those delicious and cheesy crackers, and eat until your heart's content. If you want to add a brighter and much fresher flavor, definitely add some sliced green onions on top - don't use chives.

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

Bagel Italiano

*Picture will be re-taken soon*

Isn't that the most beautiful Italian flag you've ever seen? There's the bright splash of red coming from the oven-roasted tomatoes underneath the freshly-made sesame seed bagel. The inside is stuffed with delicious mashed white beans and dotted with little bits of fresh rosemary and spinach. To finish this menagerie of flavor I topped it off with some good-quality olive oil leftover from the oven-dried tomatoes. I sandwiched it in between the fresh bagel and enjoyed with a side of grapefruit and wavy potato chips. This bagel/sandwich is extremely filling and extremely easy to make. Its kid friendly and you don't have to just stop with the toppings that I used. You can try chocolate, fresh fruit, or just your basic schmear of (vegan) cream cheese to make the flavor pop. If you're on the go or just don't like feeling like you're masking the pure deliciousness of your bagel, you can always just eat it plain. It's full of fiber, protein and low fat!

Bagel Recipe:

1 cup of Lukewarm Water

3/4 A teaspoon of Rapid-Rising Yeast

3/4 a cup Bread Flour

1 and 3/4 a cup Wheat Flour

3/4 A teaspoon of Iodized Salt

1-2 Tablespoons of Blackstrap molasses (or any sweetener of your choice)

Add half of the cup of water into a large bowl and add your yeast, then prep your oven to 500 degrees and mix your dry ingredients together. After that, stir the yeast and prepare a baking pan with greased parchment paper, a pot with about 3-4 inches of water in it and something to scoop out your bagels with.  Create a well in your dry mixture and slowly add the yeast-water mixture. After it is loosely formed together, add more water until it is a good and only slightly doughy mixture. Knead it until it comes together and is elastic and transfer it into a small bowl covered with a towel. Let that mixture rest for about an hour and work on whatever toppings or fillings you want for your bagel. Let your imagination run wild, and after about 55 minutes of waiting have elapsed - put enough water into your pot with the molasses (make sure to grease your measure spoon prior to working with the molasses) and place it on the lowest setting. Then, uncover your dough ball and split it into equal pieces. Work with each piece slowly and make sure that it comes together, then take both of your palms and slowly work from the middle, to the left, to the right of the dough piece until it forms a long skinny piece of dough. Then you can hold it slightly in the middle until it stretches out a bit more and finally you can connect the two ends of the dough together to form an the shape of the bagel. Place it onto the greased baking pan/parchment paper and repeat with the other pieces of dough. After you have all formed them, cover them with a towel and wait for about 10 minutes for them to proof once more. Make sure to stir your pot to make sure that everything has come together and hasn't burned. 

Meanwhile, you can place your toppings (I used sesame, chia, and poppy seeds) in a small bowl as you wait. After the bagels have proofed for 10 minutes, place them individually into the water slowly, to ensure that none of them stick together. Wait for exactly 60 seconds for each one and flip them over at their 30-second mark (make sure to do this in the order that you put the bagels in) afterwards, place them onto the baking sheet and cover with your preferred toppings (or none if you prefer naked). Wipe away the excess seeds as they have a tendency to burn, but do not affect the flavor in any way, and place them into the oven for about 15 minutes or until they look to be a satisfactory color.

After they have cooled down for a few moments (10 to 15 minutes should be fine), slice them in half and  treat them as you will. Wasn't that fun?

(Recipe makes about four bagels)

Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe:
1 package of pressed Silken Tofu (your choice on the amount)
2 teaspoons of fresh Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or more lemon juice)
1 tablespoon of Raw Sugar, Agave Nectar, or vegan White Sugar

Hope you enjoy!