Taking the Summer Off

Sorry everyone, but I've decided to take the summer off from cooking. Its the season for BBQ and salad, not soups and stews! Plus I'm far too busy in the summer riding my bike and having fun outdoors to cook.

Let me know if you'd like some vegan recipes. I'd be happy to provide a favourite recipe or recommend good websites and cookbooks.

I will leave you with an awesome summertime recipe, perfect tempeh burgers from Vegan Dad that you can throw on the BBQ. I just made them and they are wonderful!

Here's the recipe as posted on his blog. I cooked mine 4 minutes on low each side, then threw them in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes to make sure they were cooked inside. You could also just toss them on the BBQ - but be careful they don't burn! Oh and I also liquid smoke to these. Its a nice addition.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 8.5 oz pkg tempeh, coarsely grated (If you find tempeh has a "taste," simmer it in boiling water for 10 mins to cut down on the bitterness. Cool before grating)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup vital wheat gluten [Tanya's note: can be found at the Bulk Barn in flour section or Loblaws in the Healthy Section]
- 2 tsp ground fennel seed
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce [Tanya's note: I used BBQ sauce instead]
- 1/4 tsp browning sauce (optional)
- 2-4 tbsp water
- oil for frying

METHOD
1. Mix grated tempeh, bread crumbs, flour, and spices in a bowl. Add in soy sauce, HP sauce, and enough water to make a firm yet pliable dough. Knead for a few mins to mix everything well.
2. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape into patties by pressing into a metal ring.
3. Cook in a thin layer of oil on med-lo heat for about 5 mins per side. The trick is to make thin patties and to fry them low enough to cook them through before burning the outside.

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

May Menu

Sorry, not as many choices this month and no treat. I'm super busy these days so I thought this would help.

May Menu:

Tamarind Lentils
Have I already mentioned that I should eat more lentils? So should you! We all should. They are the unsung heroes of the veggie world. Cheap, versatile, tasty and packed full of good things for your health. Okay enough of the lentil infomercial already! Let's all eat Tamarind Lentils. Yum!

Ratatouille
I'm on an eggplant kick lately. Its rivaling my pumpkin addiction. I can't seem to get enough of it! Paired with tomatoes & peppers, this meal is light, yet full of flavour.

Jerk Seitan
This one has been around Mealtime Matters for a while. Its one of my all time favourites. Bring Jamaica to your table with jerk seasoned seitan sitting on top of coconut brown rice.

BBQ Pomegranate Tofu
Pomegranate is full of antioxidants and vitamins..ahh, who cares? This is a tasty meal! Pomegranate Molasses snuck into your favourite BBQ sauce smothering tofu & veggies. What more do you need to know?

Orange Sesame Tempeh Noodles
Orange and sesame are a perfect match to me. If you liked the Peanut Tempeh noodles a few months back, you're sure to love this one too. Same ingredients, just switch the sauce. I made it as an option that month for someone with a peanut allergy and ended up liking this version better.

$6 per meal.

Any questions, see the FAQ or email me at hanhamt(nospam)@gmail.com

Please place orders by May 1st.

Hope you're all enjoying the spring weather that finally arrived!

April Menu

Here is the April menu. I've added a description of the meals so you know what you're getting. Hope this helps when selecting meals. As always meals are $6 and treats are $5 for 6. Please let me know if you have any allergies and I'll see if I can make substitutions that work for you.

Seitan Red and White Bean Jambalaya
Tomato-ey rice with yummy seitan sausages, beans and lots of veggies as usual. I'm excited about this dish.

Sicilian White Bean and Tomato Soup
I have a note on my recipe book for this one that says "Excellent, Easy and Pretty". Its a hearty, colorful soup with white beans, spinach and chunks of tomato.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry
Those of you who have have ordered from me for a while may have noticed I have a sweet potato obsession. In this dish I add Indian curry and coconut milk to them making an all-time favourite Mealtime Matters meal.

Moussaka
A vegan-take on the classic Greek casserole..wait, the word casserole does not do this meal justice; its much sexier than that. Thin-sliced eggplant and zucchini layered with potatoes are covered with a zesty tomato sauce and then topped with a rich pine nut 'cream' sauce. yum!

Corn Chowder
This chunky corn chowder is kicked up a notch with the addition of lots of veggies, jalapenos and lime juice. I love this soup.

Chana Masala
Who doesn't love chickpeas when combined with tomatoes and spices? This Indian chickpea stew is bursting with flavor and I know you're going to like it.

Seitan in Mole Sauce
This is a seitan stew with a spicy-sweet chocolate mole sauce. The chocolate gives it a rich complex flavor. Warning: this contains peanut butter so those with peanut allergies should avoid this one.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti
Pumpkin seems to find its way into many of my baked good. This time its is featured in a savory dish with a creamy sauce for ziti (a pasta similar to penne) which is then topped with a sage bread crumb mixture. Comfort food at its best. This one has cashews and walnuts for those with nut allergies.

