Coconut Ginger Vegetable Soup

Early last year I had the chance to go to Vegfest in Seattle. It is a food festival for vegans and vegetarians, and they are held all over the country. Chances are, if you live in the United States, there’s one not too far from you. It’s fun because you get to sample a lot of food products from well-known brand names, buy cookbooks, get freebies, and attend cooking demos.

While there, I attended a handful of cooking demos presented by PCC, a local co-op with locations in and around Seattle (very similar to Whole Foods, but smaller and member-focused – although anyone can shop there). I learned some interesting new techniques for cooking, as well as some inspiration for what to make next in my kitchen.

One of the demos showed us how to make a Thai coconut ginger vegetable soup, or Tom Kha Ja. It’s a lovely soup with some really interesting flavors and textures intermingling – lemony, spicy and creamy. The nice thing is that you don’t have to use the vegetables listed in this recipe if you don’t want – you can use whatever is on hand or others that you might prefer. The only things that I would recommend not skimping out on are the lime leaves (or lime peel), lemongrass (if you have it available in your grocery store), ginger, and of course, coconut milk. There are a few other key ingredients, but those really set the tone for supporting flavors.

Coconut Ginger Vegetable Soup
This recipe is based on the one created by Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen, who also happens to be the person who demoed it, and who is a PCC Cooks instructor.

• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 ounces or one package firm tofu, diced
• 1/2 carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 8 button mushrooms, stems removed and diced
• 3 cups water
• 3 Thai or serrano chile peppers, smashed
• 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into 8 pieces and smashed
• 8 Kaffir lime leaves, or peel of 1 lime
• 4 shallots, trimmed, peeled and smashed
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 jalapeño pepper, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, optional but highly recommended
• 2 tablespoons coconut cream (the top layer on canned coconut milk), optional

Drain and prepare your tofu.

Cutting up tofu to fry

Heat a wok or skillet, then add three tablespoons of canola oil. Fry the tofu until all sides have a golden crust.

Frying the tofu

Remove the tofu from the pan, and set aside.

Dice your carrot, onion and mushrooms.

Diced carrot, onion and mushrooms

In the same pan you used to fry the tofu, sauté your carrot, onion and mushrooms with the remaining two tablespoons of oil for three to five minutes until translucent and fragrant.

Sautéing carrots, onions and mushrooms

Place the vegetable mixture in a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

Adding the water

Prepare your chile peppers, lemongrass and ginger by smashing them all. Just use the flat side of your knife and give each of them a few good whacks. You don’t have to do it too hard or too many times. The key is to allow the soup to extract the flavors of these ingredients.

Trim the top, then smash with the flat side of your knife

Trim, then using the flat side of your knife hit the lemongrass a few times to smash it

Do the same with the ginger - using the flat side of the knife hit the ginger until it is smashed

If using lime peel, trim and roughly peel a lime with a knife.

Trimming a lime for its peel

Prepare your shallots by peeling and dicing them. I recommend that you use one full shallot or two to four shallot cloves (they look like very large garlic cloves).

Chopping up shallots

When your water comes to a boil, stir in the chile peppers, lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves or peel and shallots. Let boil for five minutes.

Nearly there - just a few more steps!

Prepare your zucchini.

Dicing zucchini

Remove the stem and seeds from your jalapeño, then dice. Grab your corn (I used a whole package of frozen corn).

Diced jalapeño and frozen corn

Add zucchini, corn and jalapeño to your pot and cook for two minutes.

Adding the rest of the vegetables to the soup

Stir in salt, coconut milk and lime juice.

Add some coconut milk to make it creamy

To serve the soup, remove the large pieces of lemongrass, ginger and chile peppers, as well as the lime peel and lime leaves, then ladle into soup bowls. Add your fried tofu and garnish with cilantro and one teaspoon of coconut cream.

Delish!

This is such a yummy soup – and so versatile and forgiving if you don’t have everything you need. I think potatoes would go nicely in this, as well as snow peas, and other kinds of mushrooms, too. To reduce the fat, use a low fat coconut milk, sauté your vegetables in water, and bake your tofu (without oil) instead of frying it.

What soups are you enjoying right now?

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?

Tofu Salad

July 4th wound up being a very lovely day for us here in New York City. We have been getting an unusual amount of rain lately, so much so that many have joked around that we’re actually in Seattle. Somehow we managed to have the perfect day for barbecuing and picnicking, and took full advantage of the weather to enjoy ourselves and good food.

