Corned "Beef" Hash

After over twenty years of being a vegetarian, I still get a wild craving for meat. This was one of those mornings. With predictions of up to 13 inches of snow and negative degree weather, I instantly wanted some corned beef hash; you know, the old school kind that comes in a can, plops out, and is a big mess of lard and preservatives. Thank goodness I was able to come up with a mock version of this classic that is both vegan and mystery meat free! I was quite impressed with the texture, and I think it is about as close as you can get to the saltiness of corned beef. If you have backyard hens, feel free to send another member of your household out in the frigid, snowy morning to collect a few eggs, and serve this up with a fried egg on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. of soy sauce
1 Tbsp. of Vegan Worcestershire sauce or Steak Sauce
1 tsp. of liquid smoke
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 small potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 small onion diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl, and with a potato masher, smash the chickpeas completely. You may have to smash a few with your fingers, but try to mash them down as completely as possible.
2. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes to the smashed chickpeas. Mix well, add salt and pepper if necessary, and set aside.
3. Place cubed potatoes in a microwave safe dish and toss with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Cover, and cook on high in microwave for 6 minutes, stirring the potatoes after 3 minutes of cooking. Remove the potatoes from the microwave and drain excess oil and water in colander.
4. Meanwhile, heat remaining Tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sautee the onions until slightly translucent. Add the drained potatoes to the onions and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary
5. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the chickpea mixture to the onions and potatoes. Continue to cook, frequently stirring, until the chickpea mixture begins to brown. If the mixture sticks, add more oil and turn down the heat.
6. Once the mixture has browned, taste to see if more salt and pepper is needed,  remove from heat and serve with an optional fried egg.

Spicy Tofu and Broccoli (Vegan)

It is a new year and time for a new post! This past holiday season, I bought myself a new deep fryer. Although I hope not to be too much of a fried cook, I think it is a fun and fast way to cook some appetizers or parts of a meal that would normally take three times the cook time without the fryer. Take tofu for instance. Usually when I make a tofu stir-fry, it takes about 30 minutes of watching and flipping the tofu until it reaches a nice brown. This recipe, with the help of my deep fryer, took 5-7 minutes. Sure the deep fryer is not the best for the waist line, but in moderation, I think it will be a welcome time saver in my kitchen! Now that my defense of the fryer is over, I will move on to the dish. This is a simple broccoli and tofu stir-fry, with the main ingredient in the sauce being soybean paste. You can find soybean paste in the Asian section of most grocery stores, or online. It added a nice, but not overwhelming taste to the dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Seasoned Soybean Paste
1 tsp. Chopped green onion
1 tsp. Chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. Chopped fresh garlic
1 pkg. of tofu drained and patted dry
1 head of broccoli
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. of water

For the Sauce:
Mix the soybean paste, green onion, ginger, and garlic in small bowl and cover. Set aside. (may be refrigerated up to 24 hours)

For the Tofu:
Cut the tofu into one inch cubes. Fry in a deep fryer at 340 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until browned (this may take longer if frying with 1/2 c. oil in a deep frying pan.) Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

For the Stir-Fry:
Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Sautee broccoli in oil until tender. Add fried tofu and reduce to simmer. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. of water to the sauce, and stir until well combined. Add sauce to tofu and broccoli and stir until everything is well coated. Cook until heated through.
 Remove from heat and serve over rice.