yummmm!

Someone come over and make this with me after I'm back from New York. I'll show you my pretty new tattoo and try to not peel into the pie (GROSS!)

My mom bought me a TON of matzo. like a case. I don't know how to eat it except to put earth balance on it, and that might be gross (is it? at least it's not veganaise, right?) so I'm totally trying this:


[from fat free vegan... (even though i LOVE fats)]



Spinach-Matzo Pie
(printer-friendly version)

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
20 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and most liquid squeezed out
1 8-ounce package Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, divided
3/4 cup soy milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (one 14-16 ounce pkg.)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, minced
1 pinch cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
black pepper, to taste
6 matzos (about 6 inches square)
1/2 cup pine nuts
olive oil spray

Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil. Heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and cook, stirring, until hot. Then add 1/2 of the Tofutti and 1/4 cup milk, stir until well blended, and remove from heat.

Put the remaining Tofutti into a blender along with the rest of the soy milk and the nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Mash the tofu well with a potato masher. Add the nutritional yeast, oregano, lemon juice, kalamata olives, cayenne, and cumin. Mix well, then add it to the pan with the spinach. Stir until combined and then add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place two of the matzos in the bottom of the baking pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of the Tofutti mixture over them and use a brush to coat the matzos well. Cover with half of the spinach. Put two more matzos over the spinach, coat with another 1/4 cup of Tofutti mixture, and top with remaining spinach. Put the final two matzos on top, cover with the remaining Tofutti, and sprinkle with pine nuts. Spray lightly with olive oil.

Bake uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, until golden and set. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 8 servings:

omg fuck this:

AMERICA!!

rustic spinach and tempeh pie

This is, by far, the UGLIEST food I've ever been involved with making, but that's okay because it was yum city. I'm going to very seriously alter this recipe and repost it because I think it was way too hearty and really citrus. It left this lingering taste that I really just want to hone.


I doubt I'll have time do to that this week, but it'll get done because I'm always looking for a good use of the plethora of spinach I always get. and my virtual STOCKPILE of spelt flour.




living alone is:
always having to clean up after yourself.

tonight's big plans:

Tempeh Spinach Rustic Pie

from 'have cake will travel'

For the filling:
2 teaspoons orange zest, about 2 oranges
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice, about 2 oranges
2 tablespoons (40 g) all-fruit orange marmalade
1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger
8 ounces (227 g) tempeh, crumbled
1 tablespoon (15 ml) peanut oil
2 cups (380 g) frozen chopped spinach

For the crust:
3 tablespoons (48 g) tahini
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups (150 g) light spelt flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) fresh orange juice

To make the filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk zest, juice, marmalade, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, optional red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Stir in tempeh. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook marinated tempeh, along with marinade, on medium heat until it browns up, for about 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, such as Silpat.

To make the crust:
In your stand mixer or food processor, combine tahini, salt, and flour. Add orange juice, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, until dough forms.
Shape into a disk. Roll out dough to approximately 11 x 10 inches (28 x 25 cm), a little over 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick.
Transfer onto prepared baking sheet.
Place filling on top of the prepared crust, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edges: the filling will pile up high. Level it, fold the edges of the pie crust up and over so that the filling is visible: it’ll look rustic, and that’s the point.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the crust is golden brown.
Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

....camera phone pictures to follow bc the good camera's out on lone all the way in LA. yum cityyyy

to blog or not to blog.

So, it has certainly been a while, but I'm back in the blogoshere. Is that what it's called?

...who am I kidding? I can barely send a text message.


Anyway, I had a really good tofu florentine day last week. It's lazy American-style rather than English (read as: braised, broiled tofu with spinach and cheezy sauce over garlic mashed potatoes rather than over toasted english muffins).





It's really sad that I only take pictures of cats and food. and sometimes myself if I'm having an especially "on" day. Tough life, I know!




Living alone is:

Making a really beautiful dinner for two for yourself and your best friend.<3

These were all Hannah

Tea-infused cupcakes. We ended up making WAY more cupcakes than we have friends to eat them with...

Swear I'm working on making friends. Hungry friends. because I don't have my vegan garbage disposal boyfriend to eat my leftovers for me anymore. /:










Living alone is:

having a good relationship with your freezer.

tofu scramble

why not?

ah, the kittens.

my cats are way more interesting than thedailykitten.com
the user comments are ASININE. sheer stupidity.

the pizza thing

it's fun until you have to preheat the oven for 500 degrees! and then you've realized the COOKIE SHEETS NEVER MADE IT EITHER! and then you've got pizza half stuck and burnt to the top rack and you need two spatulas and four hands to get it out of the oven and then go back to do the same thing, but DEEPER IN THE OVEN so that when the pizza sticks this time, you can close the oven door.

UGH.

Totally worth it though. I'm dead serious.



Also note the vegan blue cheese dressing next to the buffalo chicken pizza. It's:
1/2 cup veganaise
1 tsp tahini
the juice of 2 lemon slices (i'm talking the size of the garnish on your cocktail)
a splash of white vinegar
garlic powder to taste.

you can crumble a bit of tofu for texture, but i think it's silly. unless someone's going to wake up early and make tofu scramble for you with the left overs and bring it to you in bed. otherwise, skip it. and you're not spoiled enough.

a day in the life. round #1

You're right. It has been way too long since I've posted, but it's because I've been very busy cooking. I've embarked on the terribly romantic practice of soaking one's own beans. and then cooking them. but before cooking, falling in love with that floral smell of pre-cooked beans.

It makes me hate all canned goods. It also helped me not notice that a can opener never made it here during the move. I think we had three before we left. Obviously, I'm great at packing things. and keeping track of my belongings.

those are a black bean burrito stuffed with garlic mashed potato and curried broccoli.

I also won "best girlfriend ever" award that evening upon leaving this for the bunny on the stove:


I overloaded on pizza this evening with jon. Buffalo fake-chicken pizza and a vegetable pizza with tomato, broccoli, and spinach. Holy fuck. Follow your heart cheese on both.


Everyone gets that everything I do is vegan, right?

rock and roll kitty cat

i get a terrible kick out of myself.

i had nothing to do with this

thanks to Jon for getting the young coconut open, preserving the coconut water, and scraping the meat out. He then tossed it in a blender, threw in two bananas, and dropped in three heaping tablespoons of raw almond butter.

It was magical.
Raw Dessert, USA

it made me want a cleaver. BAD. A Wusthof one. "But Melissa, you don't have room for a cleaver in your knife block (and you're a spoiled brat)!"

vegan kilbasa and baby lima bean bake

with skillet-roasted carrot and onion with an ultra-soft polenta. crispy on top. basil marinara sauce on top of the baby lima bean bake.



this is the closest thing i think you'll ever get of a 'melissa bock cooking' action shot. indulge. and can we talk about that kitty cat trivet!?

exciting things are happening!

So, next week I'll be 24. I look very good for my age.


Jon and I will be in Philly for our August 1st lease in our gorgeous Graduate Hospital apartment. I officially make the move on 15 August. Moving is such a hassle but I can't wait to be in a new city.

The publication of my cat fan zine entitled "Catastrophe!" has been put on hold for the move. I imagine I'll finish by 15 September, so be on the look-out at your local anarchist book store. Here's the front and back cover so you know what to look for:

melissabock has a blog

blog number 1.

preceded by discovery of blind, one-eyed hurricane katrina survivor kitty having ringworm. YES!

more to come; including, but not limited to: vegan recipes, green anarchism-related posts, political prisoner information, and shameless plugs of my vegan, feminist cat zine.