Absenteeism...and Alfredo!

Yes, I know, I've been neglecting this blog lately. I've been in and out of the city quite a bit, and then there's the ever-looming dissertation that has been a beast lately. Excuses, excuses. And the bf's sister is arriving tonight and staying with us for awhile so I doubt things will improve much in the free time department. However, here I will attempt to make it up to you with tidings of delicious vegan alfredo, that even my alfredo connoisseur bf liked:

The original recipe is from Lachesis over at the Post Punk Kitchen. Beware that this recipe makes a TON of sauce...I think I'll be eating leftovers for days and days.

Vegan Alredo Sauce: (Adapted from Lachesis)
-1/2 c. Earth Balance
-2 c. soymilk (unsweetened)
-1 package extra-firm silken tofu
-2 tbsp. white wine
-2 tbsp. onion powder
-4 cloves roasted garlic
-3 tsp. sea salt
-3 tsp. black pepper
-1 pinch nutmeg

-3 tbsp. arrowroot powder (apparently cornstarch will work just fine)

1. Combine all ingredients except arrowroot in blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a wee bit of the sauce to the arrowroot and mix to form a smooth paste. Add this to the saucepan.

3. Stir constantly over medium-low heat. Do not let sauce boil. It should start to thicken up. If you would like it thicker, add more arrowroot.

I served this with Marinated Italian Tofu from Veganomicon. The most exciting part of this was that the bf actually ate tofu that was NOT deep fried and said it was "okay." I'll count that as a victory.

To go along with the meal, we had nice fresh homemade baguettes:

Vegan Baguettes:
-1 cup warm (110 F) water
-2 1/2 cups bread flour
-1 tbsp. white sugar
-1 tsp. salt
-1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

Wash:
-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
-1/2 c. + 2 tsp. water

1. Mix yeast in water with sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Add flour and salt. Knead dough until firm and elastic (around 10 minutes). Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth. Let sit until the dough is doubled in size.

3. Make cornstarch wash: mix cornstarch with 1 tsp. water. Add 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds.

4. Punch down dough. Separate dough into two equal balls. Shape into baguettes (tutorial here). Slit tops of baguettes four times. Brush baguettes with the cornstarch wash.

5. Cover baguettes with damp cloth. Let sit until doubled (about 45 minutes).

6. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake baguettes 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.