Indo-Malaysian 'Mutton' Soup...

I have never eaten mutton in my life, nor have I had any desire to. However when I came across a recipe for an Indian Mutton Soup in a Malaysian cook book recently, I found myself intrigued. Not in the least by the meat but by the idea of a rich, flavorful, lightly spiced soup with large chunks of tomato. The picture looked very appetizing, and I could feel the creative juices in my brain begin to flow. How could I make this vegan? At first I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to achieve this, because as far as I know there is not currently a vegan lamb, or sheep substitute. There is vegan beef, and vegan chicken, there is vegan tuna, and vegan shrimp, hell there is even vegan calamari and Haggis, but no vegan lamb. I considered using seitan or tempeh because they’re both chewy and easily soak up flavor but I didn’t have any seitan on hand and tempeh I decided might taste too much like tempeh. I wanted this dish to be really rich and decadent so I needed something else.

Lucky for me I had a package of Gardein Beefless Tips in my freezer. Even though they’re not in the slightest bit mutton like I figured they’d be a fine substitute. I’ve only eaten lamb a couple of times in my life and it was long ago. I recall it being stronger, gamier, and richer then beef but not necessarily that different, maybe I’m wrong there but I’ll never know. The tips in the end worked magically. They were exactly the right thing for this delicious hearty soup. The mixture of flavors in this soup is incredible, my husband and I couldn’t stop raving about the awesome flavor of the broth. It was perfectly spiced and tasted fantastic with bread. Originally I wanted to use Naan, but the store was out, and I didn’t have the time to make any so we used pita. It worked just as well I think, so when you make this soup you must get bread, any kind! You will not be sorry.

This soup apparently also goes by the name of Sop Kambing and is a particularly popular dish amongst the Muslim and Malay hawker stalls, as well as in the coffee shops. I hear it’s best when served at night as it’s said to have a restorative property. I don’t know about that, but I definitely felt sated after finishing off a large bowl, and now you can enjoy it too!

Indo-Malaysian 'Mutton' Soup

1 thumb size piece of ginger
8 Garlic Cloves
1 Red Chili or ½-1 tsp Red pepper Flakes
1 Large Yellow Onion roughly chopped
2 Tbsp Non-dairy Butter
1 ½ tsp Ground Coriander
1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
1 ½ tsp Ground Fenugreek
1 ½ tsp Sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3-4 tsp Tomato Paste
7 Green Cardamom Pods
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
2 C Water + 1 Vegan ‘Beef’ Bullion Cube
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered, then the quarters cut in half
10oz -1 lb Gardein Beefless Tips
1 Bunch Cilantro minced

- Spray large pan with non-stick spray and cook beef tips over high heat until browned on all sides. 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

- Place Ginger, Garlic and Red Chili into a food processor and process into a paste

- Heat the non-dairy butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger paste and saute another 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek and sugar stir to combine and saute another 2-3 minutes until very fragrant and onions are golden.

- Add the water and bullion cube, along with the tomato paste, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.

- Reduce the heat and cover simmer for 20 minutes.

- Add the tomatoes along with sea salt and pepper to taste. Then cover and simmer another 15 minutes.

- Add in the reserved ‘beef’ tips and simmer another 10 minutes.

- Fish out the cardamom pods and discard. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with your favorite crusty bread or Naan.

*** Note - This can be made Gluten-Free if using Tempeh or soy based beef instead. Or it can be made Soy-free if using Seitan or soy-free beef and soy-free non-dairy butter instead. Although I can’t promise it’ll taste the same with either substitution.*** 

Beef(less) Stroganoff...

Before I get on with it I just want to say that I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year’s, and I wish you good health and all the best for 2012! I will definitely update about my New Year’s in the next day or so.

I have never really liked beef stroganoff. In fact I don’t recall ever eating it once growing up. The dish originates from Russia, so culturally it’s not a meal any of my ancestors would have prepared, and since my mother rarely served beef while I was growing up it’s not something she’d ever cook up on a whim. Until I moved to the States, I think the closest I ever came to stroganoff was the occasional plate of hamburger helper. (Yuck!)

