Winter Comfort Food: Cheesy Onion Rice Casserole

These cold winter days are really prompting me to seek out comfort foods, like hot soups, casseroles and sinful fried things. Oh, and cheese... lots and lots of cheese. I basically want to make myself a cheese sandwich, pour myself a cheese cocktail, and settle into a toasty cheese bath, but... Oh. Yeah... I'm vegan. *frowny face*

ENTER: VEGAN CHEESE SUPERHERO (who, by the way, looks awesome in tights)

Oh, Vegan Cheese Superhero! Thank goodness, you're here! It's a real emergency... I have a criminally large hankerin' for some cheese!

Never fear, Sexy Vegan Mama! With the help of viable vegan cheese substitutes, like Daiya Deliciously Dairy Free shreds, you can enjoy those comfort foods right alongside your omnivorous loved ones.

Oh, you really ARE a hero! *bats eyelashes and swoons into a cheese-fueled fantasy*

Ahem... Anyway, I love this casserole, not only for its cheesy, melty, gooey goodness, but also for its piquant onion aroma and flavor, as well. I served scoops of the casserole atop large, broiled tomato slices. I think it would also be fab over grilled zucchini slices.

Cheesy Onion Rice Casserole

1/4 c. vegan stick margarine (I use Nucoa)
1/4 c. unbleached flour
1/2 t. crushed oregano
1/2 t. dried basil leaves
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1 T. stone ground mustard

1 medium onion, diced

4 oz. (half a package) Daiya Deliciously Dairy Free "cheddar" shreds

1 T. egg replacer powder, mixed with 4 T. warm water (I use Ener-G)
1 c. fresh or frozen peas

6 c. cooked brown rice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt margarine.

Stir in flour, oregano, basil, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika.

Add in non-dairy milk and mustard, stirring well over heat until thoroughly combined.

Fold in onion and "cheese."

Finally, add in prepared "egg," stirring completely to ensure even distribution throughout cheese mixture.

In a large bowl, combine peas and rice with cheese mixture, mixing well.

Pour into a greased 9" x 13" casserole dish.

Sprinkle top with paprika, and bake for 35 minutes.

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Creamy Curried Tofu and Vegetables Over Brown Rice

When it comes to dinner time on busy nights, Mr. Wright and I sometimes sound like the vultures from the Jungle Book...








What we gonna do?


I dunno... Whatcha wanna do?

And we go back and forth like that for a while, until we order pizza--one vegan, one not-vegan. Anyway, Mr. Wright finally got very quiet, listened to his stomach, and declared we needed curry.

Smart stomach. Here's how it went:


Creamy Curried Tofu and Vegetables Over Brown Rice

Creamy Curry Sauce:

2 oz. vegan cream cheese
1 T. curry powder (I use a blend of Lake Chelan Curry and Aunt Rhoda's Curry from Bear Foods Market - my local natural foods store - but you can use your favorite red or yellow curry)
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. garlic powder
1 - 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, full fat
2 T. cane juice crystals or natural sugar

Rice:

2 c. uncooked brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Tofu:

1 - 14 to 16 oz. block extra-firm tofu (not silken)
oil for frying

Vegetables:

2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 bell pepper (green, red, or yellow)
1 c. broccoli, in bite-sized florets
1 large can cut baby corn
1 medium onion
1 c. red cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup kale leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 T. sesame oil

You will also need:
Candy thermometer to check frying oil temperature
Deep wok or fryer for frying tofu
Large wok or extra-large frying pan for sauteing vegetables

In a medium saucepan, combine cream cheese with spices and 1/8 cup coconut milk.

Heat over medium heat until cream cheese melts, then add the rest of the coconut milk and cane juice crystals or sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Allow mixture to boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Now is a good time to start your rice cooking. It will be done in time for serving after tofu and vegetables are cooked.

Drain the block of tofu, then "press" between two plates lined with paper towels to remove excess water. Place a heavy can on top of upper plate to squeeze out even more water.

Slice pressed tofu into bite-sized pieces.

Heat frying oil to 350 degrees, then fry tofu pieces until golden brown.

Remove tofu from oil and allow to drain on paper towels on a platter.

Slice carrots, celery, bell pepper and onion into bite-sized pieces, keeping each ingredient separate, as they will be added to the frying pan or wok at different times.

Place chopped kale into a bowl and drizzle with sesame oil.

"Massage" kale with oil until it becomes supple, rather than firm and woody.

To a large wok or extra-large deep frying pan, add sliced carrots over medium heat. No oil is necessary, as the natural juices of the vegetables will provide enough liquid to saute, coupled with the sesame oil from the kale.

Saute carrots for a minute or two, then add celery. (The key here is to add the hardest vegetables first, as they will take the longest to cook.)

After another minute or two, add bell pepper, then broccoli, baby corn, and onion, in order, with a minute or two of sauteing between each.

Add red cabbage and kale, stirring well, for a minute or two. Note: It's important that the cabbage be among the last vegetables to be added to the wok, because if allowed to cook too long, the purple color will seep into the rest of the vegetables, turning them an unattractive gray color.

Add fried tofu pieces and creamy curry sauce to vegetables, stirring thoroughly to ensure all the vegetables and tofu are coated and evenly heated.

Serve curried vegetables over steaming brown rice.

Serves a large family.

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Recipe: Caribbean Cabbage Rolls

I've tried making cabbage rolls from traditional recipes a few times, but - I must say - I haven't been impressed with most of the rice and tomato sauce-based recipes I've found. Just not my personal taste. Still, for a cheap dinner, you can't beat inexpensive rice and veggies wrapped in cabbage.

I tossed aside my recipe books, bought a head of cabbage, and decided to create a recipe I could live with, that would please Mr. Wright and the kids, and still be cheap enough to feed our army.

Oh, WOW. These were so good!

The most expensive addition was a mango, since it's out of season, but it added a delicious flavor to the filling.

Here's my new recipe:

Sexy Vegan Mama's Caribbean Cabbage Rolls

Start with:

1 good-sized head of cabbage


Filling:

1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 mango, diced
1 - 15.25 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 - 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 c. cooked rice (you can use leftover rice!)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. black pepper


Sauce:

4 or so carrots
1 banana
Juice of two limes
Enough water, pineapple juice or coconut milk to make sauce smooth and pourable


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prep vegetables and put into a large bowl with rice. Add spices and mix well.

In a stock pot, boil enough water to cover the head of cabbage. While the water is heating, score the cabbage head around the core so the leaves will fall off easier.

When water is boiling, drop cabbage in and boil until leaves become slightly translucent and fall away from the core. As the leaves drop off, pluck them from the water with a pair of tongs and place them in a colander to drain. As soon as they're drained, you can start filling them while the inner leaves boil off.

Place a cabbage leaf flat(ish) on your work area (curved side up) and put a scoop of filling (about a quarter-cup, depending on the size of the leaf) in the center.

Fold the sides of the leaf in, then fold one end over the filling.

Gently roll the filled portion of the leaf upward, toward the unfolded edge, creating a cabbage "burrito."

Place rolls tightly next to one another in a casserole baking dish.

In a blender, puree carrots. You'll want about two cups of carrot puree, so use more or less carrots, as needed. Add banana and puree again. Add lime juice and blend.

Now, I left my "sauce" there, but in retrospect, I would have liked it to be smoother and more "pourable," so next time I'll add some coconut milk or pineapple juice to make it smooth. I ended up spreading the topping, rather than pouring it, and the end result tasted great but didn't look as pretty as I would have liked.

So, add some pineapple juice or coconut milk and blend until smooth and ready to pour. Pour over rolls and bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

This will make a lot of cabbage rolls. The number depends on the size of your cabbage. For me, I think it made like 16 or so. You may have some cabbage left over after you use all the filling. Chop it up and use it in soup! Mr. Wright made a delightful rice and veggie soup with our leftover cabbage.

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How-To: Brown Rice Onigiri (Rice Balls) and Inarizushi (Sushi Inari)

Onigiri and Inarizushi, Sexy Vegan Mama-style

The kids scarfed down the makizushi I made recently and, because we have a wrestler in the family, I'm all for low-fat meals that provide good energy with whole grains. So I tried making onigiri (rice balls) with brown rice, in spite of warnings from a few authentic Japanese sites that sushi rice - and only sushi rice - was the sole acceptable base for makizushi and onigiri. (Read more here on my preference for brown rice.)

It worked. Who would have guessed?

I also made inarizushi (sushi inari), because it's long been a family favorite.

One of the things I love about making rice balls and sushi inari is a mama doesn't have to have a ton of experience or crafty tools like a bamboo mat or sushi machine to make a beautiful meal and let her family think she's a culinary genius.

In other words, it's sneaky, and it makes me look good. What's not to love about that idea?

I made a pot of rice in my rice cooker, starting with 2 cups of uncooked brown rice and about 4 1/2 cups of water. Your water-to-rice ratio will vary, depending on the rice and your cooking method. After measuring water and rice into the pot, I use gloved hands to rub the grains of rice between my palms to release some of the natural starch into the water.

(Authentic Japanese chefs are dropping dead of heart trauma as they read this, I'm sure.)

After the rice was cooked, I divided it in half, preparing half for inarizushi, and leaving half plain for onigiri.

For the inarizushi, I used the rice preparation (divided in half) for my makizushi, but added one medium-sized carrot, grated. Here's the halved recipe, including the carrot:

Brown Rice Inarizushi Filling with Flax and Black Sesame Seeds


Prepare 1 cup uncooked brown rice (or, you know, half of the 2 cups I told you to prepare earlier)

Once cooked, mix and add:

1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. cane juice crystals (I use Zulka)
1 1/2 t. canola or vegetable oil (olive oil is too strongly flavored for my taste in sushi)
1/2 t. black sesame seeds
1/2 t. flax seeds
1 medium carrot, grated

Let cool to body temperature before using.


