From The Urban Vegan: Spaghetti Carbonara

Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara

Isn't this a nifty idea? Take a brand new cookbook, decide on a recipe, make it, and post the results! Who knew blogging could be so simple? How MoFo!

This dish is from the brand new, captivating Urban Vegan cookbook. I received it last week to review*, and couldn't put it down this past weekend. I was pouring over the pages, trying to decide on what to make first. I haven't been this enthusiastic over a non-PPK cookbook in a long ass time.

Dude, I'm saying this and there aren't even photos! It just covers so much ground - there are so many vegan dinner parties waiting to be born from this book!

With tempeh bacon still invading my thoughts from the Fakin' Fest, I turned to the Spaghetti Carbonara first. It was indulgent, saucy, smokey, noochy (hello, nutritional yeast!) and buttery (hello, Earth Balance!).

What was I thinking making this for myself? This was definitely a special guests meal, but I was treating myself.... The dry white wine was a sweet touch - I adore how much wine is in this book - for cooking & accompaniment!

I served the dish with fresh parsley, as advised, and a side of roasted rapini with crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt.

Whoa, my goodness.

Next up? Her unique rapini panini!

*like I wouldn't have bought it anyway!! It's well documented that I think Dynise is fabulous. Sorry, the interview is down on the old Herbivore Magazine site, but you get the point.

A Peek at Portobello Vegan Trattoria

Open less than a month, Portobello Vegan Trattoria is becoming quite the immediate hit among Portland vegans.  I joined friends for my first meal there last night, and will be dining with another group for a family style dinner this weekend.  

After last night's luscious dinner, I'm ridiculously stoked to return so quickly, try more and support this new vegan establishment in such annoying economic times.  

Let me say that I grew up eating Italian food more than any other, and fresh vegan pasta at a restaurant in town, let alone in walking distance to my apartment, is in itself a thrill.  

Here's a peek at what my table ordered:

Small plate of Portabello Ravioli with Walnut Arulgula Pesto.

Side of Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Beet Appetizer

Pickled plate appetizer

Small plate of Gluten-free Spaghetti squash with one giant meatball

Ham and Scheese wrapped Seitan

Side of Roasted Pumpkin with Rosemary

Side of Garlic Broccolini

Lasagna

Believe it, we didn't order any desserts!  Don't panic - Tiramisu will be enjoyed this weekend.

Look for an official review in the next month on StumptownVegans.com when they've been open a bit longer.  

For now, enjoy the Italian food porn and check them out if you're in the Portland area.  

They're open Wednesday-Saturday 5:30-10:30pm and are located at 2001 SE 11th Ave, in the same location as the excellent Cellar Door Coffee Roasters, who are open during the day.

Cast Iron Seitan in da house.

Locally made in Portland, Cast Iron Seitan can now be found at Food Fight! Vegan grocery store.  It is  priced at $5.65 for 12 ounces.

And according to the creators, it should be available next week - in bulk - at People's Coop as well.  

If you're going to buy prepared seitan that's not in a can (because there's just such novelty there I won't deny you) - let it be this!  

I've so far tried it grilled over peanut noodles and cooked into chili.  I know I'm a member of the church of Post Punk Kitchen anyway, but I really am a fan.

Grilled with tofu over more peanut noodles.

comforty gluten-free vegan mac and cheeze.

Gluten Free Mac and Cheeze with Broccoli

Despite a fondness for vegetables and garlic, I had a embarrassingly bland appetite growing up. I sidestepped the constant Italian meals of my childhood with a hatred of marinara sauce and ate a ton of noodles with butter and cheese. I know that American children aren't known for their palates, but I was somehow even wary of traditional and boxed macaroni and cheese! Let's blame the orange color and the presence of fancier cheeses in my house.

The infamous blue box wasn't a part of my diet until college. Once I learned the wonder of mac and cheese, I became a devotee, and remain so as a vegan. I'll even publicly mention my love for the (still bland) convenient 123s and Chreese of my later college years, that I still pick up from time to time. On Thanksgiving, I made for the second time a gluten free version of the lower fat adaptation of the acclaimed New Farm Mac and Cheeze I posted last year here.

I went to a small and predominately gluten-free dinner at a friend's house for Tday and was worried the dish might seem boring, but it went over well and I thought it looked beautiful - you know, for mac and cheeze.

