Sunday, January 11, 2009

From the Cook Who Never Cooks These Days


Seriously, I don't know how you vegan momma's do it out there, with all the amazing culinary prowess! Me? I've been living on things like oatmeal, cereal, Amy's foods, salads, tofurkey outa sandwiches, and other pre-packaged easy fixes.

I so miss my time in the kitchen! But tonight was a nice little peek thru the window into what lies ahead. I WILL make time for more cooking. I can't promise anything all that involved any time soon, but I was reminded of just how perfect simple vegan cooking can be.

Enter the perfect easy stir fryMy only regret is that I did not make a pot of brown rice but instead threw a bag of Uncle Ben's plain brown rice in the microwave. Eh, whatever, it's the rest that made this so great.
All I did was toss some (cubed very small and well drained) tofu in some heated olive oil (I usually would use grapeseed but Olive's what we have on hand right now) until it started to brown. Then, Grit style, I sprinkled with Shoyu and a light dusting of nutritional yeast. After that browned a few minutes I added broccoli florets and cooked until the broccoli let go of that earthy, nutty aroma you get when you saute it on the dry side. A tad more shoyu, a bit more n.y. a couple times over until just flavored but not overly so.
I removed that from the heat and placed it in a serving bowl.
Next, I put a couple tablespoons of Smart Balance in that hot pan and tossed in a package of sliced portabellos (this is all organic produce) and sprinkled them with some garlic powder. The heat went up a tad so that the mushrooms would brown and not steam and I let them do just that for about five minutes. they went on top of the tofu and broccoli and OH MAN was dinner good tonight!
So simple, so tasty, so healthy....so GOOD!

in other news, how cute is Taylor experiencing tofu for the very first time?she loved playing with it but doesn't like putting anything that's supposed to go in her mouth in her mouth just yet. that's ok. that's what mommies have immersion blenders for, right? ;)

13 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

AMAZING stir-fry!!

CUTE Taylor!! :-D

Amey said...

oh really, what a cute picture. how fun to have a picture of the first time ever that you tried tofu! One day, Taylor will be so happy to have that precious picture. And yes, really, I don't know how moms do it either. Frankly, I don't know how moms do much of anything!

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

Such a cute pic!! your stir fry looks really good too.

moi + toi PHOTOGRAPHIE said...

she looks so healthy for an 8 month old... ( i think i sound weird when i say that. i just work in a daycare, so i am with babies all day. lol)

the stir fry looks awesome!!

Susan G said...

I love that Grit tofu - even my kids like it. Their gravy is my favorite, too - I think because of the Worcestershire sauce.

Vic Robinson said...

This looks very good and simple. Simple is nice and underrated. Nice work!

Sheree' said...

Your picture of dinner should be on the front of food magazine or cookbook, looks and sounds delicious! Go ahead Tayor, dig in!

You have to go ck out Brandie's blog. Jr. is a crack up trying new foods. I wish we were closer. It would be so fun to get the kiddos together.

Hugs!

aTxVegn said...

Stirfrys are a great home cooked and quick easy dinner - perfect for a busy mom! Taylor is so adorable.

Anonymous said...

is your child vegan too?

Anonymous said...

Yay for quick easy meals and for babies playing with tofu! Our little one hasn't experienced the wondrous bean curd yet but soon, very soon.

Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan! said...

Thanks guys, it's easy to forget how great a simple meal can be!

Anon- Due to circumstances beyond my control (and beleive me, I tried everything in my power to gain control) Taylor has been on formula since about four and a half months. I opted for dairy based formula as it was tolerated by her best and she had all kindsa gas issues. That aside, as she is only eight months old she is vegan in all other ways. I plan, however, to raise her vegetarian with as much vegan food in her diet as possible. My husband is an omni and I have no intention of creating a good parent/bad parent home environment. While veganism is the best option for me, I cannot make that choice for anyone else. I can, however, provide my child with options and an extensive array of vegan goodness so that she can make the best decision for herself. I know this is not what most vegan moms would do, but I am not most vegan moms. I'm just me, and I have to do what I feel is right for my unique situation. I trust our daughter will do what is right for her and I plan to respect that. Thanks for asking, I know a lot of people are interested in what vegan parents will decide to do. It's an interesting thing to confront when each parent eats differently. I feel so fortunate that my husband supports and even admires my choices and never turns a vegan dish away! ;)

Vegan_Noodle said...

She looks so cute with her tofu... did she like it?

The stirfry looks delicious! Quick meals I'm thinking are a necessity when you have a vegan baby that's full of energy!

Brandie said...

Oh I'm so excited! Jr's lovin tofu so far! I had him out with me to a suchi restuarant, and I ordered some cold tofu cubes, dashed a lil shoyu on them for flavor and fed him right there at the table with chopsticks! He loved it! ;) No worries, Taylor'll get there *grin*