Recipe set 39 - Tofegg Tarts and SunDrop soup

First I want to apologize for the smudgers in my photos!  But on to the blog.                             

So,  I sit here in the luxury of my screened in porch tonight, with my kids.. full as a tick (for now) watching them lay 'dead' on the ground.. Sanchez watching dillegently over his old ailing brother, and Lucy and Pippen just kinda laying there.  It's cute.  It's my life.  I sit here with pineapple juice and a bottle of Dasani, which is apparently in a 'plant bottle' says 30% plant based, and I cringe.  I can't figure out why the collaboration of those two words make my skin crawl, but, no matter - this is about my veganization.  

Tof-egg tarts, were fairly simple.  Had I felt fancy, I'd have put  them in real tart cups, however that would not have worked, considering I only own ONE tart cup, and I've used it to make wax tarts..  so I went for the cupcake pan instead.  However, because of that, they kinda ran over the side.. no matter though.. they still were lightly sweet and custardy just like they were supposed to be.

 

I do believe a skeeto is chewing on my sweet skin.. darnit.  Anyway, as I said, these were easy and I'm sure as they set in my frige over night they'll come out looking better than they do in my picture where they seem to be oozing over.. ah but they oozed with delight, so that's all that matters!


On to the next thing.. making 'egg' for egg drop soup.  That, well - it was a chore.  I didn't realize, til I was doing it that I was actually making tofu.  (of course I was, I was using soymilk and a seperation liquid..  this wasn't easy.. not really time consuming, but specific.  I had to use a thermometer and boil the right course of salt and water for coagulation.. you get the picture.   After you boil, stir, sit and strain, you're going to end up with a little somethin' that looks like this:

 

And we call that - tofu.   And now the lady on the deck next to me is filling my lungs, her grandson's lungs and my cats lungs with second hand smoke.. she's filling hers with first-hand smoke.  Awesome.

Anyhoo..

Of to make the 'broth'.. and the next time I make it, I won't put the sesame oil in it that it called for.. however this gelled up nicely, just like an egg drop soup broth should.  :)  I was pleased.  I added green onions  as well, and then dropped in my "egg" after the boil.

So, when I got this in the bowl and my tart on the plate, it all came together a bit like so: 
And with that, this lady is now filling the pit bull's lungs with smoke too.  Aren't we all lucky tonight?

Anyhoo... I paired all of this with the noodle fest I'd made for last weeks veganization, and had quite a little meal.  I actually enjoyed the noodles in the soup even more than just the soup alone, so when I packed it up, that's how I packed it.

All in all I was quite please with this dinner (and even more pleased that this lady is going back into her house).  It was a challenge, but challenges are good.  And with that, I think I might make myself some popcorn and go inside and chill because I am being chewed up by something out here.

What's next?  Oh just you wait and see - it's gonna be 'a cold one' in China!

Happy weekend!

Music enjoyed while cooking:
Subsonic Radio (of course)

Current Craving:
Popcorn (of course)

Current Motivation:
To prove you don't need eggs for tarts or soup!
   

In Ode to the incredible, UNEDIBLE egg.. Recipe set 39

Doesn’t that pic just give you the warm fuzzies?   "Look ma, it’s where my egg came from!"  (Maybe if you have chickens as family this is correct) – but for most people, let’s find out, in a hen’s point of view, what really happens?

I’m going to be a bit dark here first, but occasionally, we have to remember what we're REALLY doing this for.  The animals who don't have a voice.. not our thighs. 

From the Hen:

"I am battery hen. I live in a cage so small I cannot stretch my wings. I am forced to stand night and day on a sloping wire mesh floor that painfully cuts into my feet. The cage walls tear my feathers, forming blood blisters that never heal. The air is so full of ammonia that my lungs hurt and my eyes burn and I think I am going blind. As soon as I was born, a man grabbed me and sheared off part of my beak with a hot iron, and my little brothers were thrown into trash bags as useless alive.
My mind is alert and my body is sensitive and I should have been richly feathered. In nature or even a farmyard I would have had sociable, cleansing dust baths with my flock mates, a need so strong that I perform 'vacuum' dust bathing on the wire floor of my cage. Free, I would have ranged my ancestral jungles and fields with my mates, devouring plants, earthworms, and insects from sunrise to dusk. I would have exercised my body and expressed my nature, and I would have given, and received, pleasure as a whole being. I am only a year old, but I am already a 'spent hen.'
Humans, I wish I were dead, and soon I will be dead. Look for pieces of my wounded flesh wherever chicken pies and soups are sold and my eggs, in your breakfast”.

