Recipe: Delicious Drunken Mushrooms

I love mushrooms. I think I've confessed that in the past but here I am again letting it be known that I absolutely adore these fabulous fungals!

This recipe, as is true of most of my recipes, is the result of a craving for something that I didn't have the ingredients for - mushrooms in Marsala wine sauce. While I didn't have any Marsala wine, I did have some Yuengling Light Lager chilling in the fridge. I think that when it comes to dishes that call for beer, dark, fancy beer is preferred. But, I can contest to the fact that light lager is plenty delicious and, in my opinion, tastes better when it comes to dealing with the leftovers from this recipe, which calls for only 1/4 of a cup of the bubbly stuff. Need I say that this dynamic dish is best consumed with some ice cold beer?

Estimated Time Needed: About 15 minutes
Good for Lazy Folks?: Maybe

Ingredients:
- 12 cremini/baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp. of Smart Balance buttery spread or other vegan butter-alternative
- 1/4 cup of vegan beer, such as Yuengling (for more vegan beers, see my posting "Do Good Vegans Get Drunk?"
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. of vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Equipment Suggestions:
I used a nonstick wok to prepare this dish, as I am not a big fan of frying pans. However, you can use a large frying pan if you don't have a wok.

Cooking:
1. Over medium-high heat, melt the Smart Balance and add the garlic.
2. Saute the garlic for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and saute the whole mess for about 7 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
4. Take the pot off of the stove and add the 1/4 cup of beer. Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium.
5. Cook the mushrooms for about 5-7 more minutes or until the beer has reduced by about 1/3.

Serve topped with chopped parsley over toast, baked tofu, on a roll, on rice, or all by itself. Yum!

Recipe: Vegan Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal

I woke up way too early this morning so I knew that I would need something hearty and delicious to get me going... well, that and a whole lot of caffeine.

The following recipe is intended to serve one.

Estimated Time Needed: About 5 minutes
Good for Lazy Folks?: Yes

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of plain oatmeal
- Water (some people like their oatmeal more watery than others so the amount of water used to prepare this dish is really up to the person eating it)
- 2-3 tbsp. Silk Vanilla Soy Creamer
- 4 strawberries, chopped

Equipment Suggestions:
I used a ceramic bowl and the microwave.

Preparation/Cooking:
1. Chop the strawberries.
2. Prepare the oatmeal.
3. After cooking the oatmeal, add the strawberries and soy creamer.

Possible Additions: Honey (if you eat it).

Old El Paso Spanish Rice, an Accidentially Vegan Delicacy

Old El Paso Spanish Rice is so delicious and versatile, it just blows my mind to think about it. If that weren't enough, it is also microwave friendly.

10 Scrumptious Ways to Eat Old El Paso Spanish Rice
1. Stuff it in green peppers and bake them.
2. In a taco or enchilada.
3. With sauteed onions, garlic, and tomatoes.
4. Topped with faux cheese and baked.
5. With scrambled tofu and cilantro in a breakfast burrito.
6. On nachos with vegetarian refritos and diced onions.
7. As a side dish to delicious cilantro and black bean tacos.
8. In vegan jambalaya with vegan sausage and tofu.
9. With vegan cick'n and fresh lettuce and diced tomato in a rolled up tortilla.
10. All by iteself in a big bowl.

Vegan Breakfast at Whole Foods Market

Much to my delight and surprise, an early trip to Whole Foods Market last Saturday morning brought me face to face with my first ever tofu scramble. I don't know if this is the norm for all Whole Foods Market stores or just mine but the hot bar had a whole gaggle of breakfast and "world cuisine" delights, including a vegan tofu scramble and some vegan Ethiopian collard greens (both pictured above). To top off this delicious treat, I discovered that they also offer free soymilk with their 99 cent coffee!

Recipe: Tacos Classicos con Tofu

This is simply a recipe for classic tacos with tofu instead of meat. Tacos make my heart melt.

Estimated Time Needed: About 25 minutes
Good for Lazy Folks?: Maybe

Ingredients:
- 1 medium tomato or 10 grape tomatoes (I prefer the latter), chopped
- 1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp. of Spanish olive oil
- 1 cup of lettuce, shredded or chopped
- 1/2 a block of extra firm tofu, chopped into tiny squares as pictured above
- 1 box of classic yellow corn crunchy taco shells
- 1 packet of mild, medium, or hot Old El Paso "Taco" seasoning
- Your favorite hot sauce or taco sauce (optional)

Equipment Suggestions:
I would suggest using a cast-iron skillet for this one, it will make the tofu more crispy and flavorful. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, a frying pan would be fine too.

Preparation:
1. Slice and dice the goods as indicated above.
2. Pour the "Taco" seasoning out in a thin layer on a plate.
3. Roll the little bits of tofu in seasoning until throughly coated.

Cooking:
1. Heat the skillet over medium and add the olive oil.
2. Saute the chopped onions for about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tofu and saute the whole mess for about 10 minutes longer, until the tofu is crispy on the edges.

Serve and enjoy immediately.