The Vicarious Vanton! Recipe 40

So, I set out Friday night to do a ton of things.. one of those however was to make wantons to share with you lovely people, and so -- I did.

They were fairly easy, however the thin-ness that you had to roll them to was almost to ridiculous proportions.   I got my cardio in.  Figured if I'm ever going to do that again, that I'm going to have to get a heavier duty rolling pin for somthing so 'thin'.

But anyhoo.

I made the dough.  The suggestion was that it rest in two balls, under a damp cloth for I dunno - 15 mins?  So while that was doing it's thang, I had a cutie pie visitor who surprised me with a little gift I'd so much wanted that day. <3  (You gotta love a girlfriend who listens.. AND delivers!)  

After that quick interaction of "Hi, Sqeeal Thanks Bye!" I started to roll.  I was fascinating myself with the shapes I had come up with during the roll out session.. I swear I see a big old fat dinosaur in this one.  Come on, don't you?
<<


That, well - that roll was too thick, but I cut it out in the squares I had to anyway, and RE-rolled them to almost paper-thin as much as I could.

When that was done,  I mixed up the cream cheese filling, and I swear - it tasted just like the stuff you get at those crazy asian buffets!!  I was excited.

So, I stuffed, pressed closed, and stuffed some more.  I think I made 24 wantons.. then, in they went to the fryer.

Back out, and drained - as I made my evening salad for dinner.   My dinner was wantons, duck sauce - which is NOT made from ducks tyvm (which I purchased) and a salad.
And I'm telling you..

It
Was
Good.

Just look at those beauties up there at the top of my blog, won't you?
Now, they were better just out of the fryer, however my sister, my brother, bff, bff jr, bff husband and the girl all tried them, and they got glowing reviews.

I'm happy.

So, what's next?   Dessert!

Stay tuned tomorrow - as I'm now on a search for glutonous rice flour.
Woo.
And hoo.

Onward with asian month!


Music enjoyed while cooking and blogging:
Subsonic 56K of course


Current Craving:
More Wantons

Current Motivation:
Happy Me's

The Potato Head - Scalloped! Recipe 35 - Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

The potato - the worlds most perfect food.   (Or is that the banana?)

No clue.  I know it's a root veggie though, and one of my very favorites no matter how you slice it.

Mashed please!  No, bake it!  Yum potato soup, you said? Ooh can you boil that for me?!   FRY THEM PUPPIES UP!
But then, the terrifying word of 'scalloping' and you've hit a vegan standstill!

Alas, you CAN veganize a scalloped potato - and I have done just that!

Let's back up again to last year - Easter 2011.   Along with the vham I made, I also veganized scalloped potatoes - and these actually WERE a hit with everyone!

Let's do the numbers, shall we?

Regular Scalloped Potatoes                          Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Calories –  216                                                             155
Total Fat  -  9                                                                8.4
Cholesterol  - 29                                                           0mg
Sodium  - 821                                                               264                                 
Total Carbohydrate – 26.4                                             17                        
Dietary Fiber  4.7                                                         2.1
Protien –  7                                                                    10
ww pts:     5                                                                    5

Ok, so not a HUGE change there, and honestly if I can get a buncha carnies to eat this, then you won't miss anything either!

tatoes before the bake.

It starts out simple enough, and you do alot of mixing stuff in.  (not this is NOT where the cream of mushroom soup comes in.  Vegans do not use canned COM soup, eew.)   I prefer coconut creamer or soy.
Then your 'cheese'  this can fall into anything you want it to be... I used a specific mix in this recipe, but there are so many options out there.

The consensus on this recipe was overwhelming.   And I think it was gone before the end of the dinner.  
All that magic potato gold melting in your mouth... yum.
That's what gives this little number a place in my vegan yum yum recipe book.

Cheezy, pleaazy vegan scallops right out of the oven!

Although short, it's sweet, and now that I'm not too terribly sick anymore I'm going to move into a working veganization for next week.. but you'll have to stick around to find out what gets the next place on the board!

Btw - can you believe I was sick for a MONTH!?!?   Started out as a flu, went to sinus infection and ended up as tonsilitis..  I'm still suffering with some of the tonsil infection so it's not a grandiose fun task eating food just yet.. but I'm getting there.  I don't remember ever eating food this slowly in my entire life!!

Regardless, the pomp and circumstance is about to rear it's pretty head again, so stay tuned and thanks for hanging in with me when I thought I was going to die!


Til next time!

Music Enjoyed while blogging:   Subsonic 56K... Hello Tomorrowland!

Current Motivation:  Me, Feeling better!