Pre-baked

I've been sick of wheat pasta for a while now, and really dig how ridged rice pasta can stand up in this baked dish. I legitimately find myself preferring it with rice pasta. I never saw that day coming over a year ago. It was a really easy dish to make gluten free - it doesn't quite warrant a new post with that simplicity, but for clicking's sake, I'll post it here:

PLEASE SEE HERE FOR THE RECIPE ON THE NEW GET SCONED!

In other vegan comforty news, Vitasoy Peppermint Chocolate Soymilk has competition. Or a friend - on store shelves.

I tried the new Westsoy version at my friend's house on Thanksgiving and knew I'd have to get some for myself soon - thank you People's Coop for having it for $1.99!

It's even sweeter and peppermint-y than the Vitasoy I stashed all summer. It's at least temporaily my new favorite.

Does anyone else enjoy saying "glutey free"?

glorious produce

gloria! gloria! gloriiiia! 

glorious! proooooduce! proooooduuce!

I went all out at the Portland Farmer's Market this past Saturday.  I spent almost $20 on fresh produce, jubilantly buying yellow tomatoes, peppers and fresh basil in what is now late October. It was my first time in months going by myself, and was relaxing and adventurous. Pushing through out of towners and families with dogs and strollers to get to my favorite stands, and compare who's selling eggplant for how much a lb..

My haul included, with estimates:

 sweet, hot and bell peppers

eggplant $2/lb

a sweet onion! $1/lb

yellow and red tomatoes $1.95/lb

bag of garlic $3

basil $2

Asian cucumbers 2 for $1

broccoli

kale $2

Now here's the pasta dish I created using fresh vegetables and whatever the hell I had around - 

Hodgepodgepasta

With chipotle sundried tomato sausages, broccoli, garlic, fresh basil, eggplant, hot peppers, kale, olive oil, tamari and nooch.  Probably more..

with flax & multigrain spagetti from Trader Joe's.

It's fairly terrifying to think about, and certifiably hodgepodgey, but it was actually tasty.

Back to my market adventure, where I show you photos of things that caught my eye and some I wish I'd bought...

Chanterelles

Yellows!

Purples and Oranges!

Whites!

Where I bought my broccoli and more hot peppers.

Leaving the market for the day.  

I fought the urge to run back for more tomatoes, and immediately ran and caught the streetcar to another part of town after I took this photo, camera in hand.

Don't you just love that this market goes until December????

My brother made me dinner..

Breaded and fried eggplant, vegan mozzerella, multigrain and flax spaghetti and (my) homemade basil marinara.  

As I previously mentioned, my younger brother Rick came to Portland this week to get away from New York for a while.  Naturally, I welcomed him - he's my only brother and I've only seen him a few times in the past 4 years I've been in Portland, and before that I was at college in Boston.  

I have asked that he only eat and cook vegetarian and vegan while in my apartment, and so far he's been specifying vegan.  Prior to his visit, I think my brother did consider Portland to be some type of vegan commune 

out in the woods in Oregon.   

So, I'm looking forward to taking him around, which will of course include some excellent vegan food in Stumptown.  Tonight we're meeting some of my friends at Hoda's for his first Lebanese restaurant experience.  

And as the title implies, last night I came home and he plated this dinner the minute I walked in the door.  He raved about the marinara and said it tasted like the one our mom used to make and let simmer all day, years and years and years ago.  Granted I never ate that, as I was a no-tomato-sauce eating freak from 7-20 or so.  It grossed me out and I stuck to white pizza as a young vegetarian.

Chef Rick.  He's named after you know who in Casablanca.

It was a fantastic meal.

This weekend we're going to the Portland Nursery's Apple Tasting!  You know, if he's up for the celebration of fruit.

An Italiany Post

A collection of meals with an Italian vibe to them....
or at least tomatoes, or pasta or garlic or all of the above~

Exhibit #1:

Baked Chickpea Cutlet Balls served over fusilli pasta with homemade tomato basil marinara. With sauteed mushrooms and spinach with garlic, and garlic bread.
Carb-attack-amazing.

Exhibit #2

Pesto-Cheezy-Italian pasta bake.