*New*
If anyone wants the nutritional values (calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and fiber) of my meals, I can provide an approximation for you.

The VEGAN TREAT of the month is ice cream sandwiches! Not just an ordinary ice-cream sandwich though. Chewy-chocolate raspberry cookies surround a thick layer of delicious raspberry soy ice-cream. And people think vegans are deprived...

Any questions, see the FAQ or email me at hanhamt(nospam)@gmail.com

Please place orders by April 1st. I start cooking right away so try to place your orders early so you don't miss out like some folks did last month.

March Menu

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful January/February. I'm back from an exciting African trip and ready to cook for you again. I promise I won't go away again for a while!

In the cold weather I like to eat soup to warm me up. So I've included three hearty and filling soups on the menu this month. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Container request: if anyone has lots of containers on hand I would gladly come pick them up. I think there are many out there somewhere and it would be better for me to come and get them rather than buy new ones. Thanks!

As always, meals can be altered to meet most dietary needs. Please let me know and I'll try to accommodate.

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

Spicy Lemongrass Tofu

Potato Leek Soup

Moroccan Stew

Porcini-Wild Rice Soup

Butternut Squash - Cranberry Quinoa Pilaf

Spicy Peanut Eggplant Soup

$6 per meal includes delivery.

And one treat this month:

Jelly Donut Cupcakes

$5 for 6 cupcakes.

No meals until March!

Sorry everybody but I won't be cooking until March. January and part of February I'll be in Africa working with kids in an orphanage.

I'll post the March menu sometime mid February.

December Meals

November cooking is complete and many people have already received their meals. I was surprised (in a good way!) by the amount of meal orders I received last month. Thanks everyone! I hope you will enjoy them.

Without further adieu, I give you December meals...click for an ingredient list:

Mango-Ginger tofu

Spicy Peanut Tempeh & Noodles

'Beef' Stew

Chickpea Curry

Ethiopian Spicy Lentil Stew

Roasted Squash Soup

Sweet n' Sour Crispy Seitan

And don't forget Vegan Treats...

Christmas cookies and squares $8 for a bunch

Chocolate Chip and cranberry scones $5 for 6

Please have your orders in by December 1st. The sooner the better so I can start cooking right away!

Hey check out my new monthly menu mailing list! Sign up and you'll get an email when I post a new menu. Don't worry, I'm not going to send you unnecessary emails and I won't pass your email on to anyone else.

**IMPORTANT NOTE**
January meal orders will have to be in by December 20th instead of January 1st. This is because I will be away for the month of January and part of February in Africa! Unfortunately this means there will be either no February meals or a reduced amount. You might want to take that into consideration when picking your January meals. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you...

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions...

Are the containers re-usable?

Yes! My containers are re-usable. Please return the previous containers to me when you receive your next orders. Or even better, if you happen to see me between deliveries it would be great if you think of giving them back to me then.

Should I reheat the meals in the containers?

I wouldn't. There is more and more information coming out about the dangers of plastics to our health . I suggest thawing the meals partially or completely and then dumping them into a dish to reheat them.

Do you make meals for people with allergies?

Yes. No promises but I will make an effort to have an alternative if possible. For example, I often make things with peanuts or peanut butter but can substitute with something else or just leave it out completely. Please let me know about all allergies!
Disclaimer: obviously my kitchen does come in contact with peanuts and other major allergens. While I take all necessary precautions, if this concerns you then my meals may not be for you.

And food sensitivities, same thing?

Yes, I will do my best to alter a dish or baked good if possible. Those of you who are sensitive to wheat, I can replace regular flour with spelt. Spelt is a really great substitution that gives a nice, light crumb in baked goods. I often use it even though I don't have a sensitivity to wheat.

What the heck is seitan?

Seitan is a meat substitute made from gluten. Its often called “wheat meat” because its surprisingly similar to the look and texture of meat when cooked. I make my seitan by hand, however it can be bought in health food stores. I encourage you to give it a try on your own!

And tempeh? I've never heard of that either.

Tempeh is a fermented food made by the controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus mold (tempeh starter). It originated in Indonesia and is rapidly becoming popular all over the world as people look for ways to replace meat in their diets.

What does vegan mean?

A vegan meal means no animal products were used when making the meal. No animal products means no meat, chicken, fish, eggs or dairy (such as cheese, milk or yogurt). Give vegan meals a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Can I get nutritional information for your meals?

Sure. I can provide you with the approximate calories, protein, fat and fiber in each of my meals, by request.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to email me at hanhamt(no spam)@gmail.com**

**remove the "no spam", just trying to prevent spammers from snagging my real email.