Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

I love many cuisines from Mexican to Italian to Spanish to good old fashioned American, but if I were really honest with myself I’d have to confess that my absolute favorite is Asian. I say “Asian” because I cannot commit to any particular aspect of the breadth of Asian foods. I’m in love with Indian breads, samosas, and papadum, I salivate over Korean kimchi and bibimbap, and I crave Japanese sushi rolls and inari for weeks at a time – and that’s just scratching the surface.

While I do prepare some Asian foods at home on occasion, I admit that I am still a little wary that I don’t understand how to cook it well enough. That said, I am really fortunate to live so close to multiple Asian markets, and I feel that I am slowly stretching my culinary wings. It’s easy to go into one of these stores, discover an ingredient remembered from a restaurant and have the impulse to buy it and try replicating the dish at home. This is what happened last week as I was wandering down the pasta aisle and came upon some Japanese style udon noodles. As soon as I saw them, I realized that I needed to learn how to make udon noodle soup.

After researching various recipes I have come to realize that udon noodle soup is less about recipe and more about what you have on hand. In many ways, it is very similar to how I am used to throwing together a hearty vegetable soup without wondering if I have added too many or not enough potatoes or carrots, or worrying if I have a specific ingredient on hand or not. It doesn’t really matter, because the end result will still be delicious. What I found is that most udon noodle recipes call for a broth, noodles, some vegetables and mushrooms, and a protein. It’s my opinion that the key is to get the broth down, and then experiment, experiment and experiment. Luckily my first try had me wanting to recreate it the next day, so this recipe I’m sharing with you is a winner in my book.

Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup
Roughly based upon the Easy Udon Noodle Snack Recipe found on The Messy Vegetarian Cook
Makes 2 servings

• 3 cups water
• 1/2 to 1 cup mushrooms (you can use most any mushroom you like, but I used king oyster and the original recipe calls for shiitake)
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons mirin or rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons tamari, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos (if you do not have any of these on hand, you may also substitute 2 heaping teaspoons miso)
• 1/2 teaspoon vegan sugar
• 1 sheet nori, cut into small pieces or strips
• 2 dry red chili peppers, optional
• 1/4 cup tofu or another vegetable or wheat protein, optional
• 1/4 cup carrots, julienned
• Dry udon noodles (enough for two servings – this is usually one or two individually separated bunches of noodles)
• Salt
• Sesame oil (optional, but so divine – I highly recommend not skipping this ingredient)
• Green onions or chives (optional)

First prepare your broth. I used about half of a king oyster mushroom, and diced it into bite-sized pieces.

King oyster mushrooms are said to taste similar to abalone

Mince your ginger by first cutting off a small amount from the main part of the root, then peeling away the outer skin. You can also crush it like garlic.

Dicing fresh ginger

Julienne your carrots. “Julienne” just means that you’re cutting your veggie into little strips.

Julienned carrots

Place the water, mushrooms, ginger, carrots, mirin, tamari (or soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos), sugar and nori into the broth. If you are using chili peppers, you can add those in now, too.

Tip: If you are going to use miso as a substitute for the tamari, you will need to add that at the end after the broth has finished cooking.

Dried red chili peppers

If you don’t want your carrots to overcook, add them after the broth has boiled.

Bring your pan of ingredients to boil, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat down to medium low or low.

Udon noodle soup broth

Add in your protein now so it will warm up.

Vegetarian Mock Abalone a.k.a. wheat gluten (and oops - this had MSG in it!)

Allow the broth to steep for about twenty minutes.

If you are using miso, you may add it after the broth has finished cooking and has been removed from the heat. Miso takes a few moments to dissolve, so be sure to stir the broth a few times.

Adding the miso to the broth

Cook the noodles as instructed with a little salt. These cook fast, so be sure you are giving these guys your full attention. Once they are done cooking, drain and rinse under cold water.

Japanese style udon noodles

Once the broth is done, add some noodles to a bowl, then ladle the broth over the noodles.

Almost ready!

Drizzle a small amount of sesame oil over the soup, add some sliced green onions as a garnish.

Tip: Be sure to rinse the green onions really well to get rid of any specks of dirt that may have gotten stuck inside the onion as it was growing.

Sliced green onion

Serve.

So so good!

I loved this soup. It was full of flavor, had tons of texture and really hit the spot. Plus it makes me want to come up more variations. Remember, if you don’t have a particular ingredient on hand, don’t fret – you can experiment and discover your own unique soup, too!