This was made for a PPK Picnic this past weekend, and consisted of a silken tofu ricotta with pesto and chopped, fresh spinach, more tomato basil marinara, some almond ricotta, mini shells pasta, a miso-almond cheezy sauce, orange tomatoes and fresh basil on top.

Exhibits #3 and #4: Homemade pizzas.

The pizza above was marinara sauce, Teese, orange tomato, sweet corn and spinach.

This pizza has cremini mushrooms, orange tomato,pesto and almond ricotta.

Baked:
(sorry for the craptastic lighting)

Exhibit #5

Leftover pizza from It's a Beautiful Pizza, with tomato sauce, FYH soy cheeze (they're switching to Teese in a couple months, FYI), sundried tomatoes and black olives.

Exhibit #6

Mini grilled teese-basil-tomato on french bread.

Classics

Some Veganomicon Classics..

I made my first Sloppy ANYTHINGs tonight - the Snobby Joes. I used a hot chili powder and red pepper instead of green - and while cooking and sitting I thought, man I am not going to like these, when I finally ate them, I totally did.
I'm sure I'll be eating these for lunch at least twice this week as well. I really like that they're made with lentils, because I rarely eat them, and that's not right.


Tofu Florentine - over paprika roasted red potatoes and steamed spinach. This is the second or third time I've made this. I use the broiled tofu sauce and do a baked tofu with it, since my oven is a bit off and I enjoy chewy tofu. I actually made baked 'broiled' tofu twice this past week. I like to add a teeny dab of Chipotle Yumm spread to the cheezy sauce, since Tommy's in love that stuff and we seem to often have the end of a jar in the fridge.


Quick, working with what ya have brunch - Diner style homefries with garlic, veggie sausage, mango and spinach with even more garlic.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti - I used whole wheat penne, added some roasted butternut squash cubes and used chopped shallots instead of onions. This is a half batch, and gave us one dinner and 3 or 4 lunches' worth. We could really see this doing well as a side dish at a fall or winter potluck.

Served with baby spinach and carrots splashed with white balsamic vinegar.

Roasted butternut squash with sea salt. I used the times from the Nomicon recipe, but not the spices. The leftovers are what went into the pasta above. I roasted half of a huge squash, and the other half is cubed and in the freezer.

And a goodbye to my No Sweats! It was time. These lasted me 3 years, and I wore them a ton. Who needs Converse?

I'm off....

Low and behold - my camera is working! again! I spent 3 days assuming it was gone, fiddling with it, and then last night, although the menu is being funky, I decided to attempt using it to capture Thomas' birthday cake - and success!
This camera has really held up through the past few years, with all the dropping I've done to it, the portland mist, etc. - so while I'm absolutely wanting to replace it, I do have soft spot for it, for sure.

From last weekend - Toasted salt and pepper pecans (another one inspired by Julie! who made these a while ago at a potluck - they stuck in my mind!).

I didn't have her recipe, just the idea - so I toasted the nuts in a pan, added a lil bit of olive oil, some coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of organic sugar.



Oh, and that cake that I just had a teeny little sliver of?
Mocha Buttercream Layer Cake.



At the birthday boy's request.
FYI, It says 'T-rock'. Not that anyone calls him that. I underestimated how much frosting I had left to pipe, and was simply going for T, and then kept going...

He requested the cake I made for our anniversary a couple years ago, with the layers from the Candle Cafe cookbook (recipe here), but since I was out of maple syrup, I made the chocolate cupcake batter from VCTOTW and added coffee extract to the batter.
The buttercream is based on the fluffy white one from the same book - with coffee liquor as the liquid, and coffee extract and cocoa powder added. I myself would call is heavenly! or something.





And dinner before cake - baked tofu (tamari, sesame chili oil, agave, rice vinegar, garlic), sesame green beans (VWAV - asparagus recipe) and short grain brown rice.



Thomas and our friend Jeff split what I was originally making for dinner for the birthday guy - half a soy chicken baked in sweet and sour sauce - and then dove into the vegan baked ziti that that he asked I make while I was away as well. I wanted some of the tofu to myself, above, so I only used half a recipe of VWAV's tofu basil ricotta - plus chopped roasted red pepper.



Wish me and my camera good luck - red eye flight tonight! If you were me, where would *you* go, and dine, in Boston and NYC? And well, South Shore Long Island if you're familar..