Stroganoff however was one of my husbands favorite dishes growing up. He loved it immensely, and gobbled it up with relish whenever it was served. It’s a dish that for him has a lot of sentimental value attached, despite the fact that it’s never really agreed with him, and often made him quite ill afterwards.
To the best of my memory, my first stroganoff experience was after we were married and I’d moved to the states. My mother-in-law would make stroganoff now and then, and though my first bowl of it was something short of mind-blowing I continued to eat it reluctantly whenever it was served. I don’t say that to disparage my mother-in-law’s cooking by the way, it’s just that I’ve never found the components of the dish very appealing when cooked together, and I’ve always been a firm believer that sour cream should remain cold when served. Something about mixing it into a hot bubbling broth, and mixing it with flour and greasy beef just gives me that ‘ick’ factor.

When my husband decided to join me on the vegetarian path a year ago, he let go of a lot of things. He ceased the consumption of many dishes he’d previously enjoyed, including beef stroganoff, and honestly didn’t seem all that saddened by it. He continued to happily move forward without looking back. So when I asked him just before Christmas what he wanted me to make him for his birthday dinner how could I refuse when he came back at me with "A vegan Sloppy Joe Casserole, or a Vegan Beef Stroganoff."? Though I was less then impressed with this answer, as I’m not a fan of either dish, nor does either dish really challenges my culinary skill, I did what any loving wife would do, and agreed.

Now I have never made a stroganoff in my life. I don’t think I’d ever even seen a stroganoff recipe before last week. So all I knew about it was that it contained beef, sour cream, flour, broth and that my mother-in-law always served it over egg noodles. I immediately asked her for her recipe thinking I’d simply veganize it, but the temptation to put my own spin on it was far to great, especially considering the original recipe was a little sparse.

So after some careful thought, and planning this is what I came up with two days before his birthday, surprisingly it was pretty damn good, and my husband absolutely loved it. Considering this is not a dish I’ve ever liked I find it so funny that I enjoyed it enough to go back for a second bowl. Isn’t if funny how you can love the vegan version of a food you once hated?

Now a traditional Russian Stroganoff doesn’t actually contain onions or mushrooms, or garlic and tomato paste for that matter, but over the past century the dish has changed a lot. Different cultures have adapted it to suit their needs, taking things out, and putting other things in. It’s a pretty versatile dish these days to tell the truth, and in my humble opinion a good stroganoff can not be without onions, garlic and mushrooms, but that’s me.

Beef(less) Stroganoff

1 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Packages Gardein Beefless Tips
2 Tbsp Earth Balance
1 Onion diced
1 C Baby Bella Mushrooms Sliced (Can use white button if you prefer)
8 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Faux Beef Bullion Cube + 2 - 2 ½ Cups warm water
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp ground paprika
2-4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Organic Cornstarch
½ - 3/4 Heaping Cup non-dairy Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb Eggless Egg Noodles or other Wide Noodle

- Cook Beefless Tips according to package directions and then set aside.

- Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. When boiling cook Noodles according to package directions, drain and keep warm in pot.

- In same pan that you cooked tips, add 1 tsp of olive oil and Earth Balance. Heat until Earth Balance has melted and then add in the garlic and diced onion. Saute on medium heat for about 4 minutes.

- Add mushrooms and continue to saute on medium for another five to six minutes until onions are translucent, and mushrooms are soft.

- While onions and mushrooms are sauteeing, whisk together your faux beef bullion cube and water. Until dissolved or mostly dissolved.( How much water you use depends on how thick you want the sauce to be. For a thinner sauce use more water, for a thicker sauce use less water or more sour cream.) Whisk in flour, and cornstarch then add to the pan of onions and mushrooms.

- Stir in ground mustard, paprika, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low boil, then let simmer until the sauce has thickened. About ten minutes.