What is your favorite Asian cuisine or dish – or can you even decide?

Coconut Squash Soup

There have been so many squash soup recipes coming out of the woodwork lately that you’d think that there wouldn’t need to be another one, but chances are that you haven’t seen one quite like this recipe. I first came upon this recipe several years ago when I was living in New York and the weather was cold. It sounded so unusual – creamy and spicy with a touch of sweetness – but also like a much needed warm salve to my chilled bones. I knew I was taking a risk in my household, too, because my husband liked neither winter squash nor coconut. It wound up being the perfect combination of flavors, though, because when I made it, he loved it, and these days asks me why I don’t make it more often.

Coconut Squash Soup
This is a variation on the Squash Coconut Milk Soup recipe found at TechSoup

• 1 butternut squash (2-4 cups worth of flesh)
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 to 2 cups water
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 cups organic* spinach leaves, chopped
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top of the butternut squash off to remove the remaining stem, then cut in half lengthwise – take care to not cut yourself as the squash is very tough raw. Scoop out the seeds and discard (alternatively, you can scoop out the seeds after the squash has baked).

Cutting a butternut squash in half

Place each cut side of the squash face down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the pan (this helps to keep the squash from drying out).

Preparing to bake the butternut squash

Bake the squash for about 30 minutes. If it is done, you will easily be able to poke a knife or fork into the flesh without much or any give.

Baked butternut squash

Chop your onion, and gather together the coconut milk and chili paste.

Tip: For a lower fat version of this soup, use low-fat coconut milk. If you do not have or like chili paste, you can omit it or substitute with sriracha, your favorite hot sauce or red pepper flakes.

Onion, coconut milk and chili paste

In a large pot, mix together and heat the coconut milk, one cup of water, onions, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos, chili paste and brown sugar. Simmer on low heat for about ten or fifteen minutes.

Mixing together and simmering ingredients for the soup

Scoop out two cups of flesh for a light soup or four cups for a thicker soup, or you can use all of the flesh like I did. Add the squash to the soup.

Adding baked butternut squash to the soup

Stir together the soup.

Mix the butternut squash in first

Then use a potato masher to incorporate the squash into the soup. If the soup is too thick, add another cup of water.

Mashing the butternut squash

Cook for about ten minutes. To serve, place a small handful of spinach to a bowl, then ladle the hot soup on top. Add chopped cilantro and a lime wedge as a garnish, or serve alongside the soup.

Tip: To save time, you may also stir the spinach into the pot of soup after it has finished cooking.

Serving the soup

Suggested variation: Add a teaspoon of curry powder with the other spices for a twist.

Have you made squash soup yet? What is your favorite way of making it?

Coconut squash soup

Sauteed Green Beans

I just returned from a 10-day vacation to Summer. While there I saw beautiful tomatoes from green to yellow to red hanging on their vines, green and plump zucchinis preening themselves in the sun, and potatoes crawling their way out of the ground. I also saw hundreds of green beans, all waiting to be plucked and eaten right then and there.

Then yesterday, we came back to Fall where everyone is wearing jackets and our tomatoes are being trucked in from afar. It made us kind of sad because we never did have a proper summer this year, but at least while in Summer (a.k.a. California) we felt like we were getting the rest of what we were supposed to have had in Washington.

But yes, summer – when I think of it, I think of tomatoes, peppers and squash, but I also think of green beans. How I love green beans – they are delicious when raw, yielding a sweet flavor, and when cooked they give in to their more savory side. I typically like them pretty simply – lightly steamed or boiled with a dash of salt – but I decided that I would find and try a new recipe to see if I could expand my horizons.

Sautéed Green Beans
Based upon Dad’s Pan-Fried Green Beans recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan white sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

First, gather together your ingredients.

The main ingredients: vinegar, garlic and green beans

I love balsamic vinegar for dipping bread, but I rarely use it in my cooking or baking because I generally do not like my food to be acidic. That said, I am going to experiment more with it, and of course, this recipe is part of that whole experimentation.

Bragg Liquid Aminos

If you don’t know what Bragg Liquid Aminos (we call it Bragg’s in our house) is, it is essentially a lower sodium alternative to soy sauce. If you are used to the flavor of soy sauce then it will probably take some time for you to become accustomed to the difference in flavor of Bragg’s. That said, it’s great to use in recipes where the flavor may not be quite as pronounced. I would also recommend that you look for the smaller bottles of Bragg’s if you are trying it for the first time – it costs a pretty penny if you find you do not like it.

