Vegan Butterfingers and Whatcha Eatin'? #2
Long time, no post! I've been very busy at work and when not at work, I've been working feverishly on the book. It's coming along quite nicely and I'm actually almost done, so I thought I'd treat myself with a post!
Teriyaki stirfry with brown basmati rice. For the stirfry I used broccoli, carrots and red and yellow bell peppers. I baked some extra firm tofu in the teriyaki sauce until it carmelized. 
Last night was split pea soup (with potatoes and carrots) and some fresh wheat rolls. I really need to get an immersion blender, this whole "blending the soup in batches" thing is the pits. I could have sped this soup along with my pressure cooker, but I was home and had the time, so I opted to make it on the stove top normally. Basic hodgepodge, 1 1/2 cups split peas, 2 large potatoes cubes, 3 carrots, 1 cup vegetable broth, a medium chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, some sage and thyme and a lot of water.
Okay, so my title is a bit misleading, because there aren't any vegan butterfingers, but these tasted pretty darn great. Chick-o-stiks are vegan! I had never even tried one prior to about 3 years ago because for some strange reason, I thought they were cheese flavored. I think it's the color. Anyway, I just melted some chocolate chips with some Earth Balance and dipped each chunk of Chick-o-stik in it, then placed them on waxed paper and let them set in the fridge. It was a very easy and cheap (10 cents for each stick!) treat that I will definitely be making again.
Whatcha Eatin'? #2: Water Chestnuts
Jim always makes fun of me because I compare things to the texture of water chestnuts. He once even said "Water chestnuts are the vegan chicken, you think everything tastes like them!"
Well, maybe, maybe not. The point is, I realized that they aren't chestnuts and I needed to find out what they really were.
Turns out they are actually tubers that grow in the water! They can grow large shoots, but mostly grow in conditions that resemble bogs.
Once they are loosened and dug up, they rememble Western chesnuts. Harvesting them is very labor intensive, which is why they are hard to find fresh in the US and are costly by the can.
Water chestnuts are low fat and high in vitamin B, iron and calcium.
11 comments:
I was just about to post where are you :-)
chick-o-sticks are peanut butter and coconut, I just looked them up, yum.
That pea soup looks great.
Are you going to sell your book through this web site, or through one of the web publishing things, or thru stores?
I thought those chick sticks were cheese-like too... good to know, but bad since I snack so much anyway.
Thanks for the soup "guidelines". I will try it soon, it looks great. I only like one type of split pea (from my old workplace, In Season Deli do you know of it?). I'd like to try yours. Those homemade rolls look amazing. I'm totally jealous of those!
Thanks for the info on the water chestnuts. I never even thought of where they came from before either! I don't care for them too much but Ray likes them in stir-fry a lot. There's something about them being watery that I think I don't like. They are like sliced tasteless apples from a can. Hmm.
Great post, Kris.
(I'm still in the process of emailing you for real)
MM - water chestnuts are my favorite. I pick through my Chinese takeout and eat them all first.
I can't believe chic-o-stics are vegan! I always loved them as a kid. I need to get some. :) Your pea soup and rolls look fabulous.
yup...you need an immersion blender. They can be cheep and they do such a great job. I use them for hummas and dips, as well as soups, all the time.
I've never ever heard of chic-o-stics??!?!?
Oh yeah, get an immersion blender. I know you can get one plus a bunch of add ons and accessories you probably don't need for $25. I just got one (thanks for forcing me Dreena) and I love love love it. It is way better than the blender transfering mess. I guarantee it will pay off. Plus, you can froth milk... I like that.
thanks for the info!
love the fod!, chick o sticks, i love them, now i have a new "recipe" for use them! i know my girl will love it!
Chick o Sticks? Lol! I've never heard of them!
The tofu dish looks great! So does the soup and the yummy wheat rolls!!
I like the Immersion blender idea! I make vegan hot chocolate and froth some rice milk for the top and sprinkle it with cinnamon. yummy! That alone is worth it! Lol!
I've never heard of chick-o-sticks either. I thought maybe it was only an American thing, but I see Candi doesn't know what they are either. If you can put chocolate on them, I'm dying to know what they are!!
Teryaki is one of my favorite flavours. It goes so well with tofu and stir-fries. Mmmm! Maybe I'll have that for dinner tonight.
And I love split pea soup. Yours looks espcially good!
Anon, actually Herbivore has asked to publish my book, so it will be available online through their website and there will also be a site for the book itself.
Leslie, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought they were cheese flavored! I never tried In Season Deli, where are they at? Hey, did anything ever happen with that vegan restaurant on Mill and Southern? I know they were trying to sell it when I left.
Okra Mary, I like water chestnuts, too. I like a variety of textures in a meal.
Mindy, they are indeed vegan! We no longer have to be left out of having peanut buttery candy stuck in our teeth!
Megan, Chick-o-Stics are a ond, vintage candy, that have kind of stuck around here in the states, but they can be hard to find. Thankfully, when you do find them, they are really cheap so you can stock up!
I know, Leslie, I need to get an immersion blender! It's on my list of things I want for Christmas, next to "hand mixer that actually has a low setting".
Candi, I never thought about frothing milk with one, that's even more incentive to get one!
Carrie, because they are hard to find, I don't think a lot of people know what Chick-o-Stics are. The basically just taste like the insides of a Butterfinger bar, but with a hint of coconut.
I am the Owner of In Season Deli. We are located at 414 S. Mill Ave, #111, Tempe, AZ 85281. Between 4th and 5th on Mill. We are located in the courtyard of the Mill Ave Shops (behind Fatburger)
Visit our website www.inseasondeli.com for more info. Enjoy!
Post a Comment