Sunday, February 12, 2012

Recipe favorites

Since we aren't currently traveling and I have failed to update the blog in awhile, I have decided to use it to post my favorite vegan recipes.  Here are a few to get started:

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers


  • 1 white or yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 lb mushrooms, diced (whatever kind you like)
  • 2 cups dried black bean flakes or refried beans, reconstituted (we keep these on hand, so it's what I use:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FIAWVE/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details) - alternately you can use 1 can of black beans (2 cups) mashed up really well
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 - 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (based on preference)
  • 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo - depending on the heat level you want (these are found in a small can, in the mexican aisle or store)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin

1. Saute onion and mushrooms in a pan until soft/translucent.
2. Prepare refried black beans to a consistency that's not too runny.
3.  Mix together veggies, beans, cilantro, chipotle peppers, and cumin.
4.  Add breadcrumbs until you get a consistency that will form patties that will hold up in the skillet.
5.  Cook patties in a cast iron or other skillet with a small amount of oil, until browned on both sides.
6.  Serve with whatever veggies you like (I highly recommend some avocado!) on a big ol bun and enjoy!
**** This recipe is SO flexible - add peppers, leave out the mushrooms, add other vegetables, make it your own.  Also, the bread crumbs are not an exact science.  Add the right amount to get the consistency that will hold together.  This took some me some practice so


Homemade FauxTurkey


What you need:
FOR LOAF
Small onion or ½ medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic (depending on size, preference), pressed or minced
2 cups vital wheat gluten
½ cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp each of rosemary, thyme, and sage
1 pkg (14-16oz) firm or extra firm tofu, drained but not pressed
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp Braggs liquid aminos or tamari soy sauce
2-3 cups of your favorite stuffing, prepared
FOR BROTH
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp each of rosemary, thyme, sage
2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos 
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Saute onion and garlic in pan until onion is translucent.
  3. While onion/garlic is cooking, mix together wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and herbs in a medium-large bowl.
  4. In a blender or food processor, mix together tofu, 1 cup of vegetable broth, liquid aminos/tamari, and ½ of the onion and garlic mixture.
  5. Add the blended mixture to the dry mix, first with a spoon and then get in there and mix it/knead it well with your hands until it’s all blended together well.  It should be similar to a thick bread dough.
  6. Flatten the “dough” into a large rectangle (approx 12” x 10”).  Place your stuffing, tightly, in the bottom 1/3 of the roll, leaving a few inches of space at the bottom and sides, then roll the dough into a log, squeezing together the seam and the sides.   Imagine rolling a giant sushi roll!
  7. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet, in the oven.  Bake for about 1 hour, rotating every 15-20 minutes. 
  8. While the loaf is baking, mix all of the broth ingredients together.
  9. After the loaf has baked about 1 hour, take it out of the oven and remove the foil.  Place the loaf in a glass baking dish large enough to leave a little room around the sides (I cut my loaf in half at this point so it would fit).  Pour your broth on top and around the sides of the loaf, cover with aluminum foil, and place back in the oven.
  10. Bake for 1 more hour, basting every 20 minutes or so to keep it moist.  After 1 hour, check the loaf for texture.  Cut off a small slice to see if it’s got the chewy texture you want.  If it still seems a bit doughy, especially near the center, continue to cook for 20-30 minute intervals, checking periodically for texture, until you get it to the desired texture.  Keep in mind, the longer you cook it, the chewier and firmer it will get.  Once you think it’s just about done, remove the foil and baste generously, then cook 10 more minutes. 
  11. If there is still broth in the pan when you’re done, you can blend it in the food processor or blender to have gravy to go with your tofurky!



Vegan Fortune Cookies

I got this recipe from a google search.  I found this website which gives a great picture tutorial:  http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/2009/05/making-vegan-fortune-cookies-tutorial.html
the only change I made was that I used 1 Tbsp avocado instead of EnerG.
**Make sure they are nice and brown before trying to put the papers in.  I don't think I cooked mine quite enough and the paper stuck inside the cookies!  We ate around the paper and they still tasted delicious :)


Vegan Banana Bread
Again, I got this one courtesy of google:  http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/bananabread.htm 
Inspired by mushy bananas that would otherwise spoil.  The only ingredient I didn't have on hand was the walnuts.  The walnuts aren't required but sure make it yummy!  This bread is moist and delicious :)
I followed the directions exactly, except used almond milk instead of soy.

Gingerbread Cookies

Inspired by the Post Punk Kitchen, I whipped these goodies up during the holidays and they were a hit, to say the least.  They were so popular, several ended up making a cross-country trip!!!!
The original PPK recipe:  http://www.theppk.com/2008/12/the-ghost-of-gingerbread-past/
For the icing, I used this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-eggless-royal-icing-404594.  I used vanilla extract and no food coloring.  You may have to play around with the consistency to get it more or less runny.  To decorate, I used an icing bag, but they are just as tasty (if not more) with a layer of icing simply spread on top!