I'll come back to the preparation of the inarizushi in a bit (you can skip over all the onigiri instructions, if you're only making inari). I only put the rice prep in here now because by the time you're done, your plain rice for the onigiri will still be hot but cool enough to work with. It's important not to let the rice cool too much before starting the onigiri. Hot rice works best.

Some of the onigiri I had in Japan was just molded rice with strips of nori wrapped around them, but my favorites had hidden treasures inside, like pickled plums (umeboshi) or small pieces of Japanese pickles (tsukemono).

Did I have any of those on-hand? Nope. Did it stop me from making onigiri? Heck, no.

I used slivered almonds and pieces of baby corn, wrapped in baby spinach leaves. If I used these fillings again, I'd definitely marinate them in a sweet sake sauce or something, but next time I'll probably just use umeboshi.

Onigiri Directions:

Wash, wash, wash your hands!

Have a small cup or bowl of sea salt and water in your prep area. Keep your hands coated in the salty water while working with the rice, as it will keep it from sticking to your hands.

Just add water!

Scoop approximately 1/2 cup of hot rice into a small bowl or cup and create a hole in the middle. Insert your filling in the hole, then cover with rice from the cup and press the rice into a rough ball shape. Gently turn the cup over into your hand to release the ball, then use your hands to compress and evenly shape the rice ball.

Wrap the ball with a strip of nori. (I simply cut nori sheets into strips.)

Inarizushi Directions:

You're going to need your prepared rice (above), and inarizushi wrappers (unless you miraculously know how to make your own!). They are fried bean curd "pockets," marinated in a sweet sauce with a soy base. I use a canned variety, though I understand they also come vacuum-packed or frozen. The brand I use is Shirakiku Inarizushi No Moto. They are cut and ready to fill when they come out of the can.

Drain and carefully remove the wrappers. They will be rectangular in shape, with a cut edge on one of the longer sides. (Think of them as pillowcases that open on the top instead of the side.) Gently open the cut end to expand the pocket - don't force or open it too far, or you'll split the seams on the bottom and sides.

Using a small spoon or your clean fingers, press a small amount of rice into a rectangle a bit smaller than the wrapper and insert into the pocket. You can now fold over the open edge and tuck it under the filled, rounded pocket.

You're done!

How easy was THAT?!

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Brown Rice Sushi with Flax and Black Sesame Seeds

I love vegan makizushi, but I don't love feeding my kids white rice. White rice means less B vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium and all sorts of good stuff lost in the processing. I used to make our sushi with half white, half brown rice, gradually increasing the brown-to-white proportions, and now I can pass off all-brown rice sushi with few complaints from the little sushi snatchers.

Know what else I don't love? Going out for sushi, ordering my vegan sushi, and seeing it made on the same counter that had raw fish on it a minute ago. Gross.


I add flax seeds to my sushi rice for Omegas and other goodies. Check out the nutritional info on whole flax seeds here.

Here's how I do it:

Brown Rice Sushi with Flax and Black Sesame Seeds

Ingredients:

2 c. uncooked brown rice
As much water as you need to thoroughly cook the rice (I use 4-5 cups, but it depends on your rice. Remember brown rice typically needs more water than white.)

1/2 c. rice vinegar
4 T. cane juice crystals (I use Zulka)
1 T. canola or vegetable oil (olive oil is too strongly flavored for my taste in sushi)
1 t. black sesame seeds
1 t. flax seeds

Nori sheets

Sushi fillings of your choice, cut into matchsticks (I used spinach, carrots, and beets)
Other filling suggestions: avocado, cucumber, fried tofu, baby corn, pickled ginger, bean sprouts, asparagus, green onion, mushroom, red or yellow bell pepper... (I'm allergic to both asparagus and mushrooms, so you'll never see them in any of my recipes. A vegan? Allergic to asparagus and mushrooms? I know, right?)

Directions:

Cook the rice as directed.

Tip: Before turning on the heat, I use gloved hands to gently rub the rice between my palms to release some of the natural starch from the bran into the cooking water. This helps the rice stick together, in my real or imagined experience.

While cooked rice is still hot, combine vinegar, cane juice crystals and oil in a blender, mixing until cane juice crystals are dissolved, and pour over rice. Add seeds and mix thoroughly.

Let the rice cool to body temperature before you begin rolling your sushi.

I use the International Sushi Maker Plus to craft my sushi because I am lazy and have no sushi-rolling skills. It's easy to use and inexpensive.

If you don't have a sushi makin' machine, check out this link or this one for a tutorial on how to roll with a bamboo mat.

Whether using a mat or a machine, follow the directions for filling and rolling your sushi, then slice into ten sections per roll.

Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi, if desired. You can make this as a main dish, or serve it as a side to an Asian-inspired dish like this one or this one.

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