The Exiled Kitchen

Here is a video detailing the way I make my BBQ Chik'n Wing Patties.  These things are absolutely delicious and the texture is great.  I find them a bit addictive, so be careful.  You can bread and fry them as I do in the video or you can leave them unbreaded and grill them up.  I think fried is the best way to go but if you're being extra health conscious, there are other ways to go.  In the video I did not get to show you the finished product breaded, but rest assured they look and taste great.

Ingredients

Chik'n Patties:

1 cup hydrated textured soy protien

1 cup water

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs soy sauce

1/2 cup vegan BBQ sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

salt and black pepper

Breading:

1/2 cup of ground walnuts

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup of flour

2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tbs buffalo wing sauce

1 tbs vegan mayo

1 tbs BBQ sauce

oil for frying

Thanks to Trader Joe's, Green Curry has never been easier.  Seriously this dish takes no time at all and can be prepared with just a hot wok and a few simple ingredients.  You don't have  Trader Joe's near by?  Sorry, sucker, you're out of luck.

For the Tofu:

1 tbs canola oil

1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp hoison sauce

1 tbs Trade Joe's Green Curry Simmer Sauce

For the Stir-Fry

1 tbs sesame oil

1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen stir fry vegetables, defrosted and drained

1 jar (the rest) Trader Joe's Green Curry Simmer Sauce

To prepare the tofu, slice into small (1/4 inch) cubes once pressed.  Use a paper towel (aka best friend) to pat the tofu dry.  In a bowl mix together soy sauce, hoison sauce, and one tbs of the green curry simmer sauce.  Marinate the tofu in the sauce for at least an hour.

Heat canola oil in your wok over high heat.  Make sure that the oil is screaming hot before you begin cooking. Sear the tofu over high heat until browned on all sides, constantly stirring.  Remove the tofu from heat and place on a plate.

Heat the sesame oil in the same hot wok.  Once that oil is hot, add the stir-fry vegetables.  Cook over high heat until moisture is gone and vegetables are beginning to brown and crisp.  Pour the remaining green curry into the wok and turn the heat down to medium low.  Keep stirring constantly and add the tofu.  Stir and let it sit until everything is hot throughout.  Serve over brown rice.

This is a slight adaptation of a recipe called Salsa Tofu Burritos found in the amazing cookbook Vegan on the Cheap.  Seriously if you are a vegan and you don't own this book: go buy it.  I've tried most of the recipes in the book and every time I'm amazed at how easy and delicious the recipes are.

Since this is from that book almost completely I can't exactly give you the recipe without breaking a few laws.  I can however share with you the method.  This is one of the easiest dishes to make ever.  It takes about as much time to make as it does for tofu to get hot.  Watch me make the recipe in my first ever attempt at a cooking video.

There are three tricks to a successful week of eating without spending too much money: planning, planning, and planning.  OK, there might be more than three, but planning ahead is essential to not resorting to eating out too often or having to make unnecessary trips to the grocery, both of which tend to add up quick.  If you plan your meals in advance you can very quickly get an idea of grocery cost in order to be thrifty.

One of the problems with having a tiny kitchenette or no kitchen is the temptation to eat out all of the time, buy prepared foods, and eat frozen meals every other night.  These things also add up in price, aren't as healthy as fresh food, and all the fun of cooking is lost.  Just a bit of planning ahead can lead to a successful cooking career in your exiled kitchen.

This week I planned the following meals (I'll include sources to the recipes).

Corned Seitan and Cabbage (a slow cooker variation from Vegan on the Cheap)

Lentil Tacos (I got the idea from Post Punk Kitchen)

Salso Tofu Burritos (Vegan on the Cheap)

Green Curry Stir-Fry

Barbecue Chik'n Patty Sandwiches

Vegan Cashew Cheesecake (Straight from VegWeb)

You may be wondering why I chose to have two "Mexican Nights" in one week.  I always find that I have leftover tortillas that don't want to keep for very long in my fridge or pantry, and so I plan on two nights that use them.  Then I can buy a big bag of tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole and spread them out over two different nights.  This is even smarter when you make them from scratch and have a lot of leftovers.

I love to cook.  Spending time in the kitchen is therapeutic.  I love the smells and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a well cooked meal.  I also happen to be a vegan.  That's right: no meat, dairy, eggs or anything animal related.  Part of the fun of being vegan is experimenting with no ways to make foods I used to love.  I make vegan sausage, chicken, and more all from scratch.  The work to make that stuff from scratch is a long process with a big mess and a lot of tools, but the satisfaction is worth all the hard work.  It also saves a bit of cash!

Imagine my frustration when I learned that my seminary, the General Theological Seminary in New York City, was moving us out of our beautiful big apartment with a walk through kitchen into a studio for two months.  My wonderful gas oven, counter space, big refrigerator...all gone just like that.  To my horror I discovered our studio has not a kitchen but...gasp!...a kitchenette.  How am I supposed to live for two months without a full kitchen?

I started thinking of the possibilities.  What tools would I still have?  I have a slow cooker, a big pot, a microwave, a wok, a small pan, and a rice steamer.  This isn't a nightmare, it's a challenge!  Follow me as I post vegan recipes that are easy and fun with nothing but the simplest ingredients that you can make without a kitchen.  Are you a college student?  Do you have an outlet?  Get yourself a microwave, slow cooker, rice steamer, and electric stovetop and you've got yourself a kitchen.