Trim your green beans either by slicing off the ends with a knife or popping them off by hand, and rinse well.

Trimmed green beans

Place the green beans in a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook for five minutes. They should still be firm and bright green. Alternatively, you can steam them.

Boiling green beans

As your beans are cooking, stir together in a small bowl the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and sugar, then set aside.

Soy sauce (Bragg Liquid Aminos), balsalmic vinegar and white sugar

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until starting to brown.

Sautéing garlic

Add the green beans and stir to coat with the oil. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes uncovered to reduce the sauce.

Finally - the green beans

Transfer the beans to a serving dish and pour the sauce over them.

Sauteed Green Beans

I confess that I didn’t like this dish very much – and yep, you guessed it – because of the balsamic vinegar. I just don’t need a vinegar flavor in cooked dishes. Sure – potato salad, pasta salad, bread, but not something like this. That said, I know that my tastes are not exactly like yours, and you may find it is a great side dish for those summer beans that you may still be finding in your garden or grocery stores.

What do you miss most about summer? Or do you live in Summer? :)

Ah, we’re finally beginning to get settled in our new apartment. It’s not been fun, and if you’re considering moving I’d suggest thinking about it for a bit more before you do it. Your life gets turned upside down, and you start navigating 60+ boxes (we have been anyway), and before you know it you’ve completely forgotten what box contains that vital thing you were using every day pre-move.

One of my sole consolations with this move is the kitchen. That has made these last few weeks and months mostly worth the stress and frustration. If you have ever been to New York or seen a New York City kitchen at least in pictures or on TV, you’ll know that they are tiny. Some are reminiscent of a kitchen with barely a stove, refrigerator and at least one square foot of counter top space, and unless you pay an arm and a leg you’ll not find kitchens that are much larger than this. Ours was a railroad style and for four years my husband heard me complain constantly about how much I loathed the space. Until now.

Our kitchen is still not huge, but it is definitely bigger. We’ve got more counter top space, a full-sized stove (woo hoo!), a full-sized dishwasher (yay!), and several drawers and cabinets (before we had TWO drawers).

Anyway, we are still in unpacking mode, but I’ve managed to still churn out a few meals in the last week. Today, I decided to finally foray back into the “try something new that I can post on my blog” mode. So hooray – here I am!

Soba noodles, like whole wheat pasta, have a stronger flavor than your basic white pasta. Also known as buckwheat noodles, soba noodles can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store or in Asian food markets. They come in packages that look similar to this:

Each bunch is wrapped in paper or ribbon (not sure why – maybe to allow you to control portions more easily?), so if you plan to cook the whole package (as I did today) I’d suggest unwrapping each bunch before you put them in otherwise you’ll have noodles in varying degrees of doneness.

Soba Noodles and Asparagus in Peanut Sauce
Inspired by Ginger Peanut Soba Noodles on theppk.com

• One package soba noodles
• 1/3 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped onion

Boil or steam the asparagus until tender, then drain and cool.

Prepare the soba noodles according to package directions. If the soba noodles do not have English-language directions, you can boil them in salted water until done which is about 8-10 minutes. Note that the water will get cloudy – this is okay. Once the soba noodles are done, drain them under cold water and add a little oil to make sure they don’t stick together.

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter, water, oil and garlic powder. Stir in the onion.

Add the sauce to the noodles in a large bowl and toss thoroughly to coat.

Add the cooked asparagus and toss again.

We both enjoyed this, and would love to have it again. I wouldn’t mind trying this with Chinese cabbage or broccoli instead of asparagus, and using fresh garlic next time (didn’t have fresh on hand today). I also would be interested in trying this with cashew butter and toasted cashews as a topper. The possibilities are truly endless!

BTW – If you want it a little spicy you can add hot chili paste, which we both love (although if you’re like me and you don’t want it too hot add a TINY amount first to see how much you can handle).

Thanksgiving can be a problematic holiday for vegans, especially when they are invited over to non-vegan or non-vegetarian homes. The hosts usually mean well, but often there’s not much to be had for vegans at a typical Thanksgiving gathering. When I was young I was lucky that my whole family, aside from a few in the minority, were vegetarian. That included grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. The minority didn’t seem to mind because they either had also been raised vegetarian or they chose to keep silent (maybe not – I can’t remember too many early Thanksgivings that revolved around talk of missed turkey).