I need a moment.

Ok, the vegan chick is back!

Now onto my next veganization.   As you know it’s asian month, and we’re going to travel to Taiwan for this next group I’m doing, as an ode to the incredible, inedible egg. 

Without further ado – lets visit Egg Drop Soup and Egg Tarts!

I have had both, and I can say the originals were very good.  So, as a now vegan I want to try my hand at putting together the vegan versions, because, well, I can!

I’ll be doing this on Friday, in the comfort of my own home.  It will be my dinner and dessert, and it will maketh me happy and warm. (Well I’ll probably already be warm, I hear it’s supposed to be upper 80’s.)

So, let’s do some numbers and some names.

Egg Drop Soup                                                    Sun Drop Soup
 1 cup                                                                         1 cup

Calories 73                                                                 52   
Total Fat 4 g                                                               1.5       
Cholesterol 102mg                                                      0
Sodium 730mg                                                           148 
Total Carbohydrate 1.7g                                             3.4    
Dietary Fiber  0 g                                                       3.1    
Protein         8                                                             4.6
WWpts – 2                                                                   1

   

Egg Tarts                                                              Tofegg Tarts
  1 tart                                                                          1 tart

Calories 133                                                                 112   
Total Fat 6.3 g                                                              1.4       
Cholesterol 50mg                                                              0
Sodium 70mg                                                              42.5 
Total Carbohydrate 17g                                               5.2    
Dietary Fiber  0 g                                                        3.2    
Protein         2.9                                                           1.6
WWpts   4                                                                      2      

So, there you have it.  And for a little ‘religious' information.  Did you know that most Taiwanese vegans and vegetarians  are so because of Buddhist practices?  And just for the fun of it, what does Buddha himself have to say about all of this?

"When we bring mindfulness to the dinner table, it suffuses the rest of our life as well. We become more sensitive to the well-being of animals, of the environment, and of ourselves and our families. We are more aware of the choices we make in all areas of our life. We enjoy food more, know that, while the obtaining of even plant foods necessitates some suffering, the amount and kind of suffering is dramatically reduced when we leave meat off our shopping lists and out of our kitchens. We become more aware of how meat consumption feeds violence and anger."

So with that, let’s get ready to start out next veganization!  Friday, here I come!  Anyone want to taste-test with me?  I’m open!

Music enjoyed while blogging:
Subsonic Radio

Current Craving:

Fried ‘unchicken’

Current Motivation:

Stopping the war on our hens.

Nobunny Does Easter like the SheriBury Bunny - Recipe 32 - SheriBury (Cadbury) Creme Eggs

So,
I worked on this dillegently on Saturday night.   I had a full week behind me!
(We're talkin', I ripped up carpet, pulled up flooring, went on a prom dress mission, moved furniture, and on top of this did a workout each day) and finally I'd had a chance to somewhat relax.

You'll be surprised to know I was multi-tasking during this veganization too.  While making vegan hot 'wings' for the girlfriend and I to enjoy for dinner.   Most of the time as I was tempering and filling cavities with chocolate I was hearing about the fancy new I-phone and what it does.  
(Ok, Jen, I'm going to admit, I wasn't really listening all that hard. ;)  )   Regardless, I tempered, I filled, I painted, and I froze.  Painted, froze. 

That was actually the hard part.
I care not for tempering chocolate and hoping it fills correctly.  It's a pain.  But thanks to a few tricks I learned along the way, it worked like a charm the way I did it this time.

Next came the filling.   As I was hearing about "face time", I started on the 'egg white'. While Jen was in attempt to make "face time", I continued on to the 'yolk'.   "Face time" didn't happen.  Lol.  But the frozen chocolate was ready for the filling, so - there it went.   Whites, yolk, and back in teh freezers...