One thing that I decided to make this year was this tofu salad. It’s easy to make, and if you used to eat eggs, you may be surprised at how very much this tastes like egg salad. True, eggs have a distinct flavor and a starring role in egg salad, but you’ll realize that just by switching out the eggs with tofu and any other non-vegan ingredients for vegan ones that the supporting ingredients have a far bigger impact on the resulting flavor of the spread.

Tofu Salad

• 1 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained
• 2 or 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 or 2 dill pickles, chopped
• 2 sprigs dill, chopped or 1 teaspoon dill, dried
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise, like Vegenaise
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mash the tofu with a fork or potato masher.

Mashing tofu

Chop up your onions, celery and pickles.

Chopped onions, celery and pickles

If you have fresh dill, chop up a couple of sprigs. We have some growing on our back porch this year, so I used some of that (be sure to clean well).

Fresh dill growing in the garden

Chopped dill

Add in all remaining ingredients and stir. Taste test to see if you need to increase any ingredients or add in others not listed.

Finishing up the tofu salad

Once you’re satisfied with the flavor, chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Tofu Salad

This is a great salad to put on toast at home, dip crackers or chips in, or just to have as a side dish. We have made this for road trips, although it can be messy if you’re eating and driving at the same time (a lesson we learned for ourselves).

Do you make tofu salad spread? What other ingredients do you typically use?

I’m not a big fan of winters here in the North East. Unless it snows, it seems kind of pointless to me to have it dip down well below freezing every day, and the process of bundling up is time-consuming. So you can well imagine that I’m so glad that Spring is here. We still get a few chilly days now and then, which means that hot soups are still in season.

One of my favorite soups to make is a hearty vegetable miso soup. Miso, as you may already know, is a fermented soybean paste and can be used in a variety of dishes.

However, it’s probably most well known as a base to Asian soups. I first started making my own miso soup a few years ago, and am probably not making it in an authentic Asian style, but the recipe that follows is delicious and is my own (although I’m sure I’m not the first to throw this particular set of ingredients together).

First things first, though. There are a few things to keep in mind when making this.

• Use whatever vegetables you want, but make sure that most or all are fresh.
• Don’t overcook the soup – you want the vegetables to have some life left to them.
• Don’t add salt if you don’t have to; miso has plenty of natural sodium already.

• Taste test the broth after you’ve added miso. If it’s not a strong enough flavor for your palate, add more.

Miso Soup

• 8 cups water
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 package white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups bok choy or toy choi, chopped
• 2 cups spinach, fresh
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 1 package medium firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
• 3 to 5 tablespoons miso

Bring the water to boil in a large pan.

As you’re waiting for your water to boil, prepare all of your remaining ingredients.

You can add the carrots to the water before it boils or just after, and cook for about five minutes.

Add the mushrooms, bok choy, and snow peas and cook for about a minute more, then turn off the stove and take the pan off of the high heat. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the miso, and stir.

Now, add in the miso one tablespoon at a time and stir until it is completely dissolved.

Taste test the broth, and if you feel that the miso needs to be a stronger flavor add another tablespoon and taste test again.

Continue this process until you are satisfied with the taste. I added a total of about five tablespoons which I feel was plenty.

I admit that I overcooked the soup you’re seeing in these pictures, and I wish that I had held back. The snow peas were too tender, and the bok choy could have been more firm. It’s a lesson that I should practice what I preach – less is more. There are some soups that require a good stew – like vegetable soup with lots of root vegetables: potatoes, carrots, turnips, but the flavor is best in this soup if you go for undercooking rather than shooting for making sure everything is well done.

Do you use miso in your cooking? What’s your favorite way of using it?

Not all vegans eat the same things, but just like everybody else, we’ve got our own common meat and potatoes items. One thing that eventually winds up on a vegan’s plate is tofu scramble (or scrambled tofu, depending upon your preference), and we vegans are known for making it a variety of ways. Even my husband and I make it two different ways, but I’ll share my preferred method here.

Tofu Scramble
Since I don’t follow a recipe when I make Tofu Scramble, this recipe is only an approximation, and should be used more as a rough guide (although feel free to follow exactly, too).

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained
• 2 teaspoons chicken or beef style seasoning I use McKay’s
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon spice blend of your choice I use McCormick’s Smoky Sweet Pepper Blend

Chop up a medium to large onion.

After slicing off the ends of the cloves of garlic, slice down the middle and remove the center stem. This part can taste a little bitter, so it is sometimes best to remove it, although it’s no problem if you leave it in. Chop the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat.

One package of tofu should suffice for two people, but if you are feeding more people you can do more (and you may want to increase the other ingredients as well to make sure the dish is still full of flavor).

Once the onions and garlic have sauteed for a few minutes, push them to one side of the pan and then add the block of tofu to the bare side of the pan.

Grab a potato masher and begin mashing the tofu starting on one edge and working your way through the entire block.

Before you incorporate the onions and garlic with the mashed tofu, first add the spices to the tofu. I usually start off with the chicken or beef style seasoning.

Then the nutritional yeast – you can add more or less depending upon your preference; not everyone likes nutritional yeast.

Finally I just sprinkle the pepper spice until I think I’ve added enough.

Mix everything together now and let it saute without stirring for a couple of minutes.

After a couple of minutes, the tofu should start browning.

It’s up to you how long you let it brown. I usually stir, then let it sit for a couple of minutes, stir again and let it sit – I do this for probably up to six to eight minutes.

Once it’s done it will have a nice texture that reminds me a little bit of hearty scrambled eggs (sorry – not of the taste, though).

Aside for making it differently, my husband and I usually eat it two different ways, too. He normally eats his on toast with ketchup, vegenaise, and sometimes hot sauce.

I tend to have my tofu scramble on it’s own, and then a slice of toast and jam (in this case marmalade!).

Tofu scramble is such a versatile recipe. We sometimes make it with sliced mushrooms, green and/or black olives, and other spices. It’s great for breakfast burritos or pita sandwiches, too. Really, you can eat it much the same way as you would scrambled eggs. That’s kind of the point, I think, for vegans.

How do you make yours? And do you eat yours any differently than we do?

It has been amazingly hot here in New York City. “Heat wave” doesn’t even do it justice. It has only been yesterday and today that we’ve seen a reprieve from 100+ degree weather – today was high 80s, and tomorrow promises to be a cool 82 degrees.

A couple of weeks ago, however, when the weather was more tolerable I spent some time in front of a hot stove and made some Indian food. While I’ve made food from other cuisines like Chinese, Mexican, and Italian, I’ve rarely made Indian food, aside from that mango lassi I made in February. Perhaps I’ve been too intimidated by it – the exotic spices, the unusual breads, the aromas… The whole cuisine is almost other-worldly.

Lentil Curry
Based upon a Red Lentil Curry recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 2 cups red lentils
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 1 14.25 oz. can tomato puree
• 1 pkg. firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get “scummy”), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).

While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet or saucepan, caramelize the onions in the oil.

While the onions are cooking, combine the spices in a mixing bowl, and mix well. When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for one to two minutes.

Stir in the tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.

When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don’t want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base and tofu into the lentils, and serve immediately.

Roti
Recipe taken from Manjula’s Kitchen

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (use more as needed)
• 2 tsp. vegan butter
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour for rolling

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and water. Add more water if the dough is too hard. Knead the dough well to make a medium soft dough. The dough should be soft but not stick to your hand. Set the dough aside and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes or more before you start rolling.

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball, then press flat. Take one ball and press it in dry flour from both sides and start rolling it into a six-inch diameter circle. If the dough starts sticking, dust it with more flour.

Heat the skillet on medium high heat. According to Manjula an iron skillet works best, but I used a non-stick skillet and it worked fine. To see if the skillet is ready, put a couple of drops of water on it. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready.

Put the rolled roti in the skillet. You will see the roti puff in different places and change color. Turn the roti over. Flip again after a few seconds. Take a flat spatula and press lightly on the puffed parts of the roti. This will help the roti completely puff. Flip the roti again. The roti should have light golden-brown spots on both sides. Butter the heated side of the roti (the side that is facing the skillet).

Make sure to put the rotis in a container with a paper towel covering the bottom, and then cover the container after each roti is made. This will keep the steam in and ensure the rotis are soft.

Whenever I make a new recipe, I usually rely heavily on a paper version of it. This time all I did was watch Manjula’s very informative and helpful video.

I also have to say that I wouldn’t mind going to her house for some homemade Indian food, especially since she has some great vegan recipes on hand. ;)

Overall both recipes turned out really well. I did mess up and put way more tomato puree into the lentil curry than I should have. This dampened the taste of the spices, but not so much so that I couldn’t taste them at all. I also froze the tofu, which, if you have never done that, makes the tofu’s texture a little more spongy.

The roti was also very easy to make, which was a nice surprise. I had actually intended to make naan, but it was going to take a little more time than I had. Roti was an excellent, easy, and fast alternative.

Making this has made me realize that Indian cooking, so far, is not that difficult. I’ll need to make some other Indian food…but let me wait until it’s at least in the 70s again. :)

P.S. In case you are interested, I made this handy little image to let you know which spices are which.

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.

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.