Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I Can't Believe It's (Mostly) Vegan! - Soyrizo and Cabbage Rolls
Tonight, in front of the fridge, in the throes of reviewing what was left of last week's groceries to make for dinner, I found things were looking pretty bare: a packet of wonton wraps, 2 large heads of cabbage, and some soyrizo. Hmm...not a whole lot to go on.
Imagine my surprise when I ended up with something so tasty it inspired me to start a new category: I Can't Believe It's (Mostly) Vegan! These are those rare treats that you can serve to a meat-fanatic crowd and casually forget to even mention that they're mostly vegan, because chances are good that nobody will notice.
These sound greasy, but were surprisingly light compared to the real thing, since the only fats are vegetable-based. They were definitely a hit, and felt like a super-decadent treat (but still largely vegan - the wrappers do have egg in them, but we still eat eggs around here) of the sort that I feel I rarely get to have any more because restaurants only make this sort of thing out of meat. I served them with a big pile of lettuce as a salad, and used a mix of vegan sour gream and salsa verde as a topping.
Soyrizo and Cabbage Wraps
1 package Soyrizo imitation chorizo
1 head cabbage (I used half purple and half green for color), finely shredded
1/2 t poppyseeds
1 package wonton/egg roll wrappers
24 oz. vegetable oil
Heat 1 T oil in large skillet until shimmering; stir-fry cabbage until just beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes. Place in large bowl and mix with Soyrizo and poppyseeds.
Place 3-4 T of mixture in the middle of each wrapper. To assemble, fold bottom corner up over filling, roll; then fold over corners on either side, and continue rolling to form egg-roll shape. (I used a little egg white to hold the seams shut.)
Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Serve warm with your favorite Mexican condiments.
Imagine my surprise when I ended up with something so tasty it inspired me to start a new category: I Can't Believe It's (Mostly) Vegan! These are those rare treats that you can serve to a meat-fanatic crowd and casually forget to even mention that they're mostly vegan, because chances are good that nobody will notice.
These sound greasy, but were surprisingly light compared to the real thing, since the only fats are vegetable-based. They were definitely a hit, and felt like a super-decadent treat (but still largely vegan - the wrappers do have egg in them, but we still eat eggs around here) of the sort that I feel I rarely get to have any more because restaurants only make this sort of thing out of meat. I served them with a big pile of lettuce as a salad, and used a mix of vegan sour gream and salsa verde as a topping.
Soyrizo and Cabbage Wraps
1 package Soyrizo imitation chorizo
1 head cabbage (I used half purple and half green for color), finely shredded
1/2 t poppyseeds
1 package wonton/egg roll wrappers
24 oz. vegetable oil
Heat 1 T oil in large skillet until shimmering; stir-fry cabbage until just beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes. Place in large bowl and mix with Soyrizo and poppyseeds.
Place 3-4 T of mixture in the middle of each wrapper. To assemble, fold bottom corner up over filling, roll; then fold over corners on either side, and continue rolling to form egg-roll shape. (I used a little egg white to hold the seams shut.)
Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Serve warm with your favorite Mexican condiments.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Protein Myth
I promise, more recipes are coming. It's been nearly too busy this week to cook anything, much less anything worth sharing. Forgive me, Father, for I have eaten popcorn and canned soup at dinner this week at least once. Each.
I did, however, get to read an informative page at The Veggie Table which has a very straightforward breakdown of some of the myths about protein - namely, that it's difficult for one to obtain complete proteins in a vegan or vegetarian diet. Not only do we not need as much protein as many of us think, but it turns out there's a long list of food combinations that a lot of us already eat by choice that provide perfectly complete proteins. Cool. (Please pass me the tortillas and refried beans!)
I'm bookmarking the page, because I haven't yet memorized these combinations, being that I'm a relatively new 90 Percenter; now that I've gotten to eating low on the food chain again, I know the trick to staying with it will be making sure I'm careful to stay on top of nutritional needs on a daily basis so I never "crave" my old friend meat in the first place.
And indeed, my small, simple can of pea-based soup from tonight wouldn't have given me what I need on its own, but with the slice of wheat bread recommended alongside it, what do you know? I'm totally sated.
I did, however, get to read an informative page at The Veggie Table which has a very straightforward breakdown of some of the myths about protein - namely, that it's difficult for one to obtain complete proteins in a vegan or vegetarian diet. Not only do we not need as much protein as many of us think, but it turns out there's a long list of food combinations that a lot of us already eat by choice that provide perfectly complete proteins. Cool. (Please pass me the tortillas and refried beans!)
I'm bookmarking the page, because I haven't yet memorized these combinations, being that I'm a relatively new 90 Percenter; now that I've gotten to eating low on the food chain again, I know the trick to staying with it will be making sure I'm careful to stay on top of nutritional needs on a daily basis so I never "crave" my old friend meat in the first place.
And indeed, my small, simple can of pea-based soup from tonight wouldn't have given me what I need on its own, but with the slice of wheat bread recommended alongside it, what do you know? I'm totally sated.
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