- Stir in the non-dairy sour cream, and mix until thoroughly combined. Let simmer another five or so minutes. Then taste for seasonings and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

- Serve hot over a bowl of noodles!

PS: I realize I promised to post this recipe days ago, but it ended up being a far busier week then I’d anticipated. Apologies!

Momma’s Traditional ‘Beef’ Stew...

For the past two week I’ve had this wicked bad and very strange craving for some kind of a ‘beef’ stew. Now cravings are nothing new to me, especially weird ones. For as long as I can remember I’ve always been struck out of the blue by some intense craving or other. In fact it happens frequently, and is just like pregnancy cravings - so I’m told - minus the pregnancy part. What makes this craving particularly strange is that I was never the kind of person who enjoyed a hearty beef soup or stew. Even as a kid, it was not my favorite dish. Yet here I’ve been craving ‘beef’ stew for nearly two weeks, and so finally yesterday I gave in and tried my hand at pulling together a vegan version.

I was very skeptical as I was making it. For most of the cooking process it just didn’t look right, smelt okay but that I’ve found that aroma isn’t always the best indicator of taste. I’d also never used Gardein Beefless tips before and wasn’t sure how that was going to be. Yet by the time I was done, not only did it smell wonderful, it actually looked like a traditional beef stew, and the flavor! It was out of this world! I’m telling you. I was so amazed, I turned to my husband and said "I think this is the best beef stew I’ve ever made." I’m not kidding when I say this tastes almost exactly like the stew I remember my mom making as a kid. The texture is a little different, meaty of course but not tough, chewy or grisly like actual meat, which I appreciate.

Now I realize a lot of you reading are living in climates in which it is summer, but you never know, if a rainy day swings your way I urge you to make this, and for those of you ‘down under’ this is a perfect fall/winter food. Warm, and comforting on a chilly evening.

Momma’s Traditional ‘Beef’ Stew

1 tbsp olive oil
1 Large yellow onion chopped in medium sized chunks
2 Ribs celery sliced into 1 inch pieces
12 Baby carrots sliced in half lengthwise then halved crosswise
10 Garlic cloves crushed (or to taste)
3 Medium sized potatoes chopped in small cubes
2 C frozen peas
18 oz Gardein Beefless Tips (Two packs)
3 1/2C Water
1/2C Red Wine
½ tsp Ground Thyme
½ tsp Crushed Rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
2 Not-Beef Bullion Cubes (Edward & Sons makes a good one)
3 tbsp flour
1-2 Tbsp Earth Balance

- Heat Oil in medium-large sized pot. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, and celery and saute until onions and carrots have softened slightly. About 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

- Whisk together water, flour, and bullion cubes. Then add to the pot along with potatoes, thyme, rosemary, oregano, pepper and salt.

- Cover and bring to boil. Let boil for 5-10 minutes then add 3/4 of the half cup of red wine and reduce heat and let simmer about 20 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile empty beefless tips into a separate pan on medium-high heat. Pour the remaining wine over top and cook them till they’re nicely seared and brown on all sides.

- By this time the potatoes and carrots should be fork tender. Add the Peas, Earth Balance and beefless tips to the pot, along with any pan juices. If there are crusty bits of beefless tip coating the bottom of your pan, scrape them into the stew pot. It’ll add a great flavor. Simmer another 10 minutes to let flavors mingle, stirring once or twice, then remove pot from heat and let it rest ten minutes before serving.

- Taste for seasonings and add more salt, pepper, or red wine to your liking. Serve in a large wide mouthed bowl, with a couple of pieces of crusty whole grain bread.

This really is a rich and warming stew, and heavenly aromatic. It makes the whole house smell like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and in fact the broth form this stew would be the perfect substitute for a ‘traditional’ turkey or beef gravy.

PS: If you’ve never heard of Gardein and would like to know more about them and the products they offer you can check out their website here -http://www.gardein.com/index.php