These days, now that vegetarianism, and to a certain extent, veganism, is more widely understood and accepted, there is more sensitivity involved. Still, it’s challenging for vegans to have a meal sans milk and cheese. This is where I am going to give a minor confession.

I am not a strict vegan. I will eat dairy and eggs if my hosts haven’t considered that I may not eat those things. The only line I refuse to cross is the meat line, mainly because I have never had meat be a part of my diet (yes, never), so to be honest – meat kind of weirds me out as a food group.

With that said, not all vegans eat the same or follow the same set of unwritten rules. Even so, I am going to share one thing with vegans and one thing with meat-lovers.

Vegans: If you’re asked to bring something to a holiday meal, consider these two recipes. They’ve got creaminess and heartiness written all over them! Impress those meat-lovers with your culinary skills, and have them begging for you to come back next year. They might even ask you where you got the recipe. (Send ‘em on over – I don’t mind!)

Meat-lovers: If you have asked a vegan or vegetarian over for a holiday meal, but have no idea what to fix, consider trying to make something that they can eat, and make these two recipes. Just because these are vegan recipes doesn’t mean they are weird or hard. It doesn’t matter if they don’t wind up being the hit of the meal – the fact that you went to any trouble at all to make your veggie guests comfortable is a wonderful gesture and one to be appreciated. They might even ask you where you got the recipe. (Send ‘em on over – I don’t mind!)

I feel like I’m repeating myself…

Vegan Sausage Stuffing

• 1 package Tofurky Kielbasa (or another vegan meat alternative), diced or ground up
• 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 – 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 teaspoons Italian season blend
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound of bread, cubed (I used an organic seven-grain bread, but you could use most any kind and have it turn out well)
• 16 ounces vegetable broth, or chicken broth substitute
• Cooking spray or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dice or grind up the Tofurky, and then saute in a large non-stick frying pan for about five minutes in 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Add the chopped onion and celery, and saute for another three minutes.

Stir in parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Transfer the vegan sausage mixture to a large bowl. Add the cubed bread and broth and stir together well.

Spoon stuffing into a large baking dish coated with cooking spray or olive oil.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Uncover, then bake an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Creamy Mushroom Gravy
This versatile recipe is known as Cashew Gravy on VegWeb.

Two quick notes:

1. If you make this gravy to go along with the above stuffing recipe, I would recommend doubling or tripling this gravy recipe to ensure you have enough – I’d lean more toward tripling… But you may want to experiment first to see if you even like this gravy (personally, we love it in our household).
2. If you don’t want to use a creamy gravy, I’d highly recommend the gravy I made last year which I thought turned out really well.

• 1 package mushrooms, sliced (I’ve used your standard mushrooms in this recipe here, but I’d also recommend baby bellas)
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup cashews, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos (a soy sauce substitute) or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons nutritional food yeast (can usually be found in the supplements section of your grocery store)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Set aside one cup of hot water. Put everything else except for the mushrooms in a blender and blend very well, about five minutes.

Add second cup of water. Pour into a pan, and stir constantly (preferably with a whisk) on medium to high heat until desired thickness. It may take a few minutes to get it thick, but as soon as it starts to thicken up watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t over-thicken, then turn off the stove.

Saute sliced mushrooms in a couple of tablespoons of water.

Saute the mushrooms until tender.

Stir the mushrooms into the gravy, and serve with the stuffing.

The stuffing turned out well, and it tasted really hearty. I think that part of it had to do with the seven-grain bread I used. That kind of bread always has a little extra oomph, but I’m sure you can get away with basic bread and have it turn out just as well (meat-lovers: make sure you read the label for dairy or eggs if you’re buying bread).

I really liked pairing the stuffing with a creamy gravy. I actually experimented with a non-creamy recipe a few weeks ago, but I wound up really disliking it, so I chose to share this gravy instead. I think that this gravy recipe does a good job of balancing the spices and stronger flavors in the stuffing. I’ll repeat what I said above in the recipe, but if you make the stuffing recipe exactly as it’s listed above, I’d recommend doubling or tripling the mushroom gravy recipe to ensure that there’s enough.

P.S. These recipes were requested by a reader (Hi Rachel!) a few weeks ago. If there’s anything you’re interested in seeing me try (and hopefully not fail!) send me a message and I’ll see what I can do. I would have had this one to you guys sooner, but life’s become a zoo the last few weeks! Should calm down after the New Year, though!

P.P.S. Yes, I’m still working on the redesign. Because of the zoo, though, it’s taken a back seat for the moment.