Anyone else have a favorite vegan recipe to share?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thankful

We are all guilty of getting caught up in our daily stress and worries and forgetting all the wonderful things we should be thankful for. The Greers, especially, are thankful for the amazing year we've had.

Let the Thanksgiving holiday be a time for us all to reflect on how fortunate we are and all of the things we have to be thankful for. Here's a video of the many things the Greers are thankful for. Enjoy!


video

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Underwater Adventures!

A highlight of Hawaii is all the fun we have in, on, and under the water!

This entry is mostly pictures, which we hope you'll enjoy.  For videos of our underwater adventures, visit our youtube channel.

Our favorite spot for snorkeling is Two Step at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau (Place of Refuge).  It's a delightful, easily accessible spot that always has something cool to see.  At Two Step, we've spotted numerous green sea turtles, a white tipped reef shark, manta rays, moray eels, tons of fish, and even several pods of spinner dolphins.  Here are some of our favorite photos from Two Step.

two step

Place of Refuge




"Aloha" written in cinder blocks on the sandy ocean floor


Moray eel


parrotfish

spinner dolphins
spinner dolphins
spinner dolphins, mother and baby

yellow tangs
picasso triggerfish


green sea turtle
green sea turtle

wrasse



coral formations, 40 feet depth


crown of thorns sea star


Another area we like, though only accessible by kayak, is Kealakekua Bay and Captain cook monument.  Also known for its local pods of dolphins (which we've kayaked and snorkeled with a few times), Kealakekua Bay is a beautiful turquoise bay with tall cliffs surrounding it.  The snorkeling area near the Captain Cook monument is said to be some of the best in the area.
captain cook monument and kealekekua bay
spinner dolphins from our kayak

We first visited this area on September 18, only our second time out in a sea kayak - ever.  We arrived at the snorkeling spot, I donned my snorkel gear, and attempted to get in the water, inadvertently tipping the kayak in the process.  The lesson we quickly learned was EVERYTHING must be strapped to the kayak.  Jeremiah was holding the mesh bag with his fins, mask, and snorkel in it when the kayak flipped and we sadly watched it sink like a rock to the bottom of the ocean, out of sight.  Although we looked and looked, with help from some free divers nearby, we didn't find it.  We left with the mission to return at some point with scuba gear and find our lost snorkel bag.

We did, in fact, return to the Captain Cook monument area on Oct 9th, when we took some couchsurfers on an excursion there.  Jeremiah donned scuba gear we had rented and headed down to search.  About 30 minutes later, he surfaced, with our gear bag as well as another mask, 2 snorkels, and a plastic mat from a boat in tow.  In a stroke of luck, he spotted a few inches of the blue fins sticking out from a crack at 96 feet below the surface!!!!!

our gear after 3 weeks at 96 feet
some other items recovered from the ocean floor
Also while our couchsurfers were visiting, we kayaked out to an area near Keauhou Bay that is known for the manta rays who show up at night.  Once the sun sets, the nearby hotel shines bright lights into the water, and snorkel operators bring bright flashlights to shine in the water.  The light attracts numerous plankton and krill, the choice foods of manta rays.  The manta rays come along and, in a huge sweeping motion, somersault in the water, large mouths open, and scoop up their tiny food from the water.  As snorkelers holding flashlights, they came very close to us and they were HUGE!!!

Although the mantas were amazing, the fun was overshadowed by losing something else in the ocean - Jeremiah's wedding ring.  It was too big from all his weight loss and it just slipped right off in the cool ocean water.  We went back the next day with scuba gear to search, but it was a needle in a haystack.  There is a local guy who does underwater metal detecting and we have plans to go back with him sometime soon and see if we can find it.

Two other places that we enjoy snorkeling on a regular basis are Kahalu'u Beach Park and Kamakahonu beach.  Kahalu'u beach park is a shallow, easy snorkeling spot with lots of sea turtles who hang out near the beach and in the shallow waters.  We've seen so many fish there, it's hard to name them all.






Kamakahonu beach is only about 1/2 mile from our condo and has a nice shallow area with tons of fish and a nice larger reef a short swim from shore.  Some amazing fish (and other sea life) hang out in the gentle waters there.


flying gurnard

trumpet fish
male boxfish
female boxfish
sunken anchor
We love that we get to experience so many adventures in, on, and around the water and we find ourselves doing something every weekend!!  We hope our readers are enjoying our pictures and videos too :)