At this point I am slicing celery and handing it, and vegan ranch dip to girlfriend so she can find something to do with her mouth besides talk of the I-phone.  (j/k).

Then it was time to coat the finished product with chocolate... mmmm
This was easier than I thought.  

--Back in the freezer--

I start to fry tempeh and cover it with hot sauce for dinner.

We eat.

I begin to be nervous because the last attempt at candy making 101 - I failed somewhat miserably getting candy out of their molds.

I take a deep breath and turn the mold over - expecting to be slamming it over on the table - and VOILA, they pop out like nothin!
I was happy.

Then - I shared one with the girl and -woowwee zowee!  Yummifization!  (She doesn't even like candy but loved this, so I made sure the Easter bunny put two in her basket the next day.)

Elena milked this egg for a long time!

Last night, I took them to their rightful victims.  Elena stole creme from her mom's egg.  Her mom said she wasn't going to finish hers - (but she did).   Her daddy almost lost his by not catching the text bff sent him about going to the store to get me popcorn.. but he didn't lose it, cuz I have a heart and he loved his just as much as everyone else!

All in all, another one I'll have to do again.  Everyone loved them, as well as I!  I put three down all on my own!

Yum - The SheriBunny did good.

So, this weekend, I'm going to stick with an Easter/Spring theme.  I'm not veganizing this weekend, because I'm trying to lower my veganizations due to financial constraints.  However, I'm going to revisit a veganization I did last Easter, so stay tuned - if you're a 'misser of ham' (Or one of my veggie faves, WHAM), you'll not want to miss this one!

I'll fill you in soon!



Music enjoyed while veganizing:
Pandora - 'Sheri's Shoobop'

Current Craving:
Pretty much everything under the sun right now.


Current Motivation:
Doing something I don't really wanna

Recipe 32 - What's Easter Without The Bunny?

So, I said I'd be back, and I meant it.  However, I'm going to be 'back' in a different way after this one.   What I mean is, if I've made a promise to someone that they're going to get something I'm planning, I'm going to deliver.. and deliver this one I will.

However, after this, I'm doing something a little different.  I'll still be veganizing, but due to $ issues, I'll be peppering in things I've already made here and there to add to the numerical stuff on my recipe book.   Anyway -- I'll get to that next week, for this week:

Behold - the veganization of the Cadbury Creme Egg.

Look at that, full of (god knows what).. and 'milk' chocolate.

Is this going to be easy or what?


It will be - as long as I've got my freezer panties on.  :P

Let's ask the Easter bunny for some pointers - because we all know chicks can't lay these eggs.. (but this chick is about to make em!)

Numbers Please!!



Cadbury Creme Egg                 SheriBury "Vream" egg.

Calories 170                                                 110
Total Fat 6.0 g                                               2.3
Cholesterol 3.5mg                                            0
Sodium 25mg                                                10
Total Carbohydrate 28.0 g                                6
Dietary Fiber 1 g                                            1.4
Protein 2.0 g                                                   2
WWpts -   5                                                   1


Yeah, no kiddin' here.

Let's get this partay started... (and because I'm late, you'll know the partay started already.)  
Watch out for midweek - to see what my victims thought! 



Music Enjoyed While Blogging:
Nada, Zilch

Current Craving
VegInkies!

Current Motivation
Getting back on track    

Recipe 31 - Green Eggs and Ham, and A Hiatus

So,
I did it.  I did the 'green eggs and ham' veganization, and I apologize for the fact that's it's taken me so long to post about it, but I'm getting ready to do a big ole' clean up (spring clean and the like) in my house, including removing carpet and painting a floor to get the place prepped for refinance.   So I've been getting ready for that.
I want to give a shout out to my awesomist girlfriend, Jen, for assisting me with purchasing the paint.  
But, before I get to that - let's talk about this veganization.


Green eggs and ham, Sam I am!  

I thought for serious that this wouldn't turn out quite right.   However, as I started to make it, I was pleasantly surprised.   The 'egg white' was a little pancakey, but not so much that it "was" pancakey (if you know what I mean).  It was good, savory.. just like you'd expect it to be.   I believe that was from the addition of black lava salt - which is supposed to give things an 'eggy' taste. 
The 'yolk' is what got me.   I was not as yellow as I'd have liked, but I didn't color any of this stuff with fake color.. all natural here.   The yolk came from a tip bit of carrot juice and some nutritional yeast, and the 'green egg'  spinach.  ;)

The ham of course was a pre-packaged thing.  I've made ham before, but I really wasn't feelin' it with all the time spent making an "egg".  (It's not like I could have cracked it out of a shell or anything.)    Anyhoo..

It was good.  I actually finished off the 'yolk' (which made more than I expected, and was runnier than it should have been) with a couple slices of garlic bread of which I'd made a few days before with spaghetti and creamy vodka sauce  (mmm btw). 

Happy - Surprised - I did good.


Now I gotta chill it for a bit.

I'm kinda financially struggling (moreso that I had been)   Gas going up, paycheck staying the same, I've almost exhausted my savings account because of this.. it's so hard.   I'm lucky to have good people helping me out as they can.  And it helps that I have a precious girlfriend (of a month now - let's not talk about the fact I've known her for 12 years) who spoils the beejeesus out of me.    I have had to cut things.   Television was the first to go, and now I need to slow down the blog.   Moving from person to person (unless we already have plans) is hard on the gastank, and buying stuff I wouldn't normally use is hard on the pocket book.. so my plan is to take things as they come for a while.   Pray for a raise to fall out of the sky or a lottery win, and work with my credit counselor family on getting me back on some stable ground.   I'll be ok.  I am putting this out to the universe though - "HELP ME PLEAZE?"

I'm not giving up.

In fact, after my 'spring break/work' of sorts - I'll be doing the veganization I'd planned for bff and bff Jr which - I'm not going to say just yet.. but I've had the stuff for a while, so it's going to happen.  :)

Anyway - I've taken up enough of your time, and I'll be back.  Don't count me out just yet.

I'll be back soon.

Eat well my friends!

Music Enjoyed while blogging:
Subsonic Radio

Current Motivation:
Needing a bigger cashflow

Current Craving:
Still, mac and 'cheese'!

Recipe 31 - Sam I Am.

Green month continues here over at RoVL, and we close it up with a very strange veganization of the ever most popular 'Green Eggs and Ham'.

So not vegan.

March 2nd was Dr. Suess' birthday, so as such, I have decided to close 'Green Month' with a tribute to the Dr. himself.

What do I think of green eggs and ham?
“Do you like green
eggs and ham?”

“I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like green
eggs and ham!”

"Would you like them
here or there?"
"I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like them
anywhere."

But would you like them veganized?

Let's go!!

Numbers please, before I sneeze.

Traditional G.E.A.H                          Horton's "who's a vegan" G.E.A.H

Calories –  240                                                  133
Total Fat  - 9.8                                                     4.7
Cholesterol  - 84                                                  0mg
Sodium  - 419                                                     145

Total Carbohydrate – 2.0                                    3.4
Dietary Fiber  0.1                                               1.5
Protien – 11.2                                                     6
ww pts:     4                                                         2

Woo hoo. 
This one is going to be a challenge.  To make eggs look like eggs.. THAT's a challenge.  But I'm up for it.

You also might be saying: "why is this your last March veganization??"   To that I'm saying.. this little veganizer is taking a spring break from cooking.. cuz I can.

Stay tuned.  This is supposed to be for baby-mama, but baby is having surgery this week.. so all my love is going out to her. <3   If we can't make it, then yours truly is going to be the only brave soul to try this.

(can you believe my baby-mama is the bravest one I know?)

It'll be good.

Stay tuned!!

Music enjoyed while blogging.

Noise.

Current Craving
 Mac and "Cheese"

Current Motivation
To make sure all my love and light goes out to my baby, Lotus. <3

What came first? The dino or the egg?!

Ok,
Most of you that know me, know that I've got a small obsession with dinosaurs, lions, Johnny Depp, Jodie Foster and avocados.  But let's not dwell on that, shall we?  I'm going to give you a little history lesson.

An adolescent female Tyrannosaurus rex died 68 million years ago, but its bones still contain intact soft tissue, including the oldest preserved proteins ever found, scientists say.
And a comparison of the protein's chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens, bolstering the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
The collagen proteins were found hidden inside the leg bone of the T. rex fossil, according to two studies published in the journal Science. Collagen is the main ingredient of connective tissue in animals and is found in cartilage, ligaments, tendons, hooves, bones and teeth. It yields gelatin and glue when boiled in water.

Whaddya know?   So that last bird you put in your oven.. that last leftover fried chicken you ate - 68 million years ago, would have considered YOU dinner!

EAT ME!  ROAR!

Ok, regardless of who's eatin' who, I'm not into eating my friend T-rex anymore, even though that crispy skin is making me rather hungry right now...  *fans self*  But no, no no no... it's a known fact that those chickens you see on the grill, or in your local market (even when they're 'cage free' or free roaming, or anything else 'free' and 'organic' those words that make you think there's no cruelty there)  most of their lil beaks are heat seared off so they don't peck their neighboring chickens either - to death, or give them sores.. can't have sores on a chicken you're about to eat!   Same with 'cage free' eggs.  Unless you know the chicken that laid it - say, maybe Aunt Joan has 4 chickens that are pets and she sells their eggs to local markets, or perhaps she gives you her eggs.. (this is the most cruelty free of all, and if I should ever eat an egg again, I'll know the chickens that laid them, because I'll tour their lil homes and get to know their moms and dads)    But as far as right now, being a vegan, means eggs are not an option for me...  and thus, my favorite breakfast dish (which also would include our friend Ms Piggy

< Yeah there she is in what is MY favorite poster of her!)  Is not an option either.
What is this breakfast I speak of though?  Eggs Benedict!  Naturally!   It is a non-deal for me anymore.   That is, until I realized.. "What the heck?  I can make vegan eggs benedict!!"
The original calls for hollandaise (which is in effect.. butter by the poundful and more egg..)  Then we've got eggs, we've got Canadian bacon.. this is about the most un-vegan, calorie-laden breakfast one could ever come up with, and I'm about to veganize it.. and i'm so very excited!!!

Let's look at some numbers, shall we?

Eggs Benedict: (this is for the whole breakfast - the eggs, the bacon, the sauce, the tomato, spinach, avocado, and english muffin.. so if it all looks a little high, well - this is probably one of those things you can't knock a whole lotta calories out of in general - but there is still a difference!)  These numbers are also based on a split two - meaning two eggs, one whole muffin split in half.

My Eggs Benedict is going to be affectionately called The "Vegan T-Rex Split"  (it just worked for me)
So here we go:  (thank you to the sister for the weight watchers point breakdown)

Traditional Eggs Benedict                         The Vegan T-Rex Split
Calories - 800                                                   699
Fat -       36g                                                     30g
Cholesterol -  470mg                                         0mg
Sodium -   2106mg                                           1051mg
Carbs -    30g                                                    45g
Protien - 35g                                                      31g
Fiber -   2g                                                         6g
WW Points - 16                                                 15   

For Vegan T-Rex Split, I am going to make the english muffins, the hollandaise, the eggs, everything but the veggies (obviously) and the veggie bacon (which is Yves, because it's just easier after making muffins - I COULD make the bacon - I've made a vegan ham before (for Easter this year).. but for this one, I'm going to make it easier on myself.. because I'm the only one I gotta impress with this.   When I make this for someone else someday - we'll talk about making a darn vegan ham again. ;) )

Regardless, I'm ready.  I've got the goods.  After my 4 mile on Sunday - guess who's treating herself to a big ol' fattening breakfast!?!   That's right, you got it.  (In my best Piggy voice)  "MOI"!

I'll fill you in on Sunday folks... and should you try this recipe when you buy my cookbook - Ms. Piggy, Kermit The Frog, Gonzo's chicken girlfriend Camilla, and all of Teddy the T-Rex's buddies from back east will thank you by giving you not only Muppet Show karma, but cruelty free karma as well!  :)

Let me leave you with one last word on the subject:

OVO!!!

:)


Music enjoyed while writing this blog:
Subsonic Radio's Background 96k (Background music from the Disney Parks!)

Current Motivation:
The second star to the right. <3


Current Craving:
A cruelty free - somewhat unhealthy, yummy, breakfast!