Dough Boys!

my nutritious lunch


1 1/2 cups hot tap water
1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups flour, more if sticky

big vat of hot oil (vegetable shortening)

powdered sugar, fruit, pizza sauce or whatever else you want to use for toppings

wisk together the water and yeast then wisk in the sugar and salt. Add the flour, mixing one cup at a time and then kneed until dough is smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Let it rise, covered in a lightly oiled bowl for 20 minutes. Punch down the let rise 20 more minutes.

Heat the shortening (enough so that it's kinda deep, mine filled the bottom 1/5 of my pot) in a deep pot over medium high heat, not too hot, not too cool, use your best judgement and make sure you have something handy that can put out a fire (just in case!). break off pieces of dough, flatten slightly but the misshapenness and variation in width gives them charm. They're supposed to be a little wonky!
fry each side until golden, drain on papertowels and cool a little before serving. Top with whatevea.

Uncle Tykie says: "Don't worry if you get powdered sugar on the floor, the dog well lick it up!"

makin' bacon

The marinade smells amazing so I know it's going to be tasty. Hopefully the bacon stays more or less intact. I am using firm not extra firm, but freida's tofu is usually great about staying in one piece. I cut it thicker than the recipe calls for also. Used the first recipe I got after 'googling' tofu bacon. *fingers crossed*

I organized the fridge today

The outside at least. I had nothing else to do seeing as how the Mister, Missus, and young Bugsy went to the craft store without me. woof

chocolate banana pudding

Our food processor passed away last night. It was a real piece of garbage anyway, $15 and I am ashamed to say where I bought it, 'nuff said? Anyway, the motor just pooped out in the middle of preparing some roasted cherry tomato pasta. Oh so much swearing, I managed to finish the job in the blender but it was not easy. Today Bugsy and I went out to Target and bought a $39.99 black & decker, which looks way schmancier and preforms much better, suction cups on the bottom even keep it from wandering around on the counter during especially tough jobs. I'll see how it goes long term but for now I am happy with my purchase.

I wanted to take it for a spin tonight so I made up this pudding~it is so yummy

ingredients

1 package silken tofu

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 banana

1 cup melted vegan dark chocolate chips

directions

process until smooth, then pour into 4 little dessert cups. Enjoy!

tvp pot pie

I wish I was writing this down as I was making it. The filling tastes amazing. I am going to kind of guess as to how I made it because it is worth making again.

rehydrate 1/2 a cup of TVP (bob's red mill) by adding 1/2 cup of boiling vegetable stock and let it sit covered for 10 minutes

in a med sauce pan saute 1 small onion in 3 tbsp olive oil until they are transparent. Add 2 medium chopped carrots, 2 small cubed potatoes, and 1 cup of chopped button mushrooms let this sit covered for maybe five minutes on low heat so that the carrots and potatoes get soft. You can add a little vegetable stock (maybe 1/4 c) to it if you are worried about it burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

I then added the TVP a little more vegetable stock a large handful of frozen peas, and added sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper to taste. I mixed about a tablespoon of flour with another 1/4 c of stock until it was well mixed and added that to my pot to make it a little thicker. I pretty much arbitrarily added stock till it "looked right" so nothing is exact.

Preheated the oven to 350. I oiled an 8 by 8 in pyrex baking dish, whipped togeter an "easy" pie crust (for a 1 crust pie) that needed to be refridgerated for one hour and I froze it for maybe five minutes. I dumped what was in the sauce pan into the baking dish, topped with the crust and popped it into the oven where it is now. I am thinking I'll bake it for about twentyfive minutes. The reason I know this well be good is because I was snacking on the filling while I was making it and it is delicious! Next time I make this I am going to try and write down something a little more exact.

roasted apsaragus

The only way to prepare asparagus!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: as many as you want

Ingredients:

asparagus with thick stalks, it can be white or green. use as much as you can eat

olive oil

coarse sea salt

Cooking Instructions:

preheat the oven to 475 (F)

toss asparagus with oil. place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. sprinkle with salt. bake for 12-15 minutes

vegetable fried rice

This rice rocks my world. It's really easy to make and so freaking delicious. You don't have to use brocolli, you could use asparagus or another vegetable but I have only made it with brocolli and asparagus and I like the brocolli the best. I have also made this with hot rice because I was too impatient to let it chill and it comes out fine but the rice doesn't stick to itself as much when it is chilled.

Servings: 2 large or 4 small

Prep time:20 minutes

Ingredients

sesame oil or cooking oil, about a tablespoon

1 cup brocolli, fresh or frozen

4 or 5 chopped button mushrooms

1 small stalk of celery, bias cut

2 thinly sliced green onions

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons saki

a healthy dash of ground red pepper

2 cups chilled, cooked rice

Cooking Instructions

in a large skillet cook and stir the brocolli, mushrooms, celery, gr. onions, & garlic for about four minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, saki and pepper. Add the rice. Cook and stir for about two more minutes.

general tso's tofu

Serves: 2 or 4 small servings

Preparation time: 30 Minutes

This is so good, better as leftovers!
It's best to serve over white rice with steamed broccoli

Ingredients

1 box of extra firm tofu
cornstarch to coat tofu + 2 Tbsps for sauce (more or less, depens on if you want the sauce thicker or thinner
vegetable oil for frying
3 chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 1/2 tsp (or to taste) of that asian chili garlic sauce, the one with the rooster
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
about 1/4 c sugar (or to taste), but I like it sweet
1 Tablespoon saki
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
Cooking Instructions
drain and cut tofu into cubes and shake it in a zipper bag with some cornstarch. Use as much as you'd like, lately I've been using a lot and whatever doesn't stick just stays in the bag. Fry in a oiled wok or nonstick/cast iron skillet. Fry until golden brown and crispy, if it's not fried long enough it's got a mushy texture. Make sure the oil isn't too shallow and also that it isn't too deep. Coat the bottom of the pan and then some.
Heat about 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, & ginger cook for a few minutes. Add vegetable stock (or for a poultry flavor I have used no chicken vegetable base, it's a different taste but good), soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, saki, and vinegar. Wisk together 2 Tablespoons water with 2 Tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly.