Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Some of our family’s favorites

Awhile back I had a hankering for some tomato soup. Well, in the name of blogging I tried a new recipe from the 125 Best Vegan Recipes cookbook. All though, it wasn't bad I really should have just made everyone in our house all time favorite cream of tomato soup.

That's okay, we all ate our soup and quesadilla then the next night I recycled the left over soup into a pasta bake.. This went over much better! Topped w/ veganrella and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes..

From my last post I did it again, I made the Lunch box roast beef and like I said I should have done the first time, this time I did make two.. One for honey to grill and one so the kids could take some yummy sandwiches to school. Like Ms. Megan said -it is a time investment to make.
So really making two roast is the way to go!
Well, I have sense learned that if I do make this again it will be only for my family. I am MSG/nitrate/ sulfate sensitive and evidently it was the marmite which is yeast extract sent me off to migraine land. I was clearly in denial hoping it wouldn't get me. The first time we ate it I wanted to believe that my migraine was hormonal but, after eating it again it is confirmed.. It was the seitan pot roast.. bummer because it re ally is good. I was trying to come up w/ some sort of replacement for the marmite, does anyone have any suggestions? I might try using the vegan worcesterchire sauce? or just leave it out and see what happens.

Honey giving the grilled seitan roast beef a thumbs up..

Behold the grilled beauty! We served them hamburger style on buns w/ all the fixins.

Again from the Vegan Lunch Box the triple chocolate cupcakes. I made them as only double chocolate- I left out the icing part. That way one, they travel better and two this recipe makes 24 so I could freeze some of them.
I am not much of a baker unless I have too. And well, the kids were invited to a birthday party, so I had too. This recipe intrigued me because there were no egg substitutes required- no soy yogurt, flax seeds, egg-replacer nothing. There is also nothing nutritionally redeeming about them either.
One thing I learned- I should not try and cook all of the cup cakes at the same time. Evidently my oven has hot spots and some of the cupcakes got a bit too toasty. Very good moist vegan chocolaty goodness!

On one of the days Daddy was out of town I made the kids and my favorite alphabet soup..From the Vegetarian family cookbook. Heck after all that seitan I was ready for some veggies! I was out of the little alphabet noodles and replaced them w/ some animal shaped + spiral rice noodles.. all was well.


After readings SaraJanes post about her Vegan "Chicken" and Dumplings I had had another hankering. After the whole tomato soup thing I didn't try hers (which don't get me wrong looks fantastic! I didn't have the soy cream or even plain soy milk). Our family's favorite comes from the well, the cookbook Vegan Family Favorites (ironic?). It is so easy and so good. This time I added some frozen 'chicken' tofu, onion, garlic, corn and instead of veggie broth I used water w/ no chicken flavored cubes. Perfect! The kids have never had real chicken and dumplings so, when Emma asked what we were having for dinner I told her using my exaggerated quote fingers "chicken" and dumplings to which she replied ohhh you mean dumpling soup Yum!Notice the fine silverware setting? Eli and Emma came up w/ a new game to play this weekend. When they set the table they set all six places when we only need four.. See that way we can play sit anywhere you want night. Evidently we should be wild and crazy once in awhile and not just sit in our normal spots ALL the time!

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16 Comments:

At 4:48 PM, Blogger Sheree' said...

Hi, I am back online and everything looks wonderful. I use red miso in place of the marmite with a bit of vegan worchetshire sauce. I wouldn't know the difference since I have never used the marmite for the same reason. You might give it a try. I miss cream of tomato soup. I need to try yours.

 
At 4:42 AM, Blogger LizNoVeggieGirl said...

mmm, your tomato soup, quesadillas, and cupcakes look quite scrumptious; as does that seitan, yum!! I've never cooked with marmite before, so I do not have a substitution-suggestion for it - sorry! :0(

haha, Eli and Emma's table-setting game sounds so adorable!

 
At 10:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the food looks great, i want to make the roast but i dont have acess to marmite or miso, so if you find a substitition please let me know it.

 
At 4:16 PM, Blogger bazu said...

That roast beef looks so real it's astounding! I'm sorry the marmite set your migraine off, though. I think vegemite/marmite really do add that "meaty" depth to seitan because they have that savory/umami flavor... I wonder if nutritional yeast would work, since it has that same sort of savory flavor profile?

 
At 4:37 PM, Blogger Monika K said...

I just sent you an e-mail - I think it would be great to get together while you're in Anchorage and I'm always up for food. (-:

P.S. This food looks so good (esp the cupcakes). I've never made veganized tomato soup but now I'm craving it for sure. It would go perfectly with the bread baking in my kitchen even as I type...

 
At 4:34 AM, Blogger River said...

Just found your blog (where have I been!) or maybe re-found it - and it's a delight!

About the Marmite - more than a teeny bit gives me a migraine too (although I love it - the Marmite, not the migraine!) so I sub nutritional yeast, including in seitan, soups, stews, etc. Works great for me. Maybe give it a trial run on a small recipe? Good luck. (Mind you, some people have trouble with the yeast altogether.)

Love and hugs!

 
At 12:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome back--I love your blog and I am so happy to see you posting again! I am now craving that pot roast...I need to get that cookbook! I wonder if there is anything you could sub to replace the marmite? Maybe soy sauce or braggs or something?

Courtney

 
At 1:19 PM, Blogger urban vegan said...

Old family faves are the best--looks liek you have some new ones, there, too. Will have to try the seitan.

 
At 6:41 PM, Blogger aTxVegn said...

The grilled seitan looks really great, although I'm sorry it gave you a migraine. I've never had marmite so I don't know of a sub. Your kids always look so happy with whatever you feed them.

 
At 9:22 PM, Blogger BLASe said...

Once again, just here to say thanks for the excellent blog. You are all a huge inspiration to me to beable to actually cook for vegan and vegetarian children. I started a blog just for my daughter who is off to college so hoping some of you will go to her blog and inspire her too :)
Thanks for all the great looking food.

Vegan Meet

 
At 12:54 PM, Blogger SaraJane said...

Yummy! I'm curious how you make your dumplings. I have honestly only ever tried doing it a couple of ways. But I think that like you, I just found a way that worked and stuck with is. ;)

 
At 8:10 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

cute kids! and all your soups look so good!

 
At 9:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's nothing like tomato soup (and dippers!!) is there...comfort food doesnt get any better...

 
At 3:15 PM, Blogger Pink Theory said...

everything looks so good! I sure could use some of that yummy looking soup for my sore throat right now...what lucky kids!

 
At 6:57 AM, Blogger dreamy said...

I love dumplings too :) I dun have migranes with Marmite, but that saying I don't really like marmite.. so I didn't really use it. We don't have vegan worcesterchire sauce here, only veg oyster sauce, but I am not sure if that's a good substitute, I am a noob when it come to cooking :)

 
At 7:24 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I made this pot roast too and I loved it! I only made three substitutions because I couldn't find the ingredients. I used brown lentils instead of red. Instead of bouillon I used vegetarian beef paste flavor from the Better than Bouillon compay. I had no idea what marmite was like, so I just used soy sauce. It was fantastic. This was the first seitan product I ever made that turned out juicy and not rubbery.

 

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