Current Craving:  Vegan cheeseburger with fries and a rootbeer so delicious ice cream float!

All Hail The Sacred Cow - Or - my trip to India.. er, I mean Hebron (Ky). Featuring my second Un-Celebrity Vegan (or not so much) Chef, Vicki! (aka my big sissy)

India.

The very though conjures up beautifully colored images, does it not?  For me it does!  For the most part, the picture you're looking at to your left is Hindu.  Regardless, India has a rich history of vegetarian cuisine (reminding you, I said vegetarian, not vegan.)  My guess is they could care less how much chicken and dairy they eat... (must be why my sister is half Indian - j/k)  Regardless, I'm about to take three dairy filled Indian dishes and veganize them.. my sister?  Well, she's along for the ride, and she's making a couple of dishes herself - however I know for sure one of them isn't vegan OR vegetarian.. but that's ok.  It's all about taste for her.  You can lead a sacred cow to water, but you can't make it drink!  :P (no i did not just refer to my sister as a cow.. it's a saying!)

So, as stated, we're going to make our first ever SisterIndian feast on Saturday.. (still I have no idea who's going to eat all of this food, so if you're in the neighborhood, stop by).  I do believe (and I'm shocked) that my mom is going to try out our delightful delectables though!  What are we basing this on?  I'd like to say we're going a little Ayurvedic.. but that might not be right.   Anyway - lets look at a small antique history of Indian food for good measure:

Many recipes first emerged during the initial Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested and agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In Vedic times, a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, grain, dairy products, honey, and poultry and other sorts of meats. Over time, some segments of the population embraced vegetarianism. This was facilitated by the advent of Buddhism and an equitable climate permitting a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to be grown throughout the year. A food classification system that categorized any item as saatvic, raajsic or taamsic developed in Ayurveda. A reference to the kind of food one is to eat is also discussed in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 17, Verses 8,9 & 10).In this period eating beef became taboo, a belief still commonly held today.          

Shiva and His Muse - Pavarti

Fantastic!
Now, here is what is on the menu!
To be veganized by The Veganizer

Mushroom Mutter

Coconut Cream Spinach 
Rasgulla for dessert

Of my sisters Recipes
Chocolate Chai (Normally made with milk - we're making it with coconut milk - this is the only change)
Indian Vegetable Bhaji (already vegan)
And our un-vegan Indian chef for the weekend will be NOT veganizing the following:
Spicy Chicken Curry


So, to that ado.. let's take the numbers of the VEGANIZED recipes (since that is what this blog is about) and see what we get from them.

Traditional Mushroom Mutter                                    Vegan Mushroom Mutter
                                                     1 serving
Calories - 170                                                                 121
Fat - 15g                                                                         7.8g
Cholesterol -30mg                                                               0
Sodium  -570mg                                                             550mg
Carbs   - 8g                                                                    6g
Fiber - 2g                                                                       3.5g
Protien - 3g                                                                      3g
WW Pts - 5                                                                      3

Indian Creamed Spinach                            Vegan Coconut Cream Spinach
                                             Per Serving

Calories - 280                                                                80
Fat - 23g                                                                        4g
Cholesterol -70mg                                                             0mg
Sodium  -580mg                                                            210mg
Carbs   -12g                                                                   10g
Fiber -4g                                                                         4g
Protien -9g                                                                      4g
WW Pts -  8                                                                    2

Traditional Rasgulla                                   Vegan Rasgulla
                                     1 Rasgulla
Calories - 186                                             122
Fat - 2g                                                        1g
Cholesterol -35mg                                        0mg
Sodium  -43 mg                                            36mg
Carbs   -38g                                                 26g
Fiber -3g                                                      0.2g
Protien -4g                                                    2.4g
WW Pts -  5                                                   3

So, it's my thought that while these items are making the air lovely around us, that we should probably be super Sanskrit and do some Kundalini yoga while we wait.   After all, if you're eating Indian, might as well take in the culture as well.    We have to work our way to all this rich indian food that it looks like very few of us are brave enough to eat!
 

Lakshmi on her lotus in lotus pose!

So - It's now time to gather up the garam masala and the coconut and curry and pack it up to go and cook with my ever-so-popular Un-Celebrity chef, Vicki on Saturday.   Keep it tuned here - I'm going to try and get us on film.  Right this moment - I have cashews soaking to make cashew nut paste.. I'm so talented. ;)

So, until then, Phir Milenge my friends! 

Music enjoyed while writing this blog:
Laura and Mary Ingalls.. whining about something on Little House


Current Craving:  An avocado.


Current Motivation: Proving that French/Irish/American people can make a somewhat Ayuervedic feast!