That night, Alex cooked me my Last Supper. My last healthy meal for a month. I looked at that fresh tossed salad, the vegetable tart, the quinoa and red pepper salad, and bid fresh greens and veggies a fond adieu.

-Don’t Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock

I first saw Supersize Me, a documentary film by Morgan Spurlock, a couple of years ago or so. It was both comedic and disturbing at the same time. On the one hand you had a guy making fun of McDonald’s and himself, but on the other his health was quickly going downhill – all because he was eating a very poor diet which consisted of 100% McDonald’s.

This book picks up where the film left off. It filled in a lot of the blanks, and continued to make the case for not eating a diet of mostly or only (or really any) fast food. His humor still shines through, and I enjoyed his sarcasm. I don’t feel like I truly learned anything new about the food industry, but I was reminded of the reasons why I very infrequently consume fast food.

I had every intention of making a vegetable tart based upon Morgan’s Last Supper (the supper before the self-imposed month-long McDonald’s binge), but as I was rummaging through our cupboards and refrigerator last night I decided to shift gears and make a stir fry. As I was making it I thought – this could do justice as a last meal. I’ve got veggies, tofu, and brown rice – all common staples of a vegan diet. Alex would possibly approve.

Veggie & Tofu Stir Fry

• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu, drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup edamame, shelled
• 1 small can water chestnuts, sliced
• 1/2 cup cashews, rinsed
• 1-2 sheets nori, cut into narrow strips
• oil for frying
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. I use a rice cooker, which makes the process easier in my opinion.

While the rice is cooking, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Slice the tofu into cubes, and put into the skillet. If the tofu is still moist/wet you will need to be careful to not burn yourself. Cook the tofu on medium to high heat. You will want to make sure that the tofu gets a little brown on most sides, which may take up to 10 or 15 minutes.

Once the tofu is at a good stage, lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion, sliced water chestnuts, and edamame (if it is frozen edamame you may want to boil it first, drain, and then add it to the skillet). You can also add in the cashews now, or you can toast them first (either by toasting them carefully in a skillet or for a few minutes in a toaster oven). Stir every few minutes to make sure that nothing is sticking or burning. Stir in the nori strips at the very end of the cooking process, when you feel that everything is cooked to the amount you like (I like my onions to still be a little firm so I tend to stop cooking sooner rather than later).

When the rice is done, you can either choose to eat your stir fry with rice now, or you can make your rice a little sticky. To make your rice sticky you can sprinkle the sugar and vinegar on top and then using a regular or rice spatula work the rice around for a couple of minutes until it gets to the sticky-stage you like best. There are better ways to make sticky rice, and many people will tell you that brown rice is not the best to use for true sticky rice – but we like our lazy and easy method pretty well.

Serve the stir fry on the brown rice. You can add your Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce either during cooking or later while you are eating it. To reduce the sodium intake it is probably best to add it to your food at the table. We also like to put a bit of asian red pepper paste on it as well for a little bit of a kick.

We make stir fry probably once every few weeks. We used to make it a lot more often, but lately we’ve been getting into the habit of eating other things instead. Last night’s stir fry was inspired by other blogs as well as meals I’ve had at restaurants. It really depends on what we have on hand, and what we like. My enjoyment of this meal was no different than other stir fry meals, and I can’t imagine having to give up good homemade food like this for a month.

Our community supported agriculture (CSA) season ended just this last week, and we received both turnips and rutabagas for the first (and last) time. Since rutabagas are similar to turnips I also used them this time around. I think turnips tend to have a little bit more of a kick, though, so normally I would use only turnips. The mashed potatoes still turned out lovely and I really have no complaints.

This is a recipe that has become less of a recipe, so the following is more of an approximation of what I did.

Mashed Potatoes with Turnips/Rutabagas

• 5 – 7 large potatoes of your choosing, peeled and quartered
• 2 – 3 turnips and/or rutabagas, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• Salt
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 – 5 Tbsp. mayonnaise or Vegenaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place the potatoes and turnips/rutabagas into a large pot and cover with water. After they have been boiling for a few minutes (5 – 10 minutes) add the onion and garlic cloves. Boil until the turnips are tender (note that you may want to start boiling the turnips first and then add the potatoes later as the turnips will take longer to soften).

Drain the potatoes, turnips, onions, and garlic cloves and pour into a large bowl (or back into the pan). Add salt (this will be to taste), butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Either mash the ingredients together with a potato masher (more lumps) or get out a hand mixer and mix until it is at the consistency you prefer. Taste it to see if it has a good flavor and adjust the seasonings until it is how you want it.

Vegan Gravy
Taken from AllRecipes.com and originally called Vegetarian Gravy

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I did not use 1/2 cup – more like 1/4 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 4 Tbsp. light soy sauce (I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (I used 2 cups of water with 1 heaping Tbsp. McKay’s Chicken Seasoning)
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage (I didn’t use this because I don’t think I had any on hand.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt (I didn’t use this because the chicken seasoning and the liquid aminos were already providing enough sodium)
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.

The recipe said that once you reduce the heat you should stir it for another 8-10 minutes. My gravy did not take that long to thicken at all, so I would actually shorten that time to 2-3 minutes.

Both the mashed potatoes and the gravy turned out really well. When I was seasoning the potatoes and trying to achieve the perfect flavor I realized that I was trying to get it to taste more like potato salad. It didn’t taste exactly like potato salad, but even if it had I would have still loved it.

There are still some turnips and rutabagas sitting in my kitchen, so I am sure to make this recipe again in the very near future.

More Thanksgiving recipes to come in the next few days!

Stopping off for gas, I realized that I had not yet fulfilled part of rule #11: beef jerky, so I spent five bucks on a large bag of Oberto brand jerky. It looked like tree bark but smelled like a dead animal that had been left outside for a few weeks. I hadn’t tried the stuff in years, actually, since it’s expensive, and to be honest, I always associated beef jerky with the suburban/redneck element of my hometown, which was an element that I had spent most of my postsurburban New Yorker-subscribing life distancing myself from. Still, on this morning I was hungry, the sack of jerky was on the passenger side, and with Rush blaring on the car radio, I decided to try it. And Oh My Ever-Loving God. It went straight to my bloodstream. I was flying. This was the best thing I had ever tasted! If this was what conservatives ate, I was ready to sign up for the John Birch Society right then and there.

-Conservatize Me by John Moe

When a book has me visibly laughing or weeping while on the subway, you know that it has grabbed me. I try to maintain a normal composure since I am in public so as to not seem like I’ve lost my mind (at least for my own benefit), so laughing usually winds up being more like smirking. I smirked often throughout Conservatize Me. I tend to be more left-leaning myself, although I wouldn’t consider myself a complete liberal, so I respected John Moe’s self-inflicted month of immersion in the politically conservative culture.

The full title of the book is Conservatize Me: How I Tried to Become a Righty with the Help of Richard Nixon, Sean Hannity, Toby Keith, and Beef Jerky, so from the outset I knew that I would be making jerky. Since I am vegan, it would wind up being tofu jerky. I had planned on making a couple of different kinds of jerky – one out of tofu and one out of seitan, but I had already been cooking a couple of other things and fell back on what would be easier.

I usually buy jerky, whether it is Primal Strips or Tofurky Jurky, but on occasion I will make my own, inspired by Susan Voisin’s Baked Tofu. This time I decided I wanted a little more flavor, so I added some spices to the marinade.

Conservative Jerky

• 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, then cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (I used a little bit of both; also be sure to find a gluten-free soy sauce if you want to make this allergy-free)
• Black pepper, garlic powder, and Garlic Gourmay’s Killer Cajun to taste
• 1 tsp. light cooking oil

After cutting the tofu into strips, place them into a plastic or glass container. Mix the soy sauce and spices together and then pour over the tofu strips (don’t worry if the liquid does not cover the strips). Cover the container with a lid and place in the refrigerator for a few hours (I let mine sit for about four or five hours).

Preheat the oven to 200 – 250 degrees F. To reduce clean up time, cover the top of a cookie sheet with tin foil then brush the foil with the light cooking oil. Place the tofu strips on the sheet in a single layer, and then place in the oven.

Check the strips in about 30 minutes. Take them out of the oven and turn over all of the strips, and then put them back in the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes. The time in the oven is really dependent upon how tough you like your jerky. It also varies depending on how thick the slices are. The thicker the slices, the less tough they will be.

If you don’t eat the jerky right away, you can use the same foil that you used to cover the cookie sheet to store the jerky in the refrigerator.

My initial reaction to this batch was that it was too salty. I should have just used Bragg’s or used a lesser amount of regular soy sauce. The Killer Cajun spice also had salt in it, so it might have been better if I had used cayenne or chili pepper. It was still pretty good, though, and my husband declared it good. Next time maybe I’ll try making seitan jerky.